JPH07163727A - Liquid crystal display apparatus for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make patterns changing easy to view by forming the individual patterns on the surface of a virtual rotary plate to change the patterns at each rotation in a liquid crystal display device of a game machine which is adapted to add a specified value to a game when a plurality of patterns reaches a specified combination. CONSTITUTION:In a liquid crystal display device 20, a display window 22 is formed on a mounting base plate 21 mounted on the surface of a game board of a game machine while a liquid crystal display device 23 is set on the display window 22 to make a main portion. In the display device 23, for example, display arrays 24a-24c divided in three vertically are arranged while specified patterns such as number are displayed on the display arrays 24a-24c. Moreover, each number is formed on the surface of a virtual rotary plate 27 rotating centered on a vertical shaft while different number is displayed every time the virtual rotary plate 27 rotates. When a combination of each number displayed on the display window 22 presents a specified assortment of states with the stopping of changing in the display arrays 24a-24c, a jackpot position or a prewinning position is set.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gaming machine that gives a great gaming value to a player when a combination of symbols displayed when a plurality of fluctuation rows are stopped is a combination of predetermined jackpot symbols. The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a gaming machine, for example, a pachinko gaming machine, when a combination of symbols displayed when a fluctuation is stopped becomes a predetermined combination of big hit symbols, a big winning game state is entered and a variable winning device. Many proposals have been made in which a large number of prize balls are obtained in a short period of time by performing an operation of opening a predetermined period (until a predetermined time elapses or until a predetermined number of winning balls has been generated). In recent years, a large number of liquid crystal display devices have been used as display devices for displaying symbols used in such pachinko gaming machines. This is because it is easy to control the display of symbols, and low-priced color liquid crystals have come to be provided.

[0003]

By the way, most of the color liquid crystal display devices provided as described above are STN type color LCDs, and this STN type color LCD has a characteristic that the response speed of the screen is slow. Therefore, there is a drawback in that the afterimage and the real image appear to be dubbing during the variable display, and it is difficult to identify the changing pattern. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to utilize a slow response speed of a screen to most effectively display that a symbol is changing. To provide a liquid crystal display device for a machine.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, when the combination of symbols displayed when the fluctuation of a plurality of fluctuation rows is stopped is a combination of predetermined jackpot symbols. In a liquid crystal display device of a gaming machine that gives a great gaming value to a player, the design is formed on the surface of a virtual rotary plate that rotates about an axis of ordinates or an axis of abscissa, and a pattern is created for each rotation of the virtual rotary plate. It is characterized in that the variable display is controlled so as to be changed.

[0005]

In the variable display, the pattern is displayed in a variable manner along with the virtual rotating plate that rotates about the vertical axis or the horizontal axis, so that the mode is a variation mode in which an afterimage remains, so it is difficult to identify the pattern. There is no sense of strangeness, and the fact that the response speed of the screen is slow can be used most effectively to display that the design is changing.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a configuration of a game board 1 of a pachinko machine as an example of a game machine to which the liquid crystal display device 20 according to the embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view of the game board 1. In the figure, on the front of the game board 1,
A game area 3 defined by a guide rail 2 provided in a substantially circular shape is formed. A liquid crystal display device 20 is arranged in the approximate center of the game area 3.

The liquid crystal display device 20 includes a liquid crystal display 23 for variable display of symbols and starting winning openings 4, 6a, which will be described later.
A plurality of (four) start-up memory LEDs 26 for notifying that the number of prize-winning balls won in 6b is stored are respectively exposed to the front. The start memory LED 26 is stored when the ball hits the start winning openings 4, 6a, 6b while the liquid crystal display 23 is displaying fluctuations or during the big hit game state. LED26
Is turned on and turned off one by one each time the liquid crystal display 23 starts to change. However, the maximum number of memories is 4
The maximum number of starting prizes will be invalid.
The liquid crystal display device 20 will be described in detail later.

A variable winning device 8 is arranged below the liquid crystal display device 20. The variable winning device 8 has an opening / closing plate 9 (also referred to as an attacker) that opens and closes in the front-rear direction, and the opening / closing plate 9 is driven to open / close by an attacker solenoid 10. Also, in the variable winning device 8, the winning prize number detecting switch 12 for detecting the winning prize received with the opening / closing plate 9 open and the V winning opening formed in the center of the opening / closing plate 9 are won. A V winning ball detection switch 11 for detecting winning balls is provided. The variable winning device 8 configured as described above, until the opening / closing plate 9 has passed a certain time (for example, 30 seconds) when a jackpot gaming state described later is reached, or a predetermined number (for example, 10) of winnings. The attacker solenoid 10 is driven to open until a ball is generated, and such an open state (this is called an open cycle) is given a predetermined number of times (for example, 16 times; Is called the number of continuations). Then, the prize winning number detection switch 12 is used to count the number of winning balls accepted during one opening of the opening / closing plate 9, and the V winning ball detecting switch 11 is repeatedly opened by the opening / closing plate 9. It is used to detect the conditions that occur.

In the game area 3, the liquid crystal display device 20 is provided.
The start winning opening 4 is provided between the variable winning device 8 and the variable winning device 8. The starting winning opening 4 allows the variable display of the liquid crystal display device 20, and therefore the starting winning opening 4 has a built-in starting winning ball detection switch 5 for detecting the winning of a hit ball. In addition, start winning openings 6a and 6b having the same function as the starting winning opening 4 are provided on both left and right sides of the variable winning device 8. The start winning holes 6a, 6b also incorporate start winning ball detection switches 7a, 7b for detecting the winning of a hit ball.

Further, in the game area 3, a liquid crystal display device 20 is provided.
The winning openings 13a to 13d having the operation lamps 14a to 14d built therein are arranged on the upper, lower, left and right sides. The operation lamps 14a to 14d are turned on or blinked according to various game states. Also, on the left and right sides of the game area 3, jackpot lamps 15a, 15b, which are a kind of operation lamps and blink when the jackpot game state is entered to inform the player of that, are arranged. Also, game area 3
At the lowermost part, there is also provided an out port 16 for collecting hit balls that do not win the above-described winning port. Further, the game area 3 is also provided with a large number of obstacle nails and a plurality of wind turbines (both of which have no reference numeral) for changing the direction and speed of the falling hit ball.

Next, the structure of the liquid crystal display device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. 2 is a front view of the liquid crystal display device 20, and FIG.
It is the figure which represented in the stop order the symbols variably displayed on the liquid crystal display 23 of 0. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid crystal display device 2
0 has a mounting board 21 mounted on the surface of the game board 1, and the mounting board 21 has a display window 22 having a substantially rectangular shape.
Is opened, and the liquid crystal display 23 faces the display window 22. Then, the liquid crystal display 23 displays display columns 24a to 24c divided into three in the vertical direction, and three symbols are displayed in each column. Each symbol is formed on the surface of the virtual rotary plate 27 that rotates about the vertical center axis, and a different symbol is displayed each time the virtual rotary plate 27 rotates. For example, as the symbols, symbols “0” to “9” are controlled to be changed and displayed for each rotation of the virtual rotary plate 27. However, the symbols (numbers) drawn on the three virtual rotary plates 27 in each row are not displayed at the same time. Then, since the pattern is formed on the surface of the virtual rotating plate 27 that rotates about the vertical center axis and changes, since the mode is a change mode in which an afterimage remains, there is no strange feeling that the pattern is difficult to identify, The fact that the response speed of the screen of the liquid crystal display 23 is slow can be used most effectively to display that the design is changing. It should be noted that the virtual rotary plate 27 may be rotation-display-controlled with the horizontal center axis as an axis, or may be rotation-display-controlled with an eccentric position axis or an oblique axis as an axis instead of the center. good.

The combination of symbols displayed in the display window 22 when the fluctuation of the display columns 24a to 24c is stopped is the three horizontal hit lines 1 to 3 and the two diagonal hit lines 4 and 5. When the same numbers are aligned on a total of five hit lines, a big hit game state is entered. In addition, each display column 24a to 24c
Starts changing at the same time based on the start winning signal,
The stop order is as follows. First, the left display column 24a is stopped as shown in FIG. 3 (A), then the right display column 24c is stopped as shown in FIG. 3 (B), and finally shown in FIG. 3 (C). Thus, the middle display row 24b is stopped.

Further, when the big hit symbols (identical numbers) are aligned on either hit line at the time when the left and right display columns 24a, 24c are stopped, the reach state is set. In this reach state, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), the background color of the design of the hit line that has reached is different from the background color of the other designs. Similarly, even in the case of a big hit, the background color of the design on the winning line is different from the background color of the other designs. In this case, the reach line and the big hit line may be notified by changing the form of the symbol itself or by displaying the hit line concretely.

The mounting substrate 21 of the liquid crystal display device 20 is provided with a decorative LED 25 for decoration above the mounting substrate 21 and a start memory LED 26 having the above-mentioned function below it. The start memory LED 26 is the liquid crystal display 23.
You may display with. Also, in the jackpot gaming state,
The number of times the opening / closing plate 9 of the variable winning device 8 is opened (also referred to as the number of continuations) and the number of winnings during one opening are calculated by the liquid crystal display 2
3 is displayed.

The structure of the above-described liquid crystal display device 20 and the game control circuit for controlling the operation of the opening / closing plate 9 of the variable winning device 8 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the game control circuit. The game control circuit includes a microcomputer 30
Is used. An external ROM 31 and an external RAM 32 are connected to the microcomputer 30. Then, in the external ROM 31, symbol data is set.

In the external RAM 32, the big hit out counter 33, the big hit pattern counter 34, the reach pattern counter 35, the out pattern counter 36, and each definite memory for storing the values extracted from the respective counters 33 to 36. And 37 are formed. Each finalized memory 37 corresponding to the big hit miss counter 33 has a memory of only the number of holding balls of the starting winning opening 4, 6a, 6b + 1, and the numerical value for determining the hitting or losing of each holding ball at the time of starting winning. The determined value is stored in the corresponding determination memory 37. In addition, the big hit pattern counter 34 is a counter provided corresponding to all big hit patterns of which big hit symbols are arranged on which hit line. Similarly, reach pattern counter 3
Reference numeral 5 is also a counter corresponding to all types of reach patterns (not shown), and the deviation pattern counter 36 is also a counter corresponding to all kinds of removal patterns (not shown). And each pattern counter 34-36
The numerical value of is determined at the start of fluctuation corresponding to the starting winning.

On the other hand, the starting winning prize detecting switches 5, 7a, 7 for detecting winning prizes at the starting winning prize openings 4, 6a, 6b.
b, a V winning ball detection switch 11 for detecting winning balls that have passed through the V winning opening, and a winning ball number detecting switch 12 for detecting winning balls on the opening / closing plate 9 are connected to the microcomputer 30 via the waveform shaping circuit 38. Has been done. Also,
The clock generation circuit 40 outputs an external interrupt signal to the INT terminal of the microcomputer 30 via the frequency divider 39. Then, the microcomputer 30 executes a main program (not shown) in synchronization with the external interrupt signal. Also, the RST of the microcomputer 30
A timing signal output from the timing signal generation circuit 41 is input to one terminal, and a numerical value generation program (not shown) is activated in synchronization with the timing signal.
Further, the reset signal output from the reset signal generation circuit 42 by the ON operation of the power supply circuit 43 is input to the RST2 terminal of the microcomputer 30, and the reset signal activates an initial program (not shown).

An LED drive circuit 44, an LCD drive circuit 45, and a driver 46 are connected to each output port of the microcomputer 30. In the LED drive circuit 44,
The start memory LED 26 is connected, and the LCD drive circuit 45 is connected to the liquid crystal display 23 (displayed as LCD). Further, the driver 46 is the microcomputer 30.
The attacker solenoid 10 and the operation lamps 14a to 14d, 15a and 15b are driven and controlled according to the signal from the. It should be noted that an LCD-dedicated microcomputer may be provided between the microcomputer 30 and the LCD drive circuit 45, and the LCD 23 may be controlled by this microcomputer.

Next, among the operations controlled by the above-mentioned game control circuit, the operation in the starting winning a prize will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In step 10, the hitting ball is any starting winning a prize opening 4, 6a, 6b. It is determined whether or not a start winning prize detection signal has been derived by turning on the corresponding start winning prize detecting switches 5, 7a, 7b. If there is no start winning signal, the subroutine is terminated, while the starting prize is detected. If there is a signal, it is determined in step 20 whether or not the value of the starting prize counter C is smaller than 4. Starting prize counter C
If the value of is greater than 4, four starting winnings have already been stored, so the subroutine is terminated without performing the following processing. If the value of the starting winning counter C is less than 4, step The value of the start prize counter C is updated at 30 and then at step 40, the big hit out counter 33
The current value of is stored in the corresponding definite memory M (c).
The big hit miss counter 33 is, for example, 0 to 234.
The numerical values up to are changing every moment, and when the value extracted at the time of winning the start is “0”, for example, it is determined to be a hit,
When it is "1 to 20," it is determined to be reach (however, it is finally removed), and when it is any other value, it is determined to be out. In addition, when a predetermined condition in the game (for example, a condition that the odd-numbered big hit game state is finished) is established, if the appearance probability of the big hit is set to be a high probability, the big hit miss counter 33 It suffices to change the upper limit of to be smaller.

Next, the variable display operation of the liquid crystal display 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. 6 and 7
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a variable display operation of the liquid crystal display 23. First, in the jackpot gaming state, the liquid crystal display 23,
Normally, the symbols that have been a big hit, the number of continuations, and the number of winning prizes are displayed. Therefore, if it is determined in step 100 that the big hit flag is set, the following processing is not executed.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the big hit flag is not set, the state of the liquid crystal display 23 is determined in steps 110 to 140. Specifically, in step 110, all the display columns 24a of the liquid crystal display 23 are displayed.
It is determined whether or not each of .about.24c is in a changing state (state flag F = 1), and in step 120, the left display column 24a is displayed.
It is determined whether or not only the variable stop state (state flag F = 2) is in the stopped state (state flag F = 3) in the right display column 24c in step 130, In step 140, the combination of symbols displayed on any of the hit lines is in the reach state (state flag F =
4) is determined.

When neither of the above-mentioned states is present (when it is not changing), the state flag F = 0, and at this time, in step 150, the winning of the hit ball to the starting winning port 4, 6a, 6b is stored. It is determined whether or not the value of the start winning prize counter C is 1 or more, and when there is no stored value in the start winning prize counter C, the following processing of the variable display subroutine is not executed and the process ends.

When the value of the start prize counter C is 1 or more, the timers t1, t2 and t3 are set in step 160, and all the display columns 24a to 24c are set in step 170.
Starts to change, the value of the state flag F is set to "1", and the value of the start prize counter C is further decremented by one. Next, at step 180, a big hit out determination memory M
The value of (c) is updated in the lower memory, and it is determined in step 190 whether the value of M (0) in the updated definite memory is a big hit. When it is determined that the value of M (0) is a big hit, one value is extracted from the big hit pattern counter 34 at that time and stored in the corresponding fixed memory at step 200, while it is determined that it is not a big hit. If so, in step 210 M (0)
Of the reach pattern counter 35 is determined in step 220.
Is extracted and stored in the corresponding definite memory, and when the reach is not reached, in step 230, one value is extracted from the out-of-range pattern counter 36 and stored in the corresponding definite memory.

By the way, the above-mentioned timers t1, t2, t
3 is a left display column 24a, a right display column 24c, a middle display column 24
It regulates the fluctuation time of b, and has a relationship of t1 <t2 <t3; t2-t1≈t3-t2. Then, it is determined in step 240 that the time of the timer t1 has expired. If the time has not expired, step 240 → variation display subroutine end → variation display subroutine start-step 110 → step 240 → ... Until the time expires. repeat.

When it is determined that the timer t1 has timed out, at step 250, the left display column 24
The variable display of a is stopped along the selected pattern, and the value of the state flag F is set to "2". Similarly, in step 260, it is determined whether or not the timer t2 has timed out. If it is determined that the timer has timed up, in step 270, the variable display in the right display row 24c is stopped according to the selected pattern. At the same time, the value of the status flag F is set to "3". Then, when the variable display of the display columns 24a and 24c excluding the center is stopped, it is determined in step 280 whether the value of M (0) is a big hit or a reach, that is, whether a reach display is performed. .

If it is not the reach display, step 29
At 0, it is determined whether the timer t3 has timed up,
Step 290 → end of fluctuation display subroutine → start of fluctuation display subroutine until timer t3 expires
Step 130 → Step 280 → Step 290 → ・
.. is repeated, and when the time is up, the process proceeds to step 330.

On the other hand, if it is judged that the reach display is made, it is judged at step 300 whether or not the value of the state flag F is "4", and if not "4", step 310.
The timer t4 is newly set and the value of the status flag F is set to "4". Here, the timer t4 is for extending the variation time of the middle display row 24b which finally stops varying in the reach state. Then, step 32
At 0, it is determined whether or not the timer t4 has timed up,
Until the timer t4 has timed out Step 320 → Variation display subroutine end → Variation display subroutine start
Repeat step 140 → step 320 → ...
When the timer t4 has timed out, step 33
Go to 0.

When the timer t3 when the reach display is not set is up, the timer t4 when the reach display is set
When the time is up, the variable display of the middle display row 24b is stopped along the selected pattern in step 330, and then it is determined in step 340 whether or not it is a combination of big hit symbols, and it is determined that it is not a big hit. If so, the state flag is reset in step 350, while if it is determined that the jackpot is a big hit, step 36
At 0, the state flag is reset, the jackpot flag is set, and then the variation display subroutine is ended. When the big hit flag is set in step 360, the opening mode of the opening / closing plate 9 of the variable winning device 8 is executed a predetermined number of times until a predetermined time elapses or a predetermined number of winning balls are generated. The jackpot flag is reset when the opening / closing plate 9 has been opened a predetermined number of times.

The configuration and operation of the pachinko machine equipped with the liquid crystal display device 20 according to the embodiment have been described above. According to this embodiment, however, the surface of the virtual rotating plate 27 in which the design rotates about the vertical central axis. Since it is formed and fluctuates, since the mode is a fluctuation mode in which an afterimage remains, there is no strange feeling that the pattern is difficult to see, and the fact that the response speed of the screen of the liquid crystal display 23 is slow is used to change the pattern. Can be most effectively displayed.

In the above-described embodiment, an example is described in which the display columns of the symbols to be displayed are three vertically and horizontally, and three symbols in each column are stopped at the same time, but nine symbols vertically and horizontally. However, it is also possible to make a unique combination of vertical symbols and make a winning line. Further, the number of display columns and the number of symbols in each display column may be one or more, and the hit line formed by these symbols is not limited to a straight line, but a polygonal line hit. A line or a diagonally parallel hit line may be used. Also, the content of games on pachinko machines,
Not only a so-called digital game, but also a draw game or a rights generation game may be used. Further, other than a pachinko machine as a game machine, the above-described modified examples may be applied to a slot machine, a TV game, or the like.

[0031]

As is apparent from the above description, in the present invention, at the time of variable display, the symbols are variably displayed along with the virtual rotary plate which rotates about the vertical axis or the horizontal axis. Since that mode is a variation mode in which afterimages remain, there is no strange feeling that the pattern is difficult to see, and the fact that the response speed of the screen is slow can be used to most effectively display that the pattern is changing. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a game board of a pachinko machine to which a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment is applied.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a stop order of display columns which are variably displayed on a liquid crystal display of a liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a game control circuit that controls a game operation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation at the time of starting winning.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the first half of the variable display operation.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the latter half of the variable display operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 game board 4 start winning a prize mouth 6a, 6b starting winning a prize mouth 8 variable winning a prize device 9 opening / closing plate 20 liquid crystal display device 22 display window 23 liquid crystal display 24a left display column 24b middle display column 24c right display column 27 virtual rotating plate 30 microcomputer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A liquid crystal display device of a gaming machine, which gives a great game value to a player when a combination of symbols displayed when a plurality of fluctuation columns stop changing is a combination of predetermined jackpot symbols, A liquid crystal display of a gaming machine characterized in that a symbol is formed on the surface of a virtual rotating plate which rotates about an axis of ordinates or an axis of abscissa, and variable display control is performed so as to change the symbol for each rotation of the virtual rotating plate. apparatus.