JPH06210067A - Managing system of amusement equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To offer an amusement equipment managing system which is suitable for an amusement facility where the layout is frequently changed and is able to automatically manage a number of amusement equipment. CONSTITUTION:An amusement equipment managing system is to centrally manage two or more amusement equipment 5 arranged in an amusement facility 1. Each amusement equipment 5 is equipped with a trouble information collecting device which collects trouble information such as error information, a coin information collecting device which collects sales information, and a power line modem which transmits the sales information and other information inside the equipment through a facility power line 3 as data. A centralized management device 6 collects those data from the facility power lines 3 via a power line modem to manage the amusement equipment 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an amusement machine management system for centrally managing amusement machines such as video game machines, slot machines and pachinko machines in entertainment facilities.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an amusement facility in which a large number of amusement machines of this kind are installed, a lot of labor is used to count the sales of each amusement machine and to grasp the equipment requiring maintenance.

That is, conventionally, it is generally managed by a person, and each person regularly watches each amusement machine, counts the sales from the coin collection box, and troubles such as an error due to a complaint from the customer. Was recognized and dealt with.

[0004]

As described above, since the management of the amusement machine is conventionally performed by a person, the following drawbacks have been pointed out. It requires a lot of manpower and is expensive to manage. When the number of amusement machines is large, it is difficult to manage them individually, and it is not possible to manage them individually.

On the other hand, it has been attempted to connect each amusement machine with a dedicated communication cable to automatically collect information necessary for management, but in this kind of entertainment facility, the layout of the amusement machine is frequently changed. Since it was carried out, the communication cable had to be laid again each time, which was not practical.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to be suitable for an amusement facility where the layout is frequently changed, and it is possible to automatically manage a large number of amusement machines. It is to provide an amusement machine management system.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a system for centrally managing a plurality of amusement machines installed in an amusement facility, wherein each amusement machine has trouble such as error information. A trouble information collecting device that collects information, a coin information collecting device that collects sales information, and a power line modem that superimposes the collected trouble information, sales information, and other in-device information as data on the facility power line. As well as installing, collect data from the power line in the facility via the power line modem,
A central management device is installed to manage amusement equipment.

That is, by using the power line in the entertainment facility as a communication cable and using it as an infrastructure, it is possible to construct a management system that can easily cope with frequent layout changes peculiar to the entertainment facility.

[0009]

In the amusement machine management system of the present invention, the trouble information collecting apparatus collects trouble information such as error information and the coin information collecting apparatus in a plurality of amusement machines arranged in the entertainment facility. Collects information on sales. Then, the power line modem superimposes the collected trouble information, sales information and other in-device information on the in-house power line as data. On the other hand, a centralized management device such as a personal computer collects data from a power line in a facility via a power line modem and manages amusement equipment.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an amusement machine management system of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, an in-facility power line 3 which is separated from a power line 2 provided by a power company by a filter 4 in terms of high frequency is laid in an entertainment facility 1 such as a game center or a pachinko hall.

A large number of amusement devices 5 such as video game devices, slot machines, and pachinko machines are arranged in the entertainment facility 1, and power is obtained from the above-mentioned facility power line 3.

In the entertainment facility 1, a centralized management device 6 for centrally managing a large number of amusement machines 5 is provided. In addition, the centralized management device 6 is a higher-level management center (not shown) through a communication line 7 such as a public telephone line.
Etc. can be connected.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the internal structure of the amusement machine 5. Information about coins inserted when the amusement machine 5 is used and the amusement machine main body 51 which is a circuit section or mechanism section of a game or the like is shown. The coin information collecting device 52 for collecting, the trouble information collecting device 53 for collecting trouble information such as error information from the amusement device main body 51, and the coin information collecting device 5 arranged in the power supply path of the amusement device main body 51.
2. The information of the trouble information collecting device 53 is transmitted from the outlet plug 55 to the in-house power line 3 as data, and the power line modem 54 and the power line modem 54 for receiving the command and data transmitted from the centralized management device 6 side.
It includes an amusement device control device 56 for controlling the amusement device main body 51 and the like based on commands and data received from the centralized management device 6 side via.
In the coin information collecting device 52, coin information can be obtained from a micro sensor inside the coin shooter. Further, in the trouble information collecting device 53, the state of the call button can be used in the pachinko machine as the trouble information, and the state of the reset button or the power switch can be used in other amusement equipment.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the internal configuration of the centralized control device 6, which receives data from the amusement device 5 side received from the in-facility power line 3 through the outlet plug 62, and at the same time, the amusement device 5 Side, a power line modem 61 for transmitting commands and data, a data collection box (storage means 63) for storing information collected from the amusement equipment 5, and a personal computer main body for information processing for managing a large number of amusement equipment 5. 64 and a modem 65 for connecting the personal computer main body 64 to a higher-level management device or the like via the communication line 7.

2 and 3, the power line modems 54 and 61 have a function of modulating a carrier wave having a frequency higher than the commercial frequency with data and superimposing this signal on the power line.

The operation of the above embodiment will be described below.

When using the amusement machine 5, information on coins to be inserted is collected by the coin information collecting device 52, and this information flows from the coin information collecting device 52 to the in-house power line 3 as data via the power line modem 54. It is collected in the personal computer main body 64 via the power line modem 61 of the centralized management device 6. The data may be collected periodically or when the amount of coins collected reaches a predetermined value.

Although an error often occurs in the amusement machine 5, such trouble information is collected by the trouble information collecting device 53, and this information is transmitted from the trouble information collecting device 53 to the power line modem 54 as data in the facility. It flows to the power line 3 and is collected in the personal computer main body 64 via the power line modem 61 of the centralized management device 6. Trouble that must be dealt with immediately must be sent immediately, but other trouble information that does not require urgency can be sent periodically or when a predetermined collection amount is reached. .

On the other hand, in the centralized management device 6, the information collected via the power line modem 61 is stored in the data collection box 63, and then the personal computer main body 64 performs a predetermined process. For example, when a trouble that must be dealt with immediately is detected, an alarm is issued to call an attendant, a sales list is created for each amusement device 5 or type from the coin collection status, Processing such as creating a list of sales for each, creating a list of turnover ratios, creating a list of devices that require maintenance, and creating a list of operating losses.

When controlling the state of the amusement machine 5, the personal computer main body 64 sends a command or data to the in-house power line 3 via the power line modem 61. In the amusement device 5, when the command or the like is received via the power line modem 54, the amusement device control device 56 operates to control the amusement device body 51 or the like. For example, the power of the amusement machine body 51 can be turned on / off, and the environment can be set.

On the other hand, in the case of integrally managing a plurality of entertainment facilities under the same umbrella, from the personal computer main body 64 of the centralized management device 6 of each entertainment facility 1 to the modem 6
Information can be collected in a higher-level management device (not shown) via the communication line 5 and the communication line 7, and sales management for each facility (district) and customer preference analysis can be performed.

The amusement machine 5 shown in FIG. 2 collects the coin information and the trouble information, but other than that, various kinds of information about the amusement machine 5 can be collected and managed.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, all the amusement equipments 5 are managed by one centralized management device 6, but when the number of the amusement equipments 5 is large, the amusement equipments 5 are replaced. Divide into appropriate units (islands; islands), and install a partitioned device management device (not shown) having the same configuration and function as the centralized management device 6 in the unit, and the centralized management device 6 manages those partitioned devices. Information may be exchanged with the device.

[0026]

As described above, the amusement machine management system of the present invention has the following effects. Since a large number of amusement machines can be managed automatically, a lot of manpower is not required and cost can be reduced. Since detailed information can be collected quickly and accurately even if the number of amusement machines is large, effective single unit management can be performed. As a result, it is possible to always carry out an assortment of amusement machines having a high turnover rate and a high profit rate. Even if the layout is changed frequently, as long as the power line equipment can be handled, it can be flexibly handled without any change. That is, the information can be collected by inserting the outlet plug of the amusement device into any outlet in the entertainment facility. Since the existing power line is used, the cost for newly introducing this system can be kept low.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an amusement device management system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an internal configuration of an amusement machine in FIG.

3 is a diagram showing an example of an internal configuration of a centralized management device in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Entertainment facility 2 ... Power line 3 ... In-facility power line 4 ... Filter 5 ... Amusement device 51 ... Amusement device main body 52 ... Coin information collecting device 53 ... Trouble information collecting device 54 ... Power line modem 55 ... Outlet plug 56 Amusement machine control device 6 Central control device 61 Power line modem 62 Outlet plug 63 Data collection box (storage means) 64 Personal computer main body 65 Modem 7 Communication line

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A system for centrally managing a plurality of amusement machines arranged in an amusement facility, wherein each amusement machine has a trouble information collecting device for collecting trouble information such as error information, and sales information. A coin information collection device to collect and a power line modem that superimposes the collected trouble information, sales information and other in-device information as data on the in-facility power line are installed, and data is also collected from the in-facility power line via the power line modem. The amusement machine management system is characterized by having a centralized management device for managing the amusement machine.