JPH10295883A - Game machine and control method for hitting means provided in game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store foul balls in an upper tray or a lower tray corresponding to a playing form by controlling the hitting force of a hitting means so as to advance only a game medium turned to a foul state to a first foul port at normal time and advance all to a second foul port at specified time. SOLUTION: At the normal time, the hitting force of the hitting device is adjusted so as to be the hitting force for guiding the hit game medium to an outer rail 205 and passing it on a foul port a210 at minimum. Then, at the specified time, the game medium hit from the hitting device is passed on the foul port b215, guided to the outer rail 205 and advanced as indicated in the figure by a code (c). At the time, the hitting force of the hitting device is adjusted so as to advance the game medium to a position not reaching the foul port a210, guide it by the outer rail 205, advance it as indicated in the figure by the code (d) and advance it to the foul port b215. Thus, the foul balls are stored in the upper tray or the lower tray corresponding to the playing form.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game mode (a normal game, a game mode) in which a rail opening communicating with an upper plate and a lower plate is provided on a rail, and a firing force of a firing device for firing a game medium is controlled. The present invention relates to a technology that can store foul balls in one of an upper plate and a lower plate in response to discharge of a medium, stopping, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A foul ball is a device in which a fired game medium is transferred along a rail to a game section located in the center of the game machine due to a weak firing force of a firing device for firing the game medium. Various types of gaming machines that have not been guided and have a function of processing this foul ball have been proposed.

For example, a pachinko machine described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 56-17373 discloses a foul that communicates with a supply tray or a tray disposed on the surface of the pachinko machine from the rail launcher to the game section. The ball absorption opening was opened at two or more places.

According to this pachinko machine, since two or more foul ball absorbing ports are opened in the rail, it is possible to reliably collect foul balls and to shorten the firing interval of hit balls. Also in this case, it is possible to prevent a collision between a ball and a ball and a damage to a glass surface mounted on the front of the gaming machine due to the collision.

The pachinko machine described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-212382 is provided with a switching contact which is activated by the rotation of a hitting handle, and a switching contact which is switched by a detection output of a hit detection means. This is connected to the drive circuit of the ball hitting motor, and the resilience of the pachinko ball at the initial position of the ball hitting handle is set in the foul hole provided between the firing rail and the ball guide rail without the pachinko ball reaching the game board surface It is something that leads to.

According to this pachinko machine, at the time of stopping,
The pachinko balls remaining in the launching device can be reliably returned to the player via the foul hole. As described above, various types of gaming machines having a function of processing foul balls have been proposed.

[0007]

However, according to the conventional gaming machine, the processing function of the foul ball has not always taken into consideration the convenience of the player during the game.

According to the pachinko machine described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 56-17373, it is possible to reliably collect the foul balls. )
The player has to carry out the work of returning the returned foul ball to the supply tray, which is inconvenient for the player. On the other hand, if all returned foul balls are to be returned to the supply tray (upper plate), work such as removing pachinko balls from the supply tray and packing them in a ball receiving box in the case of stopping, etc. Was to be forced.

Further, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-212382 is disclosed.
According to the pachinko machine described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H07-187, all the pachinko balls are accumulated in the ball receiving tray (lower plate) so as to reach the foul hole at the time of hitting. In the case of being returned to the lower plate, the player must return the returned foul balls to the supply plate, as in the pachinko machine described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-17373. It was lacking in convenience for players.

As described above, in the conventional pachinko machine,
It is not configured to accumulate foul balls on either the upper plate or the lower plate depending on the game mode (normal game, when discharging the game medium, at the time of hitting, etc.), and the convenience of the player is not necessarily increased. It did not have the processing function of the considered foul ball.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to accumulate foul balls in either an upper plate or a lower plate according to a game mode. The point is to provide a means for doing so.

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gaming machine for guiding a game medium ejected to a game section to play a game, wherein A rail that functions as a guide path for the game media to the section and that is formed with two foul ports, and an upper plate for storing the game media that has entered through the first foul port;
A lower plate for accumulating game media that has entered through the second foul opening, a launching unit that launches the game media, and a control unit that controls a firing force of the game media by the launching unit; Normally, the control means controls the firing force of the firing means so that only the fouled game media among the fired game media enter the first foul port, and at a specific time, A gaming machine is provided which controls the firing force of the firing means such that all of the fired game media enter the second foul port.

Therefore, at normal times, the firing force of the firing means is controlled so as to at least pass through the first foul mouth. More specifically, the control means usually includes:
The firing force of the firing means is controlled so that the fired game medium passes at least through the first foul port, and the fouled game medium that does not reach the game unit is set in the first foul state.
And, at a specific time, launching of the launch means so that the launched game medium at least crosses the second foul port and does not reach the first foul port. It is configured to control the force and guide all of the fired game media to the second foul port.

Here, the upper plate functions as a ball supply plate for guiding the accumulated game media to the firing means while accumulating the game media supplied by a prize ball operation or the like, for example. For example, after the upper plate is full,
It functions as a tray for game media supplied by prize ball operation or the like.

According to this, normally, the control means:
When the fired game medium is in a foul state, the firing force of the firing means is controlled so as to enter the first foul port, and at a specific time, the control means controls all the fired game media to a second foul. Since the firing force of the firing means is controlled so as to enter the foul opening, foul balls can be stored in either the upper plate or the lower plate according to the game mode.

Further, a notifying means for notifying whether the time is a normal time or a specific time is provided, and if the player is notified, the player can determine in which control state the firing force of the firing means is controlled. It is preferable because it can be grasped immediately.

That is, in claim 1, there is further provided a notifying means for notifying whether the time is a normal time or a specific time, wherein the control means refers to the state of control being performed by the control means, and A gaming machine characterized by driving the notification means is also conceivable.

As the notifying means, a light-emitting device or display device such as an LED or a liquid crystal display, a sound output device having a sound synthesizing LSI capable of outputting sound and a speaker may be used.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, the apparatus further comprises a discharge switch for moving the game media on hand to the lower plate, wherein the control means operates the discharge switch. Recognizing this as the specific time, the firing force of the firing means is controlled such that all of the fired game media enter the second foul port.

According to this, by turning on the discharge switch, the control means controls the firing force of the firing means so that all of the fired game media enter the second foul port. It is possible to move the game media on hand to the lower plate only by the ON operation of.

The normal firing is performed by operating the steering wheel. In this case, it is preferable that the automatic firing is performed regardless of the operation of the steering wheel. For this purpose, at a specific time, a desired steering operation may be automatically performed by a steering control signal output by the CPU.

If the control means is provided with output means for indicating that the discharge switch is on in response to the operation of turning on the discharge switch, it is possible to confirm that the player has turned on the discharge switch. Is preferred.

That is, in claim 2, further comprising output means for outputting that the discharge switch is on, wherein the control means further controls the output means to be in a driving state while the discharge switch is on. A gaming machine characterized by:

As the output means, a light-emitting device or display device such as an LED or a liquid crystal display, which can display a lighting operation and a specific image while the discharge switch is on, may be used.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a stop detecting means for outputting a detection signal when detecting information to be stopped transmitted from outside the gaming machine is further provided. When the control unit determines that the hit detection unit has output the detection signal, the control unit recognizes the detection as the specific time, and performs the launch so that all of the launched game media enter the second foul opening. Controlling the firing force of the means.

The information to be stopped may be transmitted from outside the gaming machine, for example, from a management computer provided in a monitoring room in the hall. Therefore, according to this, for example, by detecting the information to be stopped transmitted from the management computer, the control means controls the launch means so that all of the launched game media enter the second foul mouth. Since the firing force is controlled, the operator can operate the management computer to move the game medium held by the player playing the game with the gaming machine to the lower plate.

It should be noted that the normal firing is performed by operating the steering wheel. In this case, it is preferable that the shooting is automatically performed regardless of the operation of the steering wheel. For this purpose, at a specific time, a desired steering operation may be automatically performed by a steering control signal output by the CPU.

In the case where a detection signal is output from the hit detection means and the control means controls the firing force of the firing means so that all of the game media fired enter the second foul opening, By driving the notifying means to notify the player of this fact, the player stops the gaming machine in which the player is playing the game, and all the launched game media are in the second foul opening. This is preferable because it is possible to immediately grasp that the vehicle is going to enter.

That is, in claim 3, further comprising a notifying means for notifying that the gaming machine has been stopped and the firing means has been controlled in a specific control state, wherein the control means detects the stopping. A detection signal is output from the means, and the notifying means is driven when the firing force of the firing means is controlled so that all of the fired game media enter the second foul port. Machine is also possible.

As the notifying means, a light emitting device or display device such as an LED or a liquid crystal display, a voice output device configurable with a voice synthesizing LSI capable of outputting voice and a speaker may be used.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first, second and third aspects, the control means further comprises: at a specific time, shortening a firing cycle of the game medium by the firing means as compared with a normal time. It is characterized by doing.

According to this, at the specific time, the firing period of the game medium by the firing means is made shorter than the normal time, so that the game medium on hand can be quickly moved to the lower plate, so that it is convenient. Rich in

When the processing at the specific time is completed and the game media stored in the upper plate are moved to the lower plate, and all the game media on hand are stored in the lower plate, It is preferable to notify the player of this fact, because the player can immediately recognize the end of the process at the time of the specific operation.

That is, in any one of the first, second and third aspects, while the game medium is present in the upper plate, the upper plate detection means for outputting an output signal, and the notification for notifying the end of the control operation at the time of the specific operation. Means, the control means further refers to an output signal output from the upper ball detection means at a specific time, when it is determined that the processing at the specific time has been completed, the notification means A game machine characterized by driving is also conceivable.

As the notifying means, a light-emitting device or display device such as an LED or a liquid crystal display, a sound output device configurable with a sound synthesizing LSI capable of outputting sound and a speaker may be used.

Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, that is, according to the invention according to claim 5, which is a method invention, it has an upper plate and a lower plate for storing game media, and is fired by the firing means. A game machine that guides the game medium to the game section and performs a firing control of a gaming machine that performs a game, in which the game medium that has entered a rail that functions as a guide path for the game medium to the game section is moved upward. A first foul mouth for accumulating on a dish,
In addition, a second foul port for accumulating the entering game media in the lower plate is formed, and at normal time, only the game media in the fouled state among the launched game media is the second foul port. The launching force of the launching means is controlled so as to enter the first foul mouth, and the firing of the launching means such that, at a specific time, all game media launched by the launching means enter the second foul mouth. There is provided a method of controlling a firing means included in a gaming machine, which controls a force.

According to this, by controlling the firing force of the game medium by the firing means, normally, when the fired game medium is in the foul state, the first foul port communicating with the upper plate is set to the foul port. At the same time, a second communication is performed in which all of the launched game media are communicated with the lower plate.
The foul ball can be stored in either the upper plate or the lower plate according to the game mode.

That is, of the game media fired during normal times,
There is provided a method for collecting game media in which a game medium in a foul state is guided to an upper plate, and all game media fired at a specific time are guided to a lower plate.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling a launching means provided in a gaming machine, characterized in that the launching cycle of the game medium by the launching means is made shorter than usual.

According to this, at the specific time, by shortening the firing period of the game medium by the firing means from the normal time, it is possible to quickly move the game medium on hand to the lower plate, thereby being convenient. Rich in

Further, in these control methods, it is conceivable to drive a notifying means for notifying whether it is a normal time or a specific time with reference to the control state. In addition, such a control method is actually realized by a computer reading and executing a firing control program stored in a storage medium such as a ROM.

That is, it has an upper plate and a lower plate for accumulating game media, and a rail for guiding the game media fired by the firing means to the game section. A first foul port for accumulating on the plate and a second foul port for accumulating the entered game media in the lower plate.
And a storage medium storing a launch control program for causing a computer to control the launch means of the gaming machine forming the foul opening of the launch machine. When the game medium fired by means of the foul state enters the first foul port, and at a specific time, the control causes all the game medium fired by the firing means to enter the second foul port. A storage medium storing a launch control program characterized by performing the following is also conceivable.

According to this, the content stored in the storage medium is made readable by the computer, and the computer reads the firing control program stored in the storage medium and executes the control operation. That is, the launch control program causes the computer to normally enter the first foul port when the game medium launched by the launch means enters a foul state, and, at a specific time, fire by the launch means. Since the control for causing all the game media to enter the second foul opening is performed, a storage medium storing a launch control program for controlling the launch means of the gaming machine is provided.

Here, the computer can be configured to include, for example, a CPU (central processing unit) that performs an operation according to a control program, and a control circuit unit that performs an operation based on a control signal supplied from the CPU. It is.

As storage media, CDROM, DROM
Examples include an optical storage medium such as a VDROM, a magnetic storage medium such as a flexible disk, a semiconductor storage medium such as a ROM and an IC card, and a magneto-optical storage medium such as an MO.

[0046]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, in order to facilitate understanding of the control principle, a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to schematic explanatory diagrams, and then detailed control operations will be described with reference to block diagrams and flowcharts. I will explain.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic explanatory views showing the structure of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view of the front of the gaming machine 200, and FIG. 5 is a partial schematic explanatory view showing two foul ports provided on the outer rail 205, which is a main part of the present invention. is there.

The gaming machine 200 shown in FIG. 4 has a handle 202 for adjusting the firing force of the game medium by a rotating operation,
A firing solenoid 30 for firing game media with a firing force according to the amount of turning operation of the handle 202, an outer rail 205 functioning as a circular game medium guide trajectory, and a foul ball stop 206 at a tip end are mounted, An arc-shaped inner rail 204 disposed at an interval from the outer rail 205, and an out port 211 as an outlet for out balls are provided. A game section 212 is formed, which includes an accessory, a winning opening, an indicator light, and the like.

Further, as shown in detail in FIG. 5, the outer rail 205 has a quadrangular fouling opening a210 as a first fouling opening, and a second fouling opening as a fouling opening. Is a square foul mouth b215
Are formed at predetermined intervals in the direction of the guide trajectory of the game medium, and the game medium that has entered the foul port a210 passes through the connection tub 218 and passes through the ball supply port 209 to the center of the game machine 200. An upper plate 20 arranged at a slightly lower portion for guiding the game medium to the firing position of the firing solenoid 30
7 so that it can be stored in
The game medium that has entered 215 is configured to be able to accumulate in the lower plate 208 disposed below the gaming machine 200 through the connection tub 216. In practice, when the prize ball or the upper plate for guiding the prize ball to be paid out in accordance with the prize to the upper plate is filled with the game medium, the overflowing game medium is guided to the lower plate 208. The upper plate overflow recovery tub is provided for the sake of simplicity. However, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, these illustrations are omitted. The illustration of the arrangement state of various sensors and the like described later is also omitted here.

An outline of the features of the gaming machine will be described with reference to FIG. First, at normal times, the game medium fired from a firing device (not shown) passes over the foul opening b 215, is guided by the outer rail 205, proceeds as shown by reference numeral c, and further passes over the foul opening a 210. Are guided by the outer rail 205 and proceed as shown by the symbol a.
In addition to the case where the game medium rolls in the game section 212, the game ball that has been guided and guided by the outer rail 205 becomes a foul ball and proceeds as shown by the reference character b, and the foul ball a210 The firing force of a firing device (not shown) is adjusted so as to enter. And foul mouth a2
The game medium that has entered 10 is connected to the upper plate 2 via the connection tub 218.
07.

That is, at normal times, the firing force of the firing device (not shown) is adjusted so that the fired game medium is guided by the outer rail 205 and has a firing force at least passing over the foul opening a210. Have been.

Next, at a specific time, the game medium fired from a firing device (not shown) passes over the foul opening b 215, is guided by the outer rail 205, and proceeds as indicated by reference numeral c. At this time, the game medium advances to a position where it does not reach the foul opening a210, is guided by the outer rail 205, advances as shown by reference numeral d, and enters the foul opening b215, so that the firing force of a firing device (not shown) Has been adjusted.

That is, at the time of the specific operation, all of the fired game media are guided by the outer rail 205 to advance to a position where they do not reach the foul port a210, and then have a firing force to enter the foul port b215. The firing force of a firing device (not shown) is adjusted.

In this manner, the outer rail 205 functioning as a guide path for the game medium to the game section 212 functions to store the game medium that has entered the upper plate 207 in the foul port a 210 (first fale port). ) And a foul mouth b2 for accumulating the entered game media in the lower plate 208.
15 (second foul port) is formed, and normally, when the game medium fired by the firing device enters a foul state, the game medium enters the foul port a210 (first foul port). At the specific time, and at a specific time, the firing force is controlled so that all of the game media fired by the firing device enters the foul port b215 (second foul port). Correspondingly, foul balls can be stored in either the upper plate or the lower plate.

Assuming that the player wants to discharge the ball or hits the ball as a specific time, in such a case, the game media on hand can be automatically collected in the lower plate 208, and the player A gaming machine with high convenience can be realized.

On the other hand, in a normal state (during a normal game), when the ejected game medium becomes a foul ball, the foul ball is collected in the upper plate 207.
The operation of transferring the game media stored in 08 to the upper plate 207 becomes unnecessary, which also contributes to improving the convenience of the player.

Further, it is preferable to provide a return preventing valve at each foul port for preventing the game medium emitted from the launching device from returning along the outer rail 205. FIG. 6 shows a furl opening b2 formed on the outer rail 205.
15 shows a state in which a non-return valve 230 is provided, and one side in the short direction of the rectangular non-return valve 230 whose longitudinal direction is the direction of the game medium orbit of the outer rail 205 is the opening of the foul opening b215. Outer rail 2 that constitutes the surface
05 is connected to the launching device side of the edge portion. The angle between the direction of the game medium trajectory of the outer rail 205 and the direction in which the non-return valve 230 extends is configured to be a predetermined angle, and the non-return valve 230 Is prevented from returning along the outer rail 205. Similarly, it is preferable to provide a non-return valve for the foul port a210.

Next, a control operation of the gaming machine will be described with reference to a block diagram and a flowchart. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining control of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

This control unit includes a CPU 1 as control means.
00 and a control circuit unit 250, and a ROM 160 as a storage medium for storing a control program. The CPU 100 that performs an operation according to the control program counts a timer value indicating a lapse of time from a predetermined time. A timer 170 having a function is provided so as to be able to control the operation. Note that a RAM that functions as a power supply circuit and a work area is actually required, but a description thereof is omitted.

Further, when the player turns on (usually, off) to move all the game media on hand to the lower plate, a discharge switch 110 for outputting an output signal, and a monitor provided in the hall are provided. Management computer 30
From 0, a stop detection sensor 120 that outputs an output signal when detecting information to be given given via a communication medium 310 such as an optical fiber, and a minimum detectable that the handle 202 has been turned. A minimum rotation amount detection sensor 130 that detects that the steering wheel 202 has been turned so that the rotation angle is equal to or larger than the rotation angle and outputs an output signal.
And a touch sensor 140 that outputs an output signal when it is detected that the player is touching the handle 202, and an upper plate detection sensor 150 that outputs an output signal when a game medium is present on the upper plate 207. , CPU 100 so that an output signal can be supplied. In addition, each sensor and switch can be realized by a known technique, and as an output signal that each sensor or switch outputs at a predetermined time, for example,
What is necessary is just to adopt a digital high level signal.

Further, the control circuit unit 250
The control circuit unit 250 is connected to the power supply 5 in parallel with the resistor R3 and the Zener diode 10, and is connected in parallel to the power supply 5. A series connection of a resistor R1, a resistor RV (variable resistor) and a resistor R2, a series connection of a firing solenoid 30 and a transistor 16 connected in parallel to the power supply 5, and a capacitor C1 connected in parallel to the power supply 5. , And the resistor R1 and the firing solenoid 30 are connected via a resistor R4. The base terminal and the emitter terminal of the transistor 16 are connected to a resistor R
5 and further connected to the transistor 16
Is connected to the CPU 100 via a resistor R6, so that a fire output can be supplied to this base terminal.

The non-inverting terminal and the inverting terminal of the operational amplifier 12 are connected to a connection point between the resistor R3 and the zener diode 10 and a connection point between the resistor RV and the resistor R2, respectively. The emitter terminal and the collector terminal of the transistor 14 are connected to one end of a resistor R1 and one end of a resistor R3, respectively. The operational amplifier 12 has a voltage amplifying function, and has a resistance R2
Is applied to the Zener diode 10 (V
The negative feedback operation is performed so as to coincide with z).

Further, a relay 20 for receiving power supply from the power supply 5 is provided.
The collector terminal of the transistor 18 whose base terminal is connected via U100 and the resistor R7 is connected in series, and the base terminal and the emitter terminal of the transistor 18 are connected via the resistor R8. And CP
When the transistor 18 is turned on by the forced failure output (forced failure output ON) supplied from U100, the switch 21 provided in the relay 20 is closed to short-circuit the resistor RV.

The resistance RV is a variable resistance whose value changes in accordance with the turning operation of the handle 202, and the firing solenoid 30 is urged in a predetermined direction and is incorporated in a firing device (not shown). Therefore, the firing output is turned on (otherwise, the firing output is turned off), that is, the signal level of the firing output applied to the base terminal of the transistor 16 is set to a level such that the transistor 16 is turned on, and the transistor 16 is turned on. During the operation, the projecting force of the game medium is obtained by performing an operation of projecting in the direction opposite to the urging direction by an amount corresponding to the magnitude of the applied voltage (VSOL).

Here, in the control circuit section 250,
A description necessary for explaining the principle of the present invention will be given. Assuming that voltages at both ends of the Zener diode 10 and the firing solenoid 30 are Vz and VSOL, respectively, Vz and VSOL
Is related by the following relational expression.

That is, "Vz = (R2 / (R1 + RV
+ R2)) · VSOL ”,“ VSOL = ((R1 +
RV + R2) / R2) .Vz ". Here, considering the constant voltage action of the Zener diode 10, Vz is constant, so that when the value of RV changes by operating the handle 202, VSOL changes.

This is the value of VSOL at normal time.
Now, assuming that the value of RV corresponding to the minimum amount of turning operation of the handle 202 that can be detected by the minimum handle amount detection sensor 130 is RVmin, “VSOL = ((R1 + RVm
in + R2) / R2) Vz ", and the VSO at this time
By the projecting operation of the firing solenoid 30 according to the value of L,
R1, RVmin, and RVmin, so that the distance guided by the outer rail 205 of the game medium exceeds the foul opening a210.
Various circuit constants such as R2 and Vz are determined.

Thus, in normal times, the firing output is turned on (the firing output is off when the firing output is not in the on state), so that the game medium is fired from the firing device (not shown) and fired. The launching force of the launching device (not shown) is adjusted so that the gaming media is guided by the outer rail 205 and the launching force at least passes over the foul opening a210.

On the other hand, at a specific time, the forced-fail output is turned on (when the forced-fail output is not on, the forced-fail output is turned off), that is, the forced-fail output having a signal level such that the transistor 18 is turned on. Since the CPU 100 supplies the base terminal of the transistor 18 to close the switch 21 of the relay 20, the resistor RV is short-circuited, and Vz and VSOL are related by the following relational expression.

That is, "VSOL = ((R1 + R2)
/ R2) · Vz ”. Here, considering the constant voltage action of the Zener diode 10, Vz is constant and the values of the resistors R1 and R2 are also constant, so that VSOL is constant regardless of the operation of the handle 202. At this time, the distance guided by the outer rail 205 of the game medium by the projecting operation of the firing solenoid 30 in accordance with the value of VSOL exceeds the foul opening b 215 and the foul opening a 2
Various circuit constants such as R1, R2, and Vz are determined so as not to reach 10.

In this manner, at a specific time, the forced foul output is turned on (normally, the forced foul output is turned off), so that all of the ejected game media are guided to the outer rail 205. Then, the firing force of the firing device (not shown) is adjusted so that the firing force reaches a position where it does not reach the foul port a210 and then reaches the foul port b215.

Now, the actual control processing using the control circuit unit 250 in which the circuit constants are determined as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The following control operation is executed by the CPU 100 and the control circuit unit 250 based on output signals from each sensor and the like.

First, in step S202, the CPU
100 determines whether or not the discharge switch 110 is on based on whether or not an output signal is output from the discharge switch 110. If the discharge switch 110 is on (Yes) (at a specific time), the process proceeds to step S230, and if the discharge switch 110 is not on (N
For o) (normal time), the process proceeds to step S204.

Next, in step S204, the CPU
100 is a communication medium 310 from the management computer 300
The information that should stop the gaming machine is sent via the CPU, and it is determined whether or not an output signal is output from the stop detection sensor 120. When the output signal is output from the stop detection sensor 120 (Yes) (at the time of identification), the process proceeds to step S230; otherwise (No), the process proceeds to step S206.

Next, in step S206, a forced foul output OFF process is performed. This process is performed by the CPU 100
When the forced failure output is turned off, that is, the transistor 18
Is applied to the base terminal of transistor 18 so as to render non-conductive state.

As a result, the switch 21 of the relay 20 is opened, and the value of the resistance RV changes in accordance with the turning operation of the handle 202, and "VSOL = ((R1 + RV + R
2) / R2) · Vz ”, the shooting operation of the game medium is performed by the projecting operation of the shooting solenoid 30 in accordance with the value of VSOL which becomes“ VSOL ”.

Next, in step S208, the CPU
100 determines whether or not an output signal has been output from the touch sensor 140. When the output signal is output from the touch sensor 140 (Yes), it is determined that there is a player to start the game, and the process proceeds to step S210. In other cases (No), there is no player to start the game. If not, the process returns to step S202.

Next, in step S210, the CPU
100 determines whether or not an output signal has been output from the steering wheel minimum rotation amount detection sensor 130. When the output signal is output from the steering wheel minimum rotation amount detection sensor 130 (Yes), it is determined that the player has started the game, and the process proceeds to step S212. Otherwise (No), the player starts the game. If not, the process returns to step S202.

Then, in step S212, the CPU 1
00 indicates that the timer value counted by the timer 170 is 606
It is determined whether or not (msec) has elapsed. If it has elapsed (Yes), the process proceeds to step S214, and if not (No), the process returns to step S202.

This 606 (msec) is a normal firing cycle, as shown in FIG. 3A, and the time for turning on the firing output is set to 20 (msec) as will be described later. That is, step S212 is a process for checking whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the last firing operation and a predetermined firing period has been reached.

The resetting of the first timer value may be performed, for example, before execution of step S202. The counting operation of the timer value by the timer 170 is performed by a series of control operations sequentially performed by the CPU 100. May be performed independently.

Next, in step S214, the CPU
100 controls the timer 170 to set the timer value to 0 (timer clear), and performs a timer clear / start process for starting a new timer value counting operation (start).

In step S216, the CPU 10 executes a firing output on process for turning on the firing output.
0 is the base terminal of the transistor 16 and the transistor 1
The firing solenoid 30 is driven by providing a signal having a signal level that renders 6 conductive.

The driving of the firing solenoid 30 is carried out when the timer value of the timer 170 reaches 2 as shown in step S218.
0 (msec), that is, 20 (msec)
And then, as shown in step S220,
A firing output off process for turning off the firing output is performed. That is,
The CPU 100 stops supplying a signal for turning on the transistor 16 to the base terminal of the transistor 16 to return the firing solenoid 30 to the initial position in the energized state. Thereafter, the process returns to step S202 to continue the process.

As described above, steps S202, S204, S206, S208,
Step S210, step S212, step S21
4, Step S216, Step S218, Step S
A series of processes at 220 is a control operation in a normal state, in which the forced failure output is turned off, and the firing output is turned on and off in accordance with a timing chart as shown in FIG.

At this time, as described above, when the fired game medium becomes a foul ball, the firing force is controlled so that the foul ball is collected in the upper plate 207 via the furl port a210. It is not necessary to transfer the game media accumulated in the lower plate 208 to the upper plate 207 as in the related art, which is useful for improving the convenience of the player.

Next, the processing at the time of identification will be described. Ye in step S202 and step S204
In step S230, which proceeds at s, the CPU 100 determines whether or not an output signal has been output from the upper dish detection sensor 150.

If the output signal is output from the upper tray detection sensor 150 (Yes), it is determined that the game medium to be moved to the lower tray 208 is present in the upper tray 207, and step S23 is performed.
In other cases (No), it is determined that there is no game medium to be moved to the lower plate 208 in the upper plate 207, and the process returns to step S202.

Then, in step S232, the timer 1
It is determined whether the timer value counted by 70 has passed 300 (msec). If the timer value has passed (Yes), the process proceeds to step S234, and if not (No), the process returns to step S202.

Note that this 300 (msec) is the same as FIG.
As shown in (b), it is the firing cycle at the specific time, and the time for turning on the firing output is 20 (msec). That is,
Step S232 is processing for checking at a specific time whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the last firing operation and a predetermined firing cycle has been reached.

As described above, at a specific time, if the firing cycle of the game medium is set shorter than the normal time (606 (msec)), the game medium on hand can be moved to the lower plate 208 more quickly. Rich in convenience.

Next, in step S234, a forced foul output ON process is performed. This process is performed by the CPU 100
The forced failure output is turned on, and the transistor 18 is turned on. Accordingly, the switch 21 of the relay 20 is closed, and the firing solenoid 30 of the firing solenoid 30 corresponding to a constant VSOL value of “VSOL = ((R1 + R2) / R2) · Vz” regardless of the turning operation of the handle 202. The projecting operation of the game medium is performed by the projecting operation.

As described above, all the game media fired by the projecting operation of the firing solenoid 30 are:
The vehicle advances to a position where it does not reach the foul opening a210, and is guided by the outer rail 205 to enter the foul opening b215.
As a result, all game media are stored in the foul mouth b215.
Through the lower plate 208.

Next, the timer clear / start processing in step S214, step S216, step S21
8. A firing operation for 20 (msec) in a 300 (msec) firing cycle as shown in FIG. 3B is performed in step S220, and the process returns to step S202.

As described above, steps S202, S230, S232, S234,
Step S214, step S216, step S21
8. A series of processing in step S220 is a control operation at a specific time, in which forced foul output is turned on, firing output is turned on and off in accordance with a timing chart shown in FIG. Transfer the medium to the foul mouth b21.
5 is automatically collected in the lower plate 208, so that the player does not need to move the game media stored in the upper plate 207 to the lower plate 208, which is highly convenient. .

Then, the CPU 100 sets the ejection switch 11
0 is turned on or the information to be stopped transmitted from the management computer is detected by the stop detection sensor 1.
When the detection by the player 20 is performed, the forced foul output ON process is performed as a specific time, and all the fired game media are collected in the lower plate 208 through the foul opening b 215. Only by turning on the switch 110, it becomes possible to move the game media on hand to the lower plate 208, or by the operator operating the management computer, the game media held by the player playing the game on the gaming machine is held. The game medium can be moved to the lower plate 208.

[0097] A series of control operations described above are as follows.
Actually, a storage medium such as a ROM (an optical storage medium such as a CDROM, a semiconductor storage medium such as an IC card, a magnetic storage medium such as a flexible disk, and a storage medium such as a magneto-optical storage medium such as an MO) can be used. ) Is realized by the computer reading and executing the launch control program stored in (1). By providing a highly portable storage medium in which the launch control program is stored, the convenience in manufacturing a gaming machine is improved.

According to this embodiment, a computer for reading the storage contents of the storage medium can be configured to include the CPU 100 and the control circuit unit 250. It is also conceivable that the player can grasp necessary information by referring to the output signal of each sensor as described below, thereby improving the convenience of the player.

First, when the forced failure output from the CPU 100 is a high-level signal, the light is turned on.
If a lighting control circuit that turns off the signal when the forced failure output from the PU 100 is a low level signal is provided, the lighting control is performed when the forced failure output is at a high level, that is, at a specific time. This is preferable because the player can immediately grasp whether it is a normal time or a specific time.

The lighting control circuit can be constituted, for example, by including a transistor in which forced output is supplied to a base terminal, and an LED connected in series to the collector terminal of the transistor. Of course, when the forced foul output is a high level signal, the CPU 1 can display a specific image on a display device such as a liquid crystal display.
00 when a display device is connected to the CPU or when the forced failure output is a high-level signal, the speech synthesis LSI
0 may be controlled so that the audio output from the audio synthesis LSI is output via a speaker.

Also, according to the operation of turning on the discharge switch,
If a discharge switch-on circuit indicating that the discharge switch is on is provided so that the CPU 100 can control the discharge switch,
This is preferable because it can be confirmed that the player has turned on the discharge switch.

The discharge switch-on circuit can be constituted, for example, by including a transistor whose output signal from the discharge switch 110 is supplied to the base terminal, and an LED connected in series to the collector terminal of the transistor. is there.

When the output signal of the upper ball detection sensor 150 is lost and the forced foul output is a high level signal, the control operation at the specific time is terminated, and the player is notified of the fact. CPU 100
Is preferably controllable so that the player can know that the process at the specific time has been completed. As the notification circuit, a light emitting device or a display device such as an LED or a liquid crystal display, a voice output device configurable with a voice synthesis LSI capable of outputting a voice and a speaker, or the like may be used.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the foul port a 210 and the fal port b 215 communicating with the upper plate 207 and the lower plate 208 are connected to the outer rail 20.
5 and controls the firing solenoid 30 for firing the game medium, so that the foul ball is placed on the upper plate 207 and the lower plate 208 in accordance with the game mode (normal game, game medium discharge, stop, etc.). Can be stored.

At a specific time, for example, the discharge switch 1
At the time of the ON operation of 10 or when the operator of the management computer 300 arranged in the monitoring room gives information to stop the gaming machine, the compulsory foul output is turned off, and the compulsory foul output is automatically turned off through the foul port b215. By collecting the balls on the lower plate 208, the operation of moving the balls is not required, and the convenience of the player and the hall staff can be improved.

At the specific time, if the firing cycle of the game medium is made shorter than the normal time, the game medium on hand can be quickly moved to the lower plate, which is more convenient.

On the other hand, during normal times, that is, during game play,
When the game medium becomes a foul ball, the foul ball can be collected in the upper plate 207 through the furl port a210, so that the player can transfer the game medium accumulated in the lower plate 208 to the upper plate. Since the game can be continued without the operation of moving to 207, the convenience of the player can be improved.

[0108]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, two foul ports are formed in the rail functioning as a guide path for the game medium, and the upper plate and the lower plate are respectively formed. , Game media that has entered through the first foul mouth and the second foul mouth can be stored,
Normally, the control means controls the firing force of the firing means so that only the fouled game media out of the fired game media enters the first foul port. Means that all of the launched game media are
Since the launching force of the launching means is controlled so as to enter the foul mouth, the advantage is obtained that the foul balls can be accumulated in either the upper plate or the lower plate according to the game mode.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, by turning on the discharge switch, the control means allows the discharged game medium to enter the second foul opening. Since the firing force of the firing means is controlled in such a manner, the game medium on hand can be moved to the lower plate only by the ON operation of the discharge switch, thereby enhancing the convenience of the player.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, for example, by detecting information to be stopped transmitted from the management computer, the control means can execute the firing. Since the launching force of the launching means is controlled so that all of the played game media enter the second foul opening, for example, the operator operates the management computer to obtain a game held by the player playing the game with the gaming machine. The medium can be moved to the lower plate.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of any one of the first, second and third aspects, the control means furthermore, when specified, sets the firing period of the game medium by the firing means to be normal. Since the time is shorter than the time, the game media on hand can be quickly moved to the lower plate, which is more convenient.

Furthermore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the first foul opening for accumulating the entering game media on the upper plate on the rail functioning as a guide track of the game media to the game section, In addition, a second foul opening for accumulating the entering game media in the lower plate is formed, and by controlling the game medium firing force of the firing means, the fouling of the fired game media is normally performed. Only the game media in the state enters the first foul opening communicating with the upper plate, and at a specific time, all of the ejected game media enter the second foul opening communicating with the lower plate. As a result, an effect is obtained in which foul balls can be accumulated in either the upper plate or the lower plate according to the game mode.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a firing control process.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a firing control process.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view of the front of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view of a main part of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view of a check valve provided in a foul opening.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Power Supply 10 Zener Diode 12 Operational Amplifier 14 Transistor 16 Transistor 18 Transistor 20 Relay 21 Switch 30 Fire Solenoid 100 CPU 110 Discharge Switch 120 Stopping Detection Sensor 130 Handle Minimum Rotation Amount Detection Sensor 140 Touch Sensor 150 Upper Ball Detection Sensor 160 ROM 170 Timer 200 Gaming machine 202 Handle 204 Inner rail 205 Outer rail 206 Foul ball stop 207 Upper plate 208 Lower plate 209 Ball supply port 210 Furl port a 211 Out port 212 Game unit 215 Fal port b 216 Connection tub 218 Connection tub 250 Control circuit unit 300 Management Computer 310 Communication medium

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A game machine for guiding a game medium that has been launched to a game unit to play a game, the game machine functioning as a guide path of the game medium to the game unit,
A rail formed with two foul ports, an upper plate for storing game media that has entered through the first foul port, and for storing game media that has entered through the second foul port. A lower plate, a launching means for launching the game medium, and a control means for controlling a firing force of the game medium by the launching means. In addition to controlling the firing force of the firing means so that only the game media that has become the first foul mouth, at the specific time, all of the fired game media enter the second foul mouth. A game machine for controlling the firing force of the firing means. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge switch for moving a game medium on hand to a lower plate, wherein the control unit recognizes that the specific switch is operated when the discharge switch is operated. A gaming machine wherein the firing force of the firing means is controlled such that all of the fired game media enter the second foul port. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stop detection unit that outputs a detection signal when information to be stopped is detected, wherein the control unit determines that the stop detection unit has output the detection signal. In this case, the game machine recognizes this as the specific time and controls the firing force of the firing means so that all of the fired game media enter the second foul port. 4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further sets a firing cycle of the game medium by the firing unit to be shorter than a normal time at a specific time. 5. A method for controlling the firing of a gaming machine having an upper plate and a lower plate for accumulating game media, guiding a game medium fired by a firing means to a game section, and playing a game. A first foul opening for accumulating the entering game media on the upper plate on the rail functioning as a guide track of the game media to the game section, and accumulating the entering game media on the lower plate. In the normal state, only the game medium in the fouled state among the fired game media enters the first foul port. And controlling the firing force of the firing means so that all of the game media fired by the firing means enter the second foul port at a specific time, Control method