Game parlor system

Abstract

To reduce a burden on employees.SOLUTION: A game parlor system starts at-rest suppression processing for suppressing reception of a new card and permission of payment while a player is at rest with a starting operation by the player, and finishes the at-rest suppression processing with the reception of a recording medium discharged accompanying the at-rest suppression processing. In the case where the recording medium to be discharged accompanying the at-rest suppression processing is a general card, the at-rest suppression processing is started on a condition that a valuable value, which is at least one of the payment balance shown by payment balance information and the magnitude of a game value shown by game value information reaches a reference value, and in the case where the recording medium to be discharged is a membership card, the at-rest suppression processing can be started even if there is no valuable value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for an amusement park. [Background technology]

[0002] In amusement arcades, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example, when a player wishes to take a break for business, if a membership card is accepted, the break operation is accepted and a membership card is issued without the intervention of an employee, and thereafter, processing related to play is suppressed until the same membership card is accepted again. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-14521 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In these cases, for general customers who are not members, an employee would be required to enter the rest mode, for example by holding up a so-called rest card on the gaming machine, and when the player returned, the rest card would be replaced and play would resume.However, in order to increase convenience or to reduce the amount of work required by employees, there is a growing need to allow general customers to take a break without the involvement of an employee, just like members, by accepting the rest operation without the involvement of an employee, and by using a general card instead of a membership card.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an amusement arcade system that can reduce the burden on employees. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 relates to an amusement facility system provided with a gaming machine device capable of executing a reception process for receiving a recording medium by inserting the recording medium to which deposit balance information indicating the deposit balance required for receiving a gaming value and gaming value information (e.g. held balls information) indicating the amount of gaming value (e.g. held balls) acquired through a game can be associated, a discharge process for discharging the recording medium, and a break suppression process for suppressing processing related to a game during a player's break, the system comprising: a suppression start means (e.g. gaming machine device 2, etc.) for starting the break suppression process together with the discharge process by a start operation by a player; and a suppression end means for ending the break suppression process by accepting the recording medium discharged in conjunction with the break suppression process. The gaming facility has a stage (e.g., gaming machine device 2, etc.), and the recording media are divided into membership recording media (e.g., membership card 51, etc.) issued in advance to players who have registered as members at the gaming facility, and general recording media (e.g., general card 52, etc.) issued to an unspecified number of players, and when the recording medium to be discharged as a result of the break suppression process is the general recording medium, the break suppression process is started on the condition that at least one of the valuable value, which is the deposit balance indicated by the deposit balance information that can be associated with the general recording medium, and the magnitude of the gaming value indicated by the gaming value information, has reached a reference value, and when the recording medium to be discharged is the membership recording medium, the process can be started even if the valuable value does not exist. According to the above-mentioned configuration, the break suppression process, which suppresses processing related to gaming during a player's break, is started on the condition that at least one of the valuable value, that is, the deposit balance indicated by the deposit balance information that can be associated with the general recording medium and the magnitude of the gaming value indicated by the gaming value information, has reached a reference value if the recording medium to be discharged as a result of the break suppression process is a general recording medium, but if the recording medium to be discharged is a member's recording medium, the process can be started even if it does not have any valuable value, thereby reducing the burden on employees. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of an amusement park system according to one embodiment; [Diagram 2] Perspective view of the prize exchange counter [Diagram 3] Functional block diagram of the payment machine [Figure 4] Perspective view of a POS terminal [Diagram 5] POS terminal function block diagram [Figure 6] A diagram showing a leftover coin buffet receipt [Figure 7] Diagram showing the screen of the settlement machine for membership card operation processing (part 1) [Figure 8] Diagram showing the screen of the settlement machine for membership card operation processing (part 2) [Figure 9] Diagram showing the screen of the settlement machine for membership card operation processing (part 3) [Figure 10] Diagram showing the screen of the settlement machine for membership card operation processing (part 4) [Figure 11] Diagram showing the POS terminal screen for membership card operation processing (part 1) [Figure 12] Diagram showing the POS terminal screen for membership card operation processing (part 2) [Figure 13] Diagram showing the POS terminal screen for membership card operation processing (part 3) [Figure 14] A diagram showing screen transitions during membership card operation processing [Figure 15] Diagram showing the screen of a payment machine for general card operation processing (part 1) [Figure 16] Diagram showing the screen of a payment machine for general card operation processing (part 2) [Figure 17] Diagram showing the screen of a payment machine for general card operation processing (part 3) [Figure 18] Diagram showing the POS terminal screen for general card operation processing (part 1) [Figure 19] Diagram showing the POS terminal screen for general card operation processing (part 1) [Figure 20] Figure 2 shows the screen of a POS terminal for general card operation processing. [Figure 21]Figure 3 shows the screen of a POS terminal for general card operation processing [Figure 22] Figure 4 shows the screen of a POS terminal for general card operation processing [Figure 23] Figure 5 shows the screen of a POS terminal for general card operation processing [Figure 24] Figure 6 shows the screen of a POS terminal for general card operation processing [Diagram 25] Figure 7 shows the screen of a POS terminal for general card operation processing [Figure 26] Figure 8 shows the screen of a POS terminal for general card operation processing. [Figure 27] Figure 9 shows the screen of a POS terminal for general card operation processing [Figure 28] Figure 10 shows the screen of a POS terminal for general card operation processing [Figure 29] Screen transition diagram for general card operation processing (part 1) [Diagram 30] Screen transition diagram for general card operation processing (part 2) [Diagram 31] A diagram showing the screen of a gaming machine device during a self-rest period (part 1) [Diagram 32] FIG. 2 shows the screen of a gaming machine device during a self-rest period. [Diagram 33] FIG. 13 shows a screen of a gaming machine device during a semi-self-service break. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the system for an amusement facility. A large number of gaming machines 1 are installed in the amusement facility, and a gaming machine device 2 (corresponding to suppression start means, suppression end means, and setting means) and an information display device 3 are installed corresponding to each gaming machine 1. The gaming machines 1, the gaming machine devices 2, and the information display devices 3 are connected to a relay device 4 in pairs. The relay device 4 is connected to a management device 6 (corresponding to management means and collation means) via a LAN 5. The management device 6 receives game signals transmitted from the gaming machine side (gaming machine 1, gaming machine device 2, etc.) to manage the game data for each gaming machine, and also manages the personal data for each registered member.

[0009] A POS terminal, an end counter, a tally adjustment machine, etc. (none of which are shown) are also installed in the gaming facility, and these POS terminals, end counters, tally adjustment machines, etc. are also connected to the management device 6 via LAN 5. Although not shown in FIG. 1, in reality, for example, several hundred gaming machines 1 are managed by the management device 6. The management device 6 is installed in, for example, an office in the gaming facility, and is connected to a keyboard 7, a monitor 8, a printer (not shown) and the like that are operated by the manager of the gaming facility. The management device 6 manages the operating status of the gaming machines 1, gaming machine devices 2, etc. installed in the gaming facility.

[0010] Cards (corresponding to recording media) used by players at game arcades include a member card 51 (corresponding to a member recording medium) and a general card 52 (corresponding to a general recording medium) (see FIG. 3). The member card 51 is a card that is valid until a preset expiration date (for example, three years) and is issued to a player who has registered as a member in advance. The balls (corresponding to a game value) corresponding to the member card 51 are stored in the member account of the management device 6 for each loan unit price. The IC chip 51a built into the member card 51 records a member ID that can identify the card, and records (associates) deposit balance information that can identify the deposit balance deposited in the gaming machine device 2. The balls corresponding to the member card 51 are associated (associated) with the member card 51 by reading out the balls information (corresponding to game value information) that can identify the balls stored in the member account of the management device 6 for each loan unit price from the member account.

[0011] The general card 52 is a card that is valid only for the day, and is issued to an unspecified number of players. A general ID that can identify the card is recorded (associated) in the IC chip 52a built into the general card 52, and deposit balance information that can identify the deposit balance deposited in the gaming machine device 2 and ball holding information (corresponding to game value information) that can identify the balls held by the player through play on the day (corresponding to game value information) are recorded (associated) for each loan unit price.

[0012] The gaming machine 1 has an operating handle 10, an upper tray 11, and a lower tray 12 which constitute a launching device that launches balls onto the board 9, and also has an LCD display unit 13, a regular prize opening 14, a first start opening 15, a second start opening 16, a large prize opening 17, etc. on the board 9.

[0013] The gaming machine 1 performs the following operations. (1) The first starting hole 15 is a winning hole whose winning rate does not fluctuate (a so-called center winning hole), and the second starting hole 16 is a winning hole whose winning rate fluctuates (a so-called electric chute). (2) A jackpot lottery is held in response to a winning entry (start winning entry) into the first starting hole 15 or the second starting hole 16, and the result of the lottery is announced by a pattern change on the liquid crystal display unit 13, and a jackpot is awarded depending on the result of the change.

[0014] (3) If a start win occurs during a pattern change, the pattern changes are cumulatively reserved up to a predetermined reserved upper limit (for example, 4 each), and the reserved pattern changes will start after the pattern changes have ended. Note that if a start win occurs when the number of reserved pattern changes (reserved number) is at the upper limit, the pattern changes will not be reserved.

[0015] (4) The probability of winning the jackpot lottery (jackpot probability) is 1 / 200, and the probability rate, which is the percentage of jackpots that subsequently enter a probability state (probability rate), is 50% for center hole winning and 70% for the electric chute. When a jackpot occurs, the large prize opening 17 is opened for the allocated number of rounds (R). Here, for center hole winning, all Rs are allocated to 4R, while for the electric chute, 50% are allocated to 10R and 50% are allocated to 4R. The upper limit for the number of winnings in one round is 10, and the upper limit opening time is 30 seconds, and one round ends when either the upper limit for the number of winnings or the upper limit opening time is met.

[0016] (5) During the probability of a jackpot increase to 1 / 50, and the probability of winning into the first starting hole 15 and the second starting hole 16 increases. The time-saving state (time-saving) is a compound time-saving state, which continues until a jackpot occurs. On the other hand, if a normal jackpot occurs, the time-saving state (single time-saving state) continues until 100 pattern changes are performed, and if no jackpot occurs, the state returns to the normal state.

[0017] (6) The second starting port 16 is in an open state with a high winning rate when the normal pattern (normal pattern) that changes in response to the winning of the normal pattern winning port 14 becomes a winning pattern. In this case, the time for one normal pattern to change is 30 seconds in the normal state and 3 seconds in the time-saving state. Also, the opening time is 0.3 seconds in the normal state and 5 seconds in the time-saving state. In other words, in the time-saving state, the normal pattern change time is shorter than in the normal state, while the opening time is longer, so the winning rate of the second starting port 16 is higher.

[0018] In addition to these gaming machines, gaming machines other than the exemplified gaming machines, such as so-called ST machines that use a so-called limited-time probability system, gaming machines that can generate so-called ceiling time reductions, or gaming machines that have multiple jackpot probabilities and can be changed by settings, may also be subject to management.

[0019] The gaming machine 1 and the peripheral devices attached to the gaming machine 1 output the following game signals as the game progresses, such as when the player shoots the ball or when a ball enters the first starting hole 15 or the second starting hole 16. Out signal = a signal (operation signal) capable of identifying the consumption value (out) output from the out box that collects consumed balls. Since one pulse is output for every 10 balls consumed (used, inserted, collected), the "number of out signals x 10" is identified as out. Note that it may also be a signal output from the gaming machine 1.

[0020] Safe signal = a signal that can identify the winning value (safe) output from the gaming machine 1. Since one pulse is output for every 10 balls paid out in response to a win, "number of safe signals x 10" is identified as safe. The resupply signal output from a resupply device may also be used as the safe signal. There are actual safe signals that are output when balls are actually paid out, and winning safe signals that are output when a payout is reserved in response to a win, but it is preferable to use the latter in order to minimize the time lag between winning and output.

[0021] Start signal = a signal that can specify the start process (symbol change, device operation, unit game) and start (number of start processes) in the liquid crystal display unit 13 (gimmick) that changes (operates) due to the start winning (S winning) output from the gaming machine 1. Since it is output when the symbol change is confirmed, the start process is specified according to the signal input. Note that it may be substituted with the S winning signal output at the time of the start winning.

[0022] The jackpot signal is a signal capable of identifying the jackpot period output from the gaming machine 1. Since it is a status signal whose level is output during a jackpot, the input of the jackpot signal is identified as the jackpot period. Special state signal = a signal capable of identifying a special state (sweet state) output from the gaming machine 1. Since it is a state signal whose level is output during a special state (during time reduction (including combined time reduction)) in which the winning rate of the second starting port 16 increases, the special state is identified as being in progress when the special state signal is being input. It may also be a state signal (probability bonus signal) whose level is output during a probability bonus in which the probability of a jackpot increases. Also, the period in which neither a jackpot signal nor a special state signal is input is identified as being in a normal state.

[0023] The gaming machine device 2 has a status indicator light 18 that indicates the game status of the gaming machine 1 and the status of the gaming device 2, a bill insertion slot 19 through which bills are inserted, a camera unit 20 that has a built-in camera that photographs the upper body including the face of the player (only a protective cover is shown in Figure 1), a touch panel type LCD display unit 21 that accepts operational inputs from the player and displays game data such as the number of pattern changes (start) and the probability of a jackpot as the game progresses, a payout button 22 that is operated to pay out balls, a payout nozzle 23 through which the paid out balls pass, a card insertion slot 24 through which a membership card 51 or a general card 52 is inserted, and a removable counting tray 25 located below the lower tray 12 of the gaming machine 1.

[0024] The gaming machine device 2 performs the following operations. (1) When currency is accepted (currency acceptance process), the amount of the deposit is displayed on both the gaming machine 1 and the gaming machine device 2, and one unit of loaned balls (value of the loan) (e.g., 500 yen) is paid out from the gaming machine 1 (value grant process, grant process), and the amount of the deposit is displayed as the deposit balance excluding the value of the loaned balls according to the value grant process. Currency can be accepted in an amount corresponding to multiple value grant processes (e.g., up to 10,000 yen).

[0025] (2) When the loan button on the gaming machine 1 is pressed (loan operation, grant operation) while there is a balance, one unit of loan balls is paid out from the gaming machine 1, and the payment is deducted from the deposit balance. In addition, each machine is also equipped with a so-called counting function, which counts the balls acquired by the player and can also pay back balls using the counted acquired balls as payment, and the number of balls excluding the payment can be specified as the held balls.

[0026] (3) When the return button of the gaming machine 1 is pressed (the issuance operation is accepted) while there is remaining deposit balance or balls in hand, a general card 52 that can specify the deposit balance and balls in hand is issued. For the sake of simplicity, partial issuance of a part of the deposit balance or balls in hand is not allowed, but may be allowed.

[0027] (4) Serial communication with the relay device 4 (reception of sales signals) makes it possible to identify the currency acceptance process, the value granting process, the remaining deposit balance, the number of balls lent, the deposit amount, the number of balls lent, the sales amount that is the value of the lent balls, the counted balls, the balls in hand, the payout balls, and the acceptance and issuance process of the general card 52. However, these can also be identified by pulse signals (for example, one pulse for every 1,000 yen deposited, one pulse for every 100 yen sold, etc.).

[0028] Next, we will explain the self-exchange system. The self-exchange system was introduced with the aim of reducing the burden on employees, and allows players to settle their deposit balances and exchange prizes for prizes themselves, without the need for employees.

[0029] In one corner of the game center, a prize exchange counter 26 as shown in Fig. 2 is installed. The prize exchange counter 26 accepts a member card 51 or a general card 52, and executes a settlement process of paying out money based on deposit balance information, an exchange process of exchanging prizes based on saved ball information and held ball information, and a prize payout process of paying out prizes that are the subject of exchange in the exchange process to a player. The counter 26 is configured by arranging a settlement machine 27 (corresponding to a recording medium receiving means, a secret code information receiving means, an issue suppressing means, a first permission means, a second permission means, a third permission means, a fourth permission means, and a notification means), a POS terminal 28 (corresponding to a prize exchange device), a prize payout device 29, and a leftover ball prize corner 30. In the case of this embodiment, the POS terminal 28 and the prize payout device 29 are stored in a single housing 31 and are configured as one unit, and the leftover ball prize corner 30 is arranged on the housing 31. The POS terminal 28, the settlement machine 27, and the prize payout device 29 are connected to the management device 6 via the LAN 5. The settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are directly connected, and the POS terminal 28 and the prize payout device 29 are directly connected.

[0030] The settlement machine 27 has a touch panel type liquid crystal display unit 32, a card insertion port 33, a bill return port 34, a coin return port 35, etc. As shown in Fig. 3, the settlement machine 27 is electrically configured to include a control unit 36 ​​configured by a microcomputer having a CPU 36a, a ROM 36b, a RAM 36c, and an I / O 36d, a liquid crystal display unit 32 connected to the control unit 36, a touch panel 37 arranged on the liquid crystal display unit 32, a bill dispensing unit 38 that dispenses bills to the bill return port 34, a coin dispensing unit 39 that dispenses coins to the coin return port 35, an alarm lamp unit 40 that notifies the state or abnormality of the settlement machine 27, a card R / W 41 that reads various information from a member card 51 or a general card 52 inserted into the card insertion port 33, a stock unit 42 that collects the general card 52 located in the card R / W 41, an I / F unit 43 that transmits and receives various signals and various information between the management device 6 and the POS terminal 28, etc. The bill return slot 34 is provided with a sensor for detecting the removal of bills, and the card insertion slot 33 is provided with a sensor for detecting the removal of various cards. In this case, various information is read from the membership card 51 or general card 52 when the membership card 51 or general card 52 is inserted into the card insertion slot 33 and taken into the settlement machine 27. The state of being taken into the settlement machine 27 means that the membership card 51 or general card 52 has been removed from the player's hand.

[0031] When the settlement machine 27 accepts the membership card 51 by inserting it into the card insertion slot 33, it requests the player to enter a PIN number, and, provided that the entered PIN number matches correctly, it reads the deposit balance information recorded on the inserted membership card 51 and displays the deposit balance specified by the read deposit balance information on the LCD display unit 32, and also obtains and stores the saved ball information corresponding to the inserted membership card 51 from the membership account of the management device 6.

[0032] Thereafter, the settlement machine 27 ejects the accepted membership card 51 from the card insertion slot 33, and executes a settlement process to dispense currency corresponding to the deposit balance from the bill return slot 34 or the coin return slot 35, on the condition that the membership card 51 has been removed from the card insertion slot 33. If the number of stored balls specified by the stored ball information stored in association with the inserted membership card 51 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the settlement machine 27 executes a transmission process to transmit the stored ball information to the POS terminal 28, on the condition that the dispensed bills have been removed from the bill return slot 34. When the settlement machine 27 handles the deposit balance recorded in association with the membership card 51, it processes it after collating it with the deposit balance previously stored in association with the membership card 51 by the management device 6.

[0033] When the settlement machine 27 accepts the general card 52 by inserting the general card 52 into the card insertion slot 33, it reads the deposit balance information and held ball information recorded in association with the inserted general card 52, and displays the deposit balance specified by the read deposit balance information on the liquid crystal display unit 32. The settlement machine 27 executes a settlement process to pay out currency corresponding to the deposit balance from the banknote return slot 34 and the coin return slot 35.

[0034] Thereafter, if the number of held balls specified by the read held ball information is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the settlement machine 27 executes a transmission process to transmit the stored ball information to the POS terminal 28, on the condition that the dispensed bills have been removed from the bill return port 34. When the settlement machine 27 handles the deposit balance and held balls recorded in association with the general card 52, it checks them against the deposit balance and held balls previously stored in association with the general card 52 by the management device 6 before processing.

[0035] In this embodiment, a sensor for detecting removal of banknotes is provided in the banknote return opening 34, and the operation proceeds to the next operation on the condition that removal of banknotes is detected, but a sensor for detecting removal of coins may be provided in the coin return opening 35, and the operation proceeds to the next operation on the condition that removal of banknotes and coins is detected. Also, if it is relatively difficult to detect removal of coins compared to detecting removal of banknotes, the operation proceeds to the next operation on the condition that a predetermined period of time has passed since the dispensing of coins.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, the POS terminal 28 is composed of a main body 44 and a touch panel type liquid crystal display 47 that can communicate with the main body 44. The liquid crystal display 47 displays information necessary for prize exchange and performs a predetermined exchange process in response to touch operations by the player.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 5, the POS terminal 28 is electrically configured to include a control unit 46 configured by a microcomputer having a CPU 46a, a ROM 46b, a RAM 46c, and an I / O 46d, a liquid crystal display unit 45 connected to the control unit 46, a touch panel 47 arranged on the liquid crystal display unit 45, an IC reader 48 for reading information from the membership card 51, and an I / F unit 49 for transmitting and receiving various signals and various information between the management device 6, the settlement machine 27, and the prize dispensing device 29. In this case, the membership card 51 is touched by the IC reader 48 to read various information without being taken into the POS terminal 28. The state where the membership card 51 is not taken into the POS terminal 28 means a state where the membership card 51 and the general card 52 are not removed from the player's hand. Data communication between the membership card 51 and the IC reader 48 is performed by short-distance wireless communication exemplified by FeliCa (registered trademark), for example.

[0038] When the POS terminal 28 receives the stored ball information and the held ball information from the settlement machine 27, it specifies the type and number of special prizes based on the number of stored balls and the number of held balls specified by the stored ball information and the held ball information, and transmits a payout instruction that can specify the type and number of the specified special prizes to the prize payout device 29, and instructs the payout of the special prizes. The prize payout device 29 stores multiple types of special prizes in a prize stock section (not shown) of the housing 31, and when it receives a payout instruction from the POS terminal 28, it automatically pays out the type and number of special prizes according to the received payout instruction, and executes a prize payout process to pay out the prizes that are the object of exchange in the exchange process to the player. The special prizes are resin cards with built-in IC chips, and come in three denominations: 5,000 yen, 1,000 yen, and 200 yen. Here, the prize payout device 29 is provided with a sensor that detects whether the paid-out prize has been taken out, and when it detects that the prize has been taken out, it can output a signal indicating that to the POS terminal 28 or the settlement machine 27. Also, in this embodiment, an example is given of the settlement machine 27 sending stored ball information and held ball information to the POS terminal 28, but a configuration may be adopted in which the settlement machine 27 sends a POS terminal operation transition signal, which will be described later, indicating that a transition to an exchange operation at the POS terminal 28 is to be made, and the POS terminal 28 acquires the stored ball information and held ball information from the management device 6 by receiving the signal, and it is not necessarily required that the settlement machine 27 acquires the stored ball information and held ball information.

[0039] Furthermore, when a player selects the leftover ball buffet as a method for handling leftover balls in the self-exchange general card operation process, the prize payout device 29, which will be described in detail later, issues a leftover ball buffet receipt (hereinafter referred to as a receipt) 50 shown in Fig. 6. The number of available points (the number of points corresponding to the leftover balls, 38 points being exemplified in Fig. 6) is printed on the receipt 50. When the receipt 50 is issued, the player can acquire leftover ball prizes in a buffet style from the leftover ball prize corner 30 according to the number of points printed on the receipt 50.

[0040] Next, an operation process will be described when a player settles the deposit balance and exchanges prizes by using the self-exchange method. As shown in Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 15(a), when the waiting screen 101, 301 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 32, the settlement machine 27 can accept both the member card 51 and the general card 52, and displays a message 101a, 301a saying "Please insert your card" to prompt the insertion of the member card 51 or the general card 52, and waits for the insertion of the member card 51 or the general card 52.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 11(a) and Fig. 18(a), when the standby screen 201, 401 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 47, the POS terminal 28 displays the message 201a, 401a "Please insert the card into the settlement machine" to prompt the insertion of the membership card 51 or the general card 52 into the settlement machine 27, and waits for the insertion of the membership card 51 or the general card 52 into the settlement machine 27. That is, in this state, the settlement machine 27 can accept both the membership card 51 and the general card 52, and the subsequent processing differs depending on the type of the accepted card. When the player moves in front of the settlement machine 27 from this state to perform the settlement operation, and inserts the membership card 51 into the settlement machine 27, the membership card operation processing is performed, and when the general card 52 is inserted into the settlement machine 27, the general card operation processing is performed. The membership card operation processing and the general card operation processing will be described below in order.

[0042] (1) Membership card operation processing The membership card operation process will be described with reference to FIG. 7 to FIG. When the settlement machine 27 detects the reception of the membership card 51 by inserting the membership card 51 into the card insertion slot 33, it displays a PIN entry screen 102 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in Fig. 7(b), displays a message 102a saying "Please enter the PIN number used at the time of membership registration" to prompt the player to enter the PIN, and displays a numeric keypad 102b of "0" to "9", a "clear" button 102c, and a "cancel" button 102d. When the settlement machine 27 detects the entry of a PIN by the player pressing the numeric keypad 102b, it transmits the entered PIN to the management device 6, where the entered PIN is collated with the PIN number used at the time of membership registration, and receives the collation result from the management device 6.

[0043] When the settlement machine 27 detects that the PIN number matches the PIN number used at the time of member registration, it reads the remaining balance recorded on the accepted member card 51, and displays a card removal screen 103 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in Fig. 8(a), showing the remaining balance (1100 yen in the example of Fig. 8(a)) 103a, the amount of the payment (1100 yen in the example of Fig. 8(a)) 103b, and a message 103c saying "Remove the card to receive the payment," to encourage the player to remove the member card 51, and ejects the accepted member card 51 from the card insertion slot 33. That is, in this state, the player can remove the member card 51 from the card insertion slot 33.

[0044] When the settlement machine 27 detects that the player has removed the membership card 51 from the card insertion slot 33 and the removal of the membership card 51, it begins settling the read balance of the deposit, and as shown in Figure 8(b), it displays a settlement in progress screen 104 on the LCD display unit 32, displays a message 104a saying "Please be careful not to forget to remove your settlement money" to warn the player not to forget to remove the settlement money, and displays a message 104b saying "Confirming" to inform the player that the settlement money is being confirmed.

[0045] When settling the remaining deposit amount, the settlement machine 27 displays a settlement completion screen 105 on the LCD display unit 32 as shown in Figure 9(a), and displays the remaining deposit amount, settlement amount, and payout amount (1,100 yen in the example of Figure 9(a)) 105a, a message 105a saying "Please be careful not to forget to take your settlement amount" to warn the user not to forget to take the settlement amount, a message 105c saying "Thank you", and dispenses banknotes equivalent to the remaining deposit amount from the banknote dispensing unit 38 to the banknote return port 34 and dispenses coins from the coin dispensing unit 39 to the coin return port 35.

[0046] When the settlement machine 27 detects that the banknotes dispensed from the banknote return port 34 have been removed, if the stored balls are recorded in the management device 6 in association with the member card 51 being accepted, the settlement machine 27 transmits stored ball information indicating the stored balls to the POS terminal 28, and as shown in FIG. 9(b), displays a POS operation screen 106 on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and displays a message 106a saying "Please continue to perform the exchange operation at the POS terminal" to prompt the player to perform the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28. The settlement machine 27 also transmits a POS terminal operation transition signal to the settlement machine 27, indicating a transition to the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28. At this time, the player moves from in front of the settlement machine 27 to in front of the POS terminal 28 and performs the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28.

[0047] When the POS terminal 28 detects the reception of a POS terminal operation transition signal from the settlement machine 27 while displaying the standby screen 201, it displays the type selection screen 202 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 11(b), on the condition that it has received the saved ball information from the settlement machine 27, and displays a message 202a saying "Please select an account" to prompt the selection of the exchange type, and displays the "Type selection" buttons 202b to 202e, the "Previous" button 202f, the "Next" button 202g, the "Call staff" button 202h, and the "Cancel exchange" button 202i. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "Please operate at this self-POS terminal." The "Previous" button 202f and the "Next" button 202g are buttons operated to switch to another exchange type when there are five or more exchange types that cannot be displayed on the screen.

[0048] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed one of the "Type Selection" buttons 202b-202e, it displays the prize selection screen 203 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in Fig. 12(a), displays a message 203a saying "Please specify the number and press the "OK" button" to prompt the player to select the number of prizes, and displays the details of the selected type (total number, exchange number, account balance) 203b, "-" buttons 203c-203e and "+" buttons 203f-203h for specifying the number of prizes, a "Maximum number set" button 203i, a "OK" button 203j, a "Call staff" button 203k, and a "Cancel exchange" button 203l. At this time, when the "Maximum number set" button 203i is pressed, a special prize that is the maximum amount that can be exchanged with all the target saved balls is selected. FIG. 12(a) illustrates an example in which the "Select type" button 202b is pressed on the type selection screen 202 in FIG. 11(b).

[0049] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Maximum number of sets" button 203i and the "Confirm" button 203j, it displays an exchange confirmation screen 204 on the liquid crystal display 47, displays a message 204a saying "Please touch your membership card" to encourage the player to touch the membership card 51, and displays the usage details 204b, the "Call staff" button 204c, and the "Cancel exchange" button 204d, as shown in Fig. 12(b). At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "Please touch your membership card to the IC reader."

[0050] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has touched the member card 51 to the IC reader 48, it transmits a payout instruction to the prize payout device 29 that can specify the type and number of special prizes based on the stored ball information, causes the prize payout device 29 to pay out the specified type and number of special prizes, and displays an exchange processing screen 205 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in Fig. 13(a), and displays a message 205a saying "exchange processing in progress" to inform that the exchange processing is in progress. The POS terminal 28 also transmits an exchange processing start signal to the settlement machine 27, indicating the start of the exchange processing. The remaining balls that have not been exchanged for special prizes in the exchange processing are stored in the management device 6 as stored balls.

[0051] When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of an exchange process start signal from the POS terminal 28, as shown in Fig. 10(a), it displays an exchange process in progress screen 107, and displays a message 107a saying "exchange process in progress" to inform the user that the exchange process is in progress at the POS terminal 28. After this, when the settlement machine 27 detects that the prize paid out from the prize payout device 29 has been taken out, it returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 101.

[0052] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the prize dispensed from the prize dispensing device 29 has been removed, as shown in Fig. 13(b), it displays an exchange completion screen 206 on the liquid crystal display unit 47, displays a message 206a saying "Thank you for your patronage" and a breakdown of the exchange process (pre-transaction, deposit, withdrawal, balance) 206b, and returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 201 after a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the start of displaying the exchange completion screen 206. The POS terminal 28 may also display the result of the exchange process itself, such as the settlement amount and the exchanged prize.

[0053] 14 shows the screen transitions of the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 in the operation processing of the membership card 51 described above. In this manner, the player can settle the deposit balance associated with the membership card 51 at the settlement machine 27 and exchange the saved balls for special prizes at the POS terminal 28. Note that if the player presses the "Stop exchange" button on any screen, such as the "Stop exchange" button 202i on the type selection screen 202, no further processing will be performed.

[0054] (2) General card operation processing The general card operation process will be described with reference to FIGS. When the settlement machine 27 detects the acceptance of the general card 52 by inserting the general card 52 into the card insertion slot 33, it reads the deposit balance recorded on the accepted general card 52, and displays a settlement in progress screen 302 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in Fig. 15(b), displaying the read deposit balance (1100 yen in the example of Fig. 15(b)) 302a and the settlement amount (1100 yen in the example of Fig. 15(b)) 302b, displaying a message 302c saying "Be careful not to forget to take the settlement amount" to warn the user not to forget to take the settlement amount, and displaying a message 302d saying "Confirming" to inform the user that the settlement amount is being confirmed. In the above-mentioned membership card operation process, the accepted membership card 51 was immediately discharged from the card insertion slot 33 immediately after the deposit balance and the settlement amount were displayed, but in the general card operation process, the accepted general card 52 is not discharged from the card insertion slot 33 at this stage, but is left inserted. In other words, at this stage, the player cannot remove the general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33.

[0055] When settling the deposit balance, the settlement machine 27 displays a settlement completion screen 303 on the LCD display unit 32 as shown in Figure 16(a), and displays the deposit balance, settlement amount, and payout amount (1,100 yen in the example of Figure 16(a)), a message 303b saying "Please be careful not to forget to take your settlement amount" to warn the user not to forget to take the settlement amount, a message 303c saying "Thank you", and dispenses banknotes equivalent to the deposit balance from the banknote dispensing unit 38 to the banknote return port 34, and dispenses coins from the coin dispensing unit 39 to the coin return port 35.

[0056] When the settlement machine 27 detects that the dispensed bills have been removed from the bill return port 34, if the accepted general card 52 has recorded held balls, it transmits held ball information indicating the held balls to the POS terminal 28, and displays a POS operation screen 304 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in FIG. 16(b), and displays a message 304a saying "Please continue to perform the exchange operation at the POS terminal" to prompt the player to perform the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28. The settlement machine 27 also transmits a POS terminal operation transition signal to the settlement machine 27, indicating a transition to the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28. At this time, the player moves from in front of the settlement machine 27 to in front of the POS terminal 28 and performs the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28.

[0057] When the POS terminal 28 detects the reception of a POS terminal operation transition signal from the settlement machine 27 while displaying the standby screen 401, the POS terminal 28 displays a type selection screen 402 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 18(b), on the condition that the ball information is received from the settlement machine 27, and displays a message 402a saying "Please select a type" to prompt the selection of an exchange type, and displays "Type selection" buttons 402b to 402e, "Previous" button 402f, "Next" button 402g, "Call staff" button 402h, and "Cancel exchange" button 402i. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "Please operate at this self-POS terminal." Note that, unlike the member card operation process, if only one type is associated with the general card 52, the type selection screen 402 is not displayed and is omitted, and the process proceeds from the standby screen 401 to a prize exchange screen 403 described later.

[0058] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed one of the "exchange type selection" buttons 402b to 402e, it displays the prize exchange screen 403 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 19(a), displays a message 403a saying "Please confirm the contents and press the "Confirm" button at the bottom right" to prompt the player to confirm the number of prizes, and displays a breakdown of the selected type (total number, exchange number, remaining) 403b, the number of prizes for each type 403c, a "Confirm" button 403d, a "Call staff" button 403e, and a "Cancel exchange" button 403f. In this case, all prizes that can be exchanged by the type selected by the "exchange type selection" buttons 402b to 402e are selected. FIG. 19(a) illustrates an example in which the "Type selection" button 402b is pressed on the type selection screen 402 in FIG. 18(b).

[0059] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 403d, it displays the remaining ball selection processing screen 404 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in Fig. 19(b), displays a message 404a saying "Please select how to handle the remaining balls" to prompt the player to select how to handle the remaining balls (same meaning as the remaining balls, equivalent to the remaining play value), and displays the "Remaining Ball Buffet" button 404b, the "Saving Balls in Membership Card" button 404c, the "Return to General Card" button 404d, the "Call Staff" button 404e, the "Cancel Exchange" button 404f, and the "Return" button 404g. In other words, the player can select the method of handling the remaining balls as the remaining ball buffet, saving balls in the membership card, or returning to the general card. In this embodiment, the method for handling the remaining balls can be selected, but the method for handling the remaining balls may not be selectable and may instead be determined in advance as one of the methods. In this case, the remaining ball selection processing screen 404 is omitted and not displayed, and the player advances from the prize exchange screen 403 to a screen corresponding to the one previously determined method.

[0060] First, a case where the player presses the "end ball buffet" button 404b will be described. When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "end ball buffet" button 404b, it displays the end ball buffet confirmation screen 405 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in Fig. 20(a), displays a message 405a saying "Please confirm the contents and press the "Confirm" button at the bottom right" to prompt the player to confirm the contents, and displays the details of the buffet prizes 405b, a "Call staff" button 405c, a "Cancel exchange" button 405d, and a "Confirm" button 405e.

[0061] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 405e, if the general card 52 being accepted has other types of balls recorded in it, it pops up a POP confirmation screen 406 on the end ball buffet confirmation screen 405 as shown in FIG. 20(b), displays a message 406a saying "Multiple balls remaining in hand" to prompt the player to confirm the other types of balls in hand, and displays a "Confirm" button 406b. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also transmits a receipt issuing instruction to the prize dispensing device 29. When the prize dispensing device 29 receives a receipt issuing instruction from the POS terminal 28, it issues the receipt 50 described above. If the general card 52 being accepted does not have other types of balls recorded in it, the POP confirmation screen 406 is not displayed and is omitted. In this embodiment, the receipt 50 is issued from the prize dispensing device 29, but the receipt 50 may be issued from the POS terminal 28 or the settlement machine 27.

[0062] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 406b, it displays an exchange confirmation screen 407 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in Fig. 21(a), displays a message 407a saying "If this is OK, please press the 'Confirm' button at the bottom right" to prompt the player to confirm the contents, and displays a usage statement 407b, a "Call staff" button 407c, a "Cancel exchange" button 407d, and a "Confirm" button 407e. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "If this is OK, please press the Confirm button."

[0063] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 407e, it displays a card return screen 408 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in Fig. 21(b), and displays a message 408a saying "Please collect your card at the settlement machine" to encourage the player to collect the card. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "The card will be returned from the settlement machine. Please take your card from the settlement machine." In addition, the POS terminal 28 transmits to the settlement machine 27 a settlement machine operation transition signal which indicates a transition to a card removal operation at the settlement machine 27.

[0064] Furthermore, if there are no other types of held balls recorded on the general card 52 being accepted, the POS terminal 28 will have settled both the deposit balance and the held balls, and there will be no need to return the general card 52 being accepted, so the card return screen 408 will not be displayed, and the settlement machine 27 will initialize both the deposit balance and the held balls recorded on the general card 52 being accepted to "0" before collecting them in the stock section 42.

[0065] 17(a), when the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a settlement machine operation transition signal from the POS terminal 28, it displays a card return screen 305 on the liquid crystal display 32, notifies the start of the exchange process by displaying a message 305a saying "When you remove the card, the exchange process will begin", notifies the return of the card by displaying a message 305b saying "Your card will be returned", and ejects the accepted general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33. That is, in this state, the player can remove the general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33.

[0066] When the settlement machine 27 detects that the player has removed the general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33 and the general card 52 has been removed, the settlement machine 27 transmits a removal completion signal indicating that the general card 52 has been removed to the POS terminal 28.

[0067] When the POS terminal 28 detects receipt of the extraction completion signal from the settlement machine 27, it transmits a payout instruction capable of specifying the type and number of special prizes based on the held ball information to the prize payout device 29, causes the prize payout device 29 to pay out the specified type and number of special prizes, and displays an exchange processing in progress screen 409 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in Fig. 22(a), and displays a message 409a saying "exchange processing in progress" to inform that the exchange processing is in progress in conjunction with the prize payout processing. In addition, the POS terminal 28 transmits a prize payout processing start signal indicating the start of the prize payout processing to the settlement machine 27.

[0068] When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a prize payout process start signal from the POS terminal 28, as shown in Fig. 17(b), it displays an exchange processing screen 306 on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and displays a message 306a saying "exchange processing in progress" to inform that the exchange processing is being performed by the POS terminal 28. After this, when the settlement machine 27 detects that the prize paid out from the prize payout device 29 has been removed, it returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 301.

[0069] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the prize dispensed from the prize dispenser 29 has been removed, as shown in FIG. 22(b), it displays an exchange completion screen 410 on the liquid crystal display unit 47, displays a message 410a saying "Thank you for using the service," and returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 401 after a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the start of displaying the exchange completion screen 410. In this case, the POS terminal 28 may also display the result of the exchange process itself, such as the settlement amount and the exchanged prize. Note that, like in the case where the general card 52 is collected, the prize is dispensed in response to detection of pressing the "Confirm" button 405e. Alternatively, it may detect removal of the receipt 50 and dispense the prize in response to the detection.

[0070] Next, a case where the player presses the "Save balls in member card" button 404c will be described. When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Save balls in member card" button 404c, if the general card 52 being accepted has other types of balls recorded in it, as shown in FIG. 23(a), the POP confirmation screen 411 is popped up on the remaining ball selection processing screen 404, a message 411a saying "Multiple balls remain in your possession" is displayed to prompt the player to confirm the other types of balls in your possession, and a "Confirm" button 411b is displayed. If the general card 52 being accepted does not have other types of balls recorded in it, the POP confirmation screen 411 is not displayed and is omitted.

[0071] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 411b, as shown in Fig. 23(b), it displays an exchange confirmation screen 412 on the liquid crystal display unit 47, displays a message 412a saying "Please touch your membership card" to encourage the player to touch the membership card 51, and displays a usage statement 412b, a "Call staff" button 412c, and a "Cancel exchange" button 412d. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "Please touch your membership card to the IC reader." Fig. 23(b) illustrates an example in which the "Type selection" button 402c is pressed on the type selection screen 402 in Fig. 18(b).

[0072] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has touched the member card 51 to the IC reader 48, it transmits information capable of identifying the touched member card 51 and the remaining balls to the management device 6, and the management device 6 stores the remaining balls as saved balls in the member account of the member card 51 (associating the game value information of the remaining game value with the member recording medium). When the POS terminal 28 confirms that the remaining balls have been stored as saved balls in the management device 6, as shown in FIG. 24(a), it displays a card return screen 413 on the liquid crystal display unit 47, and displays a message 413a saying "Please receive your card at the settlement machine" to encourage the player to receive the card. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice saying "The card will be returned from the settlement machine. Please take your card from the settlement machine." In addition, the POS terminal 28 transmits a settlement machine operation transition signal to the settlement machine 27, which indicates a transition to a card removal operation at the settlement machine 27.

[0073] When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a settlement machine operation transition signal from the POS terminal 28, as described above, as shown in FIG. 17(a), it displays the card return screen 305 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 and ejects the accepted general card 52 from the card insertion port 33. When the settlement machine 27 detects that the player has removed the general card 52 from the card insertion port 33 and the general card 52 has been removed, it transmits a removal completion signal indicating the removal of the general card 52 to the POS terminal 28. In this embodiment, the case where the remaining balls of the selected type are stored and the held balls of the other types are returned to the general card 52 is illustrated, but the held balls of the other types may also be stored in the member card 51 and the general card 52 may be collected in the same manner as described above. Moreover, when there are no held balls of the other types, the general card 52 is collected as described above.

[0074] When the POS terminal 28 detects receipt of the extraction completion signal from the settlement machine 27, it transmits a payout instruction capable of specifying the type and number of special prizes based on the held ball information to the prize payout device 29, causes the prize payout device 29 to pay out the specified type and number of special prizes, and displays an exchange processing in progress screen 414 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in Fig. 24(b), and displays a message 414a saying "exchange processing in progress" to inform that the exchange processing is in progress in conjunction with the prize payout processing. In addition, the POS terminal 28 transmits a prize payout processing start signal to the settlement machine 27.

[0075] When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a prize payout process start signal from the POS terminal 28, as shown in Fig. 17(b), it displays an exchange processing screen 306 on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and displays a message 306a saying "exchange processing in progress" to inform that the exchange processing is being performed by the POS terminal 28. After this, when the settlement machine 27 detects that the prize paid out from the prize payout device 29 has been removed, it returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 301.

[0076] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the prize dispensed from the prize dispenser 29 has been removed, as shown in FIG. 25(a), it displays an exchange completion screen 415 on the liquid crystal display unit 47, displays a message 415a saying "Thank you for using our service," displays a breakdown of the exchange process (pre-transaction, deposit, withdrawal, balance) 415b, and returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 401 after a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the start of displaying the exchange completion screen 415. In this case, the POS terminal 28 may also display the result of the exchange process itself, such as the settlement amount and the exchanged prize. The same applies when the general card 52 is collected, and the prize is dispensed in response to detection of the membership card 51.

[0077] Next, a case where the player presses the "return to normal card" button 404d will be described. When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "return to normal card" button 404d, if the general card 52 being accepted has other types of balls recorded in it, it pops up a POP confirmation screen 416 on the remaining ball selection processing screen 404 as shown in FIG. 26(a), displays a message 416a saying "multiple balls remaining in hand" to prompt the player to confirm the other types of balls in hand, and displays a "confirm" button 416b. If the general card 52 being accepted does not have other types of balls recorded in it, the POP confirmation screen 416 is not displayed and is omitted.

[0078] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 416b, it displays an exchange confirmation screen 417 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in Fig. 26(b), displays a message 417a saying "If this is OK, please press the "Confirm" button at the bottom right" to prompt the player to confirm the contents, and displays a usage statement 417b, a "Call staff" button 417c, a "Cancel exchange" button 417d, and a "Confirm" button 417e. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "If this is OK, please press the Confirm button." Fig. 26(b) illustrates an example in which the "Type selection" button 402d is pressed on the type selection screen 402 in Fig. 18(b).

[0079] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 417e, it transmits information capable of identifying the remaining balls to the settlement machine 27, and causes the settlement machine 27 to record the remaining balls as held balls on the general card 52 being accepted, while displaying a card return screen 418 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 27(a), and displaying a message 418a saying "Please receive your card at the settlement machine" to encourage the player to receive the card. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "The card will be returned from the settlement machine. Please take your card from the settlement machine." In addition, the POS terminal 28 transmits a settlement machine operation transition signal to the settlement machine 27, which indicates a transition to a card removal operation at the settlement machine 27.

[0080] When the adjustment machine 27 detects receipt of the adjustment machine operation transition signal from the POS terminal 28, as described above, as shown in Fig. 17(a), it displays the card return screen 305 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 and ejects the accepted general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33. When the adjustment machine 27 detects that the player removes the general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33 and the general card 52 has been removed, it transmits a removal completion signal indicating completion of removal of the general card 52 to the POS terminal 28.

[0081] When the POS terminal 28 detects receipt of the extraction completion signal from the settlement machine 27, it transmits a payout instruction capable of specifying the type and number of special prizes based on the held ball information to the prize payout device 29, causes the prize payout device 29 to pay out the specified type and number of special prizes, and displays an exchange processing in progress screen 419 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in Fig. 27(b), and displays a message 419a saying "exchange processing in progress" to inform that the exchange processing is in progress in conjunction with the prize payout processing. In addition, the POS terminal 28 transmits a prize payout processing start signal to the settlement machine 27.

[0082] When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a prize payout process start signal from the POS terminal 28, as shown in Fig. 17(b), it displays an exchange processing screen 306 on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and displays a message 306a saying "exchange processing in progress" to inform that the exchange processing is being performed by the POS terminal 28. After this, when the settlement machine 27 detects that the prize paid out from the prize payout device 29 has been removed, it returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 301.

[0083] When the POS terminal 28 detects that the prize dispensed from the prize dispensing device 29 has been removed, as shown in Fig. 28(a), it displays an exchange completion screen 420 on the liquid crystal display unit 47, displays a message 420a saying "Thank you for your patronage," displays the details of the exchange process (number of balls held again, prepaid amount, balls held in other accounts) 420b, and returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 401 after a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the start of displaying the exchange completion screen 420. In this case, the POS terminal 28 may also display the results of the exchange process itself, such as the settlement amount and the exchanged prize.

[0084] 29 and 30 show the screen transitions of the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 in the operation processing of the general card 52 described above. In this manner, the player can settle the deposit balance associated with the general card 52 at the settlement machine 27 and exchange the balls he or she owns for special prizes at the POS terminal 28. In this case, too, if the player presses the "Stop exchange" button on any screen, such as the "Stop exchange" button 402i on the type selection screen 402, the subsequent processing will not be performed.

[0085] In the settlement machine 27, if the deposit balance is not recorded in the accepted membership card 51 or general card 52, a message such as "There is no deposit balance" may be displayed. In addition, if a certain time has passed since the accepted membership card 51 or general card 52 was ejected from the card insertion slot 33 and the card was not removed, an error notification may be issued to make the player aware that the card was left behind. If a certain time has passed since the banknotes equivalent to the deposit balance were paid out from the banknote payout unit 38 to the banknote return slot 34 or since the coins were paid out from the coin payout unit 39 to the coin return slot 35 and the money was not removed, an error notification may be issued to make the player aware that the money was left behind.

[0086] In this embodiment, the member card 51 is discharged from the settlement machine 27 before the deposit balance is paid out, while the general card 52 is discharged from the settlement machine 27 before the prize is paid out. This is because the member card 51 records the deposit balance but not the saved balls, while the general card 52 records both the deposit balance and the balls in hand, and so the general card 52 needs to be imported in order to update the information. In this case, the deposit balance, the saved balls, and the balls in hand are all managed by the management device 6, and the saved balls are processed based on the information of the management device 6, while the deposit balance and the balls in hand are processed after collating the information recorded on the card with the information of the management device 6. The saved balls may be directly recorded on the member card 51, or the deposit balance and the balls in hand may be managed and associated by the management device 6 without being recorded on the member card 51 or the general card 52. That is, the operation process of the membership card 51 described in Figures 7 to 14 may be applied to the general card 52, and the operation process of the general card 52 described in Figures 15 to 30 may be applied to the membership card 51.

[0087] Next, the PIN and the safety lock function will be described. The gaming machine device 2 is provided with a safety lock (issuance lock) function in case the player leaves his / her seat for business, and in the safety lock state, the issuance process of issuing the accepted member card 51 or general card 52 is suppressed (corresponding to an issuance suppression process) by adding a condition that the player inputs a valid PIN, but replay processes are still permitted. The safety lock state is released when the player re-enters the PIN.

[0088] There are two types of PIN information, either of which can be selected. One is the terminal ID (e.g., IDM) of a mobile terminal such as a smartphone of a player using short-distance communication such as FeliCa, and the player enters the security lock state by presenting the mobile terminal each time the security lock is started. The IDM is a unique ID number that cannot be rewritten and is recorded on the IC chip when the FeliCa card is manufactured. The remaining one is a PIN number, and the security lock PIN number can be registered as a PIN number different from the PIN number used for member registration, but it is also possible to register the same PIN number. In this case, the PIN number may be entered every time the security lock is activated, but if the PIN number is registered at least once, the security lock start operation can be performed without entering the PIN number, and it is not necessarily required to enter the PIN number every time. If the security lock PIN number is the same as the PIN number used for member registration, this is notified when the security lock is started or during the issuance process in the security lock state.

[0089] In the above-mentioned member card operation process, when the member card 51 is accepted by the settlement machine 27, it is necessary to input the PIN as described in FIG. 7(b). Also, when the member card 51 is accepted by a conventional POS terminal, it is necessary to input the PIN in the same way. In this case, for the member card 51 that has been safety locked, the player first inputs the PIN (corresponding to the first PIN) corresponding to the safety lock. When the player inputs the PIN, the input PIN is checked against the PIN (corresponding to the second PIN) at the time of member registration, and if the two match, the member card 51 can be used to settle the remaining deposit amount and exchange for a prize. In other words, if the first PIN and the second PIN match, the settlement process and the prize exchange process are permitted on the condition that the PIN for one time is accepted without accepting the PIN for the first PIN and the second PIN. On the other hand, if the two do not match, the player can enter the PIN at the time of member registration to settle the remaining deposit amount and exchange for a prize using the member card 51. In other words, if the first PIN and the second PIN do not match, the settlement process and the prize exchange process are permitted on the condition that both the first PIN and the second PIN are accepted. Since only the PIN is registered when registering as a member, if the safety lock is performed on a mobile terminal, the card can be used by presenting the mobile terminal and further entering the PIN used at the time of member registration.

[0090] Although not directly related to the safety lock, when the settlement machine 27 is operated alone, processing is performed without the need to input a PIN, whereas in this embodiment, since the settlement machine 27 is connected to the POS terminal 28, input of a PIN is required at the settlement machine 27. This is because the PIN must be verified when using saved balls, i.e., the PIN input at the settlement machine 27 is sent to the POS terminal 28, and the PIN is processed in the same manner as when the POS terminal 28 is operated alone. When the connection with the management device 6 goes offline, authentication of the PIN is not possible, and processing itself is therefore disabled and suppressed.

[0091] When accepting a PIN, the PIN corresponding to the safety lock is accepted first, and then the PIN used at the time of member registration (the first and second PINs are accepted in a pre-specified acceptance order), so that even if the PIN used at the time of member registration is accepted first, if it is different from the PIN corresponding to the safety lock, authentication is not possible, thus increasing security, but the same security can be maintained even if the input order is reversed. On the other hand, for convenience, a PIN may be accepted without specifying which PIN it is, and if it corresponds to one of the PINs, the other PIN is accepted (the acceptance order of the first and second PINs is not specified in advance, and if the accepted PIN corresponds to one of the PINs, the other PIN is allowed to be accepted). It is not necessary to notify that the acceptance order has been specified.

[0092] In the case of self-operation at POS terminal 28, when membership card 51 is accepted, the deposit balance is settled on the condition that the PIN is entered regardless of whether the exchange process is performed or not (the settlement process is allowed on the condition that the PIN is entered), as an example. However, if the deposit balance is settled without the exchange process, for example, by entering on PIN entry screen 102 that the exchange process is not desired, or if there is no saved balls and only a balance, the deposit balance may be settled without entering the PIN as in the past (the settlement process is allowed without the condition that the PIN is entered).

[0093] Next, the break function will be described. In the gaming machine device 2, in addition to the safety lock function, a break function (same as the leave function) is also provided in case the player leaves the seat for business. The break function is a function that, when a break operation (same as the leave operation) is performed to eject a card (corresponding to the eject process), does not allow the reception of a new card, deposit, or grant process until the card is accepted (executes a break suppression process that suppresses processing related to the game during the player's break), and displays that fact. The process of ejecting a card is executed by either a player operation by a player or an employee operation by an employee (corresponding to the employee ejection process), and the break performed by the player operation is a self-break (corresponding to the second start setting), and the break performed by the employee operation is a semi-self-break (corresponding to the first start setting).

[0094] If the card accepted by the gaming machine device 2 is a member card 51, the self-rest start operation shown in Fig. 31 and Fig. 32 allows the user to use the rest function without the intervention of an employee, even if there is no deposit balance or balls remaining, but a maximum number of times (for example, one time for a meal break) is set in advance, and rests exceeding the maximum number of times in a specified period (for example, one day) are prohibited. On the other hand, if the gaming machine device 2 does not accept a member card 51, the gaming facility allows the user to select in advance between a self-rest and a semi-self-rest, and either of them is permitted if a general card 52 that satisfies an issuance condition, such as the deposit balance or balls remaining reaching a reference value, can be issued. The selection between a self-rest and a semi-self-rest may be made by group, such as type, model, or game island, or by gaming machine. The same applies to other settings. The issuance conditions for allowing a self-rest or a semi-self-rest may be different from the issuance conditions for a normal general card 52, such as a different reference value.

[0095] As shown in Figures 31 and 32, in the self-break mode, when the gaming machine device 2 detects that the player has touched a standby screen 501 displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 21, it displays a menu screen 502 on the liquid crystal display unit 21 and displays a "Meal Break" button 502a, a "Cigarette Break" button 502b, a "Share Balls" button 502c, a "Use Other Account" button 502d, a "Safety Lock Release" button 502e, a "Withdraw Deposit Balance" button 502f, a "Quick Lend" button 502g, a "Detailed Information" button 502h, a "Next" button 502i and an "Exit" button 502j.

[0096] When the gaming machine device 2 detects that the player has pressed the "meal break" button 502a (break operation), it displays a break start screen 503 on the liquid crystal display unit 21, displays a message 503a saying "Break will begin. Your card will be returned. Are you sure?", prompts the player to confirm that he or she wants to start the break, and displays an "OK" button 503b and a "Cancel" button 503c.

[0097] When the gaming machine device 2 detects that the player has pressed the "OK" button 503b, it ejects the accepted membership card 51 or general card 52 from the card insertion slot 24, displays the card removal screen 504 on the liquid crystal display unit 21, and displays a message 504a saying "Please remove your card" to prompt the player to remove the card. That is, in this state, the player can remove the membership card 51 or general card 52 from the card insertion slot 24.

[0098] The gaming machine 2 can detect that the member card 51 or the general card 52 has been removed, and when it detects this, it displays the break screen 505 on the liquid crystal display unit 21 and displays a message 505a saying "Please insert the card used during the break" to prompt the user to insert the card removed this time at the end of the break. At this time, the gaming machine 2 starts to suppress the reception of new cards and deposits, etc. (starts the break suppression process). Note that an upper limit (for example, 30 minutes) is set in advance for the break time, and the gaming machine 2 displays the remaining time until the upper limit is reached, and after the upper limit is exceeded, displays the excess time that has exceeded the upper limit. When the gaming machine 2 detects the reception of the same member card 51 or general card 52 by inserting the same member card 51 or general card 52 (the removed card) into the card insertion slot 24, it returns to the standby screen and ends the suppression of deposits, etc. (ends the break suppression process). In this way, in the self-rest mode, the player can start the rest state by his / her own operation, and can end (cancel) the rest state by his / her own operation by inserting the member card 51 or general card 52 issued at the start of the rest. Note that, although an example has been given in which the menu screen 502 is displayed when the player touches while the standby screen 501 is displayed, a button equivalent to the above-mentioned "meal break" button 502a may be provided on the standby screen 501.

[0099] On the other hand, in the semi-self-service break, as shown in Fig. 33, when the gaming machine device 2 detects that the player has touched the standby screen 501 displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 21, the gaming machine device 2 displays the menu screen 506 on the liquid crystal display unit 21, but does not display the above-mentioned "meal break" button 502a. In this case, the player calls an employee and performs a break operation by the employee, such as operating a remote control.

[0100] When an employee operates the remote control, the remote control signal transmitted from the employee remote control 53 is received by the remote control receiver 54 of the gaming machine device 2 or the remote control receiver 55 of the information display device 3, and the gaming machine device 2 displays the break start screen 503 described in FIG. 31 on the liquid crystal display unit 21 and starts the suppression of the reception of a new card, deposit, etc. (starts the break suppression process). Note that the employee operation is not limited to the employee operating the employee remote control 53, but may be, for example, inputting a secret code known only to the employee into the gaming machine device 2, or any operation may be adopted as long as it involves an employee operation, such as allowing the player to perform a break operation as in the case of a self-break, but starting a break on the condition of the employee's approval. When the gaming machine device 2 detects the reception of the same general card 52 by inserting the general card 52 (the removed card) into the card insertion slot 24, it returns to the standby screen and ends the suppression of deposits, etc. (ends the break suppression process). In this way, with a semi-self-service break, the player can start the break state by calling an employee and having the employee perform the employee operation; in other words, the break state cannot be started without employee operation, but by inserting the general card 52 issued at the start of the break, the break state can be ended (cancelled) without employee operation.

[0101] In the above example, the break is a relatively long break for a meal, but it may also correspond to a relatively short break for smoking or using the toilet. In this case, both may be targets that are started on the condition that an employee operation is involved, but the relatively long break is targeted for starting on the condition that an employee operation is involved (the first break suppression process is targeted for an employee ejection process at the start of the player's break), while the relatively short break may be targeted for starting by the player's operation without involving an employee operation (the second break suppression process is not targeted for an employee ejection process at the start of the player's break).

[0102] In the settlement machine 27, it is possible to set in advance whether or not to operate it as a self-service machine (connect to the POS terminal 28), and when set to operate as a self-service machine, it stops operating and inhibits the settlement function if it cannot confirm connection to the POS terminal 28. In addition, while the settlement function is inhibited, it displays a message that it is waiting for a connection.

[0103] When the settlement machine 27 is operated independently without being connected to the POS terminal 28, it enables deposit processing such as issuing a general card 52 by making a deposit, and accepting deposits to the membership card 51 or general card 52 and adding to the deposit balance, but when it is operated in connection with the POS terminal 28, the above-mentioned deposit processing is suppressed by not being possible but being prohibited.

[0104] In the case of connected operation, in both the membership card operation process and the general card operation process, settlement is performed without specifying the deposit balance to be settled, taking into consideration the operational burden on the player. This is the same when operating independently, but in the case of connected operation, the deposit process is suppressed. In the case of independent operation, if the accepted membership card 51 or general card 52 has a deposit balance, settlement process is performed, and if there is no deposit balance, deposit process is performed, so there is little need to specify which one to use. However, in the case of connected operation, there are players who wish to exchange for prizes even if the accepted membership card 51 or general card 52 has no deposit balance, so it becomes necessary to specify either deposit process or prize exchange, and if this operation is not performed, it is not possible to proceed to prize exchange, and the deposit process is suppressed from the viewpoint of preventing the operation from becoming complicated.

[0105] The card acceptance conditions for self-operation can be set, and for example, only one of the member card 51 and the general card 52 may be accepted, or the acceptance condition may be that multiple types of saved balls or held balls are not associated. If the latter is set, when a member card 51 associated with multiple types of saved balls or a general card 52 associated with multiple types of held balls is accepted, the accepted member card 51 or general card 52 is discharged without settlement processing. In other words, if a condition related to either settlement of the deposit balance or exchange for a prize is set as an acceptance condition but is not met, processing including the other processing is suppressed. Such a condition may be adopted only for the general card 52.

[0106] Even in self-operated systems, separate terminals such as employee-operated POS terminals and settlement machines are required, and cards that do not meet the acceptance conditions will be ejected from the self-operated terminal, so they are processed by the employee-operated POS terminal or settlement machine and terminal.

[0107] When operating by yourself, it is possible to make the acceptance conditions that either the deposit balance or the saved or held balls are zero (either "0" or a specified number or less), but if such acceptance conditions are not set and a membership card 51 or general card 52 with no deposit balance is accepted, the settlement of the deposit balance can be canceled and an exchange process can be carried out, and if a membership card 51 with no saved balls or a general card 52 with no held balls is accepted, the deposit balance can be settled and the process can be terminated without carrying out an exchange process.

[0108] In the case of self-operation, the member card 51 or general card 52 in the rest state is not accepted by the self-operated POS terminal 28 but is ejected, and the fact that it is in the rest state is notified. On the other hand, when the member card 51 or general card 52 in the rest state is accepted by a POS terminal operated by an employee, the rest state is released and the card is accepted as a prize exchange target. In this case, the member card 51 or general card 52 in the rest state may also be accepted by an employee-operated settlement machine after the rest state is released and the card is used as a settlement target for the deposited balance.

[0109] In the case of self-operation, it is possible to accept member cards 51 on which multiple types of stored balls are recorded and general cards 52 on which multiple types of held balls are recorded, but the exchange process itself is carried out one type at a time, and after the exchange process for the first type is completed, the member card 51 or general card 52 is re-inserted into the card insertion port 33 of the settlement machine 27 to carry out the exchange process for the next type.

[0110] The exchange operation is permitted on the condition that the removal of dispensed bills is detected by the settlement machine 27, but when coins are dispensed, it is difficult to detect the removal of the coins, so the next process such as the exchange operation may be permitted on the condition that a predetermined period has passed since the dispense. Also, the above may be used differently depending on whether the dispensed money is bills or coins, or a sensor that detects the removal of coins may be provided in the coin return port 35.

[0111] In the general card operation processing, an example has been given in which the recovery conditions are met and the general card 52 is recovered when both the deposit balance and the held balls have been fully settled, but the recovery conditions may also be met and the general card 52 may be recovered when, for example, the deposit balance or the held balls have not reached a reference value (for example, 30 held balls).

[0112] In the general card operation process, since there are players who do not want to receive the end ball prizes, a "discard remaining balls" button may be provided on the remaining ball selection process screen 404, and the general card 52 may be collected by operating the button when the collection condition is met. In this case, the remaining balls are counted as items to be collected.

[0113] In the above embodiment, information is read from the membership card 51 in the POS terminal 28 when the membership card 51 is touched to the IC reader 48 and not taken in, but an IC reader may be provided in the card insertion slot of the POS terminal 28, and information may be read from the membership card 51 when the membership card 51 is inserted into the card insertion slot and taken in, similar to the settlement machine 27. Alternatively, an IC reader may be provided in the settlement machine 27, and information may be read from the membership card 51 or general card 52 when the membership card 51 or general card 52 is not touched to the IC reader and not taken in, similar to the POS terminal 28.

[0114] According to the present embodiment described above, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. In the game arcade system, the break suppression process that suppresses the acceptance of new cards and deposits during a player's break is started in response to the employee discharge process involving an employee operation, and ends by accepting the member card 51 or general card 52 discharged in response to the employee discharge process without employee operation, so that at the start of the break, the member card 51 or general card 52 is discharged by the employee operation, and at the end of the break, the player can play by having the member card 51 or general card 52 accepted, and by making it possible to omit confirmation at the end of the break, the burden on the employee can be reduced.Furthermore, it is possible to prevent fraudulent use, such as one player taking a break multiple times or using the break process to secure the gaming machine 1 even when not taking a break.

[0115] When starting a break, a semi-self-service break that requires an employee's operation and a self-service break that does not require an employee's operation can be set, so that appropriate break processing can be provided according to the needs of the game center.

[0116] When an employee operates the card to start a break, the condition is that at least one of the remaining deposit balance and the stored or held balls has reached a reference value, so that operation can be performed using a card such as a so-called general card 52, to which the remaining deposit balance and held balls are associated, and even if the general card 52 is taken away, it can be compensated for by the associated remaining deposit balance and held balls.

[0117] Since the member card 51 or the general card 52 during a break is prevented from being subject to settlement processing or exchange processing, the risk of erroneously collecting the member card 51 or the general card 52 during a break is reduced, and it is possible to prevent the game machine 1 from being left in a rest state.

[0118] A number of rest processes with different break times are provided, and one of the rest processes is a semi-self-service rest that requires employee operation, while the other is a self-service rest that does not require employee operation.Therefore, a relatively long rest process, such as a meal break, which could cause great damage if used multiple times by a single player, can be used via an employee, while a relatively short rest process, such as a toilet or smoking break, which does not cause much damage, can be used without the assistance of an employee, making it possible to reduce damage caused by unauthorized use while maintaining convenience for players.

[0119] The settlement machine 27 executes the settlement process on the condition that the membership card 51 presented by the player is accepted, and the membership card 51 that is the subject of the settlement process is accepted by being input and then ejected before the exchange operation is performed at the POS terminal 28, and then the prize payout device 29 executes the prize payout process on the condition that the membership card 51 is re-presented by the player in response to the exchange operation, thereby reducing the risk that the player will forget to take the membership card 51, which needs to be returned after settling the remaining deposit or exchanging the prize in the self-exchange method.

[0120] After the member's card 51 is ejected from the settlement machine 27, the settlement process is executed on the condition that it is detected that the ejected member's card 51 has been removed from the settlement machine 27, so that the removal of the member's card 51 can be impressed as a dividing line between the settlement of the deposited balance and the exchange for a prize, and the risk of the player forgetting to take the member's card 51 can be more appropriately reduced.

[0121] Since the exchange operation is permitted under at least one of the conditions of detection that the dispensed banknotes have been removed from the settlement machine 27 and detection that a predetermined period of time has passed since the coins were dispensed, the exchange operation is permitted only after waiting until the banknotes are removed, allowing the player to operate at leisure, for example by placing the dispensed banknotes in his / her wallet and then performing the exchange operation, thereby reducing the risk of placing an unnecessary burden on the player.

[0122] The settlement machine 27 accepts the membership card 51 for settling the remaining balance, and the POS terminal 28 allows the exchange operation without accepting the membership card 51, but the re-presentation of the membership card 51 in response to the exchange operation is performed at the POS terminal 28, so if it is necessary to move between the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28, it is possible to refrain from presenting the membership card 51 during the exchange operation. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the need to move while reducing the risk of a prize exchange being carried out by an unauthorized person who does not possess the membership card 51.

[0123] The saved balls are not recorded on the member's card 51 but are associated with and managed by the management device 6, and the member's card 51 is accepted to settle the deposited balance by fetching the member's card 51, while the member's card 51 is re-presented in response to an exchange operation without fetching the member's card 51, which reduces the risk of the player forgetting to take the member's card 51. Furthermore, even if the player is asked to re-present the member's card 51 in consideration of fraudsters, the member's card 51 is not fetched, which reduces the risk of the player forgetting to take the member's card 51.

[0124] The exchange operation is permitted under at least one of the conditions that the dispensed bills have been removed from the settlement machine 27 and that a predetermined period of time has passed since the dispense of the currency, and when a collection condition that is preset in response to the execution of the exchange process is established, the accepted general card 52 is collected by the settlement machine 27, so that the exchange operation is permitted after waiting until the bills are removed. Therefore, for example, the player can put the dispensed bills into his wallet and then perform the exchange operation, allowing the player to operate with plenty of time, and eliminating the need for the player to take out the general card 52 that no longer needs to be returned because the collection condition has been established, thereby reducing the risk of imposing an unnecessary burden on the player.

[0125] When a recovery condition is established according to the exchange process, the general card 52 is recovered and a prize according to the exchange process is paid out from a prize payout device 29, so that the recovery condition needs to be established in order to pay out a prize, and the player can be made to perform an exchange operation that satisfies the recovery condition even in self-operation.

[0126] If the recovery conditions are not met in accordance with the exchange process, the general card 52 is ejected from the settlement machine 27, and a prize corresponding to the exchange process is paid out from the prize payout device 29 on condition that it is detected that the general card 52 has been removed from the settlement machine 27. Therefore, when the recovery conditions are not met and it is necessary to return the general card 52, it becomes necessary to remove the general card 52, and the risk of a player forgetting to take the returned general card 52 even if he is distracted by the prize exchange can be reduced.

[0127] The general card 52 is accepted at the settlement machine 27, where the remaining deposit balance is settled and exchanged for prizes, and if any remaining balls are to be stored on the member's card 51, the member's card 51 is presented to the POS terminal 28 to collect the general card 52, reducing the need for the player performing the exchange operation to return to the settlement machine 27 to present the member's card 51, and by identifying the member's card 51 to which the balls will be stored and then collecting the general card 52, a highly reliable ball storage process can be achieved.

[0128] It is possible to set whether or not to connect the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28, and when the setting is such that the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are not connected, a deposit process for accepting currency is possible, whereas when the setting is such that they are connected, the deposit process is suppressed, so that in the case of standalone operation without connection to the POS terminal 28, it is possible to perform a settlement if there is a deposit balance, and to deposit if there is not. On the other hand, in the case of connected operation with the POS terminal 28, some players wish to exchange for prizes even if they have no deposit balance, and it becomes necessary to specify whether to deposit or exchange for prizes, and if this operation is not performed, it is not possible to proceed to the prize exchange, which may complicate the operation, but by suppressing the deposit process, it becomes possible to exchange for prizes as is if there is no deposit balance, thereby reducing such a risk.

[0129] When the member card 51 is accepted, if the PIN number for the safety lock corresponding to the member card 51 and the PIN number entered at the time of member registration do not match, both are accepted, but if the two match, settlement processing or exchange processing is allowed on the condition that any one of the PIN information is accepted, so that appropriate response can be made even if the PIN number entered at the time of member registration and the PIN number for the safety lock can be different.

[0130] When a member card 51 is received in which the PIN for the safety lock does not match the PIN at the time of member registration, the PIN for the safety lock and the PIN at the time of member registration are accepted in a pre-specified acceptance order, so that it becomes necessary to take the acceptance order into consideration, thereby making it possible to enhance security.

[0131] When a member card 51 is received in which the PIN for the safety lock does not match the PIN used at the time of member registration, the PIN for the safety lock and the PIN used at the time of member registration are accepted without specifying the order in which they are accepted in advance, and if the accepted PIN corresponds to one of the PINs, the other PIN is allowed to be accepted, allowing the player to enter his PIN without worrying about the order in which they are accepted, thereby increasing convenience while maintaining the security provided by multiple PINs.

[0132] When issuance of a member card 51 is restricted, a notification is given that identifies the result of matching the PIN for safety lock with the PIN at the time of member registration, making it possible to have the player reconfirm that a different PIN was registered when safety locking was performed.

[0133] When the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are connected, an exchange operation is permitted at the POS terminal 28 using the membership card 51 accepted by the settlement machine 27, and settlement processing is permitted on the condition that a PIN number is entered regardless of whether an exchange process is involved. On the other hand, when the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are not connected, settlement processing is permitted without entering a PIN number, making it possible to maintain high security while simplifying the system configuration.

[0134] When the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are connected, an exchange operation is allowed at the POS terminal 28 using the membership card 51 accepted by the settlement machine 27, and when the deposit balance is settled without an exchange process, the settlement process is allowed without the input of a PIN number, while when an exchange process is involved, the settlement process is allowed on the condition that a PIN number is input, thereby reducing the need to enter a PIN number and increasing convenience for the player.

[0135] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be modified or expanded as follows. In addition, the configurations shown in the examples may be combined in any manner, including modified examples, or may not be adopted as appropriate.

[0136] The settlement machine 27 is designed to always execute settlement processing when there is a deposit balance, but it may be configured to send the ball information to the POS terminal 28 without executing settlement processing according to the player's selection, and to only exchange for prizes. In this case, since it is necessary to update the ball information recorded in the general card 52 according to the exchange processing, the ball information at the end of the exchange processing is received from the POS terminal 28, and the ball information of the general card 52 is rewritten and returned.

[0137] The configuration is not limited to one in which the membership card 51 and the general card 52 are taken into the settlement machine 27 and accepted, but may be one in which the membership card 51 and the general card 52 are taken into the POS terminal 28 and accepted. Also, the membership card 51 and the general card 52 may be accepted by both the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28, allowing the player to select the card to be accepted for the membership card 51 or the general card 52. Also, a dedicated device for accepting the membership card 51 or the general card 52 may be provided separately from the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28. As in the past, a separate prize exchange counter operated by an employee may be provided.

[0138] Although a configuration has been exemplified in which the POS terminal 28 and the prize dispensing device 29 are stored or placed in a single housing 31 and are constructed as an integrated unit, it is also possible to add a settlement machine 27, and have the settlement machine 27, the POS terminal 28 and the prize dispensing device 29 stored or placed in a single housing and constructed as an integrated unit. The extra prizes are given out in a buffet style so that players are free to take home whatever prizes they like, but the prizes may also be handed out by staff to players according to their wishes, and may be provided in any manner. There are only two types of prizes: special prizes and end-of-lot prizes. However, prizes other than end-of-lot prizes may also be prepared.

[0139] The type of the special prize is not limited to that in the present embodiment, and may be of any shape or amount. Similarly, the type of the end prize may be of any shape or amount. The end prizes may also be configured to be paid out automatically in the same manner as the special prizes. The rental price of game media can be set at the game arcade's discretion within the range stipulated by the rules. Although the configuration in which cash such as paper money and coins are accepted as monetary value has been exemplified, monetary value other than cash, such as electronic money, may also be accepted.

[0140] Each set value may be set by the administrator through operation input, may be set in advance by the manufacturer of the management device 6, or may be set by downloading setting information from an external server. In this case, the set value is also input by operation input at the server. Also, game information showing past exchange status may be set as a reference value. Although the example given above shows suppression through prohibition, it is not necessary to necessarily prohibit it; for example, it may be suppressed by obtaining approval from an employee in self-operation or by performing a special operation.

[0141] All of the game information exemplified above may be specified directly by input signals or indirectly by using arithmetic expressions. In addition, although pulse signals are exemplified as game signals, signals may be input via serial communication or the like.

[0142] The numerical values, digits, items, etc. are merely examples, and any numerical values ​​may be used. In addition, the identification output may be in any output form, such as adding symbols other than those shown in the examples, and at least printing and display output are assumed as the output.

[0143] Regarding "above" and "exceed," either one can be used, and expressions such as "reached" correspond to either "above" or "exceeded." The same is true for "below" and "less than," and expressions such as "did not reach" correspond to both.

[0144] As the target gaming machine, a pachinko gaming machine other than the exemplified pachinko gaming machine, such as a so-called sealed type that manages the gaming medium only by data, and a slot machine, etc. can be adopted. Note that, in consideration of a gaming machine that does not pay out the gaming medium, such as a so-called sealed type, the gaming medium is expressed as a gaming value as necessary.

[0145] Part of the processing performed by the management device 6 may be performed by the settlement machine 27, the POS terminal 28, or the like, and any other configuration may be used. Furthermore, the configurations shown as examples may be combined in any manner, including modified examples, and configurations that are not adopted may be provided as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] In the drawing, 2 is an amusement machine device (suppression start means, suppression end means, setting means), 6 is a management device (management means, matching means), 27 is a settlement machine (recording medium receiving means, PIN information receiving means, issuance suppression means, first permission means, second permission means, third permission means, fourth permission means, notification means), 28 is a POS terminal (prize exchange device), 29 is a prize payout device, 51 is a membership card (membership recording medium), and 52 is a general card (general recording medium).

Claims

1. In a gaming facility system provided with a gaming machine device, a reception process is performed for receiving a recording medium by inserting the recording medium into which deposit balance information indicating the deposit balance for receiving a gaming value and gaming value information indicating the amount of gaming value acquired through a game can be associated, an ejection process is performed for ejecting the recording medium, and a rest period suppression process is performed for suppressing processing related to a game during a player's rest period, A suppression start means for starting the rest period suppression process together with the discharge process in response to a start operation by a player; a suppression end means for ending the rest period suppression process by receiving the recording medium discharged in accordance with the rest period suppression process, The recording medium is divided into a member recording medium issued in advance to a player who has registered as a member at the gaming facility, and a general recording medium issued to an unspecified number of players, The break suppression process is initiated on the condition that at least one of the valuable value, which is the deposit balance indicated by the deposit balance information associated with the general recording medium and the magnitude of the gaming value indicated by the gaming value information, has reached a reference value when the recording medium to be discharged as a result of the break suppression process is a general recording medium, and is initiated on the condition that at least one of the valuable value, which is the deposit balance indicated by the deposit balance information associated with the general recording medium, has reached a reference value when the recording medium to be discharged is a member recording medium, in an amusement center system that can be initiated even if the valuable value does not exist.

2. A prize exchange device capable of executing an exchange process for exchanging prizes based on the game value information in response to an exchange operation is provided, the prize exchange device including a first prize exchange device that is self-operated to enable the exchange process to be performed by a player through self-operation without the intervention of an employee of the game arcade, and a second prize exchange device that is not self-operated but enables the exchange process through the operation of an employee, An amusement park system as described in claim 1, wherein if a prize exchange device receives a recording medium associated with the indication that the rest period suppression process is in progress, the device suppresses processing of the recording medium as a prize exchange target if it is the first prize exchange device, but does not perform such suppression if it is the second prize exchange device.

Images