JPH11178982A - Slot machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely notify a game player of the end of the concentrated premium hand mode while maintaining the game character. SOLUTION: A CPU 12 of a slot machine 1 increases the winning probability of a small premium hand when the concentrated premium hand mode starting symbol is won. And, when the concentration mode terminating symbol is won, the drawing stop action of the skull symbols 3a, 3b and 3c is executed, and when the skull symbols 3a, 3b and 3c in line is displayed by the drawing stop action, the concentrated premium hand mode is terminated, and when display of the skull symbols 3a, 3b and 3c in line is failed, the winning of the skull symbols is nullified. By this a game player feels tension whenever two out of three skull symbols 3a, 3b and 3c are in line to be tenpai, meaning one step before winning, and can recognize termination of the concentrated premium hand mode by the skull symbols 3a, 3b and 3c in line.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a slot machine for increasing the payout rate of coins when a concentrated mode is won.

[0002]

Conventionally, as a slot machine, there has been provided a slot machine in which a concentrated payout mode in which a payout rate (base) is higher than usual when a concentrated payout mode is won. That is, when the start button is operated, it is determined whether or not the concentrated combination mode has been won with a predetermined probability (for example, 1/500), and when the concentrated combination mode is won, the winning probability of the small role is increased or the winning probability of the single bonus is reduced. The higher the payout rate, the higher the payout rate.

Further, when a chance time, which is a kind of concentrated mode, is won as a slot machine, the number of sliding frames on the reels is set to zero to eliminate the technical intervention by the slot machine, thereby enhancing the game technology. Players are also provided with one that can increase the coin payout rate. These concentrated modes are finished when a big bonus is won or when the concentrated mode is ended.

[0004] By the way, this kind of slot machine does not notify the player that the concentrated mode has been won. This is to enhance the playability of the slot machine by determining that the concentrated mode has been won by the player himself.

For the same reason, the fact that the termination of the concentrated combination mode is won is not notified to the player. For this reason, when it is determined that the concentrated combination mode is being won, if it is difficult for the small combination or the single bonus to be completed, the player becomes uneasy as to whether the concentrated combination mode has ended and ends the game. When I wanted to do it, I thought I might still be in concentrated role mode, so I couldn't finish the game easily and couldn't concentrate on the game.

In this case, when the big bonus starts during the concentrated bonus mode, it can be determined that the concentrated bonus mode has been terminated by the start of the big bonus.
In the normal case, the player cannot reliably determine the end of the concentrated mode.

Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a lamp on the front of the slot machine and turn on the lamp during the concentrated role mode. However, when the concentrated role mode ends, the lamp is suddenly turned off and the concentrated role mode ends. As a result, the playability in the concentrated mode is lost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to increase the payout rate of coins when the concentrated mode is elected. An object of the present invention is to provide a slot machine that can surely notify a player.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, in a slot machine which increases the payout rate of coins when the concentrated mode is won, a specific symbol indicating the end of the concentrated mode can be displayed. A control means for executing a pull-in stop operation of the specific symbol when the termination of the concentrated mode is won, and ending the concentrated role mode when the specific symbol can be displayed by the pull-in operation. (Claim 1).

[0010] According to such a configuration, when the concentrated combination mode is won, the payout rate of coins increases, and the number of coins held by the player tends to increase. Here, the control means executes a pull-in stop operation of the specific symbol when the termination of the concentrated combination mode is won, and terminates the concentrated combination mode when the specific symbol can be displayed. Thereby, the player can confirm the end of the concentrated combination mode by displaying the specific symbol, so that the end of the concentrated combination mode is not confused, and the player can concentrate on the game.

In the above arrangement, the control means may continue to activate the concentrated combination mode when the specific symbol cannot be displayed irrespective of the drawing-in stop operation of the specific symbol. (Claim 2).

According to such a configuration, the control means executes a pull-in stop operation of the specific symbol when the termination of the concentrated combination mode is won. However, since the specific symbol cannot be displayed depending on the reel stop timing of the player regardless of the pull-in / stop operation of the specific symbol, in such a case, the end winning of the concentrated combination mode is made valid. Therefore, the concentrated combination mode can be surely ended, so that it is possible to prevent the unfairness in the number of coins acquired during the concentrated combination mode due to the gaming technology of the player.

[0013] The control means may invalidate the termination of the concentrated combination mode when the specific symbol cannot be displayed irrespective of the pull-in stop operation of the specific symbol (claim 3). .

According to such a configuration, the control means executes a pull-in stop operation of the specific symbol when the termination of the concentrated combination mode is won. However, since the specific symbol cannot be displayed depending on the reel stop timing by the player regardless of the pull-in / stop operation of the specific symbol, in such a case, the end winning of the concentrated combination mode is invalidated. Therefore, since the concentrated role mode period changes according to the gaming technology of the player, the gaming ability of the slot machine changes according to the gaming technology of the player, and the interest can be enhanced.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows the front of the slot machine. In FIG. 2, a display window 2 is formed on the front of the slot machine 1, and a stop symbol can be visually recognized through the display window 2. In this case, the stop symbol is drawn on the circumferential surface of the three reels 3a, 3b, 3c arranged inside, and corresponds to the upper, middle, and lower rows of the display window 2 when the reels 3a, 3b, 3c are stopped. And the symbol is displayed. A plurality of lamps 4 are provided above the display window 2 to indicate a coin payout progress state during the bonus.

An operation panel 5 provided below the display window 2
Is provided with a payout coin credit button 6, a credit coin return button 7, a coin slot 8, a start lever 9, and a left stop button 10.
a, center stop button 10b, right stop button 1
0c is arranged.

At the lower part of the front of the slot machine 1, a tray 11 for payout coins is provided.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of the slot machine 1. In FIG. 1, a CPU 12 (corresponding to a control means) executes a program stored in a ROM 14 based on a clock signal from a clock circuit 13, and converts work data into RA according to the execution.
Store it in M15.

The detection circuit 16 detects a coin inserted into the coin insertion slot 8 and notifies the CPU 12 of the coin. CPU
In step 12, when the detection circuit 16 notifies that a coin has been inserted, an effective display line is set according to the number of coins inserted.

The detection circuit 17 detects that the start lever 9 has been operated and notifies the CPU 12 of the operation. CPU1
When the detection circuit 17 notifies that the start lever 9 has been operated, the random number 2 is obtained from the random number circuit 18 to determine a lottery symbol. In this case, as a lottery symbol, a big bonus symbol, a regular bonus symbol, 10
A small piece symbol, a two piece small combination symbol, a replay symbol, a concentrated part mode start symbol, a concentrated part mode end symbol, an off symbol, and the like are set.

The CPU 12 controls the three reels 3a described above.
3c is controlled to rotate and stop. That is, when the start lever 9 is operated, the CPU 12 outputs a drive pulse to the drivers 19a to 19c. The pulse motors 20a to 20c are drivers 19a to 1
9c, the reels 3a to 3c
Is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of drive pulses. In this case, position sensors 21a to 21c are provided corresponding to the reference rotation positions of the reels 3a to 3c, and the detection circuit 22 notifies the CPU 12 of the detection state of the position sensors 21a to 21c. The CPU 12 detects that the reels 3a to 3c have reached the reference rotation position at the timing when the detection circuit 22 enters the detection state.

Here, counters 23a to 23c are provided corresponding to the reels 3a to 3c.
When the drive pulses are output to the pulse motors 20a to 20c, the corresponding counters 23a to 23c are incremented by the number of drive pulses and the position sensors 21a to 21c are increased.
Detects the reference rotation positions of the reels 3a to 3c, the counters 23a to 23c are reset.
Therefore, the CPU 12 can determine the current rotation position of the reels 3a to 3c from the reference rotation position based on the count values of the counters 23a to 23c.

The detection circuit 24 includes a stop button 10a
Ｃ10c are detected and notified to the CPU 12. The CPU 12 sends the stop button 1
When it is notified that 0a to 10c have been operated, the drawing stop operation of the lottery symbol is executed. That is, the symbol table 25 stores the relationship between the rotational positions of the reels 3a to 3c and the symbols, and the CPU 12 can determine the symbol currently displayed based on the current rotational positions of the reels 3a to 3c. it can.

The payout setting section 26 is for determining the payout rate of coins, and can arbitrarily set the payout rate in six stages. In this case, the CPU 12 determines the winning probability of a bonus symbol, a small symbol symbol, or the like based on the payout rate set in the payout setting section 26. The payout mechanism 27 includes a driver 28 according to a command from the CPU 12.
And pays out a predetermined number of coins.

FIG. 3 shows a symbol drawn on each of the reels 3a to 3c. In FIG. 3, "7", "BAR", a plum symbol, an orange symbol, a cherry symbol, "REPLAY", a skull symbol, and the like are drawn at predetermined positions of the left reel 3a, the center reel 3b, and the right reel 3c. ing.

Here, the CPU 12 executes the following operation according to the lottery symbol. (1) When a big bonus symbol is won as a lottery symbol, the pull-in stop operation of “7” is executed after the big bonus flag is established, and when the “7” is aligned with the active display line and stopped and displayed, Start the well-known big bonus mode. In this case, in the game in which the big bonus has been won, if the stop display cannot be performed with the number “7” aligned, the establishment of the big bonus flag is continuously valid.

(2) When a regular bonus symbol is won as a lottery symbol, a "BAR" pull-in stop operation is performed after a regular bonus flag is established, and "BAR" can be stopped and displayed with the effective display line aligned. Then, the well-known regular bonus mode is started. In this case, in the game in which the regular bonus has been won, if it is not possible to stop and display the "BAR" in a row, the establishment of the regular bonus flag is continued to be valid.

(3) When 10 small winning symbols are won as a lottery symbol, a pull-in stop operation of a small winning symbol such as a plum symbol or an orange symbol is executed, and the small winning symbol is aligned with the effective display line and stopped. When you can, pay out 10 coins. In this case, in the game in which the ten small winning symbols are won, if the stop display cannot be performed with the plum symbols or orange symbols aligned, the winning of the ten small winning symbols is invalidated.

(4) When two small winning symbols are won as a lottery symbol, a pull-in stop operation of the cherry symbol provided on the left reel 3a is executed. When the cherry symbol can be stopped and displayed, two coins are displayed. Pay out. In this case, when the cherry symbol cannot be stopped and displayed in the game in which the small winning symbol is won, the winning of the small winning symbol is invalidated.

(5) When the symbol in the concentrated combination mode is won, the winning probability of the small symbol is set higher.

In this case, the concentrated combination mode start symbol is not set on the reels 3a to 3c from the viewpoint of enhancing the playability, and the CPU 12 does not execute the concentrated combination mode start symbol pull-in stop operation.

(6) End of Concentrated Combination Mode When a symbol is won, a draw-in stop operation of the skull and crossbones symbol is executed. In this case, when it is not possible to stop and display the skull and crossbones symbols in the game in which the concentrated combination mode end symbol has been won, the winning of the concentrated combination mode end symbol is invalidated.

(7) When a replay symbol is won as a lottery symbol, a "REPLAY" symbol pull-in stop operation is executed, and when the "REPLAY" symbol is aligned and displayed on the effective display line, the next game is played. Executable without coin insertion. (8) When a lost symbol is won as a lottery symbol, a pull-in stop operation of the lost symbol is executed.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. 4 to 6 show the operation of the CPU 12. First, in FIG. 4, when a coin is inserted (S101), the CPU 12 sets an effective display line according to the number of inserted coins (S102). In other words, when one coin is inserted, the middle horizontal line is made valid. When two coins are inserted, the upper and lower horizontal lines are made effective in addition to the middle horizontal line, and three coins are inserted. In this case, two diagonal lines are made effective in addition to the three horizontal lines of the upper, middle, and lower stages.

When the player operates the start lever 9 (S103: YES), a lottery process is executed (S104). That is, the big bonus symbol, the regular bonus symbol,
The 10 small win symbols, the 2 small win symbols, the concentrated win mode start symbol, the concentrated win mode end symbol, and the off symbol are determined. In this case, when the big bonus flag or the regular bonus flag is established by the previous lottery process, the big bonus symbol or the regular bonus symbol is set as the lottery symbol.

Subsequently, by outputting a drive pulse to the pulse motors 20a to 20c, all the reels 3a to 3c
Is rotated (S105). At this time, the CPU 12 increments the counters 23a to 23c corresponding to the reels 3a to 3c in accordance with the number of output drive pulses.

Then, the player enters the stop button 10a-
When the user operates the button 10c (S106: YES), the CPU 12
Executes the pull-in stop processing of the reels 3a to 3c (S
107).

FIG. 5 shows the reel pull-in stop processing. In FIG. 5, the CPU 12 reads the stored values of the counters 23a to 23c corresponding to the reels 3a to 3c to be stopped (S201). At this time, the counters 23a-
23c stores numerical values indicating the current rotational positions of the reels 3a to 3c.

Subsequently, the CPU 12 reads the symbol table (S202). This symbol table has reels 3a ~
Since the correspondence between the rotational position of 3c and the symbols drawn on the reels 3a to 3c is stored, the counters 23a to 23c are stored.
Based on the stored value of c, it is possible to determine the current display symbol located on the effective display line.

At the timing when the stop buttons 10a to 10c are operated, a predetermined number of draws (the symbol positioned on the effective display line is changed to 0 from the symbol positioned on the effective display line).
It is determined whether or not the lottery symbol is positioned within the four frames. If the lottery symbol is positioned, the lottery symbol is drawn in and stopped, and if the lottery symbol is not positioned, the operation is stopped as it is. Therefore, when the lottery symbol is located on the effective display line at the timing when the stop buttons 10a to 10c are operated, the operation is stopped as it is, and even when the lottery symbol is not located on the effective display line, the effective display is performed. When the lottery symbol is located at a position where it can be drawn into the line, the lottery symbol is stopped and displayed on the effective display line.

In the above-described pull-in stop operation, if the stop symbol becomes a symbol other than the lottery symbol when the lottery symbol cannot be pulled in and stops as it is, the reels 3a to 3c are further slip-controlled. By doing so, it does not become a high hit symbol.

As described above, the stop buttons 10a to 10a
When the reels 3a to 3c are sequentially stopped in response to the operation on 10c (S108: YES), the CPU 12 executes a stopped symbol determination process (S109).

FIG. 6 shows a stop symbol determination process. In FIG. 6, the CPU 12 includes counters 23a to 23a.
By reading the stored value of c and reading the symbol table 25 (S301, S302), the stop symbol to the effective display line is determined (S303). Subsequently, a payout process is executed (S110). That is, when the stop symbol is a hit symbol, a predetermined number of coins are paid out according to the hit symbol.

Subsequently, when the stop symbol is a special mode symbol (S111: YES), a special mode process is executed (S112). That is, in the case of the big bonus mode, a predetermined symbol (for example, “REPLA
Y "), pull in the coins and display one coin.
The payout is performed five times, and the process ends when such a payout operation is performed 24 times. In the case of the regular bonus mode, the payout operation is performed eight times as in the case of the big bonus mode, and the process ends. Therefore, the player
360 coins can be obtained by the big bonus and 120 coins can be obtained by the regular bonus. When the stopped symbol is a small symbol, the number of coins corresponding to the small symbol is paid out.

On the other hand, when the lottery symbol is the symbol for starting the concentrated combination mode in the above-mentioned lottery process, the concentrated combination mode is started. In this case, the concentrated combination mode start symbol is not set on the reels 3a to 3c, and the concentrated combination mode start symbol is not displayed as a stop symbol. this is,
By not informing players about the start of Concentrator mode,
This is for enhancing the playability of the concentrated role mode.

In this concentrated combination mode, the winning probability of the small combination is set higher than usual, so that the so-called payout rate (base) is high. In this case, although the concentrated combination mode start symbol is not displayed as a stopped symbol, the small combination symbols are more easily aligned than usual, so that the player can determine that the concentrated combination mode has been set.

By the way, the end of the big bonus mode or the regular bonus mode can be confirmed by the notification of the ramp provided in the slot machine. Was not informed. For this reason, a player who determines that the concentrated mode has started,
When the small role symbols became difficult to align, it became uneasy whether or not the concentrated role mode was ended, and even if you wanted to end the game, you thought that it might still be in the concentrated role mode, and it was not easy to end the game .

Therefore, in this embodiment, a skull and crossbones symbol indicating the end of the concentrated combination mode is provided on the reels 3a to 3c, and when the concentrated combination mode end symbol is won by the lottery process, the draw-in stop processing is performed so that the skull and crossbone symbols are aligned. When the stop display can be performed with the skull and crossbones symbols aligned on the active display line, the concentrated mode is ended.

Here, the technical intervention when the CPU 12 aligns the skull and crossbones symbols will be described. Note that the number of coins inserted at the start of the game is three, and all display lines are valid. Also, it is assumed that the slip width of the first stop reel and the next stop reel is set to four frames, and the slip width of the last stop reel is set to two frames.

That is, the left reel 3a has other symbols of up to six frames between skull and crossbones symbols, and the slip width of the first stop reel is set to four frames. The skull and crossbones symbol can be reliably stopped and displayed as the left symbol by the intervention.

Since the other symbols of four frames are set between the skull and crossbone symbols on the center reel 3b, and the slip width of the second stop reel is set to four frames, the left symbol is used as the left symbol. Regardless of the stop position of the skull and crossbones symbol, it is possible to reliably display the skull and crossbones symbol as a middle symbol by technical intervention by the CPU 12.

Since the other symbols of the four frames are set on the right reel 3c between the skull and crossbones, and the slip width of the last stop reel is set to two frames, the CPU 12 makes technical intervention. As a result, the probability of aligning the skull and crossbones becomes 60%.

When the stop buttons 10a to 10c are operated so that the left reel 3a becomes the last stop reel, the probability of aligning the skull and crossbones symbols further decreases.

In the case where the cherry symbol is not elected because the cherry symbol is provided in front of the skull and crossbone symbol on the left reel 3a, a case where the skull symbol and the cherry symbol are displayed. In addition, the skull and cherry symbols are not displayed simultaneously by the slip control on the left reel 3a.

According to the above configuration, the skull and crossbones symbol indicating the end of the concentrated combination mode can be displayed, and when the concentrated combination mode end symbol is won in the concentrated combination mode state, the skull and crossbones symbols are displayed together. Since the technical intervention is performed as described above, the player can confirm that the concentrated role mode has ended when the skull and crossbones symbol is displayed. Therefore,
Unlike the conventional configuration in which the end of the concentrated mode cannot be confirmed, the player can enthusiastically engage in the game.

Even if two skull and crossbones symbols are tempered, it is possible to push the last stop reel pattern so as not to be a skull and crossbone symbol by the technical intervention of the player. The gaming technology makes it possible to extend the concentrated mode mode period, thereby enhancing the interest.

Further, the player is nervous that the concentrator mode may end each time two skull and crossbones symbols are displayed, so that the player is informed of the concentrator mode by, for example, a lamp. In comparison, the player becomes enthusiastic about the game, and the gambling of the slot machine 1 can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be modified or expanded as follows. If the skull and crossbones symbols cannot be aligned and stopped and displayed regardless of the skull and crossbones symbol pull-in stop processing when the intensive symbol mode end symbol is won, the skull and crossbone symbol winning may be carried over to the next game. In this case, when the symbol in which the concentrator mode ends is won, the skull and crossbones symbols can be aligned and stopped and displayed by the technical intervention by the slot machine 1, so that the concentrator mode mode period becomes the same regardless of the gaming technology of the player. , Coins can be distributed fairly.

In the case of a slot machine having a chance time in which the number of slip frames on a reel is set to zero, the end of the chance time may be notified by displaying a specific symbol. The specific symbol is not limited to a combination of skull and crossbones symbols, and may be a combination of ordinary symbols.

[0060]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the slot machine of the present invention, it is possible to display a specific symbol indicating that the concentrator mode is to be ended, and to terminate the concentrator mode. Executes the pull-in stop operation of the specific symbol, and when the specific symbol can be displayed by the pull-in stop operation, terminates the concentrated role mode. An excellent effect of being able to surely notify is provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an electrical configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the slot machine.

FIG. 3 is a development view of a reel.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a CPU;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a reel stop processing operation of the CPU.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a stop symbol determination process of the CPU.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a slot machine, 3a to 3c are reels, 9 is a start lever, 10a to 10c are stop buttons, 12 is C
PU (control means), 18 is a random number circuit, 20a to 20c are pulse motors, 23a to 23c are counters, 25 is a symbol table, 26 is a payout setting section, and 27 is a payout mechanism.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A slot machine for increasing a coin payout rate when a concentrated mode is won, wherein a specific symbol indicating that the concentrated mode is to be ended can be displayed. A slot machine comprising a control means for executing a pull-in stop operation of the specific symbol when winning, and terminating the concentrated combination mode when the specific symbol can be displayed by the pull-in stop operation. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control means continues to activate the concentrated combination mode when the specific symbol cannot be displayed irrespective of the pull-in stop operation of the specific symbol. The slot machine according to 1. 3. The control means according to claim 1, wherein when the specific symbol is not displayed irrespective of the operation of stopping the drawing of the specific symbol, the end winning in the concentrated combination mode is invalidated. Slot machine.