JPH08224350A - Monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a monitoring system which can monitor a plurality of game machines and can perform photographing any undue commited momentarily. CONSTITUTION: A game machine 9 and a photographing device 7 are installed for one game machine controller 6, and an eventual failure signal which is sensed by the game machine 9 is transmitted to a block controller 5. When failure signal is fed to the block controller 5, only the photographing device 7 which is connected with the controller 6 having received the failure signal, transmits an image signal, and an image processing device 8 which is connected to the controller, stores an image signal. When no failure signal is received, image signals emitted by a plurality of photographing devices 7 stored by the image processing device 8 on the time-divided manner.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a surveillance system, and more particularly, to a surveillance system capable of centrally monitoring individual amusement machines such as pachinko amusement parks and constantly monitoring the abnormal amusement machines when an abnormality occurs. It

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a surveillance system for a pachinko game machine or the like, a monitor camera installed for the purpose of managing a player's fraud and the like has been separated from a data centralized management device with the practical use of a small monitor camera. It functions independently as a device, and an image from a monitor camera installed on each amusement table is displayed on a monitor for centralized monitoring or recorded on a video device or the like. Further, there is known a tracking camera system in which a monitor camera having a tracking function is installed in a store, and a pachinko game console in which an abnormality has occurred is projected by an instruction from a central monitoring device.

[0003]

However, in the current pachinko amusement arcade, it has become possible to monitor a player's misconduct or the like at each amusement board. However, each of the amusement boards has a wiring for a video signal and a control signal. Must be connected to the central monitoring device, and the number of input / output lines becomes enormous. Accordingly, there is a problem that the wiring work requires cost and time, and the number of wirings is large, so that maintenance is extremely difficult. In the tracking camera system installed for each block, the number of input / output lines for video signals can be reduced. However, since tracking control is performed after the central monitoring device has detected fraud, it takes time from detecting fraud to capturing an image, and it is necessary to grasp the situation for many frauds that are carried out instantly. There was a problem that it could not be done.

In order to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a monitoring system capable of monitoring a plurality of playgrounds with a small number of wires and capturing an illegal act or the like which is instantaneously performed. .

[0005]

Therefore, the present invention provides

A plurality of amusement machines capable of outputting information that has detected an abnormality, a plurality of amusement machine controllers connected to the respective amusement machines and having a communication path capable of transmission / reception, and connected to the respective amusement machine controllers for transmission / reception A plurality of imaging devices connected in a chain by possible communication paths, a block controller connected to each game machine controller by a communication path that can be transmitted and received, and a communication path in which each imaging device is connected in a chain by a communication path Consisting of an image processing device connected to the end of the game machine controller, the game machine controller sends the abnormal signal input from the game machine to the block controller,
The control information transmitted from the block controller is output to the connected imaging device, and the block controller
When the abnormal signal is not input, the control signal for controlling the image captured by each imaging device to be output to the image processing device in a time division manner is transmitted to each game machine controller,
When an abnormal signal is received, a control signal for controlling to output only an image captured by the imaging device connected to the game machine controller that transmitted the abnormal signal to the image processing device is transmitted to the game machine controller, and the imaging device Transmits an image captured by a control signal input from a game machine controller to an image storage device, the image processing device has an image storage unit, and sequentially stores the input image in the image storage unit. Monitoring system,

The above-mentioned problem is solved by providing the above.

[0008]

The block controller outputs to each game machine controller a control signal for controlling the image picked up by each image pickup device to be output to the image processing device in a self-divided manner. Each amusement machine controller outputs the input control signal to the connected image pickup device. Each imaging device is controlled by a control signal to output an image to be captured to the image processing device. In the image processing device, images from the respective imaging devices are input and sequentially stored in the image storage unit. At this time, in the image processing apparatus, an input image signal is sequentially input in a time-division manner from each imaging device and stored in the image storage unit. When the game machine detects an abnormality, the game machine that has detected the abnormality outputs the information to a connected game machine controller. The amusement machine controller inputs information that the abnormality is detected from the amusement machine, and transmits an abnormality signal from the communication path to the block controller.

Since the block controller inputs an abnormal signal, the control signal is transmitted so as to transmit an image signal to be picked up by the image pickup device connected to the game machine controller which has transmitted the abnormal signal, and the other image pickup devices are made to send the image signal. A control signal for controlling not to output is transmitted. The imaging device connected to the game machine controller that has transmitted the abnormal signal is controlled by the control signal to take an image and output an image signal. Other imaging devices are controlled by control signals and do not output image signals. Therefore, in the image processing device, only the image signal output from the imaging device connected to the game machine controller that has transmitted the abnormal signal is stored in the image storage unit.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a data communication method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially detailed explanatory diagram of the same, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the same components.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a monitoring system for monitoring a pachinko game machine or the like. The monitoring system 1 includes a host computer 2, a counter computer 3, a bus repeater 4, a plurality of block controllers 5, a plurality of amusement machine controllers 6, a plurality of imaging devices 7, and an image processing device 8. In this embodiment, the monitoring system 1 monitors the pachinko game machine and the like, and simultaneously manages and controls the pachinko game machine. However, the host computer 2, the counter computer 3, and the bus repeater so that only the pachinko game machine can be monitored. 4 may be implemented without being provided in the configuration. In the monitoring system 1, a host computer 2, a counter computer 3, a bus repeater 4, and a plurality of block controllers 5 are communicably connected.
Each block controller 5 is communicably connected to a plurality of game machine controllers 6. The game machine controller 6 is connected to the game machine 9 and monitors a specific game machine 9 connected to itself. The imaging device 7 is mounted on the upper part of the game machine 9 and is an imaging device, and is connected to the other two imaging devices 7 so as to be able to input and output signals. The image pickup device 7 has a small CCD camera 71 built therein, and has a switching device 72 and a complaint switch 73. The CCD camera 71 outputs an image signal of the player of the game machine 9 when the switching device 72 is turned on.
Further, a signal input from the imaging device 7 corresponding to one input / output is output to the other imaging device 7, and in some cases, a video signal captured by the CCD camera 71 of the own device is output to the other imaging device 7. .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an image signal from the imaging device 7 corresponding to one input is directly connected to the imaging device 7 corresponding to the other output, as shown in FIG. However, another circuit may be provided between the input and output for synchronizing the image signal and the like, and furthermore, the circuit may be configured to be similarly connected outside the imaging device 7.
The host computer 2 inputs the data from the connected counter computer 3 and the data from the block controller 5 transmitted via the bus repeater 4 to the counter computer 3, and determines the total number of pachinko balls in the entire system. The number of pachinko balls of the game machine 9 managed by the block controller, the number of pachinko balls managed by the counter computer 3, and the like, or the status of each connected device and each pachinko game machine are managed. . The counter computer 3 is installed in a counter of the pachinko game hall, and manages the number of pachinko balls exchanged by the player after the game is completed, or manages the exchanged articles, and the like.
As a management signal, and is controlled by a control signal from the host computer 2.

The management signal includes identification information and management information for identifying the game machine 9 which is the signal source. In this embodiment, the management information includes payout information of the game machine 9, winning information, fraud detection information, and abnormality monitoring information, and further includes calling information from the complaint switch 73. The abnormality information is fraud detection information or other abnormality monitoring information that needs to be imaged by the user of the game machine 9 among the management information, and the abnormality signal is a signal including these abnormality information and identification information.

The control signal includes identification information for specifying the imaging device 7 to be controlled and control information for controlling the imaging device 7. The control information controls the switching device 72 for outputting an image signal of the CCD camera 71. Information.
Further, the game machine control signal includes control information for controlling the game machine 9 and identification information for specifying the game machine 9. The bus repeater 4 transmits a control signal received from the host computer 2 via the counter computer 3 to a predetermined block controller 5 based on identification information included in the control signal, and a management signal transmitted from the block controller 5. It receives and transmits to the host computer 2 via the counter computer 3. Each block controller 5 is connected to the bus repeater 4 and a plurality of game machine controllers 6, and can transmit and receive signals to and from each of them. Each game machine controller 6 is connected to the corresponding game machine 9 and imaging device 7, respectively, and can receive a signal from the block controller 5 or transmit a signal to the block controller 5, and each of the game machines 9 and Signals can be input / output to / from the imaging device 7 as well.

Hereinafter, the block controller 5 and the game machine controller 6 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The block controller 5 has two communication paths for communication with the game machine controller 6 in addition to the communication path with the host computer 2. The block controller 5 receives the game machine control signal transmitted from the host computer 2 from the hub repeater 4, and transmits it to the game machine controller 6 connected to the game machine 9 managed by itself included in the game machine control signal. In this embodiment, the hub repeater 4 selects and transmits the control signal transmitted from the host computer 2 to the destination block controller 5 based on the identification information included in the signal. It is also possible that the block controller 5 directly determines the identification information included in the control signal and transmits it to the game machine controller 6 in the case of the game machine control signal for the game machine 9 connected to itself. is there. The block controller 5 receives the management signal transmitted from the game machine controller 6, transmits the received management signal to the host computer 2 depending on the received management signal, and transmits an abnormal signal to the host computer 2 when the management signal is an abnormal signal. Imaging device 7 connected to the game machine controller 6 which transmitted the abnormal signal together with
To a control signal for controlling the image pickup device 7.

The game machine controller 6 also has two communication paths like the block controller 5, and as shown in FIG. 2, the block controller 5 is communicably connected to a plurality of game machine controllers 6 so as to be linked in a ring. .
The two communication paths of the block controller 5 are a communication path TX1 and a communication path TX2, respectively. Communication channels TX1, TX
The signal transmission directions 2 are paths for transmitting signals in opposite directions as indicated by arrows in FIG. The block controller 5
A game machine connected to the imaging device 7 specified by the identification information included in the control signal when constantly monitoring the game machine controller 6 connected by each of the communication paths TX1 and TX2 and transmitting a control signal. The transmission is performed on the communication path to which the controller 6 is connected. Similarly, when the game machine control signal received from the host computer 2 is transmitted, the game machine control signal 6 transmitted to the game machine controller 6 connected to the game machine 9 specified by the identification information included in the control signal is transmitted. I do. For communication between the block controller 5 and the amusement machine controller 6, normally, a signal is transmitted and received using the communication path TX1, but a desired amusement machine controller 6 is connected to the communication path TX1 due to an illegal act or a failure of a game machine user. When the connection is not established, the block controller 5 selects another communication path TX2.

The game machine controller 6 has two communication paths TX1 and TX2 capable of transmission and reception, and comprises an input / output selection circuit 61 and a communication control section 62. The communication control section 62 can input and output with the game machine. Connected to. Input / output selection circuit 61
Are two O / E conversion circuits 63 connected to the communication paths TX1 and TX2, and a hub controller connected to the O / E conversion circuit 63 so as to be able to input and output and to the communication control unit 62 so as to be able to input and output. 64. O / E conversion circuit 6
3 converts an optical digital signal into an electric digital signal and outputs it to the hub controller 64, or converts a signal input from the hub controller 64 into an optical digital signal,
It is a conversion circuit that transmits from the communication path TX1 or the communication path TX2. Signals are transmitted and received as optical digital signals between the devices of the monitoring system 1, and signals are transmitted as electrical digital signals within the devices. Therefore, the O / E conversion circuit converts the optical digital signal into an electric digital signal when receiving the optical digital signal, and converts the electric digital signal into an optical digital signal when transmitting. The hub controller 64 is connected to the O / E conversion circuit and the communication control unit 62 so as to be able to input and output, and normally transmits and receives signals using the communication path TX1.
When is not connected, the communication paths TX1 and TX2 are monitored to select another communication path TX2,
Switching of the communication paths TX1 and TX2 can be selected. Further, the hub controller 64 communicates the control signal when the imaging device 7 or the game machine 9 connected to the communication controller 62 corresponding to the connection is specified by the identification information of the control signal received from the block controller 5. Control unit 6
2 is output, but if not specified, the control signal input to the other O / E conversion circuit is output. Further, the hub controller 64 outputs a signal from the communication control unit 62 corresponding to the connection to one of the O / E conversion circuits.

The communication control unit 62 includes a control unit 65 and an input / output unit 66. The control unit 65 is a hub controller 6
4 and is connected to the input / output unit 66 so as to be able to input and output. The control unit 65 can input a control signal from the hub controller 64, and can output the control signal to the input / output unit 66 to control the game machine 9 or the imaging device 7 according to the identification information and the control information included in the input control signal. . Also, management information can be input from the input / output unit 66, and identification information for identifying the game machine 9 or the imaging device 7 to be connected can be added to the management information to be input and output to the hub controller 64. It is. The input / output unit 66 is connected to the control unit 65 so as to be able to input and output, and is connected to the game machine 9 and the imaging device 7 so as to be able to input and output.
It is possible to select an output destination specified by the identification information of the signal input from the control unit 65 and the control information, and output the control information to the game machine 9 or the imaging device 7. Further, the input / output unit 66
Can input management information from the game machine 9 or the imaging device 7 and output it to the control unit 65. The management information input from the amusement machine 9 is payout information and winning information, and the fraud detection information and the abnormality monitoring information, which are abnormality information.
This is the information that is turned on. In this embodiment, the information is managed as management information. However, other information necessary for managing the game machine 9 may be handled as management information.

The image pickup device 7 converts a video signal picked up by a CCD camera 71 incorporated therein into a switching device 72.
It is connected to one output-capable imaging device 7 so as to be able to output, and can input an image signal captured by another imaging device 7 corresponding to the other input and output to one imaging device 7 corresponding to one output. The CCD camera 71 is installed so as to be able to image the user of the game machine 9. The switching device 72 is controlled by a control signal generated by the block controller 5, and controls the CCD camera 71 so that the CCD camera 71 takes an image for a certain period of time and outputs an image signal. The plurality of image pickup devices 7 are usually controlled by a control signal so as to pick up images at different times. When the block controller 5 inputs an abnormal signal from the game machine controller 6,
A control signal is transmitted from the block controller 5 so that the imaging device 7 connected to the amusement machine controller 6 that has transmitted the abnormal signal captures an image of the user of the amusement machine 9 that is also connected. The image is taken and the image signal is output, and the other imaging device 7 does not output the image signal.

The image processing device 8 compresses an input video signal and outputs it by an image compression circuit 81, an image storage section 82,
An image monitor 83 and an image controller 84,
The image signal output from the image pickup device 7 can be input by being connected to the image pickup device 7 at the end of the communication path connected in a chain.
The image processing device 8 is connected to the imaging device 7 and the host computer 2 and is a CCD camera 7 built in the imaging device 7.
1 can be recorded in the image storage unit 82 according to the control signal of the block controller 5. The image compression device 81 receives an image signal from each imaging device 7, compresses the image signal, and outputs the image signal to the image storage unit 82. The image storage unit 82 is connected to the image control unit 84, the image compression device 81, and the image monitor 83, can input the compressed image signal from the image compression device 81, stores the input image, and stores the image. The input image signal is output to the monitor 83. The image storage unit 82 is connected to an image control unit 84
The storage position of the input image is output to the image control unit 84 under the control of. In this embodiment, since the image storage unit 82 is composed of a large-scale frame memory, the storage position to be stored is an address of the frame memory. However, another storage device such as a video tape may be used. The image control unit 84 can receive a signal from the block controller 5, and can store the storage position of the image signal stored in the image storage unit 82 and the like. Next, the connection state of the monitoring system 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the host computer 2 and the counter computer 3 are connected to be able to transmit and receive, and further, the bus repeater 4 and the counter computer 3 are connected to be able to transmit and receive. Each block controller 5 is connected to the bus repeater 4 so as to be able to transmit and receive, and
A control signal transmitted from the controller to each block controller 5 or a management signal transmitted from each block controller 5 to the host computer 2 is transmitted via the counter computer 3 and the bus repeater 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the block controller 5 and the amusement machine controller 6 are connected to each other so that the amusement machine controllers 6 can communicate with each other via communication paths TX1 and TX2, and are further linked so as to be linked with a plurality of amusement machine controllers 6. It is connected to be able to send and receive. Each game machine controller 6 is connected to a specific game machine 9 so as to be able to input and output.
Furthermore, the input / output connection is made with the image pickup device 7 installed on the upper part of the specific game machine 9. As described above, the imaging device 7 is capable of outputting a video signal captured by a built-in CCD camera to the imaging device 7 corresponding to one output, and a video captured by the other imaging device 7 corresponding to the other input. The final-end imaging device 7 that is connected in a chain by inputting a signal and being output-connected to one output-corresponding imaging device 7 is not an imaging device 7 corresponding to an output, but an image processing device 8.
It is connected to output to. A communication path TX1 connecting the block controller 5 and the game machine controller 6
Is a path which is sequentially transmitted from the block controller 5 to the game machine controller 6a, the game machine controller 6b, the game machine controller 6c,..., The game machine controller 6n and returns to the RX1, and the communication path TX2 is a game from the block controller 5. Machine controller 6n
..., The game machine controller 6c, the game machine controller 6b, and the game machine controller 6a are sequentially transmitted to the RX.
The communication path TX1 and the communication path TX2 take paths that transmit data in opposite directions. Therefore, the communication path TX
When one of the communication paths TX1 and TX2 does not form a ring communication path due to disconnection or the like, the other communication is possible, and the ring communication path where both communication paths TX1 and TX2 are linked is formed. Even when the communication is not formed, the transmission destination selects a communication path existing in the communication path, so that the communication can be performed similarly. In this embodiment, the block controller 5
And the game machine controller 6 has two communication paths TX1, TX2.
Although the connection is made in the form of a ring connected by the TX2, a communication path may be provided from each of the game machine controllers 6 and connected to the block controller 5 as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4B, the connection may be made only through the communication path TX1 as long as bidirectional communication is possible between the block controller 5 and the game machine controller 6.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
A case in which the block controller 5 controls a specific imaging device 7 to be connected will be described. Hereinafter, the game machine controller 6 connected to the controlled imaging device 7 is referred to as a game machine controller 6d, and the transmitted control signal is a signal for controlling the imaging device 7 connected to the game machine controller 6d to output an image signal. And The block controller 5a selects a communication path where the amusement machine controller 6d exists from the communication path TX1 or the communication path TX2 which is linked in a ring shape so as to output an image signal to the image pickup device 7 connected to the amusement machine controller 6d, and receives it. Send the signal. Since the block controller 5a normally selects the communication path TX1, the transmission path is transmitted from the communication path TX1. If the communication path TX1 does not form a ring-shaped communication path that is chained due to disconnection or the like, the communication path TX2 is selected. If the two communication paths TX1 and TX2 do not form a ring-shaped communication path that is chained by, for example, a disconnection, the game machine controller 6d selects the communication path TX1 that is chained in the transmission direction for communication. If the disconnection point is between the game machine controller 6c and the game machine controller 6d, the communication path TX2 which is linked in the transmission direction to the game machine controller 6d is selected, and a control signal is transmitted from the communication path TX2 to the game machine controller 6d. The management signal transmitted from the communication path TX
2 transmitted. Hereinafter, a case where the communication paths TX1 and TX2 are disconnected between the game machine controllers 6c and 6d will be described as an example.

In the amusement machine controller 6a, the communication path T
The control signal transmitted from the block controller 5a of X1 reaches the game machine controller 6a, and converts the control signal received by the O / E conversion circuit 63 connected to the receiving side of the game machine controller 6a into an electric digital signal. Output to the hub controller 64. In the hub controller 64, since the input control signal does not include identification information for specifying the imaging device connected to the game machine controller 6a, the O / E connected to the communication path TX1 output side is not included.
The signal input to the conversion circuit 63 is output and transmitted from the O / E conversion circuit 63 connected to the transmission side of the communication path TX1 to the adjacent game machine controller 6b. Similarly, the game machine controllers 6b to 6c also sequentially transmit the received control signals to the next game machine controller. In the game machine controller 6d, the game machine controller 6
The control signal is received from c, the O / E conversion circuit 63 connected to the receiving side of the communication path TX1 converts the control signal from the optical digital signal to the electric digital signal, and the hub controller 64
Output to. The hub controller 64 outputs a control signal to the control unit 65 of the communication control unit 62 because the input control signal includes identification information for specifying the imaging device 7 connected to the game machine controller 6d. The input control unit 65 controls the input / output unit 6 to output the control information to the imaging device 7 specified by the identification information included in the control signal.
Output to 6. The input / output unit 66 outputs control information to the imaging device 7 specified by the identification information of the input signal. The imaging device 7 controls the control information output from the input / output unit 66. In the imaging device 7, the switching device 72 inputs control information, and outputs an image signal captured by the CCD camera 71 based on the control information until the next control signal is input and controlled. An image signal captured by the CCD camera 71 is output from the switching device 72 and input to the image processing device 8 via the other imaging device 7. The image signal is compressed by the image compression circuit 81 in the image processing device 8 and output to the image storage unit 82. The image storage unit 82 sequentially stores the input signals and outputs the signals to the image monitor 83.
The image monitor 83 displays an image according to the input image signal.

The block controller 5 transmits a control signal to the amusement machine controller 6d described above, and outputs a control signal for controlling the controller 6d to terminate the output of the image signal after a lapse of a certain time, and at the same time, the controller 6d. A control signal for controlling the image pickup device 7 connected to the controller 6e to output an image signal is output to the amusement machine controller 6e connected adjacent to. The control signal for stopping the image output received by the game machine controller 6d is sequentially transmitted in the same manner as described above, is received by the game machine controller 6d, and is input to the imaging device 7 connected thereto. In the imaging device 7, the switching device 72 receives the control information of the same signal,
The output of the image signal of the D camera 71 is stopped. On the other hand, a control signal for controlling the amusement machine controller 6e is also received by the controller 6e, similarly to the above, and output to the imaging device 7 to which the control information is connected. The switching device 72 of the imaging device 7 outputs an image signal captured by the CCD camera 71 to the image processing device 8 according to the control signal. In the image processing device 8, C connected to the game machine controller 6e
The image signal output from the CD camera 71 is stored in the same manner as described above. At this time, the output of the image signal from the CCD camera 71 connected to the game machine controller 6d has already been completed. When the management signal or the control signal is transmitted between the host computer 2 and the counter computer 3, the transmission is performed through the communication paths respectively connected. As described above, in the normal state, the image processing device 8 sequentially stores the image signal output from the imaging device 7 connected to the adjacent game machine controller 6. Therefore, normally, the images of the image pickup device 7 connected to all the game machine controllers 6 are stored in a time division manner.

In the above description, the imaging device 7 connected to the game machine controller 6d transmitted from the host computer 2
Although the control signal for controlling the game machine controller 6 has been described, when controlling the image pickup device 7 connected to the game machine controller 6 other than the game machine controller 6d, similarly to the above example, the game machine controller 6 to which the image pickup device 7 to be controlled is connected. Signal to. When controlling a specific game machine 9, a control signal is transmitted to the game machine controller 6 to which the game machine 9 is connected, and the input / output unit 66 to which the specific game machine 9 is connected is controlled.
Is a game machine 9 specified by the identification information of the input signal.
Control information is output to the game machine 9 to be controlled. Next, based on FIGS. 1 to 3, the game machine controller 6d inputs abnormality information output from the game machine 9 connected to the game machine controller 6d belonging to the block controller 5a, and the block controller via the communication path. 5, the control signal is output from the block controller 5 to control the imaging device 7, and the image processing device 8 stores the image signal. Abnormality information is output from the game machine 9 connected to the game machine controller 6d, and the input / output unit 66 inputs the abnormality information. The output of the abnormality information of the game machine 9 may be configured to be instructed and output from the connected game machine controller 6d, or may be configured to be independently output by the game machine 9,
Furthermore, both of them may be configured to be possible. The input / output unit 66 outputs to the control unit 65 that the input abnormality information is information from the game machine 9. The control section 65 adds identification information for specifying the game machine 9 to the input signal and outputs an abnormal signal to the hub controller 64 of the input / output selection circuit 61.

The hub controller 64 selects a communication path in which the block controller 5a exists from the ring-shaped communication path TX1 or TX2, and inputs an abnormal signal to the O / O connected to the transmission side of the selected communication path. Output to E conversion circuit. When the communication paths TX1 and TX2 are not chained in a ring, the communication path in which the block controller 5a exists in the communication path is selected as described above. The O / E conversion circuit that has received the abnormal signal from the hub controller 64 converts the abnormal signal, which is an electric digital signal, into an optical digital signal and transmits the optical digital signal to the selected communication path TX1, so that the game machine controller 6d transmits the abnormal signal to the communication path. It is transmitted to the game machine controller 6e via TX1. In the game machine controller 6e, the abnormal signal input by the O / E conversion circuit 63 connected to the input side of the communication path TX1 is converted into an electric digital signal and output to the hub controller 64. In the hub controller 64, since the input abnormal signal does not include identification information for specifying the game machine 9 connected to the game machine controller 6a, the signal is output to the O / E conversion circuit 63 connected to the communication path TX1 output side. Is transmitted from the O / E conversion circuit 63 connected to the output side of the communication path TX1 to the amusement machine controller 6f adjacent to the communication path TX1. Similarly, the game machine controllers 6f to 6n-1 sequentially transmit the received abnormal signal to the next game machine controller. Next, the game machine controller n receives the signal transmitted by the game machine controller 6n-1. The game machine controller n also transmits the received abnormal signal to the block controller 5a.

Since the block controller 5a receives the abnormal signal of the game machine 9 connected to the game machine controller 6d, the imaging device 7 which is currently outputting the image signal is received.
However, the game machine controller 6d that has transmitted the control signal so as to stop outputting the image signal and also transmitted the abnormal signal.
The image pickup device 7 connected to outputs a control signal so as to output an image signal. On the other hand, the image signal to be output by the abnormal signal to the image processing device 8 is stored in the image storage unit 82.
In order to store the image more clearly, the image compression unit 81 does not perform image compression, and the image storage unit 82 transmits the control signal so as to store the storage start position of the image storage unit 82. The control signal to the imaging device 7 that is currently outputting the image signal and the abnormal signal are transmitted. The control signal to the imaging device 7 connected to the new lower game machine controller 6d is transmitted in the same manner as the transmission of the control signal described above. . As a result, the imaging device 7 that is currently outputting the image signal stops outputting the image signal, and the imaging device 7 connected to the game machine controller 6d that has transmitted the abnormal signal outputs the image to be captured to the image processing device 8. . In the image processing device 8, since the control signal is received from the block controller 5 so as to be stored without being compressed, the image control unit 84 stops the operation of the image compression circuit 81, and the image signal input from the imaging device 7 is received. Output to the image storage unit 82 is started without compression. The image storage unit 82 stores an input image signal. At this time, the image control unit 84 stores the storage start position of the image storage unit 82. Since the image control unit 84 stores the storage start position, it is possible to smoothly reproduce an image of the user of the amusement machine 9 in which the time when the abnormality such as the fraud has occurred has been taken.

[0027]

According to the present invention, therefore, image signals from a plurality of image pickup devices can be stored in one communication path, and when an abnormal signal such as fraudulent activity occurs, the state of the game machine is prioritized for image pickup. It will be possible. In addition, since the amusement machine is electrically controlled from the time when the game machine detects a fraud or the like, the time from the occurrence of the fraud to the imaging of the image signal is extremely short. It becomes possible to catch the situation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a monitoring system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially detailed explanatory view of a monitoring system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of components of a monitoring system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another communication path of the monitoring system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 TX1 communication path TX2 communication path 1 monitoring system 2 host computer 3 counter computer 4 bus repeater 5 block controller 5a block controller 6 amusement machine controller 6a, 6b ... 6n amusement machine controller 61 input / output selection circuit 62 communication control unit 63 O / E conversion circuit 64 Hub controller 65 Control unit 66 Input / output unit 7 Imaging device 71 CCD camera 72 Switching device 73 Claim switch 8 Image processing device 81 Image compression circuit 82 Image storage unit 83 Image monitor 84 Image control unit 9 Amusement machine

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of game machines capable of outputting information that senses an abnormality, a plurality of game machine controllers connected to each game machine, and having a communication path capable of transmitting and receiving, and a game machine connected to each game machine controller. A plurality of imaging devices connected in a chain by a transceivable communication channel, a block controller connected to each game machine controller by a receivable communication channel, and the imaging devices connected in a chain by a communication channel. An image processing device connected to the end of the communication path, the game machine controller transmits an abnormal signal input from the game machine to the block controller, and transmits control information transmitted from the block controller to the connected imaging device. When the block controller does not input an abnormal signal, the image captured by each imaging device is A control signal for controlling output to the image processing device is transmitted to each game machine controller, and when an abnormal signal is received, only an image captured by an imaging device connected to the game machine controller that has transmitted the abnormal signal. To the game machine controller, the imaging device sends an image captured by the control signal input from the game machine controller to the image storage device, and the image processing device A monitoring system having a storage unit and sequentially storing input images in an image storage unit.