JPH09294860A - Management device of game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simply and quickly totalize the number of coming persons, the number of leaving persons and the number of staying persons so as to graps the total number of staying customers playing the game in a game parlor including the customers not sitting at the game table by providing an entrance with a sensor for detecting the number of coming and leaving persons, and inputting the sensor information by a management computer. SOLUTION: Traffic sensors 32a-d provided at different entrances of a game parlor are connected to a personal computer 31. Each traffic sensor 32a-d detect the number of coming persons entering the game parlor through each entrance and the number of leaving persons going out of the parlor through each entrance, and the personal computer 31 calculates the number of staying persons in the game parlor from the difference between them. The number of coming persons, the number of leaving persons and the number of staying persons are totalized in unit of one hour in a local computer 27 through an MSC 24. The local computer 27 calculates the number of customers actually playing the game an the number of customers not playing the game actually by each time zone from the classification of the game machine, the number of operating machines totalized by each kind of machine and the number of staying persons.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game machine management apparatus for managing a ball game machine such as a pachinko machine, an arrange ball, a smart ball, a pinball game machine, or a game machine such as a slot machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when operating a store of a game arcade, various data collected by a management device of a game machine are referred to. Based on this aggregated data, the manager of the game arcade grasps the characteristics of each ball game machine and slot machine.

For example, one of the aggregated data is the number of operating game machines. However, in the conventional gaming machine management device, this number of operating personnel is not automatically counted, so the clerk of the gaming store manually counts the types of gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines, and the types of each gaming machine. ing. Based on the total number of operating machines in each category or machine type, the manager of the game hall grasps the operating status in the game hall, allocates the types of game machines in the game hall, replaces models, and rearranges game machines. We are working to ensure appropriate profits by taking appropriate measures such as the above.

[0004]

As described above, in the above-mentioned conventional management apparatus, the total number of operating persons of each gaming machine is manually calculated by the visual observation by the clerk of the gaming shop. In other words, the store clerk stands in the game hall, the store clerk identifies the type and model of each game machine, the customer attendance status of each game machine is visually confirmed, and the counter held by the store clerk activates each game machine. The numbers are being counted manually.

Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional game machine management apparatus, it takes a lot of labor to collect the number of operating persons, and it has been impossible to collect the number of operating persons easily and quickly. For this reason, it is difficult to collect data on the number of working persons every day, and the number of times of data collection is limited. Therefore, it is also difficult to accurately and statistically grasp the characteristics of the gaming machine based on the aggregated data of the operating personnel.

[0006] Furthermore, although there are many gamers who enter the game arcade but do not get on the game table, such a resident in the game arcade has not been grasped by the conventional management device. That is, in the conventional gaming machine management device,
The trends of the players in the amusement hall were not meticulously grasped. For this reason, the conventional aggregated data lacks some information as the operation data of the game hall.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and in a gaming machine management apparatus comprising a management computer for collecting gaming information of each gaming machine, The management computer is characterized in that it counts the number of people staying in the game hall, which is obtained from the number of customers entering the store and the number of people leaving the store, which are detected by a sensor for detecting the number of people entering and leaving the game hall.

Further, the management computer counts the number of resident persons in a predetermined time unit, and also counts the operating numbers of each gaming machine by type or model in a predetermined time unit. It is characterized in that trend analysis data of the player in the game arcade is calculated based on and.

Further, the entrance / exit detection sensor is provided at each entrance / exit of a different game hall.

As described above, a sensor for detecting the number of people entering and exiting the amusement hall is provided, and the management computer inputs this sensor information, so that the number of visitors to the amusement hall, the number of persons leaving the hall, and the number of residents are easily and It will be counted quickly.

Further, based on the number of stayers and the operating numbers of each gaming machine, which are totaled in a predetermined time unit by the management computer, the number of players who are not actually playing in the game hall and the games which are actually playing. The number of customers is grasped in a predetermined time unit.

Further, by providing an entrance / exit number detection sensor at each entrance / exit of different amusement halls, it is possible to grasp the relative relationship between the number of persons entering / leaving the store by the location of the entrance / exit and the operating characteristics depending on the arrangement position of the gaming machine. it can.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, a gaming machine management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a gaming machine management apparatus according to the present embodiment.

The pachinko / pachislot data unit (PDU) 21 includes a gaming machine (P / P) such as a ball game machine such as a pachinko machine (P) or a pachislot machine (PS).
S) is connected to a predetermined number. In this embodiment, four units are connected. Further, peripheral devices of the gaming machine are connected to the counter data unit (CDU) 22. In this embodiment, a game medium lending machine, a game medium counter, and an island safe are connected as the peripheral devices. These P
The DU 21 and the CDU 22 access each gaming machine and peripheral devices in real time, and collect game information of each gaming machine and count information of peripheral devices in real time.

Link Data Unit (LDU) 23
Is a predetermined number of PDUs 21 and CDUs 22, eight PDUs 21a to 21h and one CDU22 in this embodiment.
Are provided for each block. LD
In this block, the U23 accesses each of the PDUs 21a to 21h and the CDU 22 on a time-division basis in a rotating manner,
21a-h and the information collected in the CDU 22 is collected block by block. The LDU 23 is composed of a sub serial controller (SSC) and a link data controller (LDC) (not shown), and this LDC collects each information from each PDU 21 and CDU 22.
Each information collected by the LDC is stored in a dual port RAM (not shown) in the LDU 23.

Main serial controller (MS
C) 24 collects and accumulates and updates each information collected in each LDU 23. That is, the MSC 24 is connected to the SSC in each LDU 23 by the optical fiber cable 25, and this SSC is a dual port RA in the LDU 23.
Various information stored in M is read out. The SSC transfers the read information to the optical fiber cable 25 by DMA (Direct Memory Access). The MSC 24 receives various information serially transferred via the optical fiber cable 25 and stores the information in the RAM in the MSC 24. LD
Information is constantly transferred in this way from the SSC in the U23 to the MSC 24, and the MSC 24 sequentially rewrites the stored old information with the latest received information each time new information is received.

The MSC 24 also inputs information from the personal computer 31. The personal computer 31 is connected with entrance / exit number detection sensors (traffic sensors: TS) 32a to 32d provided at respective entrances and exits of different game arcades. The traffic sensors 32a and 32b are provided on the left and right sides of the automatic door in front of the game arcade, the traffic sensor 32c is provided at the front entrance of the elevator, and the traffic sensor 32d is provided at the emergency exit on the second floor. .

The traffic sensors 32a to 32d radiate infrared rays to the passages at the entrances and exits, detect infrared rays reflected by a person passing through the entrances and exits, and the persons entering and exiting the entrances and exits from the entrances and exits. Differentiated from those who go out. Therefore, each traffic sensor 3
2a to 2d, it is possible to detect the number of visitors entering the game arcade from each entrance and exit, and the number of exiters exiting from each entrance. The personal computer 31 inputs the number of persons entering the store and the number of persons leaving the store, and calculates the number of persons staying in the game arcade from these differences. The number of visitors
The data of the number of persons leaving the store and the number of persons staying are sent to the MSC 24 by the personal computer 31. The MSC 24 also stores each of these received data in the RAM.

Master bus controller (MBC) 2
6 is configured in the same housing as the MSC 24. This M
In response to a command from the local computer 27, the BC 26 transfers various information stored in the MSC 24 to the local computer 27 in 8-bit parallel via the bus adapter 28. The local computer 27 constitutes a management computer, and accesses the MSC 24 to display various information received from the gaming machine side in real time. This display is made on the screen of the CRT monitor 29 or printed out on the form by the printer 30. The values of various information displayed on the CRT monitor 29 are updated in real time.

The MSC 24, MBC 26, local computer 27, CRT monitor 29, and printer 30 constitute a main control unit (MCU), and playground management is separated from the hall where the game machine is installed. It is provided in the room. A personal computer 31 connected to the traffic sensor 32 is also installed in the game hall management room. One LDU 23 connected to the MCU via the optical fiber cable 25 is provided for each game machine island. Eight PDUs 21a to 21h and one CDU22 are connected to one LDU23. Therefore, 8 PDs per game machine island
It means that U21a to h and one CDU 22 are provided. Further, four game machines are connected to one PDU 21 as described above, and one PDU 21 is provided for each of the four game machines. Therefore, 32 gaming machines are installed on one gaming machine island. Since the PDU 21 is small, it is installed, for example, on the back surface of a game machine.

The number of gaming machines provided per gaming machine island, the number of PDUs 21 and CDUs 22 provided per LDU 23, and the number of gaming machines and peripheral devices connected to one PDU 21 and CDU 22. Are arbitrary, and are appropriately adjusted according to the scale and layout of the game hall where the gaming machine is installed.

In such a device configuration, the LDU 23
Between CDU22 and each PDU21, bidirectional (bipolar) bit link (BBL) with four pachislot (PS) or pachinko machine (P) as one node.
Are formed. For CDU22, the island safe, game medium lending machine, and game medium counting machine
Node. LDU23, CDU22 and each PD
Bit link communication with U21 is performed as follows.

LDU23, CDU22 and each PDU
The access between 21a to 21a is performed in turn. That is, the LDU 23 accesses the PDU 21a for a predetermined time after accessing the CDU 22 for a predetermined time, and then accesses the adjacent PDU 21b for a predetermined time. After that, the PDUs 21c to 21h are sequentially accessed for a predetermined time, the last PDU 21h is accessed, and then the first CDU 22 is returned to and accessed. After that, this round of access is continuously repeated. Each access is performed in both directions, and not only the information (game information, peripheral device count information, etc.) is transmitted from the CDU 22 and each PDU 21 to the LDU 23, but also information is transmitted from the LDU 23 to each CDU 22 and each PDU 21. (Command, etc.) is transmitted.

From each PDU 21 and CDU 22 to LDU
The game information and the count information collected in 23 are stored in the MSC 24 via the optical fiber cable 25. The local computer 27 displays various information stored in the MSC 24 in real time by the CRT monitor 29 and the printer 30, as described above, in response to a request from the manager of the game hall or the like.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the scheduled sales table created based on the data collected in this way. In the regular sales table, various kinds of information collected by the hour from the opening of the game arcade to the closing of the arcade are shown as a history. In other words, from the upper column of the table, various information about pachinko machines such as out numbers, safe numbers, and difference numbers, various information about pachislot machines, 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, ..., 20
It is shown about the time stand. In addition, the data for sales, number of prizes, gross profit, sales percent and customer unit price for each type of pachinko machine and pachislot machine are 10 o'clock, 1 o'clock.
It is shown about 1 o'clock, ..., 20:00. further,
Similarly, the regular customer number data is also shown by type for each time zone.

The above-mentioned customer unit price data is a value obtained by dividing the sales amount for each time zone by the number of operating machines in that time zone, and shows the sales amount for each pachinko machine or pachislot machine per a total of gaming customers. This number of operations indicates the total number of players who have played on pachinko machines or pachislot machines. When the detection signal of the collected balls or the collected medals is not detected from the game table for a predetermined time, this operating number is counted up by counting that the customer who was playing at the game table has been changed, and is counted. Therefore, even if there is only one player, the number of operations is incremented each time the customer changes the game table, and this number of operations does not indicate the number of customers actually playing the game in the game arcade.

The above-mentioned regular customer number data is the number of operating persons for each time zone, and indicates the number of customers actually playing the game in the game arcade. This operating number corresponds to the number of games played on pachinko machines or pachislot machines operating during that time period. The operation of the gaming table is judged by detecting the detection signals of the collected balls or the collected medals, and when these signals are detected during the time zone, it is regarded as the operating table.

Further, the scheduled sales table shown in the figure shows an example in which data is aggregated into types such as pachinko machines and pachislot machines, but the local computer 27 shows that each machine type of pachinko machine and each model of pachislot machine. For other items as well, the aggregated data is similarly displayed.

In addition, the local computer 27 counts the number of visitors, the number of persons leaving the store, and the number of stayers for each entrance entered from the personal computer 31 on an hourly basis. FIG. 3 shows an example of a daily report of changes in the number of visitors obtained by this tabulation, which is displayed on the CRT monitor 29 or the printer 3
A form is output by 0.

The number of customers entering the store, the number of people leaving the store, and the number of people staying in each time zone can be found from the store visitor transition table shown in FIG. For example, it can be seen that the number of people entering the store was 46, the number of people leaving the store was 41, and the number of people staying was 5 at 9 o'clock. The number of people staying is calculated by subtracting the number of people leaving the store from the number of people entering the store. In addition, from the table, the total number of visitors per day is 14
It can also be seen that there were 86 people and the total number of people leaving the shop was 1512 people. The difference between these numbers is due to the detection error of the traffic sensor 32.

Further, each data can be visually grasped from the store visitor transition graph of FIG.
In the figure, a bar graph with diagonal lines shows the number of visitors, and a white bar graph shows the number of persons leaving the store. This number is shown on the left vertical axis of the graph.
In addition, the line graph drawn with black circles indicates the number of stayers. This number is shown on the vertical axis on the right side of the graph. From this graph, it is possible to quickly and visually grasp that the number of residents staying in the game hall is the highest after noon.

Further, the local computer 27 also displays the breakdown of the number of visitors entering each entrance / exit from the personal computer 31 on an hourly basis as shown in the daily visitor transition report of FIG. This daily report is tabulated on the same day as the daily report shown in FIG. 3, and this daily report is also collected by the CRT monitor 29.
Or the form is output by the printer 30.

The number of entrants at each entrance / exit in each time zone can be found from the entrant transition table of FIG. 4 (a). For example, at 9 o'clock, the number of visitors from the left of the automatic door detected by the traffic sensor 32a is 2 and the number of persons from the right of the automatic door detected by the traffic sensor 32b is 36. It can be seen that the number of visitors from the entrance in front of the elevator detected by the traffic sensor 32c was three, and that from the emergency exit on the second floor detected by the traffic sensor 32d was five. . Also, from the table, it is possible to know the total number of visitors per day at each entrance. Further, from the store visitor transition graph of FIG. 11B, it is possible to visually grasp the total number of store visitors at each entrance and exit by time zone. From the graph, it can be seen at a glance that the number of visitors to the store is highest at 11:00 am.

As described above, the traffic sensor 32 is provided at the entrance of the game arcade, and the local computer 27 inputs the sensor information through the personal computer 31 as described above to enter the game arcade shown in FIG. The number of employees, the number of people leaving the store, and the number of people staying are easily and quickly tabulated. Therefore, according to the gaming machine management device of the present embodiment,
The total number of game players staying in the game hall, which was not previously collected, can be grasped. The total number of game players includes the number of game players who have entered the store but are not actually on the game table.

Further, based on the number of stayers who are collected in hour units in this way and the number of regular customers which is collected in hour units by the local computer 27 as shown in FIG. The number of players who are not playing and the number of players who are actually playing are grasped on an hourly basis. That is, the number of regular customers corresponding to the operating number of gaming machines is considered to be the number of actual gaming players in the game arcade. Therefore, the number obtained by subtracting the number of regular customers from the number of stayers corresponds to the number of game players who are not actually playing in the game arcade. Therefore, it is possible to know the breakdown of the total number of game players.

Therefore, in the management apparatus according to the present embodiment, in addition to the data of the total number of players, the data of the number of customers actually playing in the game hall, that is, the number of operating persons is automatically grasped, and the data of the number of operating persons can be collected. It becomes possible to perform it without human intervention as in the past. Therefore, the data collection of working number can be done easily and quickly on a regular basis every day.
It is possible to easily grasp the statistically accurate operating characteristics of the gaming machine.

For example, based on the aggregated data of the types of gaming machines, it is possible to grasp the actual situation of the gaming hall in which the pachinko machine is higher in operation than the pachi-slot machine and the situation with customers is good. Similarly, based on the aggregated data by machine type, it is possible to analyze that model A has the highest operation among pachinko machines and model B has the next highest operation. It will be a reference material when doing. Also,
The operating status of the gaming machine can be grasped for each time zone, and it is possible to analyze that the customers are often attached in the morning, but the customers are not attached in the evening. By considering the activities of people such as housewives, students and office workers,
It is possible to infer the customer base by time zone from the analysis data by time zone. Furthermore, it is possible to infer the type of game machine and the preference of the model by the customer class.

Further, the characteristic value of the gaming machine per player can be calculated based on the obtained number of operating persons.
For example, by dividing the sales for each time zone by the number of operating people in that time zone, it is possible to calculate the sales per operation, that is, the sales per player who is actually playing a game. This sales unit price can be calculated by time zone, type and model. Similar to the sales data, it is possible to grasp the data per player who is actually playing the other collected data.

Further, by providing the traffic sensors 32a to 32d at the entrances and exits of different amusement halls, the relative relationship between the number of people entering and leaving the shop according to the location of the entrance and exit and the operating characteristic depending on the arrangement position of the gaming machine can be grasped. be able to. Then, based on this relative relationship, it is also possible to determine an appropriate arrangement position of the gaming machine in the game arcade. For example,
From the store visitor transition table shown in FIG. 4 (a), it can be seen that most of the store enterers enter from the entrance on the right side of the automatic door, and then many enter from the entrance in front of the elevator. By comparing the number of people entering the store by the location of the entrance and exit with the aggregated data of operating characteristics by the location of the gaming machine in the game arcade, the operating status of the gaming machines near the entrance and exit where many people enter and exit By recognizing the operating status of the gaming machine near the doorway where the number of entrances and exits is small, it is possible to determine a more appropriate arrangement position of the gaming machine.

As described above, according to the gaming machine management apparatus of the present embodiment, the movements of the player in the game hall can be grasped in detail, and the operating conditions in the game hall can be grasped more clearly than before. Therefore, the manager of the game arcade can accurately determine the current operating condition of the game arcade by referring to the operating status, and can formulate an appropriate sales strategy.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention, a sensor for detecting the number of people entering and leaving the game hall is provided at the entrance and exit of the game hall, and the management computer inputs the sensor information. The number of people and the number of people staying are easily and quickly tabulated. Therefore, the total number of players staying in the game hall, including the number of players not attached to the gaming table, which has not been conventionally collected, can be grasped.

Further, based on the number of resident persons in the amusement hall and the operating number of each amusement machine collected by the management computer in predetermined time units, the number of players not actually playing in the amusement hall and the actual number of games played The number of the active players is grasped in a predetermined time unit, and the breakdown of the total number of the active players can be known. For this reason, in addition to the data of the total number of customers, the data of the number of customers who are actually playing in the game arcade can be grasped, and the data collection of the number of operating people can be performed without human intervention. Therefore, it is possible to easily and promptly collect data on the number of operating persons every day, and to easily grasp the statistically accurate characteristics of the gaming machine.

Further, by providing a sensor for detecting the number of people entering and exiting at each entrance / exit of a different amusement hall, it is possible to grasp the relative relationship between the number of people entering / leaving the store by the position of the entrance / exit and the operating characteristics depending on the arrangement position of the gaming machine. . Therefore, based on this relative relationship, it is also possible to determine the proper arrangement position of the game machine in the game arcade.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a management device for a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a regular sales table totaled by the gaming machine management device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing changes in the number of persons entering and leaving the store and the number of staying persons that are totaled by the gaming machine management device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a change in the number of store visitors for each entrance and exit, which is aggregated by the gaming machine management device according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of Codes] 21 ... Pachinko / pachislot data unit (PD
U) 22 ... Counter data unit (CDU) 23 ... Link data unit (LDU) 24 ... Main serial controller (MSC) 25 ... Optical fiber cable 26 ... Master bus controller (MBC) 27 ... Local computer (management computer) 28 ... Bus adapter 29 ... CRT monitor 30 ... Printer 31 ... Personal computer 32 ... Traffic sensor (passenger detection sensor)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A gaming machine management apparatus comprising a management computer for collecting game information of each gaming machine, wherein the management computer is detected by an entrance / exit number detecting sensor provided at an entrance / exit of a game arcade. A management device for a gaming machine, which counts the number of people staying in a game hall, which is calculated from the number of people entering the store and the number of people leaving the store. 2. The management computer totals the number of resident persons in a predetermined time unit, and totals the operating number of each gaming machine by type or model in a predetermined time unit. 2. The management device for a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein trend analysis data of a player in the game arcade is calculated based on the number of machines. 3. The management device for a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the entrance / exit number detecting sensor is provided at each entrance / exit of a different game hall. 4. The management device for a game machine according to claim 1, wherein the game machine is a ball game machine or a slot machine.