JP7493235B2 - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko gaming machines (commonly referred to as "pachinko machines") and slot machine gaming machines (commonly referred to as "pachislot machines").

Conventionally, there is known a gaming machine that draws a lottery to determine whether or not a jackpot will be awarded based on the entry of a gaming ball into a starting hole, and displays a moving image on a display device, which then freezes and freezes the image in a manner according to the result of the lottery. If the lottery results in a jackpot, the display device freezes and the jackpot image is displayed, creating a jackpot gaming state.

In addition, many gaming machines have been proposed that display symbols on a display device in a dynamic manner and then freeze the symbols in a manner that corresponds to the lottery results while also implementing effects that indicate the player's hope for a win (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2010-220861 A

However, there is room for further improvement in the presentation of the expectation of a win. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a gaming machine that can prevent a decline in interest in gaming by incorporating improvements in the presentation of the expectation of a win.

Means 1: A determination means for determining whether or not a winning ball has been won based on lottery information acquired based on the ball entering the starting hole;
A special symbol variation execution means for executing a special symbol variation based on the establishment of a start condition;
A game machine including: a performance execution means for executing a performance based on the lottery information in a performance display means including a light-emitting unit;
The performance execution means is capable of executing a first performance and a second performance that can be executed at a ball entry timing based on the ball entry into the starting hole,
At least in the first performance, the special symbol variation corresponding to the ball entering the starting hole that triggered the execution of the first performance is displayed in a display mode selected from a plurality of display modes having different expectations of winning,
Even if a ball enters the starting hole after the first display mode is displayed in the first performance, the second performance cannot be executed,
The second performance can be executed when a ball enters the starting hole after a second display mode in which the expectation of the winning is lower than that of the first display mode is displayed in the first performance,
In the first performance, a third display mode having a higher expectation for the hit than the first display mode can be displayed,
When the second performance is executed at the timing of the ball entering the starting hole, the display mode that has been displayed in the first performance before the ball entering timing is not changed to the third display mode,
Even if a ball enters the starting hole during the execution of the special pattern variation in which a predetermined reach performance is executed, the second performance is not executed,
When the second display mode is changed to the first display mode or the third display mode after the second display mode is displayed in the first performance, a premonition performance suggesting that the second display mode will change can be executed as a premonition;
When the first display mode or the third display mode is displayed at a ball-entering timing based on the ball entering the starting hole in the first performance, the first display mode or the third display mode is displayed without executing the premonition performance,
A performance sound output means is provided for outputting a performance sound related to the performance,
The effect sound output means is capable of outputting an effect sound corresponding to the selected display mode at a timing when the display mode selected from the plurality of display modes is displayed in the first effect,
A gaming machine characterized in that when a ball enters the starting hole while the first performance is made invisible by the performance display means by executing a predetermined performance different from the first performance and the second performance, the selected display mode in the first performance is not displayed visibly based on the ball entering the starting hole, but the performance sound corresponding to the selected display mode can be output.

The present invention provides a gaming machine that can prevent a decline in gaming interest.

1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. This is a front perspective view of a pachinko machine. This is a perspective view of a pachinko machine seen from behind. This is an oblique view of a pachinko machine viewed from the front with the door frame open from the main frame and the main frame open from the outer frame. This is an exploded oblique view of a pachinko machine viewed from the front, disassembled into a door frame, a game board, a main frame, and an outer frame. This is an exploded oblique view of a pachinko machine disassembled into a door frame, a game board, a main body frame, and an outer frame, viewed from the rear. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a game board. This is an oblique view of the game board from the front right. This is an oblique view of the game board from the front left. This is a perspective view of the game board from behind. This is an exploded perspective view of the game board, broken down into its main components, as seen from the front. This is an exploded perspective view of the game board disassembled into its main components and viewed from behind. This is a front view of the front components and front unit of the game board cut at approximately the center in the front-to-back direction within the game area. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the control configuration of a pachinko machine. A diagram showing the configuration inside the main control MPU. A diagram showing the configuration of an arithmetic circuit in the main control MPU. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a serial communication circuit. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an initialization process. 22 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the initialization process of FIG. 21 . 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a timer interrupt process. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a role-playing device ratio calculation and display process. 25 is a flowchart showing the continuation of the reel ratio calculation and display process of FIG. 24. A diagram showing an example of the arrangement of programs (code) and data stored in the ROM and RAM built into the main control MPU. A diagram showing the structure of data stored in the reel ratio calculation area. A diagram showing the configuration of a role ratio display device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driver circuit. FIG. 4 is a timing diagram of data input to a driver circuit. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a main control board implementation. A diagram showing the positional relationship between the main control MPU and the reel ratio display. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a load register selection table. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a character generator decode table. FIG. 4 is a state transition diagram of a driver circuit. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the role ratio. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the role ratio. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the control configuration of a pachinko machine. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a base calculation and display process. A figure showing an example of the timing of updating the number of prize balls and the timing of calculating the base value. A figure showing another example of the timing of updating the number of prize balls and the timing of calculating the base value. A figure showing another example of the timing of updating the number of prize balls and the timing of calculating the base value. A figure showing another example of the timing of updating the number of prize balls and the timing of calculating the base value. A figure showing another example of the timing of updating the number of prize balls and the timing of calculating the base value. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation and display process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation and display process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation and display process. 13 is a diagram showing a structure of data stored in a base calculation area. FIG. FIG. 11 is a front view showing another example of a game board. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation and display process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation and display process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation and display process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation and display process. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a peripheral control unit power-on process; 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a peripheral control unit V blank interrupt process. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a display selection process. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display selection table. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display selection table. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display selection table. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display selection table. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display selection table. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation and display process. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation area update process. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a timer interrupt process. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a base calculation process 1. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a base calculation process 2. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation process 1. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation process 2. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the timer interrupt process. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a base calculation process 3. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a base calculation process 4. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a base display process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation process 3. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation process 4. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the base display process. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the control configuration of a pachinko machine. A diagram showing the arrangement of the frame side discharged ball sensor. A diagram showing the arrangement of the frame side discharged ball sensor. A diagram showing an example of connection between the discharged ball sensor and the main control board. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a game board. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main control input circuit. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a main control board implementation. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a main control board implementation. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a main control board implementation. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a main control I/O port. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a main control I/O port. A timing diagram for an example configuration of the main control I/O port shown in Figure 97. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing changes in state (section) for calculating a base value. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of characters displayed on the base display. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an initialization process. 102 is a flowchart showing the continuation of the initialization process of FIG. 101 . FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a base calculation area. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a timer interrupt process. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a base calculation process. 106 is a flowchart showing the continuation of the base calculation process in FIG. 105 . 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a base display data generation process. 13 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the base calculation process. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the calculation of the base when the game state is switched. A diagram showing the configuration related to the memory area of the internal configuration of the main control MPU 1311. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program for timer interrupt processing and base calculation processing. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program for timer interrupt processing and base calculation processing. A diagram showing an example of the arrangement of programs (code) and data stored in the ROM and RAM built into the main control MPU. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a gaming history recorded in a gaming machine. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an error screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an error signal. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of an error. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of an error. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of an error. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a peripheral control unit power-on process; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a game history recording condition setting table. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a gaming history. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a peripheral control board and its surroundings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a peripheral configuration of a peripheral control SRAM; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the game history recording condition setting table. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the game history. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the game history. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the game history. A block diagram showing an outline of the control configuration of a pachinko machine having a setting unit. This is an oblique view of a pachinko machine having a setting unit, seen from behind with the door open. This is an oblique view of the pachinko machine shown in Figure 130 from behind with the doors closed. A diagram showing the setting section of the pachinko machine shown in Figure 130. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the setting unit. A block diagram showing an outline of the control configuration of a pachinko machine having a setting unit. This is an oblique view of a game board having a setting section seen from behind. This is an oblique view from behind of a pachinko machine equipped with the game board shown in Figure 135. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an initialization process. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a setting change process and a setting display process. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a setting change process and a setting display process. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for special symbol and special electric device control processing. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for waiting for a special pattern change. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for setting a special symbol variation pattern. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for a variation pattern selection determination process. (A) is an example of a variation pattern table selected when the game state is normal and the result of the special lottery is a miss. (B) is an example of a variation pattern table selected when the game state is normal and the result of the special lottery is a jackpot. This is an overview diagram showing an example of a presentation executed in miss variation patterns 20 and 24 to 29 in the variation pattern table of Figure 144 (A). This is an overview diagram showing an example of a presentation executed in miss variation patterns 1, 2, and 30 in the variation pattern table of Figure 144 (A). This is an overview diagram showing an example of a presentation executed in miss variation pattern 31 and win variation pattern 34 in the variation pattern table of Figure 144 (A). This is an overview diagram showing an example of a presentation executed in miss fluctuation pattern 32 and hit fluctuation pattern 35 in the fluctuation pattern table of Figure 144 (A). (A) is an example of a variation pattern table selected when the game state is in the time-saving state and the result of the special lottery is a miss. (B) is an example of a variation pattern table selected when the game state is in the time-saving state and the result of the special lottery is a jackpot. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a main control board implementation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another implementation example of the main control board. This is a cross-sectional view of A-A' in Figure 151 (B). FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another implementation example of the main control board. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an initialization process. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a timer interrupt process. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a setting confirmation process. FIG. 4 is a timing diagram of a security signal. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the initialization process. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of the setting confirmation process. 13 is another example of a fluctuation pattern table. 13 is an example of a final reserved color table. This is an example of a table showing the appearance rate of each final reserved color for each fluctuation pattern of setting 1 when the fluctuation pattern is determined by the fluctuation pattern table of Figure 160 and the final reserved color is determined by the final reserved color table of Figure 161. This is an example of a table showing the appearance rate of each final reserved color for each fluctuation pattern of setting 3 when the fluctuation pattern is determined by the fluctuation pattern table of Figure 160 and the final reserved color is determined by the final reserved color table of Figure 161. This is an example of a table showing the appearance rate of each final reserved color for each fluctuation pattern of setting 5 when the fluctuation pattern is determined by the fluctuation pattern table of Figure 160 and the final reserved color is determined by the final reserved color table of Figure 161. 13 is an example of a preview performance table. 13 is an example of a dialogue production table. This is another example of a preview performance table. 13 is an example of a setting suggestion presentation table. An explanatory diagram showing an example of an overview of the setting suggestion presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of an outline of a setting suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect. 13A is an example of a performance restriction table in the setting confirmation mode, and FIG. 13B is an example of a performance restriction table when an error occurs. 13 is an example of a new start winning performance restriction table. 3 is an example of a processing table 1. 4 is an example of a processing table 2. 3 is an example of a processing table 3. 4 is an example of a processing table 4. 4 is an example of a processing table 5. 4 is an example of a processing table 6. 13 is a flowchart of a power-on process in a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a power-on process in a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a timer interrupt process according to a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a timer interrupt process according to a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a performance display process according to a first modified example. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a notification mode of a first modified example. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing notification priorities in a first modified example. 13 is a flowchart of a power-on process in a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a power-on process in a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a main process on the main control side in the first modification. 13 is a flowchart of an initialization process when a RAM abnormality occurs according to a first modified example. 13 is a flowchart of a timer interrupt process according to a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a timer interrupt process according to a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a setting process of a first modified example. 13 is a flowchart of a setting display process of a first modified example. 13 is a flowchart of a power-on setting process according to a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a random number update process 2 of the modified example 1. 13 is a flowchart of a timer interrupt process according to a first modification; 13 is a flowchart of a switch input process 1 according to a first modification. Figure 198 (A) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a switch winning information data table in variant 1, and Figure 198 (B) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a switch input level/edge data area in variant 1. Figure 199 (A) is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the switch winning information data table of variant 1, and Figure 199 (B) is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the switch input level/edge data area of variant 1. 13 is a flowchart of a setting change/confirmation process of a first modified example. FIG. 201A is a diagram showing a configuration example of a switch input port 2 of the modified example 1, and FIG. 201B is a diagram showing a configuration example of a setting status management area of the modified example 1. Figure 202 (A) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on operation command of alternative example 1, Figure 202 (B) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on state command of alternative example 1, Figure 202 (C) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on return destination command of alternative example 1, and Figure 202 (D) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a setting value command of alternative example 1. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a command transmission order in the first modification. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing state transitions of a setting state management area in Modified Example 1. 13 is a time chart from the start to the end of a setting change mode in Modified Example 1. 13 is a time chart from the start to the end of a setting confirmation mode in Modified Example 1. 13 is a time chart from the start to the end of a setting change mode in Modified Example 1. 13 is a time chart from the start to the end of a setting change mode in Modified Example 1. 13 is a time chart from the start to the end of a setting change mode in Modified Example 1. A figure showing an example of the configuration of a jackpot determination threshold table for variant 1. A figure showing an example of the configuration of a jackpot determination threshold table for variant 1. A figure showing an example of the configuration of a jackpot determination threshold table for variant 1. 13 is a flowchart of a power-on process in a second modification. 13 is a flowchart of a power-on process in a second modification. 13 is a flowchart of a setting value confirmation process of a second modification. 13 is a flowchart of the RAM outside the game area confirmation process when the power is turned on in another example 2. 13 is a flowchart of processing when an abnormality occurs in the RAM outside the game area in Example 2. 13 is a flowchart of an outside-area RWM initialization process according to a second modification; 13 is a flowchart of a power-on setting process according to a second modification; Figure 220 (A) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a setting status management area in variant 2, Figure 220 (B) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on operation command in variant 2, and Figure 220 (C) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on status command in variant 2. 13 is a flowchart of the main processing on the main control side of the modified example 2. 13 is a flowchart of a process when the power is turned off in the second modification. 13 is a flowchart of a timer interrupt process according to a second modification; 13 is a flowchart of a setting process in a second modification; 13 is a flowchart of a setting display process of a second modification. 13 is a flowchart of a power-on process according to a third modification. 13 is a flowchart of a power-on process according to a third modification. 13 is a flowchart of the main processing on the main control side of modification 3. 13 is a flowchart of a timer interrupt process for a setting change process of a third modified example. 13 is a flowchart of a timer interrupt process for normal play in Example 3. 13 is a flowchart of the main processing on the main control side of the modified example 4. 13 is a flowchart of a timer interrupt process for a setting change process of a fourth modified example. This is an exploded oblique view of the center gimmick and front performance unit of the front unit of the game board, viewed from the front. This is a front view showing the first image being illuminated on the front performance unit. This is a front view showing the second image being illuminated on the front performance unit. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a structure of a light guide plate. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a structure of a reflecting portion provided on a light guide plate. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a structure of a reflecting portion provided on a light guide plate. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a structure of a light guide plate. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing examples of images projected onto a light guide plate. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing examples of images projected onto a light guide plate. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing examples of images projected onto a light guide plate. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a structure of a light guide plate. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing examples of images projected onto a light guide plate. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a picture is displayed in a planar view by a light guide plate. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a picture is displayed in a planar view by a light guide plate. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating how a picture that is stereoscopically viewed is displayed by a light guide plate. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating how a picture that is stereoscopically viewed is displayed by a light guide plate. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a display effect using a light guide plate. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a display effect using a light guide plate. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a display effect using a light guide plate. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a display effect using a light guide plate. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a display effect using a light guide plate. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a display effect using a light guide plate. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a display effect using a light guide plate. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a display effect using a light guide plate. FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of the periphery of the synchronous serial interface of the main control board. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a connection between a serial-parallel conversion circuit and an LED. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of connection of terminals of an IC that accommodates an inverter buffer; 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of connection of terminals of an IC that accommodates an inverter buffer; A diagram showing the arrangement of the main control MPU and peripheral components on the main control board. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of ports in the main control MPU. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the timing of data output and capture by a synchronous serial signal. A diagram showing another arrangement of the main control board in the main control board box. A diagram showing another arrangement of the main control board in the main control board box. A block diagram showing the connections of the power supply system around the performance drive board. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing signal connections around the handle unit. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of a branch circuit provided in a relay board. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slot machine. 1 is an oblique view of the slot machine with the front member open. A block diagram showing the configuration of various mechanical elements, electronic devices, operating members, etc. equipped in the slot machine. 2 is a diagram showing details of a ROM area and storage areas provided by a ROM, a RAM, etc. in the present embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of a RAM area in the present embodiment. A diagram showing the structure of data stored in the reel ratio calculation area. 4 is a diagram showing details of a parameter information setting area in the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a system reset start-up process executed when the slot machine is reset. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a periodic process. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for an information signal N output process. 1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. This is an oblique view of the pachinko machine as seen from the front right. This is an oblique view of the pachinko machine seen from the front left. This is a perspective view of a pachinko machine seen from behind. This is a front view of a pachinko machine when the pressing operation part of the performance operation unit is in the raised position. This is an oblique view of the pachinko machine from the front right when the pressing operation part of the performance operation unit is in the raised position. This is an oblique view of a pachinko machine viewed from the front with the door frame open from the main frame and the main frame open from the outer frame. This is an exploded oblique view of a pachinko machine viewed from the front, disassembled into a door frame, a game board, a main frame, and an outer frame. This is an exploded oblique view of a pachinko machine disassembled into a door frame, a game board, a main body frame, and an outer frame, viewed from the rear. FIG. 2 is a front view of the outer frame of the pachinko machine. FIG. FIG. This is an oblique view of the outer frame from the front. This is a perspective view of the outer frame from the rear. This is an exploded oblique view of the outer frame disassembled into its main components as viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the left and right outer frame assemblies of the outer frame, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the lower outer frame assembly of the outer frame, viewed from the front. 1A is an exploded perspective view of the outer frame upper hinge assembly of the outer frame, as viewed from the front and above, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of a door frame in a pachinko machine. FIG. FIG. FIG. This is an oblique view of the door frame from the front right. This is an oblique view of the door frame from the front left. This is a perspective view of the door frame from the rear. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame disassembled into its main components as viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame disassembled into its main components from the rear. 1A is a perspective view of a door frame base unit of a door frame as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the door frame base unit as viewed from the rear. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame base unit disassembled into its main components, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame base unit disassembled into its main components from the rear. (a) is a perspective view of the ball feeding unit of the door frame base unit from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the ball feeding unit from the rear. (a) is an exploded oblique view of the ball feeding unit seen from the front, and (b) is an exploded oblique view of the ball feeding unit seen from the rear with the rear case and anti-tamper member removed. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the fall cover unit of the door frame base unit as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the fall cover unit as viewed from the rear. FIG. 2 is a front view of the fall cover unit with the lid member removed. 1A is an exploded perspective view of a handle unit in a door frame as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the handle unit as viewed from the rear. This is an oblique view of the tray unit of the door frame. This is an oblique view of the plate unit from behind. This is an exploded oblique view of the plate unit disassembled into its main components, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the plate unit disassembled into its main components from the rear. This is an oblique view of the plate base unit in the plate unit as seen from the front. This is an oblique view of the plate base unit in the plate unit from the rear. This is an exploded oblique view of the dish base unit, broken down into its main components, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the dish base unit disassembled into its main components from the rear. This is an oblique view of the plate decoration unit in the plate unit from the front. This is an oblique view of the plate decoration unit from behind. This is an exploded oblique view of the plate decoration unit, broken down into its main components, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the plate decoration unit disassembled into its main components from the rear. This is a plan view of the performance operation unit in the plate unit, viewed from the direction in which the performance operation section button unit moves forward and backward. 1A is a perspective view of the performance operation unit seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the performance operation unit seen from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of the performance operation unit, broken down into its main components, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the performance operation unit disassembled into its main components and viewed from behind. 1A is an oblique view of the performance operation ring of the performance operation unit seen from the top front, and FIG. 1B is an oblique view of the performance operation ring seen from the bottom front. 1A is an exploded perspective view of the performance operation ring when viewed from the top front, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the performance operation ring when viewed from the bottom front. 1A is a perspective view of the rotational drive unit of the performance operation unit as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the rotational drive unit as viewed from the back. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the rotary drive unit as viewed from the right front. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the rotary drive unit as viewed from the front left. This is an exploded oblique view of the performance operation button unit of the performance operation unit, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the performance operation button unit from below and in front. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the performance operation button unit when the pressing operation portion is in a lowered position, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the performance operation button unit when the pressing operation portion is in an elevated position. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the performance operation ring and the rotation drive unit in a left side view of the performance operation unit. FIG. This is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the performance operation ring and the performance operation ring decorative board in a plan view of the performance operation unit viewed from the pressing direction of the pressing operation section. (a) is a front view of the dish unit in its normal state, (b) is a front view of the dish unit when the pressing operation part is in the raised position, and (c) is a front view of the dish unit when the central pressing operation part of the pressing operation part is pressed. 1A is a perspective view of the left side unit of the door frame as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the left side unit of the door frame as viewed from the rear. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame left side unit as seen from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame left side unit seen from behind. 1A is a perspective view of the right side unit of the door frame as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the right side unit of the door frame as viewed from the rear. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame right side unit as seen from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame right side unit seen from behind. (a) is an oblique view of the door frame top unit in the door frame seen from the front, (b) is an oblique view of the door frame top unit seen from the back, and (c) is a bottom view of the door frame top unit with the top lower cover removed. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame top unit viewed from above and front. This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame top unit viewed from the bottom front. A front view of the door frame shown with each decorative substrate. FIG. 2 is a front view of the main body frame of the pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the main body frame of the pachinko machine. This is an oblique view of the main body frame from the front right. This is an oblique view of the main body frame from the front left. This is an oblique view of the main body frame from the rear. This is an exploded oblique view of the main body frame disassembled into its main components as viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the main body frame disassembled into its main components and viewed from the rear. 1A is an enlarged oblique view showing the lower left corner of the front of the main body frame, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged oblique view showing the lower left corner of the front of the main body frame when the door frame is opened relative to the main body frame. 6A to 6C are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the connection cable guide member of the main body frame when the door frame is opened and closed relative to the main body frame. 1A is a perspective view of the ball launcher in the main body frame as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the ball launcher as viewed from the rear. 1A is a perspective view of the dispensing base unit of the main frame seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the dispensing base unit seen from the rear. 1A is a perspective view of the dispensing unit in the main body frame seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the dispensing unit seen from the rear. 1A is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing unit disassembled into its main components as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing unit disassembled into its main components as viewed from the rear. This is a rear cross-sectional view of the dispensing device of the dispensing unit, cut at the center of the dispensing blade in the front-to-rear direction. (a) is a rear cross-sectional view of the dispensing device cut at the center of the dispensing blade in the fore-and-aft direction when the ball-removing movable piece is in the open state, and (b) is a cross-sectional view cut along line A-A in (a). An explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the door frame foul cover unit and the lower full ball path unit. An explanatory diagram showing the flow of game balls in the main body frame. 1A is a perspective view of a board unit of a main body frame as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the board unit as viewed from the rear. 1 is a perspective view of the board unit as viewed from below and rear. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the board unit as viewed from the front, disassembled into its main components. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the board unit, disassembled into its main components, as viewed from the rear. This is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the lower part of the pachinko machine cut in the center in the left-right direction. 1A is a perspective view of the locking unit of the main body frame as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the locking unit as viewed from the rear. 1A is a plan view of a main body frame, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. This is an enlarged view showing the upper part of the main body frame in a perspective view seen from behind. 1A is a perspective view of the spherical tank with tank rails and the like assembled thereto, as viewed from above the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of FIG. 1A from below the front. This is an exploded oblique view of Figure 379(a) as seen from the front. An explanatory diagram showing the area through which game balls that overflow from the ball tank at the top of the main body frame circulate. An explanatory diagram showing the flow of game balls that have overflowed from the ball tank at the top of the main body frame. An explanatory diagram showing the flow of game balls into the bypass passage at the top of the main frame. 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing the main body frame from the rear of the hinge side, showing the tank rail and its surroundings. FIG. This is a front view of a game board in a pachinko machine in which the front components, game panel, and front unit are made opaque. FIG. 386 is an oblique view of the game board of FIG. 385 from the front right. FIG. 386 is an oblique view of the game board of FIG. 385 as seen from the front left. This is a perspective view of the game board from behind. This is a front view of the game board with the front components, game panel, and front unit etc. made transparent. This is an exploded perspective view of the game board disassembled into its main components as seen from the front. This is an exploded perspective view of the game board disassembled into its main components and viewed from behind. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 385. This is a front view of the game board with the front unit cut parallel to the surface of the game panel to reveal the game area where game balls circulate and the obstacle pins. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the front components and game panel of a game board as viewed from the front, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the front components and game panel as viewed from the back. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a front unit of a game board, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the front unit of the game board, seen from behind. (a) is an oblique view of the starting port unit and side unit in the front unit seen from the front, (b) is an oblique view of the starting port unit and side unit in the front unit seen from the back, (c) is a left side view of the starting port unit, and (d) is a left side view of the side unit. This is an explanatory diagram comparing the inclination of the front surface of the general winning opening with the inclination of the door member of the variable winning opening when in the open state. An enlarged front view showing the starting hole unit and side unit of the game board. 1A is a perspective view of the first attacca unit in the front unit as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the first attacca unit in the front unit as viewed from the rear. This is an exploded oblique view of the first attacker unit as seen from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the first attacker unit as seen from behind. An explanatory diagram showing the movement of the first large prize opening door in the first attacca unit from the left side. An explanatory diagram showing a cross section of the passage of game balls in the first attacker unit. 1A is a perspective view of the center reel of the front unit as seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the center reel of the front unit as seen from the back. This is a front view of the center part. (a) is an oblique view of the second attacca unit, side right middle unit, and gate member in the front unit, seen from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the second attacca unit, side right middle unit, and gate member in the front unit, seen from the back. An explanatory diagram showing in cross section the passage of game balls in the second attacker unit and the side right center unit. An explanatory diagram showing an enlarged right part of the play area in Figure 393. This is an oblique view of the back unit of the game board as seen from the front. This is an oblique view of the rear unit of the game board from behind. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the rear unit as viewed from the front, disassembled into its main components. FIG. This is an exploded perspective view of the rear unit disassembled into its main components and viewed from behind. This is a front view of a pachinko machine showing an enlarged view of the upper left corner of the game board with the door frame made transparent. 1A is a perspective view of a rear guiding unit in the rear unit as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the rear guiding unit in the rear unit as viewed from the rear. (a) is an oblique view of the back rear performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the back rear performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear performance unit from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear performance unit from behind. An explanatory diagram showing the movable configuration of the rear performance unit from the front. An explanatory diagram showing the movement of the back-stage performance unit. A front view showing the rear-rear movable decorative body together with the rear-rear decorative base plate. 420A is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 420, and FIG. 420B is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. (a) is an oblique view of the rear-rear movable decorative body seen from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the rear-rear movable decorative body seen from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear movable decorative body viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear movable decorative body seen from behind. This is a front view showing an enlarged portion of the rear movable decorative body. This is an explanatory diagram showing the light-guiding radiation plate and the rear decorative substrate in dashed lines in the front view of Figure 425. (a) is a front view showing a part of the decorative body in the rear-rear movable decorative body, (b) is a front view showing a part of the decorative sheet in the same position as the decorative body in (a), and (c) is a front view showing a light-guiding radiation plate and a part of the rear-rear decorative substrate in the same position as the decorative body in (a). An enlarged cross-sectional view showing the upper part of Figure 421 (a). FIG. 429 is an exploded view showing the cross-sectional view of FIG. 428 . This is an explanatory diagram that enlarges a portion of the front of the rear-rear movable decorative body to show the relationship between the decoration provided by the decorative body and decorative sheet and the light-guiding radiation plate and the rear-rear decorative substrate. (a) is an explanatory diagram showing in cross section the relationship between the light-guiding radiation plate and the rear decorative substrate at the location of the first LED, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing from the front the function of the light-guiding radiation plate at the location where the second LED is located on the optical axis of the first LED, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing from the front an example of the arrangement of the LED accommodating portion of the light-guiding radiation plate and the first LED of the rear decorative substrate relative to the second decorative portion in the decorative body and decorative sheet. This is a front view showing an enlarged portion of the rear decorative substrate together with the copper foil of the circuit pattern. 1A is a front view of the rear decorative board, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the rear decorative board. (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a decorative body in a rear-rear movable decorative body, (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a decorative body having a metal decorative part of a different shape than that in (a), and (c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a decorative body having a metal decorative part of an even different shape than that in (a) and (b). (a) is an explanatory diagram showing in cross section the configuration of a second embodiment of a rear-rear movable decorative body, which is different from the rear-rear movable decorative body of Figure 420, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing in cross section the configuration of a third embodiment of a rear-rear movable decorative body, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing in cross section the configuration of a fourth embodiment of a rear-rear movable decorative body. (a) is an oblique view of the lower left and lower right performance units in the back unit viewed from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the lower left and lower right performance units in the back unit viewed from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of the lower left and lower right performance units viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the lower left and lower right performance units viewed from behind. This is an explanatory diagram showing the movable configuration of the lower left performance unit and the lower right performance unit from the front. (a) is an oblique view of the back lower middle performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the back lower middle performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of the back-lower middle lifting mechanism of the back-lower middle performance unit, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the back-lower middle lifting mechanism of the back-lower middle performance unit, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the back-lower middle decorative unit of the back-lower middle performance unit, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear-lower middle decorative unit of the rear-lower middle performance unit, viewed from behind. An explanatory diagram showing the raising and lowering of the back-lower middle decorative body unit by the back-lower middle lifting mechanism in the back-lower middle performance unit. (a) is an explanatory diagram showing from the front the configuration for the rotation of the back-lower middle rotating decorative body of the back-lower middle decorative body unit in the back-lower middle performance unit, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing in a table the relationship between the stopping position of the back-lower middle rotating decorative body and each detection sensor. This is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of LEDs in the back-lower middle decorative body unit in the back-lower middle performance unit from the front. (a) is an oblique view of the back upper performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the back upper performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of the backstage performance unit, broken down into its main components, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the backstage performance unit, broken down into its main components and viewed from behind. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear rising and falling decoration unit in the rear upper performance unit, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear rising and falling decorative unit in the rear unit. An explanatory diagram showing the rotation mechanism of the back-up front rotating decoration body in the back-up performance unit from the front. (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the lifting mechanism of the back-rising-descending decorative body unit in the back-upper performance unit from the front, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the lifting mechanism of the back-rising-descending decorative body unit and the rotation mechanism of the back-upper rear rotating decorative body from the front when the back-rising-descending decorative body unit has been moved to the appearance position. This is an explanatory diagram showing the decorative board from the front with the rear rising and descending decorative body unit moved to the appearance position in the rear upper performance unit. (a) is an oblique view of the rear left performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the rear left performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear left performance unit, broken down into its main components, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear left performance unit, disassembled into its main components and viewed from behind. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear left decorative unit of the rear left performance unit, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear left decorative unit of the rear left performance unit, viewed from behind. An explanatory diagram showing the movable mechanism of the rear left performance unit from the front. An explanatory diagram showing the movement of the rear left decorative body unit in the rear left performance unit. (a) is an oblique view of the rear right performance unit in the back unit viewed from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the rear right performance unit in the back unit viewed from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear right performance unit, broken down into its main components, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear right performance unit, disassembled into its main components and viewed from behind. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear right decorative unit of the rear right performance unit, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of the rear right decorative unit of the rear right performance unit, viewed from behind. An explanatory diagram showing the movable mechanism of the rear right performance unit from the front. An explanatory diagram showing the movement of the rear right decorative body unit in the rear right performance unit. (a) is an oblique view of the back front left performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the back front left performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of one of the back front left decorative units in the back front left performance unit, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of one of the back front left decorative units in the back front left performance unit, viewed from behind. (a) is a front view showing the shutter group in the back front left performance unit in a closed state, and (b) is a front view showing the shutter group in the back front left performance unit in an open state. (a) is an oblique view of the rear front right performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is an oblique view of the rear front right performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. This is an exploded oblique view of one of the rear front right decorative units in the rear front right performance unit, viewed from the front. This is an exploded oblique view of one of the rear front right decorative units in the rear front right performance unit, viewed from behind. (a) is a front view showing the shutter group in the closed state on the rear front right performance unit, and (b) is a front view showing the shutter group in the open state on the rear front right performance unit. This is a front view of the game board showing the rear-rear movable decoration of the rear-rear performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the appearing position. This is a front view of the game board showing the back-lower-middle rotating decoration of the back-lower-middle performance unit being moved from the lowered position to the raised position. This is a front view of the game board showing the back-upper rear rotating decoration of the back-upper rear performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the appearance position, the back-left rotating decoration of the back-left rear performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the first appearance position, and the back-right rotating decoration of the back-right rear performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the first appearance position. This is a front view of the game board showing the left-rear-left rotating decoration of the left-rear-left performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the second appearance position, and the right-rear-right rotating decoration of the right-rear-right performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the second appearance position. This is a front view of the game board showing the shutter unit of the back front left performance unit and the shutter unit of the back front right performance unit changing from a closed state to an open state. This is a front view of the game board showing the rear-rear movable decoration of the rear-rear performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the appearing position, the rear-top rotating decoration of the rear-top rear performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the appearing position, the rear-left rotating decoration of the rear-left performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the first appearance position, the rear-right rotating decoration of the rear-right performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the first appearance position, and the rear-bottom middle rotating decoration of the rear-bottom middle performance unit being moved from the descending position to the ascending position. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the control configuration of a pachinko machine. This is a right side view of the pachinko machine shown together with the self-supporting support member. 13A is a flowchart showing the procedure for main processing executed by the main control MPU, and FIG. 13B is a flowchart showing the procedure for interrupt processing periodically performed by the main control MPU. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure for special pattern process processing executed by the main control MPU. A flowchart showing the procedure for the first starting port passing processing executed by the main control MPU. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a pre-determination process executed by a main control MPU. A flowchart showing the procedure for the second starting port passing processing executed by the main control MPU. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the first special pattern process executed by the main control MPU. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the first special pattern normal processing executed by the main control MPU. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a hit determination process executed by a main control MPU. (A) is a win determination table used in the lottery process for wins, (B) is a big win pattern determination table used in the lottery process for the type of big win, and (C) is a small win pattern determination table used in the lottery process for the type of small win. 13 is a flowchart showing the steps of a first special symbol stop symbol setting process executed by a main control MPU. A flowchart showing the steps of the first variation pattern setting process executed by the main control MPU. A flowchart showing the steps of the first special pattern change processing executed by the main control MPU. 13 is a flowchart showing the steps of a first special pattern stopping process executed by a main control MPU. A flowchart showing the procedure for the jackpot control processing executed by the main control MPU. This is a flowchart showing the steps of the small hit control processing executed by the main control MPU. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure for normal pattern process processing executed by the main control MPU. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a gate passage process executed by a main control MPU. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure for normal processing of normal symbols executed by the main control MPU. (A) is a normal winning determination table used in the lottery process for normal winnings, and (B) is a normal winning opening pattern table used in the process of determining the opening pattern when a normal winning occurs. 13 is a flowchart showing the steps of the normal pattern variation pattern determination process executed by the main control MPU. This is a flowchart showing the procedure for normal pattern change processing executed by the main control MPU. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure for normal pattern stopping processing executed by the main control MPU. This is a flowchart showing the steps of the normal electric feature opening process executed by the main control MPU. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a sub-main process executed by a peripheral control MPU; 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a 16 mS steady process executed by a peripheral control MPU. A flowchart showing the steps of the performance control processing executed by the peripheral control MPU. (A) is an example of a winning probability table, and (B) is an example of a jackpot distribution table. A transition diagram showing an example of the game state transition of a pachinko machine. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rush entry chance presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rush entry chance presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rush entry chance presentation. FIG. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a presentation during a small hit rush. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a presentation during a small hit rush. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the presentation during a high-probability jackpot without time reduction. 13 is an example of a time table of a demo screen. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen transition for adjusting the volume. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rise-to-power presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the rise to power performance. 13 is a timing chart showing an example of the timing at which a promotion effect is performed in the rise to fame effect. (A) is a reservation color determination table used when a game ball enters a start hole without a reservation and during non-variation. (B) is a reservation color determination table used when a game ball enters a start hole without a reservation and during variation. (C) is a reservation color determination table used when there is one reservation and the game ball enters the starting hole. (D) is a reservation color determination table used when the game ball enters the start hole when there are two reserved balls. (E) is a reservation color determination table used when the game ball enters the start hole when there are three reserved balls. This is an example of a variable pending color determination table. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a hold notification effect by changing the hold color. (A) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when the game ball enters the start hole without reservation and during non-variation. (B) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when the game ball enters the start hole without reservation and during variation. (C) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when there is one reservation and the game ball enters the starting hole. (D) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when the game ball enters the start hole when there are two reserved balls. (E) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when the game ball enters the start hole when there are three reserved balls. 13 is an example of a gacha coin reservation color correspondence table. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a gacha coin pending notification presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reach-break pseudo-consecutive performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reach pattern promotion presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the presentation in the Sugoroku stage. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the presentation in the Sugoroku stage. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pine zone presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pine zone presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the Chomatsu Zone presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the Chomatsu Zone presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a pending peek performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rocket performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rocket performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rocket performance. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a schedule for the dynamic presentation of character A and fuel after the still image presentation has started in a rocket presentation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a battle presentation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a battle presentation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a battle presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a battle presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a battle presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reel effect. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reel effect. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a bee-killing performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a bee-killing performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a bee-killing performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a bee-killing performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reach presentation in which Daruma-san ga koronda (Daruma doll falls down) is played. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reach presentation in which Daruma-san ga koronda (Dar FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the Daruma-san ga koronda reach presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification process selection reach presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification process selection reach presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification process selection reach presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a reserved collection presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a reserved collection presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a split reach presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a split reach presentation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cut selection presentation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cut selection presentation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cut selection presentation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cut selection presentation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cut selection presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reach change presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reach change presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reach change presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a sound/non-sound hold change presentation. This is an example of a final hold color allocation table used when a sound/non-sound hold change effect is performed during a miss variation. This is an example of a final reserve color allocation table used when a sound/non-sound reserve change effect is performed during a jackpot fluctuation. This is an example of a pending color allocation table at the start of fluctuation. 13 is an example of a reservation change timing table. A flowchart showing an example of processing executed when the timing for executing a sound/non-sound hold change effect arrives. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a hold and zone change presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a hold and zone change presentation. 13 is an example of a chance time count table. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a wind-front light performance. This is an example of a wind front light reserve change table. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a blackout effect. 13 is an example of a blackout time table. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rare animal quest presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rare animal quest presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a rare animal quest presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a rare animal quest presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a rare animal quest presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a rare animal quest presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a rare animal quest presentation. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the slot machine. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the slot machine with the door-shaped front member omitted. FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slot machine. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the slot machine with the door-shaped front member omitted. This is an enlarged view of part Z1 of Figure 600. This is an enlarged view of the Z1 portion of FIG. 600 showing the state in which the connector holder has been moved. This is a cross-sectional view of the slot machine with the door-shaped front member omitted. 603A is an enlarged view of the Z2 portion of FIG. 603, and FIG. 603B is an enlarged view of the Z2 portion of FIG. 603 showing the state in which the connector holder has been moved. FIG. 604(b) is an enlarged view showing the main part of FIG. 604(a). This is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the slot machine, showing the back panel side. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the case member as seen from behind. 5A and 5B are perspective views of a main part of a case member illustrating a temporarily fastened state of a connector holder. FIG. 13 is a front view of the wiring relay board with the cover omitted. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a stopper that stops the case member. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a stopper showing another embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a guide structure of a case member. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a guide structure of a case member. FIG. FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of a pattern changing display device showing another form of the handle. 13 is a perspective view of a main part showing the relationship between a case member and a stopper on the outer main body side. FIG. A cross-sectional view of the main parts showing the relationship between the wiring window and the reels of the pattern changing display device. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper part of the slot machine. 1 is a perspective view showing the lower half of the slot machine with the medal payout device omitted. FIG. 623 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1 is a rear view of the slot machine showing the heat radiator from the back side. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the slot machine showing a power supply device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the power supply device as viewed from below. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a side plate of an outer main body and a main portion of a power supply device, showing another embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lighting device according to another embodiment. 1 is a perspective view of a door-shaped front member showing a transparent plate and a light-emitting unit disassembled therefrom. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the door-shaped front member with the transparent plate disassembled. This is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line AA in Figure 629 of a door-shaped front part with a transparent plate attached. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the linkage of hinge fittings. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of a main portion showing the door-shaped front member. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of the main part showing the door-shaped front member in the middle of being opened. 1 is a rear perspective view showing the upper half of the door-shaped front member. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the connector cut in the vertical direction. 13 is a cross-sectional plan view of a main portion of a door-shaped front member showing another example of a hinge fitting. FIG. This is a cross-sectional plan view of the main parts showing the door-shaped front member of Figure 638 in the middle of opening. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which an image display body and a frame member are opened in the model unit. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the door-shaped front member is opened while the connectors are connected. FIG. This is a diagram showing the rows of symbols on the reel band laid out in a flat plane. 1 is an enlarged view of the area around the symbol display window in the slot machine as viewed from the front. A schematic diagram showing the configuration of various mechanical elements, electronic devices, and operating members equipped in the slot machine. This is an example of a lottery table used to select winning roles when setting 1 is selected. This is an example of a lottery table used to select winning roles when setting 2 is selected. This is an example of a lottery table used to select winning roles when setting 3 is selected. This is an example of a lottery table used to select winning roles when setting 4 is selected. This is an example of a lottery table used to select winning roles when the setting is 5. This is an example of a lottery table used to select winning roles when the setting is 6. 1 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for one basic game in a slot machine. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of a start-up process. FIG. 13 is an example of a block diagram showing RT state transitions. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a rough processing flow of an instruction function process. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process related to the occurrence of an instruction function. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in a hell state. A flowchart showing an example of processing during advantageous state A. A flowchart showing an example of processing during advantageous state B. A flowchart showing an example of processing during advantageous state C. A flowchart showing an example of processing during advantageous state D. A flowchart showing an example of processing during advantageous state E. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process in a pull-back state. This is an example of a lottery table used in the lottery to determine the additional bonus. This is an example of a lottery table used to determine the number of additional games when the probability is low during ART. This is an example of a lottery table used to determine the number of additional games when a high probability state occurs during ART. This is an example of a lottery table used to determine the number of additional games during a specialized zone. This is an example of a lottery table used to determine the number of additional games during preparation of a specialized zone. This is an example of a table used for the ART first hit lottery when the role selected by internal lottery is either "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" or "normal maintenance lip." When the role selected by the internal lottery is either "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" or "normal maintenance lip," (a) is an example of a table used in the lottery to determine the additional bonus, and (b) is an example of a table used in the lottery to determine the number of additional games. This is an example of an ART first hit lottery table in advantageous state D during game number management processing. This is an example of a lottery table for transition to a lottery state during ART. 13 is an example of a specialized zone lottery table. This is an example of an ART first hit lottery table in the pullback state. This is an example of a performance activation lottery table when the internal lottery is won in RT1. This is an example of a lottery table for effect activation when the internal lottery is won in RT2. This is an example of a lottery table for activating effects when the internal lottery is won in RT3. 13 is another example of a lottery table for determining whether or not a performance is activated when the internal lottery is won. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an instruction function display. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an instruction function display. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for reel stop processing. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for reel stop processing. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a determination process. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for a bonus game start process. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for a bonus game end determination process. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing steps of an ART game determination process. 1 is a time chart showing an example of the overall flow of a game. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining data blocks of a RAM. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an error display by a special display LED. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process to be performed when an error occurs. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a process to be performed when an error occurs. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for power interruption recovery processing. This is an example of a presentation image related to the lottery for determining the additional bonus and the lottery for determining the number of additional games. 13 is an example of a small prize lottery table. This is an example of an AT first hit lottery table. 13 is an example of a premonition game number lottery table. This is an example of an AT stock lottery table. 13 is an example of a pseudo bonus lottery table. This is an example of an AT initial game number lottery table. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of various bell stop patterns. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flag process. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of processing during an AT precursor. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in a state where an AT is stocked. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process in a rescue state. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of processing after all the reels have stopped. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. 13 is an example of a small prize lottery table. This is an example of an AT first hit lottery table. This is an example of a CZ transition lottery table. This is an example of an AT first hit lottery table that is referenced at the start of each game during the CZ. This is an example of an AT first hit lottery table that is referenced during simulated play in the CZ. This is an example of an AT addition lottery table. This is an example of an AT addition game number lottery table. 13 is an example of a specialized zone transition lottery table. 13 is an example of a red 7 stop pattern table. 1 is an example of the arrangement of symbols on each reel in a slot machine. An explanatory diagram showing an image of the reels during CZ. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a presentation during a CZ. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a presentation during a CZ. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a presentation during a CZ. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a presentation during a CZ. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship between the amount of operation of the start lever during simulated play of a CZ game and the visibility state of the pattern on the lower row of the right reel hidden by the transparent LCD. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flag process. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed when all reels are stopped (third stop). A flowchart showing an example of flag processing of step S107 in FIG. 652 when the CZ flag is on. A flowchart showing an example of processing at the first pseudo stop in pseudo play during a CZ. A flowchart showing an example of processing at the time of a second pseudo stop in a pseudo game during a CZ. A flowchart showing an example of processing at the third pseudo stop in pseudo play during a CZ. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of processing at the third stop of the main game of the game in which the pseudo game has been executed. An explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a performance during CZ (eye-pressing practice performance). FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pseudo game executed during normal play. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a presentation in a special specialization zone. An explanatory diagram showing a specific example of CZ performance. An explanatory diagram showing a specific example of CZ performance. This is an example of an AT lottery table showing the lottery values of the AT lottery that is executed when the red 7 stops exactly in the middle row at each pseudo stop of CZ2. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the CZ2 presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the CZ2 presentation. An explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the CZ2 presentation. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slot machine equipped with a seesaw feature. FIG. 2 is an exploded oblique view of a slot machine (excluding the outer body) equipped with a seesaw feature. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an outline of the see-saw device. 13 is an example of a small prize lottery table. 13 is an example of a seesaw game effect entry lottery table. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a seesaw game presentation carried out during a normal game. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a seesaw game effect (failure) performed during a normal game. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a seesaw game effect (success) performed during a normal game. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a seesaw game effect (success) performed during a normal game. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a practice presentation for an additional chance in a seesaw game presentation. This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of an additional chance effect in a seesaw game effect (a fateful two-choice effect). An explanatory diagram showing an example of a seesaw game presentation executed during an AT. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a seesaw game presentation executed during an AT. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a seesaw game presentation executed during an AT. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a seesaw game presentation executed during an AT. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a seesaw game presentation executed during an AT. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an instantaneous see-saw game presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of when the seesaw game performance fails. An explanatory diagram showing another example of an additional chance performed in a seesaw game presentation. An explanatory diagram showing another example of a seesaw game presentation executed during the AT. An explanatory diagram showing another example of a seesaw game presentation executed during the AT. 13 is an example of an Amida Chance performance lottery table. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a single Amida chance presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a single Amida chance presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a double Amida chance presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a double Amida chance presentation. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a double Amida chance presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a warrior confession chance presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a warrior confession chance presentation. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a warrior confession chance presentation. This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the Double Amida Chance presentation that is executed during a bonus (win) on an A+ART type slot machine when both a bonus and an additional ART game number are won. This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the Double Amida Chance presentation that is executed during a bonus (win) on an A+ART type slot machine when both a bonus and an additional ART game number are won. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an emergency escape performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an emergency escape performance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an emergency escape performance.

A pachinko machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration of the pachinko machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9. Fig. 1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a right side view of the pachinko machine, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pachinko machine, and Fig. 4 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the front, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the rear. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the front with the door frame 3 open from the main frame and the main frame 4 open from the outer frame 2. Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the pachinko machine disassembled into the door frame 3, game board 5, main frame 4, and outer frame 2 as seen from the front, and Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the pachinko machine disassembled into the door frame 3, game board 5, main frame 4, and outer frame 2 as seen from the rear.

The pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a frame-shaped outer frame 2 that is installed in an island facility (not shown) of a gaming hall, a door frame 3 that closes the front of the outer frame 2 in an openable and closable manner, a main frame 4 that supports the door frame 3 in an openable and closable manner and is attached to the outer frame 2 in an openable and closable manner, and a game board 5 that is detachably attached to the main frame 4 from the front side and is visible from the player's side through the door frame 3, and has a game area 5a into which the player shoots game balls.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the outer frame 2 of the pachinko machine 1 comprises an upper frame member 10 and a lower frame member 20 that are vertically spaced apart and extend horizontally, and a left frame member 30 and a right frame member 40 that connect both ends of the upper frame member 10 and the lower frame member 20 and extend vertically. The upper frame member 10, the lower frame member 20, the left frame member 30, and the right frame member 40 are formed to have the same width from front to back. Furthermore, the vertical length of the left frame member 30 and the right frame member 40 is longer than the horizontal length of the upper frame member 10 and the lower frame member 20.

The outer frame 2 also includes a panel member 50 that connects the lower ends of the left and right frame members 30 and 40 and is attached to the front side of the lower frame member 20, an upper outer frame hinge member 60 that is attached to the left end side of the upper frame member 10 when viewed from the front, and a lower outer frame hinge member 70 that is attached to the upper left end side of the panel member 50 when viewed from the front and to the left frame member 30. The upper outer frame hinge member 60 and the lower outer frame hinge member 70 of the outer frame 2 allow the main frame 4 and the door frame 3 to be attached so as to be able to open and close.

The door frame 3 of the pachinko machine 1 comprises a frame-shaped door frame base unit 100 having a rectangular external shape when viewed from the front and a through hole 111 penetrating from front to back, a tray unit 200 attached to the lower front part of the door frame base unit 100 and having an upper tray 201 and a lower tray 202 capable of storing game balls, a top unit 350 attached to the upper front part of the door frame base unit 100, a left side unit 400 attached to the left front part of the door frame base unit 100, a right side unit 450 attached to the right front part of the door frame base unit 100, and an upper tray unit 202 attached to the lower right front part of the door frame base unit 100 by penetrating the tray unit 200. The device is equipped with a handle unit 500 that can be operated by the player to shoot the game balls stored in the upper tray 201 into the game area of the game board 5, a foul cover unit 520 that is attached to the lower rear surface of the door frame base unit 100 and receives game balls that are not successfully shot into the game area and ejects them onto the lower tray 202 of the tray unit 200, a ball sending unit 540 that is attached to the lower rear surface of the door frame base unit 100 and sends the game balls on the upper tray 201 to the ball launching device 680, a glass unit 560 that is attached to the rear surface of the door frame base unit 100 and closes the through hole 111, and a security cover 580 that covers the lower rear surface of the glass unit 560.

The main body frame 4 of the pachinko machine 1 comprises a frame-shaped main body frame base 600, a portion of which can be inserted into the frame of the outer frame 2 and which can support the outer periphery of the game board 5; a main body frame upper hinge member 620 and a main body frame lower hinge member 640 which are attached to both the upper and lower ends of the left side of the main body frame base 600 when viewed from the front, and which are rotatably attached to the outer frame upper hinge member 60 and the outer frame lower hinge member 70 of the outer frame 2, respectively, and to which the door frame upper hinge member 140 and the door frame lower hinge member 150 of the door frame 3 are rotatably attached, respectively; a reinforcing frame 660 attached to the left side of the main body frame base 600 when viewed from the front; and a reinforcing frame 670 attached to the lower front part of the main body frame base 600. The game machine includes a ball launcher 680 that is attached to the right side of the main frame base when viewed from the front and locks the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4, and the door frame 3 and the main frame 4, an inverted L-shaped payout unit 800 that is attached to the rear side along the upper and left sides of the main frame base 600 when viewed from the front and pays out game balls to the player, a base unit 900 that is attached to the lower rear surface of the main frame base 600, and a back cover 980 that is attached to the rear side of the main frame base 600 so as to be able to open and close and covers the rear side of the game board 5 attached to the main frame base 600.

Inside the back cover 980, a main control unit 1300 is provided which controls the progress of the game played on the pachinko machine 1. The main control unit 1300 is provided with a bonus feature ratio display 1317. The bonus feature ratio display 1317 is configured, for example, with a four-digit seven-segment LED. The bonus feature ratio display 1317 may also be configured with a performance display device. Note that the bonus feature ratio display 1317 may be provided in the payout control board unit 950, instead of in the main control unit 1300.

In addition, instead of providing a separate display device to display the role ratio, the role ratio may be displayed on the performance display device 1600, 3114, or 244. In this case, if the role ratio is constantly displayed on one of the performance display devices 1600, 3114, or 244, the role ratio can be notified to the player, allowing the player to check the condition of the pachinko machine.

As described below, the bonus feature ratio can be calculated by dividing the number of bonus feature balls by the total number of bonus feature balls. For example, a pachinko machine with a high bonus feature ratio (e.g., 90%) can be said to be in good condition because it has won many prize balls from jackpots. On the other hand, a pachinko machine with a low bonus feature ratio (e.g., 10%) can be said to be in bad condition because it has won few jackpots and won few prize balls during jackpots. Therefore, players can choose a pachinko machine to play on by taking the bonus feature ratio into consideration.

The value of the role ratio may be displayed on the performance display device 1600 as a way to inform the player of the role ratio. For example, if the role ratio is 70% or more, the value is displayed in red and the frame lamp is lit red or flashes, and if it is between 69% and 30%, the value is displayed in green and the frame lamp is lit green or flashes. The role ratio value should be displayed in a way that it is not mistaken for a decorative pattern. For example, it may be displayed in a position that does not overlap with the display position of the decorative pattern when it is not fluctuating, or the size of the number indicating the role ratio may be smaller than that of the decorative pattern. The display mode may be divided into any number of stages.

The form of the decorative pattern displayed on the performance display device 1600 may be changed according to the value of the role ratio to inform the player of the role ratio. For example, if the role ratio is 70% or higher, the decorative pattern is displayed in red and the frame lamp is lit red or flashes, and if it is between 69% and 30%, the decorative pattern is displayed in green and the frame lamp is lit green or flashes. The display form may be divided into any number of stages.

It may also be displayed on the performance display device 244 provided on the door frame 3. In this case, the display mode described above may be changed, and other information may be displayed in addition to the role ratio. Other information may include the number of jackpots, the number of consecutive jackpots (so-called consecutive wins), the number of balls held, the remaining balance, etc.

In addition to the role ratio, the consecutive role ratio and base value described below may be displayed in different ways as described above. The role ratio, consecutive role ratio, and base value may each be displayed in different ways.

As shown in FIG. 13, the main control unit 1300 is enclosed in a transparent resin main control board box 1320 that is sealed in such a way that once closed, it cannot be opened without being destroyed, and the components arranged on the printed board can be seen from the outside. Furthermore, for example, if the back cover 980 is made of transparent resin, the main control unit 1300 can be seen from the back side of the pachinko machine 1, and the role ratio display 1317 provided on the main control unit 1300 can be seen from the back side of the pachinko machine 1. By enclosing the role ratio display 1317 in the main control board box 1320, it is possible to prevent unauthorized modification of the role ratio display 1317 to make the gambling quality of the pachinko machine 1 appear lower, and it is possible to display the accurate gambling quality of the pachinko machine 1.

If the back cover 980 is made of opaque resin, the reel ratio display 1317 may be made visible from the back side of the pachinko machine 1 by drilling a hole in the back cover 980 at the location of the reel ratio display 1317 or by making the location of the reel ratio display 1317 transparent.

Even if the back cover 980 is made of a transparent resin, the surface of the back cover 980 at the location of the bonus ratio display 1317 may be made flat or the back cover 980 may be made thin, making it easier to see the bonus ratio display 1317 from the back side of the pachinko machine 1.

A discharge port is provided on the underside of the rear surface of the pachinko machine 1, which collects game balls that have flowed out of the game area 5a via the outlet 1111 and winning ports 2001, 2005, 2006, etc., and discharges them outside the pachinko machine 1. The game balls discharged from the discharge port are supplied to the ball tank 802 through the island equipment. The pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment is provided with a discharge ball sensor 3060 that detects game balls discharged from the discharge port.

As shown in FIG. 13, the main control unit 1300 is provided with a display switch 1318. The main control board box 1320 is provided with a hole through which the display switch 1318 can be operated. It is advisable to indicate (by printing, engraving, sticker, etc.) that the display switch 1318 is a switch for operating the display of the role ratio on the printed circuit board near the display switch 1318 or on the main control board box 1320. The display switch 1318 is preferably provided near the role ratio display 1317, but it may be provided on other boards (e.g., the performance control board 4700, the power supply unit 4112), the housing 4100, or the front member 4200, even if it is not on the main control unit 1300, as long as it is in a place where it is easy to operate. It may be provided on the peripheral control unit 1500, a relay board provided separately from the main control unit 1300, a power board in the power supply board box 930 on the frame side, or the payout control board unit 950. In addition, as described later, the display switch 1318 may also be used as a RAM clear switch. By placing the display switch 1318 in a position where the player cannot operate it, it is possible to prevent the player from operating it by mistake.

The payout unit 800 of the main frame 4 comprises an inverted L-shaped payout unit base 801 attached to the rear of the main frame base 600, a ball tank 802 attached to the top of the payout unit base 801, which is a box-shaped tank that is open upward and extends to the left and right, and which stores game balls supplied from an island facility (not shown), a tank rail 803 that is attached to the payout unit base 801 below the ball tank 802 and extends to the left and right to guide the game balls in the ball tank 802 to the left when viewed from the front, a ball guide unit 820 that is attached to the rear surface of the upper left side of the payout unit base 801 when viewed from the front and guides the game balls from the tank rail 803 downward in a serpentine shape, and a payout control board unit 95 that is detachably attached to the payout unit base 801 below the ball guide unit 820 and controls the game balls guided by the ball guide unit 820. 0, a payout device 830 that pays out balls one by one based on instructions from a payout control board 951 (see FIG. 17) housed in the payout unit base 801; an upper full ball path unit 850 that is attached to the rear surface of the payout unit base 801 and guides the game balls paid out by the payout device 830 downward and releases the game balls from either the normal release port or the full release port depending on the storage state of the game balls in the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200; and a lower full ball path unit 860 that is attached to the lower end of the payout unit base 801 and has a normal guide path that guides the game balls released from the normal release port of the upper full ball path unit 850 forward and guides them from the front end to the through ball passage 526 of the door frame 3, and a full guide path that guides the game balls released from the full release port forward and guides them from the front end to the full ball receiving port 530 of the door frame 3.

The board unit 900 of the main body frame 4 includes a board unit base 910 attached to the rear of the main body frame base 600, a speaker unit 920 attached to the rear of the main body frame base 600 on the left side of the board unit base 910 when viewed from the front and having a low-frequency speaker 921 inside, a power supply board box 930 attached to the rear of the board unit base 910 on the right side when viewed from the front and housing a power supply board inside, an interface control board box 940 attached to the rear of the speaker unit 920 and housing an interface control board inside, and a payout control board unit 950 attached across the power supply board box 930 and the interface control board box 940 and housing a payout control board 951 that controls the payout of game balls inside.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the game board 5 of the pachinko machine 1 is made up of a front component 1000 having an outer rail 1001 and an inner rail 1002 that define the outer periphery of the game area 5a into which game balls are shot and guide the game balls shot from the ball launcher 680 to the upper part of the game area 5a, a flat game panel 1100 that is attached to the rear side of the front component 1000 and defines the rear end of the game area 5a, and a box-shaped game panel 1100 that is attached to the lower part of the rear side of the game panel 1100 and is open upward. It is equipped with a board holder 1200, a main control unit 1300 attached to the rear of the board holder 1200 and having a main control board 1310 for controlling the game of the pachinko machine 1, a front unit (not shown) attached in the game area 5a on the front side of the game panel 1100 and having multiple winning holes that can receive game balls shot into the game area 5a, and a back unit 3000 attached to the rear side of the game panel 1100 above the board holder 1200.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, when game balls are stored in the upper tray 201 and the player rotates the handle lever 504, the ball launcher 680 shoots the game balls into the game area 5a of the game board 5 with a strength according to the rotation angle of the handle lever 504. When the game balls shot into the game area 5a are received by a winning hole (not shown), a predetermined number of game balls are paid out to the upper tray 201 by the payout device 830 according to the winning hole into which the game ball was received. This payout of game balls can increase the player's interest, so that the game balls in the upper tray 201 can be shot into the game area 5a, allowing the player to enjoy the game.

[2. Overall configuration of the game board]
Next, the overall structure of the game board 5 of the pachinko machine 1 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 10 to 16. Figure 10 is a front view of the game board. Figure 11 is a perspective view of the game board seen from the right front, Figure 12 is a perspective view of the game board seen from the left front, and Figure 13 is a perspective view of the game board seen from the back. Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of the game board disassembled into its main components and seen from the front, and Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view of the game board disassembled into its main components and seen from the back. Furthermore, Figure 16 is a front view of the front components and the front unit of the game board cut at approximately the center in the front-rear direction within the play area.

The game board 5 of this embodiment has a game area 5a into which game balls are inserted by the player operating the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500. The game board 5 also includes a front component 1000 that defines the outer periphery of the game area 5a and has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, a plate-shaped game panel 1100 that is attached to the rear side of the front component 1000 and defines the rear end of the game area 5a, a board holder 1200 that is attached to the rear lower part of the game panel 1100, and a main control unit 1300 that is attached to the rear surface of the board holder 1200 and has a main control board 1310 (see FIG. 17) that controls the game content that is performed by inserting game balls into the game area 5a. A plurality of obstacle nails that come into contact with the game balls are planted in a predetermined gauge arrangement in a portion of the front of the game panel 1100 that is within the game area 5a (not shown).

The game board 5 further includes a function display unit 1400 that displays the game status based on a control signal from the main control board 1310 and is attached to the lower left corner of the front component 1000 so as to be visible to the player, a peripheral control unit 1500 that is attached to the rear of the game panel 1100, a performance display device 1600 that is located in the center of the game area 5a when viewed from the front and is capable of displaying a predetermined performance image, a front unit 2000 that is attached to the front of the game panel 1100, and a rear unit 3000 that is attached to the rear of the game panel 1100. The performance display device 1600 is attached to the rear of the rear unit 3000, and the peripheral control unit 1500 is attached to the rear of the performance display device 1600.

The game panel 1100 is equipped with a transparent, flat panel plate 1110 whose outer periphery is slightly larger than the inner periphery of the frame-shaped front component 1000, and a frame-shaped panel holder 1120 that holds the outer periphery of the panel plate 1110 and is attached to the rear side of the front component 1000, with the rear unit 3000 attached to its rear surface.

The front unit 2000 is equipped with a plurality of general winning openings 2001 that are always open to receive game balls dropped into the game area 5a, a first starting opening 2002 that is always open to receive game balls at a different position in the game area 5a from the plurality of general winning openings 2001, a gate unit 2003 that is attached to a predetermined position in the game area 5a and detects the passage of the game ball, a second starting opening 2004 that is capable of receiving the game ball depending on the result of a normal lottery that is drawn when the game ball passes through the gate unit 2003, and a first large winning opening 2005 and a second large winning opening 2006 that are capable of receiving the game ball depending on the result of a first special lottery or a second special lottery that is drawn when a game ball is received at the first starting opening 2002 or the second starting opening 2004. The second large prize opening 2006 is composed of two large prize openings, the second upper large prize opening 2006a and the second lower large prize opening 2006b, which are arranged in a single flow path through which the game balls circulate (see Figure 16).

The front unit 2000 also includes a start port unit 2100 that is attached directly above the exit 1111 in the left-right center of the play area 5a and has a first start port 2002 and a first large prize port 2005, a lower side unit 2200 that is attached along the inner rail 1002 to the left of the start port unit 2100 when viewed from the front and has three general prize ports 2001, an upper side unit 2300 that is attached to the upper left end of the lower side unit 2200 when viewed from the front, and a frame-shaped center device 2500 that is attached approximately in the center of the play area 5a and has one general prize port 2001, a gate portion 2003, a second start port 2004, and a second large prize port 2006.

The rear unit 3000 is attached to the rear surface of the panel holder 1120, and is box-shaped with an open front and a square opening 3010a in the rear wall of the rear box 3010, and is arranged at a predetermined position within the rear box 3010 and has a plurality of general winning port sensors 3015 that detect game balls received in the general winning port 2001 of the front unit 2000, and a locking mechanism 3015 that is attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010 and allows the performance display device 1600 to be detachably attached. 20, a right ball passage unit 3030 attached to the right end of the rear box 3010 when viewed from the front and used to discharge game balls received in the general winning opening 2001 and second starting opening 2004 of the center role 2500, and a lower right ball passage unit 3035 attached near the front end of the lower right corner of the rear box 3010 when viewed from the front and used to discharge game balls received in the second large winning opening 2006 and second out opening 2543c of the center role 2500.

The rear unit 3000 also includes an upper relay board 3040 attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010, an upper relay board cover 3041 that covers the rear side of the upper relay board 3040, a box-shaped performance drive board box 3042 that is rotatably attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010, a performance drive board 3043 housed within the performance drive board box 3042, a panel relay board 3044 attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010, and a panel relay board cover 3045 that covers the rear side of the panel relay board 3044.

The rear unit 3000 further includes a rear left middle decorative unit 3050 attached to the front end of the rear box 3010, from the center to the top on the left side when viewed from the front, a rear lower rear movable performance unit 3100 attached to the rear wall of the rear box 3010 below the opening 3010a inside the rear box 3010, a rear upper left movable performance unit 3200 attached to the left side when viewed from the front above the opening 3010a inside the rear box 3010, a rear left movable performance unit 3300 attached to the left side of the opening 3010a when viewed from the front inside the rear box 3010, a rear upper middle movable performance unit 3400 attached from the center to the right edge when viewed from the front above the opening 3010a inside the rear box 3010, and a rear lower front movable performance unit 3500 attached in front of the rear lower rear movable performance unit 3100 below the opening 3010a inside the rear box 3010.

[2-1. Previous components]
Next, the front component 1000 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 14 and 15. The front component 1000 has an outer shape of a substantially square in front view, an inner shape of a substantially circular shape penetrating in the front-rear direction, and the inner circumference of the inner shape defines the outer circumference of the play area 5a. The front component 1000 includes an outer rail 1001 that extends in an arc shape from the lower end on the left side of the center in the front view to the upper right diagonal direction in a clockwise circumferential direction, passing the upper end of the center in the front view to the upper right diagonal direction, an inner rail 1002 that is disposed inside the front component 1000 along the outer rail 1001 and extends in an arc shape from the lower center in the front view to the upper left diagonal direction in the front view, and an out guide portion 1003 that is formed at the lowest position of the play area 5a on the right side of the lower end of the inner rail 1002 in the front view and is inclined so as to become lower toward the rear.

The component 1000 also includes a lower right rail 1004 that slopes linearly from the right end of the out guide section 1003 when viewed from the front to near the right side of the component 1000, with the right end being slightly higher; a right rail 1005 that extends from the right end of the lower right rail 1004 along the right side of the component 1000 to below the upper end of the outer rail 1001, with the upper part curved inward of the component 1000; and a collision stop section 1006 that connects the upper end of the right rail 1005 to the upper end of the outer rail 1001 and comes into contact with a game ball rolling along the outer rail 1001.

The component 1000 is also provided with a backflow prevention member 1007 that is rotatably supported on the upper end of the inner rail 1002 and can rotate only between a closed position in which it extends upward from the upper end of the inner rail 1002 to close the gap with the outer rail 1001, and an open position in which it rotates clockwise when viewed from the front to open the gap with the outer rail 1001, and is biased by a spring (not shown) to return to the closed position.

A launched ball sensor 1020 is provided on the back side of the game board 5 near the exit of the rails 1001 and 1002 (preferably immediately after passing through the backflow prevention member 1007) to detect game balls that have been shot into the game area 5a. For example, the launched ball sensor 1020 is composed of a magnetic sensor, and outputs a signal when it detects a game ball that has passed through the backflow prevention member 1007 and flowed into the game area 5a. The launched ball sensor 1020 may be provided at a position in the game area through which the game ball always passes. By fixing the position of the launched ball sensor 1020 on the game board 5, specifications can be standardized between multiple models, making inspection at the manufacturing site and post-installation inspection in the hall easier.

In addition, the launched ball sensor 1020 installed upstream of the game area 5a, such as near the exit of the rails 1001 and 1002, detects the out ball before the winning port sensor detects the winning game ball. In other words, since the game balls are detected in the order of out balls and then prize balls, prize balls resulting from game balls that are not counted as out balls are not detected, and the base value can be calculated accurately.

[2-2. Game Panel]
Next, the game panel 1100 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 14 and Fig. 15. The game panel 1100 includes a flat panel plate 1110 whose outer circumference is formed slightly larger than the inner circumference of the frame-shaped front component 1000 and made of transparent synthetic resin, and a frame-shaped panel holder 1120 which holds the outer circumference of the panel plate 1110, is attached to the rear side of the front component 1000, and has a rear unit 3000 attached to its rear surface. The panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100 has an outlet 1111 penetrating from front to rear at a location which is the lowest position in the play area 5a. The panel plate 1110 also has a plurality of openings 1112 penetrating from front to rear for mounting the front unit 2000.

The panel holder 1120 of the game panel 1100 holds the panel plate 1110 so that it can be attached and detached from the rear side. The panel holder 1120 also has multiple mounting holes for attaching the rear unit 3000 and multiple positioning holes formed on the rear surface.

When the game panel 1100 is attached to the rear of the preceding component 1000, the outlet 1111 of the panel board 1110 opens to the rear of the out-guide section 1003 of the preceding component 1000. As a result, game balls that flow down to the bottom end of the game area 5a are guided by the out-guide section 1003 to the rear outlet 1111, and are discharged through the outlet 1111 to the rear of the game panel 1100.

[2-3. Substrate holder]
Next, the board holder 1200 will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 15. The board holder 1200 is formed in a horizontally long box shape with the top and front open, and the bottom surface is inclined so that it becomes lower toward the center in the left-right direction. When assembled to the game board 5, this board holder 1200 can cover the lower part of the back unit 3000 attached to the rear side of the game panel 1100 from the bottom side. This allows the board holder 1200 to receive all game balls discharged to the rear side of the game panel 1100 through the outlet 1111 and game balls discharged downward from the front unit 2000 and the back unit 3000, and to discharge them downward from the discharge part 1201 (see Figure 14) formed on the bottom surface.

[2-4. Main control board unit]
Next, the main control unit 1300 will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 15 and 17. The main control unit 1300 is detachably attached to the rear surface of the board holder 1200. This main control unit 1300 includes a main control board 1310 that controls the game content and the payout of game balls, and a main control board box 1320 that houses the main control board 1310 and is attached to the board holder 1200.

The main control board box 1320 is equipped with multiple sealing mechanisms, and when one sealing mechanism is used to close the main control board box 1320, that sealing mechanism must be destroyed in order to open the main control board box 1320, leaving traces of the opening and closing of the main control board box 1320. Therefore, by observing the traces of opening and closing, unauthorized opening and closing of the main control board box 1320 can be discovered, and the deterrent effect against unauthorized acts on the main control board 1310 is enhanced.

[2-5. Function display unit]
Next, the function display unit 1400 will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. As shown in the figures, the function display unit 1400 is attached to the lower left corner of the front component 1000 outside the play area 5a. This function display unit 1400 can be seen from the front (player side) through the through hole 111 of the door frame 3 when the play board 5 is assembled to the pachinko machine 1 (see Figure 1). This function display unit 1400 uses multiple LEDs based on control signals from the main control board 1310 to display the game status (play situation), normal lottery results, special lottery results, etc.

The function display unit 1400, although not shown in detail, comprises a status indicator consisting of one LED for displaying the game status, a normal pattern display which displays normal patterns by controlling the blinking of two LEDs based on the result of a normal lottery drawn when a game ball passes through the gate unit 2003, and then displays these two LEDs in a lighting mode corresponding to the result of the normal lottery, a normal hold display consisting of two LEDs for displaying the number of holds, which is the number of variable displays of normal patterns related to the passage of a game ball through the gate unit 2003 for which the conditions for starting the variable display have not yet been met, a first special pattern display which displays a first special pattern by controlling the blinking of eight LEDs based on the result of a first special lottery drawn when a game ball is accepted through the first start port 2002 (occurrence of a start winning), and a normal hold display which displays a number of variable displays of normal patterns related to the passage of a game ball through the gate unit 2003 for which the conditions for starting the variable display have not yet been met, The display device mainly comprises a first special reserved number display consisting of two LEDs for displaying the reserved number, which is the number of variable displays of the first special pattern for which the start conditions for the variable display have not yet been met, a second special pattern display device which displays the second special pattern by controlling the blinking of the eight LEDs based on the second special lottery result drawn upon the acceptance of a game ball into the second starting port 2004 (occurrence of a start winning), thereby displaying the second special pattern in a variable display state and then displays these eight LEDs in a lighting mode according to the second special lottery result, a second special reserved number display consisting of two LEDs for displaying the reserved number, which is the number of variable displays of the second special pattern related to the acceptance of a game ball into the second starting port 2004 for which the start conditions for the variable display have not yet been met, and a round display device consisting of two LEDs for displaying the number of times (number of rounds) the opening and closing pattern of the first large winning port 2005 and the second large winning port 2006 is repeated when the first special lottery result or the second special lottery result is a "jackpot" or the like. In addition, some of the displays of the function display unit 1400 (for example, the first special pattern display) may be configured with a 7-segment LED.

This functional display unit 1400 can display the number of reserved items, designs, etc., by turning on, off, blinking, etc. the LEDs provided as appropriate.

[2-6. Peripheral control unit]
Next, the peripheral control unit 1500 will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 15. The peripheral control unit 1500 is attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010 of the rear unit 3000. The peripheral control unit 1500 includes a peripheral control board 1510 (see Figure 17) that controls the effects presented to the player based on control signals from the main control board 1310, and a peripheral control board box 1520 that houses the peripheral control board 1510. The peripheral control board 1510 includes a peripheral control unit 1511 for controlling light emission effects, sound effects, moving effects, etc., and an effect display control unit 1512 for controlling effect images (see Figure 17).

[2-7. Performance display device]
Next, the performance display device 1600 will be described with reference to Fig. 10 to Fig. 16. The performance display device 1600 is disposed in the center of the game area 5a when viewed from the front, and is provided with a rear unit 1600 on the rear side of the game panel 1100. The performance display device 1600 is attached via the rear box 3010 of the rear box 3000. More specifically, the performance display device 1600 is detachably attached to the rear surface of the rear wall of the rear box 3010 at approximately the center. The display device 1600 can be seen from the front (player side) through the frame of the frame-shaped center gadget 2500 when the game board 5 is assembled. The display device 1600 uses white LEDs as a backlight. It is a full-color display device that can display still images and videos.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the performance display device 1600 has two left fixed pieces 1601 protruding outward from the left side as viewed from the front, and a right fixed piece 1602 protruding outward from the right side as viewed from the front. With the LCD screen facing forward, the performance display device 1600 is attached to the rear box 3010 by inserting the two left fixed pieces 1601 from the diagonal rear of the rear box 3010 into two fixing grooves 3010c opening on the left inner peripheral surface as viewed from the front in the frame-shaped LCD mounting part of the rear box 3010 described later, and then moving the right fixed piece 1602 side forward to insert the right fixed piece 1602 into the opening of the locking mechanism 3020 and sliding the locking mechanism 3020 downward.

[2-8. Overall structure of the table unit]
Next, the front unit 2000 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 10 to 12 and 14 to 16. The front unit 2000 of the game board 5 is attached to the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100 from the front, with the front end protruding forward from the front surface of the panel plate 1110 and the rear end penetrating the opening 1112 and protruding rearward from the rear surface of the panel plate 1110. The front unit 2000 of this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of general winning ports 2001 which are always open and capable of accepting game balls dropped into the game area 5a, a first starting port 2002 which is always open and capable of accepting game balls at a different position in the game area 5a from the plurality of general winning ports 2001, a gate unit 2003 which is attached to a predetermined position in the game area 5a and detects the passage of the game ball, a second starting port 2004 which is capable of accepting the game ball depending on the result of a normal lottery which is drawn when the game ball passes through the gate unit 2003, and a first large winning port 2005 and a second large winning port 2006 which are capable of accepting the game ball depending on the result of a first special lottery or a second special lottery which is drawn when a game ball is accepted into the first starting port 2002 or the second starting port 2004.

Three of the multiple (four here) general winning holes 2001 are located at the bottom of the play area 5a, and the remaining one is located near the top right of the play area 5a when viewed from the front. The first starting hole 2002 is located directly above the out hole 1111 in the center of the left and right direction of the play area 5a. The gate section 2003 is located at the top right of the play area 5a when viewed from the front, approximately directly below the impact stop section 1006. The second starting hole 2004 is located from directly below the gate section 2003 to the right when viewed from the front. Of the multiple general winning holes 2001 described above, the general winning hole 2001 located near the top right of the play area 5a when viewed from the front is located directly above the second starting hole 2004. The first large winning hole 2005 is located between the first starting hole 2002 and the out hole 1111. The second large prize opening 2006 is located to the right of the first starting opening 2002 when viewed from the front, and above the first large prize opening 2005.

As shown in FIG. 16, the second large prize opening 2006 in the front unit 2000 is composed of a second upper large prize opening 2006a and a second lower large prize opening 2006b arranged along one flow path through which the game balls circulate. The second large prize opening 2006 is arranged such that the second upper large prize opening 2006a is located near the bottom right when viewed from the front within the game area 5a, and the second lower large prize opening 2006b is located below and to the left of the second upper large prize opening 2006a when viewed from the front.

The front unit 2000 also includes a start port unit 2100 that is attached directly above the exit 1111 in the left-right center of the play area 5a and has a first start port 2002 and a first large prize port 2005, a lower side unit 2200 that is attached along the inner rail 1002 to the left of the start port unit 2100 when viewed from the front and has three general prize ports 2001, an upper side unit 2300 that is attached to the upper left end of the lower side unit 2200 when viewed from the front, and a frame-shaped center device 2500 that is attached approximately in the center of the play area 5a and has one general prize port 2001, a gate portion 2003, a second start port 2004, and a second large prize port 2006.

[2-8a. Starting unit]
Next, the start opening unit 2100 of the front unit 2000 will be described. The start opening unit 2100 is disposed directly above the outlet 1111 near the lower end of the left-right center in the game area 5a, and is attached to the panel board 1110 from the front. The start opening unit 2100 has a first start opening 2002 and a first large winning opening 2005.

The starting port unit 2100 is equipped with a flat unit base 2101 attached to the front of the panel board 1110 and having a first large winning port 2005 that is rectangular and extends from left to right and penetrates from front to back, a ball receiving section 2102 that protrudes forward from the upper part of the unit base 2101, approximately in the center in the left-right direction, above the first large winning port 2005, and forms the first starting port 2002, a ball guide section 2103 attached to the rear side of the unit base 2101 and guides downward the game ball received in the first starting port 2002, a first starting port sensor 2104 attached to the ball guide section 2103 and detects the game ball received in the first starting port 2002, and a first attacker unit 2110 attached to the rear side of the unit base 2101 to close the first large winning port 2005.

The first attacker unit 2110 of the starting port unit 2100 is attached to the rear surface of the unit base 2101 so as to close the first large winning port 2005 from the rear, and is a box-shaped unit case 2111 whose front end is approximately the same size as the first large winning port 2005 and is open forward; a horizontally elongated rectangular, flat first large winning port door member 2112 whose lower edge is rotatably supported at the front end of the unit case 2111 so as to open and close the first large winning port 2005; and a first attacker sole mounted within the unit case 2111 for driving the first large winning port door member 2112 to open and close. id 2113, a first large prize opening sensor 2114 that is attached inside the unit case 2111 and detects game balls received in the first large prize opening 2005, a start opening unit relay board 2115 that is attached to the top surface of the unit case 2111 and relays the connections between the first start opening sensor 2104, the first attacca solenoid, and the first large prize opening sensor 2114 and the main control board 1310, and a start opening unit decoration board (not shown) that is attached to the bottom of the unit case 2111 and decorates the first large prize opening 2005 with light.

The ball receiving portion 2102 forming the first starting opening 2002 opens upward and is large enough to receive only one game ball at a time. The first large winning opening 2005 penetrating the unit base 2101 opens forward and is large enough to receive multiple game balls at a time (e.g., 4 to 6).

In the start port unit 2100, the first start port 2002 formed by the ball receiving portion 2102 opens upward, and the game ball received in the first start port 2002 is guided downward at the rear side of the unit base 2101 by the ball guide portion 2103, and after being detected by the first start port sensor 2104, it can be discharged downward through the first attacker unit 2110. In this embodiment, two first start port sensors 2104 are provided, and when the two first start port sensors 2104 detect a game ball within a predetermined time range, the main control board 1310 determines that a game ball has been received in the first start port 2002. This makes it possible to detect fraudulent acts such as the insertion of illegal tools into the first start port 2002.

In the starting port unit 2100, the first attacka unit 2110 is attached to the rear surface of the unit base 2101, and the first large prize opening door member 2112 of the first attacka unit 2110 is inserted from the rear into the first large prize opening 2005 that opens into the unit base 2101, closing the first large prize opening 2005. When the first large prize opening door member 2112 is in an upright state closing the first large prize opening 2005, both left and right ends of the lower edge are rotatably attached by the unit case 2111, and the first large prize opening 2005 can be changed from a closed state to an open state by rotating the upper edge so that it moves forward and downward.

The first large prize opening door member 2112 of the first attacca unit 2110 stands upright in the normal state (when the first attacca solenoid 2113 is not energized), closing the first large prize opening 2005. Then, when the first attacca solenoid 2113 is energized according to the game state, the first large prize opening door member 2112 rotates so that the top edge moves forward and downward, and the top edge is positioned slightly higher than the bottom edge. In other words, the first large prize opening door member 2112 is inclined so that it becomes higher as it moves forward from the bottom edge of the first large prize opening 2005.

In this state, when a game ball flows down in front of the first main prize opening 2005 and abuts against the first main prize opening door member 2112, the inclination of the first main prize opening door member 2112 changes the flow direction of the game ball from downward to backward, and the game ball is received by the first main prize opening 2005 and enters the unit case 2111. Then, after being detected by the first main prize opening sensor 2114, the game ball received by the first main prize opening 2005 is discharged downward from the underside of the unit case 2111.

3. Control Configuration
Next, the control configuration for performing various controls of the pachinko machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 17. FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the pachinko machine. The main control configuration of the pachinko machine 1 is composed of a main control board 1310 and a peripheral control board 1510 attached to the game board 5, and a payout control board 951 attached to the main body frame 4, as shown in the figure, and each control is shared. The main control board 1310 controls the game operation (progress of the game). The peripheral control board 1510 includes a peripheral control unit 1511 that controls various performance devices during the game based on commands from the main control board 1310, and a performance display control unit 1512 that controls the display of performance images on the performance display device 1600, the upper tray performance display device 244, etc. based on commands from the peripheral control unit 1511. The payout control board 951 is equipped with a payout control unit 952 that controls the payout of game balls, and a launch control unit 953 that controls the launch of game balls by rotating the handle lever 504.

[3-1. Main control board]
The main control board 1310 that controls the progress of the game includes a main control MPU 1311, which is a microprocessor that incorporates a ROM 1313 that stores various processing programs and various commands and a RAM 1312 that temporarily stores data, a main control I/O port 1314 as an input/output device (I/O device), a main control input circuit 1315 to which detection signals from various detection switches are input, a main control solenoid drive circuit 1316 for driving various solenoids, and a RAM clear switch for completely erasing information stored in the RAM incorporated in the main control MPU 1311. In addition to the incorporated ROM and RAM, the main control MPU 1311 also incorporates a watchdog timer that monitors its operation (system), a function for preventing fraud, and the like.

The main control MPU 1311 of the main control board 1310 detects game balls received in the first start opening 2002, the second start opening sensor 2551 detects game balls received in the second start opening 2004, the general winning opening sensor 3015 detects game balls received in the general winning opening 2001, the gate sensor 2547 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2003, the first large winning opening 2005 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2003, the first large winning opening 2006 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2007, the first large winning opening 2009 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2008, the first large winning opening 2010 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2009, the first large winning opening 2011 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2009, the first large winning opening 2012 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2009, the first large winning opening 2013 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2001, the first large winning opening 2014 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2001, the second large winning opening 2015 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2001, the first large winning opening 2016 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2002, the second large winning opening 2017 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2003, the first large winning opening 2018 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2003, the second large winning opening 2019 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2004, the second large winning opening 2016 detects game balls that have passed through the gate section 2005, the second Detection signals from the first large prize opening sensor 2114, which detects the game balls received by the second upper large prize opening 2006a and the second lower large prize opening 2006b as the second large prize opening 2006, the second upper large prize opening sensor 2554 and the second lower large prize opening sensor 2557, the ejected ball sensor 3060, the launched ball sensor 1020, and the magnetic detection sensor that detects unauthorized magnetism within the game area 5a, etc. are each input via the main control I/O port 1314.

Based on these detection signals, the main control MPU 1311 outputs a control signal from the main control I/O port 1314 to the main control solenoid drive circuit, thereby outputting drive signals to the start port solenoid 2550, the first attacca solenoid 2113, the second upper attacca solenoid 2553, and the second lower attacca solenoid 2556, and outputs drive signals from the main control I/O port 1314 to the first special pattern display, the second special pattern display, the first special pattern memory display, the second special pattern memory display, the normal pattern display, the normal pattern memory display, the game status display, the round display, etc. of the function display unit 1400.

In this embodiment, the first start opening sensor 2104, the second start opening sensor 2551, the gate sensor 2547, the first large winning opening sensor 2114, the second upper large winning opening sensor 2554, and the second lower large winning opening sensor 2557 use non-contact type electromagnetic proximity switches, whereas the general winning opening sensor 3015 uses a contact type ON/OFF operation mechanical switch. This is because game balls frequently enter the first start opening 2002 and the second start opening 2004 and frequently pass through the gate section 2003, so that the first start opening sensor 2104, the second start opening sensor 2551, and the gate sensor 2547 frequently detect game balls. For this reason, the first start opening sensor 2104, the second start opening sensor 2551, and the gate sensor 2547 use proximity switches that are highly durable and have a long lifespan. In addition, when a favorable game state (such as a "jackpot" game) occurs that is advantageous to the player, the first large prize opening 2005 and the second large prize opening 2006 are opened (or enlarged) and game balls frequently enter the opening, so the first large prize opening sensor 2114, the second upper large prize opening sensor 2554, and the second lower large prize opening sensor 2557 also frequently detect game balls. For this reason, the first large prize opening sensor 2114, the second upper large prize opening sensor 2554, and the second lower large prize opening sensor 2557 also use proximity switches that are highly durable and have a long lifespan. In contrast, the general prize opening 2001, which does not receive game balls frequently, is not frequently detected by the general prize opening sensor 3015. For this reason, the general prize opening sensor 3015 uses a mechanical switch that has a shorter lifespan than a proximity switch.

The main control MPU 1311 also transmits various information related to the game (game information) and various commands related to payouts to the payout control board 951, and receives various commands related to the status of the pachinko machine 1 from the payout control board 951. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 transmits various commands related to the control of game presentations executed by the presentation display device 1600, etc., and various commands related to the status of the pachinko machine 1 to the peripheral control unit 1511 of the peripheral control board 1510 via the main control I/O port 1314. When the main control MPU 1311 receives various commands related to the status of the pachinko machine 1 from the payout control board 951, it formats these various commands and transmits them to the peripheral control unit 1511.

Various voltages are supplied to the main control board 1310 from the power supply board in the power supply board box 930. The power supply board that supplies various voltages to the main control board 1310 is equipped with an electric double layer capacitor (hereinafter simply referred to as "capacitor") as a backup power source to supply power to the main control board 1310 for a predetermined period of time even when the power is cut off. This capacitor allows the main control MPU 1311 to store various information in RAM 1312 during power off processing even when the power is cut off. This stored information is completely erased (cleared) from RAM 1312 when the RAM clear switch on the main control board 1310 is operated when the power is turned on. The operation signal (detection signal) of this RAM clear switch is also output to the dispensing control board 951.

The main control board 1310 is also provided with a power outage monitoring circuit. This power outage monitoring circuit monitors drops in various voltages supplied from the power supply board, and when these voltages fall below the power outage warning voltage, it outputs a power outage warning signal as a power outage warning. This power outage warning signal is input to the main control MPU 1311 via the main control I/O port 1314, and is also output to the dispensing control board 951, etc.

A bonus feature ratio display 1317 is attached to the main control board 1310 in a position that is visible from the back side of the pachinko machine 1. The bonus feature ratio display 1317 displays the bonus feature ratio calculated by the main control MPU 1311.

The main control board 1310 is also provided with a display switch 1318. The display switch 1318 is preferably configured as a push button switch with momentary operation, but may be another type of switch. When the display switch 1318 is operated, the reel ratio is displayed on the reel ratio display 1317. Note that the reel ratio display 1317 may always display the reel ratio, and the display content may be switched by operating the display switch 1318.

Figure 18 shows the internal configuration of the main control MPU 1311.

The main control MPU 1311 has a CPU 13111, a RAM 1312, a ROM 1313, a random number generation circuit 13112, a parallel input port 13113, a serial communication circuit 13114, a timer circuit 13115, an interrupt controller 13116, an external bus interface 13117, a clock circuit 13118, a comparison block 13119, unique information 13120, an arithmetic circuit 13121 and a reset circuit 13122.

The CPU 13111 executes the programs stored in the ROM 1313. The RAM 1312 stores data required when executing the programs.

The main control MPU 1311 is provided with one or more random number generating circuits 13112. The random number generating circuit 13112 provides random numbers for determining the lottery results of the variable display game (first special lottery result, second special lottery result) and the presentation content of the variable display game. The random number generating circuit 13112 is a so-called hard random number generating means that outputs random numbers updated at the timing of a clock cycle (or a signal obtained by dividing the clock cycle) supplied to the main control MPU 1311, for example. The hard random numbers generated by the random number generating circuit 13112 are used for drawing lots for winning special patterns, drawing lots for winning patterns in the special pattern variable display game, and drawing lots for winning normal patterns.

The parallel input port 13113 is a port to which detection signals from various detection switches are input via the main control input circuit 1315.

The serial communication circuit 13114 transmits and receives various commands related to the control of game presentations and various commands related to the state of the pachinko machine 1 to and from the peripheral control unit 1511 of the peripheral control board 1510 via the main control I/O port 1314. The serial communication circuit 13114 also transmits and receives various information related to the game (game information) and various commands related to the payout of game balls to the payout control board 951 via the main control I/O port 1314. Furthermore, the serial communication circuit 13114 transmits data for displaying the role ratio to the role ratio display 1317. The detailed configuration of the serial communication circuit 13114 will be described later with reference to FIG. 20.

The timer circuit 13115 is a timer for timer interrupts and various time controls. The interrupt controller 13116 controls various interrupts (general interrupts, NMIs that cannot be masked by software) to the CPU 13111. That is, when the interrupt controller 13116 detects an interrupt, it refers to a vector table defined for each type of interrupt and jumps to the address set in the vector table.

The external bus interface 13117 is an interface for connecting the internal bus of the main control MPU 1311 to external devices. I/O requests (IORQ), reads (RD), writes (WR), 16-bit addresses (A0 to A15), and 8-bit data (D0 to D7) can be input and output from the external bus interface 13117.

The clock circuit 13118 generates an internal clock for the main control MPU 1311 from an input external clock signal (e.g., 32 MHz). The clock circuit 13118 also divides the input clock signal by a set number and outputs the result to the outside from the CLKO terminal. For example, it may output a clock signal to be supplied to the driver circuit 13171 (see FIG. 28) of the role ratio display 1317.

The verification block 13119 is a functional block that uses a specified code to verify whether the ROM 1313 has been tampered with. The unique information 13120 is an ID unique to the main control MPU 1311, and is written in a non-rewritable manner when the chip is manufactured.

The arithmetic circuit 13121 provides an arithmetic function that is not dependent on the program recorded in the ROM 1313. This arithmetic function is written in a fixed manner when the chip is manufactured.

The reset circuit 13122 has an undesignated driving prohibition circuit, a watchdog timer, and a user reset function. If the CPU 13111 accesses an address other than a specified address in the ROM 1313, the undesignated driving prohibition circuit assumes that the access is due to an unauthorized program, and resets the operation of the main control MPU 1311. The watchdog timer outputs a timeout signal when a specified timer time has elapsed, and resets the operation of the main control MPU 1311. The user reset function resets the operation of the main control MPU 1311 by a reset signal input to the SRST terminal.

Figure 19 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the arithmetic circuit 13121.

The calculation circuit 13121 provides a calculation function for the calculation result that is not dependent on a program, and has a multiplication circuit 131211 and a division circuit 131215.

The multiplication circuit 131211 is an arithmetic circuit that multiplies two values of a predetermined number of bits (e.g., 16 bits) and outputs a 32-bit product, and functions as a conversion circuit that converts input values (multiplier, multiplicand) into a product using a multiplication function and outputs the product.

The CPU 13111 of the main control MPU 1311 stores a multiplier and a multiplicand of 16 bits or less in the multiplication input register A 131212 and the multiplication input register B 131213. The multiplication circuit 131211 reads the values stored in the two 16-bit multiplication input registers 131212 and 131213 at a predetermined timing, and stores the result of multiplying the two values in the multiplication result register 131214. The CPU 13111 obtains the multiplication result from the multiplication result register 131214. The process from writing the values to the multiplication input registers 131212 and 131213 to storing the calculation result in the multiplication result register 131214 is configured to be completed in a predetermined time (e.g., one clock), and the CPU 13111 can store the values in the multiplication input registers 131212 and 131213 and obtain the multiplication result by referring to the multiplication result register 131214 after a predetermined number of clocks have elapsed.

The division circuit 131215 is an arithmetic circuit that divides a dividend of a predetermined number of bits (e.g., 32 bits) by a divisor of a predetermined number of bits (e.g., 32 bits) to output a 32-bit quotient and a 32-bit remainder, and functions as a conversion circuit that converts input values (divisor, dividend) into a quotient and remainder using a division function and outputs them.

The CPU 13111 of the main control MPU 1311 stores a dividend of 32 bits or less in the division input register A 131216, and stores a divisor of 32 bits or less in the division input register B 131217. When the division circuit 131215 detects that values are stored in both of the two 32-bit division input registers 131216, 131217, it reads the stored values at a predetermined timing, stores the quotient, which is the result of dividing the dividend by the divisor, in the division result register A 131218, and stores the remainder in the division result register B 131219. When the division circuit 131215 reads the values stored in the division input registers 131216, 131217, it may erase the read values and clear the registers. Furthermore, the division circuit 131215 may read the values stored in the division input registers 131216 and 131217 at the timing when a start command is input, and store the division result in the division result registers 131218 and 131219. In this case, the values stored in the division input registers 131216 and 131217 do not need to be erased at the timing of reading. Furthermore, the division input registers 131216 and 131217 may already have values stored therein (without clearing the stored values), and may further be able to overwrite the values.

The CPU 13111 obtains the division result from the division result registers 131218 and 131219. The process from writing values to the division input registers 131216 and 131217 to storing the calculation result in the division result registers 131218 and 131219 is configured to be completed in a predetermined time (e.g., 32 clocks), and after storing values in the division input registers 131216 and 131217 and a predetermined number of clocks has elapsed, the CPU 13111 can obtain the quotient and remainder by referring to the division result registers 131218 and 131219, respectively.

As described later, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, division processing is required to calculate the base value, and the division program executed by the CPU 13111 is performed by multiple multiplications and subtractions, so it takes a considerable amount of time. For this reason, it is difficult to execute the base calculation processing for each timer interrupt processing, and it is difficult to display the base value without delay. In contrast, by performing division processing using the arithmetic circuit 13121, the time required to calculate the base value can be shortened, and the base value can be calculated multiple times in one timer interrupt processing (see Figures 75 and 80). In addition, since the CPU 13111 is not occupied by division processing from the writing of values to the division input registers 131216 and 131217 of the arithmetic circuit 13121 to the reading of the calculation result from the division result register A 131218, it can execute other processing and efficiently execute the base calculation processing during the timer interrupt processing.

Figure 20 shows the configuration of the serial communication circuit 13114.

The serial communication circuit 13114 has four data transmission/reception circuits, and each data transmission/reception circuit transmits and receives one channel's worth of data to and from a specified device. Note that in FIG. 20, only the data transmission circuits are illustrated, and an explanation of the data reception circuits (for example, one channel's worth of implementation) is omitted.

As described above, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, the serial communication circuit 13114 uses three channels: channel 0, which is used for communication with the peripheral control board 1510; channel 1, which is used for communication with the payout control board 951; and channel 2, which is used for communication with the driver circuit 13171 of the bonus ratio display 1317; and channel 3 is unused.

The serial communication circuit 13114 has a data register 3141, a transmission data register 3142, a parity generation circuit 3143, a transmission shift register 3144, a command status register 3145, a communication setting register 3146, a transmission trigger setting level register 3147, a baud rate register 3148, and a baud rate generation circuit 3149.

The data input from the CPU 13111 is stored in the data register 3141, and then in the transmission data register 3142. The transmission data register 3142 is composed of a FIFO of a predetermined capacity (for example, 64 bytes). The transmission data register 3142 adds an error detection code generated by the parity generation circuit 3143 for each transmission unit of data to the data to be transmitted, and stores the data in the transmission shift register 3144.

The baud rate generation circuit 3149 generates a transmission clock signal for transmitting data at the rate set in the baud rate register 3148 from the clock signal supplied from the clock circuit 13118. The transmission shift register 3144 then transmits data in accordance with the transmission clock signal.

The command status register 3145 is a register that is referenced to check the transmission status.

The communication setting register 3146 stores commands for controlling data transmission. The transmission trigger setting level register 3147 stores a threshold for controlling the amount of data at which the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 generates an interrupt. The baud rate register 3148 stores a baud rate setting for defining the data transmission rate. The communication setting register 3146, the transmission trigger setting level register 3147, and the baud rate register 3148 are set for each of the four channels as initial settings in step S28 of FIG. 21.

These settings are explained in detail below. The communication setting register is set to the communication format of each channel. Specifically, it sets whether or not FIFO is used (FIFO mode, normal mode), the number of stop bits, and parity (whether parity is used, even parity, or odd parity). For example, for channel 0 used for communication with the peripheral control board 1510 and channel 1 used for communication with the payout control board 951, FIFO mode, stop bit = 1 bit, and 1xxx1010B meaning even parity are set, and for channel 2 used for communication with the driver circuit 13171 of the role ratio display 1317, FIFO mode, stop bit = 1 bit, and 1xxx1000B meaning unused parity are set.

In FIFO mode, data is transmitted using the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142. Also, since gaming machines are in a noisy environment, it is desirable to set parity when transmitting data at high speed outside the main control board 1310.

The feature ratio display 1317 is mounted on the main control board 1310, so it is less affected by noise compared to communication with other boards via communication wires. Also, because the amount of data sent and received is small, the communication speed can be low and there is little need to use parity. A ground pattern can be provided along the pattern that transmits signals between the driver circuit 13171 of the feature ratio display 1317 and the main control MPU 1311 (for example, on a layer adjacent to the left and right and/or thickness direction of a signal line provided on the surface or inner layer of the printed circuit board), and the shielding effect of the ground pattern can reduce noise superimposed on the signal transmission pattern.

The transmission trigger setting level register 3147 determines the amount of data at which the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 generates an interrupt. Specifically, if the amount of transmission data stored in the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 is smaller than the set number of bytes, a specified bit in the status register corresponding to each channel is set. By checking the relevant bit in the status register, it is possible to confirm whether there is free space in the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 and to determine the transmission timing of the data stored in the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142.

The relevant bit of the status register can be used to determine whether there is an abnormality in the transmission FIFO. For example, even if no data is written to the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 for a predetermined period of time, if the relevant bit of the status register is not set, it is possible to determine that no data is being transmitted from the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 because there is no free space in the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142, and to execute error processing (e.g., an error notification).

The baud rate register 3148 determines the data transmission rate. For example, 19200 bps is set for channel 0 used for communication with the peripheral control board 1510, 1200 bps is set for channel 1 used for communication with the payout control board 951, and 1200 bps is set for channel 2 used for communication with the driver circuit 13171 of the reel ratio display 1317.

In this way, the transmission rate is changed depending on the data transmitted through each channel. This is because the gaming balls are rolling inside the gaming machine, and the electronic circuits of the gaming machine are in an environment that is easily affected by noise. For this reason, data for controlling the ball output, which is directly related to the profit given to the player, is transmitted to the payout control board 951 at a low speed so that the data is transmitted reliably. On the other hand, the peripheral control board 1510 transmits data at a high rate because the amount of data transmitted is large and is not related to the ball output. In addition, the peripheral control board 1510 verifies whether the received command is abnormal, and if it is determined to be abnormal, it does not operate the peripheral control board 1510 or executes abnormal processing (for example, communication error notification) and requests retransmission of the command. Then, if it is determined that the retransmitted command is normal, the state of the peripheral control board 1510 is restored using the normal command. For this reason, communication with the peripheral control board 1510 can transmit data at a high rate. Furthermore, if the communication rate with the peripheral control board 1510 is reduced, the player may become aware of the delay between when the start gate wins and when the patterns start to change, which may reduce interest.

The communication with the driver circuit 13171 of the role ratio display 1317 may be at a high rate (19200 bps, which is the data transmission rate with the peripheral control board 1510) or at a low rate (1200 bps, which is the data transmission rate with the payout control board 951). In addition, the communication with the driver circuit 13171 of the role ratio display 1317 may adopt a rate between the high rate (19200 bps, which is the data transmission rate with the peripheral control board 1510) and the low rate (1200 bps, which is the data transmission rate with the payout control board 951). This is because if the data transmission rate is increased, there is a possibility that other circuits may malfunction due to switching noise of the transistors of the driver circuit 13171 of the role ratio display 1317. On the other hand, even if an abnormality occurs in the transmitted data due to noise, the same data is resent at each timer interrupt unless the transmitted data is updated, and if the resent command is normal, the display content of the role ratio display 1317 returns to normal, so there is no need to make the transmission rate extremely slow.

The command status register 3145 is a register referenced to check the transmission status, and for example, each bit is defined as follows:
Bit 7: SnTC A flag indicating completion of transmission, where 0 indicates transmission in progress and 1 indicates completion of transmission. Bit 6: SnTDBE A flag indicating transmission data empty in normal mode (a communication mode that does not use FIFO), where 0 indicates that data has not been transferred to the transmission shift register and 1 indicates that data has been transferred to the transmission shift register. In other words, this flag is set when data is transferred from the transmission data register 3142 to the transmission shift register 3144 and no transmission data is stored in the transmission data register 3142.

In the SnTFTL FIFO mode, this is a flag indicating the transmission FIFO trigger level, with 0 indicating that the amount of transmission data stored in the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 is equal to or greater than the trigger level, and 1 indicating that the amount of transmission data stored in the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 is less than the trigger level. In other words, this is set when the amount of transmission data stored in the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 is less than the number of bytes set in the transmission trigger level setting register. Therefore, during communication in the FIFO mode, data is written to the FIFO of the transmission data register 3142 after confirming that the bit is 1.
Bits 5-2: Unused (fixed to 0)
Bit 1: SnTCL This bit is written from the outside to clear the transmission buffer, break code transmission, empty the transmission data, or set the transmission FIFO trigger level (SnTFL). For example, to forcibly clear the contents of the buffer, set this bit to 1. More specifically, this is used when a command has been written to the FIFO, but due to some circumstances (for example, an abnormality has occurred), the transmission of the written command is stopped. Note that even if bit 1 is set, the data in the transmission shift register is not cleared.

In the configuration described above, the serial communication circuit 13114 is capable of start-stop synchronous communication (asynchronous communication), but outputs a clock signal for synchronous communication (not shown). In this case, the clock signal supplied to the communication partner (driver circuit 13171 of the role ratio display 1317) is output from the serial communication circuit 13114, not the clock circuit 13118. At least one channel of each transmitting/receiving circuit of the serial communication circuit 13114 may be capable of synchronous communication by setting, or a serial communication circuit for start-stop synchronous communication and a serial communication circuit for synchronous communication may be provided separately.

Although not shown in the figure, the serial communication circuit 13114 outputs a signal (LOAD) that indicates the data import timing used during synchronous communication.

[3-2. Dispensing control board]
Returning to Fig. 17, the explanation of the control configuration of the pachinko machine will be continued. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the payout control board 951 that controls the payout of game balls, etc., includes a payout control unit 952 that performs various controls related to payout, a launch control unit 953 that performs launch control by the launch solenoid 682 and ball feed control by the ball feed solenoid 551, an error LED display that displays the state of the pachinko machine 1, an error release switch for releasing the error displayed on the error LED display, and a ball removal switch for discharging the game balls in the ball tank 802, tank rail 803, ball guide unit 820, and payout device 830 to the outside of the pachinko machine 1 and starting the ball removal operation.

[3-2a. Dispense control unit]
The payout control unit 952, which performs various controls related to payout in the payout control board 951, is equipped with a payout control MPU, which is a microprocessor that has built-in ROM for storing various processing programs and various commands and RAM for temporarily storing data, a payout control I/O port as an I/O device, an external WDT (external watchdog timer) for monitoring whether the payout control MPU is operating normally, a payout motor drive circuit for outputting a drive signal to the payout motor 834 of the payout device 830, and a payout control input circuit to which detection signals from various detection switches related to payout are input. In addition to the built-in ROM and RAM, the payout control MPU also has built-in functions for preventing fraud.

The payout control MPU of the payout control unit 952 receives various information related to the game (game information) and various commands related to payout from the main control board 1310 in a serial manner via the payout control I/O port, and inputs the operation signal (detection signal) of the RAM clear switch from the main control board 1310 via the payout control I/O port. In addition, it also inputs detection signals from the full tank detection sensor 535, the ball out detection sensor 827, the payout detection sensor 842, and the blade rotation detection sensor 840.

The detection signals from the ball out detection sensor 827, the dispensing detection sensor 842, and the blade rotation detection sensor 840 of the dispensing device 830 are input to the dispensing control input circuit and input to the dispensing control MPU via the dispensing control I/O port.

In addition, the detection signals from the door frame opening switch, which detects the opening of the door frame 3 relative to the main frame 4, and the main frame opening switch, which detects the opening of the main frame 4 relative to the outer frame 2, are input to the dispensing control input circuit and input to the dispensing control MPU via the dispensing control I/O port.

In addition, the detection signal from the full tank detection sensor 535 of the fall cover unit 520 is input to the dispensing control input circuit and input to the dispensing control MPU via the dispensing control I/O port.

The payout control MPU outputs a drive signal for driving the payout motor 834 to the payout motor 834 via the payout control I/O, outputs a signal for displaying the status of the pachinko machine 1 on the error LED indicator to the error LED indicator via the payout control I/O port, transmits a command for indicating the status of the pachinko machine 1 to the main control board 1310 in a serial manner via the payout control I/O port, and outputs the number of game balls actually paid out to the external terminal board 784 via the payout control I/O port. This external terminal board 784 is connected to a hall computer installed on the gaming hall side. This hall computer monitors the player's play by grasping the number of game balls paid out by the pachinko machine 1 and game information of the pachinko machine 1. Among the signals output from the external terminal board 784, the signals generated by the main control board 1310 are output from the external terminal board 784 via the payout control board 951 from the main control board 1310. In addition, the signal generated by the main control board 1310 may be output from the external terminal board 784 without passing through the dispensing control board 951.

The error LED display is a segment display that displays alphanumeric characters, figures, etc. to indicate the status of the pachinko machine 1. The information displayed and notified by the error LED display includes the following: For example, when the figure "-" is displayed, it indicates "normal", when the number "0" is displayed, it indicates "connection abnormality" (specifically, that there is an abnormality in the electrical connection between the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951), when the number "1" is displayed, it indicates "ball out" (specifically, that there are no game balls in the payout device 830 based on the detection signal from the out-of-ball detection sensor 827), when the number "2" is displayed, it indicates "ball stuck" (specifically, that the payout blade and the game ball are engaged in the payout passage of the payout device 830 based on the detection signal from the blade rotation detection sensor 840, making it difficult for the payout blade to rotate), and when the number "3" is displayed, it indicates a "counting switch error" (specifically, that there is no game ball in the payout device 830 based on the detection signal from the blade rotation detection sensor 842). When the number "5" is displayed, it indicates that there is a "retry error" (specifically, that the number of retries for the payout operation has reached a preset upper limit); when the number "6" is displayed, it indicates that the ball tank is "full" (specifically, that the ball tank is full with the game balls stored in the ball cover unit 520 based on the detection signal from the full tank detection sensor 535); when the number "7" is displayed, it indicates that the CR is "not connected" (that the electrical connection has been cut somewhere between the payout control board 951 and the CR unit); and when the number "9" is displayed, it indicates that the ball tank is "stocked" (specifically, that the number of game balls that have not yet been paid out has reached a preset number).

A signal requesting the loan of game balls from the ball loan button, and a signal requesting the return of a prepaid card from the return button are input to the CR unit. The CR unit serially transmits a signal specifying the number of game balls to be loaned in accordance with the ball loan request signal to the payout control board 951, and this signal is received by the payout control I/O port and input to the payout control MPU. The CR unit also updates the remaining balance of the inserted prepaid card according to the number of game balls loaned, and outputs a signal to display the remaining balance on the display unit, and this signal is input to the display unit and displayed.

[3-2b. Launch control section]
The launch control unit 953, which controls launch by the launch solenoid 682 and ball delivery by the ball delivery solenoid 551, includes, although not shown in detail, a launch control input circuit to which detection signals from various launch-related detection switches are input, an oscillation circuit that outputs a clock signal at regular intervals, a launch timing control circuit that outputs a launch reference pulse for launching game balls toward the game area 5a based on this clock signal, a launch solenoid drive circuit that outputs a drive signal to the launch solenoid 682 based on this launch reference pulse, and a ball delivery solenoid drive circuit that outputs a drive signal to the ball delivery solenoid 551 based on the launch reference pulse. The launch timing control circuit generates a launch reference pulse based on the clock signal from the oscillation circuit so that 100 game balls are launched per minute toward the game area 5a and outputs it to the launch solenoid drive circuit, and also generates a ball delivery reference pulse that is a predetermined number of times the launch reference pulse and outputs it to the ball delivery solenoid drive circuit.

In relation to the handle unit 500, the detection signals from the contact detection sensor 509, which detects whether the palm or fingers are touching the handle lever 504, and the stop button, which detects whether the player wishes to forcibly stop the shooting of the game balls, are input to the launch control input circuit and then to the launch timing control circuit. When the CR unit and the CR unit connection terminal board are electrically connected, the signal is input to the launch control input circuit as a CR connection signal and then to the launch timing control circuit. A signal from the handle operation sensor 507, which electrically adjusts the strength with which the game balls are shot towards the play area 5a depending on the rotational position of the handle lever 504, is input to the launch solenoid drive circuit.

Based on the signal from the handle operation sensor 507, the launch solenoid drive circuit outputs a drive current to the launch solenoid 682 to launch the game ball with a launch strength corresponding to the rotation position of the handle lever 504, triggered by the input of the launch reference pulse. On the other hand, the ball forwarding solenoid drive circuit outputs a constant current to the ball forwarding solenoid 551 triggered by the input of the ball forwarding reference pulse, thereby receiving one game ball stored in the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 into the ball forwarding unit 540, and sends the received game ball to the ball launching device 680 side by stopping the output of the constant current triggered by the end of the input of the ball forwarding reference pulse. In this way, the drive current output from the launch solenoid drive circuit to the launch solenoid 682 is variably controlled, while the drive current output from the ball forwarding solenoid drive circuit to the ball forwarding solenoid 551 is controlled to be constant.

The power supply board that supplies various voltages to the dispensing control board 951 is equipped with a capacitor as a backup power supply to supply power to the main control board 1310 for a predetermined period of time even when the power is cut off. This capacitor allows the dispensing control MPU to store various information in the RAM of the dispensing control board 951 during power-off processing even when the power is cut off. This stored information is completely erased (cleared) from the RAM of the dispensing control board 951 when the RAM clear switch of the main control board 1310 is operated when the power is turned on.

[3-3. Peripheral control board]
As shown in Figure 17, the peripheral control board 1510 is equipped with a peripheral control unit 1511 that controls the performance based on commands from the main control board 1310, and a performance display control unit 1512 that controls the drawing of the performance display device 1600, the sub performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244 based on control data from this peripheral control unit 1511.

[3-3a. Peripheral control unit]
The peripheral control unit 1511, which controls the performance on the peripheral control board 1510, is equipped with a peripheral control MPU as a microprocessor (detailed illustration is omitted), a peripheral control ROM that stores various processing programs and various commands, a sound source IC that produces high-quality sound, and a sound ROM in which sound information such as music and sound effects referenced by this sound source IC is stored.

The peripheral control MPU has multiple built-in parallel I/O ports, serial I/O ports, etc., and when it receives various commands from the main control board 1310, it transmits game board side light emission data from the serial I/O port for the lamp drive board to the performance drive board 3043 based on these various commands in order to output lighting signals, flashing signals, or gradation lighting signals to the color LEDs, etc., provided on each decorative board of the game board 5, transmits game board side drive data from the serial I/O port for the game board decoration drive board to the performance drive board 3043 in order to output drive signals to the drive motors that operate the various performance units provided on the game board 5, and transmits the vibration device 2 provided on the door frame 3. The door side drive light emission data, which is composed of door side drive data for outputting drive signals to electrical drive sources such as the motor 42 and the lower right door drive motor 272, and door side light emission data for outputting lighting signals, flashing signals, or gradation lighting signals to the color LEDs and the like provided on each decorative board of the door frame 3, is transmitted from the serial I/O port for the frame decoration drive board to the door frame 3 side, control data (display commands) indicating the screen to be displayed on the performance display device 1600 and the upper tray performance display device 244 is transmitted from the serial I/O port for the liquid crystal control unit to the performance display control unit 1512, and a control signal (sound command) for extracting sound information from the sound ROM is output to the sound source IC.

The detection signals from the various position detection sensors for detecting the positions of the various presentation units provided on the game board 5 are input to the peripheral control MPU via the presentation drive board 3043 attached to the rear surface of the back box. In addition, the detection signals from the touch panel 246 and presentation button pressure sensor 258 of the presentation operation unit 220 provided on the door frame 3 are input to the peripheral control MPU.

In addition, the peripheral control MPU receives a signal (operation signal) from the performance display control unit 1512 indicating that the performance display control unit 1512 is operating normally, and monitors the operation of the performance display control unit 1512 based on this operation signal.

The sound source IC extracts sound information from the sound ROM based on control data (sound commands) from the peripheral control MPU, and controls the playback of music and sound effects in accordance with various performances from speakers 921 and the like provided on the door frame 3 and main body frame 4. The volume can be adjusted by rotating the volume protruding rearward from the peripheral control board box 1520 in which the peripheral control board 1510 is housed. In this embodiment, sound signals (e.g., 2ch stereo signals, 4ch stereo signals, 2.1ch surround signals, or 4.1ch surround signals) as sound information are sent to the multiple speakers on the door frame 3 side and the bass speaker 921 on the main body frame 4, thereby presenting a more realistic sound effect (sound performance) than ever before.

In addition to the built-in WDT (watchdog timer) built into the peripheral control MPU, the peripheral control unit 1511 also has an external WDT (watchdog timer) (not shown), and the peripheral control MPU uses the built-in WDT and the external WDT together to diagnose whether its own system is out of control.

The display commands output from this peripheral control MPU to the performance display control unit 1512 are sent via a serial input/output port, and in this embodiment, the bit rate (the amount of data that can be sent per unit time) is set to 19.2 kilobits per second (bps). On the other hand, the initial data, door frame side lighting and blinking commands, game board side lighting and blinking commands, movable body driving commands, and display commands are sent from the peripheral control MPU to the performance drive board 3043 attached to the rear of the back box via multiple different serial input/output ports, and in this embodiment, the bit rate is set to 250 kbps.

This performance drive board 3043 outputs a lighting signal or a flashing signal based on the received door frame side lighting/flashing command to the LEDs of each decorative board provided on the door frame 3, and outputs a lighting signal or a flashing signal based on the received game board side lighting/flashing command to the LEDs of each decorative board provided on the game board 5.

The performance drive board 3043 also outputs drive signals based on the received drive commands to the vibration device 242 and bottom right door drive motor 272 provided on the door frame 3, as well as to each drive motor provided on the game board 5, etc.

[3-3b. Various control processes of peripheral control units]
First, the peripheral control unit power-on process will be described with reference to FIG. 60. When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1, the peripheral control MPU (not shown) of the peripheral control unit 1511 shown in FIG. 17 performs the peripheral control unit power-on process as shown in FIG. 60. When this peripheral control unit power-on process starts, the performance control program performs an initial setting process under the control of the peripheral control MPU (step S1000). In this initial setting process, the performance control program performs a process of initializing the peripheral control MPU itself, a process of determining whether it is a hot start or a cold start, and a process of setting a wait timer after reset. The peripheral control MPU first performs a process of initializing itself, but the time required for the process of initializing the peripheral control MPU is on the order of microseconds (μs), and the peripheral control MPU can be initialized in an extremely short time. As a result, the peripheral control MPU is in a state where interrupt permission is set, and for example, in the peripheral control unit command reception interrupt process described later, it is in a state where it can receive various commands, such as commands related to the control of game performances and commands related to the state of the pachinko machine 1, output from the main control board 1310.

Following step S1000, the performance control program performs a current time information acquisition process (step S1002). In this current time information acquisition process, calendar information specifying the date and time information specifying the hour, minute, and second are acquired from the RTC control unit, and are set in the calendar information storage unit of the peripheral control RAM as the current calendar information, and are also set in the time information storage unit as the current time information.

Following step S1002, the performance control program sets the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG to a value of 0 (step S1006). This V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is a flag for determining whether or not to execute the peripheral control unit regular processing described below, and is set to a value of 1 when the peripheral control unit regular processing is executed, and to a value of 0 when the peripheral control unit regular processing is not executed. The V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is set to a value of 1 in the peripheral control unit V blank signal interrupt processing described below, which is executed in response to the input of a V blank signal indicating that the peripheral control MPU is in a state where it is possible to accept screen data. In this step S1006, the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is initialized once by setting the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG to a value of 0.

Following step S1006, the performance control program determines whether the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is equal to the value 1 (step S1008). If the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is not equal to the value 1 (it is equal to the value 0), the program returns to step S1008 and repeatedly determines whether the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is equal to the value 1. By repeating such determinations, the program enters a standby state until the peripheral control unit executes normal processing.

When the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is set to a value of 1 in step S1008, that is, when peripheral control unit steady-state processing is to be executed, the steady-state processing in progress flag SP-FLG is first set to a value of 1 (step S1009). This steady-state processing in progress flag SP-FLG is set to a value of 1 when peripheral control unit steady-state processing is being executed, and to a value of 0 when peripheral control unit steady-state processing has been completed.

Following step S1009, the performance control program performs a 1 ms interrupt timer start process (step S1010). In this 1 ms interrupt timer start process, a 1 ms interrupt timer is started to execute the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process described below, and the 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN is set to a value of 1 to count the number of times the 1 ms interrupt timer has been started and the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process has been executed, thereby initializing the 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN. This 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN is updated by the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process.

Following step S1010, the performance control program performs lamp data output processing (step S1012). In this lamp data output processing, the performance control program performs DMA serial continuous transmission to the lamp drive board 4170 shown in FIG. 119. Here, continuous transmission is performed to the serial I/O port for the lamp drive board by utilizing the peripheral control DMA controller of the peripheral control MPU.

Following step S1012, the presentation control program performs a presentation operation unit monitoring process (step S1014). In this presentation operation unit monitoring process, the presentation operation unit information acquisition process in the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process described later monitors whether or not the operation button 220C is being operated based on various information acquired based on detection signals from various detection switches provided in the presentation operation unit 220, such as the operation of the operation button 220C, and appropriately determines whether or not to reflect the operation state of the operation button 220C in the game presentation.

Following step S1014, the performance control program performs a display data output process (step S1016). In this display data output process, the sound source VDP outputs one screen's worth of drawing data (one frame's worth) generated on the built-in VRAM of the sound source VDP in the display data creation process described below to the game board side decorative board 3053 and the door frame side decorative board 233. This allows various screens to be drawn on the game board side decorative board 3053 and the door frame side decorative board 233.

Following step S1016, the performance control program performs a sound data output process (step S1018). In this sound data output process, the performance control program outputs sound data such as music and sound effects set in the sound source built-in VDP in the sound data creation process described below to the speaker 921, and outputs sound data of alert sounds and notification sounds in addition to music and sound effects to the speaker 921.

Following step S1018, the performance control program performs a scheduler update process (step S1020). In this scheduler update process, the performance control program updates various schedule data set in the peripheral control RAM. For example, in the scheduler update process, a pointer is updated to indicate which screen data, from the first screen data, among the screen data arranged in chronological order that constitutes the schedule data for screen generation, is to be output to the VDP with built-in sound source.

The scheduler update process also updates the pointer to indicate which light emission data, from the first light emission data, among the light emission data arranged in chronological order that constitutes the schedule data for generating light emission modes, is to be used as the light emission mode for each LED.

The scheduler update process also updates a pointer to indicate which sound command data, starting from the first sound command data, should be output to the VDP with built-in sound source among the sound command data that indicates sound data such as music and sound effects, and sound data for alarms and announcements, arranged in chronological order to make up the schedule data for sound generation.

The scheduler update process also updates a pointer to indicate which drive data, starting from the first drive data, is to be output among the drive data for electric drive sources such as motors and solenoids arranged in chronological order that constitutes the electric drive source schedule data.

Following step S1020, the presentation control program performs a received command analysis process (step S1022). In this received command analysis process, the presentation control program analyzes the information sent from the game board side decorative board 3053 and the various commands sent from the main control board 1310, which are received in the peripheral control unit command reception interrupt process (command reception means) described below (command analysis means).

Following step S1022, the performance control program performs a warning process (step S1024). In this warning process, when the commands analyzed in the received command analysis process in step S1022 as described above include various commands classified as a predetermined notification display, the performance control program extracts the schedule data for screen generation, the schedule data for light emission mode generation, the schedule data for sound generation, and the schedule data for the electrical drive source, which are set in the abnormality display mode for executing various abnormality notifications, from the peripheral control ROM or peripheral control RAM of the peripheral control unit 1511 and sets them in the peripheral control RAM. In addition, in the warning process, if multiple abnormalities occur simultaneously, the abnormality notification is performed in order of the highest priority registered in advance, and the abnormality is resolved and the remaining abnormality notification is automatically transitioned to. This allows multiple abnormalities to be monitored simultaneously without losing information that one abnormality has occurred after another abnormality has occurred but before the abnormality has been resolved.

Furthermore, in this warning process, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the power was turned on, if the command analyzed by the presentation control program in the above-mentioned received command analysis process (step S1022) is one of the various commands classified as status indications, such as an error reset navigation command (second error reset command), the presentation control program controls the presentation to a different mode from the normal presentation mode associated with the presentation operation, for example, by visually warning the outside using the game board side decorative board 3053 (presentation device), the door frame side decorative board 233 (presentation device), or a lamp (presentation device), or by audibly warning the outside using a speaker (error notification means). In this way, when a malicious player attempts to input an error reset navigation command to the main control board 1310 by operating the operation switch of the payout control board 951 even though the game is in progress, the pachinko machine 1 is configured to warn the outside, thereby preventing fraudulent acts against the main control board 1310 that may affect the progress of the game.

Next, following step S1024 described above, the performance control program performs an RCT acquisition information update process (step S1026). In this RTC acquisition information update process, the performance control program updates the calendar information stored in the calendar information storage unit and the time information stored in the time information storage unit that were acquired in the current time information acquisition process in step S1002 and set in the peripheral control RAM. This RCT acquisition information update process updates the time information stored in the time information storage unit, which is the hour, minute, and second, and updates the calendar information stored in the calendar information storage unit, which is the year, month, and day, based on this updated time information.

Following step S1026, the performance control program performs lamp data creation processing (step S1028). In this lamp data creation processing, the performance control program updates the pointer in the scheduler update processing in step S1020, and based on the light emission data indicated by the pointer among the light emission data arranged in time series that constitute the schedule data for generating light emission modes, extracts and creates game board side light emission data SL-DAT from the peripheral control ROM or peripheral control RAM of the peripheral control unit 1511 for outputting lighting signals, blinking signals, or gradation lighting signals to the multiple LEDs of various decorative boards provided on the game board 5, and sets it in the peripheral control RAM, and extracts and creates door side light emission data STL-DAT from the peripheral control ROM or peripheral control RAM of the peripheral control unit 1511 for outputting lighting signals, blinking signals, or gradation lighting signals to the multiple LEDs of various decorative boards provided on the door frame 3, and sets it in the peripheral control RAM.

Following step S1028, the presentation control program performs a display data creation process (step S1030). In this display data creation process, the presentation control program updates the pointer in the scheduler update process in step S1020, and extracts the screen data indicated by the pointer from the peripheral control ROM or peripheral control RAM of the peripheral control unit 1511 among the screen data arranged in chronological order that constitutes the schedule data for screen generation, and outputs it to the sound source built-in VDP. When screen data is input from the peripheral control MPU, the sound source built-in VDP extracts character data from the liquid crystal and sound control ROM 1512b based on the input screen data, creates sprite data, and generates drawing data for one screen (one frame) on the built-in VRAM to be displayed on the game board side decorative board 3053 and the door frame side decorative board 233.

Following step S1030, the performance control program performs a sound data creation process (step S1032). In this sound data creation process, the performance control program updates the pointer in the scheduler update process in step S1020, and among the sound command data arranged in chronological order that constitutes the schedule data for sound generation, extracts the sound command data indicated by the pointer from the peripheral control ROM or peripheral control RAM of the peripheral control unit 1511 and outputs it to the sound source built-in VDP. When sound command data is input from the peripheral control MPU, the sound source built-in VDP extracts sound data such as music and sound effects stored in the liquid crystal and sound control ROM and controls the built-in sound source to incorporate the sound data such as music and sound effects according to the track number specified in the sound command data, and sets the output channel to be used according to the output channel number.

Following step S1032, the performance control program performs a backup process (step S1034). In this backup process, the performance control program copies and backs up the contents stored in the peripheral control MPU and the external peripheral control RAM to the first backup area and the second backup area, respectively, and also copies and backs up the contents stored in the peripheral control MPU and the external peripheral control SRAM to the first backup area and the second backup area, respectively.

Following step S1034, a WDT clear process is performed (step S1036). In this WDT clear process, a clear signal is output to the peripheral control internal WDT 1511af and the peripheral control external WDT 1511e to prevent the peripheral control MPU from being reset.

Following step S1036, the performance control program sets the steady-state processing in progress flag SP-FLG to a value of 0 as the peripheral control unit steady-state processing has been completed (step S1038), returns to step S1006, sets the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG to a value of 0 to initialize it, and repeats the judgment of step S1008 until the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is set to a value of 1 in the peripheral control unit V blank signal interrupt processing described below. In other words, in step S1008, the program waits until the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is set to a value of 1, and if it is determined in step S1008 that the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is a value of 1, it performs the processing of steps S1009 to S1038, and returns to step S1006 again. In this way, if it is determined in step S1008 that the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is a value of 1, it performs the processing of steps S1009 to S1038. The processing of steps S1009 to S1038 is referred to as "peripheral control unit regular processing."

This peripheral control unit steady-state processing starts with the performance control program first setting the steady-state processing in progress flag SP-FLG to a value of 1 in step S1009, indicating that the peripheral control unit steady-state processing is being executed, then in step S1010, it performs a 1 ms interrupt timer start process, and then in step S1012, step S1014, ..., and step S1036, it finally completes in step S1038 by setting the steady-state processing in progress flag SP-FLG to a value of 0, indicating that the peripheral control unit steady-state processing has been completed. The peripheral control unit steady-state processing is executed when the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is a value of 1 in step S1008. As described above, this V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is set to a value of 1 in the peripheral control unit V blank signal interrupt processing described later, which is executed when a V blank signal indicating that the peripheral control unit is in a state where it can accept screen data from the peripheral control MPU is input from the sound source built-in VDP. In this embodiment, the frame frequency (number of screen updates per second) of the game board side decorative board 3053 and the door frame side decorative board 233 is set to approximately 30 fps per second, as described above, so the interval at which the V blank signal is input is approximately 33.3 ms (= 1000 ms ÷ 30 fps). In other words, the peripheral control unit regular processing is repeatedly executed every approximately 33.3 ms.

Next, we will explain the peripheral control unit V blank signal interrupt processing that is executed when a V blank signal, which indicates that the peripheral control unit 1511 is in a state where it can accept screen data from the peripheral control MPU shown in Figure 61, is input from the sound source built-in VDP of the performance display control unit 1512. When this peripheral control unit V blank signal interrupt processing is started, the peripheral control MPU of the peripheral control unit 1511 determines whether the steady-state processing in progress flag SP-FLG is set to a value of 0, as shown in Figure 61 (step S1045). As described above, this steady-state processing in progress flag SP-FLG is set to a value of 1 when the peripheral control unit steady-state processing of steps S1009 to S1038 in the peripheral control unit power-on processing in Figure 60 is being executed, and to a value of 0 when the peripheral control unit steady-state processing has been completed.

When the steady-state processing flag SP-FLG is not 0 (is 1) in step S1045, that is, when the peripheral control unit steady-state processing is being executed, this routine ends. On the other hand, when the steady-state processing flag SP-FLG is 0 in step S1045, that is, when the peripheral control unit steady-state processing has been completed, the V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is set to 1 (step S1050), and this routine ends. As described above, this V blank signal detection flag VB-FLG is a flag for determining whether or not to execute the peripheral control unit steady-state processing, and is set to 1 when the peripheral control unit steady-state processing is executed, and to 0 when the peripheral control unit steady-state processing is not executed.

Next, the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing, which is repeatedly executed each time the 1 ms interrupt timer occurs due to the activation of the 1 ms interrupt timer in step S1010 in the peripheral control unit regular processing of the peripheral control unit power-on processing in Fig. 60, will be described. When this peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing is started, the peripheral control MPU of the peripheral control unit 1511 determines whether the 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN is less than 33 times, as shown in Fig. 62 (step S1100). As described above, this 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN is a counter that counts the number of times the 1 ms interrupt timer is activated in the 1 ms interrupt timer activation processing in step S1010 in the peripheral control unit regular processing of the peripheral control unit power-on processing in Fig. 60 and the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing, which is this routine, is executed. In this embodiment, the frame frequency (number of screen updates per second) of the game board side decorative board 3053 and the door frame side decorative board 233 is set to approximately 30 fps per second, as described above, so the interval at which the V blank signal is input is approximately 33.3 ms (=1000 ms÷30 fps). In other words, the peripheral control unit regular processing is repeatedly executed every approximately 33.3 ms, so after the 1 ms interrupt timer is started in step S1010 in the peripheral control unit regular processing, the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing is executed only 32 times before the next peripheral control unit regular processing is executed. Specifically, when the 1 ms interrupt timer is started in step S1010 in the peripheral control unit regular processing, the first 1 ms timer interrupt occurs, followed by the second, ..., and 32nd 1 ms timer interrupts in sequence.

When the 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN is not less than 33 in step S1100, that is, when the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt occurs and the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process is started, the routine is terminated. In the case where the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt occurs by chance before the next V blank signal occurs, in this embodiment, the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process is set to have a higher priority than the peripheral control unit V blank interrupt process as the interrupt process priority, but the start of the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process by the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt is forcibly canceled. In other words, in this embodiment, since the V blank signal is a signal that controls the entire system of the peripheral control board 1510, in the case where the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt occurs by chance before the next V blank signal occurs, the start of the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process by the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt is forcibly canceled in order to execute the peripheral control unit V blank interrupt process. Then, after the V blank signal is generated and the 1 ms interrupt timer is started again in step S1010 of the peripheral control unit regular processing, the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing is started again when the first 1 ms timer interrupt occurs.

On the other hand, if the 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN is less than 33 in step S1100, the 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN is incremented by a value of 1 (step S1102). By adding the value of 1 to the 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN, the 1 ms interrupt timer is started in the 1 ms interrupt timer start process in step S1010 of the peripheral control unit regular processing of the peripheral control unit power-on processing in FIG. 60, and the number of times that the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process, which is this routine, has been executed, is increased by one.

Following step S1102, motor and solenoid drive processing is performed (step S1104). In this motor and solenoid drive processing, the various motors, solenoids, and other electric drive sources are driven according to the drive data indicated by the pointer among the drive data for the electric drive sources such as motors and solenoids arranged in chronological order that constitute the electric drive source schedule data set in the peripheral control MPU and peripheral control RAM, and the pointer is updated to the next drive data specified in the chronological order, and the pointer is updated each time this motor and solenoid drive processing is performed.

Following step S1104, a movable body information acquisition process is performed (step S1106). In this movable body information acquisition process, by determining whether or not detection signals are being input from the various detection switches provided on the game board 5, history information of the detection signals from the various detection switches (e.g., original position history information, movable position history information, etc.) is created and set in the peripheral control RAM. From the history information of the detection signals from the various detection switches set in this peripheral control RAM, the original positions, movable positions, etc. of the various movable bodies provided on the game board 5 can be obtained.

Following step S1106, a production operation unit information acquisition process is performed (step S1108). In this production operation unit information acquisition process, by determining whether or not detection signals are being input from the various detection switches provided in the production operation unit 220, history information of the detection signals from the various detection switches (such as operation history information of the operation button 220C) is created and set in the peripheral control RAM. Whether or not the operation button 220C has been operated can be obtained from the history information of the detection signals from the various detection switches set in this peripheral control RAM.

Following step S1108, a drawing status information acquisition process is performed (step S1110). In this drawing status information acquisition process, history information of the LOCKN signal output from the door frame side performance receiver IC of the door frame side decorative board 233 is created and set in the peripheral control RAM. As described above, the LOCKN signal is a signal that the door frame side performance receiver IC SDIC0 of the door frame side decorative board 233 outputs to inform the user that the drawing data received from the door frame side performance transmitter IC 1512d provided on the peripheral control board 1510 is abnormal data.

Following step S1110, backup processing is performed (step S1112), and this routine ends. In this backup processing, the contents stored in the peripheral control RAM are copied and backed up to the first backup area and the second backup area, respectively, and the contents stored in the peripheral control SRAM are copied and backed up to the first backup area and the second backup area, respectively.

In this way, in the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing, various processes related to the performance described above in steps S1104 to S1108 are executed as the performance progresses within a period of 1 ms. In contrast, in the peripheral control unit steady-state processing in the peripheral control unit power-on processing in Figure 60, various processes related to the performance described above in steps S1012 to S1032 are executed as the performance progresses within a period of approximately 33.3 ms. In the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing, when the 1 ms timer interrupt execution count STN is not less than the value 33 in step S1100, that is, when the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt occurs and the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing is started, this routine is terminated as is. Therefore, even if the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt occurs by chance before the next V blank signal occurs, the start of the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing by the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt is forcibly canceled, and the 1 ms interrupt timer is started again in step S1010 in the peripheral control unit regular processing by the occurrence of the V blank signal, and then the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing is newly started by the occurrence of the first 1 ms timer interrupt. In other words, the consistency between the progress state of the performance by the peripheral control unit regular processing and the progress state of the performance by the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt processing, which is timer interrupt control, is not lost. Therefore, the progress state of the performance can be reliably matched.

As mentioned above, the interval at which the V blank signal is output varies slightly depending on the liquid crystal size of the game board side decorative board 3053 and the door frame side decorative board 233, and the interval at which the V blank signal is output may also vary slightly depending on the production lot of the peripheral control board 1510 on which the peripheral control MPU and the sound source built-in VDP are mounted. In this embodiment, since the V blank signal is a signal that controls the entire system of the peripheral control board 1510, if the occurrence of the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt happens to precede the occurrence of the next V blank signal, the start of the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process due to the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt is forcibly canceled in order to execute the peripheral control unit V blank interrupt process. In other words, in this embodiment, even if the interval at which the V blank signal is output varies slightly, the time lag caused by the slight change in the interval at which the V blank signal is output can be absorbed by forcibly canceling the start of the peripheral control unit 1 ms timer interrupt process due to the 33rd 1 ms timer interrupt.

[3-4. Performance display control unit]
Next, the performance display control unit 1512 in the peripheral control board 1510, which controls the drawing of the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244, is equipped with a display control MPU as a microprocessor (not shown in detail), a display control ROM for storing various processing programs, various commands, and various data, a VDP (short for Video Display Processor) for display control of the performance display device 1600 and the upper tray performance display device 244, an image ROM for storing various data for the screens displayed on the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244, and an image RAM to which the various data stored in this image ROM is transferred and copied.

This display control MPU has built-in parallel I/O ports, serial I/O ports, etc., and controls the VDP based on control data (display commands) from the peripheral control unit 1511 to control the drawing of the performance display device 1600, sub performance display device 3114, and upper tray performance display device 244. When the display control MPU is operating normally, it outputs an operation signal to the peripheral control unit 1511 to inform the same. The display control MPU also receives an in-progress signal from the VDP, and performs interrupt processing when the output of this in-progress signal is stopped every 16 ms.

The display control ROM stores a variety of programs for generating screens to be drawn on the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244, as well as schedule data corresponding to the control data (display commands) from the peripheral control unit 1511, and non-resident area transfer schedule data corresponding to the control data (display commands). The schedule data is configured by chronologically arranging screen data that specifies the configuration of the screen, and specifies the order of the screens to be drawn on the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244. The non-resident area transfer schedule data is configured by chronologically arranging non-resident area transfer data that specifies the order when various data stored in the image ROM is transferred to the non-resident area of the image RAM. This non-resident area transfer data specifies the order in which various data is transferred from the image ROM to the non-resident area of the image RAM in advance for the screen data to be drawn on the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244 according to the progress of the schedule data.

The display control MPU extracts the first screen data of the schedule data corresponding to the control data (display command) from the peripheral control unit 1511 from the display control ROM and outputs it to the VDP, and then extracts the screen data following the first screen data from the display control ROM and outputs it to the VDP. In this way, the display control MPU extracts the screen data arranged in chronological order in the schedule data one by one from the display control ROM, starting from the first screen data, and outputs it to the VDP.

When the VDP receives screen data output from the display control MPU, it extracts sprite data from the image RAM based on the input screen data, generates drawing data to be displayed on the performance display device 1600, the sub performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244, and outputs this generated drawing data to the performance display device 1600, the sub performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244. When the performance display device 1600, the sub performance display device 3114, or the upper tray performance display device 244 does not accept the screen data from the display control MPU, the VDP outputs an execution signal to that effect to the display control MPU. The VDP uses a line buffer system. This "line buffer method" is a method in which one line of drawing data for drawing the left and right directions of the performance display device 1600, sub-performance display device 3114, and upper tray performance display device 244 is stored in a line buffer, and the one line of drawing data stored in the line buffer is output to the performance display device 1600, sub-performance display device 3114, and upper tray performance display device 244.

The image ROM stores a large amount of sprite data, and its capacity is large. When the capacity of the image ROM becomes large, that is, when the number of sprites to be drawn on the performance display device 1600, sub performance display device 3114, and upper tray performance display device 244 increases, the access speed of the image ROM cannot be ignored, which affects the speed of drawing on the performance display device 1600, sub performance display device 3114, and upper tray performance display device 244. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sprite data stored in the image ROM is transferred and copied to the image RAM, which has a fast access speed, and the sprite data is extracted from this image RAM. Note that the sprite data is the base data, which is the data before the sprite is expanded into bitmap format, and is stored in the image ROM in a compressed state.

Now, to explain what a "sprite" is, a "sprite" is an image that is displayed as a unit on the performance display device 1600 or the upper tray performance display device 244. For example, when various people (characters) are displayed on the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, or the upper tray performance display device 244, the data for drawing each person is called a "sprite". As a result, when multiple people are displayed on the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, or the upper tray performance display device 244, multiple sprites are used. In addition to people, the houses, mountains, roads, etc. that make up the background are also sprites, and the entire background can be treated as a single sprite. These sprites are drawn on the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, or the upper tray performance display device 244 after their positions on the screen and their hierarchical relationship when sprites overlap (hereinafter referred to as the "overlapping order of sprites") are set.

A sprite is made up of multiple rectangular areas of 64 pixels each. The data used to draw these rectangular areas is called a "sprite character." Small sprites can be represented using one sprite character, while relatively large sprites such as people can be represented using a total of six sprite characters arranged, for example, 2 x 3. Even larger sprites such as backgrounds can be represented using even more sprite characters. In this way, the number and arrangement of sprite characters can be specified arbitrarily for each sprite.

The performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244 are driven by a main scan that sets the display state of each pixel in one direction along the pixels, from left to right when viewed from the front, and a sub-scan that repeatedly performs a main scan in a direction that intersects with the one direction. When the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244 receive one line of drawing data output from the performance display control unit 1512, they output the data to one line of pixels, respectively, in the main scan, from left to right when viewed from the front of the performance display device 1600, the sub-performance display device 3114, and the upper tray performance display device 244. Once the output of one line is complete, the performance display device 1600, sub-performance display device 3114 and upper tray performance display device 244 move to the line directly below as a sub-scan, and when drawing data for the next line is input in a similar manner, they output one line's worth of pixels sequentially from left to right when viewed from the front of the performance display device 1600, sub-performance display device 3114 and upper tray performance display device 244 as a main scan based on the drawing data for the next line.

[4. Game Contents]
Next, the game contents of the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment will be described mainly with reference to Figures 10, 16, and 17. In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the player rotates the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500 arranged in the lower right corner of the front of the door frame 3, and the game balls stored in the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 are shot into the upper part of the game area 5a through between the outer rail 1001 and the inner rail 1002 of the game board 5, and a game using the game balls is started. The game balls shot into the upper part of the game area 5a flow down either the left side or the right side of the center role 2500 depending on the shooting strength. The shooting strength of the game balls can be adjusted by the rotation amount of the handle lever 504, and the more it is rotated in the clockwise direction, the stronger the balls can be shot, and up to 100 game balls can be shot continuously in one minute, that is, at intervals of 0.6 seconds.

In addition, within the game area 5a, multiple obstacle nails (not shown) are planted in a predetermined gauge arrangement at appropriate positions on the front of the game panel 1100 (panel board 1110). When the game ball hits the obstacle nails, the flow speed of the game ball is suppressed and various movements are imparted to the game ball, allowing the player to enjoy its movements. In addition to the obstacle nails, within the game area 5a, there is also provided at an appropriate position a windmill (not shown) that rotates when the game ball hits it.

When a game ball is shot into the top of the center gadget 2500 and enters the area to the left of the highest part of the outer periphery of the front peripheral wall 2512 of the center gadget 2500 as viewed from the front, it will come into contact with multiple obstacle nails (not shown) and flow down the area to the left of the center gadget 2500. When the game ball flowing down the area to the left of the center gadget 2500 enters the warp entrance 2520 opening on the outer periphery of the front peripheral wall 2512 of the center gadget 2500, it is supplied to the stage 2530 through the warp passage 2521, the warp exit 2522 opening inside the frame of the center gadget 2500, and the guideway 2523.

The game balls supplied to the stage 2530 from the warp exit 2522 roll back and forth on the stage 2530 and are released rearward from either the central guide section 2531 in the center of the left-right direction or the side guide sections 2532 on either side of that. When the game balls are released into the game area 5a from the central guide section 2531 of the stage 2530, because this central guide section 2531 is located directly above the first starting opening 2002, the game balls released from the central guide section 2531 are highly likely to be received by the first starting opening 2002. When the game balls are received by the first starting opening 2002, a predetermined number (e.g., three) of game balls are paid out from the payout device 830 to the upper tray 201 via the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951.

When the game ball rolling on the stage 2530 is released from the side guide section 2532 into the game area 5a, it flows down toward the start opening unit 2100. The game ball released into the game area 5a from the stage 2530 of the center device 2500 may be received by the first start opening 2002 of the start opening unit 2100 or the first large winning opening 2005 in an open state.

If a game ball that has flowed down to the left side of the center device 2500 does not enter the warp entrance 2520, it may be pulled toward the center in the left-right direction by the shelf 2302 on the upper side unit 2300, and may be accepted into the general winning opening 2001 or the first starting opening 2002 on the lower side unit 2200. When a game ball is accepted into the general winning opening 2001, a predetermined number (for example, 10 balls) of game balls are paid out from the payout device 830 to the upper tray 201 via the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951.

On the other hand, when a game ball that is shot into the top of the center gadget 2500 in the game area 5a enters (is shot into) the right side of the highest part of the outer periphery of the front peripheral wall portion 2512 of the center gadget 2500, it enters the upper right circulation space 2541 of the right-hitting game area 2540. Although not shown, multiple obstacle nails are planted in this upper right circulation space 2541, and the game ball comes into contact with the obstacle nails and flows while changing its flow direction in various ways. This upper right circulation space 3541 is equipped with a gate portion 2003 at the top, and a general winning opening 2001 and a second starting opening 2004 that is usually closed by a second starting opening door member 2549 at the bottom.

The game balls that flow down the upper right circulation space 2541 pass through the downstream right circulation passage 2542 and enter the lower right circulation space 2543. The game balls that enter the lower right circulation space 2543 pass through the second attacca passage 2543a, the bottom surface of which is formed by the upper surfaces of the second upper large prize opening door member 2552 and the second lower large prize opening door member 2555 that close the second upper large prize opening 2006a and the second lower large prize opening 2006b that are lined up on the left and right as the second large prize opening 2006, and are released into the game area 5a from the left end of the lowered release plate portion 2559 on the left side when viewed from the front. The downstream end (release plate portion 2559) of the second attacca passage 2543a is open so that the game ball is directed toward the first large winning opening 2005 of the starting opening unit 2100, and when the first large winning opening 2005 is open, if a game ball is released from the second attacca passage 2543a into the game area 5a, there is a high probability that the game ball will be received by the first large winning opening 2005.

The game balls flowing through the right flow passage 2542 and the lower right flow space 2543 flow down while the increase in flow speed is suppressed by multiple deceleration ribs 2546. In addition, in very rare cases, in the lower right flow space 2543, the game balls may enter the discharge passage 2543b that branches off near the upstream end of the second attacca passage 2543a, and the game balls that enter the discharge passage 2543b are discharged outside the game board 5 from the second outlet 2543c without being returned to the game area 5a.

When a game ball that has been hit to the right and entered the upper right circulation space 2541 passes through the gate section 2003 and is detected by the gate sensor 2547, one normal random number is obtained from the normal random numbers updated within a predetermined numerical range in the main control board 1310, and a normal lottery is performed by comparing this obtained normal random number with a predetermined normal win judgment table. If the result of this normal lottery is a "normal win" when the time-saving control described below is not being executed, the second start port door member 2549 rotates once in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the front to open the second start port 2004, and game balls can be received into the second start port 2004 for a predetermined time (0.5 seconds in this example). On the other hand, if the time-saving control is being executed, a lottery is performed to determine whether the "normal win" is a "first normal win", "second normal win", or "third normal win". Then, when the time-saving control is being executed, if the result of the regular lottery is either a "first regular hit," "second regular hit," or "third regular hit," the second starting port door member 2549 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front to open the second starting port 2004, thereby enabling the second starting port 2004 to receive game balls for a predetermined period of time, and then rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front to close the second starting port 2004, thereby rendering it impossible to receive game balls in the second starting port 2004. This opening and closing control is repeated a predetermined number of times (five times in this example). In addition, when the result of the regular lottery is the "first regular win", the five periods during which the second starting port 2004 is in a state in which it can receive game balls are set to "0.3 seconds", "0.28 seconds", "0.3 seconds", "0.28 seconds", and "0.3 seconds", respectively, and when the result of the regular lottery is the "second regular win", the five periods during which the second starting port 2004 is in a state in which it can receive game balls are set to "0.3 seconds", "0.28 seconds", and "1.1 seconds", respectively. , "0.28 seconds", and "0.3 seconds", and when the result of the normal lottery is the "third normal win", the five periods during which the second starting hole 2004 is in a state in which it is possible to receive game balls are set to "0.3 seconds", "0.28 seconds", "0.3 seconds", "0.28 seconds", and "1.1 seconds", respectively, and the "second normal win" and "third normal win" are more advantageous to the player (it is easier to receive game balls into the second starting hole 2004) than the "first normal win". Also, when a game ball is received into the second starting hole 2004, a predetermined number (for example, three balls) of game balls are paid out from the payout device 830 to the upper tray 201 via the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951.

In this embodiment, in the normal pattern display performed by the normal pattern display of the function display unit 1400 based on the passage of the game ball through the gate section 2003, a certain amount of time is set from the start of the normal pattern display to the stop display of the normal pattern (until the normal lottery result is suggested) (for example, 0.01 to 60 seconds, also referred to as the normal variation time). In the second start port 2004, after the normal variation time has elapsed, the second start port door member 2549 rotates to an open state. Note that, during the execution of the time-saving control described later, control is executed to shorten the normal variation time more than normal (when the time-saving control is not executed). In addition, the opening time for rotating the second start port door member 2549 to open the second start port 2004 may be changed according to the game state. For example, when the time-saving control is not executed, the opening time of the second start port 2004 may be changed to a longer time than when the time-saving control is executed.

In addition, if a new game ball passes through the gate unit 2003 between the time when the game ball passes through the gate unit 2003 and the time when the normal pattern displayed on the normal pattern display is stopped (until the normal lottery result is suggested), the normal pattern display cannot start displaying the normal pattern again, so the start of the normal pattern display is suspended until the previous normal pattern display is completed (until the indication of the normal lottery result is completed). Specifically, the normal random number acquired by the main control board 1310 based on the detection of the game ball passing through the gate unit 2003 by the gate sensor 2547 is stored, and the start of the normal pattern display is suspended until the normal pattern display can be started. Note that the number of reserved normal random numbers that can be stored in the main control board 1310 is limited to four, and any more than this are discarded without being reserved even if the game ball passes through the gate unit 2003. This prevents the increase in the burden on the game hall side from increasing due to the accumulation of reserved numbers.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, when a game ball received in the first start hole 2002 is detected by the first start hole sensor 2104, one first special random number is obtained from among the first special random numbers updated in a predetermined numerical range in the main control board 1310, and the obtained first special random number is compared with a predetermined big win determination table to draw a first special lottery result that will generate a favorable game state (e.g., "big win", "small win", etc.) favorable to the player. Then, based on the drawn first special lottery result, the eight LEDs of the first special symbol display are controlled to blink for a predetermined variable time (e.g., 0.1 to 360 seconds) and then displayed in a lighting mode corresponding to the first special lottery result (the first special symbol is displayed variably and then a stop symbol corresponding to the first special lottery result is displayed), thereby suggesting the first special lottery result to the player. In addition, the first special lottery results that are drawn when a game ball is accepted into the first starting port 2002 include "miss," "small hit," "2R jackpot," "8R jackpot," and "10R jackpot." The obtained first special random number is compared with a jackpot determination table to determine which of these results it is. Furthermore, it is also possible to determine whether or not to execute a probability improvement control (high probability state (also called a probability change state): in this example, a jackpot is won with a probability of about 1 in 44) that improves the probability of winning a jackpot (winning probability) compared to the normal state (low probability state: in this example, a jackpot is won with a probability of about 1 in 395) after a jackpot game (probability change jackpot or not), whether or not to execute a time-saving control (time-saving state) that shortens the fluctuation time more than normal at least when the first special lottery result is a miss (time-saving jackpot or not), and the period for which the time-saving control is executed (time-saving number of times: special patterns (number of times the first special hitting pattern and the second special pattern fluctuate)). The probability of winning a "small win" is always constant regardless of the game state (in this example, approximately 1 in 300).

In addition, when a game ball received in the second starting hole 2004 is detected by the second starting hole sensor 2551, one second special random number is obtained from the second special random numbers updated in a predetermined numerical range in the main control board 1310, and the obtained second special random number is compared with a predetermined big win determination table to draw a second special lottery result that will generate a favorable game state (e.g., "big win", "small win", etc.) favorable to the player. Then, based on the drawn second special lottery result, the eight LEDs of the second special symbol display are controlled to blink for a predetermined variation time (e.g., 0.1 to 360 seconds) and then displayed in a lighting mode corresponding to the second special lottery result (the second special symbol is displayed variably and then a stop symbol corresponding to the second special lottery result is displayed), thereby suggesting the second special lottery result to the player. In addition, the second special lottery results that are drawn when a game ball is received by the second starting hole 2004 include "miss," "2R jackpot," "4R jackpot," "5R jackpot," "6R jackpot," "7R jackpot," "8R jackpot," and "16R jackpot." The obtained second special random number is compared with a jackpot determination table to determine which of these results it is, and further, after playing a jackpot, the player is more likely to win a jackpot than usual (low probability state: in this example, the probability of winning a jackpot is approximately 1 in 395). It is also possible to determine whether to execute probability improvement control (high probability state (also called probability state): in this example, there is a 1 in 44 chance of winning the jackpot) to improve the probability of winning (winning probability) (whether it is a probability jackpot or not), whether to execute time-saving control (time-saving state) to shorten the fluctuation time more than usual when at least the second special lottery result is a miss (whether it is a time-saving jackpot or not), and the period during which time-saving control is executed (time-saving count: special patterns (number of times the first special hit pattern and second special pattern fluctuate)).

If the special lottery result (first special lottery result and second special lottery result) drawn by the acceptance of game balls into the first starting port 2002 and the second starting port 2004 is a special lottery result that generates a favorable game state, after a predetermined fluctuation time has elapsed, the eight LEDs of the special pattern display (first special pattern display, second special pattern display) are displayed in a lighting mode corresponding to the special lottery result, and then either the first large winning port 2005 or the second large winning port 2006 becomes able to accept game balls in a predetermined opening and closing pattern. When the first large winning opening 2005 or the second large winning opening 2006 is open and game balls are received in the first large winning opening 2005 or the second large winning opening 2006, the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951 pay out a predetermined number of game balls (for example, 11 balls when a game ball is received in the first large winning opening 2005, or 15 balls when a game ball is received in the second large winning opening 2006) from the payout device 830 to the upper tray 201. Therefore, when the first large winning opening 2005 or the second large winning opening 2006 is able to receive game balls, by having the first large winning opening 2005 or the second large winning opening 2006 receive game balls, a large number of game balls can be paid out, which can entertain the player.

If the special lottery result is a "small win" or a "2R big win," the first large prize opening 2005 repeats an opening and closing pattern multiple times (e.g., twice) in which it is open to receive a game ball for a predetermined short period of time (e.g., between 0.2 and 0.6 seconds) and then closes. On the other hand, if the special lottery result is a "4R jackpot," "5R jackpot," "6R jackpot," "7R jackpot," "8R jackpot," "10R jackpot," or "16R jackpot," then after the first large prize opening 2005 or the second large prize opening 2006 becomes an open state capable of receiving game balls, a predetermined time (e.g., about 30 seconds) has elapsed, or a predetermined number of game balls (e.g., 7 balls) have been received into the first large prize opening 2005 or a predetermined number of game balls (e.g., 10 balls) have been received into the second large prize opening 2006, and either of these conditions is met, an opening and closing pattern (one opening and closing pattern is referred to as one round) that brings the opening and closing pattern into a closed state in which game balls cannot be received is repeated a predetermined number of times (predetermined number of rounds). For example, a "4R jackpot" is repeated 4 rounds, a "5R jackpot" is repeated 5 rounds, and a "16R jackpot" is repeated 16 rounds, thereby generating an advantageous gaming state for the player. In addition, in the opening and closing pattern executed when the special lottery result is a "small jackpot" or a "2R jackpot" (the opening and closing pattern in which the first large winning opening 2005 is in an open state capable of receiving a gaming ball for a predetermined short time (for example, between 0.2 and 0.6 seconds) and then closes), it is practically difficult to allow a gaming ball to enter the first large winning opening 2005. In contrast, in the opening/closing pattern executed when the special lottery result is a "4R jackpot," "5R jackpot," "6R jackpot," "7R jackpot," "8R jackpot," "10R jackpot," or "16R jackpot" (an opening/closing pattern which switches to a closed state in which game balls cannot be received when either a predetermined time (e.g., about 30 seconds) has elapsed after the first large prize opening 2005 or the second large prize opening 2006 has been opened to receive game balls, or when a predetermined number of game balls (e.g., 7 balls) have been received into the first large prize opening 2005 or a predetermined number of game balls (e.g., 10 balls) have been received into the second large prize opening 2006), it is easy to insert a game ball into the first large prize opening 2005 or the second large prize opening 2006. In addition, in the case where the result of the special lottery is a "4R jackpot," "5R jackpot," "6R jackpot," "7R jackpot," "8R jackpot," "10R jackpot," or "16R jackpot," when either of the following conditions is satisfied after the first major winning port 2005 or the second major winning port 2006 becomes an open state capable of receiving game balls, a predetermined time (e.g., about 30 seconds) has elapsed, or a predetermined number of game balls (e.g., 7 balls) have been received into the first major winning port 2005 or a predetermined number of game balls (e.g., 10 balls) have been received into the second major winning port 2006, the number of rounds in which an opening and closing pattern is executed to close the state in which game balls cannot be received is substantially determined. It may be a special lottery result such as, when either of the conditions that a predetermined number (e.g., 7) of game balls are received into the first large winning opening 2005 or a predetermined number (e.g., 10) of game balls are received into the second large winning opening 2006 is met as a special lottery result, a pattern may be provided that executes multiple rounds including an opening/closing pattern that closes the opening and closing so that game balls cannot be received, and an opening/closing pattern that is executed when the special lottery result is a "small win" or a "2R jackpot" (an opening/closing pattern in which the first large winning opening 2005 is in an open state capable of receiving game balls for a predetermined short period of time (e.g., between 0.2 seconds and 0.6 seconds) and then closes). For example, a special lottery result may be set to "an 8R jackpot that is effectively 4R," and when either a predetermined number of game balls (e.g., 7 balls) are received into the first large winning opening 2005 or a predetermined number of game balls (e.g., 10 balls) are received into the second large winning opening 2006, an opening/closing pattern that closes the opening and closing so that game balls cannot be received may be repeated four times, and then an opening/closing pattern that is executed when the special lottery result is a "small win" or a "2R jackpot" (an opening/closing pattern in which the first large winning opening 2005 is in an open state that allows game balls to be received for a predetermined short period of time (e.g., between 0.2 and 0.6 seconds) and then closed) may be repeated four times.

In this embodiment, the second large prize opening 2006 is composed of the second upper large prize opening 2006a and the second lower large prize opening 2006b arranged side by side. In the case of a "jackpot" in which the second large prize opening 2006 is used, for example, in the first round (1R), the second upper large prize opening 2006a opens and can receive game balls, and is closed when the condition that makes it unacceptable is satisfied. During the interval until it is next acceptable, the second lower large prize opening 2006b opens and can receive game balls to start the next round (2R). When the second lower large prize opening 2006b becomes unacceptable, the interval period has elapsed, so the second upper large prize opening 2006a opens again and can receive game balls. Then, the second upper large prize opening 2006a and the second lower large prize opening 2006b are alternately opened and closed until a predetermined number of rounds are consumed. As a result, in the second attacca passage 2543a, either the second upper large prize opening 2006a or the second lower large prize opening 2006b is in a state where it can receive a game ball during a "jackpot", so if a game ball is circulated in the second attacca passage 2543a by hitting to the right in this state, the game ball will always be received by the second large prize opening 2006, eliminating the loss of game balls and allowing the player to enjoy the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, in some of the multiple types of jackpots described above, whether or not the above-mentioned time-saving control is executed after the end of the jackpot game is different depending on the game state at the time of winning the jackpot. For example, in a non-time-saving state (a state in which time-saving control is not being executed), if the first special lottery result is an 8R normal jackpot in which the probability improvement control is not executed after the jackpot game, the time-saving control is not executed after the jackpot game. On the other hand, in a time-saving state (a state in which time-saving control is being executed), if the first special lottery result is an 8R normal jackpot in which the probability improvement control is not executed after the jackpot game, the time-saving control is executed after the jackpot game. Also, in a non-time-saving state (a state in which time-saving control is not being executed), if the second special lottery result is a 2R normal jackpot in which the probability improvement control is not executed after the jackpot game, the time-saving control is not executed after the jackpot game. On the other hand, in a time-saving state (a state in which time-saving control is being executed), if the second special lottery result is a 2R normal jackpot in which the probability improvement control is executed after the jackpot game, the time-saving control is executed after the jackpot game. Also, in a low probability non-time-saving state (a state where neither probability improvement control nor time-saving control is being executed: also called the normal state), if the first special lottery result and the second special lottery result are a 2R variable probability jackpot that executes probability improvement control after the jackpot game, time-saving control is not executed after the jackpot game. On the other hand, in a state where probability improvement control or time-saving control is being executed, that is, in a state other than the normal state, if the first special lottery result and the second special lottery result are a 2R variable probability jackpot that executes probability improvement control after the jackpot game, time-saving control is executed after the jackpot game.

In this embodiment, the display of the first special pattern change executed by the first special pattern display device upon receipt of a gaming ball into the first starting port 2002 and the display of the second special pattern change executed by the second special pattern display device upon receipt of a gaming ball into the second starting port 2004 are not executed simultaneously, but only one of them is executed. Therefore, if a new game ball is received into the first starting port 2002 or the second starting port 2004 during the period between when a game ball is received into the first starting port 2002 and the first special pattern displayed in a variable manner on the first special pattern display device is stopped (until the result of the first special lottery is suggested) and when a game ball is received into the second starting port 2004 and the second special pattern displayed in a variable manner on the second special pattern display device is stopped (until the result of the second special lottery is suggested), it is not possible to start a new display of the first special pattern or the second special pattern on the first special pattern display device or the second special pattern display device, so the start of the display of the special patterns (first special pattern, second special pattern) is suspended until the display of the previous special patterns (first special pattern, second special pattern) has ended (until the suggestion of the result of the first special lottery or the result of the second special lottery is completed). Specifically, the first special random number acquired by the main control board 1310 based on the detection of a game ball received in the first start hole 2002 by the first start hole sensor 2104 and the second special random number acquired by the main control board 1310 based on the detection of a game ball received in the second start hole 2004 by the second start hole sensor 2551 are stored, and the start of the variable display of the special symbols (first special symbol, second special symbol) is suspended until the variable display of the special symbols (first special symbol, second special symbol) can be started. Note that the number of reserved first special random numbers and second special random numbers that can be stored in the main control board 1310 is limited to four each, and any number greater than this is discarded without being reserved even if a game ball is received in the first start hole 2002 and the second start hole 2004. This prevents the increase in the burden on the game hall from the accumulation of reserved numbers. Furthermore, of the first and second special random numbers stored in the main control board 1310, the second special random number is consumed with priority. In other words, regardless of the timing of receiving the game balls into the first start port 2002 and the second start port 2004, if the second special random number is stored and the start of the variable display of the second special symbol is on hold, the variable display of the second special symbol is executed with priority over the first special symbol.

The special lottery result is suggested by the function display unit 1400 (first special pattern display device, second special pattern display device) and the performance display device 1600 (the sub-performance display device 3114 may also be used). The function display unit 1400 is directly controlled by the main control board 1310 to suggest the special lottery result. The function display unit 1400 suggests the special lottery result by repeatedly turning on and off the eight LEDs that make up the special pattern display device (first special pattern display device, second special pattern display device) for a predetermined period of time, and then stopping them in a predetermined lighting state, and the combination of LEDs that are lit at the time of stopping suggests the special lottery result.

On the other hand, the performance display device 1600 is indirectly controlled by the peripheral control board 1510 based on control signals (variable pattern commands, judgment result notification commands, etc.) from the main control board 1310, and the special lottery result is suggested by the performance image. Specifically, in the performance display device 1600, a series of decorative pattern rows consisting of multiple different patterns is displayed in multiple rows (for example, three rows of left decorative pattern, center decorative pattern, and right decorative pattern), and the variable display of each decorative pattern row is started, and then they are displayed in sequence (in this example, the left decorative pattern → right decorative pattern → center decorative pattern are displayed in that order), and when all the decorative pattern rows are finally displayed, the lottery result of the special random number (first special random number, second special random number) extracted by the combination of the patterns displayed is suggested to the player. In other words, according to the special lottery result (first special lottery result, second special lottery result) based on the special random number (first special random number, second special random number) obtained when the start winning occurs, multiple decorative pattern rows are displayed in a variable manner, and then a performance image is displayed in a static manner to suggest the special lottery result (first special lottery result, second special lottery result). Note that since the decorative patterns displayed on the performance display device 1600 are larger and easier to see than the first special pattern displayed in a variable manner on the first special pattern display device and the second special pattern displayed in a variable manner on the second special pattern display device, players will generally focus on the decorative patterns displayed on the performance display device 1600.

The time indicating the special lottery result on the function display unit 1400 (LED blinking time (variation time)) is different from the time indicating the special lottery result on the performance display device 1600 (the time from when the pattern row changes until the final image is displayed), and is set to a shorter time on the function display unit 1400.

In addition to the display of performance images to suggest the results of the special lottery by the performance display device 1600, the peripheral control board 1510 can perform light-emitting performances, movable performances, display performances, etc. by appropriately using the decorations of the center role 2500, the back left center decorative unit 3050, the back bottom rear movable performance unit 3100, the back top left movable performance unit 3200, the back left movable performance unit 3300, the back top center movable performance unit 3400, and the back bottom front movable performance unit 3500, etc., depending on the results of the special lottery drawn. This allows players to be entertained by various types of performances, and prevents a decline in the player's interest in the game.

[5. Various control processes on the main control board]
Next, we will explain the processing executed by the main control board 1310 according to the progress of the game on the pachinko machine 1. Specifically, we will explain the system/user reset processing executed when the power of the gaming machine is turned on, and the timer interrupt processing executed at a predetermined cycle (4 ms in this embodiment) by a timer started by the system/user reset processing.

[5-1. Initialization process]
21 and 22 are flowcharts showing the procedure of the initialization process of the main control board in the embodiment of the present invention.

When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1, the main control MPU 1311 of the main control board 1310 executes the main control program to perform initialization processing. When the initialization processing starts, the main control MPU 1311 first sets the protection of the RAM 1312 built into the main control MPU 1311 to write permission, making it possible to write to the RAM 1312 (step S10). Specifically, it outputs "00H" to the RAM protection register, indicating write permission.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 starts the built-in watchdog timer (step S12). Specifically, it first writes "03H" to the watchdog timer control register, indicating a mode setting, and then writes "03H" to indicate starting the watchdog timer. It then clears and resets the watchdog timer (step S14).

Next, it is determined whether a predetermined wait time has elapsed (step S16). Since the voltage does not rise immediately after the pachinko machine 1 is powered on until it reaches the predetermined voltage, if the voltage falls below the power outage warning voltage between powering on and reaching the predetermined voltage, a power outage warning signal is input from the power outage monitoring circuit. In the wait process, a predetermined monitoring wait value is set, and the process is put on hold for a predetermined time (e.g., 200 milliseconds) while the watchdog timer is activated.

If the predetermined wait time has elapsed, the time required for the sub-board (such as the peripheral control board 1510) to start has elapsed, and it is determined whether the RAM clear switch has been operated (step S18). If the RAM clear switch has been operated, data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 other than the work area for calculating the ratio of features (area for calculating the ratio of features 13128) is erased (step S30), and the process proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the RAM clear switch has not been operated, the data backed up in the built-in RAM 1312 is not erased, and it is determined whether a power outage flag has been set (step S20). The power outage flag is a flag that is set when the power supply to the pachinko machine 1 is cut off after normal processing, such as when a power outage occurs (see step S56 in FIG. 22).

If the power outage flag is not set, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 may be incorrect, so the data backed up in the work area (other than the area 13128 for calculating the role ratio) is erased (step S30) and the program proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the power outage flag is set, the power outage flag is cleared and the checksum calculated from the data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 using the checksum calculated at the time of the previous power outage is compared (verified) with the checksum stored in step S48 (step S22).

If the checksum calculated from the backup data does not match the checksum stored in step S48, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 may not be correct, so the data backed up in the work area (other than the reel ratio calculation area 13128) is erased (step S30) and the process proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the checksum calculated from the backup data matches the checksum stored in step S48, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 is correct, so the data backed up in the work area is not erased and the process proceeds to step S24.

Then, the check code is used to determine whether the work area for calculating the ratio of features (area 13128 for calculating the ratio of features) is normal (step S24). If it is determined to be abnormal, the data in the work area for calculating the ratio of features may be incorrect, so the data stored in the work area for calculating the ratio of features is erased (step S26).

When one or more backup areas are provided in the area 13128 for calculating the ratio of game devices, the main area is first judged using a check code, and if the main area is judged to be abnormal, backup areas 1, 2, and N are judged in that order, and the data of the backup area that is first judged to be normal is copied to the main area. After that, the data in the backup area may be erased or left as it is. If the main area is judged to be normal, the data in the backup area may be erased or left as it is.

The data in the feature ratio calculation area 13128 may be erased at predetermined time intervals, separate from the result of the check code when the power is turned on. Also, the data in the feature ratio calculation area 13128 may be erased for each predetermined amount of operation (for example, for each predetermined number of balls fired, for each predetermined number of winning balls, for each predetermined number of games that display special patterns, for each jackpot in each predetermined number of games that display special patterns, etc.).

In this way, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 is erased under different conditions for each type of data (game control data 13132 and feature ratio calculation/display data 13136). That is, by operating the RAM clear switch, the backed up game control data 13132 is erased, but the backed up feature ratio calculation/display data 13136 is not erased. If the feature ratio calculation/display data 13136 can be erased by operating the RAM clear switch, the feature ratio calculated by the pachinko machine 1 can be erased at any time. Therefore, by operating the RAM clear switch, the backed up feature ratio calculation/display data 13136 is not erased, preventing the erasure of the feature ratio calculation/display data 13136 by the operation of the game center staff, and preventing the concealment of an abnormal feature ratio state. Therefore, it is possible to easily detect a gaming machine that has been modified to have a high or low feature ratio.

When the power recovery setting of the RAM work area or the RAM initialization process is executed, the main control MPU 1311 executes the initial setting for setting various setting registers of the main control MPU 1311 (CPU 13111) (step S28). In the initial setting of the main control MPU 1311, first, the initial setting of the CTC (Counter/Timer Circuit) is performed and interrupts are permitted. Furthermore, the initial setting of the serial communication port and the test signal output port is performed. The hardware random number generation circuit is started. Then, the serial communication circuit 13114 used for communication with the peripheral control board 1510, the payout control board 951, and the reel ratio display 1317 is set. Furthermore, after the serial communication circuit 13114 starts operating, the initial setting of the driver circuit 13171 of the reel ratio display 1317 is performed.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a process to set a power-on command to be sent to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S32). In the power-on command creation process, game information is read from the game backup information, and various commands corresponding to the game information are stored in a specified storage area of the main control built-in RAM 1312. The power-on command is generated by setting the power-on state reference command as reference command data, and adding command addition data corresponding to the command to be generated.

The commands issued when the power is turned on include a power-on status buffer command and special symbol/electric device operation number commands. The power-on status buffer command is a command that notifies the game status when the power is restored after being turned off, and notifies the probability of winning the special lottery and the operation mode of the regular electric device. Meanwhile, the special symbol/electric device operation number command notifies the execution status of the variable display of the special symbol.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 allows the execution of interrupt processing, including timer interrupt processing (step S34). The processing from powering on the pachinko machine 1 to step S34 completes the initial setting of the pachinko machine 1 (initial setting means).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 acquires the power outage warning signal (step S36) and determines whether the power outage warning signal is ON (step S38). If the power outage warning signal is not ON (the result of step S38 is "No"), that is, the random number update process is executed (step S40). In the random number update process of step S46, random numbers other than the random numbers used to determine whether a special lottery or a regular lottery has been won are updated. Note that the update process of the random numbers used to determine whether a special lottery or a regular lottery has been won is executed by the timer interrupt process described below. The processes from step S36 to step S40 are executed until the power outage warning signal is detected, and these processes are treated as the main process on the main control side (normal means after initial setting).

On the other hand, if a power failure warning signal is detected (the result of step S38 is "Yes"), the main control MPU 1311 executes a power failure process (power failure setting means). In the power failure process, a process is executed to back up data to restore the state before the power failure. Specifically, first, execution of interrupt processing is prohibited (step S42). This prevents the timer interrupt processing described later from being performed, prevents writing to the main control built-in RAM 1312, and protects the game information from being overwritten. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 clears the output ports to stop the operation of the devices controlled by the output from each port (step S44). Specifically, the power failure clear signal OFF bit data is set to the solenoid, power failure clear, and ACK output ports. It is not necessary to clear all output ports; for example, it is sufficient to clear the output ports for controlling solenoids and motors that consume a large amount of power. By clearing these output ports, the power consumption during the time until the main board side power failure process is completed can be reduced, and the main board side power failure process can be completed reliably.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 calculates a checksum to determine whether the data stored in the work area to be backed up has been properly stored (step S46). Furthermore, the checksum calculation result is stored in the checksum area of the RAM 1312 (step S48). This checksum is used to determine whether the data backed up in the work area is normal.

Next, a check code (e.g., a checksum) is calculated from the data in the work area for calculating the ratio of features (area 13128 for calculating the ratio of features) (step S50). If the check code is a fixed value, there is no need to calculate the check code in step S50. Note that the check code may be calculated and stored each time data is updated in the feature ratio calculation and display process, rather than in the process when the main board is powered off.

Next, the calculated check code (or a predetermined value used as the check code) is stored in a predetermined area of the reel ratio calculation area 13128 (step S52).

Next, the data in the main area of the work for calculating the ratio of features (area 13128 for calculating the ratio of features) is copied to each backup area (step S54). At this time, the calculated check code is also copied. Backup may be performed as appropriate (for example, each time data is updated) during the calculation and display process of the ratio of features, rather than during the process when the power is turned off on the main board.

In this way, by storing the data used to calculate the feature ratio in a backup area together with the calculated (or predetermined) check code, the data for calculating the feature ratio can be retained even when the power is cut off, making it possible to calculate the feature ratio over a long period of operation.

Furthermore, a value indicating that the backup has been successful is stored in the backup flag area as a power outage flag (step S56). This completes the storage of the game backup information. Finally, writing to RAM 1312 is prohibited by outputting "01H" indicating write prohibition to the RAM protect register (step S58), and the system waits until the power is restored from the power outage (infinite loop).

[5-2. Timer interrupt processing]
Next, the timer interrupt process will be described. The timer interrupt process is repeatedly performed at intervals of the interrupt period (4 ms in this embodiment) set in the initialization process shown in Fig. 21 and Fig. 22. Fig. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of the timer interrupt process.

When timer interrupt processing starts, the main control MPU 1311 executes the main control program to first set the RBS (register bank selection flag) in the program status word to 1 and switch registers (step S70). In this embodiment, the main control board 1310 has bank 0 and bank 1, which are switched and used each time timer interrupt processing is executed.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes switch input processing (step S74). In the switch input processing, various signals input to the input terminals of various input ports of the main control MPU 1311 are read and stored as input information in the input information storage area of the main control built-in RAM 1312. Specifically, detection signals from various sensors that detect game balls entering winning holes such as the general winning hole, detection signals from the magnetic detection switch 3024 that detects fraudulent acts using magnets, and a payer ACK signal from the payout control board 951 that notifies the payout control board 951 that the prize ball command sent in the prize ball control processing has been successfully received are read and stored as input information in the input information storage area. In addition, in the switch input processing, detection signals from the discharged ball sensor 3060 and the shot ball sensor 1020 are read to count the number of out balls.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 performs a timer update process (step S76). In the timer update process, for example, in addition to the time during which the special symbol display 1185 is lit according to the variable display pattern determined by the special symbol and special electric role control process described later, and the time during which the normal symbol display 1189 is lit according to the normal symbol variable display pattern determined by the normal symbol and normal electric role control process, the ACK signal input judgment time set as a judgment condition when judging whether or not a payer ACK signal that informs the payout control board 951 that various commands transmitted by the main control board 1310 (main control MPU 1311) have been normally received is input, time management is performed. Specifically, when the variable display pattern or normal symbol variable display pattern variable display pattern variable time is 5 seconds, the timer interrupt period is set to 4 ms, so that the variable time is subtracted by 4 ms each time this timer subtraction process is performed, and the subtraction result becomes a value of 0, thereby accurately measuring the variable display pattern or normal symbol variable display pattern variable time.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes random number update process 1 (step S78). In random number update process 1, the random numbers for jackpot determination, jackpot symbol random numbers, and small jackpot symbol random numbers are updated. In addition to these random numbers, the random numbers for determining the initial values for the jackpot symbol and the small jackpot symbol random numbers are also updated in the non-win/lose random number update process of step S40 in the system/user reset process (main process on the main control side) shown in the figure.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes the prize ball control process (step S80). In the prize ball control process, input information is read from the input information storage area, the number of game balls (prize balls) to be paid out is calculated based on the read input information, and the result is written to the main control built-in RAM 1312. In addition, based on the calculation result of the number of prize balls, a prize ball command for paying out game balls is created, and a self-check command for checking the connection status between the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951 is created. The main control MPU 1311 transmits the created prize ball command and self-check command to the payout control board 951 as main payout serial data.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 determines the current game state, adds the number of prize balls to be paid out as the game value to an area corresponding to the current game state, and updates the area 13128 (see FIG. 26) for calculating the ratio of prize balls in the main control built-in RAM 1312 (step S81). The process of step S81 can be skipped if there are no prize balls to be paid out in step S80, thereby reducing the load on the pachinko machine 1.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes the frame command reception process (step S82). In the dispensing control board 951, the dispensing control program transmits various 1-byte (8-bit) commands classified as status display (e.g., frame status 1 command, error release navigation command, and frame status 2 command). On the other hand, as described below, the dispensing control program outputs an error occurrence command when an error occurs in the dispensing operation, and outputs an error release notification command based on the detection signal of the operation switch. In the frame command reception process, when various commands are normally received as the payer serial data, information that informs the payer control board 951 of this fact is stored as output information in the output information storage area of the main control built-in RAM 1312. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 formats the command normally received as the payer serial data into a 2-byte (16-bit) command (e.g., frame status display command, error release notification command, etc.), and stores it as transmission information in the transmission information storage area described above. In addition, during the prize ball discharge process, the number of prize balls discharged is recorded in a memory area (see FIG. 27) determined by the game status of the device ratio calculation area 13128.

The area update process for calculating the ratio of prizes (step S81) may be performed in any order, provided that it is performed after the prize ball control process (step S80) and before the calculation and display process for the ratio of prizes (step S89).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a fraud detection process (step S84). In the fraud detection process, an abnormal state related to the winning ball is confirmed. For example, when the input information is read from the input information storage area described above, and the count switch detects that a game ball has entered the big winning opening 2005, 2006 when the big winning game state is not being played, the main control program creates a winning abnormality display command classified as a notification display as an abnormal state, and stores it as transmission information in the transmission information storage area described above.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes the special symbol and special electric device control process (step S86). In the special symbol and special electric device control process, it is determined whether the random number value for the jackpot matches a hit determination value previously stored in the main control built-in ROM. Furthermore, it is determined whether to transition to a probability variable state based on the random number value of the jackpot symbol. Then, if the probability variable transition condition is met, the state is subsequently transitioned to the probability variable state, whereas if the probability variable transition condition is not met, the state is transitioned to a game state other than the probability variable state. Here, the "probability variable state" refers to a state (high probability state) in which the probability of winning the special lottery described above is set relatively high compared to the normal game state (low probability state).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes the normal symbol and normal electric device control process (step S88). In the normal symbol and normal electric device control process, the input information is read from the input information storage area described above, and it is determined whether or not a detection signal from the gate switch 2352 has been input to the input terminal. If a detection signal has been input to the input terminal, a random number for determining whether or not a normal symbol has been hit is extracted, and it is determined whether or not it matches the normal symbol hit determination value previously stored in the main control built-in ROM (called the "normal lottery"). Then, depending on the result of the normal lottery, it is determined whether or not to open or close the second start port door member 2549. If the opening and closing operation is performed based on this decision, the second start port door member 2549 is opened (or expanded), and the game state becomes one in which the game ball can be received by the start port 2004, and the game state is transitioned to one that is advantageous to the player.

The main control MPU 1311 then determines whether the display switch 1318 has been operated, and if so, calls up the feature ratio calculation and display process (Figs. 24 and 25) and calculates the feature ratio by referring to the number of winning balls stored in the feature ratio calculation area 13128. The calculated feature ratio is then displayed on the feature ratio display 1317 (step S89). In this way, by calling up the feature ratio calculation and display process in the timer interrupt process and calculating the feature ratio, the feature ratio (the gambling nature of the pachinko machine 1) can be confirmed based on the most recent data.

Regardless of whether the display switch 1318 is operated, if the main frame opening switch (not shown) detects that the main frame 4 has been released from the outer frame 2, the bonus ratio may be displayed. Also, if the display switch 1318 is operated while the main frame opening switch (not shown) is detecting that the main frame 4 has been released from the outer frame 2, the bonus ratio may be displayed on the bonus ratio display 1317. Since the display switch 1318 is provided on the back side of the game board, if the display switch 1318 is displayed, the main frame 4 is usually open and the progress of the game has stopped. In this way, if the bonus ratio is calculated at the timing when the progress of the game has stopped, CPU resources are not consumed by division or subtraction to calculate the bonus ratio during play, and the load on the CPU can be reduced.

Details of the role ratio calculation and display process will be described later in FIG. 24 and FIG. 25. Specific examples of the role ratio display method will be described later. When the display switch 1318 is operated, all types of values (role ratio, consecutive role ratio, cumulative total, total cumulative total) may be calculated, but only the value to be displayed may be calculated each time the display switch 1318 is operated. Also, the role ratio may be calculated regardless of whether the display switch 1318 is operated, and if the display switch 1318 is operated, the calculated role ratio may be displayed on the role ratio display 1317.

Even if the pachinko machine 1 detects fraud and stops playing, it still executes the reel ratio calculation area update process (step S81) and the reel ratio calculation and display process (step S89). By executing these processes, regardless of whether fraud has been detected or not, the reel ratio can be confirmed even during a fraud alert.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes an output data setting process (step S90). In the output data setting process, various signals are output from the output terminals of the various output ports of the main control MPU 1311. For example, when various commands from the payout control board 951 are normally received from the output terminal of a predetermined output port of the main control MPU 1311 based on the output information, a main payout ACK signal is output to the payout control board 951, and when in a jackpot game state, a drive signal is output to the attacca solenoids (first attacca solenoid 2113, second upper attacca solenoid 2553, second lower attacca solenoid 2556) that open and close the opening and closing members 2107 of the large winning openings 2005 and 2006, and a drive signal is output to the start port solenoid 2550 that opens and closes the start port (second start port door member 2549). In addition, various information (game information) signals related to the game, such as probability fluctuation information output signal, special pattern display information output signal, normal pattern display information output signal, time reduction information output signal, start port winning information output signal, and security signals, are output to the payout control board 951.

In addition, in the output data setting process, a signal corresponding to the number of out balls counted in the switch input process (step S74) is output from the external terminal board 784. For example, a pulse signal of a predetermined length may be output from the external terminal board 784 for every predetermined number of out balls (e.g., 10 balls).

The output data setting process also sets test signals to be output to an inspection device connected to the pachinko machine 1. Test signals include, for example, signals indicating the game status and signals indicating the stopping patterns of normal and special symbols (information signal output means).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes the peripheral control board command transmission process (step S92). In the peripheral control board command transmission process, the transmission information such as commands and data is read from the transmission information storage area described above, and the transmission information is transmitted to the peripheral control board 1510 as main circuit serial data. The transmission information stores various commands created in the timer interrupt process, which is this routine. The main circuit serial data is composed of 3 bytes per packet. Specifically, the main circuit serial data is composed of a status indicating the type of command with a storage capacity of 1 byte (8 bits), a mode indicating the variation of the performance with a storage capacity of 1 byte (8 bits), and a sum value calculated by treating the status and mode as numerical values, and this sum value is generated at the time of transmission.

Finally, the main control MPU 1311 sets a predetermined value (18H) in the watchdog timer clear register WCL (step S96). By setting the predetermined value in the watchdog timer clear register WCL, the watchdog timer clear register WCL is cleared. Finally, the main control MPU 1311 switches (restores) the register bank. When the above processing is completed, the timer interrupt processing is terminated and processing before the interrupt is restored.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the main control MPU 1311 executes the calculation process of the role ratio and the consecutive role ratio in the timer interrupt process, but the payout control MPU of the payout control unit 952 may execute the calculation process of the role ratio and the consecutive role ratio. In this case, the main control board 1310 may send a command to the peripheral control unit 1511 of the peripheral control board 1510 to display the role ratio and the consecutive role ratio, or the payout control unit 952 may send a command to the peripheral control unit 1511 to display the role ratio and the consecutive role ratio.

[5-3. Calculation and display processing of the reel ratio]
24 and 25 are flowcharts showing an example of a role ratio calculation and display process. The role ratio calculation and display process is executed by the main control MPU 1311. The peripheral control unit 1511 of the peripheral control board 1510 may execute the role ratio calculation and display process. When the peripheral control unit 1511 calculates the role ratio, the calculated role ratio may be displayed on the performance display device 1600. For example, if the calculated role ratio is within a predetermined range (or outside the range), the performance in the game may be changed. Specifically, if the role ratio exceeds a predetermined threshold (a threshold smaller than a reference value), the preview performance may be changed to provide a preview performance that is more interesting than a normal preview performance.

First, a check code is calculated from the main area of the feature ratio calculation area 13128 of the RAM 1312 of the main control MPU 1311 (step S140), and it is determined whether the calculated check code matches the check code stored in the feature ratio calculation area 13128 (step S142). If the calculated check code matches the check code stored in the feature ratio calculation area 13128, the data in the main area is normal, so a feature ratio calculation process is executed, and the feature ratio and consecutive feature ratio are calculated from the data in the main area and stored in the feature ratio calculation area 13128 (step S156). Specifically, the feature ratio is calculated by the number of feature balls acquired ÷ the total number of acquired balls, and the consecutive feature ratio is calculated by the number of consecutive feature balls acquired ÷ the total number of acquired balls. The decimal parts (values below the decimal point) of the calculated feature ratio and consecutive feature ratio may be truncated or rounded off. Then, proceed to step S160.

In addition, in step S156, each time the reel ratio and/or continuous reel ratio in the reel ratio calculation area 13128 is updated, the updated value may be copied to the backup area.

If the number of bits in which the number of acquired balls is stored is large and the number of bits available for calculation by the main control MPU 1311 is insufficient, the lower bits of the number of acquired balls may be omitted and division may be performed to calculate the ratio of the game features. For example, if the storage area for the number of acquired balls is 32 bits, values from 0 to 4,294,967,295 can be stored. However, if the main control MPU is an 8-bit processor and can perform 8 or 16-bit calculations, it is advisable to take out the 16 bits below the most significant bit with a value of 1 from the number of acquired balls stored in 32 bits and store them in a calculation register (16 bits) for division. Note that if the number of acquired balls is less than the maximum number of bits available for calculation (32,767, the maximum value of 16 bits), the lower 16 bits may be taken out and used for calculation.

You can also avoid using decimals to calculate the ratio of winning balls by dividing the total number of winning balls by 100 (rounding down to the nearest whole number) and using that as the dividend (the number to be divided).

Also, the upper limit of the reel ratio can be set to 99, and if the calculated reel ratio is 100 or more, it can be set to 99.

On the other hand, if the calculated check code does not match the check code stored in the reel ratio calculation area 13128, the data in the main area is abnormal, so an attempt is made to calculate the reel ratio from the data in the backup area 1. Specifically, a check code is calculated from the backup area 1 of the reel ratio calculation area 13128 (step S144), and it is determined whether the calculated check code matches the check code stored in the reel ratio calculation area 13128 (step S146). If the calculated check code matches the check code stored in the reel ratio calculation area 13128, the data in the backup area 1 is normal, so the data in the backup area 1 is copied to the main area (step S148), a reel ratio calculation process is executed, and the reel ratio and continuous reel ratio are calculated from the data in the main area (step S156). Then, proceed to step S160.

On the other hand, if the calculated check code does not match the check code stored in the reel ratio calculation area 13128, the data in the backup area 1 is abnormal, so an attempt is made to calculate the reel ratio from the data in the backup area 2. Specifically, a check code is calculated from the backup area 2 in the reel ratio calculation area 13128 (step S150), and it is determined whether the calculated check code matches the check code stored in the reel ratio calculation area 13128 (step S152). If the calculated check code matches the check code stored in the reel ratio calculation area 13128, the data in the backup area 1 is normal, so the data in the backup area 2 is copied to the main area (step S154), a reel ratio calculation process is executed, and the data in the main area is read to calculate the reel ratio and the continuous reel ratio (step S156). Then, proceed to step S160.

If there are other backup areas, it is similarly determined whether the data in those backup areas is normal, and the reel ratio and continuous reel ratio are calculated from the data in the normal backup areas.

If the data in the main area and all backup areas is abnormal, the work area for calculating the ratio of reels (area 13128 for calculating the ratio of reels) is initialized and the abnormality is reported (step S158).

Next, a check code is calculated from the main area (step S160), and the calculated check code is stored in the feature ratio calculation area 13128 (step S162). The reason why the check code is calculated in the feature ratio calculation/display process is that if the main board is reset during the power outage process, the power outage flag and checksum are not calculated, and the data backed up in the RAM 1312 is initialized in the initialization process. However, if the check code is calculated and stored periodically in the feature ratio calculation/display process, the data in the feature ratio calculation work area (feature ratio calculation area 13128) can be left without being erased even if the power to the pachinko machine is turned back on.

Then, the backup area allocation counter value is updated by adding 1 (step S164), and it is determined whether the backup area allocation counter value is odd (step S166). If the backup area allocation counter value is odd, the data in the main area is copied to backup area 1 (step S168). On the other hand, if the backup area allocation counter value is even, the data in the main area is copied to backup area 2 (step S170). By allocating the destination of the data in the main area according to the backup area allocation counter value and writing the data to only some of the backup areas, it is possible to prevent abnormal values from being written to multiple backup areas.

When three or more backup areas are provided, the backup area to which data is written can be allocated based on the remainder obtained by dividing the backup area allocation counter value by the number of backup areas.

Then, the calculated feature ratio is displayed on the feature ratio display 1317 (step S172). Specifically, using the calculated feature ratio type and the calculated value, a conversion table (not shown) is referenced to obtain data to be displayed in each digit of the feature ratio display 1317, and the obtained data is sent to the driver circuit 13171 of the feature ratio display 1317. For example, if the feature ratio type is feature ratio (cumulative), A7 is displayed in the top two digits, and if the calculated feature ratio is 66%, 66 is displayed in the bottom two digits.

The feature ratio calculation process (step S156) of the feature ratio calculation and display process reads data on the number of balls acquired from the feature ratio calculation area 13128 (i.e., the feature ratio calculation work area shown in FIG. 27), but cannot write data to the memory area related to the number of balls acquired in the feature ratio calculation area 13128. In other words, as described below, if the processes of steps S156 and S172 are configured by a common program module, the common program module does not have the authority to write data to the memory area related to the number of balls acquired in the feature ratio calculation area 13128, but can write data to the memory area of the calculated feature ratio and consecutive feature ratio.

As explained above, the data used to calculate the reel ratio during the reel ratio calculation and display process is duplicated in the backup area, so that the data used to calculate the reel ratio can be protected if normal power-off processing is not performed due to an abnormal reset, etc.

The processes of steps S156 and S172 are common regardless of the type of gaming machine, so they may be configured in one or more common program modules. In this case, the process of determining whether the check code in the main area and the check code in the backup area are correct may be configured on the non-common side, separate from the common program module. This is because the methods of checking and backing up data differ from model to model. However, if the methods of checking and backing up data are standardized between models, they may be placed in the common program module.

[6. Storage Area Configuration]
Next, a description will be given of the arrangement of programs and data stored in the ROM 1313. Fig. 26(A) is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of programs (codes) and data stored in the ROM 1313 and RAM 1312 built into the main control MPU 1311 of the main control board 1310.

ROM 1313 includes areas for storing game control code 13131, game control data 13132, debugging (inspection function) code 13133, debugging (inspection function) data 13134, feature ratio calculation/display code 13135, and feature ratio calculation/display data 13136. In this embodiment, the ROM 1313 is assigned a game control area (first memory area) for storing programs and data related to the pachinko machine 1, such as game control code 13131 and game control data 13132; a debug (inspection function) area (second memory area) for storing programs and data used for the purpose of outputting signals necessary for the debugging (inspection function) of the pachinko machine 1, such as debug (inspection function) code 13133 and debug (inspection function) data 13134; and a role ratio calculation area (third memory area) for storing programs used for the purpose of calculating role ratios, such as role ratio calculation/display code 13135 and role ratio calculation/display data 13136.

Between the final address of the game control data 13132 and the first address of the debug (inspection function) code 13133, there is a free space (unused space) of 16 bytes or more, so that the game control area and the debug (inspection function) area can be easily distinguished when displayed in a dump list format. Similarly, between the final address of the debug (inspection function) code 13133 and the first address of the role ratio calculation/display code 13135, there is a free space (unused space) of 16 bytes or more, so that the debug (inspection function) area and the role ratio calculation area can be easily distinguished when displayed in a dump list format. The value stored in the free space is preferably a fixed value that is the same value, and is set to a value different from the values set in the game area and the debug area or a value that is set less frequently. The value stored in the free space may also be a command that the CPU does nothing, such as a No Operation code. In this way, when displayed in a dump list format, the game control area, the debug (inspection function) area, and the role ratio calculation area can be easily distinguished.

Also, instead of separating the debug (inspection function) area from the feature ratio calculation area, the feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 and feature ratio calculation/display data 13136 may be stored in part of the debug area. In other words, it is sufficient that the game control area and other areas are clearly distinguished. In this way, by clearly distinguishing between the game control area and other areas, the feature ratio calculation area (feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 and feature ratio calculation/display data 13136), which is a process that is not directly related to the control of the progress of the game, is placed separately from the game control area, avoiding the risk of a malfunction (bug, etc.) of the feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 affecting game control.

The debug (inspection function) area stores programs and data for purposes not directly related to play, for example, code 13133 for outputting various function inspection signals used only when debugging pachinko machine 1 other than game control of pachinko machine 1. These debug (inspection function) codes 13133 are programs for outputting debug (inspection function) signals. The bonus feature ratio calculation area stores programs for calculating bonus feature ratios that are not directly related to the progress of play.

The game control code 13131 is executed by the main control MPU 1311. The game control code 13131 can be read and written to the RAM 1312 as appropriate, but the game control area 13126 used by the game control code 13131 is configured so that only reading can be performed from the debug (inspection function) code, and writing to the area cannot be performed. In this way, the game control area 13126 constitutes a game area that can be accessed only from the game control code 13131. Processing based on the debug (inspection function) code 13133 can be called and executed unilaterally while the game control code 13131 is being executed, but it is configured so that the game control code 13131 cannot be called and executed from the debug (inspection function) code. This increases the independence of the debugging (testing function) code 13133, so that even if the game control code 13131 is changed, changes to the debugging (testing function) code 13133 can be kept to a minimum.

The feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 is called from the game control code 13131 (for example, step S89 of the timer interrupt process shown in FIG. 23) and executed by the main control MPU 1311. The feature ratio calculated by the feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 is stored in the feature ratio calculation area 13128 of the RAM 1312. The feature ratio calculation area 13128 is provided separately from the game control area 13126 (outside the game control area) as shown. In this way, by designing the feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 separately from the game control code 13131 and storing them in different areas, the feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 and the game control code 13131 can be inspected separately, and the effort required for inspecting the pachinko machine 1 can be reduced. In addition, the code 13135 for calculating and displaying the ratio of features can be used across multiple models, regardless of the model.

Figure 26 (B) is a diagram showing details of the feature ratio calculation area 13128. The feature ratio calculation area 13128 may be provided with a main area in which the feature ratio calculation result is stored, as well as a backup area 1 and a backup area 2 in which copies of the data stored in the main area are stored. There may be one or more backup areas. A check code for detecting data errors is added to each area. The check code may be a checksum of the data in each area or a predetermined value. The check code may be set in the initialization process when the pachinko machine 1 is turned on, set each time the data in the main area is updated in the feature ratio calculation/display process, or set in the main control side power off process (steps S50 to S54 in Figure 22). In particular, if the check code is a fixed value, the check code may be initialized when the initialization process determines that the data is normal or erases the data, and the fixed value may be set in the main control side power off process (step S50 in Figure 20). The check code may also be used as a power outage flag. That is, if a predetermined value is set in the check code of the main area, it may be determined that the power outage flag is set. Also, if a predetermined value is set in the power outage flag, it may be determined that the check code of each area is a correct value (i.e., the data in each area is normal).

When it is determined that the main area is abnormal, it may be determined whether the backup area is normal, and data from the backup area that is determined to be normal may be copied to the main area (step S24 in FIG. 21). In addition, in the process when the power supply to the main control side is cut off, the value of the main area may be copied to each backup area (step S54 in FIG. 22). In addition, in the reel ratio calculation and display process, each time the value of the main area is updated, the updated data may be copied to the backup area (steps S168 and S170 in FIG. 25).

Unused space is provided between the main area and backup area 1, and between backup area 1 and backup area 2. By providing unused space between each area, the addresses of each area can be separated, and each area can be distinguished by the upper digits of the address.

Figure 27 is a diagram showing the specific structure of the work area for storing each data in the feature ratio calculation area 13128. The data on the number of acquired balls in the feature ratio calculation area 13128 is written in the timer interrupt process (Figure 23) timed by the main control MPU 1311, and is read out in the feature ratio calculation process (step S156 in Figure 24) of the feature ratio calculation/display process. In this way, the feature ratio calculation/display process reads the data on the number of acquired balls from the feature ratio calculation area 13128, and the timer interrupt process (game control program) writes the data on the number of acquired balls in the feature ratio calculation area 13128, so that the game control program and the program that executes the feature ratio calculation/display process can be completely separated, and the program for the feature ratio calculation/display process can be shared even for gaming machines with different specifications.

The reel ratio calculation process (step S156 in FIG. 24) of the reel ratio calculation and display process writes the calculated reel ratio and continuous reel ratio to the reel ratio and continuous reel ratio storage areas of the reel ratio calculation area 13128. When displaying the reel ratio, the calculated reel ratio and continuous reel ratio data is read out in the reel ratio display process (step S170 in FIG. 25) of the reel ratio calculation and display process. The game control program does not access the reel ratio and continuous reel ratio storage areas of the reel ratio calculation area 13128.

Figure 27 (A) shows the structure of the work area in the simplest way. In the structure of the work area shown in Figure 27 (A), the number of balls acquired from the role, the number of balls acquired from consecutive roles, the total number of balls acquired, the role ratio, and the consecutive role ratio are stored. The number of balls acquired from the role is the number of prize balls that have been awarded to the role in operation (for example, the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 that are open, and the second start opening 2004 when the second start opening door member 2549 is open). The number of consecutive role balls that have been awarded is the number of prize balls that have been awarded to the role when the role is continuously operating (for example, the prize opening is open during a series of big wins). The total number of balls that have been awarded is the total number of prize balls paid out to the player. The role ratio can be calculated by dividing the number of balls acquired from the role by the total number of balls acquired. The consecutive role ratio can be calculated by dividing the number of balls acquired from consecutive roles by the total number of balls acquired. The number of balls acquired by the special feature, the number of balls acquired by consecutive special features, and the total number of balls acquired are updated in step S81 of the timer interrupt process, and the special feature ratio and consecutive special feature ratio are calculated and stored in step S91 of the timer interrupt process.

Of the work area structure shown in Figure 27 (A), the number of balls acquired by special features, the number of balls acquired by consecutive special features, and the total number of balls acquired correspond to the total cumulative total in Figure 27 (B) described below, and each is a 3 or 4 byte memory area that can store values up to 16777215 or 4294967295 in decimal. Since this data is not erased unless an abnormality occurs in the data, a large memory area is provided so that data can be stored for a long period of time. Additionally, the special feature ratio and consecutive special feature ratio are 1 byte memory areas that can store values up to 255 in decimal.

Figure 27 (B) shows the structure of the work area using a ring buffer. In the structure of the work area shown in Figure 27 (B), the number of balls acquired from the special feature, the number of other balls acquired, the number of consecutive balls acquired from the special feature, the total number of balls acquired, the special feature ratio, and the consecutive feature ratio are stored. In addition, the storage area for each data is configured by a ring buffer having n storage areas (for example, n = 10 storage areas for every 6000 prize balls) for each predetermined number of prize balls, and when the total number of balls acquired reaches a predetermined number (6000 balls), the write pointer for all data moves and the storage area in which the data is updated changes. Then, after the data for the predetermined number of prize balls is stored in the nth storage area, the write pointer moves to the first storage area and the data is stored in the first storage area. Note that the write pointer may be moved when data other than the total number of balls acquired (number of balls acquired from the special feature, number of balls fired, number of winning balls, number of games with special symbol variation display, number of jackpots in the special symbol variation display game, etc.) reaches a predetermined number.

The write pointer and read pointer of the ring buffer are common to all data, and the write pointer of all data columns moves for each specified number of winning balls. In addition, the read pointer also moves as the write pointer moves. The read pointer points to the memory area immediately before the write pointer. This is because the most recent data for 6,000 winning balls is used to calculate the ratio of winning balls.

The cumulative total of each data is the cumulative value of the data stored in the n memory areas of the ring buffer, and the cumulative values of the feature ratio and continuous feature ratio are values calculated from the cumulative values of each data, and when the ring buffer goes through one cycle and one memory area of the ring buffer is cleared to write new data, the cumulative value is calculated excluding the data of the cleared area. The total cumulative total of each data is the cumulative value of data collected in the past, and the total cumulative values of the feature ratio and continuous feature ratio calculated from the cumulative values are values calculated from the total cumulative values of each data, and even when the ring buffer goes through one cycle and one memory area of the ring buffer is cleared to write new data, the total cumulative value is calculated including the data of the cleared area.

Of the work area structure shown in FIG. 27(B), the number of balls acquired from special features, the number of balls acquired from consecutive special features, the special feature ratio, and the consecutive special feature ratio are the same as those explained in FIG. 27(A). The number of other acquired balls is the number of prize balls that have been won through prizes other than special features (a prize opening that does not open or close, such as the general prize opening 2001). The total number of acquired balls is the total number of prize balls paid out to the player, and when this value reaches a predetermined number, the write pointer moves. The number of balls acquired from special features, the number of other acquired balls, the number of balls acquired from consecutive special features, and the total number of acquired balls are updated in the data of the memory area where the write pointer is located in step S81 of the timer interrupt process, and the special feature ratio and consecutive special feature ratio are calculated and stored in step S91 of the timer interrupt process.

Figure 27 (C) shows the structure of the work area using a ring buffer. The work area structure shown in Figure 27 (C) can obtain more detailed data than that shown in Figure 27 (B), and stores the number of balls acquired for normal electric role devices, the number of balls acquired for special electric role devices, the number of balls acquired for the starting port, the number of balls acquired for other winning ports, the number of balls acquired for consecutive role devices, the total number of balls acquired, the role device ratio, and the consecutive role device ratio. In addition, the storage area for each data is composed of a ring buffer with n storage areas (for example, 10 storage areas for every 6000 winning balls) for each predetermined number of winning balls, and when the total number of winning balls reaches a predetermined number (6000 balls), the write pointer moves and the storage area in which the data is updated changes. Then, after the data for the predetermined number of winning balls is stored in the nth storage area, the write pointer moves to the first storage area and the data is stored in the first storage area. In addition, the write pointer may be moved when data other than the total number of balls won (number of balls won by special electric devices, number of balls fired, number of winning balls, number of games with special symbol change display, number of jackpots in the special symbol change display game, etc.) reaches a predetermined number.

The cumulative total of each data is the cumulative value of the data stored in the n memory areas of the ring buffer, and the cumulative values of the reel ratio and continuous reel ratio are values calculated from the cumulative values of each data, and when the ring buffer goes through one cycle and is cleared to one memory area of the ring buffer to write new data, the cumulative value is calculated excluding the data in that cleared area. The total cumulative total of each data is the cumulative value of data collected in the past, and the cumulative values of the reel ratio and continuous reel ratio are values calculated from the cumulative values of each data, and even when the ring buffer goes through one cycle and is cleared to one memory area of the ring buffer to write new data, the total cumulative value is calculated including the data in that cleared area.

In the work area structure shown in Figures 27 (B) and (C), the number of balls acquired from the special feature in the ring buffer, the number of other balls acquired, the number of consecutive feature balls acquired, the total number of balls acquired, the number of balls acquired from the normal electric feature, the number of balls acquired from the special electric feature, the number of balls acquired from the starting port, and the number of balls acquired from the other winning ports are each 2-byte memory areas that can store values up to 65535 in decimal. The cumulative number of balls acquired from the special feature, the number of other balls acquired, the number of consecutive feature balls acquired, the total number of balls acquired, the number of balls acquired from the normal electric feature, the number of balls acquired from the special electric feature, the number of balls acquired from the starting port, and the number of balls acquired from the other winning ports are each 3-byte memory areas that can store values up to 16777215 in decimal. The cumulative total is the sum of data for 6000 prize balls x n (60000 prize balls when n = 10), so a large memory area is provided. The total cumulative totals of the number of balls acquired from the reel, the number of other balls acquired, the number of balls acquired from consecutive reels, the total number of balls acquired, the reel ratio, the consecutive reel ratio, the number of balls acquired from normal electric reels, the number of balls acquired from special electric reels, the number of balls acquired from the starting port, and the number of balls acquired from other winning ports are each 3 or 4 bytes of memory area and can store values up to 16777215 or 4294967295 in decimal. Since the total cumulative totals are not erased unless an abnormality occurs in the data, an even larger memory area is provided so that data can be stored for a long period of time. Additionally, the cumulative totals and total cumulative totals of the reel ratio and consecutive reel ratio are each 1 byte of memory area and can store values up to 255 in decimal.

In the structure of the work area shown in FIG. 27(C), the total number of balls won, the ratio of the role, and the ratio of the consecutive role are the same as those explained in FIG. 27(B). The number of other balls won is the number of prize balls won by winning a prize other than a role (a prize opening that does not open or close). The number of balls won by a normal electric role is the number of prize balls won by winning a normal electric role (the second start opening 2004 with the second start opening door member 2549 open) that is in operation as a result of a lottery based on a normal pattern. The number of balls won by a special electric role is the number of prize balls won by winning a special electric role (for example, the large prize opening 2005, 2006 that is open) that is in operation as a result of a lottery based on a special pattern. The number of balls won by a start opening is the number of prize balls won by winning a prize opening (the first start opening 2002). The number of balls won by other prize openings is the number of prize balls won by winning a prize opening (the general prize opening 2001) that is not a role (does not operate) and does not trigger a lottery based on a special pattern. The data in the memory area where the write pointer is located is updated in step S81 of the timer interrupt process for the number of balls acquired from normal electric devices, the number of balls acquired from special electric devices, the number of balls acquired from the starting port, the number of balls acquired from other winning ports, the number of balls acquired from consecutive devices, and the total number of balls acquired, and the ratio of devices and the ratio of consecutive devices are calculated and stored in step S91 of the timer interrupt process.

In the data structure shown in FIG. 27(A), if the stored value is determined to be abnormal, the data in the reel ratio calculation area 13128 is erased in step S116 of the initialization process, but the data is not erased due to other triggers. For this reason, the data in the reel ratio calculation area 13128 may be erased every predetermined period (e.g., one day, one week, one month, etc.). Similarly, the total cumulative values in FIG. 25(B)(C) may be erased every predetermined period.

In addition, if the data in the device ratio calculation area 13128 or the calculated device ratio is an abnormal value (for example, the device ratio is over 100%, the device ratio calculation result has changed significantly from the previous calculation value, the number of device balls acquired > the total number of balls acquired, etc.), the abnormal value may be erased. Not only the abnormal value but also all data in the device ratio calculation area 13128 may be erased. In addition, if the data in the device ratio calculation area 13128 or the calculated device ratio is an abnormal value, an abnormality may be notified. In addition, the data in the backup area may be inspected using a check code, and the device ratio may be calculated again after copying normal data from the backup area to the main area.

[7. Configuration of the role ratio display device]
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing the configuration of the reel ratio display 1317.

The role ratio display 1317 is composed of a driver circuit 13171 and multiple 7-segment LEDs 13172. For example, the 7-segment LEDs 13172 are composed of 4 digits.

The driver circuit 13171 and the 7-segment LED 13172 are preferably housed together in a single package, but may also be housed in separate packages.

The driver circuit 13171 and the main control MPU 1311 are connected by three signal lines (DATA, LOAD, CLOCK).

The DATA line transfers data to be displayed on the reel ratio display 1317 and signals that set the operating status of the reel ratio display 1317, and is connected to the serial communication circuit 13114 of the main control MPU 1311. The LOAD line transfers a signal indicating the timing of data import, and is connected to the serial communication circuit 13114 of the main control MPU 1311. The CLOCK line transfers a clock signal that determines the operating period of the driver circuit 13171, and is connected to the serial communication circuit 13114 of the main control MPU 1311.

The driver circuit 13171 and the 7-segment LED 13172 are connected by four digit selection signal lines IDIG-0 to IDIG-3 and eight segment lighting signal lines ISEG-a to ISEG-Dp. The segment lighting signal lines ISEG-a to ISEG-Dp transmit signals that light up each LED element (7 segments and decimal point) of the 7-segment LED 13172. The digit selection signal lines IDIG-0 to IDIG-3 transmit control signals that indicate which digit of the 7-segment LED 13172 the signal transmitted by the segment lighting signal lines ISEG-a to ISEG-Dp corresponds to. Note that the direction of the illustrated signal (current) differs depending on whether the 7-segment LED 13172 is an anode common type or a cathode common type, but an example of an anode common type is illustrated.

A resistor 13174 that determines the value of the current that flows through each LED element of the 7-segment LED 13172 is connected to the R-EXT terminal of the driver circuit 13171. By changing the resistance value of the resistor 13174, the light emission brightness of each LED element of the 7-segment LED 13172 can be changed.

Figure 29 shows the configuration of the driver circuit 13171 of the role ratio display 1317.

The driver circuit 13171 has a 16-bit shift register 3171, a 16-bit data latch 3172, an 8-bit data latch 3173A-D, an 8x4 data selector 3174, a decoder 3175, a 2x8 data selector 3176, a constant current driver 3178, a driver 3179, a latch selector/load pulse distributor 3180, a Digit-Limit control unit 3181, a duty ratio control unit 3182, a data selector control unit 3183, a standby mode control unit 3184, and an oscillator 3185.

The 16-bit shift register 3171 takes in serial data input to the DATA IN terminal, holds 16 bits of data, and sends it as parallel data to the 16-bit data latch 3172. The four bits D15 (MSB) to D12 are data for selecting the operating mode of the driver circuit 13171 (see Figure 35), the four bits D11 to D8 are data for selecting the register corresponding to the operating mode (see Figure 33), and D7 to D0 (LSB) are data for detailed settings.

The 16-bit data latch 3172 latches data at the timing of the LOAD signal, sends D15 to D8 to each control unit (latch selector/load pulse distributor 3180, digit-limit control unit 3181, duty ratio control unit 3182, data selector control unit 3183, standby mode control unit 3184), and sends D7 to D0 to the 8-bit data latches 3173A to D.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 30, the 16-bit shift register 3171 takes in serial data input to the DATA IN terminal at the rising edge of the CLOCK signal and shifts the data. The 16-bit data latch 3172 acquires 16 bits of data as parallel data from the 16-bit shift register 3171 at the rising edge of the LOAD signal and latches the data. It then sends D15 to D8 to each control unit (latch selector/load pulse distributor 3180, digit-limit control unit 3181, duty ratio control unit 3182, data selector control unit 3183, and standby mode control unit 3184). The 16-bit data latch 3172 also sends D7 to D0 of the latched data to the 8-bit data latches 3173A to 3173D at the falling edge of the LOAD signal.

The LOAD signal is also input to the latch selector and load pulse distributor 3180. The latch selector and load pulse distributor 3180 acquires D15 to D8 and selects the 8-bit data latch 3173 that stores the display data (8 bits D7 to D0). Specifically, as shown in the load register selection table (see FIG. 33), if D15 to D8 are 00100010B, the latch selector and load pulse distributor 3180 sends a signal to select the 8-bit data latch 3173 so that the 8-bit data latch 3173A of data register 0, i.e., Digit-A, stores the data.

The 8-bit data latches 3173 are provided in the same number as the 7-segment LEDs 13172 (number of display digits), and capture and hold data to be displayed on each 7-segment LED in accordance with the selection signal from the latch selector/load pulse distributor 3180. The 8-bit data latches 3173 send the held data to the 8x4 data selector 3174.

The 8x4 data selector 3174 selects the data sent from each 8-bit data latch 3173A-D at the predetermined display timing for each digit and sends it to the decoder 3175 and the 2x8 data selector 3176.

The decoder 3175 uses a character generator decode table (see FIG. 34) to convert the input data into characters to be displayed on the 7-segment LED 13172, and generates data for lighting each segment. The generated data is input to the 2×8 data selector 3176.

The 2x8 data selector 3176 refers to the decode setting and selects data from the decoder 3175 if the mode is set to one in which the decoder is used, and selects data from the 8x4 data selector 3174 if the mode is set to one in which the decoder is not used. The selected data is input to the constant current driver 3178.

The constant current driver 3178 uses the data from the 2x8 data selector 3176 to output current signals for lighting each segment from the data output terminals OUTa to OUTDp. As mentioned above, the current output from the constant current driver 3178 is controlled by the resistance value of the resistor connected to the R-EXT terminal.

The driver 3179 receives the sink current of the current output from the constant current driver 3178 to light each segment of the 7-segment LED 13172. The driver 3179 controls the timing of current sinking at terminals DIG-0 to DIG-3 to determine which 7-segment LED (digit) is displayed.

The Digit-Limit control unit 3181 controls the number of digits displayed on the 7-segment LED 13172 controlled by the driver circuit 13171. That is, the driver circuit 13171 can control the number of digits to be lit from 1 to 4 digits by external settings. Specifically, by inputting data in which D15 to D8 are 00100001B and D7 to D0 are xxxxxx0011B, a setting to use all four digits is written to the digit register (DIGIT REGISTER) of the Digit-Limit control unit 3181. Note that x indicates that either H or L data is acceptable, and whether the input data is H or L does not affect the truth table.

The duty ratio control unit 3182 controls the duty ratio when the 7-segment LED 13172 is turned on. That is, the driver circuit 13171 can control the duty ratio by external settings, and controls the brightness at which the 7-segment LED 13172 is turned on. The duty ratio control unit 3182 controls the duty ratio by controlling the pulse width of at least one of the timing signals sent to the constant current driver 3178 and the driver 3179. Specifically, by setting D15 to D8 to 00100000B and inputting any data to D3 to D0, 16 duty ratio settings from 0/16 to 15/16 are written to the duty register (DUTY REGISTER) of the duty ratio control unit 3182.

The data selector control unit 3183 controls the decoder settings. That is, the driver circuit 13171 controls whether or not to use the decoder 3175 based on external settings. Specifically, by inputting data in which D15 to D8 are 00100001B and D7 to D0 are 0001xxxxB, a setting to use the decoder is written to the decode register, and by inputting data in which D7 to D0 are 0000xxxxB, a setting of NO DECODER that does not use the decoder is written. When the decoder is set to be used, the data selector control unit 3183 controls the 2×8 data selector 3176 to select data from the decoder 3175, and when the decoder is set to not be used, the data selector control unit 3183 controls the 2×8 data selector 3176 to select data from the 8×4 data selector 3174.

The standby mode control unit 3184 controls the standby mode setting and data clear setting. In other words, the driver circuit 13171 can transition to standby mode by external settings. Specifically, standby mode can be set by inputting data in which D15 to D12 are set to 0100B and D3 to D0 are set to 0000B. In standby mode, the settings at that time are maintained as they are, and the current output to the 7-segment LED 13172 is cut off, reducing the power consumption of the driver circuit 13171.

The driver circuit 13171 can also clear all data stored internally by external settings. Specifically, by inputting data in which D15 to D12 are set to 0100B and D3 to D0 are set to 0001B, all data stored in the registers and latches is cleared and initialized.

The oscillator 3185 generates the clock used within the driver circuit 13171.

Figure 31 is a diagram showing an example of the implementation of the main control board 1310. In this figure, the configuration of the main control board box 1320 is shown with solid lines, and the configuration on the main control board 1310 is shown with dotted lines.

Figure 31 (A) shows the main control board box 1320 of implementation example 1. The main control board box 1320 is made of transparent resin that houses the main control board 1310 in a sealable structure that cannot be opened without being destroyed once closed, and the model number of the main control board 1310 (stickered, engraved, printed, etc.) and an opening seal are affixed to the surface. The opening seal is a seal that records the history of when the seal on the main control board 1310 has been opened.

Mounting example 1 shown in FIG. 31 (B) shows the state in which the main control board 1310 is housed in the main control board box 1320 shown in (A). In mounting example 1, the main control MPU 1311 is mounted on the main control board 1310. It is preferable that the main control MPU 1311 is mounted so that the longitudinal direction of the main control board 1310 and the longitudinal direction of the main control MPU 1311 are in the same direction.

The main control board 1310 is enclosed in a main control board box 1320 and constitutes the main control unit 1300. The main control MPU 1311 is arranged in a position that allows for confirmation from the outside that no inappropriate modifications have been made. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 is arranged so that it is easy to confirm from the outside that no inappropriate modifications have been made, by not placing any parts around it.

The role ratio display 1317 is arranged on the main control board 1310 in a position that is visible from the outside. The direction of the numbers displayed on the role ratio display 1317 should be the same as the model number display of the main control MPU 1311 and the model number display of the main control board box 1320. In addition, it is preferable that the role ratio display 1317, the main control board 1310, and the main control MPU 1311 are mounted so that their longitudinal directions are in the same direction. In addition, when the main control board 1310 is mounted on the gaming machine in a landscape orientation, it is preferable that the role ratio display 1317 and the main control MPU 1311 are mounted so that their longitudinal directions are in the same direction as the longitudinal directions of the role ratio display 1317, the main control MPU 1311, and the main control board 1310. In addition, if the main control board 1310 is installed in the gaming machine in a portrait orientation, it is recommended that the role ratio display 1317 and the main control MPU 1311 be installed so that the longitudinal direction of the role ratio display 1317 and the longitudinal direction of the main control board 1310 are oriented at 90 degrees to the longitudinal direction of the main control board 1310.

In addition, the connectors CN1 and CN2 for drawing out signal lines from the main control board 1310 are preferably mounted on the end along the long side of the main control board 1310 (the upper end along the upper long side in the figure, but the lower end along the lower long side or the end along the left or right side may also be used) with their long sides aligned with the role ratio display 1317. In other words, it is desirable to position the connectors CN1 and CN2 so that the wiring (harness) connected to the connectors CN1 and CN2 overlaps with the role ratio display 1317 and does not interfere with the visibility of the role ratio display 1317.

Furthermore, the model number of the main control board box 1320 and the opening seal attached to the main control board box 1320 are affixed in a position that does not overlap either the main control MPU or the role ratio display 1317.

By implementing the feature ratio display 1317 in this way, the model numbers of the feature ratio display 1317 and the main control MPU 1311 are displayed in the correct orientation, improving their visibility. This makes it possible to check whether the feature ratio or the main control MPU 1311 has been modified without having to assume an awkward position during the manufacturing process or during inspection after installation in the amusement center.

In another implementation example shown in FIG. 31(C), the model number display of the main control MPU 1311 and the numeric display of the role ratio display 1317 are mounted so that they are oriented in the same direction, but the model number display of a circuit module (e.g., IC) other than the main control MPU 1311 is oriented in a different direction from the model number display of the main control MPU 1311 and the numeric display of the role ratio display 1317. In addition, the circuit module other than the main control MPU 1311 may be positioned so that it overlaps with the model number display of the main control board box 1320 or the opening seal affixed to the main control board box 1320. This is because the circuit modules other than the main control MPU 1311 are less important when inspecting for unauthorized modifications, and therefore there is little point in arranging them in the same direction on the main control board 1310.

Figure 32 shows the positional relationship between the main control MPU 1311 and the role ratio display 1317.

As shown in FIG. 32(A), the signal line 13173 between the driver circuit 13171 of the role ratio display 1317 and the 7-segment LED 13172 may become unstable due to the influence of noise. For this reason, it is desirable to place the driver circuit 13171 and the 7-segment LED 13172 as close as possible.

For example, as shown in the figure, the distance between the driver circuit 13171 and the 7-segment LED 13172 (length L2 of the wiring 13173) is arranged to be shorter than the distance between the main control MPU 1311 and the driver circuit 13171 of the role ratio display 1317 (length L1 of the wiring 13101). In other words, L1 is greater than L2.

As mentioned above, no parts are placed around the main control MPU 1311, as shown by the dotted line, to make it easy to check from the outside that no inappropriate modifications have been made. For this reason, the wiring length L1 will be a certain length, but L2 will be made as short as possible.

The driver circuit 13171 and the 7-segment LED 13172 may be housed in a single package or in separate packages, and in either case, they are mounted so that L1 is greater than L2.

Figure 32(B) is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the main control MPU 1311 and the role ratio display 1317 in another implementation example, and Figure 32(C) is a cross-sectional view of the printed circuit board in the implementation example shown in Figure 32(B).

As shown in FIG. 32(B), ground patterns 13102 are provided on both sides of the signal line 13101 between the main control MPU 1311 and the driver circuit 13171 of the role ratio display 1317. Furthermore, in the printed circuit board, a prohibited area 13106 is provided on the back surface and inner layers of the signal line 13101, where no signal pattern is provided. It is advisable to provide a ground pattern 13107 or a power supply pattern as a guard pattern on at least one of the back surface and inner layers of the printed circuit board in the prohibited area 13106.

To explain the arrangement of other signal lines in this implementation example, for example, signal line 13103, which supplies a clock signal from an oscillator to main control MPU 1311, is arranged so as to avoid forbidden area 13106 (i.e., so that signal line 13103 does not cross signal line 13101). Also, signal line 13104 connected to main control MPU 1311 may be arranged so as to pass through through hole 13105 to the back surface or inner layer. In this case as well, signal line 13104 is arranged so as to avoid forbidden area 13106 (i.e., so that signal line 13104 does not cross signal line 13101).

To prevent unauthorized modification, the main control board 1310 is generally configured as a two-layer board with patterns on the front and back sides and no inner layers, but the implementation example described above can also be applied to multi-layer boards with inner layers (4 layers, 6 layers, etc.).

Figure 33 shows the load register selection table for the driver circuit 13171.

The load register selection table is a table for determining the register that stores the data input to the driver circuit 13171.

The driver circuit 13171 of this embodiment has seven registers. The duty registers are used by the duty ratio control unit 3182 to set the duty ratio for lighting the 7-segment LED 13172. For example, when D15 to D8 are 00100000B, the data set in D7 to D0 is data for setting the duty ratio, and is written to the duty register of the duty ratio control unit 3182.

The decode register is used by the data selector control unit 3183 or the digit-limit control unit 3181 to set the use of the decoder 3175, i.e., whether or not to decode and the number of digits to display. The decode register and the digit number register may be configured as one register. For example, if D15 to D8 are 00100001B, the data set in D7 to D0 is data for setting whether or not to decode or data for setting the number of digits to display, and is written to the decode register of the data selector control unit 3183 or the digit register of the digit-limit control unit 3181.

The data registers are used by the 8-bit data latches 3173A-D, and data is set to be displayed in each digit of the 7-segment LED 13172. For example, if D15-D8 are 00100010B-00100101B, the data set in D7-D0 is the data for lighting the 7-segment LED, and is written to the data registers in the 8-bit data latches 3173A-D.

The duty ratio, whether to decode, and number of display digits set in the registers described above do not need to be set each time the feature ratio is displayed, but only need to be set once, so they are set as the initial settings in step S28 of FIG. 21. Note that if the initial settings are set only once, there is a possibility that the settings may change after the initial settings due to the effects of noise, etc., so they may be reset to a specified condition (for example, each time the opening of the main body frame 4 is detected, or each time the switch button is pressed). This makes it possible to always display the correct display even if the settings change due to noise.

Figure 34 shows the character generator decode table. The character generator decode table is used by the decoder 3175 to convert input data into character data to be displayed on the 7-segment LED 13172. By using the character generator decode table, characters such as numbers and some alphabets can be displayed without having to consider the font. In addition, when displaying numbers, D5 to D0 match the numbers to be displayed, so the calculation results can be input to the driver circuit 13171 without conversion and displayed on the 7-segment LED 13172.

The lighting of the decimal point for each digit of the 7-segment LED 13172 is controlled by D6.

Figure 35 is a state transition diagram of the driver circuit 13171, and Figure 36 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the role ratio display 1317.

In this embodiment, the driver circuit 13171 has five states: initial state, data input state, LED on state (0000), LED on state (lights up according to input data), and LED on state (all lights up).

To control these five states, there are mode setting commands: blank, normal operation, register write, all on, and standby. The blank command shuts off the output of the constant current driver 3178 and the output of the driver 3179. The normal operation command displays the 7-segment LED 13172 after each setting is completed. If the normal operation command is input without setting display data, the 7-segment LED 13172 displays the number 0 for all digits. The register write command sets the number of digits to be used, the duty ratio, whether the decoder is used or not, and inputs the display data. D11 to D8 select the register to which data is written, and D7 to D0 input the contents to be set in the register (see Figure 33). The all on command turns on the output of the constant current driver 3178 on the data side, lighting up all segments of the 7-segment LED 13172. The standby command is divided into two depending on the parameters: a standby command that transitions to the standby state, and a clear command that transitions to the initial state. The standby command maintains the settings at that time, stops the operation of the constant current driver 3178 and the driver 3179, and cuts off the current output to the 7-segment LED 13172, reducing the power consumption of the driver circuit 13171. The clear command clears and initializes all data held in the registers and latches, and also turns off the display.

Note that since the blank command is also a type of display command, in this specification, "display" includes all states of the 7-segment LED, including all lights, some segments, and all lights off.

With reference to Figure 36, we will explain display examples for each of the above-mentioned states.

When the gaming machine is turned on, the initial settings of the driver circuit 13171 have not been completed or the display data has not been set, so it is in the initial state (ALL BLANK), and all segments of the 7-segment LED 13172 are turned off and in a non-illuminated state as shown in FIG. 36 (A). Also, when the main body frame 4 is closed and play is possible, the bonus ratio display 1317 cannot be seen, so it is a good idea to set it to standby mode, turn off the 7-segment LED 13172, and reduce the power consumption of the gaming machine.

After the driver circuit 13171 has completed initial settings by setting control data in various control registers, the seven-segment LED 13172 displays a specific indication when display data is input. This specific indication may be a "-" for all digits, or all segments may be lit, as shown in FIG. 36(B). This specific indication may be used to confirm that the reel ratio display 1317 is operating normally.

In addition, when the main frame 4 is opened, it is advisable to display a specific indication on all digits so that it is possible to confirm that the reel ratio display 1317 is operating normally. For example, as shown in FIG. 36(B), all digits may display "-" or all segments may be lit up.

When the display switch 1318 is operated and the display data is input to the driver circuit 13171, the LED is turned on (lights up according to the input data). Specifically, the device ratio display state is entered, and a code indicating the display content is displayed in the left two digits of the 7-segment LED 13172, and the device ratio value is displayed in the right two digits. In the example shown in FIG. 36(C), "y175" is displayed, indicating that device ratio 1 is 75%. Note that if the displayed device ratio is an abnormal value outside the specified range, it is advisable to display this in a way that makes it identifiable. For example, all digits (or numbers) can be displayed flashing, or the decimal point can be lit or flashing.

Furthermore, when the display switch 1318 is operated and the display data is input to the driver circuit 13171, the display content of the 7-segment LED 13172 is changed. That is, a different type of feature ratio is displayed. In this case, too, a code indicating the display content is displayed in the left two digits, and the numerical value of the feature ratio is displayed in the right two digits. In the example shown in Figure 36 (D), "y263" is displayed, indicating that feature ratio 2 is 63%. Note that in this case, too, as in the above case, it is advisable to display a value that allows the user to identify that the displayed feature ratio is an abnormal value outside the specified range. A more specific display example of feature ratios will be described later using Figure 37.

When the main body frame 4 is closed, a predetermined display is made to confirm that the reel ratio display 1317 is operating normally (Figure 36 (E)), and after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed, the 7-segment LED 13172 is turned off to reduce the power consumption of the gaming machine. This reel ratio non-display state is in the same form as after the initial settings are completed, but it may be in a different form as long as it is distinguishable from the reel ratio display.

Figure 36 (E) is an example of a display when an abnormality occurs in the reel ratio display 1317 or the main control MPU 1311 and the reel ratio cannot be displayed. The decimal point may be lit or flashing, or may be displayed differently for each digit. The abnormality display may also be in a form different from that shown in the figure, as long as it is distinguishable from a normal reel ratio display to indicate that the reel ratio cannot be displayed.

In either state, if an all-on command is input, all segments of the 7-segment LED 13172 will light up. In either state, if a blank command or standby command is input, all segments of the 7-segment LED 13172 will turn off while retaining the data. In either state, if a data clear command is input, all data held in the registers and latches will be cleared, all segments of the 7-segment LED 13172 will light up, and the initial state will be restored.

[8. Display of role ratio]
Next, a method for calculating and displaying the role ratio will be explained.

As mentioned above, the reel ratio is displayed on the reel ratio display 1317 provided on the main control board 1310. As mentioned above, the reel ratio display 1317 is configured, for example, with a four-digit seven-segment LED or a performance display device, and displays the reel ratio value in the last two digits and the type of value in the first two digits.

The reel ratio display 1317 may also be configured with a two-digit seven-segment LED. In this case, it is recommended to alternately display the reel ratio value and the type of value.

The display mode of the role ratio value may be different depending on the result of comparing the role ratio with a predetermined reference value. For example, if the role ratio exceeds a predetermined reference value, the value may be displayed by flashing or changing color (green under normal circumstances, red when the reference value is exceeded, etc.). By changing the display mode depending on the result of the comparison with the reference value, it is easy to recognize that the role ratio is abnormal.

The reel ratio display 1317 may be configured with one or more LED lamps. When the reel ratio display 1317 is configured with one LED lamp, the result of the comparison between the reel ratio and a predetermined reference value is displayed in a different manner. For example, if the reel ratio is smaller than the reference value, it is displayed in green, and if the reel ratio is larger than the reference value, it is displayed in red. Also, if the reel ratio is smaller than the reference value, it is displayed as a lit lamp, and if the reel ratio is larger than the reference threshold, it is displayed as a flashing lamp.

When the reel ratio display 1317 is configured with multiple (e.g., 10) LED lamps, each LED lamp represents 10% and displays the reel ratio. For example, if the reel ratio is 70% or more but less than 80%, 7 LEDs are lit. In this case, different display modes (display colors) may be used depending on the display content (reel ratio or continuous reel ratio, recent data display or medium-term data display, etc.).

In addition, if the total number of balls won is less than 6,000, the period during which prize ball data is collected is short and the value of the bonus item ratio may not have converged, so a different display mode (display color, flashing, etc.) may be used. It is desirable to have a different display mode when the total number of balls won is less than the threshold value and when it exceeds the aforementioned reference value.

The reel ratio display 1317 may switch between displaying the most recent data, the medium-term data, and the long-term data. The most recent data display is the reel ratio calculated using the previous counter value currently being written in the ring counter shown in Figures 27(B) and (C). The medium-term data display is the reel ratio calculated using the cumulative total in the ring counter shown in Figures 27(B) and (C). The long-term data display is the reel ratio calculated using the total cumulative total in the ring counter shown in Figures 27(B) and (C).

The function display unit 1400 may also serve as the role ratio display 1317. The function display unit 1400 normally displays the game status based on a control signal from the main control board 1310, but when a main frame opening switch (not shown) detects that the main frame 4 has been opened from the outer frame 2, the main control board 1310 switches the display so that the function display unit 1400 displays the role ratio. The display of the function display unit 1400 is switched by the opening of the main frame 4, but it is preferable to continue the progress of the game. By continuing the progress of the game, when the main frame 4 is closed, it is possible to quickly switch from the role ratio display to the game status display. For example, when the main frame 4 is opened during a special pattern variable display game, the role ratio is displayed, but if the main frame 4 is closed before the variable time has elapsed, the variable display for the remaining time can be performed. The special pattern displayed on the function display unit 1400 is synchronized with the decorative pattern displayed on the performance display device 1600, so the decorative pattern stops at the timing when the special pattern variable display of the function display unit 1400 stops. Therefore, even if the function display unit 1400 displays the ratio of the reels, it can be configured so that the player does not feel uncomfortable.

The bonus ratio display 1317 may display something other than bonus ratios. For example, it may display the number of winning entries per type of winning slot or the number of winning balls paid out per unit time. The unit time may be switched by operating the display switch 1318 to display 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 10 hours, etc.

The bonus ratio display 1317 may display the base. The base is the ball payout rate during normal times excluding during special prizes (during big wins), and can be calculated by dividing the number of safe balls by the number of out balls. The number of launched balls (out balls) is detected by the launched ball sensor 1020. As described above, the launched ball sensor 1020 is provided near the exit (backflow prevention member 1007) of the rails 1001 and 1002 that guide game balls from the ball launching device to the game area 5a (see Figures 10 and 16). The number of out balls may also be detected by the discharged ball sensor 3060. As described above, the discharged ball sensor 3060 is provided at the discharge port that discharges game balls that have flowed out of the game area 5a to the outside of the pachinko machine 1 (see Figure 4). Also, an out-port passing ball sensor 1021 (see FIG. 53) may be provided to detect game balls passing through the out-port 1111 provided at the bottom of the game area 5a, and the number of out balls may be detected by adding up the number of game balls detected by the out-port passing ball sensor 1021, the number of game balls detected by the start port sensors 2104 and 2551, and the number of game balls detected by the various winning port sensors 3015, 2114, 2554, and 2557. Furthermore, a launching supply ball sensor (not shown) may be provided to detect game balls supplied to the ball launching device 680, and a foul ball sensor (not shown) may be provided to detect game balls (so-called foul balls) that were shot out from the ball launching device 680 but did not reach the game area 5a, and the number of out balls (number of launched balls) may be detected by subtracting the number of foul balls from the number of game balls supplied to the ball launching device 680 detected by the launching supply ball sensor.

The number of out balls can be counted using any of the methods described above. In other words, it is sufficient to have either the ejected ball sensor 3060 or the launched ball sensor 1020 of the sensors shown in the figure.

The number of safe balls is equal to the number of prize balls paid out. The base may be defined as the ball output rate for each game state (normal play, electric support, probability fluctuation, time reduction), and calculated as the number of safe balls divided by the number of out balls for each game state. By displaying the base on the device ratio display 1317, the deviation from the design value of the ball output performance during operation can be checked on the spot for each gaming machine. Also, since the ball output performance can be checked without using a hall control, it becomes easier to inspect each gaming machine during on-site inspections of the amusement facility.

The bonus ratio display 1317 may display information regarding other winnings and winning balls on the base (such as the number of winnings at the general winning port 2001 and the number of winning balls resulting from said winnings, the number of winnings at the starting port 2002 and the number of winning balls resulting from said winnings, the number of winnings at the large winning ports 2005 and 2006 and the number of winning balls resulting from said winnings, etc.).

The reel ratio display 1317 may always display the reel ratio, or may display the reel ratio by operating the display switch 1318. For example, when the display switch 1318, which is a push button switch, is pressed, the reel ratio display starts and turns off after a predetermined period of time. Note that if the display switch 1318 is operated while a main frame opening switch (not shown) is detecting that the main frame 4 has been released from the outer frame 2, the reel ratio may be displayed on the reel ratio display 1317. In other words, if the main frame is not open, the reel ratio display 1317 will not display the reel ratio even if the display switch 1318 is operated.

The display contents may be changed each time the display switch 1318 is operated. For example, as shown in FIG. 37, when the display switch 1318 is operated once, A7, which means the role ratio (cumulative), is displayed in the upper two digits, and the role ratio to a predetermined number (e.g., 60,000 balls) of prize balls is displayed in the lower two digits. When the display switch 1318 is operated once again, the display of the upper two digits may be switched to A6, which means the consecutive role ratio (cumulative), and the consecutive role ratio to a predetermined number (e.g., 60,000 balls) of prize balls may be displayed in the lower two digits (FIG. 37(B)). Furthermore, when the display switch 1318 is operated once, y7, which means the role ratio (6,000 balls), is displayed in the upper two digits, and the role ratio based on the most recent data is displayed in the lower two digits (most recent data display) (FIG. 37(C)). When the display switch 1318 is operated once more, the top two digits will change to y6, which indicates the bonus ratio (cumulative), and the bottom two digits may display the bonus ratio for a predetermined number of winning balls (e.g., 60,000 balls) (medium-term data display) (Figure 37 (D)).

The display switch 1318 does not have to be provided as an independent switch, and may also serve as a RAM clear switch provided on the main control board 1310 or the peripheral control board 1510. In other words, when the switch is operated when the power is turned on, it functions as a RAM clear switch, and when it is operated while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation, it functions as the display switch 1318. By consolidating the functions of the RAM clear switch and the display switch 1318 into a single switch, the number of switches operated by the arcade attendant is reduced to one, reducing the chance of erroneous operation by inexperienced attendants.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the ratio of the game features of an operating gaming machine can be accurately calculated, and the gambling nature of the operating gaming machine can be confirmed.

In addition, data on the number of winning balls is stored as the data 13136 for calculating and displaying the ratio of winning balls, and if the check code is abnormal, the data 13136 for calculating and displaying the ratio of winning balls is erased, thereby making it possible to avoid displaying an incorrect ratio of winning balls.

In addition, the data 13136 for calculating and displaying the ratio of winning balls is erased under conditions different from those for erasing data related to the progress of the game that is backed up in the RAM 1312 of the main control MPU 1311, so accurate data on the number of winning balls can be retained and accurate ratios of winning balls can be calculated.

In addition, because the operation of the RAM clear switch does not erase the data 13136 for calculating and displaying the ratio of features, the data 13136 for calculating and displaying the ratio of features will not be erased by mistake by an attendant at the amusement park, and because the data for calculating and displaying the ratio of features is not erased by the operation of the RAM clear switch, the data is not erased by an erroneous operation by an attendant at the amusement park. In addition, because the amusement park cannot intentionally erase the data for calculating and displaying the ratio of features, the reliability of the displayed ratio of features is increased, and it is possible to prevent the concealment of a high ratio of features.

[9. Base Display]
[9-1. Basic configuration of a gaming machine that displays a base]
So far, an embodiment of a pachinko machine that calculates and displays the bonus ratio has been described, but next, an embodiment of a pachinko machine that calculates and displays the base value will be described. Note that in this embodiment, a pachinko machine that mainly calculates and displays the base value will be described, but the bonus ratio may be calculated and displayed together with the base value.

In the pachinko machine described below, as described above, when a game ball enters the start hole (first start hole 2002, second start hole 2004), a random number lottery is performed and a special symbol variable display game is executed. The special symbol variable display game has a variable pattern (variation time) that is relatively short (a normal variable pattern of about 10 seconds, a shortened variable pattern of about 2 to 5 seconds that is likely to be selected when there are many reserved balls) and a relatively long variable pattern (a variable pattern such as a super reach that exceeds 1 minute). When calculating the base value in a pachinko machine, since the notification of the base value does not require urgency compared to the notification of an error, it can be notified at the timing when the special symbol variable display game switches to the next variable display game. However, when the variable display time is long, it is preferable to calculate the base value and update the display when a predetermined condition is met (for example, when the number of out balls (number of shot balls) or the number of prize balls (number of paid-out balls) changes) without waiting for the end of one special symbol variable display game. For this reason, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, when a certain condition is met during play (e.g., even during a special symbol variation display game) (e.g., when the number of out balls (number of shot balls) or the number of winning balls (number of paid out balls) changes), the base value is calculated and displayed. Next, the specific configuration of a pachinko machine that operates in this way will be explained.

Figure 38 is a block diagram showing the peripheral configuration of the main control board 1310 of the pachinko machine 1, which calculates and displays the base value.

The pachinko machine 1 shown in FIG. 38 has a configuration similar to that of the pachinko machine 1 shown in FIG. 17, but the component represented by the reference numeral 1317 is a base display, not a bonus ratio display. The base display 1317 of the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment may use, for example, a four-digit seven-segment LED as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 28, or may use a seven-segment LED with another number of digits (for example, two digits).

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, data on the number of winning balls and the number of out balls is acquired in the feature ratio calculation area update process (step S81) of the timer interrupt process (FIG. 23) executed by the main control MPU 1311, and a base value is calculated and displayed in the feature ratio calculation and display process (step S89). In the following explanation, the "feature ratio calculation area update process" in step S81 of FIG. 23 is read as the "base calculation area update process", and the "feature ratio calculation and display process" in step S89 is read as the "base calculation and display process". In addition, the "feature ratio calculation area 13128" shown in FIG. 26 is read as the "base calculation area 13128", the "feature ratio calculation and display code 13135" is read as the "base calculation and display code 13135", and the "feature ratio calculation and display data 13136" is read as the "base calculation and display data 13136".

Figure 39 is a flow chart showing an example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process determines the current game state, adds the number of prize balls paid out as game value to an area corresponding to the current game state, and updates the base calculation area 13128 of the main control built-in RAM 1312. In particular, the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 39 directly updates the total number of prize balls using the number of prize balls calculated in the prize ball control process (step S80) (step S814), and directly updates the total number of out balls using the number of out balls (step S822) in order to calculate the base value every time the timer interrupt period occurs.

First, it is determined whether the game is in the special prize state (step S810). The game is in the special prize state when the large prize openings 2005, 2006 are open and the player can win many prize balls, but this may also include the opening and ending times of the big win game. If the large prize openings 2005, 2006 open and close repeatedly during one big win, this may also include the time between the closing of the large prize opening and the next opening (closing interval). In other words, the special prize state in step S810 means that the condition device is operating, for example, from the determination of the big win pattern in the special pattern variable display game to the end of the ending. It may also include the entire time during which a right hit command is given.

Furthermore, in the starting holes 2002 and 2004, the special prize may include the time-saving period, the special bonus period (ST period), and the electric support period. Furthermore, in game states other than the time-saving period, the special bonus period (ST period), and the electric support period, the special prize may include the period from the opening of the starting hole 2004 to a predetermined time after it is closed (for example, the few seconds required for a ball that has entered the starting hole to be detected as an out ball).

The electrically operated parts provided in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment are divided into two types from the viewpoint of calculating the base value. As described above, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, the special prize period for the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 is when the condition device is operating (for example, from the confirmation of the jackpot pattern of the special pattern variation display game to the end of the ending), and the base value is calculated using the number of prize balls and out balls other than during the special prize period, so normal winning (during the so-called jackpot) in the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 is not used to calculate the base value. On the other hand, for the starting opening 2004 (so-called electric tulip) having an opening and closing member, winning balls and prize balls other than during the special prize period (when there is a low probability or when there is no time reduction) are used to calculate the base value. In other words, among the electrically operated devices, some devices (large prize openings 2005, 2006) do not use the number of winning balls and the number of prize balls in calculating the base value regardless of the game state (whether or not a special prize is being awarded), and the other devices (starting opening 2004) switch whether or not to use the number of winning balls and the number of prize balls in calculating the base value depending on the game state (whether or not a special prize is being awarded). Not using the number of winning balls and the number of prize balls in calculating the base value includes not only not counting the prize balls that have been paid out as in (the number of prize balls other than during the special prize, which is the dividend in calculating the base value), but also not creating edge information for paying out prize balls in response to a winning signal, even if the winning signal is input.

The large prize openings 2005 and 2006 may be opened (as a small prize) even if the condition device is not activated. Small prizes generally occur during time-saving and are only open for a short time, so the probability of a game ball winning is low, and they do not affect the calculation of the base value. However, small prizes may be generated outside of the special prize period (normal time) and the opening may be opened only for a time when the probability of a game ball winning is high. In this case, the winning balls and prize balls entering the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 in small prizes that occur outside of the special prize period may be used to calculate the base value. In this way, the expected value (design value) of the base value can be changed by controlling the probability of a small prize occurring outside of the special prize period. In other words, a pachinko machine that can flexibly respond to base value standards can be provided, and the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

If the game is in the special prize state, the prize balls are not related to the calculation of the base value, so the number of prize balls and the number of out balls are not updated, and the base calculation area update process is terminated. On the other hand, if the game is not in the special prize state, the number of prize balls calculated based on the input information in the prize ball control process (step S80) is obtained (step S811). The number of prize balls obtained in the base calculation area update process may be the number of prize balls for which the payout has been decided. It may also be the number of prize balls corresponding to a payout command that has already been created. It may also be the number of prize balls corresponding to a payout command that has already been sent. It may also be the number of prize balls corresponding to a payout command that the main control board 1310 sent to the payout control board 951 and received an acknowledgement of receipt (ACK) from the payout control board 951. It may also be the number of prize balls (number of paid out prize balls) that the main control board 1310 sent to the payout control board 951 and received a payout completion report from the payout control board 951. This variation will be described using Figures 41 to 44.

Then, the number of prize balls acquired is added to the total number of prize balls to update the total number of prize balls (step S814). It is to be noted that it is possible to determine whether there are prize balls, and if there are no prize balls, the process of updating the total number of prize balls may be skipped. In addition, even if a game ball enters the start port 2002, 2004, but the reserved number is the upper limit, and the entry into the start port is not reserved, the prize balls are paid out, so the total number of prize balls is updated. In addition, in a game state in which a game ball enters a winning port but no prize balls are generated (for example, when a specific error occurs), no prize balls are generated due to the entry, and the number of prize balls acquired is 0, so the total number of prize balls is not updated. The total number of prize balls is recorded in the total number of prize balls storage area (see FIG. 52) provided in the base calculation area 13128 of the main control built-in RAM 1312. That is, in the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 39, the total number of prize balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time the number of prize balls is calculated.

After that, the number of out balls is obtained (step S818), and the total number of out balls is updated so that the obtained number of out balls is added to the total number of out balls (step S822). As described above, the number of out balls is detected by the launched ball sensor 1020, the discharged ball sensor 3060, etc., and in the switch input process of step S74, the detection signals of these sensors are read, and if there is a detection signal from the sensor, the number of out balls = 1 is obtained. The total number of out balls is recorded in the total number of out balls storage area (see Figure 52) provided in the base calculation area 13128 of the main control built-in RAM 1312. That is, in the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 39, the total number of out balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time an out ball is detected. In this way, the base calculation process is executed for each timer interrupt process to update the total number of out balls, and the base value is calculated and displayed in the base calculation display process (Figure 40), so that the base value can be displayed without delay, and it can be determined without delay whether the base is normal or abnormal.

In addition, as in steps S815 to S817 of the base calculation area update process (Figure 46) described later, it may be determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, and if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification timer may be reset. Furthermore, as in steps S824 to S825, it may be determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification may be stopped.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the main control MPU 1311 executes the calculation process of the base value in the timer interrupt process, but the payout control MPU of the payout control unit 952 may execute the calculation process of the base value. In this case, a command to notify the base may be sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 of the peripheral control board 1510, or a command to notify the base may be sent from the payout control unit 952 to the peripheral control unit 1511.

In addition, even if information on both winning balls and out balls at a winning port is obtained in one timer interrupt process, the number of winning balls is added to the total number of winning balls (or the prize ball number buffer in the embodiment described later), and the number of out balls is added to the total number of out balls (or the out ball number buffer in the embodiment described later). In addition, even if information on winning balls at multiple winning ports is obtained in one timer interrupt process, the sum of the number of winning balls from the multiple winning balls is added to the total number of winning balls (or the prize ball number buffer in the embodiment described later). This allows the base value to be accurately calculated and displayed. For example, if winning balls are detected at the winning port sensor of a winning port with five prize balls and at the winning port sensor of a winning port with three prize balls, a total of eight prize balls are added to the total number of winning balls (or the prize ball number buffer).

Also, the number of prize balls may be added to the total number of prize balls (or the number of prize balls buffer) only when the launch of the game ball is detected. In other words, only the number of prize balls related to winning detected within a predetermined time from the detection of the launched ball sensor 1020 may be added to the total number of prize balls (or the number of prize balls buffer). Also, the operation of the launch control unit 953 or the ball launching device 680 may be detected, and only the number of prize balls related to winning detected while the launch control unit 953 or the ball launching device 680 is operating (and further, until a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) after the launch control unit 953 or the ball launching device 680 stops operating) may be added to the total number of prize balls or the number of prize balls buffer. Also, when the player is operating the launch handle, the number of prize balls may be added to the total number of prize balls (or the number of prize balls buffer). In other words, only the number of prize balls related to winning detected within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) from the time when it is detected that the palm or finger is touching the contact detection sensor 509 of the handle unit 500 may be added to the total number of prize balls (or the number of prize balls buffer). In this way, it is possible to prevent the base value from being affected by abnormalities such as detecting prize balls when no game balls have been released, or by fraudulent acts, and to prevent the display of an inaccurate base value. In addition, by using the contact detection sensor 509, it is not necessary to install a new sensor to detect the release of game balls, which helps prevent an increase in the cost of the pachinko machine 1.

In the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 39, the base was calculated excluding the number of prize balls and the number of out balls during the special prize period, but the number of prize balls that enter the general prize slot and the starting slot, even during the special prize period, may be counted, and the number of out balls may be counted excluding the number of balls that enter the large prize slot to calculate the base value.

Figure 40 is a flowchart showing an example of the base calculation and display process (step S89). In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 40, the base value is calculated every time (every timer interrupt period).

First, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S902). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and the base calculation and display process is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls is divided by the total number of out balls to calculate the base value (step S903). Note that if the total number of prize balls is 0, the base value is calculated as 0, but the base value does not have to be calculated. Furthermore, if an abnormal base value is calculated (for example, if the total number of prize balls is greater than the total number of outs and a value of 1 (100%) or more is calculated as the base value), the base value does not have to be calculated. When the base value is expressed as a percentage, the total number of prize balls divided by the total number of out balls is multiplied by 100 to calculate the base value. Specifically, the total number of prize balls is multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) and stored in the division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls is stored in the division input register B131217.

The predetermined number multiplied by the total number of winning balls stored in division input register A131216 controls the number of digits of the base value calculated. For example, if this predetermined number is 100, the base value is calculated as a percentage to the one's place, and no decimal places are calculated. Also, if this predetermined number is 10,000, the base value is calculated as a percentage to two decimal places. In other words, if the quotient output from the calculation circuit is divided by 100, a base value as a percentage with two decimal places can be calculated.

After 32 clocks have elapsed, the quotient is read from the division result register A131218 and used as the base value. During the 32 clock wait time from when data is written to the division input registers 131216 and 131217 until when data is read from the division result register A131218, the main control MPU 1311 may wait without processing, or may perform other processing. For example, the random number used to determine whether or not a jackpot has been won may be updated during the time from when data is written to the division input registers 131216 and 131217 until when data is read from the division result register A131218. More specifically, the hard random number generated by the random number generating circuit 13112 is updated at the timing of the clock cycle (or a signal obtained by dividing the clock cycle) supplied to the main control MPU 1311, so the hard random number is also updated during the wait time.

In other words, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, even while the calculation circuit 13121 is executing the base calculation process, other processes related to the game can be executed in parallel. The other processes related to the game include at least a process of updating the random numbers used to determine whether or not a game has been won. In addition, during the calculation (division) process in the calculation circuit 13121, the random numbers that affect the outcome of the game are updated one or more times.

In addition, if the total number of out balls is 0, even if the base value is calculated, the return value from the calculation circuit 13121 will be an error, so it does not need to be stored in the base calculation area 13128. In this case, the base value displayed on the base display 1317 will not be updated.

After that, a base notification command is generated (step S908) to notify the player and hall employees of the base. The base notification command may simply notify the base value, or may notify an abnormality in the base value. An abnormality in the base value is, for example, when the calculated base value becomes larger or smaller than the design value (normal value) beyond a predetermined tolerance range. Note that multiple tolerance levels may be set, and the degree of abnormality may be determined in multiple stages depending on the degree of deviation of the base value.

There are various methods for notifying the base, and one of the methods described below may be used, or two or more may be combined. For example, the base value may be notified constantly or at a specified timing using the base display (7-segment LED) 1317, the performance display device 1600, 3114, 244, etc. By notifying the player of the base value, the player may be able to check the condition of the pachinko machine. In this case, the display mode described in the role ratio may be applied to the base value. When notifying the base value, the calculated base value is displayed as a percentage on the display device or display device described above. Note that decimal values may be rounded down, rounded up, or rounded up, and on display devices capable of displaying images such as the performance display device 1600, 3114, 244, they may be displayed to the first decimal place for more detailed display.

When displaying a base value on the base display 1317, which is composed of a 7-segment LED, the main control MPU 1311 inputs display data to a specified register provided in the driver circuit 13171 of the base display 1317. That is, the main control MPU 1311 generates display data to be set in the register of the driver circuit 13171 as a base notification command. More specifically, as shown in Figures 33 and 34, the main control MPU 1311 specifies the digits to display the numerical value in D15 to D8 by "Data n setting", generates data specifying the display content in D7 to D0, and writes it to the shift register 3171.

In addition, when the base value is displayed on the performance display device 1600, 3114, 244, a predetermined reference value (for example, 50%) is set for the base value, and if the reference value is exceeded, the display mode may be changed. For example, the numerical value may be displayed by flashing or changing the color (normally in green, and when the reference value is exceeded in red, etc.). Furthermore, the display mode of the base value may be changed in multiple stages. Specifically, the displayed base value may be divided into multiple stages such as 30% or more, 25% or more but less than 30%, 20% or more but less than 25%, 15% or more but less than 20%, 10% or more but less than 15%, and less than 10%, and the light color may be changed to white, blue, yellow, etc. for each stage. In addition, when the base value is low, self-deprecating comments such as "You're doing well," "You're getting worse," "That's not bad," and "In a way, it's amazing" may be displayed in each stage. If the base value exceeds the reference value, the pachinko machine is operating differently from what is expected, and there is a possibility that fraud is being committed. For this reason, it is desirable to display the base value in a manner that indicates a warning, such as red. The display may also be the same or similar to a weak error that does not stop the game. Here, "similar" means that at least one of the display, lamp, and sound is the same.

In addition, various lamps, performance display devices, sounds, etc. may be used to notify the range of the base value (whether the base value is high or low, whether it is an abnormal value or a normal value, etc.). In addition, if the base cannot be calculated (Yes in step S902) and there is no previously calculated base value, a base notification command may be generated to display a base notification impossible on the performance display device. By sending the notification command to the sub-board that generated it, the base status can be notified by the performance device controlled by the sub-board, so a wider variety of notifications can be made than when the main board is used, and the load on the main board can be reduced. In addition, by notifying the base display impossible when nothing is displayed on the base display 1317, it is possible to distinguish between a failure of the base display 1317 and the absence of a base value to display. Furthermore, by displaying an abnormality in the base value on the performance display device, it is possible to know an abnormality in the base value without looking at the back side of the game board on which the base display 1317 is provided.

The functional display unit 1400 may also function as the base display 1317. In this case, a specific LED lamp (or a 7-segment LED) of the functional display unit 1400 may be used to provide a constant notification. Also, the notification may be provided at a specific timing (for example, when the main frame 4 is opened, while the special symbol change display game is not being played, or when the special symbol change display game has ended).

The base information may be output from the external terminal board 784 to a hall computer installed in the gaming center. In this case, the base information may be output at a predetermined timing (for every predetermined number of winning balls, for every predetermined number of out balls), as in the base calculation and display process described below (Figures 47, 49, etc.).

The base information output from the external terminal board 784 may be a binary (high, low) signal indicating whether the calculated base value is high or low relative to a predetermined threshold value. Alternatively, a signal of a length indicating an approximate value of the calculated base value may be output (for example, a 30 millisecond pulse if the base value is between 30% and 40%). Alternatively, a number of consecutive pulses indicating an approximate value of the calculated base value may be output (for example, three consecutive pulses if the base value is between 30% and 40%).

Note that a base notification command may be generated even if the base value is not updated, and a base notification command may not be generated if the base value is not updated. The display of the base value will continue even if a base notification command is not generated.

As will be described later in FIG. 56 etc., it may be possible to determine whether the calculated base value is abnormal, generate a base notification command to notify the player or hall employee of the abnormality in the base value.

In addition, whether to notify the player of the base value may be determined based on the game state (game situation). This is because if the base value is constantly notified to the player, the player may not pay attention to the presentation of the special pattern change display game, which is the original enjoyment of the pachinko machine, and the player's attention may be distracted.

In addition, the presentation of the special symbol variation display game that is currently being played or will be played in the future may be changed based on the calculated base value. For example, multiple display selection tables may be prepared, and presentations may be selected from different display selection tables (see Figures 64 to 68) depending on the base value.

In addition, during the special symbol change display game, the base value may exceed or fall below a predetermined threshold (e.g., 30%). For this reason, the presentation of the special symbol change display game may be changed when the threshold is exceeded or fallen below during the special symbol change display game. The presentation may be changed in the same manner when the base value rises above the predetermined threshold and when it falls below it, or the presentation may be changed in different manners.

Figure 41 shows an example of the timing of updating the number of prize balls and the timing of calculating the base value. As shown in Figure 23, in this embodiment, the number of prize balls is updated in the base calculation area update process in step S81, and the base value is calculated in the base ratio calculation and display process in step S89.

For this reason, the main control MPU 1311 detects the entry of a game ball in the switch input process (step S74), calculates the number of prize balls set for each winning slot in the prize ball control process (step S80), and updates the prize ball number buffer in the base calculation area update process (step S81).After that, it updates the base value in the base ratio calculation/display process (step S89), and sends a payout command to the payout control board 951 in the output data setting process (step S90).

When the payout control board 951 stores the received payout command in memory, it transmits a payout command reception confirmation to the main control board 1310. Then, when the payout control board 951 pays out the prize balls according to the payout command, it notifies the main control board 1310 of the completion of the ball payout. The number of unpaid prize balls among the number of prize balls calculated in the prize ball control process (step S80) is backed up by the main control board 1310 or the payout control board 951. When the payout control board 951 backs up the number of unpaid prize balls, the payout control board 951 needs to send a payout command reception confirmation to the main control board 1310, but does not need to notify the main control board 1310 of the completion of the ball payout. On the other hand, when the main control board 1310 backs up the number of unpaid prize balls, the payout control board 951 needs to notify the main control board 1310 of the completion of the ball payout, but does not need to send a payout command reception confirmation to the main control board 1310.

In the pachinko machine according to the embodiment described above, the base value is calculated without delay during play, and the state of the gaming machine can be known in real time. Therefore, abnormalities in the gaming machine can be discovered early. For example, if the base value is determined to be abnormal if it is lower or higher than a predetermined threshold, the base value is calculated multiple times during one special symbol variation display game, and even if it is determined to be abnormal because it goes up and down above the predetermined threshold, the game is not stopped and the calculation process of the base value continues regardless of the abnormality determination. For example, there are short-term special symbol variation display games such as normal variation and long-term special symbol variation display games such as reach variation, and if the conditions for calculating the base value are met multiple times between the start and end of one special symbol variation display game, the base value can be calculated each time and updated and displayed each time. This is because if the calculation of the base value during the special symbol variation display game is limited (for example, the base value is calculated and updated only once at the end of the variation display), depending on the timing of the calculation of the base value, the change in the base value may not be noticed for a long time, and the information necessary for the hall operation may not be output at the appropriate time, which may cause inconvenience to the hall.

In addition, if the released game ball does not enter the starting hole or the general winning hole, the base value will decrease. In this state, the player is at a loss, so for example, additional effects (for example, effects related to winning or losing that are not related to changes in the base value, or specific effects that appear with changes in the base value) may be added to the effects being displayed on the LCD, or a preview effect with a high expectation of a jackpot (a preview effect with a high expectation of a jackpot, such as a preview effect with a high expectation of the next event, among effects that are not related to changes in the base value, or a preview effect with a high expectation of a jackpot among specific effects that appear with changes in the base value (for example, displaying the base value in a rainbow color)) may be performed. This reduces the discomfort felt by the player when the ball does not enter the starting hole or the general winning hole, and motivates him to continue playing.

On the other hand, if many of the released game balls enter the starting hole or general winning hole (if more balls enter than the average number of past winning holes), the base value will rise. In this state, even if the jackpot lottery results in a miss, the player will have received more game balls than usual, so the player's disappointment will be reduced. The presentation of the variable display game may be changed to one with a lower expectation level.

[9-2. Variations in timing of updating the number of prize balls and calculating the base value]
Next, variations in the timing of updating the number of prize balls and the timing of calculating the base value will be described with reference to Figures 42 to 44. The timing of updating the number of prize balls and the timing of calculating the base value in each variation are outlined below.
- Figure 41: Calculate number of prize balls → Update number of prize balls → Calculate base value → Send payout command - Figure 42: Calculate number of prize balls → Update number of prize balls → Send payout command → Calculate base value - Figure 43: Calculate number of prize balls → Send payout command → Update number of prize balls → Calculate base value - Figure 44: Calculate number of prize balls → Send payout command → Confirm command reception → Update number of prize balls → Calculate base value - Figure 45: Calculate number of prize balls → Send payout command → Notification of payout completion → Update number of prize balls → Calculate base value It should be noted that the variations of Figures 41 to 44 above can be applied not only to the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 39 and the base calculation/display process shown in Figure 40, but also to any of the base calculation area update processes and base calculation/display processes described below.

In the procedure shown in FIG. 42, unlike the timer interrupt processing procedure shown in FIG. 23, the base calculation area update processing (step S81) is executed at the position shown in the figure, and the base ratio calculation and display processing (step S89) is executed after the output data setting processing (step S90).

That is, the main control MPU 1311 detects the entry of a game ball in the switch input process (step S74), calculates the number of prize balls set for each winning slot in the prize ball control process (step S80), and updates the total number of prize balls (or the prize ball number buffer in the embodiment described below) in the base calculation area update process (step S81). After that, it sends a payout command to the payout control board 951 in the output data setting process (step S90), and updates the base value in the base ratio calculation and display process (step S89).

When the payout control board 951 stores the received payout command in memory, it sends a payout command reception confirmation to the main control board 1310. Then, when the payout control board 951 pays out prize balls in accordance with the payout command, it notifies the main control board 1310 that ball payout has been completed. As described above, either the payout command reception confirmation or ball payout completion may be omitted depending on whether the main control board 1310 or the payout control board 951 backs up the number of unpaid prize balls among the number of prize balls calculated in the prize ball control process (step S80).

The procedure shown in FIG. 43 differs from the timer interrupt processing procedure shown in FIG. 23 in that the output data setting process (step S90) is followed by the base calculation area update process (step S81) and the base ratio calculation and display process (step S89).

That is, the main control MPU 1311 detects the entry of a game ball in the switch input process (step S74), calculates the number of prize balls set for each winning slot in the prize ball control process (step S80), and sends a payout command to the payout control board 951 in the output data setting process (step S90). After that, in the base calculation area update process (step S81), it updates the total number of prize balls (or the prize ball number buffer in the embodiment described below) with the number of prize balls corresponding to the payout command sent, and updates the base value in the base ratio calculation/display process (step S89). Note that the prize ball number buffer may be updated with the number of prize balls corresponding to the created payout command (even if the payout command has not been sent) rather than the number of prize balls corresponding to the payout command sent.

When the payout control board 951 stores the received payout command in memory, it sends a payout command reception confirmation to the main control board 1310. Then, when the payout control board 951 pays out prize balls in accordance with the payout command, it notifies the main control board 1310 that ball payout has been completed. As described above, either the payout command reception confirmation or ball payout completion may be omitted depending on whether the main control board 1310 or the payout control board 951 backs up the number of unpaid prize balls among the number of prize balls calculated in the prize ball control process (step S80).

The timing at which the main control MPU 1311 receives a command reception confirmation or ball payout completion notification from the payout control board 951 depends on the processing speed of the payout control board 951 and the operating speed of the payout device 830, so the order of the base calculation area update process (step S81) and the base ratio calculation/display process (step S89) is not important.

In the procedure shown in FIG. 44, unlike the timer interrupt processing procedure shown in FIG. 23, after receiving a dispensing command reception confirmation from the dispensing control board 951, a base calculation area update process (step S81) and a base ratio calculation/display process (step S89) are executed.

That is, the main control MPU 1311 detects the entry of a game ball in the switch input process (step S74), calculates the number of prize balls set for each winning slot in the prize ball control process (step S80), and sends a payout command to the payout control board 951 in the output data setting process (step S90).

When the dispensing control board 951 stores the received dispensing command in memory, it sends a dispensing command reception confirmation to the main control board 1310.

When the main control MPU 1311 receives a payout command reception confirmation from the payout control board 951, it updates the total number of prize balls (or, in the embodiment described below, the prize ball number buffer) with the number of prize balls corresponding to the payout command for which the command reception confirmation was received in the base calculation area update process (step S81), and updates the base value in the base ratio calculation/display process (step S89).

Then, when the payout control board 951 pays out the prize balls in accordance with the payout command, it notifies the main control board 1310 that the ball payout has been completed. Note that in the procedure shown in FIG. 44, the payout control board 951 backs up the data on the number of prize balls that have not been paid out so that the data is not lost in the event of a power outage. For this reason, it is necessary for the payout control board 951 to confirm receipt of the command to the main control board 1310, but the notification of ball payout completion may be omitted.

In the procedure shown in FIG. 45, unlike the timer interrupt processing procedure shown in FIG. 23, after receiving a ball payout completion notification from the payout control board 951, a base calculation area update process (step S81) and a base ratio calculation/display process (step S89) are executed.

That is, the main control MPU 1311 detects the entry of a game ball in the switch input process (step S74), calculates the number of prize balls set for each winning slot in the prize ball control process (step S80), and sends a payout command to the payout control board 951 in the output data setting process (step S90).

When the payout control board 951 stores the received payout command in memory, it sends a payout command reception confirmation to the main control board 1310. Then, when the payout control board 951 pays out the prize balls in accordance with the payout command, it notifies the main control board 1310 that the ball payout is complete.

When the main control MPU 1311 receives a ball payout completion notification from the payout control board 951, it updates the total number of prize balls (or the prize ball number buffer in the embodiment described below) with the number of prize balls that have been paid out in the base calculation area update process (step S81), and updates the base value in the base ratio calculation and display process (step S89).

In the procedure shown in FIG. 44, the data on the number of unpaid prize balls is backed up by the main control board 1310 so that it is not lost in the event of a power outage. For this reason, it is necessary for the payout control board 951 to notify the main control board 1310 that ball payout has been completed, but confirmation of command reception may be omitted.

As described above, the pachinko machine of this embodiment updates the number of prize balls and the number of out balls, which are parameters used to calculate the base value, when certain conditions are met. For example, in the process shown in Figures 41 and 42, the number of prize balls is updated when the prize opening sensor detects the entry of a game ball in the switch input process (step S74). In the process shown in Figure 43, the number of prize balls is updated when a payout command is sent. In the process shown in Figure 44, the number of prize balls is updated when it is confirmed that a payout command has been received. In the process shown in Figure 45, the number of prize balls is updated when the payout of the prize balls is completed.

In the pachinko machine of this embodiment, there is a possibility that the number of prize balls during the special prize cannot be counted accurately due to a discrepancy between the timing of determining whether the game state is during the special prize and the timing of updating the number of prize balls. This problem is particularly serious when there is a long time between the ball entering the prize slot and the number of prize balls being updated. For this reason, a flag is attached to the prize balls during the special prize, and this flag is carried over to the number of prize balls due to the prize, the payout command, the receipt confirmation, and the payout completion notification. Then, using this flag, it is determined at each stage whether the ball is during the special prize. In this way, even if there is a long time between the ball entering the prize slot and the number of prize balls being updated, the number of prize balls during the special prize can be counted and updated accurately.

In addition, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the number of winning balls and the number of out balls are updated at these times, and the base value is calculated and displayed. In other words, since the base value can be known for the gaming machine alone, the time required for nail adjustment during the manufacturing and inspection processes can be shortened, and gaming machines can be manufactured efficiently.

In addition, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, if the pachinko machine runs out of balls and is unable to pay out prize balls, the main control board 1310 or the payout control board 951 will hold the number of unpaid balls.

When the main control board 1310 holds the number of unpaid balls, when the winning port sensor detects a winning ball in the switch input process (step S74), the number of prize balls corresponding to the winning port where the winning ball was detected is added to the number of unpaid balls. Note that a predetermined upper limit may be set for this number of unpaid balls, but no upper limit may be set. In this case, it is advisable to update the prize ball number buffer or the total number of prize balls used to calculate the base value each time the number of prize balls to be paid out is calculated. The number of prize balls may also be updated after a payout command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the payout control board 951.

On the other hand, if the payout control board 951 holds the number of unpaid balls, when the winning port sensor detects a winning ball in the switch input process (step S74), a payout command for the number of prize balls corresponding to the winning port where the winning ball was detected is sent to the payout control board 951. Even if the pachinko machine is out of balls and cannot pay out prize balls, a payout command is sent and the number of unpaid balls is held in the payout control board 951. In this case, it is a good idea to update the prize ball count buffer or the total number of prize balls used to calculate the base value each time a payout command is sent.

When the payout control board 951 receives a payout command, it may update the number of prize balls used to calculate the base value. A predetermined upper limit may be set for this number of prize balls, but no upper limit may be set. The number of prize balls used to calculate the base value may also be updated each time prize balls are actually paid out. The payout control board 951 transmits the number of prize balls used to calculate the base value to the main control board 1310, and the main control board 1310 calculates the base value using the received number of prize balls.

Also, as described later in FIG. 47, steps S891 and S892 may be executed after a predetermined number of winnings (e.g., 10 winnings) or after a predetermined time period (e.g., 5 seconds) without comparing the prize ball count buffer value with threshold value Th1.

As explained above, the number of prize balls used to calculate the base value can be updated at various times, but when the number of prize balls is updated, the base value may be calculated without delay and displayed in real time on the base display 1317, or the base value may be calculated and displayed at a specified time (for example, every minute).

[9-3. Timing of updating the number of prize balls and calculating the base value]
Next, variations of the base calculation area update process (step S81) and the base calculation display process (step S89) will be described with reference to Figures 46 to 51. The calculation timing of the base value in each variation is outlined below.
・Figures 39 and 40: Calculate the base value for each timer interrupt period. ・Figures 46 and 47: Calculate the base value for each specified number of prize balls. ・Figures 48 and 49: Calculate the base value for each specified number of out balls. ・Figures 50 and 51: When either the number of prize balls or the number of out balls reaches a specified number, the base value is updated.

Figure 46 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process shown in Figure 46 records the number of prize balls in the prize ball number buffer (step S813) in order to calculate the base value when the number of prize balls satisfies a predetermined condition. Note that in Figure 46, the same step numbers are used for parts that are the same as those in the base calculation area update process described above (Figure 39), and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the game is in a special prize state (step S810). The criteria for determining whether a special prize state is in progress can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. If the game is in a special prize state, the number of prize balls and the number of out balls are not updated and the process proceeds to step S824, since the prize balls are not related to the calculation of the base value. On the other hand, if the game is not in a special prize state, the number of prize balls calculated based on the input information in the prize ball control process (step S80) is obtained (step S811).

Then, it is determined whether there are any prize balls, i.e., whether the number of prize balls acquired is 1 or more (step S812). As a result, if there are no prize balls, the number of prize balls is not updated and the process proceeds to step S818. On the other hand, if there are any prize balls, the number of prize balls acquired is added to the prize ball number buffer (step S813). Note that the number of prize balls may be output from the external terminal board 784 to a hall computer installed in the gaming center each time it is added to the prize ball number buffer, or when the number of prize balls described later becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th1, the threshold value Th1 may be output from the external terminal board 784 to the hall computer. Here, the prize ball number buffer is an area provided in the main control built-in RAM 1312 to calculate a base value, and the number of prize balls paid out by the pachinko machine 1 is temporarily stored therein.

Then, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls (step S815). For example, an abnormality in the number of prize balls is when a large number of prize balls are obtained during a specified time other than during the special prize period (for example, prize balls equivalent to more than 10 prizes per minute, considering the number of prize balls at the general prize opening and the starting opening). Note that a multiple-stage tolerance range may be set and the degree of abnormality may be determined in multiple stages depending on the degree of deviation of the number of prize balls from the reference value. Also, if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, in step S813, it is not necessary to add the obtained number of prize balls to the prize ball number buffer, and the number of prize balls added to the prize ball number buffer in step S813 may be subtracted.

As a result, if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command is generated (step S816), and the player or hall employee is notified that the number of prize balls is abnormal. There are various methods for notifying an abnormality, and one of the methods described below may be used, or two or more may be combined. For example, an abnormality in the number of prize balls may be notified by various lamps, the performance display device 1600, 3114, 244, sound, etc. Also, the abnormality in the number of prize balls may be output from the external terminal board 784 to the hall computer installed in the game center. Furthermore, the number of prize balls determined to be abnormal may not be used in the calculation of the base value. In this case, prize balls may be paid out to the player. Also, when the number of prize balls is determined to be abnormal and is notified by the above-mentioned notification means (sound, lamp, LED, performance display device, information output from the external terminal board 784, etc.), the number of prize balls determined to be abnormal may be used in the calculation of the base value. Furthermore, the game may be temporarily stopped. Specifically, the main control board 1310 initializes all data in the main control built-in RAM 1312 and initializes all data in the RAM of the peripheral control unit 1511 even if the RAM clear switch is not operated. Then, the game is started from the initial state with the operation confirmation. As another method for stopping the game, the game is temporarily stopped (for example, the variable display of the special pattern is stopped), and then the game is resumed by returning to the original state after the error notification is stopped. For this reason, even if the power failure monitoring circuit does not detect a drop in the power supply voltage, the power failure detection signal is output, and the main control MPU 1311 backs up all data in the main control built-in RAM 1312 and stops the game. Then, after the error notification is finished, the data in the main control built-in RAM 1312 is restored from the backup area and the game is resumed. At this time, the peripheral control unit 1511 waits for a command from the main control board 1310 in the same state, so that the interrupted game is resumed by the resumption of the operation of the main control board 1310. However, since 100 game balls (i.e., out balls) are shot into the game area 5a and there is a possibility that all of the game balls will enter the general winning hole or the starting hole, it is desirable for the manner in which an abnormality in the number of winning balls is notified to be less urgent than a normal error (such as a magnetic sensor error) and in a gentle manner (for example, lower volume or brightness than a normal error notification). In addition, the display time may be the same as a normal error or may be shorter. In some cases, the notification time may be set to 0 seconds and no notification may be made.

Then, the prize ball abnormality notification timer is reset (step S817), and counting the prize ball abnormality notification time begins.

Then, the number of out balls is obtained (step S818), and the total number of out balls is updated by adding the obtained number of out balls to the total number of out balls (step S822).

Then, it is determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer started in step S817 has timed out (step S824). Then, when the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command is generated and the prize ball abnormality notification is stopped (step S825). Note that in step S824, the end of the notification is determined based on the time of the timer for notifying the prize ball abnormality for a predetermined period of time, but the end of the notification may also be determined so that the prize ball abnormality is notified for a predetermined number of balls fired. Also, the abnormality may continue to be notified until a hall employee confirms it.

In the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 46, it was determined in step S985 whether there was an abnormality in the number of prize balls, but after obtaining the number of out balls, it may also be determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls (i.e., whether there is an abnormality in the base value) by comparing it with the number of out balls. For example, this may be the case when the number of prize balls counted in a specified period of time exceeds the number of out balls, or when a high proportion of out balls (e.g., 50% or more) have won compared to the number of prize balls at the general winning hole and the starting hole.

Figure 47 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation and display process (step S89). In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 47, the base value is updated when the number of prize balls meets a predetermined condition. Note that in Figure 47, the same steps as in the base calculation and display process described above (Figure 40) are given the same step numbers, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the number of prize balls stored in the prize ball number buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th1 (step S890). Various methods can be used to determine whether the prize ball number buffer value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Th1. For example, the prize ball number buffer value can be compared to the threshold value Th1, or the value of a predetermined bit in the prize ball number storage area can be used to determine this (specifically, the prize ball number storage area can be composed of 8 bits, and if the most significant bit is 1, it can be determined that the number of out balls is 128 or greater). In addition, the result of the comparison between the prize ball number and the threshold value Th1 in the base calculation area update process (Figure 46) can be recorded in a flag, and in the base calculation/display process (Figure 47), the flag can be used to determine whether the prize ball number buffer value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Th1.

If the prize ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th1, it is not time to calculate the base value, so the base calculation and display process is terminated.

On the other hand, if the prize ball number buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold Th1, the threshold Th1 is added to the total prize ball number (step S891), and the threshold Th1 is subtracted from the prize ball number buffer (step S892). In other words, if the number of prize balls counted from a predetermined starting point meets a predetermined condition (the number of prize balls stored in the prize ball number buffer is equal to or greater than the threshold Th1), the fractional part of the prize ball number is left (the fraction obtained by subtracting the threshold Th1 from the prize ball number buffer is left in the prize ball number buffer), and the other part is stored in memory (the threshold Th1 is added to the total prize ball number), and a process is executed to use it for calculating the base value. Specifically, when the threshold Th1 is 100, if the prize ball number buffer value is 99 and five prize balls are generated by winning at the general winning port, the prize ball number buffer value becomes 104, but 100 are moved to the total prize ball number and used to calculate the base value, and the remaining four are left in the prize ball number buffer. In this case, the count of the four prize balls remaining in the prize ball number buffer is used to calculate the base value the next time the prize ball number buffer value becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1. Although the threshold value Th1 is described as 100, it may be another value such as 1000. However, if a large threshold value Th1 is set such that the base is not calculated even if a jackpot is obtained, there is a possibility that the detection of fraud may be delayed, so it is recommended that the threshold value Th1 be set to the number of prize balls paid out in one jackpot (or the minimum number of prize balls in a jackpot if there are multiple types of jackpots (for example, 4-round and 8-round jackpots). In addition, it is recommended to update the base value frequently from the viewpoint of early detection of fraud. For example, it is preferable that the threshold value Th1 is 10 rather than 100, since the base value is updated frequently.

In addition, steps S891 and S892 may be executed after a predetermined number of winnings (e.g., 10 times) without comparing the prize ball count buffer value with the threshold value Th1. Furthermore, steps S891 and S892 may be executed every predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) without comparing the prize ball count buffer value with the threshold value Th1. This predetermined time may be measured by a timer operated by the main control MPU 1311, or may be measured by the output of an RTC (real-time clock).

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S902). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and the base calculation and display process is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls is divided by the total number of out balls to calculate the base value (step S903). Specifically, the total number of prize balls is multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) and stored in the division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls is stored in the division input register B131217. Then, after 32 clocks have elapsed, the quotient is read from the division result register A131218 and used as the base value. Note that if the total number of out balls is 0, even if the base value is calculated, the return value from the calculation circuit 13121 will be an error (or indefinite), so it is not necessary to store it in the base calculation area 13128. In this case, the base value displayed on the base display 1317 is not updated.

In addition, when the total number of out balls is 0 or when the calculated base value is an abnormal value, the base value does not need to be calculated and the base calculation area 13128 does not need to be updated. For example, when the total number of out balls is equal to or less than the total number of prize balls, the base value is 100% or more, and the number of prize balls obtained is equal to or more than the number of shot balls (out balls). Since the game is not being played normally, no numerical values are stored in the division input registers 131216 and 131217 and the base value does not need to be calculated. In addition, when the base value is calculated and the value read from the division result register A 131218 is 100% or more, the base calculation area 13128 does not need to be updated with the value read from the division result register A 131218.

Also, an abnormality in the base value may be determined using 1500% as a threshold value. Since the theoretical upper limit of the base value for a pachinko machine in which the maximum number of winning balls per winning slot is 15 is 1500%, a base value exceeding 1500% is an impossible value, and it can be determined that the gaming machine is abnormal. In this case, too, it is not necessary to calculate the base value, or to update the base calculation area 13128 with the value read from the division result register A 131218.

The threshold value for determining whether the base value is abnormal may be another value. A normal value for the base value during normal operation of the pachinko machine (e.g., 30% to 50%) may be defined, and if the base value is outside the normal range, the base calculation area 13128 may not be updated with the value read from the division result register A 131218, and the display of the base value may not be updated.

Although we have explained above the case where the base value is not displayed, even if the calculated base value is abnormal, the abnormal base value may be displayed.

Note that the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls are cumulative values from the time the pachinko machine 1 starts operating, as described later in FIG. 52, but the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls may be initialized at the same time (for example, every time a specified number of winning balls or every time a specified number of out balls occurs).

Then, a base notification command is generated (step S908) and the base is notified to the player and hall employees.

As explained above, the pachinko machine of this embodiment judges whether the number of winning balls is abnormal each time the number of winning balls is obtained, so that fraudulent behavior can be detected early. This is because, during normal play, there is a high probability that a significant number of game balls (for example, 50% of the number of balls fired) will not enter the general winning hole 2001 or the starting holes 2002 and 2004. Therefore, abnormalities in winning balls entering the winning holes that are always open (general winning hole 2001 and starting holes 2002 and 2004) are judged and reported.

In addition, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the base value is calculated when the number of winning balls meets a predetermined condition, so the accurate base value can be displayed at the appropriate time.

In the examples shown in Figures 46 and 47, the base value is calculated when the number of prize balls reaches a predetermined number, so the amount of calculation required to calculate the base value (e.g., the load on the main control MPU 1311) can be reduced compared to when the base value is calculated for each prize ball. When a new base value is calculated, a base notification command is generated to notify the calculated base value and the new base value is notified, but until then the previous base value is notified.

Figure 48 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process shown in Figure 48 records the number of out balls in the out ball count buffer in order to calculate the base value when the number of out balls meets a predetermined condition (step S819). Note that in Figure 48, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation area update process described above, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the game is in a special prize state (step S810). The criteria for determining whether a special prize state is in progress can be the same as those described in Figure 39. Then, the number of prize balls other than those in the special prize state is obtained (step S811), and it is determined whether there are any prize balls (step S812). Then, if the result of the determination in step S812 is that there are any prize balls, the obtained number of prize balls is added to the total number of prize balls (step S814). In other words, in the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 48, the total number of prize balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time the number of prize balls is calculated.

Then, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls (step S815), and if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command is generated (step S816), and the timer for notifying abnormality in prize balls is reset (step S817).

Then, the number of out balls is obtained (step S818). The obtained number of out balls is added to the out ball number buffer (step S819).

Then, it is determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out (step S824), and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command is generated and the prize ball abnormality notification is stopped (step S825).

In addition, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the base value is calculated for each predetermined number of winning balls. For this reason, for example, when a game ball enters the starting hole and it is determined that a pre-reading performance is to be generated, and the display mode of the reserved display is displayed in a different mode from the normal mode (such as a flashing display or a red reserved display), the player hopes that the special pattern change display game corresponding to the pre-read reserved will be a big hit, but if the special pattern change display game is a miss, the player will be disappointed. Even in such a case, if the base value is calculated for each predetermined number of winning balls as in this embodiment, the player's disappointment as described above can be reduced. This is because the calculation of the base value is delayed from the timing of the prize ball generation, and the base value that is higher due to the winning ball entering the starting hole is notified. In other words, even if it is determined that a pre-reading performance is to be executed when a ball enters the starting hole, if the number of winning balls paid out at the time of the ball entering the starting hole does not reach the above-mentioned predetermined number (for example, the threshold value Th1 = 100 balls), the base value is not updated. In other words, the base value displayed to the player has not changed. However, since a prize ball has been obtained, the base value should increase (due to the number of digits displayed, it is possible that only the lower digits change, and the display does not change). For this reason, even if the above-mentioned look-ahead performance is a miss, the player will think that the base value will increase later (i.e., the player is doing well), and this helps prevent a decline in interest. In other words, even if it is determined that the look-ahead performance should be executed, the base value will not be updated if the prize ball buffer value has not reached a predetermined number (threshold value Th1). Also, if it is determined that the look-ahead performance should be executed and the prize ball buffer value has reached a predetermined number, the calculation of the base value may be delayed until the next time the prize ball buffer value reaches the predetermined number.

The player may be allowed to select whether to delay the calculation of the base value or to calculate it without delay. For example, the selection may be made by the operation button 220C at the start of the game. The timing of the calculation of the base value may also be determined by lottery. When it is decided to perform a look-ahead performance, a performance that can notify a delay in the calculation of the base value may be executed. If the reserved memory of the special symbol change display game has reached its upper limit, the jackpot lottery will not be executed even if the starting hole is won. Even in this case, prize balls are paid out when the starting hole is won, so the number of prize balls is counted and used to calculate the base value. If a specific error occurs and a prize is not paid out even if the starting hole or the general winning hole is won, the number of prize balls is not counted and the base value is not updated by the winning.

Figure 49 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation and display process (step S89). In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 49, the base value is updated when the number of out balls meets a predetermined condition. Note that in Figure 49, the same steps as in the base calculation and display process described above are given the same step numbers, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the number of out balls stored in the out ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S895). Various methods can be used to determine whether the out ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Th2. For example, the number of out balls may be compared to the threshold value Th2, or the determination may be made based on the value of a predetermined bit in the storage area for the number of out balls (specifically, the storage area for the number of out balls may be composed of 8 bits, and if the most significant bit is 1, it can be determined that the number of out balls is 128 or greater). In addition, the result of the comparison between the number of out balls and the threshold value Th2 in the base calculation area update process (Figure 48) may be recorded in a flag, and in the base calculation/display process (Figure 49), the flag may be used to determine whether the number of out balls is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Th2.

If the out ball count buffer value is smaller than threshold value Th2, it is not time to calculate the base value, so the base calculation and display process ends.

On the other hand, if the out ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th2, the threshold value Th2 is added to the total out ball count (step S899), and the threshold value Th2 is subtracted from the out ball count buffer (step S900). Note that steps S899 and S900 may be executed at predetermined intervals (e.g., one minute) without comparing the out ball count buffer value with the threshold value Th2.

Then, the total number of winning balls is divided by the total number of out balls to calculate the base value (step S903). Specifically, the total number of winning balls is multiplied by a predetermined number (e.g., 100) and stored in division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217. Then, after 32 clocks have elapsed, the quotient is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value. Note that if the total number of out balls is 0, even if the base value is calculated, the return value from the calculation circuit 13121 will be an error, so it does not need to be stored in the base calculation area 13128. In this case, the base value displayed in the base display 1317 is not updated.

Note that the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls are cumulative values from when the pachinko machine 1 starts operating, but the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls may be initialized at the same time (for example, every time a specified number of winning balls or every time a specified number of out balls occurs).

A base notification command is then generated (step S908) to notify the player and hall staff of the base. The base notification command may simply notify the base value, may notify the base value in a specific presentation, or may notify an abnormality in the base value.

As explained above, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the base value can be updated and displayed each time the number of out balls (number of shot balls) reaches a predetermined number. This allows the base value to be displayed at the appropriate time. In addition, it is possible to provide a gaming machine that pursues entertainment.

In addition, the number of prize balls is added to the total number of prize balls each time a prize ball is entered (detection of winning, transmission of a payout command, arrival of the payout command, completion of prize ball payout, etc.). This is because if checking whether a certain condition is met when adding the number of prize balls (for example, whether there is an out ball corresponding to the prize ball), there is a risk that the base value will not be calculated correctly. For example, even if the ball is not released for a certain period of time (about one minute), the game ball may get caught on a nail arranged in the play area, causing a sling (grape) state to be resolved, and the game ball may enter the winning hole after a delay. For this reason, it is desirable to update the number of prize balls regardless of whether there are out balls or not.

If both the number of out balls and the out ball number buffer value are smaller than threshold value Th2, it may be displayed that the out ball number buffer value is a fraction smaller than threshold value Th2, or the out ball number buffer value may be displayed.

In the examples shown in Figures 48 and 49, the base value is calculated when the number of out balls reaches a predetermined number, so the amount of calculation required to calculate the base value (e.g., the load on the main control MPU 1311) can be reduced compared to when the base value is calculated every time an out ball is detected. When a new base value is calculated, a base notification command is generated to notify the calculated base value and the new base value is notified, but until then the previous base value is notified.

Figure 50 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process shown in Figure 50 records the number of prize balls in the prize ball number buffer and the number of out balls in the out ball number buffer in order to calculate the base value when either the number of prize balls or the number of out balls meets a specified condition. Note that in Figure 50, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation area update process described above, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the game is in a special prize state (step S810). The criteria for determining whether a special prize state is in progress can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. Then, the number of prize balls other than those in the special prize state is obtained (step S811), and it is determined whether there are any prize balls (step S812). Then, if there are any prize balls, the obtained number of prize balls is added to the prize ball number buffer (step S813).

Then, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls (step S815), and if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command is generated (step S816), and the timer for notifying abnormality in prize balls is reset (step S817).

Then, the number of out balls is obtained (step S818), and the obtained number of out balls is added to the out ball number buffer (step S819).

Then, it is determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out (step S824), and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command is generated and the prize ball abnormality notification is stopped (step S825).

Figure 51 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation and display process (step S89). In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 51, the base value is updated when either the number of winning balls or the number of out balls meets a predetermined condition. Note that in Figure 51, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation and display process described above, and detailed explanations thereof are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the number of prize balls stored in the prize ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th1 (step S890). If the prize ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th1, it is not time to update the total number of prize balls, so proceed to step S895. On the other hand, if the prize ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1, the threshold value Th1 is added to the total number of prize balls (step S891), and the threshold value Th1 is subtracted from the prize ball count buffer (step S892). Then, the out ball count buffer value is added to the total number of out balls (step S893), and the out ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S894). Note that steps S891 to S894 may be executed after each predetermined number of winnings or at predetermined time intervals, without comparing the prize ball count buffer value with the threshold value Th1.

Then, it is determined whether the number of out balls stored in the out ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S895). If the out ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th2, it is not time to update the total number of out balls, so proceed to step S902. On the other hand, if the out ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th2, the prize ball count buffer value is added to the total number of prize balls (step S897), and the prize ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S898). Then, the threshold value Th2 is added to the total number of out balls (step S899), and the threshold value Th2 is subtracted from the out ball count buffer (step S900).

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S902). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, and the base calculation and display process is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls is divided by the total number of out balls to calculate the base value (step S903). Specifically, the total number of prize balls is multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) and stored in division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217. Then, after 32 clocks have elapsed, the quotient is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value. Note that if the total number of out balls is 0, even if the base value is calculated, the return value from the calculation circuit 13121 is an error, so it is not necessary to store it in the base calculation area 13128. In this case, the base value displayed on the base display 1317 is not updated.

After that, a base notification command is generated (step S908) to notify the player and hall employees of the base. The base notification command may simply notify the base value, or may notify an abnormality in the base value. Note that the base notification command may be generated each time the base value is calculated, or may not be generated even when the base value is calculated.

In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 51, the base value is calculated every time, even if the total number of winning balls or the total number of out balls is not updated. In other words, if the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls are not updated, the same value is calculated as the base value, and the base value remains the same. On the other hand, if the total number of winning balls or the total number of out balls is updated, the base value is updated to a different value.

Figure 52 shows the specific structure of the work area for storing each data in the base calculation area 13128.

The data of the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls in the base calculation area 13128 is written by the base calculation area update process and the base calculation/display process (Figures 39, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, etc.) executed by the main control MPU 1311, and is read by the base calculation/display process (Figures 40, 47, 49, 51, etc.). In addition, the data of the winning ball number buffer and the out ball number buffer in the base calculation area 13128 is written by the base calculation area update process (Figures 46, 48, 50, etc.) executed by the main control MPU 1311, and is read by the base calculation/display process (Figures 47, 49, 51, etc.). For this reason, the base calculation area update process and the base calculation/display process can be configured separately from the timer interrupt process (game control program), and the program for the role ratio calculation/display process can be shared even for game machines with different specifications.

Figure 52 (A) shows an example of the structure of the work area in the simplest way. In the structure of the work area shown in Figure 52 (A), a prize ball number buffer, a total prize ball number, an out ball number buffer, a winning ball number buffer, a specific winning ball number buffer, a total out ball number, and a base are stored. The prize ball number buffer temporarily stores the number of prize balls paid out to the player other than during the special prize, and is used to calculate the base when the number of prize balls meets a predetermined condition (for example, for each predetermined number of prize balls). The total prize ball number is the total number of prize balls paid out to the player other than during the special prize. The out ball number buffer is the number of game balls fired by the player other than during the special prize, and is used to calculate the base when the number of out balls meets a predetermined condition (for example, for each predetermined number of out balls). The winning ball number buffer temporarily stores the number of balls that have won in the general winning hole or the starting hole. The specific winning ball number buffer temporarily stores the number of balls that have won in a specific general winning hole or starting hole. The winning ball count buffer is used when counting the number of out balls based on the number of balls that pass through the out port (Figures 55 and 56). The specific winning ball count buffer is used when correcting the number of out balls based on the number of winning balls that enter specific general winning ports (Figures 71 and 72). The total number of out balls is the total number of game balls fired by the player other than during special prizes. The base is calculated as total number of winning balls ÷ total number of out balls × 100, and is a number expressed as a percentage, and is calculated in step S903 of the base calculation and display process.

Of the work area structure shown in FIG. 52(A), the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls correspond to the respective areas of the total cumulative total in FIG. 52(B) described later, and are 3 or 4 byte memory areas each, capable of storing values up to 16777215 or 4294967295 in decimal. Since this data is not erased unless an abnormality occurs in the data, a large memory area is provided so that data can be stored for a long period of time. The base is a 1 byte memory area equivalent to the total cumulative total base in FIG. 52(B) described later, and can store values up to 255 in decimal. It is also possible to allocate a capacity that allows the base value to be recorded as a decimal.

Figure 52 (B) shows another example of the structure of the work area using a ring buffer. In the structure of the work area shown in Figure 52 (B), a prize ball number buffer, a total prize ball number, an out ball number buffer, a winning ball number buffer, a specific winning ball number buffer, a total out ball number, and a base are stored. Each data item is the same as that described in Figure 52 (A). The memory area for the total prize ball number and the total out ball number is configured by a ring buffer with n memory areas (for example, n = 10 memory areas for every 6000 prize balls) for every predetermined number of prize balls (or every predetermined number of out balls, every predetermined time). When the number of prize balls reaches a predetermined number (6000), the write pointer for all data moves and the memory area in which the data is updated changes. Then, after the data for the predetermined number of prize balls is stored in the nth memory area, the write pointer moves to the first memory area, and the data is stored in the first memory area. Note that the write pointer may be moved when data other than the number of prize balls (number of out balls, predetermined time, etc.) reaches a predetermined number.

The write pointer and read pointer of the ring buffer are common to all data, and the write pointer of all data columns moves for each specified number of prize balls. In addition, the read pointer also moves as the write pointer moves. The read pointer points to the memory area immediately before the write pointer. This is because the base value is calculated using the most recent data for 6,000 prize balls.

The cumulative totals of the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls are the cumulative values of the data stored in the n memory areas of the ring buffer, and the base cumulative value is a value calculated from the cumulative totals of the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls. When the ring buffer goes through one cycle and one memory area of the ring buffer is cleared to write new data, the cumulative value is recalculated excluding the data in the cleared area. The total cumulative total of each data is the cumulative value of all data collected in the past, and the base total cumulative value calculated from the cumulative value is a value calculated from the total cumulative value of each data. Even when the ring buffer goes through one cycle and one memory area of the ring buffer is cleared to write new data, the total cumulative value is calculated including the original data in the cleared area.

In the work area structure shown in FIG. 52(B), the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls in the ring buffer are each 2-byte storage areas, and can store values up to 65535 in decimal. The cumulative total is the sum of data for 6000 winning balls x n (60000 winning balls when n=10), so a large storage area is provided. The cumulative total of the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls are each 3 or 4-byte storage areas, and can store values up to 16777215 or 4294967295 in decimal. The total cumulative total is not erased unless an abnormality occurs in the data, so an even larger storage area is provided to store data for a long period of time. In addition, the base cumulative total and the total cumulative total are each 1-byte storage areas, and can store values up to 255 in decimal. Note that a capacity that allows the base value to be recorded in decimal may be allocated.

In the data structure shown in FIG. 52(A), the stored data is not erased, so the data in the base calculation area 13128 may be erased at predetermined intervals (e.g., one day, one week, one month, etc.). Similarly, the total cumulative total in FIG. 52(B) may be erased at predetermined intervals.

In addition, if the data in base calculation area 13128 or the calculated base value is abnormal, the abnormal value may be erased. Not only the abnormal value but all data in base calculation area 13128 may be erased. Also, it may be notified that the data in base calculation area 13128 or the calculated base value is abnormal. Also, a check code may be used to inspect the data in the backup area, and the normal data in the backup area may be copied to the main area, after which the base value may be calculated again.

[9-4. Display of base value]
As described above, the calculated base value may continue to be displayed while the power of the pachinko machine 1 is turned on, but when the main body frame 4 is closed and play is possible, the base display 1317 cannot be seen, so the 7-segment LED 13172 may be turned off to reduce the power consumption of the gaming machine. Naturally, even when the 7-segment LED 13172 is turned off, the base calculation area update process (step S81) and the base calculation/display process (step S89) are executed.

The base display 1317 may always display the base value, or may display the base value by operating the display switch 1318. For example, when the display switch 1318, which is a push button switch, is pressed, the display of the base value begins and disappears after a predetermined period of time. Note that if the display switch 1318 is operated while a main body frame opening switch (not shown) is detecting that the main body frame 4 has been released from the outer frame 2, the base display 1317 may display the base value. In other words, even if the display switch 1318 is operated when the main body frame 4 is not in the open state, the base display 1317 does not display the role ratio.

In addition, when the main body frame 4 is opened, it is advisable to display a specific indication on all digits so that it is possible to confirm that the base display 1317 is operating normally. For example, as shown in FIG. 36(B), all digits may display "-" or all segments may be lit.

When the main body frame 4 is closed, a predetermined display is made to confirm that the base display 1317 is operating normally (Fig. 36 (E)), and after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed, the 7-segment LED 13172 is turned off to reduce the power consumption of the gaming machine. This base non-display state is the same as that after the initial setting is completed (Fig. 36 (B)), but it may be a different state, as long as it is distinguishable from the displayed base value.

The base display 1317 may be used as the functional display unit 1400. The functional display unit 1400 normally displays the game status based on a control signal from the main control board 1310, but when a main frame opening switch (not shown) detects that the main frame 4 has been opened from the outer frame 2, the main control board 1310 switches the display so that the functional display unit 1400 displays the base value. Even if the display of the functional display unit 1400 is switched by opening the main frame 4, the progress of the game may continue. By continuing the progress of the game, when the main frame 4 is closed, the display can be quickly switched from the base display to the display of the game status. For example, when the main frame 4 is opened during a special pattern variable display game, the base value is displayed, but when the main frame 4 is closed before the variable time has elapsed, the variable display for the remaining time can be performed. The special pattern displayed on the functional display unit 1400 is synchronized with the decorative pattern displayed on the performance display device 1600, so the decorative pattern stops at the timing when the special pattern variable display of the functional display unit 1400 stops. Therefore, even if the function display unit 1400 displays the base value, it can be configured so that the player does not feel uncomfortable.

In addition, even when the main frame 4 is closed, the calculated base value (in the above-mentioned embodiment, the role ratio) may be displayed on the base display (role ratio display) 1317. In this way, the base value (role ratio) can be confirmed without opening the main frame 4, so that the decline in operation of the gaming machine can be suppressed. In addition, it is not necessary to determine whether the main frame 4 is open. In addition, in an island facility where pachinko machines are installed on both sides, when the main frame 4 of one pachinko machine is opened, the back of the pachinko machine installed on the opposite side can be seen. In such a gaming machine, the base (role ratio) of the two pachinko machines installed back to back can be confirmed by opening the main frame 4 of one pachinko machine. In addition, when the base value is displayed even when the main frame 4 is closed, it is preferable to display the base value in a form that the player can recognize (for example, on a display device that displays the performance of the special pattern variation display game or a display device attached to the frame). This is because the base value can be used as a barometer that indicates the condition of the pachinko machine, and is worth seeing by the player. When the base value is calculated by the main control board 1310, a signal for displaying the base value can be sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control board 1510. When the base value is calculated by the dispensing control board 951, a signal for displaying the base value can be sent from the dispensing control board 951 to the peripheral control board 1510. Also, the signal for displaying the base value can be sent via a relay board.

In addition, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the light intensity (brightness) of the base display 1317 is not changed even when the machine transitions to energy saving mode. This is because if the light intensity of the base display 1317 is reduced during energy saving mode, it becomes difficult to check the base value using the base display 1317 when adjusting the pachinko machine outside opening hours.

Specifically, the gaming machine of this embodiment enters a standby state after a predetermined time has elapsed after the game ball has not entered any of the winning slots and the reserved memory of the special symbol variation display game has been consumed. In the standby state, the peripheral control unit 1511 continues to output the BGM that is output in the so-called normal variation. Furthermore, after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed in the standby state, the machine transitions to a demo state. In the demo state, a video showing the motif of the gaming machine is played, or an explanation of the gaming machine is given. Furthermore, after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed in the demo state, the machine transitions to an energy saving mode (note that it is not necessary to distinguish between the demo state and the energy saving mode). In the energy saving mode, the light intensity of the performance display device 1600, 3114, 244 and various lamps controlled by the peripheral control unit 1511 is reduced in order to suppress power consumption. However, since the power consumption of the display device (functional display unit 1400 and base display device 1317) controlled by the main control board 1310 is smaller than the power consumption of the entire pachinko machine, it is not necessary to reduce the light intensity of these display devices. Furthermore, if the light intensity of the functional display unit 1400 is not reduced, players who wish to play on vacant machines can easily see the results of the previous lottery.

In addition, even if the game ball does not enter the start hole or general winning hole, if a game ball is launched into the game area and an out ball is detected, the displayed base value may be recalculated and updated. If game balls are launched and the number of out balls increases but the number of winning balls does not increase, the calculated base value will decrease, but some players are fired up for revenge.

For such players, the interest in the game can be revived by informing them of the game status using the functional display unit 1400, which also serves as the base display 1317. In other words, even if the mode is switched to demo mode or energy saving mode, the display mode of the display showing the base value should maintain the same light intensity as before the mode was switched to demo mode or energy saving mode, or should increase the light intensity so that the player can properly check the base value.

Although the above has been described with respect to maintaining or increasing the light intensity of the display showing the base value, the light intensity of the display showing the base value may be decreased or turned off in order to emphasize the viewpoint of reducing energy consumption. For example, when a specific operation is detected during the energy saving mode (operation of an operating means provided on the gaming machine, such as a firing stop button that forcibly stops firing, an operating button that changes the displayed presentation, a RAM clear button that clears the contents of the RAM, or a supply adjustment button that switches between supplying and not supplying power to the gaming machine), the light intensity of the display showing the base value may be decreased. Furthermore, when the specific operation described above is performed, not only during the energy saving mode, the light intensity of both the lamp or the like that reduces power consumption during the energy saving mode and the display showing the base value may be decreased or turned off.

When reducing or turning off both the light intensity of lamps, etc. and the display that displays the base value, the light intensity of lamps, etc. that reduce power consumption during the energy saving mode may be reduced or turned off before the display that displays the base value. In this case, the light intensity of lamps, etc. that consume a large amount of power is reduced first, which has the effect of greatly reducing power consumption. Also, the light intensity of the display that displays the base value may be reduced or turned off before the display that displays the base value. In this case, the effect of maintaining the glamor of the gaming machine even during the energy saving mode is achieved. Also, during the energy saving mode, lamps, etc. that reduce power consumption and the display that displays the base value may be reduced or turned off at the same time. In this case, the amount of reduction in power consumption can be increased, resulting in a high energy saving effect. Note that the terms "before" and "at the same time" in these explanations include the order of timing of internal processing and the order of appearance from the player.

The display mode of the base value may be set to multiple stages, and the display mode of each stage may be changed. Specifically, the displayed base value may be divided into multiple stages, such as 30% or more, 25% or more but less than 30%, 20% or more but less than 25%, 15% or more but less than 20%, 10% or more but less than 15%, and less than 10%. The display device that displays the base value may be configured with a multi-color LED, and the light color may be changed to white, blue, or yellow for each stage. The display device that displays the base value may be configured with a performance display device, and self-deprecating comments such as "You're doing well," "You're getting worse," "That's bad," and "In a way, it's amazing" may be displayed for each stage when the base value is low. Furthermore, a performance may be executed in which the display mode of the display device that displays the base value is not changed, and the above-mentioned comments are added to the performance display device 1600 that displays the decorative pattern.

9-5. Calculating the base value using the number of balls passing through the out hole
Next, further variations of the base calculation area update process (step S81) and the base calculation display process (step S89) will be described with reference to Figures 53 to 56. In the process described with reference to Figures 54 to 56, the number of out balls is calculated using the number of winning balls and the number of balls passing through the out hole, and the base value is calculated. The calculation timing of the base value in each variation is as follows:
- Figures 54 and 40: Calculate the base value every timer interrupt period - Figures 55 and 56: Calculate the base value for each specified number of prize balls and each specified number of out balls.Note that we will not explain the patterns for calculating the base value for each specified number of prize balls and each specified number of out balls, but these can be realized by combining Figures 54 to 56.

When out balls are detected by the out-port passing ball sensor 1021 installed near the out port 1111, there is a problem in that the number of out balls cannot be counted accurately. This is because game balls shot toward the game area 5a flow out of the game area 5a via the out port 1111, the general winning port 2001, the starting port 2002, and the large winning ports 2005 and 2006. For this reason, the out-port passing ball sensor 1021 cannot accurately count the number of game balls shot toward the game area 5a. Therefore, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the number of out balls is accurately calculated using the number of winning balls and the number of balls passing through the out port, and the base value is accurately calculated.

Figure 53 is a front view showing another example of a game board.

The game board of the pachinko machine of this embodiment has a structure roughly the same as that shown in FIG. 10, but has an out-outlet passing ball sensor 1021 that is provided at the bottom of the game area 5a and detects game balls (number of balls passing through the out-outlet) that pass through the out-outlet 1111 and flow out of the game area 5a. The out-outlet passing ball sensor 1021 should be installed in a position where the player can see it through the out-outlet 1111. By installing the out-outlet passing ball sensor 1021 in a position where the player can see it through the out-outlet 1111, the player can be made aware that the out balls are being counted, i.e., that the base is being calculated.

The out-port passing ball sensor 1021 may also be installed in a location that is not visible to the player, such as a collection gutter where game balls that flow down from the game area 5a through the out-port 1111 are lined up. If it is installed in a location that is not visible to the player, the player does not need to be aware of the counting of out balls. Also, by placing the out-port passing ball sensor 1021 on the back side of the out-port 1111, it is possible to secure sufficient space for placing the performance display device and the role (movable body), and the degree of freedom in designing the game board 5 can be improved. Also, in order to prevent double counting of game balls, it is recommended that the rolling surface on which the game balls that have passed through the out-port passing ball sensor 1021 roll be inclined or curved so that the game balls that have passed through the out-port passing ball sensor 1021 do not bounce back.

Figure 54 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process shown in Figure 54 obtains the number of winning balls, the number of balls that pass through the out exit, and the number of winning balls in order to calculate a base value using the number of balls that pass through the out exit for each timer interrupt period. Note that in Figure 54, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation area update process described above, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the game is in a special prize state (step S810). The criteria for determining whether a special prize state is in progress can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. Then, the number of prize balls other than those in the special prize state is obtained (step S811), and the obtained number of prize balls is added to the total number of prize balls (step S814). That is, in the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 54, the total number of prize balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time the number of prize balls is calculated. Note that it is possible to determine whether there are any prize balls, and if there are no prize balls, skip the process of updating the total number of prize balls.

Then, the number of balls that pass through the out port is obtained (step S818), and the number of winning balls is obtained (step S820). The sum of the number of balls that pass through the out port and the number of winning balls is then added to the total number of out balls (step S822). That is, in the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 54, the total number of out balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time an out ball or winning ball is detected.

As in steps S815 to S817 of the base calculation area update process (Figure 46) described above, it may be determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, and if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification timer may be reset. Furthermore, as in steps S824 to S825 of Figure 46, it may be determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification may be stopped.

After recording the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls in the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 54, the base value can be calculated using the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 40.

Figure 55 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process shown in Figure 55 records the number of prize balls in the prize ball number buffer, records the number of balls passing through the out hole in the out ball number buffer, and records the number of winning balls in the winning ball number buffer in order to calculate the base value when either the number of prize balls or the number of out balls meets a specified condition. Note that in Figure 55, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation area update process described above, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the game is in a special prize state (step S810). The criteria for determining whether a special prize state is in progress can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. Then, the number of prize balls other than those in the special prize state is obtained (step S811), and it is determined whether there are any prize balls (step S812). Then, if there are any prize balls, the obtained number of prize balls is added to the prize ball number buffer (step S813).

Then, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls (step S815), and if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command is generated (step S816), and the timer for notifying abnormality in prize balls is reset (step S817).

Then, the number of balls passing through the out hole is obtained (step S818), and the obtained number of balls passing through the out hole is added to the out hole number buffer (step S819). Then, the number of winning balls is obtained (step S820), and the obtained number of winning balls is added to the winning ball number buffer (step S821).

Then, it is determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out (step S824), and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command is generated and the prize ball abnormality notification is stopped (step S825).

In the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 54, the sum of the number of balls that passed through the out exit and the number of winning balls is added to one memory area (total number of out balls), and in the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 55, the number of balls that passed through the out exit and the number of winning balls are added to another memory area (number of out balls buffer, number of winning balls buffer). In this way, the number of balls that passed through the out exit and the number of winning balls may be recorded in one memory area or in separate memory areas.

In addition, when the number of balls passing through the out exit and the number of winning balls are recorded in separate memory areas in the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 55, the number of out balls increases by one when a ball enters the winning exit, so the counting of the number of balls passing through the out exit and the counting of the number of winning balls are performed simultaneously (within one timer interrupt process), but the base value is calculated after both the out ball count buffer and the winning ball count buffer are updated. In this case, if it is not possible to update both the out ball count buffer and the winning ball count buffer within one timer interrupt process, it is better to determine in advance whether to prioritize counting the number of balls passing through the out exit or the number of winning balls, rather than deciding by lottery. In this case, if the process related to the winning balls is given priority over other processes, the prize ball payout process can be executed quickly, but this can be determined appropriately according to the specifications of the gaming machine.

Figure 56 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation and display process (step S89). In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 56, the base value is updated when either the number of winning balls or the number of out balls meets a predetermined condition. Note that in Figure 56, the same steps as in the base calculation and display process described above are given the same step numbers, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the number of prize balls stored in the prize ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th1 (step S890). If the prize ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th1, it is not time to update the total number of prize balls, so proceed to step S896. On the other hand, if the prize ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1, the threshold value Th1 is added to the total number of prize balls (step S891), and the threshold value Th1 is subtracted from the prize ball count buffer (step S892). Then, the out ball count buffer value is added to the total number of out balls (step S893), and the out ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S894). Note that steps S891 to S894 may be executed after each predetermined number of winnings or at predetermined time intervals, without comparing the prize ball count buffer value with the threshold value Th1.

Then, it is determined whether the sum of the number of balls passing through the out port stored in the out ball number buffer and the number of winning balls stored in the winning ball number buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S896). The sum of the number of balls passing through the out port and the number of winning balls is the number of game balls that have flowed into the game area, which is the number of out balls. If the result of the determination is that the calculated number of out balls is smaller than the threshold value Th2, it is not time to update the total number of out balls, so proceed to step S902. On the other hand, if the calculated number of out balls is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th2, the prize ball number buffer value is added to the total number of winning balls (step S897), and the prize ball number buffer is set to 0 (step S898). Then, the threshold value Th2 is added to the total number of out balls (step S899), the winning ball number buffer is set to 0, the winning ball number buffer value is added to the out ball number buffer, and the threshold value Th2 is subtracted (step S901). In addition, steps S896 to S901 may be executed every predetermined number of winning attempts or every predetermined time without comparing the number of out balls (out ball number buffer value + winning ball number buffer value) with threshold value Th2.

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S902). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, and the base calculation and display process is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls is divided by the total number of out balls to calculate the base value (step S903). Specifically, the total number of prize balls is multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) and stored in division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217. Then, after 32 clocks have elapsed, the quotient is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value. Note that if the total number of out balls is 0, even if the base value is calculated, the return value from the calculation circuit 13121 is an error, so it is not necessary to store it in the base calculation area 13128. In this case, the base value displayed on the base display 1317 is not updated.

Then, a base notification command is generated (step S908) and the base is notified to the player and hall employees.

In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 56, the base value is calculated every time, even if the total number of winning balls or the total number of out balls is not updated. In other words, if the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls are not updated, the same value is calculated as the base value, and the base value remains the same. On the other hand, if the total number of winning balls or the total number of out balls is updated, the base value is updated to a different value.

As described above, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the number of out balls is calculated by adding the number of winning balls to the number of balls that pass through the out port, so the number of out balls can be counted accurately and the base value can be calculated accurately. Furthermore, by checking the base value during the manufacturing and inspection processes of the gaming machine, it can be confirmed whether the winning port switch, base display 1317, and the process of calculating the base value are normal.

[9-6. Base Abnormality Notification]
The process described above is for generating a command for notifying the calculated base value. Next, a process for determining whether the base value is abnormal and notifying the abnormality will be described.
- Figure 57: Calculates the base value every timer interrupt period - Figure 58: Calculates the base value for each specified number of prize balls and each specified number of out balls.Note that we will not explain the patterns for calculating the base value for each specified number of prize balls and each specified number of out balls, but these can be realized by combining Figures 57 and 58.

Figure 57 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation and display process (step S89). In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 57, the base value is calculated every time (every timer interrupt period).

First, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S902). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and the base calculation and display process is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls is divided by the total number of out balls to calculate the base value (step S903). Specifically, the total number of prize balls is multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) and stored in division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217. Then, after 32 clocks have elapsed, the quotient is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value. Note that if the total number of out balls is 0, even if the base value is calculated, the return value from the calculation circuit 13121 is an error, so it is not necessary to store it in the base calculation area 13128. In this case, the base value displayed on the base display 1317 is not updated.

Then, it is determined whether the calculated base value is abnormal (step S907). An abnormality in the base value occurs, for example, when the calculated base value becomes larger or smaller than a specified tolerance range from the design value (normal value). Note that multiple tolerance levels may be set and the degree of abnormality may be determined in multiple levels depending on the degree of deviation of the base value. If the base value is abnormal, a base notification command is generated (step S908) to notify the player and hall staff of the base. On the other hand, if the base value is not abnormal, the base calculation and display process is terminated. The method of notifying an abnormality in the base can be the same as that of the base notification described above.

For example, one of the methods described below may be used, or two or more may be combined. Specifically, an abnormality in the base value may be notified using the base display (7-segment LED) 1317, the performance display device 1600, 3114, 244, etc. By notifying the player of an abnormality in the base value, the player may be able to confirm the abnormality in the pachinko machine. The calculated base value may be displayed as a percentage on the aforementioned display device or display device to notify the abnormality in the base value. Note that decimal values may be rounded down, rounded up, or rounded up, and in display devices capable of displaying images such as the performance display device 1600, 3114, 244, the value may be displayed to one decimal place to provide more detailed information.

In addition, when the base value is displayed on the performance display device 1600, 3114, 244, if the base value is abnormal, the display mode may be changed. For example, the number may be displayed by flashing or changing color (green under normal conditions, red under abnormal conditions, etc.). Furthermore, the display mode of the base value may be changed in multiple stages. Specifically, the displayed base value may be divided into multiple stages, such as 30% or more, 25% or more but less than 30%, 20% or more but less than 25%, 15% or more but less than 20%, 10% or more but less than 15%, and less than 10%, and each stage may be displayed with a different light color, such as white, blue, or yellow.

In addition, various lamps, performance display devices, sounds, etc. may be used to indicate the range of the base value (whether the base value is high or low, whether it is an abnormal value or a normal value, etc.). An abnormality in the base value may be indicated by the functional display unit 1400. Information on the base abnormality may also be output from the external terminal board 784 to a hall computer installed in the amusement center.

The base calculation and display process shown in FIG. 57 may be used in combination with a base calculation area update process, for example, as shown in FIG. 50 and FIG. 55, which updates the total number of prize balls and the total number of out balls when the number of prize balls and the number of out balls meet certain conditions.

Figure 58 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation and display process (step S89). In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 58, the base value is updated when either the number of winning balls or the number of out balls meets a predetermined condition. Note that in Figure 58, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation and display process described above, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the number of prize balls stored in the prize ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th1 (step S890). If the prize ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th1, it is not time to update the total number of prize balls, so proceed to step S895. On the other hand, if the prize ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1, the threshold value Th1 is added to the total number of prize balls (step S891), and the threshold value Th1 is subtracted from the prize ball count buffer (step S892). Then, the out ball count buffer value is added to the total number of out balls (step S893), and the out ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S894). Note that steps S891 to S894 may be executed after each predetermined number of winnings or at predetermined time intervals, without comparing the prize ball count buffer value with the threshold value Th1.

Then, it is determined whether the number of out balls stored in the out ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S895). If the out ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th2, it is not time to update the total number of out balls, so proceed to step S902. On the other hand, if the out ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th2, the prize ball count buffer value is added to the total number of prize balls (step S897), and the prize ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S898). Then, the threshold value Th2 is added to the total number of out balls (step S899), and the threshold value Th2 is subtracted from the out ball count buffer (step S900).

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S902). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, and the base calculation and display process is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls is divided by the total number of out balls to calculate the base value (step S903). Specifically, the total number of prize balls is multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) and stored in division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217. Then, after 32 clocks have elapsed, the quotient is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value. Note that if the total number of out balls is 0, even if the base value is calculated, the return value from the calculation circuit 13121 is an error, so it is not necessary to store it in the base calculation area 13128. In this case, the base value displayed on the base display 1317 is not updated.

Then, it is determined whether the calculated base value is abnormal (step S907). An abnormality in the base value occurs, for example, when the calculated base value becomes larger or smaller than a predetermined tolerance range from the design value (normal value). Note that multiple tolerance levels may be set and the degree of abnormality may be determined in multiple stages depending on the degree of deviation of the base value. If the base value is abnormal, a base notification command is generated (step S908) to notify the player and hall staff of the base. On the other hand, if the base value is not abnormal, the base calculation and display process is terminated.

In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 58, the base value is calculated every time, even if the total number of winning balls or the total number of out balls is not updated. In other words, if the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls are not updated, the same value is calculated as the base value, and the base value remains the same. On the other hand, if the total number of winning balls or the total number of out balls is updated, the base value is updated to a different value.

The base calculation and display process shown in FIG. 58 may be used in combination with a base calculation area update process that directly updates the total number of prize balls and the total number of out balls using the acquired number of prize balls and number of out balls, as shown in, for example, FIG. 39 and FIG. 54.

As explained above, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, if the calculated base value is abnormal, the abnormality is reported, so the player can know the state of the gaming machine, and hall employees can be made aware of the possibility of fraudulent operation of the gaming machine. In addition, it is possible to detect and report abnormalities in the gaming machine that cannot be found by conventional error detection.

[9-7. Notification of base change]
Next, an embodiment of a gaming machine that notifies a change in a calculated base value will be described.

The base value calculated by a pachinko machine will naturally go up and down. Because the base value indicates the condition of the gaming machine, players are concerned about the base value itself as well as any changes to the base value while playing. For this reason, it is desirable for players to be notified of changes in the base value. When a display appears that serves as a guide for whether the base value is up or down, players can play with peace of mind.

Figure 59 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation and display process (step S89). In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 59, the history of calculated base values is recorded in order to compare the current base value with the history of past base values. Note that in Figure 59, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation and display process described above, and detailed explanations thereof are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the number of prize balls stored in the prize ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th1 (step S890). If the prize ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th1, it is not time to update the total number of prize balls, so proceed to step S895. On the other hand, if the prize ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1, the threshold value Th1 is added to the total number of prize balls (step S891), and the threshold value Th1 is subtracted from the prize ball count buffer (step S892). Then, the out ball count buffer value is added to the total number of out balls (step S893), and the out ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S894). Note that steps S891 to S894 may be executed after each predetermined number of winnings or at predetermined time intervals, without comparing the prize ball count buffer value with the threshold value Th1.

Then, it is determined whether the number of out balls stored in the out ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S895). If the out ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th2, it is not time to update the total number of out balls, so proceed to step S902. On the other hand, if the out ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th2, the prize ball count buffer value is added to the total number of prize balls (step S897), and the prize ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S898). Then, the threshold value Th2 is added to the total number of out balls (step S899), and the threshold value Th2 is subtracted from the out ball count buffer (step S900).

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S902). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, and the base calculation and display process is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls is divided by the total number of out balls to calculate the base value (step S903). Specifically, the total number of prize balls is multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) and stored in division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217. Then, after 32 clocks have elapsed, the quotient is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value. Note that if the total number of out balls is 0, even if the base value is calculated, the return value from the calculation circuit 13121 is an error, so it is not necessary to store it in the base calculation area 13128. In this case, the base value displayed on the base display 1317 is not updated.

Then, it is determined whether the base value management timer has timed out (step S904). If the base value management timer has not timed out, it is not time to store the base value in the base history, and the base calculation and display process is terminated. On the other hand, if the base value management timer has timed out, the base value is stored in the base history (step S905), and the base value management timer is reset (step S906).

The base value management timer is a timer used to record the base value every predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes), and stores the current base value in the base history every time the base value management timer times out. The base history is stored in the base calculation area 13128. Only one base history may be stored in the base calculation area 13128, or multiple base histories may be stored in the base calculation area 13128. When multiple base histories are stored in the base calculation area 13128, a ring buffer may be configured in the base calculation area 13128, and base values may be stored, for example, for a predetermined time x 10. Also, as shown in FIG. 52, a ring buffer of the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls may be configured in the base calculation area 13128, and the number of winning balls and the total number of out balls may be stored, for example, for a predetermined time x n, and the base value may be calculated as needed.

Then, a base notification command is generated (step S908) and the base is notified to the player and hall employees.

Figure 63 is a flowchart showing an example of the display selection process. The display selection process is called from the display data creation process (step S1030) of the peripheral control unit power-on process ( Figure 60 ).

First, the MPU of the peripheral control unit 1511 selects a specific base history (e.g., the most recent past base value) stored in the base calculation area 13128, and determines whether the selected base history value is smaller than the current base value (step S10301). If the selected base history value is smaller than the current base value, the MPU refers to the base drop duration measurement timer and determines whether a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has passed since the base value began to drop (step S10302). If the predetermined time has not passed since the base started to drop, the MPU selects a performance table in which the base is currently dropping (step S10303). On the other hand, if the predetermined time has passed since the base started to drop, the MPU selects a performance table in which the base is currently dropping (step S10304).

On the other hand, if the selected base history value is not smaller than the current base value (is equal to or greater than the current base value), the base drop duration measurement timer is reset (step S10305), and the display selection table for when the base is rising is selected (step S10306).

In the display selection process described above, in step S10301, it is determined whether the current base value is smaller than the base history value, but the current base value may be compared with the base history value to determine whether they are larger, equal, or smaller. The base value is generally a decimal value since it is calculated by division. For this reason, it is advisable to determine whether the base history value and the current base value are equal taking into account a predetermined tolerance range (e.g., 3%).

Figures 64 to 68 are diagrams showing examples of display selection tables. These display selection tables are used to select the presentation of the special symbol change display game based on a random number selected upon winning at the starting gate (or before the start of the special symbol change display game). Display selection table 1 shown in Figures 64 to 66 is selected when the base value is increasing or there is no change in the base value, and display selection tables 2 and 3 shown in Figures 67 and 68 are selected when the base value is decreasing. In particular, display selection table 3 shown in Figure 68 is selected after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed since the base value began to decrease.

Each display selection table contains the following fields: effect number, effect content, change time, remarks, and allocation. The effect number is an identifier that uniquely identifies the effect selected in the display selection table. The effect content is the name of the effect. The change time is the time from when the change in the special pattern due to the effect starts to when it ends. The remarks are information written to allow the designer to understand the outline of the effect. Allocation is the probability that the effect will be selected, and is defined as the numerator with 65536 as the denominator.

Display selection table 1 (Miss) shown in FIG. 64 is selected when the result of the jackpot lottery is a miss and the base value is rising or has not changed. Display selection table 1 (Win 1) shown in FIG. 65 is selected when the result of the jackpot lottery is a normal jackpot that does not result in a high probability state and the base value is rising or has not changed. Display selection table 1 (Win 2) shown in FIG. 66 is selected when the result of the jackpot lottery is a high probability jackpot that results in a high probability state and the base value is rising or has not changed.

Display selection table 2 shown in FIG. 67 is selected while the base value is decreasing. Display selection table 3 shown in FIG. 68 is selected when the base value is still decreasing even after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed since the base value began to decrease.

As shown in the figure, display selection tables 2 and 3 include freeze effects 1 and 2, which are effects in which the patterns do not change, and there is a high probability that the freeze effect will be selected. The freeze effect is displayed when a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) has elapsed after the effect has been determined.

In addition, if the base value is still decreasing after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed since the base value began to decrease, a presentation may be selected using display selection table 3, and the display may be switched to the selected presentation.

In addition, whether or not to display a specific effect notifying the player of a change in the base value may be determined according to the game state (game situation). This is because constantly notifying the player of changes in the base value may distract the player from the effects of the special symbol change display game, which is the original enjoyment of the pachinko machine, and the player's attention may become distracted.

For example, when the special symbol change display game is in progress (a gaming situation in which the result of the jackpot lottery is not being shown), the presentation of the special symbol change display game is executed as a priority, and when the base value is not changing, a specific presentation (a presentation that serves as an indication of the change in the base value) is displayed when the base value increases or decreases.

The specific effect should be displayed when a specified period of time has passed during which the special symbol change display game has not been executed. If the specific effect is displayed immediately after the special symbol change display game ends, the player will feel tense and fatigue will accumulate. If the game ball enters the starting hole while the specific effect is being displayed, the display of the specific effect is stopped and the special symbol change display game effect is executed. This is because the entry into the starting hole triggers a jackpot lottery and the special symbol change display game begins, so it is better to have the player focus on the special symbol change display game.

The specific effect may be displayed even when the number of winning balls has not reached a predetermined number (threshold Th1) or when the number of out balls has not reached a predetermined number (threshold Th2). The specific effect may be displayed according to the results of a lottery, but may also be executed whenever the same conditions are met.

In addition, it is advisable to display the specific effect only when the base value is decreasing, and not when the base value is increasing. This is because notifying a player that the base value is increasing raises the player's expectations, and if the base value does not increase to the extent the player expected, the player may become disappointed due to the gap between their expectations and the actual result. On the other hand, notifying a player that the base value is decreasing may increase some players' competitive spirit in an attempt to increase the base value.

In addition, in this embodiment, the display selection table is different for when the base value is decreasing and when it is not (rising, steady), but the display selection table may be defined to separate the base value into three states: when the base value is decreasing, steady, and rising, and the player may be notified when the base is rising. In this case, it is advisable to determine whether the base value is steady (whether the base history value and the current base value are equal) taking into account a predetermined tolerance range (e.g., 3%).

The specific effect may also be displayed during a special symbol change display game. In this case, the base value is more likely to decrease when the effect is displayed outside of the special symbol change display game than when the effect is displayed during the special symbol change display game.

When the game ball does not enter the starting hole and the special symbol change display game is not played, the base value usually decreases. Also, if the special symbol change display game is not played for a specified period of time, a demo screen is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

Figure 69 shows an example of the display screen of a pachinko machine in this embodiment.

Figure 69 (A) is a display example of a normal reach, where the left and right symbols have stopped at 7, and the middle symbol is changing. Figure 69 (B) is a display example of a special reach 1, where the left and right symbols displayed in the upper left of the screen have stopped at 7, and the middle symbol is changing. In the center of the screen, the player and the opponent are playing rock-paper-scissors, and the middle symbol is determined by the outcome of the game. Figure 69 (C) is a display example of a special reach 2, where the left and right symbols displayed in the upper left of the screen have stopped at 7, and the middle symbol is changing. In the center of the screen, the player and the opponent are playing rock-paper-scissors, and the middle symbol is determined by the outcome of the game.

Figure 69 (D) is a display example of freeze effect 1, in which the stopped decorative pattern is displayed in the center of the screen, and a display that allows the user to recognize the decrease in base value is displayed in a position that does not interfere with the recognition of the decorative pattern (for example, the bottom right of the screen). Figure 69 (E) is a display example of freeze effect 2, in which the stopped decorative pattern is displayed in the center of the screen, and a display that allows the user to recognize the continued decrease in base value is displayed in a position that does not interfere with the recognition of the decorative pattern (for example, the bottom of the screen). In a freeze effect, the display indicating the decrease in base value may be displayed in any position that does not interfere with the recognition of the decorative pattern. The display indicating the decrease in base value may also be displayed in a position that overlaps with the decorative pattern. For example, it may be a display that pops up in the center of the display screen.

Although an example of displaying the degree of change in the base value on the performance display device 1600 has been described above, the lighting state of the decorative lamps may be changed. Also, the change in the base value may be displayed numerically, rather than the up and down trend of the base value.

The displayed change in base value may be the result of a comparison between the base value calculated in a time interval a predetermined time ago and the base value calculated in the current time interval, or the result of a comparison between the total cumulative base value calculated in a predetermined time ago and the total cumulative base value of the latest time.

[9-8. Calculation of the base taking into account specific general winning slots]
Next, a process for accurately calculating the base value taking into account winnings at specific general winning slots will be described.

In pachinko machines, the player adjusts the strength of the game ball's launch, aiming for a prize in a specific prize hole (for example, large prize holes 2005, 2006 that are open) that is in a state where the game ball is more likely to win during a jackpot. Even during a jackpot, there are variations in the game, such as aiming for the large prize hole 2005 by launching the game ball at the same spot as a so-called normal shot, or aiming for the large prize hole 2006 by a so-called right shot with the shot strength maximized. Among these variations, the game board is sometimes designed to place the start hole and general prize hole downstream of the large prize hole and pick up balls that have spilled from the large prize hole.

Here, the downstream (lower part) of a pachinko machine that allows a player to hit to the right during a jackpot will be described in detail. During a jackpot, the player hits to the right in order to make the game ball enter the open big prize opening 2006. Most of the game balls shot toward the game area enter the open big prize opening 2006. As described above, the pachinko machine of this embodiment has a general prize opening 2001 on the right side of the big prize opening 2005 as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 16, and when a game ball hit to the right does not enter the open big prize opening 2006, the game ball enters this general prize opening 2001. In other words, the general prize opening 2001 on the right side of the big prize opening 2005 can be said to enter only when a game ball hit to the right does not enter the open big prize opening 2006.

The base value indicates the number of prize balls paid out as a result of winning at the starting hole and the general winning hole when 100 game balls are fired into the game area 5a (i.e., the ratio of the number of prize balls paid out to the 100 out balls). Therefore, if game balls that enter the game area but have a low chance of winning at the starting hole and the general winning hole (have a high chance of winning at the large winning hole) are counted as the number of fired balls (number of out balls), it is expected that the calculated base value will deviate from the actual base value.

For this reason, in this embodiment, the general prize opening 2001 to the right of the big prize opening 2005 is defined as a specific general prize opening, and the number of balls that enter that specific general prize opening during the special prize is excluded from the number of balls that go out to calculate the base value.

The timing of calculation of the base value in each variation of a gaming machine that calculates the base value taking into account a specific general winning port is outlined below.
- Figures 70 and 40: Calculate the base value every timer interrupt period - Figures 71 and 72: Calculate the base value for each specified number of prize balls and each specified number of out balls.Note that we will not explain the patterns for calculating the base value for each specified number of prize balls and each specified number of out balls, but these can be realized by combining Figures 70 to 72.

Figure 70 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process shown in Figure 70 obtains the number of prize balls, the number of out balls, and the number of specific winning balls in order to calculate a base value using the number of out balls corrected by the number of winning balls into a specific general winning port for each timer interrupt period. Note that in Figure 70, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation area update process described above, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the game is in a special prize state (step S810). The criteria for determining whether a special prize state is in progress can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. Then, the number of prize balls other than those in the special prize state is obtained (step S811), and the obtained number of prize balls is added to the total number of prize balls (step S814). That is, in the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 70, the total number of prize balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time the number of prize balls is calculated. Note that it is possible to determine whether there are any prize balls, and if there are no prize balls, to skip the process of updating the total number of prize balls.

Then, the number of out balls is obtained (step S818), and the number of winning balls at a specific general winning port (specific winning balls) is obtained (step S820). The value obtained by subtracting the specific winning balls from the number of out balls is then added to the total number of out balls (step S822). That is, in the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 70, the total number of out balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time an out ball or winning ball is detected.

As in steps S815 to S817 of the base calculation area update process (Figure 46) described above, it may be determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, and if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification timer may be reset. Furthermore, as in steps S824 to S825 of Figure 46, it may be determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification may be stopped.

After recording the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls in the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 70, the base value can be calculated using the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 40.

Figure 71 is a flowchart showing another example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process shown in Figure 71 records the number of prize balls in the prize ball number buffer and the number of out balls in the out ball number buffer in order to calculate the base value at the time when the number of prize balls and the number of out balls satisfy a specified condition. Note that in Figure 71, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation area update process described above, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the game is in a special prize state (step S810). The criteria for determining whether a special prize state is in progress can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. Then, the number of prize balls other than those in the special prize state is obtained (step S811), and it is determined whether there are any prize balls (step S812). Then, if there are any prize balls, the obtained number of prize balls is added to the prize ball number buffer (step S813).

Then, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls (step S815), and if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command is generated (step S816), and the timer for notifying abnormality in prize balls is reset (step S817).

Then, the number of out balls is obtained (step S818), and the obtained number of out balls is added to the out ball number buffer (step S819). Then, the number of winning balls is obtained, and it is determined whether the winning slot related to the obtained number of winning balls is a specific general winning slot, and the number of winning balls at the specific general winning slot is obtained (step S820). Then, the obtained number of winning balls at the specific general winning slot is added to the specific winning ball number buffer (step S823).

Then, it is determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out (step S824), and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command is generated and the prize ball abnormality notification is stopped (step S825).

Figure 72 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation and display process (step S89). In the base calculation and display process shown in Figure 72, the base value is calculated taking into account the specific winning ball count recorded in the specific winning ball count buffer. Note that in Figure 72, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation and display process described above, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the number of prize balls stored in the prize ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th1 (step S890). If the prize ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th1, it is not time to update the total number of prize balls, so proceed to step S895. On the other hand, if the prize ball count buffer value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1, the threshold value Th1 is added to the total number of prize balls (step S891), and the threshold value Th1 is subtracted from the prize ball count buffer (step S892). Then, the out ball count buffer value is added to the total number of out balls (step S893), and the out ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S894). Note that steps S891 to S894 may be executed after each predetermined number of winnings or at predetermined time intervals, without comparing the prize ball count buffer value with the threshold value Th1.

After that, it is determined whether the sum of the number of balls passing through the out port stored in the out ball number buffer and the number of winning balls stored in the winning ball number buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S895). The sum of the number of balls passing through the out port and the number of winning balls is the number of game balls that have flowed into the game area, which is the number of out balls. If the result of the determination is that the calculated number of out balls is smaller than the threshold value Th2, it is not time to update the total number of out balls, so proceed to step S902. On the other hand, if the calculated number of out balls is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th2, the prize ball number buffer value is added to the total number of winning balls (step S897), and the prize ball number buffer is set to 0 (step S898). Then, the specific winning ball number is subtracted from the total number of out balls, and the threshold value Th2 is added (step S899), the winning ball number buffer is set to 0, and the threshold value Th2 is subtracted from the out ball number buffer (step S900).

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S902). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, and the base calculation and display process is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls is divided by the total number of out balls to calculate the base value (step S903). Specifically, the total number of prize balls is multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) and stored in division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217. Then, after 32 clocks have elapsed, the quotient is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value. Note that if the total number of out balls is 0, even if the base value is calculated, the return value from the calculation circuit 13121 is an error, so it is not necessary to store it in the base calculation area 13128. In this case, the base value displayed on the base display 1317 is not updated.

Then, it is determined whether the calculated base value is abnormal (step S907). An abnormality in the base value occurs, for example, when the calculated base value becomes larger or smaller than a predetermined tolerance range from the design value (normal value). Note that multiple tolerance levels may be set and the degree of abnormality may be determined in multiple stages depending on the degree of deviation of the base value. If the base value is abnormal, a base notification command is generated (step S908) to notify the player and hall staff of the base. On the other hand, if the base value is not abnormal, the base calculation and display process is terminated.

In the base calculation/display process shown in FIG. 72, the base value is calculated every time, even if the total number of prize balls or the total number of out balls is not updated. In other words, if the total number of prize balls and the total number of out balls are not updated, the same value is calculated as the base value and the base value remains the same, and if the total number of prize balls or the total number of out balls is updated, the base value is updated to a different value. Note that the base value may be calculated when either the total number of prize balls or the total number of out balls is updated, or when both are updated.

In addition, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the base value is calculated by excluding game balls that have entered the game area but have a low probability of winning in the start hole or general winning hole, so that an accurate base value that is less likely to deviate from the actual base value can be calculated.

In addition, the above description was given of a pachinko machine in which the player hits the ball from the right during a jackpot, and in which the general prize hole 2001 is located downstream of the large prize hole 2006. However, the invention of this embodiment can also be applied to pachinko machines in which the player hits the ball normally during a jackpot, aiming for the large prize hole 2005, and to gaming machines in which the starting hole or general prize hole is located downstream of the large prize hole 2005.

In addition, the game area 5a is provided with the large prize openings 2005 and 2006, which do not normally accept game balls but can accept game balls depending on the result of the large prize lottery. The prize balls that enter the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 may be excluded from the calculation of the base value. In this case, the period from when the game ball enters the start openings 2002 and 2004 and the special pattern variation display game starts, when the special pattern is determined and the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 open (large prize opening), to when the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 close and the next special pattern variation display game starts (large prize ending) is considered to be in the special prize period, and the detected out balls are excluded from the number of out balls. In this way, the number of prize balls and the number of out balls during the special prize period can be counted without determining whether or not the special prize period is in progress in step S810 of FIG. 39 or the like. In addition, when the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 are repeatedly opened and closed in one big win, the time between the closing of the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 and the next opening (closing interval) may be included in the special prize. In other words, the special prize means that the condition device is operating, for example, from the confirmation of the big win pattern in the special pattern variation display game to the end of the ending. It may also include all the time during the right-hit instruction. Furthermore, in the start openings 2002 and 2004, the special prize may include the time during the time reduction, the probability change (ST), and the electric support. Furthermore, in a game state other than the time reduction, the probability change (ST), and the electric support, the time from the opening of the start opening 2004 to a predetermined time after the closing (for example, several seconds required for the ball that entered the start opening to be detected as an out ball) may be included in the special prize.

In addition, the game area 5a is provided with a second start port 2004 that does not normally accept game balls, but can accept game balls depending on the result of the lottery for the normal pattern. The prize balls that enter the second start port 2004 may be excluded from the calculation of the base value. In this case, the period from when the game ball passes through the gate unit 2003 and the lottery for the normal pattern is performed, the normal pattern change display game starts, and the normal pattern is determined and opened (opening) to when the second start port 2004 closes and the next normal pattern change display game starts (ending) is considered to be during the special prize, and the detected out balls are excluded from the number of out balls. Note that, if the second start port 2004 repeatedly opens and closes depending on the result of the lottery for the normal pattern, the time from when the second start port 2004 closes to when it opens again (closing interval) may be included in the special prize. In this way, not only during the time reduction, but all winnings into the second start port 2004 can be excluded from the calculation of the base value.

By doing as described above, it is possible to accurately count the number of winning balls and the number of out balls when a special prize is not being awarded (jackpot, time reduction, etc.) without determining whether or not a special prize is being awarded in step S810 of FIG. 39, etc.

This allows the number of out balls and winning balls while the player is hitting to the right to be accurately excluded, and the base value to be accurately calculated.

In addition, depending on the pachinko machine, it is recommended to play with the left hand when neither a jackpot nor time-saving is occurring (so-called normal state), and to play with the right hand when a jackpot or time-saving is occurring. In such a gaming machine, a general winning hole 2001 and a first starting hole 2002 are provided for winning when a left hand is being hit, and a general winning hole 2001 and a second starting hole 2004 are provided for winning when a right hand is being hit. In such a gaming machine, the winning rate for each winning hole differs depending on the number and arrangement of the winning holes from the left side to the center of the gaming area 5a (the area where the gaming ball rolls when hitting from the left) and the right side of the gaming area 5a (the area where the gaming ball rolls when hitting from the right), as well as the position of the nails. In other words, the base value when hitting from the left is different from the base value when hitting from the right.

The base value of a pachinko machine is set on the assumption that the player will hit with the left hand under normal conditions. However, for the reasons mentioned above, if the base value differs between hitting with the left and hitting with the right hand (for example, if the base value is designed to be lower when hitting with the right hand under normal conditions than when hitting with the left), a lower base value will be calculated when the player hits with the right hand under normal conditions.

When a pachinko machine has a low base value, the hall will inspect it, or determine that it is a machine with poor ball-out performance. Even if the machine is determined to have poor ball-out performance (lower than the expected base), the hall will determine that the player is hitting the ball from the left, and will make adjustments to increase the ball-entry rate of the starting hole and general winning hole that affect the base when hitting from the left. Then, the abnormal nails will be adjusted to increase the base value. When hitting the ball from the left with a machine adjusted in this way, many prize balls will be obtained even in normal conditions. In other words, many lotteries can be held for a small amount of money. In other words, even if the base when hitting from the left is not different from what the hall expected, the hall will misunderstand and make adjustments to increase the ball-entry rate of the starting hole and general winning hole that win when hitting from the left. Since the hall may suffer a disadvantage due to such malicious intent of the player, it is necessary to accurately calculate the base value when hitting from the left and the base value when hitting from the right.

Incidentally, in pachinko machines that use right-hand play during time-saving play, the second start hole 2004, which opens and closes depending on the game state, and the gate section 2003 for drawing a normal symbol to open the second start hole 2004, are located in the area where the game ball rolls when the ball is hit from the right. Also, when the game ball passes through the gate section 2003 during right-hand play in normal mode, the normal symbol drawing is performed, but the probability of winning the normal symbol is made extremely low so that the second start hole 2004 does not open, or even if the normal symbol drawing is won, the opening time of the second start hole 2004 is shortened, making it difficult to win the second start hole 2004 in normal mode.

To increase the base value when hitting from the right side in normal conditions, the rate at which balls enter the second starting hole 2004 must be increased. However, since the second starting hole 2004 is generally set to be more advantageous than the first starting hole 2002, increasing the rate at which balls enter the second starting hole 2004 would put pressure on the profits of the hall. Therefore, it is a good idea to count the game balls that pass through the gate section 2003 in normal conditions, and when calculating the base value, calculate a corrected base value using the number of balls that pass through the gate section 2003.

Specifically, the number of game balls that pass through the gate unit 2003 under normal conditions is treated as the specific winning ball number and is subtracted from the number of out balls (the number of game balls shot into the game area 5a). By reducing the number of out balls, a high base calculation value can be obtained. For example, if a considerable number of game balls pass through the gate unit 2003, an extremely high base value will be calculated. The degree of correction processing may be appropriately determined based on the design values (performance) of the gaming machine.

Furthermore, by monitoring the passage of the gate section 2003, when a game ball passes through the gate section 2003 (a condition may be set such as when a predetermined number (e.g., three) game balls pass through the gate section 2003 without entering the starting hole), the number of out balls counted in a predetermined time or number of shots after (or before and after) passing through the gate section 2003 may not be used in calculating the base value. In this way, the base value can be calculated more accurately. When the passage of the gate section 2003 is detected, a display or sound such as "Please return to left hand shot" may be output without actively notifying the player that it will not be reflected in the calculation result of the base value. Also, when the passage of the gate section 2003 is detected, the hall may be notified that a right hand shot is being performed. For example, a specific lamp may be turned on, the lighting state may be changed, or the fact that a right hand shot is being performed may be output from the external terminal board 784 to the hall computer installed in the game center.

As explained above, by excluding the number of balls that pass through the gate portion 2003 located on the right side of the play area 5a (the area where the game ball rolls when hitting from the right) from the number of out balls, the base value when hitting from the right under normal conditions can be corrected to a larger value. This makes it possible to prevent fluctuations in the calculated base value due to the player's playing style.

[9-9. Initialization of base value]
Considering the role of the base value in checking the operating status of the pachinko machine 1, it is desirable that the calculated base value be stored for a long period of time. It is also desirable that the calculated base value cannot be easily erased. For this reason, the base calculation and display data 13136 is erased under conditions different from the erasure conditions for data related to the progress of the game backed up in the RAM 1312 of the main control MPU 1311. This allows accurate data on the number of winning balls to be stored, and accurate ratios of winning devices to be calculated.

Specifically, the base calculation and display data 13136 is not erased by operating the RAM clear switch (first operation), but all data backed up in the RAM 1312 of the main control MPU 1311 can be erased by a second operation that cuts off the backup power supplied to the main control MPU 1311 and cuts off the power supply to the pachinko machine 1. The second operation may be performed by providing a single switch, or an employee of the arcade may remove the connector of the backup power line supplied to the main control board 1310 to cut off the power supply to the pachinko machine 1.

In other words, two operations are provided to erase the RAM 1312 of the main control MPU 1311; the first operation erases only data related to the progress of the game, while the second operation erases all data, including the calculated base value and data related to the progress of the game.

By configuring it in this way, the base calculation and display data 13136 will not be erased by erroneous operation by the amusement center staff, so the reliability of the displayed role ratio is increased and concealment of a high role ratio state can be prevented.

[9-10. Calculation of the base taking into account winning anomalies]
73 and 74 are flowcharts of the base calculation area update process taking into account winning anomalies.

In the pachinko machine 1, in addition to the abnormality in the number of winning balls determined in step S815 described above, there are cases where a winning abnormality is detected. For example, if a winning is detected other than while the large winning openings 2005 and 2006 are open due to a jackpot being derived in the special pattern change display game, or if a winning is detected other than while the starting opening 2004 is open due to a winning being derived in the normal pattern change display game, this is a winning abnormality. In other words, the abnormality in the number of winning balls determined in step S815 is an abnormal operation detected from the number of winning balls, and is mainly when a large number of winning balls are obtained in a specified time. On the other hand, a winning abnormality is an abnormal operation detected from the number of winning balls, and is mainly when a winning is not possible or when a large number of winnings are detected in a specified time.

Since winning balls that are affected by this winning anomaly are counted as out balls, it is desirable to correct this amount to accurately calculate the base. For this reason, in the base calculation area update process that takes winning anomalies into account, the total number of out balls is corrected to subtract the number of winning balls that are affected by the detected winning anomaly.

Note that, since the large prize slots 2005 and 2006 and the starting slot 2004 are usually awarded only during the special prize period, balls that enter these slots are not counted as out balls for calculating the base, and there is no need to consider winning anomalies.

Figure 73 is a flow chart showing an example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process determines the current game state, adds the number of prize balls paid out as a game value to the area corresponding to the current game state, and updates the base calculation area 13128 of the main control built-in RAM 1312. In particular, the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 73, like the base calculation area update process shown in Figure 39, directly updates the total number of prize balls using the number of prize balls calculated in the prize ball control process (step S80) (step S814) and directly updates the total number of out balls using the number of out balls (step S822) in order to calculate the base value every time at each timer interrupt period. Note that in Figure 73, the same step numbers are assigned to the same parts as in the base calculation area update process described above, and detailed explanations thereof are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the game is in a special prize state (step S810). The criteria for determining whether a special prize is being awarded can be the same as those described in FIG. 39.

If the game is in the special prize state, the prize balls are not related to the calculation of the base value, so the number of prize balls and the number of out balls are not updated, and the base calculation area update process is terminated. On the other hand, if the game is not in the special prize state, the number of prize balls calculated based on the input information in the prize ball control process (step S80) is obtained (step S811). The number of prize balls obtained in the base calculation area update process may be the number of prize balls for which the payout has been decided. It may also be the number of prize balls corresponding to the payout command that has already been created. It may also be the number of prize balls corresponding to the payout command that has already been sent. It may also be the number of prize balls corresponding to the payout command that the main control board 1310 sent to the payout control board 951 and received an acknowledgement of receipt (ACK) from the payout control board 951. It may also be the number of prize balls (number of paid out prize balls) that the main control board 1310 sent to the payout control board 951 and received a payout completion report from the payout control board 951. This variation has already been explained using Figures 41 to 44.

Then, the number of prize balls acquired is added to the total number of prize balls to update the total number of prize balls (step S814). It is to be noted that it is possible to determine whether there are prize balls, and if there are no prize balls, the process of updating the total number of prize balls may be skipped. Even if a game ball enters the start port 2002 or 2004, but the reserved number is the upper limit, and the entry into the start port is not reserved, the prize balls are paid out, so the total number of prize balls is updated. Also, in a game state in which a game ball enters a winning port but no prize balls are generated (for example, when a specific error occurs), no prize balls are generated due to the entry, and the number of prize balls acquired is 0, so the total number of prize balls is not updated. The total number of prize balls is recorded in the total number of prize balls storage area (see FIG. 52) provided in the base calculation area 13128 of the main control built-in RAM 1312. That is, in the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 73, the total number of prize balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time the number of prize balls is calculated.

Then, the number of balls out is obtained (step S818). Then, it is determined whether a winning abnormality has been detected (step S826). Then, the number of game balls corresponding to the winning determined to be abnormal is obtained (step S827). Specifically, as described above, if a winning is detected in the large winning holes 2005 and 2006 other than during a special prize (condition device is operating) that occurs when a big win is derived in the special pattern change display game, or if a winning is detected in the start hole 2004 even though it is not open due to a win being derived in the normal pattern change display game, it is determined that a winning abnormality has occurred.

A winning abnormality may be determined when one winning ball related to the winning abnormality is detected, or when a predetermined number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality are detected. A winning abnormality may also be determined when a predetermined number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality are detected consecutively, or when a predetermined number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality are detected within a predetermined time.

Then, the total number of out balls is updated so that the acquired number of out balls is added to the total number of out balls (step S822). As described above, the number of out balls is detected by the launched ball sensor 1020 and the discharged ball sensor 3060, and the detection signals of these sensors are read and acquired in the switch input process of step S74. At this time, the value obtained by subtracting the number of winning balls related to winning abnormalities from the acquired number of out balls may be added to the total number of out balls, or the number of winning balls related to winning abnormalities may be subtracted from the total number of out balls after adding the acquired number of out balls to the total number of out balls. The total number of out balls is recorded in the total number of out balls storage area (see FIG. 52) provided in the base calculation area 13128 of the main control built-in RAM 1312. That is, in the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 73, the total number of out balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time an out ball is detected. In this way, the base calculation process is executed for each timer interrupt process to update the total number of balls out, and the base value is calculated and displayed in the base calculation display process (Figure 40), so the base value can be displayed without delay and it can be determined without delay whether the base value is normal or abnormal.

In addition, as in steps S815 to S817 of the base calculation area update process (Figure 74) described later, it may be determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, and if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification timer may be reset. Furthermore, as in steps S824 to S825, it may be determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification may be stopped.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the main control MPU 1311 executes the calculation process of the base value in the timer interrupt process, but the payout control MPU of the payout control unit 952 may execute the calculation process of the base value. In this case, a command to notify the base may be sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 of the peripheral control board 1510, or a command to notify the base may be sent from the payout control unit 952 to the peripheral control unit 1511.

In addition, even if information on both winning balls and out balls at a winning port is obtained in one timer interrupt process, the number of winning balls is added to the total number of winning balls (or the prize ball number buffer in the embodiment described later), and the number of out balls is added to the total number of out balls (or the out ball number buffer in the embodiment described later). In addition, even if information on winning balls at multiple winning ports is obtained in one timer interrupt process, the sum of the number of winning balls from the multiple winning balls is added to the total number of winning balls (or the prize ball number buffer in the embodiment described later). This allows the base value to be accurately calculated and displayed. For example, if winning balls are detected at the winning port sensor of a winning port with five prize balls and at the winning port sensor of a winning port with three prize balls, a total of eight prize balls are added to the total number of winning balls (or the prize ball number buffer).

Also, the number of prize balls may be added to the total number of prize balls (or the number of prize balls buffer) only when the launch of the game ball is detected. In other words, only the number of prize balls related to winning detected within a predetermined time from the detection of the launch ball sensor 1020 may be added to the total number of prize balls (or the number of prize balls buffer). Also, the operation of the launch control unit 953 or the ball launching device 680 may be detected, and only the number of prize balls related to winning detected while the launch control unit 953 or the ball launching device 680 is operating (and further, until a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) after the launch control unit 953 or the ball launching device 680 stops operating) may be added to the total number of prize balls or the number of prize balls buffer. Also, the number of prize balls may be added to the total number of prize balls (or the number of prize balls buffer) only when the player is operating the launch handle. In other words, only the number of prize balls related to winning detected within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) from the time when it is detected that a hand or finger is touching the contact detection sensor 509 of the handle unit 500 may be added to the total number of prize balls (or the number of prize balls buffer). In this way, it is possible to prevent the base value from being affected by abnormalities such as detecting prize balls when no game balls have been released, or by fraudulent acts, and to prevent the display of an inaccurate base value. In this case, if the contact detection sensor 509 is used, there is no need to install a new sensor to detect the release of game balls, so the cost of the pachinko machine 1 can be prevented from increasing.

Figure 74 is a flow chart showing another example of the base calculation area update process (step S81). The base calculation area update process shown in Figure 74 records the number of out balls in the out ball count buffer in order to calculate the base value when the number of out balls meets a predetermined condition (step S819). Note that in Figure 74, the same step numbers are used for the same parts as in the base calculation area update process described above, and detailed explanations are omitted.

First, it is determined whether the game is in a special prize state (step S810). The criteria for determining whether a special prize state is in a special prize state can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. Then, the number of prize balls other than the special prize state is obtained (step S811), and it is determined whether there are any prize balls (step S812). If the result of the determination in step S812 is that there are no prize balls, the number of prize balls is not updated and the process proceeds to step S818. On the other hand, if there are prize balls, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls (step S815), and if there is no abnormality in the number of prize balls, the obtained number of prize balls is added to the total number of prize balls (step S814). In other words, in the base calculation area update process shown in FIG. 74, the total number of prize balls used to calculate the base value is updated each time the number of prize balls is calculated.

On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command is generated (step S816), and the timer for prize ball abnormality notification is reset (step S817).

Then, the number of out balls is obtained (step S818). The obtained number of out balls is added to the out ball number buffer (step S819). Then, it is determined whether a winning abnormality has been detected (step S826), and the number of game balls corresponding to the winning determined to be abnormal is obtained (step S827).

Then, it is determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out (step S824), and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command is generated and the prize ball abnormality notification is stopped (step S825).

In the base calculation area update process shown in Figures 73 and 74, the out balls are corrected for all winning balls related to the winning abnormality, but it is also possible to correct the out balls for winning balls related to a specific type of winning abnormality and not correct the out balls for winning balls related to other specific types of winning abnormalities. For example, depending on the type of winning ball related to the winning abnormality, prize balls for the winning ball may or may not be paid out. It is preferable that whether prize balls are paid out for this winning abnormality is determined for each winning port. In this case, for winning abnormalities in which prize balls are not paid out, the winning balls should not be counted as total out balls and should not be used in calculating the base value. On the other hand, for winning abnormalities in which prize balls are paid out, the winning balls should be counted as total out balls and the paid out prize balls should also be counted as total prize balls and used in calculating the base value. Note that even for winning abnormalities in which prize balls are paid out, the winning balls should not be counted as total out balls, and the paid out prize balls should not be counted as total prize balls, and should not be used in calculating the base value.

For example, as a result of maintenance of a gaming machine malfunction (clearing a ball jam, etc.), a hall employee may manually put a game ball into the start port to compensate for the balls that are not dispensed so that the player does not lose money. In this case, a prize ball is paid out for a winning entry into that start port. A winning entry into this start port is detected as a winning abnormality, but a prize ball is paid out. When a prize ball is paid out in this way, it should be reflected in the base value, so it is better not to judge it as a winning abnormality. In this case, prize balls are paid out from the winning ports reflected in the calculation of the base value (start ports 2002, 2004) and a winning abnormality is not judged, and a winning abnormality is judged without paying out prize balls from the other winning ports (large winning ports 2005, 2006). A winning port that is judged to be a winning abnormality pays out fewer prize balls for winning than a winning port that is not judged to be a winning abnormality (3 prize balls for the start port, 15 prize balls for the large winning port). For this reason, winning abnormalities are judged at the large winning port, but even if abnormal winning is not judged at the starting port, it does not become a major security hole in terms of protection against fraudulent activities. In this way, by judging winning abnormalities, it is possible to prevent inconsistencies between out balls and the number of winning balls. In particular, by correcting the number of out balls using the number of winning balls related to winning abnormalities that do not generate prize balls, it is possible to align the number of winning balls with the out balls that cause the prize balls.

As mentioned above, various winning slots can be used to detect winning anomalies, but we will explain a specific implementation example for a pachinko machine.

First, the general winning port 2001 may not be used to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred, and instead, a winning abnormality may be determined in a winning port other than the general winning port 2001 (the large winning port 2005, 2006, the starting port 2002, 2004). Since it is difficult for multiple game balls to enter the general winning port at the same time, the security resistance of the gaming machine against fraudulent acts is improved, and balls can be compensated to the player by entering the general winning port 2001 (4 in total), which is provided in greater numbers than the large winning port 2005, 2006 and the starting port 2002 (3 in total), which are electrically operated opening and closing devices. In addition, the general winning port 2001 can be easily identified by the hall's employees, making it easy to perform maintenance on the pachinko machine 1 and to perform operations for ball compensation. The reason why the hall employees can easily identify the general winning openings 2001 is that the general winning openings 2001 are often arranged together (in separate areas) in the game area, and the decorative materials (appearance) are different from the electric devices (large winning openings 2005, 2006, starting openings 2002, 2004). Also, if the number of winning balls per winning ball at a general winning opening is small, this has the effect of improving the security resistance of the gaming machine against fraudulent activities. Note that it is also possible to determine a winning abnormality not only at a specific general winning opening (for example, the leftmost one), but at other general winning openings.

Also, it is possible not to judge whether there is a winning abnormality in the large prize winning ports 2005 and 2006, which have a large number of winning balls, but to judge whether there is a winning abnormality in the winning ports other than the large prize winning ports 2005 and 2006 (the general prize winning port 2001, the starter port 2002, and 2004, which have a small number of winning balls). Since the large prize winning ports have a large number of winning balls per winning ball, the base value changes significantly even with a small number of winning balls. This is convenient because it is easy to check the change in the base value when inspecting the pachinko machine. It is also possible not to judge whether there is a winning abnormality only in a specific large prize winning port (for example, the large prize winning port 2005, which is easy to insert game balls by hand), but to judge whether there is a winning abnormality in other large prize winning ports (for example, 2006).

Also, it is possible not to judge whether there is a winning abnormality at the start ports 2002 and 2004, but to judge whether there is a winning abnormality at the other start ports (general win port 2001, large win port 2005, 2006). Since the number of winning balls per winning ball is smaller at the start port than at the large win port, it is possible to improve the security resistance of the gaming machine against cheating while compensating the player for winning balls. It is also possible not to judge whether there is a winning abnormality at only a specific start port (for example, the start port 2002 located in the center of the gaming board, which is easy to find), but to judge whether there is a winning abnormality at the other start ports 2004.

Furthermore, for the large prize opening and the starting opening, the opening and closing member of the prize opening is in a position visible from the front of the pachinko machine, i.e., the opening and closing member is easy for the hall employee to operate, so it is possible not to judge the winning abnormality, but to judge the winning abnormality for the prize opening that is in a position that cannot be seen from the front of the pachinko machine, i.e., the opening and closing member is difficult for the hall employee to operate. For example, the opening and closing member that is vertical in the closed state is tilted to an oblique position, so that the opening and closing member picks up the game balls (so-called electric tulip) is easy for the hall employee to operate. On the other hand, the winning opening is blocked by a flat member in the closed state, and the opening to the winning opening is opened by the flat member retracting to the back (so-called tongue kiss) is difficult for the hall employee to operate. In this way, the security level is relaxed only for the winning opening used to compensate the player for winning balls, which is easy for the hall employee to understand and improves the security resistance of the game machine.

In addition, a detected winning abnormality may be notified. The method of notifying a winning abnormality may be the same as the method of notifying an abnormality in the number of winning balls described above (for example, outputting a security signal to an external terminal board, displaying a warning on a display device such as an LCD, lighting or blinking decorative lamps on the game board or frame, outputting voice, sound effects, or warning sounds, etc.), but it is preferable to notify a winning abnormality more gently than other abnormalities. Specifically, the abnormality notification time may be short, the letters notifying the abnormality may be small, a lamp may not be lit when an abnormality is notified, or the abnormality notification sound may be lower in volume (suppressed) than the notification sounds for other abnormalities.

In addition, when announcing a winning abnormality, the abnormality is notified for a predetermined time after the winning abnormality is detected, and even if another winning abnormality is detected during the predetermined time, the predetermined time is not extended, but the notification is terminated at the initially set predetermined time or the notification mode is changed. In this way, if a winning abnormality occurs continuously for a predetermined time (for example, several minutes), it can be determined that the hall is performing maintenance on the gaming machine, rather than that the player is cheating. For this reason, if the winning abnormality is notified for a predetermined time and the notification is not continued thereafter, the maintenance work of the gaming machine by the hall is not hindered, and the work efficiency can be improved. In addition, by changing the notification mode after the predetermined time, it is possible to know that the maintenance work of the gaming machine is being continued correctly without hindering it. Specifically, the notification by the display device and lamps continues, but the notification by sound is stopped (or the volume is reduced).

In summary, the gaming machine of this embodiment has a correction means for correcting the number of out balls based on the number of winning balls, and the correction means divides the multiple winning ports into multiple types (starting port, large winning port), and for the first type of winning port, corrects the number of out balls based on winning balls detected other than when a specified condition is met (during a special prize), and for the second type of winning port, does not correct the number of out balls based on winning balls detected other than when a specified condition is met (during a special prize). As described above, this prevents discrepancies in the number of out balls when compensating players due to maintenance of the gaming machine, and allows the number of out balls to be calculated accurately. In addition, an abnormal base value may be calculated due to a malfunction of the gaming machine, and the base value can be adjusted as an adjustment (maintenance). This allows accurate base values to be calculated and displayed.

So far, we have explained how to detect winning anomalies and exceptional cases in which the detection of winning anomalies is not detected (when no detection is performed). However, since game balls that are determined to have winning anomalies are not prize balls obtained during play, but are likely to be used for the maintenance of the pachinko machine (adjusting the base value), it is desirable that winning balls that are determined to have winning anomalies are not reflected in the number of out balls and are not used to calculate the base value.

In addition, a winning abnormality detected in the base calculation area update process shown in Figures 73 and 74 may be reported. For example, in the fraud detection process of the timer interrupt process (step S84), a winning abnormality display command is created as an abnormal state when the winning abnormality is detected, and is transmitted in the peripheral control board command transmission process (step S92). This winning abnormality may be reported when one winning ball related to the winning abnormality is detected, or when a predetermined number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality are detected. In addition, a winning abnormality may be reported when a predetermined number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality are detected consecutively, or when a predetermined number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality are detected within a predetermined time.

Furthermore, the notification of the winning abnormality may end after a predetermined time has elapsed, or may end the next time the winning opening is opened (the condition device is activated).

Note that it is not necessary to report winning abnormalities.

[9-11. Base value calculation process taking advantage of the characteristics of the calculation circuit]
In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the division process for calculating the base value is performed by the arithmetic circuit 13121, so that the base value can be calculated without interfering with other processes, as opposed to the CPU 13111 executing the division by program. The base calculation process described so far does not take advantage of this characteristic.

In other words, in relation to the calculation of the base value, in the timer interrupt process (Figure 23) described above, in the switch input process (step S74), the detection signals from the discharged ball sensor 3060 and the fired ball sensor 1020 are read to count the number of out balls, and in the prize ball control process (step S80), the number of game balls (prize balls) to be paid out is calculated. After that, in the base calculation area update process (step S98), the number of prize balls and the number of out balls in the base calculation area 13128 are updated.

Then, in the base calculation and display process (step S89), the base value is calculated by referring to the number of winning balls and the number of out balls stored in the base calculation area 13128, and the calculated base value is displayed on the base display 1317.

Timer interrupt processing is executed at specified time intervals, and the specified processing must be completed for each timer interrupt. Therefore, with slow division processing by a program, it is difficult to include time-consuming processing in the timer interrupt processing, i.e., to include multiple base calculation processes in the timer interrupt processing. On the other hand, by performing division processing using the arithmetic circuit 13121, the time required to calculate the base value can be shortened, and the base value can be calculated multiple times in one timer interrupt processing, allowing the base value to be displayed without delay.

In addition, the CPU 13111 is not occupied by the division process from the time when values are written to the division input registers 131216 and 131217 of the arithmetic circuit 13121 until the time when the calculation result is read from the division result register A 131218. In other words, the 32 clock wait time from the input timing of the dividend and divisor to the output timing of the quotient can be effectively utilized, and other processing can be performed during this time. In other words, since the input timing of the dividend and divisor is separate from the output timing of the quotient, the flexibility of the base value calculation process in the timer interrupt process is improved.

Figure 75 is a flowchart showing an example of timer interrupt processing that makes use of the characteristics of an arithmetic circuit. The timer interrupt processing shown in Figure 75 is the same as the timer interrupt processing described above (Figure 23) except for the base calculation processing (steps S97 and S98), so a description of the same processing will be omitted.

When the timer interrupt process starts, the main control MPU 1311 first switches the registers by executing the main control program (step S70).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes switch input processing (step S74). In the switch input processing, various signals input to the input terminals of the various input ports of the main control MPU 1311 are read, and stored as input information in the input information storage area of the main control built-in RAM 1312. Specifically, the number of out balls is counted by reading detection signals from sensors that detect winning balls, detection signals from switches that detect fraudulent activity, and detection signals from the ejected ball sensor 3060 and the launched ball sensor 1020.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes base calculation process 1 (step S97). In base calculation process 1, the total number of out balls is updated using the number of out balls counted in step S74, and the base value is calculated. Details of base calculation process 1 will be described later with reference to Figures 76 and 78.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a timer update process (step S76) and a random number update process 1 (step S78).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes the prize ball control process (step S80). In the prize ball control process, input information is read from the input information storage area, the number of game balls (prize balls) to be paid out is calculated based on the read input information, and the calculated number is written to the main control internal RAM 1312. In addition, a prize ball command for paying out game balls is created based on the calculation result of the number of prize balls.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes base calculation process 2 (step S98). In base calculation process 2, the total number of prize balls is updated using the number of prize balls calculated in step S80, and the base value is calculated. Details of base calculation process 2 will be described later with reference to Figures 77 and 79.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes the frame command reception process (step S82), the fraud detection process (step S84), the special symbol and special electric role control process (step S86), and the normal symbol and normal electric role control process (step S88). Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes the output data setting process (step S90) and the peripheral control board command transmission process (step S92). Finally, the main control MPU 1311 sets a predetermined value (18H) in the watchdog timer clear register WCL (step S96). By setting the predetermined value in the watchdog timer clear register WCL, the watchdog timer clear register WCL is cleared. Finally, the main control MPU 1311 switches (returns) the register bank. When the above processes are completed, the timer interrupt process is terminated and the process before the interrupt is returned to.

Figure 76 is a flowchart showing an example of base calculation process 1 (step S97).

First, the main control MPU 1311 judges whether the game state is during a special prize (step S9701). The criteria for judging whether the game state is during a special prize can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. If the game state is during a special prize, the ball is an out ball that is not related to the calculation of the base value, so the base is not calculated and base calculation process 1 is terminated. On the other hand, if the game state is not during a special prize, the number of out balls detected in the switch input process (step S74) is obtained (step S9702), and the total number of out balls is updated so that the obtained number of out balls is added to the total number of out balls (step S9705). Note that if the number of out balls cannot be obtained or the obtained number of out balls is 0, base calculation process 1 may be immediately terminated. In this way, the load on the main control MPU 1311 can be reduced without unnecessary calculation of the base value.

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S9707). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and base calculation process 1 is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) is stored in division input register A131216 of calculation circuit 13121, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217 (step S9708). Then, after a predetermined time (32 clocks) has elapsed, the calculation result (total number of prize balls ÷ total number of out balls) is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value (step S9709).

After that, as in step S908 described above, a base notification command is generated (step S9710) to notify the player or hall employee of the base (base value or abnormality in the base value). When the base value is notified by the display device (performance display device 1600, 3114, 244) or speaker 921 controlled by the peripheral control unit 1511 or the performance display control unit 1512, the base notification command is a display command or a sound output command for the peripheral control unit 1511. When the base value is notified by the base display device 1317 or the function display unit 1400 controlled by the main control board 1310, since these display devices are composed of 7-segment LEDs and LED lamps, the base notification command is a drive signal to the LED elements. Specifically, when the 7-segment LED is driven by a driver, the drive signal including the character code set in the driver (character generator in the driver) is the base notification command. When the 7-segment LED is driven directly, the drive signal for turning on each LED element is the base notification command.

Figure 77 is a flowchart showing an example of base calculation process 2 (step S98).

First, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the game is currently in a special prize state (step S9801). The criteria for determining whether a special prize state is currently in a special prize state can be the same as those described in FIG. 39.

As a result, if the game state is during the special prize period, the base is not calculated and base calculation process 2 is terminated since the prize balls are not related to the calculation of the base value. On the other hand, if the game state is not during the special prize period, the number of prize balls calculated in the prize ball control process (step S80) is obtained (step S9802), and the total number of prize balls is updated so that the obtained number of prize balls is added to the total number of prize balls (step S9809). Note that if the number of prize balls cannot be obtained or the number of prize balls obtained is 0, base calculation process 2 may be immediately terminated. In this way, the load on the main control MPU 1311 can be reduced without unnecessary calculations of the base value.

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S9810). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and the base calculation process 2 is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) is stored in the division input register A131216 of the calculation circuit 13121, and the total number of out balls is stored in the division input register B131217 (step S9812). Note that if the total number of prize balls is 0, 0 is calculated as the base value, but the base value does not need to be calculated. Furthermore, if the total number of prize balls is greater than the total number of outs, a value of 1 (100%) or more is calculated as the base value, but the base value does not need to be calculated. Then, after a predetermined time (32 clocks) has elapsed, the calculation result (total number of prize balls ÷ total number of out balls) is read from the division result register A131218 and used as the base value (step S9813).

Then, a base notification command is generated (step S9814) and the base is notified to the player and hall employees.

The base calculation process shown in Figures 76 and 77 is executed for each timer interrupt process, so that the base value can be calculated and displayed without delay. Note that base calculation process 1 and base calculation process 2 may be executed in the timer interrupt process for each predetermined time (for example, one minute, which is a longer period than the timer interrupt process) rather than for each timer interrupt process. By not executing the base calculation display process for each timer interrupt process, the amount of calculation required to calculate the base value (for example, the load on the main control MPU 1311) can be reduced compared to when the base value is calculated for each timer interrupt process.

Next, another example of the base calculation process (steps S97, S98) will be described using Figures 78 and 79. The base calculation process shown in Figures 78 and 79 calculates a base value for each predetermined number of out balls and each predetermined number of winning balls.

Figure 78 is a flowchart showing another example of base calculation process 1 (step S97).

First, the main control MPU 1311 judges whether the game state is during a special prize (step S9701). The criteria for judging whether the game state is during a special prize can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. If the game state is during a special prize, the base is not calculated and the base calculation process 1 is terminated because the ball is an out ball that is not related to the calculation of the base value. On the other hand, if the game state is not during a special prize, the number of out balls detected in the switch input process (step S74) is obtained (step S9702), and the out ball number buffer is updated so that the obtained number of out balls is added to the out ball number buffer (step S9703). Note that if the number of out balls cannot be obtained or the obtained number of out balls is 0, the base calculation process 1 may be immediately terminated. In this way, the load on the main control MPU 1311 can be reduced without unnecessary calculation of the base value.

Then, it is determined whether the number of out balls stored in the out ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S9704). There are various methods that can be used to determine whether the number of out balls is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Th2. For example, the out ball count buffer value may be compared with the threshold value Th2, or the determination may be made based on the value of a predetermined bit in the storage area for the number of out balls (specifically, the storage area for the number of out balls may be composed of 8 bits, and if the most significant bit is 1, it can be determined that the number of out balls is 128 or greater).

If the out ball count buffer value is smaller than threshold value Th2, it is not time to calculate the base value, so base calculation process 1 is terminated.

On the other hand, if the out ball count buffer value is greater than or equal to threshold value Th2, the total number of out balls is updated by adding the out ball count buffer value to the total number of out balls (step S9705), and the out ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S9706).

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S9707). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and base calculation process 1 is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) is stored in division input register A131216 of calculation circuit 13121, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217 (step S9708). Then, after a predetermined time (32 clocks) has elapsed, the calculation result (total number of prize balls ÷ total number of out balls) is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value (step S9709).

Then, a base notification command is generated (step S9710) and the base is notified to the player and hall employees.

Figure 79 is a flowchart showing another example of base calculation process 2 (step S98).

First, the main control MPU 1311 judges whether the game state is during a special prize (step S9801). The criteria for judging whether the game state is during a special prize can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. If the game state is during a special prize, the base is not calculated and the base calculation process 2 is terminated because the prize balls are not related to the calculation of the base value. On the other hand, if the game state is not during a special prize, the number of prize balls calculated in the prize ball control process (step S80) is obtained (step S9802), and it is judged whether there are prize balls, that is, whether the number of acquired prize balls is 1 or more (step S9803). As a result, if there are no prize balls, the number of prize balls is not updated and the process proceeds to step S9808. On the other hand, if there are prize balls, it is judged whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls (step S9805), and if there is no abnormality in the number of prize balls, the prize ball number buffer is updated so that the acquired number of prize balls is added to the prize ball number buffer (step S9804).

On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command is generated (step S9806), and the player and hall staff are notified that there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls. There are various methods for notifying the abnormality, and one of the methods described below may be used, or two or more may be combined. Specifically, the various methods described in step S816 of FIG. 46 may be used.

An abnormality in the number of prize balls is, for example, when a large number of prize balls are obtained during a specified time other than during the special prize period (for example, the number of prize balls equivalent to 10 or more prizes per minute, considering the number of prize balls at the general prize slot and the starting slot). Note that the degree of abnormality may be judged in multiple stages depending on the deviation of the number of prize balls from the standard value by setting multiple tolerance levels.

Then, the prize ball abnormality notification timer is reset (step S9807), and counting the prize ball abnormality notification time begins.

Then, it is determined whether the number of prize balls stored in the prize ball number buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th1 (step S9808). Various methods can be used to determine whether the prize ball number buffer value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Th1. For example, the prize ball number buffer value may be compared with the threshold value Th1, or the determination may be made based on the value of a predetermined bit in the prize ball number storage area (specifically, the prize ball number storage area may be composed of 8 bits, and if the most significant bit is 1, it can be determined that the number of out balls is 128 or greater).

If the prize ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th1, it is not time to calculate the base value, so the base is not calculated and base calculation process 2 is terminated.

On the other hand, if the prize ball count buffer value is greater than or equal to the threshold value Th1, the total prize ball count is updated by adding the prize ball count buffer value to the total prize ball count (step S9809), and the prize ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S9810).

Each time the number of prize balls is added to the prize ball count buffer, the number of prize balls may be output from the external terminal board 784 to a hall computer installed in the gaming center, or when the number of prize balls described below reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold value Th1, the threshold value Th1 may be output from the external terminal board 784 to the hall computer. Here, the prize ball count buffer is an area provided in the main control built-in RAM 1312 to calculate a base value, and temporarily stores the number of prize balls paid out by the pachinko machine 1.

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S9811). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and the base calculation process 2 is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls multiplied by a predetermined number (for example, 100) is stored in division input register A131216 of the calculation circuit 13121, and the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217 (step S9812). Then, after a predetermined time (32 clocks) has elapsed, the calculation result (total number of prize balls ÷ total number of out balls) is read from division result register A131218 and used as the base value (step S9813).

Then, a base notification command is generated (step S9814) and the base is notified to the player and hall employees.

Then, it is determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer started in step S9807 has timed out (step S9815). Then, when the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command is generated and the prize ball abnormality notification is stopped (step S9816). Note that in step S9815, the end of the notification is determined based on the time of the timer for notifying the prize ball abnormality for a predetermined period of time, but the end of the notification may also be determined so that the prize ball abnormality is notified for a predetermined number of balls fired. Also, the abnormality may continue to be notified until a hall employee confirms it.

Figure 80 is a flow chart showing another example of timer interrupt processing. The timer interrupt processing shown in Figure 80 is the same as the timer interrupt processing described above (Figures 23 and 75) except for the base calculation processing (steps S93 and S94) and the base display processing (step S95), so a description of the same processing will be omitted.

When the timer interrupt process starts, the main control MPU 1311 first switches the registers by executing the main control program (step S70).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes a switch input process (step S74). In the switch input process, the detection signals from the discharged ball sensor 3060 and the launched ball sensor 1020 are read, and the number of out balls is counted.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes base calculation process 3 (step S93). In base calculation process 3, the total number of out balls is updated using the number of out balls counted in step S74, and parameters for calculating the base value are written to the calculation circuit 13121. Details of base calculation process 3 will be described later with reference to Figures 81 and 84.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a timer update process (step S76) and a random number update process 1 (step S78).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes the prize ball control process (step S80). In the prize ball control process, input information is read from the input information storage area, the number of game balls (prize balls) to be paid out is calculated based on the read input information, and the calculated number is written to the main control internal RAM 1312. In addition, a prize ball command for paying out game balls is created based on the calculation result of the number of prize balls.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes base calculation process 4 (step S94). In base calculation process 2, the total number of prize balls is updated using the number of prize balls counted in step S80, and parameters for calculating the base value are written to the calculation circuit 13121. Details of base calculation process 4 will be described later using Figures 82 and 85.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a frame command reception process (step S82), a fraud detection process (step S84), a special symbol and special electric device control process (step S86), and a normal symbol and normal electric device control process (step S88).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes a base display process that reads from the arithmetic circuit 13121 and generates a command to notify the base (step S95).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes an output data setting process (step S90) and a peripheral control board command transmission process (step S92). Finally, the main control MPU 1311 sets a predetermined value (18H) in the watchdog timer clear register WCL (step S96). By setting a predetermined value in the watchdog timer clear register WCL, the watchdog timer clear register WCL is cleared. Finally, the main control MPU 1311 switches (restores) the register bank. When the above processes are completed, the timer interrupt process is terminated and the process before the interrupt is restored.

Figure 81 is a flowchart showing an example of base calculation process 3 (step S93). Base calculation process 3 shown in Figure 81 is obtained by removing steps S9709 and after from base calculation process 1 shown in Figure 76.

First, the main control MPU 1311 judges whether the game state is during a special prize (step S9701). The criteria for judging whether the game state is during a special prize can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. If the game state is during a special prize, the ball is an out ball that is not related to the calculation of the base value, so the base is not calculated and base calculation process 1 is terminated. On the other hand, if the game state is not during a special prize, the number of out balls detected in the switch input process (step S74) is obtained (step S9702), and the total number of out balls is updated so that the obtained number of out balls is added to the total number of out balls (step S9705). Note that if the number of out balls cannot be obtained or the obtained number of out balls is 0, base calculation process 3 may be immediately terminated. In this way, the load on the main control MPU 1311 can be reduced without unnecessary calculation of the base value.

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S9707). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and base calculation process 3 is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217 of the calculation circuit 13121 (step S9708).

Figure 82 is a flowchart showing an example of base calculation process 4 (step S94). Base calculation process 4 shown in Figure 82 is obtained by removing steps S9813 and after from base calculation process 2 shown in Figure 77.

First, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the game is in a special prize state (step S9801). The criteria for determining whether the game is in a special prize state can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. If the game is in a special prize state, the base is not calculated and the base calculation process 2 is terminated because the prize balls are not related to the calculation of the base value. On the other hand, if the game is not in a special prize state, the number of prize balls calculated in the prize ball control process (step S80) is obtained (step S9802), and the total number of prize balls is updated so that the obtained number of prize balls is added to the total number of prize balls (step S9809). Note that if the number of prize balls cannot be obtained or the number of prize balls obtained is 0, the base calculation process 1 may be immediately terminated. In this way, the load on the main control MPU 1311 can be reduced without unnecessary calculation of the base value.

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S9810). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and base calculation process 2 is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls multiplied by a predetermined number (e.g., 100) is stored in division input register A131216 of calculation circuit 13121 (step S9812).

In addition, in step S9708 of FIG. 81, the total number of out balls may not be stored in division input register B131217, and in step S9812 of FIG. 82, the total number of winning balls multiplied by a predetermined number (e.g., 100) may be stored in division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls may be stored in division input register B131217.

Figure 83 is a flowchart showing an example of the base display process (step S95).

The main control MPU 1311 reads the calculation result (total number of winning balls / total number of out balls) from the division result register A 131218 and sets it as the base value (step S8901). It then generates a base notification command (step S8902) and notifies the player and hall staff of the base.

The base calculation process shown in Figures 81 and 82 and the base display process shown in Figure 83 are executed for each timer interrupt process, so that the base value can be calculated and displayed without delay. Note that base calculation process 1 and base calculation process 2 may be executed in the timer interrupt process at a predetermined time interval (e.g., one minute) instead of being executed for each timer interrupt process.

Next, another example of the base calculation process (steps S97, S98) will be described using Figures 84 and 85. The base calculation process shown in Figures 84 and 85 calculates a base value for each predetermined number of out balls and each predetermined number of winning balls.

Figure 84 is a flowchart showing another example of base calculation process 3 (step S93). Base calculation process 3 shown in Figure 84 is obtained by removing steps S9709 and after from base calculation process 1 shown in Figure 78.

First, the main control MPU 1311 judges whether the game state is during a special prize (step S9701). The criteria for judging whether the game state is during a special prize can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. If the game state is during a special prize, the base is not calculated and the base calculation process 1 is terminated because the ball is an out ball that is not related to the calculation of the base value. On the other hand, if the game state is not during a special prize, the number of out balls detected in the switch input process (step S74) is obtained (step S9702), and the out ball number buffer is updated so that the obtained number of out balls is added to the out ball number buffer (step S9703). Note that if the number of out balls cannot be obtained or the obtained number of out balls is 0, the base calculation process 3 may be immediately terminated. In this way, the load on the main control MPU 1311 can be reduced without unnecessary calculation of the base value.

Then, it is determined whether the number of out balls stored in the out ball count buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S9704). There are various methods that can be used to determine whether the number of out balls is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Th2. For example, the out ball count buffer value may be compared with the threshold value Th2, or the determination may be made based on the value of a predetermined bit in the storage area for the number of out balls (specifically, the storage area for the number of out balls may be composed of 8 bits, and if the most significant bit is 1, it can be determined that the number of out balls is 128 or greater).

If the out ball count buffer value is smaller than threshold value Th2, it is not time to calculate the base value, so base calculation process 1 is terminated.

On the other hand, if the out ball count buffer value is greater than or equal to threshold value Th2, the total number of out balls is updated by adding the out ball count buffer value to the total number of out balls (step S9705), and the out ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S9706).

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S9707). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and base calculation process 1 is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of out balls is stored in division input register B131217 of the calculation circuit 13121 (step S9708).

Figure 85 is a flowchart showing another example of base calculation process 4 (step S94). Base calculation process 4 shown in Figure 85 is obtained by removing steps S9813 and after from base calculation process 2 shown in Figure 79.

First, the main control MPU 1311 judges whether the game state is in the special prize state (step S9801). The criteria for judging whether the game state is in the special prize state can be the same as those described in FIG. 39. If the game state is in the special prize state, the base is not calculated and the base calculation process 2 is terminated since the prize balls are not related to the calculation of the base value. On the other hand, if the game state is not in the special prize state, the number of prize balls calculated in the prize ball control process (step S80) is obtained (step S9802), and it is judged whether there are prize balls, that is, whether the number of acquired prize balls is 1 or more (step S9803). As a result, if there are no prize balls, the number of prize balls is not updated and the process proceeds to step S9808. On the other hand, if there are prize balls, it is judged whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls (step S9805), and if there is no abnormality in the number of prize balls, the prize ball number buffer is updated so that the acquired number of prize balls is added to the prize ball number buffer (step S9804).

On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command is generated (step S9806), and the player and hall staff are notified that there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls. There are various methods for notifying the abnormality, and one of the methods described below may be used, or two or more may be combined. Specifically, the various methods described in step S816 of FIG. 46 may be used.

An abnormality in the number of prize balls is, for example, when a large number of prize balls are won during a specified period of time other than during the special prize period (for example, 10 or more prize balls won per minute, taking into account the number of prize balls won at the general prize slot and the starting prize slot). Note that multiple tolerance levels may be set, and the degree of abnormality may be determined in multiple stages depending on the degree of deviation of the number of prize balls from the standard value.

Then, the prize ball abnormality notification timer is reset (step S9807), and counting the prize ball abnormality notification time begins.

Then, it is determined whether the number of prize balls stored in the prize ball number buffer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th1 (step S9808). Various methods can be used to determine whether the prize ball number buffer value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Th1. For example, the prize ball number buffer value may be compared with the threshold value Th1, or the determination may be made based on the value of a predetermined bit in the prize ball number storage area (specifically, the prize ball number storage area may be composed of 8 bits, and if the most significant bit is 1, it can be determined that the number of out balls is 128 or greater).

If the prize ball count buffer value is smaller than the threshold value Th1, it is not time to calculate the base value, so the base is not calculated and base calculation process 2 is terminated.

On the other hand, if the prize ball count buffer value is greater than or equal to the threshold value Th1, the total prize ball count is updated by adding the prize ball count buffer value to the total prize ball count (step S9809), and the prize ball count buffer is set to 0 (step S9810).

Each time the number of prize balls is added to the prize ball count buffer, the number of prize balls may be output from the external terminal board 784 to a hall computer installed in the gaming center, or when the number of prize balls described below reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold value Th1, the threshold value Th1 may be output from the external terminal board 784 to the hall computer. Here, the prize ball count buffer is an area provided in the main control built-in RAM 1312 to calculate a base value, and temporarily stores the number of prize balls paid out by the pachinko machine 1.

After that, it is determined whether the total number of out balls is 0 (step S9811). If the total number of out balls is 0, the base value cannot be calculated, so the base value is not calculated and base calculation process 2 is terminated. On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is not 0, the total number of prize balls multiplied by a predetermined number (e.g., 100) is stored in division input register A131216 of calculation circuit 13121 (step S9812).

In addition, in step S9708 of FIG. 84, the total number of out balls may not be stored in division input register B131217, and in step S9812 of FIG. 85, the total number of winning balls multiplied by a predetermined number (e.g., 100) may be stored in division input register A131216, and the total number of out balls may be stored in division input register B131217.

Figure 86 is a flowchart showing another example of the base display process (step S95).

The main control MPU 1311 reads the calculation result (total number of winning balls / total number of out balls) from the division result register A 131218 and sets it as the base value (step S8901). It then generates a base notification command (step S8902) and notifies the player and hall staff of the base.

After that, it is determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer started in step S9807 of base calculation process 4 has timed out (step S8903). Then, when the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command is generated and the prize ball abnormality notification is stopped (step S8904). Note that in step S8903, the end of the notification is determined based on the time of the timer for notifying the prize ball abnormality for a predetermined period of time, but the end of the notification may also be determined so that the prize ball abnormality is notified for a predetermined number of balls fired. Also, the abnormality may continue to be notified until a hall employee confirms it.

As shown in Figures 75 and 80, in the timer interrupt process of this embodiment, before the timer interrupt process ends (before the timer interrupt period has elapsed and the next timer interrupt process starts), the input values (divisor, dividend) are written to the arithmetic circuit 13121 at a timing when the division result can be read from the arithmetic circuit 13121. Specifically, the timing for writing the input values (divisor, dividend) to the arithmetic circuit 13121 is preferably in the first half of the timer interrupt process, before the random number update process (step S78), or before the control process for the special and normal symbols (steps S86, S88).

The number of game media (prize balls) awarded to a player may also determine whether or not to execute the process of calculating the base value. In other words, from the perspective of the number of prize balls set for each winning slot, it may be possible to switch between using the number of prize balls or the number of out balls to calculate the base value. For example, the prize balls of a winning slot that awards the maximum number of prize balls per winning ball may not be used in calculating the base value.

Specifically, when the number of prize game media (prize balls paid out for one winning ball) awarded when a game medium determined for each winning slot in the game area wins is one, three, or five, the maximum number of five prize balls and the corresponding number of out balls do not have to be used to calculate the base value. This is because if a winning prize with a large number of prize balls is used to calculate the base value, the calculated base value will fluctuate greatly, and even if the lower digits of the calculated base value are rounded by a processing means (by rounding up, down, etc.), the displayed value may change frequently. In such cases, it becomes difficult for the hall to determine whether the pachinko machine is performing as specified (for example, whether the ball payout rate is as set).

In addition, the minimum number of prize balls (one) and the corresponding number of out balls do not have to be used in calculating the base value. This is because the change in the base value due to a win with a small number of prize balls is small, and so even if that one prize ball is not used in calculating the base value, if the lowest digits of the base value calculated by the processing means are rounded (by rounding, rounding up, rounding down, etc.) and displayed, there are cases in which the displayed base value does not change, and therefore processing that does not contribute to a change in the display can be omitted.

Although we have explained the cases where the number of prize balls is maximum and minimum, the intermediate number of prize balls between the maximum and minimum does not have to be used to calculate the base value. In this case, the maximum and minimum numbers of prize balls are used to calculate the base value, and the maximum and minimum are averaged to show the number of prize balls and the number of out balls that represent the operation of the entire pachinko machine, making it possible to show an appropriate base value.

Note that although three types of prize ball number patterns have been described, the pattern is not limited to three types, and other types of prize ball number patterns such as five or seven types may also be used.

Furthermore, if a winning ball of a specific type (such as the minimum value of 1, the intermediate value of 3, or the maximum value of 5, as mentioned above) is not used in calculating the base value, all winning balls in the game state when that winning ball is detected do not have to be used in calculating the base value. For example, if a winning ball in a winning slot that awards 5 winning balls is not used in calculating the base value, in the game state in which a winning ball in that winning slot is detected, winning balls in that winning slot or other winning slots will not be used in calculating the base value until the end of that game state. Furthermore, winning balls in that winning slot or other winning slots after the start of that game state will not be used retroactively in calculating the base value.

In addition, if the game state when the winning was detected occurs again, the winning does not have to be used in calculating the base value, and winnings up until the game state when the winning was detected transitions to another game state do not have to be used in calculating the base value. This is to eliminate the possibility of delays in determining whether the pachinko machine is normal (for example, whether the payout rate is as set) by not using the number of winning balls and the number of out balls in a game state where the calculated base value changes greatly in calculating the base value.

In addition, when the number of winning balls changes depending on the game state, the maximum (or minimum or intermediate) winning ball for one winning ball does not need to be used in calculating the base value.

Next, we will explain the specific process for not using the number of prize balls and the number of out balls in calculating the base value, depending on the number of game media (prize balls) mentioned above.

In the switch input process (step S74), when the detection signal from each winning port sensor is input to the main control board 1310, the main control MPU 1311 may determine whether the winning is to be used in the calculation of the base value. For winnings that are determined not to be used in the calculation of the base value, the total number of winning balls and the total number of out balls for calculating the base value are not updated, and the calculation process of the base value is not executed. More specifically, for example, in the timer interrupt process shown in FIG. 75, in base calculation process 1 (step S97), the number of winning balls to be excluded from the calculation of the base value is set to 0 and excluded from the number of out balls, and in base calculation process 2 (step S98), the number of winning balls to be excluded from the calculation of the base value is set to 0 and not added to the total number of winning balls. Also, if all detected winnings are not used in the calculation of the base value, the base calculation process 1 (step S97) and the base calculation process 2 (step S98) in FIG. 75 do not need to be executed.

In addition, in the timer interrupt processing shown in FIG. 80, in base calculation processing 3 (step S93), the number of winning balls to be excluded from the calculation of the base value is set to 0 and excluded from the number of out balls, and in base calculation processing 4 (step S94), the number of prize balls to be excluded from the calculation of the base value is set to 0 and not added to the total number of prize balls. Also, if all detected winning balls are not used in the calculation of the base value, it is not necessary to execute base calculation processing 3 (step S93), base calculation processing 4 (step S94), and base display processing (step S95) in FIG. 80.

The method for excluding the number of winning balls that are determined not to be used in calculating the base value from the number of out balls may be the same as the correction of out balls due to abnormal winning balls described in Figures 73 and 74.

In this case, since it is determined from the number of winning balls whether the detected winning is to be used in calculating the base value, it is not necessary to determine whether a special prize is being awarded in base calculation process 1 (step S97), base calculation process 2 (step S98), base calculation process 3 (step S93), and base calculation process 4 (step S94).

In this way, by excluding the number of out balls and winning balls required for a given win from the calculation of the base value, no processing is skipped, making it easy to check whether the processing is being performed accurately, especially during the development stage. Also, by not executing the processing to calculate the base value and not updating the base value, the processing of the main control MPU 1311 is reduced, allowing other processing (such as the lottery processing and the processing to determine the variation pattern) to be performed accurately.

In other words, even if the maximum prize among multiple prizes with different degrees of advantage is awarded to the player, it is not used in calculating the base value, and the base value is displayed unchanged by the award of that prize. Furthermore, the calculated base value is displayed unchanged at least until the game state in which the maximum prize was awarded ends.

[9-12. Another configuration of a gaming machine that displays the base]
FIG. 87 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the pachinko machine of this embodiment.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, unlike the control configuration of the pachinko machine shown in FIG. 17, as the ejected ball sensor 3060, a board-side ejected ball sensor 3060A is provided on the game board 5, and a frame-side ejected ball sensor 3060B is provided on the main body frame 4. Note that either the board-side ejected ball sensor 3060A or the frame-side ejected ball sensor 3060B may be provided, or both may be provided.

As described above, the board-side ejected ball sensor 3060A is the out-port passing ball sensor 1021 that detects game balls passing through the out-port 1111 provided at the bottom of the game area 5a (see FIG. 53). The output signal of the board-side ejected ball sensor 3060A is input to the main control board 1310 and input to the main control MPU 1311, as described later with reference to FIG. 92. In this case, the total of the number of game balls detected by the out-port passing ball sensor 1021, the number of game balls detected by the start port sensors 2104, 2551, and the number of game balls detected by the various winning port sensors 3015, 2114, 2554, 2557 is regarded as the number of out balls.

As described above, the frame-side discharged ball sensor 3060B is provided at the discharge port that discharges game balls that have flowed out of the game area 5a to the outside of the pachinko machine 1 (see FIG. 4). The output signal of the frame-side discharged ball sensor 3060B is input to the main control board 1310 via the payout control board 951 and the connector that connects the main frame 4 and the game board 5.

When both the board-side discharged ball sensor 3060A and the frame-side discharged ball sensor 3060B are provided, the counting results of the board-side discharged ball sensor 3060A and the frame-side discharged ball sensor 3060B may be compared, and an error may be signaled if a difference between the two counting results is greater than a predetermined value. Also, an error may be signaled if a difference between the two counting results within a predetermined period of time is greater than a predetermined value.

In the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the display switch 1318 is not a required component, and the display content of the base display 1317 (tentative interval display and confirmed interval display) is switched at a predetermined time interval as described below (see Figure 99), but the base value may be displayed or the display content may be switched by operating the display switch 1318.

The configuration other than that described above is the same as the control configuration of the pachinko machine shown in Figure 17.

Figures 88 and 89 show the placement of the frame side discharge ball sensor 3060B.

Figure 88 shows an example of a mechanism that aligns out balls in a line in a ball flow path 960 provided in the main body frame 4 on the back side of the game board, and counts the out balls with one frame-side discharged ball sensor 3060B. Game balls rolling in the game area 5a flow into the main body frame 4 on the back side of the game board 5 via the out port 1111, the general winning port 2001, and the large winning ports 2005 and 2006. The main body frame 4 is provided with a ball flow path 960 that causes discharged game balls to flow down to the right side when viewed from the front, and align them in a line. The frame-side discharged ball sensor 3060B counts the game balls aligned in a line.

Figure 89 shows an example of a mechanism in which out balls aligned in a ball flow path 960 provided on the back of the game board are made to flow down in two lines and counted by multiple discharged ball sensors 3060. Game balls rolling in the game area 5a flow into the main body frame 4 on the back side of the game board 5 via the out port 1111, the general winning port 2001, the starting ports 2002 and 2004, and the large winning ports 2005 and 2006. The main body frame 4 is provided with a ball flow path 960 that makes the discharged game balls flow down from the left and right to near the center and align them in two lines. Each of the two frame-side discharged ball sensors 3060B counts the game balls aligned in each line.

The frame-side discharged ball sensor 3060B is provided at the position shown in Figures 53, 88, and 89, but it may be configured as a unit together with the ball flow path 960 and detachable from the main body frame 4. The frame-side discharged ball sensor 3060B may also be configured as a unit that is detachable from the main body frame 4.

Figure 90 shows an example of the connection between the ejected ball sensor and the main control board.

The output line of the board-side ejected ball sensor 3060A is connected to a connector 13101 provided on the main control board 1310 via a relay board, and the output signal of the board-side ejected ball sensor 3060A is input to the main control MPU 1311. The output line of the frame-side ejected ball sensor 3060B is connected to a connector 13102 provided on the main control board 1310, and the output signal of the frame-side ejected ball sensor 3060B is input to the main control MPU 1311.

The connector 13101 to which the output line of the board-side ejected ball sensor 3060A is connected may be provided on the upper side of the main control board 1310, and the connector 13102 to which the output line of the frame-side ejected ball sensor 3060B is connected may be provided on the lower side of the main control board 1310.

The connector 13101 to which the output line of the board side ejected ball sensor 3060A is connected and the connector 13102 to which the output line of the frame side ejected ball sensor 3060B is connected are provided separately, but as shown by the dashed line, the output line of the board side ejected ball sensor 3060A and the output line of the frame side ejected ball sensor 3060B may be connected to a single connector (e.g., 13102).

The output line of the board-side ejected ball sensor 3060A may be connected to the main control board 1310 without going through a relay board. The output line of the frame-side ejected ball sensor 3060B may be connected directly to the main control board 1310. The output line of the frame-side ejected ball sensor 3060B may be connected to the main control board 1310 via the payout control board 951. The output line of the frame-side ejected ball sensor 3060B may be connected to the main control board 1310 via a relay board (not shown). After connecting the output line of the frame-side ejected ball sensor 3060B to the payout control board 951 or the relay board, it may be connected to the main control board 1310 via a connector (e.g., a floating connector) that connects the game board 5 and the main frame 4.

The pachinko machine of this embodiment is also provided with multiple magnetic detection sensors 1030. The output signals of the magnetic detection sensors 1030 are input to the main control MPU 1311, as described later with reference to FIG. 92.

Figure 91 is a front view showing an example of a game board 5, and in particular shows the arrangement of the magnetic detection sensor 1030 provided on the game board 5.

The magnetic detection sensor 1030 is a sensor that detects unauthorized magnetism within the game area 5a, and is installed near the sensors that detect winning entries into the various winning slots 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006 (at the position of the star in the figure). The detection range of the magnetic detection sensor 1030 is shown by a dashed line on the game board 5, and partially overlaps.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the magnetic detection sensor 1030 is also provided near the outlet 1111. This is to prevent the calculation of an illegal base value. That is, when a player brings a magnet close to the outlet 1111 to operate the discharged ball sensor 3060, the number of discharged balls is counted more than the actual number, and the base value decreases. For this reason, amusement parlors may perform maintenance work on the pachinko machine 1 to return the base value to a predetermined standard value. In a pachinko machine where maintenance work has been performed based on a base value different from the actual number, the number of discharged balls in the normal state increases, allowing the player to play in a more advantageous state than usual and to obtain many discharged balls. In order to calculate an accurate base value and prevent such illegal payout of discharged balls, the magnetic detection sensor 1030 is provided near the outlet 1111. It is advisable to provide the magnetic detection sensor 1030 in a location other than the vicinity of the outlet 1111 where the discharged ball sensor 3060 may malfunction due to magnetism.

As shown in the figure, it is preferable that the magnetic detection sensor 1030 installed near the outlet 1111 has a wider detection range than the other magnetic detection sensors 1030. This is because, when detecting out balls using multiple discharged ball sensors 3060 as shown in FIG. 89, the magnetic detection range of the magnetic detection sensor 1030 installed near the outlet 1111 may also include other winning ports (for example, the large winning port 2005 installed above the outlet 1111).

Figure 92 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main control input circuit 1315. The main control input circuit 1315 receives output signals from the ejected ball sensor 3060, the winning hole sensors (general winning hole sensor 3015, first start hole sensor 2104, second start hole sensor 2551, first large winning hole sensor 2114, second upper large winning hole sensor 2554, second lower large winning hole sensor 2557, etc.), and the magnetic detection sensor 1030, and inputs them to the main control MPU 1311.

The main control input circuit 1315 includes an interface circuit 1331 and a buffer circuit 1332. The interface circuit 1331 converts the levels of signals input from various sensors and outputs them after shaping (e.g., removing chattering). The buffer circuit 1332 outputs the input signals to the data bus at the timing instructed by the main control MPU 1311.

Specifically, the output signal from each sensor is input to one of terminals A1 to A8 of interface circuit 1331, and the signal that has been level converted and shaped by interface circuit 1331 is output from terminals Y1 to Y8 and input to one of terminals A1 to A8 of buffer circuit 1332. Buffer circuit 1332 outputs the signal input to terminals Y1 to Y8 to the data bus when chip select signals CS4, CS5 from the main control MPU 1311 are input. This allows the detection results from each sensor to be taken into the main control MPU 1311.

The interface circuit 1331 includes an abnormality detection circuit and a power supply monitoring circuit. The abnormality detection circuit of the interface circuit 1331 monitors the input of the A1 to A8 terminals, and when the input signal to each terminal is lower than a predetermined threshold (for example, 4V) or higher than a predetermined threshold (for example, power supply voltage -0.1V), it detects a break in the connection line to the switch or a short circuit in the switch. When the input of any terminal exceeds the normal range defined by the predetermined threshold, it outputs an abnormality signal E and outputs a signal at a level at which each sensor is OFF from the Y1 to Y8 terminals, regardless of the input signal of the A1 to A8 terminals. The power supply monitoring circuit of the interface circuit 1331 monitors the power supply voltage VS, and when the power supply voltage becomes lower than a predetermined threshold (for example, 12V-20%) and detects an abnormality in the power supply, it outputs an abnormality signal E and outputs a signal at a level at which each sensor is OFF from the Y1 to Y8 terminals, regardless of the input signal of the A1 to A8 terminals. In other words, even if an ON level signal is input from a sensor, the output of the interface circuit for that input is OFF level. For this reason, the main control MPU 1311 does not determine that the signal output from the sensor is valid (the output of the sensor is invalidated). This eliminates the need for the main control MPU 1311 to determine whether or not to process the input signal depending on whether the power supply to the switch has dropped, reducing the processing load and allowing the output signals Y1 to Y8 to be output at a level that turns each sensor OFF, regardless of the state of the input signals A1 to A8.

As described below, when the main control MPU 1311 detects an abnormal signal, it does not calculate the base value (see Figure 105). The interface circuit 1331 receives signals from sensors used to calculate the base value (number of balls discharged, number of winning balls) and signals from sensors not used to calculate the base value (such as gate sensor 2547). The interface circuit 1331 outputs an abnormality signal if any of the input signals become abnormal. For this reason, even if an abnormality is detected in a sensor that is not related to the calculation of the base, the calculation of the base is not performed, and the display content of the base display 1317 is maintained and does not change.

That is, the main control input circuit 1315 monitors signals from sensors used to calculate the base value and signals from sensors not used to calculate the base value, and if any of the signals become abnormal, it outputs an abnormality signal to stop the calculation of the base value.

Figures 93, 94, and 95 are diagrams showing examples of implementation of the main control board 1310. Figure 93 (A) shows an example in which the function display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are connected to different driver circuits 1334, and Figure 93 (B) shows an example in which the function display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are connected to a single driver circuit 1334. Figure 94 shows the arrangement of the main control MPU 1311, the base display 1317, and the main control board 1310. Figure 95 (A) is a front view of the main control board 1310 housed in the main control board box 1320, Figure 95 (B) is a bottom view, and Figure 95 (C) is a right side view.

As shown in Figures 93 (A) and (B), the main control I/O port 1314 includes a latch circuit 1333 and a driver circuit 1334.

In the example shown in FIG. 93(A), the display data of the functional display unit 1400 and the display data of the base display 1317 are output from the main control MPU 1311 and taken into different latch circuits 1333. Then, the display data is output from different driver circuits 1334 to the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317.

In the example shown in FIG. 93(B), the display data of the functional display unit 1400 and the display data of the base display 1317 are output from the main control MPU 1311 and taken into one latch circuit 1333. Then, the display data is output from one driver circuit 1334 to the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317.

In the example shown in Figures 93 (A) and (B), a reset signal from a reset circuit 1335 and a clock signal from a clock oscillator 1336 are input to the main control MPU 1311. It is preferable that the signal lines over which the display data of the function display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are output from the main control MPU 1311 do not intersect with the signal lines for the reset signal and the clock signal.

The connector 13101 is a connector to which the output line of the board side ejected ball sensor 3060A is connected, and is preferably provided on the upper side of the main control board 1310. The connector 13101 is connected not only to the output line from the board side ejected ball sensor 3060A, but also to output lines from other winning slot sensors 3015, 2104, etc. and the magnetic detection sensor 1030. The connector 13102 is a connector to which the output line of the frame side ejected ball sensor 3060B is connected, and is preferably provided on the lower side of the main control board 1310. The signal from the ejected ball sensor 3060 input to the connectors 13101 and 13102 is input to the main control MPU 1311 via the interface circuit 1331 and the buffer circuit 1332.

Figure 94 is a diagram showing the arrangement on the main control board 1310 of the components arranged between the main control MPU 1311 and the base display 1317. Figure 94 is a diagram showing the printed circuit board constituting the main control board 1310 from the back side, with solid lines indicating the pattern on the back side, dashed lines indicating the pattern on the component side, and dotted lines indicating the components mounted on the component side of the printed circuit board. Note that the ground pattern and power supply pattern have been omitted from the illustration.

The data lines (D1 to D8) output from the main control MPU 1311 are input to latch 2 (1333) and connected to the cathode side segment terminals of each digit of the 7-segment LED of the base display 1317 via driver 2 (1334).

In addition, some of the data lines (D1 to D4) output from the main control MPU 1311 are input to latch 1 (1333) and connected to the anode side common terminals of each digit of the 7-segment LED of the base display 1317 via driver 1 (1334).

The main control MPU 1311 outputs a chip select signal that controls the operation timing of the latch circuit 1333. Specifically, latch circuit 2 (1333) takes in data for controlling the blinking of each segment from the data lines (D1 to D8) when chip select signal CS2 from the main control MPU 1311 is input. Also, latch circuit 1 (1333) takes in data for controlling the blinking of each digit from the data lines (D1 to D4) when chip select signal CS3 from the main control MPU 1311 is input.

The main control MPU 1311 receives a reset signal from the reset circuit 1335 and a clock signal from the clock oscillator 1336. The reset signal is also input from the reset circuit 1335 to each latch circuit 1333, and the latch circuit 1333 clears the latched data in response to the reset signal.

The data lines (D1 to D8) between the main control MPU 1311 and the base display 1317 are arranged so as not to intersect with the signal lines for the reset signal and the clock signal. Similarly, although not shown, the data lines (D1 to D8) between the main control MPU 1311 and the function display unit 1400 are arranged so as not to intersect with the signal lines for the reset signal and the clock signal.

This is because in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the base display 1317 is controlled by dynamic lighting, so that a pulse signal is transmitted on the data line between the main control MPU 1311 and the base display 1317, and the level of the data line between the main control MPU 1311 and the base display 1317 frequently changes. In particular, a large current necessary to drive the LED elements flows between the driver circuit 1334 and the base display 1317. For this reason, the data line between the main control MPU 1311 and the base display 1317 (in particular, between the driver circuit 1334 and the base display 1317) is a source of noise generation. And if the data line between the main control MPU 1311 and the base display 1317 crosses the signal lines of the reset signal or clock signal, noise is carried on the signal lines of the reset signal or clock signal, which may cause the pachinko machine 1 to malfunction. These signal line intersections can also occur when wiring patterns on the front and back of a printed circuit board intersect, or when wiring patterns on an inner layer and a surface layer (front and back) intersect.

Specifically, if a reset signal is input to the main control MPU 1311 at a timing that would not normally occur, the main control MPU 1311 may be reset during play, causing the game to stop or the game state to be erased. If the game state is erased at a timing that would not normally occur, the reset occurs without executing the normal power-off processing, so the data stored in the RAM 1312 is cleared, the jackpot ends, the variable display game ends midway, or pending special pattern variable display games and normal pattern variable display games are erased.

The main control board box 1320 is partially low in height and other parts are high in height depending on the height of the components attached to the main control board 1310 and interference with other components when assembled. For example, as shown in FIG. 95, since the main control MPU 1311 is high, the main control board box 1320 is high in height where the main control MPU 1311 is mounted, and the area to the left of the area where the main control MPU 1311 is mounted is high in height, and relatively tall components such as electrolytic capacitors are mounted therein. On the other hand, the area to the right of the area where the main control MPU 1311 is mounted is low in height, and short components such as ICs are mounted therein (tall components cannot be placed there). Note that the main control board box 1320 is high in height, and the area where tall components can be mounted is shown hatched. Additionally, in the area where the connectors 13101 and 13102 are attached, the main control board box 1320 should be formed at a height equal to or lower than the surface where the mating connector is inserted and removed (preferably at the same height as the board surface) so as to prevent any hindrance to the insertion and removal of cables (connectors) that connect to other boards.

In this way, by partially changing the height of the main control board box 1320 to match the height of the components mounted on the board, it is possible to prevent fraudulent attempts to install unauthorized components (circuits) on the main control board.

In FIG. 95, the base display 1317 is placed in the upper right part of the main control board 1310, but it is preferable to place the base display 1317 in a position where the player cannot easily see the display contents even if the main frame 4 is opened to a predetermined angle for maintenance purposes. For example, when the main frame 4 is opened to a predetermined angle for maintenance during business hours (to check whether there are game balls in the supply tank), if the player can see the display contents of the base display 1317, the player may not correctly understand how to read the display of the base display 1317, and may ask for an explanation of the display contents of the base display 1317. In order to prevent such complication, it is preferable to place the base display 1317 in a position where the player cannot easily see the display contents. Also, by placing the base display 1317 in this way, inquiries from players can be suppressed. That is, the base display 1317 displays a base value for a maximum of 52,000 out balls, but since this differs from the base value for a short period of play by the player, complaints may arise regarding the ball output rate. By locating the base display 1317 in this manner, complaints from players can be reduced. The same applies to the aforementioned bonus ratio display 1317, and it is advisable to locate the bonus ratio display 1317 in a position where it is difficult for players to see the displayed content.

As shown, the base display (7-segment LED) 1317 has a low height and is therefore mounted in a low height area of the main control board box 1320.

Figure 96 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main control I/O port 1314, and is a circuit diagram of an example in which the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are connected to different driver circuits 1334 as shown in Figure 93 (A). In this embodiment, an example in which the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are configured with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is described, but they may be configured with lamps (light bulbs) or other light-emitting elements. The main control I/O port 1314 is disposed between the main control MPU 1311 and the base display 1317 or the functional display unit 1400, and outputs display data output from the main control MPU 1311 to the base display 1317 or the functional display unit 1400.

As described above, the main control I/O port 1314 includes a latch circuit 1333 and a driver circuit 1334.

The latch circuit 1333 captures the input data in accordance with the clock signal, holds it until the next clock signal or clear signal is input, and then outputs it. The driver circuit 1334 operates the switching transistors according to the input signal, and each outputs the power supply voltage (+12V) that is input to the VCC terminal of the driver circuit 1334.

Specifically, the latch circuit 1333 takes in bus data input to terminals D1 to D8 at the rising edge of the clock signal CK, and outputs it from terminals Q1 to Q8 to the driver circuit 1334. The driver circuit 1334 operates the switching transistors according to the signals input to terminals I1 to I8, and changes the voltages at terminals O1 to O8, respectively. The outputs O1 to O8 of the driver circuit 1334 are connected to the segment terminals of the 7-segment LED that constitutes the base display 1317 and the 7-segment LED of the function display unit 1400.

For example, to light up the 7-segment LED (7seg1) for the first digit on the base display 1317, the bus data D1 to D8 captured by the latch 2 (1333) is output by the driver 2 (1334) as segment data (LOW when illuminated) at the rising edge of CS1. The drive timing of the 7-segment LED on the base display 1317 is determined by the timing of the voltage applied to the common terminal. That is, the bus data D1 to D4 captured by the latch 1 (1333) is output by the driver 1 (1334) as common data (HIGH when driven) at the rising edge of CS0. Specifically, if the bus data D1 is HIGH at the rising edge of CS0, the COM1 output from the driver 1 (1334) becomes HIGH, and the 7-segment LED (7seg1) for the first digit on the base display 1317 is driven.

In order to light up the 7-segment LED of the functional display unit 1400, the bus data D1 to D8 captured in the latch 3 (1333) is output by the driver 3 (1334) as segment data (LOW when illuminated) at the rising edge of CS2. The drive timing of the 7-segment LED of the functional display unit 1400 is determined by the timing of the voltage applied to the common terminal (LED-C1). That is, at the rising edge of CS3, the bus data D1 to D4 captured in the latch 4 (1333) is output by the driver 4 (1334) as common data (HIGH when driven). Specifically, if the bus data D1 is HIGH at the rising edge of CS3, the O1 terminal of the driver 4 (1334) becomes HIGH, and the 7-segment LED (LED-C1) of the functional display unit 1400 is driven.

In this embodiment, the 7-segment LEDs in both the base display 1317 and the function display unit 1400 are anode common type, so current flows through the 7-segment LED from driver 1 to driver 2. Therefore, when the segment is lit, the output of drivers 1 and 4 is VCC (+12V), and the output of drivers 2 and 3 is GND (0V).

Note that the latches 1 and 4 (1333) on the common side directly output the data input from the data bus to the Q1 to Q8 terminals, but the latches 1 and 4 (1333) may also have a decoder function and output a signal from any of the Q1 to Q8 terminals according to the binary data obtained from the data bus.

Next, we will explain the signal output timing when the function display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are connected to different driver circuits 1334, as shown in Figures 93(A) and 96.

The segment data sent from driver 2 (1334) to the base display 1317 and the common data sent from driver 1 (1334) to the base display 1317 are output in the same timer interrupt process. In addition, the segment data sent from driver 3 (1334) to the function display unit 1400 and the common data sent from driver 4 (1334) to the function display unit 1400 are also output in the same timer interrupt process. In other words, since both the common data and the segment data are sent to the base display 1317 and the function display unit 1400 via separate signal lines, both the display data for the base display 1317 and the display data for the function display unit 1400 are output in a single timer interrupt process.

Then, in the next timer interrupt process, common data that selects the next digit (group of LEDs) is output, and segment data that controls the lighting of each LED is output at the same timing as the common data output.

The display data for the base display 1317 and the display data for the function display unit 1400 are generated by different processes within the timer interrupt process and are output at different times within the timer interrupt process. That is, the main control MPU 1311 executes the base calculation/display code 13135 outside the game control area to generate and output the display data for the base display 1317. On the other hand, the main control MPU 1311 executes the game control code 13131 in the game control area to generate and output the display data for the function display unit 1400. These data are generated by different programs (codes) and are output at different times.

Next, we will explain modified examples of signal output timing when the function display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are connected to different driver circuits 1334.

The segment data sent from driver 2 (1334) to the base display 1317 and the common data sent from driver 1 (1334) to the base display 1317 are output in the same timer interrupt process. Similarly, the segment data sent from driver 3 (1334) to the function display unit 1400 and the common data sent from driver 4 (1334) to the function display unit 1400 are output in the same timer interrupt process. The timer interrupt process that outputs the data to be sent to the base display 1317 is executed at a different timing from the timer interrupt process that outputs the data to be sent to the function display unit 1400, and it is preferable to execute them successively.

The process of outputting signals to the function display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 is executed according to programs (game control code 13131, base calculation/display code 13135) stored in different areas of the RAM 1312, but to prevent common signals from being sent at the same timing, it is preferable to use control data common to the two codes to control so that the timing of sending the common signals does not overlap. For example, a common counter shared by the game control code 13131 and the base calculation/display code 13135 is provided, and control is performed so that a common signal is output to the function display unit 1400 when the common counter is 0-3, and a common signal is output to the base display 1317 when the common counter is 4-7.

The process of outputting the common signal and the process of outputting the segment signal may be configured as separate subroutines or as one subroutine. The game control code 13131 for executing the process of outputting data to be sent to the function display unit 1400 and the base calculation/display code 13135 for executing the process of outputting data to be sent to the base display 1317 may call the subroutine at a timing determined by each program to output a signal to the function display unit 1400 or the base display 1317. In this case, the output of data to be sent to the function display unit 1400 and the output of data to be sent to the base display 1317 are not performed within the same timer interrupt process. Although the game control code 13131 and the base calculation/display code 13135 are executed within one timer interrupt process, the subroutines are called by different timer interrupt processes.

As shown in Figures 93(A) and 96, if the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are connected to different driver circuits 1334, even if noise is mixed in from a display (functional display unit 1400) provided outside the main control board 1310, the effect on the display (base display 1317) inside the main control board 1310 and the circuitry of the main control board 1310 can be suppressed.

Figure 97 shows the configuration of the main control I/O port 1314, and is a circuit diagram of an example in which the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are connected to a common driver circuit 1334 on the common side as shown in Figure 93 (B). The main control I/O port 1314 is disposed between the main control MPU 1311 and the base display 1317 or the functional display unit 1400, and outputs display data output from the main control MPU 1311 to the base display 1317 or the functional display unit 1400.

As described above, the main control I/O port 1314 includes a latch circuit 1333 and a driver circuit 1334. The circuit configuration included in the main control I/O port 1314 is the same as the circuit configuration described above, so the differences from the configuration example shown in FIG. 96 will be explained below.

In the example shown in FIG. 97, the operation for lighting the 7-segment LED of the base display 1317 is the same as the example shown in FIG. 96, but the common of the function display unit 1400 is the same as the common signal of the base display 1317.

To light up the 7-segment LED of the functional display unit 1400, the bus data D1 to D8 captured in the latch 3 (1333) is output by the driver 3 (1334) as segment data (LOW when illuminated) at the rising edge of CS2. The drive timing of the 7-segment LED of the functional display unit 1400 is determined by the timing of the voltage applied to the common terminal (LED-C1). That is, at the rising edge of CS0, the bus data D1 to D4 captured in the latch 1 (1333) is output by the driver 1 (1334) as common data (HIGH when driven).

In this way, by sharing the driver circuit between the base display 1317 and the functional display unit 1400, the circuit scale can be reduced. By reducing the number of parts, the failure rate is lowered and the size of the board can be reduced, making it easy to miniaturize the board unit (including the main control board 1310 and the main control board box 1320). In pachinko machines, the main control board 1310 does not use an inner layer pattern (a printed board with three or more layers), but uses a two-layer board with patterns only on the front and back sides. For this reason, even if parts can be physically arranged on the main control board 1310 composed of a two-layer board, it is not possible to secure an area for routing the wiring pattern, and the board must be larger than a multi-layer board with three or more layers, so miniaturization by reducing the number of parts is important.

Figure 98 is a timing diagram for the example configuration of the main control I/O port 1314 shown in Figure 97. In Figure 98, dotted lines perpendicular to the time axis indicate divisions of timer interrupt processing (start timings of timer interrupt processing).

During timer interrupt processing, the main control MPU 1311 outputs digit selection data to the data bus when it outputs CS0. Latch 1 (1333) selected by CS0 takes in D1 to D4 from the data bus when CS0 rises, and Driver 1 (1334) outputs common data (HIGH when driven) corresponding to the digit specified by D1 to D4.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 outputs the data of the segments to be lit on the function display unit 1400 to the data bus at the timing of outputting CS2. Latch 3 (1333) selected by CS2 takes in D1 to D8 from the data bus at the rising edge of CS2, and Driver 3 (1334) outputs the segment data specified by D1 to D8 (LOW when lit), lighting up the 7-segment LED on the function display unit 1400.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 outputs the segment data to be lit on the base display 1317 to the data bus when it outputs CS1. Latch 2 (1333) selected by CS1 takes in D1 to D8 from the data bus when CS1 rises, and driver 2 (1334) outputs the segment data specified by D1 to D8 (LOW when lit), lighting up the 7-segment LED on the base display 1317.

Finally, the main control MPU 1311 sets all data on the data bus to 0 when it outputs CS0, CS1, and CS2. This erases the digit selection data set in latch 1 (1333) and the display data set in latches 2 and 3 (1333), and turns off the 7-segment LED.

In the next timer interrupt process, the main control MPU 1311 outputs the next digit selection data to the data bus at the timing of outputting CS0, and repeats the above-mentioned process to output the digit selection data and display data. In this way, the base display 1317 and the function display unit 1400 share a common driver circuit on the common side, and the segment data is output in a time-division manner, and the LED elements of the base display 1317 and the function display unit 1400 can be illuminated using the common data.

As shown in Figures 93(B) and 97, the function display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are connected to a common driver circuit 1334, so the circuit scale of the main control board 1310 can be reduced, and it is easy to mount components on the main control board 1310 where high-density mounting (for example, the use of multi-layer boards or close placement of components) is not possible.

In addition, in order to control both the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 with common common data in one timer interrupt process, segment data is output to the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 at different timings during the period in which the common data is being output. As a result, while both the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are controlled by a common common data line, the display of both the functional display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 can be controlled within one timer interrupt process.

In the case shown in FIG. 98, the display data of the functional display unit 1400 is output first, and the display data of the base display 1317 is output later. Each display data is latched at the rising timing of the chip select (CS2, CS1) and erased at the rising timing of the chip select (CS0) corresponding to the erase data. Therefore, as shown in the figure, if the display data of the functional display unit 1400 is output first and the display data of the base display 1317 is output later, the display time of the functional display unit 1400 will be longer than the display time of the base display 1317. This is to prevent a decrease in visibility due to direct illumination by the hall lighting by lengthening the lighting time in one cycle of the LED of the functional display unit 1400 arranged on the front side of the pachinko machine 1 and increasing the brightness. In addition, since the base display 1317 is arranged on the back side, which is darker than the front side of the pachinko machine 1, even if the LED is illuminated at a low brightness, the impact on the visibility of the base display 1317 is small. That is, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, a first LED and a second LED are provided that are controlled by the main control MPU 1311, and the light emission brightness of the first LED is made higher than the light emission brightness of the second LED.

In addition, the display data for the base display 1317 may be output first, and the display data for the functional display unit 1400 may be output later, so that the display time of the base display 1317 is longer than the display time of the functional display unit 1400.

Figure 99 shows the changes in state (section) for calculating the base value.

The base display 1317 of the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment switches between a provisional interval display and a confirmed interval display at predetermined time intervals (e.g., 5 seconds). The provisional interval display displays the base value of the interval being measured. Specifically, the top two digits display "bA." to indicate that base value A is being displayed, and the bottom two digits display the base value A being measured as a two-digit percentage. Note that if the integer part of the percentage of base value A is 99, "99" is displayed, if it is 100 or more, "99." is displayed, and if it is 0, "00" is displayed. Therefore, even if the base display 1317 has only two digits, it is possible to display whether base value A is 0% or 100%.

In addition, in the provisional interval display, if the number of low-probability/non-time-saving out balls is less than a specified number (e.g., 6,000 balls), the top two digits (or all four digits) will flash (e.g., 0.6 second cycle, with 0.3 second lights on and 0.3 second lights off), indicating that an accurate base value has not been measured. On the other hand, if the number of low-probability/non-time-saving out balls is equal to or greater than the specified number (e.g., 6,000 balls), the top two digits will light up, indicating that an accurate base value has been measured.

The confirmed interval display shows the base value of the previous interval. Specifically, the top two digits show "bb." to indicate that base value B is being displayed, and the bottom two digits show the base value of the previous interval (base value B, which is the final value of the bottom two digits of the previous period) as a two-digit percentage. Note that if the integer part of the percentage of base value B is 99, "99" is displayed, if it is 100 or greater, "99." is displayed, and if it is 0, "00" is displayed. Therefore, even if the base display 1317 has two display digits, it is possible to display whether base value B is 0% or 100%.

In the first section, the base value has not been measured because the previous section is a test section. For this reason, the confirmed section display shows a blinking "bb." in the top two digits and a blinking "--" in the bottom two digits.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, a predetermined number of balls (e.g., 256 balls) that are less than 500 balls out from the first power-on is set as a test section, and the base value is not calculated. This is because, in the predetermined number of shots from the first power-on of the pachinko machine 1, the balls may vary within the range of probability distribution, and the base value is not stable, making it impossible to measure a meaningful base value. For this reason, in the test section, the base value is not displayed on the base display 1317, and the base value is undefined. Specifically, in the provisional section display, "bA." is displayed in the top two digits and "--" is displayed in the last digit, and in the final section display, "bb." is displayed in the top two digits and "--" is displayed in the last digit. In the test section, all digits of the base display 1317 are flashed to indicate that an accurate base value has not been measured. Note that the base value may also be calculated in the test section, and the calculated base value may not be displayed on the base display 1317, making the base value undefined.

The initial power-on here refers to the first power-on after the pachinko machine completes a turn on, or the state immediately after the initialization of the base calculation work area (S26 in FIG. 101, S8013 in FIG. 108) is performed. Also, the power-on as generally used in this specification refers to any power-on other than the initial power-on.

In addition, all LEDs of all digits on the base display 1317 may flash for a predetermined time after power is turned on or after the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode ends (from turning OFF the setting key 971).

Note that if an abnormality is detected in the data during inspection of the base calculation area 13128 (described below) and the data is erased, calculation of the base value will resume from the test section.

When the total number of out balls in all game states (jackpot, normal game, time-saving, non-time-saving, high probability, low probability, etc.) in each section other than the test section reaches 52,000, the next section is started and a new base value is measured. Note that the number of out balls in one section does not have to be 52,000, and may be any other number that is a predetermined value. For example, assuming that the operating time of the pachinko machine 1 is 10 hours per day, 60,000 balls, which is the daily operating time (number of out balls), may be used as the number of out balls in one section. Round numbers such as 50,000 or 100,000 may also be used.

The number of out balls in one section may be changed as appropriate. For example, a setting switch (DIP switch, rotary switch, etc.) may be provided on the main control board 1310, and the number of out balls in one section may be set according to the setting of the switch. The switch may be provided on the main control board 1310 provided on the back side of the pachinko machine 1, or on another board connected to the main control board 1310. Furthermore, when the setting of the switch is changed, the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) of the RAM 1312 may be initialized to restart the calculation of the base value from the test section, or from the beginning of the current section. Since a pachinko machine is operated frequently immediately after being introduced as a new machine, the number of out balls in one section is set to a large number, and after the operating period has passed, the number of out balls in one section is set to a small number. In other words, the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment has a setting means that can set the operation that determines the length of the section that is the unit of the calculation of the base value, and when the power is turned on for the first time, the length of one section is set based on the operation set by the setting means.

As an example of the confirmed section display, the section immediately preceding the provisional section currently being measured will be described, but the base values of multiple confirmed sections (for example, sections 1 to 3 sections before) may be switched and displayed. In this case, the display may be switched from provisional section → confirmed section 1 → confirmed section 2 → confirmed section 3 at predetermined time intervals, or the display may be switched from provisional section → confirmed section 1 → confirmed section 2 → confirmed section 3 by operating a separately provided display change switch.

In this case, it is advisable to display the top two digits of the base display 1317 in the confirmed interval display differently for each confirmed interval, such as "b1", "b2", or "b3", rather than just "bb.", so that it is clear which interval is being displayed.

In this way, the base display 1317 switches between displaying the base value of the section currently being measured and the base value of the immediately preceding section or sections at predetermined intervals. Also, a part of the base display 1317 displays a distinguishable display content, and another part displays the measured base value.

Figure 100 shows an example of text displayed on the base display 1317.

As mentioned above, the base display 1317 is composed of a seven-segment LED with multiple digits (for example, four digits), and displays numbers and letters by lighting or blinking the segments of each digit. Numbers from 0 to 9 can be displayed, and letters can include the alphabets A, b, c, d, E, F, and L, as well as the - sign. Furthermore, a decimal point can be displayed at the same time as the numbers and letters. The figures show the number 6 and the number 9 displayed at the same time as the decimal point.

Figures 101 and 102 are flowcharts showing an example of the initialization process of a pachinko machine in this embodiment.

Compared to the initialization process described above in FIGS. 21 and 22, the initialization process shown in FIGS. 101 and 102 eliminates the check code calculation process (step S50) and the check code storage process (step S52). Therefore, the calculation of the check code in the base calculation area is performed in the base calculation process (step S8038) of the timer interrupt process. Note that the same steps as those in the initialization process described above in FIGS. 21 and 22 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1, the main control MPU 1311 of the main control board 1310 executes the main control program to perform initialization processing. The main control MPU 1311 first sets the protection of the RAM 1312 built into the main control MPU 1311 to write permission, making it possible to write to the RAM 1312 (step S10). Next, the main control MPU 1311 starts the built-in watchdog timer (step S12) and determines whether a predetermined wait time (the time required for the sub-board (such as the peripheral control board 1510) to start) has elapsed (step S16). If the predetermined wait time has elapsed, it determines whether the RAM clear switch has been operated (step S18). If the RAM clear switch has been operated, it erases the data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 except for the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) (step S30), and proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the RAM clear switch has not been operated, the data backed up in the internal RAM 1312 is not erased, and it is determined whether the power outage flag is set (step S20).

If the power outage flag is not set, the data in the work area of the internal RAM 1312 may be incorrect, so the data backed up in the work area (other than the base calculation area 13128) is erased (step S30) and the process proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the power outage flag is set, the power outage flag is cleared and the checksum calculated from the data backed up in the work area of the internal RAM 1312 using the checksum calculated at the time of the previous power outage is compared (verified) with the checksum stored in step S48 (step S22).

If the checksum calculated from the backup data does not match the checksum stored in step S48, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 may not be correct, so the data backed up in the work area (other than the base calculation area 13128) is erased (step S30) and the process proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the checksum calculated from the backup data matches the checksum stored in step S48, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 is correct, so the data backed up in the work area is not erased and the process proceeds to step S24.

Then, the check code is used to determine whether the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) is normal (step S24). If it is determined to be abnormal, the data in the base calculation work area may be incorrect, so the data stored in the base calculation work area is erased (step S26).

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, cases in which at least a portion of the RAM 1312 is initialized include the operation of the RAM clear switch (step S18), a power outage flag abnormality where the power outage flag is not set (step S20), a RAM abnormality where the RAM checksum does not match (step S22), and an abnormality in the base calculation work (step S24). Of these, as shown in the figure, if the operation of the RAM clear switch is detected when the power is turned on, or in the case of a power outage flag abnormality or RAM abnormality, the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area) is cleared, and the base calculation area 13128 (including the base calculation work area and base calculation stack area) is not cleared. Also, in the case of an abnormality in the base calculation work, the base calculation area 13128 (outside the game control area) is cleared, and the game control area 13126 is not cleared.

Unlike the illustrated example, in the case of a power outage flag abnormality, a RAM abnormality, or a base calculation work abnormality, the validity of the data stored in the RAM 1312 is not guaranteed, so the entire RAM area including the game control area 13126 and the base calculation area 13128 may be cleared. If the memory configuration is such that clearing the entire RAM area in the case of a base calculation work abnormality would cause data indicating the game status to be lost and normal processing would be impossible, it is advisable to initialize only the base calculation work area and the base calculation stack area. Also, if operation of the RAM clear switch is detected when the power is turned on, as described above, the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area) is cleared, but the base calculation area 13128 does not need to be cleared.

When one or more backup areas are provided in the base calculation area 13128, the main area is first identified using a check code, and if the main area is identified as abnormal, backup areas 1, 2, and N are identified in that order, and the data from the backup area that is first identified as normal is copied to the main area. After that, the data in the backup area may be erased or left as is. If the main area is identified as normal, the data in the backup area may be erased or left as is.

In this way, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 is erased under different conditions for each type of data (the game control area 13126 and the base calculation area 13128). That is, by operating the RAM clear switch, the backed up game control area 13126 is erased, but the backed up base calculation area 13128 is not erased. If the base calculation area 13128 can be erased by operating the RAM clear switch, the base value calculated by the pachinko machine 1 can be erased at any time. Therefore, by preventing the backed up base calculation area 13128 from being erased by the operation of the RAM clear switch, it is possible to prevent the base calculation area 13128 from being erased by the operation of the game center staff, and to prevent the concealment of abnormal base values. Therefore, it is possible to reliably detect gaming machines that have been modified to have a high or low base value.

When the power recovery setting of the RAM work area or the RAM initialization process is executed, the main control MPU 1311 executes an initial setting process (step S28) for setting various setting registers of the main control MPU 1311 (CPU 13111), a power-on command setting process (step S32) for sending to the peripheral control board 1510, and allows execution of interrupt processes including timer interrupt processes (step S34). Next, the main control MPU 1311 acquires a power outage warning signal (step S36) and determines whether the power outage warning signal is ON (step S38). If the power outage warning signal is not ON (the result of step S38 is "No"), it executes a random number update process (step S40).

On the other hand, if a power outage warning signal is detected (the result of step S38 is "Yes"), the main control MPU 1311 executes power-off processing (power-off setting means). In the power-off processing, first, interrupt processing is prohibited (step S42), the output ports are cleared, and the operation of the devices controlled by the output from each port is stopped (step S44). Next, the main control MPU 1311 calculates a checksum to determine whether the data stored in the work area to be backed up has been properly retained (step S46), and stores the checksum calculation result in the checksum area of RAM 1312 (step S48).

Next, the data in the main area of the base calculation work (base calculation area 13128) is copied to each backup area (step S54). At this time, the calculated check code is also copied. Backup may be performed as appropriate in the base calculation process (for example, each time data is updated) rather than as a process when the power is turned off on the main board. In this way, by storing the data used to calculate the base value in the backup area together with the calculated (or predetermined) check code, the data for base calculation and the calculated base value can be retained even when the power is turned off, and the base value can be calculated for long-term operation.

The check code checked in step S24 is calculated in step S8038 (Figure 106) of the base calculation process. In the modified example described below, it is calculated in step S50 (Figure 22) of the initialization process.

Furthermore, a value indicating that the backup was successful is stored in the backup flag area as a power outage flag (step S56), and writing to RAM 1312 is prohibited by outputting "01H" indicating write prohibition to the RAM protect register (step S58), and the system waits until the power is restored from the power outage (infinite loop).

Figure 103 is a diagram showing the configuration of the base calculation area 13128 into which the feature ratio calculation area shown in Figure 26 (A) is replaced in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment.

The base calculation area 13128 is configured as a portion of the RAM 1312, and as described above, is provided separately from the game control area 13126 (outside the game control area).

The base calculation area 13128 includes storage areas for base value A, base value B, interval counter, total number of out balls, low probability/non-time-saving out balls, and low probability/non-time-saving prize balls.

The storage area for base value A is made up of 1 byte and stores the base value of the provisional section currently being measured. The storage area for base value B is made up of 1 byte and stores the base value measured in the section immediately before the provisional section. The storage area for the section counter is made up of 1 byte and stores a value indicating the section for which the base value is currently being measured. The section counter is updated every time the section is switched and is used to control the display content, which differs depending on the section. The section counter should be controlled to take any of the values 0, 1, or 2, i.e., not to exceed 2. Specifically, the section counter = 0 in the test section, the section counter = 1 in the first section, and the section counter = 2 from the second section onwards. The section counter may also be controlled to take a value between 0 and 255 and not to exceed 255, and from the second section onwards the section counter = 2 or more.

The storage area for the total number of out balls consists of 2 bytes, and stores all the numbers of out balls that are not dependent on the game state (i.e., a value indicating the operation of the game machine). The total number of out balls is used to determine the switching of intervals, which are the base measurement unit. In the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the operation of roughly one day is considered as one interval, and the base value in each interval is measured. For this reason, 2 bytes (65,536) are allocated to the storage area for the total number of out balls. As mentioned above, the total number of out balls is a memory area for counting all the numbers of out balls that are not dependent on the game state for each interval, and is different from the total number of out balls in the previously described embodiment (the total value of the number of out balls during the special prize from the start of operation of the pachinko machine 1).

The storage area for the low probability, non-time-saving out ball count is configured with 2 bytes or more (preferably 4 bytes) and stores the number of out balls (the number of out balls in a game state other than during a special prize) for calculating the base value.The storage area for the low probability, non-time-saving prize ball count is configured with 2 bytes or more (preferably 4 bytes) and stores the number of prize balls (the number of prize balls in a game state other than during a special prize) for calculating the base value.Note that the storage area for the low probability, non-time-saving out ball count and the storage area for the low probability, non-time-saving prize ball count can be 2 bytes or more, but considering the calculation process of the base value, it is preferable to have the same number of bytes.

The memory capacity (number of bytes) of each of the above-mentioned storage areas is merely an example, and should be determined according to the number of out balls in one section.

In addition, when a main area and a backup area are provided for the base calculation area 13128, memory areas of the same configuration are provided in the RAM 1312.

Figure 104 is a flowchart showing an example of timer interrupt processing in a pachinko machine of this embodiment.

Compared to the timer interrupt process described above in FIG. 23, the timer interrupt process shown in FIG. 104 has a base calculation process (step S801) instead of the reel ratio calculation area update process in step S81, and the reel ratio calculation and display process in step S89 is deleted. Note that the same steps as those in the timer interrupt process described above in FIG. 23 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations thereof are omitted.

When the timer interrupt process starts, the main control MPU 1311 executes the main control program to first set the RBS (register bank selection flag) in the program status word to 1 and switch the register (step S70).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes switch input processing (step S74), timer update processing (step S76), random number update processing 1 (step S78), and prize ball control processing (step S80).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 refers to the current game state, adds the number of prize balls paid out as game value to an area corresponding to the current game state, updates the base calculation area 13128 (see FIG. 103) of the main control built-in RAM 1312, and calculates the base value (step S801). Details of the base calculation process will be described later using FIG. 105 and FIG. 106. The base calculation process (step S801) may be executed in any order after the prize ball control process (step S80), but it is preferable to execute it in an early order to ensure that it is executed at every timer interrupt.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a frame command receiving process (step S82), a fraudulent behavior detection process (step S84), a special symbol and special electric device control process (step S86), a normal symbol and normal electric device control process (step S88), an output data setting process (step S90), and a peripheral control board command sending process (step S92).

Finally, the main control MPU 1311 sets a predetermined value (18H) in the watchdog timer clear register WCL (step S96). Finally, the main control MPU 1311 switches (restores) the register bank. When the above processing is completed, the timer interrupt processing is terminated and processing before the interrupt is restored.

In this way, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the base value is measured using timer interrupt processing, so the base value can be measured in real time during play.

Figures 105 and 106 are flowcharts showing an example of the base calculation process.

The base calculation process (step S801) is called from the timer interrupt process and executed by the main control MPU 1311.

The main control MPU 1311 executes the base calculation program to first determine whether there is an error in the calculation of the base value (step S8011). For example, as described above, if there is an abnormality in the winning entry sensor (general winning entry sensor 3015, first start entry sensor 2104, second start entry sensor 2551, first large winning entry sensor 2114, second upper large winning entry sensor 2554, second lower large winning entry sensor 2557, etc.) or the discharged ball sensor (board side discharged ball sensor 3060A, frame side discharged ball sensor 3060B), the abnormal signal output from the interface circuit 1331 determines that there is an error that makes it impossible to accurately calculate the base value. In addition, if it is determined that fraudulent activity is occurring (for example, the magnetic detection sensor detects magnetism, the vibration detection sensor detects vibration, or the radio wave detection sensor detects radio waves), it also determines that there is an error that makes it impossible to accurately calculate the base value. If it is determined that there is an error, the display of the base indicator 1317 may be turned off. In step S8011, errors that result in the halt of play (e.g., magnetic, vibration, radio wave errors, etc.) may be determined to be errors (YES), while errors that do not result in the halt of play (e.g., prize ball abnormalities, open door, etc.) or malfunctions that are not directly related to the base calculation (out of supply, full tank error, etc.) may be determined to be not errors (NO). In other words, even if some of the multiple types of abnormal conditions are present, the base calculation process may be executed, but if other abnormalities are present, the base calculation process may not be executed.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 obtains the number of out balls (step S8014). As described above, the number of out balls is detected by the launched ball sensor 1020, the discharged ball sensor 3060, etc., and in the switch input process of step S74, the detection signals of these sensors are read, and if a sensor detection signal is present, the number of out balls = 1 is obtained. If out balls are detected by multiple discharged ball sensors 3060, the total number detected by each sensor is obtained as the number of out balls. In other words, multiple out balls may be detected in one timer interrupt process.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 obtains the number of prize balls (step S8015). As described above, the number of prize balls is calculated based on the input information in the prize ball control process in step S80. The number of prize balls obtained in the base calculation process may be the number of prize balls for which the payout has been decided. It may also be the number of prize balls corresponding to a payout command that has already been created. It may also be the number of prize balls corresponding to a payout command that has already been sent. It may also be the number of prize balls corresponding to a payout command that the main control board 1310 sent to the payout control board 951 and received an acknowledgement of receipt (ACK) from the payout control board 951. It may also be the number of prize balls (number of paid-out prize balls) for which the main control board 1310 sent a payout command to the payout control board 951 and received a payout completion report from the payout control board 951. This variation is as described using Figures 41 to 44.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether an out ball was detected in step S8014 (step S8016). If an out ball was not detected, the process proceeds to step S8022 without executing any processing related to the out ball. On the other hand, if an out ball was detected, the number of detected out balls is added to the total number of out balls stored in the base calculation area 13128 (step S8017).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 refers to the section counter stored in the base calculation area 13128 to determine whether the current section is a test section (step S8018). The test section is a section in which the number of out balls is a predetermined value less than 500 balls from the first power-on of the pachinko machine (or the initialization of the base calculation area 13128), and the value of the section counter is the initial value 0. Therefore, if the section counter value is 0, it can be determined that the section is a test section. If the section is a test section, there is no need to calculate the base value, so proceed to step S8028. On the other hand, if the section is not a test section, it is determined whether the current game state is during a special prize (step S8019). The determination of whether the game is during a special prize can be made in the same manner as in step S810 of FIG. 39 described above. The game state is during a special prize when the big prize openings 2005 and 2006 are open due to a big prize and the player can win many prize balls, but it may also include the opening and ending times of the big prize game. In the case where the large prize openings 2005, 2006 are repeatedly opened and closed during one big win, this may include the time between the closing of the large prize opening and the next opening (closing interval). In other words, the special prize period in step S810 means that the condition device is operating, for example, from the determination of the big win pattern in the special pattern variable display game to the end of the ending. It may also include the entire time during which the right hit command is given.

Furthermore, in the start ports 2002 and 2004, the special prize may include the time during the time-saving mode, the probability of winning (ST mode), and the electric support mode. Furthermore, in game states other than the time-saving mode, the probability of winning (ST mode), and the electric support mode, the special prize may include the time from the opening of the start port 2004 to a predetermined time after the closing (for example, the few seconds required for a ball that entered the start port to be detected as an out ball). Note that the so-called "latent game state" in which the game state is a high probability game state but is not in the time-saving mode (electric support mode) is not included in the special prize, and the base value may be calculated using the number of winning balls and the number of out balls in that game state, as in the normal state (low probability, non-time-saving state). In this case, the base value may be calculated separately for each of the normal game state and the latent game state, and the base value may be displayed so that it is possible to distinguish which base display is being used.

The latent game state is a game state in which even if the probability is high, the player is not aware that it is a high probability state. However, if the latent game state is excluded from the calculation of the base value, when the slot is opened during business hours, the player may look at the base display 1317 and realize that the game state is latent (i.e., high probability). In other words, when the slot is open and the hall employee places a ball in the winning hole or lets the ball go into the winning hole, the player can know the game state by whether the base display changes. By calculating the base value without distinguishing between the normal game state and the latent game state, such problems can be avoided.

On the other hand, for the purposes of hall operations, it may be necessary to manage the base value in low probability/non-time-saving states, and if the base value is calculated including the latent game state, it may not be possible to manage it in accordance with the hall's business format. This type of problem can be avoided by calculating the base value excluding the latent game state. The same problem can be avoided by calculating the base value separately for the normal game state and the latent game state. In other words, since the normal game state and the latent game state are different game states to begin with, depending on the business format of the hall, it may be desirable to manage (inspect) the base value separately for each game state.

When calculating the base value separately for the normal game state and the latent game state, the base value may be calculated using a dedicated calculation process for each game state, or the base value may be calculated using a common calculation process. By calculating the base value using a common calculation process, the processing load on the CPU can be reduced, and the program capacity can be reduced.

The electrically operated parts provided in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment are divided into two types from the viewpoint of calculating the base value. As described above, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, the special prize period for the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 is when the condition device is operating (for example, from the confirmation of the jackpot pattern of the special pattern variation display game to the end of the ending), and the base value is calculated using the number of prize balls and out balls other than during the special prize period, so normal winning (during the so-called jackpot) in the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 is not used to calculate the base value. On the other hand, for the starting opening 2004 (so-called electric tulip) having an opening and closing member, winning balls and prize balls other than during the special prize period (when there is a low probability or when there is no time reduction) are used to calculate the base value. In other words, among the electrically operated devices, some devices (large prize openings 2005, 2006) do not use the number of winning balls and the number of prize balls in calculating the base value regardless of the game status (whether or not a special prize is being awarded), while the other devices (starting opening 2004) switch between using or not using the number of winning balls and the number of prize balls in calculating the base value depending on the game status (whether or not a special prize is being awarded).

The large prize openings 2005 and 2006 may be opened (as a small prize) even if the condition device is not activated. Small prizes generally occur during time-saving and are only open for a short time, so the probability of a game ball winning is low, and they do not affect the calculation of the base value. However, small prizes may be generated outside of the special prize period (normal time) and the opening may be opened only for a time when the probability of a game ball winning is high. In this case, the winning balls and prize balls entering the large prize openings 2005 and 2006 in small prizes that occur outside of the special prize period may be used to calculate the base value. In this way, the expected value (design value) of the base value can be changed by controlling the probability of a small prize occurring outside of the special prize period. In other words, a pachinko machine that can flexibly respond to base value standards can be provided, and the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

If the game is in a special prize state, the out balls are not related to the calculation of the base value, so the number of low-probability, non-time-saving out balls is not updated and the process proceeds to step S8022. On the other hand, if the game is not in a special prize state, the number of out balls detected in step S8014 should be used to calculate the base, so the number of detected out balls is added to the number of low-probability, non-time-saving out balls stored in the base calculation area 13128 (step S8020). Then, the update flag is set to 1 (step S8021). The update flag is set to 1 when an out ball or prize ball other than a special prize is detected each time the base calculation process (timer interrupt process) is executed, and indicates the timing at which the base value should be calculated (see steps S8026 to S8027).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether a prize ball was detected in step S8015 (step S8022). If a prize ball was not detected, the process proceeds to step S8026 without executing any processing related to the prize ball. On the other hand, if a prize ball was detected, the process determines whether the current game state is during a special prize (step S8023). The determination of whether a special prize is being awarded may be made in the same manner as in step S8019.

If the game is in a special prize state, the number of low probability/non-time-saving prize balls is not updated since the prize balls are not related to the calculation of the base value, and the process proceeds to step S8026. On the other hand, if the game is not in a special prize state, the number of prize balls detected in step S8015 should be used to calculate the base, and the detected number of prize balls is added to the number of low probability/non-time-saving prize balls stored in the base calculation area 13128 (step S8024). Then, the update flag is set to 1 (step S8025).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the update flag is 1 (step S8026). If the update flag is 1, an out ball or prize ball other than the special prize has been detected in the base calculation process (timer interrupt process), so the number of low-probability, non-time-saving prize balls is divided by the number of low-probability, non-time-saving out balls to calculate a base value, and the base value is stored in the base value A storage area of the base calculation area 13128 (step S8027).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 refers to the section counter to determine whether it is in a test section (step S8028). If the section counter value is 0, indicating that it is a test section, it is determined whether it is time to end the test section (step S8029). A test section is a section in which the number of out balls is a predetermined value less than 500 from the time the pachinko machine is first turned on (including the initialization of the base calculation area 13128), and if the section counter indicates that it is a test section and the total number of out balls is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, it can be determined that it is time to end the test section.

If it is not time to end the test section, the process proceeds to step S8034 without updating the base calculation area 13128 in order to continue the test section. On the other hand, if the test section is in progress and it is time to end the test section, the process proceeds to step S8032 in order to transition from the test section to the first section. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 adds 1 to the section counter (step S8032). The section counter changes from 0, which represents the test section, to 1, which represents the first section. Then, the total number of out balls, the number of low probability/non-time-saving out balls, and the number of low probability/non-time-saving prize balls are initialized to 0 (step S8033). This process ends the test section and transitions to the first section.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S8028 that the section counter value is not 0 and that the test section is not in progress, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the total number of out balls is 52,000 or more (step S8030). If the total number of out balls is less than 52,000, the process proceeds to step S8034 to continue the current section.

On the other hand, if the total number of out balls is 52,000 or more, the section ends and the process to start a new section (steps S8031 to S8033) is executed. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 reads the base value A from the base value A storage area in the base calculation area 13128 and writes it to the base value B storage area (step S8031). Then, 1 is added to the section counter (step S8032). As described above, the section counter is controlled so that it does not become any of the values 0, 1, or 2, i.e., does not become greater than 2. Therefore, even if 1 is added to the section counter when the section counter value is 2, the section counter value does not increase and remains at 2. Then, the total number of out balls, the number of low probability and non-time-saving out balls, and the number of low probability and non-time-saving prize balls are initialized to 0 (step S8033), and the process moves to the next section.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the update flag is 1 (step S8034). If the update flag is 1, data for displaying the newly calculated base value is generated (step S8035). Details of the base display data generation process will be described later with reference to FIG. 107. Thereafter, the main control MPU 1311 sets the update flag to 0 (step S8036).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 adds 1 to the display switching counter (step S8037). The display switching counter is used to switch between the provisional section display and the final section display described in FIG. 99 at a predetermined time interval (e.g., 5 seconds). The predetermined time for switching between the provisional section display and the final section display should be sufficiently longer than the period of the blinking display (the blinking display controlled in step S8051 in FIG. 107) when the number of low-probability, non-time-saving out balls in each section is less than 6,000. This is to make it easier to tell whether the display is blinking or switching, since if the blinking and the display switching have similar periods, it becomes difficult to tell whether the blinking display (i.e., whether the number of low-probability, non-time-saving out balls is less than 6,000) is clear.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 calculates a check code (e.g., a checksum) from the data in the base calculation area 13128 (step S8038). The check code is calculated using the same calculation method as that used in the process of calculating the check code in step S50 of the initialization process (FIG. 22). If the check code is to be set as a fixed value without being calculated, it is preferable to set the check code to a multi-byte value in which adjacent bits are not the same value (for example, if it is 2 bytes, it is A55AH (1010010101011010B)). Fixed values may also be arranged separately instead of being set in consecutive areas. For example, a first fixed value is stored at the beginning of the base calculation area 13128, a second fixed value is stored in the middle, and a third fixed value is stored at the end. If the check code is a fixed value, it is preferable to configure it with a number of bytes greater than the check data calculated by the checksum, thereby improving the possibility of determining a RAM abnormality.

In this way, according to the base calculation process of this embodiment, the base value is calculated and displayed for each timer interrupt process, so that the base value can be displayed without delay (in real time) each time a winning ball or an out ball is generated, and it can be determined without delay whether the base value is normal or abnormal. Furthermore, since the capacity of the base calculation area 13128, which is the memory area used for base calculation, is extremely small compared to the capacity of the game control area 13126, the impact on the processing load of the main control MPU 1311 is small even if the check code is calculated at the end of each execution of the base calculation process.

In addition, when the base value for prize balls is calculated and displayed using the number of prize balls scheduled to be paid out based on the winning signal that has been generated, the timing at which the base value is calculated and displayed differs from the timing at which the prize balls are paid out. In other words, even if an abnormality occurs in the payout device and prize balls cannot be paid out (such as when the supply runs out, the upper tray is full, the payout device stops due to a failure of the payout number count sensor installed in the prize ball passage, or a failure of the payout motor), the base value is still calculated and displayed.

In the above-mentioned base calculation process, the base value is calculated using the number of out balls detected in the timer interrupt process and the calculated number of winning balls each time the base calculation process is called from the timer interrupt process, but the base value may also be calculated each time the discharge ball sensor 3060 detects an out ball and each time the various winning port sensors detect a winning ball. In other words, in one timer interrupt process, the base value calculation process is called multiple times and the base value is calculated multiple times. In this way, even if the timing for switching the aforementioned sections (when the number of out balls is 52,000) arrives during one base calculation process, it is possible to distinguish whether the base value for the previous or next section is to be calculated, and an accurate base value can be displayed in real time.

Also, as in steps S815 to S817 of the base calculation area update process (Figure 46) described above, it may be determined whether there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, and if there is an abnormality in the number of prize balls, an abnormality notification command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification timer may be reset. Furthermore, as in steps S824 to S825, it may be determined whether the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, and if the prize ball abnormality notification timer has timed out, a prize ball abnormality notification stop command may be generated and the prize ball abnormality notification may be stopped.

Figure 107 is a flowchart showing an example of the base display data generation process.

The base display data generation process is called and executed from step S8035 of the base calculation process.

The main control MPU 1311 executes the base display data generation program to first determine whether the display switching counter is less than 1250 (step S8041). Because the timer interrupt process described above is executed every 4 milliseconds, when the display switching counter reaches 1250, 5 seconds have passed since the display switching counter was initialized to 0. In step S8053, when the display switching counter reaches 2499, it is initialized to 0, so that while the display switching counter is between 0 and 1249, the processes of steps S8042 to S8045 are executed, and while the display switching counter is between 1250 and 2499, the processes of steps S8046 to S8049 are executed. For this reason, in the base display data generation process of this embodiment, the display data of the base display 1317 is switched every 5 seconds.

If the display switching counter is less than 1250, data is generated to display "bA." in the top two digits of the base display 1317 (step S8042). The main control MPU 1311 then references the section counter stored in the base calculation area 13128 to determine whether the current section is a test section (step S8043). Since the base value has not been calculated in the test section, data is generated to display "--" in the bottom two digits (step S8044). On the other hand, if the current section is not a test section, data is generated to display the base value A currently being measured in the provisional section (step S8045).

If it is determined in step S8041 that the display switching counter is 1250 or greater, data is generated to display "bb." in the top two digits of the base display 1317 (step S8046). The main control MPU 1311 then references the section counter stored in the base calculation area 13128 to determine whether the current section is the test section or the first section (step S8047). Since the base value was not measured in the past confirmed section in the test section or the first section, data is generated to display "--" in the last two digits (step S8048). On the other hand, if the current section is neither the test section nor the first section, data is generated to display the base value B measured in the most recent confirmed section (step S8049).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 refers to the number of low probability, non-time-saving out balls stored in the base calculation area 13128 and determines whether the number of low probability, non-time-saving out balls is less than 6000 (step S8050). If the number of low probability, non-time-saving out balls is less than 6000, the number of operations (number of out balls) after the base value measurement began in that section is small, so the base value may not be stable, and the display on the base display 1317 is controlled to flash (step S8051). On the other hand, if the number of low probability, non-time-saving out balls is 6000 or more, the display on the base display 1317 is controlled to be lit without flashing (step S8052).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the display switching counter is equal to or greater than 2499 (step S8053). If the display switching counter is less than 2499, the display switching counter is not initialized, and the process proceeds to step S8055. On the other hand, if the display switching counter is equal to or greater than 2499, one repetition has ended, and the display switching counter is initialized to 0 (step S8054).

Finally, the main control MPU 1311 generates a display pattern based on the generated display data and the specified lighting state (lighting or blinking) (step S8055).

In this way, in the timer interrupt process (base calculation process) that is executed at predetermined time intervals, the display switching counter that is periodically updated is used to switch the display content on the base display 1317, making it possible to clearly display the base value A currently being measured in the provisional section and the base value B previously measured in the confirmed section.

In addition, in each section, the base value flashes in the range where it is unstable, so you can easily check from the display on the base display 1317 whether the base value is in a stable range or not.

Figure 108 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the base calculation process. The modified example shown in Figure 108 is the same as the base calculation process shown in Figure 105, except that a check process for the work for base calculation (steps S8012, S8013) has been added. Note that Figure 108 explains up to the calculation of base value A (step S8027) of the base calculation process, but the processes from steps S8028 to S8038 are the same as those in Figure 106 described above.

The main control MPU 1311 first determines whether there is an error in the calculation of the base value by executing the base calculation program (step S8011).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 uses the check code to determine whether the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) is normal (step S8012). If it is determined to be abnormal, the data in the base calculation work area may be incorrect, so the data stored in the base calculation work area is erased (step S8013).

When one or more backup areas are provided in the base calculation area 13128, the main area is first identified using a check code, and if the main area is identified as abnormal, backup areas 1, 2, and N are identified in that order, and the data from the backup area that is first identified as normal is copied to the main area. After that, the data in the backup area may be erased or left as is. If the main area is identified as normal, the data in the backup area may be erased or left as is.

In the illustrated example, it is determined whether there is an error in the calculation of the base value (step S8011), and then it is determined whether the base calculation area 13128 is normal (step S8012). However, conversely, it may be determined whether the base calculation area 13128 is normal (step S8012), necessary processing based on the determination result is performed, and then it is determined whether there is an error in the calculation of the base value (step S8011).

The subsequent processing (from step S8014) is the same as that described above in Figures 105 and 106, so the explanation will be omitted.

In the base calculation process shown in FIG. 108, a check is made every time a timer interrupt occurs (i.e., every 4 milliseconds) to see if the data in the base calculation area 13128 is normal, so that any abnormalities in the base calculation area 13128 can be detected early and the display of an abnormal base value can be suppressed.

Next, a method of determining whether the base calculation area 13128 is abnormal in the pachinko machine of this embodiment will be described. The values used to calculate the base value and the calculated base value are stored in the base calculation area 13128 of the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 (the "game ratio calculation area 13128" shown in FIG. 26 can be read as "base calculation area 13128"), and it is determined whether the data is normal at a predetermined timing. There are the following variations in the process (timing) at which the normal/abnormal determination step and the check code calculation step are performed.
101 and 106: The check code calculated in the base calculation process (timer interrupt process) is judged when the power is turned on.
21 and 22: The check code calculated when the power is turned off is checked when the power is turned on (initialization process).
106 and 108: The check code calculated in the base calculation process (timer interrupt process) is judged in the base calculation process (timer interrupt process).

(The check code is calculated at each timer interrupt and judged when the power is turned on.)
First, the process of determining the check code calculated in the base calculation process (timer interrupt process) at power-on will be described with reference to FIGS.

If the initialization process is as shown in Figures 101 and 102 and the base calculation process is as shown in Figures 105 and 106, in step S8038 of the base calculation process (Figures 105 and 106), a check code (e.g., a checksum) is calculated from the data in the base calculation area 13128.

In addition, in step S24 of the initialization process (Figs. 101 and 102), the check code is used to determine whether the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) is normal. If it is determined to be abnormal, the data in the base calculation work area may be incorrect, so the data stored in the base calculation work area is erased (step S26).

When the data in the base calculation area 13128 is erased, the state for calculating the base value is initialized, so the calculated base value is cleared and the calculation of the base value starts from the test period.

When one or more backup areas are provided in the base calculation area 13128, the main area may first be judged using a check code, and if the main area is judged to be abnormal, backup areas 1, 2, and N may be judged in that order, and the data from the backup area that is first judged to be normal may be copied to the main area to restore the data in the base calculation area 13128. After that, the data in the backup area may be erased or left as is. If the main area is judged to be normal, the data in the backup area may be erased or left as is.

In this case, the check code is judged less frequently, and the consumption of computational resources (main control MPU 1311) required for abnormality judgment can be reduced.

(The check code is calculated when the power is turned off and judged when the power is turned on.)
Next, a process of judging the check code calculated when the power is cut off when the power is turned on (initialization process) will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. FIG.

If the initialization process is as shown in Figures 21 and 22 and the base calculation process is as shown in Figures 105 and 106, in step S50 of the power-off process of the initialization process (Figures 21 and 22), a check code (e.g., checksum) is calculated from the data in the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128).

In addition, in step S24 of the initialization process (FIGS. 21 and 22), the check code is used to determine whether the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) is normal. If it is determined to be abnormal, the data in the base calculation work area may be incorrect, so the data stored in the base calculation work area is erased (step S26).

In this case, calculation of the check code in step S8038 of the base calculation process may be omitted.

In this case, the frequency of calculation and judgment of the check code is reduced, and the consumption of calculation resources (main control MPU 1311) required for abnormality judgment can be reduced.

(The check code is calculated and judged by timer interrupt processing)
Next, a process of determining the check code calculated in the base calculation process (timer interrupt process) in the base calculation process (timer interrupt process) will be described with reference to FIGS. 106 and 108. FIG.

If the base calculation process is as shown in Figures 108 and 106, in step S8038 of the base calculation process (Figures 108 and 106), a check code (e.g., a checksum) is calculated from the data in the base calculation area 13128.

In addition, in step S8012 of the base calculation process (FIGS. 108 and 106), the check code is used to determine whether the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) is normal. If it is determined to be abnormal, the data in the base calculation work area may be incorrect, so the data stored in the base calculation work area is erased (step S8013).

In this case, the initialization process is as shown in Figures 101 and 102, and the steps of determining whether the base calculation work area is normal in steps S24 and S26 may be omitted.

In this case, abnormalities in the base calculation area 13128 can be detected more quickly than in the previously described case.

When using a fixed value instead of a checksum as the check code, the timing of setting the check code and judging it may be the same as the timing of calculating the checksum and judging it. Also, it is possible to use both a checksum and a fixed value as the check code for judgment.

Figure 109 shows the calculation of the base value when the game state changes.

A game ball enters the starting hole 2004 (electric tulip) while it is open, and then a predetermined number of variable display games are completed, the time-saving state ends, and the normal state is restored. After that, in the normal state, it is assumed that another game ball enters the starting hole 2004 while it is open.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the second special symbol is displayed variably on the second special symbol display device in accordance with the winning of the starting hole 2004. In other words, a variable display game is played in which the second special symbol is displayed variably in relation to any winning of the starting hole 2004 as shown in the figure.

In addition, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the out balls during the special prize are not used in the base calculation, so the first winning ball that enters the starting hole 2004 is not added to the low probability/non-time-saving out ball count, but the second winning ball is added to the low probability/non-time-saving out ball count.

The above explains what happens when the time-saving mode ends, but the same applies when the special mode ends due to ST.

In addition to when the time-saving state described above ends, a similar phenomenon also occurs when a jackpot occurs in the special symbol change display game. Assume that in a normal state, one game ball enters the starting hole 2004 (electric tulip) while it is open, and then a jackpot state begins, and furthermore, a game ball enters the starting hole 2004 while it is open.

In this case, a variable display game is also played in which the second special symbol is displayed in a variable manner in relation to the winning of any of the starting holes 2004. On the other hand, since the out balls during the special prize are not used in the base calculation, the first winning ball in the starting hole 2004 is added to the low probability/non-time-saving out ball count, but the second winning ball is not added to the low probability/non-time-saving out ball count.

Furthermore, a similar phenomenon occurs when a specific error occurs. Assume that under normal conditions, one game ball enters the starting hole 2004 (electric tulip) while it is open, and then a specific error occurs, and then another game ball enters the starting hole 2004 while it is open. As described above, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, when a specific error occurs (when an abnormal signal output from the interface circuit 1331 determines that there is an error that makes it impossible to accurately calculate the base value), the out ball is not used in the base calculation.

In this case, a variable display game is also played in which the second special symbol is displayed in a variable manner in relation to a winning entry into any of the starting holes 2004. On the other hand, since the out ball during a specific error is not used in the base calculation, the first winning ball into the starting hole 2004 is added to the low probability/non-time-saving out ball count, but the second winning ball is not added to the low probability/non-time-saving out ball count.

In other words, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, under certain conditions (such as when the time-saving feature ends, when a jackpot occurs in the special symbol variation display game, or when a specific error occurs), multiple game balls that win while the electric device is in operation may or may not be used to calculate the base value, and any type of win can start the variation of the special symbol.

In addition, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, with regard to the look-ahead performance of the pending special symbol change display game, the first winning entry into the start port 2004 in the time-saving state may not be subject to the look-ahead performance, and the second winning entry into the normal state may be subject to the look-ahead performance. Conversely, the first winning entry into the start port 2004 in the time-saving state may be subject to the look-ahead performance, and the second winning entry into the normal state may not be subject to the look-ahead performance.

Note that while we have explained the timing for changing from the time-saving state to the normal state, the same applies to the timing for changing from the special state (ST) or electric support state to the normal state.

[10. Memory switching during processing outside the game control area]
Next, switching of the memory used by the CPU in processing outside the game control area (for example, base calculation processing) will be described.

Figure 110 shows the internal configuration of the main control MPU 1311, including the configuration related to the memory area.

The main control MPU 1311 is configured as shown in FIG. 18 as a whole, but FIG. 110 shows the configuration regarding the memory area in detail.

The main control MPU 1311 is provided with a RAM 1312, a ROM 1313, and an auxiliary storage unit 13142 in the CPU as storage areas for storing data. The auxiliary storage unit 13142 in the CPU temporarily stores data (e.g., flags indicating the state of the calculation result, the execution state of the program, data input/output to the CPU 13111, etc.) when the CPU 13111 executes the program. The auxiliary storage unit 13142 in the CPU temporarily stores, for example, random numbers updated in the random number update process (step S40 in FIG. 22) and intermediate values in the random number update calculation. In addition, the address of the subroutine to be executed and the address of the jump destination are temporarily stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13142 in the CPU, so that the processor core 13141 executes the process corresponding to the stored address. Furthermore, the auxiliary storage unit 13142 temporarily stores values input to the port from various switches connected to the main control board 1310 (e.g., values in the middle of creating edge information of the signal input from the switch, and the detection result of the edge information).

In addition, when a random number is obtained at the time of winning the start gate and stored in the reserved memory area, the random number value is temporarily stored in the auxiliary memory unit 13142 in the CPU, and the temporarily stored random number value is stored in the reserved memory area of the RAM 1312. In addition, when a random number is obtained at the time of winning the start gate and a look-ahead judgment (a win/lose judgment at the time of winning the start gate) is made based on the value of the random number, the look-ahead judgment may be made based on the random number value temporarily stored in the auxiliary memory unit 13142 in the CPU, or the random number value stored in the reserved memory area may be read (again) into one of the memory areas of the auxiliary memory unit 13142 in the CPU to make the look-ahead judgment.

The intra-CPU auxiliary memory unit 13142 is provided separately from the memory space configured by the RAM 1312 and ROM 1313 and specified by addresses, and is identified by the name of each storage area (e.g., Area0) included in the intra-CPU auxiliary memory unit 13142. The intra-CPU auxiliary memory unit 13142 includes a switching unit 13143, a switching register 13144, and multiple auxiliary memory areas 13145A-C.

Auxiliary memory areas 13145A-C are made up of multiple memory areas (Areas 0-6) of a predetermined number of bits (for example, 1 or 2 bytes), and groups are formed for each of a predetermined number of memory areas (7 in the figure), and each group can be accessed by processor core 13141. In other words, when auxiliary memory area 13145A is selected, processor core 13141 can only access auxiliary memory area 13145A, and cannot access the other auxiliary memory areas 13145B and C.

As described below, the selection of this auxiliary memory area 13145 can be performed by switching multiple memory areas for each group at once with one CHANGE command. For example, the command CHANGE 0 selects the auxiliary memory area 13145A of group 0, and the auxiliary memory area accessible by the processor core 13141 is switched to group 0.

In the illustrated example, the auxiliary memory area 13145 is configured with three groups, but any number greater than or equal to two may be used. In other words, at least two auxiliary memory areas 13145 are provided with the same configuration.

The auxiliary memory area 13145 memory areas (Area0-5) are provided separately from the RAM 1312 to temporarily store data during program execution, and can be used individually (1 byte = 8 bits) or as a set of multiple areas (for example, Area0 and Area1 as a set of 2 bytes = 16 bits). Therefore, 8-bit data or 16-bit data can be stored in the auxiliary memory area 13145 without creating excess capacity in the memory area. In addition, the memory area (Area6) is set as a memory area used with a capacity of an integer multiple (for example, 2 bytes) of the other memory areas, and cannot be divided into 1-byte memory areas for use. In this way, the auxiliary memory area 13145 is configured with multiple memory areas of different capacities, and memory areas that can be used in any combination are provided, so that the memory areas can be used according to the purpose (for example, data length) in the calculation process. For example, when the address space is expressed by 16 bits, an address can be specified with one (or a set of combined) memory areas. This allows instructions to have fewer arguments and execute in fewer clock cycles.

The switching unit 13143 switches the group of memory areas that the processor core 13141 can access according to the value stored in the switching register 13144.

The switching register 13144 is a memory area that stores data for determining an accessible auxiliary storage area 13145, and is an area that the processor core 13141 can access regardless of the selection of the auxiliary storage area 13145. The switching register 13144 may store, for example, data for identifying the auxiliary storage area 13145 to be selected (e.g., 2-bit data for switching between four areas), an abnormality flag indicating that the switching was not performed normally (if the abnormality flag is set, the switching command will be executed again), and an unauthorized access flag that is set when an abnormality occurs in which the value of the unselected auxiliary storage area 13145 has changed.

The switching register 13144 may also store flags that indicate the state of the calculation result (e.g., a carry flag, a parity/overflow flag, a zero flag, a sign flag, etc.).

In addition to the switching register 13144, a storage area that can be accessed by the processor core 13141 without selecting the auxiliary storage area 13145 may be provided. For example, a program counter indicating the address at which a program is being executed and a stack pointer indicating the top address of a stack area provided in the RAM 1312 may be provided.

Figure 111 shows an example of a program for timer interrupt processing and base calculation processing, and shows a specific example of the part where the base calculation processing is called from the timer interrupt processing and where the base calculation processing is returned to.

In the timer interrupt process (Figure 104), the base calculation process is called in step S801, but before moving to the base calculation process, interrupts are prohibited by the DI command. The base calculation process can be performed without interrupting the process between the DI command and the EI command due to an interrupt.

Then, the data in the switching register 13144 is saved to the game control stack area 13137 (see FIG. 113) by a PUSH command. Then, the program is executed from the starting address xxxx of the base calculation process by a CALL command.

In the base calculation process, before starting the processes shown in Figures 105 to 108, a CHANGE instruction is used to switch the auxiliary memory area 13145 from group 0, which is used in the timer interrupt process that called it, to group 1, which is used in the base calculation process that is called. In this way, multiple memory areas can be switched by group with one CHANGE instruction, and multiple memory areas can be switched all at once with one instruction (i.e., with few steps).

The LD instruction writes the stack pointer value being used in the timer interrupt process to an arbitrary address (e.g., zzzz) in RAM 1312, and saves the stack pointer value. After that, the LD instruction writes the address yyyy of the base calculation stack area 13138 to the stack pointer, and changes the stack area.

After preparations for executing the base calculation process are complete, the process is executed from step S8011 in FIG. 105 or FIG. 108. Then, after the base calculation process is completed (after step S8038 in FIG. 106), the LD instruction restores the stack pointer value used in the timer interrupt process from address zzzz in RAM 1312. Then, the CHANGE instruction switches the auxiliary memory area 13145 from group 1 used in the called base calculation process to group 0 used in the calling timer interrupt process, and the RET instruction returns to the calling timer interrupt process. Note that, in general, the instruction to switch the auxiliary memory area 13145 and the instruction to restore the data saved in the stack have different roles, but in this embodiment, after returning from the base calculation process to the timer interrupt process, the auxiliary memory area 13145 is switched by returning the data saved in the stack to the switching register 13144. For this reason, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to switch the auxiliary memory area 13145 to group 0 by using the CHANGE command after the base calculation process is completed, but the auxiliary memory area 13145 may be reliably switched by using the CHANGE command.

In this way, the CHANGE command switches the auxiliary memory area 13145 by changing the argument (operand), but a different command may be provided for each auxiliary memory area 13145.

After that, when returning from the base calculation process, the data of the switching register 13144 that was saved in the game control stack area 13137 is restored to the switching register 13144 by a POP command. Note that the saving and restoration of the data in the switching register 13144 may be performed using other commands (e.g., data transfer command LD, exchange command EX) instead of using the stack operation commands PUSH and POP.

Then, after enabling the interrupt with the EI command, the timer interrupt processing continues, and the timer interrupt processing ends with RETI, returning to the main processing on the main control side (steps S36 to S40 in Figure 21).

Note that interrupts may be disabled at the beginning of timer interrupt processing by the DI instruction, and enabled at the end of timer interrupt processing by the EI instruction. Also, by directly manipulating the interrupt enable flag without using the DI or EI instruction, interrupts may be disabled when timer interrupt processing begins, and enabled when the RETI instruction is executed.

Also, since timer interrupt processing is originally executed with interrupts disabled, there is no need to further disable or enable interrupts within the timer interrupt processing. In the example program shown, the DI command disables interrupts in order to disable an interrupt that was enabled for some reason. In this case, the interrupts should remain disabled until the end of the timer interrupt processing, so it is better to issue the EI command at the end of the timer interrupt processing, rather than immediately after the POP command.

In the above example, the saving of the switching register 13144 is performed in the timer interrupt process of the caller, and the switching of the auxiliary memory area 13145 and the switching of the stack area are performed in the base calculation process of the caller, but these three processes may be performed in either the caller or the callee when the process moves outside the game control area and when the process returns to the game control area. An example of switching the auxiliary memory area 13145 in the timer interrupt process of the caller is explained in Figure 112.

Figure 112 shows another example of a program for timer interrupt processing and base calculation processing, and shows a specific example of the part where base calculation processing is called from timer interrupt processing and where the program returns from base calculation processing.

In the timer interrupt process (Figure 104), the base calculation process is called in step S801, but before moving to the base calculation process, interrupts are prohibited by the DI command. An interrupt is issued between the DI command and the EI command, allowing the base calculation process to be performed without interrupting the processing in between.

Then, the data in the switching register 13144 is saved to the game control stack area 13137 (see FIG. 113) by a PUSH command. Then, the auxiliary memory area 13145 is switched from group 0, which is used in the timer interrupt process of the caller, to group 1, which is used in the base calculation process of the caller, by a CHANGE command. In this way, multiple memory areas can be switched by group with one CHANGE command, and multiple memory areas can be switched all at once with one command (i.e., with few steps).

Then, the program is executed from the starting address xxxx of the base calculation process by the CALL instruction.

In the base calculation process, before starting the processes shown in Figures 105 to 108, the LD instruction is used to write the stack pointer value being used in the timer interrupt process to any address (e.g., zzzz) in the RAM 1312, and the stack pointer value is saved. After that, the LD instruction is used to write the address yyyy of the base calculation stack area 13138 to the stack pointer, and the stack area is changed.

After preparations for executing the base calculation process are complete, processing is executed from step S8011 in FIG. 105 or FIG. 108. Then, after the base calculation process is completed (after step S8038 in FIG. 106), the stack pointer value used in the timer interrupt process is restored from address zzzz in RAM 1312 by the LD instruction.

After that, when returning from the base calculation process, the CHANGE command switches the auxiliary memory area 13145 from group 1 used in the called base calculation process to group 0 used in the calling timer interrupt process, and the POP command restores the data of the switching register 13144 saved in the game control stack area 13137 to the switching register 13144. Note that the saving and restoration of the data in the switching register 13144 may use other commands (for example, data transfer command LD, exchange command EX) instead of using the stack manipulation commands PUSH and POP.

As described above, the auxiliary memory area 13145 returns to the state before the base calculation process was called by restoring the switching register 13144, so there is no need to switch the auxiliary memory area 13145 by the CHANGE instruction. However, the auxiliary memory area 13145 may be reliably switched by the CHANGE instruction.

Then, after enabling the interrupt with the EI command, the timer interrupt processing continues, and the timer interrupt processing ends with RETI, returning to the main processing on the main control side (steps S36 to S40 in Figure 21).

As described above, interrupts may be disabled at the beginning of timer interrupt processing by the DI instruction, and enabled at the end of timer interrupt processing by the EI instruction. Also, instead of using the DI or EI instruction, interrupts may be disabled when timer interrupt processing starts and enabled when the RETI instruction is executed by directly manipulating the interrupt enable flag.

Also, since timer interrupt processing is originally executed with interrupts disabled, there is no need to further disable or enable interrupts within the timer interrupt processing. In the example program shown, the DI command disables interrupts in order to disable an interrupt that was enabled for some reason. In this case, the interrupts should remain disabled until the end of the timer interrupt processing, so it is better to issue the EI command at the end of the timer interrupt processing, rather than immediately after the POP command.

In FIG. 111, an example of switching between timer interrupt processing, base calculation processing, and auxiliary memory area 13145 has been described, but auxiliary memory area 13145 may also be switched during inspection processing executed by debugging (inspection function) code 13133. In this case, at the beginning of debugging (inspection function) code 13133, the auxiliary memory area 13145 may be switched to auxiliary memory area 13145 for inspection processing by a CHANGE command. Also, auxiliary memory area 13145 may be switched between initialization processing (steps S10 in FIG. 21 to step S34 in FIG. 22), main control side main processing (steps S36 to S40 in FIG. 21), power-off processing (steps S42 to S58 in FIG. 21), and timer interrupt processing (FIGS. 23, 75, 80, etc.), and different auxiliary memory areas 13145 may be used for each process.

Furthermore, when only two auxiliary memory areas 13145 are provided, the auxiliary memory area 13145 may be switched between processes executed within the game control area (e.g., main control side main processing, timer interrupt processing, etc.) and processes executed outside the game control area (e.g., debug processing, base calculation processing, etc.) (e.g., debug (inspection function) area, base calculation area, etc.), and different auxiliary memory areas 13145 may be used inside and outside the game control area.

In this case, the main control side main processing and the timer interrupt processing use the same auxiliary memory area 13145, but since the main control side main processing being executed is interrupted to start the timer interrupt processing, it is advisable to temporarily store the value of the auxiliary memory area 13145 in the game control stack area 13137 when the timer interrupt processing starts (for example, at the beginning of the timer interrupt processing), and then return the value temporarily stored in the game control stack area 13137 to the auxiliary memory area 13145 when the timer interrupt processing ends (for example, at the end of the timer interrupt processing).

For example, because auxiliary memory area 13145 has multiple (byte) memory areas, if data is saved to the stack area one unit (byte or word) at a time, the number of instructions for saving increases. Similarly, the number of instructions for restoring data from the stack area increases. Also, in this case, if the order of saving data to the stack area and restoring data from the stack area is incorrect, different data will be read from the stack area, and subsequent processing may not be performed accurately. For this reason, the above problem can be solved by providing instructions to save all of the multiple memory areas of auxiliary memory area 13145 to the stack area all at once, and to restore all of the multiple memory areas of auxiliary memory area 13145 from the stack area all at once.

Furthermore, if all the memory areas of the auxiliary memory area 13145 are saved to the stack area, the stack area may overflow, and data outside the area intended for the stack area (such as a stack area for other purposes) may be overwritten. For this reason, in addition to a command to collectively store all the memory areas of the auxiliary memory area 13145 in the stack area, a command to collectively save multiple arbitrarily designated memory areas of the auxiliary memory area 13145 to the stack area, and a command to collectively restore multiple arbitrarily designated memory areas of the auxiliary memory area 13145 saved to the stack area may be provided and executed.

In this way, when moving to processing outside the game control area, a different auxiliary memory area 13145 is switched to, and when moving to processing within the game control area, the original auxiliary memory area 13145 is switched back, so processing can proceed without having to back up data stored in the auxiliary memory area 13145 to RAM 1312 (e.g., a stack area).

In addition, when moving to processing outside the game control area, the switching register 13144 is saved to RAM 1312 (e.g., a stack area), and when moving to processing within the game control area, the switching register 13144 is restored from RAM 1312. Therefore, when moving to processing within the game control area, the auxiliary memory area 13145 can be switched, and the data in the auxiliary memory area 13145 can be restored without being restored from RAM 1312.

In addition, when moving to processing outside the game control area, a different stack area is switched to, and when moving to processing within the game control area, the original stack area is switched back to, so the stack area used for processing within the game control area is not updated in processing outside the game control area, and processing inside and outside the game control area can be completely separated.

In addition, when transitioning to processing outside the game control area, the value stored in the switching register 13144 is saved to RAM 1312 (e.g., a stack area), and when transitioning to processing within the game control area, the saved value is restored to the switching register 13144, so that values related to the execution results of the program within the game control area are not updated in processing outside the game control area, and processing inside and outside the game control area can be completely separated.

Figure 113 (A) is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of programs (code) and data stored in ROM 1313 and RAM 1312 built into main control MPU 1311 of main control board 1310. The memory arrangement shown in Figure 113 illustrates a stack area in RAM 1312 that is omitted in the memory arrangement described above in Figure 26, but a stack area is also provided in RAM 1312 shown in Figure 26.

The ROM 1313 includes areas for storing game control code 13131, game control data 13132, debug (inspection function) code 13133, debug (inspection function) data 13134, base calculation/display code 13135, and base calculation/display data 13136. In this embodiment, the ROM 1313 is assigned a game control area (first memory area) for storing programs and data related to the pachinko machine 1, such as the game control code 13131 and the game control data 13132, a debug (inspection function) area (second memory area) for storing programs and data used for the purpose of outputting signals necessary for the debugging (inspection function) of the pachinko machine 1, such as the debug (inspection function) code 13133 and the debug (inspection function) data 13134, and a base calculation area (third memory area) for storing programs used for the purpose of calculating the base value, such as the base calculation/display code 13135 and the base calculation/display data 13136.

Between the final address of the game control data 13132 and the first address of the debug (inspection function) code 13133, there is provided a free space (unused space) of 16 bytes or more, so that the game control area and the debug (inspection function) area can be easily distinguished when displayed in a dump list format. Similarly, between the final address of the debug (inspection function) code 13133 and the first address of the base calculation/display code 13135, there is provided a free space (unused space) of a predetermined length. If this predetermined length is set to 16 bytes or more, it is preferable because the debug (inspection function) area and the base calculation area can be easily distinguished when displayed in a dump list format, but the predetermined length may be shorter than 16 bytes. The value stored in the free space is preferably a fixed value that is the same value, and is set to a value different from the values set in the game control area and the debug area or a value that is used less frequently. The value stored in the free space may also be an instruction that the CPU does nothing, such as a No Operation code. In this way, when displayed in dump list format, the game control area, debug (test function) area, and base calculation area can be easily distinguished.

Also, instead of separating the debug (inspection function) area from the base calculation area, the base calculation/display code 13135 and the base calculation/display data 13136 may be stored in a part of the debug area. In other words, it is sufficient that the game control area is clearly distinguished from other areas. In this way, by clearly distinguishing the game control area from other areas, the debug area (debug (inspection function) code, debug (inspection function) data) and the base calculation area (base calculation/display code 13135 and base calculation/display data 13136), which are processes that are not directly related to the control of the progress of the game, are arranged separately from the game control area, thereby avoiding the risk of a malfunction (bug, etc.) of the base calculation/display code 13135 affecting game control.

The debug (inspection function) area stores programs and data for purposes that are not directly related to gameplay, for example, code 13133 for outputting various function inspection signals that are used only when debugging the pachinko machine 1 in addition to controlling the gameplay of the pachinko machine 1 is stored. These debug (inspection function) codes 13133 are programs for outputting debug (inspection function) signals. The base calculation area stores a program for calculating a base value that is not directly related to the progress of the game.

The game control code 13131 is executed by the main control MPU 1311. The game control code 13131 can be read and written to the RAM 1312 as appropriate, but the game control area 13126 used by the game control code 13131 is configured so that only reading can be performed from the debug (inspection function) code 13133, and writing to the area cannot be performed. In this way, the game control area 13126 constitutes a game control area that can be accessed only from the game control code 13131. Processing based on the debug (inspection function) code can be called and executed unilaterally while the game control code 13131 is being executed, but it is configured so that the game control code 13131 cannot be called and executed from the debug (inspection function) code. This increases the independence of the debugging (testing function) code 13133, so that even if the game control code 13131 is changed, changes to the debugging (testing function) code 13133 can be kept to a minimum.

The base calculation/display code 13135 is called from the game control code 13131 (for example, step S89 of the timer interrupt process shown in FIG. 23) and executed by the main control MPU 1311. The base value calculated by the base calculation/display code 13135 is stored in the base calculation area 13128 of the RAM 1312. As shown in the figure, the base calculation area 13128 is provided separately from the game control area 13126 (outside the game control area). In this way, by designing the base calculation/display code 13135 separately from the game control code 13131 and storing them in different areas, the base calculation/display code 13135 and the game control code 13131 can be inspected separately, reducing the effort required to inspect the pachinko machine 1. The base calculation/display code 13135 can also be used in common with multiple models, regardless of the model.

RAM 1312 is provided with a game control area 13126, a debug area, a base calculation area 13128, a game control stack area 13137, a debug stack area, and a base calculation stack area 13138.

The game control area 13126 is an area in which data used by the game control code 13131 is stored, and can be read and written from the game control area 13126. In addition, the debug (inspection function) code 13133 and the base calculation/display code 13135 cannot write data to the game control area 13126, but can access it for reading, and the debug (inspection function) code 13133 and the base calculation/display code 13135 can refer to the data stored in the game control area 13126.

The debug area is an area where data used by the debugging (inspection function) code 13133 is stored. The debug area can be accessed by the game control code 13131 and the base calculation/display code 13135, but only reading of data is permitted and writing of data is prohibited. The base calculation area 13128 is an area where data used by the base calculation/display code 13135 is stored. The base calculation area 13128 can be accessed by the game control code 13131 and the debugging (inspection function) code 13133, but only reading of data is permitted and writing of data is prohibited.

The game control stack area 13137 is an area where data used by the game control code 13131 is saved. The debug stack area is an area where data used by the debug (test function) code 13133 is saved. The base calculation stack area 13138 is an area where data used by the base calculation/display code 13135 is saved. Each stack area is used exclusively to temporarily save data stored in the CPU auxiliary memory unit 13142. Each stack area can be switched by changing the value of the stack pointer managed by the CPU 13111. The stack pointer is a memory area that specifies the start address of the stack area.

Figure 113 (B) is a diagram showing details of the base calculation area 13128. The base calculation area 13128 may be provided with a main area in which the calculation result of the base is stored, as well as a backup area 1 and a backup area 2 in which copies of the data stored in the main area are stored. There may be one or more backup areas. A check code for detecting errors in the data is added to each area. The check code may be a checksum of the data in each area or a predetermined value. The check code may be set in the initialization process when the power of the pachinko machine 1 is turned on, set each time the data in the main area is updated in the base calculation/display process, or set in the main control side power off process (steps S50 to S54 in Figure 22). In particular, if the check code is a fixed value, the check code may be initialized when the initialization process determines that the data is normal or erases the data, and the fixed value may be set in the main control side power off process (step S50 in Figure 20). The check code may also be used as a power outage flag. In other words, if a predetermined value is set in the check code in the main area, it may be determined that the power outage flag is set. Also, if a specified value is set in the power outage flag, it may be determined that the check code in each area is a correct value (i.e., the data in each area is normal).

When the main area is determined to be abnormal, it may be determined whether the backup area is normal, and data from the backup area determined to be normal may be copied to the main area (step S24 in FIG. 21). In addition, in the process when the main control side power is cut off, the value of the main area may be copied to each backup area (step S54 in FIG. 22). In addition, in the base calculation/display process, the value of the main area may be copied to the backup area when the base calculation/display process ends. When at least a part of the main area is updated, it is sufficient that the entire main area or only the area of the updated value is copied to the backup area (steps S168, S170 in FIG. 25).

Unused space is provided between the main area and backup area 1, and between backup area 1 and backup area 2. By providing unused space between each area, the addresses of each area can be separated, and each area can be distinguished by the upper digits of the address.

[11. Recording of gaming history]
Next, an embodiment of a pachinko machine that records and outputs a game history will be described.

[11-1. Basic configuration of a gaming machine that records gaming history]
In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the peripheral control unit 1511 determines from among a plurality of prepared effects that match the variation pattern command transmitted from the main control board 1310, and displays the determined effect on the effect display device 1600. At that time, when the peripheral control unit 1511 determines to display a specific effect (for example, two specific effects out of three types of super reach) from among the multiple prepared effects, it displays on the effect display device 1600 how many times the special symbol variation display game has been played since the game state was switched and how many rotations the specific effect has appeared (in other words, how many times the effect has appeared) together with the game progress.

Specifically, according to the game history shown in Figure 114, Super Reach 1 appears on the 34th spin at 10:25, and the result of the special pattern change display game is a miss, Super Reach 2 appears on the 127th spin at 10:54, and the result of the special pattern change display game is a miss, and Super Reach 2 appears on the 428th spin at 11:30, and the result of the special pattern change display game is a sure chance jackpot.

The display of the jackpot history (for example, a history of a jackpot on the 15th spin, a jackpot on the 50th spin) can be confirmed on a data display installed in the hall, but the specific effects that appeared before the jackpot cannot be confirmed. Some players judge whether the pachinko machine 1 is in good or bad condition from the degree to which a specific effect appears (for example, they think that if Super Reach 2 appears within 50 spins after the end of a jackpot, the jackpot will be won in a short time). In order to meet the expectations of such players, the degree of appearance of the effects is displayed so that it can be seen. Also, since the game ball is not fired while the player is checking the degree of appearance of the effects, if the degree of appearance of all of the multiple effects prepared is displayed, it will take the player time to check the degree of appearance of each effect, and there is a possibility that the operation of the gaming machine will decrease. For this reason, it is better to display only specific reach effects (reach effects with high expectations for a jackpot) among the reach effects. Also, it is possible to make it possible to check the history of the appearance of each effect by operating a specified operating means (such as the operating button 220C).

Specific processing involves the peripheral control unit 1511 storing information on the number of variations and the presented effects when it receives a variation pattern command from the main control board 1310. Furthermore, the peripheral control unit 1511 updates the information on the number of variations and the presented effects based on the received variation pattern command. Then, when a specific operation means (such as operation button 220C) is operated, a process is performed in which the number of variations required for a limited specific effect to appear is added up and displayed, rather than all of the presented effects.

If an error occurs in the pachinko machine 1 during operation, the pachinko machine 1 outputs error information to inform the hall employees. This notification may be in the form of displaying an error screen shown in FIG. 115(A) on the performance display device 1600, or displaying a detailed error screen shown in FIG. 115(B) on the performance display device 1600 to inform the cause of the error, outputting an alarm sound, or outputting an error signal shown in FIG. 116 from the external terminal board 784. Typical errors in the pachinko machine 1 are shown in FIG. 117, FIG. 118, and FIG. 119. An error that occurs in the pachinko machine 1 is notified to the outside of the pachinko machine 1 so that the hall employees can know the cause. For example, a code determined for each type of error may be displayed on the status display LED included in the function display unit 1400. Specifically, if there is a poor connection of the cable between the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951, the status display LED included in the function display unit 1400 displays "0" and the LED in the middle right of the door lights up blue.

However, errors can occur for a variety of reasons, including minor malfunctions of the pachinko machine 1 (e.g., a connector coming loose), major malfunctions that require part replacement, or fraudulent activity.

When an error occurs in a pachinko machine 1, the cause of the error must be identified and the machine must be restored to operation. Identifying the cause of the error takes time and costs money, and the pachinko machine 1 being stopped due to an error results in reduced sales. Therefore, if the parlor can learn detailed information about the error that has occurred, it can resolve the error early and shorten the time the pachinko machine 1 is down.

More specifically, the hall uses the hall computer to determine the state of the pachinko machine 1 based on the signal output from the external terminal board 784. However, to investigate the cause of the error, in addition to the signal output from the external terminal board 784, it is desirable to have game history information such as the "number of wins at the general winning slot," "number of wins at the large winning slot," "number of gate passes," and "number of normal symbol changes." If the pachinko machine 1 is broken, this can be resolved by repair or part replacement, so it is not a big problem, but if game balls are obtained through fraudulent activity, it reduces the opportunities for legitimate players to make profits, disrupting the business of the hall and ultimately causing financial difficulties for the hall.

If such game history information is output from the external terminal board 784, the number of terminals in the connector used in the external terminal board 784 will increase, and the cost of the pachinko machine 1 will rise. Furthermore, because events such as "winning at the general prize slot," "winning at the large prize slot," "passing through the gate," and "changing of normal symbols" occur frequently, if all the data were output from the pachinko machine 1, a high-performance hall computer would be required to analyze the data, which would increase the burden on the hall.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment stores data that is not output as a real-time signal from the external terminal board 748 inside the pachinko machine 1, and by making the stored data available for later reference, it is possible to check the details of the events leading up to the occurrence of the error.

In addition, the time of occurrence of events that occurred leading up to the error (number of wins at the general prize slot, number of wins at the large prize slot, number of passes through the gate, number of normal symbol changes, etc.) is recorded, so it is possible to determine how many events occurred over what time. For example, it is possible to determine an abnormality such as 50 wins at the general prize slot in one minute.

Note that if the date and time of occurrence for each event is recorded, the amount of data used to investigate the cause of the error increases, and it takes time to investigate the cause of the error. For this reason, if a certain number of events or more occur within a certain period of time (e.g., one minute), they may be output as error information and reported.

For example, since it is possible to win at the general prize slot in any game state, it is a good idea to output error information and notify if a predetermined number of wins occur in a predetermined time, but since a prize can only be won at the jackpot prize slot during jackpot play, it is a good idea to set the predetermined time from the start to the end of jackpot play, and output error information and notify if a predetermined number of wins occur in the jackpot prize slot within the predetermined time.

In the pachinko machine described below, the peripheral control unit 1511 records the game history and outputs it in a specified format.

Figure 120 is a flow chart showing an example of the peripheral control unit power-on process of this embodiment. The peripheral control unit power-on process shown in Figure 120 has a game history recording process (step S1023) added to the peripheral control unit power-on process described above with reference to Figure 60.

In the game history recording process, the peripheral control unit 1511 records the game history in memory if the command received from the main control board 1310 is a specified command based on the analysis result of the command. The game history is recorded as the date and time of the event occurrence in a format such as that shown in FIG. 122, for example. The memory in which the game history is recorded may be DRAM, but considering that the stored contents will be retained even when the power is cut off, it is preferable to record the game history in SRAM, which does not require a refresh operation and has low power consumption.

The game history recording process (step S1023) should be executed before the game control-related processes (steps S1024 to S1032). By executing the game history recording process at an early stage of the peripheral control unit routine processing, the game history can be accurately recorded even if the game control-related processes are stopped midway and some effects are not executed. In other words, even if some effects are not executed (even if all effects are not executed), the results of the lottery already performed on the main control board 1310 do not change, and the benefits given to the player do not change either, so the game history is recorded in priority to the effects. In addition, because the game history recording process is not affected by the game control-related processes, the game history recording process can be standardized across multiple models of pachinko machines.

Next, the process when the memory capacity for recording the game history reaches its upper limit will be described. When the amount of data for the game history to be recorded reaches the upper limit of the memory capacity, the game history recording process is executed, but the game history recorded in the memory does not need to be updated. In other words, the information recorded in the memory does not change. In this way, by executing the game history recording process even if there is no free space in the memory for recording the game history, there is no need to check the free space in the memory for recording the game history, and the processing by the peripheral control unit 1511 each time can be reduced.

Also, if the memory capacity for recording game history has reached its upper limit, a game history recording process may be executed to update the game history recorded in memory. In this case, a ring buffer with multiple (e.g., 10) memory areas may be provided in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d, and the oldest game history may be erased and the latest game history may be recorded. Even in this case, there is no need to check the free space in the memory that records the game history, and the processing performed by the peripheral control unit 1511 each time can be reduced.

In addition, if the game history to be recorded reaches the upper limit of the memory capacity, step S1023 may be skipped and the game history recording process may not be executed. By not executing the game history recording process when the game history to be recorded reaches the upper limit of the memory capacity, it is possible to prevent the execution of unnecessary processes, so that other processes (performance control, lamp control, sound control) performed by the peripheral control unit 1511 can be executed reliably, and the freed up processing time may be used to execute new processes (for example, processes that are executed across multiple peripheral control unit routine processes because there is not enough processing time, or processes that are executed once for several peripheral control unit routine processes because they do not need to be executed every time (for example, a process for switching selection tables)).

In addition, the received command may be analyzed (step S1022) and the game history recording process (step S1023) may be executed immediately after the interrupt timer start process (step S1010).

Figure 121 shows an example of the configuration of a game history recording condition setting table.

The game history recording condition setting table registers the types of commands that are to be recorded as game history from among the commands that the peripheral control unit 1511 receives from the main control board 1310, i.e., the events that are to be recorded as game history.

For example, the following command types are registered in the game history recording condition setting table, and the conditions for generating these commands and the purpose of recording them as game history are as follows:

For example, the start port 1 winning command and the start port 2 winning command are sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when a game ball is detected winning at start port 2002 and start port 2004, respectively, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can count the number of winning balls at each start port. Also, the special symbol 1 symbol type command and the special symbol 2 symbol type command are sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when the special symbol starts to change, respectively, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can count the number of changes in special symbols 1 and 2.

In addition, the power-on command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when the power is turned on, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can obtain RAM clear operations, etc. The change start state command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when the special pattern starts to change, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can obtain the state at the start of the special pattern change. The states that can be distinguished by the change start state command are low probability time-saving, low probability time-saving, high probability time-saving, and high probability time-saving, and the state change can be obtained and the number of changes that have started in each state can be counted. Here, low probability is a state in which the probability of deriving a jackpot in the jackpot lottery associated with the special pattern change display game is a normal probability, and high probability is a state in which the probability of deriving a jackpot in the jackpot lottery associated with the special pattern change display game is higher than normal. The time-saving state is a state in which the frequency of the second start opening door element 2549 being in the open (or expanded) state is higher than in the non-time-saving state, such as the probability that the second start opening door element 2549 described above will be in the open (or expanded) state being higher than in the non-time-saving state, and the time from when the normal pattern starts to change until it is determined is shorter. As a result, the probability of selecting a performance in which the time required for one special pattern change display game is short increases.

The large prize slot 1 winning command (for each winning) and the large prize slot 2 winning command (for each winning) are sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when a game ball wins in the large prize slot 2005 or the large prize slot 2006, respectively, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can count the number of winning balls in each large prize slot.

The large prize slot 1 winning command (a winning amount equal to or less than the prescribed number of winnings) and the large prize slot 2 winning command (a winning amount equal to or less than the prescribed number of winnings) are sent as commands from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when a predetermined time has elapsed since the closing of each large prize slot (for example, from one second after the closing of each slot until the next opening) if only a prescribed number of game balls or less have won in the large prize slot 2005 and the large prize slot 2006 by the end of the round, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can obtain the winning status of each large prize slot in one round. The large prize opening 1 winning command (greater than the specified winning number) and the large prize opening 2 winning command (greater than the specified winning number) are sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when a predetermined time has elapsed since the closing of each large prize opening (e.g., from one second until the next opening) when a round ends with the winning of more than the specified number of game balls in the large prize opening 2005 and the large prize opening 2006, respectively, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can obtain the winning status of each large prize opening in one round. The reason that this command is sent when a predetermined time has elapsed since the closing of each large prize opening 2005 and 2006 is that when the specified number of winning balls (e.g., 10 balls) set for one round are detected and the large prize opening is closed, there is a possibility that undetected game balls may be present in the large prize opening, and the winning status can be accurately grasped even in such an over-winning case.

The jackpot OP command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when a jackpot occurs (i.e. when the condition device is activated or the reel continuous operation device is activated), allowing the peripheral control unit 1511 to obtain the change to the jackpot state and count the number of jackpots. The destination command at the end of the jackpot operation is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when the jackpot state ends, allowing the peripheral control unit 1511 to obtain the end of the jackpot state and the situation after the jackpot.

The small win OP command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when the large prize opening is opened for a relatively short time (for example, the opening time for one opening is 1.8 seconds, or the total opening time for multiple openings is less than 1.8 seconds) and the continuous operation device for the reels does not operate (so-called small win), and the command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511, so that the peripheral control unit 1511 can count the number of small wins.

The normal symbol stop command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when the normal symbol stops, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can obtain the normal symbol stop symbol and count the number of normal symbol changes. The normal symbol gate pass command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511 when the game ball passes through the gate unit 2003, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can obtain the number of game balls that have passed through the gate unit 2003.

Even if a ball wins at the start gate or passes through the gate and a lottery for a special or normal symbol is not held (for example, if there is an overflow or no memory), the main control board 1310 sends a command for winning at start gate 1, a command for winning at start gate 2, and a command for passing through the normal gate to the peripheral control unit 1511. This allows the peripheral control unit 1511 to count the number of balls that win at the start gate and the number of balls that pass through the gate.

When an error occurs, the error display command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511, allowing the peripheral control unit 1511 to obtain the timing of the error occurrence and count the number of errors that occur.

When a game ball enters each general winning port 2001, the general winning port 1 winning command, the general winning port 2 winning command, and the general winning port 3 winning command are sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control unit 1511, and the peripheral control unit 1511 can count the number of winning balls in each general winning port 2001. The general winning port winning commands are preferably determined as many as the number of general winning ports 2001 provided in the game area 5a, and the above example shows a case where three general winning ports 2001 are provided. As shown in Figures 10 and 16, the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment has four general winning ports 2001, so four types of general winning port winning commands are determined, from the general winning port 1 winning command to the general winning port 4 winning command.

Figure 122 shows an example of the structure of the game history recorded in memory.

The game history includes a history number, an event, and the date and time of the event, and is preferably recorded in memory in the order of the event occurrence. The event occurrence date and time may be recorded as the time when the peripheral control unit 1511 receives a command from the main control board 1310, or the main control board 1310 may notify the peripheral control unit 1511 of the time when it detects the occurrence of an event, and the peripheral control unit 1511 may record the event occurrence time notified by the main control board 1310. In the game history shown in the figure, the event occurrence date and time is recorded to the minute, but may also be recorded to the second.

By analyzing the game history in the form shown in FIG. 122, the details of the events that occurred in relation to the commands sent from the main control board 1310 (for example, changes in the game state, the results of the variable display game, etc.) can be known. For example, the power-on command of history number 1 occurred at 15:30 on March 15, 2016, and it can be seen from the contents of the command that the RAM was cleared and the game started in a low probability/non-time-saving state. In other words, it can be seen that the hall started business at 15:30, the power of the pachinko machine 1 was turned on, the player started playing after a while (for example, after lighting a cigarette), and won the general winning port 2001. In addition, the special pattern 1 variable start event of history number 4 occurred at 15:34 on March 15, 2016, and the results of the special pattern variable display game can be known from the contents of the special pattern 1 pattern type command received (type of stopped pattern). The special symbol 1 variation start event of history number 6 occurred at 15:34 on March 15, 2016, and the result of the special symbol variation display game can be known from the contents of the special symbol 1 symbol type command received (type of stopped symbol). Note that although the results of the special symbol variation display game are not shown in FIG. 122, the results of each special symbol variation display game can be known from the numerical value indicating the result of the variation display game included in the symbol type command received when the special symbol variation starts, and the results of the variation display game (miss, normal 4 rounds, high probability 4 rounds, high probability 16 rounds, etc.) may be recorded as a game history.

Next, we will explain how the hall can refer to the information (game history) recorded in the memory.

First, a history output interface 1590 is provided to output information recorded in memory from the peripheral control unit 1511. Then, when the peripheral control unit 1511 receives a history reference command from the main control board 1310, it outputs the game history recorded in memory from the history output interface 1590.

In addition, a data collection terminal is connected to the pachinko machine 1, and when the peripheral control unit 1511 receives a history reference command from the data collection terminal, it outputs the game history recorded in memory from the history output interface 1590. The history output interface 1590 may be configured as a history output terminal provided in the peripheral control unit 1511, or may be provided separately from the peripheral control unit 1511. It is preferable for the parlor to own the data collection terminal for managing the data of the pachinko machine 1.

The connection between the data collection terminal and the pachinko machine 1 may be a cable connection via the history output interface 1590, or a wireless connection via short-range wireless (e.g., Bluetooth (registered trademark)).

The command that triggers the peripheral control unit 1511 to output the game history may be a history reference command dedicated to outputting the game history, or a command that is not sent when normal play is being performed after the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1 (a command not defined in FIG. 121) when a special condition (operation) is performed. An example of the special condition (operation) is operating the RAM clear button while the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1. In addition, even if it is a command that is sent during normal play, a history reference command may be sent under the condition of an event that cannot (or is unlikely to) occur. For example, when 50 balls are won in the start gate or general winning gate in one minute. In addition, the game history may be output when commands used for game control are received in a special order that is not normally possible.

In addition, an operation panel (keyboard) and a display (performance display device) may be provided on the back side of the pachinko machine 1 (in a place not visible to the player) to display the game history.

Figure 123 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the peripheral control board and its surroundings.

The peripheral control board 1510 has a peripheral control unit 1511 which controls the performance based on various commands from the main control board 1310 and exchanges control commands and various information (various data) with the performance display drive board 4450 via the frame peripheral relay terminal board 868, a performance display control unit 1512 which controls the drawing of the performance display device 1600 and the door frame side performance display device 460 and controls the sound such as music and sound effects played from the lower speaker 921 and upper speaker 573, and a real-time clock (hereinafter referred to as "RTC") control unit 4165 which holds calendar information specifying the year, month, and date and time information specifying the hour, minute, and second.

As shown in FIG. 123, the peripheral control unit 1511 that controls the performance includes a peripheral control MPU 1511a as a microprocessor, a peripheral control ROM 1511b that stores various control programs, various data, various control data, and various schedule data, such as a sub-control program that controls the power-on processing executed when the power is turned on and controls the performance operation executed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the power is turned on, and various information (e.g., performance display data) that continues across the peripheral control unit regular processing that is executed each time a V blank signal is input from the VDP 1512a with a built-in sound source of the performance display control unit 1512 described later. It has a peripheral control RAM 1511c that stores various information (such as schedule data that specifies the screen to be drawn on the device 1600 and information for managing schedule data that specifies the light emission modes of various LEDs, etc.), a peripheral control SRAM 1511d that stores various information that continues across days (such as information for managing the history of when a jackpot game state has occurred and information for managing special performance flags, etc.), and a peripheral control external watchdog timer 1511e (hereinafter referred to as the "peripheral control external WDT 1511e") that monitors whether the peripheral control MPU 1511a is operating normally.

Whereas the peripheral control RAM 1511c loses its contents when the power is cut off for a long period of time (when a long-term power outage occurs), the peripheral control SRAM 1511d is supplied with backup power from a large-capacity electrolytic capacitor (not shown) provided on the power supply board 931 (hereinafter referred to as the "SRAM electrolytic capacitor"), allowing the peripheral control SRAM 1511d to retain its stored contents for approximately 50 hours. Because the SRAM electrolytic capacitor is provided on the power supply board 931, when the game board 5 is removed from the pachinko machine 1, backup power is no longer supplied to the peripheral control SRAM 1511d, and therefore the peripheral control SRAM 1511d is no longer able to retain its stored contents and loses its contents.

In addition, a portion of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d is powered by a backup power supply 1513 that is different from the backup power supply supplied from the power supply board 931. The area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d that is powered by the backup power supply 1513 records game history, and is configured to be able to retain the stored contents even if the power to the pachinko machine 1 is cut off. The backup power supply 1513 is configured by a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, and preferably has a power supply capacity that can retain the data in at least a portion of the area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d for several weeks to about a month.

Figure 124 is a block diagram showing the peripheral configuration of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d.

The area of peripheral control SRAM 1511d that stores game history may be configured in a package separate from the peripheral control CPU that includes the peripheral control MPU, or may be configured in the peripheral control CPU package together with the peripheral control MPU.

Figure 124 (A) shows the peripheral configuration of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d, which configures an area for storing game history in a package separate from the peripheral control CPU. As shown in the figure, the performance control area that is not powered by the backup power supply 1513 is provided outside the peripheral control CPU package, and the game history storage area that is powered by the backup power supply 1513 is provided outside the peripheral control CPU package.

When the RAM clear switch is operated to reset the pachinko machine 1, the data in the peripheral control SRAM (area for controlling performance) 1511d within the peripheral control CPU is cleared, but the data in the peripheral control SRAM (area for storing game history) 1511d outside the peripheral control CPU is not cleared.

Figure 124 (B) shows the peripheral configuration of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d, which constitutes an area for storing game history within the peripheral control CPU package. As shown in the figure, both a performance control area not powered by the backup power supply 1513 and a game history storage area powered by the backup power supply 1513 are provided within the peripheral control CPU package.

Even in the configuration shown in FIG. 124(B), when the RAM clear switch is operated to reset the pachinko machine 1, the data in the peripheral control SRAM (performance control area) 1511d in the peripheral control CPU is cleared, but the data in the peripheral control SRAM (game history storage area) 1511d outside the peripheral control CPU is not cleared. For this reason, it is preferable that the performance control area and the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d are physically separated.

The area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d that stores the game history may be configured with flash memory instead of SRAM. By storing the game history in flash memory, the game history can be retained even in a pachinko machine 1 that is not supplied with power, without providing a backup power supply 1513.

In either of the forms shown in FIG. 124(A) and (B), the pachinko machine 1 has a means for initializing data in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d. The means for initializing data in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d may be any method that has a procedure different from the normal data initialization method of turning on the power of the pachinko machine 1 while operating the RAM clear switch. For example, a history clear switch may be provided in addition to the RAM clear switch, and when the power of the pachinko machine 1 is turned on while operating the history clear switch, the stored game history is initialized. In this case, when the power of the pachinko machine 1 is turned on while operating both the RAM clear switch and the history clear switch, both the stored game status information and the game history are initialized. The history clear switch may be directly connected to the peripheral control board 1510.

In addition, if the pachinko machine 1 is powered on while the RAM clear switch is being operated, and the RAM clear switch is continued to be operated for a predetermined period of time after the power is turned on, both the stored game status information and the game history may be initialized.

When initializing the game history stored in the peripheral control SRAM 1511d, the main control board 1310 sends a command different from the normal power-on command to the peripheral control board 1510.

In addition, the main control board 1310 may continue to send a power-on command to the peripheral control board 1510 while the RAM clear switch is being operated, and the peripheral control board 1510 may initialize the game history stored in the peripheral control SRAM (game history storage area) 1511d when it receives a predetermined number of power-on commands within a predetermined time, or when it receives consecutive power-on commands. By providing a means for initializing data in the game history storage area in this way, the latest information can be accurately recorded and analyzed, for example, even if the gaming machine has been operating in the hall for a year.

The peripheral control external WDT 1511e is a timer that monitors whether the peripheral control MPU 1511a system is out of control, and when this timer expires, a hardware reset is applied. In other words, if the peripheral control MPU 1511a does not output a clear signal to the peripheral control external WDT 1511e to clear the timer of the peripheral control external WDT 1511e within a certain period of time (until the timer expires), a reset is applied. When the peripheral control MPU 1511a outputs a clear signal to the peripheral control external WDT 1511e within the certain period of time, it restarts the timer count of the peripheral control external WDT 1511e, so a reset is not applied.

The peripheral control MPU 1511a has multiple built-in parallel I/O ports, serial I/O ports, etc., and when it receives various commands from the main control board 1310, it transmits game board side light emission data for outputting lighting signals, flashing signals, or gradation lighting signals to the multiple LEDs, etc., provided on each decorative board of the game board 5 based on these various commands from the serial I/O port for the lamp drive board to the lamp drive board 4170 via a peripheral control output circuit (not shown), and transmits game board side motor drive data for outputting drive signals to electrical drive sources such as motors and solenoids that operate various movable bodies provided on the game board 5 to the serial I/O port for the motor drive board. The data is sent from the serial I/O port to the motor drive board 4180 via the peripheral control output circuit, door side motor drive data for outputting a drive signal to the electrical drive source provided in the door frame 3 is sent from the serial I/O port for the motor of the frame decoration drive amplifier board via the peripheral control output circuit and the frame peripheral relay terminal board 868 to the frame decoration drive amplifier board, and door side light emission data for outputting a lighting signal, a blinking signal or a gradation lighting signal to the multiple LEDs etc. provided on each decorative board of the door frame 3 is sent from the serial I/O port for LEDs of the frame decoration drive amplifier board via the peripheral control output circuit and the frame peripheral relay terminal board 868 to the frame decoration drive amplifier board.

Various commands from the main control board 1310 are input to the serial I/O port for the main control board of the peripheral control MPU 1511a via a peripheral control input circuit (not shown). In addition, the detection signal from the rotation detection switch for detecting the rotation (rotation direction) of the dial operation unit 401 provided in the performance operation unit 220 and the detection signal from the pressure detection switch for detecting the operation of the pressure operation unit 405 are serialized by a door side serial transmission circuit (not shown) provided on the frame decoration drive amplifier board 194, and this serialized performance operation unit detection data is input from the door side serial transmission circuit to the peripheral door relay terminal board 882, the frame peripheral relay terminal board 868, and the peripheral control input circuit via the serial I/O port for performance operation unit detection of the peripheral control MPU 1511a.

The detection signals from various detection switches (e.g., photosensors, etc.) for detecting the original positions and movable positions of various movable bodies provided on the game board 5 are serialized by a game board side serial transmission circuit (not shown) provided on the motor drive board 4180, and this serialized movable body detection data is input from the game board side serial transmission circuit via a peripheral control input circuit to the serial I/O port for the motor drive board of the peripheral control MPU 1511a. The peripheral control MPU 1511a exchanges various data between the peripheral control board 1510 and the motor drive board 4180 by switching the input and output of the serial I/O port for the motor drive board.

As described above, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, events that occur during play are recorded as a gaming history in accordance with commands sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control board 1510, so that the events that occur during play can be analyzed later (for example, after the hall has closed) to understand the performance and malfunctions of the gaming machine. In addition, since the gaming history is stored in non-volatile memory (SRAM with backup power input), the gaming history can be checked even after the gaming machine is restarted.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, various information is recorded along with the time of occurrence, as shown in FIG. 121, FIG. 122, etc. Also, for example, when the starting hole 1 is won, more information than the information output from the external terminal board 748 shown in FIG. 116 is stored inside the pachinko machine 1, such as (1) the fact that the starting hole 1 was won, (2) the time of winning the starting hole 1, and (3) the event that occurred before winning the starting hole 1. This is because, when the starting hole is won, the minimum necessary information (the above-mentioned (1) information indicating the fact that the starting hole was won) is output from the external terminal board 784, and in special cases (for example, when investigating the cause of an error), the information stored inside the pachinko machine 1 can be confirmed. This is because if all of the information stored inside is output from the external terminal board 784 when the starting hole is won, the amount of information output regarding the operation of the pachinko machine 1 will be large, which may be a burden on the hall. In other words, when an event occurs, more information is recorded inside the pachinko machine 1 than is output from the external terminal board 784, and some of the information recorded inside is output to the outside of the pachinko machine 1 via the external terminal board 784, so that in special cases the information stored inside the pachinko machine 1 can be confirmed.

[11-2. Compact Plan 1]
Next, modified examples of a pachinko machine that records and outputs a game history will be described. Note that the following modified examples are modifications of parts of the above-mentioned embodiment, and constitute a part of the embodiment.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the generated event (type of command) and the date and time of the event were recorded for predetermined commands sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control board 1510. However, the capacity of the SRAM 1511d that records the game history is finite, and it is difficult to record all of the huge number of events that occur during play for a long period of time. For this reason, in the modified example 1 (compact proposal 1), the change in the state of the pachinko machine 1 and the number of counting events that occurred in that state are recorded.

Figure 125 shows an example of the configuration of a game history recording condition setting table for variant example 1.

In the game history recording condition setting table of variant 1, the commands recorded as game history are defined as commands that are counted and commands that trigger a state change, and some commands have both attributes set. Note that the columns for countable information and obtainable state changes are provided for ease of explanation, and when the game history recording condition setting table is implemented in a pachinko machine 1, only the command type column is required.

When the peripheral control unit 1511 receives a command in which a counting attribute is set, it counts the number of events that triggered the issuance of the command as a result of command analysis. In addition, when the peripheral control unit 1511 receives a command in which an attribute that triggers a state change is set, it updates the state of the game history recorded in memory as a result of command analysis and adds a record that counts the number of events.

For example, the power-on command, state command at the start of fluctuation, jackpot OP command, destination command at the end of jackpot operation, and error display command are commands issued due to state changes, and can be understood as state changes of power-on, start of special pattern fluctuation display, start of jackpot state, end of jackpot state, and occurrence of an error state, respectively.

Counting commands are also used to count the number of events that trigger the issuance of a counting command. Specifically, the Start Gate 1 Winning Command and Start Gate 2 Winning Command can count the number of winning balls at each start gate. The Special Symbol 1 Symbol Type Command and Special Symbol 2 Symbol Type Command can count the number of variations of each special symbol. The Large Prize Gate 1 Winning Command (per win) and the Large Prize Gate 2 Winning Command (per win) can count the number of winning balls at each large prize gate. The Large Prize Gate 1 Winning Command (less than the specified win) and the Large Prize Gate 2 Winning Command (less than the specified win) can count the number of rounds that ended with less than the specified number of wins. The Large Prize Gate 1 Winning Command (greater than the specified win) and the Large Prize Gate 2 Winning Command (greater than the specified win) can count the number of rounds that ended with more than the specified number of wins (i.e., over-wins).

The small win OP command can count the number of small wins. The normal symbol stop command can count the number of normal symbol changes. The normal symbol gate pass command can obtain the number of game balls that have passed through the gate section. The error display command can count the number of errors that have occurred. The general prize slot 1 win command, general prize slot 2 win command, and general prize slot 3 win command can count the number of winning balls at each general prize slot.

Figure 126 shows the game history recorded in the memory of variant 1.

The game history of the first modified example includes the state change event that triggered the state change of the pachinko machine 1, the state after the state change event, the time when the state change event occurred, and the cumulative number of counting events detected from a predetermined starting point to the end of the state (until the next state change event). The number of counting events recorded as the game history may be the number of counting events detected during the state (between the previous state change event and the state change event). The predetermined starting point is the time when the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d is initialized. The five states in which counting events are recorded separately are assumed to be a low probability/non-time-saving state, a low probability/time-saving state, a high probability/non-time-saving state, a high probability/time-saving state, and a jackpot state, but these states may be further subdivided.

Next, the game history recording process in variant 1 will be described in detail. In the game history shown in FIG. 126, the number of winning entries at start gate 1, the number of winning entries at start gate 2, the number of variations in special pattern 1, the number of variations in special pattern 2, the number of winning entries at general prize gate 1, the number of winning entries at general prize gate 2, the number of winning entries at general prize gate 3, the number of winning entries at large prize gate 1, the number of winning entries at large prize gate 2, the number of gate passes, and the number of variations in normal patterns are recorded as counting events. Note that the number of events other than those shown in the figure may also be counted.

Two bytes of storage space for the cumulative number of each counting event is sufficient. In particular, data that is not generated very frequently and does not have a large cumulative number (for example, the number of wins at the general prize slots) can be one byte, while the rest should be two bytes. In this case, it is best to arrange the data in the order of two bytes, one byte (or one byte, two bytes), without mixing one-byte data and two-byte data.

In addition, when a status change event occurs, the type of status change event, the status after the event occurred, and the date and time of the event are recorded, and a new record is created in the game history. The counting event after the status change is then recorded in the new record.

The counting results of the counting events in the current state may be recorded in the working area of the peripheral control RAM 1511c, and may be stored in a new record created in the game history storage area of the SRAM 1511d after a state change. A new record in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d is created in response to a state change, but a new record may also be created at the start of the period during which counting events are counted. In this case, even if no data is stored in the new record created while counting events are being counted, 0 may be stored as an initial value. A new record may also be created at the end of the period during which counting events are counted. In this case, immediately after creating the new record, the counting results of the counting events for that period are stored in the new record.

When the game state changes and data recorded in the working area (peripheral control RAM 1511c) is stored in the game history storage area (peripheral control SRAM 1511d), the data is read from the game history storage area, the count value recorded in the working area is added, and the result is stored in the game history storage area. On the other hand, when the number of count events detected during that state (between the previous state change event and the current state change event) is recorded as the game history, the count value of the count event is stored in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d.

That is, each time a state change event occurs, the count value in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d is updated. Therefore, the count result in the current state recorded in the working area of the peripheral control RAM 1511c is recorded in the peripheral control RAM 1511c until the next state change event occurs, and the memory contents are backed up in the event of a power outage, but are initialized by a normal RAM clear operation. Specifically, for example, in a low probability/non-time-saving state, the game history information in which 50 winnings into the starting hole 1 are recorded in the working area (peripheral control RAM 1511c) is recorded in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d after the game state changes in the pachinko machine 1 of the first modified example. In other words, if the game state does not change, the game history is not recorded in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d. Therefore, if the power is cut off and the RAM clear operation is performed while the low probability/non-time-saving state is still in effect, the 50 winnings are initialized to 0.

The counting result of the counting event in the current state may also be written to the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d. That is, each time a counting event occurs, the count value in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d is updated. In this case, the counting result in the current state recorded in the peripheral control SRAM 1511d is not initialized by the normal RAM clear operation, but is initialized by the game history initialization operation described above.

In addition, it is advisable to execute the game history recording process even if the game history to be recorded reaches the upper limit of the memory capacity. In this case, recording of the game history to the peripheral control RAM 1511c in the current state may continue, and the cumulative number of counting events may not be stored from the peripheral control RAM 1511c to the peripheral control SRAM 1511d when the state changes. Also, the game history (cumulative number of counting events) in the oldest state may be erased, and the cumulative number of counting events in the previous state may be recorded. In this case, it is advisable to configure a ring buffer in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d.

By executing the game history recording process even if there is no free space in the memory for recording the game history, there is no need to check the free space in the memory for recording the game history, and the processing performed each time by the peripheral control unit 1511 can be reduced. Also, since the cumulative number of counting events in the current state is recorded in the peripheral control RAM 1511c, the most recent game history can be checked.

In addition, if the game history to be recorded reaches the upper limit of the memory capacity, step S1023 may be skipped and the game history recording process may not be executed. By not executing the game history recording process when the game history to be recorded reaches the upper limit of the memory capacity, it is possible to prevent the execution of unnecessary processes and reduce the processing load of the peripheral control unit 1511.

As explained above, in variant 1, the state changes of the pachinko machine 1 are recorded, and the number of counting events (number of winnings, number of changes, etc.) in each state between the changes are recorded, so that long periods of game history can be recorded without increasing the capacity of the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d.

As mentioned above, another feature of the pachinko machine 1 of variant 1 is that it records more information internally than the information output from the external terminal board 784.

Furthermore, as described above, in the pachinko machine 1 of the modified example 1, the condition for creating a new record in the game history is a change in the game state, and if the game state does not change, information (game history) is not written to the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d. In other words, if cheating is committed in a state where a new record is not created in the game history storage area (while the same game state continues), it may be difficult to detect the cheating. As described above, the hall can check the information written in the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d to analyze the information (game history) written in the memory, but in the pachinko machine 1 of the modified example 1, information is not written to the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d unless the game state changes, so even if information is read from the peripheral control SRAM 1511d, the information of the current state (game history) cannot be confirmed. Even in such cases, a check function may be provided that can detect cheating early.

Specifically, an error may be reported if the comparison result between a first record (the most recent record in peripheral control SRAM 1511d) in which the most recent state of the game history is recorded and a second record (a record in peripheral control RAM 1511c) in which the current state of the game history is recorded meets a predetermined condition.

For example, in a pachinko machine 1 that shoots balls so that they roll on the right side of the play area 5a in a high probability/time-saving state or a jackpot play state, so-called right-handed play, if the state transitions from the high probability/time-saving state to the jackpot play state and then back to the high probability/time-saving state after the jackpot play state ends, the state is switched, but since right-handed play is usually performed, the possibility of winning in the general winning port on the left side of the play area 5a is extremely low. In this case, the number of winning balls in the general winning port may be compared between the jackpot play state and the subsequent high probability/time-saving state, and an error may be notified if a difference is detected. The allowable difference in the number of winning balls in the general winning port between states may be one ball, and an error may be notified if a difference of two or more balls occurs. This is because there is a possibility that unevenness in the launch force will occur when the launch handle is released, causing the game ball to roll on the left side of the play area 5a.

Instead of reporting an error, a security signal may be sent from the external terminal board 784 shown in FIG. 116. The early fraud detection check function described above detects errors by predicting the game from the game state of the pachinko machine 1 (for example, hitting to the right because it is in a high probability/time-saving state), so there is a possibility that an error will be detected when an inexperienced player hits in an unexpected way. For this reason, the pachinko machine 1 may not report an error, but may only output a security signal from the external terminal board 784 without informing the player. In this way, a hall staff member can check for possible errors from a location away from the pachinko machine 1 without the player noticing, and trouble with the player can be prevented.

As such, since the error detection function of the pachinko machine 1 is not perfect, it is possible to check the cause of the error by analyzing the game history outside the pachinko machine 1.

[11-3. Compact Plan 2]
In the above-mentioned modified example 1, among the commands sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control board 1510, the state change event of the pachinko machine 1 is recorded, and the number of counting events in each state during the change is recorded. However, the number of events in each changing state may not be important, and it may be sufficient to know the number of events for each type of state that occurs repeatedly. For this reason, in modified example 2 (compact proposal 2), the state of the pachinko machine 1 and the cumulative number of counting events for each state are recorded.

In variant 2, the game history is recorded using the same game history recording condition setting table (Figure 125) as variant 1.

Figure 127 shows the game history recorded in the memory of variant 2.

As shown in FIG. 127, the game history of variant 2 is composed of a history of state events and the cumulative number of counting events for each state. The history of state events includes the state change event that triggered a state change in the pachinko machine 1, the state after the state change event, and the time at which the state change event occurred. In the pachinko machine 1 of variant 2, the cumulative number of counting events is recorded in five states: low probability/non-time-saving state, low probability/time-saving state, high probability/non-time-saving state, high probability/time-saving state, and jackpot state. The counting events (and commands related to the events) recorded in variant 2 are the number of wins at start port 1 (start port 1 win command), the number of wins at start port 2 (start port 2 win command), the number of changes in special pattern 1 (special pattern 1 pattern type command), the number of changes in special pattern 2 (special pattern 2 pattern type command), the number of wins at general prize port 1 (general prize port 1 win command), the number of wins at general prize port 2 (general prize port 2 win command), the number of wins at general prize port 3 (general prize port 3 win command), the number of wins at large prize port 1 (large prize port 1 win command), the number of wins at large prize port 2 (large prize port 2 win command), the number of gate passes (regular gate pass command), and the number of regular pattern changes (regular pattern stop command).

It is also possible to count the number of counting events other than those mentioned above, and the state in which counting events are recorded separately may be further subdivided.

Next, the game history recording process in Modification 2 will be described in detail. In the game history shown in FIG. 127, when a state change event occurs, the type of state change event, the state after the event occurred, and the date and time of the event are recorded in the state event history. When a change in the state of the gaming machine is detected due to a state change event, the cumulative number of counting events counted in the state before the change is recorded in non-volatile memory, and recording of the cumulative number of counting events described above corresponding to the state after the change is started.

The counting results of the counting events in the current state are recorded in the working area of the peripheral control RAM 1511c, and after a state change, the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d (the cumulative value of that state) is read out, and the value recorded in the working area of the peripheral control RAM 1511c is added to the result and stored in the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d. That is, each time a state change event occurs, the cumulative value in the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d is updated using the value before the state change recorded in the working area of the peripheral control RAM 1511c. For this reason, the counting results in the current state recorded in the working area of the peripheral control RAM 1511c are backed up in the event of a power outage, but are initialized by a normal RAM clear operation.

The counting results of the counting events in the current state may also be written to the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d. That is, each time a counting event occurs, the cumulative value in the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d is updated. In this case, the counting results in the current state recorded in SRAM 1511d are not initialized by the normal RAM clear operation, but are initialized by the game history initialization operation described above.

As described above, in variant 2, the state changes of the pachinko machine 1 are recorded, and counting events for each type of state (number of wins, number of changes, etc.) are recorded, so that long periods of game history can be recorded without increasing the capacity of the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d.

[11-4. Compact Plan 3]
In the above-mentioned modified example 2, among the commands sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control board 1510, the state change of the pachinko machine 1 is recorded by a state change event, and the cumulative number of counting events for each state is recorded. However, there are cases where the timing of the state change is not important, and it is sufficient to know the number of events for each type of state. For this reason, in modified example 3 (compact proposal 3), the state change of the pachinko machine 1 is not recorded, and the cumulative number of counting events for each state is recorded.

In variant 3, the game history is recorded using the same game history recording condition setting table (Figure 125) as variant 1.

In variant 3, the game history recording condition setting table shown in FIG. 125 is used to record the same events as those recorded in variant 1.

Figure 128 shows the game history recorded in the memory of variant example 3.

As shown in FIG. 128, the gaming history of variant 3 is composed of the cumulative number of counting events in each state. Furthermore, the gaming history of variant 3 includes the cumulative time for each state. The cumulative time is included so that the hall can estimate the number of times an event has occurred (for example, the number of times a jackpot has occurred) from the cumulative time. The five states for which counting events are recorded separately are low probability/non-time-saving state, low probability/time-saving state, high probability/non-time-saving state, high probability/time-saving state, and jackpot state, but counting events may be recorded by further subdividing them.

The counting events (and commands related to the events) recorded in variant 3 are the number of wins at start gate 1 (start gate 1 win command), the number of wins at start gate 2 (start gate 2 win command), the number of changes in special pattern 1 (special pattern 1 pattern type command), the number of changes in special pattern 2 (special pattern 2 pattern type command), the number of wins at general prize gate 1 (general prize gate 1 win command), the number of wins at general prize gate 2 (general prize gate 2 win command), the number of wins at general prize gate 3 (general prize gate 3 win command), the number of wins at large prize gate 1 (large prize gate 1 win command), the number of wins at large prize gate 2 (large prize gate 2 win command), the number of gate passes (normal gate pass command), and the number of changes in normal patterns (normal pattern stop command). Note that the number of counting events other than those mentioned above may also be counted.

Next, the game history recording process in Modification 2 will be described in detail. In the game history shown in FIG. 128, when a state change event occurs, the cumulative number of the counting events described above is recorded in accordance with the state of the gaming machine that has changed due to the state change event.

The counting results of the counting events in the current state are recorded in the working area of the peripheral control RAM 1511c, and after a state change, the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d (the cumulative value for that state) is read out, and the value recorded in the working area of the peripheral control RAM 1511c is added to the value and stored in the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d. In other words, the cumulative value in the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d is updated each time a state change event occurs. For this reason, the counting results in the current state recorded in the working area of the peripheral control RAM 1511c are backed up in the event of a power outage, but are initialized by a normal RAM clear operation.

The counting results of the counting events in the current state may also be written to the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d. That is, each time a counting event occurs, the cumulative value in the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d is updated. In this case, the counting results in the current state recorded in SRAM 1511d are not initialized by the normal RAM clear operation, but are initialized by the game history initialization operation described above.

As described above, in variant 2, the state changes of the pachinko machine 1 are recorded, and counting events for each type of state (number of wins, number of changes, etc.) are recorded, so that long periods of game history can be recorded without increasing the capacity of the game history storage area of SRAM 1511d.

As explained above, in variants 1 to 3, when an event occurs, the game history recording process records the data in the working area (peripheral control RAM 1511c), and when the conditions for writing to the game history storage area of the peripheral control SRAM 1511d are met, the data in the working area is written to the game history storage area of the SRAM 1511d. Furthermore, with a normal RAM clear operation, the information written to the game history storage area of the SRAM 1511d is not erased (initialized), but the information recorded in the working area (peripheral control RAM 1511c) is erased (initialized).

Here, we will briefly touch on the business hours of the hall. In many cases, the business hours of the hall are set, for example, opening at 10:00 and closing at 23:00. For this reason, during times when there are many players, such as shortly after opening or in the evening, it may be difficult for the staff to monitor whether the players are playing illegally. However, as the closing time approaches, the number of players decreases, and if there is a pachinko machine in a high probability/time-saving state just before closing, the pachinko machine in the high probability/time-saving state may be initialized to a low probability/non-time-saving state in preparation for the next day's business. In this case, since there are few players, the pachinko machine in the high probability/time-saving state can be monitored, so it is possible to know whether the most recent play has been illegal. In other words, considering the situation where there are some pachinko machines for which the most recent play history is not necessary, by allowing the staff to select whether to leave the most recent information, it is possible to provide an efficient gaming machine.

Specifically, by initializing the pachinko machine 1 by the RAM clear operation, the game history stored in the work area for events that occurred after the most recent event is erased, and the game history stored in the game history storage area for events that occurred before the most recent event is left intact. In other words, although the pachinko machine records information that is not output from the external terminal board 784, the game history is recorded by dividing it into information recorded in the work area that is erased by the RAM clear operation and information recorded in the game history storage area that is not erased by the RAM clear operation. In this way, if the store clerk wants to keep the records of all events recorded in the work area, he or she can simply cause a change in the state of the pachinko machine, and if the store clerk wants to erase the records of events recorded in the work area, he or she can simply perform the RAM clear operation. The reason why the RAM clear operation does not erase all game history, but only erases the game history stored in the work area for events that occurred after the most recent event, is because, as mentioned above, the store clerk does not see the events that occurred before the most recent event (they cannot see them because there are many players).

As mentioned above, the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment not only records information about winning in the start gate, but also records winnings in general winning gates that are not related to the lottery in the working area, so that it is characterized by collecting game history while game balls are being shot into the game area 5a even if the special pattern (a pattern that starts to change when a ball wins in the start gate and the stopping pattern of this pattern indicates the lottery result) is not changing. In other words, the game history recording process is not a process that is executed when the lottery is executed, but rather a process that may be executed at any time while power is being supplied to the pachinko machine.

In addition, in a low probability/non-time shortening state, the game balls are shot so that they enter the starting hole 2002, like a so-called left shot or a quick shot. In such a case, the game balls should enter the starting hole 2002 and the general winning hole 2001 at a moderate rate. However, if there are no (or very few) winnings in the general winning hole 2001 but many game balls enter the starting hole 2002, or conversely, if there are no (or very few) winnings in the starting hole 2002 but many game balls enter the general winning hole 2001, there is a possibility that fraud is occurring. Therefore, the first winning hole and the second winning hole, which receive game balls at the same time, may be set as targets for monitoring, and an error may be notified when the number of winnings in the first winning hole exceeds a predetermined multiplier of the number of winnings in the second winning hole.

Also, instead of reporting an error, a security signal may be sent from the external terminal board 784. With the detection method described above, there is a possibility that an error may be detected if an inexperienced player plays in an unexpected way. For this reason, the pachinko machine 1 may not report an error, but may simply output a security signal from the external terminal board 784 without informing the player. In this way, a staff member at the parlor may be able to check for a possible error from a location away from the pachinko machine 1 without the player noticing, and trouble with the player may also be prevented.

The pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment is also characterized by collecting information accumulated over multiple games as a gaming history. Since there is a limit to the amount of gaming history data that can be recorded, if one game (one change) were recorded, it would not be possible to record many games (long periods of time), so this makes it possible to keep records of more games.

[12. Game Performance Setting Function]
Next, an embodiment of a pachinko machine having a setting function will be described. The pachinko machine of this embodiment has a setting function for changing the operation rate of a condition device, for example, as a gaming performance.

[12-1. Basic configuration of a pachinko machine with setting function]
Figure 129 is a block diagram showing generally the control configuration of a pachinko machine having a setting unit, Figure 130 is an oblique view of a pachinko machine having a setting unit seen from the back side with the door open, Figure 131 is an oblique view of the pachinko machine shown in Figure 130 seen from the back side with the door closed, and Figure 132 is a diagram showing the setting unit of the pachinko machine shown in Figure 130.

The pachinko machine shown in FIG. 129 has a setting board 970 for setting the game performance of the pachinko machine. The setting board 970 is connected to a payout control board 951, and a payout control unit 952 acquires the operation status of each switch and controls the display of a setting display 974.

As shown in the front view of FIG. 132(A), the setting board 970 is provided with a setting key 971 for changing the operation mode of the pachinko machine 1 to a setting change mode or a setting confirmation mode, a setting change switch 972 for changing the setting value, a setting confirmation switch 973 for confirming and inputting the changed setting value, and a setting display 974 for displaying the set or selected setting value. The setting board 970 functions as a setting change operation unit that accepts setting change operations.

In this embodiment, the operation signals of the setting key 971, setting change switch 972, and setting confirmation switch 973 on the setting board 970 are input to the payout control unit 952. In addition, the setting display 974 is controlled by the payout control unit 952. The confirmed settings are sent from the payout control unit 952 to the main control board 1310. Note that, as described below, the main control board 1310 may control the components on the setting board 970.

The setting key 971 is a switch that maintains a shorted or open state of the contacts by inserting a specific key into the keyhole (key insertion section) and turning the key to the setting position, and outputs a signal that triggers a change to the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode. Note that the setting key 971 may not be provided and another switch may be used instead. In this case, the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode may be started by operating (pressing and holding) the setting change switch 972 for a specific period of time (e.g., 5 seconds) or more, and the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode may be ended by pressing and holding the setting change switch 972 during the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode.

The setting change mode may also be started and ended by operating the RAM clear switch 954. For example, the setting change mode is started by turning on the power while operating the RAM clear switch 954, and continuing to operate the RAM clear switch 954 for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) or more (long press). The setting change mode is also started by turning on the power while operating the RAM clear switch 954, and if the continuous operation of the RAM clear switch 954 is less than the predetermined time, a RAM clear process is executed. Furthermore, the setting change mode may be ended by long pressing the RAM clear switch 954 during the setting change mode.

In this way, even employees who do not have a key for the setting key 971 can change the settings, making it easier to handle the pachinko machine 1 in the parlor. In addition, since the operation time of the setting change switch 972 is detected, it is preferable to detect the operation when the setting change switch 972 falls.

The setting change switch 972 is composed of, for example, a push button switch, and is operated to sequentially switch and select the setting value (1 to 6). That is, when the setting change switch 972 is pressed once, the setting value increases by 1, and when the setting change switch 972 is operated when the setting value is 6, the setting value becomes 1. It is also possible to select the setting value by operating the RAM clear switch 954 without providing the setting change switch 972. It is also possible for the setting value to have fewer stages (for example, two stages) or more stages (for example, eight stages) instead of six stages.

Also, the setting change switch 972 may not be provided, and the setting key 971 may double as the setting change switch 972. In this case, the setting key 971 can be operated in three stages, with the key being able to be inserted and removed in the neutral position (normal position), and turning it to the left is an operation for starting the setting change mode, and turning it to the right is an operation for selecting the setting value to be set (turning it to the right functions as the setting change switch 972). The setting key 971 has an alternative operation that allows it to hold the left and neutral positions, and a momentary operation that does not hold the right position (it returns to the neutral position when the hand is released from the key).

The setting value changes the rate at which the condition device operates (i.e., the probability of a special symbol hitting), with a setting value of 1 indicating a low probability of hitting, and a setting value of 6 indicating a high probability of hitting. The setting value may also change various game-related parameters, such as the rate of guaranteed jackpots, the rate of time-saving (ST) after a jackpot, the number of time-saving rounds, the number of jackpot rounds and counts, the probability of hitting a normal symbol, and the number of prize balls in the normal prize slot, start slot, and large prize slot, thereby changing the number of prize balls the player can win.

The setting confirmation switch 973 is, for example, a momentary switch, and is a switch for confirming the setting value selected by operating the setting change switch 972 and inputting it into the pachinko machine 1. The setting confirmation switch 973 may be a push button switch or a momentary toggle switch, so long as it is a momentary switch. The setting change switch 972 and the setting confirmation switch 973 may be configured with different operating methods (operation directions) and shapes to prevent the two switches from being operated by mistake. For example, the setting change switch 972 may be configured with a push button switch, and the setting confirmation switch 973 may be configured with a momentary toggle switch.

In addition, the setting confirmation switch 973 may not be provided, and the selected setting may be confirmed by returning the setting key 971 to the normal position. Also, the selected setting value may be confirmed by the operation of another switch or sensor provided in the pachinko machine 1. For example, the selected setting may be confirmed by operating the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500, contact detection by the contact detection sensor 509 when the handle lever 504 is touched, operating the stop button of the handle unit 500, operating the operation button 220C, operating the ball lending button, operating the return button, or detecting the entry of a game ball into the start hole 2002, 2004. The operation unit that substitutes for the setting confirmation switch 973 may be a switch that can be operated by the player (used for playing) or a switch that cannot be operated by the player (provided on the back side of the pachinko machine).

In other words, in the illustrated example, three switches (including a setting key) are provided on the setting board 970 to set the game performance of the pachinko machine 1, but it is sufficient to provide one or two switches on the setting board 970.

Furthermore, without providing any of the setting key 971, the setting change switch 972, and the setting confirmation switch 973, the setting change operation may be possible only with the RAM clear switch 954. For example, the setting change mode may be started by turning on the power while operating the RAM clear switch 954, and continuing (pressing and holding) the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) or more. Also, if the power is turned on while operating the RAM clear switch 954, and the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 is continued for less than the predetermined time, a RAM clear process is executed. Furthermore, instead of the setting change switch 972, the setting value may be selected by operating the RAM clear switch 954 for less than a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) during the setting change mode, and instead of the setting confirmation switch 973, the setting value may be confirmed by operating the RAM clear switch 954 for a predetermined time or more (pressing and holding). Furthermore, the setting change mode may be ended by pressing and holding the RAM clear switch 954 after the setting is confirmed.

The setting display 974 is configured, for example, with a 7-segment LED, and displays the setting value selected by operating the setting change switch 972, and displays the current setting value by a specified operation (for example, operating the setting key 971). Note that instead of a 7-segment LED, the setting display 974 may be configured with LEDs corresponding to the number of settable values. In this case, the LED corresponding to the setting value is lit to display the setting value.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the payout control board 951 is provided with an error type indicator using a 7-segment LED that displays the type of payout error, but this error type indicator may also serve as the setting indicator 974, and the selected setting value or the current setting value may be displayed on the error type indicator. In this case, it is advisable to change the display mode so that the display of the error type and the display of the setting value can be distinguished. For example, the dot may be turned off to display the error type, and the dot may be turned on to display the setting value. Also, the display of the error type may be turned on (not blinking), and the display of the setting value may be blinking.

In the illustrated example, the setting board 970 is connected to the dispensing control board 951, but it may also be connected to a power supply board (not shown) in the power supply board box 930. By providing the setting board 970 alongside the power supply board (or inside the power supply board box 930), the setting key 971 and power switch 932, which are operated when changing settings, can be positioned nearby, improving the operability of changing settings.

In addition, as described below, the setting board 970 may be connected to the main control board 1310.

In yet another embodiment, the setting board 970 may not be an independent board, but may be configured as part of the dispensing control board 951, the power supply board, or the main control board 1310. In other words, the setting key 971, the setting change switch 972, the setting confirmation switch 973, and the setting display 974 may be mounted on either the dispensing control board 951, the power supply board, or the main control board 1310.

As shown in FIG. 130, the setting board 970 is attached to the right side of the lower part of the main body frame 4 constituting the pachinko machine 1 (i.e., the frame side, not the game board 5), and as shown in FIG. 131, when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, at least a part of the setting board 970 faces the right frame member 40 of the outer frame 2. When the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, the distance between the setting board 970 and the right frame member 40 is narrow, making it difficult to operate the keys and switches on the setting board 970 in this state. In this way, the right frame member 40 functions as a setting change difficult means that conceals the setting key 971, prevents the insertion of a key into the keyhole of the setting key 971, and makes it difficult to operate the setting board 970 (setting change operation unit). In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, when the main frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, the setting key 971 as at least a part of the setting board 970 may face the right frame member 40 of the outer frame 2 at a narrow gap, but the entire setting board 970 may face the right frame member 40 of the outer frame 2 at a narrow gap. In this case, the keys and switches may be arranged vertically so that the width of the setting board 970 does not exceed the width of the right frame member 40. In this way, when the entire setting board 970 faces the right frame member 40 of the outer frame 2 at a narrow gap, it is difficult to operate the setting board 970 while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation (i.e., when the main frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2), and it is possible to suppress fraudulent acts by players to change the settings of the pachinko machine 1.

In the illustrated example, the member (means for making it difficult to change settings) that faces the setting board 970 when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2 is the right frame member 40, but it may be another member. For example, a cover provided on the outer frame 2 may be arranged in a position that faces the setting board 970 at a narrow gap when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2. Also, a cover that moves in conjunction with the opening and closing of the main body frame 4 may be provided, and the cover may be arranged in a position that faces the setting board 970 at a narrow gap when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2.

The setting change difficult means constituted by a member provided opposite the setting board 970 may be a cover covering the setting board 970. In this case, it is preferable to cover the setting key 971, which is the trigger for starting the setting change mode, with a double cover. For example, an inner cover covering the setting board 970 and an outer cover covering various control boards including the setting board 970 may be provided. Also, an inner cover covering the keyhole of the setting key 971 and an outer cover covering the setting board 970 may be provided. More specifically, the setting board 970 is housed in a setting board case, and the setting board case is provided with a first cover body (for example, a door-shaped lid body that can be opened during operation) that prevents inadvertent operation of the setting key 971 and each switch 972, 973 (at least the setting key 971). Furthermore, a second cover body that covers various control boards including the setting board 970 and the main control board 1310 is provided on the outer frame 2. The second cover body may be provided on the main frame 4 or the game board 5 to cover various control boards. This prevents the setting change mode from being started through inadvertent operations, and prevents dishonest players from changing the settings of the pachinko machine 1.

When the main frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, the distance at which the setting board 970 faces the right frame member 40 or other members needs only to be shorter than the length of the head of the key (the key head that is held during operation) inserted into the keyhole of the setting key 971.

The setting board 970 should be located near the power switch 932 so that the setting key 971, which is operated when changing settings, and the power switch 932 are located nearby. This improves operability when starting the setting change mode.

As shown in FIG. 131, the power supply board box 930 is provided with a power switch 932 for supplying power to the pachinko machine 1, and the payout control board unit 950 is provided with a RAM clear switch 954 for initializing the main control RAM 1312 of the pachinko machine 1. In this way, the pachinko machine 1 is provided with a number of switches that are not operated during play and can be operated from the back side, but the power switch 932 and RAM clear switch 954 described above are provided in positions that can be seen and operated from the back side. On the other hand, the setting key 971 (preferably the setting change switch 972 and setting confirmation switch 973 as well) are provided in positions that are difficult to see and operate from the back side while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation. This is because the power switch 932 and RAM clear switch 954 are frequently operated during the manufacturing process, and are provided in positions that can be operated from the back side while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation. On the other hand, the setting key 971 is hidden so that it is difficult to operate while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation, thereby preventing fraudulent acts of operating the setting board 970 and changing the settings of the pachinko machine 1 during play. In this way, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the switch is located on the back side of the pachinko machine 1 to achieve both convenience and prevention of fraudulent acts.

Similarly, since the current setting value of the pachinko machine 1 is important information for the player to select a machine, it is desirable that the player does not know about it. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 131, like the setting key 971, the setting display 974 should be placed opposite the right frame member 40 at a close distance so that the display cannot be seen. Normally, when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2 or when the setting key 971 is not operated, it is desirable that the setting display 974 is turned off so that the setting value is not known to the player. In this way, the right frame member 40 functions as a visibility-obscuring means that conceals the display contents of the setting display 974 and makes it difficult to see the display contents of the setting display 974 (setting status display section).

Figure 132 (B) is a top view of the setting board 970 when the main frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2. In this state, the setting board 970 faces the right frame member 40 at a narrow distance, so the head of the key 975 inserted into the keyhole of the setting key 971 interferes with the right frame member 40, making it impossible to insert the key 975 into the keyhole of the setting key 971.

On the other hand, when the main frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2, the right frame member 40 is not positioned in front of the keyhole of the setting key 971, and the key 975 can be inserted into the keyhole of the setting key 971.

In addition, the display surface of the setting display 974 faces the side of the pachinko machine 1 and faces the right frame member 40 when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, making it difficult for a player to check the current setting value of the pachinko machine from the front.

Figure 133 shows a modified example of the setting board 970.

In this modified example, as in the previous example, the setting board 970 is provided with a setting key 971, a setting change switch 972, a setting confirmation switch 973, and a setting display 974. However, in this modified example, the setting key 971 is arranged sideways on the setting board 970, and the key 975 is inserted from the side of the setting board.

For this reason, the setting board 970 of this modified example is installed on the back side, not the side side, of the main body frame 4, with the keyhole facing the side. Then, as shown in FIG. 133(B), when the setting board 970 is viewed from above, with the main body frame 4 housed in the outer frame 2, the side of the setting board 970 (i.e., the keyhole) faces the right frame member 40 at a narrow distance, so that the head of the key 975 inserted into the keyhole of the setting key 971 interferes with the right frame member 40, and the key 975 cannot be inserted into the keyhole of the setting key 971.

In the modified example shown in FIG. 133, the board of the pachinko machine 1 can be arranged in the same orientation as the other boards, and even if the difficulty of arranging the boards is reduced, it is possible to prevent fraudulent acts such as manipulating the setting board 970 while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation to change the settings of the pachinko machine 1.

Next, we will explain a modified version of a pachinko machine with a setting unit. In this modified version, the setting board 970 is provided on the game board 5 instead of the main body frame 4, and is connected to the main control board 1310.

Figure 134 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of this modified pachinko machine, Figure 135 is a perspective view of a game board having a setting section seen from behind, and Figure 136 is a perspective view of a pachinko machine equipped with the game board shown in Figure 135 seen from behind.

The setting board 970 is provided with a setting key 971, a setting change switch 972, a setting confirmation switch 973, and a setting display 974. The setting board 970 may be the one shown in FIG. 132(A) or the one shown in FIG. 133(A).

In the pachinko machine 1 shown in FIG. 134, the setting board 970 for setting the game performance of the pachinko machine is connected to the main control board 1310, and the main control MPU 1311 acquires the operation status of each switch, and the main control MPU 1311 controls the display of the setting display 974.

The function and configuration of the setting board 970 and each component on the setting board are the same as in the previously described embodiment, and common explanations will be omitted.

The main control board 1310 is provided with a base display 1317 consisting of a 7-segment LED. For this reason, the base display 1317 may be used as both the setting display 974 and display the selected setting value and the current setting value on the base display 1317. The base display 1317 normally switches between displaying the base value of the provisional section (the section currently being measured) and the base value of the confirmed section (the straight section) at a predetermined time interval. On the other hand, in the setting change mode, the selected (next setting value) is displayed, and during setting confirmation (see FIG. 152), the current setting value is displayed.

In this case, it is advisable to change the display format so that the display of the base value and the display of the set value can be distinguished. For example, the display of the base value may use four digits, but the display of the set value may use only one specified digit (for example, the rightmost digit) and display "- ". The digits not used to display the set value may display other numbers, letters, or symbols, rather than "-", as long as they are not used to display the base value. Furthermore, when displaying the set value, letters not used to display the base value may be displayed. For example, the set value may be displayed in six alphabetical levels: A, b, C, d, E, and F.

Furthermore, in the setting change mode, the setting value may be displayed blinking while being selected, and the confirmed setting value may be displayed lit. The current setting value may be displayed lit. In addition, the top two digits of the base display indicate the type of display data, and no numbers are displayed. For this reason, the most significant digit may be used to display the setting value. Note that when the base display 1317 and the setting display 974 are used together, the setting value is displayed preferentially during the setting change mode and during setting confirmation, so although the base value is calculated, it is not displayed. After that, when the setting change mode or confirmation of the setting value ends, the base display 1317 resumes displaying the base value.

In addition, when the base display 1317 and the setting display 974 are used together, the process of outputting the display contents to the setting display 974 is executed by the game control code 13131 in the game control area, and the process of outputting the display contents to the base display 1317 is executed by the base calculation/display code 13135 outside the game control area. However, part of the base calculation/display code 13135 (for example, the process of outputting display data to the driver circuit) may be provided within the game control area. Sharing the processes reduces the program capacity and saves memory.

On the other hand, if the process of outputting the display contents to the setting display 974 is executed by the game control code 13131 in the game control area, and the process of outputting the display contents to the base display 1317 is executed by the base calculation/display code 13135 outside the game control area, the processes inside and outside the game control area can be completely separated, improving security.

In addition, processing for changing settings and checking settings may be performed outside the game control area.

In other words, whether the setting display 974 is provided separately from the base display 1317 or is used in combination with the base display 1317, either case falls within the scope of the invention described in this specification. In this way, by displaying the multiple displays provided on the main control board box 1320 in an unconfusing manner during setting change mode or while checking setting values, it is possible to prevent operational errors when changing settings or misidentification of setting values.

Even if the base display 1317 and the setting display 974 are not shared, the display on the base display 1317 may be turned off or fully lit while the setting display 974 is displaying the setting value. Even in this case, when the setting change mode or confirmation of the setting value is completed, the base display 1317 resumes displaying the base value. By not displaying multiple displays on the main control board box 1320 during the setting change mode or confirmation of the setting value, it is possible to prevent operational errors when changing settings or misidentification of the setting value.

In the illustrated example, the setting board 970 is connected to the main control board 1310, but the setting board 970 may not be an independent board and may be formed as part of the main control board 1310. In other words, the main control board 1310 may be equipped with a setting key 971, a setting change switch 972, a setting confirmation switch 973, and a setting display 974.

The setting board 970 may be enclosed in the main control board box 1320 together with the main control board 1310. When the setting board 970 is enclosed in the main control board box 1320, the main control board box 1320 is provided with holes or notches for operating the setting key 971, the setting change switch 972, and the setting confirmation switch 973 on the setting board 970.

When the setting board 970 is enclosed in the main control board box 1320, the structure of the main control board box 1320, that is, the opening and closing direction, differs depending on the orientation of the keyhole of the setting key 971 on the setting board 970. Specifically, when the key 975 is inserted vertically into the board from the front of the board, the main control board box 1320 may be structured so that the front and back sides of the setting board 970 are separated vertically to the setting board 970, or the front side box (or cover) and the back side box are opened and closed with one side as a hinge. On the other hand, when the key 975 is inserted from the side in the direction in which the board extends, the main control board box 1320 may be structured so that the front side box (or cover) and the back side box of the setting board 970 slide and separate in the extension direction of the setting board 970 (insertion direction of the key 975).

In this modified example, the operation signals of the setting key 971, the setting change switch 972, and the setting confirmation switch 973 on the setting board 970 are input to the main control MPU 1311. In addition, the setting display 974 is controlled by the main control MPU 1311.

As shown in FIG. 135, the setting board 970 is attached to the right side (left side in FIG. 135) of the game board 5 constituting the pachinko machine 1, and as shown in FIG. 136, when the main body frame 4 to which the game board 5 is attached is housed in the outer frame 2, at least a part of the setting board 970 faces the right frame member 40 of the outer frame 2. When the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, the distance between the setting board 970 and the right frame member 40 is narrow, so that when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, it is difficult to operate the keys and switches on the setting board 970. In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, the setting key 971 as at least a part of the setting board 970 may face the right frame member 40 of the outer frame 2 at a narrow distance, but the entire setting board 970 may face the right frame member 40 of the outer frame 2 at a narrow distance. In this case, it is preferable to arrange the keys and switches vertically so that the width of the setting board 970 does not exceed the width of the right frame member 40. In this way, when the entire setting board 970 faces the right frame member 40 of the outer frame 2 at a narrow distance, it is possible to prevent fraudulent acts such as manipulating the setting board 970 while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation (i.e., when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2) to change the settings of the pachinko machine 1.

In the illustrated example, the member (means for making it difficult to change settings) that faces the setting board 970 when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2 is the right frame member 40, but it may be another member. For example, a cover provided on the outer frame 2 may be arranged in a position that faces the setting board 970 at a narrow gap when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2. Also, a cover that moves in conjunction with the opening and closing of the main body frame 4 may be provided, and the cover may be arranged in a position that faces the setting board 970 at a narrow gap when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2.

When the main frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, the distance at which the setting board 970 faces the right frame member 40 or other members needs only to be shorter than the length of the head of the key (the key head that is held during operation) inserted into the keyhole of the setting key 971.

As shown in FIG. 136, the power supply board box 930 is provided with a power switch 932 for supplying power to the pachinko machine 1, and the payout control board unit 950 is provided with a RAM clear switch 954 for initializing the main control RAM 1312 of the pachinko machine 1. In this way, the pachinko machine 1 is provided with a number of switches that are not operated during play and can be operated from the back side, but the power switch 932 and RAM clear switch 954 described above are provided in positions that can be seen and operated from the back side. On the other hand, the setting key 971 (preferably the setting change switch 972 and setting confirmation switch 973 as well) are provided in positions that are difficult to see and operate from the back side while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation. This is because the power switch 932 and RAM clear switch 954 are frequently operated during the manufacturing process, and are provided in positions that can be operated from the back side while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation. On the other hand, the setting key 971 is hidden so that it is difficult to operate while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation, thereby preventing fraudulent acts of operating the setting board 970 and changing the settings of the pachinko machine 1 during play. In this way, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the switch is located on the back side of the pachinko machine 1 to achieve both convenience and prevention of fraudulent acts.

Similarly, since the current setting value of the pachinko machine 1 is important information for the player to select a machine, it is desirable that the player does not know about it. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 136, like the setting key 971, the setting display 974 should be placed opposite the right frame member 40 at a close distance so that the display cannot be seen. Normally, when the main frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2 or when the setting key 971 is not operated, it is desirable that the setting display 974 is turned off so that the setting value is not known to the player. In this way, the right frame member 40 functions as a visibility-obscuring means that conceals the display contents of the setting display 974 and makes it difficult to see the display contents of the setting display 974 (setting status display section).

In the pachinko machine 1 shown in Figure 134, when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, the setting board 970 is viewed from above as shown in Figures 132 (B) and 133 (B). In this state, the setting board 970 and the keyhole of the setting key 971 face the right frame member 40 at a narrow distance, so the head of the key 975 inserted into the keyhole of the setting key 971 interferes with the right frame member 40, and the key 975 cannot be inserted into the keyhole of the setting key 971.

In addition, the display surface of the setting display 974 faces the side of the pachinko machine 1 and faces the right frame member 40 when the main body frame 4 is housed in the outer frame 2, so the player cannot check the current setting value of the pachinko machine from the front.

Next, we will explain the process for changing settings.

Figure 137 is a flow chart showing an example of the initialization process. The initialization process shown in Figure 137 differs from the initialization process described above in Figure 21 in that it performs a RAM clear process when the setting key is operated (steps S17, S30) and in that it performs a setting change process within the CPU initial setting process (step S28). Note that the same steps as those in the initialization process described above in Figure 21 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted.

When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1, the main control MPU 1311 of the main control board 1310 executes the main control program to perform initialization processing. The main control MPU 1311 first sets the protection of the RAM 1312 built into the main control MPU 1311 to write permission, making it possible to write to the RAM 1312 (step S10). Next, the main control MPU 1311 starts the built-in watchdog timer (step S12) and determines whether a predetermined wait time (the time required to start up the sub-board (such as the peripheral control board 1510)) has elapsed (step S16). If the predetermined wait time has elapsed, it determines whether the setting key 971 has been operated and its output is on (step S17). If the setting key 971 is operated, the program will retain the setting value data and game status (e.g., special bonus state, time-saving state, reserved memory for special and normal symbols, information regarding winning balls) from the data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312, and erase all other data (step S30), and proceed to step S24.

On the other hand, if the setting key 971 has not been operated, it is determined whether the RAM clear switch has been operated (step S18). If the RAM clear switch has been operated, data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 other than the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) is erased (step S30), and the process proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the RAM clear switch has not been operated, the data backed up in the built-in RAM 1312 is not erased, and it is determined whether the power outage flag has been set (step S20).

If the power outage flag is not set, the data in the work area of the internal RAM 1312 may be incorrect, so the data backed up in the work area (other than the base calculation area 13128) is erased (step S30) and the process proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the power outage flag is set, the power outage flag is cleared and the checksum calculated from the data backed up in the work area of the internal RAM 1312 using the checksum calculated at the time of the previous power outage is compared (verified) with the checksum stored in step S48 (step S22).

If the checksum calculated from the backup data does not match the checksum stored in step S48, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 may not be correct, so the data backed up in the work area (other than the base calculation area 13128) is erased (step S30) and the process proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the checksum calculated from the backup data matches the checksum stored in step S48, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 is correct, so the data backed up in the work area is not erased and the process proceeds to step S24.

Then, the check code is used to determine whether the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) is normal (step S24). If it is determined to be abnormal, the data in the base calculation work area may be incorrect, so the data stored in the base calculation work area is erased (step S26).

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, cases in which at least a part of the area of the RAM 1312 is initialized include the operation of the setting key 971 (step S17), the operation of the RAM clear switch (step S18), a power failure flag abnormality in which the power failure flag is not set (step S20), a RAM abnormality in which the RAM checksum does not match (step S22), and an abnormality in the base calculation work (step S24). Of these, as shown in the figure, if the operation of the setting key 971 is detected when the power is turned on, the data of the setting value and the game state (for example, the probability state, the time-saving state, the reserved memory of special patterns and normal patterns, and information on prize balls) in the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and the game stack area) is left, and the other data is cleared, and the base calculation area 13128 (outside the game control area) is not cleared. If operation of the RAM clear switch is detected when the power is turned on, or if there is a power outage flag abnormality or RAM abnormality, the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area) is cleared, and the base calculation area 13128 (including the base calculation work area and base calculation stack area) is not cleared. Also, if there is an abnormality in the base calculation work, the base calculation area 13128 (outside the game control area) is cleared, and the game control area 13126 is not cleared.

Unlike the illustrated example, in the case of a power outage flag abnormality, a RAM abnormality, or a base calculation work abnormality, the validity of the data stored in the RAM 1312 is not guaranteed, so the entire RAM area including the game control area 13126 and the base calculation area 13128 may be cleared. If the memory configuration is such that clearing the entire RAM area in the case of a base calculation work abnormality would cause data indicating the game status to be lost and normal processing would be impossible, it is advisable to initialize only the base calculation work area and the base calculation stack area. Also, if operation of the RAM clear switch is detected when the power is turned on, as described above, the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area) is cleared, but the base calculation area 13128 does not need to be cleared.

In this way, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 is erased under different conditions for each type of data (game control area 13126 (setting values, game status data), base calculation area 13128). In other words, by operating the RAM clear switch, the backed up game control area 13126 other than the setting values is erased, but the setting values and base calculation area 13128 are not erased. If the setting values were erased by operating the RAM clear switch, it would be necessary to reset the setting values every time a RAM clear operation is performed, which would make maintenance of the pachinko machine 1 in the hall more complicated. For this reason, the setting values are not erased by operating the RAM clear switch.

For the processing after step S28, either the processing shown in FIG. 22 or the processing shown in FIG. 102 may be adopted as necessary. The difference between FIG. 22 and FIG. 102 is the presence or absence of processing (steps S50, S52) to calculate and store a check code from the data in the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) when the power is cut off.

Figures 138 and 139 are flow charts showing an example of setting change processing and setting display processing, where Figure 138 shows processing when the setting board 970 is connected to the dispensing control board 951 (or is configured integrally with the dispensing control board 951), and Figure 139 shows processing when the setting board 970 is connected to the main control board 1310 (or is configured integrally with the main control board 1310).

First, we will explain the setting change process in which the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951 shown in Figure 138 (A) work together.

When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1, (1) the payout control unit 952 determines whether the setting key 971 is turned on and whether the main body frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2. Whether the main body frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2 can be determined from a detection signal from the main body frame release switch. Note that, considering the position of the setting key 971, the main body frame 4 must be released from the outer frame 2 in order to operate the setting key 971, so the determination of whether the main body frame 4 is released may be omitted.

If the setting key 971 is operated to ON and the main frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2, the payout control unit 952 starts the setting change mode. In this way, the payout control unit 952 functions as a setting change permission state generating means. As a starting condition for the setting change mode other than the above, the setting change mode may not be started if the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500 is operated, the contact detection sensor 509 detects that the handle lever 504 has been touched, a prepaid card is inserted in the CR unit (there is a balance on the prepaid card), or there is a balance inserted in the cash sandwich. In addition, it is better not to start the setting change mode if the pachinko machine 1 detects the possibility of some kind of fraudulent activity (for example, a magnetic error). The determination of these conditions may be made by the main control MPU 1311, not the payout control unit 952, after receiving the setting change start command. In such a case, it is presumed that the pachinko machine 1 is not being maintained by the hall, and there is a possibility that a fraudulent player is about to perform a setting change operation, so it is better not to switch to the setting change mode.

(2) When the setting change mode starts, the payout control unit 952 sends a setting change start command to the main control board 1310.

(3) When the main control MPU 1311 receives a setting change start command from the payout control unit 952, it executes a RAM clear process before the setting change. This RAM clear process before the setting change leaves data on the game state (e.g., special bonus state, time-saving state, reserved memory of special and normal symbols, information on winning balls) in the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area), clears all other data, and does not clear the base calculation area 13128 (outside the game control area). Note that the setting value is set to the initial value later in step (6), so it does not need to be cleared in this step.

(4) The main control MPU 1311 then sends a setting change start command to the peripheral control unit 1511.

(5) When the peripheral control unit 1511 receives a setting change start command from the main control MPU 1311, it notifies that the setting change mode is in progress. The notification that the setting change mode is in progress is made by performing an initial operation of the reel or by displaying a specified display on the performance display device 1600. Note that the peripheral control unit 1511 does not have to perform an initial operation of the reel. For example, when displaying the procedure or status of the setting change on the performance display device 1600, performing an initial operation of the reel during the setting change would partially hide the display on the performance display device 1600, interfering with the setting change work.

In addition, the main control MPU 1311 may also notify the setting change mode in accordance with the notification of the setting change mode by the peripheral control unit 1511. For example, the display of the function display unit 1400 may be displayed in a special manner that does not appear during normal play (for example, all LEDs for displaying special symbols may be turned off or on) to stop the progress of the game. The main control MPU 1311 may also notify the setting change mode by stopping the detection of winning balls and out balls and stopping the progress of the game. As a result, in the setting change mode, the base value is not calculated. The main control MPU 1311 may also notify the setting change mode by stopping the output of the launch permission signal, stopping the launch of the game balls controlled by the launch control device, and functioning as a launch disable means. When the launch of the game balls is stopped during the setting change mode, the launch of the game balls during the launch stop period may be considered an error, and an error may be detected if the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500 is operated during that period.

(6) Next, the main control MPU 1311 resets the setting value to 0. As mentioned above, the setting value can be selected between 1 and 6, and a setting value of 0 means that no setting has been made. With a setting value of 0, the setting change mode cannot be ended, and play (launching of game balls, variable display game, etc.) will not start.

(7) After that, each time the player operates the setting change switch 972, the payout control unit 952 displays the selected setting value on the setting display 974.

(8) The payout control unit 952 determines whether the main frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2. Note that, although the openness of the main frame 4 is determined in the above-mentioned procedure (1), it is sufficient to make this determination at least once before determining whether the setting confirmation switch 973 is operated. In this way, the payout control unit 952 functions as a setting change permission state generating means that determines whether the conditions for the setting change are met before the setting change is confirmed.

(9) Furthermore, the payout control unit 952 determines whether the setting confirmation switch 973 has been operated.

(10) If the main frame 4 is open from the outer frame 2 and the setting confirmation switch 973 is operated, the dispensing control unit 952 confirms the selected setting value and displays on the setting display 974 that the setting value has been confirmed. The setting value confirmation display may display a value that cannot be selected as a setting value (e.g., 8) or may flash the confirmed setting value for a predetermined period of time.

(11) After that, the payout control unit 952 determines whether the setting key 971 has been turned off.

(12) If the setting key 971 is turned off, the setting change mode is ended, and the dispensing control unit 952 sends a setting change end command to the main control board 1310. This setting change end command notifies the main control MPU 1311 of the confirmed setting value.

(13) When the main control MPU 1311 receives a setting change end command from the payout control unit 952, it sends the setting change end command to the peripheral control unit 1511.

(14) When the peripheral control unit 1511 receives a setting change end command from the main control MPU 1311, it ends the notification that the setting is being changed. At the same time, if the main control MPU 1311 is notifying the user that the setting is being changed, this also ends.

When the setting change mode ends, the notification (including the halt of play and firing) may be cancelled immediately, or after a predetermined time has passed. If the notification made in step (5) is considered simply as a notification to the outside world (players, hall employees), it is best to cancel the notification immediately after the setting change mode ends. However, if the notification made in step (5) is viewed from the perspective of detecting fraudulent activity, it is best to cancel the notification a predetermined time has passed after the setting change mode ends. This is because when a setting change is made, a predetermined display is displayed or play is stopped for a predetermined period of time, making it easier to detect if a fraudulent player has changed the settings during business hours.

If the launch of game balls is to be stopped for a specified period after the setting change mode ends, the launch of game balls during the launch stop period may be considered an error, and an error may be detected if the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500 is operated during that period.

(15) After that, the main control MPU 1311 executes a RAM clear process after the setting change. This RAM clear process after the setting change leaves the setting values and game state (e.g., special bonus state, time-saving state, reserved memory of special and normal symbols, and information about winning balls) data in the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area), clears all other data, and does not clear the base calculation area 13128 (outside the game control area). In other words, unlike the RAM clear process before the setting change, the setting values are not initialized in the RAM clear process after the setting change.

Then exit the setting change mode.

In this way, when the setting board 970 is connected to the dispensing control board 951 and functions as a sub-board of the dispensing control board 951 (or the setting board 970 is configured integrally with the dispensing control board 951), the main control board 1310 and the dispensing control board 951 work together to execute the setting change process.

In the above process, the payout control unit 952 determines whether the setting key 971 is operated, but the main control MPU 1311 may also make the determination. In this case, the signal related to the operation of the setting key 971 from the payout control unit 952 to the main control board 1310 may be transmitted by serial communication, a predetermined pulse signal (a predetermined number of pulses of a predetermined frequency), or an intermediate potential signal that is neither the power supply voltage nor the ground voltage may be output. This is because, in order to prevent fraudulent acts such as shorting the terminals of the setting key 971 to activate the setting change mode, it is preferable to transmit the signal related to the operation of the setting key 971 from the payout control unit 952 to the main control board 1310 by a signal that cannot be generated by shorting the terminals.

Next, we will explain the setting display process in which the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951 shown in Figure 138 (B) work together.

When the setting key 971 is turned on while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation (powered on), the payout control unit 952 detects the operation of the setting key 971 and starts the setting display mode.

(1) In the setting display mode, the payout control unit 952 determines whether the main body frame 4 is open from the outer frame 2. Considering the position of the setting key 971, the main body frame 4 is open from the outer frame 2 in order to operate the setting key 971, so this determination of whether the main body frame 4 is open may be omitted.

(2) When the dispensing control unit 952 determines that the main frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2, it sends a setting value request command to the main control board 1310.

(3) When the main control MPU 1311 receives a setting value request command from the dispensing control unit 952, it reads the setting value stored in the main control RAM 1312 and sends a setting value notification command to the dispensing control unit 952.

(4) The payout control unit 952 displays the setting value notified by the main control MPU 1311 via the setting value notification command on the setting display 974.

In the above, the setting values stored in the main control board 1310 (main control RAM 1312) are displayed on the setting display 974, but the dispensing control unit 952 may store the setting values, and the setting values stored in the dispensing control unit 952 may be displayed on the setting display 974.

Next, we will explain the setting change process by the main control board 1310 shown in Figure 139 (A).

When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1, (1) the main control MPU 1311 judges whether the setting key 971 is operated to ON and whether the main body frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2. In this way, the main control MPU 1311 functions as a setting change permission state generating means. Whether the main body frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2 can be judged by a detection signal from the main body frame release switch. The detection signal of the main body frame release switch is transmitted to the main control board 1310 via the payout control board 951. The payout control board 951 may transmit a main body frame open detection command to the main control board 1310 based on the detection signal of the main body frame open detection switch received. The payout control board 951 may also output the detection signal of the main body frame open detection switch received directly to the main control board 1310. Considering the arrangement position of the setting key 971, the main body frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2 in order to operate the setting key 971, so the judgment of the opening of the main body frame 4 may be omitted.

When the setting key 971 is turned on and the main frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2, the main control MPU 1311 starts the setting change mode. Other conditions for starting the setting change mode include the operation of the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500, the touch of the handle lever 504 by the contact detection sensor 509, the insertion of a prepaid card into the CR unit (there is a balance on the prepaid card), or the presence of a balance inserted into the cash sandwich. It is also better not to start the setting change mode if the pachinko machine 1 detects the possibility of some kind of fraudulent activity (for example, a magnetic error). In such a case, it is presumed that the pachinko machine 1 is not undergoing maintenance by the hall, and there is a possibility that a fraudulent player is attempting to perform a setting change operation, so it is better not to switch to the setting change mode.

(3) When the setting change mode starts, the main control MPU 1311, upon receiving a setting change start command from the payout control unit 952, executes the RAM clear process before the setting change. This RAM clear process before the setting change leaves data on the game state (e.g., special bonus state, time-saving state, reserved memory of special and normal symbols, information on winning balls) in the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area), clears all other data, and does not clear the base calculation area 13128 (outside the game control area). Note that the setting value is set to the initial value later in step (6), so it does not need to be cleared in this step.

(4) The main control MPU 1311 then sends a setting change start command to the peripheral control unit 1511.

(5) When the peripheral control unit 1511 receives a setting change start command from the main control MPU 1311, it notifies that the setting change mode is in progress. The notification that the setting change mode is in progress is made by performing an initial operation of the reel or by displaying a specified display on the performance display device 1600. Note that the peripheral control unit 1511 does not have to perform an initial operation of the reel. For example, when displaying the procedure or status of the setting change on the performance display device 1600, performing an initial operation of the reel during the setting change would partially hide the display on the performance display device 1600, interfering with the setting change work.

In addition, the main control MPU 1311 may also notify the setting change mode in accordance with the notification of the setting change mode by the peripheral control unit 1511. For example, the display of the function display unit 1400 may be displayed in a special manner that does not appear during normal play (for example, all LEDs for displaying special symbols may be turned off or on) to stop the progress of the game. The main control MPU 1311 may also notify the setting change mode by stopping the detection of winning balls and out balls and stopping the progress of the game. As a result, in the setting change mode, the base value is not calculated. The main control MPU 1311 may also notify the setting change mode by stopping the output of the launch permission signal, stopping the launch of the game balls controlled by the launch control device, and functioning as a launch disable means. When the launch of game balls is stopped during the setting change mode, the launch of game balls during the launch stop period may be considered an error, and an error may be detected if the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500 is operated during that period.

(6) Next, the main control MPU 1311 resets the setting value to 0. As mentioned above, the setting value can be selected between 1 and 6, and a setting value of 0 means that no setting has been made. With a setting value of 0, the setting change mode cannot be ended, and play (launching of game balls, variable display game, etc.) will not start.

(7) After that, each time the player operates the setting change switch 972, the main control MPU 1311 displays the selected setting value on the setting display 974.

(8) The main control MPU 1311 determines whether the main body frame 4 is open from the outer frame 2. Note that while the openness of the main body frame 4 is determined in the above-mentioned procedure (1), it is sufficient to make this determination at least once before determining whether the setting confirmation switch 973 is operated. In this way, the payout control unit 952 functions as a setting change permission state generating means that determines whether the conditions for the setting change are met (in particular, whether a detection signal for the main body frame open switch has been input from the payout control board 951) before the setting change is confirmed.

(9) Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the setting confirmation switch 973 has been operated.

(10) If the main frame 4 is open from the outer frame 2 and the setting confirmation switch 973 is operated, the main control MPU 1311 confirms the selected setting value and displays on the setting display 974 that the setting value has been confirmed. The setting value confirmation display may display a value that cannot be selected as a setting value (e.g., 8) or may flash the confirmed setting value for a predetermined period of time.

(11) After that, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the setting key 971 has been turned off.

(13) If the setting key 971 is turned off, the setting change mode is ended, and the main control MPU 1311 sends a setting change end command to the peripheral control unit 1511.

(14) When the peripheral control unit 1511 receives a setting change end command from the main control MPU 1311, it ends the notification that the setting is being changed. At the same time, if the main control MPU 1311 is notifying the user that the setting is being changed, this also ends.

When the setting change mode ends, the notification (including the halt of play and firing) may be cancelled immediately, or after a predetermined time has passed. If the notification made in step (5) is considered simply as a notification to the outside world (players, hall employees), it is best to cancel the notification immediately after the setting change mode ends. However, if the notification made in step (5) is viewed from the perspective of detecting fraudulent activity, it is best to cancel the notification a predetermined time has passed after the setting change mode ends. This is because when a setting change is made, a predetermined display is displayed or play is stopped for a predetermined period of time, making it easier to detect if a fraudulent player has changed the settings during business hours.

If the launch of game balls is to be stopped for a specified period after the setting change mode ends, the launch of game balls during the launch stop period may be considered an error, and an error may be detected if the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500 is operated during that period.

(15) After that, the main control MPU 1311 executes a RAM clear process after the setting change. This RAM clear process after the setting change leaves the setting values and game state (e.g., special bonus state, time-saving state, reserved memory of special and normal symbols, and information about winning balls) data in the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area), clears all other data, and does not clear the base calculation area 13128 (outside the game control area). In other words, unlike the RAM clear process before the setting change, the setting values are not initialized in the RAM clear process after the setting change.

Then exit the setting change mode.

In this way, when the setting board 970 is connected to the main control board 1310 and functions as a sub-board of the main control board 1310 (or the setting board 970 is configured integrally with the main control board 1310), the main control board 1310 obtains a detection signal of the main frame open switch from the dispensing control board 951, so the main control board 1310 alone cannot perform the setting change process, and the main control board 1310 and the dispensing control board 951 work together to perform the setting change process.

Next, we will explain the setting display process in which the setting board 970 and the payout control board 951 shown in Figure 139 (B) work together.

When the setting key 971 is turned on while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation (power is on), the main control MPU 1311 detects the operation of the setting key 971 and starts the setting display mode.

In the setting display mode, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the main body frame 4 is open from the outer frame 2. Considering the position of the setting key 971, the main body frame 4 is open from the outer frame 2 in order to operate the setting key 971, so this determination of whether the main body frame 4 is open may be omitted.

When the main control MPU 1311 determines that the main frame 4 is released from the outer frame 2, it reads the setting value stored in the main control RAM 1312 and displays it on the setting display 974.

In the setting change processing described in Figures 138 (A) and 139 (A), if the pachinko machine 1 detects an error during the setting change mode, the setting change mode may be disabled and temporarily stopped. The power to the pachinko machine 1 is then cut off and then turned back on to resume the stopped setting change mode. The setting change mode may be resumed from the stage where it was stopped due to error detection, or from the beginning of the setting change mode (setting value = 0 when no setting value has been selected).

It is advisable to record a history of changes to the setting value a predetermined number of times. Specifically, the date and time when the setting was confirmed and the confirmed setting value are stored in the main control RAM 1312 or the RAM of the peripheral control unit 1511. When storing the history of the setting values in the peripheral control unit 1511, it is preferable to store it in the RAM in the RTC provided in the peripheral control unit 1511, since the stored contents are backed up even when the power to the pachinko machine 1 is cut off. Furthermore, the recorded history of changes to the setting values can be output. For example, it is advisable to display the recorded history of changes to the setting values on the performance display device 1600 by a predetermined operation.

The interval for measuring the base value may be changed when the set value is changed. In other words, when the set value is changed, even if the total number of out balls in the interval for which the base value is currently being measured is less than 52,000, that interval will end and the next interval will begin. Because the gaming performance of the gaming machine changes depending on the set value, by changing the interval by changing the set value, it is possible to calculate a base value that does not include a mixture of different gaming performances, and to understand the transition of the base value due to the change in the set value.

In addition, when the set value is changed, the interval for measuring the base value may be continued without changing the interval for measuring the base value. The set value changes the operating ratio of the condition device, and it is possible to design the base value so that changing the set value does not change it significantly. In such a case, there is no need to change the interval for calculating the base value when the set value is changed.

In addition, if both the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 and the ON operation of the setting key 971 are detected when the power is turned on, the setting change mode may be started. Considering the operation method and the arrangement of the operating means, between the RAM clear switch 954 and the ON operation of the setting key 971, the operation of the setting key 971 is less likely to be performed by mistake, and therefore it is considered that starting the setting change mode represents the operator's intention. Also, in the setting change mode, the stored contents of the main control RAM 1312 other than the game status and base value are cleared, so even if a RAM clear is desired, it is considered sufficient to start the setting change mode.

On the other hand, if both the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 and the ON operation of the setting key 971 are detected when the power is turned on, the setting change mode may not be started and the RAM may be cleared. This is because it is considered that if both are operated, the operator at least wishes to clear the RAM. Also, if both the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 and the ON operation of the setting key 971 are detected when the power is turned on, it is not necessary to start the setting change mode or clear the RAM. This is because, from the perspective of file safety against operational errors, it is preferable not to accept operations where the operator's intention is unclear.

When the RAM is cleared in steps (3) and (15) described above, the game status data is maintained, but the reserved memory of the special symbols may be erased. The set value changes the rate at which the condition device is activated, which may change the results of the random number determination for the special symbol lottery. For this reason, it is preferable to erase the reserved memory of the special symbols and hold a new lottery.

On the other hand, the lottery for the special symbol (extraction of the winning random number) is performed when the game ball enters the starting hole, but since the lottery result is determined at the start of the variable display game, the reserved random number value can be determined under the conditions after the setting value is changed. For this reason, the reserved memory of the special symbol may be maintained.

In addition, in the RAM clearing of the above-mentioned steps (3) and (15), the main control RAM 1312 may be initialized in the same area as the area that is erased as a result of operating the RAM clear switch 954. That is, in the RAM clearing process during the setting change mode, the backed-up game control area 13126 other than the setting value is erased (the game state data is also erased), and the setting value and base calculation area 13128 are not erased. This is because setting changes are usually made between the time the hall closes and the time it opens the next day, so there is no need to maintain the game state data (such as the special bonus state, time-saving state, reserved memory for special and normal patterns, and information about winning balls) without erasing it.

[12-2. Effects in pachinko machines with setting functions]
[12-2-1. Special symbols and special electric device control processing]
The details of the processing by the main control MPU 1311 will be described below. First, the special symbol and special electric role control processing will be described. FIG. 140 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the special symbol and special electric role control processing. The special symbol and special electric role control processing is executed in the processing of step S86 in the main control side timer interrupt processing. Hereinafter, the first start hole 2002 and the second start hole 2004 are also collectively referred to as start holes. In addition, the first large prize hole 2005 and the second large prize hole 2006 are also collectively referred to simply as large prize holes. In addition, the first special symbol and the second special symbol are also collectively referred to simply as special symbols.

In the special symbol and special electric device control process, when a game ball is received in the start hole, that is, when a start winning occurs (start condition is satisfied), a random number for determining a jackpot is obtained for each start memory information (start information) for which the start condition is satisfied, and it is determined whether or not this random number for determining a jackpot matches a jackpot determination value pre-stored in the main control built-in ROM (lottery means). Then, based on the lottery result, it is determined whether or not a jackpot game state is to be generated, and if the random number for a jackpot matches the jackpot determination value (predetermined winning conditions are satisfied), the game is transitioned from the normal game state to the jackpot game state. Below, the procedure for the special symbol and special electric device control process is explained according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 140.

When the special symbol and special electric device control process is started, the main control MPU 1311 first determines whether or not game ball B has entered the large prize opening (step S100). If game ball B has entered the large prize opening (the result of step S100 is "yes"), a large prize opening entry designation command is set (step S102).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 judges whether or not the game ball has entered the start hole (step S112). Then, whether or not the game ball has entered the start hole is determined based on the input information stored in the input information storage area of the main control built-in RAM by reading the presence or absence of a detection signal from the first start hole sensor 3002 or the second start hole sensor 2511 in the switch input process (step S74) in the main control timer interrupt process.

When a game ball enters the start hole (the result of step S114 is "yes"), the main control MPU 1311 executes the start hole entry process (step S116). In the start hole entry process, the main control MPU 1311 sets a start hole entry command to be sent when a new game ball enters the start hole, extracts random numbers for determining a jackpot and stores them in a specified area, and executes processes for executing a special symbol pre-reading performance.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes the corresponding process based on the special symbol/electric device operation number, which is a game progress state variable that specifies the type of branch process to be executed according to the progress of the game (step S124). The game progress state variable is stored in the game progress state storage area of the main control's built-in RAM, and is updated in each branch process executed according to the progress of the game. In the process of step S124, the process moves to the branch process specified based on the value of the game progress state variable stored in the game progress state storage area, and when the branch process to which the process has been moved is completed, the special symbol and special electric device control process ends. Note that the value of the game progress state variable stored in the game progress state storage area is game information, and is therefore backed up in the main control side power cut process.

In the processing of step S130, based on the value of the game progress state variable, the following branching processing is executed: special symbol change waiting processing (step S130), special symbol change processing (step S132), special symbol jackpot determination processing (step S134), special symbol miss stop processing (step S136), special symbol jackpot stop processing (step S138), interval processing before opening of large prize opening (step S140), large prize opening opening processing (step S142), large prize opening closing processing (step S144), or large prize opening end interval processing (step S146).

In the special symbol change waiting process (step S130), a process is performed to start the change display of the special symbol on the special symbol display device based on the game ball B entering the start hole.

In the special symbol changing process (step S132), processes such as controlling the changing display of the special symbol are performed. In the special symbol jackpot determination process (step S134), a determination is made as to whether or not the special symbol that has been confirmed and stopped will generate a jackpot game state based on the game ball entering the starting hole.

In the special symbol miss stop process (step S136), if a jackpot game state is not generated, the display of the changing special symbols is stopped and a notification to that effect is performed. In the special symbol jackpot stop process (step S138), if a jackpot game state is generated, the display of the changing special symbols is stopped and a notification to that effect is performed.

The interval process before the opening of the large prize opening (step S140) performs processes such as generating a large prize game state and notifying the player that the large prize operation is about to begin. The large prize opening process (step S142) performs processes related to the large prize operation, such as opening the large prize openings to make it easier for game balls to enter each large prize opening.

The process for closing the large prize opening (step S144) performs processes related to the large prize opening operation, such as changing the large prize opening from an open state to a closed state, to make it difficult for the game ball to enter each large prize opening. The process for the interval when the large prize opening has ended (step S146) performs processes such as notifying the user that the large prize opening operation has ended.

[12-2-2. Special symbol change waiting process]
Next, the details of the special symbol change waiting process (step S130) in the special symbol and special electric role control process will be described. Fig. 141 is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure of the special symbol change waiting process. The special symbol change waiting process is executed in a state where the special symbol change display is not being executed, and if the change display is held, preparations are made to start the special symbol change display.

The main control MPU 1311 first determines whether or not a special symbol change is pending (step S420). Specifically, it determines whether or not the number of balls pending special symbol activation is 0. Note that, if multiple starting holes are provided, the number of balls pending special symbol activation is stored for each starting hole. If a special symbol change is not pending (the result of step S420 is "no"), the display of the special symbol change is not started, and this process is terminated.

On the other hand, if the variable display of the special pattern is on hold (the result of step S420 is "yes"), the main control MPU 1311 sets a command to specify the number of reserved balls as command data (step S438).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a special symbol/flag setting process (step S442). In the special symbol/flag setting process, a special lottery is executed based on the random number for determining a jackpot obtained when the ball enters the starting hole.

The main control MPU 1311 then executes a special symbol variation pattern setting process (step S444). In the special symbol variation pattern setting process, a variation pattern is set based on the results of the special lottery. Details of the special symbol variation pattern setting process will be described later in FIG. 126.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 creates a variation pattern command to send to the peripheral control board 1510. Specifically, first, the upper byte of the special pattern variation pattern standard command corresponding to the special pattern identification flag is set as the command value (step S452). Furthermore, the variation pattern value stored in the variation pattern area is set as the lower command data (step S458). Furthermore, the variation type type value is obtained from the variation type type area (step S460), and the upper byte of the variation pattern command according to the variation type is calculated by adding the variation type type value to the command value set in the processing of step S452 (step S462). The command data of the variation pattern command created in this way is stored in a specified area.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 sets a symbol type command to be sent to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S466). Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 sets a variable state designation command in the command buffer (step S474).

Each command created by the above process is set in the command buffer. The reserved ball count designation command set in the command buffer is sent by the peripheral control board command sending process (step S92) in the main control side timer interrupt process.

[12-2-3. Special symbol variation pattern setting process]
Next, the details of the special symbol variation pattern setting process (step S444) in the special symbol variation waiting process will be described. The special symbol variation pattern setting process is a process for setting a variation pattern in the variation display of the special symbol. Figure 142 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the special symbol variation pattern setting process.

The main control MPU 1311 first obtains the number of reserved balls for special symbol activation (step S530). The number of reserved balls for special symbol activation is stored in the buffer for the number of reserved balls for special symbol activation. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 sets the jackpot flag from the jackpot flag area (step S538).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a variation pattern selection determination process to select a variation pattern of the special symbol based on the number of balls reserved for special symbol activation and the jackpot flag (step S542). Details of the variation pattern selection determination process will be described later in FIG. 143.

Next, the main control MPU 1311 acquires the fluctuation pattern value extracted by the fluctuation pattern selection determination process (step S544). Then, it searches for data (fluctuation time value) corresponding to the fluctuation pattern value from the special pattern fluctuation time data (step S546).

Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 executes a variation type determination process to select a variation type defined in the variation pattern in the variation display of the special pattern (step S548). The variation type classification value acquired by the variation type determination process is set (step S550).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 searches the variable time addition value data for a variable time addition value corresponding to the variable type type value (step S552). The variable time addition value is an addition time corresponding to the variable type, and corresponds to, for example, an addition time according to the number of pseudo consecutive wins. The main control MPU 1311 then adds the variable time addition value searched in the processing of step S552 to the reference variable time value searched in the processing of step S546 to obtain the final variable time (step S554). Finally, the final variable time is stored in the special symbol/electric role operation timer area (step S556), and the special symbol variable pattern setting processing is terminated.

[12-2-4. Variation pattern selection determination process]
Next, the details of the variation pattern selection determination process (step S542) will be described. Fig. 143 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the variation pattern selection determination process. The variation pattern selection determination process is a process for selecting a variation pattern in the variation display of the special pattern.

The main control MPU 1311 first acquires a variable information source table based on the variable table number (step S340). The variable table number is a value for selecting (acquiring) a variable information source table from the variable information source address table. The variable information source table is a data table that stores table information for referencing a win (win variable selection information state table), a loss (loss variable selection information state table), a reach (reach variable selection information state table), a reach probability (special pattern reach probability table), and a variation type (variation type determination data table) according to the game state, etc.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 acquires a hit determination value for deriving the result of the special lottery (step S346). It determines whether or not a jackpot has been won by determining whether or not the hit determination value matches the jackpot value (step S350). If a jackpot has been won (the result of step S350 is "yes"), it acquires a jackpot flag and a jackpot symbol type (step S354).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes a variable information number search process based on the jackpot flag and the jackpot pattern type (step S358). In the variable information number search process, a variable information number for determining the winning time variable pattern selection value data table is obtained from the jackpot variable selection information type table. The main control MPU 1311 obtains a variable pattern random number 1 from the jackpot variable selection information type table based on the obtained variable information number (step S360).

On the other hand, if neither a big win nor a small win has been won (the result of step S350 is "no"), the main control MPU 1311 determines whether or not to generate a reach in the variable display corresponding to the initial win (step S372).

If the main control MPU 1311 does not generate a reach in the variable display (the result of step S372 is "no"), it obtains random number 1 for the variable pattern from the miss variable selection information reserve table based on the number of reserved balls (step S376).

On the other hand, if the main control MPU 1311 determines that a reach is to occur in the variable display (the result of step S372 is "yes"), it obtains random number 1 for the variable pattern from the reach variable selection information status table based on the status flag (step S382).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a variable information number search process based on the random number 1 for the variable pattern acquired in the process of step S360, step S378, or step S382 (step S388). Then, a variable pattern selection value data table is acquired by the variable information number search process, and the random number 2 for the variable pattern is acquired from the variable pattern selection value data table (step S392). Furthermore, a variable information number search process is executed based on the random number 2 for the variable pattern and the variable pattern selection value data table (step S394). A variable pattern is selected based on the result of the variable information number search process (step S396), and this process ends.

In this embodiment, a fluctuation pattern is selected in two stages by two types of random numbers, random number 1 for fluctuation pattern (steps S360, S372, S378) and random number 2 for fluctuation pattern (step S392). First, a type of fluctuation pattern (a group of fluctuation patterns such as a ○○ series reach) is selected based on random number 1 for fluctuation pattern. Furthermore, a fluctuation pattern (a value set in the fluctuation pattern command) to be finally displayed is selected from the group of fluctuation patterns selected by random number 1 for fluctuation pattern based on random number 2 for fluctuation pattern. Note that the method is not limited to a two-stage lottery method, and may be a method of lottery in three or more stages, or a fluctuation pattern may be selected directly by one random number for fluctuation pattern.

[12-3. Explanation of effects in pachinko machines with setting functions]
The following describes the effects in the pachinko machine 1 with the setting function. Specifically, the setting suggestion effect that suggests the current setting will be described. In the pachinko machine 1 with the setting function, for example, the higher the setting, the more game balls are paid out for the number of special lotteries. Specifically, for example, the higher the setting, the higher the probability of winning a jackpot in a non-variable state (for example, setting 1: 1/300, setting 2: 1/290, setting 3: 1/280, setting 4: 1/270, setting 5: 1/250, setting 6: 1/230, etc.). Therefore, since players want to play with a pachinko machine 1 with as high a setting as possible, the setting suggestion effect increases their motivation to play.

For ease of explanation, in the following description of this chapter, the main control MPU 1311 will select a fluctuation pattern directly using a random number for one fluctuation pattern in the fluctuation pattern selection determination process of step S542. Specifically, in this chapter, the main control MPU 1311 will execute the following process in step S542.

In step S542, the main control MPU 1311 selects a variation pattern table according to the current game state (whether it is a time-saving state (a state in which time-saving control is being executed) or a normal state other than the time-saving state) and the result of the special lottery (whether it is a jackpot or a miss). If the result of the special lottery is a jackpot, the main control MPU 1311 acquires a random number for the variation pattern, and selects a variation pattern from the selected variation pattern table based on the acquired random number for the variation pattern and the allocation of each variation pattern in the selected variation pattern table. If the result of the special lottery is a miss, the main control MPU 1311 further determines whether or not a reach has occurred, acquires a random number for the variation pattern, and selects a variation pattern from the selected variation pattern table based on the acquired random number for the variation pattern and the allocation of each variation pattern in the selected variation pattern table.

Figure 144 (A) is an example of a variation pattern table that is selected when the game state is normal and the result of the special lottery is a miss. Figure 144 (B) is an example of a variation pattern table that is selected when the game state is normal and the result of the special lottery is a jackpot.

The fluctuation pattern table is stored, for example, in the ROM 1313 of the main control board 1310. The fluctuation pattern table includes, for example, a fluctuation pattern type column, a fluctuation time column, a corresponding performance content column, and a column for allocating random numbers for determining a fluctuation pattern. The fluctuation pattern type column stores information that specifies the type for identifying the fluctuation pattern within the table. The fluctuation time column stores information that specifies the fluctuation time for the corresponding fluctuation pattern type. The corresponding performance content column stores information that specifies the performance content executed in the corresponding fluctuation pattern.

The random number column for determining the fluctuation pattern stores the allocation for which the corresponding fluctuation pattern is selected for each setting. The random number column for determining the fluctuation pattern of the fluctuation pattern table (i.e., the fluctuation pattern table in FIG. 144(A) and FIG. 149(A) described below) that is selected when the special lottery result is a miss stores the allocation for which the corresponding fluctuation pattern is selected for each setting when a reach occurs and when a reach does not occur.

[12-4. Setting suggestion effect executed after provisional display of special lottery results]
First, the setting suggestion effect in the failure variation pattern stored in the variation pattern table of Fig. 144 (A) will be described. First, the effect executed in the failure variation patterns 24 to 29 will be described with reference to Fig. 144 as well.

Figure 144 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the effects executed in miss variation pattern 20 and 24 to 29 in the variation pattern table of Figure 144 (A). In the variation of miss variation pattern 20, after SP Reach 1 is executed, a provisional display indicating that the special lottery result is likely to be a miss is displayed on the performance display device 1600, and then a final display indicating that the special lottery result is a miss is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In contrast, in the variation of miss variation patterns 25 to 29, after SP Reach 1 is executed, a provisional display indicating that the special lottery result is likely to be a miss is displayed on the performance display device 1600, and then a setting suggestion effect is executed, and then a final display indicating that the special lottery result is a miss is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

In this way, in variation patterns 25 to 29, a setting suggestion effect is executed after a provisional display indicating that the special lottery result is highly likely to be a miss, so that even if the provisional display is executed, the player can expect the subsequent setting suggestion effect to occur and maintain a sense of anticipation. Furthermore, if a setting suggestion effect occurs during a miss variation, it is possible to suppress the player's disappointment due to the special lottery result, even if the special lottery result is a miss, and ultimately to increase the sense of excitement.

In the variation of miss variation pattern 24, after SP Reach 1 is executed, a provisional display indicating that the special lottery result is highly likely to be a miss is displayed on the performance display device 1600, and then a false display suggesting the execution of a setting suggestion display is executed, but the setting suggestion display itself is not executed, and a definitive display indicating that the special lottery result is a miss is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

The SP reach is a reach effect that is likely to be selected if the result of the special lottery is a jackpot, and is unlikely to be selected if the result of the special lottery is a miss. In other words, the chance of a jackpot occurring when the SP reach is executed is high.

The following provides a detailed explanation of the effects that are executed in miss variation patterns 20 and 24 to 29. In addition to the content described below, each effect may simultaneously include sound output from various speakers, light emission from various lamps, operation of various movable objects, and/or display on the effect display device 1600.

In miss variation patterns 20 and 24 to 29, first, a pre-reach performance is executed. In the pre-reach performance, all decorative symbols change in the performance display device 1600. Next, in miss variation patterns 20 and 24 to 29, it progresses to a normal reach performance. In a normal reach performance, the decorative symbols change to a reach state in the performance display device 1600. Specifically, for example, of the three decorative symbols (for example, the left symbol, the middle symbol, and the right symbol), the left symbol and the right symbol stop at the same symbol, and the middle symbol changes to a changing state.

Next, in miss variation patterns 20 and 24 to 29, it progresses to SP Reach 1, and the first half of the SP Reach 1 performance is executed. In SP Reach 1, for example, one main character and one enemy character are displayed on the performance display device 1600, and they play rock-paper-scissors. In the first half of the SP Reach 1 performance in miss variation patterns 20 and 24 to 29, the performance display device 1600 executes a performance in which the main character loses to the enemy character in a rock-paper-scissors game. Note that during an SP Reach, the decorative pattern may be displayed smaller and closer to the periphery of the performance display device 1600 than during the pre-reach performance and the normal reach performance, for example.

Next, in miss variation patterns 20 and 24 to 29, the performance progresses to the second half of SP Reach 1. In the second half of SP Reach 1 in miss variation patterns 20 and 24 to 29, for example, a so-called revival performance is executed, and for example, at the start of the second half, the voice of the main character such as "Not yet!" is output from various speakers, and a performance is executed on the performance display device 1600 in which a rock-paper-scissors game between the main character and the enemy character is played again. In the second half of SP Reach 1 in miss variation patterns 24 to 29, a performance is executed on the performance display device 1600 in which the main character loses again to the enemy character in a rock-paper-scissors game.

Then, a provisional display indicating that the special lottery result is a miss is executed on the performance display device 1600. Specifically, for example, on the performance display device 1600, one combination of decorative symbols in a miss state (for example, the left and right decorative symbols are the same symbols as the symbols that stopped in the reach state, and the center symbol is a different symbol from the same symbols) is displayed in a manner that makes it appear to be swaying in a small range.

Next, in the miss variation pattern 20, after the provisional display, no other effects are performed, and a confirmation display indicating that the special lottery result is a miss is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In the miss variation pattern 24, after the provisional display, a setting suggestion false effect is performed, and then a confirmation display indicating that the special lottery result is a miss is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In contrast, in the miss variation patterns 25 to 29, after the provisional display, a setting suggestion effect is performed, and then a confirmation display indicating that the special lottery result is a miss is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In the confirmation display, for example, the same combination of decorative patterns as those displayed in the provisional display are displayed in a completely stopped state on the performance display device 1600. Note that in the provisional display and the confirmation display, the decorative patterns are displayed, for example, in the center of the performance display device 1600, at the same size as in the pre-reach performance and normal reach performance.

In the false setting suggestion effect in the failure variation pattern 24, for example, the effect display device 1600 executes an effect in which one main character discovers two enemy characters and chases the enemy characters but is unable to catch them. As with the distribution of the failure variation pattern 24 in FIG. 144(A), it is desirable that the distribution of the variation pattern in which the false setting suggestion effect is executed is equal or approximately equal in all settings. If the distribution is not equal, the false setting suggestion effect will suggest the setting.

In addition, it is desirable that the ratio of the allocation of miss fluctuation pattern 24 to the total allocation of fluctuations that result in SP Reach 1 being executed is low (for example, 20% or less). If the ratio is high, false setting suggestion effects will occur frequently when the game develops into SP Reach 1, which may reduce the player's expectations for the occurrence of setting suggestion effects.

In the setting suggestion effects in miss variation patterns 25 to 29, for example, the effect display device 1600 executes an effect in which one main character discovers two enemy characters, chases and captures the enemy characters, and then the three of them play rock-paper-scissors.

In the setting suggestion effect in miss variation pattern 25, an effect is executed in which all three players play rock in a rock-paper-scissors game, resulting in a draw. Also, in FIG. 144(A), miss variation pattern 25 is set to be allocated only to low settings (settings 1, 2, and 3). In other words, the setting suggestion effect in miss variation pattern 25 is an effect in which a low setting is confirmed.

In the example of FIG. 144(A), the allocation of miss fluctuation pattern 25 is the same as the allocation of miss fluctuation pattern 26 etc. in high settings (settings 4, 5, and 6). However, if a low setting confirmation effect occurs, there is a possibility that the player will stop playing early, so the allocation of miss fluctuation pattern 25 may be set lower than the allocation of other setting confirmation effects in other settings, or miss fluctuation pattern 25 itself may not exist.

In the setting suggestion effect in miss variation pattern 26, an effect is executed in which all three players play rock-paper-scissors in a game of rock-paper-scissors, resulting in a draw. Also, in FIG. 144(A), miss variation pattern 26 is set to be allocated only to high settings (settings 4, 5, and 6). In other words, the setting suggestion effect in miss variation pattern 26 is an effect in which a high setting is confirmed.

In the setting suggestion effect in miss variation pattern 27, an effect is executed in which all three players play paper in a rock-paper-scissors game, resulting in a draw. Also, in FIG. 144(A), miss variation pattern 27 is set to be allocated only to even number settings (settings 2, 4, and 6). In other words, the setting suggestion effect in miss variation pattern 27 is an effect in which an even number setting is confirmed.

In the setting suggestion effect in the failure variation pattern 28, an effect is executed in which all three players play different hands in a rock-paper-scissors game, resulting in a tie. Also, in FIG. 144(A), the failure variation pattern 28 is set to be allocated only to odd-number settings (settings 1, 3, and 5). In other words, the setting suggestion effect in the failure variation pattern 28 is an effect in which an odd-number setting is confirmed.

For example, if the odd number setting and the even number setting have different characteristics, the odd number setting confirmation effect or the even number setting confirmation effect described above can be implemented to attract the player's interest in the presentation.

Specifically, for example, the probability of winning a jackpot in normal state is highest for settings 6, 4, 2, 5, 3, and 1 in that order (6 is highest, 1 is lowest); the proportion of special jackpots among jackpot wins is highest for settings 5, 3, 1, 6, 4, and 2 in that order (5 is highest, 2 is lowest); and the proportion of the total number of game balls paid out to the number of game balls entering the first starting port 2002 and the second starting port 2004 is highest for settings 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 in that order (6 is highest, 1 is lowest).

In this case, compared to the odd number setting, the even number setting has a higher probability of winning a jackpot in the normal state, but a lower probability of winning, i.e., the number of game balls required to win the so-called first jackpot tends to be smaller, but the total number of game balls obtained in one consecutive win from the first jackpot also tends to be smaller. On the other hand, compared to the even number setting, the odd number setting has a lower probability of winning a jackpot in the normal state, but a higher probability of winning, i.e., the number of game balls required to win the first jackpot tends to be larger, but the total number of game balls obtained in one consecutive win from the first jackpot also tends to be larger. In such a case, there is a possibility that a situation will occur in which one player prefers the ball output tendency of the even number setting and another player prefers the ball output tendency of the odd number setting, so players will be more interested in the odd number setting confirmation performance or the even number setting confirmation performance. In addition, compared to the odd number setting, the even number setting may have a characteristic that, while the odd number setting has a higher probability of winning a jackpot in the normal state, a jackpot with fewer rounds is more likely to be selected.

In the above-mentioned failure variation patterns 25 to 29, the presentation up until the start of the setting suggestion presentation is the same, but the content of the setting suggestion presentation is different (the result of the three-player rock-paper-scissors game is different). It is preferable that the three-player rock-paper-scissors game presentation is used only in failure variation patterns 25 to 29. This allows the player to recognize that the setting suggestion presentation has started at the point when the three-player rock-paper-scissors game presentation starts, further increasing the sense of excitement.

For example, the miss fluctuation pattern 25 is a fluctuation pattern in which an effect that confirms a high setting is executed, but it may also be a fluctuation pattern in which an effect that suggests that the high setting is highly likely is executed. Specifically, for example, if a low setting also has an allocation of the fluctuation pattern 25 and the allocation is lower than the allocation of the fluctuation pattern 25 in the high setting (for example, 50% or less), the effect in the miss fluctuation pattern 25 is not an effect that confirms a high setting, but an effect that suggests that the high setting is highly likely.

In addition to the variation patterns in which an effect that confirms a high setting is executed, variation patterns in which an effect that suggests that a high setting is highly likely as described above may be executed may also be defined. The above also applies to the low setting confirmation effect, odd setting confirmation effect, even setting confirmation effect, and highest setting confirmation effect, etc.

In addition, according to the fluctuation pattern table in FIG. 144 (B) (fluctuation pattern table during normal times and when a jackpot is won), when the special lottery result is a jackpot under normal conditions, no setting suggestion effects are executed other than winning fluctuation pattern 34, which confirms the highest setting. Also, the distribution of fluctuation patterns in which setting suggestion effects are not executed is higher compared to when the special lottery result is a miss. As a result, setting suggestion effects are mainly executed when the special lottery result is a miss, and players can feel a sense of anticipation even when the special lottery result is a miss.

[12-5. Setting suggestion using shortened variation]
Hereinafter, the deviation fluctuation pattern 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 146. Fig. 146 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the performance executed in deviation fluctuation patterns 1, 2, and 30 in the fluctuation pattern table of Fig. 144 (A).

In miss variation patterns 1, 2, and 30, shortened variation is executed. A shortened variation is, for example, a variation in which the variation time is shorter compared to other variation patterns, and after the decorative patterns start to vary on the performance display device 1600, all decorative patterns stop without progressing to a reach state. In a normal variation, the decorative patterns stop on the performance display device 1600 in the order of, for example, the left pattern, the right pattern, and the center pattern, but in a shortened variation, all decorative patterns may stop at the same time.

Next, in the case of loss fluctuation patterns 1, 2, and 30, a provisional display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is likely to be a loss, and then a final display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is a loss. The explanation of the provisional and final displays is the same as that described above, and will therefore be omitted.

The deviation fluctuation pattern 30 has a fluctuation time that is different from the fluctuation times of all other fluctuation patterns in which shortened fluctuations are executed, such as deviation fluctuation patterns 1 and 2. In the example of FIG. 144(A), the fluctuation time of deviation fluctuation pattern 1 is 2 seconds, the fluctuation time of deviation fluctuation pattern 2 is 5 seconds, and the fluctuation time of deviation fluctuation pattern 30 is 3.5 seconds. Also, in FIG. 144(A), deviation fluctuation pattern 30 is set to be allocated only at the highest setting (setting 6). In other words, when deviation fluctuation pattern 30 is executed, the highest setting is confirmed.

In addition, it is desirable that the allocation of the outgoing fluctuation pattern 30, which is a fluctuation pattern in which shortened fluctuation is executed and which suggests a setting, is extremely low (for example, 10% or less of the minimum allocation of the other fluctuation patterns) compared to the allocation of other fluctuation patterns in which shortened fluctuation is executed. In addition, it is desirable that in each fluctuation pattern in which shortened fluctuation is executed, the execution time of the provisional display and the confirmed display are the same, and only the shortened fluctuation time differs. In addition, it is desirable that the difference between the fluctuation time of the outgoing fluctuation pattern 30 and the fluctuation time of other fluctuation patterns in which shortened fluctuation is executed is recognizable by the player (for example, 1.5 seconds or more).

As a result, when the shortened variation is executed, the player will expect a variation time like the miss variation patterns 1 and 2, which are often distributed, but when miss variation pattern 30 is executed, the player will recognize that the variation time is different from the expected one, and can enjoy the presentation in which the highest setting is confirmed. In particular, in the example of Figure 144 (A), a variation pattern including a shortened variation is only selected when there is a miss and no reach, so when a shortened variation is executed, the player's sense of expectation is reduced and he or she will no longer be interested in the shortened variation. However, by executing a setting suggestion presentation using the shortened variation in this way, the player can have a sense of expectation even for the shortened variation that is only selected when there is a miss and no reach, and a decrease in interest can be prevented.

In addition, in the miss variation patterns 1, 2, and 30, the content displayed on the performance display device 1600 is the same, but only the shortened variation time is different. This allows the player to concentrate on the performance so that he or she does not miss the performance that confirms the highest setting.

Note that the deviation fluctuation pattern 30 is a fluctuation pattern in which the highest setting is determined and shortened fluctuation is executed, but for each setting other than the highest setting, there may be a fluctuation pattern in which the setting is determined and shortened fluctuation is executed. In this case, for example, it is desirable that the fluctuation time of each of the fluctuation patterns is different from the fluctuation time of other deviation fluctuation patterns in which shortened fluctuation is executed.

[12-6. Setting suggestion effect executed before provisional display of special lottery results]
Below, the miss fluctuation pattern 31 and the hit fluctuation pattern 34 will be explained with reference to FIG. 147. FIG. 147 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the performance executed in the miss fluctuation pattern 31 and the hit fluctuation pattern 34 in the fluctuation pattern table of FIG. 144 (A). In FIG. 144, the miss fluctuation pattern 31 and the hit fluctuation pattern 34 are set to be distributed only in the highest setting (setting 6). That is, when the miss fluctuation pattern 31 and the hit fluctuation pattern 34 are executed, the highest setting is confirmed.

In miss fluctuation pattern 31 and hit fluctuation pattern 34, for example, at the same time as the fluctuation starts, special movie 1 is played on the performance display device 1600. Special movie 1 is a performance that occurs only in miss fluctuation pattern 31 and hit fluctuation pattern 34, that is, it is a performance that confirms the highest setting.

In loss variation pattern 31, after special movie 1 ends, a provisional display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is likely to be a loss, and then a definitive display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is a loss. In win variation pattern 34, after special movie 1 ends, a provisional display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is a win, and then a definitive display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is a win.

Unlike miss variation patterns 25 to 30, miss variation pattern 31 and hit variation pattern 34 start the setting suggestion performance before the provisional display (specifically, for example, at the same time as the start of the variation). This allows the player to feel the excitement of waiting for the announcement of the jackpot lottery result with the highest setting confirmed. In addition, especially when the display time of special movie 1 is long (for example, more than 30 seconds), it is possible to appeal to other players that the setting of the pachinko machine 1 is the highest setting, which in turn allows the player to feel a sense of superiority over the other players, and it is also easier for the hall to appeal to the other players that the highest setting is being used.

[12-7. Setting suggestion effect that determines a big win or high setting]
Below, the miss fluctuation pattern 32 and the hit fluctuation pattern 35 will be explained with reference to FIG. 148. FIG. 148 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the performance executed in the miss fluctuation pattern 32 and the hit fluctuation pattern 35 in the fluctuation pattern table of FIG. 144(A). In FIG. 144(A), the miss fluctuation pattern 32 is set to be allocated only to the high setting (settings 4, 5, and 6). That is, when the miss fluctuation pattern 32 is executed, the highest setting is confirmed.

In the case of miss fluctuation pattern 32 and hit fluctuation pattern 35, for example, at the same time as the fluctuation starts, special movie 2 is played on the performance display device 1600. Special movie 2 is a performance that occurs only in the miss fluctuation pattern 31 and hit fluctuation pattern 34.

In the loss variation pattern 32, after the end of the special movie 2, a provisional display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is likely to be a loss, and then a definitive display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is a loss. In the win variation pattern 35, after the end of the special movie 2, a provisional display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is a win, and then a definitive display is made to indicate that the special lottery result is a win.

Therefore, when Special Movie 2 occurs, either the high setting or a jackpot in that variation is confirmed. In other words, if the special lottery result is a miss after Special Movie 2 occurs, the high setting is confirmed, so the player can suppress disappointment over the miss in the special lottery result, and can feel elated by the confirmation of the high setting.

In particular, if the display time of Special Movie 2 is long (e.g., 30 seconds or more), the player can feel a sense of superiority over other players, and if the special lottery result is a loss after Special Movie 2 occurs, the hall can more easily appeal to other players that a high setting is being used.

[12-8. Setting suggestion effect during time-saving state]
The following describes the variation pattern selected when the game state is in the time-saving state. Figure 149 (A) is an example of a variation pattern table selected when the game state is in the time-saving state and the result of the special lottery is a miss. Figure 149 (B) is an example of a variation pattern table selected when the game state is in the time-saving state and the result of the special lottery is a big win.

In the example of Figure 149 (A), the higher the setting, the greater the distribution of miss fluctuation pattern 3 and the smaller the distribution of miss fluctuation pattern 2 when there is a miss without a reach. Also, the fluctuation time of miss fluctuation pattern 2 is shorter than the fluctuation time of miss fluctuation pattern 3. For example, if the probability of winning a jackpot is higher the higher the setting, and if the distribution of each fluctuation pattern is the same for all settings, the higher the setting, the easier it will be to win a jackpot in a shorter time, and the number of game balls paid out per unit time will increase, which may lead to a burden on the hall.

However, as in the example of Figure 149 (A), the higher the setting, the more likely it is that there will be a distribution of fluctuation patterns with longer fluctuation times, making it possible to equalize the number of game balls paid out due to jackpots per unit time at each setting. Also, the higher the setting, the higher the selection rate of failure fluctuation pattern 3, which has a longer fluctuation time among fluctuation patterns that include shortened fluctuations, so failure fluctuation pattern 3 can also function as a fluctuation pattern that suggests a high setting.

Similarly, when there is a reach and a miss, the higher the setting, the greater the distribution of miss fluctuation pattern 11 with a long fluctuation time, and the smaller the distribution of miss fluctuation pattern 12 with a short fluctuation time. Similarly, when there is a jackpot win, the higher the setting, the greater the distribution of hit fluctuation pattern 2 with a long fluctuation time, and the smaller the distribution of hit fluctuation pattern 3 with a short fluctuation time.

As mentioned above, for example, if the higher the setting, the higher the probability of winning the jackpot, and if the distribution of each fluctuation pattern is the same for all settings, the higher the setting, the easier it is to win a jackpot in a short time; in other words, the lower the setting, the longer it takes to win a jackpot, and the more game balls are fired before winning a jackpot. For example, if the lower the setting, the greater the distribution of fluctuation patterns with long fluctuation times and the smaller the selection rate of fluctuation patterns with short fluctuation times, then a player who stops firing game balls during the fluctuation can equalize the number of game balls fired per unit time for each setting.

At the timing when a setting is suggested in the various setting suggestion effects described in this chapter, a specified sound effect may be output or a specified light emission may be executed. The specified sound effect and the specified light emission may be dedicated to be executed only during the setting suggestion effect. In particular, in a setting suggestion effect in which a high or maximum setting is confirmed, it is preferable to output a specified sound effect or execute a specified light emission that is executed only during the setting suggestion effect.

It is desirable that the allocation of a variation pattern in which an effect suggesting that a high or maximum setting has been confirmed or is highly likely is executed is extremely low compared to the allocation of other variation patterns. If the allocation of such a variation pattern is high, a player may lose expectation and stop playing early if an effect suggesting a high or maximum setting is not executed even though the player has only played for a short period of time.

In addition, it is desirable that the allocation of a fluctuation pattern in which an effect suggesting that a low or minimum setting is confirmed or highly likely is executed is extremely low compared to the allocation of other fluctuation patterns. If the allocation of such a fluctuation pattern is high, the effect suggesting a low or minimum setting is executed frequently, which may cause the player to lose expectation and ultimately stop playing early.

In addition, while the setting suggestion effects suggesting groups of settings such as high settings, low settings, highest settings, odd settings, and even settings have been described, the setting groups in the setting suggestion effects are not limited to these. Setting suggestion effects may be executed for any group consisting of one or more settings. For example, settings 1 and 2 may be grouped as low settings, settings 3 and 4 as medium settings, and settings 5 and 6 as high settings, or there may be a group consisting of only setting 5.

[12-9. Other forms of pachinko machines with setting functions]
Fig. 150 is a diagram showing an example of mounting main control board 1310. In this figure, the configuration of main control board box 1320 is shown by solid lines, and the configuration inside main control board box 1320 is shown by dotted lines.

In the above explanation, the setting board 970 is connected to the dispensing control board 951, and the dispensing control unit 952 obtains the operation status of each switch and controls the display of the setting display 974. However, in the following explanation, the setting board 970 is connected to the main control board 1310, and the main control MPU 1311 obtains the operation status of each switch and controls the display of the setting display 974.

Figure 150 (A) shows the main control board box 1320 of this implementation example. The main control board box 1320 is made of transparent resin that houses the main control board 1310 in a sealable structure that cannot be opened without being destroyed once closed. The main control board box 1320 is provided with a hole 1318A for operating the display switch 1318, a hole 954A for operating the RAM clear switch 954, and a hole 971A for operating the setting key 971.

Figure 150 (B) shows the main control board 1310 and setting board 970 housed in the main control board box 1320 shown in (A). In the example shown in Figure 150 (B), in addition to the main control MPU 1311 and driver circuit (not shown), the main control board 1310 is also equipped with a base display 1317, a display switch 1318, and a RAM clear switch 954. Note that the RAM clear switch 954 may not be mounted on the main control board 1310, but may be mounted on another control board (for example, the payout control board 951 or the power supply board). In this case, the main control board box 1320 does not have a hole 954A.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, two operation units (RAM clear switch 954, setting key 971) that trigger RAM clearing are provided inside the main control board box 1320. As will be described later, the storage area of the main control RAM 1312 from which data is erased differs when only the RAM clear switch 954 is operated from when the setting key 971 is operated.

The setting board 970 is provided close to the main control board 1310, and the setting board 970 and the main control board 1310 are electrically connected so that signals can be transmitted. The setting board 970 and the main control board 1310 may be connected directly between the boards using a connector, or may be connected using an electric wire. On the setting board 970, a setting key 971 for changing the operation mode of the pachinko machine 1 to a setting change mode or a setting confirmation mode, and a setting display 974 for displaying the set or selected setting value are mounted. In addition, a setting change switch 972 for changing the setting value and a setting confirmation switch 973 for confirming and inputting the changed setting value may also be mounted on the setting board 970.

The outputs of the various switches 971, 972, and 973 provided on the setting board 970 are sent to the main control board 1310 and input to a port of the main control MPU 1311.

In addition, the main control board 1310 and the setting board 970 may communicate serially, and the driver circuit of the setting display 974 may be implemented on the setting board 970.

The main control board box 1320 is placed on the back side of the pachinko machine 1, so the setting display 974 on the setting board 970 is mounted in a position that can be seen from the back side of the pachinko machine 1.

The main control board 1310 may authenticate the setting board 970 in the initialization process (FIGS. 21 and 22). For example, an authentication code for each manufacturer of the pachinko machine is set on the setting board 970, and the main control board 1310 reads and verifies the authentication code set on the setting board 970. If the setting board 970 cannot be authenticated, the pachinko machine 1 cannot start playing. In other words, game balls can be shot toward the game area 5a, but even if a ball enters the winning hole, no prize balls are paid out and the variable display game cannot be executed. The authentication code may be set for each model of pachinko machine, or a serial number for each pachinko machine may be set. The authentication code may be set, for example, by a DIP switch, jumper wire, jumper pin, or short circuit of a pattern provided on the setting board 970, or a logic circuit (for example, a small-capacity FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array)) in which the authentication code is set may be mounted on the setting board 970.

The main control board 1310 (main control MPU 1311) may be able to identify whether the board mounted in the main control board box 1320 is the setting board 970 or the dummy board 979. For example, the setting board 970 and the dummy board 979 output different signals to the main control board 1310, so that the main control MPU 1311 recognizes whether the connected board is the setting board 970 or the dummy board 979. Specifically, the setting board 970 outputs +5V, and the dummy board 979 outputs 0V (ground level). Signals from the setting board 970 and the dummy board 979 are input to a specific port of the interface circuit 1331 of the main control board 1310. The main control MPU 1311 determines which board is connected based on the input signal to that port.

In this way, by changing the code of the setting board 970 for each manufacturer (each model), it is possible to prevent an incorrect setting board 970 from being installed in the main control board box 1320. In addition, by setting an authentication code in the logic circuit on the setting board 970, it is possible to prevent unauthorized replacement of the setting board 970.

Figure 150 (C) shows the main control board 1310 and dummy board 979 housed in the main control board box 1320 shown in (A).

As mentioned above, in recent years, some pachinko machines 1 have a function for setting the game performance. This setting function can change the performance of the pachinko machine related to the prize balls acquired by the player, such as the probability of winning a jackpot in a special symbol variation display game, and the setting function can change the performance of the pachinko machine 1 in accordance with the business policy of the hall. On the other hand, some halls feel that conventional pachinko machines without a setting function are sufficient and that a setting function is unnecessary. For this reason, pachinko machine manufacturers need to design and produce both pachinko machines without a setting function and pachinko machines with a setting function, and there is a demand for standardizing the specifications of pachinko machines to efficiently design and produce the two types of pachinko machines.

For this reason, in a pachinko machine 1 that does not have a setting function, a dummy board 979 is mounted in the mounting space of the setting board 970, so that the pachinko machine 1 can be produced in the same way as if the setting board 970 were mounted. In addition, the main control board 1310 can be made common between pachinko machines that do not have a setting function and pachinko machines that have a setting function.

The dummy board 979 does not have devices such as the setting keys 971 and setting display 974 mounted on the setting board 970 mounted thereon, but may have a pattern for mounting these devices. In other words, a pattern for mounting devices is provided on the dummy board 979, but no devices are mounted on the pattern.

The dummy board 979 does not have to be constructed of a printed circuit board, but may be a component (e.g., a unit constructed of a resin case) that can be attached to the main control board box 1320 in the same position as the setting board 970.

In addition, since the driver circuit of the setting display 974 is mounted on the main control board 1310, the output of the driver circuit of the setting display 974 is preferably terminated by a dummy resistor on the dummy board 979, rather than being open or grounded. This can prevent damage to the driver circuit due to an overcurrent. In addition, when serial communication is performed between the main control board 1310 and the setting board 970, the dummy board 979 preferably terminates the serial communication with the main control board 1310.

When the dummy board 979 is implemented, the hole 971A is not provided in the main control board box 1320. In addition, by providing a small door that can be moved to cover the hole 971A in the main control board box 1320 so that it can be operated from inside the main control board box 1320 but cannot be operated from the outside, the main control board box 1320 may be made common to pachinko machines that do not have a setting function and pachinko machines that have a setting function.

The dummy board 979 described below may also be set with an authentication code for authentication by the main control board 1310. The dummy board 979 may not require authentication by the main control board 1310, and an authentication code may not be set. The main control board 1310 and the dummy board 979 may communicate serially, and the main control board 1310 may authenticate the dummy board.

The variations in the operating means that can be implemented on the setting board 970 described above can be summarized as follows:

(1) With setting change switch 972 and setting confirmation switch 973 In this case, the key 975 is inserted into the setting key 971 and turned to the setting position (while the RAM clear switch 954 is pressed), and the power switch of the pachinko machine 1 is operated to turn on the power. Then, the setting change switch 972 is operated to select the setting value to be set, and the setting confirmation switch 973 is operated.

(2) Setting change switch 972 present, setting confirmation switch 973 absent In this case, the key 975 is inserted into the setting key 971, and with the setting key 971 turned to the setting position (and with the RAM clear switch 954 pressed), the power switch of the pachinko machine 1 is operated to turn on the power. Then, the setting change switch 972 is operated to select the setting value to be set, and the setting key 971 is returned to the normal position.

(3) No setting change switch 972, setting confirmation switch 973 present In this case, the key 975 is inserted into the setting key 971, turned to the setting position (and with the RAM clear switch 954 pressed), and the power switch of the pachinko machine 1 is operated to turn on the power. Then, the RAM clear switch 954 is operated to select the setting value to be set, and then the setting confirmation switch 973 is operated. Note that instead of operating the RAM clear switch 954, the setting key 971 may be turned to the right to select the setting value to be set.

(4) No setting change switch 972, no setting confirmation switch 973 In this case, the key 975 is inserted into the setting key 971, and with it turned to the setting position (and with the RAM clear switch 954 pressed), the power switch of the pachinko machine 1 is operated to turn on the power. Then, the RAM clear switch 954 is operated to select the setting value to be set, and the setting key 971 is returned to the normal position. Note that instead of operating the RAM clear switch 954, the setting key 971 may be turned to the right to select the setting value to be set.

Figures 151 and 152 are diagrams showing another implementation example of the main control board 1310. In this figure, the configuration of the main control board box 1320 is shown with solid lines, and the configuration inside the main control board box 1320 is shown with dotted lines.

The implementation example shown in Figures 151 and 152 differs from the implementation example shown in Figure 150 in that a small door 1321 is provided on the main control board box 1320.

Figure 151 (A) shows the main control board box 1320 of this implementation example. As described above, the main control board box 1320 is made of transparent resin that houses the main control board 1310 in a sealable structure that cannot be opened without being destroyed once closed. The main control board box 1320 is provided with a hole 1318A for operating the display switch 1318, a hole 954A for operating the RAM clear switch 954, and a hole 976A for operating the setting mode switch 976 for changing the operation mode of the pachinko machine 1 to the setting change mode.

The hole 976A is normally covered by the small door 1321. The small door 1321 is provided with a key unit 1322, and by inserting a key 975 into the keyhole of the key unit 1322 and operating it, the small door 1321 is opened from the main control board box 1320, exposing the hole 976A and allowing the setting mode switch 976 to be operated.

As shown in FIG. 152(A), in the normal state where the key 975 can be inserted and removed, the bar 1323 is in the maximum protruding position from the key unit 1322, and the bar 1323 is inserted into the catch 1324, engaging with the catch 1324, and the small door 1321 is fixed in the closed position. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 152(B), when the key 975 is inserted into the keyhole and turned, the bar 1323 retracts from the maximum protruding position, disengaging from the catch 1324, and the small door 1321 can be opened around the hinge 1325. When the small door 1321 is in the open state (FIG. 152(B)), the hole 976A is exposed and the setting mode switch 976 can be operated.

Figure 153 is a diagram showing yet another implementation example of the main control board 1310. In the implementation example shown in Figure 153, a key unit 1322 is provided on a rear cover 980 that covers the back side of the pachinko machine 1. That is, by inserting a key 975 into the keyhole of the key unit 1322 and operating it, the rear cover 980 can be opened from the main body frame base 600, and the main control board box 1320 (the setting mode switch 976 provided on the setting board 970) can be operated.

In other words, in the normal state where the key 975 can be inserted and removed, the rear cover 980 is fixed to close the rear side of the main body frame base 600, and the main control board box 1320 is housed in the rear cover 980. On the other hand, when the key 975 is inserted into the keyhole and turned, the rear cover 980 can be opened from the main body frame base 600, the main control board box 1320 housed inside the rear cover 980 is exposed to the rear side, and the setting mode switch 976 can be operated.

When the key unit 1322 is provided on the rear cover 980, the main control board box 1320 (main control board 1310) may have the configuration shown in FIG. 151 (C). Specifically, the main control board box 1320 is made of transparent resin that houses the main control board 1310 in a sealable manner with a structure that cannot be opened without destruction once closed. The main control board box 1320 is provided with a hole 1318A for operating the display switch 1318, a hole 954A for operating the RAM clear switch 954, and a hole 976A for operating the setting mode switch 976 for changing the operation mode of the pachinko machine 1 to the setting change mode. The main control board box 1320 houses the main control board 1310 and the setting board 970. In addition to the main control MPU and driver circuit (not shown), the base display 1317, the display switch 1318, and the RAM clear switch 954 are mounted on the main control board 1310. The RAM clear switch 954 may be mounted on another control board (e.g., the dispensing control board 951 or the power supply board) instead of on the main control board 1310. In this case, the hole 954A is not provided in the main control board box 1320.

The setting board 970 is provided close to the main control board 1310, and the setting board 970 and the main control board 1310 are electrically connected so that signals can be transmitted. The setting board 970 and the main control board 1310 may be connected directly between the boards using a connector, or may be connected by an electric wire. On the setting board 970, a setting mode switch 976 for changing the operation mode of the pachinko machine 1 to a setting change mode, and a setting display 974 for displaying the set or selected setting value are mounted. In addition, a setting change switch 972 for changing the setting value and a setting confirmation switch 973 for confirming and inputting the changed setting value may also be mounted on the setting board 970.

[12-10. Details of setting change process]
Fig. 154 is a flow chart showing an example of the initialization process. The initialization process shown in Fig. 154 differs from the initialization process described above in Fig. 101 in that the RAM clear process is performed when the setting key 971 is operated (steps S17 and S30). Note that the same steps as those in the initialization process described above in Figs. 21 and 101 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1, the main control MPU 1311 of the main control board 1310 executes the main control program to perform initialization processing. The main control MPU 1311 first sets the protection of the RAM 1312 built into the main control MPU 1311 to write permission, making it possible to write to the RAM 1312 (step S10). Next, the main control MPU 1311 starts the built-in watchdog timer (step S12) and determines whether a predetermined wait time (the time required to start up the sub-board (such as the peripheral control board 1510)) has elapsed (step S16). If the predetermined wait time has elapsed, it determines whether the RAM clear switch 954 has been operated (step S18).

The RAM clear switch 954 may be detected immediately after power is turned on (e.g., before step S12), the detection result may be stored in a specified register, and the stored value may be determined in step S18. By detecting the RAM clear switch 954 immediately after power is turned on, it is possible to reliably detect the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 even if the RAM clear switch 954 is operated only for a short time after power is turned on.

If the RAM clear switch 954 is operated, it is determined whether the setting key 971 is operated and its output is on (step S17). If the setting key 971 is not operated, this is a normal RAM clear operation, so the process proceeds to step S30 and a specified area of the internal RAM 1312 is initialized. On the other hand, if the setting key 971 is operated, that is, if the power is turned on with both the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 operated, the mode transitions to setting change mode. In other words, since two switches and the power switch must be operated to start the setting change mode, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation that would cause the setting change mode to start by mistake.

In the setting change mode, first, the setting value is displayed (step S60). Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 reads the current setting value from the main control RAM 1312 and generates data for displaying it on the setting display 974. Then, a security signal is output (step S61). Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 generates data for outputting a security signal. The security signal is a signal that is output from the external terminal board 784 when the pachinko machine 1 detects an abnormality. However, since it is extremely rare for the pachinko machine 1 to be put into setting change mode during play and there is a possibility of fraudulent activity, if the setting change mode is entered during business hours, the hall computer should be notified.

The security signal may be output for a predetermined time from the start of the setting change mode, or may be output between the start and end of the setting change mode, or may be output from the start of the setting change mode until a predetermined period after the end of the setting change mode. By outputting the security signal until a predetermined period after the end of the setting change mode, the period during which abnormalities can be detected is extended, thereby improving security.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether a setting change operation has been performed based on whether the setting change switch 972 has been operated (step S62), changes the setting value according to the operation of the setting change switch 972, and writes it to the main control RAM 1312 (step S63). For example, if the setting change switch 972 is a push button switch, the setting value changes by one step when the setting change switch 972 is pressed once. Also, if the setting key 971 also serves as the setting change switch 972, the setting value changes by one step when the setting key 971 is turned to the right once. The main control MPU 1311 then generates data for displaying the changed setting value on the setting display 974 (step S64).

Then, it is determined whether to end the setting change mode and confirm the setting value (step S65). Specifically, when the main control MPU 1311 detects the operation of the setting confirmation switch 973, it ends the setting change mode and proceeds to step S30. The setting change mode may also be ended by returning the setting key 971 to its normal position. The setting change mode may also be ended by the operation of another switch or sensor provided in the pachinko machine 1.

In the above-mentioned process, the process proceeds to step S30 after the setting change mode is ended or if it is determined in step S17 that the setting key is not on, but it may also proceed to step S20. In this case, after the setting change mode is ended, it is determined whether the power outage flag is set (step S20), and it is determined whether the checksums match (step S22). If the power outage flag is not set and the checksums do not match, a specified area of the internal RAM 1312 is initialized. Note that if it is determined in step S17 that the setting key is not on, the process proceeds to step S30.

After the setting change mode ends, in step S30, the setting value data, the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128), and the game status (for example, special bonus state, time-saving state, reserved memory for special and normal symbols, information on winning balls) among the data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 are retained, and the other data is erased, and the process proceeds to step S24. Note that game status data may be erased without being retained. In this case, the memory area erased by the RAM area erased after the setting change operation and the memory area erased by the RAM clear operation will be the same.

On the other hand, if no operation to end the setting change mode is detected, the process returns to step S62 and further detects a setting change operation.

Also, if operation of the setting key 971 is not detected in step S17, in step S30, the setting value data and the data in the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) among the data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 are left, and the other data is erased, and the process proceeds to step S24.

Also, if operation of the RAM clear switch 954 is not detected in step S18, the main control MPU 1311 does not erase the data backed up in the internal RAM 1312, and determines whether the power outage flag is set (step S20).

If the power outage flag is not set, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 may be incorrect, so the main control MPU 1311 erases the data backed up in the work area (other than the base calculation area 13128) (step S30) and proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the power outage flag is set, the main control MPU 1311 clears the power outage flag and uses the checksum calculated at the time of the previous power outage to compare (verify) the checksum calculated from the data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 with the checksum stored in step S48 (step S22).

If the checksum calculated from the backup data does not match the checksum stored in step S48, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 may be incorrect, so the main control MPU 1311 erases the data backed up in the work area (other than the base calculation area 13128) (step S30) and proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the checksum calculated from the backup data matches the checksum stored in step S48, the data in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 is correct, so the data backed up in the work area is not erased and the process proceeds to step S24.

In step S24, the main control MPU 1311 uses the check code to determine whether the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) is normal. If it is determined to be abnormal, the data in the base calculation work area may be incorrect, so the main control MPU 1311 erases the data stored in the base calculation work area (step S26).

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, cases in which at least a part of the area of the RAM 1312 is initialized include the operation of the setting key 971 (step S17), the operation of only the RAM clear switch (step S18), a power failure flag abnormality in which the power failure flag is not set (step S20), a RAM abnormality in which the RAM checksum does not match (step S22), and an abnormality in the base calculation work (step S24). Of these, as shown in the figure, when the operation of the setting key 971 is detected when the power is turned on, the data of the setting value and the game state (for example, the probability state, the time-saving state, the reserved memory of the special pattern and the normal pattern, and the information on the prize ball) in the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and the game stack area) is left, and the other data is cleared, and the base calculation area 13128 (outside the game control area) is not cleared. When the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 is detected when the power is turned on, but the operation of the setting key 971 is not detected, or when there is a power outage flag abnormality or a RAM abnormality, the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area) is cleared, and the base calculation area 13128 (including the base calculation work area and base calculation stack area) is not cleared. Also, when there is an abnormality in the base calculation work, the base calculation area 13128 (outside the game control area) is cleared, and the game control area 13126 is not cleared.

Unlike the illustrated example, in the case of a power outage flag abnormality, a RAM abnormality, or a base calculation work abnormality, the validity of the data stored in the RAM 1312 is not guaranteed, so the entire RAM area including the game control area 13126 and the base calculation area 13128 may be cleared. If the memory configuration is such that clearing the entire RAM area in the case of a base calculation work abnormality would cause data indicating the game status to be lost and normal processing would be impossible, it is advisable to initialize only the base calculation work area and the base calculation stack area. Also, if operation of the RAM clear switch is detected when the power is turned on, as described above, the game control area 13126 (including the game work area and game stack area) is cleared, but the base calculation area 13128 does not need to be cleared.

In this way, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, data backed up in the work area of the built-in RAM 1312 is erased under different conditions for each type of data (game control area 13126 (setting values, game status data), base calculation area 13128). In other words, by operating the RAM clear switch, the backed up game control area 13126 other than the setting values is erased, but the setting values and base calculation area 13128 are not erased. If the setting values were erased by operating the RAM clear switch, it would be necessary to reset the setting values every time a RAM clear operation is performed, which would make maintenance of the pachinko machine 1 in the hall more complicated. For this reason, the setting values are not erased by operating the RAM clear switch.

For the processing after step S28, either the processing shown in FIG. 22 or the processing shown in FIG. 102 may be adopted as necessary. The difference between FIG. 22 and FIG. 102 is the presence or absence of processing (steps S50, S52) to calculate and store a check code from the data in the base calculation work area (base calculation area 13128) when the power is cut off.

The setting confirmation process is not executed in the initialization process described above, but is executed in the setting confirmation process called from the timer interrupt process described below (Figs. 155 and 156), but the setting confirmation process may be executed in the initialization process. By executing the setting confirmation process in the initialization process, setting confirmation can be permitted only when the power is turned on, and it is possible to prevent confirmation of setting values due to inadvertent operations while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation.

In this case, an operation unit for confirming the settings (e.g., a push button switch) may be provided in addition to the setting key 971 (the setting change switch 972 may also have the function of the operation unit for confirming the settings), and if the operation unit for confirming the settings is operated when the power is turned on, the current setting value may be read from the main control RAM 1312, data may be generated for display on the setting display 974, and the setting value may be displayed on the setting display 974. In this case as well, a security signal may be output in conjunction with the display of the setting value.

In the main control board 1310 of the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, there are cases where the RAM clear process is not executed immediately even when the RAM clear switch 954 is operated. Specifically, when the setting key 971 is operated to ON and the RAM clear switch 954 is operated to turn on the power, the main control RAM is cleared after the setting change mode ends (step S30). In other words, the main control MPU 1311 puts the RAM clear process on hold and executes the RAM clear process after a predetermined condition is satisfied (end of the setting change mode). During the setting change mode, it can be said that the main control MPU 1311 is controlled to memorize that the RAM clear process will be executed. On the other hand, when the setting key 971 is not operated and the RAM clear switch 954 is operated to turn on the power, the main control RAM is cleared without starting the setting change mode (step S30).

We have explained in detail above how to clear (initialize) the main control RAM 1312. Next, we will explain how to clear the RAM of the payout control unit 952 mounted on the payout control board 951.

After the setting change mode, the main control RAM 1312 is cleared in step S30, but the RAM of the payout control unit may also be cleared at the same time. The RAM of the payout control unit 952 does not have to be cleared. Furthermore, whether or not to clear the RAM of the payout control unit may be switched depending on the operation. For example, with the setting key 971 operated to ON, turning on the power while operating the RAM clear switch 954 clears the RAM of the main control RAM 1312 and the RAM of the payout control unit 952, and with the setting key 971 operated to ON, turning on the power without operating the RAM clear switch 954 clears the main control RAM 1312 and does not clear the RAM of the payout control unit 952. In this way, by changing the operation method, a process can be executed in which a portion of the main control RAM 1312 is cleared and the RAM of the payout control unit 952 is not cleared.

When clearing the main control RAM 1312 and the RAM of the payout control unit 952, there may be a discrepancy between the timing at which the main control RAM 1312 is cleared and the timing at which the RAM of the payout control unit 952 is cleared, depending on whether or not the setting key 971 is operated. That is, if the setting key 971 is operated to ON and the RAM clear switch 954 is operated to turn on the power, the main control RAM 1312 is cleared after the setting change mode ends (step S30). On the other hand, when the payout control unit 952 detects the operation of the RAM clear switch 954, it immediately clears the RAM. For this reason, depending on the conditions (operations), a state may occur in which the RAM of the payout control unit 952 is cleared but the main control RAM 1312 is not cleared.

In addition, not only when the RAM clear switch 954 is provided on the main control board 1310, but also in pachinko machines 1 provided on the payout control board 951 or power supply board 931, it is preferable to clear the RAM of the payout control unit 952 by turning on the power while operating the RAM clear switch 954 when changing the setting value. In other words, the payout control unit 952 does not clear the RAM in response to a RAM clear command from the main control board 1310, but rather the payout control unit 952 detects the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 when the power is turned on, determines whether the RAM clear switch 954 has been operated, and determines whether to clear the RAM of the payout control unit 952. Providing a RAM clear switch on the payout control board 951 has the effect of being able to accommodate a variety of models without changing the control program on the frame side.

[12-11. Details of setting confirmation process]
Figure 155 is a flowchart showing an example of timer interrupt processing in a pachinko machine of this embodiment.

Compared to the timer interrupt processing described above in FIG. 23, the timer interrupt processing shown in FIG. 155 has a base calculation process (step S801) instead of the feature ratio calculation area update process of step S81, and the feature ratio calculation/display process of step S89 is deleted. In addition, a setting confirmation process (step S802) is added to display a setting value indicating the gaming performance of the pachinko machine 1 (for example, the operation rate of a condition device). Note that the same steps as those in the timer interrupt processing described above in FIG. 23 and FIG. 104 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations thereof are omitted.

When the timer interrupt process starts, the main control MPU 1311 executes the main control program to first set the RBS (register bank selection flag) in the program status word to 1 and switch the register (step S70).

Next, the main control MPU 1311 executes switch input processing (step S74), timer update processing (step S76), random number update processing 1 (step S78), and prize ball control processing (step S80).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 refers to the current game state, adds the number of prize balls paid out as game value to an area corresponding to the current game state, updates the base calculation area 13128 (see FIG. 103) of the main control built-in RAM 1312, and calculates the base value (step S801, see FIG. 105 and FIG. 106 for details of the base calculation process). The base calculation process (step S801) may be executed in any order after the prize ball control process (step S80), but it is recommended to execute it in an early order to ensure that it is executed at every timer interrupt.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes a frame command reception process (step S82), a fraudulent behavior detection process (step S84), a special symbol and special electric device control process (step S86), and a normal symbol and normal electric device control process (step S88).

Then, a setting confirmation process (step S802) is executed to display the setting values indicating the gaming performance of the pachinko machine 1. In the setting confirmation process, the hall employee performs a predetermined operation to display the current setting values on the setting display 974. The setting confirmation process will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 156.

Next, the output data setting process (step S90) and the peripheral control board command transmission process (step S92) are executed.

Finally, the main control MPU 1311 sets a predetermined value (18H) in the watchdog timer clear register WCL (step S96). Finally, the main control MPU 1311 switches (restores) the register bank. When the above processing is completed, the timer interrupt processing is terminated and processing before the interrupt is restored.

Figure 156 is a flow chart showing an example of the setting confirmation process of the pachinko machine of this embodiment. The setting confirmation process is called and executed from step S802 of the timer interrupt process (Figure 155).

In the setting confirmation process, first, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether a setting confirmation operation is being performed (step S8061). Specifically, it determines whether the setting key 971 is being operated. If the setting key 971 is operated when the power is turned on, it triggers a transition to setting change mode (step S17 in FIG. 154), and if it is operated during operation, it becomes a setting confirmation operation and the current settings can be displayed.

If no operation of the setting key 971 is detected, the setting key 971 has been returned to its normal position, so data is generated to not display the setting value, and the setting value is hidden (step S8065).

On the other hand, if operation of the setting key 971 is detected, it is determined whether the setting display conditions are met (step S8062).

As a condition for displaying the settings, the output of the frame open switch is used to determine whether the main frame 4 is open from the outer frame 2. Since the setting key 971 is installed on the back side of the pachinko machine 1, the setting key 971 cannot be operated unless the outer frame 2 is open. However, if operation of the setting key 971 is detected even though the outer frame 2 is closed, it is presumed that some abnormality (malfunction or fraudulent activity) has occurred in the pachinko machine 1, and in this case it is better not to display the settings. Also, since the setting display 974 is installed on the back side of the pachinko machine 1, the setting display 974 cannot be seen unless the outer frame 2 is open, and there is no need to display the settings.

The setting value may be displayed at any time while the pachinko machine 1 is in operation. Also, a setting display condition may be set that allows display at a specific time. For example, the setting position may be displayed for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) after the power is turned on. In this case, a timer may be operated to measure the elapsed time since the power was turned on (or the CPU initial setting in step S28), and the setting value may be displayed until the timer times out.

Also, a setting display condition may be set that allows the setting value to be displayed in a specific game state. For example, the setting display condition may not be displayed while the special pattern is changing or during a jackpot game. In other words, a setting display condition is set that allows the setting value to be displayed during periods other than when the special pattern is changing or during a jackpot game. Note that the setting value may not be displayed in game states other than those mentioned above. In this case, if the setting key is operated during a special pattern changing game or a jackpot game, the setting value may be displayed at the timing when the special pattern changing game or jackpot game ends.

If it is determined that the setting display conditions are met, a security signal is output (step S8063). Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 generates data for outputting the security signal. The security signal is a signal that is output from the external terminal board 784 when the pachinko machine 1 detects an abnormality, but since it is rare for the pachinko machine 1 to check the settings while playing and this can be a sign of fraudulent activity, if a setting check operation is performed during business hours, the hall computer should be notified.

The security signal may be output for a predetermined time from the start of the display of the setting values, or may be output between the start and end of the display of the setting values, or may be output from the start of the display of the setting values until a predetermined period after the display of the setting values ends. By outputting the security signal until a predetermined period after the display of the setting values ends, the period during which abnormalities can be detected is extended, thereby improving security.

In the illustrated setting confirmation process, a security signal is sent when the setting display conditions are met, but even if the setting display conditions are not met, a security signal may be sent when a setting confirmation operation (operation of the setting key 971) is detected.

Then, the setting value is displayed (step S8064). Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 reads the current setting value from the main control RAM 1312 and generates data to display on the setting display 974.

If the setting display conditions are not met, the conditions are checked until they are met, but since there is a possibility that the loop cannot be broken for a long time, the setting confirmation process may be terminated if the setting display conditions are not met continuously for a predetermined time. For example, after it is determined that the setting value is not to be displayed because a special pattern change display is in progress, if the special pattern change display ends within a predetermined time, the setting display conditions are met upon the end of the special pattern change display, and the setting value is displayed. Also, if the setting conditions are not met, the setting confirmation process may be terminated immediately without repeating the checking of the setting conditions.

At this time, the special pattern change display start condition may include that the set value is not being displayed. In this way, a new special pattern change display will not start while the set value is being displayed, and a new special pattern change display will start after the set value is no longer displayed.

As described above, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the setting value can be checked at a predetermined timing, so the setting value can be checked without interfering with other displays. In particular, when the base display 1317 and the setting display 974 are used together, the setting value is displayed with priority during setting confirmation, so although the base value is calculated, it is not displayed. In a gaming state in which many prize balls are paid out in a short period of time, it may be desirable to check the changes in the base value. For this reason, the setting value can be displayed without interfering with the real-time display of the base value.

[12-12. Security signal output associated with setting changes and setting confirmation]
FIG. 157 is a timing diagram of security signals output in conjunction with setting changes and setting confirmations.

As mentioned above, a security signal is output in setting change mode and when confirming settings (S61 in FIG. 154, S8063 in FIG. 156).

In the setting change mode, as shown in FIG. 157(A), a security signal is output from the external terminal board 784 for a predetermined time from the start of the setting change mode. The predetermined time (T seconds) for which the security signal is output only needs to be longer than the time that the hall computer can recognize the security signal, and may be less than one second or several tens of seconds.

The security signal may also be output for the period from the start to the end of the setting change mode, rather than for a predetermined time from the start of the setting change mode.

In addition, in the setting change mode, as shown in FIG. 157 (B), a security signal may be output for a predetermined time (T seconds) at the timing of the RAM clear process executed in conjunction with the setting change mode.

When checking the settings, as shown in FIG. 157(C), a security signal is output from the external terminal board 784 for a predetermined time from the start of the setting check. The predetermined time (T seconds) for which the security signal is output only needs to be longer than the time that the hall computer can recognize the security signal, and may be less than one second or several tens of seconds.

In addition, the security signal may be output during the period from the start to the end of the setting check (the period during which the setting value is displayed) rather than for a predetermined time from the start of the setting check.

When the pachinko machine 1 detects an error, a security signal is output from the external terminal board 784 for a predetermined time (T seconds) from the detection of the error, as shown in FIG. 157(D). When the pachinko machine 1 detects an error during setting confirmation, a security signal is output for a predetermined time from the detection of the error, as shown in FIG. 157(E). That is, a security signal resulting from the setting confirmation and a security signal resulting from the error detection are output consecutively for more than a predetermined time (T seconds) (a predetermined time from the error detection). Note that even if an error is detected during setting confirmation, it is not necessary to extend the output time of the security signal. That is, even if an error is detected during security signal output, the security signal resulting from the error detection is not output, but is absorbed into the security signal being output.

In addition, during the setting change mode, the pachinko machine 1 does not detect errors, so the security signal resulting from the setting check and the security signal resulting from the error detection do not overlap. In other words, during the setting change mode, even if an error occurs, the output time of the security signal is not extended, but if an error occurs during the setting check, the output time of the security signal is extended.

[12-13. Another example of setting confirmation process]
Another example of the setting confirmation process will be described below. In the above explanation, the setting confirmation process is mainly performed in the timer interrupt process in the peripheral control unit regular process. In the following, the setting confirmation process is performed in the initialization process when the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1.

Specifically, for example, if the setting key is on when the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1, the process proceeds to setting confirmation processing. Details of this process are explained below. Note that the timer interrupt processing executed by the peripheral control MPU in this chapter is the timer interrupt processing in FIG. 23 (i.e., the timer interrupt processing that does not include the setting confirmation processing in step S802).

Figure 158 is a flowchart showing another example of the initialization process. The differences from Figure 154 will be explained. If the main control MPU 1311 determines in step S18 that the RAM clear switch 954 has not been operated (step S18: No), it determines whether the setting key 971 has been operated and its output is on (step S29).

If the main control MPU 1311 determines that the output of the setting key 971 is on (step S29: Yes), it proceeds to the setting confirmation process in step S807, and then proceeds to step S20. The setting confirmation process in step S807 will be described later. If the main control MPU 1311 determines that the output of the setting key 971 is off (step S29: No), it proceeds to step S20.

Figure 159 is a flowchart showing another example of the setting confirmation process (the setting confirmation process in step S807). The differences from Figure 156 will be explained. The main control MPU 1311 determines whether the setting display conditions are met (step S8062) without performing the processing of step S8061. If the main control MPU 1311 determines that the setting display conditions are met (step S8062: Yes), it outputs a security signal (step S8063) and displays the setting value (step S8064). If the main control MPU 1311 determines that the setting display conditions are not met (step S8062: No), it executes the processing of step S8062 again.

Following the processing of step S8064, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether the setting key 971 has been operated and its output is off (step S8071). If the main control MPU 1311 determines that the output of the setting key 971 is on (step S8071: No), it executes the determination of step S8071 again, for example after a predetermined time has elapsed. If the main control MPU 1311 determines that the output of the setting key 971 is off (step S8071: Yes), it makes the setting value invisible (step S8075) and ends the setting confirmation processing. In other words, the state transitions to the setting confirmation state when the power is turned on with the setting key 971 turned on without pressing the RAM clear button.

If the power supply of the pachinko machine 1 is turned off while the special symbol is changing, the number of reserved memories managed by the main control board 1310 and the remaining change time for the special symbol are stored as is. After that, if the setting confirmation process is performed the next time the power is turned on (when the power is turned on with the setting key 971 in the on state), the special symbol change will resume after the setting confirmation process is completed (after the setting key 971 is returned to its initial position without turning the power off). At this time, for example, any effects that were being executed in conjunction with the special symbol change (effects using a display device, effects using lamps, sound effects using speakers, effects using movable objects, etc.) will not be performed at all after the special symbol change resumes.

In addition, if the power supply of the pachinko machine 1 is turned off during the special symbol variation and a setting confirmation process is performed the next time the power is turned on, the performance that was being performed along with the special symbol variation may be resumed when the special symbol variation is resumed after the setting confirmation process is completed. For example, a performance that was interrupted using a display device, lamp, and speaker may be resumed. In addition, for a performance that uses a movable body, for example, after the special symbol variation is resumed or after the movable body is returned to its initial position when the power is turned on, if the performance pattern specifies that the movable body is to be operated, the movable body is operated according to the performance pattern.

In other words, if the setting confirmation state is entered when the movable body is not in the initial position, it is returned to the initial position once when the power is turned on or when the setting confirmation process is completed, and then the movable body may be operated (moved) if the performance determined based on the variation pattern of the special pattern variation includes a performance in which the movable body is operated (moved). Note that, if the setting confirmation state is entered when the movable body is operating (moving), the operation pattern of that operation (movement) may not be executed, or the movable body may be operated if the pattern allows it to operate even after it is returned to the initial position.

In addition, if the power supply of the pachinko machine 1 is turned off during the special symbol variation and a setting confirmation process is performed the next time the power supply is turned on, when the special symbol variation resumes after the setting confirmation process is completed, among the effects that were being performed along with the special symbol variation, the effects using the display device, the effects using the lamps, and the sound effects using the speaker are resumed, and after the special symbol variation resumes or when the power supply is turned on, the movable body is returned to its initial position, and it is not necessary to perform effects using the movable body.

In addition, if the power supply of the pachinko machine 1 is turned off during the special symbol variation and the setting confirmation process is performed the next time the power supply is turned on, the variation of the decorative symbol displayed on the performance display device 1600 may be resumed (the performance originally scheduled to be resumed) when the special symbol variation is resumed after the setting confirmation process is completed, or the decorative symbol may be made transparent and undergo high-speed variation until the symbol is determined (or until the swing change immediately before the symbol is determined), or the decorative symbol may be made invisible until the symbol is determined (or until the swing change immediately before the symbol is determined). In addition, when the symbol is determined, for example, the combination of decorative symbols that was scheduled before the power supply was turned off may be displayed on the performance display device 1600. In addition, in this case, when the special symbol variation ends after the resumption, a predetermined combination of decorative symbols, a combination of decorative symbols displayed when the power supply is initially turned on, or a special combination of decorative symbols that is not displayed during normal special symbol variation (for example, "XXX") may be displayed on the performance display device 1600.

If the power to the pachinko machine 1 is turned off while the special symbol is changing, a setting confirmation process will be performed the next time the power is turned on, and when the setting confirmation process is completed and the normal state is restored, the same initial operation (e.g., an operation to check a predetermined operation of the movable body, a predetermined light emission of the LED, etc.) as when the power is turned on with the setting key 971 in the off state (i.e., when the power is turned on normally) may be performed (the above-mentioned performance, etc. may be resumed after this initial operation is performed).

In addition, if the power supply of the pachinko machine 1 is turned off while a look-ahead performance is being performed during a special symbol variation, and a setting confirmation process is performed the next time the power supply is turned on, for example, when the special symbol variation is resumed after the setting confirmation process is completed, the look-ahead performance and the look-ahead performance for the special symbol variation that was on hold just before the power supply was turned off are not executed (specifically, for example, the display during the waiting of a special zone that was displayed during the special symbol variation that was performed before the power supply was turned off (for example, a special stage that shows the player that the expectation of a big win is high across multiple variations, a zone that develops from a rival horse performance described later to a horse racing performance (a horse racing performance is a special zone that is set to have a high expectation level (for example, a relatively higher expectation than a dialogue performance described later)))) that was displayed, or the display performance during the special zone is erased, or, if the mode of the reserved display is, for example, blue instead of the normal white, it is returned to the normal white). However, a look-ahead performance may be executed for the special symbol variation that corresponds to a winning prize after the setting confirmation process is completed.

In addition, if the power supply of the pachinko machine 1 is turned off while a look-ahead performance is being performed during a special symbol change, and a setting confirmation process is performed the next time the power supply is turned on, for example, when the special symbol change is resumed after the setting confirmation process is completed, the look-ahead performance during the special symbol change is stopped (specifically, for example, the display of the special zone waiting that was displayed during the special symbol change that was being performed before the power supply was turned off, and the display performance during the special zone are erased, and if the mode of the reserved display was, for example, blue instead of the normal white, it is returned to the normal white), but the look-ahead performance may be resumed from the next special symbol change (the erased display may be restored, or if the performance pattern at the start of the change was one that promoted the look-ahead performance, it may be returned to the display mode after promotion). In this case, the look-ahead performance executed from the next special symbol change is resumed, for example, as if the look-ahead performance during the special symbol change was not stopped. In other words, the look-ahead performance that was scheduled to be executed after the next special symbol change before the power supply of the pachinko machine 1 was turned off is executed. Also, a new look-ahead performance pattern may be set, and the new look-ahead pattern may be executed from the next special symbol change.

[12-14. Another example of setting suggestion]
An example of a process for restricting the execution of the setting suggestion effect will be described below. In the following description, the jackpot probabilities of settings 1 to 6 during normal play are 1/240, 1/230, 1/220, 1/210, 1/200, and 1/190, respectively, and the jackpot probabilities of settings 1 to 6 during special probability are 1/48, 1/46, 1/44, 1/42, 1/40, and 1/38, respectively. Also, the special probability rate when a jackpot is won is assumed to be 50%.

[12-14-1. Fluctuation pattern table]
Fig. 160 is another example of a variation pattern table. The variation pattern table is stored, for example, in the ROM 1313 of the main control board 1310. In the explanation of Fig. 142 and the like, an example was explained in which a variation pattern table exists for each winning or losing type of the special lottery result, but in the example of Fig. 160, a variation pattern for each winning or losing type of the special lottery result is defined in one variation pattern table. Also, in the example of Fig. 160, a common variation pattern table is used in all settings.

The fluctuation pattern table in FIG. 160 shows the correspondence between the winning/losing type of the special lottery result, the identifier of the fluctuation pattern, an overview of the presentation of the fluctuation pattern, and the selection rate. As described above, in the example of FIG. 160, information on the fluctuation pattern of each special lottery result is stored in one fluctuation pattern table. Therefore, the main control MPU 1311 selects the fluctuation pattern corresponding to the winning/losing type corresponding to the winning prize according to the selection rate indicated by the fluctuation pattern table. Note that the fluctuation time of each fluctuation pattern may be defined in the fluctuation pattern table, as in the example of FIG. 144.

The movie reach described in the summary section is a reach effect that is selected with a high probability when the result of the special lottery is a jackpot, and is selected with an extremely low probability when the result of the special lottery is a miss. In other words, the probability of a jackpot occurring when a movie reach is executed is high. In addition, when a movie reach occurs, a specified movie is displayed on the effect display device 1600.

In addition, the "+1 symbol" in the summary column when the winning/losing type is "miss" indicates that after the decorative symbol stops in a reach state, the decorative symbol that has been fluctuating to the end passes one of the decorative symbols in the reach state and stops. Specifically, for example, after the reach state is reached with the decorative symbol "7", the decorative symbol that has been fluctuating to the end stops at "8". In the case of a "jackpot" type, the "+1 symbol" indicates that after the decorative symbol stops in a reach state, the decorative symbol that has been fluctuating to the end passes one of the decorative symbols in the reach state and appears to stop once, and then the decorative symbol stops as the same symbol as the decorative symbol in the reach state. Specifically, for example, after the reach state is reached with the decorative symbol "7", the decorative symbol that has been fluctuating to the end appears to stop at "8", and then the decorative symbol stops at "7", announcing a jackpot.

In the summary column in the example of FIG. 161, the "+1 symbol" is selected only when the winning/losing type is "jackpot (non-probable win)", but it may be selected only when it is "jackpot (probable win)", or it may be selected when it is "jackpot (non-probable win)" and "jackpot (probable win)". Also, the "+1 symbol" may be selected only when the winning/losing type is "miss".

In addition, "+pseudo 1" and "+pseudo 2" in the summary column indicate that a pseudo consecutive performance of two consecutive times and a pseudo consecutive performance of three consecutive times are executed, respectively. A pseudo consecutive performance is a performance in which the operation of changing the decorative pattern and ending the change of the decorative pattern is executed multiple times during one change of the first special pattern display device or the second special pattern display device. "Ending the change of the decorative pattern" means, for example, a mode in which a part or all of the decorative pattern is stopped and displayed, a mode in which the player recognizes that the change of the decorative pattern has once ended, and a mode in which a pseudo consecutive pattern (a pattern that confirms a pseudo consecutive pattern when this pattern stops) stops on a part of the decorative pattern. Note that a pseudo consecutive performance in which the operation is executed N times (N is a natural number of 1 or more) is called an N-consecutive pseudo consecutive performance, and the M-th change of the decorative pattern (M is a natural number of 1 or more and N or less) in an N-consecutive pseudo consecutive performance is called an M-th pseudo consecutive performance. In addition, a presentation that suggests to the player that the action may be executed again during one fluctuation of the first special symbol display or the second special symbol display, but does not actually execute the action again, is called a "pseudo false presentation." In addition, hereinafter, the pseudo consecutive presentation is also simply called a "pseudo consecutive presentation."

When the pseudo consecutive performance occurs or continues, that is, when it is determined that the operation of changing the decorative pattern and terminating the change of the decorative pattern is to be executed again during one change of the first special pattern display or the second special pattern display, the peripheral control MPU may stop the pseudo consecutive pattern on at least one of the left decorative pattern, the middle decorative pattern, and the right decorative pattern. In the following example, the peripheral control MPU stops a character such as "Continue!" on the middle decorative pattern as a pseudo consecutive pattern. Note that, for example, a combination of specific decorative patterns (for example, all of the left decorative pattern, the middle decorative pattern, and the right decorative pattern are odd or even numbers and no reach occurs) may be the pseudo consecutive pattern. Note that the pseudo false performance may be executed, for example, when the summary of the performance is "normal change" or the like. Also, for example, even if the change pattern is one in which "+ pseudo 1" is executed, a pseudo false performance that suggests the occurrence of a third pseudo consecutive in "+ pseudo 2" may be executed.

[12-14-2. Final reserved color table]
FIG. 161 is an example of a final reserved color table. The final reserved color table is stored in, for example, the peripheral main control ROM. The final reserved color table holds, for example, the selection rate of the display color of the reserved display at the end of the corresponding fluctuation pattern (hereinafter also referred to as the final reserved color) for each fluctuation pattern (the winning or losing type of the special lottery result, the identifier of the fluctuation pattern, and the outline of the performance of the corresponding fluctuation pattern).

The performance display device 1600 includes a pending display area that shows the number of first special random numbers and second special random numbers that are on hold. In the start-hole winning processing of step S116 in FIG. 142, a pending number designation command that specifies the pending number of first special random numbers and second special random numbers is sent to the peripheral control board 1510. The peripheral control MPU displays the pending number indicated by the pending number designation command in the pending display area.

Specifically, when a game ball enters the first start hole 2002 or the second start hole 2004 (the start condition is met), the number of reserved balls (number of reserved balls stored) specified by the reserved number designation command increases, and one reserved display is added and displayed in the reserved display area. On the other hand, when the display of changing decorative patterns (changing special pattern display) based on the reserved display begins (the start condition is met), the number of reserved balls (number of reserved balls stored) specified by the reserved number designation command decreases, and the reserved display in the reserved display area is erased.

Note that the reserved display may have multiple display modes. For example, the multiple display modes include a reserved display mode in multiple colors (white, blue, green, red, rainbow). Hereinafter, the colors of the reserved display will be white, blue, green, red, rainbow, in that order, and the likelihood of a jackpot for the special lottery result corresponding to the reserved display will increase. In particular, in the example of Figure 161, the rainbow-colored reserved display will be selected only if the special lottery result is a jackpot.

In other words, the peripheral control MPU selects the final reserved color corresponding to the selected variation pattern according to the selection rate indicated by the final reserved color table. In addition, the peripheral control MPU can execute a reserved preview performance that suggests the likelihood of a jackpot for the decorative pattern variation display (special pattern variation display) corresponding to the reserved display, for example, by changing the display mode of the reserved display during the display period from when the reserved display is displayed in the reserved display area until the reserved display is erased.

In addition, in this embodiment, during the display period of the hold display, it is possible to execute a hold change effect that suggests that the display mode of the hold display may change. Note that the hold change effect and hold notice effect during the display period of the hold display and before the start of the change corresponding to the hold are also called hold pre-reading effects.

For example, the peripheral control ROM holds a hold notification table (not shown) that defines the timing of changes in the display mode of the hold display. Specifically, for example, the hold notification table defines the timing of changes in the display mode of the hold display and the display mode (display color) of the hold display at the time of winning and at each change timing for each final hold color. The start, during, and end of the special pattern change after the win and before the special pattern change corresponding to the win are examples of such change timing.

It is preferable that the display mode of the reserved display at each change timing is a reserved color with a jackpot expectancy equal to or lower than the jackpot expectancy of the final reserved color. It is also preferable that the jackpot expectancy indicated by the reserved display at each change timing is not downgraded (for example, it is preferable that a blue reserved display does not change to a white reserved display). It is also possible that there is a different reserved notification table for each reserved memory number at the time of winning.

For example, the start of a special pattern change that was reserved before the reserved display is an example of the timing for changing the display mode of the reserved display described above. Also, for example, a timing for changing the display mode of the reserved display may be provided even during the special pattern change that corresponds to the reserved display.

The pre-reading effects, including the reserved pre-reading effects, are executed based on the pre-determination command sent from the main control MPU 1311 to the peripheral control board 1510 in the pre-determination process performed in the processing at the time of winning the starting hole in step S116 of FIG. 142.

The following describes the pre-determination process in the start-hole winning process for the first special symbol. Note that the pre-determination process in the start-hole winning process for the second special symbol is similar, so only the first special symbol will be described here. In the pre-determination process, the main control MPU 1311 compares a pre-determination table (not shown) with the special random number, pattern random number, reach random number, and variable random number to determine whether or not a jackpot will be reached, and if so, the type of jackpot, and if not, whether or not a jackpot will be reached as a game presentation executed by the presentation display device 1600, and the type of game presentation to be executed.

Then, a pre-determination command is set according to the specified pre-determination information (whether or not a jackpot will be reached, and if so, the type of jackpot; if not, whether a reach effect will be executed as a game effect executed by the effect display device 1600, and the type of game effect to be executed, etc.), the type of special random number obtained (first special random number), and the reserved memory number stored corresponding to the obtained special random number (the value of the reserved number counter). For example, in the effect pre-determination process for the first special symbol, a first special symbol pre-determination command is set according to the specified pre-determination information, the fact that the first special random number has been obtained, and the first reserved memory number.

Then, by transmitting a pre-determination command from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control board 1510, the peripheral control IC 1510a mounted on the peripheral control board 1510 can grasp pre-determination information such as the number of reserved memories stored corresponding to the start port where the start winning occurred, whether the display result of the variable display of the special pattern based on the start winning that occurred is a jackpot, the type of jackpot if it is a jackpot, whether a reach effect will be executed as a game effect executed by the effect display device 1600 if it is not a jackpot, and the type of mode of the game effect to be executed, before the variable display corresponding to the start winning begins.

Figure 162 is an example of a table showing the appearance rate of each final reserved color for each fluctuation pattern of setting 1 when the fluctuation pattern is determined by the fluctuation pattern table of Figure 160 and the final reserved color is determined by the final reserved color table of Figure 161. Figure 163 is an example of a table showing the appearance rate of each final reserved color for each fluctuation pattern of setting 3 in a similar case. Figure 164 is an example of a table showing the appearance rate of each final reserved color for each fluctuation pattern of setting 5 in a similar case. According to Figures 162 to 164, the higher the setting, the higher the appearance rate of the display mode of the reserved display with a higher jackpot expectation. Also, the higher the setting, the higher the jackpot expectation of each color. Note that these appearance rates and expectations are calculated based on the jackpot probability of each setting described above, and it is assumed that the final reserved color table of Figure 161 is used for all settings.

The peripheral control ROM may hold a different final reservation color table for each setting. In this case, for example, for the same reservation display display mode, the selection rate of the final reservation color table is set so that the higher the setting, the higher the chance of winning. As a result, for example, if a jackpot is won in a special pattern change corresponding to a red reservation display, the chance of winning an even higher setting also increases, giving the player a sense of elation.

Also, for example, in the display mode of the reserve display other than white, which is the most frequently selected, the selection rate of the final reserve color in the final reserve color table may be set so that for the same reserve display mode, the lower the setting, the higher the jackpot expectation (specifically, for example, the jackpot expectation when the reserve display mode is red is set to 50% for setting 1, which is a low setting, and 30% for setting 6, which is a high setting). This makes it possible to suppress disappointment among players and encourage them to continue playing, even if they do not win a jackpot in the special pattern change corresponding to a red reserve display, as the expectation for a high setting is higher.

Also, for example, in the display mode of the reserve display other than white, which is the most frequently selected, the selection rate of the final reserve color in the final reserve color table may be set so that the expectation of a jackpot is approximately the same for all settings for the same reserve display mode. This makes it difficult to infer the setting from the combination of the final reserve color and the special lottery result, for example, and allows the player to concentrate only on the expectation for the special lottery result from the display mode of the reserve display. Also, for example, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the possibility of a low setting increases when a jackpot is not won in the special pattern variation corresponding to the red display mode.

[12-14-3. Preview table]
FIG. 165 is an example of a preview performance table. The preview performance table is stored in, for example, a peripheral control ROM. The preview performance table holds, for example, the selection rate of the preview performance for each variation pattern (specified by the winning or losing type of the special lottery result, the identifier of the variation pattern, and the summary of the performance of the variation pattern).

In the example of FIG. 165, the preview effects include a dialogue effect, a weather change effect, and a rival horse effect. A dialogue effect is, for example, an effect in which a specified character is displayed on the effect display device 1600 during the change and speaks a line. A weather change effect is, for example, an effect in which the weather changes in the background of the decorative pattern displayed on the effect display device 1600 during the change. A rival horse effect is an effect in which a rival horse of the horse being raised by the main character appears on the effect display device 1600 during the change.

It is possible to execute a setting suggestion effect using a preview effect, and the preview effect table stores the selection rate of each preview effect depending on whether or not the setting suggestion effect is executed. In the example of Figure 165, "no set" indicates that the setting suggestion effect will not be executed, and "set" indicates that the setting suggestion effect will be executed. The peripheral control MPU decides which preview effect to execute based on the fluctuation pattern and the selection rate of the preview effect table.

In addition, it is desirable that the selection rate of no setting suggestion effects is sufficiently higher than the selection rate of settings with suggestion effects in each preview effect in each variation pattern of the preview effect table. If the selection rate of settings with suggestion effects is high, setting suggestion effects occur frequently. In this state, if the frequency of occurrence of setting suggestion effects suggesting a high setting is low, there is a high possibility that players will stop playing after a short time. In other words, the operating rate of pachinko machines 1 with low settings will drop significantly, which may impose an excessive burden on the hall. Conversely, for example, if the frequency of occurrence of setting suggestion effects suggesting a high setting is high, the number of players who assume that other pachinko machines 1 in the hall are set low will increase, which may decrease the operating rate of those other pachinko machines 1 and impose an excessive burden on the hall.

The selection rate of the variation pattern in the variation pattern table is determined so that the greater the number of pseudo consecutive hits, the higher the chance of a jackpot. However, the selection rate of whether or not to execute the setting suggestion effect in the advance notice effect table is determined so that the appearance rate of the setting suggestion effect does not change substantially depending on the number of pseudo consecutive hits. In other words, for example, the selection rate of whether or not to execute the pseudo setting suggestion effect is determined so that the appearance rate of the setting suggestion effect is approximately the same for variation patterns with an overview of "SP reach", "SP reach + pseudo 1", and "SP reach + pseudo 2". As a result, although the expectation of a jackpot is low for a variation pattern with a small number of pseudo consecutive hits, the occurrence rate of the setting suggestion effect is not low compared to a variation pattern with a large number of pseudo consecutive hits, so players can be interested in the variation of a variation pattern with a small number of pseudo consecutive hits.

The selection rate of whether to execute the setting suggestion effect in the preview effect table may be determined so that the appearance rate of the setting suggestion effect increases as the number of pseudo consecutive hits increases, or the selection rate of whether to execute the setting suggestion effect in the preview effect table may be determined so that the appearance rate of the setting suggestion effect increases as the number of pseudo consecutive hits decreases. Note that, since the above-mentioned problem may occur if the appearance rate of the setting suggestion effect is increased as the number of pseudo consecutive hits decreases, it is preferable to set the numerical value to be approximately the same even if the appearance rate of the setting suggestion effect is increased as the number of pseudo consecutive hits decreases (specifically, for example, the setting of the dialogue effect with set when the variation pattern 5 is selected at the time of a miss is set to 15/256, and the setting of the dialogue effect with set when the variation pattern 6 is selected is set to 16/256).

The selection rate for whether or not to execute a setting suggestion effect in the preview effect table may be determined so that the appearance rate of a setting suggestion effect is higher for a fluctuation pattern with a higher expectation of a jackpot (or for an effect that is not a fluctuation pattern with a higher expectation of a jackpot but has a relatively higher expectation of the effect that appears (for example, an effect with a jackpot expectation rate of a predetermined value or higher)). Specifically, the selection rate for whether or not to execute a setting suggestion effect in the preview effect table may be determined so that the appearance rate of a setting suggestion effect is higher in the following order: "normal fluctuation," "fluctuation including normal reach," "fluctuation including SP reach," and "fluctuation including movie reach."

In the example of FIG. 165, there is a possibility that a setting suggestion effect will occur in all preview effects (dialogue effects, weather change effects, and rival horse effects), but for example, there may be preview effects in which no setting suggestion effect will occur.

In addition, if the outline of the fluctuation pattern is the same, the selection rate for whether or not to execute the setting suggestion effect in the preview effect table may be determined so that the appearance rate of the setting suggestion effect is higher when the special lottery result is a jackpot without a probability change than when the special lottery result is a jackpot with a probability change. This increases the appearance rate of the setting suggestion effect when a jackpot without a probability change is won, reducing the player's disappointment at not being granted a probability change. In the above example, three types of preview effects were described: dialogue effects, weather change effects, and rival horse effects, but it goes without saying that they are not limited to three types.

[12-14-4. Dialogue Production］
The following is a detailed description of the dialogue effect among the preview effects. When the peripheral control MPU selects a dialogue effect without a setting suggestion effect as the preview effect, for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, 2 seconds) from the start of the change, After that, character A appears on the performance display device 1600 and displays the line of character A, "What day is it today?". Then, the peripheral control MPU, for example, After that (for example, after 3 seconds), character B appears on the performance display device 1600, and the character B's line is displayed as "Now...". It may also indicate the expected probability of a big hit.

On the other hand, when the peripheral control MPU selects a dialogue performance with a setting suggestion performance as the preview performance, it selects character B's dialogue (a dialogue that suggests the setting) from the dialogue performance table described later. For example, the peripheral control MPU makes character A appear on the performance display device 1600 a predetermined time after the start of the fluctuation (e.g., 2 seconds later, i.e., the same timing as when character A appears when the setting suggestion performance described above is not performed), and displays character A's dialogue, "What day is it today?". For example, the peripheral control MPU makes character B appear on the performance display device 1600 a predetermined time after the display of character A's dialogue (e.g., 3 seconds later), and displays the selected dialogue of character B. Note that character A's dialogue may be a dialogue that directly expresses a setting value, such as, "Do you know what the setting of this machine is today?".

Figure 166 is an example of a dialogue performance table. The dialogue performance table is stored, for example, in a peripheral control ROM. The dialogue performance table holds the type of dialogue performance and the selection rate of the content of Character B's dialogue for each setting. Note that the performance types include a "pattern that is the same until halfway through" and a "pattern that suddenly branches off", and for each of these two patterns, there are "maybe" type dialogues and "definite" type dialogues.

Lines belonging to a "pattern that is the same until partway through" contain the same lines until partway through, and then branch off to different lines. In the example in Figure 166, lines belonging to a "pattern that is the same until partway through" all start with "Now...", and then branch off to different lines. On the other hand, lines belonging to a "pattern that branches off suddenly" branch off to different lines from the beginning. Note that it is desirable for the selection rate of lines belonging to a "pattern that is the same until partway through" to be higher than the selection rate of lines belonging to a "pattern that branches off suddenly". This is to build up a sense of anticipation.

Lines that belong to the "Maybe" category are lines that hint at the current setting but do not definitively announce the setting. For example, "But I think it was an even day..." is a "Maybe" category line that hints at an even setting. Because "But I think it was an even day..." is a "Maybe" category line, the selection rate is determined so that it can also appear in an odd setting. However, the selection rate of the line in an odd setting is sufficiently lower than the selection rate of the line in an even setting. Similarly, for other "Maybe" category lines, the selection rate of the line in the setting it hints at is sufficiently higher than the selection rate of the line in other settings.

On the other hand, lines that belong to the "definite" category are lines that definitively announce the setting. For example, "Ah! I remember! It's an even day!" is a "definite" line that definitively announces the even number setting. Therefore, the selection rate of this line in the odd number setting is 0, and the selection rate exceeds 0 only in the even number setting.

It is desirable that the selection rate of lines belonging to the "possible" category is higher than the selection rate of lines belonging to the "definite" category. If the selection rate of lines belonging to the "definite" category were high, there would be a good possibility that the player would be notified of a high setting definitively within a short time after starting play. In this case, there would be a certain number of players who would assume that the settings of the other pachinko machines 1 in the hall are not good, which could reduce the operation of the other gaming machines.

In addition, in dialogue effects when executing specific reach effects such as SP reach and movie reach, or dialogue effects when performing pseudo consecutive hits, the dialogue suggesting the setting of character B may be displayed in red text (dialogue for normal effects such as jackpot expectation suggestion effects is in white text). This makes it easier for players to distinguish between the dialogue for expectation suggestion effects and the dialogue for setting suggestion effects, allowing the two types of effects (setting suggestion effects and expectation suggestion effects) to coexist without making the player feel unnatural. Expectation suggestion effects are effects that indicate that the jackpot expectation rate in the special pattern fluctuation is a predetermined value, and specifically include advance notice effects that suggest the expectation of a jackpot within one fluctuation, and look-ahead effects that suggest the expectation of a jackpot across multiple fluctuations.

The peripheral control MPU may determine the setting suggestion effects for the weather change effects and rival horse effects using a lottery table similar to the dialogue effect table, although this is not shown in the figures. For example, in a setting suggestion effect for a weather change effect, a thundercloud is displayed on the effect display device 1600, and numbers such as "246?" are displayed by lightning (a "maybe" type effect suggesting an even number setting), and in a setting suggestion effect for a rival horse effect, a horse race between the main character's horse and a rival horse is displayed on the effect display device 1600, and a number such as "135?" is displayed on the bib of the rival horse (a "maybe" type effect suggesting an odd number setting).

In the above example, "What day is it today?" is displayed as the line of character A in the dialogue performance, but in addition to this line, multiple variations can be provided for one performance (e.g., dialogue performance), such as character A saying "How many points did you get on the test last week?" and character B saying "66 points! (Definite type, which confirms setting 6)" or "I think it was 55 points... (Maybe type, which suggests setting 5)." In that case, it is better to make the credibility of the setting suggestion higher in performance B (e.g., a performance asking about the test score) than in performance A (e.g., a performance asking about the date). Specifically, for example, when "I think it was a day with a 6 on it... (Maybe type)" is said in performance A, the expectation of setting 6 is only 30%, but when "I think it was 66 points... (Maybe type)" is said in performance B, the expectation of setting 6 is 50%.

[12-14-5. Another example of a preview table]
FIG. 167 is another example of a preview performance table. In the example of FIG. 167, the preview performance table 173 holds the selection rate of the preview performance for each variation pattern. Unlike the example of FIG. 165, the preview performance table of FIG. 167 does not hold information on whether or not the setting suggestion performance is executed. In other words, the peripheral control MPU selects only the type of preview performance according to the selection rate corresponding to the variation pattern of the preview performance table of FIG. 167.

The peripheral control MPU then decides whether or not to execute a setting suggestion effect based on the fluctuation pattern and the type of preview effect selected. Figure 168 (A) is an example of a setting suggestion effect table showing whether or not to execute a setting suggestion effect when the outline of the fluctuation pattern is "normal fluctuation" and "dialogue effect" is selected as the preview effect. Figure 168 (B) is an example of a setting suggestion effect table showing whether or not to execute a setting suggestion effect when the outline of the fluctuation pattern is "normal reach + 1 pattern" and "dialogue effect" is selected as the preview effect. Setting suggestion effect tables for all combinations of fluctuation patterns and preview effects like those in Figure 168 are stored in advance in the peripheral control ROM.

In the above example, the peripheral control MPU determines the content of the preview performance and then determines whether or not to execute the setting suggestion performance, but the content of the preview performance may be determined after determining whether or not to execute the setting suggestion performance. By using such a method, although the amount of data will be greater than in a table such as that shown in FIG. 165, it is possible to set the occurrence rate and reliability of the performance in detail. Also, the table shown in FIG. 165 may be combined with the processing shown in this other example.

[12-14-6. Specific examples of setting suggestions]
Fig. 169 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the outline of the setting suggestion effect. The effect proceeding in the order of Fig. 169(A), (B), and (C) is an outline of the setting suggestion effect when "It's a day with a 4, 5, or 6!" is selected as the line of character B in the line effect.

In FIG. 169(A), the special pattern change begins. In FIG. 169(B), after the special pattern change begins, the performance display device 1600 displays character B's line, "It's a day with a 4, 5, or 6!" In FIG. 169(C), the line is displayed on the performance display device 1600 until the special pattern change ends.

The presentation, which progresses in the order of Fig. 169(A), (D), and (E), is an overview of the setting suggestion presentation when "It's a day with a 6!" is selected as the line for character B in the line presentation. In the presentation, which progresses in the order of Fig. 169(A), (D), and (E), the setting suggestion presentation starts at the start of the special pattern variation, while the setting suggested in the setting suggestion presentation is changed while the special pattern variation is ending. Specifically, in Fig. 169(D), after the special pattern variation begins, character B's line "It's a day with a 4, 5, or 6!" is displayed on the presentation display device 1600. In Fig. 169(E), at the end of the special pattern variation, character B's line "It's a day with a 6!" is displayed. In other words, the setting suggested by character B's line is promoted.

Specifically, for example, for each line in the line performance table (the line that is finally displayed), one or more scenarios indicating the timing of the line change and the line at each timing, and the selection rate of each scenario may be defined for each setting. The peripheral control MPU displays the line at the timing of the line change according to the selected scenario.

In this case, it is preferable that the dialogue production table does not hold scenarios that may result in a downgrade of the suggested setting. Specifically, for example, it is preferable that the dialogue production table does not hold a scenario in which the line "It's a day that ends in 4, 5, or 6!" is followed by the line "It's an even-numbered day!".

In the example of FIG. 169, only the setting suggestion effect is performed during the special pattern change, but other effects (such as an effect suggesting the likelihood of a jackpot) may be performed in parallel. Although an example has been shown in which character B's lines are promoted at the end of the special pattern change, this is not limiting, and the lines may be promoted before the end of the special pattern change. Note that character A appears before character B's lines and an effect is performed in which character A talks to character B, but this is omitted from the drawing.

Figure 170 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the outline of a setting suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect. In Figure 170 (A), during the special pattern change without a pending special pattern change, game ball B enters the first start opening 2002. Next, in Figure 170 (B), immediately after game ball B enters the first start opening 2002, the character B's line "It's the day with a 4, 5, or 6!" is displayed on the effect display device 1600. In this case, since the remaining time of the special pattern that has already changed is indefinite, character B may be displayed immediately without displaying character A, character B may be displayed after a predetermined time has passed since the winning, or character A may be displayed first and then character B. Also, in Figure 170 (B), the number of reserved items indicated by the display in the reserved display area is increased by one.

Next, in FIG. 170(C), all decorative patterns stop and the special pattern variation ends. Additionally, character B's lines "It's a day with a 4, 5, or 6!" remain displayed on the performance display device 1600. Next, in FIG. 170(D), the special pattern variation corresponding to the winning starts. Additionally, at the same time as the special pattern variation starts, character B's lines displayed on the performance display device 1600 change to "It's a day with a 5 or 6!". In other words, the setting indicated by character B's lines has been upgraded.

Next, in FIG. 170(E), all decorative symbols stop and the special symbol variation corresponding to the winning prize ends. When the special symbol variation corresponding to the winning prize ends, the words of character B displayed on the performance display device 1600 change to "It's a day with a 6 in it!" In other words, the setting indicated by character B's words has been upgraded.

For example, the peripheral control ROM holds a dialogue pre-reading performance table (not shown) that defines the dialogue of character B and the timing of the change in the dialogue. Specifically, for example, the dialogue pre-reading performance table defines the timing of the change in the dialogue of character B and the dialogue of character B at the time of winning and at each change timing. The start, during, and end of the special pattern change after the time of winning and before the special pattern change corresponding to the winning are examples of the change timing. It is desirable that the setting suggested by the dialogue at each change timing is not demoted. There may be a different dialogue pre-reading performance table for each reserved memory number at the time of winning. When the peripheral control MPU determines to execute the pre-reading performance based on the advance judgment command, it executes the dialogue pre-reading performance by referring to the dialogue pre-reading performance table at a predetermined ratio, for example. Also, in the case of promotion, in FIG. 170, the promotion is done one step at a time (promotion in the order of "It's a day with a 4, 5, or 6!", "It's a day with a 5 or 6!", "It's a day with a 6!"), but it may be promoted multiple steps at once. Specifically, for example, in FIG. 170, the line (E) may be displayed without displaying the line (D).

The setting suggestion effect may be executed under specific circumstances other than those described above. For example, the setting suggestion effect may be executed when the conditions for a series of reserved plays are met. A series of reserved plays means that the next jackpot is realized by a special random number that has been reserved until the end of the jackpot game. In this case, for example, after the reservation is made and before the end of the jackpot game, the setting suggestion effect may be executed. Also, for example, if a specific variation pattern occurs a predetermined number of times in succession, the setting suggestion effect may be executed at the special pattern variation for the predetermined number of times.

[12-15. Restrictions on setting suggestion effects]
The following explains the restrictions on setting suggestion effects under certain conditions.

[12-15-1. Restrictions on setting suggestion effects after special states]
First, the restriction of the setting suggestion effect after the special state will be described. In the following, the setting confirmation mode and the error occurrence are both examples of the special state. The setting confirmation mode is a mode for displaying the setting value that starts when it is determined that the setting display condition is satisfied in the setting confirmation process (step S8062: Yes).

Figure 171 (A) is an example of a performance restriction table in setting confirmation mode. Figure 171 (B) is an example of a performance restriction table when an error occurs. The performance restriction table in setting confirmation mode and the performance restriction table when an error occurs are stored, for example, in the peripheral control ROM.

[12-15-1-1. Restrictions on setting suggestion effects after setting confirmation mode]
First, the setting confirmation mode effect restriction table will be described. The setting confirmation mode effect restriction table stores a restriction flag indicating whether or not to restrict the setting suggestion effect of a change that has been determined to execute a setting suggestion effect (hereinafter, referred to as a setting suggestion change in this chapter) when the setting confirmation mode is started while the change is being executed or pending.

The effect restriction table during setting confirmation mode includes record 1701 which stores a restriction flag when the setting confirmation mode starts before the start of a setting suggestion effect (i.e., when it has been determined that a setting suggestion effect will be performed but the effect related to the setting suggestion has not been executed (displayed)), and record 1702 which stores a restriction flag when the setting confirmation mode starts after the start of a setting suggestion effect during setting suggestion fluctuation (i.e., when it has been determined that a setting suggestion effect will be performed and the effect related to the setting suggestion has been executed (displayed)).

When the setting confirmation process shown in FIG. 159 is performed, game play is stopped when the setting confirmation mode is started, and when the setting confirmation process shown in FIG. 156 is performed, game play continues even during the setting confirmation mode. Therefore, the setting confirmation mode performance restriction table includes column 1703 that stores a restriction flag when game play is stopped when the setting confirmation mode is started, and column 1704 that stores a restriction flag when game play continues even during the setting confirmation mode.

In addition, if the game continues during the setting confirmation mode, there is a possibility that a new setting suggestion change will be reserved by a game ball entering the start hole during the setting confirmation mode. Therefore, column 1704 includes column 1705 that stores a restriction flag in a new setting suggestion change corresponding to a winning entry into the start hole during the setting confirmation mode. Note that each restriction flag in the setting confirmation mode performance restriction table can be set, for example, by an operation medium (which may be an operation medium that the player cannot operate or an operation medium that the player can operate) installed in the pachinko machine 1 when the pachinko machine 1 is manufactured or at the hall, etc. Note that, when a game ball enters the start hole during the setting confirmation mode, it is not necessary to obtain lottery information and draw a prize ball for that ball. However, even in such a case, the special symbol change that has already been reserved will be executed during the setting confirmation mode or after the setting change mode ends.

When play stops at the start of the setting confirmation mode, one of fields 1706 and 1707 has a value of 1 and the other has a value of 0, the values of fields 1708 to 1711 are 0, one of fields 1712 and 1713 has a value of 1 and the other has a value of 0, and the values of fields 1714 to 1717 are 0.

In addition, when gameplay progresses during the setting confirmation mode, the values of fields 1706 and 1707 are 0, one of fields 1708 and 1709 is 1 and the other is 0, one of fields 1710 and 1711 is 1 and the other is 0, the values of fields 1712 and 1713 are 0, one of fields 1714 and 1715 is 1 and the other is 0, and one of fields 1716 or 1717 is 1 and the other is 0.

The peripheral control MPU executes the setting suggestion effect restriction pattern according to the restriction flags for each state defined in the effect restriction table when the setting confirmation mode starts and the effect restriction table when an error occurs. These restriction patterns are explained below.

(1) What to do if the setting confirmation mode starts before the setting suggestion performance begins, and gameplay stops when the setting confirmation mode starts.

(1-1) After gameplay is resumed, a setting suggestion effect is executed (the value of field 1706 is 1 and the value of field 1707 is 0). By executing the setting suggestion effect, the player can be informed that the setting confirmation mode has been executed, rather than the setting change mode in which the setting change process is executed, and this gives the player peace of mind that the game results will not be affected.

(1-2) Do not execute the setting suggestion display after gameplay is resumed (the value of field 1706 is 0 and the value of field 1707 is 1). For example, if during setting confirmation mode, sounds and images indicating that the setting is being confirmed are output to the various speakers and the display device 1600, by not executing the setting suggestion display in this manner, it is possible to provide the player with a sense of anticipation that the setting may have been changed to a high setting even during setting confirmation mode.

(2) Regarding the setting suggestion effect of the setting suggestion change when the setting confirmation mode starts before the setting suggestion effect starts and gameplay continues during the setting confirmation mode.

(2-1) Execute a setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1708 is 1 and the value of field 1709 is 0). The game continues even during the setting confirmation mode, so there is no drop in operation. When audio and images indicating that the setting confirmation mode is in progress are output to various speakers and the effect display device 1600, these audio and images are output in priority to the audio and images in the setting suggestion effect. At this time, in order to avoid causing discomfort to the player, an image indicating that the setting confirmation mode is in progress is displayed on the effect display device 1600 so that part or all of the setting suggestion effect is displayed. Also, in order to provide the player with a sense of expectation such as "when will the setting suggestion effect be displayed" and "maybe a setting suggestion effect suggesting a high setting will be displayed," an image indicating that the setting confirmation mode is in progress may be displayed on the effect display device 1600 so that all of the setting suggestion effects are hidden.

(2-2) Do not execute the setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1708 is 0 and the value of field 1709 is 1). For example, if the player checks the setting value and the setting suggested by the setting suggestion effect differs from the actual setting (for example, when the setting value is 1 and an effect suggesting a high setting such as "Maybe it's a high setting?" occurs), the player may become distrustful of the gaming machine. By not executing the setting suggestion effect, such a situation can be avoided.

(2') Regarding the setting suggestion effect of a new setting suggestion change corresponding to a winning entry at the start gate during the setting confirmation mode, in cases where the setting confirmation mode starts before the setting suggestion effect starts and gameplay continues during the setting confirmation mode.

(2'-1) Execute a setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1710 is 1 and the value of field 1711 is 0). By executing the setting suggestion effect, the player can be informed that the setting confirmation mode has been executed instead of the setting change mode, and can be assured that the game result will not be affected.

(2'-2) Do not execute the setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1710 is 0 and the value of field 1711 is 1). For example, if the hall switches to setting confirmation mode because it has doubts about the setting value, there is a possibility that the setting value will be changed afterwards. If the setting suggestion effect is executed in such a case, there is a possibility that the setting suggestion effect and the actual setting will differ (for example, the setting suggestion effect may show that an even number setting has been confirmed, but after the setting has been changed to a different setting, the setting suggestion effect may show that an odd number setting has been confirmed), which could cause trouble between the hall and the player. By not executing the setting suggestion effect, it is possible to avoid such a situation from occurring.

It is preferable that the images, sounds, lights, etc., indicating that the game is in the setting confirmation state described above are displayed regardless of the values in the fields described above. It is also possible that new wins will be valid even if gameplay is stopped after the game has transitioned to the setting confirmation state, and in that case, the same processing as for progressing the game can be performed.

(3) When the setting confirmation mode starts during a setting suggestion change and after the setting suggestion effect has started (when the setting suggestion effect is being displayed, or after the setting suggestion effect has been displayed and the display of the setting suggestion effect has ended), and gameplay stops when the setting confirmation mode starts.

(3-1) Resume the setting suggestion presentation after gameplay is resumed (the value of field 1712 is 1 and the value of field 1713 is 0). If a setting suggestion presentation that has already started is canceled, the player may become suspicious and think that the settings have been changed. By resuming the setting suggestion presentation after gameplay is resumed, this occurrence can be avoided.

(3-2) Do not resume the setting suggestion presentation after gameplay is resumed (the value of field 1712 is 0 and the value of field 1713 is 1). For example, if during setting confirmation mode, sounds and images indicating that the setting is being confirmed are output to the various speakers and presentation display device 1600, by not executing the setting suggestion presentation in this manner, it is possible to provide the player with a sense of anticipation that the setting may have been changed to a high setting even during setting confirmation mode.

(4) Regarding the setting suggestion effects of the setting suggestion changes when the setting confirmation mode starts during the setting suggestion changes and after the setting suggestion effects have started (when the setting suggestion effects are being displayed, or after the setting suggestion effects have been displayed and the display of the setting suggestion effects has ended), and gameplay continues during the setting confirmation mode.

(4-1) The setting suggestion presentation is continued (the value of field 1714 is 1 and the value of field 1715 is 0). The game progresses even during the setting confirmation mode, so there is no drop in operation. When audio and images indicating that the setting confirmation mode is in progress are output to various speakers and the presentation display device 1600, these audio and images are output in priority to the audio and images in the setting suggestion presentation. At this time, in order to avoid causing discomfort to the player, an image indicating that the setting confirmation mode is in progress is displayed on the presentation display device 1600 so that part or all of the setting suggestion presentation is displayed (the image related to the setting suggestion presentation and the image indicating the setting confirmation mode do not overlap, or the image related to the setting suggestion presentation and the text indicating the setting confirmation mode, such as "In setting confirmation mode", do not overlap). The same processing can be used for this display, etc., even when an error occurs, which will be described later. Note that "not overlapping" here does not refer to the image data actually set in the RAM, but rather to the appearance of not overlapping from the player's perspective.

In addition, in order to provide the player with a sense of anticipation, such as "when will the setting suggestion effect be displayed?" and "maybe a setting suggestion effect suggesting a high setting will be displayed," all setting suggestion effects may be hidden and an image indicating that the setting confirmation mode is in progress may be displayed on the effect display device 1600.

(4-2) Stop the setting suggestion display (the value of field 1714 is 0 and the value of field 1715 is 1). For example, if the player checks the setting value and the setting suggested by the setting suggestion display differs from the actual setting (for example, if the setting value is 1 and a display suggesting a high setting such as "Maybe it's set high?" occurs), the player may become distrustful of the gaming machine. By not executing the setting suggestion display, such a situation can be avoided.

(4') Regarding the setting suggestion presentation of a new setting suggestion change corresponding to a win at the start gate during the setting confirmation mode, when the setting confirmation mode starts during the setting suggestion change and after the setting suggestion presentation starts, and the game continues during the setting confirmation mode.

(4'-1) Execute a setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1716 is 1 and the value of field 1717 is 0). By executing the setting suggestion effect, the player can be informed that the setting confirmation mode has been executed instead of the setting change mode, and can be assured that the game result will not be affected.

(4'-2) Do not execute the setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1716 is 0 and the value of field 1717 is 1). For example, if the hall switches to setting confirmation mode because it has doubts about the setting value, there is a possibility that the setting value will be changed afterwards. If the setting suggestion effect is executed in such a case, the setting suggestion effect and the actual setting will differ (for example, the setting suggestion effect may indicate that an even number setting has been confirmed, while the setting suggestion effect after the change to a different setting indicates that an odd number setting has been confirmed), which may cause trouble between the hall and the player. By not executing the setting suggestion effect, it is possible to avoid such an occurrence.

When gameplay continues in the setting check mode and the setting check mode spans multiple variations, the peripheral control MPU, for example, determines whether or not the setting check mode is in effect when the first symbol is determined after the setting check mode is started or when the next variation begins, based on a notification from the main control MPU 1311. If the peripheral control MPU determines that the setting check mode is in effect, and if the newly entered reserved symbol is a setting suggestion variation, it performs a setting suggestion presentation along with the variation corresponding to the reserved symbol. By performing a setting suggestion presentation, the player can be informed that the setting check mode has been executed, rather than the setting change mode in which the setting change process is executed, and this provides the player with the peace of mind that the game results will not be affected.

The peripheral control MPU may also choose not to execute the setting suggestion display in this case. If the player checks the setting value and the setting suggested by the setting suggestion display differs from the actual setting (for example, when the setting value is 1 and a display suggesting a high setting such as "Maybe it's a high setting?" occurs), the player may become distrustful of the gaming machine, and by not executing the setting suggestion display, such a situation can be avoided.

In this way, the effect is achieved both when the setting suggestion effect is performed and when the setting suggestion effect is not performed, so by allowing halls and other businesses to set performance restrictions on the setting suggestion effect, it is possible to provide gaming machines that meet the needs of the halls' business style.

[12-15-1-2. Restrictions on setting suggestion effects when an error occurs]
Next, the error occurrence time performance restriction table will be described with reference to Fig. 171 (B). The error occurrence time performance restriction table stores a restriction flag indicating whether or not to restrict the setting suggestion performance of a change (hereinafter, referred to as a setting suggestion change in this chapter) that has been determined to execute a setting suggestion performance when an error occurs during execution or pending of the change.

The error occurrence effect restriction table includes record 1801 which stores a restriction flag in the case where an error occurs before the start of a setting suggestion effect, and record 1802 which stores a restriction flag in the case where an error occurs during the change in the setting suggestion and after the start of a setting suggestion effect in the setting suggestion change.

There are strong errors that are reported by stopping the game, and weak errors that are reported while the game continues. An error that detects illegal magnetism in the launched ball sensor 1020 and the game area 5a is an example of a strong error. A full tank error (an error that indicates that the tank is full of game balls stored in the foul cover unit 520 based on a detection signal from the full tank detection sensor 535) is an example of a weak error.

Therefore, the table includes a column 1803 for storing the restriction flags corresponding to errors that are notified when gameplay is stopped, and a column 1804 for storing the restriction flags corresponding to errors that are notified while gameplay is still in progress.

In addition, if the game continues even during an error, there is a possibility that a new setting suggestion change will be put on hold if a game ball enters the starting hole while an error is occurring. Therefore, column 1804 includes column 1805 that stores a restriction flag for a new setting suggestion change that corresponds to a ball entering the starting hole while an error is occurring.

The restriction flag in the error occurrence performance restriction table can be set, for example, by an operating medium (which can be an operating medium that the player can operate or cannot be operated by the player) that is installed in the pachinko machine 1 when the pachinko machine 1 is manufactured or at the parlor, etc.

In the error occurrence performance restriction table, one of fields 1806 and 1807 has a value of 1 and the other has a value of 0, one of fields 1808 and 1809 has a value of 1 and the other has a value of 0, one of fields 1810 and 1811 has a value of 1 and the other has a value of 0, one of fields 1812 and 1813 has a value of 1 and the other has a value of 0, one of fields 1814 and 1815 has a value of 1 and the other has a value of 0, and one of fields 1816 and 1817 has a value of 1 and the other has a value of 0.

The peripheral control MPU executes the restriction pattern of the setting suggestion effect according to the restriction flag for each case defined in the effect restriction table when an error occurs. These restriction patterns are explained below.

(1) Regarding the case where an error occurs before the setting suggestion effect starts and gameplay stops when the error occurs (serious error).

(1-1) After the game is resumed, a setting suggestion effect is executed (the value of field 1806 is 1 and the value of field 1807 is 0). By executing the setting suggestion effect, the player can be informed that the settings have not been changed when the error is cleared by the hall staff, and this gives the player peace of mind that the outcome of the game will not be affected.

(1-2) Do not execute the setting suggestion effect after restarting the game (the value of field 1806 is 0 and the value of field 1807 is 1). This allows players to play in a way that avoids errors, as this can lead to a disadvantageous situation for the player, in which the setting suggestion effect is not executed if an error occurs, allowing the game to proceed smoothly and reducing the burden on the hall.

(2) Regarding the setting suggestion effect of the setting suggestion fluctuation in the case where an error occurs before the setting suggestion effect starts and the game continues after the error starts occurring (weak error).

(2-1) Execute a setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1808 is 1 and the value of field 1809 is 0). This allows the game to proceed even during an error, so the operation of the gaming machine is not interrupted. In addition, since a setting suggestion effect occurs even during an error, the player's interest can be improved. In addition, when audio and images indicating that an error is occurring are output to various speakers and the effect display device 1600, these audio and images are output in priority to the audio and images in the setting suggestion effect. At this time, in order to avoid causing discomfort to the player, an image indicating that an error is occurring is displayed on the effect display device 1600 so that part or all of the setting suggestion effect is displayed. In addition, in order to provide the player with a sense of expectation such as "when will the setting suggestion effect be displayed" and "maybe a setting suggestion effect suggesting a high setting will be displayed," an image indicating that an error is occurring may be displayed on the effect display device 1600 so that all of the setting suggestion effects are hidden.

(2-2) Do not execute the setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1808 is 0 and the value of field 1809 is 1). This allows players to play in a way that avoids errors, as if an error were to occur, the setting suggestion effect would not be executed, which would be disadvantageous to the player. This allows the game to proceed smoothly and reduces the burden on the hall.

(2') Regarding the setting suggestion effect of a new setting suggestion change corresponding to a win at the starting hole during the occurrence of the error, in the case where an error occurs before the start of the setting suggestion effect and the game continues while the error occurs (weak error).

(2'-1) A setting suggestion effect is executed (the value of field 1810 is 1 and the value of field 1811 is 0). This allows gameplay to proceed even during an error, so the operation of the gaming machine is not interrupted. In addition, because a setting suggestion effect occurs even during an error, it is possible to increase the player's interest.

(2'-2) Do not execute the setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1810 is 0 and the value of field 1811 is 1). As a result, the setting suggestion effect is not executed for winnings during an error, so the player stops shooting the ball and can quickly clear the error.

(3) Regarding cases where an error occurs during setting suggestion fluctuation and after the setting suggestion performance has started, and gameplay stops when the error occurs (serious error).

(3-1) Resume the setting suggestion presentation after gameplay is resumed (the value of field 1812 is 1 and the value of field 1813 is 0). If a setting suggestion presentation that has already started is canceled, the player may become suspicious and think that the settings have been changed. By resuming the setting suggestion presentation after gameplay is resumed, it is possible to prevent such an occurrence.

(3-2) Do not resume the setting suggestion display after gameplay is resumed (the value of field 1812 is 0 and the value of field 1813 is 1). This allows players to play in a way that avoids errors, as if an error were to occur, the setting suggestion display would be canceled, which would be disadvantageous to the player. This allows the game to proceed smoothly and reduces the burden on the hall.

(4) Regarding the setting suggestion presentation of the setting suggestion change when an error occurs during the setting suggestion change and after the start of the setting suggestion presentation, and the game continues even while the error occurs (weak error).

(4-1) Continue the setting suggestion presentation (the value of field 1814 is 1 and the value of field 1815 is 0). This allows the game to proceed even during an error, so the operation of the gaming machine is not interrupted. In addition, since the setting suggestion presentation occurs even during an error, the player's interest can be improved. In addition, when audio and images indicating that an error is occurring are output to various speakers and the presentation display device 1600, these audio and images are output in priority to the audio and images in the setting suggestion presentation. At this time, in order to avoid causing discomfort to the player, an image indicating that an error is occurring is displayed on the presentation display device 1600 so that part or all of the setting suggestion presentation is displayed. In addition, in order to provide the player with a sense of expectation as to "when the setting suggestion presentation was displayed" and "whether the setting suggestion presentation suggesting a high setting was displayed," an image indicating that an error is occurring may be displayed on the presentation display device 1600 so that all of the setting suggestion presentation is hidden.

(4-2) Stop the setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1814 is 0 and the value of field 1815 is 1). This allows players to play in a way that avoids errors, as if an error were to occur, the setting suggestion effect would be stopped, which would be disadvantageous to the player. This allows the game to proceed smoothly and reduces the burden on the hall.

(4') Regarding the setting suggestion presentation of a new setting suggestion change corresponding to winning at the start hole during the error, in the case where an error occurs during the setting suggestion change and after the start of the setting suggestion presentation, and the game continues while the error is occurring (weak error).

(4'-1) Execute a setting suggestion display (the value of field 1816 is 1 and the value of field 1817 is 0). This allows gameplay to proceed even during an error, so the operation of the gaming machine is not interrupted. In addition, because a setting suggestion display occurs even during an error, it is possible to increase the player's interest.

(4'-2) Do not execute the setting suggestion effect (the value of field 1816 is 0 and the value of field 1817 is 1). As a result, the setting suggestion effect is not executed for winnings during an error, so the player stops shooting the ball and can quickly clear the error.

In this way, the effect is achieved both when the setting suggestion effect is performed and when the setting suggestion effect is not performed, so by allowing halls and other businesses to set performance restrictions on the setting suggestion effect, it is possible to provide gaming machines that meet the needs of the halls' business style.

[12-15-2. Restrictions on effects when winning a new prize]
The following describes the restrictions on the effects in the change corresponding to the new start winning during the special pattern change and in the state where a new change can be reserved. Figure 172 is an example of a new start winning effect restriction table. The new start winning effect restriction table is stored in, for example, a peripheral control ROM.

The new start winning performance restriction table includes, for example, a condition column, a reference processing table column, and a flag column. The conditions in the condition column are defined by assumptions about the performance of the previous change and the performance restrictions in the performance of the new start winning under that assumption. Note that the previous change in this chapter is the change immediately before the change corresponding to the new start winning. As conditions for the performance of the previous change, there are cases where only an expectation suggestion performance is performed to see if the special lottery result corresponding to the change is a jackpot, and cases where an expectation suggestion performance and a setting suggestion performance are performed.

In addition, the performance restrictions for the look-ahead performance in a new start winning include restricting only the setting suggestion performance in the look-ahead performance (i.e. not executing the setting suggestion performance), restricting both the setting suggestion performance and the expectation suggestion performance in the look-ahead performance (i.e. not executing the setting suggestion performance and the expectation suggestion performance), and not restricting either the setting suggestion performance or the expectation suggestion performance in the look-ahead performance (i.e. executing the setting suggestion performance and the look-ahead performance).

The reference processing table column stores the identifier of the processing table to be referenced when executing the pre-reading performance restriction for a new start winning that is included in the corresponding condition. The flag column stores a flag indicating which condition is executed and which processing table is used to determine the processing for the pre-reading performance for a new start winning.

A 1 is stored in the flag column corresponding to any one of processing tables 1 to 3, and a 0 is stored in the flag column corresponding to the other two of processing tables 1 to 3. A 1 is stored in the flag column corresponding to any one of processing tables 4 to 6, and a 0 is stored in the flag column corresponding to the other two of processing tables 4 to 6. The flags in the new start winning performance restriction table can be set, for example, by an operating medium (which can be an operating medium that the player cannot operate or an operating medium that the player can operate) installed in the pachinko machine 1 when the pachinko machine 1 is manufactured or at the hall, etc.

When the peripheral control MPU determines that there is a new start winning during a special pattern change and that a new change can be held, and that only the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous change, it executes the condition indicated by the condition column corresponding to the flag column that stores a value of 1, where the value of the "Previous change effect" column in the new start winning effect restriction table is a flag column that corresponds to "expectation suggestion only." Furthermore, the peripheral control MPU refers to the processing table that corresponds to the flag column, and determines the content of the look-ahead effect in the change that corresponds to the new start winning.

Similarly, when there is a new start winning during a special pattern change and a new change can be held, and an expectation suggestion effect and a setting suggestion effect are executed in the previous change, the peripheral control MPU refers to the processing table corresponding to the flag column in the new start winning effect restriction table, which is a flag column that stores a value of 1 and corresponds to "expectation suggestion + setting suggestion," to determine the content of the pre-reading effect in the change corresponding to the new start winning.

The following describes each condition indicated in the condition column. The first condition (the condition for selecting processing table 1) is that when only the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous variation, only the setting suggestion effect is restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the variation corresponding to the new start winning. Under the first condition, the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous variation, so the player feels excited due to the expectation of a big win. In this situation, if the setting suggestion effect is executed as a pre-reading effect for the variation corresponding to the new start winning, the player's attention may be directed to the setting suggestion effect, which may reduce the excitement of the previous variation effect. In addition, the player may confuse the setting suggestion effect with the expectation suggestion effect, which may lead to false joy. Therefore, by executing the first condition, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of these situations.

In addition, under the first condition, an expectation suggestion effect is performed in the previous variation, but if a setting suggestion effect is executed in this state as a pre-reading effect of the variation corresponding to the new starting winning, the player can still expect a variation corresponding to the new starting winning even if he or she expects a miss in the previous variation, providing the player with a sense of security.

For example, when selecting an effect using the advance notice effect table of FIG. 165, the peripheral control MPU determines the effect using the table, and then determines whether the flag in the condition column indicating the restriction of the setting suggestion effect is 1 (whether to restrict or not), and if it is 1 (restrict), performs a process to rewrite and display "set not set" even if "set yes" is selected, thereby restricting the setting suggestion effect. In other words, the peripheral control MPU can execute the restriction of the setting suggestion effect using the advance notice effect table shown in FIG. 165 by performing a judgment process after determining the effect. In other words, since the pachinko machine 1 does not need to hold an effect table for each type of effect restriction, the amount of data can be reduced. Note that, in the same manner, for the expectation suggestion effect described later, even if the pre-reading reserve display is selected to be other than white using the final reserve color table of FIG. 161, the peripheral control MPU rewrites the selected reserve display to white when restricting the expectation suggestion effect.

The second condition (the condition under which processing table 2 is selected) is that when only the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous variation, both the setting suggestion effect and the expectation suggestion effect are restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the variation corresponding to the new starting winning. Under the second condition, the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous variation, so the player's sense of excitement due to the expectation of a big win is heightened. In this situation, if the setting suggestion effect and the expectation attitude suggestion effect are executed as a pre-reading effect for the variation corresponding to the new starting winning, the player's attention will be directed to these effects as well, which may reduce the sense of excitement in the previous variation effect. Therefore, by executing the second condition, it is possible to prevent these situations from occurring.

The third condition (the condition for selecting processing table 3) is that when only the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous variation, neither the setting suggestion effect nor the expectation suggestion effect is restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the variation corresponding to the new starting winning. Under the third condition, the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous variation, so the player's sense of excitement due to the expectation of a jackpot is heightened. In this state, the setting suggestion effect is executed as a pre-reading effect for the variation corresponding to the new starting winning, so that the player can be given a sense of excitement for the setting suggestion effect (particularly when a high setting confirmation suggestion effect or a high setting confirmation effect, etc. is executed) in addition to the excitement of the jackpot.

The fourth condition (the condition under which processing table 4 is selected) is that when an expectation suggestion effect and a setting suggestion effect are executed in the previous variation, only the setting suggestion effect is restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the variation corresponding to the new starting winning. Under the fourth condition, because an expectation suggestion effect and a setting suggestion effect are executed in the previous variation, the player feels a sense of excitement that he or she may win a jackpot in the previous variation, and a sense of excitement due to the setting suggestion (especially when a high setting suggestion effect or a high setting confirmation effect is executed). In such a situation, if a setting suggestion effect is executed as a pre-reading effect for the variation corresponding to the new starting winning, there is a risk that a situation will occur in which the excitement of expecting a jackpot in the pending previous variation will decrease.

Specifically, for example, if a setting suggestion effect in a previous variation confirms a setting of 4 or higher, and a setting suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect for the variation corresponding to the new starting winning confirms a setting of 5 or higher, the setting suggestion effect in the previous variation contains a lot of inaccurate information (it suggests the possibility of a setting of 4, even though the setting is actually 5 or higher). In such a case, the player may infer that not only the setting suggestion effect in the previous variation but also the expectation suggestion effect contains a lot of inaccurate information (specifically, for example, the player may infer that the probability of a jackpot being expected is not high for reserves that are displayed in red), which may reduce the excitement felt by the expectation suggestion effect. By implementing the fourth condition, it is possible to prevent such a situation from occurring.

The fifth condition (the condition for selecting the processing table 5) is that when the expectation suggestion effect and the setting suggestion effect are executed in the previous variation, both the setting suggestion effect and the expectation suggestion effect are restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the variation corresponding to the new start winning. Under the fifth condition, since the expectation suggestion effect and the setting suggestion effect are executed in the previous variation, if the setting suggestion effect is executed in the pre-reading effect corresponding to the new start winning, multiple setting suggestion effects will be executed in a short period of time, and there is a risk that the player will guess the setting value with high accuracy (for example, if an odd setting suggestion effect and a high setting suggestion effect are executed, there is a high possibility that the setting is 5). In such a situation, if the player judges that the setting is low, there is a risk that the player will stop playing with the pachinko machine 1, and if the setting is judged to be high, there is a risk that the operation of other pachinko machines 1 in the hall will decrease. By executing the fifth condition, it is possible to prevent such a situation from occurring.

In particular, if an expectation suggestion effect and a setting suggestion effect are performed in the previous variation, and an expectation suggestion effect and a setting suggestion effect are also performed as pre-reading effects in the variation corresponding to a new starting winning, there is a risk that many effects will occur in a short period of time, confusing the player. By implementing the fifth condition, it is possible to prevent such a situation from occurring.

The sixth condition (the condition under which processing table 6 is selected) is that when an expectation suggestion effect and a setting suggestion effect are executed in the previous variation, neither the setting suggestion effect nor the expectation suggestion effect are restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the variation corresponding to the new starting winning. Under the sixth condition, an expectation suggestion effect and a setting suggestion effect are executed in the previous variation, so the player estimates the expectation of the expectation suggestion effect in the setting suggested by the setting suggestion effect. In this state, by executing a setting suggestion effect and an expectation suggestion effect in the variation corresponding to the new starting winning, there is a possibility that the expectation of these two expectation suggestion effects will increase.

Specifically, for example, if a setting suggestion effect suggesting a setting of 4 or higher is executed in the previous variation, and a setting suggestion effect suggesting a setting of 5 or higher is executed as a look-ahead effect in a new starting winning, the player will assume an expectation of a setting of 4 or higher for the expectation suggestion effect in the previous variation. However, since a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect in a new starting winning subsequently suggests a setting of 5 or higher, the expectation for that expectation suggestion effect will assume an expectation of a setting of 5 or higher, increasing the player's sense of excitement.

In this way, the effect is realized for each of the look-ahead performance restriction contents that correspond to a new starting winning, so by allowing halls and other businesses to set such look-ahead performance restriction contents, it is possible to provide gaming machines that meet the needs of the halls' business style.

Below, we will explain each processing table and the look-ahead effects that are executed by referring to each processing table. Each processing table is stored, for example, in the peripheral control ROM.

Figure 173 is an example of processing table 1. First, the common contents of each processing table will be explained. Each processing table stores the winning type in the special lottery result of the previous change, the processing content related to the new start winning corresponding to that winning type, and a processing number which is an identifier of that processing content.

The processing contents held in each processing table define the processing contents for look-ahead effects that are not subject to restrictions. Specifically, for example, the processing contents for expectation suggestion effects are defined in the processing contents of processing table 1, which is a table referenced when restricting only setting suggestion effects as a look-ahead effect restriction for fluctuations corresponding to a new starting winning. Similarly, the processing contents for expectation suggestion effects and setting suggestion effects are defined in the processing contents of processing table 3, which is a table referenced when restricting both expectation suggestion effects and setting suggestion effects as a look-ahead effect restriction for fluctuations corresponding to a new starting winning.

The peripheral control MPU therefore determines the look-ahead effects that are subject to restriction in a new start winning event and the processing table to reference based on the flags in the new start winning event restriction table, and then determines the processing for the look-ahead effects that are not subject to restriction based on the processing table.

Processing table 3 and processing table 6, which will be described later, store flags for selecting processing contents related to a new starting winning from multiple processing contents. The flags in the processing tables can be set, for example, by an operating medium (which can be an operating medium that the player cannot operate or an operating medium that the player can operate) that is installed in the pachinko machine 1 when the pachinko machine 1 is manufactured or at the parlor, etc.

Below, we will explain the processing content related to the new start winning defined by Processing Table 1. Processing Table 1 is a table that is referenced when only the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous change, and only the setting suggestion effect is restricted as a look-ahead effect restriction for the change corresponding to the new start winning. Below, we will describe an example in which a reserve look-ahead is performed as a look-ahead effect that gives an expectation suggestion.

The process of process number 1 is a process related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a jackpot with time reduction. In the process of process number 1, if the pending display mode of the new start winning is a specific mode (e.g., pending display mode such as blue, green, red, etc.) with a high jackpot expectation, for example, at the start of the opening screen of the jackpot won in the previous variation, the peripheral control MPU returns the pending display mode of the new start winning to the default (the white display mode in the final pending color table of FIG. 161). However, if the pending display is no longer displayed in the pending display area at the start of the opening screen of the jackpot, the pending display of the specific mode is erased in the same way as other pending displays. In addition, the peripheral control MPU does not return the pending display mode of the new start winning to the specific display mode at the time of the transition to time reduction after the end of the jackpot (i.e., it leaves it as the default display). In addition, even if the pending new winnings have not been consumed at the end of the time-saving period, the peripheral control MPU will not return the pending display of the new starting winnings to the specific display mode (i.e., it will remain in the default display).

Processing number 2 is processing related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a jackpot without time reduction. In processing number 2, if the pending display mode of the new start winning is a specific mode with a high jackpot expectation, for example, at the start of the opening screen of the jackpot won in the previous variation, the peripheral control MPU returns the pending display mode of the new start winning to the default. However, if the pending is no longer displayed in the pending display area at the start of the opening screen of the jackpot, the pending display of that specific mode is erased in the same way as other pending displays. Also, even when transitioning to the normal state controlled after the jackpot game ends, the pending display mode of the new start winning is not returned to the specific display mode (i.e., it remains as the default display).

Processing number 3 is processing related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a small win. In processing number 3, the peripheral control MPU does not change the mode of the pending display of the new start winning (i.e., it continues the pending display; specifically, for example, if the pending display mode is blue, it continues to display the blue pending display mode). In addition, the peripheral control MPU may reset the pending display mode of the new start winning to the default at the start of the opening screen of the small win won in the previous variation. However, if the pending is no longer displayed in the pending display area at the start of the opening screen of the small win, the pending display of that specific mode is erased in the same way as other pending displays.

Processing number 4 is processing related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a miss. In processing number 4, the peripheral control MPU does not change the state of the pending display of the new start winning (i.e., the pending display is continued; specifically, for example, if the pending display state is blue, the blue pending display state is continued to be displayed).

Figure 174 is an example of processing table 2. Processing table 2 is a table that is referenced when only the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous variation, and when both the setting suggestion effect and the expectation suggestion effect are restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the variation corresponding to a new start winning. Since processing table 2 is a table that is referenced when both the setting suggestion effect and the expectation suggestion effect are restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the variation corresponding to a new start winning, it is defined that no special processing is executed for the pre-reading effect in the variation corresponding to a new start winning, regardless of the type of jackpot in the previous variation.

Figure 175 is an example of processing table 3. Processing table 3 is a table that is referenced when only the expectation suggestion effect is executed in the previous fluctuation, and neither the setting suggestion effect nor the expectation suggestion effect is restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the fluctuation corresponding to a new starting winning.

Processing numbers 5 to 6 are processes related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a jackpot with time reduction. One of the processes of processing numbers 5 to 6 can be selected by a flag. In processing numbers 5 to 6, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as processing number 1.

In the processing of process number 5, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning. Specifically, before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning means, for example, during the fluctuation of the previous fluctuation, during the game of the jackpot won in the previous fluctuation, or while the reserved second special pattern is being consumed during the time-saving game associated with the jackpot won in the previous fluctuation. Processing number 5 makes it possible for the player to remember that a setting suggestion effect will be performed if the player is aware that the setting suggestion effect has started before the start of the previous fluctuation, etc.

In the process of process number 6, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning. Since a jackpot with time-saving was won in the previous fluctuation, the fluctuation corresponding to the new winning is likely to start after the time-saving period ends (because during the time-saving period, when game balls frequently enter the second start hole 2004 and the first special pattern fluctuation and the second special pattern fluctuation are pending, the second special pattern fluctuation is executed in priority to the first special pattern fluctuation). Therefore, by processing process number 6, a setting suggestion effect is executed after the time-saving period ends, which reduces the player's disappointment due to the time-saving period ending.

The processes of process numbers 7 to 8 are processes related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a jackpot without time reduction. One of the processes of process numbers 7 to 8 can be selected by a flag. In the processes of process numbers 7 to 8, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as the processing of process number 2.

In the process of process number 7, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning. Specifically, before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is, for example, during the previous fluctuation, during the jackpot game that was won in the previous fluctuation, etc. Although the player feels disappointed that he or she won the jackpot but did not win the time-saving feature, if the process of process number 7 causes the setting suggestion effect to start at the latest during the jackpot game, the player can enjoy the jackpot game with the disappointment reduced.

In the process of process number 8, the peripheral control MPU executes the setting suggestion effect during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning. By processing process number 8, the setting suggestion effect starts immediately after the end of the jackpot, which reduces the player's disappointment for not being granted the time-saving feature.

The processes of process numbers 9 to 10 are processes related to a new starting winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a small win. One of the processes of process numbers 9 to 10 can be selected by a flag. In the processes of process numbers 9 to 10, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new starting winning is the same as the processing of process number 3.

In the processing of process number 9, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new starting winning. Specifically, before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new starting winning means, for example, during the previous fluctuation, during the opening of a small win won in the previous fluctuation, or during the small win. In a small win, only a small bonus is given to the player, which can disappoint the player, but by processing number 9, the setting suggestion effect can be started at an early timing, reducing disappointment.

In processing step number 10, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion display during the fluctuation corresponding to the new starting winning. Since the series of consumption times associated with a small win is shorter than the series of consumption times associated with a big win, if the player is aware that the setting suggestion display has started before the start of the previous fluctuation, the player may feel distrustful if the setting suggestion display is not executed. Processing step number 10 can prevent the player from feeling distrustful in this way.

Processing numbers 11 to 13 are processes related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a miss. One of the processes of processing numbers 11 to 13 can be selected by a flag. In processing numbers 11 to 13, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as processing number 4.

In processing step 11, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion display during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning.

In the process of process number 12, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect in the new start winning during the change corresponding to the new start winning only if the state of the reserved display in the reserved pre-reading effect of the previous change is a specific state (e.g., green or red) with a high expectation of a jackpot. The execution timing of the setting suggestion effect is not changed, i.e., no special processing is performed, but the execution timing of the setting suggestion effect may be controlled differently (for example, the timing at which the lines suggesting the setting by character B appear may be delayed a predetermined number of seconds (e.g., 2 seconds) from the normal time, or may be advanced a predetermined number of seconds (e.g., 2 seconds). The process of process number 12 can reduce the disappointment of a player who feels disappointed that a reserved display state with a high expectation of a jackpot appeared in the previous change but did not win. In FIG. 175 and FIG. 178 described later, the old reserved is the reserved corresponding to the previous change, and the new reserved is the reserved corresponding to the new start winning.

In the process of process number 13, if the pending display mode is a specific mode (e.g., green or red) that has a high expectation of a jackpot, the peripheral control MPU does not execute a setting suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect in the new start winning. By processing process number 13, even though a pending display mode with a high expectation of a jackpot appeared in the previous variation, it is missed, and furthermore, no setting suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect appears in the variation corresponding to the new start winning, so that the player can be prevented from becoming addicted to the game.

Figure 176 is an example of processing table 4. Processing table 4 is a table that is referenced when expectation suggestion effects and setting suggestion effects are executed in the previous fluctuation, and only setting suggestion effects are restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for fluctuations corresponding to a new starting winning.

Processing number 14 is processing related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a jackpot with time reduction. In processing number 14, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as processing number 1.

Processing number 15 is processing related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a jackpot without time reduction. In processing number 15, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as processing number 2.

Processing number 16 is processing related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a small win. In processing number 16, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as processing number 3.

Processing number 17 is processing related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a miss. In processing number 16, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as processing number 4.

In addition, since processing table 4 is a table that is referenced when restricting only the setting suggestion effects as a pre-reading effect restriction for fluctuations corresponding to new starting winnings, it is defined that no special processing is executed for the setting suggestion effects in fluctuations corresponding to new starting winnings, regardless of the jackpot type of the previous fluctuation.

Figure 177 is an example of processing table 5. Processing table 5 is a table that is referenced when expectation suggestion effects and setting suggestion effects are executed in the previous variation, and both setting suggestion effects and expectation suggestion effects are restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for a variation corresponding to a new start winning. Since processing table 5 is a table that is referenced when both setting suggestion effects and expectation suggestion effects are restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for a variation corresponding to a new start winning, it is defined that no special processing is executed for the pre-reading effect in a variation corresponding to a new start winning, regardless of the type of jackpot in the previous variation.

Figure 178 is an example of a processing table 6. Processing table 6 is a table that is referenced when an expectation suggestion effect and a setting suggestion effect are executed in the previous fluctuation, and neither the setting suggestion effect nor the expectation suggestion effect is restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction for the fluctuation corresponding to a new starting winning.

The processes of process numbers 18 to 21 are processes related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a jackpot with time reduction. One of the processes of process numbers 18 to 21 can be selected by a flag. In the processes of process numbers 18 to 21, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as the processing of process number 1.

In the processing of process number 18, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning. Specifically, before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning means, for example, during the fluctuation of the previous fluctuation, during the game of the jackpot won in the previous fluctuation, or while the reserved second special pattern is being consumed during the time-saving period associated with the jackpot won in the previous fluctuation. Processing number 18 makes it possible to ensure that the player does not forget that a setting suggestion effect will be performed if the player is aware that the setting suggestion effect has started before the start of the previous fluctuation, etc.

In the process of process number 19, the peripheral control MPU executes the setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning only if the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance of the previous fluctuation (specifically, for example, if the setting suggestion performance of the previous fluctuation notifies that a setting of 4 or higher is confirmed, and the setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance notifies that a setting of 5 or higher is confirmed before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning). Specifically, before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning means, for example, during the fluctuation of the previous fluctuation, during the play of the jackpot won in the previous fluctuation, or during the consumption of the reserved second special pattern during the time-saving associated with the jackpot won in the previous fluctuation.

By processing the process number 19, the player can see the high setting suggestion effect at the latest during the time-saving jackpot, so that the player can get a double sense of elation from the time-saving jackpot and the high setting suggestion. Also, for example, if the setting suggestion effect of the previous variation notifies that the setting is 5 or higher, and the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect notifies that the setting is 4 or higher before the start of the variation corresponding to the new start winning, the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the variation corresponding to the new start winning is a useless effect that does not provide new information to the player, and such a useless effect can be omitted by processing the process number 19. On the other hand, for example, if the setting suggestion effect of the previous variation notifies that the setting is 4 or higher is confirmed, the player is likely to continue playing even if the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect does not notify that the setting is 5 or higher is confirmed before the start of the variation corresponding to the new start winning, so the setting suggestion effect is likely to be a useless effect, and such a useless effect can be omitted by processing the process number 19.

In the process of process number 20, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning. By processing process number 20, the setting suggestion effect often starts immediately after the time-saving state ends, which can reduce the player's disappointment at the end of the time-saving state.

In the process of process number 21, the peripheral control MPU executes the setting suggestion effect during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning only if the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect of the previous fluctuation. By processing process number 21, it is possible to omit unnecessary setting suggestion effects such as those described in the process of process number 19, and to reduce the player's disappointment at the end of the time-saving state.

The processes of process numbers 22 to 25 are processes related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a jackpot without time reduction. One of the processes of process numbers 22 to 25 can be selected by a flag. In the processes of process numbers 22 to 25, the processing of the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as the processing of process number 2.

In the process of process number 22, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning. Specifically, before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is, for example, during the previous fluctuation, during the jackpot game that was won in the previous fluctuation, etc. Although the player feels disappointed that he or she won the jackpot but did not win the time-saving feature, if the process of process number 22 starts the setting suggestion effect at the latest during the jackpot game, the player can enjoy the jackpot game with the disappointment reduced.

In the process of process number 23, the peripheral control MPU executes the setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning only if the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance of the previous fluctuation. Specifically, before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning means, for example, during the previous fluctuation, during the jackpot game that was won in the previous fluctuation, etc. If the setting suggestion performance starts during the jackpot game at the latest by the process of process number 23, the jackpot game can be enjoyed with the disappointment reduced.

In the process of process number 24, the peripheral control MPU executes the setting suggestion effect during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning. By processing process number 24, the setting suggestion effect starts immediately after the end of the jackpot, so that the player's disappointment for not entering the time-saving mode can be reduced.

In the process of process number 25, the peripheral control MPU executes the setting suggestion effect during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning only if the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect of the previous fluctuation. The process of process number 21 makes it possible to omit unnecessary setting suggestion effects as described in the process of process number 19, and to reduce the player's disappointment for not entering the time-saving mode. In addition, if the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is not better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect of the previous fluctuation, executing the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning would cause the player who is disappointed that the time-saving mode did not begin to be entered to see even more unnecessary setting suggestion effects, which may upset the player.

The processes of process numbers 26 to 29 are processes related to a new start winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a small win. One of the processes of process numbers 26 to 29 can be selected by a flag. In the processes of process numbers 26 to 29, the processing for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new start winning is the same as the processing of process number 3.

In the process of process number 26, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning. Specifically, before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning means, for example, during the previous fluctuation, during the opening of a small win won in the previous fluctuation, or during the small win. In a small win, only a small bonus is given to the player, which can disappoint the player, but by processing number 26, the setting suggestion effect can start at an early timing, reducing disappointment.

In the process of process number 27, the peripheral control MPU executes the setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning only if the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance of the previous fluctuation. Specifically, before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is, for example, during the previous fluctuation, during the opening of the small win won in the previous fluctuation, or during the small win. By processing process number 27, it is possible to omit unnecessary setting suggestion performances as explained in the process of process number 19, and to reduce disappointment of the player due to only a small benefit being given in a small win.

In processing step number 28, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect during the fluctuation corresponding to the new starting winning. Since the series of consumption times associated with a small win is shorter than the series of consumption times associated with a big win, if the player is aware that the setting suggestion effect has started before the start of the previous fluctuation, the player may feel distrustful if the setting suggestion effect is not executed. Processing step number 28 can prevent the player from feeling distrustful in this way.

In the process of process number 29, the peripheral control MPU executes the setting suggestion effect during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning only if the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect of the previous fluctuation. The process of process number 29 makes it possible to omit the unnecessary setting suggestion effect as described in the process of process number 19, and to reduce the player's disappointment that only a small benefit is given in a small win. In addition, if the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is not better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion effect of the previous fluctuation, executing the setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning will cause a player who is disappointed that only a small benefit is given in a small win to see even more unnecessary setting suggestion effects, which may upset the player.

The processes of process numbers 30 to 34 are processes related to a new starting winning when the winning type of the previous variation is a miss. One of the processes of process numbers 30 to 34 can be selected by a flag. In the processes of process numbers 30 to 34, the process for the expectation suggestion effect as a pre-reading effect corresponding to a new starting winning is the same as the process of process number 4.

In the process of process number 30, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect during the fluctuation corresponding to the new starting winning. By processing process number 30, it is possible to reduce the disappointment of the player due to the failure of the previous fluctuation.

In the process of process number 31, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect in the new start winning during the change corresponding to the new start winning only if the state of the reserved display in the reserved look-ahead effect of the previous change is a specific state (e.g., green or red) with a high expectation of a jackpot. The execution timing of the setting suggestion effect is not changed, i.e., no special processing is performed, but the execution timing of the setting suggestion effect may be controlled differently (for example, the timing at which the lines suggesting the setting by character B appear may be delayed a predetermined number of seconds (e.g., 2 seconds) or advanced a predetermined number of seconds (e.g., 2 seconds) from normal). The process of process number 31 can reduce disappointment for a player who feels disappointed that a reserved display state with a high expectation of a jackpot appeared in the previous change but did not win.

In the processing of process number 32, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance for the new start winning during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning only when the state of the reserved display in the reserved look-ahead performance of the previous fluctuation is a specific state (e.g., green or red) with a high expectation of a jackpot, and the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance of the previous fluctuation. Processing number 32 makes it possible to reduce the player's disappointment when the previous fluctuation, which had a reserved display state with a high expectation of a jackpot, turned out to be a miss, through the setting suggestion performance.

In the process of process number 33, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion effect as a look-ahead effect in the new start winning during the change corresponding to the new start winning only if the state of the reserved display in the reserved look-ahead effect of the previous change is not a specific state (e.g., green or red) that has a high expectation of a jackpot. By processing process number 33, the setting suggestion effect can alleviate disappointment for players who have been disappointed because the reserved look-ahead effect of the previous change did not give them any expectation of a jackpot.

In the process of process number 34, the peripheral control MPU executes a setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance for the new start winning during the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning only if the state of the pending display is not a specific state (e.g., green or red) with a high expectation of a jackpot, and the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance as a look-ahead performance before the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning is better than the setting suggested in the setting suggestion performance of the previous fluctuation. The process of process number 34 makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation that increases the player's frustration, such as the state of the pending display of the previous fluctuation being low expectation and the setting suggestion performance of the fluctuation corresponding to the new start winning suggesting a low setting.

In the above-mentioned process, even in a situation where the setting suggestion effect is not restricted as a pre-reading effect restriction of fluctuations corresponding to a new starting winning, the peripheral control MPU may not execute the setting suggestion effect in the following cases. For example, if the new starting winning occurs during a jackpot, the peripheral control MPU may not execute the setting suggestion effect. This is because immediately after a jackpot game, the player is likely to continue playing even without the incentive of a setting suggestion effect.

As in the examples of Processing Table 3 and Processing Table 6, the effect is achieved in each process related to the new start winning defined by each processing number, so by allowing the hall or the like to set the process related to the new start winning, it is possible to provide gaming machines that meet the needs of the hall or the like's business style.

In addition, for example, if the new start winning occurs just before the end of the ST state (a sure-change state that continues until a jackpot is won or a specified number of special symbol changes are performed) (specifically, for example, when the number of remaining special symbol changes until the end of the ST state is equal to or less than 4, which is the maximum number of reserved special symbols, or when the number of remaining special symbol changes until the end of the ST state is displayed on the effect display device 1600), the peripheral control MPU does not need to execute the setting suggestion effect. Just before the end of the ST state, the player's biggest concern is whether or not he will win a jackpot in that ST. If a setting suggestion effect begins as a pre-reading effect related to a new start winning in such a state, the player may mistake the setting suggestion effect for an effect with a high probability of a jackpot, which may lead to a situation in which the player gets excited. The above-mentioned processing can prevent such a situation from occurring.

In addition, for example, if a new start winning occurs between the end of the ST state and the transition to the normal state and the time when a predetermined number of special symbol variations (specifically, for example, four special symbol variations, which is the maximum number of reserved special symbols, or a predetermined number of special symbol variations (for example, five) taking into consideration the fact that the second start port 2004 may be open immediately after the transition from the ST state to the normal state) is performed, the peripheral control MPU does not need to execute the setting suggestion effect. Immediately after the end of the ST state, the player's greatest concern is whether or not he will win a jackpot immediately. In particular, immediately after the end of the ST state, there is a high possibility that a variation corresponding to the reservation of a second special symbol, which is likely to win a type of jackpot that is of great benefit to the player, will be executed. In such a state, if a setting suggestion effect begins as a pre-reading effect related to a new start winning, the player may mistake the setting suggestion effect for an effect with a high probability of winning a jackpot, which may cause the player to get excited. The above-mentioned processing can prevent such a situation from occurring.

In addition, when it is determined that a setting suggestion effect that is complete in itself will be executed for multiple pending events, the setting suggestion effect for the previous change may be changed so that a single setting suggestion effect that spans the changes corresponding to the multiple pending events is executed.

[12-16. Alternative example 1 of setting change/confirmation processing]
Another embodiment of a pachinko machine with a setting change function will be described below. In the embodiment described below, the setting value can be selected by operating the RAM clear switch 954 without providing the setting change switch 972. However, in order to distinguish between the original function of the RAM clear switch 954 to initialize the main control RAM 1312 and the setting change function, the operation for changing the setting value will be described as the setting change switch 972.

Figures 179 and 180 are flowcharts of the power-on process executed by the main control MPU 1311 when the power is turned on. The power-on process shown in Figures 179 and 180 is another example of step S10 in Figure 21 to step S34 in Figure 22.

First, the main control MPU 1311 reads the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 and the signal level of the setting key 971 from the input port, and stores the read-in level data in a register (step S201). The main control MPU 1311 determines whether the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 have been operated in steps S212 and S214 after the peripheral control board 1510 has been started up. For this reason, if a hall employee accidentally stops operating the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 while waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up, the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 will be determined in a state not intended by the hall employee. For this reason, the input state (level) of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 is stored in a temporary storage means such as a register at an early stage after the power-on process begins, and the state of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 stored in the temporary storage means such as a register is determined after the standby state of the peripheral control board 1510 ends. This ensures that even if a hall employee accidentally stops operating the keys at an early stage after power-on, the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 during the power-on operation is detected reliably.

The ON level of the RAM clear switch 954 and the ON level of the setting key 971 may be different. For example, the logic of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 may be changed to positive or negative, so that the RAM clear switch 954 is ON at a high level and the setting key 971 is ON at a low level. Also, the voltage at which the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 are determined to be ON may be different. By doing this, it is possible to change the signal level by irradiating the pachinko machine 1 with radio waves, making it difficult to commit fraud by activating the setting change mode. Also, as will be described later, there is no need to monitor the signal level of the fraud detection sensor in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode.

Then, it is determined whether the setting value is within a predetermined range (step S202). For example, in a pachinko machine 1 where the settings can be selected from 1 to 6, if the work value in which the setting value is stored corresponds to 0 to 5 (setting 1 = 0, setting 6 = 5), if a value of 5 or less is stored, it is determined to be within the predetermined range.

If the setting value is not within the specified range, a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, and initialization by a reset signal from the pachinko machine 1 is awaited (step S203). The setting value is not within the range in which the checksum is calculated, and is not erased by a RAM clear operation, so an abnormal setting value is not corrected. For this reason, when the power is turned on, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the setting value, and if there is an abnormality, processing related to normal play such as special and normal drawings is not executed.

The set value is not only determined when the power is turned on, but also when a certain condition is met, such as when a winning ball enters the starting hole, when a variable display game starts, or when the game state changes (from normal state to jackpot state, from low probability state to high probability state, from non-time-saving state to time-saving state, etc.). This prevents a lottery from being held based on an incorrect set value, even if the set value is mistakenly set to an abnormal value.

If the setting value is determined to be abnormal, gameplay will stop and the abnormal setting value (RAM abnormal) state will be maintained until the power is turned back on or the setting value is changed. If the setting value is determined to be abnormal, a predetermined value should be set. As the predetermined value, a value corresponding to setting 6 indicating the highest setting or a value corresponding to setting 1 indicating the lowest setting should be used to update the setting value storage area.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, a RAM abnormality can only be cleared via the setting change mode, and cannot be cleared by simply turning the power back on. This is because RAM abnormalities can occur due to malfunctions as well as fraud, and if a RAM abnormality caused by fraud can be cleared by turning the power back on, the RAM abnormality can be easily cleared. In contrast, if a RAM abnormality cannot be cleared without going through the setting change mode, the RAM abnormality cannot be cleared without operating the power switch 932, setting key 971, and RAM clear switch 954, and this further includes the operation of the setting key 971, which can only be operated by hall employees who have a key, thereby improving security against fraudulent activities.

To deal with cheating by illegally changing the setting value to an indefinite value, if a setting value is determined to be abnormal, it can be updated to a value corresponding to setting 1, which indicates the lowest setting, which is an effective way of improving the security of the gaming machine.

The setting status management area, as shown in FIG. 201 (B), is a memory area in which the operating mode of the pachinko machine 1 is recorded, and for example, the normal game status (state in which game play can be started), the setting confirmation mode, the setting change mode, and abnormalities in the main control RAM 1312 are recorded.

On the other hand, if the set value is within the predetermined range, the system waits for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up (step S204).

Then, the checksum calculated from the data backed up in the main control RAM 1312 at the time of the previous power outage is compared (verified) with the checksum calculated at the time of the previous power outage and stored in step S48. Note that a fixed check code value may be used instead of the checksum. Furthermore, it is determined whether the value of the backup flag area is normal. If the value of the power outage flag, which indicates that the backup was successful, is stored in the backup flag area, the data in the RAM was backed up normally when the power outage occurred (step S205).

If the result of the determination is that either the checksum or the value in the backup flag area is abnormal, a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area (step S206), all areas of the main control RAM 1312 (including the area in which the setting values are stored) are initialized (step S207), and the process proceeds to step S216. Note that the erasure of data stored in all areas or a specified area of the main control RAM 1312 is referred to as "initialization," but "RAM clear" is also used in the same sense.

On the other hand, if the checksum and backup flag area values are normal, it is determined whether a setting change operation has been performed (RAM clear switch 954 is ON, setting key 971 is ON) based on the value (contents) of the setting key stored in the register. If a setting change operation has not been performed (either or both of RAM clear switch 954 and setting key 971 are OFF), it is determined whether a value indicating that a setting is being changed (02H) is recorded in the setting status management area to determine whether the setting was being changed before the power was turned on (step S208).

As a result, if the register has stored information that a setting change operation has been performed, it can be determined that the RAM clear switch 954 and setting key 971 were used to enter setting change mode when the power was turned on, and that the setting change operation should be started. Also, if a value (02H) indicating that a setting is being changed is recorded in the setting status management area, it can be determined that the power was turned on after a power outage during a setting change operation. When it is determined to transition to setting change mode based on the value stored in the register or the value stored in the setting status management area, a value (02H) indicating the setting change state is recorded in the setting status management area (step S209), the clear area of the main control RAM 1312 that should be initialized when the RAM is normal is initialized (step S210), and the process proceeds to step S216.

When transitioning to the setting change mode based on the value stored in the setting state management area in step S208, a value indicating the setting change state (02H) is recorded in the setting state management area in step S209. However, since there is no need to set the same value (setting change state (02H)) again at this time, when it is determined to transition to the setting change mode based on the value stored in the setting state management area, it is not necessary to record the value indicating the setting change state (02H) in the setting state management area.

On the other hand, if the setting change operation is not set in the register and the value (02H) indicating that the setting is being changed is not recorded in the setting status management area, the setting change operation should not be started. Therefore, to determine whether the RAM was abnormal before the power was turned on, it is determined whether the value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area (step S211).

If a value indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, it is determined that the state before power was turned on is a RAM abnormality (the main control RAM 1312 is abnormal), and the process proceeds to step S216. On the other hand, if a value indicating a RAM abnormality is not recorded in the setting status management area, the state before power was turned on is not a RAM abnormality (the main control RAM 1312 is abnormal), so it is determined whether the ON level of the RAM clear switch 954 is stored in the register (step S212).

As a result, if the ON level of the RAM clear switch 954 is stored in the register, the RAM clear switch 954 was turned ON when the power was turned on, so the process proceeds to step S210 to initialize the RAM area (cleared area when RAM is normal) within the game control area excluding the setting value and setting status management area.

On the other hand, if the register does not store the ON operation level of the RAM clear switch 954, the RAM clear switch 954 was not operated when the power was turned on, so the power-on state buffer is set (step S213). The contents set in the power-on state buffer are sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control board 1510 as a power-on state command to notify the game status managed by the main control MPU 1311 when the power is restored.

Then, it is determined whether the ON level of the setting key 971 is stored in the register (step S214). As a result, if the ON level of the setting key 971 is stored in the register, the setting key 971 was operated when the power was turned on and the setting confirmation operation should be started, so a value (01H) indicating the setting confirmation mode is recorded in the setting status management area (step S215).

Then, the devices built into the main control MPU 1311 are initialized (step S216), and a power-on operation command that notifies the operation of each part when power is turned on is sent to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S217). The power-on operation command is one of the power-on commands described in step S32 of FIG. 22. Then, the main control RAM 1312 is initialized to the state at power-on (step S218).

Then, it is determined whether a value (00H) indicating a state in which game can be started is recorded in the setting state management area (step S219). If a value indicating a state in which game can be started is recorded in the setting state management area, normal game can be started, so the process proceeds to step S220 and continues with the initial settings. On the other hand, if a value indicating a state in which game can be started is not recorded in the setting state management area, normal game cannot be started, so the initial settings are terminated and the process proceeds to step S224.

In step S220, the initial settings at the start of play or when power is restored are performed. After that, a power-on state command that notifies the state of each part when power is turned on is sent to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S221). Then, a power-on return destination command that notifies the state of the special pattern when power is restored is stored in a buffer for transmission to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S222). The power-on state command and power-on return destination command are one of the power-on commands described in step S32 of FIG. 22. The various commands stored in the buffer are sent during timer interrupt processing.

Furthermore, a setting value command notifying the setting value is sent to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S223), an interrupt is enabled (step S224), and the process proceeds to the normal main loop (e.g., step S36 in FIG. 22).

Figures 181 and 182 are flowcharts of the timer interrupt processing executed by the main control MPU 1311. The timer interrupt processing shown in Figures 181 and 182 differs from the timer interrupt processing shown in Figures 24, 75, 80, 104, and 155 in that the setting change processing is executed within the timer interrupt processing.

First, the main control MPU 1311 updates the LED common counter (LED_CT) (step S230). The LED common counter is a counter that determines which common terminal of the base display 1317 is turned on, i.e., which digit is to be displayed. Note that in this embodiment, an example is described in which the base display 1317 and the setting display 974 are used together, but the base display 1317 and the setting display 974 may be provided separately. In this case, it is preferable to provide the same number of LED common counters as the number of displays.

Then, the switch input process is executed (step S231). The switch input process is the same as step S74 in FIG. 23.

Next, it is determined whether an initial value (a value indicating a state in which game play can be started) is recorded in the setting state management area (step S232). If an initial value (a value indicating a state in which game play can be started) is recorded in the setting state management area, there is no need to execute the setting change/confirmation process (step S234 and onwards) in the timer interrupt process, so normal timer interrupt process (for example, step S76 and onwards in Figure 23) is executed (step S233). In the normal timer interrupt process in step S233, a performance display process (Figure 183) described below is executed. On the other hand, if an initial value (a value indicating a state in which game play can be started) is not recorded in the setting state management area, normal game process is not executed in the timer interrupt process, and setting change/confirmation process is executed.

In the setting change/confirmation process, first, OFF is output from the LED common port, a security signal is output from the external terminal board 784, and the game interruption signal is set to ON (step S234). By turning the LED common signal OFF at an early stage of the timer interrupt process, the time until the LED common signal turns ON, i.e., the LED off time, is secured, the ghost phenomenon in which the display before and after the LED display change appears mixed, and LED flickering is prevented.

Then, it is determined whether a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area (step S235). If a value indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, the process proceeds to step S245 without executing a process to change/check the setting value. On the other hand, if a value indicating a RAM abnormality is not recorded in the setting status management area, it is determined whether an operation to change/check the setting value has been performed (steps S236, S237). Specifically, it is determined whether a value (02H) indicating a setting change is recorded in the setting status management area (step S236).

If the setting change switch 972 has been operated, the setting value is incremented by 1 (step S238) and the process proceeds to step S245. If the incremented setting value exceeds the upper limit, the setting value is reset to the initial value. On the other hand, if a value indicating a setting change is not recorded in the setting status management area (a value indicating a setting confirmation is recorded in the setting status management area), or if the setting change switch 972 has not been operated, it is determined whether an OFF edge of the output level of the setting key 971 has been detected (step S239). If an OFF edge of the output level of the setting key 971 is detected, the setting key 971 has been operated to the normal position, and the setting change/confirmation mode termination process is executed (steps S240 to S244). On the other hand, if an OFF edge of the output level of the setting key 971 has not been detected, the setting change/confirmation mode is not terminated and the process proceeds to step S245.

In the setting change/confirmation mode termination process, as shown in FIG. 182, the initial value (value indicating a state in which play can be started) is recorded in the setting state management area (step S240), the initial setting at the start of play or the initial setting at the time of power recovery is performed (step S241), and the power-on state command notifying the state of each part at the time of power-on (play state such as low probability/high probability, time-saving/non-time-saving) is stored in the buffer to be sent to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S242). Then, the power-on return destination command notifying the state of the special pattern at the time of recovery after a power outage is stored in the buffer to be sent to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S243). Specifically, the counter value indicating the processing state regarding the special pattern/special electric role (the state of each process regarding the special pattern/special electric role (waiting, fluctuating, judgment, jackpot, etc.)) is sent as a command. As a result, the peripheral control board 1510 can determine the game state regarding the special pattern and the operating state of the special electric role when the power is restored. Then, the setting value command notifying the setting value is stored in a buffer for transmission to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S244), and the process proceeds to step S245.

The command to notify the setting value should be sent not only when the setting change/check mode is ended when the power is turned on, but also when a change starts or when the game state is changed. In that case, the setting value command sent when the power is turned on and the command sent during normal gameplay such as when a change starts may be the same command or different commands (for example, the value of the upper byte may be different).

If the setting value commands are different when the power is turned on and during normal play, when the peripheral control board 1510 receives a series of commands (variation pattern commands, pattern commands, etc.) including the setting values at the start of the special pattern variation display game, it determines whether any commands are missing. By varying the content of the commands depending on when the commands are sent (when the power is turned on, during normal play, etc.), the peripheral control board 1510 can determine whether the setting values were received correctly when the power was turned on, or whether a variation pattern command or pattern command other than the setting values was missing when the variation began.

In step S245, it is determined whether a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is stored in the setting status management area. If a value indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, a setting is made to display an error on the base display 1317 (or the setting display 974 if separate) (step S246). On the other hand, if a value indicating a RAM abnormality is not recorded in the setting status management area, a setting is made to display the current setting value on the base display 1317 (or the setting display 974 if separate) (step S247).

Then, ON is output to the common terminal of the LED of the base display 1317, and the base display 1317 is lit by the segment signal output according to the setting in step S246 or S247 (step S248). In this way, after the timer interrupt process starts, the setting value change operation is determined (step S237), and then ON is output to the common terminal of the LED for each timer interrupt to display the setting value (switch the display of the setting value). The setting value is displayed without being triggered by the setting operation. Specifically, the process related to the setting change/confirmation is not performed as a process when the power is turned on, but is performed within the same timer interrupt process as when normal play is started. Even if a power outage occurs during the setting change/confirmation process and the power is restored after the setting key 971 is returned to its original state, the setting change/confirmation process can be returned to the state it was in when the power outage occurred without operating the setting key 971 or the setting change switch 972 to the same position as when the power outage occurred. Furthermore, in the setting change/confirmation process, the process executed in the normal game process, such as the command transmission process and the control of the dynamic lighting of the LED, can be shared.

Then, a command is sent to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S249), and the timer interrupt process ends. That is, in step S249, the commands stored in the buffer in steps S242, S243, S244, etc. are actually output as serial data from the main control board 1310.

In the timer interrupt process described above, the process branches depending on whether normal play is performed or the setting change mode (or setting confirmation mode) is performed (step S232 in FIG. 181), but multiple timer interrupt processes may be provided and different timer interrupt processes may be started in the normal play state and the setting change mode and/or the setting change mode. These multiple timer interrupt processes may include some common processes (for example, a common subroutine may be called in each timer interrupt process), or may all be composed of different routines. In other words, in the setting change mode and setting confirmation mode, timer interrupt process 1 (for setting change/confirmation) is called, and in the normal play state, timer interrupt 2 (for normal play) is called, and there are processes (modules) that are commonly executed in these two timer interrupt processes and dedicated processes (modules) that are executed only in one of the timer interrupt processes. Common processes include, for example, switch input processing that captures the output of various detection switches such as winning slot sensors and peripheral board command processing that transmits commands to the peripheral control board 1510.

The register bank may also be shared between the processes executed in normal play and the processes executed in the setting change mode. When bank 0 is used in the main control side main process, bank 1 is used for both timer interrupt processes. Since the two timer interrupt processes are not activated at the same time, one register bank can be shared. In other words, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the main control MPU 1311 has two or more registers that can be switched by bank, and has the main control side main process that is repeatedly executed, timer interrupt process 1 that is executed periodically (during normal play), and timer interrupt process 2 that is executed periodically (setting change mode), and at least two of the main control side main process, timer interrupt process 1, and timer interrupt process 2 use a common bank of registers.

The execution cycle of the timer interrupt processing executed in normal play and the timer interrupt processing executed in the setting change mode should be the same, but they may be executed with different cycles. Since the only switches sampled in the timer interrupt processing executed in the setting change mode are the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971, the execution cycle of the timer interrupt processing in the normal play state is 4 ms, while the execution cycle of the timer interrupt processing executed in the setting change mode may be faster (e.g., 2 ms) or slower (e.g., 8 ms). Note that if the execution cycle of the timer interrupt processing executed in the setting change mode is slower, the cycle of the dynamic lighting control of the LED that displays the setting value will be slower, and the display mode of the setting value will differ from the base display during normal play. If there are eight common LEDs, and the execution period of the timer interrupt process is 8 ms, the display period will be 64 ms (display ON 8 ms, OFF 56 ms), and if the execution period of the timer interrupt process is 4 ms, the display period will be 32 ms (display ON 4 ms, OFF 20 ms). The OFF time will be longer in proportion to the execution period of the timer interrupt process, and the LED will flicker more, making it possible to recognize the display mode as different from the base display during normal play.

In addition, when the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode is started at power-on, timer interrupt processing 1 for setting change/confirmation is permitted, and timer interrupt processing 2 for normal play is prohibited. On the other hand, when starting in normal play state at power-on (without transitioning to setting change/confirmation mode), timer interrupt processing 1 for setting change/confirmation is prohibited, and timer interrupt processing 2 for normal play is permitted. Then, when the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode is ended, timer interrupt processing 1 for setting change/confirmation is prohibited, and timer interrupt processing 2 for normal play is permitted.

Figure 183 is a flowchart of the performance display process executed by the main control MPU 1311. In the performance display process, the performance (e.g., base value) of the pachinko machine 1 is displayed on the base display 1317.

The performance display process is executed in the timer interrupt in the normal game mode described above. Specifically, it is executed in the normal interrupt process of step S233 of the timer interrupt process shown in FIG. 181, or in the base display output process of step S2087 of the timer interrupt process shown in FIG. 191.

First, the main control MPU 1311 saves the stack address in the game control area, sets a stack address outside the game control area (step S260), and saves the registers used in the game control area to the register save buffer (step S261). The save destination for the registers used in the game control area in step S261 is preferably a work area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312. Note that the save destination for the registers used in the game control area may also be a stack area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312.

Then, it is determined whether the first power-on flag is normal (step S262). The first power-on flag is a flag that indicates whether the areas outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 have been initialized (i.e., whether this is the first power-on), and is set to 5AH when the areas outside the game control area are initialized. In other words, if the value of the first power-on flag is 5AH, it can be determined that the main control RAM 1312 was initialized (i.e., the areas outside the game control area were also initialized) when the power was first turned on.

Then, it is determined whether the value of the parameter used to display the base value is within a predetermined range (step S263). For example, if the value of the LED common counter for switching the display digits of the base display 1317 is other than 0 to 3, it is determined that the parameter value is abnormal, and in step S264, the main control RAM 1312 outside the game control area is initialized.

If the power outage flag is not normal or the values of each parameter are not within the specified range, the main control RAM 1312 outside the game control area is initialized, the power outage flag is set to 5AH (step S264), and the process proceeds to step S265. On the other hand, if the power outage flag is normal and the values of each parameter are within the specified range, the various winning hole sensors 3015, 2114, 2554, 2557 and the ejected ball sensor 3060 are detected, and the base value is calculated (step S265).

Then, it is determined whether it is time to switch the base value calculation interval (step S266), and if the time has come to switch, the display mode is switched (step S267). Display data is then created according to the display mode and stored in a buffer (step S268). The display is then controlled for each interval. For example, display control for each interval may include displaying a test interval with fewer than 500 out balls, or flashing the display when the number of low probability/non-time-saving out balls is less than a predetermined number (e.g., 6,000) (step S269).

Then, the register values are restored from the register save buffer (step S270), the stack address in the game control area is restored (step S271), and the performance display process is terminated.

Next, the notification mode of the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 184. As described above, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, if there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312 when the power is turned on, or if the machine is in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, a notification is issued to inform hall employees of the status of the pachinko machine in an easy-to-understand manner.

The notification modes (for example, the display mode of the function display unit 1400) described below are output in the mode selected in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode. These notifications are controlled by selecting a notification pattern in conjunction with the display settings on the base display 1317 in steps S246 and S247 of the timer interrupt process (FIG. 181). Specifically, this is executed in the setting display process of step S2069 of the timer interrupt process shown in FIG. 190. Note that the process may be executed by providing a dedicated module for displaying the operation mode of the pachinko machine 1.

First, if the main control RAM 1312 is abnormal, it is controlled by a command sent to the peripheral control board 1510 in step S249 of the timer interrupt process (FIG. 181). Note that an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312 is reported with priority over reporting of other abnormalities or conditions.
Function display unit 1400: All lights off, or all LEDs flash rapidly at the same cycle. Display device 1600: Displays the words "RAM error" and outputs a sound (sound effect). RAM abnormality notification sound (RAM abnormality notification sound may be the same as the notification sound for modes other than the setting change mode and setting confirmation mode).
Sound (audio): "RAM error" sound output volume: maximum volume independent of the volume of the peripheral control board box 1520 or the volume setting by the player Frame decoration LED: flashes red for a specific frame lamp (including the top lamp, excluding the bulb burnt out and stock notification LEDs) on the door frame 3 Display panel decoration LED: all lights off External output (security signal): output test signal (game machine error signal): output re-notification Cancellation conditions: RAM has been cleared by changing settings on the main control board 1310, or power has been reapplied to the peripheral control board 1510

Next, a description will be given of a setting change notification when the main control RAM 1312 is started in the setting change mode. The setting change notification is controlled by a command sent to the peripheral control board 1510 in step S249 of the timer interrupt process (FIG. 181).
Function display unit 1400 All lights up, or all LEDs flash at a medium speed at the same cycle. Display device 1600 Displays the words "Settings being changed" Sound (sound effect) Outputs a sound to notify the setting change mode Sound (audio) Outputs the sound "Settings being changed" a specified number of times (for example, 16 times). Volume Maximum volume independent of the volume of the peripheral control board box 1520 or the volume setting by the player. Frame decoration LED Flashes a specified frame lamp (including the top lamp, excluding bulb burnout and stock notification LEDs) provided on the door frame 3 in white. Display panel decoration LED All lights off. External output (security signal). Output test signal (game machine error signal). Output re-notification. Release conditions The peripheral control board 1510 has received "A001H" as the power-on operation command.

Next, a description will be given of a setting check notification when the main control RAM 1312 is started in the setting check mode. The setting check notification is controlled by a command sent to the peripheral control board 1510 in step S249 of the timer interrupt process (FIG. 181).
Function display unit 1400: All lights on, or all LEDs flash slowly at the same cycle. Display device 1600: Displays the text "Checking settings" and outputs a sound (sound effect). An alarm sound for the setting check mode is output (the alarm sound for the setting check mode may be the same as the alarm sound for the setting change mode).
Sound (audio): The sound "Checking settings" is played a predetermined number of times (e.g. 16 times). Output volume: Maximum volume, independent of the volume of the peripheral control board box 1520 or the volume set by the player. Frame decoration LED: A predetermined frame lamp (including the top lamp, excluding the bulb burnt out and stock notification LEDs) on the door frame 3 flashes in white. Display panel decoration LED: All lights are turned off. External output (security signal): Output test signal (game machine error signal): Output re-notification. Release conditions: The peripheral control board 1510 receives "A001H" as the power-on operation command and a predetermined time (e.g. 30 seconds) has elapsed.

The above-mentioned three states are preferably notified in the order of the abnormality of the main control RAM 1312 with the highest priority, the setting change mode, and the setting confirmation mode. More specifically, the priority may be determined in the order shown in FIG. 185. Note that priority 1 is the highest priority of notification, and priority 9 is the lowest priority of notification. That is, when multiple notifications should be made, the notification with the highest priority (lower number) is made. Also, when the conditions of multiple notifications with the same priority are established and the notifications compete, the competing notifications may be switched and notified, or the notification that was established first may be made, and if the competing notification satisfies the condition after the notification is released, the competing notification may be made. Specifically, in priority 3, the RAM clear notification and the setting confirmation notification do not occur at the same time, so the notifications do not compete. In priority 4, the excessive prize ball abnormality notification and the normal electric role winning abnormality notification may occur at the same time, and the two notifications may compete.
Priority 1: RAM error notification when a RAM abnormality is detected. Priority 2: Setting change notification in setting change mode. Priority 3: RAM clear notification when the main control RAM is initialized by operating the RAM clear switch 954 (excluding RAM clear due to setting change).
Priority 3: Setting confirmation notification in setting confirmation mode Priority 4: Excessive prize ball abnormality notification when more than a predetermined number of prize balls are paid out Priority 4: Normal electric device prize winning abnormality notification when a predetermined number or more of winnings are detected consecutively when a normal electric device is not in operation, or a predetermined number or more of winnings are detected during one operation of a normal electric grilling device Priority 5: Ejection abnormality notification when the difference between the number of winnings and the number of ejections at the large prize opening becomes a predetermined number or more Priority 6: Vibration sensor abnormality notification when vibration is detected Priority 7: Door open abnormality notification when the opening of the door frame 3 or the main body frame 4 is detected Priority 8: Magnetic sensor abnormality notification when the magnetic sensor detects magnetism Priority 9: Large prize opening prize winning abnormality notification when a predetermined number or more of winnings are detected consecutively when the large prize opening is not in operation, or a predetermined number or more of winnings are detected during one jackpot

Next, the details of the power-on process (FIGS. 179 and 180) described above will be explained. FIG. 186 and FIG. 187 are flowcharts of the power-on process executed by the main control MPU 1311 when the power is turned on.

First, when the power is turned on and the reset signal is released, the main control MPU 1311 starts processing address 8000, which is the start address of the program code. The main control MPU 1311 sets the protection of the main control RAM 1312 to be disabled and the prohibited area to be disabled in the RAM protection register (step S2000). The main control MPU 1311 has the function of designating the use area of the main control RAM 1312, and determining that an abnormality has occurred and resetting if there is access to a prohibited area other than the designated area. In order to release the reset function due to access to the prohibited area of the main control RAM 1312, the prohibited area is set to be disabled, allowing access to all areas of the main control RAM 1312. Note that an unused area of the main control RAM 1312 may be designated as the prohibited area, the prohibited area may be enabled, and the main control MPU 1311 may be reset if access to the designated prohibited area is detected.

Next, a simple clear mode timer of a predetermined time is set to the watchdog timer (step S2001), and the watchdog timer is cleared (step S2002). After that, the power outage clear signal is set to ON (step S2003), and the power outage clear signal is set to OFF (step S2004). By first setting the power outage clear signal to ON and then to OFF, the power outage signal stored in the latch can be set to a normal value.

Next, the signal levels of the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 are read from the PF port and stored in a register (step S2005). The determination of whether the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 have been operated is performed by the main control MPU 1311 after the peripheral control board 1510 has been started up, so if a hall employee accidentally stops operating the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 while waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up, the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 will be determined to be in a state unintended by the hall employee. For this reason, the input state (level) of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 is stored in a temporary storage means such as a register at an early stage after the power-on process begins, and the state of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 stored in a temporary storage means such as a register is determined after the standby state of the peripheral control board 1510 ends. This ensures that even if a hall employee accidentally stops operating the keys at an early stage after power-on, the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 during the power-on operation is detected reliably.

Then, it is determined whether the power outage warning signal indicates that a power outage is occurring (step S2006). If a power outage warning signal has been detected, the power supply voltage of the pachinko machine is not normal, so in step S2006, the machine waits until the power supply voltage stabilizes.

Then, it is determined whether the setting value is within a predetermined range (step S2007). For example, in a pachinko machine 1 where the settings can be selected from 1 to 6, if the work value in which the setting value is stored corresponds to 0 to 5 (setting 1 = 0, setting 6 = 5), if a value of 5 or less is stored, it is determined to be within the predetermined range.

If the set value is not within the predetermined range, the set value is initialized to 0 (step S2023), a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting state management area (step S2024), and initialization by the reset signal of the pachinko machine 1 is awaited. The set value is not within the range in which the checksum is calculated, and is not erased by the RAM clear operation, so even if the set value is abnormal, it is not corrected. For this reason, when the power is turned on, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the set value, and if there is an abnormality, normal game play is not started. In halls where pachinko machines are installed, the RAM clear operation may be performed when it is desired to initialize the game state while maintaining the set value (for example, to clear the latent probability change (high probability non-time shortening) and return to the normal state with low probability time shortening). If the set value is initialized by the RAM clear operation during business hours, it is necessary to cut off the power and start the setting change mode to reset the set value and continue business, and then reset the original set value. In order to avoid such trouble, the set value is maintained without being cleared by the RAM clear operation.

On the other hand, if the set value is within the predetermined range, a sub-startup waiting timer (e.g., about 2 seconds) is started, and the watchdog timer is continuously cleared until the timer times out, while waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up (step S2008). The waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up can be any time between power-on and the first transmission of a command to the peripheral control board 1510, and does not have to be after the set value has been determined.

Then, it is determined again whether the power outage warning signal indicates that a power outage is occurring (step S2009). If the power outage warning signal is detected, the power supply voltage of the pachinko machine 1 is abnormal, so the system waits in step S2009.

It also determines whether there is an abnormality in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, and stores the determination result in a register (step S2010). Specifically, it compares a checksum calculated and stored from the data used as the game control area (excluding data saved in the stack) among the areas backed up in the internal RAM 1312 at the time of the previous power outage with a checksum calculated using the same area, and if the two are different, it determines that there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312. In addition, if the value of the power outage flag indicating that the data was backed up normally (the power outage processing was executed normally) is not stored in the backup flag area, it determines that the data in the main control RAM 1312 was not backed up normally at the time of the power outage (the power outage processing was not executed normally) and that there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312.

If an abnormality is found in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, the information in the setting status management area is saved (step S2011), and a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is provisionally recorded in the setting status management area (step S2012).

Then, among the register values in which the PF port value is recorded, the bits of the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 are masked (step S2013). After that, it is determined using the values stored in the register whether the setting key 971 was operated to ON and the RAM clear switch 954 was operated to ON when the power was turned on (step S2014). If the setting key 971 was operated to ON and the RAM clear switch 954 was operated to ON, it is determined that a setting change operation has been performed, and the process proceeds to step S2030 in FIG. 187.

On the other hand, if the setting key 971 has not been operated and the RAM clear switch 954 has not been operated, it is determined whether the setting change mode was active when the power outage occurred (step S2015). For example, if the value of the setting status management area saved in S2011 is the setting change mode (02H), it is determined that a power outage occurred during the setting change mode.

If it is determined that a power outage has occurred during the setting change mode, the process proceeds to step S2030 in FIG. 187.

On the other hand, if it is determined that no power outage has occurred during the setting change mode, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2016). Specifically, this can be determined using the determination result stored in the register in step S2010 described above. If there is an abnormality in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 as a result, the process proceeds to step S2031 in FIG. 187.

On the other hand, if there is no abnormality in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, it is determined whether a power outage occurred during RAM abnormality processing (step S2017). For example, when the value of the saved setting state management area is a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality, it is determined that a power outage occurred during RAM abnormality processing.

If it is determined that a power outage has occurred during RAM abnormality processing, the process proceeds to step S2036 in FIG. 187. On the other hand, if it is determined that a power outage has not occurred during RAM abnormality processing, a value (00H) indicating a normal game state is recorded in the setting state management area (step S2018). By recording 00H in the setting state management area in step S2018, the value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality that was provisionally recorded in the setting state management area in step S2012 is returned to a normal state. Also, by recording 00H in the setting state management area in step S2018, the values in the setting state management area when jumping from steps S2016 and S2019 to step S2031 are different, so that the program can be shared between the two, thereby reducing the program size.

Then, the value stored in the register is used to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 was turned ON when the power was turned on (step S2019). If the RAM clear switch 954 was turned ON, it is determined that a RAM clear operation has been performed, and the process proceeds to step S2031 in FIG. 187.

In the pachinko machine of this embodiment, processing is allocated based on the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971, and the value recorded in the setting status management area. For example, if it is determined that the main control RAM 1312 is abnormal, 08H is recorded in the setting status management area, and 08H is maintained until the power is cut off, so that normal game processing cannot be executed. In this case, if the power is cut off once, a setting change operation is performed, and then the power is turned on, the RAM abnormality can be canceled. That is, if it is determined in step S2014 that both the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 have been operated (setting change operation), the setting status management area is updated from a value indicating a RAM abnormality (08H) to a value indicating a setting change (02H) (step S2030), and the RAM abnormality state ends. In this way, recovery from a RAM abnormality is always via a setting change. In other words, before determining whether the state at the time of the power outage is a RAM abnormality, it is determined whether a setting change operation has been performed, so the RAM abnormality can only be resolved by changing the setting value.

On the other hand, if the RAM clear switch 954 has not been operated, the game status information at the time of the power outage is stored in the power-on status buffer in order to restore the state before the power outage occurred (step S2020).

Then, the value stored in the register is used to determine whether the setting key 971 was operated to ON when the power was turned on (step S2021). If the setting key 971 was operated to ON, it is determined that a setting confirmation operation has been performed, a value (01H) indicating the setting confirmation mode is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2022), and the process proceeds to step S2036 in FIG. 187. In other words, regardless of whether the state at the time of the power outage was during setting confirmation or not, if only the setting key 971 has been operated (if the RAM clear switch 954 has not been operated), the process transitions to the setting confirmation mode.

Since steps S2018 to S2022 are processes that are executed when at least one of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 is not operated, it is possible to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 is operated (step S2019) or whether the setting key 971 is operated (step S2021). That is, as shown in the figure, it is possible to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 is operated (step S2019) and then determine whether the setting key 971 is operated (step S2021), or it is possible to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 is operated (step S2019) and then determine whether the setting key 971 is operated (step S2021).

Next, we will explain Figure 187, which is a continuation of the power-on process (Figure 186).

If step S2014 or step S2015 returns YES, a value (02H) indicating the setting change mode is recorded in the setting state management area (step S2030). Then, the setting values in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, areas other than the setting state management area, and the stack area in the game control area are initialized (step S2031). After that, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2032). Specifically, since the determination result in step S2010 described above is stored in the register, in step S2032, a determination can be made based on the determination result stored in the register.

When it is determined that there is an abnormality in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, the flag register is saved to the stack area in the game control area (step S2033), and the RAM (work area and stack area) of the main control RAM 1312 used outside the game control area is initialized by the RAM abnormality initialization process (step S2034). Details of the RAM abnormality initialization process will be described later in FIG. 189. Then, the flag register saved in the stack area in the game control area is restored (step S2035).

Then, the functions of the devices (CTC, SIO, etc.) built into the main control MPU 1311 are initialized (step S2036), and a hardware random number (e.g., a winning/losing random number) built into the main control MPU 1311 is started (step S2037). Then, the power-on setting process is executed (step S2038). The details of the power-on setting process will be described later with reference to FIG. 194.

Finally, the timer interrupt is set to enabled (step S2039), and the process proceeds to the main control side main processing (Figure 188).

Figure 188 is a flowchart of the main control side main processing executed by the main control MPU 1311. The main control side main processing is executed after step S2039 of the power-on processing (Figure 187).

First, the main control MPU 1311 acquires the power outage warning signal and determines whether a power outage has occurred based on whether the power outage warning signal is ON (step S2040). If the power outage warning signal is not ON, power is being supplied normally, so random number update process 2 is executed (step 2041). Details of random number update process 2 will be described later in FIG. 195. In random number update process 2, random numbers other than the random numbers used to determine whether a special lottery or regular lottery has been won are mainly updated.

On the other hand, if a power failure warning signal is detected, the power failure process (steps S2042 to S2046) is executed. In the power failure process, a process is executed to back up data to restore the state before the power failure. Specifically, interrupts are first prohibited (step S2042). This prevents the timer interrupt process described later from being performed, prohibits writing data to the main control built-in RAM 1312, and protects the game information from being overwritten. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 clears the output ports to stop the operation of the devices controlled by the output from each port (step S2043). Specifically, the power failure clear signal OFF bit data is output to the solenoid, power failure clear, and ACK output ports. Note that not all output ports need to be cleared. For example, output ports for controlling solenoids and motors that consume a lot of power may be cleared. By clearing these output ports, the power consumption until the main board side power failure process is completed is reduced, and the main board side power failure process can be completed reliably.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 calculates a checksum to determine whether the data stored in the work area to be backed up has been held correctly, and stores the checksum in a specified checksum storage area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2044). This checksum is used to determine whether the data backed up in the work area is correct. The area for which the checksum is calculated should be the work area in the game control area, excluding the setting state management (setting value and value of the setting state management area) that may be changed between when the power is turned on and when the main processing on the main control side is executed, the backup flag, and the value of the checksum area.

Furthermore, a value (5AH) indicating that the power failure process has been normally executed is stored in the backup flag area as a power failure flag (step S2045). This completes the storage of the game backup information. Finally, RAM protection is enabled (write prohibited) and the prohibited area is disabled is written to the RAM protection register, writing to a specified area of the main control RAM 1312 is prohibited (step S2046), and the system waits until the power failure is restored (infinite loop). The main control MPU 1311 has a function of designating a use area of the main control RAM 1312, and determining that an abnormality has occurred and resetting if there is access to a prohibited area other than the designated area. In order to release the reset function due to access to the prohibited area of the main control RAM 1312, the prohibited area is set to disabled, thereby making it possible to access all areas of the main control RAM 1312. Note that an unused area of the main control RAM 1312 may be designated as a prohibited area, the prohibited area may be enabled, and the main control MPU 1311 may be reset if access to the designated prohibited area is detected.

Figure 189 is a flowchart of the RAM initialization process executed by the main control MPU 1311 when an abnormality occurs in the RAM. The RAM initialization process when an abnormality occurs is executed in step S2034 of the power-on process (Figure 187).

First, the main control MPU 1311 stores the value of the stack pointer in the SP save buffer outside the game control area (step S2050), sets the stack pointer value outside the game control area to the stack pointer (step S2051), and stores all register values in the register save buffer outside the game control area (step S2052).

After that, it is determined whether the initialization is at the first power-on based on the value of the first power-on flag at the time of power-on (step S2053). The first power-on refers to the first time the power is turned on as a pachinko machine, and the time the power is turned on from a state in which the backup power is interrupted and the data backed up in the main control RAM 1312 is erased. For example, if the connection wire between the main control board 1310 and the backup power supply (installed, for example, in the main body frame 4) is disconnected, the supply of backup power to the main control RAM 1312 is cut off, and the data in the main control RAM 1312 can no longer be retained.

If it is initialization at the first power-on, proceed to step S2056. On the other hand, if it is not initialization at the first power-on, it is determined whether the discharged ball for the base calculation is outside the predetermined range (step S2054). If the discharged ball for the base calculation is outside the predetermined range, proceed to step S2056. On the other hand, if the discharged ball for the base calculation is within the predetermined range, it is determined whether the display parameters of the performance display monitor are within the normal range (step S2055). Then, if the display parameters of the performance display monitor are within the normal range, the RAM abnormality initialization process is terminated and the process from which it was called is returned to.

On the other hand, if the display mode of the performance display monitor is outside the normal range, 00H is written to all work areas outside the used area of the main control RAM 1312 to initialize them (step S2056), 00H is written to all stack areas outside the used area to initialize them (step S2057), a predetermined value (e.g., 5AH) is set as the power-on initialization flag (step S2058), and the process returns to the calling process.

Figures 190 and 191 are flowcharts of the timer interrupt processing executed by the main control MPU 1311.

First, the main control MPU 1311 sets the register bank selection flag to 1 and switches the register bank (step S2060). The main control MPU 1311 has two register groups used for calculations, one of which is used as the register group of bank 0 and the other is available as the register group of bank 1, and is configured so that the registers of both banks cannot be used without switching the banks. Register bank 0 is used in the main processing on the main control side, and register bank 1 is used in the timer interrupt processing. For this reason, an instruction to switch the bank to 1 is executed at the start of the timer interrupt processing, but it is not necessary to execute an instruction to switch the bank to 0 at the end of the timer interrupt processing. This is because the main control MPU 1311 stores the state of the bank in a flag register (for example, a register in which the Z flag and C flag are set), and the flag register is saved in the stack area at the start of the interrupt and is restored from the stack area by executing the RET command. For this reason, the bank flag of the register stored in the flag register is also restored by executing the RET command. If the bank status is not stored in the flag register, a bank switch command is executed at the end of the timer interrupt process to return to bank 0.

The flag register also stores a flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled, so there is no need to set it to interrupt enabled before executing the RET instruction. The flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled is set to interrupt disabled state after the flag register is stacked at the start of timer interrupt processing. Therefore, unless interrupts are enabled during timer interrupt processing (by using the EI instruction, for example) or the RETI instruction is executed, the interrupts will not be enabled.

Next, the LED common counter is incremented by +1. If the LED common counter value exceeds the upper limit, it is reset to 0 (step S2061).

Next, switch input process 1 is executed (step S2062). In switch input process 1, various signals input to the input terminals of various input ports of the main control MPU 1311 are read, an ON edge is created, and the resulting signal is stored as input information in the input information storage area of the main control RAM 1312.

Switch input process 1 in step S2062 is a process related to a winning signal, and switch input process 2 in step S2080, which will be described later, is a process related to input from a fraud detection sensor (magnetic sensor, radio wave sensor, vibration sensor, etc.). For this reason, in the timer interrupt process executed in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, a NO determination is made in step S2604, so winning is detected but fraud is not detected. Even if a winning is detected, prize balls are not paid out and no variable display is performed. This is because setting change operations and setting confirmation operations are performed by hall employees, and fraud is not committed in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, so it is considered desirable not to detect fraud.

Note that even in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, some fraud detection sensors (e.g., radio wave sensors) may be used to detect specific types of fraud in switch input process 1. In this way, it is possible to detect fraud where a cheater tries to forcibly start the setting change mode by irradiating radio waves, etc.

Next, random number update process 1 is executed (step S2063). In random number update process 1, the random numbers for determining a jackpot, the random numbers for a jackpot pattern, and the random numbers for a small jackpot pattern are updated. In addition to these random numbers, the random numbers for determining the initial values of the random numbers for determining the jackpot pattern and the random numbers for determining the small jackpot pattern, which are updated in random number update process 2 of the main control main process shown in FIG. 188, are also updated.

It is then determined whether a value (00H) indicating the start of play has been recorded in the setting state management area (step S2064). If a value indicating the start of play has been recorded in the setting state management area, the process proceeds to step S2080 in FIG. 191. On the other hand, if a value indicating the start of play has not been recorded in the setting state management area, the LED common port is turned OFF (step S2065). By turning OFF the LED common signal at an early stage of the timer interrupt process, the time until the LED common signal is turned ON, i.e., the LED off time, is secured, the ghost phenomenon in which the display before and after the LED display change appears mixed, and LED flickering is prevented.

After that, a security signal is output from the external terminal board 784 (step S2066), and a test signal is output (step S2067). In step S2067, it is preferable to turn only the game status error signal ON and turn the others OFF.

Then, the setting process is executed (step S2068). Details of the setting process will be described later with reference to FIG. 192.

Then, the setting display process is executed (step S2069). Details of the setting display process will be described later with reference to FIG. 193.

Furthermore, a peripheral board command transmission process is executed to output the value of the transmission information storage area to the serial communication circuit (step S2070). The transmission information storage area is a storage area that temporarily stores the generated transmission command. The value (command) stored in the transmission information storage area is read out in step 2070 and stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit (SIO). The serial communication circuit has a transmission information storage area that is a multi-byte FIFO-type transmission buffer, and sequentially transmits the values stored in the transmission information storage area to the peripheral control board 1510.

Then, a predetermined value (18H) is set in the watchdog timer clear register WCL to clear the watchdog timer (step S2071). Note that since the watchdog timer uses the simple clear mode, the watchdog timer is cleared by setting one word. Then, a return instruction (e.g. RETI) is issued to switch the register bank (step S2072), and the process before the interrupt is resumed.

Next, FIG. 191 will be described. When it is determined in step S2064 of FIG. 190 that a value indicating the start of the game is recorded in the setting state management area, the main control MPU 1311 executes switch input process 2 to detect the state of the sensor (switch) for detecting fraud (step S2080). Specifically, the detection signal from the magnetic detection switch 3024 that detects fraud using a magnet is read, and if a predetermined level (ON level or OFF level) continues for a predetermined time, it is stored in the input information storage area. Based on the detection state of each fraud detection sensor generated in switch input process 2, it is determined whether or not fraud has been detected in the fraud detection process of step S2084. In addition to fraud detection by the fraud detection sensor, the fraud detection process (step S2084) also determines winning abnormalities such as excessive winnings in the large winning hole and ordinary electric role.

Then, the timer update process is executed (step S2081). In the timer update process, for example, in addition to the time during which the special symbol display 1185 is lit according to the variable display pattern determined by the special symbol and special electric role control process, and the time during which the normal symbol display 1189 is lit according to the normal symbol variable display pattern determined by the normal symbol and normal electric role control process, the ACK signal input judgment time, which is set as a judgment condition when judging whether or not the payer ACK signal that informs the payout control board 951 that various commands transmitted by the main control board 1310 (main control MPU 1311) have been normally received, is managed. Specifically, when the variable display pattern or normal symbol variable display pattern has a variable time of 5 seconds, the timer interrupt period is set to 4 ms, so that the variable time is subtracted by 4 ms each time this timer subtraction process is performed, and the variable time of the variable display pattern or normal symbol variable display pattern is accurately measured by the subtraction result becoming a value of 0.

Next, the prize ball control process is executed (step S2082). In the prize ball control process, input information is read from the input information storage area, the number of game balls (prize balls) to be paid out is calculated based on the read input information, and the result is written to the main control RAM 1312. In addition, based on the result of the calculation of the number of prize balls, a prize ball command for paying out game balls is created, and a self-check command for checking the connection status between the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951 is created. The main control MPU 1311 transmits the created prize ball command and self-check command to the payout control board 951 as main payout serial data.

Next, the slot command reception process is executed (step S2083). In the dispensing control board 951, the dispensing control program transmits various 1-byte (8-bit) commands classified as status display (for example, slot status 1 command, error release navigation command, and slot status 2 command). On the other hand, as described below, the dispensing control program outputs an error occurrence command when an error occurs in the dispensing operation, and outputs an error release notification command based on the detection signal of the operation switch. In the slot command reception process, when various commands are normally received as payer serial data, information to inform the payer control board 951 of this fact is stored in the output information storage area of the main control built-in RAM 1312. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 formats the command normally received as payer serial data into a 2-byte (16-bit) command (for example, slot status display command, error release notification command, etc.) and stores it in the above-mentioned transmission information storage area. Specifically, in the slot command reception process, in order to issue a notification corresponding to the command received from the dispensing control board 951, the command received from the dispensing control board 951 is modified to conform to the system of commands to be sent to the peripheral control board 1510, and stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit (SIO) in the same way as other generated commands. In addition, when a command from the dispensing control board 951 is received normally, a signal is generated to control the output of the main ACK signal. The main ACK signal is output directly to the dispensing control board 951 from the output port, not from the serial communication circuit.

Next, a fraud detection process is executed (step S2084). In the fraud detection process, abnormal conditions related to fraud (magnetism, vibration, winning abnormality, etc.) are checked. For example, when the input information is read from the input information storage area described above, and the count switch detects that a game ball has entered the big winning slots 2005, 2006 when the big winning game state is not in progress, the main control program creates a winning abnormality display command that is classified as a notification display as an abnormal condition, and stores it in the transmission information storage area described above as transmission information.

Next, a switch passing command output process is executed to create a corresponding command when the passing of various switches related to the winning switch and the starting switch is detected, and set the command in the transmission information storage area (step S2085).

Then, the flag register is saved to a stack area in the game control area (step S2086), and the base display output process is executed (step S2087). Unlike other processes, the base display output process is executed using a second area outside the game control area, and is a common process that is not affected by the specifications of the pachinko machine 1. Therefore, to ensure the independence of the base display output process, predetermined data such as the flag register is saved to a stack area in the game control area before and after the execution of the base display output process, so that it is not updated by the base display output process. After that, the flag register saved in the stack area in the game control area is restored (step S2088).

Next, the special symbol and special electric device control process is executed (step S2089). In the special symbol and special electric device control process, it is determined whether the random number value for the big win matches the winning judgment value previously stored in the main control built-in ROM, and it is determined whether to transition to a probability variation state based on the random number value of the big win symbol. Then, if the random number value for the big win matches the winning judgment value, it is determined whether to open or close the big prize openings 2005 and 2006. If the big prize openings 2005 and 2006 are opened or closed by this decision, the big prize openings 2005 and 2006 are opened (or expanded), and the big prize openings 2005 and 2006 are in a game state in which game balls can be received, and the game state transitions to a game state that is advantageous to the player. In addition, if the probability variation transition condition is established, the game state transitions to a probability variation state, while if the probability variation transition condition is not established, the game state transitions to a game state other than the probability variation state. Here, the "variable probability state" refers to a state (high probability state) in which the probability of winning the special lottery described above is set relatively high compared to the normal game state (low probability state).

Next, the normal symbol and normal electric device control process is executed (step S2090). In the normal symbol and normal electric device control process, the input information is read from the input information storage area described above, and it is determined whether or not a detection signal from the gate switch 2352 has been input to the input terminal. If a detection signal has been input to the input terminal, a random number for determining whether or not a normal symbol has been hit is extracted, and it is determined whether or not it matches the normal symbol hit determination value previously stored in the main control built-in ROM (called a "normal lottery"). Then, depending on the result of the normal lottery, it is determined whether or not to open or close the second start port door member 2549. If the opening and closing operation is performed based on this determination, the second start port door member 2549 is opened (or expanded), and the game state becomes one in which the game ball can be received by the start port 2004, and the game state transitions to one that is advantageous to the player.

Next, the output data setting process is executed (step S2091). In the output data setting process, various signals are output from the output terminals of the various output ports of the main control MPU 1311. For example, when various commands from the payout control board 951 are normally received from the output terminal of a predetermined output port of the main control MPU 1311 based on the output information, a main payout ACK signal is output to the payout control board 951, and when a jackpot game is in progress, a drive signal is output to the attacca solenoids (first attacca solenoid 2113, second upper attacca solenoid 2553, second lower attacca solenoid 2556) that open and close the opening and closing members 2107 of the large winning openings 2005 and 2006, and a drive signal is output to the start port solenoid 2550 that opens and closes the start port (second start port door member 2549). In addition, various information (game information) signals related to the game, such as probability fluctuation information output signal, special pattern display information output signal, normal pattern display information output signal, time reduction information output signal, start port winning information output signal, etc., and security signals are output to the external terminal board 784 as output information to the hall computer.

In addition, in the output data setting process, a signal corresponding to the number of out balls counted in switch input process 2 (step S2080) is output from the external terminal board 784. For example, a pulse signal of a predetermined length may be output from the external terminal board 784 for every predetermined number of out balls (e.g., 10 balls).

The output data setting process also sets test signals to be output to an inspection device connected to the pachinko machine 1. Test signals include, for example, signals indicating the game status and signals indicating the stopping patterns of normal and special symbols.

Then, proceed to step S2070 in FIG. 190.

Figure 192 is a flowchart of the setting process. The setting process is executed in step S2068 of the timer interrupt process when the setting status management area is not a value (00H) indicating the normal game status, and mainly executes processing to change the setting value.

First, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2100). If a value indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, the process returns to the calling process without executing the setting process.

If a RAM abnormality is detected, the setting process will be executed repeatedly, and processing related to special and normal symbols will not be executed, making it impossible to play. This RAM abnormality can be resolved by turning the power off to perform power outage processing, and then using the setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 to start the setting change mode when the power is turned back on, which will put the machine into the setting change state and clear the RAM abnormality. The setting change mode can then be ended by returning the setting key 971 to its original position, allowing normal play to begin.

In addition, when the power is turned back on, if any operation other than starting the setting change mode with the setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 is performed, the value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality in the setting status management area will be maintained, the RAM abnormality state will continue, and normal gameplay cannot be started. In other words, in order to resolve the RAM abnormality and return to the normal gameplay state, it is necessary to go through the setting change mode.

On the other hand, if no value indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, it is determined whether the setting key 971 has returned to the OFF position (step S2101). Specifically, it detects whether a predetermined period of time has passed since the setting key 971 changed from ON to OFF or from ON to OFF.

When it is determined that the setting key 971 has returned to the OFF position, the output time is set in the security signal output timer (step S2102), the setting status management area is initialized (step S2103), the power-on setting process is executed (step S2104), and the process returns to the caller.

When an operation to end the setting change mode is performed (setting key 971 is turned OFF), an output time value is set in the security signal output timer, providing a delay time until the security signal is turned OFF after the setting change mode ends. Therefore, even if the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode ends in a short time (for example, within a single timer interrupt process), the shortest output signal of the security signal can be secured for the amount of time set as the output time value in the security signal output timer, and the hall computer can reliably detect the security signal.

In addition, if fraud is detected during the delay time until the security signal is turned OFF, it is advisable to maintain the security signal and output the security signal for a period or time corresponding to the newly detected fraud.

Furthermore, if a power outage occurs during the delay time until the security signal is turned OFF, when a hot start is performed in normal game mode when power is restored, a security signal for the remaining time is output, but when the RAM is cleared by operating the RAM clear switch or due to a RAM abnormality, the security signal for the remaining time is not output. This is because the initialization of the main control RAM 1312 resets the security signal output timer value, and the output of the security signal stops.

When power is turned on after a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output, the device will enter one of five modes: hot start, RAM clear, setting change mode, setting check mode, or continued RAM abnormal state.

When switching to setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, the activated mode ends and a security signal is output until the delay time has elapsed. If the RAM abnormality continues, a security signal is output due to the continuing RAM abnormality, since no setting changes have been made even after power is restored. In the case of a hot start, a security signal is output for the remaining time.

Even when the security signal is continuously output, the output of the security signal is stopped by a power-on reset signal when the power is turned on, and after a predetermined time (e.g., during the startup waiting time of the peripheral control board 1510) has elapsed, the process shifts to timer interrupt processing, and the output of the security signal is resumed. In other words, even when the security signal is continuously output after a power outage occurs in the following cases, a predetermined period of time after the power is restored is set during which the output of the security signal is stopped.
- When a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output due to fraud detection, etc., and then power is restored with a hot start. - When a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output due to a RAM abnormality, then power is restored and the RAM abnormality continues. - When a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output in setting change mode, then power is restored and setting change mode continues. - When a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output in setting check mode, then power is restored and setting check mode continues.

In this way, even if a security signal continues to be output after a power outage occurs while the security signal is being output, the output of the security signal can be stopped for a specified period of time after the power is restored, allowing the hall computer to determine whether there was an abnormality in the security signal or whether the state associated with the output of the security signal has been released.

In addition, in the setting confirmation mode where only the setting key 971 is operated, the security signal is output until the setting confirmation mode ends, regardless of the remaining time for which the security signal is output, and the output of the security signal stops after the setting confirmation mode ends and the delay time has elapsed. In the setting change mode where the setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 are operated, the same processing as in the setting confirmation mode may be performed.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the setting key 971 has not returned to the OFF position, it is determined whether a value (02H) indicating a setting change has been recorded in the setting status management area (step S2105), and whether the setting change switch 972 has been operated (step S2106). The setting change switch 972 may also be configured to double as the RAM clear switch 954. As a result, if a value indicating a setting change has been recorded in the setting status management area and it is determined that the setting change switch 972 has been operated, the setting value is updated by +1. If the setting value exceeds the upper limit of 6, it is set to 1 (step S2107). Thereafter, the process returns to the calling process.

On the other hand, if it is determined that no value indicating a setting change has been recorded in the setting status management area (i.e., the setting confirmation mode is active) or that the setting change switch 972 has not been operated, the setting value is not updated and the process returns to the calling process.

When determining whether the setting change switch 972 is operated (immediately before or immediately after), it may be determined whether the setting key 971 is operated to ON. In this way, by determining whether the setting key 971 is operated when the setting change switch 972 is operated, it is possible to prevent the setting from being changed by operating the setting change switch 972 even if the setting change mode is set when a power outage occurs and the setting key 971 is not operated to ON when the power is restored.

Figure 193 is a flowchart of the setting display process. The setting display process is executed in step S2069 of the timer interrupt process.

First, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2110). If a value indicating a RAM abnormality is not recorded in the setting status management area, the output of the LED segment terminal is set so that the current setting value is displayed on the base display 1317 (step S2111). On the other hand, if a value indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, the output of the LED segment terminal is set so that an error is displayed on the base display 1317 (step S2112).

Then, an LED common signal corresponding to the LED common counter is output (step S2113), and the driver is driven to output display data (segment signal) corresponding to the set value or error display to the base display 1317 (step S2114), and the process returns to the calling process.

Figure 194 is a flowchart of the power-on setting process. The power-on setting process is a subroutine that is called and executed in step S2038 of the power-on process (Figure 187) and in step S2104 of the setting process.

First, the main control MPU 1311 creates a power-on operation command and sets the created command in the transmission information storage area (step S2120). The power-on operation command is a command that notifies the contents recorded in the setting status management area, as shown in FIG. 202 (A).

Next, the bit corresponding to the setting key 971 in the input level data 2 area and the bit corresponding to the setting change switch 972 are set to their initial value of 1. It is advisable to set other bits to 0 (step S2121). The bit corresponding to the setting key 971 in the input level data 2 area and the bit corresponding to the setting change switch 972 are set to 1 so that the bit of the switch is detected as 1 at the time of the next timer interrupt, preventing an ON edge from being created by mistake.

Then, it is determined whether a value (00H) indicating a state in which game play can be started is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2122). If a value indicating a state in which game play can be started is not recorded in the setting status management area, the device is in setting change mode, setting confirmation mode, or has a RAM abnormality, so the power-on setting process is terminated and the process returns to the calling device.

On the other hand, if a value (00H) indicating a state in which game play can be started is recorded in the setting status management area, normal game play can be started, so the work area in the game control area is initialized depending on whether the main control RAM 1312 has been initialized (step S2123).

Then, a power-on state command is created, and the created command is stored in the transmission information storage area (step S2124). The power-on state command is a command that notifies whether or not normal play can be started based on the contents recorded in the setting state management area, as shown in FIG. 202 (B).

Then, a power-on return destination command is created, and the created command is set in the transmission information storage area (step S2125). The power-on return destination command is a command that notifies the game status related to the special symbol, as shown in FIG. 202 (C).

Furthermore, a setting value command is created and the created command is set in the transmission information storage area (step S2126). The setting value command is a command that notifies the setting value, as shown in FIG. 202 (D).

A special symbol pending number command indicating the number of pending special symbol variable display games may be sent together with the power-on state command, power-on return destination command, and setting value command to restore the pending number display in the function display unit 1400 or the performance display device 1600 to the state before the power outage occurred. The special symbol pending number command may be sent after the power-on state command, power-on return destination command, and setting value command, before these commands, or during the transmission of these commands.

Then it returns to the calling process.

The power-on setting process is executed when the power is restored from a power outage and the mode is neither setting change mode nor setting confirmation mode, or when the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode ends. Therefore, the commands mentioned above (power-on operation command, power-on state command, power-on return destination command, and setting value command) are sent when the power is restored from a power outage and the mode is neither setting change mode nor setting confirmation mode, or when the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode ends.

Figure 195 is a flowchart of random number update process 2. Random number update process 2 is executed in step S2041 of the main process (Figure 188), and mainly updates random numbers other than the random numbers used to determine winnings in special lotteries and regular lotteries.

First, the main control MPU 1311 sets interrupt prohibition (step S2131), updates the initial value random number (step S2132), and sets interrupt permission (step S2133). The initial value random number is also updated in random number update process 1 in step S2063 of the timer interrupt process, so to prevent the initial value random number update process from being interrupted by the timer interrupt process, interrupts are prohibited before the initial value random number update process and interrupts are permitted after the initial value random number update process. The initial value random number is a random number for changing the initial value for each cycle, such as the random number for determining a jackpot for drawing a jackpot for a special pattern, the winning random number for drawing a jackpot for a normal pattern, and the random number that determines the type of pattern when a jackpot for a special pattern occurs (low probability/high probability/time-saving/non-time-saving, etc.).

Then, the random numbers other than the winning/losing random number (excluding the initial value random number) are updated (step S2134), and the process returns to the calling process.

Figure 196 is a flowchart of another example of timer interrupt processing executed by the main control MPU 1311. Note that the same processing steps as those in the timer interrupt processing described above in Figures 181 and 182 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations thereof are omitted.

In the modified example 1 described below, the main control RAM 1312 may be initialized in the setting confirmation mode as well as in the setting change mode. In this modified example 1, if operation of the setting key 971 is detected when the power is restored, the main control RAM 1312 is initialized in both the setting change mode and the setting confirmation mode, so the RAM clear switch 954 does not switch between the setting change mode and the setting confirmation mode, but only has the function of changing the setting value.

First, the main control MPU 1311 sets the register bank selection flag to 1, switches the register bank (step S2060), and executes switch input process 3 (step S2141). Details of switch input process 3 will be described later in FIG. 197. Note that in step S2141, switch input process 1 of S2062 may be applied instead of switch input process 3 described in FIG. 197.

Then, random number update process 1 is executed (step S2063), and setting change/confirmation process is executed (step S2142). Details of the setting change/confirmation process will be described later with reference to FIG. 200.

Next, switch input process 2 is executed (step S2080), timer update process is executed (step S2081), and prize ball control process is executed (step S2082). Next, frame command reception process is executed (step S2083), fraud detection process is executed (step S2084), and switch passing command output process is executed (step S2085).

Then, the flag register is saved to the stack area in the game control area (step S2086), the base display output process is executed (step S2087), and the flag register saved to the stack area in the game control area is restored (step S2088). Next, the special symbol and special electric device control process is executed (step S2089), the normal symbol and normal electric device control process is executed (step S2090), and the output data setting process is executed (step S2091). Furthermore, the peripheral board command transmission process is executed (step S2070), the watchdog timer is cleared (step S2071), and the register bank is switched by a return command (e.g., RETI) (step S2072), and the process before the interrupt is restored.

Figure 197 is a flowchart of switch input processing 3. Switch input processing 3 is executed in step S2141 of the timer interrupt processing, and reads various signals input to the input terminals of various input ports of the main control MPU 1311, creates an ON edge, and stores it as input information in the input information storage area of the main control RAM 1312.

First, the main control MPU 1311 sets the top address of the switch winning information data (step S2160), and obtains the number of times the process is to be repeated from the switch winning information data (step S2161). The number of times the process is to be repeated is the number n of blocks in the switch winning information data table. Then, the input port address specified in the switch winning information data is obtained (step S2162), and the input level data area address specified in the switch winning information data is obtained (step S2163). Furthermore, the input information is read from the obtained input port address (step S2164), and the read input information is corrected using the logical correction value specified in the switch winning information data (step S2165).

Then, by referring to the value recorded in the setting status management area, it is determined whether the mode is the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode (step S2166). Then, if the mode is not the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode, the correction value is masked with the mask value during normal play specified in the switch winning information data (step S2167). This mask makes it possible to obtain the bit of the input port to be used during normal play.

On the other hand, if the mode is the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode, the correction value is masked with the mask value during the setting change/confirmation specified in the switch winning information data (step S2168). This mask makes it possible to obtain only the bits of the input port that are used in the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode.

Then, input level data is generated from the bits obtained by the masking process, and the input level data area specified by the switch winning information data is updated (step S2169).

Then, edge data for the change from OFF to ON is generated from the input level data, and the input edge data area specified by the switch winning information data is updated (step S2170).

Then, the switch winning information data is set in the next block (step S2171), and it is determined whether processing of all switch input ports has been completed (step S2172). If it is determined that processing of all switch input ports has not been completed, the process returns to step S2162 and the next input port is processed. On the other hand, if it is determined that processing of all switch input ports has been completed, switch input processing 3 is terminated and processing returns to that before the interrupt.

Figure 198 (A) shows an example of the configuration of a switch winning information data table.

The switch winning information data table shown in FIG. 198 (A) is divided into n blocks (n is the number of times the process is repeated), and each block contains an input port address, a logical correction value, a mask value during normal play, a mask value during setting change/confirmation, and an address of the input level data area.

Figure 198 (B) shows an example of the configuration of the switch input level/edge data area.

The switch input level/edge data area contains n pairs of addresses of the input level data area and the input edge data area.

The address of the input edge data area is set to the next address of the input level data area as shown in the figure, so it is not specified in the switch winning information data. If the input level data area and the input edge data area are not placed consecutively, the address of the input edge data area will be set in the same table along with the input level data area. The addresses of the input level data area and the input edge data area are 16-bit (2-byte) values, but the value set as the address of the input level data area and the input edge data area set in the switch winning information data table may be the lower 8-bit (1-byte) value. In other words, since the upper byte of the address is a fixed value that does not change with the value of the input level data area or the input edge data area, the upper byte is the upper byte of the address of the RAM area, and since only the lower byte needs to be set, the data capacity can be reduced.

Figure 199 shows another example of the configuration of the switch winning information data table, where Figure 199(A) shows an example of the configuration of the switch winning information data table used in normal gameplay, and Figure 199(B) shows an example of the configuration of the switch winning information data table used in setting change mode and setting confirmation mode.

The switch winning information data table shown in FIG. 199 is divided into n blocks (n is the number of times the process is repeated), and each block includes an input port address, a logical correction value, a mask value, and an address of the input level data area. The switch winning information data table used in the normal game state and the switch winning information data table used in the setting change mode and the setting confirmation mode include ports with different logical correction values and mask values. In other words, the switch winning information data table shown in FIG. 198(A) has different mask values in the setting change mode (and setting confirmation mode) and the normal game state, but the switch winning information data table shown in FIG. 199 uses different switch winning information data tables in the setting change mode (and setting confirmation mode) and the normal game state, making it possible to obtain different switch winning information data.

To accommodate this configuration, switch input process 3 (Fig. 197) is modified as follows. For example, in step S2160, it is determined whether the mode is the setting change mode (or the setting confirmation mode) or the normal game mode, and the top address of the switch winning information data is set according to the determination result. Then, in step S2166, without determining whether the mode is the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode, in step S2167, the correction value is masked with the mask value specified in the switch winning information data.

Figure 200 is a flowchart of the setting change/confirmation process. The setting change/confirmation process is executed in step S2142 of the timer interrupt process. In the setting change/confirmation process shown in Figure 200, the same processing steps as in the timer interrupt process described above in Figures 181 and 182 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations thereof are omitted.

First, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether a value (00H) indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2064). If a value indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting status management area, the setting change/confirmation process is terminated and the process before the interruption is resumed. On the other hand, if a value indicating the start of play is not recorded in the setting status management area, the LED common port is turned OFF (step S2065), a security signal is output from the external terminal board 784 (step S2066), and a test signal is output (step S2067). Then, the setting process (Figure 192) is executed (step S2068), and the setting display process (Figure 193) is executed (step S2069).

Figure 201 (A) shows an example of the configuration of switch input port 2.

The switch input port 2 is one of a group of ports to which the outputs of various switches and sensors are input, and is composed of 8 bits. In the example shown, bit 7 detects an acknowledgement signal (ACK) from the dispensing control board 951 at level 1. Bit 6 detects a power outage warning signal from the power outage monitoring circuit at level 0. Bit 5 changes the signal level to 1 when the RAM clear switch 954 is operated. Bit 4 changes the signal level to 0 when the setting key 971 is turned ON. Bit 3 changes the signal level to 1 when the door open sensor detects the opening of the door frame 3. Bit 2 changes the level to 0 when the magnetic detection switch (magnetic detection sensor) detects magnetism. Bits 1 and 0 are not used.

Figure 201 (B) shows an example of the configuration of the setting status management area.

As shown in FIG. 201(B), the setting status management area is a 1-byte memory area in which the operating mode of the pachinko machine 1 is recorded, and for example, the lower 4 bits are used and the upper 4 bits are undefined. Specifically, 00H is recorded in normal game mode, 01H in setting confirmation mode, 02H in setting change mode, and 08H if there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312.

The setting status management area is not updated to 00H by the RAM clear process performed by operating only the RAM clear switch 954, and the current value is maintained. It is also updated from 01H to 00H when the setting confirmation mode ends, and from 02H to 00H when the setting change mode ends. Furthermore, if there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312, it is updated from 08H to 02H when the setting change mode is entered by a setting change operation at the next power-on, and is updated from 02H to 00H when the setting change mode ends.

Figure 202 (A) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on operation command. The power-on operation command is a command that notifies the contents recorded in the setting state management area. For example, the power-on operation command is composed of two bytes, with the upper byte being A0H and the lower byte indicating the contents recorded in the setting state management area. The value of the lower byte stores the value of the setting state management area plus 1. This is because during normal play, the value of the setting state management area is 00H, and so if the value sent as a command is 00H, it cannot be distinguished from a hardware abnormality that results in an output of 0, so one of the bits is set to 1.

The power-on operation command is generated at least once during power-on processing. Specifically, it is generated once for hot start, RAM clear, and RAM abnormality, and twice in setting change mode and setting confirmation mode, once during power-on processing and once when setting change/confirmation is completed.

When the peripheral control board 1510 receives the power-on operation command, it issues a notification in the manner described above depending on the status of the setting confirmation mode, setting change mode, or RAM abnormality (see FIG. 184).

If the peripheral control board 1510 receives a game command during normal play without receiving A001H as a power-on operation command, the game state may be inconsistent, so the received game command is determined to be invalid and no game action (such as a performance) for that game command is initiated. However, if a certain condition is met (for example, a game command during normal play is sent a certain number of times in succession), the peripheral control board 1510 may have missed the power-on operation command (A001H), so it is advisable to cancel the invalidation of the received game command and perform a performance corresponding to the game command.

When the game command is disabled, the game command that satisfies a predetermined condition may be performed (for example, the movement of the symbols, the lamps, the movable body, the sound, etc. may be performed according to the received command), and the background of the display device or a predetermined lamp may be used to notify that an inconsistency in the game state has occurred. The game state inconsistency may also be notified at a low volume. This is to prevent possible trouble in the hall, as players who do not understand that an inconsistency in the game state has occurred unless any performance is performed until the predetermined condition is met may think that the pachinko machine 1 is broken, such that the special symbol variable display game does not start even if the starting hole is won. Note that even if the peripheral control board 1510 disables the game command, the main control board 1310 is executing normal game processing, so the function display of the special symbols, normal symbols, etc. on the function display unit 1400 is displayed normally.

Figure 202 (B) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on state command. The power-on state command is a command that notifies whether normal play can be started based on the contents recorded in the setting state management area. For example, the power-on state command is composed of two bytes, and if the upper byte is 30H and the lower byte is 01H, it indicates that normal play can be started. The lower byte of the power-on state command may be used to notify the series code for each type of pachinko machine. For example, using bits 6 to 4, eight types of series can be identified. The power-on state command may be another example shown in Figure 220 (C). By using the power-on state command shown in Figure 220 (C), the information recorded in the power-on buffer (the game state before the power outage) can be notified to the peripheral control board 1510.

Figure 202 (C) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on return destination command. The power-on return destination command is a command that notifies the game status related to the special symbol. For example, the power-on return destination command is composed of two bytes, with the upper byte being 31H and the lower byte indicating the game status related to the special symbol. The power-on return destination command notifies the state of the special symbol and the operating state of the special electric device at the time of the power outage. The power-on return destination command is sent once when the power is turned on.

Figure 202 (D) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a setting value command. The setting value command is a command that notifies the setting value. For example, the setting value command is composed of two bytes, with the upper byte being A1H and the lower byte indicating the setting value. The setting value command is transmitted when the power is restored when the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode is not in effect, when the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode is ended. It is also transmitted when the special pattern starts to change or when the game state changes (when a big win, a probability change, a time reduction, etc. starts and ends). As a result, even if the peripheral control board 1510 misses the setting value command transmitted when the power is turned on, the setting value is changed to the correct setting value in the subsequent game (for example, when the special pattern starts to change), so that a performance based on an incorrect setting value is not performed. A performance based on a setting value is a performance that suggests a setting value using a performance device such as a display, lamp, sound, or movable object, and suggests a setting value by generating a performance mode that is difficult to occur (or does not occur) under normal circumstances with a predetermined probability. This setting value suggestion effect can be other than the effects exemplified below, and may include false effects. As a setting value suggestion effect, the effect display device 1600, which is an example of a display device, displays an effect such as a notice corresponding to the setting value, changes the pattern change mode from normal (for example, the timing at which the left, right, and center patterns start to change or are confirmed is different from normal (normally, each pattern starts to change at the same time, and in the case of a high setting, the patterns start to change in the order left, center, and right)), and when using sound, generates a notification sound corresponding to the setting value with a certain probability when the starting hole is won, or generates a sound during the effect that is different from normal (such as a male voice during normal times and a female voice at a high setting), etc.

Figure 203 shows commands sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control board 1510 in various states. In the following explanation, n is a counter value indicating the processing state related to the special symbol/special electric role, and m is a value corresponding to the set value.

As shown in the figure, in a hot start where the normal game mode is activated, the following commands are sent in this order: power-on operation command (A001H) → power-on state command (3001H) → power-on return destination command (310nH) → setting value command (A10mH).

When the main control RAM 1312 is initialized by operating only the RAM clear switch 954, the following commands are sent in this order: power-on operation command (A001H) → power-on state command (3001H) → power-on return destination command (3101H) → setting value command (A10mH).

In addition, in the setting change mode, first the power-on operation command (A003H) is sent, then the setting value is changed in the setting change mode, and after the setting key 971 is returned to its normal position, the power-on operation command (A001H) → power-on state command (3001H) → power-on return destination command (3101H) → setting value command (A10mH) are sent in this order.

In addition, in the setting confirmation mode, first the power-on operation command (A002H) is sent, then the setting value is confirmed and the setting key 971 is returned to its normal position, after which the following are sent in the order of power-on operation command (A001H) → power-on state command (3001H) → power-on return destination command (310nH) → setting value command (A10mH).

In addition, in the event of a RAM abnormality, first the power-on operation command (A009H) is sent, and when power is restored after a power outage, the setting change mode is activated by a setting change operation (setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 are on), and the power-on operation command (A003H) is sent. Then, after returning the setting key 971 to its normal position, the following are sent in this order: power-on operation command (A001H) → power-on state command (3001H) → power-on return destination command (3101H) → setting value command (A10mH).

When a RAM abnormality occurs, first the power-on operation command (A009H) is sent, and if no setting change operation is performed when power is restored after a power cut, the RAM abnormal state continues and the power-on operation command (A009H) is sent. After that, after returning the setting key 971 to its normal position, the following are sent in this order: power-on operation command (A001H) → power-on state command (3001H) → power-on return destination command (3101H) → setting value command (A10mH).

As explained above, when the main control board 1310 starts up in the normal game mode, a group of commands (a combination of multiple commands in a predetermined order) indicating the return of power is sent to the peripheral control board 1510 at a predetermined timing. Therefore, after the entire series of commands from A001H to A10mH has been received, it is determined that the normal game mode can be started, and if some of the commands in the series cannot be received (missed), it is determined that the normal game mode cannot be started, and a notification is issued that the normal game mode cannot be started.

In other words, similar to the presentation when the game command is disabled as described above, presentations that satisfy predetermined conditions among the received game commands are presented (for example, presentations that correspond to the received command in terms of the movement of symbols, lamps, movable objects, sounds, etc.), and the background of the display device or predetermined lamps may be used to notify that an inconsistency has occurred in the game state.

If the peripheral control board 1510 does not receive a setting value command, it may start normal play by using the setting value command sent at the start of the special pattern change display game to make up for the setting value command that was missed when the power was turned on.

In addition, if the peripheral control board 1510 does not receive a setting value command, it may set the setting value to a predetermined initial value (e.g., setting 1) when the peripheral control board 1510 is powered on, and when it receives a setting value command, it may update the setting value to the setting value corresponding to the received command.

Note that the power-on operation command (A0001H) and the power-on status command (3001H) both notify the game that normal play can begin, and are usually sent consecutively, so it is sufficient to send either one of them to the main control board.

Figure 204 shows the state transition of the values set in the setting status management area from the state before power was cut off to the state after power was restored.

The behavior of a pachinko machine with a setting function when it is turned on varies depending on whether the RAM clear switch 954 is operated and whether the setting key 971 is operated, and there are several patterns that take into consideration measures to prevent fraud and the convenience of users (hall employees).

<Pattern 1>
An example of operation will be described below in the case shown in Fig. 204 (A) where the normal game state (VALID_PLAY = 00H) was observed at the time of the previous power cut, and the main control RAM 1312 is normal when the power is restored. First, if the RAM clear switch 954 is turned ON when the power is turned ON, and the setting key 971 is turned ON, the main control RAM 1312 initializes the area used as the game control area, including the entire stack area other than the setting value and the base value. The main control MPU 1311 also starts up in the setting change mode, and the value of the setting status management area is updated to 02H. The base display 1317 also displays the setting value associated with the setting change.

If the RAM clear switch 954 is not operated (OFF) when the power is turned on and the setting key 971 is operated ON, the contents stored in the main control RAM 1312 are not initialized. The main control MPU 1311 also starts up in setting confirmation mode, and the value in the setting status management area is updated to 01H. The base display 1317 also displays the current setting value to confirm the setting.

When the RAM clear switch 954 is turned ON and the setting key 971 is not operated (OFF) when the power is turned on, the main control RAM 1312 initializes the area used as the game control area, including the entire area stack area other than the setting value and base value. The main control MPU 1311 also starts up in a normal game state, and the value of the setting state management area is maintained at 00H. The base display 1317 also displays a display indicating that it has been switched to performance display as the initial display when the power is turned on (for example, all flashes for 5 seconds), and then displays the base value that represents the performance of the pachinko machine.

When the RAM clear switch 954 is not operated (OFF) and the setting key 971 is not operated (OFF) when the power is turned on, the contents stored in the main control RAM 1312 are maintained as they were before the power outage. Even if all the contents stored in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 are not maintained, at least the areas storing information for returning to the game state before the power outage (storage areas storing information about the game (areas related to special patterns, normal patterns, areas related to prize balls, random numbers generated by the program (variable pattern random numbers, initial value random numbers, etc.))) are maintained, and the areas storing information not necessary for returning to the game state before the power outage may be in a different state from before the power outage after the power is restored. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 starts up in the normal game state, and the value of the setting state management area is maintained at 00H. The same value (00H) may be set regardless of the original value. In addition, the base display 1317 displays a display indicating that it has been switched to performance display as the initial display when the power is turned on (for example, blinking for 5 seconds), and then displays a base value that represents the performance of the pachinko machine.

<Pattern 2-1>
As shown in FIG. 204(B), in operation example 1 in which the setting change mode was active at the time of the most recent power outage and the main control RAM 1312 is normal when the power is restored, the main control RAM 1312 initializes the area used as the game control area including the stack area other than the setting value and the base value, regardless of whether the RAM clear switch 954 is operated or not when the power is turned on, or whether the setting key 971 is operated or not. Also, the main control MPU 1311 starts up in the setting change mode, and the value of the setting status management area is maintained at 02H. Note that the same value (02H) may be set regardless of the original value. Also, the base display 1317 displays the setting value associated with the setting change.

In the initialization of the main control RAM 1312 in pattern 2-1, it is sufficient to initialize the area used as the game control area including the stack area in addition to the memory area initialized by the initialization process already executed when the power outage occurred. For example, if the power is cut off during the initialization process of the main control RAM 1312, it is sufficient to initialize the remaining memory area for which the initialization process has not been completed. On the other hand, regardless of the progress of the initialization process at the time of the power outage, it is also possible to initialize the area used as the game control area including the stack area of the main control RAM 1312 after the power is restored.

If a power outage occurs during the initialization process, it is advisable to provide an area (e.g., a RAM clearing process in progress flag) that stores whether the main control RAM 1312 is undergoing initialization process, and to prohibit writing data to the memory area that is the target of the initialization process while the RAM clearing process in progress flag is set.

The process of monitoring for power outages may also be executed repeatedly in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode. For this reason, in addition to the main loop (steps S36 to S40 in FIG. 22), the power outage warning signal may be monitored, for example, by a timer interrupt.

The power outage monitoring process and power cut process may be executed by a common process in the setting change mode, the setting confirmation mode, and the normal game mode, or may be executed by separate processes, or may be executed by a common process in the setting change mode and the setting confirmation mode and by separate processes in the normal game mode. In other words, the power outage monitoring process and power cut process may be common in at least two of the three or more states (operation modes) in the operation of the pachinko machine.

As explained above, in pattern 2-1, when power is cut off in setting change mode and the main control RAM 1312 is normal when power is restored, the device always starts in setting change mode regardless of whether the setting key 971 or RAM clear switch 954 is operated. For example, if a power outage occurs while a setting change is being performed in a hall, it is desirable for the setting change mode to start when power is restored. However, it is possible that the setting key 971 or RAM clear switch 954 to start the setting change mode is not operated when power is restored. For this reason, by controlling as in pattern 2-1, it is possible to prevent an unintended state (different from the setting change mode) from occurring when power is restored.

For example, if only the setting key 971 is operated (RAM clear switch 954 is not operated) when the power is restored, the machine will start up in setting confirmation mode rather than setting change mode, or if only the RAM clear switch 954 is operated (setting key 971 is not operated), the main control RAM 1312 will be initialized and the normal game mode will start up, or if no switches are operated, the normal game mode will start up. However, if controlled as in pattern 2-1, the machine will always start up in setting change mode regardless of whether the setting key 971 or RAM clear switch 954 is operated.

<Pattern 2-2>
If the setting change mode was selected when the power was shut off immediately before, and the main control RAM 1312 is normal when the power is restored, the main control RAM 1312 may operate in a different pattern shown in FIG. 204(C) instead of the pattern 2-1. If the RAM clear switch 954 is turned ON when the power is turned on, and the setting key 971 is turned ON, the main control RAM 1312 initializes the area used as the game control area, including the stack area other than the setting value and the base value. The main control MPU 1311 also starts up in the setting change mode, and the value of the setting status management area is maintained at 02H. The same value (02H) may be set regardless of the original value. The base display 1317 also displays the setting value associated with the setting change.

In cases other than those described above, where at least either the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 is not operated (OFF) when the power is turned on, the contents stored in the main control RAM 1312 do not change. The main control MPU 1311 also starts up in a game stop state, and the value in the setting state management area is updated to 08H, which indicates an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312. The base display 1317 also displays an error (e.g., an error code). The game stop state may be a game stop caused by the main control MPU 1311 executing an infinite loop, or a game stop caused by not executing normal game processing.

In other words, in pattern 2-1, the setting change mode is entered unconditionally regardless of the state of the setting key and RAM clear switch after power is restored, but in pattern 2-2, if the setting change mode is activated by the setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 when the power is restored, the setting change mode is activated, and if the setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 are in any other state, the game cannot be played (RAM abnormality). In other words, in pattern 2-2, even if at least one of the setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 is operated when the power is restored, normal game play is not started as the RAM is in an abnormal state, and normal game play is started after going through the setting change mode. For this reason, when the setting change mode is not activated, normal game play is not executed in a state other than the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode such as a RAM abnormality, and a game stop state is notified, so that the hall employee can be prompted to activate the setting change mode.

If a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 and the stack area within the game control area will not be initialized, and the game will wait in a game stop state until the next setting change operation is performed. The game stop state may be a game stop caused by executing an infinite loop in the main control MPU 1311, or a game stop caused by not executing normal game processing. After that, the power is cut off once, the setting key and RAM clear switch are operated to the setting change mode, and the power is turned on, which updates the value of the setting status management area to 02H, clears the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 and the stack area within the game control area, and starts the setting change mode.

<Patterns 3-1 and 3-2>
An example of operation when the setting confirmation mode was selected at the time of the previous power cut and the main control RAM 1312 is normal when the power is restored, as shown in Fig. 204 (D), will be described. First, when the RAM clear switch 954 is turned ON and the setting key 971 is turned ON at the time of power-on, the main control RAM 1312 initializes the area used as the game control area including the stack area other than the setting value and the base value. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 starts up in the setting change mode and the value of the setting status management area is updated to 02H. In addition, the base display 1317 displays the setting value associated with the setting change.

If the RAM clear switch 954 is not operated (OFF) when the power is turned on and the setting key 971 is operated ON, the contents stored in the main control RAM 1312 do not change. The main control MPU 1311 also starts up in setting confirmation mode, and the value in the setting status management area is maintained at 01H. Note that the same value (01H) may be set regardless of the original value. The base display 1317 also displays the current setting value to confirm the setting.

When the RAM clear switch 954 is turned ON and the setting key 971 is not operated (OFF) when the power is turned on, the main control RAM 1312 initializes the area used as the game control area, including the stack area other than the setting value and the base value. The main control MPU 1311 also starts up in the normal game mode, and the value of the setting state management area is updated to 00H. The base display 1317 also displays a display indicating that it has been switched to performance display as the initial display when the power is turned on (for example, all flashes for 5 seconds), and then displays the base value that represents the performance of the pachinko machine.

When the RAM clear switch 954 is not operated (OFF) and the setting key 971 is not operated (OFF) when the power is turned on, the contents stored in the main control RAM 1312 do not change. The main control MPU 1311 also starts up in a normal game mode, and the value of the setting status management area is updated to 00H. The base display 1317 also displays a display indicating that it has been switched to performance display as the initial display when the power is turned on (for example, a full flash for 5 seconds), and then displays a base value that represents the performance of the pachinko machine. In this case, as shown in pattern 3-2 in FIG. 204(E), the main control MPU 1311 may start up in a setting confirmation mode, and the value of the setting status management area may be maintained at 01H (the same value (01H) may be set regardless of the original value), and the base display 1317 may display the current setting value for setting confirmation.

<Pattern 4>
As shown in Fig. 204(F), an example of operation when there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312 when power is restored will be described. First, when the RAM clear switch 954 is turned ON when the power is turned on and the setting key 971 is turned ON, the main control RAM 1312 initializes the area used as the game control area including the entire area stack area other than the setting value and the base value. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 starts up in the setting change mode, and the value of the setting status management area becomes 02H. In addition, the base display 1317 displays for changing the setting.

If the RAM clear switch 954 and setting key 971 are operated other than as described above when the power is turned on, that is, if at least either the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 is not operated (OFF) when the power is turned on, the contents stored in the main control RAM 1312 do not change. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 starts up in a game stop state, and the value of the setting state management area is maintained as 08H. Note that the same value (08H) may be set regardless of the original value. In addition, the base display 1317 displays an error (e.g., an error code).

If there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312 at the time of the previous power outage, if the main control RAM 1312 was initialized before the power outage, the main control RAM 1312 will not be initialized again when the power is restored, and instead (1) the device built into the main control MPU 1311 will be initialized, (2) the hardware random number will be restarted, and (3) the main loop will be executed after at least one of the following is executed: (1) the hardware random number generator will be restarted, and (2) interrupt permission will be set.

Also, even if there was an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312 at the time of the previous power outage, when the power is turned on, the presence or absence of operation of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 is determined before determining whether the state before the power outage was a RAM abnormality (step S211 in FIG. 179). Then, if a setting change operation (RAM clear switch 954 and setting key 971 are on) is detected at power-on, the setting change mode is started, but even if no setting change operation is performed at power-on (even if an operation to start the setting confirmation mode is performed, only the RAM clear switch 954 is operated, or neither is operated), the RAM abnormality state is maintained. In other words, when the setting change mode is started and when the setting confirmation mode is started, the setting change mode processing and the setting confirmation mode processing are normally executed within the timer interrupt processing, but when the power is turned on again from a RAM abnormality state, different processing is executed in the setting change mode and the setting confirmation mode. In other words, when the power is turned back on to recover from a RAM abnormality, if the device is started in setting change mode, the setting change mode processing is executed within the timer interrupt processing as usual, but if the device is started in setting check mode, the timer interrupt processing executes processing that is different from normal.

In this way, when a value (08H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, the game cannot be started even if the power is turned back on. However, since the main control RAM 1312 has already been initialized, there is no need to initialize the main control RAM 1312 again.

Next, the operation of the pachinko machine 1 and its variations will be described using a time chart. The outline of the time chart described below is as follows.
・Time chart for normal setting changes (Figure 205)
・Time chart for normal setting confirmation (Figure 206)
A time chart (FIG. 207) showing a case where the setting change mode is entered during a power outage and the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 are both OFF after the power is restored and the mode is changed to the setting change mode.
A time chart (FIG. 208) showing a case where the setting change mode is selected during a power outage and the setting key 971 is turned ON and the RAM clear switch 954 is turned OFF after the power is restored.
A time chart (FIG. 209) showing a case where the setting confirmation mode is entered during a power outage and the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 are both OFF after the power is restored and the mode is switched to the setting confirmation mode.

Figure 205 is a time chart showing the start and end of the setting change mode.

In the time chart shown in FIG. 205, when the power is turned on, the RAM clear switch 954 is turned ON and the setting key 971 is turned ON, so the main control MPU 1311 starts up in setting change mode.

First, power is supplied to the main control board 1310, and when the 5V power supply starts up (T1), a reset signal is output from the reset circuit 1335, and the main control MPU 1311 starts up (T2).

The main control MPU 1311 executes the program from the first address of the program code in response to a reset signal. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 executes a security check and starts the main control program at timing T3. Then, at timing T4, it stores the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 in a register and waits until timing T5 for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up.

When the peripheral control board 1510 is started by starting the power supply, it starts the customer waiting performance. Note that the peripheral control board 1510 may start the customer waiting performance after receiving a command from the main control board 1310.

At timing T5 when the peripheral control board startup waiting time has elapsed, the main control MPU 1311 reads the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 from the register, records 02H in the setting status management area, and transitions to setting change mode. The main control MPU 1311 also turns on all LEDs of the function display unit 1400. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 starts outputting a security signal. The display mode of the function display unit is as described above in FIG. 184.

The main control MPU 1311 also creates a power-on operation command (A003H) indicating a transition to setting change mode, and sends it to the peripheral control board 1510 at a specified timing.

The peripheral control board 1510 executes the presentation (notification) in the setting change mode shown in FIG. 184 above in accordance with the received power-on command.

When the RAM clear switch 954 (also used as the setting change switch 972) is operated during the setting change mode, the main control MPU 1311 detects that the RAM clear switch 954 is ON, updates the setting value from N to N+1, and the base display 1317 displays the updated setting value N+1 (T6). Furthermore, when the RAM clear switch 954 (also used as the setting change switch 972) is operated a second time, the main control MPU 1311 detects that the RAM clear switch 954 is ON, updates the setting value from N+1 to N+2, and the base display 1317 displays the updated setting value N+2 (T7). That is, in the setting change mode, the setting value is changed within the range of 1 to 6 each time the RAM clear switch 954 (also used as the setting change switch 972) is operated, and is updated to 1 if the setting value exceeds 6.

After changing the setting value, the hall employee operates the setting key 971 to the OFF position. When the main control MPU 1311 detects the OFF edge of the setting key 971, it ends the setting change mode, records 00H in the setting status management area, creates a power-on operation command (A0001H), and transitions to normal game mode (T8). The created power-on operation command (A0001H) is sent to the peripheral control board 1510 at a predetermined timing. By recording 00H in the setting status management area, it becomes possible to execute processing during normal game mode in the timer interrupt processing. The main control MPU 1311 also stops all lighting of the function display unit 1400 and starts displaying in normal game mode. Furthermore, the base display 1317 flashes all LEDs for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds), and then displays the base value in normal game mode. In this way, by displaying the base display 1317 in a predetermined manner at the start of the normal game state, the end of the setting change mode can be clearly understood, and the occurrence of operational errors at the end of the setting change mode can be reduced. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 transmits the power-on state command (3001H), the power-on return destination command (3101H), and the setting value command (A10mH) to the peripheral control board 1510. In the setting change mode, the main control RAM 1312 is initialized, so the lower byte of the power-on return destination command becomes 01H. The m in the setting value command (A10mH) is a number from 1 to 6 according to the setting value, as shown in FIG. 202 (D). Note that the power-on operation command (A0001H) and the power-on state command (3001H) both notify the normal game start possible state, and are usually transmitted consecutively, so it is sufficient to transmit either one to the main control board.

The peripheral control board 1510 knows from the received power-on state command that normal play can be started, and executes the effect in the normal play state (for example, a customer waiting effect). Note that the peripheral control board 1510 may switch the effect so that the notification effect during the setting change is stopped and the effect in the normal play state (for example, a customer waiting effect) is started after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the peripheral control board 1510 knew from the power-on state command that normal play can be started. Note that during the predetermined delay time, it is preferable for some of the effect devices to perform the notification effect during the setting change. For example, the effect display device 1600 and sound return to the effect in the normal play state, and the decorative lamps continue the notification effect during the setting change. Also, the continuation of the notification effect by the decorative lamps may be such that some of the decorative lamps (for example, the frame side) continue the notification effect, and other decorative lamps (for example, the panel side) return to the effect in the normal play state.

The main control MPU 1311 also stops outputting the security signal after a predetermined delay (e.g., 50 milliseconds) from the end of the setting change mode (T9). This is to ensure a minimum output time for the security signal, because if the setting change mode ends in an extremely short time and the security signal is not output at all or only for a short time, the hall computer will not be able to detect the transition to the setting change mode.

Figure 206 is a time chart showing the start and end of the setting confirmation mode.

In the time chart shown in FIG. 206, the machine was in normal game mode or setting confirmation mode when the power was shut off immediately before, and the RAM clear switch 954 was not operated when the power was turned on, and the setting key 971 was turned ON, so the main control MPU 1311 starts up in setting confirmation mode.

First, power is supplied to the main control board 1310, and when the 5V power supply starts up (T1), a reset signal is output from the reset circuit 1335, and the main control MPU 1311 starts up (T2).

The main control MPU 1311 executes the program from the first address of the program code in response to a reset signal. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 executes a security check and starts the main control program at timing T3. Then, at timing T4, it stores the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 in a register and waits until timing T5 for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up.

When the peripheral control board 1510 is started by starting the power supply, it starts the customer waiting performance. Note that the peripheral control board 1510 may start the customer waiting performance after receiving a command from the main control board 1310.

At timing T5 when the peripheral control board startup waiting time has elapsed, the main control MPU 1311 reads the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 from the register, records 01H in the setting status management area, and transitions to setting confirmation mode. The main control MPU 1311 also lights up all the LEDs of the function display unit 1400. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 starts outputting a security signal.

In addition, the main control MPU 1311 creates a power-on operation command (A002H) indicating a transition to setting confirmation mode, and sends it to the peripheral control board 1510 at a specified timing.

The peripheral control board 1510 executes the effects in the setting confirmation mode according to the power-on command received.

After checking the setting value, the hall employee operates the setting key 971 to the OFF position. When the main control MPU 1311 detects the OFF edge of the setting key 971, it ends the setting change mode, records 00H in the setting status management area, and transitions to normal game mode (T6). When the value of the setting status management area becomes 00H, it becomes possible to execute processing during normal game mode in the timer interrupt processing. In addition, the base display 1317 flashes all LEDs for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds), and then displays the base value in normal game mode.

Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 sends a power-on state command (3001H), a power-on return destination command (310nH), and a setting value command (A10mH) to the peripheral control board 1510. The m in the setting value command (A10mH) is a number between 1 and 6 according to the setting value, as shown in FIG. 202 (D). In the setting confirmation mode, the main control RAM 1312 is not initialized as a general rule, so the state before the power outage is sent as the lower byte of the power-on return destination command.

The peripheral control board 1510 knows from the received power-on state command that normal play can be started, and executes the effect in the normal play state (for example, a customer waiting effect). Note that the peripheral control board 1510 may switch the effect so that the notification effect during the setting change is stopped and the effect in the normal play state (for example, a customer waiting effect) is started after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the peripheral control board 1510 knew from the power-on state command that normal play can be started. Note that during the predetermined delay time, it is preferable for some of the effect devices to perform the notification effect during the setting change. For example, the effect display device 1600 and sound return to the effect in the normal play state, and the decorative lamps continue the notification effect during the setting change. Also, the continuation of the notification effect by the decorative lamps may be such that some of the decorative lamps (for example, the frame side) continue the notification effect, and other decorative lamps (for example, the panel side) return to the effect in the normal play state.

The main control MPU 1311 also stops outputting the security signal after a predetermined delay (e.g., 50 milliseconds) from the end of the setting confirmation mode (T7).

Figure 207 is another time chart showing the start and end of the setting change mode.

In the time chart shown in FIG. 207, since the setting change mode was active at the time of the most recent power outage, the main control MPU 1311 starts up in the setting change mode. Note that, as shown in FIG. 204 (B), if the setting change mode was active at the time of the most recent power outage, the main control MPU 1311 starts up in the setting change mode regardless of the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 when the power is turned on.

First, power is supplied to the main control board 1310, and when the 5V power supply starts up (T1), a reset signal is output from the reset circuit 1335, and the main control MPU 1311 starts up (T2).

The main control MPU 1311 executes the program from the first address of the program code in response to a reset signal. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 executes a security check and starts the main control program at timing T3. Then, at timing T4, it stores the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 in a register and waits until timing T5 for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up.

When the peripheral control board 1510 is started by starting the power supply, it starts the customer waiting performance. Note that the peripheral control board 1510 may start the customer waiting performance after receiving a command from the main control board 1310.

At timing T5 when the peripheral control board startup waiting time has elapsed, the main control MPU 1311 reads the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 from the register, records 02H in the setting status management area, and transitions to setting change mode. The main control MPU 1311 also lights up all the LEDs of the function display unit 1400. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 starts outputting a security signal.

In addition, the main control MPU 1311 creates a power-on operation command (A003H) indicating a transition to setting change mode, and sends it to the peripheral control board 1510 at a specified timing.

The peripheral control board 1510 executes the effects in the setting change mode according to the power-on command it receives. When the power is cut off, the peripheral control board 1510 resets its operating state and returns to its initial state, so when the power is restored, it receives the power-on operation command sent by the main control board 1310 and continues the setting change state.

When the RAM clear switch 954 (also used as the setting change switch 972) is operated during the setting change mode, the main control MPU 1311 detects that the RAM clear switch 954 is ON, updates the setting value from N to N+1, and the base display 1317 displays the updated setting value N+1 (T6).

After that, when the power supply to the main control board is stopped, the main control MPU 1311 detects the power outage and executes power-off processing (T7). Then, the reset circuit 1335 stops outputting the reset signal, the display of the set value by the base display 1317 disappears, and the output of the security signal stops (T8). Note that in the power-off processing, the output of the security signal may be stopped and the base display 1317 may be turned off. For example, the power-off processing program may turn off the output port of the security signal and the output port to the base display 1317, thereby stopping the output of the security signal and turning off the base display 1317.

By turning off the output port during power-off processing, power consumption during power-off processing can be reduced, and a reset caused by a drop in the power supply (5V) before the power-off processing is completed can be prevented. For example, it is effective to turn off the output port before calculating the checksum during power-off processing. It is also advisable to turn off the output port for signals to the solenoids that control the opening and closing of the large prize openings 2005, 2006 and the second start opening 2004, etc., to stop the drive signal for the solenoids.

After that, power is supplied to the main control board 1310, and when the 5V power supply starts up (T9), a reset signal is output from the reset circuit 1335 and the main control MPU 1311 starts up (T10).

The main control MPU 1311 executes the program from the first address of the program code in response to a reset signal. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 executes a security check and starts the main control program at timing T11, then stores the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 in a register at timing T12, and waits until timing T13 for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up.

The main control MPU 1311 refers to the value of the setting status management area. In the example shown in FIG. 207, since 02H is recorded in the setting status management area, regardless of the operation of the setting key 971 or the RAM clear switch 954, the setting change mode is entered at timing T13 when the peripheral control board startup waiting time has elapsed. When entering the setting change mode, the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 and the stack area in the game control area are initialized again, as in the case of entering the normal setting change mode. Note that the main control RAM 1312 is monitored for a power outage after initialization is completed, and then the power outage processing is executed, so the RAM clear processing is not interrupted by the power cut processing. Therefore, if the setting change mode is in effect at the time of the power outage, the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 has already been initialized, so the RAM clear processing may be executed when the power is restored so as not to initialize the game control area. After reinitialization, the main control MPU 1311 turns on all the LEDs of the function display unit 1400 and starts outputting a security signal.

The main control MPU 1311 also creates a power-on operation command (A003H) indicating a transition to setting change mode, and sends it to the peripheral control board 1510 at a specified timing.

The peripheral control board 1510 executes the effects in the setting change mode according to the power-on command it receives. When the power is cut off, the peripheral control board 1510 resets its operating state and returns to its initial state, so when the power is restored, it receives the power-on operation command sent from the main control board 1310 and continues the setting change state.

When the RAM clear switch 954 (also used as the setting change switch 972) is operated during the setting change mode, the main control MPU 1311 detects that the RAM clear switch 954 is ON, updates the setting value, and displays the updated setting value on the base display 1317.

After changing the setting value, the hall employee operates the setting key 971 to the OFF position. When the main control MPU 1311 detects the OFF edge of the setting key 971, it ends the setting change mode, records 00H in the setting status management area, and transitions to normal game mode (T14). By recording 00H in the setting status management area, the timer interrupt process can execute normal game processing. In addition, the base display 1317 displays all LEDs blinking for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds), and then displays the base value in normal game mode. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 sends a power-on state command (3001H), a power-on return destination command (3101H), and a setting value command (A10mH) to the peripheral control board 1510. The m in the setting value command (A10mH) is a number from 1 to 6 according to the setting value, as shown in FIG. 202 (D).

The peripheral control board 1510 knows from the received power-on state command that normal play can be started, and executes the effect in the normal play state (for example, a customer waiting effect). Note that the peripheral control board 1510 may switch the effect so that the notification effect during the setting change is stopped and the effect in the normal play state (for example, a customer waiting effect) is started after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the peripheral control board 1510 knew from the power-on state command that normal play can be started. Note that during the predetermined delay time, it is preferable for some of the effect devices to perform the notification effect during the setting change. For example, the effect display device 1600 and sound return to the effect in the normal play state, and the decorative lamps continue the notification effect during the setting change. Also, the continuation of the notification effect by the decorative lamps may be such that some of the decorative lamps (for example, the frame side) continue the notification effect, and other decorative lamps (for example, the panel side) return to the effect in the normal play state.

The main control MPU 1311 also stops outputting the security signal after a predetermined delay (e.g., 50 milliseconds) from the end of the setting change mode (T15). This is to ensure a minimum output time for the security signal, because if the setting change mode ends in an extremely short time and the security signal is not output at all or only for a short time, the hall computer will not be able to detect the transition to the setting change mode.

Figure 208 is another time chart showing the start and end of the setting change mode.

In the time chart shown in FIG. 208, even if the setting change mode was selected at the time of the most recent power outage, the main control MPU 1311 starts up in a different operating mode depending on the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 when the power is turned on.

First, power is supplied to the main control board 1310, and when the 5V power supply starts up (T1), a reset signal is output from the reset circuit 1335, and the main control MPU 1311 starts up (T2).

The main control MPU 1311 executes the program from the first address of the program code in response to a reset signal. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 executes a security check and starts the main control program at timing T3. Then, at timing T4, it stores the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 in a register and waits until timing T5 for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up.

When the peripheral control board 1510 is started by starting the power supply, it starts the customer waiting performance. Note that the peripheral control board 1510 may start the customer waiting performance after receiving a command from the main control board 1310.

At timing T5 when the peripheral control board startup waiting time has elapsed, the main control MPU 1311 reads the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 from the register, records 02H in the setting status management area, and transitions to setting change mode. The main control MPU 1311 also starts outputting a security signal.

The main control MPU 1311 also creates a power-on operation command (A003H) indicating a transition to setting change mode, and sends it to the peripheral control board 1510 at a specified timing.

The peripheral control board 1510 executes the effects in the setting change mode according to the power-on command it receives. When the power is cut off, the peripheral control board 1510 resets its operating state and returns to its initial state, so when the power is restored, it receives the power-on operation command sent by the main control board 1310 and continues the setting change state.

When the RAM clear switch 954 (also used as the setting change switch 972) is operated during the setting change mode, the main control MPU 1311 detects that the RAM clear switch 954 is ON, updates the setting value from N to N+1, and the base display 1317 displays the updated setting value N+1 (T6).

After that, when the power supply to the main control board is stopped, the main control MPU 1311 detects the power outage and executes power-off processing (T7). Then, the reset circuit 1335 stops outputting the reset signal, the display of the set value by the base display 1317 disappears, and the output of the security signal stops (T8). Note that in the power-off processing, the output of the security signal may be stopped and the base display 1317 may be turned off. For example, the power-off processing program may turn off the output port of the security signal and the output port to the base display 1317, thereby stopping the output of the security signal and turning off the base display 1317.

By turning off the output port during power-off processing, power consumption during power-off processing can be reduced, and a reset caused by a drop in the power supply (5V) before the power-off processing is completed can be prevented. For example, it is effective to turn off the output port before calculating the checksum during power-off processing. It is also advisable to turn off the output port for signals to the solenoids that control the opening and closing of the large prize openings 2005, 2006 and the second start opening 2004, etc., to stop the drive signal for the solenoids.

After that, power is supplied to the main control board 1310, and when the 5V power supply starts up (T9), a reset signal is output from the reset circuit 1335 and the main control MPU 1311 starts up (T10).

The main control MPU 1311 executes the program from the first address of the program code in response to a reset signal. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 executes a security check and starts the main control program at timing T11, then stores the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 in a register at timing T12, and waits until timing T13 for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up.

At timing T13 when the peripheral control board startup waiting time has elapsed, the main control MPU 1311 reads the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 from the register, and changes the operation mode according to the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954. In the example shown in FIG. 208, the RAM clear switch 954 is turned OFF and the setting key 971 is turned ON so that the setting confirmation mode will be set when the power is turned back on, but since the state before the power outage recorded in the setting status management area is a value (02H) indicating a setting change, at timing T13 when the peripheral control board startup waiting time has elapsed, the main control MPU 1311 restarts in the setting change mode, and the value of the setting status management area is maintained as 02H. Note that the same value (02H) may be set regardless of the original value. When switching to the setting change mode, the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 and the stack area in the game control area are reinitialized in the same way as when switching to the normal setting change mode. In addition, since the power failure is monitored after the initialization of the main control RAM 1312 is completed and the power failure process is executed after that, the RAM clear process is not interrupted by the power failure process. Therefore, if the setting change mode is in effect at the time of the power failure, the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 has already been initialized, so the RAM clear process may be executed when the power failure is restored so as not to initialize the game control area. For example, in the above-mentioned FIG. 186, if the state before the power failure was during setting change, the result is YES in step S2015, and the process branches to RESET_P_5A (step S2030 in FIG. 187) to execute the RAM abnormality initialization process (step S2034), but if the process branches to RESET_P_7 (S2036 in FIG. 187), the state before the power failure is continued without executing the RAM abnormality initialization process step S2034. After reinitialization, the main control MPU 1311 turns on all the LEDs of the function display unit 1400 and starts outputting a security signal. That is, in the time chart shown in FIG. 208, the setting change mode can be started even if the setting key 971 is not turned ON. In other words, the setting change mode is started by the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 being turned ON when the power is turned on, and further, the setting change mode can be started even if the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 are not ON when the power is turned on.

Note that, as indicated by the dashed line at timing T12, if the RAM clear switch 954 is OFF and the setting key 971 is operated to OFF when the power is restored, unlike the time chart shown in FIG. 207, 00H may be recorded in the setting status management area and the machine may be restarted in a state in which normal game play cannot be performed (e.g., RAM abnormality) without returning to the setting change mode. In other words, in the operating pattern shown in FIG. 208, even if the machine was in setting change mode during a power outage, if no setting change operation has been performed when the power is restored, the machine will be restarted in a RAM abnormality state. In other words, if the power is cut off during setting change mode, normal game play cannot be started unless the setting change mode is normally ended at some point.

In addition, the main control MPU 1311 creates a power-on operation command (A003H) indicating a transition to setting change mode, and sends it to the peripheral control board 1510 at a specified timing.

The peripheral control board 1510 executes the effects in the setting change mode according to the power-on command it receives. When the power is cut off, the peripheral control board 1510 resets its operating state and returns to its initial state, so when the power is restored, it receives the power-on operation command sent by the main control board 1310 and continues the setting change state.

When the RAM clear switch 954 (also used as the setting change switch 972) is operated during the setting change mode, the main control MPU 1311 detects that the RAM clear switch 954 is ON, updates the setting value, and displays the updated setting value on the base display 1317 (T14).

After the hall employee has finished changing the setting value, he or she operates the setting key 971 to the OFF position. When the main control MPU 1311 detects the OFF edge of the setting key 971, it ends the setting change mode, records 00H in the setting status management area, and transitions to normal game mode (T15). By recording 00H in the setting status management area, the timer interrupt process can execute the process during normal game mode. In addition, the base display 1317 displays all LEDs blinking for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds), and then displays the base value in normal game mode. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 transmits a power-on state command (3001H), a power-on return destination command (3101H), and a setting value command (A10mH) to the peripheral control board 1510. In the setting change mode, the main control RAM 1312 is initialized, so the lower byte of the power-on return destination command becomes 01H. The m in the setting value command (A10mH) is a number between 1 and 6 according to the setting value, as shown in FIG. 202 (D). Note that the power-on operation command (A0001H) and the power-on status command (3001H) both notify the user that normal gameplay can begin, and are usually sent consecutively, so it is sufficient to send either one of them to the main control board.

The peripheral control board 1510 knows from the received power-on state command that normal play can be started, and executes the effect in the normal play state (for example, a customer waiting effect). Note that the peripheral control board 1510 may switch the effect so that the notification effect during the setting change is stopped and the effect in the normal play state (for example, a customer waiting effect) is started after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the peripheral control board 1510 knew from the power-on state command that normal play can be started. Note that during the predetermined delay time, it is preferable for some of the effect devices to perform the notification effect during the setting change. For example, the effect display device 1600 and sound return to the effect in the normal play state, and the decorative lamps continue the notification effect during the setting change. Also, the continuation of the notification effect by the decorative lamps may be such that some of the decorative lamps (for example, the frame side) continue the notification effect, and other decorative lamps (for example, the panel side) return to the effect in the normal play state.

The main control MPU 1311 also stops outputting the security signal after a predetermined delay (e.g., 50 milliseconds) from the end of the setting change mode (T16). This is to ensure a minimum output time for the security signal, because if the setting change mode ends in an extremely short time and the security signal is not output at all or only for a short time, the hall computer will not be able to detect the transition to the setting change mode.

Figure 209 is another time chart showing the start and end of the setting confirmation mode.

In the time chart shown in FIG. 209, if the setting confirmation mode was selected when the power was shut off immediately before, the main control MPU 1311 will start up in the setting confirmation mode regardless of whether the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 is operated when the power is turned on.

First, power is supplied to the main control board 1310, and when the 5V power supply starts up (T1), a reset signal is output from the reset circuit 1335, and the main control MPU 1311 starts up (T2).

The main control MPU 1311 executes the program from the first address of the program code in response to a reset signal. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 executes a security check and starts the main control program at timing T3. Then, at timing T4, it stores the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 in a register and waits until timing T5 for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up.

When the peripheral control board 1510 is started by starting the power supply, it starts the customer waiting performance. Note that the peripheral control board 1510 may start the customer waiting performance after receiving a command from the main control board 1310.

At timing T5 when the peripheral control board startup waiting time has elapsed, the main control MPU 1311 reads the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 from the register, records 02H in the setting status management area, and transitions to setting change mode. The main control MPU 1311 also starts outputting a security signal.

In addition, the main control MPU 1311 creates a power-on operation command (A002H) indicating a transition to setting confirmation mode, and sends it to the peripheral control board 1510 at a specified timing.

The peripheral control board 1510 executes the performance in the setting confirmation mode according to the received power-on operation command.

After that, when the power supply to the main control board is stopped, the main control MPU 1311 detects the power outage and executes power-off processing, and the main control MPU 1311 stops operating (T7). Then, the reset circuit 1335 stops outputting the reset signal, the display of the set value by the base display 1317 disappears, and the output of the security signal stops (T8). Note that in the power-off processing, the output of the security signal may be stopped and the base display 1317 may be turned off. For example, the power-off processing program may turn off the security signal output port and the output port to the base display 1317, thereby stopping the output of the security signal and turning off the base display 1317.

By turning off the output port during power-off processing, power consumption during power-off processing can be reduced, and a reset caused by a drop in the power supply (5V) before the power-off processing is completed can be prevented. For example, it is effective to turn off the output port before calculating the checksum during power-off processing. It is also advisable to turn off the output port for signals to the solenoids that control the opening and closing of the large prize openings 2005, 2006 and the second start opening 2004, etc., to stop the drive signal for the solenoids.

After that, power is supplied to the main control board 1310, and when the 5V power supply starts up (T9), a reset signal is output from the reset circuit 1335 and the main control MPU 1311 starts up (T10).

The main control MPU 1311 executes the program from the first address of the program code in response to a reset signal. Specifically, the main control MPU 1311 executes a security check and starts the main control program at timing T11, then stores the signal level of the setting key 971 and the signal level of the RAM clear switch 954 in a register at timing T12, and waits until timing T13 for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up.

The main control MPU 1311 refers to the value in the setting status management area. In the example shown in FIG. 209, the RAM clear switch 954 is turned OFF and the setting key 971 is turned ON so that the setting check mode will be activated when the power is turned back on. However, since the state before the power failure recorded in the setting status management area is a value (01H) indicating setting check, the device restarts in the setting check mode at timing T13 when the peripheral control board startup waiting time has elapsed, and the value in the setting status management area is maintained at 01H. Note that the same value (01H) may be set regardless of the original value. After that, the main control MPU 1311 starts outputting a security signal. In other words, in the time chart shown in FIG. 209, the setting check mode can be activated even if the setting key 971 is not turned ON. In other words, the setting check mode is activated by the setting key 971 being turned ON and the RAM clear switch 954 being turned OFF when the power is turned on, and the setting check mode can be activated even if the setting key 971 is not ON when the power is turned on.

In addition, the main control MPU 1311 creates a power-on operation command (A002H) indicating a transition to setting confirmation mode, and sends it to the peripheral control board 1510 at a specified timing.

The peripheral control board 1510 executes the effects in the setting confirmation mode according to the power-on command received.

When in the setting confirmation mode, even if the RAM clear switch 954 (also used as the setting change switch 972) is operated and the main control MPU 1311 detects that the RAM clear switch 954 is ON, the setting value is not updated and continues to be displayed on the base display 1317.

After checking the setting value, the hall employee operates the setting key 971 to the OFF position. When the main control MPU 1311 detects the OFF edge of the setting key 971, it ends the setting check mode, records 00H in the setting status management area, and transitions to normal game mode (T15). By recording 00H in the setting status management area, normal game mode processing can be executed in the timer interrupt processing. In addition, the base display 1317 blinks all LEDs for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds), and then displays the base value in normal game mode. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 sends a power-on state command (3001H), a power-on return destination command (310nH), and a setting value command (A10mH) to the peripheral control board 1510.

The peripheral control board 1510 knows that the normal game can be started from the received power-on state command, and executes the presentation in the normal game state (for example, a customer waiting presentation). The peripheral control board 1510 may start the presentation in the normal game state (for example, a customer waiting presentation) after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the peripheral control board 1510 knew that the normal game can be started from the power-on state command. The peripheral control board 1510 may also switch the presentation so that the notification presentation during the setting change is stopped and the presentation in the normal game state (for example, a customer waiting presentation) is started after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the peripheral control board 1510 knew that the normal game can be started from the power-on state command. During the predetermined delay time, it is preferable to perform the notification presentation during the setting change by some of the presentation devices. For example, the presentation display device 1600 and the sound return to the presentation in the normal game state, and the decorative lamps continue the notification presentation during the setting change. The continuation of the notification presentation by the decorative lamps may be such that some of the decorative lamps (for example, the frame side) continue the notification presentation, and other decorative lamps (for example, the panel side) return to the presentation in the normal game state.

The main control MPU 1311 also stops outputting the security signal after a predetermined delay (e.g., 50 milliseconds) from the end of the setting check mode (T16). This is to ensure a minimum output time for the security signal, because if the setting change mode ends in an extremely short time and the security signal is not output at all or only for a short time, the hall computer will not be able to detect the transition to the setting change mode.

Figures 210 to 212 are diagrams showing examples of the configuration of a jackpot determination threshold table. The jackpot determination threshold table stores the jackpot determination thresholds for the random number values for jackpot determination used to draw jackpots with special patterns.

The jackpot threshold judgment table shown in FIG. 210 is composed of an address table for setting value table selection and a judgment threshold table for each setting value. The jackpot judgment threshold table shown in FIG. 210 is an example in which a jackpot is judged to have occurred when the random number value for jackpot judgment is greater than the threshold defined in the table.

The address table for setting value table selection defines the pointer address of the judgment threshold table selected for each setting value, and each data should be configured as a 2-byte value. If the upper byte is a fixed value, only the lower byte may be defined. Each setting value judgment threshold table stores the threshold for low probability (normal state) and the threshold for high probability (high probability state).

When determining whether or not a jackpot has occurred, the pointer address defined in the address table for selecting the setting value table is obtained, and this value is used as an offset to select the threshold value determination table for the current setting value. Then, the threshold value for jackpot determination is obtained from the selected threshold value determination table, using the probability bonus state flag (0: low probability, 1: high probability) as an offset. Then, if the random number value for jackpot determination obtained when the ball enters the starting hole is equal to or greater than the obtained threshold value, it is determined to be a jackpot, and if it is less than the threshold value, it is determined to be a miss.

The jackpot determination threshold table shown in FIG. 211 is composed of an address table for setting value table selection and a determination threshold table for each setting value. The jackpot determination threshold table shown in FIG. 211 is an example in which a jackpot is determined to have occurred when the random number value for jackpot determination is in the range from the lower limit to the upper limit defined in the table.

The address table for setting value table selection defines the pointer address of the judgment threshold table selected for each setting value, and each data should be configured as a 2-byte value. If the upper byte is a fixed value, only the lower byte may be defined. The judgment threshold table for each setting value stores the lower threshold for low probability (normal state), the upper threshold for low probability (normal state), the lower threshold for high probability (high probability state), and the upper threshold for high probability (high probability state).

When determining whether a jackpot has occurred, the pointer address defined in the address table for selecting the setting value table is obtained, and this value is used as an offset to select the threshold value determination table for the current setting value. Then, using the probability bonus state flag (0: low probability, 1: high probability) as an offset, it is determined whether the selected threshold value determination table has a low probability block or a high probability block, and the lower and upper thresholds for jackpot determination are obtained. Then, if the random number value for jackpot determination obtained when the starting hole is entered is equal to or greater than the obtained lower threshold value and equal to or less than the upper threshold value, it is determined to be a jackpot, and if it is outside the range between the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value, it is determined to be a miss.

The jackpot determination threshold table shown in FIG. 212 is composed of an address table for selecting a setting value table for low probability, a determination threshold table for each setting value for low probability, an address table for selecting a setting value table for high probability, and a determination threshold table for each setting value for high probability. The jackpot determination threshold table shown in FIG. 211 is composed of a table for low probability and a table for high probability that are integrated, but the jackpot determination threshold table shown in FIG. 212 is composed of a table for low probability and a table for high probability that are separate.

The address table for selecting a setting value table for low probability defines the pointer address of the judgment threshold table selected for each setting value of low probability (normal state), and the address table for selecting a setting value table for high probability defines the pointer address of the judgment threshold table selected for each setting value of high probability (high probability state). The data defined in each address table for selecting a setting value table may be configured as a 2-byte value. If the upper byte is a fixed value, only the lower byte may be defined. The judgment threshold table for each setting value for low probability stores the lower limit threshold for low probability (normal state) and the upper limit threshold for low probability (normal state). The judgment threshold table for each setting value for high probability stores the lower limit threshold for high probability (normal state) and the upper limit threshold for high probability (normal state).

When determining whether a jackpot has occurred, the system determines whether the address table is for selecting the low probability setting value table or the high probability setting value table based on the probability change state flag (0: low probability, 1: high probability), obtains the setting value as an offset from the determined address table for selecting the setting value table, and selects the determination threshold table corresponding to the current setting value based on the obtained offset. Then, if the random number value for jackpot determination obtained when the starting hole is entered is equal to or greater than the obtained lower threshold value and equal to or less than the upper threshold value, it determines that a jackpot has occurred, and if it is outside the range between the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value, it determines that a miss has occurred.

[12-17. Alternative example 2 of setting change/confirmation processing]
Next, another embodiment of a pachinko machine with a setting change function will be described. In the embodiment described below, the setting value can be selected by operating the RAM clear switch 954 without providing the setting change switch 972. However, in order to distinguish between the original function of the RAM clear switch 954 to initialize the main control RAM 1312 and the setting change function, the operation for changing the setting value may be described as the setting change switch 972.

Figures 213 and 214 are flowcharts of the power-on processing executed by the main control MPU 1311 when the power is turned on.

First, when the power is turned on and the reset signal is released, the main control MPU 1311 starts processing address 8000, which is the start address of the program code. The main control MPU 1311 sets the protection of the main control RAM 1312 to be disabled and the prohibited area to be disabled in the RAM protection register (step S2200). The main control MPU 1311 has the function of designating the use area of the main control RAM 1312, and determining that an abnormality has occurred and resetting if there is access to a prohibited area other than the designated area. In order to release the reset function due to access to the prohibited area of the main control RAM 1312, the prohibited area is set to be disabled, making it possible to access all areas of the main control RAM 1312. Note that an unused area of the main control RAM 1312 may be designated as a prohibited area, the prohibited area may be enabled, and the main control MPU 1311 may be reset if access to the designated prohibited area is detected.

Next, a simple clear mode timer of a predetermined time is set to the watchdog timer (step S2201), and the watchdog timer is cleared (step S2202). After that, the power outage clear signal is set to ON (step S2203), and the power outage clear signal is set to OFF (step S2204). By first setting the power outage clear signal to ON and then to OFF, the power outage signal stored in the latch can be set to a normal value.

Next, the signal levels of the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 are read from the PF port and stored in the register (step S2205). The register may be any of a number of general-purpose registers (storage means for temporarily storing information related to calculations during processing calculations) provided in advance in the main control MPU 1311. The general-purpose registers are divided into bank 0 and bank 1, and the register of bank 0 is used in step S2205. The register is provided in the main control RAM 1312, and is erased without retaining information during a power outage, and is different from the area of the RAM where information is backed up during a power outage. The main control MPU 1311 determines whether the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 are operated after the peripheral control board 1510 has been started up, so if a hall employee mistakenly interrupts the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 while waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up, the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 will be determined in a state not intended by the hall employee. For this reason, the input state (level) of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 is stored in a temporary storage means such as a register at an early stage after the power-on process begins, and the state of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 stored in a temporary storage means such as a register is determined after the standby state of the peripheral control board 1510 ends. This ensures that even if a hall employee accidentally stops operating the keys at an early stage after power-on, the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 during the power-on operation is detected reliably.

Then, it is determined whether the power outage warning signal indicates that a power outage is occurring (step S2206). If a power outage warning signal has been detected, the power supply voltage of the pachinko machine is not normal, so in step S2206, the machine waits until the power supply voltage stabilizes.

Then, a sub-startup waiting timer (e.g., about 2 seconds) is started, and the watchdog timer is continuously cleared until the timer times out, while waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up (step S2207). The waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up can be any time between the time the power is turned on and the time the first command is sent to the peripheral control board 1510.

Then, it is determined again whether the power outage warning signal indicates that a power outage is occurring (step S2208). If the power outage warning signal is detected, the power supply voltage of the pachinko machine 1 is abnormal, so the system waits in step S2208.

Then, a setting value confirmation process is executed to determine whether the setting value is within the normal range, and whether the value in the setting status management area is within the normal range (step S2209). Details of the setting value confirmation process will be described later with reference to FIG. 215.

Then, the flag register is saved to the stack area within the game control area (step S2210). This is to ensure the independence of the processing outside the game control area from the processing within the game control area, and to prevent information used in one processing from affecting the other processing. Then, a power-on RAM outside game area confirmation process is executed to determine whether there is an abnormality outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2211). Details of the power-on RAM outside game area confirmation process will be described later in FIG. 216. Then, the flag register saved in the stack area within the game control area is restored (step S2212).

Then, the RAM abnormality determination result value is provisionally set in the C register (step S2213), and the RAM abnormality value (03H) in the setting status management area is provisionally set in the B register (step S2214). The B register and C register used in steps S2213 and S2214 are general-purpose registers. Note that the general-purpose register in bank 0 is used in the power-on process.

The value set in the setting status management area in Alternative Example 2 differs from that shown in FIG. 201(B) in the previously described embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 220(A), if there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312, 03H is recorded. That is, the setting status management area in Alternative Example 2 is a 1-byte memory area in which the operation mode of the pachinko machine 1 is recorded, and for example, the lower 4 bits are used and the upper 4 bits are not defined. Specifically, 00H is recorded in the normal game state, 01H in the setting confirmation mode, 02H in the setting change mode, and 03H is recorded if there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312.

The setting status management area is not updated to 00H by the RAM clear process performed by operating only the RAM clear switch 954, and the current value is maintained. It is also updated from 01H to 00H when the setting confirmation mode ends, and from 02H to 00H when the setting change mode ends. Furthermore, if there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312, it is updated from 03H to 02H when the setting change mode is entered by the setting change operation at the next power-on, and is updated from 02H to 00H when the setting change mode ends.

Furthermore, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, the determination result is stored in the C register (steps S2215, S2216), and the process proceeds to step 2219. Specifically, a checksum calculated and stored from the data used as the game control area (excluding data saved in the stack) among the areas backed up in the internal RAM 1312 at the time of the previous power outage is compared with a checksum calculated using the same area, and if the two are different, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312. Furthermore, if the value of the power outage flag indicating that the data was backed up normally (the power outage processing was executed normally) is not stored in the backup flag area, it is determined that the data in the main control RAM 1312 was not backed up normally at the time of the power outage (the power outage processing was not executed normally), and that there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312.

If no abnormality is found either inside or outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, the RAM normality judgment result value is provisionally set in the C register (step S2217), the information in the setting status management area is set in the B register (step S2218), and the process proceeds to step 2219.

Then, a value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality is provisionally recorded in the setting status management area (step S2219).

Then, among the register values in which the PF port value is recorded, the bits of the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 are masked (step S2220). The register in which the PF port value is stored is a general-purpose register different from the register provisionally set in S2213 and S2214. After that, it is determined using the values stored in the register whether the setting key 971 was operated to ON and the RAM clear switch 954 was operated to ON when the power was turned on (step S2221). If the setting key 971 was operated to ON and the RAM clear switch 954 was operated to ON, it is determined that a setting change operation has been performed, and the process proceeds to step S2230.

On the other hand, if the setting key 971 has not been operated and the RAM clear switch 954 has not been operated, it is determined whether the setting change mode was active when the power outage occurred (step S2222). For example, when the value in the setting status management area is the setting change mode (02H), it is determined that a power outage occurred during the setting change mode.

If it is determined that a power outage has occurred during the setting change mode, the process proceeds to step S2230.

On the other hand, if it is determined that no power outage has occurred during the setting change mode, it is determined whether there is an abnormality inside or outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2223). For example, the determination results stored in the C register in steps S2213 and S2217 described above can be used to determine whether there is an abnormality inside the game control area. If there is an abnormality either inside or outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 as a result, the process proceeds to step S2236.

On the other hand, if there is no abnormality either inside or outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, it is determined whether a power outage occurred during RAM abnormality processing (step S2224). For example, if the value of the saved setting state management area is a value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality, it is determined that a power outage occurred during RAM abnormality processing.

If it is determined that a power outage has occurred during RAM abnormality processing, the process proceeds to step S2236. On the other hand, if it is determined that no power outage has occurred during RAM abnormality processing, a value (00H) indicating a normal game state is recorded in the setting state management area (step S2225). By recording 00H in the setting state management area in step S2225, the value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality that was provisionally recorded in the setting state management area in step S2214 is returned to a normal state. Also, by recording 00H in the setting state management area in step S2225, the value of the setting state management area when jumping from step S2226 to step S2231 is different from that when jumping to step S2235 from step S2226 and S2231. In this way, since the value of the setting state management area is different between the normal RAM clear processing and the RAM clear processing associated with the setting change processing, the call source can be distinguished even if the program for both RAM clear processings is the same, and there is no need to provide separate programs, which allows the program size to be reduced.

Then, the value stored in the register is used to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 was turned ON when the power was turned on (step S2226). If the RAM clear switch 954 was turned ON, the process proceeds to step S2235.

In the pachinko machine of this embodiment, processing is allocated based on the operation of the RAM clear switch 954, the operation of the setting key 971, and the value recorded in the setting status management area. For example, if it is determined that the main control RAM 1312 is abnormal, 03H is recorded in the setting status management area, and 03H is maintained until the power is cut off, so that normal game processing cannot be executed. In this case, if the power is cut off once, and then a setting change operation is performed and the power is turned on, the RAM abnormality can be canceled. That is, if it is determined in step S2221 that both the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 have been operated (setting change operation), the setting status management area is updated from a value indicating a RAM abnormality (03H) to a value indicating a setting change (02H) (step S2230), and the RAM abnormality state ends. In this way, recovery from a RAM abnormality is always via a setting change. In other words, before determining whether the state at the time of the power outage is a RAM abnormality, it is determined whether a setting change operation has been performed, so that the RAM abnormality can be eliminated only by changing the setting value.

On the other hand, if the RAM clear switch 954 has not been operated, the game status information at the time of the power outage is stored in the power-on status buffer in order to restore the state before the power outage occurred (step S2227).

Then, the value stored in the register is used to determine whether the setting key 971 was operated to ON when the power was turned on (step S2228). If the setting key 971 was operated to ON, it is determined that a setting confirmation operation has been performed, a value (01H) indicating the setting confirmation mode is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2229), and the process proceeds to S2236. In other words, even if the state when the power outage occurred was the setting confirmation mode, if the setting key 971 was not operated when the power was turned on, the game will enter the normal game state. Note that if the state when the power outage occurred was the setting confirmation mode and the setting key 971 was not operated when the power was turned on, the game may transition to the same power outage confirmation mode as before the power outage, rather than the normal game state.

Because steps S2225 to S2229 are processes that are executed when at least one of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 has not been operated, it is possible to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 has been operated (step S2226) or whether the setting key 971 has been operated (step S2228), either first. That is, as shown in the figure, it is possible to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 has been operated (step S2226) and then determine whether the setting key 971 has been operated (step S2228), or it is possible to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 has been operated (step S2226) and then determine whether the setting key 971 has been operated (step S2228).

If step S2221 or step S2222 returns YES, a value (02H) indicating the setting change mode is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2230). Then, it is determined whether there is an abnormality outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2231). For example, an abnormality outside the game control area can be determined based on the RAM abnormality determination result set in the RAM abnormality determination area outside the game area in step S2266 described above. If there is no abnormality outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 as a result, the process proceeds to step S2235.

On the other hand, if there is an abnormality outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, a RAM clear process outside the game control area is executed. That is, the flag register is saved to a stack area within the game area (step S2232), and a process for RAM abnormality outside the game area is executed (step S2233). Details of the process for RAM abnormality outside the game area will be described later in FIG. 217. After that, the flag register saved to the stack area within the game area in step S2232 is restored (step S2234).

Then, the setting values in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, the areas other than the setting state management area, and the stack area in the game control area are initialized (step S2235). In other words, the RAM clear process outside the game control area cannot be executed without going through a setting change. In the event of a RAM abnormality outside the game control area, 03H is recorded in the setting state management area, just as in the event of a RAM abnormality in the game control area, and game play stops, so it is not possible to return from the RAM abnormality state without going through a setting change. However, while the condition for clearing RAM outside the game control area is only a setting change, the conditions for clearing RAM in the game control area are a setting change and the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 (when the RAM is forcibly cleared by an employee even when no RAM abnormality has occurred).

In the RAM clearing process in the game area in step S2235, the setting value and setting status management area are excluded because if a player performs an illegal RAM clearing operation to set the setting value to a high value, the hall will suffer damages, and if a malfunction (RAM abnormality) occurs during play at a high setting and game play stops, the RAM clearing operation will cause the high setting to change to a low setting, causing damages to the player.

After that, all command buffers are initialized (step S2236). This is because if the power is turned off while commands are stored in the command buffer and then turned back on without clearing the RAM, the unsent commands stored in the command buffer are sent. For example, if the power is turned off while a variation command is being sent, the symbol command may be sent but the subsequent variation pattern command may not be sent. If only the variation pattern command is sent when the power is turned on, the peripheral control board 1510 may determine that an abnormality has occurred. Furthermore, if unsent commands in the process of changing settings are stored in the command buffer, the peripheral control board 1510 may set the game state based on the unsent command after the power is restored, resulting in a malfunction. To prevent such abnormalities from occurring, the command buffer is initialized in step S2236.

Although the command buffer is initialized in step S2236, the command buffer may be cleared only when the setting change process and the setting confirmation process are started. In the setting change process, the command buffer is cleared when the main control RAM 1312 is initialized, so there is no need to clear the command buffer separately. However, in the setting confirmation mode, the main control RAM 1312 is not initialized, so it is a good idea to clear the command buffer when transitioning to the setting confirmation mode.

Then, the functions of the devices (CTC, SIO, etc.) built into the main control MPU 1311 are initialized (step S2237), and a hardware random number (e.g., a winning/losing random number) built into the main control MPU 1311 is started (step S2238). By starting the hardware random number in step S2238, the hardware random number is updated even in the setting change mode and setting confirmation mode, but the hardware random number may also be started when the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode ends. Then, the power-on setting process is executed (step S2239). Details of the power-on setting process will be described later in FIG. 219.

Finally, the timer interrupt is set to enabled (step S2240), and the process proceeds to the main control side main processing (Figure 221).

Figure 215 is a flowchart of the setting value confirmation process. The setting value confirmation process is executed in step S2209 of the power-on process (Figure 213), and determines whether the setting value in the setting status management area is within the normal range, and determines whether the value in the setting status management area is within the normal range. The setting value confirmation process may be executed when the power is turned on, or when the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode ends. It may also be executed when special patterns start to change, or when the game state changes (when a jackpot, special bonus, time-saving, etc., starts and ends).

In the setting value confirmation process, the main control MPU 1311 first determines whether a value other than the value that should be recorded in the setting status management area has been set (step S2250). As shown in FIG. 220 (A), the setting status management area records 00H to 03H, so if a value of 04H or higher has been set, this is an abnormality and the process proceeds to step S2252.

On the other hand, if a normal value (03H or less) is set in the setting status management area, it is determined whether the setting value is within a predetermined range (step S2251). For example, in a pachinko machine 1 where the settings can be selected from 1 to 6, if the work value in which the setting value is stored corresponds to 0 to 5 (setting 1 = 0, setting 6 = 5), if a value of 6 or more is stored, it is determined to be outside the predetermined range.

If the setting value is outside the specified range, a value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2252), the setting value is initialized to 0 (step S2253), and the process returns to power-on processing. On the other hand, if the setting value is within the specified range, the process returns to power-on processing.

Regarding the values and setting values recorded in the setting state management area, whether the main control RAM 1312 is abnormal is also determined while play is in progress (each time a change begins, when the game state is switched, etc.). For this reason, the conditions for determining a RAM abnormality related to the setting state management area and setting values during play are different from the conditions for determining a RAM abnormality (abnormality in the work area within the game area excluding the setting state management area and setting values, and in the work RAM outside the game area) when the power is turned on. Note that these two RAM abnormality determination conditions may be partially the same. For example, if it is determined whether the setting state management area and setting values are abnormal when the power is turned on, it can be said that the two determination conditions are partially the same.

The reason why the conditions for determining RAM abnormalities are different in this way is that if RAM abnormalities related to the setting values were determined only when the power was turned on, if the setting values were changed due to a malfunction caused by fraud or noise, etc., it would cause disadvantages to the hall and players, so it is desirable to detect abnormalities early and shorten the period during which disadvantages occur.

In addition, by making the RAM abnormality judgment process for the setting status management area and setting values during gameplay into a subroutine, the subroutine can be called as necessary while gameplay is in progress to judge RAM abnormalities, making it possible to reduce the size of the program without having to set up the same program in multiple places.

Although the setting state management area is excluded from the RAM abnormality judgment when the power is turned on, it may be treated as a RAM abnormality judgment target in the same way as other areas of the main control RAM 1312. By treating the setting state management area as a RAM abnormality judgment target when the power is turned on, if the setting change mode was in effect before the power outage and a RAM abnormality is judged when the power is restored, the RAM abnormality takes priority. For this reason, if an abnormality occurs in the value of the setting state management area (i.e., a RAM abnormality), it is desirable to initialize the value recorded in the setting state management area. Note that in this case, the memory area of the main control RAM 1312 in which the setting values are stored may be included in the RAM abnormality judgment when the power is turned on, but may be excluded from the RAM abnormality judgment.

The order of priority for judgment when the power is turned on is such that a RAM abnormality has the highest priority, and entering the normal game mode has the lowest priority. Furthermore, entering the setting change mode has a higher priority than entering the setting confirmation mode or executing the RAM clear process by a RAM clear operation. In this way, by executing the judgment process in the order of the priority of the derived state, it is possible to accurately derive the state with the highest priority, even if multiple conditions are met after the power is restored.

Figure 216 is a flowchart of the RAM outside the game area check process when power is turned on. The RAM outside the game area check process when power is turned on is executed in step S2211 of the power-on process (Figure 213) and determines whether there is an abnormality outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312.

First, the main control MPU 1311 stores the value of the stack pointer in the SP save buffer outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2260), sets the stack pointer value outside the game area to the stack pointer (step S2261), and stores all register values of the bank (bank 0 or bank 1) used in the calling process in the register save buffer outside the game area (step S2262). Note that a stack area outside the game control area may be used as a save buffer to store all registers in processes executed outside the game control area.

Then, it is determined whether the outside of the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 has already been initialized by the first power-on, etc. (step S2263). Specifically, if the value of the power-down check area (EX_PDIND) is 5AH, it can be determined that the outside of the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 has been initialized by the first power-on, etc.

If the main control RAM 1312 has not been initialized when the power is turned on for the first time, etc., the process proceeds to step S2266 without executing steps S2264 to S2265. On the other hand, if the outside of the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 has already been initialized when the power is turned on for the first time, etc., a checksum for the outside of the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 is calculated (step S2264), and it is determined whether the calculated checksum is normal (step S2265).

If the calculated checksum is normal, proceed to step S2267. On the other hand, if the calculated checksum is abnormal, set the RAM abnormality judgment result value (01H) in the RAM abnormality judgment area outside the game area (step S2266), and proceed to step S2271. Note that a RAM abnormality outside the game control area is judged in S2231 based on the value set in the RAM abnormality judgment area outside the game area in S2266.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the checksum calculated in step S2265 is normal, the LED check timer is set to 5 seconds, the LED check timer is started (step S2267), the LED blinking cycle timer is set to a blinking cycle value (600 milliseconds) (step S2268), and the mode switching time timer is set to a mode switching time (5 seconds) (step S2269). The LED blinking cycle timer is a timer for blinking the top two digits (or all four digits) of the base display 1317, and one blinking cycle is completed when the LED blinking cycle timer times out. The mode switching time timer is a timer for controlling mode switching in the base display 1317, and switching to the base display mode occurs when the mode switching time timer times out.

Then, initialize the performance display monitor display management area by setting it to 0 (step S2270), and proceed to step S2271.

Then, the power down check area is initialized to 00H (step S2271).

Then, all register values of the bank (bank 0 or bank 1) used in the calling process that were saved in the register save buffer outside the play area are restored (step S2272), the stack pointer value saved in the SP save buffer outside the play area is restored (step S2273), and the process returns to power-on processing.

Figure 217 is a flowchart of the processing when an abnormality occurs in the RAM outside the game area. The processing when an abnormality occurs in the RAM outside the game area is executed in step S2233 of the power-on processing (Figure 214), and initializes the area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312.

First, the main control MPU 1311 stores the value of the stack pointer in the SP save buffer outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2280), sets the outside game area stack pointer value to the stack pointer (step S2281), and stores all register values of the bank (bank 0 or bank 1) used in the calling process in the register save buffer outside the game area (step S2282). Note that a stack area outside the game control area may be used as a save buffer to store all registers in processes executed outside the game control area.

Then, execute the RWM initialization process outside the area in use to initialize the area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2283). Details of the RWM initialization process outside the area in use will be described later in FIG. 218.

Then, the RAM normality judgment value (00H) is set in the RAM abnormality judgment area outside the game area (EX_RWMERROR) of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2284). Based on the value set in the RAM abnormality judgment area outside the game area in step S2284, it is determined in step S2231 at the next power-on whether or not there is an abnormality outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312.

Then, the LED check timer is set to 5 seconds, the LED check timer is started (step S2285), the LED blinking cycle timer is set to a blinking cycle value (600 milliseconds) (step S2286), and the mode switching time timer is set to a mode switching time (5 seconds) (step S2287). These timer values are the initial settings for displaying the base value on the base display 1317.

Then, all register values saved in the register save buffer outside the play area (register values of the bank (bank 0 or bank 1) used in the caller's process saved in step S2262) are restored (step S2288), the stack pointer value saved in the SP save buffer outside the play area is restored (step S2289), and the process returns to the power-on process of the caller.

Figure 218 is a flowchart of the RWM initialization process outside the area in use. The RWM initialization process outside the area in use is executed in step S2283 of the processing when an abnormality occurs in the RAM outside the game area, and initializes the area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312.

First, the main control MPU 1311 writes 00H into the work area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 to initialize it (step S2290). Then, the main control MPU 1311 writes 00H into the stack area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 to initialize it (step S2291). After that, the process returns to the processing for when the RAM outside the game area is abnormal.

Figure 219 is a flowchart of the power-on setting process. The power-on setting process is a subroutine that is executed in step S2239 of the power-on process (Figure 214) to perform the initial settings when the power is turned on.

First, the main control MPU 1311 creates a power-on operation command and sets the created command in the transmission information storage area (step S2300). The power-on operation command is a 2-byte command that notifies the contents recorded in the setting status management area, as described later in FIG. 220 (B), with the upper byte being A0H and the lower byte being the value of the setting status management area plus 1.

Next, the bit corresponding to the setting key 971 in the input level data 2 area and the bit corresponding to the setting change switch 972 are set to their initial value of 1. It is recommended that other bits be set to 0 (step S2301). The bit corresponding to the setting key 971 in the input level data 2 area and the bit corresponding to the setting change switch 972 are set to 1 so that the bit of the switch is detected as 1 at the time of the next timer interrupt, preventing an ON edge from being created by mistake.

Next, the backup flag is cleared (step S2302).

Then, it is determined whether a value (00H) indicating a state in which game play can be started is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2303). If a value indicating a state in which game play can be started is not recorded in the setting status management area, the device is in setting change mode, setting confirmation mode, or has a RAM abnormality, so the power-on setting process is terminated and the process returns to the calling device.

On the other hand, if a value (00H) indicating a state in which game play can be started is recorded in the setting status management area, normal game play can be started, so the work area in the game control area is initialized depending on whether the main control RAM 1312 has been initialized (step S2304).

Then, a power-on state command is created and the created command is stored in the transmission information storage area (step S2305). As shown in FIG. 220 (C), the power-on state command is a two-byte command, with the upper byte being 30H and the lower byte indicating the state before the power outage.

Then, a power-on return destination command is created, and the created command is set in the transmission information storage area (step S2306). The power-on return destination command is a 2-byte command that notifies the game status related to the special symbol, as shown in FIG. 202 (C), with the upper byte being 31H and the lower byte indicating the status of the special symbol and the operating status of the special electric device at the time of the power outage. The power-on return destination command is transmitted once when the power is turned on.

Furthermore, a setting value command is created and the created command is set in the transmission information storage area (step S2307). As shown in FIG. 202 (D), the setting value command is a 2-byte command that notifies the setting value, with the upper byte being A1H and the lower byte indicating the setting value.

A special symbol pending number command indicating the number of pending special symbol variable display games may be sent together with the power-on state command, power-on return destination command, and setting value command to restore the pending number display in the performance display device 1600 to the state it was in before the power outage occurred. The special symbol pending number command may be sent after the power-on state command, power-on return destination command, and setting value command, before these commands, or during the transmission of these commands.

Then it returns to the calling process.

The power-on setting process is always executed regardless of whether the device is in setting change mode. The power-on setting process is also called from the setting process (Fig. 224) when the setting key 971 is detected as OFF and the setting change/confirmation process is terminated. At this time, 00H is recorded in the setting status management area, so all processes from S2300 to S2307 are executed.

When the setting change/confirmation process is executed, the power-on setting process is called from step S2239 of the power-on process and from step S2355 of the setting process, and so the power-on operation command is sent twice. On the other hand, when the setting change/confirmation process is not executed, the power-on operation command is sent once only by the power-on setting process called from step S2239 of the power-on process. The power-on operation command is sent to allow the peripheral control board 1510 to identify the state of the main control board 1310 (setting change mode, setting confirmation mode, RAM abnormality, etc.). By receiving this command, the peripheral control board 1510 issues a notification corresponding to the state, such as setting change mode, setting confirmation mode, or RAM abnormality.

In addition, in the setting/check/change mode, the setting adjustment function by the player (for example, adjusting the volume or brightness by operating the buttons on the door frame 3) may be stopped, while adjustments by hall staff (adjusting the volume or brightness by using the volume controls on the peripheral control board box 1520) may be enabled. Specifically, the setting adjustment function by the player may be stopped until the power-on operation command indicating the normal game mode is received.

In addition, in both the setting change mode and the setting confirmation mode, the entire screen of the performance display device 1600 may be used to display whether the mode is the setting change mode, the setting confirmation mode, or a RAM abnormality state. In this case, a voice message indicating whether the mode is the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode may be output. Furthermore, the notification may be given using some or all of the lamps (which may include the lamps provided on the door frame 3).

Figure 220 (B) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on operation command. The power-on operation command is a command that notifies the contents recorded in the setting status management area, and the value stored in the lower byte is the value in the setting status management area plus 1. Therefore, unlike what was shown in Figure 202 (A) in the embodiment described above, in Alternative Example 2, when a RAM abnormality occurs, the lower byte becomes 04H.

Specifically, the power-on operation command consists of two bytes, with the upper byte being A0H, and the lower byte indicating the contents recorded in the setting status management area. The value of the lower byte stores the value of the setting status management area plus 1. This is because during normal play, the value of the setting status management area is 00H, and so if the value sent as a command were 00H, it would be indistinguishable from a hardware abnormality that would result in an output of 0, so one of the bits is set to 1.

The power-on operation command is generated at least once during power-on processing. Specifically, the A001H or A004H command is generated once in response to hot start, RAM clear, and RAM abnormality, and in the setting change mode and setting confirmation mode, the A002H or A003H command is generated during power-on processing, and then the A001H command is generated twice when the setting change/confirmation is completed.

When the peripheral control board 1510 receives the power-on operation command, it issues a notification in the manner described above according to the state in which normal game play can be started (A001H), the setting confirmation mode (A002H), the setting change mode (A003H), or the RAM abnormality state (A004H) (see FIG. 184). Note that the notification of the state in which normal game play can be started is not shown in FIG. 184, but it displays a demo screen or produces a standby state that explains the game content.

If the peripheral control board 1510 receives a game command during normal play without receiving A001H as a power-on operation command, the game state may be inconsistent, so the received game command is determined to be invalid and no game action (such as a performance) for that game command is initiated. However, if a certain condition is met (for example, a game command during normal play is sent a certain number of times in succession), the peripheral control board 1510 may have missed the power-on operation command (A001H), so it is advisable to cancel the invalidation of the received game command and perform a performance corresponding to the game command.

When the game command is disabled, the game command that satisfies a predetermined condition may be performed (for example, the movement of the symbols, the lamps, the movable body, the sound, etc. may be performed according to the received command), and the background of the display device or a predetermined lamp may be used to notify that an inconsistency in the game state has occurred. The game state inconsistency may also be notified at a low volume. This is to prevent possible trouble in the hall, as players who do not understand that an inconsistency in the game state has occurred unless any performance is performed until the predetermined condition is met may think that the pachinko machine 1 is broken, such that the special symbol variable display game does not start even if the starting hole is won. Note that even if the peripheral control board 1510 disables the game command, the main control board 1310 is executing normal game processing, so the function display of the special symbols, normal symbols, etc. on the function display unit 1400 is displayed normally.

Figure 220 (C) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power-on state command. Unlike the one shown in Figure 202 (B) in the above-mentioned embodiment, the power-on state command in the second example defines four states: 01H, 02H, 03H, and 04H. That is, the power-on state command is a command that notifies whether the state is ready to start normal play based on the recorded contents of the power-on state buffer, and further notifies the state before the power outage. For example, the power-on state command is composed of two bytes, and if the upper byte is 30H and the lower byte is 01H, it indicates that the main control RAM 1312 is in a state where it has been initialized to notify RAM clearing. Also, if the lower byte is 02H, it indicates that the state before the power outage was a low probability/non-time-saving state, the main control RAM 1312 has returned without being initialized, and the normal game can be started. Also, if the lower byte is 03H, it indicates that the state before the power outage was a high probability/time-saving state, the main control RAM 1312 has returned without being initialized, and the normal game can be started. Furthermore, if the lower byte is 04H, it indicates that the state before the power outage was a low probability/time-saving state, the main control RAM 1312 returned without being initialized, and normal play can begin.

As mentioned above, the power-on state buffer is a memory area that stores information about the game state at the time of a power outage in order to restore the state before the power outage, and the power-on state command stores a value obtained by adding 1 to the value of the power-on state buffer. For example, in a low-probability non-time-saving mode, the power-on state buffer stores 1, and this value is added by 1 to store 2 in the power-on state command. Also, when the main control RAM 1312 is initialized, the power-on state buffer is set to 0, so 1 is stored in the power-on state command, and it is possible to notify that the main control RAM 1312 has been initialized.

Figure 221 is a flowchart of the main control side main processing executed by the main control MPU 1311. The main control side main processing is executed after step S2240 of the power-on processing (Figure 214).

First, the main control MPU 1311 acquires the power outage warning signal and determines whether a power outage has occurred based on whether the power outage warning signal is ON (step S2310). In alternative example 2, power outages are monitored in the main processing, but power outages may also be monitored in timer interrupt processing, and power outage processing may be executed if a power outage is detected. For example, it may be determined whether the power outage warning signal is ON at least one of the start and end times of the timer interrupt, the period during which the power outage warning signal is continuously output, and a power outage may be determined to have occurred if the count result reaches a predetermined value.

If the power outage warning signal is not ON, power is being supplied normally, so random number update process 2 is executed (step S2311). Random number update process 2 may be the same as that described in FIG. 195, and mainly updates random numbers other than the random numbers used to determine whether or not a winner has been selected in a special or regular lottery.

On the other hand, if a power outage warning signal is detected, the power outage process (steps S2312 to S2319) is executed. In the power outage process, a process is executed to back up data to restore the state before the power outage occurred. Specifically, first, interrupts are prohibited (step S2312). This prevents the timer interrupt process described later from being performed. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 clears the output ports to stop the operation of the devices controlled by the output from each port (step S2313). Specifically, the power outage clear signal OFF bit data is output to the solenoid, power outage clear, and ACK output ports. Note that it is not necessary to clear all output ports. For example, output ports for controlling solenoids and motors that consume a lot of power may be cleared. Clearing these output ports reduces the power consumption until the main board side power outage process is completed, and ensures that the main board side power outage process is completed.

Then, the flag register is saved to a stack area in the play area (step S2314), and power-off processing is executed to execute any processing required before the power is cut off (step S2315). Details of the power-off processing are described later in FIG. 222. Then, the flag register saved in the stack area in the play area is restored (step S2316).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 calculates a checksum of the work area in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 to determine whether the data stored in the work area to be backed up has been properly retained, and stores the checksum in a specified checksum storage area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2317). This checksum is used to determine whether the data backed up in the work area is normal. The areas for which the checksum is calculated should preferably exclude the setting state management (setting value and value of the setting state management area) that may be changed between the time the power is turned on and the execution of the main processing on the main control side, the backup flag, and the value of the checksum area, among the work areas in the game control area.

Furthermore, a value (5AH) indicating that the power failure process has been normally executed is stored in the backup flag area as a power failure flag (step S2318). This completes the storage of the game backup information. Finally, RAM protection is enabled (write prohibited) and the prohibited area is disabled is written to the RAM protection register, writing to a specified area of the main control RAM 1312 is prohibited (step S2319), and the system waits until recovery from the power failure (infinite loop). The main control MPU 1311 has a function of designating a use area of the main control RAM 1312, and determining that an abnormality has occurred and resetting if there is access to a prohibited area other than the designated area. For this reason, the reset function due to access to the main control RAM 1312 is released (not reset) by setting the prohibited area of the RAM protection register to invalid, thereby enabling access to all areas. Note that an unused area of the main control RAM 1312 may be designated as a prohibited area, the prohibited area is enabled, and the main control MPU 1311 may be reset if access to the designated prohibited area is detected.

Figure 222 is a flowchart of the power-off processing. The power-off processing is executed in step S2315 of the main control main processing (Figure 221), and executes the necessary processing before the power is cut off.

First, the main control MPU 1311 stores the value of the stack pointer in the SP save buffer outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2320), sets the stack pointer value outside the game area to the stack pointer (step S2321), and stores all register values in the register save buffer outside the game area (step S2322).

Next, the checksum outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 is calculated and stored in the outside game area checksum storage area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2323). After that, 5AH is set in the power down check area (EX_PDIND) to record that the RAM area outside the game area of the main control RAM 1312 has been initialized (step S2324). If 5AH is recorded in the power down check area, the power outage processing has been performed normally. In this sense, the power down check area and the backup flag of the RAM in the game control area are essentially the same. Since the power outage processing has been performed normally, it has already been determined that the area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 is normal, and if 5AH is set in the power down check area as a result, the initialization of the area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 has been completed.

In this way, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, two types of flags indicating that power outage processing has been executed normally are provided inside and outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312. This is to make a double judgment inside the game control area and outside the game control area, and because the game control area and outside the game control area do not share a single memory area, it is desirable to process them independently. For example, if there is only one flag indicating that power outage processing has been executed normally, that flag will be erroneously set to 5AH, and when power returns without performing power outage processing, it will be erroneously judged that power outage processing has been executed normally. By making a double judgment in this way, the possibility of an erroneous judgment is reduced.

In addition, by providing the two flags in separate areas (for example, areas where the lower bytes (**00H to **FFH) or upper bytes (00**H or 01**H) of the address do not overlap), data can be restored correctly even if it is rewritten due to noise or other malfunctions.

Then, all register values of the bank (bank 0 or bank 1) used in the caller's process that were saved in the register save buffer outside the play area are restored (step S2325), the stack pointer value saved in the SP save buffer outside the play area is restored (step S2326), and the process returns to the caller.

Figure 223 is a flowchart of the timer interrupt processing executed by the main control MPU 1311.

First, the main control MPU 1311 sets the register bank selection flag to 1 and switches the register bank (step S2330). The main control MPU 1311 has two register groups used for calculations, one of which is used as the register group of bank 0 and the other is available as the register group of bank 1, and is configured so that the registers of both banks cannot be used without switching the banks. Register bank 0 is used in the main processing on the main control side, and register bank 1 is used in the timer interrupt processing. For this reason, an instruction to switch the bank to 1 is executed at the start of the timer interrupt processing, but it is not necessary to execute an instruction to switch the bank to 0 at the end of the timer interrupt processing. This is because the main control MPU 1311 stores the state of the bank in a flag register (for example, a register in which the Z flag and C flag are set), and the flag register is saved to the stack area at the start of the interrupt and is restored from the stack area by executing the RET command. For this reason, the bank flag of the register stored in the flag register is also restored by executing the RET command. If the bank status is not stored in the flag register, a bank switch command is executed at the end of the timer interrupt process to return to bank 0.

The flag register also stores a flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled, so there is no need to set it to interrupt enabled before executing the RET instruction. The flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled is set to interrupt disabled state after the flag register is stacked at the start of timer interrupt processing. Therefore, unless interrupts are enabled during timer interrupt processing (by using the EI instruction, for example) or the RETI instruction is executed, the interrupts will not be enabled.

Next, the LED common counter is incremented by +1. If the LED common counter value exceeds the upper limit, it is reset to 0 (step S2331).

Next, switch input process 1 is executed (step S2332). In switch input process 1, various signals input to the input terminals of various input ports of the main control MPU 1311 are read, an ON edge is created, and the resulting signal is stored as input information in the input information storage area of the main control RAM 1312.

Note that the switch input process 1 in step S2332 is a process related to the winning signal, and the switch input process 2 in step S2080 in FIG. 191 is a process related to the input of the fraud detection sensor (magnetic sensor, radio wave sensor, vibration sensor, etc.). For this reason, in the timer interrupt process executed in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, since the result is NO in step S2335, winning detection is performed, but fraud by the fraud detection sensor is not detected. Note that even if a winning is detected, the payout of prize balls and the variable display are not executed. This is because the setting change operation and setting confirmation operation are performed by the hall employee, and it is considered that fraud is not performed in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, and it is preferable not to detect fraud. For example, since the setting change operation and setting confirmation operation are performed with the door open, the door frame 3 and the main frame 4 connected to the outer frame 2 by the hinge member are in a state where they are easily shaken, and there is a possibility that the vibration sensor will erroneously detect vibration. For this reason, by stopping the detection of fraud by the fraud detection sensor in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, such false alarms can be prevented. In addition, hall employees carry magnets to retrieve balls that have fallen to the floor, and false alarms caused by magnets held by employees when changing settings or checking settings can be prevented. In other words, the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment has a means for disabling (or restricting, regulating, suppressing, etc.) fraud detection, and after transitioning to normal game processing (for example, after the initial setting processing at power-on is completed), the fraud detection is enabled, and in a specific game state (for example, during the setting processing), the fraud detection is disabled (or restricted, regulated, suppressed, etc.) by the means.

Note that even in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, some fraud detection sensors (e.g., radio wave sensors) may be used to detect specific types of fraud in switch input process 1. In this way, it is possible to detect fraud where a cheater tries to forcibly start the setting change mode by irradiating radio waves, etc.

Next, the random number update process 1 is executed (step S2333). In the random number update process 1, the random numbers for jackpot determination, jackpot pattern random numbers, and small jackpot pattern random numbers are updated. In addition to these random numbers, the random numbers for initial value determination are updated to change the initial values of the random numbers for jackpot pattern determination and small jackpot pattern determination, which are updated in the random number update process 2 of the main control side main process shown in FIG. 221. In the timer interrupt process shown in FIG. 223, the random numbers are updated even when the setting process for changing the setting value is executed. This is because the hardware random numbers for determining whether or not a win has been won are updated regardless of whether or not the setting change or setting confirmation process is in progress, so the random numbers generated by the software are also updated at the same timing as the start of the hardware random numbers, that is, by updating them during the setting change or setting confirmation process, inconsistencies between the hardware random numbers and the software random numbers are less likely to occur, and the expected value of the performance in the game and the expected value of the jackpot derived during a specific performance can be suppressed from deviating from the design value.

Then, the set value confirmation process (FIG. 215) is executed to determine whether the set value is within the normal range (step S2334). The set value confirmation process is executed periodically in the timer interrupt process, but even if the set value confirmation process is not executed in the timer interrupt process, it may be executed when a specific condition is met, such as when the fluctuation starts, when the game state is switched (e.g., when the jackpot probability is switched, when the jackpot game starts or ends, when the time-saving state starts or ends), or when fraud is detected (e.g., when a door is opened, when a magnetic field is detected). Even if the determination is not made periodically at short intervals as in the execution of the timer interrupt process, by making the determination when a specific condition is met, the consumption of resources of the main control MPU 1311 can be reduced.

Then, it is determined whether a value (00H) indicating the start of a game is recorded in the setting state management area (step S2335). By checking the value in the setting state management area after the setting value confirmation process (step S2334, FIG. 215), if the setting value is determined to be abnormal, the normal game process is not executed by checking the value in the setting state management area immediately after (S2335). If a value indicating the start of a game is recorded in the setting state management area, the process proceeds to step S2080 in FIG. 191. On the other hand, if a value indicating the start of a game is not recorded in the setting state management area, the LED common port is turned OFF (step S2336). By turning OFF the LED common signal at an early stage of the timer interrupt process, the time until the LED common signal is turned ON, i.e., the LED is turned off, is secured, and the ghost phenomenon in which the display before and after the LED display switching appears mixed is suppressed, and LED flickering is prevented.

After that, a security signal is output from the external terminal board 784 (step S2337), and the flag register is saved to the stack area in the game area (step S2338). Then, a test signal output process is executed to output a test signal (step S2339). Then, the flag register is saved to the stack area in the game area (step S2340). Before and after the start of the process to output the test signal, the stack pointer and register are saved as in other processes outside the game area, and are restored after the process is completed. The test signal process does not control the progress of the game, so it is executed as a process outside the game control area. Note that the test signal process may be executed as a process within the game control area if it does not affect the game. When the test signal process is executed as a process within the game control area, the saving and restoration of the flag register (steps S2337, S2340) executed before and after the test signal output process (step S2339) is not necessary.

Then, the setting process is executed (step S2341). Details of the setting process will be described later with reference to FIG. 224.

Then, the setting display process is executed (step S2342). Details of the setting display process will be described later in FIG. 225.

Furthermore, a peripheral board command transmission process is executed to output the value of the transmission information storage area to the serial communication circuit (step S2343). The transmission information storage area is a storage area that temporarily stores the generated transmission command. The value (command) stored in the transmission information storage area is read out in step 2070 and stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit (SIO). The serial communication circuit has a multi-byte FIFO-format transmission information storage area. This transmission information storage area stores the command generated each time a command is generated, and the values (commands) stored in the transmission information storage area are sequentially transmitted to the peripheral control board 1510. Note that the generated command may be directly stored in the FIFO-format transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit each time a command is generated.

Then, a predetermined value (18H) is set in the watchdog timer clear register WCL to clear the watchdog timer (step S2344). Note that since the watchdog timer uses the simple clear mode, the watchdog timer is cleared by setting one word. Then, a return instruction (e.g., RETI) is issued to switch the register bank (step S2345), and the process returns to that before the interrupt.

The processing that follows after it is determined in step S2335 that a value indicating the start of play has been recorded in the setting status management area is the same as the processing described above in FIG. 191. After the output data setting processing is executed in step S2091, the processing proceeds to step S2343 in FIG. 223.

Figure 224 is a flowchart of the setting process. The setting process is executed in step S2341 of the timer interrupt process (Figure 223) when the setting status management area is not a value (00H) indicating the normal game status, and mainly executes processing to change the setting value.

First, the main control MPU 1311 determines whether a value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2350). If a value indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, a power-on command is created (step S2351) and the process returns to the calling process.

As a result, in the event of a RAM abnormality, a power-on operation command (A004H) indicating a RAM abnormality is sent at each timer interrupt until the RAM abnormality is resolved. This is because if a power-on operation command indicating a RAM abnormality is sent only once, the RAM abnormality will not be notified again if the command is missed, and the peripheral control board 1510 will not be able to know the status of the gaming machine. Also, since the function display unit 1400 is completely turned off, if the peripheral control board 1510 does not know the status of the gaming machine, no abnormality notification will be made, and this is to prevent the status of the gaming machine from being unable to be confirmed from the outside. Also, when a RAM abnormality occurs, no game is played, and therefore no commands other than the power-on operation command are sent to the peripheral control board 1510, so the power-on operation command is repeatedly sent as long as the RAM abnormality continues.

In other words, the pachinko machine of this embodiment includes a first case in which commands of the same system (e.g., power-on operation commands) are sent a predetermined number of times (e.g., a small number of times such as once, twice, or three times) in response to the execution of a periodic process (timer interrupt process) that is executed at a predetermined cycle, and a second case in which commands are sent repeatedly at a predetermined cycle without limiting the number of times while the pachinko machine is in operation, and in the second case, the same command is sent repeatedly regardless of whether it has been received correctly by the peripheral control board 1510, and is a command that is sent even when no other game-related commands are being sent when normal play is stopped.

When the peripheral control board 1510 receives a command related to a RAM abnormality, it issues an alert regarding the RAM abnormality. If the same command is received again while an alert is being issued regarding a RAM abnormality, it is preferable to invalidate the received command related to the RAM abnormality and continue the current alert. By invalidating subsequent commands, for example, it is possible to prevent the alert from being repeated from the beginning by audio, and to issue a normal alert.

The command regarding the RAM abnormality may always be the same, but may be different depending on the timing of transmission. The consistency of the command may be determined by changing the command regarding the RAM abnormality depending on the timing of transmission. For example, by using a power-on operation command (A004H) that is transmitted when the RAM is abnormal when the power is turned on, and a power-on operation command (A005H) that is transmitted when the RAM is abnormal during a normal timer interrupt, the peripheral control board 1510 can determine that the RAM abnormality at power-on continues when it receives the power-on command (A005H) after the power-on command (A004H). On the other hand, when it receives the power-on command (A005H) without receiving the power-on command (A004H), it can determine that the setting value or setting state management area recorded in the main control RAM 1312 has become abnormal after the power is restored (for example, during normal play). In this way, the notification mode can be made different for each of the two states to be determined. For example, if a RAM abnormality continues when the power is turned on, it can be reported as a RAM abnormality, and if a RAM abnormality occurs after the power is restored, it can be reported as a setting value abnormality.

Note that while a RAM abnormality is being notified, the player's ability to adjust settings (for example, adjusting the volume or brightness by operating the buttons on the door frame 3) may be stopped. This is because any adjustments to settings made by the player while a RAM abnormality is being notified are considered to be erroneous operations. Specifically, the player's ability to adjust settings should be stopped until a power-on operation command indicating a normal game mode is received.

If a RAM abnormality is detected, the setting process will be executed repeatedly, and no processing related to special or normal symbols will be executed, making it impossible to play. This RAM abnormality can be resolved by turning the power off to perform power outage processing, and then using the setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 to start the setting change mode when the power is turned back on, which will put the machine into the setting change state and clear the RAM abnormality. The setting change mode can then be ended by returning the setting key 971 to its original position, allowing normal play to begin.

In addition, when the power is turned back on, if any operation other than starting the setting change mode with the setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 is performed, the value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality in the setting status management area will be maintained, the RAM abnormality state will continue, and normal gameplay cannot be started. In other words, in order to resolve the RAM abnormality and return to normal gameplay, it is necessary to go through the setting change mode.

On the other hand, if no value indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, it is determined whether the setting key 971 has returned to the OFF position (step S2352). Specifically, it detects whether a predetermined period of time has passed since the edge of the setting key 971 from ON to OFF, or from ON to OFF.

When it is determined that the setting key 971 has returned to the OFF position (determining that the setting change or setting confirmation has ended), the output time is set in the security signal output timer (step S2353), the setting status management area is initialized (step S2354), the power-on setting process shown in FIG. 219 is executed (step S2355), and the process returns to the caller.

When an operation to end the setting change mode is performed (setting key 971 is turned OFF), an output time value is set in the security signal output timer, providing a delay time until the security signal is turned OFF after the setting change mode ends. Therefore, even if the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode ends in a short time (for example, within a single timer interrupt process), the shortest output signal of the security signal can be secured for the amount of time set as the output time value in the security signal output timer, and the hall computer can reliably detect the security signal.

In addition, if fraud is detected during the delay time until the security signal is turned OFF, it is advisable to maintain the security signal and output the security signal for a period or time corresponding to the newly detected fraud.

Furthermore, if a power outage occurs during the delay time until the security signal is turned OFF, when a hot start is performed in normal game mode when power is restored, a security signal for the remaining time is output, but when the RAM is cleared by operating the RAM clear switch or by changing settings, the security signal for the remaining time is not output. This is because the initialization of the main control RAM 1312 resets the security signal output timer value, and the output of the security signal associated with the initialization of the main control RAM 1312 begins.

When power is turned on after a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output, the device will enter one of five modes: hot start, RAM clear, setting change mode, setting check mode, or continued RAM abnormal state.

When the setting change mode or setting check mode is entered, the activated mode ends and a security signal is output until the delay time has elapsed. If the RAM abnormality continues, a security signal is output due to the continuing RAM abnormality since no setting change operation has been performed even when power is restored. If a power outage occurs after the setting change mode or setting check mode ends and before the delay time has elapsed, a security signal is output for the remaining time if a hot start is performed after power is restored.

Even when the security signal is continuously output, the output of the security signal is stopped by a power-on reset signal when the power is turned on, and after a predetermined time (e.g., during the startup waiting time of the peripheral control board 1510) has elapsed, the process shifts to timer interrupt processing, and the output of the security signal is resumed. In other words, even when the security signal is continuously output after a power outage occurs in the following cases, a predetermined period of time after the power is restored is set during which the output of the security signal is stopped.
- When a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output due to fraud detection, etc., and then power is restored with a hot start. - When a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output due to a RAM abnormality, then power is restored and the RAM abnormality continues. - When a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output in setting change mode, then power is restored and setting change mode continues. - When a power outage occurs while a security signal is being output in setting check mode, then power is restored and setting check mode continues.

In this way, even if a security signal continues to be output after a power outage occurs while the security signal is being output, the output of the security signal can be stopped for a specified period of time after the power is restored, allowing the hall computer to determine whether there was an abnormality in the security signal or whether the state associated with the output of the security signal has been released.

In addition, in the setting confirmation mode where only the setting key 971 is operated, the security signal is output until the setting confirmation mode ends, regardless of the remaining time for which the security signal is output, and the output of the security signal stops after the setting confirmation mode ends and the delay time has elapsed. In the setting change mode where the setting key 971 and RAM clear switch 954 are operated, the same processing as in the setting confirmation mode may be performed.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2352 that the setting key 971 has not returned to the OFF position, it is determined whether a value (02H) indicating a setting change is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2356), and if it is determined that the setting change mode is active, it is determined whether the setting change switch 972 has been operated (step S2357). The setting change switch 972 may also be configured to double as the RAM clear switch 954. As a result, if a value indicating a setting change is recorded in the setting status management area and it is determined that the setting change switch 972 has been operated, the setting value is updated by +1 (step S2358). If the setting value exceeds the upper limit of 6, it is set to 0 (steps S2359, S2360). Thereafter, the process returns to the calling process.

On the other hand, if it is determined that no value indicating a setting change has been recorded in the setting status management area (i.e., the setting confirmation mode is active) or that the setting change switch 972 has not been operated, the setting value is not updated and the process returns to the calling process.

When determining whether the setting change switch 972 is operated (immediately before or immediately after), it may be determined whether the setting key 971 is operated to ON. In this way, by determining whether the setting key 971 is operated when the setting change switch 972 is operated, it is possible to prevent the setting from being changed by operating the setting change switch 972 even if the setting change mode is set when a power outage occurs and the setting key 971 is not operated to ON when the power is restored.

Figure 225 is a flowchart of the setting display process executed by the main control MPU 1311. The setting display process is executed in step S2342 of the timer interrupt process (Figure 223) when the setting status management area is not a value (00H) indicating the normal game status, and executes a process to display the setting value.

First, the main control MPU 1311 clears the LED segment port (step S2370).

Then, it is determined whether a value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2371). If a value indicating a RAM abnormality is not recorded in the setting status management area, the output of the LED segment terminal is set so that the current setting value is displayed on the base display 1317 (step S2372). On the other hand, if a value indicating a RAM abnormality is recorded in the setting status management area, the output of the LED segment terminal is set so that an error is displayed on the base display 1317 (step S2373).

Then, an LED common signal corresponding to the LED common counter is output (step S2374), and the driver is driven to output display data (segment signal) corresponding to the set value or error display to the base display 1317 (step S2375), and the process returns to the calling process.

[12-18. Alternative example 3 of setting change/confirmation processing]
Next, another embodiment of a pachinko machine having a setting change function will be described. In the following described Example 3, the main difference from the above-mentioned Example 2 is that the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing is provided separately from the timer interrupt processing for normal play. The processing other than that described below is the same as that of the above-mentioned Example 2.

In addition, in the third example, similar to the second example, the setting change switch 972 is not provided, and the setting value can be selected by operating the RAM clear switch 954. However, in order to distinguish between the original function of the RAM clear switch 954 to initialize the main control RAM 1312 and its setting change function, the operation for changing the setting value may be described as the setting change switch 972.

Figures 226 and 227 are flowcharts of the power-on processing executed by the main control MPU 1311 when the power is turned on.

First, when the power is turned on and the reset signal is released, the main control MPU 1311 starts processing from address 8000, which is the start address of the program code. The main control MPU 1311 sets the protection of the main control RAM 1312 to be disabled and the prohibited area to be disabled in the RAM protection register (step S2400). The main control MPU 1311 has the function of designating the use area of the main control RAM 1312, and determining that an access to a prohibited area other than the designated area is an abnormality and resetting it. In this modification example 3, in order to release the reset function due to access to the prohibited area of the main control RAM 1312, the prohibited area is set to be disabled, thereby making it possible to access all areas of the main control RAM 1312. Note that it is also possible to designate an unused area of the main control RAM 1312 as a prohibited area, enable the prohibited area, and reset the main control MPU 1311 when access to the designated prohibited area is detected.

In other words, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, if the power is turned on with the RAM clear switch 954 operated, a specified area of the main control RAM 1312 is immediately initialized. However, if the checksum does not match or the backup flag is not set correctly, a RAM abnormality is detected and the gaming machine is stopped, rendering it unable to be played. After that, unless a setting change operation is performed, the main control RAM 1312 is not initialized and no game can be played.

For this reason, if the prohibited area of the RAM protect register is set to enabled, a reset will occur due to incorrect access to the prohibited area of RAM caused by a malfunction or defect, and when the main control MPU 1311 executes power-on processing, it will determine that there is a RAM abnormality because power outage processing has not been executed, the checksum has not been calculated, and the backup flag has not been set. If a RAM abnormality is determined, not only will gameplay be initialized by a RAM clear process, but gameplay cannot be resumed unless an employee of the hall clears the RAM abnormality (changes settings), so it is desirable to set the prohibited area of the RAM protect register to "disabled."

The prohibited area may be set to enabled. By setting the prohibited area to enabled, if there is any unauthorized access to the prohibited area of the main control RAM 1312, the game cannot be resumed unless a hall attendant clears the RAM abnormality (changes the settings), improving resistance to fraudulent activity.

Next, a simple clear mode timer of a predetermined time is set to the watchdog timer (step S2401), and the watchdog timer is cleared (step S2402). After that, the power outage clear signal is set to ON (step S2403), and the power outage clear signal is set to OFF (step S2404). By setting the power outage clear signal to ON and then to OFF, the power outage warning signal stored in the latch can be set to a normal state (a state where there is no power outage).

Next, the signal levels of the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 are read from the PF port and stored in a register (step S2405). The determination of whether the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 have been operated is performed by the main control MPU 1311 after the peripheral control board 1510 has been started up, so if a hall employee accidentally stops operating the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 while waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up, the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 will be determined to be in a state unintended by the hall employee. For this reason, the input state (level) of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 is stored in a temporary storage means such as a register at an early stage after the power-on process begins, and the state of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 stored in a temporary storage means such as a register is determined after the standby state of the peripheral control board 1510 ends. This ensures that even if a hall employee accidentally stops operating the keys at an early stage after power-on, the operation of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 during the power-on operation is detected reliably.

Then, it is determined whether the power outage warning signal indicates that a power outage is occurring (step S2406). If the power outage warning signal has been detected, the power supply voltage of the pachinko machine is not normal, so in step S2406, the process waits until the power supply voltage stabilizes. In the loop of step S2406, the watchdog timer is not cleared, so the watchdog timer will generate a reset if the power outage is not resolved. In this watchdog timer reset, the program is started immediately from the start address without performing a security check as in a system reset, and power-on processing is executed. For this reason, the loop will not be exited unless the power outage warning signal is released in the loop of step S2406.

In this way, the power outage determination process that detects the power outage warning signal is executed in two places: first, in steps S2406 and S2408 during power-on processing, and second, in step S2450 of the main control side main processing during normal play. In the latter (step S2450), power outage processing from step S2462 onwards is executed upon detecting a power outage, but in the former (steps S2406 and S2408), power outage processing is not executed even if a power outage is detected. Note that, since the checksum value and backup flag value are maintained during the loop period, it is possible to correctly return to the state at the time of the power outage without executing power outage processing.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, there are two types of resets: a system reset generated by the reset circuit, and a user reset generated by a watchdog timer or access outside the designated area of the game control RAM 1312. In a system reset, a program is started after a security check of several hundred milliseconds is performed, but in a user reset, a program is started immediately when the reset is released without performing a security check.

For this reason, for example, if a reset occurs due to the watchdog timer during normal game processing, a RAM abnormality is determined because power outage processing is not executed, the checksum is not calculated, and the backup flag is not set. If a RAM abnormality is determined, the game state is initialized by a RAM clear process, and game play cannot be resumed unless a store attendant clears the RAM abnormality (changes settings). On the other hand, even if a reset occurs due to the watchdog timer in steps S2406 and S2408 during power-on processing, the state at the time of the power outage can be correctly restored without a store attendant clearing the RAM abnormality (changing settings).

In this way, the reason why resets caused by the watchdog timer are divided into cases where a setting change operation is required to cancel the RAM abnormality in order to restart the pachinko machine 1 and cases where it is not required is that when a reset occurs due to the watchdog timer during normal play, it occurs when a software malfunction occurs, and it is highly likely that the data stored in the main control RAM 1312 has been destroyed and that the contents stored are different from the gaming state at the time of the power outage, so it is desirable to initialize the main control RAM 1312. On the other hand, when a reset occurs due to the watchdog timer during power-on processing, it occurs when a hardware malfunction occurs, and it is unlikely that the data stored in the main control RAM 1312 has been destroyed, so there is little need to initialize the main control RAM 1312.

The above describes a reset caused by a watchdog timer, but similar processing is also performed for other types of user resets other than those caused by a watchdog timer. In other words, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, there are multiple reset factors, and the above-mentioned processing can be performed by a reset caused by one of these reset factors (for example, a user reset caused by a watchdog timer).

Then, a sub-startup waiting timer (e.g., about 2 seconds) is started, and the watchdog timer is continuously cleared until the timer times out, while waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up (step S2407). The waiting for the peripheral control board 1510 to start up can be any time between when the power is turned on and when the first command is sent to the peripheral control board 1510, and does not have to be after the setting value is determined.

Then, it is again determined whether the power outage warning signal indicates that a power outage is occurring (step S2408). If the power outage warning signal has been detected, the power supply voltage of the pachinko machine 1 is abnormal, so the machine waits in step S2408. Note that the determination of whether the power outage warning signal indicates that a power outage is occurring can be made in either step S2406 or S2408, rather than in both steps.

Then, the setting value confirmation process shown in FIG. 215 is executed to determine whether the setting value is within the normal range (step S2409).

Then, the flag register is saved to the stack area in the game control area (step S2410), and the power-on RAM outside game area confirmation process shown in FIG. 216 is executed to determine whether there is an abnormality outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2411). Then, the flag register saved in the stack area in the game control area is restored (step S2412).

Then, the RAM abnormality determination result value is provisionally set in the C register (step S2413), and the RAM abnormality value (03H) in the setting status management area is provisionally set in the B register (step S2414).

The value set in the setting status management area in Alternative Example 3 differs from that shown in FIG. 201(B) in the previously described embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 220(A), 03H is recorded if there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312. In other words, the setting status management area in Alternative Example 3 is a 1-byte memory area in which the operation mode of the pachinko machine 1 is recorded, and for example, the lower 4 bits are used and the upper 4 bits are not defined. Specifically, 00H is recorded in the normal game state, 01H in the setting confirmation mode, 02H in the setting change mode, and 03H is recorded if there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312.

The setting status management area is not updated to 00H by the RAM clear process performed by operating only the RAM clear switch 954, and the current value is maintained. It is also updated from 01H to 00H when the setting confirmation mode ends, and from 02H to 00H when the setting change mode ends. Furthermore, if there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312, it is updated from 03H to 02H when the setting change mode is entered by the setting change operation at the next power-on, and is updated from 02H to 00H when the setting change mode ends.

Furthermore, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312 (steps S2415, S2416). Specifically, a checksum calculated and stored from the data used as the game control area (excluding data saved in the stack) among the areas backed up in the internal RAM 1312 at the time of the previous power outage is compared with a checksum calculated using the same area, and if the two are different, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312. Furthermore, if the value of the power outage flag indicating that the data was backed up normally (the power outage processing was executed normally) is not stored in the backup flag area, it is determined that the data in the main control RAM 1312 was not backed up normally at the time of the power outage (the power outage processing was not executed normally) and that there is an abnormality in the main control RAM 1312.

If there is an abnormality either within the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 or outside the game control area, the program proceeds to step S2419. On the other hand, if there is no abnormality either within the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 or outside the game control area, the RAM normality judgment result value is provisionally set in the C register (step S2417), the information in the setting state management area is set in the B register (step S2418), and the program proceeds to step 2219. As a result, the judgment result as to whether the main control RAM 1312 is abnormal or not is set in the C register, so that in subsequent processing, there is no need to execute the process of judging the RAM abnormality again (the process of judging whether the checksum and backup flag match) to judge whether there is a "RAM abnormality" or "game state before power outage", and the program size can be reduced.

In addition, the B register is set with the value of the setting state management area at the time of the power outage or the judgment result of the main control RAM 1312 at the time of power recovery (RAM abnormal value), and by provisionally setting the RAM abnormal value in the setting state management area in step S2419, unnecessary processing can be eliminated and the program size can be reduced. For example, if the RAM abnormal value is not provisionally set in the setting state management area in step S2419, when the judgments in steps S2423 and S2424 are judged as YES, it is necessary to set the RAM abnormal value in the setting state management area and execute a JUMP command to step S2436. However, since the RAM abnormal value has already been provisionally set in the setting state management area in step S2419, by specifying S2436 as the JUMP destination when making the judgment in step S2423, the number of JUMP commands can be reduced, as shown in the source code example below.

Example of source code when RAM abnormal value is not provisionally set in step S2419
AND A,30H ;S2420
CP A,30H ;S2421 (bit5: setting key, bit4: RAM clear SW)
J R Z,RESET_P_6 ;

CP B,02H ;S2422
J R Z,RESET_P_6 ;

CP C,00H ;S2423
J.R. Z, $111 ;
$000:
LD W,03H ; equivalent to S2419
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;
JR S2436 ;Jump command to S2436
$111:
CP B,03H ;S2424
J.R. Z,$000 ;

XOR W,W ;S2425
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;

Example of source code when provisionally setting RAM abnormal value in step S2419
LD W,03H ;S2419
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;
AND A,30H ;S2420
CP A,30H ;S2421
J R Z,RESET_P_6 ;

CP B,02H ;S2422
J R Z,RESET_P_6 ;

CP C,00H ;S2423
JR NZ,S2436 ;

CP B,03H ;S2424
J.R. Z,S2436 ;

XOR W,W ;S2425
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;

Then, in step S2419, a value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality is provisionally recorded in the setting status management area (step S2419).

Then, among the register values in which the PF port value is recorded, the bits of the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 are masked (step S2420). After that, it is determined using the values stored in the register whether the setting key 971 was operated to ON and the RAM clear switch 954 was operated to ON when the power was turned on (step S2421). If the setting key 971 was operated to ON and the RAM clear switch 954 was operated to ON, it is determined that a setting change operation has been performed, and the process proceeds to step S2430.

On the other hand, if the setting key 971 has not been operated and the RAM clear switch 954 has not been operated, it is determined whether the setting change mode was active when the power outage occurred (step S2422). For example, when the value of the B register set in step S2418 is the setting change mode (02H), it is determined that a power outage occurred during the setting change mode.

If it is determined that a power outage occurred during the setting change mode, the process proceeds to step S2430.

On the other hand, if it is determined that no power outage has occurred during the setting change mode, it is determined whether there is an abnormality inside or outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2423). For example, the determination result stored in the C register in the above-mentioned step S2413 can be used to determine whether there is an abnormality inside the game control area. As a result, if there is an abnormality either inside or outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, the process proceeds to step S2436.

On the other hand, if there is no abnormality either inside or outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, it is determined whether a power outage occurred during RAM abnormality processing (step S2424). For example, if the value of the setting status management area set in the B register in S2418 is a value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality, it is determined that a power outage occurred during RAM abnormality processing.

If it is determined that a power outage has occurred during RAM abnormality processing, the process proceeds to step S2436. On the other hand, if it is determined that a power outage has not occurred during RAM abnormality processing, a value (00H) indicating a normal game state is recorded in the setting state management area (step S2425). By recording 00H in the setting state management area in step S2425, the value (03H) indicating a RAM abnormality provisionally recorded in the setting state management area in step S2419 is reset to 00H as a provisional setting value. Also, by recording 00H in the setting state management area in step S2425, the value of the setting state management area when jumping from step S2426 to step S2431 is different from that when jumping to step S2435 from step S2426 and S2431. Therefore, since the value of the setting state management area is different between the normal RAM clear processing and the RAM clear processing associated with the setting change processing, even if the program for both RAM clear processing is common, the call source can be distinguished, and there is no need to provide separate programs, which reduces the program size.

As shown in the source code example below, at the timing of step S2425, it has not been determined whether 01H or 00H will be recorded in the setting state management area. The setting state management area should be set to the determined value at the time of determination, but if this is done, a process is required to record 00H in the setting state management area after the RAM clear process when it is determined that the RAM clear switch 954 has been turned ON. For this reason, since the process content differs between the process at power-on and the RAM clear process when the settings are changed, dedicated processes are required for each except for the process that initializes the main control RAM 1312. For this reason, 00H is provisionally set in step S2425 to make the process of initializing the main control RAM 1312 common between when the settings are changed and when only the RAM clear switch 954 is operated.

Example of source code when 00H is not temporarily set in the setting status management area in step S2425
CP A,10H; S2426 (PF port information is stored in the A register)
JR NZ,$000 ;(bit5: setting key bit4: RAM clear switch)

LD A,(JOTAI_BF) ;S2427
LD ( POWER_BF ), A ;

CP A,20H ;S2428
JR NZ, $111 ;

LD W,01H ;S2429
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;
JR S2436 ;

$000:
XOR W,W ;equivalent to S2425
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;
JR S2435 ;Increase

$111:
XOR W,W ; increment
LD (VALID_PALY), W ; Increment
JR S2436 ;Increase

S2430:
LD W,02H ;S2430
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;
....
S2435:
[RAM clear processing] ;S2435
S2436:
[Initialize all command buffers]; S2436

Example of source code when provisionally setting 00H in the setting status management area in step S2425
XOR W,W ;S2425
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;

CP A,10H ;S2426
JR NZ,S2435 ;

LD A,(JOTAI_BF) ;S2427
LD ( POWER_BF ), A ;

CP A,20H ;S2428
J.R. Z,S2436 ;

LD W,01H ;
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;
JR S2436 ;
S2430:
LD W,02H ;S2430
LD ( VALID_PALY ), W ;
....
S2435:
[RAM clear processing] ;S2435
S2436:
[Initialize all command buffers]; S2436

Then, the value stored in the register is used to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 was turned ON when the power was turned on (step S2426). If the RAM clear switch 954 was turned ON, the process proceeds to step S2435.

In the pachinko machine of this embodiment, processing is allocated based on the operation of the RAM clear switch 954, the operation of the setting key 971, and the value recorded in the setting status management area. For example, if it is determined that the main control RAM 1312 is abnormal, 03H is recorded in the setting status management area, and 03H is maintained until the power is cut off, so that normal game processing cannot be executed. In this case, if the power is cut off once, a setting change operation is performed, and then the power is turned on, the RAM abnormality can be canceled. That is, if it is determined in step S2421 that both the setting key 971 and the RAM clear switch 954 have been operated (setting change operation), the setting status management area is updated from a value indicating a RAM abnormality (03H) to a value indicating a setting change (02H) (step S2430), and the RAM abnormality state ends. In this way, recovery from a RAM abnormality is always via a setting change. In other words, before determining whether the state at the time of the power outage is a RAM abnormality, it is determined whether a setting change operation has been performed, so that the RAM abnormality can be eliminated only by changing the setting value.

If a RAM abnormality is determined, the work area and stack area in the area inside the game control area and the area outside the game control area may be initialized and game processing may be started. In this way, even if the main control RAM 1312 is determined to be abnormal, the normal game state can be automatically restored.

In addition, if a RAM abnormality is determined, game play may be stopped, and if the work areas in the areas within the game control area and the areas outside the game control area are determined to be normal when the power is restored after a power cut, the work areas and stack areas in the areas within the game control area and the areas outside the game control area may be initialized and game processing may be started. In this way, the normal game state can be restored by turning the power switch ON/OFF.

In addition, if a RAM abnormality is determined, game play may be stopped, and if the work areas in the game control area and outside the game control area are determined to be normal when the power is restored after a power cut, and the RAM clear switch is operated, the work areas and stack areas in the game control area and outside the game control area may be initialized and game processing may be started. In this way, the normal game state can be restored by operating the RAM clear switch 954 after the power is cut.

In addition, if a RAM abnormality is determined, game play is stopped, and if the work areas in the game control area and outside the game control area are determined to be normal when the power is restored after a power cut, and the setting key 971 is operated, the work areas and stack areas in the game control area and outside the game control area may be initialized and game processing may be started. In this way, the normal game state can be restored by operating the setting key 971 after the power is cut.

On the other hand, if the RAM clear switch 954 has not been operated, information on the game state at the time of the power outage is stored in the power-on state buffer in order to restore the game state before the power outage occurred (step S2427). In this way, preparations are made on the peripheral control board 1510 side to restore the effects (background, decorative pattern appearance (different decorative patterns are used for low probability and high probability)) corresponding to each game state (for example, low probability state or high probability state, time-saving state or non-time-saving state). This is used when creating the power-on operation command in step S2300 of the power-on setting process (INITIAL_SET) executed in step S2439.

Then, the value stored in the register is used to determine whether the setting key 971 was operated to ON when the power was turned on (step S2428). If the setting key 971 was operated to ON, it is determined that a setting check operation has been performed, and a value (01H) indicating the setting check mode is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2429), and the process proceeds to S2436. In other words, regardless of whether the state at the time of the power outage was the setting check mode or not, if only the setting key 971 has been operated (if the RAM clear switch 954 has not been operated), the mode transitions to the setting check mode.

Because steps S2425 to S2429 are processes that are executed when at least one of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 is not operated, it is possible to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 is operated (step S2426) or whether the setting key 971 is operated (step S2428), either first. That is, as shown in the figure, it is possible to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 is operated (step S2426) and then determine whether the setting key 971 is operated (step S2428), or it is possible to determine whether the RAM clear switch 954 is operated (step S2426) and then determine whether the setting key 971 is operated (step S2428).

If step S2421 or step S2422 returns YES, a value (02H) indicating the setting change mode is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2430). Then, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the work area outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2431). For example, the determination result stored in the C register in the above-mentioned step S2413 can be used to determine whether there is an abnormality outside the game control area. If there is no abnormality outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 as a result, the process proceeds to step S2435.

On the other hand, if there is an abnormality outside the game control area of the main control RAM 1312, the flag register is saved to a stack area within the game area (step S2432), and the RAM abnormality processing outside the game area shown in FIG. 217 is executed (S2433). After that, the flag register saved to the stack area within the game area in step S2432 is restored (step S2434).

Then, the work area other than the setting value and setting status management area in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 and the stack area in the game control area are initialized (step S2435). Note that unused areas provided between the work area and stack area may also be initialized.

After that, all command buffers are initialized (step S2436). This is because if the power is turned off while commands are stored in the command buffer and then turned back on without clearing the RAM, the unsent commands stored in the command buffer are sent. For example, if the power is turned off while a variation command is being sent, the symbol command may be sent but the subsequent variation pattern command may not be sent. If only the variation pattern command is sent when the power is turned on, the peripheral control board 1510 may determine that an abnormality has occurred. Furthermore, if unsent commands in the process of changing settings are stored in the command buffer, the peripheral control board 1510 may set the game state based on the unsent command after the power is restored, causing a malfunction. To prevent such abnormalities from occurring, the command buffer is initialized in step S2436.

Although the command buffer is initialized in step S2436, the command buffer may be cleared when starting the setting change process or the setting confirmation process. In the setting change process, the command buffer is cleared when the main control RAM 1312 is initialized, so there is no need to clear the command buffer separately. However, in the setting confirmation process, since the main control RAM 1312 is not initialized, it is a good idea to clear the command buffer when moving to setting confirmation.

Then, the functions of the devices (CTC, SIO, etc.) built into the main control MPU 1311 are initialized (step S2437). Specifically, the timer interrupt period time is set in CTC0 for setting change processing, and CTC0 is set to interrupt permission. Note that the time of CTC1, which controls the timer interrupt processing in the normal game state, is not set, and the interrupt of CTC1 for normal gameplay remains set to prohibited.

Then, the hardware random number (e.g., the winning/losing random number) built into the main control MPU 1311 is started (step S2438) to start updating the hardware random number, and the power-on setting process shown in FIG. 219 is executed (step S2439).

Finally, the timer interrupt is set to enabled (step S2440), and the process proceeds to the main control side main processing (Figure 228).

Figure 228 is a flowchart of the main control side main processing executed by the main control MPU 1311. The main control side main processing is executed after step S2440 of the power-on processing (Figure 227).

First, the main control MPU 1311 executes the first main loop process (steps S2450 to S2453) for the setting change process. In the first main loop process, the main control MPU 1311 first acquires a power outage warning signal and determines whether a power outage has occurred based on whether the power outage warning signal is ON (step S2450). In the third example, the main process monitors the power outage, but the timer interrupt process may monitor the power outage and execute the power outage process when a power outage is detected. For example, the timer interrupt process may determine whether the power outage warning signal is ON at least at one of the start and end of the timer interrupt, count the period during which the power outage warning signal is continuously output, and determine that a power outage has occurred when the count result reaches a predetermined value. In the third example, the timer interrupt process for the setting process and the timer interrupt process for the normal game process are provided separately, so that the power outage may be monitored by either timer interrupt process, or by both timer interrupt processes. Therefore, by making the power outage monitoring process and power outage processing into subroutines and executing these subroutines (power outage monitoring process, power outage processing) in each of the two timer interrupt processes, there is no need to incorporate the same program (code) for the power outage monitoring process and power outage processing into each timer interrupt process, and the program size can be reduced.

If a power outage warning signal is detected, power outage processing (steps S2462 to S2469) is executed.

On the other hand, if the power outage warning signal is not ON, power is being supplied normally, so interrupts are set to prohibited (step S2451), and it is determined whether a value indicating the start of play (00H) is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2452). If a value indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting status management area, proceed to step S2454 to start normal play. On the other hand, if a value indicating the start of play is not recorded in the setting status management area, interrupts are set to permitted (step S2453), and the process returns to step S2450, and the first main loop process for setting change processing is repeatedly executed.

When it is determined in step S2452 that a value indicating the start of play has been recorded in the setting state management area, the interrupt timer is switched to normal play, and then the second main loop process for normal play (steps S2457 to S2458) is executed. Before executing the second main loop process, the timer interrupt period time is first set in CTC1 for normal play (step S2454), the CTC0 interrupt (timer interrupt for setting process) is stopped, and the CTC1 interrupt (timer interrupt for normal play process) is started (step S2455), and the interrupt is set to permitted (step S2456).

Then, a power outage warning signal is acquired, and it is determined whether a power outage has occurred depending on whether the power outage warning signal is ON (step S2457). If a power outage warning signal is detected, power off processing (steps S2462 to S2469) is executed. On the other hand, if the power outage warning signal is not ON, power is being supplied normally, so random number update processing 2 is executed (step S2458). Random number update processing 2 may be the same as that described in FIG. 195, and mainly updates random numbers other than the random numbers used to determine whether a special lottery or normal lottery has been won. Then, the process returns to step S2457, and the second main loop processing for normal play is repeatedly executed.

When a power failure warning signal is detected in steps S2450 and S2457, power failure processing (steps S2462 to S2469) is executed. In the power failure processing, data is backed up to restore the state before the power failure. Specifically, interrupts are first prohibited (step S2462). This prevents the timer interrupt processing described below from being performed. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 clears the output ports to stop the operation of the devices controlled by the output from each port (step S2463). Specifically, power failure clear signal OFF bit data is output to the solenoid, power failure clear, and ACK output ports. Note that it is not necessary to clear all output ports. For example, output ports for controlling solenoids and motors that consume a lot of power may be cleared. Clearing these output ports reduces the power consumption until the main board side power failure processing is completed, and ensures that the main board side power failure processing is completed.

Then, the flag register is saved to a stack area within the play area (step S2464), and power-off processing is executed to execute necessary processing before power is cut off for the work area outside the play area (step S2465). Details of the power-off processing are as shown in FIG. 222. Then, the flag register saved in the stack area within the play area is restored (step S2466).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 calculates a checksum of the work area in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 to determine whether the data stored in the work area to be backed up has been properly retained, and stores the checksum in a specified checksum storage area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2467). This checksum is used to determine whether the data backed up in the work area is correct. The areas for which the checksum is calculated should preferably exclude the setting state management (setting value and value of the setting state management area) that may be changed between the time the power is turned on and the execution of the main processing on the main control side, the backup flag, and the value of the checksum area, among the work areas in the game control area.

Furthermore, a value (5AH) indicating that the power failure processing has been normally executed is stored in the backup flag area as a power failure flag (step S2468). This completes the storage of the game backup information. Finally, a setting value that enables RAM protection (write prohibited) and disables the prohibited area is written to the RAM protect register, prohibiting writing to the main control RAM 1312 (step S2469), and waiting until recovery from the power failure (infinite loop). The main control MPU 1311 has a function of designating a use area of the main control RAM 1312, and determining that an abnormality has occurred and resetting if there is access to a prohibited area other than the designated area. In this embodiment, the reset function due to access to this prohibited area is released, making access to all areas possible. Note that it is also possible to designate an unused area of the main control RAM 1312 as a prohibited area and set the prohibited area as valid in the RAM protect register, so that the main control MPU 1311 is reset when access to the designated prohibited area is detected.

In the above-mentioned process, the steps are executed in the following order: clearing the output port (step S2463), processing when the power is turned off (step S2465), calculating the checksum (step S2467), and setting the backup flag (step S2468). However, the execution order of these four steps is not limited to that shown in the figure, and other orders may also be used.

In the third example, the occurrence of a power outage is monitored by the main processing on the main control side, but the occurrence of a power outage may be monitored by timer interrupt processing, and power outage processing may be executed based on the monitoring results. For example, in each of the two main loops, the power outage signal may be checked at least at the start and end, the period during which the power outage signal is continuously output may be measured, and the occurrence of a power outage may be detected when the measurement result reaches a predetermined value.

In the main control main processing shown in FIG. 228, two main loops are provided corresponding to the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing and the timer interrupt for normal play, and there is always one opportunity to execute the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing. In addition, at this execution opportunity, the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing may not be executed (for example, when branching to YES in step S2454). By providing two main loops in this way, it is possible to switch between executing the processing to calculate the base value in the main loop for normal play (timer interrupt processing) and executing the processing to calculate the base value so as not to execute the processing to calculate the unnecessary base value in the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing. In the alternative example 3, since the timer interrupt processing for the setting processing and the timer interrupt processing for normal play processing are provided separately, power outages may be monitored in either timer interrupt processing, or power outages may be monitored in both timer interrupt processing. Therefore, by making the power outage monitoring process and power outage processing into subroutines and executing these subroutines (power outage monitoring process, power outage processing) in each of the two timer interrupt processes, there is no need to incorporate the same program (code) for the power outage monitoring process and power outage processing into each timer interrupt process, and the program size can be reduced.

Figure 229 is a flowchart of the timer interrupt processing for the setting processing executed by the main control MPU 1311.

First, the main control MPU 1311 sets the register bank selection flag to 1 and switches the register bank (step S2470). The main control MPU 1311 has two register groups used for calculations, one of which is used as the register group of bank 0 and the other is available as the register group of bank 1, and is configured to be able to use either bank by switching the bank. In this embodiment, register bank 0 is used in the main processing on the main control side, and register bank 1 is used in the timer interrupt processing for setting processing or normal play. For this reason, an instruction to switch to bank 1 is executed at the start of the timer interrupt processing, but it is not necessary to execute an instruction to switch to bank 0 at the end of the timer interrupt processing. This is because the main control MPU 1311 stores the state of the bank in a flag register (for example, a register in which the Z flag and C flag are set), and the flag register is saved to the stack area at the start of the interrupt and is restored from the stack area by executing the RET command. For this reason, the bank flag of the register stored in the flag register is also restored to its original state by executing the RET command. If a configuration is adopted in which the bank state is not stored in the flag register, it is necessary to execute a bank switching command at the end of the timer interrupt process to return to bank 0.

The flag register also stores a flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled, so there is no need to set it to interrupt enabled before executing the RET instruction. The flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled is set to interrupt disabled state after the flag register is stacked at the start of timer interrupt processing. Therefore, unless interrupts are enabled during timer interrupt processing (by using the EI instruction, for example) or the RETI instruction is executed, the interrupts will not be enabled.

Next, the LED common counter is incremented by +1. If the LED common counter value exceeds the upper limit, it is reset to 0 (step S2471).

Next, switch input process 1 is executed (step S2472). In switch input process 1, various signals input to the input terminals of various input ports of the main control MPU 1311 are read, an ON edge is created, and the input information is stored in the input information storage area of the main control RAM 1312.

Note that because switch input process 1 in step S2472 is processing related to a winning signal, in the timer interrupt process executed in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, a NO determination is made in step S2473, so winning is detected, but cheating is not detected. Note that even if a winning is detected, prize balls are not paid out, and no variable display is performed. This is because setting change operations and setting confirmation operations are performed by hall employees, and cheating is not performed in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, so it is considered desirable not to detect cheating.

Note that even in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, some fraud detection sensors (e.g., radio wave sensors) may be detected by switch input process 1 to monitor specific types of fraud. In this way, it is possible to detect fraud where a person attempting to commit fraud (a cheater) forcibly activates the setting change mode by emitting radio waves, etc. For example, while an employee of the hall is changing settings or checking settings, the door is open and the sensor attached to the door is in a position close to the adjacent pachinko machine. Therefore, while a setting change operation or setting confirmation is being performed, cheating using radio waves, etc., at the adjacent pachinko machine can be detected.

Then, it is determined whether a value (00H) indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting status management area (step S2473). Note that in the timer interrupt process for the setting change process, since the value in the game status management area is normally other than 00H (01H to 03H), it is not necessary to determine whether a value (00H) indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting status management area; however, the determination is made in order to prevent fraudulent behavior such as illegally switching to setting change mode during normal play.

If a value indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting status management area, the process proceeds to step S2479 without executing the process for changing the setting value and displaying the setting (steps S2474 to S2478). On the other hand, if a value indicating the start of play is not recorded in the setting status management area, a specific output port is cleared (step S2474). For example, the signals cleared as specific output ports in step 2474 include the power outage clear signal, the solenoid signals for the big prize opening and electric chute, and the response signal (ACK) when a command is received by the payout control board 951. Then, the LED common port is turned OFF (step S2475). By turning OFF the LED common signal at an early stage of the timer interrupt process, the time until the LED common signal is turned ON, that is, the LED off time, is secured, and the ghost phenomenon in which the display before and after the LED display change appears mixed is suppressed, and the LED flickering is prevented.

Then, a security signal is output from the external terminal board 784 (step S2476), and the setting process shown in FIG. 224 is executed (step S2477). Then, the setting display process shown in FIG. 225 is executed (step S2478).

Furthermore, a peripheral board command transmission process is executed to output the value of the transmission information storage area to the serial communication circuit (step S2479). The transmission information storage area is a storage area that temporarily stores the generated transmission command. The value (command) stored in the transmission information storage area is read and stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit (SIO). The serial communication circuit has a transmission information storage area that is a multi-byte FIFO-type transmission buffer, and sequentially transmits the values stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit to the peripheral control board 1510. Note that since the capacity of the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit is finite, if there are unsent commands remaining in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit and the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit is full or close to full, it is preferable to control whether to store the command in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit according to the free space state of the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit. For example, it may be determined whether the free space in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit is larger than the size (number of bytes) of the command to be stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit, and if the free space is larger, the command may be stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit. Also, a predetermined upper limit may be set for the size of the command to be stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit each time a command transmission process to the peripheral control board 1510 is executed, and if the size of the command to be stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit exceeds the predetermined upper limit without determining the free space in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit, even if not all the commands can be stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit, the remaining commands may be stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit in the peripheral board command transmission process executed in the next timer interrupt process, and transmitted to the peripheral control board 1510.

The upper limit should be set to the same amount as or less than the amount of data that the serial communication circuit (SIO) can transmit in one timer interrupt period. For example, if the communication speed of the serial communication circuit is 20 kbps and the timer interrupt period is 4 ms, approximately 80 bits of serial communication are possible in one timer interrupt period. If one command consists of 20 bits, 80÷20=4, so a limit of 4 commands should be set. In practice, the upper limit may be set to 5 commands, which is one more. This is because, although the maximum length of a command is assumed to be 20 bits, there are many commands that are shorter than the maximum length.

Regardless of whether or not a specified upper limit is set on the amount of command data stored in the transmission information storage area in one command transmission process, it is advisable to set the capacity of the storage area in which commands are stored before being stored in the transmission information storage area to be smaller than or equal to the capacity of the transmission information storage area so that the transmission information storage area does not become full.

Then, a predetermined value (18H) is set in the watchdog timer clear register WCL to clear the watchdog timer (step S2480). Note that since the watchdog timer uses the simple clear mode, the watchdog timer is cleared by setting one word. Then, a return instruction (e.g. RETI) is issued to switch the register bank (step S2481), and the process returns to that before the interrupt.

The timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing shown in FIG. 229 differs from other timer interrupt processing in that the random number update processing (R_ATART_K) is not executed, but since the hard random number has already been started in S2438, the random number update processing may be executed in the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing in the same way as the hard random number.

In addition, in the third example, the test signal output process may be executed in a timer interrupt process for normal play (for example, the output data setting process S2505 in FIG. 230), or may be called within a timer interrupt process for setting change processing.

Figure 230 is a flowchart of the timer interrupt processing for normal play executed by the main control MPU 1311.

First, the main control MPU 1311 sets the register bank selection flag to 1 and switches the register bank (step S2490). The main control MPU 1311 has two register groups used for calculations, one of which is used as the register group of bank 0 and the other is available as the register group of bank 1, and is configured to be able to use either bank by switching the bank. In this embodiment, register bank 0 is used in the main processing on the main control side, and register bank 1 is used in the setting processing or timer interrupt processing for normal play. For this reason, an instruction to switch to bank 1 is executed at the start of the timer interrupt processing, but it is not necessary to execute an instruction to switch to bank 0 at the end of the timer interrupt processing. This is because the main control MPU 1311 stores the state of the bank in a flag register (for example, a register in which the Z flag and C flag are set), and the flag register is saved in the stack area at the start of the interrupt and is restored from the stack area by executing the RET command. For this reason, the bank flag of the register stored in the flag register is also restored to its original state by executing the RET command. If a configuration is adopted in which the bank state is not stored in the flag register, it is necessary to execute a bank switching command at the end of the timer interrupt process to return to bank 0.

The flag register also stores a flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled, so there is no need to set it to interrupt enabled before executing the RET instruction. The flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled is set to interrupt disabled state after the flag register is stacked at the start of timer interrupt processing. Therefore, unless interrupts are enabled during timer interrupt processing (by using the EI instruction, for example) or the RETI instruction is executed, the interrupts will not be enabled.

Next, the LED common counter is incremented by +1. If the LED common counter value exceeds the upper limit, it is reset to 0 (step S2491).

Next, switch input process 1 is executed (step S2492). In switch input process 1, various signals input to the input terminals of various input ports of the main control MPU 1311 are read, an ON edge is created, and the resulting signal is stored as input information in the input information storage area of the main control RAM 1312.

Next, random number update process 1 is executed (step S2493). In random number update process 1, the random numbers for determining a jackpot, the random numbers for the jackpot symbol, and the random numbers for the small jackpot symbol are updated. In addition to these random numbers, the random numbers for determining the initial values of the random numbers for determining the jackpot symbol and the random numbers for determining the small jackpot symbol, which are updated in random number update process 2 of the main control main process shown in FIG. 221, are also updated.

Then, execute special switch input processing (step S2494).

Then, the timer update process is executed (step S2495). In the timer update process, for example, in addition to the time during which the special symbol display 1185 is lit according to the variable display pattern determined by the special symbol and special electric role control process, and the time during which the normal symbol display 1189 is lit according to the normal symbol variable display pattern determined by the normal symbol and normal electric role control process, the ACK signal input judgment time, which is set as a judgment condition when judging whether or not the payer ACK signal that informs the payout control board 951 that various commands transmitted by the main control board 1310 (main control MPU 1311) have been normally received, is managed. Specifically, when the variable display pattern or normal symbol variable display pattern has a variable time of 5 seconds, the timer interrupt period is set to 4 ms, so that the variable time is subtracted by 4 ms each time this timer subtraction process is performed, and the variable time of the variable display pattern or normal symbol variable display pattern is accurately measured by the subtraction result becoming a value of 0.

Next, the prize ball control process is executed (step S2496). In the prize ball control process, input information is read from the input information storage area, the number of game balls (prize balls) to be paid out is calculated based on the read input information, and written to the main control RAM 1312. Also, based on the calculation result of the number of prize balls, a prize ball command for paying out game balls is created, and a self-check command for checking the connection status between the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 951 is created. The main control MPU 1311 transmits the created prize ball command and self-check command to the payout control board 951 as main payout serial data. The main control MPU 1311 has a serial communication circuit for output of two channels, and transmits commands to the peripheral control board 1510 through one channel and to the payout control board 951 through the other channel. The transfer rate (baud rate) of the serial communication can be set for each channel, and for example, in step S2437, the transfer rate of the serial communication circuit is set. For example, the transfer rate may be set lower on the payout control board 951 side than on the peripheral control board 1510 side. This is because the prize balls controlled by the payout control board 951 have game value, so they are less susceptible to noise and are transferred at a slow speed to prevent abnormal prize ball commands due to command garbling or missing. However, on the peripheral control board 1510 side, a command for a performance that does not have game value is sent, so the performance can be restored with the next command. Furthermore, it is desirable to send commands quickly to the peripheral control board 1510 so that a large number of commands are sent and the performance is performed responsively and does not give the player a sense of incongruity. Note that if the response of the performance is poor (for example, even if a game ball enters the start winning hole and the special pattern display of the function display unit 1400 starts to change, the decorative pattern does not start to change on the performance display device 1600), the player will feel uneasy that there may be a malfunction.

Next, the slot command reception process is executed (step S2497). In the dispensing control board 951, the dispensing control program transmits various 1-byte (8-bit) commands classified as status display (for example, slot status 1 command, error release navigation command, and slot status 2 command). On the other hand, as described below, the dispensing control program outputs an error occurrence command when an error occurs in the dispensing operation, and outputs an error release notification command based on the detection signal of the operation switch. In the slot command reception process, when various commands are normally received as payer serial data, information to inform the payer control board 951 of this fact is stored in the output information storage area of the main control built-in RAM 1312. In addition, the main control MPU 1311 formats the command normally received as payer serial data into a 2-byte (16-bit) command (for example, slot status display command, error release notification command, etc.) and stores it in the above-mentioned transmission information storage area. Specifically, in the frame command reception process, in order to issue a notification corresponding to the command received from the dispensing control board 951, the command received from the dispensing control board 951 is modified to conform to the system of commands to be sent to the peripheral control board 1510, and stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit (SIO) in the same way as other generated commands. In addition, when a command from the dispensing control board 951 is received normally, a signal is generated to control the output of a main ACK signal. The main ACK signal is output directly to the dispensing control board 951 from an output port, not from the serial communication circuit. The main ACK signal may also be output as a command from the serial communication circuit.

Next, a fraud detection process is executed (step S2498). In the fraud detection process, abnormal conditions related to fraud (magnetism, vibration, winning abnormality, etc.) are checked. For example, when the input information is read from the input information storage area described above, and the count switch detects that a game ball has entered the big winning slots 2005, 2006 when the big win game state is not being played, the main control program creates a winning abnormality display command that is classified as a notification display as an abnormal condition, and stores it in the transmission information storage area described above as transmission information.

Next, a switch passing command output process is executed to create a command corresponding to the detection of the passing of various switches related to the winning switch and the starting port switch, and set the command in the transmission information storage area (step S2499).

Then, the flag register is saved to a stack area in the game control area (step S2500), and the base display output process is executed (step S2501). Unlike other processes, the base display output process is executed using a second area outside the game control area, and is a common process that is not affected by the specifications of the pachinko machine 1. Therefore, to ensure the independence of the base display output process, predetermined data such as the flag register is saved to a stack area in the game control area before and after the execution of the base display output process, so that it is not updated by the base display output process. After that, the flag register saved in the stack area in the game control area is restored (step S2502).

Next, the special symbol and special electric device control process is executed (step S2503). In the special symbol and special electric device control process, it is determined whether the random number value for the big win matches the winning judgment value previously stored in the main control built-in ROM, and it is determined whether to transition to a probability variation state based on the random number value of the big win symbol. Then, if the random number value for the big win matches the winning judgment value, it is determined whether to open or close the big prize openings 2005 and 2006. If the big prize openings 2005 and 2006 are opened or closed by this decision, the big prize openings 2005 and 2006 are opened (or expanded), and the big prize openings 2005 and 2006 are in a game state in which game balls can be received, and the game state transitions to a game state that is advantageous to the player. In addition, if the probability variation transition condition is established, the game state transitions to a probability variation state, while if the probability variation transition condition is not established, the game state transitions to a game state other than the probability variation state. Here, the "variable probability state" refers to a state (high probability state) in which the probability of winning the special lottery described above is set relatively high compared to the normal game state (low probability state).

Next, the normal symbol and normal electric device control process is executed (step S504). In the normal symbol and normal electric device control process, the input information is read from the input information storage area described above, and it is determined whether or not a detection signal from the gate switch 2352 has been input to the input terminal. If a detection signal has been input to the input terminal, a random number for determining whether or not a normal symbol has been hit is extracted, and it is determined whether or not it matches the normal symbol hit determination value previously stored in the main control built-in ROM (called a "normal lottery"). Then, depending on the result of the normal lottery, it is determined whether or not to open or close the second start port door member 2549. If the opening and closing operation is performed based on this determination, the second start port door member 2549 is opened (or expanded), and the game state becomes one in which the game ball can be received by the start port 2004, and the game state transitions to one that is advantageous to the player.

Next, an output data setting process is executed (step S2505). In the output data setting process, various signals are output from the output terminals of various output ports of the main control MPU 1311. For example, when various commands from the payout control board 951 are normally received based on the output information, a main payout ACK signal is output to the payout control board 951 from the output terminal of a predetermined output port of the main control MPU 1311, and when a jackpot game is in progress, a drive signal is output to the attacca solenoids (first attacca solenoid 2113, second upper attacca solenoid 2553, second lower attacca solenoid 2556) which open and close the opening and closing members 2107 of the large prize winning ports 2005, 2006, and a drive signal is output to the start port solenoid 2550 which opens and closes the start port (second start port door member 2549).In addition, various information (game information) signals related to the game, such as a probability fluctuation information output signal, a special pattern display information output signal, an ordinary pattern display information output signal, a time-saving information output signal, and a start port winning information output signal, as well as a security signal are output to the external terminal board 784 as output information to the hall computer. Additionally, in the output data setting process, a test signal output process may be executed to output a test signal.

In addition, in the output data setting process, a signal corresponding to the number of out balls counted in the switch input special process (step S2494) is output from the external terminal board 784. For example, a pulse signal of a predetermined length may be output from the external terminal board 784 for every predetermined number of out balls (e.g., 10 balls).

The output data setting process also sets test signals to be output to an inspection device connected to the pachinko machine 1. Test signals include, for example, signals indicating the game status and signals indicating the stopping patterns of normal and special symbols.

Furthermore, a peripheral board command transmission process is executed to output the value of the transmission information storage area to the serial communication circuit (step S2506). The transmission information storage area is a storage area that temporarily stores the generated transmission command. The value (command) stored in the transmission information storage area is read out in step 2070 and stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit (SIO). The serial communication circuit has a transmission information storage area that is a multi-byte FIFO-type transmission buffer, and sequentially transmits the values stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit to the peripheral control board 1510.

Then, a predetermined value (18H) is set in the watchdog timer clear register WCL to clear the watchdog timer (step S2507). Note that since the watchdog timer uses the simple clear mode, the watchdog timer is cleared by setting one word. Then, a return instruction (e.g., RETI) is issued to switch the register bank (step S2508), and the process before the interrupt is resumed.

[12-18. Alternative example 4 of setting change/confirmation processing]
Next, another embodiment of a pachinko machine with a setting change function will be described. In the following example 4, the setting change process is executed by the main control main process, not the timer interrupt process. The process other than that described below is the same as the above-mentioned example 3.

In addition, in the variant 4, as in the variant 2, the setting value can be selected by operating the RAM clear switch 954 without providing a setting change switch 972. However, in order to distinguish between the original function of the RAM clear switch 954 to initialize the main control RAM 1312 and its setting change function, the operation for changing the setting value may be described as the setting change switch 972.

Figure 231 is a flowchart of the main control side main processing executed by the main control MPU 1311. The main control side main processing is executed after step S2440 of the power-on processing (Figure 227). The main control side main processing of variant 4 executes steps S2481 to S2484 instead of step S2452 of the main control side main processing of variant 3 (Figure 228). Executing the processing of setting changes and setting confirmations in the main control side main processing is applicable not only to cases where a timer interrupt processing for setting processing and a timer interrupt processing for normal game processing are provided separately as in variant 4, but also to variants 1 and 2. For example, the main control main process shown in FIG. 231 includes a first main loop process for setting (steps S2450 to S2453) and a second main loop process for normal play (steps S2457 to S2458), and in each main loop process, one timer interrupt process (FIG. 196 in Variant Example 1, FIG. 223 in Variant Example 2) is executed, and within the timer interrupt process, setting process (step 2068 in FIG. 190, step S2341 in FIG. 223) and normal play process are executed. In this case, since there is only one timer interrupt process executed in the main loop, there is no need to switch the CTC in steps S2454 and S2455 described below.

In the main processing on the master control side shown in FIG. 231, the same processes as those in the main processing on the master control side of Alternative Example 3 (FIG. 228) are given the same reference numerals.

First, the main control MPU 1311 executes the first main loop process for the setting process (steps S2450 to S2453). In the first main loop process, the main control MPU 1311 first acquires a power outage warning signal and determines whether a power outage has occurred based on whether the power outage warning signal is ON (step S2450). In the alternative example 4, the power outage is monitored in the main process, but the power outage may be monitored in the timer interrupt process, and the power outage process may be executed when a power outage is detected. For example, it may be determined whether the power outage warning signal is ON at least at the start and end of the timer interrupt, the period during which the power outage warning signal is continuously output, and when the count result reaches a predetermined value, it may be determined that a power outage has occurred. In the alternative example 4, since the timer interrupt process for the setting process and the timer interrupt process for the normal game process are separately provided, the power outage may be monitored in either timer interrupt process, or in both timer interrupt processes. Therefore, by making the power outage monitoring process and power outage processing into subroutines and executing these subroutines (power outage monitoring process, power outage processing) in each of the two timer interrupt processes, there is no need to incorporate the same program (code) for the power outage monitoring process and power outage processing into each timer interrupt process, and the program size can be reduced.

If a power outage warning signal is detected, power outage processing (steps S2462 to S2469) is executed.

On the other hand, if the power outage warning signal is not ON, power is being supplied normally, so interrupts are set to prohibited (step S2451) and the setting process shown in FIG. 224 is executed (step S2482). After that, the setting display process shown in FIG. 225 is executed (step S2483).

After that, it is determined whether the setting change/setting confirmation process is completed based on whether the setting key 971 has returned to the OFF position (step S2484). Specifically, it detects whether the edge of the setting key 971 from ON to OFF, or whether a predetermined period has passed since the change from ON to OFF. If an operation to end the setting change/setting confirmation process has been performed, the process proceeds to step S2454 to start normal play. On the other hand, if the setting change/setting confirmation process has not been completed, the edge information of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 is cleared (step S2485). By clearing the edge information, multiple setting value changes with one operation are prevented. This is to prevent the setting from being changed using the same edge information as the previous time in the first main loop process executed after one setting change, since the first main loop process may be executed multiple times while the timer interrupt process that detects the edge of the RAM clear switch 954 or the setting key 971 is executed once. Note that it is also possible to clear only the edge information of the RAM clear switch 954 without clearing the edge information of the setting key 971. After that, interrupts are enabled (step S2453), and the process returns to step S2450, and the first main loop process for the setting change process is repeatedly executed. Interrupts are disabled in steps S2482 to S2485 to prevent the setting change process and setting confirmation process from being interrupted by a timer interrupt.

In addition, in the first main loop process for setting processing (steps S2450 to S2453), the edge information of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 continues to be cleared, and when normal play is switched to (while the second main loop process is being executed), the edge information of the RAM clear switch 954 and the setting key 971 is not referenced.

When it is determined in step S2484 that the setting change/setting confirmation processing has ended, the second main loop processing for normal play (steps S2457-S2458) is executed. When executing the second main loop processing, first, the timer interrupt period time is set in CTC1 for normal play (step S2454), the CTC0 interrupt is stopped, the CTC1 interrupt is activated (step S2455), and CTC1 is set to interrupt permitted (step S2456).

After that, the power outage warning signal is acquired, and it is determined whether a power outage has occurred depending on whether the power outage warning signal is ON (step S2457). If a power outage warning signal is detected, the power outage processing (steps S2462 to S2469) is executed. On the other hand, if the power outage warning signal is not ON, the power is being supplied normally, so the random number update processing 2 is executed (step S2458). The random number update processing 2 may be the same as that described in FIG. 195, and mainly updates random numbers other than the random numbers for determining whether or not a win has been made in a special lottery or a normal lottery. Then, the process returns to step S2457, and the second main loop processing for normal play is repeatedly executed. Note that if the setting key 971 is detected to be operated ON during normal play (after entering the second main loop), the main control MPU 1311 may generate a command to notify the fact, and the peripheral control board 1510 may perform a notification performance on the display device. Since this notification effect is performed during normal gameplay, it is desirable that it be in a form that does not interfere with the progress of normal gameplay. For example, only a specific LED may be lit, letters or specific symbols may be displayed in a small area of the effect display device 1600, or a specific character indicating that the setting key 971 has been turned ON may be displayed in accordance with the progress of the game.

If a power outage warning signal is detected in steps S2450 and S2457, power outage processing (steps S2462 to S2469) is executed.

In the power failure processing, a process is executed to back up data to restore the state before the power failure occurred. Specifically, interrupts are first prohibited (step S2462). This prevents the timer interrupt processing described below from being performed. Furthermore, the main control MPU 1311 clears the output ports to stop the operation of the devices controlled by the output from each port (step S2463). Specifically, power failure clear signal OFF bit data is output to the solenoid, power failure clear, and ACK output ports. Note that it is not necessary to clear all output ports; for example, output ports for controlling solenoids and motors that consume a lot of power may be cleared. Clearing these output ports reduces the power consumption until the main board side power failure processing is completed, and ensures that the main board side power failure processing is completed reliably.

Then, the flag register is saved to a stack area within the play area (step S2464), and power-off processing is executed to execute necessary processing before power is cut off for the work area outside the play area (step S2465). Details of the power-off processing are as shown in FIG. 222. Then, the flag register saved in the stack area within the play area is restored (step S2466).

Then, the main control MPU 1311 calculates a checksum of the work area in the game control area of the main control RAM 1312 to determine whether the data stored in the work area to be backed up has been properly retained, and stores the checksum in a specified checksum storage area of the main control RAM 1312 (step S2467). This checksum is used to determine whether the data backed up in the work area is correct. The areas for which the checksum is calculated should exclude the setting state management (setting value and value of the setting state management area) that may be changed between the time the power is turned on and the execution of the main processing on the main control side, the backup flag, and the value of the checksum area, among the work areas in the game control area.

Furthermore, a value (5AH) indicating that the power failure processing has been normally executed is stored in the backup flag area as a power failure flag (step S2468). This completes the storage of the game backup information. Finally, a setting value that enables RAM protection (write prohibited) and disables the prohibited area is written to the RAM protect register, prohibiting writing to the main control RAM 1312 (step S2469), and waiting until recovery from the power failure (infinite loop). The main control MPU 1311 has a function of designating a use area of the main control RAM 1312, and determining that an abnormality has occurred and resetting if there is access to a prohibited area other than the designated area. In this embodiment, the reset function due to access to this prohibited area is released, making access to all areas possible. Note that it is also possible to designate an unused area of the main control RAM 1312 as a prohibited area and set the prohibited area as valid in the RAM protect register, so that the main control MPU 1311 is reset when access to the designated prohibited area is detected.

In the above-mentioned process, the steps are executed in the following order: clearing the output port (step S2463), processing when the power is turned off (step S2465), calculating the checksum (step S2467), and setting the backup flag (step S2468). However, the execution order of these four steps is not limited to that shown in the figure, and other orders may also be used.

In the fourth example, the occurrence of a power outage is monitored by the main processing on the main control side, but the occurrence of a power outage may be monitored by the timer interrupt processing and the power outage processing may be executed based on the monitoring result. For example, in each of the two main loops, the power outage signal may be checked at least at the start and end, the period during which the power outage signal is continuously output may be measured, and the occurrence of a power outage may be detected when the measurement result reaches a predetermined value. In the fourth example, the timer interrupt processing for the setting processing and the timer interrupt processing for the normal game processing are separately provided, so that the power outage may be monitored by either timer interrupt processing, or by both timer interrupt processing. For this reason, the power outage monitoring processing and the power outage processing are made into subroutines, and by executing these subroutines (power outage monitoring processing, power outage processing) in each of the two timer interrupt processing, it is not necessary to incorporate the same program (code) for the power outage monitoring processing and the power outage processing into each timer interrupt processing, and the program size can be reduced.

In the main processing on the main control side shown in FIG. 231, two main loops are provided, one for the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing and one for the timer interrupt for normal play, and there is always one opportunity to execute the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing. In addition, at this execution opportunity, the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing may not be executed (for example, when branching to YES in step S2454). By providing two main loops in this way, it is possible to switch between executing the processing to calculate the base value in the main loop for normal play (timer interrupt processing) and executing the processing to calculate the base value so that the processing to calculate the unnecessary base value is not executed in the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing.

Figure 232 is a flowchart of the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing executed by the main control MPU 1311. In variant 4, the setting change and setting confirmation processing is repeatedly executed in the main loop for the setting processing. For this reason, the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing in variant 4 is the timer interrupt processing for the setting change processing in variant 3 (Figure 229) with the setting change and setting confirmation processing (steps S2477 to S2478) deleted.

First, the main control MPU 1311 sets the register bank selection flag to 1 and switches the register bank (step S2470). The main control MPU 1311 has two register groups used for calculations, one of which is used as the register group of bank 0 and the other is available as the register group of bank 1, and is configured so that the registers of both banks cannot be used without switching the banks. Register bank 0 is used in the main processing on the main control side, and register bank 1 is used in the timer interrupt processing. For this reason, an instruction to switch the bank to 1 is executed at the start of the timer interrupt processing, but it is not necessary to execute an instruction to switch the bank to 0 at the end of the timer interrupt processing. This is because the main control MPU 1311 stores the state of the bank in a flag register (for example, a register in which the Z flag and C flag are set), and the flag register is saved to the stack area at the start of the interrupt and is restored from the stack area by executing the RET command. For this reason, the bank flag of the register stored in the flag register is also restored by executing the RET command. If the bank status is not stored in the flag register, a bank switch command is executed at the end of the timer interrupt process to return to bank 0.

The flag register also stores a flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled, so there is no need to set it to interrupt enabled before executing the RET instruction. The flag that controls whether interrupts are enabled is set to interrupt disabled state after the flag register is stacked at the start of timer interrupt processing. Therefore, unless interrupts are enabled during timer interrupt processing (by using the EI instruction, for example) or the RETI instruction is executed, the interrupts will not be enabled.

Next, the LED common counter is incremented by +1. If the LED common counter value exceeds the upper limit, it is reset to 0 (step S2471).

Next, switch input process 1 is executed (step S2472). In switch input process 1, various signals input to the input terminals of various input ports of the main control MPU 1311 are read, an ON edge is created, and the input information is stored in the input information storage area of the main control RAM 1312.

Incidentally, since switch input process 1 in step S2472 is a process related to a winning signal, in the timer interrupt process executed in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, even if a winning is detected, processing related to the progress of the game, such as the payout of prize balls or the variable display of special and normal symbols, is not executed. Also, although winning is detected in relation to the progress of the game, detection of tampering with magnets or impact (vibration) is not executed. This is because setting change operations and setting confirmation operations are performed by hall employees, and tampering with magnets or impact (vibration) is not performed in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, so it is considered desirable not to detect tampering caused by magnetism, vibration, etc.

Note that even in the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, some fraud detection sensors (e.g., radio wave sensors) may be used to detect specific types of fraud in switch input process 1. In this way, it is possible to detect fraud where a cheater tries to forcibly start the setting change mode by irradiating radio waves, etc.

Then, it is determined whether a value (00H) indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting state management area (step S2473). Note that the value in the game state management area does not have to be determined in the timer interrupt process for the setting change process. This is to deal with fraudulent behavior that involves illegally transitioning to the setting change process. Also, the determination of whether a value (00H) indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting state management area may be made before switch input process 1 (step S2472), and if a value indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting state management area, the process may proceed to after the peripheral board command transmission process (step S2479).

If a value indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting state management area, the process proceeds to step S2479 without executing the process for changing and displaying the setting value (steps S2474 to S2476). Note that if a value indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting state management area, an abnormality notification command may be generated to notify that an abnormal timer interrupt process is being executed. This is because if a value indicating the start of play is recorded in the setting state management area, the timer interrupt process for the setting change process shown in FIG. 232 is not executed, and some abnormality has occurred. This abnormality notification may be a notification using a liquid crystal, lamp, or sound, such as a magnet, radio wave, or vibration notification, or a security signal may be output from the external terminal board 784. One or more of these notification modes may be adopted to notify one or a combination of them.

On the other hand, if a value indicating the start of play is not recorded in the setting status management area, a specific output port is cleared (step S2474). For example, signals that are cleared as specific output ports in step 2474 include a power outage clear signal, solenoid signals for the big prize opening and electric chute, and a response signal (ACK) when a command is received by the payout control board 951. Then, the LED common port is turned OFF (step S2475). By turning OFF the LED common signal at an early stage of the timer interrupt processing, the time until the LED common signal is turned ON, i.e., the time for the LED to be turned off, is secured, the ghost phenomenon in which the display before and after the LED display change appears mixed, and LED flickering is prevented.

Then, a security signal is output from the external terminal board 784 (step S2476). Note that the process of outputting the security signal may be executed in the main loop for the setting change process of the main control side main process shown in FIG. 231, similar to the setting change and setting confirmation process.

Furthermore, a peripheral board command transmission process is executed to output the value of the transmission information storage area to the serial communication circuit (step S2479). The transmission information storage area is a storage area that temporarily stores the generated transmission command. The value (command) stored in the transmission information storage area is read out in step 2070 and stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit (SIO). The serial communication circuit has a transmission information storage area that is a multi-byte FIFO-type transmission buffer, and sequentially transmits the values stored in the transmission information storage area of the serial communication circuit to the peripheral control board 1510. The peripheral board command transmission process may be executed after the end of the processing of S2480 or S2481 of the main processing, instead of the timer interrupt processing.

Then, a predetermined value (18H) is set in the watchdog timer clear register WCL to clear the watchdog timer (step S2480). Note that since the watchdog timer uses the simple clear mode, the watchdog timer is cleared by setting one word. Then, a return instruction (e.g. RETI) is issued to switch the register bank (step S2481), and the process returns to that before the interrupt.

The timer interrupt process for the setting change process shown in FIG. 232 differs from other timer interrupt processes in that it does not execute a random number update process (R_ATART_K). This is because there is no need to update the random numbers generated by software when a RAM abnormality occurs, but the random number update process may be executed.

[13. Pachinko machine equipped with light guide plate]
Next, an embodiment of a pachinko machine equipped with a light guide plate will be described. Recent pachinko machines are equipped with a light guide plate that emits light when illuminated on the front side of the performance display device 1600, and perform the performance of a special pattern variation display game together with the performance display device 1600. In this type of pachinko machine, complex performances can be performed by, for example, superimposing images using the performance display device and the light guide plate. In addition, since the light guide plate is provided in front of the performance display device, it displays a performance with a three-dimensional effect in combination with the image displayed on the performance display device. In addition, there is a light guide plate that allows stereoscopic vision using the parallax between the left and right eyes, and displays a performance with an even greater three-dimensional effect.

However, the presentations using light guide plates have become monotonous, and there is a need to increase interest with new light-emitting presentations. Furthermore, there are light guide plates that can display multiple images on a single sheet, and there is a demand for more diverse images to display and create more interesting presentations.

[13-1. Structure]
Fig. 233 is an exploded perspective view of the center gadget 2500 and the front performance unit 2600 of the front unit 2000 of the game board 5, as viewed from the front. Fig. 234 is a front view showing a state in which the first image is illuminated and displayed in the front performance unit. Fig. 235 is a front view showing a state in which the second image is illuminated and displayed in the front performance unit.

The front performance unit 2600 of the front unit 2000 is attached to the center role 2500 so as to close the inside of the frame of the frame-shaped center role 2500. The front performance unit 2600 is attached to the rear side of the center role 2500. The front performance unit 2600 has a transparent flat light guide plate 2610 that closes the inside of the frame of the center role 2500, and a first pattern board 2611 and a second pattern board 2612 that are attached to the rear side of the center role 2500. The first pattern board 2611 is equipped with a plurality of light guide plate LEDs 2613 that can irradiate light to the right side of the light guide plate 2610, and the second pattern board 2612 is equipped with a plurality of light guide plate LEDs 2614 that can irradiate light to the upper side of the light guide plate 2610.

The first picture board 2611 and the second picture board 2612 are arranged perpendicular to the light guide plate 2610 so that light can be irradiated onto the side of the light guide plate 2610. As a result, only the sides of the first picture board 2611 and the second picture board 2612 are visible from the front side of the pachinko machine 1, making it difficult for the player to see the first picture board 2611 and the second picture board 2612, improving the appearance of the game area 5a.

In this embodiment, the light guide plate (front light guide plate) 2610 is described, but another rear light guide plate may be provided between the light guide plate 2610 and the performance display device 1600.

The light guide plate 2610 has a first pattern 2621 (see FIG. 234) formed by a number of uneven first reflecting parts that reflect light from above to the front side, and a second pattern 2622 (see FIG. 235) formed by a number of uneven second reflecting parts that reflect light from the side to the front side. In other words, when the light guide plate LED 2613 of the first pattern board 2611 is illuminated, the front performance unit 2600 can illuminate the first pattern 2621 on the light guide plate 2610, and when the light guide plate LED 2614 of the second pattern board 2612 is illuminated, the light guide plate 2610 can illuminate and display the second pattern 2622. The multiple LEDs 2613 and 2614 mounted on the first pattern board 2611 and the second pattern board 2612 are preferably full-color LEDs, and are preferably light sources (lens-equipped LEDs) with high directivity that irradiate light in a narrow range. By using a full-color LED, the first pattern 2621 and the second pattern 2622 can be projected onto the light guide plate 2610 in any single color or multiple colors (e.g., seven rainbow colors).

The light guide plate 2610 is finely formed with unevenness that forms a plurality of first reflective portions for reflecting the first pattern 2621, and unevenness that forms a plurality of second reflective portions for reflecting the second pattern 2622. When the light guide plate LEDs 2613 on the first pattern substrate 2611 and the light guide plate LEDs 2614 on the second pattern substrate 2612 are not emitting light, the light guide plate 2610 transmits light, allowing good visibility of the various decorative elements of the rear unit 3000 arranged at the rear side and the performance images displayed on the performance display device 1600. The light guide plate 2610 has a transparent area through which the performance display device 1600 provided on the back side can be seen even when the light guide plate LEDs 2613, 2614 are emitting light, a matte area that does not reflect the light irradiated to the light guide plate 2610 and is processed like frosted glass, a glitter area in which a reflective pattern is formed that reflects the transmitted light regardless of the direction of travel of the light within the light guide plate 2610, and a moving area in which a reflective pattern is formed so that the emission of light changes depending on the light emitting location of the light guide plate LEDs 2613 (i.e., the direction of travel of the light within the light guide plate 2610).

As shown in FIG. 234, the first pattern 2621 becomes part of the effect of the special pattern change display game together with the image displayed on the effect display device 1600 as described below. The first pattern 2621 is composed of moving areas 2621a and 2621c, glitter areas 2621b and 2621d, and matte area 2621e. The outside of the first pattern 2621 is a transparent area 2621f. The moving areas 2621a and 2621c are formed by turning on some of the light guide plate LEDs 2613 on the first pattern substrate 2611, and by switching the lit areas, the moving area 2621a emits light or the moving area 2621c emits light. Therefore, by flashing the light guide plate LEDs 2613, the size of the first pattern 2621 can be made to appear to change.

In the first pattern 2621 shown in FIG. 234, the moving area and the glitter area are arranged so as to be repeated twice, but the repetition may be any number of times. By forming the first pattern 2621 by repeating the moving area and the glitter area multiple times, the first pattern 2621 can express complex movements. Also, in the first pattern 2621 shown in FIG. 234, the moving area and the glitter area are repeated alternately, but moving areas with different characteristics (i.e., the position of incidence of light for the moving area to emit light) may be arranged adjacent to each other without sandwiching a glitter area between the moving areas.

By illuminating the LEDs 2613 for the light guide plate so that the emitted color changes depending on the LEDs 2613 for the light guide plate, it is possible to make each moving area 2621a emit a different color. Then, by sequentially changing the emitted color of the LEDs 2613 for the light guide plate (for example, repeating the sequence of red → orange → yellow → green → blue → indigo → purple → red), it is possible to make the image appear to move as the color changes.

As shown in FIG. 235, the second pattern 2622 is a pattern in which multiple light streaks extend diagonally downward. The second pattern 2622 is formed so that the diagonally extending light streaks correspond to the positions of the light guide plate LEDs 2614 mounted on the second pattern substrate 2612. In other words, when one light guide plate LED 2614 is made to emit light, a light streak is emitted that extends diagonally downward from the portion of the light guide plate 2610 on the upper edge of the light guide plate 2610 where the emitted light guide plate LED 2614 is located.

The further this second pattern 2622 is downward on the light guide plate 2610, the farther it is from the light guide plate LED 2614, so the brightness of the light streak becomes darker the further it is downward on the light guide plate 2610. As a result, when the second pattern 2622 is viewed from the front (the player's side), the further it is downward on the light guide plate 2610, the further the light streak appears to extend backward, creating the illusion that light is being emitted three-dimensionally, allowing the player to enjoy the light-emitting effects provided by the light guide plate 2610.

Furthermore, it is advisable to position the reflecting parts so that stereoscopic vision due to the parallax between the left and right eyes is possible. For example, when focusing on one light streak that constitutes the second image 2622, by positioning the second reflecting parts that emit light to form an image of the light streak on the player's retina at different positions on the light guide plate 2610 for the left and right eyes, it is possible to create parallax between the left and right eyes of the player, and to make the second image appear to have depth.

As shown in FIG. 234, the light guide plate 2610 of this embodiment forms a first pattern 2621 that is projected by irradiating light from one direction, and is made up of a matte area 2621e that does not reflect the irradiated light, glitter areas 2621b and 2621d in which a reflective pattern that reflects transmitted light is formed regardless of the direction of travel of the light, and moving areas 2621a, 2621c, and 2622a in which a reflective pattern that reflects light traveling in a specific direction is formed, so that the first pattern can be made up of a moving pattern area (dynamic pattern) that appears to move and a still pattern area (static pattern) that appears to be stationary.

In addition, a single light guide plate 2610 can project a first pattern 2621 shown in FIG. 234 and a second pattern 2622 shown in FIG. 235 by changing the illumination direction. Therefore, by irradiating a single color (e.g., single-wavelength red or white with a mixture of multiple wavelengths of light) from the side and irradiating multiple colors of light (e.g., adjacent LED groups 2614 emit light at different wavelengths) from above, a single light guide plate 2610 can produce an effect with a rainbow pattern (rainbow beam) shining in seven colors and a single-color pattern.

In the light guide plate 2610 of this embodiment, a still pattern is projected in the matte area 2621e and glitter areas 2621b, 2621d of the first pattern 2621 by shining light from the side, and a moving pattern that appears to move is projected in the moving areas 2621a, 2621c, 2622a. In other words, the first pattern 2621, which is irradiated with light from the side, creates a light guide plate presentation with both a still pattern and a moving pattern. In this case, the still pattern and moving pattern of the first pattern 2621 are projected simultaneously.

Unlike the above, the first pattern 2621 may be composed of a matte area and a glitter area, and the first pattern 2621 may not include a moving pattern. In this case, the light guide plate produces a still pattern by the first pattern 2621 irradiated with light from the side and the second pattern 2622 irradiated with light from above. In this case, the still pattern by the first pattern 2621 and the moving pattern by the second pattern 2622 can be projected at different times. That is, the moving pattern may be projected after the still pattern, or the still pattern may be projected after the moving pattern. In this way, by projecting the still pattern and the moving pattern at different times, a variety of effects can be produced. In particular, by displaying a rainbow pattern as a moving pattern and then displaying a specific character as a still pattern, an effect in which the character descends can be produced. On the other hand, by displaying a background as a still pattern and then displaying a character as a moving pattern, an effect in which the character moves in a specific location can be produced.

In the light guide plate 2610 of this embodiment, the first pattern 2621 and the second pattern 2622 may be arranged to overlap each other. When light is irradiated from the side and from above, the reflection patterns of the two patterns are mixed in the area where the two patterns overlap on the light guide plate 2610, so that both patterns can be recognized. However, if the first pattern 2621 is a pattern that is viewed in a plane and the second pattern 2622 is a pattern that is viewed in a stereoscopic manner, stereoscopic viewing may be difficult in the area where the two patterns are mixed. For this reason, a transparent area 2621f is provided where the reflection pattern of the first pattern 2621 is not provided and the back side (performance display device 1600) is visible through, and a pattern based on the reflection pattern of the second pattern 2622 is projected, so that the player can easily view the second pattern 2622 in a stereoscopic manner.

In the light guide plate 2610 of this embodiment, the first pattern 2621 and the second pattern 2622 may be arranged in separate areas without being superimposed. If the first pattern 2621 is a pattern that is viewed in a plane and the second pattern 2622 is a pattern that is viewed in a stereoscopic manner, stereoscopic viewing may be difficult in an area where the two patterns are mixed. For this reason, by separating the area where the reflective pattern of the first pattern 2621 is provided from the area where the reflective pattern of the second pattern 2622 is provided and projecting the image based on the reflective pattern of the second pattern 2622, the player can easily view the second pattern in stereoscopic view.

[13-2. Configuration of light guide plate]
Next, a specific configuration of the reflecting portion will be described. Fig. 236 is a diagram showing the structure of a light guide plate 2610 (particularly, the arrangement of the reflecting portion).

As mentioned above, the light guide plate 2610 is provided with a transparent area 2621f that allows the back side (performance display device 1600) to be seen through, a matte area 2621e that does not reflect the irradiated light, glitter areas 2621b and 2621d in which a reflective pattern is formed that reflects the transmitted light regardless of the direction of travel of the light, and moving areas 2621a, 2621c, and 2622a in which a reflective pattern is formed that reflects light traveling in a specific direction.

Figure 237 shows the structure of the reflecting part.

The reflecting portion is formed by a recess provided on the back side of the light guide plate 2610, and by reflection of light at the boundary surface (reflective surface 2651), the light traveling inside the light guide plate 2610 is reflected to the front side of the light guide plate 2610, causing the image portion of the light guide plate 2610 to emit light, allowing the player to view the image. Inside the light guide plate 2610, the light incident from the light guide plate LED 2614 travels inside the light guide plate 2610 with a certain degree of spread (e.g. ±30 degrees). The light streaks that make up the second image 2622 are visible when the light traveling in the direction of the light streaks is reflected by the reflecting portion 2650 described below.

The reflecting portion of the moving area 2622a shown in FIG. 237(A) has multiple reflecting portions 2650 arranged along the light streaks. The size of the reflecting portion 2650 is preferably several hundred micrometers to several millimeters, which is much smaller than the light streaks that appear on the light guide plate 2610, but is shown larger in the figure.

The reflecting section 2650 is composed of a reflecting surface 2651 that reflects light, an inclined surface 2652 on the back side of the reflecting surface 2651, and a side surface 2653 formed by a curved surface. The reflecting surface 2651 is arranged at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the surface of the light guide plate 2610, and the perpendicular line of the reflecting surface 2651 and the incident direction of the reflected light are approximately 45 degrees. Therefore, the light that travels inside the light guide plate 2610 and hits the reflecting surface 2651 of the reflecting section 2650 is reflected toward the front side of the light guide plate 2610, as shown in FIG. 237(B).

In addition, light traveling in a direction perpendicular to the streaks of light appearing in the moving area 2622a, i.e., light traveling parallel to the reflective surface 2651 along the reflective surface 2651, does not hit the reflective surface 2651, but is reflected by the reflective section 2650 and does not exit from the surface of the light guide plate 2610. Similarly, light traveling in a direction at an angle (especially an acute angle) to the streaks of light appearing in the moving area 2622a hits the reflective surface 2651 in small amounts, so that only a small amount of light is reflected by the reflective section 2650 and only weak light exits from the surface of the light guide plate 2610. For this reason, the light of the wavelengths that reach it in large amounts is visible to the player's eyes, and the image can be shown in the color of the light guide plate LED 2614 that emits light at a specific position.

At this time, the direction of reflected light may be shifted slightly to the left or right from the perpendicular direction to the light guide plate 2610 by slightly tilting the reflecting surface 2651. Since the light source that irradiates the light guide plate 2601 of this embodiment irradiates light with strong directionality, the reflected light from the reflecting portion 2650 also reaches the player as a directional light beam. This can create parallax between the left and right eyes of the player, allowing the player to see a second image with depth. In other words, since the reflecting portion 2650 that reflects the light that reaches the right eye and the reflecting portion 2650 that reflects the light that reaches the left eye are located in different positions, the virtual intersection point between the light that reaches the right eye and the light that reaches the left eye is not on the light guide plate 2610. In other words, if the virtual intersection of the light reaching the right eye and the light reaching the left eye is behind the light guide plate 2610, the image will appear to be in a recessed position, and if the virtual intersection of the light reaching the right eye and the light reaching the left eye is in front of the light guide plate 2610, the image will appear to be in a closer position.

The inclined surface 2652 provided on the opposite side of the reflecting surface 2651 may be provided at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the surface of the light guide plate 2610, similar to the reflecting surface 2651, or may be formed at an angle (e.g., perpendicular to the surface of the light guide plate 2610) that prevents the light traveling inside the light guide plate 2610 from being reflected toward the front side of the light guide plate 2610.

The side surface 2653 is curved. By processing the side surface 2653 into a curved surface rather than a flat surface, it is possible to prevent the light incident from one direction from being strongly reflected, and to prevent the pattern from being displayed by light coming from any direction other than that specified.

The reflecting portion 2660 of the glitter areas 2621b and 2621d shown in FIG. 238 is formed by a spherical recess provided on the back side of the light guide plate 2610, and reflects the light that travels through the light guide plate 2610 and arrives at the reflecting portion 2660 from multiple directions (i.e., multiple paths), and emits it to the front side of the light guide plate 2610. The reflecting portion 2660 of the glitter area reflects light from multiple light guide plate LEDs 2614, so when the light guide plate LEDs 2614 blink at different times, the glitter area 2621b will shine sparklingly. Also, when the light guide plate LEDs 2614 emit light in different colors, the glitter area 2621b will shine with a mixture of multiple colors. Furthermore, when the light guide plate LEDs 2614 blink in different colors, the glitter area 2621b will shine with a mixture of multiple colors.

The matte area 2621e does not have a reflecting portion, but is processed to have irregular irregularities like frosted glass, so that the light traveling through the light guide plate 2610 is not reflected to the front side.

So far, we have explained the light guide plate 2610 that displays the first and second patterns. Next, we will explain an example of a light guide plate that displays a different pattern. Figure 239 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the LEDs and the reflecting parts in the light guide plate that configures the patterns shown in Figures 240 to 242.

The light guide plate 2610 shown in FIG. 239 has a plurality of minute reflecting portions 2670 formed on its back surface, which reflect light incident from any of the plurality of specific light entrance portions 2630 on the upper side of the light guide plate 2610 and emit it to the front side of the light guide plate 2610. The plurality of specific light entrance portions 2630 of the light guide plate 2610 introduce light so that the light travels through the light guide plate 2610 from a plurality of positions. The plurality of specific light entrance portions 2630 are illustrated as four, the first specific light entrance portion 2630a, the second specific light entrance portion 2630b, the third specific light entrance portion 2630c, and the fourth specific light entrance portion 2630d, but the first specific light entrance portion 2630a to the seventh specific light entrance portion are provided. This is because seven specific light entrance sections 2630 (LED groups 2614) are provided repeatedly to create a rainbow effect in which the light guide plate is illuminated in seven colors, and the number of specific light entrance sections can be determined depending on the type of light emission color. The first specific light entrance section 2630a to the seventh specific light entrance section (not shown) are arranged in sequence from left to right in the longitudinal direction (left to right direction in the figure) on the upper side surface of the light guide plate 2610 (after the seventh specific light entrance section, the first specific light entrance section 2630a is placed back at the beginning).

The reflecting portion 2670 has a boundary surface that extends perpendicular to the straight line (the direction in which the light incident from the specific light incident portion 2630 travels through the light guide plate 2610) connecting with the corresponding specific light incident portion 2630 and is inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the rear surface of the light guide plate 2610. The reflecting portion 2670 is recessed into a pent roof-shaped triangle. The reflecting portion 2670 reflects the light incident from the corresponding specific light incident portion 2630 and emits it in a direction approximately perpendicular to the front surface of the light guide plate 2610. The reflecting portion 2670 also reflects the light incident from the non-corresponding specific light incident portion 2630 and emits it in a direction inclined with respect to the perpendicular line of the front surface of the light guide plate 2610.

As a result, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 239, light incident from the corresponding specific light entrance section 2630 is reflected by the reflecting section 2670 in a direction other than the front of the light guide plate 2610 (perpendicular to the paper), and the reflecting section 2670 appears to be emitting light to a player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1. In contrast, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 239, light incident from an uncorresponding specific light entrance section 2630 is reflected by the reflecting section 2670 in a direction other than the front of the light guide plate 2610, and the reflecting section 2670 appears not to be emitting light to a player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1.

In this embodiment, the reflecting portion 2670 is shown to be recessed in a triangular shape and extending perpendicular to the line connecting the corresponding specific light entrance portion 2630, but this is not limited thereto, and any reflecting portion may be used as long as it extends perpendicular to the line connecting the corresponding specific light entrance portion 2630.

The multiple reflective portions 2670 correspond to any of the multiple specific light entrance portions 2630, and include multiple first reflective portions 2670a corresponding to the first specific light entrance portion 2630a, multiple second reflective portions 2670b corresponding to the second specific light entrance portion 2630b, multiple third reflective portions 2670c corresponding to the third specific light entrance portion 2630c, and multiple fourth reflective portions 2670d corresponding to the fourth specific light entrance portion 2630d.

The light guide plate 2610 is capable of displaying a plurality of patterns 2623 that can be illuminated in different ways by reflecting light forward from a specific one of the plurality of reflecting portions 2670. The plurality of patterns 2623 include a pattern 2623a made up of a plurality of first reflecting portions 2670a, a pattern 2623b made up of a plurality of second reflecting portions 2670b, a pattern 2623c made up of a plurality of third reflecting portions 2670c, and a pattern 2623d made up of a plurality of fourth reflecting portions 2670d.

The images are arranged in a circular pattern from the center to the outside, as shown in Figures 240 to 242.

The second pattern board 2612 is a strip extending from side to side, and LEDs 2614 are mounted at positions corresponding to each specific light entrance portion 2630. The multiple LEDs 2614 are composed of a first LED group 2614a corresponding to the first specific light entrance portion 2630a, a second LED group 2614b corresponding to the second specific light entrance portion 2630b, a third LED group 2614c corresponding to the third specific light entrance portion 2630c, a fourth LED group 2614d corresponding to the fourth specific light entrance portion 2630d, a fifth LED group (not shown) corresponding to the fifth specific light entrance portion (not shown), a sixth LED group (not shown) corresponding to the sixth specific light entrance portion (not shown), and a seventh LED group (not shown) corresponding to the seventh specific light entrance portion (not shown). In addition, in FIG. 239, the first LED group 2614a to the fourth LED group 2614d are illustrated, and the fifth LED group to the seventh LED group are omitted. Each LED group is formed by dividing the multiple LEDs 2614 arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in the figure) on the second pattern board 2612 in the left and right direction of the second pattern board 2612, and repeatedly arranging them in order from left to right (after the seventh LED group, it returns to the beginning and becomes the first LED group 2614a). In this embodiment, each LED group has six LEDs 2614.

Next, the light-emitting effect by the front effect unit 2600 of this embodiment will be described in detail. When the first LED group 2614a of the second pattern board 2612 is illuminated, light enters the light guide plate 2610 from the first specific light entrance portion 2630a, is reflected to the front of the light guide plate 2610 by the first reflecting portion 2670a, and is reflected to a direction other than the front by the other reflecting portions 2670b, 2670c, 2670d, etc., so that only the first reflecting portion 2670a appears to be lit up to a player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1, and the pattern composed of the multiple first reflecting portions 2670a can be illuminated.

When the second LED group 2614b of the second pattern board 2612 is illuminated, light enters the light guide plate 2610 from the second specific light entrance portion 2630b, is reflected to the front of the light guide plate 2610 by the second reflecting portion 2670b, and is reflected in a direction other than the front by the other reflecting portions 2670a, 2670c, 2670d, etc., so that only the second reflecting portion 2670b appears to be lit up to a player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1, and the pattern composed of the multiple second reflecting portions 2670b can be illuminated.

When the third LED group 2614c of the second pattern board 2612 is illuminated, light enters the light guide plate 2610 from the third specific light entrance portion 2630c, is reflected to the front of the light guide plate 2610 by the third reflecting portion 2670c, and is reflected in a direction other than the front by the other first reflecting portion 2670a, second reflecting portion 2670b, fourth reflecting portion 2670d, etc., so that only the third reflecting portion 2670c appears to be lit up to a player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1, and the pattern composed of multiple third reflecting portions 2670c can be illuminated.

When the fourth LED group 2614d of the second pattern board 2612 is illuminated, light enters the light guide plate 2610 from the fourth specific light entrance portion 2630d, is reflected to the front of the light guide plate 2610 by the fourth reflecting portion 2670d, and is reflected in a direction other than the front by the other first reflecting portion 2670a, second reflecting portion 2670b, third reflecting portion 2670c, etc., so that only the fourth reflecting portion 2670d appears to be lit up to a player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1, and the pattern composed of the multiple fourth reflecting portions 2670d can be illuminated.

Similarly, when each LED group from the fifth LED group to the seventh LED group 2614 is illuminated, light enters the light guide plate 2610 from the corresponding specific light entrance portion 2630, is reflected by the corresponding reflecting portion 2670 to the front of the light guide plate 2610, and is reflected by the other reflecting portions 2670 in directions other than the front, so that only the corresponding reflecting portion 2670 appears to be illuminated to a player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1, and the image composed of the corresponding reflecting portion 2670 can be illuminated.

As described above, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the LED groups can be switched to emit light, allowing each of the multiple images 2623 to emit light, and the multiple images can be illuminated in sequence to create a moving, animation-like light-emitting effect. In particular, as shown in FIG. 240, in the light guide plate 2610 in which similar images are superimposed, a moving effect can be created in which the images emit light like an animation with a movement that spreads from the center outward or shrinks from the outside to the center.

Figure 240 shows an example of an image displayed in a moving effect using a light guide plate. In the example shown in Figure 240, the position of the emitting LED group is switched over time to create a moving effect in which the size of the image changes.

As described above, the light guide plate 2610 is provided with the first specific light entrance portion 2630a to the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g, and the first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g are arranged corresponding to each of the specific light entrance portions 2630a to 2630g. Note that in FIG. 240, the position corresponding to each specific light entrance portion is indicated by the last alphabetical character of the code.

As shown in FIG. 240(A), when the sixth LED group 2614f and the seventh LED group 2614g are lit and light is incident from the sixth specific light entrance portion 2630f and the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g, the sixth reflecting portion 2670f and the seventh reflecting portion 2670g reflect the light incident on the light guide plate 2610, and the images on which the sixth reflecting portion 2670f and the seventh reflecting portion 2670g are arranged emit light, which can be recognized by the player.

Then, the fifth LED group 2614e and the sixth LED group 2614f are lit up, and when light is incident from the fifth specific light entrance section 2630e and the sixth specific light entrance section 2630f, the fifth reflecting section 2670e and the sixth reflecting section 2670f reflect the light incident on the light guide plate 2610, and the images on which the fifth reflecting section 2670e and the sixth reflecting section 2670f are arranged emit light, which can be recognized by the player.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 240(B), when the fourth LED group 2614d and the fifth LED group 2614e are lit and light is incident from the fourth specific light entrance portion 2630d and the fifth specific light entrance portion 2630e, the light incident on the light guide plate 2610 is reflected by the fourth reflecting portion 2670d and the fifth reflecting portion 2670e, and the image on which the fourth reflecting portion 2670d and the fifth reflecting portion 2670e are arranged emits light, which can be recognized by the player.

Then, the third LED group 2614c and the fourth LED group 2614d light up, and when light enters from the third specific light entrance portion 2630c and the fourth specific light entrance portion 2630d, the light that entered the light guide plate 2610 is reflected by the third reflecting portion 2670c and the fourth reflecting portion 2670d, and the images on which the third reflecting portion 2670cd and the fourth reflecting portion 2670d are arranged emit light, which can be recognized by the player.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 240(C), when the second LED group 2614b and the third LED group 2614c are lit and light is incident from the second specific light entrance portion 2630b and the third specific light entrance portion 2630c, the light incident on the light guide plate 2610 is reflected by the second reflecting portion 2670b and the third reflecting portion 2670c, and the image on which the second reflecting portion 2670b and the third reflecting portion 2670c are arranged emits light, which can be recognized by the player.

In this way, by changing the position of the illuminating LED groups (LED elements) without changing the number of them, the size of the image can be changed, and a moving effect can be created in which the image is illuminated as if moving from the center outwards. In this case, the LED groups can emit light in a single color, or each group (i.e., depending on the position) can emit a different color.

Figure 241 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed in another moving effect using a light guide plate. In the example shown in Figure 241, a moving effect in which the size of the image changes is performed by changing the number of emitting LED groups over time.

As described above, the light guide plate 2610 is provided with the first specific light entrance portion 2630a to the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g, and the first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g are arranged corresponding to each of the specific light entrance portions 2630a to 2630g. Note that in FIG. 241, the position corresponding to each specific light entrance portion is indicated by the last alphabetical character of the code.

As shown in FIG. 241(A), the second LED group 2614b to the seventh LED group 2614g are lit up, the light incident from the second specific light entrance portion 2630b to the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g is reflected by the second reflecting portion 2670b to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g, and the images arranged on the second reflecting portion 2670b to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g emit light, which can be recognized by the player.

Then, the third LED group 2614c to the seventh LED group 2614g light up, the light incident from the third specific light entrance portion 2630c to the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g is reflected by the third reflecting portion 2670c to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g, and the images arranged on the third reflecting portion 2670c to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g emit light, which can be recognized by the player.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 241(B), the fourth LED group 2614d to the seventh LED group 2614g are lit up, the fourth reflecting portion 2670d to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g reflect the light incident from the fourth specific light entrance portion 2630d to the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g, and the images arranged on the fourth reflecting portion 2670d to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g emit light, which can be recognized by the player.

Then, the fifth LED group 2614e to the seventh LED group 2614g light up, the fifth reflecting portion 2670e to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g reflect the light incident from the fifth specific light entrance portion 2630e to the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g, and the images arranged on the fifth reflecting portion 2670e to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g emit light, which can be recognized by the player.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 241(C), the sixth LED group 2614f to the seventh LED group 2614g are lit up, the sixth reflecting portion 2670f to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g reflect the light incident from the sixth specific light entrance portion 2630f to the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g, and the images arranged on the sixth reflecting portion 2670f to the seventh reflecting portion 2670g emit light, which can be recognized by the player.

In this way, by changing the number of LED groups (LED elements) that emit light, the size of the image (light-emitting range) can be changed, creating a moving effect in which the image emits light as if it is shrinking. In this case, the LED groups can emit light in a single color, or each group (i.e., depending on the position) can emit a different color.

Figure 242 shows an example of an image displayed in another moving effect using a light guide plate. In the example shown in Figure 242, the color of the light emitted by the LED group is changed over time to create a moving effect in which the color of the image changes.

As described above, the light guide plate 2610 is provided with the first specific light entrance portion 2630a to the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g, and the first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g are arranged corresponding to each of the specific light entrance portions 2630a to 2630g. The first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g are composed of full-color LEDs and can emit light in multiple colors. In FIG. 242, the position corresponding to each specific light entrance portion is indicated by the last alphabetical character of the code.

As shown in FIG. 242(A), the first LED group 2614a lights up in red, the red light incident from the first specific light entrance portion 2630a is reflected by the first reflecting portion 2670a, the pattern on which the first reflecting portion 2670a is arranged emits red light, and the player recognizes the red pattern. Similarly, the second LED group 2614b lights up in orange, the orange light incident from the second specific light entrance portion 2630b is reflected by the second reflecting portion 2670b, and the pattern emits orange light. Also, the third LED group 2614c lights up in yellow, the yellow light incident from the third specific light entrance portion 2630c is reflected by the third reflecting portion 2670c, and the pattern emits yellow light. Also, the fourth LED group 2614d lights up in green, and the green light incident from the fourth specific light entrance portion 2630d is reflected by the fourth reflecting portion 2670d, and the pattern emits green light. The fifth LED group 2614e lights up in blue, and the blue light incident from the fifth specific light entrance portion 2630e is reflected by the fifth reflector 2670e, causing the pattern to emit blue light. The sixth LED group 2614f lights up in indigo, and the indigo light incident from the sixth specific light entrance portion 2630f is reflected by the sixth reflector 2670f, causing the pattern to emit indigo light. The seventh LED group 2614g lights up in purple, and the purple light incident from the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g is reflected by the seventh reflector 2670g, causing the pattern to emit purple light.

After that, as shown in Fig. 242(B), the first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g light up in purple, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and indigo, respectively, and the color of the pattern changes. After further time has passed, as shown in Fig. 242(C), the first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g light up indigo, purple, red, orange, yellow, green, and blue, respectively, and the color of the pattern changes.

In this way, the light color of the LEDs that make up the LED group is changed, and the color of the pattern is changed sequentially (for example, every 0.5 seconds). Because the human eye focuses on patterns that emit the same color, a moving effect can be created by making the patterns emit light inward.

Figure 243 shows the arrangement of the images on the light guide plate 2610 and the arrangement of the LED group 2614.

In this embodiment, multiple LED groups 2614 correspond to the reflecting portion 2670 that constitutes one picture, and the multiple LED groups 2614 emit light in a predetermined pattern to display one picture. Specifically, seven LED groups are treated as a repeating unit, and the light emission pattern of the LED groups 2614 (specific light entrance portion 2630) is controlled to be repeated. In addition, the LEDs emit light with directionality, and are configured to illuminate a predetermined angular range from the front of the LEDs.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 243, the illumination range of the LEDs that emit light in the same pattern (the light source that constitutes one picture) is the range shown in the sector in the figure, and there is a range near the second picture substrate 2612 where the light from the LED does not reach.

For this reason, the pattern is provided at a position a predetermined distance away from the end where light enters the light guide plate 2610. For example, when the illumination range of the LED is 60 degrees (full angle at half maximum θ = ±30 degrees), the range where the light from the LED does not reach forms an equilateral triangle, so the pattern is provided at a distance of 0.87 times the length of the repeating unit of the LED group (the distance between LEDs that emit light in the same pattern) α from the end of the light guide plate 2610.

In general, if the length of the repeating unit of the LED group is α, the illumination angle of the LED is θ, and the distance from the edge of the light guide plate 2610 to the pattern is L, the following relationship is obtained.
L = tan θ × α / 2

In this way, when the moving image that appears to move is composed of light from multiple LED groups, the moving image must be placed at a position a predetermined distance away from the end of the light guide plate 2610. In other words, the moving image area that projects the image that appears to move is smaller than the still image area that projects the still image. If the light guide plate 2610 is the same size as the display area of the performance display device 1600, the moving effect by the light guide plate 2610 can be performed in an area smaller than the display area of the performance display device 1600. Therefore, in the performance of the variable display game, the player can be made aware of the progress of the variable display game without obstructing the visibility of the special pattern that is usually displayed near the end of the display area of the performance display device 1600. In addition, by performing the moving effect in the center of the performance display device 1600 where the player is watching, the decrease in interest due to the excitement of the player caused by the moving effect can be suppressed.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example was explained in which the light guide plate 2610 was attached to the center role 2500 of the front unit 2000. In this case, however, within the inner frame of the center role 2500 (the opening window portion visible to the player located at the front of the pachinko machine 1), an area within a specified distance from the end of the light guide plate 2610 where moving effects are not possible is created, and the area where moving effects are not possible is visible to the player. Furthermore, the area where moving effects are possible becomes narrower, reducing the effect of the effects.

For this reason, unlike the above, the light guide plate 2610 may be attached to the back unit 3000. In this case, the light guide plate 2610 can be made larger than the inner frame of the center role device 2500, so that the area where moving performance is not possible is hidden by the center role device 2500 and the area where moving performance is not possible is placed outside the display area of the performance display device 1600, making it possible to perform moving performance in all (or most) of the area of the inner frame of the center role device 2500. In other words, when the pachinko machine 1 is viewed from the front, the end of the light guide plate 2610 is located away from the periphery of the performance display device 1600 and the outer periphery of the center role device 2500.

Since the back unit 3000 is equipped with various decorative bodies (decorative unit 3050, movable performance units 3100, 3200, 3300, 3400, 3500, etc.), the light guide plate 2610 can be positioned so that its end is located behind these decorative bodies, and the light emitting devices (first pattern board 2611, second pattern board 2612) can be positioned behind the decorative bodies. This allows the boards that serve as light sources to be positioned in a position that is not visible to the player, ensuring decorativeness.

Furthermore, the LEDs for the light guide plate 2610 (LEDs 2613, 2614 for the light guide plate) and the LEDs that illuminate the decorative body may be mounted on a single board.

In this way, by attaching the light guide plate 2610 to the rear unit 3000, the entire display area of the performance display device 1600 can be used for moving performance, preventing the player from noticing the unnaturalness caused by the limited moving performance area.

Figure 244 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed in another moving effect using a light guide plate. In the example shown in Figure 244, the color of the light emitted by the LED group is changed over time to create a moving effect in which the color of the image changes.

As described above, the light guide plate 2610 is provided with the first specific light entrance portion 2630a to the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g, and the first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g are arranged corresponding to each specific light entrance portion. The first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g are composed of full-color LEDs and can emit light in multiple colors. In FIG. 244, the position corresponding to each specific light entrance portion is indicated by the last alphabetical character of the code.

As shown in the figure, the first LED group 2614a lights up in red, the first reflector 2670a reflects the red light incident from the first specific light entrance portion 2630a, the image on which the first reflector 2670a is arranged emits red light, and the player recognizes the red image. Similarly, the second LED group 2614b lights up in orange, the second reflector 2670b reflects the orange light incident from the second specific light entrance portion 2630b, and the image emits orange light. Also, the third LED group 2614c lights up in yellow, the third reflector 2670c reflects the yellow light incident from the third specific light entrance portion 2630c, and the image emits yellow light. Also, the fourth LED group 2614d lights up in green, and the fourth reflector 2670d reflects the green light incident from the fourth specific light entrance portion 2630d, and the image emits green light. The fifth LED group 2614e lights up in blue, and the fifth reflector 2670e reflects the blue light incident from the fifth specific light entrance portion 2630e, causing the pattern to emit blue light. The sixth LED group 2614f lights up in indigo, and the sixth reflector 2670f reflects the indigo light incident from the sixth specific light entrance portion 2630f, causing the pattern to emit indigo light. The seventh LED group 2614g lights up in purple, and the seventh reflector 2670g reflects the purple light incident from the seventh specific light entrance portion 2630g, causing the pattern to emit purple light.

After that, the first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g light up in purple, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and indigo, respectively, and the color of the pattern changes. After further time has passed, the first LED group 2614a to the seventh LED group 2614g light up indigo, purple, red, orange, yellow, green, and blue, respectively, and the color of the pattern changes.

In this way, the light color of the LEDs that make up the LED group is changed, and the color of the pattern is changed sequentially (for example, every 0.5 seconds). Because the human eye focuses on patterns that emit the same color, a moving effect is created in which the patterns emit light with flowing streaks of seven colors.

Although a detailed explanation is omitted, even with the light guide plate 2610 having a pattern of two intersecting light streaks as shown in FIG. 235, by changing the light emission color of each LED group 2614 in the same manner as described in FIG. 244, the color of the pattern (light streaks) can be changed, and a moving effect can be created in which the pattern is illuminated as if flowing seven-color light streaks. In addition, by using left-right parallax to make the light streaks appear to move further back or closer as they move away from the light source, a three-dimensional image can be displayed.

Next, we will explain the stereoscopic and planar image patterns produced by the light guide plate 2610.

Figure 245 shows how an image is displayed in a planar view by the light guide plate 2610.

As shown in FIG. 245(B), the reflecting portion 2660 provided on the back surface of the light guide plate 2610 has a curved reflecting surface, so that the light traveling inside the light guide plate 2610 is reflected in multiple directions and reaches the player's right eye 10R and left eye 10L. The reflecting portion 2660 also reflects the light traveling inside the light guide plate 2610 and arriving at the reflecting portion 2660 from multiple directions (i.e., multiple paths) and emits it to the front side of the light guide plate 2610. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 245(A), the image 2621 formed by the reflecting portion 2660 does not cause parallax between the left and right eyes, so the player sees the image 2621 as a flat image located at the position of the light guide plate 2610.

Figure 246 shows how an image is displayed in plan view by the light guide plate 2610.

As shown in FIG. 246(B), the reflecting portion 2650L provided on the back surface of the light guide plate 2610 reflects the light traveling through the light guide plate 2610 in the direction of the player's left eye 10L, and the reflecting portion 2650R reflects the light traveling through the light guide plate 2610 in the direction of the player's right eye 10R. However, since the reflecting portion 2650L and the reflecting portion 2650R are arranged close to each other (for example, within 1 mm), as shown in FIG. 246(A), the parallax between the left and right eyes of the pattern 2621 formed by the reflecting portions 2650L and 2650R is small, and it can be said that the pattern for the left eye formed by the reflecting portion 2650L and the pattern for the right eye formed by the reflecting portion 2650R are arranged in the same position. Therefore, the player sees the pattern 2621 as a flat pattern located at the position of the light guide plate 2610.

Figure 247 shows how a stereoscopic image is displayed by the light guide plate 2610.

As shown in FIG. 247(B), the reflecting surface 2651 of the reflecting portion 2650L provided on the back surface of the light guide plate 2610 is set at an angle to reflect the light traveling in the light guide plate 2610 in the direction of the player's left eye 10L, and the reflecting surface 2651 of the reflecting portion 2650R is set at an angle to reflect the light traveling in the light guide plate 2610 in the direction of the player's right eye 10R. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 247(A), the left eye image 2621L and the right eye image 2621R are shifted by the distance between the reflecting portion 2650L and the reflecting portion 2650R on the light guide plate 2610, and the player recognizes the right eye image and the left eye image with left-right eye parallax. In the state shown in FIG. 247, the light reaching the player's left eye 10L and the light reaching the player's right eye 10R intersect at point 2621C on the back surface side of the light guide plate 2610. As a result, the player will see the image 2621 formed by the reflecting portions 2650L and 2650R as a three-dimensional image located behind the light guide plate 2610.

Figure 248 shows how a stereoscopic image is displayed by the light guide plate 2610.

As shown in FIG. 248(B), the reflecting surface 2651 of the reflecting portion 2650L provided on the back surface of the light guide plate 2610 is set at an angle to reflect the light traveling in the light guide plate 2610 in the direction of the player's left eye 10L, and the reflecting surface 2651 of the reflecting portion 2650R is set at an angle to reflect the light traveling in the light guide plate 2610 in the direction of the player's right eye 10R. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 248(A), the left eye image 2621L and the right eye image 2621R are shifted by the distance between the reflecting portion 2650L and the reflecting portion 2650R on the light guide plate 2610, and the player recognizes the right eye image and the left eye image with left-right eye parallax. In the state shown in FIG. 248, the light reaching the player's left eye 10L and the light reaching the player's right eye 10R intersect at point 2621C on the front surface side of the light guide plate 2610. As a result, the player will see the image 2621 formed by the reflecting portions 2650L and 2650R as a three-dimensional image in front of the light guide plate 2610.

In this way, according to the front presentation unit 2600, since a single light guide plate 2610 can emit light to show multiple different pictures, there is no need to provide multiple light guide plates for each picture in order to display animations, etc., and the thickness of the front presentation unit 2600 in the front-to-rear direction can be made as thin as possible. Also, since the light guide plate 2610 is attached to the center gimmick 2500, the light guide plate 2610 can be positioned as close as possible to the player, making it easier to secure a large space behind the light guide plate 2610. Therefore, since a large space can be secured behind the light guide plate 2610, the lower movable presentation unit 3100, the upper rear movable presentation unit 3200, and the upper front movable presentation unit 3300, etc. can be arranged behind the light guide plate 2610, which improves the appearance within the play area 5a and makes the pachinko machine 1 more appealing to players. In addition to the presentation by the light-emitting display of the image 2623, a variety of presentations can be provided to the player by performing movable presentations by the lower movable presentation unit 3100, the upper rear movable presentation unit 3200, and the upper front movable presentation unit 3300, etc., which entertains the player and prevents a decline in interest.

In addition, by placing a light guide plate 2610 in front of the performance unit, decoration, and performance display device 1600, multiple translucent images appear due to the light emitted by multiple reflectors 2670, creating an illuminating decoration that moves like an animation. This can have a strong impact on players who are accustomed to illuminating performances using conventional light guide plates, surprising and entertaining the players, and making them think that something good is about to happen, increasing the players' expectations for the game and preventing a decline in interest.

In addition, only players seated directly in front of the pachinko machine 1 can clearly see the illuminated display of the image by the light guide plate 2610, so other players who are away from the front will have difficulty seeing the illuminated display of the image 2623, making it difficult for other players to notice that a performance using the light guide plate 2610 is being performed, preventing other players from paying attention to the display, and allowing players to play without worrying about other players, which allows them to enjoy the game and prevents a decline in interest.

Furthermore, since the light guide plate 2610 is attached within the frame of the center device 2500, which is attached to the center of the front-view play area 5a, even if the patterns 2621 and 2622 are illuminated and displayed by the LEDs 2613 and 2614, the illuminated and displayed patterns do not interfere with play within the play area 5a, and the area in which the game is actually played can be clearly seen from the player's side, preventing the player from feeling distrustful due to difficulty in seeing the game, and allowing the player to enjoy the game in a good condition.

In addition, since the light guide plate 2610 is attached to the frame-shaped center gadget 2500, the periphery of the light guide plate 2610 and the frame of the center gadget 2500 are aligned, making it difficult for the player to see the periphery of the light guide plate 2610 (the first picture substrate 2611 and the second picture substrate 2612). This makes it difficult for the player to notice the presence of the light guide plate 2610, so that when the pictures are illuminated, it can have a strong impact and surprise the player who thought the light guide plate 2610 did not exist, and it is possible to enjoy the illuminated display of multiple pictures by the light guide plate 2610 and suppress a decline in interest.

Furthermore, since the device is equipped with a performance display device 1600 capable of displaying performance images behind the light guide plate 2610, the player can be shown a performance that combines the light-emitting display of multiple different images by the light guide plate 2610 and the performance images by the performance display device 1600. By appropriately combining these, a variety of performances can be created, making it less likely for the player to become bored, and the performances by the light guide plate 2610 and the performance display device 1600 can entertain the player, preventing a decline in the player's interest in the game.

In addition, since the performance display device 1600 is positioned behind the light guide plate 2610, the distance from the player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1 to the light guide plate 2610 is different from the distance to the performance display device 1600. This makes it possible to display performance images related to the multiple images 2623 illuminated and displayed by the light guide plate 2610, giving the illuminated images 2623 a sense of depth and three-dimensionality, and allowing the player to see a performance (display performance) that can strongly attract the player's attention, entertaining the player and preventing a decline in interest in the game.

LEDs 2613 and 2614 may be single-color LEDs or full-color LEDs. The number of specific light-receiving sections, reflecting sections, and LED groups can be appropriately selected according to the number, shape, and size of the patterns.

[13-3. Production examples]
Next, an example of the effect display using a light guide plate in the special symbol variation display game will be described. Figures 249 to 254 are diagrams showing an example of the effect using a light guide plate.

In the effect display shown in FIG. 249, the light guide plate 2610 is illuminated so that a predetermined image is reflected on the light guide plate 2610, and a moving effect in which an image moves toward the predetermined image is displayed on the effect display device 1600. This effect display may be executed in a specific special symbol change display game (for example, as a specific reach effect or advance notice effect).

Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 249(A), nothing is displayed on the performance display device 1600, and the entire screen goes dark (blacks out). This blackout makes the player focus his or her attention on the performance display device 1600.

After that, as shown in FIG. 249(B), the LED 2613 mounted on the first pattern board 2611 is turned on, and the first pattern 2621 is projected on the light guide plate 2610. This allows the player to focus on the first pattern 2621. Then, as shown in FIG. 249(C), a moving effect is performed in which an image moving toward the first pattern 2621 is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also, as shown in FIG. 249(D), the moving effect may move the image 1611 toward the first pattern 2621 from multiple locations (i.e., multiple directions) of the performance display device 1600. The image 1611 that is moved to the performance display device 1600 and displayed may be the same color as the first pattern 2621 or a different color. Also, the image 1611 that is moved to the performance display device 1600 and displayed may be the same shape (similar shape) as the first pattern 2621, as shown in FIG. 249, or may be a different shape, as shown in FIG. 250. In addition, the moving and displayed image 1611 and the first pattern 2621 may be images of the same character (the pose and face may be the same or different), or the same characters (for example, the name of the character) with the same or different font and color. In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the light guide plate 2610 is disposed on the front side of the performance display device 1600, so that an image may be displayed by the performance display device 1600 on the back of the first pattern 2621 projected on the light guide plate 2610 as shown in FIG. 249 (D).

Then, as shown in FIG. 249(E), in the moving performance, the number of images 1611 moving toward the first image 2621 and the proportion of the display area of the performance display device 1600 that the moving images 1611 occupy may be changed over time.

During the movement performance, the appearance of the first pattern 2621 projected on the light guide plate 2610 may be changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 251, the color or brightness of the first pattern 2621 projected on the light guide plate 2610 may be changed during the movement performance. The color or brightness of the first pattern 2621 may be changed continuously (gradually) or in stages (in steps).

Also, as shown in FIG. 252, the size of the first pattern 2621 projected on the light guide plate 2610 may be changed during the movement performance. In this case, it is preferable to provide multiple light guide plates and project patterns of different sizes using other light guide plates. Also, since the light guide plate 2610 can project multiple different patterns by irradiating it with light from different directions, it is possible to project the first pattern 2621 of different sizes (large or small) by irradiating it with light from a direction (e.g., diagonal direction) different from the irradiation direction (horizontal direction) for projecting the first pattern 2621 of the initial size.

After the movement effect has been performed for a predetermined time, as shown in FIG. 249(F), the LED 2613 mounted on the first image board 2611 is turned off and the first image 2621 is removed from the light guide plate 2610. Furthermore, the image displayed on the effect display device 1600 is also turned off and the entire screen goes dark (blacks out). This blackout makes the player focus his or her attention on the effect display device 1600, creating a pause to increase anticipation for the next effect.

After that, as shown in FIG. 249(G), an image 1612 (e.g., a character with a high reliability of winning) different from the first pattern 2621 or the moving image is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 249(H), the size of the character image 1612 is changed. For example, increasing the size of the character image 1612 increases the player's expectation of winning, whereas decreasing the size of the character image 1612 decreases the player's expectation of winning. The color or expression of the character image 1612 may be changed. The character image 1612 may be displayed in an area overlapping the display area of the first pattern 2621. Furthermore, together with the display of the character image 1612, the light guide plate 2610 may be illuminated from above to project a rainbow pattern (see FIG. 235).

This character image may be projected onto light guide plate 2610. As described above, light guide plate 2610 can project multiple different images by irradiating it with light from different directions, so the character image may be projected by irradiating it with light from a direction (e.g., diagonal) different from the irradiation direction (horizontal) for projecting first image 2621. Also, multiple light guide plates may be provided, and character images may be projected using the other light guide plates. If character images of different sizes and expressions are projected using light guide plates provided in addition to light guide plate 2610, a performance display with a sense of depth is possible, unlike the flat performance display device 1600.

In the moving effect in which the image moves toward the first pattern 2621 as described above, the image on the performance display device 1600 moves after the first pattern 2621 is displayed, but the first pattern 2621 may be displayed after the image on the performance display device 1600 starts to move. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 253, after a blackout (FIG. 253(A)), as shown in FIG. 253(B), before the first pattern 2621 is displayed, a moving effect is started in which an image moving toward the position where the first pattern 2621 is displayed is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Then, as shown in FIG. 253(C), the LED 2613 mounted on the first pattern board 2611 is turned on, and the first pattern 2621 is displayed on the light guide plate 2610. Then, as shown in FIG. 253(D), the moving effect in which the image moves toward the first pattern 2621 continues.

In this way, the time during which the first image 2621 is displayed (the time of the light guide plate performance) and the performance time during which the image 1611 moves (the time during which the moving image is displayed on the performance display device 1600) are such that the light guide plate performance during which the first image 2621 is displayed may start before or after the performance during which the image 1611 moves. Also, the time during which the light guide plate performance during which the first image 2621 is displayed may be longer or shorter than the performance time during which the image 1611 moves.

Also, as shown in FIG. 254, the image to which the images are gathered may be switched between a moving image, in which the image appears to move, and a still image, in which the image appears to not move, to produce the effect of a variable display game.

In the light guide plate effect shown in FIG. 254, when a moving image appears, the expectation of a big win is high, and when only a still image appears, the expectation of a big win is low. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 254(A), a still image 2621 is displayed on the light guide plate 2610 according to the progress of the variable display game, and as shown in FIG. 254(B), a moving effect is performed in which an image 1611 moving toward the displayed still image 2621 is displayed on the effect display device 1600. Also, as the variable display game progresses, as shown in FIG. 254(C), the still image 2621 is switched to a moving image. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 254(D), a moving effect may be performed in which the image 1611 moves toward the first image 2621 from multiple locations (i.e., multiple directions) on the effect display device 1600.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 254(E), a still image 2621 is displayed on the light guide plate 2610 in accordance with the progress of the variable display game, and as shown in FIG. 254(F), a moving effect is performed in which an image 1611 moving toward the displayed still image 2621 is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also, as the variable display game progresses, as shown in FIG. 254(G), a moving effect may be performed in which the image 1611 moves toward the image 1613 from multiple locations (i.e., multiple directions) on the performance display device 1600. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 254(H), the variable display game ends with a miss, without switching the still image 2621 to a moving image.

In the presentation shown in FIG. 254, when a specific display presentation (for example, a specific reach presentation, a pseudo consecutive presentation, or a specific look-ahead presentation) is selected in the special pattern change display game, the specific image 1611 displayed in the specific display presentation is presented in conjunction with the moving presentation of the first pattern 2621, and in other cases the first pattern does not need to present a moving presentation.

In this way, in the presentation of the variable display game shown in FIG. 254, a still image and a moving image are selectively displayed by the light guide plate 2610, so that the player has a sense of anticipation for the development of the variable display game, and a decline in interest in the game can be prevented.

Next, we will explain an example of a special symbol change display game that uses a light guide plate to add a moving object effect.

Figures 255 and 256 show examples of effects using a light guide plate 2610 and a movable body 3601.

In the effect shown in FIG. 255, a single image is composed of the image displayed on the light guide plate 2610 and the movable body 3601 that appears in front of the effect display device 1600. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 255(A), part of the movable body 3601 appears and disappears from the top of the display screen of the effect display device 1600 in short cycles according to the progress of the variable display game, increasing the player's anticipation of a jackpot. Then, as shown in FIG. 255(B), the entire movable body 3601 appears in front of the display screen of the effect display device 1600.

After that, as shown in Fig. 255(C), a picture 2621 superimposed on the movable body is displayed by emitting light from the light guide plate 2610, and a movement effect is performed in which an image 1611 moving toward the movable body 3601 is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also, as the variable display game progresses, as shown in Fig. 255(D), a movement effect may be performed in which images move toward the picture 2621 from multiple locations (i.e., multiple directions) on the performance display device 1600.

The movable body 3601 may be illuminated when the movement effect starts or during the movement effect. The illumination mode (illumination color and illumination timing) of the movable body 3601 may be the same as or different from the illumination mode of the light guide plate 2610.

By selectively performing either the presentation display in which the movable body 3601 shown in FIG. 249 does not appear, or the presentation display in which the movable body 3601 shown in FIG. 255 appears, the player's expectations regarding the development of the variable display game can be heightened, resulting in a highly entertaining pachinko machine.

In the above example, the movable body 3601 appears in place of the image to which the images are directed, but a single character may be composed of the light guide plate 2610 and the movable body 3601. For example, if the torso is represented by the movable body 3601 and the face is represented by the light guide plate 2610, the facial expression can be changed by switching the image displayed on the light guide plate 2610. In this way, in addition to the effects provided by the effect display device 1600, a variety of effects can be achieved by the light guide plate 2610.

In the performance shown in FIG. 256, the light guide plate 2610 is used as a performance suggesting the appearance of the movable body 3601. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 256(A), the light guide plate 2610 emits light to display the pattern 2621 in accordance with the progress of the variable display game, and as shown in FIG. 256(B), a moving performance is performed in which the image 1611 moving toward the pattern displayed by the light guide plate 2610 is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In addition, as shown in FIG. 256(C), a moving performance may be performed in which the image 1611 moves toward the first pattern 2621 from multiple locations (i.e., multiple directions) of the performance display device 1600 in accordance with the progress of the variable display game. After that, as shown in FIG. 256(D), the movable body 3601 appears from the top of the display screen of the performance display device 1600 and stops at a position where it overlaps with the pattern 2621 of the light guide plate 2610.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 256(E), a picture 1613 is displayed on the performance display device 1600 in accordance with the progress of the variable display game, and as shown in FIG. 256(F), a movement performance is performed in which an image 1611 that moves toward the displayed picture 1613 is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also, as the variable display game progresses, as shown in FIG. 256(G), a movement performance may be performed in which the image 1611 moves toward the picture 1613 from multiple locations (i.e., multiple directions) on the performance display device 1600. After that, as shown in FIG. 256(H), the movable body does not appear and the variable display game ends with a loss.

In this way, in the presentation shown in FIG. 256, a light guide plate can be used to create a presentation that suggests a moving object is coming out.

[14. Pachinko machine using a main control MPU with serial communication function]
The main control MPU 1311 of the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment has a synchronous serial communication function in addition to a communication function using a conventional 8-bit parallel bus.

In conventional pachinko machines, the input/output signals of the main control MPU 1311 in the main control board 1310 are transmitted using a parallel port, in which one signal is transmitted over one signal line, or an 8-bit bus, which means that it is possible to read data output from the main control MPU 1311 or input unauthorized signals to the main control MPU 1311 and commit fraud. For this reason, a configuration is required that makes it difficult to detect the input/output signals of the main control MPU 1311 from the outside, and if a serial communication function is used that transmits data continuously at a specified timing over a single signal line, it becomes difficult to read or input data in accordance with the timing of the serial communication line.

The main control board 1310 is also equipped with a test signal output circuit for the purpose of monitoring signals when an inspection agency inspects a pachinko machine. For example, when inspecting the operation of a special electric role, in order to monitor the output signal of a solenoid that opens and closes the special electric role, a signal (e.g., a 5V on/off signal) input to a solenoid driving driver (transistor) is branched and used as a test signal. If the serial signal transmitted within the main control board 1310 described above is output as a test signal, the inspection agency needs a device to analyze the serial signal, so it is difficult to use the serial signal as a test signal. For this reason, in pachinko machines that transmit signals via serial communication within the main control board 1310, some ingenuity is required for outputting the test signal. For this reason, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, a test signal that changes level at the same timing as the signal for driving the solenoid is generated by inputting one serial signal to two serial-parallel conversion circuits connected in parallel. If the output transistor of the serial-parallel conversion circuit is configured as an open collector (or open drain), two synchronized signals with different voltage levels can be generated by changing the voltage (5V and 12V) applied to the two serial-parallel conversion circuits connected in parallel.

Furthermore, it is necessary to reduce the number of program steps for detecting input via serial communication and to reduce the software load. In the pachinko machine of this embodiment, some of the signals input to the main control MPU 1311 are input to a parallel-serial conversion circuit, and some are input directly to the general-purpose port of the main control MPU 1311, so it is necessary to devise which port to use to accept the input signal. For example, a signal whose input level needs to be determined immediately after power-on should not be input to the parallel-serial conversion circuit, but should be input directly to the general-purpose port of the main control MPU 1311. This is because the level of a signal input to the general-purpose port of the main control MPU 1311 can be detected even before interrupt processing is executed, so the signal level can be detected even outside of timer interrupt processing, such as immediately after power-on.

In particular, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, depending on the number of signals directly input to the main control MPU 1311, it is not necessary to use an extended I/O using chip select, and the level of the signal input to the general-purpose port of the main control MPU 1311 can be captured in bit units per clock, making it possible to detect the signal level in real time without waiting for the reception of a serial signal.

Figure 257 is a block diagram of the periphery of the synchronous serial interface of the main control board 1310, Figure 258 is a circuit diagram showing the connection between the serial-parallel conversion circuit and the LEDs, and Figure 261 is a diagram showing the layout of the main control MPU 1311 and peripheral components on the main control board 1310. Note that in Figures 257, 258, and 261, thick lines indicate parallel signal transmission lines, and thin lines indicate serial signal transmission lines.

The main control MPU 1311 in this embodiment has an asynchronous serial communication port (asynchronous serial communication function) for communicating with other boards (peripheral control board 1510, dispensing control board 951, etc.), a synchronous serial communication port (synchronous serial communication function) for communicating with an interface circuit within the main control board 1310, and a general-purpose port that outputs control signals for other devices (solenoids, etc.) and inputs signals output from abnormality detection sensors such as vibration detection sensors and magnetic detection sensors.

The synchronous serial communication function of the main control MPU 1311 has multiple transmission/reception ports and multiple transmission ports. The communication partner of the transmission/reception port is selected by the chip select signal output from the main control MPU 1311.

The transmit/receive port is composed of a serial signal transmit terminal (SERTX), a receive signal input terminal (SERRX), a chip select output terminal (SERS0 to SERS3), and a synchronization signal output terminal (SERCK). The transmit port is composed of a serial signal transmit terminal (SERTXT), a chip select output terminal (SERST), and a synchronization signal output terminal (SERCKT).

As shown in FIG. 257, one parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 and two serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 are connected to the transmitting/receiving port. The number of parallel-serial conversion circuits connected to the transmitting/receiving port is not limited to that shown in the figure.

In addition, even more serial-parallel conversion circuits may be connected by making a connection like that of parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 without using a chip select terminal. In this case, the number of types of signals output from the serial-parallel conversion circuits does not increase.

The parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 connected to the transmission/reception port takes in the parallel data input when CLEAR/LOAD (negative logic) is at level 0, and outputs data from the serial port at a specified clock timing after CLEAR/LOAD (negative logic) rises to 1. Signals from game ball detection switches (start winning port, big winning port count switch, normal winning port, specific area switch, normal pattern gate switch, game board discharge switch) and photosensors are input to the parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341, and it mainly detects game balls flowing down the game area 5a. The parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 has a configuration with a 16-bit input port, but it may also be configured as a 16-bit configuration by connecting integrated circuits with 8-bit input ports in parallel.

Specifically, the parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 has a serial signal transmission terminal (SERTX) connected to its CLEAR/LOAD (negative logic) terminal, so that it captures the output signal of the game ball detection switch that is input when the serial transmission signal output by the main control MPU 1311 is at level 0, and outputs serial data according to the level of the game ball detection switch from the serial port at a specified clock timing after the serial transmission signal (SERTX) rises to 1. In this way, the parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 captures the output signal of the game ball detection switch using the SERTX signal as a trigger, so it can capture data from the ball detection sensor at any timing.

The serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 connected to the transmission and reception ports both output signals for turning on LEDs (functional display unit 1400, base display 1317), and the destination of data transmission is selected by the chip select signal from the main control MPU 1311. The serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 take in serial data input when the chip select (CS) signal is at level 0 according to a specified clock signal, and output a signal from the parallel port when the chip select signal rises to level 1. The output level from the parallel port is latched within the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343, and is maintained until the next time the chip select signal rises to level 1.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 258, serial-parallel conversion circuit 1342 is connected to the segment side of the LED, and serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343 is connected to the common side of the LED. The serial-parallel conversion circuit 1342 and serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343 output signals at a predetermined timing to dynamically light the LED. The serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 have a configuration with a 16-bit output port, but integrated circuits with 8-bit output ports may be connected in parallel to form a 16-bit configuration.

The main control MPU 1311 outputs a common signal at the same time as it outputs 0 from the chip select terminal (SERS0), sets the display digit of the 7-segment LED of the base display 1317, and outputs a segment signal at the same time as it outputs 0 from the chip select terminal (SERS1), turning on the LED.

In this embodiment, a 7-segment LED with the anode side of the LED as the common terminal is used for the base display 1317, and when the LED is turned on, a drive current flows from the common terminal on the anode side to the segment terminal on the cathode side. However, since the same integrated circuit is used for the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1342 and the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343, the direction of the current output by the driver circuit in each conversion circuit 1342, 1343 (polarity of the output transistor of the driver circuit) is the same. For this reason, a driver circuit 1344 is provided after the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343 so that a current can be supplied to the common terminal on the anode side. In other words, the driver circuit 1344 has the function of outputting a drive current for turning on the LED, and the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343 has the function of absorbing the drive current for turning on the LED.

In other words, the common side of the LED (functional display unit 1400, base display 1317) is connected to a serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343 and a driver circuit 1344, which function as a signal direction control means for controlling the direction of a signal. That is, a two-stage signal direction control means is provided on the common side of the LED. On the other hand, a serial-parallel conversion circuit 1342 is provided on the segment side of the LED, and a one-stage signal direction control means is provided.

The parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 and the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 may be respectively an integrated circuit having only a parallel-serial conversion function and an integrated circuit having only a serial-parallel conversion function, or an integrated circuit capable of converting serial signals to and from parallel signals and vice versa, which can be switched between the parallel-serial conversion function and the serial-parallel conversion function.

Two serial-parallel conversion circuits 1345 and 1346 are also connected to the transmission port of the main control MPU 1311. Like the previously described serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343, the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1345 and 1346 take in serial data input when the chip select (CS) is at level 0 in accordance with a specified clock signal, and output it from the parallel port when CS rises to level 1. The output of the parallel port is equipped with a driver transistor, which switches the voltage applied to the driver transistor to generate an output signal. In other words, output signals of various voltages can be generated depending on the voltage applied to the driver transistor.

The output ports (PA0 to PA7) of channel A of the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345 are connected to the external terminal board 784, and signals (such as security signals and ball payout signals) are output from the external terminal board 784. Various solenoids are connected to the output ports (PB0 to PB7) of channel B of the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345, and drive signals for the various solenoids are output. The output ports (PB0 to PB7) of channel B of the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346 are connected to the inspection terminals 1348, and signals (such as special electric role release signals and normal electric role release signals) are output from the inspection terminals 1348. Nothing is connected to the output ports of channel A of the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346.

The transmission port of the main control MPU 1311 can only control one channel (16 bits), and the same branched signal, including the chip select, is input to the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345 and the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346, so the same signal is output to the parallel side. Therefore, the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345 and the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346 generate a set of parallel signals that change at the same timing from one serial signal. In other words, the solenoid drive signal output from the output port (PB0 to PB7) of channel B of the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345 and the inspection signal output from the output port (PB0 to PB7) of channel B of the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346 change at the same timing. Therefore, the movement of the solenoid can be accurately output from the inspection terminal 1348. Note that +12V is applied to the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345 to drive the solenoid with 12V, and +5V is applied to the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346 to output a 5V inspection signal. In this way, by using two serial-to-parallel conversion circuits with different voltages applied, synchronized signals with different voltage levels can be generated.

Of the outputs from the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345 and the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346, the pattern on the output side of the solenoid drive signal, through which a relatively large current flows, may be made thicker, and the pattern on the output side of the inspection signal, through which only a relatively small current flows, may be made thin. Note that the pattern does not need to be made thicker as long as the resistance of the pattern is reduced, and the effective cross-sectional area may be increased by forming patterns on both the front and back sides, or by forming an inner layer pattern.

In addition, because the two serial-parallel conversion circuits 1345 and 1346 operate independently, even if the load on one conversion circuit increases, the waveform of the output signal of the other conversion circuit is not disturbed and the output signal is not affected. In other words, the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346 can output an inspection signal with the same waveform as the original waveform of the solenoid drive signal, regardless of the operation of the solenoid connected to the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345, which is useful for accurate inspection.

A reset signal is input to the main control MPU 1311 from the reset circuit 1335. The reset signal output from the reset circuit 1335 is input to the main control MPU 1311 via two inverter buffers in the buffer circuit 1336. When the main control MPU 1311 receives the reset signal, its operation is reset and the program is executed from the starting address.

The reset signal is also input from the reset circuit 1335 to each of the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 via the two inverter buffers of the buffer circuit 1336. When each of the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 receives the reset signal, its operation is reset and the display contents of the function display unit 1400 and the base display 1317 are returned to their initial state (for example, the display is erased).

The buffer circuit 1336 has at least four inverter buffers, with two inverter buffers arranged between the reset circuit 1335 and the main control MPU 1311, and two inverter buffers arranged between the reset circuit 1335 and the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343. Inverter buffers with the same characteristics are arranged in the path from the reset circuit 1335 to the main control MPU 1311 and in the path from the reset circuit 1335 to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 in order to make the waveforms and timing of the reset signals output from the reset circuit 1335 on the two paths as similar as possible.

The inverter buffer of the buffer circuit 1336 functions as a signal direction control means that allows signals to pass in only one direction. By controlling the signal direction on the path from the reset circuit 1335 to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343, it is possible to prevent noise from entering from the outside from reaching the main control MPU 1311. However, if the reset circuit 1335 and the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 are directly connected, the reset signal will be input to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 at a different timing from the reset signal input from the reset circuit 1335 to the main control MPU 1311. In other words, the transmission of the reset signal to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 is faster by the amount of the two-stage inverter buffer provided on the path from the reset circuit 1335 to the main control MPU 1311, and the reset command will reach the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 controlled by the main control MPU 1311 first.

For this reason, in this embodiment, two stages of inverter buffers are mainly provided on the path from the reset circuit 1335 to the control MPU 1311 and on the path to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343, so that the reset signal is transmitted to the main control MPU 1311 and the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 at the same timing, and each circuit is reset at the same timing. In this way, the inverter buffers arranged on the path from the reset circuit 1335 to the main control MPU 1311 are made to match as closely as possible the transmission timing of the reset signal input to the path to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343, and although at first glance the circuits provided on the two paths appear to be the same, they perform different functions.

Generally, there is no need to place special circuits in the path that transmits the reset signal output from the reset circuit, but in this case, it is necessary to place a buffer (timing adjustment means) in order to align the timing of the reset signal.

In addition, in order to match the timing of signals (to delay signals), not only the inverter buffers described above but also other types of circuits that match the timing may be used. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 259 and 260, an IC that contains six inverter buffers is used, but in the packaged IC, six inverter buffers are formed on one integrated semiconductor chip. In the semiconductor chip, multiple circuits are formed through several processes on a silicon wafer cut from a single crystal silicon (ingot). This is diced to separate the circuits, and the chip-shaped circuits are packaged to become an IC. Therefore, there is little variation in the characteristics of each of the multiple circuits formed on the same silicon wafer. In this case, taking this into consideration, the inverter buffers contained in one IC are placed on two paths to make the signal transmission characteristics on the paths the same.

In addition, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the function display unit 1400 is disposed on the hinge side for opening and closing the frame, and the prize ball payout mechanism is also disposed on the hinge side. The game balls supplied from the island equipment on which the pachinko machine is installed move in a charged state inside the prize ball payout mechanism. The game balls become further charged due to friction with the resin members that make up the prize ball payout mechanism. When the charged game balls discharge static electricity, electromagnetic noise is generated, which enters the electronic circuit directly or via a signal path (the electric wires that make up the harness).

As mentioned above, the main control board in this embodiment executes game control by interrupt processing at fixed intervals (initialization processing to timer interrupt processing as mentioned above: Figures 21 to 23). Therefore, even if the information is reset, if the main control MPU 1311 is operating normally, the peripheral control board 1510 will receive new information (display data) from the main control MPU 1311 at the next interrupt period (4 ms later in this case), and will return to normal operation.

However, when the main control MPU 1311 is reset, it waits for the time required for the initialization process of the peripheral control board 1510 that controls the performance display device 1600, which causes commands to the function display unit 1400 to cease and the display on the function display unit 1400 to disappear, causing the player to worry about whether he or she can continue playing. For this reason, it is preferable not to reset the main control MPU 1311.

Next, we will explain the layout of the inverter buffer inside the IC package and the connection of the terminals. Figures 259 and 260 are diagrams explaining examples of the connection of the terminals of an IC that houses an inverter buffer.

The IC shown in Figures 259 and 260 has terminals arranged side by side (i.e., in two rows) on both sides of the IC package (for example, an insertion-mounted Dual In-line Package or a surface-mounted Small Outline Package), and has six inverter buffers, with the input and output terminal numbers of each inverter buffer being 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 9-8, 11-10, and 13-12.

Each inverter buffer is preferably not a simple inverter buffer, but a Schmitt trigger type inverter buffer with hysteresis characteristics. Giving the inverter buffer hysteresis characteristics allows the waveform of the reset signal to be reliably shaped, improving noise resistance. In addition, by using a Schmitt trigger type buffer, it is possible to handle input signal waveforms with slow rising times. In other words, in CMOS, when the level of the input signal remains near the threshold for a long period of time, a large current flows in the gate, which can cause latch-up, but by using a Schmitt trigger type buffer, latch-up can be suppressed even for input signal waveforms with slow rising times.

In the connection example shown in FIG. 259, the reset signal output from the reset circuit 1335 is input to terminals 3 and 11. The reset signal input to terminal 3 is output from terminal 4 via an inverter buffer, input to terminal 5, and output from terminal 6 via an inverter buffer, and input to serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343. On the other hand, the reset signal input to terminal 11 is output from terminal 10 via an inverter buffer, input to terminal 9, and output from terminal 8 via an inverter buffer, and input to the main control MPU 1311.

In this way, in the connection example shown in FIG. 259, the reset signal sent to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342, 1343 passes through the terminals on one side of the IC package, which has terminals arranged side by side on both sides (i.e., in two rows), and the reset signal sent to the main control MPU 1311 passes through the terminal on the other side. This prevents the two reset signals from crossing, and suppresses the input of noise induced in the signal lines to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342, 1343 to the main control MPU 1311.

On the other hand, in the connection example shown in FIG. 260, the reset signal output from the reset circuit 1335 is input to terminals 1 and 3. The reset signal input to terminal 1 is output from terminal 2 via an inverter buffer, input to terminal 13, and further output from terminal 12 via an inverter buffer, and input to the main control MPU 1311. On the other hand, the reset signal input to terminal 3 is output from terminal 4 via an inverter buffer, input to terminal 11, and further output from terminal 10 via an inverter buffer, and input to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343.

In this way, in the connection example shown in FIG. 260, the reset signal sent to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 is collected and passed through a part of the IC, and the reset signal sent to the main control MPU 1311 is collected and passed through another part, so the two reset signals do not cross over, and noise induced in the signal lines to the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342 and 1343 can be suppressed from being input to the main control MPU 1311.

Next, referring to FIG. 261, the layout of the main control MPU 1311 and peripheral components on the main control board 1310 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 261, the main control board 1310 is equipped with the main control MPU 1311, and various interface circuits are arranged around it. In addition, the main control board 1310 is provided with an inspection circuit layout area, in which the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346, the interface circuit 1347, and the inspection terminal 1348 are provided. The circuit components (serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346, interface circuit 1347, inspection terminal 1348, etc.) provided in the inspection circuit layout area are only installed in pachinko machines 1 that are inspected by an inspection agency, and are not installed in pachinko machines 1 that are generally sold on the market (patterns for mounting components are provided). In other words, in pachinko machines 1 that are generally sold on the market, a connector that relays the signal output from the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345 to the solenoid is implemented, but the inspection terminal 1348 that relays the inspection signal output from the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346 is not implemented. For this reason, commercially available pachinko machines 1 are designed so that the inspection signal cannot be detected by a cheater and used for cheating.

As mentioned above, in commercially available pachinko machines 1, no components are mounted in the inspection circuit layout area, but a printed pattern (for example, a data bus connected to interface circuit 1347) is provided. Because of this, there is a possibility that noise may be induced in the data bus and cause malfunction, so it is advisable to reduce the effects of noise by pulling up the wiring (printed pattern) in the inspection circuit layout area to the power supply (+5V) via a resistor (or pulling down to GND).

Furthermore, from the viewpoint of preventing unauthorized tampering, commercially available pachinko machines 1 do not use surface mount components, but since the circuit components provided in the inspection circuit layout area are not mounted on commercially available pachinko machines 1, surface mount components can be used. This allows the components of the inspection circuit to be made smaller, the inspection circuit layout area to be made smaller, and ultimately the main control board 1310 to be made smaller. Similarly, from the viewpoint of preventing unauthorized tampering, commercially available pachinko machines 1 do not use components on the back side of the main control board 1310, but since the circuit components provided in the inspection circuit layout area are not mounted on commercially available pachinko machines 1, components can be mounted on the back side of the main control board 1310.

Of the components of the inspection circuit, the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346 and the inspection terminal 1348 may be provided on a separate board located near the main control board 1310. This separate board is only installed in pachinko machines 1 that are subject to inspection by an inspection agency, and is not installed in pachinko machines 1 that are generally sold commercially. In this case, too, the inspection signal is not output from pachinko machines 1 that are generally sold commercially.

In this way, by concentrating and arranging the circuit components used in the inspection of the pachinko machine 1 in the inspection circuit arrangement area, it becomes easier to find missing components in commercially available pachinko machines 1, and easier to find the attachment of additional components for fraudulent purposes. In addition, the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346 and the interface circuit 1347 can be arranged near the inspection terminals 1348, making it possible to configure a main control board 1310 that is highly resistant to noise.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 261, it is advisable to arrange the circuit components arranged in the inspection circuit arrangement area in a different orientation (for example, rotated 180 degrees as shown) from the same type of circuit components arranged in other locations on the main control board 1310. In this way, by arranging the circuit components in different orientations in the inspection circuit arrangement area and other locations on the main control board 1310, it becomes easy to distinguish between components used for normal play and components for inspection, and erroneous mounting in which components are mistakenly placed in the inspection circuit arrangement area can be prevented during the manufacturing process of commercially available pachinko machines 1.

The symbols and numbers (or combinations thereof) of the circuit components mounted on the main control board 1310 are displayed, for example, by silk screen printing, but the symbols and numbers of the circuit components placed in the inspection circuit layout area can be given a symbol or number that follows the symbol or number of the circuit components used for game control. For example, the integrated circuits for game control are numbered IC1 to IC11, and the integrated circuits placed in the inspection circuit layout area are given symbols IC12 and onwards. In this way, the circuit components for game control implemented in commercially available pachinko machines 1 can be given symbols and numbers without gaps, making it easier to check the circuit components after they have been mounted on the main control board 1310.

Furthermore, if the symbols and numbers of the inspection terminals are on a different system from the symbols and numbers of the connectors connected to the game control components, it will be easy to distinguish between the connectors connected to the game control components and the inspection terminals, and it will be possible to prevent incorrect wiring resulting from incorrectly connecting cables. In particular, if the symbols and numbers of the inspection terminals are the same as the symbols and numbers of the connections of the other inspection device, it will be convenient to connect cables during inspection and connection errors can be reduced.

In addition, some of the general-purpose ports of the main control MPU 1311 are unused free ports, and it is preferable to arrange the free ports so that they are aggregated at adjacent terminals of the main control MPU 1311. In other words, regardless of whether the port numbers of the unused ports are consecutive, it is preferable to arrange the terminals of the free ports in an aggregated position. By arranging the free terminals in an aggregated manner, the areas on the main control board 1310 where no printed patterns are provided are aggregated, making it easier to discover missing parts and the attachment of additional parts for fraudulent purposes.

The terminals of the free ports are positioned in a position close to the connector through which a relatively large current flows (for example, to which a solenoid is connected) in relation to the connector. In other words, in the longitudinal direction of the main control MPU 1311, connectors for inputting and outputting game control signals are positioned on the left and right (top and bottom in the figure) of the side on which the terminals of the free ports are located. For this reason, when adding additional functions to the pachinko machine 1, the design of the main control board 1310 can be easily changed without having to run long patterns.

As explained above, by using serial communication for signal transmission within the main control board 1310, the wiring of the data bus can be reduced, making it easier to detect the installation of additional components for fraudulent purposes. In other words, by eliminating the numerous data buses connected to multiple parallel interface circuits and reducing them to just a few signal lines, including control lines, the circuit pattern of the numerous data buses is replaced by a simpler circuit pattern, rather than a complex arrangement of wiring. In addition, by shortening the routing distance of the data lines, a main control board 1310 that is resistant to noise can be constructed.

In addition, because the number of data lines is reduced, circuits can be arranged without being affected by the routing of data lines, so I/O ICs (parallel interface circuits, serial interface circuits) can be arranged close to the main control MPU 1311.

In addition, by reducing the circuit pattern, the ground pattern can be increased without changing the area of the main control board 1310, making the main control board 1310 more resistant to noise.

Figure 262 shows the arrangement of ports in the main control MPU 1311.

The parallel output port of address D2 (chip select SERS0) is the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343, and as shown in FIG. 258, the output ports PA0 to PA3 of channel A are connected to the common side (anode terminal of the LED) of the function display unit 1400, and the output ports PA4 to PA7 are connected to the common side (anode terminal of the 7-segment LED) of the base display 1317. The output ports PB0 to PB7 of channel B of the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343 are not used.

The parallel output port of address D3 (chip select SERS1) is a serial-parallel conversion circuit 1342, and as shown in FIG. 258, the output ports PA0 to PA7 of channel A are connected to the segment side (cathode terminal of the LED) of the functional display unit 1400, and the output ports PB0 to PB7 of channel B are connected to the segment side (cathode terminal of the 7-segment LED) of the base display 1317.

The common side of the LED (anode terminal of the LED) switches the output port to be turned on at a fixed cycle (for example, an interrupt every 4 ms). If you look at the output ports of channel A, only PA0 is turned on in the timer interrupt process, only PA1 is turned on in the next timer interrupt process (4 ms later), ... only PA7 is turned on in the next timer interrupt process (4 ms later), and this is repeated at a fixed cycle (4 ms x number of ports). In other words, if 8 ports are repeatedly switched, each port is turned on every 32 ms. Alternatively, if you look at the output ports of channel A, with the output ports PA0 to PA3 and PA4 to PA7 of channel A as groups, you can turn on only PA0 and PA4 in the timer interrupt process, only PA1 and PA5 in the next timer interrupt process (4 ms later), ... only PA3 and PA7 in the next timer interrupt process (4 ms later), and this can be repeated at a fixed cycle (4 ms x number of ports). By making this constant-cycle operation a serial communication, it becomes difficult to detect the operation timing of the main control MPU 1311.

The parallel input port at address D5 is a parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341, and switches (ball detection sensors) for detecting game balls are connected to inputs PA1 to PA7 and PB0 to PB7. The output of these ball detection sensors is input to the main control MPU 1311 as a serial signal and is read as a signal at address D5.

Furthermore, the general-purpose input ports INP0 to INP4 of the main control MPU 1311 input operation information from the setting key 971, operation information from the RAM clear switch 954, a power outage warning signal, a main pay ACK signal, and a detection signal from the frame open detection switch. These signals need to be monitored in real time (at the time requested by the program) or outside of timer interrupt processing (for example, immediately after power is turned on), so they are input directly to the main control MPU 1311 without going through a parallel-serial conversion circuit.

Furthermore, the general-purpose input/output ports (combined for input/output) IOP0 to IOP3 of the main control MPU 1311 are supplied with detection signals from the radio wave detection sensor, the vibration detection sensor, the magnetic detection switch, and the proximity error switch. These signals are output when an abnormality (fraudulent activity, malfunction, etc.) occurs in the pachinko machine 1, and since they need to be monitored in real time (when the program requests), they are input directly to the main control MPU 1311 without going through a parallel-serial conversion circuit. Furthermore, the detection signals from these sensors and switches notify the abnormality by the performance display device 1600 or by voice. This abnormality notification will cause an employee of the hall to come and check the status of the pachinko machine, which will essentially stop the game. If this abnormality notification is a false alarm, it will cause discomfort to the player, so it is necessary to suppress false detection. For this reason, it is advisable to input these signals to the general-purpose input/output ports and detect them multiple times in a short period of time (so-called double reading) to suppress false detection due to the influence of noise.

This double read process is performed by executing read commands consecutively in one timer interrupt process to determine the signal level input to the general-purpose I/O port (or general-purpose input port) at short time intervals, executing multiple read commands with several commands in between to determine the signal level input to the general-purpose I/O port (or general-purpose input port) at short time intervals, or executing multiple read commands with several clock waits in between to determine the signal level input to the general-purpose I/O port (or general-purpose input port) at short time intervals. For this reason, when the port level is continuously determined via a parallel-serial conversion circuit, the level can only be detected at intervals of several tens of microseconds, whereas when the general-purpose port level is continuously determined, the level can be detected at intervals of one microsecond or less, allowing the signal level to be detected in a short cycle.

In this way, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, signals from various switches and sensors that require real-time performance can be directly input to the general-purpose input port and general-purpose output port without using extended I/O using chip select, and the level of the signal input to the general-purpose input/output port (both input and output) is captured in bit units for each clock, so the signal level can be detected in real time without waiting for the reception of a serial signal.

Although the general-purpose input/output ports (both input and output) IOP4 to IOP7 are not used, some of the signals input via the parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 may be input to the general-purpose input/output ports (both input and output) IOP4 to IOP7.

Although not shown in the figure, the main control MPU 1311 may also have a general-purpose output port.

If the general-purpose input port is an unused terminal, it is recommended to either pull it up to 5V via a resistor or pull it down to GND to prevent the terminal from becoming an intermediate potential and reduce the effects of noise induced on the power supply line. Also, if the general-purpose output port is an unused terminal, it may be left open, but it is recommended to either pull it up to 5V via a dummy resistor or pull it down to GND to prevent level changes at the output port from causing noise.

As explained above, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the inspection signal is output from the general-purpose port of the main control MPU 1311, and the signal used for game control is output via a serial-parallel conversion circuit. Therefore, the winning ball detection signal is collected and input to a single port, making it easier to handle with the game control program.

Furthermore, of the signals input to the main control MPU 1311, signals that need to be detected multiple times in a short period of time (so-called double reading) are input to a general-purpose port, and signals that do not need to be read twice are input to the main control MPU 1311 via a serial-parallel conversion circuit. The general-purpose port can check the signal level in real time, so the signal level can be detected multiple times in a short period of time and a judgment can be made while eliminating the effects of noise. If the general-purpose input port is free, the port can be assigned so that signals that do not need to be read twice are input to the general-purpose port.

A general-purpose input port can be assigned to a signal that is input to the main control MPU 1311, while a general-purpose input/output port (both input and output) can be assigned to both a signal that is input to the main control MPU 1311 and a signal that is output from the main control MPU 1311, so the general-purpose input/output port is highly versatile in terms of specification changes. For this reason, it is desirable to use a general-purpose input/output port (both input and output) as a port to be left as a spare for adding new functions, and it is desirable to give priority to allocating the general-purpose input port.

Next, using Figure 263, we will explain the timing of data output and input using synchronous serial signals.

When the main control MPU 1311 outputs 0 (LOW) from the chip select terminal SERS0, the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343 is selected, and the main control MPU 1311 outputs a selection signal for the common side of the base display 1317. In the figure, PA7 (COM4) is selected among PA7 to PA4. After that, the main control MPU 1311 outputs a selection signal for the common side of the function display unit 1400 from the serial signal transmission terminal SERTX. In the figure, PA3 (LED-C4) is selected among PA3 to PA0.

Since no output is assigned to the B channel port of the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1343, it would normally not output anything at the timing of data capture from PB7 to PB0, and would maintain 1 (HIGH). However, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the serial transmission signal SERTX output from the main control MPU 1311 is connected to the CLR/LOAD terminal that determines the data capture timing of the parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341, and when this signal is 0 (LOW), data is captured from PA0 to PB7. For this reason, the serial transmission signal SERTX is set to 0 (LOW) at any timing from PB7 to PB0, and data is captured from PA0 to PB7 of the parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341.

The parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 takes in data, and after the serial transmission signal SERTX rises to 1 (HIGH), outputs serial data from the serial signal output terminal (Q8C) in accordance with the clock signal. During this time, the serial transmission signal SERTX is controlled to maintain 1 (HIGH) so that no new data is taken in.

In this way, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the transmission signal of an available output port is used as a trigger to capture the output of the game ball detection sensor, so data from the ball detection sensor can be captured at any time.

Next, using Figures 264 and 265, we will explain another arrangement of the main control board 1310 in the main control board box 1320.

It is desirable to use the main control board 1310 in common with multiple models without redesigning it. However, the input/output signals of the main control board 1310 may differ depending on the model and specifications. For this reason, in this embodiment, the input/output interfaces of the main control board 1310, which differ depending on the model, are mounted on a separate board (input/output board 1351), and the periphery of the main control MPU 1311, which is common to each model, is mounted on the main control board 1310. By making the main control board 1310 common to multiple models, that is, by making the board size, circuit design, artwork of the printed circuit board, component arrangement, etc. the same, the main control board 1310, which has been evaluated for performance (e.g., noise resistance performance) and has stable design quality, can be used in common with multiple models without redesigning it.

In addition, when the input/output interface of the main control board 1310 is implemented on a separate input/output board 1351, where to separate the circuits becomes an issue. One is a method of separating them with a serial signal line, and the second is a method of separating them with a parallel signal converted from a serial signal. In the former case, the number of wiring between the boards can be reduced more than in the latter case, which is preferable. In addition, even if the serial signal itself is acquired, it is difficult to know the order in which the data is transmitted, and it is unclear which data is transmitted at what timing. Furthermore, the serial signal is output at a speed synchronized with the clock for the serial signal, and this synchronous clock may be different from the operating clock of the main control MPU 1311 and can be changed. For this reason, it is difficult to guess the data rate from the outside, and even if the serial signal is acquired, it is difficult to know the contents of the data being transmitted. For this reason, it is preferable to connect the main control board 1310 and the input/output board 1351 with a serial signal line.

As shown in FIG. 264, an input/output board 1351 is provided to the main control board 1310, and the main control board 1310 and the input/output board 1351 are mounted in the main control board box 1320. The main control board box 1320 is made of transparent resin that houses the main control board 1310 and the input/output board 1351 in a sealable structure that cannot be opened without destruction once closed. The input/output board 1351 is provided with a parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 and a serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345. The main control board 1310 and the input/output board 1351 (the main control MPU 1311 and the parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 and the serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345) are connected by a serial communication line, and the boards can be connected with fewer lines than when connecting with a parallel bus or a general-purpose port. The serial signal lines may be connected by electric wires or board-to-board connectors.

In addition, if serial communication is used between the boards, even if the signal is obtained, it is difficult to analyze the data, reducing the possibility that the contents of the transmitted data will be discovered by a fraudster. Also, the input/output board 1351 that inputs and outputs signals for game control is configured separately from the main control board 1310, and input/output signals that vary depending on the model are set on the input/output board 1351, so that the number of models that can be applied without modifying the main control board 1310 increases, improving the versatility of the main control board 1310.

Furthermore, by housing the main control board 1310 and the input/output board 1351 in a single main control board box 1320, the signal lines for serial communication can be shortened.

When using the main control board 1310 for another model, all that is required is to change the design of the input/output board 1351, and the relationship between the connectors of the main control board 1310 and the main control MPU 1311 does not change depending on the model, making it easier to design a pachinko machine and allowing the use of a main control board 1310 whose performance (e.g., noise resistance performance) has been evaluated and whose design quality is stable. Furthermore, if the size of the input/output board 1351 and the position of the mounting holes are not changed, the main control board box 1320 does not need to be redesigned and the conventional main control board box 1320 can be reused. Furthermore, noise countermeasures that change depending on the model can be performed in the input/output board 1351, not in the main control board 1310.

The serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342, 1343 that output the drive signal for the base display 1317 may be arranged on the main control board 1310. If the base display 1317 is arranged on the input/output board 1351, the serial-parallel conversion circuits 1342, 1343 may be arranged on the input/output board 1351, and a signal for driving the functional display unit 1400 may be output from the input/output board 1351.

In addition, it is preferable to place serial-parallel conversion circuit 1346, which generates the inspection signal, on main control board 1310. In other words, it is preferable to provide the inspection circuit arrangement area and inspection terminals 1348 on main control board 1310. This is because a portion of the signal output from inspection terminals 1348 is output from main control MPU 1311 via a parallel bus, and therefore placing inspection terminals 1348 on input/output board 1351 would increase the number of connection lines between main control board 1310 and input/output board 1351.

Also, as shown in FIG. 265, the main control board 1310 may be housed within the main control board box 1320, and the input/output board 1351 may be mounted outside the main control board box 1320.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 265, the input/output board 1351 is provided outside the main control board box 1320, so even if the size of the main control board box 1320 changes, the main control board box 1320 can be used in common. In addition, the input/output board 1351 and the main control board 1310 are housed in separate board boxes, so the freedom of board arrangement is improved. In addition, if the main control board box 1320 in which the main control board 1310 is housed and the input/output board box 1350 in which the input/output board 1351 is housed are provided separately, each board box becomes smaller, and the board installation position becomes more flexible. Furthermore, since the main control board 1310 is provided with the base display 1317, the LEDs that display error codes, and the setting keys 971, it is necessary for them to be visible on the back side of the pachinko machine 1, but the input/output board 1351 does not need to be visible from the back side of the pachinko machine 1, so the board installation position becomes more flexible. In this way, the embodiment shown in FIG. 265 can improve the freedom of design.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 265, the serial signal output from the main control MPU 1311 is output to the outside of the main control board box 1320. The main control MPU 1311 outputs data from the data bus in addition to the serial signal. In a pachinko machine, it is desirable not to output the data bus output from the main control MPU 1311 to the outside of the sealed main control board box 1320 in order to prevent a fraudster from noticing the operation of the pachinko machine. However, even if the serial signal output from the main control MPU 1311 is output to the outside of the main control board box 1320, it is unlikely that a fraudster will be able to detect the operation status of the pachinko machine. This is because the data bus outputs data according to the operation clock of the main control MPU 1311 and the data rate is constant, so that the data rate is easily guessed from the outside, and as a result, the signal transmitted on the data bus may be obtained. However, the serial signal is output at a speed synchronized with the clock for the serial signal, and the speed of this synchronization clock may be different from the operation clock of the main control MPU 1311 and can be changed. For this reason, it is difficult to guess the data rate from the outside, and even if the serial signal is acquired, it is difficult to know the content of the data being transmitted.

The above describes an example in which the input/output board 1351 is provided separately from the main control board 1310, and input/output functions for model-dependent signals are mounted on the input/output board 1351. However, if there are other parts that do not decrease resistance to fraud or noise even if they are placed outside the main control board 1310, they may be mounted on the input/output board 1351. For example, the output of signals that require drive current such as solenoids and motors attached to the game board 5, the output of drive signals for the function display unit 1400, and the input of signals from various sensors (winning ball detection, radio wave sensor, magnetic sensor, vibration sensor) are functions that may be mounted on the input/output board 1351. In addition, communication with the payout control board 951, output of signals output from the external terminal board 784, power outage detection, input of the setting key 971 (the setting key 971 itself may be provided outside the main control board 1310), and output to the base display 1317 are functions that may be mounted on the main control board 1310.

In addition, it is recommended that the parallel-serial conversion circuit 1341 and serial-parallel conversion circuit 1345 mounted on the input/output board 1351 input a dummy signal (0V or 5V) to the free input terminal or connect a dummy resistor to the free output terminal. This is because if nothing is connected to the free terminal, noise may be introduced and the circuit may malfunction.

In particular, if some of the multiple signals that a fraudster attempts to obtain are transmitted via a parallel bus or general-purpose port and the other signals are transmitted as serial signals, it will be difficult to analyze the serial signals, so the fraudster will need to obtain signals from multiple locations, including the main control board 1310 and the input/output board 1351, which will increase the deterrent effect against fraud.

[15. Example of power supply path inside a pachinko machine]
Next, an embodiment of overcurrent protection in a power supply path inside a pachinko machine will be described.

The pachinko machine 1 is supplied with a 24V AC power supply. The power supply board 931 has a power supply generating circuit 933 that generates various DC power supplies (e.g., 5V, 12V, 24V, 35V) for use within the pachinko machine 1 from the 24V AC power supply supplied to the pachinko machine 1.

The power output from the power supply board 931 is supplied to the props and lamps (LEDs) used for the effects and decoration of the pachinko machine 1, as well as to the control devices and other devices that drive these props. Although the wires that supply power to these props are generally fixed, the wires are wired with a sufficient length at the moving parts of the props' drive parts so that they are not pulled by the props. For this reason, the operation of the props may cause the wires to rub against the parts that make up the props or to get caught in the moving parts of the props' drive parts, damaging the insulation of the wires. If the power line and ground line are close to each other under such circumstances, a short circuit will occur and a large current will flow.

However, if a short circuit occurs near the power supply board 931, a large current will flow, and the overcurrent protection function (fuse) implemented in the power supply board 931 will be activated and cut off the power supply.

However, as mentioned above, if a short circuit occurs at a point far from the power supply board 931, the current flow will not be large enough to activate the overcurrent protection function (fuse), and the malfunction will not become apparent. This is because the wired electric wire acts as a load. For example, if a short circuit occurs at a point where the impedance of the electric wire is about 1 Ω, and the driving power supply supplied to the performance component is 12 V, a current of 12 A will flow, but the overcurrent protection function of the power supply board 931 (for example, a 15 A fuse) will not operate. It would be possible to attach overcurrent protection devices (fuses) of an appropriate capacity that takes into account the current that flows under normal conditions to all power lines, but this would result in increased parts and assembly costs.

Therefore, when the power supply line and ground line are placed close to each other, especially when the wires pass near moving parts, an overcurrent protection device (fuse) that operates at two to three times the current that actually flows through the power supply is placed on the board to which the wires are connected to prevent large currents from flowing in the event of a short circuit.

Here, we will explain the upper movable unit 3400 in Figure 16 as an example of a drive device.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, a movable stick device (movable body) 3410, whose design is based on mahjong sticks, is located at the top of the game board 5 when viewed from the front. The stick device 3410 waits at an upper position in a non-performance state, and can move downward to the center of the game board in a performance state, where it rotates around the central decorative lamp 3412a.

Although not shown, a unit base body is provided on the back right side that overlaps with the play area when the game board is viewed from the front, and the point stick device 3410 is supported by a device base body that is rotatably supported on a driven shaft on the unit base body and extends from the point stick device 3411 to the unit base body, and an arm body that is movably supported on the unit base body by a driven shaft and that regulates and assists the rotational movement of the device base body (regulates and assists the vertical movement of the point stick device 3410) and has a slit for inserting and sliding a bush provided on the device base of the point stick device 3410.

The unit base body is also equipped with a stepping motor MA for moving the scoring device 3410 to the center of the game board below, a movement detection sensor, and the like. The device base body is also equipped with a stepping motor MB for rotating the device, a rotation detection sensor, an LED board (4250A) on which the LED of the central decorative lamp 3412a is mounted, and other LED boards (4250B, etc.) on which the LEDs of the left and right decorative lamps 3411 are mounted.

The stepping motor MB for rotation, the rotation detection sensor, and the drive signal lines and detection signal lines for driving the LEDs are routed from the role base body together with the power lines and ground lines, and are extended and connected to the performance drive board 3043 via relay boards (3044A, 3044B, 3044C, etc.) or directly. The various electric wires are determined between the standby position and the performance position of the point stick role 3410 of the upper movable unit 3400, and have a certain amount of play in the length of the wires. Although bundled loose electric wires are used, wiring using flat cables is also possible. Although the relay board and performance drive board are provided in the upper movable unit 3400, they may be provided externally.

Figure 266 is a block diagram showing the electrical connections of various boards, drive sources, etc. for the upper movable unit 3400, which is the drive device described above.

A 24V AC power supply supplied from outside the pachinko machine 1 is input to the power supply board 931. The power supply board 931 has a power supply generating circuit 933, to which the 24V AC power supply is input via a fuse 934 that serves as an overcurrent protection device (overcurrent protection means).

The power supply generating circuit 933 generates various DC power supplies for use inside the pachinko machine 1 (such as 12V, 24V, and 35V, which are mainly used for stepping motors, solenoids, LEDs, and various sensors, and 5V, which is mainly used as a control power supply for electronic circuits such as the CPU (this may also be generated by stepping down from another DC power supply on a separate control board)) from 24V AC.

In this embodiment, a stepping motor that operates on 12V and an LED (circuit board) that lights up and blinks using a 12V power supply are used as examples for explanation, so in Figure 266, only the 12V power supply system is shown with a thick line, and other systems are omitted. In addition, various control lines and drive lines, which will be described later, are shown with thin lines. Note that each board is connected by a connector and a harness (electric wire).

The 12V power output from the power supply board 931 is supplied via the payout control board 951 to the main control board 1310, through the peripheral control board 1510, and through the performance drive board 3043 to various stepping motors (MA, MB) and various LED boards (4250A, 4250B).

As shown in the figure, relay boards 3044B and 3044C are provided between the performance drive board 3043 and the movement stepping motor MA and the rotation stepping motor MB, respectively. Similarly, relay board 3044A is provided between the performance drive board 3043 and the central decorative lamp LED board 4250A. Note that the left and right decorative lamp boards 4250B are directly connected to the performance drive board 3043.

Next, the various stepping motors (MA, MB) and the various LED boards (4250A, 4250B) are supplied with drive signals that drive the various stepping motors and control signals that turn on and off the various LEDs.

When the first start entrance sensor 2014 and the second start entrance sensor 2551 at the first start entrance 2002 and the second start entrance 2004, which are connected to the main control board 1310, detect the entry of a ball, the main control board 1310 uses a control line connecting to the payout control board 951 to send a command to operate the payout device 830 to pay out the ball, and uses a control line connecting to the peripheral control board 1510 to send a command to the main LCD display device 1600 to display a performance based on the result of the lottery drawn upon the detection of the entry of the ball.

When the performance display is performed, a drive device equipped with various stepping motors (MA, MB) and various LED boards (4250A, 4250B) is driven. For the various stepping motors (MA, MB), a control signal (drive signal) output from the peripheral control board 1510 is input to a stepping motor driver provided on the performance drive board 3043 using drive lines connecting the various stepping motors (MA, MB), and the stepping motors are driven by receiving the drive signal output from the performance drive board as a drive signal.

For the LEDs mounted on the various LED boards, the control signal output from the peripheral control board 1510 is first received by the LED driver using the control lines connecting the various LED boards, and then the LEDs receive a drive signal output as a drive signal on the board, causing them to light up or blink.

Here, the drive signal refers to the so-called excitation signal given to each coil (each phase) in the case of a stepping motor, and in the case of an LED, it refers to a signal for supplying or cutting off the current flowing through the LED to light up or blink.

The stepping motor driver implemented on the performance drive board 3043 has a serial/parallel conversion function, is daisy-chained, and outputs the control signals of each stepping motor, which are serially output from the peripheral control board 1510, as drive signals to the stepping motors. It is a device that is supplied with 12V power and creates a circuit power supply within the device to operate.

The fuse 934 has a rated current determined from the total power consumption of the pachinko machine 1 in normal gaming mode, and the breaking current is greater than the rated current.
In this embodiment, a power supply with a rated current of 15 A and a breaking current of 37.5 A (2.5 times the rated current) is used so that it will not shut off even with the total power consumption current consumed by the pachinko machine 1 during normal use.

In addition, the performance drive board 3043 and the various relay boards (3044A, 3044C) are also equipped with current-blocking chip fuses 3071, 3072, 3074, and 3075, respectively. The roles of these fuses will be explained below.

[15-1. Protection of driving devices equipped with accessories and LED decorations]
The performance drive board 3043 is connected to the LED boards 4250A, 4250B, and outputs power for turning on and blinking the LEDs, and a control signal for the LED driver.

Fuses 3074, 3075 are provided as overcurrent protection devices on the power lines output to the LED boards 4250A, 4250B. This is because the operation of the reel may cause the wires to rub against the components that make up the drive unit or get caught in moving parts such as the drive parts of the reel, which could damage the coating of the wires. If the power line and ground line are close to each other in such a situation and a short circuit occurs, a large current will flow in the power line. For this reason, fuses 3074, 3075 are operated to prevent the power line from burning out, preventing damage to the reel that makes up the drive unit, such as melting or scorching the reel due to burning of the power line.

The rated current of each fuse 3074, 3075 can be determined by the potential difference between the wires bundled together and the wiring length (impedance) of the wires. The maximum potential difference occurs between ground (0 V) and the power supply voltage (e.g., 12 V), but if the wire breaks and the internal conductor is exposed and short-circuits with the ground line, the current calculated using Ohm's law from the impedance of the wire between the exposed part and the power supply board 931, which is the power supply source, and this maximum potential difference is set as the interrupting current.

If the 12V power supply is assumed to be a load that consumes 2A under normal circumstances out of an estimated total current consumption of 15A, then if the impedance of the wire up to the LED board 4250A is 2Ω, then a current of 6A will flow in the event of a short circuit, so for example, a fuse 3075 with a 2A rating and a breaking current of 5A (2.5 times the rated value) should be used.

Fuse 3074 also has LEDs that light up and blink that are equivalent to those used in LED board 4250A, and the same number of LEDs are mounted. If the impedance of the wire to LED board 4250B is 1.5 Ω, then a current of 8 A will flow in the event of a short circuit. This means that fuse 3074 with a rated current of 2 A and a breaking current of 5 A may be used.

In reality, if the wires were to short circuit anywhere, a large current would flow quickly enough to shut off the fuse 934 provided on the power supply board 931, causing the fuse 934 to shut off. However, in reality, even the wires that supply power to the load are considered to be a load (wire impedance). Therefore, in this embodiment, in areas far from the power supply board where there is a short circuit, a separate fuse (such as 3071) is provided to shut off the wires in case of a short circuit, taking into account the impedance of the wires that are routed.

Furthermore, when the drive unit is placed on the door side as well as on the game board side, the wires for driving the drive unit are wired with a sufficient length so that they are not pulled when the hall staff opens and closes the door. However, on the other hand, when the door is opened and closed, the wires may rub against parts close to the wiring path or get caught in moving parts such as the door opening and closing parts (hinge, etc.), which may damage the insulation of the wires. If the power line and ground line are close to each other under such circumstances, a short circuit will occur and a large current will flow.

Also, when hall staff are installing and removing game boards, if they are forced to route electrical wires to the hinge side or opening/closing side, the wires may rub against each other or get caught between the main frame and the machine, causing damage to the wire insulation. Even in such a situation, if the power line and ground line are close to each other, a short circuit will occur and a large current will flow.

The present invention can be applied in cases where the accident is caused by the human action of the sliding part or by personal property damage. It is best to place a fuse with an appropriate capacity in an appropriate position, but especially when the drive unit is located on the door side, it is best to place the relay board on which the fuse is mounted near the downstream side of the part of the door that is the cause of the opening and closing.

Up to this point, fuses 3074 and 3075 have been used as examples of the second overcurrent protection device, but instead of this, a self-resetting device such as a thermistor that cuts off current when a large current flows but restores conductivity after a predetermined time has elapsed may be used.

In this embodiment, a surface-mount chip fuse is used for the second overcurrent protection device, fuse 3071, taking into consideration the size of the drive unit. Although chip fuses have the advantage of being smaller than tube fuses, it is not possible to tell from the outside whether electrical conductivity exists. In such cases, it is necessary to replace the entire set of the electric wires and the load (drive source) to which the electric wires are connected, the performance drive board 3043 for driving the movable body, and the relay board 3044A on which the fuse is mounted.

Thermistors have the ability to cut off the current by changing their own temperature due to heat generated by large currents, raising their internal resistance. When their own temperature returns to a low level, their internal resistance drops and they become reusable again. In other words, if surface mount thermistors are used instead of fuses, there is the advantage that at least the board on which the thermistor is mounted (e.g. relay board) can continue to be used without the need for replacement.

In this embodiment, a tube fuse is used as the fuse 934 as the first overcurrent protection device. In the case of a tube fuse, the fuse element melts when a large current flows, so like a chip fuse, it is possible to tell from the outside whether electrical continuity is present or not. However, the fuse element of a tube fuse is thin and has a metallic color close to gray, so it is difficult to tell if it has melted on a typical green resist board. Therefore, in order to make it easier to tell that it has melted, it is a good idea to print a solid silk screen in a light color such as white or yellow on the resist in the area where the fuse is mounted, to make the metallic fuse element stand out and increase visibility.

In addition, for overcurrent protection devices with different ratings or the same rated capacity but requiring special attention, for identification purposes, a special mark (such as a star) may be silk-screened near the device, the silk may be made a different color, or the device may be placed vertically, horizontally, or at an angle to the board to distinguish them.
[15-2. Stepping motor driver protection]

The performance drive board 3043 is provided with a stepping motor driver and fuses 3071 and 3072 as overcurrent protection devices. In FIG. 266, two stepping motor drivers are shown, but multiple stepping motor drivers are implemented depending on the number of stepping motors used in the pachinko machine 1.

The stepping motor driver switches the power supplied from the power supply board 931 according to a control signal from the peripheral control board 1510 to generate a drive signal. This drive signal drives the stepping motor built into the reel, causing the reel to operate. In the example shown, 12V is supplied to the stepping motor driver and stepping motor, but the necessary power supply can be selected according to the specifications of the stepping motor driver and stepping motor to be driven.

In the example shown in Figure 266, fuses are provided in the 12V power lines of the two stepping motors, but if further daisy chain connections are used, it is a good idea to also provide fuses in the power lines of the other stepping motor drivers.

The fuses 3071 and 3072 connected to the power lines of each stepping motor connected in a daisy chain prevent a large current flowing through one of the power lines from spreading to and damaging other stepping motor drivers. In other words, if a stepping motor continues to operate at a high temperature that exceeds the specified temperature, the resistance value of the coil may decrease and a large current may flow into the stepping motor driver. In that case, a large current would also flow into the other stepping motor drivers connected in the daisy chain, but this is prevented.

In addition, if the resistance of the coil drops, the stepping motor itself will also heat up. If this happens and the insulation of the wire (coil) is damaged, a short circuit will occur within the stepping motor. To prepare for such an event, it is a good idea to install a separate fuse to prevent damage to the components that make up the drive unit, such as melting or burning of the components due to a short circuit within the stepping motor, in addition to damage to the stepping motor driver.

The breaking current of the fuse used in this embodiment can also be determined by considering the impedance of the wiring, whether to mount it on the relay board or on the performance drive board.

In this way, the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a first overcurrent protection means (fuse 934) that is arranged in the path that supplies AC power to the power supply creation device (power supply creation circuit 933) and protects the power supply creation device from an overcurrent state depending on the current supplied by the power supply creation device, and a second overcurrent protection means (fuse 3075, etc.) that is arranged in the path that supplies DC power to the drive source (stepping motor MA, LED of LED board 4250A, etc.) and protects the power supply creation device from an overcurrent state depending on the current supplied by the power supply creation device. The second overcurrent protection means is located after the DC power created by the power supply creation means is distributed to the drive control board (performance drive board 3043), and is located closer to the drive source than the first overcurrent protection means, and the current for protecting the power supply creation device from an overcurrent state is smaller than that of the first overcurrent protection means, so that damage to performance components such as role props and electric wires can be effectively prevented.

In addition, the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a peripheral control board 1510 that controls the presentation during play, a drive control board (presentation drive board 3043) that outputs a drive signal to a drive device (upper movable unit 3400) equipped with a drive source (stepping motor MA, LEDs on LED board 4250A, etc.) that drives presentation components (scoring stick role (movable body) 3410, central decorative lamp 3412a, etc.) based on drive data transmitted from the peripheral control board, a power supply creation device (power supply creation circuit 933) that creates DC power to be supplied to the drive source, a power supply creation device protection means (fuse 934) that is arranged on the path to supply AC power to the power supply creation device and protects the power supply creation device in response to the current supplied by the power supply creation device, and a drive device protection means (fuse 3075, etc.) that is arranged on the path to supply DC power to the drive source and protects the drive device in response to the current supplied by the power supply creation device, so that damage to the performance components such as roles and electric wires can be effectively prevented.

In addition, in the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, for example, two or more electric wires, including an electric wire that is connected to the upstream or downstream side of the relay board 3044A and transmits a drive signal, have a potential difference between them, and the second protection means (fuse 3075) performs an interruption operation with the current that flows when the electric wire with the potential difference is short-circuited. The current for this interruption operation is calculated using Ohm's law from the potential difference and impedance of the electric wires. Therefore, even if the first overcurrent protection means (fuse 934) arranged in the path that supplies AC power to the power supply creation device (power supply creation circuit 933) does not operate, the second protection means can effectively prevent damage to parts and electric wires.

To summarize the invention according to this embodiment, it is a gaming machine having the following means.
Means 1: A peripheral control board that controls the effects during play;
A drive control board that outputs a drive signal for driving a drive source that drives a performance member based on the drive data transmitted from the peripheral control board;
a power supply generating device that generates a DC power supply to be supplied to the driving source;
a first overcurrent protection means arranged on a path for supplying AC power to the power supply device, for protecting the power supply device from an overcurrent state in response to a current supplied by the power supply device;
a second overcurrent protection means arranged in a path for supplying the DC power to the drive source, and protecting the power supply device from an overcurrent state in response to a current supplied by the power supply device;
The second overcurrent protection means is located at a later stage after the DC power supply created by the power supply creation means is distributed to the drive control board, and is positioned closer to the drive source than the first overcurrent protection means, and has a smaller current for protecting the power supply creation device from an overcurrent state than the first overcurrent protection means.

Means 2: A peripheral control board for controlling the effects during the game;
A drive control board that outputs a drive signal to a drive device having a drive source that drives a performance member based on the drive data transmitted from the peripheral control board;
a power supply generating device that generates a DC power supply to be supplied to the driving source;
a power supply generating device protection means arranged on a path for supplying AC power to the power supply generating device, the power supply generating device protecting the power supply generating device in response to a current supplied by the power supply generating device;
A gaming machine comprising: a drive device protection means arranged in a path for supplying the DC power to the drive source, and protecting the drive device in response to the current supplied by the power supply generating device.

[16. Example of Contact Detection Sensor for Firing Handle]
Figure 267 is a block diagram showing the signal connections around the handle unit 500.

As described above, the handle unit 500 has a handle lever 504 whose surface is metallized (e.g., plated), and has a contact detection sensor 509 that is electrically connected to the plating of the plated handle lever 504 and detects whether the player's hand or finger is touching the handle lever 504.

The contact detection sensor 509 measures the capacitance (stray capacitance) of the handle lever 504, measures the change in capacitance of the handle lever 504 due to contact with a human body, and detects contact with a human body when the measured capacitance increases above a predetermined threshold. Because the contact detection sensor 509 detects contact with a human body based on this principle, it is preferable for the difference in capacitance to be large between a state in which a human body is in contact and a state in which a human body is not in contact. In other words, the smaller the capacitance in the non-contact state, the larger the change in capacitance due to contact with a human body, and it is preferable for the area of the contact portion 511 to be small. In other words, the change in capacitance due to contact with a human body is not the rate of change from the non-contact state but the change in capacitance, so it is easier to detect if the original (non-contact state) capacitance is small.

On the other hand, to enhance the decorativeness of pachinko machines, plating is often used on the surface of the housing. Plating may also be used on parts of the handle unit 500 other than the handle lever 504. In this case, in order to reduce the effect on the capacitance of the handle lever 504, it is advisable to form a metal film on the parts other than the handle lever 504 using discontinuous deposition. Although discontinuous deposition can form a surface with a metallic luster, the processed area is not conductive, so it is possible to suppress the increase in the capacitance of the plating on the handle lever 504 in a non-contact state.

In addition, an LED board (printed circuit board) on which LEDs 512 and an LED driver IC 513 that drives the LEDs 512 are mounted is provided within the handle unit, and when a highly anticipated performance is executed, the LEDs 512 flash red. Note that the LED driver IC 513 in this embodiment converts serialized on/off data into parallel data, and drives multiple LEDs 512 mounted on the printed circuit board at timing according to the parallel converted data. Therefore, when the LED driver IC 513 is not required, for example when driving a single LED 512, the LED driver 513 may be omitted.

From the same viewpoint as described above, capacitance is also generated between the conductors constituting the circuit pattern on the printed circuit board in the handle unit 500 and the plating of the handle lever 504. For this reason, it is preferable to make the area of the circuit pattern formed on the printed circuit board in the handle unit 500 as small as possible. For example, a wide ground pattern may be provided on the printed circuit board to suppress noise and stabilize the ground potential. However, since the plating of the handle lever 504 also generates capacitance between the ground pattern, if the ground pattern is wide, the capacitance of the handle lever 504 in a non-contact state increases. For this reason, it is preferable to make the area of the ground pattern on the printed circuit board in the handle unit 500 as small as possible to reduce the capacitance with the handle lever 504 in a non-contact state. In other words, it can be said that the ideal printed circuit board is one in which only the connector that electrically connects the printed circuit boards is mounted other than the LED 512, and a pattern is wired only to electrically connect the LED 512 and the connector.

The contact detection sensor 509 outputs a contact detection signal when the measured capacitance of the handle lever 504 exceeds a preset threshold value. As shown in FIG. 268, the contact detection signal is output based on the potential difference between the touch sensor + signal and the touch sensor - signal, and when contact of a human body with the plated portion of the handle lever 504 is detected, the potential of the touch sensor signal is lowered to a low level.

As shown in FIG. 267, the contact detection signal is input from the branch circuit 991 to the launch control unit 953a and the main control board 1310 provided on the power supply board 931. The launch control unit 953a uses the contact detection signal as a launch permission condition, and controls the launch device 680 so that the game ball can be launched only when the player is touching the handle lever 504 of the launch handle unit 500.

The main control MPU 1311 detects an abnormality in the pachinko machine using the contact detection signal. For example, when a player releases his/her hand from the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500, and a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds after the state indicating no contact) has elapsed since the contact detection signal is interrupted, monitoring begins after a preparation period of 30 seconds, so to speak. If the number of balls that have entered the winning hole or the big winning hole, etc., is counted after the preparation period has elapsed and exceeds a specified number, it is determined that an abnormal state has occurred because there is a high possibility that game balls have entered the winning hole or the big winning hole, etc., due to fraud. The preparation period is assumed to be a sufficient period for all game balls that have been shot into the game area 5a immediately after the end of the game to reach the outlet 1111. Since there are game machines that have become unpopular and close without any players at all between opening and closing, the credibility of the values counted after there are clearly no players increases, and an abnormality is correctly determined as an unnatural event having occurred. In addition, although various measures are taken against static electricity applied from the outside or generated inside gaming machines, static electricity still has a negative effect on various control devices and sensors, and monitoring to determine whether or not players are actually playing is useful in avoiding unnecessary trouble with players, both in terms of avoiding false alarms and in correctly determining abnormalities.

In addition, as described above, the gaming machine of this embodiment is equipped with a base display (a role ratio display, a performance display monitor) 1317, so that progress management of the gaming machine can be visually performed. Only when the gaming balls are being shot, that is, only when the player is playing, is the display of the base display 1317, which counts the number of winning balls and displays the base value, updated. That is, the base value is calculated by counting only the number of winning balls detected within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) from the time when the contact detection sensor 509 detects the player's contact with the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500. In this way, it is possible to prevent the reflection of abnormalities in which winning balls are detected when the gaming balls are not shot, or winning balls obtained by fraudulent acts, in the base value, and the base value can be calculated accurately. In addition, by using the contact detection sensor 509, it is not necessary to newly install a sensor to detect the shooting of the gaming balls, so that the increase in the cost of the pachinko machine 1 can be suppressed. Even in such gaming machine progress management, progress management based on understanding whether or not the player is actually playing is also useful in correctly judging the performance of the gaming machine.

Next, the details of the processing executed by the main control MPU 1311 will be described with reference to the block diagram in FIG. 267 and the flow chart in FIG. 23, particularly with regard to the processing related to the contact detection signal. The contact detection signal passes from the main control input circuit 1315 in the block diagram shown in FIG. 267 through one of the main control I/O ports 1314, and is taken into the main control MPU 1311 in the switch input processing (step S74) of the timer interrupt processing shown in FIG. 23, where various processing is executed.

Then, the main control MPU 1311 executes the fraud detection process (step S84). In the fraud detection process, the main control MPU 1311 switches the detection of an abnormal state according to the state of the captured contact detection signal. In other words, it switches the method of detecting an abnormal state, whether or not to detect an abnormal state.

For example, if the count switch detects that a game ball has entered the big win openings 2005, 2006 after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed since the contact detection signal was interrupted (becoming in a state indicating no contact), even if the game is in a big win game state, a winning abnormality display command is created. The created command is sent to the peripheral control board 1510 in the peripheral control board command sending process (step S92).

The main control MPU 1311 may execute a fraud detection process when the contact detection signal is interrupted (returns to a state indicating no contact). Also, only a specific fraud detection process (for example, detection of fraudulent winnings at the large prize slots 2005 and 2006) may be executed in response to non-detection of the contact detection signal. When the contact detection signal changes to a detection state (returns to a state indicating contact), it is advisable to stop execution of the fraud detection process that was executed in response to the change in the contact detection signal.

In addition, even if the contact detection signal changes from a non-detection state to a detection state (becoming in a state indicating contact), the execution of the fraud detection process that was triggered by the change in the contact detection signal may continue. In this case, the abnormality notification can be stopped and the normal gaming state can be restored by an operation by an employee of the hall, such as by turning the power back on.

The main control MPU 1311 also executes the bonus feature ratio calculation and display process (step S89) to calculate the bonus feature ratio (base value). At this time, if the contact detection signal is used to determine that the handle unit 500 is not in contact with the handle lever 504, the bonus feature ratio calculation and display process is not executed, and the winning balls obtained when no game balls have been released are not reflected in the base value.

In addition, a command based on the detection result of the contact detection signal is also sent to the peripheral control board 1510 in the peripheral control board command transmission process (step S92). The peripheral control unit 1511 reports the detected abnormality according to the command received from the main control board 1310. Note that, when the detected abnormality is such that the contact detection signal changes from a non-detection state to a detection state (a state indicating contact), the peripheral control unit 1511 may be prompted to stop reporting the abnormality by sending a winning abnormality non-display command in the peripheral control board command transmission process (step S92) described above. Also, even if the contact detection signal changes from a non-detection state to a detection state (a state indicating contact), the abnormality may continue to be reported. In this case, the abnormality report may be stopped and the normal game state restored by an operation of an employee of the hall, such as by turning the power back on.

Figure 268 shows an example configuration of a branch circuit 991 provided on a relay board 990.

The branch circuit 991 is composed of three switching transistors Tr2, Tr3, and Tr5, and generates and outputs two signals, a touch sensor-1 signal and a touch sensor-2 signal, from the touch sensor signal. Specifically, when the touch sensor signal is at H level, the transistor Tr2 turns on and the transistors Tr3 and Tr4 turn off, and the touch sensor-1 signal becomes H level (same voltage as the touch sensor+ signal). At this time, since Tr3 is an open collector output, the output of the touch sensor-2 signal becomes undefined. On the other hand, when the touch sensor signal is at L level, the transistor Tr2 turns off and the transistors Tr3 and Tr4 turn on, and the touch sensor-1 signal and the touch sensor-2 signal become L level (ground voltage).

In this way, the branch circuit 991 splits the contact detection signal into two signals with different signal levels and outputs them.

As explained above, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the player's handle operation is used as an abnormality determination condition, so abnormalities in the gaming machine can be correctly determined and fraudulent activity can be accurately detected.

In addition, whether the base value is updated (i.e., the number of out balls and winning balls is counted) depends on whether the player is operating the handle, so the progress of the gaming machine can be properly managed and the performance of the gaming machine can be accurately evaluated. In other words, the number of out balls and winning balls during the operation of the launch handle (plus a specified time after the hand is released) are counted.

The following is an explanation of the details of the processing executed by the main control MPU 1311 (flowchart in FIG. 23) in the configuration shown in the block diagram of FIG. 17 instead of the configuration shown in the block diagram of FIG. 267, particularly with regard to processing related to the contact detection signal. The difference between FIG. 267 and FIG. 17 is that the contact detection signal input to the main control MPU 1311 of the main control board 1310 is input directly via a branch circuit 991 in the configuration of FIG. 267, whereas in the configuration of FIG. 17 it is input to the dispensing control board 951 and then input as a command to the main control MPU 1311 of the main control board 1310 via the dispensing control MPU of the dispensing control board 951.

The contact detection signal passes from the payout control input circuit in the payout control unit 952 through one of the payout control I/O ports, and is taken into the payout control MPU by the switch input process of the timer interrupt process, where various processes are executed. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the payout control MPU takes in the contact detection signal, converts the state of the contact detection signal taken in periodically by the timer interrupt process into a command and sends it to the main control MPU 1311. The main control MPU 1311 then executes the frame command reception process (step S82) of the interrupt process described above to receive the command, analyzes the received command, and executes the fraud detection process (step S84). Other processes executed by the main control MPU 1311 are the same as those described above.

As explained above, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the touch sensor contact detection signal is used to determine abnormalities in the gaming machine, but presentation control may also be performed when the contact detection signal changes to a state indicating no contact. Below is an example of presentation control that is performed when the contact detection signal changes to a state indicating no contact.

For example, when the player releases his/her hand from the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500 and the contact detection signal is interrupted (returns to a state indicating no contact), the content of the presentation may be changed from the currently being performed presentation to a presentation with high expectations. By performing a presentation with high expectations when the player releases his/her hand from the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500, a player who is thinking of stopping the game may be given an opportunity to continue playing. Also, at the timing when the player releases his/her hand from the handle lever 504 of the handle unit 500, a presentation may be performed that directly asks the player if they want to continue playing (for example, a presentation in which a character asks "Are you stopping now?").

Therefore, depending on whether or not the player operates the handle, it is possible to display effects that the player does not intend, motivating the player to continue playing. Note that this is not limited to contact detection signals, but an on/off signal from a launch stop button (not shown), which is similarly provided on the handle unit 500 so as to be operable by the player and can be turned on/off by rotating the handle lever 504, and which temporarily stops the launch of game balls when turned on, can also be input to the main control board 1310, and the above-mentioned performance control can be performed based on whether or not the launch stop button is operated, in which case similar effects can also be obtained.

To summarize the invention according to this embodiment, it is a gaming machine having the following means.
Means 1: A game control means for drawing a lottery for a special game that is beneficial to a player when a predetermined condition is met;
a ball-launching operation means having a contact detection means for detecting contact by a player and allowing the player to perform a ball-launching operation;
A launch control means for controlling the launch of the game balls in accordance with the operation of the launch operation means;
A launching means for launching a game ball into a game area according to the control of the launch control means,
A gaming machine characterized in that a contact detection signal indicating the detection result by said contact detection means is input to said game control means.

Means 2: The gaming machine according to means 1,
The gaming machine, characterized in that the gaming control means detects an abnormality in the gaming machine according to the state of the contact detection signal.

Means 3: The gaming machine according to means 2,
The gaming machine is characterized in that the gaming control means detects an abnormality in the gaming machine when the contact detection signal indicates non-contact.

Means 4: The gaming machine according to means 3,
The gaming machine is characterized in that the game control means uses the contact detection signal indicating non-contact as an abnormality detection condition.

Means 5: The gaming machine according to any one of means 1 to 4,
The gaming machine is characterized in that the game control means controls whether to update a value for evaluating the performance of the gaming machine depending on the state of the contact detection signal.

Means 6: The gaming machine according to means 5,
The gaming machine is characterized in that the game control means does not use a winning ball detected between a predetermined time after the contact detection signal indicates non-contact and the time when the contact detection signal indicates contact, to update a value that evaluates the performance of the gaming machine.

[17. Slot Machines]
Up to this point, the arrangement of programs and data stored in the ROM of a pachinko machine has been explained, and next, the arrangement of programs and data stored in the RAM and ROM of a slot machine (reel type gaming machine) will be explained. Note that, although the outline of a pachinko machine has been explained in FIG. 26, programs and data are arranged in the RAM and ROM in the same manner as in the case of the slot machine 4000 explained below.

[17-1. Structure]
First, a description will be given of the structure of the slot machine 4000 in this embodiment. Figure 269 is a perspective view of the slot machine 4000, and Figure 270 is a perspective view of the slot machine 4000 with the front member 4200 open.

As shown in Figures 269 and 270, the slot machine 4000 of this embodiment has various devices inside a box-shaped housing 4100 with an open front, and a front member 4200 is provided on the front of the housing 4100 in a one-way door format so that it can be opened and closed. The upper part of the front member 4200 is provided with an image display 4500 that displays effects and information according to the progress of the game, a speaker that displays effects using sound, and the like. The image display 4500 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, and displays various information in addition to effects related to the game. The various effects and history information displays on the image display 4500 are controlled by a performance control board 4700. In other words, the image display 4500 constitutes a performance display means capable of displaying effects according to the progress of the game, and the performance control board 4700 constitutes a display control means capable of controlling the display of the performance display means.

A front panel is disposed in the center of the front member 4200, which prevents the view behind it and has decorative patterns drawn on it, and a (for example, transparent) pattern display window 4401 is formed in the center of the front panel, allowing the view behind it to be seen. The front panel may be configured as a display device, and when no image is displayed in the pattern display window 4401, the reel 4301 is visible, and images that create a game effect are displayed mainly around the pattern display window 4401. In this case, it is also possible to display images that create a game effect in the pattern display window 4401.

Through the pattern display window 4401 (window portion), it is possible to see the patterns that change as the reels 4301 arranged inside the housing rotate. The reels 4301 are composed of a cylindrical left reel 4301a, a center reel 4301b, and a right reel 4301c arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. A rectangular sheet on which multiple patterns are drawn is wrapped around the outer periphery of these reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c in the longitudinal direction, so that the multiple patterns are arranged in a predetermined sequence.

Each reel 4301a, 4301b, 4301c is provided with a reel drive motor 4341a, 4341b, 4341c (see FIG. 271), which is a stepping motor, and each reel 4301a, 4301b, 4301c can be driven and stopped independently. That is, the reel drive motors 4341a, 4341b, 4341c form the drive source of each reel 4301a, 4301b, 4301c. Furthermore, the reel drive motors 4341a, 4341b, 4341c are controlled by a two-phase excitation method, similar to the payout motor 839 of the pachinko machine 1 described above, to increase the drive torque and static torque. This makes it possible to use a small motor as the drive source, thereby reducing costs.

Note that in the following, where necessary, the reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c will be referred to as the left reel 4301a, center reel 4301b, and right reel 4301c, respectively. The corresponding reel stop buttons 4211a, 4211b, and 4211c will be referred to as the left reel stop button 4211a, center reel stop button 4211b, and right reel stop button 4211c. Furthermore, the reel drive motors 4341 corresponding to each reel will be referred to as the left reel drive motor 4341a, center reel drive motor 4341b, and right reel drive motor 4341c.

In addition, by rotating the reel 4301 with the reel drive motor 4341, the multiple types of symbols visible through the symbol display window 4401 are changed, for example, circulating from top to bottom (changing display). On the other hand, when the reel 4301 is stopped, a predetermined number of consecutive symbols (for example, three) for each reel 4301a, 4301b, 4301c, that is, a total of nine symbols of 3 x 3, can be seen through the symbol display window 4401. In other words, the active display portions of the reels 4301a, 4301b, 4301c that derive and display the stopped results of the game can be seen through the symbol display window 4401.

Predetermined activation possible lines are set for the 3x3 pattern matrix visible through the pattern display window 4401. In this embodiment, the activation possible lines are a line that crosses the patterns in the middle row of each reel 4301a, 4301b, 4301c (middle row line), a line that crosses each reel 4301a, 4301b, 4301c diagonally from the bottom row of the left reel 4301a to the middle row of the middle reel 4301b to the top row of the right reel 4301c (upward right line), and a line that crosses each reel 4301a, 4301b, 4301c diagonally from the top row of the left reel 4301a to the middle row of the middle reel 4301b to the bottom row of the right reel 4301c (downward right line). The player inserts a medal or inputs a credit (hereafter referred to as a "betting operation") to activate an active line, and the formation or non-formation of a winning combination (handling) is determined based on the pattern combination (outcome) formed on this active line.

When a win is achieved, three predetermined symbols may line up on an active line, or three predetermined symbols may line up on other lines. Such lines include lines (upper lines) that cross the symbols on the upper row of each reel 4301a, 4301b, 4301c. Note that the symbols may be lined up on imaginary lines that cross the front part (visible part) of each reel 4301a, 4301b, 4301c that faces the symbol display window 4401 other than the above. Hereinafter, the activation possible lines (middle, right-upward, right-downward lines), the lines on which symbols can be aligned when a win is achieved (upper lines), and other lines (lower lines, etc.) are collectively referred to as symbol stop lines (symbol alignment lines).

The top, middle, bottom, upward-right and downward-right lines are considered as possible activation lines, and a certain number of possible activation lines are activated according to the bet amount, and the establishment or non-establishment of a winning combination (handling) is determined based on the pattern combination pattern formed on this effective line. For example, for a bet amount of 1, the middle line is considered as the effective line, for a bet amount of 2, the middle line as well as the upper and lower lines are considered as effective lines, and for a bet amount of 3, the upper, middle and lower lines as well as the upward-right and downward-right lines are considered as effective lines. Also, all lines may be considered as effective regardless of the bet amount (even if the bet amount is 1 or 2), or may be considered as the only lines for betting 3 coins.

A payout number display LED 4562 that displays the number of medals paid out by the game is provided around (for example, below) the symbol display window 4401. A credit display that displays the number of medals stored in the slot machine 4000 and a count display that displays the number of games remaining during the special prize period may also be provided.

Below the symbol display window 4401, a step is formed that protrudes forward, and the upper surface of this step forms the operation section 4202 that slopes downward toward the front side. The operation section 4202 is provided with a medal insertion slot 4203, a one-coin insertion button 4205 as a progression operation section for progressing the game, and a max bet button 4206.

The medal insertion slot 4203 is disposed on the right side of the operation unit 4202 when viewed from the front side of the slot machine 4000. A game can be played when a player inserts a medal into this medal insertion slot 4203 and performs a betting operation. An insertion sensor 4207b that detects the passage of a medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 4203 is provided in the path along which the medal passes, and the number of inserted medals is counted based on the detection information from the insertion sensor 4207b.

The insert one coin button 4205 and max bet button 4206 are located on the left side of the operation unit 4202 when viewed from the front side of the slot machine 4000. The insert one coin button 4205 can be pressed once to input one coin from the credits. The max bet button 4206 can be pressed once to input up to the upper limit of the number of credits to bet (e.g., three coins), but if the number of credits is less than the upper limit, the number of credits is input as the number of credits to bet.

Below the operation unit 4202, a payout button 4209, a start lever 4210, a return button 4208, a reel stop button 4211, a key device 4215, etc. are provided. The payout button 4209 is used to give a command to return to the medal tray 4201 medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 4203, medals (bet medals) input as the number of bets using the 1-coin insertion button 4205 or the max bet button 4206, or medals (reserved medals) paid out upon the establishment of a winning prize and stored as credits. In addition, when medals are inserted from the medal insertion slot 4203 after an automatic betting operation based on the establishment of a replay winning prize (replay winning prize), or medals exceeding the predetermined number that can be stored as credits are also returned to the medal tray 4201 via the medal selector 4207.

The start lever 4210 is an operating lever for starting a game at one stage. The key device 4215 is for inserting a key when opening the front member 4200 or when resetting an error (e.g., a hopper error) state of the slot machine 4000. The return button 4208 is used to return medals inserted through the medal insertion slot 4203 and stuck inside the medal selector 4207 to the medal receiving tray 4201.

The reel stop button 4211 is composed of a left reel stop button 4211a, a middle reel stop button 4211b, and a right reel stop button 4211c, which are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the left reel 4301a, the middle reel 4301b, and the right reel 4301c, respectively, and is used to stop the rotation of the corresponding reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c in response to a stop operation.

In addition, below the area where these operation buttons are provided, a decorative plate (decorative panel) that constitutes the lower area of the front member 4200 is provided. Furthermore, below the decorative plate, at the bottom of the front member 4200, a medal tray 4201 for storing medals, a medal payout outlet, a speaker 4512 for outputting sound, etc. are provided.

At the top of the inside of the cabinet, a main board (game control device) 4600 (see FIG. 271) that controls the entire slot machine 4000 is arranged. A bonus ratio display 1317 and a display switch 1318 are provided on the main board 4600. The bonus ratio display 1317 is configured, for example, by a four-digit seven-segment LED, similar to the pachinko machine described above. The bonus ratio display 1317 may also be configured by a liquid crystal display device provided on the main board 4600.

The bonus feature ratio display 1317 may not be provided on the main board 4600, but may be used in conjunction with another display provided on the front of the slot machine 4000 (e.g., the payout number display LED 4562 or the image display 4500), and the bonus feature ratio may be displayed on the payout number display LED 4562 or the image display 4500.

When the display switch 1318 is operated, the feature ratio display 1317 displays the feature ratio. It is advisable to indicate (by printing, engraving, sticker, etc.) on the printed circuit board near the display switch 1318 or on the housing 4100 that the switch is for operating the feature ratio display. It is preferable that the display switch 1318 is provided near the feature ratio display 1317, but it may be provided on another board (e.g., the performance control board 4700, the power supply unit 4112), the housing 4100, or the front member 4200, not necessarily on the main control unit 1300, as long as it is in a place where it is easy to operate. In addition, as described later, the display switch 1318 may also be used as a RAM clear switch. By providing the display switch 1318 in a position where it cannot be operated by the player, it is possible to prevent the player from operating it by mistake.

Also, a symbol-changing display device 4300 is provided in the approximate center of the inside of the housing, and rotatable reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c are mounted on it. Also, an external relay terminal board 4131 is provided inside the housing of the slot machine 4000 for outputting signals from the main board 4600 to an external device.

Furthermore, a medal payout device (hopper) 4110 is disposed at the bottom inside the housing. The medal payout device 4110 receives and stores medals inserted from the medal insertion port 4203 and guided by the medal selector 4207, and when a predetermined pattern combination is formed on the active line and a winning is established, it pays out the number of medals (payout medals) corresponding to this winning or the amount of medals that exceed the credit upper limit due to the addition associated with the winning to the medal receiving tray 4201. The medal payout device 4110 pays out the credit amount to the medal receiving tray 4201 by operating the payout button 4209. In addition, an overflow tank is provided to the right of the medal payout device 4110 to store medals that overflow and flow in from the medal payout device 4110 and to guide the medals that flow in to the medal collection mechanism of the installation island on which the slot machine 4000 is installed.

[17-2. Internal structure of slot machine]
271 is a block diagram showing the configuration of various mechanical elements, electronic devices, operating members, etc. provided in the slot machine 4000. The slot machine 4000 has a main board 4600 for overall control of the progress of the game, and the main board 4600 is equipped with a CPU 4601, a ROM 4602, a RAM 4603, an input/output interface 4604, etc.

As described above, the main board 4600 is provided with a reel ratio display 1317 that displays the reel ratio calculated by the CPU 4601, and a display switch 1318 that switches the display of the reel ratio display 1317. The display switch 1318 may be configured as a push button switch that performs a momentary operation, but may be a switch of another type. When the display switch 1318 is operated, the reel ratio may be displayed on the reel ratio display 1317.

The aforementioned one coin insertion button 4205, max bet button 4206, start lever 4210, reel stop buttons 4211a, 4211b, 4211c, payout button 4209, etc. are all connected to the main board 4600, and these operation buttons are operated by the player using sensors (not shown), which output the detected operation signals to the main board 4600. Specifically, when the start lever 4210 is operated, an operation signal that starts the aforementioned variable pattern display device 4300 (starts the rotation of reels 4301a, 4301b, 4301c) is output to the main board 4600, and when the reel stop buttons 4211a, 4211b, 4211c are operated, an operation signal that stops reels 4301a, 4301b, 4301c is output to the main board 4600.

The slot machine 4000 also houses a main board 4600 and other devices, and various signals are input from these devices to the main board 4600. The devices include a symbol-changing display device 4300 and a medal payout device 4110, etc.

As described above, the variable symbol display device 4300 is equipped with reel drive motors 4341a, 4341b, and 4341c for rotating the reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c, respectively (left reel drive motor 4341a, center reel drive motor 4341b, and right reel drive motor 4341c). The reel drive motor 4341 is a stepping motor, and each of the reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c can rotate and stop independently, and during rotation, multiple types of symbols are displayed in the symbol display window 4401, changing continuously from top to bottom.

The reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c also have position sensors 4331a, 4331b, and 4331c for detecting the reference position of the rotation of each reel 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c, and each reel 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c has a corresponding position sensor 4331a, 4331b, and 4331c provided therein (left reel position sensor 4331a, center reel position sensor 4331b, right reel position sensor 4331c). Detection signals (index signals) from these position sensors are input to the main board 4600, allowing the main board 4600 to obtain information on the stop position of each reel.

The medal selector 4207 contains the solenoid 4207a and insertion sensor 4207b described above. The insertion sensor 4207b detects medals inserted from the medal insertion port 4203 and outputs a medal detection signal to the main board 4600. When the solenoid 4207a is OFF, the inserted medal is detected by the insertion sensor 4207b. Conversely, when the solenoid 4207a is ON, the passage leading to the insertion sensor 4207b in the medal selector 4207 is locked out, and the insertion of medals is not accepted. Even if a player inserts a medal, the medal that flows through the medal selector 4207 into the return gutter returns to the medal tray 4201. At the same time, the function of the insertion sensor 4207b is disabled, so that neither betting by inserting a medal nor storing the medal is performed.

The medal payout device 4110 has a payout sensor 4110e in the discharge port that detects each medal paid out, and a payout medal signal for each medal is input from the payout sensor 4110e to the main board 4600. In addition, the auxiliary storage box for game medals is provided with a medal full sensor 4111a, and when the number of medals stored inside exceeds a predetermined number, a detection signal that the number of medals has exceeded the predetermined number is output to the main board 4600. At this time, an error message is displayed on the image display 4500, error lamp 4554, etc. to notify the player and hall employees that an abnormality has occurred in the medal storage.

On the other hand, the main board 4600 outputs control signals to the symbol variable display device 4300 and the medal payout device 4110. That is, the main board 4600 outputs drive pulse signals for controlling the start and stop of each of the reel drive motors 4341a, 4341b, 4341c described above. In addition, the medal payout device 4110 receives drive signals from the main board 4600 according to the type of combination of symbols stopped on the active line, and in response to this, the medal payout device 4110 performs a medal payout operation. At this time, if the medal payout device 4110 does not have enough medals required for payout or if there are no medals at all in the medal payout device 4110, the payout sensor 4110e will not be able to detect the number of medals. After a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) has elapsed, the payout sensor 4110e outputs an abnormality signal for the payout medals to the main board 4600, and in response, the main board 4600 displays information on the error lamp 4554 or image display 4500, etc., informing the player or hall staff that an abnormality has occurred in the payout of medals.

The slot machine 4000 is equipped with a main board 4600 and a performance control board 4700, which is equipped with a CPU 4701, a ROM 4702, a RAM 4703, an input/output interface 4707, a VDP (Video Display Processor) 4704, an AMP (audio amplifier) 4705, a sound source IC 4706, etc. The performance control board 4700 receives various command signals from the main board 4600 and controls the display of the image display 4500, the light emission (or lighting, blinking, extinguishing, etc.) of the lighting device 4502, etc., and the operation of the speaker 4512.

In addition, an external relay terminal board 4131 is provided, and the slot machine 4000 is connected to the hall computer 4800 of the gaming center via the external relay terminal board 4131. The external relay terminal board 4131 serves to relay various signals (inserted medal signal, paid out medal signal, game status, etc.) transmitted from the main board 4600 to the hall computer 4800.

The power supply device 4112 creates multiple types of DC power from the 24 volt AC (24V) power supplied from the island equipment. For example, three types of power are created: DC +5V (hereinafter, "+5V"), DC +12V (hereinafter, "+12V"), and DC +24V (hereinafter, "+24V"). The three types of power, +5V, +12V, and +24V, created by the power supply device 4112 are supplied to each component included in the slot machine 4000, and for example, the two types of power, +5V and +12V, are supplied to the variable pattern display device 4300 equipped with the reel 4301 and the reel drive motor 4341.

The power supply unit 4112 is also equipped with a setting change key switch 4112t, a reset switch 4112u, a power switch 4112v, and the like. None of these switches are exposed on the outside of the slot machine 4000, and can only be operated by opening the front member 4200. The power switch 4112v is used to turn the power supply to the slot machine 4000 on and off, and the setting change key switch 4112t is used to change the settings of the slot machine 4000 (for example, settings 1 to 6). The reset switch 4112u is used to cancel errors that occur in the slot machine 4000, and is also operated together with the setting change key switch 4112t when changing settings.

The main board 4600 is also provided with a reel drive motor voltage switching circuit 4605. When driving the output shaft of the reel drive motor 4341 to rotate and obtain a drive torque for rotating the reel 4301, the CPU 4601 sets the logic of the voltage switching signal (e.g., HI) and outputs it to the reel drive motor voltage switching circuit 4605, thereby controlling the supply of +12V as the motor drive voltage to the reel drive motor 4341. On the other hand, when obtaining a stationary torque for maintaining the output shaft of the reel drive motor 4341 in a stopped state, the CPU 4601 sets the logic of the voltage switching signal (e.g., LOW) and outputs it to the reel drive motor voltage switching circuit 4605, thereby controlling the supply of +5V as the motor drive voltage to the reel drive motor 4341.

The above is an example of the configuration of the slot machine 4000. In a game using the slot machine 4000, when the player operates the start lever 4210 after deciding the number of medals to be bet on, each of the reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c spins, and then when the player operates the reel stop button 4211a, 4211b, or 4211c, the corresponding reel 4301a, 4301b, or 4301c is controlled to stop, and when all of the reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c have stopped, the game result is determined from the combination of symbols on the pay line, and a specified number of medals corresponding to the applicable winning combination is awarded as necessary.

As described above, each of the reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c has a reel band with a pattern drawn on it. When all the reels 4301a, 4301b, and 4301c are stopped, it is determined whether or not a pattern combination (pattern combination) corresponding to a predetermined winning combination is displayed from the display content (pattern combination displayed on the winning line) displayed in the pattern display window 4401. Specifically, it is determined whether or not a pattern combination corresponding to a predetermined winning combination is displayed on the aforementioned winning line in the pattern display window 4401. It is determined whether or not a pattern combination corresponding to a winning combination is displayed on each of the multiple winning lines. As a result, if it is determined that a pattern combination of multiple winning combinations is displayed, the amount of medals that is the sum of the payout amounts corresponding to each displayed winning combination is paid out.

[17-3. Storage area configuration]
Next, the memory area provided by the ROM 4602 and RAM 4603 provided on the main board 4600 will be described. The memory area of the pachinko machine has been outlined in Fig. 24, but is configured similarly to the slot machine 4000 shown in Figs. 272 to 275. Fig. 272 is a diagram showing the access area in game control of the slot machine 4000 in this embodiment, and details of the ROM area 5100 which is the memory area corresponding to the ROM 4602.

The memory area in this embodiment is provided by media such as ROM 4602 and RAM 4603, and is provided as a single access area with addresses from "0000H" to "FFFFH". The access area in this embodiment is divided into predetermined areas corresponding to the media providing the access area, and includes a ROM area 5100, a RAM area 5200, an I/O area 5300, and a parameter information setting area 5400. Note that each area does not necessarily need to correspond to the media providing the access area, and a single area may be provided by multiple media, or a single medium may provide multiple areas.

The access area of this embodiment is configured as described above, so that the CPU 4601 can specify an address to access programs and data without being aware of the medium that actually provides the access area. The details of the access area are described below.

[17-3-1. ROM area]
First, the configuration of the ROM area 5100 will be described. The ROM area 5100 corresponds to a storage area provided by the ROM 4602. The ROM 4602 is a non-volatile memory that retains the stored contents even when the power of the pachinko machine 1 is cut off. The ROM 4602 is a volatile storage medium, and the stored data can be read, but cannot be updated or deleted. The data stored in the ROM area 5100 may be updatable.

The ROM area 5100 is assigned addresses from "0000H" to "1FFFH". The CPU 4601 can access data stored in the ROM 4602 by specifying addresses from "0000H" to "1FFFH".

The ROM area 5100 includes a first control area, a first isolation area, a first data area, a second control area, a second isolation area, a second data area, a third control area, a third isolation area, and a fourth isolation area. A start address and an end address are set for each area.

The first control area is a game control area in which programs for game control and the like are stored. The first data area is a game data area in which data necessary for game control is stored. In other words, the program stored in the first control area is executed, and game control is performed while referring to the data stored in the first data area. The areas used for game control (first control area, first data area) are referred to as game control areas (first memory area).

The second control area stores programs for debugging (functionality testing) the control program, etc. The second data area is an area for storing data for debugging (functionality testing). The second data area is not necessarily required, and debugging data may be stored in the second control area. The area (second control area, second data area) in which programs and data for debugging (functionality testing) the game control program that are not used for game control are stored is referred to as the debugging (functionality testing) area (second storage area).

The third control area stores a program for calculating and displaying the bonus feature ratio. The third control area also stores data for bonus feature ratio calculation. A third data area may be provided for storing data for bonus feature ratio calculation. The area (third control area) in which the program and data for calculating the bonus feature ratio are stored without being used for game control is referred to as a bonus feature ratio calculation area (third storage area). In this way, by designing the bonus feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 separately from the game control code 13131 and storing them in separate areas, the bonus feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 and the game control code 13131 can be inspected separately, reducing the effort required for inspecting the slot machine 4000. The bonus feature ratio calculation/display code 13135 can be used in common with multiple models, regardless of the model.

The first, second, third and fourth isolation areas are areas allocated between the control area and the data area, and are areas to which access is prohibited. In the processing by the CPU 4601, if an isolation area is accessed, a reset process is forcibly executed. The first, second, third and fourth isolation areas are areas that are continuous with the areas before and after. For example, the start address of the first isolation area is the address next to the end address of the first control area ("0A00H"), and the end address of the first isolation area is the address immediately before the first data area ("0AFFH"). The third isolation area is also arranged between the game control area and the debug (function inspection) area, and although it is treated as the game control area in FIG. 30, it may be treated as the debug (function inspection) area. Similarly, the fourth isolation area is arranged between the debug (function inspection) area and the role ratio calculation area, and although it is treated as the debug (function inspection) area in FIG. 272, it may be treated as the role ratio calculation area.

[17-3-2. RAM area]
Next, the configuration of the RAM area 5200 will be described. Fig. 273 is a diagram showing details of the RAM area 5200 in this embodiment. The RAM area 5200 corresponds to a storage area provided by the RAM 4603. The RAM 4603 is a pachinko The RAM area 5200 is a volatile storage medium whose contents are erased when the power supply to the machine 1 is turned off, and the stored data can be read and written. The RAM 4603 temporarily stores the above-mentioned data, and stores data derived by executing the program. The RAM 4603 may be a non-volatile storage medium as long as data can be read and written. The backup power supply makes it possible for data stored in the RAM 4603 to be retained for a predetermined period of time.

The RAM area 5200 is assigned addresses from "3000H" to "31FFH". The CPU 4601 can access data stored in the RAM 4603 by specifying addresses from "3000H" to "31FFH".

The RAM area 5200 includes a work area for game control, a work area for debugging (test function), a save area, and an isolation area. A start address and an end address are set for each area.

The game control work area is a work area (temporary area) used when executing game control (first control). The debug (inspection function) work area is a work area used when executing debug control (second control) of the program. The role ratio calculation work area is an area that stores data for calculating role ratios and calculated role ratios (role ratio, continuous role ratio, advantageous zone role ratio, etc.). It is not necessary to secure a dedicated work area for the debug (inspection function) work area or the role ratio calculation work area, and the game control work area may be used, or the debug (inspection function) work area or the role ratio calculation work area may be assigned to the game control work area. In this case, the independence of the game control area, the debug (inspection function) control area, and the role ratio calculation work area is reduced. However, if the program is configured so that the debug (inspection function) work area or the role ratio calculation work area is not used, the debug (inspection function) work area or the role ratio calculation work area is not necessarily used.

The save area is an area that temporarily stores data used in game control, debug (inspection function) control, or bonus ratio calculation. For example, when an interrupt occurs and a specified process is executed, the values of the CPU's various registers (arithmetic registers, flag registers, stack pointer, etc.) are copied to the save area before the specified process is executed, and the copied values are returned to the CPU's various registers after the process is completed. The save area may be used in common for game control, debug (inspection function), and bonus ratio calculation, but like the work area, it may also be divided into game control, debug (inspection function), and bonus ratio calculation. This allows for greater independence between game control, debug (inspection function) control, and bonus ratio calculation.

The isolated areas are allocated between the game control work area, the debug (inspection function) work area, and the role ratio calculation work area, and between the debug (inspection function) work area, the evacuation area, and the role ratio calculation evacuation area, and are areas that are continuous with each area (the area before and after). For example, the start address of the isolated area between the game control work area and the debug (inspection function) work area is the address next to the end address of the game control work area ("3076H"), and the end address is the address just before the debug (inspection function) work area ("307FH"). In addition, the isolated areas are areas that are prohibited from being accessed, and are configured to forcibly execute a reset process if accessed during processing by the CPU 4601.

Figure 273 shows the details of the work area for calculating the ratio of features on the right side. The work area for calculating the ratio of features may be provided with a main area in which the calculation result of the ratio of features is stored, as well as a backup area 1 and a backup area 2 in which copies of the data stored in the main area are stored. There may be one or more backup areas. A check code for detecting errors in the data is added to each area. The check code may be a checksum of the data in each area or a predetermined value. The check code may be set in the initialization process when the slot machine 4000 is turned on, or may be set each time the data in the main area is updated in the calculation and display process of the ratio of features, or may be set in the initialization process (step S1020 in Figure 276). In particular, if the check code is a fixed value, the check code may be initialized when the initialization process determines that the data is normal or erases the data, and the fixed value may be set in the initialization process (step S1020 in Figure 276). The check code may also be used as a power failure flag. In other words, if a predetermined value is set in the check code in the main area, it may be determined that the power failure flag is set. Also, if a predetermined value is set in the power interruption flag, it may be determined that the check code in each area is the correct value (i.e., the data in each area is normal).

In the initialization process (step S1020 in FIG. 276), it is determined whether the data in the backup area is normal, and data in the backup area that is determined to be normal may be copied to the main area. Also, in the power-off process that is executed when the power is cut off, values in the main area may be copied to each backup area.

Unused space is provided between the main area and backup area 1, and between backup area 1 and backup area 2. By providing unused space between each area, the addresses of each area can be separated, and each area can be distinguished by the upper digits of the address.

Figure 274 shows the specific structure of the work area for storing each data in the work area for calculating the role ratio.

Figure 274 (A) shows the structure of the work area in the simplest way. In the work area structure shown in Figure 274 (A), the number of feature payouts, the number of consecutive feature payouts, the total number of payouts, the feature ratio, the consecutive feature ratio, the number of advantageous zone plays, the number of non-advantage zone plays, and the advantageous zone ratio are stored. The number of feature payouts is the number of medals paid out while the feature is in operation (e.g., during a regular bonus). The number of consecutive feature balls acquired is the number of medals paid out while consecutive feature functions are in operation (e.g., during a big bonus). The total number of payouts is the total number of medals paid out by the game. The feature ratio can be calculated by dividing the number of feature payouts by the total number of payouts. The consecutive feature ratio can be calculated by dividing the number of consecutive feature payouts by the total number of payouts. The number of games played in advantageous zones is the number of games played in a game state that is advantageous to the player (for example, a game state such as ART (Assist Replay Time) in which the player's medals are less likely to be lost), and the number of games played in non-advantageous zones is the number of games played in a game state other than an advantageous zone. The advantageous zone ratio can be calculated by the number of games played in advantageous zones / (number of games played in advantageous zones + number of games played in non-advantageous zones).

Of the work area structure shown in Figure 274 (A), the number of feature payouts, number of consecutive feature payouts, total payouts, number of advantageous zone plays, and number of non-advantage zone plays correspond to the total cumulative totals in Figure 274 (B) described below, and each is a 3 or 4 byte memory area that can store values up to 16777215 or 4294967295 in decimal. Since this data is not erased unless an abnormality occurs in the data, a large memory area is provided so that data can be stored for a long period of time. Additionally, the feature ratio, consecutive feature ratio, and advantageous zone ratio are 1 byte memory areas that can store values up to 255 in decimal.

The number of reel payouts, number of consecutive reel payouts, total number of payouts, number of plays in the advantageous zone, and number of plays in the non-advantageous zone are updated in the reel ratio calculation area update process (step S1038 in FIG. 276), and the reel ratio, consecutive reel ratio, and advantageous zone ratio are calculated and stored in the reel ratio calculation/display process (step S1119 in FIG. 277).

Figure 274 (B) shows the structure of a work area using a ring buffer. In the structure of the work area shown in Figure 274 (B), the number of replays, the number of winning payouts, the number of feature payouts, the number of consecutive feature payouts, the number of plays, the feature ratio, the consecutive feature ratio, the number of games played in the advantageous zone, the number of games played in the non-advantageous zone, and the advantageous zone ratio are stored. In addition, the storage area for each data is configured by a ring buffer having n storage areas for each predetermined number of games (for example, 15 storage areas for each 400 games), and when the number of games played reaches the predetermined number (400 times), the write pointer for all data moves and the storage area in which the data is updated changes. Then, after the data for the predetermined number of games is stored in the nth storage area, the write pointer moves to the first storage area and the data is stored in the first storage area.

The write pointer and read pointer of the ring buffer are common to all data, and the write pointer of all data moves for every specified number of winning balls. In addition, the read pointer also moves along with the movement of the write pointer. The read pointer points to a memory area that is one step behind the write pointer. This is because the ratio of winning devices is calculated using data from 400 games.

The cumulative total of each data is the cumulative value of the data stored in the n memory areas of the ring buffer, and the cumulative values of the reel ratio and continuous reel ratio are values calculated from the cumulative values of each data, and when the ring buffer goes through one cycle and is cleared to one memory area of the ring buffer to write new data, the cumulative value is calculated excluding the data in that cleared area. The total cumulative total of each data is the cumulative value of data collected in the past, and the cumulative values of the reel ratio and continuous reel ratio are values calculated from the cumulative values of each data, and even when the ring buffer goes through one cycle and is cleared to one memory area of the ring buffer to write new data, the total cumulative value is calculated including the data in that cleared area.

In the work area structure shown in FIG. 274(B), the number of replays, number of winning payouts, number of special feature payouts, number of consecutive special feature payouts, and number of plays in the ring buffer are each 2-byte storage areas, and can store values up to 65535 in decimal. The cumulative total of the number of replays, number of winning payouts, number of special feature payouts, number of consecutive special feature payouts, and number of plays is each 3-byte storage areas, and can store values up to 16777215 in decimal. The cumulative total is, for example, the sum of data for 400 games x n (6000 games when n = 15), so a large storage area is provided. The total cumulative total of the number of replays, number of winning payouts, number of special feature payouts, number of consecutive special feature payouts, and number of plays is each 3 or 4-byte storage areas, and can store values up to 16777215 or 4294967295 in decimal. Since the total cumulative total is not erased unless an abnormality occurs in the data, a larger memory area is provided to allow data to be stored for a long period of time. In addition, the cumulative total and total cumulative total of the feature ratio and consecutive feature ratio each occupy a 1-byte memory area and can store values up to 255 in decimal. The number of plays in the advantageous zone and the number of plays in the non-advantageous zone each occupy a 3-byte memory area and can store values up to 16777215 in decimal. The advantageous zone ratio occupies a 1-byte memory area and can store values up to 255 in decimal.

Note that by increasing the number of games corresponding to the data stored in each memory area that makes up the ring buffer (for example, 600 games), it is possible to store the same cumulative data for 6,000 games even if the number (n) of consecutive memory areas for storing time-series data is reduced to 10. This allows the size of the memory area used as the ring buffer to be reduced.

Of the work area structure shown in Figure 274 (B), the number of feature payouts, number of consecutive feature payouts, feature ratio, consecutive feature ratio, number of advantageous zone plays, number of non-advantage zone plays, and advantageous zone ratio are the same as those explained in Figure 274 (A). The number of replays is the number of games that were replayed. The number of winning payouts is the total number of medals paid out by a game. The number of plays is the number of games that have been played, and when this value reaches a specified number, the write pointer moves.

The number of replays, number of winning payouts, number of feature payouts, number of consecutive feature payouts, total payouts, number of plays in favorable zones, and number of plays in non-favorable zones are updated in the feature ratio calculation area update process (step S1038 in FIG. 276), and the feature ratio, consecutive feature ratio, and favorable zone ratio are calculated and stored in the feature ratio calculation/display process (step S1119 in FIG. 277).

In the data structure shown in FIG. 274(A), if the stored value is determined to be abnormal, the data in the work area for calculating the ratio of features is erased in the initialization process (step S1020 in FIG. 276), but the data is not erased due to other triggers. For this reason, the data in the work area for calculating the ratio of features may be erased every predetermined period (e.g., one day, one week, one month, etc.). Similarly, the total cumulative value in FIG. 274(B) may be erased every predetermined period.

In addition, if the data in the work area for calculating the ratio of features or the calculated ratio of features is an abnormal value (for example, the ratio of features is over 100%, the calculation result of the ratio of features has changed significantly from the previous calculation value, the number of features paid out is greater than the total number of features paid out, etc.), the abnormal value may be erased. Not only the abnormal value but also all data in the work area for calculating the ratio of features may be erased. In addition, if the data in the work area for calculating the ratio of features or the calculated ratio of features is an abnormal value, an abnormality may be notified. In addition, the data in the backup area may be inspected using a check code, and the normal data in the backup area may be copied to the main area, after which the ratio of features is calculated again.

[17-3-3. I/O Area Configuration]
Next, the I/O area 5300 will be described. The I/O area 5300 corresponds to input/output ports, and the CPU 4601 can access each input/output port by accessing the I/O area 5300. The input/output ports include, for example, ports related to inputs such as switches, and ports related to outputs such as large prize opening solenoids and LED drive signals. The settings of the input/output ports (settings related to use/unuse of input settings, output settings, etc.) are set based on the setting values of the parameter information setting area 5400.

[17-3-4. Parameter information setting area]
Next, the parameter information setting area 5400 will be described. FIG. 275 is a diagram showing the details of the parameter information setting area 5400 of this embodiment. The parameter information setting area 5400 is an area where various settings can be made. For example, as shown in FIG. 275, the various settings include the start/end addresses of each control area and data area. In FIG. 275, the definitions of the start and end addresses of the third control area, the work area for calculating the role ratio, and the evacuation area for calculating the role ratio are omitted from the illustration, but the start setting of the third control area and the end setting of the third control area are defined in the same way as the start and end settings of the other control areas, the start setting of the work area for calculating the role ratio and the end setting of the work area for calculating the role ratio are defined in the same way as the start and end settings of the other work areas, and the start setting of the evacuation area for calculating the role ratio and the end setting of the evacuation area for calculating the role ratio are defined in the same way as the start and end settings of the other evacuation areas. Areas other than the areas set here are unused (unset) areas. As a result, when the CPU 4601 accesses an unused area, a reset signal is forcibly input to the CPU 4601. Although the parameters are set in a continuous area in FIG. 275, the set areas do not have to be continuous. For example, the parameters may be grouped and placed at a predetermined interval.

In addition, in this embodiment, when an area other than the setting area (the first to fourth isolated areas of the ROM 5100, the isolated area of the RAM 5200) is accessed, a reset is forcibly generated. Therefore, it is possible to perform initial startup of the program by intentionally accessing the isolated area to generate a reset. Since processes are executed sequentially in a slot machine, the program can be executed from the startup process by accessing the isolated area after the last game process is completed, and the initial settings can be executed again. As a result, even if the initial settings function is set to a value different from the setting value due to noise or the like during play, the initial settings can be executed again to reset it to a normal value. Furthermore, in the initial setting process, the power failure flag is used to determine whether the RAM should be cleared, but it is possible to forcibly clear the RAM by accessing the isolated area without setting the power failure flag. On the other hand, since the pachinko machine described above is played in parallel, if the game itself is initialized, it becomes impossible to continue playing, but in the case of a slot machine, it is necessary to initialize the RAM information that is no longer necessary after the game ends, so the process of initializing the RAM information can be made unnecessary by accessing the isolated area.

The values set in the parameter information setting area 5400 are not set sequentially by user program processing such as the initial settings of the CPU 4601, but by setting the address and setting value of the parameter area in the ROM 4602 separately from the program, the parameter information set in the ROM 4602 is set sequentially in each function setting register of the CPU before the CPU 4601 starts the control program at startup. This allows various parameters to be set when the power to the pachinko machine 1 is turned on. The setting values of various parameters are information managed (determined) by the user, and are therefore set in the ROM 4602 in which the game control program is stored.

[17-4. Game control]
[17-4-1. System reset startup process]
Next, the control of the slot machine of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 276 is a flow chart for explaining the procedure of the system reset start-up process executed when the slot machine 4000 is reset. The system reset start-up process is executed when the slot machine 4000 is powered on or when a power outage occurs, and is started when a reset signal is input to the CPU 4601.

When the system reset start process is started, the CPU 4601 first executes a parameter setting process to set various parameters necessary for executing the game (step S1010). Specifically, the CPU 4601 sets the setting values stored in the parameter information setting area 5400 included in the memory area to each function setting register of the CPU 4601, and sets the address of each area allocated to the access area as a setting value. By setting the address of each area as a setting value, for example, a work area or a save area is allocated as a used area in the RAM area 5200, and an area not allocated as a used area (isolated area in FIG. 273) is allocated as an unused area. In addition, the work area and the save area are each divided into game control and debugging (inspection function) (or other uses). In addition, in the ROM area 5100, areas for storing programs and data are allocated as used areas, and areas not allocated as used areas are allocated as unused areas, similar to the RAM area 5200.

Next, the CPU 4601 executes a security check process (step S1012). The security check process is a process for determining whether the data stored in the ROM 4602 is normal or not. If the data stored in the ROM 4602 is not normal, for example, there is a risk that the ROM 4602 has been replaced with an unauthorized ROM, and therefore the startup of the slot machine 4000 is halted. Furthermore, the CPU 4601 waits until the time required for the security check has elapsed (step S1014).

The processing from when the slot machine is powered on to when the security check is completed (up to step S1014) is not processing defined by a user program, but is processing configured by hardware within the CPU that cannot be changed by the developer.

Then, the CPU 4601 executes a device initialization setting process to perform initialization (step S1016). In the device initialization setting process, processing such as starting up periodic processing (Figure 277, timer interrupt processing) that periodically executes a predetermined process is executed. In this embodiment, the parameter setting process executes functions such as setting the random number function and other functions that prevent settings related to game lotteries from being rewritten by a user program after a security check, and the device initialization setting process executes functions other than these. In this way, by dividing the initialization of the CPU 4601 into a parameter setting process and a device initialization setting process, the degree of freedom of game control is increased and cheating in games is made more difficult.

The CPU 4601 further determines whether to initialize the RAM 4603 (step S1018). In the process of step S1018, it determines whether to perform a cold start to initialize the RAM 4603, or a hot start to return to play using the backed-up contents of the RAM 4603.

When performing a cold start to initialize the RAM 4603 (the result of step S1018 is "Yes"), the CPU 4601 executes an initialization process to initialize the RAM 4603 (step S1020). A cold start is performed when a setting change operation is performed on the pachinko machine 1, an abnormality occurs in the contents of the RAM 4603, the power failure flag is not set, etc.

On the other hand, when the CPU 4601 performs a hot start to resume play based on the contents of the RAM 4603 (the result of step S1018 is "No"), it executes a process to resume play based on the backed-up contents of the RAM 4603 (step S1022). At this time, the resume process resumes the process that was interrupted when the power was interrupted. Specifically, the process resumes the process that was interrupted when the power was interrupted by either the process from step S1024 to step S1042 of the system reset start process described below or the process from step S1110 to step S1130 of the periodic process (FIG. 277).

In the slot machine 4000 of this embodiment, the checksum is calculated based on the information stored in the RAM 4603 when a power outage occurs and when the recovery process is executed. At this time, the checksum may be calculated only in the game control work area, excluding the debug (inspection function) work area, among all areas used as work (game control work area and debug (inspection function) work area). The reason for calculating the checksum only in the game control work area is that the debug (inspection function) process is designed to maintain its independence from the game control process and is a process that does not affect the results of the game, so it is possible that some bugs may remain due to insufficient verification. In this case, using the debug (inspection function) work area, which holds the information obtained by executing such a process, as the target for calculating the checksum may undermine the reliability of normal recovery from a power outage. On the other hand, since the game control process is directly related to the game, if it is installed in a product with bugs remaining, it will cause major problems in the market. In some cases, sales may be halted and the product may need to be recalled, which would be extremely likely to cause significant financial and other damage to the manufacturer and the hall, so thorough verification is carried out, and the game control work area is therefore more reliable than the debugging (inspection function) work area.

When the initialization process is completed or when the series of games is completed, the CPU 4601 executes a game initial setting process in order to start a new game (step S1024). In the game initial setting process, the CPU 4601 executes a process to temporarily return information in the RAM 4603 that is no longer necessary for performing a series of game controls to the initial setting state.

When the game initial setting process is completed, the CPU 4601 executes information signal 1 output process for outputting a debug (inspection function) signal at the start of the game (step S1026). In the information signal 1 output process, the debug (inspection function) signal is set to the initial state, and other processes are performed. The information signal output process defines information signal 1 to N output processes, and the necessary modules are called at the timing of outputting the information signal. For example, when a debug (inspection function) signal (information on the start of reel rotation, the ON of the start lever, and winning combination) is output during the game start process, when a debug (inspection function) signal (stop operation signal, stopped combination information, etc.) regarding the stop of each reel is output during the pattern stop process, and when a debug (inspection function) signal (determined combination displayed on each reel, payout number information associated with the determined combination, information on the output signal regarding the payout number at the time of payout (number of medals paid out), etc.) regarding the determined combination is output during the winning determination process, the "information signal N output process" module required for the process is appropriately called and executed.

Then, the CPU 4601 executes a standby process (step S1028) to carry out processing prior to the player operating the start lever 4210. In the stage prior to operating the start lever 4210, for example, it is determined whether or not a command to execute a replay has been given, whether or not a medal has been inserted, whether or not a medal has been settled, and further, the setting values of the game are confirmed, etc.

When the start lever 4210 is operated, the CPU 4601 executes a game start process to start the game (step S1030). In the game start process, a random number value for a game lottery is obtained, a winning combination is determined, and the reel 4301 starts to rotate. After that, the CPU 4601 executes a wait process to wait until the reel 4301 reaches a normal rotation speed (step S1032).

When the reels 4301 reach a normal rotation speed, the CPU 4601 enables input from the reel stop button 4211 and executes a pattern stop process that continues processing until all reels 4301 have stopped (step S1034).

Furthermore, when all reels 4301 have stopped, the CPU 4601 executes a winning combination determination process to determine a winning combination based on the stopped symbols (step S1036). In the winning combination determination process, a winning combination is determined, and if a winning combination is determined, settings corresponding to the winning combination are made, and settings are made to execute a payout process corresponding to the winning combination.

Then, the CPU 4601 determines the current game state, adds the number of prize medals to be paid out as the game value to an area corresponding to the current game state, and updates the work area for calculating the ratio of the game devices in the RAM area 5200 (see Figures 273 and 274) (step S1038). The processing of step S1038 can be skipped if there are no prize medals to be paid out in step S1036, thereby reducing the load on the CPU 4601.

Even if the slot machine 4000 detects fraud and stops playing, it still executes the reel ratio calculation area update process (step S1038). By executing these processes, regardless of whether fraud has been detected or not, data for reel ratio calculation can be collected even during a fraud alert.

Finally, the CPU 4601 executes a game end process that performs processing at the end of the game (step S1042). In the game end process, a payout process corresponding to the winning combination is executed, and if no winning combination is won or if a winning combination without a payout is won, this process is skipped. When the game end process is completed, the process returns to the game initial setting process, and the main loop process from step S1024 to step S1038 is executed.

[17-4-2. Periodic processing]
Next, a description will be given of periodic processing, which is an interrupt processing started at a predetermined cycle while the main loop processing of the system reset initial startup processing is being executed. Fig. 277 is a flow chart showing the procedure of the periodic processing.

When periodic processing is executed, the CPU 4601 first saves the values stored in all registers (step S1110). At this time, the saved data is stored in the game control save area shown in FIG. 273. As mentioned above, periodic processing is an interrupt process that is started while the main loop processing is being executed, so it is necessary to save the CPU registers used in the main loop processing so that processing can be continued after returning.

Then, the CPU 4601 resets the watchdog timer built into the CPU (step S1112). This allows the watchdog timer to be periodically cleared.

Next, the CPU 4601 executes a switch input process to sample input signals from various switches (step S1114). Furthermore, the CPU 4601 executes a game status check process (step S1116). In the game status check process, the CPU 4601 performs processes related to the drive control of the drive body (stepping motor) that rotates the reel 4301. Specifically, the CPU 4601 performs pulse output of the stepping motor, detection of the origin position, etc.

Next, the CPU 4601 executes a timer measurement process to update various timers used in game control (step S1118). Since the periodic process is executed periodically, the set time is the execution interval of the periodic process multiplied by the set number of times.

Then, the CPU 4601 determines whether the display switch 1318 has been operated, and if so, calls up the feature ratio calculation and display process, and calculates the feature ratio by referring to the number of medals paid out stored in the feature ratio calculation work area. The calculated feature ratio is then displayed on the feature ratio display 1317 (step S1119). The feature ratio calculation and display process is the same as the feature ratio calculation and display process (FIGS. 24 and 25) described in the embodiment of the pachinko machine 1. The specific method of calculating the feature ratio and the specific method of displaying the feature ratio are the same as those described in the embodiment of the pachinko machine 1. In this way, the feature ratio calculation and display process is called up in the timer interrupt process to calculate the feature ratio, and the feature ratio (the gambling nature of the slot machine 4000) based on the most recent data can be confirmed.

When the display switch 1318 is operated, all types of values (function ratio, consecutive function ratio, cumulative total, total cumulative total) may be calculated, but only the displayed value may be calculated each time the display switch 1318 is operated. Also, the function ratio may be calculated regardless of whether the display switch 1318 is operated, and the calculated function ratio may be displayed on the function ratio display 1317 in response to the operation of the display switch 1318.

Then, the CPU 4601 executes an LED output process to control the LEDs (step S1120). The LEDs to be controlled are those controlled by the main board 4600, for example the payout number display LED 4562. The CPU 4601 also outputs data to display the ratio of the reels on the LEDs.

The CPU 4601 executes an information output process to output a signal to the external relay terminal board 4131 (step S1122). The output signal is transmitted to the hall computer 4800 via the external relay terminal board 4131. Furthermore, the CPU 4601 outputs the command stored in the command buffer to the performance control board 4700 (step S1124).

The CPU 4601 executes a random number update process to update the random numbers used in the game (step S1126). In the random number update process, updates are performed for random numbers to be generated by software processing. Here, in addition to random numbers generated by software alone, an update process is performed for software random numbers built into the CPU. For software random numbers built into the CPU, the counting itself is performed by hardware, but the trigger for the update is determined by this process. By configuring in this way, it is possible to reduce the program processing related to random number updates.

When the random number update process is completed, the CPU 4601 performs processing to return to the interrupted process (main loop processing). Specifically, the register values saved in the process of step S1110 are restored (step S1128). Furthermore, the execution of the interrupt is permitted (step S1130). Even if a new timer interrupt occurs during execution of periodic processing (timer interrupt processing), the new timer interrupt is pending and is executed after the previously executed timer interrupt process has normally ended and the interrupt is permitted. For this reason, the system is configured to prevent multiple executions of periodic processing (timer interrupt processing).

[17-4-3. Information signal output processing]
Next, the information signal output process executed in the system reset start process and the like will be described. The information signal output process is provided for each function of the output signal (1 to N) and is composed of multiple modules. For example, there are "condition device output signal (signal output related to condition device operation)" and "lottery judgment process (signal output related to lottery)". Although the signals to be output are different, the configuration of each information output process is basically the same, so the description of each flow will be omitted. Figure 278 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the information signal output process of this embodiment.

When the information signal output process is started, the CPU 4601 first saves the values of all of the CPU's registers (step S1210). This is to prevent the values set in the registers from being destroyed by executing the information signal output process (to ensure that the values are restored even if destroyed), and all register values are saved to a stack area. The stack area used at this time is assigned to a save area for debugging (test function), and is assigned to a different area that is separated from the save area for game control.

Next, the CPU 4601 obtains from the RAM 4603 information to be referenced in order to select (ON/OFF) the information signal (debug (inspection function) signal) to be output (step S1212). In each information signal output process, the information stored in the RAM 4603 is only referenced, and no data is written to the RAM 4603 during that process. If writing is required, a work area dedicated to information output is provided in the debug (inspection function) work area, and that work area is configured not to be used (including reference) in any process other than the information signal output process. This makes it possible to ensure independence from other game control programs without using a common area, even if the program that executes the information signal output process is located in a different location from other game control programs.

Next, the CPU 4601 generates an information signal to be output based on the information acquired in the processing of step S1212 (step S1214), and outputs the generated signal to the corresponding port (step S1216). Furthermore, it waits until the information signal output time, which is the time for maintaining the output signal, has elapsed (step S1218). The information signal output time is predetermined, and by setting a sufficient time, it is possible to reliably transmit a debug (test function) signal to the destination. Thereafter, it restores the values of all registers that were saved in the processing of step S1210 (step S1220), and ends this processing.

As described above, the information signal (debug (inspection function) signal) is generated and output by the process from step S1210 to step S1220. Then, the process from step S1210 to step S1220 is executed for the number of debug (inspection function) signals to be output. Different types and numbers of signals are output for each output signal function (1 to N). Note that, in this embodiment, multiple types of information signal output processing are defined for each function, but the information signal output processing may be standardized by preparing a table that defines the output signals corresponding to the functions in the second data area of the debug (inspection function) area and configuring it to select and output a signal corresponding to the function specified by the caller.

As described above, in this embodiment, by providing an area (debug (inspection function) area) for storing a program (signal output program) that executes information signal output processing, etc., in an area clearly distinguished from an area (game control area) for storing a game control program, it is possible to independently place a program for the purpose of debugging (inspection function) of the pachinko machine 1. The signal output program is used for the purpose of debugging (inspection function) of the pachinko machine 1, and is a process that does not affect the outcome of the game and does not harm the fairness of the game. In addition, programs are not placed in the debug (inspection function) area for other purposes (for example, to place a game control program or a general-purpose program to make up for a lack of capacity in the game control area).

The signal output program is executed after being statically called from the game control program, and the address of the call destination is specified. Furthermore, the signal output program is modularized for each function, and when it is called, all registers used in the game control area are protected. Also, as described above, when program processing in the game control area is being executed, access to the debug (inspection function) work area is prohibited, and when program processing in the debug (inspection function) area is being executed, only reference to the game control work area is permitted and writing is prohibited. Furthermore, it is configured to prohibit calling modules (including subroutines) placed in the game control area from the debug (inspection function) area. Programs placed in the debug (inspection function) area, including the signal output program, are always called in subroutine format, and after the subroutine ends, a return command is issued to return to the state immediately after the call. The modules stored in the debug (inspection function) area are configured for each purpose. By configuring in this way, it is configured so that the execution of the game control program is not affected by the execution of the signal output program (program placed in the debug (inspection function) area).

In the embodiment of the slot machine 4000, the timing of erasing the RAM (work area for game control, work area for calculating the ratio of game features) may be the same as steps S18 to S26 in FIG. 21 in the embodiment of the pachinko machine 1. Note that the slot machine 4000 does not have a RAM clear switch, and erases the backup data of the game state when the setting change key switch 4112t is operated.

As described above, according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the pachinko machine example above, it is possible to accurately calculate the ratio of the features of a slot machine in operation, and to confirm the gambling nature of the gaming machine in operation.

Among the inventions disclosed in this specification, the following are representative aspects of the invention other than those described in the claims:

(0) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A main control device that executes a program that controls the progress of a game;
and a bonus ratio display that displays information about the awarded game value;
The role ratio display device has a display device and a driver circuit that drives the display device,
The main control device includes:
Data to be displayed on the role ratio display is transmitted to the driver circuit via serial communication;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that after power is turned on, the synchronization method, communication rate, whether to use parity, and whether to use stop bits are set for serial communication with the driver circuit.

(1) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the communication between the main control device and the driver circuit is slower than the communication between the main control device and the peripheral control device.

This helps prevent inaccurate display of the ratio of game elements caused by data corruption during communication.

(2) The main control device is
A work RAM is provided for storing data on game progress and data for calculating the ratio of special features even when the power is cut off.
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the settings for the serial communication are executed after the work RAM is cleared.

This prevents the display of incorrect reel ratios due to incorrect RAM data being used.

(3) The main control device
The data stored in the FIFO buffer is transmitted by serial communication.
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that after power is turned on, a data accumulation amount is set which determines the timing for sending data from the FIFO buffer.

This allows data to be sent from the FIFO buffer in any number of bits.

(4) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A main control device that executes a program that controls the progress of a game;
and a bonus ratio display that displays information about the awarded game value;
The role ratio display device has a display device and a driver circuit that drives the display device,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the main control device, the display device and the driver circuit are arranged so that the length of the signal line connecting the main control device and the driver circuit is longer than the length of the signal line connecting the driver circuit and the display device.

By lengthening the signal line connecting the main control unit and the driver circuit, unauthorized modifications can be easily detected without placing components around the main control unit. Furthermore, by making the signal line connecting the driver circuit and the display device shorter than the signal line connecting the main control unit and the driver circuit, the effects of noise are reduced and the ratio of the features can be displayed more accurately.

(5) The gaming machine described in the preceding paragraphs, in which the main control device and the role ratio display are housed in a single case.

This makes it easier to detect unauthorized tampering without placing other components around the main control device, and also reduces the effects of noise.

(6) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, in which the main control device and the role ratio display are arranged on a single printed circuit board.

This makes it easier to detect unauthorized tampering without placing other components on the printed circuit board around the main control device, and also reduces the effects of noise.

(7) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, in which the feature ratio display is configured by housing the display device and the driver circuit in a single package.

This reduces the effect of noise on the signal lines connecting the driver circuit and the display device. It also shortens the signal lines connecting the driver circuit and the display device.

(8) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs has a guard pattern (ground pattern or power supply pattern) provided along the signal line connecting the main control device and the driver circuit.

This reduces the effect of noise on the signal lines connecting the main control unit and the driver circuit.

(9) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, in which the display direction of the feature ratio display is the same as the display direction of the model number on the surface of the main control device.

This makes it easy to check whether the main control unit needs to be replaced and the displayed role ratio without having to assume an awkward position.

(10) The driver circuit has a standby mode in which characters and numbers are not displayed on the display device and power consumption is reduced,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the main control device sets the driver circuit to a standby state when the feature ratio display is in a closed state where it is not visible when the gaming machine is installed.

This prevents the gaming machine from wasting power when the device ratio display is not required.

(11) A gaming machine that awards a prize ball as a gaming value to a player by a game ball shot toward a game area entering a predetermined winning hole,
A main control device that controls the progress of a game;
and a role ratio display that displays information about the winning ball;
The winning openings include a general winning opening whose shape does not change depending on the game state, and an electric winning opening whose shape opens or expands depending on the game state.
The main control device counts the number of prize balls paid out to the player by dividing the number of first prize balls paid out in response to a win in the general prize opening and the number of second prize balls paid out in response to a win in the electric prize opening;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the feature ratio display displays information regarding the ratio between the number of the first prize balls and the number of the second prize balls.

(12) The main control device stores the counted number of winning balls in a memory,
The memory stores a check code for verifying the number of winning balls stored,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the main control device erases the number of winning balls stored in the memory if the check code is not normal.

This allows abnormalities in the number of prize balls stored in the memory to be detected, and prevents the display of an incorrect ratio of prize balls (the ratio between the number of first prize balls and the number of second prize balls).

(13) The main control device includes:
The memory has a first backup area and a second backup area in which stored contents are retained even when the power is cut off,
storing game control data in the first backup area;
The data of the number of winning balls for calculating the ratio of the winning balls is stored in the second backup area.
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the data stored in the first backup area and the data stored in the second backup area are erased under different conditions.

This means that if at least one of the data for game control and the data on the number of winning balls used to calculate the ratio of winning devices is normal, only the abnormal data is erased and the normal data remains.

(14) The main control device includes:
The memory has a first backup area and a second backup area in which stored contents are retained even when the power is cut off,
storing game control data in the first backup area;
The data of the number of winning balls for calculating the ratio of the winning balls is stored in the second backup area.
A gaming machine as described in any of the preceding paragraphs, in which if a RAM clear switch is operated when the power of the gaming machine is turned on, the data stored in the first backup area is erased, but the data stored in the second backup area is not erased.

If the device ratio calculation and display data 13136 can be erased by operating the RAM clear switch, the device ratio calculated by the gaming machine can be erased at any time. Therefore, by operating the RAM clear switch, the backed up device ratio calculation and display data 13136 is not erased, preventing the device ratio calculation and display data 13136 from being erased by an amusement center attendant and preventing the concealment of a high device ratio. Therefore, gaming machines that have been modified to have a high device ratio can be easily detected, and the concealment of a high device ratio can be prevented.

(15A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded game value,
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the control means updates information relating to the gaming value to be displayed on the display means in response to input/output of a predetermined signal.

(15B) The information regarding the gaming value is a base,
The control means
Controlling the progress of a game by switching between a special game state in which a player can obtain a large amount of game value and a normal game state other than the special game state;
A gaming machine as described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the base is calculated by dividing the number of winning balls paid out to the player in the normal gaming state by the number of balls consumed by the player in the normal gaming state (for example, the sum of the number of gaming balls shot into the gaming area, the number of gaming balls ejected from the gaming machine, the number of gaming balls that have passed through the outlet, and the number of winning balls).

(15C) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means updates the number of prize balls used to calculate the base for display on the display means when the predetermined signal is received, such as a winning detection signal that detects a winning ball entering a winning slot, a prize ball payout command reception confirmation signal or a prize ball payout completion signal, or when a prize ball payout command that instructs the payout of prize balls is sent.

(15D) The control means
The total number of winning balls used to calculate the base is stored,
In the normal game state, when a signal is received indicating that a game ball has entered a winning hole provided in a game area, a number of winning balls determined corresponding to the winning hole is calculated;
updating the total number of winning balls using the calculated number of winning balls;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the base is calculated by dividing the updated total number of winning balls by the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state.

(15E) a payout control means for controlling the payout of prize balls to players,
The control means
The total number of winning balls used to calculate the base is stored,
In the normal game state, when it is detected that a game ball has entered a winning hole provided in the game area, a number of winning balls determined corresponding to the winning hole is calculated;
instructing the payout control means to pay out the calculated number of winning balls to the player;
The total number of winning balls is updated using the number of winning balls instructed to the payout control means;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the base is calculated by dividing the updated total number of winning balls by the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state.

(15F) a payout control means for controlling the payout of prize balls to a player is provided;
The control means
The total number of winning balls used to calculate the base is stored,
In the normal game state, when it is detected that a game ball has entered a winning hole provided in the game area, a number of winning balls determined corresponding to the winning hole is calculated;
instructing the payout control means to pay out the calculated number of winning balls to the player;
receiving a confirmation of receipt of the instruction from the dispensing control means;
updating the total number of prize balls using the number of prize balls corresponding to the instruction for which the receipt confirmation was received;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the base is calculated by dividing the updated total number of winning balls by the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state.

(15G) a payout control means for controlling the payout of prize balls to a player,
The control means
The total number of winning balls used to calculate the base is stored,
In the normal game state, when it is detected that a game ball has entered a winning hole provided in the game area, a number of winning balls determined corresponding to the winning hole is calculated;
instructing the payout control means to pay out the calculated number of winning balls to the player;
Receive a completion of the payout of the prize balls according to the instruction from the payout control means;
updating the total number of prize balls using the number of prize balls corresponding to the instruction received indicating completion of the payout;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the base is calculated by dividing the updated total number of winning balls by the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state.

(15H) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means includes an information update means for updating information relating to the game value to be displayed on the display means in response to input/output of a predetermined signal, and a processing/display means for processing (statistically processing) the results of the calculation process performed when updating the information and displaying the updated information relating to the game value on the display means.

According to inventions 15A to 15H, processing related to the acquisition of gaming media can be executed accurately.

(16A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded game value,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means updates information regarding the gaming value to be displayed on the display means in relation to the gaming situation satisfying a predetermined condition.

(16B) The information about the gaming value is a base,
The control means
Controlling the progress of a game by switching between a special game state in which a player can obtain a large amount of game value and a normal game state other than the special game state;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the base is calculated when the number of prize balls paid out to the player in the normal gaming state reaches a predetermined number.

(16C) The control means
The total number of winning balls used to calculate the base is stored,
In the normal game state, when it is detected that a game ball has entered a winning hole provided in the game area, the number of winning balls determined corresponding to the winning hole is calculated and stored in a buffer;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the base is calculated by moving the specified number from the buffer to the total number of winning balls at a specified timing, and dividing the total number of winning balls by the number of balls consumed by the player in the normal gaming state (for example, the number of gaming balls shot into the gaming area, the number of gaming balls ejected from the gaming machine, the number of balls passing through the outlet, and the number of winning balls).

(16D) The predetermined timing is a timing when the number of winning balls in the buffer exceeds the predetermined number,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that, when the number of prize balls in the buffer exceeds the predetermined number, the control means moves the predetermined number from the buffer to the total number of prize balls by subtracting the predetermined number from the buffer and adding the predetermined number to the total number of prize balls.

(16E) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means has an information update means for updating information relating to the game value to be displayed on the display means in response to input/output of a predetermined signal, and a processing/display means for processing (statistically processing) the results of the calculation processing performed when updating the information and displaying the updated information relating to the game value on the display means.

The inventions 16A to 16E allow accurate execution of processes that are different from the gameplay while maintaining the gameplay within the constraints of the main control device based on the rules.

(17A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded game value,
The control means
Counting the number of balls consumed by the player;
A gaming machine as described in any of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that information regarding the gaming value to be displayed on the display means is updated in relation to the counted number of consumed balls satisfying a predetermined condition.

(17B) The control means
Controlling the progress of a game by switching between a special game state in which a player can obtain a large amount of game value and a normal game state other than the special game state;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that information regarding the gaming value is calculated at the timing when the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state reaches a predetermined number.

(17C) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means counts the number of consumed balls by the sum of the number of gaming balls shot into the gaming area, the number of gaming balls ejected from the gaming machine, or the number of gaming balls that have passed through the outlet and the number of winning balls.

(17D) the information on the gaming value is a base,
The control means
The total number of balls out used to calculate the base is stored,
Calculate the number of balls consumed in the normal game state and store it in a buffer;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the base is calculated by moving a predetermined number from the buffer to the total number of out balls at a predetermined timing, and dividing the number of prize balls paid out to the player in the normal game state by the total number of out balls.

(17E) The predetermined timing is a timing when the number of balls consumed in the buffer exceeds the predetermined number,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that, when the number of balls consumed in the buffer exceeds the predetermined number, the control means moves the predetermined number from the buffer to the total number of out balls by subtracting the predetermined number from the buffer and adding the predetermined number to the total number of out balls.

(17F) The control means
A special symbol variation display game is executed to derive the special game state when a winning ball is won at the start winning hole,
A gaming machine as described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that when the reserved memory of the special pattern change display game is at its upper limit value, the winning of the start winning hole is not stored, and the number of winning balls is counted.

(17G) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means includes information update means for updating information relating to the game value to be displayed on the display means in response to input/output of a predetermined signal, and processing/display means for processing (statistically processing) the results of the calculation process performed when updating the information and displaying the updated information relating to the game value on the display means.

The inventions 17A to 17G allow accurate execution of processes that are not related to the gameplay while maintaining the gameplay.

(18A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded gaming value;
A main frame to which a game board having a game area in which the game is played is detachably attached;
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the display means displays information regarding the gaming value even when the main body frame is in a closed state.

(18B) The main body frame is rotatably attached to an outer frame attached to an island equipment of the game center,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the display means is provided on the back side of the gaming machine which is visible when the main body frame is opened.

(18C) The control means is attached to the main body frame,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the display means is provided within a case of the control means so as to be visible from the back side of the gaming machine.

The inventions 18A to 18C can prevent a decline in pachinko parlor sales.

(19A)
A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded game value,
The control means
an information updating means for updating information on a game value to be displayed on the display means in association with satisfaction of a predetermined condition in a game;
a game execution means for executing a special symbol variation display game in response to a winning entry into a start winning slot;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the information regarding the game value is updated even when the predetermined condition is satisfied while the special pattern variation display game is being played by the game execution means.

(19B) The information about the gaming value is a base,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means updates the number of prize balls used to calculate the base for display on the display means at any of the following timings, as the specified conditions: detection of a prize at a prize opening, sending a prize ball payout command, receiving confirmation of receipt of the prize ball payout command, and receiving a prize ball payout completion signal.

The inventions 19A and 19B make it possible to provide a gaming machine that provides sufficient protection against fraud even during variable display games.

(20A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A main control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A presentation control means for controlling the presentation of a special symbol variation display game which is triggered by winning at a starting port;
a game value information display means for displaying information regarding the awarded game value,
The performance control means includes:
Controlling a transition to a low power mode in which the power consumption of the gaming machine is reduced from a normal mode;
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein during the low power mode, the display mode of the gaming value information display means is not changed so as to reduce power consumption.

(20B) A performance display means is provided which displays the performance of the special symbol variation display game and is composed of a liquid crystal display means having a backlight,
The effect display means reduces the brightness of a backlight during the low power mode,
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the gaming value information display means is constituted by a light-emitting diode, and the brightness is not reduced even during the low power mode.

(20C) A presentation display means for displaying the presentation of the special symbol variation display game is provided,
the effect display means controls the display mode to the low power mode when a predetermined time has elapsed after the reserved memory of the special symbol variation display game has been consumed,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the gaming value information display means does not change the display mode to reduce power consumption even after a predetermined time has passed after the reserved memory of the special pattern change display game has been consumed.

The inventions 20A to 20C make it possible to provide a gaming machine with a wide range of energy saving modes.

(21A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded game value,
The control means
A game state control means is provided for controlling a game state to one of a normal game state and a plurality of advantageous game states which are more advantageous to a player than the normal game state,
A gaming machine as described in any of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that information regarding the gaming value is calculated and updated by dividing the number of winning balls in the normal gaming state by the number of balls consumed by the player in the normal gaming state.

(21B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means counts the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state by either the number of gaming balls shot into the gaming area, the number of gaming balls ejected from the gaming machine, or the sum of the number of gaming balls that have passed through the outlet and the number of winning balls.

(21C) The control means
When the special symbol variation display game is a big win, the advantageous game state is derived, and a winning hole through which the player can obtain a large amount of game value is opened.
A gaming machine as described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the period from the confirmation of a jackpot in the special pattern change display game to the start of the next special pattern change display game is considered to be the advantageous gaming state, and the number of winning balls and the number of consumed balls during this period are excluded from the calculation of information regarding the gaming value.

(21D) The control means
In the advantageous gaming state, a winning slot through which a player can obtain a large amount of gaming value is opened,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the number of game balls consumed in the normal gaming state is counted by excluding the number of game balls that have entered the winning slot from the number of game balls that have been shot into the gaming area.

According to inventions 21A to 21D, accurate information can be output outside the gaming machine.

(22A) A gaming machine that awards gaming balls when a predetermined condition is met,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the provided game balls,
In the game area in which the launched game balls roll, at least a start port which is a trigger for deriving a special game state that makes it easy to acquire a large number of game balls, and a passage port which is a trigger for deriving an open state from a closed state of the start port are provided;
The control means
It is also possible to control the special game state in which the opening state of the starting hole is easily derived,
A gaming machine as described in any of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that when controlled in either the special gaming state or the special game state, information regarding the gaming balls is calculated and updated by excluding the number of prize balls awarded to the player and the number of balls consumed by the player, and dividing the number of prize balls awarded to the player by the number of balls consumed by the player.

(22B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means counts the number of balls consumed in the normal state by either the number of gaming balls shot into the gaming area, the number of gaming balls ejected from the gaming machine, or the sum of the number of gaming balls that have passed through the outlet and the number of winning balls.

(22C) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means sets the period between the confirmation of a win in the normal pattern change display game and the start of the next normal pattern change display game as the expanded state, and excludes the number of winning balls and the number of consumed balls during this period from the calculation of information related to the gaming balls.

(22D) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means counts the number of balls consumed in the normal state by excluding the number of game balls that have entered the starting hole from the number of game balls that have been shot into the game area.

According to inventions 22A to 22D, accurate information can be output outside the gaming machine.

(23A) a launching device that is operable by a player and launches a game ball toward a game area;
a prize ball awarding means for awarding a predetermined number of prize balls when the game ball is detected at a prize winning hole provided in the game area;
a main control means for executing a lottery to determine whether or not to grant an advantageous gaming state to a player when the gaming ball is detected in a predetermined winning hole among the winning holes;
A peripheral control means for determining a performance to be displayed based on information transmitted from the main control means,
The main control means has an information updating means capable of updating information regarding the provided game balls to either increase or decrease the information,
There is at least a first state in which the information updating means can update the information about the given game balls to either increase or decrease, and a second state in which the information updating means can update the information about the given game balls to either increase or decrease, but the rate at which the information about the given game balls is updated to an increase is suppressed compared to the first state,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the peripheral control means determines the appearance of a special effect indicating a transition from the first state to the second state.

(23B) The information regarding the gaming value is a base,
The main control means
Controlling the progress of a game by switching between a special game state in which a player can obtain a large amount of game value and a normal game state other than the special game state;
Calculating the base by dividing the number of winning balls in the normal gaming state by the number of balls consumed by the player in the normal gaming state;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the peripheral control means determines the appearance of the adversity presentation by setting the timing when the base is likely to drop as the second state.

(23C) The main control means
writing information about the game balls into a memory area at any one of a predetermined time interval, a predetermined number of winning balls, and a predetermined number of consumed balls;
comparing the information about the game ball written in the memory area with the information about the game ball stored in the memory area before the writing to determine an increase or decrease in the information about the game ball;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the peripheral control means determines whether or not the adverse situation presentation will be displayed depending on the determined increase or decrease.

The inventions 23A to 23C prevent a decline in interest even if the variable display game is interrupted for a long period of time.

(24A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for repeatedly executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded gaming value;
A prize ball number acquisition means for acquiring the number of prize balls acquired by a player at a predetermined timing;
a consumed ball detection means for detecting consumed balls consumed by a player;
The control means
If the predetermined timing and the detection of consumed balls by the consumed ball number detection means occur within the same repetition, the number of winning balls acquired at the predetermined timing and the detected number of consumed balls are counted within the same repetition;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that information regarding the gaming value is calculated using the counted number of winning balls and the number of consumed balls.

(24B) The information regarding the gaming value is a base,
The control means
Controlling the progress of a game by switching between a special game state in which a player can obtain a large amount of game value and a normal game state other than the special game state;
Counting the total number of winning balls in the normal game state and the number of game balls consumed by the player in the normal game state within the same repetition;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the information regarding the gaming value is calculated by dividing the total number of winning balls in the normal gaming state by the number of gaming balls consumed by the player in the normal gaming state.

According to inventions 24A and 24B, information on the number of gaming media acquired by a player can be quickly displayed.

(25A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded gaming value;
An outlet detection means for detecting a gaming ball passing through an outlet provided at a lower portion of the gaming area;
A winning ball detection means for detecting a winning ball entering a predetermined winning hole is provided,
The control means
a game state control means for controlling a game state to one of at least a normal game state and a special game state in which a player can obtain more game value than in the normal game state;
Counting the number of game balls that have passed through the outlet from the output of the outlet detection means;
Counting the number of winning balls from the output of the winning ball detection means;
Counting the number of balls consumed by the player by adding the number of game balls that have passed through the outlet and the number of winning balls,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that, at a predetermined timing, information regarding the gaming value is calculated by dividing the number of prize balls paid out to a player in the normal gaming state by the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state.

(25B) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded gaming value;
A detection means for counting the number of game balls shot into the game area,
The control means
a game state control means for controlling a game state to one of at least a normal game state and a special game state in which a player can obtain more game value than in the normal game state;
Counting the number of game balls that have been shot into the game area from the output of the detection means, and counting the game balls that have been consumed by the player;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that, at a predetermined timing, information regarding the gaming value is calculated by dividing the number of prize balls paid out to a player in the normal gaming state by the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state.

(25C) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded gaming value;
A detection means for counting the number of game balls dispensed from the game machine,
The control means
a game state control means for controlling a game state to one of at least a normal game state and a special game state in which a player can obtain more game value than in the normal game state;
Counting the number of game balls discharged from the gaming machine from the output of the detection means, and counting the number of balls consumed by the player;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that, at a predetermined timing, information regarding the gaming value is calculated by dividing the number of prize balls paid out to a player in the normal gaming state by the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state.

According to inventions 25A to 25C, processing related to the acquisition of gaming media can be executed accurately.

(26A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing a program for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded game value,
The control means
a game state control means for controlling a game state to one of at least a normal game state and a special game state in which a player can obtain more game value than in the normal game state;
a prize ball counting means for counting the number of prize balls excluding the number of prize balls awarded when a game ball shot toward the right side of the game area enters a prize winning hole;
and a ball consumption counting means for counting the number of balls consumed by a player, excluding the number of game balls shot toward the right side of the game area;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means updates information regarding the gaming value using the counted number of winning balls and number of consumed balls.

(26B) The information about the gaming value is a base,
Counting the number of prize balls in the normal game state, excluding the number of prize balls awarded when the game ball shot toward the right side of the game area enters a prize winning hole in which a prize can be won;
Counting the number of balls consumed in the normal game state, excluding the number of game balls shot toward the right side of the game area;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means calculates information regarding the gaming value by dividing the counted number of winning balls in the normal gaming state by the number of balls consumed in the normal gaming state.

(26C) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means excludes the number of winning balls and the number of consumed balls from the count for a predetermined period of time after detecting the passage of a gaming ball through a gate section provided to the right of the gaming area or the entry of a winning ball into a winning hole provided to the right of the gaming area.

(26D) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means determines the predetermined period based on either the passage of a predetermined amount of time from the last detection, the time it takes for a predetermined number of gaming balls to be consumed, or the time it takes for a predetermined number of prize balls to be paid out.

(26E) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means counts the number of winning balls and the number of consumed balls, excluding the number of balls that pass through a gate section provided to the right of the gaming area and the number of winning balls that enter a winning hole provided to the right of the gaming area.

According to inventions 26A to 26E, accurate information can be output outside the gaming machine.

(27A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A main control means for deriving a game state advantageous to a player based on the result of a lottery in a game;
a first data setting means for setting first data according to a result of a game;
A second data setting means for setting second data independent of the result of a game;
a third data setting means for setting third data according to a result of a game;
a first conversion means for obtaining first conversion data from the first data set by the first data setting means and the second data set by the second data setting means;
a second conversion means for obtaining second conversion data from the first conversion data obtained by the first conversion means and the third data set by the third data setting means;
and a display means for displaying the second conversion data without displaying the first conversion data.

(27B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the display means does not display the second conversion data if the second conversion data is a numerical value within a predetermined range.

(27C) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the first conversion means is a multiplication means that multiplies the first data and the second data together to obtain first conversion data when a predetermined condition is met.

(27D) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the second conversion means is a division means that, when a predetermined condition is met, divides the first conversion data by the third data to obtain the second conversion data.

(27E) The first data is a game value (e.g., a number of winning balls) given to the player,
The third data is a game value consumed by the player (e.g., the number of out balls),
the second conversion means divides the first conversion data by the third data to obtain second conversion data, and obtains information regarding the awarded game value;
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the display displays information (e.g., base) relating to the gaming value obtained by the second conversion means.

According to the inventions of 27A to 27E, information relating to game results can be displayed accurately and quickly. In particular, the base value required for evaluating a gaming machine can be displayed accurately in real time. Furthermore, by using the second conversion means (division means), information relating to game value (e.g., base value) can be displayed accurately in real time while suppressing an increase in the processing load of the control means.

(28A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing periodic processing for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded gaming value;
A conversion means for calculating information regarding the gaming value,
The control means
Passing arguments to the conversion means at a predetermined timing, and obtaining a result of conversion by the conversion means based on the arguments from the conversion means;
A gaming machine characterized in that the process of passing the argument and the process of obtaining the result of the conversion can be executed within a single periodic process.

(28B) The conversion means
An arithmetic circuit that performs a division operation,
a divisor register for receiving a divisor, a dividend register for receiving a dividend, and a result register for outputting a quotient of the division operation;
The control means
writing arguments to said divisor register and said dividend register;
After a predetermined time has elapsed since the argument was written, the quotient is read from the result register;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the process of writing arguments to the divisor register and the dividend register is executed before the specified time from the end of the repeatedly executed program.

(28C) a prize game medium counting means for counting the number of game media awarded to a player in a predetermined game state;
a consumed game media counting means for counting the game media consumed by the player in the predetermined game state,
The control means
writing a value obtained by multiplying the number of prize game media counted by said prize game media counting means by 100 into said dividend register;
writing the number of consumed game media counted by said consumed game media counting means into said divisor register;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein a base value is read from the result register.

According to the inventions of 28A to 28C, information regarding the results of a game can be displayed accurately and quickly. In particular, the process of passing arguments to the conversion circuit and the process of obtaining the conversion results from the conversion circuit are executed within a single repeated process (timer interrupt process), which makes it possible to suppress the complexity of control.

(29A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A winning port into which the game ball can enter;
A control means for controlling the progress of a game;
A display means for displaying information regarding the awarded gaming value;
A consumed ball counting means for counting the consumed balls consumed by a player;
and a prize ball counting means for counting the prize balls to be awarded to a player.
At least one of the winning openings is a specific winning opening that can be switched between an open state in which it is easy for a game ball to win and a closed state in which it is difficult for a game ball to win,
The control means
updating information regarding the game value to be displayed on the display means based on the counted number of consumed balls and the number of winning balls;
This gaming machine is characterized in that when a winning entry into a specific winning opening is detected even though the specific winning opening is in the closed state, it is determined that a winning abnormality has occurred, and when this determination is made, the number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality is excluded from the number of balls consumed, and information regarding the game value to be displayed on the display means is updated.

(29B) At least one of the winning holes is a starting winning hole that triggers a special game state that makes it easier to win a large number of game balls;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that when a winning entry into the start winning entry is detected while the start winning entry is in a closed state, the control means determines that a winning abnormality has occurred, excludes the number of winning balls relating to the winning entry from the number of balls consumed, and updates information regarding the game value to be displayed on the display means.

(29C) At least one of the winning openings is a big winning opening that is opened in a special game state,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that when the control means detects a win in the large prize opening while the large prize opening is in a closed state, it determines that a winning abnormality has occurred, excludes the number of winning balls related to the win from the number of balls consumed, and updates information regarding the game value to be displayed on the display means.

(29D) having a consumed ball detection means for detecting consumed balls consumed by a player,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the consumed ball counting means counts the number of consumed balls consumed by the player by subtracting the number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality from the number of consumed balls detected by the consumed ball number detection means.

(29E) The control means stores a total number of consumed balls used to calculate the information on the game value,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the consumed ball counting means counts the consumed balls by adding the number of consumed balls detected by the consumed ball number detection means to the total number of consumed balls and subtracting the number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality from the total number of consumed balls.

(29F) The control means stores a total number of consumed balls used to calculate the information on the game value,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the consumed ball counting means counts the consumed balls by subtracting the number of consumed balls related to the winning abnormality from the number of consumed balls detected by the consumed ball detection means and adding the result to the total number of consumed balls.

(29G) The winning hole can be switched between an open state in which it is easy for the game ball to win and a closed state in which it is difficult for the game ball to win,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that when a winning entry into the winning port is detected in a closed state and no prize balls are paid out in connection with the winning entry, the control means determines that a winning abnormality has occurred, excludes the number of winning balls relating to the winning entry from the number of balls consumed, and updates information regarding the game value to be displayed on the display means.

(29H) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that, when an abnormality in the winning of the winning slot is detected multiple times within a predetermined period, the control means excludes the number of winning balls related to the abnormality from the number of balls consumed, and updates information related to the game value to be displayed on the display means.

According to the inventions 29A to 29H, information on the results of the game can be displayed accurately and quickly. In particular, the number of winning balls related to the winning abnormality is excluded from the number of out balls, and information on the game value (for example, the base value) can be displayed accurately in real time.

(30) A gaming machine that awards gaming media to a player as a prize, comprising:
a gaming area in which a plurality of winning slots are arranged;
a prize awarding means for awarding a specific prize, which is determined in advance, from among a plurality of prizes when a gaming medium is detected in each of the prize winning openings;
a calculation processing means for executing a predetermined calculation process using the number of game media flowing into the game area and the number of game media awarded as a prize by the prize awarding means;
a processing means for processing a result of the arithmetic processing executed by the arithmetic processing means;
a display means for displaying the result of the arithmetic processing processed by the processing means on a predetermined display device,
When a specific prize among the plurality of prizes occurs during a game, the prize awarding means awards the specific prize, and the display means displays the result of the arithmetic processing so as not to change.

According to the invention of 30, information on the results of a game can be displayed accurately and quickly. In particular, even if a prize (for example, prize balls paid out in connection with a win at a winning port that awards a high-value prize (such as a general winning port or a large winning port that awards a large number of prize balls)) is awarded in conjunction with the occurrence of a specific prize, the results of the calculation process (calculated base value) can be displayed without changing, and it is easy to determine whether the gaming machine is performing as specified (for example, whether the ball payout rate is as set).

(31A) A gaming machine including a main control means including a lottery means for executing a lottery regarding winning or losing when a specific condition is satisfied, and a peripheral control means for controlling a predetermined presentation based on a signal from the main control means,
The peripheral control means includes:
a temporary storage means for storing information based on a signal received from the main control means;
an information storage means that is updated by the information stored in the temporary storage means;
and a first information output means for outputting at least a part of the information stored in the information storage means to an outside when a predetermined condition is satisfied,
A gaming machine characterized in that the status history of the gaming machine can be grasped.

(31B) A general winning hole is provided through which a game ball shot into the game area can win a prize even if the game is not in a special game state,
The signal transmitted from the main control means to the peripheral control means includes a signal indicating a win at the general winning port,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the first information output means outputs information regarding a win at the general winning port to the outside when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

(31C) an external output means for outputting information based on a predetermined condition to an external terminal board when the predetermined condition is satisfied;
an information storage means for storing more detailed information than the information outputted to the external terminal board when the predetermined condition is satisfied;
4. The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, further comprising: information presentation means for presenting the information stored by the information storage means.

(31D) a first initialization means for initializing the state of the gaming machine;
The peripheral control means includes:
a storage means for storing information based on a signal received from the main control means;
A gaming machine as described in any of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that it has a limited initialization means which does not initialize part of the information stored in the memory means even when initialized by the first initialization means.

(31E) a first initialization means for initializing a state of the gaming machine;
A second initialization means for initializing the stored contents of the information storage means,
The information storage means is capable of retaining the stored contents even when the power supply to the gaming machine is cut off,
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the first initialization means does not initialize the stored contents of the information storage means, but initializes the stored contents of the temporary storage means.

(31F) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the peripheral control means stores the type of signal received from the main control means and the time at which the signal was received in the information storage means.

(31G) the signals transmitted from the main control means to the peripheral control means include a signal relating to a counting event that is counted according to the progress of a game, and a signal relating to a state change event that triggers a change in the state of the gaming machine,
The peripheral control means includes:
a temporary storage means for storing information based on a signal received from the main control means;
an information storage means that is updated by the information stored in the temporary storage means;
a first information output means for outputting at least a part of the information stored in the information storage means to an outside when a predetermined condition is satisfied,
The peripheral control means includes:
counting the count events based on a signal received from the main control means, and storing the count results in the temporary storage means;
A gaming machine as described in any of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that when a signal regarding the status change event is received from the main control means, the status change event is stored in the information storage means, and the counting result of the counting event stored in the temporary storage means is stored in the information storage means.

(31H) the signals transmitted from the main control means include a signal relating to a counting event counted for managing the gaming machine, and a signal relating to a state change event which is a trigger for a change in the state of the gaming machine,
the information storage means stores a counting result of the counting event for each state of the gaming machine;
The peripheral control means includes:
counting the signals relating to the counting event received from the main control means and storing the signals in the temporary storage means;
A gaming machine as described in any of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that when a signal regarding the status change event is received from the main control means, the type of signal regarding the status change event and the time when the signal was received are stored in the information storage means, and the counting result of the counting event stored in the temporary storage means is added to the counting result of the counting event stored in the information storage means.

(31I) the signals transmitted from the main control means include a signal relating to a counting event counted for managing the gaming machine, and a signal relating to a state change event which triggers a change in the state of the gaming machine;
the information storage means stores a counting result of the counting event for each state of the gaming machine;
The peripheral control means includes:
counting the signals relating to the counting event received from the main control means and storing the counted signals in the temporary storage means;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that when a signal regarding the state change event is received from the main control means, the counting result of the counting event stored in the temporary storage means is added to the counting result of the counting event stored in the information storage means.

The inventions 31A to 31I allow the user to know how the number of balls dispensed has changed. In particular, the inventions 31D and 31E allow the user to properly store information related to the game.

(32) A gaming machine that awards a prize gaming medium as a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing periodic processing related to the progress of a game;
a consumed game media counting means for counting the consumed game media consumed by a player;
a prize game medium counting means for counting the prize game media awarded to a player;
a calculation means for calculating information on an awarded game value using the counted number of consumed game media and the counted number of prize game media;
A first light-emitting element group including a plurality of light-emitting elements for displaying information related to a game including a variation display of a symbol;
a second light-emitting element group including a plurality of light-emitting elements for displaying information regarding the awarded game value;
the first light-emitting element group has a first terminal to which one terminals of the plurality of light-emitting elements are commonly connected, and a plurality of second terminals to which the other terminals of the plurality of light-emitting elements are respectively connected,
the second light-emitting element group has a third terminal to which one terminals of the plurality of light-emitting elements are commonly connected, and a plurality of fourth terminals to which the other terminals of the plurality of light-emitting elements are respectively connected,
a first terminal of the first light-emitting element group and a third terminal of the second light-emitting element group are connected to one output driving means;
The control means outputs a selection signal to the first terminal and the third terminal at a common timing, but during the period in which the selection signal is being output, outputs a signal to the plurality of second terminals to light up at least one light-emitting element in the first group of light-emitting elements and a signal to the plurality of fourth terminals to light up at least one light-emitting element in the second group of light-emitting elements at different timings, thereby controlling the display of the first group of light-emitting elements and the second group of light-emitting elements within a single periodic processing.

According to the invention of 32, the circuit for displaying information about the awarded gaming value (e.g., base value and ratio of features) can be configured simply, and the information about the gaming value can be displayed quickly and accurately.

(33) A gaming machine that awards a prize gaming medium as a gaming value to a player,
A control means for executing periodic processing related to the progress of a game;
a consumed game media counting means for counting the consumed game media consumed by a player;
a prize game medium counting means for counting the prize game media awarded to a player;
a calculation means for calculating information regarding an awarded game value using the counted number of consumed game media and the counted number of prize game media;
A first light-emitting element group including a plurality of light-emitting elements for displaying information related to a game including a variation display of a pattern;
a second light-emitting element group including a plurality of light-emitting elements for displaying information regarding the awarded game value;
the first light-emitting element group has a first terminal to which one terminals of the plurality of light-emitting elements are commonly connected, and a plurality of second terminals to which the other terminals of the plurality of light-emitting elements are respectively connected,
the second light-emitting element group has a third terminal to which one terminals of the plurality of light-emitting elements are commonly connected, and a plurality of fourth terminals to which the other terminals of the plurality of light-emitting elements are respectively connected,
a selection signal output to the first terminal of the first group of light-emitting elements, a signal output to the plurality of second terminals for lighting at least one light-emitting element of the first group of light-emitting elements in response to the selection signal output to the first terminal, a selection signal output to the third terminal of the second group of light-emitting elements, and a signal output to the plurality of fourth terminals for lighting at least one light-emitting element of the second group of light-emitting elements in response to the selection signal output to the third terminal are output within the same periodic processing, but a process of outputting the selection signal output to the first terminal and the signals output to the plurality of second terminals corresponding to the selection signal, and a process of outputting the selection signal output to the third terminal and the signals output to the plurality of fourth terminals corresponding to the selection signal are output at different times within the same periodic processing.

According to the invention of 33, the circuit for displaying information about the awarded gaming value can be configured simply. This allows the information about the gaming value to be displayed quickly and accurately.

(34A) A gaming machine that awards a prize gaming medium as gaming value to a player,
A control means for controlling the progress of a game;
a consumed game media counting means for counting the consumed game media consumed by a player;
a prize game medium counting means for counting the prize game media awarded to a player;
a calculation means for calculating information on an awarded game value using the counted number of consumed game media and the counted number of prize game media;
a calculation result display means for displaying information about the game value calculated by the calculation means;
The control means
A control device that executes processing for game control;
A timing means for generating a signal (e.g., a clock signal or a reset signal) that determines the operation timing of the control device;
an output driving means controlled by the control device and outputting at least a control signal for displaying the calculation result on the calculation result display means;
A gaming machine characterized in that, on a board on which the control device is mounted, the timing means is arranged in one direction as viewed from the control device, and the output driving means and the calculation result display means are arranged in another direction different from the one direction, away from the timing means.

(34B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the connection lines between the control device and the timing means and the connection lines between the control device and the output drive means are arranged on the board so as not to cross each other.

(34C) The timing means has a reset circuit that generates a reset signal to be input to the control device, and an oscillation circuit that generates a clock signal to be input to the control device,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that, on a printed circuit board on which the control means is realized, the reset circuit is arranged in the same direction as the oscillator circuit from the processor, and the driver circuit and the display device are arranged away from the reset circuit and the oscillator circuit.

The inventions 34A to 34C can suppress interference between signals related to game control and signals for displaying information related to the game. This suppresses the effect on game control and allows information related to the game value to be displayed quickly and accurately.

(35A) A gaming machine that awards a prize gaming medium as a gaming value to a player,
A control means for controlling the progress of a game;
a consumed game media counting means for counting the consumed game media consumed by a player;
a prize game medium counting means for counting the prize game media awarded to a player;
a calculation means for calculating information on an awarded game value using the counted number of consumed game media and the counted number of prize game media;
a display means controlled by the control means to display information regarding the game value;
The control means
A control device that executes processing for game control;
a memory that is accessed by the control device when the process is executed and that stores at least information related to the game value;
the gaming machine is provided with an input means for instructing initialization of the memory,
The control means
a first initialization means for judging at a predetermined timing whether the data stored in the memory is normal or not, and initializing a predetermined first area of the memory when the data is judged to be abnormal;
a second initialization means for judging whether or not the input means is operated when power is turned on, and initializing a predetermined second area of the memory when it is judged that the input means is operated,
a first area initialized by the first initialization means and a second area initialized by the second initialization means include an overlapping area that is commonly initialized by both the first initialization means and the second initialization means;
At least the first region includes an area that does not overlap with the second region;
A gaming machine characterized in that information regarding the gaming value is stored in the first area other than the overlap area.

(35B) The first area stores data used to calculate the information about the gaming value,
The second area stores data used to control the progress of a game,
The control means
If it is determined that the data stored in the first area is abnormal, initializing the first area;
If it is determined that the data stored in the second area is abnormal, initializing the second area;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that when it is determined that the input means is being operated, the second area is initialized without initializing the first area.

(35C) the first area stores data used to calculate information about the gaming value,
The second area stores data used to control the progress of a game,
The control means
If it is determined that the data stored in the first area is abnormal, the first area and the second area are initialized;
If it is determined that the data stored in the second area is abnormal, initializing the first area and the second area;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that when it is determined that the input means is being operated, the second area is initialized without initializing the first area.

(35D) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means determines whether the data stored in the first area is abnormal each time a periodic process that is repeatedly executed at a predetermined time interval is executed.

(35E) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means determines whether the data stored in the first area is abnormal each time the information related to the gaming value is calculated.

(35F) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the control means determines whether the data stored in the first area is abnormal when the gaming machine is powered on.

According to the inventions 35A to 35F, the memory that stores information about the awarded game value (base value and ratio of features) can be appropriately controlled. This allows the information about the game to be displayed accurately and quickly.

(36A) A gaming machine that awards a prize gaming medium as a gaming value to a player,
A control means for controlling the progress of a game;
a consumed game media counting means for counting the consumed game media consumed by a player;
a prize game medium counting means for counting the prize game media awarded to a player;
a calculation means for calculating information on an awarded game value using the counted number of consumed game media and the counted number of prize game media;
A display means for displaying information regarding the gaming value;
An electric accessory operated by the control means,
A gaming machine characterized in that, under specific conditions, when multiple gaming media are won during the operation of an electric device triggered by a single win, some of the winning gaming media are used to calculate information about the gaming value, while other gaming media are not used to calculate information about the gaming value, but any of the winning gaming media can trigger a variable display game.

(36B) The control means
When a predetermined start condition is satisfied, a variable display game is executed.
Depending on the result of the variable display game, control is made to either a first game state (time reduction, high probability state, big win, etc.) which is advantageous to the player, or a second game state (normal state) which is less advantageous than the first game state;
A gaming machine as described in the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that when multiple gaming media are won during one operation of the electric role device, the gaming media won in the second gaming state are used in calculating information regarding the gaming value, and the gaming media won in the first gaming state are not used in calculating information regarding the gaming value, but any of the gaming media can trigger a variable display game.

(36C) The control means
Detecting multiple types of errors that occur in gaming machines,
A gaming machine as described in the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that when multiple gaming media are won during one operation of the electric device, the gaming media that were won while a specified type of error was detected are not used in calculating information regarding the gaming value, and the gaming media that were won while a specified type of error was not detected are used in calculating information regarding the gaming value, but any of the gaming media can trigger a variable display game.

According to inventions 36A to 36C, whether or not the gaming medium is used to calculate information about the gaming value is switched depending on the state of the gaming machine, so that information about the gaming value can be displayed quickly and accurately.

(37A) A gaming machine including an outer frame, a main frame supported by the outer frame so as to be openable and closable and on which a game board is provided, and a setting change operation unit for changing a setting state related to a game,
A gaming machine characterized by having a setting change difficulty making means for making it more difficult to operate the setting change operation unit when the main body frame is in a closed state relative to the outer frame compared to when the main body frame is in an open state relative to the outer frame.

(37B) A gaming machine including an outer frame, a main frame supported by the outer frame so as to be openable and closable and on which a game board is provided, and a setting state display unit that displays a setting state after a change is made when a setting change operation is performed to change a setting state related to a game,
A gaming machine characterized in that it has a visibility-obscuring means for making the contents displayed by the setting status display unit difficult to see when the main body frame is in a closed state relative to the outer frame.

(37C) A gaming machine including an outer frame, a main frame supported by the outer frame so as to be openable and closable and on which a game board is provided, and a setting determination operation unit for performing a setting determination operation for determining a setting state related to a game,
A gaming machine characterized by having a decision difficulty making means for making it difficult to operate the setting decision operation unit when the main body frame is in a closed state relative to the outer frame.

(37D) A gaming machine comprising an outer frame, a main frame supported by the outer frame so as to be openable and closable and on which a game board is provided, and a setting change operation unit for changing a setting state relating to a game,
the setting change operation unit has a setting key insertion unit into which a setting key is inserted,
A gaming machine characterized in that, when the main body frame is in a closed state relative to the outer frame, a specific portion of the outer frame is configured to prevent the setting key from being inserted into the setting key insertion portion.

The inventions 37A to 37D make it more difficult for fraudsters to fraudulently change the settings, thereby improving the reliability of the gaming machine.

(37E) A gaming machine that performs a variable display of a pattern based on the establishment of a start condition, and awards a predetermined gaming profit when a winning result is derived as a result of the variable display of the pattern,
A variation time determination means for determining a variation time of the symbol;
a setting information determination unit that determines one of a plurality of predetermined setting information related to a game based on an operation on the specific operation unit,
The variable time determination means is capable of determining a specific variable time when the setting information is determined to be specific information based on an operation on the specific operation unit.

(37F) A gaming machine that performs a variable display of a pattern based on the establishment of a start condition, and awards a predetermined gaming profit when a winning result is derived as a result of the variable display of the pattern,
A variation time determination means for determining a variation time of the symbol;
A probability determination unit that determines the probability of the winning result being derived to be one of a plurality of probabilities based on an operation on a specific operation unit,
The variable time determination means is capable of determining a specific variable time when a probability determined based on an operation on the specific operation unit is a specific probability.

(37G) A gaming machine that performs a variable display of a pattern based on the establishment of a start condition, and awards a predetermined gaming profit when a winning result is derived as a result of the variable display of the pattern,
A variation time determination means for determining a variation time of the symbol;
a setting information determination unit that determines one of a plurality of predetermined setting information related to a game based on an operation on the specific operation unit,
The variable time determination means may determine a common variable time regardless of the setting information, or may determine a different variable time depending on the setting information,
A gaming machine characterized in that the probability that a different variable time is determined according to the setting information is set lower than the probability that the common variable time is determined.

(37H) A gaming machine that performs a variable display of a pattern based on the establishment of a starting condition, and awards a predetermined gaming profit when a winning result is derived as a result of the variable display of the pattern,
A variation time determination means for determining a variation time of the symbol;
a setting information determination unit that determines one of a plurality of predetermined setting information related to a game based on an operation on the specific operation unit;
A performance control unit that performs a predetermined performance,
The variable time determination means is capable of determining different variable times according to the setting information,
The gaming machine is characterized in that, when a specific change time is determined by the change time determination means in response to specific setting information among the setting information, the effect control unit sequentially performs, within the specific change time, a result suggestion effect suggesting the result of the change display of the patterns and a setting suggestion effect suggesting the content of the setting information determined by the setting information determination unit.

The inventions 37E to 37H allow players to sense the setting status in a new way, enhancing the player's interest in the game.

(37I) A gaming machine including a main control board on which a game control unit that controls a game is provided, a separate control board connected to the main control board and on which a control unit separate from the game control unit is provided, and a setting-related operation unit for changing a setting state related to a game performed by the game control unit,
The game control unit has a setting change permission state generating means for permitting an operation related to a change of the setting state of the setting-related operation unit,
A gaming machine characterized in that the setting change allowing state generating means allows operations related to changing the setting state when the information transmitted from the separate control board to the main control board is specific information.

The invention of 37I makes it more difficult for fraudsters to fraudulently change the settings, thereby increasing the reliability of the gaming machine.

(37J) A gaming machine comprising a gaming control unit which controls games, and a setting change operation unit for changing a setting state related to the control performed by the gaming control unit, and which awards a gaming profit when a gaming ball shot toward a gaming area by a player operating a predetermined shooting operation unit enters a predetermined winning hole,
A gaming machine characterized in that it has a launch disabling means for disabling the launch of gaming balls by operating the launch operation unit for a predetermined period of time when the setting change operation unit is operated to change the setting state.

The invention of 37J makes it possible to prevent unauthorized changes to settings.

(38A) A gaming machine including a game control unit that controls a game and a setting operation unit for changing settings related to the control performed by the game control unit,
A gaming machine characterized in that a gaming control board constituting the gaming control unit and a setting board constituting the setting operation unit are housed within a single case.

(38B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the case can accommodate a dummy unit, which cannot be operated to change settings, together with the gaming control unit, in place of the setting operation unit.

(38C) The setting operation unit
a first operation unit for starting a setting state in which the setting can be changed;
a second operation unit for confirming the setting and terminating the setting state;
4. The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, further comprising a setting display for displaying the contents of the settings.

(38D) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the dummy unit does not have any of the first operation unit, the second operation unit, or the setting display.

According to inventions 38A to 38D, the specifications of gaming machines with and without a setting function can be standardized, allowing for efficient design and production.

(39A) a game control unit having a processor that executes a program for controlling a game and a memory that is accessed by the processor;
a clear switch for initializing a predetermined area of the memory;
A gaming machine including a setting operation unit for changing settings related to the control performed by the gaming control unit,
the setting operation unit has a setting change operation unit for starting a setting state in which the setting can be changed,
The game control unit includes:
When the power supply of the gaming machine is turned on, the operation of the clear switch and the operation of the setting change operation unit are detected,
A gaming machine characterized in that, when the clear switch is operated and the setting change operation unit is operated, the setting state is initiated.

(39B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the gaming control unit initializes the first area of the memory after the setting state ends.

(39C) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the gaming control unit initializes the memory in a second area that is at least partially different from the first area when the clear switch is operated and the setting change operation unit is not operated.

The inventions 39A to 39C can prevent erroneous setting changes.

(40A) A gaming machine including a game control unit that controls a game and a setting operation unit for changing settings related to the control performed by the game control unit,
The game control unit has a game value display means for displaying information regarding the awarded game value,
the setting operation unit includes a setting change operation unit for starting a setting state in which the setting can be changed, and a setting display unit for displaying the contents of the setting,
The gaming control unit displays, in the setting state, the gaming value display means and the setting display means in a manner that does not confuse the two.

(40B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the gaming control unit and the setting operation unit are housed in a single case.

(40C) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the gaming value display means and the setting display means are configured as a single display device.

(40D) the game value display means displays information on the awarded game value on the display device without delay in accordance with the progress of the game,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that, in the setting state, the setting display means displays information regarding the setting on the display device instead of information regarding the awarded gaming value.

(40E) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the gaming value display means and the setting display means are configured as separate displays.

(40F) The game value display means is
In a state other than the above setting state, information regarding the awarded game value is displayed without delay according to the progress of the game,
In the setting state, displaying any one of letters, numbers, and figures that is not displayed in the setting state,
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the setting display means displays information relating to the setting in the setting state.

(40G) The game value display means
In a state other than the above setting state, information regarding the awarded game value is displayed without delay according to the progress of the game,
In the setting state, the lights are turned off or all lights are turned on,
The gaming machine according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the setting display means displays information relating to the setting in the setting state.

The inventions 40A to 40G make it possible to prevent confusion between multiple displays arranged on a substrate.

(41A) a lottery means for performing a lottery regarding a winning result based on the game medium passing through a starting hole;
An effect determination means for determining one of a plurality of effects based on a result of the lottery;
a performance execution means for executing the performance determined by the performance determination means;
a setting information determination means for determining, when a predetermined operation is performed on a predetermined operation unit, one of a plurality of predetermined setting information relating to a game;
a setting information confirmation means for displaying the setting information determined by the setting information determination means on a predetermined display unit when an operation other than the predetermined operation is performed,
The plurality of effects include a setting suggestion effect capable of suggesting the setting information determined by the setting information determination means,
A gaming machine characterized in that it is possible to execute the setting suggestion effect even if the different operation is performed when the effect determination means has determined that the setting suggestion effect should be executed.

(41B) a lottery means for performing a lottery regarding a winning result based on the game medium passing through a starting hole;
a setting information determination means for determining, when a predetermined operation is performed on a predetermined operation unit, one of a plurality of predetermined setting information relating to a game;
An effect determination means for determining one of a plurality of effects based on a result of the lottery;
a performance execution means for executing the performance determined by the performance determination means;
An error detection means for detecting an error;
an error notification means for notifying an error detected by the error detection means;
The plurality of effects include a setting suggestion effect capable of suggesting the setting information determined by the setting information determination means,
The effect execution means is capable of executing the setting suggestion effect during a period in which the error notification means is notifying an error that satisfies a predetermined condition.

(41C) a lottery information acquisition means for acquiring lottery information based on the establishment of a start condition;
A determination means for determining whether or not a winning ticket has been awarded based on the lottery information acquired by the lottery information acquisition means;
A special symbol variation execution means for executing a special symbol variation based on the establishment of a start condition;
a holding means for storing and holding the lottery information up to a predetermined number when the establishment of the starting condition is satisfied but the establishment of the starting condition is not satisfied;
A setting information determination means for determining one of a plurality of predetermined setting information related to a game based on an operation on a predetermined operation unit;
A display means for displaying a predetermined effect,
The performance includes an expectation suggestion performance for the determination result by the determination means, and a setting suggestion performance capable of suggesting the setting information determined by the setting information determination means,
A gaming machine characterized in that, when the start condition is newly established during the period of special pattern change during which it has been decided that the expectation suggestion effect will be executed, or while lottery information corresponding to the special pattern change is pending, the execution of the setting suggestion effect in the special pattern change corresponding to the newly established start condition is restricted.

(41D) a lottery information acquisition means for acquiring lottery information based on the establishment of a start condition;
A determination means for determining whether or not a winning ticket has been awarded based on the lottery information acquired by the lottery information acquisition means;
A special symbol variation execution means for executing a special symbol variation based on the establishment of a start condition;
a holding means for storing and holding the lottery information up to a predetermined number when the establishment of the starting condition is satisfied but the establishment of the starting condition is not satisfied;
A setting information determination means for determining one of a plurality of predetermined setting information related to a game based on an operation on a predetermined operation unit;
A display means for displaying a predetermined effect,
The performance includes an expectation suggestion performance for the determination result by the determination means, and a setting suggestion performance capable of suggesting the setting information determined by the setting information determination means,
A gaming machine characterized in that, when the start condition is newly established during the period of special pattern change during which it has been decided that the expectation suggestion effect will be executed, or while lottery information corresponding to the special pattern change is pending, the expectation suggestion effect and the setting suggestion effect can be executed in the special pattern change corresponding to the newly established start condition.

(41E) a lottery information acquisition means for acquiring lottery information based on the establishment of a start condition;
A determination means for determining whether or not a winning ticket has been awarded based on the lottery information acquired by the lottery information acquisition means;
A special symbol variation execution means for executing a special symbol variation based on the establishment of a start condition;
a holding means for storing and holding the lottery information up to a predetermined number when the establishment of the starting condition is satisfied but the establishment of the starting condition is not satisfied;
A setting information determination means for determining one of a plurality of predetermined setting information related to a game based on an operation on a predetermined operation unit;
A display means for displaying a predetermined effect,
The performance includes an expectation suggestion performance for the determination result by the determination means, and a setting suggestion performance capable of suggesting the setting information determined by the setting information determination means,
A gaming machine characterized in that, when the start condition is newly established during the period of special pattern change during which it has been decided that the expectation suggestion effect and the setting suggestion effect will be executed, or while lottery information corresponding to the special pattern change is pending, the execution of the setting suggestion effect in the special pattern change corresponding to the newly established start condition is restricted.

(41F) a lottery information acquisition means for acquiring lottery information based on the establishment of a start condition;
A determination means for determining whether or not a winning ticket has been awarded based on the lottery information acquired by the lottery information acquisition means;
A special symbol variation execution means for executing a special symbol variation based on the establishment of a start condition;
a holding means for storing and holding the lottery information up to a predetermined number when the establishment of the starting condition is satisfied but the establishment of the starting condition is not satisfied;
A setting information determination means for determining one of a plurality of predetermined setting information related to a game based on an operation on a predetermined operation unit;
A display means for displaying a predetermined effect,
The performance includes an expectation suggestion performance for the determination result by the determination means, and a setting suggestion performance capable of suggesting the setting information determined by the setting information determination means,
A gaming machine characterized in that, when the start condition is newly established during the period of special pattern change during which it has been decided that the expectation suggestion effect and the setting suggestion effect will be executed, or while lottery information corresponding to the special pattern change is pending, the execution of the expectation suggestion effect and the setting suggestion effect is restricted in the special pattern change corresponding to the newly established start condition.

(41G) a lottery information acquisition means for acquiring lottery information based on the establishment of a start condition;
A determination means for determining whether or not a winning ticket has been awarded based on the lottery information acquired by the lottery information acquisition means;
A special symbol variation execution means for executing a special symbol variation based on the establishment of a start condition;
a holding means for storing and holding the lottery information up to a predetermined number when the establishment of the starting condition is satisfied but the establishment of the starting condition is not satisfied;
A setting information determination means for determining one of a plurality of predetermined setting information related to a game based on an operation on a predetermined operation unit;
A display means for displaying a predetermined effect,
The performance includes an expectation suggestion performance for the determination result by the determination means, and a setting suggestion performance capable of suggesting the setting information determined by the setting information determination means,
A gaming machine characterized in that, when the start condition is newly established during the period of special pattern change during which it has been decided that the expectation suggestion effect and the setting suggestion effect will be executed, or while lottery information corresponding to the special pattern change is pending, the expectation suggestion effect and the setting suggestion effect can be executed in the special pattern change corresponding to the newly established start condition.

The inventions 41A to 41G can increase the interest in playing games.

(42A) A gaming machine having a main control means for deriving a gaming state advantageous to a player based on the result of a lottery for winning or losing in a game,
The main control means
a program storage means for storing a first program and a second program;
A calculation means for performing required calculation processing according to the first program and the second program;
a first storage means having a plurality of storage areas for temporarily storing data in the arithmetic processing;
A second storage means having a storage area having the same configuration as that of the first storage means,
the first storage means and the second storage means are switchable between accessible and inaccessible states so that either one of them is accessible;
The calculation means includes:
The first storage means is used when the first program is executed;
A gaming machine, characterized in that the second storage means is used when the second program is executed.

(42B) A gaming machine characterized in that the first storage means and the second storage means are switchable between accessible and inaccessible by a single command input to the calculation means.

(42C) A gaming machine characterized in that the instruction for switching the first storage means to be accessible and the instruction for switching the second storage means to be accessible have different instructions (opcodes) and/or arguments (operands).

(42D) the first program is a program (in a game control area) for performing a lottery for a game,
The second program is a program (outside the game control area) that calculates information regarding the game value awarded in a game, and is called and executed from the first program, in this gaming machine.

(42E) A gaming machine having a main control means for deriving a gaming state advantageous to a player based on the result of a lottery in a game,
The main control means
a program storage means for storing a first program and a second program;
A calculation means for performing required calculation processing according to the first program and the second program;
a first storage means having a plurality of storage areas for temporarily storing data in the arithmetic processing;
A second storage means having a storage area having the same configuration as that of the first storage means,
the first storage means and the second storage means are switchable between accessible and inaccessible states so that either one of them is accessible;
The calculation means includes:
When the first program is executed, the first storage means is used;
at the start of the second program, switching the second program so that the first storage means is inaccessible and the second storage means is accessible;
A gaming machine, characterized in that the second storage means is used when the second program is executed.

(42F) A gaming machine characterized in that the calculation means switches the second program so that the second storage means is inaccessible and the first storage means is accessible when the second program is terminated.

(42G) A gaming machine having a main control means for deriving a game state advantageous to a player based on the result of a lottery in a game,
The main control means
a program storage means for storing a first program and a second program;
A calculation means for performing required calculation processing according to the first program and the second program;
a first storage means having a plurality of storage areas for temporarily storing data in the arithmetic processing;
A second storage means having a storage area having the same configuration as that of the first storage means,
the first storage means and the second storage means are switchable between accessible and inaccessible states so that either one of them is accessible;
The calculation means includes:
When the first program is executed, the first storage means is used;
when the second program is started, the first program is switched so as to be inaccessible to the first storage means and to be accessible to the second storage means;
A gaming machine, characterized in that the second storage means is used when the second program is executed.

(42H) A gaming machine characterized in that the calculation means switches the second storage means to be inaccessible and the first storage means to be accessible in the first program that has returned from the second program after the second program has ended.

According to inventions 42A to 42H, when transferring processing between programs, data can be quickly evacuated using simple commands, reducing the amount of care required when creating programs.

(43A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A main control means for deriving a game state advantageous to a player based on the result of a lottery in a game;
A peripheral control means for controlling presentations in a game based on instructions from the main control means;
A display device which is controlled by the peripheral control means to perform a performance display;
A display panel for displaying a performance image;
a light-emitting device that is controlled by the peripheral control means and that irradiates light from a plurality of positions on the sides of the display panel so as to travel within the display panel;
the display panel has a plurality of first reflecting sections that reflect light traveling through a specific path within the display panel to a front side of the gaming machine, and a plurality of second reflecting sections that reflect light traveling through a plurality of paths within the display panel to the front side of the gaming machine;
The peripheral control means includes:
causing the light emitting device to emit light in a predetermined pattern and changing the light reflected by the first reflecting portion to display a dynamic image on the display panel;
A gaming machine, characterized in that a static image is displayed on the display panel by the second reflecting portion reflecting light from the light emitting device.

(43B) The light-emitting device has a plurality of light-emitting elements that irradiate light from a plurality of positions toward a side of the display panel,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the peripheral control means changes the light emission color of the multiple light-emitting elements over time, causes light of different colors to travel different paths within the display panel, and emits light of different colors from the multiple first reflective sections, thereby changing the color of the picture projected by the multiple first reflective sections over time.

(43C) The light-emitting device has a plurality of light-emitting elements that irradiate light from a plurality of positions toward the sides of the display panel,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the peripheral control means changes the color of the image projected by the plurality of first reflective sections over time by switching the illumination of the plurality of light-emitting elements over time, controlling the path of light within the display panel, and causing light to be emitted from at least some of the plurality of first reflective sections.

(43D) The light-emitting device has a plurality of light-emitting elements that irradiate light from a plurality of positions toward a side of the display panel,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the peripheral control means changes the number of light-emitting elements that emit light among the plurality of light-emitting elements over time, controls the path of light within the display panel, and causes light to be emitted from at least some of the plurality of first reflective sections, thereby changing the color of the image projected by the plurality of first reflective sections over time.

According to inventions 43A to 43D, both moving and still images can be displayed on a single light guide plate, preventing a decline in interest in the game.

(44A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A main control means for deriving a game state advantageous to a player based on the result of a lottery in a game;
A peripheral control means for controlling presentations in a game based on instructions from the main control means;
A display device which is controlled by the peripheral control means to perform a performance display;
A display panel for displaying a performance image;
a light-emitting device that is controlled by the peripheral control means to irradiate light from a plurality of positions on the sides of the display panel so as to travel within the display panel;
the display panel has a plurality of first reflecting sections that reflect light traveling through a specific path within the display panel to a front side of the gaming machine, and a plurality of second reflecting sections that reflect light traveling through a plurality of paths within the display panel to the front side of the gaming machine;
the first reflecting section includes a plurality of first right-eye reflecting sections that reflect light traveling along a specific path within the display panel in a direction that reaches the right eye of a player, and a plurality of first left-eye reflecting sections that reflect the light in a direction that reaches the left eye of the player;
the first right-eye reflecting portions are disposed on the display panel so as to form a right-eye picture;
the first left-eye reflecting portions are disposed on the display panel so as to form a left-eye picture at a position different from the right-eye picture;
The peripheral control means includes:
by illuminating the light emitting device so that light emitted in the same pattern reaches the first right eye reflecting portion and the first left eye reflecting portion, the right eye pattern and the left eye pattern are displayed on the display panel, and a player is allowed to recognize a three-dimensional pattern that generates a parallax between the left and right eyes;
A gaming machine characterized in that a flat image that does not cause parallax between the left and right eyes is displayed on the display panel by reflecting light from the light emitting device by the second reflecting portion.

(44B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the second reflecting section reflects light that travels through multiple paths within the display panel in a direction that reaches the player's right eye and a direction that reaches the player's left eye on the front side of the gaming machine, thereby displaying the flat image on the display panel.

(44C) the second reflecting portion includes a plurality of second right-eye reflecting portions that reflect light traveling along a specific path within the display panel in a direction that reaches the right eye of the player, and a plurality of second left-eye reflecting portions that reflect the light in a direction that reaches the left eye of the player,
the second right-eye reflecting portions are disposed on the display panel so as to form a right-eye picture;
the second left-eye reflecting portions are disposed on the display panel so as to form a left-eye picture at the same position as the right-eye picture,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the flat image is displayed on the display panel by light reflected by the second reflecting portion.

According to inventions 44A to 44C, three-dimensional and two-dimensional images can be displayed on a single light guide plate, preventing a decline in interest in the game.

(45A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A main control means for deriving a game state advantageous to a player based on the result of a lottery in a game;
A peripheral control means for controlling presentations in a game based on instructions from the main control means;
A display device which is controlled by the peripheral control means to perform a performance display;
A display panel for displaying a performance image;
a light-emitting device that is controlled by the peripheral control means to irradiate light from a plurality of positions on the sides of the display panel so as to travel within the display panel;
The peripheral control means includes:
A dynamic image and a static image can be displayed on the display panel by illuminating the light emitting device,
The gaming machine is characterized in that the dynamic picture display and the static picture display are combined to produce an effect suggesting the result of the lottery.

(45B) the display panel has a plurality of first reflecting sections that reflect light traveling through a specific path within the display panel and emit the light toward the front side of the gaming machine, and a plurality of second reflecting sections that reflect light traveling through a plurality of paths within the display panel and emit the light toward the front side of the gaming machine,
The peripheral control means includes:
a light path of the light traveling through the display panel is changed by causing the light emitting device to emit light in a predetermined pattern, and a changing image is displayed on the display panel by changing the light reflected by the first reflecting portion;
a stationary image is displayed on the display panel by reflecting the light from the light emitting device by the second reflecting portion;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the display of the changing pictures and the display of the stationary pictures are combined to create an effect that suggests the result of the lottery.

According to the inventions 45A and 45B, both moving and still images can be displayed on a single light guide plate, preventing a decline in interest in the game.

(46A) A gaming machine that provides a gaming value to a player,
A main control means for deriving a game state advantageous to a player based on the result of a lottery in a game;
A peripheral control means for controlling presentations in a game based on instructions from the main control means;
A display device that displays a performance image under the control of the peripheral control means;
A display panel for displaying a performance image;
a light-emitting device that is controlled by the peripheral control means to irradiate light from a plurality of positions on the sides of the display panel so as to travel within the display panel;
the display panel has a plurality of reflecting portions that reflect light traveling within the display panel toward a front side of the gaming machine,
The peripheral control means includes:
A target image is displayed on the display panel by causing the light emitting device to emit light;
A gaming machine characterized in that an image moving toward the target pattern is displayed on the display device.

(46B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the picture displayed on the display panel and the image displayed on the display device represent the same character or letter.

(46C) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the peripheral control means displays an image that moves toward the target image on the display device after the target image is displayed on the display panel.

(46D) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the peripheral control means displays an image on the display device that moves toward the target image, and then causes the target image to be displayed on the display panel.

According to inventions 46A to 46D, multiple images or images of different shapes can be displayed on a single light guide plate, preventing a decline in interest in the game.

(47A) a game control means for drawing a lottery for a special game beneficial to a player when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
A setting operation means for changing or confirming a setting value related to the control performed by the game control means,
The game control means includes:
A power-on process is executed when the gaming machine is powered on, and a periodic process is executed at a predetermined interval.
When the power supply to the gaming machine is turned on in a state in which the setting operation means is operated, in the power-on processing, a setting corresponding to a setting change state in which the setting value can be changed or a setting confirmation state in which the setting value cannot be changed is executed according to the operation state of the setting operation means;
A gaming machine characterized in that, in the setting change state or the setting confirmation state, after executing a setting corresponding to the setting change state or the setting confirmation state, in the periodic processing, the processing corresponding to the setting change state or the setting confirmation state is made possible.

(47B) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the periodic processing includes processing related to changing the setting value, processing related to checking the setting value, processing related to normal play, and processing that is commonly executed in at least two of the multiple processing.

(47C) the periodic processing is composed of at least a first repetitive process for executing a process related to the normal game and a second repetitive process for executing a process related to a change in the setting,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the gaming control means selectively executes the first repetitive process and the second repetitive process depending on the operation mode of the gaming machine.

(47D) The memory includes a setting state management area for recording the operating state of the gaming machine in an area where the memory contents are backed up when the power is cut off,
The game control means includes:
In the setting change mode, a setting state management area is set to indicate that the setting change mode is in effect, as the predetermined condition;
A gaming machine characterized in that, in the setting confirmation mode, the fact that the mode is the setting confirmation mode is set in the setting status management area as the predetermined condition.

(48) a game control means for drawing a lottery for a special game beneficial to a player when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
A setting operation means for changing or confirming a setting value related to the control performed by the game control means,
The game control means includes:
A power-on process is executed when the gaming machine is powered on, and a periodic process is executed at a predetermined interval.
When the power supply to the gaming machine is turned on in a state in which the setting operation means is operated, in the power-on processing, a setting corresponding to a setting change state in which the setting value can be changed or a setting confirmation state in which the setting value cannot be changed is executed according to the operation state of the setting operation means;
The periodic processing can execute a normal game processing related to a normal game and a setting processing related to a setting change or a setting confirmation,
A gaming machine characterized in that the normal game processing is composed of a plurality of processes, and a specific process among the plurality of processes is a process that can be executed in common in the normal game and the setting processing.

(49A) a game control means for drawing a lottery for a special game that is beneficial to a player when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
A setting operation means for changing or confirming a setting value related to the control performed by the game control means;
A gaming machine comprising:
the setting operation means is composed of at least a first setting operation means and a second setting operation means,
The game control means includes:
A storage means capable of storing information related to a game is provided,
In a power-on process executed when the gaming machine is powered on, an output signal of the setting operation means is stored and held in a specific storage means among the storage means;
in the power-on process, when determining whether or not the setting operation means has been operated, the determination is made based on information stored and held in the specific storage means without reading an output signal from the setting operation means;
the second setting operation means is means for initializing the storage means when the first setting operation means is not operated and only the second setting operation means is operated during the power-on process,
A gaming machine characterized in that, in the power-on processing, when the first setting operation means is not operated and only the second setting operation means is operated, when initializing the storage means, the specific storage means is not initialized.

(49B) A peripheral control means for controlling the performance on the display device is provided,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the gaming control means determines the mode in which to start the gaming machine based on the output signal stored in the memory after the peripheral control means is started.

(50A) a game control means for drawing a lottery for a special game that is beneficial to a player when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
A setting operation means for changing or confirming a setting value related to the control performed by the game control means;
A gaming machine comprising:
the setting operation means is composed of at least a first setting operation means and a second setting operation means,
The game control means includes:
A storage means having at least a first storage area capable of storing information related to a game and a second storage area different from the first storage area,
the first storage area is an area for storing the setting value,
The second memory area is an area for storing various parameters used in a game,
The game control means includes:
When it is determined that the setting value is not a normal value, the first storage area and the second storage area are initialized;
A gaming machine characterized in that, when it is determined that the first setting operation means among the setting operation means is not operated and the second setting operation means is operated, the first memory area is not initialized and the second memory area is initialized.

(50B) the memory further includes a third storage area;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the game control means initializes the first memory area, the second memory area, and the third memory area when the third condition is met.

(50C) the third memory area is a memory area other than the area for storing various parameters used in normal games,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that when the data backed up in the memory is erased when a power outage occurs, the gaming control means determines that the third condition has been met and initializes the first memory area, the second memory area and the third memory area.

(51A) a game control means for drawing a lottery for a special game that is beneficial to a player when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
A setting operation means for changing or confirming a setting value related to the control performed by the game control means;
A gaming machine comprising:
The game control means includes:
A storage means capable of retaining information related to a game even when the power is cut off is provided;
A power-on process is executed when the gaming machine is powered on, and a periodic process is executed at a predetermined interval.
When the power supply to the gaming machine is turned on in a state in which the setting operation means is operated, in the power-on processing, a setting corresponding to a setting change state in which the setting value can be changed or a setting confirmation state in which the setting value cannot be changed is executed according to the operation state of the setting operation means;
A gaming machine characterized in that the storage means includes a setting state management area in which a value that is set corresponding to the setting change state or the setting confirmation state is stored depending on the operation state of the setting operation means, at least during the power-on processing.

(51B) A setting operation means is provided for starting the game in a setting change mode in which a setting value related to the control performed by the game control means is changed,
The game control means includes:
When an operation is performed to start the gaming machine in the setting change mode while a RAM abnormality is stored in the setting state management area, the setting change mode is recorded in the setting state management area, and a predetermined area of the memory is initialized; when an operation is performed to end the setting change mode by the setting operation means, a normal gaming state is recorded in the setting state management area, and the gaming machine is started in a normal gaming state in which gaming balls can be shot;
A gaming machine as described in the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that when an operation is performed to start the gaming machine in the setting confirmation mode while a RAM abnormality is stored in the setting state management area, the RAM abnormality recorded in the setting state management area continues, and even if an operation is performed by the setting operation means to end the setting confirmation mode, the normal gaming state is not recorded in the setting state management area.

(52) a game control means for drawing a lottery for a special game beneficial to a player when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
A setting operation means for changing or confirming a setting value related to the control performed by the game control means;
A gaming machine comprising:
The game control means includes:
a power-on process which is executed when the gaming machine is powered on, a first periodic process which is executed at a first predetermined cycle, and a second periodic process which is executed at a second predetermined cycle;
In the power-on process, it is determined whether or not an operation associated with a setting operation is being performed on the setting operation means;
When it is determined that an operation associated with a setting operation is being performed on the setting operation means, a setting corresponding to a setting change state in which the setting value can be changed or a setting confirmation state in which the setting value cannot be changed is executed according to the operation state;
When it is determined that no operation associated with the setting operation has been performed in the setting operation means, a normal game start process can be executed without performing a setting corresponding to a setting change state in which the setting value can be changed or a setting confirmation state in which the setting value cannot be changed;
the first periodic process is executed after a setting corresponding to the setting change state or the setting confirmation state is executed in the power-on process,
The second periodic process is executed after a normal game start process is made executable during the power-on process.

(53A) a game control means for controlling the progress of a game;
A role-playing device controlled according to a control signal output from the game control means;
A first driver circuit outputs a drive signal for driving the character.
A gaming machine capable of mounting an inspection signal generating circuit for outputting an inspection signal used for inspecting the gaming machine,
The inspection signal generating circuit includes:
a second driver circuit that receives the same control signal as that of the first driver circuit and generates a test signal from the control signal;
an inspection connector that outputs the generated inspection signal;
The first driver circuit converts a control signal output as a serial signal from the game control means into a drive signal for driving the role-playing device,
The second driver circuit converts a control signal output as a serial signal from the game control means into the inspection signal.

(53B) The first driver circuit and the second driver circuit each have an output transistor that switches an input power supply to generate an output signal,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the first driver circuit and the second driver circuit are input with different voltages and independently generate signals of different voltages that change at the same timing.

(53C) A gaming machine as described in any of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that a connector that is connected to the first driver circuit is implemented, and a connector that is connected to the second driver circuit is not implemented.

(53D) The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the connector connected to the first driver circuit is a discrete component, and the connector connected to the second driver circuit is a surface-mounted component.

(53E) a game control means for executing periodic processing at a predetermined cycle in order to control the progress of a game;
a first detection means for detecting an event that is captured by the game control means in the periodic processing among events related to the progress of the game;
A second detection means for detecting an event that is captured by the game control means in a process other than the periodic process among the events related to the progress of the game,
The game control means includes:
a conversion means for converting a signal from the first detection means into a serial signal;
a serial input port to which a serial signal is input;
a general-purpose input port to which the signal of the first detection means or the signal of the second detection means is individually input,
a signal from the first detection means is input to either the general-purpose input port or, via the conversion means, to the serial input port;
A gaming machine characterized in that the signal of the second detection means is input to the general-purpose input port.

(53F) The first detection means is a ball detection means for detecting a game ball launched toward the game area,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs is characterized in that the second detection means is a setting operation means that is operated to change or confirm a setting value related to the control performed by the gaming control means.

(53G) a role-playing device driven according to a control signal output from the game control means;
A first driver circuit outputs a drive signal for driving the character.
The serial input port is a serial input/output port capable of inputting and outputting a serial signal,
The game control means outputs a control signal for driving the role from the serial input/output port,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the first driver circuit converts the control signal into the drive signal.

(53H) a game control means for executing periodic processing at a predetermined cycle in order to control the progress of a game;
A gaming machine comprising a first detection means and a second detection means for detecting an event related to the progress of the game,
The game control means includes:
a conversion means for converting a signal from the first detection means into a serial signal;
a serial input port to which a serial signal is input;
a general-purpose input port to which the signal of the first detection means or the signal of the second detection means is individually input,
the first detection means detects a signal once during one of the periodic processes and determines a signal level based on the result,
the second detection means detects a signal a plurality of times during one of the periodic processes and determines a signal level based on the result,
a signal from the first detection means is input to either the general-purpose input port or, via the conversion means, to the serial input port;
a signal from the second detection means is input to the general-purpose input port;
The gaming machine is characterized in that the gaming control means detects the signal of the second detection means a plurality of times during one of the periodic processing and determines the signal level.

(53I) The first detection means is a ball detection means for detecting a game ball launched toward the game area,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the second detection means is a setting operation means which is operated to change or confirm a setting value related to the control performed by the gaming control means.

(53J) a game control means for controlling the progress of a game;
A display device that is driven in accordance with a control signal output from the game control means;
A gaming machine comprising: a first driver circuit that outputs a drive signal for driving the gambling device;
The game control means is mounted on a first printed circuit board,
the first driver circuit converts a control signal output as a serial signal from the game control means into a drive signal for driving the display device, and is mounted on a second printed circuit board;
A gaming machine characterized in that the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are connected by a serial communication line that transmits a serial signal converted from the signal that repeats at a predetermined period from the first printed circuit board side.

(53K) A test signal generating circuit for outputting a test signal used for testing the gaming machine can be mounted,
The inspection signal generating circuit includes:
a second driver circuit that receives the same control signal as that of the first driver circuit and generates a test signal from the control signal;
an inspection connector that outputs the generated inspection signal;
The second driver circuit converts a control signal output as a serial signal from the game control means into the inspection signal, and is mounted on the first printed circuit board.

(53L) The gaming machine described in the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are housed in a single board box.

(53M) The first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are housed in different board boxes;
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the first printed circuit board is sealed by a crimping mechanism.

(53N) The first driver circuit and the second driver circuit each have an output transistor that switches an input power supply to generate an output signal,
The gaming machine described in each of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the first driver circuit and the second driver circuit are input with different voltages and independently generate signals of different voltages that change at the same timing.

Means 1: In the gaming machine,
"A decorative member having a translucent flat plate shape on which a decoration is provided,
a transparent, flat radiation plate provided behind the decorative member and capable of radiating light forward in a direction along a plate surface within a plate thickness;
The presenting member is characterized in that it is equipped with a plurality of LEDs mounted on the front surface that can irradiate light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the radiation plate, and a decorative substrate provided behind the radiation plate.

Here, the "decorative member" may be one that is made up of a single member, or it may be one that is made up of multiple members (for example, one that is made up of a decorative body having a embossed portion formed by three-dimensional embossing, and a decorative sheet that has a pattern).

In addition, examples of the "decoration" of the decorative member include "those with three-dimensional relief," "those with two-dimensional patterns," "those with three-dimensional relief and two-dimensional patterns," etc. In addition, examples of the "decoration" include "decoration with a logo or letters that matches the concept of the gaming machine," "decoration with characters that matches the concept of the gaming machine," "decoration with items that match the concept of the gaming machine," "decoration with scenes that match the concept of the gaming machine," etc.

Further examples of "radiating plates" include "those that are recessed from the rear surface toward the front and have multiple LED accommodating sections in which the LEDs of the decorative board are accommodated from the rear", "those that have multiple reflective sections on almost the entire surface that reflect light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness to the front", and "those that have multiple reflective sections on a part of the plate that reflect light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness to the front".

Examples of "LEDs" mounted on decorative boards include "side-view type LEDs" and "top-view type LEDs mounted facing sideways." Examples of "LEDs" include "full-color LEDs," "single-color LEDs," and "two-color LEDs."

In addition, examples of configurations for irradiating light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the radiation plate include "a configuration for irradiating light into the plate thickness from the inner surface of a hole penetrating the radiation plate", "a configuration for irradiating light into the plate thickness from the inner surface of a slit penetrating the radiation plate and opening to the side of the radiation plate", "a configuration for irradiating light into the plate thickness from the inner surface of a concave portion recessed forward from the rear surface of the radiation plate", and "a configuration for irradiating light into the plate thickness from the side of the radiation plate".

Furthermore, the "performance component" may be a movable component, or it may be a fixed component that does not move.

According to the configuration of means 1, the gaming machine is provided with a performance member including a translucent, flat decorative member on which decoration is provided, a transparent, flat radiation plate provided behind the decorative member and capable of radiating light forward in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness, and a decorative substrate provided behind the radiation plate and having a plurality of LEDs mounted on the front surface capable of emitting light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the radiation plate.

As a result, when the multiple LEDs mounted on the decorative member and the decorative board behind the radiation plate are illuminated, the light from the LEDs is irradiated in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the radiation plate and then radiated forward by the radiation plate, and the light radiated forward from the radiation plate illuminates and decorates the translucent decorative member on which the decoration is provided. At this time, the light irradiated from the LED in a direction along the plate surface of the radiation plate is reflected forward within the plate thickness of the radiation plate to illuminate and decorate the decorative member, so that compared to the conventional method of irradiating light from the LED toward the front, the distance from which the light from the LED is radiated forward from the front of the radiation plate can be made longer, and the light from the LED can be widely diffused and radiated forward from the radiation plate. Therefore, when the LED is illuminated, the light from the LED can be widely diffused and the appearance of point-like illumination can be suppressed, so that the decorative member can be illuminated and decorated evenly to look beautiful, entertaining the player and suppressing a decline in interest. In addition, because the presentation member has a decorative base plate behind the flat decorative member and the radiating plate, the dimensions in the front-to-rear direction can be made thinner, making it easier to secure space for placing the presentation member and also easier to secure space for placing other presentation members, and by providing a variety of presentation members, it is possible to provide a gaming machine that can provide more entertainment to players.

It is preferable that the decorative member is composed of a transparent, flat decorative body having a relief portion formed by three-dimensional relief that constitutes at least a part of the decoration, and a sheet-like decorative sheet that is provided behind the decorative body and has a pattern that constitutes the rest of the decoration. In this way, the decorative member on which the decoration is provided is composed of a decorative body having a relief portion and a decorative sheet having a pattern, so that the relief portion can give a three-dimensional effect to the decoration, and the lens effect of the relief portion can give a sense of depth to the pattern on the decorative sheet provided behind. Therefore, the relief portion of the decorative body and the pattern on the decorative sheet can show the player a three-dimensional decoration with a sense of depth, so that even if the thickness (front-rear dimension) of the decorative member is made thin, the decorative effect is not reduced, and the player's interest and entertainment can be attracted, and the performance member can be made thinner through the decorative member, ensuring the above-mentioned effects.

Furthermore, as described above, when the decorative member is composed of a decorative body and a decorative sheet, a decorative sheet with a pattern is provided behind the decorative body with the embossed portion, so that the decorative body can be made to appear colored by the color of the pattern on the decorative sheet without having to color the transparent decorative body, thereby reducing the cost of the decorative body. In addition, in this case, the decoration of the decorative body (decorative member) can be easily changed by changing the pattern on the decorative sheet, making it possible to create an amusement machine that is easy to adapt to model changes, design changes, etc.

The decorative member may also have a hologram section which constitutes part of the decoration and in which a pattern is displayed by light interference fringes. With this, light from the LEDs on the decorative board, light from other light emitting means provided on the gaming machine, light from the gaming hall in which the gaming machine is installed, etc. hit the hologram section, and a specified hologram can be seen by the light interference fringes. This makes it possible to improve the appearance of the decoration with the hologram and strongly attract the interest of players, and also allows the hologram to give a three-dimensional effect to part of the decoration of the decorative member, so that even if the presentation member is made thin, the player will not feel that it is thin.

Furthermore, when the decorative member has a hologram portion and is composed of a decorative body and a decorative sheet, the hologram portion may form at least a part of the pattern on the decorative sheet. As a result, since part of the pattern on the decorative sheet is composed of the hologram portion, the hologram can be seen through the transparent decorative body having the relief portion, and the lens effect of the relief portion can give a sense of depth to the pattern of the hologram, etc., and the player can be shown a decoration that can strongly attract the player's attention. Also, in this case, since the decorative sheet has a hologram portion, it is possible to use printing technology to form the hologram portion, which can suppress increases in costs.

In addition, when the decorative member is composed of a decorative body and a decorative sheet, it is desirable to form the rear surface of the decorative body flat and then form the decorative sheet to the same size as the external shape of the decorative body. In this way, since the rear surface of the decorative body is flat and the external shape of the decorative sheet is the same size as the external shape of the decorative body, the transparent decorative body can be decorated with the pattern on the decorative sheet up to the outer edge, and since there is no frame around the outer periphery of the decoration, a sense of openness can be given to the decoration of the performance member and the decoration can be made to look larger. Therefore, the decoration of the performance member (the pattern on the decorative sheet, etc.) can be made to stand out more, the decorative effect of the performance member can be fully exerted, and the decoration of the performance member can strongly attract the interest of the player, making it possible to provide a gaming machine that is entertaining to players.

In addition, as described above, when the rear surface of the transparent decorative body is made flat, the decorative sheet comes into contact (abuts) with the rear surface of the decorative body, so light does not diffusely reflect between the decorative body and the decorative sheet, making it easier to see the pattern on the decorative sheet through the transparent decorative body, and allowing the decorative effect of the pattern on the decorative sheet to be fully realized.

Furthermore, as described above, when the rear surface of the decorative body is made flat, it is possible to make the front-to-rear dimension of the decorative member consisting of the decorative body and the decorative sheet as small as possible, so that the thickness of the performance member can be made thin, and it is possible to provide an amusement machine that can realize the above-mentioned effects.

Furthermore, as described above, if the decorative sheet is formed to be the same size as the external shape of the decorative body, the pattern on the decorative sheet can be used to decorate the outer periphery of the presentation member (decorative body). Therefore, by making the decorative aspect of the member adjacent to the presentation member continuous with the decoration of the presentation member, a large, unified decoration can be presented to the player, which not only creates a visual impact and draws the player's attention, but also allows the player to enjoy the large decoration, preventing a decline in the player's interest.

It is also desirable for the radiation plate to have a plurality of LED accommodating sections formed so as to be recessed from the rear surface toward the front, and in which the LEDs of the decorative board are accommodated from the rear. In this way, by accommodating the LEDs from the rear in the LED accommodating sections of the radiation plate, it is possible to bring the rear surface of the radiation plate and the front surface of the decorative board as close as possible, making it possible to reduce the thickness of the performance member in the front-to-rear direction, and reliably realizing a gaming machine that provides the above-mentioned functional effects.

In addition, if the radiation plate has an LED storage section that is recessed toward the front and can store an LED, it is possible to irradiate light from the LED from the inner surface of the LED storage section into the plate thickness. Therefore, compared to irradiating light from the outer periphery of the radiation plate, even in areas of the radiation plate where light from the outer periphery is difficult to reach (for example, the center), by providing an LED storage section in that area and irradiating light from its inner surface, that area can be made to emit light brightly, allowing the decorative member to be illuminated and decorated evenly.

It is also desirable that the LEDs on the decorative board are of a side-view type that can irradiate light in a direction along the surface of the radiation plate. This allows LEDs to be mounted on the decorative board and emit light, so that the LEDs can irradiate light in a direction along the surface of the decorative board (radiation plate), making it easier to irradiate light from the LEDs directly into the thickness of the radiation plate and easier to achieve the above-mentioned effects.

Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a plurality of reflecting portions on substantially the entire rear surface of the radiation plate that reflect light forward in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness. In this way, when light is irradiated from the LEDs of the decorative substrate in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the radiation plate, the light can be reflected forward by the plurality of reflecting portions provided on substantially the entire rear surface, and light can be emitted forward from substantially the entire surface of the radiation plate, so that the entire decorative member can be illuminated and decorated, and the same effects as those described above can be achieved.

In addition, if the rear surface of the radiation plate is provided with multiple reflecting parts over substantially the entire surface, light can be emitted over substantially the entire decorative member, so that even if the decoration on the decorative member is changed, there is no need to change the reflecting parts, and it is possible to easily accommodate changes to the decoration on the decorative member, providing an amusement machine that is easy to accommodate model changes, design changes, etc.

Furthermore, it is desirable to mount electronic components such as ICs and resistors on the rear surface of the decorative board. This allows the rear surface of the radiation plate to be closer to the front surface of the decorative board by the height of the electronic components from the surface of the decorative board, making the thickness of the presentation component thinner, compared to when electronic components such as ICs and resistors (excluding LEDs) are mounted on the front surface of the decorative board.

Furthermore, as described above, if electronic components such as ICs and resistors are mounted on the rear surface of the decorative board, when a side-view type LED is used, it is possible to prevent the light from the LED irradiated in a direction along the front surface of the decorative board from being blocked by the electronic components, and the light from the LED can be distributed sufficiently. Therefore, since there are no shadows cast by the electronic components, the entire decorative member can be illuminated and decorated evenly, allowing players to enjoy a good-looking illumination effect, and the entire decorative member can be illuminated and decorated even with a small number of LEDs, which helps to suppress increases in the costs of gaming machines.

Means 2: In the configuration of Means 1,
"The decorative member is
A transparent, flat decorative body that constitutes at least a part of the decoration and has a relief portion formed by three-dimensional relief;
and a sheet-like decorative sheet provided behind the decorative body and having a pattern which constitutes the remainder of the decoration.

Here, the "decorative body" may be one that has embossed portions on both the front and back, one that has embossed portions only on the front, or one that has embossed portions only on the back.

Examples of "decorative sheets" include "those having a hologram section in which a pattern is displayed by the interference fringes of light," "those having a prism section in which countless tiny prisms are formed," "those having a lens section in which countless tiny lenses are formed," "those having an opaque section that makes it impossible to see behind," and so on.

In addition, the relationship between the embossed portion of the decorative body and the pattern on the decorative sheet may be such that the embossed portion and the pattern are related to each other, or the embossed portion and the pattern may be completely unrelated.

According to the configuration of means 2, the decorative member is composed of a transparent, flat decorative body having an embossed portion formed by three-dimensional relief that constitutes at least a part of the decoration, and a sheet-like decorative sheet that is provided behind the decorative body and has a pattern that constitutes the remainder of the decoration.

As a result, the decorative member on which the decoration is provided is composed of a decorative body with a embossed portion and a decorative sheet with a pattern, so that the embossed portion can give the decoration a three-dimensional effect, and the lens effect of the embossed portion can give a sense of depth to the pattern on the decorative sheet provided at the rear. Therefore, the embossed portion of the decorative body and the pattern on the decorative sheet can present a three-dimensional decoration with a sense of depth to the player, so that the decorative effect is not reduced even if the thickness (front-to-back dimension) of the decorative member is made thinner, and the interest and entertainment of the player can be attracted, and the performance member can be made thinner via the decorative member, ensuring the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, because a decorative sheet with a pattern is provided behind the decorative body with the embossed portion, the decorative body can be made to appear colored by the color of the pattern on the decorative sheet, even if the transparent decorative body is not colored, and the cost of the decorative body can be reduced. Also, by changing the pattern on the decorative sheet, the decoration of the decorative body (decorative member) can be easily changed, making it possible to create an amusement machine that is easy to adapt to model changes, design changes, etc.

Means 3: In the configuration of means 1 or means 2,
"The decorative member is
It is characterized in that it has a hologram portion which constitutes part of the decoration and displays a pattern by optical interference fringes.

Here, examples of the "hologram section" include a "transmission hologram", a "rainbow hologram", and a "Lippmann hologram". The hologram section may be provided on the surface of the decorative member, or on the rear surface of the decorative member.

According to the configuration of means 3, the decorative member has a hologram section that constitutes part of the decoration and displays a pattern by optical interference fringes.

As a result, when light from the LEDs on the decorative board, light from other light-emitting means provided on the gaming machine, light from the gaming hall in which the gaming machine is installed, etc. hits the hologram section, a specified hologram can be seen through the interference fringes of light, making it possible to improve the appearance of the decoration with the hologram and strongly attract the interest of players, and also to give a three-dimensional effect to part of the decoration of the decorative component, so that even if the performance component is made thin, the player will not feel that it is thin.

Means 4: In the configuration of Means 3,
"The hologram portion is
It is characterized in that it "constitutes at least a part of the pattern on the decorative sheet."

According to the configuration of means 4, the hologram portion forms at least a part of the pattern on the decorative sheet.

As a result, part of the pattern on the decorative sheet is made up of a hologram, and the hologram can be seen through the transparent decorative body with the embossed portion, so the lens effect of the embossed portion gives the hologram or other pattern a sense of depth, allowing players to be shown decoration that is likely to strongly attract their attention.

In addition, because the decorative sheet has a hologram section, it is possible to use printing technology to form the hologram section, which helps prevent increases in costs.

Means 5: In any one of the configurations of means 2 to 4,
"The decorative body has a flat rear surface, and
The decorative sheet is formed to have the same size as the outer shape of the decorative body.

However, in conventional technology such as that of Patent Document 1, the decorative body located at the very front of the presentation member has a flange-like portion that protrudes rearward around almost the entire circumference. Therefore, if a sheet-like decorative sheet is placed behind the decorative body, the size of the outer circumference of the decorative sheet must be smaller than the size of the inner circumference of the flange-like portion of the decorative body. If the flange portion is present on the outer circumference of the pattern on the decorative sheet that can be seen through the decorative body, it will appear to be fitted snugly into the frame, and there is a risk that the decoration of the presentation member will appear small and the decorative effect will not be fully realized.

According to the configuration of means 5, the rear surface of the decorative body is formed flat, and the decorative sheet is formed to have the same size as the outer shape of the decorative body.

By making the rear surface of the decorative body flat and making the outer shape of the decorative sheet the same size as the outer shape of the decorative body, the transparent decorative body can be decorated with the pattern on the decorative sheet all the way to the outer periphery, and since there is no frame around the periphery of the decoration, a sense of openness is given to the decoration of the presentation member and the decoration can be made to look larger. This makes the decoration of the presentation member (the pattern on the decorative sheet, etc.) more noticeable, fully exerting the decorative effect of the presentation member, and also strongly attracting the interest of players with the decoration of the presentation member, providing a gaming machine that is entertaining to players.

In addition, because the rear surface of the transparent decorative body is flat, the decorative sheet is in contact (abuts) with the rear surface of the decorative body, so light does not diffusely reflect between the decorative body and the decorative sheet, making the pattern on the decorative sheet more visible through the transparent decorative body, and allowing the decorative effect of the pattern on the decorative sheet to be fully realized.

In addition, because the rear surface of the decorative body is flat, it is possible to make the front-to-rear dimension of the decorative member, which is composed of the decorative body and the decorative sheet, as small as possible, which allows the thickness of the performance member to be thin, making it possible to provide an amusement machine that can embody the above-mentioned effects.

Furthermore, since the pattern on the decorative sheet can be used to decorate the outer periphery of the presentation member (decorative body), the decoration of the members adjacent to the presentation member can be made to continue with the decoration of the presentation member, allowing the player to see a large, unified decoration, which creates a visual impact that draws the player's attention and allows the player to enjoy the large decoration, preventing a decline in the player's interest.

Means 6: In any one of the configurations of means 1 to 5,
"The radiation plate is
It is characterized in that it is recessed from the rear surface toward the front and has a plurality of LED accommodating sections in which the LEDs of the decorative board are accommodated from the rear.

Here, examples of the "LED storage section" include "a hole-shaped section that penetrates the radiation plate in the front-rear direction," "a concave section with a bottom that is recessed from the rear surface of the radiation plate toward the front," and "a slit-shaped section that penetrates the radiation plate in the front-rear direction and is open to the side."

According to the configuration of means 6, the radiation plate has a plurality of LED storage sections formed to be recessed from the rear surface toward the front, and in which the LEDs of the decorative substrate are stored from the rear.

As a result, the radiation plate has an LED storage section capable of storing the LEDs mounted on the front surface of the decorative board. By storing the LEDs in the LED storage section from the rear, it is possible to bring the rear surface of the radiation plate and the front surface of the decorative board as close together as possible, making it possible to reduce the thickness of the performance component in the front-to-rear direction and reliably realizing a gaming machine that achieves the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, because the radiation plate has an LED storage section that is recessed toward the front and can store an LED, it is possible to irradiate light from the LED from the inner surface of the LED storage section into the plate thickness. As a result, even in areas of the radiation plate where light from the outer periphery is difficult to reach (e.g., the center portion), by providing an LED storage section in that area and irradiating light from its inner surface, it is possible to make that area emit light brightly, allowing the decorative member to be illuminated and decorated evenly.

Means 7: In any one of the configurations of means 1 to 6,
"The LED is
It is characterized in that it is a side-view type that can irradiate light in a direction along the plate surface of the radiation plate.

According to the configuration of means 7, the LEDs on the decorative substrate are of a side-view type that can irradiate light in a direction along the surface of the radiation plate.

As a result, by mounting LEDs on the decorative substrate and making them emit light, the LEDs can irradiate light in a direction along the surface of the decorative substrate (radiating plate), making it easier to irradiate the light from the LEDs directly into the thickness of the radiating plate, making it easier to achieve the above-mentioned effects.

It is preferable to mount electronic components such as ICs and resistors on the rear surface of the decorative board. This makes it possible to prevent the light from the side-view type LEDs, which emit light in a direction along the front surface of the decorative board, from being blocked by the electronic components, and allows the light from the LEDs to reach all areas. As a result, since there are no shadows cast by the electronic components, the entire decorative member can be illuminated and decorated evenly, allowing players to enjoy a good-looking illumination effect, and the entire decorative member can be illuminated and decorated even with a small number of LEDs, which helps to prevent increases in the costs of gaming machines.

Means 8: In any one of the configurations of means 1 to 7,
"The radiation plate is
It is characterized in that it has a plurality of reflective portions on substantially the entire rear surface, which reflect light forward in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness.

Here, examples of the "reflective portion" include a "quadratic pyramid-shaped portion," a "triangular pyramid-shaped portion," a "cone-shaped portion," a "pentroof (gable)-shaped portion," a "hemispherical portion," and the like. The "reflective portion" may be provided in a fixed pattern regardless of the position of the LED on the decorative board, or may be provided on a concentric arc centered on the corresponding LED.

According to the configuration of means 8, the rear surface of the radiation plate has a plurality of reflecting portions that reflect light forward in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness.

As a result, when light is emitted from the LEDs on the decorative substrate in a direction along the plate surface within the thickness of the radiation plate, it can be reflected forward by multiple reflecting parts provided on almost the entire surface of the rear surface, and light can be emitted forward from almost the entire surface of the radiation plate, making it possible to illuminate and decorate the entire decorative component, achieving the same effects as described above.

In addition, since the multiple reflecting parts are provided over substantially the entire rear surface of the radiation plate, and light can be emitted over substantially the entire decorative member, there is no need to change the reflecting parts even if the decoration on the decorative member is changed, and the decoration on the decorative member can be easily changed, providing an amusement machine that is easily adapted to model changes, design changes, etc.

Means 9: In the gaming machine,
"A transparent, flat decorative member having translucency, which is composed of a transparent, flat decorative body having a embossed portion that constitutes part of the decoration and is formed with a three-dimensional relief and a flat rear surface, and a sheet-like decorative sheet having a pattern that constitutes the rest of the decoration and a hologram portion that displays a part of the pattern by light interference fringes, which is provided at the rear of the decorative body and is formed to the same size as the outer shape of the decorative body;
a transparent, flat radiation plate provided at the rear of the decorative member and having a plurality of LED accommodating sections formed to be recessed forward from the rear surface, and a plurality of reflecting sections on substantially the entire rear surface for reflecting forward light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness, the plurality of reflecting sections enabling the light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness to be emitted forward;
The radiation plate is characterized in that it is provided with a performance member having a plurality of side-view type LEDs mounted on the front surface which are accommodated in the LED accommodating section of the radiation plate from the rear and are capable of emitting light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the radiation plate, and a decorative substrate provided behind the radiation plate.

According to the configuration of means 9, the gaming machine is provided with a presentation member including a transparent, flat decorative member having a flat rear surface, a transparent, flat decorative member having a embossed portion that constitutes part of the decoration and is formed by three-dimensional embossing, and a sheet-like decorative sheet that is formed to the same size as the outer shape of the decorative member and has a pattern that constitutes the rest of the decoration and a hologram portion that displays part of the pattern by light interference fringes, and is provided behind the decorative member; a transparent, flat radiation plate having a plurality of LED storage portions that are provided behind the decorative member and are formed to be recessed from the rear surface toward the front, and a plurality of reflecting portions that reflect light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness forward on almost the entire rear surface, and that can radiate light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness forward by the plurality of reflecting portions; and a decorative substrate provided behind the radiation plate, on the front of which are mounted a plurality of side-view type LEDs that are stored in the LED storage portions of the radiation plate from the rear and can irradiate light in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the radiation plate.

In this way, in the performance component, a transparent radiation plate and a decorative substrate are provided behind the decorative member composed of a decorative body and a decorative sheet, and a side-view type LED mounted on the front surface of the decorative substrate is inserted so as to be accommodated in each of the multiple LED storage sections formed on the rear surface of the radiation plate. When the multiple LEDs mounted on this decorative substrate are caused to emit light, the light from the LEDs is irradiated from the inner surface of the LED storage section in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the radiation plate, is reflected forward by multiple reflecting sections formed on almost the entire rear surface of the radiation plate, and is radiated forward from the front surface of the radiation plate. Then, the light radiated forward from the radiation plate is irradiated forward through the decorative sheet and decorative body that constitute the decorative member, and the translucent decorative member on which the decoration is provided is illuminated and decorated. In this case, the light emitted from the LED in a direction along the plate surface of the radiation plate is reflected forward by multiple reflectors within the plate thickness of the radiation plate to illuminate and decorate the decorative member, so compared to when the LED is irradiated forward, the distance from which the light from the LED is emitted forward from the front surface of the radiation plate can be longer, and the light from the LED can be widely diffused and emitted forward from the radiation plate. Therefore, when the LED is illuminated, the light from the LED can be widely diffused and the appearance of point-like illumination can be suppressed, so the decorative member can be illuminated and decorated evenly to look beautiful, entertaining the player and suppressing a decline in interest.

In addition, because the presentation member has a decorative base plate behind the flat decorative member and the radiating plate, the dimensions in the front-to-rear direction can be made thinner, making it easier to secure space to place the presentation member and also easier to secure space to place other presentation members, and by providing a variety of presentation members, it is possible to provide a gaming machine that can provide more enjoyment to players.

Furthermore, because the decorative member on which the decoration is provided is composed of a decorative body with a embossed portion and a decorative sheet with a pattern, the embossed portion can give the decoration a three-dimensional effect, and the lens effect of the embossed portion can give a sense of depth to the pattern on the decorative sheet provided at the rear. Therefore, the embossed portion of the decorative body and the pattern on the decorative sheet can show the player a three-dimensional decoration with a sense of depth, so that even if the thickness (front-to-back dimension) of the decorative member is made thin, the decorative effect is not reduced, and the player's interest and entertainment can be attracted, and the performance member can be made thinner via the decorative member, ensuring the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, because a decorative sheet with a pattern is provided behind the decorative body with the embossed portion, the decorative body can be made to appear colored by the color of the pattern on the decorative sheet, even if the transparent decorative body is not colored, and the cost of the decorative body can be reduced. Also, by changing the pattern on the decorative sheet, the decoration of the decorative body (decorative member) can be easily changed, making it possible to create an amusement machine that is easy to adapt to model changes, design changes, etc.

The decorative sheet of the decorative member has a hologram section in which part of the decorative pattern is displayed by light interference fringes. When light from the LEDs of the decorative board, light from other light emitting means provided on the gaming machine, light from the gaming hall in which the gaming machine is installed, etc. hits the hologram section, a specified hologram can be seen by the light interference fringes. Therefore, the hologram can improve the appearance of the decoration and strongly attract the interest of the player. The hologram can also give a three-dimensional effect to part of the decoration of the decorative member, so that even if the presentation member is made thin, the player will not feel that it is thin.

Furthermore, because part of the pattern on the decorative sheet is made up of a hologram section, the hologram can be seen through the transparent decorative body with the embossed section, and the lens effect of the embossed section gives the hologram or other pattern a sense of depth, allowing players to see decorations that are likely to attract their attention. Also, because the decorative sheet has a hologram section, it is possible to use printing technology to form the hologram section, which helps to prevent increases in costs.

In addition, in the decorative member, the rear surface of the decorative body is flat and the outer shape of the decorative sheet is the same size as the outer shape of the decorative body, so that the transparent decorative body can be decorated with the pattern on the decorative sheet all the way to the outer edge, and since there is no frame around the outer periphery of the decoration, a sense of openness is given to the decoration of the presentation member and the decoration can be made to look larger. This makes the decoration of the presentation member (the pattern on the decorative sheet, etc.) more noticeable, fully exerting the decorative effect of the presentation member, and also strongly attracting the interest of players with the decoration of the presentation member, making it possible to provide a gaming machine that is entertaining to players.

In addition, because the rear surface of the transparent decorative body is flat, the decorative sheet is in contact (abuts) with the rear surface of the decorative body, so light is not diffused between the decorative body and the decorative sheet, making the pattern on the decorative sheet easier to see through the transparent decorative body and allowing the decorative effect of the pattern on the decorative sheet to be fully exerted. In addition, because the rear surface of the decorative body is flat, it is possible to make the front-to-rear dimension of the decorative member composed of the decorative body and the decorative sheet as small as possible, which allows the thickness of the performance member to be thin, and it is possible to provide a gaming machine that can embody the above-mentioned effects.

Furthermore, the decorative sheet is formed to be the same size as the external shape of the decorative body, and the pattern on the decorative sheet can be used to decorate the outer periphery of the presentation member (decorative body). By making the decorative aspect of the member adjacent to the presentation member continuous with the decoration of the presentation member, a large, unified decoration can be presented to the player, which not only creates a visual impact and draws the player's attention, but also allows the player to enjoy the large decoration, preventing a decline in the player's interest.

In addition, the radiation plate has multiple LED storage sections in which the LEDs of the decorative board are stored from the rear. By storing the LEDs in the LED storage sections of the radiation plate from the rear, it is possible to bring the rear surface of the radiation plate and the front surface of the decorative board as close together as possible, making it possible to reduce the thickness of the performance member in the front-to-rear direction and reliably realizing a gaming machine that achieves the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, the LEDs of the decorative board are housed in the LED housing section of the radiation plate, and light from the LEDs is irradiated from the inner surface of the LED housing section into the thickness of the plate. Compared to irradiating light from the outer periphery of the radiation plate, even in areas of the radiation plate where light from the outer periphery is difficult to reach (e.g., the center), by providing an LED housing section in that area and irradiating light from its inner surface, that area can be made to emit light brightly, allowing the decorative member to be illuminated and decorated evenly.

Furthermore, because the LEDs on the decorative board are of the side-view type, simply by storing the LEDs in the LED storage section of the radiation plate and turning them on, light can be emitted from the inner surface of the LED storage section in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the radiation plate, making it possible to reliably realize a gaming machine that achieves the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, since the rear surface of the radiation plate has multiple reflecting parts over almost the entire surface, and light can be emitted over almost the entire decorative member, there is no need to change the reflecting parts even if the decoration on the decorative member is changed, and it is possible to easily accommodate changes to the decoration of the decorative member, providing an amusement machine that is easy to accommodate model changes, design changes, etc.

Means 10: In any one of the configurations of means 1 to 9,
The gaming machine includes:
a game area into which game media is inserted by a player's operation;
A plurality of receiving openings are arranged within the game area and capable of receiving game media;
and a payout device that pays out a predetermined number of game media in response to the game media received through the receiving opening.

Here, the term "acceptance opening" refers to "a general winning opening that is always open within the game area", "a start winning opening (starting opening) that is always open within the game area and where a special lottery is held to determine whether or not the acceptance of the game medium will create an advantageous game state in which the player has an advantage", "a variable winning opening (variable starting opening, gadget winning opening, etc.) that allows the game medium to be accepted within the game area when the game medium is accepted at a specific acceptance opening (chucker) within the game area", and "a variable winning opening (variable starting opening, gadget winning opening, etc.) that allows the game medium to be accepted within the game area depending on the result of a general lottery held when the game medium passes through a specific area (gate, through chucker, etc.) within the game area". "A special lottery is held to determine whether the game medium will be accepted and whether a favorable game state in which the player is advantageous will be created by accepting the game medium, depending on the result of a normal lottery drawn when the game medium passes through a specific area (e.g., a gate, a chucker, etc.) within the game area," "A variable start winning port (variable start winning port) that allows the game medium to be accepted and a special lottery is held to determine whether the acceptance of the game medium will create a favorable game state in which the player is advantageous," "A V winning port that creates a favorable game state in which the player is advantageous when the game medium accepted by the winning port is allocated and accepted by an allocation means," "A large winning port or winning port for a special game that opens and closes in a predetermined pattern and allows the acceptance of the game medium, creating a favorable game state in which the player is advantageous," etc.

In addition, the "pachinko machine" is one that includes "a lottery means for conducting a special lottery to generate a favorable gaming state in which the player is advantageous by receiving gaming media into the starting port, a special lottery result display means for variably displaying special symbols according to the special lottery result drawn by the lottery means and then displaying them as still symbols, and displaying the special lottery result drawn from the combination of the stopped and displayed special symbols, and an advantageous gaming state generating means for opening and closing a large prize port in a predetermined pattern when a special lottery result that generates an advantageous gaming state is displayed on the special lottery result display means (so-called digital pachinko machine)," and "a distribution means for distributing gaming media received into the bonus prize port." and an advantageous game state generating means that opens and closes the special prize opening in a predetermined pattern when the game medium allocated by the allocation means is received in the V prize opening, thereby generating an advantageous game state in which the player has an advantage (so-called "Hanemono" machine), "has a large prize opening and a special prize opening, and opens and closes the large prize opening or the special prize opening in a predetermined pattern according to the result of a special lottery drawn when the game medium is received in the start opening, and when the game medium received in the special prize opening is allocated to the V prize opening, the special prize opening or the large prize opening is opened and closed in a predetermined pattern, thereby generating an advantageous game state in which the player has an advantage (so-called "combined machine").

According to the configuration of means 10, the gaming machine is a pachinko machine that includes a gaming area into which gaming media are inserted by the player's operation, a plurality of receiving openings that are arranged in the gaming area and capable of receiving gaming media, and a payout device that pays out a predetermined number of gaming media in response to the reception of the gaming media at the receiving openings. This allows the pachinko machine to achieve the action and effect of any of the above-mentioned means.

The effect of lighting up the decorative members by illuminating the LEDs mounted on the decorative board (light-emitting effect) is preferably executed when the gaming media inserted into the game area is received by the receiving slot. In this way, when the gaming media is received by the receiving slot, in addition to paying out a predetermined number of gaming media, an effect is executed in which the decorative members of the effect member are illuminated and decorated, which entertains the player and makes it easier for them to continue inserting gaming media aimed at the receiving slot, preventing a decline in the player's interest in the game.

In addition, when a special lottery is held to generate a favorable gaming state in which the player is advantageous by receiving the gaming medium into the starting port, and the result of the special lottery is suggested to the player, the decorative member of the performance member may be illuminated as one of the effects presented to the player. By illuminating the decorative member, the effect described above can be achieved, which can make a strong impact on the player and entertain him/her, so that the player can be made to believe that the special lottery result drawn is one that will generate a favorable gaming state in which the player is advantageous (for example, a "jackpot"), and the player's expectations for the occurrence of the favorable gaming state can be increased, thereby suppressing a decrease in interest. In addition, as described above, the decorative member can be illuminated to show the player a more effective illumination effect, so that it can be suitably used for a performance (for example, a reach performance) that suggests the result of the special lottery drawn to the player, which can entertain the player and suppress a decrease in interest.

Means 11: In any one of the configurations of means 1 to 9,
The gaming machine includes:
A plurality of reels each having a plurality of patterns;
A start operation unit that is operated by a player after inserting a gaming medium to rotate each of the plurality of reels;
A plurality of stop operation units for stopping the rotation of each of the plurality of reel bodies;
The slot machine is characterized by having a payout device that pays out a predetermined number of game media according to the combination of stopped symbols formed by all of the reels that have been stopped by the player operating each of the multiple stop operation parts.

Here, examples of "slot machines" include "ones in which the number of winning lines that determine the combination of symbols that stop varies depending on the number of gaming media (medals) used in one game", "ones in which an internal lottery is performed when multiple reels start to spin, and one that awards a special benefit to the player that is advantageous depending on the combination of symbols that stop and the result of the internal lottery", and "ones in which the winning lines that determine the combination of symbols that stop are fixed". Examples of "benefits" include "Big Bonus (BB)", "Regular Bonus (RB)", "Cherry Rush Bonus (CRB)", "Replay", "Long Replay Time (LRT)", "Assist Time (AT)", etc.

According to the configuration of means 11, the gaming machine is a slot machine equipped with a plurality of reels, each of which has a plurality of symbols, a start operation unit that rotates each of the plurality of reels by operation by the player after inserting a gaming medium, a plurality of stop operation units for stopping the rotation of each of the plurality of reels, and a payout device that pays out a predetermined number of gaming media according to the combination of stopped symbols of all the reels that have been stopped by the player operating each of the plurality of stop operation units. This allows the action and effect of any of the above-mentioned means to be achieved in a pachislot machine.

The effect of lighting up the decorative members by emitting light from the LEDs mounted on the decorative board (light-emitting effect) may be one of the effects presented to the player when the combination of symbols that are stopped on the pay line except for one satisfy the winning combination of symbols (so-called reach). By doing so, the decorative members can be lit up and decorated, which strongly attracts the player's attention and allows the player to enjoy operating the stop operation unit to get a winning combination. In addition, when the result of the internal lottery is a winning combination, the decorative members may be lit up and decorated, which can give a strong impact to the player, making the player think that if a specific combination of symbols is stopped, a favorable game state that gives the player an advantage (for example, "BB") will occur, and the player's sense of expectation for the occurrence of the favorable game state can be increased, suppressing a decline in interest. Also, as mentioned above, by making the decorative members illuminate, it is possible to show the player a more effective illumination effect, which can be ideally used for a presentation that suggests to the player the internal lottery that has been drawn, entertaining the player and preventing a decline in interest.

Means 12: In any one of the configurations of means 1 to 9,
The gaming machine includes:
It is characterized by being a hybrid machine that combines a pachinko machine and a pachislot machine.

Here, a "fusion machine" that combines a pachinko machine and a pachislot machine is a machine that, after multiple gaming media are inserted, displays a varying pattern string consisting of multiple patterns in response to the operation of a start operation unit (e.g., an operation lever), and then stops the varying pattern string in response to the operation of a stop operation unit (e.g., a stop button), and pays out gaming media according to the combination of stopped patterns or grants the player a favorable bonus (e.g., a favorable gaming state). Note that if the stop operation unit is not operated after a predetermined time has elapsed, the varying display of the pattern string may be stopped in response to the elapse of the predetermined time.

According to the configuration of means 12, the gaming machine is a fusion machine that combines a pachinko machine and a pachislot machine. As a result, the fusion machine that combines a pachinko machine and a pachislot machine can achieve the action and effect of any of the above-mentioned means.

The effect of lighting up the decorative members by illuminating the LEDs mounted on the decorative board (light-emitting effect) can be one of the effects presented to the player when all but one of the symbols that have stopped rotating on the pay line are a winning combination (so-called reach), or the decorative members can be illuminated when the result of the internal lottery is a winning combination, achieving the same effect as described above.

[1. Overall structure of a pachinko machine]
A pachinko machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration of the pachinko machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 279 to 290. Fig. 279 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 280 is a right side view of the pachinko machine, Fig. 281 is a left side view of the pachinko machine, and Fig. 282 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. Fig. 283 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the right front, Fig. 284 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the left front, and Fig. 285 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the rear. Fig. 286 is a front view of the pachinko machine when the pressing operation unit of the performance operation unit is in the raised position, and Fig. 287 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine when the pressing operation unit of the performance operation unit is in the raised position, seen from the right front. Also, Fig. 288 is a perspective view of a pachinko machine as seen from the front with the door frame opened from the main body frame and the main body frame opened from the outer frame. Figure 289 is an exploded oblique view of a pachinko machine disassembled into a door frame, game board, main frame, and outer frame, viewed from the front, and Figure 290 is an exploded oblique view of a pachinko machine disassembled into a door frame, game board, main frame, and outer frame, viewed from the rear.

The pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment comprises a frame-shaped outer frame 2 that is installed in an island facility (not shown) of a gaming hall, a door frame 3 that closes the front of the outer frame 2 in an openable and closable manner, a main frame 4 that supports the door frame 3 in an openable and closable manner and is attached to the outer frame 2 in an openable and closable manner, and a game board 5 that is detachably attached to the main frame 4 from the front and is visible from the player's side through the door frame 3, and has a game area 5a into which the player shoots a game ball B (see Figure 368).

The outer frame 2 is formed into a rectangular frame that extends vertically when viewed from the front. The outer frame 2 includes a left outer frame assembly 10 and a right outer frame assembly 20 that are spaced apart from each other and extend vertically, an upper outer frame member 30 that connects the upper ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, a lower outer frame assembly 40 that connects the lower ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, an upper outer frame hinge assembly 50 attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper outer frame member 30, and a lower outer frame hinge member 60 attached to the lower right side of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the left end of the upper surface of the lower outer frame assembly 40.

The outer frame 2 is attached to the island equipment of the gaming hall in which the pachinko machine 1 is installed, and the outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 and the outer frame lower hinge member 60 support the main frame upper hinge member 510 and the main frame lower hinge assembly 520 of the main frame 4 so that they can rotate coaxially, and the main frame 4 is attached so that it can be opened and closed forward around the left side when viewed from the front.

In addition, when the main frame 4 is closed, the door frame 3 has the lower outer frame assembly 40 which cooperates with the speaker unit 620a of the board unit 620 in the main frame 4 to form part of the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622, and the sound output to the rear of the main frame speaker 622 is phase-inverted and radiated forward, allowing the player to hear a deeper bass sound.

The door frame 3 closes the game area 5a of the game board 5 into which the game balls B are dropped so that it can be seen from the front, stores the game balls B to be dropped into the game area 5a, and is equipped with a handle 182 that the player operates to drop the stored game balls B into the game area 5a. The door frame 3 also decorates the entire front of the pachinko machine 1.

The door frame 3 also has a performance operation unit 301 that can be operated by the player in addition to the handle 182. When a player-participation performance is being executed, the player can participate in the performance by operating the performance operation unit 301. This allows the player to enjoy the game not only by playing with the game ball B, but also by operating the performance operation unit 301.

The main body frame 4 comprises a frame-shaped main body frame base unit 500 whose rear portion can be inserted into the outer frame 2 and can support the outer periphery of the game board 5, a main body frame upper hinge member 510 and a main body frame lower hinge assembly 520 for mounting the main body frame 4 to the outer frame 2 so as to be openable and closable and for mounting the door frame 3 so as to be openable and closable, a main body frame reinforcing frame 530 which reinforces the main body frame base unit 500, and a ball launching device 540 for shooting a game ball B into the game area 5a of the game board 5. It is equipped with a payout base unit 550 that receives game balls B supplied from the island equipment of the game hall, a payout unit 560 for paying out the game balls B received by the payout base unit 550 to the player, a board unit 620 having a power supply board 630 and a payout control board 633, a back cover 640 that covers the rear side of the game board 5 attached to the main frame base 501, and a locking unit 650 that locks the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4, and the door frame 3 and the main frame 4.

The main frame 4 holds the game board 5 having a play area 5a where a game is played by hitting the game ball B, and is used to pay out the game ball B to the player and to eject the game balls B used in the game to the rear of the pachinko machine 1 (towards the island equipment of the game hall). The main frame 4 is formed in a box shape with an open front, and the game board 5 is removably stored inside from the front. The main frame 4 is attached to a frame-shaped outer frame 2 attached to the island equipment of the game hall at the top and bottom of the front end on the left side of the front side so that it can be opened and closed, and a door frame 3 is attached so that the open front side can be closed.

The game board 5 includes a game area 5a where the game ball B is thrown by the player, a front component 1000 that defines the outer periphery of the game area 5a and has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, a plate-shaped game panel 1100 that is attached to the rear side of the front component 1000 and defines the rear end of the game area 5a, a board holder 1200 that is attached to the rear lower part of the game panel 1100, and a main control unit 1300 that is attached to the rear surface of the board holder 1200 and has a main control board 1310. The game console includes a functional display unit 1400 that displays the game status based on a control signal from the main control board 1310, a peripheral control unit 1500 (see FIG. 290) that is located on the rear side of the game panel 1100, a performance display device 1600 that is located in the center of the game area 5a when viewed from the front and can display a predetermined performance image, a front unit 2000 that is attached to the front of the game panel 1100, and a back unit 3000 that is attached to the rear of the game panel 1100. The back unit 3000 includes various performance units that can perform movable performances and light-emitting performances depending on the game status.

The game area 5a of the game board 5 includes a plurality of obstacle nails N that come into contact with the game ball B and are planted in a predetermined gauge arrangement, as well as a general winning opening 2001, a first starting opening 2002, a gate section 2003, a second starting opening 2004, a first large winning opening 2005, and a second large winning opening 2006 that provide a player with a predetermined privilege (e.g., the payment of a predetermined number of game balls B) when the game ball B is accepted or passed through. The obstacle nails N are planted on the front surface of the game panel 1100. The general winning opening 2001, the first starting opening 2002, the gate section 2003, the second starting opening 2004, the first large winning opening 2005, and the second large winning opening 2006 are provided in the front unit 2000.

The player can shoot game ball B into the game area 5a of the game board 5 by operating the handle 182 of the handle unit 180. This allows the player to enjoy operating the handle 182 so that the game ball B is accepted into or passes through the general winning opening 2001, the first starting opening 2002, the gate section 2003, the second starting opening 2004, the first large winning opening 2005, and the second large winning opening 2006, etc., in the game area 5a.

In addition, the game board 5 can entertain the player by displaying a predetermined performance image on the performance display device 1600 according to the game state that changes when the game ball B is hit into the game area 5a, and by providing light-emitting performances and moving performances using the back rear performance unit 3100, back lower left performance unit 3200, back lower right performance unit 3250, back lower middle performance unit 3300, back upper performance unit 3400, back rear left performance unit 3500, back rear right performance unit 3600, back front left performance unit 3700, back front right performance unit 3800, etc.

[2. Overall structure of the outer frame]
The outer frame 2 of the pachinko machine 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 291 to 296. Fig. 291 is a front view of the outer frame of the pachinko machine, Fig. 292 is a rear view of the outer frame, and Fig. 293 is a right side view of the outer frame. Fig. 294 is a perspective view of the outer frame seen from the front, and Fig. 295 is a perspective view of the outer frame seen from the rear. Fig. 296 is an exploded perspective view of the outer frame disassembled into its main components and seen from the front. The outer frame 2 is attached to an island facility (not shown) in an amusement hall or the like on which the pachinko machine 1 is installed. The outer frame 2 is formed into a rectangular frame with a vertically extending shape when viewed from the front.

As shown in the figure, the outer frame 2 comprises a left outer frame assembly 10 and a right outer frame assembly 20 that are spaced apart from each other laterally and extend vertically, an upper outer frame member 30 that connects the upper ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, a lower outer frame assembly 40 that connects the lower ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, an upper outer frame hinge assembly 50 attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper outer frame member 30, and a lower outer frame hinge member 60 attached to the lower right side of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the left end of the upper surface of the lower outer frame assembly 40.

When the main frame 4 is closed, the outer frame lower assembly 40 cooperates with the speaker unit 620a of the board unit 620 in the main frame 4 to form part of the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622, and can invert the phase of the sound output to the rear of the main frame speaker 622 and radiate it forward.

The outer frame 2 can detachably support the upper hinge assembly 50 of the main body frame 4. The upper hinge assembly 50 and the lower hinge member 60 of the outer frame 2 can coaxially support the upper hinge member 510 and the lower hinge assembly 520 of the main body frame 4, and the main body frame 4 can be attached so that it can be opened and closed forward around the left side when viewed from the front.

[2-1. Left outer frame assembly and right outer frame assembly]
The left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 297. Fig. 297 is an exploded perspective view of the left outer frame assembly and the right outer frame assembly of the outer frame, respectively, disassembled and viewed from the front. The left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20 of the outer frame 2 each extend vertically and are arranged spaced apart from each other horizontally. The left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20 coaxially support the main body frame upper hinge member 510 and the main body frame lower hinge assembly 520 of the main body frame 4 so as to be rotatable on the same axis, and are used to attach the main body frame 4 to the outer frame 2 so as to be openable and closable.

First, the left outer frame assembly 10 comprises a left outer frame member 11 that extends vertically with a constant width (depth) in the front-to-rear direction, an upper left connecting member 12 that is attached to the upper end of the right side of the left outer frame member 11, and a lower left connecting member 13 that is attached to the lower end of the right side of the left outer frame member 11.

The left outer frame member 11 extends vertically with a constant cross-sectional shape, and is formed from an extruded aluminum alloy material. The left outer frame member 11 has a recess 11a that is flatly recessed to the right in the rear part of the left side surface, which is one of three equal parts in the front-to-rear direction, a bulge 11b that bulges to the right from the part on the right side surface opposite the recess 11a, and a hollow portion 11c that penetrates the bulge 11b vertically. The strength and rigidity of the left outer frame member 11 are increased by the recess 11a and the bulge 11b, and the weight is reduced by the hollow portion 11c.

The left outer frame member 11 also has multiple grooves extending vertically formed on both the left and right side surfaces. The multiple grooves on the left side surface are V-shaped, and the multiple grooves on the right side surface are semicircular. The left outer frame member 11 is formed in a symmetrical shape with the right outer frame member 21 of the right outer frame assembly 20 described below.

The upper left connecting member 12 is for connecting the upper end of the outer frame left member 11 and the left end of the outer frame upper member 30. The upper left connecting member 12 is provided with a flat horizontal fixing portion 12a extending horizontally, a flat upper lateral fixing portion 12b extending upward from the middle in the front-to-rear direction on the left side of the horizontal fixing portion 12a, and a pair of flat lower lateral fixing portions 12c extending downward from both the front and rear sides of the upper lateral fixing portion 12b on the left side of the horizontal fixing portion 12a. The upper left connecting member 12 is formed by bending a flat metal plate.

The upper left connecting member 12 is attached to the left outer frame member 11 by inserting the rear lower horizontal fixing part 12c into the hollow part 11c of the left outer frame member 11, abutting the horizontal fixing part 12a against the upper end of the left outer frame member 11, and further abutting the front and rear lower horizontal fixing parts 12c against the right side of the left outer frame member 11, and screwing a screw into the lower horizontal fixing part 12c from the outside of the left side of the left outer frame member 11. The upper left connecting member 12 is also attached to the upper outer frame member 30 by abutting the horizontal fixing part 12a against the underside of the left end side of the upper outer frame member 30, and inserting the upper horizontal fixing part 12b into the notch part 30a on the left side of the upper outer frame member 30, and screwing a screw into the upper outer frame member 30 through the horizontal fixing part 12a and the upper horizontal fixing part 12b.

The lower left connecting member 13 is for connecting the lower end of the outer frame left member 11 and the left end of the outer frame lower assembly 40 (outer frame lower member 41). The lower left connecting member 13 is provided with a flat horizontal fixing portion 13a extending horizontally, a flat upper lateral fixing portion 13b extending upward from the left side of the horizontal fixing portion 13a and extending rearward from the horizontal fixing portion 13a, a flat lower lateral fixing portion 13c extending downward from a portion on the lower side of the upper lateral fixing portion 13b rearward from the horizontal fixing portion, and a flat abutment portion 13d extending short to the right from the rear side of the upper lateral fixing portion 13b. The lower left connecting member 13 is formed by bending a flat metal plate.

The left lower connecting member 13 is attached to the left outer frame member 11 by screwing a screw into the upper horizontal fixing portion 13b from the outside of the left side of the left outer frame member 11 with the rear surface of the abutment portion 13d abutting against the front surface of the bulge portion 11b of the left outer frame member 11, the left side of the upper horizontal fixing portion 13b abutting against the right side of the left outer frame member 11, and the lower surface of the horizontal fixing portion 13a coinciding with the lower end of the left outer frame member 11. The left lower connecting member 13 is attached to the lower outer frame member 41 by screwing a screw into the lower outer frame member through the horizontal fixing portion 13a and the lower horizontal fixing portion 13c with the horizontal fixing portion 13a abutting against the upper surface of the left end side of the lower outer frame member 41 and the lower horizontal fixing portion 13c inserted into the notch 41a on the left side of the lower outer frame member 41.

Next, the right outer frame assembly 20 comprises a right outer frame member 21 that extends vertically with a constant width (depth) in the front-to-rear direction, an upper right connecting member 22 attached to the upper end of the left side of the right outer frame member 21, a lower right connecting member 23 attached to the lower end of the left side of the right outer frame member 21, an upper hook member 24 attached to the upper part of the left side of the right outer frame member 21, and a lower hook member 25 attached to the lower part of the left side of the right outer frame member 21.

The right outer frame member 21 extends vertically with a constant cross-sectional shape, and is formed from an extruded aluminum alloy material. The right outer frame member 21 has a recess 21a that is flatly recessed to the left in the rear portion of the right side surface, which is one of three equal portions of the right side surface divided in the front-to-rear direction, a bulge 21b that bulges to the left from the portion of the left side surface opposite the recess 21a, and a hollow portion 21c that penetrates the bulge 21b vertically. The strength and rigidity of the right outer frame member 21 are increased by the recess 21a and the bulge 21b, and the weight is reduced by the hollow portion 21c.

The right outer frame member 21 also has multiple grooves extending vertically formed on both the left and right side surfaces. The multiple grooves on the right side surface are V-shaped, and the multiple grooves on the left side surface are semicircular. The right outer frame member 21 is formed symmetrically to the left outer frame member 11 of the left outer frame assembly 10.

The upper right connecting member 22 is for connecting the upper end of the outer frame right member 21 and the right end of the outer frame upper member 30. The upper right connecting member 22 is provided with a flat horizontal fixing portion 22a extending horizontally, a flat upper lateral fixing portion 22b extending upward from the middle in the front-to-rear direction on the right side of the horizontal fixing portion 22a, and a pair of flat lower lateral fixing portions 22c extending downward from both the front and rear sides of the upper lateral fixing portion 22b on the right side of the horizontal fixing portion 22a. The upper right connecting member 22 is formed by bending a flat metal plate.

The upper right connecting member 22 is attached to the right outer frame member 21 by inserting the rear lower horizontal fixing portion 22c into the hollow portion 21c of the right outer frame member 21, abutting the horizontal fixing portion 22a against the upper end of the right outer frame member 21, and screwing a screw into the lower horizontal fixing portion 22c from the outside of the right side of the right outer frame member 21 with the front and rear lower horizontal fixing portions 22c abutting against the left side of the right outer frame member 21. The upper right connecting member 22 is attached to the upper outer frame member 30 by abutting the horizontal fixing portion 22a against the lower surface of the right end side of the upper outer frame member 30, inserting the upper horizontal fixing portion 22b into the notch portion 30a on the right side of the upper outer frame member 30, and screwing a screw into the upper outer frame member 30 through the horizontal fixing portion 22a and the upper horizontal fixing portion 22b.

The lower right connecting member 23 is for connecting the lower end of the outer frame right member 21 and the right end of the outer frame lower assembly 40 (lower outer frame member 41). The lower right connecting member 23 is provided with a flat horizontal fixing portion 23a extending horizontally, a flat upper lateral fixing portion 23b extending upward from the right side of the horizontal fixing portion 23a and extending rearward from the horizontal fixing portion 23a, a flat lower lateral fixing portion 23c extending downward from a portion on the lower side of the upper lateral fixing portion 23b rearward from the horizontal fixing portion, and a flat abutment portion 23d extending short to the left from the rear side of the upper lateral fixing portion 23b. The lower right connecting member 23 is formed by bending a flat metal plate.

The lower right connecting member 23 is attached to the right outer frame member 21 by screwing a screw into the upper horizontal fixing part 23b from the outside of the right side of the outer frame right member 21 with the rear surface of the abutment part 23d abutting against the front surface of the bulge part 21b of the right outer frame member 21, the right side of the upper horizontal fixing part 23b abutting against the left side of the right outer frame member 21, and the lower surface of the horizontal fixing part 23a coinciding with the lower end of the right outer frame member 21. The lower right connecting member 23 is attached to the lower outer frame member 41 by screwing a screw into the lower outer frame member through the horizontal fixing part 23a and the lower horizontal fixing part 23c with the horizontal fixing part 23a abutting against the upper surface of the right end side of the lower outer frame member 41 and the lower horizontal fixing part 23c inserted into the notch 41a on the right side of the lower outer frame member 41.

The upper hook member 24 and the lower hook member 25 are hooked by the outer frame hook 653 of the locking unit 650 in the main frame 4 described below. The upper hook member 24 has a flat mounting part 24a that extends vertically with a constant width in the front-to-rear direction and is attached to the left side surface of the outer frame right member 21, and a flat hook piece part 24b that extends leftward from the front edge of the mounting part 24a and hooks the upper outer frame hook 653.

The lower hook member 25 has a flat mounting portion 25a that extends vertically with a constant width in the front-to-rear direction and is attached to the left side surface of the outer frame right member 21, a flat hook piece portion 25b that extends leftward from the front edge of the mounting portion 25a and to which the lower outer frame hook 653 is hooked, and an insertion hole 25c that penetrates the hook piece portion 25b in the front-to-rear direction and through which the lower outer frame hook 653 can be inserted.

[2-2. Upper outer frame member]
The upper outer frame member 30 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 296. The upper outer frame member 30 is for connecting the upper ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20 which are spaced apart from each other on the left and right sides. The upper outer frame member 30 has a width in the front-to-rear direction substantially the same as that of the left outer frame member 11 and the right outer frame member 21 in the front-to-rear direction, a constant thickness in the up-down direction, extends in the left-to-right direction, and is made of wood. The upper outer frame member 30 is formed so that its length in the left-to-right direction is the same as that of the lower outer frame member 41 of the lower outer frame assembly 40 described later.

The upper outer frame member 30 has cutouts 30a at the center of the front-rear direction on both the left and right sides, which penetrate vertically and are recessed toward the center in the left-right direction. The upper horizontal fixing part 12b of the upper left connecting member 12 and the upper horizontal fixing part 22b of the upper right connecting member 22 are inserted and attached into the cutouts 30a at both left and right ends.

The upper outer frame member 30 also has a mounting step 30b at the left end, the top and front surfaces of which are recessed from the general surface. The upper outer frame hinge assembly 50, which will be described later, is attached to this mounting step 30b.

[2-3. Lower outer frame assembly]
The lower frame assembly 40 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 298. Fig. 298 is an exploded perspective view of the lower frame assembly of the outer frame when viewed from the front. The lower frame assembly 40 connects the lower ends of the left and right frame assemblies 10 and 20, which are spaced apart from each other on the left and right, and is used to close off and decorate the area below the door frame 3 in the pachinko machine 1.

The lower outer frame assembly 40 comprises a lower outer frame member 41 that connects the lower ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, which are spaced apart from each other on the left and right, and extends left and right; a box-shaped front panel member 42 that is disposed in front of the lower outer frame member 41, extends left and right along the lower outer frame member 41, and is open at the rear; a box-shaped rear panel member 43 that is attached to the rear side of the front panel member 42 and is attached to the top surface of the lower outer frame member 41, extends left and right, and is open at the front; and a ball-jamming prevention mechanism 44 formed at the left end of the top surface of the rear panel member 43.

The outer frame lower member 41 has a width in the front-to-rear direction that is approximately the same as that of the outer frame left member 11 and the outer frame right member 21 in the front-to-rear direction, a constant thickness in the up-down direction, extends in the left-to-right direction, and is formed from wood. The outer frame lower member 41 is formed so that its length in the left-to-right direction is the same as that of the outer frame upper member 30 in the left-to-right direction.

The outer frame lower member 41 has cutouts 41a at the center of the front-rear direction on both left and right sides, which penetrate vertically and are recessed toward the center in the left-right direction. The lower horizontal fixing portion 13c of the lower left connecting member 13 and the lower horizontal fixing portion 23c of the lower right connecting member 23 are inserted and attached into the cutouts 41a at both left and right ends. This allows the lower ends of the left outer frame member 11 and the right outer frame member 21 to be connected to each other.

The outer frame lower member 41 is recessed from the top surface and has a recess 41b into which the lower part of the back panel member 43 is inserted. The recess 41b extends left and right and extends from a position toward the rear of the center in the front-to-rear direction to the front end side. This recess 41b makes the volume of the back panel internal space 40a formed by the front panel member 42 and the back panel member 43 as large as possible.

The front panel member 42 has the same left-right length as the outer frame lower member 41, and is formed in a horizontally long rectangular box shape with a short front-to-back depth relative to its height, with the entire rear side open. The front panel member 42 closes the open rear side with the rear panel member 43, thereby forming the front panel internal space 40a that becomes part of the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622 in cooperation with the rear panel member 43. The front panel member 42 has a long hole-shaped opening 42a on the front side near the right end that penetrates from front to back and extends left to right.

The rear panel member 43 has a length in the left-right direction that is slightly shorter than the outer frame lower member 41, and is formed in a box shape with an open front. The rear panel member 43 has the front panel member 42 attached to its front surface, and cooperates with the front panel member 42 to form the interior space 40a of the panel, which is part of the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622. The rear panel member 43 has a cylindrical connecting tube portion 43a in the left-right center of the upper surface, which extends left-right and protrudes upward and communicates with the interior space 40a of the panel. The connecting tube portion 43a is inclined so that its upper end is located higher from the front end side, which coincides with the general upper surface of the rear panel member 43, toward the rear. In this embodiment, the upper end of the connecting tube portion 43a is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees.

The connecting tube portion 43a is formed so that its left-right length is approximately 1/3 of the length of the entire rear panel member 43, and its front-rear depth is slightly shorter than the depth of the entire rear panel member 43. A plurality of ribs 43b connecting the front and rear ends are provided inside the connecting tube portion 43a. When the main body frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2, the upper end of the connecting tube portion 43a is connected to the connecting portion 621c of the speaker cover 621 of the speaker unit 620a of the board unit 620 in the main body frame 4, and is in communication with the internal space of the speaker unit 620a, forming an enclosure 624.

The ball trapping prevention mechanism 44 prevents the game ball B from being trapped between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4 by retaining the game ball B at the left end of the upper surface of the rear panel member 43 at the portion of the outer frame lower hinge member 60.

The ball jamming prevention mechanism 44 is formed at the left end of the upper surface of the rear panel member 43, and includes a mounting portion 44a formed flat so that the outer frame lower hinge member 60 described later can be attached, a first discharge port 44b opening upward at the left end of the mounting portion 44a, a second discharge port 44c opening upward to the right of the first discharge port 44b in the mounting portion 44a, a standing wall portion 44d extending upward from the rear and right sides of the mounting portion 44a, and an upper end protruding portion 44e protruding forward from the upper end of the standing wall portion 44d and slanting so that the upper surface is positioned upward as it approaches the rear.

The first discharge opening 44b is formed at a position that coincides with the discharge hole 60d of the outer frame lower hinge member 60 described later. The first discharge opening 44b and the second discharge opening 44c are formed to a size that allows the game ball B to pass through. The first discharge opening 44b and the second discharge opening 44c do not communicate with the front panel internal space 40a, and open to the rear surface of the front panel rear member 43. Therefore, the game ball B that enters the first discharge opening 44b and the second discharge opening 44c can be discharged to the rear of the front panel rear member 43.

If an illegal tool such as a piano wire is inserted through the gap between the outer frame lower hinge member 60 and the main frame lower hinge assembly 520 described below, the ball-biting prevention mechanism 44 can prevent the illegal tool from entering by using the standing wall portion 44d rising from the rear end of the mounting portion 44a. Even if the tip of the illegal tool abuts against the standing wall portion 44d and bends upward, it will abut against the upper end protrusion portion 44e that protrudes forward at the upper end of the standing wall portion 44d, preventing further intrusion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent illegal acts from being performed through the outer frame lower hinge member 60.

However, if the rear end of the mounting portion 44a is provided with a vertical wall portion 44d, when the main frame 4 is opened relative to the outer frame 2, if a game ball B falls onto the mounting portion 44a for some reason, the vertical wall portion 44d will prevent the game ball B from moving rearward relative to the outer frame 2, making it easier for the game ball B to remain on the mounting portion 44a. If the game ball B remains on the mounting portion 44a, when the main frame 4 is closed relative to the outer frame 2, the game ball B will be pinched between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4, causing a problem that the main frame 4 cannot be closed.

In contrast, the ball jamming prevention mechanism 44 of this embodiment allows game balls B that have fallen onto the outer frame lower hinge member 60 or onto the placement portion 44a to be discharged to the rear of the curtain board rear member 43 (rear of the outer frame 2) through the discharge hole 60d of the outer frame lower hinge member 60 and the first discharge opening 44b, or through the second discharge opening 44c, thereby preventing game balls B from being caught between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4.

The lower outer frame assembly 40 includes a pair of guide members 45 spaced apart on the left and right sides of the upper surfaces of the front panel member 42 and the rear panel member 43, a flat grill member 46 that closes the opening 42a of the front panel member 42 from the rear, a port member 47 with two cylinders extending forward and backward that is attached inside the front panel member 42 to close the opening 42a by sandwiching the grill member 46, and a frame-shaped seal member 48 that is placed at the upper end of the connecting tube portion 43a of the rear panel member 43.

The pair of guide members 45 are against which the lower end of the door frame 3 abuts when the main frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2. The guide members 45 are made of a low-friction material that has low friction resistance, making the lower end of the main frame 4 easier to slide on, facilitating opening and closing.

The grill member 46 is made of punched metal with numerous small holes. The port member 47 is made of two cylinders that connect the interior space 40a (enclosure 624) of the skirt board to the front of the outer frame 2 via the grill member 46. The port member 47 is made of two cylinders with a specified inner diameter and a specified length, and can resonate and amplify the low-pitched sounds emitted backward (inside the enclosure 624) from the main frame speaker 622 using the principle of Helmholtz resonance, radiating rich low-pitched sounds to the front of the outer frame 2 (towards the player). In other words, in this embodiment, the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622 is a bass reflex type, allowing the player to hear deep low-pitched sounds.

When the main frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2, the sealing member 48 is sandwiched and compressed between the upper end of the connecting tube portion 43a and the lower end of the connecting portion 621c of the speaker cover 621 on the main frame 4, and prevents sound from inside the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622 from leaking out from between the connecting tube portion 43a and the connecting portion 621c.

[2-4. Hinge assembly on outer frame]
The outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 299. Fig. 299(a) is an exploded perspective view of the outer frame upper hinge assembly of the outer frame when disassembled and viewed from above the front, and Fig. 299(b) is an exploded perspective view of (a) when viewed from below the front. The outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 is attached to the upper end of the outer frame left assembly 10 and the left end of the outer frame upper member 30, and is used to attach the main body frame 4 to the outer frame 2 so as to be hinged and rotatable. The outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 includes an outer frame upper hinge member 51 attached to the upper end of the recess 11a of the outer frame left member 11 and the mounting step portion 30b of the outer frame upper member 30, a lock member 52 attached to the outer frame upper hinge member 51, and a mounting screw 53 that attaches the lock member 52 to the outer frame upper hinge member 51.

The outer frame upper hinge member 51 is provided with an upper fixing portion 51a, which is a flat plate extending horizontally and is attached to the upper surface of the mounting step portion 30b of the outer frame upper member 30, a flat forward extension portion 51b extending forward from the front edge of the upper fixing portion 51a, a bearing groove 51c extending from the middle of the right edge of the forward extension portion 51b toward the front and penetrating the left and right center of the forward extension portion 51b, a flat horizontal fixing portion 51d extending downward from the left edge of the upper fixing portion 51a, and a flat edge wall portion 51e extending downward from the edge of the left edge of the forward extension portion 51b around the front edge to the part where the bearing groove 51c opens and continuing with the horizontal fixing portion 51d. The outer frame upper hinge member 51 is formed by punching and bending a metal plate by press molding. The outer frame upper hinge member 51 can rotatably support the main body frame upper hinge pin 512 (described later) of the main body frame upper hinge member 510 within the bearing groove 51c.

The locking member 52 comprises a band-shaped locking body 52a extending forward and backward, an operating piece 52b protruding to the right from the rear end of the locking body 52a, an elastically deformable rod-shaped elastic part 52c extending leftward from the rear end of the locking body 52a and then diagonally forward to the left, and a mounting hole 52d penetrating vertically near the rear end of the locking body 52a. The locking member 52 is made of synthetic resin. The locking member 52 is rotatably attached to the lower surface of the forward extension part 51b of the outer frame upper hinge member 51 at a position rearward of the bearing groove 51c by means of mounting screws 53.

When the locking member 52 is attached to the upper hinge member 51, the locking body 52a can block the bearing groove 51c in a plan view, and the right side surface near the front end extends forward so that it can abut against the portion extending to the opening of the bearing groove 51c in the edge wall portion 51e of the upper hinge member 51. In addition, the tip of the elastic portion 52c extending leftward from the rear end of the locking body 52a abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the edge wall portion 51e of the upper hinge member 51. The locking member 52 is biased in a direction in which the front end rotates leftward around the mounting hole 52d by the biasing force of the elastic portion 52c. Therefore, in the normal state, the right side surface near the front end of the locking body 52a of the locking member 52 abuts against the edge wall portion 51e. In this state, a space capable of accommodating the upper body frame hinge pin 512 of the upper body frame hinge member 510 is formed in the bearing groove 51c in a portion forward of the lock body 52a.

By operating the operating piece 52b of this locking member 52, the locking body 52a can be rotated against the biasing force of the elastic portion 52c. By operating the operating piece 52b to rotate the locking body 52a in a direction in which its front end moves to the left, the locking body 52a can be retracted from the bearing groove 51c in a plan view, and the bearing groove 51c can be fully opened. This makes it possible to insert the main body frame upper hinge pin 512 into the bearing groove 51c or remove the main body frame upper hinge pin 512 from within the bearing groove 51c.

[2-5. Lower outer frame hinge member]
The outer frame lower hinge member 60 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 296. The outer frame lower hinge member 60 includes a flat horizontal portion 60a extending horizontally, a flat rising portion 60b rising upward from a portion on the left side of the horizontal portion 60a rearward of the center in the front-rear direction, a lower outer frame hinge pin 60c protruding upward from the front end of the horizontal portion 60a, and a discharge hole 60d penetrating the horizontal portion 60a from top to bottom and large enough for only one game ball B to pass through. The lower outer frame hinge member 60 is formed by punching and bending a metal plate by press molding.

The horizontal portion 60a of the lower outer frame hinge member 60 is formed in a trapezoid with the left side as the base in a plan view. The lower outer frame hinge pin 60c is cylindrical and is formed in a truncated cone shape with a narrowed upper end above the vertical center. This lower outer frame hinge pin 60c is attached to a position on the left side near the front end of the horizontal portion 60a. The discharge hole 60d is formed in the horizontal portion 60a so as to contact the central portion of the rising portion 60b in the front-to-rear direction and extend in an inverted U shape from the left side of the horizontal portion 60a to the right. This discharge hole 60d is formed to be approximately the same size as the first discharge opening 44b of the ball jamming prevention mechanism 44 in the lower outer frame assembly 40.

When assembled to the outer frame 2, the rear of the horizontal section 60a of the outer frame lower hinge member 60 is placed on the mounting section 44a of the rear panel member 43 of the outer frame lower assembly 40, and is fixed to the rear panel member 43 with screws (not shown). The rising section 60b is attached to a position forward of the bulging section 11b on the right side surface of the outer frame left member 11 with screws (not shown). This outer frame lower hinge member 60 can cooperate with the outer frame upper hinge member 51 to attach the main frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed by inserting the outer frame lower hinge pin 60c into the outer frame lower hinge hole 521a in the main frame lower hinge assembly 520 of the main frame 4.

In addition, when the outer frame 2 is assembled, the discharge hole 60d coincides with the first discharge opening 44b of the ball jamming prevention mechanism 44 in the outer frame lower assembly 40. This allows the game ball B on the horizontal portion 60a to fall (discharge) to the rear of the outer frame 2 through the discharge hole 60d and the first discharge opening 44b. In more detail, when the main frame 4 is closed to the outer frame 2, the game ball B that has fallen between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4 rolls to the rear side where the gap is wider, as the gap between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4 gradually narrows as the main frame 4 is closed, and can be discharged from the discharge hole 60d. In this case, the discharge hole 60d is formed at a position that is approximately the same as the rear end of the main frame 4 when the main frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2 in a state where it is assembled into the pachinko machine 1. Therefore, game balls B that fall between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4 can be easily prevented from rolling rearward beyond the main frame 4 by being discharged from the discharge hole 60d, and game balls B are less likely to become trapped in the area of the outer frame lower hinge member 60.

[3. Overall structure of the door frame]
The door frame 3 of the pachinko machine 1 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 300 to Fig. 308. Fig. 300 is a front view of the door frame in the pachinko machine, Fig. 301 is a rear view of the door frame, Fig. 302 is a left side view of the door frame, and Fig. 303 is a right side view of the door frame. Fig. 304 is a perspective view of the door frame seen from the right front, Fig. 305 is a perspective view of the door frame seen from the left front, and Fig. 306 is a perspective view of the door frame seen from the back. Fig. 307 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame disassembled into main components and seen from the front, and Fig. 308 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame disassembled into main components and seen from the back.

The door frame 3 is formed in a rectangular shape extending vertically when viewed from the front, with approximately the same size as the interior of the outer frame 2, and is attached to the interior of the outer frame 2 via the main frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed from the front. The door frame 3 closes the play area 5a of the play board 5 into which the game balls B are dropped so that it can be seen from the front, stores the game balls B to be dropped into the play area 5a, and is equipped with a handle 182 that the player operates to drop the stored game balls B into the play area 5a. The door frame 3 also decorates the entire front of the pachinko machine 1.

The door frame 3 is made up of a door frame base unit 100, which has a rectangular, vertically extending outer shape when viewed from the front, a glass unit 160 that is removably attached to the door frame base unit 100 and closes the play area 5a of the play board 5 attached to the main frame 4 so that it can be seen from the front, a security cover 170 that is attached to the door frame base unit 100 so as to cover the lower part of the glass unit 160 from the rear, a handle unit 180 that is attached to the front right corner of the door frame base unit 100, and a door frame base. It comprises a plate unit 200 attached to the lower front of the unit 100, a left side door frame unit 400 attached to the left front of the door frame base unit 100 above the plate unit 200, a right side door frame unit 410 attached to the right front of the door frame base unit 100 above the plate unit, and a top door frame unit 450 attached to the upper front of the door frame base unit 100 above the left side door frame unit 400 and the right side door frame unit 410.

The door frame base unit 100 includes a door frame base 101 having a door window 101a that is formed into a vertically extending square (rectangle) in front view and penetrates from front to back, a handle mounting member 102 attached to the lower right front side of the door frame base 101, a speaker duct 103 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 in the lower right corner in rear view, a door frame main relay board 104 attached near the right end in rear view at the lower rear side of the door frame base 101, a door frame sub-relay board 105 attached to the left of the door frame main relay board 104 in rear view, a handle rear relay board 106 attached to the left of the door frame sub-relay board 105 in rear view, a door frame relay board cover 107 that covers the door frame main relay board 104 and part of the door frame sub-relay board 105 from the rear side, a handle rear relay board cover 108 that covers the handle rear relay board 106 from the rear side, and a cable cover 109 that covers the wiring cable.

The door frame base unit 100 also includes a frame-shaped door frame reinforcement unit 110 attached to the rear of the door frame base 101, an upper door frame hinge assembly 120 and a lower door frame hinge member 125 attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110, a cylinder lock 130 for opening and closing attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110, a ball supply unit 140 attached above the rear handle relay board 106 on the rear side of the door frame base 101, and a foul cover unit 150 attached to the right side of the lower rear side of the door frame base 101 when viewed from behind.

The door frame reinforcement unit 110 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 to reinforce the door frame base 101 and provide rigidity. The upper door frame hinge assembly 120 and the lower door frame hinge member 125 are used to attach the door frame 3 to the main frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed. The cylinder lock 130 cooperates with the locking unit 650 of the main frame 4 to be used for opening and closing the door frame 3 and the main frame 4, and for locking and opening the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4.

The ball supply unit 140 is for supplying the game balls B in the upper tray 201 one by one to the ball launching device 540 of the main frame 4. The foul cover unit 150 is for guiding the game balls B (foul balls) that have been launched by the ball launching device 540 and have not reached the game area 5a of the game board 5 to the lower tray 202, and for guiding the game balls B paid out from the payout device 580 to the upper tray 201 or the lower tray 202.

The glass unit 160 has a transparent glass plate 162 and closes the door window 101a of the door frame base 101. The security cover 170 is attached to the door frame base 101 so as to cover the lower part of the glass unit 160 from the rear. The handle unit 180 has a handle 182 that can be rotated by the player, and by operating the handle 182, the game ball B in the upper tray 201 is shot into the game area 5a of the game board 5 by the ball launcher 540.

[3-1. Overall configuration of door frame base unit]
The door frame base unit 100 of the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 309 to 311. Figure 309(a) is a perspective view of the door frame base unit of the door frame as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the door frame base unit as seen from the rear. Figure 310 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame base unit disassembled into its main components as seen from the front, and Figure 311 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame base unit disassembled into its main components as seen from the rear.

The door frame base unit 100 is attached to the main frame 4 on the left side as viewed from the front so that it can rotate on a hinge, closing the front of the main frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed, while allowing the playing area of the game board attached to the main frame 4 to be viewed from the front. The door frame base unit 100 is equipped with a flat door frame base 101 having a rectangular shape that extends vertically, a handle mounting member 102 that is attached to the lower right of the front of the door frame base 101 and is used to mount a handle unit 180, and a speaker duct 103 that is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 in the lower right corner as viewed from behind.

The door frame base unit 100 also includes a door frame main relay board 104 attached to the lower rear side of the door frame base 101 near the right end in rear view, a door frame sub-relay board 105 attached to the left of the door frame main relay board 104 in rear view in the lower rear side of the door frame base 101, a handle rear relay board 106 attached to the left of the door frame sub-relay board 105 in rear view in the lower rear side of the door frame base 101, a door frame relay board cover 107 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 and covering the door frame main relay board 104 and part of the door frame sub-relay board 105 from the rear side, a handle rear relay board cover 108 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 and covering the handle rear relay board 106 from the rear side, and a cable cover 109 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 and covering the wiring cable.

The door frame base unit 100 further comprises a frame-shaped door frame reinforcement unit 110 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101, an upper door frame hinge assembly 120 and a lower door frame hinge member 125 attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110, a cylinder lock 130 for opening and closing attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110, a ball supply unit 140 attached above the rear handle relay board 106 on the rear side of the door frame base 101, and a foul cover unit 150 attached to the right side of the lower rear side of the door frame base 101 when viewed from behind.

This door frame base unit 100 has a handle unit 180 attached to the lower front corner, a tray unit 200 attached to the lower front surface of the door window 101a, a left side unit 400 attached to the left outer front surface of the door window 101a, a right side unit 410 attached to the right outer front surface of the door window 101a, and a top unit 450 attached to the upper outer front surface of the door window 101a.

In addition, a glass unit 160 is attached to the door frame base unit 100 so as to close the door window 101a from the rear, and a transparent security cover 170 is attached to cover the lower part of the glass unit 160 from the rear.

[3-1a. Door frame base]
The door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 309 to 311. The door frame base 101 is formed in a quadrangle (rectangle) with an outer shape extending vertically in front view. The door frame base 101 is provided with a door window 101a that penetrates from front to back and has an inner periphery shape extending vertically in front view. The upper side and both left and right sides that form the inner periphery of the door window 101a are close to the outer periphery of the door frame base 101, respectively, and the lower side that forms the inner periphery is located at about 1/3 height in the vertical direction from the lower end of the door frame base 101. In this way, the door frame base 101 is formed in a frame shape as a whole by the door window 101a that penetrates from front to back. This door frame base 101 is integrally molded from synthetic resin.

The door frame base 101 is provided with a handle mounting surface 101b formed in the lower right corner of the front surface when viewed from the front and inclined so that the left end side protrudes slightly forward more than the right end side, an insertion recess 101c recessed from the rear surface toward the front near the right end when viewed from the front between the handle mounting surface 101b and the door window 101a and into which the cylinder mounting frame 115 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 is inserted, a cylinder insertion hole 101d penetrating from front to back in the insertion recess 101c and into which the cylinder body 131 of the cylinder lock 130 is inserted, and a ball feeding opening 101e penetrating from front to back on the left side of the cylinder insertion hole 101d and the handle mounting surface 101b when viewed from the front, allowing the entrance 141a and ball removal opening 141b of the ball feeding unit 140 to be exposed forward.

The door frame base 101 also has a lower tray ball passage port 101f that penetrates from front to back at a position to the left of the center in the left-right direction and at approximately the same height as the handle mounting seat surface 101b, allowing the ball discharge port 150d of the foul cover unit 150 to face forward, an upper tray ball passage port 101g that penetrates from front to back adjacent to the lower edge of the door window 101a near the left end when viewed from the front, allowing the through ball passage 150a of the foul cover unit 150 to face forward, and a glass unit mounting portion 101h that is recessed from the rear surface toward the front along the inner circumference of the door window 101a, into which the glass frame 161 of the glass unit 160 is inserted.

The door frame base 101 also has multiple vertical slits 101i formed in the lower left corner when viewed from the front (below the ball passage opening 101g for the upper tray) that penetrate from front to back. A speaker duct 103 is attached to the rear side of the multiple slits 101i. When the pachinko machine 1 is assembled, the multiple slits 101i have the speaker opening 211b of the tray unit base 211 in the tray unit 200 located in front of them, and the main body frame speaker 622 in the speaker unit 620a of the main body frame 4 located behind them, allowing sound from the main body frame speaker 622 to be emitted forward.

Furthermore, the door frame base 101 has a through hole 101j that penetrates from front to back below the door window 101a and above the handle mounting seat surface 101b. This through hole 101j is for inserting a wiring cable (not shown) that connects the door frame base unit 100 side and the tray unit 200 side, and is formed to match the through hole 114b of the intermediate reinforcing frame 114 in the door frame reinforcing unit 110 described later.

[3-1b. Handle attachment member]
The handle attachment member 102 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 309 to 311. The handle attachment member 102 is for attaching a handle unit to the front surface of the door frame base 101, and is attached to a handle attachment seat surface 101b on the front surface of the door frame base 101.

The handle attachment member 102 comprises a cylindrical tube portion 102a extending in the front-rear direction, an annular flange portion 102b extending from the rear end of the tube portion 102a outward in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the tube portion 102a, a plurality of (three in this embodiment) ridges 102c protruding into the tube portion 102a and extending the entire axial length of the tube portion 102a and arranged at unequal intervals in the circumferential direction of the tube portion 102a, and reinforcing ribs 102d connecting the outer peripheral surface of the tube portion 102a and the front surface of the flange portion 102b and arranged in a plurality in the circumferential direction of the tube portion 102a.

The handle mounting member 102 is attached to the handle mounting surface 101b with screws, with the rear surface of the flange portion 102b abutting against the front surface of the handle mounting surface 101b on the door frame base 101.

The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 102a is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the base 181a of the handle base 181 in the handle unit 180. One of the three protrusions 102c is provided on the upper part of the cylindrical portion 102a, and the remaining two are provided on the lower part of the cylindrical portion 102a. These three protrusions 102c are formed at positions corresponding to the three grooves 181c in the handle base 181. Therefore, the handle attachment member 102 can insert the base 181a of the handle base 181 into the cylindrical portion 102a only when the three protrusions 102c are aligned with the three grooves 181c of the handle base 181, and the rotational position of the handle base 181 (handle unit 180) can be regulated relative to the door frame base 101.

In addition, since the axis of the tube portion 102a of the handle mounting member 102 extends perpendicular to the rear surface of the flange portion 102b, by mounting it on the inclined handle mounting seat surface 101b of the door frame base 101, the axis of the tube portion 102a is inclined to extend forward to the right, and the handle unit 180 can be mounted to the door frame base 101 in a similarly inclined state.

[3-1c. Speaker duct]
The speaker duct 103 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 309 to 311. The speaker duct 103 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is attached to a portion where a plurality of slits 101i are formed on the rear side of the door frame base 101. When the pachinko machine 1 is assembled, the rear end of the cylindrical portion of the speaker duct 103 is located in front of the main body frame speaker 622 of the main body frame 4. This allows the sound emitted (output) from the main body frame speaker 622 of the main body frame 4 to be guided forward without being diffused, and can be well guided to the front of the pachinko machine 1 (toward the player) through the plurality of slits 101i of the door frame base 101 and the speaker port 211b in the plate unit base 211 of the plate unit 200.

The speaker duct 103 also has a cable holder 103a on the rear surface below the cylindrical section, which holds the connection cable 503. The cable holder 103a is located to the left of the door frame relay board cover 107 when viewed from the front, and holds the connection cable 503 connected to the door frame main relay board 104 and the door frame sub-relay board 105 so that it extends to the left end of the door frame 3.

[3-1d. Door frame main relay board, door frame sub relay board, handle rear relay board]
The door frame main relay board 104, the door frame sub-relay board 105, and the handle rear relay board 106 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 310 and 311. The door frame main relay board 104 has an outer shape formed in a rectangular shape extending vertically, and is attached to the lower right corner of the rear lower part of the door frame base 101 when viewed from the rear. The door frame main relay board 104 is for relaying the connection between the handle rear relay board 106 and the interface board 635 in the board unit 620 of the main body frame 4, and a part of the connection cable 503 (see Figures 361 and 362) extending from the main body frame 4 is connected to the door frame main relay board 104.

The door frame sub-relay board 105 has an inverted L-shape with a top rectangle extending vertically and a left-right rectangle combined on the right side of the top rectangle when viewed from the front. It is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 so that it extends vertically but is adjacent to the left side of the door frame main relay board 104 when viewed from the rear. The door frame sub-relay board 105 is for relaying the connection between the handle decoration board 184 of the handle unit 180, the dish unit relay board 214 of the dish unit 200, the door frame left side decoration board 402 of the door frame left side unit 400, the side window interior decoration board 413 and the door frame right side decoration board 418 of the door frame right side unit 410, the door frame top relay board 467 of the door frame top unit 450, etc., and the interface board 635 of the main frame 4, and the remainder of the connection cable 503 extending from the main frame 4 is connected to it.

The door frame main relay board 104 and the door frame sub-relay board 105 are attached to the door frame base 101 so that the connection terminals protrude toward the rear. When the door frame base unit 100 is assembled, the door frame main relay board 104 and the parts of the door frame sub-relay board 105 that extend up and down are covered at the rear by the door frame relay board cover 107, and the remaining parts of the door frame sub-relay board 105 are covered at the rear by the fall cover unit 150.

The handle rear relay board 106 has an external shape formed in a rectangle extending left and right, and is attached to the rear of the handle mounting surface 101b below the ball feed opening 101e at the rear of the door frame base 101. The handle rear relay board 106 is used to relay the connection between the door frame main relay board 104 and the handle rotation detection sensor 189, handle touch sensor 192, single button operation sensor 194 of the handle unit 180, and the ball feed solenoid 145 of the ball feed unit 140. When the door frame base unit 100 is assembled, the rear side of the handle rear relay board 106 is covered by the handle rear relay board cover 108.

[3-1e. Door frame relay board cover, handle rear relay board cover, cable cover]
The door frame relay board cover 107, the handle rear relay board cover 108, and the cable cover 109 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described mainly with reference to Figs. 309 to 311. The door frame relay board cover 107 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 to cover the rear side of the door frame main relay board 104 and part of the door frame sub-relay board (the part extending up and down in an inverted L-shape). The door frame relay board cover 107 is formed in a box shape with the front and the left side when viewed from the front open. When assembled to the door frame base unit 100, the connection terminals of the door frame main relay board 104 and the door frame sub-relay board 105 covering the rear side are exposed inside the door frame relay board cover 107, and the connection cable 503 can be inserted inside from the open left side and connected to those terminals.

The handle rear relay board cover 108 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 so as to cover the rear side of the handle rear relay board 106. The cable cover 109 is attached to the rear side of the intermediate reinforcement frame 114 in the door frame reinforcement unit 110, and is intended to cover the wiring cable (not shown) that connects the door frame main relay board 104 and the ball dispensing operation unit 220 of the dish unit 200. The cable cover 109 is formed in a box shape that extends left and right, and has openings near the left end of the front surface and in the center of the bottom surface in the left-right direction for passing the wiring cable through.

[3-1f. Door frame reinforcement unit]
The door frame reinforcement unit 110 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 309 to 311. The door frame reinforcement unit 110 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 to reinforce the flat door frame base 101 and provide rigidity to the door frame base unit 100. The door frame reinforcement unit 110 comprises a left reinforcement frame 111 and a right reinforcement frame 112 which extend vertically and are arranged at a distance from each other on the left and right sides, an upper reinforcement frame 113 which extends horizontally and connects the upper ends of the left reinforcement frame 111 and the right reinforcement frame 112, an intermediate reinforcement frame 114 whose left end is attached at a position upward from the lower end of the left reinforcement frame 111 and extends to the right near the right reinforcement frame 112, a cylinder mounting frame 115 which connects the right end of the intermediate reinforcement frame 114 to the right reinforcement frame 112, and hook hook members 116 which are attached to the rear side of the right reinforcement frame 112 at a distance from each other on the left and right sides and to which door frame hooks 652 of the locking unit 650 of the main frame 4 are hooked.

The left reinforcing frame 111 and the right reinforcing frame 112 have a constant width in the left-right direction and extend vertically for a length approximately equal to the vertical height of the door frame base 101. The right reinforcing frame 112 has multiple insertion holes that are spaced apart in the vertical direction and penetrate in the front-to-rear direction. The tips of the door frame hooks 652 of the locking unit 650 are inserted into these insertion holes when the door frame 3 is closed against the main frame 4. The upper reinforcing frame 113 has a constant width in the up-down direction and extends horizontally for a length approximately equal to the left-to-right width of the door frame base 101.

The intermediate reinforcement frame 114 extends left and right with a width wider than the width of the upper reinforcement frame 113. The intermediate reinforcement frame 114 has a rectangular cutout 114a cut downward from the upper end near the left end, and a through-hole 114b that penetrates from front to back near the right end. The cutout 114a is formed at a position that coincides with the upper tray ball passage port 101g of the door frame base 101, and the through-hole 114b is formed at a position that coincides with the through-hole 101j of the door frame base 101.

The cylinder mounting frame 115 is provided with a pair of rear pieces arranged at a distance from the left and right and formed as rectangular flat plates extending up and down when viewed from the front, a pair of side pieces extending forward in a flat plate shape from each of the opposing edges of the pair of rear pieces, and a flat front piece connecting the front end edges of the pair of forward extending pieces. This cylinder mounting frame 115 is formed into a convex shape that protrudes forward when viewed from above. The left rear piece of the cylinder mounting frame 115 is attached to the right end of the intermediate reinforcing frame 114, and the right rear piece is attached to the right reinforcing frame 112. The cylinder lock 130 is attached to the front piece of this cylinder mounting frame 115.

The hook members 116 are attached to the rear side of the right reinforcing frame 112 at the locations of the insertion holes that penetrate from front to rear. These hook members 116 are hooked by the door frame hooks 652 of the locking unit 650.

The left reinforcement frame 111, right reinforcement frame 112, upper reinforcement frame 113, middle reinforcement frame 114, cylinder mounting frame 115, and hook member 116 that make up the door frame reinforcement unit 110 are formed by punching and bending metal plates using press molding. They are assembled with rivets.

The door frame reinforcement unit 110 is assembled so that the left reinforcement frame 111, the right reinforcement frame 112, and the top reinforcement frame 113 are aligned along the left, right, and top edges of the door frame base 101, and the middle reinforcement frame 114 is positioned below the door window 101a of the door frame base 101.

The door frame reinforcement unit 110 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 with a number of screws (not shown). When the door frame reinforcement unit 110 is attached to the door frame base 101, the cutout portion 114a and the through portion 114b of the intermediate reinforcement frame 114 are aligned with the upper tray ball passage opening 101g and the through hole 101j of the door frame base 101, and the cylinder mounting frame 115 is inserted into the insertion recess 101c of the door frame base 101.

[3-1g. Door frame upper hinge assembly]
The upper door-frame hinge assembly 120 of the door-frame base unit 100 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 309 to 311. The upper door-frame hinge assembly 120 is attached to the upper left corner of the door-frame reinforcement unit 110 when viewed from the front. The upper door-frame hinge assembly 120 is for attaching the door frame 3 to the main body frame 4 so as to be hinged and rotatable in cooperation with the lower door-frame hinge member 125. The upper door-frame hinge assembly 120 includes a hinge bracket 121 attached to the door-frame reinforcement unit 110, an upper door-frame hinge pin 122 attached to the hinge bracket 121 so as to be movable in the up-down direction, a flange member 123 attached to the upper door-frame hinge pin 122, and a lock spring 124 that biases the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 to move upward.

The hinge bracket 121 has a flat mounting piece 121a that is rectangular when viewed from the front, and flat protruding pieces 121b that extend forward from the upper and lower sides of the mounting piece 121a. The mounting piece 121a of the hinge bracket 121 is attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110. The hinge bracket 121 is formed by bending a metal plate.

The upper door frame hinge pin 122 is a cylindrical metal rod bent into an L-shape. When assembled to the upper door frame hinge assembly 120, the portion of the upper door frame hinge pin 122 that extends vertically penetrates from below near the front ends of a pair of protruding pieces 121b in the hinge bracket 121, with the upper end extending upward beyond the upper protruding piece 121b, and the portion that extends horizontally abuts against the underside of the lower protruding piece 121b. The upper end of the upper door frame hinge pin 122 is rotatably inserted into the upper door frame hinge hole 511a of the upper hinge body 511 in the upper body frame hinge member 510 of the main body frame 4.

The flange member 123 is an E-ring, and is attached to the portion of the door frame upper hinge pin 122 between the pair of protruding pieces 121b. The lock spring 124 is formed in a coil shape, and is placed around the portion of the door frame upper hinge pin 122 that extends upward and downward between the flange member 123 and the lower protruding piece 121b of the hinge bracket 121. The lock spring 124 biases the door frame upper hinge pin 122 upward via the flange member 123.

In the upper door frame hinge assembly 120, the upper door frame hinge pin 122 is biased upward by the lock spring 124, and the horizontally extending portion of the lower end of the upper door frame hinge pin 122 abuts against the underside of the lower protruding piece 121b, restricting further upward movement. In this state, the upper end of the upper door frame hinge pin 122 protrudes a predetermined amount above the top surface of the upper protruding piece 121b.

When the horizontally extending portion of the lower end of the door frame upper hinge pin 122 of the door frame upper hinge assembly 120 is moved downward against the biasing force of the lock spring 124, the door frame upper hinge pin 122 can be moved downward as a whole, and the upper end of the door frame upper hinge pin 122 can be recessed below the upper surface of the upper protruding piece 121b. Therefore, the door frame upper hinge assembly 120 can insert the upper end of the door frame upper hinge pin 122 into the door frame upper hinge hole 511a of the main body frame upper hinge member 510 from below, and remove it downward. As a result, by inserting the upper end of the door frame upper hinge pin 122 into the door frame upper hinge hole 511a of the main body frame upper hinge member 510, the upper left end of the door frame 3 when viewed from the front can be supported so as to be hinged and rotatable relative to the main body frame 4.

In addition, the upper door frame hinge assembly 120 has a portion of the upper door frame hinge pin 122 that extends vertically and is positioned coaxially with the lower door frame hinge pin 126 of the lower door frame hinge member 125 described below. This allows the upper door frame hinge pin 122 and the lower door frame hinge pin 126 to hinge rotate the door frame 3 relative to the main frame 4 in a favorable condition.

[3-1h. Door frame bottom hinge member]
The door-frame bottom hinge member 125 of the door-frame base unit 100 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 309 to 311. The door-frame bottom hinge member 125 is attached to the lower left corner of the door-frame reinforcement unit 110 when viewed from the front. The door-frame bottom hinge member 125 cooperates with the door-frame upper hinge assembly 120 to attach the door frame 3 to the main body frame 4 so as to be hinged and rotatable thereabout.

The door frame lower hinge member 125 is attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110 and has a flat mounting piece 125a that is rectangular when viewed from the front, a flat protruding piece 125b that extends forward from the bottom edge of the mounting piece 125a, and a door frame lower hinge pin 126 (see Figure 300, etc.) that protrudes downward from the underside near the front end of the protruding piece 125b.

The mounting piece 125a and protruding piece 125b of the lower door frame hinge member 125 are formed by bending a metal plate. The lower door frame hinge pin 126 is a cylindrical metal bar with a tapered chamfer on the outer periphery of the lower end. When assembled to the door frame base unit 100, this lower door frame hinge pin 126 is attached to a portion of the protruding piece 125b that is coaxial with the portion of the upper door frame hinge pin 122 of the upper door frame hinge assembly 120 that extends vertically.

This door frame lower hinge member 125 can support the door frame 3 to be hingedly rotatable relative to the main frame 4 by inserting the door frame lower hinge pin 126 into the door frame hinge hole of the main frame side lower hinge member.

[3-1i. Cylinder lock]
The cylinder lock 130 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 309 to 311. The cylinder lock 130 is attached to the cylinder mounting frame 115 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110, and is used to open and close the door frame 3 and the main frame 4, and to open and close the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4 in cooperation with a locking unit 650 described later. The cylinder lock 130 includes a cylindrical cylinder body 131 extending forward and backward, a keyhole 132 formed on the front end surface of the cylinder body 131, and a rotation transmission member 133 attached to the rear side of the cylinder body 131, which is inserted into the keyhole 132 and rotates together with the rotation of a regular key.

The cylinder body 131 of the cylinder lock 130 penetrates the front piece of the cylinder mounting frame 115 from the rear and has its rear end attached to the front piece. The rotation transmission member 133 is formed in a cylindrical shape (more specifically, a conical cylinder whose diameter increases toward the rear) with an open rear, and has a pair of notches cut from the rear end toward the front at positions opposite each other across the central axis. The rotation transmission member 133 is formed so that the transmission cylinder 654 of the locking unit 650 in the main body frame 4 can be inserted from the rear, and the rotation of the rotation transmission member 133 (the key inserted in the keyhole 132) can be transmitted to the transmission cylinder 654 to rotate it by inserting a pair of protrusions of the transmission cylinder 654 into the pair of notches.

When the cylinder lock 130 is assembled to the door frame 3, the front end of the cylinder body 131 is approximately aligned with the front end of the cylinder insertion opening 252h of the plate unit body 252 in the plate unit 200 (see Figure 300, etc.).

[3-1j. Ball feeding unit]
The ball feeding unit 140 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 312 and 313. Figure 312(a) is a perspective view of the ball feeding unit of the door frame base unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the ball feeding unit seen from the back. Figure 313(a) is an exploded perspective view of the ball feeding unit seen from the front, and (b) is an exploded perspective view of the ball feeding unit seen from the back with the rear case and the anti-tampering member removed. The ball feeding unit 140 can supply the game balls B supplied from the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 one by one to the ball launching device 540 of the main frame 4, and can extract the game balls B stored in the upper tray 201 to the lower tray 202 by operating the upper tray ball extraction button 222.

The ball supply unit 140 comprises a box-shaped front cover 141 having an entrance 141a penetrating in the front-to-rear direction through which the game balls B are supplied from the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200, and a ball ejection port 141b opening below the entrance 141a, and a rear cover 142 that closes the rear end of the front cover 141 and is box-shaped with an open front and has a ball supply port 142a for supplying the game balls B that enter through the entrance 141a of the front cover 141 penetrating in the front-to-rear direction to the ball launching device 540; The ball removal member 143 is supported rotatably around an axis extending in the front-rear direction between the front covers 141 and has a partition 143a that separates the entrance 141a and the ball removal port 141b at the rear of the front covers 141; a ball delivery member 144 is supported rotatably around an axis extending in the up-down direction between the front covers 141 and the rear covers 142 and delivers the game balls B on the partition 143a of the ball removal member 143 one by one to the ball supply port 142a of the rear cover 142; and a ball delivery solenoid 145 that rotates the ball delivery member 144.

As shown in the figure, when viewed from the front, the ball feeding unit 140 has a ball feeding member 144 disposed to the right of the entrance 141a, a ball extracting member 143 disposed to the left of the ball feeding member 144, and a ball feeding solenoid 145 disposed to the right of the ball feeding member 144.

The front cover 141 of the ball feeding unit 140 has an arc-shaped slit 141c formed concentrically with the center of rotation of the ball extracting member 143 to the left of the ball extracting opening 141b when viewed from the front, and the operating rod 143c of the ball extracting member 143 described later extends forward from this slit 141c. In addition, the upper side of the front cover 141 extends upward from the upper edge of the entrance 141a, and is formed so that when the door frame 3 is assembled, the rear side closes the rear-open portion of the ball feeding guide path 241b and the upstream end of the ball extracting guide path 241c of the rear base 241 in the upper tray ball extracting unit 240.

The ball removal member 143 comprises a partition section 143a which is located below the entrance 141a between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b and whose upper surface becomes lower toward the ball feeding member 144, a pivoting rod section 143b which extends downward from the end of the partition section 143a opposite the ball feeding member 144 and is bent in an L-shape from near the middle in the vertical direction toward the lower center of the ball removal opening 141b, with its lower end supported for rotation around an axis extending in the front-to-rear direction, a rod-shaped operating rod 143c which protrudes forward from the upper end of the rotating rod section 143b, and a weight section 143d which protrudes from the side of the rotating rod section 143b below the operating rod 143c in the opposite direction to the partition section 143a. The operating rod 143c of the ball removal member 143 is formed to protrude forward through an arc-shaped slit 141c formed in the front cover 141 (see FIG. 312(a)). The operating rod 143c abuts against the upper end (upper surface) of the operating transmission part 242b of the upper tray ball removal slider 242, which moves downward by pressing the upper tray ball removal button 222 of the tray unit 200 through the ball feed opening 101e of the door frame base 101.

The ball feeding member 144 has a cutoff portion 144a that is fan-shaped in plan view and is centered on the rotation axis, which extends vertically toward the entrance 141a and the partition portion 143a of the ball removal member 143, a ball holding portion 144b that is recessed in an arc shape from the rear end of the cutoff portion 144a toward the rotation axis, and a rod-shaped shaft portion 144c that extends downward from the rear end of the ball holding portion 144b. The cutoff portion 144a and the ball holding portion 144b in the ball feeding member 144 are formed adjacent to each other within an angle range of approximately 180° centered on the rotation axis. In addition, the ball holding portion 144b of the ball feeding member 144 is sized to be able to hold one game ball B. The ball feeding member 144 rotates around the rotation axis when the shaft portion 144c, which is positioned eccentrically to the rotation axis, is moved left and right by the drive of the ball feeding solenoid 145.

This ball feeding member 144 is adapted to rotate between a supply position in which the blocking portion 144a faces the direction of the partition portion 143a and the ball holding portion 144b faces in a direction communicating with the ball supply port 142a, and a holding position in which the ball holding portion 144b faces the direction of the partition portion 143a. When the ball feeding member 144 is in the supply position, the game ball B held in the ball holding portion 144b is supplied to the ball launching device 540 from the ball supply port 142a, and the game ball B that has entered the partition portion 143a from the entrance 141a is prevented from moving toward the ball holding portion 144b (ball supply port 142a) by the blocking portion 144a, and remains on the partition portion 143a. On the other hand, when the ball feeding member 144 rotates to the holding position, the ball holding portion 144b faces the partition portion 143a, and the end of the ball holding portion 144b on the rod portion 144c side closes the ball supply port 142a, and only one game ball B on the partition portion 143a is held in the ball holding portion 144b.

The ball feeding unit 140 also includes a ball feeding actuating rod 146 whose tip swings up and down when the ball feeding solenoid 145 is driven (energized), and a ball feeding crank 147 which rotates around an axis extending in the front-to-rear direction due to the movement of the tip of the ball feeding actuating rod 146 swinging up and down, and which rotates the ball feeding member 144 around an axis extending in the vertical direction.

The ball feeding operating rod 146 is provided with an iron plate 146a at a portion below the ball feeding solenoid 145. The ball feeding operating rod 146 extends left and right, and the end (right end) opposite the ball feeding crank 147 is attached to the front cover 141 and the rear cover 142 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending forward and backward. When the ball feeding solenoid 145 is driven, the iron plate 146a of the ball feeding operating rod 146 is pulled toward the ball feeding solenoid 145 (upward) by the generated magnetic force, and the left end side close to the ball feeding crank 147 rotates upward around the right end. After that, when the driving of the ball feeding solenoid 145 is released, the magnetic force disappears and the weight of the iron plate 146a acts, rotating the left end side close to the ball feeding crank 147 downward around the right end, returning to the original state. As a result, the ball feeding actuating rod 146 is caused to swing up and down at its left end (tip) closest to the ball feeding crank 147 by the ball feeding solenoid 145.

The ball delivery crank 147 is equipped with an engagement portion 147a that extends in the left-right direction and can engage with the tip of the ball delivery operating rod 146 that moves up and down, an axle portion 147b that is positioned on the opposite side of the engagement portion 147a that engages with the ball delivery operating rod 146 and is rotatably supported around an axis that extends in the front-to-rear direction between the front cover 141 and the rear cover 142, and a transmission portion 147c that extends upward from the axle portion 147b and engages with a rod-shaped rod portion 144c (see Figure 313 (b)) that protrudes downward from a position eccentric to the rotation center of the ball delivery member 144.

This ball feeding unit 140 can rotate the ball feeding crank 147 around an axis extending forward and backward via the ball feeding actuating rod 146 by moving the tip (left end) of the ball feeding actuating rod 146 upward by driving the ball feeding solenoid 145.

When the ball feeding solenoid 145 is not driven (normally), the ball feeding actuation rod 146 is separated from the lower end of the ball feeding solenoid 145 and the tip is positioned downward, and in this state, the ball feeding member 144 is positioned in the feeding position. When the ball feeding solenoid 145 is driven, the ball feeding actuation rod 146 is attracted to the lower end of the ball feeding solenoid 145 and the tip (left end) is positioned upward, and the ball feeding member 144 rotates to the holding position. In other words, when the ball feeding solenoid 145 is driven (ON state), the ball feeding member 144 receives one game ball B, and when the ball feeding solenoid 145 is deactivated (OFF state), the game ball B received by the ball feeding member 144 can be sent (supplied) to the ball launcher 540 side. The drive of the ball delivery solenoid 145 in this ball delivery unit 140 is controlled in synchronization with the drive control of the delivery solenoid 542 by the launch control unit 633b (see FIG. 484) of the payout control board 633.

The ball feeding unit 140 is also configured to apply a moment of rotation in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the front by the ball removal member 143, which is rotatably supported by a pivot, or the weight portion 143d. However, the rotation of the ball removal member 143 is restricted by the actuation rod 143c protruding forward of the ball removal member 143 coming into contact with the upper end of the actuation transmission portion 242b of the upper tray ball removal slider 242, which is operated by pressing the upper tray ball removal button 222 of the tray unit 200. Therefore, under normal conditions, the partition portion 143a of the ball removal member 143 is positioned between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b to separate them, and the game ball B does not enter the ball removal opening 141b side.

When the player presses the upper tray ball removal button 222 of the tray unit 200 downward, the upper tray ball removal slider 242 slides downward together with the actuation transmission part 242b, and the actuation rod 143c also moves downward relatively as the actuation transmission part 242b moves downward. When the actuation rod 143c moves downward together with the actuation transmission part 242b, the ball removal member 143 rotates in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the front, and the partition part 143a moves from between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b to release the partition. As a result, the game ball B that entered from the entrance 141a falls to the ball removal opening 141b side, and is discharged from the ball removal opening 141b to the ball removal guide path 241c of the upper tray ball removal unit 240 in the tray unit 200, and can be discharged (supplied) to the lower tray 202 via the lower tray ball supply opening 211c.

The upper tray ball removal slider 242, which is formed with the actuation transmission part 242b against which the actuation rod 143c of the ball removal member 143 abuts, is biased upward by the spring 243. Therefore, even if a game ball B is supplied forcefully onto the partition part 143a, the impact can be absorbed by the spring 243 via the actuation rod 143c, preventing damage to the ball removal member 143 etc., and preventing the game ball B from bouncing off the partition part 143a.

The ball feeding unit 140 has a rectangular mounting recess 142b (see FIG. 313(b) etc.) recessed forward at the upper right when viewed from the rear of the ball supply port 142a in the rear cover 142, and an anti-tampering member 148 is attached within the mounting recess 142b. The anti-tampering member 148 of the ball feeding unit 140 is formed from a hard metal plate such as tool steel or stainless steel, and is detachably attached from the rear side within the mounting recess 142b of the rear cover 142.

The anti-tampering member 148 has an outer shape in a rectangular shape extending left and right when viewed from the front, and is provided with an upper piece 148a and a lower piece 148b that are separated vertically at approximately the center in the vertical direction a certain distance to the left from the right side, and an inclined portion 148c that is formed in a C-chamfered shape at the tip side (right end side when viewed from the front) of the opposing sides of the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b. The upper piece 148a of the anti-tampering member 148 is bent so that the right end when viewed from the front protrudes backward with respect to the general surface of the anti-tampering member 148. The lower piece 148b extends on the same plane as the general surface of the anti-tampering member 148. As a result, the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b form a V-shaped groove that widens toward the right when viewed from the top.

When the tamper-proof member 148 is attached to the mounting recess 142b of the rear cover 142, the V-shaped groove formed by the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b is in communication with the inside of the ball supply port 142a.

According to this fraud prevention member 148, when a fraudulent game ball B with a string attached is shot from the upper tray into the game area 5a by the ball launcher 540 via the ball feeding unit 140, and the string attached to the fraudulent game ball B is manipulated to move the fraudulent game ball B into or out of the first starting hole 2002, etc., the momentum of the fraudulent game ball B shot (shot) by the ball launcher 540 causes the string attached to the fraudulent game ball B to be inserted between the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b, and then cut by the narrow V-shaped area formed by the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b, thereby preventing fraudulent activities using the fraudulent game ball B with a string attached.

[3-1k. Foul Cover Unit]
The foul cover unit 150 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 314 and 315. Figure 314(a) is a perspective view of the foul cover unit of the door frame base unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the foul cover unit seen from the back. Also, Figure 315 is a front view of the foul cover unit with the cover member removed. The foul cover unit 150 is attached to the right side of the lower part of the rear side of the door frame base 101 when viewed from the rear. The foul cover unit 150 guides the game ball B (foul ball) that has been launched by the ball launching device 540 and has not reached the game area 5a of the game board 5 to the lower tray 202, and also guides the game ball B that has been paid out from the payout device 580 to the upper tray 201 or the lower tray 202. As shown in the figure, the fall cover unit 150 comprises a shallow box-shaped unit body 151 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 and open at the front, and a flat cover member 152 attached to the front of the unit body 151.

The foul cover unit 150 has a through ball passage 150a that penetrates from front to back at the upper left corner when viewed from the front and connects the lower normal payout passage 610a of the lower full ball path unit 610 of the main frame 4 to the upper tray ball supply port 211a of the tray unit 200, and a full ball receiving port 150b that opens toward the rear on the lower right side when viewed from the front of the through ball passage 150a and can connect to the lower full payout passage 610b of the lower full ball path unit 610 of the main frame 4.

The foul cover unit 150 also has a foul ball receiving port 150c that opens upward on the right side of the full ball receiving port 150b when viewed from the front and receives game balls B (foul balls) that have been launched by the ball launcher 540 of the main frame 4 but have not reached the play area 5a, and a ball discharge port 150d that opens forward near the lower right corner when viewed from the front and discharges game balls B received in the full ball receiving port 150b and the foul ball receiving port 150c forward and is connected to the lower tray ball supply port 211c of the tray unit 200.

Furthermore, the foul cover unit 150 is provided with a storage passage 150e that is formed by the unit body 151 and the cover member 152 between the full ball receiving port 150b and the foul ball receiving port 150c and the ball discharge port 150d, and has a width sufficient to store a predetermined amount of game balls B.

The through ball passage 150a is formed across both the unit body 151 and the lid member 152. The full ball receiving port 150b and the foul ball receiving port 150c are formed in the unit body 151. The ball discharge port 150d is formed in the lid member 152. The storage passage 150e is formed by the unit body 151 and the lid member 152.

The fall cover unit 150 also includes a flat movable piece 153 that forms part of the inner wall of the storage passage 150e and has a lower end that is rotatably attached to the unit body 151 and the cover member 152, a full tank detection sensor 154 that detects the rotation of the movable piece 153 in a direction away from the storage passage 150e, and a spring 155 that biases the movable piece 153 toward the storage passage 150e.

When the lower tray 202 of the tray unit 200 is filled with game balls B and game balls B are no longer discharged from the ball discharge port 150d to the lower tray 202 side, this foul cover unit 150 can store a certain number of game balls B in the storage passage 150e. When a certain number of game balls B are stored in the storage passage 150e, the weight of the game balls B causes the movable piece 153 to rotate so that the upper end of the movable piece 153 moves in a direction away from the storage passage 150e against the biasing force of the spring 155, and this rotation is detected by the full tank detection sensor 154. As a result, it can be determined that the lower tray 202 is full of game balls B, so when the full tank detection sensor 154 detects that the lower tray 202 is full, any further payout of game balls B is stopped and the fact is notified to the player or the attendant of the game hall, and the player can be prompted to clear the full tank of the lower tray 202.

The foul cover unit 150 is attached to the rear of the unit body 151 below the through ball passage 150a, and is provided with a door opening/closing abutment 150f against which the operating protrusion 613a of the payout passage opening/closing door 613 of the lower full ball path unit 610 in the payout unit 560 of the main body frame 4 (described later) can abut (see FIG. 369). The door opening/closing abutment 150f is inclined so that it moves forward as the rear surface faces downward. When the operating protrusion 613a of the payout passage opening/closing door 613 abuts against this door opening/closing abutment 150f, the payout passage opening/closing door 613 can be rotated to open the downstream ends (front openings) of the lower normal payout passage 610a and the lower full payout passage 610b.

[3-2. Glass unit]
The glass unit 160 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 307 and 308. The glass unit 160 is inserted from the rear into the glass unit mounting portion 101h and removably mounted so as to close the door window 101a of the door frame base 101 in the door frame base unit 100. When the door frame 3 is closed relative to the main body frame 4, this glass unit 160 makes the playing area 5a of the playing board 5 mounted on the main body frame 4 visible from the player side (front) and closes the front of the playing area 5a.

The glass unit 160 comprises a frame-shaped glass frame 161 that is larger than the inner circumference of the door window 101a of the door frame base 101 and can be attached to the glass unit attachment portion 101h, two transparent glass plates 162 that close the inside of the glass frame 161 and have their outer circumferences attached to the glass frame 161, and a pair of glass unit attachment members 163 that are rotatably attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 in the door frame base unit 100 for attaching the glass frame 161 to the door frame base 101.

The glass frame 161 has a pair of mounting pieces 161a extending outward in a flat shape from a position lower than the upper left and right corners when viewed from the front, and a band-shaped locking piece 161b protruding downward from the lower end and extending along the lower edge. The mounting pieces 161a of the glass frame 161 can abut against the protruding portion 163b of the glass unit mounting member 163. The locking piece 161b can be inserted into the space between the door frame base 101 and the intermediate reinforcement frame 114 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 (see Figure 375). The two glass plates 162 are attached to the front and rear ends of the glass frame 161, respectively, and are spaced apart from each other in the front and rear so that a space is formed between them (see Figure 375).

The glass unit mounting member 163 has a disk-shaped base 163a that is rotatably attached around an axis that extends forward and backward on the rear side of the door frame base 101, and a rod-shaped protrusion 163b that protrudes from the base 163a in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The glass unit mounting member 163 is rotatably attached to the outside of the two upper corners of the four corners of the door window 101a on the rear surface of the door frame base 101.

To attach the glass unit 160 to the door frame base 101, first rotate the glass unit attachment member 163 attached to the door frame base 101 so that the protruding portion 163b is positioned above the base portion 163a. Then, from the rear side of the door frame base 101, insert the locking piece 161b of the glass frame 161 of the glass unit 160 from above into the gap between the door frame base 101 and the intermediate reinforcement frame 114 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110, and then abut the front end of the glass frame 161 against the rear surface of the glass unit attachment portion 101h of the door frame base 101. Then, rotate the glass unit attachment member 163 so that the protruding portion 163b is positioned below the base portion 163a, and abut the protruding portion 163b against the rear surface of the attachment piece 161a of the glass frame 161. This allows the glass unit 160 to be attached to the door frame base 101.

To remove the glass unit 160 from the door frame base 101, the above steps can be reversed. This allows the glass unit 160 to be attached and detached to the door frame base 101 (door frame base unit 100).

In the glass unit 160, when the protrusion 163b of the glass unit mounting member 163 is in a rotational position located below the base 163a, the protrusion 163b restricts the rearward movement of the glass frame 161. Therefore, even if vibration or the like acts on the glass unit mounting member 163, the protrusion 163b will not rotate to a position where it is above the base 163a. Therefore, the restriction on the rearward movement of the glass frame 161 will not be released naturally, and the glass unit 160 will not come off the door frame base 101 naturally.

[3-3. Crime prevention cover]
The security cover 170 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 307 and 308. The security cover 170 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base unit 100 so as to cover the lower part of the rear surface of the glass unit 160, and is made of transparent synthetic resin. The security cover 170 includes a flat body portion 171 having an outer periphery formed in a predetermined shape, a flat rear projection 172 projecting rearward along the outer periphery of the body portion 171, and a pair of locking pieces 173 arranged spaced apart on the left and right, projecting forward beyond the body portion 171, and capable of being locked to the rear side of the door frame base 101.

The main body 171 of the security cover 170 is formed so that its lower end protrudes downward below the lower end of the glass unit 160 when attached to the door frame base unit 100. The upper end of the main body 171 is formed in a shape that conforms to the lower end of the play area 5a of the play board 5 when assembled to the pachinko machine 1. In more detail, the upper end of the main body 171 is formed in a shape that conforms to a part of the inner rail 1002, the out guide portion 1003, a part of the lower right rail 1004, and the right rail 1005 of the component 1000 described below, and is formed so as not to protrude into the play area 5a when assembled to the pachinko machine 1.

The rear protrusion 172 is formed around almost the entire outer periphery of the main body 171. Therefore, the security cover 170 is formed by the main body 171 and the rear protrusion 172 into a shallow box shape that is open to the rear, and has high strength and rigidity. The rear protrusion 172 also protrudes rearward from a part of the rear surface of the main body 171 that is different from the outer periphery of the main body 171. The rear protrusion 172 protruding rearward from a part of the rear surface of the main body 171 is formed so as to fit along a part of the outer rail 1001 of the front component 1000 of the game board 5 when assembled into the pachinko machine 1.

When assembled to the pachinko machine 1, the rear protrusion 172 is not formed in the area located between the outer rail 1001 and the inner rail 1002 on the game board 5. As a result, game ball B (game ball B launched by the ball launcher 540) passing between the outer rail 1001 and the inner rail 1002 does not come into contact with the rear protrusion 172 of the security cover 170, and does not hinder the shooting of game ball B into the game area 5a.

The pair of locking pieces 173 are elastically locked to the rear side of the door frame base unit 100 (speaker duct 103 and cable cover 109). This allows the security cover 170 to be easily attached and detached to the door frame base unit 100.

When the security cover 170 is assembled to the pachinko machine 1, the front surface of the main body 171 abuts against the rear surface of the glass unit 160 (the rear end of the glass frame 161), and the rear projection 172, excluding the portion projecting rearward from the bottom edge of the main body 171, is inserted into the security recess 1009 of the component 1000. In addition, the security cover 170 is in a state in which the rear projection 172 projecting rearward from the bottom edge of the main body 171 projects rearward beyond the front surface of the component 1000 so as to contact the bottom surface of the component 1000. As a result, the area between the security cover 170 and the game board 5 (front component 1000) is bent in a complex manner by the rear projection 172 of the security cover 170 and the security recess 1009 of the front component 1000, so even if someone tries to insert an illegal tool such as a piano wire into the game area 5a through the gap between the security cover 170 and the front component 1000 from below the front of the game board 5, it will be blocked by the rear projection 172 and the security recess 1009, preventing the illegal tool from entering the game area 5a.

[3-4. Handle unit]
The handle unit 180 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 316 etc. Fig. 316(a) is an exploded perspective view of the handle unit in the door frame as seen from the front, and Fig. 316(b) is an exploded perspective view of the handle unit as seen from the rear. The handle unit 180 is attached to the handle attachment member 102 of the door frame base unit 100, and can be operated by a player to drive the game ball B in the upper tray 201 into the game area 5a of the game board 5.

The handle unit 180 comprises a handle base 181 attached to the tubular portion 102a of the handle mounting member 102 in the door frame base unit 100, a handle 182 rotatably attached to the front end of the handle base 181, a disk-shaped cover base 183 attached to the handle base 181 so as to cover the front end side of the handle 182, a handle decoration board 184 attached to the front side of the cover base 183 and having multiple LEDs mounted on the front side, and a handle cover 185 attached to the cover base 183 so as to cover the front side of the handle decoration board 184.

The handle unit 180 also includes an inner base 186 that is attached to the front of the handle base 181 behind the handle 182, a shaft member 187 that has the handle 182 attached to its front end and is rotatably attached by the inner base 186 and the handle base 181 and has a drive gear portion 187a on its outer periphery, a transmission gear 188 that meshes with the drive gear portion 187a of the shaft member 187, and a handle rotation detection sensor 189 that has a detection shaft 189a that rotates integrally with the transmission gear 188 and is sandwiched between the handle base 181 and the inner base 186.

The handle unit 180 further includes a handle return spring 190, one end of which is attached to the handle base 181 and the other end of which is attached to the handle 182, biasing the handle 182 to return to its initial rotation position (the end of rotation in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from the front), and an auxiliary spring 191, one end of which is attached to the inner base 186 and the other end of which is attached to the transmission gear 188, biasing the detection shaft 189a of the handle rotation detection sensor 189 in the clockwise direction as viewed from the front via the transmission gear 188.

The handle unit 180 also includes a handle touch sensor 192 attached to the handle base 181 behind the inner base 186, a single button 193 whose tip end protrudes outward from the left side of the outer circumferential surface of the front end of the handle base 181 when viewed from the front and whose base end is attached to the handle base 181 behind the inner base 186 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending forward and backward, and a single button operation sensor 194 attached to the handle base 181 and detects the pressing operation of the single button 193.

The handle base 181 of the handle unit 180 includes a cylindrical base 181a extending forward and backward, a disk-shaped front end 181b protruding radially from the front end of the base 181a, and three grooves 181c recessed from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical base 181a and extending axially, and formed at unequal intervals in the circumferential direction. The outer diameter of the base 181a of the handle base 181 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular portion 102a of the handle attachment member 102. The three grooves 181c are formed at positions corresponding to the three protrusions 102c of the tubular portion 102a of the handle attachment member 102. Therefore, with the three grooves 181c aligned with the three ridges 102c, the base 181a can be inserted into the tubular portion 102a of the handle attachment member 102, and by inserting the ridges 102c into the three grooves 181c, the handle base 181 cannot rotate relative to the handle attachment member 102.

The handle 182 has four projections, a first projection 182a, a second projection 182b, a third projection 182c, and a fourth projection 182d, which project outwardly away from the outer circumferential surface in the circumferential direction, two slits 182e that extend in an arc around the rotation axis (shaft member 187) and penetrate in the front-rear direction, and a locking protrusion 182f that projects rearward from a position inside the rotation center of the slits 182e and engages the other end of the handle return spring 190.

The four first protrusions 182a, second protrusions 182b, third protrusions 182c, and fourth protrusions 182d are provided in order in a clockwise direction when viewed from the front. In detail, the first protrusion 182a has a side surface in the clockwise direction when viewed from the front of the part that protrudes most from the general outer peripheral surface of the handle 182 that bulges outward, and the side surface in the counterclockwise direction on the opposite side is recessed (carved out) so as to curve inward. The second protrusion 182b has a part that protrudes most from the general outer peripheral surface of the handle 182 that is about 85 degrees away from the most protruding part of the first protrusion 182a in the clockwise direction, and protrudes slightly lower than the first protrusion 182a. This second protrusion 182b has a side surface in the clockwise direction when viewed from the front of the most protruding part that bulges outward, and the side surface in the counterclockwise direction on the opposite side is recessed so as to curve inward, and is formed in a shape similar to that of the first protrusion 182a.

The third protrusion 182c protrudes most from the general outer peripheral surface of the handle 182 at a rotation angle of about 70 degrees clockwise from the most protruding portion of the second protrusion 182b, and protrudes at about half the height of the first protrusion 182a. Both side surfaces of this third protrusion 182c are inclined in an approximately linear manner, and the clockwise side surface is inclined more gently than the opposite counterclockwise side surface. The fourth protrusion 182d protrudes most from the general outer peripheral surface of the handle 182 at a rotation angle of about 55 degrees clockwise from the most protruding portion of the third protrusion 182c, and protrudes slightly higher than the first protrusion 182a. Both side surfaces of this fourth protrusion 182d are inclined in an approximately linear manner, and are formed into an approximately isosceles triangle.

The cover base 183 is formed in a disk shape and has three mounting bosses 183a protruding rearward from the rear surface. The three mounting bosses 183a penetrate the slits 182e of the handle 182 from the front and are attached to the front surface of the handle base 181. Since the mounting bosses 183a of the handle cover 185 penetrate the slits 182e of the handle 182, the mounting bosses 183a come into contact with the circumferential ends of the slits 182e, thereby restricting the rotation angle of the handle 182. In this embodiment, the handle 182 can be rotated within a rotation angle range of approximately 120 degrees.

The handle cover 185 has a rounded, bulging front and is translucent. Inside the handle cover 185, a lens member is provided that is three-dimensionally formed from a transparent material. The handle cover 185 can be decorated with illuminated lights by appropriately illuminating the LEDs on the front of the handle decoration board 184.

The handle unit 180 is attached to the handle mounting surface 101b of the door frame base 101 via a handle mounting member 102. The handle mounting surface 101b of the door frame base 101 is inclined so that the right end is located further back than the left end in a plan view, and faces outward (toward the open side). Therefore, the handle unit 180 attached via the handle mounting member 102 is also inclined outward in a plan view (in other words, its tip is inclined toward the outside of the pachinko machine 1 with respect to a line perpendicular to the front surface of the pachinko machine 1). This makes it easy for the player to grip the handle 182 of the handle unit 180, and allows the player to rotate the handle without any discomfort.

The handle rotation detection sensor 189 of the handle unit 180 is a variable resistor, and when the handle 182 is rotated, the detection shaft 189a of the handle rotation detection sensor 189 rotates via the shaft member 187 and the transmission gear 188. The internal resistance of the handle rotation detection sensor 189 changes according to the rotation angle of this detection shaft 189a, and the driving force of the launch solenoid 542 in the ball launcher 540 (described later) changes according to the internal resistance of the handle rotation detection sensor 189, and the game ball B is shot into the game area 5a with a strength according to the rotation angle of the handle 182.

The handle touch sensor 192 detects static electricity acting on the handle unit 180. When the player touches the handle 182, etc., the handle touch sensor 192 detects the static electricity acting from the player and detects the player's contact with the handle 182, etc. Then, when the handle touch sensor 192 detects the player's contact, if the handle 182 is rotated, the detection of the handle rotation detection sensor 189 is accepted, and the drive of the launch solenoid 542 is controlled with a strength according to the rotation angle of the handle 182, so that the game ball B can be shot. In other words, even if the player tries to shoot the game ball B into the game area 5a by rotating the handle 182 in some way without touching the handle 182, the handle touch sensor 192 does not detect the player's contact, so the launch solenoid 542 is not driven and the game ball B cannot be shot. This makes it possible to prevent the player from playing by rotating the handle 182 in a way that is different from the normal way, and reduces the load (burden) on the game hall where the pachinko machine 1 is installed.

In addition, when the player presses the single shot button 193 while rotating the handle 182, the single shot button operation sensor 194 of the handle unit 180 detects the operation of the single shot button 193, and the drive of the launch solenoid 542 is stopped by the launch control unit 633b of the payout control board 633. This makes it possible to temporarily stop the launch of the game ball B without returning the rotation of the handle 182, and by releasing the pressing of the single shot button 193, the game ball B can be shot again into the game area 5a with the same impact strength as before the single shot button 193 was operated.

Furthermore, the handle unit 180 has four protrusions on the handle 182: a first protrusion 182a, a second protrusion 182b, a third protrusion 182c, and a fourth protrusion 182d. When the handle 182 is rotated the most in the clockwise direction when viewed from the front, so that the game ball B is most strongly struck into the game area 5a (so-called "right hit"), the fourth protrusion 182d is in substantially the same position as the first protrusion 182a is in when the handle 182 is not rotated. Therefore, by holding the handle 182 with the fourth protrusion 182d as the first protrusion 182a, the player can comfortably maintain the handle 182 in the "right hit" position, reducing the player's sense of fatigue and preventing a decline in interest in the game.

[3-5. Overall configuration of the plate unit]
The dish unit 200 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 317 to 320. Figure 317 is a perspective view of the dish unit of the door frame, and Figure 318 is a perspective view of the dish unit from the back. Figure 319 is an exploded perspective view of the dish unit disassembled into main components and viewed from the front, and Figure 320 is an exploded perspective view of the dish unit disassembled into main components and viewed from the back. The dish unit 200 is attached to a portion below the door window 101a on the front surface of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100. The dish unit 200 includes an upper dish 201 that stores game balls B to be shot into the game area 5a, and a lower dish 202 that is arranged below the upper dish 201 and can store game balls B supplied from the upper dish 201 and the foul cover unit 150.

The plate unit 200 comprises a plate base unit 210 having an upper plate 201 and attached to the front of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100, a plate decoration unit 250 having a lower plate 202 attached to the front of the plate base unit 210, and a performance operation unit 300 attached to the front of the plate decoration unit 250 and the plate base unit 210 and operable by the player.

The dish base unit 210 comprises a flat dish unit base 211 extending left and right, an upper dish main body 212 attached to the upper front part of the dish unit base 211 and having an upper dish 201, a mounting base 213 attached to the right of the upper dish main body 212 and protruding forward, a dish unit relay board 214 attached to the right of the mounting base 213, a ball lending operation unit 220 attached to the top surface of the mounting base 213, an upper dish pre-ball removal unit 230 attached below the mounting base 213, and an upper dish post-ball removal unit 240 attached to the rear of the upper dish pre-ball removal unit 230.

The dish decoration unit 250 comprises a lower dish body 251 attached to the lower front part of the dish unit base 211 and having a lower dish 202, a dish unit body 252 attached to the front part of the dish unit base 211 so as to cover the outer periphery of the lower dish body 251, a lower dish ball removal unit 260 attached to the underside of the lower dish body 251, an upper left dish decoration unit 270 and an upper right dish decoration unit 275 attached to the upper front part of the dish unit body 252, spaced apart from each other on the left and right, respectively, and a lower left dish decoration unit 280 and a lower right dish decoration unit 285 attached below the upper left dish decoration unit 270 and the upper right dish decoration unit 275, respectively.

The performance operation unit 300 is equipped with a performance operation section 301 that can be operated by the player, which includes a rotation operation section 302 that can be rotated by the player and a pressing operation section 303 that can be pressed by the player. The performance operation unit 300 is equipped with a performance operation section cover unit 310 that is attached to the front of the plate decoration unit 250, an operation section base 320 that is housed in the performance operation section cover unit 310, a circular performance operation ring 330 that is attached to the upper surface of the operation section base 320 and has a rotation operation section 302, a rotation drive unit 340 that rotates the rotation operation section 302, an operation ring transmission gear 350 that transmits the rotation of the rotation drive unit 340 to the rotation operation section 302, and a gear attachment member 351 to which the operation ring transmission gear 350 is rotatably attached.

The performance operation unit 300 also includes a performance operation ring decorative board 352 that illuminates and decorates the performance operation ring 330, a decorative board cover 353 that covers the upper side of the performance operation ring decorative board 352, a vibration speaker 354 attached to the underside of the operation unit base 320, a performance operation button unit 360 attached to the operation unit base 320 so as to face the inside of the ring of the performance operation ring 330, and an operation unit relay board unit 390 attached to the rear side of the operation unit base 320.

The tray unit 200 bulges forward as a whole, with the performance operation unit 300 positioned in the left-right center so that the top surface of the performance operation unit 301 faces diagonally upward and forward, with the upper tray 201 positioned to the left of the performance operation unit 300 on the top surface, the ball lending operation unit 220 positioned to the right of the performance operation unit 300, and the lower tray 202 positioned below the upper tray 201 and to the left of the performance operation unit 300.

[3-5a. Upper plate]
The upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 317 to 320. The upper tray 201 is formed by the tray unit base 211 and the upper tray body 212, and is formed in a container shape that is open upward and bulges forward more on the left side than the center when viewed from the front. The upper tray 201 (upper tray body 212) bulges forward most at about 1/3 of the left end to the right side relative to the left-right width of the door frame 3. The upper tray 201 has a guide passage portion 201a (see Figure 324) whose front end retreats backward as it moves from the most bulging portion to the right when viewed from the front, and whose depth in the front-to-back direction is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the game ball B. The entire bottom surface of the upper tray 201, including the guide passage portion 201a, is inclined so that the right end side is lower, and the right end side of the guide passage portion 201a when viewed from the front is recessed below the ball lending operation unit 220.

When assembled to the tray unit 200, the upper tray 201 has a bottom surface that is inclined downward from a position lower than the upper tray ball supply port 211a of the tray unit base 211 to a position slightly lower than the outer diameter of the game ball B relative to the upper end of the upper tray ball delivery port 211e. This allows the game ball B released forward from the upper tray ball supply port 211a to be received and stored within the upper tray 201, and the received game ball B can be supplied from the right end side of the guide passage section 201a through the upper tray ball delivery port 211e to the ball delivery unit 140 side.

The induction passage section 201a is equipped with a metal earth fitting 201b that is electrically grounded (earthed) in the pachinko machine 1, and when the game ball B comes into contact with it (rolls), the static electricity charged to the game ball B can be removed.

[3-5b. Bottom plate]
The lower tray 202 of the tray unit 200 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 317 to 320. The lower tray 202 is located below the upper tray 201 and is connected to the tray unit 200 (door frame 3) when viewed from the front. The lower tray 202 is formed of a lower tray body 251 and a tray unit base 211. The lower tray 202 is formed in a container shape capable of storing the game ball B. The lower tray 202 has a ball ejection hole 202a that penetrates the bottom wall vertically and allows the game ball B to be ejected. The lower tray 202 has a ball ejection hole 202a that can be opened and closed by a lower tray ball ejection unit 260. is closed to

The lower tray 202 is formed into a roughly rectangular shape extending left and right when viewed from above, with the front end on the left side protruding further forward than the right side from the center in the left-right direction. The lower tray 202 has a lower tray ball removal hole 202a that penetrates from top to bottom, located near the front end near the right end. The lower tray 202 is inclined so that the bottom surface is lower toward the lower tray ball removal hole 202a. When assembled into the tray unit 200, the lower tray ball removal hole 202a of the lower tray 202 is located in front of the lower tray ball supply port 211c and below the performance operation unit 300.

When the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is closed, the lower tray 202 can store the game ball B released forward from the lower tray ball supply port 211c, and by opening the lower tray ball removal hole 202a, the stored game ball B can be discharged below the tray unit 200 (e.g., to a cash box). Also, when the lower tray ball removal hole 202a of the lower tray 202 is open, the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is positioned in front of the lower tray ball supply port 211c, so that the game ball B released forward from the lower tray ball supply port 211c can be quickly discharged downward from the lower tray ball removal hole 202a by moving the shortest distance.

[3-5c. Dish base unit]
The dish base unit 210 in the dish unit 200 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 321 to 324. Fig. 321 is a perspective view of the dish base unit in the dish unit as seen from the front, and Fig. 322 is a perspective view of the dish base unit in the dish unit as seen from the back. Fig. 323 is an exploded perspective view of the dish base unit disassembled into its main components as seen from the front, and Fig. 324 is an exploded perspective view of the dish base unit disassembled into its main components as seen from the back. The dish base unit 210 is attached below the door window 101a on the front surface of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100, and the dish decoration unit 250 and the performance operation unit 300 are attached to the front surface.

The dish base unit 210 comprises a flat dish unit base 211 that is attached to the lower front of the door frame base unit 100 and extends left and right, an upper dish body 212 that is attached to the upper front of the dish unit base 211 and has an upper dish 201, a mounting base 213 that is attached to the right of the upper dish body 212 at the upper front of the dish unit base 211 and protrudes forward, and a dish unit relay board 214 that is attached to the right of the mounting base 213 on the front of the dish unit base 211.

The dish base unit 210 also includes a ball lending operation unit 220 attached to the upper surface of the mounting base 213, an upper dish pre-ball removal unit 230 attached to the front surface of the dish unit base 211 below the mounting base 213, and an upper dish post-ball removal unit 240 attached to the rear side of the dish unit base 211 behind the upper dish pre-ball removal unit 230.

[3-5c-1. Dish unit base]
The dish unit base 211 of the dish base unit 210 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 323 and 324. The dish unit base 211 is attached below the door window 101a on the front surface of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100, and is formed in a flat plate shape (a shallow box shape with an open rear) extending left and right across the entire width of the door frame base 101.

The dish unit base 211 is provided with an upper dish ball supply port 211a that penetrates from front to back near the upper left corner when viewed from the front and extends cylindrically to the rear, a speaker port 211b that penetrates from front to back below the upper dish ball supply port 211a and has a punching metal attached to the front, a lower dish ball supply port 211c that penetrates from front to back at the lower part toward the left of the center when viewed from the front and extends cylindrically to the rear, a notch 211d that is cut out in the right wall of the part that extends cylindrically to the rear of the lower dish ball supply port 211c to a size that allows the game ball B to pass through, and an upper dish ball delivery port 211e that penetrates from front to front at the upper right side of the lower dish ball supply port 211c when viewed from the front and extends vertically, with its upper part located at the right end of the upper dish main body 212.

The plate unit base 211 also has a mounting protrusion 211f that protrudes forward to the right of the upper plate ball supply port 211e and on which the mounting base is placed, a slider insertion port 211g that penetrates from front to back below the upper plate body to the left of the upper plate ball supply port 211e and through which the operating transmission part 242b of the upper plate ball removal slider 242 in the upper plate ball removal unit 240 is inserted, a handle insertion port 211h that penetrates from front to back at the lower right corner when viewed from the front and through which the tubular part 102a of the handle mounting member 102 of the door frame base unit 100 is inserted, and a cylinder insertion port 211i that penetrates from front to front near the right corner when viewed from the front and through which the cylinder body 131 of the cylinder lock 130 is inserted.

When assembled to the door frame 3, the upper tray ball supply port 211a of the tray unit base 211 has a front end that opens into the rear wall of the upper tray 201, and a cylindrical rear end that passes through the upper tray ball passage port 101g of the door frame base 101 from the front and connects to the front end of the through ball passage 150a of the foul cover unit 150. This allows the game ball B paid out from the payout device 580 of the payout unit 560 to be supplied (paid out) into the upper tray 201 through the upper tray ball supply port 211a.

When assembled to the door frame 3, the lower tray ball supply port 211c has a front end that opens into the rear wall of the lower tray 202, and a cylindrical rear end that penetrates the lower tray ball passage port 101f of the door frame base 101 from the front side and connects to the front end of the ball discharge port 150d of the foul cover unit 150. As a result, the game ball B circulating in the storage passage 150e of the foul cover unit 150 is supplied into the lower tray 202 through the lower tray ball supply port 211c. In addition, the downstream end of the ball removal guide path 241c in the rear base 241 of the upper tray ball removal unit 240 is connected to the cutout portion 211d formed in the cylindrically extending portion of the lower tray ball supply port 211c. As a result, by operating the upper tray ball removal button 222, the game ball B stored in the upper tray 201 is discharged from the lower tray ball supply port 211c into the lower tray 202 via the upper tray ball supply port 211e, the entrance 141a and ball removal port 141b of the ball supply unit 140, the ball supply guide path 241b and ball removal guide path 241c of the upper tray post-ball removal unit 240, and the cutout portion 211d.

When assembled to the tray base unit 210, the upper tray ball supply port 211e is located in front of the ball receiving port 241a of the rear base 241 in the upper tray ball removal unit 240, and the game ball B in the upper tray 201 is supplied from the ball receiving port 241a of the upper tray ball removal unit 240 to the ball supply guide path 241b.

[3-5c-2. Upper plate body]
The upper tray body 212 of the tray base unit 210 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 323 and 324. The upper tray body 212 is attached to the front of the tray unit base 211 and cooperates with the tray unit base 211 to form the upper tray 201. The upper tray body 212 is formed in a container shape (dish shape) with an open top and rear. The upper tray body 212 extends left and right, and the left side bulges forward more than the center of the left and right sides when viewed from the front. The front end of the upper tray body 212 retreats backward from the most forward bulging part toward the right side when viewed from the front, and the depth in the front-to-rear direction is formed to a width slightly larger than the outer diameter of the game ball B. The bottom surface of the upper tray body 212 is inclined so that the right end is the lowest. The upper part of the upper tray body 212 near the right end is closed.

When the upper tray body 212 is assembled to the tray unit 200, the section that is closed at the top near the right end is attached so that it fits under the ball lending operation unit 220. In addition, the upper tray body 212 has a performance operation unit attachment section 212a formed in the middle of the upper part in the left-right direction, and a part of the performance operation unit 300 is attached to this performance operation unit attachment section 212a.

[3-5c-3. Mounting base]
The mounting base 213 of the dish base unit 210 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 323 and 324. The mounting base 213 is mounted on the upper surface of the mounting protrusion 211f of the dish unit base 211 and is attached to the front of the dish unit base 211, and the ball lending operation unit 220 is attached to the upper side. The mounting base 213 is formed in a shallow box shape with an open top. The mounting base 213 has an insertion hole 213a that penetrates vertically near the left end and a through hole 213b that penetrates vertically at the rear right corner.

The insertion hole 213a of the mounting base 213 is for inserting the front slider 232 of the upper tray ball removal unit 230. The through hole 213b is for inserting the wiring cable for connecting the ball lending operation unit 220 and the door frame main relay board 104.

[3-5c-4. Dish unit relay board]
The dish unit relay board 214 of the dish base unit 210 is intended to relay the connection between the door frame sub-relay board 105 in the door frame base unit 100 and the dish upper left decorative board 273, dish upper right decorative board 278, dish lower left decorative board 283, dish lower right decorative board 288, and operation unit relay board 392. The dish unit relay board 214 is attached to the right of the mounting protrusion 211f on the front surface of the dish unit base 211. When attached to the dish unit base 211, the rear surface of this dish unit relay board 214 faces the rear side of the dish unit base 211.

[3-5c-5. Ball lending operation unit]
The ball lending operation unit 220 of the tray base unit 210 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 317 to 324. The ball lending operation unit 220 is attached to the front of the tray unit base 211 via the mounting base 213. This ball lending operation unit 220 is for discharging game balls B stored in the upper tray 201 to the lower tray 202, lending a predetermined number of game balls B to the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 after inserting cash or a prepaid card into a ball lending machine (e.g., a CR unit) (not shown) provided adjacent to the pachinko machine 1, displaying the remaining amount of cash or a prepaid card inserted into the ball lending machine, and returning the cash or a prepaid card inserted into the ball lending machine minus the amount of the lent game balls B.

The ball lending operation unit 220 comprises a base section 221 attached to the upper side of the mounting base 213, an upper tray ball removal button 222 located near the left end of the upper surface of the base section 221, a translucent, disc-shaped ball lending operation base 223 located to the right of the upper tray ball removal button 222 on the upper surface of the base section 221, a ball lending button 224 located on the front left side of the ball lending operation base 223, a return button 225 located on the front right side of the ball lending operation base 223, and a ball lending display section (not shown) located at the rear lower part of the ball lending operation base 223.

The upper tray ball removal button 222 protrudes upward in a cylindrical shape from the top surface of the base portion 221, and can be moved downward by the player pressing it. The ball lending button 224 is formed in a circular shape. The return button 225 is formed in a triangular shape. The ball lending display section is composed of three 7-segment LEDs, and can be seen through the transparent ball lending operation base 223 when illuminated.

The ball lending operation unit 220 can eject game balls B stored in the upper tray 201 to the lower tray by pressing the upper tray ball removal button 222. In addition, when cash or a prepaid card with a remaining balance is inserted into the ball lending machine and the ball lending button 224 is pressed, a predetermined number of game balls B are supplied to the upper tray 201. When the return button 225 is pressed, the cash or prepaid card inserted into the ball lending machine is returned minus the amount of the lent game balls B. The ball lending display unit displays the remaining amount of cash or prepaid card inserted into the ball lending machine. In addition, the ball lending display unit displays an error code when the ball lending machine breaks down.

[3-5c-6. Upper tray ball removal unit and upper tray ball removal unit]
The upper tray pre-ball removal unit 230 and the upper tray post-ball removal unit 240 in the tray base unit 210 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 323 and 324. The upper tray pre-ball removal unit 230 and the upper tray post-ball removal unit 240 cooperate with the ball delivery unit 140 to discharge the game balls B stored in the upper tray 201 to the lower tray 202 when the upper tray ball removal button 222 of the ball lending operation unit 220 is pressed.

The upper tray pre-ball removal unit 230 is attached to the left of the mounting protrusion 211f on the front side of the tray unit base 211, below the ball lending operation unit 220. The upper tray post-ball removal unit 240 is attached to a location behind the upper tray pre-ball removal unit 230 on the rear side of the tray unit base 211.

The upper tray ball removal front unit 230 comprises a cylindrical front base 231 that is attached to the front of the tray unit base 211 and extends vertically, and a front slider 232 that is inserted into the cylindrical front base 231 so as to be movable vertically. The front base 231 is attached near the front of the upper tray ball supply port 211e and the slider insertion port 211g on the front of the tray unit base 211. The front slider 232 extends vertically, with its upper end abutting the lower end of the upper tray ball removal button 222 and its lower end abutting the upper surface of the operating receiving portion 242a of the upper tray ball removal slider 242 of the upper tray ball removal post unit 240.

The upper tray ball removal unit 240 comprises a rear base 241 attached to the rear surface of the tray unit base 211 so as to close the upper tray ball supply port 211e and the slider insertion port 211g from the rear, an upper tray ball removal slider 242 attached to the front surface of the rear base 241 so as to be able to slide vertically, a spring 243 that biases the upper tray ball removal slider 242 upward, and a rear cover 244 attached to the rear side of the rear base 241.

The rear base 241 is equipped with a ball receiving port 241a that protrudes upward from the portion where the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is slidably attached and opens toward the front, through which the game ball B can pass, a ball feed guide path 241b that guides the game ball B received in the ball receiving port 241a downward on the rear surface of the rear base 241 and then backward, and a ball removal guide path 241c that guides the game ball B downward from a position lower than the ball feed guide path 241b on the rear surface of the rear base 241 and then guides it to the right when viewed from behind.

When assembled to the dish base unit 210, the ball receiving port 241a is formed at the downstream end (right end when viewed from the front) of the guide passage section 201a of the upper dish 201, in a position that opens forward through the upper dish ball supply port 211e of the dish unit base 211. When assembled to the door frame 3, the ball supply guide path 241b is formed so that the entrance 141a of the ball supply unit 140 is located at the rear of the lower part. This allows the game ball B supplied to the upper dish 201 to enter the entrance 141a of the ball supply unit 140 through the ball receiving port 241a and the ball supply guide path 241b.

The left and right extending portion of the ball removal guideway 241c protrudes further to the right as viewed from the rear than the portion where the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is slidably attached, is inclined so that the right end as viewed from the rear is lower, and opens to the right side as viewed from the rear. The rear side of the left and right extending portion of the ball removal guideway 241c is closed by the rear cover 244. When assembled to the door frame 3, the upper part of the portion extending vertically below the ball supply guideway 241b is located in front of the ball removal opening 141b of the ball supply unit 140, and is formed so that the right end as viewed from the rear of the portion extending left and right is connected to the cutout portion 211d of the lower tray ball supply opening 211c in the tray unit base 211. As a result, the game ball B discharged from the ball ejection port 141b of the ball feeding unit 140 is released into the lower tray 202 from the lower tray ball supply port 211c via the ball ejection guide path 241c and the notch portion 211d.

The upper tray ball removal slider 242 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and has an actuation receiving part 242a that protrudes forward from the upper left corner, and an actuation transmission part 242b that protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the actuation receiving part 242a. The actuation receiving part 242a has a flat upper surface. The actuation transmission part 242b is inclined so that its upper surface is positioned downward as it approaches the rear, and its lower surface extends horizontally to connect with the rear end of the upper surface.

When the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is assembled to the door frame 3, the actuation receiving part 242a protrudes forward through the slider insertion port 211g of the tray unit base 211 from the rear side, and the lower end of the front slider 232 of the upper tray ball removal front unit 230 abuts against the upper surface of the actuation receiving part 242a. In addition, when the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is assembled to the door frame 3, the actuation transmission part 242b protrudes rearward from the rear base 241, and the actuation rod 143c of the ball removal member 143 of the ball feeding unit 140 abuts against the upper surface.

The spring 243 has an upper end attached to the rear base 241 and a lower end attached to the upper tray ball removal slider 242, and biases the upper tray ball removal slider 242 upward. Therefore, the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is positioned at the upper moving end due to the biasing force of the spring 243, and can move downward by resisting the biasing force of the spring 243.

The upper tray ball removal front unit 230 and the upper tray ball removal rear unit 240 position the upper tray ball removal slider 242 at the upper end of its upward movement due to the biasing force of the spring 243, and position the upper tray ball removal button 222 at the upper end of its upward movement via the front slider 232 abutting the upper surface of the actuation receiving part 242a of the upper tray ball removal slider 242. In addition, because the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is positioned at the upper end of its upward movement due to the biasing force of the spring 243, the actuation rod 143c abutting the upper surface of the actuation transmission part 242b is prevented from moving downward, and the partition part 143a of the ball removal member 143 is positioned between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b to separate the two.

Therefore, when the upper tray ball removal button 222 is not pressed, the entrance 141a and the ball removal port 141b are partitioned in the ball feeding unit 140, and the game ball B sent from the upper tray 201 to the ball receiving port 241a can be sent from the entrance 141a and the ball feeding member 144 through the ball supply port 142a to the ball launching device 540 side.

On the other hand, when the upper tray ball removal button 222 is pressed downward against the force of the spring 243, the upper tray ball removal slider 242 moves downward via the front slider 232, and the operating rod 143c of the ball removal member 143, which is in contact with the upper surface of the operating transmission part 242b of the upper tray ball removal slider 242, can move downward, and the ball removal member 143 rotates due to the load of the weight part 143d of the ball removal member 143, and the partition part 143a retreats from between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b. As a result, the game ball B that entered the entrance 141a from the upper tray 201 through the ball receiving opening 241a and the ball delivery guide path 241b is discharged forward from the ball removal opening 141b that opens below the entrance 141a. Then, the game ball B discharged forward from the ball discharge port 141b passes through the ball discharge guide path 241c and is guided from the notch 211d into the lower tray ball supply port 211c, and is then released from the lower tray ball supply port 211c into the lower tray 202, and the game ball B in the upper tray 201 is discharged into the lower tray 202.

When the downward pressure on the upper tray ball removal button 222 is released, the upper tray ball removal slider 242 moves upward due to the force of the spring 243, and the upper tray ball removal button 222 rises via the front slider 232 which is in contact with the actuation receiving part 242a, and the ball removal member 143 rotates due to the actuation rod 143c which is in contact with the actuation transmission part 242b, and the partition part 143a is positioned between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b, returning to the original state.

In this way, the upper tray pre-ball removal unit 230 and the upper tray post-ball removal unit 240 can feed the game ball B in the upper tray 201 to the ball launching device 540 via the ball feeding unit 140, or discharge it to the lower tray 202.

[3-5d. Plate decoration unit]
The plate decoration unit 250 in the plate unit 200 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 325 to 328. Figure 325 is a perspective view of the plate decoration unit in the plate unit seen from the front, and Figure 326 is a perspective view of the plate decoration unit seen from the back. Also, Figure 327 is an exploded perspective view of the plate decoration unit disassembled into its main components seen from the front, and Figure 328 is an exploded perspective view of the plate decoration unit disassembled into its main components seen from the back. The plate decoration unit 250 has a lower plate 202 and is attached to the front of the plate base unit 210, and the performance operation unit 300 is attached from the front to the center in the left-right direction. The plate decoration unit 250 decorates almost the entire plate unit 200.

The plate decoration unit 250 comprises a lower plate body 251 attached to the lower front part of the plate unit base 211 and working with the plate unit base 211 to form the lower plate 202, a plate unit body 252 attached to the front part of the plate unit base 211 so as to cover the outer periphery of the lower plate body 251, a lower plate ball removal unit 260 attached to the underside of the lower plate body 251, a plate upper left decoration unit 270 and a plate upper right decoration unit 275 attached to the upper front part of the plate unit body 252 spaced apart from each other on the left and right, and a plate lower left decoration unit 280 and a plate lower right decoration unit 285 attached below the plate upper left decoration unit 270 and the plate upper right decoration unit 275, respectively, on the entire surface of the plate unit body 252.

[3-5d-1. Lower plate body]
The lower dish body 251 in the dish decoration unit 250 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 325 to 328. The lower dish body 251 cooperates with the dish unit base 211 of the dish base unit 210 to form the lower dish 202. The lower dish body 251 extends left and right and is formed in a container shape (dish shape) with an open top and rear. This lower dish body 251 is attached to the left side of the center in the left and right direction at the bottom of the front of the dish unit base 211 so that the open rear is closed.

The lower dish main body 251 is formed in a generally rectangular shape extending left and right when viewed from above, with the front end on the left side protruding further forward than the right side from the center in the left-right direction. A lower dish ball removal hole 202a that penetrates vertically is formed near the front end of the right end of the lower dish main body 251 when viewed from above. The bottom surface of the lower dish main body 251 is inclined so that it is lower toward the lower dish ball removal hole 202a. The lower dish ball removal hole 202a is closed by the lower dish ball removal cover 265 of the lower dish ball removal unit 260 so that it can be opened and closed.

When the lower dish body 251 is assembled to the dish decoration unit 250, the outer periphery and part of the bottom surface are covered by the dish unit body 252. Furthermore, when the lower dish body 251 is assembled to the dish unit 200, the bottom surface is located lower than the lower dish ball supply port 211c of the dish unit base 211, and the lower dish ball removal hole 202a is located in front of the lower dish ball supply port 211c. This allows the game balls B released forward from the lower dish ball supply port 211c to be stored.

[3-5d-2. Dish unit body]
The dish unit main body 252 in the dish decoration unit 250 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 325 to 328. The dish unit main body 252 is attached to the front of the dish unit base 211 in the dish base unit 210 and decorates the front of the dish unit 200. The dish unit main body 252 bulges out so that the center in the left-right direction protrudes forward at the upper side, and bulges out so that the left side in the left-right direction protrudes forward at the lower side. The dish unit main body 252 is also curved such that the upper surface is lowest at the center in the left-right direction. The dish unit main body 252 is formed in a box shape that is open to the rear.

The dish unit body 252 has an upper side bulge 252a that bulges forward from both the left and right ends toward the center in the left-right direction at the top and extends downward and is spaced apart on the left and right; a lower front decorative portion 252b that bulges forward on the left side of the center in the left-right direction at the bottom so as to cover the outer periphery of the lower dish body 251; and a bottom plate portion 252c that extends flat from the bottom end of the lower front decorative portion 252b to the rear.

The left and right upper side bulges 252a are formed in a box shape with an open rear, and the upper left plate decorative unit 270, the lower left plate decorative unit 280, the upper right plate decorative unit 275, and the lower right plate decorative unit 285 are attached to their respective front faces. The right end of the lower surface of the left upper side bulge 252a is connected to the lower front decorative part 252b. The lower end of the right upper side bulge 252a is connected to the lower front decorative part 252b.

The dish unit main body 252 has a lower dish opening 252d that penetrates from front to back between the upper left side bulge 252a and the lower front decorative portion 252b. The lower dish opening 252d is large enough for the player's fingers to be inserted, and is formed so that it becomes wider from top to bottom as it moves to the left. The lower dish opening 252d is formed into a cylindrical shape that extends from front to back by the lower dish main body 251 and the underside of the upper left side bulge 252a.

The dish unit body 252 also has a front cutout 252e cut upward from the lower end of the front surface of the lower front decorative portion 252b, which covers the outer periphery of the lower dish body 251, and a bottom cutout 252f cut out at a portion of the bottom plate portion 252c below the lower dish body 251. The lower dish ball removal unit 260 is inserted into the front cutout 252e and the bottom cutout 252f.

The dish unit body 252 further includes a handle insertion hole 252g that penetrates the lower front decorative part 252b from front to back at the lower right corner and through which the tubular part 102a of the handle attachment member 102 is inserted, a cylinder insertion hole 252h that penetrates the lower front decorative part 252b from front to back above the handle insertion hole 252g and through which the cylinder body 131 of the cylinder lock 130 is inserted, and a performance operation unit attachment part 252i that is formed between a pair of upper side bulges 252a in the center in the left-right direction and on which the performance operation unit 300 is attached. The performance operation unit attachment part 252i is formed to a width of approximately 1/3 of the left-right width of the dish unit body 252.

When assembled to the dish unit 200, the dish unit main body 252 is formed to entirely cover the front surface of the dish base unit 210, with the speaker port 211b facing forward through the lower dish opening 252d. When assembled to the dish decoration unit 250, the lower dish ball removal button 263 of the lower dish ball removal unit 260 faces forward from the front cutout 252e, and the lower dish ball removal base 261 of the lower dish ball removal unit 260 closes the bottom cutout 252f, so that the bottom surfaces are flush with each other.

[3-5d-3. Bottom tray ball removal unit]
The lower tray ball removal unit 260 in the tray decoration unit 250 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 325 to 328. The lower tray ball removal unit 260 is attached to the underside of the lower tray body 251, and is for storing game balls B in the lower tray 202 and discharging game balls B from the lower tray 202 by opening and closing the lower tray ball removal hole 202a.

The lower tray ball removal unit 260 is equipped with a flat lower tray ball removal base 261 that is attached to the underside of the lower tray main body 251 and has a through hole that penetrates vertically in the front right corner when viewed from above, a slider 262 that is attached to the upper surface side of the lower tray ball removal base 261 so that it can slide back and forth, a lower tray ball removal button 263 that is attached to the front end of the slider 262, a spring 264 that urges the slider 262 forward, a lower tray ball removal cover 265 that opens and closes the through hole by moving the slider 262 back and forth, and a holding mechanism 266 that holds the lower tray ball removal cover 265 in the open state via the slider 262.

The lower dish ball removal base 261 is formed to a size that closes the bottom cutout portion 252f of the dish unit main body 252, and has a through hole that penetrates vertically at a position that coincides with the lower dish ball removal hole 202a of the lower dish 202 (lower dish main body 251). The through hole of the lower dish ball removal base 261 is formed to be the same size as the lower dish ball removal hole 202a. The slider 262 is formed in a flat plate shape that extends forward and backward, and is attached to a position on the lower dish ball removal base 261 toward the left of the center in the left-right direction so that it can slide forward and backward. The slider 262 is equipped with a protruding pin that protrudes upward in a cylindrical shape.

The left end of the lower dish ball removal cover 265 is attached to the lower dish ball removal base 261 at a position to the left of the slider 262 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending vertically, and the right end extends to the right beyond the slider 262 so that the right end is capable of closing the through hole. The lower dish ball removal cover 265 has a slit extending left and right into which the protruding pin of the slider 262 is slidably inserted.

When the lower dish ball removal unit 260 is assembled to the dish decoration unit 250, the lower dish ball removal base 261 closes the bottom cutout 252f of the dish unit main body 252, and the underside of the lower dish ball removal base 261 is located on the same plane as the underside of the bottom plate portion 252c. In addition, the lower dish ball removal button 263 faces forward from the front cutout 252e of the dish unit main body 252. In the normal state of the lower dish ball removal unit 260, the slider 262 is located at the forward moving end due to the biasing force of the spring 264, and the right end side of the lower dish ball removal cover 265 is located directly above the through hole, closing the through hole (lower dish ball removal hole 202a).

In this normal state, the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is closed by the lower tray ball removal cover 265, and game balls B can be stored in the lower tray 202. Also, in the normal state, the front surface of the lower tray ball removal button 263 is approximately aligned with the front surface of the periphery of the front cutout portion 252e on the front surface of the lower front decorative portion 252b.

In the normal state, when the lower tray ball removal button 263 is pressed backward and moved backward against the force of the spring 264, the slider 262 moves backward together with the lower tray ball removal button 263. As the slider 262 moves backward, the protruding pin of the slider 262 presses the lower tray ball removal cover 265 backward through the slit, and the lower tray ball removal cover 265 rotates in a direction in which the right end moves backward around the left end side. Then, the right end side of the lower tray ball removal cover 265, which was located directly above the through hole, moves backward from the position of the through hole, opening the through hole and opening the lower tray ball removal hole 202a, and the game ball B in the lower tray 202 can be discharged downward from the tray unit 200 through the lower tray ball removal hole 202a.

When the slider 262 is moved backward by pressing the lower tray ball removal button 263, the rear end of the slider 262 is held by the holding mechanism 266, and even if the pressure on the lower tray ball removal button 263 is released, the slider 262 does not move forward due to the biasing force of the spring 264. As a result, the right end side of the lower tray ball removal cover 265 remains rotated backward, the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is maintained in an open state, and the game balls B in the lower tray 202 can be continuously discharged downward.

To close the lower tray ball removal hole 202a from this state, the lower tray ball removal button 263, which is set back from the front surface of the lower front decorative part 252b, is pressed backward, which releases the slider 262 from its hold by the holding mechanism 266. Then, when pressure on the lower tray ball removal button 263 is released, the slider 262 moves forward due to the biasing force of the spring 264, and the front surface of the lower tray ball removal button 263 returns to a state where it is aligned with the front surface of the lower front decorative part 252b, and the lower tray ball removal lid 265 rotates so that its right end is positioned directly above the through hole, and the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is closed by the lower tray ball removal lid 265. This allows game balls B to be stored in the lower tray 202.

[3-5d-4. Top left plate decorative unit and top right plate decorative unit]
The dish upper left decorative unit 270 and dish upper right decorative unit 275 in the dish decoration unit 250 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 325 to 328. The dish upper left decorative unit 270 and dish upper right decorative unit 275 are attached to the upper part of the front surface of the upper side bulge 252a of the dish unit main body 252. The dish upper left decorative unit 270 and dish upper right decorative unit 275 are disposed at the top of the dish unit 200 and decorate both the left and right sides of the performance operation unit 300.

The upper left decorative unit 270 is comprised of a semi-cylindrical upper left decorative body 271 that extends left and right and is translucent, an upper left reflector 272 attached to the rear side of the upper left decorative body 271, and an upper left decorative board 273 attached to the rear side of the upper left reflector 272 and with multiple LEDs mounted on the front side.

The upper left decorative body 271 extends in a curved shape, moving forward and downward as it moves from the left end to the right end, and is attached to the top of the upper left side bulge 252a. The upper left decorative body 271 is formed in a shape resembling a twisted semicylinder, with a semicircular arc that bulges forward and whose central axis extends diagonally to the upper left at the left end and from left to right at the right end. This upper left decorative body 271 is formed in a milky white color.

The upper left reflector 272 is inserted into the upper left decorative body 271 from the rear, and a through hole is formed in the area corresponding to the LED on the upper left decorative board 273. The multiple LEDs mounted on the upper left decorative board 273 are full-color LEDs, and when illuminated, the upper left decorative body 271 can be illuminated and decorated.

When assembled to the door frame 3, the left end of the upper left plate decorative unit 270 is continuous with the bottom end of the door frame left side unit 400, and the right end is continuous with the left end of the upper center plate decorative body 312a of the unit front cover 312 in the performance operation unit 300. Because the upper left plate decorative unit 270 does not have a rib midway along the longitudinal direction of the upper left plate decorative body 271, when the multiple LEDs on the upper left plate decorative board 273 are illuminated, the entire front of the upper left plate decorative body 271 can be illuminated and decorated in an approximately uniform manner, giving the appearance of embedded fluorescent lights.

The upper right decorative unit 275 is equipped with a semi-cylindrical upper right decorative body 276 that is translucent and extends to the left and right, a upper right reflector 277 attached to the rear side of the upper right decorative body 276, and an upper right decorative board 278 attached to the rear side of the upper right reflector 277 and with multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface.

The upper right decorative body 276 extends in a curved shape, moving forward and downward as it moves from the right end to the left end, and is attached to the top of the upper right side bulge 252a. The upper right decorative body 276 is formed in a shape resembling a twisted semicylinder, with a central axis extending diagonally to the upper right at the right end and a central axis extending left and right at the left end. This upper right decorative body 276 is formed in a milky white color.

The plate top right reflector 277 is inserted from the rear into the plate top right decorative body 276, and through holes are formed in the areas corresponding to the LEDs on the plate top right decorative board 278. The multiple LEDs mounted on the plate top right decorative board 278 are full color LEDs, and when illuminated, they can illuminate and decorate the plate top right decorative body 276.

When assembled to the door frame 3, the right end of the plate top right decorative unit 275 is continuous with the bottom end of the door frame right side unit 410, and the left end is continuous with the right end of the plate center top decorative body 312a of the unit front cover 312 in the performance operation unit 300. Since the plate top right decorative unit 275 does not have a rib in the middle of the plate top right decorative body 276 in the longitudinal direction, when the multiple LEDs of the plate top right decorative board 278 are illuminated, the entire front of the plate top right decorative body 276 can be illuminated and decorated in an approximately uniform manner, giving the appearance of embedded fluorescent lights.

When assembled to the door frame 3, the upper left dish decorative unit 270 and the upper right dish decorative unit 275 protrude upward from the front end of the upper side bulge 252a of the dish unit body 252 of the dish decorative unit 250, forming a step between the upper left dish decorative unit 270 and the upper right dish decorative unit 275 and the upper side bulge 252a. This allows the player to hook his/her fingers using the step between the upper left dish decorative unit 270 and the upper right dish decorative unit 275 and the upper side bulge 252a, and can be used as a finger rest when leveling the game balls B in the upper dish 201 or operating the performance operation unit 301 described later. In addition, the step between the upper left dish decorative unit 270 and the upper right dish decorative unit 275 and the upper side bulge 252a can prevent the game balls B on the upper side bulge 252a from leaking forward.

[3-5d-5. Bottom left plate decorative unit and bottom right plate decorative unit]
The dish bottom left decorative unit 280 and the dish bottom right decorative unit 285 in the dish decoration unit 250 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 325 to 328. The dish bottom left decorative unit 280 and the dish bottom right decorative unit 285 are attached to the lower part of the front surface of the upper side bulge 252a of the dish unit main body 252 so as to extend along the dish top left decorative unit 270 and the dish top right decorative unit 275, respectively. The dish bottom left decorative unit 280 and the dish bottom right decorative unit 285 work in cooperation with the dish top left decorative unit 270 and the dish top right decorative unit 275 to decorate the front surface of the dish unit 200 and both the left and right sides of the performance operation unit 300.

The left-bottom decorative unit 280 is comprised of a translucent left-bottom decorative body 281 that is semi-cylindrical and extends to the left and right, a left-bottom reflector 282 that is attached to the rear of the left-bottom decorative body 281, and a left-bottom decorative board 283 that is attached to the rear of the left-bottom reflector 282 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface.

The left-bottom decorative body 281 extends in a curved shape, moving forward and downward as it moves from the left end to the right end, and in a plan view extends in an arc shape with a center at the rear, and is attached to the lower part of the upper left side bulge 252a. The left-bottom decorative body 281 is a semicircular arc that bulges forward with a smaller radius than the left-top decorative body 271 and the right-top decorative body 276, and at the left end, the central axis extends slightly diagonally to the upper left rear, and at the right end, the central axis extends left and right, forming a shape like a bent semicylinder. The left end of the left-bottom decorative body 281 is formed in a spherical shape. The curvature of the semicircular arc of the left-bottom decorative body 281 changes so that it becomes thinner as it moves toward the left end. This left-bottom decorative body 281 is formed in a milky white color.

The bottom-left reflector 282 is inserted into the bottom-left decorative body 281 from the rear, and a through hole is formed in the area corresponding to the LED on the bottom-left decorative board 283. The multiple LEDs mounted on the bottom-left decorative board 283 are full-color LEDs, and when illuminated, they can illuminate and decorate the bottom-left decorative body 281.

When assembled to the door frame 3, the left end of the bottom left decorative unit 280 is located below the left end of the top left decorative unit 270, and the right end is continuous with the left end of the bottom center decorative body 312b of the unit front cover 312 of the performance operation unit 300. The left end of the bottom left decorative body 281 of the bottom left decorative unit 280 is formed in a spherical shape, so the left end appears to be recessed into the door frame 3. The bottom left decorative unit 280 does not have a rib in the middle of the length of the bottom left decorative body 281 of the bottom left decorative unit 280, so when the multiple LEDs of the bottom left decorative board 283 are illuminated, the entire front of the bottom left decorative body 281 of the dish can be illuminated and decorated in an approximately uniform manner, making it appear as if fluorescent lights are embedded.

The right-bottom decorative unit 285 is comprised of a translucent right-bottom decorative body 286 that is semi-cylindrical and extends to the left and right, a right-bottom reflector 287 that is attached to the rear of the right-bottom decorative body 286, and a right-bottom decorative board 288 that is attached to the rear of the right-bottom reflector 287 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface.

The right-bottom decorative body 286 extends in a curved shape, moving forward and downward as it moves from the right end to the left end, and in a plan view extends in an arc shape with a center at the rear, and is attached to the lower part of the upper right side bulge 252a. The right-bottom decorative body 286 is a semicircular arc that bulges forward with a smaller radius than the left-top decorative body 271 and the right-top decorative body 276, and at the right end, the central axis extends slightly diagonally to the right and rear, and at the left end, the central axis extends left and right, forming a shape like a bent semicylinder. The right end of the right-bottom decorative body 286 is formed in a spherical shape. The curvature of the semicircular arc of the right-bottom decorative body 286 changes so that it becomes thinner as it moves toward the right end. This right-bottom decorative body 286 is formed in a milky white color.

The bottom-right reflector 287 is inserted into the bottom-right decorative body 286 from the rear, and a through hole is formed in the area corresponding to the LED on the bottom-right decorative board 288. The multiple LEDs mounted on the bottom-right decorative board 288 are full-color LEDs, and when illuminated, they can illuminate and decorate the bottom-right decorative body 286.

When assembled to the door frame 3, the right end of the right-bottom decorative unit 285 is located below the right end of the right-top decorative unit 275, and the left end is continuous with the right end of the center-bottom decorative body 312b of the unit front cover 312 of the performance operation unit 300. The right end of the right-bottom decorative body 286 of the right-bottom decorative unit 285 is formed in a spherical shape, so the right end appears to be recessed into the door frame 3. The right-bottom decorative unit 285 does not have a rib in the middle of the length of the right-bottom decorative body 286 of the right-bottom decorative body 286, so when the multiple LEDs of the right-bottom decorative board 288 are illuminated, the entire front of the right-bottom decorative body 286 can be illuminated and decorated in an approximately uniform manner, making it appear as if fluorescent lights are embedded.

[3-5e. Overall configuration of the production operation unit]
The overall configuration of the performance operation unit 300 in the plate unit 200 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 329 to 332. Figure 329 is a plan view of the performance operation unit in the plate unit seen from the direction of the performance operation button. Figure 330(a) is a perspective view of the performance operation unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the performance operation unit seen from the back. Figure 331 is an exploded perspective view of the performance operation unit disassembled into main components and seen from the front, and Figure 332 is an exploded perspective view of the performance operation unit disassembled into main components and seen from the back. The performance operation unit 300 is provided in the center of the plate unit 200 in the left-right direction, and decorates the plate unit 200, and can be operated by the player to participate in the performance when a player participation type performance is executed. The performance operation unit 300 is attached to the plate base unit 210 and the plate decoration unit 250.

The presentation operation unit 300 is equipped with a presentation operation section 301 that can be operated by the player. The presentation operation section 301 is composed of a rotation operation section 302 that can be rotated by the player, and a pressure operation section 303 that can be pressed by the player. The presentation operation section 301 has the rotation operation section 302 formed in a circular ring shape with an inner diameter that is about 3/5 the size of the outer diameter, and the pressure operation section 303 is arranged inside the ring. The pressure operation section 303 is arranged in the center of the rotation operation section 302 and is composed of a central pressure operation section 303a with a diameter slightly larger than half the inner diameter of the rotation operation section 302, and a circular outer peripheral pressure operation section 303b arranged between the outer periphery of the central pressure operation section 303a and the inner periphery of the rotation operation section 302.

The performance operation unit 300 includes a performance operation section cover unit 310 attached to the front of the plate decoration unit 250, an operation section base 320 housed within the performance operation section cover unit 310, a circular performance operation ring 330 attached to the top surface of the operation section base 320 and having a rotation operation section 302, a rotation drive unit 340 that rotates the rotation operation section 302 of the performance operation ring 330, a transmission gear for the operation ring 350 that transmits rotation between the rotation drive unit 340 and the rotation operation section 302 of the performance operation ring 330, and a gear attachment member 351 that rotatably attaches the transmission gear for the operation ring 350 to the operation section base 320.

The performance operation unit 300 also includes a performance operation ring decorative board 352 attached to the top surface of the operation unit base 320 below the performance operation ring 330 and having multiple LEDs mounted on its top surface, a decorative board cover 353 attached to the operation unit base 320 so as to cover the upper side of the performance operation ring decorative board 352, a vibration speaker 354 attached to the bottom surface of the operation unit base 320, a performance operation button unit 360 attached to the operation unit base 320 so as to face the inside of the ring of the performance operation ring 330, and an operation unit relay board unit 390 attached to the rear surface of the operation unit base 320.

[3-5e-1. Production operation section cover unit]
The cover unit 310 of the performance operation unit 300 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 331 and 332. The cover unit 310 of the performance operation unit is attached to the performance operation unit attachment part 252i of the plate unit main body 252 of the plate decoration unit 250, and decorates the front of the performance operation unit 300 at the center in the left-right direction of the plate unit 200. The cover unit 310 of the performance operation unit is formed in a container shape with the upper and rear open.

The performance operation section cover unit 310 comprises a unit lower cover 311 which is hemispherical and recessed downwards, a unit front cover 312 which is attached to the upper front end of the unit lower cover 311 and has a semicircular ring shape which bulges forward, a plate upper center reflector 313 which is attached from the rear inside the plate upper center decorative body 312a of the unit front cover 312, a plate upper center decorative board 314 which is attached to the plate upper center reflector 313 and has multiple LEDs mounted thereon which can radiate light forward, a plate lower center reflector 315 which is attached from the rear inside the plate lower center decorative body 312b of the unit front cover 312, and a plate lower center decorative board 316 which is attached to the plate lower center reflector 315 and has multiple LEDs mounted thereon which can radiate light forward.

The unit under cover 311 is formed in a hemispherical shape with the front side bulging downward from the rear center in the front-to-rear direction, and the rear side is attached so that it is placed from above on the performance operation unit attachment part 252i of the dish unit main body 252. The unit under cover 311 is attached in an inclined state so that the axis perpendicular to the imaginary plane formed on the upper edge extending in a semicircular arc at the front part is positioned forward as it moves upward. In this embodiment, it is inclined at an angle of about 18 degrees (18.65 degrees) with respect to the vertical line. The unit under cover 311 has multiple drainage holes 311a formed in the part that is lowest when assembled to the dish unit 200.

The unit front cover 312 is formed in a semicircular arc shape in a plan view that bulges forward to fit along the front end of the unit lower cover 311, and is attached to the front upper end of the unit lower cover 311. The unit front cover 312 is equipped with a plate center upper decorative body 312a whose semicircular arc bulges forward and extends in a semicircular arc shape so as to fit along the front end of the unit lower cover 311, and a plate center lower decorative body 312b whose semicircular arc bulges forward below the plate center upper decorative body 312a and extends in a semicircular arc shape so as to fit along the front end of the unit lower cover 311. The lower end of the plate center lower decorative body 312b of the unit front cover 312 is attached to the unit lower cover 311.

The upper plate center decorative body 312a and the lower plate center decorative body 312b of the unit front cover 312 are formed in a shape in which a cylinder of approximately the same thickness (radius) is cut in half and the cut surface is bent so that it extends in a semicircular arc toward the center. The lower plate center decorative body 312b extends in a semicircular arc with a large curvature compared to the upper plate center decorative body 312a, and the lower plate center decorative body 312b is formed in a semicylindrical shape with a slightly thinner thickness compared to the upper plate center decorative body 312a. When the unit front cover 312 is assembled to the plate unit 200, the front end of the upper plate center decorative body 312a protrudes forward more than the front end of the lower plate center decorative body 312b. In addition, when assembled to the plate unit 200, both left and right ends of the plate center upper decorative body 312a are continuous with the right end of the plate upper left decorative unit 270 and the left end of the plate upper right decorative unit 275, respectively, and both left and right ends of the plate center lower decorative body 312b are continuous with the right end of the plate lower left decorative unit 280 and the left end of the plate lower right decorative unit 285, respectively. The unit front cover 312 is translucent and is formed in a milky white color.

When the unit front cover 312 is assembled to the door frame 3, its front end becomes the front end of the door frame 3, and the distance from the front surface of the door frame base 101 to the front end of the unit front cover 312 is approximately 1/2 the overall width of the door frame base 101 in the left-right direction.

The plate center reflector 313 is formed in a semicircular arc shape that bulges forward, and is inserted from the rear into the plate center decorative body 312a of the unit front cover 312 and attached. The plate center reflector 313 blocks the light from the LEDs mounted on the plate center decorative board 314 from leaking backwards (inward). The plate center decorative board 314 is formed in a semicircular arc shape to fit the plate center decorative body 312a, and multiple LEDs that can radiate light forwards (outward) are mounted on the top surface. The multiple LEDs on the plate center decorative board 314 are full-color LEDs, and can be illuminated to illuminate and decorate the plate center decorative body 312a by emitting light.

The under-dish center reflector 315 is formed in a semicircular arc shape that bulges forward, and is inserted from the rear into the under-dish center decorative body 312b of the unit front cover 312 and attached. The under-dish center reflector 315 blocks the light from the LEDs mounted on the under-dish center decorative board 316 from leaking backwards (inward). The under-dish center decorative board 316 is formed in a semicircular arc shape to fit the under-dish center decorative body 312b, and has multiple LEDs mounted on its upper surface that can radiate light forwards (outward). The multiple LEDs on the under-dish center decorative board 316 are full-color LEDs, and can be illuminated to decorate the under-dish center decorative body 312b.

The performance operation unit cover unit 310 does not have reinforcing ribs on the semicircular arc extending upper plate center decorative body 312a and lower plate center decorative body 312b of the unit front cover 312, so when the LEDs on the upper plate center decorative board 314 and the lower plate center decorative board 316 are illuminated, the entirety of each can be illuminated almost uniformly, giving the appearance of embedded fluorescent lights.

When assembled to the tray unit 200, the front end of the performance operation unit cover unit 310 protrudes further forward than the upper tray 201 and the lower tray 202. In addition, the performance operation unit cover unit 310 has the upper central tray decorative body 312a connected to the upper left tray decorative body 271 and the upper right tray decorative body 276, and the lower central tray decorative body 312b connected to the lower left tray decorative body 281 and the lower right tray decorative body 286. This makes the performance operation unit 300 stand out and improves its appearance with its integrated decoration.

[3-5e-2. Operation unit base]
The operation unit base 320 of the performance operation unit 300 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 331 and Fig. 332. The operation unit base 320 is inserted from above into the performance operation unit cover unit 310, and the lower end is attached to the performance operation unit cover unit 310, while the upper rear end is attached to the performance operation unit attachment portion 212a of the upper tray body 212 in the tray base unit 210. The operation unit base 320 is formed in a container shape with an open top.

The operation unit base 320 includes a main body 321 having an external shape that is roughly a cubic box shape and is open at the top, a flange 322 that extends outward from the top end of the main body 321 and has a circular outer periphery, multiple legs 323 (four in this example) that protrude downward from the bottom surface of the main body 321, an upper attachment portion 324 formed at the rear end of the flange 322 and attached to the dish base unit 210, and a gear bearing portion 325 that penetrates the flange 322 on the left outer side of the main body 321, opens upward, and rotatably supports the operation ring transmission gear 350.

The operation unit base 320 has a main body 321 formed to a size that can accommodate the performance operation button unit 360 inside. The main body 321 has a vibration speaker 354 attached from below to the bottom wall, and the portion of the bottom surface where the vibration speaker 354 is attached is formed as a flat surface. The bottom wall of the main body 321 is formed to easily resonate with vibrations from the vibration speaker 354, and can amplify the vibrations and can convert the vibrations into sound such as voice or music and output it.

The legs 361b of the button unit base 361 of the performance operation button unit 360 are attached to the upper surface of the bottom wall of the main body 321. In addition, the main body 321 has a through hole formed on the outer periphery of the bottom wall to drain liquid that has entered the main body 321. The main body 321 has the rotation drive unit 340 attached to the outside of the left side wall and the operation unit relay board unit 390 attached to the outside of the rear side wall.

The flange portion 322 is formed with a diameter such that its outer circumference is approximately the same as the inner circumference of the plate center upper decorative body 312a of the unit front cover 312. The performance operation ring decorative board 352 and decorative board cover 353 are attached to the upper surface of the flange portion 322, and the ring mounting base 331 of the performance operation ring 330 is also attached. The lower ends of the multiple legs 323 are attached to the upper surface of the unit lower cover 311 of the performance operation part cover unit 310.

The gear bearing portion 325 cooperates with the gear mounting member to mount the operation ring transmission gear so that it can rotate around an axis extending to the left and right. When the operation ring transmission gear 350 is mounted on the gear bearing portion 325, the upper portion of the operation ring transmission gear 350 protrudes upward, and the drive side gear portion 350b of the operation ring transmission gear 350 is exposed to the outside below the flange portion 322.

When the operation unit base 320 is assembled to the performance operation unit 300, the upper surface of the flange portion 322 is located slightly lower than the upper surface of the central upper decorative body 312a of the unit front cover 312. In addition, when assembled to the performance operation unit 300, the vibration speaker 354 is attached in contact with the lower surface of the main body portion 321.

[3-5e-3. Performance Operation Ring]
The performance operation ring 330 of the performance operation unit 300 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 333 and Fig. 334. Fig. 333(a) is a perspective view of the performance operation ring of the performance operation unit seen from the top front, and Fig. 333(b) is a perspective view of the performance operation ring seen from the bottom front. Fig. 334(a) is an exploded perspective view of the performance operation ring seen from the top front, and Fig. 334(b) is an exploded perspective view of the performance operation ring seen from the bottom front. The performance operation ring 330 is attached to the upper surface of the flange portion 322 in the operation unit base 320, and has a rotation operation unit 302 that can be rotated by the player. The performance operation ring 330 (rotation operation unit 302) has a diameter (outer diameter) about twice the size of the front-rear dimension of the upper tray 201, and is formed into a circular ring shape with an inner diameter about 3/5 the size of the outer diameter. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the performance operation ring 330 is about 13 cm.

The performance operation ring 330 comprises an annular ring mounting base 331 attached to the upper surface of the flange portion 322 of the operation unit base 320, an annular rotating base 332 rotatably placed on the ring mounting base 331, a number of bushes 333 that abut against the outer circumferential surface of the rotating base 332 and are rotatably attached to the ring mounting base 331 around an axis that extends vertically, and a ring removal member 334 that is attached to the ring mounting base 331 and restricts the upward movement of the rotating base 332.

The performance operation ring 330 also includes an outer ring upper cover 335 that is attached to the upper surface of the rotating base 332 and forms part of the rotating operation unit 302, an outer ring lower cover 336 that is attached to the underside of the outer ring upper cover 335 and forms part of the rotating operation unit 302, and an inner ring cover 337 that is attached to the upper surface of the rotating base 332 on the inner periphery side of the outer ring upper cover 335 and forms part of the rotating operation unit 302. The outer ring upper cover 335, the outer ring lower cover 336, and the inner ring cover 337 are each formed in a translucent circular ring shape.

The ring mounting base 331 has an outer diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the flange portion 322 of the operation unit base 320, and an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the flange portion 322. The ring mounting base 331 has a mounting portion 331a on the upper surface along the inner periphery on which the rotation base 332 is mounted so as to be slidable in the circumferential direction, a boss portion 331b that protrudes cylindrically upward from multiple (four in this case) positions spaced apart in the circumferential direction outside the mounting portion 331a on the upper surface, and is used to rotatably mount the bush 333, and a through hole 331c that penetrates vertically at multiple positions spaced apart in the circumferential direction outside the mounting portion 331a on the upper surface. The multiple through holes 331c are formed at positions corresponding to the LEDs of the performance operation ring decoration board 352.

The outer diameter of the rotating base 332 is slightly smaller than the diameter (outer diameter) of the mounting portion 331a of the ring mounting base 331, and the inner diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the ring mounting base 331. The rotating base 332 has a ring gear 332a that protrudes downward from the lower surface and extends in the circumferential direction. The ring gear 332a is formed as a bevel gear so that it protrudes downward as it approaches the center side of the rotating base 332. The ring gear 332a is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the ring mounting base 331, and when assembled to the performance operation ring 330, it faces downward from the inner peripheral side of the ring mounting base 331. This ring gear 332a meshes with the ring side gear portion 350a of the operation ring transmission gear 350 when assembled to the performance operation unit 300.

The ring outer upper cover 335 is provided with an outer upper surface portion 335a in which an arc that constitutes the outer and upper part of the circle extends in an annular shape, decorative portions 335b that are formed three-dimensionally on the outer upper surface portion 335a and arranged in a circumferential direction, and outer upper cover attachment portions 335c that extend downward from the inner peripheral end of the outer upper surface portion 335a and then toward the center and are arranged in a circumferential direction. The outer upper surface portion 335a of the ring outer upper cover 335 is formed in a shape in which an arc of a range of 1/4 of a circle extends in an annular shape. The decorative portion 335b has an outer shape formed in a hexagon. The outer upper cover attachment portion 335c extends slightly downward from the lower end of the outer upper surface portion 335a and is attached to the upper surface of the rotating base 332.

The ring outer lower cover 336 comprises an outer lower surface portion 336a in which an arc that forms the outer and lower part of the circle extends in an annular shape, and outer lower cover attachment portions 336b that protrude upward and toward the center from the inside of the outer lower surface portion 336a and are arranged in a circumferential direction. The outer lower surface portion 336a of the ring outer lower cover 336 is formed in a shape in which an arc that is 1/8 of a circle extends in an annular shape. The outer lower cover attachment portions 336b are attached to the ring outer upper cover 335.

The ring inner cover 337 comprises an inner surface portion 337a in which an arc that forms the inner and upper part of the circle extends in an annular shape, a cylindrical tube surface portion 337b that extends downward parallel to the central axis from the inner end of the inner surface portion 337a, and inner cover attachment portions 337c that are formed on the outer periphery of the tube surface portion 337b and are arranged in a circumferential direction. The inner surface portion 337a of the ring inner cover 337 is formed in a shape in which an arc extending in an annular shape is within a range of 1/8 of a circle. The cylindrical inner diameter of the tube surface portion 337b is the same size as the inner diameter of the rotating base 332. The inner cover attachment portion 337c is attached to the upper surface of the rotating base 332.

When the ring outer upper cover 335, the ring outer lower cover 336, and the ring inner cover 337 are assembled to the performance operation ring 330, the outer upper surface portion 335a, the outer lower surface portion 336a, and the inner surface portion 337a are formed so that they are continuous, and the outer upper surface portion 335a, the outer lower surface portion 336a, and the inner surface portion 337a form an area covering an area of more than half of a circle, forming a donut shape as a whole. The performance operation ring 330 can be decorated with illumination using the performance operation ring decoration board 352.

[3-5e-4. Rotation drive unit]
The rotation drive unit 340 in the performance operation unit 300 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 335 to 337. Fig. 335(a) is a perspective view of the rotation drive unit of the performance operation unit seen from the front, and Fig. 335(b) is a perspective view of the rotation drive unit seen from the back. Fig. 336 is an exploded perspective view of the rotation drive unit seen from the right front, and Fig. 337 is an exploded perspective view of the rotation drive unit seen from the left front. The rotation drive unit 340 is for rotating the rotation operation unit 302 of the performance operation ring 330 and for detecting the rotation operation of the rotation operation unit 302. The rotation drive unit 340 is attached to the outside of the left side surface of the main body 321 of the operation unit base 320.

The rotary drive unit 340 includes a rotary drive base 341 attached to the main body 321 of the operation section base 320, an operation ring drive motor 342 attached to the rear right side of the rotary drive base 341 so that the rotation shaft protrudes to the left, a drive gear 343 attached to the rotation shaft of the operation ring drive motor 342, a speed change gear 344 rotated by the drive gear 343, a transmission detection gear member 345 rotated by the speed change gear 344 and which rotates the operation ring transmission gear 350, and a gear cover 346 which rotatably attaches the speed change gear 344 and the transmission detection gear member 345 in cooperation with the rotary drive base and covers the drive gear 343, the speed change gear 344, and the transmission detection gear member 345 from the left.

The rotation drive unit 340 also includes a first rotation detection sensor 347 and a second rotation detection sensor 348 that are attached to the gear cover 346 and detect the rotational position of the transmission detection gear member 345, and a sensor cover 349 that is attached to the gear cover 346 so as to cover the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348 from the left.

The rotary drive base 341 is formed in a shallow box shape that is short in the left-right direction, extends long in the front-rear direction, and is open to the left. The operation ring drive motor 342 is a stepping motor. The drive gear 343 is a spur gear. The speed change gear 344 is composed of a first gear 344a in the form of a spur gear that meshes with the drive gear, and a second gear 344b in the form of a spur gear that rotates integrally with the first gear 344a and is formed with a large diameter. The second gear 344b of the speed change gear 344 meshes with a gear portion 345a of the transmission detection gear member 345.

The transmission detection gear member 345 includes a gear portion 345a having a larger diameter than the shift gear 344 (twice the diameter of the second gear 344b) and a plurality of detection pieces 345b that protrude leftward from the left side surface of the gear portion 345a and are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The gear portion 345a meshes with the second gear 344b of the shift gear 344 and also meshes with the drive side gear portion 350b of the operation ring transmission gear 350. The circumferential length of the plurality of detection pieces 345b is the same as the interval at which they are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, eight detection pieces 345b are arranged in the circumferential direction at intervals of 45 degrees of rotation. These detection pieces 345b are detected by the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348.

The first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348 detect the detection piece 345b of the transmission detection gear member 345. The first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction that are different from an integer multiple of the intervals of the detection pieces 345b arranged in a row in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348 are spaced apart by a rotation angle of 101.25 degrees. As a result, when the transmission detection gear member 345 rotates, the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348 do not detect the detection piece 345b at the same time, and one of them detects the detection piece 345b first. As a result, the rotation direction and rotation speed of the rotation operation unit 302 in the performance operation ring 330 can be detected via the transmission detection gear member 345.

When the rotation drive unit 340 is assembled, the upper part of the gear portion 345a of the transmission detection gear member 345 is exposed upward, and the exposed part of the gear portion 345a meshes with the drive side gear portion 350b of the transmission gear 350 for the operation ring. Furthermore, when the rotation drive unit 340 is assembled to the performance operation unit 300, the entirety of the rotation drive unit 340 is located within the performance operation unit cover unit 310.

The rotary drive unit 340 can rotate the rotary operation part 302 of the performance operation ring 330 in any direction via the drive gear 343, the speed change gear 344, the transmission detection gear member 345, and the operation ring transmission gear by driving the operation ring drive motor 342. In addition, the rotary drive unit 340 can rotate the rotary operation part 302 back and forth to vibrate by repeatedly rotating the drive gear 343 forward and backward within a predetermined rotation angle range using the operation ring drive motor 342.

When the player rotates the rotation operation part 302 of the effect operation ring 330, the rotation drive unit 340 rotates the transmission detection gear member 345 via the operation ring transmission gear 350, and the detection piece 345b of the transmission detection gear member 345 is detected by the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348, making it possible to detect the rotation operation of the rotation operation part 302. Therefore, the content of the player participation type effect can be changed depending on the rotation direction of the rotation operation part 302.

In addition, the rotation drive unit 340 can detect the rotation operation of the rotation operation unit 302 by the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348, and can assist the player's rotation operation by driving the operation ring drive motor 342 in the same direction as the rotation operation. Alternatively, a load can be applied to the player's rotation operation by driving the operation ring drive motor 342 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the rotation operation unit 302. Therefore, by appropriately combining these, it is possible to give the rotation operation unit 302 a feeling of operation or a clicking sensation that corresponds to the content of the player-participation type presentation.

[3-5e-5. Transmission gear for operation ring]
The operation ring transmission gear 350 of the performance operation unit 300 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 331 and Fig. 332. The operation ring transmission gear 350 transmits rotation between the transmission detection gear member 345 of the rotation drive unit 340 and the rotation base 332 of the rotation operation part 302 of the performance operation ring 330, and is rotatably attached to the gear bearing part 325 of the operation part base 320.

The operation ring transmission gear 350 comprises a bevel gear-shaped ring side gear portion 350a that meshes with the ring gear 332a on the rotation base 332 of the performance operation ring 330, and a spur gear-shaped drive side gear portion 350b that rotates integrally with the ring side gear portion 350a and meshes with the gear portion 345a on the transmission detection gear member 345 of the rotation drive unit 340. The ring side gear portion 350a and the drive side gear portion 350b are formed with the same diameter pitch circle. The bevel gear-shaped ring side gear portion 350a narrows in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotation base 332.

The operation ring transmission gear 350 is attached to the operation unit base 320 so that its rotation axis extends in the left-right direction and intersects with the rotation axis of the rotation base 332 of the performance operation ring 330. The operation ring transmission gear 350 is inserted from above into the gear bearing portion 325 of the operation unit base 320, and the gear attachment member 351 is attached to the operation unit base 320, so that the operation ring transmission gear 350 is rotatably attached to the operation unit base 320.

When the operation ring transmission gear 350 is assembled to the performance operation unit 300, the ring side gear portion 350a meshes with the ring gear 332a of the rotation base 332 in the performance operation ring 330, and the drive side gear portion 350b meshes with the gear portion 345a of the transmission detection gear member 345 in the rotation drive unit 340. Therefore, the operation ring transmission gear 350 can transmit the rotation operation of the rotation operation portion 302 of the performance operation ring 330 to the rotation drive unit 340 side, and can transmit the rotation drive of the operation ring drive motor 342 of the rotation drive unit 340 to the rotation operation portion 302 of the performance operation ring 330 to rotate it.

[3-5e-6. Performance operation ring decoration board]
The performance operation ring decorative board 352 in the performance operation unit 300 will be described mainly with reference to Figs. 331 and 332. The performance operation ring decorative board 352 is attached to the upper surface of the flange portion 322 in the operation portion base 320, and a plurality of LEDs are mounted on the upper surface. The performance operation ring decorative board 352 is attached below the performance operation ring 330, and the performance operation ring 330 (rotation operation portion 302) can be illuminated and decorated by appropriately illuminating the plurality of LEDs.

The performance operation ring decorative board 352 is formed in the shape of a ring divided into front and back halves, and is composed of a front decorative board 352a on the front side and a rear decorative board 352b on the rear side. Multiple LEDs are arranged in a row along the outer periphery on the top surfaces of the front decorative board 352a and the rear decorative board 352b. The multiple LEDs on the performance operation ring decorative board 352 are full-color LEDs.

When assembled to the performance operation unit 300, the performance operation ring decorative board 352 is located below the ring mounting base 331 of the performance operation ring 330. The performance operation ring decorative board 352 is covered on the upper side by a transparent decorative board cover 353. The decorative board cover 353, like the performance operation ring decorative board 352, is formed in a form divided into front and rear, and is composed of a front board cover 353a that covers the front decorative board 352a from above and is attached to the flange portion 322 of the operation unit base 320, and a rear board cover 353b that covers the rear decorative board 352b from above and is attached to the flange portion 322 of the operation unit base 320.

The ring decorative board 352 for effect operation illuminates the multiple LEDs mounted on its top surface, allowing the ring outer upper cover 335, the ring outer lower cover 336, and the ring inner cover 337 that make up the rotating operation unit 302 to be illuminated from the inside through the decorative board cover 353 and the through-hole 331c of the ring mounting base 331. This allows the player to see an illuminated decoration that looks as if LEDs were installed inside the rotating operation unit 302.

[3-5e-7. Vibration speaker]
The vibration speaker 354 in the performance operation unit 300 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 331 and Fig. 332. The vibration speaker 354 is attached to the lower surface of the main body 321 in the operation unit base 320 with the output direction facing upward, and can output vibrations of various frequencies in addition to sounds such as voice and music.

The vibration speaker 354 can output sounds such as voice and music by vibrating the bottom wall of the operation unit base 320 as a diaphragm. The vibration speaker 354 can also vibrate the entire performance operation unit 300 via the operation unit base 320. Compared to a vibration device that uses a motor to rotate an eccentric weight, this vibration speaker 354 can generate vibrations of various frequencies, and can present a wider variety of performances to the player.

[3-5e-8. Performance operation button unit]
The performance operation button unit 360 in the performance operation unit 300 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 338 to 340. Fig. 338 is an exploded perspective view of the performance operation button unit of the performance operation unit seen from above and Fig. 339 is an exploded perspective view of the performance operation button unit seen from below and Fig. 340 (a) is a cross-sectional view of the performance operation button unit when the pressing operation unit is in the lowered position, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the performance operation button unit when the pressing operation unit is in the raised position. The performance operation button unit 360 is attached to the operation unit base 320 so as to face the inside of the ring of the performance operation ring 330, and has a pressing operation unit 303 that can be pressed by the player. The pressing operation unit 303 of the performance operation button unit 360 is composed of a cylindrical central pressing operation unit 303a and a cylindrical outer peripheral pressing operation unit 303b formed to cover the outer periphery of the central pressing operation unit 303a.

The performance operation button unit 360 includes a button unit base 361 that is attached to the main body 321 of the operation unit base 320 and has a substantially circular outer periphery; a pair of guide shafts 362 that are symmetrically arranged around the central axis of the button unit base 361 and extend upward in a cylindrical shape; a disk-shaped upper base 363 that connects the upper ends of the pair of guide shafts 362 and has a smaller circular outer periphery than the button unit base 361; a disk-shaped lift base 364 that is attached between the upper base 363 and the button unit base 361 by the pair of guide shafts 362 so as to be movable in the vertical direction and has a circular outer periphery that is substantially the same size as the button unit base 361; and a pair of lift springs 365 through which the pair of guide shafts 362 are inserted and which urge the lift base 364 upward.

The performance operation button unit 360 also includes a central shaft 366 that extends upward from the center of the button unit base 361 in a cylindrical shape and has its upper end attached to the upper base 363, an operation button lift drive motor 367 that is attached to the underside of the button unit base 361 so that its rotation axis protrudes upward, a spur gear-shaped lift drive gear 368 that is attached to the rotation axis of the operation button lift drive motor 367, and a spur gear-shaped driven gear 369 that is engaged with the lift drive gear 368 and rotatably attached to the upper side of the button unit base 361. 9, a lifting/lowering cam driving gear member 370 which is rotated by a driven gear 369 and through which the central shaft 366 is inserted and rotatably attached, a lifting/lowering cam member 371 whose lower end is connected to the lifting/lowering cam driving gear member 370 and through which the central shaft 366 is inserted and rotatably attached, and which raises and lowers the lifting/lowering base 364 by rotating, and a disk-shaped gear cover 372 attached to the upper side of the button unit base 361 so as to cover the lifting/lowering drive gear 368, the driven gear 369, and the lifting/lowering cam driving gear member 370 from above.

The performance operation button unit 360 further includes a central button body 373 that is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with an inner diameter larger than that of the upper base and extends vertically, and is attached above the lift base 364 so as to be movable in the vertical direction by a pair of guide shafts 362; a pair of button springs 374 that are arranged between the central button body 373 and the lift base 364 and urge the central button body 373 upward; a central button cover 375 that is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and has approximately the same diameter as the central button body 373, and is attached to the upper end of the central button body 373 so as to cover the upper part of the upper base 363; and a central button decorative board 376 that is attached to the upper surface of the upper base 363 and has multiple LEDs mounted thereon that can irradiate light upward. The performance operation button unit 360 includes the central button body 373 and the central button cover 375 to form the central pressing operation unit 303a.

The performance operation button unit 360 also includes a circular outer button decoration board 377 that is attached to the upper surface of the lift base 364 at a position outside the central button body 373 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the upper surface, an outer board cover 378 that is attached to the lift base 364 so as to cover the upper side of the outer button decoration board 377 and the outer periphery of the central button body 373, a cylindrical outer decoration lens 379 that is three-dimensionally decorated and has translucency and is arranged above the outer button decoration board 377 on the outer periphery side of the part of the outer board cover 378 that covers the outer periphery of the central button body 373, and a transparent outer button cover 380 that is attached to the lift base 364 so as to cover the outer periphery and upper surface of the outer decoration lens 379 and faces upward from the center. The performance operation button unit 360 includes the outer board cover 378, the outer decoration lens 379, and the outer button cover 380, which constitute the outer periphery pressing operation unit 303b.

The performance operation button unit 360 also includes a pressure detection sensor 381 that is attached to the button unit base 361 and detects the pressing operation of the pressing operation unit 303, and a lift detection sensor 382 that is attached to the button unit base 361 and detects the lifting and lowering of the lift base 364 by detecting the rotational position of the lift cam drive gear member 370.

The button unit base 361 comprises a base body 361a formed in a disk shape and a number of legs 361b protruding downward from the base body 361a. The base body 361a of the button unit base 361 is formed so that the outer diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the main body 321 of the operation unit base 320. A pair of guide shafts 362, a central shaft 366, a driven gear 369, an elevation cam drive gear member 370, and a gear cover 372 are attached to the upper surface of this base body 361a, and a pressure detection sensor 381 and an elevation detection sensor 382 are attached to the lower surface. The lower ends of the legs 361b of the button unit base 361 are attached to the bottom wall of the main body 321 of the operation unit base 320.

The pair of guide shafts 362 are attached to the top surface of the base body 361a of the button unit base 361 at positions forward and backward from the center, half the diameter of the base body 361a. The pair of guide shafts 362 and the central shaft 366 are formed from metal rods. The pair of guide shafts 362 are formed thicker than the central shaft 366.

The upper base 363 is formed with an outer diameter that is approximately half the outer diameter of the base body 361a of the button unit base 361. The pair of lifting springs 365 are coil springs, with their lower ends abutting the base body 361a of the button unit base 361 and their upper ends abutting the lifting base 364. The lifting springs 365 are springs with a stronger biasing force than the button spring 374.

The lift base 364 has an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the base body 361a of the button unit base 361. The lift base 364 has a pair of guide holes 364a into which the pair of guide shafts 362 are slidably inserted, a central hole 364b that penetrates vertically at the center and is large enough for the lift cam member 371 to pass through, a standing wall portion 364c that protrudes cylindrically upward from the periphery of the central hole 364b, and a pair of guide pins 364d that protrude into the central hole 364b near the lower end of the standing wall portion 364c so as to face each other. The pair of guide pins 364d face each other on the same axis and are attached rotatably around the axis.

The lift base 364 is guided so that it can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction by inserting a pair of guide shafts 362 into a pair of guide holes 364a. The upper end of the vertical wall portion 364c of the lift base 364 abuts against the upper base 363, restricting its upward movement and forming a space between the lift base 364 and the upper base 363 in which the bottom portion 373b of the central button body 373 can move. The lift base 364 is also moved in the vertical direction by being guided by the cam portion 371a of the lift cam member 371 through a pair of guide pins 364d.

The lifting/lowering cam driving gear member 370 includes a spur gear-shaped gear portion 370a that meshes with the driven gear 369, a connecting portion 370b that protrudes upward from the gear portion 370a and is connected to the lower end of the lifting/lowering cam member 371, and a lifting/lowering detection piece 370c that protrudes downward from the gear portion 370a in a cylindrical shape and has two opposing notches that are detected by the lifting/lowering detection sensor 382. The lifting/lowering cam driving gear member 370 is rotatably attached by inserting the central shaft 366 into the center of the gear portion 370a.

The lifting/lowering cam member 371 is rotatably attached by inserting the central shaft 366 through the center. The lifting/lowering cam member 371 is provided with a pair of cam portions 371a that are spaced 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction on the cylindrical outer periphery and protrude outward. The pair of cam portions 371a guide the guide pin 364d of the lifting/lowering base 364.

The cam portion 371a includes a first cam 371b extending perpendicular to the axis near the bottom end, a locking portion 371c recessed upward in the middle of the first cam 371b, a second cam 371d extending upward parallel to the axis from one end of the first cam 371b, and a third cam 371e extending upward in a spiral shape from the end of the first cam 371b opposite the second cam 371d (see FIG. 340). The second cam 371d and the third cam 371e extend upward to the same height, and adjacent cam portions 371a are spaced apart by a distance smaller than the diameter of the guide pin 364d of the lift base 364.

The lifting cam member 371 also has a connected portion 371f at its lower end that connects to the connecting portion 370b of the lifting cam drive gear member 370.

The lifting/lowering cam member 371 is formed such that the second cam 371d extends upward from the rear end side of the first cam 371b when the lifting/lowering cam member 371 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction in a plan view at the cam portion 371a. When the lifting/lowering cam member 371 rotates, the cam portion 371a can guide the guide pin 364d of the lifting/lowering base 364 to lift and lower the lifting/lowering base 364.

The central button body 373 includes a cylindrical tube portion 373a extending vertically, a bottom portion 373b closing the lower end side of the tube portion 373a, a pair of guide holes 373c penetrating the bottom portion 373b and into which a pair of guide shafts 362 are slidably inserted, a central opening 373d penetrating the center of the bottom portion 373b with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the vertical wall portion 364c of the lifting base 364, a pressure detection piece 373e protruding downward from the bottom portion 373b and detected by the pressure detection sensor 381, and a pair of guide bosses 373f protruding cylindrically rearward from the bottom portion 373b and inserted into the button spring 374.

The central button body 373 is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape by a tube portion 373a and a bottom portion 373b. The central button body 373 is formed so that the bottom portion 373b is disposed between the upper base 363 and the lifting/lowering base 364, and the upper end of the tube portion 373a protrudes upward from the upper base 363. The central opening 373d is formed into a short cylindrical shape extending downward, and the lower end abuts against the upper surface of the lifting/lowering base 364, thereby restricting the downward movement of the central button body 373. The upper end of the standing wall portion 364c of the lifting/lowering base 364 abuts against the upper base 363 through the central opening 373d of the central button body 373.

The central button body 373 is biased upward by a pair of button springs 374 through which a pair of guide bosses 373f are inserted. The pair of guide bosses 373f are formed so that their lower ends extend downward through the lift base 364, and a screw with a washer inserted therethrough is attached to the lower end. The washer attached to the lower end of the guide bosses 373f abuts against the underside of the lift base 364, restricting the upward movement of the central button body 373.

The pressure detection piece 373e of the central button body 373 is formed so as to penetrate the lift base 364 and protrude downward when the bottom 373b (the lower end of the central opening 373d) of the central button body 373 abuts against the upper surface of the lift base 364 against the biasing force of the pair of button springs 374. This central button body 373 is formed to be opaque. The pair of button springs 374 are coil springs with a weaker biasing force than the lift springs 365.

The central button cover 375 has a disk-shaped top plate portion 375a having approximately the same diameter as the tube portion 373a of the central button body 373, and a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 375b extending downward from the outer periphery of the top plate portion 375a, and is formed to be translucent. The central button cover 375 is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape by the top plate portion 375a and the peripheral wall portion 375b. The lower end of the peripheral wall portion 375b of this central button cover 375 is attached to the upper end of the tube portion 373a of the central button body 373.

The central button decorative board 376 has multiple full-color LEDs mounted on its upper surface. The central button decorative board 376 can illuminate and decorate the central button cover 375 by appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs. The peripheral button decorative board 377 has multiple full-color LEDs mounted on its upper surface. The peripheral button decorative board 377 can illuminate and decorate the peripheral decorative lens 379 and peripheral button cover 380 by appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs.

The outer peripheral board cover 378 comprises an annular board portion 378a that covers the upper side of the outer peripheral button decorative board 377 and is attached to the lift base 364, and a cylindrical portion 378b that extends upward from the inner circumference of the board portion 378a in a cylindrical shape and covers the outer circumference of the central button body 373. The outer peripheral board cover 378 is formed to be transparent.

The outer decorative lens 379 has twisted portions that extend so as to move in the circumferential direction as they go upward, and are arranged in a row at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The outer decorative lens 379 is attached to the upper side of the substrate portion 378a of the outer substrate cover 378. The outer button cover 380 has a cylindrical tubular portion 380a that covers the outer periphery of the outer decorative lens 379, and an annular ring portion 380b that extends from the upper end of the tubular portion 380a toward the center. The lower end of the tubular portion 380a of the outer button cover 380 is attached to the lift base 364. The inner diameter of the ring portion 380b is formed to be approximately the same size as the cylindrical portion 378b of the outer substrate cover 378.

When the performance operation button unit 360 is assembled, as shown in FIG. 340(a), the lift base 364 is biased upward by a pair of lift springs 365, and the guide pin 364d of the lift base 364 is inserted from below into the locking portion 371c of the cam portion 371a of the lift cam member 371. In this state, the lift base 364 is in a lowered position in which it has moved downward, and the pair of lift springs 365 are compressed. Also, in this state, the central button body 373 is at the upper end of its movement due to the biasing force of the button spring 374, and the top surface of the central button cover 375 protrudes above the top surface of the outer peripheral button cover 380.

Therefore, when assembled to the performance operation unit 300, the top surface of the outer button cover 380 protrudes slightly upward from the top surface of the performance operation ring 330, and the top surface of the central button cover 375 protrudes upward from the top surface of the outer button cover 380 (see Figure 341, etc.).

In this state (the state of FIG. 340(a)), when the central button cover 375 (central pressing operation part 303a) is pressed downward and moved downward against the biasing force of the button spring 374, the pressing detection piece 373e of the central button body 373 is detected by the pressing detection sensor 381, and the pressing operation of the central pressing operation part 303a is detected. When the central pressing operation part 303a is pressed, the upper surface of the central button cover 375 is at a height that is approximately the same as the upper surface of the outer button cover 380 (see FIG. 343(c)).

In addition, even if the outer button cover 380 (outer pressing operation unit 303b) is pressed downward in this state, the outer button cover 380 will not move downward, and the pressing detection piece 373e of the central button body 373 will not be detected by the pressing detection sensor 381. In other words, the pressing operation of the pressing operation unit 303 will not be detected.

When the lift drive gear 368 is rotated counterclockwise in a plan view by the operation button lift drive motor 367 in this lowered position, the lift cam drive gear member 370 rotates counterclockwise in a plan view via the driven gear 369 meshing with the lift drive gear 368, and the lift cam member 371 connected to the lift cam drive gear member 370 also rotates in the same direction. When the lift cam member 371 rotates counterclockwise, the cam portion 371a seen from the front in FIG. 340 moves to the right, and the guide pin 364d of the lift base 364 rolls from the locking portion 371c to the left of the locking portion 371c on the first cam 371b, and the lift base 364 moves downward against the biasing force of the lift spring 365 via the guide pin 364d.

When the guide pin 364d, which rolls relatively leftward along the first cam 371b as the lifting cam member 371 rotates, is positioned from the left end of the first cam 371b toward the second cam 371d, the second cam 371d extends upward perpendicularly to the first cam 371b, so that the guide pin 364d moves upward along the second cam 371d due to the biasing force of the lifting spring 365, and the lifting base 364 rises together with the guide pin 364d to the raised position.

In the raised position, as shown in FIG. 340(b), the guide pin 364d of the lift base 364 is in contact with the second cam 371d of one cam portion 371a and the third cam 371e of the remaining cam portion 371a. In this state, the operation of the operation button lift drive motor 367 is temporarily stopped.

In the raised position, the upper end of the vertical wall portion 364c of the lift base 364 abuts against the lower surface of the upper base 363, restricting further upward movement of the lift base 364. In addition, in the raised position, the positional relationship between the central button cover 375 (central pressing operation unit 303a) and the peripheral button cover 380 (peripheral pressing operation unit 303b) in the lowered position is maintained, and the entire pressing operation unit 303 including the central button cover 375 and the peripheral button cover 380 moves upward, and the upper surface of the central button cover 375 protrudes upward beyond the upper surface of the peripheral button cover 380.

When assembled to the performance operation unit 300 and moved to the raised position, the central button cover 375 and the outer peripheral button cover 380 protrude significantly above the top surface of the performance operation ring 330 (see Figure 343 (b) etc.).

When the central button cover 375 (central pressing operation unit 303a) is pressed downward with a force stronger than the biasing force of the button spring 374 in this raised position, the central button cover 375 and central button body 373 move downward against the biasing force of the button spring 374, and the central button body 373 comes into contact with the lift-up base 364. When the central button body 373 is in contact with the lift-up base 364, the pressure detection piece 373e of the central button body 373 protrudes downward from the lift-up base 364, but because the lift-up base 364 is separated from the button unit base 361, the pressure detection piece 373e is not detected by the pressure detection sensor 381.

When the central button cover 375 (central pressing operation unit 303a) is pressed downward with a force stronger than the biasing force of the lift-up spring 365, the central button cover 375 and the central button body 373 resist the biasing force of the button spring 374, the central button body 373 abuts against the lift-up base 364, and the lift-up base 364 moves downward against the biasing force of the lift-up spring 365, and the lower end of the lift-up base 364 abuts against the button unit base 361. When the lift-up base 364 abuts against the button unit base 361, the lift-up base 364 is in the lowered position, and together with the lift-up base 364, the outer peripheral button cover 380 (outer peripheral pressing operation unit 303b) is also in the lowered position.

In this way, when the central button body 373 is in contact with the lift base 364 and the lift base 364 is in contact with the button unit base 361, the pressure detection piece 373e of the central button body 373 protruding downward from the lift base 364 is detected by the pressure detection sensor 381, and pressure on the central button cover 375 (central pressure operation unit 303a) is detected.

On the other hand, when the outer button cover 380 (outer pressing operation part 303b) is pressed downward with a force greater than the biasing force of the lift spring 365 in the raised position, the lift base 364 moves downward against the biasing force of the lift spring 365 via the outer button cover 380, and the lower end of the lift base 364 comes into contact with the button unit base 361. In this state, the outer button cover 380 is in the lowered position together with the lift base 364, but because the central button cover 375 (central pressing operation part 303a) protrudes upward due to the biasing force of the button spring 374, the pressing detection piece 373e of the central button body 373 does not protrude downward from the lift base 364, and the pressing detection piece 373e is not detected by the pressing detection sensor 381.

To return the central button cover 375 and the outer peripheral button cover 380 (the pressing operation unit 303) from the raised position to the lowered position, the operation button lifting drive motor 367 rotates the lifting cam member 371 in a counterclockwise direction in a plan view. In FIG. 340(b), the third cam 371e that abuts against the upper left of the guide pin 364d of the lifting base 364 moves to the right (towards the guide pin 364d). As a result, the guide pin 364d is pressed downward by the third cam 371e, and the lifting base 364 moves downward against the biasing force of the lifting spring 365 via the guide pin 364d.

When the guide pin 364d moves from the lower end of the third cam 371e toward the first cam 371b as the lift cam member 371 rotates, the lift base 364 stops moving downward and the guide pin 364d rolls along the first cam 371b. When the guide pin 364d subsequently reaches the position of the locking portion 371c midway along the first cam 371b, the guide pin 364d is inserted into the upwardly recessed locking portion 371c by the biasing force of the lift spring 365, and the rotation of the lift cam member 371 by the operation button lift drive motor 367 is stopped, returning it to its original lowered position.

[3-5e-9. Operation unit relay board unit]
The operation unit relay board unit 390 in the performance operation unit 300 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 331 and 332. The operation unit relay board unit 390 is attached to the rear surface of the operation unit base 320. The operation unit relay board unit 390 includes a box-shaped board box 391 attached to the rear surface of the main body 321 in the operation unit base 320, and an operation unit relay board 392 attached inside the board box 391.

The board box 391 has a motor cover part 391a that covers the operation ring drive motor 342 of the rotation drive unit 340 from the rear when assembled into the performance operation unit 300. The operation unit relay board 392 relays the connection between the upper center plate decorative board 314, the lower center plate decorative board 316, the operation ring drive motor 342, the first rotation detection sensor 347, the second rotation detection sensor 348, the performance operation ring decorative board 352, the vibration speaker 354, the operation button lift drive motor 367, the center button decorative board 376, the outer peripheral button decorative board 377, the pressure detection sensor 381, and the lift detection sensor 382 and the plate unit relay board 214 of the plate base unit 210.

[3-5e-10. Function of the Production Operation Unit]
Next, the operation of the performance operation unit 300 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 341 to 343. Fig. 341 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the performance operation ring and the rotation drive unit in a left side view of the performance operation unit. Fig. 342 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the performance operation ring and the performance operation ring decorative board in a plan view of the performance operation unit seen from the pressing direction of the pressing operation part. Fig. 343 (a) is a front view of the dish unit shown in a normal state, (b) is a front view of the dish unit when the pressing operation part is in the raised position, and (c) is a front view of the dish unit when the central pressing operation part of the pressing operation part is pressed.

The performance operation unit 300 has a performance operation section 301 on the top surface that can be operated by the player. The performance operation section 301 is composed of a large, annular rotation operation section 302 and a pressing operation section 303 arranged inside the ring of the rotation operation section 302. The pressing operation section 303 is composed of a cylindrical central pressing operation section 303a located at the center of the rotation operation section 302, and a circular peripheral pressing operation section 303b arranged between the central pressing operation section 303a and the rotation operation section 302.

The rotation operation unit 302 is formed by the outer upper cover 335, the outer lower cover 336, and the inner cover 337 of the performance operation ring 330. The central pressing operation unit 303a is formed by the central button cover 375 and the central button body 373 of the performance operation button unit 360, and the outer peripheral pressing operation unit 303b is formed by the outer peripheral button cover 380 and the outer peripheral board cover 378.

The performance operation unit 300 is assembled to the dish unit 200 in a tilted state so that the front side of the imaginary plane formed by the upper surface of the annular rotating operation part 302 (performance operation ring 330) is lower. Therefore, the pressing direction of the pressing operation part 303 arranged inside the ring of the rotating operation part 302 is tilted so that it moves backward as it goes downward (in other words, it moves forward as it goes upward).

In the normal state of the performance operation unit 300, the pressing operation section 303 protrudes slightly upward from the top surface of the rotating operation section 302. In more detail, the top surface of the outer button cover 380 protrudes slightly upward from the top surface of the performance operation ring 330, and the top surface of the central button cover 375 protrudes upward from the top surface of the outer button cover 380 (see FIG. 341, etc.).

In this normal state, when the operation ring drive motor 342 of the rotation drive unit 340 rotates the transmission detection gear member 345 in a clockwise direction when viewed from the left side, the rotation operation part 302 of the performance operation ring 330 rotates in a clockwise direction when viewed from the top via the operation ring transmission gear 350. On the other hand, when the operation ring drive motor 342 rotates the transmission detection gear member 345 in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the left side, the rotation operation part 302 of the performance operation ring 330 rotates in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the top.

The operation ring drive motor 342 is a stepping motor, and by repeatedly rotating forward and backward within a predetermined range of rotation angles, the rotation operation unit 302 can be rotated back and forth to vibrate. This vibration differs from the vibration caused by the vibration speaker 354, and only the rotation operation unit 302 vibrates.

The rotation operation unit 302 of the performance operation ring 330 can be rotated not only by the operation ring drive motor 342, but also by the player. When the rotation operation unit 302 is rotated clockwise in a plan view, the transmission detection gear member 345 of the rotation drive unit 340 rotates clockwise in a left side view via the operation ring transmission gear 350, and when the rotation operation unit 302 is rotated counterclockwise in a plan view, the transmission detection gear member 345 rotates counterclockwise in a left side view. The rotation of this transmission detection gear member 345 is detected by two sensors, a first rotation detection sensor 347 and a second rotation detection sensor 348.

The rotation of the transmission detection gear member 345 is detected by detecting the multiple detection pieces 345b with the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348. In more detail, the distance between the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348, which are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, is not an integer multiple of the distance between the multiple detection pieces 345b, which are arranged in a row at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. This ensures that the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348 do not detect the detection pieces 345b at the same time.

In this embodiment, when the transmission detection gear member 345 rotates in a clockwise direction in a left side view, the second rotation detection sensor 348 detects the detection piece 345b, and then the first rotation detection sensor 347 detects the detection piece 345b. In contrast, when the transmission detection gear member 345 rotates in a counterclockwise direction in a left side view, the first rotation detection sensor 347 detects the detection piece 345b, and then the second rotation detection sensor 348 detects the detection piece 345b. Therefore, the rotation direction of the transmission detection gear member 345 (rotation operation unit 302) can be detected by the order in which the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348 detect the detection piece 345b. In addition, the rotation speed of the transmission detection gear member 345 (rotation operation unit 302) can be detected by the detection time of the detection piece 345b in the first rotation detection sensor 347 and the second rotation detection sensor 348.

In this way, since the rotation operation of the rotation operation unit 302 can be detected, the content of the player participation type presentation can be changed according to the rotation direction of the rotation operation unit 302. Furthermore, when the rotation operation of the rotation operation unit 302 is detected, the operation ring drive motor 342 can rotate the rotation operation unit 302 in the same direction as the rotation operation direction, thereby making the rotation operation lighter and assisting it. Alternatively, the operation ring drive motor 342 can rotate the rotation operation unit 302 in the opposite direction to the rotation operation direction, making the rotation operation heavier or adding a clicking sensation.

The rotation operation unit 302 of the performance operation ring 330 is formed by the ring outer upper cover 335, the ring outer lower cover 336, and the ring inner cover 337, and is formed into a shape in which an arc of more than half a circle extends in an annular shape. In other words, the rotation operation unit 302 is formed into a doughnut shape. As shown in the figure, the rotation operation unit 302 is attached with the outer peripheral surface, the top surface, and part of the inner peripheral surface exposed, so that it is formed into a shape that is easy for the player to grasp with their hands.

This allows the player to touch the rotation operation unit 302 from various directions, allowing the player to rotate the rotation operation unit 302 in the way that is easiest for the player, improving the operability of the rotation operation unit 302. Furthermore, the rotation operation unit 302 can be rotated whether the pressing operation unit 303 is in the lowered or raised position. Note that, because the bottom side of the rotation operation unit 302 is attached to the operation unit base 320, it cannot be gripped like a car steering wheel.

As shown in FIG. 342, the performance operation unit 300 is provided with a performance operation ring decorative board 352 on which multiple LEDs are arranged in a circular ring below the performance operation ring 330. This allows the rotating operation part 302 of the performance operation ring 330 to be illuminated and decorated by illuminating the LEDs on the performance operation ring decorative board 352. In addition, since the performance operation ring decorative board 352 has multiple LEDs arranged in a circular line along the rotating operation part 302, it is possible to illuminate only specific parts of the rotating operation part 302 by sequentially illuminating the multiple LEDs arranged in a line in accordance with the rotation of the rotating operation part 302. This gives the player the illusion that LEDs (decorative boards) are provided inside the rotating rotating operation part 302.

In the normal state of the performance operation unit 300, as shown in FIG. 343(a), the pressing operation unit 303 arranged within the ring of the rotation operation unit 302 is in a lowered position with its upper surface protruding slightly above the upper surface of the rotation operation unit 302. In this state, the rotation operation unit 302 can be rotated, and the central pressing operation unit 303a of the pressing operation unit 303 can be pressed. When the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed downward, the upper surface of the central pressing operation unit 303a (central button cover 375) descends to approximately the same height as the upper surface of the outer peripheral pressing operation unit 303b (outer peripheral button cover 380), and the pressing is detected by the pressing detection sensor 381.

In this normal (lowered) state, even if the outer peripheral pressing operation part 303b of the pressing operation part 303 is pressed downward, the outer peripheral pressing operation part 303b (outer peripheral button cover 380) does not move downward, and the pressing is not detected by the pressing detection sensor 381.

In the normal state, when the operation button lifting drive motor 367 rotates the lifting cam member 371 in a counterclockwise direction in a plan view, the guide pin 364d of the lifting base 364 disengages from the cam portion 371a (first cam 371b), and the pushing force of the pair of lifting springs 365 causes the lifting base 364 and the pressing operation unit 303 to vigorously protrude upward and enter a raised position (see FIG. 343(b)). In this raised position, the upper surface of the pressing operation unit 303 is located significantly higher than the upper surface of the rotating operation unit 302. In other words, the central button cover 375 and the outer peripheral button cover 380 protrude significantly higher than the upper surface of the performance operation ring 330.

When the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed downward with the pressing operation unit 303 in the raised position, the central pressing operation unit 303a first moves downward against the biasing force of the button spring 374, and the top surface of the central pressing operation unit 303a and the top surface of the outer peripheral pressing operation unit 303b are at approximately the same height. In this state, the pressing detection sensor 381 does not detect the pressing. Furthermore, the central pressing operation unit 303a moves downward together with the outer peripheral pressing operation unit 303b against the biasing force of the lifting spring 365, and the top surfaces of the central pressing operation unit 303a and the outer peripheral pressing operation unit 303b are at approximately the same height as the top surface of the rotating operation unit 302 (see FIG. 343 (c)). In this state, the pressing detection sensor 381 detects the pressing.

In addition, when the outer pressing operation unit 303 is in the raised position and the outer pressing operation unit 303b is pressed downward, the outer pressing operation unit 303b and the central pressing operation unit 303a move downward while the top surface of the central pressing operation unit 303a remains in a state where it protrudes above the top surface of the outer pressing operation unit 303b, so that the top surface of the outer pressing operation unit 303b is at approximately the same height as the top surface of the rotation operation unit 302 (see FIG. 343(a)). In this state, the pressing detection sensor 381 does not detect pressing.

In this way, the pressing operation unit 303 of this embodiment is designed so that it will not be detected by the pressing detection sensor 381 unless the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed to the end of its downward movement, regardless of whether it is in the lowered or raised position. This makes it possible to encourage the player to firmly press the central pressing operation unit 303a, thereby drawing attention to the operation of the presentation operation unit 301 in a player participation type presentation, making the player participation type presentation more enjoyable.

The rotation operation unit 302 can be rotated even when the pressing operation unit 303 is in the raised position. Therefore, when the pressing operation unit 303 is in the raised position, depending on the player, the pressing operation unit 303 can be used as a clue to make the rotation operation easier, while the pressing operation unit 303 can get in the way and make the rotation operation difficult. This allows the operability of the rotation operation unit 302 to be changed, allowing the player to enjoy a wider variety of operations.

[3-6. Door frame left side unit]
The door frame left side unit 400 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 344 to 346. Figure 344(a) is a perspective view of the door frame left side unit of the door frame as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the door frame left side unit as seen from the back. Figure 345 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame left side unit as seen from the front, and Figure 346 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame left side unit as seen from the back. The door frame left side unit 400 is attached to the front left part of the door frame base unit 100 above the plate unit 200, and decorates the left outer side of the play area 5a when viewed from the front.

The door frame left side unit 400 comprises a door frame left side base 401 that is attached to the left outer side of the door window 101a on the front side of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100, a door frame left side decorative board 402 that is attached to the front side of the door frame left side base 401 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front side, a left side reflector 403 that is attached to the door frame left side base 401 so as to cover the front side of the door frame left side decorative board 402, and a door frame left side decorative body 404 that is attached to the door frame left side base 401 so as to cover the front side of the left side reflector 403.

The left door frame side base 401 is formed in a box shape that extends vertically and is open to the front. The left door frame side decorative board 402 is formed in a strip shape that extends vertically, and is composed of an upper left side decorative board 402a and a lower left side decorative board 402b. The left door frame side decorative board 402 has multiple full-color LEDs mounted on the front surface. The left door frame side decorative board 402 can illuminate and decorate the left door frame side decorative body 404 by appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs.

The left side reflector 403 has a through hole 403a that penetrates from front to back at a position corresponding to the LED mounted on the door frame left side decorative board 402. The door frame left side decorative body 404 is formed in a translucent milky white color. The door frame left side decorative body 404 is formed in a shape in which a semicircular arc bulges forward and extends up and down. As a result, the door frame left side decorative body 404 is formed in a semi-tube shape that is open to the rear.

The door frame left side unit 400 is formed so that its lower end is continuous with the left end of the upper left dish decorative body 271 of the upper left dish decorative unit 270 in the dish unit 200, and its upper end is formed so that it is continuous with the lower left end of the door frame top decorative body 453 of the door frame top unit 450.

The door frame left side unit 400 is formed so that its width in the left-right direction and its depth in the front-to-back direction are approximately the same distance. When assembled to the door frame 3, the door frame left side unit 400 decorates the left outer side of the door window 101a of the door frame base 101, making it look like a cylindrical fluorescent lamp is embedded in it.

[3-7. Door frame right side unit]
The door frame right side unit 410 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 347 to 349. Figure 347 (a) is a perspective view of the door frame right side unit of the door frame as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the door frame right side unit as seen from the back. Figure 348 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame right side unit as seen from the front, and Figure 349 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame right side unit as seen from the back. The door frame right side unit 410 is attached to the front right part of the door frame base unit 100 above the plate unit 200, and decorates the right outer side of the play area 5a when viewed from the front.

The door frame right side unit 410 extends flat forward from the right edge of the door frame 3 to a position roughly the same as the upper tray 201 and lower tray 202 of the tray unit 200, and is equipped with a side window 410a penetrating in the left-right direction, and a plurality of light-emitting side window interior decorative parts 410b arranged within the side window 410a. This door frame right side unit 410 can make it difficult to see inside the playing area of the pachinko machine located on the right side in a game hall or the like where the pachinko machine 1 is installed, and can make it difficult for a player playing the pachinko machine on the right side to see inside the playing area 5a of this pachinko machine 1, thereby forming a personal space for the player that protects the privacy of the player.

The door frame right side unit 410 is equipped with a door frame right side base 411 that is attached to the right outer side of the door window 101a on the front surface of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100 and extends vertically, a side window interior decorative member 412 that is attached to the front surface of the door frame right side base 411 and has a plurality of side window interior decorative parts 410b that extend forward cylindrically and are arranged vertically in a row, a side window interior decorative part decorative board 413 that is attached to the front side of the door frame right side base 411 and has a plurality of LEDs mounted at positions corresponding to the plurality of side window interior decorative parts 410b of the side window interior decorative member 412 on the front surface, and an internal reflector 414 that is inserted inside each of the plurality of side window interior decorative parts 410b of the side window interior decorative member 412.

The right side unit 410 of the door frame is provided with a right side reflector 415 that is disposed forward of the front end of the side window interior decorative member 412 and extends vertically, a right side outer panel 416 that is attached to the right side base 411 of the door frame and extends flat in the vertical and front-to-rear directions to cover the right side of the right side base 411 of the door frame and the right side reflector 415, and has a through hole 416a that penetrates in the left-to-right direction and forms the side window 410a, and a right side inner panel 417 that is attached to the right side base 411 of the door frame and the right side reflector 415 and extends flat in the vertical and front-to-rear directions to cover the left side of the right side base 411 of the door frame and the right side reflector 415, and has a through hole 417a that penetrates in the left-to-right direction and forms the side window 410a.

Furthermore, the door frame right side unit 410 includes a door frame right side decorative board 418 that is attached to the rear surface of the right side reflector 415 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface, and a door frame right side decorative body 419 that is attached to the right side reflector 415 so as to cover the front side of the right side reflector 415.

The door frame right side base 411 is formed in a box shape that extends vertically and is open to the rear. The side window interior decorative member 412 has a flat connecting base 412a that connects the lower ends of multiple (three in this case) side window interior decorative parts 410b arranged in a row in the vertical direction. The side window interior decorative part 410b of the side window interior decorative member 412 is formed as a truncated cone-shaped cylinder whose outer diameter is slightly smaller at the front end side than at the rear end side, and the front end of the cylinder is formed in a hemisphere. The side window interior decorative member 412 is attached to the door frame right side outer panel 416 at the front end of the side window interior decorative part 410b. The side window interior decorative member 412 is attached to the front of the door frame right side base 411 from a position lower than the center in the vertical direction to a position above. The side window interior decorative member 412 is formed in a milky white color with translucency.

The side window interior decorative part decorative board 413 is attached to the front of the door frame right side base 411, in a position behind the connecting base 412a of the side window interior decorative member 412. The multiple LEDs provided on the side window interior decorative part decorative board 413 are full-color LEDs. The side window interior decorative part decorative board 413 has four LEDs arranged in a cross shape on the top, bottom, left and right, centered on the axis of the side window interior decorative part 410b, in a position behind each of the multiple side window interior decorative parts 410b.

The internal reflector 414 has an X-shaped shape when viewed from the front, and extends in the front-rear direction along the inner surface of the side window interior decorative part 410b into which it is inserted. The internal reflector 414 divides the inside of the side window interior decorative part 410b into four parts: top, bottom, left, and right.

The right side reflector 415 extends vertically at the same height as the door frame right side base 411, and its front-to-rear shape is wavy, moving forward and then backward as it moves from the top to the bottom. The right side reflector 415 is formed with multiple through holes 415a that penetrate from front to back and through which the LEDs of the door frame right side decorative board 418 face forward.

The door frame right side outer panel 416 is flat and extends vertically and front to back, with the rear edge extending vertically in a straight line and the front edge extending in a wavy manner along the right side reflector 415. The door frame right side outer panel 416 has a through hole 416a penetrating in the left to right direction, which is formed in an irregular elliptical shape extending vertically, and is formed so as to be able to cover the front side of the connecting base 412a of the side window interior decorative member 412 and the rear side of the door frame right side decorative base plate 418 (right side reflector 415). The door frame right side outer panel 416 is formed to be opaque.

The right side door frame inner panel 417 is flat and extends vertically and front to back, with the rear edge extending vertically in a straight line and the front edge extending in a wavy manner along the right side reflector 415. The right side door frame inner panel 417 has a through hole 417a penetrating in the left to right direction, which is formed in an irregular elliptical shape extending vertically, and is formed so as to be able to cover the front side of the connecting base 412a of the side window interior decorative member 412 and the rear side of the right side door frame decorative base plate 418 (right side reflector 415). The right side door frame inner panel 417 is formed to be opaque.

The door frame right side decorative board 418 is formed in the shape of a strip extending vertically, and is composed of an upper right side decorative board 418a and a lower right side decorative board 418b. The door frame right side decorative board 418 has multiple full-color LEDs mounted on the front surface. The door frame right side decorative board 418 can illuminate and decorate the door frame right side decorative body 419 by appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs.

The door frame right side decorative body 419 is formed in a milky white color with translucency. The door frame right side decorative body 419 is formed in a shape in which a semicircular arc bulges forward and extends up and down in a wavy manner so as to follow the right side reflector 415. As a result, the door frame right side decorative body 419 is formed in a semi-tube shape that is open to the rear.

The door frame right side unit 410 is formed so that its lower end is continuous with the right end of the dish upper right decorative body 276 of the dish upper right decorative unit 275 in the dish unit 200, and its upper end is formed so that it is continuous with the lower right end of the door frame top decorative body 453 of the door frame top unit 450.

When assembled to the door frame 3, the door frame right side unit 410 decorates the right outer side of the door window 101a of the door frame base 101, and the door frame right side decorative body 419 looks like a cylindrical fluorescent lamp embedded in it. The door frame right side unit 410 is formed like a screen, with its front end (front edge) extending forward in a wavy shape so that the top 1/4 of the unit protrudes furthest forward. The door frame right side unit 410 has a side window 410a that penetrates in the left-right direction, and the opposite side can be seen through the side window 410a.

The door frame right side unit 410 is equipped with a cylindrical (columnar) side window interior decoration part 410b that extends forward and backward within the side window 410a, and the side window interior decoration part 410b can be illuminated and decorated by illuminating the LEDs on the side window interior decoration part decorative board 413. By illuminating and decorating the side window interior decoration part 410b, the inside of the side window 410a can be made dazzling, and it can be made difficult to see the other side through the side window 410a.

According to the door frame right side unit 410 of this embodiment, in the normal state, the LEDs of the side window interior decoration part decorative board 413 that illuminates and decorates the multiple side window interior decoration parts 410b are turned off, so that the inside of the game area 5a can be seen from the side of the pachinko machine 1 (the edge of the island equipment) through the gaps between the three side window interior decoration parts 410b in the side window 410a. Therefore, a player looking for the pachinko machine 1 (the game board 5) as a pachinko machine to play on can easily find the pachinko machine 1 without having to move along the island equipment to the front of the pachinko machine 1, which increases the player's expectations for playing with the pachinko machine 1 and prevents a decline in interest.

In addition, even if the side window 410a penetrates the door frame right side unit 410, other parts including the side window interior decorative part 410b can block the view of nearby players, making it difficult for other players to see the entire playing area 5a, and making it difficult for players to feel like they are being watched by other players, allowing them to play without feeling embarrassed.

Furthermore, when the three side window interior decoration parts 410b are illuminated by the LEDs of the side window interior decoration part decorative board 413, the light can make the inside of the side window 410a dazzling, changing the visibility through the side window 410a. At this time, since the three side window interior decoration parts 410b are cylindrical, the light is emitted in a belt-like and radial manner, making the side window interior decoration parts 410b dazzling and making it difficult to see the other side through between them, making it difficult for other players, such as neighbors, to peek into the playing area 5a. In this way, since it is difficult to peek into the playing area 5a, it is possible to prevent other players from paying attention to this pachinko machine 1, and it is possible to prevent players from feeling uncomfortable because they are distracted by other players and cannot concentrate on playing, or from feeling like they have lost out because they are induced to make mistakes, and by concentrating on playing, players can enjoy the game more and suppress a decline in interest.

[3-8. Door frame top unit]
The door frame top unit 450 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 350 to 352. Figure 350(a) is a perspective view of the door frame top unit in the door frame seen from the front, (b) is a perspective view of the door frame top unit seen from the back, and (c) is a bottom view of the door frame top unit shown with the top lower cover removed. Figure 351 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame top unit disassembled and seen from the front top, and Figure 352 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame top unit disassembled and seen from the front bottom. The door frame top unit 450 is attached to the upper front of the door frame base unit 100 above the door frame left side unit 400 and the door frame right side unit 410.

The door frame top unit 450 includes a door frame top base 451 that is attached above the door window 101a on the front surface of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100, a top upper cover 452 that is attached to the door frame top base 451 so as to cover both the left and right sides and the upper front surface of the door frame top base 451, a door frame top decorative body 453 that is attached to the front end of the top upper cover 452, and a door frame top bottom plate 454 that connects the bottom end of the door frame top decorative body 453 to the bottom end of the door frame top base 451.

The door frame top unit 450 also includes a door frame top central decorative board 455 that is attached to the front center of the top upper cover 452 behind the door frame top decorative body 453 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface, a door frame top left decorative board 456 that is attached to the left of the door frame top central decorative board 455 on the front surface of the top upper cover 452 behind the door frame top decorative body 453 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface, and a door frame top right decorative board 457 that is attached to the right of the door frame top central decorative board 455 on the front surface of the top upper cover 452 behind the door frame top decorative body 453 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface.

The door frame top unit 450 also includes a top center reflector 458 that is disposed between the door frame top decorative body 453 and the door frame top central decorative board 455 and attached to the front surface of the top upper cover 452, a top left reflector 459 that is disposed between the door frame top decorative body 453 and the door frame top left decorative board 456 and attached to the front surface of the top upper cover 452, and a top right reflector 460 that is disposed between the door frame top decorative body 453 and the door frame top right decorative board 457 and attached to the front surface of the top upper cover 452.

The door frame top unit 450 further includes a central speaker box 461 attached to the center of the top surface of the door frame top bottom plate 454, a pair of top central speakers 462 attached to the central speaker box 461 facing downward, a pair of speaker brackets 463 attached near the left and right ends of the front surface of the door frame top base 451, a pair of top side speakers 464 attached to each of the pair of speaker brackets 463, a top bottom cover 465 attached to the door frame top bottom plate 454 so as to cover the door frame top bottom plate 454 from below, a bottom cover frame 466 attached to the door frame top bottom plate 454 so as to press the outer periphery of the top bottom cover 465 from below, a door frame top relay board 467 attached near the upper right end of the door frame top base 451, and a door frame top top plate 468 attached to the top top cover 452 so as to cover the upper part of the door frame top base 451.

The door frame top base 451 comprises a flat body 451a extending left and right with the same length as the left and right width of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100, and forward protrusions 451b protruding forward from near both left and right ends on the front surface of the body 451a. The body 451a is curved so that the lower edge is aligned with the upper edge of the door window 101a in the door frame base 101, with the center in the left and right direction positioned upward. The left and right forward protrusions 451b are inclined so that the front ends move backward as they move downward, and are formed in a box shape that is open to the rear. The forward protrusion 451b on the right side when viewed from the front is also open upward.

The top cover 452 is formed to have a shape seen from the front that is approximately the same as that of the door frame top base 451. The top cover 452 covers the outside of each of the left and right forward protrusions 451b of the door frame top base 451, and is formed to connect the upper front ends of the left and right forward protrusions 451b. The front end of the top cover 452 protrudes most forward at the center in the left-right direction, and extends in a curved shape that moves downward and backward from the center toward both left and right ends. The top cover 452 also has an opening 452a that is cut out significantly from the rear end toward the front on the upper surface. This opening 452a is closed by the door frame top top plate 468.

The door frame top decorative body 453 is formed in a milky white color with translucency. The door frame top decorative body 453 is formed in a shape in which a semicircular arc bulging forward has a smaller curvature from both the left and right ends toward the left-right center, and extends in the left-right direction along the front end of the top upper cover 452. As a result, the door frame top decorative body 453 is formed in a semi-tube shape that is open to the rear. Both left and right ends of the door frame top decorative body 453 face downward, and are formed to be continuous with the upper ends of the door frame left side decorative body 404 and the door frame right side decorative body 419, respectively.

The door frame top bottom plate 454 extends in the front-rear direction so as to connect the lower end of the door frame top decorative body 453 and the lower end of the main body 451a of the door frame top base 451, and also extends in the left-right direction so that the center in the left-right direction bulges upward. The door frame top bottom plate 454 is formed in a bent shape so that the center in the front-rear direction protrudes downward. The door frame top bottom plate 454 has a pair of reinforcing ribs 454a that are spaced apart in the left-right direction, connect the front end and the rear end, and extend upward in a flat plate shape, a pair of central speaker ports 454b that penetrate vertically between the pair of reinforcing ribs 454a and face the top central speaker 462, and a pair of side speaker ports 454c that penetrate vertically on the outside of each of the pair of reinforcing ribs 454a in the left-right direction and face the top side speaker 464. The central speaker box 461 is attached between the pair of reinforcing ribs 454a on the upper surface of the door frame top bottom plate 454.

The door frame top central decorative board 455 is formed in the shape of a strip extending to the left and right. The door frame top central decorative board 455 has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface, which are full-color LEDs. This door frame top central decorative board 455 can illuminate and decorate the central portion of the door frame top decorative body 453 by appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs.

The door frame top left decorative board 456 is formed in the shape of a strip extending to the left and right. The door frame top left decorative board 456 has multiple full-color LEDs mounted on the front surface. This door frame top left decorative board 456 can illuminate and decorate the left portion of the door frame top decorative body 453 by appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs.

The door frame top right decorative board 457 is formed in the shape of a strip extending to the left and right. The door frame top right decorative board 457 has multiple full-color LEDs mounted on the front surface. This door frame top right decorative board 457 can illuminate and decorate the right portion of the door frame top decorative body 453 by appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs.

The top center reflector 458, top left reflector 459, and top right reflector 460 each extend in the left-right direction, and have through holes that run from front to back at positions corresponding to the LEDs mounted on the door frame top center decorative board 455, door frame top left decorative board 456, and door frame top right decorative board 457, respectively.

The central speaker box 461 is formed in a box shape extending left and right, and a pair of top central speakers 462 are attached so that they face downward and forward. This central speaker box 461 is attached between a pair of reinforcing ribs 454a on the upper surface of the door frame top bottom plate 454. The top central speakers 462 are full-range speakers that output sounds such as voice and music over a wide frequency band.

The speaker brackets 463 are attached to the undersides of the left and right forward protrusions 451b of the door frame top base 451. The top side speakers 464 are tweeters that output high-pitched sounds such as voice and music.

The top bottom cover 465 is made of a punched metal plate with numerous through holes. Sound output from the top center speaker 462 and top side speaker 464 is emitted forward and downward through the top bottom cover 465.

The door frame top relay board 467 is intended to relay the connection between the door frame top center decorative board 455, the door frame top left decorative board 456, the door frame top right decorative board 457, the top center speaker 462, and the top side speaker 464 and the door frame sub-relay board 105 of the door frame base unit 100.

The door frame top plate 468 closes the opening 452a of the top upper cover 452, and its front end is engaged with the top upper cover 452 and its rear end is attached to the door frame base unit 100.

When assembled to the door frame 3, the door frame top unit 450 decorates the upper outside of the door window 101a of the door frame base 101. The left and right ends of the door frame top decorative body 453 of the door frame top unit 450 are continuous with the upper ends of the door frame left side decorative body 404 and the door frame right side decorative body 419, respectively, forming an integrated decoration. The door frame top unit 450 can also output sounds such as voice and music to the player through a pair of top center speakers 462 and a pair of top side speakers 464.

[3-9. Door frame decoration]
The decoration in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIG. 353 and the like. FIG. 353 is a front view of the door frame shown together with each decorative board. As shown in the figure, the door frame 3 has a substantially rectangular door window 101a extending vertically in the center when viewed from the front, which is closed by the transparent glass plate 162 of the glass unit 160. The door frame 3 has the outer periphery of the door window 101a surrounded all around by the upper left decorative body 271 of the dish unit 200, the upper right decorative body 276 of the dish, the upper center decorative body 312a of the performance operation unit 300, the left side decorative body 404 of the left side unit 400, the right side decorative body 419 of the right side unit 410, and the top decorative body 453 of the top unit 450.

The upper left decorative body 271, upper right decorative body 276, upper center decorative body 312a, left side decorative body 404, right side decorative body 419, and top decorative body 453 of the door frame, which surround the outer periphery of the door window 101a, are formed in a semi-tubular shape, allowing the player to see a decoration that looks as if the entire periphery of the door window 101a is surrounded by fluorescent lights.

In the door frame 3, the upper left decorative board 273, the upper right decorative board 278, the upper center decorative board 314, the left side decorative board 402, the right side decorative board 418, the top center decorative board 455, the top left decorative board 456, and the top right decorative board 457 are arranged behind the upper left decorative body 271, the upper right decorative body 276, the upper center decorative board 312a, the left side decorative body 404, the right side decorative body 419, and the top decorative body 453, which surround the outer periphery of the door window 101a. By appropriately illuminating the LEDs of these decorative boards, it is possible to illuminate the entire outer periphery of the door window 101a, or to show the player an illuminated effect as light moves along the outer periphery of the door window 101a.

The upper surface of the tray unit 200 of the door frame 3 is fitted with a circular, doughnut-shaped rotation operation part 302 with a diameter larger than the front-to-rear distance of the upper tray 201, and a pressing operation part 303 consisting of a cylindrical outer peripheral pressing operation part 303b and a cylindrical central pressing operation part 303a, which are arranged coaxially within the ring of the rotation operation part 302. In addition, below the rotation operation part 302, two trays with a large diameter and a semicircular doughnut shape (semi-cylindrical or semi-tubular) similar to the rotation operation part 302 are fitted with a pressing operation part 303. The decorative body 312a and the lower center plate decorative body 312b are attached at a distance from each other, one above the other, and the left side decorative body 404 of the left side unit 400, the right side decorative body 419 of the right side unit 410, and the top decorative body 453 of the top unit 450, which are similar in shape to the two ends of the upper center plate decorative body 312a and the lower center plate decorative body 312b, are attached to the outside of the door window 101a of the door frame base 101 so as to surround the outer periphery of the play area 5a.

As a result, in the plate unit 200, the three donut-shaped components of the rotation operation part 302 and the two plate central upper decorative bodies 312a and the plate central lower decorative body 312b are lined up one above the other, and the rotation operation part 302, the outer peripheral pressing operation part 303b, and the central pressing operation part 303a are arranged concentrically, which enhances the visual impact and makes the rotation operation part 302 and the pressing operation part 303 stand out.

In addition, the left-top plate decorative body 271, the right-top plate decorative body 276, and the left-bottom plate decorative body 281, the right-bottom plate decorative body 286, and the central plate decorative body 312b, which are arranged below the upper left plate decorative body 271, the upper right plate decorative body 276, and the central plate decorative body 312a, are made of semi-tubular tubes that are slightly thinner, and a hemispherical unit lower cover 311 is provided below the central plate decorative body 312b. As a result, the performance operation unit 300 becomes larger from the bottom to the top, which makes it possible to emphasize the sense of perspective in the vertical direction, and the rotation operation unit 302 and the pressing operation unit 303 that can be operated by the player and are arranged at the top can be made to look larger, which strongly attracts the player's attention to the rotation operation unit 302 and the pressing operation unit 303 in the performance operation unit 300 on the top surface of the plate unit 200, thereby suppressing a decline in interest.

Furthermore, the doughnut-shaped rotating operation unit 302 is attached to the top surface of the plate unit 200 so as to be rotatable around an axis that extends so as to be positioned forward as it goes upward, and the top surface of the rotating operation unit 302 is inclined so that the front end side is lower, so that the top surfaces of the rotating operation unit 302 and the pressing operation unit 303 face the head (face) of the player seated in front of this pachinko machine 1, making it easier for the player to see the entire rotating operation unit 302 and the pressing operation unit 303, and making the rotating operation unit 302 and the pressing operation unit 303 look larger. Also, as described above, since the entire rotating operation unit 302 and the pressing operation unit 303 are easy to see, it is easier for the player to recognize that the rotating operation unit 302 is doughnut-shaped. Therefore, the player can immediately recognize that the doughnut-shaped rotating operation unit 302 is what is rotated, so when a player-participation type presentation is executed, the player can immediately rotate the rotating operation unit 302, allowing the player to enjoy the player-participation type presentation by operating the rotating operation unit 302 and preventing a decline in interest.

In addition, the diameter of the rotation operation part 302 is made larger than the front-to-rear distance of the upper tray 201, and the diameters of the central upper decorative body 312a and central lower decorative body 312b are made larger than the rotation operation part 302. In the tray unit 200 of the pachinko machine 1, the front ends of the rotation operation part 302, the central upper decorative body 312a and central lower decorative body 312b protrude significantly forward from the upper tray 201, and the central upper decorative body 312a and central lower decorative body 312b decorate the outer circumference of the rotation operation part 302. This makes the rotation operation part 302, the central upper decorative body 312a and central lower decorative body 312b stand out, while at the same time improving the appearance around the rotation operation part 302 with the central upper decorative body 312a and central lower decorative body 312b. Therefore, players can immediately recognize that this pachinko machine 1 is different from other pachinko machines, which strongly attracts the player's interest and increases the player's appeal, making it easier for players to select this pachinko machine 1 as the machine to play.

[4. Overall configuration of the main body frame]
The overall configuration of the main body frame 4 in the pachinko machine 1 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 354 to 360. Fig. 354 is a front view of the main body frame in the pachinko machine, and Fig. 355 is a rear view of the main body frame in the pachinko machine. Fig. 356 is a perspective view of the main body frame as seen from the right front, Fig. 357 is a perspective view of the main body frame as seen from the left front, and Fig. 358 is a perspective view of the main body frame as seen from the rear. Fig. 359 is an exploded perspective view of the main body frame disassembled into its main members as seen from the front, and Fig. 360 is an exploded perspective view of the main body frame disassembled into its main members as seen from the rear.

The main frame 4 holds the game board 5 having a play area 5a where a game is played by hitting the game ball B, and is used to pay out the game ball B to the player and to eject the game balls B used in the game to the rear of the pachinko machine 1 (towards the island equipment of the game hall). As shown in the figure, the main frame 4 is formed in a box shape with an open front, and the game board 5 is removably stored inside from the front. The main frame 4 is attached to a frame-shaped outer frame 2 attached to the island equipment of the game hall at the top and bottom of the front end on the left side of the front side so that it can be opened and closed, and a door frame 3 is attached so that the open front side can be closed.

The main body frame 4 is provided with a frame-shaped main body frame base unit 500 whose rear portion can be inserted into the outer frame 2 and can support the outer periphery of the game board 5, a main body frame upper hinge member 510 attached to the upper end of the main body frame base unit 500 when viewed from the front, which is rotatably attached to the outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 of the outer frame 2 and to which the door frame upper hinge assembly 120 of the door frame 3 is rotatably attached, and a main body frame lower hinge assembly 520 attached to the lower end of the main body frame base unit 500 when viewed from the front, which is rotatably attached to the outer frame lower hinge member 60 of the outer frame 2 and to which the door frame lower hinge member 125 of the door frame 3 is rotatably attached.

The main frame 4 also includes a main frame reinforcing frame 530 attached to the left side of the main frame base unit 500 when viewed from the front, a ball launching device 540 attached to the lower front side of the main frame base unit 500 for shooting game balls B into the game area 5a of the game board 5, an inverted L-shaped payout base unit 550 attached along the upper and left sides of the rear side of the main frame base unit 500 when viewed from the front, a payout unit 560 attached to the rear side of the payout base unit 550 for paying out game balls B to the player, a board unit 620 attached to the lower rear side of the main frame base unit 500, a back cover 640 attached to the rear side of the main frame base unit 500 so as to be openable and closable, and covering the rear side of the game board 5 attached to the main frame base 501, and a locking unit 650 attached to the right side of the main frame base unit 500 when viewed from the front, for locking the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4, and the door frame 3 and the main frame 4.

The main frame base unit 500 includes a main frame base 501 that is formed into a vertically extending rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front, a connection cable guide member 502 that guides a connection cable 503 for connecting to the door frame 3 side, and a game board lock member 505 that detachably holds the game board 5.

The dispensing base unit 550 includes a dispensing base 551 attached to the rear of the main frame base 501 of the main frame base unit 500, a ball tank 552 attached to the dispensing base 551, a box-shaped tank that extends left and right and is open upward, a tank rail 553 attached to the left side of the ball tank 552 and extends leftward in a groove-like shape that is open upward, a first rail cover 554 attached to the upper end of the tank rail 553, a second rail cover 555 attached to the upper end of the tank rail 553, spaced apart from the first rail cover 554 to the left when viewed from the front, a ball straightening member 556 attached to the upper end of the tank rail 553 between the first rail cover 554 and the second rail cover 555, and a ball stop member 557 attached to the downstream end of the tank rail 553.

The payout unit 560 includes a ball guiding unit 570 that guides the game ball B from the tank rail 553 downward in a serpentine manner, a payout device 580 that pays out the game balls B guided by the ball guiding unit 570 one by one based on instructions from the payout control board 633, an upper full ball path unit 600 that guides the game ball B that has passed through the payout device 580 downward, and a lower full ball path unit 610 that guides the game ball B that has passed through the upper full ball path unit 600 toward the door frame 3 or the board unit 620.

The board unit 620 includes a speaker unit 620a attached to the main frame base 501 of the main frame base unit 500, a base unit 620b attached to the rear surface of the main frame base 501, a power supply unit 620c attached to the rear side of the base unit 620b, a dispensing control unit 620d attached to the rear side of the power supply unit 620c, and an interface unit 620e attached to the rear surface of the speaker unit 620a.

The locking unit 650 includes a unit base 651 attached to the main frame base 501, a number of door frame hooks 652 that protrude forward from the unit base 651 and can engage with the door frame 3, a number of outer frame hooks 653 that protrude rearward from the unit base 651 and can engage with the outer frame 2, a transmission cylinder 654 that moves the door frame hooks 652 or the outer frame hooks 653 up and down, a lock spring 655 that urges the door frame hooks 652 downward and the outer frame hooks 653 upward, and an outer frame unlocking lever 656 that moves the outer frame hooks 653 downward.

[4-1. Main frame base unit]
The main body frame base unit 500 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 354 to 362. Figure 361(a) is an enlarged perspective view showing the lower left corner of the front of the main body frame, and (b) is an enlarged perspective view showing the lower left corner of the front of the main body frame when the door frame is opened relative to the main body frame. Figures 362(a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the connection cable guide member of the main body frame when the door frame is opened and closed relative to the main body frame. The main body frame base unit 500 has its rear portion inserted into the outer frame 2 from the front, and holds the outer periphery of the game board 5 inserted from the front.

The main frame base unit 500 is equipped with a main frame base 501 that is formed into a vertically extending rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front, a connection cable guide member 502 that is attached to the lower left corner of the front surface of the main frame base 501 and guides the connection cable 503, and a game board lock member 505 that is rotatably attached to the lower front surface of the main frame base 501 around an axis that extends forward and backward and that detachably holds the game board 5.

The main frame base 501 of the main frame base unit 500 is equipped with a base main body 501a that is formed into a vertically elongated rectangular shape when viewed from the front, a game board insertion opening 501b that penetrates the base main body 501a from a position slightly below the top end to a height of about 3/4 of the total height and through which the game board 5 is inserted from the front, a game board placement section 501c that forms the bottom edge of the game board insertion opening 501b and on which the game board 5 is placed, and a game board restriction section 501d that protrudes upward from the left-right center of the game board placement section 501c and restricts the left-right and rearward movement of the bottom end of the game board 5.

The main frame base 501 also has a launcher attachment section 501e, which is recessed rearward on the lower right side of the game board placement section 501c on the front surface of the base main body 501a, for attaching the ball launcher 540; a cylinder insertion opening 501f, which penetrates the launcher attachment section 501e from front to back on the right side of the game board placement section 501e when viewed from front, through which the transmission cylinder 654 of the locking unit 650 is inserted; a circular speaker opening 501g, which penetrates the game board placement section 501c from front to back on the lower left side of the game board placement section 501c when viewed from front, and which allows the main frame speaker 622 of the speaker unit 620a in the board unit 620 to face forward; a cable attachment recess 501h, which is recessed rearward below the speaker opening 501g and extends left and right, and in which the connection cable guide member 502 is attached, and a cable insertion opening 501i, which penetrates the cable attachment recess 501h from front to front at the upper right end when viewed from front.

The main frame base 501 further includes a plate-like extension extending rearward from the right side of the game board insertion opening 501b in the base main body 501a when viewed from the front, a locking unit 650 is attached to the right side, a rear extension portion 501j to the rear end of which the rear cover 640 is rotatably attached, and an upper hinge attachment portion 501k and a lower hinge attachment portion 501l formed near both the upper and lower ends of the left end when viewed from the front on the rear surface of the base main body 501a for attaching the main frame upper hinge member 510 and the main frame lower hinge assembly 520.

A game board locking member 505 is attached to the main frame base 501 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending forward and backward, below the game board placement portion 501c on the front side and to the right of the speaker opening 501g. The game board locking member 505 can restrict the forward movement of the game board 5 inserted into the game board insertion opening 501b, thereby making it possible to attach and detach the game board 5 inserted into the game board insertion opening 501b.

The cable mounting recess 501h of the main frame base 501 extends in the left-right direction from the right end of the lower hinge mounting portion 501l to a position below the portion where the game board locking member 505 is attached, to the right of the speaker opening 501g. The cable mounting recess 501h is formed to a size that can accommodate the connection cable guide member 502, and the right end side of the connection cable guide member 502 can be attached rotatably around an axis that extends vertically.

The connection cable guide member 502 of the main frame base unit 500 comprises a flat guide body 502a extending left and right, a pair of band-shaped frame pieces 502b that protrude forward from both the upper and lower sides of the guide body 502a and extend further to the right than the right end of the guide body 502a, a cylindrical mounting shaft 502c that connects the right ends of the pair of frame pieces 502b, and a number of through holes 502d that penetrate the guide body 502a from front to back at both the upper and lower ends and are arranged in a row in the left and right direction.

The connection cable guide member 502 has a left-right length that is slightly shorter than the left-right length of the cable mounting recess 501h of the main body frame base 501, and is formed to a size that can be accommodated within the cable mounting recess 501h. The connection cable guide member 502 is attached so that the mounting shaft 502c can rotate around an axis that extends vertically near the right end within the cable mounting recess 501h. This allows the connection cable guide member 502 to rotate (hinge rotate) so that the left end side protrudes forward.

This connection cable guide member 502 is for guiding the connection cable 503. The connection cable 503 is made up of multiple wiring cords, one end of which is connected to the interface board 635 of the board unit 620, and the opposite end of which is connected to the door frame main relay board 104 and the door frame sub-relay board 105 of the door frame 3.

Next, the effect of the connection cable guide member 502 will be described. As shown in FIG. 362 etc., the connection cable guide member 502 is attached to the main frame base 501 so that its end (right end) opposite the side (left side) where the door frame 3 is hinge-rotatably attached in the left-right direction is rotatable around an axis extending parallel to the hinge axis of the door frame 3.

The connection cable 503 connecting the interface board 635 of the main frame 4 to the door frame main relay board 104 and door frame sub-relay board 105 of the door frame 3 is attached to the guide body 502a by being fastened together with the guide body 502a by a cable tie 504 inserted through a pair of through holes 502d at the same left-right position out of the multiple through holes 502d formed on both the upper and lower ends of the guide body 502a, with the side connected to the interface board 635 abutting against the front surface of the guide body 502a so as to extend from the right to the left of the guide body 502a of the connection cable guide member 502.

The connection cable guide member 502 of the main frame 4 is located behind the main relay board 104 and the sub-relay board 105 of the door frame 3 when the door frame 3 is assembled to the pachinko machine 1 and closed against the main frame 4 (see FIG. 362(a)). In this state, the connection cable 503 extends leftward from the connection cable guide member 502, then bends back in front of the lower hinge mounting portion 501l, passes through the cable holder 103a of the door frame 3, and extends into the door frame relay board cover 107. The cable holder 103a of the door frame 3 is positioned to the left of the left end of the connection cable guide member 502.

In this state, when the door frame 3 is hingedly rotated so as to open relative to the main frame 4, the left end of the connection cable guide member 502 is pulled forward by the side of the connection cable 503 that is attached to the door frame 3, and the connection cable guide member 502 rotates around the attachment shaft 502c at the right end. In this case, in this embodiment, the relationship between the opening angle α of the door frame 3 and the opening angle β of the connection cable guide member 502 is formed to satisfy α/2 ≧ β (preferably α/3 ≧ β) (see FIG. 362 (b)).

The opening angle β of the connection cable guide member 502 is 0 degrees when the door frame 3 is closed (when the opening angle α of the door frame 3 is 0 degrees). The opening angle β of the connection cable guide member 502 increases as the door frame 3 is opened and the opening angle α increases, but once the opening angle α exceeds a certain value (e.g., approximately 90 degrees), the increase stops. In this embodiment, the maximum opening angle β is set to less than 45 degrees.

In this way, when the door frame 3 is opened, the connection cable guide member 502 rotates so that the left end side of the connection cable guide member 502 moves forward of the main body frame base 501. As a result, the connection cable 503 is guided by the connection cable guide member 502, and the connection cable 503 can be prevented from dangling between the door frame 3 and the main body frame 4.

When closing the open door frame 3, the portion of the connection cable 503 attached to the door frame 3 moves relatively backward, so that the left end of the connection cable guide member 502 is pressed backward by the connection cable 503, and the connection cable guide member 502 rotates around the attachment shaft 502c so that the left end moves backward. At this time, since the connection cable guide member 502 is open at an opening angle β of less than 45 degrees, the connection cable guide member 502 does not hinder the movement of the door frame 3 in the closing direction, and the door frame 3 can be closed smoothly. In addition, since the connection cable 503 is guided by the connection cable guide member 502, the connection cable 503 is not pinched between the door frame 3 and the main frame 4 when the door frame 3 is closed, and it is possible to prevent malfunction of the connection cable 503.

When the door frame 3 is closed relative to the main frame 4, the connection cable 503 guided by the connection cable guide member 502 is folded back 180 degrees, so that the folded back portion of the connection cable 503 can be given a fold. As a result, when the door frame 3 is opened and the 180 degree folded portion of the connection cable 503 changes to open, the fold acts on the connection cable 503 to close it. Therefore, when the door frame 3 is closed, the fold prevents the connection cable 503 (connection cable guide member 502) from moving in the opening direction, and also guides the connection cable 503 (connection cable guide member 502) in the closing direction, allowing the door frame 3 to be closed smoothly.

Furthermore, on the door frame 3 side, the folded connection cable 503 is held by the cable holder 103a at a position closer to the central axis (axis core) of the upper door frame hinge pin 122 and the lower door frame hinge pin 126 than the tip of the connection cable guide member 502. Therefore, when the door frame 3 is closed relative to the main body frame 4, the connection cable 503 held by the cable holder 103a can pull the tip side of the connection cable guide member 502 toward the central axis (axis core) of the upper door frame hinge pin 122 and the lower door frame hinge pin 126.

In addition, in this embodiment, the angle between the tangent to a circle passing through the center of rotation of the connection cable guide member 502, centered on the central axis (axis) of the upper hinge pin 122 and the lower hinge pin 126, and the portion (pressing portion) protruding rearward on the central axis (axis) side of the upper hinge pin 122 and the lower hinge pin 126 of the speaker duct 103 from the cable holder 103a, and the front surface of the main body frame 4 is configured to be 45 degrees or less. As a result, when the door frame 3 is closed against the main body frame 4, the pressing portion abuts against the connection cable 503, so that the tip side of the open connection cable guide member 502 can be pressed in the closing direction via the connection cable 503, and therefore the connection cable guide member 502 can be closed smoothly as the door frame 3 moves in the closing direction, and the door frame 3 can be closed reliably. In addition, the maximum opening angle β of the connection cable guide member 502, which rotates (opens and closes) in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door frame 3, can be set to 45 degrees or less, so that when the door frame 3 is closed, the connection cable guide member 502 can be reliably rotated in the closing direction, achieving the same effect as described above.

[4-2. Main body frame upper hinge member]
The main body frame upper hinge member 510 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 359 and 360. The main body frame upper hinge member 510 is attached to the upper hinge attachment portion 501k in the main body frame base 501 of the main body frame base unit 500, and is rotatably attached to the outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 of the outer frame 2, and also rotatably attaches the door frame upper hinge assembly 120 of the door frame 3.

The main frame upper hinge member 510 comprises an upper hinge body 511, which is a horizontally extending flat plate material with its rear portion bent downward into an L-shape, and a main frame upper hinge pin 512 which protrudes upward from the front end of the upper hinge body 511 in a cylindrical shape and is journaled by the outer frame upper hinge assembly 50. The upper hinge body 511 has a door frame upper hinge hole 511a which penetrates the main frame upper hinge pin 512 in the horizontally extending portion in the vertical direction on the left side when viewed from the front, and which journals the door frame upper hinge assembly 120.

The upper hinge member 510 of the main frame is attached to the upper hinge attachment portion 501k of the main frame base 501 of the main frame base unit 500 by bending the upper hinge body 511 downward and extending vertically. The upper hinge pin 512 of the main frame upper hinge member 510 is inserted into the bearing groove 51c of the outer frame upper hinge member 51 of the outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 and journaled. The upper hinge hole 511a for the door frame allows the upper hinge pin 122 of the upper hinge assembly 120 of the door frame 3 to be rotatably inserted from below into the upper hinge hole 511a for the door frame of the upper hinge body 511.

This upper hinge member 510 of the main body frame cooperates with the lower hinge assembly 520 of the main body frame to allow the main body frame 4 to be hingedly rotatably attached to the outer frame 2, and also allows the door frame 3 to be hingedly rotatably attached to the main body frame 4.

[4-3. Main body frame lower hinge assembly]
The main body frame lower hinge assembly 520 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 359 and 360. The main body frame lower hinge assembly 520 is attached to a lower hinge attachment portion 501l in the main body frame base 501 of the main body frame base unit 500, and is rotatably attached to the outer frame lower hinge member 60 of the outer frame 2, and has the door frame lower hinge member 125 of the door frame 3 rotatably attached thereto.

The main frame lower hinge assembly 520 includes a lower hinge first body 521, which is a horizontally extending flat plate material with its rear portion bent upward into an L-shape, and a lower hinge second body 522, which is disposed above the lower hinge first body 521 and is a horizontally extending flat plate material with its rear portion bent upward into an L-shape. The main frame lower hinge assembly 520 includes a horizontally extending portion of the lower hinge second body 522 disposed at a distance above the horizontally extending portion of the lower hinge first body 521, and a vertically extending portion of the lower hinge second body 522 abuts against the front surface of the vertically extending portion of the lower hinge first body 521.

The lower hinge first body 521 has an outer frame lower hinge hole 521a that penetrates vertically near the front end of the horizontally extending portion and into which the outer frame lower hinge pin 60c of the outer frame lower hinge member 60 of the outer frame 2 is inserted from below. The outer frame lower hinge hole 521a is formed coaxially with the main frame upper hinge pin 512 of the main frame upper hinge member 510.

The second lower hinge body 522 is provided with a lower hinge hole 522a for the door frame that penetrates vertically near the front end of the horizontally extending portion and into which the lower hinge pin 126 of the lower hinge member 125 of the door frame 3 is inserted from above, and a restricting piece 522b that extends upward from a position rearward of the lower hinge hole 522a for the door frame on the left side of the horizontally extending portion and restricts the rotation range of the door frame 3. The lower hinge hole 522a for the door frame is formed coaxially with the upper hinge hole 511a for the door frame in the upper hinge body 511 of the upper hinge member 510 of the main body frame.

The main frame lower hinge assembly 520 is attached to the lower hinge mounting portion 501l of the main frame base 501 of the main frame base unit 500 at the vertically extending portions of the lower hinge first body 521 and the lower hinge second body 522. The main frame lower hinge assembly 520 cooperates with the main frame upper hinge member 510 to mount the main frame 4 to the outer frame 2 so as to be hinged rotatable, and also mount the door frame 3 to the main frame 4 so as to be hinged rotatable.

[4-4. Main body reinforcement frame]
The main body frame reinforcing frame 530 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 359 and 360. The main body frame reinforcing frame 530 is attached to the left side surface of the main body frame base 501 in the main body frame base unit 500. The main body frame reinforcing frame 530 has a cross-sectional shape in a plan view that is U-shaped with the right side open, and extends vertically with a constant cross-sectional shape. In this embodiment, the main body frame reinforcing frame 530 is formed from an extruded metal profile.

The main body frame reinforcement frame 530 has two left position restriction members 531 attached to the rear of the section extending rightward from the front end, spaced apart vertically, to restrict the forward and vertical movement of the game board 5 inserted into the game board insertion opening 501b of the main body frame base 501.

The main body frame reinforcement frame 530 has a groove 530a that is open to the right and extends vertically on the front side, which is formed in a U-shape with the right side open in a plan view. When the door frame 3 is closed on the main body frame 4, the rear left end of the left reinforcement frame 111 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 in the door frame 3 is inserted into this groove 530a. By inserting the left reinforcement frame 111 into the groove 530a, the gap between the main body frame reinforcement frame 530 and the left reinforcement frame 111 becomes serpentine in a plan view, which prevents an illegal tool from being inserted inside from the left side of the pachinko machine 1. The main body frame reinforcement frame 530 reinforces the left side (hinge side) of the main body frame base 501 of the main body frame base unit 500, and prevents an illegal tool from being inserted into the main body frame 4 (game board 5) from the left side through the gap between the outer frame 2 and the main body frame 4.

[4-5. Ball launcher]
The ball launching device 540 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIG. 363 and the like. FIG. 363(a) is a perspective view of the ball launching device in the main body frame seen from the front, and FIG. 363(b) is a perspective view of the ball launching device seen from the back. The ball launching device 540 is attached to the lower front part of the main body frame base unit 500, and is for shooting the game ball B stored in the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 in the door frame 3 into the game area 5a of the game board 5 attached to the main body frame 4. The ball launching device 540 can shoot the game ball B with a strength according to the rotation angle of the handle 182 of the handle unit 180 in the lower right corner of the front of the door frame 3.

The ball launching device 540 is equipped with a flat launching base 541 attached to the launching device mounting portion 501e of the main frame base 501 in the main frame base unit 500, a launching solenoid 542 consisting of a rotary solenoid attached to the rear surface of the right part of the launching base 541 when viewed from the front and whose rotation axis extends forward through the launching base 541, a striking hammer 543 whose base end is attached to the rotation axis of the launching solenoid 542, and a launching rail 544 attached to the front surface of the launching base 541 so as to extend diagonally upward to the left from near the tip of the striking hammer 543 and along which the game ball B can roll.

The ball launching device 540 is designed so that game ball B is supplied from the ball supply unit 140 of the door frame 3 to the right end of the upper surface of the launching rail 544. When the handle 182 is rotated while game ball B is being supplied to the right end of the upper surface of the launching rail 544, the launch solenoid 542 is driven with a strength corresponding to the angle of rotation, and the game ball B is hit by the striking mallet 543. The game ball B hit by the striking mallet 543 is guided through the launching rail 544 to the outer rail 1001 and inner rail 1002 of the game board 5 and is hit into the play area 5a.

If the hit game ball B does not reach the play area 5a due to factors such as the hitting strength of the game ball B, it will fall between the launch rail 544 and the game board 5 (outer rail 1001 and inner rail 1002) into the foul ball receiving port 150c of the lower foul cover unit 150, pass through the foul cover unit 150, and be discharged into the lower tray 202.

[4-6. Payment base unit]
The dispensing base unit 550 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 364 etc. Fig. 364 (a) is a perspective view of the dispensing base unit of the main body frame seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the dispensing base unit seen from the rear. The dispensing base unit 550 is formed in an inverted L-shape and is attached to the rear side of the main body frame base unit 500.

The dispensing base unit 550 is equipped with a dispensing base 551 attached to the rear side of the main frame base 501 in the main frame base unit 500. The dispensing base 551 includes a top plate portion 551a extending left and right with a substantially constant width in the front-to-rear direction, a left side plate portion 551b extending long downward from the left side of the top plate portion 551a as viewed from the front with a width substantially the same as that of the top plate portion, a right side plate portion 551c extending short downward from the right side of the top plate portion 551a as viewed from the front with a width substantially the same as that of the top plate portion 551a, a back plate upper portion 551d extending downward from the rear side of the top plate portion 551a to the same position as the lower side of the right side plate portion 551c, and a left side plate portion 551b extending long downward from the left side of the top plate portion 551a as viewed from the front with a width substantially the same as that of the top plate portion 551a. The base 551 is provided with a left back plate 551e extending from a position forward of the rear edge of the left back plate 551b to the right at a substantially constant width to the vicinity of the bottom end, an inner plate 551f extending rearward from the right edge of the left back plate 551e to the same position as the rear edge of the left side plate 551b, a bottom plate 551g extending rightward from the front of the lower edge of the left side plate 551b to the same position as the right edge of the left back plate 551e, and a connecting plate 551h connecting the right edge of the bottom plate 551g and the lower edge of the inner plate 551f. The dispensing base 551 is formed in an inverted L shape when viewed from the front, and is formed in a box shape that is open forward and inward of the L shape.

The payout base 551 has a top plate 551a that extends left and right with a length approximately equal to the left-right width of the game board insertion opening 501b of the main frame base 501, and a left side plate 551b that extends up and down with a length approximately equal to the up-down height of the game board insertion opening 501b. The front ends of the top plate 551a, left side plate 551b, and right side plate 551c of the payout base 551 are attached to the rear side of the main frame base 501.

The dispensing base 551 also has a shallow recessed portion that is open to the rear and extends vertically, and is formed by the left side plate portion 551b, the left back plate portion 551e, and the inner plate portion 551f, to which the dispensing unit 560 is attached. The dispensing base 551 also has a rear cover attachment portion 551i that protrudes to the right at the top of the right side of the inner plate portion 551f when viewed from the front, and to which the rear cover 640 is attached.

The payout base unit 550 comprises a ball tank 552 which is attached to the top surface of the top plate portion 551a of the payout base 551, is box-shaped and opens upward, and is attached to the left side of the ball tank 552 above the part of the payout base 551 which extends left and right, and is a tank rail 553 which is attached to the left side of the ball tank 552 above the part which extends left and right, and is a groove-like shape which is open upward and extends to the left.

The dispensing base unit 550 also includes a first rail cover 554 attached midway in the left-right direction at the top end of the tank rail 553, a second rail cover 555 attached to the top end of the tank rail 553 at a distance to the left of the first rail cover 554 when viewed from the front and extending to the left end of the tank rail 553, a ball straightening member 556 attached to the top end of the tank rail 553 between the first rail cover 554 and the second rail cover 555, and a ball stop member 557 attached to the bottom end of the tank rail 553 near the left end when viewed from the front.

The ball tank 552 is formed with a length in the left-right direction that is approximately half the left-right width of the top plate portion 551a of the dispensing base 551, and a length in the front-to-rear direction that is shorter than the front-to-rear depth of the top plate portion 551a. The ball tank 552 is attached to the top surface of the top plate portion 551a at a position toward the right in the left-to-right direction. The bottom surface of the ball tank 552 is inclined so that the left end is lower. The left end of the ball tank 552 is connected to the tank rail 553.

The tank rail 553 is attached to the top surface of the top plate 551a of the payout base 551 near the rear end on the left side of the center in the left-right direction. The tank rail 553 is formed in a shape in a plan view that extends diagonally from the right end communicating with the ball tank 552 to the left and rear so that the depth in the front-to-rear direction changes from a depth several times the outer diameter of the game ball B to a depth of approximately one, and then extends straight to the left with a depth in the front-to-rear direction slightly larger than the outer diameter of the game ball B. The bottom surface of the tank rail 553 is inclined so that the left end side is lower, and the left end of the bottom surface opens downward with a size slightly larger than the outer diameter of the game ball B. The opening at the left end of the bottom surface of the tank rail 553 communicates with the upper end opening of the guide passage 570a in the ball guide unit 570 of the payout unit 560.

The upper end of the tank rail 553, which extends straight to the left, is inclined at a steeper angle to the horizontal than the bottom so that the left end is lower at a height slightly greater than the outer diameter of the game ball B. The tank rail 553 is attached to the upper surface of the top plate 551a so that the rear end of the portion extending straight to the left roughly coincides with the rear edge of the top plate 551a. The tank rail 553 also has a first rail cover 554, a second rail cover 555, a ball straightening member 556, and a ball stopping member 557 attached to the upper end of the portion extending straight to the left.

The first rail cover 554 and the second rail cover 555 are attached to the upper end of the portion of the tank rail 553 that extends straight to the left. The first rail cover 554 and the second rail cover 555 are intended to prevent the front-to-rear depth of the upper end of the tank rail 553 from expanding or narrowing due to the pressure of the game ball B inside the tank rail 553.

The ball straightening member 556 is attached between the first rail cover 554 and the second rail cover 555 at the upper end of the tank rail 553, with the end on the first rail cover 554 side rotatable around an axis extending in the front-to-rear direction. The ball straightening member 556 is equipped with a straightening piece 556a that protrudes into the tank rail 553 and extends in the left-to-right direction (see FIG. 370). This straightening piece 556a slows down the flow of game balls B on the upper tier of game balls B circulating in two tiers, and straightens them so that they flow in a single tier on the downstream side, preventing balls from clogging even if the height inside the tank rail 553 becomes low.

The ball stopping member 557 is attached to the underside of the tank rail 553 near the left end when viewed from the front, so that it can slide left and right. By sliding it left, the opening at the left end of the bottom surface of the tank rail 553 is closed, preventing game balls B from flowing from the tank rail 553 to the downstream payout unit.

The payout base unit 550 further includes an external terminal board 558 attached to the left of the ball tank 552 when viewed from the front on the upper surface of the portion extending to the left and right of the payout base 551. The external terminal board 558 is for making an electrical connection between the pachinko machine 1 and the island equipment of the game hall in which the pachinko machine 1 is installed. Although not shown, the external terminal board 558 includes an earth connection portion facing the game board insertion port 501b side of the main frame base 501. An earth wire extending from the game board 5 side is connected to the earth connection portion.

[4-7. Overall configuration of the dispensing unit]
The overall configuration of the dispensing unit 560 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 365 and 366. Fig. 365(a) is a perspective view of the dispensing unit in the main body frame as seen from the front, and Fig. 365(b) is a perspective view of the dispensing unit as seen from the rear. Fig. 366(a) is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing unit disassembled into its main components as seen from the front, and Fig. 366(b) is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing unit disassembled into its main components as seen from the rear. The dispensing unit 560 is attached to the rear surface of the back plate left portion 551e of the dispensing base 551 of the dispensing base unit 550.

The payout unit 560 includes a ball guiding unit 570 that guides the game ball B from the tank rail 553 downward in a serpentine manner, a payout device 580 that is arranged below the ball guiding unit 570 and pays out the game balls B guided by the ball guiding unit 570 one by one based on instructions from the payout control board 633, an upper full ball path unit 600 that guides the game ball B that has passed through the payout device 580 downward, and a lower full ball path unit 610 that guides the game ball B that has passed through the upper full ball path unit 600 toward the door frame 3 or the board unit 620.

The ball guiding unit 570 supplies the game balls B aligned in a row by the tank rail 553 to the payout device 580. The payout device 580 has a payout passage 580a through which the game balls B supplied from the ball guiding unit 570 can flow, and a ball removal passage 580b that branches off from the middle of the payout passage 580a. Under normal conditions, the payout device 580 releases game balls B from the payout passage 580a to the upper full ball path unit 600 side based on instructions from the payout control board 633, and releases game balls B from the ball removal passage 580b to the upper full ball path unit 600 side when the ball removal lever 593 is operated.

The upper full ball path unit 600 separates and guides downward the game balls B released from the payout passage 580a of the payout device 580 and the game balls B released from the ball removal passage 580b. The lower full ball path unit 610 guides the game balls B released from the payout passage 580a of the payout device 580 to the door frame 3 side via the upper full ball path unit 600, and guides the game balls B released from the ball removal passage 580b to the base unit 620 side.

[4-7a. Ball Guidance Unit]
The ball guiding unit 570 in the payout unit 560 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 365 and 366. The ball guiding unit 570 is attached from the rear to the upper rear surface of the left part 551e of the back plate of the payout base 551 in the payout base unit 550, and serves to receive the game ball B from the tank rail 553 and guide the game ball B to the payout device 580.

The ball guide unit 570 is equipped with a box-shaped guide unit base 571 that is open to the front and has a meandering guide passage 570a through which game balls B can flow, a flat guide passage front cover 572 that closes the front side of the guide unit base 571, a movable piece member 573 that is movable by game balls B flowing through the guide passage 570a, and a ball out detection sensor 574 that detects the presence or absence of game balls B in the guide passage 570a by detecting the movement of the movable piece member 573 (see Figure 370).

The ball guidance unit 570 has a vertically extending rectangular shape in front view of the guidance unit base 571 and the guidance passage front cover 572. The guidance passage 570a opens upward near the left end of the upper surface of the guidance unit base 571, extends vertically downward from the upper end to near the center of the height of the guidance unit base 571, then bends to the right, and extends downward in a serpentine manner while repeatedly folding back between the left and right width of the guidance unit base 571, and opens downward near the left end of the lower surface of the guidance unit base 571.

The guide passage 570a is formed so that its depth in the front, back and right directions and its width in the left and right directions are slightly larger than the outer diameter of the game balls B in the direction in which the game balls B flow, allowing the game balls B to be guided in a single line.

The ball guide unit 570 has a movable piece member 573 attached near the top so that it can move forward and backward into the guide passage 570a. More specifically, the upper part of the movable piece member 573 is attached so that it can rotate around an axis extending forward and backward at the outer right part of the guide passage 570a when viewed from the front, and is formed so that a part of the lower end protrudes into the guide passage 570a due to its own weight. When the game ball B abuts against the part of this movable piece member 573 that protrudes into the guide passage 570a, the protruding part is pushed by the game ball B and retreats from the guide passage 570a to a state where it no longer protrudes.

The ball cut detection sensor 574 does not detect the movable piece member 573 when a part of the movable piece member 573 protrudes into the guide passage 570a, and detects the movable piece member 573 when a part of the movable piece member 573 retracts from the guide passage 570a and does not protrude. Therefore, the ball cut detection sensor 574 is in a detection state when a game ball B is present in the guide passage 570a, and is in a non-detection state when a game ball B is not present in the guide passage 570a.

When the ball guiding unit 570 is assembled to the main frame 4, the upstream end of the guide passage 570a is connected to the downstream end of the tank rail 553, and the downstream end of the guide passage 570a is connected to the upstream end of the payout passage 580a of the payout device 580. Since the guide passage 570a of the ball guiding unit 570 that guides the game ball B extends in a serpentine shape, the guide passage 570a extends longer than the total height of the ball guiding unit 570, and many game balls B can be stored in the guide passage 570a. In addition, the ball guiding unit 570 can detect the presence or absence of game balls B in the guide passage 570a by the ball cut detection sensor 574, and can detect the presence or absence of game balls B in the ball tank 552 via the guide passage 570a.

[4-7b. Dispensing device]
The payout device 580 in the payout unit 560 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 365 to 368. Figure 367 is a rear cross-sectional view of the payout device of the payout unit cut at the center of the payout blade in the front-to-rear direction. Figure 368 (a) is a rear cross-sectional view of the payout device cut at the center of the payout blade in the front-to-rear direction when the ball removal movable piece is in the open state, and (b) is a cross-sectional view cut along line A-A in (a). The payout device 580 is detachably attached from the rear to the underside of the ball guide unit 570 on the rear surface of the left part 551e of the back plate of the payout base 551 of the payout base unit 550.

The payout device 580 is equipped with a payout device main body 581 that is box-shaped and open to the rear, has a payout passage 580a through which game balls B can flow, and a ball removal passage 580b that branches off from the middle of the payout passage 580a, a flat payout device rear cover 582 that closes the payout device main body 581 from the rear, and a shallow box-shaped payout device front cover 583 that is attached to the front of the payout device main body 581 and is open to the rear.

The dispensing device 580 also includes a dispensing motor 584 attached to the rear surface of the dispensing device main body 581 and having a rotating shaft protruding between the dispensing device main body 581 and the dispensing device front cover 583, a spur gear-shaped drive gear 585 attached to the rotating shaft of the dispensing motor 584, a spur gear-shaped first transmission gear 586 meshing with the drive gear 585 and rotatably attached by the dispensing device main body 581 and the dispensing device front cover 583, a spur gear-shaped second transmission gear 587 meshing with the first transmission gear 586 and rotatably attached by the dispensing device main body 581 and the dispensing device front cover 583, and a second transmission gear 588. The device is equipped with a dispensing gear member 588 having a spur gear-shaped dispensing gear 588a meshing with the delivery gear 587 and a plurality of detection pieces 588b extending outward from the dispensing gear 588a, which is rotatably attached between the dispensing device main body 581 and the dispensing device front cover 583, a dispensing blade 589 having a plurality of blade pieces 589a that rotate integrally with the dispensing gear member 588 between the dispensing device main body 581 and the dispensing device rear cover 582 and protrude into the dispensing passage 580a, and a blade rotation detection sensor 590 that is attached to the rear side of the dispensing device main body 581 and detects the detection piece 588b of the dispensing gear member 588.

The payout device 580 further includes a payout detection sensor 591 that detects the game ball B and is attached to the payout device main body 581 and the payout device rear cover 582 at the downstream end of the payout passage 580a, a ball removal movable piece 592 that is attached to the payout device main body 581 and the payout device rear cover 582 at the location where it branches off from the payout passage 580a so as to be capable of opening and closing the ball removal passage 580b, and a ball removal lever 593 that is attached to the payout device main body 581 and the payout device rear cover 582 so as to be capable of being held in a position where the ball removal movable piece 592 closes the ball removal passage 580b and is slidable in the vertical direction.

The payout device 580 is shaped like a rectangle extending vertically in a plan view. The payout device 580 is shaped so that its left-right width is greater to the right when viewed from the front than the left-right width of the ball guiding unit 570.

As shown in Fig. 367, the upstream end of the dispensing passage 580a of the dispensing device 580 opens upward at a position toward the left of the center in the left-right direction when viewed from the rear, and the downstream end opens downward at a position near the right end in the left-right direction. The dispensing passage 580a extends diagonally downward from the top for about 1/3 of the total height, gradually moving leftward as it moves downward from the upstream end, then bends slightly diagonally downward to the right, and then bends at about 1/3 of the left-right width and extends downward approximately vertically toward the center (rotation axis) of the dispensing blade 589. Then, above the center of the payout blade 589, it bends to the right when viewed from behind at a width slightly larger than the outer diameter of the game ball B, then extends downward in an arc concentric with the payout blade 589 so that a gap slightly larger than the game ball B is formed between it and the outer periphery of the payout blade 589, and then extends vertically downward to the downstream end at a position to the right of the center of the payout blade 589 when viewed from behind.

In the dispensing passage 580a, a dispensing detection sensor 591 is located below the dispensing blade 589 and directly above the downstream end.

The ball removal passage 580b extends diagonally downward from the upstream end of the dispensing passage 580a, branches off at a point where it bends to the right, extends vertically along the left edge as viewed from the rear to the bottom end, and opens downward near the left end of the bottom surface as viewed from the rear.

The payout device main body 581 and the payout device rear cover 582 are provided with a main body guide wall 581a and a rear cover guide wall 582a, which are formed so as to be continuous with the left side walls of the payout path 580a and the ball removal path 580b in the rear view, and which face each other and protrude backward and forward from the side where the ball removal movable piece 592 is attached at the part where the payout path 580a and the ball removal path 580b branch off, and which are formed so as to be continuous with the left side walls of the payout path 580a and the ball removal path 580b in the rear view. The main body guide wall 581a and the rear cover guide wall 582a are formed at a position on the left side of the part where the payout path 580a branches off from the ball removal path 580b and extends to the right in the rear view at a position about 1/3 of the height from the top. The main body guide wall 581a and the rear cover guide wall 582a are curved so as to be recessed diagonally upward to the left in the rear view, and are formed mainly to constitute the side walls of the ball removal path 580b. The ball removal movable piece 592 rotates between the main body guide wall 581a and the rear cover guide wall 582a.

The payout motor 584 is attached to the right side of the payout passage 580a in the payout device main body 581 when viewed from the rear, at the point where it extends diagonally downward from the upstream end. The drive gear 585, first transmission gear 586, second transmission gear 587, and payout gear member 588 are disposed in front of the payout device main body 581, and the front side is covered by the payout device front cover 583. The payout gear member 588 has three flat detection pieces 588b extending outward, spaced circumferentially at angular intervals of 120 degrees.

The payout blade 589 is disposed between the payout device main body 581 and the payout device rear cover 582. The payout blade 589 is provided with three blade pieces 589a extending outward in a flat plate shape, spaced at an angle of 120 degrees in the circumferential direction. The blade pieces 589a extend from the top of the payout passage 580a toward the rotation axis and then extend to the right when viewed from the rear, and protrude into the payout passage 580a so that the distance between the blade pieces 589a and the side wall of the payout passage is narrower than the outer diameter of the game ball B. The payout blade 589 is provided with a ball storage section 589b between the three blade pieces 589a, which is recessed toward the center in an arc with a radius slightly larger than the radius of the game ball B. This ball storage section 589b is capable of storing only one game ball B. As a result, the vane 589 can restrict the game ball B in the payout passage 580a from moving downstream of the vane 589 by using the vane piece 589a, and can move the game ball B contained in the ball container 589b downstream by rotating in a clockwise direction when viewed from the rear.

The dispensing gear member 588 and the dispensing blade 589 are attached to the dispensing device rear cover 582 and the dispensing device front cover 583 so that they can rotate together on the same axis. The blade rotation detection sensor 590 is located to the left of the rotation axis of the dispensing gear member 588 when viewed from the rear. The blade rotation detection sensor 590 detects the detection piece 588b of the dispensing gear member 588, which rotates together with the dispensing blade 589, to detect the rotation of the dispensing blade 589.

The upper end of the ball removal movable piece 592 is attached rotatably around an axis extending forward and backward at the upper ends of the main body side guide wall 581a and the rear cover side guide wall 582a. The ball removal movable piece 592 is bent in an L-shape and is attached so that the recessed side faces into the dispensing passage 580a. The ball removal movable piece 592 is formed so that its depth in the forward and backward directions is smaller than the gap between the main body side guide wall 581a and the rear cover side guide wall 582a, and it can protrude into the ball removal passage 580b or retract out of the ball removal passage 580b through the gap between the main body side guide wall 581a and the rear cover side guide wall 582a.

The ball removal lever 593 is attached to the payout device main body 581 and the payout device rear cover 582 so that it can slide up and down on the left side when viewed from the rear near the upper end of the ball removal movable piece 592. A part of the ball removal lever 593 protrudes rearward through the payout device rear cover 582, and it can be slid by operating the protruding part. When the ball removal lever 593 is positioned at the lower end, the lower part can abut against the ball removal movable piece 592, and the rotation of the ball removal movable piece 592 in the clockwise direction when viewed from the rear can be restricted, and the ball removal passage 580b can be closed by the ball removal movable piece 592. When the ball removal lever 593 is positioned at the upper end, the ball removal movable piece 592 can be rotated outside the ball removal passage 580b, and the ball removal passage 580b can be opened (see FIG. 368).

When the ball removal lever 593 is raised to make the ball removal movable piece 592 rotatable, the game balls B that were strung together upstream of the ball removal movable piece 592 will flow over the ball removal movable piece 592 and down the ball removal passage 580b. At this time, since the ball removal passage 580b extends in a straight line from the upstream side of the payout passage 580a, the game balls B that have flowed down from the upstream of the payout passage 580a will flow straight down the ball removal passage 580b, and since the downstream side of the ball removal passage 580b is connected to the island equipment side, there is nothing to suppress the flow of the game balls B, such as the payout vane 589, so the game balls B will flow down faster than the payout passage 580a.

In this way, when the ball removal movable piece 592 is rotatable, the game ball B flows down the ball removal passage 580b at a high speed, so that the game ball B hits the lower end of the ball removal movable piece 592 protruding into the ball removal passage 580b with great force. However, since the ball removal movable piece 592 can move outside the inner surface of the ball removal passage 580b through between the main body side guide wall 581a of the payout device main body 581 and the rear cover side guide wall 582a of the payout device rear cover 582, the ball removal movable piece 592 moves outside the ball removal passage 580b due to the force of the hit. Therefore, the ball removal movable piece 592 is not pinched between the wall surface of the ball removal passage 580b and the game ball B, and it is possible to prevent the game ball B from applying a strong force to the ball removal movable piece 592, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in durability or damage to the ball removal movable piece 592 due to the collision of the game ball B.

As a result, the ball removal movable piece 592 is less likely to be damaged, and more game balls B can be discharged more quickly to the island equipment downstream of the ball removal passage 580b, which reduces the time required for replacement and maintenance of the pachinko machine 1 and reduces the burden on the game hall.

In addition, when the ball removal movable piece 592 is in a rotatable state, the ball removal movable piece 592 moves to the outside of the ball removal passage 580b through the gap between the main body side guide wall 581a and the rear cover side guide wall 582a, which is spaced narrower than the game ball B. Therefore, when the game ball B comes into contact with the ball removal movable piece 592 protruding into the ball removal passage 580b and the ball removal movable piece 592 moves outward through the gap between the main body side guide wall 581a and the rear cover side guide wall 582a, even if the game ball B moves to the gap between the main body side guide wall 581a and the rear cover side guide wall 582a together with the ball removal movable piece 592, only the game ball B can be prevented from moving outward by the gap between the main body side guide wall 581a and the rear cover side guide wall 582a, which is spaced narrower than the game ball B.

The game ball B is prevented from moving outward between the main body guide wall 581a and the rear cover guide wall 582a, causing the game ball B to separate from the ball removal movable piece 592, and the subsequent movement of the ball removal movable piece 592 is due to inertial force, so no strong force acts on the ball removal movable piece 592, making it less likely to be damaged, and the game ball B will not fly out of the ball removal passage 580b from between the main body guide wall 581a and the rear cover guide wall 582a, ensuring that the game ball B can flow downstream of the ball removal passage 580b.

[4-7c. Upper full ball path unit]
The upper full ball path unit 600 in the payout unit 560 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 365 and 366. The upper full ball path unit 600 is attached from the rear to the lower side of the payout device 580 at the rear lower part of the left part 551e of the back plate of the payout base 551 in the payout base unit 550. The upper full ball path unit 600 is for guiding the game balls B released downward from the payout device 580 to the lower full ball path unit 610. The upper full ball path unit 600 is formed in a rectangular shape extending vertically when viewed from the front.

The upper full tank ball path unit 600 comprises a box-shaped upper full tank base 601 that is attached to the dispensing base 551 and has an open rear side, a box-shaped upper full tank cover 602 that is attached to the rear side of the upper full tank base 601 and has an open front side, and a dispensing device pressing member 603 that is rotatably attached near the top end of the upper full tank cover 602 and can press the dispensing device 580 upward. The upper full tank base 601 protrudes to the right from the right edge when viewed from the front, and has a rear cover mounting portion 601a for mounting the rear cover.

In addition, the upper full ball path unit 600 is made up of an upper payout ball receiving passage 600a that opens upward near the left end of the upper surface when viewed from the front and extends downward along the left side from the bottom to a position at a height of about 2/3 of the total height, an upper ball storage passage 600b that is connected to the upper payout ball receiving passage 600a, extends to the right to about 3/4 of the total width when viewed from the front, and extends downward from the bottom to a height of about 1/6 of the total height, and a lower ball storage passage 600b that extends downward from the left side of the center of the left-right direction of the upper ball storage passage 600b when viewed from the front. It has an upper normal dispensing passage 600c that extends downward and opens downward on the underside, an upper full tank dispensing passage 600d that is adjacent to the upper normal dispensing passage 600c, extends downward from the right side when viewed from the front from the center of the left and right of the upper ball storage passage 600b, and opens downward on the underside, and an upper ball removal passage 600e that opens upward near the right end when viewed from the front on the upper side, extends downward almost vertically, and then opens downward near the right end of the lower side (see Figure 370).

On the underside of the upper full ball path unit 600, from the left side when viewed from the front, the upper normal payout passage 600c, the upper full payout passage 600d, and the upper ball removal passage 600e are lined up in order and open downward. When the upper full ball path unit 600 is assembled to the payout unit 560, the upstream end of the upper payout ball receiving passage 600a opens directly below the downstream end of the payout passage 580a in the payout device 580, and the upstream end of the upper ball removal passage 600e opens directly below the downstream end of the ball removal passage 580b in the payout device 580. As a result, the game ball B released (paid out) from the payout passage 580a of the payout device 580 passes through the upper payout ball receiving passage 600a and the upper ball storage passage 600b, and is released downward from either the upper normal payout passage 600c or the upper full payout passage 600d. In addition, the game ball B released downward from the ball removal passage 580b of the payout device 580 is released downward through the upper ball removal passage 600e.

[4-7d. Lower full ball path unit]
The lower full ball path unit 610 in the payout unit 560 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 365 and 366. The lower full ball path unit 610 is placed on the bottom plate portion 551g of the payout base 551 in the payout base unit 550, and is attached to the lower portion of the upper full ball path unit 600. The lower full ball path unit 610 guides the game ball B released downward from the upper full ball path unit 600 to the door frame 3 side or to the base unit 620 side. The lower full ball path unit 610 extends in the front-rear direction so that the front end side is lower, and the rear end extends upward.

The lower full ball path unit 610 is equipped with a lower full base 611 having a lower normal payout path 610a, a lower full payout path 610b, and a lower ball removal path 610c, extending in the front-to-rear direction and opening upward, a lower full cover 612 attached to the upper side of the lower full base 611, a payout path opening/closing door 613 attached rotatably around an axis extending in the front-to-rear direction to the front end of the lower full base 611 and capable of opening and closing the downstream end openings of the lower normal payout path 610a and the lower full payout path 610b, and a closing spring 614 that biases the payout path opening/closing door 613 in the direction of closing the downstream end openings of the lower normal payout path 610a and the lower full payout path 610b.

The lower full-tank ball path unit 610 has, on the upper surface of the part extending upward at the rear end, the lower normal dispensing path 610a, the lower full-tank dispensing path 610b, and the lower ball removal path 610c, lined up from the left when viewed from the front, with their upstream ends opening upward. The lower normal dispensing path 610a and the lower full-tank dispensing path 610b extend forward lined up side by side, and open forward at the front end of the lower full-tank ball path unit 610. The lower full-tank dispensing path 610b extends forward slightly lower than the lower normal dispensing path 610a. The lower ball removal path 610c extends forward along the right side of the lower full-tank dispensing path 610b when viewed from the front, and opens to the right halfway in the fore-and-aft direction.

The dispensing passage opening/closing door 613 is rotatably attached at a position between the front end openings of the lower normal dispensing passage 610a and the lower full dispensing passage 610b. This dispensing passage opening/closing door 613 is biased in a clockwise direction when viewed from the front by a closing spring 614, and in the normal state, it closes the front end openings (downstream end openings) of the lower normal dispensing passage 610a and the lower full dispensing passage 610b. The dispensing passage opening/closing door 613 has an operating protrusion 613a that protrudes forward. The operating protrusion 613a is formed in a short arc shape centered on the rotation center of the dispensing passage opening/closing door 613 when viewed from the front, and the front end surface is inclined so as to protrude forward as it approaches the end side in the counterclockwise direction. This operating protrusion 613a is formed so as to abut against the door opening/closing abutment portion 150f of the fall cover unit 150 in the door frame 3 when the door frame 3 is closed against the main body frame 4.

When the lower full ball path unit 610 is assembled to the payout unit 560, the lower normal payout passage 610a, the lower full payout passage 610b, and the lower ball removal passage 610c, which open upward at the upper rear end, are located directly below the downstream ends of the upper normal payout passage 600c, the upper full payout passage 600d, and the upper ball removal passage 600e of the upper full ball path unit 600, respectively. As a result, the game ball B released downward from the upper normal payout passage 600c flows through the lower normal payout passage 610a, the game ball B released downward from the upper full payout passage 600d flows through the lower full payout passage 610b, and the game ball B released downward from the upper ball removal passage 600e flows through the lower ball removal passage 610c.

When the lower full ball path unit 610 is assembled to the pachinko machine 1, the front ends (downstream ends) of the lower normal payout passage 610a and the lower full payout passage 610b open immediately after the through ball passage 150a and the full ball receiving port 150b of the foul cover unit 150 in the door frame 3. The downstream end of the lower ball removal passage 610c opens to face the ball removal guide section 627 that opens to the left in the base unit 620b of the board unit 620.

In the normal state (when the door frame 3 is closed relative to the main body frame 4), the lower full ball path unit 610 rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the front against the biasing force of the closing spring 614 as the operating protrusion 613a of the payout passage opening/closing door 613 abuts against the door opening/closing abutment portion 150f of the fall cover unit 150. As a result, the openings at the downstream ends of the lower normal payout passage 610a and the lower full payout passage 610b are open, and are connected to the through ball passage 150a and full ball receiving port 150b of the fall cover unit 150.

On the other hand, when the door frame 3 is opened relative to the main frame 4, the operating protrusion 613a of the payout passage opening/closing door 613 moves away from the door opening/closing abutment 150f of the fall cover unit 150, and the payout passage opening/closing door 613 rotates in a clockwise direction when viewed from the front due to the biasing force of the closing spring 614, and the openings at the downstream ends of the lower normal payout passage 610a and the lower full payout passage 610b are closed. In this state, the game balls B in the lower normal payout passage 610a and the lower full payout passage 610b cannot move forward from their respective front end openings. As a result, even if the door frame 3 is opened relative to the main frame 4, the game balls B will not spill out of the lower normal payout passage 610a and the lower full payout passage 610b.

[4-7e. Flow of gaming balls in the payout unit]
Next, the flow of game balls B in the payout unit 560 will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIG. 370. When the payout unit 560 is assembled to the main body frame 4, it is attached to the rear surface of the payout base 551. In the normal state, the ball removal lever 593 of the payout device 580 is located at the lower end, and the ball removal path 580b branching off from the payout path 580a is closed at the branching portion. In addition, in the lower full ball path unit 610, the payout path opening and closing door 613 is in the open state.

The ball tank 552, which is open upward, is supplied with a predetermined number of game balls B from the game hall island equipment in which the pachinko machine 1 is installed, for example, based on detection of ball exhaustion by the ball exhaustion detection sensor 574 of the ball guide unit 570. The game balls B supplied and stored in the ball tank 552 are sent, aligned in a row by the tank rail 553, through the guide passage 570a of the ball guide unit 570 into the payout passage 580a of the payout device 580. When the payout motor 584 is not rotating, the game balls B cannot move (flow down) downstream of the payout blade 589, and multiple game balls B are retained upstream of the payout blade 589.

Then, the game ball B in the guide passage 570a of the ball guide unit 570 presses the movable piece member 573, and the ball cut detection sensor 574 detects the movable piece member 573. This indicates that the game ball B is stored at least in the passage between the movable piece member 573 and the payout blade 589.

In this state, when the payout motor 584 rotates the payout blade 589 in a clockwise direction when viewed from the rear, the game ball B stored in the ball storage section 589b moves in a clockwise direction when viewed from the rear, and is released downstream of the payout blade 589 in the payout passage 580a. The game ball B released from the payout blade 589 (ball storage section 589b) is then detected by the payout detection sensor 591 and is then sent to the upper payout ball receiving passage 600a of the upper full ball passage unit 600.

Under normal conditions, the game ball B sent to the upper payout ball receiving passage 600a of the upper full ball path unit 600 flows through the upper ball storage passage 600b and down to the upper normal payout passage 600c located directly below the upper payout ball receiving passage 600a. The game ball B that flows down to the upper normal payout passage 600c then passes through the lower normal payout passage 610a of the lower full ball path unit 610 and the through ball passage 150a of the foul cover unit 150 of the door frame 3, and is released into the upper tray 201 from the upper tray ball supply port 211a of the tray unit base 211 in the tray unit 200.

When many game balls B are paid out from the payout device 580 and the upper tray 201 becomes full of game balls B, it becomes impossible to release the game balls B forward from the upper tray ball supply port 211a, so the game balls B paid out from the payout device 580 become stuck in the lower normal payout passage 610a of the lower full ball path unit 610, and as more game balls B are paid out, they also become stuck in the upper normal payout passage 600c of the upper full ball path unit 600, which is connected upstream to the lower normal payout passage 610a. When the upper normal payout passage 600c is filled with game balls B and more game balls B are paid out, the game balls B begin to accumulate in the upper ball storage passage 600b, which is connected to the upper normal payout passage 600c on the upstream side, and begin to flow down the upper full payout passage 600d, which is adjacent to the upper normal payout passage 600c.

The game ball B that flows down to the upper full payout passage 600d passes through the lower full payout passage 610b of the lower full ball path unit 610 and is received by the full ball receiving port 150b in the foul cover unit 150 of the door frame 3. The game ball B received by the full ball receiving port 150b is then released into the lower tray 202 through the storage passage 150e, the ball release port 150d, and the lower tray ball supply port 211c of the tray unit base 211. This allows the game ball B to be automatically paid out to the lower tray 202 when the upper tray 201 is full of game balls B and more game balls B are paid out.

In addition, when the lower tray 202 is full of game balls B and game balls B cannot be released forward from the lower tray ball supply port 211c, if more game balls B are dispensed, the game balls B will be retained and stored in the storage passage 150e of the far cover unit 150 upstream of the lower tray ball supply port 211c. Then, when a certain number of game balls B are stored in the storage passage 150e, the movable piece 153 moves and is detected by the full tank detection sensor 154, and the player is informed that the upper tray 201 and the lower tray 202 are full (full tank) with game balls B (hereinafter, this information is also referred to as a ball removal instruction. The ball removal instruction is displayed, for example, on the performance display device 1600), and the payout motor 584 of the payout device 580 is temporarily stopped until the full tank detection sensor 154 is no longer in detection state. For example, if the ball removal instruction is displayed during a jackpot and the full tank is maintained without operating the ball removal lever, the ball removal instruction can continue to be displayed on the performance display device 1600 even in the time-saving or normal state.

When the game balls B stored in the ball tank 552 are to be discharged from the pachinko machine 1 during maintenance or replacement, the ball removal lever 593 of the payout device 580 is slid upward from the lower end position to the upper end position. After that, the lower end side of the ball removal movable piece 592 is pushed by the game ball B and rotates in a clockwise direction when viewed from the rear, and the ball removal movable piece 592 passes between the main body side guide wall 581a and the rear cover side guide wall 582a and is pushed out to the outside of the ball removal passage 580b. This allows the game ball B to enter the ball removal passage 580b branching off from the payout passage 580a, and the game balls B on the upstream side are released downward through the ball removal passage 580b.

At this time, at the area of the ball removal movable piece 592, the game ball B flowing down hits the main body side guide wall 581a and the rear cover side guide wall 582a more strongly than the ball removal movable piece 592, making the ball removal movable piece 592 less likely to be damaged.

The game ball B released downward from the ball removal passage 580b of the payout device 580 passes through the upper ball removal passage 600e of the upper full ball path unit 600 and the lower ball removal passage 610c of the lower full ball path unit 610, and is released from the downstream end opening of the lower ball removal passage 610c to the ball removal guide section 627 of the base unit 620, and then passes through the discharged ball receiving section 628 and the ball discharge port 629 to the rear outside of the pachinko machine 1 (the island equipment side of the game hall).

[4-8. Board unit]
The board unit 620 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 371 to 375. Fig. 371(a) is a perspective view of the board unit of the main body frame as seen from the front, and Fig. 371(b) is a perspective view of the board unit as seen from the rear. Fig. 372 is a perspective view of the board unit as seen from the rear and below. Fig. 373 is an exploded perspective view of the board unit as seen from the front, disassembled into its main components, and Fig. 374 is an exploded perspective view of the board unit as seen from the rear, disassembled into its main components. Fig. 375 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the lower part of the pachinko machine cut in the center in the left-right direction. The board unit 620 is attached to the lower part of the rear surface of the main body frame base unit 500.

The board unit 620 includes a speaker unit 620a attached to the rear surface of the main frame base 501 of the main frame base unit 500 below the game board placement section 501c, a base unit 620b attached to the rear surface of the main frame base 501 so as to cover part of the speaker unit 620a from behind, a power supply unit 620c attached to the rear side of the base unit 620b, a payout control unit 620d attached to the rear side of the power supply unit 620c, and an interface unit 620e attached to the rear surface of the speaker unit 620a so as to cover part of the payout control unit 620d from behind.

The speaker unit 620a comprises a speaker cover 621 attached to the rear surface of the main frame base 501 in the main frame base unit 500 below the game board placement section 501c, a main frame speaker 622 attached facing forward near the left end of the rear surface of the speaker cover 621 when viewed from the front, and a container-shaped speaker box 623 attached to the rear side of the speaker cover 621 so as to cover the rear side of the main frame speaker 622 and open forward.

The speaker cover 621 extends in the left-right direction and is equipped with a circular speaker mounting portion 621a that is formed of multiple slits that penetrate from front to back near the left end when viewed from the front and extend up and down, a front recessed portion for space 621b that is recessed so as to bulge forward from the rear on the right side of the speaker mounting portion 621a when viewed from the front, and a connection portion 621c that protrudes downward from the underside of the front recessed portion for space 621b, extends in the left-right direction, and opens diagonally downward toward the rear.

The main frame speaker 622 is attached from the rear side to the speaker mounting portion 621a of the speaker cover 621 facing forward. The connection portion 621c of the speaker cover 621 is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees so that its lower end coincides with the upper end of the connection tube portion 43a of the rear panel member 43 in the outer frame lower assembly 40 of the outer frame 2. The main frame speaker 622 is a cone-type speaker that mainly outputs low-pitched sounds.

The speaker box 623 is formed in the shape of a container that is open to the front, with the part behind the main frame speaker 622 protruding rearwards the most, and is formed so that the protrusion rearwards becomes smaller in a stepped manner as it moves to the right as viewed from the front. This ensures that there is sufficient space behind the speaker box 623 to the right of the center as viewed from the front, allowing the base unit 620b, power supply unit 620c, etc. to be placed. The speaker box 623 is formed to cover (close) the entire rear surface except for the connection part 621c of the speaker cover 621.

The speaker unit 620a, together with the speaker cover 621 and the speaker box 623, forms part of an enclosure 624 that contains the sound output rearward from the main frame speaker 622. This enclosure 624 has a front recess 621b for space that bulges forward to the right of the speaker mounting part 621a in the front view of the speaker cover 621, so even though the speaker box 623 is formed in a stepped shape so that the amount of protrusion rearward decreases as it moves to the right, a sufficiently large space is secured to the right of the main frame speaker 622.

When the main frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2, the speaker unit 620a has the connection portion 621c of the speaker cover 621 connected to the connection tube portion 43a so as to sandwich the seal member 48, and the space behind the main frame speaker 622 is connected to the inner space 40a of the curtain board of the outer frame 2. Therefore, a large enclosure 624 can be formed behind the main frame speaker 622 by the speaker cover 621, speaker box 623, curtain board front member 42, and curtain board rear member 43, and sound outputted to the rear of the main frame speaker 622 can be outputted (radiated) forward from the opening 42a of the curtain board front member 42.

In more detail, as described above, in the speaker unit 620a, the space behind the main frame speaker 622 (part of the enclosure 624) extends to the right when viewed from the front with a relatively wide depth and is connected to the lower frame assembly 40 via the connection part 621c and the connection tube part 43a. Therefore, the sound output rearward from the main frame speaker 622 can be transmitted to the lower frame assembly 40 without attenuating the low-frequency range in particular, and the transmitted low-frequency range can be resonated and amplified by passing through the two port members 47 and radiated forward from the opening 42a of the front panel member 42.

In this case, the sound radiated forward from the opening 42a of the front panel member 42 is radiated in an inverted phase, so that it resonates to amplify the sound output from the front of the main frame speaker 622 and radiated from the speaker port 211b of the dish unit 200, and a loud sound with deep bass can be output even if the diameter of the main frame speaker 622 is small.

In other words, in this embodiment, the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622 is a bass reflex type, allowing the player to hear deep bass sounds. This allows the player to hear a rich bass sound from the sound output from the front of the main frame speaker 622 and radiated from the speaker port 211b of the platter unit 200, and the sound output from the rear of the main frame speaker 622 and radiated from the grill member 46 of the outer frame 2.

The speaker unit 620a has a through hole 621d formed in the speaker cover 621, penetrating in the front-rear direction at a position between the lower part of the speaker mounting part 621a and the front recess for space 621b, and a through tube 623a formed in the speaker box 623, which extends cylindrically and penetrates in the front-rear direction, communicating with the through hole 621d. When assembled to the speaker unit 620a, the through hole 621d and the through tube 623a communicate with each other and are independent of the enclosure 624. The connection cable 503 is inserted into the through hole 621d and the through tube 623a.

The base unit 620b of the board unit 620 includes a front base 625 that is attached to the rear surface of the main frame base 501 so as to cover a portion of the speaker box 623 from the rear, and a rear base 626 that is attached to the rear side of the front base 625 and has a power supply unit 620c attached to its rear surface.

The base unit 620b is formed by the front base 625 and the rear base 626 in cooperation with each other, and includes a ball removal guide section 627 that receives the game ball B released from the lower ball removal passage 610c of the lower full-ball path unit 610 and guides it to the right when viewed from the front, a discharged ball receiving section 628 that opens upward to the right when viewed from the front downstream of the ball removal guide section 627 and receives the game ball B discharged downward from the game board 5, and a ball discharge port 629 that discharges the game ball B that has passed through the ball removal guide section 627 and the discharged ball receiving section 628 downward.

The upstream end of the ball removal guide section 627 opens to the left at the top of the left side when viewed from the front, and the downstream end opens to the left end side of the discharged ball receiving section 628. When assembled to the main body frame 4, the ball removal guide section 627 faces the downstream end opening so that it coincides with the downstream end opening of the lower ball removal passage 610c of the lower full ball path unit 610, and can receive the game ball B released from the lower ball removal passage 610c and guide it to the discharged ball receiving section 628.

The discharged ball receiving section 628 is open upward and extends left and right. The bottom surface of the discharged ball receiving section 628 is connected to the bottom surface of the ball removal guide section 627 at the left end when viewed from the front, and is inclined so that it becomes lower as it goes to the right.

The base unit 620b guides game balls B removed from the ball tank 552 and game balls B discharged from the game board 5 to the right as viewed from the front using the ball removal guide section 627 and discharged ball receiving section 628, and then discharges them downward from the ball discharge port 629, making it easier to ensure a wider space to the left of the center as viewed from the front. This makes it possible to make the space of the enclosure 624 of the speaker unit 620a wider, allowing the player to hear a sound with richer bass than conventional pachinko machines.

The power supply unit 620c of the board unit 620 includes a power supply board 630 attached to the rear side of the rear base 626 of the base unit 620b, and a power supply board cover 631 attached to the rear base 626 so as to cover the rear side of the power supply board 630.

The payout control unit 620d includes a box-shaped payout control board box 632 that is detachably attached to the rear side of the power supply board cover 631 in the power supply unit 620c, and a payout control board 633 (see FIG. 375) housed in the payout control board box 632. The payout control board 633 controls the payout motor 584 of the payout device 580 in response to a payout command from the main control board 1310 of the game board 5 or the like, by pressing the ball lending button 224 of the ball lending operation unit 220 in the tray unit 200, or the like. The payout control board box 632 is formed to leave a trace of opening and closing. This makes it possible to detect any illegal modifications to the payout control board 633, thereby enhancing the deterrent effect against illegal acts.

The interface unit 620e includes a board base 634 attached to the rear side of the speaker box 623 in the speaker unit 620a, an interface board 635 attached to the rear surface of the board base 634, and an interface board cover 636 attached to the board base 634 so as to cover the rear side of the interface board 635.

The board base 634 is attached to the rear of the speaker box 623 at the part that protrudes furthest to the rear, behind the main frame speaker 622. One end (main frame 4 side) of the connection cable 503 is connected to the interface board 635. The interface board 635 is connected to the power supply board 630, payout control board 633, main control board 1310, peripheral control board 1510, etc., and is also connected to the CR unit installed outside the pachinko machine 1. The interface board cover 636 extends to the right of the board base 634 (interface board 635) when viewed from the front, so as to cover part of the payout control unit 620d.

[4-9. Back cover]
The rear cover 640 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 354 to 360. The rear cover 640 covers the rear side of the game board 5 that is inserted from the front into the game board insertion port 501b of the main body frame base 501 of the main body frame base unit 500 and attached. The right side of the rear cover 640 in a front view is attached to the rear end extending vertically of the rear extension part 501j of the main body frame base 501 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending vertically, and the left side is attached to the rear cover attachment part 551i of the payout base 551 and the rear cover attachment part 601a of the upper full ball path unit 600.

The rear cover 640 is formed in a shape such that the right side of a flat plate extending vertically and horizontally is bent forward when viewed from the front, and is formed so that when assembled to the main body frame 4, the rear surface is positioned approximately on the same plane as the rear surface of the upper part 551d of the back plate of the payout base 551. The rear cover 640 has multiple slits 641 formed therein that penetrate from front to back and extend vertically. In this embodiment, the rear cover 640 is formed from a transparent synthetic resin, and the inside of the main body frame 4 can be seen from the rear of the pachinko machine 1.

[4-10. Locking unit]
The locking unit 650 in the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 376. Fig. 376(a) is a perspective view of the locking unit of the main body frame seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the locking unit seen from the back. The locking unit 650 is attached to the main body frame base 501 of the main body frame 4, and locks between the main body frame 4 and the door frame 3, and between the main body frame 4 and the outer frame 2.

The locking unit 650 is equipped with a unit base 651 that is attached to the right side of the rear extension 501j of the main frame base 501 and extends vertically, a number of door frame hooks 652 that protrude forward from the unit base 651 and can engage with the door frame 3, a number of outer frame hooks 653 that protrude rearward from the unit base 651 and can engage with the outer frame 2, and a transfer cylinder 654 that protrudes forward from the lower front end of the unit base 651 and moves the door frame hooks 652 or outer frame hooks 653 up and down depending on the direction of rotation.

The locking unit 650 also includes a lock spring 655 that urges the door frame hook 652 downward and the outer frame hook 653 upward, and an outer frame unlocking lever 656 that protrudes forward from a position above the transmission cylinder 654 at the front end of the unit base 651 and slides downward to move the outer frame hook 653 downward.

When the locking unit 650 is assembled to the main frame 4, the multiple (three) door frame hooks 652, the transmission cylinder 654, and the outer frame unlocking lever 656 protrude forward from the front surface of the main frame base 501. The transmission cylinder 654 protrudes forward through the cylinder insertion opening 501f of the main frame base 501, and by closing the door frame 3 against the main frame 4, the front end of the transmission cylinder 654 engages with the rotation transmission member 133 of the cylinder lock 130 of the door frame 3, and the rotation of the key inserted in the keyhole 132 is transmitted and rotated.

The locking unit 650 has multiple (three) door frame hooks 652 that are engaged with the hook member 116 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 in the door frame base unit 100 of the door frame 3, and multiple (two) outer frame hooks 653 that are engaged with the upper hook member 24 and lower hook member 25 of the outer frame right assembly 20 in the outer frame 2.

When the locking unit 650 is assembled to the pachinko machine 1, a key that corresponds to the keyhole 132 of the cylinder lock 130 is inserted and rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the front, the multiple door frame hooks 652 move upward via the transmission cylinder 654, and the door frame 3 is unlocked from the main frame 4. On the other hand, when the key is rotated clockwise as viewed from the front, the multiple outer frame hooks 653 move downward via the transmission cylinder 654, and the main frame 4 is unlocked from the outer frame 2. When the door frame 3 is open from the main frame 4, sliding the outer frame unlocking lever 656 downward causes the multiple outer frame hooks 653 to move downward, and the main frame 4 is unlocked from the outer frame 2. In this way, the lock between the main frame 4 and the door frame 3, or between the main frame 4 and the outer frame 2, can be unlocked.

When locking between the main frame 4 and the door frame 3, or between the main frame 4 and the outer frame 2, the hooks for the door frame 652 and the hooks for the outer frame 653 are inclined so that the tips become thinner, so that when the door frame 3 is closed against the main frame 4, or the main frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2, the hooks for the door frame 652 and the hooks for the outer frame 653 move downward or upward to overcome the hooking member 116, the upper hooking member 24, and the lower hooking member 25, and then are locked by the biasing force of the locking spring 655.

[4-11. Detailed configuration of the upper part of the main body frame]
Next, the detailed configuration of the upper part of the main body frame 4 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 377 to 384. Figure 377(a) is a plan view of the main body frame, and (b) is a cross-sectional view cut along line B-B in (a). Figure 378 is an enlarged view of the upper part in a perspective view of the main body frame seen from the rear. Figure 379(a) is a perspective view seen from the front and above in a state in which the tank rail and the like are assembled to the ball tank, and (b) is a perspective view of (a) seen from the front and below. Figure 380 is an exploded perspective view seen from the front of Figure 379(a). Figure 381 is an explanatory diagram showing the area through which game balls overflowing from the ball tank in the upper part of the main body frame flow. Figure 382 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of game balls overflowing from the ball tank in the upper part of the main body frame. Figure 383 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of game balls to the bypass passage in the upper part of the main body frame. Figure 384 is an enlarged view showing the vicinity of the tank rail in a perspective view of the main body frame seen from the rear of the hinge side.

As described above, the main body frame 4 is made up of a frame-shaped main body frame base 501 whose rear portion can be inserted into the outer frame 2 and which is detachably and hinge-rotatably attached to the outer frame 2 by the main body frame upper hinge member 510 and the main body frame lower hinge assembly 520, and which can support the outer periphery of the game board 5; an inverted L-shaped payout base 551 attached along the upper and left edges of the rear side of the main body frame base 501 when viewed from the front; a ball tank 552 attached to the payout base 551, which is box-shaped (container-shaped) and extends left and right, and is open upward; and a tank 553 attached to the left side of the ball tank 552, which is groove-shaped and opens upward, and extends leftward. The tank rail 553 includes a first rail cover 554 attached to a portion of the upper end of the tank rail 553, a second rail cover 555 attached to the upper end of the tank rail 553, spaced to the left of the first rail cover 554 when viewed from the front, a ball straightening member 556 attached to the upper end of the tank rail 553 between the first rail cover 554 and the second rail cover 555, a ball stopper member 557 attached to the downstream end of the tank rail 553, and a payout device 580 attached to the downstream side of the tank rail 553 behind the payout base 551 for paying out game balls B to the player.

The ball tank 552 has a bottom wall 552a that is shaped like a rectangle extending in the left-right direction when viewed from the top, with the left side slanted lower when viewed from the front, a front wall 552b and a rear wall 552c that extend upward from the front and rear edges of the bottom wall 552a, respectively, and a left wall 552d and a right wall 552e that extend upward from the left and right edges of the bottom wall 552a, respectively, and is formed like a container with an open top. The ball tank 552 stores game balls B supplied from island facilities such as an amusement hall where the pachinko machine 1 is installed.

The spherical tank 552 also has an overflow section 552f that is cut out from above in the front wall 552b and is formed lower than the remaining outer periphery upper edge. This overflow section 552f is formed over a length of approximately 3/4 of the left-right length of the front wall 552b, from the end side of the left side wall 552d of the front wall 552b to the end side on the opposite side (the right side wall 552e side).

The right end (upstream side) of the tank rail 553 is connected to the inside of the ball tank 552 in front view, and the downstream side extends to one side (left side) in the left-right direction so as to move away from the ball tank 552. The tank rail 553 has a gutter-shaped main guide section 553a that extends from the upstream area to the downstream end at the bottom and is formed so that only one game ball B can flow in the width direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the game ball B. The main guide section 553a is inclined so that it becomes lower as it approaches the left side when viewed from the front. In addition, the main guide section 553a is formed in a crank shape that extends from the right end side to a position that is about 1/10 of the total length in the left-right direction in a plan view, parallel to the axis extending from the right end side to the left in the left-right direction, and then extends diagonally from the right end to a position that is about 4/10 of the total length in the left-right direction so as to move backward as it moves to the left, and then extends from there to the left end in a parallel manner to the axis extending in the left-right direction. In the main guide section 553a, the tank rail 553 has a section that extends parallel to the axis extending from the left end to the right in the left-right direction, and extends to the upper end with the same width, and the upper end of this section is closed by attaching the first rail cover 554, the second rail cover 555, and the ball straightening member 556 to the upper end. In addition, in the section where the upper side is closed, the tank rail 553 is formed so that the height of the flow path through which the game ball B flows becomes lower toward the downstream end (left end), and at the downstream end, it is formed at a height (slightly higher than the outer diameter of the game ball B) that allows only one game ball B to flow.

The tank rail 553 extends from the upstream end to a portion where the upper side is closed above the main guide section 553a, and has a bulging section 553b that bulges out wider than the width of the main guide section 553a so that multiple game balls B are lined up in a width direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the game balls B, and narrows in width from the upstream end to the downstream side to match the width of the main guide section 553a. This bulging section 553b allows multiple game balls B that were wide in the width direction on the upstream side to be aligned so that the width becomes the width of one game ball B as they move downstream. The bulging section 553b is also formed so that the width becomes narrower as it moves from the upper end side to the lower main guide section 553a. As a result, the tank rail 553 can align multiple game balls B flowing through the bulging section 553b in a line in the width direction as they move downstream and downward.

The bulge 553b of the tank rail 553 has a three-dimensional curved shape with the center of curvature located on the inner side. The bulge 553b has a curved center located above the main guide 553a, so that the tank rail 553 has a slightly chamfered corner at the boundary between the main guide 553a and the bulge 553b. The bulge 553b is also curved with a larger curvature downstream than upstream. For this reason, the game ball B circulating through the three-dimensionally curved bulge 553b has a reaction force acting in various directions depending on the position of the abutting bulge 553b, which suppresses the occurrence of ball jamming in the bulge 553b. In more detail, if the bulging portion 553b is formed into a shape that extends in a constant direction, a reaction force always acts on the game ball B circulating inside the bulging portion 553b from the inner surface of the bulging portion 553b in a constant direction, and the reaction force is difficult to disperse, so the game ball B inside is always pushed in a constant direction, making it difficult for the game ball B to escape and making it easier for ball jamming to occur. On the other hand, since the bulging portion 553b is a three-dimensional curved surface, the direction of the reaction force acting from the inner surface of the bulging portion 553b varies depending on the position of the game ball B, and the pushing direction of the multiple game balls B circulating inside is dispersed, making it easier for the pushed game balls B to escape and making it easier for ball jamming to occur.

The tank rail 553 is made of a transparent material and is configured so that the inside can be seen from the outside. As a result, even if ball jamming occurs in the tank rail 553, the state of the game balls B in the tank rail 553 can be seen from the outside, so the location of the ball jam can be quickly identified. Therefore, ball jamming in the tank rail 553 can be quickly resolved, so that the interruption of play due to ball jamming can be shortened as much as possible, and the decrease in the player's interest in the game due to the interruption of play can be suppressed. In addition, since the tank rail 553 is transparent, the rear side (back unit 3000) of the game board 5 attached to the main frame 4 can be seen from the rear through the tank rail 553, so when a malfunction occurs in the movable performance unit of the game board 5, the state of the transmission mechanism such as the drive motor, gears, and belts can be confirmed with the game board 5 attached to the main frame 4, and the same effect as above can be achieved.

The main frame 4 is provided in front of the ball tank 552, extends in the front-rear direction, and extends outward (leftward) from the left side wall 552d of the ball tank 552 on the same side as the downstream side of the tank rail 553 in the left-right direction (left side when viewed from the front). It is equipped with an overflow surface 501m whose rear end side is at the same height as the overflow section 552f and inclined so that the front end side is higher in order to return the game balls B that have overflowed forward from the ball tank 552 to the ball tank 552, and a bypass passage 552g that extends rearward from the outside of the left side wall 552d of the ball tank 552 at the rear end of the overflow surface 501m to above the bulge section 553b whose upper side is open on the tank rail 553, inclined so that the rear end side is lower, and inclined so that the side away from the ball tank 552 in the left-right direction (left side) is lower, and guides some of the game balls B that have overflowed from the ball tank 552 to the overflow surface section 501m.

The main frame 4 is provided with a discharge section 551j, which is provided on the opposite side of the left wall 552d of the ball tank 552 on both the left and right outer sides of the bypass passage 552g, with a width in the left and right direction greater than the outer diameter of the game ball and a bottom surface lower than the upper open portion of the tank rail 553, an external terminal board 558, which is provided on the opposite side of the bypass passage 552g across the discharge section 551j and at a position lower than the overflow surface section 501m, and has multiple electric wire connection terminals 558a to which electrical wiring can be connected from the rear, and a terminal cover 551k which covers the upper side of the multiple electric wire connection terminals 558a (external terminal board 558) and has an upper surface extending horizontally at a position higher than the overflow surface section 501m.

The overflow surface 501m is formed on the main frame base 501. The overflow surface 501m extends rearward in a flat plate shape from a position two to four times the outer diameter of the game ball B lower than the upper edge of the rear surface of the base main body 501a, which is formed in a rectangular shape extending vertically when viewed from the front. The overflow surface 501m is formed with a length in the left-right direction that is about 1/3 of the left-right length of the main frame base 501, and the left end when viewed from the front is located to the right of 1/3 of the total length in the left-right direction from the left end of the main frame base 501. The overflow surface 501m is formed with a height from the front end to the rear end that is about 1/2 the outer diameter of the game ball B. When the main frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2, a gap of about twice the outer diameter of the game ball B is formed between the overflow surface 501m and the outer frame upper member 30.

The main frame base 501 is arranged on both the left and right sides of the overflow surface 501m, and has flat left and right step portions 501n and 501o that extend approximately horizontally at the same height as the front end of the overflow surface 501m, and a plurality of ribs 501p that extend in the front-rear direction on both the left and right outer sides of the left and right step portions 501n and 501o with their upper ends higher than the left and right step portions 501n and 501o, and are arranged in a row in the left and right direction at intervals narrower than the outer diameter of the game ball B. The left step portion 501n is formed so that its left-right length is shorter than its front-rear length. The left step portion 501n is also inclined so that its rear right corner is slightly lower than the horizontal plane when viewed from the front. The right step portion 501o is formed so that its left-right length is longer than its front-rear length. The right step portion 501o is also inclined so that its rear left corner is slightly lower than the horizontal plane when viewed from the front.

The multiple ribs 501p of the main frame base 501 are formed higher than the upper surface of the terminal cover 551k, and when the main frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2, the gap between the outer frame 2 and the lower surface of the outer frame upper member 30 is formed at a height narrower than the outer diameter of the game ball B.

When the main frame base 501 is assembled to the main frame 4, in a front view, the right end of the overflow surface 501m is aligned left-right with the right end of the overflow section 552f of the spherical tank 552, the left end of the overflow surface 501m is aligned left-right with the left end of the bypass passage 552g, and the right end of the right step 501o is aligned left-right with the right side wall 552e of the spherical tank 552.

The bypass passage 552g is formed integrally with the spherical tank 552. In the following, the container-like area surrounded by the bottom wall 552a, the front wall 552b, the rear wall 552c, the left side wall 552d, and the right side wall 552e is also simply referred to as the spherical tank 552. The bypass passage 552g has a passage surface 552h that extends leftward from the outside of the left side wall 552d of the spherical tank 552 in a flat plate shape, with the front end at the same height as the overflow portion 552f and the rear end inclined so as to be lower, and a weir portion that extends upward from the end edge of the passage surface 552h opposite the left side wall 552d to the same height as the left side wall 552d. The rear edge of the passage surface 552h of the bypass passage 552g extends rearward to the same position as the rear wall 552c of the spherical tank 552 on the left end side (the weir portion 552i side) in a front view, and extends obliquely so as to move forward from the left end side toward the right end side. Note that the passage surface 552h of the bypass passage 552g may be horizontally inclined in the left-right direction.

When assembled to the main frame 4, the rear end of the bypass passage 552g extends along the front end of the portion of the tank rail 553 that extends in a crank-like shape in the left-right direction and that extends diagonally to the left-right direction. In other words, the rear end of the bypass passage 552g extends diagonally to the left-right direction. As a result, the flow direction of the game ball B guided rearward by the bypass passage 552g changes from the diagonal rear end to a direction perpendicular to the diagonal rear end. The diagonally extending rear end of the bypass passage 552g extends approximately parallel to the diagonally extending portion of the tank rail 553 (the flow direction of the game ball B in the tank rail 553). Therefore, the game ball B is released from the rear end of the bypass passage 552g in a direction approximately perpendicular to the flow direction (width direction) of the tank rail 553, so that the game ball B from the bypass passage 552g can be received at the wide portion of the tank rail 553. In addition, the game balls B are supplied from the bypass passage 552g into the tank rail 553 in a direction approximately perpendicular (perpendicular) to the flow direction of the game balls B, which makes it difficult for the game balls B from the bypass passage 552g to cause ball clogging in the tank rail 553.

The bypass passage 552g extends diagonally in the left-right direction so that its rear end moves rearward as it approaches the downstream side of the tank rail 553. Therefore, when the game ball B is released from the bypass passage 552g toward the tank rail 553, the rear end that extends diagonally allows the game ball B to be released toward the upstream side, where the tank rail 553 is wider, rather than the downstream side, where the tank rail 553 is narrower. By releasing the game ball B into the wider area, it is possible to prevent ball jamming inside the tank rail 553.

In addition, the portion of the tank rail 553 where the game balls B are guided by the bypass passage 552g corresponds to the rear of the left side wall 552d of the ball tank 552 and the outside of the left portion of the rear wall 552c when viewed from the front. Game balls B that pass under the guide surface portion 552j of the ball tank 552 (the ceiling side of the opening 552k) from inside the ball tank 552 flow through this portion. For this reason, in the portion behind the bypass passage 552g on the tank rail 553, the height of multiple game balls B stacked vertically does not exceed the height of the ceiling of the opening 552k (the height of the wall of the tank rail 553). Therefore, a space (empty space) can be secured downstream of the ball tank 552 on the tank rail 553, that is, on the rear end side of the bypass passage 552g, allowing game balls B to be stacked upwards, so that game balls B guided rearward by the bypass passage 552g can be reliably received by the tank rail 553, and game balls B will not spill rearward from the tank rail 553.

The spherical tank 552 has a flat guide surface portion 552j that extends downward to the right from a position slightly lower than the overflow portion 552f on the left wall 552d on the inside surrounded by the front wall 552b, the rear wall 552c, and the left wall 552d. The guide surface portion 552j extends in the front-rear direction from the front wall 552b to the rear wall 552c. In addition, the guide surface portion 552j is formed in such a shape that, in a front view, the right edge extends obliquely rearward from a position at about 1/3 of the total length of the front wall 552b in the left-right direction from the left end of the front wall 552b to a position at about 1/9 of the total length of the front wall 552b in the left-right direction from the left end of the front wall 552b to a position at about 1/2 of the total length of the front-to-rear direction from the front wall 552b to the left side wall 552d, and then extends parallel to the left side wall 552d to the vicinity of the rear wall 552c, and from there extends parallel to the rear wall 552c with a constant width in the front-to-rear direction from the left end of the rear wall 552c to a position at about 1/3 of the total length of the rear wall 552c in the left-to-right direction.

The spherical tank 552 has an opening 552k formed so as to penetrate the area surrounded by the right end edge of the guide surface portion 552j formed in the above-mentioned shape in a plan view and a straight line connecting the end of the right end edge on the front wall 552b side and the end on the rear wall 552c side in the vertical direction. In addition, the spherical tank 552 has flat flange portions 552l extending outward in the left-right direction and in the vertical direction on the same plane as the front wall 552b at the front end side of the right side wall 552e and the front end side of the weir portion 552i of the bypass passage 552g. The height of the upper edge of the part of the front wall 552b excluding the overflow portion 552f and the upper edge of the two flange portions 552l of the spherical tank 552 is higher than the upper edge of the left side wall 552d and the rear wall 552c (the upper surface of the left step portion 501n and the right step portion 501o of the main body frame base 501).

When the spherical tank 552 and the tank rail 553 are assembled together, the upstream end (the right end in front view) of the tank rail 553 is connected to the opening 552k of the spherical tank 552. In addition, the diagonally extending portion of the tank rail 553, which extends left and right in a crank shape in a plan view, and the portion extending straight left and right to the left of that portion are located (protruding) rearward from the spherical tank 552. The rear end edge of the left bypass passage 552g of the left side wall 552d of the spherical tank 552 is located at the front end of the diagonally extending portion of the tank rail 553, which extends left and right in a crank shape in a plan view.

The discharge section 551j is formed on the upper surface of the dispensing base 551. When assembled to the main body frame 4, the discharge section 551j extends rearward from the rear side of the flange section 552l on the left side of the spherical tank 552 as viewed from the front to the tank rail 553, so that the discharge section 551j lowers in a stepped manner from a height lower than the bypass passage 552g to the same height as the bottom wall 552a of the spherical tank 552, then extends leftward along the tank rail 553 to a position higher than the upper end of the tank rail 553 (a position near the center in the left-right direction of the second rail cover 555), and then extends rearward.

The external terminal board 558 has a number of electric wire connection terminals 558a attached to the rear surface in a line in the left-right direction. The electric wire connection terminal 558a is a one-touch terminal whose grip opens by operating a lever to grip the tip of an electric wire. When assembled to the main body frame 4, the external terminal board 558 is disposed in front of the area where the upper side of the tank rail 553 is closed by the first rail cover 554, the second rail cover 555, and the ball straightening member 556. The terminal cover 551k that covers the upper side of the external terminal board 558 (the multiple electric wire connection terminals 558a) is formed on the upper surface of the dispensing base 551. The upper surface of the terminal cover 551k is formed at approximately the same height as the upper end of the flange portion 552l of the ball tank 552.

Next, the effect of the upper part of the main body frame 4 in the pachinko machine 1 will be described. First, as shown by the white arrows in FIG. 381, the overflow surface 501m, the left stage 501n, the right stage 501o, and the bypass passage 552g are inclined so that the rear ends of the overflow surface 501m and the bypass passage 552g are lower, and the rear right corner of the left stage 501n and the rear left corner of the right stage 501o are lower. In addition, the bottom wall 552a and the tank rail 553 (main guide section 553a) of the ball tank 552 are inclined so that the left end is lower when viewed from the front. In addition, the guide surface section 552j of the ball tank 552 is inclined so that the right end side opposite the bottom wall 552a is lower.

And when the amount of game balls B stored in the ball tank 552 increases due to supply from the island equipment, they can first flow out to the outside (front) of the ball tank 552 over the overflow section 552f, which is the lowest part of the outer periphery upper edge, and the game balls B that overflow from the ball tank 552 can be released to the overflow surface section 501m, and the game balls B that flow out from the ball tank 552 to the front overflow surface section 501m can be returned to the ball tank 552 by the inclination of the overflow surface section 501m (see Figure 382). Therefore, since it is possible to prevent any further increase in the game balls B in the ball tank 552, it is possible to suppress the game balls B from pressing against each other strongly in the ball tank 552 (increase in ball pressure), and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of clogging (so-called ball jamming) due to the meshing of the game balls B in the ball tank 552.

In addition, since the bypass passage 552g is provided, as shown in FIG. 383, the game balls B that have overflowed from the ball tank 552 to the overflow surface portion 501m can be sent to the tank rail 553 via the bypass passage 552g. This makes it possible to avoid the game balls B that have accumulated on the overflow surface portion 501m from exerting a strong backward pressure on the game balls B in the ball tank 552, and prevents the game balls B from clogging in the ball tank 552. In addition, since the game balls B can be sent to the tank rail 553 via the bypass passage 552g, it is possible to prevent the game balls B that have overflowed from the ball tank 552 or the overflow surface portion 501m from spilling outside (rear side) of the main body frame 4. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a malfunction in which the game balls B that have spilled outside the main body frame 4 are pinched between the outer frame 2 and the main body frame 4, making it impossible to open or close the main body frame 4.

Furthermore, some of the game balls B that have overflowed from the ball tank 552 onto the overflow surface 501m can be guided downstream of the tank rail 553 by the bypass passage 552g, and the game balls B can be sent to the tank rail 553 from a certain position along the left side away from the ball tank 552. This allows the flow (pressure) of the game balls B sent to the tank rail 553 by the bypass passage 552g to be directed downstream of the tank rail 553, preventing the game balls B from pushing against each other too strongly inside the tank rail 553 and preventing the game balls B from clogging.

In addition, at the outer circumferential upper edge of the ball tank 552, the height of the remaining upper edge other than the overflow section 552f is made higher than the overflow section 552f, so that the upper edge of the left side wall 552d on one side of the ball tank 552 in the left-right direction between the ball tank 552 and the bypass passage 552g is higher than the overflow section 552f, that is, the rear end of the overflow surface section 501m. As a result, the game balls B that overflow from the ball tank 552 over the overflow section 552f and overflow into the overflow surface section 501m and flow from the overflow surface section 501m to the bypass passage 552g are blocked by the left side wall 552d on one side of the ball tank 552, so that it is possible to prevent the game balls B on the bypass passage 552g side from returning to the ball tank 552 side from the bypass passage 552g, and it is possible to prevent the game balls B from clogging in the ball tank 552 by pressing the game balls B in the ball tank 552.

Furthermore, as described above, the upper edge of the left side wall 552d between the ball tank 552 and the bypass passage 552g is higher than the rear end of the overflow surface portion 501m (passage surface 552h on which the game ball B rolls in the bypass passage 552g), so that the game ball B can be prevented from overflowing from the ball tank 552 into the bypass passage 552g without passing through the overflow surface portion 501m. This prevents the game ball B from flowing in from the side (ball tank 552) into the bypass passage 552g, so that the flow of the game ball B in the bypass passage 552g can be made to flow in a constant direction from the overflow surface portion 501m on the front end side to the tank rail 553 on the rear end side, and the pressure of the game ball B guided from the bypass passage 552g to the tank rail 553 can be made to be in a constant direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the game balls B from being pushed against each other and getting caught in the tank rail 553 due to the pressure being applied to the game balls B being in different directions, and it is possible to prevent the game balls B from becoming clogged.

In addition, the bottom of the tank rail 553 is provided with a main guide section 553a that extends to the downstream end, so that when the game balls B in the tank rail 553 reach the main guide section 553a, they are lined up in a row in the left-right direction, so that the game balls B in the tank rail 553 can be aligned and the game balls B can be reliably guided to the downstream payout device 580. In addition, the tank rail 553 has a wide bulge section 553b in which multiple game balls B can be lined up in the open upper portion, so that the game balls B released from the rear end of the bypass passage 552g can be reliably received, and the above-mentioned effects can be reliably achieved.

In addition, the bulging portion 553b of the tank rail 553 extends from the upstream end to the portion closed at the top, and narrows in width from the upstream end to the downstream side to match the width of the main guide portion 553a, so that as the multiple game balls B move downstream in the bulging portion 553b, they can be aligned in a line in the width direction. In addition, the portion closed at the top of the tank rail 553 is formed so that the height of the flow path through which the game balls B flow decreases toward the downstream end, so that the multiple game balls B that were stacked in multiple layers in the height direction on the upstream side (ball tank 552 side) can be aligned in a line by circulating them downstream through the portion closed at the top of the tank rail 553. Therefore, the tank rail 553 can guide the multiple game balls B in a line aligned in a line to the downstream side (payout device 580 side).

Furthermore, since it is equipped with the overflow surface portion 501m and the bypass passage 552g, it is possible to store a certain number of game balls B therein, and since the tank rail 553 is equipped with the bulge portion 553b, the volume inside the tank rail 553 can be increased, so that in combination with the ball tank 552, more game balls B can be stored.

In addition, on the opposite side of the ball tank 552 with the bypass passage 552g and the discharge section 551j in between, there is an external terminal board 558 with multiple wire connection terminals 558a to which electrical wiring is connected, and a terminal cover 551k covering the upper side of the multiple wire connection terminals 558a (external terminal board 558). Therefore, the wire connection terminals 558a and the terminal cover 551k can be placed far away from the ball tank 552 to which the game balls B are supplied from the island equipment. Therefore, even if the game balls B supplied from the island equipment bounce or are supplied with force at the ball tank 552 or the overflow surface section 501m, it is difficult for them to reach (contact) the wire connection terminals 558a, etc., and there is no problem such as a short circuit or disconnection of the electrical wiring due to the game balls B contacting them.

In addition, since the multiple electric wire connection terminals 558a face rearward and the upper surface of the terminal cover 551k is higher than the overflow surface 501m, even if the game ball B supplied from the island equipment to the ball tank 552 bounces off the ball tank 552 or the overflow surface 501m, it is difficult for it to land on the upper surface of the terminal cover 551k. Even if the game ball B does land on the upper surface of the terminal cover 551k, it is difficult for it to fall from the rear side, making it easier to avoid the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems.

Furthermore, the game ball B returned from the overflow surface portion 501m to the guide surface portion 552j of the ball tank 552 is sent to the upstream side of the ball tank 552 (to the right in FIG. 382) due to the inclination of the guide surface portion 552j. This makes it possible to prevent the game ball B on the guide surface portion 552j from pressing downstream against the game ball B in the ball tank 552, and makes it possible to prevent clogging of the game ball B in the ball tank 552.

In addition, even if the game ball B supplied to the ball tank 552 from the island equipment bounces off the ball tank 552 or the overflow surface 501m and lands on the left step 501n or right step 501o on both sides of the overflow surface 501m, as shown in Figure 382, the slope of these parts can guide the game ball B to the overflow surface 501m or the bypass passage 552g, preventing malfunctions caused by the game ball B spilling outside the main frame 4.

In addition, because the game balls B pass under the guide surface portion 552j when they flow from the ball tank 552 to the tank rail 553, the guide surface portion 552j can regulate the amount (height) of game balls B stacked on the upper side of the tank rail 553 so that it does not exceed the lower surface of the guide surface portion 552j. Therefore, on the downstream side of the ball tank 552 (guide surface portion 552j) on the tank rail 553, that is, on the rear end side of the bypass passage 552g, space (empty space) can be secured in which game balls B can be stacked on the upper side, and game balls B guided by the bypass passage 552g can be reliably received.

Furthermore, since the multiple electric wire connection terminals 558a and the terminal cover 551k are positioned in front of the portion of the tank rail 553 whose upper side is closed, even if the game ball B falls rearward from the terminal cover 551k, the game ball B will not be received by the tank rail 553, and it is possible to prevent the game ball B from affecting the game ball B inside the tank rail 553 and causing a malfunction.

[5. Overall configuration of the game board]
The overall structure of the game board 5 in the pachinko machine 1 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 385 to 393. Fig. 385 is a front view of the game board in the pachinko machine with the front component, game panel, and front unit made opaque. Fig. 386 is a perspective view of the game board in Fig. 385 seen from the right front, Fig. 387 is a perspective view of the game board in Fig. 385 seen from the left front, and Fig. 388 is a perspective view of the game board seen from the back. Fig. 389 is a front view of the game board with the front component, game panel, and front unit made transparent. Fig. 390 is an exploded perspective view of the game board disassembled into main components and seen from the front, and Fig. 391 is an exploded perspective view of the game board disassembled into main components and seen from the back. Fig. 392 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in Fig. 385. Figure 393 is a front view of the game board with the front unit cut parallel to the surface of the game panel to reveal the game area where game balls circulate and the obstacle pins.

In the following, when the LED mounted on the decorative board has a square shape when viewed perpendicular to the surface of the decorative board, the LED emits light perpendicular to the surface of the decorative board (top-view LED), and when the LED mounted on the decorative board has a rectangular shape, the LED emits light parallel to the surface of the decorative board (side-view LED), and detailed explanations will be omitted.

The game board 5 of the pachinko machine 1 has a game area 5a into which a game ball B is inserted by a player operating the handle 182 of the handle unit 180. The game area 5a is provided with a general winning port 2001, a first starting port 2002, a gate section 2003, a second starting port 2004, a first large winning port 2005, and a second large winning port 2006, which provide a player with a predetermined privilege (e.g., the payout of a predetermined number of game balls B) by receiving or passing a game ball B. This game board 5 is for playing an entertaining game in which the handle 182 is operated to strike the ball and the ball B is circulated within the game area 5a so that the ball B is received by or passes through the general winning opening 2001, the first starting opening 2002, the gate section 2003, the second starting opening 2004, the first large winning opening 2005, and the second large winning opening 2006, etc., within the game area 5a.

The game board 5 includes a front component 1000 that defines the outer periphery of the game area 5a and has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and a plate-shaped game panel 1100 that is attached to the rear of the front component 1000 and defines the rear end of the game area 5a. A plurality of obstacle nails N (see FIG. 393, etc.) that come into contact with the game ball B are planted in a predetermined gauge arrangement in the part of the front of the game panel 1100 that is within the game area 5a. The game board 5 also includes a board holder 1200 that is attached to the rear lower part of the game panel 1100, and a main control unit 1300 that is attached to the rear surface of the board holder 1200 and has a main control board 1310 (see FIG. 392, FIG. 484, etc.) that controls the game content that is played by shooting the game ball B into the game area 5a.

The game board 5 further includes a function display unit 1400 that displays the game status based on a control signal from the main control board 1310 and is attached to the upper left corner of the front component 1000 so as to be visible to the player, a peripheral control unit 1500 that is disposed on the rear side of the game panel 1100, a performance display device 1600 that is disposed in the center of the game area 5a when viewed from the front and is capable of displaying a predetermined performance image, a drive board unit 1700 that is disposed on the rear side of the game panel 1100, a front unit 2000 that is attached to the front of the game panel 1100, and a rear unit 3000 that is attached to the rear of the game panel 1100.

The performance display device 1600 is attached to the rear surface of the rear unit 3000, and the peripheral control unit 1500 is attached to the rear surface of the performance display device 1600. In addition, a drive board unit 1700 is attached to the rear surface of the rear unit 3000 behind the performance display device 1600.

The entire component 1000 is transparent. The outer shape of the component 1000 when viewed from the front is approximately square, and the inner shape is approximately circular and penetrates in the front-to-rear direction, with the inner periphery of the inner shape defining the outer periphery of the play area 5a.

The game panel 1100 is equipped with a transparent, flat panel plate 1110 whose outer periphery is slightly larger than the inner periphery of the frame-shaped front component 1000, and a frame-shaped panel holder 1120 (see Figure 394, etc.) that holds the outer periphery of the panel plate 1110, is attached to the rear side of the front component 1000, and has a rear unit 3000 attached to its rear surface.

The drive board unit 1700 comprises a panel relay board 1710 which relays the connection between the main control board 1310 and the peripheral control board 1510, a performance drive board 1720 which drives the decorative boards, drive motors and drive solenoids etc. provided in the front unit 2000 and the rear unit 3000 in response to commands from the peripheral control board 1510, and a drive board box 1730 which houses the panel relay board 1710 and the performance drive board 1720. The drive board box 1730 has its left side as viewed from the rear attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010 in the rear unit 3000 so as to be hinged and its right side as viewed from the rear attached so as to be detachable to the rear surface of the performance display device 1600.

The front unit 2000 includes a plurality of (four in this case) general winning openings 2001 that are always open to receive the game ball B that has been shot into the game area 5a, a first starting opening 2002 that is always open to receive the game ball B at a different position in the game area 5a from the plurality of general winning openings 2001, a gate unit 2003 that is attached at a predetermined position in the game area 5a and detects the passage of the game ball B, and a game starter 2004 that starts the game according to the result of a general lottery that is drawn when the game ball B passes through the gate unit 2003. The machine is equipped with a second starting opening 2004 that can receive a game ball B, a first large prize opening 2005 that can receive a game ball B depending on the first or second special lottery result drawn by receiving a game ball B into the first starting opening 2002 or the second starting opening 2004, and a second large prize opening 2006 that can receive a game ball B depending on the first or second special lottery result drawn by receiving a game ball B into the first starting opening 2002 or the second starting opening 2004.

The front unit 2000 also includes an outlet 2010 provided at the bottom end of the play area 5a for discharging the play ball B from within the play area 5a, and a first sub-outlet 2011 and a second sub-outlet 2012 provided midway up and down within the play area 5a for discharging the play ball B from within the play area 5a.

The front unit 2000 is also made up of a start port unit 2100, which is attached directly above the bottom end of the play area 5a in the left-right center of the play area 5a and has a first start port 2002, a side unit 2200 which is provided along the inner rail 1002 to the left of the start port unit 2100 as viewed from the front and has three general winning ports 2001, an upper left side unit 2300 which is provided slightly above the left side of the side unit 2200 as viewed from the front, and a first attacker unit 2400 which is provided to the right of the start port unit 2100, which is the lower right corner as viewed from the front of the play area 5a, as viewed from the front, and has a second start port 2004, a first large winning port 2005, and a first sub-out port 2011. The unit 2400 is provided with a frame-shaped center device 2500 that is located above the starting port unit 2100 and the side unit 2200 and is located slightly above the center of the game area 5a when viewed from the front, a second attacca unit 2600 that is located above the first attacca unit 2400 to the right of the center device 2500 and has a second large winning port 2006, a side right middle unit 2700 that is located above the second attacca unit 2600 and has one general winning port 2001 and a second sub-out port 2012, and a gate member 2800 that is located above the side right middle unit 2700 and has a gate section 2003.

The rear unit 3000 is equipped with a rear box 3010 that is attached to the rear surface of the panel holder 1120 of the game panel 1100, is box-shaped with an open front and has a square opening 3010a in the rear wall, and a locking mechanism 3020 that is attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010 and allows the performance display device 1600 to be detachably attached.

The rear unit 3000 also includes a flat rear front left decorative body 3030 and a rear front right decorative body 3040, which are respectively provided near the left and right ends of the front end of the rear box 3010, a rear guide unit 3050 provided at the bottom of the front end within the rear box 3010, a rear rear performance unit 3100 provided at the rear end within the rear box 3010, a rear lower left performance unit 3200 and a rear lower right performance unit 3250 provided at a distance to the left and right behind the rear guide unit 3050 at the bottom within the rear box 3010, and a rear lower middle performance unit 3300 provided behind the rear of the rear lower left performance unit 3200 and the rear lower right performance unit 3250 within the rear box 3010.

Furthermore, the rear unit 3000 includes a rear upper performance unit 3400 provided in front of the rear rear performance unit 3100 at the top inside the rear box 3010, a rear left performance unit 3500 provided behind the rear front left decorative body 3030 inside the rear box 3010, a rear right performance unit 3600 provided behind the rear front right decorative body 3040 inside the rear box 3010, a rear left performance unit 3700 provided between the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear left performance unit 3500 inside the rear box 3010, and a rear right performance unit 3800 provided between the rear front right decorative body 3040 and the rear right performance unit 3600 inside the rear box 3010.

[5-1. Previous constituent members]
The front component 1000 of the game board 5 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 394. Fig. 394(a) is a perspective view of the front component and the game panel of the game board as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the front component and the game panel as seen from the back.

The front component 1000 is formed to be transparent as a whole. The front component 1000 has an outer shape of an approximately square in front view, an inner shape of an approximately circular shape penetrating in the front-rear direction, and the inner circumference of the inner shape defines the outer circumference of the play area 5a. This front component 1000 is equipped with an outer rail 1001 that extends in an arc shape from the lower end on the left side of the center in the left-right direction in front view, along the clockwise circumferential direction, passing the upper end of the center in the left-right direction in front view, and extending to the upper right diagonal direction, an inner rail 1002 that is disposed inside the front component 1000 approximately along the outer rail 1001 and extends in an arc shape from the lower center in the left-right direction in front view to the upper left diagonal direction in front view, and an out guide portion 1003 that is formed at the lowest position of the play area 5a on the right side of the lower end of the inner rail 1002 in front view and is inclined so as to become lower toward the rear (outlet 2010).

The component 1000 also includes a lower right rail 1004 that slopes linearly from the right end of the out guide section 1003 when viewed from the front to near the right side of the component 1000, with the right end being slightly higher; a right rail 1005 that extends from the right end of the lower right rail 1004 along the right side of the component 1000 to below the upper end of the outer rail 1001, with the upper part curved inward of the component 1000; and a collision stop section 1006 that connects the upper end of the right rail 1005 to the upper end of the outer rail 1001 and comes into contact with the game ball B that rolls along the outer rail 1001.

The component 1000 is also provided with a backflow prevention member 1007 that is rotatably supported on the upper end of the inner rail 1002 and can rotate only between a closed position in which it extends upward from the upper end of the inner rail 1002 to close the gap with the outer rail 1001, and an open position in which it rotates clockwise when viewed from the front to open the gap with the outer rail 1001, and is biased by a spring (not shown) to return to the closed position.

Furthermore, the front component 1000 is provided with an outlet 2010 that penetrates from front to back at the rear end of the out guide section 1003, at the lower center in the left-right direction when viewed from the front within the frame. The outlet 2010 penetrates with a width that allows two game balls B to be lined up in the left-right direction. The game ball B guided rearward by the out guide section 1003 is discharged to the rear of the front component 1000 (game panel 1100) through the outlet 2010 and the out ball detection member 3080 of the rear unit 3000 described below.

In addition, the front component 1000 is provided with security recesses 1009 recessed rearward from the front end in each of the following locations: outside the portions near the lower ends of the outer rail 1001 and the inner rail 1002 that extend approximately vertically; below the out guide portion 1003 and the lower right rail 1004; and outside the right rail 1005. When the game board 5 is attached to the main body frame 4 and the door frame 3 is closed against the main body frame 4, the security recesses 1009 receive rear protrusions 172 protruding rearward from the security cover 170 on the door frame 3 that are inserted therein. As a result, the area between the security cover 170 and the game board 5 (front component 1000) is bent in a complex manner by the rear protrusion 172 of the security cover 170 and the security recess 1009 of the front component 1000, so even if someone tries to insert an illegal tool such as a piano wire into the game area 5a through the gap between the security cover 170 and the front component 1000 from below the front of the game board 5, it will be blocked by the rear protrusion 172 and the security recess 1009, preventing the illegal tool from entering the game area 5a.

The component 1000 also has a notch 1010 cut upward from the bottom end at the bottom left corner when viewed from the front. This notch 1010 coincides with the notch 1122 of the panel holder 1120 in the gaming panel 1100, and when the gaming board 5 is attached to the main frame 4, the front end openings of the lower normal payout passage 610a and the lower full payout passage 610b of the lower full ball path unit 610 penetrate the notch 1010 and the notch and face forward.

Furthermore, the component 1000 is provided with a function display unit mounting portion 1011 formed in the upper left corner when viewed from the front, to which the function display unit 1400 is attached, and a stamp attachment portion 1012 formed in the lower left corner.

Also, the front component 1000 is formed to be almost entirely transparent, allowing the game panel 1100 and rear unit 3000 located at the rear to be viewed from the front. Since the front component 1000 is formed to be transparent together with the game panel 1100 attached to the rear, when assembled to the game board 5, the boundary of the game area 5a is less clearly visible, giving the player a sense of openness, and making the game area 5a appear larger (wider) to the player, although the actual size of the game area 5a does not change.

In addition, because the front component 1000, along with the game panel 1100, is transparent, the light from the performance display device 1600, front unit 2000, rear unit 3000, etc. can be reflected or refracted forward (towards the player) to appear as if it is emitting light, further enhancing the overall decorativeness of the game board 5.

[5-2. Game Panel]
The game panel 1100 in the game board 5 will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIG. 394 etc. The game panel 1100 is attached to the rear surface of the front component 1000, and the front unit 2000 and the rear unit 3000 are attached to it. The game panel 1100 is equipped with a flat panel board 1110 whose outer periphery is formed slightly larger than the inner periphery of the frame-shaped front component 1000 and made of transparent synthetic resin, and a frame-shaped panel holder 1120 which holds the outer periphery of the panel board 1110, is attached to the rear side of the front component 1000, and has the rear unit 3000 attached to its rear surface. A plurality of obstacle nails N are planted in a predetermined gauge arrangement on the front surface of the panel board 1110 in the game panel 1100 (see FIG. 393 etc.).

The panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100 is formed from a synthetic resin plate such as acrylic resin, polycarbonate resin, polyarylate resin, or methacrylic resin, or an inorganic plate such as glass or metal. The thickness of this panel plate 1110 is thinner than the panel holder, and is set to the minimum necessary thickness (8 to 10 mm) that is sufficient to hold the obstacle nails N planted on the front side and the front unit 2000 attached. In this embodiment, the panel plate 1110 is formed from a transparent synthetic resin plate.

The panel plate 1110 is at the lowest position within the play area 5a, and is recessed upward from the bottom end at a position corresponding to the outlet 2010 of the front component 1000. The panel plate 1110 also has multiple openings 1112 that penetrate from front to back and are used to attach the front unit 2000.

Although not shown, the panel plate 1110 has multiple positioning holes formed as round holes and short long holes penetrating from front to back, and multiple engagement steps formed with a thin plate thickness and spaced apart in the left-right direction at the upper and lower edges. The positioning holes are for positioning with the panel holder 1120 by inserting protruding pins (not shown) of the panel holder 1120. The engagement steps are for removably attaching to the panel holder 1120 by engaging with the engagement claws (not shown) or engagement pieces (not shown) of the panel holder 1120.

As shown in FIG. 394, the panel plate 1110 has a large opening 1112 for mounting the center gadget 2500, which is offset to the upper right and above the center when viewed from the front. This gives the panel plate 1110 a frame shape, and the width perpendicular to the flow direction of the game balls B (the circumferential direction of the frame) when viewed from the front is wide enough to line up multiple game balls B on the left and lower sides of the center, and narrow enough that multiple game balls B cannot be lined up on the upper side.

The panel holder 1120 of the game panel 1100 has an external shape that is roughly rectangular and large enough to encompass the panel plate 1110, and is thicker than the panel plate 1110 (approximately 20 mm in this embodiment). The panel holder 1120 is made of transparent synthetic resin (e.g., thermoplastic synthetic resin). This panel holder 1120 has a holding step (not shown) that is roughly the same size as the panel plate 1110 and recessed from the front side to the rear side, and a through hole 1121 that penetrates the holding step in the front-to-rear direction and is roughly the same size as the game area 5a.

The panel holder 1120 also has a notch 1122 cut upward from the bottom end at the bottom left corner when viewed from the front. This notch 1122 is formed to match the notch 1010 of the previous component 1000, so that when the game board 5 is attached to the main body frame 4, the front end openings of the lower normal payout passage 610a and the lower full payout passage 610b of the lower full ball path unit 610 penetrate the notch 1010 and the notch and face forward.

In addition, the panel holder 1120 is formed with an out recess 1123 that extends upward from the bottom end to a position corresponding to the out port 2010 and is recessed from the rear surface toward the front. The out recess 1123 has an upper portion that communicates with the out port 2010. The tube portion 3081 of the out ball detection member 3080 in the rear guide unit 3050 of the rear unit 3000, which will be described later, is inserted into this out recess 1123.

Although not shown, the panel holder 1120 includes a plurality of protruding pins that protrude forward from the holding step and are inserted into a plurality of positioning holes in the panel plate 1110, three engagement claws that are disposed outside the holding step and elastically engage with engagement steps at the upper and lower left inclined portions of the panel plate 1110, and a pair of engagement pieces that protrude upward from the lower outer side of the holding step and respectively engage with two engagement steps at the lower edge of the panel plate 1110. The panel holder 1120 can detachably attach the panel plate 1110 in a state where it is housed in the holding step by engaging the engagement steps at the lower edge of the panel plate 1110 with the engagement pieces from the front diagonally above, and then moving the upper part of the panel plate 1110 backward to elastically engage the engagement steps at the upper and lower left inclined portions with the engagement claws. At this time, the protruding pin of the panel holder 1120 is inserted into the positioning hole of the panel plate 1110, and the panel plate 1110 is positioned at a predetermined position relative to the panel holder 1120.

This game panel 1100, together with the front component 1000 attached to the front side, is formed transparently, so when assembled to the game board 5, the boundaries of the game area 5a are less clearly visible, giving the player a sense of openness, and making the game area 5a appear larger (wider) to the player, although the actual size of the game area 5a does not change.

In addition, because the game panel 1100, together with the front component 1000, is made transparent, the light from the performance display device 1600, front unit 2000, rear unit 3000, etc. can be reflected or refracted forward (towards the player) to appear as if it is emitting light, further enhancing the overall decorativeness of the game board 5.

[5-3. Substrate holder]
The board holder 1200 in the game board 5 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 390 and 391. The board holder 1200 is formed in a horizontally long box shape with an open top and front, and the bottom surface is inclined so that it becomes lower toward the center in the left-right direction. The board holder 1200 has an ejection part 1201 that is cut out from the front end toward the rear at the center in the left-right direction of the bottom surface. When assembled to the game board 5, this board holder 1200 covers the lower part of the back unit 3000 attached to the rear side of the game panel 1100 from the bottom and rear, and the main control board box 1320 of the main control unit 1300 is attached to the rear surface.

When the board holder 1200 is assembled to the pachinko machine 1, the discharge section 1201 is located directly above the discharged ball receiving section 628 of the base unit 620b in the board unit 620 of the main body frame 4, and is located directly below the out ball detection member 3080 of the rear unit 3000. This board holder 1200 can receive all game balls B discharged downward from the front unit 2000 and rear unit 3000, and can discharge them from the discharge section 1201 formed on the bottom surface to the discharged ball receiving section 628 below.

[5-4. Main control board unit]
The main control unit 1300 in the game board 5 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 390 to 392. The main control unit 1300 is detachably attached to the rear surface of the board holder 1200. The main control unit 1300 includes a main control board 1310 (see Figure 484) that controls the game content and the payout of game balls B, and a main control board box 1320 that houses the main control board 1310 and is attached to the board holder 1200.

The main control board box 1320 is equipped with multiple sealing mechanisms, and when one sealing mechanism is used to close the main control board box 1320, that sealing mechanism must be destroyed in order to open the main control board box 1320, leaving traces of the opening and closing of the main control board box 1320. Therefore, by observing the traces of opening and closing, unauthorized opening and closing of the main control board box 1320 can be discovered, and the deterrent effect against unauthorized acts on the main control board 1310 is enhanced.

The main control board 1310 of the main control unit 1300 is connected to the interface board 635 and the peripheral control board 1510. The main control board 1310 is also connected to the function display unit 1400, the first start port sensor 3052, the gate sensor 2801, the second start port sensor 2401, the general prize port sensor 3051, the first large prize port sensor 2402, the second large prize port sensor 2601, the outlet sensor 3053, the first sub-out port sensor 2403, the second sub-out port sensor 3054, and the magnetic sensors 2404, 2602, 3055, etc.

[5-5. Function display unit]
The function display unit 1400 in the game board 5 will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIG. 385 etc. The function display unit 1400 is attached to the upper left corner of the front component 1000 outside the game area 5a. When assembled to the pachinko machine 1, the function display unit 1400 can be seen from the front (player side) through the door window 101a of the door frame 3. This function display unit 1400 uses multiple LEDs based on control signals from the main control board 1310 to display the game status (game situation), normal lottery results, special lottery results, etc.

The function display unit 1400 (detailed illustration omitted) is equipped with a status indicator consisting of three LEDs that display the game status, a normal pattern display consisting of two LEDs that displays the normal lottery result that is drawn when game ball B passes through gate unit 2003, and a normal hold display consisting of two LEDs that displays the number of holds related to the passage of game ball B through gate unit 2003.

The function display unit 1400 also includes a first special pattern display consisting of eight LEDs that displays the first special lottery result drawn by the reception of game ball B into the first starting port 2002, a first special reserved number display consisting of two LEDs that displays the reserved number related to the reception of game ball B into the first starting port 2002, a second special pattern display consisting of eight LEDs that displays the second special lottery result drawn by the reception of game ball B into the second starting port 2004, and a second special reserved number display consisting of two LEDs that displays the reserved number related to the reception of game ball B into the second starting port 2004.

Furthermore, the function display unit 1400 is equipped with a round indicator consisting of five LEDs that displays the number of times (number of rounds) that the opening and closing pattern of the first large prize opening 2005 or the second large prize opening 2006 is repeated when the first special lottery result or the second special lottery result is a "win" or the like.

This functional display unit 1400 can display the number of reserved items, designs, etc., by turning on, off, blinking, etc. the LEDs provided as appropriate.

[5-6. Peripheral control unit]
The peripheral control unit 1500 in the game board 5 will be described mainly with reference to Figs. 388, 391, and 392. The peripheral control unit 1500 is attached to the rear side of the performance display device 1600 attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010 of the rear unit 3000. The peripheral control unit 1500 includes a peripheral control board 1510 (see Fig. 484) that controls the performance presented to the player based on a control signal from the main control board 1310, and a peripheral control board box 1520 that houses the peripheral control board 1510. The peripheral control board 1510 includes a peripheral control unit 1511 for controlling light emission performance, sound performance, movable performance, etc., and a performance display control unit 1512 for controlling performance images.

The peripheral control board 1510 of the peripheral control unit 1500 is connected to the main control board 1310, the performance operation unit 300, various decorative boards on the door frame 3 side, the performance display device 1600, etc.

[5-7. Performance display device]
The effect display device 1600 in the game board 5 will be described mainly with reference to Figs. 390 and 391. The effect display device 1600 is disposed in the center of the game area 5a when viewed from the front, and is disposed behind the game panel 1100. The performance display device 1600 is attached to the rear side of the rear unit 3000 via the rear box 3010 of the rear unit 3000. The performance display device 1600 is detachably attached to the rear surface of the rear wall of the rear box 3010 at approximately the center. When the game board 5 is assembled, 1600 can be viewed from the front (player's side) through the frame of the frame-shaped center device 2500.

The performance display device 1600 is a 19-inch full-color performance display device backlit by white LEDs, and is approximately the same width as the left-right width of the rear wall of the rear box 3010. The performance display device is connected to the peripheral control board 1510, and can display specified still images and videos.

The performance display device 1600 has two upper fixing pieces 1601 protruding upward from the upper end surface and one lower fixing piece 1602 protruding downward from the lower end surface. With the LCD screen facing forward, the performance display device 1600 is attached to the rear box 3010 by inserting the two upper fixing pieces 1601 from the diagonal rear of the rear box 3010 into two fixing grooves 3010c opening into the upper inner surface of the frame-shaped LCD mounting part 3010b of the rear box 3010 described later, and then moving the lower fixing piece 1602 side forward to insert the lower fixing piece 1602 into the opening of the locking mechanism 3020 and sliding the locking mechanism 3020 to the right when viewed from behind.

[5-8. Overall structure of the table unit]
The front unit 2000 of the game board 5 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 395. Fig. 395(a) is a perspective view of the front unit of the game board seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the front unit of the game board seen from the back. The front unit 2000 is attached to the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100 from the front, and the front end protrudes forward from the front surface of the panel plate 1110, while a part of the rear end penetrates the opening 1112 of the panel plate 1110 and protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the panel plate 1110.

The front unit 2000 comprises a plurality of (four in this case) general winning openings 2001 which are always open and capable of receiving game balls B that have been shot into the game area 5a, a first starting opening 2002 which is always open and capable of receiving game balls B at a different position in the game area 5a from the plurality of general winning openings 2001, a gate section 2003 which is provided at a predetermined position in the game area 5a and detects the passage of game ball B, and a gate section 2003 which is capable of receiving game ball B according to the result of a general lottery which is drawn when game ball B passes through gate section 2003. a first large prize winning port 2005 that can receive the game ball B depending on the first special lottery result or the second special lottery result that is drawn by receiving the game ball B into the first starting port 2002 or the second starting port 2004; and a second large prize winning port 2006 that is provided at a position different from the first large prize winning port 2005 and can receive the game ball B depending on the first special lottery result or the second special lottery result that is drawn by receiving the game ball B into the first starting port 2002 or the second starting port 2004.

Of the multiple (four here) general winning openings 2001, three are located on the left side of the horizontal center in the lower part of the play area 5a, and the remaining one is located above the vertical center in the right part of the play area 5a. The first starting opening 2002 is located directly above the outlet opening 2010 at the bottom in the horizontal center of the play area 5a. The gate section 2003 is located at about 3/4 height from the bottom in the vertical direction near the right end of the play area 5a when viewed from the front. The second starting opening 2004 is located at a height slightly higher than the general winning opening 2001 at the left end in the lower right corner of the play area 5a. The first large winning opening 2005 is located between the first starting opening 2002 and the second starting opening 2004. The second large winning opening 2006 is located above the second starting opening 2004 and directly below the general winning opening 2001 on the right side.

The first sub-outlet 2011 is located below the second starting port 2004, and the second sub-outlet 2012 is located to the right of the general winning port 2001 on the right side.

The front unit 2000 also includes a start port unit 2100 that is attached directly above the bottom end of the play area 5a in the left-right center of the play area 5a and has a first start port 2002; a side unit 2200 that is arranged along the inner rail 1002 to the left of the start port unit 2100 when viewed from the front and has three general winning ports 2001; an upper left side unit 2300 that is arranged slightly above the left side of the side unit 2200 when viewed from the front; a first attacca unit 2400 that is arranged to the right of the start port unit 2100, which is the lower right corner of the play area 5a when viewed from the front, when viewed from the front, and has a second start port 2004, a first large winning port 2005, and a first sub-out port 2011; and a frame-shaped center device 2500 that is arranged above the start port unit 2100 and the side unit 2200 and slightly above the center of the play area 5a when viewed from the front.

The front unit 2000 further comprises a second attacca unit 2600 which is located above the first attacca unit 2400 to the right of the center device 2500 and has a second large winning opening 2006, a side right middle unit 2700 which is located above the second attacca unit 2600 and has one general winning opening 2001 and a second sub-out opening 2012, and a gate member 2800 which is located above the side right middle unit 2700 and has a gate section 2003.

[5-8a. Starting unit]
The starting port unit 2100 of the front unit 2000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 396 to 398. Figure 396 (a) is a perspective view of the starting port unit and the side unit in the front unit seen from the front, (b) is a perspective view of the starting port unit and the side unit in the front unit seen from the back, (c) is a left side view of the starting port unit, and (d) is a left side view of the side unit. Figure 397 is an explanatory diagram comparing the inclination of the front surface of the general winning port with the inclination of the door member of the variable winning port in the open state. Figure 398 is an enlarged front view showing the parts of the starting port unit and the side unit on the game board. The starting port unit 2100 of the front unit 2000 is located directly above the out port 2010 near the lower end of the center in the left-right direction in the game area 5a, and is attached to the game panel 1100 from the front. The starting opening unit 2100 has a first starting opening 2002 which is always open upward and wide enough to accommodate only one game ball B.

The starting port unit 2100 includes a front wall portion 2101 extending parallel to the surface of the play area 5a (play panel 1100), a peripheral wall portion 2102 extending rearward from the periphery of the front wall portion 2101, and a flat flange portion 2103 extending outward in the left-right direction from the middle of the front-rear direction of the peripheral wall portion 2102, and is entirely formed of a transparent material. The front wall portion 2101 is formed in a shape that combines a rectangular portion that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front and a semicircular portion with the lower side of the rectangular portion as a chord. The peripheral wall portion 2102 extends rearward from the periphery of the front wall portion 2101 except for the upper side, and is formed in a gutter shape with an open upper portion. The bottom surface of the peripheral wall portion 2102 is inclined so that the rear end side is lower, and the game ball B can be guided rearward.

The starting port unit 2100 is attached to the panel plate 1110 with the flange portion 2103 extending left and right from the middle of the peripheral wall portion 2102 abutting against the front surface of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100. When attached to the panel plate 1110, the starting port unit 2100 forms a first starting port 2002 capable of receiving a game ball B with the front wall portion 2101, which protrudes forward from the panel plate 1110, and the peripheral wall portion 2102.

When the starting hole unit 2100 is attached to the game panel 1100, the first starting hole 2002 protrudes forward from the front surface of the game panel 1100 and opens upward, and is located directly below the center of the stage 2513 of the center device 2500. Therefore, when a game ball B is released downward from the central release section 2513a of the stage 2513, there is an extremely high probability that it will be received by the first starting hole 2002.

When the starting port unit 2100 is attached to the game panel 1100, the game ball B received in the first starting port 2002 can be guided to the rear of the game panel 1100 by the inclination of the gutter-shaped peripheral wall portion 2102, and can be delivered to the first delivery port 3061 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000. The game ball B delivered to the first delivery port 3061 of the rear guide unit 3050 is detected by the first starting port sensor 3052 and then discharged onto the board holder 1200 below.

Although not shown in the figure, a decorative sticker is attached to the front surface of the front wall 2101, so that it is more noticeable than the general winning hole 2001 of the side unit 2200. This allows the player's attention to be directed to the first starting hole 2002 rather than the general winning hole 2001, and encourages the player to shoot the game ball B aimed at the first starting hole 2002. In addition, by receiving the game ball B into the first starting hole 2002, a special lottery result (first special lottery result) that generates a favorable game state in which the player is advantageous, such as a "jackpot" game, is drawn. This increases the expectation for the special lottery result that is drawn by receiving the game ball B into the first starting hole 2002, and prevents the player's interest from declining.

The bottom surface of the peripheral wall portion 2102 of the starting port unit 2100, which guides the game ball B backward, is inclined at a gentler angle (closer to horizontal) than the inclined portion of the first front wall portion 2203 of the side unit 2200, so that the moving speed (rolling speed) of the game ball B backward is relatively slow. Therefore, when the game ball B is received in the first starting port 2002, the received game ball B is visible for a longer period of time than the game ball B received in the general winning port 2001, so that the player can be sure that the game ball B has been received in the first starting port 2002, and can feel the joy (sense of superiority) of the game ball B being received in the first starting port 2002 for a longer period of time than when the game ball B is received in the general winning port 2001.

In addition, when the starting port unit 2100 is assembled to the game board 5, as shown in FIG. 398, the back-lower middle performance unit 3300 of the back unit 3000 is located at the rear, and is illuminated and decorated by light from LEDs such as the back-lower middle first decorative board 3322 and the back-lower middle second decorative board 3329 of the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 provided on the back-lower middle performance unit 3300.

Furthermore, although detailed illustration is omitted, the starting port unit 2100 may be provided with a rib that spans the front wall portion 2101 and the bottom portion of the peripheral wall portion 2102 in the first starting port 2002. This rib is formed in a triangular shape (part of which may be rounded) in a side view, and the upper surface is inclined at approximately the same angle as the inclined portion of the first front wall portion 2203 of the two general winning ports 2001 from the right side of the side unit 2200, and the distance to the upper end of the first front wall portion 2203 is longer than the distance from the upper end to the inclined portion of the first front wall portion 2203 of the side unit 2200 (the position of the rib is lower than the inclined portion of the first front wall portion 2203). This allows the timing at which the game ball B received in the first starting opening 2002 hits the rib and is guided backward to be delayed compared to the timing at which the game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001 hits the inclined portion of the first front wall 2203 and is guided backward, achieving the same effect as described above.

[5-8b. Side unit]
The side unit 2200 in the front unit 2000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 396 to 398. The side unit 2200 of the front unit 2000 extends along the inner rail 1002 to the left of the starting unit 2100 in the game area 5a, and is attached to the game panel 1100 from the front. The side unit 2200 has three general winning openings 2001 that are open to always receive the game ball B. The three general winning openings 2001 of the side unit 2200 are arranged in a circular arc shape along the inner rail 1002. The two general winning openings 2001 on the right side open upward, and the general winning opening 2001 on the left side opens upward to the left.

The side unit 2200 comprises a flat base plate, two first guide gutters extending from the base plate in a gutter-like manner in the front and rear directions and spaced apart from each other on the left and right, with the front ends inclined so as to move rearward as they move downward, a first front wall portion closing the front end side of each of the two first guide gutters, a second guide gutter extending from the base plate in a gutter-like manner in the front and rear directions to the left of the two first guide gutters, and a second front wall portion closing the front end side of the second guide gutters. The side unit 2200 is entirely made of a transparent material.

The first guide gutter 2202 and the second guide gutter 2204 have a U-shaped cross section. The first guide gutter 2202 has the open part of the U-shape facing upward, and the second guide gutter 2204 has the open part of the U-shape facing upward and to the left. The front end of the first guide gutter 2202 extends vertically at the top, with the boundary being a point about 3/4 of the way up from the bottom, and extends obliquely to the vicinity of the base plate 2201 so that the lower part moves backward as it goes downward. Therefore, the first front wall part 2203 that closes the front end side of the first guide gutter 2202 has a shape in which the lower part is bent backward at a position about 3/4 of the way up from the bottom.

The front end of the second guide gutter 2204 is vertical. Therefore, the second front wall portion 2205 that closes the front end of the second guide gutter 2204 extends vertically and parallel to the base plate 2201.

The side unit 2200 is attached to the panel plate 1110 with the base plate 2201 abutting against the front surface of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100. The first guide gutter 2202 and the second guide gutter 2204 have portions that protrude forward from the panel plate 1110, and the first front wall portion 2203 and the second front wall portion 2205 form a general winning opening 2001 that can receive the game ball B. When the side unit 2200 is attached to the panel plate 1110, the portions of the first guide gutter 2202 and the second guide gutter 2204 that protrude rearward from the base plate 2201 penetrate the opening 1112 of the panel plate 1110 and protrude rearward from the rear surface of the panel plate 1110. The first guide gutter 2202 and the second guide gutter 2204 are inclined so that their bottom surfaces become lower toward the rear, and can guide the game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001 to the rear.

When the side unit 2200 is assembled to the game board 5, the three general winning openings 2001 protrude forward from the front surface of the game panel 1100. This side unit 2200 can guide the game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001 to the rear of the game panel 1100 and deliver it to any one of the second delivery opening 3062, the third delivery opening 3063, and the fourth delivery opening 3064 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000. The game ball B delivered to any one of the second delivery opening 3062, the third delivery opening 3063, and the fourth delivery opening 3064 of the rear guide unit 3050 is detected by the general winning opening sensor 3051 and is discharged onto the board holder 1200 below.

The side unit 2200 differs from the starting port unit 2100 in that no decorative stickers are attached to the first front wall portion 2203 or the second front wall portion 2205 which form the front of the general winning port 2001, making it less noticeable than the first starting port 2002. In addition, the two general winning ports 2001 in the side unit 2200 have inclined front ends, which emphasizes the three-dimensional feel of the general winning ports 2001, and the appearance is not impaired even though no decorative stickers are attached to the front.

When the side unit 2200 is assembled to the game board 5, as shown in FIG. 398, the lower left performance unit 3200 of the rear unit 3000 is located behind it, and the light from the LEDs on the lower left decorative board 3203 of the lower left performance unit 3200 can be used for illumination and decoration, and the lower left rotating decorative body 3201 can be seen in good condition. In addition, the side unit 2200 has an inclined portion on the first front wall portion 2203 that forms the front ends of the two general winning holes 2001, so that the light irradiated forward from the lower left decorative board 3203 of the lower left performance unit 3200 of the rear unit 3000 can be reflected (or refracted) toward the head of the player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1, improving the appearance of the pachinko machine 1.

In this side unit 2200, the bent and diagonally extending portion of the first front wall portion 2203 is inclined at a steeper angle than the bottom surface of the peripheral wall portion 2102 of the starting opening unit 2100, so that the moving speed (rolling speed) of the game ball B to the rear is relatively faster. The bottom surfaces of the first guide gutter 2202 and the second guide gutter 2204 are inclined at approximately the same angle as the bottom surface of the peripheral wall portion 2102 of the starting opening unit 2100. Therefore, when the game ball B is received in the general winning opening 2001, the received game ball B becomes invisible in a shorter time than the game ball B received in the first starting opening 2002. This allows the player to be sure that the game ball B has been accepted by the general winning port 2001, while preventing the player's attention from being drawn unnecessarily to the general winning port 2001 for a long time. This makes it easier for the player to direct his or her attention to other winning ports, such as the next game ball B or the first starting port 2002, the first large winning port 2005, and the second large winning port 2006, allowing the player to continue enjoying playing within the game area 5a and preventing a decline in interest.

In other words, the bent and obliquely extending portion of the first front wall portion 2203 of the side unit 2200 is inclined at a steeper angle than the bottom surface of the peripheral wall portion 2102 of the starting opening unit 2100, so that the rolling speed of the game ball B received in the first starting opening 2002 can be slower than the rolling speed of the game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001. Therefore, when the game ball B is received in the first starting opening 2002, the received game ball B can be seen for a longer time than the game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001, so that the player can be sure that the game ball B has been received in the first starting opening 2002, and can feel the joy (sense of superiority) of the game ball B being received in the first starting opening 2002 for a longer time than when the game ball B is received in the general winning opening 2001.

In the side unit 2200, the first front wall portion 2203 that forms the front ends of the two general winning openings 2001 is inclined, so that game ball B can pass in front of the inclined portion of the first front wall portion 2203 from the side of the first guide gutter 2202. When game ball B passes in front of the first front wall portion 2203, game ball B appears to overlap with the general winning opening 2001 when viewed from the front, so some players may be under the mistaken impression that game ball B has been accepted by the general winning opening 2001, and as game ball B is not paid out, they may feel distrustful of the pachinko machine 1 and the game hall, which may reduce their interest in the game. In contrast, in the side unit 2200 of this embodiment, as described above, the inclined portion of the first front wall portion 2203 and the first guide gutter 2202 allow the player to see the game ball B that is received into the general winning opening 2001 and guided backwards, albeit for a short time, so that the player can recognize that the game ball B has been received into the general winning opening 2001. Therefore, even if the player has the illusion that the game ball B that has passed in front of the first front wall portion 2203 has been received into the general winning opening 2001, the player can immediately recognize that this is an illusion.

In addition, this side unit 2200 is designed to allow a portion of the game ball B to pass in front of the first front wall portion 2203. Therefore, when the game ball B passes in front of the first front wall portion 2203 of the general winning opening 2001, if a majority of the game ball B (at least half of the game ball B) overlaps with the general winning opening 2001 when viewed from the front, some players may be given the illusion that the game ball B has been received by the general winning opening 2001, which can be entertaining for the player. At this time, because a portion of game ball B does not overlap with general winning opening 2001, the player does not strongly recognize that game ball B has been accepted into general winning opening 2001, and may be led to believe that it was an illusion. Therefore, even if no special benefit (payout of game ball B or drawing of the first special lottery result) is subsequently awarded, the player is prevented from feeling distrustful of pachinko machine 1 or the gaming hall, and the player can continue to enjoy the game, preventing a decline in interest.

In addition, the side unit 2200 has the front end of the leftmost (leftmost) general winning opening 2001 of the three general winning openings 2001 extended parallel to the game panel 1100 (panel plate 1110) by the second front wall portion 2205, and has a similar shape to the first starting opening 2002 of the starting opening unit 2100. As a result, when game ball B is received in the leftmost general winning opening 2001, some players may be given the illusion that it has been received in the starting opening. And even if game ball B is received in the general winning opening 2001 that is mistaken for a starting opening, the special lottery result is not drawn, which may cause players to feel distrust towards the pachinko machine 1 and the game hall. However, the general winning opening 2001 is located at the left end of the side unit 2200, away to the left of the first starting opening 2002 in the center in the left-right direction (in a position where it cannot be accepted with a "right hit"), and since there is no decorative sticker indicating a starting opening attached to the front of the second front wall 2205, it is possible to reassure the player that it is not the starting opening, and it is possible to avoid a decrease in interest in the game due to a feeling of distrust on the part of the player.

In addition, because the front ends of the two general winning openings 2001 of the side unit 2200 are inclined, the amount of material required for the side unit 2200 can be reduced compared to when those front ends are parallel to the surface of the gaming panel 1100, and because no decorative stickers are attached to the front of the general winning openings 2001, the cost of the pachinko machine 1 can be reduced.

Although not shown, the inclination angle from the horizontal of the first front wall 2203 of the side unit 2200 (general winning port 2001) is set to be greater than the inclination angle from the horizontal when the winning port door, which closes the variable winning ports such as the large winning port and the accessory winning port, opens and closes the variable winning port by rotating around the lower edge so that the upper edge moves forward to guide the game ball B toward the winning port. In more detail, some players may wish for more game balls B to enter the variable winning port when the number of game balls B paid out by receiving the game balls B into the variable winning port is greater than that of the general winning port 2001. Or, even if the variable winning port (large winning port) has a set number of winnings, players may wish for more than the set number of winnings. Therefore, by making the inclination of the winning port door of the variable winning port gentler than that of the general winning port 2001 (first front wall portion 2203), the speed of the game ball B rolling on the winning port door is slower, and as described above, when the game ball B is received in the variable winning port, the received game ball B is visible for a longer time than the game ball B received in the general winning port 2001, so that the player can be sure that the game ball B has been received in the variable winning port, and can feel the joy (sense of superiority) of the game ball B being received in the variable winning port for a longer time than when it is received in the general winning port 2001. Also, because the angle of the winning port door in the open state is gentle, it takes a longer time for the winning port door in the open state to close, so that the player can feel that more than the specified number of game balls B have won.

In addition, in the two general winning openings 2001 on the right side of the side unit 2200, the distance extending diagonally downward from the bottom end of the first front wall portion 2203 is longer than the distance extending vertically downward from the top end of the first front wall portion 2203. As a result, since the winning opening is a general winning opening 2001, game balls B are paid out but no lottery such as a normal lottery or a special lottery is held, so that game balls B received in the general winning opening 2001 can be hidden from the player's field of view early on.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the front of a specific general winning opening 2001 among the multiple general winning openings 2001 in the side unit 2200 is inclined, but this is not limited to this, and the front of all the general winning openings 2001 may be inclined. Also, in this embodiment, the general winning opening 2001 with the front not inclined is provided at a position where the game ball B launched at the launch position in a normal game state (so-called "left hit") can enter, but this is not limited to this, and the general winning opening 2001 with the front not inclined may be provided at a position where the game ball B launched at the launch position in a favorable game state (during "time reduction", "probable win", or "jackpot") can enter, or may be provided at both.

As shown in FIG. 397, the inclination angle of the general winning opening 2001 with a slope on the front side is narrower than the opening angle of the variable winning opening (for example, the large winning opening) when it is opened from the closed state. If the number of game balls B paid out when winning at the large winning opening is greater than that of the general winning opening 2001, the player hopes to win more than the specified number of games even at the large winning opening with a specified number of wins. Therefore, the speed at which the game ball B that has won at the large winning opening rolls to the back side is slower than the speed at which the game ball B that has won at the general winning opening 2001 with a sloped front side rolls to the back side. In other words, when a game ball B wins at the general winning opening 2001 with a smaller number of payouts than when winning at the large winning opening, the speed at which the game ball B that has won at the large winning opening rolls to the back side is faster than the speed at which the game ball B that has won at the large winning opening rolls to the back side. In other words, it can be said that the more payouts a winning opening has, the slower it takes to disappear from the player's field of vision. This means that the more prizes a slot gives out, the longer the joy you can enjoy when you win.

[5-8c. Upper left side unit]
The upper left side unit 2300 of the front unit 2000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIG. 395 etc. The upper left side unit 2300 of the front unit 2000 is attached to the game panel 1100 from the front so as to contact the inner rail 1002 to the left of the side unit 2200 within the game area 5a. The upper left side unit 2300 has a shelf portion 2301 that is inclined so as to be lower to the right. The upper left side unit 2300 is formed entirely transparent.

When the upper left side unit 2300 is assembled to the game board 5, the shelf portion 2301 protrudes forward from the front surface of the game panel 1100. The upper left side unit 2300 can guide the game ball B that has flowed down the left side of the center device 2500 to the right side below the center device 2500 by the shelf portion 2301.

[5-8d. First Attacker Unit]
The first attacca unit 2400 in the front unit 2000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 399 to 403. Figure 399(a) is a perspective view of the first attacca unit in the front unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the first attacca unit in the front unit seen from the back. Figure 400 is an exploded perspective view of the first attacca unit seen from the front, and Figure 401 is an exploded perspective view of the first attacca unit seen from the back. Figure 402 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of the first large prize winning gate in the first attacca unit from the left side. Figure 403 is an explanatory diagram showing the passage of the game ball in the first attacca unit in cross section.

The first attacca unit 2400 of the front unit 2000 is located in the game area 5a, to the right of the starting hole unit 2100, which is the lower right corner when viewed from the front, and is attached from the front to the front of the panel board 1110 of the game panel 1100. This first attacca unit 2400 has a second starting hole 2004, a first large winning hole 2005, and a first sub-out hole 2011 (see FIG. 408, etc.). In the first attacca unit 2400, the second starting hole 2004 is provided at the top right of the center in the left-right direction when viewed from the front, the first large winning hole 2005 is provided to the left of the center in the left-right direction and at a lower position than the second starting hole 2004, and the first sub-out hole 2011 is provided below the second starting hole 2004 and at a lower position than the first large winning hole 2005.

The first attacker unit 2400 also includes a second start opening sensor 2401 that detects a game ball B received in the second start opening 2004, a first large winning opening sensor 2402 that detects a game ball B received in the first large winning opening 2005, a first sub-out opening sensor 2403 that detects a game ball B received in the first sub-out opening 2011, and a magnetic sensor 2404 that detects unauthorized magnetism. Two first large winning opening sensors 2402 and two magnetic sensors 2404 are provided.

The first attacker unit 2400 comprises a unit base 2411 attached to the panel board 1110, a front cover 2412 attached to the front side of the unit base 2411 and forming a flow path for the game ball B, a rear cover 2413 attached to the rear side of the unit base 2411, a second starting port door 2414 attached to the unit base 2411 and capable of closing the second starting port 2004, and a starting port for opening and closing the second starting port 2004 by moving the second starting port door 2414. The first main prize opening door 2417 is attached to the unit base 2411 and is capable of closing the first main prize opening 2005. The first main prize opening door 2417 is attached to the unit base 2411 and is capable of closing the first main prize opening 2005. The first main prize opening door 2417 is movable to open and close the first main prize opening 2005. A transmission member 2419 is provided to transmit the forward and backward movement of the first attacca solenoid 2418 to move the first main prize opening door 2417.

The first attacker unit 2400 is also provided with a first large prize opening decorative board 2420 attached to the rear cover 2413 for illuminating and decorating the first large prize opening 2005, and a first attacker relay board 2421 attached to the rear surface of the rear cover 2413 for relaying the connection between the second start opening sensor 2401, the first large prize opening sensor 2402, the first sub-out opening sensor 2403, the magnetic sensor 2404, the start opening solenoid 2415, the first attacker solenoid 2418, and the first attacker relay board 2421 for relaying the connection between the first large prize opening decorative board 2420 and the panel relay board 1710.

The unit base 2411 is formed of a transparent material. The unit base 2411 has a first opening 2411a that penetrates from the front to the back near the upper end from the center in the left-right direction to the right, a first guide hole 2411b that penetrates from the front to the back below the first opening 2411a, a second opening 2411c that is long and penetrates from the front to the back at the upper part to the left of the center in the left-right direction, two second guide holes 2411d that are lined up on the left and right below the second opening 2411c and penetrate from the front to the back, and a first sub-outlet 2011 that penetrates from the front to the back below the first guide hole 2411b.

The first opening 2411a of the unit base 2411 is formed with a width from left to right that is slightly longer than the diameter of the game ball B, and the door portion 2414a of the second starting gate 2414 is inserted through it. The first guide hole 2411b is provided at a position lower than the center in the vertical direction. The first guide hole 2411b protrudes backward in a cylindrical shape, and is inclined so that the rear end side is lower. The second opening 2411c extends left to right with a length four to six times the diameter of the game ball B, and the door portion 2417a of the first large winning gate 2417 is inserted through it. The second guide holes 2411d each protrude backward in a cylindrical shape, and are inclined so that the rear end side is lower.

The unit base 2411 is also lined up on the left and right along the upper edge of the second opening 2411c and has two abutment parts 2411e that protrude forward in a triangular shape. When the first large prize opening 2005 is closed, these abutment parts 2411e cooperate with the abutment parts of the front cover 2412 to cause the game ball B rolling on the door part 2417a of the first large prize opening door 2417 to circulate in a large zigzag pattern in the front-to-back direction.

A second start hole sensor 2401 is attached to the unit base 2411 directly above the first guide hole 2411b with its detection hole protruding forward from the front surface of the unit base 2411. A first large prize hole sensor 2402 is attached directly above each of the two second guide holes 2411d with its detection hole protruding forward from the front surface of the unit base 2411. Furthermore, a first sub-out port sensor 2403 is attached to the unit base 2411 at the rear end of the first sub-out port 2011 so that the detection holes are aligned. Magnetic sensors 2404 are attached to the rear surface of the unit base 2411 at a location to the left of the first guide hole 2411b and to the right of the two second guide holes 2411d.

The front cover 2412 is formed in a box shape that is open to the rear, and is made of a transparent material. The front cover 2412 is for forming a passage for the game ball B on the front surface of the unit base 2411. As shown in FIG. 403, the front cover 2412 is made up of a first shelf portion 2412a that extends from the upper right corner to the left in a downward direction, a second shelf portion 2412b that extends from the left end of the first shelf portion 2412a to the left at a distance slightly longer than the diameter of the game ball B and shorter than the first shelf portion 2412a so as to extend from a position lower than the left end of the first shelf portion 2412a to the left in a downward direction, and forms a second starting opening 2004 between the first shelf portion 2412a and the second shelf portion 2412b. a third shelf portion 2412c that extends shorter than the second shelf portion 2412b so as to become lower to the left from a position lower than the diameter of the game ball B to the left of the left end of the third shelf portion 2412b, and a fourth shelf portion 2412d that extends leftward from the left end of the third shelf portion 2412c at a distance of 4 to 6 times the diameter of the game ball B and from a position lower than the third shelf portion 2412c so as to become lower to the left, forming a first large winning opening 2005 between the third shelf portion 2412c and the fourth shelf portion 2412d.

The right end of the first shelf portion 2412a is located to the left from the right edge of the front cover 2412 by a distance slightly longer than the diameter of the game ball B. The first shelf portion 2412a, the second shelf portion 2412b, and the third shelf portion 2412c are each inclined at the same angle, and the fourth shelf portion 2412d is inclined at a steeper angle than the first shelf portion 2412a etc.

The front cover 2412 includes a first standing wall portion 2412e extending vertically downward from the right end of the first shelf portion 2412a, a second standing wall portion 2412f extending vertically downward from the left end of the first shelf portion 2412a to the same height as the lower end of the first standing wall portion 2412e, and a third standing wall portion 2412g extending vertically downward from the right end of the second shelf portion 2412b to the same height as the lower end of the first standing wall portion 2412e. a fourth standing wall portion 2412h extending vertically downward from the right end of the third shelf portion 2412c to the bottom edge of the front cover 2412, a fifth standing wall portion 2412i extending downward from the left end of the third shelf portion 2412c, a sixth standing wall portion 2412j extending downward from the right end of the fourth shelf portion 2412d, and a seventh standing wall portion 2412k extending downward from the left end of the fourth shelf portion 2412d.

The fifth standing wall portion 2412i extends downward from the left end of the third shelf portion 2412c to a position lower than the fourth shelf portion 2412d, then extends slightly longer than the diameter of the game ball B so as to become lower to the left, and then extends further downward to the bottom edge of the front cover 2412. The sixth standing wall portion 2412j extends downward from the right end of the fourth shelf portion 2412d to a position lower than the fourth shelf portion 2412d, then extends slightly longer than the diameter of the game ball B so as to become lower to the right, and then extends further downward to the bottom edge of the front cover 2412. The left-right distance between the lower parts of the fifth standing wall portion 2412i and the sixth standing wall portion 2412j is longer than twice the diameter of the game ball B.

Furthermore, the front cover 2412 has a first horizontal wall portion 2412l connecting the lower ends of the first vertical wall portion 2412e, the second vertical wall portion 2412f, and the third vertical wall portion 2412g, and a second horizontal wall portion 2412m that slopes downward to the left from a position lower than the lower end of the first vertical wall portion 2412e on the right side of the front cover 2412, leaving a gap between the first horizontal wall portion 2412l that allows the game ball B to flow, and then slopes upward toward the middle of the fourth vertical wall portion 2412h on the left. The first horizontal wall portion 2412l is provided at the same height as the lower end of the first guide hole 2411b in the unit base 2411. The second horizontal wall portion 2412m is formed so that the portion of the first sub-out port 2011 below the second starting port 2004 is the lowest.

The front cover 2412 also has a third horizontal wall portion 2412n that extends from near the bottom of each of the fifth vertical wall portion 2412i and the sixth vertical wall portion 2412j in a direction approaching each other to near the center between the fifth vertical wall portion 2412i and the sixth vertical wall portion 2412j, and a partition portion 2412o that connects the opposing ends of the two third horizontal wall portions 2412n and extends upward. The third horizontal wall portion 2412n is provided at the same height as the lower end of the second guide hole 2411d in the unit base 2411.

Furthermore, the front cover 2412 extends in a stepped manner along the upper edge of the front cover so as to become lower to the left, and the second shelf portion 2412b and the third shelf portion 2412c are provided with a gap between them that allows the game ball B to flow through. It has an upper shelf portion 2412p. The right end of the upper shelf portion 2412p is located directly above the left end of the first shelf portion 2412a, and the left end is located slightly to the right of the right end of the fourth shelf portion 2412d. Furthermore, the upper shelf portion 2412p is inclined so that the area near the right end becomes lower to the right.

Although not shown, the front cover 2412 is located in front of the abutment portion 2411e of the unit base 2411 and has two abutment portions that protrude rearward in a triangular shape at positions that are staggered in the left-right direction relative to the two abutment portions 2411e of the unit base 2411. When the first large prize opening 2005 is in a closed state, these abutment portions cooperate with the abutment portion 2411e of the unit base 2411 to allow the game ball B rolling on the door portion 2417a of the first large prize opening door 2417 to circulate in a large zigzag pattern in the front-to-rear direction.

The rear cover 2413 is formed in a box shape that is open to the front. The rear cover 2413 cooperates with the unit base 2411 to hold the second start port door 2414, the solenoid cover 2416, the first large prize port door 2417, the first attacca solenoid 2418, etc. The rear cover 2413 also cooperates with the front cover 2412 to hold the second start port sensor 2401, the first large prize port sensor 2402, and the first sub-out port sensor 2403 in a clamping manner.

The second starting port door 2414 has a flat door portion 2414a, an arm portion 2414b extending downward from the door portion 2414a, a rotating shaft 2414c extending in the left-right direction from the lower end of the arm portion 2414b and rotatably attached to the unit base 2411, and a connection portion 2414d provided at a position away from the rotating shaft 2414c at the lower portion of the arm portion 2414b and connected to the tip of the plunger of the starting port solenoid 2415.

The door portion 2414a of the second starting door 2414 is inclined so that the left end side is lower. The arm portion 2414b of the second starting door 2414 extends downward from the rear end of the door portion 2414a, and then bends forward to a position approximately the same as the front end of the door portion 2414a. The connection portion 2414d is provided on the arm portion 2414b closer to the door portion 2414a than the rotation axis 2414c.

This second starting port door 2414 can close the second starting port 2004 with the door portion 2414a. The second starting port door 2414 rotates (pivots) around the rotation shaft 2414c as the plunger of the starting port solenoid 2415 moves back and forth, and the door portion 2414a moves back and forth to open and close the second starting port 2004.

The starting port solenoid 2415 is installed with the plunger protruding forward. When not energized, the plunger protrudes forward due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown), and when energized, the plunger retracts.

The first large prize opening door 2417 has a long, flat door section 2417a, a pair of arms 2417b each extending downward from both the left and right ends of the door section 2417a, a rotating shaft 2417c each extending left and right on the same axis from the lower end of each of the pair of arms 2417b, and a cylindrical link pin 2417d protruding to the right from the lower part of the right arm section 2417b.

The door portion 2417a of the first large prize opening door 2417 is inclined so that the left end side is lower. The pair of arm portions 2417b extend downward from the rear end of the door portion 2417a, and then bend forward to a position roughly the same as the front end of the door portion 2417a. The link pin 2417d is provided on the lower part of the arm portion 2417b, closer to the door portion 2417a than the rotation shaft 2417c. This link pin 2417d is slidably inserted into a slit 2419c that extends vertically in the transmission member 2419, which will be described later.

This first main prize opening door 2417 can close the first main prize opening 2005 with the door section 2417a. The first main prize opening door 2417 rotates (pivots) around the rotation axis 2417c as the plunger of the first attacca solenoid 2418 moves back and forth, and the door section 2417a moves back and forth to open and close the first main prize opening 2005.

The first attacca solenoid 2418 is installed with the plunger protruding forward. When not energized, the plunger of this first attacca solenoid 2418 protrudes forward due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown), and when energized, the plunger retracts.

The transmission member 2419 has a base 2419a attached to the tip of the plunger of the first attacca solenoid 2418, an extension 2419b extending forward from the base 2419a, and a slit 2419c that penetrates in the left-right direction near the front end of the extension 2419b and extends up and down. The link pin 2417d of the first large prize opening door 2417 is slidably inserted into the slit 2419c of the transmission member 2419.

The first large prize opening decorative board 2420 has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface that can emit light forward. The multiple LEDs on the first large prize opening decorative board 2420 are full-color LEDs. The first large prize opening decorative board 2420 can illuminate and decorate the first large prize opening 2005 by illuminating the multiple LEDs.

In the normal state of the first attacka unit 2400, the start port solenoid 2415 and the first attacka solenoid 2418 are both de-energized (OFF). In this normal state, the plunger of the start port solenoid 2415 protrudes forward due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown), and the door portion 2414a of the second start port door 2414 protrudes forward through the first opening 2411a of the unit base 2411. In this state, the door portion 2414a of the second start port door 2414 is located above the second start port 2004, and the door portion 2414a makes it impossible to receive the game ball B into the second start port 2004. In other words, the second start port 2004 is closed by the second start port door 2414 (door portion 2414a) (see FIG. 403).

In addition, in the normal state, the plunger of the first attack solenoid 2418 protrudes forward due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown), and the door portion 2417a of the first large prize opening door 2417 protrudes forward through the second opening 2411c of the unit base 2411. In this state, the door portion 2417a of the first large prize opening door 2417 is located above the first large prize opening 2005, and the door portion 2417a makes it impossible for the first large prize opening 2005 to receive a game ball B. In other words, the first large prize opening 2005 is closed by the first large prize opening door 2417 (door portion 2417a) (see Figures 402 and 403).

In this normal state, when the game ball B flows down onto the first shelf 2412a, the inclination of the first shelf 2412a causes the game ball B to roll to the left, roll over the upper surface of the door portion 2414a of the second starting gate 2414 and the second shelf 2412b, and is then released to the left from the left end of the second shelf 2412b. The game ball B released to the left from the second shelf 2412b falls onto the third shelf 2412c or the door portion 2417a of the first large winning gate 2417 depending on its momentum, and rolls to the left due to the inclination of these. Note that when the game ball B released to the left from the second shelf 2412b hits the underside of the upper shelf 2412p and bounces to the right, it may enter the gap between the second shelf 2412b and the third shelf 2412c.

At this time, the game ball B rolling on the door portion 2417a closing the first large winning opening 2005 alternately comes into contact with the abutment portion 2411e of the unit base 2411 and the abutment portion of the front cover 2412, and rolls to the left while zigzagging back and forth. After rolling to the left on the door portion 2417a, the game ball B rolls over the fourth shelf portion 2412d, and is then released from its left end outside the first attacker unit 2400.

In this first attacker unit 2400, when a game ball B flows down to the right of the first shelf 2412a, it passes along the right side of the first standing wall 2412e, falls near the right end of the second horizontal wall 2412m, and rolls to the left due to the inclination of the second horizontal wall 2412m to enter the first sub-outlet 2011. When a game ball B enters the gap between the second shelf 2412b and the third shelf 2412c, it passes between the third standing wall 2412g and the fourth standing wall 2412h, falls near the left end of the second horizontal wall 2412m, and rolls to the right due to the inclination of the second horizontal wall 2412m to enter the first sub-outlet 2011.

The game ball B that enters the first sub-outlet 2011 is detected by the first sub-outlet sensor 2403, and is delivered to the fifth delivery port 3065 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000 without being returned to the game area 5a, and is discharged from the rear guide unit 3050 onto the board holder 1200 below. In this first attacker unit 2400, the game ball B that flows along the right side of the first shelf 2412a and the game ball B that passes through the gap between the second shelf 2412b and the third shelf 2412c are both formed to enter the first sub-outlet 2011, and essentially two first sub-outlets 2011 are provided.

In this normal state, when the starting port solenoid 2415 is energized (ON) according to the normal lottery result obtained by the passage of the game ball B through the gate portion 2003, the plunger retracts against the spring force, and the connection portion 2414d above the rotation axis 2414c (door portion 2414a side) of the arm portion 2414b of the second starting port door 2414 is pulled backward by the tip of the plunger. As a result, the second starting port door 2414 rotates around the rotation axis 2414c in the direction in which the door portion 2414a moves backward. Then, by the door portion 2414a rotating so as to retract from the front surface of the unit base 2411, the upper part of the second starting port 2004 is opened, and the game ball B can be received into the second starting port 2004. In other words, the second starting port 2004 is in an open state.

When the second starting port 2004 is in an open state, if a game ball B is received in the second starting port 2004, it flows down between the second standing wall portion 2412f and the third standing wall portion 2412g, and after being detected by the second starting port sensor 2401, it falls onto the first horizontal wall portion 2412l. The portion between the second standing wall portion 2412f and the third standing wall portion 2412g in the first horizontal wall portion 2412l is inclined so as to be lower toward the rear, and due to this inclination, the game ball B rolls backward, enters the first induction hole 2411b of the unit base 2411, and is released backward from its rear end. The game ball B released backward from the rear end of the first induction hole 2411b is delivered to the fifth delivery port 3065 of the rear induction unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000, and is discharged from the rear induction unit 3050 onto the board holder 1200 below.

On the other hand, in the normal state, when the first attacca solenoid 2418 is energized (ON) in response to the special lottery result (first special lottery result or second special lottery result) that is determined by receiving the game ball B in the first starting hole 2002 or the second starting hole 2004, the plunger moves back together with the transmission member 2419 attached to its tip against the spring force. When this transmission member 2419 moves back, the link pin 2417d of the first large prize opening door 2417 inserted in the slit 2419c of the transmission member 2419 slides inside the slit 2419c and is pressed backward by the inner wall of the slit 2419c.

As a result, the first large prize opening door 2417 rotates around the rotation axis 2417c such that the door section 2417a moves rearward, and the front end of the door section 2417a moves rearward beyond the front surface of the unit base 2411. As the door section 2417a of the first large prize opening door 2417 moves rearward beyond the front surface of the unit base 2411, the first large prize opening 2005 is opened upward, and the first large prize opening 2005 is able to receive the game ball B (see FIG. 402). In other words, the first large prize opening 2005 is in an open state.

When the first large prize opening 2005 is in an open state, the game ball B is received in the first large prize opening 2005, passes between the fifth vertical wall portion 2412i and the sixth vertical wall portion 2412j, passes between the fifth vertical wall portion 2412i and the partition portion 2412o, or passes between the sixth vertical wall portion 2412j and the partition portion 2412o, is detected by one of the two first large prize opening sensors 2402, and falls onto the third horizontal wall portion 2412n. This third horizontal wall portion 2412n is inclined so that it becomes lower from the top surface toward the rear, and the game ball B that falls onto the third horizontal wall portion 2412n rolls backward due to the inclination and is released backward through the second guide hole 2411d of the unit base 2411. The game ball B released rearward from the second guide hole 2411d is delivered to the sixth delivery port 3066 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000, and is discharged from the rear guide unit 3050 onto the board holder 1200 below.

In this way, according to the first attacca unit 2400 of this embodiment, the first large prize opening door 2417 that opens and closes the first large prize opening 2005 is rotated around the rotation axis 2417c that extends left and right at the same position in the front-to-back direction as the front end of the door section 2417a that closes the first large prize opening 2005, so that the first large prize opening 2005 can be opened and closed by rotating the door section 2417a around the rotation axis 2417c that extends left and right at the same position in the front-to-back direction as the front end of the door section 2417a that closes the first large prize opening 2005. Therefore, the front-to-back depth of the first large prize opening 2005 (first attacca unit 2400) can be shortened as much as possible. This effect is the same for the second starting opening 2004 that is opened and closed by the second starting opening door 2414. This allows the space behind the first attacca unit 2400 to be relatively wider.

In addition, in the first attacker unit 2400, the game ball B received from the first large prize opening 2005 is divided into two by the partition 2412o, and each is detected by a different first large prize opening sensor 2402 and released to the rear of the unit base 2411. This makes it possible to prevent game ball B from becoming stuck between the first large prize opening 2005 and the first large prize opening sensor 2402, and also makes it possible to receive a large number of game balls B in a short period of time.

[5-8e. Center role]
Next, the center role 2500 of the front unit 2000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 404 and Fig. 405. Fig. 404(a) is a perspective view of the center role of the front unit seen from the front, and Fig. 404(b) is a perspective view of the center role of the front unit seen from the back. Fig. 405 is a front view of the center role. The center role 2500 of the front unit 2000 is located in the game area 5a, above the starting unit 2100, and slightly above the center when viewed from the front, and is attached to the front of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100. The center role 2500 is formed in a transparent frame shape, and the performance display device 1600 provided behind the game panel 1100 and various performance units provided in the back unit 3000 can be seen from the front.

The frame-shaped center device 2500 has a portion that protrudes forward from the front surface of the game panel 1100 all around, so that the game ball B that is shot into the game area 5a cannot enter the frame.

The center role 2500 has a frame-shaped peripheral wall portion 2501 (also called a center frame) extending in the front-rear direction, a flat flange portion 2502 protruding from the outer periphery of the peripheral wall portion 2501 and abutting the front surface of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100, and a flat support portion 2503 protruding from the inner periphery of the peripheral wall portion 2501. When assembled to the game board 5, the peripheral wall portion 2501 extends rearward to a position where its rear end coincides with the rear surface of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100. In addition, the peripheral wall portion 2501 is formed in a shape that follows the inner periphery of the opening 1112 in the panel plate 1110 into which the center role 2500 is inserted. When assembled to the game board 5, this peripheral wall portion 2501 can prevent the game ball B from entering from the outside of the center role 2500 to the inside of the frame.

The thickness of the flange portion 2502 and the support portion 2503 is formed to be thinner than the thickness of the panel plate 1110 (1/4 to 1/5 the thickness of the panel plate 1110). The flange portion 2502 and the support portion 2503 protrude from the peripheral wall portion 2501 at the same position in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the distance from the rear surface of the support portion 2503 (flange portion 2502) to the rear end of the peripheral wall portion 2501 is the same as the thickness of the panel plate 1110.

The support parts 2503 are provided partially on the inner circumference of the peripheral wall part 2501. The support parts 2503 are provided in the parts of the peripheral wall part 2501 where the flange part 2502 does not protrude, and reinforce the peripheral wall part 2501. The end edges of the support parts 2503 protruding from the peripheral wall part 2501 are formed in a shape that follows the front shape of the peripheral wall part 2501 or in a straight line, so that the support parts 2503 are not noticeable. The amount of protrusion of the support parts 2503 from the peripheral wall part 2501 is within the range from the thickness of the support parts 2503 to the thickness of the panel board 1110 (1 mm to 10 mm), so that the support parts 2503 are not noticeable to players while still providing a reinforcing effect.

In more detail, the center role 2500 has a plurality of support parts 2503. For example, in the support part 2503 provided at the part where the peripheral wall part 2501 protrudes furthest to the left above the warp entrance 2511 described later, the shape of the peripheral wall part 2501 at that part is such that the middle part of the part extending up and down bulges to the left. The tip edge of the support part 2503 is formed in a shape that follows the peripheral wall part 2501 on both the upper and lower sides of the part where the peripheral wall part 2501 bulges to the left, and in the part where the peripheral wall part 2501 bulges to the left, it has a different shape from the peripheral wall part 2501 and is formed in a straight line so as to connect the parts on both the upper and lower sides (see FIG. 413). When the support part 2503 in this area is assembled to the game board 5, the part of the tip edge of the support part 2503 that extends in a straight line up and down roughly follows part of the right side of the rear front left decorative body 3030 of the rear unit 3000 located at the rear. Therefore, because the tip edge of the support part 2503 coincides with the edge of the rear front left decorative body 3030, the support part 2503 becomes difficult to distinguish, and the decoration of the rear front left decorative body 3030 located at the rear can be made to stand out in comparison.

Of the multiple support parts 2503, the support part 2503 below the warp entrance 2511 extends to the right in a rectangular shape, while the peripheral wall part 2501 extends diagonally. When assembled to the game board 5, the support part 2503 in this area is located in front of the third back front left decorative body unit 3710C in the back front left performance unit 3700 of the back unit 3000 (see Figure 385, etc.). The tip edges extending to the left and right of this support part 2503 extend parallel to the multiple shutters 3732 of the shutter unit 3730 in the third back front left decorative body unit 3710C, so that it appears to be part of the shape of the shutter 3732, making it difficult to distinguish the support part 2503 (see Figure 389).

The center gadget 2500 is provided with a warp entrance 2511 that is open to allow the game ball B in the game area 5a to enter at a position on the left side of the peripheral wall 2501 when viewed from the front and in front of the game panel 1100 (panel plate 1110), a warp exit 2512 that opens into the frame behind the front of the game panel 1100 and allows the game ball B that entered the warp entrance 2511 to be released, a stage 2513 that can release the game ball B released from the warp exit 2512 into the game area 5a after rolling it in the left-right direction, and a stage cover 2515 that is provided to cover the top of the stage 2513 (see FIG. 405, etc.). The stage cover 2515 prevents the game ball B from entering the frame of the center gadget 2500 from outside by bouncing the game ball B that bounces on the stage 2513 back to the stage 2513 side.

The stage 2513 of the center role 2500 is curved with a recessed center in the left-right direction, and is formed in a wavy (W-shape) such that the position corresponding to directly above the first starting hole 2002 of the starting hole unit 2100, that is, the approximate center position in the left-right direction when the center role 2500 is attached to the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100, is slightly higher than both the left and right sides. This stage 2513 is inclined so that the part (center release part 2513a) that is slightly higher than both the left and right sides in the left-right center and the lowest part on both the left and right sides (side release part 2513b) are lower toward the front, and the game ball B can be released into the game area 5a from these parts.

When the center device 2500 is assembled to the game board 5, the elevated portion in the center of the stage 2513 in the left-right direction (the central release section 2513a) is located directly above the first starting hole 2002 of the starting hole unit 2100. As a result, when a game ball B is released from the central release section 2513a in the center of the stage 2513, it is received by the first starting hole 2002 with an extremely high probability.

The center device 2500 is also provided with a guide passage group 2520 in the upper right corner, which consists of two passages through which the game ball B can flow. When assembled to the game board 5, the right end of the guide passage group 2520 (the end of the upper right corner of the center device 2500) is approximately in contact with the inner periphery of the game area 5a (the right rail 1005 near the impact stopper 1006 of the front component 1000), and the game ball B that is shot to the upper right side of the center device 2500 always passes through the guide passage group 2520.

The guide passage group 2520 has a vertical length of approximately 1/7 of the total height of the game area 5a. Each guide passage group 2520 is formed in a groove shape that is open to the front, so that the game ball B flowing inside can be clearly seen from the front.

The guide passage group 2520 is provided outside the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center role-piece 2500, and is composed of a first guide passage 2521 that is separated from the peripheral wall portion 2501, and a second guide passage 2522 that extends along the peripheral wall portion 2501 to the right of the first guide passage 2521. The entrances of the first guide passage 2521 and the second guide passage 2522 are separated from each other on the left and right. The exits of the first guide passage 2521 and the second guide passage 2522 are adjacent to each other on the left and right, and open diagonally downward and to the right along the arc of the upper part of the right rail 1005.

The guide passage group 2520 is located above the gate portion 2003 when the center device 2500 is assembled to the game board 5. The right end of the entrance of the first guide passage 2521 is located directly below the lower end of the impact stopper 1006 of the previous component 1000, and is formed so that most of the game balls B that come into contact with the impact stopper 1006 enter the first guide passage 2521.

The center device 2500 also has a lower right guide passage 2530 that protrudes to the right from the lower right corner of the peripheral wall 2501 and guides the game ball B from above to the right and then releases it downward. The entrance of this lower right guide passage 2530 opens upward across the front width in the left-right direction, and the exit opens diagonally to the lower left with a width equivalent to one game ball B.

When assembled to the game board 5, the right end of this lower right guide passage 2530 is approximately in contact with the right rail 1005, and it is located between the first attacca unit 2400 and the second attacca unit 2600. Therefore, between the guide passage group 2520 and the lower right guide passage 2530, the second attacca unit 2600, the side right middle unit 2700, and the gate member 2800 are arranged.

According to the center role 2500 of this embodiment, a support portion 2503 is provided that protrudes inward from the peripheral wall portion 2501. Therefore, in the area where the support portion 2503 is provided, the peripheral wall portion 2501 becomes the outer edge of the center role 2500. This allows the inside of the peripheral wall portion 2501 (within the frame of the center role 2500) to be relatively wider, making it easier to see the performance image of the performance display device 1600 at the rear and the decoration of the back unit 3000 through the frame of the center role 2500.

In addition, since the support portion 2503 protruding inward is provided in a portion of the peripheral wall portion 2501 where the flange portion 2502 is not provided, the strength of the peripheral wall portion 2501 can be reinforced. This makes it possible to prevent the peripheral wall portion 2501 from being deformed or damaged even if the game ball B abuts against the outside of the portion of the peripheral wall portion 2501 where the support portion 2503 is provided. In addition, since the support portion 2503 can increase the strength of the center role 2500, the center role 2500 can be removed from the injection molding die without being deformed.

In addition, the transparent support part 2503 protrudes slightly from the inner circumference of the peripheral wall part 2501, and is partially provided around the entire circumference of the peripheral wall part 2501, so that the support part 2503 can reduce the obstruction of visibility of the decorative body of the rear unit 3000 provided at the rear and the performance image of the performance display device 1600. In addition, the center role 2500 such as the support part 2503 is transparent, and the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front left performance unit 3700 of the rear unit 3000 are arranged as close as possible to the rear surface of the center role 2500, so that the lens effect of the transparent center role 2500 can be suppressed from blurring the decoration of the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front left performance unit 3700. For this reason, according to the center role 2500 of this embodiment, the visibility of the decorative body provided at the rear can be improved, and the decorative effect due to them can be reliably exerted.

Furthermore, since the support part 2503 is transparent and is provided in front of the decorative body capable of illuminating decoration and the performance display device 1600, the light from them can be used for illuminating decoration, improving the appearance. In detail, as shown in FIG. 413, the rear front left performance unit 3700 and the performance display device 1600 in the rear unit 3000 are provided behind the support part 2503 (cross-hatched part in FIG. 413), so the light irradiated forward from the LED of the rear front left decorative board 3714 in the rear front left performance unit 3700 and the performance display device 1600 can be transmitted, reflected, refracted, or diffused to show the player a glittering illuminating decoration. In addition, the support part 2503 may be provided with a step or a notch, and the step or the like can diffuse the light from the rear, making it look even more glittering.

In addition, by providing the support portion 2503, there is a portion where the flange portion 2502 protruding outward from the peripheral wall portion 2501 is not provided, so that in the portion of the gaming panel 1100 (panel board 1110) close to the support portion 2503, the obstacle nails N can be planted as close as possible to the peripheral wall portion 2501. This makes it possible to make the playing area with multiple obstacle nails N as wide as possible within the playing area 5a, resulting in a pachinko machine 1 that allows players to enjoy playing as they intended.

In addition, the peripheral wall portion 2501 has a shape similar to the inner peripheral shape of the opening 1112 of the panel plate 1110, the rear end of the peripheral wall portion 2501 is on the same plane as the rear surface of the panel plate 1110, and the support portion 2503 is provided on approximately the same plane as the front surface of the panel plate 1110. This makes it possible to make the support portion 2503 less noticeable to the player, and makes it possible to make the center gimmick 2500 appear to be integrated with the panel plate 1110.

Furthermore, since the support portion 2503 is provided on a part of the circumference of the center role device 2500, the frame of the center role device 2500 can be made wider than when the support portion 2503 is provided around the entire circumference, and the display screen of the performance display device 1600 provided at the rear can be made easier to see. In other words, if it is desired to make the non-circulating area (inside the frame) partitioned by the peripheral wall portion 2501 (center frame) of the center role device 2500 look larger, the support portion 2503 may be provided on a part of the circumference of the peripheral wall portion 2501. Alternatively, it is preferable that the support portion 2503 extends to an extent that it does not overlap with the display screen of the performance display device 1600 provided at the rear when viewed from the front.

The edges of the support part 2503 may be shaped similarly to the shape of the front cover 3711 (shape of the decorative body) of the rear front left performance unit 3700 located at the rear. This prevents the support part 2503 from standing out and reducing the decorativeness of the decorative body at the rear due to the support part 2503 being different from the rear decoration, while at the same time enhancing the decorativeness of the support part 2503.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the support part 2503 is provided in a position close to the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front left performance unit 3700 of the rear unit 3000 located at the rear, in order to prevent these decorations from appearing blurred due to the lens effect, but this is not limited to this, and the support part 2503 may be provided near the front end of the surrounding wall part 2501, away from the rear unit 3000, in order to intentionally make the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front left performance unit 3700 of the rear unit 3000 located at the rear appear blurred.

In the above embodiment, the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100 has an opening 1112 penetrating therethrough, and the rear side of the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center gadget 2500 is inserted into the opening 1112. However, this is not limited to this, and the peripheral wall portion 2501 may not have a rear portion that is inserted into the opening 1112. In this case, the center gadget 2500 may be attached to a game panel 1100 that does not have an opening 1112. In addition, when the center gadget 2500 is attached to a game panel 1100 that does not have an opening 1112, the support portion 2503 may be attached to the game panel 1100, and in this case, the flange portion 2502 may not be provided on the center gadget 2500.

[5-8f. Second Attack Unit]
Next, the second attacca unit 2600 of the front unit 2000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 406 and Fig. 407. Fig. 406(a) is a perspective view of the second attacca unit, the side right center unit, and the gate member of the front unit as seen from the front, and Fig. 406(b) is a perspective view of the second attacca unit, the side right center unit, and the gate member of the front unit as seen from the rear. Fig. 407 is an explanatory diagram showing the passage of the game balls in the second attacca unit and the side right center unit in cross section.

The second attacca unit 2600 of the front unit 2000 is located to the right of the right side of the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center gimmick 2500, between the lower right guide passage 2530 and the vertical center of the game area 5a, and is attached to the front of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100. The second attacca unit 2600 is equipped with a second large winning opening 2006 that opens and closes toward the left (see Figure 407).

The second attacca unit 2600 includes a second large prize opening sensor 2601 that detects the game ball B received in the second large prize opening 2006, and a magnetic sensor 2602 that detects the time of fraud acting near the second large prize opening 2006. The second attacca unit 2600 also includes a second large prize opening door 2611 for closing the second large prize opening 2006 so that it can be opened and closed, a second attacca solenoid 2612 for moving the second large prize opening door 2611 to open and close the second large prize opening 2006, a transmission member (not shown) that transmits the forward and backward movement of the plunger of the second attacca solenoid 2612 to move the second large prize opening door 2611, and a guide passage 2613 that guides the game ball B received in the second large prize opening 2006 and releases it backward.

The second attacker unit 2600 has a second large prize opening 2006 that opens to the left at a position to the right of the center in the left-right direction, and a second large prize opening door 2611 is provided to close the second large prize opening 2006 from the left.

The second large prize opening door 2611 is formed in a so-called wing shape, consisting of a semicircular lower side that bulges downward, a right side that contacts the right end of the lower side and extends in a straight line upward, and an arc-shaped left side that contacts the left side of the lower side so as to bulge to the left from the upper end of the right side. The second large prize opening door 2611 has a cylindrical rotation shaft 2611a that extends in the front-to-rear direction with the center of the semicircular lower side as the axis, and a link pin (not shown) that protrudes cylindrically backward from a position away from the rotation shaft. The lower rotation shaft of the second large prize opening door 2611 is rotatably attached so that the upper end can move to the left.

The second attacca solenoid 2612 is not shown in detail, but is attached with the plunger protruding downward. The transmission member (not shown) has a base attached to the tip of the plunger of the second attacca solenoid 2612, and a slit that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction and extends in the left-to-right direction and into which the link pin of the second large prize opening door 2611 is slidably inserted, and is attached so as to be slidable in the up-down direction.

When assembled to the game board 5, the second attacca unit 2600 is positioned so that its right side is approximately in contact with the right rail 1005 of the previous component 1000, and a space is formed between the second large winning opening 2006 and the right side of the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center gimmick 2500 through which the game ball B can circulate. In addition, when assembled to the game board 5, the rear surface of the second attacca unit 2600, including the rear end of the guide passage 2613, protrudes rearward beyond the rear surface of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100.

In the normal state of this second attacca unit 2600, the second attacca solenoid 2612 is de-energized (OFF), and the plunger protrudes downward due to its own weight and the weight of the transmission member. In this state, the second large prize opening door 2611 is upright, and the second large prize opening 2006 is closed by the second large prize opening door 2611. In other words, in the normal state, game ball B cannot be received by the second large prize opening 2006.

In this normal state, when the second attacca solenoid 2612 is energized (ON) in accordance with the special lottery result (first special lottery result or second special lottery result) that is determined by receiving the game ball B into the first starting hole 2002 or the second starting hole 2004, the transmission member moves upward together with the plunger, and the link pin of the second large prize opening door 2611 inserted into the slit of the transmission member is pulled upward and slides within the slit, causing the second large prize opening door 2611 to rotate counterclockwise around the rotation axis 2611a.

As a result, the upper end of the second large prize opening door 2611 moves to the left, opening the second large prize opening 2006 to the left, and the right end of the second large prize opening door 2611 is tilted so that it is lower. In other words, the second large prize opening 2006 is in an open state. In this state, when the game ball B that has flowed down hits the second large prize opening door 2611, it rolls to the right due to the tilt and is received by the second large prize opening 2006. After being detected by the second large prize opening sensor 2601, the game ball B is guided by the guide passage 2613 and released backward. The game ball B released backward from the guide passage 2613 is delivered to the seventh delivery port 3067 of the back guide unit 3050 in the back unit 3000, and is discharged from the back guide unit 3050 onto the board holder 1200 below.

[5-8g. Side right center unit]
Next, the side right center unit 2700 of the front unit 2000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 406 and Fig. 407. The side right center unit 2700 of the front unit 2000 is disposed directly above the second attacka unit 2600 in the game area 5a, and is attached to the front surface of the panel board 1110 of the game panel 1100. This side right center unit 2700 has one general winning port 2001 and a second sub-out port 2012.

The side right center unit 2700 has a general winning opening 2001 that is always open facing upward with a width corresponding to one game ball B in the left-right direction, and a second sub-out opening 2012 that is always open facing upward with a width corresponding to two game balls B adjacent to the right side of the general winning opening 2001.

The side right center unit 2700 also has a first guide passage 2701 that guides the game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001 backward, and a second guide passage 2702 that guides the game ball B received in the second sub-outlet 2012 backward. The first guide passage 2701 is formed in a crank shape, extending backward from the general winning opening 2001, then bending to the right and then bending further backward. The second guide passage 2702 extends from the second sub-outlet 2012 below the first guide passage 2701, then bending backward. The exit of the first guide passage 2701 and the exit of the second guide passage 2702 are lined up one above the other.

When this side right center unit 2700 is assembled to the game board 5, the rear ends of the first guide passage 2701 and the second guide passage 2702 protrude rearward beyond the rear surface of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100.

When assembled to the game board 5, the side right center unit 2700 has a right end that is approximately in contact with the right rail 1005 of the front component 1000, a lower end that is approximately in contact with the upper end of the second attacca unit 2600, and a space through which the game ball B can pass is formed between the left end and the right side of the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center role 2500. In this side right center unit 2700, the general winning opening 2001 opens upward at a position slightly to the left of the second large winning opening 2006, and the second sub-out opening 2012 opens upward over almost the entire area between the general winning opening 2001 and the right rail 1005 (see FIG. 408, etc.).

The side right center unit 2700 can guide the game ball B received in the general winning port 2001 to the rear side of the panel board 1110 of the game panel 1100 by the first guide passage 2701, and then deliver it to the eighth delivery port 3068 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000 provided at the rear. The game ball B delivered to the eighth delivery port 3068 is detected by the general winning port sensor 3051 and then discharged onto the lower board holder 1200. In addition, the side right center unit 2700 can guide the game ball B received in the second sub-out port 2012 to the rear side of the panel board 1110 by the second guide passage 2702, and then deliver it to the ninth delivery port 3069 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000 provided at the rear. The game ball B delivered to the ninth delivery port 3069 is detected by the second sub-outlet sensor 3054 and then discharged onto the substrate holder 1200 below.

[5-8h. Gate member]
Next, the gate member 2800 in the front unit 2000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 395 and Fig. 406. The gate member 2800 in the front unit 2000 is disposed between the guide passage group 2520 of the center role 2500 and the side right center unit 2700 in the game area 5a, and is attached to the front surface of the panel plate 1110 in the game panel 1100. The gate member 2800 has a gate section 2003 in which a lottery is performed to open and close the second starting hole 2004 by the passage of the game ball B, and a gate sensor 2801 for detecting that the game cow B has passed through the gate section 2003. The detection hole for detecting the game ball B in the gate sensor 2801 is the gate section 2003.

The gate member 2800 has a guide piece 2802 that protrudes diagonally downward and to the left from near the right end of the bottom surface. The guide piece 2802 is intended to guide the game ball B that has passed through the gate portion 2003 downward and to the left. When assembled to the game board 5, this guide piece 2802 is inclined so that its extension passes near the left end of the general winning opening 2001 in the side right center unit 2700.

When assembled to the game board 5, the gate member 2800 is located approximately in the center between the right rail 1005 of the previous component 1000 and the right side of the peripheral wall 2501 of the center device 2500, forming gaps on both the left and right sides through which the game ball B can pass. This gate member 2800 is located slightly to the left of directly below the first guide passage 2521 in the guide passage group 2520 of the center device 2500, and is located to the right of directly above the general winning opening 2001 of the side right center unit 2700.

[5-8i. Flow of game balls within the game area]
Next, the flow of the game ball B in the play area 5a will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 393 and Fig. 408. Fig. 408 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged right part of the play area in Fig. 393. When assembled to the play board 5, the center role 2500 is provided in the approximate center of the play area 5a. In the play area 5a, a plurality of obstacle nails N are planted in a predetermined gauge arrangement on both the left and right outer parts and the lower part of the center role 2500. In addition, a windmill W that rotates when the game ball B comes into contact with it is provided on the left side of the center role 2500 and above the side upper left unit 2300.

The multiple obstacle nails N planted on the left side of the center device 2500 are adjusted so that the game ball B driven into the left side of the center device 2500 will mainly enter the area to the right of the center of the windmill W, and with a lower probability of entering the area to the left of the center of the windmill W. This allows the game ball B to be driven down the left side of the center device 2500 with a certain degree of probability of entering the warp entrance 2511 of the center device 2500.

The multiple obstacle nails N planted between the guide passage group 2520 of the center device 2500 and the gate member 2800 are adjusted so that the game ball B that has passed through the second guide passage 2522 on the left side of the guide passage group 2520 has a higher probability of passing through the gate section 2003 than the game ball B that has passed through the first guide passage 2521 on the right side of the guide passage group 2520. In addition, the multiple obstacle nails N planted between the guide passage group 2520 and the gate member 2800 are adjusted so that the game ball B mainly passes through the left side of the gate member 2800 rather than the right side.

The multiple obstacle nails N planted between the gate member 2800 and the side right center unit 2700 are adjusted so that the game ball B flows mainly to the left of the side right center unit 2700.

In the play area 5a, the game ball B is guided by the outer rail 1001 and the inner rail 1002 and is shot upward from the left side along the periphery of the play area 5a. When the game ball B is shot into the play area 5a so as to flow along the left side of the center device 2500, as shown in FIG. 393, the game ball B is guided to enter either the warp entrance 2511 of the center device 2500 or a part to the right of the center of the windmill W by the multiple obstacle nails N planted on the left side of the center device 2500, and is guided to enter a part to the left of the center of the windmill W with a lower probability than either of these.

The game ball B guided to the left of the center of the windmill W is guided to the right by the shelf 2301 of the upper left side unit 2300 and flows down to the side unit 2200. There is a possibility that the game ball B may be received by the three general winning openings 2001 provided in the side unit 2200. The game ball B received by the general winning opening 2001 is guided to the rear of the game panel 1100, and then delivered to one of the second delivery opening 3062, the third delivery opening 3063, and the fourth delivery opening 3064 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000, and is detected by the general winning opening sensor 3051 and then discharged onto the board holder 1200. When the game ball B is detected by the general winning opening sensor 3051, a bonus of a predetermined number of game balls B is given. Game balls B guided to the left of the center of the windmill W are rarely accepted by the first starting opening 2002. Game balls B that are not accepted by the general winning opening 2001 are discharged from the outlet 2010 to the outside of the game area 5a.

A game ball B guided to the right of the center of the windmill W is guided toward the center in the left-right direction (first starting hole 2002) by multiple obstacle nails N arranged diagonally along the bottom side of the center device 2500, and may be accepted by the first starting hole 2002. In addition, a game ball B guided to the right of the center of the windmill W may flow down onto the side unit 2200 through between multiple obstacle nails N arranged diagonally, and may be accepted by the general winning hole 2001 of the side unit 2200.

The game ball B that enters (is accepted by) the warp entrance 2511 of the center device 2500 is supplied to the stage 2513 from the warp exit 2512. The game ball B supplied to the stage 2513 rolls back and forth on the stage 2513 and is released forward from the center in the left-right direction. When the game ball B is released into the game area 5a from the central release section 2513a in the center of the stage 2513, there is a high probability that it will be accepted by the first starting opening 2002, since the central release section 2513a is located directly above the first starting opening 2002. When the game ball B is released from the side release sections 2513b on both the left and right sides of the central release section 2513a, there is a certain probability that it will be accepted by the first starting opening 2002.

The game ball B received by the first starting port 2002 is guided to the rear of the game panel 1100, then delivered to the first delivery port 3061 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000, where it is detected by the first starting port sensor 3052 and discharged onto the board holder 1200. When the game ball B is detected by the first starting port sensor 3052, a lottery is held to determine the first special lottery result, and a special bonus is awarded, such as a predetermined number of game balls B being paid out. Game balls B that are released from the stage 2513 and not received by the first starting port 2002 are discharged from the outlet 2010 outside the game area 5a.

In addition, game ball B that circulates to the left of the center device 2500 in the game area 5a has no chance of passing through the gate section 2003 or being accepted into the second starting opening 2004, the first large winning opening 2005, or the second large winning opening 2006.

In the game board 5 of this embodiment, the probability that a game ball B shot into the left side of the center device 2500 will be accepted by the first starting hole 2002 is set higher than the probability that a game ball B shot into the right side of the center device 2500 will be accepted by the second starting hole 2004. This encourages the player to shoot the game ball B into the left side of the center device 2500 ("left hit") when the first large winning hole 2005 and the second large winning hole 2006 are not open.

In the game board 5 of this embodiment, when the game ball B is hit with enough force to enter the upper part of the part of the upper edge of the peripheral wall part 2501 of the center role 2500 that becomes lower from near the center in the left-right direction toward the right, the game ball B flows through either the first guide passage 2521 or the second guide passage 2522 of the guide passage group 2520.

To be more specific, when game ball B is hit with enough force to strike the impact stop 1006 protruding inward from the outer rail 1001 that forms part of the periphery of the play area 5a (so-called right strike), game ball B that strikes the impact stop 1006 enters the first guide passage 2521. Game ball B that enters this first guide passage 2521 is released downward at a position slightly to the right of directly above the gate portion 2003.

The game ball B released downward from the exit of the first guide passage 2521 is guided by a number of obstacle nails N planted between the guide passage group 2520 and the gate member 2800 to the left side of the gate member 2800, the gate section 2003, and the right side of the gate member 2800 in the order of decreasing probability, and flows down toward the side right center unit 2700.

On the other hand, when game ball B shot into the upper right side of the center device 2500 enters the entrance of the second guide passage 2522 and flows through the second guide passage 2522, it is released downward from the left side of the exit of the first guide passage 2521. Game ball B released downward from the exit of the second guide passage 2522 is guided so that the probability of it landing on the gate section 2003 and the left side of the gate member 2800 is approximately the same, and the probability of it landing on the right side of the gate member 2800 is lower, and it flows down toward the side right center unit 2700.

The game ball B that passes through the right side of the gate member 2800 is received by the second sub-outlet 2012. The game ball B received by the second sub-outlet 2012 is guided to the rear of the game panel 1100 and handed over to the ninth delivery port 3069 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000, and is then detected by the second sub-outlet sensor 3054 and discharged outside the game area 5a. In addition, the game ball B that passes through the gate section 2003 is detected by the gate sensor 2801 and then released toward the side right center unit 2700. Upon detection of the game ball B by this gate sensor 2801, a normal lottery result is drawn, in which the second start port 2004 opens and closes.

A game ball B that passes through the gate section 2003 and the left side of the gate member 2800 flows down the left side of the side right center unit 2700 with a high probability due to multiple obstacle nails N planted between the gate member 2800 and the side right center unit 2700, and is sometimes received by the general winning opening 2001 of the side right center unit 2700, and is rarely received by the second sub-out opening 2012. After being guided to the rear of the game panel 1100, the game ball B that is received by the general winning opening 2001 of the side right center unit 2700 is delivered to the eighth delivery opening 3068 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000, and is detected by the general winning opening sensor 3051 and then discharged onto the board holder 1200. At this time, a bonus of a predetermined number of game balls B is given.

The game ball B flowing down the left side of the side right center unit 2700 is guided by a number of obstacle nails N planted on the left side of the side right center unit 2700, and flows down to the left of the second large winning hole 2006 in the second attacker unit 2600.

At this time, if game ball B is received by the first starting port 2002 or the second starting port 2004 and a "small win" is drawn as the first or second special lottery result, the second large winning port 2006 opens and closes in a predetermined pattern, so that game ball B that flows down the left side of the side right center unit 2700 is received by the second large winning port 2006 with a high probability.

The game ball B received in the second large prize opening 2006 is detected by the second large prize opening sensor 2601 and guided to the rear of the game panel 1100 outside the game area 5a, and then handed over to the seventh delivery opening 3067 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000 and discharged onto the board holder 1200. When the game ball B is detected by this second large prize opening sensor 2601, a bonus of a predetermined number of game balls B is awarded.

Game ball B, which is not accepted by the second large prize opening 2006 and flows down to the left of the second large prize opening 2006, enters the lower right guide passage 2530 of the center device 2500 and is released from the exit of the lower right guide passage 2530 toward the first attacca unit 2400.

The game ball B released downward (diagonally downward and left) from the lower right guide passage 2530 of the center device 2500 flows down onto the first shelf 2412a of the first attacca unit 2400. Note that, because multiple obstacle nails N are planted between the lower right guide passage 2530 and the first attacca unit 2400, the game ball B does not flow down from the lower right guide passage 2530 directly to the right of the first standing wall 2412e of the first attacca unit 2400.

The game ball B that flows down to the first shelf 2412a of the first attacka unit 2400 rolls to the left due to its inclination, rolls on the upper surface of the door part 2414a of the second starting gate 2414 and the second shelf part 2412b, and is released to the left from the left end of the second shelf part 2412b. Then, the game ball B released to the left from the second shelf part 2412b falls onto the third shelf part 2412c or the door part 2417a of the first large winning gate 2417 depending on its momentum, rolls to the left due to their inclination, rolls from the door part 2417a to the fourth shelf part 2412d, and is released from the fourth shelf part 2412d to the left outside the first attacka unit 2400.

Depending on the momentum of the game ball B released from the lower right guide passage 2530 of the center role 2500, it may come into contact with multiple obstacle nails N and flow down to the upper shelf 2412p instead of the first shelf 2412a. The game ball B that flows down to the upper shelf 2412p rolls leftward due to its inclination and is released to the left from the left end of the upper shelf 2412p, then comes into contact with an obstacle nail N planted on the left and turns downward, flowing down near the left end of the upper surface of the door section 2417a of the first large winning entrance door 2417, and then rolls leftward through the door section 2417a and the fourth shelf 2412d and is released outside the first attacker unit 2400. Therefore, even if game ball B rolls on the upper shelf 2412p, it may be received by the first large winning opening 2005 depending on the timing when game ball B is released from the upper shelf 2412p and the timing when the first large winning opening 2005 opens.

Depending on the momentum of the game ball B released from the lower right guide passage 2530 of the center device 2500, it may bounce to the right and flow down onto the first shelf 2412a due to contact with the obstacle nail N or the right end of the upper shelf 2412p, and roll to the right against the inclination of the first shelf 2412a, and be released to the right (downward) from the right end of the first shelf 2412a. The game ball B released to the right from the right end of the first shelf 2412a passes between the first vertical wall 2412e and the right rail 1005 of the previous component 1000, flows down near the right end of the second side wall 2412m, and rolls to the left due to the inclination of the second side wall 2412m and is received by the first sub-out port 2011. The game ball B received at the first sub-outlet 2011 is detected by the first sub-outlet sensor 2403, and is then delivered to the fifth delivery port 3065 of the rear guide unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000 without being returned to the game area 5a, and is discharged from the rear guide unit 3050 onto the board holder 1200 below.

When the game ball B is released from the lower right guide passage 2530 of the center device 2500, if the game ball B passes through the gate section 2003 and a "normal win" is drawn as the normal lottery result, the second start port door 2414 moves and the second start port 2004 opens in a predetermined pattern, so that the game ball B rolling to the left on the first shelf section 2412a may be received by the second start port 2004. When the game ball B is received by the second start port 2004, it is detected by the second start port sensor 2401 and then discharged onto the board holder 1200 outside the play area 5a. When the game ball B is detected by the second start port sensor 2401, a second special lottery result is drawn and a special bonus such as a predetermined number of game balls B being paid out is given.

When the game ball B is released to the left from the second shelf 2412b, if the game ball B is received by the first start opening 2002 or the second start opening 2004 and a "jackpot" is drawn as the first or second special lottery result, the first large prize opening door 2417 moves and the first large prize opening 2005 opens and closes in a predetermined pattern, so that the game ball B released to the left from the second shelf 2412b is received by the first large prize opening 2005 with a high probability. The game ball B received by the first large prize opening 2005 is detected by the first large prize opening sensor 2402 and discharged onto the board holder 1200 outside the play area 5a. The detection of the game ball B by the first large prize opening sensor 2402 provides a bonus of a predetermined number of game balls B being paid out.

Depending on the momentum of the game ball B released to the left from the second shelf 2412b, it may come into contact with a step on the underside of the upper shelf 2412p and flow diagonally downward to the right and enter the gap between the second shelf 2412b and the third shelf 2412c. The game ball B that enters the gap between the second shelf 2412b and the third shelf 2412c passes between the third standing wall 2412g and the fourth standing wall 2412h and falls near the left end of the second horizontal wall 2412m, and rolls to the right due to the inclination of the second horizontal wall 2412m to be received by the first sub-outlet 2011.

If the game ball B released from the lower right guide passage 2530 of the center device 2500 toward the first attacka unit 2400 is not accepted by any of the second starting port 2004, the first large winning port 2005, or the first sub-out port 2011, it is discharged from the out port 2010 at the bottom end of the game area 5a to the lower rear of the game panel 1100, outside the game area 5a.

For this reason, in order to open or close the first large prize opening 2005 or the second large prize opening 2006, it is necessary to receive a game ball B into the first start opening 2002 or the second start opening 2004 to draw a first special lottery result or a second special lottery result such as a "small win" or a "big win". While the first start opening 2002 is always open, the second start opening 2004 requires a game ball B to pass through the gate section 2003 to draw (draw) a "normal win" as a normal lottery result, so the opportunity to receive a game ball B into the second start opening 2004 is lower than that of the first start opening 2002.

Therefore, under normal conditions, the player can perform an operation to shoot the game ball B so that the game ball B flows down the left side of the center device 2500 so that the game ball B can be received by the first starting hole 2002. By seeing the movement of the game ball B guided by the multiple obstacle nails N, the player can enjoy the original gameplay of the pachinko machine 1 and can heighten the anticipation of the game ball B being received by the first starting hole 2002.

When game ball B is accepted into first starting opening 2002 and a "small win" or "big win" is selected as the first special lottery result, first large winning opening 2005 or second large winning opening 2006 opens and closes, so that game ball B can be accepted into first large winning opening 2005 or second large winning opening 2006, the operation for hitting game ball B can be changed to "right hit", thereby increasing the anticipation of game ball B being accepted into first large winning opening 2005 or second large winning opening 2006.

At this time, a guide passage group 2520 consisting of a first guide passage 2521 and a second guide passage 2522 is provided in the upper right corner of the center device 2500, and depending on the guide passage through which the game ball B is circulated, it is easier for the game ball B to pass through the gate section 2003 or to be easily accepted by the second sub-outlet 2012. Therefore, the strength of the shot of the game ball B can be adjusted so that the game ball B flows through the desired guide passage, allowing the player to enjoy the operation of shooting the game ball B.

In addition, by performing a "right hit", it is possible that a "normal hit" will be drawn by passing game ball B through gate portion 2003, which will cause second starting port 2004 to open, and it is possible that a "small hit" or "big hit" will be drawn by receiving game ball B into the open second starting port 2004, which can increase anticipation for the game and prevent a decline in interest.

In the time-saving state, an instruction recommending a right hit (hereinafter also referred to as a right hit instruction) is displayed in order to cause the game ball B to enter the second starting hole 2004. Also, during a jackpot, a right hit instruction is displayed on the performance display device 1600 in order to cause the game ball to enter the first large winning hole 2005 and the first large winning hole 2006. The right hit instruction instructs the player to continue twisting the handle 182 fully to the right.

In addition, during a jackpot game or while the special symbols are changing in each state, it is possible to execute effects using the central pressing operation unit 303a, the outer peripheral pressing operation unit 303b, and the effect operation ring 330, etc. In this case, for example, an effect operation instruction instructing the user to operate these operation units is displayed on the effect display device 1600. When the operation unit is operated according to the instruction, for example, the probability of a jackpot being expected in the special symbol change being performed is suggested, the result of a special lottery corresponding to the special symbol change being performed is notified, whether the jackpot being performed is a normal jackpot or a special jackpot, or the effect mode or background music during the jackpot and in the time-saving state after the jackpot has ended is changed.

The ball removal instruction is displayed in priority over other performance images (i.e., on the front side), making other performances difficult to see. When the ball removal lever is operated according to the ball removal instruction, the full state of the upper tray 201 and the lower tray 202 is eventually released, and the ball removal instruction is erased, making it easier to see other performances. The right hit instruction can be displayed at a predetermined time, such as when the time-saving state starts or when a jackpot game starts, and the performance operation instruction can also be displayed at a predetermined time within a predetermined performance scenario. On the other hand, the ball removal instruction is displayed when the full tank detection sensor 154 detects the ball, but is not displayed at a predetermined time. The right hit instruction is displayed not only when the time-saving state starts or when a jackpot game starts, but also when, for example, a predetermined number (e.g., one) of game balls B enter the first starting hole 2002 during the time-saving state or when a jackpot game is played.

Note that there may be situations where the ball removal instruction, the performance operation instruction, and the right hit instruction are displayed at the same time, in which case the sound, lamp, and display relationship can be appropriately determined taking into account the importance of each instruction.

In addition, in the time-saving state, the right hit instruction, the performance operation instruction, and the ball removal instruction can all be displayed together, but if the right hit instruction is not followed and the player hits left in the time-saving state, game ball B will enter the first starting hole 2002. The average time for the first special pattern change to be executed when game ball B enters the first starting hole 2002 is longer than the average time for the second special pattern change to be executed when game ball B enters the second starting hole 2004. In other words, in this situation, if the right hit instruction is not followed, the time required for one game will be longer and the number of special lotteries per unit time will decrease.

When the time-saving state ends and the normal state is restored, an instruction recommending a so-called left-handed hit (hereinafter also referred to as a left-handed hit instruction) is displayed in order to get the game ball B to enter the first starting hole 2002. In addition, the left-handed hit instruction appears not only when the normal state is restored, but also when a predetermined number (e.g., one) of game balls B enter the second starting hole 2004 or a predetermined number (e.g., one) of game balls B pass through the gate section 2003 in the normal state (i.e., when a second special lottery or a normal lottery is held (these lotteries include a pre-determination)).

Therefore, even in normal conditions, there may be situations where the ball removal instruction, the performance operation instruction, and the left hit instruction are displayed at the same time, but even in such cases, the sound, lamp, and display relationship can be appropriately determined by taking into account the importance of each instruction.

It should be noted that there may be situations where the right hit instruction and ball removal instruction are displayed even when a special pattern change is not being performed. Furthermore, it is also possible for a special pattern change to be performed when a new performance operation instruction is displayed while a right hit instruction and ball removal instruction are being displayed.

In addition, for example, the display may change from a state in which the right hit instruction, ball removal instruction, and presentation operation instruction are displayed to a state in which the display of only one of the instructions has ceased. For example, when the right hit instruction, ball removal instruction, and presentation operation instruction are displayed during the time-saving state, it is possible to erase only the presentation operation instruction by performing the operation indicated by the presentation operation instruction. When the display of only one of the instructions has ceased and a predetermined time has elapsed without game ball B entering any of the starting holes, a demo screen may be displayed or a standby state presentation explaining the game content may be performed.

Immediately after the demo screen is displayed, or after a predetermined time has elapsed, an operation instruction is displayed for a certain operation unit (which may be the same as the operation unit corresponding to the performance operation instruction) in order to transition to a menu screen for adjusting the volume and light intensity.

In addition, the performance operation instruction may be an instruction to select from a number of different types of operations. For example, an instruction to simply press the operation unit corresponding to the performance operation instruction once, or an instruction to repeatedly press the operation unit. When a special symbol change is being performed, the display may change from a state in which a right hit instruction, a ball removal instruction, and a performance operation instruction (a single press instruction) are displayed to a state in which a right hit instruction, a ball removal instruction, and a performance operation instruction (a repeated press instruction) are displayed.

In addition, for example, a right hit instruction, a ball removal instruction, and a performance operation instruction can be displayed simultaneously while the special pattern is changing in the time-saving state, and when the time-saving state ends and returns to the normal state, the display of the right hit instruction ends and a left hit instruction is displayed, so that the state can change to one where the left hit instruction, ball removal instruction, and performance operation instruction are displayed simultaneously.

In addition, for example, when two of the right hit instruction, ball removal instruction, and performance operation instruction are displayed, the remaining instruction can be displayed. For example, in the time-saving state or the jackpot state, when the right hit instruction and the performance operation instruction are displayed, if the full tank detection sensor 154 detects the situation, the ball removal instruction is also displayed.

In addition, during a special symbol change that has a change pattern with the shortest change time, the performance operation instructions may not appear. In other words, during the special symbol change, the right hit instruction, ball removal instruction, and performance operation instruction may not all be displayed at the same time.

For example, when the operation unit is operated according to the performance operation instructions, a judge performance is performed in which the result of a special lottery is announced, so in order to create a sense of tension in the judge performance, it is desirable that the performance operation instructions are not displayed in a manner that directly indicates the result of the special lottery. In other words, in such a case, it is possible to prevent the special lottery result from being directly indicated when the right hit instruction, ball removal instruction, and performance operation instruction are displayed simultaneously.

During a jackpot game, a right hit instruction is displayed, and if the full tank detection sensor 154 detects it, a ball removal instruction is displayed. For example, when a jackpot with time-saving is won but a performance similar to that of a jackpot game without time-saving is played, a performance operation instruction appears in a specified round of the jackpot game, and when an operation is performed according to the instruction, an upgrade performance may be executed to notify the player that the jackpot game being played is a jackpot game with a probability change. For example, a performance operation instruction may appear in a specified round of a jackpot game with time-saving, and a character that appears in the performance during the time-saving state when an operation is performed according to the instruction may be selected. In other words, a right hit instruction, a ball removal instruction, and a performance operation instruction can be displayed simultaneously in a specified round during a jackpot game.

In this way, when special symbol variations are being performed or not being performed in the normal state and the time-saving state, and during jackpot play, there may be situations in which at least two of the ball removal instructions, performance operation instructions, and right hit instructions are displayed simultaneously. In such cases, the sound, lamp, and display relationship can be determined appropriately, taking into consideration the importance of each instruction. Also, the display order (the order in which the display starts and ends) and the length of display time of these at least two instructions may depend on the player's operation, and those that are not dependent on the player's operation may be determined appropriately.

[5-9. Overall configuration of the back unit]
The overall configuration of the rear unit 3000 in the game board 5 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Fig. 409 to Fig. 412. Fig. 409 is a perspective view of the rear unit in the game board as seen from the front, and Fig. 410 is a perspective view of the rear unit in the game board as seen from the back. Fig. 411 is an exploded perspective view of the rear unit disassembled into its main components as seen from the front, and Fig. 412 is an exploded perspective view of the rear unit disassembled into its main components as seen from the back. The rear unit 3000 in the game board 5 is attached to the rear surface of the game panel 1100, and the performance display device 1600 and the drive board unit 1700 are attached to the rear side.

The rear unit 3000 is equipped with a rear box 3010 that is attached to the rear surface of the panel holder 1120 in the game panel 1100, is box-shaped with an open front and has a square opening 3010a in the rear wall, and a locking mechanism 3020 that is attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010 and allows the performance display device 1600 to be detachably attached.

The rear unit 3000 also includes a flat rear front left decorative body 3030 and a rear front right decorative body 3040, which are respectively provided near the left and right ends of the front end of the rear box 3010, a rear guide unit 3050 provided at the bottom of the front end within the rear box 3010, a rear rear performance unit 3100 provided at the rear end within the rear box 3010, a rear lower left performance unit 3200 and a rear lower right performance unit 3250 provided at a distance to the left and right behind the rear guide unit 3050 at the bottom within the rear box 3010, and a rear lower middle performance unit 3300 provided behind the rear of the rear lower left performance unit 3200 and the rear lower right performance unit 3250 within the rear box 3010.

Furthermore, the rear unit 3000 includes an upper rear performance unit 3400 provided in front of the rear rear performance unit 3100 at the top inside the rear box 3010, a rear left rear performance unit 3500 provided behind the rear front left decorative body 3030 inside the rear box 3010, a rear right rear performance unit 3600 provided behind the rear front right decorative body 3040 inside the rear box 3010, a rear left front performance unit 3700 provided between the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear left performance unit 3500 inside the rear box 3010, and a rear right front performance unit 3800 provided between the rear front right decorative body 3040 and the rear right performance unit 3600 inside the rear box 3010.

[5-9a. Back box]
The rear box 3010 of the rear unit 3000 will be described with reference to Figs. 409 to 412. The rear box 3010 is attached to the rear surface of the panel holder 1120 of the game panel 1100. The rear box 3010 is fitted with a rear front left decorative body 3030, a rear front right decorative body 3040 and various performance units, and a performance display device 1600 and a drive board unit 1700 are attached to the rear side. It is made of synthetic resin.

The rear box 3010 of the rear unit 3000 is box-shaped with an open front and a square opening 3010a penetrating the rear wall, a flat frame-like LCD mounting section 3010b that protrudes rearward at a distance from the periphery of the opening 3010a, two fixing grooves 3010c recessed upward from the inside of the frame at the upper edge of the LCD mounting section 3010b into which the upper fixing piece 1601 of the performance display device 1600 is inserted, and a cutout 3010d cut from the rear end to the rear wall of the rear box 3010 near the center in the left-right direction of the lower edge of the LCD mounting section 3010b, into which the locking mechanism 3020 is attached.

The opening 3010a of the rear box 3010 is formed to be approximately the same size as the display screen of the performance display device 1600. The LCD mounting section 3010b is also formed to be large enough to fit the performance display device 1600 into the frame. The rear box 3010 has a locking mechanism 3020 attached to the left side of the cutout section 3010d on the rear surface when viewed from behind, so that it can slide left and right.

The rear box 3010 also has a flat fixed piece 3010e extending outward from the front end. This fixed piece 3010e is attached to the gaming panel 1100 with its front surface abutting the rear surface of the gaming panel 1100. The rear box 3010 has bosses and mounting holes formed at appropriate positions for mounting decorative bodies, performance units, etc.

The rear box 3010 also has a band-shaped reinforcing plate 3011 made of a metal plate attached along the bottom edge and both left and right edges of the opening 3010a. This reinforcing plate 3011 reinforces the LCD mounting section 3010b.

[5-9b. Back front left decorative body and back front right decorative body]
Next, the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 in the rear unit 3000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 409 to 413. Fig. 413 is a front view of a pachinko machine showing an enlarged upper left corner of the game board with the door frame made transparent. The rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 of the rear unit 3000 are attached to the front end of the rear box 3010, spaced apart from each other on the left and right.

The back front left decorative body 3030 comprises a flat base 3031 that extends vertically, and a decorative sticker 3032 attached to the front surface of the base 3031. The base 3031 extends vertically at the same height as the opening 3010a of the rear box 3010, and its left end is attached to the front end of the rear box 3010. The decorative sticker 3032, not shown, is decorated in accordance with the concept of the pachinko machine 1 (game board 5). This back front left decorative body 3030 is formed opaque, making it possible to make the rear components invisible from the front.

The rear front right decorative body 3040 comprises a flat base 3041 that extends vertically, and a decorative sticker 3042 attached to the front surface of the base 3041. The base 3041 extends from the top end of the rear box 3010 to near the center in the vertical direction, with its right end attached to the front end of the rear box 3010. The decorative sticker 3042, not shown in the figure, is decorated in accordance with the concept of the pachinko machine 1 (game board 5). This rear front right decorative body 3040 is formed opaque, making it possible to make the rear components invisible from the front.

When assembled to the game board 5, the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 extend flatly so that their outer peripheral edges are positioned outside the game area 5a when viewed from the front (see Figures 389 and 413, etc.). Furthermore, when assembled to the pachinko machine 1, the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 extend flatly so that their outer peripheral edges are positioned outside the door window 101a in the door frame 3.

In more detail, for example, as shown in FIG. 413, when viewed from the front, the rear left decorative body 3030 extends from below the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 located in the upper left corner of the rear left performance unit 3500 to a position halfway. In other words, when viewed from the front, the rear left decorative body 3030 extends outward beyond the function display unit 1400 attached to the upper left corner of the front component 1000. In other words, the rear left decorative body 3030 extends outward beyond the door window 101a in the door frame 3.

As a result, when assembled to the game board 5, the lower half of the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 can be covered by the rear front left decorative body 3030 (shaded part in FIG. 413), making it difficult for the player to see the rear left lifting drive motor 3554. Also, when assembled to the pachinko machine 1, the rear front left decorative body 3030 covering the lower half of the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 extends outward beyond the door window 101a of the door frame 3 (hatched part in FIG. 413), so the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the door frame 3 can make the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 invisible (invisible) to the player. Therefore, the functional parts such as the drive motor and drive solenoid provided behind the rear front left decorative body 3030 can be made invisible to the player, improving the appearance of the game board 5 (pachinko machine 1).

In addition, the rear front left decorative body 3030 extends to cover a portion (lower half) of the rear rear left lifting drive motor 3554, and when assembled to the game board 5, a portion (upper half) of the rear rear left lifting drive motor 3554 is visible from the front, but when assembled to the pachinko machine 1, the upper half of the rear rear left lifting drive motor 3554 can be covered and hidden by the door frame 3. Therefore, there is no need to extend the rear front left decorative body 3030 to cover the entire rear rear left lifting drive motor 3554, which prevents the rear front left decorative body 3030 from becoming unnecessarily large, and reduces the cost of the pachinko machine 1.

Furthermore, because the rear front left decorative body 3030 extends further outward than the functional display unit 1400, even if the functional display unit 1400 is not attached to the upper left corner of the front component 1000 when viewed from the front, the rear front left decorative body 3030 can be used in place of the functional display unit 1400 to hide the rear rear left lift drive motor 3554 (functional component) and other components located at the rear.

On the other hand, the rear front right decorative body 3040 extends to the upper right corner of the rear box 3010 in a front view so as to cover the entire rear right lift drive motor 3654 in the rear right performance unit 3600, making the rear right lift drive motor 3654 invisible from the front (player side) even through the transparent front component 1000 and the transparent game panel 1100. Therefore, by making the functional parts such as the drive motor and drive solenoid located at the rear of the rear front right decorative body 3040 invisible from the player side, the appearance of the game board 5 (pachinko machine 1) can be improved and the same effect as the rear front left decorative body 3030 can be achieved.

In this way, the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 of this embodiment are designed to cover at least a portion of the functional parts such as the drive motor and drive solenoid located at the rear, making it difficult for the player to see the functional parts, improving the appearance of the game board 5 (pachinko machine 1).

As described above, the front left decorative body 3030 and the front right decorative body 3040 can cover the front of the functional parts provided at the rear, so that even if the front component 1000 and the game panel 1100 are made transparent, the functional parts can be made invisible to the player. In other words, the front component 1000 and the game panel 1100 can be made transparent. Therefore, the transparent front component 1000 and the game panel 1100 can reduce the visibility of the boundary of the game area 5a, giving the player a sense of openness, and making the game area 5a appear larger (wider) to the player, although the actual size of the game area 5a does not change. In this case, the areas outside the play area 5a on the decorative sticker 3032 of the back front left decorative body 3030 and the decorative sticker 3042 of the back front right decorative body 3040, which are decorated as specified, can be seen from the front through the front component 1000 and the play panel 1100, making it possible to decorate the outside of the play area 5a as well, and to make the play area 5a appear larger than it actually is, resulting in a play board 5 (pachinko machine 1) that can strongly attract the player's attention.

As described above, the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 allow the front component 1000 and the game panel 1100 to be transparent, so that light from the performance display device 1600, the front unit 2000, the rear unit 3000, etc. can be reflected or refracted forward (towards the player) by the front component 1000 and the game panel 1100, making the front component 1000 and the game panel 1100 appear to be emitting light, further enhancing the overall decorativeness of the game board 5.

In addition, since the functional parts such as the drive motor and drive solenoid located at the rear can be made invisible to the player by the parts of the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 that extend outward from the play area 5a, all functional parts may be located outside the play area 5a when viewed from the front. In this case, since the size of the play board 5 is limited, if one tries to secure space to locate all functional parts outside the play area 5a, there is a risk that the size of the play area 5a must be relatively small. Therefore, as in this embodiment, it is desirable to locate some of the functional parts outside the play area 5a in a balance that allows the play area 5a to be large relative to the size of the play board 5.

It is also desirable that the decoration of the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 be related to the decoration (design) within the play area 5a when viewed from the front. This allows the design within the play area 5a to be extended to the outside of the play area 5a by the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040, which extend from within the play area 5a to the outside of the play area 5a, making the play area 5a appear larger than it actually is, resulting in a pachinko machine 1 that can strongly attract the interest of players.

[5-9c. Back Guiding Unit]
Next, the rear guiding unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIG. 414. FIG. 414(a) is a perspective view of the rear guiding unit in the rear unit seen from the front, and FIG. 414(b) is a perspective view of the rear guiding unit in the rear unit seen from the back. The rear guiding unit 3050 in the rear unit 3000 is attached to the lower part of the front end in the rear box 3010, and is formed in a shape in which both ends extending to the left and right are bent upward. The rear guiding unit 3050 is formed to be almost entirely transparent.

The rear guidance unit 3050 is equipped with a general winning opening sensor 3051 that detects game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001, a first starting opening sensor 3052 that detects game ball B received in the first starting opening 2002, an out opening sensor 3053 that detects game ball B received in the out opening 2010, a second sub-out opening sensor 3054 that detects game ball B received in the second sub-out opening 2012, and a magnetic sensor 3055 that is provided behind the warp entrance 2511 of the center device 2500 and detects unauthorized magnetism.

In addition, the back guide unit 3050 includes a first delivery port 3061 through which the game ball B received in the first starting port 2002 of the starting port unit 2100 is delivered, a second delivery port 3062 through which the game ball B received in the general winning port 2001 on the right side of the side unit 2200 is delivered, a third delivery port 3063 through which the game ball B received in the general winning port 2001 on the center side of the side unit 2200 is delivered, a fourth delivery port 3064 through which the game ball B received in the general winning port 2001 on the left side of the side unit 2200 is delivered, and a second delivery port 3065 through which the game ball B received in the general winning port 2001 on the left side of the side unit 2200 is delivered. The unit is provided with a fifth delivery port 3065 through which the game ball B received in the first large winning port 2005 of the first attacka unit 2400 is delivered, a sixth delivery port 3066 through which the game ball B received in the first large winning port 2005 of the first attacka unit 2400 is delivered, a seventh delivery port 3067 through which the game ball B received in the second large winning port 2006 of the second attacka unit 2600 is delivered, an eighth delivery port 3068 through which the game ball B received in the general winning port 2001 of the side right center unit 2700 is delivered, and a ninth delivery port 3069 through which the game ball B received in the second sub-out port 2012 of the side right center unit 2700 is delivered.

Furthermore, although detailed illustration is omitted, the rear guide unit 3050 is equipped with a first discharge path which guides the game ball B delivered to the first delivery port 3061 to the right and then discharges it downward, a second discharge path which merges the game ball B delivered to the second delivery port 3062 and the game ball B delivered to the third delivery port 3063 and then discharges it downward, a third discharge path which guides the game ball B delivered to the fourth delivery port 3064 downward and then discharges it diagonally to the lower right, and a fourth discharge path which guides the game ball B delivered to the eighth delivery port 3068 downward to a position below the sixth delivery port 3066, then guides it to the left to a position to the left of the sixth delivery port 3066, and then releases it diagonally to the lower left. This fourth discharge path is connected to the fifth delivery port 3065, the sixth delivery port 3066, the seventh delivery port 3067, and the ninth delivery port 3069.

The game ball B received by the first start port 2002 of the start port unit 2100 and delivered to the first delivery port 3061 is detected by the first start port sensor 3052 in the middle of the first discharge path and then discharged downward. The game ball B received by the general winning port 2001 on the right side of the side unit 2200 and delivered to the second delivery port 3062 and the game ball B received by the general winning port 2001 in the middle and delivered to the third delivery port 3063 join together in the second discharge path and are discharged downward after being detected by the general winning port 2001. The game ball B received by the general winning port 2001 on the left side of the side unit 2200 and delivered to the fourth delivery port 3064 is detected by the general winning port 2001 in the middle of the third discharge path and then discharged downward.

The game ball B that is received by the second start port 2004 or the first sub-out port 2011 of the first attacka unit 2400 and handed over to the fifth delivery port 3065, the game ball B that is received by the first large winning port 2005 of the first attacka unit 2400 and handed over to the sixth delivery port 3066, and the game ball B that is received by the second large winning port 2006 of the second attacka unit 2600 and handed over to the seventh delivery port 3067 are discharged through the fourth discharge path.

The game ball B received by the general winning opening 2001 of the side right center unit 2700 and delivered to the eighth delivery opening 3068 is detected by the general winning opening sensor 3051 upstream of the part of the fourth discharge path that communicates with the ninth delivery opening 3069, and is discharged through the fourth discharge path. The game ball B received by the second sub-outlet 2012 of the side right center unit 2700 and delivered to the ninth delivery opening 3069 is detected by the second sub-outlet sensor 3054, then merges with the fourth discharge path, and is discharged through the fourth discharge path.

This rear guide unit 3050 is equipped with an out ball detection member 3080 that detects game balls B received in the out opening 2010. The out ball detection member 3080 is for detecting game balls B (game balls B for which no special benefit has been awarded, also referred to as "out balls") that have been shot into the game area 5a and not received in the general winning opening 2001, the first starting opening 2002, the second starting opening 2004, the first large winning opening 2005, and the second large winning opening 2006, that are received in the out opening 2010 that opens at the lower end of the game area 5a.

The out ball detection member 3080 is inserted from the rear into the out recess 1123 of the panel holder 1120 in the game panel 1100, and includes a cylindrical portion 3081 extending in the front-to-rear direction to allow the game ball B to flow through, a partition portion 3082 dividing the inside of the cylindrical portion 3081 into left and right, a flange portion 3083 protruding in a flat plate shape in the left-to-right direction from the outer periphery of the rear end of the cylindrical portion 3081, and a rear cover 3084 that is continuous with the rear end of the cylindrical portion 3081 and can guide the game ball B downward for discharge (see FIG. 392). The out ball detection member 3080 includes an outlet sensor 3053 between the cylindrical portion 3081 and the rear cover 3084.

The cylindrical portion 3081 is approximately the same size as the outlet 2010, and its width in the left-right direction is wide enough to accommodate two game balls B side by side (but not enough to accommodate three game balls B side by side), with the lower inner surface sloping downward toward the rear. The partition portion 3082 is provided near the rear end of the cylindrical portion 3081, and divides it into sections on both the left and right sides large enough to allow one game ball B to pass through. The front end of the partition portion 3082 is curved so that it protrudes forward as it goes downward, and protrudes forward by a distance shorter than the diameter of the game ball B.

The out ball detection member 3080 has two out exit sensors 3053 arranged side by side. The left out exit sensor 3053 detects game ball B that has flowed through the left side of the partition 3082 in the cylindrical portion 3081, and the right out exit sensor 3053 detects game ball B that has flowed through the right side of the partition 3082 in the cylindrical portion 3081. The out exit sensors 3053 are non-contact type electromagnetic proximity switches.

The two outlet sensors 3053 are arranged so that the detection direction of game ball B (the axial direction of the detection hole through which game ball B passes) is parallel to the lower inner surface of the tube portion 3081. This means that the flow direction of game ball B circulating inside the tube portion 3081 does not change even at the outlet sensor 3053, allowing the outlet sensor 3053 to detect game ball B smoothly and quickly discharge game ball B, preventing it from becoming stuck in front of the outlet sensor 3053.

When this out ball detection member 3080 is assembled to the game board 5, the tube portion 3081 is inserted into the out recess 1123 of the panel holder 1120 in the game panel 1100 (see Figure 392).

When the out ball detection member 3080 is assembled to the game board 5, the upper front end of the tubular portion 3081 protrudes forward further than the rear end of the out guiding portion 1003 of the front component 1000 (see FIG. 392). In other words, the rear end of the out guiding portion 1003 is inserted into the tubular portion 3081. In addition, the lower end of the rear cover 3084 passes through the discharge portion 1201 of the board holder 1200 and protrudes downward further than the bottom surface of the board holder 1200.

After the game ball B flows down to the downstream end of the inner rail 1002 or the lower right rail 1004 of the previous component 1000 in the play area 5a and is guided rearward by the out guide section 1003 and received in the out port 2010, this out ball detection member 3080 detects the game ball B through the tube section 3081 with one of the two out port sensors 3053, and then guides it downward by the rear cover 3084 and discharges it. The out ball detection member 3080 discharges the game ball B to the discharged ball receiving section 628 of the main body frame 4 without abutting it on the board holder 1200.

According to the out ball detection member 3080 of this embodiment, the two out exit sensors 3053 provided on the left and right are separated by a partition 3082, so that the game ball B that has flowed down the left side of the center device 2500 can be guided to the left out exit sensor 3053, and the game ball B that has flowed down the right side of the center device 2500 can be guided to the right out exit sensor 3053. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the player tends to "hit left" or "hit right" based on the number of game balls B detected per hour at each of the left and right out exit sensors 3053, and based on that determination, it is possible to encourage the player to perform the most suitable hitting operation for the game situation, allowing the player to enjoy the game as intended.

In addition, in the out ball detection member 3080, the forward protrusion of the partition portion 3082 is shortened to make it easier for the game ball B to climb over it, so that when a large number of game balls B enter the outlet 2010 per unit of time, the game balls B can escape to the left or right side of the partition portion 3082, where the circulation of game balls B is relatively low, and the game balls B can be discharged without stagnation at the outlet 2010.

In addition, since the lower end of the rear cover 3084 protrudes downward below the discharge section 1201 of the board holder 1200, it is possible to prevent the game ball B that is received by the general winning port 2001, the first starting port 2002, the second starting port 2004, the first large winning port 2005, the second large winning port 2006, the first sub-out port 2011, and the second sub-out port 2012 and discharged onto the board holder 1200 from flowing back through the out ball detection member 3080 and being detected by the out port sensor 3053, and it is possible to accurately detect only the "out balls" received by the out port 2010.

In this embodiment, the out ball detection member 3080 is provided on the rear unit 3000, but this is not limited thereto, and the out ball detection member 3080 may be attached to the game panel 1100. In this case, if the game panel 1100 has an out recess 1123, the out ball detection member 3080 can be attached thereto, so that it can be used with existing game panels 1100 that have an out recess 1123, and can be retrofitted to existing game boards 5.

In addition, according to this embodiment, game ball B ("out ball") that is shot into the game area 5a and is not accepted by any of the general winning port 2001, the first starting port 2002, the second starting port 2004, the first large winning port 2005, and the second large winning port 2006 can be detected by the out port sensor 3053, the first sub-out port sensor 2403, and the second sub-out port sensor 3054. Therefore, for example, if game ball B is continuously detected being accepted by a specific winning port but an "out ball" is not detected, this means that fraudulent activity is being committed at a specific winning port, and it is possible to notify the user that fraudulent activity is being committed.

In addition, since the number of "out balls" can be counted by detecting them, the "ball payout rate" of the pachinko machine 1 can be known from the number of "winning balls" counted by detecting game balls B received in the general winning opening 2001, the first starting opening 2002, the second starting opening 2004, the first large winning opening 2005, and the second large winning opening 2006, the number of "out balls", and the number of "safe balls" paid out by receiving game balls B in the general winning opening 2001, the first starting opening 2002, the second starting opening 2004, the first large winning opening 2005, and the second large winning opening 2006. Although not shown in the figure, a display unit that displays the "ball payout rate" is provided on the rear side of the game board 5.

In addition, when the game board 5 is configured to detect all game balls B ("all balls") that are inserted into the game area 5a, or all game balls B ("all balls") that are ejected from the game area 5a, the out sensor 3053, the first sub-out sensor 2403, and the second sub-out sensor 3054 detect only "out balls." Therefore, by comparing the respective numbers of "out balls," "winning balls," and "all balls," it is possible to detect ball jams in the game board 5.

[5-9d. Backstage Production Unit]
Next, the back rear performance unit 3100 in the back unit 3000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 415 to 419. Fig. 415(a) is a perspective view of the back rear performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the back rear performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. Fig. 416 is an exploded perspective view of the back rear performance unit seen from the front, and Fig. 417 is an exploded perspective view of the back rear performance unit seen from the back. Fig. 418 is an explanatory diagram showing the movable configuration of the back rear performance unit from the front. Fig. 419 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of the back rear performance unit.

The rear performance unit 3100 of the rear unit 3000 is attached to the rearmost part (front of the rear wall) inside the rear box 3010. The rear performance unit 3100 is U-shaped when viewed from the front, with an open downward shape, and is formed to be approximately the same size as the interior shape of the rear box 3010. The rear performance unit 3100 is equipped with a rear movable decorative body 3110 that extends in the left-right direction, and a rear movable mechanism 3120 that moves the rear movable decorative body 3110 in the up-down direction.

The rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 comprises a translucent decorative body 3111 that extends in the left-right direction and has a relief-like decoration on its front surface, a rear-rear decorative board 3114 that is provided behind the decorative body 3111 and has a plurality of first LEDs 3114a and second LEDs 3114b mounted on its front surface, and a decorative body base 3115 that is attached to the decorative body 3111 so as to cover the rear side of the rear-rear decorative board 3114. The plurality of first LEDs 3114a and second LEDs 3114b mounted on the rear-rear decorative board 3114 are each full-color LEDs. The decorative body 3111 (rear-rear movable decorative body 3110) can be illuminated and decorated by the plurality of first LEDs 3114a and second LEDs 3114b on the rear-rear decorative board 3114.

The rear movable decorative body 3110 also has a left slider 3116 that extends vertically to the left of the decorative body 3111, and a right slider 3117 that extends vertically to the right of the decorative body 3111. The left slider 3116 has a movable protrusion 3116a that protrudes leftward from near the bottom end, a locking protrusion 3116b that protrudes leftward in a triangular shape from near the top end, and a detection piece 3116c provided at the top end.

The rear movable mechanism 3120 is formed in a U-shape when viewed from the front, with an open downward shape, and is equipped with a unit base 3121 that is attached inside the rear box 3010, a slide shaft 3122 that extends vertically in a cylindrical shape on the left side of the unit base 3121 and supports the left slider 3116 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 so that it can move vertically, and a spiral shaft 3123 that extends vertically parallel to the slide shaft 3122 to the left of the slide shaft 3122 and has a spiral groove formed on its outer periphery.

The rear rear movable mechanism 3120 also includes a spur gear-shaped transmission gear 3124 attached to the lower end of the spiral shaft 3123, a spur gear-shaped motor gear 3125 meshing with the transmission gear 3124, a rear rear drive motor 3126 with the motor gear 3125 attached to a rotating shaft, a motor base 3127 that attaches the rear rear drive motor 3126 to the lower end of the left side of the unit base 3121, an upper bearing member 3128 that rotatably attaches the upper end of the spiral shaft 3123 to the unit base 3121, and a lower bearing member 3129 that rotatably attaches the spiral shaft 3123 near the lower end to the unit base 3121.

The rear rear movable mechanism 3120 also includes a slide guide 3130 that is screwed onto the spiral shaft 3123 and can abut against the movable protrusion 3116a of the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 from below, a transmission slider 3131 that extends vertically to the left of the spiral shaft 3123 and can be raised and lowered, with its lower end abutting against the slide guide 3130 from above, a spring 3132 that urges the transmission slider 3131 upward, a link member 3133 that rotates around an axis in the front-to-rear direction as the transmission slider 3131 rises and falls, and a lock member 3134 that slides left and right as the link member 3133 rotates and can abut against the lock protrusion 3116b of the rear rear movable decorative body 3110.

Furthermore, the rear-rear movable mechanism 3120 includes a rear-upper detection sensor 3135 that detects the detection piece 3116c of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, a rear-lower detection sensor 3136 that detects the detection piece 3130a of the slide guide 3130, a front left cover 3137 that is attached to the left side of the unit base 3121 so as to cover the left end side of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 from the front, and a front right cover 3138 that is attached to the right side of the unit base 3121 so as to cover the right end side of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 from the front. It is equipped with a bar 3138, a rear left relay board 3139 attached to the lower front surface of the front left cover 3137 and relaying the connection between the rear drive motor 3126, rear upper detection sensor 3135, and rear lower detection sensor 3136 and the performance drive board 1720, and a rear right relay board 3140 attached between the unit base 3121 and the front right cover 3138 and relaying the connection between the rear decorative board 3114 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 and the performance drive board 1720.

The unit base 3121 has a shock absorbing member 3121a that absorbs shock by contacting the underside of the left slider 3116 and the underside of the right slider 3117 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 that has moved downward. The upper and lower ends of the slide shaft 3122 are clamped between the unit base 3121 and the front left cover 3137.

The slide guide 3130 protrudes to the right from near the bottom end, and has a detection piece 3130a that is detected by the rear bottom detection sensor 3136. The slide guide 3130 is arranged to be slidable in the vertical direction between the unit base 3121 and the front left cover 3137, and is prevented from rotating around the axis of the spiral shaft 3123 by contacting them. The upper end surface of the slide guide 3130 can be abutted by the lower surface of the movable protrusion 3116a of the rear movable decorative body 3110. In addition, the upper end surface of the slide guide 3130 can be abutted by the lower protrusion 3131a of the transmission slider 3131.

The transmission slider 3131 is attached between the unit base 3121 and the front left cover 3137 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The transmission slider 3131 is movable in the vertical direction only within a predetermined range by the front left cover 3137. The transmission slider 3131 has a lower protrusion 3131a protruding to the right at the lower end, an upper protrusion 3131b protruding to the right at the upper end, and a protruding pin 3131c protruding in a cylindrical shape backward from near the upper end of the upper protrusion 3131b. The lower surface of the slide guide 3130 can abut against the upper surface of the lower protrusion 3131a of the transmission slider 3131. The protruding pin 3131c of the transmission slider 3131 is slidably inserted into the first slit 3133a of the link member 3133.

The spring 3132 has an upper end attached to the unit base 3121 and a lower end attached to the upper protrusion 3131b of the transmission slider 3131, biasing the transmission slider 3131 upward.

The link member 3133 is triangular in front view with each apex rounded. The link member 3133 is attached to the unit base 3121 near one apex so as to be rotatable around an axis in the front-rear direction. The link member 3133 has a first slit 3133a in the form of an elongated hole extending from the rotation axis toward the rotation axis near the left apex, and a second slit 3133b in the form of an elongated hole extending from the rotation axis toward the rotation axis near the upper apex. In the link member 3133, the protruding pin 3131c of the transmission slider 3131 is slidably inserted into the first slit 3133a, and the transmission pin 3134a of the lock member 3134 is slidably inserted into the second slit 3133b.

The locking member 3134 is attached between the unit base 3121 and the front left cover 3137 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction by the front left cover 3137 .
The locking member 3134 protrudes cylindrically rearward and has a transmission pin 3134a that is slidably inserted into the second slit 3133b of the link member 3133, a contact surface 3134b that forms a flat upper end surface and extends in the left-right direction against which the lower surface of the locking protrusion 3116b of the rear movable decorative body 3110 can abut, and a guide surface 3134c that is inclined to move leftward as it moves downward from the right end of the abutment surface 3134b and against which the locking protrusion 3116b can abut.

The front right cover 3138 cooperates with the unit base 3121 to support the right slider 3117 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 so that it can slide vertically.

Next, the operation of the rear performance unit 3100 will be explained. In the normal state of the rear performance unit 3100, as shown in Figure 418 (Figure 419 (a)), the rear movable decorative body 3110 is in a retracted position moved upward, the slide guide 3130 is located near the upper end of the spiral shaft 3123, and the locking member 3134 has moved to the right and is in a locked position. In this state, the lower surface of the movable protrusion 3116a of the left slider 3116 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 abuts against the upper end surface of the slide guide 3130, and the lower surface of the locking protrusion 3116b of the rear movable decorative body 3110 abuts against the abutment surface 3134b of the locking member 3134.

In the normal state, the transmission slider 3131 is at the upper end of its movement due to the biasing force of the spring 3132. The protruding pin 3131c of the transmission slider 3131 is inserted into the first slit 3133a of the link member 3133, and the transmission pin 3134a of the lock member 3134 is inserted into the second slit 3133b of the link member 3133. Therefore, the biasing force of the spring 3132 acts on the link member 3133 in a clockwise direction around the rotation axis, and biases the lock member 3134 in a direction to slide to the right. Therefore, the biasing force of the spring 3132 keeps the lock member 3134 in the locked position.

In this state, the downward movement of the rear movable decorative body 3110 is restricted by both the slide guide 3130 and the locking member 3134. Therefore, even if either the slide guide 3130 or the locking member 3134 moves from its position for some reason (defect), the remaining one can prevent the rear movable decorative body 3110 from moving downward (falling).

In addition, in the normal state, the first slit 3133a of the link member 3133 is located above the rotation axis of the link member 3133, and the second slit 3133b into which the transmission pin 3134a of the lock member 3134 is inserted is located to the right of the rotation axis. In addition, the rear-upper detection sensor 3135 detects the detection piece 3116c of the rear-movable decorative body 3110, and the rear-lower detection sensor 3136 does not detect the detection piece 3130a of the slide guide 3130.

When in the normal retracted position, the rear performance unit 3100 is located behind the upper performance unit 3400 and cannot be seen from the front (player side).

In this normal state, when the spiral shaft 3123 is rotated in a predetermined direction (here, counterclockwise in a plan view) by the rear drive motor 3126, the slide guide 3130 screwed to the spiral shaft 3123 moves downward. Even if this slide guide 3130 moves downward, the rear movable decorative body 3110 does not move downward from the retracted position because the locking protrusion 3116b of the rear movable decorative body 3110 is in contact with the locking member 3134, and only the slide guide 3130 moves downward away from the movable protrusion 3116a of the rear movable decorative body 3110.

When the slide guide 3130 moves downward due to the rotation of the spiral shaft 3123 and its detection piece 3130a is detected by the rear-bottom detection sensor 3136, the lower surface of the slide guide 3130 abuts against the upper end surface of the lower protrusion 3131a of the transmission slider 3131 (see FIG. 419(b)). When the slide guide 3130 moves further downward while the rear-bottom detection sensor 3136 detects the detection piece 3130a of the slide guide 3130, the slide guide 3130 presses the lower protrusion 3131a of the transmission slider 3131 downward, and the transmission slider 3131 moves downward together with the slide guide 3130 against the biasing force of the spring 3132.

When the transmission slider 3131 moves downward, the first slit 3133a of the link member 3133 into which the protruding pin 3131c of the transmission slider 3131 is inserted is pressed downward, causing the link member 3133 to rotate counterclockwise around its axis of rotation. Then, when the link member 3133 rotates counterclockwise, the second slit 3133b of the link member 3133 moves leftward, and the lock member 3134 moves leftward via the transmission pin 3134a inserted into the second slit 3133b (see FIG. 419(c)).

When the locking member 3134 moves leftward beyond the locking protrusion 3116b of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, the lock (downward restriction) by the locking member 3134 is released, and the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 falls. At this time, the detection piece 3130a of the slide guide 3130, which is moving downward, becomes undetectable by the rear-rear lower detection sensor 3136, and the rotation of the rear-rear drive motor 3126 stops.

Then, the fallen rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 comes into contact with the shock absorbing member 3121a of the unit base 3121, stopping its fall and returning to the emerged position (see Figure 419 (c)). In this emerged position, the slide guide 3130 is positioned lower than the lower end of the left slider 3116 of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, and the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 does not come into contact with it.

When the rear-rear performance unit 3100 is in the appearance position where the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 has fallen, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 can be seen from the front (player side). In this state, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 (decorative body 3111) can be illuminated by appropriately illuminating multiple LEDs mounted on the rear-rear decorative board 3114, and the player can be entertained by the illuminated decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110.

When returning the rear movable decorative body 3110 from the appearance position at the lower moving end to the retracted position in the normal state, the rear drive motor 3126 rotates the spiral shaft 3123 in the opposite direction (here, clockwise in a plan view) to move the slide guide 3130 upward. When this slide guide 3130 moves upward, the transmission slider 3131 slides upward together with the slide guide 3130 due to the biasing force of the spring 3132. Then, as the transmission slider 3131 moves upward, in the opposite direction to the above, the link member 3133 rotates in the clockwise direction and the lock member 3134 moves to the right and stops at the lock position.

In addition, as the slide guide 3130 moves upward, the upper end surface of the lower protrusion 3131a comes into contact with the lower surface of the movable protrusion 3116a of the rear movable decorative body 3110, and as the slide guide 3130 presses the movable protrusion 3116a upward, the rear movable decorative body 3110 moves upward (see Figure 419 (d)).

When the rear movable decorative body 3110 is moved upward by the slide guide 3130 to near the retracted position, the locking protrusion 3116b comes into contact with the guide surface 3134c of the locking member 3134 from below. When the locking protrusion 3116b comes into contact with the guide surface 3134c from below and presses the guide surface 3134c upward, the inclination of the guide surface 3134c acts on the locking member 3134 to move it to the left, and the locking member 3134 slides to the right against the biasing force of the spring 3132 which tries to move it to the right via the transmission slider 3131 and the link member 3133.

When the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 moves upward and the locking protrusion 3116b is positioned above the upper end of the guide surface 3134c of the locking member 3134, the upward pressure from the locking protrusion 3116b against the guide surface 3134c is eliminated, and the locking member 3134 slides to the right due to the biasing force of the spring 3132 and enters the locked position. As a result, the right end side of the abutment surface 3134b of the locking member 3134 is positioned below the locking protrusion 3116b of the rear rear movable decorative body 3110, and the locking member 3134 can restrict the downward movement of the rear rear movable decorative body 3110.

At this time, the detection piece 3116c of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is detected by the rear-rear upper detection sensor 3135, and the rotation of the rear-rear drive motor 3126 stops. In this way, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 can return from the emergent position to the retracted position, which is its normal state.

According to the rear performance unit 3100 of this embodiment, the rear movable decoration 3110 extending to the left and right can be dropped from a retracted position that is not visible to the player to an appearance position that is visible, so that it can have a strong impact on the player and strongly attract the player's attention.

In addition, the locking member 3134, which locks (restrains) the rear movable decorative body 3110 in the retracted position, is unlocked by moving it to the left. This means that the rear movable decorative body 3110 can be dropped without moving upwards when the lock is released, compared to when the lock is released by rotating it around an axis in the front-to-rear direction.

[5-9d-1. Movable decorative body on the back]
Next, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in the rear-rear performance unit 3100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 420 to 434. Figure 420 is a front view showing the rear-rear movable decorative body together with the rear-rear decorative board. Figure 421 (a) is a cross-sectional view cut along the line D-D in Figure 420, and (b) is a cross-sectional view cut along the line E-E in Figure 420. Figure 422 (a) is a perspective view of the rear-rear movable decorative body seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the rear-rear movable decorative body seen from the back. Figure 423 is an exploded perspective view of the rear-rear movable decorative body seen from the front, and Figure 424 is an exploded perspective view of the rear-rear movable decorative body seen from the back. Figure 425 is a front view showing an enlarged portion of the rear-rear movable decorative body, and Figure 426 is an explanatory diagram showing the light-guiding radiation plate and the rear-rear decorative board in dashed lines in the front view of Figure 425. Figure 427 (a) is a front view showing a part of the decorative body in the rear-rear movable decorative body, (b) is a front view showing a part of the decorative sheet in the same position as the decorative body in (a), and (c) is a front view showing a light-guiding radiation plate and a part of the rear-rear decorative substrate in the same position as the decorative body in (a).

Also, Figure 428 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged upper part of Figure 421 (a). Figure 429 is an exploded view showing the cross-sectional view of Figure 428 in an exploded form. Figure 430 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the decoration by the decorative body and the decorative sheet and the light guide plate and the rear decorative board by enlarging a part of the front of the rear movable decorative body. Figure 431 (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the light guide plate and the rear decorative board in a cross section at the position of the first LED, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the action of the light guide plate at the position where the second LED is located on the optical axis of the first LED from the front, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the LED accommodating part of the light guide plate and the first LED of the rear decorative board from the front with respect to the second decorative part in the decorative body and the decorative sheet. Figure 432 is a front view showing a part of the rear decorative board enlarged together with the copper foil of the circuit pattern. Figure 433 (a) is a front view of the rear decorative board, and (b) is a rear view of the rear decorative board. Figure 434 (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a decorative body in a rear-rear movable decorative body, (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a decorative body having a metal decorative part with a different shape from (a), and (c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a decorative body having a metal decorative part with an even different shape from (a) and (b).

As shown in FIG. 420, the rear movable decorative body 3110 extends in the left-right direction, and is decorated with a decorative part 3150 consisting of a predetermined decoration when viewed from the front. In detail, the decorative part 3150 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 has two first decorative parts 3151 provided near both the left and right ends, respectively, when viewed from the front, and multiple second decorative parts 3152 lined up in the left-right direction between the two first decorative parts 3151. Each of the first decorative parts 3151 imitates a cherry blossom. In addition, although not shown, each of the second decorative parts 3152 imitates a predetermined character, and by being lined up on the left and right, they form a predetermined logo in line with the concept of this pachinko machine 1. In this way, the rear movable decorative body 3110 is decorated with a logo between two cherry blossoms.

As shown in Figures 420 to 424, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in the rear-rear performance unit 3100 is a transparent flat decorative body 3111 that extends in the left-right direction and has a decoration that forms part of the decorative part 3150 due to its relief-like unevenness, a translucent sheet-like decorative sheet 3112 that is provided behind the decorative body 3111 and has a decoration (pattern) that forms the remainder of the decorative part 3150, and a decorative sheet 3112 that is provided behind the decorative body 3111 and has a translucent sheet-like decoration (pattern) that forms the remainder of the decorative part 3150. It comprises a transparent flat light guide radiation plate 3113, a rear decorative board 3114 provided behind the light guide radiation plate 3113 and having a number of first and second LEDs mounted on the front surface, a flat decorative body base 3115 attached to the decorative body 3111 so as to cover the rear side of the rear decorative board 3114, a left slider 3116 extending vertically to the left of the decorative body 3111, and a right slider 3117 extending vertically to the right of the decorative body 3111.

[5-9d-2. Decoration of the back movable decoration body]
The decorative body 3111 has a flat general surface on the front side and the rear side. The decorative body 3111 has a first decorative protrusion 3111a protruding forward from the general surface on the front side, a second decorative protrusion 3111b protruding forward shorter than the first decorative protrusion 3111a, and a third decorative protrusion 3111c protruding forward shorter than the second decorative protrusion 3111b. The first decorative protrusion 3111a is provided at the portion that forms the outline of the first decorative part 3151 and the second decorative part 3152. The first decorative protrusion 3111a at the portion of the first decorative part 3151 is formed on the outer periphery of the petals of the first decorative part 3151 that imitates a cherry blossom, and on the portion that imitates the central stamen and pistil. The first decorative protrusion 3111a at the portion of the second decorative part 3152 is formed so as to surround the outer periphery of each second decorative part 3152 in a double (two-row) shape. The first decorative protrusion 3111a is curved so that its front surface bulges forward.

The second decorative protrusion 3111b is provided on the outside of the first decorative portion 3151 and the second decorative portion 3152. The second decorative protrusion 3111b is formed in a shape that resembles a cherry blossom and petals that are smaller than the first decorative portion 3151. The second decorative protrusion 3111b is curved so that the front surface bulges forward.

The third decorative protrusion 3111c is provided within the frame of the first decorative protrusion 3111a. The third decorative protrusion 3111c in the area corresponding to the first decorative portion 3151 has a curved front surface. The third decorative protrusion 3111c in the area corresponding to the second decorative portion 3152 has a flat front surface.

The first decorative protrusion 3111a and the third decorative protrusion 3111c of the decorative body 3111 respectively constitute a part of the first decorative part 3151 and the second decorative part 3152 of the decorative part 3150.

The decorative body 3111 also has a metal decorative part 3111d (a dark shaded area in Figures 425 to 427) in a portion of the first decorative protrusion 3111a that protrudes further forward than the second decorative protrusion 3111b (first foil stamping area (see Figure 434 (a))). The entire decorative body 3111, except for the metal decorative part 3111d, is formed colorless and transparent. As shown in Figures 428 and 434 (a), the metal decorative part 3111d in this embodiment is provided on the curved front part of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, and is not provided on the side part of the first decorative protrusion 3111a. As a result, the creepage distance EL from the metal decorative part 3111d of the decorative body 3111 to the rear decorative substrate 3114 can be made longer than when the metal decorative part 3111d is also provided on the side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, and the insulation against discharge of static electricity and short circuits can be improved.

The decorative body 3111 has a metal decorative part 3111d provided along the curved front surface of the first decorative protrusion 3111a that protrudes forward, so that the metallic luster of the metal decorative part 3111d gives it a sense of luxury, and the curvature of the metal decorative part 3111d further emphasizes the three-dimensional effect of the first decorative protrusion 3111a. As shown in FIG. 426, etc., the metal decorative part 3111d is provided in the second decorative part 3152 in a position in front of the first LED 3114a of the rear decorative substrate 3114, making it difficult to see the first LED 3114a and the first LED storage part 3113c of the light guide radiation plate 3113 from the front.

In addition, since the metal decorative part 3111d is provided only on the front surface of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the light from the first LED 3114a etc. of the rear decorative board 3114 at the rear is reflected backward by the back surface (rear surface) of the metal decorative part 3111d, illuminating the front surface of the decorative sheet 3112 provided at the rear, making the decoration of the decorative sheet 3112 (first contour portion 3112a) easier to see.

This metal decorative part 3111d is formed by hot stamping metal foil of a predetermined color (gold in this embodiment). In detail, first, the base material of the decorative body 3111 is formed by injection molding of synthetic resin. The formed base material of the decorative body 3111 is attached to a predetermined position of a hot stamping device with the front side on which the first decorative protrusion 3111a etc. protrudes facing upward. At this time, a transfer sheet having a desired metal foil and a flat hot plate whose lower side has elasticity and is heated to a predetermined temperature are arranged above the base material of the decorative body 3111. Then, the hot plate is lowered to a position a predetermined distance below the upper end of the first decorative protrusion 3111a in the base material of the decorative body 3111 (a position higher than the upper end of the second decorative protrusion 3111b), and the metal foil of the transfer sheet is transferred (foil stamped) to the first decorative protrusion 3111a by the heat of the hot plate. This results in the formation of the metal decorative portion 3111d in the first stamping area FS1 above (forward of) the second decorative protrusion 3111b in the decorative body 3111 (see Figure 434 (a)).

The hot plate of the hot stamping device used to form the metal decorative portion 3111d in this embodiment has an elastic portion that comes into contact with the decorative body 3111 to which the metal foil of the transfer sheet is to be transferred. Therefore, even if the destination (the front surface of the first decorative protrusion 3111a) is not flat but curved, it can elastically deform along that surface, and the metal foil can be transferred (foil stamped) in good condition even to parts with three-dimensional shapes such as curved surfaces. As a result, the metal decorative portion 3111d can be easily formed without the need for large-scale equipment, compared to forming it by plating or vapor deposition, and increases in costs can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the decorative body 3111 has the metal decorative portion 3111d only at the tip of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, but this is not limited to the above. For example, when forming the metal decorative portion 3111d using a hot stamping device, the hot plate can be lowered to a position lower than the second decorative protrusion 3111b and higher than the third decorative protrusion 3111c, thereby providing the metal decorative portion 3111d at the tip of the first decorative protrusion 3111a and the second decorative protrusion 3111b to form the decorative body 3111.

Alternatively, with the base material of the decorative body 3111 attached to the hot stamping device, first, a hot plate is lowered to a position (second stamping area FS2) lower than the second decorative protrusion 3111b and higher than the third decorative protrusion 3111c using a transfer sheet having a metal foil (first metal foil) of a predetermined color, and the first metal foil is transferred to the tip portions of the first decorative protrusion 3111a and the second decorative protrusion 3111b. Next, a hot plate is lowered to a position (first stamping area FS1) lower than the first decorative protrusion 3111a and higher than the second decorative protrusion 3111b using a transfer sheet having a metal foil (second metal foil) of a different color from the first metal foil, and the second metal foil is transferred to the tip portion of the first decorative protrusion 3111a (see FIG. 434 (b)). This makes it possible to form a decorative body 3111 with metal decorative parts 3111d of different colors for the first decorative protrusion 3111a and the second decorative protrusion 3111b without having to perform a masking process on the base material of the decorative body 3111.

In the above embodiment, the metal decorative portion 3111d of the decorative body 3111 is formed by hot stamping (foil stamping), but this is not limited to this. For example, a metal film may be formed on the surface of the base material of the decorative body 3111 by plating or vapor deposition, and then the metal film may be peeled off (laser peeling) from the area other than the first decorative protrusion 3111a using laser light to form a decorative body 3111 having the metal decorative portion 3111d on the first decorative protrusion 3111a. In this case, as shown in Figure 434 (c), the metal decorative portion 3111d may be provided on the side portion in addition to the tip portion of the first decorative protrusion 3111a.

The decorative body 3111 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 has a rear recess 3111e that is recessed forward from the general surface on the rear side. The rear recess 3111e is provided to correspond to the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the second decorative protrusion 3111b, and the third decorative protrusion 3111c. This rear recess 3111e equalizes the plate thickness of the decorative body 3111, making it possible to suppress deformation due to sink marks in the resin during injection molding.

The rear recess 3111e of the decorative body 3111 is recessed forward at a portion of the flat rear surface corresponding to the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the second decorative protrusion 3111b, and the third decorative protrusion 3111c, so that the flat portion of the rear surface excluding the rear recess 3111e abuts against the front surface of the first contour portion 3112a of the decorative sheet 3112, which will be described later. This brings the rear surface of the decorative body 3111 and the first contour portion 3112a of the decorative sheet 3112 into close contact, so that light is not diffusely reflected between the rear surface of the decorative body 3111 and the first contour portion 3112a, and the pattern of the first contour portion 3112a of the decorative sheet 3112 can be clearly seen through the transparent decorative body 3111.

In addition, the rear recess 3111e is provided in a position corresponding to the third decorative protrusion 3111c, and is therefore provided in a position in front of the first light diffusion section 3112c and the second light diffusion section 3112d (described later) in the decorative sheet 3112. As a result, a gap is formed between the rear recess 3111e and the front surface of the decorative sheet 3112, and due to this gap, light irradiated from the front to the rear recess 3111e of the decorative body 3111 is diffusely reflected between the front surface of the decorative sheet 3112 and the rear surface of the rear recess 3111e, and the rear recess 3111e is brightened by the light from the front. As a result, even if the first LED 3114a and the second LED 3114b on the rear decorative substrate 3114 are not illuminated, the light from the front brightens the first light diffusion section 3112c and the second light diffusion section 3112d of the decorative sheet 3112, that is, the first decorative section 3151 that resembles a cherry blossom and the multiple second decorative sections 3152 that make up the logo, making them easier to see from the front.

Furthermore, the decorative body 3111 has multiple mounting bosses 3111f that protrude cylindrically backward from the rear surface. The mounting bosses 3111f are for attaching the decorative body base 3115 to the rear side of the decorative body 3111. The mounting bosses 3111f are provided in a position directly behind the third decorative protrusion 3111c. This makes it difficult to see the mounting bosses 3111f from the front (player's side) due to the lens effect of the third decorative protrusion 3111c. In other words, the third decorative protrusion 3111c is provided in a position in front of the mounting boss 3111f, and the lens effect of the third decorative protrusion 3111c makes it difficult to see the mounting bosses 3111f from the front.

[5-9d-3. Decorative sheet for movable decorative body]
The decorative sheet 3112 is in the form of a thin sheet, and is formed to have an outer shape that is approximately the same size as the outer shape of the decorative body 3111. The decorative sheet 3112 is a transparent resin sheet with a pattern applied to the rear surface thereof. The decorative sheet 3112 has a first contour portion 3112a provided outside the first decorative portion 3151 and the second decorative portion 3152, excluding the area rear of the second decorative protrusion 3111b of the decorative body 3111, and in the central portion of the first decorative portion 3151, a second contour portion 3112b provided in a portion corresponding to the second decorative portion 3152 and between the first decorative protrusion 3111a formed in a double layer on the decorative body 3111, a first light diffusion portion 3112c provided in a portion corresponding to the first decorative portion 3151 and inside the first decorative protrusion 3111a of the decorative body 3111 (the portion rear of the third decorative protrusion 3111c), and a second light diffusion portion 3112d provided in a portion corresponding to the second decorative portion 3152 and inside the first decorative protrusion 3111a formed in a double layer on the decorative body 3111 (the portion rear of the third decorative protrusion 3111c).

In addition, the decorative sheet 3112 further has a transparent translucent portion 3112e provided in a portion of the decorative body 3111 that is behind the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the second decorative protrusion 3111b, and the third decorative protrusion 3111c.

As shown in FIG. 427(b) and other figures, the first contour portion 3112a of the decorative sheet 3112 has a portion with a pattern imitating cherry blossoms that is smaller than the first decorative portion 3151, and the remaining portion is an area where light interference fringes are displayed by a hologram. The first contour portion 3112a is formed to be opaque. In this embodiment, the hologram portion of the first contour portion 3112a is the same gold color as the metal decorative portion 3111d of the decorative body 3111. The cherry blossom-imitating portion of the first contour portion 3112a is colored white or pink. Note that the ink (paint) used for the pattern, etc. may contain glitter that sparkles in particulate form.

When the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is viewed from the front, this first contour portion 3112a is located further outboard and rearward than the first decorative protrusion 3111a (metal decorative portion 3111d) of the decorative body 3111, and has a portion of the same color (gold in this embodiment) as the metal decorative portion 3111d, thereby providing continuity to the decoration provided by the first contour portion 3112a and the metal decorative portion 3111d. This therefore emphasizes the sense of perspective between the first contour portion 3112a and the metal decorative portion 3111d, making it difficult to sense the thinness of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110.

The first contour portion 3112a is formed with a light gray or white rear surface. This improves the color development of the pattern or hologram on the front side. The light gray or white rear surface of the first contour portion 3112a allows the light radiated forward from the light guide radiation plate 3113 to be reflected backward and returned to the light guide radiation plate 3113, so that the light guide radiation plate 3113 can be made to emit light more brightly. This increases the amount of light radiated forward from the translucent portion of the decorative sheet 3112, allowing the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 to be illuminated and decorated more brightly, and the decorative part 3150 of the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 to be illuminated and decorated more uniformly.

Furthermore, since the first contour portion 3112a is provided outside the first decorative protrusion 3111a and the second decorative protrusion 3111b of the decorative body 3111, it is provided behind the flat portion of the rear surface of the decorative body 3111 excluding the rear recess 3111e. As a result, the flat rear surface of the transparent decorative body 3111 abuts and adheres closely to the front surface of the first contour portion 3112a, so that light is not diffusely reflected between the rear surface of the decorative body 3111 and the first contour portion 3112a, and the pattern or hologram of the first contour portion 3112a of the decorative sheet 3112 can be clearly seen from the front through the transparent decorative body 3111.

The second contour portion 3112b of the decorative sheet 3112 is formed as a black line of a predetermined width as shown in the figure. This second contour portion 3112b is located behind the area between the double first decorative protrusions 3111a (metallic decorative portion 3111d) of the decorative body 3111 in the second decorative portion 3152. In other words, since the black second contour portion 3112b is provided between the double gold metallic decorative portion 3111d, the black color of the second contour portion 3112b can highlight the double metallic decorative portion 3111d, thereby further enhancing the decorative effect of the metallic decorative portion 3111d.

The first light diffusion portion 3112c of the decorative sheet 3112 is translucent and is formed of multiple fine irregularities that can scatter light. More specifically, the first light diffusion portion 3112c is formed into a pear-skin pattern with multiple short, linear ridges extending in random directions. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 427(b) and other figures, multiple dots of a predetermined color (pink in this embodiment) are printed on the first light diffusion portion 3112c in one petal of a cherry blossom modeled by the first decorative portion 3151 so that the shading (transparency) becomes darker from the center of the petal toward the periphery. For this reason, when the first LED 3114a on the rear decorative substrate 3114 for emitting light from the rear to the first light diffusion section 3112c is illuminated, the pear-skin pattern of the first light diffusion section 3112c creates slight shading, giving a three-dimensional effect to the illuminated decoration of the first decorative section 3151, which resembles a cherry blossom.

The second light diffusion portion 3112d of the decorative sheet 3112 has translucency and is formed of a plurality of fine irregularities capable of diffusing light. As shown by the light shading in Figures 425 to 427, the second light diffusion portion 3112d is provided on the entire inside of the first decorative protrusion 3111a of the decorative body 3111 in each second decorative portion 3152. The second light diffusion portion 3112d has translucency and is formed of a plurality of fine irregularities capable of diffusing light. The plurality of fine irregularities forming the second light diffusion portion 3112d are formed in a halftone dot pattern at regular intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions. The second light diffusion portion 3112d of this embodiment is formed in a translucent milky white color. For this reason, when the first LED 3114a on the rear decorative substrate 3114 for emitting light from the rear to the second light diffusion section 3112d is illuminated, the dot pattern of the second light diffusion section 3112d allows the second decorative section 3152, consisting of a specified character, to be illuminated and decorated with a uniform brightness.

The first light diffusion section 3112c and the second light diffusion section 3112d of the decorative sheet 3112 are provided behind the part inside the first decorative protrusion 3111a of the decorative body 3111, and the rear surface of the part of the decorative body 3111 has a rear recess 3111e recessed forward. Therefore, when the decorative sheet 3112 is abutted against the rear surface of the decorative body 3111, a gap is formed on the front surface of the first light diffusion section 3112c and the second light diffusion section 3112d due to the presence of the rear recess 3111e of the decorative body 3111. Due to this gap, light irradiated from the front to the part of the rear recess 3111e of the decorative body 3111 is diffusely reflected between the front surface of the decorative sheet 3112 and the rear surface of the rear recess 3111e, and the first light diffusion section 3112c and the second light diffusion section 3112d are brightened by the light from the front. As a result, even if the first LED 3114a and the second LED 3114b on the rear decorative substrate 3114 are not illuminated, the light from the front brightens the first light diffusion section 3112c and the second light diffusion section 3112d of the decorative sheet 3112, that is, the first decorative section 3151 that resembles a cherry blossom and the multiple second decorative sections 3152 that make up the logo, making them easier to see from the front.

The decorative sheet 3112 forms a predetermined pattern by the first contour portion 3112a, the second contour portion 3112b, the first light diffusion portion 3112c, and the second light diffusion portion 3112d, and constitutes the remainder of the decorative portion 3150 of the rear movable decorative body 3110, excluding the decoration by the decorative body 3111. In the decorative sheet 3112 of this embodiment, the first contour portion 3112a, the second contour portion 3112b, the first light diffusion portion 3112c, and the second light diffusion portion 3112d are provided on the rear side of the transparent sheet that serves as the base material. The first contour portion 3112a and the second contour portion 3112b of the decorative sheet 3112 are formed by printing. In addition, the first light diffusion portion 3112c and the second light diffusion portion 3112d of the decorative sheet 3112 are formed by attaching a predetermined light diffusion film (diffuser film). The first light diffusion section 3112c and the second light diffusion section 3112d may be a lens film or a prism film.

The transparent portion 3112e of the decorative sheet 3112 is formed to be transparent. Since this transparent portion 3112e is provided behind the first decorative protrusion 3111a (metallic decorative portion 3111d) of the decorative body 3111, a part of the light radiated forward from the light guide radiation plate 3113 by the light emitted by the first LED 3114a of the rear decorative board 3114 can be transmitted and irradiated to the first decorative protrusion 3111a. At this time, in the first decorative protrusion 3111a protruding forward, the metallic decorative portion 3111d is provided only on the front side, and the side side remains transparent, so that the light irradiated from the rear to the first decorative protrusion 3111a through the transparent portion 3112e leaks out from the side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a. As a result, the light transmitted through the transparent portion 3112e can show the player a luminous decoration that looks like a halo is shining on the first decorative protrusion 3111a (metallic decorative portion 3111d). In addition, the light that passes through the transparent portion 3112e and is emitted to the outside from the side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a can illuminate the first contour portion 3112a located outside the first decorative protrusion 3111a from the front, making the pattern or hologram on the first contour portion 3112a easier to see and making it easier to bring out the decorative effect of the first contour portion 3112a.

The decorative sheet 3112 in this embodiment is formed to be approximately the same size as the decorative body 3111, so that the first contour portion 3112a having a pattern or hologram can decorate the outer edge of the decorative body 3111, making the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 look larger. In addition, since the decorative sheet 3112 is approximately the same size as the decorative body 3111, the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is not bordered, so that when the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is moved to the appearance position, a performance image that is continuous with the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is displayed on the performance display device 1600 provided at the rear, so that a performance with a sense of unity can be shown to the player, which gives the player a visual impact to attract their attention, allows them to enjoy the large decoration, and suppresses a decline in the player's interest.

In the decorative sheet 3112 of the above embodiment, a transparent transmission portion 3112e is provided behind the metal decorative portion 3111d (first decorative protrusion 3111a) of the decorative body 3111, but this is not limited to this. For example, the first contour portion 3112a may also be provided in a portion behind the metal decorative portion 3111d. This prevents the rear of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 from being seen diagonally from the front, as the rear is visible through the transparent side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a in the decorative body 3111 and the transparent transmission portion 3112e in the decorative sheet 3112, which would make the decorative portion 3150 of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 look bad. Furthermore, by providing the first contour portion 3112a up to the rear portion of the metal decorative portion 3111d, the portion of the first contour portion 3112a located behind the first decorative protrusion 3111a can be seen through the transparent side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a on the decorative body 3111, so that the side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a can be decorated by that portion of the first contour portion 3112a, and the appearance of the decorative portion 3150 can be improved even if the metal decorative portion 3111d is provided only on the front surface of the first decorative protrusion 3111a.

[5-9d-4. Light guide radiation plate of rear movable decorative body]
As shown in Figures 423 and 424, the light-guiding radiation plate 3113 has a transparent flat main body portion 3113a extending left and right, a flange portion 3113b extending rearward from the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion 3113a, a plurality of first LED accommodating portions 3113c which penetrate the main body portion 3113a in the front-to-rear direction and into which the first LED 3114a of the rear decorative board 3114 is inserted, a plurality of second LED accommodating portions 3113d which penetrate the main body portion 3113a in the front-to-rear direction and into which the second LED 3114b of the rear decorative board 3114 is inserted, a plurality of reflective portions 3113e provided over almost the entire rear surface of the main body portion 3113a, a leg portion 3113f which protrudes rearward from the peripheral edge of the first LED accommodating portion 3113c on the rear surface of the main body portion 3113a, and an auxiliary reflective portion 3113g which is provided along the rear end edge of the leg portion 3113f opposite the first LED accommodating portion 3113c.

The light guide plate 3113 also has a right slider front portion 3113h that extends downward from the right end of the main body portion 3113a when viewed from the front.

The main body 3113a of the light guide radiation plate 3113 has a flat front surface that abuts against the rear surface of the decorative sheet 3112. The flange 3113b protrudes rearward by about 1.5 times the thickness of the main body 3113a. As shown in Figure 428, etc., when assembled to the rear movable decorative body 3110, the rear end of this flange 3113b protrudes rearward beyond the rear decorative base plate 3114.

The first LED storage section 3113c has an inner periphery formed into a rectangle. As shown in FIG. 426, the multiple first LED storage sections 3113c are provided behind the less transparent part of the decorative section 3150 when the rear movable decorative body 3110 is viewed from the front. In more detail, in the first decorative section 3151, the multiple first LED storage sections 3113c are provided behind the part where the pink shading caused by dots is darker in the first light diffusion section 3112c of the decorative sheet 3112. In more detail, the first LED storage section 3113c provided in the first decorative section 3151 is provided on the center side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a of the decorative body 3111 in each of the five petals modeled after a cherry blossom, so that the center of the long side of the rectangular inner periphery is located on the center line of the petal.

On the other hand, the multiple first LED storage sections 3113c provided in the second decorative section 3152 are arranged to be located behind the metal decorative section 3111d of the decorative body 3111 and the second contour section 3112b of the decorative sheet 3112. For this reason, the multiple first LED storage sections 3113c (first LEDs 3114a) are difficult to see from the front.

In addition, the multiple first LED accommodating sections 3113c are provided in the area of the second decorative section 3152 so as to surround the outer periphery of the second decorative section 3152. In addition, when the multiple first LED accommodating sections 3113c are relatively close to each other, they are formed in a state in which the respective first LED accommodating sections 3113c are connected to each other, as shown in FIG. 427(c) and FIG. 431(c), etc. By connecting the first LED accommodating sections 3113c that are close to each other, it is possible to prevent the main body section 3113a from being formed at a section that is thinner than the thickness of the main body section 3113a, and it is possible to make the light guide radiation plate 3113 less likely to be damaged.

The first LED accommodating section 3113c has a rectangular inner periphery and penetrates the main body section 3113a. As a result, when light guided in a direction along the surface (front or rear surface) of the main body section 3113a inside (within the plate thickness) reaches the first LED accommodating section 3113c, a part of the light is reflected straight into the inside of the main body section 3113a by the inner periphery of the first LED accommodating section 3113c, and the remainder is radiated into the inside of the first LED accommodating section 3113c through the inner periphery of the first LED accommodating section 3113c. Then, when the light radiated inward from one of the four inner periphery faces of the first LED accommodating section 3113c reaches another surface of the inner periphery, a part of the light is reflected at that surface into the inside of the first LED accommodating section 3113c, and the remainder enters the inside of the main body section 3113a. In other words, when light guided in a direction along the surface of the main body 3113a inside the main body 3113a attempts to pass through the first LED storage section 3113c, part of the light is reflected by the part of the inner surface that radiates inwardly into the first LED storage section 3113c and the part of the inner surface of the first LED storage section 3113c that is incident on the main body 3113a side, and the amount of light that passes through the first LED storage section 3113c is greatly reduced compared to before it passed through.

For this reason, the first LED storage section 3113c can block the light guided in the direction along the surface of the main body section 3113a inside the main body section 3113a. Since the first LED 3114a of the rear decorative board 3114 is housed inside this first LED storage section 3113c, the first LED 3114a can block the light that is about to pass through the first LED storage section 3113c, and the light does not pass to the opposite side of the first LED storage section 3113c in the area where the first LED 3114a is housed. As a result, by providing the first LED storage section 3113c at an optimal position with respect to the outer peripheral shape of the second decorative section 3152, it is possible to prevent the light from the first LED 3114a housed in the first LED storage section 3113c from being guided to another second decorative section 3152 and causing it to emit light, and it is possible to reliably cause only the desired second decorative section 3152 to emit light.

To describe the function of the first LED accommodating portion 3113c in more detail, for example, as shown in FIG. 431(c), in order to illuminate and decorate the multiple second decorative portions 3152 of "I", "Ro", "Ha", and "☆", the first LED accommodating portion 3113c is provided on the outer periphery of each second decorative portion 3152, and the first LED 3114a is provided in each first LED accommodating portion 3113c so that light is irradiated toward the inside of the second decorative portion 3152. In this embodiment, the first LED accommodating portions 3113c provided between "I" and "Ro" and between "Ro" and "Ha" are close to each other, so that they are connected to each other to form one hole. As a result, thin portions that are easily damaged are not formed in the main body portion 3113a of the light guide radiation plate 3113. In this embodiment, the first LED accommodating portion 3113c and the first LED 3114a for illuminating and decorating the "☆" located below "I" are provided below the "☆". Therefore, when the first LED 3114a for illuminating and decorating the "☆" is illuminated, there is a risk that the "I" located above the "☆" will be illuminated and decorated. However, the first LED storage section 3113c, which houses the first LED 3114a for illuminating and decorating a part of the "I" located at the upper left of the "☆", is provided with an extension section 3113j that extends to cover the upper part of the "☆". This extension section 3113j can reduce (block) the light from the first LED 3114a for illuminating and decorating the "☆" from being guided to the "I" side. As a result, even if the "☆" is illuminated and decorated, the "I" will not be illuminated and decorated. In addition, the extension section 3113j can reduce (block) the light for illuminating and decorating the "I" from being guided to the "☆" side. Only the desired second decorative section 3152 such as the "I" or "☆" can be reliably illuminated and decorated, and the desired performance effect can be fully exerted.

As shown in FIG. 430 etc., the second LED storage section 3113d has a circular inner circumference. The multiple second LED storage sections 3113d are provided behind five circular areas that resemble stamens and are provided around the center of the first decorative section 3151 that resembles a cherry blossom. In more detail, the second LED storage section 3113d is provided behind a circular area that resembles a stamen and is located on the center line of each of the five petals that resemble a cherry blossom. As a result, one first LED storage section 3113c and one second LED storage section 3113d are provided on the center line of each of the five petals.

This second LED storage section 3113d has a circular inner circumference and penetrates the main body section 3113a. As a result, when light guided in a direction along the surface (front and rear surfaces) of the main body section 3113a inside (within the plate thickness) reaches the second LED storage section 3113d, a part of the light is reflected by the inner circumferential surface of the second LED storage section 3113d so as to diffuse in a fan shape toward the inside of the main body section 3113a. In this embodiment, the second LED storage section 3113d is provided on the optical axis of the first LED 3114a in each of the five petals of the first decorative section 3151 that imitates a cherry blossom, so that, as shown in FIG. 431 (b), the light irradiated from the first LED 3114a to the inside of the main body section 3113a is reflected in a fan shape toward the first LED 3114a side by the circular inner circumferential surface of the second LED storage section 3113d, and the reflected light can make the petals more brightly illuminated and decorated.

The multiple reflecting parts 3113e are each formed into a quadrangular pyramid and are arranged in a row so as to be continuous vertically and horizontally. The multiple reflecting parts 3113e are formed on almost the entire surface except for the flange part 3113b on the rear surface of the main body part 3113a, the area around the first LED accommodating part 3113c and the second LED accommodating part 3113d, and the right slider front part 3113h. The multiple reflecting parts 3113e can mainly reflect light irradiated in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the main body part 3113a forward and radiate it forward from the front surface of the main body part 3113a. The light guide radiation plate 3113 of this embodiment is formed so that the rear is difficult to see when viewed from the front due to the presence of the multiple reflecting parts 3113e.

In addition, since the multiple reflecting portions 3113e of the light guide radiation plate 3113 are provided on almost the entire rear surface of the main body portion 3113a, light can be radiated forward from almost the entire surface. Therefore, even if the design of the decorative portion 3150 formed by the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112 is changed due to a change in model or design, there is no need to change the light guide radiation plate 3113, and design changes can be easily accommodated, thereby preventing increases in costs.

The leg 3113f protrudes rearward from the rear end side of the part facing the light emitting surface of the first LED 3114a inserted on the inner surface of the first LED storage section 3113c. As shown in FIG. 428, the surface of the leg 3113f facing the first LED storage section 3113c is provided on the same plane as the inner surface of the first LED storage section 3113c. This makes it possible to increase the area of the light receiving section 3113i for receiving the light irradiated from the first LED 3114a into the main body section 3113a, and to irradiate more light from the first LED 3114a into the main body section 3113a. In addition, when the leg 3113f is assembled to the rear movable decorative body 3110, the rear surface abuts against the front surface of the rear decorative board 3114, and a gap can be formed between the rear surface of the main body section 3113a and the front surface of the rear decorative board 3114.

The auxiliary reflector 3113g is provided in a chamfered shape along the side of the rear end of the leg 3113f opposite the first LED housing 3113c. This auxiliary reflector 3113g is intended to reflect forward the light irradiated from the first LED 3114a to the leg 3113f.

The right slider front portion 3113h cooperates with the right slider rear portion 3115d of the decorative body base 3115, described below, to form the right slider 3117.

When the light guide radiation plate 3113 of this embodiment is assembled to the rear movable decorative body 3110, the flange portion 3113b covers the outer periphery of the rear decorative board 3114, making it difficult to see the outer periphery of the rear decorative board 3114, and preventing it from looking bad. In addition, since the light guide radiation plate 3113 has a flange portion 3113b that protrudes further rearward than the rear decorative board 3114, the creeping distance EL from the metal decorative part 3111d provided on the front surface of the decorative body 3111 to the rear decorative board 3114 (copper foil 3114d and electronic components 3114e) can be made longer, and static electricity accumulated in the metal decorative part 3111d can be prevented from flowing to the rear decorative board 3114 and damaging the rear decorative board 3114.

In this embodiment, the light guide radiation plate 3113 has the first LED accommodating section 3113c and the second LED accommodating section 3113d as holes penetrating the main body section 3113a, so that heat from the first LED 3114a accommodated in the first LED accommodating section 3113c and the second LED 3114b accommodated in the second LED accommodating section 3113d can be released forward of the main body section 3113a, thereby reducing the thermal effects on the rear decorative board 3114.

In addition, since the first LED storage section 3113c and the second LED storage section 3113d are through holes, even if the front side of the first LED storage section 3113c and the second LED storage section 3113d are blocked by the decorative sheet 3112 or the decorative body 3111, the volume (heat capacity) of the first LED storage section 3113c and the second LED storage section 3113d can be made larger than when the first LED storage section 3113c and the second LED storage section 3113d are formed as a bottomed recess (groove-shaped) that does not penetrate the first LED storage section 3113c and the second LED storage section 3113d. This makes it possible to mitigate a sudden temperature rise caused by heat from the first LED 3114a and the second LED 3114b stored therein, and to suppress the thermal effect on the rear decorative board 3114, etc. In addition, in the first LED storage section 3113c that is close to and connected to each other, and in the first LED storage section 3113c that has the extension section 3113j, the volume of the first LED storage section 3113c is large, so for the same reasons as above, it is possible to dissipate more heat from the first LED 3114a and to further mitigate sudden temperature increases.

In addition, the light guide radiation plate 3113 has a first LED accommodating section 3113c and a second LED accommodating section 3113d into which the first LED 3114a and the second LED 3114b mounted on the front surface of the rear decorative substrate 3114 are inserted from the rear. By inserting the first LED 3114a and the second LED 3114b into the first LED accommodating section 3113c and the second LED accommodating section 3113d, the rear surface of the main body section 3113a can be brought as close as possible to the front surface of the rear decorative substrate 3114, and the thickness of the rear movable decorative body 3110 in the front-to-rear direction can be made thinner.

Furthermore, the light guide radiation plate 3113 has legs 3113f protruding rearward from the rear surface of the main body 3113a, so that the rear ends of the legs 3113f can be abutted against the front surface of the rear decorative substrate 3114 to form a gap between the rear surface of the main body 3113a and the front surface of the rear decorative substrate 3114. This allows heat from the first LED 3114a, second LED 3114b, etc. mounted on the front surface of the rear decorative substrate 3114 to escape through the gap, suppressing the temperature rise in the rear decorative substrate 3114 and reducing the effects of heat.

The light guide radiation plate 3113 can guide the light from the first LED 3114a mounted at multiple predetermined positions on the rear decorative substrate 3114 and radiate it forward from the reflecting portion 3113e on almost the entire rear surface of the main body 3113a, so that the light from the first LED 3114a can be radiated forward even in a portion of the main body 3113a where the rear decorative substrate 3114 is not provided. In other words, even if the rear decorative substrate 3114 is smaller than the size of the main body 3113a, the light can be radiated forward from almost the entire surface of the main body 3113a. Therefore, since the rear decorative substrate 3114 can be made smaller than the main body 3113a, the distance between the outer periphery of the main body 3113a and the outer periphery of the rear decorative substrate 3114 can be made longer, and the creeping distance EL from the metal decorative portion 3111d on the front surface of the decorative body 3111 can be made longer, making it easier to exert the above-mentioned effect.

[5-9d-5. Back-rear decorative substrate of back-rear movable decorative body]
The rear decorative board 3114 is mounted with a plurality of first LEDs 3114a of side view type and a plurality of second LEDs 3114b of top view type on the front side. The rear decorative board 3114 also has a flat board body 3114c, copper foils 3114d (see FIG. 432, etc.) that are provided on the front and rear sides of the board body 3114c and form a predetermined circuit pattern, and electronic components 3114e (see FIG. 433(b)) such as LED driver ICs and resistors that are mounted on the rear side of the board body 3114c.

In addition, the rear decorative substrate 3114 has a coating film (not shown) made of white solder resist on the surface excluding the first LED 3114a, second LED 3114b, electronic component 3114e, etc. Furthermore, although not shown, the rear decorative substrate 3114 has a notation portion near the mounted components such as the first LED 3114a, second LED 3114b, and electronic component 3114e that indicates the mounted components. The notation portion is provided on the coating film by silk screen printing in a specified color (e.g., yellow) that is not easily noticeable.

The outer peripheral shape of the rear decorative substrate 3114 is roughly aligned with the inner periphery of the flange portion 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113, and is formed to a size that allows a gap slightly larger than the thickness of the flange portion 3113b to be formed between the flange portion 3113b and the rear decorative substrate 3114 at a roughly constant size. The outer peripheral shape of the rear decorative substrate 3114 is roughly aligned with the inner periphery of the flange portion 3115b of the decorative body base 3115 described below, and is formed to a size that allows a slight gap to be formed between the inner periphery of the flange portion 3115b and the rear decorative substrate 3114 at a roughly constant size. In other words, the rear decorative substrate 3114 is formed to a size that can be accommodated inside the flange portion 3115b of the decorative body base 3115.

As shown in FIG. 430, the first decorative portion 3151 of the multiple first LEDs 3114a is arranged so that light is emitted toward the center of the flower on the center line of each of the five petals that imitate a cherry blossom, near the tip that is more inward than the first decorative protrusion 3111a (metallic decorative portion 3111d) of the decorative body 3111. This allows the first LEDs 3114a in the first decorative portion 3151 to illuminate and decorate each of the five petals that imitate a cherry blossom.

In addition, in the area of the second decorative portion 3152 of the multiple first LEDs 3114a, each of the second decorative portions 3152 arranged in a row on the left and right is arranged so that light is irradiated toward the inside of the second decorative portion 3152 near the rear of the first decorative protrusion 3111a arranged in duplicate on the decorative body 3111. This allows the first LEDs 3114a in the area of the second decorative portion 3152 to illuminate and decorate each of the multiple second decorative portions 3152 arranged in a row on the left and right.

As shown in FIG. 430 etc., the multiple second LEDs 3114b are provided in the central part of the first decorative part 3151 that resembles a cherry blossom, behind a circular area that resembles a stamen located on the center line of the five petals. In other words, the second LEDs 3114b are provided on the optical axis of the first LEDs 3114a that correspond to one petal that resembles a cherry blossom in the first decorative part 3151. This allows the second LEDs 3114b to illuminate and decorate each of the five areas that resemble stamens in the central part of the first decorative part 3151.

Since the second LED 3114b is a top-view type that can radiate light forward, when the second LED 3114b is illuminated, the area resembling a stamen in the center of the first decorative part 3151 can be illuminated as a point light with a higher brightness than other areas, strongly attracting the player's attention. Therefore, in the illuminated decoration of the decorative part 3150, it is possible to provide an area that emits light in a planar manner from the first LED 3114a and an area that emits light in a point manner from the second LED 3114b, and by appropriately combining these lights, a variety of light-emitting effects can be produced, making it less likely that the player will tire of the experience.

The substrate body 3114c is a rigid substrate that is slightly thinner than the body portion 3113a of the light guide plate 3113. In this embodiment, the substrate body 3114c uses a glass composite material.

The copper foil 3114d is provided on almost the entire front and rear surfaces of the board body 3114c. The copper foil 3114d is formed to a predetermined thickness (18 μm to 70 μm) and is etched to form a circuit pattern (shaded area in FIG. 432). As shown in FIG. 432, the copper foil 3114d is provided at a position where the outer edge is a predetermined distance SL (0.5 mm to 3 mm) (SL = 1 mm in this embodiment) away from the outer edge of the board body 3114c. This predetermined distance SL increases the creepage distance EL and spatial distance from the conductive member outside the rear decorative board 3114 (for example, the metal decorative part 3111d of the decorative body 3111) to the copper foil 3114d, thereby improving insulation against discharges and short circuits such as static electricity, and suppressing damage to the rear decorative board 3114 due to discharges, etc.

In addition, the outer edge of the copper foil 3114d is provided to a portion a certain distance inward from the outer edge of the board body 3114c, regardless of the presence or absence of the first LED 3114a, the second LED 3114b, and the electronic component 3114e, making the area of the copper foil 3114d as large as possible. As a result, a portion of the heat generated in the first LED 3114a, the second LED 3114b, and the electronic component 3114e can be transferred to the copper foil 3114d, and dissipated from the copper foil 3114d, thereby improving the cooling effect on the first LED 3114a, the second LED 3114b, and the electronic component 3114e and preventing damage due to heat.

In addition, the rear decorative substrate 3114 has a light reflection auxiliary region 3114f of a predetermined width on the light emitting surface side of the side-view type first LED 3114a on the front side to facilitate forward reflection of the light irradiated from the first LED 3114a to the substrate body 3114c side (the region surrounded by a dashed line in Figure 432). In this embodiment, the light reflection auxiliary region 3114f is not provided with copper foil 3114d, as shown in Figures 429 and 431(a). As a result, the front surface of the light reflection auxiliary region 3114f is lower than the front surface of the copper foil 3114d on which the first LED 3114a is mounted, so compared to when copper foil 3114d is provided in the light reflection auxiliary region 3114f, the angle of light irradiated from the first LED 3114a into the light reflection auxiliary region 3114f is closer to the perpendicular line of the front surface of the board body 3114c, making it easier to reflect the light irradiated toward the board body 3114c forward.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 431(a) and the like, the copper foil 3114d is not provided within the light reflection auxiliary area 3114f, and the rear end of the leg 3113f protruding rearward of the light guide radiation plate 3113 is abutted against the light guide radiation plate 3113, so that the leg 3113f can be lengthened rearward by the thickness of the copper foil 3114d. Therefore, the light receiving portion 3113i that receives light from the first LED 3114a can be made larger, and the light (amount of light) radiated forward from the light guide radiation plate 3113 can be increased, allowing the rear movable decorative body 3110 (decorative body 3111 and decorative sheet 3112) to be illuminated and decorated more brightly.

In addition, the rear ends of the legs 3113f protruding rearward of the light guide radiation plate 3113 abut within the light reflection auxiliary region 3114f (see FIG. 431(a) and the like). As a result, even if the coating film (solder resist) applied to the surface is worn or peeled off due to the abutment of the legs 3113f, only the front surface of the board body 3114c is exposed, and the copper foil 3114d is not exposed. Therefore, the insulation is reduced due to the exposure of the copper foil 3114d, and damage due to short circuits such as static electricity can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 428, etc., by assembling the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 of this embodiment to the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, the outer periphery is surrounded by a flange portion 3115b of the decorative body base 3115 described later and a flange portion 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113, which makes it difficult to see the outer periphery from the outside, preventing deterioration of the appearance. In addition, when the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 is assembled to the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, the outer periphery of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 is surrounded by the flange portion 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113 with a certain gap, and the flange portion 3115b of the decorative body base 3115 is inserted from the rear into the gap between the flange portion 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113, and is also surrounded by the flange portion 3115b. As a result, the shortest route along the surface from the metal decorative part 3111d on the front of the decorative body 3111 to the rear decorative board 3114 meanders around the flange part 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113 due to the presence of the flange part 3115b of the decorative body base 3115, making it possible to make the creepage distance EL longer and preventing static electricity accumulated in the metal decorative part 3111d from flowing to the rear decorative board 3114 and damaging the rear decorative board 3114. In this embodiment, the creepage distance EL is set to 10 mm or more, or a distance that can withstand a discharge voltage of 10 kV.

In addition, since the rear decorative substrate 3114 is provided behind the light guide plate 3113, the rear decorative substrate 3114 can block light from the component provided behind the rear movable decorative body 3110 (in this embodiment, the performance display device 1600). This prevents light from the performance display device 1600 provided at the rear from being irradiated onto the decorative sheet 3112 or the decorative body 3111, thereby preventing the decorative part 3150 from being unintentionally illuminated and allowing the rear movable decorative body 3110 to reliably perform the desired light-emitting performance. In addition, since the rear decorative substrate 3114 is provided behind the light guide plate 3113, the rear decorative substrate 3114 can prevent the rear from being seen through the light guide plate 3113, and the deterioration of the appearance of the rear movable decorative body 3110 can be suppressed.

In addition, the rear decorative board 3114 is designed so that only the first LED 3114a and the second LED 3114b, which are accommodated from the rear relative to the first LED accommodating section 3113c and the second LED accommodating section 3113d of the light guide radiation plate 3113, are provided on the front side. By inserting the first LED 3114a and the second LED 3114b into the first LED accommodating section 3113c and the second LED accommodating section 3113d, the front side of the rear decorative board 3114 can be brought as close as possible to the rear side of the main body section 3113a, and the thickness of the rear movable decorative body 3110 in the front-to-rear direction can be made thinner.

Furthermore, the rear decorative board 3114 has electronic components 3114e such as an LED driver IC and resistors mounted on the rear surface. Since the LED driver IC, resistors, and other electronic components 3114e are generally black components, by providing the electronic components 3114e on the rear surface of the rear decorative board 3114, the black electronic components 3114e can be made invisible from the front, improving the appearance of the rear movable decorative body 3110. In addition, since the black electronic components 3114e are provided on the rear surface of the rear decorative board 3114, which cannot be seen from the front, there is no need to apply paint of a color such as white to make the electronic components 3114e less visible, and the cost of the rear decorative board 3114 can be reduced.

[5-9d-6. Decoration base of the back movable decoration body]
The decorative body base 3115 is formed to be entirely transparent. The decorative body base 3115 includes a flat covering plate portion 3115a that covers the rear side of the rear decorative substrate 3114, a flange portion 3115b that protrudes forward from the outer periphery of the covering plate portion 3115a, a plurality of openings 3115c that penetrate the covering plate portion 3115a, and a right slider rear portion 3115d that extends downward from the right end of the covering plate portion 3115a when viewed from the front.

The outer peripheral shape of the covering plate portion 3115a is approximately along the inner circumference of the flange portion 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113, and is formed to a size that allows a small, constant gap to be formed between the inner circumference of the flange portion 3113b. In other words, the covering plate portion 3115a (decorative body base 3115) is formed to a size that can be accommodated inside the flange portion 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113. This covering plate portion 3115a covers the rear side of the rear rear decorative substrate 3114, so that the rear rear decorative substrate 3114 can be protected by preventing other components from contacting the rear rear decorative substrate 3114 from behind, and damage to the rear rear decorative substrate 3114 can be prevented.

As shown in FIG. 428, etc., the flange portion 3115b enters the space between the flange portion 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113 and the outer periphery of the rear decorative substrate 3114, and protrudes so that its front end is located forward of the rear decorative substrate 3114. This flange portion 3115b is formed to cover the outer periphery of the rear decorative substrate 3114, making it difficult to see the outer periphery of the rear decorative substrate 3114 from the outside, improving the appearance. In addition, when the flange portion 3115b is assembled to the rear movable decorative body 3110, it is inserted into the space between the flange portion 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113 and the outer periphery of the rear decorative substrate 3114, so that the shortest route from the metal decorative portion 3111d on the front side of the decorative body 3111 to the rear decorative substrate 3114 can be made to meander around the flange portion 3113b of the light guide radiation plate 3113 due to the presence of the flange portion 3115b of the decorative body base 3115. Therefore, the creepage distance EL can be made longer, and the static electricity accumulated in the metal decorative portion 3111d can be prevented from flowing to the rear decorative substrate 3114 and damaging the rear decorative substrate 3114.

The multiple openings 3115c have slit-shaped sections that are long from side to side, and sections that are larger than the slit-shaped sections. These multiple openings 3115c allow heat from the electronic components 3114e mounted on the rear surface of the rear decorative board 3114 to escape to the outside of the rear movable decorative body 3110, reducing the thermal effects on the rear decorative board 3114.

The right slider rear portion 3115d cooperates with the right slider front portion 3113h of the light guide radiation plate 3113 to form the right slider 3117.

The decorative body base 3115 also has multiple protrusions 3115e that protrude slightly from the front surface of the covering plate portion 3115a. The multiple protrusions 3115e are positioned so as to abut against areas of the rear surface of the rear decorative board 3114 near the outer periphery where the copper foil 3114d is not provided. By abutting the rear surface of the rear decorative board 3114 against their front surfaces, the multiple protrusions 3115e can form a gap between the rear surface of the rear decorative board 3114 and the front surface of the covering plate portion 3115a. This makes it easier for heat to escape from the electronic components 3114e through the gap between the rear surface of the rear decorative board 3114 and the front surface of the covering plate portion 3115a.

[5-9d-7. Main effects of the movable decorative body on the back]
Next, the main effects of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in this embodiment will be described. The rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in this embodiment is assembled by sandwiching the decorative sheet 3112 between the rear surface of the decorative body 3111 and the front surface of the main body 3113a of the light guide radiation plate 3113, and sandwiching the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 between the light guide radiation plate 3113 and the decorative body base 3115, and attaching the mounting boss 3111f of the decorative body 3111 to the decorative body base 3115 (see FIG. 421, etc.). This makes the thickness of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in the front-rear direction relatively thin.

The rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 has a transparent flat decorative body 3111 with a first decorative protrusion 3111a, a second decorative protrusion 3111b, and a third decorative protrusion 3111c that protrude forward, and the decorative sheet 3112 on the rear side of the decorative body 3111 has a first contour portion 3112a with a hologram that displays a pattern or light interference fringes. Therefore, the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the second decorative protrusion 3111b, and the third decorative protrusion 3111c can give a three-dimensional effect to the decorative part 3150 of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, and the lens effect of the second decorative protrusion 3111b and the third decorative protrusion 3111c and the hologram can give a sense of depth. As a result, even if the thickness of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in the front-to-rear direction is thin, the player does not feel thin, and the decorative effect of the decorative part 3150 of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 can be fully exerted to entertain the player.

As described above, the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the second decorative protrusion 3111b, the third decorative protrusion 3111c, the first contour portion 3112a, etc. can provide a sense of three-dimensionality and depth, so the thickness of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in the front-rear direction can be made thinner. This reduces the space required for the installation of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, increasing the degree of freedom in the placement of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, and making it easier to realize a pachinko machine 1 that can entertain players by providing the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in a more effective location inside the game board 5. In addition, since the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 can be made thinner, it is relatively easier to secure space for placing other decorative bodies, so by providing other decorative bodies, it is possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 that looks better or that can enjoy a variety of performances, and it is possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 that appeals to players and can be differentiated more.

The rear movable decorative body 3110 has a metal decorative part 3111d made of metal foil on the front of the first decorative protrusion 3111a of the decorative body 3111 that forms the outer periphery of the first decorative part 3151 and the second decorative part 3152, so that the metallic luster of the metal decorative part 3111d can make the first decorative part 3151 and the second decorative part 3152 stand out, and can strongly attract the interest of the player. In addition, since the metal decorative part 3111d is provided on the curved front of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, it is possible to give the metal decorative part 3111d a three-dimensional effect and a sense of luxury. As a result, when the rear movable decorative body 3110 moves from a retreat position that is not visible to the player to a visible appearance position, the luxurious decorative part 3150 can be seen, which gives the player a sense of premium, so that the player can strongly think that something good is going to happen, and the player's expectations for the game are increased, and a decline in interest can be suppressed.

In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 has a flat rear surface of the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112 is approximately the same size as the outer circumference of the decorative body 3111, so that the first contour portion 3112a having a pattern or hologram can decorate the outer circumference of the decorative body 3111, making the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 look large. In addition, since the decorative sheet 3112 of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is approximately the same size as the decorative body 3111, the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is not bordered, so when the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is moved to the appearance position, a performance image that is continuous with the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is displayed on the performance display device 1600 provided at the rear, allowing the player to see a unified performance, which gives the player a visual impact and draws their attention, and allows the player to enjoy the large decoration, thereby suppressing a decline in the player's interest.

In addition, the rear movable decorative body 3110 has the first LED 3114a located behind the metal decorative part 3111d of the decorative body 3111 and the second contour part 3112b of the decorative sheet 3112. This makes it possible to make the first LED 3114a less visible from the front by the metal decorative part 3111d and the second contour part 3112b, thereby preventing the appearance of the decorative part 3150 from deteriorating and allowing the decorative effect to be fully exhibited.

Furthermore, the rear movable decorative body 3110 has multiple first LEDs 3114a surrounding the outer periphery of each of the first decorative part 3151 and the multiple second decorative parts 3152, so that the first decorative part 3151 and the second decorative part 3152 can be individually illuminated and decorated. This allows the multiple second decorative parts 3152 arranged in a row on the left and right to be illuminated in sequence, or only a specific first decorative part 3151 or second decorative part 3152 to be illuminated and decorated. By appropriately illuminating the first decorative part 3151 and the multiple second decorative parts 3152, a variety of illumination effects can be shown to the player, making it less likely for the player to become bored and suppressing a decline in interest.

In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 uses the side-view type first LED 3114a to irradiate light in a direction along the surface within the thickness of the main body 3113a of the light guide radiation plate 3113, and then radiates light forward through multiple reflectors 3113e to illuminate and decorate the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112, so that the distance from the front of the light guide radiation plate 3113 to the front of the light guide radiation plate 3113 can be increased. This allows the light from the first LED to be sufficiently diffused and radiated forward from the light guide radiation plate 3113, so that even if the thickness of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in the front-rear direction is thin, the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112 can be illuminated and decorated uniformly without unevenness, and players can be entertained by the attractive illuminating decoration. In addition, the light guide plate 3113 and the side-view type first LED 3114a can uniformly illuminate and decorate the decorative body 3111 and decorative sheet 3112, making it possible to further reduce the thickness of the rear movable decorative body 3110 in the front-to-rear direction, thereby ensuring the realization of a pachinko machine 1 that achieves the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, the rear movable decorative body 3110 uses the first LED 3114a as a side-view type for surface illumination, and the second LED 3114b as a top-view type, so that in the illumination decoration (illumination performance) of the rear movable decorative body 3110 (decorative part 3150), a part that emits high-brightness dot-like illumination from the second LED 3114b can be added to the part that is illuminated in a surface illumination manner by the first LED 3114a. This allows the illumination performance to be accentuated by the illumination of the second LED 3114b, making it easier to present the optimal illumination performance according to the game status, which can make the player more entertained and increase the player's expectations for the game, thereby preventing a decline in the player's interest.

The rear movable decorative body 3110 also has a first LED accommodating section 3113c on the light guide radiation plate 3113 into which a side-view type first LED 3114a is inserted, and light from the first LED 3114a is irradiated onto the light receiving section 3113i on the inner circumferential surface of the first LED accommodating section 3113c, allowing the light to enter the inside of the main body section 3113a. As a result, by positioning the first LED accommodating section 3113c close to the desired area to be illuminated with the first LED 3114a, the desired area can be illuminated more brightly, allowing players to enjoy an illuminated decoration with a more dramatic effect.

Furthermore, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 has a first LED accommodating section 3113c and a second LED accommodating section 3113d on the light-guiding radiation plate 3113 into which the first LED 3114a and the second LED 3114b mounted on the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 are inserted from the rear. By inserting the first LED 3114a and the second LED 3114b into the first LED accommodating section 3113c and the second LED accommodating section 3113d, the rear surface of the main body section 3113a can be brought as close as possible to the front surface of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114, and the thickness of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 in the fore-and-aft direction can be made thinner.

In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 has legs 3113f protruding rearward of the light-guiding radiation plate 3113 abutting the front surface of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114, forming a gap between the main body 3113a and the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114. This gap allows heat to escape from the first LED 3114a, second LED 3114b, etc. mounted on the front surface of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114, suppressing the temperature rise in the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 and reducing the effects of heat.

In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 can form a gap between the main body 3113a of the light-guiding radiation plate 3113 and the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 by using the legs 3113f, and the decorative body base 3115 has multiple openings 3115c. Therefore, by raising and lowering the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, the surface of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 can be ventilated through the gaps and openings 3115c, allowing heat to escape from the first LED 3114a, second LED 3114b, electronic components 3114e, etc., thereby suppressing the rise in temperature of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114.

In addition, a temperature sensor may be provided on the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 to increase the frequency (probability) of the movable performance in which the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 rises and falls when the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 (rear-rear decorative board 3114) becomes higher than a predetermined temperature. In this way, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 rises and falls, allowing the surface of the rear-rear decorative board 3114 to be ventilated, and the rear-rear decorative board 3114 to be cooled and the occurrence of malfunctions due to heat to be suppressed.

Furthermore, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 surrounds the outer periphery of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 from the rear side with the flange portion 3115b of the decorative body base 3115, and the outer periphery of the flange portion 3115b is surrounded by the flange portion 3113b of the light-guiding radiation plate 3113. As a result, the shortest route along the surface from the metal decorative portion 3111d of the metal foil provided on the front side of the decorative body 3111 to the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 meanders around the flange portion 3113b of the light-guiding radiation plate 3113 due to the presence of the flange portion 3115b of the decorative body base 3115, so that a long creepage distance EL can be achieved, and it is possible to prevent static electricity accumulated in the metal decorative portion 3111d from flowing to the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 and damaging the rear-rear decorative substrate 3114.

In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is arranged so that the copper foil 3114d that constitutes the circuit is located at a position a predetermined distance SL inward from the outer periphery of the board body 3114c on the rear-rear decorative board 3114. This predetermined distance SL also makes it possible to lengthen the creepage distance EL and spatial distance, thereby improving insulation against discharges and short circuits such as static electricity, and suppressing damage to the rear-rear decorative board 3114 due to discharges, etc.

In addition, the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 has the metal decorative part 3111d provided on the front of the decorative body 3111 only on the front of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, and not on the side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a. This allows the creeping distance EL to be lengthened by the length of the side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, and the same effect as described above can be achieved. In addition, since the metal decorative part 3111d is not provided on the side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the area of the metal decorative part 3111d can be made smaller than when the metal decorative part 3111d is provided on the side of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, and the amount of static electricity accumulated in the metal decorative part 3111d can be reduced. Therefore, since the discharge voltage can be reduced, even if a discharge occurs to the rear rear decorative board 3114, the impact can be reduced.

As described above, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is raised and lowered (moved) between the retracted position moved upward and the emergent position moved downward by the drive of the rear-rear drive motor 3126, so that friction occurs in the left slider 3116 and the right slider 3117, etc., every time it rises and falls, and static electricity generated by the friction is likely to accumulate on the surface of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110. Since the decorative body 3111 and the decorative body base 3115 that constitute the surface of this rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 are made of synthetic resin with low conductivity, even if a large amount of static electricity accumulates, the static electricity accumulated on the entire surface is unlikely to be discharged all at once. In contrast, the metal decorative part 3111d made of metal foil of the decorative body 3111 has high conductivity, so the static electricity accumulated on the entire surface of the metal decorative part 3111d is likely to be discharged all at once. For these reasons, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 of this embodiment is prone to static electricity accumulation in the metal decorative part 3111d on the front side of the decorative body 3111. However, as described above, the creeping distance EL from the metal decorative part 3111d to the rear-rear decorative board 3114 is sufficiently long, so the rear-rear decorative board 3114 will not be damaged by the discharge of static electricity, and a pachinko machine 1 can be provided that allows the enjoyment of both the movable performance of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 rising and falling, and the light-emitting performance of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 being illuminated.

When the area of the metal decorative part 3111d where static electricity accumulates is greater than a certain size (e.g., 100 cm2 or more), it is desirable to connect the metal decorative part 3111d to GND (ground). This can reliably prevent static electricity accumulated in the metal decorative part 3111d from being discharged to the rear decorative substrate 3114.

[5-9d-8. Another embodiment of the movable decorative body behind the back]
Next, the back-rear movable decorative body 3160, the back-rear movable decorative body 3170, and the back-rear movable decorative body 3180, which are different from the above-mentioned back-rear movable decorative body 3110, will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 435. Figure 435 (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the back-rear movable decorative body of the second embodiment, which is different from the back-rear movable decorative body of Figure 420, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the back-rear movable decorative body of the third embodiment in a cross section, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the back-rear movable decorative body of the fourth embodiment in a cross section.

As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 435(a), the rear-rear movable decorative body 3160 of the second embodiment comprises a decorative body 3161 with a predetermined decoration on the front side, a sheet-like decorative sheet 3162 provided on the rear side of the decorative body 3161 with a predetermined decoration, a light-guiding radiation plate 3163 provided on the rear side of the decorative sheet 3162 and radiating light forward from inside in a direction along the front side, and a rear-rear decorative substrate 3164 with a plurality of LEDs 3164a mounted on the front side that irradiate light into the light-guiding radiation plate 3163 in a direction along the front side.

The decorative body 3161 of the rear movable decorative body 3160 has a transparent flat body 3161a, a flange 3161b extending rearward from the outer periphery of the body 3161a, and a metal decorative part 3161c provided on the front surface of the body 3161a. The body 3161a may be flat, or may have a relief-like decoration with projections and recesses. The metal decorative part 3161c is provided on a part of the front surface of the body 3161a, and forms a predetermined decoration. This metal decorative part 3161c may be formed by foil stamping, plating, or vapor deposition.

The decorative sheet 3162 is a transparent sheet on which a predetermined decoration (pattern) is printed. This decorative sheet 3162 has a less transparent portion of the decoration located in front of the LED 3164a on the rear decorative board 3164 (not shown). This makes it difficult to see the LED 3164a from the front and hides it. The decorative sheet 3162 is formed to be smaller than the inner circumference of the flange portion 3161b of the decorative body 3161.

The light guide radiation plate 3163 is formed in a flat plate shape of the same size as the decorative sheet 3162, and has an LED accommodating section 3163a into which the LED 3164a of the rear decorative substrate 3164 is inserted from the rear, and a number of reflecting sections 3163b provided on the rear surface. The LED accommodating section 3163a is a hole penetrating the light guide radiation plate 3163 in the front-rear direction, and the inner circumference is formed in a square shape along the outer circumference of the LED 3164a. The multiple reflecting sections 3163b are each recessed forward in a triangular cross section, and are provided only in a predetermined portion. The multiple reflecting sections 3163b are each provided to reflect light from a specific LED accommodating section 3163a forward, and are arranged in a concentric fan shape centered on the specific LED accommodating section 3163a. In other words, the multiple reflecting sections 3163b are formed to strongly reflect light from a specific direction forward. In addition, the multiple reflecting parts 3163b may be configured to reflect light from unspecified directions forward, similar to the reflecting parts 3113e of the light-guiding radiation plate 3113 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 described above, or may be provided over almost the entire rear surface.

The rear decorative board 3164 is formed to be the same size as the decorative sheet 3162 and the light guide radiation plate 3163. The rear decorative board 3164 has multiple side-view type LEDs 3164a mounted on the front surface, which are inserted from the rear into the LED accommodating section 3163a of the light guide radiation plate 3163. Although not shown, the rear decorative board 3164 has a predetermined circuit pattern formed of copper foil on the front and rear surfaces at a predetermined distance SL inside from the outer periphery of the rear decorative board 3164. In addition, the rear decorative board 3164 has a coating film made of white solder resist formed on the surface (both sides).

In the assembled state, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3160 of this embodiment has a decorative sheet 3162 abutting against the rear surface of the main body 3161a of the decorative body 3161, a front surface of the light guide radiation plate 3163 abutting against the rear surface of the decorative sheet 3162, and a front surface of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3164 abutting against the rear surface of the light guide radiation plate 3163. This makes the thickness of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3160 in the front-to-rear direction thin. The flange portion 3161b of the decorative body 3161 extends backward to the same position as the rear surface of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3164. As a result, in the rear-rear movable decorative body 3160, the outer peripheries of the decorative sheet 3162, the light guide radiation plate 3163, and the rear-rear decorative substrate 3164 are covered by the flange portion 3161b, making it difficult to see their outer peripheries from the outside, improving their appearance.

This rear-rear movable decorative body 3160 has a flange portion 3161b that extends rearward from the main body portion 3161a of the decorative body 3161 so as to cover the outer periphery of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3164. This allows the creepage distance EL from the metal decorative portion 3161c on the front side of the main body portion 3161a to the rear-rear decorative substrate 3164 (copper foil) to be a sufficient distance, preventing static electricity accumulated in the metal decorative portion 3161c from flowing to the rear-rear decorative substrate 3164 and damaging the rear-rear decorative substrate 3164.

In this way, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3160 of this embodiment can achieve the same effect as the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 described above. In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3160 may be provided with a decorative body base that covers the rear side of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3164.

Next, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3170 of the third embodiment comprises, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 435(b), a frame-shaped outer decorative body 3171, a translucent flat inner decorative body 3172 that closes the inside (inside the frame) of the outer decorative body 3171, a light-guiding radiation plate 3173 that is provided at the rear of the inner decorative body 3172 and radiates light forward in a direction along the entire surface inside, and a rear-rear decorative substrate 3174 on the front of which are mounted a number of LEDs 3174a that irradiate light in a direction along the front surface into the interior of the light-guiding radiation plate 3173.

The outer decorative body 3171 of the rear movable decorative body 3170 has a main body 3171a that is frame-shaped and extends forward and backward, a support portion 3171b that protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface of the main body 3171a in a flat plate shape, and a metal decorative portion 3171c that is provided on the front surface of the main body 3171a. The distance from the front end of the main body 3171a to the front surface of the support portion 3171b is the same as the thickness of the inner decorative body 3172 in the forward and backward directions. The metal decorative portion 3171c is provided on a part of the front surface of the main body 3171a and forms a predetermined decoration. This metal decorative portion 3171c may be formed by foil stamping, plating, or vapor deposition.

The inner decorative body 3172, not shown in the figure, has a relief-like decoration with projections and recesses. The inner decorative body 3172 is attached so as to close the front opening of the frame-shaped outer decorative body 3171.

The light guide radiation plate 3173 is formed to be approximately the same size as the inner decorative body 3172. The light guide radiation plate 3173 is inserted into the frame of the outer decorative body 3171, and the outer periphery of the front surface abuts against the rear surface of the support portion 3171b. The light guide radiation plate 3173 has an LED accommodating portion 3173a into which the LED 3174a of the rear decorative substrate 3174 is inserted from the rear, and a plurality of reflecting portions 3173b provided on the rear surface. The LED accommodating portion 3173a is a hole penetrating the light guide radiation plate 3173 in the front-rear direction, and the inner periphery is formed in a square shape along the outer periphery of the LED 3174a. The reflecting portion 3173b extends in an arc shape around a determined LED accommodating portion 3173a, and is provided in a concentric shape in plurality. The reflecting portion 3173b has a triangular cross section. The multiple reflecting parts 3173b are arranged to reflect light from a specific LED storage part 3173a forward. In other words, the multiple reflecting parts 3173b are formed to strongly reflect light from a specific direction forward. The multiple reflecting parts 3173b may be arranged to reflect light from an unspecified direction forward, similar to the reflecting part 3113e of the light guide radiation plate 3113 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 described above, or may be arranged on almost the entire rear surface.

The rear decorative board 3174 is formed to be the same size as the light guide radiation plate 3173. The rear decorative board 3174 has multiple side-view type LEDs 3174a mounted on the front surface, which are inserted from the rear into the LED accommodating portion 3173a of the light guide radiation plate 3173. Although not shown, the rear decorative board 3174 has a predetermined circuit pattern formed of copper foil on the front and rear surfaces at a predetermined distance SL inside from the outer periphery of the rear decorative board 3174. In addition, the rear decorative board 3174 has a coating film made of white solder resist formed on the surface (both sides).

In the assembled state of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3170 of this embodiment, the inner decorative body 3172 is fitted from the front into the frame of the outer decorative body 3171, and the front surface of the outer decorative body 3171 and the front surface of the inner decorative body 3172 are approximately aligned, and the rear surface of the inner decorative body 3172 is in contact with the front surface of the support part 3171b. In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3170 has the light guide plate 3173 and the rear-rear decorative substrate 3174 inserted from the rear into the frame of the outer decorative body 3171, and the rear surface of the light guide plate 3173 is in contact with the rear surface of the support part 3171b near the front surface, and the rear-rear decorative substrate 3174 is in contact with the rear surface of the light guide plate 3173. As a result, the thickness of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3170 in the front-to-rear direction is thin. In addition, in the rear movable decorative body 3170, a gap the thickness of the support part 3171b is formed between the inner decorative body 3172 and the light guide radiation plate 3173.

The main body 3171a of the outer decorative body 3171 extends rearward to the same position as the rear surface of the rear decorative substrate 3174. In this rear movable decorative body 3160, the outer periphery of the inner decorative body 3172, the light guide radiation plate 3173, and the rear decorative substrate 3174 is covered by the main body 3171a of the outer decorative body 3171, making their outer periphery difficult to see from the outside and improving their appearance.

This rear-rear movable decorative body 3170 has a main body 3171a extending rearward from the outer decorative body 3171, which covers the outer periphery of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3174. This allows the creepage distance EL from the metal decorative part 3171c on the front side of the main body 3171a to the rear-rear decorative substrate 3174 (copper foil) to be a sufficient distance, preventing static electricity accumulated in the metal decorative part 3171c from flowing to the rear-rear decorative substrate 3174 and damaging the rear-rear decorative substrate 3174.

In this way, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3170 of this embodiment can achieve the same effect as the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 described above. A metal decorative part may also be provided on the front surface of the inner decorative body 3172. In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3170 may be provided with a decorative body base that covers the rear side of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3174.

Next, the fourth embodiment of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3180, as shown diagrammatically in Figure 435 (c), comprises an outer decorative body 3181 formed in a frame shape, an inner decorative body 3182 having translucency that closes the inside (inside the frame) of the outer decorative body 3181, and a rear-rear decorative substrate 3183 that is provided behind the inner decorative body 3182 and has multiple LEDs 3183a mounted on the front surface that can irradiate light forward.

The outer decorative body 3181 of the rear movable decorative body 3180 has a flat frame-shaped main body 3181a, a flange portion 3181b extending rearward from the outer periphery of the main body 3181a, and a metal decorative portion 3181c covering the entire surface of the main body 3181a and the flange portion 3181b. The metal decorative portion 3181c is provided on the entire surface of the outer decorative body 3181. This metal decorative portion 3181c may be formed by plating or vapor deposition.

The inner decorative body 3182 is formed from a transparent material. The inner decorative body 3182 has a flat body portion 3182a whose outer shape is larger than the inner circumference of the frame-shaped body portion 3181a of the outer decorative body 3181 and smaller than the inner circumference of the flange portion 3181b, and a flange portion 3182b extending rearward from the outer circumference of the body portion 3182a. Although not shown in the figure, the body portion 3182a has a relief-like decoration with bumps formed over almost the entire surface.

The rear decorative board 3183 is formed so that its outer shape is smaller than the inner circumference of the flange portion 3182b of the inner decorative body 3182. In other words, the rear decorative board 3183 is formed so that a gap of a predetermined distance or more is formed between the outer circumference and the inner circumference of the flange portion 3182b of the inner decorative body 3182. The rear decorative board 3183 has multiple top-view type LEDs 3183a mounted on the front side. Although not shown, the rear decorative board 3183 has a predetermined circuit pattern formed of copper foil on the front and rear sides at a predetermined distance SL inside from the outer circumference of the rear decorative board 3183. In addition, the rear decorative board 3183 has a coating film made of white solder resist formed on the surface (both sides).

In the assembled state, the rear rear movable decorative body 3180 of this embodiment has the inner decorative body 3182 and the rear rear decorative substrate 3183 inserted from the rear into the frame of the frame-shaped outer decorative body 3181. The rear rear movable decorative body 3180 has the front surface near the outer periphery of the inner decorative body 3182 abutting against the rear surface of the main body 3181a of the outer decorative body 3181, and the flange portion 3182b of the inner decorative body 3182 extends rearward to the same position as the rear end of the flange portion 3181b of the outer decorative body 3181. In other words, the inner peripheral side of the flange portion 3181b of the outer decorative body 3181 is covered by the flange portion 3182b of the inner decorative body 3182. In other words, the outer periphery of the flange portion 3182b of the inner decorative body 3182 is covered by the flange portion 3181b of the outer decorative body 3181. Therefore, the flange portion 3181b of the outer decorative body 3181 prevents the outer periphery of the inner decorative body 3182 and the rear decorative substrate 3183 from being seen from the outside.

This rear-rear movable decorative body 3180 has a flange portion 3182b of the inner decorative body 3182 provided inside the flange portion 3181b of the outer decorative body 3181 on which the metal decorative portion 3181c is provided, and the outer periphery of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3183 provided on the rear side of the main body portion 3182a of the inner decorative body 3182 is separated from the inner periphery of the flange portion 3182b of the inner decorative body 3182, so that the creeping distance EL from the metal decorative portion 3181c to the rear-rear decorative substrate 3183 (copper foil) can be made sufficiently long, and it is possible to prevent static electricity accumulated in the metal decorative portion 3181c from flowing to the rear-rear decorative substrate 3183 and damaging the rear-rear decorative substrate 3183.

In this way, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3180 of this embodiment can achieve the same effect as the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 described above. A metal decorative part may also be provided on the front surface of the main body 3182a of the inner decorative body 3182. In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3180 may be provided with a decorative body base that covers the rear side of the rear-rear decorative substrate 3183.

[5-9e. Back lower left production unit and back lower right production unit]
Next, the lower left back performance unit 3200 and the lower right back performance unit 3250 in the back unit 3000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 436 to 439. Figure 436 (a) is a perspective view of the lower left back performance unit and the lower right back performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the lower left back performance unit and the lower right back performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. Figure 437 is an exploded perspective view of the lower left back performance unit and the lower right back performance unit seen from the front, and Figure 438 is an exploded perspective view of the lower left back performance unit and the lower right back performance unit seen from the back. Figure 439 is an explanatory diagram showing the movable configuration of the lower left back performance unit and the lower right back performance unit from the front.

The rear lower left performance unit 3200 and rear lower right performance unit 3250 of the rear unit 3000 are attached to the lower end of the rear rear performance unit 3100, below the opening 3010a in the rear box 3010. When assembled to the game board 5, the rear lower left performance unit 3200 and rear lower right performance unit 3250 are located on both the left and right sides of the rear lower middle decorative body unit 3320 of the rear lower middle performance unit 3300, and can be seen from the front through the transparent game panel 1100 and front unit 2000, etc.

First, the left-bottom performance unit 3200 will be described. The left-bottom performance unit 3200 is equipped with a translucent left-bottom rotating decorative body 3201 having an axial shaft 3201a protruding rearward, a translucent left-bottom decorative body 3202 provided behind the left-bottom rotating decorative body 3201, a left-bottom decorative board 3203 provided behind the left-bottom decorative body 3202 and having multiple LEDs mounted on the front side, and a unit base 3204 provided behind the left-bottom decorative board 3203, to which the left-bottom rotating decorative body 3201 is rotatably attached and the left-bottom decorative body 3202 is attached, and which is attached to the lower end of the left side of the rear performance unit 3100.

The lower left performance unit 3200 also includes a lower left drive motor 3205 attached to the front of the unit base 3204 with its rotation shaft protruding rearward, a spur gear-shaped drive gear 3206 attached to the rotation shaft of the lower left drive motor 3205, a spur gear-shaped first transmission gear 3207 meshed with the drive gear 3206 and rotatably attached to the unit base 3204, a spur gear-shaped second transmission gear 3208 meshed with the first transmission gear 3207 and rotatably attached to the unit base 3204, a spur gear-shaped third transmission gear 3209 meshed with the second transmission gear 3208 and attached to the rear end of the shaft 3201a of the lower left rotating decorative body 3201, and a front cover 3210 attached to the front of the unit base 3204 below the lower left decorative body 3202.

The bottom-left rotating decorative body 3201 is formed in a shape that resembles a cherry blossom. The shaft 3201a that protrudes rearward from the center of the rear face of the bottom-left rotating decorative body 3201 is formed to a length that passes through the bottom-left decorative body 3202, the bottom-left decorative base plate 3203, and the unit base 3204. The bottom-left decorative body 3202 is formed in a shape that resembles two cherry blossoms of the same size as the bottom-left rotating decorative body 3201, stacked front to back, and rotated so that the rear petals are positioned between the front petals.

The multiple LEDs mounted on the front of the bottom left decorative board 3203 are full color LEDs. The bottom left decorative board 3203 is provided with a bottom left detection sensor 3203a on the rear surface, which detects the detection piece 3209a of the third transmission gear 3209. The bottom left detection sensor 3203a protrudes rearward through the unit base 3204. The third transmission gear 3209 has a detection piece 3209a that protrudes forward and is detected by the bottom left detection sensor 3203a of the bottom left decorative board 3203. When the detection piece 3209a of the third transmission gear 3209 is detected by the bottom left detection sensor 3203a, the bottom left rotating decorative body 3201 is in a state where one petal faces upward (see Figure 439).

In this embodiment, when the drive gear 3206 is rotated by the bottom-left drive motor 3205, the bottom-left performance unit 3200 can rotate the bottom-left rotating decorative body 3201 around a front-to-back axis via the first transmission gear 3207, the second transmission gear 3208, and the third transmission gear 3209. In addition, the bottom-left performance unit 3200 can illuminate the bottom-left rotating decorative body 3201 and the bottom-left decorative body 3202 by illuminating multiple LEDs on the bottom-left decorative board 3203.

Next, the bottom right performance unit 3250 will be described. The bottom right performance unit 3250 is equipped with a translucent bottom right rotating decorative body 3251 having an axis shaft 3251a protruding rearward, a translucent bottom right decorative body 3252 arranged behind the bottom right rotating decorative body 3251, a bottom right decorative board 3253 arranged behind the bottom right decorative body 3252 and having multiple LEDs mounted on the front side, and a unit base 3254 arranged behind the bottom right decorative board 3253, to which the bottom right rotating decorative body 3251 is rotatably attached and the bottom right decorative body 3252 is attached, and which is attached to the lower end of the right side of the back rear performance unit 3100.

The lower right performance unit 3250 also includes a lower right drive motor 3255 attached to the front of the unit base 3254 with its rotation shaft protruding rearward, a spur gear-shaped drive gear 3256 attached to the rotation shaft of the lower right drive motor 3255, a spur gear-shaped first transmission gear 3257 meshed with the drive gear 3256 and rotatably attached to the unit base 3254, a spur gear-shaped second transmission gear 3258 meshed with the first transmission gear 3257 and rotatably attached to the unit base 3254, a spur gear-shaped third transmission gear 3259 meshed with the second transmission gear 3258 and attached to the rear end of the shaft 3251a of the lower right rotating decorative body 3251, and a front cover 3260 attached to the front of the unit base 3254 below the lower right decorative body 3252.

The bottom-right rotating decorative body 3251 is formed in a shape that resembles a cherry blossom. The axis shaft 3251a that protrudes rearward from the center of the rear face of the bottom-right rotating decorative body 3251 is formed to a length that passes through the bottom-right decorative body 3252, the bottom-right decorative base plate 3253, and the unit base 3254. The bottom-right decorative body 3252 is formed in a shape that resembles two cherry blossoms of the same size as the bottom-right rotating decorative body 3251, stacked front to back, and rotated so that the rear petals are positioned between the front petals.

The multiple LEDs mounted on the front of the lower right decorative board 3253 are full color LEDs. The lower right decorative board 3253 has a lower right detection sensor 3253a on the rear surface that detects the detection piece 3259a of the third transmission gear 3259. The lower right detection sensor 3253a protrudes rearward through the unit base 3254. The third transmission gear 3259 has a detection piece 3259a that protrudes forward and is detected by the lower right detection sensor 3253a of the lower right decorative board 3253. When the detection piece 3259a of the third transmission gear 3259 is detected by the lower right detection sensor 3253a, the lower right rotating decorative body 3251 is in a state where one petal faces upward (see Figure 439).

In this embodiment, when the drive gear 3256 is rotated by the bottom-right drive motor 3255, the bottom-right performance unit 3250 can rotate the bottom-right rotating decorative body 3251 around a front-to-rear axis via the first transmission gear 3257, the second transmission gear 3258, and the third transmission gear 3259. In addition, the bottom-right performance unit 3250 can illuminate the bottom-right rotating decorative body 3251 and the bottom-right decorative body 3252 by illuminating multiple LEDs on the bottom-right decorative board 3253.

[5-9f. Ura Shimochu Production Unit]
Next, the back lower middle performance unit 3300 in the back unit 3000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 440 to 447. Figure 440 (a) is a perspective view of the back lower middle performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the back lower middle performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. Figure 441 is an exploded perspective view of the back lower middle lifting mechanism of the back lower middle performance unit seen from the front, and Figure 442 is an exploded perspective view of the back lower middle lifting mechanism of the back lower middle performance unit seen from the front. Figure 443 is an exploded perspective view of the back lower middle decorative body unit of the back lower middle performance unit seen from the front, and Figure 444 is an exploded perspective view of the back lower middle decorative body unit of the back lower middle performance unit seen from the back. Figure 445 is an explanatory diagram showing the lifting and lowering of the back lower middle decorative body unit by the back lower middle lifting mechanism in the back lower middle performance unit. Figure 446 (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the rotation of the rotating decorative body of the decorative body unit in the lower middle performance unit from the front, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the stop position of the rotating decorative body and each detection sensor in a table. Figure 447 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of the LED of the decorative body unit in the lower middle performance unit from the front.

The back-bottom middle performance unit 3300 of the back unit 3000 is positioned below the opening 3010a inside the back box 3010. The back-bottom middle performance unit 3300 is attached to the rear side of the back-bottom left performance unit 3200 and the back-bottom right performance unit 3250. The back-bottom middle performance unit 3300 is equipped with a back-bottom middle decorative body unit 3320 having a back-bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 that can rotate around an axis in the front-to-rear direction, and a back-bottom middle lifting mechanism 3350 that raises and lowers the back-bottom middle decorative body unit 3320.

The back-bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 of the back-bottom middle performance unit 3300 is formed into a regular hexagonal shape when viewed from the front. This back-bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 has six number decorations formed in relief from "1" to "6" on the entire surface, arranged on a circumference at 60 degree angles in a clockwise direction from the center. This back-bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 is translucent. On the rear surface, the back-bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 has a recess 3311 that can accommodate the diffusion lens 3321, the back-bottom middle first decorative substrate 3322, and the front end side of the substrate fixing member 3323 of the back-bottom middle decorative body unit 3320 described below.

As shown in Figures 443 and 444, the back-bottom middle decorative body unit 3320 comprises a diffusion lens 3321 provided behind the back-bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310, a back-bottom middle first decorative board 3322 provided behind the diffusion lens 3321 and having a number of LEDs mounted on the front surface, a board fixing member 3323 attached to the diffusion lens 3321 so as to sandwich the back-bottom middle first decorative board 3322 from the rear side and having an axis portion 3323a protruding cylindrically to the rear, and a rotating base 3324 attached to the rear side of the back-bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 and having an axis hole 3324a into which the axis portion 3323a of the board fixing member 3323 is inserted so as to be rotatable relative to the rear.

The lower middle decorative body unit 3320 also includes an area detection piece 3325 that protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the rotating base 3324 and extends in a semicircular arc coaxial with the shaft hole 3324a, multiple position detection pieces 3326 that protrude from the rotating base 3324 on a circumference coaxial with the area detection piece 3325, and a spur gear-shaped rotating gear 3327 provided on the rear surface of the rotating base 3324.

Furthermore, the back-bottom middle decorative body unit 3320 is provided behind the rotating base 3324 and has a through opening 3328a through which the area detection piece 3325 and the position detection piece 3326 can pass, and is equipped with a translucent back-bottom middle decorative body 3328, a back-bottom middle second decorative board 3329 provided behind the back-bottom middle decorative body 3328 and having multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface, multiple area identification sensors 3330 attached to the front surface of the back-bottom middle second decorative board 3329 and capable of detecting the area detection piece 3325, and a position identification sensor 3331 attached to the front surface of the back-bottom middle second decorative board 3329 and capable of detecting the position detection piece 3326.

The lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is provided behind the lower middle second decorative substrate 3329, and includes a movable base 3332 to which the rear end of the shaft portion 3323a of the substrate fixing member 3323 is attached and to which the lower middle decorative body 3328 is attached, a lower middle rotary drive motor 3333 attached to the rear surface of the movable base 3332 so that the rotary shaft protrudes forward, a spur gear-shaped drive gear 3334 attached to the rotary shaft of the lower middle rotary drive motor 3333 and meshing with the rotary gear 3327, a rear cover 3335 attached to the rear side of the movable base 3332, and a lifting slider 3336 attached to the rear side of the movable base 3332 and guided to slide vertically by a slide rail 3360 of the lower middle lifting mechanism 3350.

When assembled, the diffusion lens 3321, the first decorative substrate 3322, and the front end of the substrate fixing member 3323 are located between the rotating decorative body 3310 and the rotating base 3324, and are housed in the recess 3311 of the rotating decorative body 3310, and are not in contact with either the rotating decorative body 3310 or the rotating base 3324. By appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs of the first decorative substrate 3322, the number decoration (relief) part of the rotating decorative body 3310 can be illuminated and decorated. The LEDs of the first decorative substrate 3322 are full-color LEDs. The LEDs of the second decorative substrate 3329 are full-color LEDs.

The area detection piece 3325 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the rotating base 3324 with a diameter larger than that of the rotating gear 3327. As shown in FIG. 446(a), the area detection piece 3325 is formed in an arc shape in a range of 180 degrees around the axis of rotation, from between the number decorations "2" and "3" on the lower middle rotating decorative body 3310, through the number decorations "3", "4", and "5", to between the number decorations "5" and "6".

The multiple (here, six) position detection pieces 3326 each protrude rearward from the rear surface of the rotating base 3324 on a circumference with a diameter larger than that of the area detection piece 3325. The position detection pieces 3326 are equally spaced at an angle of θ degrees (here, 60 degrees) in the circumferential direction so that each is located at the center of the number decoration of the lower middle rotating ornament 3310. In this embodiment, each position detection piece 3326 is formed in an arc shape with a predetermined angle of α degrees (20 degrees to 25 degrees, here, 23.34 degrees) centered on the rotation axis, and there is an interval of 2 x β degrees (θ degrees - α degrees (here, 36.66 degrees)) between adjacent position detection pieces 3326 centered on the rotation axis (see Figure 446 (a)).

The multiple (here, three) area-specific sensors 3330 are arranged at intervals of θ degrees (60 degrees) around the axis of rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310. The three area-specific sensors 3330 are arranged in clockwise order as the first area-specific sensor 3330a, the second area-specific sensor 3330b, and the third area-specific sensor 3330c. In this embodiment, the three area-specific sensors 3330 are arranged in positions corresponding to the number decorations "3", "4", and "5" with the decoration "1" of the rotating decorative body 3310 positioned directly above the center of rotation (see FIG. 446 (a)).

The position identification sensor 3331 is located at an angle of γ degrees (here, 30 degrees) counterclockwise from the first area identification sensor 3330a around the axis of rotation of the lower middle rotating decorative body 3310.

The movable base 3332 has a lift pin 3332a that protrudes rearward in a cylindrical shape from the lower part of the rear surface. This lift pin 3332a is slidably inserted into the second slit 3357b of the lift arm 3357 in the lower back lift mechanism 3350. The lower back rotation drive motor 3333 is a stepping motor that can detect the rotation position.

This lower middle decorative body unit 3320 can rotate the lower middle rotating decorative body 3310 around a front-to-rear axis via the rotating gear 3327 by rotating the drive gear 3334 with the lower middle rotating drive motor 3333. In addition, the lower middle decorative body unit 3320 can illuminate the lower middle rotating decorative body 3310 and the lower middle decorative body 3328 by illuminating multiple LEDs mounted on the lower middle first decorative board 3322 and the lower middle second decorative board 3329, respectively.

As shown in Figures 441 and 442, the lower back middle lifting mechanism 3350 comprises a unit base 3351 which extends left and right and has both ends attached to the lower back left performance unit 3200 and the lower back right performance unit 3250, a lower back middle lifting drive motor 3352 which is attached to the front of the unit base 3351 so that its rotation shaft protrudes rearward, a spur gear-shaped drive gear 3353 which is attached to the rotation shaft of the lower back middle lifting drive motor 3352 and has a portion facing the front side of the unit base 3351, and a gear 3354 which is engaged with the drive gear 3353 and faces the front of the unit base 3351. a spur gear-shaped first transmission gear 3354 rotatably attached to the front surface of the unit base 3351; a spur gear-shaped second transmission gear 3355 meshing with the first transmission gear 3354 and rotatably attached to the front surface of the unit base 3351; and a lifting cam gear 3356 having a spur gear-shaped gear portion 3356a meshing with the second transmission gear 3355 and a drive pin 3356b protruding forward in a cylindrical shape from near the outer periphery of the front surface of the gear portion 3356a, and rotatably attached to the upper center in the left-right direction on the front surface of the unit base 3351.

The lower back lifting mechanism 3350 has a base end extending in the left-right direction that is rotatably attached to the front of the unit base 3351, a first slit 3357a extending in the longitudinal direction into which the drive pin 3356b of the lifting cam gear 3356 is slidably inserted, a second slit 3357b extending in the longitudinal direction at the tip side of the first slit 3357a into which the lifting pin 3332a of the movable base 3332 in the lower back decorative body unit 3320 is slidably inserted, and a detection piece 3357c at the tip of the lifting arm 3357, and a lower back relay board 3358 attached to the front of the unit base 3351, which is provided with a lower back lifting detection sensor 3358a that can detect the detection piece 3357c of the lifting arm 3357.

Furthermore, the lower back lifting mechanism 3350 is attached to the front of the unit base 3351 so as to cover the first transmission gear 3354, the second transmission gear 3355, the lifting cam gear 3356, and the lifting arm 3357 from the front side, and is equipped with a front cover 3359 having a lifting slit 3359a extending vertically through which the lifting pin 3332a of the movable base 3332 in the lower back decorative body unit 3320 is inserted, a slide rail 3360 attached to the front of the front cover 3359 and guides the lifting slider 3336 in the lower back decorative body unit 3320 in the vertical direction, a gear cover 3361 attached to the rear side of the unit base 3351 so as to cover the drive gear 3353 from the rear, and a spring 3362 that biases the tip side of the lifting arm 3357 so that the lifting arm 3357 rotates in the upward movement direction (clockwise direction when viewed from the front).

The lower back lift drive motor 3352 is attached to the lower part of the unit base 3351, to the left of the center in the left-right direction. The lift arm 3357 is rotatably attached at its base end to the right of the lift cam gear 3356, at the same height as the center of the lift cam gear 3356. The tip end of the lift arm 3357 extends leftward beyond the lift cam gear 3356.

The back-bottom middle relay board 3358 relays the connections between the back-bottom middle first decorative board 3322, the back-bottom middle second decorative board 3329, the area identification sensor 3330, the position identification sensor 3331, the back-bottom middle rotation drive motor 3333, the back-bottom middle lift drive motor 3352, and the back-bottom middle lift detection sensor 3358a and the performance drive board 1720.

The front cover 3359 is attached to the center of the unit base 3351 in the left-right direction, and the lifting slit 3359a is provided to the left of the center of the unit base 3351 in the left-right direction. The lifting pin 3332a of the movable base 3332 in the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is slidably inserted into the lifting slit 3359a in the front cover 3359. The slide rail 3360 is provided to the right of the center of the unit base 3351 in the left-right direction on the front cover 3359. The lifting slit 3359a and the slide rail 3360 support the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 so that it can slide straight up and down.

When the drive gear 3353 is rotated by the back-lower lifting drive motor 3352, this back-lower lifting mechanism 3350 can rotate the lifting cam gear 3356 via the first transmission gear 3354, the second transmission gear 3355, and the gear portion 3356a of the lifting cam gear 3356. Then, the drive pin 3356b revolves due to the rotation of the lifting cam gear 3356, and the lifting arm 3357 can be rotated via the first slit 3357a into which the drive pin 3356b is slidably inserted, and the back-lower decorative body unit 3320 can be raised and lowered together with the back-lower rotating decorative body 3310 via the lifting pin 3332a of the movable base 3332 slidably inserted into the second slit 3357b of the lifting arm 3357.

Next, the movement of the lower middle rotating decorative body 3310 and the lower middle decorative body unit 3320 in the lower middle performance unit 3300 will be explained in detail. In the normal state of the lower middle performance unit 3300, the lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is in the lowered position where it has moved all the way down. In this normal state, the lifting arm 3357 in the lower middle lifting mechanism 3350 is positioned so that the tip side is lower than the base end side, and the detection piece 3357c at the tip is detected by the lower middle lifting detection sensor 3358a on the lower middle relay board 3358 (see Figure 445 (a)).

In this normal state, the drive pin 3356b of the lift cam gear 3356 is located below its center of revolution and is located near the base end of the first slit 3357a of the lift arm 3357. More specifically, a normal line passing through the contact point between the drive pin 3356b and the first slit 3357a extends so as to pass through the center of rotation of the lift cam gear 3356. As a result, even if a biasing force is applied by the spring 3362 to rotate the lift arm 3357 in the clockwise direction, the line of force of the biasing force passes through the center of rotation of the lift cam gear 3356 via the drive pin 3356b abutting the first slit 3357a, so that the lift cam gear 3356 does not rotate. Therefore, the drive pin 3356b of the lifting cam gear 3356 does not revolve either, so the lifting arm 3357 does not rotate, the lower back decorative body unit 3320 does not move from the lowered position due to the biasing force of the spring 3362, and the biasing force of the spring 3362 does not act on the lower back lifting drive motor 3352 via the lifting arm 3357, etc.

In addition, in the normal state, the drive pin 3356b of the lifting cam gear 3356 may be abutted against the end of the base end of the first slit 3357a. As a result, when the lifting arm 3357 tries to rotate in the clockwise direction due to the biasing force of the spring 3362, the lifting cam gear 3356 tries to rotate in the counterclockwise direction due to the force acting from the first slit 3357a through the drive pin 3356b. At this time, the drive pin 3356b tries to revolve so as to move toward the base end side of the lifting arm 3357, but since the drive pin 3356b abuts against the end of the base end side of the first slit 3357a, the drive pin 3356b cannot revolve, and the rotation of the lifting arm 3357 is locked, preventing the upward movement of the lower middle decorative body unit 3320.

In the normal state of the back-lower middle performance unit 3300, the number decoration located at the top of the multiple number decorations on the back-lower middle rotating decoration 3310 is located inside the frame of the center gimmick 2500, and can be easily seen from the front (player side) (see Figure 389, etc.). In addition, in the normal state, the number decoration located at the bottom is located behind the first starting hole 2002 of the starting hole unit 2100, and by illuminating the LEDs of the back-lower middle first decorative board 3322 and the back-lower middle second decorative board 3329, in addition to the illuminating decoration of the back-lower middle rotating decoration, the first starting hole 2002 formed of a transparent material can also be illuminated (see Figure 398, etc.).

In this normal state, when the drive gear 3353 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the front by the lower back lift drive motor 3352, the lift cam gear 3356 rotates in a clockwise direction via the first transmission gear 3354, the second transmission gear 3355, and the gear portion 3356a, and the drive pin 3356b of the lift cam gear 3356 revolves in a clockwise direction. As the drive pin 3356b revolves, the inner surface of the first slit 3357a that is in contact with the drive pin 3356b is pressed upward, and the drive pin 3356b slides toward the tip side within the first slit 3357a, and the tip side of the lift arm 3357 moves upward, rotating in a clockwise direction around the base end side.

When the lifting arm 3357 rotates in a clockwise direction, the lifting pin 3332a of the movable base 3332 inserted into the second slit 3357b at the tip side of the lifting arm 3357 is pressed upward by the inner surface of the second slit 3357b, and the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 moves upward via the lifting pin 3332a. Then, when the drive pin 3356b moves upward from the center of revolution, the drive pin 3356b slides inside the first slit 3357a toward the base end side. At this time, the lifting arm 3357 is biased in the clockwise direction by the spring 3362, so that the upward movement of the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is assisted by this biasing force, and the load on the back-lower middle lifting drive motor 3352 is reduced.

When this drive pin 3356b continues to revolve in the clockwise direction and reaches the vicinity of the end of the base end of the first slit 3357a, the rotation of the drive gear 3353 by the lower middle lifting drive motor 3352 stops, and at the same time, the revolution of the drive pin 3356b stops. This causes the movement of the lower middle decorative body unit 3320 by the lifting arm 3357 to stop, and the lower middle decorative body unit 3320 moves to the uppermost raised position.

When the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is in the raised position, the normal line passing through the contact point between the drive pin 3356b and the first slit 3357a extends so as to pass through the rotation center of the lifting cam gear 3356. As a result, even if a force is applied to rotate the lifting arm 3357 in a counterclockwise direction due to the weight of the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320, the force line passes through the rotation center of the lifting cam gear 3356 via the drive pin 3356b abutting the first slit 3357a, so the lifting cam gear 3356 does not rotate. Therefore, since the drive pin 3356b of the lifting cam gear 3356 does not revolve, the lifting arm 3357 does not rotate, the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 does not move downward from the raised position, and the weight of the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 does not act on the back-lower middle lifting drive motor 3352 via the lifting arm 3357, etc.

In addition, when the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is in the raised position, the lifting cam gear 3356 may be further revolved to bring the drive pin 3356b into contact with the end of the base end of the first slit 3357a. As a result, when the lifting arm 3357 tries to rotate in the counterclockwise direction due to the weight of the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320, the lifting cam gear 3356 tries to rotate in the clockwise direction due to the force acting from the first slit 3357a through the drive pin 3356b. At this time, the drive pin 3356b tries to revolve so as to move toward the base end side of the lifting arm 3357, but since the drive pin 3356b is in contact with the end of the base end side of the first slit 3357a, the drive pin 3356b cannot revolve, and the rotation of the lifting arm 3357 is locked, preventing the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 from moving downward.

When the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is moved to the raised position, most of the back-lower middle rotating decorative body 3310 is located within the frame of the center device 2500 (and is even located above the bounce prevention member (stage cover 2515) provided on the center device 2500, which prevents the game ball B rolling in the game area 5a from bouncing from the outside to the inside of the center frame (peripheral wall portion 2501)), and all the number decorations can be clearly seen from the front (player side) (see Figure 479).

When the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is to be returned from the raised position to the lowered position, the back-lower middle lifting drive motor 3352 rotates the drive gear 3353 in the opposite direction to that described above, causing the lifting arm 3357 to rotate counterclockwise and moving the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 downward from the raised position. Then, when the detection piece 3357c at the tip of the lifting arm 3357 is detected by the lower middle lifting detection sensor 3358a of the lower middle relay board 3358, the lower middle lifting drive motor 3352 stops the rotation of the drive gear 3353, thereby returning the lower middle decorative body unit 3320 to its normal lowered position (and further to a position where the bounce prevention member (stage cover 2515) provided on the center role 2500, which prevents the game ball B rolling in the game area 5a from bouncing from the outside to the inside of the center frame (peripheral wall portion 2501), overlaps when the pachinko machine 1 is viewed from the front).

In this embodiment, the back-lower middle performance unit 3300 can rotate the back-lower middle rotating decorative body 3310 around a front-to-back axis via the rotating gear 3327 by rotating the drive gear 3334 with the back-lower middle rotating drive motor 3333 in the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320. By rotating this back-lower middle rotating decorative body 3310, the six number decorations on the front rotate like a roulette. The back-lower middle rotating decorative body 3310 can be rotated by the back-lower middle rotating drive motor 3333 regardless of whether the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is in the lowered position or the raised position, etc.

In the normal state of the back-lower middle performance unit 3300 of this embodiment, one of the multiple (here, six) number decorations on the back-lower middle rotating decoration 3310 is located directly above the center of rotation (stop position). For example, as shown in FIG. 446(a), when the number decoration "1" on the back-lower middle rotating decoration 3310 is located at the top, the area detection piece 3325 of the rotating base 3324 is detected by three area identification sensors 3330, the first area identification sensor 3330a, the second area identification sensor 3330b, and the third area identification sensor 3330c, and the multiple (here, six) position detection pieces 3326 are not detected by the position identification sensor 3331.

Here, we will first explain the relationship between the three area identification sensors 3330 and the six stop positions of the rotating decorative body 3310 on the lower back. When the number decoration "1" is in the stop position, the first area identification sensor 3330a, the second area identification sensor 3330b, and the third area identification sensor 3330c detect the area detection piece 3325 of the rotating base 3324 as described above. In other words, as shown in Figure 446 (b), when the first area identification sensor 3330a, the second area identification sensor 3330b, and the third area identification sensor 3330c are detecting, the number decoration "1" is located within a range of ±30 degrees around the stop position.

In addition, when the first area identification sensor 3330a and the second area identification sensor 3330b are detecting and the third area identification sensor 3330c is not detecting, the number decoration "2" is located within a range of ±30 degrees centered on the stop position.

In addition, when the first area identification sensor 3330a is detecting and the second area identification sensor 3330b and the third area identification sensor 3330c are not detecting, the number decoration "3" is located within a range of ±30 degrees centered on the stop position.

Furthermore, when the first area identification sensor 3330a, the second area identification sensor 3330b, and the third area identification sensor 3330c are not detecting, the number decoration "4" is located within a range of ±30 degrees centered on the stop position.

In addition, when the first area identification sensor 3330a and the second area identification sensor 3330b are not detecting and the third area identification sensor 3330c is detecting, the number decoration "5" is located within a range of ±30 degrees around the stop position.

In addition, when the first area identification sensor 3330a is not detecting and the second area identification sensor 3330b and the third area identification sensor 3330c are detecting, the number decoration "6" is located within a range of ±30 degrees around the stop position.

In this way, by combining detection/non-detection by the three area identification sensors 3330, the first area identification sensor 3330a, the second area identification sensor 3330b, and the third area identification sensor 3330c, it is possible to know (detect) which number decoration is located within the stop area including the stop position.

And, since the back-lower middle rotation drive motor 3333 of this embodiment is a stepping motor, when the area identification sensor 3330 detects the area detection piece 3325 and rotates 30 degrees, the rotation of the back-lower middle rotation drive motor 3333 is stopped, and the desired number decoration of the back-lower middle rotation decoration body 3310 can be stopped at the stop position. However, when performing such control, it is necessary to identify the area of the stop position by the three area identification sensors 3330 and recognize the origin for stopping at the stop position, and there is a problem that the control for stopping the rotation of the back-lower middle rotation decoration body 3310 becomes complicated and the load increases. Therefore, in this embodiment, multiple position detection pieces 3326 for identifying the stop position and a position identification sensor 3331 for detecting the position detection piece 3326 are provided, and by having the position identification sensor 3331 recognize the origin, the complexity of the control for stopping the rotation of the back-lower middle rotation decoration body 3310 is suppressed and the load is reduced.

To be more specific, when it is desired to stop the desired number decoration at the stop position of the rotating decorative body 3310 on the lower back, when the rotating decorative body 3310 on the lower back rotates to a combination where the three area identification sensors 3330 satisfy the desired stop position, the position identification sensor 3331 is shifted in the rotational direction by an angle of 30 degrees relative to the first area identification sensor 3330a, so the position identification sensor 3331 detects the center of the position detection piece 3326. In this state, the desired number is 30 degrees of rotation away from the stop position.

In this state, when the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates further by α/2 degrees (here, 11.67 degrees), which is the length of the position detection piece 3326, the position detection piece 3326 moves away from the position identification sensor 3331, and the position identification sensor 3331 becomes undetectable. The angle at which the position identification sensor 3331 becomes undetectable is set as the origin. Then, when it has rotated β degrees (here, 18.33 degrees) from that point (from the origin), the rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310 by the rotating motor 3333 is stopped, and the desired number decoration can be stopped accurately at the stop position.

In the above, the rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310 is explained by the angle, but the rotation may be stopped by the rotation step of the rotating drive motor 3333, which is a stepping motor. For example, if one rotation is 396 steps, when the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates further by 13 steps in a state where the three area identification sensors 3330 are combined to satisfy the desired stop position, the position detection piece 3326 separates from the position identification sensor 3331, and the position identification sensor 3331 becomes non-detecting. The angle at which the position identification sensor 3331 becomes non-detecting is set as the origin, and when the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates by 20 steps, the rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310 by the rotating drive motor 3333 is stopped, so that the desired number decoration can be accurately stopped at the stop position.

Next, the luminous decoration in the back-lower middle performance unit 3300 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 447, the back-lower middle performance unit 3300 comprises a back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320, a back-lower middle first decorative board 3322 and a back-lower middle second decorative board 3329 on which multiple LEDs are mounted for luminous decoration of the back-lower middle rotating decorative body 3310. The multiple LEDs of the back-lower middle first decorative board 3322 are positioned behind the six number decorations in the back-lower middle rotating decorative body 3310, and each number decoration can be luminous and decorated independently.

On the other hand, the multiple LEDs on the second decorative substrate 3329 are located rearward of the outer area of the multiple number decorations on the rotating decorative body 3310, allowing the outer edge of the rotating decorative body 3310 to be illuminated and decorated.

As described above, this back-lower middle performance unit 3300 can detect the rotational position of the back-lower middle rotating decoration 3310 to a certain extent using the three area-specific sensors 3330. Based on the detection by the area-specific sensors 3330, the multiple LEDs on the back-lower middle first decorative board 3322 can be appropriately illuminated to rotate only specific number decorations or each number decoration can be illuminated in a different color, allowing the player to be shown a performance that strongly attracts their attention.

In addition, when the back-lower middle decorative body unit 3320 is in the lowered position, the lower number decoration of the back-lower middle rotating decorative body 3310 is located behind the first starting hole 2002 of the starting hole unit 2100, so the first starting hole 2002 can be illuminated and decorated by illuminating the LED in that area of the back-lower middle first decorative board 3322. This can draw the player's attention to the first starting hole 2002. In addition, when game ball B enters the first starting hole 2002, the LED of the back-lower middle first decorative board 3322 can be illuminated (or one illumination mode selected from multiple illumination modes can be selected and illuminated).

In this way, according to the back-bottom middle performance unit 3300 of this embodiment, the rotating back-bottom middle rotating decoration 3310 with six stopping positions is provided with an area detection piece 3325 with a length spanning the three stopping positions, six position detection pieces 3326 corresponding to each stopping position, and three area identification sensors 3330 that detect the area detection piece 3325 and one position identification sensor 3331 that detects the position detection piece 3326. Therefore, when the back-bottom middle rotating decoration 3310 rotates, the three area identification sensors 3330 that detect the area detection piece 3325 will increase in sequence from one side of the rotation direction and then decrease repeatedly, and even before the back-bottom middle rotating decoration 3310 rotates to the next stopping position, all area identification sensors 3330 will not be undetected at once, and the current rotation position of the back-bottom middle rotating decoration 3310 can be roughly grasped by the combination of area identification sensors 3330 that detect the area detection piece 3325.

The rotating decorative body 3310 is equipped with six position detection pieces 3326 that correspond to the respective stop positions, so that the rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310 to any stop position can be roughly detected by the detection of the area detection pieces 3325 by the three area identification sensors 3330, and then the stop position can be accurately detected by the detection of the position detection piece 3326 by the one position identification sensor 3331. This makes it possible to accurately grasp the stop position of the rotating decorative body 3310, which has multiple stop positions, by minimizing the deviation of the stop position as much as possible.

In addition, since the stopping position of the rotating decorative body 3310 can be accurately grasped, the rotating decorative body 3310 can be accurately stopped at any stopping position, which makes it possible to prevent the player from feeling uncomfortable due to the stopping position being shifted, and allows the player to enjoy the performance (moving performance) of the rotating decorative body 3310 and prevents a decline in interest.

Furthermore, since the stopping position of the rotating decorative body 3310 can be accurately grasped, the deviation of the stopping position can be suppressed even if the rotation speed of the rotating decorative body 3310 is increased, and by making the rotating decorative body 3310 rotate, the moving speed (rotation speed) of the rotating decorative body 3310 can be made faster compared to when the rotating decorative body 3310 moves back and forth. Therefore, the fast rotating rotating decorative body 3310 can make a strong impact on the player, strongly attracting the player's attention and allowing the player to enjoy the rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310, thereby suppressing a decrease in the player's interest in the game.

In addition, the rotating decorative body 3310 on the bottom of the back rotates around a front-to-back axis, and multiple number decorations are provided on the front, so the player can see a roulette-like effect where the wheel spins around and then stops spinning at a desired stopping position. This makes the player excited and thrilled depending on whether or not the desired number decoration stops spinning at the stopping position, and allows the player to enjoy the moving effect of the rotating decorative body 3310 on the bottom of the back, preventing a decline in interest.

In addition, since the number of stopping positions of the rotating decoration 3310 on the bottom inside of the back is an even number, the number of stopping positions that can be accommodated by the minimum number of area identification sensors 3330 required to detect movement to any stopping position is the same as the number of stopping positions of the rotating decoration 3310 on the bottom inside of the back, making it possible to maximize the capabilities (detection of stopping positions) of the multiple area identification sensors 3330, and the rotating decoration 3310 on the bottom inside of the back with more stopping positions can entertain the player and prevent a decline in interest.

Furthermore, since the area detection piece 3325 and the position detection piece 3326 are provided on a rotating base 3324 that rotates together with the rotating decorative body 3310, the radius (diameter) of the area detection piece 3325 and the position detection piece 3326 can be made as large as possible, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the stop position.

In the above embodiment, the area detection piece 3325 and the position detection piece 3326 are provided on the rotating base 3324 that rotates integrally (together) with the rotating decorative body 3310, but this is not limited to this, and the area detection piece 3325 and the position detection piece 3326 may be provided on a member that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310, such as the drive gear 3334.

[5-9g. Backstage Production Unit]
Next, the back upper performance unit 3400 in the back unit 3000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 448 to 455. Figure 448 (a) is a perspective view of the back upper performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the back upper performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. Figure 449 is an exploded perspective view of the back upper performance unit disassembled into its main components and seen from the front, and Figure 450 is an exploded perspective view of the back upper performance unit disassembled into its main components and seen from the back. Figure 451 is an exploded perspective view of the back rising and falling decoration unit in the back upper performance unit disassembled and seen from the front, and Figure 452 is an exploded perspective view of the back rising and falling decoration unit in the back unit disassembled and seen from the back.

Figure 453 is an explanatory diagram showing the rotation mechanism of the back-up front rotating decoration in the back-up performance unit from the front. Figure 454 (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the lifting mechanism of the back-up descending decoration unit in the back-up performance unit from the front, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the lifting mechanism of the back-up descending decoration unit and the rotation mechanism of the back-up rear rotating decoration from the front when the back-up descending decoration unit has been moved to its appearance position. Figure 455 is an explanatory diagram showing the decorative board from the front when the back-up descending decoration unit has been moved to its appearance position in the back-up performance unit.

The back upper performance unit 3400 of the back unit 3000 is attached to the front side of the back rear performance unit 3100, above the opening 3010a in the back box 3010. As shown in Figures 449 and 450, the back upper performance unit 3400 is equipped with a back upper front rotating decorative body 3410 having an axis shaft 3410a protruding rearward from the center of the rear surface, a back upper front decorative body 3421 extending left and right through which the axis shaft 3410a of the back upper front rotating decorative body 3410 penetrates at the center in the left and right direction, a back upper front decorative board 3422 provided behind the back upper front decorative body 3421 and having multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface, and a unit base 3423 provided behind the back upper front decorative board 3422, with the back upper front decorative body 3421 attached to the front surface, and rotatably supporting the axis shaft 3410a of the back upper front rotating decorative body 3410.

The back-upper performance unit 3400 also includes a rear cover 3424 attached to the rear surface of the unit base 3423 so as to form a space between it and the rear cover, a back-upper front rotation drive motor 3425 attached to the rear surface of the rear cover 3424 so that its rotation shaft protrudes into the space between the rear cover and the front unit base 3423, a spur gear-shaped drive gear 3426 attached to the rotation shaft of the back-upper front rotation drive motor 3425, a spur gear-shaped rotation gear 3427 that meshes with the drive gear 3426 and is attached to the rear end of the shaft 3410a of the back-upper front rotation decorative body 3410 and has a detection piece 3427a that protrudes forward, and a back-upper rotation detection sensor 3428 attached to the rear surface of the back-upper front decorative base plate 3422 and capable of detecting the detection piece 3427a of the rotation gear 3427.

In addition, the rear upper performance unit 3400 includes a rear lifting/lowering drive motor 3429 attached to the rear surface of the rear cover 3424 so that its rotation shaft protrudes into the space between the rear cover 3424 and the front unit base 3423, a spur gear-shaped motor gear 3430 attached to the rotation shaft of the rear lifting/lowering drive motor 3429, a gear portion 3431a meshing with the motor gear 3430, a drive pin 3431b protruding cylindrically backward through the rear cover 3424 from a portion protruding outward from the circumference of the gear portion 3431a, and a detection piece 3431c protruding forward from near the outer periphery of the gear portion 3431a, and a lifting cam gear 3431 rotatably attached to the rear cover 3424, and a rear upper front decoration. It is equipped with a back rise and fall detection sensor 3432 attached to the rear surface of the base plate 3422 and capable of detecting the detection piece 3431c of the rise and fall cam gear 3431, a back rise and fall decorative body unit 3450 whose base end is rotatably attached to the rear surface of the rear cover 3424 around an axis in the front-to-rear direction so that the tip side where the back upper rear rotating decorative body 3440 is attached rises and falls by the revolution of the drive pin 3431b of the rise and fall cam gear 3431, a spring 3433 that biases the back rise and fall decorative body unit 3450 so as to rotate in the direction in which the tip side moves upward, and a rod-shaped regulating member 3434 attached to the rear side of the rear cover 3424 and regulates the upward movement of the back rise and fall decorative body unit 3450.

As shown in Figures 451 and 452, the rear-upward rising and lowering decorative body unit 3450 comprises a rear-upward rear decorative body 3451 through which an axis shaft 3440a protruding rearward from the center of the rear surface of the rear-upward rear rotating decorative body 3440 penetrates at the center, a rear-upward rear decorative board 3452 provided at the rear of the rear-upward rear decorative body 3451 and having a number of LEDs mounted on the front surface, and a lifting unit base 3453 to which the rear-upward rear decorative body 3451 is attached from the rear of the rear-upward rear decorative board 3452, which is rotatably attached to the unit base 3423, and which rotatably supports the axis shaft 3440a of the rear-upward rear rotating decorative body 3440.

The back-up/back-up decorative body unit 3450 also includes a back-up rear rotation drive motor 3454 attached to the front of the lifting unit base 3453 so that the rotation shaft protrudes rearward, a spur gear-shaped drive gear 3455 attached to the rotation shaft of the back-up rear rotation drive motor 3454, a spur gear-shaped first transmission gear 3456 meshed with the drive gear 3455 and rotatably attached to the lifting unit base 3453, a spur gear-shaped second transmission gear 3457 meshed with the first transmission gear 3456 and rotatably attached to the lifting unit base 3453, and a spur gear-shaped rotation gear 3458 meshed with the second transmission gear 3457 and attached to the rear end of the shaft 3440a of the back-up rear rotation decorative body 3440.

Furthermore, the rear rising and lowering decorative body unit 3450 includes a gear cover 3459 attached to the rear surface of the lifting and lowering unit base 3453 so as to cover the drive gear 3455, the first transmission gear 3456, the second transmission gear 3457, and the rotating gear 3458 from the rear, and a motor cover 3460 attached to the front surface of the lifting and lowering unit base 3453 so as to cover the rear upper rear rotating drive motor 3454 from the front.

The back-upper front rotating decorative body 3410 of the back-upper performance unit 3400 is formed in a shape that resembles a cherry blossom and has translucency. The shaft 3410a that protrudes rearward from the center of the rear surface of the back-upper front rotating decorative body 3410 passes through the back-upper front decorative body 3421, the back-upper front decorative substrate 3422, and the unit base 3423, and extends to the space between the unit base 3423 and the rear cover 3424. The back-upper front decorative body 3421 has a decoration in the center in the left-right direction that resembles two cherry blossoms of the same size as the back-upper front rotating decorative body 3410, stacked front to back and rotated so that the rear petals are positioned between the front petals. The back-upper front decorative body 3421 is translucent throughout.

The back-upper front decorative board 3422 extends left and right over almost the entire length of the back-upper front decorative body 3421 in the left-right direction. By illuminating the LEDs on the back-upper front decorative board 3422, the back-upper front rotating decorative body 3410 and the back-upper front decorative body 3421 can be illuminated and decorated. The multiple LEDs mounted on the back-upper front decorative board 3422 are full-color LEDs.

The unit base 3423 has a through hole 3423a through which the back-up rotation detection sensor 3428 and the back-up/down detection sensor 3432 attached to the rear surface of the back-up front decorative substrate 3422 are inserted. The rear cover 3424 has a cylindrical support shaft 3424a that protrudes rearward from the rear surface coaxially with the shaft 3410a of the back-up front rotating decorative body 3410, and an arc-shaped slit 3424b through which the drive pin 3431b of the lifting cam gear 3431 is inserted. The support shaft 3424a of the rear cover 3424 is for rotatably supporting the back-up/down decorative body unit 3450, and is inserted into the shaft hole 3453a of the lifting unit base 3453.

The detection piece 3427a of the rotating gear 3427 is detected by the rear upper rotation detection sensor 3428 that protrudes backward through the through hole 3423a of the unit base 3423. The lifting cam gear 3431 has a gear portion 3431a formed in a semicircular arc shape, and a drive pin 3431b that protrudes backward is provided at a portion that bulges outward from the opposite side of the gear portion 3431a. The drive pin 3431b of the lifting cam gear 3431 passes through the slit 3424b of the rear cover 3424 and is slidably inserted into the slit 3453b of the lifting unit base 3453 in the rear lifting decorative body unit 3450. In addition, the detection piece 3431c of the lifting cam gear 3431 is detected by the rear lifting detection sensor 3432 that protrudes backward through the through hole 3423a of the unit base 3423.

The upper back rotating decorative body 3440 is formed in a shape that resembles a cherry blossom and has translucency. The shaft 3440a that protrudes rearward from the center of the rear surface of the upper back rotating decorative body 3440 passes through the upper back decorative body 3451, the upper back decorative substrate 3452, and the lifting unit base 3453, and extends to the rear side of the lifting unit base 3453. The upper back decorative body 3451 has a decoration in the shape of two cherry blossoms of the same size as the upper back rotating decorative body 3440, stacked front to back, and rotated so that the rear petals are positioned between the front petals. The upper back decorative body 3451 is translucent throughout.

The upper back decorative board 3452 can illuminate the upper back rotating decorative body 3440 and the upper back decorative body 3451 by illuminating the multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface. The LEDs on the upper back decorative board 3452 are full-color LEDs.

The lifting unit base 3453 has an axle hole 3453a that penetrates from front to back on the base end side (the right end side when viewed from the front) and into which the support axle 3424a of the rear cover 3424 is inserted so as to be able to rotate relative to the base end, and an elongated slit 3453b that is provided to the right of the axle hole 3453a and extends along a line that passes through the center of the axle hole 3453a. The drive pin 3431b of the lifting cam gear 3431 is slidably inserted into the slit 3453b of the lifting unit base 3453. The motor cover 3460 has a decoration on the front side that resembles a cherry blossom.

Next, the movement of the back-up front rotating ornament 3410, the back-up rear rotating ornament 3440, and the back-up descending ornament unit 3450 in the back-up performance unit 3400 will be explained. In the normal state of the back-up performance unit 3400, the detection piece 3427a of the rotating gear 3427 attached to the axis shaft 3410a of the back-up front rotating ornament 3410 is detected by the back-up rotation detection sensor 3428, and the back-up front rotating ornament 3410 is in a state with one petal facing upward (see Figure 453). In this state, when the drive gear 3426 is rotated by the back-up front rotation drive motor 3425, the back-up front rotating ornament 3410 can be rotated around the axis in the forward/backward direction via the rotating gear 3427.

In addition, in the normal state, the back-up-down decorative body unit 3450, which has the back-up-back rotating decorative body 3440 attached to its tip, is in a state of extending in the left-right direction, and the entire unit except for the tip side is located behind the back-up-front decorative body 3421, in a retracted position that cannot be seen from the front (see Figure 454 (a)). Note that the part of the back-up-down decorative body unit 3450 that protrudes to the left beyond the back-up-front decorative body 3421 is located behind the back-front left performance unit 3700 when assembled on the game board 5, and is not visible from the front.

In this normal state, the detection piece 3431c of the lifting cam gear 3431 is detected by the back-rising/lowering detection sensor 3432. In addition, the drive pin 3431b of the lifting cam gear 3431 is located below its center of revolution and is located near the end farthest from the shaft hole 3453a in the slit 3453b of the lifting unit base 3453 of the back-rising/lowering decorative body unit 3450.

In more detail, the normal line passing through the contact point between the drive pin 3431b of the lifting cam gear 3431 and the slit 3453b extends so as to pass through the rotation center of the lifting cam gear 3431. As a result, even if a force acts to rotate the lifting unit base 3453 in a counterclockwise direction so that the tip side moves downward due to the weight of the back-lifting decoration unit 3450, the force line passes through the rotation center of the lifting cam gear 3431 via the drive pin 3431b abutting the slit 3453b, so the lifting cam gear 3431 does not rotate. Therefore, since the drive pin 3431b of the lifting cam gear 3431 does not revolve either, the lifting unit base 3453 does not rotate, and the back-lifting decoration unit 3450 does not rotate so that the tip side moves downward from the retracted position. Therefore, the weight of the rear rise/fall decorative unit 3450 does not act on the rear rise/fall drive motor 3429 via the lift unit base 3453 and the lift cam gear 3431.

In addition, in the normal state, the drive pin 3431b of the lifting cam gear 3431 may be abutted against the end far from the shaft hole 3453a of the slit 3453b. As a result, when the lifting unit base 3453 tries to rotate in the counterclockwise direction due to the weight of the back-rising decoration unit 3450, the lifting cam gear 3431 tries to rotate in the counterclockwise direction due to the force acting from the slit 3453b through the drive pin 3431b. At this time, the drive pin 3431b tries to revolve so as to move in a direction away from the shaft hole 3453a of the lifting unit base 3453, but since the drive pin 3431b abuts against the end far from the shaft hole 3453a of the slit 3453b, the drive pin 3431b cannot revolve, and the rotation of the lifting unit base 3453 is locked, and the rotation of the back-rising decoration unit 3450 in the counterclockwise direction can be prevented.

In this normal state, when the motor gear 3430 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction by the rear rise/fall drive motor 3429, the gear portion 3431a meshing with the motor gear 3430 rotates the lift/fall cam gear 3431 in the clockwise direction, and the drive pin 3431b of the lift/fall cam gear 3431 revolves in the clockwise direction. As the drive pin 3431b revolves in the clockwise direction, the drive pin 3431b moves leftward and upward, and the drive pin 3431b slides in the slit 3453b toward the shaft hole 3453a, and the weight of the rear rise/fall decorative body unit 3450 causes the lift/fall unit base 3453 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction around the shaft hole 3453a so that its tip side moves downward.

When the drive pin 3431b of the lift cam gear 3431 revolves in a clockwise direction and moves above the straight line connecting the center of rotation of the lift cam gear 3431 and the center of the shaft hole 3453a of the lift unit base 3453, the drive pin 3431b slides within the slit 3453b in a direction away from the shaft hole 3453a. Then, when the drive pin 3431b further revolves in a clockwise direction and reaches the end of the slit 3453b far from the shaft hole 3453a, the rear lift drive motor 3429 stops the rotation of the motor gear 3430, and at the same time, the revolution of the drive pin 3431b stops.

This stops the counterclockwise rotation of the back-up/down decorative body unit 3450 via the lifting unit base 3453, and the tip side of the back-up/down decorative body unit 3450, including the back-up rear rotating decorative body 3440, moves to an appearance position below the back-up front decorative body 3421 (see Figure 454 (b)). In this appearance position, the tip side of the back-up/down decorative body unit 3450 near the center is positioned below the back-up front decorative body 3421, so the back-up rear rotating decorative body 3440 and the like become visible from the front.

When the rear rise-and-fall decorative body unit 3450 is in the appearance position, the normal line passing through the contact point between the drive pin 3431b and the slit 3453b extends so as to pass through the rotation center of the lift-and-fall cam gear 3431. As a result, even if a force acts to rotate the lift-and-fall unit base 3453 further counterclockwise due to the weight of the rear rise-and-fall decorative body unit 3450, the line of force passes through the rotation center of the lift-and-fall cam gear 3431 via the drive pin 3431b abutting the slit 3453b, so the lift-and-fall cam gear 3431 does not rotate. Therefore, the drive pin 3431b of the lifting cam gear 3431 does not revolve either, so the lifting unit base 3453 does not rotate, and the back-rising/lowering decorative body unit 3450 does not rotate further counterclockwise from the emergence position so that the tip side moves downward, and the weight of the back-rising/lowering decorative body unit 3450 does not act on the back-rising/lowering drive motor 3429 via the lifting cam gear 3431.

In addition, when the rear rise and fall decorative body unit 3450 is in the emergent position, the lifting and lowering cam gear 3431 may be further revolved to abut the drive pin 3431b against the end of the slit 3453b farthest from the shaft hole 3453a. As a result, when the lifting and lowering unit base 3453 attempts to rotate further counterclockwise due to the weight of the rear rise and lowering decorative body unit 3450, the lifting and lowering cam gear 3431 attempts to rotate clockwise due to the force acting from the slit 3453b via the drive pin 3431b. At this time, the drive pin 3431b will attempt to revolve so as to move away from the axial hole 3453a of the lifting unit base 3453, but because the drive pin 3431b is abutting the end of the slit 3453b far from the axial hole 3453a, the drive pin 3431b cannot revolve, and the rotation of the lifting unit base 3453 is locked, preventing the reverse lifting and lowering decorative body unit 3450 from rotating in the counterclockwise direction.

When the back-upward rising and descending decorative body unit 3450 is moved from the retracted position to the emergent position, the back-upward rotating decorative body 3440 provided at the tip side becomes visible from the front. In the back-upward rising and descending decorative body unit 3450, when the drive gear 3455 is rotated by the back-upward rotating drive motor 3454, the back-upward rotating decorative body 3440 can be rotated around the axis in the front-to-back direction via the first transmission gear 3456, the second transmission gear 3457, and the rotating gear 3458 (see Figure 454 (b)). Therefore, when the back-upward rotating decorative body 3440 is visible from the front, when the drive gear 3455 is rotated by the back-upward rotating drive motor 3454, the rotating back-upward rotating decorative body 3440 can be seen.

When returning the back-rising/lowering decorative body unit 3450 from the appearance position to the retracted position, the back-rising/lowering drive motor 3429 rotates the motor gear 3430 in the opposite direction to the above, so that the drive pin 3431b of the lifting/lowering cam gear 3431 presses downward against the inner surface of the slit 3453b of the lifting/lowering unit base 3453, causing the lifting/lowering unit base 3453 to rotate clockwise, and the tip side of the back-rising/lowering decorative body unit 3450 to move upward. Then, when the detection piece 3431c of the lifting/lowering cam gear 3431 is detected by the back-rising/lowering detection sensor 3432, the rotation of the motor gear 3430 by the back-rising/lowering drive motor 3429 is stopped, thereby returning the back-rising/lowering decorative body unit 3450 to the retracted position.

At this time, the spring 3433 biases the back rise and fall decorative body unit 3450 in a clockwise direction, assisting the rotation of the back rise and fall decorative body unit 3450 toward the retracted position and reducing the load on the back rise and fall drive motor 3429.

As shown in FIG. 455, the back-upper performance unit 3400 of this embodiment has a back-upper front decorative board 3422 provided behind the back-upper front rotating decorative body 3410 and the back-upper front decorative body 3421, so that the back-upper front rotating decorative body 3410 and the back-upper front decorative body 3421 can be illuminated and decorated by appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs mounted on the back-upper front decorative board 3422. In addition, a back-upper rear decorative board 3452 is provided behind the back-upper rear rotating decorative body 3440 and the back-upper rear decorative body 3451, so that the back-upper rear rotating decorative body 3440 and the back-upper rear decorative body 3451 can be illuminated and decorated by appropriately illuminating the multiple LEDs mounted on the back-upper rear decorative board 3452.

At this time, the rear rising and descending decorative body unit 3450 is rotated from the retracted position to the emerging position, and the LED on the rear upper rear decorative board 3452 is illuminated, allowing the player to see the illuminated rear upper rear rotating decorative body 3440 and rear upper rear decorative body 3451.

[5-9h. Back left production unit]
Next, the rear left performance unit 3500 in the rear unit 3000 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 456 to 462. Fig. 456(a) is a perspective view of the rear left performance unit in the rear unit as seen from the front, and Fig. 456(b) is a perspective view of the rear left performance unit in the rear unit as seen from the back. Fig. 457 is an exploded perspective view of the rear left performance unit disassembled into main components as seen from the front, and Fig. 458 is an exploded perspective view of the rear left performance unit disassembled into main components as seen from the back. Fig. 459 is an exploded perspective view of the rear left decorative body unit of the rear left performance unit as seen from the front, and Fig. 460 is an exploded perspective view of the rear left decorative body unit of the rear left performance unit as seen from the back. Fig. 461 is an explanatory diagram showing the movable mechanism of the rear left performance unit from the front. Fig. 462 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of the rear left decorative body unit in the rear left performance unit.

The rear left performance unit 3500 of the rear unit 3000 is located near the left end of the rear box 3010, in front of the left side of the rear left performance unit 3100. The rear left performance unit 3500 is equipped with a translucent rear left rotating decorative body 3510 that can rotate around an axis in the front-to-rear direction, a rear left decorative body unit 3520 that rotatably supports the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 at its lower end, and a rear left drive unit 3550 that rotates the upper end side of the rear left decorative body unit 3520 around an axis in the front-to-rear direction and is attached inside the rear box 3010.

The rear left rotating decorative body 3510 of the rear left performance unit 3500 is formed in a shape that resembles a cherry blossom and is translucent. The rear left rotating decorative body 3510 has an axis shaft 3510a that protrudes cylindrically from the center of the rear surface to the rear (see Figure 460).

As shown in Figures 459 and 460, the rear left decorative body unit 3520 comprises a rear left decorative body 3521 through which the axis shaft 3510a of the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 passes in the center, a rear left decorative board 3522 provided at the rear of the rear left decorative body 3521 and having a number of LEDs mounted on the front surface, a front cover 3523 attached to the rear side of the rear left decorative board 3522 from the rear and supporting the axis shaft 3510a of the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 in a rotatable manner, and a movable base 3524 attached to the rear side of the front cover 3523 and the upper end side of which is rotatably attached to the rear left drive unit 3550.

The rear left decorative body unit 3520 also includes a rear left rotation drive motor 3525 attached to the rear surface of the movable base 3524 so that its rotation shaft protrudes between the movable base 3524 and the front cover 3523, a spur gear-shaped drive gear 3526 attached to the rotation shaft of the rear left rotation drive motor 3525, and a spur gear-shaped rotation gear 3527 meshed with the drive gear 3526 and attached to the rear end of the axis shaft 3510a of the rear left rotation decorative body 3510.

The left rear decorative body 3521 of the left rear decorative body unit 3520 is translucent and is shaped like two cherry blossoms of the same size as the left rear rotating decorative body 3510, stacked front to back and rotated so that the rear petals are positioned between the front petals. The multiple LEDs on the left rear decorative board 3522 are full color LEDs.

When viewed from the front, the front cover 3523 is formed in a shape that combines a section that has the same shape as the outer shape of the back left decorative body 3521 with a section that extends upward in a rectangular shape from the upper left of that section. The front cover 3523 is decorated with multiple cherry blossoms on the front of the section that extends upward in a rectangular shape. The front cover 3523 is formed in the shape of a shallow container that is open to the rear.

The movable base 3524 is formed to close the open rear side of the front cover 3523, and its upper end side extends upward beyond the upper end of the front cover 3523. The movable base 3524 has an axial hole 3524a that penetrates from front to rear at the upper end side, and an operating pin 3524b that protrudes cylindrically forward at a position away from the axial hole 3524a. The support shaft 3551a of the reinforcing plate 3551 of the rear left drive unit 3550 is inserted into the axial hole 3524a of the movable base 3524 so as to be capable of relative rotation. The operating pin 3524b protrudes forward from a position below and to the right of the axial hole 3524a.

When the drive gear 3526 is rotated by the rear left rotation drive motor 3525, this rear left decorative body unit 3520 can rotate the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 around a front-to-rear axis via the rotating gear 3527 that meshes with the drive gear 3526.

As shown in Figures 457 and 458, the rear left drive unit 3550 comprises a vertically extending flat reinforcing plate 3551 having a support shaft 3551a that rotatably supports the rear left decorative body unit 3520, a vertically extending unit base 3552 that is attached to the front of the reinforcing plate 3551 and is attached inside the rear box 3010, a unit cover 3553 that is attached to the front of the unit base 3552, a rear left lifting drive motor 3554 that is attached to the upper front of the unit cover 3553 so that the rotation shaft protrudes between the unit base 3552 and the unit cover 3553, and a spur gear-shaped motor gear 3555 that is attached to the rotation shaft of the rear left lifting drive motor 3554.

The rear left drive unit 3550 includes a spur gear-shaped transmission gear 3556 that meshes with the motor gear 3555 and is rotatably attached to the unit cover 3553, a spur gear-shaped gear portion 3557a that meshes with the transmission gear 3556, a drive pin 3557b that protrudes cylindrically backward from near the outer periphery of the gear portion 3557a, and a detection piece 3557c that protrudes forward from near the front outer periphery of the gear portion 3557a. It has a first slit 3558a extending left and right into which the drive pin 3557b of 3557 is slidably inserted, and a second slit 3558b extending left and right below the first slit 3558a into which the operating pin 3524b of the movable base 3524 of the rear left decorative body unit 3520 is slidably inserted, and is equipped with a link member 3558 that is attached between the unit base 3552 and the unit cover 3553 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

The rear left drive unit 3550 further includes a spring 3559 that biases the link member 3558 upward, a flat partition plate 3560 that is provided between the link member 3558 and the lifting cam gear 3557, a rear left relay board 3561 that is attached to the front surface of the unit cover 3553, and a rear left lifting detection sensor 3562 that is attached to the rear surface of the rear left relay board 3561 and is capable of detecting the detection piece 3557c of the lifting cam gear 3557.

The reinforcing plate 3551 of the rear left drive unit 3550 is a metal plate that extends vertically, with a support shaft 3551a protruding forward at the top. The support shaft 3551a of the reinforcing plate 3551 is inserted into the shaft hole 3524a of the movable base 3524 of the rear left decorative body unit 3520 so as to be capable of relative rotation.

The unit base 3552 extends vertically longer than the reinforcing plate 3551 so that the support shaft 3551a of the reinforcing plate 3551 is located near the center in the vertical direction. The unit cover 3553 extends vertically to approximately the same length as the unit base 3552 and is formed in the shape of a shallow container that is open to the rear.

The lifting cam gear 3557 has a drive pin 3557b that passes through a slit 3560a in the partition plate 3560 and is slidably inserted into a first slit 3558a in the link member 3558. The detection piece 3557c is detected by a rear left lifting detection sensor 3562 that passes through the unit cover 3553 and protrudes rearward. The link member 3558 extends vertically, with a first slit 3558a near the upper end and a second slit 3558b at the lower end. The spring 3559 has its lower end attached to the link member 3558 and its upper end attached to the partition plate 3560.

The partition plate 3560 has a slit 3560a extending in a semicircular arc shape through which the drive pin 3557b of the lifting cam gear 3557 is inserted. The rear left relay board 3561 is for relaying the connection between the rear left decorative board 3522, rear left rotation drive motor 3525, rear left lifting drive motor 3554, and rear left lifting detection sensor 3562 and the performance drive board 1720.

Next, the operation of the rear left performance unit 3500 will be explained. In its normal state, the rear left performance unit 3500 is in a retracted position with the rear left decorative body unit 3520, which has the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 attached to its lower end (tip side) as shown in Figures 461 and 462 (a), hanging down. In this normal state, the rear left decorative body unit 3520 (rear left rotating decorative body 3510) is located behind the rear left performance unit 3700 and cannot be seen from the front (player side).

In addition, in the normal state when assembled on the game board 5, most of the rear left performance unit 3500 is located behind the rear left front decorative body 3030 and the rear front left performance unit 3700, and only a part of the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 faces forward (see Figure 409, etc.). Note that when assembled on the pachinko machine 1, the forward-facing portion of the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 is covered by the portion outside the door window 101a of the door frame 3, and cannot be seen by the player (see Figure 413).

In this normal state, the detection piece 3557c of the lifting cam gear 3557 is detected by the rear left lifting detection sensor 3562. Also, in the normal state, the drive pin 3557b of the lifting cam gear 3557 is located directly below the center of rotation of the lifting cam gear 3557 and is located near the left end of the first slit 3558a in the link member 3558. Also, in the normal state, the link member 3558 is located at the lower moving end, and the operating pin 3524b, which is located to the right of the shaft hole 3524a of the movable base 3524 in the rear left decorative body unit 3520, is located near the left end of the second slit 3558b of the link member 3558.

In this normal state, the spring 3559 biases the link member 3558 in a direction that moves upward, but since the normal passing through the contact point where the drive pin 3557b of the lifting cam gear 3557 makes contact with the first slit 3558a passes through the center of rotation of the lifting cam gear 3557 (the center of revolution of the drive pin 3557b), even if an upward force acts on the drive pin 3557b through the first slit 3558a due to the biasing force of the spring 3559, the drive pin 3557b does not revolve in either direction, and the link member 3558 does not move upward. Therefore, because the link member 3558 does not move upward, the rear left decorative body unit 3520 (rear left rotating decorative body 3510) does not rotate from the retracted position around the shaft hole 3524a (support shaft 3551a) of the movable base 3524, and the biasing force of the spring 3559 does not act on the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 via the link member 3558 and the lifting cam gear 3557, etc.

In addition, in the normal state, the drive pin 3557b of the lifting cam gear 3557 may be abutted against the left end of the first slit 3558a. As a result, when the link member 3558 tries to move upward due to the biasing force of the spring 3559, the lifting cam gear 3557 tries to rotate in a clockwise direction due to the force acting from the first slit 3558a through the drive pin 3557b. At this time, the drive pin 3557b of the lifting cam gear 3557 tries to revolve in the direction of moving to the left, but since the drive pin 3557b abuts against the left end of the first slit 3558a, the drive pin 3557b cannot revolve, and the upward movement of the link member 3558 is locked via the lifting cam gear 3557, and the rotation of the rear left decorative body unit 3520 from the retracted position can be prevented.

In this normal state, when the motor gear 3555 is rotated counterclockwise by the rear left lift drive motor 3554, the lift cam gear 3557 rotates counterclockwise via the transmission gear 3556 and the gear portion 3557a, and the drive pin 3557b of the lift cam gear 3557 revolves counterclockwise. When this drive pin 3557b revolves counterclockwise, it slides to the right inside the first slit 3558a while pressing upward against the inner surface of the first slit 3558a, and the link member 3558 moves upward.

When the link member 3558 moves upward, the operating pin 3524b of the movable base 3524 of the rear left decorative body unit 3520, which protrudes below and to the right of the support shaft 3551a, is pressed upward by the inner surface of the second slit 3558b of the link member 3558, and while the operating pin 3524b slides to the right within the second slit 3558b, the movable base 3524 rotates counterclockwise around the support shaft 3551a, and the rear left decorative body unit 3520 rotates counterclockwise from the retracted position (see Figures 462 (a) and (b)). At this time, the upward movement of the link member 3558 is assisted by the biasing force of the spring 3559, reducing the load on the rear left lifting drive motor 3554.

In this way, the rear left decorative unit 3520 rotates counterclockwise around the support shaft 3551a, causing the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 located at the lower end to move to the right and upwards, and the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 moves to the right of the front left performance unit 3700, becoming visible from the front (player side).

In this embodiment of the rear left performance unit 3500, the rotational position of the rear left decorative body unit 3520 when the lifting cam gear 3557 rotates approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise from the normal state (retracted position) is the first appearance position (see Figure 462 (b)). In this first appearance position, the rear left decorative body unit 3520 has rotated approximately 44 degrees counterclockwise from the retracted position.

When the lift cam gear 3557 rotates further counterclockwise from the first emergence position, the drive pin 3557b slides leftward within the first slit 3558a. When the drive pin 3557b moves directly above the center of revolution (revolves 180 degrees from the normal position), the rotation of the motor gear 3555 by the rear left lift drive motor 3554 stops, and at the same time, the revolution of the drive pin 3557b stops.

This causes the link member 3558 to stop moving upward, and the rear left decorative body unit 3520 to stop rotating in the counterclockwise direction, resulting in the second appearance position (see Figure 462 (c)). In this second appearance position, the rear left decorative body unit 3520 has rotated approximately 74 degrees counterclockwise from the retracted position.

When the rear left decorative body unit 3520 is in the second appearance position, the drive pin 3557b is located directly above the center of rotation of the lifting cam gear 3557. In this state, the weight of the rear left decorative body unit 3520 creates a force that rotates the rear left decorative body unit 3520 clockwise around the support shaft 3551a, and this force causes the link member 3558 to move downward via the operating pin 3524b and second slit 3558b of the movable base 3524, but because the drive pin 3557b inserted into the first slit 3558a is located directly above the center of revolution, the drive pin 3557b does not revolve in either direction.

As a result, since the drive pin 3557b does not revolve, the lifting cam gear 3557 does not rotate either, so the link member 3558 does not move downward, the rear left decorative body unit 3520 does not rotate from the second appearance position, and the force due to the weight of the rear left decorative body unit 3520 does not act on the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 via the link member 3558 and the lifting cam gear 3557, etc.

When the rear left decorative body unit 3520 is in the second appearance position, the lifting cam gear 3557 may be further rotated in the counterclockwise direction to bring the drive pin 3557b into contact with the left end of the first slit 3558a. As a result, when the rear left decorative body unit 3520 attempts to rotate clockwise around the support shaft 3551a due to its own weight, and the link member 3558 attempts to move downward via the operating pin 3524b, the lifting cam gear 3557 attempts to rotate counterclockwise due to the force acting from the first slit 3558a via the drive pin 3557b. At this time, the drive pin 3557b will attempt to revolve so as to move to the left, but because the drive pin 3557b is in contact with the left end of the first slit 3558a, the drive pin 3557b cannot revolve, preventing the link member 3558 from moving downward, and the rear left decorative body unit 3520 can be locked in the second appearance position so that it cannot rotate.

When the rear left decorative unit 3520 is rotated from the retracted position to the first appearance position and the second appearance position, the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 located at the lower end becomes visible from the front (player side).

In this rear left decorative body unit 3520, by rotating the drive gear 3526 with the rear left rotation drive motor 3525, the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 can be rotated around an axis in the front-to-rear direction via the rotating gear 3527 that meshes with the drive gear 3526 (see FIG. 461). Therefore, when the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 is visible from the front (player side), by rotating the drive gear 3526 with the rear left rotation drive motor 3525, the rotating rear left rotating decorative body 3510 can be seen by the player.

When returning the rear left decorative body unit 3520 from the first appearance position or the second appearance position to the normal state, the retracted position, the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 rotates the motor gear 3555 in the opposite direction to the above, and the link member 3558 moves downward by the revolution of the drive pin 3557b of the lifting cam gear 3557. As the link member 3558 moves downward, the rear left decorative body unit 3520 rotates in the direction of the retracted position (clockwise direction). Then, when the detection piece 3557c of the lifting cam gear 3557 is detected by the rear left lifting detection sensor 3562, the rotation of the motor gear 3555 by the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 is stopped, and the rear left decorative body unit 3520 can be returned to the retracted position.

As shown in FIG. 461, the rear left performance unit 3500 of this embodiment has a rear left decorative board 3522 provided behind the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 and the rear left decorative body 3521, so that the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 and the rear left decorative body 3521 can be illuminated and decorated by appropriately illuminating multiple LEDs mounted on the rear left decorative board 3522. At this time, the rear left decorative body unit 3520 is rotated from the retracted position toward the first appearance position and the second appearance position, and the LEDs on the rear left decorative board 3522 are illuminated to allow the player to see the illuminated rear left rotating decorative body 3510 and the rear left decorative body 3521.

[5-9i. Back right production unit]
Next, the back right performance unit 3600 in the back unit 3000 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 463 to 469. Figure 463 (a) is a perspective view of the back right performance unit in the back unit as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the back right performance unit in the back unit as seen from the back. Figure 464 is an exploded perspective view of the back right performance unit disassembled into main components as seen from the front, and Figure 465 is an exploded perspective view of the back right performance unit disassembled into main components as seen from the back. Figure 466 is an exploded perspective view of the back right decorative body unit of the back right performance unit as seen from the front, and Figure 467 is an exploded perspective view of the back right decorative body unit of the back right performance unit as seen from the back. Figure 468 is an explanatory diagram showing the movable mechanism of the back right performance unit from the front. Figure 469 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of the back right decorative body unit in the back right performance unit.

The rear right performance unit 3600 of the rear unit 3000 is located near the right end of the rear box 3010, in front of the right side of the rear right performance unit 3100. The rear right performance unit 3600 is equipped with a translucent rear right rotating decorative body 3610 that can rotate around an axis in the front-to-rear direction, a rear right decorative body unit 3620 that rotatably supports the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 at its lower end, and a rear right drive unit 3650 that rotates the upper end side of the rear right decorative body unit 3620 around an axis in the front-to-rear direction and is attached inside the rear box 3010.

The rear right rotating decorative body 3610 of the rear right performance unit 3600 is formed in a shape that resembles a cherry blossom and is translucent. The rear right rotating decorative body 3610 has an axis shaft 3610a that protrudes cylindrically from the center of the rear surface to the rear (see Figure 466).

As shown in Figures 466 and 467, the rear right decorative body unit 3620 comprises a rear right decorative body 3621 through which the axis shaft 3610a of the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 passes in the center, a rear right decorative board 3622 that is provided at the rear of the rear right decorative body 3621 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front side, a front cover 3623 that is attached to the rear side of the rear right decorative body 3621 from the rear of the rear right decorative board 3622 and rotatably supports the axis shaft 3610a of the rear right rotating decorative body 3610, and a movable base 3624 that is attached to the rear side of the front cover 3623 and has an upper end that is rotatably attached to the rear right drive unit 3650.

The rear right decorative body unit 3620 also includes a rear right rotating drive motor 3625 attached to the rear surface of the movable base 3624 so that its rotating shaft protrudes between the movable base 3624 and the front cover 3623, a spur gear-shaped drive gear 3626 attached to the rotating shaft of the rear right rotating drive motor 3625, and a spur gear-shaped rotating gear 3627 meshed with the drive gear 3626 and attached to the rear end of the axis shaft 3610a of the rear right rotating decorative body 3610.

The rear right decorative body 3621 of the rear right decorative body unit 3620 is translucent and is shaped like two cherry blossoms of the same size as the rear right rotating decorative body 3610, stacked front to back and rotated so that the rear petals are positioned between the front petals. The multiple LEDs on the rear right decorative board 3622 are full color LEDs.

When viewed from the front, the front cover 3623 is formed in a shape that combines a section that has the same shape as the outer shape of the back right decorative body 3621 with a section that extends upward in a rectangular shape from the upper right of that section. The front cover 3623 is decorated with multiple cherry blossoms on the front of the section that extends upward in a rectangular shape. The front cover 3623 is formed in the shape of a shallow container that is open to the rear.

The movable base 3624 is formed to close the open rear side of the front cover 3623, and its upper end side extends upward beyond the upper end of the front cover 3623. The movable base 3624 has an axial hole 3624a that penetrates from front to rear at the upper end side, and an operating pin 3624b that protrudes cylindrically forward at a position away from the axial hole 3624a. The support shaft 3651a of the reinforcing plate 3651 of the rear right drive unit 3650 is inserted into the axial hole 3624a of the movable base 3624 so as to be capable of relative rotation. The operating pin 3624b protrudes forward at a position below and to the left of the axial hole 3624a.

When the drive gear 3626 is rotated by the rear right rotation drive motor 3625, this rear right decorative body unit 3620 can rotate the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 around a front-to-rear axis via the rotating gear 3627 that meshes with the drive gear 3626.

As shown in Figures 464 and 465, the rear right drive unit 3650 comprises a vertically extending flat reinforcing plate 3651 having a support shaft 3651a that rotatably supports the rear right decorative body unit 3620, a vertically extending unit base 3652 attached to the front of the reinforcing plate 3651 and mounted inside the rear box 3010, a vertically extending unit cover 3653 whose upper part is attached to the front of the unit base 3652, a rear right lifting drive motor 3654 attached to the upper front part of the unit cover 3653 so that the rotation shaft protrudes between the unit base 3652 and the unit cover 3653, and a spur gear-shaped motor gear 3655 attached to the rotation shaft of the rear right lifting drive motor 3654.

The rear right drive unit 3650 also includes a lifting cam gear 3657 having a spur gear-shaped gear portion 3657a meshing with the motor gear 3655, a drive pin 3657b protruding cylindrically backward from near the outer periphery of the gear portion 3657a, and a detection piece 3657c protruding forward from near the front outer periphery of the gear portion 3657a, a first slit 3658a extending left and right into which the drive pin 3657b of the lifting cam gear 3657 is slidably inserted, and a second slit 3658b extending left and right below the first slit 3658a into which the operating pin 3624b of the movable base 3624 in the rear right decorative body unit 3620 is slidably inserted, and a link member 3658 attached between the unit base 3652 and the unit cover 3653 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

The rear right drive unit 3650 further includes a spring 3659 that biases the link member 3658 upward, a flat partition plate 3660 that is provided between the link member 3658 and the lifting cam gear 3657, a rear right relay board 3661 that is attached to the front surface of the unit cover 3653, a rear right lifting detection sensor 3662 that is attached to the rear surface of the rear right relay board 3661 and can detect the detection piece 3657c of the lifting cam gear 3657, and a lower base 3663 that is attached to the front surface of the reinforcing plate 3651 below the unit base 3652 and has the lower part of the unit cover 3653 attached to its front surface.

The reinforcing plate 3651 of the rear right drive unit 3650 is a metal plate that extends vertically, with a support shaft 3651a protruding forward at the top. The support shaft 3651a of the reinforcing plate 3651 is inserted into the shaft hole 3624a of the movable base 3624 of the rear right decorative body unit 3620 so as to be capable of relative rotation.

The unit base 3652 extends upwards beyond the reinforcing plate 3651 so that the support shaft 3651a of the reinforcing plate 3651 is located near the bottom end. The unit cover 3653 extends vertically for approximately the same length as from the top end of the unit base 3652 to the bottom end of the reinforcing plate 3651 (lower base 3663), and is formed in the shape of a shallow container that is open to the rear.

The lifting cam gear 3657 has a drive pin 3657b that passes through a slit 3660a in the partition plate 3660 and is slidably inserted into a first slit 3658a in the link member 3658. The detection piece 3657c is detected by a rear right lifting detection sensor 3662 that passes through the unit cover 3653 and protrudes rearward. The link member 3658 extends vertically, with a first slit 3658a near the upper end and a second slit 3658b at the lower end. The lower end of the spring 3659 is attached to the link member 3658 and the upper end is attached to the partition plate 3660.

The partition plate 3660 has a slit 3660a extending in a semicircular arc shape through which the drive pin 3657b of the lifting cam gear 3657 is inserted. The rear right relay board 3661 is for relaying the connection between the rear right decorative board 3622, the rear right rotation drive motor 3625, the rear right lifting drive motor 3654, and the rear right lifting detection sensor 3662 and the performance drive board 1720.

Next, the operation of the rear right performance unit 3600 will be explained. In its normal state, the rear right performance unit 3600 is in a retracted position with the rear right decorative body unit 3620, which has the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 attached to its lower end (tip side), hanging down as shown in Figures 468 and 469 (a). In this normal state, the rear right decorative body unit 3620 (rear right rotating decorative body 3610) is located behind the rear front right performance unit 3800 and cannot be seen from the front (player side).

In addition, in the normal state when assembled on the game board 5, the rear right back performance unit 3600 is located behind the rear front right decorative body 3040 and the rear front right performance unit 3800, making the entire unit invisible from the front (player side).

In this normal state, the detection piece 3657c of the lifting cam gear 3657 is detected by the rear right lifting detection sensor 3662. Also, in the normal state, the drive pin 3657b of the lifting cam gear 3657 is located directly below the center of rotation of the lifting cam gear 3657 and is located near the right end of the first slit 3658a in the link member 3658. Also, in the normal state, the link member 3658 is located at the lower moving end, and the operating pin 3624b, which is located to the left of the shaft hole 3624a of the movable base 3624 in the rear right decorative body unit 3620, is located near the right end of the second slit 3658b in the link member 3658.

In this normal state, the spring 3659 biases the link member 3658 in a direction that moves upward, but since the normal passing through the contact point where the drive pin 3657b of the lifting cam gear 3657 makes contact with the first slit 3658a passes through the center of rotation of the lifting cam gear 3657 (the center of revolution of the drive pin 3657b), even if an upward force acts on the drive pin 3657b through the first slit 3658a due to the biasing force of the spring 3659, the drive pin 3657b does not revolve in either direction, and the link member 3658 does not move upward. Therefore, because the link member 3658 does not move upward, the rear right decorative body unit 3620 (rear right rotating decorative body 3610) does not rotate from the retracted position around the shaft hole 3624a (support shaft 3651a) of the movable base 3624, and the biasing force of the spring 3659 does not act on the rear right lifting drive motor 3654 via the link member 3658 and the lifting cam gear 3657, etc.

In addition, in the normal state, the drive pin 3657b of the lifting cam gear 3657 may be abutted against the right end of the first slit 3658a. As a result, when the link member 3658 tries to move upward due to the biasing force of the spring 3659, the lifting cam gear 3657 tries to rotate in a counterclockwise direction due to the force acting from the first slit 3658a through the drive pin 3657b. At this time, the drive pin 3657b of the lifting cam gear 3657 tries to revolve in the direction of moving to the right, but since the drive pin 3657b abuts against the right end of the first slit 3658a, the drive pin 3657b cannot revolve, and the upward movement of the link member 3658 is locked via the lifting cam gear 3657, and the rotation of the rear right decorative body unit 3620 from the retracted position can be prevented.

In this normal state, when the motor gear 3655 is rotated counterclockwise by the rear right lift drive motor 3654, the lift cam gear 3657 rotates clockwise via the gear portion 3657a, and the drive pin 3657b of the lift cam gear 3657 revolves clockwise. When this drive pin 3657b revolves clockwise, it slides leftward within the first slit 3658a while pressing upward against the inner surface of the first slit 3658a, and the link member 3658 moves upward.

When the link member 3658 moves upward, the operating pin 3624b of the movable base 3624 of the rear right decorative body unit 3620, which protrudes below and to the left of the support shaft 3651a, is pressed upward by the inner surface of the second slit 3658b of the link member 3658, and while the operating pin 3624b slides to the left inside the second slit 3658b, the movable base 3624 rotates clockwise around the support shaft 3651a, and the rear right decorative body unit 3620 rotates clockwise from the retracted position (see Figures 469 (a) and (b)). At this time, the upward movement of the link member 3658 is assisted by the biasing force of the spring 3659, reducing the load on the rear right lifting drive motor 3654.

In this way, as the rear right decorative unit 3620 rotates clockwise around the support shaft 3651a, the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 located at the lower end moves leftward and upward, causing the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 to move leftward of the front right performance unit 3800 and become visible from the front (player side).

In this embodiment of the rear right performance unit 3600, the rotational position of the rear right decorative body unit 3620 when the lifting cam gear 3657 rotates approximately 90 degrees clockwise from the normal state (retracted position) is the first appearance position (see Figure 469 (b)). In this first appearance position, the rear right decorative body unit 3620 has rotated approximately 44 degrees clockwise from the retracted position.

When the lift cam gear 3657 rotates further clockwise from the first emergence position, the drive pin 3657b slides to the right within the first slit 3658a. When the drive pin 3657b moves directly above the center of revolution (revolves 180 degrees from the normal position), the rotation of the motor gear 3655 by the rear right lift drive motor 3654 stops, and at the same time, the revolution of the drive pin 3657b stops.

This causes the link member 3658 to stop moving upward, and the clockwise rotation of the rear right decorative unit 3620 to stop, resulting in the second appearance position (see Figure 469 (c)). In this second appearance position, the rear right decorative unit 3620 has rotated approximately 74 degrees clockwise from the retracted position.

When the rear right decorative body unit 3620 is in the second appearance position, the drive pin 3657b is located directly above the center of rotation of the lifting cam gear 3657. In this state, the weight of the rear right decorative body unit 3620 creates a force that rotates the rear right decorative body unit 3620 counterclockwise around the support shaft 3651a, and this force causes the link member 3658 to move downward via the operating pin 3624b and second slit 3658b of the movable base 3624, but because the drive pin 3657b inserted into the first slit 3658a is located directly above the center of revolution, the drive pin 3657b does not revolve in either direction.

As a result, since the drive pin 3657b does not revolve, the lifting cam gear 3657 does not rotate either, so the link member 3658 does not move downward, the rear right decorative body unit 3620 does not rotate from the second appearance position, and the force due to the weight of the rear right decorative body unit 3620 does not act on the rear right lifting drive motor 3654 via the link member 3658 and the lifting cam gear 3657, etc.

When the rear right decorative body unit 3620 is in the second appearance position, the lifting cam gear 3657 may be further rotated in the clockwise direction to bring the drive pin 3657b into contact with the right end of the first slit 3658a. As a result, when the rear right decorative body unit 3620 attempts to rotate counterclockwise around the support shaft 3651a due to its own weight, and the link member 3658 attempts to move downward via the operating pin 3624b, the lifting cam gear 3657 attempts to rotate in the clockwise direction due to the force acting from the first slit 3658a via the drive pin 3657b. At this time, the drive pin 3657b will attempt to revolve so as to move to the right, but because the drive pin 3657b is in contact with the right end of the first slit 3658a, the drive pin 3657b cannot revolve, preventing the link member 3658 from moving downward, and the rear right decorative body unit 3620 can be locked in the second appearance position so that it cannot rotate.

When the rear right decorative unit 3620 is rotated from the retracted position to the first appearance position and the second appearance position, the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 located at the lower end becomes visible from the front (player side).

In this rear right decorative body unit 3620, by rotating the drive gear 3626 with the rear right rotation drive motor 3625, the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 can be rotated around an axis in the front-to-rear direction via the rotating gear 3627 that meshes with the drive gear 3626 (see Figure 468). Therefore, when the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 is visible from the front (player side), the rotating rear right rotating decorative body 3610 can be seen by the player by rotating the drive gear 3626 with the rear right rotation drive motor 3625.

When returning the rear right decorative body unit 3620 from the first appearance position or the second appearance position to the normal state, the retracted position, the rear right lifting drive motor 3654 rotates the motor gear 3655 in the opposite direction to the above, and the link member 3658 is moved downward by the revolution of the drive pin 3657b of the lifting cam gear 3657. As the link member 3658 moves downward, the rear right decorative body unit 3620 rotates in the direction of the retracted position (counterclockwise). Then, when the detection piece 3657c of the lifting cam gear 3657 is detected by the rear right lifting detection sensor 3662, the rotation of the motor gear 3655 by the rear right lifting drive motor 3654 is stopped, and the rear right decorative body unit 3620 can be returned to the retracted position.

As shown in FIG. 468, the rear right performance unit 3600 of this embodiment has a rear right decorative board 3622 provided behind the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 and the rear right decorative body 3621, so that the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 and the rear right decorative body 3621 can be illuminated and decorated by appropriately illuminating multiple LEDs mounted on the rear right decorative board 3622. At this time, the rear right decorative body unit 3620 is rotated from the retracted position toward the first appearance position and the second appearance position, and the LEDs on the rear right decorative board 3622 are illuminated to allow the player to see the illuminated rear right rotating decorative body 3610 and the rear right decorative body 3621.

[5-9j. Back front left production unit]
Next, the back front left performance unit 3700 in the back unit 3000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 470 to 473. Figure 470 (a) is a perspective view of the back front left performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the back front left performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. Figure 471 is an exploded perspective view of one back front left decorative body unit in the back front left performance unit seen from the front, and Figure 472 is an exploded perspective view of one back front left decorative body unit in the back front left performance unit seen from the back. Figure 473 (a) is a front view showing the shutter group in the back front left performance unit in a closed state, and (b) is a front view showing the shutter group in the back front left performance unit in an open state.

The back front left performance unit 3700 in the back unit 3000 is attached to the front side of the back left performance unit 3500 so that its left end is located behind the back front left decorative body 3030 within the back box 3010. The back front left performance unit 3700 is composed of three back front left decorative body units 3710, from top to bottom: the first back front left decorative body unit 3710A, the second back front left decorative body unit 3710B, and the third back front left decorative body unit 3710C.

As shown in FIG. 473, in the back front left performance unit 3700, the first back front left decorative body unit 3710A is tilted diagonally so that the upper end moves to the right compared to the second back front left decorative body unit 3710B and the third back front left decorative body unit 3710C. In addition, the shape of the rear cover 3715 of the first back front left decorative body unit 3710A is slightly different from that of the second back front left decorative body unit 3710B and the third back front left decorative body unit 3710C.

As shown in Figures 471 and 472, the rear front left decorative unit 3710 of the rear front left performance unit 3700 comprises a frame-shaped front cover 3711 that penetrates from front to back, a frame-shaped shutter support member 3712 attached to the rear side of the front cover 3711, and shutter units 3730 that are arranged in a row in the vertical direction on the front of the shutter support member 3712 and each are supported rotatably around an axis in the horizontal direction, allowing the front cover 3711 to be opened and closed within its frame.

The rear-front-left decorative body unit 3710 closes the frame of the shutter support member 3712 from the rear, and is equipped with a translucent flat rear-front-left decorative body 3713, a rear-front-left decorative board 3714 that is provided behind the rear-front-left decorative body 3713 and has multiple LEDs mounted on its front side, and a rear cover 3715 that is attached to the front cover 3711 so as to cover the rear-front-left decorative board 3714 from the rear, and is attached to the front of the rear-left performance unit 3500.

Furthermore, the back front left decorative unit 3710 is equipped with a support plate 3716 made of a metal plate attached to the left side of the shutter support member 3712, a back front left drive solenoid 3717 attached to the support plate 3716, a transmission member 3718 attached to the tip of the plunger in the back front left drive solenoid 3717, a link member 3719 attached to the support plate 3716 so as to be rotatable around an axis in the left-right direction and rotates as the transmission member 3718 moves forward and backward by the back front left drive solenoid 3717, and an opening/closing slider 3720 that slides up and down as the link member 3719 rotates to open and close the shutter unit 3730.

The front cover 3711 of the back front left decorative unit 3710 has an external shape resembling a "convex" character tilted to the right with rounded corners (a stylized shape of a "pine tree"). The shutter support member 3712 has a plurality of bearings 3712a on the front surface that rotatably support the shafts 3733 of the shutter members 3731 in the shutter unit 3730. The shutter support member 3712 also has a cylindrical boss 3712b that protrudes forward from near the left end of the front surface. This boss 3712b is slidably inserted into the slit 3720b of the opening/closing slider 3720, and a support plate 3716 is attached to the tip.

The shutter unit 3730 is composed of multiple (here, eight) shutter members 3731. The shutter members 3731 have a flat shutter 3732 extending left and right, a shaft portion 3733 extending cylindrically from both left and right ends of the shutter 3732, and a crank shaft 3734 that protrudes from the tip of the left shaft portion 3733 in the direction perpendicular to the axis and then extends cylindrically to the left.

The shutter 3732 is formed with a length and shape that corresponds to the height at which the shutter member 3731 is disposed relative to the shape inside the frame of the front cover 3711. The shaft portion 3733 protrudes from near the upper end of the shutter 3732 with the surface of the shutter 3732 facing forward. The crank shaft 3734 is located rearward of the shaft portion 3733.

The shutter member 3731 can rotate around an axis in the left-right direction around the shaft portion 3733 by having the shaft portion 3733 rotatably supported by the bearing portion 3712a of the shutter support member 3712. The crank shaft 3734 is slidably inserted into the transmission groove 3720a of the opening/closing slider 3720.

The back-front-left decorative body 3713, not shown, is decorated with images of characters, items, logos, etc. that are in line with the concept of the pachinko machine 1. The back-front-left decorative body 3713 can diffuse the light from the LEDs on the back-front-left decorative board 3714. The multiple LEDs on the back-front-left decorative board 3714 are full-color LEDs.

The support plate 3716 extends vertically with its plate surface facing left and right, and is formed with a shape in which its front end is bent to the right. The part of the support plate 3716 that is bent to the right on its front end is attached to the front surface of the boss portion 3712b of the shutter support member 3712, and the remaining part protrudes rearward through the left side of the shutter support member 3712. The support plate 3716 also has a support pin 3716a that protrudes cylindrically to the right from near its bottom end. This support pin 3716a is for supporting the link member 3719 so that it can rotate.

The rear-front-left drive solenoid 3717 is attached to the support plate 3716 in a direction in which the plunger advances and retreats downward. The rear-front-left drive solenoid 3717 is biased by a spring in a direction in which the plunger protrudes downward. The link member 3719 can rotate around an axis in the left-right direction with the support pin 3716a at the center by inserting the support pin 3716a of the support plate 3716. This link member 3719 has a first connection part 3719a on the rear side that is connected to the transmission member 3718, and a second connection part 3719b on the front side that is connected to the opening/closing slider 3720, with the part where the support pin 3716a is inserted between them.

The opening/closing slider 3720 extends vertically with a length approximately equal to the height of the shutter unit 3730, which is made up of multiple shutter members 3731, and has a transmission groove 3720a into which each crank shaft 3734 of the shutter unit 3730 is inserted so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, and a slit 3720b into which the boss portion 3712b of the shutter support member 3712 is inserted so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

Next, the operation of the back front left performance unit 3700 will be described. In the normal state, as shown in FIG. 473(a), the back front left performance unit 3700 is in a closed state in which the shutter 3732 of the shutter member 3731 of the shutter unit 3730 faces forward, and the inside of the frame of the front cover 3711 is closed by the multiple shutters 3732. In this normal state, the back front left decorative body 3713 provided at the rear of the shutter unit 3730 cannot be seen from the front (player's side). Although not shown, when the shutter unit 3730 is in the closed state, a pattern different from the pattern applied to the back front left decorative body 3713 at the rear is applied to the front of the shutter unit 3730 (multiple shutters 3732).

In the normal state, the rear front left drive solenoid 3717 is de-energized (OFF), and the plunger protrudes downward due to the spring force. In the normal state, the opening/closing slider 3720 is at the upper end of its travel, and the crankshaft 3734 of each shutter member 3731 is located above the shaft portion 3733.

In this normal state, when the rear front left drive solenoid 3717 is energized (ON), the plunger moves upward against the spring force, and at the same time, the transmission member 3718 attached to the tip of the plunger moves upward. When the transmission member 3718 moves upward, the first connection part 3719a of the link member 3719 connected to the transmission member 3718 moves upward, and when the link member 3719 rotates around the support pin 3716a, the second connection part 3719b on the opposite side to the first connection part 3719a moves downward. Then, when the second connection part 3719b of the link member 3719 moves downward, the opening/closing slider 3720 connected to the second connection part 3719b moves downward.

When the opening/closing slider 3720 moves downward, the crankshaft 3734 of the shutter member 3731 inserted in the transmission groove 3720a is pressed downward, and the shutter member 3731 rotates about the shaft portion 3733 so that the crankshaft 3734 is positioned lower than the shaft portion 3733. As a result, the plate surface of the shutter 3732 faces the vertical direction, so that the front cover 3711 is opened up by the multiple shutters 3732, and the rear front left decorative body 3713 located behind the shutter unit 3730 can be seen from the front (see Figure 473 (b)).

Thereafter, by de-energizing (turning OFF) the rear front left drive solenoid 3717, the plunger that had been moving upward moves downward due to the spring force, and by performing the reverse movement to that described above, the shutter unit 3730 in the open state can be returned to its normal closed state.

In this way, according to the rear front left performance unit 3700 of this embodiment, by opening and closing the shutter unit 3730 with the rear front left drive solenoid 3717, it is possible to switch from the decoration (pattern) of the shutter unit 3730 to the decoration (pattern) of the rear front left decorative body 3713, allowing the player to enjoy the change in decoration.

In addition, a rear-front-left decorative board 3714 is provided behind the shutter unit 3730 and the rear-front-left decorative body 3713. When the shutter unit 3730 is closed, multiple LEDs on the rear-front-left decorative board 3714 are illuminated, allowing the player to see the illuminated and decorated shutter unit 3730, and when the shutter unit 3730 is open, multiple LEDs on the rear-front-left decorative board 3714 are illuminated, allowing the player to see the illuminated and decorated rear-front-left decorative body 3713.

Furthermore, in the back front left performance unit 3700, the three back front left decorative body units 3710, the first back front left decorative body unit 3710A, the second back front left decorative body unit 3710B, and the third back front left decorative body unit 3710C, can each have their shutter units 3730 opened and closed independently, and can be made to emit light, so that by appropriately combining the performances of the three back front left decorative body units 3710, a variety of performances can be shown to the player.

[5-9k. Back front right production unit]
Next, the back front right performance unit 3800 in the back unit 3000 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 474 to 477. Figure 474 (a) is a perspective view of the back front right performance unit in the back unit seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the back front right performance unit in the back unit seen from the back. Figure 475 is an exploded perspective view of one back front right decorative body unit in the back front right performance unit seen from the front, and Figure 476 is an exploded perspective view of one back front right decorative body unit in the back front right performance unit seen from the back. Figure 477 (a) is a front view showing the shutter group in the back front right performance unit in a closed state, and (b) is a front view showing the shutter group in the back front right performance unit in an open state.

The back front right performance unit 3800 in the back unit 3000 is attached to the front side of the back rear right performance unit 3600 so that the upper part near the right end is located behind the back front right decorative body 3040 within the back box 3010. The back front right performance unit 3800 is composed of three back front right decorative body units 3810, from top to bottom: the first back front right decorative body unit 3810A, the second back front right decorative body unit 3810B, and the third back front right decorative body unit 3810C.

As shown in FIG. 477, in the back front right performance unit 3800, the first back front right decorative body unit 3810A is inclined diagonally so that the upper end moves to the left compared to the second back front right decorative body unit 3810B and the third back front right decorative body unit 3810C. In addition, the shape of the rear cover 3815 of the first back front right decorative body unit 3810A is slightly different from that of the second back front right decorative body unit 3810B and the third back front right decorative body unit 3810C.

As shown in Figures 475 and 476, the rear front right decorative unit 3810 of the rear front right performance unit 3800 comprises a frame-shaped front cover 3811 that penetrates from front to back, a frame-shaped shutter support member 3812 attached to the rear side of the front cover 3811, and shutter units 3830 that are arranged in a row in the vertical direction on the front of the shutter support member 3812 and each are supported rotatably around an axis in the horizontal direction, allowing the interior of the frame of the front cover 3811 to be opened and closed.

The back-front-right decorative body unit 3810 closes the frame of the shutter support member 3812 from the rear, and is equipped with a translucent flat-plate-shaped back-front-right decorative body 3813, a back-front-right decorative board 3814 that is provided behind the back-front-right decorative body 3813 and has multiple LEDs mounted on its front side, and a rear cover 3815 that is attached to the front cover 3811 so as to cover the back-front-right decorative board 3814 from the rear, and is attached to the front of the back-back-right performance unit 3600.

Furthermore, the back front right decorative unit 3810 is equipped with a support plate 3816 made of a metal plate attached to the right side of the shutter support member 3812, a back front right drive solenoid 3817 attached to the support plate 3816, a transmission member 3818 attached to the tip of the plunger in the back front right drive solenoid 3817, a link member 3819 attached to the support plate 3816 so as to be rotatable around an axis in the left-right direction and rotates as the transmission member 3818 moves forward and backward by the back front right drive solenoid 3817, and an opening/closing slider 3820 that slides up and down as the link member 3819 rotates to open and close the shutter unit 3830.

The front cover 3811 of the back front right decorative unit 3810 has an external shape resembling a "convex" character tilted to the left with rounded corners (a stylized shape of a "pine tree"). The shutter support member 3812 has a plurality of bearings 3812a on the front surface that rotatably support the shafts 3833 of the shutter members 3831 in the shutter unit 3830. The shutter support member 3812 also has a cylindrical boss 3812b that protrudes forward from near the right end of the front surface. This boss 3812b is slidably inserted into the slit 3820b of the opening/closing slider 3820, and a support plate 3816 is attached to the tip.

The shutter unit 3830 is composed of multiple (here, eight) shutter members 3831. The shutter members 3831 have a flat shutter 3832 extending left and right, a shaft portion 3833 extending cylindrically from both left and right ends of the shutter 3832, and a crank shaft 3834 that protrudes from the tip of the right-side shaft portion 3833 in a direction perpendicular to the axis and then extends cylindrically to the right.

The shutter 3832 is formed with a length and shape that corresponds to the height at which the shutter member 3831 is disposed relative to the shape inside the frame of the front cover 3811. The shaft portion 3833 protrudes from near the upper end of the shutter 3832 with the surface of the shutter 3832 facing forward. The crank shaft 3834 is located rearward of the shaft portion 3833.

The shutter member 3831 can rotate around an axis in the left-right direction around the shaft portion 3833 by having the shaft portion 3833 rotatably supported by the bearing portion 3812a of the shutter support member 3812. The crank shaft 3834 is slidably inserted into the transmission groove 3820a of the opening/closing slider 3820.

The rear front right decorative body 3813 is decorated with images of characters, items, logos, etc. that are in line with the concept of the pachinko machine 1, although illustrations are omitted. The rear front right decorative body 3813 can diffuse the light from the LEDs on the rear front right decorative board 3814. The multiple LEDs on the rear front right decorative board 3814 are full-color LEDs.

The support plate 3816 extends vertically with its plate surface facing left and right, and is formed with a shape in which its front end is bent to the left. The part of the support plate 3816 bent to the left on its front end is attached to the front surface of the boss portion 3812b of the shutter support member 3812, and the remaining part passes to the right of the shutter support member 3812 and protrudes rearward. The support plate 3816 also has a support pin 3816a that protrudes cylindrically to the left from near its bottom end. This support pin 3816a is for supporting the link member 3819 so that it can rotate.

The rear front right drive solenoid 3817 is attached to the support plate 3816 in a direction in which the plunger advances and retreats downward. The rear front right drive solenoid 3817 is biased by a spring in a direction in which the plunger protrudes downward. The link member 3819 can rotate around an axis in the left-right direction with the support pin 3816a at the center by inserting the support pin 3816a of the support plate 3816. This link member 3819 has a first connection part 3819a on the rear side that is connected to the transmission member 3818, and a second connection part 3819b on the front side that is connected to the opening/closing slider 3820, with the part where the support pin 3816a is inserted between them.

The opening/closing slider 3820 extends vertically with a length approximately equal to the height of the shutter unit 3830, which is made up of multiple shutter members 3831, and has a transmission groove 3820a into which each crank shaft 3834 of the shutter unit 3830 is inserted so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, and a slit 3820b into which the boss portion 3812b of the shutter support member 3812 is inserted so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

Next, the operation of the back front right performance unit 3800 will be described. In the normal state, as shown in FIG. 477(a), the shutter 3832 of the shutter member 3831 of the shutter unit 3830 faces forward, and the front cover 3811 is closed by the multiple shutters 3832. In this normal state, the back front right decorative body 3813 provided at the rear of the shutter unit 3830 cannot be seen from the front (player's side). Although not shown, when the shutter unit 3830 is closed, a pattern different from the pattern applied to the back front right decorative body 3813 at the rear is applied to the front of the shutter unit 3830 (multiple shutters 3832).

In the normal state, the rear front right drive solenoid 3817 is de-energized (OFF), and the plunger protrudes downward due to the spring force. In addition, in the normal state, the opening/closing slider 3820 is positioned at the upper end of its travel, and the crankshaft 3834 of each shutter member 3831 is positioned above the shaft portion 3833.

In this normal state, when the rear front right drive solenoid 3817 is energized (ON), the plunger moves upward against the spring force, and at the same time, the transmission member 3818 attached to the tip of the plunger moves upward. When this transmission member 3818 moves upward, the first connection part 3819a of the link member 3819 connected to the transmission member 3818 moves upward, and when the link member 3819 rotates around the support pin 3816a, the second connection part 3819b on the opposite side to the first connection part 3819a moves downward. Then, when the second connection part 3819b of the link member 3819 moves downward, the opening/closing slider 3820 connected to the second connection part 3819b moves downward.

When the opening/closing slider 3820 moves downward, the crankshaft 3834 of the shutter member 3831 inserted in the transmission groove 3820a is pressed downward, and the shutter member 3831 rotates about the shaft portion 3833 so that the crankshaft 3834 is positioned lower than the shaft portion 3833. As a result, the plate surface of the shutter 3832 faces the vertical direction, so that the front cover 3811 is opened up by the multiple shutters 3832, and the rear front right decorative body 3813 located behind the shutter unit 3830 can be seen from the front (see Figure 477 (b)).

Thereafter, by de-energizing (turning OFF) the rear front right drive solenoid 3817, the plunger that had been moving upward moves downward due to the spring force, and by performing the reverse movement to that described above, the shutter unit 3830 in the open state can be returned to its normal closed state.

In this way, according to the rear front right performance unit 3800 of this embodiment, by opening and closing the shutter unit 3830 with the rear front right drive solenoid 3817, it is possible to switch from the decoration (pattern) of the shutter unit 3830 to the decoration (pattern) of the rear front right decorative body 3813, allowing the player to enjoy the change in decoration.

In addition, a rear-front-right decorative board 3814 is provided behind the shutter unit 3830 and the rear-front-right decorative body 3813. When the shutter unit 3830 is closed, multiple LEDs on the rear-front-right decorative board 3814 are illuminated, allowing the player to see the illuminated and decorated shutter unit 3830, and when the shutter unit 3830 is open, multiple LEDs on the rear-front-right decorative board 3814 are illuminated, allowing the player to see the illuminated and decorated rear-front-right decorative body 3813.

Furthermore, in the back front right performance unit 3800, the three back front right decorative body units 3810, namely the first back front right decorative body unit 3810A, the second back front right decorative body unit 3810B, and the third back front right decorative body unit 3810C, can each have their shutter units 3830 opened and closed independently, and can be decorated with light, so that by appropriately combining the performances of the three back front right decorative body units 3810, a variety of performances can be shown to the player.

[5-10. Effects on the game board]
Next, the main effects (movable effects) in the game board 5 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figs. 478 to 483. Fig. 478 is a front view of the game board shown in a state where the rear rear movable decoration of the rear rear performance unit has been moved from the retreat position to the appearance position. Fig. 479 is a front view of the game board shown in a state where the rear lower middle rotating decoration of the rear lower middle performance unit has been moved from the lower position to the raised position. Fig. 480 is a front view of the game board shown in a state where the rear upper rear rotating decoration of the rear upper rear performance unit has been moved from the retreat position to the appearance position, the rear left rotating decoration of the rear left performance unit has been moved from the retreat position to the first appearance position, and the rear right rotating decoration of the rear right performance unit has been moved from the retreat position to the first appearance position. Fig. 481 is a front view of the game board shown in a state where the rear left rotating decoration of the rear left performance unit has been moved from the retreat position to the second appearance position, and the rear right rotating decoration of the rear right performance unit has been moved from the retreat position to the second appearance position. Figure 482 is a front view of the game board showing the shutter unit of the rear front left performance unit and the shutter unit of the rear front right performance unit changed from a closed state to an open state.

Figure 483 is a front view of the game board showing the rear-rear movable decoration of the rear-rear performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the appearance position, the rear-upper-rear rotating decoration of the rear-upper-rear performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the appearance position, the rear-left rotating decoration of the rear-left performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the first appearance position, the rear-right rotating decoration of the rear-right performance unit being moved from the retracted position to the first appearance position, and the rear-bottom-middle rotating decoration of the rear-bottom-middle performance unit being moved from the lowered position to the raised position.

In the game board 5 of this embodiment, the front component 1000 that defines the outer periphery of the game area 5a, the game panel 1100 that defines the rear end side of the game area 5a, the starting port unit 2100, the side unit 2200, the upper left side unit 2300, the first attacca unit 2400, the center gimmick 2500, the second attacca unit 2600, the side middle right unit 2700, and the gate member 2800 are formed to be almost entirely transparent, so that in the normal state, as shown in FIG. 389, the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 of the rear unit 3000 located behind the game panel 1100 can be seen through them. , the lower left rotating decoration 3201 of the lower left performance unit 3200, the lower right rotating decoration 3251 of the lower right performance unit 3250, the lower middle rotating decoration 3310 of the lower middle performance unit 3300, the upper front rotating decoration 3410 and the upper front decoration 3421 of the upper performance unit 3400, the front cover 3711 and shutter unit 3730 of the front left performance unit 3700, the front cover 3811 and shutter unit 3830 of the front right performance unit 3800, etc. can be clearly seen, and the performance image displayed on the performance display device 1600 can be clearly seen through the frame of the center role object 2500.

More specifically, the rear front left decorative body 3030 is located to the left of the center gimmick 2500, and the rear front right decorative body 3040 is located between the impact stop 1006 of the front component 1000 and near the side right middle unit 2700 along the right rail 1005. In addition, the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 of the rear rear performance unit 3100 is located behind the rear upper performance unit 3400 and is not visible to the player.

The bottom left rotating decoration 3201 is located below the frame of the center gadget 2500 and behind the general winning port 2001 in the center and on the left side of the side unit 2200, while the bottom right rotating decoration 3251 is located below the frame of the center gadget 2500 and behind the first large winning port 2005 of the first attacca unit 2400. The bottom left rotating decoration 3201 and the bottom right rotating decoration 3251 are visible to the player through the transparent game panel 1100 and front unit 2000.

The rotating decoration 3310 is in a lowered position, and is located behind the first starting hole 2002 of the starting hole unit 2100 so that its upper part protrudes into the frame of the center role 2500. This rotating decoration 3310 is viewed from diagonally above by a player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1, so the number decoration above the center of rotation can be clearly seen through the frame of the center role 2500.

Furthermore, the back-upper front decorative body 3421 of the back-upper performance unit 3400 extends left and right at the top of the play area 5a when viewed from the front, and the upper part to the left of the center in the left-right direction can be seen through the transparent game panel 1100 and the center role 2500, while the remainder can be clearly seen through the frame of the center role 2500. The back-upper front rotating decorative body 3410 is in a state where one petal faces upward in the center in the left-right direction in front of the back-upper front decorative body 3421, and can be clearly seen from the player side through the frame of the center role 2500. The back-upper rear rotating decorative body unit 3450 having the back-upper rear rotating decorative body 3440 of the back-upper performance unit 3400 is in a retracted position behind the back-upper front decorative body 3421 in the normal state, and cannot be seen from the player side.

In addition, the rear left decorative body unit 3520, which has the rear left rotating decorative body 3510 of the rear left performance unit 3500, is in a retracted position behind the rear front left performance unit 3700 under normal conditions and is not visible to the player. In addition, the rear right decorative body unit 3620, which has the rear right rotating decorative body 3610 of the rear right performance unit 3600, is in a retracted position behind the rear front right performance unit 3800 under normal conditions and is not visible to the player.

The three back-front-left decorative body units 3710 of the back-front-left performance unit 3700 are arranged vertically along the left edge of the game panel 1100, and are located within the game area 5a when viewed from the front, and are visible to the player through the transparent game panel 1100 and the center gadget 2500 and the frame of the center gadget 2500. The upper first back-front-left decorative body unit 3710A of the three back-front-left decorative body units 3710 is mostly located behind the transparent game panel 1100 and the center gadget 2500 when viewed from the front, and the lower part is located within the frame of the center gadget 2500. The middle second back-front-left decorative body unit 3710B is located within the frame of the center gadget 2500 when viewed from the front. When viewed from the front, the lower third back front left decorative unit 3710C is mostly located behind the transparent game panel 1100 and the center gadget 2500, with the right part located within the frame of the center gadget 2500.

In the normal state of the back front left performance unit 3700, the shutter unit 3730 of each of the three back front left decorative body units 3710 is in a closed state, making the back front left decorative body 3713 invisible while the decoration of the shutter unit 3730 is visible.

Furthermore, the three back front right decorative body units 3810 of the back front right performance unit 3800 are lined up vertically along the right side of the game panel 1100, and are located within the game area 5a when viewed from the front, and are visible to the player through the transparent game panel 1100 and the center gadget 2500 and the frame of the center gadget 2500. The upper first back front right decorative body unit 3810A of the three back front right decorative body units 3810 is located behind the transparent game panel 1100 and the center gadget 2500 on the right side when viewed from the front, and is located within the frame of the center gadget 2500 on the left side. When viewed from the front, the second middle back front right decorative unit 3810B and the third lower back front right decorative unit 3810C are located behind the transparent game panel 1100 and the center device 2500 on the right side from the left side of the center in the left-right direction, and the remaining left side is located within the frame of the center device 2500.

In the normal state of the back front right performance unit 3800, the shutter unit 3830 of each of the three back front right decorative body units 3810 is in a closed state, making the back front right decorative body 3813 invisible while the decoration of the shutter unit 3830 is visible.

Depending on the result of the first or second special lottery, which is drawn when game ball B is received in first starting hole 2002 or second starting hole 2004, the back rear performance unit 3100, back lower left performance unit 3200, back lower right performance unit 3250, back lower middle performance unit 3300, back upper performance unit 3400, back rear left performance unit 3500, back rear right performance unit 3600, back front left performance unit 3700, and back front right performance unit 3800 of the back unit 3000 perform a specified performance (moving performance or light-emitting performance).

Specifically, as an example of a performance using the rear back performance unit 3100 of the rear unit 3000, as shown in FIG. 478, the rear back drive motor 3126 moves the slide guide 3130 downward, releasing the lock by the lock member 3134, and the rear back movable decorative body 3110 falls from the retracted position to the appearance position. This allows the player to see a performance (movable performance) in which the large rear back movable decorative body 3110, which straddles the display screen of the performance display device 1600 in the left-right direction, falls freely while blocking the display screen of the performance display device 1600, making a strong impact on the player and entertaining the player, and making the player think that a favorable game state (for example, a "jackpot" game) that gives the player an advantage may occur, increasing the player's expectations for the game.

In this rear-end performance unit 3100, although not shown in the figure, after the rear-end movable decoration 3110 is dropped to the appearance position, the rear-end drive motor 3126 moves the slide guide 3130 upward to return the rear-end movable decoration 3110 to the retreat position. By appropriately changing the forward and reverse rotation of the rear-end drive motor 3126, the rear-end movable decoration 3110 can be moved up and down via the slide guide 3130 near the vertical center of the display screen of the performance display device 1600. As a result, the rear-end movable decoration 3110 moves up and down while blocking the vertical center of the display screen of the performance display device 1600, so that the player's attention can be strongly attracted to the rear-end movable decoration 3110, and the player can enjoy the movement of the rear-end movable decoration 3110.

As an example of a performance using the back-bottom middle performance unit 3300 in the back unit 3000, as shown in FIG. 479, the back-bottom middle lifting drive motor 3352 rotates the lifting arm 3357 to move the back-bottom middle decorative body unit 3320 from a lowered position to an elevated position, and the back-bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 is rotated around a front-to-back axis by the back-bottom middle rotation drive motor 3333. As a result, the back-bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 moves upward and is positioned within the frame of the center gadget 2500 so as to block part of the performance image of the performance display device 1600, allowing it to be clearly seen from the player's side, and as it rotates around and around, it makes a strong impact on the player and entertains the player.

Since the rotating decorative body 3310 has six number decorations, by rotating the rotating decorative body 3310, the player can be given the impression that a roulette is rotating. Therefore, when rotating the rotating decorative body 3310, the performance display device 1600 can display a performance image such as "sugoroku" and the "piece" can move according to the number of the number decoration of the rotating decorative body 3310 that has stopped rotating. This makes the player nervous and excited depending on whether the rotating rotating decorative body 3310 stops rotating at the position of the desired number decoration so that the "piece" moves to the desired "square", and the player can be entertained. In addition, the player can feel that the expectation value is increasing as the "piece" moves, and the anticipation for the game can be increased.

As an example of a performance using the lower left back performance unit 3200, the lower right back performance unit 3250, the upper back performance unit 3400, the rear left back performance unit 3500, and the rear right back performance unit 3600 in the rear unit 3000, as shown in FIG. 480, the lower left back rotation decorative body 3201 is rotated by the lower left back drive motor 3205 in the lower left back performance unit 3200, and the lower right back rotation decorative body 3251 is rotated by the lower right back drive motor 3255 in the lower right back performance unit 3250. In addition, in the upper back performance unit 3400, the upper front back rotation drive motor 3425 rotates the upper front back rotation decorative body 3410, and the upper back back rotation drive motor 3429 rotates the upper back back rotation decorative body unit 3450 from the retracted position to the lower appearance position, while the upper back back rotation drive motor 3454 rotates the upper back back rotation decorative body 3440. Furthermore, in the rear left performance unit 3500, the rear left lifting drive motor 3554 moves the rear left decorative body unit 3520 from the retracted position to the first appearance position slightly to the upper right, and the rear left rotation drive motor 3525 rotates the rear left rotating decorative body 3510. Also, in the rear right performance unit 3600, the rear right lifting drive motor 3654 moves the rear right decorative body unit 3620 from the retracted position to the first appearance position slightly to the upper left, and the rear right rotation drive motor 3625 rotates the rear right rotating decorative body 3610.

As a result, the back-upper rear rotating ornament 3440, the back-left rotating ornament 3510, and the back-right rotating ornament 3610 move forward on the performance display device 1600 and become visible, and the back-down left rotating ornament 3201, the back-down right rotating ornament 3251, the back-upper front rotating ornament 3410, the back-upper rear rotating ornament 3440, the back-left rotating ornament 3510, and the back-right rotating ornament 3610 each rotate, so that the six ornaments rotate around and around, creating a strong impact on the player and making them think that something good is going to happen, increasing their anticipation for the game.

At this time, the back rise/fall drive motor 3429, the back left rise/fall drive motor 3554, and the back right rise/fall drive motor 3654 may be rotated forward and backward as appropriate to swing the back rise/fall decorative body unit 3450, the back left decorative body unit 3520, and the back right decorative body unit 3620, respectively. This causes the back top rear rotating decorative body 3440, the back left rotating decorative body 3510, and the back right rotating decorative body 3610 to rotate while swinging unsteadily, which strongly attracts the player's attention and entertains the player.

At this time, the rotating decoration 3310 on the bottom of the back may also be rotated. This causes the seven decorations to rotate around and around, making the player feel strongly that a favorable game state (e.g., a "jackpot" game) that gives the player an advantage may occur, heightening anticipation for the game.

As an example of the performance using the back left performance unit 3500 and the back right performance unit 3600 in the back unit 3000, as shown in FIG. 481, in the back left performance unit 3500, the back left up and down drive motor 3554 moves the back left decorative body unit 3520 from the retreat position to the second appearance position at the upper right, and the back left rotation drive motor 3525 rotates the back left rotating decorative body 3510. In addition, in the back right performance unit 3600, the back right up and down drive motor 3654 moves the back right decorative body unit 3620 from the retreat position to the second appearance position at the upper left, and the back right rotation drive motor 3625 rotates the back right rotating decorative body 3610. As a result, the two decorative bodies rotate around at a position approximately at the height of the eyes of the player seated in front of the pachinko machine 1, which surprises the player and makes him think that something good is going to happen, thereby increasing his expectations for the game.

At this time, the performance display device 1600 may display a performance image in which the positions of the rear left rotating decoration 3510 and rear right rotating decoration 3610 at the second appearance position correspond to the position of the eyes on the face of a specified character in accordance with the concept of the pachinko machine 1. This allows the player to see a performance in which the character's eyes appear to be spinning around, entertaining the player.

As an example of a performance using the back front left performance unit 3700 and the back front right performance unit 3800 in the back unit 3000, as shown in FIG. 482, the back front left drive solenoid 3717 in the back front left performance unit 3700 changes the shutter unit 3730 from a closed state to an open state, and the back front right drive solenoid 3817 in the back front right performance unit 3800 changes the shutter unit 3830 from a closed state to an open state. As a result, the back front left decorative body 3713 behind the shutter unit 3730 and the back front right decorative body 3813 behind the shutter unit 3830 are visible from the player's side, so the decorations of the back front left decorative body 3713 and the back front right decorative body 3813 can be seen by the player, allowing the player to enjoy the changes in decoration.

In addition, for the performances using the back front left performance unit 3700 and the back front right performance unit 3800, since each has three back front left decorative body units 3710 and three back front right decorative body units 3810, the shutter unit 3730 of the back front left decorative body unit 3710 and the shutter unit 3830 of the back front right decorative body unit 3810 can be opened and closed individually, and by combining the shutter units 3730 and shutter units 3830 that are opened and closed, a variety of performances can be shown to the player, making it less likely that the player will become bored.

As an example of a performance using the back unit 3000, the back left performance unit 3200, the back right performance unit 3250, the back middle performance unit 3300, the back top performance unit 3400, the back left performance unit 3500, the back right performance unit 3600, the back left performance unit 3700, and the back right performance unit 3800, all the decorations may be made movable, as shown in FIG. 483. By making all the decorations movable, the player can be convinced that a favorable game state (for example, a "jackpot" game state) will occur, and the player's expectations for the favorable game state can be increased. In this case, in the back left performance unit 3500 and the back right performance unit 3600, the back left decoration unit 3520 and the back right decoration unit 3620 are moved from the retracted position to the first appearance position, thereby avoiding contact with the back movable decoration 3110.

The above explains the movement of each decorative object, but when each decorative object is moved, the LEDs on the decorative board at the rear can be appropriately illuminated to show the player the lighting effects of the decorative object, further catching the player's attention.

In addition, in the game board 5 of this embodiment, the moving effects and light-emitting effects described above can be appropriately combined, and can also be combined with the effect images (display effects) displayed on the display screen of the effect display device 1600. As a result, by appropriately combining light-emitting effects, moving effects, display effects, etc., a variety of patterns of effects can be presented to the player, making it difficult for the player to become bored, and the player can be entertained by various effects, preventing a decline in the player's interest in the game.

[5-11. Main effects of the game board]
Next, the main effects of the game board 5 of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. The game board 5 of this embodiment has a through opening 1112 in the game panel 1100 with the game area 5a on the front side, and the game area 5a is divided into a circulation area where the game ball B can circulate and a non-circulation area where the game ball B cannot circulate, and the frame-shaped peripheral wall part 2501 of the center role 2500 formed in a shape along the inner circumference of the opening 1112 is inserted into the opening 1112 with the front end protruding forward from the front surface of the game panel 1100, so that the outside of the peripheral wall part 2501 is probably the circulation area and the inside is the non-circulation area. Furthermore, a flat support portion 2503 thinner than the thickness of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100 extends from the peripheral wall portion 2501 at a position in the front-to-back direction that is the same as the front surface of the game panel 1100 toward the non-circulation area (inside), and a flange portion 2502 that abuts against the front surface of the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100 is provided from a portion of the peripheral wall portion 2501 where the support portion 2503 is not provided toward the circulation area (outside). As a result, nothing extends toward the circulation area side of the portion of the peripheral wall portion 2501 where the support portion 2503 is provided, so that it is possible to plant the obstacle nail N at a position as close as possible to the peripheral wall portion 2501, and the actual circulation area can be extended to a position that contacts the peripheral wall portion 2501, making the actual circulation area larger than that of conventional pachinko machines. In other words, even if the non-circulating area (within the frame of the center role 2500) partitioned by the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center role 2500 is enlarged, the actual circulating area does not become smaller as in conventional pachinko machines. Therefore, by enlarging the non-circulating area partitioned by the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center role 2500 while suppressing the actual reduction in the circulating area in which the game balls B circulate within the game area 5a, it is possible to make the performance image of the performance display device 1600 as a performance device provided behind the non-circulating area, the movable body and decoration of the performance unit, etc., more visible, and it is possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 that allows the player to enjoy both the game in the circulating area with the game balls B and the performance in the non-circulating area.

In addition, in the center role 2500, the peripheral wall portion 2501 can be reinforced from the non-circulation area side (inside) by the support portion 2503, and the peripheral wall portion 2501 can be reinforced from the circulation area side (outside) by the flange portion 2502 provided in the part where the support portion 2503 is not provided. In addition, by attaching the center role 2500 to the panel plate 1110 of the game panel 1100 via the flange portion 2502, the strength of the peripheral wall portion 2501 is improved, so that even if the game ball B in the game area 5a comes into contact (butts) with the part of the peripheral wall portion 2501 where the support portion 2503 is provided, the strength of the peripheral wall portion 2501 can be maintained by the support portion 2503, etc., and deformation or damage of the peripheral wall portion 2501 (center role 2500) can be prevented.

In addition, the strength and rigidity of the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center device 2500 can be increased by the support portion 2503, the flange portion 2502, and attachment to the game panel 1100, etc., so that when the game ball B comes into contact with it, the peripheral wall portion 2501 can be prevented from elastically deforming and bouncing the game ball B like an elastic body (rubber or spring). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the game ball B circulating within the game area 5a from making strange movements that are different from conventional ones when it comes into contact with the peripheral wall portion 2501, preventing discomfort to the player and suppressing a decrease in interest.

Furthermore, since the center gadget 2500 including the support part 2503 is made transparent, the support part 2503 extending from the peripheral wall part 2501 toward the non-circulating area can be made difficult to see, and the performance image of the performance display device 1600 as a performance device provided at the rear and the movable body and decoration of the performance unit provided in the back unit 3000 can be seen through the support part 2503 (center gadget 2500). This makes it possible to increase the range in which the performance image, movable body, decoration, etc. provided behind the non-circulating area can be seen, making it easier to demonstrate the performance effect of the performance device. In addition, the large range in which the performance image, movable body, decoration, etc. of the performance display device 1600 provided behind the non-circulating area can be seen makes the pachinko machine 1 stand out, making it a pachinko machine 1 that has a high appeal to players.

In addition, because the center gadget 2500 including the support portion 2503 is made transparent, the transparent portion can reflect, refract, diffuse, or transmit the light from the lighting in the game hall in which the pachinko machine 1 is installed, or the light from the light-emitting means (LEDs, performance display device 1600, etc.) provided in the pachinko machine 1, making the transparent portions such as the support portion 2503 and the surrounding wall portion 2501 appear brilliant, improving the appearance and increasing the appeal to players. In this case, steps or notches may be provided in the transparent support portion 2503 to further enhance the diffusion effect.

Furthermore, because the center gadget 2500 including the support section 2503 is made transparent, the above-mentioned effects can be obtained by the light emitted by the light-emitting means (LED) provided on the movable body (e.g., the rear front left performance unit 3700 and the rear left performance unit 3500) located behind the support section 2503, and the transparent support section 2503 allows the player to recognize the presence of the movable body.

In addition, the transparent support portion 2503 is extended in a flat shape thinner than the thickness of the game panel 1100 at the same position in the front-to-back direction as the front of the game panel 1100 on the peripheral wall portion 2501. This reduces the lens effect of the support portion 2503 compared to when the support portion 2503 is extended to the same thickness as the game panel 1100. In addition, since the support portion 2503 is close to the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the performance device (performance display device 1600, etc.) at the rear, the lens effect of the transparent support portion 2503 is further reduced, and the visibility of the rear front left decorative body 3030, the performance image of the performance device, and the parts (designs) behind the support portion 2503 on the movable body, decorative body, etc. can be improved, making the rear front left decorative body 3030, performance images, etc. easier to see.

Furthermore, at least a portion of the tip edge of the support part 2503 is formed into a shape different from that of the peripheral wall part 2501. Therefore, in the portion of the tip edge of the support part 2503 that has a different shape from that of the peripheral wall part 2501, the tip edge of the support part 2503 can show a line different from that of the peripheral wall part 2501. This makes it less likely to look like a uniform design compared to a case in which the shape follows the peripheral wall part 2501, and makes it possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 with a design that has depth and attention to detail.

In addition, at least a portion of the tip edge of the support portion 2503 has a different shape from the peripheral wall portion 2501, so that the amount of extension from the peripheral wall portion 2501 at that portion of the support portion 2503 is not constant but varies. Therefore, by making the amount of extension according to the shape of the peripheral wall portion 2501, the reinforcing effect of the support portion 2503 on the peripheral wall portion 2501 can be improved.

Furthermore, because the support portion 2503 extends from the same position on the peripheral wall portion 2501 as the front surface of the gaming panel 1100 in the front-to-rear direction, the player is given the illusion that the support portion 2503 is part of the panel board 1110 of the gaming panel 1100, making it difficult for the player to notice the presence of the support portion 2503.

In addition, the support portion 2503 is provided at the same position in the front-to-back direction as the front surface of the panel plate 1110 of the gaming panel 1100, and extends from the middle (midway) of the peripheral wall portion 2501 in the front-to-back direction. This reduces the reduction in the reinforcing effect of the support portion 2503 on the tip side of the peripheral wall portion 2501 compared to when the support portion 2503 extends from the rear end side of the peripheral wall portion 2501. This allows the strength of the peripheral wall portion 2501 to be sufficiently maintained, and prevents the peripheral wall portion 2501 (center role 2500) from being deformed or damaged even if the gaming medium comes into contact with it.

Furthermore, the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center device 2500 is shaped to fit the inner circumference of the opening 1112 of the game panel 1100, and the rear side is inserted into the opening 1112, so that the inner surface of the opening 1112 of the game panel 1100 can be hidden, decorated, or made difficult to see by the peripheral wall portion 2501.

In addition, since the outer shape of the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center role 2500 is shaped to follow the inner circumference of the opening 1112 of the game panel 1100, when the center role 2500 is attached to the game panel 1100, the peripheral wall portion 2501 appears to protrude forward from the periphery of the opening 1112, giving a sense of unity between the peripheral wall portion 2501 (center role 2500) and the game panel 1100, and providing a pachinko machine 1 that looks good within the game area 5a.

In addition, since the center device 2500 is attached to the opening 1112 of the game panel 1100, the performance image of the performance display device 1600, which is located behind the non-circulating area partitioned by the peripheral wall portion 2501 within the opening 1112 of the game panel 1100, as well as the movable body and decorative body of the performance unit, can be clearly seen from the front (player side) regardless of whether the game panel 1100 is transparent or opaque, and a pachinko machine 1 can be provided that can fully utilize the performance effects of the performance display device 1600, etc.

Furthermore, since the front end of the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center device 2500 protrudes forward from the front surface of the gaming panel 1100, when the gaming area 5a is viewed diagonally, the peripheral wall portion 2501 appears to protrude forward from the front surface of the gaming panel 1100, making it easier for the player to notice the presence of the peripheral wall portion 2501 and to recognize the circulation area and non-circulation area partitioned by the peripheral wall portion 2501.

In addition, a flange portion 2502 extending toward the circulation area (outside) is provided in the area where the support portion 2503 does not extend from the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center gadget 2500, and a support portion 2503 extending toward the non-circulation area (inside) is not provided in the area where the flange portion 2502 is provided. Therefore, the support portion 2503 does not interfere with the visibility of the performance device (the performance display device 1600 and the performance unit of the back unit 3000), and the area in which the performance image of the performance display device 1600 and the movable body of the performance unit are visible can be enlarged, making it easier to exert the performance effect of the performance device and allowing the player to enjoy the performance of the performance device, preventing a decline in interest.

Furthermore, in the center part 2500, the strength of the peripheral wall portion 2501 can be maintained at the same level as that of conventional products due to the support portion 2503 and the flange portion 2502, so that deformation of the molded product can be prevented when the peripheral wall portion 2501 and the support portion 2503 are molded integrally from resin and removed from the mold.

In addition, because the support portion 2503 extends out in a flat plate shape thinner than the thickness of the game panel 1100, when the center gadget 2500 is integrally molded from synthetic resin, it is possible to prevent the support portion 2503 from shrinking significantly differently from other portions, and to prevent deformation of the center gadget 2500 during molding.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the frame-shaped front component 1000 that defines the outer periphery of the play area 5a and the flat play panel 1100 that closes the frame of the front component 1000 from the rear side are each made transparent, and the rear left rear lift drive motor 3554 and the rear right rear lift drive motor 3654 of the rear right play unit 3600, which are functional parts of the rear left rear performance unit 3500 in the rear unit 3000 on the rear side of the play panel 1100, are arranged so that at least a portion of them is outside the play area 5a when viewed from the front, and a rear left front decorative body extending from within the play area 5a to outside the play area 5a is provided between the play panel 1100 and the rear left rear lift drive motor 3554 and the rear right lift drive motor 3654 so as to cover at least the portions of the rear left rear lift drive motor 3554 and the rear right lift drive motor 3654 within the play area 5a. 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040, it is possible to cover and hide at least a part of the rear rear left lift drive motor 3554 and the rear rear right lift drive motor 3654 with the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040, making it possible to make the rear rear left lift drive motor 3554 and the rear rear right lift drive motor 3654 less visible to the player through the transparent front component 1000, the game panel 1100, and the game area 5a, preventing the overall appearance of the pachinko machine 1 from becoming poor, and by showing the front rear left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 instead of the rear rear left lift drive motor 3554 and the rear rear right lift drive motor 3654, it is possible to improve the overall appearance of the pachinko machine 1, resulting in a pachinko machine 1 that is more appealing to players.

In addition, because the components 1000 and the game panel 1100 are transparent, the boundaries of the play area 5a defined by the components 1000 and the game panel 1100 are difficult to see, and the outer periphery of the play area 5a appears undefined, creating a sense of openness. Even if the play area 5a is the same size as a conventional pachinko machine, the play area 5a can appear larger. Therefore, the play area 5a appears larger than a conventional pachinko machine, making a strong impact on the player and increasing the expectation for playing with this pachinko machine 1, as well as making it easier for the player to select this pachinko machine 1 as the pachinko machine to play on, resulting in a pachinko machine 1 that is more appealing to players.

In addition, since the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 are designed to cover at least the area within the play area 5a in front of the functional parts such as the rear rear left lift drive motor 3554 and the rear rear right lift drive motor 3654, the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 can prevent the functional parts from being seen within the play area 5a, thereby improving the appearance within the play area 5a and achieving the same effect as described above, and also making it difficult to see the functional parts even when viewed diagonally from the center of the play area 5a.

Furthermore, the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 have continuous decoration over their entire surface, and when viewed from the front, the decoration of the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040, which extend from inside the play area 5a to outside the play area 5a, is continuous over the entire surface. This continuous decoration makes it difficult to distinguish the boundary around the outer periphery of the play area 5a, giving a sense of openness and making the size of the play area 5a appear larger than it actually is. At the same time, the decoration of the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 improves the appearance of the pachinko machine 1, making the pachinko machine 1 stand out and further increasing its appeal to players.

In addition, because the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 are opaque, it is possible to prevent the rear back left performance unit 3500 and the rear back right performance unit 3600, etc., which are provided on the rear side, from being seen through the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040. This prevents the rear back left performance unit 3500 and the rear right performance unit 3600, etc. from being seen by the player through the front component 1000 and the game panel 1100, which would result in a poor appearance, and improves the appearance of the pachinko machine 1.

In addition, at least a portion of the rear left lift drive motor 3554 and the rear right lift drive motor 3654, which are functional components, are positioned outside the play area 5a when viewed from the front (the rear left lift drive motor 3554 is positioned completely (in its entirety) outside the play area 5a), so that the rear left lift drive motor 3554 and the rear right lift drive motor 3654 can be positioned without increasing the space between the front component 1000 and the outer periphery of the play area 5a in order to position the rear left lift drive motor 3554 and the rear right lift drive motor 3654, and by balancing the positioning of the rear left lift drive motor 3554 and the rear right lift drive motor 3654, it is possible to prevent the space of the play area 5a from becoming smaller. In other words, since a part of the rear right lifting drive motor 3654 is arranged inside the play area 5a when viewed from the front, it is possible to reduce the space between the front component 1000 and the outer periphery of the play area 5a, and the space of the play area 5a can be relatively increased, resulting in a pachinko machine 1 that can further exert the above-mentioned effects. In addition, by providing a part of the drive source (motor, solenoid, etc.) of the role that moves within the play area 5a outside the play area 5a, the space within the play area 5a can be increased, and in that case, the range of performances performed within the play area 5a can be expanded. All drive sources (motors, solenoids, etc.) of the role that moves within the play area 5a may be arranged outside the play area 5a.

Furthermore, because the components 1000 and the game panel 1100 are transparent, it is possible to transmit, reflect, refract, and diffuse the light from the lighting in the game hall in which the pachinko machine 1 is installed, and the light from the various LEDs and performance display devices 1600 installed in the pachinko machine 1, making it appear as if the components 1000 and the game panel 1100 are emitting light, improving the overall appearance of the pachinko machine 1. In addition, although the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 are provided with opaque decorative stickers 3032 and 3042, the bases 3031 and 3041 (which may include decorative stickers 3032 and 3042) of the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 are formed from transparent materials, so that the light from the various LEDs provided in the pachinko machine 1 reaches the back front left decorative body 3030 or the back front right decorative body 3040, giving the impression that the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 are emitting light. It can also be said that the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 are arranged in positions where the light from the various LEDs provided in the pachinko machine 1 reaches.

In addition, since the back front left decorative body 3030 covers at least a part of the back rear left lifting drive motor 3554 as a functional part, by covering it to a certain extent, it becomes difficult to tell that it is a functional part, and it can be made to look like a part of the decoration. Therefore, even if the back front left decorative body 3030 is not made large enough to cover the entire back rear left lifting drive motor 3554, it is possible to achieve the same effect as described above, so the cost of the back front left decorative body 3030 can be reduced while making the game area 5a look larger. Note that, although the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 cover and hide at least a part of the back rear left lifting drive motor 3554 and the back rear right lifting drive motor 3654, it is preferable that the part is closer to the center of the pachinko machine 1 (closer to the boundary line dividing the inside of the game area 5a and the outside of the game area 5a). In addition, even in certain locations outside the play area 5a where there is no driving source (such as the lower left location in FIG. 409, i.e., the lower left corner of the play board 5), the play area 5a can be made to look larger by providing decorative elements that extend from inside the play area 5a to outside the play area 5a.

In addition, the inside of the frame of the front component 1000 that defines the outer periphery of the play area 5a is closed from the rear by the transparent play panel 1100, and since the play area 5a is located in front of the play panel 1100, the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 are provided behind the play area 5a. Therefore, when viewed from the front, the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 that extend from inside the play area 5a to outside the play area 5a can decorate the inside and outside of the play area 5a from the rear, and the same effect as described above can be achieved, and the back front left decorative body 3030 and the back front right decorative body 3040 do not get in the way of the play ball B in the play area 5a, allowing players to enjoy playing smoothly in the play area 5a and suppressing a decline in interest.

In addition, the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 are extended outward from the door window 101a of the door frame 3 when viewed from the front, so that the rear left performance unit 3500 and the rear right performance unit 3600 behind the rear front left decorative body 3030 and the rear front right decorative body 3040 can be hidden within the door window 101a, improving the appearance of the pachinko machine 1. In addition, since the rear front left decorative body 3030 is extended to the extent that the inside part of the door window 101a of the rear rear left lifting drive motor 3554 as a functional part is hidden, the uncovered part can be covered by the frame-shaped door frame 3 even if the rear front left decorative body 3030 does not cover the entire rear rear left lifting drive motor 3554, so that it is possible to avoid the rear front left decorative body 3030 becoming longer than necessary, and the cost of the rear front left decorative body 3030 (pachinko machine 1) can be reduced.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first front wall portion 2203 forming the front surface of the two general winning openings 2001 from the right of the side unit 2200 in the front unit 2000 of the game board 5 is inclined toward the game panel 1100, whereas the front wall portion 2101 forming the front surface of the first starting opening 2002 in the starting opening unit 2100 is parallel to the game panel 1100 and is decorated with a translucent material (a sticker is attached) on the front surface, so that the front surface of the first starting opening 2002 faces forward (towards the player), making the first starting opening 2002 more noticeable than the general winning opening 2001. Therefore, it is easier to direct the player's attention to the first starting port 2002 rather than the general winning port 2001, which makes it possible to avoid a decrease in the number of game balls B accepted by the first starting port 2002 (or the player's attention being focused on the general winning port 2001 rather than the first starting port 2002), and it is possible to increase the anticipation for the lottery of the first special lottery result, which is performed by accepting the game ball B into the first starting port 2002, and to prevent a decline in interest. It is also possible to reliably allow the player to recognize the position of the first starting port 2002 that he or she should aim for, allowing the player to enjoy playing by aiming for the first starting port 2002.

The player can be made to feel anxious depending on whether the game ball B in the game area 5a is accepted by the first starting opening 2002, and when the game ball B is accepted by the first starting opening 2002, the player can be made to feel excited depending on whether a winning (e.g., a "jackpot") that generates a favorable game state is drawn by the drawing of the first special lottery result, thereby increasing the player's expectations for the game and preventing a decline in interest. After that, when a winning is drawn by the drawing of the first special lottery result, a favorable game state occurs in which the first large winning opening 2005 and the second large winning opening 2006 open and close in a predetermined pattern, which can greatly entertain the player and prevent a decline in interest in the game. At this time, if game ball B aimed at first starting hole 2002 is accepted by general winning hole 2001, the first special lottery result is not drawn, but game ball B is paid out as a bonus, so the player is not disappointed and can continue to enjoy the game, preventing a decline in interest.

In addition, the first front wall 2203 of the general winning opening 2001 is inclined relative to the surface of the game panel 1100, and the front wall 2101 of the first starting opening 2002 is parallel to the surface of the game panel 1100. This results in a significant difference in shape (appearance) between the general winning opening 2001 and the first starting opening 2002. Even if a sticker is affixed to the front of the first starting opening 2002 but not to the front of the general winning opening 2001, the player will not feel uncomfortable and the appearance of the pachinko machine 1 will not be impaired. This allows the player to enjoy playing with this pachinko machine 1 and suppresses a decline in interest.

In addition, since the general winning opening 2001 and the first starting opening 2002 are formed from a transparent material, the game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001 or the first starting opening 2002 can be seen through the transparent material, so the player can be sure that the game ball B has been received in the general winning opening 2001 or the first starting opening 2002, and the player can fully enjoy the joy of being received, thereby suppressing a decline in interest. In addition, since the general winning opening 2001 and the first starting opening 2002 are formed from a transparent material, it is possible to reflect, refract, and diffuse the light from the lighting in the game hall where the pachinko machine 1 is installed and the light from the light-emitting means (LEDs of the decorative board) provided in the pachinko machine 1, so that the general winning opening 2001 and the first starting opening 2002 can be made to look brilliant, improving their appearance and increasing their appeal to players.

Furthermore, in the general winning opening 2001, the first front wall portion 2203 forming the front surface is inclined toward the game panel 1100, and in the first starting opening 2002, the accepted game ball B is guided rearward slower than the game ball B accepted by the general winning opening 2001. Therefore, the game ball B accepted by the first starting opening 2002, where the drawing of the first special lottery result is performed, can be guided rearward at a slower timing than the game ball B accepted by the general winning opening 2001, and therefore the game ball B accepted by the first starting opening 2002 can be seen by the player for a relatively long period of time. Therefore, when game ball B is received in first starting opening 2002 where the first special lottery result is drawn, the player can feel the joy (sense of superiority) of having game ball B received in first starting opening 2002 for a longer period of time than when game ball B is received in general winning opening 2001, which allows the player to enjoy the game and prevents a decline in interest.

In addition, because the first front wall portion 2203 forming the front surface of the general winning opening 2001 is inclined toward the gaming panel 1100, the game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001 can be immediately guided backward (towards the gaming panel 1100) and discharged faster than the game ball B received in the first starting opening 2002. This makes it possible to prevent the player from feeling unnecessarily long that the game ball B has been received in the general winning opening 2001, and allows the player's attention to be directed to the next game ball B, allowing the game to proceed smoothly and preventing a decline in interest.

Furthermore, in the general winning opening 2001, the first front wall portion 2203 forming the front surface is inclined relative to the game panel 1100, and a part of the game ball B can pass in front of the first front wall portion 2203. Therefore, when the game ball B passes in front of the first front wall portion 2203 of the general winning opening 2001, if most of the game ball B overlaps with the general winning opening 2001 when viewed from the front, some players may be given the illusion that the game ball B has been accepted by the general winning opening 2001, which can be entertaining for the player. At this time, because a portion of game ball B does not overlap with general winning opening 2001, the player does not strongly recognize that game ball B has been accepted into general winning opening 2001, and may be led to believe that it was an illusion. Therefore, even if no special benefit (drawing of the first special lottery result) is subsequently awarded, the player is prevented from feeling distrustful of pachinko machine 1 or the gaming hall, and the player can continue to enjoy the game, preventing a decline in interest.

In addition, because the first front wall portion 2203 of the general winning opening 2001 is inclined toward the gaming panel 1100, the amount of material required for the general winning opening 2001 (side unit 2200) can be reduced, and decorations such as stickers can be omitted on the front side of the general winning opening 2001. Therefore, the cost of the general winning opening 2001 can be reduced, and this can be used for presentation devices, etc., resulting in a pachinko machine 1 that is more entertaining to players.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in the back lower middle decorative body unit 3320 of the back lower middle performance unit 3300 in the back unit 3000, the rotating back lower middle rotating decorative body 3310 having an even number of stopping positions (six in this case) is provided with an area detection piece 3325 having a length spanning half of the stopping positions and a plurality of (six in this case) position detection pieces 3326 corresponding to each stopping position, and a plurality of (three in this case) area identification sensors 3330 consisting of half of the stopping positions that detect the area detection piece 3325, and a position Since there are multiple sensors (four in this case) consisting of one position specific sensor 3331 that detects the position detection piece 3326, when the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates, the multiple area specific sensors 3330 that detect the area detection piece 3325 will increase and then decrease in sequence from one side of the rotation direction, and the current rotational position of the rotating decorative body 3310 can be roughly grasped by the combination of area specific sensors 3330 that detect the area detection piece 3325.

In more detail, in the case of a rotating decorative body 3310 having six stop positions from the first stop position to the sixth stop position in the rotation direction, the length of the area detection pieces 3325 is the length of three lined up stop positions, which is half the number of stop positions, and the minimum number of area specific sensors 3330 required to detect movement to any stop position is three, which is half the number of stop positions. The three area specific sensors 3330 are the first area specific sensor 3330a, the second area specific sensor 3330b, and the third area specific sensor 3330c in the rotation direction, and when the rotating decorative body 3310 is at the first stop position (the position of the decorative numeral "3"), only the first area specific sensor 3330a detects the area detection piece 3325. When the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates from this state to the second stop position (the position of the decorative numeral "2"), the first area specific sensor 3330a and the second area specific sensor 3330b detect the area detection piece 3325. Furthermore, when the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates to the third stop position (the position of the decorative number "1"), the first area identification sensor 3330a, the second area identification sensor 3330b, and the third area identification sensor 3330c detect the area detection piece 3325.

Furthermore, when the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates to the fourth stop position (the position of the decorative numeral "6"), the first area identification sensor 3330a becomes non-detecting, and the second area identification sensor 3330b and the third area identification sensor 3330c detect the area detection piece 3325. Furthermore, when the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates to the fifth stop position (the position of the decorative numeral "5"), the second area identification sensor 3330b becomes non-detecting, and only the third area identification sensor 3330c detects the area detection piece 3325. Then, when the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates to the sixth stop position (the position of the decorative numeral "4"), the third area identification sensor 3330c also becomes non-detecting, and all the area identification sensors 3330 do not detect the area detection piece 3325. After that, as the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates further, it will rotate to the first stop position (the position of the decorative number "3"), and the first state will be reached where only the first area identification sensor 3330a is detecting the area detection piece 3325, and as the rotating decorative body 3310 rotates, the detection and non-detection of the area identification sensor 3330 as described above will be repeated.

In this way, since the area detection piece 3325 has a length that spans half the number of stopping positions, the rotation of the bottom-middle rotating decorative body 3310 can be detected by combining the detection of the area detection pieces 3325 by multiple area identification sensors 3330, and since all area identification sensors 3330 will not be inactive even until the bottom-middle rotating decorative body 3310 rotates to the next stopping position, the current position of the bottom-middle rotating decorative body 3310 can be roughly grasped.

The rotating decorative body 3310 is equipped with multiple (six in this case) position detection pieces 3326 that correspond to the respective stopping positions, so that the rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310 to any stopping position can be roughly detected by the detection of the area detection pieces 3325 by the multiple area identification sensors 3330, and then the stopping position can be accurately detected by the detection of the position detection piece 3326 by one position identification sensor 3331. This makes it possible to accurately grasp the stopping position of the rotating decorative body 3310, which has multiple stopping positions, by minimizing the deviation of the stopping position as much as possible.

In addition, since the stopping position of the rotating decoration 3310 can be accurately grasped, the rotating decoration 3310 can be accurately stopped at any stopping position, and it is possible to prevent the stopping position from shifting, which causes a sense of discomfort (discomfort) to the player. This allows the player to enjoy the performance (moving performance) of the rotating decoration 3310, preventing a decline in interest, and allows the pachinko machine 1 to realize the operation of the moving body (rotating decoration 3310) in a way that does not cause discomfort to the player.

Furthermore, since the stopping position of the rotating decorative body 3310 can be accurately grasped, the deviation of the stopping position can be suppressed even if the rotation speed of the rotating decorative body 3310 is increased, and by making the rotating decorative body 3310 rotate, the moving speed (rotation speed) of the rotating decorative body 3310 can be made faster compared to when the rotating decorative body 3310 moves back and forth. Therefore, the fast rotating rotating decorative body 3310 can make a strong impact on the player, strongly attracting the player's attention and allowing the player to enjoy the rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310, thereby suppressing a decrease in the player's interest in the game.

In addition, by making the rotating decorative body 3310 rotate around a front-to-rear axis, the rotating surface of the rotating decorative body 3310 faces the player in front, and the player can see a roulette-like effect where the decorative body 3310 spins around and then stops at an arbitrary stopping position. This makes the player excited and thrilled depending on whether the rotating decorative body 3310 stops spinning at the desired stopping position, and allows the player to enjoy the moving effect of the rotating decorative body 3310, preventing a decline in interest.

In addition, since the number of stopping positions of the rotating decoration 3310 on the bottom inside of the back is an even number, the number of stopping positions that can be accommodated by the minimum number of sensors (area specific sensors 3330) required to detect movement to any stopping position is the same as the number of stopping positions of the rotating decoration 3310 on the bottom inside of the back, making it possible to maximize the capabilities (detection of stopping positions) of the multiple sensors (area specific sensors 3330 and position specific sensors 3331), and the rotating decoration 3310 on the bottom inside of the back with more stopping positions can entertain players and prevent a decline in interest.

In the above embodiment, the back lower middle rotating decoration 3310 in the back lower middle performance unit 3300 of the back unit 3000 is shown to have six stopping positions, but this is not limited to this and it may have four to ten stopping positions.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a rotating movable body (rotating decorative body 3310 at the bottom of the back) having multiple stop positions is shown, but this is not limited to this, and the movable body having multiple stop positions may also be "something that rotates," "something that moves in a straight line," "something that moves in an arc," "something that moves in a curved line," etc.

6. Control Configuration
Next, the control configuration for performing various controls of the pachinko machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 484. FIG. 484 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the pachinko machine in outline. The main control configuration of the pachinko machine 1 is composed of a main control board 1310 and a peripheral control board 1510 attached to the game board 5, and a payout control board 633 attached to the main body frame 4, as shown in the figure, and each control is shared. The main control board 1310 controls the game operation (progress of the game). The peripheral control board 1510 is equipped with a peripheral control unit 1511 that controls various effects during the game based on commands from the main control board 1310, and a performance display control unit 1512 that controls the display of performance images on the performance display device 1600 based on commands from the peripheral control unit 1511. The payout control board 633 is equipped with a payout control unit 633a that controls the payout of the game ball B, and a launch control unit 633b that controls the launch of the game ball B by rotating the handle 182.

[6-1. Main control board]
The main control board 1310 that controls the progress of the game is not shown in detail, but is equipped with a main control MPU, which is a microprocessor with built-in ROM for storing various processing programs and various commands and RAM for temporarily storing data, a main control I/O port as an input/output device (I/O device), a main control input circuit to which detection signals from various detection switches are input, a main control solenoid drive circuit for driving various solenoids, and a RAM clear switch for completely erasing information stored in the RAM built into the main control MPU. In addition to the built-in ROM and RAM, the main control MPU also has built-in watchdog timers for monitoring its operation (system) and functions for preventing fraud.

The main control MPU of the main control board 1310 detects the game ball B received in the first start opening 2002, the gate sensor 2801 that detects the game ball B that has passed through the gate section 2003, the second start opening sensor 2401 that detects the game ball B received in the second start opening 2004, the general winning opening sensor 3051 that detects the game ball B received in the general winning opening 2001, the first large winning opening sensor 2402 that detects the game ball B received in the first large winning opening 2005, the second large winning opening sensor 2006 that detects the game ball B received in the first large winning opening 2007, the first large winning opening sensor 2402 that detects the game ball B received in the second large winning opening 2008, the first large winning opening sensor 2402 that detects the game ball B received in the first large winning opening 2009, the second large winning opening sensor 2010 that detects the game ball B received in the first large winning opening 2011, the first large winning opening sensor 2402 that detects the game ball B received in the second large winning opening 2012, the second large winning opening sensor 2013, the first large winning opening sensor 2402 that detects the game ball B received in the first large winning opening 2014, the second large winning opening sensor 2015, the second large winning opening sensor 2016, the first large winning opening sensor 2402 that detects the game ball B received in the first large winning opening 2016, the second large winning opening sensor 2017, the second large winning opening sensor 2018, the second large winning opening sensor 2019, the second large winning opening sensor 2020, the first large winning opening sensor 2021, the second large winning opening sensor 2022, the second large winning opening sensor 2023, the second large winning opening sensor 2024, the second large winning opening sensor 2025, Detection signals from the second large prize entry sensor 2601 that detects the game ball B received at the large prize entry sensor 2601, the outlet sensor 3053 that detects the game ball B received at the outlet 2010, the first sub-outlet sensor 2403 that detects the game ball B received at the first sub-outlet 2011, the second sub-outlet sensor 3054 that detects the game ball B received at the second sub-outlet 2012, and the magnetic sensors 2404, 2602, 3055 that detect unauthorized magnetism within the game area 5a, etc. are each input via the main control I/O port.

Based on these detection signals, the main control MPU outputs a control signal from the main control I/O port to the main control solenoid drive circuit, thereby outputting drive signals to the start port solenoid 2415, the first attacca solenoid 2418, the second attacca solenoid 2612, etc., and outputs drive signals from the main control I/O port to the status indicator, normal pattern indicator, normal hold indicator, first special pattern indicator, first special hold number indicator, second special pattern indicator, second special hold number indicator, round indicator, etc. of the function display unit 1400.

In this embodiment, the first start opening sensor 3052, the second start opening sensor 2401, the gate sensor 2801, the first large winning opening sensor 2402, the second large winning opening sensor 2601, and the out opening sensor 3053 use non-contact type electromagnetic proximity switches, whereas the general winning opening sensor 3051, the first sub-out opening sensor 2403, and the second sub-out opening sensor 3054 use contact type ON/OFF operation mechanical switches. This is because the game ball B frequently enters or passes through the first start opening 2002, the second start opening 2004, and the gate section 2003, so the first start opening sensor 3052, the second start opening sensor 2401, and the gate sensor 2801 also frequently detect the game ball B. For this reason, the first start opening sensor 3052, the second start opening sensor 2401, and the gate sensor 2801 use proximity switches that are highly durable and have a long lifespan.

In addition, when a favorable game state (such as a "jackpot" game) occurs that is advantageous to the player, the first large prize opening 2005 and the second large prize opening 2006 are opened and game ball B frequently enters, so that the first large prize opening sensor 2402 and the second large prize opening sensor 2601 also frequently detect game ball B. For this reason, the first large prize opening sensor 2402 and the second large prize opening sensor 2601 also use proximity switches that are highly durable and have a long lifespan. In contrast, the general prize opening 2001, which does not frequently receive game ball B, is not frequently detected by the general prize opening sensor 3051. For this reason, the general prize opening sensor 3051 uses a mechanical switch that has a shorter lifespan than a proximity switch.

Furthermore, because game ball B frequently enters the outlet 2010, a proximity switch with high durability and a long lifespan is used for the outlet sensor 3053. On the other hand, because game ball B does not frequently enter the first sub-outlet 2011 and the second sub-outlet 2012, a mechanical switch with a shorter lifespan than a proximity switch is used for the first sub-outlet sensor 2403 and the second sub-outlet sensor 3054.

The main control MPU also transmits various information related to the game (game information) and various commands related to payouts to the payout control board 633, and receives various commands related to the state of the pachinko machine 1 from the payout control board 633. Furthermore, the main control MPU transmits various commands related to the control of game presentations and various commands related to the state of the pachinko machine 1 to the peripheral control unit 1511 of the peripheral control board 1510 via the main control I/O port. Note that, when the main control MPU receives various commands related to the state of the pachinko machine 1 from the payout control board 633, which will be described in detail later, it formats these various commands and transmits them to the peripheral control unit 1511.

The main control board 1310 is supplied with various voltages from the power supply board 630 of the board unit 620, which will be described in detail later. The power supply board 630, which supplies various voltages to the main control board 1310, is equipped with an electric double layer capacitor (hereinafter simply referred to as "capacitor") as a backup power source to supply power to the main control board 1310 for a predetermined period of time even when the power is cut off. This capacitor allows the main control MPU to store various information in RAM during power-off processing even when the power is cut off. This stored information is completely erased (cleared) from the RAM when the RAM clear switch of the main control board 1310 is operated when the power is turned on. The operation signal (detection signal) of this RAM clear switch is also output to the dispensing control board 633.

The main control board 1310 is also provided with a power outage monitoring circuit. This power outage monitoring circuit monitors drops in various voltages supplied from the power supply board 630, and when these voltages fall below the power outage warning voltage, it outputs a power outage warning signal as a power outage warning. This power outage warning signal is input to the main control MPU via the main control I/O port, and is also output to the dispensing control board 633, etc.

[6-2. Dispense control board]
The payout control board 633, which controls the payout of game balls B, is equipped with a payout control unit 633a which performs various controls related to payout, a launch control unit 633b which controls launch using the launch solenoid 542 and controls ball supply using the ball supply solenoid 145, an error LED indicator which displays the status of the pachinko machine 1, an error release switch for releasing the error displayed on the error LED indicator, and a ball removal switch for discharging the game balls B in the ball tank 552, tank rail 553, ball guidance unit 570, and payout device 580 to the outside of the pachinko machine 1 (upper tray 201) during maintenance and starting the ball removal operation.

[6-2a. Dispensing control unit]
The dispensing control unit 633a, which performs various controls related to dispensing in the dispensing control board 633, is equipped with a dispensing control MPU, which is a microprocessor with built-in ROM for storing various processing programs and various commands and RAM for temporarily storing data, a dispensing control I/O port as an I/O device, an external WDT (external watchdog timer) for monitoring whether the dispensing control MPU is operating normally, a dispensing motor drive circuit for outputting a drive signal to the dispensing motor 584 of the dispensing device 580, and a dispensing control input circuit to which detection signals from various detection switches related to dispensing are input. In addition to the built-in ROM and RAM, the dispensing control MPU also has built-in functions for preventing fraud.

The payout control MPU of the payout control unit 633a receives various information related to the game (game information) and various commands related to payouts from the main control board 1310 in a serial manner via the payout control I/O port, and receives the operation signal (detection signal) of the RAM clear switch from the main control board 1310 via the payout control I/O port. In addition, it also receives detection signals from the full tank detection sensor 154, the ball out detection sensor 574, the payout detection sensor 591, and the blade rotation detection sensor 590.

The detection signals from the ball out detection sensor 574 of the ball guidance unit 570, the payout detection sensor 591 of the payout device 580, and the blade rotation detection sensor 590 are input to the payout control input circuit and input to the payout control MPU via the payout control I/O port.

In addition, the detection signals from the door frame opening switch, which detects the opening of the door frame 3 relative to the main frame 4, and the main frame opening switch, which detects the opening of the main frame 4 relative to the outer frame 2, are input to the dispensing control input circuit and input to the dispensing control MPU via the dispensing control I/O port.

In addition, the detection signal from the full tank detection sensor 154 of the fall cover unit 150 is input to the dispensing control input circuit and input to the dispensing control MPU via the dispensing control I/O port.

The payout control MPU outputs a drive signal for driving the payout motor 584 to the payout motor 584 via the payout control I/O, outputs a signal for displaying the status of the pachinko machine 1 on the error LED indicator to the error LED indicator via the payout control I/O port, transmits commands for indicating the status of the pachinko machine 1 to the main control board 1310 in a serial manner via the payout control I/O port, and outputs the number of game balls B actually paid out to the external terminal board 558 via the payout control I/O port. This external terminal board 558 is connected to a hall computer installed on the gaming hall side. This hall computer monitors the player's play by grasping the number of game balls B paid out by the pachinko machine 1 and game information of the pachinko machine 1, etc.

The error LED display (not shown) is a segment display that displays alphanumeric characters, figures, etc. to indicate the status of the pachinko machine 1. The error LED display may display and notify the user of the following: For example, when the figure "-" is displayed, it notifies that it is "normal", when the number "0" is displayed, it notifies that it is a "connection abnormality" (specifically, that an abnormality has occurred in the electrical connection between the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 633), when the number "1" is displayed, it notifies that it is a "ball out" (specifically, that there is no game ball B in the payout device 580 based on a detection signal from the ball out detection sensor 574), when the number "2" is displayed, it notifies that it is a "ball stuck" (specifically, that a game ball B is stuck between the payout passage 580a of the payout device 580 and the payout blade 589 based on a detection signal from the blade rotation detection sensor 590, making it difficult for the payout blade 589 to rotate), and when the number "3" is displayed, it notifies that it is a "counting switch error" (specifically, that the payout detection sensor 59 When the number "5" is displayed, it indicates a "retry error" (specifically, the number of retries for the payout operation has reached a preset upper limit). When the number "6" is displayed, it indicates a "full" state (specifically, the tank is full with game balls B stored in the fault cover unit 150 based on a detection signal from the full tank detection sensor 154). When the number "7" is displayed, it indicates a "CR not connected" state (the electrical connection has been cut somewhere between the payout control board 633 and the CR unit). When the number "9" is displayed, it indicates a "stocking" state (specifically, the number of game balls B that have not yet been paid out has reached a preset number).

The ball loan request signal for game ball B from the ball loan button 224 and the prepaid card return request signal from the return button 225 are input to the CR unit. The CR unit serially transmits a signal specifying the number of game balls B to be loaned in accordance with the ball loan request signal to the payout control board 633, and this signal is received by the payout control I/O port and input to the payout control MPU. The CR unit also updates the remaining balance of the inserted prepaid card according to the number of game balls B loaned, and outputs a display signal of the remaining balance to the ball loan operation unit 220, and this signal is input to the ball loan display section of the ball loan operation unit 220 and displayed.

[6-2b. Launch control section]
The launch control unit 633b performs launch control by the launch solenoid 542 and ball delivery control by the ball delivery solenoid 145. Although not shown in detail, the launch control unit 633b includes a launch control input circuit to which detection signals from various detection switches related to launch are input, an oscillation circuit that outputs a clock signal at regular intervals, a launch timing control circuit that outputs a launch reference pulse for launching the game ball B toward the game area 5a based on this clock signal, a launch solenoid drive circuit that outputs a drive signal to the launch solenoid 542 based on this launch reference pulse, and a ball delivery solenoid drive circuit that outputs a drive signal to the ball delivery solenoid 145 based on the launch reference pulse. The launch timing control circuit generates a launch reference pulse based on the clock signal from the oscillation circuit so that 100 game balls B are launched per minute toward the game area 5a and outputs it to the launch solenoid drive circuit, and generates a ball delivery reference pulse that is a predetermined number of times the launch reference pulse and outputs it to the ball delivery solenoid drive circuit.

In relation to the handle unit 180, the detection signals from the handle touch sensor 192, which detects whether the palm or fingers are touching the handle 182, and the single button operation sensor 194, which detects whether the player wishes to forcibly stop shooting the game ball B, are input to the launch control input circuit and then to the launch timing control circuit. When the CR unit and the CR unit connection terminal board are electrically connected, the signal is input to the launch control input circuit as a CR connection signal and then to the launch timing control circuit. A signal from the handle rotation detection sensor 189, which electrically adjusts the strength with which the game ball B is shot towards the play area 5a depending on the rotation position of the handle 182, is input to the launch solenoid drive circuit.

Based on the signal from the handle rotation detection sensor 189, this launch solenoid drive circuit outputs a drive current to the launch solenoid 542 to launch the game ball B toward the game area 5a with a launch strength corresponding to the rotation position of the handle 182, triggered by the input of a launch reference pulse. On the other hand, the ball delivery solenoid drive circuit outputs a constant current to the ball delivery solenoid 145, triggered by the input of a ball delivery reference pulse, to receive one game ball B stored in the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 into the ball delivery unit 140, and sends the received game ball B to the ball launch device 540 by stopping the output of the constant current, triggered by the end of the input of the ball delivery reference pulse. In this way, the drive current output from the launch solenoid drive circuit to the launch solenoid 542 is variably controlled, while the drive current output from the ball delivery solenoid drive circuit to the ball delivery solenoid 145 is controlled to be constant.

The power supply board 630, which supplies various voltages to the dispensing control board 633, is equipped with a capacitor as a backup power supply to supply power to the main control board 1310 for a predetermined period of time even when the power is cut off. This capacitor allows the dispensing control MPU to store various information in the RAM of the dispensing control board 633 during power-off processing even when the power is cut off. This stored information is completely erased (cleared) from the RAM of the dispensing control board 633 when the RAM clear switch of the main control board 1310 is operated when the power is turned on.

[6-3. Peripheral control board]
As shown in FIG. 484, the peripheral control board 1510 is equipped with a peripheral control unit 1511 that controls the performance based on commands from the main control board 1310, and a performance display control unit 1512 that controls the drawing of the performance display device 1600 based on control data from this peripheral control unit 1511.

[6-3a. Peripheral control unit]
The peripheral control unit 1511, which controls the performance on the peripheral control board 1510, is equipped with a peripheral control MPU as a microprocessor (not shown in detail), a peripheral control ROM that stores various processing programs and various commands, a sound source IC that produces high-quality sound, and a sound ROM that stores sound information such as music, voice, and sound effects referenced by the sound source IC.

The peripheral control MPU has multiple built-in parallel I/O ports, serial I/O ports, etc., and when it receives various commands from the main control board 1310, it transmits game board side light emission data for outputting lighting signals, flashing signals, or gradation lighting signals to the color LEDs, etc., provided on each decorative board of the game board 5 from the serial I/O port for the lamp drive board to each decorative board of the game board 5 based on these various commands, transmits game board side drive data for outputting drive signals to the drive motors that operate the various presentation units provided on the game board 5 from the serial I/O port for the game board decoration drive board to the drive motors or drive solenoids of the game board 5, and ... door frame 3. The door side drive light emission data, which is composed of door side drive data for outputting drive signals to the operation ring drive motor 342 and operation button lift drive motor 367 etc., and door side light emission data for outputting lighting signals, flashing signals or gradation lighting signals to the color LEDs etc. provided on each decorative board of the door frame 3, is transmitted from the serial I/O port for the frame decoration drive board to the door frame 3 side, control data (display commands) indicating the screen to be displayed on the performance display device 1600 is transmitted from the serial I/O port for the display control unit to the performance display control unit 1512, and a control signal (sound command) for extracting sound information from the sound ROM is output to the sound source IC.

In addition, detection signals from the pressure detection sensor 381, the first rotation detection sensor 347, and the second rotation detection sensor 348 of the performance operation unit 300 provided on the door frame 3 are input to the peripheral control MPU.

In addition, the peripheral control MPU receives a signal (operation signal) from the performance display control unit 1512 indicating that the performance display control unit 1512 is operating normally, and monitors the operation of the performance display control unit 1512 based on this operation signal.

The sound source IC extracts sound information from the sound ROM based on control data (sound commands) from the peripheral control MPU, and controls the sound such as music and sound effects that correspond to various performances to be played from the vibration speaker 354, top center speaker 462, top side speaker 464, and main frame speaker 622 of the main frame 4, which are provided on the door frame 3 and main frame 4. The volume can be adjusted by rotating the volume that protrudes backward from the peripheral control board box in which the peripheral control board 1510 is housed. In this embodiment, by sending an audio signal (e.g., 2ch stereo signal, 4ch stereo signal, 2.1ch surround signal, or 4.1ch surround signal, etc.) as sound information to the top center speaker 462 and top side speaker 464 on the door frame 3 side and the main frame speaker 622 for low tones on the main frame 4, it is possible to present a more realistic sound effect (sound performance) than before.

In addition to the built-in WDT (watchdog timer) built into the peripheral control MPU, the peripheral control unit 1511 also has an external WDT (watchdog timer) (not shown), and the peripheral control MPU uses the built-in WDT and the external WDT together to diagnose whether its own system is out of control.

The display commands output from this peripheral control MPU to the performance display control unit 1512 are sent via a serial input/output port, and in this embodiment, the bit rate (the amount of data that can be sent per unit time) is set to 19.2 kilobits per second (bps). On the other hand, the initial data, door frame side light blinking command, game board side light blinking command, movable body drive command, etc., output from the peripheral control MPU to the game board 5 side are sent via multiple serial input/output ports different from the display commands, and in this embodiment, the bit rate is set to 250 kbps.

[6-3b. Performance display control unit]
The performance display control unit 1512 controls the drawing of the performance display device 1600. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the performance display control unit 1512 includes a display control MPU as a microprocessor, a display control ROM that stores various processing programs, various commands, and various data, a VDP (short for Video Display Processor) that controls the display of the performance display device 1600, an image ROM that stores various data of the screen displayed on the performance display device 1600, and an image RAM to which the various data stored in the image ROM is transferred and copied.

This display control MPU has built-in parallel I/O ports, serial I/O ports, etc., and controls the VDP based on control data (display commands) from the peripheral control unit 1511 to control the drawing of the performance display device 1600. When the display control MPU is operating normally, it outputs an operation signal to the peripheral control unit 1511 to inform the same. The display control MPU also receives an execution signal from the VDP, and performs interrupt processing when the output of this execution signal is stopped every 16 ms.

The display control ROM stores a variety of programs for generating screens to be drawn on the performance display device 1600, as well as schedule data corresponding to control data (display commands) from the peripheral control unit 1511, and non-resident area transfer schedule data corresponding to the control data (display commands). The schedule data is configured by chronologically arranging screen data that specifies the screen configuration, and specifies the order in which the screens are drawn on the performance display device 1600. The non-resident area transfer schedule data is configured by chronologically arranging non-resident area transfer data that specifies the order in which the various data stored in the image ROM is transferred to the non-resident area of the image RAM. This non-resident area transfer data specifies the order in which the various data are transferred from the image ROM to the non-resident area of the image RAM in advance for the screen data to be drawn on the performance display device 1600 according to the progress of the schedule data.

The display control MPU extracts the first screen data of the schedule data corresponding to the control data (display command) from the peripheral control unit 1511 from the display control ROM and outputs it to the VDP, and then extracts the screen data following the first screen data from the display control ROM and outputs it to the VDP. In this way, the display control MPU extracts the screen data arranged in chronological order in the schedule data one by one from the display control ROM, starting from the first screen data, and outputs it to the VDP.

When the VDP receives screen data output from the display control MPU, it extracts sprite data from the image RAM based on the input screen data, generates drawing data to be displayed on the performance display device 1600, and outputs this generated drawing data to the performance display device 1600. When the performance display device 1600 does not accept screen data from the display control MPU, the VDP outputs an execution signal to the display control MPU to inform the display device 1600 of this. The VDP uses a line buffer system. This "line buffer system" is a system in which one line's worth of drawing data that draws the left and right directions of the performance display device 1600 is stored in a line buffer, and the one line's worth of drawing data stored in the line buffer is output to the performance display device 1600.

The image ROM stores a large amount of sprite data, and its capacity is large. When the capacity of the image ROM becomes large, that is, when the number of sprites to be drawn on the performance display device 1600 increases, the access speed of the image ROM cannot be ignored, and this affects the speed at which data is drawn on the performance display device 1600. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sprite data stored in the image ROM is transferred and copied to the image RAM, which has a fast access speed, and the sprite data is extracted from this image RAM. Note that the sprite data is the base data, which is the data before the sprite is expanded into bitmap format, and is stored in the image ROM in a compressed state.

Now, to explain what a "sprite" is, a "sprite" is an image that is displayed as a unit on the performance display device 1600. For example, when displaying various people (characters) on the performance display device 1600, the data for drawing each person is called a "sprite." As a result, when displaying multiple people on the performance display device 1600, multiple sprites are used. In addition to people, the houses, mountains, roads, etc. that make up the background are also sprites, and the entire background can be treated as a single sprite. These sprites are drawn on the performance display device 1600 after their placement on the screen and their hierarchical relationship when sprites overlap (hereinafter referred to as the "sprite overlapping order") are set.

A sprite is made up of multiple rectangular areas of 64 pixels each. The data used to draw these rectangular areas is called a "sprite character." Small sprites can be represented using one sprite character, while relatively large sprites such as people can be represented using a total of six sprite characters arranged, for example, 2 x 3. Even larger sprites such as backgrounds can be represented using even more sprite characters. In this way, the number and arrangement of sprite characters can be specified arbitrarily for each sprite.

The performance display device 1600 is driven by main scanning, which sets the display state of each pixel in one direction along the pixels, from left to right when viewed from the front, and sub-scanning, which repeats main scanning in a direction intersecting the one direction. When one line of drawing data output from the performance display control unit 1512 is input to the performance display device 1600, it outputs the data to each of the pixels in one line in a main scan, from left to right when viewed from the front of the performance display device 1600. When the output of one line is completed, the performance display device 1600 moves to the line directly below as a sub-scan, and when the drawing data for the next line is input in the same way, it outputs the data to each of the pixels in one line in a main scan, from left to right when viewed from the front of the performance display device 1600, based on the drawing data for the next line.

[7. Game Contents]
The game contents of the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 393 and FIG. 408. In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the game ball B stored in the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 is shot into the upper part of the game area 5a through between the outer rail 1001 and the inner rail 1002 of the game board 5 by the player rotating the handle 182 of the handle unit 180 arranged in the front lower right corner of the door frame 3, and a game with the game ball B is started. The game ball B shot into the upper part of the game area 5a flows down either the left side or the right side of the center role 2500 depending on the shooting strength. The shooting strength of the game ball B can be adjusted by the rotation amount of the handle 182, and the more it is rotated in the clockwise direction, the stronger the ball can be shot, and a maximum of 100 game balls B can be shot continuously in one minute, that is, at intervals of 0.6 seconds.

In addition, within the game area 5a, multiple obstacle nails N are planted in a predetermined gauge arrangement at appropriate positions on the front of the game panel 1100, and when the game ball B comes into contact with the obstacle nails N, the flow speed of the game ball B is suppressed and various movements are imparted to the game ball B, allowing the player to enjoy its movements. In addition to the obstacle nails N, within the game area 5a, a windmill W that rotates when the game ball B comes into contact with it is provided above the upper left side unit 2300 and to the left of the center role 2500.

When a game ball B is shot into the top of the center device 2500 and enters the left side of the highest part of the outer periphery of the center device 2500 when viewed from the front, it will flow down the area to the left of the center device 2500 while abutting against multiple obstacle nails N. Then, when the game ball B flowing down the area to the left of the center device 2500 enters a warp entrance 2511 opening in the peripheral wall portion 2501 of the center device 2500, it is supplied to the stage 2513 from a warp exit 2512.

The game ball B supplied to the stage 2513 rolls back and forth on the stage 2513 and is released forward from the center in the left-right direction. When the game ball B is released into the game area 5a from the central release section 2513a in the center of the stage 2513, there is a high probability that it will be received by the first starting hole 2002 because the central release section 2513a is located directly above the first starting hole 2002. When a game ball B is received in this first starting port 2002, a predetermined number (e.g., three) of game balls B are paid out from the payout device 580 to the upper tray 201 via the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 633, and the main control board 1310 draws a special lottery result (first special lottery result) that will generate a favorable game state (e.g., "big hit", "medium hit", "small hit", "probability-varying (probability-changing) hit", "time-saving (time-saving) hit") that is favorable to the player.

The game ball B released into the game area 5a from the stage 2513 of the center device 2500 may be received by the first starting hole 2002 of the starting hole unit 2100.

If the game ball B that flows down to the left side of the center device 2500 does not enter the warp entrance 2511, it may be pushed toward the center in the left-right direction by the shelf 2301 of the upper left side unit 2300 or the obstacle nails N, and may be accepted into the general winning opening 2001 of the side unit 2200, or the first starting opening 2002 of the starting opening unit 2100, etc. Then, when the game ball B is accepted into the general winning opening 2001, a predetermined number (for example, 10 balls) of game balls B are paid out from the payout device 580 to the upper tray 201 via the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 633.

On the other hand, when a game ball B is shot into the upper part of the center device 2500 in the play area 5a and enters to the right of the highest part of the peripheral wall 2501 of the center device 2500, it passes through either the first guide passage 2521 or the second guide passage 2522 of the guide passage group 2520 of the center device 2500, is released above the gate section 2003, comes into contact with multiple obstacle nails N planted between the guide passage group 2520 and the gate section 2003, and there is a certain probability that it will pass through the gate section 2003.

The guide passage group 2520 of the center role 2500 is composed of a first guide passage 2521 whose entrance opens near the impact stopper 1006, and a second guide passage 2522 whose entrance opens at a distance to the left of the entrance of the first guide passage 2521. As a result, if the game ball B is hit with enough strength to hit the impact stopper 1006 (so-called right hit), it will enter the first guide passage 2521, and if the game ball B is hit with enough strength not to hit the impact stopper 1006 (somewhat weaker strength than right hit), it will enter the second guide passage 2522 with a high probability. In other words, the game ball B hit on the upper right side of the center role 2500 will flow through either the first guide passage 2521 or the second guide passage 2522 depending on the hitting strength.

In this embodiment, the configuration is such that the probability of the game ball B passing through the gate portion 2003 is higher when the game ball B is caused to flow through the second guide passage 2522 than when the game ball B is caused to flow through the first guide passage 2521. Also, the configuration is such that the probability of the game ball B passing through the gate portion 2003 and the left side of the gate portion 2003 is higher when the game ball B is caused to flow through the second guide passage 2522 than when the game ball B is caused to flow through the first guide passage 2521.

When game ball B passes through this gate section 2003 and is detected by the gate sensor 2801, a normal lottery is performed on the main control board 1310, and if the result of the normal lottery is a "normal win," the second starting port 2004 in the first attacker unit 2400, which is closed, opens for a predetermined time (e.g., 0.3 to 10 seconds), allowing game ball B to be received at the second starting port 2004.

In this embodiment, in the normal lottery that is conducted when the game ball B passes through the gate section 2003, a certain amount of time is set from the start of the normal lottery to the indication of the normal lottery result (for example, 0.01 to 60 seconds, also called the normal fluctuation time). This indication of the normal lottery result is displayed on the function display unit 1400 of the game board 5. The second starting port 2004 opens after the normal fluctuation time has elapsed.

If game ball B passes through gate unit 2003 between the time when game ball B passes through gate unit 2003 and the time when the normal lottery result is suggested, the suggestion of the normal lottery result cannot begin, so the start of the suggestion of the normal lottery result is reserved until the previous suggestion of the normal lottery result has ended. Also, the number of reserved normal lottery results is limited to four, and any more than this are discarded rather than reserved, even if game ball B passes through gate unit 2003. This prevents the burden on the game hall from increasing due to the accumulation of reserved results.

A game ball B that passes through the gate section 2003 and the left side of the gate section 2003 flows down the left side of the side right center unit 2700 with a high probability due to the multiple obstacle nails N planted between the gate section 2003 and the side right center unit 2700, and is sometimes received by the general winning opening 2001 of the side right center unit 2700, and rarely by the second sub-out opening 2012. When the game ball B is received by the general winning opening 2001 of the side right center unit 2700, a predetermined number of game balls B are paid out, as with the general winning opening 2001 of the side unit 2200. On the other hand, when the game ball B is received by the second sub-out opening 2012, it is discharged outside the game area 5a without having a chance to be received by the second large winning opening 2006, the second starting opening 2004, or the first large winning opening 2005.

In addition, game ball B that passes through the right side of gate section 2003 is received by the second sub-out port 2012 of the side right center unit 2700, and is discharged outside the game area 5a without having the opportunity to be received by the general winning port 2001, the second large winning port 2006, the second starting port 2004, or the first large winning port 2005 of the side right center unit 2700.

In this way, when the game ball B is received in the second sub-outlet 2012 downstream of the guide passage group 2520, the game ball B is discharged outside the game area 5a, so the player can be encouraged to perform a shot operation that prevents the game ball B from being received by the second sub-outlet 2012. In this embodiment, in the guide passage group 2520 of the center role 2500, the second guide passage 2522 has a lower probability of receiving the game ball B than the first guide passage 2521, so the player can be encouraged to perform a shot operation of the game ball B aimed at the second guide passage 2522. In other words, it is possible to encourage a shot operation that requires delicate adjustment of the rotation operation of the handle 182 rather than a "right hit" in which the game ball B hits the impact stopper 1006, and the player can enjoy the original game of the pachinko machine 1 that mainly focuses on the shot operation of the game ball B.

The game ball B that passes the left side of the side right center unit 2700 is guided by a number of obstacle nails N planted on the left side of the side right center unit 2700, passes to the left of the second large winning hole 2006 in the second attacca unit 2600, and is then released toward the first attacca unit 2400 via the lower right guide passage 2530 of the center device 2500.

At this time, if game ball B is received by the first start opening 2002 or the second start opening 2004 and a "small win" is drawn as the first or second special lottery result, the second large prize opening 2006 opens and closes in a predetermined pattern, so that game ball B that flows down the left side of the side right center unit 2700 is received by the second large prize opening 2006 with a high probability. When game ball B is received by the second large prize opening 2006 while it is in the open state, a predetermined number (e.g., 10 or 13) of game balls B are paid out from the payout device 580 to the upper tray 201 by the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 633.

The game ball B that is released toward the first attacker unit 2400 through the left side of the second large prize opening 2006 rolls leftward over the first shelf 2412a, the second starting opening door 2414, and the second shelf 2412b, before being released to the left, and then rolls leftward over the third shelf 2412c, the first large prize opening door 2417, and the fourth shelf 2412d before being released into the game area 5a.

When the game ball B is rolling on the second starting gate door 2414, if the normal lottery result drawn by the passage of the game ball B through the gate section 2003 is a "normal hit" and the second starting gate door 2414 is retracted, the game ball B is received by the second starting gate 2004. When the game ball B is received by the second starting gate 2004, a predetermined number (e.g., four balls) of game balls B are paid out from the payout device 580 to the upper tray 201 via the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 633, and the main control board 1310 draws a special lottery result (first special lottery result) that will generate a favorable game state (e.g., a "big hit", a "medium hit", a "small hit", a "probability change (probability change) hit", or a "time reduction (time reduction) hit") that is favorable to the player.

In addition, when game ball B is rolling on the first large prize opening door 2417, if the special lottery result (first special lottery result and second special lottery result) drawn by the acceptance of game ball B into the first start opening 2002 and the second start opening 2004 is a special lottery result that generates a favorable game state (e.g., a "jackpot"), after the special fluctuation time has elapsed, the first large prize opening 2005 will be in a state in which it is possible to accept game ball B in a predetermined opening and closing pattern. When game ball B is accepted into the first large prize opening 2005 while it is in an open state, a predetermined number (e.g., 10 or 13) of game balls B are paid out from the payout device 580 to the upper tray 201 by the main control board 1310 and the payout control board 633. Therefore, when the first large winning opening 2005 is capable of receiving the game ball B, by having the first large winning opening 2005 receive the game ball B, a large number of game balls B can be paid out, providing entertainment to the player.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, when a game ball B is received in the first start port 2002 and the second start port 2004, the main control board 1310 draws a special lottery result that will generate a favorable game state advantageous to the player (for example, a "jackpot", a "medium hit", a "small hit", a "probability-changing (probability change) hit", or a "time-saving (time-saving) hit". The drawn special lottery result is then suggested to the player over a predetermined time (for example, 0.1 to 360 seconds, also referred to as the special fluctuation time). The special lottery results drawn when a game ball B is received in the first start port 2002 and the second start port 2004 include a "miss", a "small hit", a "2R jackpot", a "5R jackpot", a "15R jackpot", a "probability-changing (probability change) hit", a "time-saving (time-saving) hit", a "probability change time-saving hit", a hit without a time-saving probabilistic hit, and a "second jackpot".

If the special lottery result is a "small win", the second large prize opening 2006 repeats an opening and closing pattern multiple times (e.g., twice) in which it opens to receive the game ball B for a predetermined short time (e.g., between 0.2 and 0.6 seconds) and then closes. On the other hand, if the special lottery result is a "big win", the first large prize opening 2005 repeats an opening and closing pattern (one opening and closing pattern is referred to as one round) in which it closes to receive the game ball B a predetermined number of times (a predetermined number of rounds) when either a predetermined time (e.g., about 30 seconds) has elapsed after the first large prize opening 2005 opens to receive the game ball B or a predetermined number of (e.g., 10) game balls B have been received by the first large prize opening 2005. For example, a "2R jackpot" will repeat two rounds, a "5R jackpot" will repeat five rounds, and a "15R jackpot" will repeat 15 rounds, creating an advantageous gaming state for the player.

In addition, after the jackpot game ends, there are "hits" that change the probability of a special lottery result such as a "jackpot" being drawn ("probability hit"), or that change the display time of the presentation image suggesting the special lottery result ("time-saving hit").

If the special lottery result (for example, the second special lottery result) is a "second jackpot," the first big prize winning port 2005 becomes capable of receiving game ball B in a predetermined pattern, and then generates ST (Special Time) as an advantageous game state. This ST maintains the state of special bonus or time reduction for a specific number of predetermined fluctuations.

In this embodiment, if game ball B is received by the first starting port 2002 and the second starting port 2004 between the start of the special lottery and the indication of the drawn special lottery result, the indication of the special lottery result cannot be started, so the start of the indication of the special lottery result is suspended until the indication of the previously drawn special lottery result is completed. The number of reserved special lottery results is limited to four for each of the first starting port 2002 and the second starting port 2004, and for any more than this, the special lottery result is not reserved but discarded even if game ball B is received by the first starting port 2002 and the second starting port 2004. This prevents the burden on the game hall from increasing due to the accumulation of reserved results.

The special lottery result is suggested by the function display unit 1400 and the performance display device 1600. The function display unit 1400 is directly controlled by the main control board 1310 to suggest the special lottery result. The function display unit 1400 suggests the special lottery result by repeatedly turning on and off multiple LEDs and flashing them for a predetermined period of time, and then suggests the special lottery result by the combination of the lit LEDs.

On the other hand, the performance display device 1600 is indirectly controlled by the peripheral control board 1510 based on a control signal from the main control board 1310, and the special lottery result is suggested as a performance image. The performance image suggesting the special lottery result on the performance display device 1600 displays three picture rows consisting of multiple pictures lined up in the left-right direction, and changes each picture row, sequentially stopping and displaying the changing picture rows, and each picture row that is stopped and displayed is displayed so that the pictures of the three picture rows form a combination that corresponds to the special lottery result. If the special lottery result is other than "miss," after the three picture rows stop and each picture is stopped and displayed, a final image suggesting the special lottery result is displayed on the performance display device 1600, and an advantageous game state (for example, "small win" game, "big win" game, etc.) corresponding to the special lottery result is generated.

The time indicating the special lottery result on the function display unit 1400 (LED blinking time (variation time)) is different from the time indicating the special lottery result on the performance display device 1600 (the time until the image row changes and the final image is displayed), and is set to a longer time on the function display unit 1400.

In addition to displaying a performance image suggesting the result of the special lottery by the performance display device 1600, the peripheral control board 1510 can perform a player participation type performance in which the rotation operation unit 302 and the pressing operation unit 303 of the performance operation unit 301 in the performance operation unit 300 in the door frame 3 are operated according to the special lottery result. In the player participation type performance, the operation ring drive motor 342 can rotate or vibrate the rotation operation unit 302, assist the rotation operation, or inhibit the rotation operation, and the operation button lift drive motor 367 can lift the pressing operation unit 303 to make it stand out, allowing the player to enjoy the player participation type performance by operating the performance operation unit 301.

In addition, the peripheral control board 1510 can appropriately use the various decorative boards provided on the door frame 3, the various decorative boards provided on the game board 5, the performance display device 1600, and the rear performance unit 3100, rear lower left performance unit 3200, rear lower right performance unit 3250, rear lower middle performance unit 3300, rear upper performance unit 3400, rear rear left performance unit 3500, rear rear right performance unit 3600, rear front left performance unit 3700, and rear front right performance unit 3800 of the rear unit 3000 to perform light-emitting performances and display performances, etc., and the player can be entertained by various performances, and a decline in the player's interest in the game can be prevented.

Furthermore, in the peripheral control board 1510, in a player-participation type presentation in which the player operates the rotation operation unit 302 or the pressing operation unit 303, if the player makes a mistake or fails to perform the operation that he or she should perform, the peripheral control board 1510 notifies the player to that effect and encourages the player to perform the correct operation. Specifically, for example, when pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a is requested, if the peripheral pressing operation unit 303b is pressed or the rotation operation unit 302 is rotated, the vibration speaker 354 vibrates and the presentation display device 1600 displays the fact.

[8. Self-supporting support members]
Next, the self-supporting support member 7 in the present pachinko machine 1 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. 485. FIG. 485 is a right side view of the pachinko machine shown together with the self-supporting support member. The self-supporting support member 7 of the pachinko machine 1 is attached between the lower surface of the plate unit 200 in the door frame 3 and the tray board 8 of the island equipment in the game hall where the pachinko machine 1 is installed, and supports the self-supporting of the pachinko machine 1 and prevents it from falling over when the pachinko machine 1 is installed (attached) to the island equipment. This self-supporting support member 7 is formed in a block shape. The self-supporting support member 7 is formed using at least one of hard foamed resin, plastic, corrugated cardboard, wood, pulp mold, and the like.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, although detailed illustration is omitted, an attachment portion for attaching the self-supporting member 7 is provided on the underside of the plate unit 200 in the door frame 3. On the other hand, the self-supporting member 7 is provided with an attachment portion that is attached to the attachment portion of the plate unit 200. In this embodiment, the plate unit 200 is provided with a groove extending forward and backward as an attachment portion, and the self-supporting member 7 is provided with a protrusion that is inserted into the groove of the plate unit 200 as an attachment portion. As a result, the self-supporting member 7 can be attached (mounted) to the plate unit 200 by sliding the self-supporting member 7 in the forward and backward directions relative to the plate unit 200 and inserting the attachment portion of the self-supporting member 7 into the attachment portion of the plate unit 200. As a result, when the pachinko machine 1 is attached to the island equipment with the self-supporting member 7 attached to the plate unit 200 of the door frame 3, the self-supporting member 7 can be easily removed by sliding it forward. In addition, when removing the pachinko machine 1 that is attached to the island equipment, it can be easily installed by sliding the self-supporting member 7 in the opposite direction to when it was removed.

The attachment (mounting) of the mounting portion of the dish unit 200 to the mounted portion of the self-supporting member 7 is not limited to the above, but may be by "inserting a protrusion into a hole," "engaging a claw," "magnetic attachment by a magnet," "using a hook-and-loop fastener," "using a suction cup," "using a removable adhesive," etc. The location of the mounting portion on the dish unit 200 is not limited to the underside of the dish unit 200 as described above, but may be "inside," "at least one of the left and right sides," "front," etc.

After the pachinko machine 1 is installed on the island equipment, this self-supporting support member 7 is removed from the mounting portion of the platter unit 200 and stored on the gaming hall side, and when the pachinko machine 1 is removed from the island equipment, it is attached to the platter unit 200 again for use. The self-supporting support member 7 may be attached to the platter unit 200 in advance when the pachinko machine 1 is shipped from the manufacturer to the gaming hall side, or it may be attached during the installation work.

According to the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, the door frame 3 has the plate unit 200, the door frame right side unit 410, and the door frame top unit 450, which protrude forward significantly, making it easy for the machine to tip forward. However, by attaching the self-supporting member 7 to the mounting part on the lower side of the plate unit 200, the pachinko machine 1 can be supported to stand on its own and prevented from tipping forward. As a result, when the pachinko machine 1 is installed on the island equipment of an amusement hall, the self-supporting member 7 is attached to the mounting part of the plate unit 200, and the self-supporting member 7 located between the plate unit 200 and the tray 8 of the island equipment can prevent the pachinko machine 1 from tipping forward. Therefore, when the pachinko machine 1 is installed on the island equipment, it is not necessary to hold the pachinko machine 1 so that it does not tip over, making the installation work of the pachinko machine 1 easy.

In addition, by attaching the self-supporting member 7 to the mounting portion of the tray unit 200, the pachinko machine 1 can be prevented from tipping over, which can prevent damage to the pachinko machine 1 due to tipping over, resulting in a pachinko machine 1 that can reduce the burden on game halls and manufacturers.

Furthermore, since the plate unit 200 of the door frame 3 is provided with an attachment portion for attaching the self-supporting member 7, by attaching the self-supporting member 7 to the attachment portion of the plate unit 200, it is possible to assist the pachinko machine 1 in standing upright and prevent it from tipping forward, so that the performance devices and decorative members etc. provided on the door frame 3 can be made larger or protrude further forward, making it easier to construct a pachinko machine with an appearance that is significantly different from previous pachinko machines, and providing a pachinko machine 1 that is highly appealing to players. Therefore, in this pachinko machine 1, the plate unit 200 etc. protrudes significantly forward on the door frame 3, making it a pachinko machine 1 that is highly appealing.

In the above embodiment, the self-supporting support member 7 can be slid forward and backward to be attached and detached from the mounting portion of the dish unit 200, but this is not limited to the above. The self-supporting support member 7 may be slid left and right relative to the dish unit 200 of the door frame 3 to be attached and detached.

The self-supporting auxiliary member 7 may be made detachable from the mounting portion of the door frame 3 (plate unit 200) and may be used in combination with a functional member detachably attached to the door frame 3 (for example, the upper plate 201 or the lower plate 202, the door frame left side unit 400, the door frame right side unit 410, the door frame top unit 450, etc.). This allows the functional member removed from the door frame 3 to be attached to the plate unit 200 of the door frame 3 as the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 when the pachinko machine 1 is attached to or removed from the island equipment, so that the pachinko machine 1 can stand on its own in a stable state. On the other hand, when the pachinko machine 1 is attached to the island equipment, the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 removed from the plate unit 200 of the door frame 3 can be attached to the door frame 3 as a functional member to function as a functional member that constitutes part of the pachinko machine 1. Specifically, for example, if the door frame left side unit 400 bulges forward from the left side of the door window 101a in the door frame 3 as a functional member that also serves as the self-supporting support member 7, the door frame left side unit 400 can be removed from the door frame 3 and attached to the underside of the dish unit 200 to function as the self-supporting support member 7, or can be removed from the underside of the dish unit 200 and attached to the left side of the door window 101a to function as a functional member. Because of this, when the self-supporting support member 7 is made detachable, there is no need to store the removed self-supporting support member 7 separately, eliminating the need to manage the removed self-supporting support member 7 so that it does not get lost, and reducing the burden on the game hall.

Alternatively, the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 may be made detachable from the door frame 3 (dish unit 200) and used as a functional member detachably attached to the main frame 4 (for example, a "circuit board cover that covers the circuit board," a "wire holding member that holds the wiring," a "protective cover that protects the rear of the performance display device and movable decorations, etc.," a "storage tank in which the gaming medium is stored," a "guiding member through which the gaming medium is circulated," etc.). In this way, when the pachinko machine 1 is attached to or removed from the island equipment, the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 removed from the main frame 4 is attached to the door frame 3 (dish unit 200) so that the pachinko machine 1 can stand on its own in a stable state. On the other hand, when the pachinko machine 1 is attached to the island equipment, the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 removed from the door frame 3 can be attached to a specified portion of the main frame 4 to function as a functional member that constitutes part of the pachinko machine 1. For this reason, when the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 is made detachable, there is no need to store the detached self-supporting auxiliary member 7 separately, and the effort required to prevent the detached self-supporting auxiliary member 7 from being lost can be eliminated, reducing the burden on the gaming hall. Note that if the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 is also used as a functional member provided on the main body frame 4, the player cannot touch the detachable functional member while the functional member is attached to the main body frame 4, preventing the functional member from coming off due to the player, and resulting in a pachinko machine 1 that does not cause discomfort to the player.

In addition, if the self-supporting member 7 is used in combination with a functional member provided on the door frame 3 or the main body frame 4, the number of parts required for the pachinko machine 1 can be reduced compared to when the self-supporting member 7 is not used in combination with a functional member, thereby suppressing increases in costs.

Furthermore, the self-supporting support member 7 may be provided so as to be able to be housed within the plate unit 200 of the door frame 3. In this way, when it is not necessary to attach the pachinko machine 1 to the island equipment and make it stand on its own, the self-supporting support member 7 can be housed within the plate unit 200 of the door frame 3, thereby preventing the appearance of the pachinko machine 1 from being poor due to the presence of the self-supporting support member 7 and preventing the self-supporting support member 7 from interfering with play. On the other hand, when the pachinko machine 1 is attached to or removed from the island equipment, the self-supporting support member 7 housed within the plate unit 200 of the door frame 3 can be taken out to make the pachinko machine 1 stand on its own, making it easier to install and remove the pachinko machine 1. In addition, in this case, compared to the case where the self-supporting support member 7 is removed and stored separately, there is no need to store the self-supporting support member 7, and the effort of managing the self-supporting support member 7 so as not to lose it can be eliminated, reducing the burden on the game hall.

In the above embodiment, the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 has a mounting portion that is attached to the mounting portion of the plate unit 200, but this is not limited to this, and the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 may not have a mounting portion.

In addition, while the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 is shown as being detachable from the mounting portion of the tray unit 200, this is not limiting, and the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 may be built into the tray unit 200 (door frame 3), and when installed on the island equipment, the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 may be protruded downward to abut against the tray board 8. This eliminates the need to remove the self-supporting auxiliary member 7 and store it separately after installing the pachinko machine 1 on the island equipment, reducing the management burden on the part of the game parlor.

[10. Control process of main control board]
Next, an example of control processing executed by the main control board 1310 (particularly the main control MPU) will be described. Fig. 486(a) is a flow chart showing the procedure of the control processing executed by the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 when the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 1.

As shown in FIG. 486(a), the main control board 1310 according to this embodiment first initializes the data stored in various registers and the RAM built into the main control MPU (hereinafter referred to as the main control built-in RAM) as a process of step S1 on the condition that the RAM clear switch of the main control board 1310 has been operated. The RAM clear switch is provided on the rear side of the pachinko machine 1, and cannot be operated unless the main body frame 4 is opened. In addition, the RAM clear switch outputs a clear signal to the main control board 1310 in response to operation before a predetermined period (e.g., 1 second) has elapsed since power was turned on, and if the main control MPU determines that a clear signal has been input when power is turned on, it executes an initialization process (step S1) to initialize the data stored in various registers and the main control built-in RAM.

Although not shown, in this example, when power to the pachinko machine 1 is cut off, a backup process is executed to save information indicating the progress of the game (for example, various flags, etc.) in the main control built-in RAM. Then, if the RAM clear switch is not operated when power is applied to the pachinko machine 1, the information saved in the main control built-in RAM in the backup process is referenced without executing the initialization process (step S1), and a recovery process is executed to restore the state according to that information. Also, if the RAM clear switch is operated when power is applied to the pachinko machine 1, an initialization process is executed without executing the recovery process, and the pachinko machine 1 is set to its initial state. Also, when the initialization process is executed, the game state is controlled to a non-time-saving state.

Next, in step S2, the random number is updated within a predetermined range. That is, the main control board 1310 according to this embodiment is provided with a random number counter that holds random numbers such as special random numbers (first special random number, second special random number) used in the lottery process for the display mode when the variable display of the special pattern stops, variable random numbers used in the lottery process for the predetermined time (variation time) required for controlling the variable display of the special pattern, reach random numbers used in the lottery process for whether or not to make a reach (whether or not to execute a performance) as a game performance executed by the performance display device 1600 in response to the variable display of the special pattern, pattern random numbers (first pattern random number, second pattern random number) used in the lottery process for determining the type of jackpot when it is determined that a jackpot has occurred based on the special random numbers, and random numbers (normal random numbers) used in the lottery process for the winning or losing of the winning that triggers the opening of the second starting hole 2004.

In this example, the reach random number is configured to be the same for the first special symbol and the second special symbol, that is, whether the start winning is made at the first start opening 2002 or the second start opening 2004, the reach random number is obtained from the same counter that updates the reach random number. However, the execution rate of the reach performance may be made different by obtaining the reach random number from a counter with a different range of random numbers that update the reach random number, or the execution rate of the reach performance may be made different by providing a reach judgment table that is compared with the obtained reach random number and is a first reach judgment table corresponding to the first special symbol, and a second reach judgment table that is corresponding to the second special symbol and has a judgment value different from that of the first reach judgment table.

In the process of step S2, only the random numbers that are not related to winning or losing (variable random numbers) are updated and the random number counter is operated. After the processes of steps S1 and S2 are performed in this manner, basically only the process of step S2 is repeated. However, in this embodiment, the following timer interrupt control is performed, for example, every 4 ms.

Figure 486 (b) is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for timer interrupt control that is periodically performed by the main control MPU of the main control board 1310.

As shown in FIG. 486(b), in this interrupt control, first, as the process of step S11, a register save process is performed. Next, as the process of step S12, detection signals are input from various sensors such as the gate sensor 2801, the first start port sensor 3052, the second start port sensor 2401, the first count sensor that detects the game ball B received in the first large winning port 2005, the second count sensor that detects the game ball B received in the second large winning port 2006, the general winning port sensor 3001, and various magnetic sensors. Then, as the process of step S13, a random number update process is performed to update the value of the random number counter that generates the random number. In addition, in the process of step S13, the random numbers (special random numbers, normal random numbers) related to the display mode when the variable display of the special pattern and the normal pattern is stopped are updated, and the counter operation of the random number counter is performed.

After updating the random number in this way, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 executes special symbol process processing, which includes a lottery process related to the display mode when the variable display of the special symbol is stopped, as the process of step S14. Note that this special symbol process processing will be described later, but here, basically, the relevant process is selectively executed based on the special symbol process flag (first special symbol process flag, second special symbol process flag) that indicates the progress of the game and is stored in the main control built-in RAM.

Then, in step S15, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 executes normal symbol process processing, which includes a lottery process for determining whether or not a winning combination will result in the opening of the second starting hole 2004. In this normal symbol process processing, the corresponding processing is basically selectively executed according to the normal symbol process flag, which indicates the progress of the game.

When the special symbol process (step S14) and normal symbol process (step S15) are performed, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 then performs step S16 to transmit the command set in a predetermined area of the main control built-in RAM in the special symbol process to the peripheral control board 1510, etc. Then, in step S17, it performs step S17 to transmit the command set in a predetermined area of the main control built-in RAM in the normal symbol process to, for example, the peripheral control board 1510, etc.

The main control MPU of the main control board 1310 then performs information output processing in step S18, which outputs data such as winning information to be supplied to the hall management computer.

Next, in step S19, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 executes a prize ball process that outputs a payout control command to the payout control board 633 so that prize balls corresponding to the signals are paid out to the player when the detection signals of the first start hole sensor 3052, the second start hole sensor 2401, the first count sensor, the second count sensor, the general winning hole sensor 3051, etc. are in the on state. As a result, the payout control MPU mounted on the payout control board 633 outputs a drive signal to the payout motor 584, and pays out prize balls to the player. In this example, when game ball B enters the first start hole 2002 and the first start hole sensor 3052 is turned on, "3 balls" are paid out to the player; when game ball B enters the second start hole 2004 and the second start hole sensor 2401 is turned on, "1 ball" is paid out; when game ball B enters the first large prize hole 2005 and the first count sensor is turned on, "15 balls" are paid out; when game ball B enters the second large prize hole 2006 and the second count sensor is turned on, "15 balls" are paid out; and when game ball B enters the general prize hole 2001 and the general prize hole sensor 3051 is turned on, "8 balls" are paid out to the player.

The main control MPU of the main control board 1310 then executes a storage process in step S20 to check the increase or decrease in the number of reserved memories. Then, in step S21, it executes a test terminal process, which is a process of outputting a test signal so that the control state of the pachinko machine 1 can be confirmed outside the gaming machine. After that, it controls the drive of the actuator that operates at all times (step S22), restores the contents of the above register (step S23), and ends this control when the interrupt permission state is set (step S24).

In this embodiment, the game control process is started every 4 mS due to the above control. Note that, although in this embodiment, the game control process is executed by timer interrupt processing, the interrupt processing may, for example, only set a flag indicating that an interrupt has occurred. In this case, however, the game control process is executed by main processing.

Figure 487 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the special pattern process (step S14).

Now, assuming that the random numbers used in the various lottery processes have been updated (step S13), as shown in FIG. 487, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first executes a first start gate passing process, such as obtaining a first special random number of the first special symbol from the random number counter and storing it in the first special symbol reserved memory area of the main control built-in RAM (step S32), on the condition that the detection signal from the first start gate sensor 3052 is in the on state (a ball has entered the first start gate 2002) (step S31). Also, on the condition that the detection signal from the second start gate sensor 2401 is in the on state (a ball has entered the second start gate 2004) (step S33), the main control MPU executes a second start gate passing process, such as obtaining a second special random number of the second special symbol from the random number counter and storing it in the second special symbol reserved memory area of the main control built-in RAM (step S34).

Next, the main control MPU determines whether or not a jackpot in progress flag is set, indicating that control is being performed for a jackpot game (step S35), and if the jackpot in progress flag is set, executes a jackpot control process (step S40) to control the jackpot game. In the jackpot control process, when the result of the lottery process for the display mode when the variable display of the first special pattern or the second special pattern stops (the result of the hit determination and the content of the jackpot type) indicates a "15R jackpot", the first large winning hole 2005 is opened for a long time (for example, 28.5 seconds) or when the first count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the first large winning hole 2005, and the opening and closing pattern is repeated 15 times to control to a 15R jackpot game.

In addition, in the jackpot control process, after performing such opening control of the first large winning hole 2005, a process for setting the time-saving flag is executed. The time-saving flag is a flag indicating that the time-saving control (control executed in the time-saving state) is being executed, and is set when the jackpot game based on the time-saving controlled jackpot ends after the jackpot game ends, and is reset by the first special symbol stop process shown in FIG. 498 described later or the second special symbol stop process of the second special symbol process described later. In the pachinko machine 1 of this example, the number of time-saving times is set so that the time-saving control ends when the first special symbol variable display has been executed five times or the second special symbol variable display has been executed once. In other words, the time-saving control is started after the jackpot game ends, and the time-saving control ends when either the first special symbol variable display has been executed five times or the second special symbol variable display has been executed once.

If the big win execution flag is not set, the main control MPU determines whether or not the small win execution flag, which indicates that control is being performed for a small win game, is set (step S36), and if the small win execution flag is set, executes a small win control process (step S41) to control the small win game. In the small win control process, when the result of the lottery process for the display mode at the time when the variable display of the second special pattern stops becomes a mode suggesting a "small win", the second large winning opening 2006 is opened based on the opening pattern A or opening pattern B of the second large winning opening 2006 described later, or when the second count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the second large winning opening 2006, a process to close the second large winning opening 2006 is executed. In addition, if the game ball B that has entered the second large winning opening 2006 and been distributed by the distribution member enters a specific area, the game is controlled to a jackpot game, and the first large winning opening 2005 is opened for a long time (for example, 28.5 seconds) or when the first count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the first large winning opening 2005, the game is controlled to transition to a 15R jackpot game in which the opening and closing pattern is repeated 15 times. On the other hand, if the game ball B that has entered the first large winning opening 2005 and been distributed by the distribution member does not enter the specific area but enters the discharge area, the game is not controlled to a jackpot game, and is controlled to the game state (normal state or time-saving state) before the small winning game after the small winning game ends.

In addition, if neither the big win in progress flag nor the small win in progress flag is set, the main control MPU executes a first special pattern process process including a lottery process for the display mode when the variable display of the first special pattern stops (step S38) on the condition that the value of the second special reserved number counter indicating the number of second special random numbers stored in the second special pattern reserved memory area is "0" (step S37), and executes a second special pattern process process including a lottery process for the display mode when the variable display of the second special pattern stops (step S39) on the condition that the value of the second special reserved number counter indicating the number of second special random numbers stored in the second special pattern reserved memory area is not "0" (step S37).

Figure 488 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the first starting port passing process (step S32).

Now, in the processing of step S31, if it is determined that the first start hole sensor 3052 is in the ON state and game ball B has entered the first start hole 2002, then as shown in FIG. 488, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first obtains the first special random number, the reach random number, the first pattern random number, and the variable random number from the random number counter as the processing of step S41.

Then, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 obtains the counter value of the first special reserved number counter, which indicates the number of first special random numbers stored in the first special symbol reserved memory area, from the main control built-in RAM, and judges whether the first reserved memory number is its maximum value (upper limit value) of "4" based on this counter value (step S42). If it is determined in the process of step S42 that the first reserved memory number is not its maximum value, the following steps S43 to S45 are performed to newly put the variable display control of the first special symbol into a reserved state. That is, first, as the process of step S43, the first special reserved number counter is counted up (added by 1). Next, as the process of step S44, each random number obtained in the above step S41 is stored in the first special symbol reserved memory area corresponding to the counter value of the first special reserved number counter in the memory area of the main control built-in RAM.

The main control MPU of the main control board 1310 executes a performance pre-determination process to determine, based on the first special random number, the reach random number, the first pattern random number, and the variable random number obtained in step S41, whether the display result of the variable display of the first special pattern is a jackpot, and if it is a jackpot, the type of jackpot, and if it is not a jackpot, whether to execute a reach performance as a game performance executed by the performance display device 1600, and the type of mode (type of variable pattern) of the game performance to be executed, before starting the variable display corresponding to the start winning (step S45), and then terminates the process.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of step S42 that the first reserved memory number is at its maximum value, the variable display control of the first special symbol is not newly reserved. In other words, by ending the processing without executing the processing of steps S43 to S45, the variable display control of the first special symbol is not newly reserved.

In addition, when the first reserved memory number changes based on game ball B entering the first starting hole 2002, the lighting state of the two LEDs of the first special reserved memory number display in the function display unit 1400 is updated to correspond to the first reserved memory number, and a command indicating the first reserved memory number (first reserved number designation command 0-4) is set in the above-mentioned storage process (step S20) and sent to the peripheral control board 1510. The peripheral control MPU of the peripheral control board 1510 is configured to display the first reserved memory number on the performance display device 1600 based on receiving the first reserved number designation command 0-4.

Figure 489 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the above-mentioned performance pre-determination process (step S45). When the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 starts the performance pre-determination process, it compares the random numbers acquired in the above-mentioned step S41, specifically the first special random number, first pattern random number, reach random number, and variable random number, with a pre-determination table (not shown) to determine whether or not a jackpot will be reached, and if so, the type of jackpot, and if not, whether or not a reach performance will be executed as the game performance executed by the performance display device 1600, and the type of game performance to be executed (step S61).

Then, a pre-determination command is set according to the specified pre-determination information (whether or not a jackpot will be reached, if a jackpot will be reached, whether or not a reach will be reached as a game presentation executed by the presentation display device 1600 if a jackpot will not be reached, the type of game presentation to be executed, etc.), the type of special random number obtained (first special random number), and the reserved memory number (reserved number counter value) stored corresponding to the obtained special random number. For example, in the presentation pre-determination process for the first special symbol executed in step S45 of the first start port passing process, a first special symbol pre-determination command is set according to the specified pre-determination information, the fact that the first special random number has been obtained, and the first reserved memory number (first special reserved number counter value) (step S62).

Then, in the special pattern command control process (step S16), a pre-determination command is sent from the main control board 1310 to the peripheral control board 1510, so that the peripheral control MPU mounted on the peripheral control board 1510 can grasp pre-determination information such as the number of reserved memories stored corresponding to the first start port 2002 where the start winning occurred, whether the display result of the special pattern variable display based on the start winning that occurred is a jackpot, the type of jackpot if it is a jackpot, whether a reach effect will be executed as a game effect executed by the effect display device 1600 if it is not a jackpot, and the type of game effect to be executed before starting the variable display corresponding to the start winning.

When the peripheral control MPU mounted on the peripheral control board 1510 receives a pre-determination command from the main control board 1310, it stores the pre-determination information indicated by the received pre-determination command. Specifically, the peripheral control RAM of the peripheral control MPU is provided with a first reserved memory area that stores pre-determination information regarding the variable display of the first special pattern.

The first reserved memory area has 1 to 4 memory areas corresponding to the number of reserved memories, and the peripheral control MPU stores the pre-determination information indicated by the received pre-determination command in order starting from the first (earliest) memory area. When the pre-determination information is stored in the nth (n = 1 to 3) memory area, if the peripheral control MPU receives a pre-determination command, the notified pre-determination information is stored in the n+1th (n = 1 to 3) memory area, and when the peripheral control MPU receives a first variation pattern command notifying the start of the variable display of the first special pattern, the pre-determination information stored in the first memory area of the first reserved memory area is discarded in accordance with the received first variation pattern command, and the pre-determination information stored in the Nth (N = 2 to 4) memory area is moved to the N-1th (N = 2 to 4) memory area (the pre-determination information stored in the reserved memory area is shifted). As a result, the pre-determination information of the first special pattern is stored in a manner that allows the order in which the reservation of the start of the variable display occurred to be specified, and is discarded in order starting from the earliest pre-determination information.

In this way, when the variable display control is put on hold, even though the variable display control is maintained in an unexecuted state (on hold), the jackpot expectancy (pseudo winning probability) of the variable display control can be notified in advance at a predetermined timing, such as when the on-hold display is newly output or when the on-hold display is shifted in response to the on-hold consumption.

Figure 490 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the second starting port passing process (step S34).

Now, assuming that in the processing of step S33, the second start hole sensor 2401 is in the ON state and it is determined that game ball B has entered the second start hole 2004, as shown in FIG. 490, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first obtains the second special random number, the reach random number, the second pattern random number, and the variable random number from the random number counter as processing of step S51.

Then, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 obtains the counter value of the second special reserved number counter from the main control built-in RAM, and judges whether the second reserved memory number is its maximum value (upper limit value) of "4" based on this counter value (step S52). If it is determined in the process of step S52 that the second reserved memory number is not its maximum value, the following steps S53 to S54 are executed to put the variable display control of the second special symbol into a new reserved state. That is, first, in the process of step S53, the second special reserved number counter is counted up (added by 1). Next, in the process of step S54, each random number obtained in step S51 is stored in the second special symbol reserved memory area corresponding to the counter value of the second special reserved number counter in the memory area of the main control built-in RAM.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of step S52 that the second reserved memory count is at its maximum value, the variable display control of the second special symbol is not newly reserved. In other words, by ending the processing without executing the processing of steps S53 to S54, the variable display control of the second special symbol is not newly reserved.

In addition, when the second reserved memory number changes based on game ball B entering the second starting hole 2004, the lighting state of the two LEDs of the second special reserved memory number display in the function display unit 1400 is updated to correspond to the second reserved memory number, and a command indicating the second reserved memory number (second reserved number designation command 0-1) is set in the above-mentioned storage process (step S20) and sent to the peripheral control board 4140. The peripheral control MPU of the peripheral control board 1510 is configured to display the second reserved memory number on the performance display device 1600 based on receiving the second reserved number designation command 0-4.

Figure 491 is a flow chart showing the procedure for the first special symbol process (step S38). The first special symbol process executed in step S38 of the special symbol process and the second special symbol process executed in step S39 of the special symbol process are similar program modules, and only the random numbers and tables used for judgment are different. Therefore, only the first special symbol process executed in step S38 of the special symbol process will be described here. In the first special symbol process, on the condition that the interval timer described later has timed out (YES in step S85), one of the following five process processes will be selectively executed according to the above-mentioned first special symbol process flag. Note that if the interval timer has not timed out (NO in step S85), the process ends without executing the following processes.

1. A first special symbol normal process (step S80) in which a first special random number stored in the main control built-in RAM is read, and a lottery process for the display mode when the variable control of the first special symbol is stopped is performed based on the read first special random number.
2. A first special symbol stop pattern setting process (step S81) in which a process of determining the display mode when the first special symbol's variable control is stopped is performed based on the result of a lottery process regarding the display mode when the variable control of the first special symbol is stopped.
3. A first variation pattern setting process (step S82) in which a lottery process is performed for the variation mode of the first special symbol displayed on the first special symbol display device of the function display unit 1400 based on the variation random number and the variation mode of the performance display executed in response to the first special symbol on the performance display device 1600.
4. A first special symbol variation process (step S83) in which the first special symbol display of the function display unit 1400 waits until the variation display of the first special symbol is stopped.
5. A first special symbol stop process (step S84) for stopping the variable display of the first special symbol so that the mode at the time of stopping the variable control of the first special symbol determined based on the result of the lottery process for the display mode at the time of stopping the variable control of the first special symbol is displayed on the first special symbol display device of the function display unit 1400.

The first special symbol process flag is manipulated in the processing of step S1 (see FIG. 486) to indicate that the first special symbol normal processing (step S80) should be performed.

Figure 492 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the normal processing of the first special pattern (step S80).

When the first special symbol process flag indicates that the first special symbol normal processing should be performed, as shown in FIG. 492, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first determines whether there is a variable display control of the first special symbol in a reserved state based on the counter value of the first special reserved number counter as the processing of step S101. If it is determined that there is a variable display control of the first special symbol in a reserved state, then, as the processing of step S102, the random number stored in the earliest memory area of the random numbers related to the display mode of the first special symbol (e.g., first special random number, first symbol random number, reach random number, variable random number) stored in the first special symbol reserved memory area of the main control built-in RAM is read from the main control built-in RAM. Next, in the processing of steps S103 and S104, the first special reserved number counter is counted down, and the random numbers (first special random number, first pattern random number, reach random number, variable random number) related to the display mode when the variable display of the first special pattern stops, which are stored in each memory area of the first special pattern reserved memory area of the main control built-in RAM, are shifted in a first-in first-out manner.

Specifically, the first special symbol reserved memory area has four memory areas (first special symbol reserved memory area a to first special symbol reserved memory area d), and random numbers extracted in response to the occurrence of a start winning in the first start port 2002 are stored in the first (first) memory area in order. Then, when a random number is stored in the nth (n = 1 to 3) memory area and a start winning occurs, the extracted random number is stored in the n+1th (n = 1 to 3) memory area, and when the start condition for the variable display based on the random number stored in the first memory area is established, the various random numbers stored in the first memory area are read out and the various random numbers stored in the Nth (N = 2 to 4) memory area are moved to the N-1th (N = 2 to 4) memory area. As a result, the order in which the reservation of the variable display control of the first special symbol occurred is stored in a specific order, and the reservation of the variable display control is released in order from the first reservation (the reservation that occurred first).

Then, in step S105, a winning determination process is performed, which is a lottery process for determining whether or not a big win or small win has occurred, based on the first special random number of the first special symbol that has been read out. Then, when the first special symbol process flag is updated (step S106) so that the process is transferred to the first special symbol stop symbol setting process (step S81), this process ends.

Figure 493 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the hit determination process (step S105).

The main control MPU of the main control board 1310 compares the winning determination table shown in FIG. 494 (A) with the special random number (the first special random number read in step S102 when the first special pattern normal processing is being performed, and the second special random number read in the second special pattern normal processing when the second special pattern normal processing is being performed) (step S114).

As shown in FIG. 494(A), the hit determination table is stored in the ROM built into the main control, and is provided for each type of special random number (first special random number, second special random number). In the hit determination table referenced for comparison with the first special random numbers, the first special random numbers are associated with each other so that two types of first special random numbers match the big hit determination value indicating a big hit, three types of first special random numbers different from the big hit determination value match the big hit determination value indicating a small hit, and 265 types of first special random numbers match the miss determination value indicating a miss (probability of a big hit: 1 in 135, probability of a small hit: 3 in 270). In this example, in the second special symbol process executed in step S39 of the special symbol process, in the winning judgment table referred to for comparison with the second special random number, the two types of second special random numbers match the big win judgment value indicating that a big win has been won, the 113 types of second special random numbers different from the big win judgment value match the small win judgment value indicating that a small win has been won, and the 155 types of second special random numbers are associated with the miss judgment value indicating that the above-mentioned miss (big win probability: 1 in 135, small win probability: 113 in 270). In other words, the judgment table referred to for comparison with the second special random number is configured so that the probability of a small win is higher than that of the winning judgment table referred to for comparison with the first special random number, and the player is in a more favorable state when the variable display of the second special symbol based on the start winning at the second start port 2004 is executed than when the variable display of the first special symbol based on the start winning at the first start port 2002 is executed.

When the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 determines that a jackpot has occurred as a result of comparing the hit determination table with the special random number (the first special random number read in step S102 of the normal processing of the first special symbol, or the second special random number read in the normal processing of the second special symbol) (step S115), it sets a jackpot flag indicating that the fluctuation has resulted in a jackpot (step S116) and ends the hit determination process.

In addition, if a comparison between the selected hit determination table and the special random number (the first special random number read in step S102 of the normal processing of the first special pattern, or the second special random number read in the normal processing of the second special pattern) determines that a small hit has occurred (step S117), a small hit flag is set to indicate that the variation has resulted in a small hit (step S118), and the hit determination process is terminated.

On the other hand, if neither a big win nor a small win has been won, i.e., if it is determined to be a miss, the reach determination table is compared with the reach random number read in step S102 (step S119).

The reach judgment table (not shown) is stored in the main control built-in ROM, and includes a reach judgment table for the time-saving state used when the game state is in the time-saving state, and a reach judgment table for the non-time-saving state used when the game state is not in the time-saving state. In the reach judgment table for the time-saving state, the reach random numbers are associated with one type of reach random number so that it matches a reach judgment value indicating a reach, and 71 types of reach random numbers match a reach judgment value indicating a non-reach.

In addition, in the reach determination table for the non-time-saving state, five types of reach random numbers, including the same reach random numbers as those set in the reach determination table for the time-saving state, are associated with the above-mentioned reach random numbers so that they match the reach determination values indicating that a reach will occur, and 67 types of reach random numbers match the reach determination values indicating that a reach will not occur. Thus, in this embodiment, in the non-time-saving state, the reach determination values indicating that a reach will occur are higher than in the time-saving state.

If the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 compares the selected reach judgment table with the reach random number read in step S102 (step S119) and determines that the reach is missed (step S120), it sets a reach flag indicating that the fluctuation is a reach and ends the process (step S121).

Figure 495 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the first special symbol stop symbol setting process (step S81).

When the first special symbol process flag indicates that the first special symbol stop symbol setting process should be performed, as shown in FIG. 495, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first determines the result of the lottery process for the display mode when the variable display of the first special symbol stops, that is, the result of the hit determination process (step S105). The result of the lottery process is determined by determining whether or not the jackpot flag is set (step S131).

If the jackpot flag is set in step S131, the main control MPU selects the jackpot pattern determination table shown in FIG. 494 (B) and compares the first pattern random number read in step S102 of the normal processing of the first special pattern with the selected jackpot pattern determination table to determine the jackpot pattern as the appearance when the variable control of the first special pattern stops (the stopping pattern of the first special pattern) (step S132).

As shown in FIG. 494(B), the jackpot pattern determination table stores the pattern random numbers (first pattern random number, second pattern random number) in association with the judgment result (14R time-saving jackpot, 5R time-saving jackpot). The main control MPU of the main control board 1310 determines the type of jackpot by identifying the judgment result associated with the acquired pattern random number.

in particular,
1. A 14R time-saving jackpot A in which a 14R jackpot game is controlled so that the game ball B can (easily) enter the first large winning hole 2005 by repeating an opening and closing pattern 14 times (14 rounds) after the first large winning hole 2005 is opened for a long time (for example, 28.5 seconds) or when the first count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the first large winning hole 2005, and if the next jackpot game does not occur before the pattern variation of the special pattern is executed 100 times after the jackpot game ends, the state is controlled to a time-saving state A, which ends the state.
2. The first large winning opening 2005 is closed (1 round) after the first count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the first large winning opening 2005, and then the second large winning opening 2006 is closed after the second count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the second large winning opening 2006 after the first large winning opening 2005 is opened for a long time (for example, 28.5 seconds). This opening and closing pattern is repeated 4 times (4 rounds) to control the 5R jackpot game in which the game ball B can (easily) enter the first large winning opening 2005 and the second large winning opening 2006, and if the next jackpot game does not occur until the first special symbol is displayed 5 times or the second special symbol is displayed 1 time after the jackpot game ends, the time-saving state B is controlled to end.
3. A 14R time-saving jackpot B in which a 14R jackpot game is controlled so that the game ball B can (easily) enter the second large winning opening 2006 by repeating an opening/closing pattern 14 times (14 rounds) after the second large winning opening 2006 has been opened for a long time (for example, 28.5 seconds) or when the second count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the second large winning opening 2006, and if the next jackpot game does not occur before the pattern variation of the special pattern is executed 100 times after the jackpot game ends, the state is controlled to a time-saving state A, which ends the state.
4. The first large winning opening 2005 is closed (1 round) after the first count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the first large winning opening 2005, and then the second large winning opening 2006 is closed after the second count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the second large winning opening 2006 after the first large winning opening 2005 is opened for a long time (for example, 28.5 seconds), and this opening and closing pattern is repeated 4 times (4 rounds) to control a 5R jackpot game in which the game ball B can (easily) enter the first large winning opening 2005 and the second large winning opening 2006, and if the next jackpot game does not occur until the first special symbol variation display is executed 5 times or the second special symbol variation display is executed 1 time after the jackpot game ends, the time-saving state B is controlled to be ended.

In addition, the jackpot pattern determination table compared with the first pattern random number has 6 judgment values allocated to it when it is a 14R time-saving jackpot A, and 94 judgment values allocated to it when it is a 5R time-saving jackpot A. In other words, when a lottery result based on the first special random number results in a jackpot, there is a 6% probability that it will be a 14R time-saving jackpot A, and a 94% probability that it will be a 5R time-saving jackpot A. Similarly, the jackpot pattern determination table compared with the second pattern random number has 58 judgment values allocated to it when it is a 14R time-saving jackpot B, and 42 judgment values allocated to it when it is a 5R time-saving jackpot B. In other words, when a lottery result based on the second special random number results in a jackpot, there is a 58% probability that it will be a 14R time-saving jackpot B, and a 42% probability that it will be a 5R time-saving jackpot B. In this way, the pachinko machine 1 of this example is configured so that the probability of determining a 14R time-saving jackpot is higher in the jackpot pattern determination table compared to the second pattern random number than in the jackpot pattern determination table compared to the first pattern random number, and the player is in a more advantageous state when the variable display of the second special pattern based on the start winning at the second start hole 2004 is executed than the variable display of the first special pattern based on the start winning at the first start hole 2002.

If the lottery result indicates a jackpot, the game state after the jackpot game ends is determined according to the type of jackpot. Then, in the jackpot control process (step S40), after controlling the jackpot game, a process is executed to set a time-saving flag based on the result of the determination, and a process is executed to set the number of time-saving times according to the type of jackpot in the time-saving times counter.

Specifically, when it is determined that a "14R Time-Shortened Jackpot A" or "14R Time-Shortened Jackpot B" jackpot has been obtained, the time-shortened state is maintained until the special symbol (the sum of the first and second special symbols) changes 100 times after 14 rounds of jackpot play has been performed, and when it is determined that a "5R Time-Shortened Jackpot A" or "5R Time-Shortened Jackpot B" jackpot has been obtained, the time-shortened state is maintained until the first special symbol changes 5 times or the second special symbol changes 1 time after 5 rounds of jackpot play has been performed. In this way, when a lottery result indicating a jackpot is obtained by a lottery based on the first special random number, the time-shortened state is always maintained after the jackpot play ends, and similarly, when a lottery result indicating a jackpot is obtained by a lottery based on the second special random number, the time-shortened state is always maintained after the jackpot play ends. However, if the "14R Time-Shortened Jackpot A" or "14R Time-Shortened Jackpot B" jackpot is obtained, the game is controlled to the time-shortened state for a longer period after the jackpot game is played than if the "5R Time-Shortened Jackpot A" or "5R Time-Shortened Jackpot B" jackpot is obtained.

In addition, if the 14R time-saving jackpot A is determined, the 14R time-saving jackpot A pattern is determined as the 14R jackpot pattern for the first special pattern, and if the 5R time-saving jackpot A is determined, the 5R time-saving jackpot A pattern is determined as the 5R jackpot pattern for the first special pattern. In addition, if the 14R time-saving jackpot B is determined in the second special pattern stop pattern setting process, the 14R time-saving jackpot B pattern is determined as the 14R jackpot pattern for the second special pattern, and if the 5R time-saving jackpot B is determined, the 5R time-saving jackpot B pattern is determined as the 5R jackpot pattern for the second special pattern.

In addition, if the jackpot flag is not set, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 determines a losing symbol (step S136).

After the determination process for the stopping symbols has been performed in this manner, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 sets a judgment result notification command corresponding to each of the lottery results so that the lottery results (indicating the type of big win, small win, reach miss, or miss (which may also indicate the type of stopping symbol of the first special symbol)) are sent to the peripheral control board 1510 as the process of step S137. Then, as the process of step S138, the first special symbol process flag is updated so that the process is transferred to the first variation pattern setting process (step S82), at which point this process ends.

The peripheral control MPU controls the display of the performance display device 1600 based on the received judgment result notification command and variation pattern command. The performance display device 1600 displays a variably decorative pattern corresponding to the first special pattern on the first special pattern display of the function display unit 1400. Specifically, the peripheral control MPU determines the state (stop pattern) of the decorative pattern when it stops changing to a jackpot pattern (a combination of the left, center, and right decorative patterns of the same pattern [0] to [8]) if it identifies a jackpot from the received judgment result notification command, determines a miss pattern with a reach (a combination of the left and right decorative patterns of the same pattern [0] to [8] with a different center decorative pattern; a reach miss pattern) if it identifies a miss, determines a miss pattern without a reach (a combination of the left, center, and right decorative patterns in which at least the left and right decorative patterns are different), and controls the display of the determined stop pattern when the change time specified from the change pattern command has elapsed (at the end of the game presentation).

Figure 496 is a flowchart showing the steps for the first variation pattern setting process (step S82).

When the first special symbol process flag indicates that the first variation pattern setting process should be performed, as shown in FIG. 496, if the jackpot flag is set (step S141), the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 selects a variation pattern table (not shown) for the type of jackpot determined in step S132 of the first special symbol stop symbol setting process (step S142); if the reach flag is set (step S145), it selects a variation pattern table for reach (not shown) (step S146); if neither the jackpot flag nor the reach flag is set, that is, if it is a normal miss (a miss that does not execute a reach performance), it selects a variation pattern table for miss (not shown) (step S147).

Then, the selected variation pattern table is compared with the variation random number read in step S102 of the normal processing of the first special symbol to determine the variation pattern to be executed (step S148), and a variation pattern command is set to notify the peripheral control board 1510 that the determined variation pattern is to be started, to start the variation display of the first special symbol displayed on the first special symbol display of the function display unit 1400 (step S149). In addition, the main control MPU sets the variation time set corresponding to the determined variation pattern in the variation timer (step S150). As a result, the variation display control of the first special symbol is performed on the first special symbol display of the function display unit 1400 for only the variation time determined in this way, and the performance control is performed on the performance display device 1600 in synchronization with the variation display of the special symbol.

In this example, multiple types of variation pattern tables are provided for each judgment result based on the special random number (first special random number, second special random number) and the pattern random number (first pattern random number, second pattern random number). In addition, multiple variation time information indicating a predetermined time (variation time) required for variable display control of the special pattern (first special pattern, second special pattern) is stored in a form associated with the variable random number, respectively, in the variation pattern set in each variation pattern table. Thus, the main control MPU compares the selected variation pattern table among multiple types of variation pattern tables according to the judgment result based on the special random number and the pattern random number with the variable random number read in step S102 of the first special pattern normal processing, and obtains the variation time information associated with the read variable random number from this table to determine the variation pattern of the special pattern (first special pattern, second special pattern). As a result, a lottery process is performed for the variation pattern of the special pattern (first special pattern, second special pattern). The variation pattern table is stored in the main control's built-in ROM.

In addition, in the variable pattern table at the time of a reach in this example, the type of reach performance to be executed is determined by comparing the judgment value indicating which reach performance to execute with the variable random number. For example, 164 types of variable random numbers out of 241 types of variable random numbers are set as judgment values (0 to 163) indicating that one of the normal reach performances will be executed, 59 types of variable random numbers are set as judgment values (164 to 222) indicating that one of the super reach performances with a low expectation of a jackpot will be executed, and 18 types of variable random numbers are set as judgment values (223 to 240) indicating that one of the super reach performances with a high expectation of a jackpot will be executed. Note that the super reach performance has a higher expectation of a jackpot than the normal reach performance, and for players hoping for a jackpot, the expectation of the player for a jackpot game increases when the super reach performance is executed.

In addition, in the variation pattern table of this example, the variation time corresponding to the first special random number is set to 13 to 60 seconds in the non-time-saving state and 4 to 60 seconds in the time-saving state, and similarly, the variation time corresponding to the second special random number is set to 13 to 60 seconds in the non-time-saving state and 2 to 60 seconds in the time-saving state.

When the variable display control of the first special symbol is started, the next step S151 is to determine whether the counter value of the time-saving count counter, which sets the number of times the time-saving state continues, is "0". If the counter value is not "0", the time-saving count counter is counted down (step S152), and then it is further determined whether the counter value of the simultaneous time-saving count counter is "0" (step S153). If the counter value is "0", a time-saving end flag is set (step S154) to indicate that the time-saving control is to be ended.

If the time-saving counter is determined to have a value of "0" in step S151, or if the time-saving counter is determined to not have a value of "0" in step S153, the process moves to step S155. Then, when the first special symbol process flag is updated (step S155) to move to the first special symbol change process (step S83), the process ends.

Figure 497 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the first special pattern change process (step S83).

When the first special symbol process flag indicates that the first special symbol fluctuation process should be performed, as shown in FIG. 497, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first subtracts 1 from the fluctuation timer in which the fluctuation time corresponding to the fluctuation pattern determined in the lottery process for the fluctuation pattern (step S82) is set as the process of step S171. Then, when it is determined that the fluctuation time timer is 0, that is, the lottery-selected fluctuation time has elapsed (step S172), the process proceeds to step S173. That is, in the process of step S173, when the first special symbol process flag is updated so that the process proceeds to the first special symbol stop process (step S84), this process ends.

Figure 498 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the first special pattern stopping process (step S84).

When the first special pattern process flag indicates that the first special pattern stop process should be performed, as shown in FIG. 498, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first performs display control to display the stop pattern determined in the first special pattern stop pattern setting process on the first special pattern display of the functional display unit 1400 as the process of step S181, and sets a stop display command to instruct the performance display device 1600 to derive and display the display result of the decorative pattern corresponding to the stop pattern of the first special pattern as a command to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S182).

Next, when the time-saving end flag is set (step S183), the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 resets the time-saving end flag (step S184) and resets the time-saving flag (step S185). This ends the time-saving control and starts control of the non-time-saving state when the variable display of the special symbols (first special symbol, second special symbol) has been performed a predetermined number of times (in this example, 100 times, 1 time, or 5 times).

In addition, in the time-saving state, in order to make the game ball B enter the second starting hole 2004, an instruction recommending a so-called right hit (hereinafter also referred to as a right hit instruction) is executed using the performance display device 1600 and a speaker, etc. Then, as described above, when a predetermined number of special pattern changes are completed after the time-saving state starts, the time-saving state ends, and the normal state (non-time-saving state) is resumed. When the normal state is resumed, the right hit instruction ends, and an instruction recommending a so-called left hit (hereinafter also referred to as a left hit instruction) is executed using the performance display device 1600 and a speaker, etc.

For example, if the number of time-saving cycles is 100 (i.e., the time-saving cycle ends when 100 special symbol variations have occurred since the time-saving cycle began), then, for example, by inserting game ball B into second starting hole 2004 during the 100th variation from the start of the time-saving cycle (i.e., the final variation of the time-saving cycle), a maximum of four second special symbol variations can be performed in the normal state after the time-saving cycle ends.

In other words, after the time-saving state ends, the second special symbol change (which can mainly be performed during the time-saving state) is executed, but since the state is still normal, a state occurs in which a left-hit command is executed, which is a different hitting method from during the time-saving state.

Hereinafter, it is assumed that the maximum of four second special symbol fluctuations includes a jackpot fluctuation. In this case, when the jackpot fluctuation ends, the jackpot game starts, and in the jackpot game, the right-hit command is executed in the same way as during the time-saving state in order to cause game ball B to enter the jackpot hole.

In addition, in the normal state after the time-saving feature has ended, if the player hits from the right, it is difficult for the game ball B to enter the second starting hole 2004, so there is less opportunity to receive a special pattern lottery compared to when the player hits from the left, meaning the probability of winning a jackpot is reduced. On the other hand, if the player hits from the right without following the left-hit instruction, the player can receive a lottery that is advantageous to the player, which is different from the special lottery such as the normal lottery when the game ball B passes through the gate unit 2003. In addition, if the player hits from the right, the probability of receiving a payout of the game ball B when the game ball B enters the general winning hole 2001 is increased. However, if the player hits from the right in such a situation where the player should hit from the left (specifically, for example, when a predetermined number of game balls B pass through the gate unit 2003 within a predetermined time), a left-hit warning effect is executed to warn the player to hit from the left. The left-hit warning effect is an effect that does not appear in a situation where the player should hit from the right, such as in the time-saving state or during a jackpot game.

Also, by hitting left after the time-saving feature has finished, it is possible that the first special symbol change for a jackpot will be reserved before the second special symbol change, which is the jackpot change, ends. In this case, it is also possible to reserve multiple first special symbol changes for a jackpot (up to four). For example, if two of the four reserved first special symbol changes are jackpot reserves, the two reserved jackpots may be consecutive, or there may be one or two missing reserves between the two reserved jackpots.

Therefore, unless game ball B is inserted into the second winning opening 2004, the maximum number of variations that will be executed between the end of the jackpot game using the first reserved jackpot and the execution of the jackpot game using the second reserved jackpot is three. Also, if the maximum number (four) of reserved jackpots for the first special pattern variations is obtained, a jackpot game using reserved jackpots will be executed for each special pattern variation unless game ball B is inserted into the second winning opening 2004.

In addition, if a missing first special pattern change is reserved between two reserved jackpots of the first special pattern change, by having game ball B enter second winning slot 2004 after the jackpot game based on the first reserved jackpot has ended, the second special pattern change is executed with priority, so that the activation of the jackpot game based on the second reserved jackpot can be delayed.

The probability of reserving the first special symbol variation for one jackpot is higher than the probability of reserving the first special symbol variation for multiple jackpots (up to four first special symbol variations can be reserved, but the probability of a jackpot in the first special lottery is low, for example 1/100 or 1/319).

Return to the explanation of the flowchart. When the jackpot flag is set (step S186), the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 sets a jackpot start command indicating that the jackpot game is to start (step S187), and sets the waiting time until the start of the jackpot game (the time to display the jackpot game start, etc.) in the interval timer (step S188). Although not shown, in step S188, a process is also executed to set the number of rounds according to the type of jackpot to a jackpot counter indicating the remaining number of rounds. The jackpot counter is decremented by one for each execution of a round in the jackpot control process described later, and when the jackpot counter becomes "0", the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 determines that the specified number of rounds has been executed and controls to end the jackpot game. Specifically, in the jackpot control process described below, the pre-opening process (step S91) and the process during the opening of the large prize opening (step S92) are repeatedly executed until the jackpot count counter reaches "0", and when the round ends in the process during the opening of the large prize opening (step S92), the jackpot count counter is decremented by 1 and, based on the jackpot count reaching "0", the process moves to the post-opening process (step S93) to end the jackpot game.

Then, a jackpot execution flag indicating that a jackpot game is being executed is set (step S189). The jackpot start command is a command sent to the peripheral control board 1510, and is prepared individually according to the type of jackpot. In step S187, a jackpot start command (14R time-saving jackpot A start command, 5R time-saving jackpot A start command) corresponding to the type of jackpot (14R time-saving jackpot A, 5R time-saving jackpot A) is set. As a result, the performance of the jackpot game according to the type of jackpot instructed by the jackpot start command is executed by the performance display device 1600, lamps, LEDs, speakers, etc. In addition, in the second special symbol stop processing of the second special symbol process processing, a jackpot start command (14R time-saving jackpot B start command, 5R time-saving jackpot B start command) corresponding to the type of jackpot (14R time-saving jackpot B, 5R time-saving jackpot B) is set.

In addition, the jackpot in progress flag, which indicates that a jackpot game is in progress, is reset when the jackpot game ends, specifically when the opening and closing control of the first large prize opening 2005 according to the type of jackpot in the post-opening large prize opening process (step S93) of the jackpot control process (step S40) has ended (for all rounds that can be executed in the jackpot game) (for example, opening and closing control that repeats an opening and closing pattern 14 or 5 times to close the first large prize opening 2005 after it has been opened for a long period of time (for example, 28.5 seconds) or when the first count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the first large prize opening 2005). By resetting the jackpot execution flag, the jackpot control process (step S40) is prevented from being executed in step S35 of the special pattern process process (step S14), while the display of the first special pattern change on the first special pattern display of the function display unit 1400 and the display of the second special pattern change on the second special pattern display of the function display unit 1400 are made executable.

Also, when the big win flag is not set (step S186), if the small win flag is set (step S190), the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 sets a small win start command indicating that a small win game is to be started (step S191), and sets the waiting time until the start of the small win game (the time to display the fact that a small win game is to be started, etc.) in the interval timer (step S192). Then, a small win execution flag indicating that a small win game is being executed is set (step S193). The small win start command is a command sent to the peripheral control board 1510, and is prepared individually according to the type of small win. In step S191, a small win start command (5R small win A1 start command, 5R small win A2 start command, 14R small win A start command) according to the type of small win (5R small win A1, 5R small win A2, 14R small win A) is set. As a result, the presentation of the small win game according to the type of small win specified by the small win start command is executed by the presentation display device 1600, lamps, LEDs, speakers, etc. Also, in the second special symbol stop processing of the second special symbol process processing, a small win start command (5R small win B1 start command, 5R small win B2 start command, 14R small win B start command) according to the type of small win (5R small win B1, 5R small win B2, 14R small win B) is set.

The small win in progress flag, which indicates that a small win game is being played, is reset when the small win game ends, specifically when the opening and closing control of the first large winning opening 2005 according to the type of small win is completed in the small win in progress process (step S401) of the small win control process (step S41) described later (for example, the opening and closing control to close the first large winning opening 2005 after opening (for example, 1.8 seconds) or when the first count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the first large winning opening 2005). By resetting the small win in progress flag, the small win control process (step S41) is not executed in step S36 of the special pattern process process (step S14), while the display of the change of the first special pattern on the first special pattern display of the function display unit 1400 and the display of the change of the second special pattern on the second special pattern display of the function display unit 1400 are executable.

In addition, if the small win flag is not set, i.e., if a miss occurs, the waiting time until the next variable display of the special symbol begins (the time during which the static special symbol is displayed) is set in the interval timer (step S194), and the process proceeds to step S195.

When the processing of steps S186 to S194 is executed, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 ends this processing when it updates the first special symbol process flag so that the process is shifted to the initial value of the first special symbol normal processing (step S195).

Figure 499 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the jackpot control process (step S40). In the jackpot control process, one of the following three processes is selectively executed depending on the jackpot process flag.

1. A pre-opening process (step S91) for waiting until the peripheral control board 1510 notifies the player that the game will move to the jackpot game based on the fact that the state of the special symbols (first special symbol, second special symbol) when the variable display stops has become a jackpot symbol, or until the next round starts.
2. A process (step S92) during which the first large prize opening 2005 and the second large prize opening 2006 are controlled to be open based on the state of the special symbol when the variable display stops becoming a big win symbol, or the first large prize opening 2005 and the second large prize opening 2006 are controlled to be open based on the start of the next round, and the first large prize opening 2005 and the second large prize opening 2006 are closed after being opened for a long time (e.g., 28.5 seconds) or when the first count sensor or the second count sensor detects that 10 game balls B have entered the first large prize opening 2005 or the second large prize opening 2006.
3. A post-opening process of waiting until the peripheral control board 1510 notifies the player that the jackpot game has ended when all rounds have ended (step S93).

The jackpot process flag is operated in the processing of step S1 (see FIG. 486) to indicate that the pre-opening process (step S91) of the jackpot opening should be performed. In addition, in the processing during opening of the jackpot opening (step S92), at the start of a round in which the first jackpot opening 2005 and the second jackpot opening 2006 are controlled to be open, a jackpot round start command corresponding to the number of rounds is set, and at the end of a round in which the first jackpot opening 2005 and the second jackpot opening 2006 are controlled to be closed, a jackpot round end command corresponding to the number of rounds is set. The jackpot round start command and the jackpot round end command are commands sent to the peripheral control board 1510, and the jackpot game presentation corresponding to the number of rounds instructed by the jackpot round start command and the jackpot round end command is executed by the presentation display device 1600, lamps, LEDs, speakers, etc.

Figure 500 is a flow chart showing the procedure for the small hit control process (step S41) described above. In the small hit process, one of the following two processes is selectively executed depending on the small hit process flag.

1. Small win start process (step S400) for executing a setting process for starting a small win game
2. Small win processing (step S401) for monitoring the entry and release time of game ball B during a small win game

The small win process flag is manipulated in the processing of step S1 (see FIG. 486) to indicate that the small win start processing (step S400) should be performed. Also, when the entry of game ball B into a specific area is detected during the small win processing, the big win execution flag is set, and the number of rounds that can be executed in the big win game according to the type of small win (4 rounds for a 5R small win, 13 rounds for a 14R small win) is set in the big win counter, and the processing ends. This allows the big win game to start immediately after the small win game.

Figure 501 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the normal pattern process (step S15).

Now, in the processing of step S801, if it is determined that the detection signal from the gate sensor 2801 is in the ON state and that game ball B has passed through the gate section 2003, as shown in FIG. 501, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 performs gate section passing processing as the processing of step S802, such as first obtaining the normal random number of the normal pattern from the random number counter and storing it in the normal pattern reserved memory area of the RAM.

Next, in the normal pattern process, one of the following five processes is selectively executed depending on the normal pattern process flag.

1. A normal random number stored in the RAM of the main control MPU is read, and a lottery process for the display mode when the variable control of the normal symbol is stopped is performed based on the read normal random number (step S803).
2. A normal symbol variation pattern determination process (step S804) in which a lottery process is performed on the variation mode (variation time) of the normal symbol displayed on the normal symbol display device of the function display unit 1400 based on the normal symbol variation random number.
3. Ordinary symbol variation processing that waits until the variable display of the ordinary symbol on the ordinary symbol display device of the function display unit 1400 is stopped (step S805)
4. A normal pattern stop process (step S806) for stopping the variable display of the normal pattern so that the display mode at the time of stopping the variable control of the normal pattern determined based on the result of the lottery process for the display mode at the time of stopping the variable control of the normal pattern is displayed on the normal pattern display device of the function display unit 1400.
5. When the result of the lottery process regarding the state when the variable control of the normal pattern is stopped indicates a state that suggests a "normal pattern hit", a normal electric role opening process (step S807) is executed to control the reception of the game ball B to the second starting hole 2004.

The normal symbol process flag is manipulated in the above-mentioned step S1 processing (see FIG. 486) to indicate that the normal symbol normal processing (step S803) should be performed.

Figure 502 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the gate section passing process (step S802).

Now, in the processing of step S801, if it is determined that the detection signal from the gate sensor 2801 is in the ON state and that game ball B has passed through the gate portion 2003, then, as shown in FIG. 502, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310, in the processing of step S811, first obtains the counter value of the normal reserved number counter, which indicates the number of normal random numbers stored in the normal symbol reserved memory area, from the RAM of the main control MPU. Then, based on this counter value, it is determined whether the reserved memory number of normal symbols is the maximum value of "4".

If it is determined in step S811 that the reserved memory number of the normal symbol is not its maximum value, the following steps S812 to S814 are performed to set the variable display control of the normal symbol to a new reserved state. That is, first, in step S812, the normal reserved number counter is counted up (added by 1). Next, in step S813, the normal random number and the normal variable random number are obtained from the random number counter. Next, in step S814, the random numbers thus obtained are stored in the normal symbol reserved memory area of the memory area of the RAM of the main control MPU that corresponds to the counter value of the normal reserved number counter.

However, if it is determined in the process of step S811 that the reserved memory number of the normal symbol is at its maximum value, the variable display control of the normal symbol is not newly reserved. In other words, by not executing the processes of steps S812 to S814 (not acquiring the normal random number and the normal symbol variable random number from the random number counter), the variable display control of the normal symbol is not newly placed on hold.

The gate passage process (step S802) may be performed as in another example described below. For example, if the detection signal from the gate sensor 2801 is in the ON state and it is determined that game ball B has passed through the gate 2003, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first obtains the normal random number and the normal variable random number from the random number counter and stores them in a temporary storage area. After that, the counter value from the normal reserved number counter is obtained from the RAM of the main control MPU, and a determination is made based on this counter value as to whether the reserved memory number of normal symbols is the maximum value of "4". If it is determined that the reserved memory number of the normal pattern is not the maximum value, the normal reserved number counter is counted up (added by 1) to newly place the variable display control of the normal pattern in a reserved state, and then the previously acquired normal random number and the normal pattern variable random number (the normal random number and the normal pattern variable random number stored in the temporary memory area) are stored in the normal pattern reserved memory area corresponding to the counter value by the normal reserved number counter in the memory area of the RAM of the main control MPU. On the other hand, if the counter value by the normal reserved number counter is acquired from the RAM of the main control MPU and it is determined that this counter value is the maximum value of "4" (if the reserved memory number of the normal pattern is the maximum value), the previously acquired normal random number and the normal pattern variable random number are discarded without being stored in the normal pattern reserved memory area, and the variable display control of the acquired normal pattern is not newly reserved.

Figure 503 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the normal processing of normal symbols (step S803).

When the normal symbol process flag indicates that the normal symbol normal processing should be performed, as shown in FIG. 503, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first determines whether there is a variable display control of the normal symbol in the reserved state based on the counter value of the normal reserved number counter as the processing of step S821. If it is determined that there is a variable display control of the normal symbol in the reserved state, then, as the processing of step S822, the random number stored in the earliest memory area of the random numbers related to the display mode of the normal symbol (e.g., normal random number, normal symbol variable random number) stored in the normal symbol reserved memory area of the RAM of the main control MPU is read from the same RAM. Next, in steps S823 and S824, the normal reserved number counter is counted down, and the random numbers (normal random numbers, normal pattern variable random numbers) related to the display mode when the variable display of the normal pattern stops, which are stored in each memory area of the normal reserved memory area of the RAM of the main control MPU, are shifted in a first-in, first-out manner.

Specifically, the normal symbol reserved memory area has four memory areas 1 to 4, and random numbers extracted in response to the passage of game ball B through the gate unit 2003 are stored in the first (first) area in order. Then, when a random number is stored in the nth (n = 1 to 3) memory area, the extracted random number is stored in the n+1th (n = 1 to 3) memory area when game ball B passes through the gate unit 2003, and when the start condition for variable display based on the random number stored in the first memory area is met, the various random numbers stored in the first memory area are read out and the various random numbers stored in the Nth (N = 2 to 4) memory area are moved to the N-1th (N = 2 to 4) memory area. This allows the order in which the variable display control of the normal symbols is reserved to be specified, and the reservations of the variable display control are released in order starting from the first reservation (the reservation that occurred first).

Next, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 compares the normal random number read in step S822 with the normal hit determination table shown in FIG. 504 (A) (step S828).

The normal winning judgment table shown in FIG. 504(A) is stored in the ROM of the main control MPU. In the normal winning judgment table, which is referenced for comparison with the normal random numbers, the normal random numbers are associated with the normal winning judgment values, which indicate that all 10 types of normal random numbers have won a normal winning. In other words, in this example, when game ball B passes through the gate section 2003, a normal winning will always occur.

When the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 judges that the normal symbol is a winning symbol as a result of comparing the normal symbol winning judgment table with the normal random number read in step S822 of the normal symbol normal processing, it sets a normal symbol winning flag indicating that the corresponding variation is a winning normal symbol (step S830) and determines the normal symbol as the pattern when the normal symbol variation control stops (the normal symbol stopping pattern) (step S831). On the other hand, when it judges that the normal symbol is not a winning symbol in step S829, it determines the normal symbol as the pattern when the normal symbol variation control stops (the normal symbol stopping pattern) as a losing normal symbol (step S833).

After the lottery process for the normal symbols has been performed in this manner, in step S834, a normal symbol determination result notification command corresponding to each lottery result is set so that these lottery results (indicating either a normal symbol win or a loss) are sent to the peripheral control board 1510. Then, in step S835, the normal symbol process flag is updated so that the process is transferred to the normal symbol variation pattern determination process (step S804), at which point this process ends.

Figure 505 is a flow chart showing the procedure for the normal symbol variation pattern determination process (step S804). When the normal symbol process flag indicates that the normal symbol variation pattern determination process should be performed, as shown in Figure 505, if the time-saving flag is set (step S841), the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 selects the normal symbol variation pattern determination table during time-saving (step S842), and if the time-saving flag is set (step S841), selects the normal symbol variation pattern determination table during non-time-saving (step S843).

Then, the selected normal pattern change pattern determination table is compared with the normal pattern change random number read in step S822 of normal processing of the normal pattern to determine the normal pattern change pattern to be executed (normal pattern change pattern) (step S844), and a normal pattern change pattern command is set to notify the peripheral control board 1510 of the start of normal pattern change in the determined normal pattern change pattern, thereby starting the display of the normal pattern change displayed on the normal pattern display of the function display unit 1400 (step S845).

When the main control MPU determines the normal pattern change pattern, it sets the normal pattern change time corresponding to the determined normal pattern change pattern in the normal pattern change timer (step S846). As a result, the performance control is performed on the normal pattern display device of the function display unit 1400 (display of the change in the normal pattern) for the normal pattern change time corresponding to the determined normal pattern change pattern.

In addition, in the normal symbol fluctuation pattern determination table during non-time-saving in this example, the normal symbol fluctuation time is set to 20 seconds. On the other hand, in the normal symbol fluctuation pattern determination table during time-saving in this example, the normal symbol fluctuation time is set to 0.8 seconds so that the normal symbol fluctuation time is shorter than that in the normal symbol fluctuation pattern determination table during non-time-saving. The normal symbol fluctuation pattern determination table is stored in the ROM of the main control MPU.

In addition, when the normal pattern variable display control is started, the next step S847 is to update the normal pattern process flag so that the process transitions to the normal pattern variable processing (step S805), at which point this processing ends.

Figure 506 is a flow chart showing the procedure for the normal symbol change process (step S805). When the normal symbol process flag indicates that the normal symbol change process should be performed, as shown in Figure 506, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first subtracts 1 from the normal symbol change timer in which the normal symbol change time was set in step S846 as the process of step S851. Then, when it is determined that the normal symbol change time timer is 0, that is, the normal symbol change time has elapsed (step S852), the process proceeds to step S853. That is, in the process of step S853, when the normal symbol process flag is updated so that the process proceeds to the first special symbol stop process (step S806), this process ends.

Figure 507 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the normal symbol stopping process (step S806).

When the normal symbol process flag indicates that the normal symbol stop processing should be performed, as shown in FIG. 507, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 first performs display control in step S861 to display the normal symbol stop pattern determined in the normal normal symbol processing on the normal symbol display of the functional display unit 1400, and sets a normal symbol stop display command to notify the derived display of the first special symbol stop pattern as a command to the peripheral control board 1510 (step S862).

Next, when the normal winning flag is set (step S863), the opening pattern of the second starting hole 2004 corresponding to the current game state is set using the opening pattern table for normal winning shown in FIG. 504 (B) (step S864).

Specifically, if the second starting hole 2004 is controlled to be in a non-time-saving state when it starts to open, the opening pattern A is set as the opening pattern of the second starting hole 2004. That is, if the second starting hole 2004 is controlled to be in a non-time-saving state when it starts to open, when a lottery result based on a normal random number is obtained as a normal winning lottery result, the opening hole solenoid 2514 that opens and closes the second starting hole 2004 is turned on, and the opening pattern A is executed in which the second starting hole 2004 opens and closes in a short opening mode (0.05 seconds in this example). As a result, when the opening pattern A is executed as the opening pattern of the second starting hole 2004, the time for which the second starting hole 2004 opens is short, and it is difficult to enter a game ball when the second starting hole 2004 is in an open state. That is, even if the second starting hole 2004 opens and closes in a non-time-saving state, almost no game balls enter the hole.

On the other hand, if the second starting hole 2004 is controlled to the time-saving state when it starts to open, opening pattern B is set as the opening pattern of the second starting hole 2004. In other words, if the second starting hole 2004 is controlled to the non-time-saving state when it starts to open, when a lottery result based on a normal random number results in a normal winning lottery, opening pattern B is executed in which the starting hole solenoid 2514 that opens and closes the second starting hole 2004 is turned on and the second starting hole 2004 opens and closes in a long opening mode (1.5 seconds in this example). As a result, when opening pattern B is executed as the opening pattern of the second starting hole 2004, the second starting hole 2004 opens for a long time, and the game ball can enter when the second starting hole 2004 is in the open state.

When the opening pattern of the second starting hole 2004 is set, the next step S885 is to set a normal winning start command indicating that a normal winning game is to start, and when the normal pattern process flag is updated to transition to the normal electric role opening process (step S866), this process ends. The normal winning start command is a command sent to the peripheral control board 1510, and the normal winning game presentation according to the type of normal winning game instructed by the normal winning start command can be executed by the presentation display device 1600, lamps, LEDs, speakers, etc.

In addition, if the normal symbol hit flag is not set in step S864, the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 ends this process when it updates the normal symbol process flag so that the process is shifted to the initial value of normal symbol normal processing (step S868).

Figure 508 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the normal electric feature release process (step S807).

Now, if it is determined in the processing of step S871 that the second starting port 2004 is in an open state, as shown in FIG. 508, if a predetermined time (the opening time of the second starting port 2004 in the opening pattern set in step S865) has elapsed since the second starting port 2004 was controlled to an open state (step S872), the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 turns off the starting port solenoid 2514 that opens and closes the second starting port 2004, and controls the second starting port 2004 to a closed state (step S873), and ends this processing.

Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S871 that the second starting port 2004 is in a closed state, then as shown in FIG. 508, if it is time to open the second starting port 2004 (step S874), the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 turns on the starting port solenoid 2514 that opens and closes the second starting port 2004, and controls the second starting port 2004 to an open state (step S875), and ends this processing.

In addition, in the process of step S871, if it is not the timing to open the second start hole 2004, as shown in FIG. 508, when the number of times the second start hole 2004 is opened reaches a predetermined number (the number of times the second start hole 2004 is opened in the opening pattern set in step S865) (step S876), the main control MPU of the main control board 1310 sets a normal winning end command (step S877). Then, when the normal pattern process flag is updated so that the process is transferred to the initial value of normal pattern normal processing (step S878), this process ends. The normal winning end command is sent to the peripheral control board 1510, and when the peripheral control board 1510 receives the normal winning end command, it can end the performance of the normal winning game being executed by the performance display device 1600, lamps, LEDs, speakers, etc.

[11. Control process of peripheral control board]
Next, a description will be given of the processing executed by the peripheral control MPU mounted on the peripheral control board 1510. Fig. 509 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure for the control performed by the peripheral control MPU mounted on the peripheral control board 1510 when the power supply to the pachinko machine 1 is turned on.

As shown in FIG. 509, when power supply to the pachinko machine 1 is started, the peripheral control MPU performs an initial setting process (step S501). This initial setting process includes processes such as clearing the RAM built into the peripheral control MPU mounted on the peripheral control board 1510. Note that interrupts are prohibited during this initial setting process, and are permitted after the initial setting process. When the initial setting process (step S501) ends, a loop process is started to monitor whether the 16 mS elapsed flag T has been set (step S502).

In this embodiment, the peripheral control MPU generates an interrupt every 2 ms and executes the 2 ms steady process. In the 2 ms steady process, the 16 ms progress monitoring counter is counted up (the 16 ms progress monitoring counter is incremented by 1), and when the value of the 16 ms progress monitoring counter reaches 8, i.e., when 16 ms have passed, the 16 ms progress flag T is set and the 16 ms progress monitoring counter is reset (to 0). In this way, the 16 ms progress flag T is set to "1" every 16 ms in the 2 ms steady process, and is normally set to "0". When the 16 ms progress flag is set in step S502 (the 16 ms progress flag T is "1"), the 16 ms progress flag is reset (step S503), and then the 16 ms steady process is executed (step S504).

In this 16 ms steady-state processing, processing is executed to control the performance display device 1600, lamps/LEDs, speakers, etc., based on commands received from the main control board 1310. When the 16 ms steady-state processing is completed, the process returns to step S502, and the above-mentioned steps S503 to S504 are repeated every time the 16 ms elapsed flag T is set, that is, every 16 ms. On the other hand, if the 16 ms elapsed flag T is not set in step S502 (the 16 ms elapsed flag T is "0"), loop processing is executed until the 16 ms elapsed flag T is set.

Figure 510 is a flow chart showing an example of 16 ms steady-state processing executed every 16 ms in the sub-main processing. In the 16 ms steady-state processing, the peripheral control MPU executes the processes of steps S601 to S606. In the command analysis process of step S601, the command received from the main control board 1310 is analyzed. In the performance control process of step S602, control processing related to the performance display device 1600 is executed based on the reception of the fluctuation pattern command transmitted by being set in the fluctuation pattern setting process (step S149 of the first fluctuation pattern setting process, step S149a of the second fluctuation pattern setting process).

In addition, in the sound control process of step S603, control processes related to the speaker provided in the pachinko machine 1 are executed. In the lamp control process of step S604, control processes related to the lamps and LEDs provided in the pachinko machine 1 are executed. In the information output process of step S605, processes such as sending lamp and LED lighting signals to various decorative boards 184, 273, etc. are executed. In the random number update process of step S606, processes are executed to update the random numbers used for various settings in the performance control process (step S602).

The processing of steps S601 to S606 in the 16 ms steady-state processing is completed within 16 ms. Even if it takes more than 16 ms from the start of the 16 ms steady-state processing to the end of the 16 ms steady-state processing, the 16 ms steady-state processing is not executed from the beginning (from the command analysis processing of step S601) immediately after 16 ms have elapsed since the start of the 16 ms steady-state processing. In other words, if 16 ms have elapsed during the execution of the 16 ms steady-state processing, only the 16 ms elapsed flag is set, and the 16 ms steady-state processing is started when it is determined in step S502 after the end of the 16 ms steady-state processing that the 16 ms elapsed flag has been set.

In addition, in this embodiment, the random number update process (step S606) is executed in the 16 ms steady-state processing to update the various random numbers, but the timing for updating the various random numbers is not limited to this. For example, the various random numbers may be updated in either or both of the loop processing in the sub-main processing and the 16 ms steady-state processing.

Figure 511 is a flowchart showing an example of the performance control process (step S602).

In the presentation control process, the peripheral control MPU selectively executes one of the following five process operations depending on the presentation process flag that indicates the progress of the game and is stored in the peripheral control MPU of the peripheral control board 1510.

1. After performing a process of controlling the performance display device 1600, LEDs, speakers, etc. based on a variation pattern command (a first variation pattern command indicating the variation pattern of the first special pattern, a second variation pattern command indicating the variation pattern of the second special pattern) that indicates the variation pattern of the special patterns (first special pattern, second special pattern) analyzed in the command analysis process, a variation performance start process (step S711) that changes the performance process flag to a value corresponding to the variation performance process
2. A process during a variable performance (step S712) in which the elapsed time from the start of control of the performance display device 1600, the LED, the speaker 921, etc. is measured, and a process for controlling the performance display device 1600, the LED, the speaker, etc. is performed according to the elapsed time, and the performance process flag is changed to a value according to the variable end process according to the variable time according to the variable pattern of the special pattern (first special pattern, second special pattern) has elapsed.
3. A process for deriving and displaying a predetermined display result based on receiving a stop display command instructing to stop the variable display of the special symbols (first special symbol, second special symbol), changing the above-mentioned performance process flag to a value corresponding to the variable performance start process if it is a miss, changing it to a value corresponding to the big win performance process if it is a big win, and changing it to a value corresponding to the small win performance process if it is a small win (step S713)
4. A jackpot performance process (step S714) in which a process for executing display control during a jackpot game is performed on the performance display device 1600 based on the reception of a jackpot start command instructing the start of a jackpot game, and the performance process flag is changed to a value corresponding to the variable performance start process when the jackpot game is ended.
5. A small win presentation process (step S715) for performing a process for executing display control during a small win game on the presentation display device 1600 based on the reception of a small win start command instructing the start of a small win game, and changing the presentation process flag to a value corresponding to a large win presentation start process when the small win game is ended if the game ball B received by the second large winning opening 2006 during the small win game is allocated to a specific area, and changing the flag to a value corresponding to a variable presentation start process if the game ball B is not allocated to a specific area.

By the above processing, the decorative pattern changing display is executed on the performance display device 1600 in synchronization with the changing display of the special patterns (first special pattern, second special pattern) executed on the special pattern display device (first special pattern display device of the functional display unit 1400, second special pattern display device of the functional display unit 1400).

[10. Variable control at the end of time-saving control]
As described above, in the time-saving state, the second start opening 2004 is controlled to open and close in an opening pattern different from that in the non-time-saving state. That is, if the time-saving state is in effect when the normal pattern variation executed by the normal pattern display of the function display unit 1400 stops, the second start opening 2004 is opened and closed in an opening pattern A of a short opening mode (0.05 seconds in this example), and if the time-saving state is in effect when the normal pattern variation executed by the normal pattern display of the function display unit 1400 stops, the second start opening 2004 is opened and closed in an opening pattern B of a long opening mode (1.5 seconds in this example).

In this way, the opening pattern of the second starting hole 2004 is changed based on the time when the normal pattern variation executed by the normal pattern display of the function display unit 1400 stops, so when the second starting hole 2004 is opened and closed just before the time-saving state ends (for example, in the case of time-saving state A where the number of time-saving times is 100, just before the 100th variation display of the special patterns (first special pattern, second special pattern) in the time-saving state stops, etc.), the second starting hole 2004 is opened and closed with opening pattern B of the long opening mode (1.5 seconds in this example) as the time-saving state. Also, if the time-saving state ends after the opening of the second starting hole 2004, the player may feel uncomfortable because the opening pattern in the time-saving state is being executed even though the time-saving state has ended. In addition, a start winning entry into the second start hole 2004 may occur at an unexpected time, such as after the pattern change has begun in the non-time-saving state following the end of the time-saving state, which may cause the game to proceed in a manner not intended by the game designer (in the non-time-saving state, the change display of the first special pattern is mainly executed and the change display of the second special pattern is rarely executed, but even in the non-time-saving state, a start winning entry occurs in the second start hole 2004 and the change display of the second special pattern is executed), which may cause the player to feel uncomfortable and reduce interest in the game.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this example, when the special symbols displayed in the special symbol display (first special symbol display, second special symbol display) of the function display unit 1400 are stopped at a losing symbol (for example, step S194 of the first special symbol stop processing), the interval timer is usually set to "0.5 seconds" as the waiting time (the time during which the stopped special symbol is displayed) until the next variable display of the special symbol begins. As described above, the interval timer is referenced in the first special symbol process processing (step S28) and the second special symbol process processing (step S39), and is controlled so that the variable display of the special symbols (first special symbol, second special symbol) on the special symbol display (first special symbol display, second special symbol display) of the function display unit 1400 does not begin until the interval timer times out.

When the time-saving state is ended, that is, when the pattern change of the special pattern (first special pattern, second special pattern) after the big win game reaches the time-saving count and the pattern change stops (when the last pattern change in the time-saving state stops), the interval timer is set to "2 seconds" as the waiting time (the time during which the stopped pattern of the special pattern is displayed) until the next special pattern change display starts. As described above, in the time-saving state, after the second start port 2004 is changed to the open state, the second start port 2004 is changed to the closed state when 1.5 seconds have passed. Therefore, by setting the interval timer to "2 seconds" when the last pattern change in the time-saving state stops and the time-saving state is ended, the second start port 2004 can be changed to the closed state before the pattern change of the special pattern in the non-time-saving state starts, and this makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of a start winning in the second start port 2004 after the pattern change of the special pattern in the non-time-saving state starts.

The period set in the interval timer when the final pattern change in the time-saving state stops and the time-saving state ends may be at least equal to the opening time of the second large winning opening 2006 in the time-saving state (in this example, "1.5 seconds") or more. Also, if the second large winning opening 2006 has not changed to an open state when the final pattern change in the time-saving state stops and the time-saving state ends, the same time as normal (in this example, "0.5 seconds") may be set as the waiting time until the next special pattern change display begins.

In this way, by suppressing the execution of the next special lottery (winning/losing determination) for a specified period of time regardless of the presence or absence of the first reserved number and the second reserved number when the last special lottery result in the time-saving state is derived (when the last pattern change in the time-saving state stops), the time-saving control that may continue after the last special lottery result in the time-saving state is derived (after the last pattern change in the time-saving state stops) can be terminated within the specified period of time, and an increase in the second reserved number after the time-saving control ends can be suppressed. This prevents the game from progressing in a manner unintended by the game designer, such as a start winning at the second start port 2004 occurring and a change display of the second special pattern being executed even though the time-saving state is not being reduced, and the game progress can be preferably realized in a manner intended by the game designer (the gameplay intended by the game designer), and a decrease in interest in the game can be suppressed by not giving a sense of incongruity to the player.

In the above example, the determination of whether or not the time-saving state is in progress (the determination of whether or not the time-saving state is to be ended) is based on the time when the normal pattern variation executed by the normal pattern display of the function display unit 1400 stops, but the determination of whether or not the time-saving state is in progress may be based on the time when the normal pattern variation executed by the normal pattern display of the function display unit 1400 starts (for example, when the above-mentioned normal pattern normal processing (step S803) is executed, or when the normal pattern variation pattern determination processing (S804) is executed). In this case, it is sufficient to set the period at least equal to or longer than the combined period of the variation time of the normal pattern variation executed by the normal pattern display of the function display unit 1400 during the time-saving state (normal pattern variation time: in this example, "0.8 seconds") and the opening time of the second large winning port 2006 in the time-saving state (in this example, "1.5 seconds").

The left hit instruction mentioned above (an instruction that appears when returning from the time-saving state to the normal state, recommending a left hit in order to get game ball B into the first starting hole 2002) may be executed before the start of the first normal fluctuation after the time-saving state ends. In other words, the left hit instruction may be executed across the start timing of the first normal fluctuation. Also, for example, the end timing of the left hit instruction may be before the end of the first normal fluctuation after the time-saving state ends, or after the end of the first normal fluctuation.

For example, the pattern stops during the final change after the time-saving state, and the left hit instruction starts after the pattern stops and before the first change after the time-saving state ends. The left hit instruction using the performance display device 1600 may start after the left hit instruction using the speaker starts, or this order may be reversed. Also, for example, the left hit instruction using the speaker may end before the left hit instruction by the performance display device 1600 ends, or this order may be reversed. It is desirable to continue executing the left hit instruction at the end of the time-saving state for a specified period of time even if left hitting has actually started.

In addition, the presentation mode (e.g., the display mode displayed on the presentation display device 1600) of the left hit instruction that appears when the time-saving feature ends and the left hit instruction in the left hit warning presentation that warns the player to hit left due to a right hit during normal play may be different. If a right hit is made while a left hit instruction at the end of the time-saving feature is being executed, the left hit instruction may continue to be executed, or the left hit instruction may be terminated and the left hit instruction in the left hit warning presentation may be executed.

When the left hit instruction that appears at the end of the time-saving feature has ended and the second special symbol variation is being executed, hitting to the right will execute the left hit instruction in the left hit warning presentation described above. The left hit instruction ends after a specified time has elapsed. There are variation patterns with variation times shorter than the specified time. Therefore, in one variation, after the left hit instruction has started and ended, the left hit instruction can be started again. The specified time may be shorter than the shortest variation time. If the jackpot game starts before the specified time has elapsed, the left hit instruction will end by the time the jackpot game starts.

In addition, if a right hit is performed while a left hit instruction is being executed in the left hit warning performance, the performance time of the left hit instruction may be reset and the left hit instruction may be redone from the beginning, or the performance time of the left hit instruction may be reset but the left hit instruction may be continued without being redone, or the right hit may be ignored and only the left hit instruction performance may be executed as is.

As mentioned above, by having game ball B enter second start port 2004 during the execution of the final time-saving variation, up to four second special symbol variations can be reserved. For example, if a normal symbol lottery is won just before the end of the final time-saving variation, second winning port 2004 opens during the execution of the first variation in the normal state after the time-saving period ends, and one more second special symbol variation can be reserved during the execution of that first variation.

If a second special pattern change is reserved during the execution of the final time-saving change, and one second special pattern change is reserved during the execution of the first change after the time-saving end, and only that one second special pattern change is a jackpot change, the jackpot second special pattern change will be executed after the miss change reserved during the execution of the final time-saving change, and the jackpot game will begin. Note that a right-hit command is executed during the time-saving state, and as long as the right-hit command is followed, it is most likely that the maximum number of four second special pattern changes are reserved during the execution of the final time-saving change, so it is most likely that four miss changes will be executed before the jackpot second special pattern change is executed.

On the other hand, for example, if there is no special pattern change pending at the end of the time-saving feature, the state will be one in which no change has been executed, but as mentioned above, if the regular lottery was won just before the end of the final time-saving feature, it may be possible to execute a second special pattern change from a state in which no change has been executed by hitting to the right. In particular, if the second special pattern change is a jackpot change, the time-saving feature will end, the state will be one in which no change has been executed, and then the jackpot game will begin after one change has been executed.

[12. Presentation in Advantageous Situation]
[12-1. Pachinko machine specifications]
First, an example of the specifications of the pachinko machine 1 in this chapter will be described. Figure 512 (A) is an example of a winning probability table, and (B) is an example of a big winning distribution table. The winning probability table and the big winning distribution table are stored in, for example, the ROM of the main control MPU.

Hereinafter, the first special pattern will be referred to as Special Pattern 1, and the second special pattern will be referred to as Special Pattern 2. The first special pattern and the second special pattern will be collectively referred to as Special Pattern. The first special pattern variation and the second special pattern variation will be collectively referred to as Special Pattern Variation, or simply Variation. The special lottery results for Special Pattern 1 and Special Pattern 2 include big wins and small wins.

The winning probability table defines the probability of a big win in a low probability state (i.e., non-probability state) and a high probability state (i.e., probability state), and the probability of a small win (no distinction between a low probability state and a high probability state). The probability of a big win is the same for special chart 1 and special chart 2. The winning probability table also defines the probability of a small win in special chart 2. In other words, according to the winning probability table in FIG. 512, there is a high probability of winning a small win when special chart 2 is won. Also, when special chart 1 is won, there is no chance of winning a small win, or the probability of winning is extremely low compared to special chart 2 (for example, 1/300 or less).

In this chapter, when a small jackpot is won, the first large prize opening 2005 repeats an opening and closing pattern multiple times (e.g., twice) in which it is open to receive the game ball B for a predetermined short period of time (e.g., between 0.2 and 0.6 seconds) and then closes.

The jackpot distribution table defines the distribution of jackpot types when a jackpot is won for each of Special Chart 1 and Special Chart 2. "2R", "8R", and "16R" in the jackpot types indicate the number of rounds of the jackpot, while "low probability time shortening available", "high probability time shortening unavailable", and "high probability time shortening available" indicate the game state to which the player transitions after the jackpot ends.

In addition, the number of time-saving times for "Special chart 1_8R low-probability time-saving pattern 1", "Special chart 1_8R low-probability time-saving pattern 2", "Special chart 1_8R low-probability time-saving pattern 3", "Special chart 2_2R low-probability time-saving pattern 1", "Special chart 2_2R low-probability time-saving pattern 2", "Special chart 2_2R low-probability time-saving pattern 3", and "Special chart 2_2R high-probability time-saving pattern 3" is 10, the number of time-saving times for "Special chart 2_2R high-probability time-saving pattern 1" is 7, and the number of time-saving times for "Special chart 2_2R low-probability time-saving pattern 2" is 9.

The number of time-saving times is the number of times of fluctuation that triggers the end of the time-saving state that starts after the end of the jackpot game. In other words, after entering the time-saving state, the time-saving state ends when the number of fluctuations determined by the number of time-saving times has ended. The number of time-saving times may be determined by the total number of fluctuations of special chart 1 and special chart 2, or by the number of fluctuations of one of the special charts. In this chapter, the number of time-saving times is determined by the number of fluctuations of special chart 2. In other words, for example, the time-saving state that transitions to after a jackpot on "Special chart 2_2R High probability time-saving pattern 1" will not end if the total number of fluctuations of special chart 1 and special chart 2 has reached 7, but the fluctuations of special chart 2 have not ended 7 times.

In the pachinko machine 1 of this chapter, the display of special chart 1 and special chart 2 each begins changing individually depending on the extraction of a special random number, and the display of special chart 1 and special chart 2 can be executed simultaneously (simultaneous change of special patterns). When both the first special random number and the second special random number are stored (reserved), the reserved special random numbers are consumed individually depending on the progress of the display of each special random number.

In other words, when the first special pattern that is changing stops, the first special pattern reserved in the first special pattern memory display starts changing, and when the second special pattern that is changing stops, the second special pattern reserved in the second special pattern memory display starts changing. Also, since special pattern 1 and special pattern 2 can change simultaneously, the decorative patterns are displayed in the performance display device 1600 so as to change simultaneously in response to the change of each special pattern.

When either Special Chart 1 or Special Chart 2 stops in a display mode indicating a jackpot, one of the following processes is performed on the other special chart that is fluctuating simultaneously. As a first processing example, the jackpot game using one special chart is controlled, and the fluctuation of the other special chart is deleted (forced to stop when it loses). In this case, even after the jackpot game ends, the fluctuation of the deleted other special chart does not resume, and the game starts with the next fluctuation of the other special chart.

As a second processing example, a jackpot game using one special symbol is controlled, and the passage of the time fluctuation of the other special symbol is temporarily suspended while the jackpot game is being played. During the jackpot game, the special symbol whose fluctuation has been suspended is displayed, for example, in a flashing manner (displayed in a manner different from when it is not paused (so that the player can recognize that it is paused)) on the special symbol display. Then, after the jackpot game ends, the display of the fluctuation of the other special symbol that was paused is resumed from the remaining time fluctuation. As a third processing example, a jackpot game using one special symbol is controlled, and the time fluctuation of the other special symbol is reset, and the fluctuation of the other special symbol begins again after the jackpot game ends.

In this chapter, the high probability non-time-saving state is a state in which it is easy to get small winning balls (the so-called small winning rush). Below, we will explain an example of the specifications for realizing a small winning rush only in the high probability non-time-saving state.

First, the normal symbol change time and the normal lottery probability will be explained. The normal symbol change time is, for example, about 1 second in both the time-saving and non-time-saving states, which is a short time compared to the change time of the special symbol. Also, in both the time-saving and non-time-saving states, the probability of a normal win in the normal lottery result performed when game ball B passes through gate section 2003 is very high (for example, 1/1). Also, the opening time of second starting hole 2004 when a normal symbol is won is long in the time-saving state (for example, about 6 seconds) and short in the non-time-saving state (for example, about 0.7 seconds).

Next, the game method in each state will be explained. As mentioned above, the probability of winning a small prize in the second special symbol lottery is extremely high compared to the first special symbol lottery (54552/65536 in the example of FIG. 512 (A)). Therefore, in the low probability non-time-saving state, the second start opening 2004 is opened by passing game ball B through gate portion 2003, and game ball B can be entered into second start opening 2004, resulting in a high probability of winning a small prize.

However, in the low probability non-time shortening state, the fluctuation time of special chart 2 is much longer than that of special chart 1. Specifically, for example, the shortest fluctuation time of special chart 2 (for example, about 10 minutes) is longer than the longest fluctuation time of special chart 1 (for example, about 5 minutes). Therefore, the time interval between winning a small win and opening the first large winning hole 2005 is also very long, and since the opening and closing time of the first large winning hole 2005 during a small win game is short and the number of times it opens and closes is small, even if the fluctuation of special chart 2 is executed, it is difficult to make game ball B enter the first large winning hole 2005 at the right time during a small win game.

Specifically, the total opening time of the first large winning opening 2005 in a small winning game is shorter than the opening time of the second starting opening 2004 in the time-saving state. For example, there is a small winning game in which the first pattern in which the first large winning opening 2005 opens for about 0.5 seconds and then closes for about 1.35 seconds is executed only once, and there is a small winning game in which the second pattern in which the first large winning opening 2005 opens for about 0.5 seconds and then closes for about 0.7 seconds is repeated twice, and then the first pattern is executed once.

Even if the player manages to time the game ball B into the first large winning hole 2005 during a small win game, the fluctuation time of the special chart 2 is very long, so the number of balls obtained per unit time is small and the game cannot proceed smoothly. Therefore, in the low probability non-time-saving state, the player should generally hit from the left and proceed with the game in such a way that the game ball B enters the first starting hole 2002.

On the other hand, in the time-saving state (low-probability time-saving state and high-probability time-saving state), the fluctuation time of the special chart 2 is set to be short. Specifically, for example, the fluctuation time (e.g., about 1 second) of the shortened miss fluctuation of the special chart 2 (a fluctuation in which the reach performance is not executed) is set to be shorter than the shortest fluctuation time of the special chart 1 (e.g., about 4 seconds), and when a miss fluctuation starts in the time-saving state with the special chart 2 reserved, the shortened miss fluctuation is selected at a high rate (e.g., about 90%). Therefore, in the time-saving state, the player can play smoothly without reducing the number of balls issued by executing the so-called right hit and progressing the game so that the game ball B enters the second starting hole 2004.

Here, since the second starting port 2004 is downstream of the gate section 2003 in the flow path of the game ball B on the game board 5, most of the game ball B heading toward the second starting port 2004 passes through the gate section 2003 before reaching the second starting port 2004. Also, the first large winning port 2005 that opens during a small win game is downstream of the second starting port 2004 in the flow path of the game ball B on the game board 5. When the second starting port 2004 is in an open state, the game ball B heading toward the first large winning port 2005 enters the second starting port 2004 and does not reach the first large winning port 2005. In other words, in order for the game ball B to enter the first large winning port 2005, the game ball B needs to pass over the second starting port 2004 when the second starting port 2004 is in a closed state.

However, in the time-saving state, when a normal win is won, the second start port 2004 is opened for a long time (for example, about 6 seconds), so most of the game balls B hit from the right toward the first large winning port 2005 enter the open second start port 2004 and do not reach the first large winning port 2005. Therefore, in the time-saving state, although the player can frequently win small wins by making game ball B enter the second start port 2004, he or she cannot win balls from small win games. Also, since the number of winning balls when game ball B enters the second start port 2004 is, for example, one, in the time-saving state, it is possible to execute the special chart 2 variation without reducing the number of balls that are output, but it is difficult to increase the number of balls that are output.

In addition, the first large prize opening 2005 is positioned so that almost no game balls B reach the first large prize opening 2005 when a so-called left hit is performed, so that care is taken against so-called strategy tactics that attempt to increase the number of game balls B by alternating between left and right hits during the time-saving state.

Next, in the high probability non-time-saving state, the variation time of the special chart 2 is set short (for example, about 1 second) as in the time-saving state. Therefore, in the high probability non-time-saving state, the player executes a so-called right hit to progress the game so that the game ball B enters the second start hole 2004. Furthermore, in the high probability non-time-saving state, the opening time of the second start hole 2004 in the case of a normal win is sufficient time to allow the game ball B to enter the second start hole 2004, and is short (for example, about 0.7 seconds), so that a considerable number (for example, more than half) of the game balls B hit from the right pass over the closed second start hole 2004 and reach the first large prize hole 2005.

In other words, in the high probability non-time-saving state, the player can frequently win small wins by placing game ball B in the second starting hole 2004, and can win balls through small win play. The above-mentioned specifications make it possible to realize a small win rush that makes it easier to win balls through small wins only in the high probability non-time-saving state.

Figure 513 is a transition diagram showing an example of the game state transition of the pachinko machine 1 of this chapter. As mentioned above, by executing the variation of special chart 1 in the low-probability non-time-saving state, and executing the variation of special chart 2 in states other than the low-probability non-time-saving state, the player can progress in the game smoothly. On the other hand, the transition from the low-probability non-time-saving state to a special chart 2 jackpot, and the transition from states other than the low-probability non-time-saving state to a special chart 1 jackpot are irregular, so they are indicated by dotted lines in Figure 513.

In any state, if a jackpot is won, the state will transition to either a low-probability time-saving state, a high-probability time-saving state, or a high-probability non-time-saving state, depending on the type of jackpot. In the low-probability time-saving state, when the fluctuation of the special chart 2 for the number of time-saving times determined by the type of jackpot that triggered the transition to the low-probability time-saving state ends, the state will transition to a low-probability non-time-saving state. Also, in the high-probability time-saving state, when the fluctuation of the special chart 2 for the number of time-saving times determined by the type of jackpot that triggered the transition to the high-probability time-saving state ends, the state will transition to a high-probability non-time-saving state, i.e., a small win rush.

At first glance, the transition from a high-probability time-saving state to a high-probability non-time-saving state may seem like a disadvantageous state transition for the player, but as mentioned above, a rush of small wins is realized in the high-probability non-time-saving state, so it is an advantageous state transition for the player. Therefore, when the high-probability time-saving state ends due to the consumption of the fluctuations in Special Chart 2 determined by the number of time-saving times, the player will not lose interest but rather feel a sense of elation.

[12-2. Rush Chance Production]
The rush entry effect, which is an effect executed from the start of the time-saving state (high-probability time-saving state and low-probability time-saving state), will be described below. The rush entry chance effect is an effect that notifies the player that the current state is a time-saving state at the start of the time-saving state, but is unclear whether it is a high-probability time-saving state or a low-probability time-saving state, and notifies the player whether the current state is a high-probability time-saving state (i.e., a state in which the player will transition to a high-probability non-time-saving state, which is a small win rush state, after the end of a specified number of special 2 fluctuations) or a low-probability time-saving state during the fluctuation during the time-saving state.

Figures 514, 515, and 516 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a rush entry chance presentation. Figures 514, 515, and 516 explain an example in which the number of time-saving times is 10, and all fluctuations in the time-saving state are miss fluctuations.

(A) is the state where a jackpot with time reduction has ended. The same decorative pattern indicating a jackpot is stopped on the performance display device 1600. The expected value of the balls won when a jackpot is won increases in the order of low-probability jackpot with time reduction, high-probability jackpot with time reduction, and high-probability jackpot without time reduction. For example, when a set of "7" decorative patterns is selected, a combination of decorative patterns should be selected to ensure a high-probability jackpot without time reduction. Also, a combination of decorative patterns should be selected so that the expectation of winning a high-probability jackpot with time reduction is higher than a low-probability jackpot with time reduction when a set of odd decorative patterns is selected than when a set of even decorative patterns is selected.

In addition, during a jackpot, an effect may be executed in which the decorative symbols are promoted. Specifically, for example, if a high-probability non-time-saving jackpot is won, odd or even numbers may stop lining up when the symbols are determined, and a promotion effect may be executed during the jackpot game, and the decorative symbols may be promoted to a "7" lining up.

(B) is the state where the time-saving jackpot has ended and the time-saving state has begun. A display indicating that the rush entry chance has begun is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (C), because the time-saving state has begun, a display (right-hit display) is displayed on the performance display device 1600 encouraging the player to perform a so-called right hit and to place game ball B in the second starting hole 2004. When the time-saving state begins, a large right-hit display (three arrows with "Right Hit!!" written on them) is displayed in the lower center of the performance display device 1600, and a small right-hit display (one arrow with "Right Hit!!" written on them) is displayed in the upper right corner of the performance display device 1600.

(D) is the state in which game ball B enters the second starting hole 2004 from the state in (C), and the first fluctuation of special chart 2 has begun. The large right-hit display has been erased from the performance display device 1600. Furthermore, a display showing the maximum number of remaining time-saving times is displayed in the upper left corner of the performance display device 1600. As mentioned above, the number of time-saving times is 7, 8, or 10, so in the state in (D) where not a single fluctuation of special chart 2 has ended, the maximum value "10 remaining" is displayed. In addition, a display saying "Power up your character in 6 seconds!!" is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

In addition, the six changes from the first change to the sixth change of the special chart 2 in the time-saving state are used to perform a power-up effect on the character. In the power-up effect, an image of the character surrounded by an aura is displayed on the effect display device 1600, and the aura color steps up during the six changes.

For example, the peripheral control ROM stores a scenario management table for power-up effects. The scenario management table stores the power-up effect scenarios and allocations for each of the low-probability time-saving state and the high-probability time-saving state. The scenario indicates the color of the aura in each of the six fluctuations. Note that in each scenario, the aura color in the final fluctuation of the power-up effect has a higher probability of being in the high-probability time-saving state in the order of white, blue, green, red, and rainbow. Note that rainbow is selected only when the current state is the high-probability time-saving state.

In addition, it is desirable that the aura color not step down (for example, from blue to white in the next change) in the six changes of each scenario. This is because it may reduce the player's sense of expectation. Also, for example, if the final aura color in the power-up performance is the same, the fewer the number of changes that reach that final aura color, the higher the expectation of the high-probability time-saving state may be set. Specifically, for example, if the final aura color is red, the case where red is reached in the sixth change of special chart 2 is higher than the case where red is reached in the fourth change of special chart 2. Note that the former may have a higher expectation of the high-probability time-saving state. This is because it is possible to hold out the expectation until the final (sixth) change.

In addition, in each scenario, the aura color may increase by one level in one change, it may increase by multiple levels, or it may not increase at all. If the aura color increases by multiple levels in one change, for example, the color may step up from white to green without passing through blue, or the color may step up sequentially from white to blue to green. In each scenario, the aura color displayed first in the first change of Special Chart 2 does not have to be the one with the lowest expectations (i.e. it does not have to be white).

The "6 seconds" displayed on the effect display device 1600 is an indicator of the remaining number of variations for which a power-up effect will be performed, and is different from the actual 6 seconds. That is, for example, as described below, the first variation in the time-saving state will display "6 seconds left" (meaning that a power-up effect will be performed using the remaining 6 variations), and the second variation will display "5 seconds left" (meaning that a power-up effect will be performed using the remaining 5 variations). In other words, since the remaining time indicates the number of remaining variations until the rock destruction effect is performed, it is possible not to display the maximum number of times for time-saving.

(E) is the first change in special chart 2 since the time-saving state began, and is a continuation of (D). The performance display device 1600 displays a character with an aura and the message "6 seconds remaining."

(F) is the state at the end of the first change of special chart 2 after the time-saving state begins. After the state of (E), the aura color changes from white to blue by the time the change ends, and a display indicating that the aura color has been upgraded ("Power Up!!") is displayed on the performance display device 1600. (G) is the state at the start of the second change of special chart 2 after the time-saving state begins. The character's aura color remains blue, and the display device 1600 shows the message "5 seconds left." Similar effects are repeated until the fifth change of special chart 2.

(H) is the state during which the special chart 2 is changing for the sixth time since the time-saving state began. During the sixth change of the special chart 2, the aura color is upgraded to red, and a display indicating that the aura color has been upgraded ("Power Up!!") is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In the example of FIG. 514, red is the final aura color in the power-up performance.

(I) is the state at the end of the sixth special chart 2 since the time-saving state began. In the sixth variation, after the aura color step-up ends, the introductory effect of the rock destruction effect, which is carried out in the seventh to tenth variations of special chart 2, is executed. In (I), "Destroy the rock!" is displayed on the effect display device 1600 as the introductory effect. Only if the current state is a high-probability time-saving state will the character destroy the rock in the rock destruction effect.

(J) is the seventh time that special chart 2 has changed since the time-saving state began. The rock-breaking effect begins, and an image of the character punching a rock is displayed on the effect display device 1600. During the rock-breaking effect, for example, the character is surrounded by a red aura, which is the final aura color of the power-up effect.

This ensures that even during the rock destruction effect, the player does not forget the expectation of being in a high probability time-saving state. Conversely, the character may not have an aura during the rock destruction effect. This is because some players may not want other players to know about their expectation. If the character has an aura during the rock destruction effect, the aura color may be stepped up even during the rock destruction effect.

(K) is the seventh change in special chart 2 since the time-saving state began, and is a continuation of (J). An image of the rock being cracked but not broken as a result of the character hitting it is displayed on the performance display device 1600. (L) is the state at the end of the seventh change in special chart 2 since the time-saving state began. A display indicating that the rock-destroying performance is still continuing ("Not yet!!") is displayed on the performance display device 1600. After this, the same performance is repeated.

(M) is the state during the eighth change of special chart 2 since the time-saving state began. In the rock-destroying effect, an image of the character punching the rock again is displayed on the effect display device 1600. (N) is the state at the end of the ninth change of special chart 2 since the time-saving state began. A display indicating that the next change of special chart 2 will be the last change in which the rock-destroying effect will be performed ("Betting on this blow!") is displayed on the effect display device 1600.

(O) is the state in which special chart 2 is changing for the tenth time since the start of the time-saving state (i.e., the end of the time-saving state). An image of a character punching a rock is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Note that the number of cracks in the rock may increase each time the character punches the rock. In (O), there are more cracks in the rock than in the (M) state.

(P) is the state during the tenth fluctuation of the special chart 2 since the time-saving state began, and is a continuation of (O). The performance display device 1600 displays an image of the rock being successfully destroyed (i.e., an image indicating that the current state is a high-probability time-saving state, and that the state will transition to a high non-time-saving state when the fluctuation ends). After an image of the rock not being successfully destroyed is displayed, a revival performance may be performed to display an image of the rock being successfully destroyed. (Q) is the state at the end of the tenth fluctuation of the special chart 2 since the time-saving state began. An image indicating the transition to a high-probability non-time-saving state ("Entering the rush!!") is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

When the number of time-saving times is 7 and the state is in a high probability time-saving state, an image of the rock breaking at the 7th change in the special chart 2 and an image of the transition to a high probability non-time-saving state (i.e., the (P) and (Q) images, but the number of times remaining in the upper left corner is displayed as "4 times remaining") are displayed. Similarly, when the number of time-saving times is 9 and the state is in a high probability time-saving state, an image of the rock breaking at the 9th change in the special chart 2 and an image of the transition to a high probability non-time-saving state (i.e., the (P) and (Q) images, but the number of times remaining in the upper left corner is displayed as "2 times remaining") are displayed.

In the above example, the time-saving states with 7 and 9 time-saving times are not selected in the low-probability time-saving state. If low-probability time-saving states with 7 and 9 time-saving times exist, the rock-breaking effect will end in failure with a small number of fluctuations, and the player will not be able to feel a sense of excitement.

Diagram 516 (P') and (Q') are examples of rock destruction effects when the current state is not in the time-saving state. (P') is the state during the 10th change of special chart 2 since the time-saving state began, and is a continuation of (O). In the rock destruction effect, an image of the character failing to destroy the rock is displayed on the effect display device 1600. (Q') is the state after the 10th change of special chart 2 since the time-saving state began. A display indicating that the rush entry chance has ended is displayed on the effect display device 1600. After this, it transitions to a low-probability non-time-saving state.

For example, in a power-up effect, an image of the pressing operation unit 303 and an image prompting the pressing of the pressing operation unit 303 may be displayed on the effect display device 1600, and the possibility of stepping up the aura color may be notified at the timing when pressing of the pressing operation unit 303 is detected. Similarly, for example, in a rock-breaking effect, an image of the pressing operation unit 303 and an image prompting the pressing of the pressing operation unit 303 may be displayed on the effect display device 1600, and the possibility of breaking the rock may be notified at the timing when pressing of the pressing operation unit 303 is detected.

In addition, if the fluctuation during the time-saving state, i.e., during the rush entry effect, is a jackpot fluctuation, the jackpot will be announced with an effect different from the effect of destroying a rock, for example. This is to allow the player to clearly distinguish and recognize whether they have won a jackpot or have successfully transitioned to the high-probability time-saving state.

As a specific example of the effect, immediately after the start of the fluctuation, the shutter group is closed to cover the effect display device 1600. The closed state of the shutter group is maintained for a long period of time (e.g., about two minutes) depending on the fluctuation pattern, for example. When the shutter group then opens, an icon indicating the type of jackpot is displayed on the effect display device 1600. The decorative pattern then stops. Meanwhile, the jackpot may be notified by an effect in which a rock is destroyed. This allows the player to maintain a sense of tension, as they cannot immediately tell whether they have won a jackpot or have transitioned to a high-probability time-saving state.

[12-3. Small hit rush effects]
Figures 517 and 518 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the presentation during a small win rush. (A) is the state at the end of the final fluctuation of the high probability time-saving state, i.e., the same state as Figure 515 (Q). (B) is the state during the fluctuation of the high probability non-time-saving state. In the upper left corner of the presentation display device 1600, a display ("RUSH IN PROGRESS!!") is displayed indicating that the current state is a high probability non-time-saving state (i.e., during a small win rush).

In addition, in (B), there is a total number of balls acquired display area and a timer display area in the lower right corner of the performance display device 1600. The total number of balls acquired display area displays the total number of balls acquired since the start of the small win rush, including the number of balls paid out due to small wins and big wins. Note that, for example, it is desirable that the number of balls paid out due to game ball B entering a general winning hole or a starting hole other than the big winning hole not be included in the total number of balls acquired.

For example, the number of balls paid out when game ball B enters the general winning port may also be included in the total number of balls won. In this case, when the ball enters, it is desirable to output a specified image to the performance display device 1600, output a specified sound from various speakers, or output a specified light from various lamps. This is to make the player aware that the total number of balls won has increased due to game ball B entering the general winning port.

The display of the total number of balls won will continue until the end of a jackpot variation that does not necessarily allow transition to a high-probability non-time-saving state (i.e., a jackpot variation with high-probability time-saving and a jackpot variation with low-probability time-saving), and the count of the total number of balls won will stop at the end of the jackpot variation. However, if a player wins a jackpot that does not necessarily allow transition to a high-probability non-time-saving state, but is then able to transition back to a high-probability non-time-saving state without falling back to a low-probability non-time-saving state, the total number of balls won will be redisplayed and the counting will resume from the value at the most recent count stop. In addition, if a player wins a jackpot that does not necessarily allow transition to a high-probability non-time-saving state, but wins a high-probability non-time-saving jackpot during the time-saving state transitioned to by the jackpot, the total number of balls won may be redisplayed and the counting may resume at the start of the high-probability non-time-saving jackpot.

The timer display area shows the duration of the small win rush, counted from the start of the small win rush. The start of the small win rush may be the end of a high-probability no-time-saving big win game, the end of the final fluctuation in the high-probability no-time-saving state, or the start of the first fluctuation in the high-probability no-time-saving state.

(C) is the state where the high probability non-time-saving jackpot fluctuation has ended in a high probability non-time-saving state. The timer in the timer display area indicates the duration of the small jackpot rush, so the timer is stopped when the jackpot fluctuation ends during the high probability non-time-saving state (the end of the jackpot fluctuation in question). (D) is during a jackpot game with a high probability non-time-saving jackpot. Even during the jackpot game in question, the total number of balls won is displayed and added up. Note that the timer is not displayed on the performance display device 1600 during a jackpot, but it may be displayed with the timer stopped.

(E) is a state following (D) during high-probability jackpot play without time-saving jackpots. When the total number of balls acquired reaches a predetermined number, the display device 1600 displays the arrival. There are multiple stages for this predetermined number of balls, and for example, the arrival display is displayed every time the total number of balls acquired increases by 1000. Therefore, in (E), the display device 1600 displays "1000 PT exceeded!!", indicating that 1000 balls have been reached. In addition to the arrival display, a predetermined light may be output from various lamps, a predetermined sound may be output from various speakers, or the background music may be changed. In addition, for example, once the total number of balls acquired reaches a predetermined upper limit (e.g., 30,000 balls), the arrival display may not be displayed.

For example, the difference between the multiple stages may be constant or may vary. Specifically, for example, the difference between the multiple stages may be constant, such as 1000 shots, 2000 shots, 3000 shots, ..., or may be set so that the difference from the previous stage is greater as the stage progresses, such as 1000 shots, 5000 shots, 10000 shots, 20000 shots, ....

(F) is the state immediately before the end of a high-probability, no-time-saving jackpot game. (G) is the state immediately after the end of a high-probability, no-time-saving jackpot game. A display indicating that the high-probability, no-time-saving state, i.e., the small jackpot rush is starting again, is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Furthermore, in (G), there is a ball acquisition history display area in the upper center of the performance display device 1600. The ball acquisition history display area displays the history of the total number of balls acquired from a single jackpot and the number of balls acquired in the small jackpot rush that was won in that jackpot. In (G), 2910 balls were acquired in that jackpot and the small jackpot rush immediately preceding it, so "2910" is displayed in the ball acquisition history display area.

(H) is the state where the total number of balls acquired during the small win rush has reached 5,000. When the total number of balls acquired reaches a predetermined number, the background image on the performance display device 1600 changes. The predetermined number of balls has multiple stages, and for example, the background image changes every time the total number of balls acquired increases by 5,000. In addition, when the background image changes, a predetermined light may be output from various lamps, a predetermined sound may be output from various speakers, or the background music after the background image changes may be changed. In addition, for example, once the total number of balls acquired has reached a predetermined upper limit (e.g., 30,000 balls), the background image does not need to be changed.

In the example of FIG. 517, the reaching display of the total number of balls acquired is performed every 1000 balls, and the background image is changed every 5000 balls, so when the total number of balls acquired reaches 5000, 10000, 15000, ..., both the reaching display and the background image change are executed (in this example, the reaching display is always performed when the background image changes).

The arrival display and background image change in the performance display device 1600 are executed in order, for example, according to a predetermined priority order. For example, because the background image change is executed less frequently than the arrival display, the background image change can give the player a stronger sense of elation than the arrival display. The timing at which the player is given a stronger sense of elation differs depending on whether the background image change is executed first or later.

The arrival indication and the change in the background image may be executed simultaneously. By executing the arrival indication and the change in the background image simultaneously, a synergistic effect is obtained, giving the player a stronger sense of excitement than if these effects were executed alone. The same applies to the output of light and sound that is executed simultaneously with the arrival indication and the change in the background image.

(I) is the state at the end of the time-saving jackpot fluctuation. In order to perform a rush entry chance performance after the jackpot ends, it is desirable that at this point, it is not announced whether the time-saving jackpot is a high-probability time-saving jackpot or a low-probability time-saving jackpot.

(J) is the state at the end of the time-saving jackpot fluctuation, and is a continuation of (I). At the end of the jackpot fluctuation, the total number of balls won, the accumulated time of the timer, and the result are displayed on the performance display device 1600. The reason the result is displayed at this timing is because winning a time-saving jackpot does not necessarily mean that you can move back to a high-probability non-time-saving state (small win rush) without falling into a low-probability non-time-saving state.

(K) is the state where the time-saving jackpot has ended. (L) is the state where the rush entry chance has started. (M) is the state where the final fluctuation of the rush entry chance (final fluctuation of the time-saving state) is occurring, and the effect of the rock being destroyed is being executed. (N) is the state at the end of the final fluctuation, and is the state where a transition to a high-probability non-time-saving state has been notified. (K), (L), (M), and (N) are similar to Figures 514 (A), 514 (B), 515 (P), and 515 (Q), respectively, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

(O) is a state in which the high probability non-time-saving state is fluctuating. If the high probability non-time-saving state can be returned to again without falling back to the low probability non-time-saving state, for example, the display of each display area will be as follows. The timer display in the timer display area will inherit the value at the end of the previous high probability non-time-saving state. In addition, the total number of balls acquired in the total number of balls acquired display area displays the value at the end of the previous high probability non-time-saving state plus the number of balls acquired in the previous jackpot with time-saving. In addition, an image corresponding to the total number of balls acquired is displayed in the background image. In addition, the acquired ball number history display area further displays the history of the total number of balls acquired from the previous jackpot with time-saving and the number of balls acquired in the small jackpot rush that won the time-saving jackpot. These histories are displayed, for example, for the most recent 10 jackpots that were won without falling back to the low probability non-time-saving state.

As a result, if the high-probability non-time-saving state can be returned to without falling back into the low-probability non-time-saving state, the previous state can be displayed, allowing the player to accurately grasp the number of balls won without crossing into the low-probability non-time-saving state. Also, if the total number of balls won and the timer were reset every time the high-probability non-time-saving state ended, it would be less likely that these displays would reach large values, and the player would not feel as excited, which is why the display is as described above.

As mentioned above, the total value of the balls won during one big win game and the balls won in the high probability non-time shortening state (small win rush) immediately before the big win game is displayed in the acquired ball count history display area, so a value larger than the expected value of the balls won per big win game can be displayed using the acquired ball count history display area, which gives a sense of excitement. Also, for example, the display mode may be different depending on the value displayed in the acquired ball count history display area. Specifically, if it is less than 5000, a blue number is displayed, if it is 5000 or more but less than 10000, a red number is displayed, if it is more than 10000, a rainbow number is displayed, and so on. Also, although the most recent 10 times are displayed, from the 11th time onwards, the total value of the values from 1 to 10 times may be displayed.

[12-4. Performance during big win]
The following describes the performance during a jackpot. For example, every time a high-probability no-time-reduction jackpot is won without falling into a low-probability no-time-reduction state, a song that can be played during the high-probability no-time-reduction jackpot is added. For example, in the first high-probability no-time-reduction jackpot won without crossing over into a low-probability no-time-reduction state, only song A can be selected, in the second high-probability no-time-reduction jackpot, song B can be selected, in the third high-probability no-time-reduction jackpot, song C can be selected, and in the fourth or subsequent high-probability no-time-reduction jackpots, song D can be selected.

In the case of the second or subsequent high-probability no-time-saving jackpot, the player can select the song to be played from the available songs by performing an operation using a specified operation unit. In the case where the player does not select a song, for example, song A will be played for the first high-probability no-time-saving jackpot that is won without crossing over into the low-probability no-time-saving state, song B will be played for the second high-probability no-time-saving jackpot, song C will be played for the third high-probability no-time-saving jackpot, and song D will be played for the fourth or subsequent high-probability no-time-saving jackpot.

In addition, the music that was playing during a high-probability, no-time-saving jackpot may continue to play during the high-probability, no-time-saving state that is entered after the high-probability, no-time-saving jackpot ends. Also, even during the high-probability, no-time-saving state, the player may be able to select music by operating a specified operation unit.

Figure 519 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a presentation during a high probability no time-saving jackpot. Specifically, this explains a presentation in which all songs can be selected by inputting a specific command (hidden command) during a high probability no time-saving jackpot.

(A) is the state where the second high-probability no-time-saving jackpot that was won without falling into a low-probability no-time-saving state has started. (B) is the state where the first round of the high-probability no-time-saving jackpot is being executed. A song selection box and an image explaining the song selection operation are displayed on the performance display device 1600. Note that since this is the second high-probability no-time-saving jackpot that was won without falling into a low-probability no-time-saving state, song A and song B can be selected, and song B is selected when no input from the user is being accepted by the operation unit.

These images are displayed, for example, when the peripheral control MPU receives a round start command for the first round from the main control MPU. Also, for example, at the same timing, an operation acceptance period for the operation unit for executing a song selection operation begins. The operation acceptance period ends, for example, when the peripheral control MPU receives a round end command for the final round from the main control MPU.

In the example of FIG. 519, by operating the rotation operation unit 302, a cursor for selecting song A and song B moves, and by pressing the central pressure operation unit 303a, the currently playing song changes to the song pointed to by the cursor.

The operation acceptance period for the hidden command begins, for example, when the peripheral control MPU receives a round start command for the first round from the main control MPU, and ends when it receives a round end command for the second round. (C) is the state after the hidden command is input in (B). All songs (songs A to D) can be selected.

The hidden command is, for example, a command to press and hold the central pressing operation unit 303a (for example, pressing for 3 seconds or more). As described above, the operation acceptance period for the hidden command overlaps with the operation acceptance period for song selection.

When selecting a song, the peripheral control MPU executes song selection when the central pressing operation unit 303a changes from a pressed state to a non-pressed state and the pressing state is not a long press (in the example above, the pressing state does not continue for more than 3 seconds).

If the central pressing operation unit 303a changes from a pressed state to a non-pressed state and the player wants to decide on a song, the player may mistakenly think that he or she made a mistake in their operation and not continue pressing until the hidden command, which is a long press, is reached, since the song is decided when the central pressing operation unit 303a changes from a pressed state to a non-pressed state. Also, if the song is decided when the central pressing operation unit 303a is in a long press state and changes from a pressed state to a non-pressed state, the player may feel uncomfortable because the song is always decided when the hidden command is executed. Therefore, the song is decided when the above-mentioned conditions are met.

In addition, for example, in the operation for notifying the result of the reach performance and the decision operation on the character selection screen described below, if the central pressing operation unit 303a changes from a pressed state to a non-pressed state in this manner, it may be determined that the central pressing operation unit 303a has been operated.

[13. Demo Screen Production]
[13-1. Normal demo screen presentation]
Below, we will explain an example of the performance of the demo screen when no fluctuation is being performed. Figure 520 is an example of a time table of the demo screen. The time table defines the display content on the performance display device 1600, the display time of the display content, whether or not the volume adjustment jog is accepted, whether or not the volume and light intensity adjustment jog is accepted, whether or not BGM is playing, and whether or not a specified movable body (a reel. In this chapter, this is referred to as the rear movable decorative body 3110) is in a falling state.

When a volume adjustment jog can be received, for example, by rotating the rotary operation unit 302, an image showing the volume output from the pachinko machine 1 is displayed and the volume can be adjusted. When a volume/light intensity adjustment jog can be received, for example, by rotating the rotary operation unit 302, an image showing either the volume or the light intensity is displayed and the one can be adjusted, and when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed while the image is displayed, an image showing the other of the volume or the light intensity is displayed and the other can be adjusted.

As mentioned above, the rear movable decorative body 3110 is a decorative body that can move in the vertical direction. Depending on the presentation state, the rear movable decorative body 3110 is located at the above-mentioned retreat position above the game board 5, or at the above-mentioned appearance position in the center of the game board 5.

The specific flow of the presentation on the demo screen will be explained below. First, a change or a jackpot is being executed (NO1). When the change or jackpot ends, the decorative pattern stops on the presentation display device 1600 (NO2). After that, if there is no pending change, the confirmed decorative pattern is kept stopped (NO3). In all of NO1 to NO3, the volume adjustment jog can be accepted, the volume and light adjustment jog cannot be accepted, the change BGM is playing, and the rear movable decorative body 3110 is not in a falling state, i.e., it is in the evacuation position. However, in NO1, there may be a prohibited section where the volume adjustment jog is prohibited from being accepted, such as during a specified reach presentation or a specified round of a jackpot.

Next, a specified image is displayed (NO4-1). Then, while the specified image is still displayed, a caption image indicating that it is possible to transition to a volume and light adjustment screen (also called a volume and light adjustment caption) and a caption image indicating that it is possible to transition to a character selection screen for determining the subsequent changing performance state (also called a character selection caption) are displayed (NO4-2).

For example, the video played in No. 4-1 and No. 4-2 is a 30-second video, and is looped between No. 4-1 and No. 4-2. In both No. 4-1 and No. 4-2, the volume adjustment jog is not available, but the volume and light adjustment jog is available, and the rear movable decorative body 3110 is in the retracted position. However, although background music is playing in No. 4-1, the background music fades out from the start of No. 4-2 (the volume decreases and eventually stops).

Next, a demo movie for the pachinko machine 1 is displayed (NO5), then the manufacturer's logo is displayed (NO6), then a video warning about the jog button is displayed (NO7), and then a demo screen common to all manufacturers (a video to prevent cheating) is displayed (NO8).

After that, while the specified image is still displayed, a volume/light adjustment caption and a character selection caption are displayed (NO9). The display content of NO9 is the same as NO4-2. After the display content of NO9 is displayed, the process returns to NO5. In all of NO5 to NO9, the volume adjustment jog cannot be accepted, the volume/light adjustment jog can be accepted, and no background music is playing.

The operation of the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 is explained below. At the start of the model demo movie in NO5, the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 moves downward and is in a falling state, i.e., is in the appearance position. Thereafter, in NO6 to NO9, the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 maintains its appearance position. Note that in NO9, when transitioning to the volume/light intensity adjustment screen or character selection screen, the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 may be moved to a retreat position to make the performance display device 1600 easier to see. In this case, for example, when the display of the volume/light intensity adjustment screen or character selection screen has ended, the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 is moved back to the appearance position.

In NO5 to NO9, the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 that is not positioned in the evacuation position moves to the evacuation position when the game ball B enters the starting hole (first starting hole 2002 or second starting hole 2004). In NO5, if the game ball B enters the starting hole while the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 is falling from the evacuation position to the emergence position, for example, the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 is raised at the timing when the ball entry is detected. This allows the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 to be moved to the evacuation position as quickly as possible at the same time as the start of the fluctuation corresponding to the ball entry, minimizing the obstruction of the visibility of the performance using the performance display device 1600 of the fluctuation.

In addition, in NO5, if the game ball B enters the starting hole while the rear rear movable decoration 3110 is falling from the retreat position to the appearance position, the rear rear movable decoration 3110 may be allowed to fall once to the appearance position and then rise. This is because if the descending rear rear movable decoration 3110 performs an irregular action in which it suddenly begins to rise at the same time as the ball B enters, some players may mistake this for a performance with a high probability of a jackpot.

The operation of the rear rear movable decoration 3110 may also be determined according to the fluctuation pattern executed by the ball entering the ball. For example, a fluctuation pattern in which the rear rear movable decoration 3110 is caused to descend when the fluctuation starts will be described. In NO5 to NO9, it is assumed that a fluctuation pattern in which the game ball B enters the ball while the rear rear movable decoration 3110 is located at the appearance position, and the rear rear movable decoration 3110 descends when the fluctuation starts is selected.

In this case, for example, at the same time as the ball goes in, the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 is raised once to the retreat position or to a specified position higher than the maximum descent position of the descent performance, and then the descent performance is executed. If the descent performance is an performance with a high expectation of a jackpot, it is desirable to execute the descent performance without canceling it in this way (i.e., to delay the occurrence of the descent performance). Also, for example, instead of a descent performance, a specific irregular performance (for example, the illumination of a specific lamp attached to the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 or the output of a specific sound from a speaker) may be performed, or the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 may be raised to the retreat position while the specific irregular performance is being performed.

Also, for example, instead of the descending effect, a specific irregular operation of the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 (for example, moving the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 back and forth up and down a predetermined number of times with a predetermined amplitude, etc.) may be performed. Even if the descending effect is an effect with a high expectation of a jackpot, by executing these irregular processes instead of the descending effect, it is possible to give the player a sense of expectation. Also, in the first place, when the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 is not in the evacuation position in NO5 to NO9, the selection of a change pattern in which the effect of the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 descending at the start of the change (a change pattern in which a descending effect is executed at the start of the change) may be prohibited. Also, although the selection of the change pattern is not prohibited (there is a possibility that a descending effect will occur), if the change pattern is selected, the descending effect may not be executed. By doing this, even if the descending effect is not executed, the player can be made to think that the descending effect may have been selected.

The same applies if, in NO5, a variation pattern is selected in which game ball B enters the starting hole while the rear movable decoration 3110 is moving to the appearance position, and the rear movable decoration 3110 descends when the variation begins.

Specifically, in this case, for example, at the same time as the ball enters the ball, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is raised once to the retreat position or to a specified position higher than the maximum descent position of the descent performance, and then the descent performance is executed. Note that before the raising, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 may be moved once to the appearance position (i.e., the descent performance is delayed and occurs). Also, for example, instead of the descent performance, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 may be raised while a specific irregular performance is performed. Note that before the raising, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 may be moved once to the appearance position. Also, in such a case, the selection of the fluctuation pattern (a performance pattern in which a descent performance is executed at the start of the fluctuation) may be prohibited in the first place.

In addition, in NO5 to NO9, when the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 is located below the retreat position, the game ball B enters the starting hole, and at the start of the movement, a movement pattern in which another movable body (a movable body different from the rear-rear movable decoration 3110) moves into the movable range of the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 is selected at the time of the ball entering. In this case, for example, the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 is moved to the retreat position first, and then the other movable body is moved to avoid interference between the movable bodies. Also, when the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 is in the appearance position and the other movable body (a movable body different from the rear-rear movable decoration 3110) operates without interfering with the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 in the appearance position, the operation of the other movable body may be performed while the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 is in the appearance position, and the rear-rear movable decoration 3110 may be moved to the retreat position after the other movable body returns to the initial position. In such a case, the movement of the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 to a retracted position and the movement of a movable body different from the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 may be performed simultaneously.

In addition, for example, in the change pattern (performance pattern), the other movable body (a movable body different from the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110) may not be operated. At this time, the irregular performance or irregular operation described above may be executed for the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 or the other movable body. In addition, in such a case, the selection of a change pattern (performance pattern) in which a performance in which the other movable body moves into the movable range of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 at the start of the change may be prohibited.

When the rear movable decorative body 3110 is in the appearance position, part of the performance display device 1600 is hidden. Therefore, some players may feel that the visibility of the images displayed on the performance display device 1600 in NO5 to NO9 is not good, and such players would like to watch the images in good visibility.

For such players, the rear movable decorative body 3110 may be raised to the retreated position by a trigger other than game ball B entering the starting hole (because when game ball B enters the starting hole, the movement will begin and these images (e.g., the image when the model demo movie is stopped, as shown in FIG. 520) will end). A specific trigger is, for example, the operation of a specified operation unit (e.g., the outer peripheral pressure operation unit 303b).

If the game ball B enters the starting hole while the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 is rising to the evacuation position due to a trigger other than the game ball B entering the starting hole, the rear rear movable decorative body 3110, for example, continues its rising motion and returns to the evacuation position. Also, if the game ball B enters the starting hole while the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 is rising to the evacuation position, and the performance pattern determined based on the winning is a performance pattern in which the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 is lowered, the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 may continue its rising motion and return to the evacuation position before the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 is lowered, or the descent performance may be executed even if the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 is rising. Also, if the game ball B enters the starting hole while the rear rear movable decorative body 3110 has returned to the evacuation position due to a trigger other than the game ball B entering the starting hole, for example, the evacuation position is maintained as it is.

The decorative pattern displayed on the performance display device 1600 when the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is in the appearance position (the decorative pattern of NO2 is also shown in the stopped image of NO9) may be displayed in a reduced state compared to when the fluctuation ends (the pattern shown in NO2), or may be displayed at the same size. When the decorative pattern is displayed in a reduced size, the display size of the decorative pattern is changed, for example, when the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 starts to descend in NO5, when the descent ends, or when the confirmed pattern of NO3 is displayed. When the decorative pattern is displayed in a reduced size, it is preferable to display it in an area that does not overlap the movement range of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, but even when it is displayed in a reduced size, it may overlap the movement range of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110.

In addition, in NO5 to NO9, an example in which the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is located in front of the performance display device 1600 has been described, but other movable bodies may be located in front of the performance display device 1600 instead of or in addition to the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110. However, when multiple movable bodies are located in front of the performance display device 1600, it is preferable to have multiple movable bodies whose positions do not overlap (contact) after movement. Also, in NO5 to NO9, since an image is displayed on the performance display device 1600, movable bodies that make the image invisible are not moved. In particular, it is preferable not to make explanations to the player, such as volume and light adjustment subtitles, invisible. Even if the position after movement of a movable body overlaps with the position where such explanations are displayed, the movable body may be moved to the front of the performance display device 1600 once in NO5, and the movable body may be returned to its original position when such explanations are displayed. Also, the position and size of the explanation display to the player, such as volume and light adjustment subtitles, may be changed depending on the position of the movable body.

[13-2. Another example of volume control method]
Another example of the volume adjustment method will be described below. Figure 521 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the screen transition of the volume adjustment. (A) is a state in which the decorative pattern that was determined after the fluctuation stopped is stopped, that is, the state of NO3 in Figure 520. (B) is a state in which the loop image is displayed on the performance display device 1600, that is, the state of NO4-1 in Figure 520.

(C) is a state in which the loop video and character selection caption are displayed on the performance display device 1600. It differs from No. 4-2 in FIG. 520 in that the volume and light adjustment caption is not displayed. In the state of (C), pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a transitions to the character selection screen. The example of FIG. 521 differs from the example of FIG. 520 in that volume adjustment (adjusting and setting the output sound output from various speakers; subsequent volume adjustments have the same meaning, so the parentheses are omitted) cannot be performed unless you go through the character selection screen.

(D) shows the state in which the character selection screen is displayed on the performance display device 1600 as a result of pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a in the (C) state. A character can be selected by rotating the rotation operation unit 302, and the selected character can be confirmed by pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a.

The character selected here will appear on the performance display device 1600 during a specified performance, and will deliver a specified line performance or perform a specified action. In other words, the subsequent performance style will change depending on the character selected. Also, the content of the performance when the character appears (for example, the lines and actions mentioned above) will differ depending on the character selected. Also, for example, the volume of the lines delivered during the performance will differ for each character. Also, for example, the background music will differ depending on the character selected.

(E) is the state in which a character has been determined by pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a in state (D). When a character is determined, for example, a line by that character is output from the speaker. The line is output at a volume similar to that of the line performance of that character during, for example, a change in state.

For example, many players find the dialogue performance by character A to be too loud even at volume 3 (on a 5-level volume scale (1 being the minimum volume and 5 being the maximum volume)), while many players find the dialogue performance by character B not too loud even at volume 5. By making it possible to adjust the volume after actually hearing the character's dialogue when deciding on a character in this way, players can select a volume that is appropriate for them.

(F) is the state after character selection. After a character is selected, the character selection screen is erased and a display different from the volume adjustment screen is displayed, such as the looped video mentioned above. The reason such a screen is displayed before it is possible to move to the volume adjustment screen is to prevent the player from simply adjusting the volume.

Specifically, for example, suppose character A, whose dialogue is loud, is selected on the character selection screen. In this case, if the player were to move to the volume adjustment screen immediately after selecting character A, the player would simply turn down the volume without thinking. On the other hand, by temporarily displaying a display different from the volume adjustment described above, the player's attention is drawn away from the character they selected, and some players may even forget which character they selected by the time they are able to adjust the volume. Since the player turns down the volume while only vaguely remembering that they selected character A, when character A's dialogue appears later, they can feel a sense of relief and joy by reaffirming that the character they selected was character A.

In (G), looped video, a character selection caption, and a volume/light adjustment caption are displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (H), in the state of (G), the rotation operation unit 302 is rotated, and the screen transitions to the volume/light adjustment screen. By rotating the rotation operation unit 302, the volume changes, and by pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a, the screen transitions to the light adjustment screen. Although not shown in the figure, on the light adjustment screen, by rotating the rotation operation unit 302, the light intensity changes, and by pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a, the screen transitions to the volume adjustment screen.

(I) is a state in which the loop image is displayed again on the performance display device 1600. For example, on the volume adjustment screen or light intensity adjustment screen, when a predetermined time has passed since the last time the rotation operation unit 302 or the center pressing operation unit 303a was operated, the state returns to one in which the loop image is displayed.

If a change starts while the volume adjustment screen is displayed on the performance display device 1600, the volume adjustment can be continued, and the image for adjusting the volume can be continued to be displayed in a manner that does not significantly impede the visibility of the performance during the change. This allows the volume adjustment to be performed while checking the actual volume during the change.

In the above example, the volume and light adjustment screen cannot be accessed unless the character selection screen is passed through, but in addition to or instead of passing through the character selection screen, the volume and light adjustment screen may not be accessed unless a specific condition is met. Such a specific condition may be, for example, game ball B entering a general winning hole that will give a prize ball when the ball enters, or the passage of a specific amount of time (or a combination of these).

The predetermined time may be longer or shorter depending on the operation status of the operation means that can be operated by the player, for example. In addition, when the conditions for changing the volume (output sound) are met, the volume (output sound) may be changed thereafter without going through the character selection screen. The changed volume (output sound) may end when a certain number of changes have been completed. In addition, in a specific presentation during the change, the presentation may proceed with a volume (output sound) specific to the specific presentation, rather than the selected volume (output sound). In addition, after character selection and before transition to the volume adjustment screen, a certain operation may be performed on a certain operation unit to increase the number of volume patterns selectable on the volume adjustment screen (for example, if the certain operation is not performed, five levels of volume (output sound) can be selected, but if the certain operation is performed, ten levels of volume (output sound) can be selected).

［14. Rise to success］
The rise-to-the-top performance will be described below. The rise-to-the-top performance is one of the performances executed during an SP reach (a special performance, and the SP reach described below also corresponds to a special performance). Compared to normal reach performances, the SP reach is a reach performance that is more likely to be selected in a jackpot fluctuation and less likely to be selected in a miss fluctuation. In other words, compared to normal reach performances, the SP reach is a reach performance with a higher jackpot expectation. In the rise-to-the-top performance, a display showing the jackpot expectation is displayed on the performance display device 1600, and when the line "From...", which will be described later, is displayed, the jackpot expectation displayed on the performance display device 1600 is promoted after the line is displayed.

Figure 522 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a rise-to-the-top performance. (A) is the state in which the rise-to-the-top performance has started during a SP reach. For example, the image of the central press operation unit 303a is displayed in a blurred state on the performance display device 1600. Next, in (B), the background color of the image of the central press operation unit 303a on the performance display device 1600 changes. The background color after the change is blue or red. Also, the higher the expected jackpot probability of the change, the more likely it is that red will be selected as the background color after the change rather than blue.

Next, in (C), the phrase "From..." is displayed on the performance display device 1600, and the image of the central press operation unit 303a and the background color are erased. Note that the image of the central press operation unit 303a and the background color may continue to be displayed in (C). When the phrase is displayed, the likelihood of a big win increases. Next, in (D), the phrase is erased from the performance display device 1600, and the image of the central press operation unit 303a is displayed again in a blurred state. For example, at the time when the phrase is erased from the performance display device 1600, the background color of the image of the central press operation unit 303a is upgraded from blue to red.

Next, at (E), the blurred image and background color of the central press operation unit 303a are erased, and a large red image of the central press operation unit 303a (large red push display) is displayed clearly on the performance display device 1600, encouraging the player to press the central press operation unit 303a. Note that the images of the central press operation unit 303a displayed at this point include, for example, a small blue image (small blue push display), a large blue image (large blue push display), a large red image (large red push display), and a large rainbow image (large rainbow push display). Note that the expected probability of a jackpot increases in the order of small blue push display, large blue push display, large red push display, and large rainbow push display, and the large rainbow push display is selected only in the event of a jackpot fluctuation.

In the (E) state, the central pressing operation unit 303a is in an enabled state, and when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed in the enabled state, it is announced whether the fluctuation being executed is a jackpot fluctuation or a miss fluctuation. In (F), it is announced that the fluctuation is a jackpot fluctuation.

The presentation from when the blurred image of the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed in (A) until just before the clear image of the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed in (E) is also called the teasing display presentation, and the presentation from when the clear image of the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed until the display of that image ends is also called the button display presentation.

Figure 523 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a rise-to-the-top performance. In the example of Figure 522, the phrase "From..." is displayed in the hyping performance, and the background color in the hyping performance is upgraded, but in the example of Figure 523, the phrase "From..." is displayed in the button display performance, and the button image in the button display performance is upgraded.

(A) and (B) are similar to Fig. 522 (A) and (B), respectively, and therefore will not be described. Next, in (C), the blurred image and background color of the central pressing operation unit 303a are erased, and a clear large blue push image is displayed on the performance display device 1600, encouraging the user to press the central pressing operation unit 303a.

Next, in (D), the performance display device 1600 displays the phrase "From..." superimposed on the image of the central press operation unit 303a. Note that in (D), the image of the central press operation unit 303a and the display encouraging pressing may be erased in order to focus the player's attention on the phrase "From...". Next, in (E), the phrase "From..." is erased from the performance display device 1600, and at the moment the phrase is erased, the large blue push image is promoted to a large red push image. (F) is similar to Figure 522 (F), so a description will be omitted.

When a promotion effect is performed during a button display effect, the operation of the central press operation unit 303a may be valid or invalid during the period from when the image of the central press operation unit 303a is displayed in the button display effect until the promotion effect appears. By having the operation of the central press operation unit 303a valid during this period, players who want to know the results of the lottery as soon as possible can be satisfied. Furthermore, by having the operation of the central press operation unit 303a invalid during this period, players who want to enjoy the effect until the end can be satisfied, and if the operation is invalid despite the image of the central press operation unit 303a being displayed, it is confirmed that a promotion effect will be performed, giving the player a sense of elation.

In this way, in order to avoid a situation in which it is determined that a promotion effect will be performed when the image of the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed but the operation is invalid, the operation of the central pressing operation unit 303a may be enabled for a predetermined time from the start of the button display effect, regardless of whether or not a promotion effect is performed during the button display effect.

In addition, in the rise to fame performance, there may be a pattern in which the teasing performance is not executed and only the button display performance is executed. The type of image of the central pressing operation unit 303a that can be displayed in the button display performance may be different when the teasing performance is executed and when only the button display performance is executed without the teasing performance.

Specifically, for example, in a pattern in which a provocative effect is executed, only a large blue push, a large red push, and a large rainbow push may be displayed in the button display effect, whereas in a pattern in which a provocative effect is not executed, a small blue push, a large blue push, a large red push, and a large rainbow push may be displayed. This makes the pattern in which a provocative effect is executed higher in the expectation of a jackpot than a pattern in which a provocative effect is not executed.

In addition, in such cases, it is desirable that a pattern in which a provocative effect is executed occurs more frequently than a pattern in which no provocative effect is executed and only a button display effect is executed. This is because, as mentioned above, a pattern in which a provocative effect is executed has a higher chance of winning. Also, for example, in a pattern in which a provocative effect is not executed, background music plays during the button display effect, but in a pattern in which a provocative effect is executed, it is desirable to play background music during the provocative effect but stop the background music and make it silent during the button display effect. This makes it possible to create a sense of tension in the button display effect in a pattern in which a provocative effect, which has a high chance of winning, is executed.

In addition, for example, a pattern may be executed in which a provocative effect is executed only when the fluctuation is a jackpot fluctuation, and an effect in which the vibration speaker 354 vibrates may be executed when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed during the effective period of the central pressing operation unit 303a in the button display effect.

Figure 524 is a timing chart showing an example of the timing at which a promotion effect in a rise-to-star performance is performed. The promotion effect can be executed, for example, at any of timings 1 to 7 shown in Figure 524. Timing 1 is immediately after the start of the teasing effect (for example, the timing of Figure 522 (A) or the timing immediately after the start of (B)). At timing 1, the player is in a state where he or she is unable to recognize or only slightly recognizes the initial background color in the teasing effect, so when a promotion effect is performed at timing 1, it can provide a sense of surprise to the player who has little awareness of the background color.

Timing 2 is the timing when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the teasing effect (for example, the timing of FIG. 522(C)). At timing 2, the player can fully recognize the initial background color in the teasing effect, so if the background color is blue, for example, the player will be disappointed, but this disappointment can be alleviated by the promotion effect being performed at timing 2.

Timing 3 is simultaneous with the start of the button display performance (for example, the start timing of FIG. 523(C)). Note that in the example of FIG. 524, the effective period of the central pressing operation unit 303a ends simultaneously with the end of the button display performance.

At timing 3, the player is not yet aware of the type of image displayed on the central press operation unit 303a in the button display effect, so if a promotion effect is performed at timing 3, the player can be given a sense of surprise. Also, when a promotion effect is performed at timing 3, even though the player is not yet aware of the type of image displayed on the central press operation unit 303a, it is confirmed that the image is not at least the image with the lowest probability of winning (small blue push), so the player can feel a sense of excitement.

Timing 4 is immediately after the start of the button display effect (for example, the timing immediately after the start of Figure 523 (C)). Specifically, timing 4 is a timing at which it is possible but difficult for the player to operate the central press operation unit 303a, such as 0.008 seconds after the start of the button display effect. At timing 4, the player has little awareness of the type of image of the central press operation unit 303a displayed in the button display effect, so when the promotion effect occurs, it can give the player a sense of surprise.

In addition, for players who know that a promotion effect may occur at timing 4, it is possible to provide a different type of gameplay by, for example, repeatedly tapping the central pressing operation unit 303a before the button display effect begins, thereby allowing the player to press the central pressing operation unit 303a before the promotion effect begins after the valid period has started.

Timing 5 is a timing that occurs a predetermined time after the button display effect starts (however, during the first half of the valid period of the central press operation unit 303a). At timing 5, the player can fully recognize the type of image on the central press operation unit 303a, so if the image is, for example, a small blue push, the player will be disappointed, but this disappointment can be alleviated by the promotion effect that is performed at timing 5.

Timing 6 is a timing after a predetermined time has elapsed since the button display effect started (however, during the latter half of the effective period of the central press operation unit 303a). At timing 6, a considerable amount of time has passed since the image of the central press operation unit 303a was displayed, so the promotion effect can be shown to a player who has half given up on seeing it, providing a sense of surprise.

Timing 7 is immediately before the end of the button display effect. By executing the promotion effect at timing 7, for example, it is possible to show the promotion effect to a player who is urged to press the central press operation unit 303a but has no intention of operating the central press operation unit 303a. Also, for example, if the effective period of the central press operation unit 303a does not begin until the promotion effect occurs even after the button display effect has started, it is possible to realize an effect like a freeze effect by executing the promotion effect at timing 6 or timing 7, and to create a strong sense of anticipation in the player.

Note that when a promotion effect is executed after the button display effect starts, pressing the central press operation unit 303a may be used as a trigger for executing the promotion effect. Specifically, for example, from the start of the button display effect until the timing of the promotion effect (for example, any of timings 4 to 7), the image of the central press operation unit 303a is displayed but operation of the central press operation unit 303a is disabled. Then, at the timing of the promotion effect, the valid period for operation of the central press operation unit 303a begins.

When the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed during the valid period, a promotion effect occurs, and operations are invalid during the promotion effect. The button image after the promotion is then displayed on the effect display device 1600, and the valid operation period begins again. When the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed during the valid operation period, the winning or losing result for that change is notified.

For example, the effective period of the central pressing operation unit 303a starts when the button display effect starts, but if the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed between the start of the button display effect and the timing of the promotion effect (for example, any of the timings 4 to 7), a promotion effect may occur. After that, when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed during the effective period after the promoted button image is displayed on the effect display device 1600, the winning or losing result in that variation is notified. It is preferable that the pattern in which the promotion effect is performed after the start of the button display effect is selected only in the case of a jackpot variation (i.e., a pattern in which a jackpot is confirmed). If this pattern is selected in the case of a losing variation, the player may be disappointed by an unexpected development (a development in which whether or not a jackpot is confirmed) when the player operates the central pressing operation unit 303a expecting the winning or losing result to be notified by the button effect.

In addition, for example, although the effective period of the central press operation unit 303a starts when the button display effect starts, if the central press operation unit 303a is pressed between the start of the button display effect and the timing of the promotion effect (for example, any of timings 4 to 7), an effect that anticipates the occurrence of a promotion effect (for example, a dialogue effect such as "Don't worry! You'll be promoted soon!") may be executed. In such a case, the promotion effect is not performed at the timing when the central press operation unit 303a is pressed as described above, but rather at the promotion timing that has been determined in advance.

Also, for example, if a promotion effect occurs after the start of a button display effect, immediately after the phrase "From..." is displayed on the effect display device 1600, the promotion may be performed again once after the promotion, and then the button display effect may be performed again. In this case, the target to be promoted by the promotion effect may be the background color that appeared in the previous promotion effect, or the image of the central pressing operation unit 303a in the button display effect, or both.

Specifically, for example, if a teasing performance ends with a blue background and a small blue push display is displayed in the button display performance followed by "From...", then a teasing performance with an upgraded red background may be performed, and a button display performance with a small blue push display may be performed. Also, specifically, for example, if a teasing performance ends with a blue background and a small blue push display is displayed in the button display performance followed by "From...", then a teasing performance with a blue background may be performed again, and a button display performance with a large red push display may be performed.

In the above example, a promotion effect is performed using only one of the teasing effect or the button display effect, but both may be performed. Promotion effects may also be performed multiple times within one teasing effect and one button display effect. Note that, although an example in which the background color changes as a teasing effect has been described, there is no need to be particular about the background color; for example, the color of an effect (such as a light gathering effect) that is displayed before the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed and that is displayed overlapping the area in which the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed may be changed.

[15. Hold Notice Performance]
[15-1. Hold notice by changing the color of the hold]
In this embodiment, the reserved display is displayed on the effect display device 1600 based on the reserved number designation command transmitted from the main control board 1310, but by changing the display mode of the reserved display until the reserved display is consumed, it is possible to execute a reserved notice effect that suggests the probability of a jackpot for the decorative pattern change display (special pattern change display) based on the reserved display. Also, during the display period of the reserved display, it is possible to execute a reserved change effect that suggests the possibility that the display mode of the reserved display may change.

Specifically, when a game ball enters the first start port 2002 or the second start port 2004 (the start condition is met), the main control board 1310 transmits a reserved number designation command and a pre-determination command. Then, in the command analysis process of step S601, the peripheral control board 1510, upon receiving the reserved number designation command and the pre-determination command, selects a reserved notice determination table corresponding to those commands, that is, a reserved number (reserved memory number) specified from the reserved number designation command and a pre-determination information specified from the pre-determination command (big hit, small hit, reach miss, or miss), and compares the determination value set in the reserved notice determination table with the read random number for reserved notice determination to determine the type of reserved notice pattern set in the reserved notice determination table.

In addition, in the hold notice determination table, the allocation of judgment values for each hold notice pattern differs for each pre-judgment information specified by the pre-judgment command (big hit, small hit, reach miss, or miss), and the occurrence rate of each hold notice pattern differs.

When a game ball enters the first start hole 2002 or the second start hole 2004 (the start condition is met), the number of reserved balls (number of reserved balls stored) specified by the reserved ball number designation command increases, and one reserved ball display is added and displayed on the performance display device 1600. On the other hand, when the display of decorative patterns (display of special patterns) based on the reserved ball display is started (the start condition is met), the number of reserved balls (number of reserved balls stored) specified by the reserved ball number designation command decreases, and the reserved ball display on the performance display device 1600 is erased. During the display period from when the reserved ball display is displayed on the performance display device 1600 to when the reserved ball display is erased, the display mode of the reserved ball display is displayed based on the reserved ball notice pattern, and the display mode of the reserved ball display can be changed each time the display of decorative patterns (display of special patterns) based on a reserved ball display other than the reserved ball display is started (the start condition is met).

In this embodiment, the pending display is erased when the display of the decorative pattern changes (display of the special pattern changes) based on the pending display is started (the start condition is met), but the pending display may be continued to be displayed even after the display of the decorative pattern changes (display of the special pattern changes) has started, and the display mode of the pending display may be made changeable. In such a case, the position where the pending display is displayed on the performance display device 1600 may be moved before and after the display of the decorative pattern changes (display of the special pattern changes) based on the pending display is started, similar to other pending displays, so that it may be possible to suggest that the display mode of the pending display may change due to the execution of the pending change performance.

Next, the hold color determination table in which multiple types of hold color patterns are set for each hold number (hold memory number) specified by the hold number specification command will be described with reference to Figures 525, 526, and 527. The hold notice determination table is stored in the ROM of the peripheral control board 1510.

Figure 525 (A) is a reserve color determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there is no reserve and no fluctuation is being executed. Figure 525 (B) is a reserve color determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there is no reserve and fluctuation is being executed. Figure 526 (C) is a reserve color determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there is one reserve. Figure 527 (D) is a reserve color determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there are two reserves. Figure 527 (E) is a reserve color determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there are three reserves. Note that there is no need to use a pre-determination command to determine the reserve color when there is no reserve and fluctuation is not being executed.

The reserved color determination table defines a pattern that indicates the reserved color at the timing when the reserved color can change, as well as the allocation for successful and unsuccessful variations of the pattern. The start of the reserved 1 variation is the time when the variation starts when the reserved color change target by the pattern is the first reserved (i.e., the variation corresponding to the reserved color change will be executed in the next variation). Similarly, the start of the reserved 2 variation is the time when the variation starts when the reserved color change target by the pattern is the second reserved (i.e., the variation corresponding to the reserved color change will be executed in the variation after next). Similarly, the start of the reserved 3 variation is the time when the variation starts when the reserved color change target by the pattern is the third reserved (i.e., the variation corresponding to the reserved color change will be executed in the variation three times ahead).

The peripheral control MPU changes the reserved color at each timing according to the color indicated by the pattern. The reserved color determination table is pre-allocated so that the colors have the highest probability of winning in the following order: white, blue, green, red, and rainbow. Also, the rainbow colors are pre-allocated so that they are selected only when a jackpot fluctuation occurs.

In addition, in each pattern of the reserved color determination table, the reserved color is not changed to one with a low jackpot expectation. Specifically, for example, once the reserved color has turned blue, it will not return to white. If there was a possibility of the color changing to a reserved color with a low jackpot expectation, the player would not feel a sense of expectation even if the reserved color had become a color with a high expectation.

The reserved color determination table also has a pattern in which the color is promoted in multiple stages. Specifically, for example, there is a pattern in which the reserved color starts from white, skipping blue and green, and changes to red. Due to the existence of such a pattern, for example, even if the reserved color remains white at the final timing of the reserved color change, there is still a possibility that it will suddenly change to a color with a high probability of winning, so the player's sense of anticipation can be maintained until the very end.

Also, for example, a reserved color of blue or higher may be selected only for reach fluctuations, or a reserved color of red or higher may be selected only for fluctuations in which an SP reach is executed. Also, if a fluctuation is suspended while a jackpot fluctuation is included among the fluctuations being executed or suspended, the peripheral control MPU may forcibly determine the reserved color change pattern for that fluctuation to be a pattern consisting entirely of white (i.e., the standard color).

Figure 528 is an example of a pending color determination table during a change. The pending color determination table during a change defines a pattern indicating the pending color at the timing when the pending color can change during a change, the allocation of the pattern in a winning change and the allocation in a losing change, for each change pattern, and for each pending color at the start of the change. In other words, the peripheral control MPU determines the pending color change pattern during a change according to the pending color at the start of the change, the change pattern of the change, and whether the change is a winning change or a losing change.

In the example of FIG. 528, three promotion timings are defined for each fluctuation pattern, but the number of promotion timings may differ for each fluctuation pattern. The promotion timings themselves may also differ for each fluctuation pattern. For example, in an executed fluctuation pattern in which an SP reach fluctuates, promotion timings include when the reach is established, when the SP reach develops, and when the second half of the SP reach begins. The jackpot expectancy and change patterns for each reserved color are the same as those in the reserved color determination table.

Figure 529 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a hold notification effect using a change in hold color. (A) is a state in which there is no hold for a change and a change is occurring. (B) is a state in which the change is occurring and game ball B has entered the first starting hole 2002. In (B), the hold color determination table in Figure 525 (B) is referenced, and the hold color at the time of winning and the start of the change is determined to be green.

(C) is the state where the change in (B) has ended. (D) is the state where the change corresponding to the green hold has begun. (E) is the state where the change has developed into a reach. In (E), the hold remains green. (F) is the state where the change has developed into an SP reach. In (F), the hold remains green. (G) is the state where the second half of the SP reach has begun in the change. When the second half of the SP reach began, the hold turned red.

[15-2. Hold notice effect due to gacha coin change]
So far, we have explained the reserved item color change. Below, we will explain the reserved item color change. The reserved item color change will be displayed as a gacha coin. In the reserved item color change, we will explain the reserved item color change. In the reserved item color change, for example, when a prize is won, the reserved item is displayed as a coin (hereinafter referred to as a gacha coin), and when the reserved item moves, the number of coins increases or the reserved item changes to a different coin (hereinafter referred to as a rare gacha coin).

For example, at the start of the change corresponding to the hold, the performance display device 1600 executes a gacha gacha the same number of times as the number of gacha coins and rare gacha coins, and acquires the same number of reserved displays. The reserved display showing the currently executing change then changes to the reserved display of the color with the highest expectation of a jackpot among the acquired reserved displays. Note that the change of the reserved display is not limited to the color with the highest expectation of a jackpot, and it may be possible to change to any of the displayed reserved displays. Note that although reserved gacha coins and rare gacha coins are displayed, reserved gacha gacha is not executed at the start of the change corresponding to the hold, and reserved gacha coins and rare gacha coins may be displayed.

The gacha coin reservation determination table, in which multiple types of gacha coin reservation patterns are set for each reservation number (reservation memory number) specified by the reservation number specification command, will be described with reference to Figures 530, 531, and 532. The gacha coin reservation determination table is stored in the ROM of the peripheral control board 1510.

Figure 530 (A) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there is no reservation and the change is not being executed. Figure 530 (B) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there is no reservation and the change is being executed. Figure 531 (C) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there is one reservation. Figure 532 (D) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there are two reservations. Figure 532 (E) is a gacha coin reservation determination table used when game ball B enters the start hole when there are three reservations. Note that it is not necessary to use a pre-determination command to determine the reservation of gacha coins when there is no reservation and the change is not being executed.

The gacha coin reservation determination table, like the reservation color determination table, defines patterns that indicate the type and number of gacha coins at the timing when the reservation color can change, as well as the allocation of the pattern in the case of a winning fluctuation and the allocation in the case of a losing fluctuation.

The peripheral control MPU changes the type and number of gacha coins at each timing according to the type and number of gacha coins indicated by the pattern. The allocation in the gacha coin reservation determination table is predefined so that the likelihood of winning increases in the following order: 1 gacha coin, 3 gacha coins, 5 gacha coins, 1 rare gacha coin, 5 rare gacha coins. Also, even if it is 5 rare gacha coins, which have the highest likelihood of winning, they may be selected due to a miss.

As with the reserved color determination table, in each pattern of the gacha coin reserved determination table, the coin is prevented from changing to a gacha coin with a low probability of winning. As with the reserved color determination table, the gacha coin reserved determination table has a pattern in which the gacha coin is promoted in multiple stages. In addition, if a jackpot variation is included in the ongoing or reserved variations and the variation is reserved, the peripheral control MPU may forcibly display a normal white reserved color instead of a gacha coin reserved.

In the illustrated gacha coin reserve determination table, when a gacha coin reserve is displayed, it is assumed that a gacha coin is always displayed from the time of winning, but for example, there may be a pattern in which a normal white reserve is displayed when a prize is won, and the reserve changes to a gacha reserve by the time the corresponding reserve starts to change. However, it is preferable that there is no pattern in which the reserve color changes to a gacha coin after being promoted to blue or above. This is because there is a risk of reducing the sense of anticipation that the reserve color has been promoted.

Figure 533 is an example of a gacha coin reserved color correspondence table. In the gacha coin reserved color correspondence table, the correspondence between the type and number of gacha coins at the start of the fluctuation, the reserved color with the highest probability of winning among the reserved colors acquired by the gacha capsule machine at the start of the fluctuation, and the allocation in which the corresponding correspondence is selected for each of the jackpot fluctuation and the miss fluctuation are defined.

The gacha coin reserved color correspondence table is set up so that a situation will not occur in which a gacha capsule toy is played using a gacha coin, but only a white reserved display is obtained. If such a situation occurs, the player will not be able to get a sense of anticipation for the performance of the gacha capsule toy.

In addition, "coin" in the reserved color column indicates that the gacha capsule toy will not be executed, and the reserved coin will remain as a gacha coin or a rare gacha coin, and the change will be executed. In the gacha coin reserved determination table, the probability of winning is set low when the gacha capsule toy is not executed, but in the case of five rare gacha coins, which is the state with the highest probability of winning, as shown in FIG. 533, if the gacha capsule toy is not executed, the probability of winning may be determined.
In addition, the gacha coin reservation color correspondence table does not have to include a pattern in which the gacha gacha is not executed. In other words, in this case, when a reservation display of a gacha coin or a rare gacha coin appears, it always changes to a reservation display with a jackpot expectation rate of blue reservation or higher.

In addition, regarding the big win change, the allocation to "coins", which indicates that the change will be performed while the reserved display remains as gacha coins or rare gacha coins, without the gacha gacha being executed, is set lower than the rate at which the reserved display changes to a color, whether it is 1 gacha coin, 3 gacha coins, 5 gacha coins, 1 rare gacha coin, or 5 rare gacha coins (in the case of 1 coin, the probability is 32/128 that it will remain as a coin, but 96/128 that it will change to some color). This is because the probability of it changing to a colored reserved display is generally higher, so this is to minimize the situation where it ends up as a coin.

The reserved color with the highest probability of winning is determined for multiple reserved displays acquired using multiple gacha coins or rare gacha coins according to the allocation indicated by the gacha coin reserved color correspondence table, but the colors of reserved displays other than the reserved color with the highest probability of winning are determined randomly, for example.

Specifically, for example, if three coins have been acquired and it has been decided that red should be displayed as the reserved color, the reserved color shown by the remaining two coins will be randomly determined from among "coin," "blue," "green," and "red," excluding the rainbow colors that have a higher expectation than red. Also, instead of being random, multiple patterns may be set in advance for the number of coins and the final color, such as "blue," "green," and "red" as pattern 1, "green," "green," and "red" as pattern 2, and "blue," "red," and "red" as pattern 3, and the color may be determined from among them. Also, if the reserved color with the highest expectation of a jackpot is not determined (if one of the displayed reserved colors is to be selected), it is advisable to set it so that, for example, pattern 2 is more likely to be promoted to red than pattern 1.

The gacha coin reservation color correspondence table may define the colors of all reserved displays acquired by multiple gacha coins or rare gacha coins. In this case, even if the reserved color with the highest probability of winning is the same, it is preferable to set the distribution so that the greater the number of reserved displays with that reserved color, the higher the probability of winning (specifically, for example, the probability of winning is higher when a "red, red, red" reserved display is acquired and the reserved display changes to red using three gacha coins than when a "red, blue, white" reserved display is acquired and the reserved display changes to red).

The change pattern of the reserved display during the change after it has changed to a colored normal reserved display at the start of the change due to a gacha coin or rare gacha coin is determined using the reserved color determination table during change in FIG. 528. In other words, even in the case of a gacha coin reserved notice, after it has changed to a colored normal reserved display, the reserved color change pattern is used, just as when the reserved color change notice continues. However, for each pattern in the reserved color determination table during change in FIG. 528, the allocation of each pattern during a jackpot change and the allocation of each pattern during a miss change may be different depending on whether or not the gacha coin reserved notice is used.

In the above example, the effect of the reserved gacha coin changing to the reserved color due to the gacha capsule machine is performed when the reserved coin corresponding to the gacha coin starts to change, but it may be performed at another timing after the change starts. Such timing may be, for example, just before a reach is established, just after a reach is established, or when an SP reach develops when an SP reach is executed. However, for example, if an image that encourages the operation of a specific operation unit is displayed during a reach effect, and an effect that encourages the operation of that operation unit is executed, it is desirable for the final such timing to be before the image starts to be displayed.

For example, if the final reserved color is the same, it is desirable to set the allocation in the reserved color determination table and the gacha coin reserved color correspondence table so that the probability of winning is higher if the gacha coin reserved notice is used than if the gacha coin reserved notice is not used.

In the above example, the number of reserved gacha coin levels (five levels: 1 gacha coin, 3 gacha coins, 5 gacha coins, 1 rare gacha coin, and 5 rare gacha coins) and the number of reserved color levels (five levels: white, blue, green, red, and rainbow) are the same, but they may be different. If the number of levels is different, it is desirable for the number of reserved gacha coin levels to be greater. The reserved gacha coins will eventually change to reserved colors, so the player will recognize the final jackpot expectation level from the reserved colors. In other words, if there are a large number of reserved color levels, it will be difficult for the player to grasp the final jackpot expectation level unless he remembers the order of the jackpot expectation levels for all the colors.

Although not shown in the figure, the peripheral control ROM stores, for example, an allocation in which the gacha coin reserve display is selected as the reserve when a prize is won, and an allocation in which the normal reserve display (a colored reserve that includes white) is selected, and a table defined for each change pattern. The peripheral control MPU refers to the table to select the gacha coin reserve display or the normal reserve display, and depending on the selected display mode, refers to the gacha coin reserve color correspondence table or the reserve color determination table to determine the reserve change pattern.

The probability of winning when the gacha coin reserved display is selected is generally set higher than the probability of winning when the normal reserved display is selected, but the highest reserved display (red), which can be selected even if the normal reserved display does not show a winning combination, has a higher probability of winning than the gacha coin reserved display (one gacha coin), which has the lowest probability of winning.

Figure 534 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a gacha coin reservation notice presentation. (A) is a state where there is no reserved change and a change is occurring. (B) is a state where the change is occurring and game ball B has entered the first starting hole 2002. In (B), the gacha coin reservation determination table in Figure 530 (B) is referenced, and the reserved display at the time of winning is determined to be "1 gacha coin" and the reserved display at the start of the change is determined to be "3 gacha coins", and red is determined as the reserved color in Figure 533.

(C) is the state where the change in (B) has ended. (D) is the state where the change corresponding to the reserve that has changed to a gacha coin has begun. At the start of the change, the reserve display that was "1 gacha coin" has changed to "3 gacha coins." (E) is the state where the gacha gacha performance has been executed three times using three gacha coins. The gacha coin reserve color correspondence table is referenced, and the reserve color with the highest probability of winning is determined to be green. Therefore, in (E), of the three reserve displays obtained in the gacha gacha performance, the one with the highest probability of winning is green.

(F) is the continuation of that change. The pending display corresponding to that change has changed to green, which has the highest chance of a jackpot among the three pending displays acquired in the gachapon presentation. (G) is the state in which that change has developed into a reach. In (G), the pending display remains green. (H) is the state in which that change has developed into an SP reach. In (H), the pending display remains green. (I) is the state in which the second half of the SP reach has started in that change. When the second half of the SP reach started, the pending display changed to red.

The change in the reserved display after the gacha coin reserved notice has changed to a normal reserved display (a colored reserved display that includes white) is the same as when the gacha coin reserved notice is not used, so (G), (H), and (I) are the same as Fig. 529 (E), (F), and (G), respectively. In addition, the timing of the color promotion may be determined appropriately, for example, the three reserved displays acquired in the gacha gacha performance may be "blue," "green," and "red," and the display may change to red from the state shown in Fig. 534 (F), and the final color may be displayed before the start of the reach shown in Fig. 534 (G).

[16. Reach collapse pseudo consecutive performance]
The following describes the reach-break pseudo-sequential performance. First, the pseudo-sequential performance is described. The pseudo-sequential performance is a performance in which the operation of changing the decorative pattern and ending the change of the decorative pattern is performed multiple times during one change of the first special pattern display device or the second special pattern display device. "Ending the change of the decorative pattern" refers to, for example, a mode in which a part or all of the decorative pattern is stopped and displayed, a mode in which the player recognizes that the change of the decorative pattern has once ended, and a mode in which a pseudo-sequential pattern (a pattern that will confirm the pseudo-sequential pattern if this pattern stops) stops on a part of the decorative pattern. Note that a pseudo-sequential performance in which the operation is performed N times (N is a natural number of 1 or more) is called an N-sequential pseudo-sequential performance, and the M-th change of the decorative pattern (M is a natural number of 1 or more and N or less) in the N-sequential pseudo-sequential performance is called an M-th pseudo-sequential performance.

In addition, a presentation that suggests to the player that there is a possibility that the action will be executed again during one fluctuation of the first special symbol display device or the second special symbol display device, but does not actually execute the action again, is called a "pseudo-fake presentation." There are also pseudo-fake presentations in which two consecutive pseudo-consecutive presentations are executed, but a third consecutive pseudo-consecutive presentation is suggested but not executed. Hereinafter, pseudo-consecutive presentations are also simply referred to as "pseudo consecutive presentations" or "pseudo consecutive presentations."

When a pseudo consecutive performance occurs or continues, i.e., when it is determined that the operation of changing the decorative pattern and ending the change of the decorative pattern will be executed again during one change of the first special pattern display device or the second special pattern display device, the peripheral control MPU may stop the pseudo consecutive pattern on at least one of the left decorative pattern, the middle decorative pattern, and the right decorative pattern. In the following example, the peripheral control MPU stops a character such as "Continued!" on the middle decorative pattern as a pseudo consecutive pattern. Note that, for example, a combination of specific decorative patterns (for example, the left decorative pattern, the middle decorative pattern, and the right decorative pattern are all odd or even numbers and no reach has occurred) may be regarded as a pseudo consecutive pattern.

For each variation, whether or not a pseudo-consecutive is performed, and the number of pseudo-consecutives if a pseudo-consecutive is performed, are defined in the variation pattern. In addition, the selection rate of the variation pattern in the variation pattern table is determined so that the higher the number of pseudo-consecutives, the higher the chance of winning.

Figure 535 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reach-break pseudo consecutive performance. Figure 535 (A) shows the state where the fluctuation has started. Next, in (B), the left decorative pattern stops, and the right decorative pattern is the same as the left decorative pattern and is about to stop, for example, in a swaying manner (about to enter a reach state). In (C), the decorative pattern maintains the state of (B), and an image encouraging the user to further press the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

(D) shows the state immediately after the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed in (C). The decorative symbols that were close to reaching a winning state start to change again, and a display ("x2!") indicating that a second pseudo-consecutive win has started is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

Next, at (E), the left decorative pattern stops again, and the right decorative pattern is the same as the left decorative pattern, and is about to stop, for example in a swaying manner. Also, a display ("x2") indicating that the second pseudo consecutive reel is currently being executed is displayed on the performance display device 1600. At (F), the decorative pattern maintains the state of (E), and an image encouraging the user to press the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

The same effect is repeated, and the fourth pseudo consecutive win is performed. (G) The decorative pattern maintains the state of (E), and an image prompting the user to press the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed on the effect display device 1600. A display ("x4") indicating that the fourth pseudo consecutive win is currently being performed is displayed on the effect display device 1600.

(H) is a state in which the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed in (G), but the decorative pattern that was on the verge of reaching the state does not collapse, and the reach is formed. The even decorative pattern forms the reach state. Note that the expected value of the balls obtained from the jackpot is large in the order of even numbers, odd numbers other than 7, and 7. A display ("x4") indicating that the fourth pseudo consecutive win is currently being executed is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Note that although it has been described that the reach is on the verge of reaching (the vertical positions of the left and right decorative patterns are slightly different), from the reach state (the vertical positions of the left and right decorative patterns are the same), an image encouraging the user to press the central pressing operation unit 303a may be displayed on the performance display device 1600 as shown in FIG. 535(c).

Figure 536 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reach symbol promotion effect that is executed following a reach collapse pseudo consecutive effect. The reach symbol promotion effect is an example of a SP reach. Figure 536 (I) shows a state in which the reach symbol promotion effect has started. The words "Promote the reach symbol!!" are displayed on the effect display device 1600. In the reach symbol promotion effect, for example, an even number reach is promoted to an odd number reach or a 7 reach, and an odd number reach is promoted to a 7 reach. Here, the order of favorable (e.g., easier to hit) is even number reach < odd number reach < 7 reach. In particular, the 7 reach is a very hot effect (e.g., a hit expectation rate of over 80%). Note that in (I), since the reach collapse effect has ended, the display showing the number of pseudo consecutive times has been erased from the effect display device 1600.

Next, at (J), an image prompting the player to operate the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed on the performance display device 1600. A white effect image is displayed in the background of the image of the central pressing operation unit 303a. Also, at (J), for example, the decorative pattern during a reach is displayed in a manner that makes it appear as if it is swaying.

(K) is the state in (J) where the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed and the reach pattern has been successfully promoted. A display indicating that the reach pattern has been promoted ("Promoted!!!") is displayed on the performance display device 1600. The decorative pattern has also been promoted to an odd reach. The color of the background effect image has also changed from white to blue.

For example, the color of the effect image in the background of the reach symbol promotion performance is white for an even number reach, blue for an odd number other than 7, and red for a 7 reach. Note that even if the reach symbol fails to be promoted, a reach performance (for example, a SP reach performance) is performed for that reach symbol, the winner is announced, and the symbol is confirmed.

Next, at (L), the words "Promote the reach pattern!!" are again displayed on the performance display device 1600. Next, at (M), an image prompting the user to operate the central pressing operation unit 303a is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also, at this time, for example, the decorative pattern during the reach is displayed in a manner that makes it appear as if it is shaking.

(N) is the state in (M) where the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed and the reach pattern has been successfully upgraded. A display indicating that the reach pattern has been upgraded ("Promoted!!!") is displayed on the performance display device 1600. The decorative pattern has also been upgraded to 7 reach. The color of the background effect image has also changed from blue to red. Although not shown in the figure, a reach performance (e.g. SP reach performance) using the 7 pattern is then performed, the result is announced, and the pattern is finalized.

Comparing the first period during which the reach-break pseudo consecutive performance, which is a performance of the same pattern (reach pattern mode) repeated over and over, and the second period from the end of the first period to the determination of the final reach pattern (the end of the reach pattern promotion performance), it is desirable for the second period to be longer. Since the player is most interested in the result of the fluctuation, a longer second period, which notifies the player of the result more directly, can maintain the player's interest, and since the probability of winning the jackpot for the above-mentioned 7 reaches is set to an exceptional value, a longer second period than the first period can provide the player with a longer period of excitement.

In addition, it is desirable that the number of times that the central press operation unit 303a is prompted to be pressed in the first period is greater than the number of times that the central press operation unit 303a is prompted to be pressed in the second period. The longer the time from the start of the fluctuation to the prompt to operate the operation unit, the more likely the player is to think that when prompted to operate the operation unit, that operation will notify the player of the result of that fluctuation. Therefore, in the second period, in which a long time has elapsed since the start of the fluctuation, if the central press operation unit 303a is prompted to be operated many times, the player will have to brace himself for each operation and may become mentally exhausted, so the number of times is set as described above.

In addition, it is desirable that the time interval between the effects that prompt the player to press the central press operation unit 303a, which are repeated in the first period, is shorter than the time interval between the effects that prompt the player to press the central press operation unit 303a, which are repeated in the second period. Hereinafter, the effect that prompts the player to press the central press operation unit 303a is also called an operation request effect. As described above, the effect that notifies the player of the lottery result more directly in the second period than in the first period, so if the time is taken between the operation request effects in the first period, the player's interest cannot be maintained. Also, for the same reason, the time interval between the effects that prompt the player to press the central press operation unit 303a, which are repeated in the first period, is shorter than the time interval between the end of the first period and the display of the first effect that prompts the player to press the central press operation unit 303a in the second period.

It is also desirable that the valid operation period for one operation request presentation in the second period is longer than the valid operation period for one operation request presentation in the first period. This is because the second period is a presentation that notifies the result of the lottery more directly than the first period, and therefore some players may want to perform the pressing operation slowly in the second period with a sense of tension.

Depending on the content of the reach-break pseudo-consecutive performance (for example, if the number of pseudo-consecutive performances is less than a predetermined number (for example, 3 times)), the operation request performance may not be executed even if it subsequently develops into an SP reach. However, it is desirable that the rate at which an operation request performance is executed in the SP reach is higher than the rate at which an operation request performance is not executed in the SP reach that subsequently develops after the reach-break pseudo-consecutive performance has occurred. This makes it possible to give the player a sense of exhilaration when a reach-break pseudo-consecutive performance occurs.

As mentioned above, in the examples of Figures 535 and 536, there is one type of display mode for the operation request presentation in the first period, but there are multiple types of display modes for the operation request presentation in the second period (a display with a blue effect and a display with a red effect).

In addition, after the operation request performance starts, a timer (which may be a gauge or the like) indicating the remaining operation valid period may be displayed on the performance display device 1600. In this case, the time from the start of the operation request performance to the display of the timer in the first period is shorter than the time from the start of the operation request performance to the display of the timer in the second period.

Although not shown, when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed during the operation request presentation in the second period, a predetermined movable body may operate according to the winning or losing result. Specifically, for example, if the fluctuation is a winning jackpot, the movable body operates, and if the fluctuation is a losing jackpot, the movable body does not operate. On the other hand, when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed during the operation request presentation in the first period, the movable body does not operate regardless of the winning or losing result.

In addition, the movable body may also move when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed during the operation request presentation in the first period, but the manner in which the movable body moves will be different from the manner in which the movable body moves when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed during the operation request presentation in the second period (for example, the direction or amount of movement of the movable body will be different, or the movable body that moves will be different).

In addition, during the first period, a specific effect (e.g., a cut-in effect) may be executed when the reach breaks and the pseudo-consecutive starts. There may be multiple types of such specific effects. Depending on the type of specific effect, it may be made to appear in such a way that the expectation of a jackpot for the change in question is increased or the next reach break is confirmed.

In addition, when a highly anticipated specific effect appears, it is desirable to ensure that the expectations are not lowered in the transitional specific effect (specifically, for example, when a green cut-in effect appears, a blue cut-in effect does not appear). In addition, in the first period, a specified movable body may move when a reach breaks and a pseudo-consecutive win begins. The movement of the movable body may be the same every time, or the movement or the moving part itself may differ depending on the current number of pseudo-consecutive wins.

In addition, multiple operation request performances are executed during the first period, and the time interval between operation request performances may be gradually shortened, or the time interval between operation request performances may be shortened from a predetermined number of times onward. However, for example, the time interval between the penultimate operation request performance and the last operation request performance may be longer than the time interval between other operation request performances.

[17. Sugoroku Stage Production]
The following describes the performance during the Sugoroku stage. The Sugoroku stage is an example of a specific performance state, and the Sugoroku performance is performed during the change to progress the game. Specifically, the Sugoroku map is displayed on the performance display device 1600, the back-bottom-middle rotating decoration 3310 rotates during the change, and when the rotation stops, the character drawn on the Sugoroku map advances through the number of squares indicated by the back-bottom-middle rotating decoration 3310. The performance indicated by the square where the character stops is executed during the change or the pending change.

Note that the rotation of the rotating decorative body 3310 on the bottom inside of the back does not necessarily have to be performed in all variations. In a variation in which the rotating decorative body 3310 on the bottom inside of the back does not rotate, for example, the character does not move between squares, i.e., remains in the same square. Note that the trigger for starting the Sugoroku stage may be a transition to the Sugoroku stage with a predetermined probability at the start of the variation, or it may be determined that the player will stay in the Sugoroku stage for a predetermined number of variations after the end of the advantageous play state, or the transition may be made as part of a pre-reading performance using the advance judgment command described above.

Figures 537 and 538 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a presentation on the Sugoroku stage. (A) is the state just before the change starts. A large decorative pattern is stopped in the center of the presentation display device 1600. Also, nothing is displayed within the Sugoroku squares. Also, at the time of (A), there are three pending changes. (B) is the state when the change has started. A large decorative pattern starts changing in the center of the presentation display device 1600.

In (C), the large decorative pattern in the center of the performance display device 1600 is erased, and a small decorative pattern changes to the upper right corner of the performance display device 1600. In addition, at the timing when the large decorative pattern is erased, a display indicating the performance content is displayed in the squares of the sugoroku. Also, for example, at this timing, the back-bottom-middle rotating decorative body 3310 starts rotating. Note that the back-bottom-middle rotating decorative body 3310 may start rotating at the timing of (B).

In (D), the rotating decorative element 3310 stops rotating. The number on the rotating decorative element 3310 located at the top indicates the number of spaces the character will move forward. In (D), the rotating decorative element 3310 is pointing to "2."

At (E), the character moves two squares. An "X" in the square the character moves to indicates that no special effects will be performed. Therefore, no special effects are performed, and the decorative pattern stops at (F). When the decorative pattern stops, a large decorative pattern is displayed in the center of the effect display device 1600.

In (G), a performance is executed in which the camera filming the sugoroku stage moves so that the character is positioned in the last square of the sugoroku squares displayed on the performance display device 1600. The end of (G) is the same as (A). Then, in (H), the next change begins. The details of (H) are the same as (B). After this, the same performance is repeated.

(I) is the state in which the final change of the sugoroku stage is being executed, and the details are the same as (C). (J) is the state following that final change. In (J), the bottom-middle rotating decorative body 3310 continues to rotate and performs an upward movement (an action different from a rotational movement) so as to approach the pending display area (the pending display area for that change) in the performance display device 1600. Note that this upward movement can only be executed in that final change. When this upward movement is performed, the contents of the squares of the sugoroku change to ones with a higher probability of winning. The contents of the squares that were "x", "?", and "x" in the (I) state have all changed to "reach" in the (J) state.

It is desirable that the probability of the rising action being performed is higher when the final change is a jackpot change than when the final change is a miss change, i.e., the expected jackpot probability in the final change when the rising action is performed is higher than the expected jackpot probability in the case where the rising action is not performed. As shown in (K), the bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 may hide part or all of the reserved display area, or it may approach the reserved display area but not hide it.

The rising action may also be performed after the rotation of the bottom middle rotating decoration 3310 has stopped (i.e., after the number has been determined). However, it is desirable that the start of the rising action be later than the start of the rotation action in the final variation. As mentioned above, when the rising action is performed, the expectation of a jackpot increases, and the player can feel a sense of anticipation for the rising action to occur even after the rotation action has started.

(K) is the continuation of the final change. In (K), the rotating decorative element 3310 on the bottom inside of the back returns to its initial position while rotating. Note that the rotating decorative element 3310 on the bottom inside of the back may return to its initial value after stopping rotation. In (K), the hold in the hidden hold display area has changed from the normal display to a blue hold display (a hold display with a higher chance of a jackpot than the normal hold display).

The rotation action of the bottom middle rotating decorative body 3310 can also be performed in variations in presentation states other than the Sugoroku stage, but it is desirable to set the probability that the rotation action is performed in each of multiple consecutive variations in presentation states other than the Sugoroku stage lower than the probability that the rotation action is performed in each of multiple consecutive variations in the Sugoroku stage. This is because the more variations in which the character advances through the squares in the Sugoroku stage, the more enjoyable the Sugoroku game will be for the player.

On the other hand, there may be a presentation state in which the probability of the rotation action being executed in each of multiple consecutive variations is set higher than in the Sugoroku stage. This is because a presentation state in which the bottom-middle rotating decorative body 3310 on the back, which at first glance appears to be provided for the Sugoroku stage, continuously rotates can provide the player with a sense of surprise.

In addition, an example of the rotational movement of the rotating decorative body 3310 has been described, but a movement in which the position is changed may be performed instead of a movement in which the position is not changed like a rotational movement. For example, the rotating decorative body 3310 may rise slightly while rotating (a rise with a smaller amount than the rise movement in the final change), etc.

[18. Specific Zone Production]
The effects of the specific zones will be described below. Examples of the specific zones include the Matsu zone and the Super Matsu zone. The Matsu zone is, for example, a zone that is entered during the Sugoroku stage of the previous chapter. The Super Matsu zone is, for example, a zone that can be entered regardless of the stage.

For example, entry into these specific zones is executed as a look-ahead performance. A look-ahead performance is a performance that executes a performance suggesting the winning or losing outcome of a pending variation before the pending variation begins. The peripheral control MPU refers to the special pattern advance determination command for the pending special pattern variation sent from the main control MPU, and determines (look-ahead determination) whether each of the pending special pattern variations is a winning variation (i.e., a big win variation or a small win variation), and executes the look-ahead performance based on the result of this determination.

After entering the Matsu Zone or Super Matsu Zone, the player will remain in these zones until a change corresponding to the hold determined by the pre-reading occurs (also called a pre-reading target change). The expectation of a jackpot for a change corresponding to a hold determined by the pre-reading in the Matsu Zone or Super Matsu Zone is high. In addition, the expectation of a jackpot for a pre-reading target change is higher when entering the Super Matsu Zone than when entering the Matsu Zone. Note that it is preferable not to enter the Matsu Zone or Super Matsu Zone with a newly held change as the pre-reading target change while a jackpot change is in progress or on hold.

Figures 539 and 540 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a Pine Zone presentation. (A) is the state in which a change during the Sugoroku stage is being executed. In (A), the pending change two steps after the change being executed is the change to be read ahead. A pre-reading presentation for the pre-reading target change is being performed from the change in (A). In (A), a presentation is being performed in which the character stops in a square marked "Pine Zone." (B) is the state following the change in (A). A display indicating that the Pine Zone has been entered is displayed on the presentation display device 1600.

In (C), a decorative pattern is displayed in the center of the performance display device 1600. In addition, a display indicating that you are in the Pine Zone ("In Pine Zone...") is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (D), the change has ended. In the next change of (C), for example, the same performance as (C) and (D) is executed.

(E) is the state where the predicted target change has started. The display on the performance display device 1600 continues to show a message indicating that the player is currently in the Pine Zone. (F) is the state where a reach has been reached in the predicted target change. When a reach has been reached, the display on the performance display device 1600 indicating that the player is currently in the Pine Zone has been erased.

In this way, when a specific effect with a high probability of winning, such as when a reach is achieved, is being executed, the display indicating that the player is in the Matsu Zone is erased, thereby drawing the player's attention, who had been paying close attention to the fact that the player was in the Matsu Zone, to the fact that a specific effect is being executed. In addition, if the fact that the player is in the Matsu Zone is constantly displayed, the player may continue to feel tense and become tired. Note that the display indicating that the player is in the Matsu Zone may be erased multiple times. Specifically, for example, it may be erased every time the execution of a pseudo-consecutive win is confirmed.

In other words, at a specific timing before the SP reach effect (the rock-paper-scissors match effect described below) begins (when a reach is established, when a display confirming a pseudo-consecutive appears, when an effect related to (emphasizing) the occurrence of a reach or pseudo-consecutive is being performed, etc.), it is a good idea to erase the display indicating that the player is in the Matsu Zone.

At (G), the reach state continues. At (G), the display indicating that the player is in the Matsu Zone is again displayed on the performance display device 1600. At (G), the player is waiting to see if the state will progress to an SP reach, and the display indicating that the player is in the Matsu Zone, which has a high chance of winning, is redisplayed at that time, reminding the player that he or she is in the Matsu Zone, and allowing the player to hope for the state to progress to an SP reach.

(H) is the state where the rock-paper-scissors match presentation, which is an SP reach, has started. The rock-paper-scissors match presentation is an SP reach that develops with the pre-reading target fluctuations of the Matsu zone and the Super Matsu zone. The rock-paper-scissors match presentation is, for example, an SP reach presentation with an extremely high probability of winning (for example, the second highest probability of winning after the SP reach presentation, which is selected only during a jackpot fluctuation). Note that entering the Matsu zone does not necessarily mean that the rock-paper-scissors match presentation will be executed, but the pattern of pre-reading target fluctuations is selected so that the rock-paper-scissors match presentation will always be executed when entering the Super Matsu zone.

In addition, when the rock-paper-scissors match presentation starts, the display indicating that the player is in the Matsu Zone is erased from the presentation display device 1600, and remains erased even during the rock-paper-scissors match presentation. The rock-paper-scissors match presentation is a presentation with an extremely high probability of a jackpot, and this is to draw the player's attention to the rock-paper-scissors match presentation. For this reason, it is desirable that the probability of a jackpot be set higher at the start of the rock-paper-scissors match presentation than when the player enters the Matsu Zone.

(I) is the continuation of the rock-paper-scissors game presentation. The call of rock-paper-scissors is displayed on the presentation display device 1600. At (J), the rock-paper-scissors game of the rock-paper-scissors game presentation is taking place. The hand of the friendly character is displayed on the left side of the presentation display device 1600, and the hand of the enemy character is displayed on the right side of the presentation display device 1600. At (J), the presentation display device 1600 displays the state in which the friendly character has won the rock-paper-scissors game against the enemy character (i.e., the change is an indication that the change is a jackpot change). At (K), the presentation display device 1600 indicates that a jackpot has been won, and the decorative patterns stop in the jackpot combination.

Figures 541 and 542 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a Super Matsu Zone presentation. Entry into the Super Matsu Zone is executed, for example, as a hold notice presentation. Specifically, for example, the hold is displayed in a manner indicating the possibility of entry into the Super Matsu Zone (hereinafter also referred to as a Super Matsu suggested hold). Note that the hold is displayed in a manner indicating that entry into the Super Matsu Zone is confirmed (hereinafter also referred to as a Super Matsu confirmed hold), for example, when a win is made, the hold corresponding to the win is displayed as a Super Matsu suggested hold, or when a hold in a normal display mode moves, it changes to a Super Matsu suggested hold.

(A) is a state in which a change is being made and three changes are on hold. (B) is a state in which a new change has been put on hold in the state of (A). In (B), when the new hold wins, it is displayed as a Super Matsu suggested hold (a hold marked "Super Matsu?". If it is a confirmed Super Matsu hold, it will be marked "Super Matsu!" and may be displayed in a color (e.g. red) different from the standard color (e.g. white).) The Super Matsu suggested hold is a hold for a change that is the subject of a look-ahead read. (C) is a state in which the hold has ended.

(D) is the state when the next change has started. (E) is the state where the change in (D) continues. In (E), the performance display device 1600 is executing a dialogue display suggesting entry into the Super Matsu Zone ("Maybe it's the Super Matsu Zone..."). (F) is the state at the end of that change. In (F), the performance display device 1600 is displaying an indication ("...") indicating that entry into the Super Matsu Zone was suggested but entry was not possible.

(G) is the state after the next change in (F) has begun. The Super Matsu suggestion hold has moved by one. Also, in (G), the dialogue suggesting entry into the Super Matsu Zone ("It might really be the Super Matsu Zone!!!") is displayed again. The dialogue in (G) has a higher chance of entering the Super Matsu Zone than the dialogue in (E). When executing a scenario suggesting entry into the Super Matsu Zone multiple times like this, it is desirable to ensure that the chance of entering the Super Matsu Zone does not decrease over the multiple occurrences of that scenario.

In (H), a display confirming entry into the Super Matsu Zone is displayed on the effect display device 1600. As in (H), the Super Matsu suggestion hold may change to a Super Matsu confirmed hold at this timing. Note that in the example of FIG. 541, the Super Matsu suggestion hold changes to a Super Matsu confirmed hold at the timing when the display confirming entry into the Super Matsu Zone appears, but it goes without saying that the Super Matsu confirmed hold may appear before that timing. Also, in the example of FIG. 541, the transition from the effect suggesting entry into the Super Matsu Zone to entry into the Super Matsu Zone takes place over two fluctuations, but it may also take place in a single fluctuation.

In (I), a decorative pattern is displayed in the center, and a display indicating that the player is in the Cho-Matsu Zone is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In addition, the Cho-Matsu confirmed hold has changed to a hold display with a high expectation (a red hold display in (I)). For example, in this state, the fluctuation is resolved.

(J) is the state where the predicted target change has started. (K) is the state where a reach has been achieved in the predicted target change. As with the Matsu zone, when a reach has been achieved, the display indicating that the player is currently in the Matsu zone is erased from the performance display device 1600.

In this way, when a specific effect with a high probability of winning, such as when a reach is achieved, is being executed, the display indicating that the player is in the Cho Matsu Zone is erased, thereby drawing the attention of the player, who has been paying close attention to the fact that the player is in the Cho Matsu Zone, to the fact that a specific effect is being executed. In addition, if the fact that the player is in the Cho Matsu Zone is displayed all the time, the player may continue to feel tense and become tired. Note that the display indicating that the player is in the Cho Matsu Zone may be erased multiple times. Specifically, for example, it may be erased every time the execution of a pseudo-consecutive win is confirmed.

In other words, just like with the Matsu Zone mentioned above, at a specific timing (such as when a reach is established, when a display confirming a pseudo-link appears, or when a display related to (emphasizing) the occurrence of a reach or pseudo-link is being performed) before the SP reach performance (the rock-paper-scissors match performance mentioned above) begins, the display indicating that you are in the Super Matsu Zone should be erased.

At (L), the reach state continues. At (L), a display indicating that the player is in the Super Matsu zone is again displayed on the performance display device 1600, just like the Matsu zone. The Super Matsu zone has a higher chance of winning compared to the Matsu zone, so the display indicating that the player is in the Super Matsu zone is displayed again, allowing the player to feel a sense of elation once again.

(M) is the state where the rock-paper-scissors match presentation, which is an SP reach, has begun. As mentioned above, the rock-paper-scissors match presentation is always executed when entering the Cho-Matsu Zone. In (M), the display indicating that the player is in the Cho-Matsu Zone has been erased again from the presentation display device 1600. This makes it possible to strongly appeal to the player that they have entered the rock-paper-scissors match presentation.

(N) is a continuation of the rock-paper-scissors match presentation. The call of rock-paper-scissors is displayed on the presentation display device 1600. Also, at (N), a display indicating that the player is in the Super Matsu Zone is displayed again on the presentation display device 1600. As mentioned above, the Super Matsu Zone has a higher chance of winning than the Matsu Zone. Therefore, by displaying this display at the time when the rock-paper-scissors match is actually taking place in the rock-paper-scissors match presentation, the player can feel a sense of exhilaration from the synergistic effect of the two highly anticipated presentations, the rock-paper-scissors match presentation and the Super Matsu Zone.

In (O), a rock-paper-scissors game is taking place in a rock-paper-scissors game presentation. The hand of the friendly character is displayed on the left side of the presentation display device 1600, and the hand of the enemy character is displayed on the right side of the presentation display device 1600. In (O), the presentation display device 1600 displays the state in which the friendly character has won the rock-paper-scissors game against the enemy character (i.e., it is notified that the change is a jackpot change).

Also, at (O), the display indicating that the player is in the Chomatsu Zone has been erased from the performance display device 1600. This is because at the time when the result of the change in question has already been notified, only the result is important to the player, and whether or not the player is in the Chomatsu Zone is not important. At (P), the performance display device 1600 notifies the player that a jackpot has been won, and the decorative patterns stop in the jackpot combination.

In the above example, the Super Matsu Zone begins after the Super Matsu Suggestion Hold appears, but if it is not possible to enter the Super Matsu Zone even though the Super Matsu Suggestion Hold appears, for example, even during the fluctuation corresponding to the Super Matsu Suggestion Hold, a performance will be shown in which the entry into the Super Matsu Zone is suggested but entry fails.

In addition, in the above example, no special effects were executed for fluctuations that were not pre-readable while in the Matsu Zone or Super Matsu Zone, but specific effects (such as continuous effects suggesting the start of a rock-paper-scissors game effect) may be executed for these fluctuations. Also, entry into the Matsu Zone and Super Matsu Zone may be executed as a normal effect (part of the effect executed within one fluctuation) that is not a pre-readable effect. Specifically, for example, an effect suggesting entry into the Matsu Zone or Super Matsu Zone, an entry effect, and a rock-paper-scissors game may be executed in one fluctuation.

In principle, entering the Pine Zone is done when the character stops on the square that indicates the Pine Zone in the Sugoroku stage, so it is preferable not to indicate the Pine Zone with a hold indicator, as is the case with the Super Pine Zone. If the Pine Zone were indicated by a hold indicator in the Sugoroku stage, the hold indicator would suggest the contents of the Sugoroku squares that are not displayed until after the game has started, which could reduce the enjoyment of the game as a whole.

In the aforementioned Matsu zone or Super Matsu zone, for example, an example was explained in which the display indicating that the player is in the Matsu zone or Super Matsu zone is erased when a reach occurs, but an image different from the displayed image (for example, a reach emphasis effect) may be displayed superimposed on the front (higher priority) side of the displayed image. In short, it is sufficient if the display indicating that the player is in the Matsu zone or Super Matsu zone is not recognizable by the player (or the display indicating that the player is in the Matsu zone or Super Matsu zone is displayed superimposed, but only slightly visible).

[19. Peek-in performance]
The following describes the reserved peek performance, which is an example of the reserved notice performance. FIG. 543 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the reserved peek performance. (A) is a state in which a change is being executed. In (A), three changes are on hold. In (B), a character appears from the bottom of the performance display device 1600 and hides a part of the reserved display area (a part means completely hiding a predetermined number (e.g., one) of the four reserved changes, and/or hiding a part of each of the four reserved changes (i.e., a state in which the reserved display is not completely visible for all four reserved changes)) without hiding the reserved display corresponding to the currently executed change (the reserved display located in the lower center of the performance display device 1600). The character may hide the entire reserved display area. The character may also hide the reserved display corresponding to the currently executed change (the reserved display located in the lower center of the performance display device 1600).

In (C), the character disappears from the effect display device 1600, and part of the pending display that was hidden by the character (the third pending display in Figure 543) changes to a green pending display with a high expectation. (D) is the end of the variation. The decorative patterns stop in a combination that indicates that the variation is a losing variation. As in the example of Figure 543, when only the pending pending display is hidden, it is desirable that the pending peek effect is executed only when the variation being executed is a losing variation.

In addition, in a variation in which a normal miss variation pattern (a variation pattern in which no special effects such as reach effects are executed and the variation time is long (e.g., about 10 seconds)) is selected, when the pending peek effect is executed, the character does not appear at the start of the variation, as in the example of FIG. 543, but appears after a predetermined time has passed from the start of the variation (e.g., 3 seconds). Also, in a shortened variation pattern (a variation pattern in which no special effects such as reach effects are executed and the variation time is short (e.g., less than 10 seconds)), when the pending peek effect is executed, the character may appear at the start of the variation or after an extremely short time has passed (shorter than the above-mentioned 3 seconds) from the start of the variation (e.g., 0.5 seconds).

Also, before (B), a teasing performance of the hold peek performance may be performed. In the teasing performance, specifically, for example, a performance is performed in which a character appears on the performance display device 1600 and approaches the hold display area but does not hide the hold display area. Also, a teasing performance may be performed, but then the character may disappear without hiding the hold display area. Note that in the shortened change pattern described above, since the change time is short, it is desirable not to perform a teasing performance or to perform it for a short time (for example, about 1 second). Also, if such a teasing performance is performed and the character hides the hold display area, the hold display may always change.

In the example of Figure 543, some of the pending displays hidden by the character have changed, but there may be a pattern in which all pending displays change, or there may be a pattern in which none of the pending displays change.

Note that even if the reserved display has a color with the same jackpot expectation, for example, the jackpot expectation is higher when the reserved peek display is used than when the reserved peek display is not used. This allows the player to feel a sense of elation when the reserved peek display is executed. Conversely, even if the reserved display has a color with the same jackpot expectation, the jackpot expectation may be higher when the reserved peek display is not used than when the reserved peek display is used. It is possible to balance the player's expectations between the reserved peek display, which changes the reserved display with a high probability or guaranteed at the time of occurrence but has a low jackpot expectation, and the normal reserved color change display, which is unpredictable but has a high jackpot expectation.

As in the example of FIG. 543, it is desirable for the effect display device 1600 to announce a change in the reserved display by announcing that the character has retreated from the reserved display. If the change in reserved color or the new reserved color were indicated before the character retreated, the period during which the player feels tension in the reserved peek effect would be shortened, decreasing interest.

However, for example, when an illuminant different from the performance display device 1600 (for example, a lamp or LED attached to the front wall 2101 of the starting port unit 2100, or a lamp or LED provided near the starting port unit 2100) is made to emit light in a color equivalent to the reserved color displayed on the performance display device 1600, the illuminant may be made to emit light in the reserved color before the character retreats on the performance display device 1600 (i.e., before the changed reserved color is displayed). Normally, the player plays the game while mainly looking at the performance display device 1600, but the player can feel a sense of anticipation by sensing something unusual due to a change in color of the illuminant that comes into view slightly.

The aim is to have the player recognize the change in color of the light-emitting device before the change in the reserved color of the performance display device 1600, so there is no problem if the timing of executing the performance (control for the performance) in which the reserved color of the performance display device 1600 changes is before the timing of executing the performance in which the color of the light-emitting device is changed, or even if they are the same timing, it is possible to recognize the change in color of the light-emitting device before the change in the reserved color of the performance display device 1600.

Also, just before the light emitter is illuminated or just before the light color of the light emitter is changed, it is advisable to illuminate the light emitter in the reserved color (e.g., white) of the normal display mode. Specifically, for example, when the reserved color of the reserved display in the performance display device 1600 changes from blue to green, the light emitter changes from blue to white and then from white to green before the change in the reserved color of the performance display device 1600. Note that, although an example in which the reserved color in the normal display mode is white has been described, it is not limited to white, and any color that is unlikely to be selected as the reserved color after promotion in this reserve change performance is acceptable. Also, when the white display is performed, it does not matter whether it is lit or flashing. If it is lit, it will draw attention to the LCD, and if it is flashing, it will be made clear that a reserve change is occurring.

In such a case, it is desirable that the time during which the light source emits white light is extremely short (for example, a time shorter than the shortest of all the variation patterns). If the light source emits white light for a long time, the player may be misled when the pending display changes to white, which has a low chance of winning.

When the hold display mode in the performance display device 1600 is a special hold mode that cannot be expressed by color alone (for example, the Chomatsu suggested hold as described above), the light emitter expresses the hold display mode, for example, by emitting light in a color not used in the hold color change in the performance display device 1600 (for example, if the performance display device 1600 can perform hold color changes of white, blue, green, red, or rainbow colors, the light emitter emits light in purple) or by emitting light in a predetermined pattern. Examples of the predetermined pattern of light emission include a pattern in which red flashes and a pattern in which red and green light alternate.

In the example of FIG. 543, the series of effects in which the character hides the hold display and retreats is performed only once, but the effects may be performed multiple times. When the effects are performed multiple times, the state of the hold display may change each time, the state of the hold display may change at least once, or the state of the hold display may not change even once.

It is also desirable that the reserved peek effect be performed only for reserved special chart 1. When the game is mainly progressing with the fluctuation of special chart 2, for example, a very short fluctuation time is often selected, such as in the time-saving state, so the reserved peek effect needs to be performed at high speed, which may confuse the player.

In addition, there may be multiple types of characters in the reserved peek performance. The expectation level of each of the multiple characters may be different, or the expectation level may be the same for some or all of the characters. This expectation level may be the reserved change expectation level in the reserved peek performance, or the jackpot expectation level for the reserved change. Specifically, for example, the reserved expectation level increases in the order of character A, character B, and character C, and character C is selected only when a reserved change is executed. For example, character B may have a higher reserved change expectation level than character A, but character A may have a higher jackpot expectation level than character B when the reserved change occurs. Furthermore, character A and character B may have the same reserved change expectation level and jackpot expectation level, and character C may have a higher reserved change expectation level and jackpot expectation level than characters A and B.

Although it is desirable that the pending peek effect be performed only when the ongoing variation is a miss, it is even more desirable that the pending peek effect be performed only when the ongoing variation is a non-reach variation or a reach variation with low jackpot expectation (for example, a normal reach miss variation, etc.). In other words, it is desirable that the pending peek effect not be generated not only when the ongoing variation is a jackpot variation, but also when the ongoing variation is a reach variation with high jackpot expectation, such as an SP reach, where a jackpot expectation is executed.

If the pending peek effect occurs during a change that results in an SP reach, the player may think that the pending change is more promising than the change that is currently being executed, and this may weaken their expectations for the SP reach.

[20. Still Image Presentation]
The still image presentation is described below. A still image presentation is a presentation in which a dynamic display is displayed in parallel with the display of a still image in the presentation display device 1600. The still image during the still image presentation may be an image (e.g., an object (sprite) such as a character image or background image) that was displayed as a dynamic display until just before the start of the still image presentation, which has been frozen, or a still image that begins to be displayed simultaneously with the start of the still image presentation. When the still image presentation ends, the still image is released from the still state, and the still image changes to a dynamic display. Also, when the still image presentation ends, the still image may be erased and a new dynamic display may be displayed.

In this chapter, the stillness of an image does not only mean a completely still image, but also includes an image that is sufficient to make the player recognize that it is still. Specifically, for example, an image (object) that is slightly shaking, an image (object) that has an effect applied to it, an image (object) that is slightly enlarged or reduced, etc. are also included in the stillness.

[20-1. Rocket performance]
544, 545, and 546 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a rocket effect. The rocket effect is an example of a SP reach effect in which a still image effect may be executed.

When a rocket performance, which is an example of a SP reach performance, starts, in (A), a display indicating that the rocket performance has started is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (B), an image of character A (the character with a white head in the figure), character A's line "Light the fuse!", and a rocket with a lit fuse are displayed on the performance display device 1600.

In (C), the image of character A has been erased from the performance display device 1600. Also, in (C), the fuse is shorter than in (B) (i.e., sparks are traveling along the fuse). In (D), character A is displayed again on the performance display device 1600, and character A's line "There's not enough fuel! We can't launch the rocket like this!" is also displayed. Also, in (D), the fuse is shorter than in (C).

In (E), an image of character B (the character with a black head in the figure) and a line from character B saying "Refill the fuel before the sparks reach the rocket!" are displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also, in (E), the fuse is shorter than in the state of (D).

At (F), an image of character B and character B's line "We'll arrive in 5 seconds!" are displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also, at (F), the rocket is displayed on the performance display device 1600 in a zoomed-in state near the fuse, and the fuse is shorter than in the state of (E). Note that up until (M), which will be described later, the rocket is displayed on the performance display device 1600 in a zoomed-in state near the fuse.

In (G), the phrase "Refill in 3 seconds!" and an image of character A trying to lift the fuel are displayed on the effect display device 1600. The image "Refill in 3 seconds!" is displayed until the end of FIG. 545 (N), which will be described later. In (G), the fuse is shorter than in (F). That is, from the start of (B) to the start of (G), a dynamic effect is performed in which sparks travel along the fuse, gradually shortening it. Meanwhile, from the start of (G) to the end of (M), which will be described later (just before the timing of the announcement of the special lottery results), a still image effect is executed in which the images of the fuse and sparks are still.

In (H), an image of character A lifting fuel is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (I), an image of character A preparing to throw fuel is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In FIG. 545 (J), an image of character A throwing fuel is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

In (K), an image of character A attempting to lift the fuel is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (L), an image of character A lifting the fuel is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Note that the images of character A and fuel in (K) and (L) are the same as the images of character A and fuel in Figure 544 (G) and (H), respectively.

That is, between FIG. 544(G) and FIG. 545(J), a series of effects is repeated in which character A tries to lift the fuel, lifts the fuel, tries to throw the fuel, and then throws the fuel. The second series of effects begins at FIG. 545(K), and ends midway through at (L).

At (M), the images of character A and the fuel are erased from the performance display device 1600, and a rocket image with a still spark and fuse is displayed on the performance display device 1600. At (N), the still image is unfrozen, and an image of sparks reaching the fuse to the rocket and the successful launch of the rocket, i.e., an image announcing that the special lottery result is a jackpot, is displayed on the performance display device 1600. At (O), an image display of "Jackpot! Congratulations!!" is displayed on the performance display device 1600, announcing that the special lottery result is a jackpot.

Figure 546 is an example of the final stage of the rocket performance when the special lottery result is a miss. In Figure 546 (N'), which follows Figure 545 (M), an image is displayed on the performance display device 1600, in which the spark goes out midway through the fuse and the rocket fails to launch, i.e., an image announcing that the special lottery result is a miss. In (O'), an image saying "Too bad..." is displayed, indicating that the special lottery result is a miss. Note that even if the special lottery result is a jackpot, an image announcing that the special lottery result is a miss, such as Figure 546 (N'), may be displayed at the timing of Figure 545 (N), and a revival performance (for example, a performance like Figure 545 (N) or a performance dedicated to revival) may be performed afterwards.

The display mode of the dynamic display of character A and the fuel during the still image performance may suggest the result of the special lottery. Specifically, for example, when the result of the special lottery is a jackpot, it is desirable that the selection rate of a performance in which the word "chance" or the like is displayed on the clothing worn by character A during the still image performance, or in which the fuel is displayed in a specific color (e.g., red) during the still image performance, is higher than when the result of the special lottery is a miss.

In addition, while an example has been shown in which multiple dynamic displays (character A and fuel) are displayed on the display device 1600 during a still image presentation, there may be only one dynamic display. Furthermore, if multiple dynamic displays can be displayed during a still image presentation, the number of dynamic displays may be increased when a specific condition is met during the still image presentation (for example, game ball B enters a specific winning hole).

Specifically, for example, during the still image presentation, each time game ball B enters the specified winning hole, a character cheering for character A may be additionally displayed, up to a specified number (for example, 5 characters). The additionally displayed characters may, for example, repeat a cheering presentation, which is an example of a series of presentations consisting of multiple presentation elements, one or more times. As with the repetition of the series of presentations shown in Figures 544 and 545, the cheering presentation may also end in the middle of the series of presentations (for example, if the cheering presentation is a series of presentations that starts with presentation A and is executed in the order of presentation B and presentation C, the cheering presentation may end after presentation A or presentation B is executed in the Nth (N is a natural number) repetition of the series of presentations).

When multiple characters are added and displayed, it is desirable that the timing of the cheering effects by the multiple characters be synchronized. In other words, when a new character is added and displayed, the cheering effect of the new character starts in synchronization with the schedule of the cheering effect being performed by the added character that is already displayed. This makes it easier for the player to notice that a character has been added and also draws the player's attention to the cheering effect by the multiple characters. In addition to or instead of the additional display, a display showing the number of characters that have already been added or the number of characters that are scheduled to be added may be displayed on the effect display device 1600.

It is desirable that among the dynamic displays during the still image presentation, those that suggest the special lottery result are only those that have been displayed since the still image presentation began (i.e., character A and fuel). In other words, it is desirable that dynamic displays that are added after the still image presentation has begun because the above-mentioned specific conditions have been met do not suggest the special lottery result. This is because if all of these dynamic displays suggested the special lottery result, there is a risk of confusion for the player.

It is desirable that the dynamic display during the still image presentation be displayed in a corner or other location other than the center of the presentation display device 1600 (the lower right corner in the examples of Figures 544 and 545). It is also desirable that the display size of the dynamic display during the still image presentation be smaller than the display size of the still image (the rocket including the fuse and sparks in the examples of Figures 544 and 545). It is the rocket after the still image has been released that announces the special lottery results, and this is to attract attention to the rocket rather than the dynamic display.

The title display in FIG. 544(A) ("Launch the rocket! A successful launch will win the jackpot!") may be prepared in multiple colors, such as white, red, and rainbow, with the expectation level increasing in the order white < red < rainbow. Also, multiple types of title display may be provided when the still image effect is not executed. For example, the jackpot expectation level may be 1% for white when the still image effect is not executed, 5% for red when the still image effect is not executed, 100% for rainbow when the still image effect is not executed, 10% for white when the still image effect is executed, 20% for red when the still image effect is executed, and 100% for rainbow when the still image effect is executed. If the same red color is used when the still image effect is executed and when it is not executed, the red color when the still image effect is executed has a higher jackpot expectation level.

In addition, when comparing the white when a still image effect is executed with the red when a still image effect is not executed, the white when a still image effect is executed has a higher chance of winning. In other words, the chance of winning is indicated by the title display color and the presence or absence of a still image effect, but since the still image effect has a greater contribution to the chance of winning, the chance of winning may be higher when a still image effect is executed with a lower title display color than when a still image effect is not executed with a higher title display color. In this way, the player's disappointment can be reduced even if the title display that is displayed before the still image effect is executed is white.

In addition, it is preferable not to light up lamps, output sounds from speakers, or move movable objects in conjunction with the dynamic displays during the still image production. The result of the special lottery is announced only by the rocket after the still image is released, and this is to draw attention to the rocket rather than the dynamic displays.

The outline of the rocket performance explained using Figures 544 to 546 is as follows. First, a dynamic performance is performed in which sparks travel along the fuse and the rocket's fuse gradually becomes shorter, after which the fuse and sparks come to a standstill (the rocket is also standstill). Then, while the fuse and sparks are still, a dynamic performance of character A and fuel is performed. Then, at the same time that the fuse and sparks are no longer still, the dynamic performance of character A and fuel ends, and a performance is performed that announces the result of the special lottery (successful or failed rocket launch).

Figure 547 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a schedule for the dynamic presentation of character A and fuel after the still image presentation has begun in a rocket presentation. Each element in Figure 547 represents an element of the series of presentations described above. Element 1 is a state in which character A is about to lift the fuel, as in Figure 544 (G), element 2 is a state in which character A has lifted the fuel, as in Figure 544 (H), element 3 is a state in which character A is about to throw the fuel, as in Figure 544 (I), and element 4 is a state in which character A has thrown the fuel, as in Figure 545 (J).

Pattern A is a presentation pattern in which, after the first series of presentations, elements 1 and 2 are executed, and then a presentation of a successful launch or failed launch of the rocket (i.e., a presentation announcing the results of a special lottery) is executed. In the above-mentioned Figures 544 to 546, the presentation of pattern A was executed.

Pattern B is a performance pattern in which after the second series of performances, elements 1 and 2 are executed, and then a rocket launch success or failure performance is executed.Pattern C is a performance pattern in which after the third series of performances, elements 1 and 2 are executed, and then a rocket launch success or failure performance is executed.

That is, patterns A, B, and C are presentation patterns in which a series of presentations ends midway and a presentation of a successful launch or a failed launch of the rocket is executed. On the other hand, pattern D is a presentation pattern in which a series of presentations ends exactly five times and then a presentation of a successful launch or a failed launch of the rocket is executed. In this respect, since pattern D is different from patterns A, B, and C, it is desirable to set the selection rate of each pattern so that the probability of a big win is higher when pattern D is selected than when patterns A, B, and C are selected. If the probability of a big win is low for pattern D, which has the longest still image presentation time, the probability of the special lottery result being a miss in spite of the player's long anticipation in the still image presentation is high, and situations that strongly disappoint the player occur frequently. Pattern D may also be set to be selected only when the special lottery result is a big win.

In addition, since the still image presentation time increases in the order of Pattern A < Pattern B < Pattern C, it is desirable to set the selection rate for each pattern so that the likelihood of winning increases in the order of Pattern A < Pattern B < Pattern C (≦Pattern D), for example. If the likelihood of winning is low for a pattern with a long still image presentation time, the chances of the special lottery result being a miss will increase even though the player has been expecting it for a long time, and this will frequently result in players being very disappointed.

As mentioned above, in all presentation patterns, one or more series of presentations are executed during the still image presentation. This means that the still image is not released until at least one series of presentations has been completed, allowing the player to mentally prepare for the presentation in which the special lottery results are announced, thereby reducing excessive tension in the player.

On the other hand, as mentioned above, multiple presentation patterns with different numbers of times a series of presentations are executed are determined in advance. This makes it difficult for the player to predict when the presentation in which the special lottery result is announced will be executed after one series of presentations has progressed, providing the player with a sense of tension after one progression. In other words, by having the presentation patterns shown in FIG. 547 determined in advance, it is possible to provide the player with an appropriate sense of tension during the still image presentation.

Although it is difficult to predict when the effect of announcing the special lottery result will be executed, as shown in FIG. 547, the timing for executing the effect of announcing the special lottery result is set to a specific timing. In the example of FIG. 547, it is after element 2 or element 4 is executed. If there was a possibility that the effect of announcing the special lottery result would be executed after all elements (1 to 4), a sense of tension would be maintained continuously, which could tire the player.

All of the presentation patterns shown in FIG. 547 start with element 1 and then repeat a series of presentations that progress in the order of element 2, element 3, and element 4, but there may be presentation patterns in which the order of elements in the repeated series of presentations or the starting element differs from the presentation patterns shown in FIG. 547. Specifically, for example, there may be a presentation pattern that repeats a series of presentations that progress in the order of element 3, element 4, element 1, and element 2. Also, for example, there may be a presentation pattern that repeats a series of presentations that progress in the order of element 4, element 2, element 1, and element 3.

In the above example, a still image effect is executed during an SP reach, but for example, a still image effect may be executed before the reach state is reached (i.e., while all decorative patterns are being displayed in a variable manner), or a still image effect may be executed after the reach state is reached and before the start of the SP reach. Also, a still image effect may be executed as an effect suggesting that a reach state is reached, or a still image effect may be executed after the reach state is reached and before the start of the SP reach as an effect suggesting that an SP reach will start. Also, a series of effects may start before a still image effect is executed (for example, a series of effects may be executed one or more times before the start of the still image effect, or a still image effect may start during the first series of effects).

[20-2. Battle Production]
Figures 548, 549, and 550 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a battle presentation. A battle presentation is an example of a SP reach presentation in which a still image presentation may be executed. When a battle presentation, which is an example of a SP reach presentation, begins, in (A), a display indicating that the battle presentation has begun is displayed on the presentation display device 1600. In (B), a protagonist (white character) and an enemy character (black character) are displayed on the presentation display device 1600. In (C), the protagonist and the protagonist's lines are displayed on the presentation display device 1600. In (D), an enemy character and the enemy character's lines are displayed on the presentation display device 1600.

In (E), an image of the main character and enemy character jumping on each other is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (F), an image of the main character and enemy character attacking each other in the air is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (G), an image of the main character and enemy character landing is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

From the start of (G) until the end of Fig. 549 (J) described below (just before the special lottery result is announced), a still image presentation is executed in which the images of the main character and enemy character are still. In (H), the images of the main character and enemy character are still. Also, in (H), an image of an ally character (a character shaded in diagonally) putting a band-aid (the letter "bond" in a circle) into a first aid kit is displayed.

In (I), the images of the main character and enemy character remain still. Also, in (I), an image of an ally character putting a bandage (the character "ha" in a circle) into a first aid kit is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In FIG. 549 (J), the images of the main character and enemy character remain still. Also, in (J), an image of an ally character putting tweezers (the character "pi" in a circle) into a first aid kit is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

In (K), an image of an ally character putting gauze (the letter "ga" in a circle) into a first aid kit is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (K), before the ally character finishes putting the gauze into the first aid kit, i.e., before the series of performances in which the ally character puts items into the first aid kit ends, the image of the enemy character is unfrozen, and an image of the enemy character falling while the main character is standing, and a display indicating that the main character has won, are displayed on the performance display device 1600. Note that in (K), the image of the enemy character may be unfrozen after the ally character finishes putting the gauze into the first aid kit.

In the example of FIG. 549, the image of the main character in (J) is the same as the image of the main character in (K) (the pose does not change), and the main character remains still from (J) to (K), but the main character's stillness may also be released. In (L), the message "Jackpot! Congratulations!!" is displayed on the performance display device 1600 to notify that the special lottery result is a jackpot.

As with battle effects, a still image effect can be executed immediately before the special lottery results are announced, creating a sense of tension for the player, but the player must remain tense throughout the still image effect, as he or she does not know when the still image effect will be released. Therefore, by performing a dynamic display during the still image effect, the player's attention can be distracted, which in turn can alleviate the sense of tension.

In addition, players who see the still image effects in the battle effects learn that the special lottery results will be announced just before the ally character, which is a dynamic display, finishes putting the gauze into the first aid kit, so when a similar effect is executed again, they can enjoy the effect without becoming overly tense until the ally character starts putting the gauze into the first aid kit.

When the dynamic display during the still image presentation is in a specific mode, the mode of the dynamic display may be selected so that the likelihood of the special lottery result being a jackpot is increased. Specifically, for example, when the bandage in (I) is red, the selection rate of the presentation is set so that the likelihood of the special lottery result being a jackpot is increased compared to when the bandage is white.

However, if the selection rate of the specific mode is high, the appearance of the dynamic display during the still image presentation itself will increase the expectation of a jackpot, and the player will lose interest in the appearance of the specific mode. Therefore, it is desirable to set the rate of appearance of the specific mode when the dynamic display appears during the still image presentation to be low (e.g., 1/4 or less), and to set the rate of selection of the specific mode to be low (e.g., 1/2 or less) even if the special lottery result is a jackpot.

In addition, multiple dynamic displays may be displayed during the still image presentation. If multiple dynamic displays can be displayed during the still image presentation, the number of dynamic displays may be increased when a specific condition is met during the still image presentation (for example, game ball B enters a specific winning hole).

Specifically, for example, during a still image presentation, each time a game ball B enters a specific winning hole, an additional ally character may be displayed, up to a specific number (for example, five). The additional ally characters may also be displayed in the same manner as the ally characters in, for example, Figures 548 (H) to 549 (K). When multiple ally characters are displayed, it is desirable that the presentation of the multiple ally characters is synchronized. In other words, when a new ally character is added and displayed, the cheering presentation of the new ally character begins in synchronization with the schedule of the cheering presentation being performed by the ally character already displayed. This makes it easier for the player to notice that a character has been added, and also draws the player's attention to the cheering presentation of multiple characters.

It is desirable that among the dynamic displays during the still image presentation, the only ones that suggest the special lottery results are the ally characters that have been displayed since the still image presentation began. In other words, it is desirable that dynamic displays that are added after the still image presentation has begun because the specific conditions described above are met do not suggest the special lottery results. This is because if all of these dynamic displays suggested the special lottery results, there is a risk of confusion for the player.

It is desirable that the dynamic display during the still image presentation is displayed in a location other than the center of the presentation display device 1600 (the lower right corner in the examples of Figures 548 and 549). It is also desirable that the display size of the dynamic display during the still image presentation is smaller than the display size of the still images (the protagonist and enemy characters in Figures 548 and 549). The results of the special lottery are announced only to the enemy character and protagonist after the still image is released, and this is to draw attention to them.

It is also advisable not to light up lamps, output sounds from speakers, or move movable objects in conjunction with dynamic displays during still image production. The results of the special lottery are announced only to the enemy characters and main character after the still image is released, and this is to draw attention to them.

Also, before the still image presentation starts, the dynamic display of the ally characters in Figures 548 (H) to 549 (K) may be executed. This allows the player to check the dynamic display of the ally characters before the still image presentation starts, and can remind players who have previously seen the still image presentation during a battle presentation of the timing for notifying the special lottery results.

Although it is difficult to predict when the effect in which the special lottery results are announced will be executed, the timing for the execution of the effect in which the special lottery results are announced is set to a specific timing, similar to the series of effects and schedule of the rocket effect (Figure 547). For example, the special lottery results are announced just before an ally character finishes putting bandages into the first aid box, or just before an ally character finishes putting bandages into the gauze. If there was a possibility that the effect in which the special lottery results are announced would be executed just before the completion of all elements, a sense of tension would be maintained continuously, which could tire the player.

For example, like the dynamic display during the still image presentation of the rocket presentation described above, the dynamic display of an ally character during a still image presentation may be a presentation in which a series of presentations is repeated one or more times. Specifically, for example, a series of presentations executed in the following order may be repeated one or more times: a presentation in which an ally character puts a bandage in a first aid kit, a presentation in which an ally character puts a bandage in a first aid kit, a presentation in which an ally character puts tweezers in a first aid kit, and a presentation in which an ally character puts gauze in a first aid kit.

The title display in FIG. 548(A) ("Beat the enemy character! Win a jackpot!") may be prepared in multiple colors, such as white, red, and rainbow, with the expectation increasing in the order of white < red < rainbow. In addition, multiple types of title display may be provided even when the still image effect is not executed. For example, the jackpot expectation may be 1% for white when the still image effect is not executed, 5% for red when the still image effect is not executed, 100% for rainbow when the still image effect is not executed, 10% for white when the still image effect is executed, 20% for red when the still image effect is executed, and 100% for rainbow when the still image effect is executed. If the same red color is used when the still image effect is executed and when it is not executed, the red color when the still image effect is executed has a higher jackpot expectation, and when comparing the white color when the still image effect is executed and the red color when the still image effect is not executed, the white color when the still image effect is executed has a higher jackpot expectation. In this way, even if the title display displayed before the still image effect is executed is white, the player's disappointment can be suppressed.

Also, a series of effects by an ally character may begin before the still image effects are performed (for example, the series of effects may be executed one or more times before the still image effects start, or the still image effects may begin during the first series of effects).

Figure 550 is an example of a presentation in which a still image presentation is not executed during a battle presentation. Following Figure 548 (G), the screen transitions to Figure 550 (H'). In (H'), the image of the enemy character is released from the still state, and an image of the enemy character falling while the main character is standing, along with a display indicating that the main character has won, is displayed on the presentation display device 1600. Also, in (H'), an image of an ally character placing a band-aid in a first aid kit similar to that in Figure 548 (H) is displayed.

In (I'), an image of the enemy character falling while the main character remains standing, and an indication that the main character has won, are still displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also, in (I'), an image of an ally character putting bandages into a first aid box similar to that in Figure 548 (I) is displayed.

In (J'), the image of the enemy character falling while the main character remains standing, and an indication that the main character has won, continue to be displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also in (J'), an image of an ally character placing tweezers in a first aid kit, similar to that in Figure 549 (J), is displayed.

In (K'), an image of the enemy character falling while the main character remains standing, and a display indicating that the main character has won, continue to be displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also in (K'), an image of an ally character placing gauze in a first aid kit similar to that in FIG. 549(K) is displayed. Next, in (L'), a display similar to that in FIG. 549(L) is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

In this way, by having still image effects being executed in battle scenes in some cases and still image effects not being executed in other cases, it is possible to increase the opportunities for players to feel a sense of tension.

We have explained examples in which a still image effect is executed before the special lottery result during the battle effect is announced, and examples in which it is not executed. However, as in the examples of Figures 548, 549, and 550, it is desirable that the dynamic effect during the still image effect when a still image effect is executed (the effect in which an ally character puts an item in a first aid kit) and the dynamic effect executed after the special lottery result is announced when a still image effect is not executed are the same.

Because these are common, for example, a player who has seen a dynamic effect that is executed after the special lottery result is announced when a still image effect is not performed will remember the simultaneity between the dynamic effect and the announcement of the special lottery result, and therefore will be more aware that the special lottery result will be announced soon when he sees the dynamic effect during a still image effect. Also, a player who has seen a dynamic effect during a still image effect will remember that the special lottery result is announced after the dynamic effect starts, so if a dynamic effect is executed after a still image effect is not performed and the special lottery result is announced as a loss, he or she can feel a sense of anticipation that the true special lottery result will be announced after the dynamic effect (i.e., a revival effect will be performed).

It is desirable that the selection rate of the effects is set so that the probability of winning a jackpot when a still image effect is performed before the special lottery result is announced during a battle effect is higher than the probability of winning a jackpot when a still image effect is not performed. Since a still image effect is an effect that creates tension for the player, it is possible to provide the player with many situations in which a jackpot is announced in exchange for tension. Conversely, the selection rate of the effects may be set so that the probability of winning a jackpot when a still image effect is performed before the special lottery result is announced during a battle effect is higher than the probability of winning a jackpot when a still image effect is not performed. This makes it possible to provide the player with many situations in which a jackpot is announced and he or she feels a sudden sense of elation when a still image effect is not performed and he or she does not feel much tension.

If the still image effect is not executed and the special lottery result is a miss, an image of the main character falling while the enemy character stands in FIG. 550(H') and a display indicating that the main character has been defeated are displayed on the effect display device 1600, and continue until FIG. 550(K'). Even if the main character is defeated, a dynamic display of an ally character putting an item into a first aid box, similar to FIG. 550(H')-(K'), is executed.

In addition, if a still image presentation is executed and the special lottery result is a miss, in FIG. 549 (K), when the ally character finishes putting the gauze into the first aid kit, the still image of the main character is released, and an image of the main character falling while the enemy character is standing, and a display indicating that the main character has been defeated, are displayed on the presentation display device 1600. After this, a dynamic display of the ally character putting something into the first aid kit continues to be executed, while the image of the main character falling while the enemy character is standing remains displayed.

The continuously executed dynamic display is, for example, the series of effects in FIG. 548(H) to FIG. 549(K), or the series of effects executed repeatedly. In this case, for example, the size of the dynamic display of the ally character is not changed until the series of effects has ended at least once, and the size of the dynamic display of the ally character is increased at a predetermined timing when the series has ended more than once. After that, the series of effects is ended, and, for example, a video of the ally character treating the protagonist is displayed, and a decorative pattern of a losing combination is displayed.

When a still image presentation is performed during a battle presentation, even if the special lottery result is a jackpot, an image of the main character falling while the enemy character remains standing, as shown in FIG. 549 (K), and a display indicating that the main character has been defeated may be displayed on the presentation display device 1600. In other words, a presentation may be executed that initially leads the player to believe that the special lottery result is a loser.

In this case, similar to the presentation where the special lottery result is a loss as described above, following FIG. 549 (K), for example, an image of the protagonist falling while the enemy character remains standing and a display indicating that the protagonist has been defeated are continuously displayed, and the presentation by the ally characters also continues. For example, a revival presentation is performed a predetermined time after the protagonist falls, announcing that the special lottery result is a big win. In this revival presentation, for example, an image of an ally character treating the protagonist is displayed, and the protagonist makes a fist pump while lying down.

The revival performance may be performed, for example, at a specified timing when the size of the dynamic ally character has not yet changed, or at a specified timing after the size of the ally character has increased. Also, one of these two types of timing may be selected according to a predetermined selection rate, and the revival performance may be set to be performed at the selected timing. In this case, it is desirable that the selection rate of the two types of timing is different. If the revival performance is performed at a timing with a low selection rate, it will surprise the player, and the player's sense of excitement can be increased all at once. Although two types of timing have been described, there may be more than two types of timing.

Note that a series of effects executed in a battle effect may end midway through the series of effects. Specifically, for example, in a series of effects executed in the order of an effect in which an ally character puts a bandage into a first aid kit (element 1), an effect in which an ally character puts a bandage into a first aid kit (element 2), an effect in which an ally character puts tweezers into a first aid kit (element 3), and an effect in which an ally character puts gauze into a first aid kit (element 4), the series of effects may end immediately after the execution of element 1, element 2, or element 3 in the Nth repetition of the series of effects (N is a natural number).

Figures 551 and 552 are explanatory diagrams showing another example of battle effects. The differences from Figures 549 and 550 will be explained. A timer effect has been added in Figures 551 and 552. As the content of the effects other than the timer effect is the same as Figures 549 (A) to (F), respectively, explanations will be omitted.

In (A), for example, at the same time that the battle presentation starts, i.e., the title display starts, a timer is displayed on the presentation display device 1600 and the timer value starts decreasing. The timer is a dynamic display in which the timer value decreases over time. The initial value of the timer in (A) is 30 seconds. The timer is displayed in the lower right corner of the presentation display device 1600, but it may be displayed in another position as long as the player can recognize the content of the battle presentation.

In (A) through (E), the timer value decreases over time. In (E), the timer value becomes 0 seconds. In (F), the word "Maybe..." appears in the area where the timer value was previously displayed.

The still image presentation begins at (G). In (G), the area where the timer value was displayed displays the message "Hot or Super Hot?", suggesting the likelihood of a jackpot resulting from the special lottery. In (H), the area where the timer value was displayed displays the message "Super Hot!", indicating that there is a very high likelihood that the special lottery result will be a jackpot. The displays in the area where the timer was displayed from (F) to (H) are all expectation suggestion displays that suggest the likelihood of a jackpot resulting from the special lottery. Note that expectation suggestion displays do not necessarily have to be displayed in the area where the timer was displayed.

In addition, from (F) to (H), the expectation indication changes across the start of the still image presentation. The expectation indication maintains a dynamic display before and after the start of the still image presentation. Note that the expectation indication may have a different display area and content, so long as the player can recognize that it is a presentation within the timer presentation.

The light emission mode of the various lamps when the expectation level indication is displayed may be a light emission mode corresponding to the expectation level indication, or from the start of the expectation level indication display until the still image presentation starts, the light emission mode may be a light emission mode corresponding to the expectation level indication presentation, and from the start of the still image presentation, the light emission may be a light emission mode corresponding to the still image presentation.

In the example of FIG. 551, the expectation indication changes across the start of the still image presentation, but the timer value may also decrease across the start of the still image presentation. That is, the timer value decrease may start before the start of the still image presentation, and the timer value may reach 0 seconds after the start of the still image presentation. In this case, the timer display maintains a dynamic display before and after the start of the still image presentation.

The light emission mode of the various lamps when the timer display is performed across the start of the still image presentation may be a light emission mode corresponding to the timer display, or from the start of the timer display until the start of the still image presentation, the light emission mode may be a light emission mode corresponding to the timer display presentation, and from the start of the still image presentation, the light emission may be a light emission mode corresponding to the still image presentation.

Next, in (I), the expectation indication display, which remained dynamic across the start of the still image presentation, is erased, and the timer presentation ends. That is, the display is the same as when the timer presentation is not executed. In other words, the timer presentation ends during the still image presentation before the special lottery result is announced. Since what is more important to the player is the announcement of the special lottery result after the still image presentation, rather than the expectation indication display, it is desirable to end the timer presentation before the announcement, allowing the player to focus on the still image presentation.

In addition, the expectation indication display, which is a dynamic display, is executed across the start of the still image presentation, but it is desirable that the time between the start of the expectation indication display and the end of the expectation indication display be shorter than the time between the start of the expectation indication display and the start of the still image presentation. When the still image presentation ends, the special lottery result is announced, but if the expectation indication display is executed as a dynamic display for a long time after the still image presentation starts, the player's attention will be drawn to the expectation indication display, which may excessively reduce the sense of tension created by the still image presentation.

Figures 552(J) to (M) are similar to Figures 548(I) to 549(L), respectively, so explanations will be omitted.

The sound output from the various speakers in response to the expectation indication is one shot (i.e., a sound that is output only once and is not repeated), and once the output of this one shot has finished (after the player can no longer hear the sound of this one shot), the still image presentation ends, a dynamic display begins, and the special lottery result is shown.

Note that the timer presentation may end, for example, before the start of the still image presentation, i.e., while the dynamic display is being performed, without spanning the start of the still image presentation. Specifically, for example, the timer value may reach 0 seconds before FIG. 551(H), and the expectation indication display may be displayed from FIG. 551(H) to (I), and the still image presentation may start in response to the display of the expectation indication display.

However, it is desirable to set the selection rate of the effects so that, although the probability of a jackpot is higher when the timer effect ends before the still image effect starts, it is lower than the probability of a jackpot when the timer effect is executed across the start of the still image effect. This is because the player feels a synergistic sense of expectation from the two effects when the timer effect and the still image effect are executed simultaneously, rather than when they are not executed simultaneously. Also, the effect in which the timer effect is executed across the start of the still image effect may be selected only when the special lottery result is a jackpot (i.e., it is an effect that guarantees a jackpot).

As mentioned above, by making the timer appear and displaying the expectation indication when the timer value reaches 0 seconds, the player can expect the expectation indication to appear from the moment the timer appears.

Note that timer effects may appear in SP reaches, movie reaches, and other events other than battle effects. In addition, in the same type of variation pattern, it is desirable that the selection rate of timer effects is determined so that the probability of a jackpot when a timer effect appears is higher than the probability of a jackpot when a timer effect does not appear. It is also desirable that there is no variation pattern in which a timer effect always appears.

Note that, although the timer effect in which the timer value decreases has been described here, the timer may not be displayed in Figures 551 (A) to (E), and only the expectation indication display as a dynamic display in Figures 551 (F), (G), and (H) may be displayed. If the expectation indication display were a still image in such a case, the expectation indication display would not necessarily appear in the battle effect, and the player may not expect the appearance of the expectation indication display and may not notice it. Therefore, as described above, the expectation indication display is a dynamic display that spans both before and after the start of the still image effect.

In addition to the above, the timing for starting to display the timer may be a specified timing, such as when the change starts, while all decorative symbols are changing, when the left decorative symbol stops, when the right decorative symbol stops, after a reach is reached and before the SP reach starts, or after the SP reach starts and before the special lottery result is announced.

The timer value may start decreasing at the same time as the timer is displayed, or may start decreasing a predetermined time after the timer is displayed. If the timer value starts decreasing a predetermined time after the timer is displayed, the timer value may not be displayed when the timer is displayed, but may be displayed when the timer value starts decreasing.

In addition to the aforementioned timings, the timing at which the timer value becomes 0 seconds may be, for example, a predetermined timing during which all decorative symbols are changing, when the left decorative symbol stops, when the right decorative symbol stops, after a reach is reached and before the start of an SP reach, after the start of an SP reach and before the special lottery result is announced, or the timing at which the special lottery result is announced. For example, the timing at which the timer value starts to decrease and the timing at which the timer value becomes 0 seconds are selected, and the initial value of the timer is determined based on the selected timing.

In addition, multiple timers may be displayed simultaneously in the timer performance. In this case, the timing at which each of the multiple timers starts to display, the timing at which the timer value starts to decrease, and the timing at which the timer value reaches 0 seconds may be different. Also, in this case, the performance executed after the timer value of each of the multiple timers reaches 0 seconds may be different. In this case, before the timer performance is executed, a display suggesting that multiple timers will be displayed simultaneously or a display suggesting the number of timers to be displayed simultaneously may be displayed on the performance display device 1600.

In addition, multiple timer performances may be executed in sequence during one change (i.e., one timer's timer value reaches 0 seconds, the timer is then hidden, and a new timer is displayed). In this case, the performance executed after each of the multiple timers reaches 0 seconds may be different. In addition, when multiple timer performances are executed, during and before the execution of the timer performance, a display indicating that a timer performance will be executed next, or a display indicating the number of times that the timer performance will be executed next, may be displayed on the performance display device 1600.

The selection rate of the effects is set so that the probability of winning when multiple timers are displayed in sequence or simultaneously is higher than the probability of winning when only one timer is displayed. Also, when multiple timers are displayed in sequence or simultaneously, for example, the expectation indication display, which is a dynamic display that is shown after the timer value of the last of the multiple timers reaches 0 seconds, spans the start of the still image effect. This allows the player to understand that the still image effect is directly linked to the notification of the special lottery results, and attracts attention to the still image effect.

In addition, when multiple timers are displayed simultaneously or sequentially, multiple still image effects may be executed. In this case, for example, an expectation indication display, which is a dynamic display that is shown after the timer value reaches 0 seconds, is executed across the start of each of the multiple still image effects. This makes it possible to attract the player's attention to each of the multiple still image effects.

The timer effect may be executed as a look-ahead effect. In this case, for example, the display and decrease of the timer value starts from a change that occurs before the look-ahead target change, and the timer value becomes 0 seconds at the look-ahead target change. Note that, although a timer effect is used in the explanation in FIG. 551, other dynamic display effects may be executed instead of the timer display, which is a dynamic display.

[20-3. Reel Effects]
553 and 554 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a reel effect. The reel effect is an example of a SP reach effect in which a still image effect may be executed.

In (A), a reel presentation, which is an example of a SP reach presentation, begins. When the reel presentation begins, a title image (for example, "Line up the same numbers in a straight line on the reels!") may be displayed on the presentation display device 1600. When the reel presentation begins, an image of a slot reel is displayed on the presentation display device 1600, and an image of numbers in a reach state stopped in the middle of the left reel and the middle of the right reel is displayed. The numbers displayed in the middle of the left reel and the middle of the right reel remain stationary until the reel presentation ends. The reel image in (A) also shows that the middle reel is fluctuating.

In (B), the speed at which the middle reel moves gradually slows down, and a number identical to the number in the reach state appears on the top row of the middle reel. In (C), the number stops between the top row and the middle row of the middle reel, and a display indicating that the number will stop on either the top row or the middle row of the middle reel in 10 seconds (a display stating "It will stop somewhere in 10 seconds!") is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

This display of "It will stop in one of two places in 10 seconds!" is an effect that suggests that a countdown effect, described below, will be executed, and is displayed in the same area as the area in which the countdown effect, described below, is displayed. Note that, to make it clear that a countdown effect, described below, is being executed, the display of "It will stop in one of two places in 10 seconds!" may be displayed in an area larger than the area in which the countdown effect is displayed. In this case, the display may be made to overlap partly or entirely with the area in which the countdown effect is displayed.

Between (C) and FIG. 554(N), which will be described later, the numbers on the reels are stopped, i.e., a still image effect is being executed. Also, between (D) and FIG. 554(N), a countdown display is displayed on the effect display device 1600. In (D), a countdown display ("10") indicating 10 seconds remaining is displayed. Also, in (D), two cheering characters are displayed on the left and right ends of the effect display device 1600, and a cheering effect is executed between (D) and FIG. 554(N). This cheering effect and countdown display effect are dynamic display effects during a still image effect. In (D), the two cheering characters are holding fans facing downwards.

In (E), a countdown display ("9") indicating 9 seconds remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans to their right side with both feet on the ground. In (F), a countdown display ("8") indicating 8 seconds remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans to their left side with both feet on the ground. In (G), a countdown display ("7") indicating 7 seconds remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans to their right side with one foot kicked out.

In (H), a countdown display ("6") indicating six seconds remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans facing downwards, similar to (D). In (I), a countdown display ("5") indicating five seconds remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans to their right with both feet on the ground, similar to (E). In figure 554 (J), a countdown display ("4") indicating four seconds remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans to their left with both feet on the ground, similar to figure 553 (F).

In (K), a countdown display ("3") indicating three seconds remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans to their right side with one foot kicked out, similar to Figure 553 (G). In (L), a countdown display ("2") indicating two seconds remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans to their right side with both feet on the ground, similar to Figure 553 (D). In (M), a countdown display ("1") indicating one second remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans facing downwards, similar to Figure 553 (E), and two other cheering characters.

In (N), a countdown display ("0") indicating 0 seconds remaining is displayed, along with two cheering characters holding folding fans on their left side with both feet on the ground, similar to FIG. 553 (F). In other words, between FIG. 553 (D) and FIG. 554 (N) during the still image presentation, a countdown display counting down 10 seconds and a repeated series of presentations by the two cheering characters are displayed as dynamic displays. The countdown display is not a series of presentations that are repeatedly executed, i.e., it is a non-periodic presentation.

As mentioned above, the series of effects (cheering effects for cheering characters) as the dynamic display in the examples of Figures 553 and 554 are effects in which the two cheering characters hold fans pointing downwards, hold fans on the left and right sides with both feet on the ground, hold fans on the left and right sides with both feet on the ground, and hold a fan on the right side with one foot kicked out.

The countdown display, which is a non-periodic effect, and the display of the cheering effects by cheering characters, which is a periodic effect, should be displayed close to each other or overlapped. If they are displayed far away from each other, there is a risk that one effect will be missed. In this way, by making the countdown display and the cheering effect display easy to see at the same time, it is possible to meet the needs of both players who want to pay attention to the countdown display and gradually build up their spirits while waiting for the timing of the special lottery results to be announced, and players who want to pay attention to the cheering effects and always be in high spirits during the reel effects.

The visibility of one of the countdown display and the cheering effect display may be made higher than that of the other. Specifically, for example, an effect may be applied only to one of the displays, a larger effect may be applied to one of the displays than to the other, or the display size of one of the displays may be made larger than the display size of the other. By making the countdown display more visible than the cheering effect, it becomes easier to gradually lift your spirits as the countdown progresses, and by making the cheering effect more visible than the countdown effect, it becomes easier to constantly lift your spirits during the reel effects.

After the countdown display in (N) reaches 0, the still image effect is released. In other words, the decorative image on the middle reel displayed on the effect display device 1600 starts slowly again. In (O), the numbers on the middle reel move from the top row to the middle row, and the same numbers stop in a straight line, announcing that the special lottery result was a jackpot.

For example, if a specific condition is met during a still image presentation, the still image presentation may be forcibly released from the still state, i.e., the presentation may be skipped and transition to (N). Examples of such specific conditions include the case where multiple game balls B launched by operating the handle 182 enter a specific starting hole at a specific timing after the still image presentation starts (for example, the period from 7 seconds to 3 seconds remaining in the countdown display) or the case where multiple game balls B pass through the gate portion 2003, which starts the normal pattern variation.

In addition, among the dynamic effects (support effects for the support characters) during the still image effects, the above-mentioned series of effects may have multiple display modes. Specifically, for example, the colors of the clothes of the support characters are multiple (for example, when red is selected, the expectation of a big win is set to be higher than when white is selected). In addition, the series of effects consists of multiple display modes (the display modes of the support characters in each of Figures 553 (D) to (G)), but there may be multiple types of series of effects whose display modes differ from each other. On the other hand, among the dynamic effects during the still image effects, it is preferable that the display mode of the non-periodic effects (the countdown display in the examples of Figures 553 and 554) is single. In other words, it is preferable that the mode of the non-periodic effects does not change even if the mode of the series of effects changes. In particular, in the examples of Figures 553 and 554, the timing of the special lottery result is notified by the non-periodic mode, so the player can accurately time it by not changing the mode of the non-periodic effects.

In addition, a suggestive effect may be executed before the still image effect starts, suggesting that a series of effects that may be repeatedly executed during the still image effect will be displayed. The suggestive effect may also be executed when a series of effects that may be repeatedly executed during the still image effect is not executed (i.e., a so-called false effect may exist).

It is desirable that the suggestive effect is an effect that allows the player to guess that a series of effects that can be executed repeatedly will be displayed. Specifically, for example, at the timing of FIG. 553(B), an example of the suggestive effect is to execute an effect in which a cheering character with noise is displayed in the right and left corners of the effect display device 1600 (not shown), or to execute an effect in which effects are concentrated around the cheering character. This allows the player to guess the appearance of the cheering character, and thus creates a sense of anticipation. It is desirable that the aforementioned non-periodic effect is not executed while the suggestive effect is being executed. This is to prevent the suggestive effect from reducing the player's attention to the non-periodic effect in a situation where it is not certain that a series of effects that can be executed repeatedly will be displayed during the still image effect.

It is desirable to change the light emission mode of a specified lamp and output a specified sound from a speaker in accordance with the countdown display. The special lottery result is of greatest interest to the player, and since the special lottery result is announced after the countdown display ends, the player's sense of anticipation is heightened by emitting light and outputting sound in accordance with the countdown display. However, in order to prevent the player from feeling too tense, it is desirable for the light emission mode of the specified lamp and the mode of the specified sound to be as shown below.

For example, the light emission mode of the specified lamps may be turned off or maintained on (i.e., they do not flash). Also, for example, only some of the lamps in the door frame or game board may repeat a specified lighting pattern, while the other lamps may remain off or on. Also, in order to prevent the player from feeling too tense, for example, it is desirable that the specified sound is an SE (Sound Effect) rather than BGM (Background Music).

In addition, during the countdown display, for example, a concealing image may be placed over the front side of the countdown display as seen by the player, making part or all of the countdown display invisible (or difficult to see). However, it is preferable not to make the countdown display invisible during the latter half of the still image presentation. This is because the countdown display presentation can create a strong sense of anticipation in the player, especially in the latter half, and this sense of anticipation should not be diminished.

[20-4. Bee extermination performance]
555 and 556 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a bee-killing effect. The bee-killing effect is an example of a SP reach effect in which a still image effect may be executed.

When the bee-killing performance, which is an example of a SP reach performance, starts, in FIG. 555(A), a display indicating that the bee-killing performance has started is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (B), a display for introducing the bee-killing practice performance is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (C), a display indicating that the special lottery result will be a jackpot if the queen bee is killed and that the central pressing operation unit 303a should be pressed to kill the queen bee, and an image of the central pressing operation unit 303a are displayed on the performance display device 1600.

In (D), a display indicating that the special lottery result will not be a big win even if the soldier bees are exterminated is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (E), a display indicating the start of bee extermination practice is displayed on the performance display device 1600. In (F), the bee extermination practice performance has started. In (F), a sleeping queen bee (a large bee located in the center of the performance display device 1600), multiple soldier bees, a target for exterminating the bees, and an operation instruction for the central pressing operation unit 303a ("Aim for the timing and press!") are displayed on the performance display device 1600. The practice performance is a dynamic performance in which each of the multiple soldier bees moves as a dynamic display. The target also moves. In addition, the sleeping queen bee, for example, moves by slowly swaying up and down (displayed at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 in (F)), but the sleeping queen bee may have her nose lantern sticking out and move in such a way that only the nose lantern sways.

In (G), the dynamic presentation continues, with the queen bee swaying and moving to the top of the presentation display device 1600, the multiple soldier bees moving, the moving target, and the operation instructions of the central press operation unit 303a being displayed on the presentation display device 1600. In (H), the central press operation unit 303a is pressed, and an indication of insecticide being sprayed is displayed on the presentation display device 1600.

In the bee-extermination performance, if the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed when the moving aim is on the queen bee but not on a soldier bee, an image of the queen bee being exterminated is displayed. In (J), the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed when the moving aim is on a soldier bee, so the queen bee cannot be exterminated. Therefore, in (I), a message indicating that the queen bee could not be exterminated ("Phew... saved") is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

In addition, in the practice performance, if the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed when the moving aim is on the queen bee and not on the soldier bee, for example, the display in (I) is replaced with a display indicating that the queen bee has been defeated, and the display in Fig. 556 (J) described later is replaced with a display such as "Keep up the good work in the real game!" In other words, even if a display indicating that the queen bee has been defeated is displayed in the practice performance (a display indicating that the special lottery result is a jackpot), Figs. 556 (J) to (N) described later will be executed.

In the practice performance, the game may be set so that the queen bee cannot always be defeated. For this purpose, for example, the aim may be moved to a position that is not on the queen bee or only on the soldier bees, or the aim may be moved to a position where the queen bee can be defeated, but even if the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed at that position, an image showing that the queen bee has failed to be defeated may be displayed.

Also, if the special lottery result is a jackpot, the practice performance may be set up so that the queen bee can always be exterminated. For this purpose, for example, the aim may be moved only to a position that is on the queen bee and not on the soldier bees, or the aim may be moved only to positions other than the queen bee, but the spray area of the insecticide may be increased so that the queen bee is included in the spray destination.

Next, in FIG. 556 (J), a display for introducing the main bee-killing performance is displayed on the performance display device 1600. This display indicates that the main performance will begin with the soldier bees having been previously exterminated. In (M), a stationary queen bee, multiple stationary soldier bees, a moving target, and an operation instruction for the central pressing operation unit 303a ("Aim for the right timing and press!") are displayed. Also, in (K), the multiple stationary soldier bees are not positioned above the queen bee.

At (L), when the aim is on a position that is neither on the queen bee nor on one of the soldier bees, the central pressing operation unit 303a is operated, and a display of insecticide being sprayed on the queen bee is displayed on the performance display device 1600. At (M), an image is displayed indicating that the queen bee has been successfully exterminated, i.e., an image indicating that the special lottery result is a jackpot. At (M), the queen bee, which had been statically displayed until just before, is released from its still state. At (N), a display is displayed indicating that the special lottery result was a jackpot ("Jackpot! Congratulations!!")

If the special lottery result is a jackpot, it is desirable to execute a performance in which the aim only moves to a position on the queen bee but not on the soldier bees so that the queen bee can be exterminated in the actual performance, or the aim can only move to positions other than the queen bee but the spray area of the insecticide is increased so that the queen bee is included in the spray target. By forcibly exterminating the queen bee in this way, it is possible to eliminate operational errors by the player with the central pressing operation unit 303a when the special lottery result is a jackpot.

In addition, if the special lottery result is a loss, the aim is moved to a position that is not on the queen bee or only on the soldier bees so that the queen bee cannot be exterminated in the actual performance, or the aim can be moved to a position where the queen bee can be exterminated, but even if the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed at that position, an image showing that the queen bee has failed to be exterminated is displayed.

In the above example, only the central pressing operation unit 303a is used for the bee extermination performance, but multiple operation units may be used. Specifically, for example, the aim may be moved using the rotation operation unit 302. Also, for example, in the practice performance, insecticide may be sprayed by pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a, and in the actual performance, insecticide may be sprayed by pressing the peripheral pressing operation unit 303b.

As mentioned above, in the main bee-killing performance, during the still image performance (i.e., when the still image of the queen bee and multiple soldier bees is displayed), an instruction to press the central press operation unit 303a is displayed, and when the central press operation unit 303a is pressed, the result of the special lottery is announced. In other words, because the operation of the central press operation unit 303a during the main performance is important, the player's sense of tension is excessively high. Therefore, the player is more likely to make mistakes in operating the central press operation unit 303a.

In order to suppress such excessive tension on the part of the player and reduce the occurrence of operational errors, a practice performance is executed before the actual performance. As mentioned above, in the practice performance, the soldier bees move around and get in the way, making it difficult to exterminate the queen bee, whereas in the actual performance, the soldier bees have been exterminated beforehand, making the difficulty of exterminating the queen bee lower. This allows the player to operate the central press operation unit 303a with ease in the actual performance without feeling as much pressure as in the practice performance, reducing operational errors and improving the player's satisfaction.

It is desirable that the time during the actual performance (the time during which the aim is moving and the central press operation unit 303a is enabled) is longer than the time during the practice performance (the time during which the aim is moving and the central press operation unit 303a is enabled). This reduces the player's operational errors during the actual performance, and encourages the player to actively operate the central press operation unit 303a during the actual performance.

In addition, in the main performance, the central press operation unit 303a may be pressed multiple times. In this case, for example, each time the central press operation unit 303a is pressed while the aim is moving, an insecticide is sprayed in the main performance, and a performance is executed in which the queen bee can be easily exterminated. Therefore, it is desirable to set the selection rate of the performance so that the probability of winning the special lottery is higher when a main performance that accepts multiple presses of the central press operation unit 303a appears than when only a main performance that accepts only one press of the central press operation unit appears. This can increase the player's motivation to operate the central press operation unit 303a.

Similarly, in the practice performance, the central press operation unit 303a may be accepted for multiple presses. In this case, in the practice performance, for example, each time the central press operation unit 303a is pressed while the aim is moving, an effect is executed in which insecticide is sprayed, making it easy to exterminate the queen bee. Therefore, it is desirable to determine the selection rate of the effect so that the likelihood of a jackpot in the special lottery result is higher when a practice performance that accepts multiple presses of the central press operation unit 303a appears than when only a practice performance that accepts only one press of the central press operation unit appears. This can increase the player's motivation to operate the central press operation unit 303a.

Also, the success rate of the queen bee extermination in the actual performance may be set to be different depending on the result of the practice performance (success or failure in exterminating the queen bee). For example, the line "That seems really difficult" in the display in FIG. 556 (J) (the display that appears based on pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a) is displayed when the expectation of a big win is low, and it is desirable to replace the line with a line such as "I failed, but it was close" when the expectation of a big win is high. This can increase the player's motivation to operate the central pressing operation unit 303a in the actual performance when the expectation of a big win is high. Also, for example, the performance in which the queen bee is always successful in the practice performance may be set to be selected only when the special lottery result is a big win. Also, as described above, the queen bee may always be failed to be exterminated in the practice performance. In other words, the display in FIG. 556 (J) may be displayed only when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed.

In addition, the aim is displayed dynamically in both the practice and actual performances, but it is desirable that the movement of the aim be regular (for example, a repeated display such as moving in a figure of eight). This makes it easier for the player to press the central pressing operation unit 303a when the aim is on the queen bee but not on the soldier bee. The aim to be used in the practice and actual performances may be selected from multiple types of aim, and it is desirable that the odds of winning are set to be different depending on the multiple types of aim selected. For example, the selection rates of these aim are set so that the odds of winning are low when the aim is small, high when the aim is large, and extremely high when the aim is extra large. For example, the selection rates of these aim are set so that the odds of winning are low when the aim is blue, high when the aim is green, and extremely high when the aim is red.

The number of selectable targets may also differ between practice and actual performances. For example, the number of selectable targets in the actual performance may be greater than, less than, or the same as the number of selectable targets in the practice performance.

If the number of selectable targets in the actual performance is greater than the number of selectable targets in the practice performance, for example, two types of target can be selected in the practice performance, a small target and a large target, and three types of target can be selected in the actual performance, a small target, a large target, and an extra-large target. In this case, the extra-large target, which has an extremely high probability of winning, is selected only in the actual performance, so the player can instantly increase his or her sense of anticipation in the actual performance.

In addition, if the number of selectable targets in the actual performance is greater than the number of selectable targets in the practice performance, for example, three types of targets can be selected in the practice performance: small target, large target, and extra-large target, and two types of targets can be selected in the actual performance: large target and extra-large target. In this case, since there is a possibility that the extra-large target will be selected in the practice performance, the player's expectations can be increased at the time of the practice performance. Also, since the small target, which has the lowest expectation of a jackpot, is not selected in the actual performance, the player's expectations can be increased even during the actual performance.

In addition, when the number of selectable targets in the actual performance is the same as the number of selectable targets in the practice performance, for example, three types of target can be selected in the practice performance: small target, large target, and extra large target, and three types of target can be selected in the actual performance: small target, large target, and extra large target. In this case, the same expectation level is shown in the practice performance as in the actual performance, so that the player can be drawn to both the practice performance and the actual performance.

The targets selected in the practice and actual performances may be selected according to a selection rate set for each, or according to a selection rate set as a combination of targets selected in the practice and actual performances. In either case, however, it is desirable that targets with a lower probability of winning a jackpot than the target selected in the practice performance are less likely to be selected or are not selected at all in the actual performance. This makes it appear to the player that the probability of winning a jackpot is higher in the actual performance than in the practice performance, so that the sense of expectation can be maintained or increased.

Specifically, when the targets to be selected in the practice performance and the actual performance are selected separately, the selection rate of the target with a low expectation of a jackpot in the actual performance is set lower than the selection rate of the target in the practice performance. Also, for example, a target with a higher expectation of a jackpot than the target selected in the practice performance may be forcibly selected in the actual performance.

In addition, when the aiming selected in the practice performance and the actual performance are selected as a combination, the selection rate of a combination in which the aiming in the actual performance has a lower expectation of a jackpot than the aiming in the practice performance is set lower than the selection rate of other combinations. Also, combinations in which the aiming in the actual performance has a lower expectation of a jackpot than the aiming in the practice performance do not have to be included in the selection targets.

In addition, in the actual performance, it is desirable not to output any sound from the various speakers in order to allow the player to concentrate on operating the central pressing operation unit 303a. If sound is output, it is desirable to output only sounds corresponding to dynamic displays, such as the sound of the aim moving. In the practice performance, background music or the like may be output from the speakers. Also, in the actual performance, it is desirable not to flash the various lamps installed in the door frame 3, the game board 5, etc. (i.e., to keep them turned off or lit) in order to allow the player to concentrate on operating the central pressing operation unit 303a.

For example, the pachinko machine 1 may also be equipped with a movable body (not shown) that imitates a tool used to exterminate bees (for example, an insecticide can or a bug net). The movable body is movable in front of the performance display device 1600 as viewed from the front. In this case, the movable body is used instead of a target in the bee extermination performance. For example, in the practice performance and the actual performance, when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed, the movable body moves to the front of the queen bee of the performance display device 1600 as viewed from the front.

At this time, it is desirable that the manner in which the movable body moves is different when the queen bee is successfully exterminated in the practice performance and when the queen bee is successfully exterminated in the actual performance. For example, in the practice performance, when the queen bee is successfully exterminated, it is desirable that the movable body not move significantly (the performance display device 1600 displays a dynamic display in which the queen bee moves around the initial position of the movable body to the rear side as viewed from the front). This is because if the movable body moves significantly, the player may mistakenly believe that the special lottery result is a jackpot. On the other hand, in the actual performance, when the queen bee is successfully exterminated, the movable body may move significantly.

Figures 557 and 558 are explanatory diagrams showing another example of a bee-killing performance. The differences from Figures 555 and 556 are explained below. Figures 555 and 556 show an example in which a practice performance with a high degree of difficulty is followed by a live performance with a low degree of difficulty, but in the example of Figures 557 and 558, a practice performance with a low degree of difficulty can be executed multiple times (for example, up to twice). Also, while multiple practice performances can be executed, the live performance is more difficult.

In this way, by playing multiple practice performances with low difficulty levels, the player can become accustomed to operating the central pressing operation unit 303a and ease his/her tension. Furthermore, once a player has become accustomed to operating the central pressing operation unit 303a through multiple practice performances and has become less tense, he/she can feel the element of strategy in the highly difficult actual performance and enjoy the actual performance.

Following Figure 555 (C), a transition occurs to Figure 557 (D'). In (D'), a display is displayed on the performance display device 1600 indicating that the special lottery result will not be a jackpot even if the soldier bees are defeated, that the practice performance will begin with the soldier bees having already been defeated, and that there will be two practice performances. In (E'), a display is displayed on the performance display device 1600 indicating the start of the first practice performance.

In (F'), similar to FIG. 556(K), a stationary static display of a queen bee, a number of stationary static displays of soldier bees, a dynamic display of a moving target, and an operation instruction for the central pressing operation unit 303a ("Aim for the right timing and press!") are displayed. Also, the stationary soldier bees in (F') are not positioned above the queen bee.

In (G'), the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed when the aim is not on the queen bee, and a display indicating that insecticide is being sprayed is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Therefore, in (H'), a display indicating that the queen bee has not been exterminated is displayed on the performance display device 1600, similar to FIG. 555(I).

At (I'), a display indicating the start of the second practice performance is displayed on the performance display device 1600. (J'), (K'), and (L') are similar to (F'), (G'), and (H'), respectively.

In FIG. 558 (M'), a display is displayed on the performance display device 1600 indicating that the actual performance is about to begin and that the soldier bees and queen bee are moving in the actual performance. In (N'), the performance display device 1600 displays the queen bee, which is a static display that moves, multiple soldier bees, each of which is a dynamic display that moves, a aiming device, which is a dynamic display for exterminating the bees, and operation instructions for the central press operation unit 303a. (O') is the same as (N').

At (P'), when the aim is on a position that is neither on the queen bee nor on the soldier bees, the central pressing operation unit 303a is operated, and a display of insecticide being sprayed on the queen bee is displayed on the performance display device 1600. At (Q'), an image is displayed indicating that the queen bee has been successfully exterminated, i.e., an image indicating that the special lottery result is a jackpot, and the soldier bees remain moving. Note that if the queen bee is successfully exterminated, the display may show that not only the queen bee but also the soldier bees have been exterminated. (R') is the same as Figure 556 (N).

As mentioned above, in the examples of Figures 557 and 558, practice performances of the bee-killing performance can be performed multiple times (maximum two times). Also, in the actual performance, the queen bee and soldier bees are moving, but in the practice performance, the queen bee and soldier bees are stationary.

In addition, if the special lottery result is a jackpot, there may be a surprise performance pattern in which the queen bee is defeated in a practice performance and the special lottery result is announced as is (i.e., the actual performance is not executed). Even in this case, after the special lottery result judgment performance (practice performance) using a still image performance, a special lottery result judgment performance (actual performance) using a dynamic performance that is not a still image performance may be executed, but after the special lottery result jackpot judgment performance (actual performance) using a dynamic performance that is not a still image performance, a special lottery result judgment performance (practice performance) using a still image performance will not be executed.

However, even if a surprise presentation pattern exists, it is desirable that the selection rate of the surprise presentation pattern be lower than the selection rates of other patterns (for example, 1/10 or less of the selection rate of other patterns). A low selection rate of the surprise presentation pattern can instantly increase the player's sense of excitement when winning with the surprise presentation pattern, and conversely, if the selection rate of a surprise presentation pattern in which the actual presentation is not executed is high, there is a risk that the player's expectations for the actual presentation will decrease.

At least one of the practice effects may be replaced with an operation explanation effect. The operation explanation effect is, for example, an effect that automatically executes effects (F') to (G') or (J') to (K') without the player's operation. Specifically, for example, the operation explanation effect differs from the practice effect in that it does not display a message encouraging the player to operate the central pressing operation unit 303a, and does not enable the operation of the central pressing operation unit 303a, but instead displays an effect of spraying insecticide after a predetermined time has elapsed and displays the results of the insecticide removal. The surprise effect pattern described above may be applied to the operation explanation effect.

For example, in the practice and actual performances described above, while the queen bee is stationary, the center of the performance display device 1600 may be zoomed in to enlarge the queen bee. This makes it easier to aim at the queen bee. The same zooming in may also be performed in the demonstration performance described above. In the example of Figure 558, the queen bee moves in the actual performance, but the queen bee may remain stationary while only the soldier bees move.

[20-5-1. Daruma-san ga koronda reach performance]
559 and 560 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a reach effect where Daruma-san ga koronda (The Daruma-san ga koronda) is a reach effect where there is a possibility that a still image effect will be executed. In the following, the still image effect includes not only an effect where a dynamic display is executed together with the display of a still image, but also an effect where only a still image is displayed.

In the Daruma-san ga koronda reach performance, if the main character plays the Oni in "Daruma-san ga koronda" and defeats all other participants (hereafter referred to as non-Oni), the variation is a big win. Note that after the main character yells "Daruma-san ga koronda," if the main character turns to face a non-Oni and there is a non-Oni who moves in that state, the main character will have defeated that non-Oni. Also, if the variation is a miss variation, the Daruma-san ga koronda reach performance will have an effect in which the main character is touched by a non-Oni.

Figure 559 (A) shows the state in which the Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect has started after the reach mode of the decorative pattern has been displayed. In (A), on the effect display device 1600, the main character utters the line "Daruma-san ga koronda...", while a dynamic display is performed in which the four non-Oni gradually approach the main character. In (B), the main character utters the line "I fell down!" Furthermore, in (B), after the main character finishes uttering the line, he turns around to face the non-Oni and stops, and a still image effect begins in which the movement of the non-Oni stops by the time the main character finishes uttering the line.

In (C), the still image presentation continues, and for example, the main character and non-Oni remain still in the state they were in at the end of (B). In (D), two of the non-Oni can no longer stand still and move, ending the still image presentation. The non-Oni who moved in (D) do not appear in (E), which will be described later, onwards. Even if the still images in the still image presentations from (B) to (C) are released, the special lottery results corresponding to said changes are not announced. In other words, in (D), not all of the non-Oni move, and the non-Oni do not touch the main character.

Next, in (E), on the performance display device 1600, the main character says the line "Daaaaarrrrrr", while the remaining two non-Oni characters dynamically move closer to the main character. In (F), the main character says the line "Saaaaannnnggg", while the remaining two non-Oni characters dynamically move closer to the main character.

In (G), just like in (B), the main character says, "I fell!". Furthermore, in (G), just like in (B), when the main character finishes saying the line, he turns around to face the non-Oni and stops, and a still image presentation begins in which the non-Oni stops moving by the time the main character finishes saying the line.

The stopping position of each non-Oni in (G) is very close to the main character (specifically, a position where the player will recognize that the non-Oni will definitely be touched by the main character within the period in which the main character says "Daruma-san ga koronda" after the still image presentation is released). Therefore, if the player has defeated all non-Oni at the end of the still image presentation starting from (G) (if the still image presentation starting from (G) ends with all non-Oni moving), the special lottery result is a jackpot, and if the non-Oni is still alive when the still image presentation starting from (G) ends, the special lottery result is a loss. In other words, the still image presentation starting from (G) can function as a judge presentation that shows the special lottery result.

The still image presentation continues until FIG. 560(J), which will be described later. At (H), the still image presentation continues, and the protagonist character's line "Can you stop for another five seconds?" is displayed. At (I), the five-second countdown display announced by the protagonist character's line at (H) begins.

In figure 560 (J), a display is displayed indicating that there are 4 seconds left in the countdown. In (K), a display is displayed indicating that there are 3 seconds left in the countdown, and the still image presentation ends when the two non-Oni cannot bear to remain still and start moving. Note that in the example of (K), the two remaining non-Oni move in the middle of the countdown, but if the special lottery result is a jackpot, the two remaining non-Oni may move at any time up until the end of the countdown.

For example, the timing at which the special lottery result is announced may be the same whether the special lottery result is a jackpot or a miss. Specifically, for example, if the special lottery result is a jackpot, the non-Oni will be unable to stand still and will move when the countdown reaches 0 seconds, and if the special lottery result is a miss, an effect will occur in which the main character is touched by the non-Oni when the countdown reaches 0 seconds.

In (L), the main character says, "I found all the non-Oni!", indicating that he has defeated all the non-Oni, i.e., that the special lottery result was a jackpot. In (M), an image is displayed on the performance display device 1600 announcing that the special lottery result is a jackpot, saying, "Jackpot! Congratulations!!"

If the special lottery result is a loss, for example, there will be a non-oni who remains motionless even when the countdown that starts from Figure 559 (I) reaches 0 seconds, and the still image presentation will end after the countdown reaches 0 seconds (this may be simultaneously with the timing when it reaches 0 seconds, or after a predetermined time has passed since it reached 0 seconds). Then, while the main character is again saying the line "Daruma-san fell down!", the surviving non-oni touches the main character to announce that the special lottery result is a loss.

As mentioned above, the countdown begins a predetermined time after the still image presentation starts. In other words, even if the still image presentation starts, the special lottery result will not be shown until at least the countdown display starts, so the player will not become overly nervous until the countdown display starts.

In addition, if the special lottery result is a jackpot, the stillness is released at some point before the countdown reaches 0 seconds and the dynamic display begins, and if the special lottery result is a loss, the stillness is released after the countdown reaches 0 seconds and the dynamic display begins. In this way, the countdown display ends by the end of the still image presentation, so it is an indication of the length of a portion of the still image presentation, and also an indication of the end of the still image presentation (the timing of the special lottery result in the examples of Figures 559 and 560). Therefore, once the countdown display is displayed, the player's sense of tension and anticipation can be increased all at once.

In the Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect, the special lottery result is not shown at the end of the first still image effect, but is shown at the end of the second still image effect. By showing the special lottery result when the still image effect is released, it is possible to create a sense of tension for the player in the still image effect, but there are also quite a few players for whom the tension becomes too high. Therefore, by executing a series of effects that do not show the special lottery result at the end of the still image effect before a series of effects that show the special lottery result at the end of the still image effect, the player can become accustomed to the still image effect, and it is possible to create a moderate sense of tension in the still image effect that is not excessive for the player.

Hereinafter, a still image presentation in which the special lottery result is not shown after the still image presentation ends will be referred to as a non-announcement still image presentation, and a still image presentation in which the special lottery result is shown after the still image presentation ends will be referred to as an announcement still image presentation.

The non-announcement still image effects are provided to familiarize the player with the still image effects, and allocating a long time to the announcement still image effects, which are important to the player, can create a sense of anticipation in the player. On the other hand, the duration of the announcement still image effects may be shorter than that of the non-announcement still image effects. By having a long non-announcement still image effect, the player can become accustomed to the still image effects in advance and will not become overly nervous during the announcement still image effects. The announcement still image effects function as win/lose notification effects that lead to the notification of the results of the special lottery, and the non-announcement still image effects function as preparation effects to mentally prepare the player.

In addition, there may be both a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect (hereinafter also referred to as the first Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect) in which the duration of the notification still image effect is longer than the duration of the non-notification still image effect, and a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect (hereinafter also referred to as the second Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect) in which the duration of the notification still image effect is shorter than the duration of the non-notification still image effect.

In this case, it is desirable that the probability of a jackpot occurring when the first Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect occurs is higher than the probability of a jackpot occurring when the second Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect occurs. By doing this, the probability of a jackpot increasing in cases where the period of the notification still image effect is longer than the period of the non-notification still image effect, and the longer the still period in the notification still image effect, the more tension and anticipation the player can feel immediately before the special lottery result is notified.

On the other hand, the probability of a jackpot when the first Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect occurs may be lower than the probability of a jackpot when the second Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect occurs. By doing this, the probability of a jackpot increases when the period of the non-announcement still image effect is longer than the period of the announcement still image effect, and when the still period in the non-announcement still image effect is long, the player can feel a sense of anticipation from an early stage (before the announcement still image effect begins).

In the still image presentation in the Daruma-san ga koronda reach presentation, multiple types of poses for the non-Oni to stop in may be prepared. For example, the poses of each non-Oni are selected in the following order: standing on both feet < standing on one foot < swan pose, so that the probability of the non-Oni moving when the still image is released is high, i.e., the likelihood of a jackpot being high. However, in the Daruma-san ga koronda reach presentation, it is desirable for the standing on both feet pose, which has the lowest likelihood of a jackpot, to appear with the highest frequency. By making the pose with the lowest likelihood of a jackpot being selected more likely, it is possible to prevent the player from feeling excessive tension.

In particular, the effect in which the non-Oni stops in a swan pose (the effect with the highest probability of a jackpot) may only be performed during a jackpot fluctuation (i.e., in this case, the appearance of the swan pose indicates a confirmed jackpot). This allows the player to look forward to the still image effect being released, especially when the non-Oni stops in a pose with a high probability of a jackpot.

The main control MPU selects the variation pattern in which the Daruma-san ga koronda reach performance is executed, but these stop poses of the non-Oni during the Daruma-san ga koronda reach performance may be selected as advance notice performances by the peripheral control MPU that receives a command from the main control MPU. The peripheral control MPU may select a pose with a high probability of sudden big win (e.g., standing on one leg) in the non-notification still image performance executed first, or may select a pose with a high probability of sudden big win in the notification still image performance executed last. If a pose with a high probability of sudden big win is selected in the non-notification still image performance executed first, a sense of expectation can be given to the player from an early stage, and if a pose with a high probability of sudden big win is selected in the notification still image performance executed last, the player can suddenly feel a sense of tension and expectation just before the special lottery result is notified.

In the Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect, for example, the rate at which a pose with a high probability of winning (e.g. standing on one leg) is selected in the first non-announcement still image effect is compared to the rate at which a pose with a high probability of winning is selected in the last announcement still image effect. This makes it possible to give the player a sense of expectation from the first non-announcement still image.

On the other hand, in the Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect, the percentage of poses with a high probability of winning selected in the last notification still image effect may be higher than the percentage of poses with a high probability of winning selected in the first non-notification still image effect. This allows the player to enjoy right up to the last notification still image effect without giving up on the appearance of an effect with a high probability of winning.

Also, in the Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect, the rate at which a pose with a high probability of winning (e.g. standing on one leg) is selected in the first non-announcement still image effect may be compared to the rate at which a pose with a high probability of winning is selected in the last announcement still image effect. This allows the player to have a certain degree of expectation for the non-announcement still image effects, and even if a pose with a high probability of winning does not appear in the non-announcement still image effect, the player can still have a certain degree of expectation until the last announcement still image effect.

It is also possible to execute still image effects three or more times in the Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect. In this case, for example, by making only the end of the last still image effect an informing still image effect, it is possible to further reduce tension felt by the player.

It is desirable that the period of the dynamic display effect immediately before the notification still image effect (the period during which the main character says "Daruma-san" and "Saaaaan-gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa) in Fig. 559 (D) to (F)) is longer than the period of the dynamic display effect immediately before the non-notification still image effect (the period during which the main character says "Daruma-san" and "He fell down!" in Fig. 559 (A) to (B)). This allows the period of the dynamic display immediately before the notification still image effect to be longer, and during that time the player's sense of expectation can be increased. On the other hand, the period of the dynamic display effect immediately before the non-notification still image effect may be longer than the period of the dynamic display effect immediately before the notification still image effect. This allows the period of the dynamic display immediately before the non-notification still image effect to be longer, and the player can be given a sense of expectation that a highly anticipated effect will be performed in the non-notification still image effect.

In addition, for example, the period of the non-announcement still image presentation is longer than the period of the dynamic display presentation immediately preceding the announcement still image presentation. This allows the player to enjoy the announcement still image presentation while maintaining the sense of tension created by the non-announcement still image presentation. On the other hand, the period of the non-announcement still image presentation may be shorter than the period of the dynamic display presentation immediately preceding the announcement still image presentation. This allows the player's sense of tension created by the non-announcement still image presentation to be temporarily lowered, so that the player does not feel excessive tension during the announcement still image presentation.

In addition, for example, the duration of the notification still image presentation is longer than the duration of the dynamic display presentation immediately preceding the notification still image presentation. This allows the player to enjoy the notification still image presentation while maintaining the sense of tension created by the non-notification still image presentation. On the other hand, the duration of the notification still image presentation may be shorter than the duration of the dynamic display presentation immediately preceding the notification still image presentation. This allows the notification still image presentation to begin with the player's sense of tension created by the non-notification still image presentation temporarily lowered, and furthermore the player does not become too tense during the notification still image presentation.

Although an example has been described in which FIG. 559(A) starts after the reach state of the decorative pattern is shown, a non-announcement still image presentation may be executed before the reach state of the decorative pattern is shown, and the reach state may be shown after the non-announcement still image presentation ends, after which the announcement still image presentation may be executed. By executing a non-announcement still image presentation before the reach state is shown, the player can anticipate that the decorative pattern will stop in a reach state after the still image is released in the non-announcement still image presentation.

Note that there may be both a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect in which an annunciation still image effect is executed after a non-announcement still image effect as described above, and a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect in which only an annunciation still image effect is executed without a non-announcement still image effect. In this case, it is desirable that a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect in which an annunciation still image effect is executed after a non-announcement still image effect has a lower occurrence rate but a higher chance of winning than a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect in which only an annunciation still image effect is executed without a non-announcement still image effect. As a result, because the chance of winning is high when a non-announcement still image effect appears, even players who are already accustomed to still image effects can feel a sense of expectation when a non-announcement still image effect appears.

As mentioned above, when the notification still image presentation is executed, the special lottery result is shown in a dynamic display immediately after the notification still image presentation ends (e.g., FIG. 560 (K)), but the specific special lottery result can be determined after a predetermined time has passed since the still image display ends (e.g., FIG. 560 (M)). For example, the specific special lottery result can be determined by displaying an image that directly notifies the player that a jackpot has been won, as in FIG. 560 (M), or by displaying a set of three decorative symbols.

The specified time is, for example, shorter than the duration of the notification still image presentation. This allows the player to determine the specific special lottery result while maintaining the sense of tension caused by the notification still image presentation. On the other hand, the specified time may be longer than the duration of the notification still image presentation. This allows the player to determine the specific special lottery result while the sense of tension caused by the notification still image presentation is eased.

The specified time is, for example, shorter than the period of the non-announcement still image presentation. This makes it possible to make a stronger impression on the player of the non-announcement still image presentation compared to the period until the specific lottery result is announced. On the other hand, the specified time may be longer than the period of the non-announcement still image presentation. This makes it possible to make a stronger impression on the player of the specified time that shows the specific special lottery result than the non-announcement still image presentation in which the special lottery result is not announced, thereby increasing the player's sense of tension and anticipation during the specified time.

The specified time is, for example, shorter than the period of the dynamic display presentation immediately preceding the notification still image presentation. This makes it possible to leave a stronger impression on the player of the dynamic display compared to the period until the specific lottery result is notified. On the other hand, the specified time may be longer than the period of the dynamic display presentation immediately preceding the notification still image presentation. This makes it possible to leave a stronger impression on the player of the specified time showing the specific special lottery result than a dynamic display that does not show the special lottery result, thereby increasing the player's sense of tension and anticipation during the specified time.

In addition, in a non-announcement still image presentation, it is desirable that the background music that was playing immediately before the presentation continues to play. This allows the player to recognize that the non-announcement still image presentation is a series of presentations that continues from the presentations that were playing immediately before, so that the player does not become overly tense even when a still image is displayed. On the other hand, in an announcement still image presentation, it is desirable that the background music stops or the volume of the background music is reduced. This allows not only the image to stop, but also the background music to stop or be reduced in volume, so that even players who are accustomed to still image presentations can feel a certain degree of tension with the announcement still image presentation.

In addition, when the notification still image presentation ends and the dynamic display begins, a specified movable body may be operated. For example, if the special lottery result is a jackpot, operating a specified movable body at that timing makes it easier for the player to recognize that this is the special lottery result, increasing the player's sense of excitement. On the other hand, when the non-notification still image presentation ends and the dynamic display begins, it is preferable not to operate the movable body. This is because there is a risk that the player will mistakenly believe that the special lottery result is a jackpot, even though the presentation to show the special lottery result continues after the non-notification still image presentation.

In addition, a specified sound may be output when the notification still image effect ends and the dynamic display begins. For example, if the special lottery result is a jackpot, outputting a specified sound at that timing makes it easier for the player to recognize that this is a special lottery result, increasing the player's sense of excitement. On the other hand, when the non-notification still image effect ends and the dynamic display begins, it is preferable not to output the specified sound. This is because there is a risk that the player will mistakenly believe that the special lottery result is a jackpot, even though the effect indicating the special lottery result continues after the non-notification still image effect.

In the above example, the countdown display started when a predetermined time had elapsed since the still image presentation started, but the countdown display may also start at the same time as the still image presentation starts. Also, as mentioned above, the still image presentation may end at the same time as the countdown ends. Therefore, if the countdown display starts at the same time as the still image presentation starts and ends at the same time as the still image presentation ends, the countdown display will show the entire period of the still image presentation. In this case, the player can gauge the timing for the still image presentation to end by looking at the countdown display, allowing them to prepare mentally.

In addition, if the countdown display indicates a portion of the period of the still image presentation and ends simultaneously with the end of the still image presentation, for example, the countdown display period in the still image presentation may be longer than, the same as, or shorter than the countdown non-display period in the still image presentation. In order to reduce tension in the player during the countdown display, the longer the countdown display period in the still image presentation, the more the player's excessive tension and anticipation can be reduced. On the other hand, the shorter the countdown display period in the still image presentation, the more the player's anticipation and tension can be increased.

In addition, if the countdown display indicates a portion of a still image presentation, starts after the start of the still image presentation and ends before the end of the still image presentation, for example, the countdown display period in the still image presentation may be longer than, the same as, or shorter than the total countdown non-display period (i.e., the total of the period from the start of the still image presentation to before the countdown display and the period from the end of the countdown display to the end of the still image presentation).

The countdown display may start before the still image presentation starts and end while the still image presentation is being executed (either before or at the end). As a result, as described above, the player can watch the countdown display during the still image presentation to gauge the timing for the still image presentation to end and mentally prepare himself/herself. Furthermore, by watching the countdown display before the still image presentation starts, the player can gauge the timing for the still image presentation to start and mentally prepare himself/herself even before the still image presentation starts.

In the above example, the countdown display is executed only in the annunciation still image presentation, but the countdown display may also be executed in the non-announcement still image presentation. It is desirable that the probability of a jackpot when the countdown display is executed in the non-announcement still image presentation is higher than the probability of a jackpot when the countdown display is not executed in the non-announcement still image presentation. The countdown display reduces the player's sense of tension, but if the probability of a jackpot is low despite the countdown display being executed multiple times, it is difficult to create a sense of tension and the excitement of a jackpot is not felt frequently, making it difficult for the player's interest to increase.

On the other hand, the probability of winning when a countdown display is executed in a non-alert still image presentation may be lower than the probability of winning when a countdown display is not executed in a non-alert still image presentation. This means that the fewer times tension is suppressed, the higher the probability of winning, and therefore the more frequently players win a jackpot under high tension, which increases the player's interest.

In addition, the duration of the countdown display executed in the notification still image presentation may be longer than, the same as, or shorter than the duration of the countdown display executed in the non-notification still image presentation.

Since the special lottery result is shown after the end of the notification still image presentation, notification still image presentations tend to increase the player's sense of tension compared to non-notification still image presentations. Therefore, by making the period of the countdown display executed in the notification still image presentation longer than the period of the countdown display executed in the non-notification still image presentation, the effect of reducing the player's sense of tension is greater. On the other hand, by making the period of the countdown display executed in the notification still image presentation shorter than the period of the countdown display executed in the non-notification still image presentation, the needs of players who seek a sense of tension can be met.

In addition, even in the case of non-announcement still image presentations, the countdown display may be displayed for a portion of the non-announcement still image presentation period, or the countdown display may be displayed for the entire non-announcement still image presentation period.

When the countdown display is executed for part of the still image presentation, there are three possible patterns for the countdown display period: (1) pattern A, in which the countdown display starts when the still image presentation starts and ends before the still image presentation ends; (2) pattern B, in which the countdown display starts after the still image presentation starts and ends before the still image presentation ends; and (3) pattern C, in which the countdown display starts after the still image presentation starts and ends when the still image presentation ends.

When a countdown display is executed during part of the non-announcement still image performance, it is desirable to select the performance in the order of pattern B < pattern C < pattern A so that the probability of winning increases. Since the special lottery result is not shown after the non-announcement still image performance ends, the non-announcement still image performance is less likely to attract the interest of players than the announcement still image performance. Therefore, by setting high the probability of winning for pattern A, in which the countdown display starts simultaneously with the start of the non-announcement still image performance, and pattern C, in which the countdown display ends simultaneously with the end of the non-announcement still image performance, it is possible to draw the player's attention from the start to the end of the non-announcement still image performance.

On the other hand, when a countdown display is executed during part of the notification still image presentation, it is desirable to select the presentation in the order of pattern A < pattern B < pattern C so that the likelihood of a jackpot increases. In other words, in the notification still image presentation, the later the countdown display starts and ends, the higher the likelihood of a jackpot, so the player can enjoy the presentation while hoping that the countdown display will not start too early until the countdown display starts, and that the countdown will not end too early after the countdown display starts.

In addition, if pattern B, which has a low probability of winning, appears in the non-alert still image presentation, it is desirable to ensure that pattern C, which has a high probability of winning, is always selected in the alert still image presentation in order to prevent the player's interest from decreasing thereafter.

In addition, if the timing when the still image presentation ends and the timing when the countdown display ends are the same, the countdown display may be made visible for a predetermined period of time even after the still image presentation ends. Specifically, for example, the still image presentation ends and the dynamic display begins at the same time as the countdown display reaches "0", but the countdown display of "0" may remain displayed for a predetermined period of time thereafter, or the countdown display may be enlarged, made semi-transparent, or overlaid with an effect such as smoke. This allows the player to have a lingering impression of the countdown display.

It is desirable that the length of the countdown non-display period in the non-announcement still image presentation be longer than the length of the countdown non-display period in the announcement still image presentation. Since the special lottery result is not shown after the non-announcement still image presentation, extending the countdown non-display period can attract the player's attention and create a sense of tension. On the other hand, the length of the countdown non-display period in the non-announcement still image presentation may be shorter than the length of the countdown non-display period in the announcement still image presentation.

In addition, it is desirable that the proportion of the length of the countdown display period in the total length of the non-announcement still image presentation is greater than the proportion of the length of the countdown display period in the total length of the announcement still image presentation. Since the special lottery result is not shown after the non-announcement still image presentation, by increasing the proportion of the countdown non-display period in the total length of the non-announcement still image presentation, it is possible to attract the player's attention and create a sense of tension. On the other hand, the proportion of the length of the countdown display period in the total length of the non-announcement still image presentation may be smaller than the proportion of the length of the countdown display period in the total length of the announcement still image presentation.

[20-5-2. Another example of the Daruma-san ga koronda reach performance]
Fig. 561 shows another example of the reach effect of "Daruma-san ga koronda". In Fig. 559 and Fig. 560, an example in which the non-announcement still image effect is executed only once has been described, but in Fig. 561, the non-announcement still image effect is executed multiple times.

Following Figure 559 (D), the display transitions to Figure 561 (E'). In other words, (E') is the state immediately after the end of the first non-announcement still image performance. In (E'), on the performance display device 1600, the main character utters the line "Daruma-san", while a dynamic display is performed in which the two non-Oni gradually approach the main character. In (F'), the main character utters the line "I fell!" Furthermore, in (F'), after the main character finishes uttering the line, he turns around to face the non-Oni and stops, and a still image performance begins in which the movement of the non-Oni stops by the time the main character finishes uttering the line.

In (G'), the still image presentation continues, and for example, the main character and the non-Oni remain still as they were at the end of (F'). In (H'), the non-Oni does not move even after a predetermined time has passed since the still image presentation began, so the still image presentation ends and the image displayed in (G') fades out. Also, from (H') to (I'), the image gradually fades out.

The presentation of (J') is the same as that of Figure 559 (E), and the subsequent presentations are the same as those of Figures 559 and 560. Even when (I') ends and the dynamic presentation begins, the special lottery results are not displayed, so the still image presentation up to (I') is a non-announcement still image presentation.

As mentioned above, at the end of the first non-alert still image presentation (Fig. 559 (C)-(D)), the still image does not fade out (no effects are applied to the still image) and is switched directly to a dynamic display. In other words, at the moment of the switch to dynamic display, the still image displayed as a non-alert still image becomes completely unrecognizable to the player. On the other hand, at the end of the second non-alert still image presentation (Fig. 561 (H')-(I')), the still image fades out and is switched to a dynamic display.

In this way, by performing multiple non-alarm still image presentations in a single Daruma-san ga koronda reach presentation, the player can become more accustomed to the still image presentations, and excessive tension felt by the player regarding the still image presentations can be reduced.

On the other hand, as the number of non-announcement still image effects increases, there is a risk that the player will tire of the non-announcement still image effects. Therefore, when multiple non-announcement still image effects are performed in a single Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect, fading out the image at the end of some of the non-announcement still image effects creates variety in the non-announcement still image effects, so that the player will not tire of the non-announcement still image effects even when multiple non-announcement still image effects are performed. Note that even when only one non-announcement still image effect is performed in a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect, the image may be faded out at the end of that one non-announcement still image effect.

It is desirable that the fade-out time in a non-announcement still image performance that involves a fade-out is shorter than the still time of the image in the non-announcement still image performance. If the fade-out time were longer, there is a risk that the tension built up by the display of the still image in the non-announcement still image performance may be completely released within the fade-out time. In order to temporarily relieve the tension caused by the display of the still image, the fade-out time when the image is faded out after the non-announcement still image performance has ended may be longer than the still time of the image in the non-announcement still image performance.

In the example of FIG. 561, the dynamic display of "Daruma-san ga koronda" in (J') is started after the image displayed in the non-alert still image presentation is faded out and completely erased, but the dynamic display of "Daruma-san ga koronda" in (J') may be started during or at the start of the fade-out of the image displayed in the non-alert still image presentation.

Specifically, for example, from timing (H') or (I'), the dynamic display of "Daruma-san ga koronda" in (J') begins. In this case, for example, a semi-transparent image that is fading out is displayed superimposed on the dynamic display of "Daruma-san ga koronda" in (J'). This allows the dynamic display of "Daruma-san ga koronda" to be performed while leaving the player with the afterglow of the still image presentation.

In addition, the first display time, which is the display time of a still image in a non-announcement still image performance accompanied by an image fade-out, and the second display time, which is the display time of a still image in a non-announcement still image performance without an image fade-out, may be the same length or different lengths. For example, if the likelihood of a jackpot in a Daruma-san ga koronda reach differs depending on whether or not a non-announcement still image performance accompanied by a fade-out appears, the difference between the first display time and the second display time allows the player to feel even more tension and anticipation by focusing on the display time during the non-announcement still image performance.

For example, by making the second display time longer than the first display time, the length of the second display time can be made closer to the total length of the first display time and the fade-out time, and by maintaining a balance in the length of time between effects, both effects can be impressed on the player. However, in order to maintain a balance in the length of time between effects, it is desirable for the second display time to be shorter than the total length of the first display time and the fade-out time. Note that the second display time may also be longer than the total length of the first display time and the fade-out time.

On the other hand, by making the second display time shorter than the first display time, the difference between the total length of the first display time and the fade-out time and the length of the second display time can be made larger, making it possible to leave a strong impression on the player with the series of effects consisting of the non-alert still image effect and the fade-out.

The length of the third display time, which is the display time of the still image in the notification still image presentation, and the length of the first display time may be the same or different. For example, by making the third display time longer than the first display time, it is possible to increase the sense of tension in the notification still image that notifies the special lottery result. This effect is particularly noticeable when the third display time is longer than the total time of the first display time and the fade-out time. Note that the third display time may be longer than the first display time, and the third display time may be shorter than the total time of the first display time and the fade-out time.

As mentioned above, the probability of winning may vary depending on the state of the still image in the still image effect (for example, the probability of winning may vary depending on whether the non-Oni stands on both feet, one foot, or takes a swan pose). For example, by executing a fade-out after a non-announcement still image effect in which a still image with a high probability of winning (for example, a non-Oni standing on one foot or taking a swan pose) is displayed, the still image with a high probability of winning can be more clearly recognized by the player, thereby increasing the player's sense of expectation.

On the other hand, for example, by not executing a fade out after a non-announcement still image effect in which a still image with a low expectation of a jackpot (for example, a non-Oni standing on both feet) is displayed, the still image is immediately erased and the next effect is displayed, thereby preventing the player from becoming disappointed. Note that a fade may be performed in the case of a non-announcement still image effect that has multiple non-announcement still image effects with different expectation levels, and a fade may not be performed in the case of a non-announcement still image effect that does not have multiple non-announcement still image effects with different expectation levels.

When an image is being faded out, it is desirable not to maintain the lamp illumination mode that was in effect in the immediately preceding non-announcement still image presentation. Specifically, for example, when an image is being faded out, the lamps are illuminated in a mode that corresponds to the immediately following dynamic display (the presentation in which the main character says "Daruma-san ga Koronda!") rather than in the mode that was in effect in the immediately preceding non-announcement still image presentation. This allows the player to recognize that the non-announcement still image presentation has ended when the image starts to fade out, and allows the player to focus their attention on the next presentation.

Also, when an image is being faded out, it is desirable not to maintain the sound that was output in the previous non-announcement still image presentation. Specifically, for example, when an image is being faded out, a sound corresponding to the immediately following dynamic display (the presentation in which the main character says "Daruma-san ga Koronda!") is output, rather than the sound that was output in the previous non-announcement still image presentation. This allows the player to recognize that the non-announcement still image presentation has ended when the image starts to fade out, and allows the player to focus their attention on the next presentation.

In the example of FIG. 561, a non-announcement still image performance without image fade-out and a non-announcement still image performance with image fade-out are performed within one variation (a "Daruma-san ga koronda" reach performance), but one of these non-announcement still image performances does not have to be performed within one "Daruma-san ga koronda" reach performance.

In the example of FIG. 561, a non-announcement still image performance with image fade-out was executed after a non-announcement still image performance without image fade-out, but a non-announcement still image performance without image fade-out may also be executed after a non-announcement still image performance with image fade-out. By executing a non-announcement still image performance with image fade-out, the player feels an aftertaste of the non-announcement still image performance due to the fade-out, and can therefore also enjoy the non-announcement still image performance without image fade-out that is executed afterwards.

The non-alarm still image presentation may end with an image effect other than fade-out, so long as it leaves a lingering impression on the player. For example, changing the contrast, brightness, and/or transparency of the image, and converting the image to monochrome or color are examples of such image effects. Another example of such an image effect is overlaying another image or video on the image displayed in the non-alarm still image presentation. Instead of fading out, the non-alarm still image presentation may end by, for example, displaying part or all of the image in a cracked or holed form, thereby changing part or all of the display content of the image itself.

It may be possible to execute both a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect that performs a non-announcement still image effect accompanied by a fade-out, and a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect that does not perform a non-announcement still image effect accompanied by a fade-out. If both are executable, it is desirable that a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect that performs a non-announcement still image effect accompanied by a fade-out has a higher probability of winning. Although a fade-out can leave a lingering impression of the still image effect, if the probability of winning is low despite this, the player will have a stronger impression of a loss in the special lottery result, and may lose interest in the Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect.

On the other hand, for example, a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect that does not include a non-announcement still image effect accompanied by a fade-out may have a higher expectation of a jackpot than a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect that includes a non-announcement still image effect accompanied by a fade-out. This allows a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect that includes a non-announcement still image effect accompanied by a fade-out to leave an impression on the player with the lingering effect of the fade-out, and a Daruma-san ga koronda reach effect that does not include a non-announcement still image effect accompanied by a fade-out to leave an impression on the player due to the high possibility of a jackpot, making it possible to leave an impression on the player with a balanced combination of both effects.

The image may also be faded out at the end of the notification still image presentation. By fading out the image at the end of the notification positive image presentation, for example, if the result of the special lottery is a jackpot, the player can feel the afterglow of the presentation that led to the jackpot, giving him or her a sense of elation.

[20-6. Notification process selection reach performance]
562, 563, and 564 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the notification process selection reach effect. The notification process selection reach effect is an example of the SP reach effect in which a still image effect may be executed.

In FIG. 562 (A), the decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state. In (B), the notification process selection reach performance has started. Also, in (B), a still image performance has started. In (B), the left part of the performance display device 1600 displays an image of a gauge indicating the likelihood of the special lottery result being a jackpot in the ongoing fluctuation, and the right part of the performance display device 1600 displays an image of a police light to immediately notify the result of the ongoing special lottery (i.e., directly indicate whether the special lottery result is a jackpot or a miss, without indicating the likelihood of a jackpot, etc.), both as still images.

In (C), the image of the gauge and the image of the patrol lamp corresponding to the notification process selection reach performance are displayed as still images, while an image of the performance operation unit 301 is displayed in the center of the performance display device 1600. Also, one of the gauge image or the patrol lamp image (the gauge image in (C)) is displayed in the same bright manner as in (B), and the other (the patrol lamp image in (C)) is displayed in a darkened manner.

The image of the performance operation unit 301 is displayed to indicate that pressing the central pressing operation unit 303a will select the notification method indicated by the image displayed in a bright state. The image of the performance operation unit 301 is also displayed to indicate that operating the rotation operation unit 302 will switch between the image displayed in a bright state and the image displayed in a darkened state (i.e., select the notification method). The image of the performance operation unit 301 may be displayed as a still image, or may be displayed as a dynamic display, for example, in which the central pressing operation unit 303a in the image moves up and down, the rotation operation unit 302 in the image rotates, or an arrow in the image moves.

When the player presses the central pressing operation unit 303a in (C), or when a predetermined time has passed since the image of the performance operation unit 301 in (C) was displayed, the notification method displayed in a bright manner is selected. Note that when a predetermined time has passed since the image of the performance operation unit 301 in (C) was displayed, one of the methods (e.g., expectation suggestion) may be forcibly selected, or expectation suggestion or one-shot notification may be selected randomly.

In addition, in (C), both the gauge image and the patrol lamp image may be displayed in a bright state without changing from the state in (B). In this case, for example, in (C), when the rotating operation unit 302 is rotated to the left, the expectation level suggestion is selected, and when the rotating operation unit 302 is rotated to the right, the one-shot announcement is selected, and an image suggesting the selection method by this operation is displayed on the performance display device 1600. Also, in this case, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the image of the performance operation unit 301 in (C) was displayed, for example, one of them (e.g., the expectation level suggestion) is forcibly selected, or the expectation level suggestion or the one-shot announcement is selected randomly.

(D) is the state in which a one-shot notification has been selected in (C). In (D), the still image presentation ends and the still image is released, with only the image of the patrol lamp being displayed across the entire presentation display device 1600. In (D), a dynamic display of the patrol lamp lighting up is displayed as an indication that the special lottery result in that variation was a jackpot. In (E), an image is displayed that more clearly indicates that the special lottery result is a jackpot. It should be noted that a specified movable object may be moved in (D).

For example, if the result of the special lottery in the variation is a loss, then in (D), for example, a dynamic display is displayed in which the performance display device 1600 goes dark without the patrol lamp lighting up, and in (E), an image is displayed to inform the user that the result of the special lottery is a loss, such as "Unfortunately.... Loss."

Figure 563 (D') shows the state in which the expectation suggestion has been selected in Figure 562 (C). In (D'), the still image presentation ends and the still image is released, and only the image of the gauge is displayed across the entire presentation display device 1600, with the message "Fill up the gauge!" displayed. The gauge can be filled up to a maximum of eight stages, and in (E'), the gauge has filled up to three stages, and a message ("Not yet!") is displayed on the presentation display device 1600 suggesting that there is still a chance to fill up the gauge. Note that, for example, the gauge may be set to fill up to the maximum value of eight stages only if the special lottery result is a jackpot.

Note that if the central pressing operation unit 303a is not operated after the image of the presentation operation unit 301 in (C) is displayed and a predetermined time has passed, causing the expectation level suggestion to be forcibly selected, then it is not necessary to increase the number of stages of the gauge in (D'). This is to satisfy the wishes of players who may not have operated the central pressing operation unit 303a because they do not want to know the expectation level.

In (F'), the state returns to the same as in FIG. 562(C). However, the number of stages of the gauge displayed as a still image may reflect the number of stages accumulated in the previous performance as in (F'), or may be displayed with no gauge accumulated at all as in (C).

(G') is the state in which the expectation suggestion has been selected in (F'). In (G'), like (D'), the still image presentation ends and the still image is released, and only the image of the gauge is displayed across the entire presentation display device 1600, with the message "Fill up the gauge!" being displayed. However, it differs from (D') in that the gauge is filled up from the number of stages that were filled up in the previous presentation.

In (H'), the gauge has filled up to the fourth level, and a message ("More, more!") is displayed on the performance display device 1600, indicating that there is still a chance to fill the gauge. In (I'), the state returns to the same as (F').

Then, by selecting the expectation indication and repeating the series of effects to fill the gauge a predetermined number of times (for example, five times), the expectation indication effect will end when the effect to fill the gauge a predetermined number of times has finished, and a display will be shown suggesting that the number of levels of the currently displayed gauge indicates the expectation of a jackpot ("That's it!" in (J')). (J') is the state at the end of the effect to fill the gauge a predetermined number of times. In (J'), the gauge has filled up to six levels.

In (H'), the gauge image goes dark and the image of the police light is displayed in a bright manner. Furthermore, the image of the effect operation unit 301 is displayed, and although there is a display encouraging the pressing of the central pressing operation unit 303a, there is no display encouraging the operation of the rotation operation unit 302. In other words, after a performance that accumulates the gauge a predetermined number of times is executed, in (H'), the one-shot announcement is forcibly selected. In other words, the number of stages of the gauge in (J') indicates the expectation of a jackpot.

Figure 564 (I') shows the state in (J') when the central pressing operation unit 303a is pressed, and similar to Figure 562 (D), the special lottery result is indicated by turning on or off the patrol lamp. Note that if a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the display of (J'), it will transition to Figure 564 (I') even if the central pressing operation unit 303a is not pressed. Next, in (J'), similar to Figure 562 (E), an image is displayed that more clearly indicates that the special lottery result is a jackpot.

After selecting the expectation indication, a still image presentation is performed again to select the notification method (for example, Fig. 563 (F'), (I')). If a single notification is selected in the still image presentation, a single notification will be made to show the results of the special lottery by displaying a police light, as shown in Fig. 562 (D).

The still display of the still image effects creates a sense of tension and anticipation for the player, but some players find it boring because it is still. As mentioned above, the notification process selection reach effect allows players to select the method of notifying the special lottery results in the still image effects from either a suggestion of expectation level or a one-shot notification, so that even such players can become interested in the still image effects.

As mentioned above, while multiple selections of expectation indication or one-shot announcement are possible in the still image presentation, only the one-shot announcement patrol lamp is selectable in the final still image presentation. This means that the special lottery result is ultimately shown in a one-shot announcement in the notification process selection reach presentation. Furthermore, since multiple expectation indication presentations can be selected in the notification process selection reach presentation, the player's sense of expectation can be gradually increased. Furthermore, since it is possible to switch to one-shot announcement even after selecting the expectation indication presentation one or more times, the player can find out the special lottery result at a stage when he or she is satisfied with his or her expectation, and thus the player does not become bored.

In the above example, when the expectation suggestion was selected, the number of gauge stages increased in the performance in which the gauge was filled, but the performance may end without the number of gauge stages increasing and with the gauge remaining at the previous stage. For example, if the performance in which the gauge is filled a predetermined number of times (e.g., 5 times) as described above ends but the gauge is below a predetermined stage (e.g., 0 stage), a jackpot may be confirmed.

When filling the gauge, for example, a rapid-fire effect may be performed in which the player is prompted to repeatedly press an operation unit such as the central press operation unit 303a, and the number of gauge stages is increased in such a way that the gauge fills according to the number of times the player has pressed the operation unit repeatedly. However, the maximum number of gauge stages in each performance in which the gauge is filled is determined before the start of the performance by a predetermined allocation based on the results of a special lottery, and even if the operation unit is repeatedly pressed after the maximum number of stages is reached, the gauge will not reach a stage higher than the maximum number of stages.

As described above, the still image presentation executed in the notification process selection reach includes, among the presentations (Fig. 562 (C)) in which both the expectation suggestion and the one-shot announcement are selectable, a first still image presentation in which the rapid-fire presentation is not executed when the expectation suggestion is selected, and a second still image presentation in which the rapid-fire presentation is executed when the expectation suggestion is selected. In addition, the still image presentation executed in the notification process selection reach includes a third still image presentation (Fig. 563 (H')) in which only the one-shot announcement is selectable.

The effective period of the effect operation unit 301 may differ depending on the type of still image effect. For example, after the third still image effect, the special lottery result, which is the most important for the player, is forcibly shown, so it is desirable that the effective period in the third still image effect is longer than the effective period in the second still image effect and the first still image effect so that the player can obtain the special lottery result by his/her own operation. Also, when the expectation suggestion is selected in the second still image effect, a continuous tap effect is performed in which the player can enjoy checking the expectation level by his/her own operation, so it is desirable that the effective period in the second still image effect is longer than the effective period in the first still image effect so that the player can reliably execute the continuous tap effect.

The size of the image of the performance operation unit 301 displayed during the still image performance may differ depending on the type of still image performance. For example, after the third still image performance, the special lottery result, which is the most important for the player, is forcibly shown, so it is desirable that the image of the performance operation unit 301 in the third still image performance be larger than the image of the performance operation unit 301 in the second still image performance and the first still image performance so that the player can obtain the special lottery result by his/her own operation. Also, when the expectation suggestion is selected in the second still image performance, a continuous hitting performance is performed in which the player can enjoy checking the expectation level by his/her own operation, so it is desirable that the image of the performance operation unit 301 in the second still image performance be larger than the image of the performance operation unit 301 in the first still image performance so that the player can reliably execute the continuous hitting performance.

In the above example, the central pressing operation unit 303a was operated in the third still image presentation to select a single shot notification, but the operation of a selected operation unit from multiple operation units (e.g., the central pressing operation unit 303a, the outer peripheral pressing operation unit 303b, and the rotation operation unit 302) may be prompted, and the single shot notification may be selected by operating that operation unit. In this case, for example, the probability of winning may differ depending on the selected operation unit.

The image of the performance operation unit 301 may appear simultaneously with the start of the still image performance, or after the still image performance starts. The length of time from when the still image performance starts until the image of the performance operation unit 301 appears may differ depending on the type of still image performance. For example, the length of time from when the still image performance starts until the image of the performance operation unit 301 appears is longer in the order of the third still image performance > the second still image performance > the first still image performance.

The result of the special lottery is shown after the third still image presentation, and if the expectation suggestion is selected, the rapid-fire presentation is executed after the second still image presentation, and if the expectation suggestion is selected, the expectation is suggested without the rapid-fire presentation after the first still image presentation. In other words, since presentations that are important to the player are performed in the order of third still image presentation > second still image presentation > first still image presentation, by lengthening the time from the start of the still image presentation to the appearance of the image on presentation operation unit 301 in that order, it is possible to give the player a period of time to mentally prepare for the operation that will start the important presentation.

In the above example, the gauge gradually fills up to a predetermined level after a predetermined time has elapsed since the expectation suggestion was selected, but the gauge may also fill up to the predetermined level as soon as the expectation suggestion is selected. This allows the player to immediately check the expectation level. In this case, the gauge may gradually fill up to the predetermined level as soon as the expectation suggestion is selected, or the gauge may reach the predetermined level as soon as the expectation suggestion is selected without passing through any intermediate stages.

If the expectation suggestion is forcibly selected after a predetermined time has elapsed without the central pressing operation unit 303a being operated, for example, an image may be displayed in which the image of the performance operation unit 301 has been erased from FIG. 562(C), and in this case, the number of stages of the gauge may not be changed. This allows the player to recognize that the expectation will not increase unless he or she operates the performance operation unit 301, and thus provides an incentive to operate the performance operation unit 301. However, in the last performance in which the expectation suggestion can be selected, it is desirable to execute a performance that accumulates the gauge, even if the expectation suggestion is forcibly selected after a predetermined time has elapsed without the central pressing operation unit 303a being operated.

In the above example, the gauge had zero levels at the timing before the player selected the expectation suggestion (the timing in Figure 562 (B)), but the gauge may be partially or completely full at that timing. However, if it is determined that a jackpot is confirmed when the gauge is fully full, filling the gauge completely at that timing may result in a jackpot being confirmed at that timing, which may prevent the player from enjoying the notification process selection reach presentation to the end. Therefore, in such cases, it is desirable that the gauge is at most partially full at that timing.

The image of the performance operation unit 301 in the final state may be given an effect or may have a different color depending on the expected probability of a jackpot (for example, red if the gauge is at or above a predetermined number of stages, white if the gauge is below the predetermined number of stages, etc.). This allows the player to feel a sense of expectation not only from the gauge, but also from the image of the performance operation unit 301.

In addition, in the notification process selection reach presentation, the image of the presentation operation unit 301 in the selection presentations other than the last one in which both the expectation indication and the one-shot announcement can be selected, and the image of the presentation operation unit 301 in the last selection presentation in which only the one-shot announcement can be selected, may be the same. As a result, since the image of the presentation operation unit 301 does not change even in the final state, the player can infer the expectation of a jackpot only from the stage of the gauge, and the player can focus his or her attention on the presentation in which the gauge is filling up.

In addition, for example, the display period of the image of the effect operation unit 301 and the effective period of the effect operation unit 301 (central pressing operation unit 303a and rotation operation unit 302) are the same. However, in the final selection effect where only a single notification can be selected, the display of the image of the effect operation unit 301 may start before the start of the effective period of the effect operation unit 301. The final selection effect is an effect that can be enjoyed by the player at the highest state of anticipation among the notification process selection reach effects, and by starting the display of the image of the effect operation unit 301 before the start of the effective period of the effect operation unit 301, the player can be sure to perform the final selection operation and enjoy it.

In addition, it is desirable that the effective period of the presentation operation unit 301 in the final selection presentation where only the one-shot announcement can be selected is longer than the effective period of the presentation operation unit 301 in the selection presentations other than the last where both the expectation level suggestion and the one-shot announcement can be selected. This allows the player to reliably perform the final selection operation and enjoy it. Note that the effective period of the presentation operation unit 301 in the final selection presentation where only the one-shot announcement can be selected may be shorter than or the same as the effective period of the presentation operation unit 301 in the selection presentations other than the last where both the expectation level suggestion and the one-shot announcement can be selected.

In addition, when the expectation suggestion effect is selected, multiple still image effects are executed, and in the dynamic display executed between the multiple still image effects, an image of the effect operation unit 301 in a selection effect other than the last one in which both the expectation suggestion and the one-shot announcement can be selected may also be displayed. This allows the player to mentally prepare for the selection operation in the next still image effect.

[20-7. Hold gathering performance]
565 and 566 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a reserved group performance. The reserved group performance is an example of a performance in which a still image performance may be executed. In FIG. 565(A), all The decorative pattern is changing, and there are three more pending. In (A), five pending displays are displayed, but the one in the center is the pending display corresponding to the ongoing change. Each of the other pending displays corresponds to one of the four subsequent changes.

In state (A), if game ball B enters the start port (first start port 2002 or second start port 2004) and a new reserved ball is acquired, the reserved ball collection presentation may start. In state (B), the reserved ball collection presentation has started due to the trigger described above. Since game ball B enters the start port and a new reserved ball is acquired, in state (B), there are four reserved balls. When the reserved ball collection presentation starts, a presentation in which the Great Demon King appears is executed on the presentation display device 1600.

At (C), the still image presentation starts, and the Great Demon King that appeared at (B) is displayed as a still image for a specified period of time. Note that the hold display on the presentation display device 1600 does not change during the still image presentation.

In (D), the still image presentation ends, and a presentation in which the main character appears on the presentation display device 1600 is dynamically displayed. In (E), the main character says, "Chance to gather all the reserved characters!", and each of the reserved displays on the presentation display device 1600 moves to the top of the main character image.

In (F), on the performance display device 1600, the pending displays that have moved to the top of the main character combine to form a single sphere (hereafter referred to as the courage ball). This causes the pending displays to temporarily disappear from the performance display device 1600. In (G), the main character is shown throwing a courage ball. In (H), the Great Demon King is shown catching the courage ball thrown by the main character.

In (I), a still image effect starts, and the Great Demon King catching the courage ball is displayed as a still image. In Fig. 566 (J) described later, the still image effect also functions as a judge effect to notify the player that the special lottery result is a jackpot.

In FIG. 566 (J), the still image presentation ends and the still image is released, and the presentation display device 1600 displays "WIN!!" to indicate that the special lottery result for either the pending variation or the currently running variation is a jackpot.

Next, in (K), in addition to the (J) display, a pending display is displayed in the original area, and a display is made showing which pending special lottery result corresponds to the jackpot. In the example of FIG. 566, the pending display corresponding to the next change after the one currently being changed is illuminated with an effect, and the special lottery result corresponding to this change is the jackpot. Note that in (J) and (K), all decorative patterns are currently changing.

The timing of the appearance of the effect indicating that the special lottery result is a jackpot (the effect in (K), hereafter also referred to as the jackpot effect) may be just before or at the end of the ongoing variation. This allows the player to maintain a sense of tension until the end of the ongoing variation.

In the illustrated example, the jackpot effect is sized to cover the reserved display corresponding to the jackpot fluctuation, but it may be smaller than the reserved display. Specifically, for example, the jackpot effect may be an effect that occurs only inside the reserved display corresponding to the jackpot fluctuation (such as the inside of the reserved display glowing).

The jackpot effect may overlap a portion of the pending display corresponding to the jackpot, and a portion of the jackpot effect may extend beyond the pending display. The jackpot effect may overlap at least a portion of the pending display corresponding to the jackpot, and may be displayed on a layer that takes priority over the pending display (i.e., the layer in front as seen by the player) on the performance display device 1600. In other words, in this case, at least a portion of the pending display is hidden by the jackpot effect.

If all the special lottery results for the pending and active changes are losses, for example, (J) will display "Too bad..." to indicate that all the special lottery results were losses, and the pending display will be displayed again on the performance display device 1600 in the same manner as (B) to (D), i.e., in the normal manner.

When there is a jackpot variation in the ongoing variation and the pending variation, the jackpot effect may be displayed after the same effect as the miss as described above. In this case, after the miss effect, the jackpot effect may be displayed after displaying "WIN!!" as a revival effect, or the jackpot effect itself may be the revival effect without displaying "WIN!!". In this case, the jackpot effect is the variation after the next variation in the ongoing variation, and may start from the variation before the jackpot variation.

If there is no jackpot fluctuation among the ongoing fluctuations and the pending fluctuations, it is desirable that the pending fluctuations be consumed quickly after the pending collection performance ends (specifically, for example, a short fluctuation pattern with a fluctuation time of about 2 seconds or less is selected). This is because players will not be interested in a fluctuation that is known to be a miss in the special lottery results, and if the fluctuation time of the fluctuation is long, the player's disappointment will continue for that time, decreasing the player's interest.

In addition, if there is a jackpot variation among the ongoing variations and the pending variations, the variations prior to the jackpot variation may or may not be quickly consumed. By quickly consuming the variations prior to the jackpot variation, the variation for which the special lottery result is known to be a miss can be ended quickly and a transition to the jackpot game can be made, improving the time efficiency of the game for the player. On the other hand, if the variations prior to the jackpot variation are not quickly consumed, the player's elation at having won the jackpot can be sustained during the period of these variations that are not quickly consumed.

As mentioned above, the reserved group presentation notifies whether there is a variation in which the special lottery result is a jackpot among the ongoing and pending variations. Since there are five variations in total, including ongoing and pending variations, the reserved group presentation is successful according to the expected jackpot probability for the five variations. For example, if the special lottery result for the ongoing variation is a miss and the special lottery result for the next pending variation is a jackpot, a normal presentation would show a miss for that ongoing variation, but the reserved group presentation shows a jackpot for that ongoing variation. In other words, the opportunities for time-consuming miss presentations to appear are reduced, which can prevent a decline in the player's interest.

As mentioned above, at the end of the first still image presentation (i.e. the still image presentation while the pending display is on), the judgment result as to whether or not there is a jackpot variation among the ongoing variations and pending variations is not displayed.

For example, a hold change effect may be performed from the end of the first still image effect until the hold display is no longer displayed on the effect display device 1600 (for example, the period in FIG. 565 (D)). Specifically, for example, a hold change effect is performed so that the jackpot expectancy of a change corresponding to a hold display that has been changed to red is higher than the jackpot expectancy of a change corresponding to a hold whose hold display has not been changed. The tension given to the player by the first still image effect is temporarily relieved by the end of the still image effect, but by performing a hold change effect at the timing described above, the player can be made to feel a sense of anticipation even during the period until the courage ball is formed.

In the example of FIG. 565, the reserved gathering chance is executed in (E), and the courage ball is formed in (F), but an effect may be executed in which the reserved gathering chance fails and the courage ball is not formed. Specifically, in (F), the formation of the courage ball fails, and each reserved display returns to its original position, and the reserved display remains displayed without moving until the change ends. Instead of the effects of (G) and (H), for example, an effect is performed in which the main character attacks the Great Demon King with his bare hands, and instead of (I), a still image effect is performed in which the Great Demon King after being attacked is displayed in a still image (i.e., a still image different from (I) is displayed). After that, as in FIG. 566 (J), it is announced whether or not there is a jackpot change among the changes being executed and the changes being held.

The probability of winning when a still image presentation as a judge presentation is performed after a successful reserved collection chance is higher than the probability of winning when a still image presentation as a judge presentation is performed after a failed reserved collection chance. In other words, the probability of winning is higher when a reserved collection chance is successful and a still image presentation and a still image are released without the reserved display being displayed, and the special lottery result is announced, than when a reserved collection chance is failed and a still image presentation and a still image are released with the reserved display still displayed, and the special lottery result is announced.

When the hold displays are displayed during a still image presentation, the hold displays may be dynamic displays. For example, each hold display may be displayed in a shaking or rotating manner, or the brightness of each hold display may change even if the hold displays themselves are still, or the effects surrounding the hold displays may change. By displaying the hold displays in dynamic display during a still image presentation, the dynamic display and the still image are contrasted and clearly recognized as one another.

It is preferable to continue displaying the jackpot effect until the change in the reserved amount that indicates a jackpot has ended. This is because it gives the player a sense of security.

However, on the other hand, if the indication that a jackpot has been confirmed is displayed for a long period of time (until the fluctuation for the pending jackpot that has been shown to be a jackpot has ended), there is a possibility that the player next to them may look at them with disapproval and feel uncomfortable, so it may be possible to display the indication for only a relatively short period of time, for example, until just before the fluctuation currently in progress ends, until the fluctuation currently in progress ends, or until the start of the next fluctuation of the fluctuation currently in progress.

This relatively short period of time may be set, for example, to a period shorter than the static display (I), a period less than half the period of the dynamic display (J), or a period less than half and the latter half of the dynamic display (J). By being erased at the start of the ongoing variation or the next variation of the ongoing variation, the player's attention is directed to the jackpot game state, and the player can prepare for the jackpot game (for example, by being aware of changing the hitting style to right hitting at the start of the jackpot).

In the above example, the jackpot effect was displayed until the end of the variation in which the special lottery result was a jackpot, but it may be erased during the variation in which the special lottery result was a jackpot and before it ends. This allows the player to focus not only on the jackpot effect, but also on the presentation during the variation in which the special lottery result was a jackpot.

When erasing the jackpot effect, the effect may be abruptly erased, or it may be gradually erased (for example, by increasing the transparency of the jackpot effect and gradually erasing it). By abruptly erasing the jackpot effect, the player is not left with a lingering impression of the jackpot effect, and the player's attention can be quickly directed to the jackpot game. By gradually erasing the jackpot effect, the player is left with a lingering impression of the jackpot effect, and the impression of the jackpot effect can be strengthened.

When erasing a jackpot effect, a further effect may be applied to the jackpot effect before erasing it. Specifically, for example, a further effect may be applied over the jackpot effect to make it unnoticeable, and then the further effect may be erased, or a further effect may be applied over the jackpot effect, but after making it perceptible, the jackpot effect is erased together with the further effect. By applying a further effect to the jackpot effect and then erasing it, the player is left with a lingering impression of the jackpot effect, strengthening the impression of the jackpot effect.

[20-8. Split Reach Performance]
567 and 568 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a split reach effect. The split reach effect is an example of a reach effect in which a still image effect may be executed. In FIG. 567(A), all of the decorative symbols are changing.
In cases where the likelihood of a jackpot varies depending on the decorative symbol that stops in a reach state (for example, the likelihood of a jackpot is higher in a reach state with a "7" symbol than in reach states with other decorative symbols), the player's sense of elation may decrease when the decorative symbol stops in a reach state with a low likelihood of a jackpot. In the split reach performance, multiple types of timing are provided for determining the decorative symbol that stops in the reach state, so that the decrease in the player's sense of elation can be suppressed.

In (B), the display area of the effect display device 1600 is divided into two, top and bottom, and the same reach effect (a battle effect between a main character (white character in the figure) and an enemy character (black character in the figure)) is dynamically displayed in the top and bottom display areas. However, in one (top) display area, the left decorative pattern and the right decorative pattern are stopped in a reach state, while in the other (bottom) display area, the left decorative pattern and the right decorative pattern are fluctuating.

In (C), following (B), the same reach effect is dynamically displayed in the upper and lower display areas, with the main character and enemy character hitting each other with their attacks. Also, in (C), like (B), the left and right decorative symbols are stopped in a reach state in one (upper) display area, while the left and right decorative symbols are fluctuating in the other (lower) display area.

In (D), of the upper and lower display areas divided in (B) to (C), the display area in which the decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state (upper display area) is selected. Furthermore, in (D), the display content of the selected display area is displayed on the entire performance display device 1600, and a still image performance begins. In the still image performance, for example, the display content displayed in the upper display area at the end of the period of (C) is displayed as a still image on the entire performance display device 1600. Even during the still image performance of (D), the left decorative pattern and the right decorative pattern are stopped (stationary) in a reach state.

In (E), the still image presentation has ended, the still image has been released, and the dynamic display has resumed. In (E), the display showing the special lottery result includes an image of the main character losing to an enemy character, the message "Too bad...", and the decorative patterns that have stopped in a losing combination. After the still image presentation in (D) ends, the special lottery result is shown in (E), so the still image presentation in (D) also functions as a judge's presentation.

Figure 568 (D') shows the state after (C) where the display area (lower display area) in which the left and right decorative patterns are changing is selected. In (D'), the display content of the selected display area is displayed on the entire performance display device 1600, and a still image performance begins. In a still image performance, for example, the display content that was displayed in the lower display area at the end of the period of (C) is displayed as a still image on the entire performance display device 1600. Note that in (D'), the left and right decorative patterns are changing and displayed even during the still image performance.

In (E'), the still image presentation ends, the stillness is released, and the dynamic display resumes. In (E'), a battle presentation between the main character and enemy character is held again, and at the same time, the left and right decorative patterns change to form a reach state (it is unclear in (E') which decorative pattern will stop in the reach state). Furthermore, in (E'), a message is displayed asking, "Which pattern will result in a reach!?"

In (F'), the battle between the main character and enemy character continues, with the left and right decorative symbols stopped in a reach state. In (G'), a still image presentation begins. After the still image presentation in (G') ends, the special lottery results are shown in (H'), which will be described later, so the still image presentation in (G') also functions as a judge presentation.

In addition, in the still image presentation in (G'), the same still image as the still image in FIG. 567 (D) is displayed. In other words, the still image in the still image presentation is the same when a display area in a reach state is selected from the split display state and when a display area in a non-reach state is selected from the split display state and then (D')-(F') are passed through. This makes it possible to leave a strong impression of the still image on the player.

In (H'), the still image presentation ends, the still image is released, and the dynamic display resumes. In (H'), the display showing the special lottery result includes an image of the main character defeating an enemy character, the message "Victory!!", and decorative symbols that have stopped in a winning combination.

As mentioned above, immediately after the split reach performance begins, the display area is split into upper and lower halves, and in one display area, the reach performance is performed while the decorative symbols stop in a reach state, while in the other display area, the decorative symbols continue to fluctuate without stopping in a reach state.

As a result, since it is not known which decorative symbol will result in a reach until a certain amount of time has elapsed after the start of the split reach performance, the player can feel a sense of tension and anticipation even after the reach performance has begun. In addition, by executing a still image performance after one of the split display areas is selected, the player can be made more aware of which display area has been selected.

In addition, when a display area in which the decorative pattern is changing is selected from the divided display areas, a still image presentation is executed, and then a presentation is dynamically displayed to allow the player to recognize which decorative pattern will result in a reach state, and then the decorative pattern is made still in the reach state, thereby increasing the player's sense of anticipation.

The probability of a jackpot being expected when a display area with a changing decorative pattern is selected from the divided display areas is preferably set higher than the probability of a jackpot being expected when a display area with a stopped decorative pattern in a reach state is selected. This is because when a display area with a changing decorative pattern is selected, there remains the possibility of a reach state with a decorative pattern that has a high probability of winning (for example, a reach state with the "7" pattern).

However, if a reach state is formed with a decorative pattern (e.g., a "7" pattern) that has a high probability of winning in a display area where a decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state, the probability of winning when a display area where the decorative pattern is changing is selected may be set lower than the probability of winning when a display area where the decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected.

In addition, in the still image presentation (Fig. 567(D), Fig. 568(D')) after one of the divided display areas is selected, a presentation that prompts the user to operate a specific operation unit may be executed. In this case, for example, the still image is released and the presentation progresses when the specific operation unit is operated.

It is desirable that the number of types of operation parts that may be prompted to be operated in the still image presentation (Fig. 567 (D)) after a display area in which a decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected be greater than the number of types of operation parts that may be prompted to be operated in the still image presentation (Fig. 568 (D')) after a display area in which a decorative pattern is changing is selected.

Specifically, for example, in a still image presentation after a display area in which a decorative pattern is changing is selected, the operation of only the central press operation unit 303a may be prompted, and in a still image presentation after a display area in which a decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected, the operation of either the central press operation unit 303a or the peripheral press operation unit 303b may be prompted.

As mentioned above, the still image presentation that occurs after a display area in which a decorative pattern stops in a reach state is selected also functions as a judgement presentation, so it is better to have as many operating parts as possible be operated, for example, in order to vary the expectation of the judgement presentation depending on the operating part that is prompted to be operated.

In addition, even if the number of types of selectable operation parts is the same, it is desirable that the number of types of images prompting operation in the still image presentation (Fig. 567 (D)) after a display area in which a decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected be greater than the number of types of images prompting operation in the still image presentation (Fig. 568 (D')) after a display area in which a decorative pattern is changing is selected.

Specifically, for example, in a still image presentation after a display area in which a decorative pattern is changing is selected, only an image in which the central press operation unit 303a is displayed in white or red may be displayed, and in a still image presentation after a display area in which a decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected, an image in which the central press operation unit 303a is displayed in white or red, or an image in which the main character is drawn inside the central press operation unit 303a, may be displayed.

As mentioned above, the still image presentation that appears after a display area in which a decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected also functions as a judgement presentation, so it is better to have the possibility of more images being displayed, for example, in order to vary the expectation of the judgement presentation depending on the number of types of images of the displayed operation section.

In addition, it is desirable that the effective period of the operation part in the still image presentation (Fig. 567 (D)) after a display area in which a decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected is longer than the effective period of the operation part in the still image presentation (Fig. 568 (D')) after a display area in which a decorative pattern is changing is selected. If the operation part is operated during the still image presentation after a display area in which a decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected, a judgement presentation will start, so players will want to be able to operate the operation part reliably during the still image presentation, and for this reason it is desirable that the effective period be long.

In addition, in the still image presentation after a display area in which the decorative pattern is changing is selected (Fig. 568 (D')), it is desirable for the background music that was playing immediately before to continue playing. On the other hand, in the still image presentation after a display area in which the decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected (Fig. 567 (D)), it is desirable for the background music to stop or the volume of the background music to be turned down. This links the movement of the left and right decorative patterns to the background music (background music plays while the left and right decorative patterns are changing, and the background music stops or is turned down when the reach state is reached). In particular, in the still image presentation during a reach state, not only does the image stop, but the background music also stops or is turned down, which increases the sense of tension.

However, even in the case of a still image presentation after a display area in which a decorative pattern is stopped in a reach state is selected, it is desirable to output a presentation sound corresponding to a presentation that prompts the player to operate the operation unit. This is to reliably prompt the player to operate the operation unit.

In addition, when the still image presentation (Fig. 567(D)) after the display area in which the decorative pattern is changing is selected ends and a dynamic display begins, a specified movable body may be operated. For example, if the special lottery result is a jackpot, operating a specified movable body at that timing makes it easier for the player to recognize that this is a special lottery result, and increases the player's sense of excitement. On the other hand, when the still image presentation (Fig. 568(D')) after the display area in which the decorative pattern is changing is selected ends and a dynamic display begins, it is preferable not to operate the movable body. This is because there is a risk that the player may mistakenly believe that the special lottery result is a jackpot, even though the presentation to show the special lottery result continues after the still image presentation.

In addition, when the still image presentation (Fig. 567 (D)) after the display area in which the decorative pattern is changing is selected ends and a dynamic display begins, a specified sound may be output. For example, if the special lottery result is a jackpot, outputting a specified sound at that timing makes it easier for the player to recognize that this is a special lottery result, and increases the player's sense of excitement. On the other hand, when the still image presentation (Fig. 568 (D')) after the display area in which the decorative pattern is changing is selected ends and a dynamic display begins, it is desirable not to output the specified sound. This is because there is a risk that the player may mistakenly believe that the special lottery result is a jackpot, even though the presentation to indicate the special lottery result continues after the still image presentation.

The series of effects from (E') to (F') in FIG. 568 may be repeated. Specifically, for example, in the first (F') effect, a ready state is reached with a decorative symbol with a low expectation of a jackpot (e.g., a "6" symbol), and then the (E') effect is performed again. Then, in the second (F') effect, a ready state is reached with a decorative symbol with a high expectation of a jackpot (e.g., a "7" symbol), and the effect progresses to (G'). By progressing the effect in this manner, even if a ready state is reached with a decorative symbol with a low expectation of a jackpot in the first (F') effect, a decrease in the player's sense of expectation can be suppressed.

In addition, in the split display in Figures 567 (B) to (C), different effects may be displayed in one display area and the other display area. This allows the player to enjoy two types of effects with one change. Also, if the effects displayed in each display area have different jackpot expectations, the player can watch with tension and anticipation not only to see whether the decorative pattern is in a reach state or not, but also to see which of the effects with different jackpot expectations will be selected.

When effects with different jackpot expectations are executed in each divided display area, for example, an effect with a high jackpot expectation is executed in the display area where the decorative pattern is stopped in a ready state, and an effect with a low jackpot expectation is executed in the display area where the decorative pattern is changing. As mentioned above, the jackpot expectation is lower when a display area where the decorative pattern is stopped in a ready state is selected than when a display area where the decorative pattern is changing is selected, so by executing an effect with a high jackpot expectation in the display area where the decorative pattern is stopped in a ready state, it is possible to reduce disappointment for the player when that display area is selected.

On the other hand, when effects with different jackpot expectations are executed in each divided display area, for example, an effect with a high jackpot expectation is executed in a display area where the decorative pattern is stopped in a ready state, and an effect with a high jackpot expectation is executed in a display area where the decorative pattern is changing. As mentioned above, the jackpot expectation is higher when a display area with a changing decorative pattern is selected than when a display area with a stopping decorative pattern in a ready state is selected, so by executing an effect with a high jackpot expectation in the display area where the decorative pattern is changing, an extremely high jackpot expectation is obtained when that display area is selected, which can greatly increase the player's sense of excitement.

[21-1. Cut Selection Production]
During the execution of the change, various effects are executed to show the probability of a big win in the change, such as the reserved change effect, the pre-reading reserved change effect, the pseudo consecutive effect, the advance notice effect of the change, the reach effect, and the zone change effect. These effects can increase the sense of expectation, but some players find them annoying. We will explain the cut selection effect, which is provided for such players and allows them to select to cut the effect.

The hold change effect indicating the change is, for example, an effect in which the state of the hold display corresponding to the change being made among the hold displays displayed on the effect display device 1600 is changed to indicate the likelihood of a jackpot being held for the change being made. The pre-read hold change effect is, for example, an effect in which the state of the hold display corresponding to the change being held among the hold displays displayed on the effect display device 1600 is changed to indicate the likelihood of a jackpot being held for the change being made.

As mentioned above, the pseudo consecutive performance is a performance in which the action of changing the decorative pattern and ending the change of the decorative pattern is executed multiple times during one change of the first special pattern display device or the second special pattern display device. The reach performance is a performance in which the left decorative pattern and the right decorative pattern are stopped at the same pattern and the center decorative pattern is changed, creating the expectation that the change being executed is a big win change.

The prediction effect of the change is, for example, an effect that predicts that a reach effect will be executed in the change that is being executed, a specific reach effect that may be executed, or an effect state that may be entered. The zone change effect is, for example, an effect that shifts the effect state to a zone where a specific effect is executed, thereby increasing the expectation of a jackpot. The zone change effect may be executed as a pre-reading effect to increase the expectation of a jackpot for a pending change, or may be executed to increase the expectation of a jackpot for a change that is being executed.

Figures 569, 570, 571, 572, and 573 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a cut selection performance. Figure 569 (A) shows the state at the end of the variation just before the cut selection performance is executed. In (A), the decorative patterns stop in a losing combination, and the normal background (a road and two trees beside the road) is displayed on the performance display device 1600.

The background is an image that has a lower priority than the decorative pattern in the performance display device 1600 (i.e., it is arranged in the layer at the back as seen by the player), and is generally the image with the lowest priority among the images displayed in the performance display device 1600. The normal background is the background with the lowest probability of winning among the backgrounds displayed during the change in each game state except for the big win game and the small win game. The normal background is also displayed when the pattern is determined in the miss change.

(B) is the state at the start of a variation in which a cut selection effect is executed. The normal background continues to be displayed from the previous variation, and the decorative pattern begins to change. Unless otherwise specified below, it is assumed that the normal background is displayed in a variation in which a cut selection effect is performed. (C) is the state in which the left decorative pattern has stopped in that variation. (D) is the state in which the right decorative pattern has stopped in a non-reach state in that variation.

(E) is a state in which the central decorative pattern "ren" (hereinafter also referred to as the pseudo-ren pattern) is about to stop during the said variation. When the pseudo-ren pattern stops (including a temporary stop in a slightly swaying manner), it is confirmed that the pseudo-ren will start or progress. (F) is a state in which the pseudo-ren pattern stops during the said variation, and a display ("x2") is displayed indicating that a second pseudo-ren will start. Also, in order to make it easier for the player to recognize the start of the pseudo-ren and increase the player's sense of anticipation, the normal background is not displayed in (F) (i.e. it is not visible).

Note that an image being "not displayed" on the performance display device 1600 is a concept that includes both the image itself not being displayed, and the image being displayed on the performance display device 1600 but not visible because it is covered by an image with a higher priority than the image in question.

(G) is the state where the second pseudo consecutive reel has started and all the decorative symbols have started to change again, the pending display indicating the change has turned blue, and the expectation of a big win has increased. (H) is the state where the left decorative symbol has stopped in the second pseudo consecutive reel. Although not shown, a "x2" display may be displayed to indicate that the second pseudo consecutive reel is in progress in (G) and (H).

(I) is the state where the cut selection effect has started. In (I), a message is displayed explaining the effects scheduled for the current variation. In Fig. 570 (J), a message is displayed suggesting that there are two options: to continue displaying the upcoming effects (effects that lead to hope for a jackpot, such as preview effects and hold change effects that were decided at the start of the variation) as is, or to cut (without displaying) the upcoming effects (effects that lead to hope for a jackpot, such as preview effects and hold change effects that were decided at the start of the variation) and show the special lottery results.

Note that while the cut selection performance is in progress (Fig. 569 (I), Fig. 570 (J), and Fig. 570 (K)), the normal background and reserves (the reserve in question (the reserve corresponding to the change in progress), and all reserves 1 to 4), and the decorative patterns are not displayed (i.e., they are not visible). Although not shown, the fourth pattern is displayed on the performance display device 1600 even while the cut selection performance is in progress. The fourth pattern is, for example, a pattern indicating the result of a special lottery displayed on the performance display device 1600 (for example, a corner area on the performance display device 1600), and is a pattern displayed in a smaller size than the decorative patterns.

This makes it easier for players to recognize the two options. In the example shown, the cut selection effect is executed after the second pseudo consecutive win, but it is desirable to execute an effect suggesting some sort of jackpot expectancy before the cut selection effect.

The cut selection effect is usually executed after the effect that confirms the second pseudo consecutive win, in which the background is usually not visible. Since the effect that increases the likelihood of a jackpot by making the background invisible is executed before the cut selection effect, some players feel that the cut selection effect also increases the likelihood of a jackpot, which increases their sense of anticipation.

At (K), a screen is displayed that allows the player to select whether to continue the scheduled performance or to cut the scheduled performance and show the special lottery result. The gaming machine 1 is equipped with a cross key that the player can operate, and the player makes the selection using the cross key. By providing a cut selection performance, it is possible to satisfy the wishes of both players who want to take their time enjoying the anticipated performance and players who want to know the results immediately.

(L) is the state immediately after "continue as is" is selected in (K) of the cut selection effect. The pseudo-consecutive symbols stop, and a display ("x3") is displayed indicating that a third pseudo-consecutive is about to begin. Also, in (L), the normal background is not displayed (i.e. it is not visible). In other words, if "continue as is" is selected, effects that increase the likelihood of a jackpot will be executed after the cut selection effect.

(M) is the state where the third pseudo consecutive win has started and all decorative symbols have started to change again. (N) is the state where the left decorative symbol has stopped during the third pseudo consecutive win, the pending display indicating the change has turned green, and the expectation level has increased. (O) is the state where the right decorative symbol has stopped during the third pseudo consecutive win and is in a reach state. (P) is the state where the "CHANCE!" display is displayed during the reach state, indicating that the expectation level is increasing.

(Q) is a state in which the decorative pattern in the reach state moves to the upper left and upper right on the performance display device 1600, and the normal background fades out to transition to the SP reach performance. (R) is a state in which the faded-out normal background is completely unrecognizable. Note that in (Q) and (R), the hold display remains displayed without fading out, but it may also be faded out in the same way as the background.

Figure 571 (S) shows the state at the start of the first half of the SP reach, with the title image of the first half of the SP reach displayed. During SP reach, the decorative patterns and hold display of the reach state are generally displayed. (T) shows the state where the title of the first half of the SP reach has been erased. (U) shows the state where the specific performance of the first half of the SP reach has begun. The first half of the SP reach in Figure 571 is a performance in which the main character catches a flying rock and throws it away, which develops into the second half of the SP reach, and if the character is crushed by the rock, a loss is announced.

In (V), an image is displayed of the main character catching a rock. In (W), an image is displayed of the main character throwing a rock. In (X), an image is displayed indicating that the main character has succeeded in the first half of the SP reach mission. In (Y), the movable body has moved to a position covering the performance display device 1600. By covering the performance display device 1600, the decorative patterns and part of the pending display are no longer visible. The movable body may make part or all of the pending display showing the change no longer visible. The movable body may also make all of the decorative patterns no longer visible, or all of the pending display no longer visible.

(Z) is the state where the second half of the SP reach has started, and the title image for the second half of the SP reach is displayed. In the second half of the SP reach, a battle occurs between the main character and the enemy character, and if the main character wins, a jackpot is announced, and if the enemy character wins, a loss is announced. Note that in (Z), the movable body that appeared in (X) has returned to the reference position, and the entire display device 1600 is now visible. Also, in (Z), the pending display indicating the change has turned red, increasing the likelihood of a jackpot.

In (A2), an image is displayed of a main character and an enemy character facing each other. In FIG. 571 (B2), an image is displayed of the main character and the enemy character attacking each other. Also, in (B2), the pending display indicating the change turns gold, increasing the likelihood of a big win.

In (C2), an image is displayed in which the main character has been defeated by an enemy character. In (D2), the middle decorative pattern stops, and the decorative pattern stops in a losing combination. After that, for example, displays other than the reserved display on the performance display device 1600 fade out and are erased. Note that the reserved display may also be faded out at this time. After that, for example, the reserved display and the losing combination decorative pattern are displayed on top of the normal background, and the decorative pattern stops completely, and the pattern is finalized.

In the case of a jackpot change, instead of (C2), an image of the main character winning against the enemy character is displayed, and instead of (D2), the decorative symbols stop in a jackpot combination. After that, for example, all displays other than the reserved display on the performance display device 1600 fade out and are erased. At this time, the reserved display may also be faded out. After that, for example, a jackpot combination decorative symbol is displayed on top of the normal background in addition to the reserved display, and the decorative symbols stop completely, and the symbols are confirmed.

In addition, after the decorative symbols stop in a losing combination in (D2), it is desirable to output normal BGM and normal lamps when the displays other than the reserved display fade out and are erased, and then when the normal background becomes visible or when a predetermined time has passed since the normal background becomes visible. This is because the normal BGM and normal lamps allow the player to prepare for the next change. Also, even if there is no next change reserved and the predetermined time has passed and the display transitions to the demo screen, it is desirable to continue outputting the normal BGM and normal lamps. The normal BGM is the BGM with the lowest probability of a jackpot among the BGMs output during a change in each game state except for jackpot play and small jackpot play, and the normal lamps are the lamp patterns with the lowest probability of a jackpot among the lamp patterns output during a change in each game state except for jackpot play and small jackpot play.

The cut selection effect may be made to appear again after "continue as is" in Fig. 570 (K) is selected. This is because the player may choose to continue the scheduled effect, but may find the effect redundant after actually continuing. If the timing at which the cut selection effect appears is the same as the timing at which the scheduled effect appears, it is desirable for the cut selection effect to be displayed with priority. Examples of the timing at which the cut selection effect may be made to appear again include after it is determined that the third pseudo-consecutive win will occur and before the end of the reach (after Fig. 570 (M) or (N)), immediately before the first half of the SP reach begins (after Fig. 570 (R)), etc. In other words, the number of times that the normal background becomes invisible due to something other than the cut selection effect during one fluctuation is equal to or greater than the number of times that the cut selection effect is executed.

Figure 573 (K') is in the same state as Figure 570 (K), but the cursor is selected on "Just want to know quickly" to cut the effects and show the special lottery results. (L') is in the state where "Just want to know quickly" has been selected in (K'). Because it has been selected to cut the effects, the intermediate effects are largely (all) cut, and in (L') an image is displayed indicating that the main character has been defeated by the enemy character, similar to that in Figure 572 (C2) (i.e., an image indicating that the special lottery result is a loss). In other words, when "Just want to know quickly" is selected, no advance notice effects to increase the chances of a big win are performed after the cut selection effect.

In (M'), similar to FIG. 572 (D2), the middle decorative pattern stops, and the decorative pattern stops in a losing combination. Even if the performance is significantly cut, the variable time selected at the time of winning does not change, so in (N'), a message indicating that there is extra time is displayed. The message in (N') may be displayed, for example, until the variable time ends, or until a specified time before the variable time ends (for example, 20 seconds before).

If the message is erased a specified time before the end of the variable time, then, for example, on the performance display device 1600, a combination decorative pattern of the losing combination is displayed on top of the normal background in addition to the pending display, and the decorative pattern stops completely, and the pattern is finalized. Note that a specified movable body may move after the normal background is displayed and before the decorative pattern stops completely. However, it is preferable that the specified movable body does not move within the maximum movable range as in FIG. 571 (Y), but rather moves in a manner that causes the movable body to sway slightly, or moves only a specified distance from the reference position.

In this case, it is desirable not to output the normal BGM or normal lamps after the normal background becomes recognizable. This is to prevent the player from misunderstanding that the next change will start soon, even though there is still plenty of time until the next change begins. Also, even if there is no next change pending and the predetermined time has passed and the display transitions to the demo screen, it is desirable not to output the normal BGM or normal lamps.

As the message (M') indicates, there is a significant amount of time between when the special lottery results are shown and when the fluctuation time ends, allowing the player to complete other tasks during that time. Also, as in the illustrated example, in particular, when many effects with high odds of a jackpot are scheduled to be executed despite the fluctuation being a losing one, by cutting these effects with high odds of a jackpot, it is possible to reduce the disappointment that the player would have felt if they had not been cut.

For example, if the currently running variation or the next or subsequent pending variation is a winning combination, the player may be at a disadvantage if the winning combination begins while the player is busy with another task. Therefore, a message indicating the remaining variation time for the currently running variation may be displayed.

For example, when a screen confirming the start or continuation of a pseudo consecutive reel is displayed (when the pseudo consecutive pattern stops) or immediately before the start of an SP reach, the first time is the time from when the normal background becomes invisible to when the effect that increases the likelihood of a big win is executed, and the second time is the time from when the normal background becomes invisible in the cut selection effect to when "Just want to know" is selected and the variation ends, which is longer. This allows the player to have enough time to take care of other business when the effect is cut. However, it is desirable for the total first time in one variation to be longer than the second time.

On the other hand, the second time may be shorter than each of the first times. For players who have no particular plans and have selected "I just want to know quickly" because they want to avoid disappointment when they miss a performance that has a high probability of winning, if the time between the special lottery result being shown and the end of the variation is long, the player will feel bored for a long time.

Similarly, in order to ensure that the player has enough time to complete other tasks when the effect is cut, the second time is longer than, for example, the third time, which is the time from the start to the end of the effect that increases the chance of a big win, or the fourth time, which is the time from the start of the effect that increases the chance of a big win to the execution of the effect that actually increases the chance of a big win. On the other hand, in order to prevent a player who selects "I want to know quickly" from feeling bored for a long time, the second time may be shorter than the third time or the fourth time.

It is preferable that the sixth time, from when the effect that actually increases the jackpot expectation is executed until the effect that increases the jackpot expectation ends, be longer than the fifth time, which is included in the fourth time and is from the start of the effect that increases the jackpot expectation to when the effect that actually increases the jackpot expectation is executed. This is because if the effect that actually increases the jackpot expectation is executed too early, the player will become bored during the longer sixth time. On the other hand, the sixth time may be shorter than the fifth time. This is because some players will recognize the increase in jackpot expectation early on and want to leisurely enjoy the long sixth time.

It is desirable that the cut selection effect only appears in certain fluctuation patterns (for example, less than half of all fluctuation patterns). If the cut selection effect appeared in many fluctuation patterns, players who do not particularly want to cut the effect would find it annoying to select "continue as is" every time, and their interest would decrease. In particular, in shortened fluctuation patterns (fluctuation patterns with short fluctuation times that are selected only when there are a specified number or more reserved balls), there is no need to cut the effect, so the cut selection effect does not appear.

The specific pattern may be, for example, a variation pattern with a high probability of winning, such as a variation pattern in which the first half of an SP reach is performed, or a variation pattern in which both the first and second halves of an SP reach are performed. By having the cut selection effect appear in such a variation pattern with a high probability of winning, even players who do not want to cut the effect can feel a sense of anticipation for the appearance of the cut selection effect itself.

In addition, when a specific condition is satisfied, the cut selection effect may always occur. For example, if the pachinko machine 1 is designed to always allow the player to select the presentation mode when a change begins, and to switch to the selected presentation mode from the next change, switching the presentation mode is one example of the specific condition, and the cut selection effect may always occur with a change that selects to switch the presentation mode.

When "I want to know quickly" (i.e., cutting the effects) is selected in the cut selection effect, the preview effects (effects that suggest whether the special lottery result corresponding to the ongoing fluctuation is a hit or a miss) are largely (all) cut, but announcement effects such as revival effects (i.e. effects that directly notify whether the special lottery result corresponding to the ongoing fluctuation is a hit or a miss) may be executed without being cut. This is because announcement effects such as revival effects are extremely important effects for players who cut effects in the cut selection effect, as they are effects that maximize the player's sense of excitement and appear very rarely (premium).

If a notice is displayed when a cut is made in a cut selection display, the notice may be displayed between (M') and (N'), or the message (N') may be displayed until a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) before the end of the variable time, and the notice may be displayed after the predetermined time has elapsed.

[21-2. Reach change performance]
The reach-changing presentation, which is a presentation in which the content of the reach-changing presentation being executed during the change can be selected and changed by the player himself, will be described below. Figures 574, 575, and 576 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the reach-changing presentation.

Figure 574(A) is the same as Figure 570(P), in that the decorative symbols have reached a reach state, and the message "CHANCE!" is displayed, indicating that the expectation level is increasing. In (A), the normal background is displayed. Also, in (A), the pending display indicating the change is displayed in green, which indicates a higher expectation level of a jackpot than in the normal display mode.

(B) shows the state in which the decorative symbols in the reach state move to the upper left and upper right on the performance display device 1600, and are fading out and disappearing in order to transition to the SP reach performance. (C) shows the state in which the faded out decorative symbols are completely invisible. In (C), the pending display indicating the change has changed to red, which further increases the likelihood of a jackpot. Note that in (B) to (C), not only the decorative symbols but also the normal background may be faded out and disappeared, as in Figs. 572 (Q) to (R).

(D) shows a state in which the title of "Shura no Matsuro Reach" is displayed, which is the SP reach effect with the highest jackpot expectation among the reach effects that can be executed by the pachinko machine 1 (excluding reach effects that guarantee a jackpot, such as the full rotation reach). When the "Shura no Matsuro Reach" is being executed, a special background image (a flame-like background in the figure) is displayed. Since the "Shura no Matsuro Reach" is an SP reach effect with a high jackpot expectation, when this special background image is displayed, the jackpot expectation is higher than when the normal background is displayed. Hereinafter, this special background image will also be referred to as the high expectation background.

(E) is the state in which the reach change effect has begun. In (E), the "End of the Shura" reach, which has a high probability of winning, is executed, but if the variation is a miss, a message is displayed indicating that the player will be embarrassed. In (F), a message is displayed indicating that the reach effect can be changed to the "Advance of the Small Fry" reach, which has the lowest probability of winning among the SP reaches.

(G) displays a screen that allows the player to select whether to continue the currently running "Shura's End Reach" effect or to change to the "Mission of the Small Fry Reach." As with the cut selection effect described above, the reach effect can be selected using the directional pad. By providing a reach change effect, it is possible to satisfy the needs of both players who want to enjoy the high-expectation "Shura's End Reach," and players who want to avoid attracting attention from other players by executing the "Shura's End Reach" (especially if the fluctuation is a miss, and therefore do not want to attract attention).

As shown in the figure, it is desirable that the high expectation background be displayed continuously from the time the title "Shura no Matsuri Reach" is displayed during the reach change presentation. If the high expectation background were to be erased at any time without the player's consent, this could reduce the player's sense of expectation.

(H) is the state immediately after the "Strongest Reach: The End of Asura" is selected in the reach change presentation (G), and is a continuation of the "The End of Asura Reach" (D). In (H), an image is displayed of the main character heading towards the enemy character to rescue the heroine character. In (I), an image is displayed of the main character facing off against the enemy character and gathering power. In figure 575 (J), an image is displayed of the main character and enemy character punching each other.

In (K), an image of the main character falling, that is, an image showing that the special lottery result is a miss, is displayed (if the special lottery result is a jackpot, an image of the enemy character falling, not the main character, is displayed in (K)). In (L), the middle decorative pattern stops, and the decorative pattern stops in a miss combination (if the special lottery result is a jackpot, the decorative pattern stops in a jackpot combination in (L)). After that, for example, if the special lottery result is a miss, the display other than the reserved display on the performance display device 1600 fades out and is erased, and for example, the reserved display plus the missing combination decorative pattern is displayed on the normal background, and the decorative pattern stops completely to confirm the pattern, and if the special lottery result is a miss, the display on the performance display device 1600 does not fade out, and the decorative pattern of the jackpot combination stops completely on the dedicated background image of the "Shura's End Reach" to confirm the pattern.

Figure 576 (G') is in the same state as Figure 574 (G), but with the cursor selected on "Weakest Reach: Advancing the Small Fish." (H') is in the state in (G') where "Weakest Reach: Advancing the Small Fish" has been selected and the "Advancing the Small Fish Reach" has begun. If the player does not operate the cross key, for example, the "Advancing the Small Fish Reach" may be forcibly selected. In particular, if the player does not operate the cross key during a miss variation, it is advisable to forcibly select the "Advancing the Small Fish Reach."

In addition, for example, a fake reach-changing effect may occur, in which a predetermined "Advance of the Small Fish" or "Advance of the Small Fish Reach" is automatically executed without requiring any operation from the player.

Because the "Advance of the Small Fish" is an SP reach with a low expectation of a jackpot, the normal background is displayed during the reach performance to prevent players from getting excessively hopeful. As shown in the figure, even if the reach performance is changed to the "Advance of the Small Fish" with a low expectation, the pending display is displayed in the same manner (red in the figure) as when the reach change performance is entered (including before entering). This makes it difficult to attract the attention of other players because the "Advance of the Small Fish" with a low expectation of a jackpot is being executed, and because the pending display with a high expectation of a jackpot is displayed, the player can secretly maintain a sense of expectation.

In (I'), an image is displayed that warns that rocks will soon fall from above the main character. In (J'), an image is displayed that indicates that rocks will fall from above the main character, and that if the main character can avoid them, a big win will occur. In (K'), an image is displayed in which the main character is unable to avoid a rock and is crushed by it, i.e., an image indicating that the special lottery result is a loss. In (L'), the middle decorative pattern stops, and the decorative patterns stop in a losing combination. After that, for example, each decorative pattern moves to its normal position and the pattern is confirmed.

In addition, because the "Advance of the Small Fry Reach" is a reach effect with a low probability of winning, it is preferable to output the same sound effects, background music, and lights as in normal times (when a reach is not being executed during fluctuations) rather than special sound effects, background music, and lights so as not to raise the player's expectations too high.

The execution time of the "March of the Small Fish" is preferably shorter than the time from when the "End of the Battle of the Gods" begins in Fig. 574 (D) until the "March of the Small Fish" is selected in Fig. 576 (G') and the reach change effect ends. The "March of the Small Fish" is a simple reach effect with a low expectation of a jackpot, and players may become bored if it takes a long time. Even if the "March of the Small Fish" is selected, the change time remains unchanged, so during the execution of the "March of the Small Fish" the symbols may be hidden and a message such as "Please wait a moment" may be displayed to adjust the time.

In addition, when the "Small Fish Advance Reach" is selected in the reach change presentation and the screen switches to the "Small Fish Advance Reach," it is desirable to make the decorative symbols temporarily unrecognizable. This allows the player to anticipate that the tenpai symbol during the reach will be upgraded (for example, a reach with the decorative symbol "7" has a higher chance of winning than reaches with other decorative symbols).

In addition, when the "Small Fish March Reach" is selected in the reach change presentation and the screen switches to the "Small Fish March Reach," the image on the presentation display device 1600 may be blacked out, or a presentation that does not appear in either the "Bloody End Reach" or the "Small Fish March Reach" may be displayed. By displaying such a special switching screen, the player can feel a sense of anticipation even when the "Small Fish March Reach" is selected.

In addition, when the "Miscellaneous Fish Advance Reach" is selected in the reach change performance and the screen switches to the "Miscellaneous Fish Advance Reach," the start screen of the "Miscellaneous Fish Advance Reach" may be displayed so that it becomes gradually more recognizable. Specifically, for example, the start screen may be gradually faded in from a semi-transparent state, or when the screen switches, a movable body may be moved onto the performance display device 1600 and then gradually returned to the reference position. Note that when the start screen becomes gradually more recognizable, the decorative pattern may also be displayed so that it becomes gradually more recognizable.

On the other hand, if a special switching screen is displayed when the "Small Fish Advance Reach" is selected in the reach change presentation and the screen switches to the "Small Fish Advance Reach," some players may feel that they do not want to see unnecessary presentations even though a presentation with a low expectation of a jackpot is about to take place, so the start screen for the "Small Fish Advance Reach" may be displayed so that it is immediately recognizable. Note that when the start screen is made immediately recognizable, the decorative patterns may also be displayed so that they are immediately recognizable.

The start screen may be displayed so that it becomes gradually recognizable, but the decorative pattern is immediately recognizable, or the start screen may be displayed so that it becomes immediately recognizable, but the decorative pattern is gradually recognizable.

In the example mentioned above, when the start screen for the "Advance of the Small Fish" was displayed, the hold display was displayed in the same manner as when the reach change performance started, but the hold display may be returned to the default display mode with the lowest chance of winning, or the hold display may be hidden. This means that when the "Advance of the Small Fish" reach, which has a low chance of winning, even the hold display will be displayed in the default mode with the lowest chance of winning, or hidden, making it extremely unlikely to attract the attention of other players.

Even if the pending display is displayed in the same manner as when the reach change performance starts during the "Advance of the Small Fish Reach," the pending display may be reverted to the default display or hidden once a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the "Advance of the Small Fish Reach" in order to prevent attracting unnecessary attention from other players.

The predetermined time may be longer or shorter than the time from when the title display of "Shura's End Reach" is changed to when "Small Fish Advance Reach" is selected until the reach change performance ends (i.e., the display time of the high expectation background). If the predetermined time is longer than the display time of the high expectation background, and the high expectation background has a higher jackpot expectation than the reserved display,

The specified time may be longer or shorter than, for example, the time it takes for the screen to switch to the "Miscellaneous Fish Advance Reach" when the "Miscellaneous Fish Advance Reach" is selected in the reach change presentation (i.e., the time from when the high expectation background becomes unrecognizable to when the normal background becomes recognizable).

The specified time may be longer or shorter than the time from when the start screen for the "Miscellaneous Fish Marching Reach" is displayed until the start screen is completely recognized, for example, when the "Miscellaneous Fish Marching Reach" is selected in the reach change performance and the screen switches to the "Miscellaneous Fish Marching Reach" and the start screen for the "Miscellaneous Fish Marching Reach" is gradually recognized.

The "Bloody End Reach" is a reach effect with an extremely high chance of winning, so it is best to play dedicated BGM, but the "Advance of the Small Fry Reach" is a reach effect with a low chance of winning, so it is best to play the BGM that is played when normal fluctuations are occurring or to play it silently, rather than a dedicated BGM.

In addition, for example, the special BGM for the "Shura no Matsuri Reach" continues to play from the start of the reach-changing performance until the explanation of the reach-changing performance ends (Fig. 564 (E) and (F)), and when it becomes possible to select a reach (Fig. 564 (G)), the special BGM is turned off and the screen switches to silence. Because the reach selection screen is silent, the player can calmly think about which reach to select.

It is desirable that the silent state time in a reach-changing performance is longer than the non-silent state time in a reach-changing performance. If the silent state continues for a long time during play, other players may notice something unusual and end up attracting their attention. On the other hand, to allow the player to carefully consider which reach performance to select, the silent state time in a reach-changing performance may be shorter than the non-silent state time in a reach-changing performance.

For the "Bloody End Reach", it is a good idea to output lamps in a special pattern, which is a reach effect with an extremely high chance of winning, but for the "Small Grub's Advance Reach", which is a reach effect with a low chance of winning, it is desirable to output lamps similar to those during normal fluctuations and when the pattern stops, when not in a reach state.

In addition, during the reach change performance, the lamp output of the special pattern that was output in the "Shura no Matsuri Reach" may be continued, but on the reach selection screen, it is desirable to stop the lamp output of that special pattern in order to allow the player to calmly consider which reach to select.

It should be noted that for the "Shura's End Reach", as this is a reach effect with an extremely high probability of winning, it is advisable to move the movable body, but for the "Small Fish Advance Reach", as this is a reach effect with a low probability of winning, it is desirable not to move the movable body, or if it does move, to only a predetermined width (for example, 1/2 or less of the movable width). However, when the "Small Fish Advance Reach" is selected in the jackpot fluctuation, in order to give the player a sense of exhilaration, for example, when a shaking fluctuation that makes it appear as if all the decorative patterns have stopped is occurring, the movable body may be moved to a greater extent than the predetermined width.

For example, if a movable body moves from a reference position and is fixed at a position after the movement between the start of the "Shura's End Reach" and the start of the reach change performance, the movable body may remain fixed at the position after the movement even during the reach change performance. This is to make the player aware that the "Shura's End Reach" has started even during the reach change performance. After that, if the "Small Fish Advance Reach" is selected in the reach change performance, the movable body is returned to the reference position at a predetermined timing (for example, when the screen switches to the "Small Fish Advance Reach", when the winning or losing result is announced, or when the pattern is confirmed, etc.).

In the above example, in the reach change performance, it was possible to select between the "Shura no March Reach", which has the highest chance of winning among the SP reaches, and the "Trivia no March Reach", which has the lowest chance of winning among the SP reaches, but it may also be possible to select the reach with the lowest chance of winning (for example, a normal reach) in addition to or instead of the "Trivia no March Reach".

[21-3. Sound/No Sound Hold Change Performance]
The following describes the sound and non-sound reserve change performance. Normally, when the reserved display mode changes, it changes with a sound effect, but in the sound and non-sound reserve change performance described below, it is possible to execute a sound performance in which the reserved display becomes unrecognizable with a sound effect and the reserved display mode is upgraded to a mode with a high probability of winning, and a soundless performance in which the reserved display becomes unrecognizable without a sound effect and the reserved display mode is not upgraded to a mode with a high probability of winning.

In the sound/no sound reserve change performance, if a sound performance is performed, the reserve may change further to a state with a high expectation of a jackpot in that change (i.e., in the process of game progress after the sound performance is performed, the sound/no sound reserve change performance that allows the sound/no sound reserve change performance to be executed again will continue), and if a soundless performance is performed, it is confirmed that the reserve will not change to a state with a high expectation of a jackpot in that change (i.e., in the process of game progress after the soundless performance is performed, the sound/no sound reserve change performance will end, in which the sound/no sound reserve change performance will not be executed again). Therefore, players hope that the sound/no sound reserve change performance will continue without the soundless performance appearing.

Figure 577 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a sound/non-sound reserve change effect. (A) is the state at the end of the change just before the sound/non-sound reserve change effect is executed. (B) is the state at which the change that executes the sound/non-sound reserve change effect has started, and all decorative patterns have changed.

(C) is the state where the left decorative pattern has stopped. In (C), a sound effect is produced, a "Ping!!" sound effect is played, and the reserved display indicating the change is obscured by smoke and cannot be seen. (D) is the state where the smoke that appeared due to the sound effect is hidden, and it is possible to see that the reserved display indicating the change has been upgraded to blue. Because the sound effect has been produced, the sound/non-sound reserved display change effect continues, and there is a possibility that the reserved display will change to one with a higher chance of a jackpot.

The timing of outputting the sound effect in the sound effect effect may be before, at the same time as, or after the appearance of the display that hides the hold display indicating the change. By outputting the sound effect before the display appears, the player knows right away that the hold will be upgraded, which instantly increases anticipation. By outputting the sound effect at the same time as the display appears, the player's anticipation can be increased by the synergistic effect of hearing and seeing. By outputting the sound effect after the display appears, the player can watch with tension when the display appears, wondering whether the upcoming effect will be a sound effect or a soundless effect.

(E) is a state in which the right decorative pattern has stopped in a non-reach state. In (E), a sound effect is produced, a "Piroon!!" sound effect is played, and a sword is displayed stabbing the reserved display indicating the change, making the reserved display unnoticeable. (F) is a state in which the sword that appeared due to the sound effect has shattered, making it possible to recognize that the reserved display indicating the change has been upgraded to green. Because the sound effect has been produced, the sound/non-sound reserved display change effect continues, and there is a possibility that the reserved display will change to one with a higher chance of a jackpot.

(G) is a state in which the pseudo consecutive symbol indicating the start of a pseudo consecutive is stopped on the middle decorative symbol. In (G), a silent performance is performed, and no sound effect is played, and the reserved display indicating the relevant change is made unnoticeable by a display of a pink heart piercing the reserved display. In (H), the heart that appeared in the silent performance expands, and the reserved display of the relevant change remains unnoticeable. By making the reserved display unnoticeable even in the silent performance, it is possible to create a slight sense of hope in the player that perhaps the reserved display will be promoted even in the silent performance (this sense of hope can be created if the timing of outputting the aforementioned sound effect is later than the timing of the appearance of the display hiding the reserved display).

In (I), the heart expands and fades out until it is no longer visible, and the reserved display indicating the change remains green and can be recognized. Because the soundless effect has been performed, the sound/non-sound reserve change effect ends, and the reserve does not change to a state with a higher probability of winning than green during the change. Note that the soundless effect may also be designed to output sound effects, and even in this case, it is preferable to prevent the reserved display from being promoted during the change after the soundless effect is executed (i.e., after a performance is executed in which the reserved display becomes visible but has not been promoted), but this is not limited to not promoting the reserved display.

Note that, although common effect images are used for the display that makes the reserved display unrecognizable in the sound and soundless effects (the smoke image, sword image, and heart image in the illustrated example), dedicated effect images may be used when soundless effects are performed. For example, the pink heart effect images in (G) and (H) may be used only in soundless effects, and when a heart effect image is used in sound effects, a red heart effect image may be used. By providing a dedicated effect image for soundless effects (an image that is not included in the effect that makes the reserved display unrecognizable when the reserved display changes in sound effects), it becomes easier for players who are wearing earphones or the like and are not listening to the sound output from the pachinko machine 1 to recognize that the reserved display color will not be upgraded any further.

In addition, after a silent effect has been executed, it is desirable not to execute an effect that makes the reserved display unrecognizable until the change has ended. This is because if an effect that makes the reserved display unrecognizable is executed after a silent effect has been executed, the player may mistakenly believe that the sound/non-sound reserved change effect has not yet ended.

In addition, after the silent effect is executed (especially when the sound/non-sound reserve change effect ends with a reserve display with a low probability of winning (e.g., blue)), it becomes difficult to maintain the player's interest in the change, so it is acceptable not to execute a notice effect (excluding a jackpot confirmation effect that notifies the player that a jackpot has been won) that creates anticipation of a jackpot from the time the silent effect is executed until the pattern is fixed and stopped. Also, as shown in FIG. 577(A), it is preferable to only perform a swinging change of the decorative pattern around or near the position displayed when the decorative pattern is fixed and stop, and to continue the swinging change until the time of the fixed stop arrives, but if a jackpot confirmation effect is to appear during the swinging change, the decorative pattern may be changed to a different swinging change.

In addition, the reserved display indicating the change is not recognizable in the sound performance, but the player may forget the reserved display color before the sound performance starts. For example, if the original reserved display color is blue, the probability of a big win is not so high even if it is upgraded to green, but if the original reserved display color is green, the probability of a big win is high because it is upgraded to red or higher. In other words, depending on the reserved display color before the sound performance starts, there is a difference in the expectation felt by the player during the sound performance. Therefore, when the reserved display indicating the change is not recognizable in the sound performance, the reserved display color before the sound performance starts may be displayed on a second liquid crystal or a specified light-emitting device (hereinafter these devices are referred to as the second reserved display device), which is a display device different from the performance display device 1600. Similarly, in the soundless performance, the reserved display color before the soundless performance starts may be displayed on the second reserved display device.

In addition, if the second hold display device shows the hold display color before the sound effect started during the sound effect, a specified effect may be performed that makes the hold display shown by the second hold display device unrecognizable, thereby upgrading the hold display.

When the second hold display device shows the hold display color before the start of the silent performance during a silent performance, the hold display on these devices is made unrecognizable immediately after a predetermined time has elapsed after the end of the silent performance (e.g., a time shorter than the time that the hold display on the performance display device 1600 becomes unrecognizable during the silent performance), but it is desirable not to make the hold display on the performance display device 1600 unrecognizable immediately. The hold display on the second hold display device is merely an auxiliary display to check the hold display color when the hold display on the performance display device 1600 becomes unrecognizable, so that after the silent performance ends and it is shown that the hold color will not be promoted, the player's attention is returned to the performance display device 1600 where the main performance is being performed.

The data used to execute the sound/non-sound reserve change presentation, and the process for executing the sound/non-sound reserve change presentation are described below. Figure 578 is an example of a final reserve color allocation table showing the final color allocation of the reserve display when a sound/non-sound reserve change presentation is performed during a miss variation. Figure 579 is an example of a final reserve color allocation table showing the final color allocation of the reserve display when a sound/non-sound reserve change presentation is performed during a jackpot variation. These final reserve color allocation tables are stored, for example, in the ROM of the peripheral control board 1510.

The final reserved color allocation table defines the final reserved color for each fluctuation pattern. The final reserved colors are allocated in the following order, with increasing probability of winning: white < blue < green < red < gold. Rainbow colors are only selected during jackpot fluctuations, meaning they are reserved colors that guarantee a jackpot.

Figure 580 is an example of a reserve color allocation table at the start of a change, showing the allocation of reserve colors at the start of a change when a sound/no sound reserve change performance is performed. The reserve color allocation table at the start of a change is stored, for example, in the ROM of the peripheral control board 1510. The reserve color allocation table at the start of a change defines the reserve color at the start of a change when a sound/no sound reserve change performance is performed for each final reserve color.

In other words, when the peripheral control MPU decides to execute a sound/non-sound reserve change performance, it determines the final reserve color from the final reserve color allocation table based on the change pattern, and then determines the reserve color at the start of the change from the reserve color allocation table at the start of the change based on the determined final reserve color.

Figure 581 is an example of a hold change timing table that defines the timing at which a sound/non-sound hold change effect can be executed. The hold change timing table is stored, for example, in the ROM of the peripheral control board 1510.

In the example of FIG. 581, the timings at which the sound/non-reserve change effect can be executed are defined as when the left decorative pattern stops, when the right decorative pattern stops, when the first pseudo consecutive pattern stops, when the left decorative pattern stops in the second pseudo consecutive pattern, when the right decorative pattern stops in the second pseudo consecutive pattern, when the second pseudo consecutive pattern stops, when the left decorative pattern stops in the third pseudo consecutive pattern, when the right decorative pattern stops in the third pseudo consecutive pattern, when a reach caption occurs, when the title of the first half of the SP reach is displayed, when the first half of the SP reach effect starts, in the middle of the first half of the SP reach effect (predetermined timing), when the second half of the SP reach develops, when the title of the second half of the SP reach is displayed, when the second half of the SP reach effect starts, in the middle of the second half of the SP reach effect (predetermined timing), and when the final cut-in of the second half of the SP reach occurs.

Note that the timing shown in Figure 581 is merely an example, and the sound/non-sound hold change effect, which makes the hold display unrecognizable, may be executable at other times as well. For example, there are preview effects that indicate the possibility of a pseudo consecutive hit, full-screen look-ahead preview effects (preview effects in which one moving image is displayed across the entire display device 1600), the timing when a normal reach effect develops into an SP reach effect, effects during the first half of an SP reach that indicate whether or not it will branch off into the second half of an SP reach, specific preview effects (for example, preview effects that indicate that an SP reach is about to begin), effects that increase the likelihood of a big win during an SP reach (for example, the word "chance" is displayed in red), when a specific movable body moves, and effects that branch off as to whether or not the state will transition (for example, assuming that there is a time-saving state A that ends when 50 fluctuations have been completed and a time-saving state B that ends when 100 fluctuations have been completed, an effect that notifies the player whether the time-saving state they are currently in during the 50th fluctuation of the time-saving state is time-saving state A or time-saving state B (i.e., an effect that notifies the player whether it will fall into the normal state or continue in the time-saving state)).

By making it possible to execute a sound/non-sound reserve change effect, which is an effect that makes the reserve display unrecognizable at an early timing such as when the left decorative pattern stops or when the right decorative pattern stops, the player can expect from an early stage that the change in question is a jackpot change. Also, by making it possible to execute a sound/non-sound reserve change effect at a timing when the jackpot expectation rate increases, such as when a pseudo consecutive pattern stops, when a reach caption appears, or when a jackpot expectation rate increase effect occurs during a SP reach, the player's sense of expectation can be increased through a synergistic effect with the reserve change.

In addition, by making it possible to execute a sound/non-sound reserve change effect, which is an effect that makes the reserve display unrecognizable after the formation of a reach state, even if the reserve display state develops into a reach effect with a low expectation of a jackpot, the reserve display state may still be upgraded, so the player can maintain a sense of anticipation. In particular, by making it possible to execute a sound/non-sound reserve change effect in the first half of an SP reach or in the second half of an SP reach (especially at a late timing such as the final cut-in of the second half of an SP reach), the player will not lose hope of a jackpot until the very end, even if an SP reach is being executed with a reserve display state with a low expectation of a jackpot.

In advance notices such as those indicating the possibility of a pseudo consecutive hit, full-screen look-ahead advance notices, and specific advance notices that increase anticipation for the change, it is possible to execute a sound/non-sound hold change effect that makes the hold display unnoticeable, thereby increasing the player's anticipation that the hold change has increased the chance of a jackpot, and therefore that there is a high possibility that the effect that was announced will actually be executed.

In addition, by making it possible to execute a sound/non-sound reserve change effect, which is an effect that makes the reserve display unrecognizable when a branching effect on whether or not the state will transition occurs, even if an effect occurs that makes it highly likely that the time-saving state will end, it is possible to hope that a change during execution may result in a jackpot. This is particularly effective for gaming machines in which the trigger for the end of the probability change is determined by a lottery (the so-called falling type).

In addition, since the final color in the sound/non-save change effect includes colors with low expectation of a jackpot, such as white and blue, the sound/non-save change effect may also be performed when the decorative pattern does not form a reach state. In other words, for example, if the timing when the sound/non-save change effect can be executed is when the left decorative pattern stops, when the right decorative pattern stops, and when a full-screen pre-read notice is displayed, the sound/non-save change effect can be executed even when the decorative pattern does not form a reach state.

Also, for example, if the sound/non-reserve change presentation can be executed only when the left decorative pattern stops, when the right decorative pattern stops, and when there is a full-screen pre-read announcement, then even in the case of a change that creates a reach state, the sound/non-reserve change presentation can be ended before the reach state is formed, and the player can focus their attention on the sound/non-reserve change presentation before the reach state is formed, and on the reach presentation after the reach state is formed. Note that the presentation corresponding to each of the presentations shown in FIG. 581 (for example, if the left decorative pattern stops, the presentation that stops the left decorative pattern) and the sound/non-reserve change presentation are displayed at the same time (in the same situation), so the player can recognize both presentations even though they cannot recognize the hold display.

Figure 582 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed each time the timing shown in Figure 581 arrives during a change while a sound presence/absence pending change performance is being executed. When this timing arrives, the peripheral control MPU determines whether the performance no-execution flag is on (S5821). When the peripheral control MPU determines that the performance no-execution flag is on (S5821: YES), it ends the processing.

When the peripheral control MPU determines that the effect non-execution flag is off (S5821: NO), it determines whether the current pending display state is the final pending color (S5822). When the peripheral control MPU determines that the current pending display state is the final pending color (S5822: YES), it either does not execute a sound or silent effect, or executes a silent effect according to a predetermined allocation (e.g., 2/3 the former and 1/3 the latter) (S5823).

Then, in step S5823, the peripheral control MPU determines whether to execute a silent effect (S5824). If the peripheral control MPU determines not to execute a silent effect (S5824: NO), it ends the process. If the peripheral control MPU determines to execute a silent effect (S5824: YES), it sets the effect no-execution flag to on (S5825) and ends the process. As a result, when the silent effect is executed, the sound/non-sound reserve change effect ends (the sound/non-sound reserve change effect will not be displayed during the subsequent game progress).

If the peripheral control MPU determines that the current reserved display mode is not the final reserved color (S5822: NO), it executes a promotion lottery according to a predetermined probability (e.g., 1/4) (S5826). The peripheral control MPU determines whether the promotion lottery in step S5826 was won (S5827). If the peripheral control MPU determines that the promotion lottery was not won (S5827: NO), it ends the process.

If the peripheral control MPU determines that the promotion lottery has been won (S5827: YES), it performs a sound effect, promotes the display state of the reserved color (S5828), and ends the process. However, even if the peripheral control MPU determines that the promotion lottery has not been won, if it determines that the current timing is the last timing in which the final sound/non-sound reserved color change effect can be performed in the ongoing change pattern, it is preferable to forcibly perform a sound effect and promote the display state of the reserved color to the final color.

The promotion probability in the promotion lottery in step S5826 may differ depending on the current timing and the current reserve display color. For example, the closer the current timing is to the last timing at which the final sound/non-sound reserve change effect can be executed, the higher or lower the promotion probability may be. Also, for example, the closer the current reserve display color is to the final color, the higher or lower the promotion probability may be. Also, in one sound effect, the reserve color may be promoted by only one level, or the reserve color may be promoted by multiple levels.

Note that at the timing shown in FIG. 581 and other timings described in paragraph [5264], the promotion lottery of step S5826 is performed, and if a silent change effect is selected, the sound/no sound pending change effect will not be displayed in the subsequent progress of the game. However, it is also possible to make a sound change effect appear even after a silent change effect has appeared. Even in this case, silent changes will appear more frequently than sound changes. This allows the player to have a slight hope that a sound change effect may return even if a silent change effect is executed.

[21-4. Hold & Zone Change Effects]
The hold & zone change presentation will be described below. In the hold & zone change presentation, multiple chance times arrive in the hold & zone change presentation, and in each chance time, either a presentation in which a predetermined sound effect is played or a presentation in which a predetermined sound effect is not played is performed. If a predetermined sound effect is played in the chance time, a hold change is performed, and if a predetermined sound effect is not played in the chance time, a zone change is performed. Therefore, in the hold & zone change presentation, the presentation in which the player thinks "I want a presentation with a sound effect to be played!" or "I want a presentation without a sound effect to be played!" changes depending on the current situation in the chance time. This will be described in detail below.

Figures 583 and 584 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a hold & zone change presentation. Figure 583 (A) shows the state at the end of the change immediately before the change that results in the hold & zone change presentation. (B) shows the state at the start of the change that results in the hold & zone change presentation. All decorative patterns have started to change, and the hold display indicating the change has turned blue. (C) shows the state when the hold & zone change presentation has started, and the title of the hold & zone change presentation is displayed. Also, in (C), while all decorative patterns are still changing, the display position has moved to the upper left of the presentation display device 1600.

(D)-(G) explain the hold and zone change effects. (D) shows that there are 10 chances for the hold display mode and zone to change. (E) shows that a hold change will occur if a specified sound effect is played, and that a zone change will occur if the specified sound effect is not played.

At (F), a table showing the expected jackpot probability corresponding to the reserved display color and the zone is displayed on the performance display device 1600. At the time of (F), the reserved color is blue and the zone is a normal zone, so the corresponding expected jackpot probability of "1%" is displayed in a shaded area.

The colors displayed during the hold & zone change effect are blue, green, and red, and change in the order blue → green → red, with the likelihood of a jackpot increasing in the order blue < green < red. If the hold display is red and an effect sound is played during chance time, the hold display will return from red to blue, meaning the change in the hold display will loop.

In other words, there are situations where the likelihood of a jackpot decreases when a sound effect is played (for example, when the reserved display is red and a sound effect is played, the reserved display changes to blue), so the player can feel tense as the reserved display changes to red, which has the highest likelihood of a jackpot. Also, by looping the reserved display when the reserved display changes, the player can see the change to a reserved display with a high likelihood of a jackpot multiple times, thereby increasing the player's sense of expectation multiple times.

In addition, the five zones that players will be in during the hold and zone change are Normal, Conqueror, Overlord, Conquest, and Conquest, and they change in the following order: Normal → Conqueror → Overlord → Conquest → Conquest, with the order of decreasing importance being Normal = Conqueror < Conquest < Overlord = Conquest. In other words, a zone change from Overlord to Conquest is a zone change that lowers the likelihood of a jackpot. Also, when the zone is Conquest, if a performance occurs during chance time where no sound effects are played, the zone will return from Conqueror to Conqueror, meaning that the zone changes will be a loop.

In other words, there are situations where the expectation of a jackpot decreases when an effect without sound effects occurs (for example, when the zone is Hakyu, the zone becomes normal when an effect without sound effects occurs), so the player can feel tense when the effect occurs even when the zone becomes Haou or Hakyu, which have the highest expectation of a jackpot. Also, by looping the zone during the zone change, the player can see the change to a zone with high expectation of a jackpot multiple times, so the player's expectation can be increased many times.

Also, as mentioned above, when changing zones, even if the normal zone changes to the Conqueror Zone, the expectation of a jackpot remains unchanged, but when the Conqueror Zone changes to the Overlord Zone, the expectation of a jackpot increases dramatically. This allows for a well-balanced presentation in which the change from the normal zone to the Conqueror Zone teases the player, while the change from the Conqueror Zone to the Overlord Zone instantly increases the player's sense of anticipation.

For ease of explanation, the hold change and zone change in the hold and zone change presentation will change by only one stage during each chance time, and although it is described as a zone, in terms of control, the presentation mode that manages the presentation state is changed, so this is synonymous with changing the presentation mode.

In (G), a message is displayed indicating that the shaded portion in the table in (F) is the current state. (H) is the preparation state for the hold and zone change effect. A gauge 5831 indicating the remaining time for the hold and zone change effect and a zone display 5832 indicating the current zone state are displayed on the effect display device 1600.

In (H), the arrow displayed at the bottom left of gauge 5831 moves to the right over time, and when it reaches the bottom right of gauge 5832, the reserved and zone change presentation ends. Also, each time the arrow moves to a blackened area of gauge 5831, either a reserved or zone change is executed. In other words, each blackened area in gauge 5831 represents a chance time in the reserved and zone change presentation. In the illustrated example, 10 chance times are executed.

(I) shows the state in which the arrow displayed under gauge 5831 in the hold and zone change presentation has begun to move to the right. Figure 584 (J) shows the state in which the first chance time has arrived in the hold and zone change presentation. In (J), a specified sound effect of "Pi-ro-n!!" is heard, and the state of the hold display indicating the change ("?") and the current zone shown by zone display 5832 ("?? zone") are no longer recognizable.

Note that, because a sound effect was played during the first chance time, it is confirmed that the reserve will change, but by making both the reserve display state and the current zone unrecognizable, the player can anticipate that both will change. Similarly, if no sound effect is played during chance time, it is desirable to make both the reserve display state and the current zone unrecognizable. Note that the reserve display state indicating the change and the current zone indicated by the zone display 5832 may be made unrecognizable by erasing them, covering them with another image, or hiding them with a movable object to make them unrecognizable.

(K) is the state immediately before the end of the first chance time. Because a sound effect was played during the first chance time, the hold display indicating the change changes from blue to green, and the zone remains the normal zone. When the hold display indicating the change changes from blue to green and becomes recognizable, it is desirable for the "Ping-Pong!!" sound effect to still be output. This is because a synergistic effect is created between the sense of expectation gained from the sight of the hold display after the change and the sense of expectation gained from the sound effect audibly, further increasing the player's interest.

It is desirable that background music dedicated to the reserved and zone change presentation be output during the reserved and zone change presentation to heighten the player's sense of anticipation. Even when a reserved change occurs during chance time, the dedicated background music is output as is.

For example, the time from when the zone display 5832 becomes unrecognizable during chance time until the changed zone display 5832 becomes recognizable is longer than the time from when the hold display becomes unrecognizable during chance time until the changed hold display becomes recognizable. Since the zone change effect appears less frequently than the hold change effect that is also executed in various effects other than the hold & zone change effect, the longer time it takes for the player to recognize the changed zone can provide a sense of tension to the player.

Conversely, the time from when the zone display 5832 becomes unrecognizable during chance time to when the changed zone display 5832 becomes recognizable may be shorter than the time from when the hold display becomes unrecognizable during chance time to when the changed hold display becomes recognizable. This is because the zone change effect appears less frequently than the hold change effect, and some players would like to know the changed zone quickly.

(L) is the state where the second chance time has arrived in the hold & zone change presentation. In (L), the "Pi-ro-n!!" sound effect output at the timing of (J) is not played, and the state of the hold display indicating the change, and the current zone shown by the zone display 5832, are unrecognizable. Note that a false sound effect different from the "Pi-ro-n!!" sound effect output at the timing of (J) may also be output.

(M) is the state immediately before the end of the second chance time. Because no sound effects were played during the second chance time, the pending display indicating the change remains green, and the zone has changed from the normal zone to the conqueror zone. Note that in order to create a sense of expectation in the player at an early stage, a display indicating the changed zone ("Conqueror?" in the figure) may be displayed on the effect display device 1600 before the content of the changed zone display 5832 becomes recognizable. From then on, during each chance time, similar effects with or without sound effects will occur.

When a zone change occurs during chance time, for example, the BGM dedicated to the reserved & zone change effect is muted when the zone indicated by the zone display 5832 becomes unrecognizable, and the BGM corresponding to the changed zone is output for a predetermined time from the time when the changed zone becomes recognizable. This allows players who do not see the zone change to recognize the changed zone through the BGM. After the predetermined time has passed, the BGM dedicated to the reserved & zone change effect may be output again.

By performing the hold and zone change presentation as shown in Figures 583 and 584 in a single change, it is possible to execute multiple hold changes for that change and multiple zone changes in a single change, realizing a tense presentation that can greatly raise and lower the player's expectations.

Figure 585 is an example of a chance time count table. The chance time count table is a table used to determine the number of chance times in the hold and zone change presentation, and is stored, for example, in the ROM of the peripheral control board 1510.

When the peripheral control MPU decides to execute the reserved & zone change presentation, it determines the combination of reserved color and zone (final reserved color and final zone) at the end of the reserved & zone change presentation. Note that the allocation for selecting the combination of final reserved color and final zone in the jackpot fluctuation and miss fluctuation is pre-determined so that the jackpot expectation rate is the value in the table shown in Figure 583 (F).

The peripheral control MPU refers to the chance time count table and determines one chance time count from the chance time counts (counts marked with a "○" in the figure) that correspond to the determined combination of final reserved color and final zone. For example, if the final reserved color is blue and the final zone is normal, the peripheral control MPU determines the chance time count from 5, 8, or 11. Note that for each combination of final reserved color and final zone, the allocation for selecting the corresponding chance time count is, for example, equal (that is, for example, if the final reserved color is blue and the final zone is normal, 5, 8, or 11 are each selected with a 1/3 probability).

If the fluctuation for which the reserved & zone change effect is executed is a jackpot fluctuation, the peripheral control MPU executes the effect with a 6/10 probability of a sound effect being played (i.e. reserved change) and a 4/10 probability of no sound effect being played (i.e. zone change) during each chance time. Also, if the fluctuation for which the reserved & zone change effect is executed is a miss fluctuation, the peripheral control MPU executes the effect with a 4/10 probability of a sound effect being played and a 6/10 probability of no sound effect being played during each chance time.

However, in the hold and zone change effects, there are restrictions on the number of times the effects with sound effects and the effects without sound effects can be executed to reach the final hold color and final zone, so there are times when the decision is made to execute the effects with sound effects or the effects without sound effects according to these restrictions.

Specifically, for example, assume that the hold and zone change effect starts when the hold display is blue and the zone is the normal zone, the final hold color is blue and the final zone is the Overlord zone, and the number of chance times is 10. In this case, according to the table in FIG. 583 (F), in order to execute a total of 10 effects with sound effects and effects without sound effects to go from the blue hold display and normal zone to the blue hold display and Overlord zone, it is necessary to execute 3n effects with sound effects and 5m + 2 effects without sound effects.

Here, n and m are both integers equal to or greater than 0, and since 3n + (5m + 2) = 10, (n, m) = (1, 1). Therefore, in this case, three performances with sound effects and seven performances without sound effects need to be executed.

For example, if three performances with sound effects have been executed by the chance time before the last one, a restriction occurs that prevents any more performances with sound effects from being executed. Therefore, in this case, after three performances with sound effects have been executed, a performance without sound effects will always be executed regardless of the allocation described above. Similarly, if seven performances with sound effects have been executed by the chance time before the last one, a restriction occurs that prevents any more performances without sound effects from being executed, so after seven performances without sound effects have been executed, a performance without sound effects will always be executed regardless of the allocation described above.

In addition, since the zone change effect, which appears less frequently, can provide the player with a stronger sense of anticipation than various effects other than the hold & zone change effect, during the first chance time, the zone change may be performed without any sound effects.

For ease of explanation, the reserve change and zone change in the reserve & zone change presentation are performed in only one stage during one chance time, but in order to rapidly increase the player's sense of anticipation, multiple stages of change may occur during one chance time. For example, by utilizing multiple stages of change, only one zone change may be performed in the reserve & zone change presentation, and only reserve changes may occur during the remaining chance times. By performing reserve changes more frequently than zone changes, a stronger sense of anticipation can be achieved. Because there are fewer zone changes, the player can concentrate on the zone changes.

It is also possible to perform a reserved change only once and then perform only zone changes during the remaining chance times. By performing zone changes more times than reserved changes, players can enjoy a greater number of zone changes, which occur less frequently and provide a stronger sense of anticipation.

In addition, the hold & zone change effect may be always executed in the next variation after a failure in a specified reach effect (for example, SP reach). This is to restore the hopes of a player who has become disappointed after failing to achieve the specified reach effect. In that case, in order to reduce the player's disappointment, the zone change may always be executed without sound effects in the first chance time.

In the examples of Figures 583 and 584, the normal background is not displayed during the hold and zone change presentation, but the normal background may be displayed. For example, during the hold and zone change presentation, the background may change from that dedicated to the hold and zone change presentation to the normal background before and after the hold change or zone change (i.e., the background is changed to the normal background when the hold display or zone after the change becomes visible). In particular, by changing to the normal background when a hold change or zone change that downgrades the jackpot expectation occurs (i.e., when the hold display or zone after the downgrade becomes visible), the player can be made more aware that the jackpot expectation has been downgraded.

Also, the normal background may remain displayed before and after a hold change or zone change occurs (i.e., the normal background is displayed when the hold display or zone is visible before the change, when the hold display or zone is not visible, and when the hold display or zone is visible before the change). In particular, for example, hold changes are also performed in various other effects besides hold and zone change effects, so some players may be suspicious that the special background being displayed is merely to build anticipation.

In the above example, since the hold change effect and the zone change effect are both included in the hold & zone change effect, it was explained as if the hold change effect and the zone change effect constituted one effect, but the hold change effect and the zone change effect may each be separate effects. In other words, there may be a change in which only the hold change effect described above is performed, and there may be a change in which only the zone change effect described above is performed.

［21-5. Wind-Breaking Performance］
The following describes the "wind before the light" effect. In the "wind before the light" effect, at the start of the effect, the reserved display showing the change is displayed in gold, which is the mode with the highest expectation of a big win. Then, as time passes, the reserved display showing the change gradually becomes harder to recognize (for example, it gradually becomes more transparent, the area gradually becomes smaller, etc.).

If the reserved display becomes completely unrecognizable at a specified timing, when it becomes recognizable again, the reserved display will change (be demoted) to a state with a lower jackpot expectation. Also, if the reserved display does not become unrecognizable at the specified timing, the reserved display will remain displayed in the same state. In other words, players hope that the reserved display will not become completely unrecognizable in the wind-beaten-light performance. Below, the reserved display states displayed in the wind-beaten-light performance are four types: blue, green, red, and gold, and the order of jackpot expectation increases in blue < green < red < gold.

Figure 586 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the Wind in the Light effect. (A) is the state at the end of the change just before the Wind in the Light effect is executed. (B) is the state at the start of the change when the Wind in the Light effect is executed. All decorative patterns start to change, and the normal background becomes invisible. In addition, the title image of the Wind in the Light effect is displayed, and the pending display indicating the change changes to gold, which has the highest probability of winning.

In (C), a timer set to 15 seconds remaining is displayed on the performance display device 1600. When the remaining time on the timer reaches 15 seconds, 10 seconds, and 5 seconds, a downgrade of the pending display state indicating the change can be performed. In the example of FIG. 586, the pending display state is not downgraded at the timing when 15 seconds remain.

(D) shows the state after three seconds have passed since (C), and the hold display indicating the change has gradually become more transparent, making it harder to see. (E) shows the state when there are 10 seconds left on the timer. An image of smoke is displayed over the hold display indicating the change, making it completely unrecognizable. Note that while the hold display indicating the change itself can be seen, the appearance of the hold display indicating the change may be made unrecognizable (for example, the hold display indicating the change may be made gray (a color not selected in the hold change presentation) or replaced with an image of a different shape).

(F) is the state one second has passed since the hold display indicating the change became completely unrecognizable. In (F), the smoke image displayed in (E) has been erased, and the hold display indicating the change becomes recognizable. Furthermore, the hold display indicating the change has been demoted to red. Thereafter, similar effects are executed as time passes. Note that when the state of the hold display is demoted in the Wind Front Light effect, it is desirable not to output the sound effect that occurs when the state of the hold display is promoted in other hold change effects. This is to prevent the player from mistaking that the state of the hold display has been promoted.

For example, the time during which the hold display indicating the change in (E) is unrecognizable is shorter than the time during which the hold display indicating the change is unrecognizable in other hold change presentations (i.e. presentations in which the state of the hold display is upgraded). Making the hold display unrecognizable in the wind-front light presentation is synonymous with downgrading the state of the hold display, so by shortening the time during which it is unrecognizable, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the player's sense of anticipation while it is unrecognizable.

Conversely, the time for which the hold display indicating the change in (E) is unrecognizable may be longer than the time for which the hold display indicating the change is unrecognizable in other hold change presentations. Making the hold display unrecognizable in the wind-front light presentation is synonymous with downgrading the state of the hold display, so by lengthening the time for which it is unrecognizable, the player can gradually accept over time the reality that the state of the hold display will be downgraded, and the shock to the player when they see the state of the downgraded hold display when it becomes recognizable can be alleviated.

In addition, the time during which the reserved display indicating the change in (E) is unrecognizable may be the same as the time during which the reserved display indicating the change is unrecognizable in other reserved change presentations. By making these times the same, when the reserved display becomes recognizable again in the "wind in the haystack" presentation, the player can hope, even if only for a moment, that the reserved display has been upgraded.

In addition, when making the pending display indicating the change in question unrecognizable in (E), pending displays corresponding to other changes (for example, all pending displays) may also be made unrecognizable. In this case, when making the pending displays corresponding to other changes recognizable again, a change may be made to these pending displays such that the jackpot expectancy is promoted. In this way, while becoming unrecognizable and demoting the pending display indicating the change in question are synonymous, making the other pending displays unrecognizable will promote them, thereby reducing disappointment for the player.

In (G), in the Wind in the Light effect, the reserved display indicating the change is finally downgraded to green. If a jackpot is won during the change in which the Wind in the Light effect is executed, and the reserved display indicating the change in the Wind in the Light effect has been downgraded from gold, which has the highest chance of a jackpot, when the jackpot is announced, for example, the reserved display indicating the change can be reverted to gold. By redisplaying the gold reserved display, which has the highest chance of a jackpot, a revival-like effect can be realized, making the player strongly aware that he or she has won a jackpot.

After the Light in the Wind effect ends, a gold reserve display is displayed with alternating degrees of transparency, and if the gold reserve display becomes completely unrecognizable (for example by reaching maximum transparency or by being covered with an image of smoke as in the Light in the Wind effect), a red reserve display with the next highest expectation of a jackpot is then displayed, and if it does not become completely unrecognizable, the gold reserve display is displayed as is. This allows a display similar to the Light in the Wind effect to be executed even after the Light in the Wind effect has ended, leaving the player with a lingering impression of the Light in the Wind effect.

In the example of FIG. 586, the "Wind in the Light" effect was executed when all the decorative symbols were changing (when no reach was formed), but the "Wind in the Light" effect may be executed when a specific reach effect is being executed or when it is confirmed that a specific reach effect will be executed. A typical reach effect increases the player's sense of expectation with the reach effect itself, increases the player's sense of expectation with cut-in images during the reach effect, or with lines and messages in red text, or promotes the hold when a hold change effect occurs, but while a sense of surprise is given by temporarily changing the hold display to the state with the highest expectation of a big win when a reach effect is being executed, an effect that makes the player expect to maintain the hold during the reach is novel (in extreme terms, it can be said to be an effect that neglects the reach effect), so it is good to execute the "Wind in the Light" effect when, for example, the image of the reach effect is of low quality due to the capacity of the ROM of the peripheral control board 1510.

In the above example, if the reserved display became unrecognizable, the state of the reserved display would always be downgraded when it became recognizable again. However, even if the reserved display becomes unrecognizable, when it becomes recognizable again, the reserved display may be displayed in the same state as before it became unrecognizable. This can provide surprise and delight to players who would otherwise be disappointed if the reserved display became unrecognizable and its state was downgraded.

However, although the Light on the Edge effect is an effect in which the state of the reserved display is downgraded, it is an effect that allows for the display of many gold reserved displays, which have the highest expectation of a jackpot, so it is better not to perform an effect in which the state of the reserved display is promoted. Also, since the reserved display promotion effect, in which the state of the reserved display is promoted, is frequently performed in other effects besides the Light on the Edge effect, there is no need to purposely perform an effect in which the state of the reserved display is promoted in the Light on the Edge effect. Therefore, it would be more pleasant for the player if the reserved display promotion effect was performed in effects other than the Light on the Edge effect, and the reserved display was promoted accompanied by a specific sound effect.

Figure 587 is an example of a wind light reserve change table. The wind light reserve change table defines the state of the reserve display at the end of the wind light performance (final color), the state of the reserve display at the start of the wind light performance (start color), and the state of the reserve display after the change (including the case where there is no change) at each possible change timing (15 seconds, 10 seconds, and 5 seconds remaining on the timer). The wind light reserve change table is stored, for example, in the ROM of the peripheral control board 1510. In the example of Figure 587, the number of possible change timings is three, but this is not limited to this and can be any number of times. The more possible change timings there are, the more thrill the player can be given that the state of the reserve display may be downgraded, and the fewer possible change timings there are, the more reassurance the player can have.

When the peripheral control MPU decides to execute the Wind Front Light effect, it determines the final color and the starting color. In the Wind Front Light reserve change table, the starting color is defined to be any color other than blue, which has the lowest jackpot expectation, but in the example of FIG. 587, it is defined to always select gold, which has the highest jackpot expectation. In the Wind Front Light reserve change table, the final color is defined to be a color with a jackpot expectation equal to or lower than the starting color.

In the possible change timing table, it is defined that the pending display mode that has a jackpot expectation level equal to or lower than the pending display mode prior to the possible change timing is selected. Also, in the example of FIG. 587, it is defined that the pending display mode is downgraded by one step at each possible change timing. That is, for example, if the final color is blue, the downgrade occurs after the pending display becomes unrecognizable at least twice during the wind-front light performance. Note that multiple steps of downgrade may be possible at each possible change timing.

In addition, in the case of the wind-front light effect, when the reserved display indicating the change becomes unrecognizable and is demoted, it is desirable that the timing when the reserved display indicating the change becomes unrecognizable occurs before the middle of the change time of the change. If the timing when the reserved display indicating the change becomes unrecognizable occurs in the latter half of the change time of the change, the reserved display state will be demoted after displaying a reserved display state with a high expectation of a jackpot for a long time, which may suddenly lower the player's expectations that have been maintained for a long time.

Note that in effects other than the Light in the Wind effect, an effect may be executed that makes the pending display indicating the change unrecognizable, but it is preferable to make the pending display indicating the change unrecognizable using an effect different from the effect executed in the Light in the Wind effect to make the pending display indicating the change unrecognizable (an effect in which the pending display indicating the change is displayed overlaid with an image of smoke). This is because if the pending display indicating the change is made unrecognizable using an effect similar to the Light in the Wind effect, the player will feel uneasy that the state of the pending display will be downgraded as in the Light in the Wind effect.

In the example of FIG. 587, the intervals between the possible changes in the "Light in the Wind" effect are constant (all 5 seconds apart), but the intervals may be different. For example, the interval between the second and third possible changes is longer than the interval between the first and second possible changes, so that the downgrades of the pending display state are concentrated in the first half of the "Light in the Wind" effect, providing the player with a sense of security if there is no downgrade in the first half. For example, the interval between the second and third possible changes is shorter than the interval between the first and second possible changes, so that the downgrades of the pending display state are concentrated in the second half of the "Light in the Wind" effect, allowing the player to concentrate on the effect without letting their guard down until the second half.

When the state of the reserved display is downgraded multiple times in the Wind Before the Light performance, the image that makes the state of the reserved display indicating the change unrecognizable and the sound effect output when the state is downgraded may be the same each time, or some or all of them may be different. By having the same image and sound effect, the player can calmly accept that the state of the reserved display has been downgraded from the second time onwards. By having different images and sound effects, the player can have a slight hope that perhaps the state of the reserved display will not be downgraded if a different image appears or a sound effect is output during the second or subsequent downgrade.

In addition, when the state of the hold display is downgraded in the Wind Before Light performance, a specific movable body may be operated to make the player more clearly aware that a downgrade is occurring. However, since this is ultimately a downgrading performance, if the amount of movement of the movable body is large, it may upset the player, so it is desirable that the amount of movement of the movable body is small (for example, 1/2 the maximum movable width).

In the above example, only the reserved display corresponding to the ongoing change in the "Wind Before the Light" effect was demoted to unrecognizable, but it is also possible to make not only that reserved display but also the reserved displays corresponding to Hold 1 to Hold 4 (i.e. the first hold to the fourth hold) unrecognizable. In this case, when Hold 1 to Hold 4 are made recognizable again, it is desirable to upgrade the state of the reserved display. This allows the player to feel a sense of anticipation for the pending change with the promoted state of the reserved display, even if the probability of a jackpot for the ongoing change is lowered by the "Wind Before the Light" effect.

[21-6. Blackout Effects]
The blackout effect will be described below. In the blackout effect, the display of the effect display device 1600 goes black, and the decorative pattern, reserved display, and normal background become invisible. Then, when a predetermined time has passed since the completely blacked-out state, the blackout gradually disappears, and the decorative pattern, reserved display, and normal background become visible, and at this time, the state of the reserved display may have changed to one with a high probability of winning.

The following five types of reserved display during blackout effects are available: default (shown in black in the diagram), blue, green, red, and gold, with the likelihood of a jackpot increasing in the following order: default < blue < green < red < gold.

Figure 588 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a blackout effect. (A) is the state at the end of the change immediately before the change that results in the blackout effect. The normal background is displayed on the effect display device 1600, and all decorative patterns are stopped. (B) is the state after the change that results in the blackout effect has begun. All decorative patterns have changed.

(C) is a state in which the brightness of the entire performance display device 1600 is gradually decreasing (approaching black), and although the decorative patterns, hold indications, and normal background are still visible, they are becoming harder to see. In (D), the brightness of the entire performance display device 1600 is reduced to the minimum (0), resulting in a blackout state. In the blackout state, the decorative patterns, hold indications, and normal background are no longer visible.

When a predetermined time has passed since the complete blackout state, at (E), the brightness of the entire performance display device 1600 gradually increases and the blackout state is lifted. At (E), the decorative patterns, hold indication, and normal background are still recognizable but difficult to see. The state of the hold indication has been upgraded from the default to blue. At (F), the brightness of the entire performance display device 1600 is completely restored, and the decorative patterns, hold indication, and normal background are now completely recognizable. The decorative patterns and normal background may remain invisible even after the blackout state is lifted. This is to strongly focus the player's attention on whether the state of the hold indication has changed.

Figure 589 is an example of a blackout time table. The blackout time table is a table that defines the allocation that determines the time during which a blackout effect is completely blacked out and the state of the pending display when the blackout is lifted and the display becomes visible again. The blackout time table is stored, for example, in the ROM of the peripheral control board 1510.

When the peripheral control MPU decides to execute a blackout effect, it decides whether the blackout time should be short or long according to a specified probability. The specified probability is set so that the probability of a jackpot is higher when long is selected than when short is selected (for example, if the fluctuation that executes the blackout effect is a miss fluctuation, short is selected at 224/256 and long is selected at 32/256, and if the fluctuation that executes the blackout effect is a jackpot fluctuation, short is selected at 64/256 and long is selected at 192/256).

The peripheral control MPU refers to the allocation shown in the blackout time table and selects the length of time for a complete blackout. In the example of FIG. 589, if short is selected, 3 or 5 seconds are selected, and if long is selected, 15 or 20 seconds are selected. It is desirable that the shortest long time be at least twice the shortest time so that the player can easily tell whether long or short has been selected when the blackout effect is executed. In the example of FIG. 589, the shortest long time, 15 seconds, is three times longer than the shortest short time, 5 seconds.

Note that the shorter the time that the complete blackout lasts (for example, if Short is selected rather than Long), the longer the time that the decorative patterns, hold indicators, and normal background will be displayed after the blackout ends.

The peripheral control MPU refers to the allocation shown in the blackout time table and determines the mode of reserved display after the blackout that corresponds to the selected time. In the blackout time table, the allocation is set so that the longer the length of the complete blackout, the more likely it is that a reserved display mode with a high probability of winning will be selected.

In this way, since the shorter the time of complete blackout, the lower the expectation of a jackpot, for example, if Short is selected, a specific sound effect may be output at a predetermined timing after the blackout ends (a predetermined timing when the decorative patterns, hold display, and normal background become recognizable) to increase the player's sense of anticipation. If Long is selected, the player's sense of anticipation has been sufficiently heightened by the blackout, so there is no need to output the sound effect after the blackout ends.

In addition, when short is selected, the default allocation of the reserved display that becomes visible again after the blackout ends is greater than the total allocation of the non-default modes. On the other hand, when long is selected, the default allocation of the reserved display that becomes visible again after the blackout ends is less than the total allocation of the non-default modes. In this way, the large difference in the selection rate of the default reserved display when short is selected and when long is selected can increase the anticipation of the player who recognizes that long has been selected (for example, if more than five seconds have passed since the complete blackout, it becomes clear that long has been selected).

When the decorative pattern becomes recognizable after the blackout, it is desirable that the manner in which the decorative pattern changes is different depending on whether short is selected or long is selected. For example, when short is selected, the decorative pattern only vibrates slightly, but when long is selected, the decorative pattern vibrates violently. Also, for example, when short is selected, the face of the character depicted in the decorative pattern may be expressionless, but when long is selected, the face of the character depicted in the decorative pattern may be smiling.

In this way, by changing the display mode of the decorative patterns after the blackout is over, the player can look at the decorative patterns even after the blackout is over and remember whether short or long was selected in the blackout effect (because the state of the pending display can change outside of the blackout effect, it may not be possible to completely determine whether or not a blackout effect has occurred based on the state of the pending display alone).

Note that the blackout effect may be performed multiple times in one change. This allows the player to maintain a sense of expectation even if the first blackout effect does not change the display to a hold state with a high probability of winning.

In the multiple blackout effects, short and long may be mixed, or all short may be selected, or all long may be selected. Also, for example, multiple blackout effects may be executed before the reach state of the decorative pattern is formed, or blackout effects may be executed before and after the reach state is formed, or multiple blackout effects may be executed after the reach state is formed.

Since executing multiple blackout effects takes a long time, if multiple blackout effects are executed before a reach state is reached, it is advisable to start the blackout effect as an effect at the start of the fluctuation so that the multiple blackout effects are completed before the reach state is reached.

Even if a blackout effect is performed only once, it may be started as an effect at the start of fluctuation. By performing a blackout effect at the start of fluctuation, the player may not be able to understand what is happening at first, but once the blackout ends and the state of the pending display changes, the player can be provided with a sense of surprise and a rapidly rising sense of expectation.

In addition, if a blackout effect is performed after a reach state is formed, it is desirable for the blackout effect to end before the timing of notifying the player of the result of the reach effect. This is because executing an effect related to a change in reserved balls after the timing of the win/loss notification will not increase the player's interest.

The manner in which the reserved display, decorative symbols, and normal background cannot be recognized may be different when a short is selected from when a long is selected. For example, if a blackout is always performed when a short is selected, and if a long is selected, a blackout is performed with a predetermined probability (9/10), and red is displayed on the entire performance display device 1600 with a predetermined probability (for example, 1/10), making the reserved display, decorative symbols, and normal background unrecognizable, it is confirmed that a long has been selected when red is displayed on the entire performance display device 1600, and this can dramatically increase the player's sense of anticipation.

In contrast to the example in FIG. 589, the allocation may be determined in the blackout time table such that the longer the duration of the complete blackout, the more likely it is that a hold display with a low probability of winning will be selected.

[21-7. Rare Animal Quest Production]
The rare animal quest performance will be described below. The rare animal quest performance is a performance in which a hunter (a character displayed in white in the diagram described later) searches for a rare animal, defeats the rare animal he finds, and then defeats the demon king that appears, thereby announcing a big win. The rare animal quest performance is a performance that can be executed across multiple consecutive changes. Note that in the rare animal quest performance in this chapter, the image of the hunter may be erased, but instead of erasing the image of the hunter, an image with a higher display priority than the image of the hunter may be displayed on top of the image of the hunter, making it invisible.

Figures 590 and 591 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a rare animal quest presentation. Figure 590 (A) shows the state where the change has started, and a display indicating that the rare animal quest presentation has started is displayed on the presentation display device 1600. In Figure 590 (B), an image of a hunter walking around looking for rare animals is displayed on the presentation display device 1600. Note that the image of the hunter may be displayed from the start of the change in Figure 590 (A). In the rare animal quest presentation, each time a game ball B enters a start hole (the first start hole 2002 or the second start hole 2004 will hereinafter be simply referred to as the start hole), the number of images of the hunter displayed on the presentation display device 1600 increases by one up to a predetermined number.

When the rare animal quest performance is being performed, if game ball B enters the starting hole, an image of a rare animal is displayed on the performance display device 1600 at a predetermined rate. It is desirable that the predetermined rate be set to a higher rate in the case of a jackpot than in the case of a miss, for example, 96/128 if the special lottery result corresponding to the ball entering is a jackpot, and 1/128 if the special lottery result corresponding to the ball entering is a miss.

For example, the rare animal quest presentation may continue until an image of a rare animal is displayed and the presentation from FIG. 590(C) onward, which will be described later, is performed, or it may end if no rare animal is displayed even if a predetermined number of game balls B enter the game after the rare animal quest presentation has started.

In Fig. 590(C), the third game ball has entered the starting hole in the state shown in Fig. 590(B). Three images of hunters are added to the display device 1600 (the images of hunters displayed at the bottom of the display device 1600 correspond to the first, second, and third balls, from the right). The hunter corresponding to the third ball is wearing a silver crown (white in the figure), indicating that there is a high expectation of defeating the rare animal in the movement corresponding to the third ball. In other words, there are multiple display modes for the hunter images with different expectations for a big win (for example, the expectation increases in the order of hunter without a crown < hunter wearing a silver crown < hunter wearing a gold crown), and the image is displayed in a mode selected from the multiple display modes.

In FIG. 590, an example is described in which a hunter wearing a silver crown (i.e., in a state where the expectation of a big hit is high) is displayed when game ball B enters the starting hole, but an image of a hunter without a crown may be displayed when game ball B enters the starting hole, and the image of the hunter may change to an image of a hunter wearing a (silver or gold) crown at a timing selected from a plurality of predetermined timings. In addition, when the display mode of the hunter's image changes at a timing other than when game ball B enters the starting hole, the display mode may be changed at the timing after a performance that gives the expectation that the display mode of the hunter's image will change before that timing (for example, the image of the hunter is displayed shaking or wrapped in an aura, etc.) is executed.

When game ball B enters the starting hole, an image of a rare animal and an image of a hunter wearing a silver crown, which has a higher expectation level, are displayed, and then when the appearance of the image of the hunter changes to an image wearing a gold crown, which has a higher expectation level, the image of the rare animal may be temporarily hidden. By hiding the image of the rare animal at this time, the player's attention is directed to the image of the hunter, making it easier to notice the change in the appearance of the image of the hunter. On the other hand, if the image of the rare animal is hidden at this time, some players may worry that the game will not develop into a battle scene with the rare animal, so the image of the rare animal may remain displayed at this time.

In addition, if an image of a rare animal and an image of a hunter are displayed when game ball B enters the starting hole, it is desirable that the expectation of a jackpot be higher if an image of a hunter wearing a golden crown is displayed when the ball enters the starting hole than if, for example, the hunter is displayed in a manner with a lower expectation than the hunter wearing a golden crown when the ball enters the starting hole, and then the image changes to the hunter wearing a golden crown. In this way, when an image of a hunter with a high expectation is displayed at an early stage, the expectation of a jackpot is high, so the player continues to feel a sense of expectation for a long time, but because the probability of a jackpot is high, this expectation is less likely to be wasted.

The hunter corresponding to the ball B that enters the starting hole before the rare animal is displayed may be displayed wearing a silver or gold crown (high expectation of a big win) at the time of the ball entering, but it is preferable that the image of the rare animal not be displayed even if the ball B enters the starting hole until the fluctuation corresponding to the ball entering the hole corresponding to the hunter has ended.

In addition, in FIG. 590(C), the image of a rare animal starts to be displayed when the third gaming ball enters the game. In other words, it is suggested that in the movement corresponding to the third gaming ball, the hunter corresponding to the third gaming ball finds a rare animal, and a battle scene with the rare animal is executed.

After the image of the rare animal starts to be displayed, it is desirable that no additional images of the rare animal be displayed, even if game ball B enters the ball, until the battle with the rare animal ends, the image of the rare animal is erased, and the next change begins. This is to allow the player to focus their attention on the battle with one rare animal.

When the rare animal is displayed, an image of the hunter is also displayed when the ball enters the starting hole, but the rare animal image and the hunter image may start to be displayed at the same time, or the hunter image may be visible before the rare animal image (for example, about 0.1 seconds). The player's anticipation can be heightened by the image of the rare animal, which is only displayed with a low probability when game ball B enters the starting hole, being visible before the images of the hunter, which always increase up to a predetermined number every time game ball B enters the starting hole.

In the example of FIG. 590, an image of a penguin is displayed as a rare animal, but the image of the rare animal may have multiple display modes with different expectations of defeating the rare animal (expectations for a big win) (for example, penguin image < mouse image < bird image, the higher the expectation the weaker the image of the rare animal that is selected).

When the game ball B enters the starting hole and a rare animal is displayed, an image of a rare animal with a high expectation (mouse or small bird) may be displayed, or an image of a rare animal with a low expectation (penguin) may be displayed when the ball enters, and the image of the rare animal with a low expectation may change to the image of the rare animal with a high expectation (mouse or small bird) at a timing selected from a predetermined number of timings. Note that when the movable body is moved or the light-emitting body is illuminated instead of or in addition to the display of the image of the rare animal, the operating mode of the movable body and the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting body are similarly selected from a number of modes with different jackpot expectation modes.

For example, when game ball B enters the starting hole, an image of a rare animal, a small bird, and an image of a hunter wearing a golden crown may be displayed in addition to the image of the rare animal, so that both the rare animal and the hunter are displayed in a manner that creates high expectations. This dramatically increases the player's sense of anticipation.

For example, depending on the display mode of the image of the hunter and the image of the rare animal, it may be determined that the hunter will win the battle against the rare animal. Specifically, for example, if an image of a hunter wearing a gold crown or an image of a small bird is displayed, it may be determined that the hunter will win the battle against the rare animal.

In addition, the display mode of the image of the hunter (e.g., from a hunter wearing a silver crown to a hunter wearing a gold crown, etc., to a display mode with a high expectation of a jackpot) and the display mode of the image of the rare animal (e.g., from a mouse to a bird, etc., to a display mode with a high expectation of a jackpot) may be changed simultaneously (e.g., at the start of the fluctuation, etc.). This causes the images of the hunter and the rare animal to both change to display modes with a high expectation of a jackpot at the same time, which can increase the player's expectations through a synergistic effect. Note that when the display mode of the image of the hunter and the display mode of the rare animal are changed simultaneously, the expectation of the development into the battle performance with the demon king may be made higher than when these changes are made at different times (the higher the development attitude toward the battle performance with the demon king, the higher the expectation of a jackpot).

It is preferable that a dedicated special sound is output when the image of the rare animal starts to be displayed, and that the special sound is output for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) and that the output stops at the latest before the image of the rare animal is erased. Similarly, it is preferable that a dedicated special sound (preferably different from the special sound when the image of the rare animal starts to be displayed) is output when the image of the hunter starts to be displayed (and when an additional display starts), and that special sound is output for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) and that the output stops at the latest before the image of the hunter is erased. It is preferable that a dedicated special sound is output when the image of the hunter starts to be displayed, and that the special sound is output for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) and that the output stops at the latest before the image of the hunter is erased. It is preferable that a dedicated special sound is output when the image of the hunter starts to be displayed, when game ball B enters the start hole, even if the number of hunters has reached the predetermined upper limit during the rare animal performance.

Figure 590(D) shows the state after the variation that started in Figure 590(A) has ended. As mentioned above, a battle scene with a rare animal is performed in the variation corresponding to the entry of the ball corresponding to the hunter wearing a silver crown in Figure 590(C), so the variation ends without the hunter being able to find the rare animal (i.e., the variation does not progress to a battle scene).

Figure 590 (E) shows the state at the start of the next variation from Figure 590 (D). In a variation in which a rare animal quest performance is being performed, the image of the hunter displayed large in the center left of the performance display device 1600 is erased when the variation ends, and at the start of the next variation, the hunter displayed at the far right of the bottom of the performance display device 1600 moves to be displayed large in the center left of the performance display device 1600, and the images of hunters other than the hunter displayed at the far right of the bottom of the performance display device 1600 move one by one to the right. Therefore, in Figure 590 (E), because no ball has landed on game ball B at the starting hole since Figure 590 (C), the number of hunter images displayed at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 has decreased by one.

Figure 591 (F) shows the state at the start of the second variation of Figure 590 (E) (i.e. the variation corresponding to the ball scoring corresponding to the hunter wearing a silver crown in Figure 590 (E)). In Figure 591 (F), the hunter wearing a silver crown that was displayed at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 in 590 (E) has moved to the left center and is displayed large. Furthermore, the decorative pattern has entered a reach state, indicating the start of a battle with a rare animal.

Note that after Figure 590(E) and before Figure 591(F), two game balls B enter the starting hole, so two images of hunters are added. In this way, even after the appearance of the rare animal image, images of hunters are added according to the game balls B that enter the starting hole. This makes it appear as if there are hunters waiting in the wings after the hunter who battles the rare animal (in other words, even if the hunter loses the battle with the rare animal, there is still a chance for another battle), which increases the player's sense of anticipation.

The more hunters are displayed after the image of the rare animal is displayed on the performance display device 1600, i.e., the more changes are pending, the shorter the time until the performance of the battle with the rare animal begins, i.e., the shorter the display time of the image of the rare animal. In other words, the player can change the display time of the image of the rare animal by operating the handle 182.

Figure 591 (G) shows an image of a hunter wearing a silver crown defeating a rare beast. When the hunter defeats the rare beast, a battle scene develops between the hunter and the demon king. In other words, the battle scene with the rare beast is the first half of the reach scene, and the battle scene with the demon king is the second half of the reach scene.

It is preferable that no change in the display mode of the image of the hunter is executed between the time when the hunter defeats the rare beast (including the time when the image of the rare beast is erased) and the start of the battle with the Demon King. This allows the player to enjoy the afterglow of the hunter defeating the rare beast, while waiting tensely to see whether the display mode of the image of the hunter will change when the battle with the Demon King begins.

Figure 591 (H) shows the state when the battle between the hunter and the demon king has begun. The image of the hunter wearing a silver crown changes to an image of a hunter wearing a gold crown (filled with dots in the figure), increasing the expectation of a big win. Also, during the battle with the demon king, the image of the hunter continues to be displayed at the bottom of the effect display device 1600 from Figure 591 (G), which makes it appear as if there are hunters waiting in the wings after the battling hunter (i.e., even if the hunter loses the battle with the demon king, there is still a chance for another battle), increasing the player's sense of expectation.

For example, when the display mode of the image of the hunter battling the Demon King changes after the start of the battle performance with the Demon King, it is desirable to prevent the image after the change from being selected as the one with the lowest expectation among the multiple display modes. Specifically, for example, when the display mode changes after the start of the battle performance with the Demon King while an image of a hunter without a crown, which has the lowest expectation of a jackpot, is displayed, the image does not change to an image of a hunter wearing a silver crown, but changes to an image of a hunter wearing a gold crown, which has a higher expectation of a jackpot. In other words, the change to the image of a hunter wearing a silver crown is a change that occurs only before the start of the battle performance with the Demon King, i.e., before the rare animal battle.

On the other hand, the change to an image of a hunter wearing a golden crown is a change that can occur not only after the start of the battle with the Demon King, but also before the rare animal battle. This prevents the player's expectations from decreasing in the latter half of the reach performance, as it does not show a state with a low probability of winning, and also increases the player's expectations from the first half of the reach performance, as it shows a state with a high probability of winning.

Also, the probability of selecting a display mode with a higher probability of winning may be increased when the display mode of the hunter's image changes during a battle with the Demon King compared to when the display mode of the hunter's image changes before the rare animal is defeated (for example, when an image of a hunter without a crown changes before defeating a rare animal, the probability of the image changing to an image of a hunter wearing a silver crown and the probability of the image changing to an image of a hunter wearing a gold crown are 7/8 and 1/8, respectively, but when the image changes during a battle with the Demon King, the probability of the image changing to an image of a hunter wearing a silver crown and the probability of the image changing to an image of a hunter wearing a gold crown are 0/8 and 8/8, respectively).

Also, it is desirable that the number of times the display mode of the hunter's image can change before defeating the rare animal be greater (after a change from a hunter without a crown to a hunter wearing a silver crown, the hunter wearing a gold crown can change; the number of changes is two) than the number of times the display mode of the hunter's image can change during the battle performance with the Demon King (only a change from a hunter without a crown to a hunter wearing a gold crown, and a change from a hunter wearing a silver crown to a hunter wearing a gold crown can occur, but in both cases the number of changes is one). This is because the timing for announcing the special lottery results is certain to be close during the battle performance with the Demon King, so the player can focus on the battle with the Demon King rather than on the changes in the mode of the hunter's image.

Figure 591 (I) shows an image of a hunter wearing a golden crown attacking the Demon King. Figure 591 (J) shows an image of a hunter wearing a golden crown defeating the Demon King, and the decorative symbols stop in a winning combination.

If the hunter is unable to defeat the rare beast in Figure 591 (G) and it escapes, or if the hunter is defeated by the demon king in Figures 591 (I) to (J), the decorative patterns stop with a losing combination, the fluctuation ends, and the rare beast quest performance ends. If images of hunters are displayed at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 when the rare beast quest performance ends, the display of each of these hunters may continue until the fluctuation corresponding to that hunter ends, giving the player a lingering feeling of the rare beast quest.

In the above example, during the performance of the battle with the rare beast and the performance of the battle with the Demon King, the hunter (the hunter at the bottom of the performance display device 1600) whose ball is entered after the ball entered by the hunter who is battling is displayed. However, in order to avoid giving the player the illusion that these hunters are waiting in the wings and thus raising the player's expectations too much, the hunter may not be displayed during at least one of the performances of the battle with the rare beast and the battle with the Demon King. Furthermore, during the performance of the battle with the Demon King, the hunter battling the Demon King may not be displayed either (for example, the hunter battling the Demon King may become invisible using the invisible man technique, thereby increasing the expectation of winning the battle with the Demon King).

As mentioned above, in the rare animal quest performance, the display mode of the hunter's image can change multiple times, but it is desirable that the time for which the rare animal image is displayed is longer than the total time it takes to perform these multiple changes in display mode. This is because the rare animal quest performance is not a performance that shows a change in the hunter, but rather an performance in which the important thing is for the hunter to find the rare animal first.

There may also be multiple types of transformation effects in which the display mode of the hunter's image changes. Specifically, for example, when the display mode of the hunter's image changes, one of multiple transformation effects may be selected from a transformation in which the hunter jumps, throws a punch, or throws a kick. However, in the battle with the demon king, some of the multiple transformation effects may not be selectable in order to allow the player to concentrate on the battle.

In the above example, three types of display modes for the image of the hunter with different jackpot expectancies (a hunter without a crown, a hunter wearing a white crown, and a hunter wearing a red crown) have been described, but there may be four or more types. In other words, in this case, the image display mode for one hunter can be changed three or more times in the rare animal quest performance.

For example, suppose there are four different display modes of the image of the hunter with different jackpot expectations (the order of jackpot expectation is: hunter without a crown < hunter wearing a white crown < hunter wearing a silver crown < hunter wearing a gold crown). For example, if the timing when the display mode of the image changes to the hunter wearing a silver crown, which has the second highest jackpot expectation, is during the performance of the battle with the demon king, it is desirable that the possibility of a further change in the display mode of the hunter image during the performance of the battle with the demon king is low compared to when it occurs before the performance of the battle with the demon king (for example, when an image of a rare animal is displayed or during the performance of the battle with a rare animal). This is to reduce the number of times the display mode of the hunter image is changed during the performance of the battle with the demon king, which is the second half of the reach performance, so that the player can focus on the battle itself.

It is also possible to change to the same display mode during both the battle with the rare beast and the battle with the Demon King, such as changing the display mode from a hunter without a crown to a hunter wearing a silver crown, but it is preferable to make the change to the same display mode so that the probability of a jackpot is higher when it is made during the battle with the rare beast than during the battle with the Demon King, and it is also preferable to make the rate at which further changes in the display mode are made after the change to the display mode in question higher. This will make the player pay more attention to the battle with the rare beast that takes place before the battle with the Demon King, allowing them to feel a sense of expectation and tension from an early stage.

In addition, when there are four types of hunter display modes with different jackpot expectancies, it is possible to execute a maximum of three display mode change effects for each hunter, but for example, the interval time between (the start or end of) the second display mode change effect and (the start or end of) the third display mode change effect may be longer or shorter than the time during which the image of the rare animal is displayed.

For example, when game ball B enters the starting hole, the first change in the display mode of the image of the hunter is made (i.e., an image of a hunter wearing a white crown is suddenly displayed when game ball B enters the hole), and the display of the image of a rare animal is started. In this case, if the interval time between the second change in the display mode and the third change in the display mode is longer than the time during which the image of the rare animal is displayed, the display time of the image of the hunter wearing a silver crown (which changes to white in the first change in the display mode, silver in the second change in the display mode, and to an image of a hunter wearing a gold crown in the third change in the display mode) will be longer, so the time during which the player gets excited about the image changing to the image of the hunter wearing a gold crown, which has the highest expectation of a jackpot, can be extended, and the anticipation of the changes in the display mode of both the image of the rare animal and the image of the hunter can be increased.

In addition, if the interval between the second and third display mode changes is shorter than the time it takes for the image of the rare animal to be displayed, the hunter wearing a golden crown can be displayed at an earlier timing. In particular, if the image of the rare animal changes to the image of the hunter wearing a golden crown before the image of the rare animal ends, the player can feel at ease and concentrate on the change in the display mode of the image of the rare animal. If the image of the hunter wearing a golden crown is changed to the image of the hunter wearing a golden crown after the image of the rare animal ends, the display time of the image of the hunter in a display mode with a low expectation of a jackpot will be longer, but the sense of expectation can be increased by the sudden change to the display mode of the hunter with the highest expectation of a jackpot.

Note that if game ball B enters the starting hole during the battle with the Demon King, an image of the hunter can be additionally displayed, but it is preferable that the image of the rare animal not start to be displayed as it was before the battle with the rare animal began. If the image of the rare animal could be displayed again when game ball B enters the starting hole during the battle with the Demon King, the player might mistakenly believe that the hunter cannot defeat the Demon King (i.e., the jackpot will not be announced) unless the performance of defeating the rare animal is performed again, which could reduce the sense of excitement.

Figures 592, 593, and 594 are explanatory diagrams showing another example of the rare animal quest presentation. The rare animal quest presentations in Figures 592, 593, and 594 are similar to the rare animal quest presentations in Figures 590, 591, and 592 in terms of the presence of multiple display modes of images of hunters with different odds of winning and the presentation of changes in said display modes, as well as the presence of multiple display modes of images of rare animals with different odds of winning and the presentation of changes in said display modes.

Figure 592 (A) shows the state at the start of the fluctuation when the rare animal quest performance has begun. A hunter wearing a silver crown is displayed on the performance display device 1600, and all of the decorative patterns are fluctuating. In Figure 592 (B), the image of the hunter is erased on the performance display device 1600, and a message is displayed instructing the player to succeed in the invisible man technique and ambush the rare animal. It is assumed that the distribution of whether or not the invisible man technique will be successful is determined so that the likelihood of a jackpot is higher when the invisible man technique is successful than when it fails.

In Figure 592 (C), the invisible man technique has been successful and the image of the hunter has been erased (made invisible). In addition, when the invisible man technique has been successful, a message is displayed on the performance display device 1600 indicating that a rare animal will appear if game ball B is placed in the starting hole.

In Fig. 592(D), although game ball B has entered the starting hole in Fig. 592(C) and an image of a rare animal is displayed, the invisible man technique is still active and the image of the hunter remains erased. Note that once the rare animal quest performance begins, as explained in Figs. 590 and 591, if game ball B enters the starting hole, the number of hunters displayed on the performance display device 1600 will increase up to a predetermined number.

However, when game ball B enters the starting hole in a state where the hunters cannot be seen, such as when only a message as in FIG. 592(B) is displayed, or when the invisible man technique has been successfully performed as in FIG. 592(C), the number of hunters is increased internally up to a predetermined number, and when the hunters become visible, the increased number of hunters is reflected. Also, when game ball B enters the starting hole in a state where the hunters cannot be seen, the image of the hunter is not displayed, but a special sound dedicated to the start of the display of the image of the hunter may be output.

In Figure 592(E), the hunter, who had successfully used the invisible man spell, encounters a rare beast, and so the invisible man spell is released, and a battle performance with the rare beast begins. In addition, since one game ball B enters the starting hole between immediately after Figure 592(A) and immediately before Figure 592(E), an image of the hunter is added to the bottom of the performance display device 1600. When the performance in Figure 592(E) ends, for example, a performance similar to that from Figure 591(G) onwards is performed, or a performance in which the hunter is unable to defeat the rare beast and it escapes, ending the rare beast quest performance, etc. is performed.

In the example of Figure 592 (E), a battle performance with a rare animal begins in a variation in which game ball B enters the starting hole and the image of a rare animal begins to be displayed; however, the variation may not develop into a battle performance with a rare animal (for example, the variation may end without the decorative pattern forming a reach), and the invisible man's spell may be broken, and the variation corresponding to the ball entering (i.e., the variation corresponding to the hunter not wearing the crown in Figure 592 (E)) may develop into a rare animal battle performance.

In the example of Figure 593, an effect is performed in which the hunter fails to perform the invisible man technique. Figures 593(A) and 593(B) are similar to Figures 592(A) and 592(B), respectively. In Figure 593(C2), an effect is executed in which the hunter fails to perform the invisible man technique and is displayed again (i.e., in the rare animal quest effect of Figure 593, the image of the rare animal is not displayed), and the decorative pattern is in a reach state.

Also, from immediately after Fig. 593(B) to immediately before Fig. 593(C2), the number of images of the displayed hunters does not increase because game ball B has not entered the starting hole. Also, when the scene in which the invisible man technique fails is played, it does not develop into a battle scene with a rare animal, and since the player's sense of expectation does not increase even if the number of hunters increases, it is possible not to increase the number of images of the displayed hunters even if game ball B enters the starting hole in Figs. 593(A) to 593(C).

In Figure 593 (D2), a message is displayed on the effect display device 1600 indicating that the hunter fails to use his invisible man technique and therefore does not encounter the rare beast, and therefore no battle with the rare beast will take place, and that although no battle with the rare beast will take place, something will happen. For example, in Figure 593 (D2), the image of the hunter is erased to ensure that the player is aware of the message, but the image of the hunter may remain displayed.

In Fig. 593 (E2), the Demon King suddenly appears, without the hunter defeating the rare animal in the battle, and an effect is shown indicating the start of the battle with the Demon King. In addition, the display mode of the image of the hunter changes from a hunter wearing a silver crown to a hunter wearing a gold crown, which has a higher expectation of a jackpot. At this time, a special sound dedicated to the hunter mode can be output based on the change in the hunter mode in Fig. 593 (E2).

In this way, even if the invisible man technique fails and the game does not progress to a battle with a rare beast, there is a presentation pattern that progresses to a battle with the Demon King, so players who experience this presentation pattern for the first time will feel a sense of surprise, and players who have already experienced this presentation pattern can continue to feel hopeful about the possibility of hitting the jackpot even if they fail to use the invisible man technique.

In order to encourage players to root for the hunter and create a sense of tension in the battle performance with the rare beasts, it is desirable that the jackpot expectation rate when the invisible man technique is successful and the battle performance with the rare beasts progresses to the battle performance with the Demon King is higher than the jackpot expectation rate when the invisible man technique is unsuccessful and the battle performance with the Demon King progresses without the rare beasts. However, in order to give players a sense of surprise and excitement at the same time by failing to use the invisible man technique and developing into a battle performance with the Demon King without the rare beasts, in order to encourage players to root for the hunter and create a sense of tension in the battle performance with the rare beasts, the jackpot expectation rate when the invisible man technique is successful and the battle performance with the Demon King progresses through the rare beasts to the battle performance with the Demon King may be lower than the jackpot expectation rate when the invisible man technique is unsuccessful and the battle performance with the Demon King progresses without the rare beasts. Also, in order to allow players to focus on the battle performance with the Demon King, these jackpot expectation rates may be the same.

In Figure 593 (F2), in addition to images of one hunter and the Demon King, a message is displayed to the effect that game ball B should be placed in the starting hole to gather ambush hunters. In the battle performance with the Demon King in Figures 593 and 594, when game ball B enters the starting hole, the number of hunters increases internally (without being displayed as an image) up to a predetermined number. Note that even before the battle performance with the Demon King begins, the number of hunters may be increased internally up to a predetermined number when game ball B enters the starting hole. The hunters increased internally are not displayed on the performance display device 1600 until a predetermined timing (for example, at the earliest until the outcome of the battle with the Demon King is announced).

Moreover, as will be described in detail later, in a variation in which the player loses the battle performance with the Demon King, even if game ball B enters the starting hole during the battle performance with the Demon King, an image of the rare animal is not displayed, but an image of the rare animal is displayed in the next variation (for example, from the start of the variation). By not displaying an image of the rare animal during the battle performance with the Demon King, allowing the player to focus on the battle performance with the Demon King, and by displaying an image of the rare animal in the next variation, it is possible to prevent the player from feeling disappointed even if they lose the battle performance with the Demon King.

In Fig. 594 (G2), one game ball B has entered the starting hole, and although a special sound dedicated to when an image of a hunter is additionally displayed is output, one hunter has only been added internally. Note that in Fig. 594 (G2), game ball B has accidentally entered the starting hole at the timing when the special sound is output, and it is desirable that the special sound is not output based on game ball B entering the starting hole. By being able to output the special sound in this way, even though an image of a hunter is not additionally displayed, the player feels as if a hunter has been added to ambush the demon king, which can increase the sense of anticipation.

In Figure 594 (H2), an image of a hunter battling the demon king and attacking him is displayed. The image of the hunter that was added internally has not yet been displayed. In Figure 594 (I2), an image of the hunter winning against the demon king is displayed, and the decorative symbols have stopped in a winning combination.

When a jackpot is announced as in FIG. 594 (I2), it is desirable for the variation to end without displaying the image of the internally added hunter. If the image of the internally added hunter is displayed, some players may feel that the afterglow of winning the jackpot is interrupted. On the other hand, the image of the internally added hunter may be displayed from the time the pattern is determined, or may be displayed from a specified timing between the time the jackpot is announced and the time the pattern is determined. This allows the player to feel that the internally added hunter contributed to the victory in the battle with the Demon King, and allows the player to enjoy operating the handle 182 (to add a hunter internally) in the battle with the Demon King from the next game onwards.

When the hunter loses the battle with the demon king, for example, a transition occurs from FIG. 594 (G2) to FIG. 594 (H3). In FIG. 594 (H3), an image is displayed of the hunter battling the demon king and being attacked by the demon king. The image of the hunter added internally is not yet displayed. In FIG. 594 (I3), an image is displayed of the hunter being defeated by the demon king, and the decorative patterns stop at a losing combination.

When a loss is reported as in FIG. 594 (I3), it is desirable to display an image of the internally added hunter (for example, from a specified timing between when the loss is reported and when the pattern is finalized, or from when the pattern is finalized). By displaying the image of the internally added hunter, the player can expect an action in which the hunter takes revenge on the Demon King or searches for a rare animal. On the other hand, since the player lost the battle with the Demon King despite the internally added hunters, making the player aware of the number of internally added hunters by displaying an image could irritate the player, so it is also possible not to display the internally added hunters.

Figure 594 (J3) shows the state at the start of the next change after the changes up to Figure 593 (I3) (i.e. the change corresponding to the ball entering the starting hole during the battle performance with the Demon King). In Figure 594 (I3), the images of the hunter who was defeated by the Demon King and the Demon King are erased, and the image of the hunter and the rare animal that were displayed at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 are enlarged and displayed in the center left part of the performance display device 1600, and the rare animal quest performance by the hunter has begun.

In this way, if a hunter is added during the performance of a battle with the Demon King, that hunter will appear in the rare animal quest performance of the next variation, and a rare animal will always be displayed, allowing the player to enjoy operating the handle 182 (to internally add a hunter) during the performance of a battle with the Demon King. Conversely, if an image of a rare animal begins to be displayed at the start of a variation, it is confirmed that a battle performance with the Demon King was performed in the previous variation.

As shown in Fig. 591(C), even if the invisible man technique is successful, there is a risk that the game ball B cannot be put into the starting hole, so after the invisible man technique is successful and a certain time has passed, the image of the hunter is displayed again, but the performance of Fig. 592(C) may then be executed again. In other words, the period in which the rare animal can be displayed by putting the game ball B into the starting hole can be generated multiple times in one change, so the player can more reliably display the image of the rare animal. On the other hand, in the battle performance with the demon king in Fig. 594 in which the player is defeated, when the game ball B is put into the starting hole, the image of the rare animal is displayed in the next change, but if the battle performance with the demon king is performed multiple times in one change to make the image of the rare animal more reliably displayed in the next change (if the period in which the rare animal can be displayed by putting the game ball B into the starting hole is generated multiple times in one change), the player will have excessive expectations for the battle performance, so it is set to be performed only once.

Although the battle scene with the Demon King is performed only once per fluctuation, in order to ensure that the image of the rare beast is displayed in the next fluctuation, it is desirable that the duration of the battle scene with the Demon King be longer than the total duration of the multiple instances of the Invisible Man technique being successful (the period during which the rare beast can be displayed by having game ball B enter the starting hole) shown in Fig. 591 (C).

In addition, both when the invisible man technique is successful and when the battle with the Demon King is in progress, the entry of game ball B into the starting hole leads to the display of an image of a rare animal. However, as is clear from Figures 592, 593, and 594, when the invisible man technique is successful, the special lottery results are not announced, but during the battle with the Demon King, the special lottery results are announced.

Also, when the invisible man technique is successful, the decorative symbols are not in a reach state (all decorative symbols are changing), but during the battle with the Demon King, the decorative symbols are in a reach state. If the decorative symbols are in a reach state when the invisible man technique is successful, the player may feel tired because the anticipation lasts too long, and if the decorative symbols are not in a reach state during the battle with the Demon King, the player will not feel anticipation for the battle.

In addition, when the invisible man technique is successful and during the battle with the Demon King, the image of the hunter corresponding to the change after the current change is at least invisible. However, when the invisible man technique is successful, the image of the hunter is immediately redisplayed, so by displaying an image with a higher display priority than the hunter (for example, a white or black image) over the image of the hunter, the state in which the image of the hunter is redisplayed can be quickly restored. On the other hand, because the duration of the battle with the Demon King is long, there is a long period during which the image of the added hunter is not displayed, so it is advisable to temporarily erase the image of the added hunter from the performance display device 1600.

During the battle with the Demon King, as shown in FIG. 593 (E2), when the display mode of the image of the hunter changes (when the image of the hunter is displayed), the special sound is output and the player can see the changed display mode at the same time (i.e., before the battle with the Demon King ends). On the other hand, even if the invisible man technique is successful as shown in FIG. 592 (C), the special sound when the display mode of the image of the hunter changes can be output, but since the image of the hunter itself is not displayed, the changed display mode can only be seen after the hunter is redisplayed (i.e., after the period for displaying the rare animal has ended). Note that some of the special sounds (corresponding to the display mode of the hunter) that can be output while the invisible man technique is successful (i.e., when the image of the hunter is not displayed) (for example, the sound when the hunter without the crown is displayed) may not be output during the battle with the Demon King. For example, if a special sound corresponding to a hunter with a display mode with a low expectation of a jackpot is output during the battle with the Demon King, the player's sense of expectation will decrease.

In addition, when the display mode of the hunter's image changes during the battle with the Demon King, the mode with a high probability of winning is more likely to be selected than when the invisible man technique is successful (when the change occurs when the hunter's image is not displayed, the sound corresponding to the mode with a high probability of winning is more likely to be output). When the invisible man technique is successful, there is a possibility that the battle with the rare beast and the battle with the Demon King will still follow, so if the mode with a high probability of winning becomes more likely to appear when there is still time until the special lottery results are announced, some players may lose interest in the remaining performances.

For example, in a variation in which the invisible man technique is successful as in FIG. 592, if game ball B enters the starting hole before the scene in which the invisible man technique is successful is performed, the image of the rare animal may be made to appear first. This is because some players want to know quickly whether the invisible man technique will be successful or not. On the other hand, in a variation in which a battle scene with the Demon King is performed, if game ball B enters the starting hole before the battle scene with the Demon King is performed, the image of the rare animal may not be displayed first, but may be displayed after the start of the next variation in order to allow the player to concentrate on the battle scene with the Demon King.

Figures 595 and 596 are explanatory diagrams showing another example of the rare animal quest presentation. In the rare animal quest presentations of Figures 596 and 597, multiple hunters search for a rare animal, and when the presentation develops into a battle presentation with the rare animal, the multiple hunters can attack the rare animal all at once. Hereinafter, the rare animal quest presentations before Figures 590 to 594 will also be referred to as the rare animal quest presentations in single battle mode, and the rare animal quest presentations of Figures 595 and 596 as the rare animal quest presentations in multi-battle mode.

In the rare animal quest performance of the multi-battle mode, if an image of a hunter wearing a gold crown is displayed during the search for a rare animal, the battle with the rare animal will definitely progress without any suggestive performance suggesting that it will progress to a rare animal battle performance, and there is a high possibility that it will progress to a battle with the demon king. Also, if a hunter wearing a gold crown is not displayed during the search for a rare animal, a suggestive performance suggesting that it will progress to a rare animal battle performance can be executed, but it is not guaranteed that the battle with the rare animal will be won, and the chances of reaching the battle with the demon king are low (however, if a hunter wearing a silver crown is displayed, there is a higher chance of winning the battle with the rare animal and reaching the battle with the demon king than when only a hunter without a crown is displayed).

Note that even if an image of a hunter wearing a golden crown is displayed during a search for a rare animal, it may be possible to set it so that it does not necessarily develop into a battle with the rare animal, but it is desirable that the rate at which it develops into a battle with the rare animal is higher than when an image of a hunter wearing a golden crown is not displayed.

Figure 595 (A) shows the state at the start of a change that will result in a rare animal quest performance. Images of four hunters lined up are displayed on the performance display device 1600. The hunter displayed on the far right and displayed in a larger size compared to the other hunters is the hunter corresponding to the change in question. From the right, the hunters displayed on the performance display device 1600 correspond to the current change, the next change, the change after that, the change three changes from now, and the change four changes from now (the hunters corresponding to the change four changes from now are not displayed in Figure 595 (A)).

The third hunter from the right is wearing a silver crown. As mentioned above, if there is a hunter wearing a silver crown, the chances of a battle developing into a rare animal are higher than if there is no hunter wearing a crown.

Figure 595 (B) shows the state in Figure 595 (A) where game ball B has entered the starting hole. An image of the fifth hunter and an image of a rare animal (an image suggesting a battle effect with a rare animal) are additionally displayed on the effect display device 1600. The fifth hunter is wearing a silver crown, and since there is no hunter wearing a gold crown, the image of the rare animal can be displayed at the same time. As shown in Figure 595 (B), while a hunter with a display mode with a high expectation of a jackpot (a hunter wearing a silver crown) is displayed first, when game ball B enters the starting hole, a hunter with a display mode with a high expectation of a jackpot (a hunter wearing a silver crown) can be further displayed, thereby further increasing the player's sense of expectation.

Figure 595(C) is the variation after that of Figure 595(B). The hunter who was displayed third from the right in Figure 595(B) (the hunter wearing a silver crown) is displayed large as the hunter corresponding to the variation in Figure 595(C), and the hunters who were displayed fourth and fifth from the right in Figure 595(B) (the hunter wearing a silver crown and the hunter not wearing a crown) are displayed first and second from the right at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 in Figure 595(C). Also, because at least two game balls B entered the starting hole between Figure 595(B) and Figure 595(C), the third and fourth hunters from the right at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 are displayed in Figure 595(C).

In addition, in Figure 595 (C), the decorative pattern is in a reach state, the group of hunters encounters a rare beast, and the battle performance with the rare beast begins. If the group of hunters wins the battle performance with the rare beast, it progresses to a battle performance with the demon king. Details of the battle performance with the rare beast will be described later using Figure 596.

It is also possible to transition from the presentation shown in FIG. 595(A) to that shown in FIG. 595(B2). In FIG. 595(B2), game ball B has entered the starting hole in the state shown in FIG. 595(A). Although an image of a fifth hunter is additionally displayed on the presentation display device 1600, an image of a rare animal (an image suggesting a presentation of a battle with a rare animal) is not displayed on the presentation display device 1600.

Figure 595 (C2) is a variation four times after the variation in Figure 595 (B2). The hunter who was displayed fifth from the right in Figure 595 (B2) (the hunter wearing a silver crown) is displayed large as the hunter corresponding to the variation in Figure 595 (C). Also, because at least four game balls B entered the starting hole between Figure 595 (B2) and Figure 595 (C2), the first and fourth hunters from the right are displayed at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 in Figure 595 (C2).

In addition, in FIG. 595(C), the decorative pattern is in a reach state, the group of hunters encounters a rare animal, and a battle performance with the rare animal begins. If the group of hunters wins the battle performance with the rare animal, it progresses to a battle performance with the Demon King. Even if an image of a rare animal is not displayed as in FIG. 595(B2) (i.e., a battle performance with a rare animal is not suggested), it is possible to progress to a battle performance with a rare animal in FIG. 595(C2), so that a decrease in the player's expectations can be suppressed even if an image of a rare animal is not displayed. However, in order to increase the player's expectations by displaying an image of a rare animal, it is desirable that the expectation of development to a battle performance with the Demon King (i.e., the rate at which a specific reach performance is executed) and the expectation of a big win are higher in the case of transitioning from FIG. 595(A) to FIG. 595(B2) than in the case of transitioning from FIG. 595(A) to FIG. 595(B2).

Figure 596 (A3) shows the state at the start of a change that will result in a rare animal quest performance. Images of four hunters lined up are displayed on the performance display device 1600. The hunter displayed on the far right and displayed in a larger size compared to the other hunters is the hunter corresponding to the change in question. From the right, the hunters displayed on the performance display device 1600 correspond to the current change, the next change, the change after that, the change three changes from now, and the change four changes from now (the hunters corresponding to the change four changes from now are not displayed in Figure 596 (A)).

The third hunter from the right is wearing a golden crown. As mentioned above, if there is a hunter wearing a golden crown among the hunters, there will be no suggestive effects suggesting that the game will develop into a rare animal battle performance, and there is a high possibility that the game will develop into a battle with a rare animal and reach a battle performance with the Demon King. This is not limited to the case where there is a hunter wearing a golden crown among the hunters, but for example, when a specific variation pattern (for example, an SP reach variation pattern) is being executed, even if game ball B enters the starting hole, it is possible not to perform a suggestive effect (display of an image of a rare animal) suggesting that the game will develop into a rare animal battle performance.

Figure 596 (B3) shows the state in Figure 596 (A3) where game ball B has entered the starting hole. An image of a fifth hunter and an image of a rare animal (an image suggesting a battle effect with a rare animal) are additionally displayed on the effect display device 1600. The fifth hunter is wearing a silver crown.

Figure 596 (C3) is the variation after that of Figure 596 (B3). The hunter (the hunter wearing a gold crown) that was displayed third from the right in Figure 596 (B3) is displayed large as the hunter corresponding to the variation of Figure 596 (C3), and the hunters (the hunter wearing a silver crown and the hunter not wearing a crown) that were displayed fourth and fifth from the right in Figure 596 (B3) are displayed first and second from the right at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 in Figure 596 (C3). Also, because at least two game balls B entered the starting hole between Figure 596 (B3) and Figure 596 (C3), the third and fourth hunters from the right at the bottom of the performance display device 1600 are displayed in Figure 596 (C3). Also, in Figure 596 (C3), the decorative pattern is in a reach state, the group of hunters encounters a rare animal, and a battle scene with the rare animal begins.

Figure 596 (D3) shows a state in which a battle between a rare animal and a group of hunters is taking place, with the group of hunters attacking the rare animal all at once. Figure 596 (E3) shows a state in which the group of hunters has defeated the rare animal, i.e., it has been confirmed that the battle with the demon king will develop into a battle scene. Figure 596 (F3) shows a state in which the battle scene with the demon king has begun, and is the same as Figure 591 (H). After Figure 596 (F3), for example, a scene similar to that from Figure 591 (I) onwards is played out.

In the rare animal quest presentation in the multi-battle mode, when game ball B enters the starting hole, the number of images of hunters displayed on the presentation display device 1600 increases up to a predetermined number. In the presentation of the battle with a rare animal in the multi-battle mode, the numerical value of the damage inflicted on the rare animal when a group of hunters attacks the rare animal may be displayed, and it is preferable that the average numerical value of this damage increases as the number of hunters displayed during the battle with the rare animal increases (however, whether or not the rare animal can be defeated is determined before the start of the fluctuation, based on the fluctuation pattern, etc.).

This allows the player to enjoy operating the handle 182 to get the game ball B into the starting hole during the rare animal quest performance. In particular, during performances where there is a high chance of a big win, players often stop operating the handle 182 to enjoy the performance, but in the rare animal quest performance, the number displayed as the damage inflicted on the rare animals changes depending on the number of game balls B that have entered the starting hole, so not many players stop operating the handle 182, which increases the profits of the hall.

In the above example of the multi-battle mode, an example was described in which the image of a rare animal (an image suggesting a battle scene with a rare animal) begins to be displayed when game ball B enters the starting hole, but the image of the rare animal may also begin to be displayed at other times, such as when the fluctuation begins or at a specified timing while the fluctuation is being performed. By starting to display the image of the rare animal at various times in this way, the player can enjoy operating handle 182 (entering game ball B into the starting hole) in the hope of seeing the image of a rare animal.

In the above example, the rare animal image starts to be displayed at the same time as the additional display of the hunter image (for example, when game ball B enters the starting hole), but the timing when the rare animal image starts to be displayed does not necessarily have to be the same as the timing when the hunter image starts to be displayed (in other words, the start of the display of the rare animal image does not necessarily have to be accompanied by the additional display of the hunter image).

In addition, when the hunter wearing a gold crown is not displayed and only the hunter wearing a silver crown and the hunter without a crown are displayed, the rate at which the battle performance with the Demon King is executed in the variation corresponding to the hunter wearing the silver crown is lower than the rate at which the battle performance with the Demon King is executed in the variation corresponding to the hunter wearing the gold crown when an image of the hunter wearing the gold crown is displayed. In other words, when only the hunter wearing a silver crown and the hunter without a crown are displayed, the rate at which the battle performance with the Demon King is executed before the variation corresponding to the hunter corresponding to the game ball B entering the starting hole after the start of the display of the hunter wearing the silver crown is lower than the rate at which the battle performance with the Demon King is executed before the variation corresponding to the hunter corresponding to the game ball B entering the starting hole after the start of the display of the hunter wearing the gold crown when an image of the hunter wearing the gold crown is displayed.

Also, as in the presentation of FIG. 595, when an image of a hunter wearing a silver crown is displayed and another hunter wearing a silver crown is additionally displayed, the display mode of the image of the hunter wearing the silver crown that is added later is more likely to change than the image of the hunter wearing the silver crown that was displayed earlier. On the other hand, as in the presentation of FIG. 596, when an image of a hunter wearing a gold crown is displayed and another hunter wearing a silver crown is additionally displayed, the display mode of the image of the hunter wearing the silver crown that is added later may change more or less than the image of the hunter wearing the gold crown that was displayed earlier.

In addition, if the timing at which the display mode of the image of the hunter wearing a silver crown, which began to be displayed earlier in FIG. 595(B), further changes and the timing at which game ball B enters the starting hole overlap, in order to highlight each effect, it is advisable to delay the execution of either the effect in which the display mode of the hunter's image further changes or the effect that is performed when game ball B enters the starting hole (such as an effect in which an image of the hunter is additionally displayed or the output of a sound when game ball B enters the starting hole) by a predetermined time, or not execute either effect, so that these two effects do not overlap. This is to allow the player to concentrate on one or both of these effects.

For example, the display mode of the image of the hunter may further include an image of a hunter wearing a camouflage-colored crown (when an image of a hunter wearing a camouflage-colored crown is displayed, the expectation of a big win is higher than when an image of a hunter wearing a gold crown is displayed, and in the variation corresponding to that hunter, a battle scene with a rare animal is always generated and the hunter wins, leading to a battle scene with the Demon King). In this case, in FIG. 595(B), when game ball B enters the starting hole and the image of a rare animal is displayed, an image of a hunter is added at the same time, and it is possible to change the display mode of the image of the previously displayed hunter (a hunter other than the added hunter), but it is preferable that the change in display mode not be to one wearing a camouflage-colored crown. For example, if the previously displayed hunter were to change to one wearing a camouflage-colored crown, this would indicate a high probability of winning a jackpot, but because the change corresponding to the hunter wearing a camouflage-colored crown does not correspond to the start of the display of images of rare animals, players may suspect that the change corresponding to the hunter wearing a camouflage-colored crown does not develop into a rare animal battle, and that the probability of winning a jackpot with this change is not actually high.

As explained in FIG. 596, when an image of a hunter wearing a golden crown is displayed, an image of a rare animal (an image suggesting a battle scene with a rare animal) is not displayed. However, when an image of a hunter wearing a golden crown is displayed and a specific condition is met (for example, game ball B enters the starting hole), an image of a rare animal may be displayed at a predetermined rate at the start of the next variation following the variation corresponding to the hunter wearing a golden crown. This allows the player to enjoy operating the handle 182 even in a variation in which an image of a rare animal is not displayed.

Below, as another example of the rare animal quest presentation, the rare animal quest presentation in the sudden encounter mode will be explained. In the sudden encounter mode, regardless of the display mode of the hunter's image, no images suggesting a battle presentation with a rare animal (images of rare animals displayed in Figures 590 (C)-(E), 592 (D), etc.) are displayed, and the mode develops into a battle presentation with a rare animal immediately. In the sudden encounter mode, since no images suggesting a battle presentation with a rare animal are displayed, the display mode of the hunter's image and the sounds output, etc., suggest the likelihood of the battle presentation with a rare animal developing, the likelihood of the battle presentation with the demon king developing, the likelihood of a jackpot, etc. (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as simply "expectations").

For example, when game ball B enters the game during a rare animal quest presentation and an image of a hunter is displayed (although not shown in the drawings, if a reserved display is displayed, this also occurs when the reserved display is displayed), a sound corresponding to the display mode of the hunter's image is output (when the display mode changes, a sound corresponding to the changed display mode is output). Note that there may be multiple types of sound, and for example, a sound corresponding to the display mode of the additionally displayed hunter's image may be output. Specifically, for example, different sounds may be output for all display modes, or the same sound may be output for some display modes, such as the sound when a hunter wearing a crown is displayed and the sound when a hunter without a crown is displayed.

For example, the sound (hereinafter also referred to as the first output sound) output when a hunter not wearing a crown (i.e., the display mode with the lowest expectation of a jackpot) is additionally displayed may be the same as the sound output when a prize is won, regardless of whether or not a rare animal quest is being carried out. This can suggest the expectation level, etc. On the other hand, when a hunter wearing a crown is additionally displayed, a second output sound different from the first output sound may be output. Note that, in order to give the player a sense of expectation, the second output sound with high expectation level may be output at a time other than when game ball B enters the ball (for example, when the display mode of the image of the hunter changes) (i.e., part of the sound output when game ball B enters the starting hole can also be output at other times).

Note that the volume of the first output sound may be suppressed (or the player cannot hear the first output sound because the difference in volume between the first output sound and other output sounds output at the same time is large (for example, there is a difference of a predetermined dB or more) (the other output sounds are louder)), but it is preferable that the volume of the second output sound is not suppressed (or the player can hear the second output sound because the difference in volume between the first output sound and other output sounds output at the same time is large (for example, there is a difference of a predetermined dB or more) (the second output sound is louder)). Note that, for example, when game ball B enters the starting hole, the first output sound is suppressed in a case where a predetermined effect other than the additional display of a hunter image based on game ball B entering the starting hole is performed. The first output sound may also be suppressed when the first output sound is output when an effect is performed in which the display mode of the already displayed hunter image changes. Note that suppressing the volume of the first output sound includes a case where the volume is simply reduced and a case where the proportion of the volume of the first output sound in the volume of all output sounds is reduced (i.e., the relative volume is reduced).

It is desirable that the first output sound be suppressed to a higher extent when the game progresses to a battle with the Demon King than when the game does not progress to a battle with the Demon King. In other words, even if the first output sound has a low expectation level, when its output is suppressed, the expectation level increases, so that even if a hunter without a crown is displayed, the player may feel a sense of expectation, and because no special sound is output, the game can proceed without other players realizing that the expectation level is high.

In addition, when the second output sound that is not suppressed is output, it is desirable that there is a higher expectation that the scene will develop into a battle scene with the demon lord than when the first output sound is output. In other words, it is desirable that the expectation that the scene will develop into a battle scene with the demon lord increases in the following order: when the first output sound that is not suppressed is output < when the first output sound that is suppressed is output < when the second output sound is output.

Also, for example, when the game ball B enters the starting hole, a special sound different from the first output sound and the second output sound may be output. When a special sound is output, it is desirable that the expectation of a big win in the fluctuation corresponding to the ball entry for which the special sound is output is higher than when the special sound is not output. In addition, the special sound may be output when the unsuppressed first output sound is made, or may not be output, or it may be possible to output a special sound when the suppressed first output sound is output, and to output a special sound when the second output sound is output. In this way, when the first output sound with a low expectation is output, the special sound is output to increase the expectation (however, since the expectation is higher when the suppressed first output sound is output than when the unsuppressed first output sound is output, the special sound may not be output as described above), and when the second output sound with a high expectation is output, the special sound is not output and the player can reliably hear the second output sound.

In addition, in a variation in which the second output sound is output, it is desirable that the second output sound not be output again after the second output sound is output. This is because if the second output sound is output multiple times in the same variation, it will overly arouse the player's expectations. On the other hand, even if the first output sound is output, the player's expectations will not be unnecessarily aroused, so in a variation in which the second output sound is output, it may be possible to output the first output sound after the second output sound is output.

Incidentally, since the unsuppressed first output sound is less anticipated than the second output sound, it is desirable that the volume of the unsuppressed first output sound be smaller than the volume of the second output sound, that the length of the output time of the first output sound be shorter than the length of the output time of the second output sound, and that the frequency of the first output sound be lower than the frequency of the second output sound.

In addition, in the rare animal quest performance, instead of or in addition to displaying an image of a rare animal, for example, a predetermined movable body (e.g., a movable body imitating a rare animal) provided in the pachinko machine 1 may be kept in operation, or a predetermined light-emitting body (e.g., a light-emitting body provided in the movable body imitating a rare animal) provided in the game board 5 may be kept lit. When illuminating a predetermined light-emitting body or operating a predetermined movable body instead of displaying an image of a rare animal, the light emission or operation may continue until the battle performance with the rare animal ends (i.e., until just before the battle performance with the demon king begins) (i.e., the light emission or operation may be performed during the battle performance with the rare animal), or the light emission or operation may continue until just before the battle performance with the rare animal begins.

[22. Characteristic Effects of the Present Embodiment]
Thus, according to the pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment, in the rear movable decorative body 3110 in the rear performance unit 3100, a transparent light guide plate 3113 and a rear decorative board 3114 are provided behind the decorative member composed of the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112, and the side-view type first LED 3114a mounted on the front surface of the rear decorative board 3114 is inserted so as to be accommodated in each of the multiple first LED accommodating sections 3113c formed on the rear surface of the light guide plate 3113. When the multiple first LEDs 3114a mounted on the rear decorative board 3114 are made to emit light, the light from the first LED 3114a is irradiated from the inner surface of the first LED accommodating section 3113c in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the light guide plate 3113, is reflected forward by multiple reflecting sections 3113e formed on almost the entire rear surface of the light guide plate 3113, and is radiated forward from the front surface of the light guide plate 3113. The light emitted forward from the light-guiding radiation plate 3113 is irradiated forward through the decorative sheet 3112 and decorative body 3111 that constitute the decorative member, causing the translucent decorative member (decorative body 3111 and decorative sheet 3112) on which the decorative part 3150 is provided to be illuminated and decorated.

At this time, the light irradiated from the first LED 3114a in a direction along the plate surface of the light guide radiation plate 3113 is reflected forward by a plurality of reflecting parts 3113e within the plate thickness of the light guide radiation plate 3113 to illuminate and decorate the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112. Compared to the case where the first LED 3114a irradiates light forward, the distance from which the light of the first LED 3114a is radiated forward from the front surface of the light guide radiation plate 3113 can be made longer, and the light from the first LED 3114a can be widely diffused and radiated forward from the light guide radiation plate 3113. Therefore, when the first LED 3114a is irradiated, the light from the first LED 3114a can be widely diffused and the appearance of point-like illumination can be suppressed, so that the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112 can be illuminated and decorated evenly to look beautiful, entertaining the player and suppressing a decline in interest.

In addition, the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 has a rear-rear decorative substrate 3114 provided behind the flat decorative members (decorative body 3111 and decorative sheet 3112) and the light-guiding radiation plate 3113, which allows the dimensions in the front-to-rear direction to be thin, making it easier to secure space for placing the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 and also easier to secure space for placing other performance members (rear-upper front rotating decorative body 3410, rear-upper rear rotating decorative body 3440, etc.), and by providing a variety of performance members, a pachinko machine 1 can be provided that can provide more enjoyment to players.

Furthermore, the decorative member (rear-rear movable decorative body 3110) on which the decorative part 3150 is provided is composed of a decorative body 3111 having embossed parts such as the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the second decorative protrusion 3111b, and the third decorative protrusion 3111c, and a decorative sheet 3112 having a pattern such as the first contour part 3112a. Therefore, the embossed parts can give a three-dimensional effect to the decorative part 3150, and the lens effect of the embossed parts can give a sense of depth to the pattern of the decorative sheet 3112 provided at the rear. Therefore, the embossed parts of the decorative body 3111 and the pattern of the decorative sheet 3112 can show the player a three-dimensional decoration (decorative part 3150) with a sense of depth, so that even if the thickness (front-rear dimension) of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 is made thinner, the decorative effect is not reduced, and the player's interest and entertainment can be attracted, and the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 can be made thinner, ensuring the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, because a decorative sheet 3112 having a pattern such as a first contour portion 3112a is provided behind the decorative body 3111 having embossed portions such as the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the second decorative protrusion 3111b, and the third decorative protrusion 3111c, the decorative body 3111 can be made to appear colored by the color of the pattern on the decorative sheet 3112 without coloring the transparent decorative body 3111, thereby reducing the cost of the decorative body 3111. In addition, by changing the pattern on the decorative sheet 3112, the decoration (decorative portion 3150) of the decorative body 3111 (rear movable decorative body 3110) can be easily changed, making it possible to make the pachinko machine 1 easy to respond to model changes, design changes, etc.

The first contour portion 3112a of the decorative sheet 3112 has a hologram portion where a part of the pattern as the decorative portion 3150 is displayed by the interference fringes of light. When light from the first LED 3114a of the rear decorative substrate 3114, light from other LEDs and the performance display device 1600 provided in the pachinko machine 1, light from the gaming hall in which the pachinko machine 1 is installed, etc. hits the hologram portion of the first contour portion 3112a, a specified hologram can be displayed by the interference fringes of light. Therefore, the hologram can improve the appearance of the decorative portion 3150 and strongly attract the interest of the player. In addition, the hologram can give a three-dimensional effect to a part of the decorative portion 3150 of the rear movable decorative body 3110, so that even if the rear movable decorative body 3110 is made thin, the player will not feel that it is thin.

Furthermore, because part of the pattern on the first contour portion 3112a of the decorative sheet 3112 is formed from a hologram, the hologram is visible through the transparent decorative body 3111 having embossed portions such as the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the second decorative protrusion 3111b, and the third decorative protrusion 3111c. The lens effect of the embossed portions gives the hologram or other pattern a sense of depth, allowing the player to see the decorative portion 3150 that can strongly attract the player's attention. Also, because the first contour portion 3112a of the decorative sheet 3112 has a hologram portion, it is possible to use printing technology to form the hologram portion, thereby suppressing increases in costs.

In addition, in the decorative member consisting of the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112, the rear surface of the decorative body 3111 is flattened and the outer shape of the decorative sheet 3112 is the same size as the outer shape of the decorative body 3111, so that the transparent decorative body 3111 can be decorated with the pattern of the decorative sheet 3112 up to the outer edge, and since there is no frame around the outer periphery of the decoration (decorative part 3150), a sense of openness can be given to the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 and the decoration can be made to look larger. Therefore, the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 (the pattern of the decorative sheet 3112, etc.) can be made to stand out more, the decorative effect of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 can be fully exerted, and the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 can strongly attract the interest of the player, so that a pachinko machine 1 that can entertain the player can be provided.

In addition, since the rear surface of the transparent decorative body 3111 is flat, the decorative sheet 3112 is in contact (abutment) with the rear surface of the decorative body 3111, so light is not diffusely reflected between the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112, and the pattern of the first contour portion 3112a of the decorative sheet 3112 can be more easily seen through the transparent decorative body 3111, and the decorative effect of the pattern of the decorative sheet 3112 can be fully exerted. In addition, since the rear surface of the decorative body 3111 is flat, it is possible to make the front-to-rear dimension of the decorative member composed of the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112 as small as possible, so the thickness of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 can be thinned, and a pachinko machine 1 that can realize the above-mentioned action and effect can be provided.

Furthermore, the decorative sheet 3112 is formed to be the same size as the outer shape of the decorative body 3111, and the pattern on the decorative sheet 3112 can decorate the outer periphery of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 (decorative body 3111). Therefore, by making the decorative aspect of the parts adjacent to the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110 continuous with the decoration of the rear-rear movable decorative body 3110, a large, unified decoration can be shown to the player, which not only creates a visual impact and draws the player's attention, but also allows the player to enjoy the large decoration, preventing a decline in the player's interest.

In addition, the light guide plate 3113 has a plurality of first LED accommodating sections 3113c in which the first LEDs 3114a of the rear decorative substrate 3114 are accommodated from the rear. By accommodating the first LEDs 3114a from the rear in the first LED accommodating sections 3113c of the light guide plate 3113, it is possible to bring the rear surface of the light guide plate 3113 and the front surface of the rear decorative substrate 3114 as close together as possible, and the thickness of the rear movable decorative body 3110 in the front-to-rear direction can be reduced, thereby ensuring the realization of a pachinko machine 1 that achieves the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, the first LED 3114a of the rear decorative substrate 3114 is accommodated in the first LED accommodating section 3113c of the light guide radiation plate 3113, and light from the first LED 3114a is irradiated from the inner surface of the first LED accommodating section 3113c into the plate thickness. Compared to irradiating light from the outer peripheral surface of the light guide radiation plate 3113, even in areas of the light guide radiation plate 3113 where light from the outer peripheral surface is difficult to reach (e.g., the central portion), the area can be brightly illuminated by providing the first LED accommodating section 3113c in the area and irradiating light from its inner surface, allowing the rear movable decorative body 3110 (decorative body 3111 and decorative sheet 3112) to be illuminated and decorated evenly.

Furthermore, since the first LED 3114a of the rear decorative board 3114 is of the side-view type, simply by accommodating the first LED 3114a in the first LED accommodating section 3113c of the light guide radiation plate 3113 and allowing it to emit light, light can be emitted from the inner surface (light receiving section 3113i) of the first LED accommodating section 3113c in a direction along the plate surface within the plate thickness of the light guide radiation plate 3113, and the pachinko machine 1 that provides the above-mentioned effects can be reliably realized.

In addition, the light guide plate 3113 has multiple reflecting portions 3113e over almost the entire rear surface, and light can be emitted over almost the entire decorative body 3111 and decorative sheet 3112. Therefore, even if the decoration (decorative portion 3150) on the decorative body 3111 and decorative sheet 3112 is changed, there is no need to change the reflecting portions 3113e. This makes it possible to easily accommodate changes to the decoration of the decorative body 3111 and decorative sheet 3112, and provides a pachinko machine 1 that is easy to accommodate model changes, design changes, etc.

The same effects as described above can be achieved with the rear-rear movable decorative body 3160 and the rear-rear movable decorative body 3170. The periodic shaking or rotation of the pending display and the periodic shaking or rotation of the decorative pattern may be a series of effects that are repeatedly executed in the dynamic display during the still image performance.

The present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various improvements and design changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention, as described below.

In other words, in the above embodiment, the invention is applied to a pachinko machine 1 as a gaming machine, but this is not limited to this, and it may also be applied to a gaming machine that combines a pachinko machine and a pachislot machine (a Parrot machine), and in this case too, the same effects as those described above can be achieved.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the decorative part 3150 of the rear movable decorative body 3110 is shown to be composed of the decoration of the first decorative protrusion 3111a, the second decorative protrusion 3111b, the third decorative protrusion 3111c, and the metal decorative part 3111d of the decorative body 3111, and the decoration of the first contour part 3112a, the second contour part 3112b, the first light diffusion part 3112c, and the second light diffusion part 3112d of the decorative sheet 3112, but this is not limited to this. For example, the decorative body 3111 and the decorative sheet 3112 may be made into a single decorative member, and the decorative part 3150 may be applied to the decorative member.

<Slot Machine>
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a slot machine as an example of a gaming machine. In the following, the reference symbols described so far will be reset, and the reference symbols described so far and the reference symbols described below will indicate different configurations even if they are the same symbols. In addition, Figure 597 is an exploded oblique view of the slot machine, Figure 598 is an exploded oblique view of the slot machine with the door-shaped front member omitted, Figure 599 is a perspective view of the slot machine, Figure 600 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the slot machine with the door-shaped front member omitted, Figure 601 is an enlarged view of Z1 part of Figure 600, Figure 602 is an enlarged view of Z1 part of Figure 600 showing the state where the connector holder has been moved, Figure 603 is a cross-sectional view of the slot machine with the door-shaped front member omitted, Figure 604(a) is an enlarged view of Z2 part of Figure 603, Figure 604(b) is an enlarged view of Z2 part of Figure 603 showing the state where the connector holder has been moved, Figure 605 is an enlarged view showing the main parts of Figure 604(a), and Figure 606 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the slot machine showing the back panel side. Figure 607 is an exploded oblique view of the case member, Figure 608 is an oblique view of the case member from the rear, Figures 609(a) and (b) are oblique views of the main parts of the case member explaining the temporarily fixed state of the connector holder, Figure 610 is an exploded oblique view of the wiring relay member, Figure 611 is a front view of the wiring relay member without the cover body, Figures 612 and 613 are exploded oblique views of the connector holder, Figure 614 is an oblique view of a stopper that stops the case member, Figure 615 is an oblique view of a stopper showing another form, Figures 616 and 617 are cross-sectional views of the main parts showing the guide structure of the case member, Figure 618 is a partial oblique view of a pattern changing display device showing another form of the handle, Figure 619 is an oblique view of the main parts showing the relationship between the case member and the stopper on the outer main body side, Figure 620 is a cross-sectional view of the wiring window and the pattern changing FIG. 621 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper part of the slot machine; FIG. 622 is an oblique view showing the lower half of the slot machine with the medal payout device omitted; FIG. 623 is an exploded oblique view of FIG. 622; FIG. 624 is a rear view of the heat sink from the back of the slot machine; FIG. 625 is a partially cross-sectional front view of the slot machine showing the power supply unit; FIG. 626 is an oblique view showing the power supply unit as viewed from below; FIG. 627 is a cross-sectional view of the side panel of the outer main body and a main part of the power supply unit, showing another form; FIG. 628 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lighting device showing another form; FIG. 629 is an oblique view of a door-shaped front member showing the transparent plate and light-emitting unit disassembled; FIG. 630 is an oblique view of the door-shaped front member showing the transparent plate disassembled; FIG. 631 is a perspective view of the door-shaped front member showing the transparent plate installed; FIG. 632 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line A-A of the door-shaped front member in the disassembled and assembled state, FIG. 633 is a line diagram showing the chaining of the hinge fittings, FIG. 634 is a cross-sectional plan view of the main parts of the door-shaped front member, FIG. 635 is a cross-sectional plan view of the main parts of the door-shaped front member in the process of opening, FIG. 636 is a cross-sectional perspective view from the back showing the upper half of the door-shaped front member, FIG. 637 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the connector cut vertically, FIG. 638 is a cross-sectional plan view of the main parts of the door-shaped front member showing an example of another hinge fitting, FIG. 639 is a cross-sectional plan view of the main parts of the door-shaped front member in FIG. 638 in the process of opening, FIG. 640 is a perspective view showing the front opening and closing member in the model unit in the open state, and FIG. 641 is a perspective view showing the door-shaped front member in the open state while the connector is connected.

As shown in Figures 597 and 598, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment of the present invention has a box-shaped outer body 100 with an opening at the front, a door-shaped front member 200 that is attached to the front of the outer body 100 by a rotating shaft 100a so as to be rotatable like a side-opening door, a pattern change display device 300 that changes multiple patterns using a drive means, a case member 400 that is detachable from the outer body 100 and has an opening 401 at the front, and an image display body 500 that displays any image.

[1. Outer body]
As shown in Figs. 597 to 600, the outer body 100 has side plates 102, 102 attached to the left and right sides of a bottom plate 101, and a top plate 103 installed on the tops of the side plates 102, 102 to form a vertically long "mouth" when viewed from the front. The left and right side panels 102, 102 are slightly inclined backward at their front edges. The opening of the outer body 100 is trapezoidal, and therefore the opening of the outer body 100 is inclined backward. A plurality of (four in this embodiment) through holes 132, 132... are drilled in the area facing the upper rail 600 (see imaginary line in Figure 621).

[1-1. Outer body - partition plate]
A shelf-shaped partition plate 105 is provided in the outer body 100 at approximately the center of the height. The partition plate 105 is made of metal, and has a generally convex shape in front view with a protruding step 106 in the center as shown in Figures 597 and 598. The partition plate 105 is attached by fixing vertical mounting pieces 107 formed at both ends to the inner surfaces of the side plates 102, 102 of the outer body 100, and fixing a vertical mounting piece 108 formed at the rear end to the inner surface of the back plate 104 of the outer body 100. A cylindrical protrusion (not shown) is formed on the mounting piece 108 at the rear end of the partition plate 105 by burring (metal processing in which a short cylindrical protrusion is raised while the hole diameter of a pilot hole is widened with a punch), and the cylindrical protrusion is positioned by driving it into a small hole (not shown) pre-machined in the back plate 104 of the outer body 100. In addition, wiring openings 109 are formed between the partition plate 105 and the back plate 104 of the outer body 100 at the innermost parts on both sides.

[1-1-1. Outer body - Partition plate - Lower space]
In the space below the partition plate 105 within the outer main body 100, there are provided a medal discharge device 110 that discharges medals, which are game media, into a medal receiving tray 201 located at the bottom front of the door-shaped front member 200, an auxiliary medal storage box 111 that stores medals that overflow from the medal discharge device 110, a power supply unit 112, etc.

[1-1-1-1. Outer body - Partition plate - Lower space - Medal release device]
The medal discharge device 110 comprises a device main body 110a incorporating a drive means and a hopper 110b for storing medals attached thereto, a medal discharge port 110c is provided on the front of the device main body 110a, and medals in the hopper 110b are sent out one by one toward the discharge port 110c by operation of the drive means. The hopper 110b is also provided with an overflow gutter 110d for discharging medals that overflow, and the above-mentioned auxiliary medal storage box 111 faces below the tip of the overflow gutter 110d. Any currently known medal discharge mechanism may be used for the medal discharge device 110, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[1-1-1-2. Outer body - Partition plate - Lower space - Power supply unit]
As shown in Figures 622 to 626, the power supply unit 112 is attached to the inside corner where three members, the bottom plate 101 of the outer main body 100, the side plate 102 on the left side when facing the front, and the back plate 104, intersect at right angles. The power supply unit 112 supplies electricity to electrical components such as the medal release device 110 and is a component that easily generates heat. Therefore, a heat radiating port 104a is provided in the back plate 104 of the outer main body 100 at the attachment portion of the power supply unit 112.

The device case 112a of the power supply device 112 is made of a transparent synthetic resin. This allows the inside of the device case 112a to be seen, making it easier to detect tampering with the board 112s (see FIG. 626) of the power supply device 112. The device case 112a is made of a top plate 112b that covers the top surface, a rear plate 112c that faces the back plate 104 of the outer body 100, a front plate 112d that covers the opposite side of the rear plate 112c, a side plate 112e that covers the side facing the inside of the slot machine 1, a sloping plate 112f that covers the boundary between the top plate 112b and the side plate 112e in a chamfered form, and a bottom plate 112r (see FIG. 626) that covers the bottom. On the other hand, the surface of the device case 112a facing the side plate 102 of the outer body 100 is not covered and is in an open state, but this open surface is blocked by the side plate 102 of the outer body 100 when attached to the outer body 100.

As shown in Figs. 622 and 623, the side plate 102 of the outer body 100 is provided with a convex portion 102a to form a stepped guard portion 102b, and one side of the top plate 112b of the device case 112a is recessed under the guard portion 102b. As a result, even if one side of the device case 112a is not covered, the guard portion 102b closes the seam between the device case 112a and the side plate 102, preventing the insertion of foreign objects. Fig. 627 shows another embodiment in which the guard portion 102b is grooved, and in this example, the edge of the top plate 112b of the device case 112a protrudes slightly toward the side plate 102 and the tip is fitted into the groove of the guard portion 102b.

In this way, when the surface of the device case 112a of the power supply device 112 that abuts against the side plate 102 of the outer body 100 is made an open structure without a cover and is closed by the side plate 102 during use, the board 112s, etc. can be easily installed into the device case 112a using the open surface, and since it is not necessary to attach a cover to the open surface after installing the board 112s, etc. into the device case 112a, workability is improved.

The upper plate 112b, side plate 112e, inclined plate 112f, rear plate 112c, and bottom plate 112r of the device case 112a are provided with a large number of ventilation holes 112g, 112g... to prevent heat from building up inside. The device case 112a is raised on high ground by legs 112h, 112h... provided at the bottom, and a ventilation space 112i is formed between the bottom plate 112r of the device case 112a and the bottom plate 101 of the outer body 100. Therefore, relatively cold air from the low layer can be introduced into the device case 112a from the ventilation space 112i through the ventilation holes 112g, 112g... of the bottom plate 112r. The ventilation space 112i of the embodiment is connected to the heat dissipation port 104a of the outer body 100, so that cold air from the back of the machine can be introduced into the ventilation space 112i. Furthermore, if an inverted L-shaped step 112j (see FIG. 626) is formed at the boundary between the rear panel 112c and the bottom panel 112r of the device case 112a to raise the ventilation space 112i, the ventilation space 112i can be connected to the heat dissipation port 104a even if there is a discrepancy between the height of the leg 112h and the height of the heat dissipation port 104a.

[1-1-1-2-1. Outer body - Partition plate - Lower space - Power supply unit - Fixing]
The power supply unit 112 is fixed to the outer body 100 by a combination of an attachment piece 112k that is perpendicular to one side edge of the front plate 112d of the unit case 112a, a protrusion 112m that protrudes from the rear plate 112c of the unit case 112a toward the back plate 104 of the outer body 100, and a heat dissipation port 104a that is opened in the back plate 104 of the outer body 100.

That is, the contour of the heat dissipation port 104a is formed smaller than the contour of the rear plate 112c of the device case 112a, so that the power supply unit 112 hits the back plate 104 of the external body 100 and does not pass through the heat dissipation port 104a. In addition, the protrusion 112m protruding from the rear plate 112c of the device case 112a is located in a position inscribed in the heat dissipation port 104a, and is composed of a horizontal protrusion 112m-1 inscribed in the upper side of the heat dissipation port 104a to resist the lifting motion of the power supply unit 112, and a vertical protrusion 112m-2 inscribed in the vertical side of the heat dissipation port 104a to resist the rolling motion of the power supply unit 112. Therefore, simply by pushing the power supply unit 112 along the inner surface of the side plate 102 of the outer body 100 and inserting the protrusion 112m into the heat dissipation port 104a, the rear surface (rear side) of the device case 112a is fixed upward (floated) and to the right (rolled over) in FIG. 622. Of course, the movement of the power supply unit 112 is restricted downward by the bottom plate 101 of the outer body 100 and to the left in FIG. 622 by the side plate 102 of the outer body 100, so the simple operation of fitting the protrusion 112m into the heat dissipation port 104a completely restricts the movement of the power supply unit 112 in all directions except for the direction of pulling it forward.

On the other hand, the mounting piece 112k protruding from the front plate 112d has multiple through holes 112p for screws, and a wood screw 112q is passed through at least one of the through holes 112p to secure it to the side plate 102 of the outer body 100. This restricts the movement of the power supply unit 112 in the direction of pulling it towards you, so the power supply unit 112 can be securely fixed to the outer body 100 with a single wood screw 112q.

[1-1-1-2-2. Outer body - Partition plate - Lower space - Power supply - Power cord]
A power cord (not shown) for receiving electricity from the outside is connected to the power supply unit 112. Conventionally, a bulge is provided next to the heat dissipation port 104a to pull out the power cord, but this position increases the risk of the power cord rubbing against the ground even if it is bundled. The slot machine 1 may be turned on during manufacturing, and the power cord must be left outside the outer body 100 in preparation for this. Therefore, when the slot machine 1 is moved on the manufacturing line or between lines, the power cord may rub against the ground or get caught under the bottom plate 101 of the slot machine 1.

In contrast, the heat dissipation vent 104a of this embodiment has a cord outlet 104b that extends upward from its top edge, allowing the power cord to be pulled out from there. This ensures that the bundled power cord is high enough to hang in mid-air. This greatly reduces the risk of accidentally damaging the power cord during the manufacturing process of the slot machine 1.

As described above, the slot machine 1 of the present invention can be installed by simply setting the power supply unit 112 in the inner corner of the outer body 100 and screwing in one wood screw 112q, which significantly reduces the labor required to install the power supply unit 112 compared to the conventional method. Also, in the present invention, fixing is completed by screwing into one surface, so it is easy to see and can be fixed securely, especially when the part to be fixed is brought to the front (nearby) of the power supply unit 112. Incidentally, in the conventional method, it was necessary to screw into multiple surfaces or members of the power supply unit 112, and in particular, the screw for fixing to the back panel 104 was difficult to see and could be forgotten.

In addition, since the heat dissipation port 104a is necessary as a cooling means for the power supply device 112, using this heat dissipation port 104a to fix the power supply device 112 hardly generates any extra steps or costs. On the contrary, the position of the heat dissipation port 104a and the position of the power supply device 112 must be aligned for fixing, improving cooling efficiency. In addition, if the device case 112a is made of synthetic resin as in the embodiment, the mounting protrusion 112m can also be molded as a single unit, so there is almost no cost involved. Therefore, the total cost required to install the power supply device 112 can be reduced compared to the conventional method.

Furthermore, if the device case 112a is made of synthetic resin, there is the advantage that the legs 112h and steps 112j of the device case 112a, which are useful as measures against heat generation in the power supply device 112, can be implemented with almost no cost.

[1-1-2. Outer body - Partition plate - Top space]
On the other hand, the case member 400 is housed in the space above the partition plate 105 inside the outer main body 100, and a wiring relay member 113, which is the core of the wiring means described later, is attached to the inner surface of the back plate 104 of the outer main body 100 (see Figures 597 and 598), and a heat dissipation vent 133 is formed in the back plate 104 above the wiring relay member 113.

[2. Door-shaped front part]
Fig. 599 shows the front side of the door-shaped front member 200, and Fig. 597 shows the back side of the door-shaped front member 200. The door-shaped front member 200 has a medal receiving tray 201 below the front side, and an operating section 202 is provided approximately in the center of the front side. The operation unit 202 is provided with an insertion slot 203 for inserting medals, a performance button 204 that can be operated by the player, a one-coin insertion button 205 for instructing the insertion (withdrawal) of only one medal from those stored as data in the memory of the main board 409 described later, a MAX insertion button 206 for instructing the insertion of the maximum number of medals (for example, three medals) that can be used in one game, a medal return button 208 for returning medals stuck in a medal selector 207 described later to the medal receiving tray 201, a storage release switch 209 for inputting a storage release command (a release command due to settlement) for medals stored as data in the memory of the main board 409, a start lever 210 for operating the pattern changing display device 300, and three reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c for stopping the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c of the pattern changing display device 300. Of course, the configuration of the operation unit 202 shown here is one example, and is not limited to this.

A medal selector 207 is provided on the back side of the insertion opening 203, and a medal gutter 212 is connected to the side of the medal selector 207, and a return gutter 213 is connected below it. The medal selector 207 is a known device that switches flow paths by turning on and off a built-in solenoid (not shown). When waiting for a medal to be inserted by the player, the flow path is set to the medal gutter 212 side, and when the insertion of a medal is refused, such as when more medals than the specified number are inserted, the flow path is set to the return gutter 213 side. When the door-shaped front member 200 is in the closed position covering the front of the outer main body 100, the tip of the medal gutter 212 faces the inside of the hopper 110b of the medal discharge device 110, and the medals that flow from the insertion opening 203 through the medal selector 207 to the medal gutter 212 reach the hopper 110b. Meanwhile, the return gutter 213 is connected to the medal receiving tray 201 on the front side, and medals that flow from the insertion port 203 through the medal selector 207 into the return gutter 213 return to the medal receiving tray 201.

[2-1. Door-shaped front part - See-through window]
The door-shaped front member 200 is large enough to cover the entire front of the outer body 100, and its upper half is a see-through window 214 for games covered with a transparent plate 214a as shown in Figures 629 and 630. The see-through window 214 and the transparent plate 214a in the embodiment are larger than usual so that the image display body 500 and the pattern changing display device 300 can be seen lined up and down, and the image display body 500 and the pattern changing display device 300 are visually divided into upper and lower areas by a frame 216 integrated with the door-shaped front member 200. In this way, if one transparent plate 214a is set to a size that covers both the image display body 500 and the pattern changing display device 300, it can be used as it is even if the image display body 500 and the pattern changing display device 300 are arranged up and down.

[2-2. Door-shaped front part - see-through window - transparent plate]
The transparent plate 214a is made of a transparent synthetic resin (e.g., a rubber-containing methacrylic resin having excellent impact resistance, scratch resistance, and optical properties; in this embodiment, "Acrypet (registered trademark) IR D30" manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. is used) in a shape of an inverted trapezoid that spreads upward, and is formed by integrally molding edge members 214b, 214b, 214b that bulge toward the front side of the side facing the player on the periphery of three sides (left and right sides and top side) except for the bottom side during resin molding using a resin molding mold. When the edge member 214b is integrally molded on the periphery of the flat plate-like transparent plate 214a in this manner, the edge member 214b becomes a reinforcing bar to increase the strength of the entire transparent plate 214a, so that even if the transparent plate 214a is large enough to cover both the image display body 500 and the pattern variable display device 300 as described above, it is difficult for bending or distortion to occur.

As shown in FIG. 631, the edge member 214b has a shell structure (it is not solid, but has a shell-like structure with an internal space, and the thickness of each part is optional) that opens to the rear side, and the light-emitting unit 217 and, if necessary, a decorative member (not shown) with, for example, a pattern or lettering on the surface are incorporated in the internal space.

In addition, in FIG. 630, the light-emitting unit 217 is depicted as being attached to the door-shaped front member 200, but in reality, the light-emitting unit 217 is fitted into the edge member 214b as shown in FIG. 631. Therefore, the transparent plate 214a and the light-emitting unit 217 are treated as an integrated part.

The shape of the edge member 214b is not limited to that shown in the figure, and can be changed as desired to match the design of the light-emitting unit 217 and the decorative member. In addition, the location where the edge member 214b is provided is not limited to the three sides of the periphery of the transparent plate 214a as in the embodiment, and it may be provided on at least one side.

In addition, in Fig. 629 and Fig. 630, the reference numeral 218 denotes a fixing member provided at the upper left and right corners of the transparent plate 214a, and is fixed in the state shown in Fig. 630 in which it is fitted between the edge members 214b and 214b by a screw (not shown) that is passed through the through hole 214c (see the enlarged view of Fig. 629) from the back side of the transparent plate 214a. The fixing member 218 plays a role as a corner decoration from the outside, but also plays a role like a nut that fixes the transparent plate 214a to the door-shaped front member 200 by screwing into a screw (not shown) that is passed through the through holes 200a, 214d (see the enlarged view of Fig. 629) that are provided at the upper corners of the door-shaped front member 200 and the transparent plate 214a from the back side of the door-shaped front member 200.

In addition, in Fig. 629 to Fig. 631, the reference numeral 217a denotes the light emitter of the light emitter unit 217, and 217b denotes a reflecting member that supports the light emitter 217a. The reflecting members 217b of the light emitter units 217 located on the left and right are angled so as to reflect as much of the light of the rod-shaped light emitter 217a toward the periphery of the slot machine 1 as shown in Fig. 631. The form in which the light emitter unit 217 is incorporated inside the edge member 214b of the transparent plate 214a allows the light emitter 217a to be positioned closer to the front of the slot machine 1, which is advantageous when radiating light toward the periphery, as if it were a lighthouse at the tip of a cape. The reflecting member 217b of the light emitter unit 217 located at the top is set so as to reflect as much of the light of the light emitter 217a (the combination of the light source 217a-1 and the light guide plate 217a-2) toward the top of the slot machine 1.

The light-emitting unit 217 configured as described above can light up during play, particularly when a jackpot is hit, to create an effect that appeals to those around you that a jackpot has been hit. By creating an effect that is highly appealing to those around you in this way, the player who has won the jackpot can be drawn to attention, and the gazes of many people on the player give the player a sense of superiority, making the game even more exciting. In addition, by appealing to those around you that a jackpot has been hit, it is expected that the popularity of the model will increase, and the operating rate will improve.

The transparent plate 214a of the embodiment is configured as described above, and the bottom edge of the plate is inserted obliquely from the front of the door-shaped front member 200 into the groove 219 (see enlarged view in Figure 630) provided on the back side of the door-shaped front member 200, and fitted in a door-shaped manner. In this state, the transparent plate 214a is made upright so that all the edge members 214b, 214b, 214b are abutted against the front side of the door-shaped front member 200, and then fixed with screws 603 (see Figure 597) that are passed through the back of the door-shaped front member 200. Figure 631 shows a cutaway of a key part of the door-shaped front member 200 at this time, and as is clear from this Figure 631, even if a player forcibly inserts a foreign object from the boundary between the door-shaped front member 200 and the edge member 214b, there is almost no room for the tip of the foreign object to cross the inside of the edge member 214b and reach the back side of the transparent plate 214a. Therefore, it provides excellent crime prevention.

[2-3. Door-shaped front part - locking device]
A locking device 215 is provided on one free end of the door-shaped front member 200 and can be opened and closed using a special key (not shown).

[3. Variable pattern display device]
The variable pattern display device 300 is a reel rotation type display device, and has, for example, three reels 301a, 301b, 301c that can be rotated individually by a driving means 303 such as a motor, and a device case 302 in which the reels 301a, 301b, 301c are assembled and housed, and is a well-known device in which games are played by combining multiple patterns (not shown) drawn on the peripheral surfaces of the reels 301a, 301b, 301c.

The device case 302 is a deformed hexagonal prism that looks like an octagonal prism turned on its side, with the three sides facing the front (towards the player) removed. It is box-shaped and is surrounded by a bottom plate 304, a top plate 305, a right side plate 306 on the right side as viewed in FIG. 607, a left side plate 307 on the left side as viewed in FIG. 607, a vertical rear plate 308 that covers the rear side, an upper inclined plate 309 provided between the top plate 305 and the rear plate 308, and a lower inclined plate 310 provided between the bottom plate 304 and the rear plate 308. Part of the arcs of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c protrude from the front of the device case 302.

The top panel 305 of the device case 302 is provided with a handle 311 that can be changed between a use state where the user can place their fingers on it and a non-use state where the device is placed flat on the top panel 305, and the user can carry the device by placing their fingers on the handle 311.

The configuration in which the top plate portion 305 of the device case 302 is provided with the changeable handle 311 as described above is closely related to the strength-increasing measures for the case member 400. That is, in the embodiment, the reinforcing bar 402 is provided at the opening 401 of the case member 400 as described later, thereby providing sufficient strength to cantilever the image display body 500 at the opening 401 of the case member 400, but such a reinforcing bar 402 crosses the opening 401 and clearly becomes an obstacle to inserting and removing the device case 302 into and from the case member 400. In contrast, if the handle 311 is made changeable and is laid down on the top plate portion 305 as in the embodiment, the handle 311 does not protrude, so the device case 302 can easily pass under the reinforcing bar 402. Therefore, it is only by providing the changeable handle 311 as described above at the top plate portion 305 of the device case 302 that it becomes possible to provide the reinforcing bar 402 in the opening 401 of the case member 400 in a direction crossing the opening 401. Incidentally, conventional device cases have handles that protrude from the top panel, which creates an obstruction, leaving no room for reinforcing bars at the openings of the case members.

In the embodiment, the handle 311 is structured to swing between an upright used state and a lying unused state, but the structure that can change the handle 311 between a used state and an unused state is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 618, two belt loops 314, 314 are cut and raised in the top plate portion 305, and a belt-shaped handle 311 made of, for example, synthetic resin or leather and provided with anti-slip portions 315, 315 at both ends is inserted into the belt loops 314, 314, and the center is pulled up to change from the lying unused state in FIG. 618 to a used state where the handle can be hung with fingers. Any structure can be used as long as the handle can be changed between a used state where the handle can be hung with fingers and an unused state lying down on the top plate portion 305.

In addition, as shown in Figures 600 and 607, a flange-shaped lower handle 316 is protruding from the bottom plate 304 of the device case 302 in this embodiment, and by grasping the lower handle 316 and pushing or pulling the device case 302, it is easy to insert or remove it from the case member 400.

[4. Case Members]
The case member 400 is sized to roughly fit the space above the partition plate 105 of the outer main body 100, and is box-shaped and comprises a bottom plate 403, side plates 404, 404 erected on both the left and right sides of the bottom plate 403, a rear plate 405 erected at the rear edge of the bottom plate 403, and a top plate 406 covering the upper surfaces of the rear plate 405 and the side plates 404, 404, and has an opening 401 on the front.

The case member 400 has a bottom plate 403 made of metal, side plates 404, 404, rear plate 405 and top plate 406 made of synthetic resin, and metal reinforcing members 407, 407, 407 are provided on the inner surface of the opening 401 of the side plates 404, 404 and the top plate 406, and further a metal reinforcing bar 402 is suspended between the reinforcing members 407, 407 of the side plates 404, 404 across the opening 401. The area below the reinforcing bar 402 is the installation area for the variable pattern display device 300, the opening 401 above the reinforcing bar 402 is the installation area for the image display body 500, and the area surrounded by the case member 400 behind the image display body 500 is allocated as a wiring work space 408, and a main board 409, which is the main control board, is attached to the inner wall surface of the rear panel 405 of the wiring work space 408, and control boards other than the main board 409 (for example, a sub-board 510 (see Figure 640)) are also attached within the wiring work space 408.

As shown in FIG. 597, the top plate 406 of the case member 400 has skylights 443, 443 formed thereon. The skylights 443, 443 are divided into two parts, sandwiched between a reinforcing band 444 for maintaining the strength of the top plate 406, and each part is located in an area including the intersection with the axis passing through the through holes 132, 132... of the outer body 100, and opens sufficiently wider than the through holes 132, 132... However, the front edge of the skylights 443 is brought closer to the through hole 132 located at the front. By doing so, the through hole 132 can be found by feel using the edge of the skylights 443 as a reference, so that the position of the through hole 132 can be quickly and easily determined even if the worker cannot look into the skylights 443. Here, the skylights 443 also function as an opening of the present invention. In other words, by providing multiple skylights 443 as openings on the top surface of the case member 400, it is possible to reduce the weight, further reducing the burden on workers during transportation and replacement.

As shown in Figs. 598, 601, 602, and 608, a number of bosses 410, 410 are protruding from the outer surface of the rear plate 405 of the case member 400, and the bosses 410 are positioned by fitting into boss holes 114, 114 pre-machined in the back plate 104 of the outer main body 100. Note that the bosses 410, 410 are provided near the wiring window 411 described below as shown in Figs. 598 and 601, while the boss holes 114, 114 on the outer main body 100 side are provided near the wiring relay member 113, which allows for accurate positioning of the wiring window 411 of the case member 400 and the wiring relay member 113 of the back plate 104.

On the other hand, a recessed step 412 is formed on the bottom surface of the bottom plate 403 of the case member 400 as shown in FIG. 598, and the recessed step 412 fits into the protruding step 106 of the partition plate 105. A tapered portion 413 expanding toward the rear is provided at the end of the recessed step 412 on the rear plate 405 side, and the tapered portion 413 guides the protruding step 106 of the partition plate 105 to be smoothly fitted into the recessed step 412 of the case member 400. In this way, the case member 400 is guided straight to the back of the partition plate 105 by the engagement of the concave step portion 412 of the case member 400 and the protruding step portion 106 of the partition plate 105, but for example, as shown in FIG. 616, a rail member 115 having a concave groove shape may be laid on the partition plate 105 or pressed integrally therewith, while wheels 414 may be installed on the bottom plate 403 of the case member 400, and the wheels 414 may be made to roll in the grooves of the rail member 115. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 617, a rail member 116 having a convex shape may be laid on the partition plate 105 or pressed integrally therewith, while flanges 415, 415 may be formed on both ends of the wheels 414 of the case member 400, and the rail member 116 may be sandwiched between the flanges 415, 415 of the wheels 414.

In addition, the case member 400 is stopped by a stopper 117 in the form of a swing lever shown in Figs. 597, 598, 614, and 619 when it is set at a predetermined position on the partition plate 105. As shown in Figs. 597 and 598, this stopper 117 is pivotally attached to the front end of the partition plate 105 and two mounting fixtures 118, 118 vertically attached to the top plate 103, and restricts the forward movement of the case member 400 on the partition plate 105 by manually switching between an operating position in which it engages with a part of the case member 400 as shown by the solid line in Fig. 614 and a non-operating position in which it does not engage with the case member 400 as shown by the imaginary line in Fig. 614. Note that if the stopper 117 is made into a hook shape as shown in Fig. 615 and engaged with a hook portion 416 provided on the case member 400, the upward movement of the case member 400 on the partition plate 105 can also be restricted.

The stopper 117, which is axially attached to the mounting fixture 118 of the top plate 103, is located in a position facing the locking hole 442 that penetrates the corner portion of the side plate 404 and the top plate 406 of the case member 400 as shown in FIG. 619, and when the case member 400 is pushed into a specified position, it is possible to switch between the operating position and the non-operating position from inside the case member 400.

The rear panel 405 of the case member 400 is provided with a wiring window 411 in the form of a long hole that penetrates to the back panel 104 side of the outer main body 100. The wiring window 411 corresponds to the upper swash plate 309 of the device case 302 of the variable pattern display device 300 installed in the case member 400 as shown in Figs. 600, 601, and 620, and is located below the main board 409, and functions as an opening that connects the horizontally elongated empty space 417 above the upper swash plate 309 (or the horizontally elongated triangular space 417 formed between the upper swash plate 309 and the main board 409) to the back panel 104.

In addition, as shown in Figures 601 and 608, the case member 400 is provided with a shelf-shaped temporary fixing member 418 (hereinafter also referred to as a "temporary fixing shelf") at approximately the midpoint of the height of the empty space 417, and recesses 419, 419 are formed on the outside of the rear panel 405 on both sides of the wiring window 411, serving as wiring passages that extend to the left and right sides of the case member 400.

If the position of the wiring window 411 is determined based on the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c of the pattern changing display device 300, the wiring window 411 can be said to be positioned at a height that places the lower edge within the range between the horizontal plane HL passing through the rotation center of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c of the pattern changing display device 300 and the horizontal plane HH passing through the highest height position of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c, as shown in FIG. 620.

[5. Image display body]
The image display body 500 is, for example, a panel-type unit capable of displaying an image, which is composed of at least a liquid crystal display (otherwise, a plasma display, an organic EL display, etc. may be used), and also functions as a front opening/closing member 90 (see FIG. 640) that can open and close the front opening of the case member 400. Note that the image display body 500 is rotatably supported by a hinge metal fitting 420 attached to a reinforcing member 407 provided on the left side plate 404 of the case member 400 in FIG. 607 (see the shaded portion in FIG. 607 for the attachment position).

As shown in FIG. 640, a sub-substrate 510 is attached to the back side of the image display 500. This makes it possible to integrally configure the image display 500, such as a liquid crystal display, and the sub-substrate 510, making them easier to handle and eliminating the need for wiring to connect the two, thereby reducing the complexity of the wiring work space 408 within the case member 400. When the image display 500 is opened, the sub-substrate 510 appears to pop out from within the case member 400, significantly improving the ease of working with the sub-substrate 510.

[5-1. Image display unit - hinge metal fittings]
Fig. 632 is an exploded and assembled perspective view of the hinge metal fitting 420. The hinge metal fitting 420 has a symmetrical structure from top to bottom, so the upper part will be mainly described. The hinge metal fitting 420 is composed of a fixed member 420a attached to the reinforcing member 407 of the case member 400, a rotating member 420b attached to the back side of the image display body 500 (see the dashed line area 500s in Fig. 632), and a short link 420c and a long link 420d that connect the rotating member 420b and the fixed member 420a.

The fixed member 420a of the hinge fitting 420 has a horizontal fixed piece 420e in the form of a shelf board, and one end of the long link 420d is pivotally attached to the upper surface of the fixed piece 420e with a pin P1, and one end of the short link 420c is pivotally attached to the lower surface of the fixed piece 420e with a pin P2. On the other hand, the rotating member 420b of the hinge fitting 420 has a horizontal bearing piece 420f in the form of a shelf board, and one end of the long link 420d is pivotally attached to the upper surface of the bearing piece 420f with a pin P3, and one end of the short link 420c is pivotally attached to the lower surface of the bearing piece 420f with a pin P4.

In this way, the fixed piece 420e, the bearing piece 420f, the long link 420d, the short link 420c, and the pins P1 to P4 form a four-joint rotation chain as shown in the diagram of FIG. 633, and in particular, the fixed piece 420e facing the bearing piece 420f, which is the shortest link in the chain, forms a so-called double lever mechanism. As shown in FIG. 633(a) to (c), the pin positions of the double lever mechanism are set so that the rotation path of the image display body 500 is approximated to the rotation path centered on the rotation axis 100a of the door-shaped front member 200. In other words, the hinge metal fitting 420 functions as a rotation center moving mechanism, and even if the rotation position of the door-shaped front member 200 changes, the distance between the rotation outer edge side of the door-shaped front member 200 and the rotation outer edge side of the image display body 500 is approximately constant.

The long link 420d and the short link 420c have overlapping areas 420g and 420h set so that they overlap vertically when the image display body 500 is rotated approximately 90 degrees (open) (for example, the overlapping area 420g of the long link 420d is bulged into a triangle so that it overlaps with the overlapping area 420h of the short link 420c), and pin holes 420i and 420j are formed in the overlapping areas 420g and 420h, respectively. These pin holes 420i and 420j are for connecting the long link 420d and the short link 420c by aligning them on the same axis and inserting a rod-shaped stop pin (not shown), thereby locking both lever mechanisms and fixing the image display body 500 in the open position.

[5-2. Image display body - lock piece]
607 and 608, a lock piece 421 is axially attached to the vertical reinforcing members 407 of the case member 400 on the opposite side (the right side in FIG. 607) to the reinforcing member 407 on which the hinge metal fitting 420 is provided, and when the lock piece 421 is rotated clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 607, its tip engages with a receiving portion 508 protruding from the back side of the image display body 500, and in this state the image display body 500 is locked in a position in which the upper part of the opening 401 of the case member 400 is closed. On the other hand, when the lock piece 421 is rotated in the opposite direction from the locked state, the image display body 500 is unlocked and becomes rotatable around the hinge metal fitting 420. Normally, before the case member 400 is attached to the outer main body 100, the image display body 500 is locked in a closed position to prevent unnecessary rotation, while when the case member 400 is attached to the outer main body 100, the image display body 500 is unlocked to allow free rotation.

[5-3. Image display body - connector]
Incidentally, since the openable and closable image display body 500 is provided in the case member 400 in addition to the door-shaped front member 200 of the outer main body 100, when visually checking the inside of the case member 400 or when performing work inside the case member 400, In order to open the door-shaped front member 200 on the near side, the image display body 500 on the far side must be opened first, and then the image display body 500 on the far side must be opened. This may reduce workability and cause inconvenience. .

Therefore, in the slot machine 1 of this example, the rotation direction of the image display body 500 is set to the same direction as the rotation direction of the door-shaped front member 200, and the door-shaped front member 200 and the image display body 500 are connected with an appropriate connector 700 so that the image display body 500 opens and closes in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door-shaped front member 200. With this, when the door-shaped front member 200 is opened, the image display body 500 also rotates in the same direction via the connector 700, and the front of the case member 400 is opened. In other words, the image display body 500 rotates together with the door-shaped front member 200, and it becomes possible to view not only the inside of the outer main body 100 but also the inside of the case member 400 with a single side-opening operation.

Here, as described above, the door-shaped front member 200 and the image display body 500 of the embodiment are arranged so that the rotation trajectory of the image display body 500 is approximated to the rotation trajectory of the door-shaped front member 200 about the rotation axis 100a by the lever mechanism of the hinge metal fittings 420, but still, there is a relative deviation between the movements of the two. Therefore, as shown in Figures 636 and 637, the connector 700 of the embodiment forms a fixed sheath member 701 on the back surface of the free end side of the image display body 500, and houses a rod 702 inside the fixed sheath member 701 in a freely slidable state, and the tip of the rod 702 is connected to the back surface of the door-shaped front member 200 (specifically, the base member 215a of the locking device 215) in a rotatable state by a stop shaft 703. By doing this, as shown in FIG. 635, the image display 500 opens and closes in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door-shaped front member 200 as if it were an accessory part of the door-shaped front member 200, and the rod 702 of the connector 700 moves in and out of the fixed sheath member 701 to absorb any relative misalignment that occurs between the two.

The maximum protruding length of the rod 702 when it protrudes most from the outer rotating edge (free end) of the image display body 500 is set based on the distance between the outer rotating edge of the door-shaped front member 200 (the position of the stopper shaft 703) and the outer rotating edge of the image display body 500 when the image display body 500 is in the open position (e.g., when opened 90 degrees). This allows the length of the rod 702 to be the minimum required, making it possible to prevent the connector from becoming too large.

The stop shaft 703 is attached to the support pieces 215b, 215b, 215b formed by bending a part of the base member 215a of the locking device 215 so that it can move up and down, and is constantly biased downward by a spring 703a. Therefore, the stop shaft 703 can be moved upward against the bias of the spring 703a, and by moving it upward to lift the lower end, the rod 702 of the connector 700 can be attached and detached. In other words, the stop shaft 703 can be inserted from above into the shaft hole 702a formed in the tip portion of the rod 702, and can be held in place by the biasing force of the spring 703a.

In Fig. 636, reference numeral 704 denotes an elastic cantilever-type stopper provided on the upper surface of the fixed sheath member 701 of the connector 700, which is for storing and holding the rod 702 removed from the stop shaft 703 inside the fixed sheath member 701, and engages with a hook wall 702b at the end of a groove 705 formed on the upper surface of the rod 702 to prevent blind movement of the rod 702. A knob 706 protrudes from the side of the rod 702 in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction, and the lock of the stopper 704 is released by pinching the knob 706 and forcibly moving the rod 702. A pull-out prevention piece 701a hangs down from the bottom surface of the tip side of the fixed sheath member 701 and is inserted into the groove 705 of the rod 702. This anti-slip piece 701a comes into contact with the hook wall 702b when the rod 702 protrudes to the maximum extent, preventing the rod 702 from slipping out of the fixed sheath member 701.

In addition, in FIG. 636, the reference numeral 509 near the connector 700 is an engagement portion protruding from the back surface of the outer edge side of the rotating image display body 500. The engagement portion 509 engages with the reinforcing bar 402 that crosses the opening 401 of the case member 400, and supports the load of the free end side of the image display body 500 in the closed position. As shown in FIG. 607, the reinforcing bar 402 is provided with a slide-type guide portion 402a that slopes downward toward the image display body 500 in order to smoothly guide the engagement portion 509 to the upper surface of the reinforcing bar 402. The engagement portion 509 of the image display body 500 is formed of a synthetic resin with excellent lubricity different from that of the image display body 500, and is attached to the image display body 500 in a removable (replaceable) manner.

By the way, the relative deviation of the movement caused by the difference in the rotation trajectory of the door-shaped front member 200 and the image display body 500 can be absorbed not only by the above-mentioned extensible rod-type connector 700 but also by a flexible wire. However, if the connector is a flexible wire, the door-shaped front member 200 may hit the image display body 500 that is stopped in the open state when closing the door-shaped front member 200, which may impair smoothness. In response to this, for example, a biasing means such as a coil spring may be provided on the image display body 500 so that it is always biased in the closing direction. By doing so, when the door-shaped front member 200 is closed, the image display body 500 closes by itself while pulling the connector due to the action of the biasing force, so that the door-shaped front member 200 and the image display body 500 do not collide. Of course, the means for rotating the door-shaped front member 200 and the image display body 500 together is not limited to the above. For example, the hinge fitting 420, which is one element for the co-rotation described above, is not limited to the above-mentioned double-lever mechanism structure, and may be a simple one that rotates the image display body 500 around a single pin 420k, as shown in Figures 637 and 638.

When the attachment means of the image display body 500 to the case member 400 is a hinge structure that allows the image display body 500 to rotate like a door, and a locking means (the above-mentioned locking piece 421) that locks the image display body 500 in the closed position as described above is added, it is possible to select a handling method in which the lock is generally continued while the case member 400 is attached to the outer body 100, and the lock is released only when necessary, such as when checking the wiring work space 408. In this case, the image display body 500 can block important parts (such as the main board 409 and sub-board 510) in the wiring work space 408, which is effective in improving crime prevention performance.

A gap 10 is provided between the upper edge of the opening 401 of the case member 400 and the upper edge of the closed image display body 500, and the reinforcing member 407 of the top plate 406 can be grasped with fingers passing through the gap 10. A handle opening 422 is formed in the front center portion of the top plate 406 of the case member 400 (the reinforcing band 444 between the skylight portions 443, 443), and the reinforcing member 407 of the top plate 406 can be grasped with fingers passing through the handle opening 422. Therefore, the case member 400 can be appropriately used between the handle opening 422 and the gap 10 depending on the location and posture of handling. For example, when transporting the case member 400 before it is assembled into the external main body 100, it is better balanced to carry it in the form of a bag using the handle opening 422, but when the case member 400 is attached to the external main body 100, the handle opening 422 is hidden deep inside the external main body 100 and fingers cannot enter, as shown in Fig. 600, so the case member 400 is pulled out by hooking fingers on the reinforcing member 407 from the gap 10. Note that the lower handle 316 (see Figs. 600 and 607) of the device case 302 protrudes from the center of the front surface of the bottom plate 403 of the case member 400, and the case member 400 can be easily inserted or removed from the external main body 100 by holding and pushing or pulling the lower handle 316. In this case, the lower handle 316 is integral with the case member 400 because the device case 302 is fixed to the case member 400 with screws, so it is equivalent to the lower handle 316 protruding from the front of the bottom plate 403 of the case member 400.

[5-4. Image display body - frame member]
The image display body 500 is large enough to cover almost the entire area above the reinforcing bar 402 of the opening 401 of the case member 400. A frame member 501 is integrally attached to the lower side of the image display body 500, surrounding the area below the reinforcing bar 402 of the opening 401 of the case member 400, i.e., the front area of the pattern changing display device 300, in a frame-like manner, and the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c of the pattern changing display device 300 are framed by the frame member 501. The surface of the frame member 501 is a decorative surface, and appropriate patterns and the like are drawn on it. Although not shown, the frame member 501 is provided with an electric decoration section composed of a light source such as an LED, a light emission control board that controls the light source, and a decorative member that is arranged in front of the light source and can transmit light. Here, the combination of the image display body 500 and the frame member 501 will be described below as a front opening and closing member 90 (see FIG. 640).

[5-4-1. Image display body - frame member - lighting device]
Illumination devices 502 are provided on the upper and lower back sides of the frame member 501, and the illumination devices 502 brightly illuminate the patterns on the pattern changing display device 300. The frame member 501 is suspended below the image display body 500 and is close to the pattern changing display device 300, so by incorporating the illumination devices 502 into such a frame member 501, the light source can be brought closer to the pattern changing display device 300. Therefore, the means of incorporating the illumination devices 502 into the frame member 501 has the characteristic that sufficient brightness can be ensured even with a low light intensity compared to conventional illumination devices.

As shown in FIG. 600, the lighting device 502 illustrated as an embodiment has a large number of light-emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as LEDs) 504 arranged on a long, narrow strip-shaped substrate 503 in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of the figure (the width direction of the slot machine 1, the same direction as the axis of rotation of the reels 301a...). The lower lighting device 502 has the LEDs 504 arranged facing upward inside a tube frame 506 whose upper surface is covered with a translucent cover plate 505 of, for example, a milky white color, while the upper lighting device 502 has the LEDs 504 arranged facing downward inside a translucent cover 507 of, for example, a milky white color with an upwardly facing U-shaped cross section.

The upper lighting device 502 is installed with its lighting direction diagonally downward from directly below toward the player, i.e., toward the transparent plate 214a, as shown in Figure 600. In this embodiment, the LED mounting surface of the board 503 is tilted diagonally downward toward the transparent plate 214a so that the center line L (see the enlarged view of Figure 600) of the main illumination area of the LED 504, which has a relatively strong directivity, is oriented diagonally toward the transparent plate 214a.

If a rod-shaped light emitter such as a fluorescent lamp is used as the light source for the lighting device 502, the substrate 503 in FIG. 600 can be changed to a plate-shaped or concave reflective member that encases the light source, and the center line of the main illumination area, which is directed by the sum of the direct light and reflected light, can be set to hit the back surface of the transparent plate 214a at an angle. If the illumination aim of the lighting device 502 is set to the transparent plate 214a in this way, there will be almost no effect even if some of the leaking light illuminates the outer periphery of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c.

According to an experiment, when the illumination direction of the illumination device 502 is directed toward the periphery of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c, certain parts of the curved reels 301a, 301b, and 301c are strongly reflected and difficult to see, whereas when the center line L of the main illumination area is directed obliquely toward the transparent plate 214a as described above, the reel outer periphery is illuminated through the transparent plate 214a, making a wide area of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c brighter and easier to see. The reason for this is presumably that the light irradiated from the illumination device 502 hits the transparent plate 214a fitted in the see-through window 214 of the door-shaped front member 200, reflects off, and is diffused throughout, or the transparent plate 214a is brightly illuminated, making a wide area of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c brighter, or that the synergistic effect of these two is involved.

The above-described structure of the upper lighting device 502 can also be adopted for the lower lighting device 502, and of course, it can also be adopted only for the lower lighting device 502 as shown in FIG. 628. Note that FIG. 628 shows the upper lighting device 502 in FIG. 600 arranged on the lower side and the lower lighting device 502 arranged on the upper side, so "upper" in the description of the lighting device 502 above can be read as "lower" and "lower" as "upper".

When LEDs are used as the light source of the lighting device 502 as in the embodiment, there are the following advantages: (a) they are safer than conventional cold cathode tubes that are driven by high voltages (for example, about 800 V at start-up and about 600 V during operation) because they are driven by low voltages; (b) they have a longer lifespan than cold cathode tubes; (c) they are more durable than cold cathode tubes, which are glass tubes; (d) they are capable of emitting multiple colors, which allows for a wider range of presentations; and (e) they are lighter than cold cathode tubes used in combination with inverters, which therefore places less strain on the hinge fittings 420 that support the image display body 500.

[6. Wiring Means]
The outer main body 100 is provided with, for example, a medal discharge device 110 and a power supply device 112, and the door-shaped front member 200 has an operation unit 202, and the door-shaped front member 200 has, for example, insertion buttons 205, 206 and a start lever 210 (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to simply as " The main board 409 and the like in the case member 400 (sometimes referred to simply as the "main body side electric components") are electrically In the slot machine 1 of the embodiment, the model unit 50 (see FIGS. 640 and 641 ) consisting of the front opening/closing member 90 and the case member 400 is detachable from the outer main body 100. A rational wiring means is provided for easily connecting or disconnecting the main body side electric components (housing side electric components) and the case member side electric components when replacing the model unit 50, etc.

[6-1. Wiring means - wiring relay member]
As described above, the wiring relay member 113 shown in Fig. 610 is attached to the upper part of the inner surface of the back plate 104 of the outer main body 100. As shown in Figs. 600 and 601, the wiring relay member 113 is located at a position corresponding to the wiring window 411 of the case member 400 and faces the empty space 417 of the case member 400 from the wiring window 411. The wiring relay member 113 relays the main body side wirings 119 connected to the main body side electric components and the case side wirings 423 connected to the case member side electric components, and is composed of an attachment plate 120 screwed to the back plate 104 of the outer main body 100, a cover body 121 covering the front surface of the attachment plate 120, and a plurality of (in the embodiment, two large and small) connector boards (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "terminal boards for connector connection") 122, 123 stored between the cover body 121 and the attachment plate 120.

Of the two connector boards 122, 123, the larger connector board 122 located on the left side in Figures 610 and 611 is fixedly attached to the mounting plate 120, and is provided with a connector 124 that pairs with the connector 425 at the end of the harness 424 connected to the main board 409.

On the other hand, the smaller connector board 123 located on the right side in Figures 610 and 611 is attached in a loose, floating state in the gap between the mounting plate 120 and the cover body 121, and therefore can move up and down as shown in the enlarged view of Figure 611, and can also move left and right. This small connector board 123 is provided with a connector 125 that pairs with the connector 427 at the end of the harness 426 that is connected to the electrical components on the case member side other than the main board 409. The connector 125 and the connector 124 are of the board-fixed type that are fixed to the printed circuit board by a fixing means such as soldering, and inexpensive DIN standard connectors are used.

The cover body 121 that covers the front surface of the mounting plate 120 has two openings, one large and one small, 126 and 127 through which the connectors 124 and 125 pass, a support tube 128 that protrudes in a position parallel to the openings 126 and 127, and a tunnel-shaped wiring duct 129 that protrudes forward from the lower half.

The main body side wiring 119 connected to the wiring relay member 113 passes through the inside of the wiring duct 129 or is bundled with a hook-shaped wiring stopper 130 protruding from the lower front surface of the mounting plate 120 of the wiring relay member 113, and is distributed to the side plates 102, 102 of the outer main body 100 as shown by the dashed line L in FIG. 597, turns almost vertically near the corner of the side plates 102, 102 and the back plate 104, and most of them are connected to the main body side electrical components through the wiring opening 109 provided at the back of the partition plate 105. Of course, if there is a main body side electrical component in the area above the partition plate 105 (for example, the external relay terminal board 131 provided on the inner surface of the side plate 102 in FIG. 597), it will be connected as it is regardless of the wiring opening 109 of the partition plate 105.

From the wiring methods explained so far, the following technical ideas can be understood:

(a) A wiring window 411 is formed on the rear panel 405 of the case member 400 at a height such that its bottom edge is located between a horizontal plane passing through the center of rotation of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c of the pattern changing display device 300 and a horizontal plane passing through the highest position of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c.

(b) A wiring relay member 113 is provided on the back plate 104 of the outer main body 100 to relay main body side wiring 119 connected to the main body side electrical components and case side wiring 423 connected to the case member side electrical components.
(c) A vertical wiring path is formed along the inner surfaces of the side plates 102, 102 of the outer body 100 for passing the wiring therethrough.
(d) The main body side wiring 119 connected to the wiring relay member 113 is led to the side of the case member 400, and from there is connected to the main body side electrical components through the wiring path.

In a gaming machine having the above components (a) to (d), the main body side wiring 119 does not pass behind the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c of the variable symbol display device 300, but instead bypasses the wiring path along the side panels 102, 102 of the outer main body 100 (including the corner with the back panel 104 (see FIG. 606)). This makes it possible to move the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c closer to the back panel 104 of the outer main body 100, and allows the diameters of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c to be larger than in the conventional configuration, in which the main body side wiring 119 passes down almost the center of the back panel 104 and behind the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c. Note that the larger the diameter of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c, the more impressive the impact when they spin.

[6-2. Wiring means - connectors 425, 427]
As described above, the two connectors 124, 125 provided on the wiring relay member 113 are respectively connected to a connector 425 at the end of a harness 424 connected to the main board 409 of the case member 400, and a connector 427 at the end of a harness 426 connected to electrical components on the case member side other than the main board 409.

These two connectors 425, 427 are attached integrally to one connector holder 428 as shown in Fig. 612. The connector holder 428 is composed of a holder main body 429 to which the connectors 425, 427 are screwed, a plate-shaped attachment piece 431 having a through hole 430 in the approximate center and protruding on both sides of the holder main body 429, and a well-known button-type panel fastener 432 (product name "Nylatch": registered trademark) attached to the through hole 430 of the attachment piece 431. As shown in Fig. 601 and Fig. 604 (a), the attachment piece 431 is placed on the tip of the support tube 128 of the wiring relay member 113, and the button-type panel fastener 432 of the attachment piece 431 is inserted into the support tube 128 and locked. Therefore, the connector holder 428 is fixed to the support tube 128, which serves as a fixing means, and is also fixed to the wiring relay member 113, so the connectors 425, 427 and the connectors 124, 125 do not come loose.

[6-2-1. Wiring relay board - connectors 425, 427 - temporary fixing shelf]
As described above, the connectors 425, 427 are connected to the connectors 124, 125 of the wiring relay member 113, but before the case member 400 is assembled into the outer body 100, that is, between the time of shipment from the factory and the time of completion of installation, the connectors 425, 427 are temporarily fixed to a temporary fixing shelf 418 provided on the case member 400.

The temporary fixing shelf 418 is a shelf-shaped member facing the wiring window 411 from the inside of the case member 400 as shown in Fig. 601, Fig. 602, Fig. 608, and Fig. 609, and has a nearly horizontal bench portion 433 on which the connector holder 428 is placed as shown in Fig. 602, bench side plates 434 erected at both ends of the bench portion 433, and three inward claw pieces 435, 435, 435 protruding from each bench side plate 434. Between the central one of these inward claw pieces 435, 435, 435 and the other two above and below, there is a gap into which the attachment piece 431 of the connector holder 428 can fit. One of the bench side panels 434 is a thin plate structure with a finger hook 436 extended from its tip, and can be bent outward like a leaf spring supported at one end by hooking a finger on the finger hook 436 and applying force in the direction of the arrow X in Fig. 604(b), and in this bent state, the attachment piece 431 of the connector holder 428 can be easily removed from the inward claw pieces 435, 435, 435. The imaginary lines in Fig. 604(a) show an example in which the tip of the finger hook 436 is bent into a hook shape, and this makes it easy to remove the connector holder 428 by pressing a button as shown by the arrow Y.

602, the connector holder 428 is placed on the bench portion 433 of the temporary fixing shelf 418, and the attachment piece 431 of the connector holder 428 is fitted between the inward claw pieces 435, 435, 435 of the bench side plate 434, whereby the connector holder 428 is temporarily fixed to the temporary fixing shelf 418. Of course, even though it is called temporary fixing, it is set to have a strength that does not allow the connector holder 428 to come off the temporary fixing shelf 418 during transportation of the case member 400, and therefore, before the case member 400 is assembled into the outer main body 100, the connectors 425, 427 integrated with the connector holder 428 are temporarily fixed to the temporary fixing shelf 418 provided on the case member 400 and do not move. Therefore, when transporting the case member 400 or during the process of assembling the case member 400 into the outer body 100, there is no risk that the connectors 425, 427 at the ends of the harnesses 424, 426 will come into contact with components inside the case member 400 and cause damage to those components as well as to the case member itself.

As shown in Fig. 604(b) → Fig. 604(a), in the wiring process after fixing the case member 400 to the outer body 100, one of the bench side panels 434 is bent outward as described above to remove the connector holder 428 from the temporary fixing shelf 418, and the connector holder 428 is moved to a position where its attachment piece 431 hits the support tube 128 of the wiring relay member 113, so that the connectors 425, 427 fit into the connectors 124, 125 of the wiring relay member 113 (details will be described later), and in this state, the button-shaped panel fastener 432 of the attachment piece 431 is pushed in to lock the attachment piece 431 to the support tube 128. At this time, if a guide rail 440 is provided on the bench part 433 as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figs. 601 and 602, the connector holder 428 can be simply pushed inward, improving workability.

The connector holder 428 attached to the wiring relay member 113 in the above manner is stable with the back plate 104 of the outer body 100 as a support base, and is separated from the case member and does not come into contact with it, so no undue load is applied even if the outer body 100 and the model unit 50 move relative to each other due to vibration during transportation, etc.

From the explanation so far, the following technical ideas can be understood.
(a) a box-shaped outer main body having an opening at the front and a back panel at the rear, the outer main body being equipped with a power supply unit and other main body-side electrical components;
(b) a model unit having a case member detachable from the outer body and a pattern changing display device for changing a plurality of patterns and other case member side electrical components;

(c) a wiring relay member attached to a back plate of the outer main body to relay main body side wirings connected to the main body side electric components and case side wirings connected to the case member side electric components;
(d) a connector attached to an end of the case-side wiring;
(e) a connector holder attached to the connector;
(f) a temporary fastening member provided on a case member for temporarily fastening the connector holder;

(g) a fixing means for fixing the connector holder to the wiring relay member, and (h) a gaming machine in which the connector holder is temporarily fixed to the temporary fixing member in a state before the model unit is attached to the outer main body, and when the model unit is attached to the outer main body, the connector holder is replaced from the temporary fixing member to the fixing means to connect the connector of the connector holder to the wiring relay member.

In the above gaming machine, the attachment of the model unit 50 to the outer body 100 and the connection of the connectors are performed separately. In contrast to this, a method can be considered in which the connectors are attached directly to the model unit 50, and the connectors are automatically connected by pushing the model unit 50 into the outer body 100. However, with this method, if the model unit 50, which has a large mass, vibrates inside the outer body 100 during transportation, a large load is placed on the connector connection, which raises concerns about reliability, and there is an issue that measures to address this are costly.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention is configured such that one door-shaped front member 200 is attached to the outer body 100 and the model unit 50 is physically independent of the door-shaped front member 200. In contrast, a gaming machine in which the door-shaped front member is divided into two sections, upper and lower, and the upper door-shaped front member is a part of the model unit 50 is also conceivable. However, in such a gaming machine, if an excited player hits the upper door-shaped front member while playing, a direct impact is applied to the connector coupling section, which may cause the connector coupling to become unstable, and there is also the problem that a new security structure is required for the joint between the upper and lower door-shaped front members.

In contrast, the gaming machine of the present invention has a single door-shaped front member 200 attached to the outer body 100, and the model unit 50 is physically independent of the door-shaped front member 200. Furthermore, after the connector holder 428 is connected to the wiring relay member 113, the connector holder 428 is combined with a part (wiring relay member 113) fixed to the outer body 100 as shown in FIG. 601, and is separated from the model unit 50 to form an independent structure. Therefore, even if a low-cost, general connector soldered to a printed circuit board is used, there is no need to worry about reliability and durability during transportation or during play. In addition, only the model unit 50 is replaced when changing models, and the door-shaped front member 200 is not replaced, which reduces the burden on the gaming center for model changes.

[6-2-2. Coupling of connectors 425, 427 and connectors 124, 125]
As described above, the connector 425 and the connector 427 are attached to one connector holder 428. In this way, the connection of the two connectors 425 and 427 is completed by a single operation of setting the connector holder 428 at a predetermined position on the wiring relay member 113. However, in reality, a structure in which independent elements, namely the two connectors 425 and 427 and the connector holder 428, are gathered together and integrated faces the difficult problem of "accurate positioning" of the connectors 425 and 427 and the connectors 124 and 125. In other words, if the positioning of the four elements, the two connectors 425 and 427 and the connectors 124 and 125 on the wiring relay member 113 side, is not all accurate, the connectors 425 and 124 and the connectors 427 and 125 cannot be combined at once, and it is difficult to achieve such positioning accuracy at a mass-produced level of cost. As one means of solving such a problem, a method of using a so-called drawer connector equipped with a mechanism for increasing flexibility during coupling without soldering to a printed circuit board is considered, but the drawer connector itself is expensive, so the cost burden is still large.

In contrast, in the wiring means of the embodiment, the connector boards 122, 123 of the wiring relay member 113, which is a board support member, are divided and connectors 124, 125 are attached to each of them, and at least one of the connector boards 122, 123 is placed in a non-fixed manner in the gap between the mounting plate 120 of the wiring relay member 113 and the cover body 121, and is made movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of connection between the connector 427 and the connector 125 (here, "perpendicular" does not mean strictly 90 degrees, but means approximately 90 degrees according to social convention). In this configuration, when the connection aim of the connector holder 428 is set to the connector 425 and the connector 124, even if there is a slight misalignment in the relative position between the other connector 427 and the connector 125, the connector board 123 moves freely to correct the misalignment, so that the connector 427 and the connector 125 can also be connected.

In the above gaming machines, if the connector holder is operated while aiming at the connector of the fixed connector connection terminal board, even if there is some misalignment in the relative positions of other connectors due to manufacturing errors, etc., the non-fixed connector connection terminal board moves freely with the connector to correct the misalignment and absorb the error, making it possible to connect connectors that are not aimed for connection. Therefore, it is possible to connect multiple connectors at once using one connector holder. Moreover, the connectors used are general-purpose, inexpensive, such as DIN standard connectors that are soldered to printed circuit boards, and are also low cost.

The connector holder is also securely fixed to the wiring relay member by a fixing means such as Nylatch (registered trademark), and then to the back plate of the outer body via the wiring relay member. Meanwhile, the connector holder and the model unit are only connected via a flexible harness, and even if the model unit moves, the movement is absorbed by the flexible harness and is not transmitted to the connector holder. For this reason, even if relative movement occurs between the outer body and the model unit due to vibration during transport, the connector holder moves only with the outer body and is not interfered with by the model unit, so no load is placed on the connector joint. This makes the connector joint extremely reliable.

In addition, as in the embodiment, a configuration in which the small connector board 123 corresponding to the small connector 125 is allowed to move freely and the large connectors 425 and 124 are set as the standard for coupling, makes it easier to couple the connectors 425, 124, 427, and 125 compared to the reverse configuration. This is because the small connector board 123 can be handled with less force, making it easier to automatically correct any misalignment. Also, in the embodiment, as shown in Figure 605, the connectors 425 and 124 are coupled before the other connectors 427 and 125, which makes it easier to align the connectors for coupling.

In addition, as shown enlarged in Figure 605, if chamfered portions C (either linear or curved chamfers are acceptable) are formed on the peripheral corners of the convex tips of the convex connectors 425, 427 and/or the peripheral corners of the sockets of the concave connectors 124, 125, the guiding action along the taper of the chamfered portions C will improve the connection between the connectors.

In addition to the configuration in which the connector boards 122 and 123 of the wiring relay member 113 are made free-floating as in the embodiment, it is also possible to make either one of the connectors 425 and 427 on the connector holder 428 free-floating, and in that case, the same effect as above can be obtained. A specific example of such a connector holder 428 is shown in FIG. 613. In this example, a female-threaded receiving tube 429a is protruding from the holder main body 429 of the connector holder 428, while ears 427b having play holes 427a are formed on both sides of the connector 427, and the play holes 427a of the connector 427 are loosely fitted into the receiving tube 429a of the connector holder 428, and the ears 427b are prevented from coming off by a screw 427c with a washer. By doing so, the connector 427 can freely move relative to the connector holder 428 within the range of the difference in diameter between the play hole 427a and the receiving tube 429a. In this case, the connector boards 122 and 123 can be fixed to the mounting plate 120 as a single unit. Also, in the embodiment, two connectors are treated as one connector group, but the number of connectors in one connector group may be two or more.

In addition, in the embodiment, as shown in Figures 600 and 608, a cable groove 437 is formed on the back side of the rear panel 405 of the case member 400, recessed toward the lower inclined plate 310 of the device case 302 of the pattern changing display device 300, and wiring ports 438, 438 that penetrate the side panels 404 (or rear panel 405) of the case member 400 are opened near both ends of the cable groove 437. These wiring ports 438, 438 and cable groove 437 are for connecting the variable pattern display device 300 to the main board 409, etc., and in FIG. 607, the cable 313 (see FIG. 608) of the reel board 312 provided on the right side (the non-hinge side of the door-shaped front member 200) of the device case 302 of the variable pattern display device 300 is pulled out of the case member 400 from one wiring port 438, the cable 313 is stored in the cable groove 437 as shown in FIG. 608, and the end of the cable 313 is returned into the case member 400 from the other wiring port 438 and connected to the main board 409, etc. Note that cable stoppers 439 are provided at a predetermined interval in the cable groove 437 to prevent the cable 313 from falling out of the cable groove 437.

However, the main board 409 and the reel board 312 are both electrical components inside the case member 400, and there is no need to pull the cable 313 out of the case member 400. The reason why we have provided the wiring ports 438, 438 and the cable groove 437 in the case member 400 to allow the cable 313 to be routed around the outside is as follows.

When considering the ease of wiring to insert and remove connectors in a limited space, the location for installing the reel board 312 is preferably the side of the symbol-changing display device 300 (device case 302) that corresponds to the non-hinge side of the door-shaped front member 200. Conversely, if the reel board 312 is provided on the side of the device case 302 that corresponds to the hinge side of the door-shaped front member 200, the fully opened door-shaped front member 200 (see Figure 597) and the reel board 312 will face each other in close proximity, making it impossible to ensure a large working space required for inserting and removing connectors.

However, on the other hand, if the connection parts of the boards (main board 409, sub board 510, image display body 500, etc.) to which the reel board 312 is connected are on the side of the case member 400 that corresponds to the hinge side of the door-shaped front member 200, the cable 313 will cross the inside of the case member 400. This may result in the cable 313 getting caught when the device case 302 is attached to the case member 400, or conversely, the cable 313 may get caught when the device case 302 is pulled out.

In contrast, if the case member 400 is provided with wiring ports 438, 438 and a cable groove 437 as in the embodiment, and the cable 313 is routed around the outside, the above-mentioned cable 313 trouble will not occur. In addition, it is easier to perform the wiring work with the device case 302 slightly pulled out from the specified position, and accordingly, the length of the cable 313 from the wiring port 438 to the reel board 312 is provided with a margin that can be called a wiring allowance. Therefore, when the device case 302 is set in a specified position, slack occurs in the cable 313, and depending on the amount of pulling out, the slack of the cable 313 becomes large. If such slack of the cable 313 is large, the slack part of the cable 313 can be released into the triangular space formed between the lower swash plate 310 of the device case 302, which is located side by side with the wiring port 438, and the corner part at the back of the case member 400.

In addition, when the cable groove 437 is expanded toward the lower swash plate 310 of the device case 302 as in the embodiment, it is useful for effectively utilizing the dead space between the back of the case member 400 and the lower swash plate 310 of the device case 302. Note that wiring using the wiring ports 438, 438 and the cable groove 437 does not need to be limited to the cable 313 of the reel board 312, but can be applied to all cables that cross the inside of the case member 400.

In addition, in FIG. 607, reference numeral 441 denotes a function separation relay terminal board.

The slot machine 1 constructed as above is shipped from the factory in a finished state with the case member 400 attached to the outer body 100 and the necessary wiring completed. Then, the finished product is attached to the game machine installation island of the game parlor as it is. At this time, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 621, when the top plate 103 of the outer body 100 and the upper rail 600 of the game machine installation island are fastened with a fixing member 601 such as a wood screw, the door-shaped front member 200 and the image display body 500 are opened, and the fixing member 601 is inserted through the through hole 132 of the outer body 100 from the inside of the case member 400 through the skylight portion 443, and further the fixing member 601 is tightened through the skylight portion 443 with a tool 602 such as a screwdriver to fixedly connect the top plate 103 of the outer body 100 and the upper rail 600 of the game machine installation island. Note that since a plurality of through holes 132 are provided, any one of them can be selected and used as necessary. For example, even if there is variation in the position or size of the upper rail 600, it is possible to select the through hole 132 that corresponds to that upper rail 600. Also, when replacing an entire gaming machine, by changing the through hole 132 used, it is possible to prevent the disadvantage of holes being made in the fixing member 601 at the same position on the upper rail 600 (so-called "loose holes").

As shown in FIG. 621, a gap S is formed between the outer body 100 and the case member 400, and heat generated from the image display 500 and the like is fanned by the cooling fan (not shown) of the image display 500, passes through the gap S from the skylight portion 443 of the case member 400 to the vent 133 of the back plate 104, and then escapes from there to the inside of the gaming machine installation island. At this time, the wiring relay member 113 is located between the back plate 104 and the case member 400, and acts like a barrier to block the gap S over a wide area, so the hot air flowing through the gap S is blocked by this part, and is actively released to the outside from the vent 133 of the back plate 104, which is located above the wiring relay member 113. This results in a high heat dissipation effect.

[7. Symbols and symbol rows of each reel]
As shown in Fig. 642, each reel 301a, 301b, 301c is provided with a reel band (a pattern band) on which a pattern row (a total of 21 patterns indicated by sequence numbers 0 to 20) consisting of a plurality of types of patterns arranged at regular intervals is written. Fig. 642 shows the pattern rows written on the reel bands 321a, 321b, 321c attached to each reel 301a, 301b, 301c, respectively, as they are expanded in a plane. The above sequence numbers are written for convenience in order to identify the patterns arranged in the pattern rows. In addition, in Figure 642, reel 301a with reel band 321a is shown as the left reel, reel 301b with reel band 321b is shown as the center reel, and reel 301c with reel band 321c is shown as the right reel, and in the following explanation, they will be referred to as left reel 301a, center reel 301b, and right reel 301c as necessary.

Each reel 301a, 301b, 301c is arranged so that a predetermined number of consecutive symbols (e.g., three) among the symbols arranged in each symbol row are visible through an opening 401 (also called a symbol display window, hereafter referred to as symbol display window 401) (see Figure 643 described next).

As shown in Figure 642, the types of designs include a "7" filled in red (hereafter referred to as the "Red 7" design), a "7" filled in blue (hereafter referred to as the "Blue 7" design), a "BAR" design, a "Cherry" design with a cherry design, a "Watermelon" design with a watermelon design, a "Replay" design, a "Bell" design with a bell design, a design with "Right" written on it (hereafter referred to as the "Right" design), and a design with "Right" written on it (hereafter referred to as the "Right" design). The bell design can be divided into a "Bell 1" design with one star and a "Bell 2" design with two stars, depending on the number of stars drawn inside the bell.

In FIG. 642, the "Red 7 symbol" corresponds to the two symbols with sequence numbers 3 and 6 on reel band 321a, the one with sequence number 12 on reel band 321b, and the one with sequence number 10 on reel band 321c. The "Blue 7 symbol" corresponds to the one with sequence number 16 on reel band 321a, the one with sequence number 3 on reel band 321b, and the one with sequence number 15 on reel band 321c. The "BAR symbol" corresponds to the one with sequence number 11 on reel band 321a, the two symbols with sequence numbers 6 and 9 on reel band 321b, and the one with sequence number 2 on reel band 321c. The "cherry symbol" corresponds to one symbol with sequence number 10 on reel band 321a, three symbols with sequence numbers 1, 14, and 17 on reel band 321b, and two symbols with sequence numbers 7 and 14 on reel band 321c. The "replay symbol" corresponds to five symbols with sequence numbers 1, 4, 7, 12, and 17 on reel band 321a, five symbols with sequence numbers 0, 5, 8, 11, and 16 on reel band 321b, and five symbols with sequence numbers 1, 5, 8, 13, and 17 on reel band 321c. The "Bell 1 symbols" correspond to three symbols on the reel band 321a, ie, numbers 13, 15, and 18, the five symbols on the reel band 321b, ie, numbers 2, 7, 10, 15, and 18, and the three symbols on the reel band 321c, ie, numbers 9, 12, and 16. The "Bell 2 symbols" correspond to three symbols on the reel band 321a, ie, numbers 2, 5, and 8, and the two symbols on the reel band 321c, ie, numbers 0 and 4. The "Watermelon symbols" correspond to three symbols on the reel band 321a, ie, numbers 9, 14, and 19, the two symbols on the reel band 321b, ie, numbers 4 and 13, and the four symbols on the reel band 321c, ie, numbers 3, 6, 11, and 20. The "intended symbol" corresponds to the symbol number 20 on reel band 321a, the symbol number 19 on reel band 321b, and the symbol number 18 on reel band 321c. The "correct symbol" corresponds to the symbol number 0 on reel band 321a, the symbol number 20 on reel band 321b, and the symbol number 18 on reel band 321c. Note that the types of symbols are merely examples and are not limited to these types.

[8. Frame Member]
FIG. 643 shows an enlarged view of the slot machine 1 viewed from the front, centering on the frame member 501 including the symbol display window 401. According to FIG. 643, the symbol display window 401 is formed in the center of the frame member 501, and a plurality of indicators (corresponding to "various indicators" to be described later) such as lamps and LEDs are arranged around the symbol display window 401. Then, a part of the three reels (reels 301a, 301b, 301c) is made visible through the symbol display window 401. Also, it is shown that the performance display surface of the image display body 500 is arranged above the frame member 501, and images (including moving images) displayed on the image display body 500 are visible to the player. Below, each of the above configurations shown in FIG. 643 will be described in detail.

[8-1. Pattern display window]
As shown in Fig. 643, three consecutive symbols among the symbols in the symbol row of each of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c can be seen from the symbol display window 401. The three positions where these symbols are displayed are called, from the top, the "upper row (or upper row position)" (for example, the position where the "bell 1 symbol" of the reel 301a is displayed), the "middle row (or middle row position)" (for example, the position where the "replay symbol" of the reel 301b is displayed), and the "lower row (or lower row position)" (for example, the position where the "bell 1 symbol" of the reel 301c is displayed).

From the above, it is possible to display "number of stages x number of reels" symbols in the symbol display window 401. Therefore, in slot machine 1, a maximum of nine symbols can be displayed in the symbol display window 401 due to "number of stages (3) x number of reels (3)".

On the left side of the frame member 501 (also called the display panel, hereafter referred to as the display panel 501) (as viewed from the symbol display window 401), various lamps are provided, of which the BET lamps 614 are marked "BET1", "BET2", and "BET3". The numbers on the BET lamps (the numbers 1, 2, and 3 in the above "BET1", "BET2", and "BET3") correspond to the number of bets (the number of bets, the number according to the number of medals bet). In other words, "1" corresponds to 1 bet (the number of medals bet is 1), "2" corresponds to 2 bets (the number of medals bet is 2), and "3" corresponds to 3 bets (also called the MAX bet, the number of medals bet is 3).

The effective sequence is determined according to the number of bets. This "effective sequence" is also called an effective line. In the following, it will be referred to as an effective line. The combination of symbols corresponding to a predetermined winning role, which will be described later, is determined to be displayed as a combination of symbols corresponding to the winning role only when they are displayed side by side on one effective line. In other words, even if each symbol constituting the symbol corresponding to the predetermined winning role is displayed individually in the symbol display window 401, if each symbol is not lined up on one of the effective lines (i.e., if the combination of symbols corresponding to the predetermined winning role is not lined up on the effective line), it is not determined that the combination of symbols corresponding to the predetermined winning role is displayed. In this way, if the combination of symbols corresponding to the predetermined winning role is not lined up on the effective line, it is determined that a random combination of symbols (i.e., a combination of symbols that is a losing combination) is displayed.

Next, the number of bets and the effective lines will be specifically explained. In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, as an example, a game with three coins is specified or recommended as a rule (the specified number is three coins). However, in the bonus state, a game with two coins is played (the specified number is two coins). In addition, the effective lines in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment are two lines, a straight line that goes up to the right (a right-up line) and a straight line that goes down to the right (a right-down line). Specifically, only two lines are effective lines in the symbol display window 401 of FIG. 643: the line 623b on which "BAR symbol-replay symbol-regular symbol" is displayed (i.e., the right-up line) and the line 623a on which "Bell 1 symbol-replay symbol-Bell 1 symbol" is displayed (i.e., the right-down line).

The number of bets and the effective lines are not limited to the above examples. For example, the effective lines may be any lines visible to the player within the symbol display window 401, and may be arranged in one or more straight lines, or in a mountain or V-shape. The number of effective lines is not limited to two, and one or more effective lines may be set. Furthermore, the number of effective lines may change depending on the number of medals bet in the game.

The symbol combination on the winning line displayed in the symbol display window 401 in FIG. 643 is "Bell 1 symbol-Replay symbol-Bell 1 symbol" displayed on the right-downward line 623a, which is one of the winning lines, and since this symbol combination corresponds to a replay role (replay role), an automatic bet is placed in the next game without inserting medals, and it becomes possible to play the same game as the previous game again. Even if "Bell 1 symbol-Replay symbol-Bell 1 symbol" is displayed on the winning line, it is difficult for a player to understand at a glance which symbol combination is displayed. However, the symbol combination of "Replay symbol-Replay symbol-Replay symbol" is displayed on the middle line, which is not a winning line, so that the player can understand that he has won a replay. In addition, as with the above-mentioned replay role (replay role), a symbol combination that is difficult to grasp at a glance on the winning line but is difficult to grasp when viewing the entire symbol display window 401 may be prepared for other winning roles as well. In this case, even if it is difficult to grasp at a glance from the winning line alone, when viewing the entire symbol display window 401, it is possible for the player to easily grasp that the winning role has been won (that the symbol combination corresponding to the winning role has been displayed on the winning line).

[8-2. Various displays]
As shown in FIG. 643, on the display panel 501, around the symbol display window 401, lights are turned on (or off) in accordance with the progress of the game on the slot machine 1 (for example, based on the result of an internal lottery or an ART first winning lottery). A plurality of indicators such as lamps and LEDs that can be turned on or off are arranged on the display 612. Among such a plurality of indicators, various indicators other than the special indicator LED 612 will be described below.

The error lamp 604 is a lamp that starts to light up (or flash) if any trouble, malfunction, etc. (hereafter referred to as "error") occurs while playing with the slot machine 1, and serves to inform players (including hall staff, etc.) that an error has occurred. In FIG. 643, the word "ERR", an abbreviation of error, is written near the error lamp 604. Note that since it is difficult to indicate the details of an error just by the light or flashing of the error lamp 604, the slot machine 1 can display information indicating the details of the error that has occurred on a special display LED 612 that is provided separately.

The interval display lamp 605 starts to light (or blink) when the game number management process described later is started, and goes out when the game number management process is finished. In other words, this interval display lamp 605 is a lamp that has the role of informing players (including hall staff) that the game number management process is in progress. The timing at which the interval display lamp 605 starts to light (or blink) may be any timing within the game in which the game number management process is started. "Within the game in which the game number management process is started" corresponds to the period from when the start lever 210 is operated until it becomes possible to insert gaming media (medals, credit data) to play the next game (if the result of the game in which the game number management process is started is a replay, the period until it becomes possible to automatically bet). For example, when a special role is selected by internal lottery, one of a plurality of modes, including a mode in which the gaming media can be inserted immediately and a mode in which the gaming media can be inserted several seconds after the so-called freeze process is performed, may be determined with a predetermined probability. In the case of a mode in which the insertion of gaming media is possible several seconds after the so-called freeze process, a liquid crystal effect or a reel effect may be performed during the so-called freeze process to provoke the player into anticipation that the game count management process will start. The conditions for starting the game count management process will be described later.

The replay lamp 606 is a lamp that notifies the player that if the game result is a replay (described later), the player can play again (without betting any more medals). In Figure 643, the word "REP", an abbreviation of replay, is written near the replay lamp 606.

The start lamp 608 is a lamp that starts to light up (or blink) when the number of bets reaches the MAX BET, and has the role of encouraging the player to operate the start lever 210 (start operation). In Figure 643, the letters "STR", an abbreviation of start, are written near the start lamp 608.

The medal IN lamp 610 is a lamp that encourages the player to make a bet by remaining lit (or blinking) until the number of bets reaches the maximum (MAX BET). In Figure 643, the letters "INS," an abbreviation for insert (insertion of gaming value), are written near the medal IN lamp 610.

The stored number display LED 613 is a display that informs the player of the number of stored medals (game value) by displaying the number of medals that the player can use when the medals are stored by the player inserting the medals or when the medals are paid out as a result of the game result, and is composed of two horizontally arranged 7-segment LEDs (stored number display LED 613a on the left and stored number display LED 613b on the right). For example, if the upper limit of the number of stored medals that the player can use is 50, the stored number display LED 613a will display "5" and the stored number display LED 613b will display "0", so that the number of stored medals is clearly displayed as "50" for the player to see.

The BET lamps 614 (614a to 614c) are indicators that notify the number of medals (game value) bet in one game (BET number) by displaying the BET number when a BET operation is performed to bet medals (game value) up to a specified number at the start of a game before the start lever 210 is operated, and are composed of three lamps corresponding to the BET number. Specifically, when the BET number is one coin, the BET lamp 614c lights up, when the BET number is two coins, the BET lamp 614b lights up in addition to the BET lamp 614c, and when the BET number reaches the upper limit of three coins (MAXBET), the BET lamp 614a lights up and all the BET lamps 614a to 614c light up.

The displays of these displays mentioned above are controlled by the main board 409 (see Figure 644 below).

In addition to these, a bonus notification lamp that notifies the player of a win in the bonus game described below, and a 7-segment LED that displays the cumulative number of medals paid out in bonus games and the like, or that counts bonus games, may also be provided separately.

In addition, the displays such as the stored number display LED 613 and the special display LED 612 (described later) are not limited to 7-segment LEDs as long as they are capable of displaying the information that should be displayed on the display. For example, the number of segments may be a number other than "7" (14 segments or 16 segments), and an LCD (liquid crystal display), VFD (vacuum fluorescent display), organic EL, etc. may be used instead of an LED.

[8-3. Special display LED]
The special display LED 612 has a role of displaying the number of medals to be paid out when medals (game value) are paid out as a result of the game, thereby informing the player of the number of medals to be paid out. The display is composed of two horizontally arranged seven-segment LEDs (the special display LED 612a on the left and the special display LED 612b on the right). Specifically, the special display LEDs 612a and 612b are used to display two-digit numbers. When 15 medals are paid out as a result of the game, the numbers "01", "02", ..., "15" are displayed according to the timing of the medals being paid out one by one. By changing the display content accordingly, the player can be informed of the payout status of gaming value (medals) in real time.

In addition, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the special display LED 612 has the role of displaying the number of coins to be paid out as described above, and also has the role of displaying the instruction function, which displays the content of instructions given by the "instruction function" in the game. Details of the "instruction function" will be explained later, but to give an overview, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when a command is issued by the "instruction function" when a predetermined condition is met, the special display LED 612 displays information indicating the pressing positions and stopping order of the reels 301a to 301c (which can be interpreted as the pressing order and pressing positions of the reel stop buttons 211a to 211c in the stopping operation) as an instruction function display, and when the reel 301 is stopped according to the content of the display, a game result advantageous to the player is provided.

In addition, in the instruction function, the performance that affects the generation of instructions (specifically, the lottery and state transition management related to the instruction function, etc.) is controlled by the main board 409. Specifically, not only the lottery and state transition control related to the instruction function, but also the instruction function display on the special display LED 612 is managed by the main board 409. On the other hand, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, based on the determination result by the main board 409, it is also possible to display the same instruction of the instruction function on other display means (e.g., the image display body 500) other than the display destination of the instruction function display, but such display may be controlled by a peripheral board other than the main board 409 (e.g., the sub-board 510). The connection relationship between the special display LED 612, the main board 409, and the sub-board 510 is illustrated in FIG. 644.

To explain this in a specific example, when a push order minor role (in this example, any one of "push order bell 1" to "push order bell 6") is selected as a winning role during an ART game, the instruction content of the "proper push order" corresponding to the winning push order minor role is displayed on the special display LED 612 under the control of the main board 409 (particularly the CPU 1110). Therefore, the player can recognize the proper push order when he or she interprets the display content of the instruction function display on the special display LED 612. On the other hand, by transmitting information similar to the display content of the instruction function display on the special display LED 612 from the main board 409 to the sub-board 510 by a command or the like, the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 that receives the command can display an image indicating the "proper push order" on the image display body 500. Specific display examples of the instruction function display will be described later in [10-3-6].

In the slot machine 1, such an instruction function display can be performed by any of the displays on the display panel 501 sharing the same function (in this example, it is displayed on the special display LED 612 that displays the number of coins to be paid out). In other words, the special display LED 612 displays both the instruction function and the number of coins to be paid out, but by separating the display periods for each, for example, it is possible to display the two without confusing them. Note that in this embodiment, it also shares the function of displaying the number of coins to be paid out, but it may be shared by a display with other functions, or a display dedicated to displaying the instruction function may be provided.

Furthermore, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when an error is detected as an abnormal state, the error lamp 604 lights up to notify the occurrence of the error, while the special display LED 612 also has the function of displaying error information to identifiably display the type of the error. The timing of displaying the instruction function display, payout number display, and error information display will be described later in [10-3-7], etc.

[9. Internal Configuration of Slot Machine]
Fig. 644 shows a schematic configuration of various mechanical elements, electronic devices, operating members, etc. equipped in the slot machine 1. The slot machine 1 has a main board 409 for overall control of the progress of the game, and this main board 409 has a CPU 1110, a ROM 1112, a RAM 1114, an input/output interface 1116, etc. mounted thereon. The main board 409 has a function that affects the result of the game (acquisition of gaming value), and specifically includes, for example, an internal lottery execution means for performing an internal lottery, a bonus game execution means for executing a bonus game based on the result of the internal lottery, an RT state control means for controlling the RT state, an ART first win lottery means for performing an ART first win lottery, a game state control means for controlling the state to one of a hell state where the number of games is not being managed and a plurality of advantageous states where the number of games is being managed, an instruction function control means for executing control related to whether or not to allow the operation of an instruction function, a game number management control means for executing a game number management process for managing the number of games played by the player, and a payout control means related to the payout of medals as a prize based on a winning combination. Details of each of these means will be described later.

The slot machine 1 also includes, as an example of components not shown in FIG. 644, a door open detection switch that detects the open state of the door-shaped front member 200, a storage release switch 209 (stored medal clearing switch), a medal selector lever detection sensor provided in the medal selector 207, and stop button LEDs (stop button LED_1, stop button LED_2, stop button LED_3) that can be lit around each of the reel stop buttons 211a to 211c. These components are controlled by the main board 409.

The aforementioned single coin insertion buttons 205, 206, start lever 210, reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, 211c, storage release switch 209, etc. are all connected to the main board 409, and these operation buttons can detect operation by the player using a sensor (not shown) and output the detected operation signal to the main board 409. Specifically, when the start lever 210 is operated, an operation signal that starts the aforementioned variable pattern display device 300 (starts the rotation of reels 301a, 301b, 301c) is output to the main board 409, and when the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, 211c are operated, an operation signal that stops reels 301a, 301b, 301c is output to the main board 409.

Note that in the following, where necessary, the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c will be referred to as the left reel 301a, center reel 301b, and right reel 301c, respectively. The corresponding reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c will be referred to as the left reel stop button 211a, center reel stop button 211b, and right reel stop button 211c, respectively.

The slot machine 1 also houses a main board 409 and other devices, and various signals are input from these devices to the main board 409. The devices include the symbol-changing display device 300, as well as the medal payout device 110, etc.

The variable symbol display device 300 is equipped with reel drive motors 341a, 341b, and 341c for rotating the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c, respectively (left reel drive motor 341a, center reel drive motor 341b, and right reel drive motor 341c). These reel drive motors are stepping motors, and each of the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c can rotate and stop independently, and during rotation, multiple types of symbols are displayed in the symbol display window 401, changing continuously from top to bottom.

The reels 301a, 301b, and 301c also have position sensors 331a, 331b, and 331c for detecting the reference position of the rotation of each reel 301a, 301b, and 301c, and each reel 301a, 301b, and 301c has a corresponding position sensor 331a, 331b, and 331c provided therein (left reel position sensor 331a, center reel position sensor 331b, and right reel position sensor 331c). Detection signals (index signals) from these position sensors are input to the main board 409, which allows the main board 409 to obtain information on the stop position of each reel.

The medal selector 207 contains the solenoid 207a and insertion sensor 207b described above. The insertion sensor 207b detects medals inserted through the medal insertion slot 203 and outputs a medal detection signal to the main board 409. When the solenoid 207a is OFF, the inserted medal is detected by the insertion sensor 207b. Conversely, when the solenoid 207a is ON, the passage leading to the insertion sensor 207b within the medal selector 207 is locked out, and medal insertion is not accepted. Even if a player inserts a medal, the medal that flows through the medal selector 207 and into the return gutter 213 returns to the medal receiving tray 201. At the same time, the function of the insertion sensor 207b is disabled, so that neither betting by inserting a medal nor storing the medal is performed.

The medal dispenser 110 has a dispense sensor 110e in the dispense port 110c that detects each dispensed medal, and this dispense sensor 110e inputs a dispense medal signal for each medal to the main board 409. The auxiliary storage box 111 for game medals is also provided with a medal full sensor 111a, which outputs a detection signal to the main board 409 when the number of medals stored inside exceeds a predetermined number. At this time, an error display is displayed on the image display 500, the special display LED 612, the error lamp 604, etc. to notify the player and hall staff that an abnormality has occurred in the medal storage (corresponding to the "auxiliary storage box full error" shown in Figure 688 described below).

Meanwhile, the main board 409 outputs control signals to the symbol variable display device 300 and the medal discharge device 110. That is, the main board 409 outputs drive pulse signals for controlling the start and stop of each of the reel drive motors 341a, 341b, 341c described above. Also, a drive signal is input from the main board 409 to the medal discharge device 110 according to the type of combination of symbols stopped on the active line, and in response to this, the medal discharge device 110 performs a medal dispensing operation. At this time, if the medal discharge device 110 does not have enough medals required for dispensing or if there are no medals at all in the medal discharge device 110, the number detection by the dispensing sensor 110e will be delayed. After a predetermined time (for example, 1.5 seconds) has elapsed, the payout sensor 110e outputs an abnormality signal for the payout medals to the main board 409, and the main board 409 then displays information on the error lamp 604, special display LED 612, image display 500, etc., informing the player and hall staff that an abnormality has occurred in the payout of medals (corresponding to the "Payout medal empty error" shown in FIG. 688, which will be described later). The main board 409 and the various indicators (error lamp 604, start lamp 608, special display LED 612, number of reserved medals indicator LED 613, etc.) are connected by, for example, a harness, and the main board 409 can control the lighting and display of each of these indicators via the corresponding port.

The slot machine 1 is equipped with a sub-board 510 as a peripheral board different from the main board 409, and this sub-board 510 is equipped with a CPU 1118, a ROM 1120, a RAM 1122, an input/output interface 1130, a VDP (Video Display Processor) 1124, an AMP (Audio Amplifier) 1126, a sound source IC 1128, etc. The sub-board 510 receives various command signals from the main board 409, and controls the display of the image display 500, the light emission (or lighting, blinking, extinguishing, etc.) of the lighting device 502, etc., and the operation of the speaker 512.

Furthermore, if an external relay terminal board 131 is provided on the main board 409, the slot machine 1 is connected to the hall computer 1200 of the gaming center via this external relay terminal board 131. The external relay terminal board 131 plays a role in relaying various signals (inserted medal signal, paid medal signal, game status, etc.) transmitted from the main board 409 to the hall computer 1200. Note that the connection configuration in FIG. 644 is only one example of the slot machine 1 of this embodiment. For example, as another connection configuration, not only the main board 409 but also peripheral boards other than the main board 409 (e.g., sub-board 510) may be made connectable to the external relay terminal board 131. In such a case, various signals can be transmitted from various boards connected to the external relay terminal board 131 to the external relay terminal board 131 and output to the hall computer 1200 via the external relay terminal board 131. Specifically, various game-related information managed by the sub-board 510 and emergency information that can be managed by the sub-board 510 (for example, error information notifying of malfunctions or problems with components of the slot machine 1) can be output to the hall computer 1200.

In addition, the power supply unit 112 is equipped with a setting key switch 112t, a reset switch 112u, a power switch 112v, etc. None of these switches are exposed to the outside of the slot machine 1, and can only be operated by opening the door-shaped front member 200. Among these, the power switch 112v is for turning the power supply to the slot machine 1 on and off, and the setting key switch 112t is for setting one of a number of settings (for example, settings 1 to 6) with different winning probabilities, and is configured so that hall personnel can change from one setting to another. The reset switch 112u is for canceling errors that occur in the slot machine 1, and is also operated together with the setting key switch 112t when changing settings. These switches described above may be installed on the main board 409.

The above is an example of the internal configuration of the slot machine 1. In a game using the slot machine 1, when the player operates the start lever 210 after deciding the number of medals to bet, each reel 301a, 301b, 301c spins, and then when the player operates the reel stop button 211a, 211b, 211c, the corresponding reel 301a, 301b, 301c is controlled to stop, and when all the reels 301a, 301b, 301c stop, the game result is determined from the combination of symbols on the pay line, and a prescribed number of medals corresponding to the corresponding winning role is awarded as necessary. However, since the number of slip frames is determined at the time the reel stop button 211a, 211b, 211c is operated, the combination of symbols displayed on the pay line is determined at the time the reel stop button 211a, 211b, 211c is operated. Therefore, instead of determining the game result from the combination of symbols displayed on the pay line, the game result may be determined when the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c are operated.

As mentioned above, reel bands 321a, 321b, and 321c are attached to reels 301a, 301b, and 301c, respectively (see FIG. 642). Then, when all reels 301a, 301b, and 301c are stopped, it is determined whether a combination of symbols (symbol combination) corresponding to a predetermined winning combination is displayed from the display content (symbol combination displayed on the pay lines) displayed in symbol display window 401. Specifically, it is determined whether a symbol combination corresponding to a predetermined winning combination is displayed on the pay lines (right-upward line 623b and right-downward line 623a) in symbol display window 401.

In this example, two pay lines are used, but if the slot machine 1 has multiple pay lines, it is determined whether or not a symbol combination corresponding to a winning role is displayed on each of the multiple pay lines. If it is determined that multiple symbol combinations of winning roles are displayed, the amount of medals paid out is the sum of the payout numbers corresponding to each displayed winning role. In addition, the slot machine 1 can specify a predetermined number (e.g., 15 medals) as the upper limit of the number of medals paid out per time (9 medals in this embodiment). In such a case, if the sum of the payout numbers corresponding to each winning role displayed on the multiple pay lines exceeds the upper limit, the predetermined number of medals of the upper limit is paid out, and the amount in excess of the upper limit is discarded. In addition, the amount in excess of the upper limit is not paid out in installments for the next game or later.

In the following, when a combination of symbols corresponding to a predetermined winning role is displayed on one of the active lines, it is said that a combination of symbols corresponding to a (predetermined) winning role (these symbols are called winning role symbols) is complete, or that winning role symbols are complete.

As already mentioned, the symbols on the slot machine 1 include the "Red 7", "Blue 7", "BAR", "Cherry", "Replay", "Bell 1", "Bell 2", "Watermelon", "Right" and "Correct" symbols. Among these, the "Red 7", "Blue 7" and "BAR" symbols are more noticeable and easier to distinguish than the other symbols. "Easy to distinguish" here refers to the degree to which the player can easily distinguish the symbols, including while the reels are spinning and when the reels are stopped. Due to the color and size of these symbols, even while the reels are spinning, when the player performs a stop operation, it is easy to aim for these symbols to stop within the symbol display window 401 (i.e., it is easy to press the button by eye). Furthermore, as can be seen from FIG. 642, the "right symbol" and the "right symbol" are arranged vertically adjacent to each other to form a circle that can be read as "justice," and there is only one on each reel 301a, 301b, and 301c, making it easy to hit the target.

These symbols are merely symbolic symbols (one symbol alone does not correspond to a winning combination), but when combined in a specific way, they become a combination of symbols that corresponds to a winning combination. In other words, a specific gaming benefit is awarded. Below, we will explain the pattern combinations that are allowed to correspond to each winning combination shown in Figures 645 to 650.

[9-1. Combination of winning roles and symbols]
Here, the winning combinations (including those called winning combinations) in the internal lottery executed by the internal lottery execution means and the corresponding symbol combinations will be described with reference to Figs. 645 to 650. Fig. 645 is an example of a lottery table used to draw winning combinations when the setting is 1. Fig. 646 is an example of a lottery table used to draw winning combinations when the setting is 2. Fig. 647 is an example of a lottery table used to draw winning combinations when the setting is 3. Fig. 648 is an example of a lottery table used to draw winning combinations when the setting is 4. Fig. 649 is an example of a lottery table used to draw winning combinations when the setting is 5. Fig. 650 is an example of a lottery table used to draw winning combinations when the setting is 6. The lottery tables (also called winning value determination tables) shown in Figs. 645 to 650 are stored in advance in the ROM 1112 or the like. Although details will be described later, in the slot machine 1, an internal lottery is executed by an internal lottery execution means possessed by the CPU 1110 of the main board 409.

[9-1-1. Overview of instruction function]
The slot machine 1 of the present embodiment described below is provided with an instruction function using push order minor roles as an example of a function provided in a gaming machine. The push order bells 1 to 6 can be displayed as a bell pattern alignment only when the order in which the reel stop buttons 211 are operated is correct. In a gaming machine provided with an instruction function, the winning or losing of the ART first win is determined by the ART first win lottery executed by the ART first win lottery means of the CPU 1110 of the main board 409.

When the ART first hit lottery is won, the ART game begins. In the ART game, the proper push order that can be expected to pay out the most medals is instructed, mainly when push order bells 1 to 6 are selected as the winning combination in the internal lottery, so that players who follow the instructions to stop the reels can win many medals. On the other hand, during play periods other than the ART game (non-ART), the above push order instructions are not given, so it is possible to make it uncertain to win medals with the proper push order, and it is possible to bring about differences in the expected number of medals to be won and the pace at which medals are consumed for each play state. This kind of instruction function is one example of a function provided in the slot machine 1, and detailed processing etc. will be described later.

As a further explanation of the push order, slot machine 1 uses three reels 301a to 301c, and so there are six possible push orders (stop order of reels 301): "left-center-right", "left-right-center", "center-left-right", "center-right-left", "right-left-center", and "right-center-left". In the following explanation, each push order will be called "forward push", "sandwich push", "center forward push", "center reverse push", "reverse sandwich push", and "reverse push", respectively. In addition, "pressing sequence 123" written in the note 1 column of Figures 645 to 650 corresponds to the pressing order of "left-center-right" (forward pressing), "pressing sequence 132" corresponds to the pressing order of "left-right-center" (sandwich pressing), "pressing sequence 312" corresponds to the pressing order of "right-left-center" (reverse sandwich pressing), "pressing sequence 213" corresponds to the pressing order of "center-left-right" (sandwich pressing of center), "pressing sequence 321" corresponds to the pressing order of "right-center-left" (reverse pressing), and "pressing sequence 231" corresponds to the pressing order of "center-right-left" (reverse pressing of center).

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when playing during a period when an ART game is not being played (non-ART) and no instructions are given on the order of pressing, the recommended procedure for the stopping operation to stop the reels 301 is "left press ('in order' or 'sandwich press')" in which the left reel 301a is stopped first (i.e., the reel stop button 211a is operated first), and if a stopping operation that does not follow the recommended procedure is performed, such as by stopping the center reel 301b or right reel 301c first, measures that are disadvantageous to the player may be taken, such as temporarily stopping the ART lottery.

In such a slot machine 1, for example, when the winning role corresponds to a push order minor role (in this example, a push order bell), the manner of the stopped results differs depending on the order of pushing the reel stop buttons 211 (individually, reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c). Such differences in the manner of the stopped results can be realized, for example, as follows. That is, as the winning role corresponding to the "push order bell", multiple types of winning roles each associated with a proper push order are prepared (specifically, the winning roles correspond to "push order bell 1" to "push order bell 6" shown in Figures 645 to 650, and when the winning role is, for example, "push order bell 1", pushing in order (left, center, right) corresponds to the "proper push order"), and the operation of multiple types of condition devices is permitted by different combinations for each winning role selected by internal lottery. At this time, the control of the symbols drawn in when the reel 301 is stopped is set to be performed under different priority controls (for example, "number priority control" or "number of symbol combinations priority control") depending on the order in which the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed, so that the stop payout pattern can be made different based on the order in which the buttons are pressed, and as a result, the number of coins paid out can also be made different.

Here, "number priority control" refers to a pull-in control that prioritizes a conditional device that will pay out the most coins when a winning combination is displayed on a winning line when multiple conditional devices are allowed to operate, and pulls in and stops the symbols of the symbol combination corresponding to that conditional device from among the "retractable symbols" on the winning line when multiple conditional devices are allowed to operate. Also, "symbol combination number priority control" refers to a pull-in control that prioritizes a conditional device that will display the largest number of symbol combinations that can be displayed by the "retractable symbols" when multiple conditional devices are allowed to operate, and pulls in and stops the symbols corresponding to that conditional device on the winning line.

For example, if "Push Order Bell 1", where pushing in order is considered the "appropriate push order", is selected as the winning combination, and if the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed in the "appropriate push order (left, middle, right)", the above-mentioned "number priority control" is used to control the draw, and if the push order is "inappropriate", the above-mentioned "number of symbol combinations priority control" is used to control the draw. In this case, in the "appropriate push order", the 8-piece role condition device, which pays out the most coins when winning, is prioritized, and the 8-piece role symbol combination is drawn onto the active line. On the other hand, in the "inappropriate push order", the 1-piece role condition device or the 0-piece role condition device is prioritized, and the 1-piece role or 0-piece role symbol combination is drawn onto the active line. Thus, when "Push Order Bell 1" is selected as the winning combination, if the reels 301 are stopped in the "proper push order," an 8-coin combination can be won, while if the reels 301 are stopped in the "incorrect push order," a combination with fewer coins paid out than the 8-coin combination (1-coin combination, 0-coin combination) can be won.

The symbols that can be drawn onto the pay line when the reel 301 stops are limited based on the position of the reel 301 at the time the reel stop button 211 is pressed to stop the reel (specifically, for example, a maximum of four frames can be drawn), so depending on the timing of this stop operation (press timing), some symbols can be drawn and some cannot. As a result, the state of the stop results differs depending on the press timing, and the priority of the condition device according to the press timing is also set in advance.

In this way, in slot machine 1, when a winning combination associated with the "proper push order" is won, multiple condition devices are allowed to operate, and different priority controls are set for the control of the reel pull in of the symbols on reel 301, so that when play is based on the "proper push order," the reel can be stopped at a winning combination that can provide a more advantageous benefit to the player (for example, the payout of a relatively large number of medals) than when play is based on the "improper push order."

In addition, although not illustrated in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650, other push order minor roles may be prepared in addition to the push order bells 1 to 6, or a push order replay role may be used. When using a push order replay role, for example, when the condition device of "Raise Replay 1 + Normal Maintenance Replay" shown in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650 is activated, if the stop operation is performed in the correct push order, it is preferable that "Raise Replay 1" is displayed and the state transitions to a high replay state (for example, from RT1 to RT2), and if the stop operation is performed in an incorrect push order, "Normal Maintenance Replay" is displayed and the state transitions to a high replay state. However, in this case, regardless of the order in which the stop operation is performed, the symbol combination corresponding to the replay role is displayed, and a special bonus for a replay (a bonus for playing the next game and receiving an internal lottery without inserting a gaming medium (medal, credit data)) is awarded.

The above is an overview of the instruction function in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment. In the following explanation, the ART game using the push order bell as described above is taken as an example of a special game that is advantageous to the player, but the special game that is advantageous to the player in the slot machine 1 is not limited to the ART game, but includes other advantageous game states (for example, bonus games, AT games, or RT games). The instruction function is also not limited to an instruction function that uses the push order, but may also use other functions, such as push positions (a role in which the bonus granted can be changed based on the timing of the stop operation on the reel stop button 211).

[9-1-2. Types of winning roles]
The lottery tables shown in Figs. 645 to 650 will be described. In the slot machine 1, different lottery tables are prepared according to the RT state, and Figs. 645 to 650 show a general state (RT0), RT1, RT2, RT3, a bonus internal state, and a bonus state as examples of the RT state in the slot machine 1. In this specification, the general state, the bonus internal state, and the bonus state are also included in the RT state. Here, the general state is a state in which the bonus flag is not established and is not in a bonus game or RT, and is controlled after the end of the bonus game. The bonus internal state is a state in which a bonus (specifically, BB1 and BB2 described later) is won by an internal lottery, and the winning establishment state of the bonus is carried over without transitioning to the bonus state. The bonus state is an advantageous game state to which a transition is made based on the fact that a bonus (specifically, BB1 and BB2 described later) is won by an internal lottery and a symbol combination corresponding to the bonus is displayed. In addition, although BB1 and BB2 are shown as bonuses in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650, the bonuses that can be installed in the slot machine 1 may be of other types, and may include RB bonuses, single bonuses (SB), etc. In such cases, it is necessary to prepare states corresponding to the respective bonuses, but detailed explanations of each state will be omitted since they are the same as those of general gaming machines.

As shown in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650, in the slot machine 1 according to this embodiment, the probability of winning (or the number of pieces placed) for each winning combination is determined for each RT state, and an internal lottery is performed using a lottery table prepared in advance for each RT state. In the slot machine 1, when a certain combination is won as a result of the internal lottery, a condition device corresponding to the winning combination is activated, and a reel stop process (described later) is performed so that a symbol combination corresponding to the activated condition device is displayed on the pay line. When a winning combination is indicated by the symbol combination displayed on the pay line, medals are paid out based on the winning combination. In the payout of medals based on a winning combination, the number of medals paid out may be set to be different depending on the RT state and the number of medals bet on the game (prescribed number). In this case, it is preferable to separately prepare a lottery table corresponding to the prescribed number.

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, since one condition device and a reel control pattern correspond one-to-one, if multiple reel control patterns are to be prepared for one winning role, multiple conditions may be satisfied for one winning role. This makes it possible to prepare multiple patterns of stop outcomes (combinations of symbols displayed on an active line) for one winning role.

The winning combinations shown in Figures 645 to 650 can be broadly categorized into bonus combinations (BB1, BB2), minor combinations (watermelon, cherry, bell), and replay combinations (replay combinations), and if none of the above combinations are won, it is called a "miss." Note that a "miss" is not strictly a winning combination, but for the sake of convenience, it may be included in the winning combination in the following explanation.

Here, to briefly explain each role, the "bonus role" is a role that triggers the execution of a bonus game, and specifically, "BB1" and "BB2" correspond to the bonus role. The "replay role (replay role)" is a role in which the BET process (state and process in which the start lever 210 can be operated) described later is performed without inserting medals, and the next game can be executed (replay). The "minor role" is a role in which a predetermined number of medals are paid out depending on the winning, and the number of medals paid out varies depending on the minor role displayed on the active line. As mentioned above, the winning roles "push order bell 1" to "push order bell 6" shown in Figures 645 to 650 are sometimes collectively called "push order bell". The reason why the number of payouts of the push order bell is described in multiple ways in Figures 645 to 650 is because the number of payouts may differ depending on the stopping order and stopping position of the reel 301. On the other hand, the "common bell" is a push order-independent bell role in which the bell pattern can always be stopped regardless of the push order. The details of each winning role will be described later.

For specific roles such as the watermelon role, the cherry role, and the replay role, in addition to the normal roles (normal watermelon role, normal cherry role, normal maintenance replay role (illustrated as normal maintenance replay in Figs. 645 to 650), the winning roles include special roles (special watermelon role, special cherry role, special maintenance replay role (illustrated as special maintenance replay in Figs. 645 to 650). Details of these special roles will be described later. In this specification, the concept including both the normal watermelon role and the special watermelon role will be simply referred to as the watermelon role or watermelon, and similarly, the concept including both the normal cherry role and the special cherry role will be simply referred to as the cherry role or cherry, and the concept including both the normal maintenance replay role and the special maintenance replay role will be simply referred to as the maintenance replay role, maintenance replay, or maintenance replay.

Furthermore, in addition to the normal maintenance replay role and the special maintenance replay role, the winning roles include the special maintenance replay role (shown as Special Maintenance Replay in Figures 645 to 650). Details of this special maintenance replay role will be described later.

In addition, a "miss" means that no winning combination was selected as a result of the internal lottery regarding winning combinations. In the case of a "miss," no symbol combination corresponding to any winning combination will be stopped unless the bonus combination state is carried over (i.e., the bonus internal state).

The push order doesn't matter, but nine medals are paid out regardless of the order in which they are pressed, whereas the push order bell pays out one medal or no medal at all if the order is incorrect. By distributing the number of medals placed in this way, when the bonus state is reached (bonus game), the player can increase the number of medals they have in hand without losing any.

Furthermore, even if the result of the internal lottery is not a "lose" and one of the roles (bonus role, replay role, small role) is won, the combination of symbols corresponding to the winning role cannot be displayed on the winning line unless a stop operation (an operation of pressing reel stop buttons 211a-211c) is performed at the appropriate timing (pressing position) to stop the combination of symbols corresponding to the winning role within the symbol display window 524 (more precisely, on the winning line 623a, 623b) within the range in which the pull-in control described below can be executed. Therefore, if the combination of symbols corresponding to the winning role is not displayed on the winning line despite the result of the lottery being a win, the game result will be determined to be a loss in step S6 of FIG. 651 described below, just as when a "lose" is selected. However, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, for bonus roles and rare minor roles (watermelon role, cherry role), unless the stop operation is performed at the correct timing (push position), the corresponding symbol combination cannot be displayed on the winning line, but for other general minor roles (push order bell, common bell) and replay roles, the symbols are arranged so that the corresponding symbol combination can be displayed on the winning line regardless of the timing of the stop operation (however, for roles that require a push order, the stop operation must be performed in the correct push order). In addition, when a game result is a loss despite winning some winning role, rather than displaying a random "loss" symbol combination, the system is controlled to display a predetermined symbol combination (stop result) indicating that a win based on the winning role has been won and lost in the symbol display area. And, such a symbol combination (stop result) displayed at the time of a loss is referred to as a "loss (or lost number)" below.

In addition, in the explanation of this embodiment, the expression "bell loss (bell loss number)" is used in relation to "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6". A bell loss means that when a push order bell is won, for which the appropriate push order is determined for each winning combination, a stopping operation is performed in an improper push order, so that a bell combination (strictly speaking, a bell combination that results in a payout of 8 coins) is not stopped, and a different symbol combination is displayed as if the bell combination had been lost and lost. When such a bell loss occurs, a bell loss number is displayed as the stopping number, and a payout (including no payout) is made that is less than the original bell combination.

In addition, in the explanation of this embodiment, the expression "scattered (scattered eyes)" may be used in addition to the above "missing (missing eyes)." "Scattered (scattered eyes)" does not mean a "matching" type of stopping result that is relatively easy for a player to recognize, but rather a stopping result that appears to be a combination of random symbols (so-called "scattered eyes"). In other words, "scattered eyes" is one of the categories related to the display mode of the symbol combination, and even if it is a scattered number, it does not necessarily mean that it is a losing combination, so medals may be paid out.

[9-1-3. Winning Form of Winning Role]
The winning combinations illustrated in FIG. 645 to FIG. 650 include winning combinations (single combinations) in which only one combination is selected in one lottery opportunity, as well as winning combinations (simultaneous winning combinations) in which multiple winning combinations are selected at the same time. When a single combination is selected, the subsequent reel stop control is performed based on the operation of a condition device based on the winning combination. However, when a simultaneous winning combination is selected, the subsequent reel stop control is performed based on the simultaneous operation of condition devices based on each winning combination included in the simultaneous winning combination. In addition, in the reel stop control when a simultaneous winning combination is selected, the reel stop process is performed while the display of the winning combination is permitted according to a predetermined priority order (for example, a priority order such as "replay>small combination>bonus" or "replay>bonus>small combination"), and a bonus is paid out according to the winning combination. Note that, depending on the specifications of the gaming machine, the combination of small combinations, or the setting method of the effective line, a control may be performed to allow simultaneous winning combinations to win, and when simultaneous winning occurs, a bonus is paid out according to each winning combination. In any case, the small prize is a "non-carryover prize" that can only be won in a winning game, and the winning state of a winning prize that did not win in a winning game is not carried over to the next game or later. Therefore, even if a simultaneous win of a small prize is selected, medals corresponding to the small prize that did not win in the winning game will not be paid out.

In addition, when a bonus role and a small role are simultaneously won, the role selected by such a combination is also called a duplicate role. When a bonus role and a small role are simultaneously won, as in the case of simultaneous wins of small roles, the condition devices corresponding to each winning role are simultaneously operated, and the reel stop process is performed while the winning role symbol combination is allowed to be displayed according to a predetermined priority order (for example, a priority order such as "replay > small role > bonus" or "replay > bonus > small role"), and a bonus according to the winning role is paid out. However, as for the bonus role, even if the corresponding symbol combination is not displayed in the winning game as described above, it can be a "carry-over role" in which the winning status of the bonus role is carried over until the symbol combination of the bonus role is displayed in the next game or later. Specifically, the bonus role (BB1, BB2) is a "carry-over role". Also, the replay role and the small role (for example, the bell role) are "non-carry-over roles". In this way, even when a "carry-over role" and a "non-carry-over role" are simultaneously won due to the winning of overlapping roles, which symbol combination is allowed to be displayed is controlled by the reel stop process. If a symbol combination corresponding to the "carry-over role" is not displayed in the winning game, the winning state of the "carry-over role" is carried over to the next game or later. However, if a different minor role is won in such a "next game," both the "carry-over role" and the "different minor role" will be in a winning state, but in this case, since they were selected in different lottery opportunities (games), they do not correspond to overlapping roles.

In addition, in the case of simultaneous wins, which winning combination of symbols will be displayed on the active line with priority is determined based on the priority setting in the reel stopping process.

Below, we will explain in detail the winning roles broadly categorized above.

[9-1-4. Bonus Role]
The winning combinations "BB1" and "BB2" shown in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650 are bonus combinations. When a bonus combination is selected as a winning combination, the corresponding condition device "BB1" is activated, the reel stop process is performed, and a bonus is awarded based on the displayed symbol combination. Specifically, a bonus game (BB game) is executed when a symbol combination (a set of "red 7s") corresponding to the condition device "BB1" is displayed on the pay line. This bonus game is a game in which a player has the opportunity to concentrate and win medals over a plurality of games. In this embodiment, for example, the prescribed number of games is set to two, and the bonus game is advanced using the lottery table shown in the bonus state of Fig. 645 to Fig. 650. Then, the bonus game ends when the number of games in the bonus game reaches a prescribed upper limit (for example, 30 games) or the cumulative number of coins paid out in the bonus game exceeds a prescribed number (for example, 200 coins). When the bonus game ends, the bonus state transitions to a general state. Even if the symbol combination "BB1" or "BB2" is displayed on an active line, no medals will be paid out as a prize.

The symbol combinations corresponding to "BB1" and "BB2" are arranged in a way that they may not necessarily be drawn onto a winning line depending on the timing of the reel stop button 211 stop operation (see FIG. 642). However, "BB1" and "BB2" are carryover roles that allow the winning flag to be carried over, and even if the corresponding symbol combination is not displayed (aligned) in the winning game, the winning state is carried over to the next game and onwards, and the game is played in the bonus internal state until the symbol combination is stopped.

When controlled by the bonus internal state, if a replay or small win is won as a result of the internal lottery, the winning role that can be displayed is determined according to a predefined priority order.

[9-1-5. Replay role]
The winning combination "Replay" shown in FIG. 645 to FIG. 650 is a winning combination of Replay (replay combination). When the replay combination is won, a condition device for replay is operated, and a stop display of a symbol combination corresponding to the replay combination is permitted on an active line (either line 623a or 623b), and based on this, a reel stop process (step S5 in FIG. 651) described later is performed. In the slot machine 1, when the replay is won, the symbol combination of the replay combination is determined to be complete by controlling the replay combination to be always displayed on an active line, and as a result, as a privilege of the replay combination, an automatic bet is made in the next game without inserting medals or performing a betting operation (an operation for inserting accumulated medals), and a replay in which a game similar to the previous game is executed again is possible. Note that even if the symbol combination of the replay is displayed on an active line, medals are not paid out as a prize.

Replay roles include maintain replay roles (shown as "maintain replay" in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650), up replay roles (shown as "up replay" in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650), down replay roles (shown as "down replay" in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650), 7-match replay roles (shown as "7-match replay" in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650), and 7-match fake replay roles (shown as "7-match fake replay" in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650). Maintain replay roles are replay roles that do not transition to the RT state and maintain the current RT state. Up replay roles include up replay role 1, which can only be selected in RT1, and up replay role 2, which can only be selected in RT2. Up replay role 1 functions as a transition role from RT1 to RT2, and up replay role 2 functions as a transition role from RT2 to RT3. The lower replay role is a role that can only be selected in RT3, and functions as a transition role from RT3 to RT2. The 7-match replay role is a replay role that can only be selected in RT3, and when the 7-match replay role is selected in RT3, it functions as a role to which an ART game is added. The 7-match fake replay role is a replay role that can only be selected in RT3, just like the 7-match replay role, and even if it is selected by internal lottery, an ART game is not added.

While the normal maintenance replay role and the special maintenance replay role can be selected individually by internal lottery, the special maintenance replay role, up replay role 1, up replay role 2, down replay role, 7-match replay role and 7-match fake replay role are never selected individually by internal lottery, but are always selected together with the normal maintenance replay role.

When "Special maintenance replay + normal maintenance replay", which is a simultaneous winning combination of the special maintenance replay and normal maintenance replay roles, is selected by internal lottery, if the reel stop button 211 is pressed in the "left-middle-right" order (forward press), the symbol combination corresponding to the special maintenance replay role is displayed on the active line, and if it is stopped in any other order (reverse press, sandwich press, reverse sandwich press, middle forward press, middle reverse press), the symbol combination corresponding to the normal maintenance replay role is displayed on the active line. When "Special maintenance replay + normal maintenance replay" is selected by internal lottery in a hell state where the number of games is not being managed, a transition from the hell state to an advantageous state occurs. Also, in an advantageous state where the number of games is being managed, if "Special maintenance replay + normal maintenance replay" is selected by internal lottery in advantageous states A to D, a transition to advantageous state E occurs, and if "Special maintenance replay + normal maintenance replay" is selected by internal lottery in advantageous state E, the addition of an ART game is confirmed.

When "Up Replay 1 + Normal Maintenance Replay", which is a simultaneous winning combination of Up Replay 1 and Normal Maintenance Replay, is selected by internal lottery, if the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed in the "right-middle-left" order (reverse press), the symbol combination corresponding to Up Replay 1 will be displayed on the active line, and if the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed in any other order (forward press, sandwiched press, reverse sandwiched press, middle forward press, middle reverse press), the symbol combination corresponding to the maintenance replay will be displayed on the active line.

When "Up Replay 2 + Normal Maintenance Replay", which is a simultaneous winning combination of Up Replay 2 and Normal Maintenance Replay, is selected by internal lottery, if the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed in the "right-left-middle" order (reverse sandwich press), the symbol combination corresponding to Up Replay 2 will be displayed on the active line, and if the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed in any other order (forward press, sandwich press, middle forward press, reverse press, middle reverse press), the symbol combination corresponding to the maintenance replay will be displayed on the active line.

When "Down replay + Normal maintain replay", which is a simultaneous winning combination of Down replay and Normal maintain replay, is selected by internal lottery, if the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed in the "middle-left-right" order (middle order press) the symbol combination corresponding to the Down replay will be displayed on the active line, and if the reel stop buttons are pressed in any other order (forward press, sandwiched press, reverse sandwiched press, reverse press, middle reverse press) the symbol combination corresponding to the maintain replay will be displayed on the active line.

When the "7 replay + normal maintenance replay", which is a simultaneous winning combination of the 7 replay and normal maintenance replay, is selected by internal lottery, if the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed in the "right-middle-left" order (reverse press) and stopped at the correct timing (when the 7 symbol can be drawn in), the symbol combination (a repeat of 7 symbols) corresponding to the 7 replay will be displayed on the active line, and if the reel stop buttons are pressed in any other order (forward press, sandwiched press, reverse sandwiched press, center forward press, center reverse press) or if the reel is pressed reverse but not stopped at the correct timing, the symbol combination corresponding to the maintenance replay will be displayed on the active line.

When "7-match fake replay + normal maintenance replay", which is a simultaneous winning combination of 7-match fake replay and normal maintenance replay, is selected by internal lottery, if the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed in the "right-middle-left" order (reverse press), the symbol combination corresponding to the 7-match fake replay (7-drop) will be displayed on the active line, and if the reel stop buttons 211 are pressed in any other order (forward press, pinch press, reverse pinch press, center forward press, center reverse press), the symbol combination corresponding to the maintenance replay will be displayed on the active line.

The feature of the replay game's game bonus is that instead of paying out medals, an automatic bet is placed in the next game without consuming any new medals. Also, because replay is a winning role that does not involve the payment of medals, for example, increasing the winning probability poses little disadvantage to the hall even if the frequency of winning increases. Therefore, in the normal state (general state) of slot machine 1, the winning probability is set to about once in six or seven times. This makes it possible to keep the amount of medals consumed by the player (the number of medals consumed per certain period of time) within a certain range to a certain extent. In other words, the winning role of replay can be given the role of suppressing excessive consumption of medals in the progress of the game.

In addition, by distributing the symbols constituting the combination of symbols corresponding to the replay role evenly on each reel 301a, 301b, 301c (for example, by distributing from one to a maximum of four other symbols (symbols that do not constitute the combination of symbols corresponding to the replay role) between the symbols constituting the combination of symbols corresponding to the replay role and the symbols constituting the combination of symbols corresponding to the replay role), it is possible to arrange the combination of symbols corresponding to the replay role without the need for eyeballing. In such a case, if the priority order of the winning roles displayed is "Replay (replay role) > Small role > Bonus", even if the condition device for the replay role and the condition device for the other roles (small role or bonus role) are activated at the same time, the symbol combination corresponding to the replay role will always be displayed as stopped, and the symbol combination corresponding to the other roles will never be displayed as stopped.

[9-1-6. Bell role]
Next, the bell role as a winning role will be described. This bell role is a winning role that can be expected to pay out medals when it is won. In this embodiment, in addition to the above-mentioned push order bell 1 to push order bell 6, there is also a common bell that can be pressed in any order as a bell role. When a common bell is selected by internal lottery, a combination of bell symbols will be displayed on the pay line regardless of the order in which the reel stop buttons 211 are operated.

[9-1-6-1. Bell that can be pressed in any order]
First, we will explain the push order independent bell (common bell), in which the degree of winning (winning rate and number of medals paid out based on winning) when a win occurs does not change depending on the order in which the reels 301 are pushed.

When the "Bell in any order" shown in Figures 645 to 650 is selected as the winning combination, the condition device is activated so that the corresponding symbol combination always stops on the winning line, regardless of the order in which the reels are pressed and the timing of the presses. Therefore, when such a condition device is activated, the symbol combination for the Bell role is displayed as stopped, regardless of the order and timing of the reel stop buttons 211 stopped by the player, and the player is awarded the payout of medals (8 medals) corresponding to the winning prize as a bonus.

[9-1-6-2. Bell Order]
Next, we will explain the push order bell, in which the degree of winning (winning rate and the number of medals paid out based on winning) when a prize is won can change depending on the order in which the reel 301 is pushed.

The winning roles "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" shown in Figure 645 are push order bell winning roles that are prepared mainly to ensure that players are awarded special benefits in ART games. As mentioned above, "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" are each associated with one of six appropriate push orders (see Figure 645).

In FIG. 645, the winning probability of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is set to be equal, and when these are added together, the winning probability of "Push Order Bell" is 20478/65536. However, the winning probability of each of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" may be arbitrarily allocated under the condition that the above-mentioned total value is satisfied. In this way, it is not limited to being able to equally distribute the winning probability for the six appropriate push orders in "Push Order Bell" (making the winning probability of each of the six-option bells equal), but it is also possible to make it difficult for a specific push order to be selected as an appropriate push order. In such a case, in the normal game in which it is recommended to make the left reel 301a the first stop, the rate at which the push order bell wins can be suppressed, and it is also possible to increase the payout rate in special games such as ART games by the amount of the suppression of the payout rate in the normal game.

According to Figures 645 to 650, "Push Order Bell 1" is a winning role for the push order bell role with the correct push order being push in the normal direction, "Push Order Bell 2" is a winning role for the push order bell role with the correct push order being sandwiched push, "Push Order Bell 3" is a winning role for the push order bell role with the correct push order being sandwiched push, "Push Order Bell 4" is a winning role for the push order minor role with the correct push order being middle push, "Push Order Bell 5" is a winning role for the push order bell role with the correct push order being reverse push, and "Push Order Bell 6" is a winning role for the push order bell role with the correct push order being middle reverse push. Therefore, the "push order bell" in this embodiment is a so-called "6-choice bell" in which the correct push order is divided into six ways. Of course, such a setting of the correct push order can be freely set within a predetermined limit at the design stage of the gaming machine.

In this way, Push Order Bell 1 through Push Order Bell 6 are winning combinations that result in a payout of eight medals for the Bell role only if the pressing order is correct; if the pressing order is incorrect, a "Bell Loss" will be displayed on the winning line, and a smaller bonus (one or zero medals) will be awarded than if the Bell role had been won.

Here, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, in a non-ART state that is not an ART state, left push (forward push or pinch push) is recommended. Therefore, when playing according to the recommended procedure in a non-ART state, even if a push order bell (specifically, push order bell 1 to push order bell 6) in which the correct push order is other than left push (forward push or pinch push) is won, the symbol combination corresponding to the bell role cannot be displayed on the activated line. However, in an ART game, the correct push order is instructed, and stopping operations according to the instructions are permitted, making it easy to win the bell role when the push order bell is won. Note that, in a non-ART state, if a player performs a stop operation different from the recommended procedure and unfairly obtains medals, measures such as a temporary stop of the ART lottery may be taken to appropriately adjust the overall expected value of medal payout.

In addition, the slot machine 1 does not need to recommend a specific push order as described above. For example, except when an instruction function display is performed during an ART game, etc., when a specific push order is not the recommended procedure, the player may perform the stop operation in any push order, and in such a case, since there is no recommended procedure, adjustments (such as temporary suspension of the ART lottery) for "when a stop operation different from the recommended procedure is performed and medals are unfairly obtained" as described above are not necessary. Note that, when a specific push order is not the recommended procedure, it is preferable to make the probability of winning the push order minor feature the same for each push order. By making the probability of winning the same for each push order, the expected value of the balls to be paid out can be equalized regardless of the push order used to play, so that the player can enjoy playing the game with peace of mind in the push order of his or her choice.

[9-1-7. Rare minor roles]
The rare minor winning combinations include a watermelon and a cherry. The watermelon is a winning combination that can be expected to pay out medals (5 medals) when the corresponding symbol combination is displayed on an active line. The cherry is a winning combination that can be expected to pay out medals (2 medals) when the corresponding symbol combination is displayed on an active line.

[9-1-8. Special Roles]
As described above, the watermelon role, the cherry role, and the maintenance replay role include the normal watermelon role, the normal cherry role, and the normal maintenance replay role, as well as the special watermelon role, the special cherry role, and the special maintenance replay role. When the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is the hell state described below, if the special watermelon role, the special cherry role, or the special maintenance replay role is selected by internal lottery, the transition destination from the hell state is determined to be one of advantageous states A to E. That is, in the hell state, the special watermelon role, the special cherry role, and the special maintenance replay role function as a transition trigger role to an advantageous state (a role that triggers the end of the hell state). The probability of determining the transition destination when these special roles are selected by internal lottery in the hell state will be described later. In addition, even if a special watermelon role, a special cherry role, or a special maintenance replay role is selected in the internal lottery when the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is one of the advantageous states A to E, the same processing as when a normal watermelon role, a normal cherry role, or a normal maintenance replay role is selected is performed (a payout processing of game media is performed as a prize, but a transition processing between the hell state and the advantageous state is not performed). In other words, the special role is a role that exerts a function different from that of the normal role only in the hell state. In addition, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display refers to a plurality of game states in which the conditions for executing the instruction function display are different when the execution of the instruction function display is confirmed, including whether or not the execution of the instruction function display is confirmed.

It is preferable that the transition from the Hell state to the advantageous state occurs when a special watermelon role, a special cherry role, or a special maintenance replay role is selected in an internal lottery during the Hell state, and the symbol combinations corresponding to these special roles are displayed on the active line. However, even if the symbol combinations corresponding to the special roles are not displayed on the active line, the transition may occur when a special watermelon role, a special cherry role, or a special maintenance replay role is selected in an internal lottery during the Hell state.

Also, as can be seen by referring to Fig. 645 to Fig. 650, the probability of normal roles (normal watermelon, normal cherry, normal maintenance replay in RT2 and RT3) being selected by internal lottery varies depending on the setting (especially the probability of overlapping roles), but the probability of special roles (special watermelon, special cherry, special maintenance replay) being selected by internal lottery is a common probability for all settings. In particular, although not shown in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650, the winning value assigned to each special role within the random number range of 0 to 65535 is unique and common to all settings. For example, if the random number assigned as the winning value for special watermelon is 10000 to 10448, then the winning value for special watermelon is 10000 to 10448 for all settings 1 to 6. The same is true for special cherries and special maintenance replays.

The above are the combinations of each winning role and the symbols corresponding to each winning role in slot machine 1.

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the hall staff can set it to any one of settings 1 to 6, and the winning probability for BB1, "BB1 + normal watermelon", "BB1 + normal cherry", BB2, "BB2 + normal watermelon", "BB2 + normal cherry", normal watermelon, normal cherry, push order bells 1 to 6, common bell, normal maintenance lip, "up lip 1 + normal maintenance lip", "up lip 2 + normal maintenance lip", "down lip + normal maintenance lip", "7-match lip + normal maintenance lip", and "7-match fake lip + normal maintenance lip" is different for each setting. On the other hand, the winning probability for special roles (special watermelon, special cherry, special maintenance lip) is the same for settings 1 to 6, and the winning probability for special roles does not change even if the setting is changed. In other words, the winning probability of the special role that functions as a role that triggers a transition from the hell state to the advantageous state is the same probability for all settings. However, the probability of winning the special watermelon, the probability of winning the special cherry, and the probability of winning the special sustain lip may be common to settings 1 to 6, or the probability of winning the special watermelon, the probability of winning the special cherry, and the probability of winning the special sustain lip may be different for each setting, but the composite probability of the special watermelon, the special cherry, and the special sustain lip may be common to settings 1 to 6. Although not shown in Figs. 645 to 650, so-called bonus roles such as BB1 may also be divided into special BB1 roles and normal BB1 roles. For example, in Figs. 645 to 650, the probability of the BB1 role being selected is 44/65536, but if it is divided into the special BB1 role and the normal BB1 role, for example, the probability of the special BB1 role being selected can be 33/65536, and the probability of the normal BB1 role being selected can be 11/65536. In this case, if you were to make it common to all settings, since the probability of BB1 being selected typically differs for each setting, it would be a good idea to make the probability of the special BB1 role being selected common to all settings, and set different settings for the probability of the regular BB1 role being selected, thereby creating a range in the payout rate.

The symbols are not limited to the symbols and combinations of symbols described above. In addition to the symbols described above, multiple types of symbols can be provided. The types of winning combinations can be increased or decreased. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide all of the winning combinations described above, and the necessary types of winning combinations can be selected as appropriate.

For example, a combination of a bonus role and a minor role (or a replay role) may be set up, or a push order replay role may be set up in which a symbol combination corresponding to a replay role is displayed on an active line only if the reels 301 are stopped in the correct push order.

In addition, instead of the push order minor role, in which whether or not a symbol combination corresponding to a minor role (a bell role in this embodiment) is displayed on an active line is determined based on the order in which the reel stop button 211 is operated to stop, a push position minor role may be prepared, in which the timing at which the reel stop button 211 is operated to stop may be determined. Although a detailed explanation is omitted, a push position minor role is a minor role that shows a different winning mode when the reel stop button 211 is stopped at the appropriate stop timing (push position) and when it is stopped at the inappropriate stop timing. When such a push position minor role is installed, instructions are given in the ART game so that the player can easily recognize the appropriate push position, so that when the push position minor role is won, the player can easily win the corresponding role, making it possible to win many medals.

In addition, a player of the slot machine 1 may be able to find a playing method that allows him/her to expect the maximum payout even in a situation where he/she does not know the winning role selected by the internal lottery, based on the lottery probability of the winning role (Figures 645 to 650), the symbol combination corresponding to the winning role, the payout number, and the arrangement of the symbols (Figure 642). Such a playing method is provisionally referred to as the "maximum efficiency playing method" below. When playing with the maximum efficiency playing method, for roles (watermelon role, cherry role, chance eye role, etc.) where it is difficult to draw the symbol combination with the largest payout number corresponding to the winning role onto the active line depending on the stopping position of the reels, the player presses one of the reel stop buttons 211 at a specific timing that maximizes the payout in terms of the expected value, taking into consideration the winning probability and payout number of those roles, and presses the remaining reel stop buttons 211 at an appropriate timing according to the stopped symbol state, thereby making it possible to draw in symbol combinations corresponding to multiple types of winning roles and obtain a large payout. In other words, the most efficient playing method is a playing method that minimizes the loss of winning combinations.

10. Game Processing
Next, we will explain the flow of game processing in the slot machine 1. The following game processing progresses according to the processing procedure of the control program executed on the main board 409 (mainly the CPU 1110, etc.).

Figure 651 is an example of a main routine showing the processing steps for one basic game in the slot machine 1. First, in step S1, initial settings are performed to prepare for the start of the game. In particular, when the power is turned on, the connection and operating status of the various devices mentioned above is checked, and the presence or absence of backup data is checked. If backup data exists, a process is performed to restore the state before the power was turned off. If backup data does not exist, predetermined processes such as setting a specified initial value are performed.

In the next step S2, the bet amount is determined by the number of medals inserted from the insertion slot 203, or by pressing the MAX insertion button 206 (or the one-coin insertion button 205) if medals have already been stored, and the machine enters a state in which it waits for the start lever 210 to be operated. In other words, the bet amount for one game is determined, and the bet process is carried out until the start lever 210 becomes operable. Note that if the slot machine 1 is a three-coin dedicated machine in which a game can be played by inserting three medals, the one-coin insertion button 205 does not need to be provided.

In step S3, the game is started by operating the start lever 210, which was put into a standby state in step S2, and an internal lottery process is executed to determine whether or not a winning combination will be the result of the internal lottery. This internal lottery process is executed to determine whether or not a winning combination will be the result of the lottery for the game before all reels 301a, 301b, and 301c, which start spinning in the following step S4, are stopped (stopped by the player's stop operation). In other words, only if the lottery result corresponds to a winning combination, the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination is allowed to stop on the pay line when the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c are stopped.

Next, in step S31, instruction function processing is performed as processing related to the instruction function of ART (so-called ART navigation). In the instruction function processing, not only is the winning of the ART game and its start, etc. determined, but if an ART game is in progress, ART navigation is executed to instruct (instruct) the player on the push order, etc. Details of the instruction function processing will be described later with reference to FIG. 654, etc.

In the instruction function processing of this example, the main board 409 manages all of the central controls related to the instruction function (drawing the ART first win, determining the number of ART games, executing the ART game, transition of the RT state, display of the instruction function, etc.). On the other hand, the sub-board 510 manages the auxiliary controls related to the instruction function (such as the navigation display on the image display 500). Even in such a case, the display contents of the navigation display that the sub-board 510 displays on the image display 500, etc. are limited to those according to the determination result of the instruction function by the main board 409 (contents that do not differ from the instruction function display). In addition, in the slot machine 1, the instruction contents by the instruction function (which may be read as the display contents of the instruction function display) are determined by the main board 409 based on the winning role in the game. In addition, the display contents of the instruction function display controlled by the main board 409 and displayed on the special display LED 612 and the display contents of the navigation display controlled by the sub-board 510 and displayed on the image display 500, etc. are not limited to a one-to-one correspondence, but may be a one-to-n (multiple patterns) correspondence. That is, when the main board 409 displays some kind of instruction function on the special display LED 612, the sub-board 510 executes the navigation display on the image display 500 or the like in a display mode corresponding to the instruction function display, but the specific display mode of the navigation display does not need to be limited to one type, and the navigation display may be performed in any of a plurality of display modes corresponding to the instruction function display. In such a case, the sub-board 510 may decide which display mode to use for the navigation display, or the main board 409 may specify it. Furthermore, the slot machine 1 is not limited to the above configuration, and for example, all processing related to the instruction function processing may be performed by the main board 409.

In addition, in the instruction function process in step S31 shown in this example, the processing contents related to the ART instruction function are determined based on the result of the internal lottery process in step S3. Here, since the internal lottery process is performed each time the game is executed, the ART first win lottery, which is performed based on the result of the internal lottery process, is also performed each time the game is executed. In addition, it is preferable that the instruction function process ends before the reel spin process in step S4, which will be described in the next section, is started.

Next, in step S4, a reel rotation process is executed to start the rotation of all reels 301a, 301b, 301c following the completion of the internal lottery process in step S3. In this reel rotation process, the pressing of the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, 211c is validated when the rotation of all reels 301a, 301b, 301c has started, and an operation valid lamp (not shown) indicating that the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, 211c have been validated is turned on, and a timer count is started until the next reel rotation process is executed. The operation valid lamp is a lamp built into each of the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, 211c.

In step S5, the player's pressing of the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c is accepted, and the operation valid lamps are turned off in the order of acceptance, and a reel stop process is executed to stop the rotation of the corresponding reels 301a, 301b, and 301c.

In the next step S6, when it is determined in step S5 that all the lines 301a to 301c are stopped, a determination process is executed to determine the winning role based on whether the winning symbols are aligned on the "active lines" (whether the combination of symbols corresponding to any winning role is displayed). Specifically, the winning role is determined by comparing the "display content (combination of symbols) displayed on the active lines" with the "symbol combination that is permitted to stop on the active line in response to the winning role". In addition, the determination process in step S6 may be made based only on the "display content (combination of symbols) displayed on the active lines". In addition, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the two lines shown in FIG. 643, the line on which "bell symbol-replay symbol-bell symbol" is displayed (downward-right line 623a) and the line on which "BAR symbol-replay symbol-regular symbol" is displayed (upward-right line 623b), are regarded as "active lines". However, the number of active lines is not limited to this.

In step S7, a medal payout process is performed based on the contents of the gaming bonus corresponding to the winning combination determined in step S6. In addition, if the winning combination determined in step S6 is a winning combination that involves a change in the RT state, such as 2 types BB, various gaming bonuses are granted by changing the RT state (changing the RT state shown in Figures 645 to 650) or replaying, etc.

The above is the basic processing procedure for one game of the slot machine 1. Here, steps S2 (BET processing) to S4 (reel spinning processing) are internal processes that are performed in response to a series of external operations (start operations) performed by the player. Therefore, these processes (steps S2, S3, S31, and S4) are collectively referred to as the start processing. A specific explanation of this start processing is provided below.

[10-1. Start-up process]
FIG. 652 specifically shows each process carried out in the startup process.

In the start-up process, first, step S101 waits for the insertion of a medal or the operation of the 1-coin button 205 or the MAX-in button 206. If a MAX-bet operation or medal is inserted, the judgment in step S101 is satisfied, and the process moves to step S102. Note that this judgment is satisfied only when medals equivalent to a MAX-bet have been inserted (i.e., three or more medals are inserted in a game with a specified number of three medals, or two or more medals are inserted in a game with a specified number of two medals) or the 1-coin button 205 or the MAX-in button 206 has been operated to make a MAX-bet.

In the next step S102, as a reception process, the number of bets (only MAX bet in this example) is determined, and the active line lamp corresponding to the number of bets is turned on. In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, for example, when three medals are inserted when the specified number is three, two lines, the upward-to-right line 623b and the downward-to-right line 623a, become active lines, and the active line lamp indicating this is turned on.

In step S103, the operation of the starting lever 210 is enabled. When the operation of the starting lever 210 is enabled, the system enters a standby state until the operation of the starting lever 210 is accepted, and then the system proceeds to the next step S104.

In the next step S104, it is determined whether operation of the start lever 210 is enabled, and if so, whether operation of the start lever 210 has been accepted. If operation of the start lever 210 is enabled in the previous step S103, this determination is satisfied when operation of the start lever 210 by the player is accepted, and the process moves to the next step S105.

In addition, if the player does not perform a betting operation or insert a medal in the above step S101, or the MAX bet is not reached, the judgment in step S101 is not satisfied, and the process moves to step S104. In this case, the judgment in step S104 is also not satisfied, and the process returns to step S101 and repeats the subsequent processes.

In addition, in a replay game, no new medal bet is required. This is because if a MAX bet command is stored in RAM 1114 in the replay game processing described below, the MAX bet state is automatically established. This satisfies the determination in step S101.

In step S105, in response to the operation of the starting lever 210 in step S104, the operation of the starting lever 210 is disabled.

Next, in step S106, when the start lever 210 is operated, the reels 301a, 301b, and 301c begin to rotate, and a random number is extracted (obtained) based on the operation of the start lever 210. This random number is extracted from the range of 0 to 65535. Once the random number has been extracted, the process proceeds to the next step S107. Note that the timing of the random number extraction at this time may be immediately after the start lever 210 is operated, or it may be after a predetermined time (e.g., 0.5 seconds), and an appropriate extraction timing can be set during the programming process.

In step S107, a win determination (random number comparison) is performed to determine which winning role the extracted random number (hereinafter referred to as the extracted random number) corresponds to. In this win determination, the extracted random number is compared with a win value determination table described later. The random number comparison performed here is to determine whether the extracted random number corresponds (matches, coincides) with the random number of a predetermined winning role. For example, if the winning random number of BB1 is 0 to 43, and the extracted random number is any of 0 to 43, it is determined that BB1 has won. At this time, if it is determined that the extracted random number corresponds to any winning role, the condition device corresponding to the corresponding winning role is turned ON. The winning probability for each winning role in the win determination performed by comparing the extracted random number with the win determination table is as shown in Figures 645 to 650. The winning probability for "BB1 + normal watermelon", "BB2 + normal cherry", normal maintenance lip in RT2, and "lower lip + normal maintenance lip" in RT3 differs depending on the settings. However, the winning probabilities that vary depending on the settings are not limited to these, and the winning probabilities of BB1, BB2, normal watermelon, and normal cherry may also vary depending on the settings.

In the flag processing, when comparing the extracted random number value in the game, in order to determine the winning value determination table that will be the basis for the judgment, the winning value determination table (lottery table) for the game is determined by referencing game state flags such as the BB game in progress flag described below. In other words, the winning value determination table corresponding to the game state flag (RT state flag) that is in the ON state in the game is set and the extracted random number value is compared. As for the game state flag, flags corresponding to the RT state are prepared, for example, there is a general state flag, an inside bonus flag, and a during bonus flag. And when both the inside bonus flag and the during bonus flag are in the OFF state, the general state flag is always in the ON state.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that the extracted random number does not correspond to any winning role, it is a "miss" that does not correspond to any winning role, and no condition device is activated. Here, when any condition device is ON (activated/established), it is possible to line up the symbol combination corresponding to the established condition device. Therefore, in the case of a miss where none of the condition devices are established, it is not possible to line up the symbol combination corresponding to any winning role on the pay line. The above steps S106 and S107 are performed by random number lottery inside the slot machine 1, and hereinafter these steps are collectively referred to as "internal lottery" or "performing internal lottery". Note that the process from the extraction of the random number to the flag processing corresponds to the internal lottery (step S3 in the above-mentioned FIG. 651).

As described above in FIG. 651, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the instruction function process shown in step S31 is performed. Although not shown in FIG. 652, this instruction function process may be executed as part of the flag process in step S107 in FIG. 652, or may be executed between the completion of the flag process in step S107 and the time up of the wait timer in step S108.

In addition, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, at a predetermined timing when flag processing or instruction function processing is executed, at least a portion of the information determined on the main board 409 side, such as the group of condition devices that are permitted to operate based on the winning role and the instruction content of the instruction function that occurs, is notified from the main board 409 to a peripheral board (e.g., sub-board 510) by command communication (corresponding to the "instruction information command" described below). Note that the command for notifying this information may be an appropriately grouped command.

In addition, the command transmitted from the main board 409 to the peripheral board (e.g., the sub-board 510) as a result of the instruction function processing in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment can adopt the following command form. That is, the winning roles are grouped based on their type and the order in which the reel stop button 211 is pressed, and a command can be transmitted from the main board 409 to the peripheral board (e.g., the sub-board 510) in a form that allows the group containing the winning role selected by internal lottery to be identified. The classification criteria for grouping the winning roles are not limited to the above example and can be set arbitrarily. For example, if the presence or absence of a pressing order is added to the classification criteria, all bell roles (press order bell 1 to press order bell 6) included in the pressing order bell are grouped into one group, and the common bell role as the pressing order bell is grouped into another group, so that the bell roles can be grouped according to the presence or absence of a pressing order. At this time, the bell roles are divided into a pressing order bell group and a pressing order bell group. The same applies to the replay role, and for example, it may be divided into a pressing order replay group and a normal replay group (press order does not matter). All winning roles may also be grouped based only on whether or not there is a pressing order. In such a case, all winning roles can be divided into groups with pressing orders and groups without pressing orders. Also, instead of grouping winning roles, condition devices based on winning roles may be grouped. The commands for notifying grouped winning roles are described in more detail below.

First, when the instruction function display is executed to send a command to notify the player of grouped winning roles, a command that allows the player to know the details of all the grouped winning roles (a command that allows so-called "complete navigation"). In this case, the sub-board 510 that receives the command can recognize information such as the type of role that the selected winning role is and the push order, and can therefore display a navigation display (so-called "complete navigation") that can reliably instruct the player on the reel stopping method that is advantageous to the player.

In addition, when the instruction function display is executed to send a command notifying grouped winning roles, a command that allows a part of the breakdown of the grouped winning roles to be known (for example, a "partial navigation" that can only instruct the first stop) may be sent. In this case, the sub-board 510 that receives the command can recognize some information about the selected winning role, and therefore can display a navigation display that can partially instruct the player on a reel stopping method that is advantageous to the player (for example, a so-called "partial navigation" that can only instruct the first stop).

In addition, when sending a command to notify grouped winning roles, if the instruction function display is not executed, a command that does not reveal the details of the grouped winning roles may be sent. In this case, the sub-board 510 that receives the command can recognize that the selected winning role is a winning role included in the group based on the group indicated by the command, and whether or not the instruction function display can be executed, but cannot recognize any more information than that. For example, it can recognize that the winning role is one of the push order bells, but cannot recognize the appropriate push order or the specific details of the winning role (which of "push order bell 1" to "push order bell 6" it is). Note that a command that notifies grouped winning roles when such an instruction function display is not executed may be considered a "condition device command".

Furthermore, when the instruction function display is executed, the small roles to be grouped do not have to be limited to the push order bell, and other roles (for example, push order replay) may be included in the group. In other words, in this case, even if the push order bell is selected as the winning role or if another role is selected, if the appropriate push order is the same, the command indicating the same group is sent. Also, even when the instruction function display is not executed, the small roles to be grouped do not have to be limited to the push order bell, and other roles may be included in the group. However, in such a case, the peripheral board (for example, the sub board 510) that received the command cannot distinguish the type of winning role (whether it is another role or a bell), and it is not possible to instruct the winning role in a state unrelated to the instruction function display (for example, when the instruction function is not executed, it is not possible to display a navigation indicating that another role has been won on the image display 500), so it is preferable to send commands by grouping by type of push order small role, such as separating the push order bell from other roles (for example, push order replay).

By sending commands to notify the winning roles grouped in this way, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment can reduce the capacity consumed by the main board 409 and prevent the peripheral boards from independently determining the winning roles and the push order for them.

In the next step S108, it is determined whether the wait timer that was started in the previous start process (specifically, the game immediately before the current game) has timed out (for example, 4.1 seconds have passed). This timer, called a wait timer, measures the passage of a predetermined time (for example, 4.1 seconds) from when the reels start to spin in the current game to when the reels start to spin in the next game. If the wait timer has timed out (4.1 seconds have already passed), this determination is satisfied and the process moves to the next step S109. This determination loops until the wait timer has timed out.

In step S109, all reels 301a, 301b, and 301c start to rotate. Then, when the rotation speed of all reels 301a, 301b, and 301c becomes uniform, the operation valid lamps of the respective reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c are turned on. This lighting notifies the player that pressing the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c has become valid.

In addition, in slot machine 1, the reels that have started to spin continue to spin at the above constant speed until a stopping operation by the player (pressing the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, 211c) is received.

Next, in step S110, the wait timer is reset and the wait timer is started until the next start process, and the start process ends.

[10-2. Internal lottery probability]
As described above, in the slot machine 1, the result of the internal lottery (the result of comparing the extracted random number value) is accepted as the winning combination corresponding to the game (hereinafter, referred to as the winning combination). When the winning combination is accepted, the condition device corresponding to the winning combination is activated, and the information of the activated condition device is reflected in the subsequent processes (reel stop process, judgment process, payout process, etc.) as an information command indicating the result of the internal lottery.

In slot machine 1, the range of random numbers to be extracted (called the extraction range) is determined in advance. This extraction range can be determined, for example, as integer values from 0 to 65535 (i.e., 2 to the power of 16 = 65536 random numbers). Note that in this embodiment, the random numbers in the extraction range are set to 0 to 65535 for convenience, but it goes without saying that this is not limited to this. If the random number extraction range is expanded, the range of extractable random numbers (the so-called denominator) becomes correspondingly larger, making it less likely that a particular random number will be extracted disproportionately.

Within the above extraction range, random numbers corresponding to each winning role are pre-assigned. For example, when a random number value corresponding to the winning role "BB1" is selected from the random numbers within the extraction range (from "0" to "65535" in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment), the result of the internal lottery is "BB1 has been won," and BB1, which is a condition device, is processed as an information command in the game. This can also be used to calculate the winning probability of BB1 (the probability that BB1 will be selected as a result of the internal lottery, the lottery probability) from the random number values corresponding to the extraction range and BB1. In the examples of Figures 645 to 650, the winning probability of BB1 in the normal state is [total number of random numbers corresponding to BB1 / total number of random numbers within the extraction range] = 384/65536.

In this way, a random number value corresponding to each winning role is determined, and these random numbers are called winning values corresponding to each winning role. In addition, when there are multiple winning values, for example, if the winning values of the predetermined role are consecutive random numbers "1", "2", "3", and "4" within the extraction range, the range of the winning values of this predetermined role will be the random numbers "1" to "4". When the extracted random number value is determined (matched) to be any of the random numbers "1" to "4", the result of the internal lottery is that "the predetermined role has been won". In addition, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 645 to 650, single roles (for example, BB1, BB2, watermelon, cherry, common bell, and sustained replay) that win only one winning role are prepared, but as described above, in addition to such single roles, simultaneous winning roles in which multiple winning roles are simultaneously won may be prepared. In addition, when such overlapping roles are prepared, the winning values of the overlapping roles are also included in the above winning values.

Because of this, the range of winning values is determined for all winning roles, and an internal lottery is conducted to determine whether the extracted random number falls within the range of the winning values of any winning role. At this time, if the extracted random number does not fall within the range of the winning values of any winning role, it is considered a loss. In other words, the range of the winning value of a loss is outside the range of the winning values of all winning roles. The winning value is also sometimes called the winning allowable value.

By the way, a single winning role is one that corresponds to one extracted random number value, and a simultaneous winning role is one that corresponds to multiple (for example, two) winning roles for one extracted random number value. In other words, if the extracted random number value corresponds to the winning value of the simultaneous winning role, it means that all of the multiple winning roles have been won. At this time, the condition devices corresponding to each winning role of the multiple winning roles are simultaneously established (operation is allowed). However, even if multiple condition devices corresponding to each winning role are established simultaneously, since the priority of the condition devices for the simultaneous winning roles is set, in reality, all of the symbol combinations corresponding to the established condition devices can not necessarily stop on the effective line. For example, if a replay role and a bonus role are simultaneously won, if the replay role is given priority, the reel stop process of step S5 is performed to give priority to the replay role, and further, the symbol combination corresponding to the replay role can always be stopped on the effective line regardless of the push order or push timing, as a result, the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus role cannot be stopped on the effective line, and the symbol combination of the replay role is always stopped.

Also, according to Figures 645 to 650, during a bonus, the hit value of the press-any-order bell (common bell), which can be expected to win (or be established) regardless of the timing and order of pressing in the stop operation, occupies the entire extraction range. In this embodiment, when a replay is established, an automatic bet is placed and the next game is provided without consuming medals, and when the press-any-order bell wins, eight medals are paid out. Therefore, when a bonus game is executed, a large amount of medals will be paid out during the execution period of the bonus game (during the bonus).

As can be seen from Figs. 645 to 650, in the slot machine 1 of this example, the winning or losing of the special roles (special watermelon, special cherry, special maintenance lip) that function as transition trigger roles from the hell state to one of the advantageous states A to E is determined using the internal lottery random number used in the internal lottery (lottery of the condition device). Therefore, there is no need to use a new random number apart from the internal lottery random number. Therefore, it is possible to create new gameplay using the hell state and the advantageous state while improving the efficiency of the control burden, and it is possible to prevent a decline in interest.

[10-3. RT state control process]
The control process of the RT state performed in the slot machine 1 will be described below.

[10-3-1. RT state transition control process]
653 is an example of a block diagram showing the transition of the RT state. The transition control of the RT state is executed by the CPU 1110 mounted on the main board 409.

When the data values in the RAM 1114 mounted on the main board 409 are cleared (RAM clear), the general state (RT0) is entered. The replay synthesis probability in the general state (synthesizing probability of the sustain replay role, up replay role 1, up replay role 2, down replay role, 7-match replay role, and 7-match fake replay role) is approximately 1 in 7.3. In this general state, when a game is played over a certain period of time, the number of medals bet by the player to play the game will be greater than the number of medals paid out as a result of the game within this certain period. In other words, the general state is a state in which the number of medals decreases as the player plays the game. Note that in FIG. 653, the replay synthesis probability is written as the RP synthesis probability.

In the normal state, if any of "Push Order Bell 1" through "Push Order Bell 6" is selected in an internal lottery but the reel stop buttons 211 are not operated in the correct order and 0 bells are dropped and displayed on the pay line, the CPU 1110 controls the transition from the normal state to RT1. The replay synthesis probability in RT1 is approximately 1 in 7.3. In such an RT1, when a game is played over a certain period of time, the number of medals bet by the player to play the game will be greater than the number of medals paid out as a result of the game, just like in the normal state.

In RT1, when "Raise Lip 1 + Normal Maintenance Lip" is selected in an internal lottery and the symbol combination corresponding to the winning role of Raise Lip 1 is displayed on the active line, the CPU 1110 controls to transition from RT1 to RT2. When the RT state transitions from RT1 to RT2, the basic ART game is started on the condition that the ART first hit lottery has been won, and the basic ART is in progress. In this specification, the general term for games in the basic ART, the specialized zone described below, and the specialized zone preparation is being called the ART game. However, if the transition from RT1 to RT2 occurs without winning the ART first hit lottery, the basic ART game is not in progress, and the instruction function display described below and the ART game number addition lottery are not performed. However, in the case where the ART first hit lottery has not been won and control has been exercised in a high replay probability state (e.g., equivalent to RT2 in this example), even if the instruction function display does not operate when the push order bell is won, if the payout rate exceeds "1", the game number management process described above may be started. This is because a payout rate exceeding "1" is an advantageous state for the player.

During the ART game, the instruction function can be operated continuously over multiple games (the instruction function display can be executed continuously over multiple games) in the ART game. Specifically, when any one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected in the internal lottery, the CPU 1110 controls so that the instruction function display described later is executed. In addition, the sub-substrate 510 also controls so that the display is executed according to the instruction content of the instruction function determined by the main substrate 409. In addition, the replay synthesis probability in RT2 is about 1 in 1.6. In such an RT2, when the game is executed for a certain period of time, the number of medals paid out as a result of the game is greater than the number of medals bet by the player to execute the game within this certain period. In other words, the RT2 in which the instruction function display is executed is a state in which the number of medals increases as the player executes the game. However, the ART game is set to 50 games per shot, and ends with 50 games unless the player wins the ART game number addition lottery described later. Specifically, if the player wins the lottery for adding the number of ART games during the ART game, the number of ART games is added, and the ART game continues until the number of ART games added in addition to the 50 games is consumed, and the instruction function display described later is performed. On the other hand, if the player does not win the lottery for adding the number of ART games, the instruction function display described later is performed from the start of the basic ART game until 50 games are consumed, but when 50 games are consumed, the instruction function display ends. In addition, the display by the sub-substrate 510 according to the instruction content of the instruction function determined by the main substrate 409 also ends. When the display by the sub-substrate 510 according to the instruction content of the instruction function ends, even if any of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected in the internal lottery, the appropriate stop operation order of the reel stop button 211 is not clearly indicated. Then, when the zero-coin bell dropout is displayed on the pay line, the CPU 1110 controls to transition from RT2 to RT1. Even if the basic ART game ends, RT2 will be maintained until the 0 bell drop appears on the active line, so although the right to execute a replay game is frequently given, the instruction function display will not be performed.

It is possible that, statistically, "Push Order Bell 1" through "Push Order Bell 6" will not be selected in the internal lottery during the ART game, and the specified number of games (50 games if the ART game number addition lottery is not won, and the sum of 50 games and the added number of games if the ART game number addition lottery is won) will be played without the instruction function display being displayed even once. In such a case, even if the specified number of games described above has been played, the ART game will continue until the instruction function display is displayed, and once the instruction function display is displayed once, the ART game will end.

In addition, in this example, one shot in the ART game is set to 50 games, but it goes without saying that this is not limited to 50 games.

In this example, the ART game is managed so that it continues until a set number of games, such as 50 games, is played. Alternatively, the ART game may be managed so that it continues until a set number of medals, such as a net increase of 100 medals, is played.

During the basic ART, if any one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected in the internal lottery, the proper order of operation of the reel stop buttons 211 is indicated by the instruction function display, and so long as the reel stop buttons 211 are operated according to this instruction function display, the RT state will be maintained in RT2 (however, if a symbol combination corresponding to the raised lip 2 is displayed, it will transition to RT3). However, even if any one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected in the internal lottery and the proper order of operation of the reel stop buttons 211 is indicated by the instruction function display, if the reel stop buttons 211 are not operated according to this instruction function display, a zero bell dropout will be displayed on the pay line, and the state will transition from RT2 to RT1 under the control of the CPU 1110 of the main board 409.

In RT2, when "Raised Replay 2 + Normal Maintenance Replay" is selected in an internal lottery and the symbol combination corresponding to Raised Replay 2 is displayed on the active line, control is performed to transition from RT2 to RT3. When the RT state transitions from RT2 to RT3, it enters a specialized zone and there is a high probability that the ART game will be added (details will be described later). In this RT3 as well, the CPU 1110 mounted on the main board 409 controls so that an instruction function display, which will be described later, is performed when any of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected in an internal lottery. It is also controlled by the sub-board 510 so that a display is performed according to the instruction content of the instruction function determined by the main board 409.

The specialized zone ends after five games. Specifically, when "lower replay + normal maintenance replay" is selected by the internal lottery, if the specialized zone is in progress (if five games have not been played), the instruction function display described below is performed so that a symbol combination corresponding to the maintenance replay role is displayed. On the other hand, when "lower replay + normal maintenance replay" is selected by the internal lottery, if five games have been played since the specialized zone began, the instruction function display described below is performed so that a symbol combination corresponding to the lower replay role is displayed (see Figures 645 to 650 for both). Then, when a symbol combination corresponding to the lower replay role is displayed, the CPU 1110 controls the transition from RT3 to RT2. Also, when a zero-bell dropout is displayed on the active line in RT3, the CPU 1110 controls the transition from RT3 to RT1. The replay synthesis probability in RT3 is about 1 in 1.6. In addition, if five games have been played since the start of the specialized zone but a symbol combination corresponding to a lower replay role has not yet been displayed, the game will be controlled to the basic ART game in the RT state of RT3. The lottery state during ART at this time is a high probability state. Therefore, even during the specialized zone or during preparation for the specialized zone, as in the basic ART, if any of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected in the internal lottery, the appropriate stop operation sequence of the reel stop button 211 will be clearly indicated by the instruction function display, and the RT state will be maintained in RT3 as long as the reel stop button 211 is operated according to this instruction function display, but if the reel stop button 211 is operated without following the instruction function display and the zero bell drop is displayed on the active line, the game will transition to RT1.

In the normal state, RT1, RT2, and RT3, when a bonus role (BB1, BB2) is won in the internal lottery and the condition device corresponding to the bonus role is activated (a bonus is established), the state is in the bonus state. In the bonus state, the bonus flag is established but the bonus game has not yet started. That is, when a bonus role is won in the internal lottery, the condition device corresponding to the bonus role is activated, but even if the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus role is not displayed on the active line in the game in which the internal lottery was won, the condition device corresponding to the bonus role continues to operate until the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus role is displayed on the active line in the next game and onwards. The replay synthesis probability in the bonus state is about 1 in 7.3. Then, when the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus symbol is displayed on the active line in the bonus state (a bonus is won), the bonus game is started and the state is in the bonus state. In such a bonus state, when a game is played for a certain period of time, the number of medals paid out as a result of the game is greater than the number of medals bet by the player to play the game during this certain period. Once the bonus game is over, the game will return to normal mode.

In this way, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the main board 409 controls the RT state to one of the general state (RT0 state), RT1 state, RT2 state, RT3 state, bonus internal state, and bonus state. On the other hand, as described above, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment has an instruction function, and the execution of the ART game in which the instruction function can be operated continuously over multiple games is basically controlled by a system separate from the control of such RT state. As described above, the ART game by such an instruction function is mainly executed in RT2 or RT3, but if the execution condition of the ART game is established (for example, winning the ART execution lottery), the ART game can be executed in any RT state. However, this is not the case when it conflicts with the restrictions of the rules, etc., and for example, the ART game cannot be executed in the bonus state. Below, the control process of the state related to the instruction function will be explained in detail.

[10-3-2. ART-related lotteries]
In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the following lotteries are held as lotteries related to ART. First, as lotteries related to ART held during normal game states (Hell state, advantageous state A to advantageous state D) that are neither an ART game nor a bonus, there are an ART first win lottery and an ART first win lottery state transition lottery. In addition, as lotteries related to ART held during an ART game (during basic ART, specialized zone, or specialized zone preparation), there are a specialized zone lottery and an ART game number addition lottery. In addition, the CPU 1110 mounted on the main board 409 controls the lottery state related to ART to one of multiple lottery states (favorable state A to favorable state D) with different degrees of favorability for the ART first hit lottery in the normal game state (non-ART, RT1, RT2 and RT3 where no instruction function is generated) which is neither an ART game nor a bonus, and when neither the normal game state nor a bonus is being played (during an ART game), controls it to one of multiple lottery states (low probability state during ART, high probability state during ART, during specialized zone, specialized zone preparation) with different degrees of favorability for the specialized zone lottery and the ART game number addition lottery.

The hell state is a state in which the operation of the instruction function is not confirmed, and when a special role is selected in the internal lottery in the hell state, a transition to one of the advantageous states A to E occurs, but in these advantageous states A to E, the operation of the instruction function is confirmed at least once (the instruction function display is always performed once). When one game is played in the hell state, the winning probability of the ART game in which 50 games are played (probability of transitioning to advantageous state E) is the composite probability of the probability that a special role (special watermelon role, special cherry role, special maintenance replay role) is selected in the internal lottery and the probability that the transition destination is determined to be advantageous state E in the transition destination determination lottery (step S6012) when a special role is selected in the internal lottery.

During an ART game, the CPU 1110 controls the lottery state related to ART to one of a low probability state during ART, a high probability state during ART, a specialized zone preparation state, and a specialized zone state. The low probability state during ART, the high probability state during ART, the specialized zone preparation state, and the specialized zone state are collectively referred to as the lottery state during ART. The low probability state during ART is a lottery state in which the probability of winning in the specialized zone lottery and the ART game number addition lottery held when it is not normal (ART flag ON) is relatively low. The high probability state during ART is a lottery state in which the probability of winning in the specialized zone lottery and the ART game number addition lottery held when it is not normal (ART flag ON) is relatively high. The specialized zone preparation state is the lottery state when the specialized zone lottery has been won but the specialized zone has not yet started (i.e., the state when the specialized zone lottery has been won but the RT state has not yet transitioned to RT3). The specialized zone state is the lottery state during the specialized zone.

As described above, the specialized zone state and the specialized zone preparation state are both selection states related to the ART that are controlled when the specialized zone lottery is won in the low probability state during ART or the high probability state during ART. In addition, only when the CPU 1110 is controlled in the low probability state during ART and the high probability state during ART, the CPU 1110 determines whether the selection state during ART in the basic ART (a selection state related to the ART that is neither a specialized zone nor a specialized zone preparation) is controlled to the low probability state during ART or the high probability state during ART based on the result of the selection state transition lottery. This selection state transition lottery during ART is performed using the selection state transition lottery table during ART shown in FIG. 671, which will be described later. In the low probability state during ART, a lottery is performed to transition to the high probability state during ART with a probability according to the condition device that has been activated in response to the result of the internal lottery. In addition, in the high probability state during ART, a lottery is held to transition to the low probability state during ART with a probability according to the condition device that was activated in response to the result of the internal lottery. The specific transition probability in the lottery to transition to the lottery state during ART is as shown in FIG. 671, which will be described later.

The specific winning probability in the specialized zone lottery is as shown in FIG. 672, which will be described later. The specialized zone lottery is performed every game when not in normal mode, depending on the lottery state during ART and the condition device that has been activated as a result of the internal lottery. When the specialized zone lottery is won, when the "up replay 2 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery in the subsequent game, the CPU 1110 displays an instruction function so that the reel stop button 211 is stopped in the "right-left-center" order (reverse pinch press), and the sub-board 510 displays according to the instruction content of the instruction function determined by the main board 409. When the player stops the reel stop button 211 according to this instruction, a symbol combination corresponding to the up replay role 2 is displayed on the pay line, the RT state transitions from RT2 to RT3, and the specialized zone begins. However, in this embodiment, it is configured so that the specialized zone can be won only if watermelon, cherry, or a miss is selected in the internal lottery during the low probability state during ART or the high probability state during ART. Therefore, in the specialized zone state and the specialized zone preparation state, the result of the specialized zone lottery is always a non-win. The specialized zone state ends after five games as described above. After that, as described above, when a symbol combination corresponding to a lower replay role is displayed, the RT3 will transition to RT2, but the lottery state during ART at this time will be controlled to the high probability state.

The ART game number addition lottery is held when the player is in favorable state B (when the ART game is executed after the premonition game is consumed) and when the player does not win the specialized zone lottery, which is held according to the lottery state during ART and the condition device that has been activated as a result of the internal lottery. However, the specialized zone lottery and the ART game number addition lottery may be held simultaneously. The ART game number addition lottery includes an addition decision lottery that determines whether or not to add the ART game number, and an addition game number decision lottery that determines the number of games to be added when it is determined that the ART game number will be added. The specific winning probability in the addition decision lottery is as shown in Figures 663 and 669, which will be described later. The specific number of ART games to be added in the addition game number decision lottery is as shown in Figures 664 to 667 and Figure 669 (b), which will be described later.

The lottery to determine the number of games to be added is a lottery held when the lottery to determine the number of games to be added is won, and the specific lottery probability in the lottery to determine the number of games to be added is determined according to the result of the internal lottery using FIG. 664 described later when in a low probability state during ART. Also, when in a high probability state during ART, the number of games to be added is determined according to the result of the internal lottery using FIG. 665 described later. Similarly, when in a specialized zone, the number of games to be added is determined according to the result of the internal lottery using FIG. 666 described later, and when the specialized zone is being prepared, the number of games to be added is determined according to the result of the internal lottery using FIG. 667 described later. However, when the role selected in the internal lottery is either "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" or "normal maintenance lip", the specific lottery probability in the lottery to determine the number of games to be added is as shown in FIG. 669(a), and the number of games to be added when the lottery to determine the number of games to be added is won is as shown in FIG. 669(b).

[10-3-3. Instruction Function Processing]
As explained in step S31 of FIG. 651, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, after the main board 409 selects a winning combination by the internal lottery process in step S3 (see FIG. 645 to FIG. 650 for the lottery table), the main board 409 performs the central processing of the instruction function processing, and when the special display LED 612 displays the occurrence of an instruction (instruction function display), the peripheral board (e.g., the sub-board 510) can display the instruction of the instruction function of the same content on another display device, etc. (navigation display, instruction occurrence effect). Note that the display modes of the instruction function display and the navigation display may be various, but it is required that the display contents of both displays are in accordance with the instruction contents of the instruction function determined by the main board 409.

Figure 654 is a diagram for explaining the general process flow of the instruction function processing. In Figure 654, with regard to the instruction function processing performed in the slot machine 1, a series of processes executed by the main board 409 and a series of processes executed by the sub-board 510 upon receiving a command from the main board 409 are shown side by side. Figure 655 is a flowchart showing an example of the process related to the generation of an instruction function executed by the main board 409, among the instruction function processing shown in Figure 654. Here, we will first explain the outline of the instruction function processing with reference to Figure 654, and from [10-3-4] onwards, we will explain the flow of the game, including the process related to the generation of an instruction function, with reference to Figures 655 to 662, etc.

Note that, although various flags are used in the following explanation of the instruction function processing, these flags are internal flags held in memory within the board that executes the instruction function processing (e.g., RAM 1114 of the main board 409 and RAM 1122 of the sub-board 510), and their values are rewritten and read by the CPU of each board (e.g., CPU 1110 or CPU 1118). Furthermore, when flags with the same name are used between the main board 409 and a peripheral board (e.g., sub-board 510), these internal flags basically have a common data format, and the values of the flags are synchronized by sending a signal such as a command from the main board 409 to the peripheral board.

In addition to the above internal flags, variable data may also be used, and this variable data is also held in the memory of the board that references the variable data (for example, RAM 1114 in the case of main board 409, RAM 1122 in the case of sub-board 510), and the value is read or rewritten by a CPU or the like (for example, CPU 1110 in the case of main board 409, CPU 1118 in the case of sub-board 510).

First, in step S61 of FIG. 654, the main board 409 executes processing regarding whether or not to generate an instruction function (processing related to the generation of an instruction function). More specifically, it determines the result of the ART first win lottery, whether or not to start an ART game, and the number of times the ART game will continue.

If it is determined that the instruction function should be generated as a result of the processing related to the generation of the instruction function, the main board 409 performs processing to display an instruction function display based on the winning combination of the game on the special display LED 612 (step S62). This instruction function display can indicate the proper stopping order of the push order minor combinations that are established during the ART, or indicate that predetermined symbols should be aligned in a predetermined stopping order.

In addition, if the main board 409 determines in step S61 that it is not necessary to display an instruction function for a game, no specific instruction function is displayed on the special display LED 612 in step S62.

The main board 409 performs an instruction function display in step S62 based on the results of the processing related to the generation of the instruction function in step S61, while transmitting information similar to the display contents (instruction contents) of the instruction function display to a peripheral board (e.g., sub-board 510) by command or the like (instruction information command). Note that if an instruction function display is not performed, this may be notified by an instruction information command, or the instruction information command may not be transmitted. However, if an instruction information command is not transmitted, the receiving side must determine after a predetermined time has elapsed whether the command has not been received. In this way, the peripheral board (sub-board 510) can not only recognize whether an instruction function display is performed in the game based on the reception of the instruction information command, but also grasp the display contents (instruction contents) of the instruction function display.

The peripheral board (here, the sub-board 510) that receives the instruction information command from the main board 409 then performs the processing shown in steps S63 to S65 of FIG. 654 based on the information contained in the instruction information command. Note that in the instruction function processing shown in FIG. 654, the main board 409 first performs processing related to the generation of the instruction function (step S61), but the subsequent processing by the main board 409 and the sub-board 510 (specifically, the processing in step S62 and the processing in steps S63 to S65) does not limit the execution timing of each other's processing.

First, in step S63, the peripheral board (e.g., the sub-board 510) determines whether or not an instruction function display is (or has been) performed in the game, and if it is determined that an instruction function display is (or has been) performed (YES in step S63), it performs an instruction generation presentation process as the process of step S64. Also, if the peripheral board (e.g., the sub-board 510) determines in step S63 that an instruction function display is (or has not been) performed (NO in step S63), it performs an instruction function-related process as the process of step S65.

The instruction generation effect process in step S64 is a process for displaying an "instruction generation effect" on the image display 500 or other display devices, which instructs the player on the stopping order and stopping position of the reels 301 (the target pattern, i.e., the timing of the stopping operation), and is a process for displaying the so-called ART navigation. Note that the instruction contents shown to the player by the instruction generation effect are limited to those that correspond to the display contents displayed on the special display LED 612 by the instruction function display process. For example, even if the instruction contents indicating "push in order" are displayed on the special display LED 612 by the instruction function display, the instruction contents shown by the instruction generation effect contents are "push in reverse", which is not permitted. Also, even if the instruction contents indicating "push in order" are displayed on the special display LED 612 and the instruction generation effect contents indicate that "the left reel 301a should be stopped first", it is also not permitted that the reel 301b to be stopped second is not indicated. Furthermore, the fact that the instructions given by the instruction generating effect are limited to those that follow the display contents shown on the special display LED 612 is not limited to the push order described above, but also applies when the guide for the push location is determined by the instruction function display. In other words, for example, even if the instruction function display displays an instruction on the special display LED 612 indicating that "you should aim for the red 7 symbol on all reels", it is not permitted for the instruction given by the instruction generating effect to be "aim for the BAR symbol" or "aim for the red 7 symbol on only some of the reels".

Furthermore, regarding the specific presentation format of the instruction generation presentation, various presentation formats are conventionally known, such as displaying the push order and symbols on an LCD screen, or lighting up LEDs associated with each reel 301a to 301c, and any one or combination of these may be used.

The instruction function related process in step S65 is a process for displaying a predetermined presentation screen related to the instruction function when the instruction function display is not displayed on the special display LED 612 (for example, in a game that is not in ART, or in a game in which a press order does not matter winning role has been won even during ART). Note that the above-mentioned "press order does not matter winning role" includes not only winning roles such as the press order does not matter bell, which can be expected to pay out the maximum number of coins regardless of the playing method used when won, but also winning roles where the maximum number of coins cannot be expected to be paid out or no payout can be obtained depending on the playing method. To explain in more detail, it not only includes winning roles (such as the watermelon role) that can be obtained when playing in a manner that can be expected to maximize the payout (corresponding to the aforementioned "maximum efficient playing method"), but also includes winning roles that cannot be obtained when playing in a "maximum efficient playing method" (for example, a one-coin role in which a symbol combination using symbols arranged on the opposite side of the symbol arrangement on reel 301 from the symbol combination of the watermelon role described above is prepared, and when that symbol combination stops, it is determined that a win has been won, and this is known as a chance role).

The instruction function processing ends when the above steps S61 to S65 are performed. Below, we will explain in detail each step (steps S61 to S65) performed as the instruction function processing by the CPU 1110 of the main board 409.

[10-3-4. Processing related to generation of instruction function]
The flow of the game including the processing related to the occurrence of the instruction function shown in step S61 of FIG. 654 will be described with reference to FIG. 655.

First, in step S601 of FIG. 655, it is determined whether the game count management flag is ON. The game count management flag is an internal flag that indicates whether the game count management process is in progress or not. When it is ON, it means that the game count management process is in progress (i.e., any of advantageous states A to E and the pullback state), and when it is OFF, it means that the game count management process is not in progress (i.e., the hell state). When the game count management flag is ON (YES in step S601), the process proceeds to step S602.

In step S602, the number of games played during the game count management process (the number of games played by the player while the game count management flag is set to ON) is counted. Specifically, when one game is played during the game count management process, the game count counter GC is incremented by one to represent the number of games played during the game count management process. Then, the process proceeds to step S603.

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, as described above, advantageous states A to E and a withdrawal state are prepared as states during the game count management process, and the slot machine 1 is controlled to one of these advantageous states.

Here, we will briefly outline each of the advantageous states and the pullback state from advantageous state A to advantageous state E. Advantageous state A is a state in which 32 games are set as the ceiling, and when the instruction function display is made once in the game after these 32 games have been played, advantageous state A ends and a transition to the hell state occurs. Advantageous state B is a state in which 32 games are set as the ceiling, and after these 32 games have been played, a transition to advantageous state E, which will be described later, occurs. Advantageous state C is a state in which 32 games are set as the ceiling, and after these 32 games have been played, a transition to advantageous state D, which will be described later, occurs from the next game. In the advantageous state D, 10 games are set as a chance zone (hereinafter referred to as "CZ"), and if a rare minor role (watermelon role, cherry role) is selected in the internal lottery during these 10 games as the CZ, there is a 100% probability that the next game will transition to the advantageous state E, and if any of "push order bell 1" to "push order bell 6" is selected in the internal lottery, there is a 1 in 4 probability that the next game will transition to the advantageous state E, but if the CZ ends without transitioning to the advantageous state E, the state will transition to the hell state. The advantageous state E is a state in which the instruction function flag is set ON and the execution of the ART game is permitted, and is included in the preparation state until the RT state transitions from RT1 to RT2, the execution of the ART game, and the advantageous state E. Furthermore, this advantageous state E ends when the specified number of ART games is consumed unless the number of ART games is added, although the instruction function can operate continuously for at least the specified number of games (in this example, "50 games + α" (α is the number of added games)) as long as the game number counter GC does not exceed a specified threshold. Also, after the end of advantageous state E, as long as the game number management flag is ON (as long as the game number counter GC does not exceed a specified threshold), it is controlled to the pullback state A or pullback state B described below.

In this example, the advantageous state will not end and transition to the hell state will not occur without the command function display having been performed even once. However, even if the game is controlled to one of the advantageous play states A to E (particularly advantageous state A) and the command function display has never been performed during the game count management process, if a bonus role that increases the number of medals is selected by internal lottery, the command function display may not be performed as a special process (special process execution means).

In conventional slot machines, when the ART first hit lottery is won, a premonition game is played over multiple games (e.g., 32 games), and the ART game is often played after the premonition game is played. In such conventional slot machines, even if the ART first hit lottery is not won, the premonition game is played when there is a possibility that the ART first hit lottery has been won (e.g., when a rare minor role is selected in an internal lottery). In other words, after the premonition game is played, the ART game may or may not be played. Then, by playing an expectation performance during the premonition game that can give the player the expectation of winning the ART first hit lottery, the player's interest in the premonition game can be attracted.

However, in such a conventional slot machine, if the player does not win the ART first win lottery even though the premonition game has been executed, the player is very disappointed. In particular, if the result of the ART first win lottery is not made clear until the set premonition game is exhausted, the player must execute the premonition game while there is a possibility that the player has not won the ART first win lottery, and if the player has not won the ART first win lottery, the player's interest drops significantly. Therefore, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when the ART first win lottery is won in the hell state and the transition destination is determined to be one of the advantageous states A to C (i.e., when the transition destination is determined to be the advantageous state in which the ceiling game (premonition game) is set), the instruction function display is always performed once when the set ceiling game is exhausted. This eliminates the need to force the player to execute the premonition game while there is a possibility that the player has not won the ART first win lottery, and the premonition game is executed while it is confirmed that the instruction function display will always be performed once. Moreover, since the degree of profit for the player after the premonition game is played varies depending on the advantageous state, it is possible to suitably suppress the decline in interest without losing the significance of the premonition game. In this example, the instruction function display is configured to be displayed once when the set ceiling game (premonition game) is played, but the operation of the instruction function display is not necessarily limited to being performed only when the set ceiling game is played. For example, if the result of the ART first win lottery cannot be known at the time when the instruction function display is executed, the instruction function display may be activated in the middle of the premonition game. "A mode in which the result of the ART first win lottery can be known at the time when the instruction function display is executed" corresponds to a mode in which, when the number of times the instruction function display is activated during the premonition game is set to one, it can be known that the ART game will not be executed at that time if the instruction function display is activated in the middle of the premonition game.

As mentioned above, the hell state is a state in which the execution of the instruction function display is confirmed, and the advantageous state is a state in which the execution of the instruction function display is confirmed. However, in the pull-back state, the execution of the instruction function display is not confirmed. Therefore, when defining the hell state and the non-hell state (advantageous states A to E, pull-back state A and pull-back state B), the hell state is a state in which it is not possible to allow the execution of the instruction function display, and the non-hell state is a state in which it is possible to allow the execution of the instruction function display.

In addition, in this example, advantageous state A, advantageous state B, and advantageous state C, the ceiling is set to 32 games, but it goes without saying that the ceiling is not limited to 32 games, and it is preferable to set it to a number of games less than 32 games.

In addition, in this example, 10 games are set as the CZ in advantageous state D, but it goes without saying that the number of games set as the CZ is not limited to 10.

In the processing from step S603 onwards, processing according to the state is performed. Specifically, if it is determined in step S603 that the advantageous state A flag is ON (YES in step S603), advantageous state A processing is performed (step S604). If it is determined in step S603 that the advantageous state A flag is OFF (NO in step S603), the process proceeds to step S605, where it is determined whether the advantageous state B flag is ON (step S605). If it is determined in step S605 that the advantageous state B flag is ON (YES in step S605), advantageous state B processing is performed (step S606). If it is determined in step S605 that the advantageous state B flag is OFF (NO in step S605), the process proceeds to step S607, where it is determined whether the advantageous state C flag is ON (step S607). If it is determined in step S607 that the advantageous state C flag is ON (YES in step S607), advantageous state C processing is performed (step S608). If it is determined in step S607 that the advantageous state C flag is OFF (NO in step S607), the process proceeds to step S609, where it is determined whether the advantageous state D flag is ON (step S609). If it is determined in step S609 that the advantageous state D flag is ON (YES in step S609), advantageous state D processing is performed (step S610). If it is determined in step S609 that the advantageous state D flag is OFF (NO in step S609), the process proceeds to step S611, where it is determined whether the advantageous state E flag is ON (step S611). If it is determined in step S611 that the advantageous state E flag is OFF (YES in step S611), advantageous state E processing is performed (step S612). If it is determined in step S611 that the advantageous state E flag is OFF (NO in step S611), the process proceeds to step S613, where pullback state processing is performed (step S613).

If it is determined in step S601 that the game count management flag is OFF (NO in step S601), the process proceeds to step S614, where hell state processing is performed.

Hereinafter, the hell state processing, each processing in advantageous state A to advantageous state E, and the pullback state processing will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 656 to 662. Figs. 656 to 662 are flowcharts showing an example of each processing executed by the CPU 1110 of the main board 409. In detail, Fig. 656 is a flowchart showing an example of the hell state processing. Fig. 657 is a flowchart showing an example of the advantageous state A processing. Fig. 658 is a flowchart showing an example of the advantageous state B processing. Fig. 659 is a flowchart showing an example of the advantageous state C processing. Fig. 660 is a flowchart showing an example of the advantageous state D processing. Fig. 661 is a flowchart showing an example of the advantageous state E processing. Fig. 662 is a flowchart showing an example of the pullback state processing.

[10-3-4-1. Hell State Processing]
In the hell state, first, it is determined whether or not a special role (special watermelon role, special cherry role, special maintenance replay role) has been selected in the internal lottery (step S6011). In step S601, if it is determined that any of the special roles (special watermelon role, special cherry role, special maintenance replay role) has been selected in the internal lottery (YES in step S6011), a lottery for determining the transfer destination (step S6012) is performed according to the type of the selected special role. This lottery for determining the transfer destination is a lottery for determining the advantageous state of the transfer destination, and the transfer destination is determined from advantageous states A to E.

In the lottery to determine the transition destination in step S6012, advantageous state A is determined with a probability of 59,600 in 65,536, advantageous state B is determined with a probability of 3,935 in 65,536, advantageous state C is determined with a probability of 2,000 in 65,536, advantageous state D is determined with a probability of 1 in 65,536, and advantageous state E is determined with a probability of 1 in 65,536. Note that in the slot machine 1 of this example, the hall staff can change the setting to any of settings 1 to 6, and the probability of each winning role being selected in the internal lottery is different for each of these settings. However, the probability of a special role (special watermelon role, special cherry role, special maintenance replay role) being selected in the internal lottery is the same for all settings 1 to 6. Here, the probability of the special watermelon role being selected, the probability of the special cherry role being selected, and the probability of the special sustain replay role being selected may each be common to settings 1 to 6, or the probability of each special role being selected may differ for each setting, but the combined probability of the special roles (special watermelon role, special cherry role, special sustain replay role) being selected may be common to settings 1 to 6.

When the destination is determined in step S6012, the destination is judged in steps S6013 to S6016, and the game status flag corresponding to the destination is set to ON.

Specifically, when it is determined that the transition destination is advantageous state A (YES in all of steps S6013 to S6016), the advantageous state A flag is set ON (step S6017). After that, the process proceeds to step S6018, where the ceiling number of games is set to 32 games (TA←32). After that, the process proceeds to step S6019, where the premonition flag is set ON.

Furthermore, if it is determined that the transition destination is advantageous state B (YES in steps S6013 to 6015 and NO in step S6016), the advantageous state B flag is set to ON (step S6022). Then, the process proceeds to step S6023, where the ceiling number of games is set to 32 games (TB←32). Then, the process proceeds to step S6019, where the premonition flag is set to ON.

Furthermore, if it is determined that the transition destination is advantageous state C (YES in steps S6013 and 6014 and NO in step S6015), the advantageous state C flag is set to ON (step S6024). Then, the process proceeds to step S6025, where the ceiling number of games is set to 32 games (TC←32). Then, the process proceeds to step S6019, where the premonition flag is set to ON.

When the premonition flag is set ON in step S6019, the hell state flag is then set OFF (step S6020), and the game count management flag is set ON (step S6021), and the hell state processing ends.

When the ceiling number of games is set, the premonition effect will be performed until the games of the ceiling number of games are played. However, if the ART first hit lottery is won during the premonition effect (until the games of the ceiling number of games are played), or if a bonus role (BB1, BB2) is selected in the internal lottery, the ART game or bonus game will be played even if all the games of the ceiling number of games have not been played.

Furthermore, when it is determined that the transition destination is advantageous state D (YES in step S6013 and NO in step S6014), the advantageous state D flag is set to ON (step S6026). Then, the process proceeds to step S6027, and the CZ game count is set to 10 games (CZ←10). At this time, the ceiling game count is not set (the ceiling game count may be set to 0 games). Then, the hell state flag is set to OFF (step S6020), and the game count management flag is set to ON (step S6021), and the hell state processing ends.

Also, when it is determined that the transition destination is advantageous state E (NO in step S6013), the advantageous state E flag is set ON (step S6028). Then, proceed to step S6029, and the number of ART games is set to 50 games (ART←50). When the number of ART games ART is set to 50 games (YES in step S6129), the ART flag is set ON (step S6030). Then, the hell state flag is set OFF (step S6020), and the game number management flag is set ON (step S6021), the hell state processing ends, and the process returns to the main routine.

If no special role (special watermelon role, special cherry role, special maintenance replay role) is selected in the internal lottery (NO in step S6011), steps S6012 to S6021 are skipped, the game count management state is not started (the game is not switched to the advantageous state), and the hell state continues.

When the destination lottery is held in the Hell state in step S6012, the state transitions to the advantageous state regardless of the outcome of the lottery, and the instruction function display is always performed once. Therefore, the determination of whether or not a special role has been won in the internal lottery (step S6011) and/or the destination lottery (step S6012) corresponds to the ART first win lottery in the Hell state. However, when defined as "lottery for executing an ART game", the determination of whether or not a special role has been won in the internal lottery (step S6011) does not correspond to "lottery for executing an ART game", and only the destination lottery (step S6012) corresponds to "lottery for executing an ART game".

In addition, in the hell state, if it is determined that a special role has been selected in step S6011 (YES in step S6011) and a lottery for determining the transfer destination is performed in step S6012, the game number management flag is set to ON and the count of the game number counter GC is started from the next game. Even if it is in the hell state and the bonus game is being executed, if it is determined that a special role has been selected in step S6011 (YES in step S6011) and a lottery for determining the transfer destination is performed in step S6012, the game number management flag is set to ON and the count of the game number counter GC is started from the next game. Therefore, in this case, if the transfer destination is one of the advantageous states A to C, the ceiling game will be consumed during the bonus game, if the transfer destination is the advantageous state D, the chance zone (CA) will be executed during the bonus game, and if the transfer destination is the advantageous state E, the bonus game will end and the RT state will be transferred to RT2 (controlled to RT0 after the bonus game ends), and the ART game will start. In addition, when the game count management process is started (when the game state related to the instruction function display transitions from a hell state to an advantageous state), the instruction function display will be performed at least once during the game count management process, except for the special process described above (i.e., except when a bonus role is selected by internal lottery during the game count management process).

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the period during which the game count management flag is set to ON is longer than the period during which it is set to OFF, but the period during which the game count management flag is set to ON is configured to be 70% or less of the total game period. Therefore, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment is able to appropriately prevent a decline in interest while suppressing gambling.

[10-3-4-2. Processing in advantageous state A]
In advantageous state A, first, in step S6031, a process of consuming the ceiling game is carried out. Specifically, each time a game is executed, one is subtracted from the ceiling game number set as 32 games (TA←TA-1).

After one is subtracted from the ceiling game number in step S6031, it is determined whether the game number counter GC, which indicates the number of games executed during the game number management process, is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value G (step S6032). The predetermined threshold value G is a value set so that the number of medals as game media paid out to a player in one game number management process does not exceed a specified value. In this example, when the specified value is N, the value obtained by dividing N by the gradient value (the net increase in number of medals per game) is set as the predetermined threshold value G. For example, when it is specified that the number of game media paid out to a player in one game number management process does not exceed 3000, when the gradient value is 2 [pieces/game], 1500 games is set as the predetermined threshold value G. However, in a slot machine equipped with a bonus game, the value obtained by subtracting the number of bonus games that will end in the shortest time from the above G may be set as the predetermined threshold value. For example, if the number of gaming media paid out to a player in one game count management process is regulated to not exceed 3,000, and the slope value is set to 2 [games/game] and the shortest number of bonus games to be completed is 34 games, then 1,466 games is set as the predetermined threshold.

If the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value G (YES in step S6032), the process proceeds to step S6034, where an ART first hit lottery is performed (step S6034). The ART first hit lottery performed in step S6034 is a lottery that determines whether or not to transition to advantageous state E. When the combination selected in the internal lottery is either "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" or "normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery is as shown in FIG. 668. In addition, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is neither "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" nor "normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery is set to 1 in 65536. Figure 668 is a table used to select the first ART hit when the role selected in the internal lottery is either "Special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" or "Normal maintenance lip."

Here, the ART first hit lottery performed in step S6034 will be described in detail. When the role selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery performed in step S6034 is determined based on the difference K between a predetermined threshold value G and the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process), as shown in Figure 668 (the column for when "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep" is won).

Specifically, when the combination selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is equal to or greater than the first specified number, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is 65536 out of 65536 (i.e. 100%). Also, when the combination selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is less than the first specified number, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is 4 out of 65536. The above first specified number can be set arbitrarily, but it is preferable that it is a value that allows a predetermined number of games (50 games in this embodiment) to be consumed without being terminated when the ART game is executed based on winning the ART first win lottery. In this embodiment, since the number of games of the ART game executed when the ART first winning lottery is won is 50 games (if the additional lottery is not won), the above-mentioned first specified number is preferably 50 games or more, but is not limited thereto. However, since the ART game does not start immediately even if the ART first winning lottery is won, it is preferable to set it to (50 games + α) games in consideration of the number of games in the preparation state. In this embodiment, 100 games are set as (50 games + α). Therefore, when the role selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is 100 games or more, the ART first winning lottery will be won with a 100% probability, and if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than 100 games, the ART first winning lottery will only be won with a probability of 4 out of 65536. This prevents a situation in which a player wins the ART first win lottery and plays an ART game, but the ART game is forcibly terminated midway, because the probability of winning in the ART first win lottery is relatively small when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is small. As a result, it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be felt by the player, and ultimately to prevent a decline in interest.

In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Lip + Normal Maintenance Lip", by lowering the ART first hit probability (4/65536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is less than the first specified number compared to the ART first hit probability (65536/65536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the first specified number, it is possible to realize a game play that has a higher ART first hit probability (65536/65536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the first specified number while maintaining the same payout rate, compared to when the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery is constant regardless of the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process.

In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is a normal maintenance replay, as shown in FIG. 668, regardless of the number of games K remaining until the end of the game count management process, the probability of winning the ART first hit lottery is always 4 in 65,536.

In the above-described embodiment, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is determined to be one of two levels, high probability (65536 out of 65536) or low probability (4 out of 65536), based on whether the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the first specified number, but this is not limited to this. For example, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery may be set to multiple levels, and when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first win lottery may gradually decrease as the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process becomes smaller.

If the ART first hit lottery is won (YES in step S6035), the process proceeds to step S6036, where the ceiling game number is set to 0 (TA←0). After that, the premonition flag is set to OFF (step S6037), the advantageous state A flag is set to OFF (step S6038), the advantageous state E flag is set to ON (step S6039), the ART game number is set to 50 games (step S6040), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6041). After that, the process proceeds to step S6042, where RT state transition processing is performed.

The RT state transition process in step S6042 is a process for transitioning the RT state. Specifically, when "Raise replay 1 + Normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery, the instruction function is activated in step S6041, so that the reel stop button 211 is operated to stop in the order of pressing "right-middle-left" (reverse pressing). When the player stops the reel stop button 211 according to this instruction function display, the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise replay role 1 is displayed on the pay line, and the CPU 1110 controls the transition from RT1 to RT2. Then, on the condition that the transition control from RT1 to RT2 has been performed, the ART flag is set to ON (step S6043), the advantageous state A processing is completed, and the process returns to the main routine. However, if "Raise replay 1 + Normal maintenance replay" is not selected in the internal lottery, or if the player does not follow the instruction function display despite the fact that it has been performed, the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is not performed in step S6042. When "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is not selected in the internal lottery, the ART flag is not set to ON in step S6043, but when the instruction function display is performed but the player does not follow it, the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is not performed in step S6042, but the ART flag is set to ON in step S6043. Note that, until the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is performed, the instruction function display is performed when "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery. In other words, when "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery in RT1, if the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise replay role 1 is displayed on the effective line, the control to transition to RT2 is performed, but if the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise replay role 1 is not displayed on the effective line due to not following the instruction function display, the RT1 is maintained, but the ART flag is set to ON. Also, according to the lottery tables in Figures 645 to 650, "Raise Lip 1 + Normal Maintenance Lip" only corresponds to one type of push order condition device, but it would be more preferable to have a condition device that corresponds to six different push orders, like the push order bell.

The ART flag is an internal flag that indicates whether or not an ART game is in progress; when it is ON, it means that ART is in progress, and when it is OFF, it means that ART is not in progress, i.e., it is not ART.

If the ART first hit lottery in step S6034 is not won (NO in step S6035), the process proceeds to step S6044, where it is determined whether the ceiling game number is 0 (TA = 0). If the ceiling game number is not 0 (NO in step S6044), the process does not proceed to step S6053 described below (i.e., the processing of steps S6053 to S6061 is not performed), and advantageous state A continues without transitioning to hell state.

If the ART first win lottery is won (YES in step S6035), advantageous state A ends and the player moves to advantageous state E even if the ceiling number of games has not been played, whereas if the ART first win lottery is not won (NO in step S6035), advantageous state A will continue until the ceiling number of games is played. However, although not shown in FIG. 657, even if the ART first win lottery is lost (NO in step S6035) and the ceiling number of games is not 0 (NO in step S6044), if a bonus role (BB1, BB2) is selected in the internal lottery, a bonus game will start when the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus role is displayed on the active line. During the execution of this bonus game, the ART first win lottery is held with a probability of 328 out of 65536, and if the ART first win lottery is won, the player moves to advantageous state E immediately after the bonus game ends. On the other hand, if the ART first win lottery is not won during the bonus game, the ceiling game is set to 32 games (TA←32) and advantageous state A processing is performed again.

When it is determined in step S6044 that the ceiling game number is 0 (TA=0) (YES in step S6044), the process proceeds to step S6053, where it is determined whether or not the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game management process, i.e., since the currently ongoing game number counter GC started counting (since the game number management flag was set to ON) (step S6053). The determination of whether or not the instruction function display has been performed at least once corresponds to a determination of whether or not any of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" has been selected by internal lottery since the game number counter GC started counting (while the section display lamp 605 is lit (or flashing)), and a stop operation mode for paying out the maximum number of winning payout coins (8 coins in this example) among the winning payout coins corresponding to this "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" has been selected at least once.

If it is determined in step S6053 that the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game count management process (YES in step S6053), the instruction function flag is set to OFF (step S6054), the premonition flag is set to OFF (step S6055), the advantageous state A flag is set to OFF (step S6056), the hell state flag is set to ON (step S6057), and the game count management flag is set to OFF (step S6058). Then, the process proceeds to step S6059, where the game count counter GC is set to 0 (step S6059), the advantageous state A processing ends, and the process returns to the main routine.

If it is determined in step S6053 that the instruction function display has not yet been performed even once during the game count management process (NO in step S6053), the number of instructions is set to 1 (step S6060), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6061). As a result, even if the ceiling game count TA (32 games in this example) has already been played during the advantageous state A processing, if it is determined that the instruction function display has not yet been performed even once, the state will not transition to the hell state until the instruction function display is performed at least once, and the instruction function display will always be performed at least once during the game count management processing.

However, although not shown in FIG. 657, if a bonus game is executed after the game counter GC starts counting, even if the instruction function display has not been performed even once since the game counter GC started counting (even if it is determined as NO in step S6053), the processing of steps S6054 to S6059 is performed, and the advantageous state A is shifted to the hell state. For example, when the state shifts from the hell state to the advantageous state A, the bonus role (BB1, BB2) is selected in the internal lottery without winning the ART first win lottery and the bonus game is executed, but the ART first win lottery is not won during the execution of the bonus game, and the ceiling game is set to 32 games after the bonus game ends and the advantageous state A processing is performed again, if the ceiling game of 32 games is consumed without the instruction function display, the advantageous state A is shifted to the hell state, even though the instruction function display has not been performed even once after the state shifts from the hell state to the advantageous state A.

If it is determined in step S6032 that the game count counter GC counted during the game count management process exceeds a predetermined threshold value G (NO in step S6032), the process proceeds to step S6053, where it is determined whether or not the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game count management process (step S6053). If it is determined in this step S6053 that the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game count management process (YES in step S6053), the processes in steps S6054 to S6059 are performed, after which the advantageous state A process ends and the process returns to the main routine.

By the way, considering the combined probability (26280/65536) of one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" being selected in the internal lottery and the predetermined threshold G (1500 games), it is probabilistically very unlikely to occur. However, it is possible that the game count counter GC may be judged to have exceeded the predetermined threshold G without the instruction function display being performed even once since the game count counter GC started counting (NO is judged in step S6032 and NO is judged in step S6053). In this case, the processing of steps S6054 to S6059 is not performed, the number of instructions is set to 1 (step S6060), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6061). As a result, even if the number of games executed during the game management process (game count counter GC) exceeds a predetermined threshold, the instruction function display is not performed and the game does not immediately transition to the hell state, but advantageous state A continues until the instruction function display is performed once, making it possible to guarantee that the instruction function display is performed at least once during the game count management process.

As described above, even after the set ceiling game number TA (32 games in this example) has been consumed, if the instruction function display has not been performed even once during the game number management process, the advantageous state A will continue without transitioning to the hell state, and as a result of the subtraction process performed in step S6031, the remaining ceiling game number TA may become negative. Therefore, if the ceiling game number TA, which was initially 32 games, becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, the ceiling game number TA is set to "FF", and when the ceiling game number TA is "FF", the process of step S6031 is not performed as long as the advantageous state A continues without transitioning to the hell state or the advantageous state E, and YES is determined in step S6044. As a result, even if the advantageous state A continues after the ceiling game number TA becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, it is possible to avoid the game being interrupted due to an error in the process of the CPU 1110 of the main board 409, and to suppress a decrease in interest.

In addition, in step S6031, if the remaining ceiling game number TA becomes negative, in addition to processing to leave the remaining ceiling game number TA set to "FF" even if the game is executed, processing may be such that it is kept at "00" without being set to "FF" in the first place. Also, while the remaining ceiling game number TA has been described as being subtracted each time a game is executed, it goes without saying that it may also be an addition method in which it is added each time a game is executed.

In this example, if the ceiling game count TA, which was initially set to 32 games, becomes 0 as the game is played, the ceiling game count TA is set to "FF." Alternatively, the process may keep the ceiling game count TA at 00 without setting it to "FF."

In addition, in this example, the initial value of the ceiling game number TA is set to 32 games, and a subtraction method is used in which the ceiling game number TA is subtracted each time a game is played, but it goes without saying that an addition method may also be used.

[10-3-4-3. Processing in advantageous state B]
In advantageous state B, first, in step S6071, a process of consuming the ceiling game is carried out. Specifically, each time a game is executed, one is subtracted from the ceiling game number set as 32 games (TB←TB-1).

When 1 is subtracted from the ceiling game number in step S6071, it is then determined whether or not the game number counter GC, which indicates the number of games executed during the game number management process, is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value G (1500 games in this example) (step S6072). If the game number counter GC is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value G (YES in step S6072), the process proceeds to step S6073, where a lottery is conducted to add the number of ART games (step S6073). Since the advantageous state B is a state in which it is determined that the game of the ceiling game number TB is consumed and the state transitions to advantageous state E and at least 50 ART games are executed, the lottery to add the number of ART games conducted in step S6073 is a lottery to determine whether or not to further add the number of games of the ART game. When the hand selected in the internal lottery is either "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" or "normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the lottery to add the number of ART games is as shown in FIG. 669 (a). In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is neither "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep" nor "Normal Maintenance Rep," the probability of winning in the ART game number addition lottery is set to 1 in 65,536.

The number of games that will be added when the ART game number addition lottery is won is as shown in Figure 669(b). Note that "When "Special maintenance reply + normal maintenance reply" is not won" as shown in Figure 669(b) includes not only when the role selected in the internal lottery is neither "Special maintenance reply + normal maintenance reply" nor "normal maintenance reply", but also when the role selected in the internal lottery is "normal maintenance reply".

Here, the ART game number addition lottery performed in step S6073 will be described in detail. When the role selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", the winning probability in the ART game number addition lottery performed in step S6073 is determined based on the difference K between a predetermined threshold value G and the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process), as shown in FIG. 669(a).

Specifically, when the hand selected by the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", if the number of remaining games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the second specified number, the winning probability in the ART game number addition lottery is 65536 out of 65536 (i.e. 100%). Also, when the hand selected by the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", if the number of remaining games K until the end of the game number management process is less than the second specified number, the winning probability in the ART game number addition lottery is 4 out of 65536. The above second specified number can be set arbitrarily, but it is preferable that the ART game be a value that can be consumed without ending midway, even if the ART game is added based on winning the ART game number addition lottery. In this embodiment, when the ART game number addition lottery is won, a maximum of 300 games are added, so the above second specified number is preferably 300 games or more, but is not limited thereto. Therefore, when the hand selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is 300 or more, there is a 100% probability of winning the ART game number addition lottery, and if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than 300, there is only a 4 in 65,536 probability of winning the ART game number addition lottery. As a result, if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is small, the probability of winning the ART game number addition lottery becomes relatively small, so it is possible to prevent a situation in which the ART game is forcibly ended midway even though the ART game number addition lottery was won and an ART game was added. As a result, it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be given to the player, and ultimately to prevent a decline in interest.

In addition, when the hand selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", by lowering the winning probability (4/65536 in this example) in the ART game number addition lottery when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is less than the second specified number than the winning probability (65536/65536 in this example) in the ART game number addition lottery when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the second specified number, it is possible to realize a game play that increases the winning probability (65536/65536 in this example) in the ART game number addition lottery when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the specified number while keeping the payout rate the same, compared to when the winning probability in the ART game number addition lottery is constant regardless of the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process.

As shown in FIG. 669(b), when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process differs between when it is equal to or greater than the second specified number and when it is less than the second specified number. Specifically, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the number of games added is set to be greater than when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" and is not a winning combination. As a result, if the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is small, the number of ART games added when the ART game number addition lottery is won is relatively small, so that it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be given to the player even if the ART game is forcibly ended midway despite the ART game being added after the ART game number addition lottery was won.

In the above-described embodiment, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART game number addition lottery is determined to be one of two levels, high probability (65536 out of 65536) or low probability (4 out of 65536), based on whether the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the second specified number, but this is not limited to this. For example, the winning probability in the ART game number addition lottery may be set to multiple levels, and when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART game number addition lottery may gradually decrease as the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process becomes smaller.

Then, the process proceeds to step S6074, where it is determined whether the ceiling game number is 0 (TB = 0). If the ceiling game number is 0 (YES in step S6074), the premonition flag is set to OFF (step S6075), the advantageous state B flag is set to OFF (step S6076), the advantageous state E flag is set to ON (step S6077), the ART game number is set (step S6078), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6079). The process then proceeds to step S6080, where RT state transition processing is performed.

In step S6073, a lottery for an initial ART win may be held instead of a lottery for an additional ART game count. In this case, the ceiling game count TB is set to 0 and the process proceeds to step S6074.

The RT state transition process in step S6080 is a process for transitioning the RT state. Specifically, when "Raise replay 1 + Normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery, the instruction function is activated in step S6079, so that the reel stop button 211 is operated to stop in the order of pressing "right-middle-left" (reverse pressing). When the player stops the reel stop button 211 according to this instruction function display, the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise replay role 1 is displayed on the pay line, and the CPU 1110 controls the transition from RT1 to RT2. Then, on the condition that the transition control from RT1 to RT2 has been performed, the ART flag is set to ON (step S6081), the advantageous state B processing is completed, and the process returns to the main routine. However, if "Raise replay 1 + Normal maintenance replay" is not selected in the internal lottery, or if the player does not follow the instruction function display despite the fact that it has been performed, the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is not performed in step S6080. When "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is not selected in the internal lottery, the ART flag is not set to ON in step S6081, but when the instruction function display is performed but the player does not follow it, the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is not performed in step S6080, but the ART flag is set to ON in step S6081. Note that, until the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is performed, the instruction function display is performed when "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery. In other words, when "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery in RT1, if the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise replay role 1 is displayed on the effective line, the control to transition to RT2 is performed, but if the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise replay role 1 is not displayed on the effective line due to not following the instruction function display, it is maintained in RT1, but the ART flag is set to ON. As mentioned above, it would also be preferable for the "1 increase lip + normal maintenance lip" to have a condition device that corresponds to six different push orders, like the push order bell.

In step S6078, if the additional lottery in step S6073 is not won, the number of games for one shot of the ART game (50 games in this example) is set, but if the additional lottery in step S6073 is won, the number of games (50 + α) plus the additional number of games α is set.

If it is determined in step S6074 that the ceiling game count is not 0 (TB=0) (if it is determined as NO in step S6074), the processing of steps S6075 to S6081 is not performed regardless of whether or not the ART game addition lottery in step S6073 is won. In other words, advantageous state B continues without transitioning to the hell state.

In step S6072, when it is determined that the game number counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold value (NO in step S6072), it is determined whether or not the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game management process (step S6082). That is, after the game number counter GC starts counting (while the section display lamp 605 is lit (or flashing)), one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected by internal lottery, and it is determined whether or not the stop operation mode for paying out the maximum number of winning payout coins (8 coins in this example) out of the winning payout coins corresponding to this "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" has been instructed at least once.

In the advantageous state B, when the games of the ceiling game number TB are consumed, the state transitions to the advantageous state E and the ART game is executed, but in step S6072, it may be determined that the game number counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold (determined as NO in step S6072). For example, in a case where the state transitions from the hell state to the advantageous state E, the ART game is executed, and the ART game is added, and the ART game ends once, but the state transitions to the advantageous state B with the count of the game number counter GC continuing without transitioning to the hell state (for example, when the ART first hit lottery is won in the pullback mode and the state transitions to the advantageous state B), the game number counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold G (1500 games in this example) during the consumption of the ceiling game TB in the advantageous state B. In such a case, if the instruction function display has been performed even once, the state transitions from the advantageous state B to the hell state forcibly, but it may rarely occur that the instruction function display has not been performed even once during the game number management process. In that case, even if the player is in advantageous state B, the player will not transition to advantageous state E (without executing an ART game), but will be forced to transition from advantageous state B to the hell state after displaying the instruction function once. As a result, even if the number of games executed during the game management process (game number counter GC) exceeds a predetermined threshold, the player will not immediately transition to the hell state without displaying the instruction function, but will continue in advantageous state B until the instruction function display is displayed once, making it possible to guarantee that the instruction function display is always displayed once during the game number management process.

Specifically, if it is determined in step S6072 that the game number counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold value (NO in step S6072), it is determined in step S6082 whether or not the instruction function display has been performed during the game number management process. If it is determined in step S6082 that the instruction function display has not yet been performed even once during the game number management process (NO in step S6082), the number of instructions is set to 1 (step S6089), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6090). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S6082 that the instruction function display has been performed during the game number management process (YES in step S6082), the instruction function flag is set to OFF (step S6083), the premonition flag is set to OFF (step S6084), the advantageous state B flag is set to OFF (step S6085), the hell state flag is set to ON (step S6086), and the game number management flag is set to OFF (step S6087). Then, the process proceeds to step S6088, where the game number counter GC is set to 0 (step S6088), the advantageous state B processing ends, and the process returns to the main routine. As a result, when the hell state transitions to one of advantageous states A to E and the game number counter GC starts counting, even if the game number counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold, the advantageous state B will not transition to the hell state without a single instruction function display; the instruction function display will always be performed once before the transition to the hell state occurs.

In addition, when it is determined in step S6072 that the game number counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold value (NO in step S6072), even after the set ceiling game number TB (32 games in this example) has been consumed, if the instruction function display has not been performed even once during the game number management process, the advantageous state B will continue without transitioning to the hell state, and as a result of the subtraction process performed in step S6071, the remaining ceiling game number TB may become negative. Therefore, when the ceiling game number TB, which was initially 32 games, becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, the ceiling game number TB is set to FF, and when the ceiling game number TB is FF, the process of step S6071 is not performed as long as the advantageous state B continues without transitioning to the hell state or another advantageous state. As a result, even if the advantageous state B continues after the ceiling game number TB becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, it is possible to avoid an error in the process of the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 and interruption of the game, and to suppress a decrease in interest.

In addition, in step S6071, if the remaining ceiling game number TB becomes negative, in addition to the process of leaving the remaining ceiling game number TB set to "FF" even if the game is executed, the process may be to keep it at "00" without setting it to "FF" in the first place. Also, although the remaining ceiling game number TB has been described as being subtracted each time a game is executed, it goes without saying that it may also be an addition method in which it is added each time a game is executed.

[10-3-4-4. Processing in advantageous state C]
In the advantageous state C, first, in step S6091, a process of consuming the ceiling game is carried out. Specifically, each time a game is executed, one is subtracted from the ceiling game number set as 32 games (TC←TC-1).

After one is subtracted from the ceiling game number in step S6091, it is then determined whether or not the game number counter GC, which indicates the number of games executed during the game number management process, is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value G (1500 games in this example) (step S6092). If the game number counter GC is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value G (YES in step S6092), the process proceeds to step S6094, where an ART first hit lottery is performed (step S6094). The ART first hit lottery performed in step S6094 is a lottery that determines whether or not to transition to advantageous state E. When the role selected in the internal lottery is either "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" or "normal maintenance lip", the probability of winning in the ART first hit lottery is as shown in FIG. 668. In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is neither "Special Maintenance Lip + Normal Maintenance Lip" nor "Normal Maintenance Lip," the probability of winning in the ART first hit lottery is set to 1 in 65,536.

The ART first hit lottery performed in step S6094 is performed in the same manner as the ART first hit lottery performed in step S6034. That is, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery performed in step S6094 is determined based on the difference K between a predetermined threshold value G and the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process), as shown in FIG. 668 (the column for when "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep" is won).

Specifically, when the combination selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is equal to or greater than the first specified number, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is 65536 out of 65536 (i.e. 100%). Also, when the combination selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is less than the first specified number, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is 4 out of 65536. The above first specified number can be set arbitrarily, but it is preferable that it is a value that allows a predetermined number of games (50 games in this embodiment) to be consumed without being terminated when the ART game is executed based on winning the ART first win lottery. In this embodiment, since the number of games of the ART game executed when the ART first winning lottery is won is 50 games (if the additional lottery is not won), the above-mentioned first specified number is preferably 50 games or more, but is not limited thereto. However, since the ART game does not start immediately even if the ART first winning lottery is won, it is preferable to set it to (50 games + α) games in consideration of the number of games in the preparation state. In this embodiment, 100 games are set as (50 games + α). Therefore, when the role selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is 100 games or more, the ART first winning lottery will be won with a 100% probability, and if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than 100 games, the ART first winning lottery will only be won with a probability of 4 out of 65536. This prevents a situation in which a player wins the ART first win lottery and plays an ART game, but the ART game is forcibly terminated midway, because the probability of winning in the ART first win lottery is relatively small when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is small. As a result, it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be felt by the player, and ultimately to prevent a decline in interest.

In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Lip + Normal Maintenance Lip", by lowering the ART first hit probability (4/65536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is less than the first specified number compared to the ART first hit probability (65536/65536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the first specified number, it is possible to realize a game play that has a higher ART first hit probability (65536/65536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the first specified number while maintaining the same payout rate, compared to when the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery is constant regardless of the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process.

In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is a normal maintenance replay, as shown in Figure 668 (the column for winning a normal maintenance replay), regardless of the number of games K remaining until the end of the game count management process, the probability of winning in the ART first win lottery is always 4 in 65,536.

In the above-described embodiment, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is determined to be one of two levels, high probability (65536 out of 65536) or low probability (4 out of 65536), based on whether the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the first specified number, but this is not limited to this. For example, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery may be set in multiple levels, and when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first win lottery may gradually decrease as the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process becomes smaller.

If the ART first hit lottery is won (YES in step S6095), the process proceeds to step S6096, where the ceiling game number is set to 0 (TC←0). After that, the premonition flag is set to OFF (step S6097), the advantageous state C flag is set to OFF (step S6098), the advantageous state E flag is set to ON (step S6099), the ART game number is set to 50 games (step S6100), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6101). After that, the process proceeds to step S6102, where RT state transition processing is performed.

The RT state transition process in step S6102 is a process for transitioning the RT state. Specifically, when "Raised replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery, the instruction function is activated in step S6101, and an instruction function display is made so that the reel stop buttons 211 are stopped in the order of "right-middle-left" (reverse pressing). When the player stops the reel stop buttons 211 in accordance with this instruction function display, the symbol combination corresponding to raised replay role 1 is displayed on the pay line, and the CPU 1110 controls the transition from RT1 to RT2. Then, on the condition that the transition control from RT1 to RT2 has been performed, the ART flag is set to ON (step S6103), the advantageous state C processing ends, and the process returns to the main routine. However, if "Raise Replay 1 + Normal Maintenance Replay" is not selected in the internal lottery, or if the instruction function display is performed but the player does not follow it, the ART flag is set to ON in step S6103, although the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is not performed in step S6102. Note that, until the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is performed, the instruction function display is performed when "Raise Replay 1 + Normal Maintenance Replay" is selected in the internal lottery. In other words, when "Raise Replay 1 + Normal Maintenance Replay" is selected in the internal lottery in RT1, if the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise Replay role 1 is displayed on the active line, control is performed to transition to RT2, but if the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise Replay role 1 is not displayed on the active line due to failure to follow the instruction function display, RT1 is maintained, but the ART flag is set to ON.

If the player does not win the ART first win lottery in step S6094 (NO in step S6095), the process proceeds to step S6104, where it is determined whether the ceiling game count is 0 (TC = 0). If the ceiling game count is not 0 (NO in step S6104), the processing of steps S6106 to S6109 described below is not performed. In other words, advantageous state C continues.

If the ART first win lottery is won (YES in step S6095), advantageous state C ends and the player moves to advantageous state E even if the ceiling number of games has not been played, whereas if the ART first win lottery is not won (NO in step S6095), advantageous state C continues until the ceiling number of games is played. However, although not shown in FIG. 659, even if the ART first win lottery is lost (NO in step S6095) and the ceiling number of games is not 0 (NO in step S6104), if a bonus role (BB1, BB2) is selected in the internal lottery, a bonus game will start when the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus role is displayed on the active line. During the execution of this bonus game, the ART first win lottery is held with a probability of 328 out of 65536, and if the ART first win lottery is won, the player moves to advantageous state E immediately after the bonus game ends. On the other hand, if the player does not win the ART first lottery during the bonus game, the ceiling game is set to 32 games (TC←32) and the advantageous state C processing is performed again.

When it is determined in step S6104 that the ceiling game count is 0 (TC=0) (YES in step S6104), the premonition flag is set to OFF (step S6106), the advantageous state C flag is set to OFF (step S6107), and the advantageous state D flag is set to ON (step S6108). Then, in step S6109, the number of games in the chance zone is set to 10 (CZ←10), the advantageous state C processing ends, and the process returns to the main routine.

Also, in step S6092, if it is determined that the game number counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold value G (NO in step S6032), the process proceeds to step S6112, where it is determined whether or not the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game management process (step S6112). Here, if it is determined that the instruction function display has been performed at least once (YES in step S6112), the instruction function flag is set to OFF (step S6113), the premonition flag is set to OFF (step S6114), the advantageous state C flag is set to OFF (step S6115), the hell state flag is set to ON (step S6116), and the game number management flag is set to OFF (step S6117). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S6118, where the game number counter GC is set to 0 (step S6118), the advantageous state C process ends, and the process returns to the main routine.

In advantageous state C, as in advantageous state A, the probability of occurrence is extremely low when considering the combined probability (26280/65536) of selecting one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" in the internal lottery and the predetermined threshold G (1500 games). However, it is possible that the game count counter GC exceeds the predetermined threshold G without the instruction function display being performed even once since the game count counter GC started counting (NO is determined in step S6092 and NO is determined in step S6112). In this case, the processing of steps S6113 to S6118 is not performed, the number of instructions is set to 1 (step S6119), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6120). As a result, even if the number of games executed during the game management process (game count counter GC) exceeds a predetermined threshold, the instruction function display is not performed and the game does not immediately transition to the hell state, but the advantageous state C continues until the instruction function display is performed once, making it possible to guarantee that the instruction function display is performed at least once during the game count management process.

In addition, even if the game number counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold value and the set ceiling game number TC (32 games in this example) is consumed, if the instruction function display has not been performed even once during the game number management process, the advantageous state C will continue without transitioning to the hell state, and as a result of the subtraction process performed in step S6091, the remaining ceiling game number TA may become negative. Therefore, if the ceiling game number TA, which was initially 32 games, becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, the ceiling game number TC is set to "FF", and when the ceiling game number TC is "FF", the process of step S6091 is not performed as long as the advantageous state C continues without transitioning to the hell state or another advantageous state, and YES is determined in step S6104. As a result, even if the advantageous state C continues after the ceiling game number TC becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, it is possible to avoid the game being interrupted due to an error in the process of the CPU 1110 of the main board 409, and to suppress a decrease in interest.

In addition, in step S6091, if the remaining ceiling game count TC becomes negative, in addition to the process of leaving the remaining ceiling game count TC set to "FF" even if the game is executed, the process may be to keep it at "00" without setting it to "FF" in the first place. Also, while the remaining ceiling game count TC has been described as being subtracted each time the game is executed, it goes without saying that it may also be an addition method in which it is added each time the game is executed.

[10-3-4-5. Processing in advantageous state D]
In the advantageous state D, first, in step S6131, a process of digesting the CZ game is carried out. Specifically, each time a game is executed, one is subtracted from the number of CZ games, which is set as 10 games (CZ←CZ-1).

When 1 is subtracted from the CZ game count in step S6131, it is then determined whether the game count counter GC, which indicates the number of games executed during the game count management process, is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value G (1,500 games in this example) (step S6132).

If the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value G (YES in step S6132), the process proceeds to step S6134, where the ART first hit lottery is performed (step S6134). The ART first hit lottery performed in step S6134 is a lottery that determines whether or not to transition to advantageous state E, and is set to a higher probability than any of advantageous states A to C. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 670, when a rare small role (watermelon role, cherry role) is selected in the internal lottery, the probability of winning is 65536 out of 65536 (100%), and when any of "push order bell 1" to "push order bell 6" is selected in the internal lottery, the ART first hit lottery in step S6134 is performed so that the probability of winning is 16384 out of 65536 (25%). In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is either "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" or "normal maintenance lip," the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery is as shown in FIG. 668. In addition, if a bonus role (BB1, BB2) is selected in the internal lottery during the CZ in advantageous state D and a bonus game is executed, it is determined that the state will transition to advantageous state E after the bonus game is executed and an ART game will be executed, unless the game number counter GC exceeds the threshold value G.

Here, the ART first hit lottery performed in step S6134 will be described in detail. When the role selected in the internal lottery is a rare minor role (watermelon role, cherry role), "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6", or a normal maintenance lip, the probability of winning in the ART first hit lottery performed in step S6134 is as described above (as shown in Figure 670 and Figure 668 (column for winning a normal maintenance lip)), regardless of the difference K between the predetermined threshold value G and the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process (the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process). In contrast, when the role selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep," the probability of winning in the ART first win lottery performed in step S6134 is determined based on the difference K between a predetermined threshold value G and the game count counter GC counted during the game count management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game count management process), as shown in Figure 668 (the column for when "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep" is won).

Specifically, when the hand selected by the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Lip + Normal Maintenance Lip", if the number of remaining games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the specified number, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is 65536 out of 65536 (i.e. 100%). Also, when the hand selected by the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Lip + Normal Maintenance Lip", if the number of remaining games K until the end of the game number management process is less than the specified number, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is 4 out of 65536. The above specified number can be set arbitrarily, but it is preferable that when the ART game is executed based on winning the ART first win lottery, a predetermined number of games (50 games in this embodiment) can be consumed without ending halfway. In this embodiment, since the number of games of the ART game executed when the ART first win lottery is won is 50 games (if the additional lottery is not won), the above specified number is preferably 50 games or more, but is not limited to this. However, since the ART game does not start immediately even if the ART first winning lottery is won, it is preferable to set it to (50 games + α) games in consideration of the number of games in the preparation state. In this embodiment, 100 games are set as the (50 games + α) games. Therefore, when the role selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is 100 games or more, the ART first winning lottery will be won with a 100% probability, and if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than 100 games, the ART first winning lottery will only be won with a probability of 4 out of 65536. As a result, if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is small, the winning probability in the ART first winning lottery becomes relatively small, so that it is possible to suppress a situation where the ART game is forcibly ended midway even though the ART first winning lottery was won and the ART game was executed. As a result, it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be felt by players, and ultimately prevent a decline in interest.

In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Lip + Normal Maintenance Lip", by lowering the ART first hit probability (4 out of 65,536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is less than a specified number compared to the ART first hit probability (65,536 out of 65,536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than a specified number, it is possible to realize a game play that has a higher ART first hit probability (65,536 out of 65,536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than a specified number while keeping the payout rate the same, compared to when the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery is constant regardless of the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process.

Also, as shown in Figure 668 (the column for winning a normal maintenance replay) when the role selected in the internal lottery is a normal maintenance replay, as mentioned above, regardless of the number of games K remaining until the end of the game count management process, the probability of winning in the ART first win lottery is always 4 in 65,536.

In the above-described embodiment, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is determined to be one of two levels, high probability (65536 out of 65536) or low probability (4 out of 65536), based on whether the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than a specified number, but this is not limited to this. For example, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery may be set in multiple levels, and when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first win lottery may gradually decrease as the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process becomes smaller.

If the ART first hit lottery is won (YES in step S6135), the process proceeds to step S6136, where the CZ game count is set to 0 (CZ←0). After that, the premonition flag is set to OFF (step S6137), the advantageous state D flag is set to OFF (step S6138), the advantageous state E flag is set to ON (step S6139), the ART game count is set to 50 games (step S6140), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6141). After that, the process proceeds to step S6142, where RT state transition processing is performed.

The RT state transition process in step S6142 is a process for transitioning the RT state. Specifically, when "Raise replay 1 + Normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery, the instruction function is activated in step S6141, so that the reel stop button 211 is operated to stop in the order of pressing "right-middle-left" (reverse pressing). When the player stops the reel stop button 211 according to this instruction function display, the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise replay role 1 is displayed on the pay line, and the CPU 1110 performs transition control from RT1 to RT2. Then, on the condition that the transition control from RT1 to RT2 has been performed, the ART flag is set to ON (step S6143), the advantageous state D processing is completed, and the process returns to the main routine. However, if "Raise replay 1 + Normal maintenance replay" is not selected in the internal lottery, or if the player does not follow the instruction function display despite the fact that it has been performed, the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is not performed in step S6142. When "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is not selected in the internal lottery, the ART flag is not set to ON in step S6143, but when the instruction function display is performed but the player does not follow it, the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is not performed in step S61042, but the ART flag is set to ON in step S6143. Note that, until the transition control from RT1 to RT2 is performed, the instruction function display is performed when "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery. In other words, when "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery in RT1, if the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise replay role 1 is displayed on the effective line, the control to transition to RT2 is performed, but if the symbol combination corresponding to the Raise replay role 1 is not displayed on the effective line due to not following the instruction function display, it is maintained in RT1, but the ART flag is set to ON. As mentioned above, it would also be preferable for the "1 increase lip + normal maintenance lip" to have a condition device that corresponds to six different push orders, like the push order bell.

If the player does not win the ART first win lottery in step S6134 (NO in step S6135), the process proceeds to step S6144, where it is determined whether the number of CZ games is 0 (CZ = 0). If the number of CZ games is not 0 (NO in step S6144), the processing of steps S6153 to S6160 described below is not performed. In other words, advantageous state D continues without transitioning to the hell state.

If the ART first win lottery is won (YES in step S6135), advantageous state D ends and the player moves to advantageous state E even if the number of CZ games has not been played, whereas if the ART first win lottery is not won (NO in step S6135), advantageous state D will continue until the number of CZ games has been played. However, although not shown in FIG. 660, even if the ART first win lottery is lost (NO in step S6135) and the number of CZ games is not 0 (NO in step S6144), if a bonus role (BB1, BB2) is selected in the internal lottery, a bonus game will start when the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus role is displayed on the active line. During the execution of this bonus game, an add-on lottery is performed with a probability of 328 out of 65536 to add the number of ART games, and if this add-on lottery is won, the player moves to advantageous state E immediately after the bonus game ends, and the ART game is executed including the added number of games. On the other hand, if the player does not win the additional lottery during the bonus game, the number of ART games is set to 50 (ART←50), and after the bonus game ends, the player immediately transitions to advantageous state E, where 50 ART games are played.

If it is determined in step S6144 that the number of CZ games is 0 (CZ = 0) (YES in step S6144), the process proceeds to step S6153, where it is determined whether or not the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game management process (step S6153).

If it is determined in step S6153 that the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game count management process (YES in step S6153), the instruction function flag is set to OFF (step S6154), the advantageous state D flag is set to OFF (step S6155), the hell state flag is set to ON (step S6156), and the game count management flag is set to OFF (step S6157). After that, the process proceeds to step S6158, where the game count counter GC is set to 0 (step S6158), the advantageous state D processing ends, and the process returns to the main routine.

In advantageous state D, as in advantageous states A and C, the probability of occurrence is extremely low when considering the combined probability (26280/65536) of selecting one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" in the internal lottery and the predetermined threshold G (1500 games). However, it is possible that the game count counter GC exceeds the predetermined threshold G without the instruction function display being performed even once since the game count counter GC started counting (NO is determined in step S6132 and NO is determined in step S6153). In this case, the processing of steps S6154 to S6158 is not performed, the number of instructions is set to 1 (step S6159), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6160). As a result, even if the number of games executed during the game management process (game count counter GC) exceeds a predetermined threshold, the instruction function display is not performed and the game does not immediately transition to the hell state, but the advantageous state D continues until the instruction function display is performed once, making it possible to guarantee that the instruction function display is performed at least once during the game count management process.

As described above, even after the set number of CZ games CZ (10 games in this example) has been consumed, if the instruction function display has not been performed even once during the game number management process, the advantageous state D will continue without transitioning to the hell state, and as a result of the subtraction process performed in step S6131, the remaining number of CZ games CZ may become negative. Therefore, if the initial value of the number of CZ games CZ, which was 10 games, becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, the remaining number of chance games CZ is set to "FF", and when the number of chance games CZ is "FF", the process of step S6131 is not performed as long as the advantageous state D continues without transitioning to the hell state or the advantageous state E, and YES is determined in step S6144. As a result, even if the chance game (CZ) continues after the number of chance games CZ becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, it is possible to avoid the game being interrupted due to an error in the process of the CPU 1110 of the main board 409, and to suppress a decrease in interest.

In step S6131, when the remaining number of chance games CZ becomes negative, the remaining number of chance games CZ may be left set to "FF" even if the game is executed, or may be kept at "00" without being set to "FF". In addition, the remaining number of chance games CZ has been described as being subtracted each time the game is executed, but it goes without saying that it may be added each time the game is executed.
[10-3-4-6. Processing in advantageous state E]
The advantageous state E is a process during the ART game. In this advantageous state E, first, in step S6171, the ART game is digested. Specifically, each time the game is executed, one is subtracted from the number of ART games previously set in step S6040, step S6067, step S6100, step S6140, or step S6197 (ART←ART-1).

When 1 is subtracted from the number of ART games in step S6171, it is then determined whether the game count counter GC, which indicates the number of games executed during the game count management process, is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value G (1,500 games in this example) (step S6172).

If the game count counter GC counted during the game count management process is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value G (YES in step S6172), the process proceeds to step S6173, where it is determined whether or not the specialized zone is in progress (step S6173).

If it is determined in step S6173 that the player is not in a specialized zone (YES in step S6173), the specialized zone lottery described above is performed using the specialized zone lottery table in FIG. 672 (step S6174). If the player wins the specialized zone lottery in step S6174 (YES in step S6175), the process proceeds to step S6176, where RT state transition processing is performed (step S6176).

The RT state transition process in step S6176 is a process for transitioning the RT state. Specifically, when "Raised replay 2 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery, the instruction function is activated, and an instruction function display is made so that the reel stop button 211 is stopped in the "right-left-middle" order (reverse pinch press). When the player stops the reel stop button 211 in accordance with this instruction function display, a symbol combination corresponding to the raised replay role 2 is displayed on the pay line, and the CPU 1110 controls the transition from RT2 to RT3. When the specialized zone lottery is won, the ART lottery state is transitioned from the ART low probability state or ART high probability state to the specialized zone preparation state. Then, when a symbol combination corresponding to the raised replay role 2 is displayed on the pay line, the state is transitioned from the specialized zone preparation state to the specialized zone state.

In step S6177, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to add the number of ART games. In the lottery to determine whether or not to add the number of ART games in step S6177, a lottery is first held to determine whether or not to add the number of ART games. If it is determined that the number of ART games will be added (YES in step S6178), the process proceeds to a lottery to determine the number of games to be added in step S6179, where a lottery is held to determine how many games to add. Then, in step S6180, the number of games N to be added determined in the lottery to determine the number of games to be added is added (ART←ART+N). As described above, the lottery to determine whether to add the number of games is held using Figures 663 and 669(a), and the lottery to determine the number of games to be added is held using Figures 664 to 667 and 669(b). Figure 663 is an example of a lottery table used in the lottery to determine the number of added games, Figure 664 is an example of a lottery table used in the lottery to determine the number of added games when in a low probability state during ART, Figure 665 is an example of a lottery table used in the lottery to determine the number of added games when in a high probability state during ART, Figure 666 is an example of a lottery table used in the lottery to determine the number of added games during a specialized zone, and Figure 667 is an example of a lottery table used in the lottery to determine the number of added games when preparing for a specialized zone.

When it is determined in step S6173 that the player is in the specialized zone (NO in step S6173), the process skips steps S6174, S6175, and S6176 and proceeds to step S6177. When it is determined in step S6175 that the player lost the specialized zone lottery in step S6174 (NO in step S6175), the process skips step S6176 and proceeds to step S6177.

In step S6181, a lottery for transition to the lottery state during ART is performed using the lottery state transition lottery table shown in FIG. 671. As described above, this lottery for transition to the lottery state during ART is a lottery for determining whether the lottery state during ART in the basic ART will be controlled to a low probability state during ART or a high probability state during ART. Then, based on the result of the lottery state transition lottery during ART in step S6181, a lottery state transition process during ART in step S6183 is performed.

In more detail, in the low probability state of ART, a transition lottery to the high probability state of ART is performed with a probability according to the condition device that has been activated in response to the result of the internal lottery, referring to "low to high" in FIG. 671 (step S6181), and if this transition lottery is won (YES in step S6182), transition control is performed to the high probability state of ART (step S6183). If the transition lottery in step S6181 is lost (NO in step S6182), step S6183 is skipped, the processing related to the generation of the instruction function is terminated, and the low probability state of ART is maintained. Also, in the high probability state of ART, a transition lottery to the low probability state of ART is performed with a probability according to the condition device that has been activated in response to the result of the internal lottery, referring to "high to low" in FIG. 671 (step S6181), and if this transition lottery is won (YES in step S6182), transition control is performed to the low probability state of ART (step S6183). If the transition lottery in step S6181 is lost (NO in step S6182), step S6183 is skipped, the process related to the generation of the instruction function is terminated, and the high probability state during ART is maintained. The lottery for transition to the lottery state during ART in step S6181 is performed using the lottery state transition lottery table during ART shown in FIG. 671. FIG. 671 is a lottery table used for the lottery state transition lottery during ART. Note that "low" shown in FIG. 671 means "low probability state during ART", and "high" shown in FIG. 671 means "high probability state during ART". The lottery for transition to the lottery state during ART is performed each time an internal lottery is performed (each time a game is executed) in both the high probability state during ART and the low probability state during ART.

If it is determined that the player has lost the lottery for determining the additional bonus in step S6177 (NO in step S6178), the process proceeds to step S6184, where a determination is made as to whether the ART game has been completed. In the determination as to whether the ART game has been completed in step S6184, it is determined whether all the ART games to be executed have been completed. If it is determined that all the ART games to be executed have been completed (YES in step S6184), the advantageous state E flag is set to OFF (step S6185), the pullback state flag is set to ON (step S6186), the instruction function flag is set to OFF (step S6187), the ART flag is set to OFF (step S6188), and the advantageous state E processing is completed and the process returns to the main routine. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S6184 that the ART game to be executed has not been completed (NO in step S6184), the process proceeds to step S6181, where the ART game continues.

Although not shown in FIG. 661, there is a step for determining the RT state when the final game of the ART game is completed (when YES is determined in step S6184). If the RT state determined here is RT1, the pull-back state A flag is set to ON in step S6186, and if it is RT2, the pull-back state B flag is set to ON. Pull-back states A and B will be described later.

In step S6172, if it is determined that the game count counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold (1500 games in this example), i.e., if it is determined that the number of games played by the player in the game count management process exceeds the predetermined threshold (NO in step S6172), the process proceeds to step S6190, where it is determined whether or not an instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game management process (step S6190). If it is determined that an instruction function display has been performed during the game management process (YES in step S6190), it is determined whether or not the ART flag is ON (step S6191).

When it is determined in step S6191 that the ART flag is ON (YES in step S6191), the ART flag is set to OFF (step S6192), the advantageous state E flag is set to OFF (step S6193), the instruction function flag is set to OFF (step S6194), the number of games management flag is set to OFF (step S6195), and the hell state flag is set to ON (step S6196). Then, the process proceeds to step S6197, the number of games counter GC is set to 0 (GC←0), the advantageous state E time processing ends, and the process returns to the main routine. That is, when the number of games counted during the number of games management processing reaches a predetermined threshold (when NO is determined in step S6172), even if the ART game is in the middle (even if the end condition of the ART game is not established (the specified number of games (50 games in this example) has not been consumed)), the ART game being executed is forcibly ended in the middle. If it is determined in step S6191 that the ART flag is OFF (NO in step S6191), step S6192 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S6193.

In the meantime, in advantageous state E, as in the cases of advantageous state A, advantageous state C, and advantageous state D, considering the composite probability (26280 out of 65536) that one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected in the internal lottery and the predetermined threshold G (1500 games), it is probabilistically very unlikely to occur. However, it is possible that the game count counter GC exceeds the predetermined threshold G without the instruction function display being performed even once since the game count counter GC started counting (NO is determined in step S6172 and NO is determined in step S6190). In this case, the processing of steps S6191 to S6197 is not performed, the number of instructions is set to 1 (step S6198), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6199). As a result, even if the number of games executed during the game management process (game count counter GC) exceeds a predetermined threshold, the instruction function display is not performed and the game does not immediately transition to the hell state, but the advantageous state E continues until the instruction function display is performed once, making it possible to guarantee that the instruction function display is performed at least once during the game count management process.

As described above, even after the number of ART games ART (50 games + α in this example) to be executed has all been consumed, if the instruction function display has not been performed even once during the game number management process, the advantageous state E will continue without transitioning to the hell state, and as a result of the subtraction process being performed in step S6171, the remaining number of ART games ART may become negative. Therefore, if the number of ART games ART, which was initially set to (50 games + α), becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, the number of ART games TA is set to "FF", and when the number of ART games TA is "FF", the process of step S6171 is not performed as long as the advantageous state E continues without transitioning to the hell state or the pullback state, and YES is determined in step S6184. As a result, even if the advantageous state E continues after the number of ART games ART becomes 0 as a result of the execution of the game, it is possible to avoid the process of the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 becoming an error and interrupting the game, and to suppress a decrease in interest.

In addition, in step S6171, if the remaining number of ART games ART becomes negative, the remaining number of ART games ART may be left set to "FF" even if the game is executed, or it may be kept at "00" without being set to "FF" in the first place. Also, although the remaining number of ART games ART has been described as being subtracted each time the game is executed, it goes without saying that it may also be added each time the game is executed.

Here, the lottery for determining the number of ART games to be added performed in step S6177 and the lottery for determining the number of games to be added in step S6179 will be described in detail. When the role selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", the probability of winning in the lottery for determining the number of ART games to be added performed in step S6177 is determined based on the difference K between a predetermined threshold value G and the game count counter GC counted during the game count management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game count management process), as shown in FIG. 669(a).

Specifically, when the hand selected by the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is equal to or greater than the second specified number, the winning probability in the lottery to determine whether the ART game number is to be added is 65536 out of 65536 (i.e., 100%). Also, when the hand selected by the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is less than the second specified number, the winning probability in the lottery to determine whether the ART game number is to be added is 4 out of 65536. The second specified number can be set arbitrarily, but it is preferable that the ART game be a value that can be consumed without ending midway, even if the ART game is added based on winning the lottery to determine whether the ART game number is to be added. In this embodiment, when the lottery to determine whether the ART game number is to be added is won, a maximum of 300 games are added, so that the second specified number is preferably 300 games or more, but is not limited thereto. Therefore, when the hand selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is 300 or more, there is a 100% probability of winning the lottery to determine whether or not to add the number of ART games, and if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than 300, there is only a 4 in 65,536 probability of winning the lottery to determine whether or not to add the number of ART games. As a result, if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is small, the probability of winning the lottery to determine whether or not to add the number of ART games is relatively small, so it is possible to prevent a situation in which the ART game is forcibly terminated midway even though the lottery to determine whether or not to add the number of ART games has been won and the ART game has been added. As a result, it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be given to the player, and ultimately to prevent a decline in interest.

In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", by lowering the winning probability (4/65536 in this example) in the lottery to determine whether to add to the number of ART games when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the second specified number than the winning probability (65536/65536 in this example) in the lottery to determine whether to add to the number of ART games when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the second specified number, it is possible to realize a game play that increases the winning probability (65536/65536 in this example) in the lottery to determine whether to add to the number of ART games when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the specified number while keeping the payout rate the same, compared to when the winning probability in the lottery to determine whether to add to the number of ART games is constant regardless of the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process.

Also, as shown in FIG. 669(b), when the ART game number addition lottery is won, the number of games added in the addition game number determination lottery in step S6179 differs between when the role selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" and the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the second specified number and when it is less than the second specified number. Specifically, when the role selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the number of games added is set to be greater than when the role selected in the internal lottery is not "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip". As a result, if the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is small, the number of ART games added in step S6179 when the lottery for determining whether or not to add an ART game will be won will be relatively small, so it is possible to reduce the disappointment that may be felt by the player even if the ART game is forcibly ended midway despite the player having won the lottery for determining whether or not to add an ART game and an ART game has been added.

In the above-described embodiment, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the lottery to determine the addition of the number of ART games is determined to be one of two levels, high probability (65536 out of 65536) or low probability (4 out of 65536), based on whether the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the second specified number, but this is not limited to this. For example, the winning probability in the lottery to determine the addition of the number of ART games may be set in multiple levels, and when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the lottery to determine the addition of the number of ART games may gradually decrease as the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process becomes smaller. In the above, we have explained how to change the winning probability in the lottery to determine the number of ART games to be added when the role selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep." However, without changing the winning probability (65,536 out of 65,536), it is also possible to refer to the table used in the lottery to determine the number of added games when the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K shown in FIG. 669(b) is less than the second specified number. In other words, it is also possible to change the number of games to be added in the lottery to determine the number of added games without changing the winning probability in the lottery to determine the number of ART games to be added.

[10-3-4-7. Processing during pullback state]
The pullback state is a state that is controlled after the end of advantageous state E when all the ART games to be executed have been consumed and the game number counter GC has not exceeded a predetermined threshold value G (when YES is determined in step S6184), and in this example, pullback state A and pullback state B are prepared. The winning probability of the ART first winning lottery is set higher than advantageous states A to C and advantageous state E in both pullback states A and B, and is set lower than advantageous state D, but may be set higher than advantageous state D.

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the RT state does not transition from RT2 to RT1 in principle during the ART game, but if any one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected in the internal lottery and the appropriate stop operation order of the reel stop button 211 is clearly indicated by the instruction function display, but the reel stop button 211 is not operated according to this instruction function display, and 0 bells are displayed on the activated line, the state transitions from RT2 to RT1 under the control of the CPU 1110 of the main board 409. In this example, as described above, if the RT state when the final game of the ART game is completed (when YES is determined in step S6184) is RT1, it is controlled to the pullback state A, and if the RT state when the final game of the ART game is completed is RT2, it is controlled to the pullback state B. The pull-back state is determined according to the RT state at the end of the final game of the ART game, so even if the RT state is RT2 at the start of the final game of the ART game, if a 0-bell drop appears on an active line in the final game of the ART game, the RT state will transition from RT2 to RT1, and the game will be controlled to pull-back state A.

The following describes the process during the pullback state. In the pullback state, first, an ART first hit lottery is held according to the pullback state each time the game is executed (step S6201). The winning probability in this ART first hit lottery is as shown in the ART first hit lottery table in FIG. 668 when the role selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", and is as shown in the ART first hit lottery table in FIG. 673 when the role selected in the internal lottery is a role other than "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip". When the role selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", as shown in FIG. 668, the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery is the same in pullback state A and pullback state B. In contrast, when the combination selected by the internal lottery is a combination other than "Special Maintenance Lip + Normal Maintenance Lip," as can be seen by referring to FIG. 673, when comparing Pullback State A and Pullback State B, Pullback State B is more advantageous to the player than Pullback State A in that it is easier to win the ART first hit lottery.

Here, we will explain in detail the ART first hit lottery performed in step S6201 when the role selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip". When the role selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery performed in step S6201 is determined based on the difference K between a predetermined threshold value G and the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process), as shown in Figure 668 (the column for when "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip" is won).

Specifically, when the hand selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of remaining games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the first specified number, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is 65536 out of 65536 (i.e. 100%). Also, when the hand selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of remaining games K until the end of the game number management process is less than the first specified number, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is 4 out of 65536. The above first specified number can be set arbitrarily, but it is preferable that when an ART game is executed based on winning the ART first win lottery, a predetermined number of games (50 games in this embodiment) can be consumed without ending halfway. In this embodiment, since the number of games of the ART game executed when the ART first win lottery is won is 50 games (if the additional lottery is not won), the above first specified number is preferably 50 games or more. However, since the ART game does not start immediately even if the ART first winning lottery is won, it is preferable to set it to (50 games + α) games in consideration of the number of games in the preparation state. In this embodiment, 100 games are set as the (50 games + α) games. Therefore, when the role selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is 100 games or more, the ART first winning lottery will be won with a 100% probability, and if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than 100 games, the ART first winning lottery will only be won with a probability of 4 out of 65536. As a result, if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is small, the winning probability in the ART first winning lottery becomes relatively small, so that it is possible to suppress a situation where the ART game is forcibly ended midway even though the ART first winning lottery was won and the ART game was executed. As a result, it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be felt by players, and ultimately prevent a decline in interest.

In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Lip + Normal Maintenance Lip", by lowering the ART first hit probability (4/65536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is less than the first specified number compared to the ART first hit probability (65536/65536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the first specified number, it is possible to realize a game play that has a higher ART first hit probability (65536/65536 in this example) when the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the first specified number while maintaining the same payout rate, compared to when the winning probability in the ART first hit lottery is constant regardless of the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process.

In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is a normal maintenance replay, as shown in FIG. 668, regardless of the number of games K remaining until the end of the game count management process, the probability of winning the ART first hit lottery is always 4 in 65,536.

In the above-described embodiment, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first win lottery is determined to be one of two levels, high probability (65536 out of 65536) or low probability (4 out of 65536), based on whether the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the first specified number, but this is not limited to this. For example, the winning probability in the ART first win lottery may be set to multiple levels, and when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the ART first win lottery may gradually decrease as the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process becomes smaller.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, after the end of the advantageous state E, as long as the game number management flag is ON (as long as the game number counter GC does not exceed a predetermined threshold), the winning probability in the ART first winning lottery is controlled to a pull-back state in which the winning probability in the ART first winning lottery is relatively higher than in normal times (for example, advantageous state A, advantageous state C, or hell state), but this is not limited to this, and only when the difference K between the predetermined threshold G and the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process (the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K) is, for example, a third specified number or more, after the end of the advantageous state E, the pull-back state may be controlled. Even in this case, if the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K is less than, for example, a third specified number, the pull-back state is not controlled, so that it is possible to prevent a situation in which the ART game is forcibly ended midway even though the ART first winning lottery was won and the ART game was executed. As a result, it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be given to the player, and thus to prevent a decline in interest. Furthermore, after the end of the advantageous state E, if the difference K between the predetermined threshold value G and the game count counter GC counted during the game count management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game count management process) is less than, for example, a third specified number, the game count management process may be ended and a transition to the hell state may be made, or the game count management process may be continued but the probability of winning in the ART first win lottery may be set to approximately the same probability as during normal times described above (for example, 1 in 65,536).

If the ART first win lottery in step S6201 is won (YES in step S6202), it is determined whether the game count counter GC, which indicates the number of games played during the game count management process, is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value G (1,500 games in this example) (step S6205).

When it is determined that the game count counter GC is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value G (YES in step S6205), the advantageous state E flag is set to ON (step S6206), the ART game count is set to 50 games (step S6207), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6208). After that, the process proceeds to step S6209, where RT state transition processing is performed.

The RT state transition process of step S6209 is a process for transitioning the RT state, but this process is performed when in pull-back state A, and is not performed when in pull-back state B. This is because the RT state transition process of step S6209 is a process for transitioning the RT state from RT1 to RT2 as a preparation process for executing the ART game, and is not performed in pull-back state B where the RT state is RT2, but is performed so that the RT state transitions to RT2 in pull-back state A where the RT state is RT1. Then, the ART flag is set to ON (step S6210).

If the game number counter GC reaches a predetermined threshold value G in step S6205 (if it is judged as NO in step S6205), the process proceeds to step S6211, where it is judged whether the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game management process (step S6211). If it is judged that the instruction function display has been performed during the game management process (YES in step S6211), the pull-back state flag is set to OFF (step S6212). Specifically, if the current pull-back state is pull-back state A, the pull-back state A flag is set to OFF, and if the current pull-back state is pull-back state B, the pull-back state B flag is set to OFF. After that, if the instruction function flag is ON (YES in step S6213), the instruction function flag is set to OFF (step S6214), and the game number management flag is set to OFF (step S6215). If it is determined in step S6213 that the instruction function flag is OFF (if it is determined NO in step S6213), step S6214 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S6215, where the game count management flag is set to OFF (step S6215). After that, the hell state flag is set to ON (step S6216), and the game count counter GC is set to 0 (step S6217), and the process in the pullback state is terminated and the process returns to the main routine.

In the pullback state, as in the cases of advantageous state A, advantageous state C, advantageous state D, and advantageous state E, the probability of any one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" being selected in the internal lottery (26280/65536) and the predetermined threshold G (1500 games) is extremely low, but it may be determined that the game count counter GC exceeds the predetermined threshold G without the instruction function display being performed even once since the game count counter GC started counting (NO is determined in step S6205 and NO is determined in step S6211). In this case, the processing of steps S6212 to S6217 is not performed, the number of instructions is set to 1 (step S6218), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6219). As a result, even if the number of games played during the game management process (game count counter GC) exceeds a predetermined threshold, the instruction function display is not performed and the game does not immediately transition to the hell state, but the pullback state continues until the instruction function display is performed once, making it possible to guarantee that the instruction function display is performed at least once during the game count management process.

When the game number counter GC exceeds a predetermined threshold value (1500 games in this example) (NO in step S6205), it is normally determined that the instruction function flag is OFF in step S6213 (NO in step S6213). However, in extremely rare cases, as described above, it may be determined that the result is NO in step S6211 and the instruction function flag is set to ON in step S6219. In this case, it is determined that the instruction function flag is ON in step S6213 (YES in step S6213).

In addition, if the game number counter GC reaches a predetermined threshold value G in step S6205 (if the result is determined as NO in step S6205), the state will be transitioned to the Hell state regardless of the result of the ART first win lottery. In more detail, if the game number counter GC reaches a predetermined threshold value G in step S6205, even if the ART first win lottery in step S6202 was won, the ART game will not be executed, the pullback state will end, a transition to the Hell state will occur, and the game number counter will end counting (game number management process will end).

When it is determined that the ART first win lottery in step S6201 has not been won (NO in step S6202), a lottery for maintaining the retracted state is held (step S6203). The mode of this lottery is determined based on the difference K between a predetermined threshold G and the game count counter GC counted during the game count management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game count management process).

To explain the maintenance lottery in step S6203 in detail, when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the third specified number, in the case of the pull-back state A, the maintenance lottery is performed so that there is a 49/50 probability of winning (i.e., a 1/50 probability of losing), and in the case of the pull-back state B, the maintenance lottery is performed so that there is a 19/20 probability of winning (i.e., a 1/20 probability of losing). Therefore, when comparing the pull-back state A and the pull-back state B, although the pull-back state B is more likely to win the ART first hit lottery, this pull-back state B is less likely to be maintained than the pull-back state A. On the other hand, when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the third specified number, a maintenance lottery common to the pull-back state A and the pull-back state B is performed. In other words, regardless of whether it is the pull-back state A or the pull-back state B, the maintenance lottery is performed so that there is a 7/50 probability of winning (a 43/50 probability of losing). In this way, when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the third specified number, the pull-back state A is more likely to be maintained in the pull-back state than the pull-back state B, but when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the third specified number, there is a relatively high probability that the pull-back state will be transitioned to the hell state from the pull-back state regardless of whether it is the pull-back state A or the pull-back state B. This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which the ART game is forcibly terminated midway even though the ART first winning lottery was won and the ART game was executed, because the probability of winning in the maintenance lottery is relatively small when the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is small. As a result, it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be given to the player, and ultimately to prevent a decline in interest.

In addition, when the role selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance replay + normal maintenance replay," the winning probability in the maintenance lottery when the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the third specified number (7 out of 50 in this example) is lower than the winning probability in the maintenance lottery when the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the third specified number (49 out of 50 in this example when in pull-back state A, and 19 out of 20 when in pull-back state B), which makes it possible to realize a game with a higher winning probability in the maintenance lottery when the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the third specified number while maintaining the same payout rate, compared to when the winning probability in the maintenance lottery is constant regardless of the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process.

The third specified number can be set arbitrarily, but considering that there is a relatively high probability of winning the ART first hit lottery if the maintenance lottery is won and the pullback state is maintained, it is preferable that the value be such that a predetermined number of games (50 games in this embodiment) can be played without ending midway when the ART game is executed. In this embodiment, the number of games of the ART game executed when the ART first hit lottery is won is 50 games (if the additional lottery is not won), so it is preferable that the third specified number is 50 games or more, but is not limited to this.

In the above-described embodiment, when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the maintenance lottery is determined to be one of two levels, high probability (49/50 in the case of pull-back state A, 19/20 in the case of pull-back state B) or low probability (7/50), based on whether the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than a third specified number, but is not limited to this. For example, the winning probability in the maintenance lottery may be set in multiple levels, and when the combination selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the winning probability in the maintenance lottery may be gradually decreased as the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process becomes smaller.

If the player loses the retention lottery in step S6203 (if the result of step S6204 is NO), the process proceeds to step S6211, where it is determined whether or not the instruction function display has been performed at least once during the game management process (step S6211). If it is determined that the instruction function display has been performed during the game management process (YES in step S6211), the above-mentioned steps S6212 to S6217 are processed (i.e., it is determined that the game will be transitioned to the hell state), the process during the pullback state is terminated, and the process returns to the main routine. On the other hand, if it is determined that the instruction function display has not been performed during the game management process (NO in step S6211), the processes of steps S6212 to S6217 are not performed, the number of instructions is set to one (step S6218), and the instruction function flag is set to ON (step S6219).

In this way, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when the state is shifted from the hell state to the advantageous state, the game number management process is started. During the game number management process (i.e., during the advantageous state or the pullback state), unless a specific condition is met (for example, unless there is a bonus game execution history (execution history during the game number management process)), the instruction function display is guaranteed to be performed once (see Figures 657 to 662). The instruction function display here refers to an instruction display that is performed so that the reel stop button 211 is operated in the stop operation mode with the largest payout number when a role in which the payout number of game media differs depending on the stop operation mode (for example, the push order or push position) of the reel stop button 211 is selected by internal lottery. In this example, when "push order bell 1" to "push order bell 6" are selected by internal lottery, the instruction display corresponds to an instruction display that is performed so that the reel stop button 211 is stopped in the push order corresponding to the 8 coins with the largest payout number. Therefore, when a role other than the role that has a different payout amount of game media depending on the stop operation mode of the reel stop button 211 is selected by internal lottery, even if the selected role is indicated (not the stop operation mode is indicated, but the role selected by internal lottery is indicated (navigation is given)), the indication does not correspond to the indication function display here. In this case, even if an indication is given that a role with a payout amount greater than the highest payout amount (eight coins in the case of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" in this example) has been selected as the target role of the indication function display (a role with a different payout amount of game media depending on the stop operation mode of the reel stop button 211) selected by internal lottery, the indication does not correspond to the indication function display here. Also, even if a role with a different payout amount of game media depending on the stop operation mode of the reel stop button 211 is selected by internal lottery and the stop operation mode is indicated, the indication function display here is performed even if the player disobeys the indication and does not perform the stop operation in the mode that will give the highest payout amount. Furthermore, when a replay role in which the subsequent RT state differs depending on the stop operation mode of the reel stop button 211 (such as "1 up replay + 1 normal maintain replay" in this example) or a replay role in which the symbol combination corresponding to the replay role will not be displayed unless the replay role is operated in the correct stop operation mode is selected by internal lottery, even if an instruction for the stop operation mode is given, that instruction does not correspond to the instruction function display as defined here.

According to the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, during the ART game (including during the specialized zone and during preparation for the specialized zone), as long as the reel stop button 211 is operated according to the instruction function display, the game will not be shifted from RT2 or RT3 to RT1. However, if the reel stop button 211 is operated without following the instruction function display, the game may shift from RT2 or RT3 to RT1. In other words, the game is such that the player is given the right to choose whether the state after the end of the advantageous state E is to be controlled to the pull-back state A or the pull-back state B. Therefore, the player can choose whether the game will be played in the pull-back state A, in which it is difficult to win the ART first winning lottery but the pull-back state is easily maintained, or the pull-back state B, in which it is easy to win the ART first winning lottery but the pull-back state is not easily maintained, after the end of the advantageous state E. This makes it possible to suppress the decline in interest in the ART game, which tends to become monotonous as a simple game. Furthermore, even if the reel stop button 211 is operated without following the instruction function display and the game transitions from RT2 or RT3 to RT1, after the ART game ends, the game is controlled to a pull-back state A in which the pull-back state is likely to be maintained, making it possible to prevent a decline in interest.

In particular, as long as the reel stop button 211 is operated according to the instruction function display during the ART game (including during the specialized zone and during preparation for the specialized zone), the player is controlled to the pull-back state A, so a player who selects the pull-back state B will be selecting a high-risk, high-return game compared to the pull-back state A, in which the player is more likely to be transferred to the hell state but more likely to win the ART first win lottery. In this way, according to the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the player can select, at his or her discretion, whether the state after the end of the advantageous state E will be a relatively low-risk, low-return state or a relatively high-risk, high-return game.

However, if a player tries to select the relatively high-risk, high-return pullback state B, he or she must take the risk of being transferred from RT2 or RT3, which have a relatively high replay synthesis probability, to RT1, which has a relatively low replay synthesis probability. If there are many games remaining in the ART game, there is a high possibility that one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" will be selected by the internal lottery before the ART game ends, but there is a risk that the number of medals paid out to the player as a prize during the ART game will be reduced (in some cases, the number of medals consumed to execute the game will be greater than the number of medals paid out as a prize). On the other hand, if there are few games remaining in the ART game, it is possible to obtain more medals as a prize paid out to the player during the ART game, but there is a risk that one of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" will not be selected by the internal lottery before the ART game ends. In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the pull-back state is determined according to the RT state at the end of the final game of the ART game, so it is preferable to transition to RT1 in the final game of the ART game. However, the internal lottery in the final game of the ART game does not necessarily select any of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6". Therefore, for players who want to select the pull-back state B, it is preferable to hold out until the very last game of the ART game is close to being completed so as not to transition to RT1, but it is also possible to transition to RT1 at an earlier point in time, so it is fun to think about when to transition to RT1.

In addition, some players may not desire the relatively high-risk, high-return pull-back state B, but may mistakenly operate the reel stop button 211 without following the instruction function display during the ART game (including during the specialized zone and during specialized zone preparation). However, this can actually add tension to the game during the ART game (including during the specialized zone and during specialized zone preparation). Moreover, even if the player does not desire the pull-back state B, the game is played under conditions where the probability of winning the ART first lottery is relatively high, so the player does not feel a sense of loss.

In this way, according to the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when the ART game transitions from RT2 or RT3 to RT1 during the ART game (including during the specialized zone and during preparation for the specialized zone), even if the ART game continues to be played without stopping the progress while the lottery for determining the number of additional games is being held, the game is controlled to the pullback state B, in which the probability of winning the ART first hit is relatively high, so that a decrease in interest can be suppressed.

As described above, in step S602, when one game is executed during the game number management process, the game number counter GC is incremented by one as the number of games executed during the game number management process. In the slot machine 1 of this example, a predetermined threshold is set to 1500 games, and when this threshold is exceeded, the game number management flag is forcibly set to OFF, so that in principle the game number counter GC does not exceed 1500. However, since the game number management process continues until the instruction function display is performed at least once during the game number management process, it is possible that the game number counter GC will exceed 1500 games, although the probability is extremely low. In particular, in the slot machine 1 of this example, the game number counter GC is processed in 8 bits, so it can only count up to 65536 games. However, it cannot be said that the game number counter GC will not exceed 65536 games in terms of probability. Therefore, in this example, when the game number counter GC reaches the threshold value of 15000 games in step S602, the game number counter GC is set to FF. When the game number counter GC is FF, the results are determined to be NO in steps S6032, S6072, S6092, S6031, and S6172. This makes it possible to prevent the game from being interrupted due to an error in the processing of the CPU 1110 of the main board 409, even if the state in which the instruction function display is not executed continues during the game number management processing, and makes it possible to suppress a decrease in interest.

[10-3-5. Production process when winning]
In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, a performance activation lottery is performed based on the result of an internal lottery, and a performance that can give a player a sense of expectation is executed based on the result of this performance activation lottery. Specifically, the result information of the internal lottery is transmitted as a command from the main board 409 to a peripheral board (e.g., the sub-board 510), and the sub-board 510 that receives this command performs a performance activation lottery based on the result information of the internal lottery, controls so that the performance mode determined by this performance activation lottery is displayed on the image display body 500, etc., and also performs an audio performance.

Fig. 674 is a lottery table for selecting effects when the internal lottery is won in RT1, Fig. 675 is a lottery table for selecting effects when the internal lottery is won in RT2, and Fig. 676 is a lottery table for selecting effects when the internal lottery is won in RT3. As can be seen by referring to Figs. 674 to 676, the internal lottery is configured so that effects can be executed when any of a number of roles such as BB1, "BB1 + watermelon", "BB1 + cherry", BB2, "BB2 + watermelon", "BB2 + cherry", watermelon, cherry, "push order bell 1" to "push order bell 6", common bell, maintenance replay, "up replay 1 + normal maintenance replay", "up replay 2 + normal maintenance replay", "down replay + normal maintenance replay", "7-match replay + normal maintenance replay" and "7-match fake replay + normal maintenance replay" is won in the internal lottery. Of these multiple roles, for roles other than maintenance replay and "Raised replay 1 + normal maintenance replay", the probability of the effect activating when won by the internal lottery is the same regardless of whether the RT state is RT1 to RT3. On the other hand, for maintenance replay and "Raised replay 1 + normal maintenance replay", the probability of the effect activating when won by the internal lottery differs depending on whether the RT state is RT1 to RT3.

Note that the winning role columns in Figures 674 to 676 only list roles that can be won in each of the states RT1 to RT3 (see Figures 645 to 650). The tables used in the effect activation lottery are not necessarily limited to those in which effect tables corresponding to each of RT1 to RT3 are prepared as shown in Figures 674 to 676. For example, a common table may be prepared for data with the same effect activation probability, and tables corresponding to RT1 to RT3 may be prepared only for data with different effect activation probabilities. Figure 677 is another example of a effect activation lottery table. To explain using FIG. 677, for example, among the winning roles shown in the winning role columns of FIG. 645 to FIG. 650, for the winning roles excluding "maintenance replay", "up replay 1 + normal maintenance replay", "up replay 2 + normal maintenance replay", "down replay + normal maintenance replay", "7-match replay + normal maintenance replay", and "7-match fake replay + normal maintenance replay", a common effect activation lottery table may be prepared as shown in FIG. 677(a), and for the winning roles shown in the winning role columns of FIG. 645 to FIG. 650, for "maintenance replay", "up replay 1 + normal maintenance replay", "up replay 2 + normal maintenance replay", "down replay + normal maintenance replay", "7-match replay + normal maintenance replay", and "7-match fake replay + normal maintenance replay", a table may be prepared in which the effect activation probability is set according to RT1 to RT3, respectively, as shown in FIG. 677(b) to FIG. 677(d). For example, as shown in Figures 674 to 676, if effect tables corresponding to RT1 to RT3 are prepared, the number of lottery tables required is equal to "the number of RT states x the number of winning roles (condition devices)", which results in a huge data capacity, and a problem arises in that a long verification period is required, which leads to an extension of the development period.In contrast, in a state where a bonus is not established and there are multiple RT states (RT1 to RT3) with different replay synthesis probabilities, the effect activation probability changes when a winning role (up replay 1, up replay 2, down replay) that may transition between these multiple RT states is won, but the effect activation probability does not change when a winning role (cherry, watermelon, etc.) that is not a winning role that transitions between multiple RT states is won. By not changing the probability of effect activation when a rare small win is won, the effect of reducing data capacity is achieved. In other words, for winning roles (replay roles) whose winning probability changes depending on the RT state, if the effect activation probability is not changed depending on the winning probability, an abnormal effect will occur in which replays occur frequently and cannot be expected even if the effect is activated, but for winning roles (bonus roles (BB1, BB2) and small roles (bell, watermelon, cherry)) whose winning probability does not change depending on the RT state, there is no need to prepare multiple lottery tables, so data capacity can be reduced. This is a particularly noticeable effect when control must be performed by the main 409, as there are capacity limitations.

Specifically, when the RT state is RT1, if a maintenance replay or "Raised Replay 1 + Normal Maintenance Replay" is selected in the internal lottery, the effect is performed with approximately a 1/2 probability. The normal game state before the ART game starts (the game state before the ART first hit lottery is won and the symbol combination corresponding to Raised Replay 1 is displayed on the active line) is also RT1, so in such a game state, the effect is performed with approximately a 1/2 probability. On the other hand, when the RT state is RT2 or RT3, the effect is performed only with an extremely low probability compared to RT1. Hereinafter, RT1 will be referred to as a low replay state in which the replay synthesis probability is relatively low, and RT2 and RT3 will be referred to as a high replay state in which the replay synthesis probability is relatively high.

When comparing the low replay state and the high replay state, although the replay synthesis probability is higher in the high replay state, the high replay state is a state in which the performance is more difficult to perform than in the low replay state. When the performance is performed, the player hopes that he/she has won a rare small role (watermelon, cherry) that can be expected to be a bonus (BB1, BB2) or an ART first hit. However, if the performance is frequently performed in the high replay state, not only is there a risk that the player will not have such expectations when the performance is performed, but there is also a risk that the performance itself will become annoying. Therefore, in this example, by making the performance more difficult to perform in the high replay state than in the low replay state, it is possible to give the player a suitable sense of expectation when the performance is performed. In addition, such a game characteristic can also be said to be a game characteristic in which the player is given the choice of whether the RT state after the ART game ends is controlled to the high replay state or the low replay state. Therefore, the player can select whether the RT state after the ART game is to be played in RT1, which is difficult to win a specific role (in this example, replay) but has a high performance activation probability, or RT2 or RT3, which is easy to win a specific role (in this example, replay) but has a low performance activation probability. Even if considered in this way, it is possible to suppress the decline in interest in ART games, which tend to become monotonous as a simple game. Also, for players who want to select RT1, which can perform performance frequently, as the RT state after the ART game is to be played, it is preferable to hold out until the very end of the ART game, so that the RT state does not shift to RT1, but it is also possible to shift to RT1 at an early point, so that the player can enjoy the time when the RT state is to be shifted to RT1. Thus, according to the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when the ART game transitions from RT2 or RT3 to RT1 during the ART game, even if the ART game or the like is continued without stopping while the lottery for determining the number of additional games is being held, the RT state after the ART game ends will have a high frequency of highly anticipated effects, so it is possible to prevent a decline in interest.

In addition, in each of Figures 663 to 677, special roles (special watermelon role, special cherry role, special maintenance replay role) and normal roles (normal watermelon role, normal cherry role, normal maintenance replay role) are not distinguished from each other as shown in Figures 645 to 650. This is because when a special role is selected in an internal lottery, it only functions as a special role when the state is Hell, and when the game count management flag is set to ON, even if a special role is selected in an internal lottery, it does not function as a special role. In other words, when the game count management flag is set to ON and a lottery is performed using any of the tables in Figures 663 to 677, the lottery is performed without distinguishing between special roles and normal roles. For example, referring to the table in FIG. 670 used in the ART first win lottery that is performed during the game number management process and not during an ART game, regardless of whether a special watermelon or a regular watermelon (see FIGS. 645 to 650 for both) is selected as a single role in the internal lottery, the ART first win lottery is performed with reference to the watermelon as a single role shown in the table in FIG. 670.

As described above, by carrying out the processing of each step shown in FIG. 655, processing related to the generation of an instruction function by the main board 409 (step S61 in FIG. 654) is carried out, and based on the results of this processing, processing from step S62 onwards of the processing related to the generation of an instruction function shown in FIG. 654 is carried out.

[10-3-6. Instruction function display processing]
In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when the main board 409 determines to generate the instruction function as a result of the instruction function generation process (specifically, for example, when a push order minor role is won during an ART game), the main board 409 displays the instruction content based on the winning role of the game as an instruction function display on the special display LED 612 (instruction function display process). In the instruction function display process, the main board 409 selects the display mode of the instruction function display to be displayed on the special display LED 612 from a plurality of display modes (for example, display data stored in the ROM 1112, etc.) prepared in advance. The instruction function display displayed using the special display LED 612 will be described in detail below.

First, an example of the instruction function display in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 643, the slot machine 1 is equipped with two 7-segment LEDs (special display LEDs 612a, 612b) arranged side by side, and performs instruction function display by displaying two-digit letters or numbers using these special display LEDs 612a, 612b.

Figures 678 and 679 are diagrams for explaining the instruction function display. Figure 678 shows the display mode of the special display LED 612a, and Figure 679 shows the display mode of the special display LED 612b. In both Figures 678 and 679, the "Segment Display" column shows the alphanumeric characters displayed on the 7-segment LED, and the "Content" column shows the content that the displayed alphanumeric characters mean. Furthermore, in Figure 679, the "Navigation Display" column shows an overview of the display of the performance display (navigation display) on the image display body 500 etc. when the corresponding instruction function display is performed, and the "Usage" column shows the scene or situation in which the display is used. The navigation display controlled by the sub-board 510 will be described later.

In this example of the indication function display, the following rules are set as an example of the rules regarding the indication function display.

(1) Two 7-segment LEDs (7-seg) are used to display instruction functions (special display LEDs 612a and 612b). The special display LED 612a displays information indicating the approximate location to press, and the special display LED 612b displays information indicating the order in which to press.

(2) During the period when the instruction function display is performed, the instruction function display is started at least by the time when the reel stop button 211a to 211c start to be pressed (reel stop operation) and the display on the special display LED 612 is switched from the instruction function display to the payout number display at the timing when the player releases the reel stop button 211 on which the reel stop operation corresponding to the last reel 301 being rotated has been performed. In other words, the instruction function display period and the payout number display period do not overlap. Note that if the game result is that no gaming value (medals) is paid out, that is, if the payout number is "0", the payout number display does not need to be performed. As a supplementary requirement, when the instruction function display is performed and the payout number display is not performed, the instruction function display is released (not displayed) at the same timing as when the payout number display is performed, but as another example, the instruction function display may be continued until the payout process is completed.

(3) In a game in which the instruction function display is being performed by the special display LED 612, when any of the reels 301a to 301c being rotated is stopped for the first time, even if the stopped reel is not the reel indicated by the instruction function display (special display LED 612b) as the reel that should be stopped for the first time (i.e., a reel different from the instruction content is stopped for the first time), or if the timing of pressing the reel stop button 211 does not correspond to the position indicated by the instruction function display (special display LED 612a) as the guide for where to press (i.e., the reel is stopped at a position different from the instruction content), the display mode of the special display LED 612 will not change until the stopping operation for all reels 301 is completed.

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when it is decided to activate the instruction function, the main board 409 decides what instruction content to display on the special display LEDs 612a and 612b as the instruction function display based on the winning combination in the game. First, the instruction content that the main board 409 can decide will be briefly explained using Figures 678 and 679.

The main board 409 can arbitrarily determine the instruction content for the "guideline for where to press" displayed on the special display LED 612a, as long as it does not negate the "appropriate place to press" based on the winning combination of the game. Specifically, for example, when "BB1 (match of red 7 symbols)" is selected as the winning combination, the main board 409 may determine the instruction content to display "2" (red 7 symbol) on the special display LED 612a, but may also determine the instruction content to display "0" (no designation) since it does not negate a playing method that aims for the "red 7 symbol."

In addition, the main board 409 can arbitrarily determine the instruction contents of the "push order" displayed on the special display LED 612b, as well as the instruction contents of the "guideline for where to push", within the scope of not denying the "proper push order" based on the winning role of the game. For example, assume that the instruction function is generated in a game in which "push order bell 1", in which pushing in order is the "proper push order", is selected as the winning role. At this time, the main board 409 can determine the instruction contents of the "push order" to be "left, center, right" (6-choice push order), and according to the display example of FIG. 679 (details will be described later), "1" is displayed on the special display LED 612b. In addition, as an instruction content that does not reveal the second and third stops and only reveals the "left" of the first stop, the instruction content may be "left first (2 options)", and at this time, according to the display example of FIG. 679 (details will be described later), "A" is displayed on the special display LED 612b. In addition, from the condition of a scope that does not deny the "proper push order", the instruction contents of the push order only need to include the game procedure according to the "proper push order". In other words, the instruction content that may cause the left reel 301a to stop first may be "left first or right first" (segment display "E" in FIG. 679) or "left first or center first" (segment display "F" in FIG. 679), or may even be an instruction content that leaves the push order unknown (segment display "0" in FIG. 679).

Next, the display examples shown in Fig. 678 and Fig. 679 will be specifically explained. First, referring to Fig. 678, four numbers, "0 (no designation)", "1 (chance symbol)", "2 (red 7 symbol)", and "3 (BAR symbol)", are displayed and set as a guide for the place to press. When "0" is displayed as a guide for the place to press, it means that the guide for the order of pressing is not designated, that is, the operation with a specific stop timing is not instructed in the game. Even in such a case, when the reel stop button 211 is pressed (unspecified stop operation) without considering the stop timing, it is not necessarily the case that a symbol combination based on some winning role will be aligned on the effective line. In other words, when it is desired to reliably stop a symbol combination based on a winning role in a game in which "no designation" is selected, it is required to perform a stop operation at a predetermined stop timing that can prevent missing a winning role, as in the above-mentioned maximum efficiency hitting method. Specifically, for example, if "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" are won during ART, the special display LED 612a will display "0", but as long as the push order bells are stopped in the correct order, the bell symbol combination can be completed regardless of the stop timing (without missing). On the other hand, for example, if the winning symbol is a symbol that may be missed depending on the stop timing (such as a watermelon symbol), and the special display LED 612a displays "0", pressing the reel stop button 211 without considering the stop timing may cause the watermelon symbol to be missed, and in order to ensure that the watermelon symbol is won, it is necessary to press the reel stop button 211 at the appropriate timing when the symbols that make up the symbol combination of the watermelon symbol are within the retractable range.

The symbol used as a guide for where to press is preferably one that is relatively easy for the player to see while the reel 301 is spinning, but even if the player performs a stopping operation aimed at the guide symbol at the appropriate timing, it is not necessarily necessary for the symbol to stop on an active line.

In addition, the corresponding symbols corresponding to each of "1" to "3" shown in FIG. 678 may be changed arbitrarily. For example, the "chance symbol" targeted by "1" may be a "right" symbol or a "right" symbol, or may be applied to other symbols. In addition, the target symbol for "2" may be a "blue 7" symbol instead of a red 7 symbol. Note that the segment display shown in FIG. 678 is only an example, and the pattern of the segment display may be increased or decreased within the range that can be displayed by the special display LED 612a. For example, a segment display may be added for a symbol other than the one shown in FIG. 678 (e.g., a watermelon symbol). In addition, the symbol set as a guide for the pressing location is not limited to one, and for example, a segment display may be set such that "either a red 7 symbol or a blue 7 symbol" is a guide for the pressing location. Also, as is common to Figures 678 and 679, the correspondence between "content" and "segment display" does not have to be one-to-one, and multiple "segment displays" showing the same "content" may be prepared.

Next, referring to FIG. 679, 16 different display patterns are set for display, and the alphanumeric characters "0" through "9" and "A" through "F" are assigned as the display content of the segment display. The meaning of each display pattern is explained in detail below. Note that when displayed on a 7-segment display, the capital letters "B" and "D" may be indistinguishable from the numbers "8" and "0", respectively, so in FIG. 679 they are displayed as lowercase "b" and "d".

The display "0" on the special display LED 612b is used when the push order is not limited (push order does not matter). However, as described in the "Usage" column, it is not only used when the push order does not matter, but can also be used when the push order is not specified when the winning role can be won by selecting a winning role. The push order does not matter winning roles include push order bells and replays, as well as low winning roles (rare roles) such as chance eyes, watermelons, and cherries. Therefore, when the instruction function display is performed when a rare role is won, the display on the special display LED 612b becomes "0", but at this time, the navigation display may display an expectation such as "Chance!" or the type of rare role. By displaying such a display, it is possible to suggest or instruct the player that the game is a game with a high expectation that is different from normal. In the latter case where the push order is not specified when the winning role can be won by selecting a winning role, the appropriate push order is not specified, so the navigation display example becomes "? ? ? ?".

The "1" to "6" displayed on the special display LED 612b are used when the stop order of each of the three reels 301a to 301c is determined as the correct push order, and can display a so-called six-choice push order. When the six-choice push order is displayed in the instruction function display, the navigation display indicates at least the first reel that should be stopped and the second reel that should be stopped. The third reel that should be stopped will be obvious by a process of elimination, but may be indicated explicitly.

The "7" to "9" displays on the special display LED 612b are used when determining which of the three reels 301a to 301c should be stopped first as the correct push order, and can display three different push orders. When the instruction function display shows three different push orders, the navigation display shows which reel should be stopped first.

When the special display LED 612b displays a push order such as "1" to "9" as above, if the player performs a stop operation according to both the display on the special display LED 612a and the display on the special display LED 612b, the push order bell will win as the stop type that will pay out the most coins, providing the player with a favorable game result. As mentioned above, in order to obtain the stop type that will pay out the most coins, it is necessary to perform the stop operation at the appropriate time in the case of a winning combination that may result in a miss.

In addition, the "providing a game result advantageous to the player" mentioned in the previous paragraph includes "suppressing the provision of a game result disadvantageous to the player." A specific example will be given below. For example, a push order replay is prepared in which different symbol combinations stop depending on the push order, and when the push order replay is won, if a stop operation is performed using a "specific push order," a blue 7 pattern alignment may stop. This blue 7 pattern alignment is used as one of the effects to instruct the addition, for example, when the push order replay is won during ART and it is internally determined that the number of ART games will be added. When such a push order replay is won, displaying a "specific push order" as an instruction function when the number of ART games is added leads to the provision of a "game result advantageous to the player." On the other hand, if the push order replay is won but the number of ART games is not added, if the "specific push order" is displayed as an instruction function, even if the blue 7 pattern is stopped by the stop operation according to the instruction, the "game result advantageous to the player" of the ART game number is not provided, and a "game result disadvantageous to the player" is provided. In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, in order to prevent such a "game result disadvantageous to the player", if the number of ART games is not added when the push order replay is won, a push order that avoids the "specific push order" can be displayed as an instruction function. By playing according to such an instruction function display, the blue 7 pattern that does not add the number of ART games will not appear, so that "the provision of a game result disadvantageous to the player can be prevented", and as a result, "a game result advantageous to the player will be provided".

On the other hand, the displays "A" to "F" on the special display LED 612b are different from the case where "1" to "9" are displayed, and are used to display "part" of the push order that may lead to a favorable game result for the player. For example, the display "A" only indicates that the left reel 301a should be stopped first, and does not indicate whether the middle reel 301b or the right reel 301c should be stopped second, so the player must select the reel to be stopped second (one of two options). Also, for example, the display "d" only indicates that the left reel 301a should not be stopped first, and does not indicate whether the middle reel 301b or the right reel 301c should be stopped first. And even if the correct push order (for example, middle reel 301b) is selected at the first stop, the player must again choose which of the two remaining spinning reels 301 (in this case, left reel 301a or right reel 301c) to stop at the second stop, resulting in one of four choices. However, if the correct push order is satisfied by the selection at the first stop alone, then one of two choices can be made.

In this way, when the special display LED 612b displays a push order such as "A" to "F" as above, the player will not necessarily press the buttons in the correct order even if they perform the stop operation according to the display. However, if the player is ultimately able to select the correct push order, the push order bell will be the winning stop pattern with the highest payout number, providing the player with a favorable game result.

The above describes examples of the displays on the special display LEDs 612a and 612b, but in reality, the combined two-digit value is displayed on the special display LED 612 to indicate the instructions for the game.

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the instruction function display of the first example is performed, and the instruction function display is performed in a display mode that makes it easy to understand the instruction content, so the player can perform the appropriate reel stopping operation while looking at the special display LEDs 612a, 612b, and can expect a more favorable gaming result than if the instruction function display is not performed. Also, by making it easier for the player to pay attention to the display device that displays this kind of instruction function, it is possible to create a playability that was not available in conventional gaming machines.

In addition, the display examples shown in Figures 678 and 679 do not necessarily require all of the symbols and push orders to serve as a guide for where to push, and the symbols and push orders are grouped as appropriate. By adopting such display examples, it is expected that the amount of data required by the main board 409 to display the instruction functions can be reduced.

[10-3-7. Instruction Generation Production Processing]
In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the main board 409 performs an instruction function display on the special display LED 612 based on the result of the instruction function generation process, while notifying a peripheral board (e.g., the sub-board 510) of the instruction content by sending information similar to the display content (instruction content) in the instruction function display as an instruction information command. Then, the sub-board 510, which has received such an instruction information command, displays an instruction generation effect (so-called navigation display) according to the display content of the instruction function display on the image display body 500, etc. (instruction generation effect process).

In other words, when the slot machine 1 of this embodiment generates an instruction function, it displays the instruction function on the special display LED 612, while displaying a navigation display with the same content as the instruction content of the instruction function on the image display 500, thereby notifying the player of the instruction content in a manner that is easier for the player to recognize.

Also, as described above in the explanation of step S31 in FIG. 651, the display mode of the navigation display controlled by the sub-substrate 510 does not need to have a one-to-one relationship with the display mode of the instruction function display controlled by the main substrate 409, and the sub-substrate 501 may determine the display mode to be displayed as the navigation display from among a plurality of display modes as long as the display content does not contradict the instruction content of the instruction function display (one-to-n correspondence).

As an example of the display of the navigation display, for example, when "Push Order Bell 2" is selected in the internal lottery, the stop order of the left, right, and center reels is indicated by displaying "1" in the corresponding position of the left reel 301a, "3" in the corresponding position of the center reel 301b, and "2" in the corresponding position of the right reel 301c. Furthermore, based on the content of the instruction information command that the push order bell has been won, this navigation display may change the display color of the image indicating the stop order to yellow, which is reminiscent of a bell, or may highlight the reel that should be stopped next (for example, when all reels 301 are spinning, this is the reel that should be stopped first, and when two reels are spinning, this is the reel that should be stopped second) more than the images indicating the other stop orders.

In addition, in the navigation display in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the instruction contents displayed on the image display body 500 may be notified (or assisted) by audio output. Specifically, when the reel to be stopped first is the left reel 301a, an example may be output of a sound such as "Left!" at the timing before the first stop of the reel. When audio output is performed, different audio outputs (e.g., different characters, lines, intonations, etc.) can be used based on the type of winning role (bell role, replay role, rare role, etc.) and the lottery state (non-ART high probability state, non-ART low probability state, etc.). By performing navigation display including audio output in this way, it is possible to more reliably notify the player of the instruction contents and to provide a navigation display that changes according to the game situation, which is expected to increase the interest of the player.

In this way, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the instruction function display and the navigation display can be displayed in parallel, so that the instructions given by the instruction function can be more reliably conveyed to the player.

Figure 680 is a timing chart showing an example of the display period for various displays, etc. In Figure 680, the vertical axis lists various displays, etc., and the horizontal axis shows the display period, such as the timing at which display or transmission occurs during the progress of one game shown.

First, we will explain each item listed on the vertical axis of FIG. 680. Instruction information 801 corresponds to an instruction information command, and when instruction information 801 is ON, it means "send", and an instruction information command is sent from main board 409 to sub-board 510. When instruction information 801 is OFF, it means "standby", and no instruction information command is sent from main board 409 to sub-board 510.

The instruction function 802 corresponds to an instruction function controlled by the main board 409, and when the instruction function 802 is ON, it means "display", and the instruction function is displayed by the special display LED 612. When the instruction function 802 is OFF, it means "non-display", and the instruction function is not displayed by the special display LED 612.

The payout number 803 corresponds to the number of gaming values paid out as a result of playing, and when the payout number 803 is ON, it means "display", and the number of payouts is displayed by the special display LED 612. When the payout number 803 is OFF, it means "not display", and the number of payouts is not displayed by the special display LED 612. Information regarding the number of payouts is stored in the RAM 1114 of the main board 409, and depending on the storage location in the RAM 1114 and the program processing, it can be made to be re-displayed even after a power outage, etc.

Segment error 804 corresponds to the display of details of an error (e.g. type and content) on a segment LED when an error is detected, and when segment error 804 is ON, it means "display", and the details of the error are notified on special display LED 612 (error display). When segment error 804 is OFF, it means "not display", and no error is displayed on special display LED 612.

The LCD navigation 805 corresponds to the navigation display of the instruction function controlled by the sub-substrate 510, and when the LCD navigation 805 is ON, it means "display", and the navigation display is performed on the LCD screen of the image display body 500. When the LCD navigation 805 is OFF, it means "no display", and the navigation display is not performed on the LCD screen of the image display body 500. Note that the LCD navigation 805 displays navigation with contents that do not contradict the display contents of the instruction function 802. Note that, although detailed explanations are omitted, data related to the display by the sub-substrate 510, such as the display of the LCD navigation 805, is stored in the RAM 1122 of the sub-substrate 510, and the data can be read back as appropriate even if a power outage occurs.

LCD error 806 corresponds to the display of details of an error (e.g. type and content) on an LCD display when an error is detected, and when LCD error 806 is ON, it means "display", and details of the error are notified on the LCD screen of image display 500. When LCD error 806 is OFF, it means "not display", and details of the error are not notified on the LCD screen of image display 500. Note that LCD error 806 notifies an error with content that does not contradict the notification in segment error 804.

Error Occurrence 807 indicates the occurrence of an error, but in this diagram it can be interpreted as the main board 409 detecting the error in question. When Error Occurrence 807 is ON, it means that an error has occurred (an error has been detected) at the time it turns ON, and when Error Occurrence 807 is OFF, it means that no error has occurred (an error has not been detected). Note that when Error Occurrence 807 turns ON and then OFF, it means that the error has been resolved at the time it turns OFF.

The display and transmission of instruction information 801 through segment error 804 is managed by the main board 409, and the display of LCD navigation 805 and LCD error 806 is managed by the sub-board 510.

In addition, in FIG. 680 and other drawings, the "first stop button" refers to the reel stop button 211 that was pressed first among the reel stop buttons 211a-211c that correspond to the spinning reels 301a-301c. Similarly, the "second stop button" refers to the reel stop button 211 that was pressed second to stop the reel 301, and the "third stop button" refers to the reel stop button 211 that was pressed third (i.e. last) to stop the reel 301.

Next, the display period (including the transmission period, etc.) of each display device shown in FIG. 680 will be described. The timing chart in FIG. 680 is shown in a situation where a game is played without any errors occurring during the AT in which the instruction function is executed, and no payout occurs in that game.

In FIG. 680, according to the instruction information 801, the instruction information command is sent when the start lever 210 is pressed. Also, according to the instruction function 802, the instruction function display in the special display LED 612 is displayed from the timing when the reel stop button 211 can be pressed until the stop operation for all reels 301 is completed (the third stop button is pressed). Also, according to the liquid crystal navigation 805, the navigation display starts to be displayed when the reel 301 starts to rotate, and the display ends at the same timing as the instruction function display. Note that in the example of FIG. 680, the navigation display starts before the instruction function display starts, but since the navigation display is displayed based on the contents of the instruction information command, and the contents of the instruction information command are the same as the instruction contents in the instruction function display, the navigation display is displayed with contents that are the same as the instruction function display. However, the display order is not necessarily limited to this.

In addition, in the timing chart of FIG. 680, the timing of "start accepting pressing the stop button" and the timing of the instruction function 802 turning ON appear to be the same, but strictly speaking, the special display LED 612 does not start displaying the instruction function after the start of accepting pressing the reel stop button 211. In other words, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the "display" of the instruction function 802 is performed before the timing of "start accepting pressing the stop button", and even in the program processing by the CPU 1118 of the main board 409, the instruction function display is executed before the timing of starting to accept pressing the stop button. Such timing of "start accepting pressing the stop button" and "display of the instruction function" is also the same in the timing charts shown in other examples.

In addition, in FIG. 680, the start timing of the instruction function display on the special display LED 612 is the timing when pressing the reel stop button 211 becomes acceptable, and the start timing of the navigation display on the image display body 500 is the timing when the reel 301 starts to rotate, but these are just examples of display timing. In other words, in the slot machine 1, the above displays (instruction function display and display navigation) may be started at any timing during the period from when the start lever 210 is pressed until pressing the reel stop button 211 becomes acceptable.

[10-4. Reel stop processing]
When the start process is completed, the system waits for an operation to stop the reels that continue to rotate at a constant speed (stop operation, i.e., pressing the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c). Fig. 680 shows the contents of the reel stop process by the "table method" as an example. The process flow of the reel stop control will be described below.

In the reel stop process, first in step S201, a reel stop control table is selected according to the condition device that was activated in response to the result of the internal lottery for that game. This reel stop control table has patterns prepared in advance that correspond one-to-one to all condition devices, and these are stored in ROM 1112 of the main board 409 as read-only table data.

When the reel stop control table is selected based on the condition device established in step S201, a standby state is entered until the pressing operation of each reel stop button 211a, 211b, 211c is accepted (steps S202, S210, S217). In this standby state, it is determined whether each of the left reel 301a, center reel 301b, and right reel 301c has already stopped or whether the first reel stop flag is not ON (F=0, i.e., OFF), and it is also determined whether any of the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c has been pressed. Until the pressing operation of all reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c is accepted, the determination of step S209 is not satisfied, and the processing from step S202 onwards is repeated.

As mentioned above, the order in which the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c are pressed (stop operation procedure) can be divided into six ways: "forward push", "sandwich push", "middle forward push", "middle reverse push", "reverse sandwich push", and "reverse push". However, in the following explanation of FIG. 680, for the sake of convenience, these push orders are classified into three ways, focusing on the reel stop button 211 that was pressed first. In other words, when the first stopped reel is the left reel 301a, it is called "forward push", when it is the middle reel 301b, it is called "middle push", and when it is the right reel 301c, it is called "reverse push".

In step S202, it is determined whether the flag (left reel stop flag LF) indicating that the left reel 301a has come to a stopped state is OFF (LF=0) and whether a press of the left reel stop button 211a has been accepted. In step S201, if the left reel stop button 211a is pressed first (as the first button) in accordance with the "sequential press" stop operation procedure from a standby state for pressing the reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, and 211c, the determination in step S202 is satisfied and the process proceeds to step S203.

In step S203, it is determined whether the first reel stop flag is OFF (F=0). Here, "first reel" refers to the reel for which the stop operation is accepted first, or the reel that stops first. In this example ("push in order"), the stop operation for the left reel 301a is accepted first, so the first reel stop flag is OFF (F=0). Therefore, the determination in step S203 is satisfied, and the process moves to the next step S204.

In the next step S204, a first reel stop process is performed on the left reel 301a. In this first reel stop process, the stop position of the winning symbol corresponding to the internal lottery flag is controlled based on the reel stop control table corresponding to the operating condition device.

In step S206, the reel stop control table for the remaining middle reel 301b and right reel 301c is determined. As mentioned above, since the slot machine 1 has only two pay lines, an upward-right line and a downward-right line, at this point, the remaining reels (middle reel 301b, right reel 301c) can have only one stop control table. In other words, if the pattern (called a stop eye, the same applies below) in the pattern display window 401 of the first stop reel (left reel 301a in this case) in the upper or lower position is a pattern that may be a winning combination pattern, a reel stop control table that can align the winning combination pattern of the remaining reels (middle reel 301b, right reel 301c) on the pay line based on that pattern is selected.

In step S207, the first reel stop flag is set to ON (F=1), and the process proceeds to the next step S208.

Next, in step S208, the left reel stop flag LF is set to ON (LF = 1), and the process proceeds to step S209.

Then, in step S209, it is determined whether all reels 301a, 301b, and 301c have stopped. In this example, only the left reel stop flag LF has been turned ON, and the center reel 301b and right reel 301c are still spinning, so this determination is not satisfied, and the process returns to step S202 and repeats the subsequent processes.

Then, when the processing from step S202 onwards is executed again, the left reel 301a is already stopped, so the determination of step S202 is not satisfied, and the process moves to step S210.

In step S210, it is determined whether the flag (middle reel stop flag MF) indicating that the middle reel 301b has stopped is OFF (MF=0) and whether the pressing of the middle reel stop button 211b has been accepted. In this case, since the stopping operation procedure is in accordance with "sequential pressing", the pressing of the middle reel stop button 211b is accepted. Therefore, the determination in step S210 is satisfied, and the process proceeds to the next step S211.

In step S211, similar to step S203 above, it is determined whether the first reel stop flag is OFF (F=0). Since the first reel stop flag is already ON (F=1) at this point, this determination is not satisfied and the process moves to step S213.

In step S213, the center reel stop process controls the stop position of the winning symbol based on the reel control table corresponding to the operating condition device (in this case, the reel stop control table determined in step S206 above). At this time, the center reel 301b becomes the second reel to stop (the second reel), and steps S212, S214, and S215 are all bypassed, proceeding to step S216, where the center reel stop flag MF is set to ON (MF=1), and proceeding to step S209.

Then, in step S209 again, since only the left reel 301a and center reel 301b have stopped, and the right reel 301c is still spinning and has not yet stopped (the right reel stop flag RF is OFF), this determination is not met, and the process returns to step S202, and the subsequent processes are executed again.

Furthermore, in the third processing of step S202 and after, first, in step S217, it is determined whether the right reel stop flag MF is OFF (MF=0) and whether the pressing of the right reel stop button 211c has been accepted. However, the processing of the subsequent steps S218, S220, etc. is the same as the processing of step S210 and after (steps S211, S213) described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

Then, in step S223, the right reel stop flag RF is set to ON (MF = 1) and the process proceeds to step S209.

Finally, in step S209, since all reels 301a, 301b, and 301c are stopped at this point, this determination is satisfied and the reel stopping process ends.

The procedure for stopping by pressing the center button can be explained in a similar manner to the above, so details will be omitted. However, there are some differences in the procedure for stopping by pressing the reverse button, which will be explained below.

The "reverse push" stopping operation procedure differs from the "forward push" or "middle push" stopping operation procedures described above in step S221 (determining the remaining reel stop control table after the first reel stop process). That is, in the "reverse push" stopping operation procedure, only the right reel 301c is stopped, and if there is a winning symbol in the lower row of the right reel 301c's stopped symbols, it is still possible to line up the winning symbol on either of the two active lines. Therefore, at the step S221 stage, multiple reel stop control tables that can line up the winning symbol on either active line should be prepared, and one of them should be selected.

[10-4-1. Reel stop control]
In the above reel stop process, a reel stop control is performed to pull in the winning symbol (the winning symbol) corresponding to the establishment flag into the symbol display window 401 as much as possible (so-called pull-in control). Specifically, when the reel stop operation by the player is accepted, a range in which the winning symbol can be stopped in the symbol display window 401 (a range in which the winning symbol can be pulled in, for example, four symbols) is determined in advance, and if the winning symbol is within that range, the control is executed to pull it into the symbol display window 401 and stop the reel. Note that the "range in which the winning symbol can be pulled in" here refers to the maximum number of symbols that can be moved in the reel rotation direction from when the reel stop operation is accepted until the reel stops. For example, if the range in which the winning symbol can be pulled in is a maximum of four symbols, when the reel stop operation is accepted, the reel can be rotated up to four symbols from that position as a base point.

Therefore, with this reel stop control, even if the winning symbol is not in the symbol display window 401 at the time the reel stop operation is accepted, if the winning symbol is within the retractable range, it is possible to move the winning symbol into the symbol display window 401 and stop it. Also, by performing this retraction control, even if the player presses the winning symbol a little early, if the winning symbol is within the retractable range, the winning symbol can be retracted into the symbol display window 401 and stopped. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of missed opportunities (when the winning symbol is not aligned and the game bonus corresponding to the winning symbol is not acquired, and the game bonus is lost).

In slot machine 1, when a condition device corresponding to a replay role or a common bell that can be pressed in any order is activated, the player can always line up the corresponding winning symbol without having to press the button by eye. This is because the winning symbols that make up the symbol combinations corresponding to the replay role, bell role, etc. are arranged at a maximum of four symbols apart (see FIG. 642 above). In reel pull-in control, when the maximum number of symbols to be pulled in is four (four frames), symbols arranged at a maximum of four symbols apart as described above can always be pulled into a winning line regardless of the timing (position) of the push.

Specifically, for example, if replay symbols are aligned in the middle row when a specific replay role is won, focusing on the replay symbols, a maximum of four other symbols are arranged between the replay symbols on the left reel 301a (see FIG. 642). As a result, no matter where on the left reel 301a the stop operation is accepted, as long as the condition device corresponding to the replay role is activated, the replay symbols can always be pulled into and stopped on one of the active lines.

In addition, if the result of the internal lottery is a combination of a bonus symbol and a small symbol, the small symbol is drawn in priority over the bonus symbol. If a combination of a bonus symbol and a small symbol is won, even if a symbol combination corresponding to the small symbol is displayed in the game in which the bonus symbol is won, the bonus symbol is maintained in the next game onwards, and the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus symbol is displayed in games in which the small symbol (or replay symbol) is not won in the next game onwards.

The above is an example of reel stop processing using the table method. There is also a reel stop processing using the control method, but since publicly known processing can be applied to this as well, a detailed explanation will be omitted here. Also, in this embodiment, either the control method or the table method of reel stop processing may be executed, and which method to adopt can be appropriately determined when constructing the control program.

[10-5. Judgment process]
When the reel stopping process is completed, the main board 409 judges whether or not a winning combination of symbols is aligned on any of the pay lines in the symbol display window 401 (whether or not a combination of symbols corresponding to any of the winning combinations is displayed). In FIG. 682, the contents of this judgment process will be specifically explained.

When all reels 301a, 301b, and 301c are stopped by the reel stopping process, it is determined whether a winning symbol is aligned on any of the pay lines (whether a combination of symbols corresponding to a winning symbol is displayed) based on the pattern of the symbols stopped in the symbol display window 401. Note that the symbols stopped when all reels 301 are stopped are called the stop result.

First, in step S301, it is determined whether a bonus game is in progress. This is to determine whether a predetermined game state flag (e.g., a bonus game in progress flag) is ON or OFF. If the bonus game in progress flag is ON, the condition of step S301 is satisfied, and the process moves to step S302. On the other hand, if the bonus game in progress flag is OFF, the condition of step S301 is not satisfied, and the process moves to step S312.

In step S302, it is determined whether the symbol combination stopped on the pay line is a bonus symbol (symbol combination corresponding to a bonus role). To explain the determination of the symbol combination with a specific example, if the bonus is BB1 shown in Fig. 645 to Fig. 650, etc., the symbol combination corresponding to BB1 is a symbol arrangement of "red 7" on the pay line, and when such a symbol arrangement stops on any diagonal line, it can be determined that the two-kind BB symbol (bonus symbol) has stopped. In this way, if it is determined that the symbol combination of the bonus symbol has stopped on the pay line (YES in step S302), a bonus game start process for starting the bonus game is performed (step S303), and then the process ends. The bonus game start process will be described later with reference to Fig. 683. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S302 that the symbol combination stopped on the pay line is not a bonus symbol (NO in step S302), the process proceeds to step S304.

In step S304, it is determined whether the symbol combination that has stopped on the pay line is a replay symbol (a symbol combination corresponding to a replay role), and if it is determined that it is a replay symbol, a replay game process is executed (step S305). In this replay game process, a MAX bet command is temporarily stored in RAM 1114 to start the next game with the same number of bets as in the current game (MAX bet in this example). Based on this command, the next game can be started as a replay. After the process of step S305, the replay win flag is turned OFF (step S306), and the process ends.

If it is determined in step S304 that the symbol combination stopped on the pay line is not a replay symbol (NO in step S304), the next determination process is to determine whether or not the symbol combination is a small-prize symbol (a symbol combination indicating a small-prize winning) (step S308). If it is determined in step S308 that the symbol combination is a small-prize symbol, the process in step S309 is to pay out a specified number of medals according to the matching small-prize symbols (the specified number of medals is paid out from the medal payout device 110). Then, the number of medals paid out is displayed (displayed on the payout number display LED 612). This notifies (notifies, displays) the player that the specified number of medals corresponding to the small prize have been paid out. Then, after the process in step S309 is completed, the corresponding small-prize winning flag is turned OFF (step S310), and the process is terminated.

If it is determined in step S308 that the symbol combination stopped on the winning line is not a minor winning symbol (NO in step S308), none of the determinations in steps S302, S304, and S308 above are satisfied, and no winning symbols are aligned on the winning line. The result at this time is also called a "losing symbol (a combination of random symbols)." In such a case, a loss process is executed (step S311). In the loss process, if the winning flag that is ON at this time is a winning flag other than a bonus, the winning flag is turned OFF. Also, if none of the winning flags are ON (the losing flag is ON in this case), the losing flag is turned OFF. After the loss process in step S311, the determination process ends.

The above steps S302 to S311 are executed when the game is controlled to the general state or the bonus internal state. Next, we will explain the process from step S312 onwards, which is executed when the determination in step S301 is not satisfied. The process here is executed during a bonus game (BB game) controlled to the bonus state.

In step S312, it is determined whether the bonus game payout symbols are aligned on the active line. The "bonus game payout symbols" here refer to a general term for symbol combinations that are aligned during a bonus game to pay out medals, and specifically, symbol combinations that correspond to bonus game payout roles (in this example, the same as the minor roles for which payout is specified in the general state or internal state, but a special bonus-only role may be prepared). If a positive determination is obtained in step S312, a payout process of a specified number of medals corresponding to the aligned bonus game payout symbols is executed (step S313). In the medal payout process, the medal payout device 110 pays out a specified number of medals, and the number of medals paid out is displayed on the payout number display LED 612. This medal payout process notifies (notifies, displays) the player that the specified number of medals corresponding to the bonus game payout role has been paid out.

Following step S313, in step S314, a bonus game end determination process is executed to determine whether or not to end the bonus game (details will be described later with reference to FIG. 684), and then the determination process ends.

If it is determined in step S312 that the bonus game payout symbol has not stopped (NO in step S312), the corresponding win flag is turned OFF (step S315) and the process ends. Possible patterns for NO in step S312 include a case where a bonus game payout role is won but not won, and a case where a bonus game payout role is not won. In the process of step S315, in the former case, the bonus game payout role win flag is turned OFF, and in the latter case, the loss flag is turned OFF. Note that in cases where a bonus-only role that is always won during a bonus game is prepared, and further, when the bonus-only role is won, it is possible to win the role without losing any prizes, the process of step S315 may be omitted.

The above steps S301 to S315 are the game status determination process performed by the main board 409 (particularly the CPU 1110), after which ART game determination process is performed in step S320.

As described above, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an instruction function, and therefore, for each play, it is necessary to perform a determination process (ART game determination process) regarding the continuation, end, and game number management of the ART game. The ART game determination process corresponds to a performance process that affects the generation of instructions, and is therefore executed by the main board 409.

The timing at which the ART game determination process is performed may be any suitable timing among the determination processes shown in FIG. 682, but here, as an example, the ART game determination process of step S320 is performed after each of the processes of steps S306, S310, S311, S314, and S315. Details of the ART game determination process will be described later with reference to FIG. 685.

[10-5-1. Bonus game start process]
If the condition in step S302 in FIG. 682 is satisfied, a bonus game start process is executed. This bonus game start process will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in step S401, it is determined whether a bonus flag (e.g., BB flag) is ON. If the determination in step S401 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S404. In step S404, the bonus game flag is turned ON and the bonus flag is turned OFF. Next, in step S406, the cumulative payout count during the bonus game is cleared. This causes the cumulative payout count to be calculated from the next game onwards. Then, from the next game onwards, the bonus game is started with a bet number equal to the prescribed number for the bonus game (in this example, the prescribed number for the BB game is 2).

If the condition in step S401 is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S402, where error processing is executed. This occurs when the bonus symbols line up even though the bonus flag is OFF. In other words, this can occur when some kind of illegal means (e.g. cheating) has been performed, or when a malfunction has occurred in the slot machine 1. Therefore, in error processing, the error lamp 604 is lit, or other LEDs, etc., mentioned above, are used to display an error.

[10-5-2. Bonus Game End Determination Process]
Next, the bonus game end determination process in step S314 in FIG. 682 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in step S451, in response to the payout of medals in step S313 of FIG. 682 described above, the number of medals paid out in that game is added to the cumulative number of medals paid out during the bonus game.

Next, in step S452, it is determined whether the cumulative payout number exceeds the total payout number (e.g., 200) specified for each bonus. If the determination in step S452 is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S454, where the cumulative payout number during the bonus game is displayed (displayed on the payout number display LED 612, etc. Note that the cumulative payout number may also be displayed on a separate display LED, etc.).

On the other hand, if the determination in step S452 is not satisfied, the bonus game flag is turned OFF (step S460) and processing ends.

[10-5-3. ART game determination process]
FIG. 685 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the ART game determination process. As described above in [10-3-3] and the like, the ART game is a game that is executed based on winning the ART in the ART lottery, and when the winning role of the push order minor role (push order bell) is won while the ART game is being executed, instruction information such as "proper push order" is displayed on the special display LED 612 (instruction function display), and an instruction performance (navigation display) according to the instruction function display is displayed on the image display body 500, etc. The ART game determination process is a determination process regarding the start, continuation, and end of such an ART game, and is executed by the main board 409 (particularly the CPU 1110), which is the control subject of the ART. An example of the ART game determination process will be described below with reference to FIG. 685.

First, an overview of the ART game will be described. The ART game starts when the start conditions of the ART game are met, and continues to be executed in the subsequent game period until the end conditions of the ART are met. [10-3-3] As explained in the instruction function processing below, when the start conditions of the ART game are met, a specific internal flag (ART flag) is turned ON and the ART game is started, and when the ART game ends, the ART flag is turned OFF. Note that internal flags related to the ART game such as the ART flag and information such as the number of ART games to be described later are held in a memory (e.g., RAM 1114) in the main board 409 that controls the ART game, but similar information may also be held in a memory (e.g., RAM 1122) in the sub-board 510.

The conditions for starting the ART game (the conditions for the ART flag to be turned ON) are as detailed in [10-3-2] below, but to put it simply, it is when you win the ART in the ART first win lottery.

In step S501 of FIG. 685, as the first process of the ART game determination process, the current ART flag is compared with the ART flag in the ART game determination process of the previous game to determine whether the ART flag has become ON. That is, in step S501, it is determined whether the ART flag has changed from OFF to ON from the previous game to the current game. The value of the ART flag in the ART game determination process of the previous game is stored separately. If it is determined that the ART flag has become ON (YES in step S501), the number of ART games at the start of ART is set (step S502), and the process ends. The number of ART games at the start of ART (so-called initial number of games) may be a fixed number of games set in advance, the number of games may be drawn when ART is won, or it may be determined by other methods, but here, as an example, the initial number of games determined in the instruction function process described above is set as the number of ART games at the start of ART.

By carrying out the processing of step S502 in this manner, an ART game will start from the next game. When an ART game starts, a presentation is carried out to inform the player of the start of the ART game and the number of ART games (for example, an ART start screen is displayed).

On the other hand, if it is not determined in step S501 that the ART flag has become ON, that is, if the ART flag is OFF or the ART flag has been ON since the previous game (NO in step S501), it is determined whether the ART flag is ON (step S505), and if the ART flag is ON (YES in step S505), it is determined whether or not the specialized zone is in effect (step S506). Here, if it is determined that the ART flag is ON and that the specialized zone is not in effect (YES in step S505 and NO in step S506), this means that one game in the ART game has been played, so a process is performed to subtract "1" from the value of the number of ART games (step S507). If it is determined in step S506 that the specialized zone is in effect (YES in step S506), the number of ART games is not subtracted, so step S507 is skipped and step S508 is proceeded to. If it is determined in step S505 that the ART flag is not ON (NO in step S505), the ART game is not in progress, so the process ends.

Here, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment has an add-on function that adds the number of ART games based on the satisfaction of a predetermined condition during an ART game, in addition to the starting number of games determined at the start of the ART game. When the number of ART games is added, a predetermined internal flag (add-on flag) is turned ON, and the number of ART games to be added (number of added games) is determined. The conditions for determining the addition are not particularly limited, and may be the winning of a specific winning role in a role lottery, or may be determined based on some other lottery result. Furthermore, the method for determining the number of added games is not particularly limited. The processes in steps S508 to S510 below are processes that are performed when the number of ART games is added.

First, in step S508, it is determined whether the add-on flag is ON. If the add-on flag is ON (YES in step S508), a process is performed to add the number of add-on games to the current number of ART games (step S509), and the add-on flag is turned OFF (step S510). As a result, the remaining number of ART games is increased by the amount of the add-on, and the duration of the ART game that is advantageous to the player is extended.

After processing step S510 (after processing step S506 if there is no top-up function), it is determined whether the current number of ART games is "0" (step S511), and if it is "0", the ART game ending condition is met, so the ART flag is turned OFF (step S512) and processing ends. At this time, not only is the end of the ART game clearly indicated to the player, but information regarding the series of ART games (for example, the total number of medals paid out in the ART game and the number of continuing ART games) may also be clearly indicated to the player.

If it is determined in step S511 that the current number of ART games is not "0" (NO in step S511), the ART game ending conditions are not met, so the ART flag is not changed and the process ends. As a result, the ART game continues in subsequent games.

The ART game determination process described in FIG. 685 is an example of a process in which the game period (ART game period) controlled to the playing state for the ART game is subtracted by one count for each game, but if the ART game period is managed by another subtraction method (for example, a method in which the ART game period is determined by the number of times the ART navi appears), it is desirable to perform an appropriate ART game determination process according to that subtraction method.

In addition, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, an internal flag (e.g., an ART start flag) indicating the start of an ART game may be prepared separately from the ART flag for the ART game determination process. The ART start flag is an internal flag that is turned ON when the ART first hit lottery is won and the conditions for starting the ART game are met. In such a case, in a series of processes in the ART game determination process, it is determined in step S501 whether the ART start flag is ON, and if the ART start flag is ON, the initial number of ART games is set in step S502, and then the ART flag is turned ON and the ART start flag is turned OFF. If the ART start flag is OFF in step S501, the processes from step S505 onwards are performed.

[10-6. Control of performance actions]
The above is an example of control mainly performed by the main board 409, but in the slot machine 1, the sub-board 510 controls various presentation operations in accordance with the progress of the game. This is performed by the sub-board 510 (mainly the CPU 1118, etc.) based on various commands (information commands, output signals) output from the main board 409. As described above, the various commands output from the main board 449 are temporarily stored in the RAM 1122. Then, based on the command, a presentation mode prepared in advance is selected and executed. Such presentation modes are stored in the ROM 1120 as a presentation mode data table (not shown), and multiple presentation modes corresponding to the command are prepared.

For example, the presentation modes include those that are completed in the game (hereafter referred to as single presentation modes) and those that are performed over multiple games (hereafter referred to as continuous presentation modes). Among these, single presentation modes include presentations that suggest the winning flag (suggestion presentations, announcement presentations, described in detail below), presentations that notify the player of the payout of medals (payout presentations, although it is also acceptable to notify the number of medals to be paid out), etc.

A suggestive effect is different from an effect (announcement effect) that directly informs the player of the winning flag, and refers to an effect that indirectly informs the player of the winning flag, for example by displaying the shape or color of the winning combination that corresponds to the winning flag. Also, suggestive effects are performed even when there is no winning flag (i.e., in the case of a loss). In this case, the effect is designed to make it difficult for the player to realize that it is a loss (for example, ambiguous content that could be interpreted as any winning combination). This makes it difficult for the player to realize that the game is a loss.

The announcement effect can clearly inform the player of the outcome of the game, such as by saying "Bonus confirmed!" or "ART won!", for example, when the winning flag is a bonus role or when the player wins the ART first win lottery. This effect is particularly effective when it is performed for winning roles that are pleasing to players, such as bonuses and ARTs (because there is a possibility of winning a large number of medals). In other words, when a player wins the ART first win, etc., it can have the meaning of congratulating them.

The various presentation modes described above can be implemented as the display of images by the image display body 500, the generation of sound effects by the speaker 512, the emission or lighting of LED decorations, etc. Such presentation modes can prevent players from feeling bored when they have been playing the game for a long time. The presentation modes are not limited to those implemented by the image display body 500, the speaker 512, the LED decorations, etc. For example, an EL display (Electroluminescence Display) or a dot LED may be used instead of the image display body 500. Furthermore, various presentations may be implemented by providing a character-like doll, a movable model, a side reel (for example, a reel that is arranged in a position separate from each reel and starts and stops as part of the presentation without the player's operation), or lighting such as a lamp (for example, a rotatable light such as a rotating light). By adopting such a method, it is possible to fully entertain the player without using a liquid crystal display, etc.

[10-7. Game Count Management Processing]
Incidentally, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the CPU 1110 is configured to be able to execute a game number management process for managing the number of games by the game number management control means. The game number management control means of the CPU 1110 starts the game number management process (starts the game number count process) based on the establishment of a predetermined start condition, and ends the game number management process (ends the game number count process) based on the establishment of a predetermined end condition, thereby counting the number of games played by the player during the game number management process as a specific section and managing the number of games. When the predetermined end condition is established and the game number management process ends, the number of games counted in the game number management process is initialized and returns to 0.

The above-mentioned predetermined start condition for starting the game count management process is a transition from the hell state to another state (advantageous state A to advantageous state E). In other words, the game count management process is started when it is determined that at least one instruction function display will be performed immediately or after multiple games (e.g. 32 games) have been played. Therefore, the game count management process will start from the next game in which a special role is selected by internal lottery in the hell state.

The above-mentioned predetermined termination conditions for terminating the game number management process are that the number of games counted during the game number management process reaches a predetermined threshold (set to 1500 games as described above in this example) and the instruction function display is performed at least once (first condition), and even if the number of games counted during the game number management process has not reached the predetermined threshold, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display transitions from an advantageous state to a hell state (second condition). When either the first or second condition is satisfied, the game number management process terminates. For example, if the ceiling game is consumed without winning the ART first hit lottery, even if the number of games counted during the game number management process has not reached the predetermined threshold, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display transitions from an advantageous state to a hell state. When either one of the above two conditions is satisfied in the game number management process, the game number management process terminates. Here, the transition of the game state from the advantageous state to the hell state, which involves the execution of the instruction function display, may occur immediately after the ART game ends, or may occur after the withdrawal state following the end of the ART game.

In this embodiment, the instruction function display is always performed at least once during the game count management process, but this is not essential. In other words, the first condition described above may be that the number of games counted during the game count management process reaches a predetermined threshold value (the instruction function display being performed at least once during the game count management process may be excluded from the conditions).

In addition, in this embodiment, the start condition for starting the number of games management process is configured to be higher than the condition for ending the number of games management process. Therefore, the period during which the number of games management flag is set to ON is longer than the period during which the number of games management process is set to OFF. However, the period during which the number of games management flag is set to ON does not exceed 70% of the total period (the sum of the period during which the number of games management flag is set to ON and the period during which the number of games management flag is set to OFF). The period during which the number of games management flag is set to ON is the period during which the flag is controlled to one of the advantageous states A to E and the pullback state, and in this example, the threshold value of 1500 games is the maximum in one shot. The period during which the number of games management process is set to OFF is the period during which the flag is controlled to the hell state. In this hell state, the execution of the ART game is not confirmed (in other words, the operation of the instruction function display is not permitted, and the above-mentioned grouping of the condition devices is being performed), but the probability of winning in the ART first win lottery (the probability of being determined as YES in step S6011) is 1 in 20, and it is configured so that it is possible to win by playing fewer games than the 32 games set as the ceiling number of games. As a result, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment makes it possible to suppress a decline in interest while suppressing gambling.

The CPU 1110 of the slot machine 1 also has an ART game forced termination means, which immediately and forcibly terminates the ART game when the number of games counted in the game number management process (game number counter GC) reaches a predetermined threshold, even if the ART game is in progress. However, if the instruction function display has not been executed even once during the game number management process, even if the number of games counted in the game number management process (game number counter GC) reaches a predetermined threshold, the game will not be moved to the hell state until the instruction function display is executed once. Therefore, even if the number of games counted in the game number management process (game number counter GC) reaches a predetermined threshold during the ART game, the ART game will continue until the instruction function display is executed once, unless there is a history of bonus game execution during the game number management process. Conversely, if there is a history of a bonus game being executed during the game count management process, even if the instruction function display has not been executed even once during the game count management process, the game will transition to the Hell state when the number of games counted in the game count management process (game count counter GC) reaches a predetermined threshold value, and if an ART game is in progress, the ART game will be forcibly ended.

Furthermore, the CPU 1110 of this slot machine 1 also has an instruction function display execution right extinguishing means. This instruction function display execution right extinguishing means executes a process to extinguish the execution right of the instruction function display that has already been granted, when the number of games (game number counter GC) counted in the game number management process reaches a predetermined threshold value when the execution right of the instruction function display is granted, even if it is not during an ART game, for example. However, even in this case, if the instruction function display has not been executed even once during the game number management process, even if the number of games (game number counter GC) counted in the game number management process reaches a predetermined threshold value, the state will not be shifted to the hell state until the instruction function display is executed once. Therefore, even if the number of games (game number counter GC) counted in the game number management process reaches a predetermined threshold value, the execution right of the granted instruction function display is maintained without extinguishing until the instruction function display is executed once, as long as there is no history of execution of a bonus game during the game number management process. Conversely, if there is a history of bonus game execution during the game number management process, even if the instruction function display has not been executed even once during the game number management process, the state will be transitioned to the hell state when the number of games counted in the game number management process (game number counter GC) reaches a predetermined threshold, so even if the right to execute the instruction function display has been granted, the right to execute the instruction function display will be extinguished. The right to execute the instruction function display corresponds to the right to execute an ART game in which the instruction function can be activated continuously over multiple games, or the right to activate the instruction function display only once (one game). The state in which the right to execute the instruction function display is granted corresponds to a premonition game (while the ceiling game is being played) or a preparation state (the ceiling game has been played and the instruction function flag has been set to ON, but the RT state is the RT1 state).

In this way, in the game after the ART game is forcibly ended, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is controlled to the hell state. Even if the ART game is forcibly ended, the RT state remains in RT2 or RT3, and transitions to RT1 based on the appearance of the 0-coin bell drop. In this way, by forcibly ending the ART game based on the number of games counted in the game number management process reaching a predetermined threshold, it is possible to prevent the accidental awarding of a large number of gaming media as prizes in a short period of time, and ultimately to suppress unnecessary encouragement of gambling.

Even if the number of games counted in the game count management process (game count counter GC) reaches a predetermined threshold while a bonus game is being played, the bonus game will not end midway but will be played to the end.

In addition, when the BB is won in the above-mentioned hell state and a bonus game is executed, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display during this bonus game remains controlled to the hell state unless a special role is won. And, when the special role (special watermelon, special cherry, special maintenance lip) is won during this hell state and the transition destination is one of advantageous states A to D, the game number management flag is set to ON, the game number counter GC starts counting, and the hell state is transitioned to the transition destination advantageous state. However, if the transition destination is advantageous state E, the game number management flag is set to ON and the game number counter GC starts counting, but the ART game will start after the bonus game ends, when the RT state transitions from RT1 to RT2. It is also possible not to perform a lottery related to the execution of the instruction function display (such as an ART first win lottery) during the bonus game or inside the bonus. For example, even if a special role is selected in the internal lottery, the lottery for determining the transition destination in step S6012 may not be performed, and the determination of whether or not it is a special role may not be performed in step S6011 (i.e., it will be the same as when a normal role is selected). However, in a game in which a bonus role (BB1, BB2) is selected in the internal lottery, a lottery for executing the instruction function display (such as a lottery for the first ART hit) may be performed.

[10-8. Overall game flow]
The overall game flow in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 686. Fig. 686 is a time chart showing an example of the overall game flow. Note that, before describing the overall game flow, each control state in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment will be organized and described.

First, in terms of the RT state, the slot machine 1 of this example is controlled by the RT state control means to be in one of the following states: a general state controlled after the bonus game ends; RT1 controlled when a 0-bell drop occurs; RT2 controlled when a symbol combination corresponding to an up replay 1 appears in RT1 or when a symbol combination corresponding to a down replay appears in RT2; RT3 controlled when a symbol combination corresponding to an up replay 2 appears in RT2; a bonus internal state controlled when BB1 or BB2 is won but the symbol combination corresponding to these has not yet appeared; and a bonus state in which a symbol combination corresponding to BB1 or BB2 appears and a bonus game is being played.

In addition, from the perspective of the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display, the instruction function control means controls the game to one of the hell state in which the execution of the instruction function display has not yet been confirmed, and the advantageous states A to E and the pullback state in which the instruction function display has been confirmed to be executed at least once. As described above, in addition to advantageous state E, which is controlled as an ART game in which the instruction function display can be activated continuously over multiple games, advantageous states A to D and the pullback state, which have different degrees of expectation of transitioning to advantageous state E, are provided.

The instruction function control means also sets the instruction function flag to either an ON state in which operation of the instruction function is permitted, or an OFF state in which operation of the instruction function is not permitted. Operation of the instruction function by the instruction function control means is not permitted unless the ceiling number of games has been consumed, even if the ART first win lottery is won, and is permitted (ON) based on the ceiling number of games being consumed, and is released (OFF) when the ART game ends.

Furthermore, the game number management control means controls the game number management flag to either an ON state in which game number management control is performed (the number of games played by the player is counted) or an OFF state in which game number management control is not performed (the number of games played by the player is not counted). The game number management control by the game number management control means is not performed in the hell state (OFF), and is performed (ON) based on a transition from the hell state to one of advantageous states A to E.

In addition, from the perspective of the game state that the player can grasp (hereinafter referred to as the "appearance state"), the player can grasp that the game is in one of the following game states: a general game state in which the ceiling number of games has not been set and the execution of the instruction function display has not been confirmed; a premonition game state in which the execution of the instruction function display has been confirmed and the ceiling number of games has been set; a single instruction state in which the instruction function display is performed only once; a preparation state in which the ceiling number of games has been consumed and the instruction function flag has been set to ON (a state in which the ART game is ready to be executed, i.e., a state in which the ART game can be executed when a pattern combination corresponding to the up replay 2 appears); an ART state in which an ART game is in progress after a pattern combination corresponding to the up replay 2 has appeared; and a pullback state (pullback state) after the ART game has ended.

The instruction function is permitted to operate in the above-mentioned preparation state and ART state, but is not permitted to operate in the general game state, premonition game state, or pullback state. However, for the premonition game state and CZ state (advantageous states A and D in this embodiment), the instruction is given after waiting for a predetermined number of games to be played in that state (premonition game state or CZ state) (32 games in advantageous state A, 10 games in advantageous state D), but this is not limited to this, and if any of "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" is selected by internal lottery when the predetermined number of games has been played, the push order may be instructed, and the state may immediately transition to Hell state once the predetermined number of games has been played.

Game count management control is not executed in the normal game state, but is started when a special role is selected in an internal lottery (i.e., when a transition is made from a hell state to an advantageous state). In addition, if it is determined that the number of games played by the player exceeds a predetermined threshold during the game count management process (game count management flag ON), the game count management flag is set to OFF, provided that the instruction function display has been executed at least once (except when a bonus game has been executed).

Next, the overall game flow will be explained. When the RT state is RT1 and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is the Hell state, the appearance state becomes the normal state. In the normal state, the instruction function flag and the game number management flag are both OFF. Then, when a special role (special watermelon role, special cherry role, special maintenance replay role) is selected by internal lottery in the Hell state and a transition is made to one of advantageous states A to E, the game number management flag is set to ON. As a result, the appearance state transitions from the normal game state to a premonition game state (when transitioning from advantageous states A to C), CZ (when transitioning to advantageous state D), or ART game (when transitioning to advantageous state E).

In the premonition game state, a ceiling game number is set and the instruction function flag is set to OFF. Then, when the ceiling game number is consumed, the instruction function flag is set to ON. In FIG. 686, the game is first controlled to advantageous state A, and the instruction function display is executed only once, after which the game transitions to hell and the game number management flag is set to OFF.

When a special role is subsequently selected in an internal lottery in the Hell state, and the player transitions to one of Advantageous States A through E, the game count management flag is set to ON, and the appearance state transitions from the general game state to the premonition game state. Figure 686 shows the transition from the Hell state to Advantageous State B.

When the ceiling game is played in advantageous state B, the appearance state transitions from the premonition game state to the preparation state, and the instruction function flag is set to ON. Then, "Raise replay 1 + normal maintenance replay" is selected in an internal lottery, and when the player performs a stop operation based on the instruction function display to display a symbol combination corresponding to raise replay 1, the RT state transitions from RT1 to RT2, and the first ART game shown in FIG. 686 is started (the ART state is entered). When the ceiling game is played in advantageous state B and the state transitions from the premonition game state to the preparation state, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display transitions from advantageous state B to advantageous state E.

During an ART game (in ART state), since the instruction function flag is set to ON, even if "Down replay + Normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery, the RT state will be maintained at RT2 as long as the player performs the stop operation based on the instruction function display. However, if the player performs the stop operation against the instruction function display and a pattern combination corresponding to a down replay is displayed, the RT state will transition from RT2 to RT1 with the instruction function maintained. However, if "Up replay 1 + Normal maintenance replay" is selected in the internal lottery and the stop operation is performed based on the instruction function display, a pattern combination corresponding to up replay 1 will be displayed and the RT state will return from RT1 to RT2.

Even if the instruction function flag is OFF, when "Raise lip 1 + normal maintenance lip" is selected in the internal lottery, the player may accidentally display the symbol combination corresponding to the rise lip 1 by performing a stop operation. In this case, the RT state will transition from RT1 to RT2, but since the ceiling number of games has not been consumed, the ART game will not start. Then, when the 0-bell drop is displayed, the RT state will transition from RT2 to R1.

When the first ART game shown in FIG. 686 ends, the instruction function flag is set to OFF, and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is shifted from the advantageous state E to the pullback state. The RT state is maintained at RT2 unless the zero bell drop is displayed, but when the zero bell drop is displayed, it shifts from RT2 to RT1.

The pull-back state ends when the maintenance lottery is lost, and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display transitions from the pull-back state to the hell state, provided that the instruction function display has been executed at least once (excluding the case where a bonus game has been executed). However, if the number of games counted by the game number management control means during the pull-back state reaches a threshold value and the instruction function display has been executed at least once, the game number management flag is set to OFF, and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display transitions from the pull-back state to the hell state.

In this example, when the first ART game ends, the number of games counted by the game number management control means has not reached the threshold value, and FIG. 686 shows the state when the ART first winning lottery is won in the pull-back state. When the ART first winning lottery is won in the pull-back state, the instruction function flag is set to ON, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is shifted to the advantageous state E, and the second ART game shown in FIG. 686 is started. At this time, if the RT state has shifted to RT1, the ART game is started when the RT state has shifted from RT1 to RT2, but if the RT state is maintained at RT2, the ART game is started immediately. However, in this case, even if the RT state is maintained at RT2, the ART game may be started after several games have been executed. Then, when the second ART game shown in FIG. 686 ends, the instruction function flag is set to OFF, and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is shifted from the advantageous state E to the pull-back state.

In this example, when the second ART game ends, the number of games counted by the game number management control means has not reached the threshold value, and FIG. 686 shows the state when BB1 is selected by internal lottery in the pull-back state. When BB1 is selected by internal lottery, the RT state until the symbol combination corresponding to BB1 is displayed becomes a bonus internal state, and when the symbol combination corresponding to BB1 is displayed, the state becomes a bonus state, and a bonus game is executed by the bonus game execution means of CPU 1110.

Regardless of whether a bonus game is being played or not, if the player does not win the ART first win lottery and loses the maintenance lottery in the pull-back state, the pull-back state ends, the game state becomes the general game state, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is shifted from the pull-back state to the Hell state, and the game count management flag is set to OFF. Also, even if a bonus game is being played, when the game count management flag is set to OFF, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is shifted to the Hell state.

Figure 686 shows a state in which, during a bonus state (while a bonus game is being played), the ART first hit lottery is won, and it is determined that a transition to advantageous state B will occur, for example, and a ceiling game of 32 games is set, resulting in a premonition game state. At this time, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is transitioned from the hell state to the advantageous state, and the game count management flag is set to ON. Then, when the bonus game ends, the RT state transitions from the bonus state to the general state (RT0), and when the zero bell drop is displayed in the general state, the RT state transitions from the general state (RT0) to RT1.

In Figure 686, the premonition game state continues at the time the bonus game ends because the ceiling game has not been played. Then, when the 0 bell drop is displayed, the RT state transitions from the general state (RT0) to RT1, and when the ceiling game is played and the instruction function flag is set to ON, the appearance state transitions from the premonition game state to the preparation state.

After that, when "Raised Replay 1 + Normal Maintenance Replay" is selected by internal lottery and the symbol combination corresponding to Raised Replay 1 is displayed, the RT state transitions from RT1 to RT2, and the third ART game shown in FIG. 686 is started, the ART state is entered, and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display transitions to advantageous state E.

During the third ART game, when the number of games counted during the game number management process (i.e. the number of games played by the player after the game number management flag was set ON) reaches a threshold value, the game number management flag is set to OFF and the game number management process ends. When the game number management process ends, the instruction function flag is set to OFF and the ART game being executed is forcibly ended. At this time, the ART game is forcibly ended midway even if the specified number of games has not been played. When the ART game is forcibly ended in this way, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is transitioned to the hell state, and the appearance state becomes the general game state.

Note that even if the number of games counted during the game number management process (i.e. the number of games played by the player after the game number management flag was set ON) reaches the threshold value, if the instruction function display has not been executed even once during the game number management process, transition to the Hell state is avoided until the instruction function display is executed at least once, and if an ART game is in progress, the ART game continues and the instruction function flag is maintained in the ON state. Then, when the instruction function display is executed once, the game number management flag is set OFF and the game number management process ends, the instruction function flag is set OFF, the ART game being executed is forcibly terminated, and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is transitioned to the Hell state.

However, if even one bonus game is played during the game count management process, even if the instruction function display has not been performed even once during the game count management process, when the number of games counted during the game count management process (i.e. the number of games played by the player after the game count management flag is set to ON) reaches a threshold value, the game count management flag is set to OFF and the game count management process ends, the instruction function flag is set to OFF, the ART game being executed is forcibly terminated, and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is transitioned to the hell state.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 686, if the ART first win lottery is won during the execution of a bonus game (during bonus state) and a transition to an advantageous state occurs, when the number of games counted during the game number management process reaches a threshold value, even if the instruction function display was not performed even once during the game number management process, the game number management flag is set to OFF and the game number management process ends, the instruction function flag is set to OFF, the ART game being executed is forcibly terminated, and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is transitioned to the hell state.

Even if the ART game is forcibly ended, the RT state will be maintained at RT2 unless the 0-coin bell drop is displayed, and will transition to RT1 when the 0-coin bell drop is displayed. In FIG. 686, the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is controlled to RT2 for a while even after it transitions to the hell state, and then transitions from RT2 to RT1.

When a special role is selected in an internal lottery in the hell state and the game state related to the execution of the instruction function display is shifted from the hell state to one of advantageous states A to E (Figure 686 shows the state shifted to advantageous state C), the game number management flag is set ON and game number management processing is started. Then, when the state is shifted to an advantageous state in which the premonition game number is set, the appearance state changes from the general game state to the premonition game state.

Note that Figure 686 does not show the manner in which the RT state transitions from RT2 to RT3, but when the specialized zone lottery is won (YES in step S606) and a symbol combination corresponding to the increased replay role 2 is displayed on the active line, the RT state transitions from RT2 to RT3, and the specialized zone state is entered.

In addition, in this example of the slot machine 1, when the slot machine 1 transitions to advantageous state D, the slot machine 1 transitions to the chance zone (CZ). However, since FIG. 686 does not explain how the slot machine 1 transitions to advantageous state D, the chance zone (CZ) is not shown in the appearance state column.

In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment described above, the period during which the game count management flag is set to ON (period controlled to advantageous state) is compared with the period during which the game count management flag is set to OFF (period controlled to hell state), and the period during which the game count management flag is set to ON is set to be higher, and the period during which the game count management flag is set to ON is set not to exceed 70% of the entire period. In addition, in the hell state, which is the period during which the game count management flag is set to OFF, the instruction function display is not executed, but the special role is selected by executing a game in which the probability of selecting a special role in the internal lottery is less than 32 games set as the ceiling game number. Moreover, even if the transition destination when the special role is selected is not advantageous state B or advantageous state E, if the transition destination is advantageous state C or advantageous state D, the player can be given a sense of expectation for the ART game. Therefore, when the number of games executed during the game management process (game number counter GC) exceeds a predetermined threshold G, the game number management process is terminated and the state transitions to hell, but since the expectation that an ART game will be executed is higher in hell compared to advantageous state A, it is possible to suppress a decline in interest while suppressing gambling in an optimal manner.

[10-9. Processing when an abnormal state occurs]
The process performed when an abnormal state occurs in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail.

When an abnormal state occurs during play in the slot machine 1, an error is notified according to the type of error detected. In particular, if the error is detectable by the main board 409, the error lamp 604 lights up (or flashes), and the special display LED 612 can display an error indicating the type of error. Note that the special display LED 612 normally displays the instruction function and the number of coins paid out. Also, a sudden power outage is also included in the abnormal state, although there are cases where no error is detected.

When an abnormal state like the above occurs, the error must be cleared in order to return to normal game mode (in the case of a power outage, the error message should not remain after power is restored). The method for clearing the error varies depending on the error that occurred, but in many cases a power outage (OFF/ON) is required.

[10-9-1. Clear RAM]
Here, clearing of data values in the RAM 1114 mounted on the main board 409 (RAM clear) will be described.

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when certain operations such as changing settings or turning the power OFF/ON are performed, a clear process (RAM clear) is performed in which the data values stored in the RAM 1114 of the main board 409 are erased or rewritten to initial values in the address range corresponding to each operation. Therefore, when the error release process is performed, if the power is turned OFF/ON, there is a possibility that some of the data stored in the RAM 1114 is cleared.

However, if an error release process is performed while the instruction function is displayed, or if a power outage occurs while medals are being paid out, clearing the RAM may cause data used to display the instruction function or the number of medals paid out to be cleared, which may cause problems in continuing the game. In view of this issue, the slot machine 1 predetermines the range of RAM 1114 that can be cleared using RAM clearing.

Figure 687 is a diagram for explaining RAM data blocks. Figure 687 shows an internal image of RAM 1114, with the top end being the start of the memory address and the bottom end being the end of the memory address. For example, unused area 1114z is a data area where data is not being read or written (in other words, a data area other than the used area), and is concentrated at the end of the memory address. As shown in Figure 687, in RAM 1114, multiple "areas" are predefined according to the type of data to be stored. In addition, five ranges, "clear range 0" to "clear range 4", are defined as the target range for RAM clearing. Note that each clear range may include unused area 1114z.

First, the clear range of RAM clear will be explained. "Clear range 0" refers to the target range equivalent to a complete erase, which is generally never performed. In other words, RAM clear in clear range 0 is never performed during normal maintenance or error handling. From another perspective, the data values in the setting value data area 1114a are never cleared except when RAM clear is performed in clear range 0. This means that the setting value data area 1114a is generally not cleared.

"Clear range 1" refers to the range in which RAM clearing is performed when a setting change is started by operating the setting key switch 1112t. Specifically, of the data areas in the used area shown in FIG. 687, all data areas below the door flag area 1114b are cleared, and the setting value data area 1114a is not cleared.

"Clear range 2" refers to the range in which RAM clearing is performed when resetting is performed by operating the reset switch 112u. Specifically, of the data areas in the used area shown in FIG. 687, the data areas below the lamp ON data area 1114d are cleared, and the set value data area 1114a to the door monitoring timer area 1114c are not cleared.

"Clear range 3" refers to the target range for which RAM clearing is performed when the bonus ends. RAM clearing from clear range 0 to clear range 2 requires action by a hall staff member or the like to trigger each RAM clear, but RAM clearing when the bonus ends is performed automatically by internal processing after the bonus ends. Specifically, when RAM is cleared when the bonus ends, the data areas in the used area shown in FIG. 687 below the replay input number area 1114j are cleared, and the set value data area 1114a to the instruction function display area 1114i are not cleared.

Note that "clear range 3" is also the range in which RAM clearing occurs when the power is simply turned OFF/ON. In other words, if the power is turned OFF/ON without changing settings or performing a reset operation, the data area targeted by "clear range 3" is cleared. And because the instruction function display area 1114i is not included in "clear range 3," the instruction contents of the instruction function are not erased by turning the power OFF/ON.

"Clear range 4" refers to the target range in which RAM clearing is performed at the start of each game. RAM clearing at the start of each game is automatically performed by internal processing when the start lever 210 is operated with the number of medals bet decided. Specifically, among the data areas in the used area shown in FIG. 687, the data areas below the display flag area 1114l are cleared, and the set value data area 1114a to the interrupt check timer area 1114k are not cleared.

Next, we will briefly explain each data area shown in FIG. 687. The setting value data area 1114a stores the setting values set in the slot machine 1.

The door flag area 1114b stores information indicating the open/closed state of the door-shaped front member 200 (or the front opening/closing member 90), and the door monitoring timer area 1114c stores time information for recognizing that the door-shaped front member 200 (or the front opening/closing member 90) is open.

The lamp ON data area 1114d stores information about the lighting of a lamp (for example, a display arranged on the display panel 501, such as the replay lamp 606 or the start lamp 608). The credit number area 1114e stores information indicating the number of credits (number of medals stored). The credit display area 1114f stores information for displaying the number of stored medals on the stored medal number display LED 613. The payout number area 1114g stores information indicating the number of payouts (number of medals paid out), which is how many gaming values have been paid out in the game. The payout display area 1114h stores information for displaying the number of medals paid out on the special display LED 612. The instruction function display area 1114i stores information corresponding to the instruction content by the instruction function for displaying the instruction function display on the special display LED 612.

The number of coins inserted in the replay area 1114j stores the number of gaming values inserted during the replay operation (the number of coins inserted during the replay). The timer area 1114k for interrupt check stores timer information required to execute the interrupt process.

The display flag area 1114l stores information indicating the error display state displayed on the special display LED 612. The medal payout number area 1114m stores the number of gaming value paid out as a result of the game. The medal insertion number area 1114n stores information indicating whether or not gaming value can be inserted. The medal insertion number area 1114o stores the number of gaming value inserted before the start of the game. The random number storage area 1114p stores random numbers used by the condition device.

In this way, in RAM 1114 on the main board 409, efficient memory control can be achieved by setting the range in which RAM is cleared for each action (when changing settings, turning the power OFF/ON, etc.).

The range (capacity) of RAM 1114 that can be used as a memory area for the main board 409 in a gaming machine is specified, and data such as programs must be stored within this specified range. However, in recent years, for processing related to test signals and processing related to fraud, it has become permitted to store data related to programs for such processing in unused areas outside the specified range (for example, unused area 1114z in Figure 687). However, the use of such unused areas is limited to gaming machines that have an instruction function.

In addition, in slot machine 1, after the RAM is cleared following a power outage or the like, the CPU 1110 of main board 409 (or CPU 1118 of sub-board 510) can determine for each type of data whether or not to redisplay the data that was displayed before the RAM was cleared. That is, when power is restored, CPU 1110 (or CPU 1118) may refer to data stored in a data area that was not cleared from the RAM and redisplay as much of the data as possible, or may prevent certain data (such as data related to the payout number display or data related to the navigation display) from being redisplayed through program control, even if it is theoretically possible to redisplay it. This also includes referring to data saved in a stack point in RAM 1114.

[10-9-2. Error display]
Next, the error display on the special display LED 612 will be described. FIG. 688 is a diagram for explaining the error display by the special display LED. In the slot machine 1, when an error described in the "notification type" column of FIG. 688 (which will be described later, includes some errors that are not errors) is detected, the special display LED 612 displays a predetermined segment as shown in the "SEG" column to identifiably notify the type of the detected error. Among the errors shown in the "notification type" column of FIG. 688, the detection signal of each error other than the "communication abnormality (series code error)" detected by the sub-substrate 510 is notified to the main substrate 409 when the error occurs. The errors shown in FIG. 688 are only a part of the errors that can be detected by the slot machine 1, and there are errors that can be detected by the main substrate 409 or the sub-substrate 510 in addition to the errors shown in the figure.

Below is an overview of each error shown in the "Notification Type" column of Figure 688.

"RAM error" is an error that is reported when the RAM 1114 of the main board 409 is broken. On the other hand, "communication abnormality (series code error)" is detected when there is an abnormality in the series code sent from the main board 409 to the sub-board 510, but since it is detected by the sub-board 510, no error is displayed on the special display LED 612.

"Settings being changed" or "Settings being checked" are not errors, but are shown in FIG. 688 because the "setting value" is displayed (notified) on the special display LED 612 during the operation. The setting value of the slot machine 1 is stored, for example, in the setting value data area 1114a of the RAM 1114. Note that the notification of "settings being changed" occurs when a specified setting change operation is started, and the notification of "settings being checked" occurs when a specified setting check operation is started.

An "unauthorized payout error" is an error that is reported when an abnormal payout occurs. Specifically, it is detected when a payout count switch (not shown; a switch for counting the number of medals paid out, provided, for example, in the medal payout device 110) is turned ON at any time other than when medals are paid out from the hopper 110b by the operation of the drive means (not shown) of the medal payout device 110. Note that in FIG. 688, the notification priority is set differently depending on whether the error is detected "when the main game is not stopped" or "when the main game is stopped." Specifically, detection when the main game is not stopped is given a higher priority. However, regardless of the timing of detection, the special display LED 612 displays the same "HF" in segments.

"Inserted medal passing time 1 error", "Inserted medal passing time 2 error", "Medal passing order 1 error", "Medal passing order 2 error", "Medal passing interval time error", and "Inserted medal reverse error" are errors that are reported when there is an abnormality in the process from when a medal is inserted through the medal insertion port 203 to when it reaches the hopper 1110b. Abnormalities here include abnormalities related to the medal passing path, as well as abnormalities caused by the insertion of foreign objects other than medals.

In the slot machine 1, when the medal inserted from the medal insertion port 203 is detected to have passed by the insertion sensor 207b (when the solenoid 207a is OFF), the medal reaches the hopper 110b while being detected to have passed by the lever sensor, the selector sensor, and the chute sensor. The lever sensor, the selector sensor, and the chute sensor are sensors provided in the medal selector 207, and detect the passage of the medal at their respective predetermined positions (not shown). Also, when the solenoid 207a is ON, the path to the insertion sensor 207b is locked out, so that even if the medal is inserted from the medal insertion port 203, it is returned to the medal receiving tray 201 via the medal selector 207 and the return gutter 213. When the medal detected to have passed by the insertion sensor 207b does not move through such a normal process (prescribed medal passing sequence), the main board 409 detects each of the above errors based on the presence or absence of detection at each sensor and the detection time, etc.

An overview of each error will be explained below. An "inserted medal passing time 1 error" is an error that is reported when a medal (including foreign objects other than medals) is retained near the insertion sensor 207b, and is detected when the insertion sensor 207b continues to detect the medal for a predetermined time (e.g., 100 ms). An "inserted medal passing time 2 error" is an error that is reported when a medal (including foreign objects other than medals) is retained near the lever sensor, and is detected when the lever sensor continues to detect the medal for a predetermined time (e.g., 500 ms). The "inserted medal passing time 2 error" is detected at all times, but the error is reported when medal acceptance begins (or when game play ends, such as after the payout process is completed).

A "medal passing order 1 error" is an error that is reported when the selector sensor detects a medal even though the lever sensor has not detected a medal (OFF). More specifically, this error is detected if the lever sensor has not detected a medal for a predetermined period (e.g., 300 ms) before the selector sensor detects the passage of a medal. A "medal passing order 2 error" is an error that is reported when the chute sensor does not detect a medal after the selector sensor detects a medal. More specifically, this error is detected if the chute sensor does not detect a medal for a predetermined period (e.g., 400 ms) after the selector sensor detects the passage of a medal.

A "medal passing interval time error" is an error that is reported when a medal passes in a manner that is not expected under normal circumstances. Specifically, the error is detected when each sensor provided in the medal selector 207 detects a situation in which an object passes at a passing interval shorter than the shortest medal passing interval expected under normal circumstances (i.e., the passing interval when medals are inserted continuously) for a specified frequency (e.g., five consecutive times).

The "reverse medal insertion error" is an error that is reported when a medal moves in a path other than the specified medal passing sequence, particularly when a reverse movement is detected. Specifically, it is detected based on the order of medal detection by each sensor (insertion sensor 207b, lever sensor, selector sensor, chute sensor, etc.) provided in the medal selector 207.

The "payout medal jam error", "payout medal empty error", and "auxiliary storage full error" are errors that are reported when there is an abnormality in the payout or storage of medals. To give an overview of each error, first, the "payout medal jam error" is an error that is reported when a medal is jammed during the payout of medals from the hopper 110b. Specifically, this error is detected when the payout count switch is ON for a predetermined period (e.g., 200 ms) or more. The "payout medal empty error" is an error that is reported when the medals in the hopper 110b are empty. Specifically, when medals are not paid out normally from the hopper 110b and a payout retry is performed (payout retry), this error is detected when the payout count switch does not turn ON for a predetermined period (e.g., 1500 ms) or more after the payout retry. The "auxiliary storage full error" is an error that is reported when the auxiliary medal storage box 111 becomes full. Specifically, the error is detected when the medal full sensor 111a of the medal auxiliary storage box 111 detects that more medals than a predetermined threshold have been stored.

The "Priority" column in FIG. 688 indicates the priority of notification between errors. In this example, the priority refers to the priority when multiple errors are detected at the same time, and even if an error with a higher priority is detected after one error is detected, the display content will not change. However, the priority of error display in the slot machine 1 is not limited to this, and in the above example, it may be set so that the display is switched to the error with a higher priority that is detected later. Also, the "SEG" column shows an example of display in the special display LED 612. In any case, when multiple errors are detected in the slot machine 1, play cannot be resumed (the next game cannot be played) unless those errors are cleared.

In addition, when "Video" is set to "○" in the "Notification Method" column, for example, an image notifying an error is displayed on the image display 500. However, it is required that the notification image using "Video" has display content that is identical to the error display on the special display LED 612. When "Sound" is set to "○", for example, an alarm sound is output from the speaker 512. When "Lamp" is set to "○", for example, the error lamp 604 lights up or flashes. Note that when an alarm is generated using sound output, lamp output, etc., the notification mode may be changed depending on the priority of the detected error. For example, when a high priority error is detected, the notification mode may be such that it is emphasized more than an error with a low priority.

The "Reset Cancel" column also indicates whether the error can be cancelled by resetting the reset switch 112u. When an error that can be cancelled by resetting is cancelled by resetting, the data area of "Clear Range 2" (see FIG. 687) stored in RAM 1114 is cleared.

Furthermore, if "immediately" is written in the "responsiveness" column, this means that the error can be detected by the main board 409 while the slot machine 1 is in operation. For example, when an illegal payout error is detected, the main board 409 immediately issues a command to notify of the detection. In other words, even if "immediately" is written, the error does not necessarily have to be displayed immediately upon detection of the error; for example, the error may be displayed after the game result is obtained (after the payout process ends or before the payout process starts). Note that an illegal payout error is a highly urgent error that means that gaming value has been illegally paid out.

[10-9-3. Processing when an error occurs]
The following describes the process (error occurrence process) when the error described in the previous chapter occurs during play in the slot machine 1. The specific details of the error occurrence process vary depending on what requirement definition the slot machine 1 has regarding errors. Here, it is assumed that the slot machine 1 has the requirement definition regarding errors (first requirement definition) shown below, and the details of the error occurrence process performed in such a case will be described.
(1) Multiple errors are not grouped based on importance (for example, strong errors and weak errors).
(2) Even if an error is detected during a game, the game continues to progress and the error is displayed after the game ends.
(3) Even if an error is detected during the game, the instruction function display continues to be displayed.

Figures 689 and 690 are flowcharts (part 1 and part 2) for explaining the processing when an error occurs in this embodiment. Figures 689 and 690 are combined into one flowchart, which shows in detail the processing carried out when an error occurs, with the overall processing procedure for one game being based on the processing procedure shown in Figure 651. Note that Figures 689 and 690 show an example of the processing procedure when the game progresses without power interruption (i.e., a state in which the power is not turned off). Meanwhile, Figure 691, which will be described later, is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for power interruption recovery processing in this embodiment. The processing procedure in Figure 691 is also applied when the power is turned off/on in the processing of Figures 689 and 690.

[10-9-3-1. Processing when an error occurs (when power is not interrupted)]
With reference to Fig. 689 and Fig. 690, the processing procedure for one game (when power is not interrupted), including the processing when an error occurs, will be described. Note that the overall processing flow overlaps with the series of processing shown in Fig. 651, so detailed explanations of the processing that has already been explained will be omitted. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, each processing in Fig. 689 and Fig. 690 is executed by the main board 409 (mainly the CPU 1110). Also, in order to make it easier to understand the situation in which each processing is performed, the correspondence with the "state of the gaming machine" shown in Fig. 681 is also shown.

First, in FIG. 689, as explained in the BET process of FIG. 651, a specified number of gaming values (specifically, medals) are inserted, and then the game is started by the player pressing the start lever 210 (step S801). This flow of the game corresponds to the process from "inserting medals" to "pressing the start lever" shown in FIG. 681.

When the start lever 210 is pressed to start the game, an internal lottery process is performed (step S802), and a condition device that is permitted to operate based on the winning combination is obtained (step S803).

Next, in step S804, it is determined whether or not the special display LED 612 is in an area where the instruction function display is possible. Here, an area where the instruction function display is possible means a game where the instruction function display by the instruction function can be executed (e.g., during an ART game). Note that up until now, it has been mainly explained that the instruction function display is performed during an ART game, but in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the instruction function display may also be performed during a specific game period other than an ART game (e.g., a chance zone (CZ) where it is relatively easy to win in an ART). In such a case, a positive determination is obtained in step S804 even in a game other than an ART game.

If it is determined in step S804 that the section is capable of displaying the instruction function (specifically, if it is determined that the main board 409 will issue an instruction using the instruction function) (YES in step S804), the instruction content using the instruction function is determined based on the condition device acquired in step S803 (step S805). Next, the instruction content determined in step S805 is stored in the instruction function display area 1114i of the RAM 1114 (step S806).

After that, the reel 301 starts to rotate (step S807). The timing of step S807 corresponds to "reel rotation start" shown in FIG. 681. Then, the sub-substrate 510 is notified of the instruction content by the instruction function by sending an instruction information command (step S808). As a result, the sub-substrate 510 can cause the image display body 500 to display navigation at a predetermined display timing related to the navigation display based on the received instruction information command. Note that in the slot machine 1, the instruction information command in step S808 may be sent at a timing prior to the start of rotation of the reel 301 (step S807).

Then, the instruction contents stored in RAM 1114 in step S806 are displayed on special display LED 612 at a predetermined display timing related to the instruction display function (instruction function display) (step S809). Specific display examples of the instruction function display are as shown in Figures 678 and 679. The predetermined display timing related to the "navigation display" and "instruction function display" is as described above with reference to Figure 681. Then, after the instruction function display in step S809, in step S810, acceptance of pressing operations of reel stop buttons 211a to 211c begins.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S804 that the section is not capable of displaying the instruction function (specifically, if the main board 409 does not determine that an instruction is to be given using the instruction function) (NO in step S804), the processing related to the instruction function as shown in steps S805, S806, S808, and S809 is not performed, and the reel 301 starts spinning (step S811), and the reception of a press operation of the reel stop button 211a starts (step S812).

Steps S810 and S812 correspond to "Reel stop button press accepted" shown in FIG. 681. After the processing of step S810 or step S812 is performed, the processing proceeds to step S813.

In step S813, the player presses the first stop button (the first stop operation of the reel stop buttons 211a to 211c). At this time, the reel stop process as described in FIG. 680 is performed on the reel 301 corresponding to the reel stop button 211 for which the stop operation was performed. The timing of step S813 corresponds to the "pressing of the first stop button" shown in FIG. 681.

Next, the main board 409 judges whether an error has been detected between the pressing of the first stop button in step S813 and the pressing of the second stop button thereafter (step S814). If no error is detected in step S814 (NO in step S814), the process of step S815 is performed. If an error is detected in step S814 (YES in step S814), the process of step S819 is performed. In FIG. 690, if an error is detected in step S814, the process of step S819 is performed without waiting for the reel stop button corresponding to the remaining reels 301 being rotated to be stopped, but the process of step S819 may be performed after the reel stop operation for the remaining reels 301 is performed. This is also the case in step S816. The process after such an error detection may be set to a different priority (importance) depending on the type of error, and the process may be used based on the priority. For example, an error that is unlikely to occur in a normal game situation, such as an "HF (unfair payout error)," should be a high priority error. If such a high priority error is detected, it is preferable to perform the processing of step S819 without waiting for the reel stop button 211 corresponding to the remaining reels 301 that are still spinning to be stopped.

In step S815, the player presses the second stop button (the second stop operation among the reel stop buttons 211a to 211c). At this time, the reel stop process as described in FIG. 680 is performed on the reel 301 corresponding to the reel stop button 211 for which the stop operation was performed. The timing of step S815 corresponds to the "pressing of the second stop button" shown in FIG. 681.

The main board 409 then determines whether or not an error has been detected between the pressing of the second stop button in step S815 and the subsequent pressing of the third stop button (step S816). If no error is detected in step S816 (NO in step S816), processing of step S817 is performed. If an error is detected in step S816 (YES in step S816), processing of step S819 is performed without waiting for the reel stop button corresponding to the remaining reels 301 that are spinning to be operated to stop.

In step S817, the player presses the third stop button (the third stop operation among the reel stop buttons 211a to 211c). At this time, the reel stop process as described in FIG. 680 is performed on the reel 301 corresponding to the reel stop button 211 for which the stop operation was performed. The timing of step S817 corresponds to the "pressing of the third stop button" shown in FIG. 681.

Next, the main board 409 determines whether or not an error has been detected during the time from when the third stop button was pressed in step S817 until a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, until all reels 301 have stopped) (step S818). After that, regardless of whether or not an error has been detected in step S818, the process of step S819 is performed.

In step S819, the indication function display on the special display LED 612 is terminated. However, if it is determined in step S804 that the section is not capable of indicating the indication function (NO in step S804), the indication function display in step S809 has not been performed, and therefore no special processing is required in step S819.

After that, in step S820, all reels 301 (reels 301a to 301c) come to a stop, and it becomes possible to determine whether or not a win has been made based on the symbol combination that has come to a stop on the winning line. The timing of step S820 corresponds to "all reels come to a stop" shown in FIG. 681.

As shown in FIG. 690, the processes of steps S819 and S820 are performed regardless of whether an error has been detected during play up to that point, but the subsequent processes differ depending on whether it is determined that an error has been detected. Specifically, if no error has been detected during play up to that point, the processes from step S821 are performed, and if an error has been detected during play up to that point, the processes from step S825 are performed.

First, in step S821, as normal processing when no errors have been detected during play up to that point, it is determined whether or not gaming value has been paid out. In the payout of gaming value, when the stopping of a winning combination is confirmed based on the symbol combination that has stopped on an active line, gaming value corresponding to the winning combination is paid out. If it is determined in step S821 that no payout has been made (NO in step S821), no error has been detected, and the game is ended. If it is determined in step S821 that a payout has been made (YES in step S821), the special display LED 612 starts displaying the number of coins to be paid out (step S822), and the payout process of gaming value (medals) is performed (step S823). Thereafter, since no errors have been detected, the game is ended.

On the other hand, if an error has been detected during previous play, the first step is to determine whether or not gaming value has been paid out (step S824).

The processing of step S824 is the same as the processing (step S821) when no error is detected, and the processing of steps S822 (display of number of coins to be paid out) and S823 (payment processing) performed when it is determined that a payout has occurred (YES in step S824) is also the same.

However, if an error has been detected during play up to that point, steps S826 and S827 are executed to cause the special display LED 612 to display an error. If a payout process is executed in step S823, after the payout process is completed, the payout number display displayed on the special display LED 612 is cleared (step S825) and then steps S826 and subsequent steps are executed. If it is determined in step S824 that no payout has been made, steps S826 and subsequent steps are executed without any action.

In step S826, the special display LED 612 displays the type of error detected up to that point (error display). An example of the error display is as shown in FIG. 688. Thereafter, an error release process is carried out by a hall staff member, sales office, etc. according to the error notified by the error display (step S827), and the game ends.

As described above, by carrying out the processes shown in Figures 689 and 690, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when an error is detected during a game, the special display LED 612 can display an error without obscuring the display of the instruction function or the number of coins paid out, thereby informing the player or hall staff of the type of error that has been detected.

[10-10. Modifications]
In this embodiment, as a method for reducing disappointment that may be given to a player when the ART game is forcibly ended midway despite the ART first winning lottery being won and the ART game being executed, the winning probability in the ART first winning lottery executed in steps S6034, S6094, S6134, and S6201 is determined based on the difference K between a predetermined threshold value G and the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process). Similarly, the winning probability in the ART game number addition lottery in step S6073 and the addition determination lottery in step S6177, and the number of games added in the addition game number determination lottery in step S6179 are also determined based on the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process. Furthermore, the winning probability in the maintenance lottery in step S6193 is also determined based on the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process. However, the method of reducing disappointment that may be given to a player when an ART game being executed is forcibly terminated in the middle is not limited to the above method. For example, it is possible to reduce disappointment that may be given to a player when an ART game being executed is forcibly terminated in the middle by using the effect image displayed on the image display body 500 by the CPU 1118 of the sub-substrate 510 and the instruction function display process executed by the main substrate 409. Below, the effect image displayed on the image display body 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 692, taking the add-on determination lottery in step S6177 and the add-on game number determination lottery in step S6179, which are processes executed during the ART game, as examples, and the instruction function display process will also be described. Note that FIG. 692 is an example of an effect image related to the add-on determination lottery and the add-on game number determination lottery.

The effect image displayed on the image display 500 by the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 is determined based on the difference K between a predetermined threshold G and the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process (the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process). Similarly, the mode of the instruction function display process executed by the main board 409 is also determined based on the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process.

First, a case will be described where the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the fourth specified number. During the execution of the ART game, when the add-on determination lottery of step S6177 is won and the number of add-on games for the ART game is determined by the add-on game number determination lottery of step S6179, an image prompting the player to operate the effect button 204 is displayed on the image display 500 as shown in FIG. 692(a). Although such an image prompting the player to operate the effect button 204 is intended to give the player hope that he or she has won the add-on determination lottery for the ART game, it is also displayed with a certain probability even if the add-on determination lottery of step S6177 is lost. Therefore, even if an image prompting the player to operate the effect button 204 is displayed, it does not necessarily mean that the player has won the add-on determination lottery for the ART game.

If the player loses the lottery to determine the bonus in the ART game, even if an image prompting the player to operate the effect button 204 is displayed and the player operates the effect button 204, the image display 500 will display the losing image shown in FIG. 692 (b).

When the player wins the ART game add-on lottery and an image is displayed encouraging the player to operate the effect button 204, and the player operates the effect button 204, the number of games to be added is displayed on the image display 500, as shown in Figures 692(c) to 692(e). Figure 692(c) shows that the number of games to be added is 20 games, Figure 692(d) shows that the number of games to be added is 70 games, and Figure 692(e) shows that the number of games to be added is 300 games.

In FIG. 692, "30G remaining" displayed in the upper left indicates that the number of remaining games of the ART game is 30, and "TOTAL 1400" displayed in the lower right indicates that the game number counter GC counted during the game number management process is 1400. In this embodiment, when the game number counter GC indicating the number of games executed during the game number management process reaches a predetermined threshold value G (1500 games in this example), the game number management process ends and the advantageous state is shifted to the hell state, so "TOTAL 1400" displayed in the lower right means that the number of remaining games until the end of the game number management process is 100 games.

Next, a case where the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the fourth specified number will be described. When the combination selected by the internal lottery during the execution of the ART game is "Special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the probability of winning the add-on determination lottery in step S6177 is 65536 out of 65536. Then, when the number of add-on games of the ART game is determined by the add-on game number determination lottery in step S6179, an image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed on the image display 500, as in the case where the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the fourth specified number (FIG. 692). As described above, such an image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 makes the player hope that he or she has won the add-on determination lottery of the ART game, but it is displayed with a certain probability even if the add-on determination lottery of step S6177 is lost. Therefore, even if an image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed, it does not determine that the player has won the add-on determination lottery of the ART game.

If the player loses the lottery to determine the additional bonus for the ART game, even if an image prompting the player to operate the effect button 204 is displayed and the player operates the effect button 204, the image display 500 will display the losing image shown in FIG. 692 (b), just as in the case where the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the fourth specified number.

However, if the player wins the lottery for determining whether or not to add an ART game, and an image prompting the player to operate the effect button 204 is displayed and the player operates the effect button 204, even if the player wins the lottery for determining whether or not to add an ART game in step S6177 and the number of ART games to be added is determined by the lottery for determining the number of games to be added in step S6179, the image display 500 does not display the images shown in Fig. 692(c) to Fig. 692(e), and displays the losing image shown in Fig. 692(b). Then, when the number of ART games already specified to the player is consumed (when the ART game that is executed when no additional games are added is consumed), even if the ART game is actually added and continues internally, the image display 500 displays an end effect image indicating that the ART game has ended. Therefore, although the ART game is continuing internally, the risk of the player realizing that the ART game is continuing can be suppressed. This can suppress a situation in which the ART game is forcibly terminated midway despite the ART game having been continued. As a result, it is possible to prevent players from becoming disappointed and, ultimately, to prevent a decline in interest.

However, when the hand selected by the internal lottery is "Special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip," the ART game is added with a probability of 65536 out of 65536, so when the symbol combination corresponding to the special maintenance lip is displayed on the active line, the player will understand that the ART game will be added at that point. Therefore, if the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is equal to or greater than the fourth specified number, the instruction function display is performed in a manner in which the symbol combination corresponding to the special maintenance lip is displayed on the active line (the instruction function display for pushing in order is performed), but if the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the fourth specified number, the instruction function display is performed in a manner in which the symbol combination corresponding to the special maintenance lip is not displayed on the active line. In detail, the instruction function display is performed for the push order determined with equal probability from among the four push orders excluding the push order (push order of 123) and the reverse sandwich push (push order of 312). Here, not only the normal push (push order of 123) but also the reverse sandwich push (push order of 312) are excluded from the instruction function display because, as can be seen from FIG. 645 to FIG. 650, the reverse sandwich push (push order of 312) is an instruction function display that is performed so that the up replay 2, which is the trigger for transition to the specialized zone, is displayed on the active line. Therefore, in order to avoid entering the specialized zone even if the specialized zone lottery has not been won, the instruction function display is set to display the push order determined with equal probability among the four push orders excluding the normal push (push order of 123) and the reverse sandwich push (push order of 312). This is because entering the specialized zone is rare, and one of the four push orders is frequently instructed, so this is to make it blend in with this. Note that when the role selected by the internal lottery is a normal maintenance replay, one of the six push orders is determined with equal probability, and the instruction function display is set to encourage the stop operation in this determined push order. As a result, if the number of games K remaining until the end of the game count management process is less than the fourth specified number, even if the combination selected by the internal lottery is "Special Maintenance Rep + Normal Maintenance Rep," the player is unlikely to realize this.

The fourth specified number can be set arbitrarily, but is preferably a value that allows all ART games, including the added number of games, to be played without ending the ART game midway, even if an ART game is added. In this embodiment, the maximum number of ART games that can be added is 300 games, so taking into account the initial number of ART games, it is preferable that the fourth specified number is 350 games or more.

In the above-mentioned modified example, when the ART game is added, if the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the fourth specified number, the losing image shown in FIG. 692(b) is always displayed, but this is not limited to this. For example, even if the ART game is added and the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the fourth specified number, the losing image shown in FIG. 692(b) may be displayed when a certain condition is met (for example, when the lottery for whether or not to display the losing image shown in FIG. 692(b) is won). In addition, the above-mentioned certain condition may be changed according to the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process (for example, the probability of displaying the losing image increases in proportion to the decrease in the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process). In this case, even if the role selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the instruction function display is performed in a manner in which the pattern combination corresponding to the special maintenance lip is not displayed on the active line so that the player does not know this.

In addition, in the above-mentioned modified example, whether or not to display the failure image shown in FIG. 692(b) despite the addition of ART games is determined based on whether or not the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is less than the fourth specified number, but the criterion for whether or not to display this failure image does not necessarily have to be whether or not it is less than the fourth specified number. For example, the remaining number of ART games including the added number of ART games and the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process are compared, and when it is determined that the remaining number of ART games including the added number of ART games is less than the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process, an image indicating that the ART games have been added may be displayed, and when it is determined that the remaining number of ART games including the added number of ART games is greater than the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process, a failure image may be displayed. In this case, even if the combination selected by the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip," the instruction function display is performed in such a way that the symbol combination corresponding to the special maintenance lip is not displayed on the active line, so that the player does not realize this.

In addition, in this modified example, if the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is less than the fourth specified number, even if the addition determination lottery in step S6177 is won and the number of ART games to be added is determined by the addition game number determination lottery in step S6179, a losing image indicating that no ART games will be added is displayed on the image display 500, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, in order to give the player the impression that the ART game will not be forcibly terminated halfway even if the ART game is added, an image indicating that a number of games less than the number of games actually added has been added may be displayed on the image display 500. For example, if the number of games remaining in the ART game is 30 and the number of games K remaining until the end of the game number management process is 50, when 50 ART games are added, the number of games remaining in the ART game will be 80. However, since the remaining number of games K until the end of the game number management process is 50 games, it is not possible to consume all of the remaining number of games of the ART game, which is 80 games, and when 50 games are consumed, the ART game will be forced to end halfway. Therefore, even if the number of ART games actually added is 50 games, an image indicating that a number of games (20 games or less) less than the number of games actually added (50 games) has been added is displayed on the image display body 500. However, in this case, it is better to display the number of added games that is actually a value in the data of the added game number lottery table. This is because if an added number that is not in the data of the added game number lottery table is displayed, the player may be aware of it. However, in this case, a difference may occur between the threshold value of 1500 games and the number of ART games currently consumed (displayed) In this case, if the difference is smaller than the minimum number of added games that is actually in the data of the added game number lottery table, the ending effect image described later is executed, and if it is larger, when the number of ART games becomes "0", an effect such as that shown in FIG. 692 may be performed based on the actual value in the data of the added game number lottery table. As a result, the player can be given the impression that all ART games, including the added number of games, have been played, and it is possible to prevent the player from becoming disappointed due to the ART game being forcibly ended halfway, and thus to prevent a decrease in interest. In this case, even if the role selected in the internal lottery is "special maintenance lip + normal maintenance lip", the instruction function display is performed in a manner in which the pattern combination corresponding to the special maintenance lip is not displayed on the active line so that the player does not know this.

However, even if it has been determined that an ART game will be added, if a losing image is displayed on the image display 500, or an image indicating that a number of games less than the number of games actually added has been added is displayed on the image display 500, the ART game will continue internally. Therefore, it is preferable to display an end effect image indicating the end of the ART game on the image display 500 until the number of games remaining until the end of the game number management process K becomes 0. This makes it possible to prevent players from being disappointed due to the ART game being forced to end halfway through, as it will appear that the ART game has ended from the outside, and thus to prevent a decline in interest.

In this modified example, as described above, the method of reducing disappointment that may be felt by a player when an ART game being played is forcibly terminated midway through, using the presentation image displayed on the image display 500 by the CPU 1118 of the sub-substrate 510 and the instruction function display process executed by the main substrate 409, has been described using the add-on determination lottery in step S6177 and the add-on game number determination lottery in step S6179, which are processes executed during the ART game, as examples, but is not limited to this and can also be applied to the ART first hit lottery in steps S6034, S6094, S6134, and S6201, the ART game number add-on lottery in step S6073, and the maintenance lottery in step S6203.

The gaming machine represented by the slot machine 1 described in this embodiment can be expressed as a technical concept in addition to the gaming machine described in claim 1.

The gaming machine with technical concept 1 is,

A gaming machine comprising a plurality of variably displayed symbol rows and a stop operation means capable of stopping the variably displayed symbol rows, and a game result is revealed when the stop operation means is operated,
An instruction control means capable of executing an instruction for an operation mode of the stop operation means;
an advantageous game execution means capable of executing an advantageous game capable of continuously generating instructions of the operation mode of the stop operation means by the instruction control means;
an add-on lottery means for performing an add-on lottery for adding on the number of games of the advantageous game to be played;
A performance control means for controlling a predetermined performance, the performance being controllable to perform a performance based on the result of the additional lottery;

An instruction state control means for controlling the game state related to the execution of the instruction of the operation mode of the stop operation means to either an instruction permitted state in which the execution of the instruction is permitted, or an instruction prohibited state in which the execution of the instruction is not permitted,

an instruction state transition control means for transitioning from the instruction permitted state to the instruction disabled state based on a parameter that can be updated as the game progresses satisfying a predetermined condition in the instruction permitted state;
Equipped with
The performance control means includes:

The present invention is characterized by having a means for controlling, in the instruction allowing state, the presentation based on the result of the additional lottery, including whether or not to perform the presentation, based on the result of the additional lottery, based on parameters that can be updated as the game progresses.

The gaming machine described in the above technical concept is equipped with an advantageous game (e.g., an ART game) that can continuously generate instructions for the operation mode of the stop operation means. This type of gaming machine also has a role selection means that selects a role each time a game is executed.

In the above role lottery, multiple roles are the subject of the lottery, including an instruction role in which the amount of game media awarded to the player differs depending on whether the stop operation means is operated in a proper operation mode or an improper operation mode. The instruction role corresponds to "Push Order Bell 1" to "Push Order Bell 6" in this embodiment, and when operated in a proper operation mode, for example, eight game media are awarded as a prize, and when operated in an improper operation mode, for example, one or zero game media are awarded as a prize (no game media are awarded as a prize in the case of zero). The above proper operation mode and improper operation mode correspond to when the push order is correct and when it is incorrect, but are not limited to this. For example, if the timing of the stop operation means (reel stop buttons 211a, 211b, 211c) to stop is correct, then it is considered that the operation is appropriate and a prize of, for example, eight gaming media is awarded, and if the timing of the stop operation means to stop is incorrect, then it is considered that the operation is inappropriate and a prize of, for example, one or zero gaming media is awarded (if zero gaming media is awarded, no gaming media is awarded as a prize).

Although not described in the above technical concept, the gaming machine of this technical concept is equipped with an advantageous game execution lottery means that performs an execution lottery of an advantageous game that can generate an instruction for the operation mode of the stop operation means continuously over multiple games. The ability to continuously generate an instruction for the operation mode of the stop operation means that it is possible to continuously generate an instruction to operate the stop operation means in an appropriate operation mode over multiple games. Therefore, the execution lottery of the advantageous game described above corresponds to the transition destination determination lottery described in this embodiment if the instruction is not possible (Hell state) described later, and corresponds to the "ART first hit lottery" and "addition determination lottery" described in this embodiment if the instruction is allowed (Advantageous state or Pullback state) described later. Note that the internal lottery in the Hell state described in this embodiment is a lottery in which a special role can be selected, but does not correspond to the above "execution lottery of the advantageous game". This is because even if a special role is selected in the internal lottery, it only determines that the state will be transitioned from the Hell state to the advantageous state, and is not a lottery that determines the execution of an advantageous game (ART game) that can be generated continuously over multiple games.

The gaming machine of this technical concept further includes a display means (image display body 500) that performs a predetermined display effect. This display means is controlled by an effect control means (corresponding to the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510) so that effects based on the results of the advantageous game execution lottery and the results of the add-on lottery are performed. For example, the display means displays a confirmation effect that the advantageous game execution lottery has been won, an expectation effect that indicates there is a possibility that the advantageous game execution lottery has been won, an add-on confirmation effect that indicates that the add-on lottery has been won, and the number of advantageous games that has been added as a result of winning the add-on lottery. The display means may also display effects that indicate the operation mode of the stop operation means.

If the result of the lottery to execute an advantageous game (e.g., an ART game) is a specific result, the advantageous game is executed. In other words, if the result of the lottery to execute an advantageous game when not in an advantageous game is a specific result, the advantageous game is executed immediately or after multiple games have been executed, and if the result of the lottery to execute an advantageous game (add-on lottery) when in an advantageous game is a specific result, the advantageous game is added on and the execution period is extended.

As the lottery state in which the lottery for the execution of the advantageous game is performed, multiple lottery states with different degrees of expectation for obtaining a specific result are prepared. In this embodiment, as the lottery states when the advantageous game is being executed, the following are prepared: low probability state during ART, high probability state during ART, in specialized zone, and specialized zone preparation. In addition, as the lottery states when the advantageous game is not being executed, the hell state, advantageous states A to E, and the pullback state are prepared, but are not necessarily limited to these.

The game state related to the execution of instructions of the operation mode of the stop operation means is configured to be controllable to either an instruction permissible state in which the execution of instructions is permitted, or an instruction unpermissible state in which the execution of instructions is not permitted. The instruction permissible state corresponds to the advantageous state described in this embodiment, and the instruction unpermissible state corresponds to the hell state described in this embodiment. Note that even in the instruction permissible state, the instruction function flag described in this embodiment is not necessarily set to ON, but it is possible to set the instruction function flag to ON at a desired timing (for example, when a predetermined condition is met). On the other hand, the instruction unpermissible state is defined as an advantageous state in which it is impossible to set the instruction function flag to ON, and the instruction function flag is set to ON.

In this embodiment, the period during which the game count management flag is set to ON corresponds to the instruction permitted state described above, and the period during which the game count management flag is set to OFF corresponds to the instruction disabled state described above.

In addition, when a special role (special watermelon, special cherry, special maintenance lip) is selected in the internal lottery, the state transitions from the command-disabled state to the command-permitted state. Here, the command-permitted state has multiple states with different expectations for the execution of advantageous games. When the state transitions from the command-disabled state to the command-permitted state, the counting means counts a parameter that can be updated as the game progresses. In this embodiment, the parameter is the number of games executed, but is not limited to this, and may be, for example, the difference in number (the difference between the number of game media awarded as a prize and the number of game media used to execute the game) or the number of times the command role was selected in the internal lottery.

When the parameter counted by the counting means satisfies a predetermined condition, the instruction allowing state ends and the state transitions to the instruction disabling state. In this embodiment, when the parameter (e.g., the number of games played) counted in advantageous states A to E or in the pullback state as the instruction allowing state reaches a threshold, the instruction allowing state ends and the state transitions to the instruction disabling state. Note that if the parameter reaches a threshold while an advantageous game (e.g., an ART game) is being played, the instruction allowing state ends and the state transitions to the instruction disabling state even if the advantageous game being played is in progress (even if the specified number of games that are the end condition of the advantageous game being played have not been played), and the advantageous game being played is forcibly ended.

The above parameters are updated as the game progresses, and the update method may be an incremental update method as the game progresses, or a subtractive update method from a specified value as the game progresses. For example, if the above parameter is the "number of games played," then an incremental update method adds 1 each time one game is played, and a subtractive update method subtracts 1 from the specified value each time one game is played. In this embodiment, the number of games played is incremented by 1 each time one game is played, and the instruction permission state ends when the number of games played reaches a threshold value. On the other hand, a subtractive update method subtracts 1 from the threshold value each time one game is played, and the instruction permission state ends when it reaches 0.

In this embodiment, the number of games played in the instruction permitted state is greater than the number of games played in the instruction prohibited state. In the instruction permitted state, when the counted parameter reaches a threshold, the state transitions to the instruction prohibited state. In the hell state, which is the instruction prohibited state, transition to an advantageous state is not confirmed, but the expectation of the ART game being executed (the expectation of transitioning to advantageous state B or advantageous state E) is configured to be greater than the expectation of the ART game being executed in at least advantageous state A. Therefore, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to suppress a decline in interest while suppressing gambling.

In a gaming machine based on the present technical concept, which transitions from an instruction-permitted state to an instruction-non-permitted state based on a parameter (e.g., the number of games executed) counted in advantageous states A to E or in the withdrawal state as an instruction-permitted state reaching a threshold, the closer the parameter approaches the threshold, the more likely it is that the player will be disappointed when winning the lottery to add to the number of games executed of an advantageous game. For example, if the parameter is the "number of games executed," and the "number of games remaining until the threshold is reached" is smaller than the "number of advantageous games executed as an advantageous game," the advantageous game will be forcibly ended midway during its execution, which may result in disappointment for the player even if the lottery to execute the advantageous game is won.

Therefore, in the gaming machine of this technical concept, the presentation based on the result of the add-on lottery performed on the display means (image display body 500) is controlled based on a parameter that can be updated as the game progresses. That is, the content of the presentation based on the result of the add-on lottery performed on the display means (image display body 500) can be changed based on the above parameter reaching a specified value (for example, the number of games played in the instruction-permitted state reaching a specified number of games). Specifically, when the above parameter reaches a specified value before the addition lottery is won, a presentation indicating that the addition lottery has been won (hereinafter referred to as a "pre-regulation addition lottery presentation") is performed with a relatively high probability, but when the above parameter reaches a specified value after the addition lottery is won, a presentation indicating that the addition lottery has been won or a presentation indicating the number of games added (hereinafter collectively referred to as a "post-regulation addition lottery presentation") is performed with a relatively low probability, and in most cases, only a normal presentation (for example, the same presentation as when the addition lottery is lost) is performed. If an effect is displayed indicating that the player has won the additional lottery or the number of games added, the player will feel a sense of elation. However, if an effect is not displayed indicating that the player has won the additional lottery or the number of games added, the player will not feel a sense of elation. This prevents the player from feeling elated and then becoming disappointed, and ultimately prevents a decline in interest. Note that, when the player wins the additional lottery after the above parameters have reached the specified value, it is possible to prevent any effect indicating that the player has won or the number of games added from being displayed at all, based on probability.

In addition, in a gaming machine based on this technical concept, the probability of an effect indicating that a bonus has been won or an effect indicating the number of bonus games played when a bonus lottery is won is set in two stages, the probability of an "add-on effect before the regulation" being played and the probability of an "add-on effect after the regulation" being played, based on a prescribed value, but instead, it may be set in multiple stages. In this case, it is preferable to gradually decrease the probability of an effect indicating that a bonus lottery has been won or an effect indicating the number of bonus games played when a bonus lottery is won as the difference in the number of games between the threshold value and the parameter (i.e., the number of games remaining until the threshold value is reached) becomes smaller.

In addition, in a gaming machine based on this technical concept, even if the player wins the additional lottery after the above parameters have reached the specified values, a presentation indicating that the additional lottery has been won and a presentation indicating the number of games added are performed, although the probability is lower than before the above parameters have reached the specified values. However, this is not limited to this, and after the above parameters have reached the specified values, even if the player wins the additional lottery, neither a presentation indicating that the player has won nor a presentation indicating the number of games added may be performed, a presentation indicating that the player has won the additional lottery without indicating the number of games added may be performed, or a presentation indicating that the player has won the additional lottery may be performed that indicates a false number of games added that is smaller than the number of games actually added by the additional lottery. When a presentation indicating a false number of games added that is smaller than the number of games actually added by the additional lottery is performed, it is preferable to perform a presentation indicating a number of games that is smaller than the difference between the above threshold value and the above parameters.

In addition, in the gaming machine of this technical concept, after the above parameters reach the specified value, the effect of winning the additional lottery or the effect of the number of added games is not performed or is performed only with a relatively low probability. In addition to these, even if the advantageous game is internally continued due to the addition of the advantageous game, it is preferable to perform the effect of ending the advantageous game and end the effect of the advantageous game being played when the number of advantageous games already indicated to the player is consumed, so that it is difficult to know from the outside that the advantageous game has been continued. In this way, after the effect of the advantageous game being played ends even though the advantageous game has been continued, an effect that does not realize that the advantageous game is being played (for example, the same effect as during normal play (when the advantageous game is not being played)) is performed instead of the effect of the advantageous game being played. This reduces the possibility that the player realizes that the advantageous game has been continued, and it is possible to prevent the player from being disappointed by the advantageous game being forcibly ended midway despite the advantageous game being continued after the advantageous game was won in the additional lottery, and thus to prevent a decrease in interest. However, even if the player is prevented from realizing that the advantageous game has continued, the instruction control means will still instruct the operation mode of the stop operation means (in this case, the player will feel the same way as if the operation mode of the stop operation means had been instructed when the advantageous game was not in progress).

[11. Premonition Performance]
In this chapter, an example of the premonition effect of the slot machine 1 will be described. The slot machine 1 in this chapter performs a lottery for entering an AT (assist time), which is an example of an advantageous gaming state, during execution of a normal game, and wins the AT in the lottery. Then, after a lottery-selected number of premonition games (for example, selected from 0 to 32 games) have been played, an AT game (first special gaming state) starts.

AT is an example of an advantageous gaming state in which a payout for a winning small win can be received more easily than in a normal game by using the image display 500 and speaker 512 to display the type of winning small win.

Details will be described later, but in the slot machine 1 of this chapter, in each game, there is a high probability (for example, 1/4.37 as described later) of winning the small prize of the middle 1st bell. In this chapter, the middle 1st bell is a small prize in which, if the middle reel 301b is stopped first after the start of the pattern changing display device 300, bells line up on a specific line (for example, upward to the right) on the pattern changing display device 300, and a large number of medals can be paid out (for example, 10 medals), but if the left reel 301a or right reel 301c is stopped first, bells do not line up on a line on the pattern changing display device 300, and no medals can be paid out.

For example, if the middle 1st bell is won during an AT game, the winning probability of the middle 1st bell is notified immediately after pressing the start lever 210 with a higher probability (e.g., 1/1 during an AT game, 0/1 during a normal game excluding a premonition game) than in a normal game (e.g., 1/1 during an AT game, 0/1 during a normal game excluding a premonition game) (e.g., "1" is displayed at a position directly above the middle reel 301b on the image display body 500, or a sound such as "It's middle!" is output from the speaker 512). As a result, during an AT game, it is easier to receive a payout of 10 coins from the middle 1st bell than during a normal game.

[11-1. Various tables for premonition effects]
Hereinafter, the probability of winning a small prize and the probability of winning a state transition in the slot machine 1 of this chapter will be described first. FIG. 693 is an example of a small prize lottery table. The small prize lottery table is stored, for example, in the ROM 1112 of the main board 409. The small prize lottery table defines the lottery value of each small prize for each state (i.e., when the AT flag is OFF (during a normal game) and when the AT flag is ON (during an AT game)), and the number of medals to be paid out when each small prize is won and the small prize is aligned on a predetermined line (a line generally called an effective line) on the pattern change display device 300.

The winning probability of each minor prize is the quotient of the corresponding lottery value divided by the total lottery values of all minor prizes in that state (65,536). For example, the winning probability of a weak watermelon when the AT flag is OFF is 300/65,536. In this chapter, the payout number and lottery value are the same when the AT flag is OFF and when the AT flag is ON. As mentioned above, the value in the probability column (winning probability) can be calculated from the lottery value of each minor prize, so the minor prize lottery table does not need to include a probability column.

In the example of FIG. 693, the lottery values of the first bell, special bell, replay, and miss are higher than the lottery values of other small symbols. These small symbols with low winning rates that do not fall under any of the first bell, special bell, replay, and miss are also called rare small symbols.

Figure 694 is an example of an AT first hit lottery table. The AT first hit lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. In the AT first hit lottery table, the lottery value of the AT first hit in a normal game (excluding the AT precursor game (hereinafter also simply called the precursor game)) is defined for each small winning combination won in the game. The AT first hit lottery held during the normal game is also called the A1 lottery, and the AT first hit lottery held during the rescue state game described below is also called the D1 lottery.

The denominator of the lottery value in the AT first win lottery table is 65536. For example, if you win a weak watermelon during the normal game, there is a 3000/65536 probability that you will win the AT and move on to the premonition game. Note that in this chapter, the lottery values are the same for the A1 lottery and the D1 lottery. Also, in the example of Figure 693, the AT lottery table includes a probability column, but since the value in each probability column can be calculated as the quotient of the corresponding lottery value divided by the denominator, 65536, the AT first win lottery table does not need to include a probability column.

Figure 695 shows an example of a premonition game number lottery table. (a) is a premonition game number lottery table when the first AT hit is won during a normal game, and (b) is a premonition game number lottery table when the first AT hit is won during a rescue state game. The premonition game number lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. The premonition game number lottery when the AT is won during a normal game is also called an A2 lottery. The premonition game number lottery when the AT is won during a rescue state game is also called a D2 lottery, and the D2 lottery includes two types of lotteries (D2-1 lottery and D2-2 lottery). Details of the D2-1 lottery and D2-2 lottery will be described later.

The winning probability of the premonition game number is the quotient obtained by dividing the corresponding lottery value by the total lottery value of the premonition game number for that state (65,536). For example, the winning probability of a premonition game number of 5 games during a normal game (A2 lottery) is 4,096/65,536. Note that since the value in the probability column (winning probability) can be calculated from the lottery value of each premonition game number in this way, the premonition game number lottery table does not need to include a probability column.

In the example of FIG. 695(a), if the AT is won during a normal game, a premonition of 5 games, 8 games, 16 games, or 32 games is selected, with the winning rate increasing in the order of 5 games < 8 games < 16 games < 32 games. Also, in the example of FIG. 695(b), if the AT is won during a rescue state game, a premonition of 0 games, 1 game, 2 games, 3 games, or 4 games is selected, with the winning rate increasing in the order of 4 games < 3 games < 2 games < 1 game < 0 games in the case of a D2-1 lottery, with a very high probability of a premonition of 4 games being selected, and a very low probability of a premonition of any other number of games being selected, and with a D2-2 lottery, a premonition of 0 games is most likely to be selected, and a premonition of 4 games is least likely to be selected.

Figure 696 is an example of an AT stock lottery table. Details will be described later, but the premonition game essentially includes the premonition second half game (third special game state), which is the final four games of the premonition game, and the premonition first half game (second special game state), which is the premonition game before the start of the premonition second half game. (a) is an AT stock lottery table referenced during the premonition first half game, and (b) is an AT stock lottery table referenced during the premonition second half game. The AT stock lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409.

If the AT stock lottery is won during the premonition game, an AT game will be stocked. The stocked AT game will be released, for example, after the AT game entered after the premonition game ends, for example, after the premonition game or without going through the premonition game.

In the AT stock lottery table, the lottery value of the AT stock is defined for each small winning combination in the game. The AT stock lottery held during the first half of the premonition game is also called the B1 lottery, and the AT stock lottery held during the second half of the premonition game is also called the C1 lottery.

The denominator of the lottery value in the AT stock lottery table is 65536. For example, if you win a weak watermelon during the first half of the premonition game, there is a probability of 1500/65536 to win an AT stock. Note that in this chapter, the lottery values for AT stock for each minor role are different in the B1 lottery and C1 lottery. Also, in the example of Figure 696, the AT stock lottery table includes a probability column, but since the value in each probability column can be calculated as the quotient of the corresponding lottery value divided by the denominator, 65536, the AT stock lottery table does not need to include a probability column.

Figure 697 is an example of a pseudo bonus lottery table. The pseudo bonus lottery table is stored in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. A pseudo bonus is an example of an advantageous gaming state. For example, it is possible to win a pseudo bonus during a normal game and an AT game, including a premonition game.

When the pseudo bonus is won, a pseudo bonus premonition game is played for a predetermined number of games. After the pseudo bonus premonition game ends, if a specific minor win (e.g., a replay) is achieved, the pseudo bonus starts from the next game by stopping the reels in a predetermined push order. The predetermined push order is announced, for example, by the image display 500 or the speaker 512.

In addition, in the specified push order, the player can aim for a bonus symbol (for example, "7" or "BAR") and press the buttons to line up the bonus symbols in a specified shape (for example, "7-7-7", "BAR-BAR-BAR", "7-7-BAR", etc.), but even if the specified shapes are not lined up, the player will enter a pseudo bonus.

During the pseudo bonus, the lottery value of the small win probability table is referenced, for example, in the same way as when the AT flag is ON. Also, during the pseudo bonus, just like during the AT, a presentation showing the type of small win that has been won is executed using the image display 500 and speaker 512, and compared to the normal game, it is easier to receive the payout for the small win that has been won.

The pseudo bonus ends when a certain ending condition is met. Examples of the certain ending conditions include a certain number of games being played since the start of the pseudo bonus, a certain number of medals being paid out since the start of the pseudo bonus, and a certain number of minor winning combinations being achieved since the start of the pseudo bonus.

In this way, a section where medals increase when the bonus symbols are aligned in a specific shape (for example, "7-7-7", "BAR-BAR-BAR", "7-7-BAR", etc.) begins, and since this is very similar to a real bonus, it is commonly called a pseudo bonus, but more details about pseudo bonuses will be given later in this chapter.

Figure 698 is an example of an AT initial game number lottery table. The AT initial game number lottery table is stored in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. The AT initial game number lottery table defines the number of AT games when the first AT hit or AT stock is won, for each state at the time of the lottery.

The denominator of the lottery value in the AT initial game number lottery table is 128. For example, if you win the first AT during a normal game, the probability that the initial number of AT games will be 50, 100, 200, or 300 games is 32/128. Also, the expected values of the AT initial game number in the A1 lottery, B1 lottery, C1 lottery, and D1 lottery are 162.5 games, 112.5 games, 96.875 games, and 193.75 games, respectively. In other words, the expected value of the AT initial game number is greatest in the following order: rescue state game > normal game (excluding premonition game) > premonition first half game > premonition second half game.

Figure 699 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of the stop patterns of various bells. (a) is an example of the stop pattern of a common bell. When a common bell is won, regardless of the stopping order of the reels, the bells stop in the middle rows of the left reel 301a, center reel 301b, and right reel 301c (middle row alignment), and 10 medals are paid out.

(b1) is an example of a stopping pattern when the middle reel 301b is stopped first when the first middle bell is won. In this case, bells stop on the bottom row of the left reel 301a, the middle row of the middle reel 301b, and the top row of the right reel 301c (aligned upwards to the right), and 10 medals are paid out. (b2) is an example of a stopping pattern when the left reel 301a or the right reel 301c is stopped first when the first middle bell is won. In this case, no bell stops on the bottom row of the left reel 301a, and the bells do not line up horizontally or diagonally, but stop in a losing pattern, and no medals are paid out.

(c1) is an example of a stop pattern when the center reel 301b is stopped first when a special bell is won while the AT flag is off (i.e., not in the AT). In this case, bells stop on the bottom rows of the left reel 301a, center reel 301b, and right reel 301c (bottom row alignment), and two medals are paid out. (c2) is an example of a stop pattern when the left reel 301a or right reel 301c is stopped first when a special bell is won while the AT flag is off (i.e., not in the AT). In this case, a bell stops on the bottom row of the left reel 301a, but the bells do not line up horizontally or diagonally, but stop in a missing row, and one medal is paid out.

(c3) is an example of a stop pattern when the center reel 301b is stopped first when a special bell is won when the AT flag is on (i.e., during the AT). In this case, bells stop (aligned downwards to the right) on the top of the left reel 301a, the middle of the middle reel 301b, and the bottom of the right reel 301c, and 10 medals are paid out. (c4) is an example of a stop pattern when the left reel 301a or the right reel 301c is stopped first when a special bell is won when the AT flag is on (i.e., during the AT). In this case, the bells do not stop on the bottom of the left reel 301a, and the bells do not line up horizontally or diagonally, but stop in a losing pattern, and medals are not paid out. In other words, the special bell is controlled to stop the reels differently (control is executed to display different symbols) depending on whether or not the AT flag is on (whether or not the AT flag is on).

[11-2. Examples of premonition effects]
700 and 701 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a premonition effect. (A) is the state when the lever is turned on in the premonition first half game. (A) is a game in which the middle 1st bell is won. If the special bell or the middle 1st bell is won during the premonition first half game, an effect showing the reel push order (the push order that stops the middle reel 301b first) for paying out 10 medals (the maximum payout number in the middle 1st bell winning game) is executed at a predetermined rate, and the player can win 10 medals by following the instructions of the effect.

The specified rate may be the same as the rate at which the push order effect is executed in the AT game, but may be lower than the rate at which the push order effect is executed in the AT game and higher than the rate at which the push order effect is executed in the normal game excluding the premonition game. For example, if the execution rate of the push order effect when a special bell or the first middle bell is won in the AT game and the normal game is 1/1 and 0/1, respectively, the execution rate of the push order effect when the first middle bell is won in the first half of the premonition is 1/2.

Specifically, for example, enemy characters are displayed on the image display 500 directly above the left reel 301a, center reel 301b, and right reel 301c. The central enemy character is displayed in such a way that it appears to be in front of the other enemy characters, and the number "1" is displayed below the central enemy character. Furthermore, the special display LED 612b displays "8" indicating that the push order with center reel 301b as the first stop is correct (see FIG. 679).

In addition to the display using the image display 500, etc., when instructing the push order, a sound such as "It's in the middle!!" may be output from the speaker 512, or the center reel 301b may be lit up more brightly than the left reel 301a and right reel 301c to indicate that the center reel 301b should stop first.

In (B), the player follows the instructions in (A) to stop the middle reel 301b first, and then all the reels are stopped. On the variable pattern display device 300, the bells line up to the right, and 10 medals are paid out. On the image display 500, an image of three enemy characters being pushed away and defeated, and an image saying "10 GET!" indicating that 10 medals have been paid out are displayed. Also, the special display LED displays "10", indicating that 10 medals have been paid out.

(C) is the state when the lever is turned on in the second half of the premonition game. (C) is a game in which the first bell in the middle is won. If the first bell in the middle is won during the second half of the premonition game, a different instruction effect is executed than in the first half of the premonition. In other words, an effect is executed that shows the reel push order that will not allow ten medals to be won (here, the push order is set to cause the left reel 301a to stop first), and the player can win one medal by following the instructions in the effect.

Specifically, for example, enemy characters are displayed directly above the left reel 301a, center reel 301b, and right reel 301c on the image display 500. The left enemy character is displayed in such a way that it appears to be in front of the other enemy characters, and the number "1" is displayed below the left enemy character.

The phrase "Left!" is displayed to indicate that the left reel 301a should be the first reel to stop. Furthermore, the special display LED 612b may display "7" to indicate that the pressing sequence for making the left reel 301a the first reel to stop is correct (see FIG. 679), or the special display LED 612b may not be lit.

In addition, although the background image is not depicted on the image display 500 in FIG. 700, for example, there may be a period during which the background image is displayed, and furthermore, the background image in (A) (i.e., the first half of the premonition game) and (C) (i.e., the second half of the premonition game) may be different. Also, for example, the period during which the background image is displayed is longer in (A) than in (C). This is because in (C), the number of games remaining until the start of the AT is reduced, and therefore attention is drawn to the main presentation rather than the background image.

In (D), the player stops the left reel 301a first, following the instructions in (C), and then all the reels are stopped. In the variable symbol display device 300, bells stop on the lower row of the left reel 301a, and the bells stop in a missing shape, not in a horizontal or diagonal line, and one medal is paid out. In addition, the image display body 500 displays an image of three enemy characters being pushed away and defeated, and an image with the words "1GET!" indicating that one medal has been paid out. In addition, the special display LED displays "1" indicating that one medal has been paid out. Note that the image displayed on the image display body 500 is the same in (B) and (D), but different images may be displayed, for example, an image with more effects may be displayed because (B) has a larger number of medals paid out.

(E) is the state when the lever is turned on in a game in which a rare small win has been won in the second half of the premonition. Note that even if a rare small win has been won in the first half of the premonition, the same effects as (E) and (F), which will be described later, will be played. In (E), it is assumed that a strong cherry has been won. When a rare small win has been won during the second half of the premonition game, for example, an image indicating a chance ("CHANCE!") and an image of an enemy character are displayed on the image display 500.

It is desirable that the image size of the enemy character be larger than the image size of the character displayed when the lever is turned on in a game in which the first medium bell is won. In addition, for example, the color of the enemy character's clothing, the aura that the enemy character has, or the enemy character itself, etc., may indicate the rare minor role that has been won (for example, red if the winning role is a cherry, green if it is a watermelon, etc.). In (E), a strong cherry has been won, so for example, an enemy character wearing red clothing may be displayed.

Figure 701 (F) shows the state in (E) where the player has won a cherry on the symbol changing device 300. Two medals have been paid out. If a strong cherry is won, it is possible to line up cherries on the bottom row of the left reel 301a, the middle row of the middle reel 301b, and the top row of the right reel. The image display 500 shows an image of the enemy character that appeared in (E) being pushed away and defeated. The special display LED also shows "2", indicating that two medals have been paid out.

(G) is the state when the lever is turned on in the final game of the second half of the premonition (i.e. the game immediately before the start of the AT). In the final game of the second half of the premonition, a rock-paper-scissors presentation is held. In (G), an image indicating that rock-paper-scissors is about to begin is displayed on the image display 500. The hand displayed on the left side of the image display 500 is the hand of an ally character, and the hand displayed on the right side is the hand of an enemy character. Also, in (G), like in (C), the first middle bell has been won, and a presentation is being executed that indicates the push order to stop the left reel 301a first.

When the first bell has been won, the effect showing the push order to make the left reel 301a stop first may be displayed until the end of the game. However, since this is the final game of the premonition games, the effect showing the push order to make the left reel 301a stop first may be erased until the result of the final game is displayed (for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start lever 210 was pressed, or when the second stop button is pressed). This is to allow the player to focus on the rock-paper-scissors effect.

(H) is the state after the player stops all reels after first stopping the left reel 301a in accordance with the instructions in (G) in the final game of the second half of the premonition (i.e. the game immediately before the start of the AT). An image of the friendly character winning against the enemy character in a rock-paper-scissors performance, an image announcing entry into the AT game, and an image indicating that one coin has been paid out are displayed on the image display 500.

(I) is the state when the lever is turned on for the AT start game. An image (AT Start! 100G!) indicating that an AT game that will last at least 100 games has started is displayed on the image display 500. Also, (I) is a game in which the first bell has been won. When the first bell is won during the AT game, a presentation is executed that shows the order in which the reels should be pressed to pay out 10 medals, and the player can win 10 medals by following the instructions of the presentation.

As mentioned above, in the first half of the premonition state, when the first middle bell or special bell is won, a center push command (i.e., a command to stop the middle reel 301b as the first stop) appears, allowing the player to win more medals and increasing interest. Furthermore, in the second half of the premonition state, when the first middle bell or special bell is won, a left push command (i.e., a command to stop the left reel 301a as the first stop) appears, preventing an extreme increase in the number of medals won by the player and reducing losses at the hall. In other words, in the premonition state of this chapter, it is possible to both increase the player's interest and reduce the burden on the hall, without relying on the AT transition probability setting of the slot machine 1.

[11-3. Various flows for premonition effects]
Fig. 702 is a flow chart showing an example of the flag processing of step S107 in Fig. 652. First, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 draws a winning combination according to the random number extracted in step S106 in Fig. 652 and the drawing value shown in the small combination probability table in Fig. 693 (S6721). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 judges whether the AT_FLG is off or not (S6722). If the AT_FLG is on, it indicates that the current state is the AT state, and if it is off, it indicates that the current state is not the AT state.

If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT_FLG is on (S6722: NO), it executes the process for when the AT_FLG is on (S6723) and ends the flag processing. Details of step S6723 will be described later. If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT_FLG is off (S6722: YES), it determines whether the AT_ZN_FLG is off (S6724).

When AT_ZN_FLG is on, it indicates that the current state is a precursor state of AT, and when it is off, it indicates that the current state is not a precursor state of AT. Note that AT_ZN_FLG is a general term for AT_ZN_FLG1 and AT_ZN_FLG2, which will be described later. AT_ZN_FLG being on means that it is on when at least one of AT_ZN_FLG1 and AT_ZN_FLG2 is on, and AT_ZN_FLG being off means that both AT_ZN_FLG1 and AT_ZN_FLG2 are off.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT_ZN_FLG is on (S6724: NO), it executes the process when the AT_ZN_FLG is on (S6725) and ends the flag processing. Details of step S6725 will be described later. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT_ZN_FLG is off (S6724: YES), it determines whether the AT_ST_FLG is off or not (S6726). When the AT_ST_FLG is on, it indicates that the AT is stocked (i.e., the AT stock lottery has been won but the stocked AT has not yet been released), and when it is off, it indicates that the AT is not stocked.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT_ST_FLG is on (S6726: NO), it executes the process when the AT_ST_FLG is on (S6727) and ends the flag processing. Details of step S6727 will be described later. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT_ST_FLG is off (S6726: YES), it determines whether the KYUSAI_FLAG is off (S6728). When the KYUSAI_FLAG is on, it indicates that the rescue state is in place, and when it is off, it indicates that the rescue state is not in place.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that KYUSAI_FLG is on (S6728: NO), it executes the process when KYUSAI_FLG is on (S6729) and ends the flag processing. Details of step S6729 will be described later. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that KYUSAI_FLG is off (S6728: YES), it refers to the AT first hit lottery table and performs the AT first hit lottery (A1 lottery) (S67210).

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether or not the AT has been won in the AT initial win lottery in step S67210 (S67211). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT has not been won (S67211: NO), it ends flag processing. If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT has been won (S67211: YES), it refers to the A1 lottery column of the AT initial game number lottery table (Figure 698) and draws the AT initial game number (S67212).

Then, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 refers to the premonition game number lottery table and performs a lottery for the number of premonition games (A2 lottery, FIG. 695) (S67213). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the number of premonition games that has been won exceeds 4 games (is 5 games or more) (S67214).

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the number of premonition games is 4 or less (S67214: NO), it turns on AT_ZN_FLG2 (S67215) and ends flag processing. When AT_ZN_FLG2 is on, it indicates that the current state is the second half of the premonition state of the AT, and when it is off, it indicates that the current state is not the second half of the premonition state of the AT.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the number of premonition games is 5 or more (S67214: YES), it turns on AT_ZN_FLG1 (S67216) and ends flag processing. When AT_ZN_FLG1 is on, it indicates that the current state is the first half of the premonition state of the AT, and when it is off, it indicates that the current state is not the first half of the premonition state of the AT.

Figure 703 is a flowchart showing an example of processing during an AT precursor, i.e., processing when AT_ZN_FLG is on (S6725). First, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether AT_ZN_FLG1 is on (S6731).

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that AT_ZN_FLG1 is on (S6731: YES), it notifies the sub-board 510 that AT_ZN_FLG1 is on, and the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 sets presentation state 1 (S6732). Presentation state 1 is a presentation state in which, when the winning combination is "middle 1st bell" or "special bell", an operation instruction presentation is executed to stop the center reel 301b first. Next, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 refers to the AT stock selection table for the B1 selection, executes an AT stock selection (B1 selection) (S6733), and transitions to step S6738 described later.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that AT_ZN_FLG1 is off (S6731: NO), it notifies the sub-board 510 that AT_ZN_FLG1 is off (AT_ZN_FLG2 is on), and the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 sets presentation state 2 (S6734). Presentation state 2 is a presentation state in which, when the winning combination is "Middle 1st Bell" or "Special Bell", an operation instruction presentation is executed to stop the left reel 301a first.

It is possible to set only one of presentation state 1 or presentation state 2. In other words, when the processing of step S6731 or step S6734 is executed when one presentation state has already been set, for example, the processing of step S6731 or step S6734 may be executed after resetting the presentation state that has already been set, or a new presentation state may be overwritten without resetting the presentation state that has already been set.

Then, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether or not C1_KINSHI_FLG is off (S6735). If C1_KINSHI_FLG is on, this indicates that the C1 lottery is prohibited, and if it is off, this indicates that the C1 lottery is not prohibited.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that C1_KINSHI_FLG is off (S6735: YES), it refers to the AT stock lottery table for the C1 lottery, executes the AT stock lottery (C1 lottery), and transitions to step S6738. Note that in the AT stock lottery table described above, the winning rate of the AT stock is set lower for the C1 lottery (i.e. the lottery during the second half of the premonition and when C1_KINSHI_FLG is off) than for the B1 lottery (i.e. the lottery during the first half of the premonition). If the winning rate of the AT stock is set low, the burden on the hall can be reduced, and furthermore, during the second half of the premonition, a rock-paper-scissors performance is executed to notify the player of the possibility of entering the AT, so that even if the winning rate of the AT stock is low, the player's interest is not likely to decrease.

If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that C1_KINSHI_FLG is on (S6735: NO), it refers to the pseudo bonus lottery table, executes a pseudo bonus lottery (C2 lottery), and transitions to step S6738.

Then, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether or not the lottery in the step immediately preceding step S6738 (i.e., the B1 lottery, the C1 lottery, or the C2 lottery) was won (S6738). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the lottery in the step immediately preceding step S6738 was not won (S6738: NO), the process transitions to step S67311, which will be described later.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the lottery in the step immediately prior to step S6738 was not won (S6738: YES), it refers to the AT initial game number lottery table and performs a lottery for the initial number of games of the stocked AT (S6739). Note that if the number of games of the pseudo bonus is fixed, or if the condition for ending the pseudo bonus is the establishment of a predetermined number of predetermined minor roles, the processing of step S6739 does not need to be executed. Also, if the number of games of the pseudo bonus is determined by lottery, in step S6739, the number of games of the pseudo bonus is determined, for example, using a game number lottery table for the pseudo bonus (not shown).

In addition, when the pseudo bonus is won, for example, the pseudo bonus is activated immediately. Specifically, the pseudo bonus starts from the game next to the game in which the pseudo bonus was won (more specifically, the pseudo bonus starts (the state transitions to the pseudo bonus state) after a predetermined time (period) has elapsed since the pseudo bonus was won and the result of the game in which the pseudo bonus was won is shown. The predetermined time (period) is, for example, the time (period) from when all the reels stop to when the medal payout is completed), that is, there is no premonition game of the pseudo bonus. Also, since there is no premonition game of the pseudo bonus, it is not necessary to execute a performance showing whether or not the pseudo bonus has been won (a performance equivalent to the rock-paper-scissors performance before the start of the AT). Also, the number of games played during the pseudo bonus may be subtracted from the premonition game. This allows, for example, the pseudo bonus to start while the premonition second half game is being played, and further, if the premonition second half game ends during the pseudo bonus, the pseudo bonus can be executed across the premonition second half game and the AT game.

Then, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 turns on AT_ST_FLG (S67310). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 subtracts 1 from the remaining number of premonition games (S67311). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the remaining number of premonition games is 4 (S67312). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the remaining number of premonition games is 4 (S67312: YES), it turns off AT_ZN_FLG1 and turns on AT_ZN_FLG2 (S67313).

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether or not presentation state 1 is set (whether or not AT_ZN_FLG1 is on) (S67314). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that presentation state 1 is not set (whether AT_ZN_FLG1 is off) (S67314: NO), it ends the processing when AT_ZN_FLG is on.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that presentation state 1 is set (AT_ZN_FLG1 is on) (S67314: YES), it executes a premonition break lottery (S67315). The premonition break lottery is a lottery to eliminate ATs that have already been won (first hit AT and stock AT) and end the premonition state. The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the premonition break lottery has been won (S67316). When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the premonition break lottery has not been won (S67316: NO), it ends the processing when AT_ZN_FLG is on.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the premonition puncture lottery has been won (S67316: YES), it turns off all flags (S67317), turns on KYUSAI_FLG (S67318), and ends the processing when AT_ZN_FLG is on. In other words, although the AT is extinguished due to winning the premonition puncture lottery, it is possible to enter a rescue state.

In other words, by making the game play such that even if the player wins the AT lottery and moves to the first half of the premonition, the game does not necessarily move to the second half of the premonition, the player can play the game hoping that he or she will not win the blowout lottery, rather than simply enjoying the premonition performance. Therefore, unlike the premonitions of conventional slot machines that simply provided a sense of security, the slot machine 1 of this chapter can provide the player with a thrill even during the premonition.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the number of remaining games in the premonition game is not 4 (S67312: NO), it determines whether or not the number of remaining games in the premonition game is 0 (S67319). When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the number of remaining games in the premonition game is not 0 (S67319: NO), it transitions to step S67314 described above. When it determines that the number of remaining games in the premonition game is 0 (S67320: YES), it turns off AT_ZN_FLG (S67321) and ends the processing when AT_ZN_FLG is on.

Figure 704 is a flow chart showing an example of processing when an AT is stocked, i.e., processing when AT_ST_FLG is on (S6727). First, the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 sets presentation state 1 (S6741). That is, in the premonition of a stocked AT, a state in which a center push instruction appears when the middle 1st bell and special bell are won, i.e., the same state as the first half of the premonition. Note that in step S6741, presentation state 2 (i.e., the same state as the second half of the premonition) may be set instead of presentation state 1.

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether AT_STZN_FLG is off (S6742). If AT_STZN_FLG is on, it indicates that the state is a precursor to the stored AT, and if it is off, it indicates that the state is not a precursor to the stored AT.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT_STZN_FLG is on (S6742: NO), the process proceeds to step S6745, which will be described later. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT_STZN_FLG is off (S6742: YES), the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 sets the number of premonition games for the AT stock premonition to 5 games (S6743).

The number of premonition games for the AT stock premonition does not have to be five, but it is desirable that it be shorter than the average number of premonition games for the first AT win (average number of premonition games in the A2 lottery). This is because if a large number of games are required before the AT is released even though it is stocked, the player's interest will decrease. Also, when AT_FLG is off and AT_ST_FLG is on, the premonition game is always set via step S6743, so the AT stock will not be released after the AT ends without going through the premonition. In other words, for consecutive AT wins, the AT stock premonition will always be used.

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 turns on the AT_STZN_FLG (S6744). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 subtracts 1 from the remaining number of premonition games for the AT stock (S6745). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the remaining number of premonition games for the AT stock is 0 (S6746). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the remaining number of premonition games for the AT stock is not 0 (S6746: NO), it ends the processing when the AT_ST_FLG is on.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the number of remaining premonition games for the AT stock is 0 (S6746: YES), it turns off the AT_STZN_FLG (S6747), turns off the AT_ST_FLG (S6748), and ends the processing when the AT_ST_FLG is on.

As mentioned above, the AT stock precursor is in the same state as the first half of the AT first hit precursor, and performance state 2 is not set in the AT stock precursor. In other words, in the AT stock precursor, the AT stock is released without going through the same state as the second half of the AT first hit precursor.

Figure 705 is a flow chart showing an example of processing in the rescue state, i.e., processing when KYUSAI_FLG is on (S6729). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 notifies the sub-board 510 that KYUSAI_FLG is on, and the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 executes an operation instruction presentation to make the left reel 301a the first stop regardless of the winning combination (S6751).

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 refers to the AT first win lottery table and executes the AT first win lottery (D1 lottery) (S6752). The first win probability in the D1 lottery is the same as the first win probability in the A1 lottery (Fig. 694). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether or not the AT first win lottery (D1 lottery) has been won (S6753). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT first win lottery (D1 lottery) has not been won (S6753: NO), it turns off KYUSAI_FLG (S6754) and ends the processing when KYUSAI_FLG is on.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT initial win lottery (D1 lottery) has been won (S6753: YES), it refers to the AT initial game number lottery table and executes a lottery for the AT initial game number (S6755).

Then, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 refers to the premonition game number lottery table for the D2 lottery and executes the lottery for the premonition game number. However, if the player played the game before the game in which the premonition break lottery was won in accordance with the instructions on the operation instructions (i.e., stopped the reels in the notified reel push order), the D2-1 lottery will be held, and if the instructions were not followed, the D2-2 lottery will be held.

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the number of premonition games that have won exceeds 4 games (5 games or more) (S6757). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the number of premonition games is 4 games or less (S6757: NO), it turns on AT_ZN_FLG2 (S6758) and ends the processing when KYUSAI_FLG is on. If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the number of premonition games is 5 games or more (S6757: YES), it turns on AT_ZN_FLG1 (S6759) and ends the processing when KYUSAI_FLG is on.

Figure 706 is a flow chart showing an example of the processing after all the reels have stopped. The processing of Figure 706 is performed, for example, immediately after step S209 of Figure 680 becomes YES. The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether AT_ZN_FLG2 is ON or not (S6761). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that AT_ZN_FLG2 is OFF (S6761: NO), the process transitions to step S6765, which will be described later.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that AT_ZN_FLG2 is on (S6761: YES), it determines whether or not a left press navigation (i.e., an operation instruction effect for causing the left reel 301a to stop first) has occurred in the game (S6742). When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that a left press navigation has not occurred (S6742: NO), it transitions to step S6765, which will be described later.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that a left press navigation has occurred (S6742: YES), it determines whether or not a center press has been performed in that game (i.e., whether the center reel 301b has come to the first stop) (S6763). When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that a center press has not been performed (i.e., whether the left reel 301a or the right reel 301c has come to the first stop) (S6763: NO), it transitions to step s6765, which will be described later.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the center button has been pressed (S6763: YES), it turns on C1_KINSHI_FLG (S6764). In other words, if the center button is pressed even though a left press navigation has occurred during the second half of the premonition (when performance state 2 is set), C1_KINSHI_FLG is set and the C1 lottery is not performed (see step S6735). This makes it possible to prevent the player from stopping the center reel 301b first and winning 10 medals when the first bell or special bell is won during the second half of the premonition.

Then, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether or not the game in question is the game that occurred immediately before AT_ZN_FLG2 was turned on (S6765). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the game in question is not the game that occurred immediately before AT_ZN_FLG2 was turned on (S6765: NO), the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 transitions to step S6767, which will be described later.

If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the game in question is the game immediately before AT_ZN_FLG2 is turned on (S6765: YES), it notifies the sub-board 510 of a left press navigation command, i.e., a command to execute an effect indicating that the left reel 301a should be stopped as the first stop (S6766).

Then, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the number of remaining games in the premonition game is 0 (S6767). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the number of remaining games in the premonition game is not 0 (S6767: NO), it ends the processing shown in this flowchart after all reels have stopped.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the number of remaining premonition games is 0 (S6767: YES), it executes a 10-second freeze effect (S6768). During the freeze effect, the reels will not start even if the start lever 210 is pressed. Next, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 turns on the AT_FLG (S6769), and ends the processing after all reels have stopped as shown in this flowchart.

[11-4-1. Specific example of premonition performance 2]
FIG. 707 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. FIG. 707(A) shows the state where the AT game started in FIG. 701(I) has ended. As described above, it is assumed that the AT stock was won by following the left-press navigation in the game during the latter half of the premonition shown in FIG. 700(E) to FIG. 701(F). In (A), a display showing the result of the AT game (for example, the total number of continued games in the AT and the number of medals won) is displayed on the image display 500.

(B) is the state where the AT stock premonition game has started. Because AT stocks are held, the game immediately enters the AT stock premonition game after the AT ends. As mentioned above, the AT stock premonition game has the same presentation as the first half of the premonition when the AT is first hit. (B) is the game where the first middle bell has been won, and the middle press instruction appears when the lever is turned on.

(C) is the final game of the AT stock premonition game. This is a game in which the first middle bell has been won, and when the lever is turned on, a middle push instruction appears. Furthermore, because this is the final game of the premonition game, a rock-paper-scissors performance is executed, and the friendly character has won. (D) is the start game of the stocked AT.

The AT released in Figure 707 was acquired during the latter half of the premonition, as mentioned above. Also, if the left press navigation is not followed during the latter half of the premonition game, C1_KINSHI_FLG will be turned on, so stocking the AT during the latter half of the premonition means that the player followed the left press navigation when it appeared, in other words, stopped the reels in the press order that would result in the least number of medals being acquired at the 1st middle bell or special bell.

In this way, in the premonition of an AT that has been stocked in accordance with an operation instruction that is disadvantageous to the player, by not passing through the latter half of the premonition in which the disadvantageous operation instruction appears, it is possible to prevent the player's interest from decreasing.

As mentioned above, in step S6741, presentation state 2 may be set instead of presentation state 1. This will cause the stocked AT precursor to be in the same state as the latter half of the precursor, reducing the number of medals acquired by the player and reducing the burden on the hall.

In addition, for example, in step S6741, a lottery may be held and presentation state 1 or presentation state 2 may be selected and set according to the results of the lottery, or presentation state 1 or presentation state 2 may be selectable by a player's operation (for example, pressing presentation button 204 before turning on the lever), or the selection rate of presentation state 1 and presentation state 2 in the lottery may be changeable by a player's operation.

In addition, if the selection rate of the presentation state can be changed by the player's operation, the selection rate of the presentation state may be changed depending on the operation mode. Specifically, for example, if the number of times the presentation button 204 is pressed before the lever is turned on is less than 100 times, presentation state 1 is set, and if the number of times the presentation button 204 is pressed before the lever is turned on is 100 or more times, presentation state 2 is set. As a result, if the number of times the presentation button 204 is pressed is small (less than 100 times), the time required for the pressing operation is short and the AT can be entered quickly, but since presentation state 2 is set, the left press navigation appears and the number of medals consumed until the AT is entered increases. On the other hand, if the number of times the presentation button 204 is pressed is large (100 or more times), the time required for the pressing operation is long and it takes a long time to enter the AT, but since presentation state 1 is set, the center press navigation appears and the number of medals consumed until the AT can be suppressed. In this way, different game characteristics can be provided according to the player's operation.

In addition, the release of AT stocks may go through both the first and second half of the premonition, just like the first AT hit.

In addition, in the games of Figures 700(E) to 701(F), that is, in the latter half of the premonition games of the first hit AT, when following the left press navigation, the effect of announcing the winning of the AT stock in case of winning the AT stock is not executed in the premonition games until the start of the first hit AT. Also, it is not announced except in the final game of the premonition game controlled after the end of the first hit AT, and it is desirable to announce that the AT will be executed in the final game of the premonition game (not an effect of announcing that it has been stocked). By not announcing the winning of the AT stock until the release of the first hit AT, the player does not know whether or not there is an AT stock, so he can enjoy the game after the end of the first hit AT with a sense of tension.

Also, as mentioned above, when it comes to the lottery for winning the initial number of AT games, the C1 lottery has a lower average number of games and a lower degree of advantage than the A1 lottery. In other words, the first AT hit that enters after the end of the second half of the premonition has a higher average number of games and a higher degree of advantage than the AT stock won when following the left-press navigation during the second half of the premonition. The second half of the AT premonition is a state in which the AT will be entered once the remaining premonition games have been played, and if the degree of advantage for the AT stock won in the second half of the AT premonition was greater than that for the first AT hit, players would win a large number of medals in a short period of time, increasing the burden on the hall.

[11-4-2. Specific example of premonition effect 3]
FIG. 708 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. (A) is the state when the lever is turned on in the game during the latter half of the premonition. In the game (A), a special bell is won, and a left push navigation appears, indicating that the left reel 301a should be stopped as the first stop, as in FIG. 700(C). Note that, as described in the AT first hit table in FIG. 695 and the AT stock lottery table in FIG. 696, it is desirable that the winning rate of the AT first hit and the AT stock when the special bell is formed is extremely low (for example, 0).

(B) shows the state in which the middle reel 301b is stopped first in the game, and then all the reels are stopped. Because the middle reel 301b is stopped first when the special bell is won with AT_FLG off, bells stop on the bottom row of the left reel 301a, middle reel 301b, and right reel 301c, and two medals are paid out. In other words, more medals are paid out than if the left reel 301a was stopped first in accordance with the left press navigation (in this case, one medal is paid out). Also, a rare character holding a folding fan appears on the image display 500, and a rare performance appears to cheer you on.

In (B), even though a special bell was formed in the latter half of the premonition and left-press navigation occurred, the center reel 301b was stopped first, so step S6764 is executed and C1_KINSHI_FLG is turned on. In other words, the AT stock lottery is not held, creating an unfavorable situation for the player.

However, simply prohibiting the AT stock lottery would put the player at an extremely disadvantage, so when C1_KINSHI_FLG is on, the AT stock lottery is not held, and instead a pseudo bonus lottery that is advantageous to the player is held in step S6737. It is desirable that the winning rate of the pseudo bonus is much lower than the winning rate of the AT stock lottery (AT stock lottery table in Figure 696, pseudo bonus lottery table in Figure 697). This is to prevent the player from creating an advantageous situation despite ignoring the left press navigation.

The rare effect mentioned above can only appear if the player presses the center button (i.e., the same operation as when following the navigation that appears in the first half of the premonition) even though the left-press navigation has appeared in the second half of the premonition (this is an effect that does not appear as a result of a lottery such as a lottery for a winning role or an AT lottery, and it is also an effect that will not appear if the player follows the navigation). Even if the player is put in a disadvantageous situation because the C1_KINSHI_FLG is turned on by pressing the center button, the rare effect can be made to appear, preventing the player's interest from decreasing. Note that an AT stock lottery may be held when the C1_KINSHI_FLG is on, but it is desirable that the winning rate when the C1_KINSHI_FLG is on is lower than when the C1_KINSHI_FLG is off.

(C) is the state when the lever is turned on in a game in which a rare minor win (strong cherry) was won in the latter half of the next game premonition in (B). No special effects are performed in (C). (D) is the state in (C) where the player has made a cherry win on the symbol changing device 300. No special effects are performed in (D) either.

In games (C) and (D), a pseudo bonus is drawn, but the winning rate is extremely low compared to the AT stock drawing. Here, for example, if a special presentation like that shown in Fig. 700 (E) and Fig. 701 (F) is presented as in the AT stock drawing, it will raise the player's expectations even though the winning rate of the pseudo bonus is extremely low, so it is desirable not to present special presentations as described above.

In addition, in a game in which a left press navigation appears in the second half of the premonition, C1_KINSHI_FLG will not be turned on even if the right reel 301c is brought to its first stop. This is because if C1_KINSHI_FLG is turned on for all operations other than the first stop of the left reel 301a, the player will be afraid of making an operational error and become overly nervous, and more medals than planned will not be paid out. In other words, by making the conditions for C1_KINSHI_FLG to be turned on (reducing the rate at which the AT lottery is executed) the same as the press order in the first half of the premonition, a sense of tension can be created in both the first and second half of the premonition.

In the above example, when a special bell is won while AT_FLG is off, two medals are paid out if the center reel or right reel is brought to its first stop, and one medal is paid out if the left reel is brought to its first stop. However, it is also possible to pay out one medal if the center reel or right reel is brought to its first stop, and two medals if the left reel is brought to its first stop.

As a result, if the player presses the center button instead of following the left button navigation when the special bell is won in the latter half of the premonition, not only will C1_KINSHI_FLG be turned on, but the number of medals won from the special bell will also be reduced, so players will be led to follow the left button navigation.

When a game method is performed in which the rate at which the lottery for transitioning to the AT state is executed decreases during the latter half of the premonition (game in which the center reel 301c is stopped first), the rate at which the lottery for transitioning to the AT state is executed decreases, but from the perspective of simply paying out medals, this is higher than a game method in which the rate at which the lottery for transitioning to the AT state is executed does not decrease (game in which the left reel 301a is stopped first).

[11-4-3: Another example of premonition 3]
FIG. 709 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the premonition effect. FIG. 709(A) shows the same state as FIG. 707(D), that is, a game in which the AT stocked during the premonition of the first AT hit starts. In the above-mentioned flow chart and lottery table, when the AT stock lottery is won, one AT is stocked, but it is also possible to win multiple AT stocks in one AT stock lottery. That is, for example, when the AT stock lottery is won, a lottery is held for the number of stocks. Here, it is assumed that multiple AT stocks were acquired in the game during the latter half of the premonition shown in FIG. 700(E) to FIG. 701(F).

For example, a player can win up to a certain number of AT stocks (e.g., 10) in one AT stock lottery, but to prevent the player from winning an excessive number of medals, the selection rate in the lottery for the number of stocks is set to be higher the fewer the number of stocks (e.g., the minimum number of stocks, 1, is 49152/65536, 2 is 8192/65536, ... etc.).

(B) is the state where the AT has ended. The same presentation as in Figure 707(A) is being performed. (C) is a game where the precursor to the second stocked AT has begun. Even though the AT has ended in (B), the AT stock remains, so the precursor to the second stock AT has begun in the game following the end of the AT in (B). In (C), a rock-paper-scissors presentation is being performed to notify the player of whether or not the second stock AT will be entered.

In this way, for each stocked AT, a notification effect (rock-paper-scissors effect) is executed to indicate whether or not the stock AT will be entered in the game immediately before the start of the stock AT. However, while the notification effect when an AT stock is won may be executed for the first AT stock, it is desirable not to execute it for the second or subsequent AT stocks. If the notification effect is executed when the second or subsequent AT stocks are won, the player will be able to easily predict the number of stocks in advance, and may lose interest in the notification effect (rock-paper-scissors effect) that indicates whether or not the stock AT will start.

(D) is the state in game (C) where all reels have been stopped in accordance with left-press navigation. Here too, the notification effect is not performed. (E) is the game following (D), where the AT has started. As in (E), in a game where the AT starts, a notification effect is executed for the first time to inform the player that the AT is about to start.

As shown in (C) to (E), one game is selected as the number of games that precede the second stock AT. In this way, when multiple AT stocks are won, it is desirable to select a maximum number of games that precedes the second and subsequent stock ATs that is shorter than the number of games that precedes the first stock AT. This is because if the number of games that precedes the second and subsequent stock ATs is long despite the player having won multiple AT stocks, the player will become increasingly frustrated.

However, even for the second or subsequent stock AT, it is desirable that the number of premonition games be 1 or more (i.e., 0 games is not selected). If the number of premonition games for the second or subsequent stock AT were 0, the consecutive ATs would tire the player out and would also place an excessive burden on the hall. On the other hand, the number of premonition games for the second or subsequent stock AT may be 0, in which case a large number of medals can be won quickly as the ATs continue.

In addition, when the maximum number of stocks (10) is acquired in one AT stock presentation, it is desirable that the precursors to the second and subsequent stock ATs are all 1 game. In this way, by starting the stock AT with the precursor of 1 game, the player can guess that he or she has acquired the maximum number of stocks before all of the stocks are released, increasing the sense of anticipation.

When a predetermined operation is performed and a predetermined condition is satisfied, a lottery may be held to lengthen the premonition game number of the second and subsequent stock ATs. For example, the predetermined operation may be an operation of pressing the one-coin button 205 three times before the start lever 210, and the predetermined condition may be, for example, a lottery for a winning combination by pressing the start lever 210. This allows the premonition to be lengthened by the player's operation, which increases the interest of players who want to enjoy the premonition performance. In addition, if a rare performance or the like is performed in the lottery, the interest of the player will not be reduced. Note that a lottery to delay the release of the AT is not executed even if the start lever 210 is pressed after pressing the insert button 206 different from the one-coin button 205. Note that, in the above example, an example of lengthening the premonition game number of the second and subsequent stock ATs has been described, but the premonition game number of the first stock AT may be lengthened in the same manner.

[11-4-3: Specific example of premonition performance 4]
FIG. 710 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. (A) is the state when the lever is turned on in the final game of the first half of the premonition, and the same effect as FIG. 700(A) is performed. (B) is the state in which all reels are stopped in the final game of the first half of the premonition. In (B), the condition of step S6765 in FIG. 706 is satisfied, and the process of step S6766 is executed. That is, in (B), the left push navigation appears.

Specifically, in (B), the speaker also outputs the line "Left!" In this way, while the center push navigation appears during the first half of the premonition, by informing the player that the left reel 301a should be the first stop before entering the second half of the premonition (more precisely, when the first half of the premonition game ends and before the next game starts), it is possible to prevent mistakes in pushing the reels in the second half of the premonition. In turn, by preventing mistakes in pushing the reels in the second half of the premonition, it is possible to prevent the C1_KINSHI_FLG from being turned on during the second half of the premonition, i.e., to prevent the AT stock lottery from not being held.

(C) is the state in which all reels have stopped in the final game of the first half of the premonition, and is a continuation of (B). In (C), the line "Left!", indicating that the left reel 301a should be the first stop, is displayed on the image display 500. The displayed line is the same as that displayed when the lever is turned on in the second half of the premonition. Note that the line "Left!" displayed in (C) (also referred to as the "big left push line" below) is displayed larger than the line "Left!" (for example, FIG. 700 (C), also referred to as the "small left push line" below) that appears when the lever is turned on if a special bell or the first middle bell is won in the second half of the premonition game. Note that in (C), the operation instruction line ("Left!") continues to be output from the speaker.

(D) is the state when the lever is turned on in the first game of the second half of the prophecy. The presentation of (D) is similar to that of Fig. 700(C), but differs in that, for example, the line to push left that appeared in (C) continues to be displayed, and the line of operation instructions ("Go left!") continues to be output from the speaker.

(E) is the state when the lever is turned on in the first game of the second half of the premonition, and is a continuation of (D). Although the message to push left continues to be displayed on the image display 500, the output of the operation instruction message from the speaker ("It's left!") has ended. If the message continues to be output from the speaker, it may interfere with the play of other players nearby, so it is desirable that the output of the message sound ends before the display of the message. Also, the message to push left continues to be displayed until the first stop of the game. This makes it possible to prevent players from pushing the reels in the wrong order in the starting game of the second half of the premonition. On the other hand, the display of the message may end before the output of the message sound. This is because some players want to enjoy the premonition effects using the image display 500.

For example, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 measures the time from when the left press navigation command is sent in step S6766 until the start lever 210 is pressed, and notifies the sub-board 510. For example, if the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 determines that the measured time has elapsed since the big left press dialogue was displayed, it erases the big left press dialogue. Therefore, depending on the timing of the measured time, the big left press dialogue may be erased before the start lever 210 is pressed, or after the start lever 210 is pressed and before the first stop of the reel.

By doing this, when a sufficient amount of time has passed since the big left push dialogue was displayed and the player has been fully informed of the push order, the big left push dialogue can be erased to draw the player's attention to other effects. Note that instead of measuring the time, the big left push dialogue may be erased after a predetermined time (e.g., about 5 seconds) has elapsed.

When the big left push dialogue is erased after a predetermined time has elapsed, the predetermined time may be set so that the big left push dialogue can be displayed across the first game of the second half of the premonition and the next game (specifically, for example, about 5 seconds, which is longer than the shortest time for one game, 4.1 seconds), or the predetermined time may be set so that the big left push dialogue is erased during the first game of the second half of the premonition (specifically, for example, about 3 seconds, which is shorter than the shortest time for one game, 4.1 seconds, or about 1.5 seconds, which is shorter than the wait time when the game is completed in the fastest time (i.e., the maximum wait time (about 2.5 seconds)). Also, when the predetermined time is set so that the big left push dialogue is erased during the first game of the second half of the premonition, it is preferable to execute a freeze effect in the first game of the second half of the premonition, with the freeze time set so that "4.1 seconds, which is the shortest time for one game, + freeze time > predetermined time".

In FIG. 710, the start lever 210 is pressed before the big left push dialogue is erased, so the big left push dialogue continues to be displayed, but instead of erasing the big left push dialogue, a small left push dialogue (i.e., a dialogue that is displayed when the lever is turned on when a special bell or the first middle bell is won in the latter half of the premonition) may be displayed. This display continues until the first stop of the reels is made.

(F) shows the state in games (D) and (E) where the left reel 301a is stopped first, and then all the reels are stopped. In (F), the big left push dialogue has been erased, and the same effect as in Figure 700 (D) is being performed.

In the example of FIG. 710, as mentioned above, the display size of the big left press dialogue is larger than the small left press dialogue, but the display size and display position of these dialogues may be the same. In this case, as in the example mentioned above, the dialogue displayed from the time when all reels have stopped in the game where the first half of the premonition ends can continue to be displayed when the lever is turned on for the game where the second half of the premonition starts, but the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 does not need to send a left press navigation command to the sub board 510 when the lever is turned on.

In this case, even when the lever is on, the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 displays the dialogue based on the command sent in step S6766. By not sending the command again when the lever is on, it is possible to avoid failure or delay in receiving the command by the sub-board 510, and to avoid problems with the display of the dialogue when pressing the big left button.

In addition, in a game in the latter half of the premonition where the big left push line continues to be displayed from (C), if the middle reel 301b is stopped for the first time without following the instructions of the big left push line, the display time of the big left push line may be extended, or a small left push line may be displayed.

In addition, if the big left push dialogue has already been erased in the game in the latter half of the premonition, and the center reel 301b is stopped for the first time, the big left push dialogue may be redisplayed, or the small left push dialogue may be displayed. By performing these processes, a player who made a mistake in the push order during the latter half of the premonition can be made to understand the correct push order.

In the above-mentioned premonition game number lottery table (Figure 695), the number of premonition games when the first AT hit is won is 5 or more, but a premonition game number of 4 or less may be selected. When a premonition game number of 4 or less is selected when the first AT hit is won, for example, the second half of one game of premonition is executed, and the previous premonition game is treated as the first half of the premonition game.

When the number of games in the latter half of the premonition is one game like this, it is desirable that the big left push dialogue be erased at the latest in the middle of that one game (for example, three seconds after the display starts). When the number of games in the latter half of the premonition is one game, there is a high possibility that a confirmation effect notifying the start of the AT will be executed in that one game, so if the big left push dialogue were allowed to be displayed throughout the entire period of that one game, it would interfere with such a confirmation effect (the rock-paper-scissors effect mentioned above), and there is a risk that the player's interest will decrease. However, even in such a latter half of the premonition game consisting of only one game, if the center reel 301b is stopped for the first time after the big left push dialogue is erased, the big left push dialogue may be displayed again, or a small left push dialogue may be displayed.

[11-4-4: Specific example of premonition performance 5]
FIG. 711 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a premonition effect. The effect in FIG. 711 is an example of an effect that is performed when AT_ZN_FLG2 is on, i.e., during the second half of the premonition. (A) is the state when the lever is on in a game in which a rare small win is won during the second half of the premonition. In (A), the same effect as in FIG. 700(E) is performed. In the game in (A), it is assumed that a weak watermelon has been won. However, the enemy character displayed in (A) may be displayed in a manner that indicates a watermelon (for example, the enemy character's clothes are green).

When the left reel 301a is stopped for the first time, the weak watermelon is a right-upward alignment (i.e., the watermelon stops on the bottom row of the left reel 301a, the middle row of the middle reel 301b, and the top row of the right reel 301c) or a right-downward alignment (i.e., the watermelon stops on the top row of the left reel 301a, the middle row of the middle reel 301b, and the bottom row of the right reel 301c), and when the middle reel 301b or the right reel 301c is stopped for the first time, the watermelon is a bottom-down alignment (the watermelon stops on the bottom row of the left reel 301a, the middle reel 301b, and the right reel 301c).

(B) is the state in the game of (A) where the middle reel 301b has stopped as the first stop. When a weak watermelon appears in the second half of the premonition, the middle reel 301b is stopped as the first stop (i.e., the same operation as when following the instructions (middle push navigation) when the special bell and the first middle bell appear in the first half of the premonition) is performed, a specified message is displayed on the image display 500.

As the predetermined message, for example, a message (hereinafter also referred to as a helpful message) saying "You can press the middle button, but if you press the left button first, your chances of winning are higher! Oh! By the way, the chances of winning are simply the likelihood of matching up the symbols" is displayed (in the figure, the above-mentioned message is omitted and it is written as "You can press the middle button, but..."). Note that the helpful message may not only be displayed on the image display 500, but may also be output as sound from the speaker.

(C) shows the state when all reels have stopped and weak watermelons have been lined up. The helpful message is erased, and the same effect as in FIG. 701 (F) is performed. As mentioned above, when the center reel 301b is stopped for the first time, the watermelons line up in the bottom row. Therefore, when the center reel 301b is stopped for the first time, if the maximum number of sliding frames for each reel is four frames, in order to line up watermelons, it is necessary to press the reel stop button for each reel when the watermelon is located in the bottom row, middle row, top row, or one or two frames above the top row (any of these five frames in total).

On the other hand, when the left reel 301a is made to stop for the first time, the watermelon can either line up to the right or line up to the right. Therefore, when the left reel 301a is made to stop for the first time, in order to make a watermelon line up, the left reel stop button 211a needs to be pressed when the watermelon is located on the bottom, middle, top, or one to four frames above the top (any of these seven frames in total) on the left reel. In other words, when the left reel 301a is made to stop for the first time, the player has more time to make a timing press.

Therefore, by displaying the helpful message in (B), even a player playing this slot machine 1 for the first time can learn the appropriate way to play. Note that, in order to reduce data volume, the message in (B) may be replaced by a line such as "Left!" as in FIG. 700(C) (i.e., a display that recommends pressing left, displayed during the first half of the premonition).

It is preferable that the kind message is hidden after a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) has elapsed since it began to be displayed. If the kind message remains displayed after a period of time has elapsed that allows the player to fully understand the content of the kind message, the player may feel that it is interfering with the presentation being performed on the image display 500.

In addition, even after the predetermined time has elapsed and the helpful message is hidden, it is desirable to be able to display the helpful message by pressing the center reel stop button 211b without pressing the start lever 210 again. This is to make it possible to provide players who were unable to read the message while it was being displayed with guidance on how to play again. In other words, it is possible to display the helpful message multiple times in one game.

In this way, the helpful message can be displayed again without pressing the start lever 210 again; however, when the number of remaining premonition games is 0 and the freeze effect is being executed (when the processing of step S6768 in FIG. 706 is being executed), the display of the helpful message is prevented from starting. This is to allow the player to concentrate on enjoying the AT game when the number of remaining premonition games is 0 and it is confirmed that the AT game will start from the next game.

In a 10-second freeze effect, for example, the screen suddenly goes black in the first 5 seconds and the blackout state continues, and in the last 5 seconds, a display is displayed on the image display 500 to inform the player that they have won the AT (for example, a message such as "Congratulations!"). Note that any helpful messages that start to be displayed before the freeze effect starts are erased at the latest by the time the last 5 seconds of the freeze effect starts.

In other words, if the AT starts in the game following a game in which a helpful message is displayed, the time required for that game will be the game progress time plus 10 seconds of freeze time, so it will be longer than the time it takes for one helpful message to be displayed.

In addition, if the middle reel stop button 211b is pressed again while the kindness message is being displayed, the kindness message may continue to be displayed as is, and only the display time of the kindness message may be reset. In addition, if the middle reel stop button 211b is pressed again while the kindness message is being displayed, the presentation of the kindness message may be restarted from the beginning. By performing these processes, the kindness message is displayed until the specified time has elapsed after the middle reel stop button 211b is pressed again. Therefore, even if the player is reading the message slowly, the display time of the kindness message can be extended, allowing the player to read the kindness message to the end.

On the other hand, even if the middle reel stop button 211b is pressed again while the kindness message is being displayed, it is not necessary to reset the kindness message display time or redo the kindness message presentation, i.e., it is not necessary to affect the kindness message display presentation that is currently being performed. Some players press the middle reel stop button 211b multiple times in succession to ensure that the middle reel 301b stops, and this is to prevent, for example, the kindness message display time from being extended without the player's intention.

In the example of Figure 711, the kindness message has already been erased at the point of (C), but since the kindness message contains information that is advantageous to the player, it is desirable to continue displaying the kindness message until a predetermined time has passed since the start of displaying the kindness message, even if the start lever 210 is pressed and the next game begins after the kindness message is displayed. In this way, the kindness message can be displayed across multiple games (2 games) in the second half of the premonition, and can also be displayed in only one game without spanning multiple games if the first game in the second half of the premonition is not finished within the predetermined time.

However, when a game starts two games after the one in which the kindness message started to be displayed, it is desirable to forcibly hide the kindness message even if the specified time has not passed since the kindness message started to be displayed. This is because there is a high possibility that the player will not need the kindness message information and will continue playing one game after another.

At this time, a new effect is executed by pressing the start lever 210, but, for example, the display, sound, and lamp illumination of the friendly message effect all take precedence over the display, sound, and illumination of the new effect. This makes it possible for the player to more reliably understand how to play the game. Also, for example, the display of the friendly message takes precedence over the display of the new effect, but the new effect may take precedence over the sound and illumination of the friendly message effect. This allows the player to enjoy the new effect while still understanding how to play the game.

In addition, for example, the new effect may take priority over the kindness message effect in terms of all display, sound, and light emission. In other words, in this case, the kindness message is erased at the same time as the new effect begins. This increases the player's sense of expectation, especially if the new effect is an effect with a high AT expectation, compared to when the kindness message continues to be displayed.

As mentioned above, the kind message is generally displayed for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 5 seconds), but some players feel that the kind message information is unnecessary. Therefore, for example, the kind message is hidden when the AT game starts. Furthermore, the 10-second freeze in step S6768 may not be executed. In this way, even if the kind message is displayed in the final premonition game, the kind message can be erased by pressing the start lever 210 to immediately start the first game of the AT.

In this case, the freeze effect is executed in step S6768, but the freeze time may be shortened. For example, if the freeze time is 0.5 seconds and the game is played at the fastest speed, the display time of the kindness message will be 4.6 seconds, which is the freeze time of 0.5 seconds plus 4.1 seconds, which is the play time of one game taking into account the wait, and this allows the display time of the kindness message (5 seconds) to be shortened.

[11-4-5: Specific example of premonition 6]
FIG. 712 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the premonition effect. (A) is the state when the lever is turned on in the game following the game in which the break lottery of step S67315 was won in the first half of the premonition, that is, the game in the rescue state. As described above, after the break lottery is won, the process of turning off all flags in step S67317 is performed, so the premonition state ends and the rescue state begins.

By providing a lottery for when a premonition breaks, a transition to a premonition does not necessarily mean entering the AT, which reduces the burden on the hall. On the other hand, by making it possible to enter a rescue state after a premonition break, it is also possible to prevent a decline in the player's interest.

In (A), an image of an enemy character is displayed on the image display 100. Also, a left press navigation (i.e., the same operation instructions as when the lever is turned on when the special bell or the first middle bell is won during the first half of the premonition) appears on the image display 500. Also, the left press navigation line by the enemy character is displayed. Note that it is desirable for the enemy character and the line to be displayed in such a way that the player feels that something unfavorable will happen to the player if they follow the line, but no direct instruction to press center is displayed. Also, a message such as "Don't be fooled by the enemy character!!" may be displayed together.

(B) shows the state where the center reel 301b is stopped for the first time without following the left-press navigation in (A). The image display 500 shows an image of an enemy character being damaged. (C) shows the state where all reels are stopped. An image of an enemy character being blown away is displayed.

In (B), if the left reel 301a is brought to a first stop in accordance with the navigation in (A), the player will be placed in an unfavorable situation, for example, the AT winning rate in rescue state games will decrease, or the average number of AT initial games when the AT is won will decrease. When the left reel 301a is brought to a first stop, for example, an image of an enemy character being attacked may be displayed on the image display 500 to indicate that the player is in an unfavorable situation. In this way, the specifications allow a player to receive a favorable lottery if they do not follow the left push navigation, thereby providing the player with an element of strategy.

In addition, in the rescue state game, it may be set so that the AT first hit lottery can be entered only when the reels are stopped in the correct push order. For example, the correct push order may be a specification in which only one of four push orders (center → right → left, center → left → right, right → left → center, right → center → left) excluding the push order that stops the left reel 301a first is correct (the probability of entering the AT first hit lottery is 25%, and the difficulty of entering the lottery is high), or a specification in which three are correct (i.e. the probability of entering the AT first hit lottery is 75%, and the difficulty of entering the lottery is low).

In this case, in a rescue state game, if a reel other than the left reel 301a is stopped as the first stop but the push sequence is not correct, an image of, for example, being attacked by an enemy character may be displayed in (C).

When the AT lottery is won in the rescue state, if the game in which the premonition break lottery was won was played according to the operation instructions for the first half of the premonition (center push navigation), the premonition game lottery table D2-1 is used to draw the number of premonition games in step S6756; if the game was played without following the operation instructions, the premonition game number lottery table D2-2 is used (see FIG. 695 for both).

In the example of FIG. 695, for example, the number of premonition games can be selected between 0 and 4 games, but if the operational instructions are followed (when using the premonition game number lottery table of D2-1), the maximum number of games, 4 games, is selected with an extremely high probability. Note that in a game in which the premonition break lottery is won, if the operational instructions in the first half of the premonition are not followed, it is possible to prevent the player from entering the rescue state in the first place. This is to penalize players who do not play according to instructions. Note that even if the first AT hit is not won, it is desirable for the rescue state game to end after one game. By limiting the rescue state to only one game, players can enjoy the rescue state game with a sense of tension.

(D) is the state when the lever is turned on for the next game after the rescue state. The first AT hit is won in the rescue state, and in (D), the player enters the premonition state. It is desirable that the navigation showing the push order not appear in the premonitions leading up to the won AT in the rescue state. As mentioned above, by not displaying the navigation showing the push order, the player does not know whether or not they have entered the premonition state, creating a sense of tension. Also, since there are a maximum of four premonition games for a won AT in a rescue state game, the number of medals won by the player will not be significantly reduced even if the navigation showing the push order is not displayed.

On the other hand, the push order navigation may be able to be displayed in the next game after the rescue state. For example, the number of games after the rescue state ends for which the push order navigation can be displayed may be selected by lottery. For example, the selection ratio in the above lottery is set so that the push order can be displayed only in the rescue state game > the push order can be displayed up to the first premonition game after the rescue state game ends > the push order can be displayed up to the second premonition game after the rescue state game ends > the push order can be displayed up to the third premonition game after the rescue state game ends > the push order can be displayed up to the fourth premonition game after the rescue state game ends.

A freeze effect may be performed in a game that has transitioned to the rescue state (for example, in (A)). In this freeze effect, all reels are first stopped for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds). For example, if a predetermined operation (for example, pressing the effect button 204 10 or more times) is performed during the 5 seconds of this stopped state, a lottery for the first AT hit may be performed in the rescue state game, and if not, a lottery for the first AT hit may not be performed in the rescue state.

When the specified operation is performed and the AT first hit lottery is performed, for example, the reels are rotated in the forward direction (the normal reel rotation direction) even though they are frozen, to notify the user that the AT first hit lottery has been performed. On the other hand, when the specified operation is not performed and the AT first hit lottery is not performed, for example, the reels are kept stopped or the reels are rotated in the reverse direction to notify the user that the AT first hit lottery has not been performed.

In addition, in order to receive the AT first hit lottery in the rescue state, a more difficult operation may be required than the operation of pressing the effect button 204 10 or more times during the 5 seconds that the reels are stopped in the above example. Specifically, for example, pressing the effect button 204 20 or more times during the 5 seconds that the reels are stopped, or pressing the effect button 204 10 or more times while the reels are stopped when the reels are stopped for only 3 seconds (i.e., a time shorter than the shortest play time of one game (4.1 seconds)). In other words, the rescue state may be a play state that is provided for a time shorter than the shortest play time of one game (4.1 seconds).

For example, if the first AT hit is won in the rescue state, a freeze effect may be executed in the final game of the premonition, making the time longer than other premonition games. As described above, if the AT is won in the rescue state, the navigation does not appear in the premonition, so a freeze effect is suddenly executed to notify the player that the first AT hit has been won, which can suddenly increase the player's sense of excitement. Also, in order to make the player associate the AT hit with it, it is desirable that the AT winning effect in the rescue state be similar to the AT winning effect (rock-paper-scissors effect) when the premonition described above has been passed.

[12. Chance Zone Production]
In this chapter, an example of the chance zone presentation of the slot machine 1 will be described. The slot machine 1 in this chapter performs a lottery for entering the AT, which is an example of an advantageous gaming state, during the execution of a normal game (a game in which, although it is in the advantageous zone described above, no instruction is generated for the push order minor role described above (or an instruction is generated only with an extremely low probability), hereinafter referred to as a normal game), and when the AT is won in the lottery, the AT game starts. Note that after winning the AT game, the AT game may start after a premonition game of the number of games selected by lottery (for example, selected from 0 games to 32 games).

The slot machine 1 in this chapter also performs a lottery to enter a chance zone (hereinafter also referred to as CZ) during the execution of a normal game, and if the lottery results in a winning entry to the CZ, a predetermined number of games (for example, 10 games) of CZ games will start. The CZ game is an example of a normal game, but it is also an advantageous gaming state that makes it possible to win the AT with a higher probability than normal games other than the CZ game. After winning the CZ game, the CZ game may start after a premonition game of a number of games selected by lottery (for example, selected from 0 games to 16 games). Also, an instruction may be generated if the aforementioned push order minor role is won during the CZ game.

[12-1. Various tables]
Hereinafter, the probability of winning a small prize and the probability of winning a state transition in the slot machine 1 of this chapter will be described first. FIG. 713 is an example of a small prize lottery table. The small prize lottery table is stored, for example, in the ROM 1112 of the main board 409. The small prize lottery table defines the lottery value of each small prize for each state (normal and inside BB (big bonus)) and the number of medals to be paid out when each small prize is won and the small prize is aligned on a predetermined line (a line generally called an effective line) on the pattern change display device 300. The small prize lottery is also called the A-1 lottery.

If you win BB during the general mode, you will move to inside BB. When you line up the specified patterns on the pattern changing display device 300 while inside BB, the BB game will start, and after the BB game ends, you will return to the general mode.

The probability of winning a replay is set higher inside the BB compared to during normal play. In the slot machine 1 of this chapter, if a small win is won in a game during the BB, the small win takes priority over the specified symbol and wins. In the example of Figure 713, since there is an extremely high probability of a small win being realized during the BB (65535/65536), it is extremely rare for the BB to win even during the BB. Furthermore, since there is a high probability of winning the BB during normal play (1/7.30), the majority of normal games and AT games are played in the BB state.

In addition, even if the slot machine 1 is powered off or settings are changed while in BB, the state will remain in BB. However, if the RAM is cleared, the state will be initialized and the game will start in normal mode.

In the BB in the slot machine 1 in this chapter, medals do not increase or increase by an extremely small amount (for example, a BB game in which two medals are paid out for a two-coin bet is played until a predetermined number of medals are paid out or for a predetermined number of games, a so-called zero bonus). Therefore, in the slot machine 1 in this chapter, medals are increased by the AT game, not by a bonus.

The common bell is a bell that can be completed in any order in which the left reel 301a, the center reel 301b, and the right reel 301c are stopped. The push order bell, XYZ bell (X, Y, and Z are different numbers, 1, 2, or 3), can be completed only when the left reel 301a is stopped at the Xth stop, the center reel 301b is stopped at the Yth stop, and the right reel 301c is stopped at the Zth stop. If the reels are stopped in any other order, the bells will not be completed on the reels, and you will not be able to receive a payout, or you will receive less coins (for example, one coin) than if a bell had been won. For example, in a game in which 213 bells are achieved, the bells can be completed only when the center reel 301b is stopped at the first stop, the left reel 301a is stopped at the second stop, and the right reel 301c is stopped at the third stop.

The winning probability of each small win is the quotient of the corresponding lottery value divided by the total lottery value of all small wins in that state (65536), and since the value in the probability column (winning probability) can be calculated from the lottery value of each small win, the small win lottery table does not need to include a probability column. This is also true for the other tables described later. Note that in this chapter, the payout numbers are the same during general play and inside BB.

Figure 714 is an example of an AT first hit lottery table. The AT first hit lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. In the AT first hit lottery table, the lottery value of the AT first hit in a normal game excluding the CZ game is defined for each small winning combination won in that game. The AT first hit lottery held during a normal game excluding the CZ game is also called the B-1 lottery.

Figure 715 is an example of a CZ transition lottery table. The CZ transition lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. In the CZ transition lottery table, the lottery value for winning the CZ in a normal game excluding the CZ game is defined for each small winning combination won in that game. The CZ transition lottery held during a normal game excluding the CZ game is also called the B-2 lottery.

Figure 716 is an example of an AT first hit lottery table that is referenced at the start of each game during the CZ (i.e. when the lever is turned on (when the start lever 210 is operated)). The AT first hit lottery table in Figure 716 is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. In the AT first hit lottery table in Figure 716, the lottery value for winning the AT when the lever is turned on in a CZ game is defined for each small winning combination won in that game. The AT first hit lottery that is performed when the lever is turned on in a CZ game is also called the B-3 lottery.

Figure 717 is an example of an AT first win lottery table that is referenced during simulated play in a CZ. The AT first win lottery table in Figure 717 is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. In the AT first win lottery table in Figure 717, the lottery value for winning the AT during simulated play is defined for each small winning combination won in the game. The AT first win lottery that is performed during simulated play of a CZ game is also called the B-4 lottery.

The pseudo game is the following effect: A freeze effect starts at the start of the game or at a specified timing after the start of the game. During the freeze effect, for example, each reel may be stopped or may spin forward or backward. A specified trigger during the freeze effect (for example, operation of the start lever 210 or a specified time has passed since the start of the freeze effect) causes each reel to enter a state in which it can be pseudo-stopped. Note that if a reel is stopped when the freeze effect starts, the reel will spin before entering a state in which it can be pseudo-stopped.

When each reel is in a state where it can be pseudo-stopped, it will pseudo-stop when a specific trigger occurs (for example, a specific amount of time has passed since the start of the spin, or a reel stop button is pressed during the spin, etc.). A pseudo-stop is, for example, a state in which the player can recognize the symbols corresponding to each frame, but the reel has not completely stopped (for example, the reel appears to be slightly shaking). Note that the reel may pseudo-stop automatically after a specific amount of time has passed since the spin, without the reel stop button being pressed.

After each reel has pseudo-stopped, a specific trigger (e.g., a specific amount of time has passed since the pseudo-stop, or the start lever 210 is operated) will cause the freeze effect to end, and actual reel rotation will begin.

As mentioned above, the simulated game is merely one type of presentation, so any small winning combinations that appear to have been won during the simulated game due to the simulated stops are not actually realized, and no payout corresponding to the small winning combination can be received. In other words, during the simulated game, not only the image display 500 but also each reel (the stopping system due to the simulated stops) functions as a means for displaying presentations.

During normal play, after pressing each reel stop button, the reels can be stopped by slipping up to a maximum of four frames, for example. However, when pressing the reel stop button while the reels are spinning during simulated play, there is no need to set an upper limit on the number of frames that can be slipped. In other words, during simulated play, no matter when the reel stop button is pressed, the reels can be pseudo-stopped in the stopping pattern that was determined by the time the reel stop button was pressed. Note that, as with normal play, the reels may only be allowed to slip up to a maximum of four frames.

Moreover, as will be described in detail later, if you continue playing while keeping the one-coin button 205 pressed during the CZ, you will have a higher chance of winning the AT than if you do not keep the button pressed. When the one-coin button 205 is kept pressed, table 2 is referenced in the B-4 lottery, and when the button is not kept pressed, table 1 is referenced in the B-4 lottery.

Although playing the game while keeping the one-coin button 205 pressed in this way is irritating for the player, it increases the AT winning rate and therefore improves the machine payout rate (ball payout rate). On the other hand, playing the game while keeping the one-coin button 205 pressed makes it difficult for the player to play in a so-called full wait state (specifically, the player cannot use one hand to operate the game), so the increase and decrease in balls paid out per unit time becomes gradual, making it easier for the hall to predict ball payouts and therefore easier to plan business operations.

In order to prevent the single-coin insert button 205 from remaining pressed regardless of the player's operation, the structure of the single-coin insert button 205 should be such that the top surface of the surrounding area around the button and the top surface of the button are approximately flat (it is desirable for the structure to be such that the single-coin insert button 205 will not be pressed even if an object with a certain amount of weight and a flat bottom is placed on the single-coin insert button 205).

In addition, during the CZ, there is a higher probability of winning the AT than in a normal game even if the one-coin button 205 is not kept pressed, so players who want to play as many games as possible can choose not to press the one-coin button 205.

Figure 718 is an example of an AT addition lottery table. The AT addition lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. In the AT addition lottery table, the lottery value for winning the AT addition is defined for each small winning combination won in the game.

The AT addition lottery is executed instead of the AT first win lottery (B-1 lottery), for example, during the AT premonition and when the lever is turned on during the AT. If the AT addition lottery is won, the AT addition game number lottery is executed by referring to the AT addition game number lottery table described below, and the selected number of AT games is added. The AT addition lottery is also called the C-1 lottery.

Figure 719 is an example of an AT add-on game number lottery table. The AT add-on game number lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. The AT add-on lottery table defines the lottery value that will be won for each AT add-on game number. The AT add-on game number lottery is also called the C-2 lottery.

Figure 720 is an example of a specialized zone transition lottery table. The specialized zone transition lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. Details will be described later, but during the AT, a transition lottery to the specialized zone is executed instead of a CZ transition lottery. The specialized zone transition lottery is also called a C-3 lottery. Note that a specialized zone refers to a zone in which the number of games in the AT is added with an extremely high probability or for each game.

Figure 721 is an example of a red 7 stop pattern table. The red 7 stop pattern table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. Details will be described later, but a pseudo game is played during the CZ, and when a game is played during the CZ in a predetermined procedure, a lottery is held for the first AT hit, and in the pseudo game, a red 7 stops in the middle of the left reel 301a and right reel 301c, and the stop pattern of the right reel 301c is determined by referring to the red 7 stop pattern table.

The AT expectation in each game during the CZ is indicated by the stopping position of the red 7 on the right reel 301c in the simulated game in that game. For example, in the example in Figure 721, the AT expectation increases in the following order: middle red 7 > top red 7 > bottom red 7 > bottom box red 7 (the box below the bottom box). In particular, the middle red 7 is a number that is selected only when the AT is won, i.e., it is a number that confirms the AT win.

Figure 722 is an example of the arrangement of symbols on each reel in the slot machine 1 of this chapter. Figure 723 is an explanatory diagram showing an image of the reels during CZ. As shown in Figure 723, in the slot machine 1 of this chapter, a transparent liquid crystal 301ca is arranged to cover the upper row of the right reel 301c, and a transparent liquid crystal 301cb is arranged to cover the lower row of the right reel.

During a CZ (at least during simulated play during a CZ), images are displayed on the transparent LCD 301ca and transparent LCD 301cb, and the top and bottom rows of the right reel 301c are not visible. In states other than a CZ, the transparent LCD 301ca and transparent LCD 301cb may be transparent and not display images, or may display images if the top and bottom rows of the right reel 301c are visible.

As shown in Figure 721, the likelihood of winning the AT is higher if a red 7 stops on the top row of the right reel 301c during the CZ (very hot result) than if a red 7 stops on the bottom row of the right reel 301c (slightly hot result). According to the symbol arrangement in Figure 722, when a red 7 stops on the bottom row of the right reel 301c and when a red 7 stops on the top row of the right reel 301c, the symbol on the middle row of the right reel 301c is blank in both cases.

Therefore, by displaying images on the transparent LCD 301ca and the transparent LCD 301cb during the CZ and making the top and bottom rows of the right reel 301c invisible, if a blank stops in the middle row of the right reel 301c, the player will not be able to tell whether the red 7 has stopped on the top or bottom row of the right reel 301c, so the player's sense of tension can be maintained even when the right reel 301c is stopped.

Note that, as will be described in more detail below, by performing a specific operation during the CZ, it is possible to erase the images displayed on the transparent LCD 301ca and the transparent LCD 301cb, making the top and bottom rows of the right reel 301c visible.

In addition, instead of the transparent liquid crystal 301ca and the transparent liquid crystal 301cb, the slot machine 1 may have, for example, a movable body capable of covering the upper and lower tiers of the right reel 301c. In this case, for example, the initial position of the movable body is a position where the symbols on each reel are visible, and during the CZ, the movable body moves to a position covering the upper and lower tiers of the right reel 301c, making the upper and lower tiers of the right reel 301c invisible.

[12-2. Examples of CZ effects]
First, in order to facilitate understanding of the outline of the CZ game, an example of the CZ performance will be described prior to the flowchart for executing the CZ game. FIG. 724, FIG. 725, and FIG. 726 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the performance during the CZ. FIG. 724(A) shows a state in which all reels of a game in which the CZ has been won are stopped. In a game in which the CZ has been won, a freeze performance occurs for 5 seconds from the time when all reels have stopped, and during this freeze performance, the operation of the start lever 210 is not accepted, so that the next game, which is the start game of the CZ, cannot be started. When the freeze performance starts, a message indicating that the CZ has been won is displayed on the image display 500. For example, the CZ is continuously executed for a maximum of 10 games, and when the AT is won, the CZ is terminated in that game, and the AT starts from the next game.

(B) is a continuation of (A), showing the state in which all reels of the game that won the CZ have been stopped. In (B), the freeze effect continues from (A). A message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that if the one-coin insertion button 205 is kept pressed during the CZ, a special AT lottery will be available during the CZ.

In addition, to ensure that the player recognizes that he or she must press the one-coin insert button 205, an image of the one-coin insert button 205 with an arrow is also displayed on the image display 500. In addition, to ensure that the player starts the next game, which is the start game of the CZ, an image of the MAX insert button 206 may also be displayed on the image display 500.

(C) is the state in (B) where the freeze effect has been released, the lever has been turned on, and the CCZ game has started (the state when the lever is on). In CZ, the simulated game starts when the lever is turned on. The image display 500 continues to display the image of the one-coin insert button 205 with an arrow. Also, because the CZ has started, an effect is applied to the image of the one-coin insert button 205 to make a stronger impression on the player.

As mentioned above, if the one-coin button 205 is kept pressed during a CZ, the player can receive preferential AT lottery during the CZ (even if the button is pressed once, the preferential treatment will be removed if the button is no longer pressed). In particular, in the AT first win lottery table for CZ in FIG. 717, in table 2, if the winning combination is a weak cherry, the AT is won at a rate of 1/3.77, but in table 1, if the winning combination is a weak cherry, the lottery value is 0, meaning that the AT lottery is not held. In other words, if the one-coin button 205 is not kept pressed, not only will the preferential lottery value not be available, but the frequency of AT lotteries will decrease, compared to when the button is kept pressed.

Therefore, to prevent the player from forgetting to keep pressing the button, the image indicating the instruction to continue operating the one-coin button 205 continues to be displayed even if the simulated game ends and the game transitions to the main game, and continues to be displayed even if the game transitions to the simulated game played in the second game of the CZ. In other words, the instruction to continue operating the one-coin button 205 can be displayed across multiple games, and continues to be displayed until the CZ ends (until the game state transitions to a game state different from the CZ).

It is preferable that an image indicating a command to continue operating the one-coin button 205 be displayed not only during the CZ game, but also when the game is not progressing during the CZ (between the third stop during the CZ and the operation of the start lever 210). This is to ensure that, for example, a player who starts playing the slot machine 1 in the middle of a CZ can recognize the command to operate the one-coin button 205. In order to ensure that the command is recognized, it is preferable not to display a so-called demo screen or the like when the game is not progressing during the CZ (between the third stop during the CZ and the operation of the start lever 210).

After the instruction to operate the 1-coin insert button 205 in (B) appears, it is desirable to display a caption image ("Keep pressing 1 BET!") on the image display 500, as shown in FIG. 726, which instructs the player to keep pressing the 1-coin insert button 205.

It is desirable to keep this caption image displayed even after the game has ended, for example, until the CZ has ended (including when the game is not progressing). Due to space limitations, the caption image has been omitted from drawings of the CZ performance, such as Figure 724.

In addition, in FIG. 724(C), the lamps on the left reel 301a and center reel 301b may be illuminated, while the lamp on the right reel 301c may not be illuminated, making it easier for the player to see which reel stop button to operate. Also, images are displayed on the transparent LCD 301ca and transparent LCD 301cb, preventing the player from seeing the upper and lower tiers of the right reel 301c.

Note that, although details will be described later, if the right reel 301c is stopped for the first time during the pseudo game in the CZ (stopping during the pseudo game indicates a pseudo stop), the AT no-lottery flag will be turned ON during that pseudo game, and the AT cannot be won. Therefore, a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating an instruction to stop the left reel 301a and center reel 301b before the right reel 301c (i.e. an instruction to operate the left reel stop button 211a and center reel stop button 211b).

Furthermore, to make the instructions easier for the player to understand, the image display 500 displays an image of the left reel stop button 211a and the center reel stop button 211b with an effect applied to the image, and an image of the right reel stop button 211c with a cross placed on it.

(D) is the state where the left reel 301a and the middle reel 301b are stopped according to the instructions in (C). During CZ simulated play, if the left reel 301a and the middle reel 301b are stopped for the first or second time with the red 7 aimed at the middle row (i.e., if the reel stop button is pressed when the red 7 is located in the middle row or within four frames above the middle row), the red 7 will stop in the middle row of the left reel 301a and the right reel 301c. Note that as long as the left reel 301a and the middle reel 301b are stopped for the first or second time, the red 7 may stop in the middle row regardless of the timing of pressing the reel stop button.

Also, because the left reel 301a and center reel 301b are stopped and only the right reel 301c is spinning, the image display 500 displays an indication that a cross mark is placed on the image of the left reel stop button 211a and center reel stop button 211b, and an indication that an effect is applied to the right reel stop button 211c. Also, the image display 500 displays a message indicating an instruction to stop the red 7 in the middle row of the right reel (i.e. an instruction to operate the right reel stop button 211c).

In addition, to make the instruction easier to understand, the lamps on the left reel 301a and center reel 301b may not be illuminated, and the lamp on the right reel 301c may be illuminated.

(E) is the state where the left reel 301a and the center reel 301b are stopped, and is a continuation of (D). For example, if a red 7 stops in the middle of the right reel 301c, it is the same as (D) except that a message indicating that it is a hot jackpot is displayed on the image display 500.

(F) is the state where the left reel 301a and center reel 301b are stopped, and is a continuation of (E). As explained using FIG. 721, in the simulated game during the CZ, the expected probability of winning the AT differs depending on the position where the red 7 stops on the right reel 301c. Also, due to the pattern arrangement of the right reel 301c described above, in a state where the transparent liquid crystal 301ca and transparent liquid crystal 301cb block the visibility of the upper and lower rows of the right reel 301c, if the red 7 stops on the upper or lower row of the right reel 301c, the player will not be able to tell which row the red 7 has stopped on.

Therefore, for players who want to know exactly where the red 7 stops, the images on the transparent LCD 301ca and transparent LCD 301cb are erased depending on the amount of operation of the start lever 210, as will be described in detail later, so that the upper and lower rows of the right reel 301c gradually become easier to see.

In (F), for example, an image of the start lever 210 is displayed on the image display 500 together with an arrow as an instruction to operate the start lever 210, and a message is displayed indicating that the start lever 210 should be operated if the player wishes to know the stop position of the red 7. In other words, the instruction in (F) is not an effect that notifies or suggests the result of the AT lottery, but an instruction to operate the reels to improve the visibility of the reels. Note that the pseudo game is merely an effect, and the reels during the pseudo game are part of the effect display. In other words, the instruction in (F) can be said to be an indication to cancel the display (the display on the transparent liquid crystal 301ca and the transparent liquid crystal 301cb) that impedes the visibility of the effect display. Note that, for example, the instruction to operate the start lever 210 in (F) may be displayed until the start lever 210 is operated.

In (C) to (E), instructions for two operation parts, the single coin insertion button 205 and the reel stop button, appear simultaneously, but in (F), an instruction for the start lever 210 is added, so instructions for three operation parts appear simultaneously.

Note that, for example, in (C) operation instructions for the reel stop button to stop the left and center reels are displayed, and in (D) to (F) operation instructions for the reel stop button to stop the right reel are displayed. Operation instructions for the reel stop button can be displayed multiple times in one game (including simulated play and actual play).

In addition, in (D)-(F), when the right reel is stopped in accordance with the operation instructions for the reel stop button to stop the right reel, depending on the shape of the red 7 as shown in FIG. 721, the AT win may be confirmed (i.e. the lottery result is directly notified) (when the red 7 stops in the middle row, the AT is confirmed) or there may be hope of winning the AT (when the red 7 stops in the upper row or lower row, there is a chance).

Even if the AT is won in the CZ, as shown in Figure 721, it is desirable that the probability (1/8) of the red 7 stopping in the middle of the right reel 301c in the simulated game be set lower than the probability (7/8) of the red 7 stopping in any other position. If the probability of the red 7 stopping in the middle is set high, the player will lose expectation for the AT lottery results in the game when the red 7 does not stop in the middle, and interest may decrease.

Figure 725 (G) shows the state where the right reel 301c has been stopped in the third position during the simulated play of the CZ in accordance with the instructions in (D) to (F), and the instruction display for the reel stop button has also been erased. In (G), the red 7 is stopped in the middle of the right reel 301c. Note that during the simulated play of the CZ, if you aim for the red 7 in the upper row of the right reel 301c and stop it for the third time (i.e., if you press the reel stop button when the red 7 is located in the upper row or one frame above the upper row), the red 7 will stop in the stop position determined using the red 7 stop pattern table. Note that regardless of the timing of pressing the reel stop button, the red 7 may stop in the stop position determined using the red 7 stop pattern table for the right reel 301c.

In (G), the player does not follow the operation instructions for the start lever 210, and the upper and lower rows of the right reel 301c remain invisible due to the transparent liquid crystal 301ca and transparent liquid crystal 301cb. Also, in (G), a red 7 is stopped in the middle row of the right reel 301c, so a message (Good Job!!) indicating a high possibility of winning the AT is displayed on the image display 500.

As will be described in detail later, after the third stop of the simulated game, the remaining time for the freeze effect is overwritten to 5 seconds. In other words, when 5 seconds have passed since the third stop, the freeze effect ends and the reel rotation for normal gameplay starts. Also, during these 5 seconds, a notification effect for the AT lottery results can be executed. In (G), an image of the main character used for the notification effect is displayed on the image display 500. In (G), an image of the main character standing is displayed.

Even after the third stop, an image with an arrow instructing the player to keep pressing the one-coin button 205 is displayed on the image display 500 until the CZ ends. The CZ game can be played multiple games in succession, and if the player stops pressing the one-coin button 205 midway, the AT winning rate in games after the one-coin button 205 is lower than if the one-coin button 205 was kept pressed.

(H) is the state where the right reel 301c has stopped at the third stop during simulated play in the CZ, and is a continuation of (G). In (H), the freeze effect is continuing. A message indicating that the AT lottery results will be announced by repeatedly pressing the MAX insert button 206 and an image of the MAX insert button 206 with an arrow are displayed on the image display 500.

(I) is the state where the right reel 301c has stopped for the third time during simulated play in the CZ, and is a continuation of (H). In (I), the freeze effect is continuing. A message instructing the user to repeatedly press the MAX insert button 206 and an image of the MAX insert button 206 with an arrow are displayed on the image display 500.

In (H) and (I), instruction effects appear for two operation parts, the insert one coin button 205 and the max insert button 206. As mentioned above, instruction effects appear for two operation parts in Fig. 724 (C) to (E), but these two operation parts are the insert one coin button 205 and the reel stop button. As instruction effects are thus executed for multiple operation parts, the operation part to be operated changes, causing the player to perform various operations, so that the player begins to carefully observe the instruction effects and does not get bored of playing.

(J) is the state where the right reel 301c has stopped for the third time during simulated play in the CZ, and is a continuation of (I). In (I), the freeze effect is continuing. It is assumed that the player has followed the instructions to repeatedly press the MAX insert button 206. The image display 500 displays an image of the main character surrounded by an aura, and a message indicating that the AT has been won (Yes!!).

Incidentally, (J) notifies the player that the AT has been won, and as will be described in detail later, if the AT is won in the pseudo game during the CZ, the game that transitions from the pseudo game to the main game after the pseudo game ends is not yet in the AT state, so if the characters and instructions with auras displayed in (J) are erased during that main game, the player may stop playing when the main game ends, and so it is preferable to continue displaying the characters and instructions with auras displayed in (J) until the game transitions to the main game and the AT state.

If the MAX insert button 206 is not pressed repeatedly, the AT lottery result will be announced after the freeze effect ends and before the end of the normal game that starts immediately after the pseudo game. If the AT is not won, for example, even if the MAX insert button 206 is pressed repeatedly, the main character will not be surrounded by an aura and will fall down by the end of the freeze effect.

In order to leave the player with an impression that the CZ had been executed, the instruction effect of the start lever 210 may be displayed across the CZ when the normal game starts after the CZ ends. However, in a normal game that is not a simulated game, if the reels are hidden, the difficulty of pressing the reels increases and there is a possibility that the player will miss out on small winning combinations, which may be disadvantageous to the player, so it is desirable to display images imitating the transparent liquid crystal 301ca and the transparent liquid crystal 301cb on the image display body 500. At this time, the images of the transparent liquid crystal 301ca and the transparent liquid crystal 301cb prevent the player from seeing the effect image displayed on the image display body 500, and when the start lever 210 is operated, the images of the transparent liquid crystal 301ca and the transparent liquid crystal 301cb are erased from the image display body 500, improving the visibility of the effect image.

Figure 727 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the effects during a CZ. The effects of Figure 724 (A) to (F) are followed by the effects of Figure 727. The differences from Figure 725 will be mainly explained. In (G2), the right reel 301c is stopped as the third stop during pseudo play in a CZ, following the instructions in (D) to (F). In (G2), a symbol other than the red 7 is stopped in the middle row of the right reel 301c. If the red 7 is stopped in the upper or lower row of the right reel 301c, a blank will be stopped in the middle row, and if the red 7 is stopped under the frame of the right reel 301c (one frame below the lower row), a bell will be stopped in the middle row.

In (G2), the player does not follow the operation instructions for the start lever 210, and the upper and lower rows of the right reel 301c remain invisible due to the transparent liquid crystal 301ca and transparent liquid crystal 301cb. In (G2), the red 7 has not stopped in the middle row of the right reel 301c, so although the possibility of winning the AT is not high, a message indicating that there is still a chance (It's too early to give up!!) is displayed on the image display 500. In (G2), an image of the fallen main character is displayed on the image display 500.

(H2) is the state where the right reel 301c has been stopped as the third stop during simulated play in the CZ, and is a continuation of (G2). In (H2), the freeze effect is continuing. A message indicating that the AT lottery result will be notified by repeatedly hitting the MAX insert button 206 (if the main character stands up after repeatedly hitting the MAX insert button 206, the AT has been won; if the main character does not stand up, the AT has not been won) and an image of the MAX insert button 206 with an arrow next to it are displayed on the image display 500.

(I2) is the state where the right reel 301c has stopped for the third time during the simulated play in the CZ, and is a continuation of (H2). In (I2), the freeze effect is continuing. A message instructing the user to repeatedly press the MAX insert button 206 and an image of the MAX insert button 206 with an arrow are displayed on the image display 500.

(J2) is the state where the right reel 301c has stopped as the third stop during simulated play in the CZ, and is a continuation of (I2). (J2) is the presentation when the AT has not been won in the CZ. A message (boo...) indicating that the AT has not been won and the main character who has been unable to stand up are displayed. Although not shown, if the AT has been won in the CZ, the same presentation as in Figure 725 (J) is performed, except that the red 7 is not stopped in the middle of the right reel 301c.

(H2) is the state where the simulated game has ended, and is a continuation of (J2). A message indicating that the simulated game has ended is displayed on the image display 500. In addition, the operation instruction image for the one-coin insertion button 205 continues to be displayed.

(I2) is the state where the pseudo game has ended and the main game has started. However, it is assumed that a weak chance role or a strong chance role has been selected as the winning role when the lever is turned on. Here, the weak chance role is a losing role that can stop a "bonus symbol" on the top row of the left reel 301a, a "bonus symbol or watermelon" on the middle row of the middle reel 301b, and a "red 7" on the top row of the right reel 301c (the red 7 cannot stop in the middle row of the right reel 301c). In addition, the strong chance role is a losing role that can stop a "bonus symbol" on the top row of the left reel 301a, a "bonus symbol or watermelon" on the middle row of the middle reel, and a "red 7" on the middle row of the right reel.

After the pseudo game ends, for example, when a predetermined time has passed or when the start lever 210 is operated, the main game begins. The presentation of (I2) is the same as that of FIG. 724 (C). If a weak chance role or a strong chance role was selected as the winning role when the lever was turned on, and the AT lottery in the pseudo game was not won, the same presentation as that of CZ may be performed in the main game. In other words, after (I2), the same presentation as that from (D) onwards is performed in the main game.

In such a case, by executing the same instruction presentation as in the simulated game in this game, the player can rekindle the sense of hope of a player who was disappointed when he or she did not win the AT in the simulated game.

As shown in the example of the small prize lottery table in FIG. 713, it is desirable that the appearance rate of a strong chance prize (i.e., the probability that the red 7 will stop in the middle of the right reel 301c) is lower than the appearance rate of a weak chance prize (i.e., the probability that the red 7 will not stop in the middle of the right reel 301c). As a result, even in a pseudo game, when a similar effect to that in the pseudo game appears in this game, the probability that the red 7 will not stop in the middle of the right reel 301c is higher than the probability that the red 7 will stop in the middle of the right reel 301c. In other words, neither the effect in the pseudo game nor the effect similar to that in the pseudo game in this game stimulates excessive expectations.

Figure 728 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship between the amount of operation of the start lever 210 during simulated play of a CZ game and the visibility state of the symbols in the lower row of the right reel 301c hidden by the transparent LCD 301cb. In Figure 728, the relationship between the lower row of the right reel 301c and the transparent LCD 301cb is explained, but the same applies to the relationship between the upper row of the right reel 301c and the transparent LCD 301ca.

As mentioned above, during CZ, an image is displayed on the transparent LCD 301cb, preventing the entire lower row of the right reel 301c from being seen until the start lever 210 is operated. (A) shows the visible state when the start lever 210 is operated to a position that is 3/10 of the maximum movable width from the initial position. In this case, for example, the image in the upper 3/10 of the transparent LCD 301cb is erased, and the pattern in that portion becomes visible. (B) shows the visible state when the start lever 210 is operated to a position that is 8/10 of the maximum movable width from the initial position. In this case, for example, the image in the upper 8/10 of the transparent LCD 301cb is erased, and the pattern in that portion becomes visible.

In other words, when the blank symbol No. 11 stops in the middle of the right reel 301c in the simulated game, by following the operation instructions of the start lever 210 in FIG. 724 (F), the visibility of the reels is improved and the player can know the stopping position of the red 7, and thus the AT expectation degree. On the other hand, for players who do not want to know the AT expectation degree until the notification effect (the repeated tapping of the MAX insertion button 206 effect) is performed, by ignoring the operation instructions of the start lever 210, they will not be able to know the AT expectation degree, and they can maintain a sense of tension.

The amount of operation of the start lever 210 is determined in real time. For example, when the start lever 210 is operated to 10/10 of its maximum range of motion, the image in the upper 10/10 of the transparent LCD 301cb is erased (i.e., the entirety is visible), but when the player reduces the force applied to the start lever 210 and the start lever 210 is only operated to 3/10 of its maximum range of motion, the image is only erased up to the upper 3/10 of the transparent LCD 301cb. In other words, to maintain good visibility of the reels, the player needs to maintain the operation state of the start lever 210.

As mentioned above, the AT lottery value is favored if the player keeps the one-coin button 205 pressed during the CZ, so it is expected that many players will continue to press the one-coin button 205. In order to ensure good visibility of the reels while still receiving a favorable AT lottery, it is desirable that the one-coin button 205 and the start lever 210 are located close enough together that an average adult can operate them simultaneously with one hand.

However, even with this arrangement, it would be too much for the player to continue to press the one-coin button 205 and the start lever 210 at the same time, so for example, when a specified visibility state (for example, a state in which the top 3/10 or more of the transparent LCD 301cb is visible or a state in which all of the reel patterns (10/10) are visible) is reached, if the reserve release switch 209 (reserved medal clearing switch) is operated, the specified visibility state may be maintained even if the operation of the start lever 210 is stopped.

The operation instruction of the start lever 210 for improving the visibility of the reels may be erased at a timing after the start lever 210 is operated in accordance with the operation instruction (e.g., a predetermined time has passed since the operation). This is because if the operation instruction remains displayed when the right reel is completely visible (10/10 is visible), it may interfere with the display of other effects, preventing the player from enjoying the game sufficiently.

In addition, in principle, the operation instructions are displayed for every game during the CZ, but if the player operates the storage release switch 209 as described above and chooses to maintain good visibility, the player's intention has been confirmed, so the operation instructions may not be displayed at all in subsequent games in that CZ.

In addition, when you have selected to maintain the good viewing state and have set the operation instruction not to be displayed at all, you may wish to change the viewing state you are maintaining (for example, from 8/10 to 5/10), so if you operate the storage release switch 209 again, it is preferable to initialize the viewing state before the change (0/10, i.e., a non-viewable state). Also, the timing for issuing an operation instruction for the start lever 210 to improve the viewing state of the reels should not be the timing when the storage release switch 209 is operated again, but should be displayed with a delay from the timing when the storage release switch 209 is operated again (the timing displayed every game during the CZ). Also, in this way, maintenance and release may be repeated each time the storage release switch 209 is pressed.

The operation instruction is displayed after the second stop of the pseudo game of the CZ start game, but even if the start lever 210 is operated before the display of the operation instruction (for example, after the first stop and before the second stop in the pseudo game), the visibility of the upper and lower rows of the right reel 301c (the display range of the image displayed on the transparent LCD 301ca and the transparent LCD 301cb) may be changed. If the start lever 210 is operated before the second stop of the pseudo game to change the visibility of the upper and lower rows of the right reel 301c, for example, the instruction may not be displayed after the second stop, or whether or not to execute the display of the instruction may be determined by a lottery based on a predetermined allocation.

If the start lever 210 is not operated despite the display of the operation instruction, the player may not be aware of the operation instruction, so the operation instruction may be continued to be displayed until the next game.

As mentioned above, by keeping the one-coin button 205 pressed, a player can receive a preferential AT lottery, and by pressing the right reel stop button 211c (stop shape of the right reel 301c), the lottery result can be suggested, and if the reel stop buttons are not pressed in the correct order, the player cannot receive the AT lottery. In other words, it can be said that keeping the one-coin button 205 pressed and operating the reel stop buttons are closely related to the transition to the AT game. Therefore, it is desirable to provide multiple types of presentation variations (for example, display modes with or without effects, modes with different display sizes, etc.) for the operation instructions that instruct to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed and the operation instructions that instruct to operate the reel stop buttons. By providing various presentation patterns, the player will not get bored with these operation instruction presentations, and will be able to operate more reliably.

On the other hand, when the start lever 210 is operated, the visual confirmation of the effect display becomes good, but it is not as closely related to the transition to the AT game as maintaining the pressed state of the one-coin button and operating the reel stop button. Therefore, it is desirable that the operation instruction for operating the start lever 210 should be only one pattern of effect (although multiple types of effect variations may be provided).

[12-3. Various flows for CZ production]
Next, an example of the process for realizing the CZ performance will be described. Fig. 729 is a flowchart showing an example of the flag process of step S107 in Fig. 652. This flowchart shows an example of the process until each reel stop button becomes active. First, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 performs a lottery (A-1 lottery) for a winning combination according to the random number extracted in step S106 in Fig. 652 and the lottery value shown in the small combination lottery table in Fig. 713 (S70001).

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 performs the AT first win lottery (B-1 lottery) according to the small winning combination won in step S70001 and the lottery value indicated in the AT first win lottery table of FIG. 714 (S70002).

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether or not the AT first hit has been won in the B-1 lottery (S70003). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT first hit has been won (S70003: Yes), it sets the AT flag to ON (S70004), sets the AT counter (a counter that counts the number of remaining games in the AT) to 100 (S70005), and ends flag processing.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT first hit was not won (S70003: No), it conducts a CZ transition lottery (B-2 lottery) according to the small winning combination won in step S70001 and the lottery value indicated in the CZ transition lottery table of FIG. 715 (S70006). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether or not the CZ transition was won in the B-2 lottery (S70007).

If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the CZ transition has been won (S70007: Yes), it sets the CZ flag to ON (S70008), sets the CZ counter (a counter that counts the number of remaining games in the CZ) to 10 (S70009), and ends flag processing. If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the CZ transition has not been won (S70007: No), it ends flag processing.

Figure 730 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing executed when all reels stop (third stop). The processing of Figure 730 is executed in place of the ART game determination processing of step S320 in Figure 682. First, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the AT flag is on (S70101). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT flag is on (S70101: Yes), it sends an AT command to the sub-board 510 (S70102) and ends the processing.

If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT flag is off (S70101: No), it determines whether the CZ flag is on (S70103). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the CZ flag is off (S70103: No), it ends the process.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the CZ flag is on (S70103: Yes), it sends a CZ start command to the sub-board 510 (S70104). Next, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 executes a 5-second freeze process (S70105). During this 5-second freeze, the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 executes, for example, the effects described in Figures 724 (A) and (B).

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the insert one button 205 has been pressed (S70106). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the insert one button 205 has been pressed (S70106: Yes), it sets the press maintain flag to ON (S70107) and ends processing. If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the insert one button 205 has not been pressed (S70106: No), it ends processing.

Note that, for example, even after the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 sets the press maintenance flag on, it continues to monitor whether the one-coin insert button 210 is pressed during the CZ (i.e., while the CZ flag is on), and if it detects that the one-coin insert button 210 is not being pressed, it resets the press maintenance flag to off. As a result, if pressing the one-coin insert button 210 is stopped during the CZ, the player cannot receive the preferential AT lottery. Note that the determination in step S70106 of whether the one-coin insert button 205 is maintained in a pressed state may be made until the start lever 210 is operated at the start of the next game. In other words, if the one-coin insert button 205 is pressed when the lever is on for the CZ start game, the press maintenance flag may be set to on.

Figure 731 is a flowchart showing an example of flag processing in step S107 in Figure 652 when the CZ flag is on. First, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 performs a drawing of a winning role (A-1 drawing) according to the random number extracted in step S106 in Figure 652 and the drawing value indicated by the small role drawing table in Figure 713 (S70201).

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 subtracts 1 from the value of the CZ counter (S70202). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 performs an AT first win lottery (B-3 lottery) according to the small winning combination won in step S70201 and the lottery value indicated by the AT first win lottery table during CZ in FIG. 716 (S70203).

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether or not the AT first hit has been won in the B-3 lottery (S70204). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT first hit has been won (S70204: Yes), it sets the AT flag to ON (S70205), sets the AT counter (a counter that counts the number of games remaining in the AT) to 100 (S70206), sets the CZ flag to OFF (S70207), and proceeds to step S70208, which will be described later.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the first AT hit has not been won in the B-3 lottery (S70204: No), it sets the freeze time to one hour and starts the freeze process (S70208). During this freeze, the pseudo game shown in FIG. 724(C) etc. is performed.

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 starts the simulated rotation of each reel (reel rotation in simulated play) (S70209). The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 sets each reel stop button to an enabled state for simulated stopping of the reels (S70210), and ends the process. Note that although the reel rotation and stopping in simulated play are a type of effect, the process of spinning and stopping the reels can only be executed by the main board 409, and therefore these processes are executed by the main board 409. In particular, in this chapter, the AT winning rate and the like change depending on the operation mode during the simulated play, i.e., there are processes that affect the ball output during the simulated play, and these processes are also executed by the main board 409.

Figure 732 is a flowchart showing an example of processing at the time of the first pseudo stop in the pseudo game during the CZ. The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the first pseudo stop was on the left reel 301a (i.e., whether the left reel stop button 211a was pressed) (S70301). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the first pseudo stop was on the left reel 301a (S70301: Yes), it controls the left reel 301a so that the red 7 stops in the middle of the left reel 301a, and ends the processing.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the first pseudo stop was not the left reel (S70301: No), it determines whether the first pseudo stop was the center reel 301b (i.e., whether the center reel stop button 211b was pressed) (S70303). When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the first pseudo stop was the center reel 301b (S70303: Yes), it controls the center reel 301b so that the red 7 stops in the middle row of the center reel, and ends the process.

If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the first pseudo stop is not the middle reel 301b (S70303: No), i.e., that the first pseudo stop is the right reel 301c, it sets the AT no lottery flag to on (S70305), controls the right reel 301c so that the red 7 stops under the frame of the right reel 301c (S70306), and ends the process. If the right reel 301c is caused to make the first pseudo stop in a pseudo game during a CZ as a result of the processing of step S70305, it will no longer be possible to receive the AT lottery in that pseudo game.

Figure 733 is a flowchart showing an example of processing at the time of the second pseudo stop in the pseudo game during the CZ. The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the second pseudo stop was on the left reel 301a (i.e., whether the left reel stop button 211a was pressed) (S70401). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the second pseudo stop was on the left reel 301a (S70401: Yes), it determines whether the AT no-lottery flag is on (S70402).

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT no-lottery flag is on (S70402: Yes), it controls the left reel 301a so that the red 7 stops under the frame of the left reel 301a (S70403), and ends the process. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT no-lottery flag is off (S70402: No), it controls the left reel 301a so that the red 7 stops in the middle of the left reel 301a (S70404), and determines whether the press maintenance flag is on (S70405).

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the press maintenance flag is on (S70405: Yes), it performs an AT first hit lottery (B-4 lottery) by referring to Table 2 of the AT first hit lottery table in FIG. 717 (S70406). When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the press maintenance flag is off (S70405: Yes), it performs an AT first hit lottery (B-4 lottery) by referring to Table 1 of the AT first hit lottery table in FIG. 717 (S70407).

Following step S70406 or step S70407, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the AT was won in the B-4 lottery (S70408). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT was not won (S70408: No), it ends the process.

If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT has been won (S70408: Yes), it sets the AT flag on (S70410), sets the AT counter to 100 (S70411), sets the CZ flag off (S70411), and ends the process.

In step S70401, if the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the second pseudo stop was not on the left reel 301a (S70401: No), it determines whether the second pseudo stop was on the center reel 301b (i.e., whether the center reel stop button 211b was pressed) (S70412).

If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the second pseudo stop was the center reel 301b (S70412: Yes), it determines whether the AT no-lottery flag is on (S70413).

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT no-lottery flag is on (S70413: Yes), it controls the center reel 301b so that the red 7 stops under the frame of the center reel 301b (S70415), and ends the process. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT no-lottery flag is off (S70413: No), it controls the center reel 301b so that the red 7 stops in the middle row of the center reel 301b (S70416), and transitions to step S70405.

In step S70412, if the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the second pseudo stop is not the middle reel 301b (S70412: No), i.e., if it determines that the second pseudo stop is the right reel 301c, it sets the AT no lottery flag to on (S70417), controls the right reel 301c so that the red 7 stops under the frame of the right reel 301c (S70418), and ends processing. If the right reel 301c is caused to make a second pseudo stop in a pseudo game during a CZ as a result of the processing of step S70417, it will no longer be possible to receive the AT lottery in that pseudo game.

Also, by stopping the left reel 301a or the center reel 301b as the first pseudo stop and the second pseudo stop, respectively, a lottery can be held using the AT first hit lottery table for CZ, which has a more favorable lottery value. Furthermore, by continuing to press the one-coin insertion button 205 through the processing of steps S70405 to S70406 described above, a lottery can be held using table 2, which has a more favorable lottery value among the AT first hit lottery tables for CZ.

In the above example, if the AT no-selection flag was off after the second pseudo stop, the B-4 selection was performed according to the press-maintain flag. However, the B-4 selection may be performed according to the press-maintain flag before the second pseudo stop, and if the AT win has been won when the AT no-selection flag is turned on, the AT win may be cancelled (the AT flag is turned off and the AT counter value is reset to zero).

Figure 734 is a flowchart showing an example of processing at the time of the third pseudo stop in the pseudo game during the CZ. The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the third pseudo stop was on the left reel 301a (i.e., whether the left reel stop button 211a was pressed) (S70501).

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the third pseudo stop was on the left reel 301a (S70501: Yes), it controls the left reel 301a so that the red 7 stops under the frame of the left reel 301a (S70502), overwrites the freeze time of the ongoing freeze to 5 seconds (S70503), and ends the process. Note that in this case, since the AT lottery is not being performed, it is advisable to display a message such as "Don't press the reel stop buttons in the wrong order in the next game!" on the image display 500 during the overwritten 5-second freeze.

If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the third pseudo stop was not the left reel 301a (S70501: No), it determines whether the third pseudo stop was the center reel 301b (i.e., whether the center reel stop button 211b was pressed) (S70504). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the third pseudo stop was the center reel 301b (S70504: Yes), it controls the left reel 301a so that the red 7 stops under the frame of the center reel 301b (S70505), and transitions to step S70503.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the third pseudo stop was not the center reel 301b (S70504: NO), it selects the stop pattern of the right reel 301c in the pseudo game according to the AT result in the game (the result of the lottery in FIG. 717) and the red 7 stop pattern table in FIG. 721 (S70506). Then, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 controls the right reel 301c according to the stop pattern determined in step S70506 (S70505), and transitions to step S70503.

Figure 735 is a flowchart showing an example of processing at the third stop of the main game of a game in which a pseudo game has been executed. The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines whether the AT flag is on or not (S70601). If the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT flag is on (S70601: Yes), it sends an AT start command to the sub-board 510 (S70602) and ends the processing.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the AT flag is off (S70601: No), it determines whether the value of the CZ counter is 0 (S70603). When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the value of the CZ counter is not 0 (S70603: No), it ends the processing. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 determines that the value of the CZ counter is 0 (S70603: Yes), it sets the CZ flag off (S70604), sends a CZ end command to the sub-board 510 (S70605), and ends the processing.

[12-4. Example of CZ performance 1]
In the example of the presentation during the CZ described above, the game required players to press the red 7 with their eyes during simulated play, but gameplay that does not require pressing the red 7 with their eyes may be adopted for at least some of the games in the CZ.

Specifically, in the above example, in the pseudo game, if the left reel 301a and the center reel 301b were stopped for the first or second time aiming for the red 7 in the middle row (i.e., if the reel stop button was pressed when the red 7 was located in the middle row or one to four frames above the middle row), the red 7 could be stopped in the middle row. Also, in the pseudo game, if the right reel 301c was stopped for the third time aiming for the red 7 in the upper row (i.e., if the reel stop button was pressed when the red 7 was located in the upper row or one frame above the upper row), the red 7 could be stopped in the position determined using the red 7 stop pattern table. Hereinafter, games that include such pseudo games are also referred to as games with eye-pressing.

On the other hand, the CZ in this chapter may include a game in which, in a pseudo game, if the left reel 301a and the center reel 301b are stopped as the first or second stop, and the right reel 301c is stopped as the third stop, the red 7 stops in the middle of the left reel 301a and the center reel 301b regardless of the timing of pressing each reel stop button, and the red 7 stops on the right reel 301c at a stop position determined using the red 7 stop pattern table. Hereinafter, such a game is also called a no-eye game. In a no-eye game, there is no need to aim for the red 7 in the middle in the pseudo game, so no operation instructions for each reel stop button in Figures 724 (C) to (F) appear.

In addition, in a no-eye game, even if the reel stop buttons are not pressed, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the simulated game, the red 7 may stop in the middle of the left reel 301a and center reel 301b, and on the right reel 301c, the red 7 may stop at a stopping position determined using the red 7 stopping pattern table.

For example, when a game without eye-pressing can be played as in this chapter, the B-4 lottery based on the press maintenance flag (S70405 to S70411) and the lottery for the right reel's stop pattern (S70506) are performed, for example, when the lever is on (after step S70202 of the CZ flag processing in FIG. 731).

For example, if the AT lottery (B-3 lottery or B-4 lottery) is won, there is a 3/4 chance that a game with eye-pressing will be played, and a 1/4 chance that a game without eye-pressing will be played. Also, if the AT lottery (B-3 lottery and B-4 lottery) is not won, there is a 1/8 chance that a game with eye-pressing will be played, and a 7/8 chance that a game without eye-pressing will be played. In this way, by determining the allocation between games with eye-pressing and games without eye-pressing, when a game with eye-pressing is played (when an instruction to operate the reel stop button appears), there is a higher chance of winning the AT than when a game without eye-pressing is played (when no instruction to operate the reel stop button appears).

However, while whether a game with or without pressing the buttons is played depends on the AT lottery results, it is preferable that it does not depend directly on the lottery results for the right reel's stopping pattern (i.e., whether a game with or without pressing the buttons is played is not played by lottery with reference to the lottery results for the right reel's stopping pattern). If whether a game with or without pressing the buttons is played depends directly on the lottery results for the right reel's stopping pattern, players will be able to predict the right reel's stopping pattern more easily, which could prevent them from enjoying the game with pressing the buttons.

The probability of winning the AT in the B-4 lottery is 1/11.96 when the AT press maintenance flag is off and 1/10.62 when the AT press maintenance flag is on. Considering the allocation of games with and without eye-pressing described above, the frequency with which games with eye-pressing are executed is lower than the frequency with which games without eye-pressing are executed. On the other hand, as described above, the rate at which games with eye-pressing are executed when the AT is won is higher than the rate at which games without eye-pressing are executed. As a result, since a game with eye-pressing is executed less than half of the time per game, the player feels that the game with eye-pressing is rare, and since more than half of the time the AT is won, the player can enjoy the game with eye-pressing while feeling great expectations for it.

When a game with eye-pressing is being played, a valid period for eye-pressing (valid period for the reel stop button) may be set. In this case, if the reel stop button is not pressed within the valid period for eye-pressing, the reels will stop as if the reel stop button had been pressed at the end of the valid period. Furthermore, an effect image indicating that the eye-pressing period is in progress (an effect image of the active reel stop button, or an effect image that is repeatedly displayed as if to emphasize the active reel stop button) may be displayed on the image display 500. This requires the player to perform eye-pressing within the time limit, allowing the player to enjoy a game that tests the player's eye-pressing skill. The effect image may indicate the remaining time in the valid period for eye-pressing.

When a button press is performed within the effective period of the button press, it is desirable to not erase the corresponding effect image immediately, but to erase it completely after a certain time has passed since the reel stop button was pressed. This allows the player to be left with a lingering sense of anticipation in a game with button presses.

In addition, when a push is performed within the effective push period, a pattern in which the effect image is erased immediately and a pattern in which the effect image is not erased immediately may be selected by lottery. In this case, it is desirable to determine the allocation of these patterns so that the pattern in which the effect image is erased immediately has a higher expectation of winning the AT than the pattern in which the effect image is not erased immediately.

In addition, multiple valid periods for pressing the button may be set in one pseudo game, and the lengths may be different, for example, the valid period for pressing the button for the first pseudo stop may be 3 seconds and the valid period for pressing the button for the second pseudo stop may be 5 seconds. For example, some players feel more nervous the closer the timing of the AT lottery result notification gets (i.e., at the second pseudo stop rather than the first pseudo stop). For such players, the valid period for pressing the button for the second pseudo stop is set longer than the valid period for pressing the button for the first pseudo stop, allowing them to carefully press the button for the second pseudo stop even under high tension, making it easier to succeed.

In addition, some players find it difficult to press the button when they can see many reels spinning other than the reel they are trying to stop, so by setting the effective period for pressing the button for the first pseudo stop (when all reels are spinning) longer than the effective period for pressing the button for the second pseudo stop (when only two reels are spinning), players can carefully press the button for the first pseudo stop, making it easier to succeed.

Even if multiple valid periods for eye-pressing are set for a single game with eye-pressing, it is desirable to display the aforementioned effect image indicating that the eye-pressing period is in progress and the remaining valid period.

In the case where the normal stop control up to 4 frames is used in the pseudo game of the game with eye-pressing, for example, if the eye-pressing fails to stop the red 7 in the middle of the left reel 301a in the first pseudo stop, the left reel 301a may be pseudo-spun again and an instruction to press the left reel stop button 211a again may be displayed. In that case, in order to allow the player to concentrate on the eye-pressing and not fail in the second first pseudo stop, the output of the background music may be stopped to make it silent or the lamps may be turned off. Also, in the second first pseudo stop, for example, the background music or the lamp lighting pattern may be changed to build up a sense of expectation.

If the second first pseudo stop fails, the third first pseudo stop may be performed. In this way, the left reel stop button 211a may be pressed multiple times until the first pseudo stop is successful, and each time, the same effect is repeatedly displayed for the left reel stop button 211a. However, it is better to set an upper limit on the number of times.

Also, a game may be executed in which pseudo stops with and without eye pushes are mixed. Specifically, for example, in a single pseudo play, a game may be executed in which the first pseudo stop is with eye pushes (the red 7 stops when the player aims at the middle of the left reel 301a or middle reel 301b), the second pseudo stop is without eye pushes (the red 7 stops at the middle of the left reel 301a or middle reel 301b regardless of the timing of pressing the reel stop button), and the third pseudo stop is with eye pushes (the red 7 stops according to the selected right reel stop pattern when the player aims at the red 7 within the frame of the right reel 301c).

In such a game, when a pseudo stop occurs with a timing push, an instruction display for operating the reel stop button is displayed, and when a pseudo stop occurs without a timing push, an instruction display for operating the reel stop button is not displayed. As mentioned above, the instruction for operating the start lever 210 shown in FIG. 724 (F) may be displayed before the first pseudo stop.

In this situation, for the first and third pseudo stop, operation instructions are displayed for the three operation parts consisting of the one-coin button 205, start lever 210, and reel stop button, and for the second pseudo stop, operation instructions are displayed for the two operation parts consisting of the one-coin button 205 and start lever 210. In this way, by reducing the number of operation parts that are the target of operation instructions during the second pseudo stop, the operation burden on the player is reduced and fatigue can be suppressed.

In a situation where a pseudo stop with multiple button presses is performed, for example, in the first pseudo stop, if the left reel 301a or the center reel 301b is stopped in accordance with an operation instruction to the reel stop button, an effect showing the probability of winning the AT may be executed. Specifically, for example, if a red 7 is stopped in the middle row, an effect to increase the probability of winning (for example, changing the background color of the image display 500 to red or changing the background music) is executed. This increases the player's motivation to follow the operation instructions.

In addition, if the operation instructions for the reel stop button are followed after the second pseudo stop, a presentation may be executed to notify the result of the AT lottery. Specifically, for example, if the AT is won, the red 7 will always stop in the middle row during the second pseudo stop, and if the AT is not won, the red 7 will always stop in a location other than the middle row during the second pseudo stop. This increases the player's motivation to follow the operation instructions.

Even in a game in which pseudo stops with and without eye-pressing are mixed, if multiple pseudo stops with eye-pressing are executed, the effective period of the reel stop button for the pseudo stop may be different. In this case, some players feel more tense as the timing of the AT lottery result notification approaches, so for such players, the effective period of the eye-pressing for the later pseudo stop is set longer than the effective period of the eye-pressing for the earlier pseudo stop, allowing them to carefully press the button for the later pseudo stop even under high tension, making it easier to succeed. On the other hand, some players find it difficult to press the button when many reels other than the reel they are trying to stop are visible, so the effective period of the reel stop button for the earlier pseudo stop may be set longer than the effective period of the reel stop button for the later pseudo stop.

As mentioned above, if the AT is won in a CZ, the AT will start from the game following the one after the AT was won, without any premonitions or normal games. Also, if the AT is won when there is one or more games remaining in the CZ, a CZ with the number of games remaining when the AT was won may start immediately after the end of the AT, without a normal game in between. With this specification, it is possible to win the AT multiple times in a 10-game CZ, and a situation will arise in which the CZ and AT alternate without a normal game in between, such as CZ → AT → CZ → AT.

In such a situation, the player may become bored with the CZ and AT presentations because the CZ and AT are played alternately and continuously. Therefore, in a situation where the CZ and AT are played alternately without a normal game in between, it may be possible to make the presentation mode and BGM during the CZ and AT changeable.

In this case, for example, at the start of the CZ and AT or after a predetermined time has elapsed since their start, an image imitating the effect button 204 (and/or a cross key, etc.) may be displayed to instruct a change in the presentation mode or BGM. Note that the operation instruction for the effect button 204 to change the presentation mode or BGM can be displayed simultaneously with at least one of the operation instructions for maintaining the pressed state of the aforementioned one-coin insertion button 205, the operation instructions for each reel stop button, and the operation instruction for the start lever 210. In other words, operation instructions for up to four operation means can be displayed simultaneously, presenting the player with more options and providing new operability.

[12-5. Example of CZ performance 2: Eye-pressing practice performance]
As described above, the visibility of the upper and lower rows of the right reel 301c is hindered by the image display of the transparent liquid crystal 301ca and the transparent liquid crystal 301cb during the pseudo game in the CZ, so the difficulty of pressing the red 7 on the right reel is not low at all. Also, as described above, the obstruction of the visibility of the upper and lower rows of the right reel 301c can be removed by operating the start lever 210 during the pseudo game, but if the start lever 210 is not kept in operation, the obstruction state will return, so the difficulty of pressing the right reel while maintaining the operation of the start lever 210 is not low at all. Furthermore, if the pseudo game is progressed according to the operation instructions, the right reel 301c will be pseudo-stopped as the third pseudo stop, and the stop system of the right reel 301c of the third pseudo stop will suggest or directly notify the result of the AT lottery, so the player will feel more nervous about the third pseudo stop and will be more likely to fail to press the right reel.

So, in the CZ described below, you can practice hitting the buttons before the third pseudo stop is executed.

Figure 736 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the effect during CZ (eye-pressing practice effect). In the slot machine 1, a transparent LCD 301aa is arranged to cover the upper section of the left reel 301a, and a transparent LCD 301ab is arranged to cover the lower section of the left reel. Images are displayed on the transparent LCD 301aa and the transparent LCD 301ab, respectively, to block the visibility of the upper and lower sections of the left reel 301a. Note that the slot machine 1 may have a movable body capable of covering the upper and lower sections of the left reel 301a, for example, instead of the transparent LCD 301aa and the transparent LCD 301ab. The slot machine 1 also has a visibility state change button 216 with a switch.

(A) is the state when the CZ game has started (the state when the lever is on), and the same effect as that in FIG. 724(C) is being executed. (B) is the start state of the eye-pressing practice effect in a simulated game. In (A), when the viewing state change button 216 is pressed once or pressed and held (the on state of the viewing state change button 216 is detected for a predetermined period of time), the eye-pressing practice effect starts. In (B), images are displayed on the transparent LCD 301aa and transparent LCD 301ab, and the top and bottom rows of the left reel 301a are obstructed.

In addition, in (B), an image of an angel descending is displayed on the image display 500, and an instruction to operate the start lever 210 is displayed, saying, "You'd like to practice, right? Please operate the start lever." Also, as in FIG. 724 (F), an image of the start lever 210 with an arrow may be displayed on the image display 500 to make the instruction easier to understand.

(C) is a state during the practice presentation for pressing the red ball in the simulated game, and is a continuation of (B). An instruction to stop the red 7 on the left reel 301a (i.e., an instruction to stop the red 7 on the left reel 211a) is displayed on the image display 500 as the words of an angel ("Now, let's stop the red 7 on the left reel").

(D) shows the state in which the start lever 210 has been operated in accordance with the operation instructions of the start lever 210. The images on the transparent LCD 301aa and the transparent LCD 301ab are erased, and the upper and lower rows of the left reel 301a are visible. The relationship between the amount of operation of the start lever 210 and the visible state of the patterns on the upper and lower rows of the left reel 301a is the same as that shown in FIG. 728, for example. In addition, if the operation state of the start lever 210 is maintained and a predetermined time has elapsed, the operation instructions for the start lever 210 may be erased, as in (D).

(E) shows the state in which the left reel 301a has stopped during the eye-pressing practice performance. In (E), the eye-pressing of the left reel 301a is successful, a red 7 stops in the middle, and an angel is displayed praising the player.

After the eye-pressing practice performance is over, the left reel 301a is simulated to spin again, and the performance returns to (A). Note that for players who are not confident in their eye-pressing skills after practicing once, the eye-pressing practice performance may be started again by pressing or holding down the viewing state change button 216 once again after returning to (A) (there is no need to set a limit to the number of times the eye-pressing practice performance can be performed in one simulated game).

Note that during the eye-pressing practice performance, only the left reel 301a may be operable. In other words, only the left reel stop button 211a may be enabled, and the center reel stop button 211b and the right reel stop button 211c may not be enabled.

The practice performance may be executed not only during simulated play in the CZ, but also during, for example, a normal game other than the CZ or during the AT (i.e., it may be executed during any state of the game). In other words, during a normal game or AT, pressing the viewing state change button 216 once or pressing and holding it for a long time (detecting the on state of the viewing state change button 216 for a predetermined period of time) may start the eye-pressing practice performance.

Note that pseudo-games are not being played during normal games or ATs, and the reels are not effects but are areas that display patterns that indicate lottery results. Therefore, when executing eye-pressing practice effects during normal games or ATs, the image display 500 may display actual reel arrangements, reel rotation speeds, and images that mimic transparent liquid crystal to perform eye-pressing practice effects, or the pay line may be reduced to one line in the middle row, reducing the visibility of the reels to a degree that does not overlap with the pay line. Also, for example, even when a game is not being executed, it may be possible to perform eye-pressing practice effects by, for example, pressing the effect button 204. In this case, since the game is not being executed, for example, the eye-pressing practice effects are performed using the image display 500 without using reels. Also, even when a game is not being executed, pressing the visibility state change button 216 once or for a long time (detecting the on state of the visibility state change button 216 for a predetermined time) may be performed to perform only pseudo-games. This allows the player to practice casually without consuming game media.

Since the percentage of CZ games among the total number of games is not that high, by making it possible to execute practice performances for pressing buttons at various times like this, even players who are not good at pressing buttons can get plenty of practice, increasing the success rate of pressing buttons in simulated play during the actual CZ, and ultimately improving the sense of anticipation in the simulated play.

The viewing state change button 216 is a button for starting the eye-pressing practice performance, and is therefore an operation unit that does not affect the progress of the normal game. In particular, since players who are good at eye-pressing have few opportunities to use the viewing state change button 216, it is desirable for the viewing state change button 216 to be located in a position where operation units used in normal games (e.g., the start lever 210 and each reel stop button) are not located. Specifically, for example, the viewing state change button 216 is provided on the lower panel (a panel located between the medal tray 201 and the reel stop buttons, which generally displays the model title of the slot machine 1).

In addition, since the vertical position of the lower panel in the normal position when playing the slot machine 1 is close to the vertical position of the hopper 110b, if the viewing state change button 216 is provided on the lower panel, in order to reduce the manufacturing costs of the slot machine 1, the switch that detects the pressing of the viewing state change button 216 may also be used as a switch that counts the medals paid out from the hopper 110b.

However, if these switches are used together, the eye-pressing practice performance will not be performed simply by pressing the viewing state change button 216, but rather it is preferable that the eye-pressing practice performance be performed only when the viewing state change button 216 is pressed and held down for a predetermined time or more. The predetermined time is preferably longer than the time it takes for one medal to be paid out from the hopper 110b, for example. Even when multiple medals are paid out in succession, the medals are paid out one by one in sequence, so the viewing state change button 216 alternates between the on and off states each time a medal is paid out. Therefore, if the predetermined time is longer than the time it takes for one medal to be paid out from the hopper 110b, the eye-pressing practice performance will not start when a medal is paid out.

In addition, in order to prevent the player from forgetting that continuing to press the one-coin button 205 will allow him or her to participate in a preferential AT lottery, it is desirable that the image instructing the player to press the one-coin button 205 remain displayed even during the practice performance.

[12-6. Simulated play during regular games]
In the above example, the CZ where the pseudo game is performed has been described, but the pseudo game may also be performed in a normal game that is not a CZ game. In the pseudo game in the normal game, if the reel push order is correct, the bells will stop pseudo-stop in the middle of the reel and line up, and the AT will be won. Even if the push order is incorrect, there is a certain probability (for example, 1/4) that the bells will stop pseudo-stop in a right-up line-up and win the AT, and there is a certain probability (3/4) that the losing combination (the bells are not aligned in a straight line) will stop pseudo-stop and the AT will not be won.

In the normal game, if certain conditions are met, the player wins the pseudo game. Specifically, for example, when the lever is turned on in the normal game, a preparatory lottery is held, and if the preparatory lottery is won, a pseudo game lottery is held. The winning rate in the preparatory lottery is, for example, 1/2. And in the pseudo game lottery, there is a 1/50 chance of winning the pseudo game.

In addition, in the normal game, repeatedly pressing the one-coin button 205 (an operation using the same operating means as the one-coin button 205 during CZ, but a different action by the player) increases the chances of winning in the preliminary lottery. The chances of winning in the preliminary lottery when repeatedly pressing the one-coin button 205 are 1/1.8. In other words, it is advantageous for the player to continue to perform the operation of repeatedly pressing the one-coin button 205 every game. Note that repeated pressing is defined as a case in which the time between when the one-coin button 205 is turned OFF and when it is turned ON again is less than a predetermined time (e.g., less than 500 ms), and it is treated as having been pressed repeatedly.

Note that if the one-coin button 205 is kept pressed (long press, not repeated) during the normal game (i.e., if an operation for favoring the AT winning rate during the simulated CZ game is performed during the normal game), a preparatory lottery will not be held, or if one is held, the winning rate of the preparatory lottery is extremely low (for example, 1/65,536). By performing different operations on the one-coin button 205 during the CZ and the normal game, advantageous situations can be obtained for each, making for advanced gameplay that can be enjoyed by players.

Figure 737 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pseudo game executed during a normal game. In this chapter, in addition to the transparent liquid crystal 301aa, the transparent liquid crystal 301ab, the transparent liquid crystal 301ca, and the transparent liquid crystal 301cb, the slot machine 1 is also provided with the transparent liquid crystal 301ba that covers the upper section of the center reel 301b and the transparent liquid crystal 301bb that covers the lower section of the center reel 301b. Images are displayed on the transparent liquid crystal 301ba and the transparent liquid crystal 301bb, respectively, to prevent the upper and lower sections of the center reel 301b from being seen. Note that the slot machine 1 may have a movable body that can cover the upper and lower sections of the center reel 301b, for example, instead of the transparent liquid crystal 301ba and the transparent liquid crystal 301bb.

(A) shows the state immediately after the CZ ends, with the reels stopped. When the CZ ends and switches to the normal state (normal game) (for example, a predetermined time has passed since the third reel stop button in the final game of the CZ is no longer pressed), an operation instruction urging the player to repeatedly press the one-coin button 205, as shown in (A), is displayed on the image display 500. The operation instruction also indicates that repeatedly pressing the one-coin button 205 makes it easier to win the simulated game.

Following the operation instructions makes it easier to win the simulated game, i.e., puts the player in an advantageous position, and since the operation instructions are important information for the player, it is desirable that they be displayed for a period of time long enough for the player to fully recognize them. Specifically, it is desirable that the display period of the operation instructions be longer (e.g., 5 seconds) than, for example, 4.1 seconds, which is the shortest play time (time-up time of the wait timer) for one game of slot machine 1. Therefore, the operation instructions can be displayed across multiple games.

In addition, rather than specifically setting a display time for the operation instruction, the operation instruction may be displayed until the state transitions to normal after the CZ ends and the first game starts (when the start lever 210 is operated). The operation instruction may be erased when either the display time for the operation instruction (e.g., 5 seconds, which is longer than the shortest play time for one game of the slot machine 1, 4.1 seconds) has elapsed, or the first game starts after the state transitions to normal after the CZ ends (when the start lever 210 is operated).

After the display of this operation instruction is erased, if the single coin insertion button 205 is not pressed repeatedly, or is pressed and held down as in CZ, and a specified condition is met (if the specified condition is met, and the preparatory action before the winning role is drawn is met), the operation instruction urging the single coin insertion button 205 to be pressed repeatedly may be displayed again. Note that the preparatory action for the winning role drawing, such as inserting a medal or pressing the MAX insertion button 206, is one example of the specified condition.

Therefore, for example, when the game switches from CZ to the normal game and an instruction to operate the insert one coin button 205 is displayed and then erased, if a medal is inserted while pressing and holding the insert one coin button 205, an instruction to operate the insert one coin button 205 will be displayed, such as "Wait a minute! Are you going to enter the lottery like this? That's stupid! I told you to press 1 BET repeatedly..."

The mode of the operation instruction (first operation instruction) that appears when switching from CZ to the normal game and the mode of the operation instruction (second operation instruction) that is redisplayed during the normal game may be the same or different.

Specifically, for example, the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction may differ in the display time, display size, and display position of the operation instruction, whether or not sound is output simultaneously with the operation instruction, and the volume and output time of the sound.

For example, the longer the display time of the operation instruction, the larger the display size, and the closer the display position is to the center of the image display body 500, the stronger the impression of the operation instruction. Also, the stronger the impression of the operation instruction can be when sound is output simultaneously with the operation instruction than when it is not output. Also, the louder the volume of the sound and the longer the output time, the stronger the impression of the operation time.

During the CZ, the one-coin insertion button 205 is pressed and held, and if the player continues to press and hold the button when the game transitions to the normal game, this would actually be disadvantageous to the player. Therefore, by executing the first operation instruction in a manner that leaves a strong impression (for example, by displaying the first operation instruction for a longer period than the second operation instruction), the player can reliably change the method of operating the one-coin insertion button 205 when switching from the CZ to the normal state.

In addition, some players may be playing when an operation instruction is given immediately after the end of a CZ, but may not see the operation instruction properly, or may see it but forget to perform the rapid tap operation. Therefore, by giving the second operation instruction in a manner that gives a stronger impression than the first operation instruction (for example, by making the display time of the second operation instruction longer than the display time of the first operation instruction), it is possible to prevent such players from forgetting to perform the rapid tap operation.

For example, if it takes a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) for the first or second operation instruction to be erased after it is displayed, it is desirable not to erase the first or second operation instruction until the predetermined time has elapsed, even if the pseudo game is won and the pseudo game starts within that predetermined time. For example, if the display of the first or second operation instruction is erased when the pseudo game starts, the impact of the appearance of the pseudo game may cause the player to forget to repeatedly press the one-coin insertion button 205. In this case, the first or second operation instruction, the operation instruction for the reel stop button, and the operation instruction for the start lever 210 will be displayed simultaneously during the pseudo game.

Furthermore, a player who does not see the operation instruction immediately after the end of the CZ (for example, if another player is playing during the CZ and immediately after the end of the CZ, and the player is changed afterwards) does not know that he or she can obtain an advantageous situation by repeatedly pressing the one-coin insertion button 205. Furthermore, since slot machines in which the operation of the one-coin insertion button 205 affects the lottery result are not generally known, even if the second operation instruction is executed in a manner that leaves a weak impression on a player who has not yet played the CZ, the player may be skeptical about operating the one-coin insertion button 205 itself. Therefore, if the second operation instruction is executed in a manner that leaves a strong impression (for example, by making the display time of the second operation instruction longer than the display time of the first operation instruction), the motivation of such a player to perform the repeated pressing operation can be increased.

Next, (B) is the state when the lever is turned on for the normal game in which the pseudo game has been won. The pseudo game during the normal game is activated when the lever is turned on for the game in which the pseudo game lottery has been won, but it may occur after a premonition within a predetermined number of games. However, if the player has won both the pseudo game during the normal game and the CZ when the lever is turned on for the normal game, the CZ will be executed first, and the pseudo game for the normal game will be terminated or carried over and executed after the CZ has ended.

When the simulated game starts, images are displayed on the transparent LCD 301aa, the transparent LCD 301ab, the transparent LCD 301ba, the transparent LCD 301bb, the transparent LCD 301ca, and the transparent LCD 301cb, preventing the view of any pieces other than those in the middle row of all reels.

If the player wins the simulated play during the regular game, they must choose one of six push sequences (left → center → right, left → right → center, center → left → right, center → right → left, right → left → center, right → center → left). The probability of selecting each push sequence is equal (all 1/6). If the player presses each reel stop button in the selected push sequence to simulate stop the reels, bells will line up in a straight line in the middle row and the player will win the AT.

In (B), the phrase "Guess the push order and line up the bells!" and images of each reel stop button decorated with effects and containing "?" are displayed on the image display 500, each of which indicates an operation instruction for each reel stop button.

(C) is the state when the lever is on in a normal game in which the pseudo game has been won, and is a continuation of (B). The images of the reel stop buttons continue to be displayed. Furthermore, by operating the start lever 210, the images on the transparent liquid crystal are erased, and a message indicating that the upper and lower rows of each reel become visible, and an image of the start lever 210 with an arrow are displayed on the image display 500, each of which indicates an operation instruction for the start lever 210.

When the start lever 210 is operated during the simulated normal game, the images on each transparent LCD are erased to the extent that the top and bottom rows of each reel are visible. If the reels are pressed correctly and a bell is lined up in the middle row, the player can know that they have won the AT even if they cannot see the top and bottom rows.

On the other hand, if the reels are not pressed in the correct order, the bells will not line up in the middle row. As mentioned above, even if the reels are not pressed in the correct order, there is a certain probability that the bells will line up from right to left and the AT will be won. Also, if the reels are not pressed in the correct order and the AT is not won, the bells will stop in the middle row of middle reel 301b and then a losing combination will stop.

Therefore, if no bells line up in the middle row and a pseudo-stop occurs in the middle row of center reel 301b, the player cannot determine the result of the AT lottery without looking at the bottom row of left reel 301a and the bottom row of right reel 301c. As will be described in more detail later, the result of the AT lottery is announced when a predetermined time has passed since the third pseudo-stop in the pseudo game, but for players who cannot wait for that, the winning result can be confirmed quickly by operating the start lever 210 described above.

The trigger for erasing the image of the operation instructions for the start lever 210 is, for example, the same as the trigger for erasing the image of the operation instructions for the start lever 210 in the CZ described above. Also, the relationship between the amount of operation of the start lever 210 and the area in each transmissive LCD where no image is displayed is, for example, the same as the relationship described in FIG. 728.

(D) is a state in which the reels are pressed in the correct order in the simulated game, no bells are lined up in the middle row, and a bell is pseudo-stopped in the middle row of middle reel 301b. In (D), the transparent liquid crystals block the view of the upper and lower rows of each reel, so it is impossible to tell whether the AT has been won or not.

(E) is the state in which the start lever 210 has been operated after reaching state (D). By operating the start lever 210, the images on the transparent LCD are erased, and the upper and lower rows of each reel become visible. In (E), the bells have lined up to the right, and the AT has been won. Also, in (E), the start lever 210 has been pressed for a predetermined time, so the image of the start lever 210 with an arrow, which is an operation instruction image, has been erased.

(F) is the state when the pseudo game ends. When a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) has passed since the third pseudo stop, the images on each transparent LCD are erased even if the start lever 210 is not operated, and the image display 500 also notifies whether the bells are lined up to the right, i.e., whether the AT has been won. After the performance of (F), the pseudo game ends and the reel rotation of the normal game begins.

In addition, if the starting lever 210 is operated by a predetermined amount (for example, 5/10 of the maximum movable width from the initial position of the starting lever 210) or more after the third pseudo stop, it is possible to check on the reels whether the bells are lined up to the right, so the image displayed on the image display 500 may be changed to an image that notifies the result of the AT lottery.

Therefore, there are cases where the result of the AT lottery is announced after a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) has elapsed since the third pseudo stop, cases where a player who cannot wait the predetermined time can operate the start lever 210 and the result of the AT lottery is announced without waiting for the predetermined time to elapse, and cases where the player operates the start lever 210 and is aware of the result of the AT lottery based on the outcome of the reels, but the announcement is not made until the predetermined time has elapsed.

Although not shown in the figure, if the reels are pressed correctly and bells are lined up in the middle row, a display indicating that the AT has been won is displayed on the image display 500, the simulated game ends, and the reels start spinning in the normal game.

As explained in this chapter, if the player does not tap the one-coin button 205 repeatedly during the normal game, the player will not be able to receive a favorable lottery draw. However, if the player continues to tap repeatedly, he or she may become tired and may not be able to continue tapping continuously.

Therefore, to avoid putting the player at a disadvantage by not performing the rapid-fire operation, if the start lever 210 is operated (when the game is started) without rapid-fire pressing of the one-coin button 205 (or if a long press operation similar to the operation during the CZ is performed), a push order navigation may be displayed with a predetermined probability (for example, 1/100). If each reel stop button is pressed according to this push order navigation, bells will line up in the game (main game, not pseudo game), and medals will be paid out. However, since this is still an operation performed without following the rapid-fire instruction of the one-coin button 205, it is better not to hold a special AT lottery even if the push order navigation is followed.

The pseudo game described above may be guaranteed to occur in the first normal game after the end of the CZ. This can provide players who were unable to win the AT in the CZ with a great chance to win the AT again, reducing player disappointment.

For example, in a simulated game during a normal game, the display of operation instructions for the start lever 210 in FIG. 737(C) may be started prior to the operation instructions for each reel stop button in FIG. 737(B), and the operation instructions for each reel stop button and the operation instructions for the start lever 210 may be displayed simultaneously.

If the button press sequence in the pseudo game is not correct, the following lottery and presentation may be performed. If the button press sequence is not correct, the bells are made to form a right-upward pattern at the stage of the second pseudo stop. Then, a lottery is performed at the time of the third pseudo stop, and the bells are made to stop in a right-upward pattern with the aforementioned predetermined probability (e.g., 1/4) in the lottery, winning the AT. However, if the one-coin insertion button 205 is pressed repeatedly before the third pseudo stop, the bells are made to stop in a right-upward pattern with the lottery having a higher probability than the predetermined probability (e.g., 1/3.5) in the lottery, winning the AT.

Therefore, when the second pseudo stop (i.e., the preparatory action for performing the lottery at the time of the third pseudo stop described above) is performed, an operation instruction encouraging the player to repeatedly tap the 1-coin insert button 205 (for example, a message saying "If you repeatedly hit 1 BET, bells will be more likely to line up!" and/or an image of the 1-coin insert button 205 with an arrow) is displayed to encourage the player to perform the repeated tap. When the operation instruction encouraging the player to repeatedly tap the 1-coin insert button 205 is displayed, an operation instruction is also displayed simultaneously on the right reel stop button 211c, and if at least the start lever 210 has not been operated, an operation instruction for the start lever 210 is also displayed simultaneously.

By holding such a lottery and presentation when the button press sequence in the simulated game is incorrect, players who place importance on the AT winning rate can press the one-coin insert button 205 repeatedly, while players who want the game to proceed smoothly can perform the third simulated stop without pressing the one-coin insert button 205 repeatedly.

The operation instruction encouraging the repeated tapping of the one-coin insert button 205 may be erased after, for example, flashing for a predetermined period of time (i.e., displayed by repeatedly alternating between a displayed state and a non-displayed state multiple times), or may be erased after only remaining in the displayed state for a predetermined period of time. Note that, for example, in order to ensure that the player repeatedly taps the one-coin insert button 205 and to increase the probability of the bells lining up to the right, these predetermined periods may be set longer than the display time of the operation instruction for the right reel stop button 211c, or, in order to allow the player to focus on the reel's pseudo-stop operation, these predetermined periods may be set shorter than the display time of the operation instruction for the right reel stop button 211c.

In addition, the operation instruction to prompt the user to repeatedly press the single coin insertion button 205 may be executed multiple times (for example, at the timing when the preparatory operation for the lottery at the third pseudo stop is performed, such as at the first pseudo stop and the second pseudo stop).

In addition, when an operation instruction for encouraging the repeated tapping of the insert one coin button 205 is displayed simultaneously with an operation instruction for the right reel stop button 211c, the sound corresponding to the right reel stop button 211c may be output with priority over the sound corresponding to the operation instruction for encouraging the repeated tapping of the insert one coin button 205 (for example, the prioritized sound is output at a louder volume than the non-prioritized sound, or the non-prioritized sound is not output and only the prioritized sound is output (even if the non-prioritized sound has started to be output first, the output of the non-prioritized sound is stopped and the prioritized sound is output), etc.), or the sound corresponding to the operation instruction for encouraging the repeated tapping of the insert one coin button 205 may be output with priority over the sound corresponding to the right reel stop button 211c. Furthermore, the priority of these sounds may be the same (for example, they may be output simultaneously at the same volume).

The same applies to the relationship between the sound corresponding to the operation instruction to prompt the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin insert button 205 and the sound corresponding to the start lever 210 when an operation instruction to prompt the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin insert button 205 is displayed simultaneously with an operation instruction for the start lever 210, and the relationship between the sound corresponding to the operation instruction for the right reel stop button 211c and the sound corresponding to the start lever 210 when an operation instruction for the right reel stop button 211c is displayed simultaneously with an operation instruction for the start lever 210.

In addition, when an instruction to prompt the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin insert button 205 is displayed simultaneously with an instruction to operate the right reel stop button 211c, the lamp corresponding to the right reel stop button 211c may be output with priority over the lamp corresponding to the instruction to prompt the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin insert button 205 (for example, the prioritized lamp emits a stronger light than the non-prioritized lamp, or the non-prioritized lamp is not output and only the prioritized lamp is output (even if the non-prioritized lamp starts outputting first, the output of the non-prioritized lamp is stopped and the prioritized lamp is output), etc.), or the lamp corresponding to the instruction to prompt the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin insert button 205 may be output with priority over the lamp corresponding to the right reel stop button 211c. In addition, the priority of these lamps may be the same (for example, they are output simultaneously with the same light intensity).

The same is true for the relationship between the lamp corresponding to the operation instruction to prompt the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin insert button 205 and the lamp corresponding to the start lever 210 when an operation instruction to prompt the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin insert button 205 is displayed simultaneously with an operation instruction to the start lever 210, and the relationship between the lamp corresponding to the operation instruction to the right reel stop button 211c and the lamp corresponding to the start lever 210 when an operation instruction to the right reel stop button 211c is displayed simultaneously with an operation instruction to the start lever 210.

Since it is easier for a player to recognize operation instructions corresponding to prioritized sounds, it is a good idea to set a high priority for sounds corresponding to operation instructions for operations that the player wants to perform with confidence. Similarly, since it is easier for a player to recognize operation instructions corresponding to prioritized lights, it is a good idea to set a high priority for lights corresponding to operation instructions for operations that the player wants to perform with confidence.

In addition, if the timing of outputting the sound corresponding to the operation instruction prompting the repeated tapping of the one-coin button 205 overlaps with the timing of outputting other sound effects, the sound corresponding to the operation instruction prompting the repeated tapping of the one-coin button 205 may be output in priority over the other sound effects, or the other sound effects may be output in priority over the sound corresponding to the operation instruction prompting the repeated tapping of the one-coin button 205, or they may have the same priority.

In addition, if the timing of outputting a lamp corresponding to an operation instruction that prompts the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin button 205 overlaps with the timing of outputting a lamp corresponding to another effect, the lamp corresponding to the operation instruction that prompts the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin button 205 may be output in priority over the lamp corresponding to the other effect, or the lamp corresponding to the other effect may be output in priority over the lamp corresponding to the operation instruction that prompts the user to repeatedly tap the one-coin button 205, or the lamps may have the same priority.

In the above example, when a pseudo game is executed during a normal game, there is a higher probability of winning the AT compared to a normal game in which a pseudo game is not executed. However, the pseudo game during a normal game may be executed as a simple effect in which an AT lottery is not performed during the pseudo game, such as the fortune-telling effect shown below. In other words, there is no difference in the AT winning rate between a normal game in which a pseudo game in which a fortune-telling effect is executed is executed and a normal game in which a pseudo game is not executed.

Specifically, for example, in a simulated game in which a fortune-telling effect is executed, if the reels are pressed in the correct order, the bells will stop in a simulated line in the middle of the reels, and even if the reels are pressed in the incorrect order, there is a certain probability (for example, 1/4) that the bells will stop in a simulated line upward to the right, and there is a certain probability (3/4) that a losing combination (the bells do not line up in a straight line) will stop in a simulated line.

For example, if bells are lined up at the pseudo stop, at the end of the pseudo game (Fig. 737(F)), instead of the message "Congratulations on winning the AT!", the message "Your fortune is great today! Something good might happen!" is displayed on the image display 500. On the other hand, if bells are not lined up at the pseudo stop, at the end of the pseudo game, instead of the message "Congratulations on winning the AT!", the message "Your fortune is bad today... but let's do our best!" is displayed on the image display 500. Also, instead of the message "Did you win the AT?" in Figs. 737(D) and (E), for example, a message "What's your fortune today?" is displayed. By performing such fortune-telling effects in the pseudo game, players can be entertained without increasing the AT winning rate (i.e., without increasing the burden on the hall).

[12-7. Specific example of CZ performance 3]
Another example of the CZ presentation will be described below. In the above example, by maintaining the pressed state of the one-coin insert button 205 during the CZ, a favorable AT lottery could be entered. In this chapter, if the pressed state of the one-coin insert button is maintained during the CZ, the shortest play time (time when the wait timer times out) of one game of the slot machine 1 during the CZ is 4.1 seconds, but if the pressed state is not maintained, the shortest play time becomes longer (for example, 10 seconds, which is more than twice the time of 4.1 seconds).

For example, if the player does not perform the operation indicated by the operation instruction for the one-coin insert button 205 during the CZ (such as the message displayed on the image display 500 in Figure 724 (B) or the image of the one-coin insert button 205 displayed on the image display 500 in Figure 724 (C), etc.) or performs an operation different from that indicated by the operation instruction, and then operates the start lever 210 to draw a winning role, the time-up time of the wait timer, which is the shortest play time of 4.1 seconds for the slot machine 1, is extended to 10 seconds. This increases the time consumed per game during the CZ.

Even if the shortest game time remained at 4.1 seconds by keeping the one-coin button 205 pressed during the CZ, the game must be played with one hand while the one-coin button 205 is held down, so even for players who are accustomed to playing, it would be difficult to complete a game in 4.1 seconds. In other words, the time taken per game during the CZ will be longer, even if the one-coin button 205 is held down.

Note that if the one-coin button 205 is not held down during the CZ, the minimum play time is set to be extended from 4.1 seconds to 10 seconds, which is more than twice 4.1 seconds; however, if the average time consumed in one game exceeds twice 4.1 seconds, the minimum play time after the extension does not have to be more than twice 4.1 seconds (for example, the minimum play time after the change may be around 7 seconds).

In this way, by lengthening the minimum play time during a CZ and lengthening the average game duration, the burden on the hall can be alleviated. Also, by lengthening the average game duration during a CZ, players playing the CZ can enjoy the CZ presentation.

Furthermore, by lengthening the average time played during the CZ, people who are not playing slot machine 1 during the CZ (for example, players playing other slot machines around slot machine 1 during the CZ, or people passing by slot machine 1 during the CZ) can be frequently shown gameplay during the CZ, which can attract interest in slot machine 1.

For example, the AT winning rate for each game when the one-coin button 205 is kept pressed during the CZ is approximately 1/10.43, calculated from the AT first win table during the CZ in FIG. 716 and Table 2 of the AT first win lottery table in FIG. 717. Also, as mentioned above, the CZ continues until the AT winning game or until 10 games have been played, so when calculated from the AT winning rate for each game during the CZ, the CZ continues for an average of 6.67 games.

In addition, according to the small prize lottery table in FIG. 713, the AT first hit lottery table in FIG. 714, and the CZ transition lottery table in FIG. 715, there is a probability of transitioning to CZ during normal games of approximately 1/603. Therefore, the average number of CZ games played per day is calculated by multiplying the total number of normal games played per day by 6.67 x 1/603. If 4,000 normal games are played per day, an average of 44.2 CZ games are played per day.

For example, if ten such slot machines 1 are installed in a hall, a total of 442 CZ games will be played across the ten machines. If 442 games are played in the normal shortest play time (4.1 seconds), the CZ games will be played for a total of 1,814 seconds across the ten slot machines 1 in one day. Therefore, if the shortest play time is doubled, the CZ games will be played for a total of 1,814 seconds (approximately 30 minutes) longer in one hall in one day, so that even people who are not playing the slot machine 1 during the CZ can be fully informed of the fun of the slot machine 1.

In addition, even if the start lever 210 is operated (game is started) after performing an operation other than a long press of the one-coin insert button 205 (for example, a rapid press operation) or after performing no operation, in order to reduce the burden on the hall as described above, it is generally better not to display the optimal operation instruction (long press of the one-coin insert button 205) (so as not to extend the shortest game time).

On the other hand, in such a case, for example, an operational instruction such as the message in FIG. 724 (B) may be redisplayed, the image of the one-coin insert button 205 that is always displayed during the CZ may be highlighted (for example, by applying an effect or moving it), or the message may be displayed and the image of the one-coin insert button 205 may be highlighted simultaneously.

However, if a game with an extended minimum play time has been played a predetermined number of games in a row (e.g., five games), it is highly likely that the player has no intention of playing a game with the normal minimum play time (4.1 seconds), so there is no need to display or highlight the message described above again.

When a predetermined number of games in which the minimum play time has been extended are played consecutively, the optimal operation is displayed, for example, "I told you that if you hold down the 1 BET button for a long time, the game time will be shorter... but you are wasting my kindness... what a shame...", but it is better to display something different from the above-mentioned message re-display or highlighting of the image of the 1 coin button 205. By displaying something different in this way, even a player who did not notice the operation instructions, such as the above-mentioned message re-display or highlighting of the image of the 1 coin button 205, can easily notice the new display.

However, if special conditions are met while a game in which the minimum play time has been extended is being played, the minimum play time may be shortened (it may be returned to the original 4.1 seconds, or may be shortened to a value greater than 4.1 seconds but less than 10 seconds). This is to avoid causing inconvenience to players by making the average play time excessively long. However, if the minimum play time is to be returned to the original 4.1 seconds, it is preferable to do so after the game in which the minimum play time has been extended has ended, that is, in the next game or later.

Note that the operation of the reserve release switch 209 (reserved medal clearing switch) during the execution of a game in which the minimum play time has been extended, and the operation of the effect button 204 (e.g., pressing once or pressing and holding, etc.) are both examples of the special conditions mentioned above.

In addition, when the slot machine 1 is designed to allow the drawing of winning roles during the execution of a game in which the minimum play time has been extended, the drawing of winning roles during the execution of a game in which the minimum play time has been extended is also an example of the special condition mentioned above. Note that by allowing the drawing of winning roles during the execution of a game in which the minimum play time has been extended (allowing the drawing of winning roles during the execution of a game in which the minimum play time has been extended even if the minimum play time has been extended, in other words, allowing the drawing of winning roles multiple times in one game), it is possible to mitigate the disadvantage to the player caused by the extension of the minimum play time.

However, if the design allows the drawing of winning roles during the execution of a game in which the minimum play time has been extended, it is desirable to set an upper limit on the number of draws. For example, the upper limit is the number of draws that can be performed based on the number of medals that can be inserted into the slot machine 1 (maximum credits) (the maximum credits are 50 medals, and the number of medals required for one game is 3 medals, so 16 draws, which is smaller than 50/3=16.666...).

If the lottery has been executed up to the maximum number of times, the shortest play time for the next game may be set back to the normal 4.1 seconds, or if the lottery has been executed even once, the shortest play time for the next game may be set back to the normal 4.1 seconds.

In addition, if the machine is designed to allow winning roles to be drawn during the execution of a game with an extended minimum play time, cases may arise in which the winning role drawn when the lever is turned on for a game with an extended minimum play time is a bonus (a winning role in which the condition device remains in an active state until the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus is achieved; also known as a carryover role), and the winning role drawn during the execution of a game with an extended minimum play time is also a bonus.

In this case, for example, when the lever is turned on and a combination of symbols corresponding to the bonus that was won is displayed on the reels, a transition to a bonus game state for that bonus will occur, and when the conditions for terminating that bonus game state are met (for example, the number of medals paid out is a predetermined number (for example, 300 medals) or more), that bonus game state will end. Then, from the first game after that bonus game state ends, it will be possible to stop the reels with a combination of symbols corresponding to the bonus that was won during the game in which the minimum play time has been extended, and when that combination of symbols is displayed on the reels, a bonus game state for a new bonus will begin.

In the above-mentioned case, for a bonus won by a lottery held during the execution of a game in which the minimum play time has been extended, the game may be transitioned to a bonus game state without displaying the combination of symbols corresponding to the bonus. By generating a bonus game state in this way, the player perceives the successive bonuses as a single bonus from which a large number of medals can be acquired. Although the upper limit on the number of medals that can be acquired in one bonus is set by rules, the successive bonuses (the second bonus does not have the same bonus symbols) make the player feel as if he has acquired medals and gained balls in excess of the rules. In addition, in the case of these successive bonuses, it is advisable to perform an effect in which the multiple bonuses are seen as a single bonus, for example by continuously counting the cumulative number of medals acquired in the bonuses without resetting the display.

In addition, even in a game in which the minimum play time has been extended, three instructions can be displayed simultaneously: an instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed, an instruction to press each reel stop button in a simulated game, and an instruction to operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of each transparent liquid crystal. The process of extending the minimum play time is not limited to the CZ described above, but may also be performed during a CZ (for example, the special specialized zone described below) that is executed during the AT.

[12-8. CZ (specialized zone) transition during AT]
The CZ executed during the AT will be described below. When the AT is won, the initial number of games (for example, 50 or more) is determined. In addition, based on the winning combination during the AT game or the AT precursor game, a lottery is held to add to the number of AT games, a lottery is held to move to a mode in which the number of AT games is added with a very high probability (for example, 1/2), or a lottery is held to move to a specialized zone in which the number of AT games is added for each game, thereby increasing the number of AT games.

This makes it possible to realize an AT game with a number of games that exceeds the initial number of games determined when the AT was won. Also, if the push order bell (123 bells, 132 bells, 213 bells, 231 bells, 312 bells, or 321 bells) is won during an AT game, the correct push order is announced immediately after operating the start lever 210 with a higher probability (e.g., 1/1 during an AT game, 0/1 during a normal game excluding a premonition game) compared to a normal game (e.g., 1/1 during an AT game, 0/1 during a normal game excluding a premonition game) (e.g., numbers indicating the push order are displayed at a position corresponding to directly above each reel on the image display body 500, or a sound such as "It's in!" is output from the speaker 512). This allows you to enjoy playing while increasing your medals during the AT.

The slot machine 1 in this chapter is equipped with a specialized zone, which is a CZ during the AT, and the specialized zone includes a normal specialized zone and a special specialized zone. When a specialized zone during the AT is won, for example, there is a 3/4 probability of transitioning to the normal specialized zone, and a 1/4 probability of transitioning to the special specialized zone. The normal specialized zone is a general specialized zone in which the number of AT games is added every game. On the other hand, the special specialized zone is a specialized zone in which a lottery is held to determine whether or not to enter the specialized zone, and details will be given later.

In addition, if a player wins a special specialized zone again in a special specialized zone, the player does not move directly to a new specialized zone, but instead returns to an AT state that is not a specialized zone, and then moves to the new specialized zone after, for example, a predetermined number of AT games have been played. In this case, it is desirable for the predetermined number of games to be a short number of games, such as less than the initial number of games in the AT (e.g., 50 games), or less than the average number of games in one AT, including the number of games added to the initial number of games in the AT.

However, in the special specialized zone, if there are only a few games remaining in the AT when the specialized zone is selected again, there is a possibility that the AT will end before the specified number of games are played. Therefore, when the special specialized zone ends, it is a good idea to add an AT game that is shorter than the initial number of games in the AT (for example, 20 games). By doing this, the AT state can be maintained until the player enters the specialized zone again after the special specialized zone ends.

It is desirable to start the specialized zone from the game following the game in which the transition lottery to the specialized zone was won. By doing this, it is possible to transition to the specialized zone before the AT ends. Also, if the number of remaining games in the AT becomes zero after the start of the specialized zone and before the end of the specialized zone, it is desirable to continue the AT state until the end of the specialized zone. By doing this, it is possible to consume all of the acquired specialized zone during the AT.

Next, an example of the presentation in the specialized zone will be described. The normal specialized zone is not illustrated because the presentation is the same as that in the specialized zone in a general slot machine. In the normal specialized zone, for example, when the lever is turned on for each game, the number of added games is determined based on the winning role, and a presentation indicating the degree of expectation is made to appear based on the winning role or the determined number of added games. Then, for example, the determined number of added games is announced using the image display 500 or the like at the third stop. The normal specialized zone ends after a fixed, predetermined number of games (for example, 10 games).

Figure 738 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the presentation in the special specialization zone. The special specialization zone ends, for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed from the transition to the special specialization zone, regardless of the number of games played. (A) shows the state at the end of a game in which the special specialization zone has been won. A display indicating that the special specialization zone has been won is displayed on the image display 500.

(B) is the state when the lever is turned on for the next game after (A), i.e., the start game of the special specialized zone. When the lever is turned on, the time until the end of the special specialized zone (for example, 60 seconds) is set on the timer. The gameplay is how many normal specialized zones can be stocked in these 60 seconds, and depending on the speed at which the game progresses and the number of times the specialized zone is won, it is possible to stock multiple specialized zones in 60 seconds.

The simulated game is played continuously for these 60 seconds. If the 1 BET button is kept pressed during the special specialized zone, the specialized zone stock probability is doubled, but the timer speed until the end of the special specialized zone is doubled (i.e., shortened to 30 seconds at the earliest). As a result, when the 1-coin button 205 is kept pressed, more lotteries can be executed per unit time compared to when the pressed state is not maintained, and on the other hand, when the pressed state is not maintained, the special specialized zone can be enjoyed for a longer period of time compared to when the pressed state is maintained. Note that the time until the end of the special specialized zone is not limited to one fixed value (60 seconds), and for example, one value may be selected from multiple values.

In (B), if the one-coin insertion button 205 is kept pressed, an operation instruction message is displayed indicating that the AT lottery will be favored but that time will progress at double speed, and an operation instruction image is an image of the one-coin insertion button 205 with an arrow. After this, a pseudo game similar to that of the CZ described above is played.

Specifically, if the specialized zone is won, the pseudo game similar to that shown in FIG. 724(B) to FIG. 725(J) is played, and if the specialized zone is not won, the pseudo game similar to that shown in FIG. 726(G2) to (J2) is played after FIG. 724(B) to (F). The pseudo game is repeated until the timer value reaches zero. When the timer value reaches zero, the pseudo game being played may be forcibly terminated and the special specialized zone may be terminated, or the special specialized zone may be terminated by the termination of the pseudo game being played. During the specialized zone, as during the CZ, a caption image instructing the player to keep pressing the one-coin insertion button 205 shown in FIG. 726 may be constantly displayed.

For example, in order to avoid encouraging too much gambling in the player, it is desirable to set an upper limit on the number of specialized zones that can be stocked in one special specialized zone (for example, 10). Even if multiple specialized zones are stocked in one special specialized zone, it is better to insert a predetermined number of normal AT games (i.e., AT games that are not specialized zones) between the release of each specialized zone, rather than releasing the multiple stocked specialized zones consecutively. In other words, the game progresses as follows: end of special specialized zone → normal AT → specialized zone → normal AT → ....

In addition, during simulated play in the special specialized zone, a notification effect may be performed to notify the player that each stock that has been won has been won, or a notification effect may not be performed for some or all of the stocks (i.e., the player does not know the number of stocks that have been won (but it must be equal to or greater than the number that has been notified)). In addition, the display in the notification effect may be erased once the game transitions to the normal AT game, or may be executed across the normal AT game.

In addition, since the special specialized zone can be an opportunity to greatly increase the number of medals acquired, the special specialized zone creates a strong sense of tension for the player. Therefore, in order to release the player's own sense of tension and allow him to play to his heart's content, it is desirable to be able to change the background music during the special specialized zone (or the period spanning from the special specialized zone to the next normal AT) when the first pseudo stop and second pseudo stop reel stop buttons in the pseudo game are pressed, and to change the tone of the message displayed on the image display 500 (for example, to a maid's tone, such as "Master! Please stop the red 7 in the center of the right reel!"). Note that the operating means for changing the background music and the message are the same operating means when viewed as reel stop buttons, and can also be considered as different operating means if each reel stop button is considered as an individual operating means.

In addition, since the special specialization zone ends over time, a countdown of the remaining time in the special specialization zone may be displayed on the image display 500 so that the player can recognize the remaining time. The countdown begins, for example, when the special specialization zone starts (i.e., when the lever is on), and proceeds at double speed when the one-coin insertion button 205 is pressed. Note that, instead of displaying a countdown of the remaining time when the special specialization zone starts, a countdown may be displayed at the timing of the first pseudo stop, second pseudo stop, or third pseudo stop in the pseudo game (for example, the first time).

For example, if a message that directly or indirectly indicates the special specialized zone as in Figures 738 (A) and (B) is not displayed, and instead a countdown is displayed after the lever is turned on, the player will not know at the time of turning on the lever whether the normal specialized zone or the special specialized zone has started. Then, at the time of the pseudo stop, a countdown will suddenly be displayed, allowing the player to recognize that it is a special specialized zone, and the sense of anticipation will rise all at once.

In addition, when the special specialized zone has multiple times (for example, 60 seconds and 120 seconds are determined by lottery) and the countdown display is performed after the lever is turned on, for example, 30 seconds can be displayed to conceal whether it is a 60-second or 120-second special specialized zone, or 90 seconds can be displayed to let the player know that it is a 120-second special specialized zone, thereby increasing the sense of anticipation.

The operating means for changing the background music or tone of the message in the special specialized zone described above and the operating means for displaying the countdown (i.e., for announcing the type of specialized zone) may be the same or different. By keeping these operating means the same, the background music change, tone change, and notification of the special specialized zone can all be achieved by operating the same operating means, so that the player can have great anticipation for operating the same operating means, although it is difficult for the player to have anticipation for operating other operating means. On the other hand, by making these operating means different, the player can have anticipation for operating each of the different operating means.

[12-9. Relationship between instructions and performances for different control parts in CZ 1]
The following describes the relationship between the instruction effects for the different operation parts during the CZ. As described above, during the simulated play during the CZ, the instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed, the operation instructions for each reel stop button, and the operation instruction for the start lever 210 are displayed on the image display body 500.

Holding down the one-coin button 205 is an operation that affects the lottery result, and if this operation instruction is erased, the player may stop pressing the one-coin button 205 and may not be able to take advantage of the lottery. Furthermore, if the operation instructions for each reel stop button are erased, the player may not know whether it is okay to stop each reel. Furthermore, if the operation instruction for the start lever 210 is erased, the player may mistakenly think that the visibility of the reels cannot be improved, which may increase the difficulty of pressing the buttons during the simulated game and reduce interest. Therefore, these problems are solved by making it possible to display three operation instructions simultaneously on the image display unit 500.

Below, we will explain an example in which three operational instructions can be displayed simultaneously, and the display of the operational instructions begins in the following order: an instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed, an operational instruction for each reel stop button, and an operational instruction for the start lever 210.

In other words, in this example, first, an instruction to operate the one-coin button 205 related to the lottery result during the CZ is displayed to allow the player to understand the lottery method. Then, an instruction to press the reel stop button is issued to quickly stop the left reel 301a and center reel 301b, which do not indicate the lottery result. Then, an instruction to operate the start lever 210 is displayed to improve the visibility of the right reel 301c, which indicates the lottery result, to focus the player's attention on the right reel 301c.

Below, we will explain the presentation in which the operation instructions are displayed in this order. First, as shown in Figure 724 (B), when it is confirmed that the player will move to the CZ, the explanation for CZ is executed in the state before the move to the CZ. In this explanation, for example, as described above, an instruction is given to maintain the pressed state of the one-coin insert button 205. Since some players do not know which operation part the one-coin insert button 205 is, as described above, in this explanation, it is advisable to display an image of the one-coin insert button 205 (an image that imitates the one-coin insert button 205) on the image display unit 500.

As shown in FIG. 724(C), when the CZ starts, the explanatory text indicating the instruction to keep the one-coin insert button 205 pressed is erased, but it is preferable to continue displaying the image of the one-coin insert button 205 so that the player can continue to recognize the instruction to keep the one-coin insert button 205 pressed. Also, when the image of the one-coin insert button 205 is continuously displayed, the image may be continuously displayed without changing the display size so as not to change the player's understanding of the operation of the one-coin insert button, the display size of the image may be changed to be smaller than when the explanatory text was displayed because it is considered that the player has received an explanation of the mechanism of the CZ and understands it, and since keeping the one-coin insert button 205 pressed is an important operation that affects the lottery result, the display size of the image may be changed to be larger than when the explanatory text was displayed.

The image may be displayed as a cycle effect, for example, by repeatedly flashing or moving at a predetermined cycle. If the image is to continue to be displayed without changing its display size when the explanatory text is erased, the cycle that has continued since the explanatory text was displayed may be continued, or the cycle may be restarted at that timing.

Specifically, for example, if the images are displayed as a cycle presentation in which three display images are repeatedly displayed in the order of display image 1, display image 2, and display image 3, and display image 2 is displayed immediately before the explanatory text is erased, the cycle may be continued at the timing when the explanatory text is erased, by displaying display image 3, which is the image next to display image 2, thereby continuing the cycle presentation, or display image 1, which is the start image of the cycle presentation, may be displayed to restart the cycle presentation.

In addition, when the explanatory text is erased, the display size of the image of the one-coin insert button 205 may be changed to a similar size (for example, approximately 0.7 times to 1.3 times). The presentation of the image of the one-coin insert button 205 may be changed before and after the explanatory text is erased. Specifically, for example, whether or not the display size of the image of the one-coin insert button 205 is changed, the cycle presentation itself (for example, the amount of movement, display position, blinking speed, etc.) may be changed. This makes it possible to leave a strong impression on the player of the operation of continuing to press the one-coin insert button 205 after the explanatory text is erased.

Next, while the operation instruction to keep the insert one coin button 205 pressed is displayed, the operation instructions for each reel stop button are displayed on the image display 500. Note that since it is assumed that the insert one coin button 205 will be kept pressed in accordance with the instruction to keep the insert one coin button 205 pressed, the image of the insert one coin button 205 does not necessarily have to be displayed when the image of each reel stop button showing the operation instruction for each reel stop button is displayed.

When the image of the insert-one-coin button 205 (an image instructing the player to keep the insert-one-coin button pressed) and the images of each reel stop button (an image instructing the player to press each reel stop button) are displayed simultaneously, it is desirable to output a sound or light indicating that the current state is CZ, while also outputting a sound or light corresponding to an instruction to operate each reel stop button (for example, a sound such as "Right!" instructing the player to press the right reel stop button 211c) or light (for example, causing the light on the right reel stop button 211c to light up in a specified color (for example, blue)). This allows the player to reliably recognize that they are being asked to operate a reel stop button.

When an instruction is given to operate each reel stop button, for example, only some of the lamps provided on the slot machine 1 (for example, the lamp provided on the reel stop button to be pressed) are illuminated as lamps corresponding to the instruction, and the other lamps are allowed to continue illuminating as lamps indicating that the current state is controlled by CZ.

Next, while the operation instruction to keep the one-coin insert button 205 pressed and the operation instructions to press each reel stop button are displayed, the operation instructions for the start lever 210 are displayed on the image display 500. Note that since it is assumed that the one-coin insert button 205 will be kept pressed in accordance with the instruction to keep the one-coin insert button 205 pressed, when an image of the start lever 210 indicating the operation instruction for the start lever 210 is displayed, an image of the one-coin insert button 205 does not necessarily have to be displayed.

In addition, even if the operation is performed according to the operation instructions of the start lever 210, it only improves the visibility of the performance display, and the operation of the reel stop buttons is considered to be more important than the operation of the start lever 210. Therefore, when the image of each reel stop button is displayed, the image of the one-coin insertion button 205 and the image of the start lever 210 do not necessarily have to be displayed.

When the image of the one-coin button 205 and the image of the start lever 210 are displayed simultaneously, and when the images of the reel stop buttons and the image of the start lever 210 are displayed simultaneously, it is desirable to give priority to outputting a sound or a light corresponding to an instruction to operate the start lever 210 (for example, a sound instructing the user to press the start lever 210, such as "hit the lever!") or a light (for example, lighting up a light provided near the start lever 210 in a specified color) while a sound or light is being output to notify the user that the current state is CZ. This allows the player to reliably recognize that he or she is being asked to operate the start lever 210.

When an instruction to operate the start lever 210 is given, only some of the lamps provided on the slot machine 1 (for example, the lamps provided on the reel stop button to be pressed) corresponding to the button are illuminated, and the other lamps continue to be illuminated as lamps indicating that the current state is controlled by CZ.

As described above, multiple operation instructions can be displayed simultaneously from among the operation instruction to keep the one-coin insertion button 205 pressed (first operation instruction), the operation instruction for each reel stop button (second operation instruction), and the operation instruction for the start lever 210 (third operation instruction). When multiple operation instructions are displayed simultaneously, at least some of the multiple operation instructions may be displayed overlapping each other, or may not be displayed overlapping each other.

By displaying multiple operation instructions with at least a portion overlapping each other, the player can recognize that the images of the multiple operation instructions are integrated to form one large operation instruction display, which increases the player's motivation to operate. Furthermore, by displaying multiple operation instructions with at least a portion overlapping each other, it becomes easier to secure space on the image display body 500 for displaying effects other than the operation instructions, and a variety of display effects can be realized using this space. On the other hand, by displaying multiple operation instructions without overlapping each other, the player can easily distinguish each of the multiple operation instructions, making it easier to understand the playing method during simulated play.

Below, we explain the display patterns (1) to (4) when multiple operation instructions are displayed simultaneously.

(1) A pattern in which the first and second operation instructions are displayed simultaneously, and the third operation instruction is not displayed. When the first and second operation instructions are displayed overlapping each other, the first operation instruction is displayed in front of the second operation instruction (i.e., in the overlapping portion, only the first instruction is visible), making it easier for the player to recognize the first operation instruction, which is an operation for receiving a preferential lottery. When the first and second operation instructions are displayed overlapping each other, the second operation instruction is displayed in front of the first operation instruction, making it easier for the player to recognize the instruction to press each reel stop button, and the player presses each reel stop button at an early timing, making it possible to smoothly progress with the simulated game. Furthermore, when the first and second operation instructions are displayed without overlapping each other, the player can distinguish between the operations indicated by both instructions, making it possible to more reliably perform both operations.

(2) A pattern in which the first and third operation instructions are displayed simultaneously, and the second operation instruction is not displayed. When the first and third operation instructions are displayed overlapping each other, the first operation instruction is displayed in front of the third operation instruction, making it easier for the player to recognize the first operation instruction, which is an operation for receiving a preferential lottery. When the first and third operation instructions are displayed overlapping each other, the third operation instruction is displayed in front of the first operation instruction, making it easier for the player to recognize the operation instruction of the start lever 210. The player can reliably operate the start lever 210, improve the visibility of the reels, and progress in the simulated game, which in turn increases interest. Furthermore, when the first and third operation instructions are displayed without overlapping each other, the player can distinguish between the operations indicated by both instructions, and can reliably perform both operations.

(3) A pattern in which the second and third operation instructions are displayed simultaneously, and the first operation instruction is not displayed. When the second and third operation instructions are displayed overlapping each other, the second operation instruction is displayed in front of the third operation instruction, which makes it easier for the player to recognize the operation instruction of the reel stop button, so the player can concentrate on stopping the left reel 301a and the center reel 301b, which do not indicate the lottery result, and then improving the visibility of the right reel 301c, which indicates the lottery result. When the second and third operation instructions are displayed overlapping each other, the third operation instruction is displayed in front of the second operation instruction, which makes it easier for the player to recognize the operation instruction of the start lever 210, so the player can first operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of the reels, and then concentrate on stopping each reel. Also, when the second and third operation instructions are displayed without overlapping each other, the player can distinguish the operations indicated by both instructions, and both operations can be performed reliably.

(4) A pattern in which a first operation instruction, a second operation instruction, and a third operation instruction are displayed simultaneously. This pattern includes, for example, the following patterns (4a) to (4h) due to overlapping of the display of each operation instruction.
(4a) A pattern in which each of a first operation instruction, a second operation instruction, and a third operation instruction is displayed overlapping with both of the other two operation instructions.
(4b) A pattern in which the first operation instruction overlaps with the second operation instruction and the third operation instruction, but the second operation instruction and the third operation instruction are displayed without overlapping each other.
(4c) A pattern in which the second operation instruction overlaps with the first operation instruction and the third operation instruction, but the first operation instruction and the third operation instruction are displayed without overlapping.
(4d) A pattern in which the third operation instruction overlaps with the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction, but the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction are displayed without overlapping each other.
(4e) A pattern in which the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction overlap, but the third operation instruction is displayed without overlapping either the first operation instruction or the second operation instruction.
(4f) A pattern in which the first operation instruction and the third operation instruction overlap, but the second operation instruction is displayed without overlapping either the first operation instruction or the third operation instruction.
(4g) A pattern in which the second operation instruction and the third operation instruction overlap, but the first operation instruction is displayed without overlapping either the second operation instruction or the third operation instruction.
(4h) A pattern in which each of a first operation instruction, a second operation instruction, and a third operation instruction is displayed without overlapping with either of the other two operation instructions.

In pattern (4a), all of the operation instructions overlap each other, giving the player the impression that the three operation instructions are integrated, making the integrated operation instructions more likely to catch the player's eye. Furthermore, the total display area of the three operation instructions is reduced, allowing the wide area of the image display body 500 to be effectively used for other effects.

In addition, in pattern (4a), there may be an area where the first operation instruction, the second operation instruction, and the third operation instruction all overlap (i.e., the intersection of the display area of the first operation instruction, the display area of the second operation instruction, and the display area of the third operation instruction is not an empty set), or such an area may not exist (i.e., the intersection is an empty set).

In pattern (4a), by displaying the first operation instruction, the second operation instruction, and the third operation instruction in order from the front, the impression the player has of each operation, in the order of holding down the one-coin insert button 205, pressing each reel stop button, and operating the start lever 210, can be strengthened. In other words, the first operation instruction, which is the operation for receiving a preferential lottery, is made extremely recognizable to the player, ensuring that the one-coin insert button 205 is held down and that the operation of each reel stop button is made strongly recognizable, allowing the simulated game to progress smoothly, while weakening the player's recognition of the operation instruction for the start lever 210, which is not directly related to the progress of the simulated game.

In pattern (4a), by displaying the first operation instruction, the third operation instruction, and the second operation instruction in order from the front, the impression the player has of each operation, in the order of holding down the one-coin insert button 205, operating the start lever 210, and pressing each reel stop button, can be strengthened. In other words, the first operation instruction, which is the operation for receiving a preferential lottery, is made extremely recognizable to the player, ensuring that the one-coin insert button 205 is held down, and the operation of the start lever 210 is made highly recognizable to the player, improving the visibility of the right reel 301c, which indicates the lottery result, thereby increasing interest, and weakening the player's recognition of the operation instructions for the left reel stop button 211a and the center reel stop button 211b, which do not indicate the lottery result.

In pattern (4a), by displaying the second operation instruction, the first operation instruction, and the third operation instruction in order from the front, it is possible to strengthen the impression that the player has of each operation, in the order of pressing each reel stop button, keeping the one-coin button 205 pressed, and operating the start lever 210. In other words, it is possible to make the player extremely aware of the operation of each reel stop button, allowing the simulated game to progress smoothly, and to make the player strongly aware of the first operation instruction, allowing the player to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed as much as possible, thereby weakening the player's awareness of the operation instruction of the start lever 210, which is not directly related to the progress of the simulated game.

In pattern (4a), by displaying the second operation instruction, the third operation instruction, and the first operation instruction in that order from the front, it is possible to strengthen the impression that the player has of each operation, in the order of pressing each reel stop button, operating the start lever 210, and holding down the one-coin button 205. In other words, by making the operation of each reel stop button extremely noticeable, the simulated game progresses smoothly, by making the operation of the start lever 210 highly noticeable, the visibility of the right reel 301c, which shows the lottery results, is improved, thereby increasing interest, and by weakening the player's awareness of the first operation instruction, which is the operation to receive a preferential lottery, excessive payout of medals is suppressed, thereby reducing the burden on the hall.

In pattern (4a), by displaying the third operation instruction, the first operation instruction, and the second operation instruction in order from the front, it is possible to strengthen the impression that the player has of each operation, in the order of operating the start lever 210, keeping the one-coin button 205 pressed, and pressing each reel stop button. In other words, it is possible to enhance interest by making the player extremely aware of the operation of the start lever 210 and improving the visibility of the right reel 301c, which indicates the lottery result, and to make the player strongly aware of the first operation instruction and keep the one-coin button 205 pressed as much as possible, thereby weakening the player's awareness of the operation instructions for the left reel stop button 211a and the center reel stop button 211b, which do not indicate the lottery result.

In pattern (4a), by displaying the third operation instruction, the second operation instruction, and the first operation instruction in that order from the front, it is possible to strengthen the impression that the player has of each operation, in the order of operating the start lever 210, pressing each reel stop button, and holding down the one-coin button 205. In other words, the operation of the start lever 210 is made extremely noticeable, improving the visibility of the right reel 301c, which indicates the lottery result, thereby increasing interest, the operation of each reel stop button is made highly noticeable, allowing the simulated game to proceed smoothly, and by weakening the player's awareness of the first operation instruction, which is the operation to receive a preferential lottery, excessive payout of medals is suppressed, thereby reducing the burden on the hall.

In addition, in pattern (4a), the positional relationship between the three operation instructions may be a rock-paper-scissors relationship. Specifically, for example, in a portion where the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction overlap, the first operation instruction is displayed in front of the second operation instruction, in a portion where the second operation instruction and the third operation instruction overlap, the second operation instruction is displayed in front of the third operation instruction, and in a portion where the third operation instruction and the first operation instruction overlap, the third operation instruction is displayed in front of the first operation instruction. However, in this case, in a portion where the first operation instruction, the second operation instruction, and the third operation instruction all overlap, for example, any one of the operation instructions may be displayed, an image other than each operation instruction may be displayed, or the portion may be left blank.

In patterns (4b) to (4d), although two operation instructions overlap one operation instruction, the other two operation instructions are displayed without overlapping with each other. This gives the player the impression that the three operation instructions are integrated, making the integrated operation instruction more likely to catch the player's eye, and because the other two operation instructions do not overlap with each other, it is easier for the player to distinguish each operation instruction compared to pattern (4a).

In patterns (4e) to (4g), one operation instruction does not overlap with the other two operation instructions, but the other two operation instructions are displayed overlapping each other. This allows the player to completely distinguish the one operation instruction from the other two operation instructions, making it easier to execute the one operation instruction with certainty. On the other hand, this gives the player the impression that the other two operation instructions are integrated, and the integrated operation instruction is more likely to catch the player's eye.

In addition, in patterns (4b) to (4g), the chronological relationship of the display positions of the first and second operation instructions is the same as that described in the above-mentioned pattern (1), the chronological relationship of the display positions of the first and third operation instructions is the same as that described in the above-mentioned pattern (2), and the chronological relationship of the display positions of the second and third operation instructions is the same as that described in the above-mentioned pattern (3).

In pattern (4h), the operation instructions are displayed without overlapping with one another, so the player can easily distinguish all of the operation instructions, making it easier for the player to reliably carry out the operations indicated by each operation instruction.

For example, when images of the one-coin button 205, the reel stop buttons, or the start lever 210 are displayed as operation instructions, these images may begin to be displayed with a special effect (for example, the image may begin to be displayed by fading in, or the image of the operation unit disassembled into multiple parts may begin to be displayed by coming together to form the image of the operation unit), or the images may begin to be displayed in the same manner as when they are currently being displayed.

For example, an image of an operation instruction that begins to be displayed accompanied by such a special effect is displayed in front of other images of operation instructions. This allows the player to focus on the image even after the image with the effect has started to be displayed and is still on display, making it possible to more reliably execute the operation indicated by the image. On the other hand, the image of the other operation instruction may be displayed in front of the image of the operation instruction that began to be displayed accompanied by a special effect. This allows the player to focus on the image with the special effect when it is being displayed, and to focus on the other image in front after the effect has ended, making it possible for the player to recognize the operation instructions indicated by both images in a balanced manner.

When images of the insert one coin button 205, each reel stop button, or start lever 210 are displayed as operation instructions, each of these images may have multiple display modes. Furthermore, these multiple display modes may indicate the likelihood of winning the AT (for example, when an image of a large reel stop button is displayed, the likelihood of winning the AT is high, when an image of a small reel stop button is displayed, the likelihood of winning the AT is low, when an image of a red insert one coin button 205 is displayed, the likelihood of winning the AT is high, and when an image of a white insert one coin button 205 is displayed, the likelihood of winning the AT is low, etc.).

For example, among images having multiple display modes, an image with a high probability of winning the AT is displayed in front of images of other operation instructions. This makes it easier for the player to recognize images with a high probability of winning the AT, increasing the sense of expectation. On the other hand, images of other operation instructions may be displayed in front of images with a high probability of winning the AT. For example, even if an image of a reel stop button with a high probability of winning the AT is displayed, it does not necessarily mean that the AT will be won, so it is more beneficial for the player to display the image of the one-coin insert button 205 for receiving a preferential lottery closer to the player, encouraging the player to keep pressing the one-coin insert button 205.

Note that the operation of the reel stop button during a simulated game is an operation performed to progress the simulated game, and is not an operation for receiving a preferential lottery, and in particular, with respect to the left reel stop button 211a and the center reel stop button 211b, even if an operation is performed, it does not show the lottery result. Therefore, in particular, the image of the operation instruction for the reel stop button can be displayed with the above-mentioned special effect or have the above-mentioned multiple types of display mode, thereby increasing the player's anticipation and motivation for pressing the reel stop button.

When multiple operation instructions are displayed simultaneously, the timing at which all sounds corresponding to the multiple operation instructions are output may overlap at least in part, the timing at which only some of the sounds are output may overlap at least in part, or the timing at which all sounds are output may not overlap at all.

When the output timing of sounds corresponding to operation instructions overlap, it becomes difficult for the player to recognize these operation instructions with their ears, but since there is no interval between the output of the sounds of the overlapping operation instructions, the presentation feels more speedy. On the other hand, when it comes to the sound of an operation instruction that does not overlap with the output timing of the sounds of other operation instructions, it becomes easier for the player to recognize with their ears the operation instruction indicated by that sound, making it easier to more reliably execute the operation indicated by that operation instruction.

Specifically, for example, the audio instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed to receive a preferential lottery is not overlapped with the audio of other operational instructions so that the player can clearly recognize it, and the audio instruction to press each reel stop button related to the progress of the simulated game and the audio instruction to operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of the reels are at least partially overlapped in output timing to improve the sense of speed of the presentation.

When multiple operation instructions are displayed at the same time, for example, all sounds corresponding to the multiple operation instructions may be output, or only some of the sounds may be output. By outputting all sounds, the player can recognize all the instructions by ear. Also, the reason why only some of the sounds are output is because the player may become confused when all sounds are output and cannot understand the instructions indicated by many of the sounds. When only some of the sounds are output, for example, the priority (for example, the priority is higher in the order of an instruction to keep the one-coin insertion button 205 pressed to receive a preferential lottery > an instruction to operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of the reels showing the lottery result > an instruction to press each reel stop button that may not show the lottery result) is determined in advance, and sounds corresponding to a predetermined number (one or two) of operation instructions may be output in descending order of priority.

In addition, when outputting sounds corresponding to multiple operation instructions, the sounds may have different volumes. In this case, for example, priority (for example, an instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed to receive a preferential lottery > an instruction to operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of the reels showing the lottery results > an instruction to press each reel stop button that may not show the lottery results) is determined in advance, and the higher the priority, the louder the sound is output.

When multiple operation instructions are displayed simultaneously, the timing at which all of the lamps corresponding to the multiple operation instructions emit light may overlap at least in part, the timing at which only some of the lamps emit light may overlap at least in part, or there may be no overlap at all in the timing at which all of the lamps emit light.

When the light emission timing of the lamps corresponding to operation instructions overlap, the player is more likely to be confused about which operation unit to operate first, but since many lamps light up at the same time, the player's sense of anticipation is heightened. On the other hand, when an operation instruction sound has a light emission timing that does not overlap with that of the lamps of other operation instructions, the player is more likely to pay attention to the operation instruction indicated by that lamp, making it easier to execute the operation indicated by that operation instruction more reliably.

Specifically, for example, the light indicating to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed down to favor the lottery is not illuminated with the light indicating other operations so that the player can clearly recognize it, and the light indicating to press the reel stop buttons related to the progress of the simulated game and to operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of the reels is illuminated with at least a part of the light-emitting timing overlapping in order to heighten the player's sense of anticipation.

When multiple operation instructions are displayed at the same time, for example, all lamps corresponding to the multiple operation instructions may be illuminated, or only some of the lamps may be illuminated. By illuminating all lamps, the player can recognize all the instructions through the lamps. Also, only some of the lamps are illuminated because if all lamps are illuminated, the player may become confused because he or she cannot understand the instructions indicated by many of the lamps. When only some of the lamps are illuminated, for example, the priority (for example, the priority is higher in the order of an instruction to keep the one-coin insertion button 205 pressed to receive a preferential lottery > an instruction to operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of the reels showing the lottery result > an instruction to press each reel stop button that may not show the lottery result) is determined in advance, and it is preferable to illuminate a predetermined number (one or two) of lamps corresponding to operation instructions in descending order of priority.

In addition, when lighting lamps corresponding to multiple operation instructions, for example, the lighting patterns of some or all of the lamps may be changed. In this case, too, for example, the priority (for example, the instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed to receive a preferential lottery > the instruction to operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of the reels showing the lottery results > the instruction to press each reel stop button that may not show the lottery results) is determined in advance, and the lighting patterns of the lamps corresponding to a predetermined number of operation instructions (1 to 3) starting from the lowest priority may be changed.

Also, for example, when at least a portion of the lamps used overlap when lighting up lamps corresponding to a plurality of operation instructions, for example, the lamp corresponding to only one of the plurality of operation instructions is lit up. In this case, for example, the priority (for example, the priority is highest in the order of an instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed down to receive a preferential lottery > an instruction to operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of the reels showing the lottery result > an instruction to press each reel stop button that may not show the lottery result) is determined in advance, and the lamp corresponding to the operation instruction with the highest priority is lit up. Also, when at least a portion of the lamps used overlap when lighting up lamps corresponding to a plurality of operation instructions, for example, the lamps corresponding to the plurality of operation instructions may be lit up in order.

[12-10. Relationship between instructions and performances for different control parts in CZ 2]
Below, we will explain an example in which three operation instructions can be displayed simultaneously, and the display of operation instructions begins in the following order: an instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed, an operation instruction for the start lever 210, and an operation instruction for each reel stop button.

For example, as shown in FIG. 737, the slot machine 1 is equipped with transparent LCD 301aa, transparent LCD 301ab, transparent LCD 301ba, transparent LCD 301bb, transparent LCD 301ca, and transparent LCD 301cb, which cover the upper and lower rows of each reel. During the CZ simulated play, images are displayed on each transparent LCD, and the visibility of the upper and lower rows of each reel is reduced.

In this example, first, operating instructions for the one-coin button 205 related to the lottery results during the CZ are displayed to help the player understand the lottery method. Next, operating instructions for the start lever 210 are displayed to help the player understand the eye-pressing game nature of the CZ simulated game. Finally, operating instructions for each reel stop button are displayed to progress the simulated game.

By displaying the operation instructions for the start lever 210 before the operation instructions for each reel stop button, for example, a player who is not good at eye-pressing can operate the start lever 210 to improve the visibility of the reels and then perform eye-pressing in the simulated game, while a player who is good at eye-pressing can choose not to operate the start lever 210 and perform eye-pressing in the simulated game with only the middle of each reel visible, providing a way for each player to enjoy the simulated game that suits their skill level.

In addition, even for players who are good at pressing the reels, it is easier to play the game when all the reels are visible, rather than when only the middle reels are visible. This is why the operation instructions for the start lever 210 are displayed before the operation instructions for each reel stop button are displayed.

The pattern in which each operation instruction is displayed simultaneously, the overlap of the images of each operation instruction in that pattern, and the relationship between the sounds and lights corresponding to each operation instruction are the same as described above.

[12-11. Relationship between instructions and performances for different control parts in CZ 3]
Below, we will explain an example in which three operation instructions can be displayed simultaneously, and the display of operation instructions begins in the following order: operation instructions for each reel stop button, an instruction to keep the one-coin insertion button 205 pressed, and operation instructions for the start lever 210.

During the CZ, players can receive preferential prizes by keeping the one-coin button 205 pressed, but some players feel that maintaining this pressed state places a heavy physical strain on them. Furthermore, if players try to simulate a stop of the reels by following the operation instructions of the reel stop buttons while maintaining this pressed state, there is a risk that they will accidentally release their hand from the one-coin button 205.

Therefore, in the CZ of this chapter, even if the pressing of the single coin insertion button 205 is interrupted a predetermined number of times (for example, once) during the CZ, a preferential lottery can be entered. Specifically, for example, even if pressing of the single coin insertion button 205 is interrupted after the press maintenance flag is turned on during the CZ, the press maintenance flag will remain on as long as the number of interruptions is within the predetermined number, and if the number of interruptions exceeds the predetermined number or a predetermined time (for example, within 10 seconds) has passed since the interruption, the press maintenance flag will be set to off.

Figure 739 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a CZ presentation. The differences from the presentation in Figure 724 will be mainly explained. (A) is a state in which only the left reel 301a is pseudo-stopped in the pseudo play of the start game of the CZ, and is, for example, a continuation of Figure 724 (C). Also, in (A), it is assumed that the one-coin insertion button 205 is kept pressed (i.e., the press maintenance flag is on).

(B) is the state in which pressing the insert one coin button 205 has been interrupted from the state in (A). If pressing the insert one coin button 205 is simply interrupted, the presentation displayed on the image display 500 will be the same as in (A). At the point in time of (B), the AT lottery has not yet been held, and even if pressing the insert one coin button 205 is interrupted after the first pseudo stop is made, the AT lottery can be held if the insert one coin button 205 is pressed again before the second pseudo stop is made, so the presentation state of (A) is maintained in (B).

(C) is a state in which the middle reel 301b is pseudo-stopped while the insert-one-coin button 205 is not pressed. When the middle reel 301b is stopped while the insert-one-coin button 205 is not pressed, an instruction to operate the insert-one-coin button 205 (for example, an image of the insert-one-coin button 205 and a message saying "Keep pressing!") is displayed that is more emphasized than the instruction to operate the insert-one-coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ (specifically, a different image from the image of the insert-one-coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ, such as a larger size). This suggests to the player that unless he continues to press the insert-one-coin button 205, he will not be able to receive the preferential lottery.

As explained in FIG. 733, the slot machine 1 is designed so that an AT lottery is held during a pseudo game at the time of the second pseudo stop of the pseudo game, and when the second pseudo stop is held in the pressed-down state, a lottery is held using table 1 in FIG. 717 (i.e., a lottery in which the AT winning rate is not favored), so when the second pseudo stop is held with the pressing and holding of the one-coin insert button 205 discontinued, an operation instruction for the one-coin insert button 205 is displayed highlighted as above, in addition to the operation instruction for the one-coin insert button 205 that was displayed from the beginning.

Therefore, since the inserted-one-coin button 205 is not pressed when the operation instruction for the highlighted inserted-one-coin button 205 is displayed, the operation instruction should have the meaning of not only calling attention but also a warning (for example, not only displaying an image of the inserted-one-coin button 205 but also simultaneously displaying a message saying "Keep pressing it!").

However, since the simulated game itself can proceed without holding down the insert one coin button 205, as mentioned above, not only are the operation instructions for the insert one coin button that has been displayed since the start of the CZ and the operation instructions for the highlighted insert one coin button 205 displayed, but also the operation instructions for the right reel stop button 211c.

The highlighted operation instruction for the insert one coin button 205 may be displayed either superimposed on other operation instructions (in the example of (C), the message "Stop the red 7 in the middle of the right reel!", the image of the right reel stop button 211c, and the image of the insert one coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ), or not. If displayed superimposed, it is desirable that the position or manner in which the operation instruction and the other operation instructions are both visible (for example, the operation instruction displayed in the foreground is displayed semi-transparently or flashing, etc.) is used.

When simultaneously displaying the operation instruction for the insert one-coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ and the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205, it is desirable to output sound corresponding to the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205, without outputting sound corresponding to the operation instruction for the insert one-coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ. This is because the instruction content itself for these two operation instructions is the same, and therefore it is sufficient to output only the warning sound for the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205.

(D) is a continuation of (C), in which pressing the insert one button 205 continues to be suspended. It is the same as FIG. 724 (E), except that the operation instruction for the insert one button 205 is highlighted and displayed on the image display 500.

(E) is a continuation of (D), in which pressing the insert one coin button 205 continues to be suspended. It is the same as FIG. 724 (F), except that an operation instruction for the highlighted insert one coin button 205 is displayed on the image display 500. Since the operation instruction for maintaining the pressed state of the insert one coin button 205, which is an operation for receiving a preferential lottery, is considered to be more important than the operation instruction for the right reel stop button 211c or the operation instruction for the start lever 210, the operation instruction for maintaining the pressed state of the highlighted insert one coin button 205 continues to be displayed.

However, since it is possible to improve the visibility of the right reel 301c and progress in the simulated game without maintaining the press of the insert one coin button 205, not only are the operation instructions for the insert one coin button that has been displayed since the start of the CZ and the highlighted operation instructions for the insert one coin button 205 displayed, but also the operation instructions for the right reel stop button 211c and the operation instructions for the start lever 210 are displayed.

However, since some players feel that the physical strain of holding down the one-coin button 205 is too great and do not want to receive the preferential lottery, the display of the operation instruction may be erased when a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the display of the operation instruction for the highlighted one-coin button 205. Also, if the one-coin button 205 is pressed and held again (holding the pressed state), it is considered that the player has recognized the instruction to press the highlighted one-coin button 205, so the display may be erased. Also, if the AT lottery is held during the pseudo game (a second pseudo stop is performed) with the one-coin button 205 being held down again, a favorable AT lottery has been held using Table 2 in FIG. 717, so the display may be erased.

The operation instruction for the highlighted insert one coin button 205 may be displayed continuously for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) only once, or may be displayed by repeatedly alternating between a continuous display state for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 second) and a non-display state for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 second) multiple times (e.g., 5 times).

(F) is a continuation of (E), and is a state in which a predetermined time has passed since the display of the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 began, or the pressing and holding of the insert one-coin button 205 has been resumed. Since the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 has been erased, the state is the same as FIG. 724 (F).

The final AT lottery during the CZ ends with the second pseudo stop of the pseudo play of the final game of the CZ. Therefore, after the second pseudo stop of the pseudo play of the final game of the CZ, interrupting the press of the insert one coin button 205 does not affect the lottery, so even if pressing the insert one coin button is interrupted, it is not necessary to display the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one coin button 205.

In addition, a freeze may be applied after all reels of this game have stopped in the final game of the CZ. For example, during the freeze, the image display 500 may display a display indicating the result, such as "Congratulations!" (if the AT has been won in the final game of the CZ) or "Too bad...!" (if the AT has not been won in the final game of the CZ). In addition, even if pressing the insert one coin button 205 is interrupted during the freeze (the period from when all reels have stopped until the next game starts (the reels are spun)), the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one coin button 205 may not be displayed.

In the above example, the press-maintain flag is not set to OFF even if the pressing of the insert-one-coin button 205 is interrupted up to a predetermined number of times. However, if the predetermined number of times is multiple times, the highlighted operation instruction for the insert-one-coin button 205 may be displayed multiple times (for example, it may be displayed multiple times in one game, or it may be displayed only once in one game but multiple times in an advantageous state called CZ that is executed across multiple games).

In addition, when the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 is displayed, a new opportunity for displaying the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 may be met. In this case, when the new opportunity is met, the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 may be newly displayed, or since the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 is already displayed, no new operation display may be displayed, or, although no new operation display is displayed, the display time of the new operation display may be added to the display time of the highlighted operation instruction that is already displayed.

[12-12. Relationship between instructions and performances for different control parts in CZ 4]
Below, an example will be described in which, among three operational instructions that can be displayed simultaneously, the display of operational instructions begins in the following order: operational instructions for each reel stop button, operational instructions for the start lever 210, and an instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed down. Even in the CZ in this chapter, it is possible to receive a preferential lottery even if the one-coin button 205 is no longer pressed down a predetermined number of times (for example, once) during the CZ.

Figure 740 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a CZ presentation. The differences from the presentation in Figure 724 will be mainly explained. (A) shows the state in which the left and center reels are pseudo-stopped during pseudo play during a CZ, and is the same state as Figure 724 (D). An instruction to operate the insert one coin button 205, which has been displayed since the start of the CZ, and an instruction to operate the right reel stop button 211c are displayed. Also, in (A), the pressed state of the insert one coin button 205 is maintained.

(B) is a continuation of (A) and is in the same state as FIG. 724 (E). In addition to the operation instructions for the one-coin insert button 205, which has been displayed since the start of Z, and the right reel stop button 211c, three operation instructions are displayed: the start lever 210, which is used to improve the visibility of the reels. Also, in (B), the one-coin insert button 205 remains pressed.

(C) is the state in which, in state (B), pressing the insert one-coin button 205 is suspended. For example, if pressing the insert one-coin button 205 is suspended while the three operation instructions are displayed, an operation instruction for the insert one-coin button 205 (for example, an image of the insert one-coin button 205 and a message saying "Keep pressing!") is displayed that is more emphasized than the operation instruction for the insert one-coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ (specifically, in a different form from the image of the insert one-coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ, such as being larger in size). This suggests to the player that unless he continues to press the insert one-coin button 205, he will not be able to receive the preferential lottery.

As explained in FIG. 733, the slot machine 1 is designed so that an AT lottery is held during a pseudo game at the time of the second pseudo stop of the pseudo game. If the second pseudo stop is held with the press maintenance flag off, a lottery is held using table 1 in FIG. 717 (i.e., a lottery in which the AT winning rate is not favored). Therefore, if pressing of the one-coin insert button 205 is interrupted after the second pseudo stop is held, there is a risk that a lottery using table 2 in FIG. 717 will not be held in the next game. Therefore, in addition to the operation instructions for the one-coin insert button 205, the right reel stop button 211c, and the start lever 210 that were displayed from the beginning, an operation instruction for a highlighted one-coin insert button 205 is displayed.

Therefore, since the inserted-one-coin button 205 is not pressed when the operation instruction for the highlighted inserted-one-coin button 205 is displayed, the operation instruction should have the meaning of not only calling attention but also a warning (for example, not only displaying an image of the inserted-one-coin button 205 but also simultaneously displaying a message saying "Keep pressing it!").

However, since the simulated game itself can proceed without holding down the insert one coin button 205, as mentioned above, not only are the operation instructions for the insert one coin button that has been displayed since the start of the CZ and the operation instructions for the highlighted insert one coin button 205 displayed, but also the operation instructions for the right reel stop button 211c.

The highlighted operation instruction for the insert one coin button 205 may be displayed either superimposed on other operation instructions (in the example of (C), the message "If you want to see where the red 7 has stopped, operate the start lever!", the image of the start lever 210, the image of the right reel stop button 211c, and the image of the insert one coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ), or not superimposed. However, if superimposed, it is desirable that the position or manner in which the operation instruction and the other operation instructions are both visible (for example, the operation instruction displayed in the foreground is displayed semi-transparently or flashing, etc.) is used.

When simultaneously displaying the operation instruction for the insert one-coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ and the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205, it is desirable to output sound corresponding to the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205, without outputting sound corresponding to the operation instruction for the insert one-coin button 205 that has been displayed since the start of the CZ. This is because the instruction content itself for these two operation instructions is the same, and therefore it is sufficient to output only the warning sound for the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205.

In the example of FIG. 740, since the pressing of the one-coin button 205 is suspended after (B) (i.e., after the second pseudo stop), the AT lottery in that pseudo game has ended, that is, a lottery using table 2 in FIG. 717 (i.e., a lottery with a favorable AT winning rate) is being held in that pseudo game. In other words, by the time the second pseudo stop of the pseudo game of the next game is reached, it is possible to resume pressing the one-coin button 205 and receive a lottery using table 2 in FIG. 717 again in that pseudo game.

Therefore, for example, when the pressing of the insert one coin button 205 is interrupted in state (B) and a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) has elapsed, an operation instruction for the highlighted insert one coin button 205 may be displayed, or when the pressing of the insert one coin button 205 is interrupted in state (B) and a predetermined operation is performed up to the second pseudo stop of the pseudo play of the next game (for example, when the lever (not of the pseudo play) of the next game is turned on (i.e., when the lottery for the winning role is performed)).

The operation instruction for the highlighted insert one coin button 205 may be erased a predetermined time after its appearance (e.g., 10 seconds), or may be erased when the pressing and holding of the insert one coin button 205 is resumed, or may be erased when a lottery for a simulated game is held with the pressing and holding of the insert one coin button 205 resumed (when a second pseudo stop is performed). The operation instruction for the highlighted insert one coin button 205 may be displayed continuously for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) only once, or may be displayed repeatedly multiple times (e.g., 5 times) between a continuous display state for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 second) and a non-display state for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 second).

In (D), the pressing of the insert one-coin button 205 is resumed, so the highlighted operation instruction for the insert one-coin button 205 is erased, resulting in the same state as in FIG. 724 (F).

The final AT lottery during the CZ ends with the second pseudo stop of the pseudo play of the final game of the CZ. Therefore, after the second pseudo stop of the pseudo play of the final game of the CZ, interrupting the press of the insert one coin button 205 does not affect the lottery, so even if pressing the insert one coin button is interrupted, it is not necessary to display the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one coin button 205.

A freeze may be applied after all reels of this game have stopped in the final game of the CZ. For example, during the freeze, the image display 500 may display a display indicating the result, such as "Congratulations!" (if the AT has been won in the final game of the CZ) or "Too bad...!" (if the AT has not been won in the final game of the CZ). Even if pressing the insert one coin button 205 is interrupted while the freeze (display) is being performed, the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one coin button 205 may not be displayed.

Note that, although an example has been described in which the press-maintain flag is not set to off even if the pressing of the insert one-coin button 205 is interrupted up to a predetermined number of times, if the predetermined number of times is multiple times, the highlighted operation instruction for the insert one-coin button 205 may be displayed multiple times.

In addition, when the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 is displayed, a new opportunity for displaying the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 may be met. In this case, when the new opportunity is met, the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 may be newly displayed, or since the operation instruction for the highlighted insert one-coin button 205 is already displayed, no new operation display may be displayed, or, although no new operation display is displayed, the display time of the new operation display may be added to the display time of the highlighted operation instruction that is already displayed.

[12-13. Relationship between instructions and performances for different control parts in CZ 5]
Below, an example will be described in which, among three operation instructions that can be displayed simultaneously, the display of operation instructions starts in the order of an operation instruction for the start lever 210, an instruction to keep the one-coin button 205 pressed, and an operation instruction for each reel stop button. The CZ in this chapter and the next chapter has different CZ specifications from the above-mentioned example. Hereinafter, the CZ in this chapter and the next chapter will also be referred to as CZ2.

As shown in FIG. 742 etc., the slot machine 1 in this chapter and the next chapter is equipped with transparent LCD 301aa, transparent LCD 301ab, transparent LCD 301ba, transparent LCD 301bb, transparent LCD 301ca, and transparent LCD 301cb, which cover the upper and lower rows of each reel. During the CZ simulated play, images are displayed on each transparent LCD, and the visibility of the upper and lower rows of each reel is reduced.

As with CZ, the CZ2 game is played for a set number of games (for example, 10 games, but if the AT is won, it ends with the AT winning game), and a simulated game is played at the start of each game. In the CZ2 simulated game, an instruction to aim for the red 7 appears in the middle of each reel. However, in the CZ2 simulated game, when the player presses the reel stop button, the reel stops without slipping (so-called perfect stop) on the frame at the timing of the press. In other words, in the simulated game, the player can always stop the red 7 in the middle by pressing the red 7 exactly in the middle.

In the CZ2 pseudo play, in addition to or instead of the AT lottery at the second pseudo stop executed in CZ, an AT lottery is executed if the red 7 stops exactly in the middle at the first pseudo stop, the second pseudo stop, and the third pseudo stop. This AT lottery is also called the B-5 lottery. In other words, CZ2 has a gameplay that tests the skill of pushing the red 7 exactly in the middle during the pseudo play.

In addition, the simulated gameplay of CZ2 involves pressing the red 7 exactly in the middle, but many players find it difficult to do so when images are displayed on each transparent LCD, blocking the view of the top and bottom of each reel and only allowing the view of the middle (the so-called one-window open state).

As with CZ, in CZ2, when the start lever 210 is operated during simulated play, the images on each transparent LCD are erased and all the frames on each reel become visible (the so-called full window (3 window) open state). However, in order to provide an incentive to players who are good at pressing the reels with their eyes, the AT lottery value when the red 7 stops exactly in the middle row with one window is treated more favorably than the AT lottery value when the red 7 stops exactly in the middle row with all the windows open.

In addition, the AT lottery value obtained when the red 7 stops exactly in the middle row while the one-coin insert button 205 is maintained pressed (i.e., the press-maintain flag is on) is more favorable than the AT lottery value obtained when the red 7 stops exactly in the middle row while the one-coin insert button 205 is not maintained pressed (i.e., the press-maintain flag is off).

Figure 741 is an example of an AT lottery table showing the lottery values for the AT lottery that is executed when the red 7 stops exactly in the middle row at each pseudo stop of CZ2. As mentioned above, the lottery value with one window open is favored over the AT lottery value with all windows open (table 4 is favored over table 3, and table 6 is favored over table 5). Also, as mentioned above, the lottery value when the pressed state of the one-coin insertion button 205 is maintained is favored over the lottery value when it is not maintained (table 5 is favored over table 3, and table 6 is favored over table 4).

In the example of FIG. 741, the lottery value (5000) when the red 7 stops exactly with one window open without holding down the one-coin button 205 (table 4) is higher than the lottery value (3500) when the red 7 stops exactly with all windows open while holding down the one-coin button 205 (table 5). In other words, when comparing holding down the one-coin button 205 to make the red 7 stop exactly in the middle and holding down the one-window, holding down the red 7 exactly with one window open has a higher contribution rate to the preferential lottery value of the B-5 lottery. This is because more players feel that holding down the one-coin button 205 to make the red 7 stop exactly in the middle is more difficult than holding down the one-coin button 205 to make the red 7 stop exactly in the middle, and this is to provide an incentive for performing the more difficult operation.

Below, CZ2 will be explained (mainly focusing on the differences from CZ). Figures 742 and 743 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the presentation of CZ2. Figure 742 (A) shows the state in which all reels are stopped in a game in which CZ2 has been won. In a game in which CZ2 has been won, a freeze presentation occurs for 5 seconds from the time all reels have stopped, just as in a game in which CZ has been won, and during this freeze presentation, operation of the start lever 210 is not accepted, so the next game, i.e., CZ, cannot be started.

When the freeze effect begins, a message indicating that CZ2 has been won is displayed on the image display 500. For example, CZ2 continues for a maximum of 10 games, and if the AT is won, CZ2 ends in that game and the AT starts from the next game.

(B) is a continuation of (A), showing the state in which all reels of the game that won CZ2 have been stopped. In (B), the freeze effect continues from (A). In CZ2, a message is displayed indicating that the player can achieve advantageous results by pressing the buttons perfectly.

(C) is the state where all reels of the game that won CZ2 have stopped, and is a continuation of (B). For example, from the timing of (C), images are displayed on each transparent LCD, and one window is opened.

In (C), an operation instruction is displayed indicating that the images on each transparent LCD screen can be erased and the one-window open state can be changed to a all-window open state by operating the start lever 210 (the message "You can change the window size with the start lever. If you can successfully press one window, it's super exciting!" and an image of the start lever 210 with an arrow).

As mentioned above, the selection between one window open or all windows open is the operation that contributes most to the lottery value of the B-5 lottery, so the operation instruction for the start lever 210 appears before the operation instruction for the one-coin insertion button 205 and the operation instructions for each reel stop button.

In addition, since it is necessary for the player to check for himself whether or not he can successfully perform a perfect push with one window open, an operation instruction is given to the start lever 210 (i.e., an operation instruction to increase the visibility of the reel presentation) before the start of CZ2 as shown in (C).

For example, if the start lever 210 is operated before the start of CZ2 as in (C), the images on each transparent LCD may be erased and changed to a state where all windows are open. In this case, the images may be displayed again on each transparent LCD by the time CZ2 starts, returning the state to one window open. This allows the player to check the one window open state and the all windows open state, making it easier to decide which state to play the simulated game in. Also, it may be possible to check the one window open state and the all windows open state multiple times before the start of CZ2.

Note that during simulated play in CZ2, the images displayed on each transparent LCD screen can be erased at any time, so it is desirable for the operation instructions for the start lever 210 (e.g. the image of the start lever 210) to continue to be displayed during CZ (at least until the images on each transparent LCD screen are erased).

In addition, Figures 742 and 743 explain an example in which the start lever 210 is not operated, i.e., the simulated game proceeds with only one window in which an image is displayed on each transparent LCD.

(D) is the state in which the freeze effect up to (C) has been released and the CZ2 game has started (the state when the lever is turned on). In CZ2, the simulated game starts when the lever is turned on. An operational instruction to keep the 1-coin button 205 pressed (a message saying "If you keep pressing 1 BET, you'll get an even better chance at the lottery!" and an image of the 1-coin button 205 with an arrow) is further displayed on the image display 500.

In addition, since a preferential AT lottery can be entered by continuing to press the one-coin button 205 during the simulated play of CZ2, it is desirable that an instruction to operate the one-coin button 205 (e.g., an image of the one-coin button 205) be continuously displayed during CZ2. In addition, from (D) onwards, it is desirable that a caption image indicating an instruction to continue pressing the one-coin button 205, as shown in FIG. 726, be displayed on the image display 500.

(E) is the state at the start of the simulated game of CZ2, and is a continuation of (D). Operational instructions for pressing each reel stop button (the message "Aim for the red 7!" and images of each reel stop button accompanied by effects) are further displayed on the image display 500. Note that in the simulated game of CZ2, the reel stopping order does not matter, that is, the third pseudo stop of a reel other than the right reel 301c will not put the player at a disadvantage in the lottery.

(F) shows the state in which the left reel 301a has been pseudo-stopped in accordance with the operation instructions for each reel stop button that appeared in (E). In addition to the three operation instructions, an image of the main character is displayed. In (F), the player has succeeded in stopping the red 7 exactly in the middle of the left reel 301a, and is able to take part in the B-5 lottery, so a message such as "GOOD!!" is displayed on the image display 500. If the player had failed to make the red 7 stop exactly in the middle, the player would not have been able to take part in the B-5 lottery, and so a message such as "BAD..." would be displayed, as shown in Figure 743 (F').

For example, when the red 7 is pseudo-stopped in the middle without the one-coin button 205 being pressed down (i.e., when the B-5 lottery is selected), or when the red 7 is simply pseudo-stopped regardless of the stop position (i.e., when an operation that may result in the B-5 lottery is performed), an operation instruction for the highlighted one-coin button 205 as shown in FIG. 739 may be displayed on the image display 500. This is to allow the player to receive a more favorable lottery.

Figure 743 (G) shows the state in which all reels have been pseudo-stopped in the pseudo game. A message indicating that the AT lottery results will be notified by repeatedly pressing the MAX insert button 206 and an image of the MAX insert button 206 with an arrow are displayed on the image display 500.

(H) is the state in which all reels are pseudo-stopped in the simulated game, and is a continuation of (G). In (I), the freeze effect continues. A message instructing the user to repeatedly press the MAX insert button 206 and an image of the MAX insert button 206 with an arrow are displayed on the image display 500.

(I) is the state in which all reels have been pseudo-stopped in the pseudo game, and is a continuation of (H). It is assumed that the player has followed the instruction to repeatedly press the MAX insertion button 206. The image display 500 displays an image of the main character surrounded by an aura, and a message indicating that the AT has been won (Yes!!).

If the MAX insert button 206 is not pressed repeatedly, the AT lottery result will be announced after the freeze effect ends and before the end of the normal game that starts immediately after the pseudo game. If the AT is not won, for example, even if the MAX insert button 206 is pressed repeatedly, the main character will not be surrounded by an aura and will fall down by the end of the freeze effect.

In order to leave the player with an impression that the CZ had been executed, the instruction effect of the start lever 210 may be displayed across the CZ when the normal game starts after the CZ ends. However, in a normal game that is not a simulated game, hiding the reels increases the difficulty of pressing the reels, which may cause the player to miss out on small winning combinations and put the player at a disadvantage, so it is desirable to display images that imitate each transparent liquid crystal on the image display body 500. At this time, the images that imitate each transparent liquid crystal block the visibility of the effect image displayed on the image display body 500, and when the start lever 210 is operated, the images that imitate each transparent liquid crystal are erased from the image display body 500, improving the visibility of the effect image.

[12-14. Relationship between instructions and performances for different control parts in CZ 6]
Below, an example will be described in which, among three operation instructions that can be displayed simultaneously, the display of operation instructions starts in the order of operation instructions for the start lever 210, operation instructions for each reel stop button, and an instruction to keep the one coin insertion button 205 pressed. The CZ specifications in this chapter and the next chapter are different from the above example. Below, CZ2 is executed in this chapter as well.

In the simulated gameplay of CZ2, it is difficult to make the red 7 stop exactly in the middle when one window is open, but the AT winning rate is not high when all windows are open. Therefore, in CZ2 of this chapter, a practice performance is executed to practice perfect pressing before the first pseudo stop where the B-5 lottery can be executed. The practice performance is realized by a simulated gameplay where the reels stop exactly, but the AT lottery is not executed during the practice performance.

In addition, in the practice mode, by operating the start lever 210, the image on each transparent LCD screen can be erased and the state changed from one window open to all windows open, allowing the player to check in advance through the practice mode whether their own eye-pressing skills are suited to one window open or all windows open.

Figure 744 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the CZ2 presentation. Figure 744 (D2) shows the state when simulated play of the practice presentation has begun, and is a continuation of Figure 742 (C). When the practice presentation begins, the reels perform a simulated spin, and each reel stop button becomes active. Operational instructions to press each reel stop button (a message saying "Practice begins! Aim for the red 7!" and an image of each reel stop button accompanied by an effect) are displayed on the image display 500.

(E2) is the state in which the left reel 301a has been brought to a first pseudo stop in the practice performance. Although the player has attempted a push-button move with one window open, the red 7 is not stopped in the middle of the left reel 301a, so not only is an image of the start lever 210 displayed, but a message is also displayed again ("Don't push yourself, just operate the start lever to make it three windows!") to encourage the player to operate the start lever 210 again. This allows the player to perform a push-button move with a difficulty level appropriate for the player (one window open or all windows open).

(F2) is the state in which all reels have been pseudo-stopped in the practice performance. Since the real pseudo game (i.e., the pseudo game in which the B-5 lottery can be executed at each pseudo stop) is about to begin, operation instructions for the start lever 210 and operation instructions for each reel stop button are displayed. Note that, if the start lever 210 is operated to change to a full window open state in the practice performance, for example, an image is displayed on each transparent liquid crystal in (F2) and the state is returned to one window open. Note that, since there are players who cannot decide whether to open one window or all windows in one practice session, and players who are not confident in their ability to press the buttons precisely, it may be possible to execute multiple practice performances in one pseudo game.

(G2) is the state where the real simulated game in CZ2 has started. After the practice performance ends, for example, when a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) has elapsed or a predetermined operation unit (e.g., performance button 204) is operated, the reels will perform a simulated spin and the real simulated game will begin. (G2) is the same as FIG. 742 (D) except that images of each reel stop button are displayed as operation instruction images. After (G2), there is a transition to FIG. 742 (E).

[13. Seesaw Game Production]
The seesaw game presentation executed in the slot machine 1 of this chapter will be described below. The reel arrangement in the slot machine 1 of this chapter is the same as that shown in FIG. 722. Note that, as will be described in detail later, in the seesaw game presentation, medals move to a seesaw device mounted on the slot machine 1, and the player can adjust the angle of the seesaw part in the seesaw device by operating the start lever 210. If the medals can be retained on the seesaw part for a predetermined period of time or more, the seesaw game presentation is successful, and the player can obtain an advantageous result.

On the other hand, if the medal cannot be kept on the seesaw section for the specified time and falls from either end of the seesaw section, the seesaw game performance will fail and the player will not be able to obtain an advantageous result.

In principle, if the seesaw game effect that is won during the normal game (when the AT flag is OFF) is successful, a lottery for entering the AT is held. Also, in principle, if the seesaw game effect that is won during the AT game (when the AT flag is ON) is successful, a lottery for adding to the number of AT games is held.

[13-2. Slot machine equipped with a seesaw feature]
The structure of the slot machine 1 equipped with a seesaw feature will be described below. Fig. 745 is a perspective view of the slot machine 1 equipped with a seesaw feature. Fig. 746 is an exploded perspective view of the slot machine 1 (excluding the outer body 100) equipped with a seesaw feature. Fig. 747 is a front view showing an outline of the seesaw feature.

In Figures 745 and 746, of the components already explained in the exploded oblique view of the slot machine in Figure 597 and the oblique view of the slot machine in Figure 599, the reference numerals and explanations have been omitted for those components that are not necessary for the explanation of the new components appearing in Figures 745 and 746. Also, in Figure 746, the outer body 100 is omitted because it is the same as the outer body 100 in Figure 597. Furthermore, for ease of explanation, the door portion 555, which will be described later, has been omitted from Figure 746.

The slot machine 1 in this chapter has a seesaw device 550 that is a roughly rectangular box shape. The seesaw device 550 is attached to the upper left part of the transparent plate 214a when viewed from the back. The image display body 500 in this chapter has a recess 500a for storing the seesaw device 550 in the upper right part when viewed from the front. The seesaw device 550 has a seesaw part 552, an axis part 553, and a claw part 556 stored in a seesaw box 551. The seesaw box 551 has a door part 555 on the back side that can be opened and closed.

The seesaw section 552 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the longitudinal direction extending left-right when viewed from the front. The seesaw section 552 has a protrusion along the longitudinal edge of the seesaw section 552 on the front side when viewed from the front to prevent the medal from falling to the front side when viewed from the front. The seesaw section 552 is also provided with a weight sensor (not shown) for detecting whether the medal is resting on the claw section 556. The seesaw section 552 is also provided with movable pieces 552a and 552b along both side surfaces. The movable pieces 552a and 552b can move vertically upward.

The shaft 553 fixes the seesaw part 552 to the seesaw box 551. A stepping motor (not shown) that can rotate left and right when viewed from the front is mounted on the fixing part 553a that fixes the shaft 553 and the seesaw part 552. The angle of the seesaw part 552 in the left and right direction when viewed from the front can be adjusted left and right when viewed from the front by rotating the stepping motor left and right when viewed from the front in accordance with the amount of left and right operation of the starting lever 210.

The fixed portion 553a is also equipped with a stepping motor (not shown) that can rotate in the depth direction when viewed from the front. When a long press of the performance button at a specified timing is detected, the stepping motor rotates in the depth direction when viewed from the front, thereby tilting the seesaw portion 552 in the depth direction when viewed from the front.

The claw portion 556 is attached to the intersection of the top surface of the seesaw box 551 and the right side surface when viewed from the front, and extends in a lower left direction when viewed from the front. The claw portion 556 is attached at approximately the same position in the depth direction as the seesaw portion 552. The claw portion 556 also has a tip portion 557 which is a movable piece. The claw portion 556 is also equipped with a weight sensor (not shown) for detecting whether a medal is remaining on the claw portion 556.

The bottom surface of the seesaw box 551 is provided with a seesaw success tube 558 and a seesaw failure tube 559. The seesaw success tube 558 has an opening 558a that extends toward the rear along the long side of the bottom surface of the seesaw box 551. The bottom surface of the seesaw box 551 is formed with an opening 559a that is directly connected to the seesaw failure tube 559.

The inner diameter of the seesaw success tube 558 and the seesaw failure tube 559 is larger than the diameter of the medal. The ends of the seesaw success tube 558 and the seesaw failure tube 559 that are not connected to the seesaw box are led to the return gutter 213. The seesaw success tube 558 and the seesaw failure tube 559 are equipped with a sensor (not shown) inside to detect the medal that has passed. Note that it is preferable that the seesaw success tube 558 and the seesaw failure tube 559 are made of a transparent material so as not to interfere with the visibility of the pattern display device 300. Note that in FIG. 745, the seesaw success tube 558 and the seesaw failure tube 559 are omitted from the illustration as being made of a transparent material.

In addition, an opening/closing member (not shown) is provided above the medal channel 212 in this chapter, and although the opening/closing member is normally closed, when the opening/closing member is opened, it forms an opening above the medal channel 212 large enough for a medal to pass through. The opening/closing member is also equipped with a sensor that can detect a medal when it passes through the opening formed when the member is open.

The slot machine 1 has a conveyor 561 that starts from a position vertically below the opening/closing member and extends to the left when viewed from the rear, and a conveyor 562 that starts from the left end of the conveyor 561 when viewed from the rear and extends to the claw portion 556 of the seesaw device 550.

The medal transport path in the seesaw game presentation is explained below. In a game in which the seesaw game presentation starts, the player must insert four medals. In this game, when the insertion sensor 207b detects a medal inserted through the medal insertion slot 203 and the main board 409 receives a detection signal for the third medal, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 opens the opening and closing member on the medal trough 212, operates the conveyors 561 and 562 counterclockwise when viewed from the rear, and enables the operation of the start lever 210 (up and down operation), allowing the game to proceed.

When a fourth medal is inserted into the medal insertion port 203 in a state in which it is possible to proceed with the game (a state in which three medals have been inserted), the medal falls from an opening formed by the opening/closing member on the medal trough 212 onto the conveyor 561, which transports the medal onto the conveyor 562, which transports the medal to the claw portion 556 of the seesaw device 550. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 receives a medal detection signal from a sensor provided on the opening/closing member, it closes the opening/closing member.

When medals are inserted from the credit (storage device), the opening and closing member opens after the specified number of three medals are inserted from the credit (storage device), and when one medal is inserted, that medal falls onto the conveyor 561.

At this point, the angle between the claw 556 and the tip 557 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (e.g., 90°), and the claw 556 can hold the fourth medal that has been transported. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 receives a medal detection signal from the sensor provided on the claw 556 for a predetermined period of time or longer, it enables the operation of the starting lever 210 for adjusting the inclination of the seesaw part 552 (a left-right operation that is different from the operation for progressing the game (up-down direction)). In addition, both the up-down operation and the left-right operation of the starting lever 210 may be enabled when the third medal is inserted.

In addition, when the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 receives a medal detection signal from the sensor provided in the claw portion 556 for a predetermined period of time or longer, it stops the conveyors 561 and 562.

When the player operates (e.g., presses the start lever 210) after a predetermined timing of the seesaw game presentation, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 operates the tip 557 so that the angle between the claw 556 and the tip 557 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (e.g., 180°), causing the medal held by the claw 556 to fall into the seesaw section 552. Also, because the start lever 210 was pressed (up and down operation) with three medals inserted, a lottery is held for a winning combination and the game begins.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 does not receive a medal detection signal from the sensor provided in the claw portion 556 for a predetermined period of time or longer, it operates the tip portion 557 to return the angle between the claw portion 556 and the tip portion 557 to the original angle.

If a medal falls from either end of the seesaw section 552 before a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) has elapsed since it began to stay in the seesaw section 552, the medal moves from the opening 559a through the seesaw failure tube 559 to the return gutter 213, and the fourth medal is returned to the player. When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 receives a detection signal from a sensor installed in the seesaw failure tube 559, it sends a signal to the sub-board 510 indicating that the seesaw game presentation has failed, and the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 executes a presentation corresponding to the failure of the seesaw game presentation.

If a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) has elapsed since the medal began to stay on the seesaw section 552 without falling off, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 moves the movable pieces 552a and 552b of the seesaw section 552 vertically upward. After movement, the movable pieces 552a and 552b become walls at both ends of the seesaw section 552, preventing the medal from falling off either end of the seesaw section 552. Furthermore, the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 operates a stepping motor that is attached to the seesaw section 552 and can rotate left and right when viewed from the front, to return the angle of the seesaw section 552 to the horizontal.

The CPU 1110 of the main board 409 opens the door 552 to the rear side, and then operates a stepping motor that is attached to the seesaw 552 and can rotate in the depth direction when viewed from the front in accordance with the player's operation, tilting the seesaw 552 in the depth direction when viewed from the front. This causes the medal that had been staying on the seesaw 552 to pass through the seesaw success tube 558 through the opening 558a and move to the return gutter 213, and the fourth medal is returned to the player.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 receives a detection signal from a sensor installed in the seesaw success tube 558, it sends a signal to the sub-board 510 indicating that the seesaw game presentation has been successful, and the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 executes a presentation corresponding to the success of the seesaw game presentation.

When the CPU 1110 of the main board 409 receives a detection signal from a sensor installed in the seesaw success tube 558, it operates a stepping motor that is installed in the seesaw unit 552 and can rotate in the depth direction when viewed from the front, thereby returning the inclination of the seesaw unit 552 in the depth direction when viewed from the front to its original state (to horizontal). The above describes the transport path of medals in the seesaw game presentation.

[13-3. Overview of Seesaw Game Production]
Below, various tables for realizing the seesaw game effect will be described. Figure 748 is an example of a small role lottery table of the slot machine 1 of this chapter. In the small role lottery table of Figure 748, the number of payouts of the push order bell is 9 in principle, but it changes depending on the push order and the game situation. Details will be described later.

Figure 749 is an example of a seesaw game effect entry lottery table. The seesaw game effect entry lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1112 of the main board 409. In the seesaw game effect entry lottery table, the lottery value to win the seesaw game effect in games (including normal games and AT games) other than the game in which the seesaw game effect is executed is defined for each small winning combination won in the game.

In addition to winning the AT from the seesaw game effect during the normal game, a lottery for the first AT win is also held, for example, using the AT first win lottery table in FIG. 714.

Figures 750 and 751 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a seesaw game effect that occurs during a normal game, and show an example of a case where the seesaw game effect fails. When a seesaw game effect is won in a normal game, an effect is performed to notify the player that the seesaw game effect has been won when all the reels have stopped in that normal game, and Figure 750 (A) shows the state when all the reels have stopped in that normal game.

In FIG. 750(A), a losing symbol is displayed on the symbol-changing display device 300. A message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that the seesaw game effect has been won, and that if the seesaw game effect is successful, the AT will be won. From FIG. 750(A) to FIG. 751(I), which will be described later, the state is when all the reels in the normal game are stopped, and the seesaw game effect itself has not yet started.

When the push order bell is won during the execution of a seesaw game effect that is won in the normal game, control is executed to change the reel stop control so that three coins are paid out when the game is played by pushing the reels in reverse (i.e. stopping the reels in the order of right reel 301c, middle reel 301b, left reel 301a) regardless of which push order bell is won, so in Fig. 750(B), a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that the game can be played without losing medals by playing the game by pushing the reels in reverse. Also, in Fig. 750(B), a push order guide image (a push order navigation consisting of a left-facing arrow and a number indicating the stopping order of each reel displayed within the arrow) is displayed in the area above each reel on the image display 500.

In FIG. 750(C), a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that an explanation of the seesaw game effect will now be given. In FIG. 750(D), a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that four medals must be inserted into the medal selector 207 in a game in which the seesaw game effect is performed.

In FIG. 750(E), when four medals are inserted into the medal selector 207, a message indicating that the fourth medal will move to the seesaw device 550 and an image imitating the seesaw device are displayed on the image display 500. In FIG. 750(F), when the seesaw game performance ends, a message indicating that the fourth medal will return to the medal tray 201 via the return gutter 213 and an image imitating the seesaw device are displayed on the image display 500.

In FIG. 751(G), a message is displayed on the image display 500 encouraging the player to operate the starting lever 210 to adjust the inclination of the seesaw portion 552 and keep the medal on the seesaw portion 552 for five seconds. In addition, an image imitating the starting lever 210 is displayed on the image display 500, encouraging the player to operate the starting lever 210 and indicating that the inclination of the seesaw portion 552 can be changed by operating the starting lever 210 left or right.

In FIG. 751 (H), a message indicating that the color of light emitted by the LED mounted on the seesaw section 552 indicates whether the medal is likely to fall from the seesaw section 552 (i.e., whether the expectation level is low or high) and an image imitating a seesaw device are displayed on the image display 500.

In Fig. 751 (I), a message is displayed on the image display 500 guiding the player to insert four medals, and indicating that the fourth medal inserted will stay in the claw 556 of the seesaw device 550, and that when the start lever 210 is operated, the tip 557 will move and the medal will move from the claw 556 to the seesaw device 550. In addition, an image modeled after the seesaw device 550 is displayed on the image display 500.

Figure 751 (J) shows the state when the lever is turned on in the next game after Figure 751 (I), that is, the game in which the seesaw game effect is performed. The seesaw game effect is realized by a simulated game that starts by turning on the lever, and during the simulated game, the reels rotate in reverse in a frozen state (i.e., an ineffective state in which the reels do not stop even when the stop buttons are pressed). In Figure 751 (J), medals are retained on the seesaw section 552. Also, in a game in which the seesaw game effect is executed, a reverse push guide image (an image with a number written inside a left-facing arrow), a gauge showing the remaining medal retention time until the AT is obtained, and a support message are displayed on the image display 500.

In Figure 751 (K), the medal cannot be retained in the seesaw section 552 for 5 seconds, and falls into the seesaw failure tube 559, causing the sensor in the seesaw failure tube 559 to detect the medal, meaning that the seesaw game presentation has failed and the AT has not been acquired.

In FIG. 751 (K), a reverse push guide image, a message indicating that the seesaw game performance has failed ("Too bad...looking forward to next time!"), and a character image indicating that the seesaw game performance has failed (a character image holding a fan facing downwards) are displayed on the image display 500.

The freeze state is released (i.e. the stop button becomes active) a predetermined time after the sensor inside the seesaw failure tube 559 detects a medal, and when the stop button is pressed, for example, a losing number or a number that has been stopped previously stops, and the simulated game ends, and when a predetermined operation part (for example, the start lever 210 or the MAX insertion button 206) is operated or a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) has passed, the actual game (normal game in which the reels rotate four times in the normal direction) begins.

Figures 752 and 753 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a seesaw game presentation that is performed during a normal game, and show an example of a successful seesaw game presentation. Figure 752 (K') is a continuation of Figure 751 (J), and shows a state in which the seesaw game presentation has been successful (i.e., the medals have been able to remain in the seesaw section 552 for 5 seconds). In Figure 752 (K'), the movable pieces 552a and 552b of the seesaw section 552 rise, and the inclination of the seesaw section 552 is fixed horizontally. In addition, the door section 555 opens. The reels are also stopped.

In addition, in FIG. 752 (K'), a long press effect button guide image and a reverse press guide image (i.e., two operation guide images) are displayed. The long press effect button guide image is an image consisting of a button press guide message, which is a message indicating that if the effect button 204 is kept pressed for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) or more, the seesaw section 552 will tilt toward the back when viewed from the front, and the medal will move to the seesaw success tube 558, and an image imitating the effect button 204 with effects and arrows. In addition, a character celebrating the AT win by holding a folding fan sideways is displayed on the image display 500.

The time that the effect button 204 is pressed and held until the seesaw portion 552 tilts may not be a predetermined time, but may be indefinite. The predetermined time is determined by a predetermined allocation, for example, 2 seconds for an allocation of 32/128, 3 seconds for an allocation of 64/128, 5 seconds for an allocation of 32/128, etc. Also, for example, the predetermined time may be set to be longer as the amount indicating the amount of medals stored, such as the number of credits, increases.

Figure 752 (L) shows the state where the seesaw section 552 is tilted toward the back when viewed from the front, the medal passes through the open door section 555 and moves to the seesaw success tube 558, and the sensor attached to the seesaw success tube 558 detects the medal. Note that even if the effect button 204 is pressed and held in accordance with the effect button long press guide image, it is preferable that no special sound effect corresponding to the long press of the effect button 204 is output, and the BGM is not changed either (the BGM output during the execution of the seesaw game effect is not changed). Since it is sufficiently suggested that the AT will be won at the point of Figure 752 (K'), outputting a special sound effect or changing the BGM here may cause the player to have excessive expectations (thinking that the player will be given an additional benefit in addition to winning the AT).

In addition, in FIG. 752(L), the movable pieces attached to both ends of the seesaw section 552 have returned to their reference positions. Also, a message indicating that the AT has been won ("AT Got It!"), a reverse push guide image, and a long press effect button guide image (i.e., two guide images) are displayed on the image display unit 500. Note that medals that have passed through the seesaw success tube 558 have been returned to the return gutter 213. Also, in FIG. 752(L), the reels are stopped.

Figure 752 (M) is a continuation of Figure 752 (L), and a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that there is a chance to add more AT games to the acquired AT. Also, a reverse push guide image and a long press effect button guide image are displayed on the image display 500. As will be described later, the maximum number of AT games that can be added with one chance to add is two games, and the player is only given a small profit, so if a message forcing an operation such as "Keep pressing and holding!" is displayed in the long press effect button guide image, the player may mistakenly think that the chance to add is an extremely exciting effect, so the message "If you press and hold it, it will tilt" indicating that something will happen if the operation is performed without forcing the operation is continued.

Even after the seesaw game performance is successful and it is confirmed that the player has won the AT, the image display 500 displays the guidance image for pressing and holding the performance button, so that the player can be strongly impressed with the success of the seesaw game performance even when the AT addition chance is being executed after the seesaw game performance is successful, thereby sustaining the player's sense of elation. Furthermore, since the player strongly remembers that after the seesaw game performance is successful, all that is required is to press and hold the performance button, the player will not be confused about how to operate the seesaw game performance from the next time onwards.

In addition, when the AT addition chance is happening, the reels spin in the reverse direction faster than when the seesaw game is happening. This increases the player's sense of elation at winning the AT and the fact that an additional bonus will be added.

Note that, although it is assumed here that an additional chance always appears after winning the AT, whether or not an additional chance will be given may be determined by a predetermined allocation (e.g., 32/128 where an additional chance is given, 96/128 where it is not given).

In FIG. 752 (N), an effect is produced to increase the number of AT games. Here, the number of AT games is increased by operating the start lever 210 at the right time. The operation guide display for the start lever 210 here is a guide display indicating that a suggestive effect suggesting the degree of expectation will be displayed.

Specifically, the blackened portion of the gauge displayed on the image display 500 moves to the right, and if the start lever 210 is operated at a time when at least a part of the blackened portion overlaps with the diagonal line portion of the gauge, the number of AT games will be successfully increased. However, since a player may cause trouble for the hall if he or she does not operate the start lever 210 for an extended period of time, a predetermined effective time (for example, 2 seconds) is set for the start lever 210.

On the other hand, if the start lever 210 is operated at a time when even a part of the blackened area does not overlap with the diagonal line portion of the gauge, the AT game number will fail to be added and the game may move to the main game, or the effects from FIG. 753 (S) onwards, or the effects of FIG. 754, described below, may be executed. The blackened area may continue to move left and right within the gauge until the start lever 210 is operated, or the same effects as in the case where the addition has failed when the right end of the gauge is reached may be executed.

In this way, the seesaw game presentation involves the operation of the start lever 210 (a left-right operation that is different from the operation (up-down) to progress the game) to keep the medals in the seesaw section 552, and the timing of the operation of the start lever 210 (an up-down operation similar to the operation (up-down) to progress the game), providing a new gameplay in which the player's operating technique is directly linked to the player's profits, and thus increasing the interest in the game.

In addition, in FIG. 752 (N), a start lever operation guide image, which is an image of the start lever 210 to encourage the operation of the start lever 210, a reverse push guide image, and a long push guide image for the performance button (i.e., three operation guide images) are displayed on the image display 500.

Figure 752 (O) shows the state after the start lever 210 has been operated in Figure 752 (N). A message is displayed on the image display indicating that a notification will be given later (Figure 752 (P)) as to whether the timing of operation of the start lever 210 in (N) was a timing that allowed for an additional AT game number to be obtained. In addition, a reverse push guide image and a long push guide image for the performance button are displayed on the image display 500.

As described above, the state transitions from the state in which three guide images, the reverse push guide image in FIG. 752(N), the long press effect button guide image, and the start lever 210 operation guide image guiding the operation of the start lever 210, are displayed simultaneously to the state in which two guide images, the reverse push guide image in FIG. 752(O) and the long press effect button guide image, are displayed simultaneously, with the reels continuing to rotate in reverse during this time. This is because the reels stop to notify the player of the result of the addition and the number of games to be added (see (P) below). As the reels continue to rotate in reverse immediately after the start lever 210 is operated in FIG. 752(O), the player's sense of tension can be maintained.

In addition, in FIG. 752 (N), if the start lever 210 is operated at a timing when at least a part of the blackened portion overlaps with the diagonal line portion of the gauge, the reel will temporarily stop after a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) (FIG. 752 (P) described later). The predetermined time may be selectable from multiple values, such as 8 seconds, 10 seconds, or 15 seconds. In this case, it is desirable that the selection rate is determined so that the expectation of a more favorable result is higher when a longer time is selected as the predetermined time (for example, when the addition is successful (2 games added), 8 seconds is 16/128, 10 seconds is 32/128, and 15 seconds is 80/128, when the addition is successful (1 game added), 7 seconds is 32/128, 10 seconds is 64/128, and 15 seconds is 32/128, and when the addition is unsuccessful, 7 seconds is 80/128, 10 seconds is 32/128, and 15 seconds is 16/128). By doing this, the player can feel a sense of exhilaration the longer the reels continue to spin in reverse after operating the start lever 210.

The operation guide image of the start lever 210 that is hidden in FIG. 752(O) may be displayed again before the aforementioned predetermined time until the reels temporarily stop has elapsed (i.e., three guide images, the reverse push guide image, the long push effect button guide image, and the operation guide image of the start lever 210 may be displayed simultaneously). For example, the display colors of the message "Now, which way?" in FIG. 752(O) are white and red, and the selection rate of the display color is set so that the expectation level is higher when the display color is red than when it is white. In other words, when the start lever 210 is operated according to the operation guide image of the start lever 210 newly displayed in FIG. 752(O), a suggestive effect that suggests the expectation level by the display color of the message in FIG. 752(O) can be executed.

Also, before the aforementioned predetermined time until the reels temporarily stop has elapsed, an operation guide image for another operation part, such as the MAX insertion button 206, may be displayed instead of the operation guide image for the start lever 210 (i.e., three guide images may be displayed simultaneously: a reverse push guide image, a long press of the performance button guide image, and an operation guide image for the MAX insertion button 206). Note that even if an operation guide image for another operation part is displayed instead of the operation guide image for the start lever 210, a player who is playing absent-mindedly may operate the same operation part multiple times, so the operation of the start lever 210 may be enabled while the operation guide image for the other operation part is displayed, assuming that a guide image is displayed again.

On the other hand, in FIG. 752 (O), if an operation guide image for the start lever 210 or an operation guide image for the MAX insertion button 206 is displayed before the specified time has elapsed, and an operation is performed according to the operation guide image, the result of the addition may be displayed even before the reels have temporarily stopped. This allows a player who wants to know the result of the addition quickly to follow the operation guide, and a player who wants to feel the tension until the end to wait for the reels to temporarily stop.

In addition, during the aforementioned predetermined time until the reels temporarily stop, the operation guide image for the start lever 210 or the MAX insert button 206 may be displayed multiple times. In this case, if the start lever 210 or the MAX insert button 206 is operated at any time other than the last of the multiple times, the result of the addition may be displayed, but it is preferable that the rate at which a display suggesting the result of the addition (for example, the above-mentioned white display or red display) is displayed is higher than the rate at which a display suggesting the result of the addition is not displayed. This makes it possible to hold the player's expectations up until the latter half of the presentation, even if the start lever 210 or the MAX insert button 206 is operated at any time other than the last of the multiple times. If the start lever 210 or the MAX insert button 206 is operated at the end of the multiple times, it is preferable to display the result of the addition even before the reels temporarily stop.

Also, for example, the first of the multiple displays may only display an operation guide image for the start lever 210, and the last of the multiple displays may display operation guide images for the start lever 210 and the MAX insertion button 206, so that the last display may have a greater number (types) of operation parts to be guided to operate than the first display. This allows the number of operation guide images displayed to increase (types to increase), giving the player the fun of wondering which operation part to operate at the end (which type of operation part will be displayed).

Also, for example, the first of the multiple displays may display an operation guide image for the start lever 210 and the MAX insert button 206, and the last of the multiple displays may display an operation guide image for only one of the start lever 210 or the MAX insert button 206, so that the last display may have fewer operation parts to guide the player to operate than the first display. This allows the number of operation guide images displayed to decrease, allowing the player to enjoy predicting which operation parts will ultimately be narrowed down.

In addition, it is preferable to set the selection rate so that the expectation increases in the following order: when, before the specified time has elapsed, neither the operation guide image for the start lever 210 nor the operation guide image for the MAX insert button 206, which is a different operation unit, is displayed as shown in FIG. 752 (O) < when the operation guide image for the start lever 210 is displayed (i.e. the same operation guide image is displayed again) < when the operation guide image for the MAX insert button 206, which is a different operation unit, is displayed. This is because when the operation guide image for the start lever 210 is displayed again, the player thinks that something is going to happen, and when a guide image for an operation unit other than the start lever 210 is displayed, the player feels particularly uneasy, and therefore thinks that he can expect an additional win.

Also, when the operation guide image for the start lever 210 or the operation guide image for the MAX insertion button 206 is displayed before the specified time has elapsed, the background music may be muted, the output volume of the background music may be increased or decreased, the background music itself may be changed, or special sound effects may be output, in order to give the player a sense of tension informing him of the results of the addition. Also, at this time, in order to give the player a sense of tension informing him of the results of the addition, the background of the effect image (or the effect image itself) may be a still image (including a state in which the effect image shakes slightly or expands or contracts but is perceived as still by the player), the effect image may be expanded or contracted, or the background of the effect image (or the effect image itself) may be displayed in a single color (e.g., gold or blackout) or multiple colors (e.g., rainbow).

Before the specified time has elapsed, the operation unit is operated according to the operation guide image of the start lever 210 or the operation guide image of the MAX insertion button 206, and when the AT addition is announced, a specified movable body operates (for example, the shutter 301d described later returns to the reference position after covering half the reel), and when the AT addition is not announced, the specified movable body does not operate. At this time, the output volume of the BGM may be increased or decreased, the BGM itself may be changed, or special sound effects may be output. At this time, the background of the performance image (or the performance image itself) may be a still image (including a state in which the performance image slightly shakes or expands or contracts but is perceived as still by the player), the performance image may be expanded or contracted, or the background of the performance image (or the performance image itself) may be displayed in a single color (for example, gold or blackout) or multiple colors (for example, rainbow).

The image of the start lever 210 or the operation guide image of the MAX insert button 206 displayed before the specified time has elapsed may be displayed in a different color, or effects may be applied to these images (i.e., there may be multiple display modes for the operation guide image of the start lever 210, and there may be multiple display modes for the operation guide image of the MAX insert button 206). However, it is desirable that the expectation level be set higher when the display color is changed or an effect is applied.

In addition, when the operation guide image for the start lever 210 is displayed in FIG. 752 (N) (even if the start lever 210 is operated in this state, the result of the addition is not notified until a predetermined time has passed), it is desirable to continue outputting the BGM that was output immediately before the operation guide image was displayed in order to avoid building up too much expectation, but in order to give the player a sense of tension from an early stage, the BGM may be muted, the output volume of the BGM may be increased or decreased, the BGM itself may be changed, or special sound effects may be output. In addition, at this time, it is desirable to continue displaying the background of the performance image that was displayed immediately before the operation guide image was displayed in order to avoid building up too much expectation, but in order to give the player a sense of tension from an early stage, the background of the performance image (or the performance image itself) may be a still image (including a state in which the performance image slightly shakes or expands or contracts but is perceived as still by the player), the performance image may be expanded or contracted, or the background of the performance image (or the performance image itself) may be displayed in a single color (e.g., red or blackout) or in multiple colors (e.g., rainbow).

When the start lever 210 is operated according to the operation guide image for the start lever 210 displayed in FIG. 752(N) to transition to the state of FIG. 752(O) (i.e., the reels rotate in reverse and "Now which way!" is displayed), it is desirable not to operate the movable body in order to avoid building up too much expectation. However, in order to give the player a sense of tension from an early stage, a specified movable body may be operated (however, it is desirable that the operating distance and operating time are shorter than the operation of the movable body when the operation is performed according to the operation guide image of the start lever 210 or the MAX insertion button 206 redisplayed in FIG. 752(O)), or, for example, the movable body may be operated in an allocation of 128/128 if the AT game number is won, and 32/128 if it is not won (i.e., the expectation of winning the AT game number is high when the movable body is operated).

In addition, when the start lever 210 is operated according to the operation guide image for the start lever 210 displayed in FIG. 752(N) to transition to the state of FIG. 752(O), it is desirable to continue outputting the BGM that was output immediately before the operation was performed in order to avoid building up too much anticipation, but in order to give the player a sense of tension from an early stage, the output volume of the BGM may be increased or decreased, the BGM itself may be changed, or special sound effects may be output. In addition, at this time, in order to avoid building up too much anticipation, it is desirable to continue displaying the background of the performance image that was displayed immediately before the operation was performed, but the background of the performance image (or the performance image itself) may be a still image (including a state in which the performance image slightly shakes or expands or contracts but is perceived as still by the player), the performance image may be expanded or contracted, or the background of the performance image (or the performance image itself) may be displayed in a single color (e.g. red or blackout) or multiple colors (e.g. rainbow).

The display color of the operation guide image for the start lever 210 displayed in FIG. 752(N) may be changed, or effects may be applied to these images (i.e., there may be multiple display modes of the operation guide image for the start lever 210). However, it is preferable that the expectation level is set higher when the display color is changed or effects are applied. Also, the operation guide image for the start lever 210 or the MAX insert button 206 redisplayed in FIG. 752(O) may be more likely to be selected as a mode with a higher expectation level than the operation guide image for the start lever 210 displayed in FIG. 752(N), or the operation guide image for the start lever 210 displayed in FIG. 752(N) may be more likely to be selected as a mode with a higher expectation level than the operation guide image for the start lever 210 or the MAX insert button 206 redisplayed in FIG. 752(O).

In addition, it is desirable that the effective operation time of the start lever 210 corresponding to the operation guide image of the start lever 210 that is displayed again to notify the result of the addition in FIG. 752 (O) and the effective operation time of the MAX insert button 206 corresponding to the operation guide image of the MAX insert button 206 are longer than the effective operation time of the start lever 210 for indicating the degree of expectation of the addition in FIG. 752 (N) (for example, 2 seconds as mentioned above). This operation is performed in a situation where the addition has been confirmed, so that the sense of elation is provided to the player for a longer period of time.

Next, in FIG. 752(P), a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that the number of AT games has been added and the number of games (e.g., 2 games). Note that the message indicating the number of games does not directly indicate the number of games as in FIG. 752(P), but may be a message indicating only the degree of expectation, such as "Maybe good" or "Maybe a bit unlikely." In this case, for example, the total number of added games is announced when the chance to add games has completely ended and the game returns to the main game.

In addition, red 7s (a combination of three identical symbols) are lined up in the middle of the reels. If the start lever 210 is successfully operated in Figure 752 (N), a lottery is held to determine the number of AT add-on games, and the player is awarded two or one additional game. When the start lever 210 is successfully operated, a lottery is held to determine the number of additional games, with the odds of 96/128 adding one game and 32/128 adding two games, for example.

If two games are won (advantageous results are obtained), the reels will stop provisionally (the reels will not stop completely but will swing up and down) with the red 7s lined up (the same symbol combination is displayed) as shown in Figure 752 (P), and if one game is won (advantageous results are not obtained), the reels will stop provisionally, for example, at the same stop as in the previous game (main game), or at a stop where the red 7s are tenpai (red 7s are stopped on the same row or diagonally on two of the three reels) but the red 7s are not lined up. Also, if two games are won (the same symbol combination is displayed), after a predetermined time during which the reels are temporarily stopped, the reels may enter a special state (such as a specialized zone).

In addition, in FIG. 752 (P), the reels temporarily stop for a predetermined time, and after the predetermined time (temporarily stopped time) has elapsed, the reels rotate in the reverse direction again as shown in FIG. 753 (Q) described later. It is preferable that this temporary stop time is different from any of the times from when the start lever 210 is operated until the reels temporarily stop (for example, 5 seconds, which is shorter than any of the times until the reels temporarily stop). In addition, it is preferable that the temporary stop time of the reels takes only one value, rather than being selectable from multiple values. When the reels are temporarily stopped, the result has already been announced, so if multiple temporary stop times are prepared, for example, if the temporary stop time is long, the player may have excessive expectations, thinking that more games have been added than the announced number of added games.

In addition, in FIG. 752 (P), a reverse push guide image and a long press guide image for the effect button are displayed on the image display 500. Note that in a pseudo game, the reels are not stopped completely but are stopped temporarily, but the reels may be stopped completely in a pseudo game as well. However, when the reels are stopped completely in a pseudo game, a light source such as a specified lamp or LED designed as a pseudo game may be illuminated near the specified lamp or LED to let the player know that a pseudo game is being played, or an image of a specified size (for example, a message such as "Simulated game in progress" or "FREE PLAY") may be displayed on the image display 500.

In FIG. 752 (P), if special conditions are met (for example, another top-up lottery is held, the number of credits is equal to or exceeds a predetermined number, etc.) after the reels have stopped spinning and the aforementioned predetermined time has elapsed, another chance to top-up is held as in FIG. 753 (Q). On the other hand, if the special conditions are not met after the reels have stopped spinning and the aforementioned predetermined time has elapsed, the reels are not reversed again, but the game transitions to the main game by operating the start lever 210 as described below (i.e., based on the operation that triggers the game to proceed).

In Figure 753 (Q), another chance to add on is performed, and the same effect as in Figure 752 (M) is performed. In this way, if the chance to add on is successful, the chance to add on may loop. For example, if the above special condition is met, a loop rate is selected with a predetermined allocation (for example, a loop rate of 50% is 64/128, 66% is 48/124, 80% is 15/128, and 90% is 1/128). Then, if the chance to add on is successful, a lottery is held to see whether another chance to add on will be performed according to the selected loop rate. Note that the chance to add on may continue as long as it is successful, until the predetermined number of chances (for example, 10) have ended.

The reel spin time during the first chance to add extra is longer than the reel stop time during the first chance to add extra (e.g. 5 seconds), for example 10 seconds. This allows the player to build up anticipation over a long period of time during the reel spins as to whether an extra jackpot will be added, and because the reel stop time is short, the player can smoothly move on to the second chance to add extra jackpot or end the extra jackpot chance.

In addition, the reel spin time during the first chance to add on may be the same as the reel stop time during the first chance to add on (e.g., 5 seconds). This allows the reel spin and the reel stop to occur at the same tempo, making it easier for the player to gauge the end timing of the reel stop by experiencing the length of time the reel spins.

The reel spin time during the first chance to add extra can be shorter than the reel stop time during the first chance to add extra (e.g., 5 seconds), and can be, for example, 3 seconds. This shortens the time during which the player feels tense about whether or not an extra jackpot will be added, reducing fatigue for the player, and also lengthens the time during which the player feels elated when an extra jackpot is added.

The reel spin time during the second or subsequent chance to add to a jackpot is longer than the reel stop time during the first chance to add to a jackpot (e.g., 5 seconds), for example, 7 seconds. This allows for a smooth progression from the reel stop to the second or subsequent chance to add to a jackpot, and increases anticipation for how many games will be added to a jackpot due to the longer reel spin time during the second or subsequent chance to add to a jackpot.

In addition, the reel spin time for the second or subsequent chances to add to the bonus may be the same as the reel stop time for the first chance to add to the bonus (e.g., 5 seconds). This allows the reel to spin and stop at the same tempo, so that the player can feel the length of time the reel stops, making it easier to gauge the timing of the end of the second or subsequent reel spins.

The reel spin time for the second or subsequent chances to add to a jackpot may be shorter than the reel stop time for the first chance to add to a jackpot (e.g., 5 seconds), and may be, for example, 3 seconds. This shortens the time during which the player feels tense about whether or not an add-on will occur, reducing fatigue for the player, and also lengthens the time during which the player feels elated when an add-on occurs.

In addition, the reel spin time during the second or subsequent chance to add to the number of AT games is shorter than the reel spin time during the first chance to add to the number of AT games, for example. In this way, the reel spin time is short during the second or subsequent chance to add to the number of AT games, and the number of AT games is added one after another in a short period of time, giving the player a sense of exhilaration.

The reel spin time for the second or subsequent chances to add extra may be selected at a predetermined selection rate from multiple times shorter than the reel spin time for the first chance to add extra, such as 3 seconds, 5 seconds, or 7 seconds. In this case, it is preferable to set the expectation of an extra bonus higher the longer the reel spin time, similar to the reel spin time for the first chance to add extra.

In addition, the reel spin time for the second and subsequent add-on chances is the same as the reel spin time for the first add-on chance, for example. This allows the player to feel the length of the first reel spin and more easily gauge the timing of the end of the second and subsequent reel spins.

In addition, the reel spin time during the second or subsequent add-on chances is longer than the reel spin time during the first add-on chance, for example. Since the number of medals a player can obtain increases when an add-on is given from the second onwards, the rate at which medals increase can be slowed down by taking the time to spin the reels from the second onwards.

In addition, in order to give a sense of surprise by starting the reel spin without letting the player know when the reel spin will start for the next chance to add extra bonuses, the reel spin time for the chance to add extra bonuses may be different from the reel stop time for the chance to add extra bonuses (i.e., a time that cannot be selected as the reel stop time).

Although the comparison of the reel spinning time and the reel stop time during the chance to add on has been explained, and the comparison of the reel spinning times during the chance to add on with each other, the reel spinning time may be read as the average reel spinning time, or the reel stop time may be read as the average reel stop time. By selecting the reel spinning time from multiple times according to a predetermined allocation, it becomes difficult for the player to predict when the result of the addition will be announced, providing a sense of surprise. By selecting the reel stop time from multiple times according to a predetermined allocation, it becomes difficult for the player to predict when the next chance to add on will start, providing a sense of surprise.

Figure 753 (R) is the same as Figure 752 (P), except that a message indicating that the number of AT games for one game has been added is displayed on the image display 500, and the reels are provisionally stopped at the same stopping points as in the previous game.

As with the first chance to add to the winnings, after FIG. 753 (Q), a performance may be performed similar to FIG. 752 (O) to tease the player whether or not they have won. In this performance, the operation guide image for the start lever 210 is erased, but the performance may continue without the operation guide image being displayed, the operation guide image for the start lever 210 may be redisplayed, or an operation guide image for a different operation part such as the MAX insert button 206 may be displayed.

By redisplaying the operation guide image for the start lever 210, the player can feel a sense of anticipation that there may be further opportunities to operate the start lever 210 (i.e., the chance to add more money may continue), and by displaying an operation guide image for a different operation part, the player can feel a sense of anticipation that further bonuses may be obtained by operating a different operation part. In this presentation, the degree of anticipation depending on whether or not the operation guide image is displayed, and the presentation mode of the operation guide image (display mode, background music, movable object), etc. are the same as in FIG. 752 (O).

However, when the shortest time (3 seconds) is selected from multiple times such as 3 seconds, 5 seconds, or 7 seconds as the time for the reels to rotate in reverse in the second or subsequent chances to add, it is desirable not to redisplay the operation guide image of the start lever 210 and not to display the operation guide image of a different operation part such as the MAX insertion button 206, so as not to spoil the exhilaration of adding the number of AT games in a short time. Also, when the operation guide image of the start lever 210 or the operation guide image of the MAX insertion button 206 is displayed and an operation is performed according to the operation guide image, the result of the addition is displayed even before the reels are temporarily stopped as described above, but if the operation guide image is displayed when the shortest time (3 seconds) is selected as the reel reverse rotation time, it is highly likely that the player will not be able to complete the operation by the end of the shortest time. In other words, if the player is unable to complete the operation despite wanting to perform the operation, he or she will feel stressed, and even if the operation is completed by the end of the shortest time, the timing of the display of the result of the addition will only be slightly earlier. Therefore, as mentioned above, if the shortest time (3 seconds) is selected as the time for reverse reel rotation, it is desirable not to redisplay the operation guide image for the start lever 210 and not to display operation guide images for other operating parts such as the MAX insertion button 206.

Note that, although it is confirmed that the special conditions mentioned above (for example, a lottery for adding on) and the chance to add on will be held again, the number of games added can be "+1" or "+2" each time. As mentioned above, when two games are added on, red 7s line up, and when one game is added on, red 7s are ready (however, they are ready but not ready). Also, when one game is added on, a predetermined distribution may stop the result of red 7 ready, or a miss result where red 7 is not even ready.

At this time, there is pattern 1 where the reels temporarily stop with a line of red 7s (i.e. "+2"), and then at the next chance to add more, the reels temporarily stop with a line of red 7s. Similarly, there is pattern 2 where the reels temporarily stop with a red 7 tenpai (i.e. "+1") → pseudo-stop with a red 7 tenpai, and pattern 3 where the reels temporarily stop on a miss (i.e. "+1") → temporary miss stop. In patterns 1 to 3, the reels temporarily stop with the same number as at the previous chance to add more, so the player's expectations are not unnecessarily increased or decreased.

There is also pattern 4, where red 7s line up and the red 7s are temporarily stopped, and pattern 5, where red 7s line up and the red 7s are temporarily stopped, and then a loss is temporarily stopped. In patterns 4 and 5, the later chances to add more have fewer games to add more, so the player can prepare himself/herself by thinking that the loop of chances to add more will end soon, and the player's disappointment when the loop ends can be reduced.

There is also pattern 6, where the player stops on a miss and then stops on a red 7, and pattern 7, where the player stops on a red 7 tenpai and then stops on a red 7. In patterns 6 and 7, the later chance to add more games has more added games, so the player's sense of excitement can be gradually increased.

There is also pattern 8, where the red 7 tenpai temporary stop is followed by a miss temporary stop, and pattern 9, where the miss temporary stop is followed by a red 7 tenpai temporary stop. In patterns 8 and 9, the number of added games is the same, but the stop results are different, so even if only the same number of games are added as last time, the player will not tire of the reel's temporary stop effect.

Figure 753 (S) shows a state where the loop rate lottery for the chance to add on was unsuccessful (the lottery for the number of games to add on was not held). A message is displayed on the image display indicating that the lottery for the loop rate lottery for the chance to add on was unsuccessful and the lottery for the number of games to add on was not held. In addition, although the left reel 301a and center reel 301b have red 7s in place, the reels are temporarily stopped at a point where the red 7s are not lined up (the stop results of Figure 753 (R), which shows the results of the lottery for the addition, are still displayed). In addition, a reverse push guide image and a long press guide image for the performance button are displayed on the image display 500.

In Figure 753 (T), a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that a special movie will be provided as compensation for not winning the loop lottery for the chance to add extra. By displaying the special movie, it is possible to reduce the disappointment felt by players who are disappointed that the loop of the chance to add extra has ended. In addition, a reverse push guide image and an image to guide players to press and hold the effect button are displayed on the image display 500. Note that the numbers that the reels will stop showing continue to be displayed even after the lottery for adding extra is not held. This is to prevent players from mistaking the start of the main game when the reels start spinning.

In Figure 753 (U), the reverse push guide image and the long push effect button guide image are erased, and a special movie is displayed on the image display 500. The slot machine 1 in this chapter is equipped with a shutter 301d, which is a movable body that covers the entire reel to make the (temporary) stop symbols invisible.

When the special movie starts, the shutter 301d is closed to cover the entire reel (making it impossible to recognize the symbol combination that indicates that no advantageous result was obtained, as in Figure 753 (T)), which draws the player's attention to the special movie and thus entertains the player. In order to entertain the player, it is desirable for the special movie to be the same movie as the premium performance (a movie that appears when the probability of winning the AT is extremely high (e.g., 99% or more) and has an extremely low appearance rate (e.g., 1/32768 or less in normal games and AT games)) or a dedicated movie that does not appear in the performances executed in normal games and AT games (i.e., it is not selected by the CPU 1118 of the sub-board 510 when the game starts (lever is on)).

As shown in FIG. 753(U), it is preferable that no guide images are displayed in order to allow the player to concentrate on the special movie, but when a specified operation is performed (for example, when the MAX insertion button 206 is operated), a reverse push guide image may be displayed to allow the player to confirm the push order for this game, or when a specified time has passed since the start of the special movie display, an operation guide image for the start lever 210 may be displayed to allow the presentation state (for example, the sound output in the presentation, the display mode of the presentation, etc.) to be changed. This allows the player to complete preparations for the main game while the special movie is being displayed.

In addition, during the special movie, the reverse push guide image and the long press effect button guide image may be displayed continuously from (T). This causes the same guide image to be displayed as after a successful seesaw game, allowing the player to savor the satisfaction of having obtained a favorable result for themselves through the seesaw game effect and the chance to add to the prize, even while the special movie is being displayed.

Figure 753 (V) shows the state after a predetermined time (e.g. 15 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the special movie. A message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that pressing the one-coin button 205 will open the shutter 301d and allow the player to view the reels again and reconfirm the contents of the last addition (as previously mentioned, the provisionally stopping numbers differ for the one-game addition and the two-game addition). For players who have played the slot machine 1 in this chapter an extremely large number of times, the special movie itself is not unusual, and so players are more interested in being able to reconfirm how advantageous their results were than in the special movie.

In the state shown in FIG. 753 (V), when the insert one coin button 205 is pressed (the slot machine in this chapter has a specified number of coins of three, and pressing the insert one coin button 205 once does not validate the operation of the start lever 210, but the operating means (which indicates the player's intention) for progressing the game is operated (based on the operation)), the shutter 301d opens, the entire reel (the combination of symbols on the reel) becomes visible, and the special movie displayed on the image display 500 is erased.

Note that while the shutter 301d is closed, all reels remain stopped, so the stop positions when the shutter 301d is opened are the same as those in FIG. 753 (T), allowing the user to reconfirm the stop positions before the shutter 301d was closed. Also, while the shutter 301d is closed, all reels may be rotated, and when the shutter 301d is opened, the reels may be stopped to be the same as those in (T).

In addition, when the one-coin button 205 is pressed before the end of the special movie to make the combination of symbols on all the reels visible, the reels may spin at a predetermined rate (e.g., 16/128) at approximately the same time (e.g., within 0.5 seconds) as the reels become visible, and then automatically stop. The stop symbol for the automatic stop at this time may be a line of red sevens (i.e., promoted from the stop symbol for the 1-game addition in FIG. 753(T) to the stop symbol for the 2-game addition), or the stop symbol in FIG. 753(T) may be displayed.

At this time, for example, the probability of progressing to a line of red 7s is set to be higher than the probability of the stop symbols in (T) being displayed. For example, the probability of progressing to a line of red 7s is 1/200, and by displaying the stop symbols in FIG. 753 (T), the player can finally check the number of games added in the last chance to add, and by displaying the same symbol combination, the player's sense of excitement at the start of the AT game can be enhanced. Also, the probability of the stop symbols in FIG. 753 (T) being displayed may be set to be higher than the probability of progressing to a line of red 7s.

This allows the player to feel a sense of anticipation even during the special movie after the chance to add to the total has ended. Also, if the player presses the 1 coin button 205 three times (or presses the MAX BET button when there are three or more medals in the credits (reservoir)) before the end of the special movie and hits the start lever 210 to continue the game, the above-mentioned stop number promotion effect may be performed.

In the above example, the special movie is displayed when the player does not win the additional AT game number during the additional chance (i.e., when the player is in a disappointing situation), but the special movie may also be displayed in other cases when the player goes through a disappointing situation.

For example, as shown in FIG. 753(R), if a player wins an additional AT game number during an additional chance but the number of additional games is the minimum (no advantageous result is obtained), a special movie presentation from FIG. 753(U) may be executed a predetermined time after the minimum number of additional games is announced in (R). In particular, in this case, if the player presses the one-coin insertion button 205 in FIG. 753(V) to execute the promotion presentation, the player's disappointment can be eliminated and a sense of elation can be given all at once.

In addition, for example, if a background image suggesting that the player is in a high probability state (a state in which it is easy to win the AT or CZ or an additional AT game number) in a normal game or AT game is displayed on the image display 500, but then changes to a background image suggesting that the player is in a low probability state (a state in which it is hard to win the AT or CZ or an additional AT game number), a special movie performance from FIG. 753 (U) may be executed a predetermined time after the background image suggesting that the player is in a low probability state is displayed.

In addition, for example, if the power is turned on after a power outage caused by a lightning strike or the like has prevented play on the slot machine 1, the special movie performance starting from FIG. 753 (U) may be executed a predetermined time after the power is turned on.

In addition, some of the effects that may be displayed during the normal game or the AT game may be displayed during the special movie. For example, if there is a first effect that appears during the normal game and a second effect that has a higher expectation of winning the AT than the first effect (for example, both are effects indicating the expectation of winning the AT that appear when the start lever 210 is operated (i.e., when the lever is on)), it is good to display part of the second effect during the special movie. This allows players who are familiar with the second effect to remember the time when they won the AT with that effect and bask in the afterglow, and players who are unfamiliar with the second effect can feel a sense of anticipation when it appears in a subsequent normal game, thinking that since it appeared during a special movie, it is likely to be an effect with a high expectation of winning the AT.

As mentioned above, if the start lever 210 is operated while the special movie is being displayed, the pseudo game ends and the game transitions to the main game. However, if the start lever 210 is not operated for an extended period of time, this will cause inconvenience to the hall, so it is a good idea to switch from the pseudo game to the main game after a predetermined time has elapsed. It is preferable that the special movie is created to match this predetermined time, but in order to save capacity on the ROM 1120 of the sub-board 510, a movie that is shorter than this predetermined time may be displayed multiple times repeatedly.

Furthermore, if the duration of each movie is short, it is possible to make the reel symbol combination visible between the multiple repeated movies, to encourage the player to change his or her line of sight. In this case, in order to draw the player's attention to the reel symbol combination, an image that appears during the normal game or AT game (e.g., a background image, etc.) may be displayed on the image display 500 between the movies.

In FIG. 753(T), the reason why the image guiding you to press and hold the effect button is displayed even after the chance to add more has ended is as follows. If the seesaw game effect is successful and you press and hold the effect button 204, the seesaw portion 552 will tilt toward the depth when viewed from the front. However, if you stop pressing the button after the medal has fallen into the seesaw success tube 558, the seesaw portion 552 will return to its original tilt, and even if you press and hold the effect button 204 after that, in that simulated game, the seesaw portion 552 will not tilt toward the depth when viewed from the front again.

Here, for example, when the chance to add on ends in FIG. 753 (S), one dummy medal falls from the claw portion 556 into the seesaw portion 552 at a predetermined rate (for example, 1/1000). Therefore, in this case, unless the performance button 204 is pressed and held down until the dummy medal falls into the seesaw portion 552, the dummy medal cannot be moved to the seesaw success tube 558.

In addition, if the dummy medal can be moved to the seesaw success tube 558, the number of AT games is added. Therefore, even if the chance to add medals ends, the image guiding the player to press and hold the performance button is displayed so that the player can obtain advantageous results. The dummy medal is stored in a specified storage position (not shown) in the slot machine 1, and when the lottery is won at a specified rate in FIG. 753 (S) above, the dummy medal moves from the storage position to the claw portion 556, and in either case, whether the medal can be moved to the seesaw success tube 558 or not, the dummy medal returns to the storage position (not shown).

However, since the special movie itself is a valuable exclusive effect, as mentioned above, the image guiding you to press and hold the effect button may be erased and only the special movie may be displayed, or the display of only the special movie and the image guiding you to press the effect may be alternated repeatedly.

In the above, if a medal can be moved to the seesaw success tube 558, the number of AT games is increased. However, in order to reduce the element of technical intervention by the player and allow even players with low skills to enjoy the game, it is better to increase the number of AT games at a predetermined rate (for example, 1/10 to add 1 game, 1/20 to add 2 games). Note that, since some players prefer slot machines 1 with a large element of technical intervention, it may be possible to set it so that the number of AT games is increased when a medal can be moved to the seesaw success tube 558.

When a lottery to add to the number of AT games is held based on moving a medal to the seesaw success tube 558, the special movie itself is valuable, but the advantageous result of adding to the number of AT games gives the player a greater sense of excitement, so it is recommended that the reels be rotated at almost the same time (within 0.5 seconds, for example) as the display of the special movie ends and the reels become visible.

[13-4. Practice performance]
FIG. 754 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a practice performance of an add-on chance in a seesaw game performance. Following FIG. 753(S), that is, when the add-on chance ends without winning the loop lottery of the add-on chance, the add-on chance practice performance starts in FIG. 754(T'). In FIG. 754(T'), a message is displayed indicating that the practice performance can start. Also, in FIG. 754(T'), a reverse push guide image and a performance button long push guide image are displayed on the image display body 500. The practice performance is performed in a state where the reels are temporarily stopped.

In addition, when comparing the time it takes to transition from FIG. 753(S) to FIG. 753(T) (the time from when the result of the additional lottery is shown to when the special movie starts) with the time it takes to transition from FIG. 753(S) to FIG. 754(T') (the time from when the result of the additional lottery is shown to when the practice performance starts), the latter is shorter than the former so that the player can start practicing immediately.

In the practice performance, the same performance as the operation of the start lever 210 in the above-mentioned add-on chance can be performed with the reels temporarily stopped. In the actual add-on chance performance, the reels are spinning, so even if the player wants to concentrate on the display on the image display 500, they are distracted by the spinning reels and find it difficult to concentrate, making it difficult to grasp the timing of operating the start lever 210, making the performance highly difficult. On the other hand, in the practice performance, the reels are temporarily stopped, so it is easier for the player to concentrate on the display on the image display 500 and it is easier to grasp the timing of operating the start lever 210, making the performance less difficult.

Since the frequency with which the seesaw game effect appears is not particularly high, by making the practice effect appear, the player can improve his or her operation of the start lever 210 during the chance to add extra bonuses. Also, by executing the practice effect after failing to operate the start lever 210 during the chance to add extra bonuses, players who are not good at this operation can practice. Note that there are cases where the special movie effect described above is performed without executing this practice effect, but each may be assigned by lottery, or the special movie effect and the practice effect may appear alternately each time the chance to add extra bonuses is failed. Note that when assigning by lottery, it is better to assign a higher proportion of practice effects than special movie effects, since the practice effects lead to practical benefits.

After the chance to add bonuses ends, a decision is made as to whether or not to perform a practice performance according to a predetermined allocation (for example, 96/128 to perform a practice performance, 32/128 to not perform a practice performance), and if the practice performance is not performed, the special movie performance described above is performed. The reason why the practice performance is given a higher priority than the special movie performance is that it leads to practical benefits for the player.

In Fig. 754 (U'), in order to lower the difficulty of the practice performance, the practice performance is performed while keeping the reels (the symbol combinations showing the results of the add-on lottery) displayed. The display content on the image display 5000 is almost the same as that of Fig. 752 (N). However, since the objective is to allow the player to practice, the operation guide image encouraging the player to operate the start lever 210 is displayed in a smaller size than that displayed in Fig. 752 (N) in order to avoid the misunderstanding that an add-on will be given. In Fig. 754 (U'), it is advisable to display "Practice possible" for a predetermined period of time, and then display the same guide display "Flick the lever" as in Fig. 753 (Q).

Instead, to make it easier for the player to succeed in the operation during the practice performance, the ratio of the size of the blackened and/or shaded portions of the gauge displayed on the image display 500 to the size of the gauge is increased compared to the add-on chance performance, and the moving speed of the blackened portions of the gauge is slowed down compared to the add-on chance performance. In this way, by lowering the difficulty of the practice performance and making it easier for the player to succeed in the operation, the player can easily learn the sense of accomplishment when they succeed.

On the other hand, by deliberately increasing the difficulty level and practicing, the percentage can be made smaller, or the movement speed of the blackened part of the gauge can be made faster than during the bonus chance presentation, in order to make it easier to succeed in the real thing. By increasing the difficulty level in this way, it is possible to give the player a greater sense of accomplishment when they succeed, and even if they fail, it can give the player confidence that they will be able to manage because the real thing is much easier.

In order to allow the player to concentrate on practicing, it is advisable to mute (suddenly turn the volume to zero or fade out) or reduce the volume of the background music that was playing in FIG. 754 (T') before the operation guide image for the start lever 210 is displayed in FIG. 754 (U'). This muting or reduction in volume of the background music may be performed in accordance with the timing at which the operation guide image for the start lever 210 is displayed, or may be performed at a predetermined timing after the operation guide image for the start lever 210 is displayed.

In order to avoid a situation where the display on the image display 500 in FIG. 754(U') is overlooked and practice is not possible, for example, the slot machine 1 may have a movable body with a transparent liquid crystal on the front, and the movable body may move to a position where it overlaps with the reel patterns, and the transparent liquid crystal of the movable body may display the same content as the display on the image display 500 in FIG. 754(U').

At this time, the transparency of the transparent LCD display may be reduced to make the reel images completely invisible, or the transparency may be increased to make the reel images (all or part) visible, although the visibility level may be reduced.

In FIG. 754 (V'), when the practice performance starts, a message is displayed indicating that pressing the MAX insertion button 206 will return to the main game. This is because players who are skilled in the operation of the extra chance performance may feel that the practice performance is unnecessary. In addition, the image display 500 displays a gauge for the practice performance, a reverse press guide image, and a long press guide image for the performance button.

Figure 754 (W') shows the state in Figure 754 (V') where the player has pressed the MAX insertion button 206. After the practice performance ends, the pseudo game is switched to the actual game, and the reels are rotating forward (to switch from the pseudo game to the actual game, the reels are rotated by performing a random delay process. Note that since the random delay process is a well-known technology, a description will be omitted). Also, numbers indicating reverse push are written on the top of each reel on the image display 500. Also, since the reel that should be pressed first is the right reel 301c, the light emitter on the right reel 301c is lit. Note that, although the practice performance is performed at the end of the pseudo game in the above example, the practice performance may be performed during the actual game that is performed following the pseudo game.

Note that even if the start lever 210 is operated at the right time in the practice performance (i.e., the start lever 210 is operated at a timing when at least a part of the blackened part of the gauge overlaps with the diagonal line part), the number of AT games will not be added because it is only a practice. However, if the operation of the start lever 210 is successful, the lamp may be illuminated (special illumination pattern), sound effects (special sound effects) and background music (special background music) may be played in a manner that is not included in the performance that appears during the actual game and that appears based on the lottery result when the start lever 210 is operated. In this way, the provision of a special performance increases the player's motivation to succeed in the practice performance. In addition, by performing such special performances (light emission, sound, and/or background music) that cannot appear during the actual game, it is also effective to prevent the player from misunderstanding that the practice performance is the actual game.

On the other hand, if the timing of operating the start lever 210 during the practice performance is incorrect, the lamp will not light up in these special lighting patterns, and the special sound effects and special background music will not play.

The above-mentioned special movie effect may be executed after the practice effect has been performed. For example, after the practice effect has been executed after the execution of the extra chance effect, the player will be tired from operating the start lever 210 while aiming for the right timing, so a valuable special movie can be shown to let the player rest and have fun at the same time.

Note that if practice could be performed multiple times in one simulated game, the player's skill would improve and he or she would be more likely to succeed in additional chances, which could increase the ball payout rate and ultimately increase the burden on the hall, so it is desirable to only allow practice to be performed once. Also, it may be possible to only allow practice to be performed once after the slot machine 1 is powered on.

If practice can be performed only once, it is advisable to make the guide to the practice performance displayed in FIG. 754 (U') disappear when the start lever 210 is operated for the second or subsequent practice performances. Also, in a situation where a higher ball payout rate is acceptable (when the design value is such that the ball payout rate does not change significantly even if the skill of all players improves), multiple practice sessions may be possible, or there may be no limit to the number of practice sessions.

If the practice is successful, a message indicating the success of the practice, such as "Congratulations on your success! Do your best in the real thing!", may be displayed on the image display 500. It is desirable for this message to be different from the message displayed when the start lever 210 is operated during the chance to add to the bonus ("Now which way?" in FIG. 752 (O)). If the message is the same for the real thing and practice, the player may misunderstand that he or she will be able to add to the number of AT games.

［13-5. Fateful Two-Choice Presentation］
Fig. 755 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the chance to add to the seesaw game effect (a fateful two-choice effect). The chance to add to the AT game in Fig. 755 is determined not by the operation timing of the start lever 210 as explained in Fig. 752 (N) but by the operation direction of the start lever 210 (for example, whether to hit from above or below).

When the fateful two-choice performance is performed, for example, when the seesaw game performance is successful, the loop rate is selected with a predetermined allocation (for example, a loop rate of 50% is 64/128, 66% is 48/124, 80% is 15/128, and 90% is 1/128).

Furthermore, according to a predetermined allocation, whether the start lever 210 is struck from above or below will be selected to win the additional AT game number. The predetermined allocation is determined in advance, for example, striking from above gives a correct answer of 48/128, and striking from below gives a correct answer of 80/128. In this case, striking the start lever 210 from below gives a higher chance of winning the AT.

Furthermore, if the start lever 210 is struck from the correct direction and an AT game number addition is won, the number of games to be added is determined according to a predetermined allocation (e.g., 1 game addition 64/128, 2 games addition 64/128).

Following FIG. 752 (M), in FIG. 755 (N"), a fateful two-choice performance is executed as an additional chance. In FIG. 755 (N"), the reels continue to spin in reverse at high speed, and a message (title display) indicating that a fateful two-choice challenge has begun is displayed on the image display 500. In addition, a reverse push guide image and a long push guide image for the performance button are displayed on the image display 500.

In FIG. 755 (O"), a message instructing to tap the start lever 210 from above is displayed on the image display 500, which is an example of a guidance display as a request effect requesting operation of the start lever 210. A reverse push guidance image and a long press effect button guidance image are displayed on the image display 500. In FIG. 755 (P"), a message ("Or...") is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that there may be an operation direction other than tapping the start lever 210 from above. In addition, a reverse push guidance image and a long press effect button guidance image are displayed on the image display 500.

In FIG. 755 (Q''), a message instructing the player to tap the start lever 210 from below is displayed on the image display 500, which is an example of a guidance display as a request effect that requests the player to operate the start lever 210. In addition, a reverse push guidance image and a long push guidance image for the effect button are displayed on the image display 500.

Figure 755 (R'') shows the state after the start lever 210 has been struck from above or below. This operation causes a message ("So, which one is it?") to appear on the image display 500, inviting the player to know whether or not they have won an additional AT game number. In addition, a reverse push guide image and a long press guide image for the effect button are displayed on the image display 500.

When FIG. 755 (O") is displayed, the starting lever 210 can only be operated from above. When FIG. 755 (Q") is displayed, the starting lever 210 can only be operated from below. When FIG. 755 (R") is displayed, the starting lever 210 can only be operated from above and below.

Therefore, a player who watches the instructions to the end and hits the start lever 210 from below at point 755 (Q") or 755 (R") has an advantage over a player who does not watch the instructions to the end and hits the start lever 210 from above at point 755 (O") (as mentioned above, there are many allocations in which hitting the start lever 210 from below is the correct answer).

In other words, the specifications give an advantage to players who are not accustomed to playing slots and therefore have a slow playing speed (for this reason, when "Hit the start lever from above!" is displayed, there is no suggestion or instruction to "Hit the start lever from below!", which is the next thing to be done). Note that from the timing of Fig. 755 (O''), operation of the start lever 210 from below may be made effective. This is because for players who have experienced the chance to add more multiple times, it is tedious to wait for the timing when operation from below becomes effective.

However, since the ball output rate is higher when the start lever 210 is struck from below, in order to reduce the burden on the hall, when FIG. 755 (Q'') is displayed, the start lever 210 may be enabled for operation from both above and below.

If the start lever 210 is operated in the correct direction and an additional AT game number is acquired, a display similar to that shown in FIG. 752 (P) or FIG. 753 (R) will be displayed on the image display body 500, and the reels will temporarily stop with the same stopping points as those shown in FIG. 752 (P) or FIG. 753 (R). Furthermore, whether another additional chance to win will be held will be determined according to the selected loop rate.

When the chance to add more is looped, a combination of effects (timing effects) in which the timing of the start lever 210 described using FIG. 752 and the like determines whether the number of AT games can be added or not, and effects (operation direction effects) in which the direction of operation of the start lever 210 in FIG. 755 determines whether the number of AT games can be added or not may be mixed. In this case, for example, when the number of AT games is decided to be added and the loop lottery is won, a predetermined allocation (for example, an allocation of timing effects 64/128 and operation direction effects 64/128) may determine which effect is executed, or a selection screen for timing effects and operation direction effects may be displayed to allow the player to select which effect is executed.

In addition, if the player does not correctly operate the start lever 210 and is therefore unable to gain an additional AT game number, the game may proceed to the main game, or the performance (special movie display) from Figure 753 (T) onwards may be executed.

The presentation differs between Fig. 755 (O''), i.e., a situation where operation guidance to hit the start lever from above (hereinafter also referred to as guidance from above), and Fig. 755 (Q''), i.e., a situation where operation guidance to hit the start lever from below (hereinafter also referred to as guidance from below), for example as follows.

When the guidance is displayed from above, it is desirable for the volume of the BGM to continue from the point in FIG. 755 (N''). Although the probability of winning an additional AT game number is lower when the start lever 210 is hit from above, if the volume is suppressed or muted at this point, the player may mistake the timing when the guidance appears from above for the final timing of the fateful two-choice presentation and hit the start lever 210 from above, resulting in a loss. On the other hand, since there is not an extremely large difference in the expected degree of additional AT game number when comparing hitting the start lever 210 from above and hitting the start lever 210 from below, there is a sufficient expected value even when the start lever 210 is hit from above, so the BGM may be suppressed or muted.

On the other hand, when guidance is being displayed from below, it means that the final moment of the fateful two-choice presentation is approaching, and both options have been presented, so the background music can be suppressed or muted to increase the sense of tension.

It is desirable that the effective operation time of the start lever 210 when a guide from above is displayed first (the guide from above is displayed before the guide from below, which is omitted below) is shorter than the effective operation time of the start lever 210 when a guide from below is displayed later (the guide from below is displayed after the guide from above, which is omitted below). By shortening the effective operation time of the start lever 210 when a guide from above is displayed, even if the player prematurely hits the start lever 210 from above, the operation will not be effective, and the player can reconsider the direction in which to hit the start lever 210 after looking at both options.

When guidance is displayed from above and when guidance is displayed from below, an effect may be performed to increase the expectation level (expectation level of winning the additional lottery) (for example, an effect in which the expectation level varies depending on the guidance display for the operating means itself, such as displaying "Hit the start lever from above!" or "Hit the start lever from below!" in red letters).

For example, when the message "Hit the start lever from above!" is displayed in white text for 8/10 and in red text for 2/10 when the guidance is displayed from above, and in white text for 6/10 and in red text for 4/10 when the guidance is displayed from below, it is desirable that the frequency of the expectation increase effect is higher when the guidance is displayed from below than when the guidance is displayed from above. This is because if the expectation suggestion effect is displayed frequently when the guidance is displayed from above, there is a risk that the probability of winning the additional AT game number is low, but the probability is high, and the player will continue to operate the start lever 210 from above.

It is also acceptable for a message to be displayed from above but not from below. In this case, for example, if a message is displayed from above but not from below afterwards, the message in the message from above will be displayed in white text at 8/10 and in red text at 2/10, whereas if a message is displayed from above and then from below, the message in the message from above will be displayed in white text at 2/10 and in red text at 8/10. It is desirable that it be determined so that when the message in the message is displayed from above in a manner that generates high expectations, it is more likely that the message will be displayed from below later.

In addition, at the start of the Fateful Two-choice Challenge, it may be possible to forcibly (i.e., whether the start lever 210 is tapped from above or below) not win the additional AT game number at a specified rate, and if the player is forcibly not won the additional AT game number, it is desirable that although a guide is displayed from above, no guide is subsequently displayed from below. This is because, since the player will not win the additional AT game number no matter how the start lever 210 is operated, the player's expectations are not aroused too much by not displaying a guide from below, where the expectations are high. In addition, when the start lever 210 is tapped from above at this time, it is desirable that a notification is issued after a specified time has elapsed that the player has not won the additional AT game number. This is to give the player at least some sense of expectation, even though the player was forcibly not won the additional AT game number.

Also, even if guidance is displayed from above, there may be a predetermined percentage (e.g., less than 5/10) where guidance is not displayed from below, and in this case, the start lever 210 is only valid for operation from above (i.e., hitting the start lever 210 from below will not win the AT game addition). At this time, it may be made more likely that guidance will be displayed from below after guidance from above if the expectation level increase effect appears when guidance is displayed from above, compared to when it does not appear. Also, if there is a possibility that guidance will not be displayed from below after guidance is displayed from above, there may be a predetermined percentage (e.g., 6/10) where guidance will not be displayed from below even if the start lever 210 is operated according to guidance from above (i.e., the fateful two-choice effect will always fail).

When the start lever 210 is operated according to the guidance from above when guidance is displayed from above, and when guidance is displayed from below when guidance is displayed from below, during a predetermined period from when the start lever 210 is operated according to the guidance from below until a result display (similar to FIG. 752 (P) or FIG. 753 (R)) is made as to whether the direction to hit the start lever 210 is correct or not, an expectation-boosting effect (for example, a cut-in of a character image displayed in red, a lamp light in a predetermined pattern, or a predetermined sound effect) may be displayed based on the operation of the start lever 201. However, it is preferable that the expectation-boosting effect is not performed 8/10 times and is performed 2/10 times when guidance is displayed from above, and is not performed 6/10 times and is performed 4/10 times when guidance is displayed from below, and the frequency of appearance is lower when the start lever 210 is operated according to the guidance from below than when the start lever 210 is operated according to the guidance from above, and the number of patterns of the expectation-boosting effect is also lower when the start lever 210 is operated according to the guidance from below.

As mentioned above, in cases where there is a possibility that guidance will not be displayed from below after guidance is displayed from above, in this case, it may be possible to make it more likely that guidance will be displayed from below after guidance from above if an expectation-increasing effect appears when guidance is displayed from above, compared to when no such effect appears.

Because following the instructions from the bottom increases the probability of winning the additional AT game number, there is no need to excessively increase the expectation level if you choose to follow the instructions from the bottom, and there is no need to have many variations on this.

When guidance is displayed from above and the start lever 210 is operated according to the guidance from above, it is desirable that the effect that appears does not indicate whether the AT game number will be added or not. If a player who is unaware that guidance will appear from below prematurely operates the start lever 210 according to the guidance from above and an effect indicating whether the AT game number will be added or not appears, the player may mistakenly think that the timing when the guidance appears from above is the last timing of the fateful two-choice effect, and may end up losing out by never being able to see the guidance from below.

Specifically, when guidance is displayed from above and the start lever 210 is operated in accordance with the guidance, it is desirable that the effect that appears is an effect that simply indicates the degree of expectation that has been added (for example, an effect indicating that an AT game number increase has been won with an 80% expectation degree if character A is displayed, and an effect indicating that an AT game number increase has been won with an 80% expectation degree if character B is displayed, and an effect indicating that an AT game number increase has been won with an 80% expectation degree if a red message is displayed, and an effect indicating that an AT game number increase has been won with an 80% expectation degree if a white message is displayed).

On the other hand, when guidance is displayed from below and the start lever 210 is operated in accordance with the guidance, it is desirable that the effect that appears is an effect indicating whether the number of AT games will be increased or not. This is because all options are presented to the player at the time the guidance is displayed from below, and therefore, if the guidance is followed, there will be no difference in the player's profit even if an effect indicating whether the number of AT games will be increased or not is executed.

In addition, if a presentation that does not indicate whether the AT game number will be increased is executed when the guidance is followed from above, but a presentation that indicates whether the AT game number will be increased is executed when the guidance is followed from below, if the player realizes that there is a higher probability of winning the AT game number by following the guidance from below, the ball payout rate will increase and the burden on the hall will increase, so a presentation that does not indicate whether the AT game number will be increased may be executed even when the guidance is followed from below.

In other words, when guidance is displayed from above and the start lever 210 is tapped from above, the expectation level is shown but the player is not notified of whether the number of AT games will be increased or not, resulting in a game with a post-notification type of gameplay, and when guidance is displayed from below and the start lever 210 is tapped from below, the player is notified of whether the number of AT games will be increased or not, resulting in a game with a pre-notification type of gameplay.

In addition, if the player follows the instructions from above, a display may be displayed indicating whether or not the additional lottery has been won. If a display indicating a win is displayed, it would be advantageous to operate later, but there will be many players who operate first, and the overall rate of winning the additional lottery will decrease, reducing the burden on the hall.

When guidance is displayed from above and the start lever 210 is not operated without following the guidance from above, the special effect (the effect that does not indicate whether the AT game number addition described above has been won or not) is not executed, and the effect proceeds to the above-mentioned FIG. 755 (P''). On the other hand, even if guidance is displayed from below and the start lever 210 is not operated without following the guidance from below, it is desirable that a special effect (for example, a dancing character is displayed) is executed after a predetermined time has elapsed (after the effective time for enabling operation from below has ended). By displaying the special effect that was not displayed when guidance was not followed from above and the start lever 210 was not operated without following the guidance from below, it is possible to imply that following guidance from below has a higher probability of winning the AT game number addition.

In addition, in FIG. 755 (R''), if the message "So, which way?" is displayed for an extended period of time, it would be a nuisance to the hall, so if, for example, a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) has passed since the guidance was displayed from below without the start lever 210 being operated, processing may be performed as if the start lever 210 had been struck from above.

If the start lever 210 is not struck from above after guidance appears from above, the player is notified of whether the AT game number has been increased after a first predetermined time has elapsed, but if the start lever 210 is not struck from below after guidance appears from below, the player is notified of whether the AT game number has been increased after a second predetermined time, which is shorter than the first predetermined time, has elapsed. This is because following guidance from below increases the probability of winning the AT game number increase. Alternatively, the player may be notified of whether the AT game number has been increased by following guidance from below and striking the start lever 210 from below.

When guidance is displayed from above and the start lever 210 is operated according to the guidance from above, it is desirable that the movable body does not move. On the other hand, when guidance is displayed from below and the start lever 210 is operated according to the guidance from below, it is desirable that the movable body moves all or part of its movable range. This is because if the movable body moves when guidance is displayed from above, there is a risk that the probability of winning an additional AT game number is low, but the probability is high, and the player continues to operate the start lever 210 from above.

Also, by operating the movable body a predetermined number of times before the guidance is displayed from above, and operating the movable body a number of times greater than the predetermined number of times between the end of the display of the guidance from above and the start of the display of the guidance from below, it may be implied that it is more advantageous to operate the start lever 210 according to the guidance from below. However, when each operation guidance is displayed, it is better not to operate the movable body in order to ensure that the player recognizes the operation guidance. Also, all or some of the movable bodies may be operated before the guidance is displayed from above, and after the end of the display of the guidance from above and before the guidance is displayed from below.

In addition, it is desirable that the time from when the guidance from above starts to when it ends is longer than the time from when the movable body starts to when it ends before the guidance is displayed from above. This is because moving the movable body for a long time before the guidance is displayed from above will increase the player's expectations, and there is a risk that the player will prematurely press the start lever 210 when the guidance is displayed from above. Conversely, the time from when the guidance from above starts to when it ends may be shorter than the time from when the movable body starts to when it ends before the guidance is displayed from above. This is because the player's expectations can be increased by extending the operation time of the movable body, rather than having the player properly recognize the guidance from above, which is an operation guidance with a low probability of winning an AT addition.

In addition, it is desirable that the time from when the guidance display from above begins to when it ends is shorter than the time from when the movable body starts to when it ends between when the guidance display from above ends and when the guidance display from below begins. This is because moving the movable body for a long time after the guidance is displayed from above can imply that following the guidance from below has a higher probability of winning the AT addition. Conversely, the time from when the guidance display from above begins to when it ends may be longer than the time from when the movable body starts to when it ends between when the guidance display from above ends and when the guidance display from below begins. This is to make the player aware that there is an option to tap the start lever 210 from above, even if the probability of winning the AT addition is low, and because there is a good chance that the AT addition will not be won even if the guidance is followed from below, the movable body is not operated for a long time to avoid building up too much expectation.

In addition, it is desirable that the time from when the guidance starts to be displayed from below until it ends is longer than the time from when the movable body starts to move before the guidance is displayed from above. If the movable body is moved for a long time before the guidance is displayed from above, the player's expectations will increase, and there is a risk that the player will prematurely hit the start lever 210 when the guidance is displayed from above, and by making the time for the guidance from below longer than that, the player can be made to fully recognize the operation that has a high probability of winning the AT addition. Conversely, the time from when the guidance starts to be displayed from below until it ends may be shorter than the time from when the movable body starts to move before the guidance is displayed from above. If the movable body is moved for a long time before the guidance is displayed from above, the player's expectations will increase, and there will not be enough time for the player to fully recognize the operation that has a high probability of winning the AT addition, so the player is more likely to perform the operation according to the guidance from above, which has a low probability of winning the AT addition, and the burden on the hall can be reduced.

In addition, it is desirable that the time from when the guidance display from below begins to end is shorter than the time from when the movable body starts to end its movement between when the guidance display from above ends and when the guidance display from below begins. Since the player focuses on the movement of the movable body while it is moving, by moving the movable body for a long time after the guidance is displayed from above, the guidance will be displayed from below immediately after the movement of the movable body ends, allowing the player to recognize guidance with a high expectation of winning the AT addition. Conversely, the time from when the guidance display from below begins to end may be longer than the time from when the guidance display from below begins to end its movement between when the guidance display from above ends and when the guidance display from below begins. This is because there is a good chance that following the guidance from below will not result in winning the AT addition if the movable body is moved for a long time, so by not moving the movable body for a long time, expectations are not aroused too much.

In the fateful two-choice presentation, whether or not the number of AT games would be added was determined by the method of operating the start lever 210, but the more times the operation guide for the start lever 210 appears (i.e., the more opportunities to operate the start lever 210), the more chances there are to add to the number of AT games (hereinafter also referred to as the "how many times can you operate it?" presentation).

In this case, for example, when the number of AT games is decided to be added and the loop lottery is won, the chance to add the number of games will be decided based on a predetermined allocation (for example, 40/100 for the timing effect, 35/100 for the fateful two-choice effect, and 25/100 for the "how many times can you operate it?" effect).

When the "How many times can you operate it?" effect is selected, for example, whether or not the number of AT games will be increased is determined in advance by lottery, and if the number of AT games is increased, the number of operations is allocated as follows: 1 time: 10/100, 2 times: 35/100, 3 times: 55/100, and if the number of AT games is not increased, the number of operations is allocated as follows: 1 time: 65/100, 2 times: 25/100, 3 times: 10/100.

The "How many times can you operate it?" effect is executed during simulated play (i.e. while the reels are spinning in reverse), similar to the timing effect and the fateful two-choice effect. The "How many times can you operate it?" effect first displays an operation guide image for the start lever 210 (including an image that resembles the start lever 210) and an image indicating that this is the first operation (for example, a message saying "First time!"). When one operation is selected, if the start lever 210 is operated within the valid operation period, FIG. 752 (O) is displayed, and then the effects of FIG. 752 (P), FIG. 753 (R), and FIG. 753 (S) are executed depending on the result of the extra lottery.

If two operations are selected, when the start lever 210 is operated within the valid period of the first operation or the valid period of operation ends, an image indicating that the operation will progress to the second operation (for example, a message saying "Not yet!") is displayed.

The second operation guide displays an operation guide image for the start lever 210 (including an image that resembles the start lever 210) and an image indicating that it is the second operation (for example, a message saying "Second time!!"). If two operations are selected, and the start lever 210 is operated within the second operation valid period, Figure 752 (O) is displayed, and then Figure 752 (P), Figure 753 (R), or Figure 753 (S) is executed depending on the result of the additional lottery.

If three operations are selected, when the start lever 210 is operated within the valid period for the second operation or the valid period ends, an image indicating that the operation will progress to the third operation (for example, a message saying "Next is the last one!!") is displayed.

Then, in the third operation guidance, an operation guidance image for the start lever 210 (including an image imitating the start lever 210) and an image indicating that it is the third operation (for example, a message saying "Third time!!!") are displayed. If three operations are selected and the start lever 210 is operated within the valid period for the third operation, Figure 752 (O) is displayed, and then depending on the result of the additional lottery, the performance of Figure 752 (P), Figure 753 (R), or Figure 753 (S) (P) is executed.

The display during the operation guidance may be made to show a higher level of expectation as the operation guidance continues from the first to the second to the third time. For example, in the first operation guidance, the background image, the image of the start lever 210, and the message "First time!!" are displayed in blue, in the second operation guidance, the background image, the image of the start lever 210, and the message "Second time!!" are displayed in green, and in the third operation guidance, the background image, the image of the start lever 210, and the message "Third time!!" are displayed in red. Also, for example, the display size of the image of the start lever 210 may be increased as the operation guidance continues from the first to the second to the third time.

In addition, the display in FIG. 752(O) may be displayed with a high expectation in the order of when the first operation guidance progresses to FIG. 752(O), and when the second operation guidance progresses to FIG. 752(O). Specifically, for example, when the first operation guidance progresses to FIG. 752(O), a background image and the text "Not yet!" are displayed in blue, and when the second operation guidance progresses to FIG. 752(O), a background image and the text "Now which way?" are displayed in green.

In this way, by providing different add-on chances with different operation methods, such as the timing effect, the fateful two-choice effect, and the "how many times can you operate it?" effect, players will not get bored, and since it is difficult to get the hang of operating all the types of add-on chances, the payout rate is unlikely to increase, which also reduces the burden on the hall.

[13-6. Seesaw game during AT]
756, 757, 758, 759, and 760 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a seesaw game presentation executed during the AT. The following mainly describes the differences from the seesaw game presentation during normal times. During the AT, for example, if a specified rare role (a small role with a low probability of formation (for example, 1/30 or less) is formed, there is a high probability (for example, more than 1/10), and if a specified normal role (a small role with a high probability of formation (for example, more than 1/30)) is won, there is a low probability (for example, 1/1000 or less) (specifically, for example, 1/8 if a weak watermelon included in the specified rare role is formed, 1/4 if a strong watermelon included in the specified rare role is formed, and 1/2048 if a push order bell included in the specified normal role is formed) to enter a specialized zone. The specialized zone continues for 10 games, and a seesaw game presentation is executed for each game. If each seesaw game presentation in the specialized zone is successful, the number of AT games is added.

The odd numbered games (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th games) in the specialized zone are called specialized zone A, and the controls are changed so that 321 bells (9 payouts) are forcibly achieved in specialized zone A. In other words, if you stop the reels by pushing them in reverse during this game in specialized zone A, you can receive a payout of 9 coins.

The even numbered games in the specialized zone (games 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) are called specialized zone B, and the control is changed so that 132 bells (a payout of 5 coins) is forcibly achieved in specialized zone B. In other words, if the reels are stopped by a pincer shot during this game in specialized zone B, 5 coins can be paid out. Therefore, over the 10 games in the specialized zone, games in specialized zone A and games in specialized zone B are played alternately. Note that the technology for forcibly winning a winning role and the technology for changing the control table for reel stop are well known technologies, so explanations will be omitted.

Figure 756 (A) shows the state when all reels have stopped in a game that has won the specialized zone. In (A), a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that if the seesaw game performance is successful, the number of AT games will be increased. In Figure 756 (B), an explanation of the seesaw game performance begins, and the same display as Figure 750 (C) is performed. Note that in the seesaw game performance executed in the normal game, the 321 bell is forcibly formed and an explanation is displayed to push in reverse (Figure 750 (B)), but since the player understands that they will play by following the navigation during the AT, and since the seesaw game during the AT increases medals (which contradicts the message "You can enjoy the seesaw game without losing too many medals!"), such a display is not performed in the seesaw game performance in the specialized zone.

The contents displayed on the image display 500 in Figures 756(C), (D), (E), (F), 757(G), and (H) (explanation of the seesaw game presentation) are the same as those displayed in Figures 750(D), (E), (F), 751(G), (H), and (I), respectively, and therefore will not be described.

Figure 757 (I) shows the state when the lever is turned on for the next game after Figure 757 (H), that is, the first game in the specialized zone (specialized zone A) in which a seesaw game effect is performed. In the seesaw game effect in the specialized zone, the reels rotate in the reverse direction, as in the seesaw game effect performed during normal play, and is realized by a pseudo game that starts when the lever is turned on.

In addition, in FIG. 757 (I), medals are stuck on the seesaw section 552, and a reverse push guide image is displayed on the image display 500 as a playing style presentation showing the player an advantageous playing style, a gauge showing the remaining medal staying time until the number of AT games is added, and a support message.

Figure 757 (J) shows the state where the seesaw game effect has been successfully achieved by operating the start lever 210 in the left-right direction (different from the operation (up-down) for progressing the game). In Figure 757 (J), the movable pieces 552a and 552b of the seesaw section 552 rise, and the inclination of the seesaw section 552 is fixed horizontally. The door section 555 also opens. Also in Figure 757 (J), a guide image for pressing the effect button for a long time, a guide image for pressing the button in the reverse direction (i.e., two guide images), and a character celebrating the addition of the AT game number by turning the fan sideways are displayed on the image display 500.

Figure 757 (K) shows a state in which the effect button 204 is pressed and held in accordance with the effect button long press guide image, causing the seesaw section 552 to tilt toward the back when viewed from the front, and the medal passes through the open door section 555 and moves to the seesaw success tube 558, where the sensor attached to the seesaw success tube 558 detects the medal. Also, in Figure 757 (K), the movable pieces attached to both ends of the seesaw section 552 have returned to their reference positions. Also, a message indicating that the AT game number addition has been won ("AT ADDITION!"), a reverse press guide image, and a long press effect button guide image (i.e., two guide images) are displayed on the image display 500. The medal that passed through the seesaw success tube 558 is returned to the return gutter 213.

Figure 757 (L) is a continuation of Figure 757 (K), and a message indicating that there is a further chance to add to the number of AT games (additional chance to add) is displayed on the image display 500. In addition, a reverse push guide image and a long press effect button guide image (i.e., two guide images) are displayed on the image display 500. As with the seesaw game effect won during the normal game, the long press effect button guide image is still displayed on the image display 500 even after it has been confirmed that the seesaw game effect has been successful and an addition to the number of AT games has been won.

In addition, when the additional addition chance is taking place, the reels spin in the reverse direction faster than when the seesaw game is taking place. Note that, here, after the seesaw game performance is successful and an additional AT game number is won, the additional addition chance always appears, but whether or not the additional addition chance will take place may be determined by a predetermined allocation (for example, 32/128 where the additional addition chance is taken, 96/128 where it is not taken).

In FIG. 758 (M), an effect for adding to the number of AT games is performed. Here, similar to FIG. 752 (N), the number of AT games is added by operating the start lever 210 at the right time (up and down operation similar to the operation (up and down) for progressing the game). However, similar to the chance for adding in the normal seesaw game effect, a predetermined effective time (e.g., 2 seconds) for the start lever 210 may be set. Also, in (M), a start lever operation guide image for the start lever 210, a reverse push guide image, and a long push guide image for the effect button (i.e., three guide images) to encourage the operation of the start lever 210 are displayed on the image display.

Figure 758 (N) shows the state after the start lever 210 has been operated in Figure 758 (M). A message is displayed on the image display indicating that the timing of operation of the start lever 210 in Figure 758 (M) was such that an additional AT game number could be obtained. In addition, a reverse push guide image and a long push effect button guide image (i.e., two guide images) are displayed on the image display 500.

In FIG. 758 (O), a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that the number of AT games has been added and the number of games (2 games). In addition, red 7s are lined up in the middle of the reels (a combination of three identical symbols). If the start lever 210 is successfully operated in (M), a lottery is held to determine the number of additional AT games to be added, and the player is awarded either 2 or 1 additional game. When the start lever 210 is successfully operated, a lottery is held to determine the number of additional games to be added, with an allocation of, for example, 96/128 for adding 1 game and 32/128 for adding 2 games.

Similar to the AT addition chance developed from the seesaw game effect entered during the normal game, if two games are won (a favorable result is obtained), the reels will provisionally stop with the red 7s lined up (three identical symbol combinations), and if one game is won (an unfavorable result is not obtained), the reels will provisionally stop, for example, at the same stop number as in the previous game (main game), or at a stop number where the red 7s are in place but not lined up. Also, in FIG. 758 (O), a reverse push guide image and a long push guide image for the effect button (i.e., two guide images) are displayed on the image display 500.

In FIG. 758 (P), a message indicating that the game will be started when the start lever 210 is operated, a reverse push guide image, and a long press guide image for the effect button (i.e., two guide images) are displayed on the image display 500.

Next, FIG. 758 (Q) shows the state in which the start lever 210 has been operated in FIG. 758 (P), and the game has begun. Since this game is the first game in the specialized zone, a band indicating that the game is in specialized zone A is displayed on the image display 500 (it is also possible to indicate that the game is in specialized zone A by a background image instead of a band). Also, numbers (reverse push) indicating the stopping order of each reel are displayed at the top of each reel on the image display 500. FIG. 758 (R) shows the state in which 321 bells have stopped according to the stopping order, with the bells lining up in the middle of the reels, and 9 medals being paid out.

Figure 759 (S) shows the lever-on state for the second game in the specialized zone. The simulated game has begun, and the seesaw game presentation has begun. The second game in the specialized zone is specialized zone B, so 132 bells have been formed. It is the same as Figure 757 (I), except that instead of a reverse push guide image, a pincer shot guide image (a combination of the number 132 and the words "Pincer Shot!" displayed in the upper left corner of the image display 500) is displayed as a playing style presentation that shows a playing style that is advantageous to the player.

Figure 759 (T) shows the state where the seesaw game performance has been successful, and is similar to Figure 757 (J), except that a pinch shot guide image is displayed instead of a reverse push guide image. Figure 759 (U) shows the state where the seesaw section 552 has been tilted toward the back when viewed from the front, the medal has passed through the open door section 555 and moved to the seesaw success tube 558, and the sensor attached to the seesaw success tube 558 has detected the medal, and is similar to Figure 757 (K), except that a pinch shot guide image is displayed instead of a reverse push guide image.

Figure 759 (V) shows a state in which a message is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that there is a chance to further increase the number of AT games (additional increase chance), and is the same as Figure 757 (L) except that a pinch hit guide image is displayed instead of a reverse push guide image.

Figure 759 (W) shows the state where the effect for adding to the number of AT games is being performed, and is similar to Figure 758 (M) except that a pinch shot guide image is displayed instead of a reverse push guide image. Figure 759 (X) shows the state after the start lever 210 has been operated in Figure 759 (W), and is similar to Figure 758 (N) except that a pinch shot guide image is displayed instead of a reverse push guide image.

Figure 760 (Y) shows a state in which a message indicating that an additional AT game count has been added and the number of games (2 games) is displayed on the image display 500, and is similar to Figure 758 (O) except that a pinch shot guide image is displayed instead of a reverse push guide image. Figure 760 (Z) shows a state in which a message indicating that the game will be switched to when the start lever 210 is operated is displayed, and is similar to Figure 758 (P) except that a pinch shot guide image is displayed instead of a reverse push guide image.

Figure 760 (AA) shows the state in which the start lever 210 has been operated in Figure 760 (Z), and the game has begun. As this game is the second game in the specialized zone, a band indicating that the game is in specialized zone B is displayed on the image display 500. Also, numbers indicating the stopping order of each reel are displayed above each reel on the image display 500. Figure 760 (AB) shows the state in which 132 bells have stopped according to the stopping order, with the bells lining up diagonally downward to the right on the reels, and five medals being paid out.

If the seesaw game presentation in the specialized zone fails, the game will transition to the main game when the start lever 210 is operated or a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) has passed without executing the additional chance. Also, if the AT additional chance in the specialized zone fails, the screen showing the number of additional games will not be displayed and the game will transition to the main game when the start lever 210 is operated or a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) has passed.

In the above example, the 10 games in the specialized zone alternate between games in specialized zone A and games in specialized zone B. For example, if 132 bells (5 medals paid out) are obtained in the second game, which is the game in specialized zone B, by following the pinch shot guide image, then from the third game onwards in the specialized zone, even if it is an even number game, 321 bells (9 medals paid out) may be achieved and the reverse push guide image may be displayed. In this case, even number games from the third game onwards in the specialized zone may be displayed as specialized zone A, or may be displayed as specialized zone B even though 321 bells have been achieved.

However, if all 321 bells are achieved in the third and subsequent even-numbered games in the specialized zone and a reverse push guide image is displayed, the ball payout rate will increase and the burden on the hall will become greater, so the pincer shot guide image in the second game should be erased after a predetermined time has passed since it was displayed (e.g., 5 seconds, which is longer than the shortest time for one game, 4.1 seconds). Also, even if the predetermined time has not passed since the pincer shot guide image was displayed, the pincer shot image may be erased before the game in which it was displayed ends (e.g., at the time of the second stop). This reduces the burden on the hall for players who do not notice the pincer shot guide image or who mistakenly believe that pincer shots are not necessary because it has been erased, as 132 bells will be achieved in the third and subsequent even-numbered games in the specialized zone and the ball payout rate will not increase, reducing the burden on the hall.

However, the payout rate of the slot machine 1 is still designed on the assumption that 321 bells will be acquired in the third and subsequent even-numbered games in the specialized zone, so although the pinch shot guide image is erased after a specified time has elapsed, it is desirable for its display size to be larger than that of the reverse push guide image. Also, as mentioned above, it is important to follow the guidance of the pinch shot guide image in the second game in the specialized zone, so it is desirable for the pinch shot guide image to be displayed in a highlighted manner (for example, by flashing or displaying multiple times).

Since the player may forget how to play after the pincer shot guide image is erased, the pincer shot guide image may be redisplayed if a special condition is met to remedy this. For example, in the first game of the specialized zone, if the player follows the instructions of the reverse push guide image, a lottery to redisplay the pincer shot guide image (for example, 1/2 chance of winning, 1/2 chance of losing) is held, and winning the lottery to redisplay the pincer shot guide image is an example of a special condition. In this way, it is desirable for the special condition to be a condition that is met when the operation instructions (guidance of the reverse push guide image) of the first game of the specialized zone are followed.

When the pinch shot guide image is redisplayed when the special condition described above is met, it may be displayed with the aforementioned highlighting. Also, if 132 bells are obtained by following the pinch shot guide image in the second game of the specialized zone, 321 bells can be obtained in all games from the third game onwards in the specialized zone, so a congratulatory effect may be executed to congratulate the player for the increase in the number of medals obtained or for the transition to a state in which a large number of medals can be obtained (a state in which all medals are controlled to 9 bells). When a congratulatory effect is executed, for example, after the second game of the specialized zone ends and before the third game (i.e. the game in which 321 bells are achieved and the reverse push guide image is displayed), the reels are stopped and frozen, and the congratulatory effect is executed in this frozen state.

For example, when executing a congratulatory performance, five medals may not be paid out for 132 bells at the end of the second game, but may be paid out by satisfying a special condition during the congratulatory performance (for example, based on operating a specific operation unit such as the start lever 210). Furthermore, four of the five medals may be paid out during the congratulatory performance, and the remaining one may be paid out when the start lever 210 is operated to start the third game in the specialized zone (during the execution of the third game). By delaying the payout of medals in this way, a sense of incongruity may be created when the second game ends, leading to expectations that something advantageous will happen to the player, or that the player has won more than 15 medals, which is the maximum number of medals that can be paid out in one play of the slot machine.

If the player does not follow the guidance of the pinch shot guidance image in the second game in the specialized zone, no bells will line up on the reels in that game and zero coins will be paid out, and furthermore, 132 bells may be achieved in all games from the third game onwards in the specialized zone, causing the pinch shot guidance image to appear. In this way, if the player does not follow the guidance in the second game in the specialized zone, the payout rate will decrease, allowing the player to approach the second game in the specialized zone with a sense of tension.

The display format of the pincer attack guide image (also called the front pincer attack guide image) displayed in the second game in the specialized zone and the pincer attack guide image (also called the rear pincer attack guide image) displayed in the third game or later if the guidance of the pincer attack guide image in the second game in the specialized zone is not followed may be different or the same.

By making the front pinch-hit guide image easier for players to recognize, it has the advantage that the player can more easily receive the benefit of the specialized zone from the third game onwards (the formation of 321 bells), but it has the disadvantage that the burden on the hall increases. By making the rear pinch-hit guide image easier for players to recognize, it has the advantage that the player can more easily recognize the button press order from the third game onwards that has been changed due to a player making a mistake in the button press order, but it has the disadvantage that the burden on the hall increases in a state where the guide image for 132 bells, which has a smaller payout number, is easier to recognize. For example, the ease of recognition of the front pinch-hit guide image and the rear pinch-hit guide image can be determined by using the following display mode.

For example, multiple pinch-hit guide images may be displayed for both the front pinch-hit guide image and the rear pinch-hit guide image. Specifically, for example, the pinch-hit guide image in the upper left of the image display 500 shown in FIG. 759 (S) and a front pinch-hit guide image larger in size than the pinch-hit guide image may be displayed in the center of the image display 500. However, for the front pinch-hit guide image, the large front pinch-hit guide image displayed in the center of the image display 500 is displayed only once to make it difficult to recognize, and for the rear pinch-hit guide image, the rear pinch-hit guide image displayed on the image display 500 is displayed multiple times to make it easier to recognize.

For example, the rear pincer shot guide image displayed in the third game in the specialized zone may be displayed midway through the second game in the specialized zone to inform the player of the recently changed push order, making it easier to recognize. Specifically, for example, the rear pincer shot guide image is displayed from the second stop of the second game in the specialized zone (at the second stop, it is determined whether the push order is correct or not).

The display positions of the image display 500 for the front pinch shot guide image and the rear pinch shot guide image may be different or the same. For example, the front pinch shot guide image may be displayed in the center of the image display 500 to make it easier to recognize, and the rear pinch shot guide image may be displayed in the upper left corner of the image display 500 to make it harder to recognize. Conversely, the rear pinch shot guide image may be displayed in the center of the image display 500 to make it easier to recognize, and the front pinch shot guide image may be displayed in the upper left corner of the image display 500 to make it harder to recognize.

The display time length of the front pinch shot guide image and the rear pinch shot guide image may be different or the same. For example, the front pinch shot guide image may be displayed for a longer period of time than the rear pinch shot guide image in order to make it easier to recognize. Conversely, the rear pinch shot guide image may be displayed for a longer period of time than the front pinch shot guide image in order to make it easier to recognize.

The sound effect output when the front pinch-hit guide image is displayed, the number of times it is output, and its volume may be the same as or different from the sound effect output when the rear pinch-hit guide image is displayed, the number of times it is output, and its volume. For example, for the front pinch-hit guide image, since the push order is as expected for the player, it is sufficient to output the sound effect corresponding to the front pinch-hit guide image (e.g., "It's a pinch-hit!" corresponding to the push order) only once, but for the rear pinch-hit guide image, since it is displayed due to a change in the push order, it is desirable to output the sound effect corresponding to the rear pinch-hit guide image (e.g., "It's a pinch-hit!" corresponding to the push order) multiple times to inform the player of the changed push order.

In addition, since the ball payout rate increases when either the front pinch-hit guide image or the rear pinch-hit guide image is followed, from the perspective of the player's benefit, the corresponding sound effect may be output multiple times, or from the perspective of increasing the burden on the hall, the corresponding sound effect may be output only once. In particular, since the ball payout rate increases even more when the front pinch-hit guide image is followed, the corresponding sound effect may be output only once when the front pinch-hit guide image is displayed, and multiple times when the rear pinch-hit guide image is displayed.

Also, for example, if in the first game in the specialized zone, a player loses the lottery for redisplaying the front pinch-hit guide image, which is performed in accordance with the guidance of the reverse push guide image, the corresponding sound effect may not be output even if the front pinch-hit guide image is displayed in the second game in the specialized zone. This creates a situation that is difficult for the player, in that no sound effect is output at the same time as the front pinch-hit guide image, and the front pinch-hit guide image is not redisplayed, which makes it easier to reduce the burden on the hall. Even if the special conditions as described above are not met, it is also possible not to output the corresponding sound effect when the front pinch-hit guide image or the rear pinch-hit guide image is displayed.

For each of the front pinch shot guide image and the rear pinch shot guide image, the corresponding sound effect may be output before the pinch shot guide image starts to be displayed, or the corresponding sound effect may be output simultaneously with the pinch shot guide image starting to be displayed, or the corresponding sound effect may be output after the pinch shot guide image starts to be displayed.

By starting to output the corresponding sound effect at the same time as the start of displaying the pincer shot guide image, the guidance can be conveyed to both the visual and auditory senses at the same time, ensuring that the player can recognize the pincer shot guide. Also, while there are generally individual differences in visual and auditory reaction speeds (there are also individual differences in which reaction speed is faster, visual or auditory), if the output of the corresponding sound effect starts before the pincer shot guide image is displayed, people with a slower auditory reaction speed than visual can easily recognize both at the same time, and if the output of the corresponding sound effect starts before the pincer shot guide image is displayed, people with a faster auditory reaction speed than visual can easily recognize both at the same time.

Note that for each of the front pinch shot guide image and the rear pinch shot guide image, the display time of the pinch shot guide image and the output time of the corresponding sound effect may be the same length, the output time of the corresponding sound effect may be longer than the display time of the pinch shot guide image, or the output time of the corresponding sound effect may be shorter than the display time of the pinch shot guide image.

By making the display time of the pincer shot guidance image and the output time of the corresponding sound effect the same length, it becomes easier to recognize that the pincer shot guidance image and its output sound are an integrated presentation. By making the output time of the corresponding sound effect longer than the display time of the pincer shot guidance image, even if the volume in the hall is loud, the sound effect is output for a long period of time, making it easier for the player to notice the sound effect. By making the output time of the corresponding sound effect shorter than the display time of the pincer shot guidance image, the player can concentrate on the presentation displayed on the image display 500.

Note that, regarding the presentation mode and the time and timing at which the presentation is executed in the seesaw game presentation (including the top-up chance presentation) during the AT, the items not described above can be the same as those in the seesaw game presentation (including the top-up chance presentation) during the normal game. Specifically, for example, regarding the display mode of each guide image, the length and timing of the display time, the rotation mode of the reels, the length and timing of the rotation time, the output mode and output time of the sound effects and BGM, the light emission mode of the light-emitting body, the length and timing of the light emission time, and the operation mode of the movable body in the seesaw game presentation (including the top-up chance presentation) during the AT, the items not described above can be the same as those in the seesaw game presentation (including the top-up chance presentation) during the normal game. However, since it is a seesaw game presentation during the AT, it cannot have a presentation mode that is dependent on the fact that it is during a normal game.

［13-7. Sudden seesaw game］
In the above, an example was explained in which the seesaw game effect starts from the game following the game in which the seesaw game effect is won. However, below, using Figure 761, an explanation will be given of an immediate seesaw game effect in which the seesaw game effect starts when the lever is turned on for the game in which the seesaw game effect is won (i.e., the result of the seesaw game effect is determined by lottery when the lever is turned on for each game).

Figure 761 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an "Ikinari Seesaw Game" presentation. Figure 761 (A) shows the state when the lever is turned on for a winning game in an "Ikinari Seesaw Game" presentation. The "Ikinari Seesaw Game" presentation is realized by the actual game, not a simulated game. Therefore, each stop button is active while the "Ikinari Seesaw Game" presentation is being performed, and medals can be paid out by stopping each stop button while the "Ikinari Seesaw Game" presentation is being performed.

In addition, if the player suddenly wins the seesaw game effect in a game in which the push order bell is formed, an image is displayed that guides the player in the order in which to press the push order bell (in Fig. 761 (A), a reverse push image is displayed because the 321 bell is formed). This allows the player to feel a sense of elation at suddenly winning the seesaw game effect and being able to receive a payout due to the push order bell.

In a game where the seesaw game effect is won, the medal moves to the claw 556 of the seesaw device 550 as soon as the lever is turned on, and the tip 557 moves, causing the medal to fall from the claw 556 to the seesaw device 552.

In the above-mentioned seesaw game performance, four medals are inserted and the fourth medal moves to the claw portion 556, but in the sudden seesaw game performance, a dummy medal plays the role of the fourth medal. The dummy medal is stored in a specified storage position (not shown) in the slot machine 1, and when the sudden seesaw game starts, the dummy medal moves from the storage position to the claw portion 556, and regardless of whether the seesaw game is successful or unsuccessful, the dummy medal returns to the storage position (not shown).

In the sudden seesaw game presentation, the seesaw game starts without any explanation of the seesaw game presentation as described above (Fig. 750(C) to Fig. 751(I)). This provides a surprise to the player, but it is also possible to insert a video explaining the seesaw game presentation before moving the medals to the seesaw section 552.

In FIG. 761(A), medals are staying on the seesaw section 552. Also, in FIG. 761(A), a reverse push guide image is displayed on the image display 500 as a hitting style presentation showing a hitting style advantageous to the player, a gauge showing the remaining medal staying time until the AT is obtained, and a support message.

Figure 761 (B) shows the state where the seesaw game effect has been successful. In Figure 761 (B), the movable pieces 552a and 552b of the seesaw section 552 rise, and the inclination of the seesaw section 552 is fixed horizontally. In addition, the door section 555 opens. A reverse push guide image and a long push guide image for the effect button are displayed on the image display 500. The medals that have passed through the seesaw success tube 558 have been returned to the return gutter 213.

Figure 761 (C) shows the state where the effect button 204 is pressed and held, causing the seesaw section 552 to tilt toward the back when viewed from the front, and the medal passes through the open door section 555 and moves to the seesaw success tube 558, where the sensor attached to the seesaw success tube 558 detects the medal. Furthermore, the movable pieces attached to both ends of the seesaw section 552 have returned to their reference positions. Also, a message indicating that the AT has been won, a reverse push guide image, and a long press of the effect button guide image are displayed on the image display 500. The medal that passed through the seesaw success tube 558 is returned to the return gutter 213.

Figure 761 (D) shows the state in which all reels have been stopped in this game in which an immediate seesaw game effect has been performed. When all reels have been stopped, the game enters a frozen state. If the immediate seesaw game effect is successful at a certain rate (for example, 1/2) and the player wins the chance to add to the AT game number, the game enters the frozen state shown in Figure 761 (D). If the immediate seesaw game effect is successful but the player does not win the chance to add to the AT game number, the game will not enter a frozen state even after this game ends, and the AT will start from the next game. In other words, if the player does not win the chance to add to the AT, the game will begin with the initial number of games, and if the player wins the chance to add to the AT, the game will begin with the initial number of games.

In FIG. 761(D), with the movable pieces 552a and 552b of the seesaw section 552 raised, one medal falls again onto the seesaw section 552. This frozen state continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds).

Figure 761 (E) shows the state after the freeze state has ended. In Figure 761 (E), a guide image for pressing and holding the effect button is displayed. When the effect button is pressed and held in the state of Figure 761 (E), the effect button 204 is pressed and held, tilting the seesaw section 552 toward the back when viewed from the front, causing the medal to pass through the open door section 555 and move to the seesaw success tube 558, and the number of AT-added games is announced. Furthermore, when it is detected that the medal has passed through the open door section 555, the guide image for pressing and holding the effect button is erased.

As described above, the sudden seesaw game effect is realized by this game, so all reels can be stopped by operating each stop button during the seesaw game. In other words, for example, while small winning combinations are lined up and medals are being paid out, the five seconds required for medals to remain in the seesaw section 552 may have elapsed and an image guiding you to press and hold the effect button may be displayed.

When the image for guiding the player to press and hold the effect button is displayed while medals are being paid out, it is desirable to temporarily stop the payout of medals in order to allow the player to focus on the guidance for pressing the effect button 204 for a long time. For example, if 321 bells are lined up and it is determined that nine medals will be paid out, and the timing of the payout of the fifth medal is the same as the timing when five seconds have elapsed since the medals were retained in the seesaw section 552, the fifth medal is paid out and the payout is temporarily stopped without paying out the sixth medal. In other words, the control of the payout of medals is performed by the main board 409, and the process for stopping the control of the medal payout is also performed by the main board 409, so the five-second count, which is the time for retaining the medals, is performed by the main board 409.

In addition, since the payout was temporarily stopped to allow the player to concentrate on the long press effect button guide image, the payout can be resumed when the long press effect button guide image is erased (when it is detected that the medal has passed through the open door portion 555). If the start lever 210 is operated before the resumed payout is completed, the next game can be started. Even if the next game is started while a payout is being made, the same process as that performed when the start lever is operated when a payout is not being made is performed, and the payout sound is output even if a payout is made during a game. When the next game starts and each reel is spinning, it is desirable to pay out the remaining amount while the reels are spinning and finish the payout before the next game ends. If the remaining amount is not paid out before the next game ends, if a new payout is obtained in the next game, the payouts for two games may be mixed together, which may confuse the player.

However, the maximum number of medals that can be paid out in one play on a slot machine is 15, and it is conceivable that the next game will end before the resumed payout is completed. In such a case, the processing of the resumed payout will span multiple games. In that case, it is better to finish the resumed payout as soon as possible (to avoid confusion), so it is better to carry out the payout processing intermittently whether the reels (changing symbols) are spinning or stopped.

For example, if the game in which the sudden see-saw game effect has started is ended within 5 seconds (the shortest time for one game is 4.1 seconds), the next game can be started before the 5 seconds required for the medals to remain in the see-saw section 552 have elapsed. In other words, the sudden see-saw game effect can be executed across multiple games (2 games). In this case, there is also a possibility that the sudden see-saw game will be won in the second game. In that case, the sudden see-saw game can be stocked and the sudden see-saw game can be started after a predetermined number of games have elapsed.

In addition, when the game has ended (the reels (changing patterns) have stopped), the 5-second period for retaining medals in the seesaw section 552 in the seesaw game effect has ended, and the effect button long press guide image is displayed, if the start lever 210 is operated, the next game will start. When the next game is started, it is desirable to display the effect button long press guide image in the same position and size as in the previous game at the start of the next game. If the display position or size of the effect button long press guide image displayed across games is changed, it may become difficult for the player to recognize the effect button long press guide image.

[13-8. Another example of a failed seesaw game]
FIG. 762 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a failure in the seesaw game effect. FIG. 762(A) shows a state where the seesaw game has started, and is the same as FIG. 751(J). FIG. 762(B) shows a state where the seesaw game effect has failed, that is, the medals have not been allowed to stay on the seesaw section 552 for a predetermined time (5 seconds) since the start of the seesaw game, and the medals have fallen from the end of the seesaw section 552. The medals that have fallen from the end of the seesaw section 552 move from the opening 559a through the seesaw failure pipe 559 to the return gutter 213. In other words, if the medals are allowed to stay on the seesaw section 552 for less than the predetermined time (5 seconds), the effect button long press guide image is not displayed even if the medals are allowed to stay on the seesaw section 552.

Figure 762 (C) shows the state immediately after the seesaw game performance has failed. In Figure 762 (C), if the seesaw game performance has failed, the game immediately transitions to the actual game, rather than the failure performance of the pseudo game. When transitioning to the actual game, for example, a random delay process is performed on each reel, so that each reel rotates normally (forward). If the seesaw game performance has failed and a seesaw game performance failure performance is displayed, some players may feel very disappointed, so by quickly returning to the actual game, such disappointment can be prevented. Also, a reverse push guide image is displayed in Figure 762 (C).

In addition, if the seesaw game effect fails and the game returns to the main game, the pseudo game in which the seesaw game effect was performed and the main game can be played in as little as 4.1 seconds. For example, if a player has already won so many AT games that they cannot play before the hall closes, it is more effective for the player to progress through the game quickly than to win more AT games, which will increase the payout rate. Therefore, even in games in which a seesaw game effect is performed, the seesaw game is intentionally made to fail so that the game can be played in the shortest time possible, 4.1 seconds.

On the other hand, in a seesaw game presentation, being able to keep medals in the seesaw section 552 for five seconds means that the game in which the seesaw game presentation was performed was not completed within 4.1 seconds, which is the shortest time for one game. In this way, when the seesaw game presentation is successful and an advantageous result is awarded to the player, it is possible to suppress the ball dispense speed by preventing the game from progressing in the shortest time.

In the seesaw game presentation, if the medal can be retained in the seesaw section 552 for 2 seconds (shorter than the 4.1 seconds that is the shortest time required to complete one game), the seesaw game presentation may be successful (the movable piece 552a of the seesaw section 552 moves and a guide image for pressing the presentation button for a long time is displayed). In this case, even in a game in which a seesaw game presentation is performed, it is possible to progress through the game in the shortest time possible while winning the AT or acquiring the number of games that will be added to the AT.

Even if the seesaw game presentation is set to allow medals to remain in the seesaw section 552 for a time shorter than 4.1 seconds, which is the shortest time it takes to play one game (for example, 2 seconds), as shown in FIG. 752 (K'), in the seesaw game presentation, a reverse push guide image, a long push guide image for the presentation button, and operation guide for the start lever 210 (i.e., operation guide for the three operation sections) are displayed simultaneously, but in order to ensure that the player understands all of the operations, it is desirable that the length of time that these are displayed simultaneously is longer than a specific time. Conversely, in order to make it difficult for the player to understand each operation and thereby suppress an increase in the number of balls dispensed, the length of time that these are displayed simultaneously may be shorter than the specific time. 4.1 seconds, which is the shortest time for one game, is one example of the length of the specific time.

For the same reasons as those mentioned above, in the seesaw game presentation, the length of time when the reverse press guide image, the presentation button long press guide image, and (operation guides for the two operation parts) are displayed simultaneously may be longer or shorter than the specific time.

In the seesaw game presentation, after the reverse push guide image and the long push guide image for the presentation button are displayed, operation guide for the start lever 210 is further displayed, and operation guide for the three operation parts is displayed simultaneously, but the length of time from the start of the game in which the seesaw game presentation is performed to the display of the operation guide for the start lever 210 may be longer or shorter than a specific length of time.

By making the length of time from when the game in which the seesaw game effect starts until the operation guide for the start lever 210 is displayed shorter than the specific time, the seesaw game effect can be progressed quickly, and the ball dispense speed can be increased. Also, by making the length of time from when the game in which the seesaw game effect starts until the operation guide for the start lever 210 is displayed longer than the specific time, the seesaw game effect can take more time, and the ball dispense speed can be reduced. 4.1 seconds, which is the shortest time for one game, is an example of the specific time.

For the same reasons as those mentioned above, the length of time from the start of a game in which a seesaw game effect is performed until the effect operation guide image is displayed may be longer or shorter than the specific time.

[13-9. Another example of a seesaw game effect chance]
Fig. 763 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the chance to add on performed in the seesaw game presentation. In the example of the chance to add on described using Fig. 752 etc., whether or not the addition of the number of AT games is won is determined by the operation timing of the start lever 210, but when the seesaw game presentation is successful, the addition of the number of AT games may be forcibly won at a predetermined rate (for example, 8/128) regardless of the operation timing of the start lever 210 of the next chance to add on.

The example in Figure 763 shows a case where the player is forced to win an additional AT game number when the seesaw game presentation is successful. Figure 763 (A) shows the state where the additional chance has started, and is the same as Figure 752 (M).

In Fig. 763(B), similar to Fig. 752(N), a message encouraging the player to operate the starting lever 210 in time, an image imitating the starting lever 210, and a gauge indicating said timing are displayed on the image display 500. However, in Fig. 763(B), the image imitating the starting lever 210 is displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow), which indicates that the player has already won the additional AT game number when the seesaw game presentation is successful.

In addition, if the seesaw game presentation is successful and the addition of the AT game number has already been won, at a certain rate (e.g., 60/128), the start lever 210 may be displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow) during the chance to add the number of AT games.

In addition, although it is possible to execute a special display (for example, a rainbow) when an additional AT game number has already been won, since emphasis is placed on the game play that depends on the manner in which the start lever 210 is operated (such as timing, or whether it is hit from above or below), it is preferable that the rate at which it appears is less than 1/2.

When a special display (e.g., rainbow) is displayed, the same sound effect as when the special display is not displayed (an image imitating the starting lever 210 in the normal mode is displayed) may be output, or a different sound effect may be output than when an image imitating the starting lever 210 in the normal mode is displayed. The same applies to the light emitter; when a special display (e.g., rainbow) is displayed, the light emission state of the light emitter may be the same as when the special display is not displayed (an image imitating the starting lever 210 in the normal mode is displayed), or a different light emission state than when an image imitating the starting lever 210 in the normal mode is displayed. However, when outputting different sound effects, it is preferable to display different light emission states.

If the seesaw game presentation is successful but the win to add to the number of AT games is not won, and whether or not the win to add to the number of AT games is decided by the timing of operation of the start lever 210, the start lever 210 during the chance to add will not be displayed in a special way (for example, rainbow), but will be displayed in the normal way.

As a result, when the start lever 210 is displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow) during the add-on chance, the player can feel a sense of elation for winning the add-on to the number of AT games, and since the player knows that he or she does not need to operate the start lever 210 to time the add-on chance, the player can also suppress the sense of fatigue that can occur from trying to time the add-on chance. Also, in FIG. 763(B), a reverse push guide image and a long press guide image for the performance button are displayed on the image display 500.

Figure 763 (C) shows the state in which the start lever 210 has been operated in Figure 763 (B), which is the same state as Figure 752 (O). Figure 763 (D) shows the state in which the number of games added to the AT has been announced, which is the same state as Figure 752 (P).

In FIG. 763(D), when the start lever 210 is operated or a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) has elapsed, the game transitions to the main game as shown in (E). In this way, if the image of the start lever 210 is displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow) in FIG. 763(B) to notify the player in advance that the AT game number will be added, this provides a sufficient sense of excitement to the player, so it is desirable that the chance to add to the number does not loop.

As a result, after the image of the start lever 210 is displayed in a special display (for example, rainbow), operation guidance for two operation parts, a reverse push guidance image and a long press effect button guidance image, may be displayed, but operation guidance for the operation part of the start lever 210 is further displayed, and no operation guidance for operation part 3 is displayed. Therefore, after the number of added games is announced in Figure 763 (D), the game transitions to the main game as shown in (E).

In addition, for example, an upper limit (e.g., 5 times) may be set for the number of times the chance to add extra bonuses can loop, and when the upper limit is reached (i.e., the last chance to add extra bonuses) and the player wins, the image of the starting lever 210 may be forcibly displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow). In this way, it is possible to reduce disappointment when the upper limit of the number of loops is reached and no more chances to add extra bonuses can loop.

In both the first loop's chance to add more and the chance to add more when the upper limit of the loop is reached, displaying the image of the starting lever 210 in a special display (e.g., rainbow) creates a sense of expectation in the player and sufficiently reduces disappointment, so it is desirable not to display the special movie or practice performance described above at the end of the simulated game after the image of the starting lever 210 is displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow).

In addition, when the image of the starting lever 210 is displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow), the chance to add more may be looped further. This allows the image of the starting lever 210 to be displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow) multiple times (e.g., consecutively) before the loop of the chance to add more, such as forcing a win to add more AT games at the chance to add one before the upper limit of the number of loops and displaying the image of the starting lever 210 in a special display (e.g., rainbow), and then winning a loop lottery and being forced to win an additional AT game number at the upper limit of the number of loops and displaying the image of the starting lever 210 in a special display (e.g., rainbow). This can strongly increase the player's sense of expectation, as the image of the starting lever 210 can be displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow) multiple times (e.g., consecutively) before the loop of the chance to add more is completed.

In addition, for example, if the image of the start lever 210 is not displayed in a special display (e.g. rainbow) during the chance to add to the number of AT games just before the upper limit of the number of loops is reached, but the start lever 210 is struck at the right time to win the chance to add to the number of AT games, and then the loop lottery is won, reaching the chance to add to the upper limit of the number of loops, then as a bonus for reaching the upper limit of the number of loops, the player may be forced to win the chance to add to the number of AT games, and the image of the start lever 210 may be displayed in rainbow.

In the above example, when a player is forced to win the lottery for adding to the number of AT games, the image of the start lever 210 is displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow) regardless of the timing of operation of the start lever 210. However, even in a slot machine 1 where a lottery for forcibly winning is not performed, the image of the start lever 210 may be displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow).

For example, at a predetermined rate when an AT addition chance occurs, the ratio of the size of the blackened and/or shaded portion of the gauge indicating the timing of operating the start lever 210 to the size of the gauge may be increased from normal, or the moving speed of the blackened portion of the gauge may be decreased from normal, thereby lowering the difficulty of timing the operation of the start lever 210 (however, although the difficulty of the operation timing is reduced, it is not guaranteed that the operation will be successful), thereby increasing the likelihood of winning the number of games to add to the AT.

In this way, when the difficulty of the timing for operating the start lever 210 is lowered, the image of the start lever 210 may be displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow) to indicate to the player that the likelihood of winning the AT game number addition is higher than with normal operation timing. Note that when the image of the start lever 210 is displayed in a special display (e.g., rainbow) and the start lever 210 is operated, the player may be notified of whether the AT game number addition has been successful as soon as the start lever 210 is operated, or the player may be notified of whether the AT game number addition has been successful a predetermined time later (e.g., 5 seconds later) after the start lever 210 is operated.

The effect displayed when the start lever 210 is operated with a special display (e.g., rainbow) of the start lever 210 that may be displayed when the AT game number addition lottery has already been won, and the effect displayed when the start lever 210 is operated in a way that wins the AT game number addition lottery (such as operating it at the right time or hitting it from above) even though the AT game number addition lottery has not been won, may be the same or different, but if they are different, it is preferable for the effect displayed when the start lever 210 is specially displayed (e.g., rainbow) to be more flashy (for example, a larger display size, more colors used in the display, louder background music or sound effects output, or a larger amount of light emitted by the light-emitting element).

[13-10. Another example of seesaw game during AT]
764 and 765 are explanatory diagrams showing another example of the seesaw game effect executed during the AT. In FIG. 756 and the like, an example was explained in which the seesaw game effect is won according to a predetermined probability for each game during the AT, but in addition to the lottery with the predetermined probability, in FIG. 764 and 765, the seesaw game effect starts when a predetermined time has passed since the start of the AT (specifically, for example, when all the reels of the game immediately before the AT start game stop, or when the MAX input button 206 of the AT start game is pressed or the lever is turned on).

Figure 764 (A) shows the state when the lever is turned on for the AT start game. The 321 bell is formed, and a display guiding users to push backwards is displayed on the image display 500. In addition, a timer showing the remaining time is displayed on the image display 500, indicating that the seesaw game presentation will begin when 100 seconds have passed.

In addition, a display showing the number of games remaining in the AT is displayed on the image display 500. Since the shortest time for one game is 4.1 seconds and the seesaw game presentation is performed 100 seconds after the start of the AT, even if all games are played in the shortest time, the seesaw game presentation will start in the 25th game after the start of the AT. In order to ensure that the seesaw game presentation is performed at least once when entering the AT, to entertain the player, the initial number of games in the AT is set to 30 games, which is more than 25 games.

In addition, in the seesaw game presentation that is executed when a predetermined time has passed since the start of the AT, it is desirable not to award results that give the player an advantage, such as adding to the number of AT games, and instead to display special images, messages, etc. that do not appear in other presentations. For example, if a seesaw game presentation is executed when a predetermined time has passed since the start of the AT, and a seesaw game presentation is performed when a predetermined time has passed since the end of the seesaw game presentation, if an advantageous result were awarded in the case of a successful seesaw game presentation, it would be to the player's advantage to progress the game slowly, which could lead to delays in the progress of the game and an increased burden on the hall, so it is desirable not to award an advantageous result.

In addition, for example, if a general AT add-on game number lottery (an add-on lottery that does not involve the see-saw game effect described above) is won before 100 seconds have elapsed, the result may not be announced (or only a portion of the result may be announced (for example, if an addition of 20 games is won, only 10 games may be announced)) when the general AT add-on game number lottery (an add-on lottery that does not involve the see-saw game effect described above) is won, and the result may also be announced during the see-saw game that is played after the time has elapsed. By doing so, it is possible to make the player recognize that an advantageous result has been awarded even though an advantageous result has not been awarded.

Instead of directly displaying the number of seconds remaining until the start of the see-saw game with a timer, for example, a 10-level gauge may be displayed, and the gauge may fill up by one level every predetermined number of seconds (for example, 10 seconds), and the see-saw game presentation may begin when the gauge reaches 10 levels. If the number of seconds remaining until the start of the see-saw game were directly displayed with a timer, the player would be distracted by the timer and would play in a hurry, which could lead to pressing the buttons in the wrong order, etc.

When the AT is won, a predetermined lottery (e.g., 32/128 wins, 96/128 loses) may be held, and if the lottery is won, a seesaw game presentation may start when the gauge reaches a predetermined value (e.g., the fifth stage) that is smaller than the maximum value. This allows the player to look forward to the seesaw game presentation even when the gauge is halfway to reaching the tenth stage.

Figure 764 (B) shows the state in which all reels have stopped in the correct push order in the game shown in Figure 764 (A), with bells lined up in the middle row. The remaining AT game count has decreased by one game, and the timer showing the remaining time until the seesaw game performance has advanced by five seconds.

Figure 764 (C) shows the state where the timer indicating the remaining time until the seesaw game performance has reached 0 seconds. When the timer reaches 0 seconds, a message indicating that the seesaw game will start, "Seesaw game begins!", is displayed on the image display 500, indicating that the seesaw game performance will be executed in the next game.

In FIG. 764(C), when all the reels are stopped, the timer indicating the remaining time until the start of the seesaw game effect is at 0 seconds, but if the remaining time reaches 0 seconds while the game is being played (while the wait timer is running and the reels are spinning), the effect being played is stopped, a message indicating that the seesaw game will start is displayed on the image display 500, and the seesaw game effect is played in the next game.

Figures 764 (D), (E), (F), 765 (G), and (H) show the state when the lever is on in a game in which a seesaw game effect is executed, and the content of these effects is the same as Figures 751 (C), (D), (E), (F), and 752 (G), respectively.

Figure 765 (I) shows the state where a medal has fallen onto the seesaw section 552 and the seesaw game has begun. This seesaw game presentation is executed in this game, so the reels are rotating forward. A reverse push guide image, a gauge showing the remaining time of the seesaw game, and a cheering message are displayed on the image display 500.

Figure 765 (J) shows the state where the seesaw game effect has been successful. Movable pieces 552a and 552b of seesaw section 552 rise, and the inclination of seesaw section 552 is fixed horizontally. A special image consisting of an image of a standing character and the message "GOOD" is also displayed. A reverse push guide image and a long push guide image for the effect button are also displayed on image display 500.

Figure 765 (K) shows the state shown in Figure 765 (J) when the effect button 204 is pressed and held, opening the door section 555 and allowing the medal to pass through the seesaw success tube 558. At this time, operation guidance for the start lever 210 similar to that shown in Figure 752 (N) is further displayed, and an image for reverse pressing and an image for long pressing the effect button are displayed simultaneously along with operation guidance for the three operation sections.

Figure 765 (L) shows the state in which the start lever 210 has been operated at the right time in the state of Figure 765 (K) (i.e., the start lever 210 has been operated at a time when the blackened area and the shaded area at least partially overlap in the gauge displayed on the image display 500 in Figure 765 (L)). A special message congratulating the operator for operating at the right time, a reverse push guide image, and a long press guide image for the performance button are displayed on the image display 500. Note that medals that have passed through the seesaw success tube 558 are returned to the return gutter 213.

In the above example, if all games are played in the shortest time (4.1 seconds), the seesaw game effect is performed only once due to the passage of a specified time. However, by setting the initial number of games to 60 or more, for example, the seesaw game may be performed multiple times (twice). For example, if a seesaw game effect triggered by the passage of time can be performed twice in one AT, a message indicating that the AT is still continuing may be displayed when the operation guide for the start lever 210 in FIG. 765 (K) for the first seesaw game effect is followed. By forcibly performing the seesaw game effect multiple times each time the AT is entered, the player can become accustomed to operating the seesaw game.

In addition, for example, if the initial number of games is selected from two types, 30 games and 60 games, in a predetermined allocation (30 games 64/128, 60 games 64/128), when 30 games are selected, the seesaw game presentation will be executed at least once after a predetermined time has elapsed, and when 60 games are selected, the seesaw game presentation will be executed at least twice after a predetermined time has elapsed.

In this case, for example, if 60 games is selected as the initial number of games but 30 games are announced, and if the start lever 210 is operated at the right time in FIG. 765 (K) after a predetermined time has passed, an effect may be performed to announce that 60 games have actually been won. Note that, since the player will eventually realize that they have actually won 60 games once the AT has been played, the announcement effect may be performed after a predetermined time has passed even if the start lever 210 is not operated in FIG. 765 (K).

In addition, for example, if the seesaw game presentation is successful after a predetermined time has passed and the start lever 210 is operated at the right time, the presentation state of the normal game after the AT ends may be changed. Specifically, for example, the presentation stage may be changed, or the main character displayed may be changed. In addition, a list of selectable presentation states may be displayed at this time, and the player may select a presentation state to change the presentation state of the normal game after the AT ends.

For example, if an AT is won in a normal game and then another AT is won during the premonition game before the AT starts, the AT won during the premonition game is stocked. After the first AT won ends, the stocked AT starts after a predetermined number of premonition games (for example, five normal games). In this case, if the seesaw game effect caused by the passage of time during the first AT game won is successful and the start lever 210 is operated at the right time in FIG. 765 (K), a display may be displayed to inform the player that an AT is stocked (for example, a message such as "Stock x 1").

In addition, depending on the operation status of the start lever 210 by the player (for example, the greater the operation amount of the start lever 210 (the longer the time that the operation range from the initial position is equal to or greater than a predetermined value)), the remaining time until the see-saw game effect can be subtracted. For example, 30 seconds can be subtracted from the remaining time every time five consecutive games are played with full wait (i.e., 4.1 seconds, which is the shortest time for one game), or 30 seconds can be subtracted from the remaining time every time a payout is received five times due to a predetermined minor role (for example, the push order bell). This allows the game to progress faster, thereby reaching the see-saw game effect sooner.

[14. Another example of the presentation during the AT game]
For example, in the slot machine 1 of this chapter, the probability of winning a small prize during a normal game and an AT game is defined by the small prize lottery table shown in FIG. 713, and the probability of winning the first AT hit during a normal game is defined by the first AT hit lottery table shown in FIG. 714.

During the AT game of the slot machine 1 in this chapter, a lottery for an AT game addition (a lottery for the awarding of a bonus; hereinafter, what is referred to as an addition lottery is omitted as it is synonymous with a lottery for the awarding of a bonus) is held according to the probability of winning the AT game addition shown in the AT game addition lottery table shown in FIG. 718. During the AT game of the slot machine 1 in this chapter, if an AT game addition is won, the number of AT game additions is drawn. Also, if an AT game addition is won, the number of games is added to the number of AT game additions.

Once the number of games to be added to the AT game is determined, a lottery is held to determine which notification effect will be used to notify the result of the lottery to add to the AT game. Even if the lottery to add to the AT game is not won (even though a lottery regarding the award of a bonus was held, it was not decided to award the bonus), a lottery is held to determine whether an effect that gives the expectation of an AT game being added will be executed, and if it is decided in the lottery that an effect that gives the expectation of an AT game being added will be executed, for example, an effect similar to an effect that notifies the addition of an AT game (however, for example, the effect ultimately notifies the player that the addition of the number of AT games was not won).

[14-1. Amida Chance Production]
The Amida Chance presentation is an example of a presentation that can inform a player that they have won an AT game bonus during an AT game (including a presentation that gives the player hope for an AT game bonus when the bonus lottery is not won). If a player wins an AT game bonus, the player will win, for example, a 30-game AT game bonus at 70/100, a 50-game AT game bonus at 20/100, and a 100-game AT game bonus at 10/100.

The details will be explained later, but the Amida Chance presentation is a presentation in which displays such as "Chance" or "Super Hot" move along the Amida lottery, and when the display reaches a goal on the Amida lottery (or when it has been determined which goal it will reach), the display is combined with a display on the goal it has reached (or has been determined to reach) (such as a "O" or "X" display) to suggest the expected probability of winning an additional AT game or the expected probability of additional games.

In addition, although details will be described later, it is possible to execute an effect in which operation of the effect button 204 is effective in the Amida Chance effect. In order to heighten the player's sense of anticipation in the Amida Chance effect, it is desirable that the appearance rate of the Amida Chance effect is low compared to effects in which operation of the effect button 204 is effective other than the Amida Chance effect (for example, a dialogue effect (in which a character image and an image encouraging operation of the effect button 204 are displayed, and when the effect button 204 is operated, the character speaks a line)).

The occurrence rate of the Amida Chance effect may be higher than the occurrence rate of effect A, which has an effect in which operation of the effect button 204 other than the Amida Chance effect is effective, and lower than the occurrence rate of effect B, which has an effect in which operation of the effect button 204 other than the Amida Chance effect is effective (for example, occurrence rate of the character dialogue effect described above < occurrence rate of the Amida Chance effect < occurrence rate of an effect in which an image encouraging the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed and a premiere movie plays when the effect button 204 is operated). By doing this, the occurrence rate of the Amida Chance effect is not extremely high or low compared to the other button effects, so that players do not tire of operating the effect button 204 in the Amida Chance effect, and many players can become aware of the Amida Chance effect.

Figure 766 is an example of an Amida chance performance lottery table. The Amida chance performance lottery table is stored, for example, in ROM 1120 of the sub-board 510. The Amida chance performance table includes, for example, a No. column, an allocation column, an Amida type column, a number of games column, a column for whether or not to notify, and a remarks column. The No. column holds information that identifies a record in the Amida chance performance lottery table.

The allocation column indicates the allocation for which the effect content indicated by the record in the Amida Chance effect table will be selected. The value outside the parentheses in the allocation column indicates the allocation when the Amida Chance effect is selected when the AT game number is added and an additional win is won. The value inside the parentheses in the allocation column indicates the allocation when the Amida Chance effect is selected when the AT game number is not added and an additional win is won.

The Amida type column holds information indicating whether a single Amida chance performance or a double Amida chance performance, or both a single Amida chance performance and a double Amida chance performance, described below, will be performed. When a record with an "S" value in the Amida type column is selected, only a single Amida chance performance will be performed. When a record with a "W" value in the Amida type column is selected, only a double Amida chance performance will be performed.

When a record with the value "S → W" in the Amida type column is selected, a performance is performed in which the single Amida chance performance develops into a double Amida chance performance. When a record with the value "W → S" in the Amida type column is selected, a performance is performed in which the double Amida chance performance develops into a single Amida chance performance. It is desirable that the number of games added to the AT is higher when the double Amida chance performance is performed than when only the single Amida chance performance is performed. Since the double Amida chance performance is a more visually complex performance than the single Amida chance performance, if the number of games added to the AT is higher when the double Amida chance performance is performed than when only the single Amida chance performance is performed, the player will often see a visually complex performance and not even have the number of games added to the AT, which will increase fatigue.

The Game Count column indicates the number of games over which the Amida Chance presentation will take place. If the value in the Game Count column is 1, the Amida Chance presentation will end after one game, and the Amida Chance presentation will continue for two games. Note that all values in the Game Count column may be 1, all values may be 2, or may include a value of 3 or more games.

The Notification column indicates whether or not to notify the specific winning content, i.e., the specific number of added games, when the Amida Chance performance is executed when an additional AT game number has been won. If a record with the value of the Notification column set to "Notification" is selected when an additional AT game number has been won, the number of added games will be notified in the Amida Chance performance.

If "No Notification" is selected as the value in the Notification column when an addition to the number of AT games has been won, the number of added games is not notified in the Amida Chance performance, but rather a message such as "Chance" or "Super Hot" is displayed to raise expectations for the addition to the number of AT games, and the added number of AT games is notified in a game that is played after the game in which the Amida Chance performance was performed. Note that the number of added AT games may be notified in the Amida Chance performance for all performance patterns of the Amida Chance performance without providing a notification column, or may be notified in a later game without being notified in the Amida Chance performance.

The remarks column indicates the timing for notifying the number of added games when an additional AT game number is won for records whose value in the Amida type column is "S→W" or "W→S", whose value in the number of games column is 2 or more, and whose value in the notification column is "non-notification".

Figures 767 and 768 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a single Amida Chance presentation (an example of a specific presentation). In other words, they explain an example of a presentation when any record with an "S" value in the Amida Type column (i.e., a value of 1 to 4 in the No. column) is selected in the Amida Chance Presentation Table of Figure 766.

For example, when the start lever 210 is operated to determine that the Amida Chance performance will be executed, the Amida Chance performance will be executed in the game in which the start lever 210 is operated, or in a game a predetermined number of games later (e.g., 1 to 4 games later).

Figure 767 (A) shows the state in which the start lever 210 for the game in which the Single Amida Chance performance is executed has been operated and the reels 301a to 301c have begun to spin (lever on state). A message indicating that the Single Amida Chance performance is about to begin is displayed on the image display 500. Figure 767 (B) shows a message indicating that the expected rate of an additional AT game number will soon be shown is displayed on the image display 500.

In Figure 767 (C), a single omikuji is displayed on the image display 500, and the word "Chance" is displayed at the starting point of the omikuji. In other words, the goal that the "Chance" can reach by moving on the omikuji indicates whether or not it is a "Chance" to add to the number of AT games.

In Fig. 767 (D), the word "Chance" is displayed on the image display 500 as it moves along the ladder. In Fig. 767 (E), the word "Chance" is displayed on the image display 500 as it moves along the ladder, and a display is displayed indicating that if it continues moving in this way, it will reach "X" (i.e., there is no chance of adding to the number of AT games).

The single Amida effect basically ends at Fig. 767(E) (ending when the word "Chance" reaches an "X" in Fig. 767(E)), but it is possible to move on to an effect pattern with the possibility of a reversal from Fig. 767(F) onwards. In that case, the word "Chance" reaches an "X" in Fig. 767(E), followed by the display "Not Yet" (after which, for example, these displays are all erased at the third stop of the game (before the reel symbols stop)), and when the start lever 210 for the next game is operated, the effect is executed again from Fig. 767(A).

If a pattern with a possibility of a reversal is selected, the presentation transitions to that of FIG. 767(F) following FIG. 767(E) (before the word "chance" in FIG. 767(E) is displayed reaching an "X"). In FIG. 767(F), a chance-up message saying "At this rate, we're in danger of adding more!" is displayed on the image display 500, suggesting the possibility of a reversal.

In Figure 768 (G), an image of a main character (a white character) about to hang one of two signs (two rod-shaped objects in the figure (two signs consisting of upper sign 520 and lower sign 521, described later in detail)) on the omikuji is displayed on the image display 500. In the example of Figure 768 (G), two signs are displayed simultaneously, but to indicate that one of the two signs will be hung on the omikuji, it is advisable to display the two signs alternately (for example, every second). Note that when displaying the two signs alternately, the display starts with the upper sign 520.

Even if the upper sign 520 of the two signs is hung on the lottery, the word "chance" is located lower than the upper sign 520 on the lottery, so the destination of "chance" remains "x". On the other hand, if the lower sign 521 of the two signs is hung on the lottery, the destination of the word "chance" changes to "o", and it is announced that there is a chance to add to the number of AT games. Since the sense of expectation changes depending on which of the two signs is hung on the lottery, it is desirable to display the two signs in different ways (for example, the lower sign 521, which gives a stronger sense of expectation, is displayed in red, and the upper sign 520, which gives a weaker sense of expectation, is displayed in blue). Note that the progress of the word "chance" that was progressing on the lottery is displayed as stopped from the time the image of the main character who is about to hang one of the two signs on the lottery is displayed on the image display unit 500 until the sign is hung.

In addition, in FIG. 768(G), the word "Chance" that was progressing on the lottery is stopped, and then an image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed, and when the effect button 204 is operated during the effective period of operation of the effect button 204, one of the two signs is selected. This effective period of operation may start at the same time as the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed for players who want to know the results quickly, or it may start a predetermined time later (for example, one second later) after the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed so that the player is clearly aware of the destination of "Chance" if each of the two signs is placed on the lottery. Note that in FIG. 768(G), an effect to hang one of the signs may be executed without displaying the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204.

The image prompting the player to operate the effect button 204 may be displayed at the same time as the images of the main character and the signboard are displayed, or may begin to be displayed a predetermined time after the image of the signboard is displayed (for example, if the signs are displayed alternately every second, then it is possible for both signs to be recognized after two seconds or more). This allows the player to clearly recognize the destination of the "chance" if each of the two signs is placed in the lottery.

Details will be given later, but in the Double Amida Chance performance, an image of the main character holding a sign is displayed by default, and an image of a wall is also displayed to divide the display area of the two Amida lotteries.

In order to reduce the data capacity of the ROM 1120 of the sub-board 510, it is desirable that the image, display position, and display size of the main character displayed in the single Amida chance performance be selected from the same as the image, display position, and display size of the main character displayed in the double Amida chance performance. On the other hand, the image, display position, and display size of the main character displayed in the single Amida chance performance may be made different from the image, display position, and display size of the main character displayed in the double Amida chance performance (for example, the display size of the image of the main character may be made larger in the double Amida chance performance), thereby making the expectation of an increase in the number of AT games different.

Figure 768 (H1) shows the state in which the effect button 204 is operated during the operation valid period of the effect button 204 in Figure 768 (G) and the lower signboard 521 is selected. Figure 768 (H1) shows that the destination of "Chance" on the Amidakuji is "O", that is, it is suggested that there is a high expectation of an increase in the number of AT games. For example, the single Amidakuji chance effect may end in the state of Figure 768 (H1), or the word "Chance" that has reached the "O" on the Amidakuji may be covered in smoke, and when the smoke is cleared, the specific number of games to be added may be displayed (if the value of the notification presence/absence column of the Amidakuji chance effect table is "Notification"), or the word "Chance" may be redisplayed or promoted to the word "Big Chance" and displayed (if the value of the notification presence/absence column of the Amidakuji chance effect table is "Non-Notification").

In addition, if the value in the Notification column in the Amida Chance Presentation Table is "Notification," the word "Chance" may reach "O" after the display of FIG. 768 (H1) and the specific number of additional AT games is notified, and then the Single Amida Chance presentation may end, or when the third stop button is operated (before the pattern changes on all reels have finished), the presentation being displayed may be shortcutted so that the result can be recognized.

Figure 768 (H2) shows the state in which the effect button 204 is operated during the operation valid period of the effect button 204 in Figure 768 (G) and the upper signboard 520 is selected. Figure 768 (H2) shows that the destination of "Chance" on the Amidakuji is "X", which suggests that the expectation of an increase in the number of AT games is low. The Single Amida Chance effect may end in the state of Figure 768 (H2), or the Single Amida Chance effect may end after the word "Chance" reaches the "O" on the Amidakuji and is erased with smoke, or the effect of Figure 768 (I2) may be performed following Figure 768 (H2).

In FIG. 768 (I2), an ally character (character displayed in black) other than the main character is displayed on the image display device 500 and says, "What are you doing! Do it again!", indicating that another Amida Chance performance will be performed (multiple times during one game). After the performance in FIG. 768 (I2), for example, the performances in FIG. 767 (C) to FIG. 768 (H1) or (H2) may be performed, or a Double Amida Chance performance described below may be performed.

The pattern in which the Amida Chance performance is executed multiple times during one game corresponds to No. 9 to 12 shown in the Amida Chance performance table in FIG. 766. Although not shown in the Amida Chance performance table in FIG. 766, various patterns may be provided, such as a pattern in which a single Amida Chance performance is executed multiple times, a pattern in which a double Amida Chance performance is executed multiple times, and a pattern in which a single Amida Chance performance is executed multiple times followed by a double Amida Chance performance.

Whether the transition is to FIG. 768 (H1) or FIG. 768 (H2) after FIG. 768 (G) is determined in advance by lottery based on the result of the lottery for adding the number of AT games, and does not depend on the timing of operation of the effect button 204.

When the number of games is "1" selected in the Amida Chance presentation table and the single Amida Chance presentation ends in FIG. 768 (H1) or FIG. 768 (H2), for example, by the third stop of the game in which FIG. 767 (A) is executed, the presentation of FIG. 768 (H1) or FIG. 768 (H2) is executed. When the number of games is "2" selected in the Amida Chance presentation table and the single Amida Chance presentation ends in FIG. 768 (H1) or FIG. 768 (H2), for example, FIG. 767 (F) is executed at the third stop of the game in which FIG. 767 (A) is executed, and the presentation of FIG. 768 (H1) or FIG. 768 (H2) is executed at the third stop of the next game.

When the effect of FIG. 768 (I2) is performed when the number of games is "1" selected in the Amida Chance effect table, for example, the effect of FIG. 768 (I2) may be performed at the first stop of the game in which FIG. 767 (A) is executed (when one of reels 301a to 301c stops), and the second Amida Chance effect may start at the second stop and end by the third stop. In other words, multiple Amida Chance effects can be performed in one game.

In the case where the effect of FIG. 768 (I2) is performed when the number of games is "2" selected in the Amida Chance effect table, for example, the effect of FIG. 768 (I2) may be performed by the first stop of the game in which FIG. 767 (A) is executed, the second Amida Chance effect starts at the second stop, and the effect of FIG. 768 (I2) may be performed again by the third stop (i.e., two Amida Chance effects are performed), and two Amida Chance effects may be performed in the next game as well. In other words, the Amida Chance effect can be executed in each of multiple consecutive games, and multiple Amida Chance effects can be performed in each of the multiple consecutive games. The same presentation pattern may be selected consecutively for the first and second Amida Chance performances (for example, a pattern in which the word "Chance" and the letter "X" are displayed for the first and second Amida Chance performances), or different presentation patterns may be selected (for example, a pattern in which the word "Chance" and the letter "X" are displayed for the first Amida Chance performance, and the word "Chance" and the letter "Chance" are displayed for the second Amida Chance performance).

In addition, if the operation effective period of the effect button 204 in FIG. 768(G) ends without the effect button 204 being operated, the effect may end without transitioning to FIG. 768(H1) or FIG. 768(H2) (however, if the effect of FIG. 768(I2) is scheduled to be transitioned to, the effect may be transitioned from FIG. 768(G) to FIG. 768(I), or the effect may be terminated even if the effect is transitioned to FIG. 768(I2)). The single Amida Chance effect has a lower expectation of an increase in the number of AT games than the double Amida Chance effect described later, and there is a high possibility that there are players who do not expect an increase in the number of AT games and therefore do not operate the effect button 204, and this is to avoid notifying such players of the results of the Amidakuji lottery.

Conversely, in order to ensure that all players are aware of the results of the Amidakuji, if the effective operation period of the effect button 204 in FIG. 768(G) ends without the effect button 204 being operated, the display may transition to FIG. 768(H1) or FIG. 768(H2). Note that in the single Amidakuji chance performance, there may be an effect pattern in which both goal letters are "o". This allows the player to feel a sense of anticipation at an early stage. Also, in the single Amidakuji chance performance, if an effect pattern in which both goal letters are "o" is selected, the main character holding a sign similar to that in FIG. 768(G) may be displayed.

Figures 769, 770, and 771 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a double amida chance presentation (an example of a special presentation). Figure 769 (A) shows the lever-on state of a game in which a double amida chance presentation is executed. A message indicating that a single amida chance presentation is about to begin is displayed on the image display 500. Figure 769 (B), like Figure 767 (B), shows a message displayed on the image display 500 indicating that the expected rate of an addition to the number of AT games will soon be shown.

In Figure 769 (C), two omikuji are displayed on the image display 500, with the word "Chance" displayed at the start of the right-hand omikuji and the word "Super Hot" (which has a higher expectation of an additional AT game number than "Chance") displayed at the start of the left-hand omikuji (several presentation modes with different expectations for the award of an additional bonus are shown). In other words, the omikuji on the left has the potential to produce a more favorable result than the omikuji on the right. Depending on the goals that "Chance" and "Super Hot" can reach by moving on the omikuji, it can be shown whether the expectation of an additional AT game number is "Chance", "Super Hot", or neither "Chance" nor "Super Hot" (i.e., the expectation of an additional AT game number is the lowest).

In the example of FIG. 769, there are only two expectation suggestion displays, "Chance" and "Hot", which indicate the expectation of an increase in the number of AT games, but three or more may be displayed (for example, a display with a lower expectation than "Chance", such as "???"). Also, some or all of the multiple expectation suggestion displays displayed on the image display 500 may be the same display. For example, by displaying one "Chance" and two "Hot", it can be made to feel that the possibility of selecting "Hot" is higher. When one "Hot" is displayed and multiple "Hot" are displayed, the latter may have a higher rate of the "Hot" display reaching "O", or even if multiple "Hot" are displayed, the rate of reaching "O" may be the same as when one "Hot" is displayed.

Also, for example, in FIG. 769(C), the display of multiple expectation suggestion displays may start at the same time, or the timing of the display start may be staggered. For example, by displaying "Super Hot," which has a high expectation of an increase in the number of AT games, first, the player can feel an immediate sense of excitement, and by displaying "Chance," which does not have a high expectation of an increase in the number of AT games, first, the player can wait tensely for the expectation suggestion display that will be displayed later.

In the example of FIG. 769, a double chance effect is executed in which two omitakuji are displayed, but an omitakuji effect in which three or more omitakuji are displayed may also be executed (for example, a triple chance effect in which three omitakuji are displayed, or a quad chance effect in which four omitakuji are displayed). When multiple omitakuji are displayed in an omitakuji effect, such as a double chance effect, an image of a wall is displayed between each omitakuji, and the display area of each omitakuji is divided by this wall image (i.e., the image of each omitakuji does not extend into the display area of the image of another omitakuji). Dividing the display area of the omitakuji makes it less likely that a player will misread the path on the omitakuji.

In Figure 769 (D), the word "Super Hot" is moving on the left side of the ladder, but the word "Chance" has not started to move on the right side of the ladder. In this way, the word "Super Hot" starts to move first, which gives the player a sense of anticipation that the expected increase in the number of AT games will become "Super Hot."

Note that, since players are more interested in the final destination of the word "Super Hot" than the word "Chance", the movement of the word "Chance" may be started before the word "Super Hot" in order to save the player's enjoyment for later. Also, since moving both the word "Chance" and the word "Super Hot" at the same time may confuse the player as to which character to look at, it has been explained that the timing at which "Chance" and "Super Hot" start to move are shifted in order to prevent confusion. However, in addition to shifting the timing at which "Chance" and "Super Hot" start to move, when "Super Hot" (located on the left-hand side of the ladder and one display) is in progress, confusion may be prevented by using a method such as blacking out "Chance" (located on the right-hand side of the ladder and the other display). However, when the characters are blacked out, it is preferable to display them at a brightness that allows the player to know which character was displayed (i.e., the content of the characters can be seen).

In addition, in Figure 769 (D), an image of the main character (a white character) holding a signboard with the supportive message "Go for it!" is displayed across the area separating the two omikuji (i.e., there is an overlapping area between the display area of the main character and each of the two omikuji display areas).

When multiple omikuji are displayed on the image display 500 in this way, it is advisable for the main character to be displayed across the display areas of at least two of the omikuji, and in particular across the display areas of all of the omikuji. By displaying the main character across multiple display areas in this way, the player can watch with a sense of tension as to which display area's omikuji the main character will select for its expected level. It is therefore desirable for the main character to be constantly displayed while the letters on the omikuji are continuing to move.

Also, when multiple omikuji are displayed on the image display 500 in this manner, the image of the main character may be displayed across only the display areas of some of the omikuji (or only in one omikuji area), in which case it is desirable that the omikuji display area that does not overlap with the image of the main character displays a display with a high expectation of adding to the number of AT games (in the example of Figure 769, it is desirable that the display area of the omikuji displaying "Super Hot" does not overlap with the display area of the main character image). In this way, not only is the visibility of the display with a high expectation of adding to the number of AT games increased, but it can also be made to appear as if it does not affect the omikuji displaying a high expectation of adding to the number of AT games (Super Hot), increasing the player's sense of expectation.

On the other hand, when multiple omikuji are displayed on the image display 500, if the image of the main character is displayed across only the display areas of some of the omikuji (or only in one omikuji area), the display area of the omikuji that does not overlap with the image of the main character may display a low expectation of an increase in the number of AT games (in the example of Figure 769, the display area of the omikuji displaying "Chance" may not overlap with the display area of the main character image). This causes the image of the main character to be displayed on the display area of the omikuji displaying a high expectation of an increase in the number of AT games, and some players may hope that the main character will take an action that will allow him to reach "O" in response to the high expectation display.

In addition, when multiple omikuji are displayed on the image display 500, if the image of the main character is displayed across the display areas of two or more omikuji, the area of the overlap between the display area of one omikuji and the image of the main character may be the same as or different from the area of the overlap between the display area of the other omikuji and the image of the main character. If the areas of these overlapping parts are the same, the player can tensely see which omikuji will reach the "o" character. If the areas of these overlapping parts are different, some players will feel more excited when a character with a high expectation of AT game addition is displayed on the omikuji with the smaller overlapping part, as the visibility of the character with the high expectation increases, and some players will hope that if a character with a high expectation of AT game addition is displayed on the omikuji with the larger overlapping part, the main character will take an action that will allow the character with the high expectation to reach the "o" character.

As mentioned above, the image of the main character has an overlapping portion with the image of the wall. The image of the main character also has an overlapping portion with at least one of the display areas of the lottery (i.e. there is at least one overlapping portion). The area of the overlapping portion between the image of the main character and the image of the wall and the total area of the overlapping portion between the image of the main character and each of the display areas of the lottery may be different or the same. By making the area of the overlapping portion between the image of the main character and the image of the wall smaller than the total area of the overlapping portion between the image of the main character and each of the display areas of the lottery, the player is more likely to feel that the main character mainly serves the role of a wall that divides the display area of the lottery, and the player can concentrate on the movement of the letters on the lottery rather than on the image of the main character.

By making the area of overlap between the image of the main character and the image of the wall larger than the total area of overlap between the image of the main character and each of the display areas of the lottery, the player can feel that the main character has a large influence on the outcome of the lottery. By making the area of overlap between the image of the main character and the image of the wall the same as the total area of overlap between the image of the main character and each of the display areas of the lottery, the player can pay an appropriate amount of attention to both the image of the main character and the movement of the letters on the lottery.

The expected degree of an increase in the number of AT games may also be varied depending on the color of the sign held by the main character or the message written on the sign. For example, a red sign may have a higher expected degree of an increase in the number of AT games than a white one, or a sign with the words "You can do it!" may have a higher expected degree of an increase in the number of AT games than a sign with the words "Do your best", etc.

As mentioned above, a signboard may also be displayed in the single Amida Chance performance (an example of a specific performance), and the expected degree of an increase in the number of AT games may also be varied depending on the color of the signboard or the message written on the signboard in the single Amida Chance performance. In this case, for example, the appearance rate of red signs (signboards with a high expectation of an increase in the number of AT games) and the expected degree of an increase in the number of AT games when a red signboard is displayed may be the same or different between the single Amida Chance performance (an example of a specific performance) and the double Amida Chance performance (an example of a special performance).

Because the rate of appearance of red signs and the expected increase in the number of AT games when a red sign is displayed are the same in the single Amida Chance performance and the double Amida Chance performance, players can expect the same appearance of red signs and the increase in the number of AT games in both the single Amida Chance performance and the double Amida Chance performance, so players can have a certain level of expectation for both the single Amida Chance performance and the double Amida Chance performance. If the rate of appearance of red signs and the expected increase in the number of AT games when a red sign is displayed are higher in the double Amida Chance performance than in the single Amida Chance performance, players can instantly increase their expectations when the double Amida Chance performance starts or when a red sign is displayed, and if the rate of appearance of red signs and the expected increase in the number of AT games when a red sign is displayed are higher in the single Amida Chance performance than in the double Amida Chance performance, players can instantly increase their expectations when the single Amida Chance performance starts or when a red sign is displayed.

Also, when the main character is displayed, a notification effect may be performed in advance (for example, a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) before the main character begins to be displayed) to notify the player that the main character will be displayed. When the main character is displayed, an effect indicating the time remaining until the result of the lottery (this "result" does not refer to whether or not an AT has been added or the specific number of games added, but simply the result of the lottery (i.e., the goal of the words on the lottery, such as "Super Hot")), such as a message from the main character such as "The result of the lottery will be displayed in 5 seconds!", may be displayed on the image display unit 500. This allows the player to know in advance when the result of the lottery will be displayed, thereby increasing the sense of tension according to that timing.

Fig. 769(E) shows a state in which the word "Super hot" continues to move, following Fig. 769(D), and the word "Chance" has not yet started to move. Fig. 769(F) shows a state in which the word "Super hot" continues to move, and the word "Chance" has started to move. In addition, for example, the word "Super hot" and the word "Chance" may be moved alternately. This allows the player to easily see the movement of the word "Super hot" and the word "Chance". In addition, when the word "Super hot" and the word "Chance" are moved alternately, the player can change or lighten the color of the moving word, the ladder that the moving word is tracing, and the entire area in which the ladder is displayed (darkening the color of the entire area of the ladder where the letters are not moving (however, even if darkened, the letters are still dark enough to be visible)), thereby further improving the visibility of the ladder where the letters are moving.

In Figure 770 (G), the characters "Super Hot" and "Chance" move further, and if the characters continue to move in this way, "Super Hot" will reach an "X" and "Chance" will reach an "O". In other words, this shows that if things continue as they are, "Chance", which has a lower expectation of adding to the number of AT games than "Super Hot", will be selected.

The Double Amida performance may end at Figure 770 (G) (where the letters reach the goal and the word "Chance" is displayed in large letters), but like the Single Amida Chance, it can also transition to a performance pattern from Figure 770 (H) onwards, which has the potential for a reversal.

When a pattern with a possibility of a reversal is selected, the display transitions to that of FIG. 767(H) following FIG. 770(G). In FIG. 770(H), a message of increased chances, "If this keeps up, you're in danger of getting more!", is displayed on the image display 500, just like in FIG. 767(F), suggesting the possibility of a reversal.

In Fig. 770(I), an image of the main character lifting the sign that he was holding up until Fig. 770(H) is displayed on the image display 500. In Figs. 770(I) and 770(H), the images of the lottery, the letters on the lottery, and the wall that separates the lottery display area have been erased, but these images may remain displayed in order to let the player know that the lottery chance presentation is still ongoing.

In Figure 770 (J1), an image of the main character hanging a sign to connect two omikuji is displayed on the image display 500. By hanging a sign between the two omikuji, it becomes possible to recognize that "Super Hot" located on the left omikuji moves to the "O" goal of the right omikuji, and "Chance" located on the right omikuji moves to the "X" goal of the left omikuji. In other words, it becomes possible to recognize that the number of AT games has changed from "Chance", which has a low expectation of an increase, to "Super Hot", which has a high expectation of an increase.

In Figure 770 (J2), an image of a main character attempting to hang a signboard in one of two places so as to connect two omikuji (an example of a specific image in which two omikuji (multiple presentation modes with different expectations for added value) are displayed and a signboard is displayed straddling the two omikuji) is displayed on the image display 500. In the example of Figure 770 (J2), two signs are displayed simultaneously, but to indicate that one of the two signs can be hung to connect the two omikuji, it is preferable for the two signs to be displayed alternately (e.g., one second apart).

Whether the upper sign 520 or the lower sign 521 is hung, the sign will be displayed across the two Amidakuji (multiple presentation modes). The sign (specific image) connecting the two Amidakuji (multiple presentation modes) may be hung in the same position with the same image as the sign in the single Amidakuji chance presentation ((G) of Figure 768). The position where the sign is hung and the sign image are the same for the single Amidakuji chance presentation and the double Amidakuji chance presentation, making it easier for players to recognize the sign. In the single Amidakuji chance presentation, the sign is hung from the upper sign 520, but in the double Amidakuji presentation, the sign may be hung from the upper sign 520 in the same way, or it may be hung from the lower sign 521, unlike the single Amidakuji chance presentation.

When two signs are displayed alternately, the time it takes to switch between signs in FIG. 770 (J2) (the time from when the upper sign 520 starts to be displayed until it switches to the lower sign 521, also called the first switching time) may be the same as or different from the time it takes to switch between bars in FIG. 768 (G) when two signs are displayed alternately in the single Amida Chance performance (also called the second switching time).

The shorter the switching time, the easier it is for visual afterimages to remain, giving the player the illusion that both signs are displayed for a long time. Therefore, since the number of Amidakuji is greater in the Double Amida Chance performance than in the Single Amida Chance performance, it is difficult for the player to confirm the path to the goal when each sign is hung, so it is desirable to make the first switching time shorter than the second switching time to give the illusion that both signs are visible for a long time in the Double Amida Chance performance. On the other hand, the second switching time may be shorter than the first switching time to make it difficult to confirm the path to the goal when each sign is hung in the Double Amida Chance performance, creating a sense of tension for the player. In addition, in order to ensure that the expectation of the addition of the number of AT games is indicated by the combination of the display on the Amidakuji goal and the letters that have reached the goal, the first switching time and the second switching time may be made the same length (to prevent the player from misunderstanding that there is a difference in expectation due to the difference between the first switching time and the second switching time).

In addition, in FIG. 770 (J2), an image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed, as in FIG. 768 (G), and when the effect button 204 is operated during the operation valid period of the effect button 204, one of the two signs is selected. As with the single Amida Chance effect, this operation valid period may start at the same time as the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed, or may start a predetermined time after the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed (for example, one second later). As with the single Amida Chance effect, the timing at which the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 starts to be displayed may be at the same time as the signboard image is displayed, or may start a predetermined time after the signboard image is displayed (for example, in the case where the signboards are displayed alternately every second, two seconds or more after which both of the two signs can be recognized). Note that the signboard displayed first in the double Amida Chance effect and the signboard displayed first in the single Amida Chance effect may be the same image (for example, displayed at the top position first).

The length of the effective period for operating the effect button 204 in the double Amida chance effect is desirably longer than the length of the effective period for operating the effect button 204 in the single Amida chance effect. As a result, when the double Amida chance effect is performed, the expectation of an increase in the number of AT games is higher than when the single Amida chance effect is performed, and by making the effective period for operation in the double Amida chance effect longer, the player can reduce operation errors with the effect button 204, and can progress through an effect with a high expectation of an increase in the number of AT games by the player's own operation.

On the other hand, the length of the effective period for operation of the effect button 204 in the double Amida chance presentation may be shorter than the length of the effective period for operation of the effect button 204 in the single Amida chance presentation, so that the player can concentrate on the double Amida chance presentation, which has a high expectation of adding to the number of AT games, in order not to miss the effective period for operation of the double Amida chance presentation, which has a high expectation of adding to the number of AT games. Also, the length of the effective period for operation of the effect button 204 in the double Amida chance presentation may be the same as the length of the effective period for operation of the effect button 204 in the single Amida chance presentation, so that the player can have the same sense of expectation for the single Amida chance presentation during the effective period for operation as for the double Amida chance presentation.

Figure 770 (K) shows the state in which the effect button 204 in Figure 768 (J2) is operated during the valid operation period of the effect button 204, the lower signboard 521 is selected, and the image of the main character and the image of the wall are erased. Figure 770 (K) shows that the destination of "Super Hot" on the omikuji is "O" and the destination of "Chance" is "X", that is, it is suggested that it has been changed from "Chance", which has a low expectation of an increase in the number of AT games, to "Super Hot", which has a high expectation of an increase.

In other words, when a sign is hung in the Double Amida Chance performance, the situation changes from one in which multiple performance modes with different expected degrees of addition to the number of AT games are shown to one in which one performance mode (one Amida lottery) is shown as the wall disappears. Note that, as is the case with the Single Amida Chance performance, the image of the sign is erased and an image of the Amida lottery is displayed as the hung sign functions as a Amida lottery. Note that in Figure 770 (J1), after the main character hangs the sign on the Amida lottery, the situation may similarly transition to Figure 770 (K).

For example, the Double Amida Chance presentation may end in the state of FIG. 770(K), or may transition to FIG. 771(L) or later. In FIG. 771(L), the word "Super Hot" has reached the "circle" on the Amida lottery. In FIG. 771(M), smoke covers the word "Super Hot" that has reached the circle. In FIG. 771(N), when the smoke displayed in FIG. 771(M) is cleared, the specific number of games added (assuming that the value of the notification presence/absence column of the Amida Chance presentation table is "notification") is displayed. Note that, if the value of the notification presence/absence column of the Amida Chance presentation table is "notification," for example, the word "Super Hot" may be redisplayed or displayed larger in FIG. 771(N), or the word "Super Super Super Super Hot" may be displayed, indicating that the expectation of the addition has been upgraded.

In addition, when the effect button 204 in FIG. 770 (J2) is operated during the valid operation period of the effect button 204 and the upper signboard 520 is selected, it is shown that the destination of "Super Hot" on the Ladder Lottery is "X" and the destination of "Chance" is "O", and then the effect in FIG. 768 (I2) is performed and a Double Amida Chance effect may be performed again, or a Single Amida Chance effect may be performed.

When the number of games is "1" in the Amida Chance presentation table and the presentation of FIG. 768 (I2) is performed from the Double Amida Chance presentation, for example, the presentation of FIG. 768 (I2) from the first Double Amida Chance may be performed at the first stop of the game in which FIG. 769 (A) is executed (when one of the reels 301a to 301c stops), the second (single or double) Amida Chance presentation may start at the second stop, and the second (single or double) Amida Chance presentation may end by the third stop. In other words, multiple Double Amida Chance presentations may be performed in one game.

When the number of games is "2" in the Amida Chance presentation table and the presentation of FIG. 768 (I2) is performed from the Double Amida Chance presentation, for example, the presentation of FIG. 768 (I2) from the first Double Amida Chance is performed by the first stop of the game in which FIG. 769 (A) is executed, the second (single or double) Amida Chance presentation starts at the second stop, and the presentation of FIG. 768 (I2) is performed again by the third stop (i.e., two (single or double) Amida Chance presentations are performed). Then, two Amida Chance presentations may be performed in the next game as well. In other words, a Double Amida Chance presentation can be executed in each of multiple consecutive games, and multiple Double Amida Chance presentations can be performed in each of the multiple consecutive games.

Note that, if the operation effective period of the effect button 204 in FIG. 770 (J2) ends without the effect button 204 being operated, unlike the single Amida Chance effect, it is desirable to transition to an effect in which one of the two signs is selected, as in the case where the effect button 204 is operated (FIG. 770 (K), or an effect in which a sign is hung in a position where the destination does not change, indicating that the destination of "Super Hot" on the Amida Lottery is "X" and the destination of "Chance" is "O"). This is to ensure that the player is aware of the result of the Amida Lottery, which has a higher expectation of an increase in the number of AT games, in the double Amida Chance effect, which has a higher expectation of an increase in the number of AT games than the single Amida Chance effect.

If the effect button 204 in Fig. 770 (J2) is not operated during the effective operation period of the effect button 204 and the effective operation period ends, similar to the single Amida Chance effect, one of the two signs may not transition to the selected effect, similar to the case where the effect button 204 is operated. This allows a player who wants to see the effect of announcing the result of the Amida Lottery, which has a high expectation of adding to the number of AT games, in the double Amida Chance effect, which has a high expectation of adding to the number of AT games, to concentrate on the double Amida Lottery effect so as not to miss the effective operation period.

In addition, even in an expectation effect that indicates the expected degree of an addition to the number of AT games other than the Amida Chance effect, the operation of the effect button 204 may be prompted during the operation valid period of the effect button 304, and an effect may be performed that notifies the expected degree of an addition to the number of AT games or the number of AT games to be added when the effect button 204 is operated during the operation valid period. Even if the operation valid period of the effect button 204 in the expectation effect ends without the effect button 204 being operated during the operation valid period of the effect button 204, an effect may be performed that notifies the expected degree of an addition to the number of AT games or the number of AT games to be added, as in the case where the effect button 204 is operated.

In addition, after Figure 770 (J2), which of the two signs will be selected is determined in advance by lottery based on the result of the AT game number addition lottery, and does not depend on the timing of operation of the effect button 204.

For example, multiple Amida Chance performances may be performed in succession (including multiple Amida Chance performances in one game and multiple Amida Chance performances in each of the multiple games), and the result of the addition of the number of AT games may be announced separately for the multiple Amida Chance performances. For example, when an addition of 100 AT games has been won, a double Amida Chance performance may be performed twice in succession, and the first (first) double Amida Chance performance may announce that 50 AT games have been added, and the second (last) double Amida Chance performance may further announce that 50 AT games have been added, thereby announcing the addition of 100 AT games. Also, for example, the first double Amida Chance performance may announce that 100 AT games have been added, and the second double Amida Chance performance may announce that no more AT games have been added. In both the first and second consecutive double amida chance effects, for example, an effect prompting the user to operate the effect button 204 may appear.

For example, if the effect button 204 is not operated during the effective period of operation of the effect button 204 in the first and second consecutive double amida chance effects, the number of AT games added in both cases may be notified. This makes it possible to notify the player of the exact number of AT games added in both the first and second consecutive double amida chance effects without operating the effect button 204.

For example, if the effect button 204 is not operated during the effective operation period of the effect button 204 in the first and second consecutive double Amida chance performances, when the added AT game number is notified in both cases, it is desirable that for the first double Amida chance performance, the movable body does not move whether the effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period or not, but for the second double Amida chance performance, the movable body moves whether the effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period or not (however, if the added AT game number is not notified, the movable body does not move). By doing this, it is possible to increase the player's sense of excitement from the first double Amida chance performance to the second double Amida chance performance.

In addition, in the first consecutive double Amida chance performance, if the performance button 204 is not operated during the operation valid period of the performance button 204, the added number of AT games may be notified, but in the second double Amida chance performance, if the performance button 204 is not operated during the operation valid period of the performance button 204, the added number of AT games may not be notified. In this way, even if a player does not have high expectations for the double Amida chance performance, he or she can regain his or her expectations when the added number of AT games is notified in the first double Amida chance performance without operating the performance button 204, and can enjoy the operation of the second double Amida chance performance. When multiple (e.g., two) Amida chance performances are executed, a performance different from the Amida chance performance (which may or may not require the operation of the performance button 204) may be executed in the period between the first and last Amida chances.

[14-2. General confession chance production]
The following describes the warlord confession chance performance. The warlord confession chance performance is a performance that notifies the number of AT games added. Below, an example will be described in which the number of AT games added is determined when the lever is turned on, and the warlord confession chance performance is executed as a notification performance.

In the explanation of the warrior confession chance performance, if you win the AT game bonus, for example, you will win the 10-game AT game bonus at a 40/100 allocation, the 30-game AT game bonus at a 30/100 allocation, the 50-game AT game bonus at a 20/100 allocation, and the 70-game AT game bonus at a 10/100 allocation.

Figures 772 and 773 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a Warrior Confession Chance presentation (an example of a special presentation). Figure 772 (A) shows the state when the lever is turned on for a game that has won the AT game number addition (i.e. reels 301a to 301c are spinning), and a display indicating that the Warrior Confession Chance presentation will begin is displayed on the image display 500. Note that the Warrior Confession Chance presentation begins when the lever is turned on, and progresses to the point where the added AT game number is announced even if none of the reels 301a to 301c are stopped (when the patterns on reels 301a to 301c are changing).

Figure 772 (B) shows an explanation of the Warrior Confession Chance performance. The Warrior Confession Chance performance is a performance in which the warriors (four people: Guan Yu, Liu Bei, Ma Chao, and Lu Bu) increase their territories on the image display 500, and the warrior with the largest territory is ultimately selected. The selected warrior can confess to the princess, and the result of the confession indicates whether or not the number of AT games will be increased. Note that when the territory of each warrior is displayed, a character image of each warrior may be displayed within each warrior's territory.

Figure 772 (C) shows the state before the warlords start to increase their territories on the image display unit 500, and until the fight over the territory starts, each warlord's territory (occupied area) is approximately the same. In this state, it is shown that if Guan Yu confesses his love to the princess and is successful, an AT game of 10 games is added, if Liu Bei confesses his love to the princess and is successful, an AT game of 30 games is added, if Ma Chao confesses his love to the princess and is successful, an AT game of 50 games is added, and if Lu Bu confesses his love to the princess and is successful, an AT game of 70 games is added.

After the warlord to confess has been decided, it is desirable for the success rate of the confession to be in the following order, for example: Guan Yu (10 games) > Liu Bei (30 games) > Ma Chao (50 games) > Lu Bu (70 games). This ensures that the player will not be disappointed, even if a warlord with a small number of added games is selected, as the success rate of the confession is high. For example, it is advisable to determine the selection rate of each warlord in the warlord confession chance performance and the success rate of the confession when selected so that the expected value of the number of added AT games when each warlord is selected is roughly equal (for example, the difference between the expected values is within 0.5 games).

In the examples of Figures 772 and 773, Guan Yu's territory is displayed in blue, Liu Bei's territory in yellow, Ma Chao's territory in green, and Lu Bu's territory in red. The territory colors are determined in the order of red < green < yellow < blue so that it is easier to increase the territory in the general confession chance performance (i.e., so that the selection rate of the general who confesses to the princess is high). The territory colors may also be determined in the order of red < green < yellow < blue so that the success rate of the confession to the princess in the general confession chance performance is high (i.e., so that the expectation of adding AT games is high). Also, the higher the selection rate of a general, the lower the success rate of the confession (the rate at which a special benefit is granted), and the lower the selection rate of a general, the higher the success rate of the confession (the rate at which a special benefit is granted).

In FIG. 772(D), while each warlord expands his territory, an image of a cloud (special image, special display) that covers the border of the territory and at least a part of the territory (i.e., obscures the proportion of each warlord's territory) is displayed on the image display 500. In FIG. 772(D), for convenience of illustration, the cloud completely hides the border of the territory, but the cloud may be semi-transparent, so that the border of the territory is less visible but still recognizable. In addition, the success rate of the confession (expectation of the number of AT games to be added) may be suggested by the display mode such as the color of the displayed cloud (not the transparency, but blue or red clouds when the default is white clouds) and the size. In addition, depending on the color of the cloud (for example, when the cloud is rainbow), the number of AT games may be added even if Lu Bu or Ma Chao, who have a low expectation of the number of AT games to be added, are selected.

Note that, to indicate that the Warrior Confession Chance performance is about to begin, this cloud image may be displayed before the Warrior Confession Chance performance begins (i.e., before FIG. 772(A)). In this case (when clouds are displayed before the Warrior Confession Chance performance begins), the color of the clouds displayed initially (as the default) may be upgraded (for example, changing from white clouds to green clouds). The performance in which clouds are displayed and the display mode of the clouds changes, which is performed during the Warrior Confession Chance performance (an example of a special performance), is an example of a special performance.

Figure 772(E) shows the state where territory expansion has finished. In the case of clouds with zero transparency or when clouds are displayed in a semi-transparent state, the transparency of the cloud image becomes zero (the color itself does not change), and the borders and parts of the territory become completely invisible. In Figure 772(E), part of the territory is covered by clouds, so Ma Chao's territory appears to be the largest excluding the part hidden by the clouds.

In Figure 772(F), the cloud image becomes more transparent again (without changing color), and the borders and parts of the territories become gradually more discernible. In Figure 773(G), the clouds have cleared completely and all the borders and territories are now visible. In Figure 772(E), it looked like Ma Chao had the largest territory, but in Figure 773(G), it is clear that Lü Bu had the largest territory.

In FIG. 773(H), since Lu Bu has the largest territory in FIG. 773(G), a confession performance by Lu Bu to the princess using the entire screen has begun. Note that the probability of a successful confession (expected increase in the number of AT games) may be increased depending on the content of the confession performance (for example, the content and color of the lines spoken by the warlord, the background color, and the display mode of the princess (for example, a blushing face)). In FIG. 773(I), the princess has accepted the confession and the confession performance has been successful. In FIG. 773(J), the number of AT games that has been added is announced. Since Lu Bu's confession was successful, FIG. 773(J) announces that 70 AT games have been added.

Note that from Fig. 772(F) the transparency of the cloud image increases and the clouds gradually clear up and are finally erased, but it is also possible to have the scene progress to a confession by the general without the clouds clearing (while maintaining their display). Note that if the scene progresses to a confession by the general without the clouds clearing (while maintaining their display), it is best to have the scene progress to a confession by the general as it appears in Fig. 772(E) (i.e. Ma Chao in the example of Fig. 772(E)).

If the clouds do not clear (while maintaining their display) and the confession scene begins, the cloud display may be upgraded (for example, changing from green to red). If clouds are displayed before the start of the warrior confession chance scene to suggest that the warrior confession chance scene will begin, the cloud display may be upgraded at the time of this suggestion, or may be further upgraded with the warrior's confession scene. When upgrading the cloud display, it is advisable to upgrade it with a different display, such as by making the cloud itself rumble, or by adding rain clouds to the clouds to make it look like thunder.

In other words, while it is possible for the cloud display to be upgraded before the warlord confession chance performance begins (or before each warlord's territory begins to increase) or when the warlord is confessing, it is designed not to be upgraded when the warlord's territory is being increased. Note that, as explained above, there are multiple display modes for the clouds (white, blue, etc.), but unlike the increase in a warlord's territory, multiple display modes are never displayed at the same time (although there are multiple display modes, only one of the multiple is always displayed).

In addition, in Figures 772(D) to 772(F), cloud images are displayed across each of the territories so that the proportion of each general's territory cannot be discerned, but for example, cloud images may be displayed over part of multiple territories (so that, for example, the complete size of Ma Chao's, Liu Bei's, and Lu Bu's territories cannot be discerned, but the size of Guan Yu's territory can be discerned), or cloud images may be displayed so that the size of each territory can be fully discerned, but the clouds do not span multiple territories (i.e., they are contained within one territory). Even when cloud images are displayed in this way, the above-mentioned content may be adopted for the promotion of the cloud display, etc.

In addition, when there are multiple display modes such as the display color of the cloud, for example, a specified lamp may be used to notify which color of cloud is displayed. For example, assume that there are three colors for the cloud display color, in which the expected degree of the AT game number is higher in the order of white < green < red. For example, white, green, and red LEDs are arranged on the upper part of the image display body 500, the starting lever 210, or the upper part of the medal insertion slot 203. At this time, a performance may be executed to notify which color LED will light up before the display color of the cloud changes, and the LED of the display color indicated by the performance may be lighted up. The performance may be executed, for example, after FIG. 772(C) and before FIG. 772(D), but may also be executed when the lever is turned on (at the start of the game) in order to notify the player of the expected degree of the AT game number early. Furthermore, the timing at which the LED of the display color indicated by the effect lights up is preferably the timing at which the color is announced by an effect in which the display color of the clouds on the image display 500 changes, but it may also be a predetermined time after the color is announced by the clouds on the image display 500, or a predetermined time before the color is announced by the clouds on the image display 500 in order to give the player a sense of discomfort and build up a sense of expectation.

In addition, in the presentation that notifies the player of the illuminated LED, if an LED other than white is illuminated, the expectation of an increase in the number of AT games is high, so the LED may continue to be illuminated until the end of the General Confession Chance presentation or until the third stop (just before the game is confirmed); however, if a white LED is illuminated, the expectation of an increase in the number of AT games is low, so the LED does not need to be illuminated, or it may be illuminated once and then stopped illuminating (however, it may continue to be illuminated as in the case of green or red).

As mentioned above, the more games added to the AT game, the lower the success rate of the confession, while the less games added to the AT game, the higher the success rate of the confession. Since which type of warlord a player prefers depends on the player's taste, it is preferable not to use the LED that indicates the color of the cloud to indicate which warlord will be selected.

It is preferable that the time from when the territories of multiple warlords are displayed in Figure 772 (C) until the warlord to be confessed is decided in Figure 773 (H) is longer than the time it takes for the color of the cloud to be promoted. This is because the warlord to be confessed more directly indicates the number of games added to the AT game and the expected degree of addition than the color of the cloud, and is therefore more important to the player.

Because the player feels a sense of tension from when the image of the cloud is displayed until the cloud clears and is erased, an image showing the time remaining until the cloud clears (i.e. the time remaining until the warlord who will confess is decided) may be displayed on the image display 500 while the image of the cloud is displayed. It is preferable that the image showing the remaining time is not displayed across the territories of all the warlords, but is displayed on the territories of some of the warlords, or only on the territory of one warlord. However, when an image showing the remaining time is displayed, there is a risk that the player will focus only on the image showing the remaining time and not see the effect in which the warlord's territory is expanding, so it is preferable that the appearance rate of the warlord confession chance effect is higher in patterns in which an image showing the remaining time is not displayed than in patterns in which an image showing the remaining time is displayed. In addition, an image showing the remaining time until the clouds clear may be displayed as a so-called suggestive effect before the start of the warlord confession chance effect.

In the examples of Figures 772 and 773, an example was described in which the General Confession Chance Presentation is executed in one game, but the General Confession Chance Presentation may be executed in multiple consecutive games. For example, the General Confession Chance Presentation is executed in three consecutive games from the game in which the AT addition of 50 games is won, and in the three consecutive games, a presentation in which Guan Yu's confession is successful (AT game addition announcement of 10 games), a presentation in which Liu Bei's confession is successful (AT game addition announcement of 30 games), and a presentation in which Guan Yu's confession is successful (AT game addition announcement of 10 games) are executed, respectively, and a total of 50 games are added over the three games.

In this way, in a warrior confession chance performance that continues for multiple games, the number of remaining confessions (number of remaining games) for which the warrior confession chance performance will be performed and the expected success rate of the upcoming confession (expected increase in the number of AT games) may be indicated, for example, by the number of cloud images displayed on the image display unit 500 or the display mode. Specifically, for example, in a warrior confession chance performance that continues for three games, three clouds (three confessions remaining) are displayed in the warrior confession chance performance of the first game, two clouds (two confessions remaining) in the second game, and one cloud (one confession remaining) in the third game. Also, for example, when three clouds are displayed (three confessions remaining), the color of the cloud displayed at the top may indicate the expected success rate of the confession in the game being played, the color of the cloud displayed second from the top may indicate the expected success rate of the confession in the warrior confession chance of the next game, and the color of the cloud displayed at the bottom may indicate the expected success rate of the confession in the warrior confession chance two games later.

Figure 774 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the General Confession Chance presentation. The differences from Figures 772 and 773 will be explained. In the examples of Figures 772 and 773, the General Confession Chance presentation starts and ends when the lever is turned on, but in the example of Figure 774, it may start when the lever is turned on and end when the reels stop for the third time (i.e. when all reels 301a to 301c have stopped), or it may start and end when the reels stop for the third time.

Details will be given later, but in the example of FIG. 774, a cut-in of a warlord appears when each territory is displayed (when the display of the territory begins, when each territory is expanding and before or after the cloud image starts, or when each territory is displayed after the expansion of each territory has ended and before or after the cloud image clears and the transparency increases). The warlord for whom the cut-in appears will confess, and the confession will always be successful, i.e., when the warlord's cut-in appears, the number of AT games indicated by that warlord is confirmed to be added. After the start of the warlord chance performance is decided, if the AT game addition is won, a lottery is held to see whether or not a cut-in of a warlord corresponding to the number of AT games to be added will appear in the warlord chance performance (for example, there is a 1/10 chance that a cut-in will appear when the addition is won, and a 9/10 chance that a cut-in will not appear).

Figure 774 (G2) shows the state at the time of the third stop, and in terms of the presentation display, it is a continuation of Figure 772 (F). In addition to the display of Figure 772 (F), a cut-in of Lu Bu's character and a message from Lu Bu are displayed on the image display 500. As shown in Figure 774 (G2), even when a warrior cut-in is displayed (i.e., when it is possible to recognize which warrior will confess), it is desirable to display information (such as the warrior's name, territory, character image, etc.) indicating the warrior who was not selected (i.e., who will not confess). This is so that, when the cut-in is displayed, the player can confirm whether a selected warrior can add more AT games compared to a non-selected warrior.

Since a cut-in of Lu Bu's character has appeared, an image indicating that Lu Bu has been selected is displayed in FIG. 774 (G3). When a cut-in has appeared, as in FIG. 774 (G3), a display is displayed indicating that all of the territories on the image display body 500 have been acquired by the warrior corresponding to the cut-in. The presentation displays in FIG. 774 (H) to FIG. 774 (J) are similar to FIG. 773 (H) to FIG. 773 (J), respectively.

In other words, when the cut-in of the warlord is not displayed, there is a warlord confession chance effect (first special effect) in which one effect is decided after multiple effect modes (Lu Bu, Liu Bei, etc.) are displayed, but it is not possible to recognize which effect will be decided, and when the cut-in of the warlord is displayed, there is a warlord confession chance effect (second special effect) in which one effect is decided after multiple effect modes (Lu Bu, Liu Bei, etc.) are displayed, but it is possible to recognize which effect will be decided before deciding on the first effect, but this first special effect and second special effect are not displayed in one game. The first special effect may be executed as the warlord confession chance effect that is performed when the lever is turned on (i.e., while the patterns on the reels 301a to 301c are changing), and the second special effect may be executed as the warlord confession chance effect that is performed after the third stop (i.e., while the patterns on the reels 301a to 301c are not changing). Also, the second special effect may be executed as the warlord confession chance effect that is performed when the lever is turned on, and the first special effect may be executed as the warlord confession chance effect that is performed after the third stop.

When the number of AT games won in the added bonus is high (e.g., 70 games), a cut-in of a general (e.g., other than Lu Bu) with a small number of added AT games is displayed with a low probability (e.g., 1/50), and an image encouraging the player to operate the effect button 204 is also displayed. When the image encouraging the player to operate the effect button 204 is displayed, the operation of the effect button 204 is valid, and when the effect button 204 is operated during the valid operation period, the cut-in character changes to a general (e.g., Lu Bu) with a large number of added AT games (or a cut-in of Lu Bu appears on the original cut-in image). This can dramatically increase the sense of excitement of a player who was disappointed when the cut-in first appeared to inform him of the addition of a small number of AT games.

Also, when a cut-in of a general (e.g., Lu Bu) who has a large number of added AT games is displayed, an image encouraging the operation of the effect button 204 may be displayed with a low probability (e.g., 1/50). When the effect button 204 is operated during the effective period for operation of the effect button 204, the character in the cut-in may change to a hidden general (e.g., Sun Ce) (or a cut-in of Lu Bu may appear on top of the original cut-in image), to notify of more added games (e.g., 100 games).

For example, if a player wins an additional 30 AT games in a game before the Warrior Confession Chance performance is performed, but the additional game is not announced by the game in which the Warrior Confession Chance performance starts, and the player wins an additional 70 AT games in the game in which the Warrior Confession Chance performance starts, a hidden warrior can be used to announce an additional 100 AT games. This can result in a situation in which the performance button 204 must be operated regardless of which warrior's cut-in appears.

In addition, in the warrior confession chance presentation where no cut-in appears as described in FIG. 772 and FIG. 773, when a warrior is selected, the confession presentation by that warrior will always progress, but in the warrior confession chance presentation where a cut-in appears as described in FIG. 774, the addition of AT games and the number of added games are determined at the time the cut-in appears, so the number of added AT games may be announced without progressing to a confession presentation (an announcement presentation that announces whether the number of AT games has been added).

Also, the General Confession Chance performance in which the cut-in described in FIG. 774 occurs may be set to always start from the third stop (i.e., when all reels 301a-301c are stopped and the symbols are not changing). This gives the player a sense of excitement when the performance occurs from the third stop, and the General Confession Chance performance from the third stop ensures that the number of AT games will be added, giving the player a sense of excitement.

In addition, in the warrior confession chance performance that starts from the third stop, it is preferable to notify which small role has won the AT game number addition (i.e., the pattern with which the flag is established based on the result of the small role lottery) on the image display 500. For example, if the watermelon flag is established and the AT game number addition is won, an image of three watermelons lined up in a row (or one pattern) is displayed. The timing for displaying this image is preferably after the number of AT games to be added is announced (at the end of the warrior confession chance performance). If the performance does not occur until the warrior confession chance performance starts from the third stop, the player may think that the rare small role has not been established and may miss the rare small role by not pressing the button properly, and for such a player, the above-mentioned image indicating which small role has won the AT game number is displayed. On the other hand, in the warrior confession chance performance that starts from the lever-on, it is preferable not to notify which small role has won the AT game number addition, because the player will be careful to press the button because the performance started when the lever is on.

The warrior confession chance effect may be an effect in which the number of AT games is confirmed to be added (an effect in which the confession fails does not appear), in which case Guan Yu is selected when an addition of 10 AT games is selected, Liu Bei is selected when an addition of 30 AT games is selected, Ma Chao is selected when entering a specialized zone (a zone of a predetermined number of games where the number of AT games is more likely to be added when a small win is achieved and where the probability of winning is lower than that of adding the number of AT games (there is a minimum guarantee of the number of added games in the specialized zone)) is selected, and Lu Bu is selected when entering a SP specialized zone (a zone of a predetermined number of games where the probability of winning is even lower than that of entering the specialized zone and where the number of AT games is even more likely to be added than in the specialized zone (there is a minimum guarantee of the number of added games in the SP specialized zone)) is selected.

In this way, if the warrior confession chance performance is designed to ensure the addition of an AT game number, the confession will be successful even if a cut-in does not appear, so in order to increase the player's sense of excitement through the cut-in, it is desirable for the cut-in to only appear when entering a specialized zone or SP specialized zone (in other words, the state may be changed whenever a warrior confession chance performance with a warrior cut-in that shows which warrior will be selected is displayed).

The warlord confession chance performance that starts when the lever is turned on may end in the game corresponding to the lever on (i.e., the warlord confession chance performance may be forcibly ended when the lever is turned on for the next game even if the warlord confession chance performance has not been completed). On the other hand, when a warlord confession chance performance with a cut-in (a performance that shows which character will be selected when multiple performance modes (such as Lu Bu and Liu Bei) are displayed) that starts at the third stop (displayed when the pattern is not changing) is displayed, the number of AT games is confirmed to be increased, so in order to ensure that the player recognizes that the number of AT games has been increased, even if the next game's lever is turned on (pattern is changing) when the warlord confession chance performance has not ended, the warlord confession chance performance may not be forcibly ended, and the performance with the character image of the selected warlord may be continued (or a new performance with the same character (a different performance from the performance that was being performed before the lever was turned on) may be performed).

In addition, in a warlord confession chance performance where a cut-in appears, it is desirable that the second time, which is the time from when multiple warlords are shown until one warlord is selected as the warlord who will confess (i.e., until the cut-in appears), is longer than the first time, which is the time from when multiple warlords are shown until one warlord is selected as the warlord who will confess (i.e., until the warlord with the largest territory can be recognized) in a warlord confession chance performance where a cut-in appears. As a result, if a warlord has not been selected even after the first time has passed since multiple warlords were shown, a cut-in will appear after the second time has passed, and the number of AT games will be added, so after the first time has passed, the player can wait for the cut-in to appear while basking in a sense of superiority, without being known by other players who are not counting the elapsed time.

Also, the second time may be shorter than the first time. This means that the time between the appearance of the warlord confession chance performance and the appearance of the cut-in is short, so the player can be notified of the appearance of the cut-in at an early stage, and a sudden sense of excitement can be imparted when the cut-in appears. Also, the first time and the second time may be the same length. This means that the player cannot predict the appearance of the cut-in depending on the amount of time that has passed since multiple warlords are shown, and the sense of tension can be increased.

In addition, when the transparency of the cloud image in Fig. 772 (E) in a warrior confession chance performance in which no cut-in appears is zero, an image encouraging the operation of the performance button 204 may be displayed, and the time when the image encouraging the operation of the performance button 204 is displayed is the effective operation period of the performance button 204. If the performance button 204 is operated within the effective operation period (or if the effective operation period ends without the performance button 204 being operated within the effective operation period), the clouds may clear (i.e., transition to the performance in Fig. 772 (F) and subsequent performances) and the selected warrior may be made visible.

Similarly, when the transparency of the cloud image in Fig. 772 (E) in the warrior confession chance performance in which a cut-in appears is zero, a monochrome silhouette image of the warrior to be selected and an image urging the user to operate the performance button 204 may be displayed, and the time when the image urging the user to operate the performance button 204 is displayed is the effective operation period for the performance button 204. If the performance button 204 is operated within the effective operation period (or if the effective operation period ends without the performance button 204 being operated within the effective operation period), the monochrome silhouette image of the warrior to be selected may change to multi-color (i.e., transition to the performance in Fig. 774 (G2) and subsequent performances) so that the image of the warrior in the cut-in can be recognized.

It is desirable that the effective operation period of the effect button 204 in a warrior confession chance where a cut-in appears is longer than the effective operation period of the effect button 204 in a warrior confession chance where a cut-in does not appear. This is to ensure that the player operates the effect button 204, since the addition of the AT game number is confirmed when a cut-in appears. Also, it is desirable that an image indicating the remaining time of the effective operation period of the effect button 204 for indicating the warrior to be selected is displayed both in a warrior confession chance where a cut-in does not appear and in a warrior confession chance performance where a cut-in appears. The display mode of the image indicating the remaining time of the effective operation period may be different between a warrior confession chance performance where a cut-in does not appear and a warrior confession chance performance where a cut-in appears (for example, a larger image is displayed when a cut-in appears than when a cut-in does not appear), or it may be the same.

The Warlord Confession Chance effect with a cut-in that shows which warlord will be selected has been explained as an effect that takes place after the third stop (when the symbols are not changing), but it may also take place while the symbols on reels 301a to 301c are changing (for example, when the lever is on). This makes it possible to announce the number of AT games that will be added before the symbols on the reels stop, giving the player a sense of excitement at an early stage without being stingy.

[14-4. Another example of Amida Chance production]
Another example of the Amida Chance presentation will be described below. In the description of another example of the Amida Chance presentation, the slot machine 1 is an A+ART type machine. The A+ART type is a type of slot machine 1 equipped with an ART function and a bonus that allows the player to greatly increase the number of medals (for example, a big bonus that can win 100 medals or more and a regular bonus that can win 30 medals or more). For example, the A+ART type slot machine 1 can be realized by using the lottery tables and processes shown in Figs. 645 to 673.

Figures 775 and 776 are explanatory diagrams showing another example of the double Amida Chance presentation executed during a bonus (win) in an A+ART type slot machine 1 when the player wins the above-mentioned bonus and also wins an additional bonus. Figures 775 and 776 show an example in which all of the messages displayed on the Amida lottery are "Super Hot," which has the highest expectation of an additional AT game number (expectation of a large number of games being added). It may be executed during a bonus opening or bonus ending, not during a bonus (win), but in order to maximize the sense of expectation, it is preferable to execute it during a bonus or bonus ending, rather than during a bonus opening. Even during a bonus, when the reels are spinning (the patterns are changing), the player is paying attention to the reels, so it is preferable to execute it when the reels are not spinning (the patterns are not changing).

Below, we will use Figures 769, 770, and 771 to explain the differences from the previously described Double Amida Chance presentation, and it goes without saying that the contents of the previously described Double Amida Chance presentation can be applied to the contents that are not explained.

The display contents in Fig. 775(A) to Fig. 775(F) are the same as those in Fig. 769(A) to Fig. 769(F), respectively, except that both messages displayed on the two Amidakuji are "Super Hot". As shown in Fig. 776(G), when a Double Amidakuji is performed during a bonus (win), the addition is confirmed, so that at least one of the letters can reach the "O" on the Amidakuji. In the Double Amidakuji presentation in Fig. 774 and Fig. 775, a display may be made to make the player recognize at the stage of Fig. 775(C) that "Super Hot", which has an extremely high expectation of an addition to the number of ART games (expectation of a large number of games to be added), will be selected, giving the player a sense of elation at an early timing. Note that, although Figures 775 and 776 illustrate an example in which "Super Hot" is selected, a character with a lower expectation of an additional ART game count (expectation of a large number of games being added) than "Super Hot" may also be selected (for example, two characters for "Chance" are displayed).

In Figure 776 (G), it can be seen that if the word "Super hot" on the left-hand stack moves as it is, it will reach "Girl A," and if the word "Super hot" on the right-hand stack moves as it is, it will reach "Girl B." However, if it continues as it is, the word "Super hot" will reach both "Girl A" and "Girl B," so the message "Which girl do you prefer?" is displayed on the image display 500 in Figure 776 (H).

In Figure 776 (I), an image of the main character lifting the signboard he was holding up until Figure 776 (H) is displayed on the image display 500. In Figures 776 (I) and 776 (H), the images of the Ladder Lottery, the letters on the Ladder Lottery, and the wall separating the Ladder Lottery display area have been erased, but these images may remain displayed in order to let the player know that the Ladder Lottery Chance presentation is continuing.

In FIG. 776(J), an image of the main character trying to hang a sign in one of two places so as to connect two Amidakuji (two Amidakuji (multiple selection candidate displays with the same expectation for addition) are displayed, and the sign displayed across the two Amidakuji is both a selection candidate display and a specific image) is displayed on the image display 500. In the example of FIG. 776(J), two signs are displayed at the same time, but to indicate that one of the two signs can be hung to connect the two Amidakuji, the two signs may be displayed alternately (for example, every second). Note that the display mode of the two signs, the display may be switched so that the two signs are displayed alternately, and the switching time when the display is switched may be the same as, for example, the double Amidakuji chance performance (performance that is not executed during a bonus) described using FIG. 769, FIG. 770, and FIG. 771.

In addition, in FIG. 776 (J), an image is displayed that prompts the user to operate the effect button 204, and when the effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period of the effect button 204, one of the two signs is selected. This effective operation period may be the same as the double Amida chance effect (an effect that is not executed during a bonus) described using FIG. 769, FIG. 770, and FIG. 771, for example.

When the signboard 522 with a large incline is selected, "Super Hot" on the left-hand side of the lottery reaches the "X" goal of the right-hand side of the lottery, and "Super Hot" on the right-hand side of the lottery reaches the "Woman B" goal of the right-hand side of the lottery. On the other hand, when the signboard 523 with a small incline is selected, "Super Hot" on the left-hand side of the lottery reaches the "Woman A" goal of the left-hand side of the lottery, and "Super Hot" on the right-hand side of the lottery reaches the "X" goal of the left-hand side of the lottery.

In other words, since the double chance effect during the bonus is determined to add to the number of ART games, the player can select which character he wants to be notified of the addition (that is, for example, when multiple (two) signs are displayed as selection candidates (it may be when multiple (two) signs are displayed alternately), the player can obtain the desired selection result by operating the effect button 204 at the timing when the desired sign (selection result) is selected). For example, if the character of "Woman A" is "pure type" and the character of "Woman B" is "cool type", it is possible to follow the tastes of a wide range of players. Note that if the characters displayed on the two Amidakuji are different from each other (for example, "Super hot" is displayed on the left Amidakuji and "Chance" is displayed on the right Amidakuji), it is clear that the player will select "Super hot", so it is preferable that the characters displayed on the two Amidakuji are not different. However, as long as the display is based on the assumption that the expected number of ART games to be added will not change (for example, "Super hot characters on a cherry blossom background" on the left-hand side of the lottery, and "Super hot characters on a snowy background" on the right-hand side of the lottery), it is no problem if the displays moving on the left and right lottery are different.

In FIG. 776 (J), similar to FIG. 770 (J1), an image of the main character hanging a sign to connect the two omikuji may be displayed on the image display 500 without prompting the user to operate the effect button 204. In other words, this allows the user to recognize that one of the women has been selected.

In addition, in FIG. 776 (J), the player is informed that whichever signboard is selected will not affect the expected rate of addition to the number of AT games (there is no effect on the game outcome, i.e., no effect on the number of balls), so it is up to the player to decide which signboard to select (i.e., the signboard to be selected does not need to be determined in advance before the effect button 204 is operated). For example, if two signs are displayed alternately, the signboard that was displayed at the time the effect button 204 was operated during the valid operation period (the signboard that was displayed at the end of the valid operation period if the effect button 204 was not operated during the valid operation period) may be selected.

Figure 776 (K) shows the state in which the effect button 204 is operated during the valid operation period in Figure 776 (J) and the signboard 523 with a small inclination is selected (this also includes the state in which the effect button 204 is not operated during the valid operation period and the signboard 523 with a small inclination is selected). This shows that "Super Hot" on the left-hand side of the lottery reaches the goal of the left-hand lottery, "Woman A", and "Super Hot" on the right-hand side of the lottery reaches the goal of the left-hand lottery, "X".

In the double amida chance performance that takes place during a bonus, players may wonder what would have happened if they had selected one sign instead of the other. For example, if a bonus and an additional ART game number are won simultaneously in one game during an ART, the double amida chance performance may be executed in the winning game, and the bonus game may start from the next game, and the double amida chance performance may be executed in the first game after the bonus game ends. This allows players to try to select a different sign in the double amida chance performance of the first game after the bonus game ends than the one selected in the double amida chance performance of the simultaneously won game.

In addition, for example, when a Double Amida Chance presentation is performed during a bonus game in ART, if a bonus and an additional ART game number are simultaneously won in the first game after the end of the bonus game in ART, the Double Amida Chance presentation may be forcibly performed in that first game, and in the forcibly performed Double Amida Chance presentation, the signboard selected for the Double Amida Chance presentation performed during the bonus game may be automatically selected (in other words, the presentation mode corresponding to the result selected from the selection candidate display during the bonus game may be carried over to the presentation in the first game (or across multiple games) after the end of the bonus).

When two signs are displayed alternately, the speed at which the display of the two signs changes may be adjustable, for example, by the player operating the effect button 204 (and/or the cross key) or the like. By being able to adjust the speed at which the display of the two signs changes in this way, the player can perform an operation to select two signs in accordance with his or her own operating skill. Also, the display of the two signs may be switched by the player operating the effect button 204 (and/or the cross key) or the like.

... In other words, both the AT type slot machine 1 and the A+ART type slot machine 1 can execute the single Amida Chance effect, the first special effect, and the second special effect.

In this case, since the expected degree of jackpot addition differs depending on the signboard selected in the first special performance, it is desirable to have multiple selection options displayed for the image of the performance button 204 when selecting between the two signs (for example, white, which has a low expected degree of jackpot addition, and red, which has a high expected degree of jackpot addition), but since both signs in the second special performance indicate the same expected degree of jackpot addition, only one selection option may be displayed for the image of the performance button 204 when selecting between the two signs.

It is desirable that the effective period for operation of the effect button 204 in the second special effect is longer than the effective period for operation of the effect button 204 in the first special effect. In the first special effect, the expected degree determined in advance by lottery is shown, so the signboard selected does not depend on the timing of the player's operation (i.e., the result selected from the multiple selection candidate displays is determined before the operation of the effect button 204 (e.g., when the lever is turned on, etc.), and the selection result does not depend on the timing of operation of the effect button 204 when the multiple selection candidate displays are shown), but in the second special effect, the signboard selected is determined by the player's operation timing, so it is desirable to have such a long effective period for operation so that the operation can be performed accurately by measuring the timing.

When signs are displayed alternately in the Double Amida Chance performance, a sound that changes depending on the sign displayed (a sound according to the color of the sign, e.g., special sound 1 for a normal sign and special sound 2 for a red sign) is output in the first special performance, and such a special sound does not have to be output in the second special performance, or the same sound may be output regardless of which sign is displayed. In the first special performance, the expected degree of addition differs depending on the sign selected, so it is good to indicate the expected degree of addition with a sound, but in the second special performance, the expected degree of addition does not change regardless of which sign is selected, so there is no need to indicate the expected degree of addition with a sound.

When the effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period in the first special effect and the second special effect, it is preferable to be able to perform an emphasis effect in which a sign is hung a predetermined time after the operation is performed, but it is preferable that the predetermined time in the first special effect is shorter than the predetermined time in the second special effect. This is because in the first special effect, signs with different expected bonuses are selected, and the player wants to know quickly which sign has been selected.

On the other hand, the specified time in the first special effect may be longer than the specified time in the second special effect. This allows the player to maintain tension for a long time as to which added expectation level is selected in the first special effect, and the player does not have to be fussy about which signboard is selected in the second special effect, where the expectation level of the game result does not change regardless of which signboard is selected. Also, the specified time in the first special effect and the specified time in the second special effect may be the same. This means that the performance time is the same between the first special effect, where the expected level of added expectation differs depending on which signboard is selected, and the second special effect, where the expected level of the game result does not change regardless of which signboard is selected, so that the first special effect does not unnecessarily build up expectations, and the second special effect does not reduce expectations too much.

In addition, when two signs are displayed alternately, it is desirable that the cycle of displaying each sign be repeated more than once (including 1.5 times) in the first special effect, but the cycle may be repeated less than once or more than once in the second special effect. This is because in the first special effect, the expected degree of addition differs depending on the goal reached by the characters displayed on the omikuji, making it easier for the player to recognize the goal when each sign is hung. On the other hand, in the second special effect, the expected degree of addition does not change regardless of which sign is hung, so players who are accustomed to playing with the slot machine 1 may find it annoying to see the cycle being displayed repeatedly.

[14-4. Emergency escape performance]
777, 778, and 779 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of an emergency escape performance. The emergency escape performance can be applied to both the AT type slot machine 1 and the A+ART type slot machine 1, but an example applied to the A+ART type slot machine 1 will be described below. In this chapter, it is assumed that the performance in which the main character boards a fighter plane during the ART game and the fighter plane is flying is performed. In addition, the emergency escape performance may be started from the game in which the ART game top-up is won, or may be started via a premonition of a predetermined number of games (for example, within 4 games) after the ART game top-up is won, or may be executed to make the player expect the top-up even if the ART game top-up is not won.

Figure 777(A) shows the game's lever-on state in which the emergency escape performance begins, and the image display 500 indicates that the emergency escape performance is about to begin. Figure 777(B) is a continuation of the lever-on state in which the emergency escape performance has begun, and the image display 500 indicates that a missile attack launched by the enemy has hit the fighter jet in which the main character is aboard. Note that in order to give the player a sense of surprise, the performance in Figure 777(B) may be executed without executing the performance in Figure 777(A).

Figure 777 (C) shows the first stopped state of the game when the emergency escape scene has started, and the image display 500 shows the main character donning a parachute to escape from the fighter jet. Figure 777 (D) shows the second stopped state of the game when the emergency escape scene has started, and the image display 500 shows the main character pressing the escape button inside the fighter jet.

Figure 777 (D) shows the third stop state of the game in which the emergency escape effect has started, and the image display 500 is performing an effect of whether or not the escape ceiling of the fighter jet's seat will open due to the escape button being pressed. Figure 777 (E) shows the third stop state of the game in which the emergency escape effect has started, and the ceiling of the fighter jet opens, indicating that the main character can escape from the fighter jet, and the emergency escape effect will continue into the next game. If the ceiling of the fighter jet opens, the addition of the number of ART games is confirmed. Note that, for an emergency escape effect that has started despite not winning the addition of the ART game, in Figure 777 (E), the ceiling of the fighter jet does not open, and an effect such as the fighter jet making an emergency landing on the sea is performed, and it is announced that the number of ART games has not been added, and the emergency escape effect ends.

Figure 777 (F) shows the third stopped state of the game when the emergency escape effect has started and after the roof of the fighter jet has opened, with the image display 500 showing the main character floating on a parachute. The parachute is displayed in purple, for example.

Figure 778 (G) shows the state of the lever being turned on for the second game of the emergency escape performance, with an image of a purple parachute seen from above (first specific image), images of multiple islands each showing the number of added ART games (first expectation suggestion image), and the image display 500 showing that the main character will land on one of the islands (the dialogue "Where will he land?"). Each of the multiple islands is separated from each other by an image of the sea. Each of the multiple island images shows the letters +3G, +5G, +7G, and +10G, and for example, +3G islands are displayed in white, +5G islands in blue, +7G islands in yellow, and +10 game islands in green, and these colors indicate the number of added AT games (the degree of advantage of the bonus that the player can obtain). For example, multiple images of islands showing the same number of games may be displayed (however, it is preferable that islands showing the same number of games are the same color).

An image of a parachute that does not indicate the expected degree of added bonuses in the ART game (this is a first specific image, and parachutes of multiple colors, for example, may be provided to indicate the expected degree of added bonuses) is displayed across each of the images of multiple islands. This increases the sense of tension as the player cannot predict which island the parachute will land on. However, since it is difficult for the player to recognize the multiple islands if the area in which the image of the parachute spans the images of multiple islands is large, it is desirable that the area of the area in which the image of the parachute spans the images of multiple islands is, for example, less than 1/2 for each island.

Also, as shown in FIG. 778(G), the image of the parachute may straddle the letters indicating the number of added games for the ART game displayed on each of the multiple islands. This makes it difficult for the player to visually identify the number of added games, thus increasing the sense of tension. Note that the image of the parachute may be displayed straddle each of the images of some of the multiple islands, or may be displayed straddle the letters indicating the number of added games for the ART game displayed on each of the multiple islands.

In the emergency escape performance, if a push order bell or push order replay is achieved, the push order is displayed on the image display 500, and if a rare role (for example, a small role with a low probability of being achieved (for example, 1/30 or less)) is achieved, a display such as "Chance!" is displayed on the image display 500. Although not shown in the drawings, such push order (instruction image) may be displayed so as to overlap with the image of the parachute (first specific image), or so as not to overlap, or so as to overlap with part of the images of the multiple islands (hope suggestion images), or so as to overlap with all of the images of the multiple islands (hope suggestion images), or so as not to overlap with all of the images of the multiple islands (hope suggestion images).

Figure 778 (H) shows the state following the lever being turned on for the second game of the emergency escape effect, where the lines of the main character are erased from the state shown in Figure 778 (G), and an image is displayed encouraging the player to operate the effect button 204. When the image encouraging the player to operate the effect button 204 is displayed, this is the valid period for operating the effect button 204.

It is preferable that the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed across the island images (expectation suggestion images). By displaying the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 across the island images, the player can be made to expect that the island in question will be selected. In FIG. 778(H), an image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed across the islands of +5G and +10G, but an image prompting the operation of the effect button may be displayed across all islands, or an image prompting the operation of the effect button may be displayed across one island.

Figure 778 (I) shows the state following the lever being turned on for the second game of the emergency escape effect, where the effect button 204 has been operated during the effective operation period in Figure 778 (H), or the effective operation period has ended without the effect button 204 being operated. One island has been selected from the multiple islands displayed.

When the effect button 204 is operated during the valid operation period or when the valid operation period has elapsed, the image of the parachute is displayed on one island, without spanning multiple islands, and the selected island is confirmed. In the example of FIG. 778(I), an island of +3 games is selected, and a confirmation effect of the number of ART added games (an effect announcing that one of multiple expectation suggestion images has been determined) in which the parachute moves to the selected island is displayed on the image display 500. Note that, since the number of added games of ART games indicated by the islands displayed in FIG. 778(H) is small in all cases, it is desirable to have only one type of parachute display mode in order to avoid raising the player's expectations too much.

Figure 779 (I2) shows the state following the lever-on of the second game of the emergency escape effect, and is another example of the state in which the effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period in Figure 778 (H), or the effective operation period ends without the effect button 204 being operated. A parachute is blown away by a strong wind, and an effect is displayed on the image display 500 showing the parachute moving away from the multiple islands that were displayed up until Figure 778 (H).

Figure 779 (J2) shows the state following the lever being turned on for the second game of the emergency escape performance, and displays an image (second specific image) of a purple parachute larger in display size than those in Figures 778 (G) and (H) seen from above, and an image (second expectation suggestion image) of multiple islands each showing the number of added games for ART games, different from the multiple islands displayed up to Figure 777 (H). A line is displayed on the image display 500 indicating that the multiple islands displayed in Figure 779 (J2) are treasure islands with a greater number of added games for ART games (i.e., more advantageous benefits for the player) than the multiple islands displayed up to Figure 777 (H).

In addition, in Figure 779 (J2), a larger parachute is displayed than in Figures 778 (G) and (H), which gives the player a sense of security that the main character will be able to land on one of the multiple islands that have a large number of added games in the ART game.

In Fig. 779 (J2), the islands are separated from each other by an image of the sea. The images of the islands are each displayed with the letters +30G, +50G, and +100G. For example, the +30G island is displayed in red, the +50G island in gold, and the +100 game island in rainbow colors (colors that indicate a more advantageous position than the islands displayed up to Fig. 777 (H)). These colors indicate the number of AT games added (the degree of advantage of the bonus that the player can obtain). For example, multiple images of islands with the same number of games displayed may be displayed (however, it is preferable that the islands with the same number of games displayed are the same color). Since the number of added games of the ART games displayed on the islands up to Fig. 777 (H) were all small values, the player can feel a sudden sense of elation when he or she reaches the treasure island in Fig. 779 (J2).

Also, it is desirable that the number of islands displayed as shown in FIG. 779 (J2) is less than the number of islands displayed in FIG. 778 (G) and (H). Because both islands displayed in FIG. 778 (G) and (H) show a smaller number of added games than the islands displayed in FIG. 779 (J2), if the number of islands displayed in FIG. 778 (G) and (H) is small, the player may quickly recognize the number of added games and become disappointed. Also, to prevent the player from having to make an effort to recognize the small number of added games in FIG. 778 (G) and becoming disappointed, the number of islands displayed as shown in FIG. 779 (J2) may be more than or the same as the number of islands displayed in FIG. 778 (G) and (H).

Also in Figure 779 (J2), the image of a parachute that does not indicate the expected degree of added games for the ART game is displayed across each of the images of multiple islands.Also in Figure 779 (J2), the image of a parachute may also span the characters indicating the number of added games for the ART game displayed on each of the islands.However, if the area of the area where the image of the parachute spans the images of multiple islands is large, it will be difficult for the player to recognize the multiple islands, so it is desirable that the area of the area where the image of the parachute spans the images of multiple islands be, for example, less than 1/2 for each island.

Also, in FIG. 779 (J2), the image of the parachute may be displayed across each of the images of some of the multiple islands, or across the text indicating the number of added games for the ART game displayed on each of the images of some of the multiple islands.

Figure 779 (K2) shows the state following the lever being turned on for the second game of the emergency escape effect, in which the lines of the main character are erased from the state shown in Figure 779 (J2), and an image is displayed encouraging the player to operate the effect button 204. When the image encouraging the player to operate the effect button 204 is displayed, this is the valid period for operating the effect button 204.

The image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is preferably displayed across the island images (expectation suggestion images). By displaying the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 across the island images, the player can be made to expect that the island that is being selected. In FIG. 779 (K2), the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is displayed across the islands of +30G and +50G, but the image prompting the operation of the effect button may be displayed across all islands, or across one island. The position of the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 is different between FIG. 779 (K2) and FIG. 778 (H), but the image prompting the operation of the effect button 204 may be displayed in the same position in both (however, it is preferable that the image is displayed across the island images (expectation suggestion images) in both cases).

Figure 779 (L2) shows the state following the lever being turned on for the second game of the emergency escape effect, where the effect button 204 has been operated during the effective operation period in Figure 779 (K2), or the effective operation period has ended without the effect button 204 being operated. Some of the islands displayed in Figure 779 (L2) have been selected.

In the state of Fig. 779 (K2), the main character, whose parachute has come off, is displayed straddling two islands (a part and multiple of the three islands that were displayed up to Fig. 779 (L2)), and an effect indicating that he will land on one of these two islands (i.e., a new expectation suggestion image in which the number of added ART games has not yet been determined) is displayed on the image display 500. In other words, in Fig. 779 (L2), instead of the purple parachute, the main character suggests the number of added AT games. Note that if the area of the area where the main character's image straddles the images of these two islands is large, it will be difficult for the player to recognize the two islands, so it is desirable that the area of the area where the main character's image straddles the images of the two islands be less than 1/2 for each island, for example.

The number of games added for the islands displayed in Figure 778 (H) was small, so in order to avoid raising the player's expectations too much, one island was selected straight away in Figure 778 (I). However, the number of games added for the islands displayed in Figure 779 (K2) was large, so in order to create a sense of tension for the player, instead of selecting one island straight away in Figure 779 (L2), some (multiple) islands were selected.

In addition, since multiple islands are still displayed in Figure 779 (L2), it is desirable that the display mode of the main character be selected from multiple display modes (for example, the color of the main character's clothing is white or red) to indicate the expectation of whether a larger number of added games will be selected.

In addition, when the effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period in FIG. 779 (K2), or when the effective operation period ends without the effect button 204 being operated, the effects subsequent to FIG. 779 (L2) may not be performed. In this case, for example, a confirmation display indicating that the parachute will select one island may be displayed as in FIG. 778 (I), or the number of ART games to be added may be directly notified using a message, etc.

Figure 779 (M2) shows the state following the lever being pressed in the second game of the emergency escape performance, after the main character has landed on one of the islands displayed in Figure 779 (L2). An effect is displayed on the image display unit 500 in which the main character discovers a sign that reads "Caution ahead." At the time of Figure 779 (M2), it is not possible to tell which of the islands displayed in Figure 779 (L2) the main character has landed on.

Figure 779 (N2) shows the state following the lever being pressed for the second game of the emergency escape performance, and the image display 500 shows the main character discovering a signboard that reads "+50G!!", making it possible to see the number of games added to the number of ART games (i.e., which island in the treasure island has been selected).

In addition, when the operation effective period of the effect (first effect) in which one of the first displayed islands is selected as described using FIG. 778 ends without the effect button 204 being operated, a confirmation display that one island has been selected is displayed, and when the operation effective period of the effect (second effect) in which the second displayed islands are selected as described using FIG. 779 ends without the effect button 204 being operated, a new expectation suggestion image in which some islands (multiple) have been selected is displayed. However, when the operation effective period of the second effect ends without the effect button 204 being operated during the operation effective period, there may be a case in which a new expectation suggestion image is not displayed and the effect of FIG. 779 (L2) is advanced. For example, there is a pattern in which the second effect is followed by a third effect in which an island with an even greater number of added games than the second effect is displayed, and when the second effect is followed by a third effect, even if the operation effective period of the second effect ends without the effect button 204 being operated during the operation effective period of the second effect, a new expectation suggestion image is not displayed, and when the player lands on one of the treasure islands of the second effect, a new expectation suggestion image may be displayed.

Also, the player may operate a specific operation unit (such as the cross key and the effect button 204) to set in advance that a new hope suggestion image can be displayed even if the effect button 204 is not operated during the effective operation period of the second effect. Since a treasure island with a large number of added games is displayed in the second effect, even if the player forgets to operate the operation unit 204 during the effective operation period, some islands are selected from multiple islands, allowing the player to enjoy an effect that gradually increases the sense of tension.

In addition, it is desirable that the effective operation period of the effect button 204 in the first effect is shorter than the effective operation period in the second effect. In the first effect, the number of added games displayed on each island is small, so there is a risk that the player will not be interested in the added games and will not operate the effect button 204, and this is to speed up the progress of the effect in such cases. On the other hand, in the second effect, the number of added games displayed on each island is large, so there is a risk that the player will feel tense and will operate slowly, and this is to ensure that the player executes the operation reliably.

On the other hand, the effective operation period of the effect button 204 in the first effect may be longer than the effective operation period of the second effect. Since the second effect may be executed after the first effect, by lengthening the effective operation period of the first effect, the player can become accustomed to the operation, and can reliably perform the operation in the second effect even if the effective operation period is short. Also, the effective operation period of the effect button 204 in the first effect may be the same length as the effective operation period of the second effect. If one of the effective operation periods is long, the player may suspect that there is some intention to have the player perform an operation in the effect with the longer effective operation period, and may be disappointed if no special effect occurs when the effect button 204 is operated in the effect with the longer effective operation period.

In the above explanation, a (normal-sized) parachute is displayed in Fig. 778 (G) and (H) of the first effect, and a large-sized parachute is displayed in Fig. 779 (J2) and (K2) of the second effect, but a normal-sized parachute may also be displayed in the second effect. By displaying a normal-sized parachute in the second effect as well, the player's expectations are not too high, and the player can remain calm and reliably operate the effect button 204 during the valid operation period.

Also, for both the parachutes displayed in the first performance in Fig. 778 (G) and (H) and the parachutes displayed in the second performance in Fig. 779 (J2) and (K2), a normal-sized or large-sized parachute may be displayed. In this case, it is desirable that the expectation is higher when a large-sized parachute is selected than when a normal-sized parachute is selected (for example, when a large parachute is selected in the first performance, it is more likely that the game will progress to the second performance, or a larger number of added games will be selected than when a small parachute is selected, or when a large parachute is selected in the second performance, it is more likely that a larger number of added games will be selected than when a small parachute is selected, etc.).

Also, in the first performance, only either a normal-sized parachute or a large-sized parachute can be displayed, and in the second performance, the player can choose between a normal-sized parachute or a large-sized parachute. Since the number of ART games added in the second performance is large regardless of which island is selected, it is more important for the player to progress from the first performance to the second performance than to the expectation level shown in the second performance, so it is good to select one parachute from multiple display modes in the first performance to show the expectation level.

On the other hand, in the first performance, the player may be able to select from a normal-sized parachute or a large-sized parachute, and in the second performance, only one of the normal-sized parachute or the large-sized parachute may be displayed. If a parachute selected from multiple display modes is displayed in the first performance, the player may feel that the game will not progress to the second performance when a parachute with low expectations is displayed in the first performance, and this may significantly reduce the player's sense of expectation. In the second performance, the player feels a sense of security that a large number of games will be added, and when a parachute with high expectations selected from multiple display modes is displayed in the second performance, the player can feel an even greater sense of excitement in addition to the sense of security.

In the first and second performances, the image of the performance button 204 is displayed in the upper right corner of the image display 500, but it may be displayed in a position that is easy for the player to recognize so that the player can operate it reliably. For example, in the first performance, instead of the parachute displayed in FIG. 778 (H), and in the second performance, instead of the parachute displayed in FIG. 779 (K2), an image of the performance button 204 may be displayed. In this case, the performance button 204 may be displayed in the same display size as the parachute at the position where the parachute was displayed. This makes it possible to realize the same visual state as when the parachute was displayed across each island. In addition, when the image of the performance button 204 is displayed instead of the parachute, the image of the performance button 204 may be one image selected from multiple display modes. In this case, the multiple display modes may indicate the expected number of added games.

It is preferable that the movable body provided on the slot machine 1 does not move even if the effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period of the effect button 204 for the first and second effects. Even if the effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period of the first effect, a small number of added games is announced or the effect progresses to the second effect and the effect continues, and even if the effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period of the second effect, some islands are selected and the effect continues. Therefore, if the movable body is moved at the timing when the operation button 204 is operated, the player will be disappointed.

However, for the second effect, since the number of added games is high regardless of which island is selected, in order to give the player a sense of exhilaration, it may be possible to select an effect in which a movable body is operated when effect button 204 is operated during the effective operation period of effect button 204.

During the effective operation period of the second effect, in the effect in which the effect button 204 is operated to move the movable body, it is preferable that at least a part of the images of the multiple islands (multiple expectation suggestion images) in FIG. 779 (J2) become unrecognizable due to the movable body after operation, or because the images of the multiple islands change to a different display. Furthermore, after at least a part of the images of the multiple islands in FIG. 779 (J2) become unrecognizable, it is preferable that an effect different from the effect from FIG. 779 (L2) onwards is performed. Furthermore, since the effect in which the effect button 204 is operated to move the movable body during the effective operation period of the second effect is a visually flashy effect, it is preferable that when this effect is performed, the expected value of the number of ART games to be added is high (i.e., there is a high possibility that the player will obtain a beneficial benefit).

In addition, the BGM that was audibly output immediately before the first performance is performed may be stopped from being audibly output or the same BGM may be output at a lower volume in order to highlight the first performance and create a sense of tension for the player. In this case, the BGM may be restarted or output at a lower volume after the first performance ends, or a different BGM may be output. On the other hand, since the first performance is an effect in which a small number of added games is announced or which develops into a second performance, the BGM that was output immediately before the first performance may be output as is while the first performance is being executed in order to avoid creating too much tension for the player. In this case, the BGM may be continued to be output after the first performance ends, or a different BGM may be output.

In addition, in the second performance, the player feels a sense of security because the player is notified of the large number of added games regardless of which island is selected, so in order to avoid disturbing the player's sense of security, the background music that was output immediately before the second performance is performed may be output as is while the second performance is being executed. In this case, the background music may continue to be output after the second performance ends, or a different background music may be output.

The above is one embodiment of the slot machine 1 of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to gaming machines other than slot machines, such as pachinko machines and gaming machines that combine pachinko machines and slot machines.

The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such specific configurations, and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit of the appended claims.

1 Slot machine 10 Gap 21 Transparent plate 50 Model unit 90 Front opening/closing member 100 Outer body 100a Rotating shaft 101 Bottom plate 102 Side plate 102a Convex portion 102b Guard portion 103 Top plate 104a Heat dissipation port 104b Cord outlet 105 Partition plate 106 Projection portion 107 Mounting piece 108 Mounting piece 109 Opening 110 Medal discharge device 110a Device body 110b Hopper 110c Discharge port 110d Overflow gutter 110e Payout sensor 111 Auxiliary storage box for game medals 111a Medal full sensor 112 Power supply device 112a Device case 112b Top plate 112c Rear plate 112d Front plate 112e Side plate 112f Slope plate 112g Ventilation hole 112h Legs 112i Ventilation space 112j, step portion 112k, mounting piece 112m, protrusion 112m-1, protrusion 112p, through hole 112r, bottom plate 112s, board 112t, setting key switch 112u, reset switch 112v, power switch 113, wiring relay member 114, boss hole 115, rail member 116, rail member 117, stopper 118, mounting fixture 119, main body side wiring 120, mounting plate 121, cover body 122, connector board 123, connector board 124, connector 125, connector 126, opening 127, said opening 128, support cylinder 129, wiring duct 131, external relay terminal board 132, through hole 133, ventilation opening 200, door-shaped front member 200a, through hole 201, medal receiving tray 202, operation unit 203, medal insertion slot 205, single medal insertion button 206 MAX insertion button 207, medal selector 207a, solenoid 207b, insertion sensor 208, medal return button 209, storage release switch 210, start lever 211a, left reel stop button 211b, center reel stop button 211c, right reel stop button 212, medal trough 213, return trough 214, see-through window 214a, transparent plate 214b, edge member 214c, through hole 214d, through hole 215, lock device 215a, base member 215b, support piece 216, frame 217, light emitting unit 217a, light emitting body 217a-1, light source 217a-2, light guide plate 217b, reflecting member 218, fixing member 219, groove 300, pattern changing display device 301a, left reel (first reel)
301b Middle reel (second reel)
301c Right reel (third reel)
302 Device case 303 Driving means 304 Bottom plate 305 Top plate portion 305 Top plate portion 306 Right side plate 307 Left side plate 308 Rear plate 309 Upper swash plate 310 Lower swash plate 311 Handle 312 Reel board 313 Cable 315 Anti-slip portion 316 Handles 321a to 321c Reel belt 331a Left reel position sensor 331b Middle reel position sensor 331c Right reel position sensor 341a Left reel drive motor 341b Middle reel drive motor 341c Right reel drive motor 400 Case member 401 Symbol display window 402 Reinforcement bar 402a Guide portion 403 Bottom plate 404 Side plate 405 Rear plate 406 Top plate 407 Reinforcement member 408 Wiring work space 409 Main board 410 Boss 411 Wiring window 412, recessed step portion 413, tapered portion 414, wheel 415, flange 416, hook portion 417, triangular space 418, temporary fixing member shelf 420, hinge metal fitting 420a, fixed member 420b, rotating member 420c, short link 420d, long link 420e, fixed piece 420f, bearing piece 420g, overlapping area 420h, overlapping area 420h, overlapping area 420j, pin hole 420k, pin 421, lock piece 422, handle opening 423, case side wiring 424, harness 425, connector 426, harness 427, connector 427a, play hole 427b, ear piece 427c, screw 428, connector holder 429, holder main body 429a, receiving tube 430, through hole 431, attachment piece 432, button-shaped panel fastener 433, bench portion 434 Bench side plate 435 Claw piece 436 Finger hook portion 437 Cable groove 438 Wiring port 440 Guide rail 442 Locking hole 443 Skylight portion 444 Reinforcing band 449 Main board 500 Image display body 500s Dashed line area 501 Frame member (display panel)
502 Lighting device 503 Board 505 Light-transmitting cover plate 506 Tube frame 507 Light-transmitting cover 508 Receiving portion 509 Engagement portion 510 Sub-board 512 Speaker 550 Seesaw role 551 Seesaw box 552 Seesaw portion 552a Movable piece 552b Movable piece 553 Shaft portion 554 Stepping motor 555 Door portion 556 Claw portion 557 Tip portion 558 Seesaw success tube 559 Seesaw failure tube 560 Conveyor 561 Conveyor 600 Upper rail 601 Fixing member 602 Tool 603 Screw 604 Error lamp 606 Replay lamp 608 Start lamp 610 Medal IN lamp 612 (612a, 612b, 612c) Special display LED
613 (613a, 613b) Storage number display LED
614 BET lamp 623a right downward line 623b right upward line 700 said connector 701 fixed sheath member 701a prevention piece 702 rod 702a shaft hole portion 702b hook wall 703 stop shaft 703a spring 704 stopper 705 groove 706 grip piece 1110 CPU
1112 ROM
1114 RAM
1116 Input/Output Interface 1130 Input/Output Interface 1200 Hall Computer

Claims (1)

A determination means for determining whether or not a winning ball has been won based on lottery information acquired based on the ball entering the starting hole;
A special symbol variation execution means for executing a special symbol variation based on the establishment of a start condition;
A game machine including: a performance execution means for executing a performance based on the lottery information in a performance display means including a light-emitting unit;
The performance execution means is capable of executing a first performance and a second performance that can be executed at a timing based on the ball entering the starting hole,
At least in the first performance, the special symbol variation corresponding to the ball entering the starting hole that triggered the execution of the first performance is displayed in a display mode selected from a plurality of display modes having different expectations of winning,
Even if a ball enters the starting hole after the first display mode is displayed in the first performance, the second performance cannot be executed,
The second performance can be executed when a ball enters the starting hole after a second display mode in which the expectation of the winning is lower than that of the first display mode is displayed in the first performance,
In the first performance, a third display mode having a higher expectation for the hit than the first display mode can be displayed,
When the second performance is executed at the timing of the ball entering the starting hole, the display mode that has been displayed in the first performance before the ball entering timing is not changed to the third display mode,
Even if a ball enters the starting hole during the execution of the special pattern variation in which a predetermined reach performance is executed, the second performance is not executed,
When the second display mode is changed to the first display mode or the third display mode after the second display mode is displayed in the first performance, a premonition performance suggesting that the second display mode will change can be executed as a premonition;
When the first display mode or the third display mode is displayed at a ball-entering timing based on the ball entering the starting hole in the first performance, the first display mode or the third display mode is displayed without executing the premonition performance,
A performance sound output means is provided for outputting a performance sound related to the performance,
The effect sound output means is capable of outputting an effect sound corresponding to the selected display mode at a timing when the selected display mode is displayed from the plurality of display modes in the first effect,
A gaming machine characterized in that when a ball enters the starting hole while the first performance is made invisible by the performance display means by executing a predetermined performance different from the first performance and the second performance, the selected display mode in the first performance is not displayed visibly based on the ball entering the starting hole, but the performance sound corresponding to the selected display mode can be output.

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