Management system, employee terminal and privilege setting method

Abstract

To efficiently set privilege when a clerk of a certain game parlor is dispatched to another game parlor to handle an error of in-parlor equipment.SOLUTION: Privilege setting data stored in an employee terminal 80 owned by an employee of a store A is used to set whether or not to operate a settlement machine 70. The privilege setting data includes privilege setting position information for permitting an operation, set therein, and when the information matches position information of the employee terminal, operation on the settlement machine 70 is permitted. When the employee is located in the store A, the employee terminal 80 acquires the position information (S1), however, the position information does not match the privilege setting position information, so that the operation on a settlement machine 70a of the store A is not permitted (S2). When the employee moves to the store B, the affiliated store of the store A, the employee terminal 80 acquires the position information (S3). and then the position information matches the privilege setting position information, so that the operation on a settlement device 70b of the store B is permitted (S4).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system, an employee terminal, and an authority setting method that can efficiently set authority when a staff member of one gaming establishment is dispatched to another gaming establishment to deal with an error in an in-store device. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, mainly in urban areas, there has been an increase in very small pachinko parlors the size of convenience stores (hereafter referred to as "convenience store-type parlors"). This is because the appearance of smart gaming machines has eliminated the need for automatic medal supply equipment and jet counters, making it possible to operate specialized stores for smart gaming machines in small locations.

[0003] In convenience stores, where a single store clerk is often in charge of operations, if multiple events occur simultaneously, the customer will be forced to wait. For example, if an error occurs in an in-store device while a store clerk is serving a customer, the store clerk cannot immediately respond to the error in the in-store device.

[0004] For this reason, if a large chain store is located near a convenience store, a staff member from the large store will visit the convenience store to deal with errors in the in-store equipment. However, since the staff member must have the authority to deal with errors in the in-store equipment, the operation authority is confirmed using, for example, the technology of Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-144112 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, although the operation authority can be set in a large store, the operation authority in a convenience store type game store is not set. Therefore, when dealing with an error in the in-store device of a convenience store type game store, a person who has the operation authority for dealing with an error in the in-store device in the large store must go to the convenience store type game store.

[0007] Here, for example, in-store devices that handle currency, such as card issuing machines and settlement machines, the amount of currency handled by in-store devices in large stores is significantly different from the amount of currency handled by in-store devices in convenience stores, so the settings of operation authority for large stores and convenience stores do not need to be the same. Note that if the conditions for setting this authority are made too strict, it places greater restrictions on the store clerks dispatched by large stores, and if the conditions for setting the authority are made too relaxed, it is undesirable because it will result in store clerks who should not be given operation authority being forced to handle the device.

[0008] For this reason, when a clerk from a large game store is dispatched to a convenience store to handle the in-store equipment, how to set up the authority is an issue. This issue is not limited to convenience store-type game stores, but also arises when a clerk from one game store is dispatched to another game store.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide a management system, employee terminal, and authority setting method that can efficiently set authority when an employee of one amusement facility is dispatched to another amusement facility to deal with an error in in-store equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a management system that manages operation authority of in-store equipment installed in an amusement facility using an employee terminal carried by an employee of the amusement facility, wherein the employee terminal is equipped with a memory means for storing authority setting information indicating whether the employee has authority to operate the in-store equipment, and a notification means for notifying the in-store equipment of the authority setting information stored in the memory means, and the in-store equipment is equipped with an operation permission means for permitting operation of the in-store equipment if it receives authority setting information from the employee terminal indicating that the employee has authority to operate the in-store equipment.

[0011] In addition, in the above invention, the employee terminal is characterized in that it is equipped with a location information acquisition means for acquiring location information of the employee's own device, and a setting means for setting authority setting information indicating that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store equipment when the location information acquired by the location information acquisition means corresponds to the location information of the gaming establishment.

[0012] In addition, in the above invention, the present invention is characterized in that the employee terminal is equipped with a setting means for setting authority setting information indicating that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store equipment when subscribing to a wireless LAN provided by the gaming establishment.

[0013] In the present invention, in the above-mentioned invention, the employee terminal includes setting means for setting authority setting information inputted from a predetermined operation unit.

[0014] In addition, in the above invention, the employee terminal is characterized in that it is equipped with a setting means for setting authority setting information indicating that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store device when it receives a notification of information from a terminal device held by a person who has the authority to operate the in-store device that the authority to operate the in-store device is being granted.

[0015] In addition, in the above invention, the setting means changes the authority setting information to one indicating that the employee does not have the authority to operate the in-store equipment after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the authority setting information was set.

[0016] In addition, in the above invention, the setting means sets authority setting information to indicate that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store device, provided that the amount of transactions conducted using the in-store device during a specified period in the past is equal to or less than a specified amount.

[0017] The present invention is also characterized in that it comprises an employee terminal carried by an employee of an amusement facility, comprising a memory means for storing authority setting information indicating whether the employee has the authority to operate the in-store equipment, and a notification means for notifying the in-store equipment of the authority setting information stored in the memory means in order to permit operation of the in-store equipment.

[0018] The present invention also provides an authority setting method in a management system that manages operation authority of in-store equipment installed in an amusement facility using an employee terminal carried by an employee of the amusement facility, and is characterized in that it includes a storage process in which the employee terminal stores authority setting information in a memory unit indicating whether the employee has authority to operate the in-store equipment, a notification process in which the employee terminal notifies the in-store equipment of the authority setting information stored in the memory unit, and an operation permission process in which, if the in-store equipment receives from the employee terminal authority setting information indicating that the employee has authority to operate the in-store equipment, permission to operate the in-store equipment is permitted. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, when a staff member of one gaming establishment is dispatched to another gaming establishment to deal with an error in an in-store device, authority can be set efficiently. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an overview of a management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system configuration of the management system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the external configuration of the inter-machine card processor and the gaming machine shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the host device status data and card data shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the gaming machine shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management device shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the card management data, the device management data, and the member management data shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the authority setting data shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the settlement machine shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the employee terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the authority setting data and the authority status data shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the employee terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an overview of a management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an overview of a management system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of an overview of a management system according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram (part 1) of an overview of a management system according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram (part 2) illustrating an overview of the management system according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of reservation management data according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of an overview of a management system according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram of an overview of a management system according to the seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, the management system, employee terminal, and authority setting method according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0022] In this specification, "held balls" refers to data indicating game media acquired by a player in a game, which can be used again only on the same day (before the closing time of the game establishment). "Number of held balls" refers to the number of game media acquired by a player in a game. "Saved balls" refers to data indicating game media deposited by a player in a game establishment, which can be used again on the following day (after the closing time of the game establishment). "Saved balls" refers to the number of game media deposited by a player in a game establishment. Both regular and member players can use held balls, and are used when a game machine is moved. In principle, only member players can use saved balls, and are used when acquired game media are used to play a game machine on the following day. "Number of balls managed on a game machine" refers to the number of balls managed on a game machine that a player can use for a game.

[0023] <Overview of the management system according to the first embodiment> First, an overview of the management system according to the present embodiment 1 will be described below. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the overview of the management system according to the present embodiment 1.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, in the management system according to the first embodiment, permission to operate the settlement machine 70 is set using authority setting data stored in an employee terminal 80 carried by an employee of store A. Authority setting location information is set in the authority setting data as location information for which operation is permitted, and when this authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, operation of the settlement machine 70 is permitted.

[0025] Specifically, when an employee is in store A, the employee terminal 80 acquires location information (S1), and because this location information does not match the authority setting location information, operation of the settlement machine 70a in store A is not permitted (S2). For example, if the location information of the employee terminal 80 is (35.xx10, 139.xx50) and the authority setting location information is (35.xx12, 139.xx49), they do not match and operation is therefore not permitted.

[0026] When an employee moves to store B, which is an affiliated store of store A, employee terminal 80 acquires location information (S3), and since this location information matches the authority setting location information, operation of payment machine 70b in store B is permitted (S4). For example, if the location information of employee terminal 80 is (35.xx12, 139.xx49) and the authority setting location information is (35.xx12, 139.xx49), they match and operation is permitted.

[0027] In this way, the management system of this embodiment 1 is configured to permit operation of a specified device when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, so authority setting can be done efficiently when an employee of one amusement facility is dispatched to another amusement facility to deal with an error in an in-store device.

[0028] <System configuration> Next, a description will be given of the system configuration of the management system according to the present embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the management system according to the present embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of gaming machines 20 and inter-machine card processors 10 provided corresponding to each gaming machine 20 are installed in store A of a gaming establishment.

[0029] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 is connected to a communication line, which is an in-store network, via the island controller 30. The island controller 30, the management device 50, the prize management device 60, and the settlement machine 70 are connected to the communication line. The settlement machine 70 is connected to be able to communicate with an employee terminal 80 using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0030] The management device 50 is connected to the Internet, and is communicably connected to an employee terminal 80 via the Internet. In addition to the above-mentioned store A, other stores such as store B are also configured with the same devices as those in store A.

[0031] The gaming machine 20 is a device that plays games by shooting gaming balls enclosed inside the device onto a gaming board. The gaming balls are physical "balls" used in the game, and are different from "game balls" that the gaming machine 20 treats as data. The gaming board of the gaming machine 20 is provided with a plurality of winning areas (winning holes), and a predetermined number of gaming balls are awarded as prize balls based on the passing of the gaming balls through the winning areas. In addition, the gaming board is provided with a predetermined number of starting areas (starting holes), and a predetermined lottery is performed based on the passing of the gaming balls through the starting areas. If the lottery is a jackpot, a predetermined movable member or the like is operated to increase the probability of the gaming balls passing through the winning areas or other starting areas, and other operations that are advantageous in the game are performed. It is possible for there to be an area that serves as both a starting area and a winning area.

[0032] The winning area is provided with a winning sensor for detecting the passage of a game ball into the winning area, and the winning sensor detects the passage (winning) of a game ball shot into the winning area. The control unit of the gaming machine 20 also has a prize ball memory for storing the number of game balls to be awarded as prize balls for each winning area, and a game ball number memory for indicating the number of game balls managed by the gaming machine. The control unit of the gaming machine 20 also periodically transmits the number of game balls managed by the gaming machine to the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10.

[0033] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a deposit from a player, it associates a prepaid value corresponding to the amount of the deposit with the identification information (card ID) of the card stored inside the machine. This prepaid value can be used to lend game balls. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 can also accept the insertion of a card associated with a prepaid value, retained balls, saved balls, etc. Then, at the end of a game, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 ejects the card associated with the prepaid value, retained balls, saved balls, etc. and returns it to the player. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 also transmits a history of operations such as deposits, card insertion, and card ejection to the management device 50.

[0034] When a predetermined number of game balls are shot onto the game board, the game machine 20 transmits out data to the inter-machine card processor 10. When a game ball passes through a winning area (so-called winning) and a predetermined number of prize balls are added to the game balls, the game machine 20 transmits safe data to the inter-machine card processor 10. Furthermore, when a special state such as a jackpot occurs during play, the game machine 20 transmits special prize data indicating the occurrence of such state to the inter-machine card processor 10.

[0035] The out data corresponds to the number of balls inserted, which is the number of balls inserted by the player onto the game board. The safe data corresponds to the number of balls won as a result of winning. Furthermore, the special prize data indicates the status of the gaming machine 20, such as a jackpot. Each piece of data is transmitted to the management device 50 via the inter-machine card processing device 10, and the management device 50 can obtain the operation history of the gaming machine 20 by accumulating the out data, safe data, and special prize data.

[0036] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts deposits, lends gaming balls, and communicates with the management device 50 and the gaming machines 20. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts bills inserted by a player, it sends a deposit notification including the amount of the deposit to the management device 50, thereby adding the prepaid value equivalent to the amount of the deposit to the prepaid value managed by the management device 50. Then, when a specified ball lending operation is performed, it sends a ball lending request to the management device 50, subtracts the prepaid value managed by the management device 50, and notifies the gaming machine 20 of the number corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value, which is added to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine.

[0037] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts the insertion of a card, it sends a card insertion notification to the management device 50. Furthermore, when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives the prepaid value, the balance of held balls, or the balance of saved balls from the management device 50, it stores the balance. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives and stores the balance of held balls, it sends a request to subtract held balls to the management device 50, thereby clearing the balance of held balls (number of held balls) managed by the management device 50 to zero.

[0038] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts a held ball replay operation, it subtracts a predetermined number from the number of held balls it manages, notifies the gaming machine 20 of the number corresponding to the subtracted held balls, and adds it to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine. In addition, when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts a saved ball replay operation, it sends a saved ball replay request to the management device 50, thereby subtracting a predetermined number from the number of saved balls managed by the management device 50, notifies the gaming machine 20 of the number corresponding to the subtracted saved balls, and adds it to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine.

[0039] When the inter-machine card processor 10 accepts a card return operation, it sends a ball addition request including the number of held balls to the management device 50, and after having the management device 50 add the number of held balls, it sends a card ejection notification to the management device 50 and controls the ejection of the card. Note that if a counting operation is accepted from the gaming machine 20 before the card return operation, the number of gaming machine managed balls is added to the number of held balls.

[0040] The inter-machine card processing device 10 has a function of acquiring a gaming machine ID from the gaming machine 20, and authenticating the gaming machine 20 using the acquired gaming machine ID and an authentication key received from the management device 50. This authentication is performed at the time of opening a store, etc., and the gaming machine 20 becomes available for play on condition that the authentication is successful.

[0041] The island controller 30 is a device that bundles together a group of gaming machines 20 and inter-machine card processors 10 installed on the gaming island, and relays various information to the management device 50.

[0042] When the management device 50 receives a card insertion notification from the inter-machine card processing device 10, it manages the identification information of the inserted card (hereinafter referred to as the "card ID") in association with the inter-machine card processing device 10, and transmits the prepaid value and the remaining balls associated with the card ID to the inter-machine card processing device 10. Also, if the card ID indicated in the card insertion notification is the card ID of a membership card, it transmits the stored ball replay data to the inter-machine card processing device 10.

[0043] In addition, when the management device 50 receives a request to subtract balls held from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it clears the balance of held balls to zero, and when it receives a request to add balls held from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it adds the number of held balls indicated in the request to add balls held to the balance of held balls.

[0044] Furthermore, when the management device 50 receives a ball lending request from the inter-machine card processing device 10, it subtracts a predetermined value from the prepaid value associated with the card ID and transmits ball lending permission to the inter-machine card processing device 10. When the management device 50 receives a saved ball replay request, it transmits saved ball replay data to the inter-machine card processing device 10.

[0045] Furthermore, when the management device 50 receives a card ID from the prize management device 60, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of balls held associated with this card ID. Furthermore, when the management device 50 receives a card ID from the settlement machine 70, it notifies the settlement machine 70 of the prepaid value associated with this card ID.

[0046] The management device 50 also acquires a gaming machine ID from the inter-machine card processor 10 and manages the gaming machines 20 installed in its own arcade. It also acquires an authentication key for authenticating the gaming machines 20 set in its own arcade from an authentication key management center (not shown) outside the arcade and distributes it to the inter-machine card processor 10.

[0047] The management device 50 also manages the member management data of the members who are registered with the gaming establishment. Specifically, the management device 50 manages the number of balls, points, PIN, name, etc., in association with the member card ID issued to the member.

[0048] When the management device 50 receives a card insertion notification from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it transmits stored ball replay data including the balance of stored balls and the PIN number corresponding to the card ID indicated in the card insertion notification to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. In addition, when the management device 50 receives a stored ball replay request from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it subtracts a predetermined number from the balance of stored balls associated with the card ID indicated in the stored ball replay request, and transmits stored ball replay data including the balance of stored balls after the subtraction to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0049] In addition, when the management device 50 receives an inquiry about the number of stored balls from the prize management device 60, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the balance of the stored balls corresponding to the specified card ID.

[0050] Furthermore, when the management device 50 receives authority setting for the settlement machine 70, it notifies the employee terminal 80 for which the authority setting is to be performed of the authority setting.

[0051] The prize management device 60 is a terminal device for prize exchange that is attached to the prize exchange counter in the game parlor, and performs the prize exchange process for acquired balls, saved balls, and held balls. A card reader that reads the card ID of a card and a prize payout device that pays out prizes are connected to this prize management device 60. When the prize management device 60 reads the card ID from a general card or a membership card, it transmits the card ID to the management device 50 and requests the remaining balance of held balls for that card ID. When saved balls are to be exchanged for prizes, the management device 50 is requested to indicate the remaining balance of saved balls.

[0052] The settlement machine 70 is a device that settles the balance of the prepaid value associated with the card. When a card associated with the prepaid value is inserted, the settlement machine 70 transmits the card ID of the card to the management device 50, obtains the prepaid value associated with the card, and dispenses cash equivalent to the obtained prepaid value.

[0053] Furthermore, when the settlement machine 70 receives management work permission information from the employee terminal 80, it displays a menu related to management work. Then, when a menu item is selected, it performs processing related to this menu. The menu items related to management work include replenishing coins, removing cards, etc.

[0054] The employee terminal 80 is a terminal carried by an employee and controls whether or not the employee can operate the settlement machine 70. When the employee terminal 80 receives an authority setting from the management device 50, the employee terminal 80 stores the authority setting in the authority setting data.

[0055] In addition, when the employee terminal 80 is connected to the settlement machine 70 so as to be able to communicate with the settlement machine 70, the employee terminal 80 acquires the location information of the terminal using the received GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signal and determines whether or not this location information is included in the authority setting location information of the authority setting data. If the location information is included in the authority setting location information, the employee terminal 80 notifies the settlement machine 70 of the management business permission information.

[0056] Next, the ball lending process in the management system according to this embodiment will be described. When a player performs a ball lending operation on the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 transmits a message addressed to the local address of the management device 50. This message includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or any identification information that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that is the sender, and a ball lending request.

[0057] When the management device 50 receives a message including a ball lending request, it updates the card management data by subtracting a predetermined value (for example, 5 units, which represents 500 yen when 1 unit is 100 yen) from the prepaid value associated with the card ID in the message, and transmits ball lending permission to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that sent the message. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 that has received the ball lending permission transmits an addition signal to the gaming machine 20, requesting the addition of a number corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value (for example, "125") to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine.

[0058] The gaming machine 20 that has received the addition signal adds up the number of balls managed by the gaming machine, and transmits the number of balls managed by the gaming machine after the addition to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 compares the sum of the number of balls managed by the gaming machine before the addition and the number of balls lent out with the number of balls managed by the gaming machine after the addition, and determines whether the addition of the number of balls managed by the gaming machine has been performed appropriately.

[0059] Next, the ball replay process in the management system according to this embodiment will be described. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts the insertion of a general card or a membership card, it transmits a message addressed to the local address of the management device 50. This message includes the card ID of the card inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or any identification information that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that is the sender, information for identifying the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and a card insertion notification.

[0060] When the management device 50 receives a card insertion notification from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it notifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 of the balance of balls held at the rate specified by the message, among the balls held associated with the card ID in the message.

[0061] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 stores the balance of held balls received from the management device 50. Then, it transmits a message to the management device 50, including information specifying the card ID and rate, and a request to subtract held balls. When the management device 50 receives the request to subtract held balls, it clears the balance of held balls specified by the card ID and rate to zero. Furthermore, when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts a request to replay held balls, it subtracts a fixed number from the balance of held balls, notifies the gaming machine 20 of the corresponding number, and adds it to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine.

[0062] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a management transfer request from the gaming machine 20 to transfer the management of the gaming machine 20 by making the number of gaming machine managed balls of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 the balls held by the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 adds the number of gaming machine managed balls indicated in the management transfer request to the balls held by the own machine. After that, when the card return operation is accepted, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 transmits a message including a request to add the balls held to the management device 50. This message includes the card ID of the card to be discharged, an address or any identification information that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that is the sender, information for identifying the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the balance of the balls held, and a request to add the balls held.

[0063] When the management device 50 receives the request to add the balls in hand, it updates the balance (number of balls in hand) of the balls in hand associated with the card ID in the message to the received value. After that, the card processor 10 transmits a card ejection notification to the management device 50 and controls the ejection of the card.

[0064] Next, the stored ball replay process in the management system according to this embodiment will be described. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts a membership card, it sends a message addressed to the local address of the management device 50. This message includes the card ID of the card inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or any identification information that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that is the sender, information for identifying the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and a card insertion notification.

[0065] The management device 50 transmits stored ball replay data to the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the data including the PIN number associated with the card ID in the message and the remaining balance of stored balls at the rate specified by the message.

[0066] The inter-machine card processing device 10 stores the received saved ball replay data, and when the balance of saved balls indicated in the saved ball replay data is equal to or greater than the number of game ball payout units in saved ball replay (number of saved ball replay units, for example "125 balls"), it is capable of accepting a saved ball replay operation.

[0067] When the inter-machine card processor 10 receives a saved ball replay operation for the first time after storing the saved ball replay data, it requests the player to input a PIN number and checks whether the input PIN number matches the PIN number shown in the saved ball replay data.

[0068] If the PIN numbers match, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 sends a message addressed to the local address of the management device 50. This message includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or any identification information that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that is the sender, information for identifying the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and a request to replay the stored balls.

[0069] The management device 50 subtracts a predetermined value from the balance of stored balls at the rate specified by the message among the stored balls associated with the card ID in the message, and transmits stored ball replay data including the balance after subtraction to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0070] The inter-machine card processing device 10 receives the stored ball replay data, updates the balance of stored balls, and notifies the gaming machine 20 of the number corresponding to the number of stored ball replay units to add it to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine. It also determines whether the updated balance of stored balls is less than the number of stored ball replay units. If the updated balance of stored ball data is equal to or greater than the number of stored ball replay units, it is possible to accept a stored ball replay operation again, and if a stored ball replay operation is accepted, it transmits a stored ball replay request. For the second or subsequent stored ball replay operations, it is not necessary to confirm the PIN. If the updated balance of stored ball data is less than the number of stored ball replay units, it is not possible to accept a stored ball replay operation.

[0071] Next, the transition from held balls to saved balls during the store closing process will be explained. The management device 50 checks the balance of held balls in the card management data during the store closing process, and if there are held balls whose balance is greater than "0", it adds the balance of the held balls to the balance of saved balls to update it. After that, the management device 50 clears the balance of the held balls to zero.

[0072] <External configuration of the inter-machine card processing device 10 and the gaming machine 20> Next, the external configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and the gaming machine 20 shown in Fig. 2 will be described. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the external configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and the gaming machine 20 shown in Fig. 2. In the figure, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that accepts only paper money is illustrated, but a unit that can accept electronic money can also be provided.

[0073] As shown in Figure 3, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is provided with a status display unit 11 which displays the status of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 by turning on or blinking lamps of a predetermined color, a bill insertion slot 12a which accepts various types of bills, a display operation unit 13 such as a touch panel display, and a card insertion slot 14a which accepts cards associated with a card ID.

[0074] The gaming machine 20 is provided with a gaming board, a handle 21 used to throw enclosed gaming balls onto the gaming board, and a counting button 22.

[0075] The count button 22 is an operation button for performing a management transfer, which transfers the management of the number of balls that can be dispensed from the gaming machine 20 to the inter-machine card processor 10, by subtracting the number of balls managed by the gaming machine 20 and adding the corresponding number to the balls held by the inter-machine card processor 10. In the open-type gaming machine 20 in which actual gaming balls are dispensed upon winning, this management transfer corresponds to a counting process in which the inter-machine card processor 10 counts the dispensed gaming balls and adds them to the balls held.

[0076] <Configuration of the inter-machine card processing device 10> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 has a banknote transport unit 12, a display operation unit 13, a reader / writer 14, a communication unit 15, a memory unit 16, a control unit 17, and a game management unit 18.

[0077] The bill transport unit 12 is a transport unit that transports the bills inserted from the bill insertion slot 12a to a bill storage unit (not shown) while determining the denomination and authenticity of the bills. The display operation unit 13 is an input / output device such as a touch panel display that displays various information such as value and accepts various operations such as ball lending operations.

[0078] The reader / writer 14 is a reading unit that reads a card ID from a card inserted into the card insertion slot 14a. The card inserted into the card insertion slot 14a is stored in a card storage unit (not shown) through the reader / writer 14. The communication unit 15 is an interface unit for performing data communication with the management device 50 via the island controller 30.

[0079] The storage unit 16 is a storage device including a hard disk drive, a non-volatile memory, etc. The storage unit 16 stores the device status data 16a and the card data 16b.

[0080] The own machine status data 16a is data indicating the status of the inter-machine card processing machine 10. The own machine status data 16a includes the inter-machine card processing machine ID, the game machine ID, the game type, etc. The inter-machine card processing machine ID is identification information for uniquely identifying the inter-machine card processing machine 10 within the gaming establishment. The game type is data indicating the rate set in the inter-machine card processing machine 10. When game balls of multiple rates are handled within the gaming establishment, game type names are set and managed for each rate, such as "Ball 1" for game balls of a 4 yen rate, "Ball 2" for game balls of a 2 yen rate, and "Ball 3" for game balls of a 1 yen rate. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 selects a rate to be used for a game from these game types and stores it as the game type. The game type may be fixed for each section in which the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is installed, or may be changeable by the operation of the player.

[0081] The card data 16b is data related to the card being used by the player. The card data 16b includes a card ID, a PIN number, a prepaid value, held balls, saved balls, etc. The card ID is a card ID read by the reader / writer 14. When a card is transported from a card storage section (not shown) to the card insertion slot 14a and then ejected, the card data 16b is updated by the card ID read by the reader / writer 14 during this transport. Also, when a card is transported from the card insertion slot 14a to a card storage section (not shown), the card data 16b is updated by the card ID read by the reader / writer 14 during this transport. The prepaid value indicates the balance of the prepaid value that can be used for ball lending, and the held balls and saved balls indicate their respective balances.

[0082] The gaming management unit 18 is a processing unit that performs processing related to authentication and communication with the gaming machine 20. It is preferable that the gaming management unit 18 is formed on a board different from that of the control unit 17. The gaming management unit 18 has an authentication processing unit 18a, an authentication key management unit 18b, and a gaming machine status management unit 18c. In practice, these programs are loaded into a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executed, causing the authentication processing unit 18a, the authentication key management unit 18b, and the gaming machine status management unit 18c to execute processes corresponding thereto.

[0083] The authentication processing unit 18a performs authentication of the gaming machine 20 using the authentication key received from the management device 50. If the authentication is successful, the authentication processing unit 18a transmits an operation permission to the gaming machine 20. If the authentication is unsuccessful, the authentication processing unit 18a prohibits the use of the gaming machine 20. Note that even if the authentication is unsuccessful, the authentication processing unit 18a may be configured to transmit an operation permission to the gaming machine 20 if it is within a predetermined period from the last successful authentication, and not transmit an operation permission to the gaming machine 20 after the predetermined period has elapsed from the last successful authentication, and to prohibit the use of the gaming machine 20.

[0084] The authentication key management unit 18b is a processing unit that manages the authentication key. A usage time is set for the authentication key, and when the cumulative operating time of the gaming machine 20 reaches the usage time of the authentication key, the authentication key becomes unusable. Specifically, the authentication key management unit 18b uses the power-on time of the board on which the game management unit 18 is formed as the operating time of the gaming machine 20, and manages the usage time of the authentication key. When the authentication key becomes unusable, the authentication key management unit 18b obtains a new authentication key from an authentication key management center outside the store via the management device 50, and updates the authentication key.

[0085] The gaming machine status management unit 18c is a processing unit that communicates with the gaming machine 20 and manages the status of the gaming machine 20. Specifically, the gaming machine status management unit 18c acquires the gaming machine ID from the gaming machine 20, transmits a request to add to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine by ball lending, transmits a request to transfer management from held balls to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine by replaying held balls, transmits a request to add to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine by replaying saved balls, receives game results such as the number of balls inserted and the number of balls paid out in the gaming machine 20, and receives a request to transfer management from the number of balls managed by the gaming machine to held balls by counting. The communication between the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and the gaming machine 20 is encrypted communication using a predetermined encryption method.

[0086] The gaming machine status management unit 18c also acquires the status set for the game, such as the current number of managed balls, start, jackpot, jackpot type, and number of lotteries of the gaming machine 20. It is desirable to set the time interval at which the gaming machine status management unit 18c acquires the status of the gaming machine 20 shorter than the interval at which game balls are shot (used) in the gaming machine 20. Furthermore, when the gaming machine status management unit 18c acquires the number of managed balls from the gaming machine 20, it passes the number of managed balls to the control unit 17.

[0087] The timing when the gaming machine status management unit 18c acquires a new gaming machine ID from the gaming machine 20 is not limited to before opening. The acquisition of the gaming machine ID and the determination of replacement of the gaming machine 20 can be performed when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is powered on or off, during regular communication, when processing related to the number of gaming machine balls managed (ball lending, replay, counting, etc.) is performed, when returning from an offline state, etc. Also, these timings may be used in combination.

[0088] The control unit 17 is a control unit that performs overall control of the inter-machine card processing machine 10. In practice, the process is executed by loading a program corresponding to the control unit 17 into the CPU and executing it. The data management unit 17a is a processing unit that manages the card data 16b.

[0089] Specifically, when a card is inserted, the data management unit 17a transmits a card insertion notification including the card ID and the inter-machine card processor ID to the management device 50. In addition, when the data management unit 17a receives data including a value (at least one of prepaid value, held balls, and saved balls) and a PIN number from the management device 50, it updates the card data 16b with the received value and PIN number.

[0090] Furthermore, when a bill is inserted into the bill insertion slot 12a, the data management unit 17a transmits a deposit notification to the management device 50, the notification including the amount of the inserted bill, the card ID, and the inter-machine card processor ID.

[0091] Furthermore, when a ball lending operation is performed by a player, the data management unit 17a transmits a ball lending request including the card ID and the inter-machine card processor ID to the management device 50. If permission to lend balls is received as a response to this ball lending request, the data management unit 17a instructs the gaming management unit 18 to subtract the prepaid value of the card data 16b and add a predetermined number of balls to the gaming machine managed number of balls of the gaming machine 20.

[0092] In addition, when the data management unit 17a accepts a held ball replay operation, it instructs the game management unit 18 to subtract and update the held balls in the card data 16b and add the corresponding number of balls to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine 20.

[0093] In addition, when the balance of the stored balls shown in the card data 16b is equal to or greater than the number of the stored ball replay units, the data management unit 17a displays a stored ball replay button on the display operation unit 13, and allows the stored ball replay operation to be accepted. When the stored ball replay operation is performed by the player, the data management unit 17a transmits a stored ball replay request including the card ID and the inter-machine card processor ID to the management device 50. If the data management unit 17a receives stored ball replay data in response to the stored ball replay request, it updates the balance of the stored balls in the card data 16b and instructs the gaming management unit 18 to add the number of balls corresponding to the number of the stored ball replay units to the number of balls managed by the gaming machine 20. In addition, when the stored ball replay operation is performed for the first time, the input of a PIN is requested, and the condition for transmitting a stored ball replay request is that the PIN matches the PIN shown in the card data 16b.

[0094] In addition, when the game management unit 18 receives a request to transfer game balls from the game machine 20, the data management unit 17a adds the number of balls instructed by the game management unit 18 to the held balls in the card data 16b to update it.

[0095] In addition, when the data management unit 17a accepts a card return operation, it transmits a ball addition request including the card ID, the inter-machine card processing machine ID, and the remaining balls to the management device 50. Then, after clearing the card data 16b, it transmits a card ejection notification to the management device 50 and ejects the card.

[0096] Next, an example of data stored in the memory unit 16 of the inter-machine card processor 10 shown in Fig. 4 will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the own device status data 16a and card data 16b shown in Fig. 4.

[0097] The own device status data 16a shown in Figure 5 (a) indicates a state in which the ID of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is "A101", the gaming machine ID of the connected gaming machine 20 is "B201", and "Ball 1" is set as the game type of the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0098] The card data 16b shown in FIG. 5(b) indicates that the ID of the card inserted into the inter-machine card processor 10 is "2015." Here, the first digit of the card ID indicates the type of card, with a card with the first digit "1" being a general card and a card with the first digit "2" being a membership card. The card data 16b also indicates that the PIN number for replaying saved balls is "1234" and the prepaid value is "0" points. Here, the prepaid value points are equivalent to 1 yen per point.

[0099] In addition, card data 16b indicates that, in terms of held balls, the balance of held balls for ball 1 is "990" balls, the balance of held balls for ball 2 is "0" balls, and the balance of held balls for ball 3 is "0" balls, and, in terms of saved balls, the balance of saved balls for ball 1 is "0" balls, the balance of saved balls for ball 2 is "0" balls, and the balance of saved balls for ball 3 is "0" balls.

[0100] <Configuration of the gaming machine 20> Next, the configuration of the gaming machine 20 shown in Fig. 2 will be described. Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the gaming machine 20 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 6, the gaming machine 20 has a communication control unit 23, a performance control unit 24, a game control unit 25, and a game ball control unit 26. The communication control unit 23 is a control unit for controlling data communication with the inter-machine card processing machine 10. Communication with the inter-machine card processing machine 10 uses encrypted communication using a predetermined encryption method.

[0101] When the gaming machine 20 is started up, the communication control unit 23 reads out the identification information from the control CPU provided in the gaming control unit 25 and / or gaming ball control unit 26, checks whether the identification information is appropriate, and if it is appropriate, establishes communication with the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and goes into standby mode. In the standby mode, if an operation permission is received from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the performance control unit 24, the gaming control unit 25, and the gaming ball control unit 26 are started up, making the gaming machine ready for play.

[0102] The game control unit 25 is a control unit that controls games played by the gaming machine 20. In practice, a program corresponding to the game control unit 25 is loaded into the CPU and executed to execute a process.

[0103] Specifically, the game control unit 25 controls the launch of game balls onto the game board by detecting handle operation, detects game balls that have entered the winning hole on the game board, obtains random numbers (random numbers from 0 to 65535, with numbers assigned to a jackpot, small jackpot, or miss within a predetermined range) using game balls that have entered the starting hole and draws lots (special and normal symbols), controls movable members (tulips, etc.) installed on the game board, controls the display of a special symbol display device installed on the game board, detects abnormalities that may be fraudulent (the front frame is open, vibration is detected, etc.) and notifies a higher-level device, etc.

[0104] A large number of obstacle pins are set on the game board, and a game ball is shot onto the game board by operating the handle, falls between the obstacle pins, and either enters a prize hole or a starting hole, or is ejected from the game board through an outlet hole without entering a prize. When a game ball enters a starting hole, a lottery is held, and if a jackpot is awarded, a jackpot game is played in which a specific prize hole on the game board is controlled to be open multiple times, and by making it easier for game balls to enter the prize hole, a prize ball is awarded to the player.

[0105] In addition, there is a special jackpot game that gives a player a special bonus game after the jackpot game ends. The special jackpot game includes a probability-varying jackpot and a time-saving jackpot. The probability-varying jackpot and the time-saving jackpot give the probability-varying game and the time-saving game as special bonus games after the jackpot, respectively. The time-saving game is a bonus game that increases the number of lotteries per unit time by shortening the fluctuation time (the time from the start of the lottery process to the display of the result) of the normal pattern lottery (the lottery for opening and closing the movable member described above) and / or the special pattern lottery (the lottery for the jackpot lottery by the winning of the game ball described above), thereby increasing the probability of winning the jackpot per unit time. This bonus game may include a normal pattern probability fluctuation that increases the probability of winning the normal pattern. The time-saving game by the time-saving jackpot ends when the number of lotteries for the special pattern lottery has been performed a predetermined number of times after the jackpot. Probability-changing games will be described later.

[0106] The game control unit 25 has a probability variation function. The probability variation function is a function that performs control to change the random number range of the jackpot used in the next lottery (generally to about 10 times) when the lottery result is a jackpot that falls within a particularly specified random number range. The probability variation game is a game in which a special symbol is drawn using the changed probability. The probability variation game continues until the next jackpot is won. In addition, the probability variation game and the time-saving game may be given at the same time. However, in order to prevent unexpected losses to the gaming facility, if a player acquires a certain number of game media after the probability variation game or the time-saving game starts, a process of stopping the game (discharging the card once and requesting a prize exchange or a machine move) may be performed. In this case, the number of game media after the probability variation game state is entered is counted by the gaming machine 20, and when the count value reaches a predetermined value, the game can be stopped by performing a game stop control such as stopping the release of game balls.

[0107] The performance control unit 24 is a control unit that controls the performance during a game, and has a performance symbol lottery unit 24a and a performance lottery unit 24b. In practice, by loading these programs into a CPU and executing them, the performance symbol lottery unit 24a and the performance lottery unit 24b will execute processes corresponding to them, respectively.

[0108] The effect pattern lottery unit 24a performs lottery (specifically, whether to stop the display at 7, 7, 7, etc.) for effect patterns (patterns to be displayed on an effect pattern display device such as a display device on the game board surface) based on the special pattern lottery in the game control unit 25.

[0109] The effect selection unit 24b selects the type of effect to be performed before the result of the selection based on the effect symbols is displayed (such as a character appearing and a reach effect). Such effects are set so that the effects selected are different from the main selection result.

[0110] The performance control unit 24 stores performance data for each performance. Furthermore, the performance control unit 24 controls the display of the performance pattern display device, and when a performance is executed, the performance data is superimposed on the background pattern data to display the performance. In addition, when the probability fluctuates, background color data different from that in the normal state is set.

[0111] The game ball control unit 26 is a control unit that controls the number of game balls managed by the game machine. In practice, a program corresponding to the game ball control unit 26 is loaded into the CPU and executed to execute the process. The game ball number management unit 26a is a management unit that manages the number of game balls, i.e., the number of game balls managed by the game machine.

[0112] Specifically, the game ball control unit 26 stores the number of game balls managed by the game machine in a game ball number memory, subtracts "1" from the number of game balls managed by the game machine each time a game ball is released, and adds the number of prize balls acquired by winning to the number of game balls managed by the game machine. Also, when the number of balls is notified by the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it adds the notified number of balls to the number of game machine managed balls and transmits a confirmation signal to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 indicating that the number of balls has been added to the number of game machine managed balls. The game ball control unit 26 can also perform cleaning control of the game balls (circulating balls) enclosed in the game machine 20.

[0113] The game ball control unit 26 also periodically transmits the number of game machine balls stored in the game ball number memory to the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10. In this case, the game ball control unit 26 continues updating the number of game machine balls according to the game status without clearing the contents of the game ball number memory to zero, and transmits the number of game machine balls at the time of data acquisition to the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10.

[0114] The gaming machine 20 is also provided with a counting button 22, and a signal indicating that the counting button 22 has been pressed is input to the gaming ball control unit 26. The gaming ball control unit 26 detects the pressing of the counting button 22, and if the detection signal rises and falls within a certain period of time, it transmits a management transfer request to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 together with data on the number of gaming machine managed balls at a fixed number of times (for example, 100 balls per operation). Then, it subtracts (invalidates) the number of balls transferred to the management of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 from the number of gaming machine managed balls. If the pressing of the counting button 22 is detected and a fall is not detected for a predetermined period of time or more after the detection signal rises, it transmits a management transfer request to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 together with data on the number of gaming machine managed balls at a fixed number of times (for example, 200 balls per 5 seconds) each time the detection signal continues to rise for a certain period of time. Then, the number of balls transferred to the management of the inter-machine card processor 10 is subtracted (invalidated) from the number of balls managed by the gaming machine. When subtracting from the number of balls managed by the gaming machine, possible methods include decrementing the value to be subtracted from the value of 1 stored in memory, or updating the value stored in memory with the value after the subtraction and deleting or logically deleting the value before the subtraction to invalidate it, but there are no particular limitations as long as the value after the subtraction is in a state where it can be specified.

[0115] The game control unit 25 and the game ball control unit 26 are each configured on a separate board. The game control board on which the game control unit 25 is configured and the game ball control board on which the game ball control unit 26 is configured each have their own unique ID. The game machine 20 combines the ID of the game control board and the ID of the game ball control board and uses them as the game machine ID.

[0116] <Configuration of management device 50> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the management device 50 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management device 50 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 7, the management device 50 is connected to a display unit 51 and an input unit 52, and has an external network communication unit 53, a store network communication unit 54, a storage unit 55, and a control unit 56.

[0117] The display unit 51 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel or a display device. The input unit 52 is an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse. The external network communication unit 53 is an interface unit for data communication with the employee terminal 80 and an authentication key management center (not shown) via an external network. The store network communication unit 54 is an interface unit for data communication with the island controller 30, the prize management device 60, and the settlement machine 70 via a communication line within the gaming facility.

[0118] The storage unit 55 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive or a non-volatile memory, and stores card management data 55a, device management data 55b, member management data 55c, and authority setting data 55d.

[0119] The card management data 55a is data that associates the card ID with the balance of prepaid value and the balance of balls held. The device management data 55b is data related to the devices installed in the gaming facility. The member management data 55c is data that associates the card ID of the member card issued to the member with the member's name, ball information, etc.

[0120] The authority setting data 55d is data indicating a state in which permission or prohibition of operation of the settlement machine 70 is set for each employee terminal 80. The authority setting data 55d includes an employee terminal ID, authority setting position information, and an authority setting target device.

[0121] The control unit 56 is a control unit that performs overall control of the management device 50, and has a card management unit 56a, a device management unit 56b, a member management unit 56c, and an authority setting unit 56d. In practice, by loading these programs into a CPU and executing them, the card management unit 56a, the device management unit 56b, the member management unit 56c, and the authority setting unit 56d will each execute a process corresponding to the program.

[0122] The card management unit 56a is a processing unit that manages the card management data 55a. The card management unit 56a communicates with the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the prize management device 60, and the settlement machine 70 to update the prepaid value and the balance of the balls associated with the card ID.

[0123] In addition, when the card management unit 56a receives a card insertion notification from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 or a request for value associated with the card from the prize management device 60, it notifies the player of the value associated with the card and the remaining balance of balls held.

[0124] Furthermore, when the card management unit 56a receives a request for the value associated with the card from the settlement machine 70, it notifies the remaining balance of the value associated with the card.

[0125] The device management unit 56b is a processing unit that manages the device management data 55b. The device management unit 56b generates and updates the device management data 55b based on the inter-machine card processor ID, the installation location, and the gaming machine ID acquired from the inter-machine card processor 10.

[0126] The member management unit 56c is a processing unit that manages the member management data 55c. The member management unit 56c communicates with the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and the prize management device 60 to update the balance of the balls associated with the card ID. In addition, when the member management unit 56c receives a member registration request, it updates the member management data 55c to add the member.

[0127] Here, the stored ball replay process by the member management unit 56c will be explained. When the member management unit 56c receives the stored ball replay request data from the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10, it subtracts the payout unit number of the remaining balls of the payout rate from the stored balls associated with the card ID in the stored ball replay request data, and recalculates the number of possible stored ball replays. Then, it transmits the stored ball replay data including the remaining balance after subtraction and the number of possible stored ball replays to the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10.

[0128] The authority setting unit 56d is a processing unit that manages the authority setting data 55d. When the authority setting unit 56d receives authority setting for the settlement machine 70 from the input unit 52, the authority setting unit 56d stores the authority setting in the authority setting data 55d. Then, the authority setting is notified to the employee terminal 80 that is the object of the authority setting. The authority setting includes the employee terminal ID, authority setting position information, and authority setting target device.

[0129] Next, an example of data stored in storage unit 55 of management device 50 shown in Fig. 7 will be described. Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are diagrams showing examples of card management data 55a, device management data 55b, member management data 55c, and authority setting data 55d shown in Fig. 7.

[0130] In the card management data 55a shown in Fig. 8(a), the card ID "1001" is associated with a state in which the prepaid value is "0" points, the balance of the balls held for each rate is "0" balls, and the destination ID is "A101". In other words, the card with the card ID "1001" is inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10 with the device ID "A101", and the management of the balls held has been transferred to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. Therefore, the balance of the balls held for each rate becomes zero.

[0131] In addition, in the card management data 55a, the card ID "2015" is associated with a state in which the prepaid value is "0" points. In addition, the states in which the balance of balls held for ball 1 is "990", the balance of balls held for ball 2 is "0", and the balance of balls held for ball 3 is "0" are associated with the card ID "2015". However, there is no association with a usage destination ID. In other words, the card with the card ID "2015" is not inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and the management of the held balls is being carried out by the management device 50.

[0132] The device management data 55b shown in Fig. 8(b) associates the following states with the inter-machine card processor 10 with the ID "A101", the installation location is "island 1-1", the ID of the connected gaming machine 20 is "B201", the gaming machine number is "11", the game type is "ball 1", the model of the gaming machine 20 is "EV01", and the serial number is "a". It also indicates that this gaming machine 20 is in use.

[0133] The device management data 55b also associates the inter-machine card processor 10 with the ID "A201" with the following states: its installation location is "island 2-1", the ID of the connected gaming machine 20 is "B506", the gaming machine number is "21", the game type is "ball 3", the model of the gaming machine 20 is "DX03", and the serial number is "g". It also indicates that this gaming machine 20 is in use.

[0134] The member management data 55c shown in Fig. 8(c) indicates the name, the number of saved balls, etc., associated with the card ID. Specifically, the member management data 55c associates the card ID "2015" with the name "Tokutei Taro", the balance of saved balls for ball 1 being "0", the balance of saved balls for ball 2 being "0", and the balance of saved balls for ball 3 being "0".

[0135] The authority setting data 55d shown in FIG. 9 associates a state in which the employee ID is "JT0012", the authority setting location information is "35.xx12,139.xx49", the device name of the authority setting target device is "Store B checkout machine", and the device ID is "SD2345", associates a state in which the employee ID is "JT0012", the authority setting location information is "35.xx09,139.xx51", the device name of the authority setting target device is "Store C checkout machine", and the device ID is "SD6789", and associates a state in which the employee ID is "JT0025", the authority setting location information is "35.xx12,139.xx49", the device name of the authority setting target device is "Store B checkout machine", and the device ID is "SD2345". <Configuration of the settlement machine 70> Next, the adjustment machine 70 shown in Fig. 2 will be described. Fig. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the adjustment machine 70 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 10, the adjustment machine 70 has a card reader 71, a display operation unit 72, a communication unit 73, and a control unit 78.

[0136] The card reader 71 is a device that reads the card ID from the card of a player. The display operation unit 72 is an input / output device such as a liquid crystal touch panel. The communication unit 73 is an interface unit for communicating with the management device 50 via a communication line, and is also an interface unit for communicating with the employee terminal 80 via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0137] The control unit 78 is a control unit that controls the entire settlement machine 70, and has a settlement control unit 78a and an administrative business control unit 78b. In practice, programs corresponding to these functional units are stored in a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (not shown), and these programs are loaded into the CPU and executed, causing the settlement control unit 78a and the administrative business control unit 78b to execute the processes corresponding thereto.

[0138] The settlement control unit 78a is a processing unit that settles the prepaid value associated with the card. When the settlement control unit 78a receives a card ID from the card reader 71, it notifies the management device 50 of a request for the prepaid value associated with this card ID. When the settlement control unit 78a receives the remaining balance of the prepaid value associated with the card from the management device 50, it performs settlement processing.

[0139] The management operation control unit 78b is a processing unit that controls the processing related to the management operations performed by employees. When the management operation control unit 78b receives management operation permission information from the employee terminal 80, it displays a menu related to the management operations on the display operation unit 72. Then, when a menu is selected, it performs processing related to this menu. The menu related to the management operations includes replenishing coins, removing cards, etc.

[0140] <Configuration of employee terminal 80> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the employee terminal 80 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 11 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the employee terminal 80 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 11, the employee terminal 80 has a display operation unit 81, a GNSS receiving unit 82, a communication unit 83, a storage unit 87, and a control unit 88.

[0141] The display operation unit 81 is an input / output device such as a liquid crystal touch panel. The GNSS receiving unit 82 is an input device that receives GNSS signals. The communication unit 83 is an interface unit for communicating with the management device 50 via the Internet, and is also an interface unit for communicating with the settlement machine 70 via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0142] The storage unit 87 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive or a non-volatile memory, and stores authority setting data 87a and authority status data 87b. The authority setting data 87a is data indicating a state in which permission or prohibition of operation of the settlement machine 70 is set. The authority status data 87b is data indicating a grant status of operation authority for the settlement machine 70.

[0143] The control unit 88 is a control unit that performs overall control of the employee terminal 80, and has an authority setting unit 88a, a location information acquisition unit 88b, an authority granting determination unit 88c, and an authority exercising unit 88d. In practice, by loading these programs into a CPU and executing them, the authority setting unit 88a, the location information acquisition unit 88b, the authority granting determination unit 88c, and the authority exercising unit 88d will each execute a process corresponding to the program.

[0144] The authority setting unit 88a is a processing unit that manages the authority setting data 87a. When the authority setting unit 88a receives an authority setting from the management device 50, the authority setting unit 88a stores the authority setting in the authority setting data 87a.

[0145] The location information acquisition unit 88b is a processing unit that acquires location information of the terminal itself. When the terminal itself is connected to the settlement machine 70 so as to be able to communicate with the settlement machine 70, the location information acquisition unit 88b acquires location information of the terminal itself from the GNSS receiving unit 82. Then, the location information is passed to the authority granting determination unit 88c.

[0146] The authority granting determination unit 88c is a processing unit that determines whether or not an operation can be performed on the settlement machine 70. When the authority granting determination unit 88c receives location information from the location information acquisition unit 88b, the authority granting determination unit 88c determines whether or not this location information is included in the authority setting location information of the authority setting data 87a, and if included, passes management business permission information to the authority exercising unit 88d.

[0147] The authority exercising unit 88d is a processing unit that notifies the management business permission information and manages the authority status data 87b. When the authority exercising unit 88d receives the management business permission information from the authority granting determination unit 88c, it notifies the settlement machine 70 of the management business permission information and updates the authority status data 87b to "Yes". When the communication between the authority exercising unit 88d's own terminal and the settlement machine 70 is disconnected, it updates the authority status data 87b to "No".

[0148] Next, a description will be given of an example of data stored in the storage unit 87 of the employee terminal 80 shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the authority setting data 87a and the authority status data 87b shown in Fig. 11.

[0149] The authority setting data 87a shown in Fig. 12(a) associates the authority setting position information "35.xx12, 139.xx49" with a state in which the authority setting target device has a device name "Store B checkout machine" and a device ID "SD2345", and associates the authority setting position information "35.xx09, 139.xx51" with a state in which the authority setting target device has a device name "Store C checkout machine" and a device ID "SD6789". The authority status data 87b shown in Fig. 12(b) indicates that the authority status is "Yes".

[0150] <Processing procedure in the employee terminal 80 according to the first embodiment> Next, a description will be given of the processing procedure in the employee terminal 80 according to the present embodiment 1. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure in the employee terminal 80 according to the present embodiment 1.

[0151] As shown in FIG. 13, when the employee terminal 80 is connected to the settlement machine 70 (Step S101; Yes), the employee terminal 80 acquires location information of the employee terminal (Step S102; Yes).

[0152] If the acquired location information matches the authority-set location information (step S103; Yes), the management business permission information is notified to the settlement device 70 (step S104), and the process ends.

[0153] If the acquired location information does not match the authority setting location information (step S102; No), connection to the settlement machine 70, which is the authority setting target device, is prohibited (step S104), and the process ends.

[0154] As described above, the management system of this embodiment 1 is configured to permit operation of a specified device when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, so authority setting can be done efficiently when a staff member from one amusement facility is dispatched to another amusement facility to deal with an error in an in-store device.

[0155] In the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specified device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration can also be such that operation of a specified device is permitted by connecting to a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) router installed in the amusement facility.

[0156] In addition, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specific device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it can also be configured to permit operation of a specific device by performing an operation such as inputting a password into the employee terminal.

[0157] In addition, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specific device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it can also be configured to permit operation of a specific device by notifying the employee terminal of permission information from a mobile terminal carried by a store manager, etc.

[0158] In addition, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specific device is permitted when the authority setting location information contained in the set permission information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the permission information set on the employee terminal can also be configured to have a validity period.

[0159] In addition, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specific device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to configure the possibility of setting authority to be changed depending on the past cash handling amount of the device for which authority is to be set.

[0160] In the above embodiment 1, the operation of a specific device is permitted based on the permission information of the employee terminal held by the employee who received the support request, but the present invention is not limited to this. When a support request is received, the system can be configured to determine the workload status of a nearby store, such as an error being cleared, and notify the employee terminal of the store with a lighter workload of the support request. In addition, the system can be configured to store the past response history of the employee who is the target of the support request, and to send a support request to the employee terminal of an employee who has experience in responding to the request, based on this response history.

[0161] In addition, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which the employee terminal processes the determination of whether or not the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the determination of whether or not the authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal can also be configured to be performed by a server such as a management device.

[0162] In addition, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specified device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to configure the system to authenticate employees using biometric authentication, such as photographing the employee with a camera installed in the gaming facility and performing facial recognition, and to permit operation of a specified device based on the authentication results.

[0163] In addition, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specified device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it can also be configured to permit operation of a specified device when in-game store equipment such as a prize management device or an inter-machine card processing machine is connected to the employee terminal so that they can communicate with each other via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.

[0164] In addition, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specific device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it can also be configured to permit operation of a specific device based on an operation control schedule that sets the time period during which operation of the specific device is permitted.

[0165] In addition, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration is described in which operations on a specific device are controlled using an employee terminal such as a mobile terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to configure the configuration so that operations on a specific device are controlled using a wearable terminal such as a smart watch.

[0166] [Embodiment 2] Incidentally, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specified device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0167] In a management system that remotely permits operation of an inter-machine card processing machine when an error occurs in the inter-machine card processing machine, if the error occurs simultaneously with a jackpot, the management system can be configured to withhold permission to operate the inter-machine card processing machine in which the error has occurred until the jackpot ends.

[0168] In this embodiment 2, a management system is described that remotely permits operation of an inter-machine card processing machine when an error occurs in the machine, and if an error occurs and a jackpot occurs simultaneously, the management system suspends permission to operate the inter-machine card processing machine where the error occurred until the jackpot ends.

[0169] <Outline of the management system according to the second embodiment> An overview of the management system according to the second embodiment will be described below. Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the overview of the management system according to the second embodiment.

[0170] As shown in FIG. 14, in the management system of this embodiment 2, when a bill full state occurs in the inter-machine card processing machine 200 and a jackpot occurs in the gaming machine 20, the inter-machine card processing machine 200 notifies the management device 210 of the bill full information and the jackpot information (S11).

[0171] The management device 210 notifies the banknote full information to the control terminal 230 at the company headquarters (S12). If the control terminal 230 receives the unlocking permission, it notifies the management device 210 of the unlocking permission (S13).

[0172] When the jackpot ends on the gaming machine 20, the inter-machine card processing machine 200 notifies the management device 210 of the end of the jackpot (S14). The management device 210 notifies the inter-machine card processing machine 200 of permission to unlock the machine (S15), and notifies the intercom 220 worn by the employee of permission to unlock the inter-machine card processing machine 200 (S16).

[0173] Then, when the employee collects the bills and the bill full state is released, the inter-machine card processing machine 200 notifies the control terminal 230 via the management device 210 that the bill full state has been released.

[0174] As described above, in the management system of this embodiment 2, in the event that an error occurs in an inter-machine card processing machine, the management system remotely permits operation of the inter-machine card processing machine, and if the error occurs simultaneously with a jackpot, permission to operate the inter-machine card processing machine where the error occurred can be withheld until the jackpot ends.

[0175] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, when an error occurs in the inter-machine card processing machine, if the error occurs and a jackpot occurs at the same time, permission to operate the inter-machine card processing machine where the error occurred is withheld until the jackpot ends, but the present invention is not limited to this. When a cash-related operation such as bill collection occurs, the amount of money deposited in the deposit machine and the time of deposit can be notified to a control terminal at the company headquarters. Also, when the time from the cash-related operation to the deposit in the deposit machine exceeds a predetermined time, an alarm can be sounded at a control terminal at the company headquarters.

[0176] In the above embodiment 2, the control terminal of the company headquarters notifies the release permission when an error occurs in the inter-machine card processing device, but the present invention is not limited to this. If there are multiple stores such as convenience stores in the vicinity, the manager or other employee of the main store can decide to notify the devices of other stores of the release permission.

[0177] In the above embodiment 2, the control terminal of the company headquarters notifies the user of the permission to release the card when an error occurs in the card processor between the machines, but the present invention is not limited to this. If there are multiple stores such as convenience stores in the vicinity, the manager or other employee of the main store can set the authority to the remote controls of the other stores and can operate the devices of the other stores according to this authority.

[0178] In the above embodiment 2, the control terminal of the company headquarters notifies permission to release the error when an error occurs in the machine-to-machine card processing machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. If a prize becomes jammed during prize exchange in the prize management device, even an employee without operating authority can be allowed to operate to remove the jammed prize.

[0179] In the above embodiment 2, when an error occurs in the inter-machine card processor, if the error occurs and a jackpot occurs at the same time, the permission to operate the inter-machine card processor in which the error occurred is withheld until the jackpot ends, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the error is a ball jam, the device can be configured to allow operation even during the jackpot.

[0180] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, a configuration is described in which, when the banknote full state is cleared, a notification to that effect is sent to the control terminal at the company headquarters, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may also be configured such that, when an operation to clear the banknote full state is started, a notification to that effect is sent to the control terminal at the company headquarters.

[0181] [Embodiment 3] Incidentally, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specified device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0182] In a management system that displays an error message when an error occurs in an inter-machine card processing machine, if an error occurs in one inter-machine card processing machine while an error occurs in another inter-machine card processing machine, the error display content in this inter-machine card processing machine can be changed and displayed.

[0183] In this embodiment 3, a management system is described that displays an error message when an error occurs in an inter-machine card processing machine, and if an error occurs in one inter-machine card processing machine while an error occurs in another inter-machine card processing machine, the management system changes the error display content displayed on the inter-machine card processing machine.

[0184] <Outline of the management system according to the third embodiment> An overview of the management system according to the third embodiment will be described below. Fig. 15 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the overview of the management system according to the third embodiment.

[0185] As shown in Fig. 15, in the management system according to the third embodiment, if the inter-machine card processor 300a is full of bills, an error message is displayed on the inter-machine card processor 300a (S21). For example, "Please call an employee." is displayed.

[0186] An employee called by the player responds and switches the inter-machine card processing device 300a to employee mode (S22).

[0187] If the bill full state occurs in another inter-machine card processing machine 300b, an error message is displayed on this inter-machine card processing machine 300b, indicating that it will take some time to respond (S23). For example, it displays "Please call an employee. *It may take some time because we are responding to other devices."

[0188] As described above, in the management system of this embodiment 3, in a management system that displays an error message when an error occurs in an inter-machine card processing machine, if an error occurs in one inter-machine card processing machine while an error occurs in another inter-machine card processing machine, the error display content on the inter-machine card processing machine can be changed and displayed.

[0189] In the above embodiment 3, when an error occurs in one inter-machine card processing machine and another inter-machine card processing machine also experiences an error, the error display content of the inter-machine card processing machine is changed and displayed, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to configure the display to display the estimated time until an employee can respond depending on the content of the error occurring in the other inter-machine card processing machine.

[0190] In the above third embodiment, when an error occurs in one inter-machine card processing machine, the error display content of the inter-machine card processing machine is changed and displayed when an error occurs in another inter-machine card processing machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. If an error occurs in a plurality of other inter-machine card processing machines, the order in which employees are waiting to be dealt with can be displayed.

[0191] [Embodiment 4] Incidentally, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specified device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0192] In a management system in which the release operation of inter-machine card processing machines is performed by remote control, if a release operation is performed by remote control on an inter-machine card processing machine while a certain inter-machine card processing machine is already released, the inter-machine card processing machine can be configured to display an error message.

[0193] In this embodiment 4, a management system is described in which the release operation of an inter-machine card processing machine is performed using a remote control, and when an inter-machine card processing machine is already released and a release operation is performed using the remote control on another inter-machine card processing machine, an error message is displayed on that inter-machine card processing machine.

[0194] <Outline of the management system according to the fourth embodiment> An overview of the management system according to the fourth embodiment will be described below. Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the overview of the management system according to the fourth embodiment.

[0195] As shown in Fig. 16, in the management system according to the fourth embodiment, the inter-machine card processor 400a is unlocked by an unlocking operation on the remote control 410 (S31). At this time, the inter-machine card processor 400a displays "Unlocking."

[0196] When the inter-machine card processor 400a is in an unlocked state, even if an unlock operation is performed on the inter-machine card processor 400b using the remote control 410, this unlock request is not accepted (S32). At this time, the inter-machine card processor 400b displays the message "Cannot unlock because another device is unlocked."

[0197] As described above, in the management system of this embodiment 4, in which the release operation of an inter-machine card processing machine is performed by remote control, if an inter-machine card processing machine is already released and a release operation is performed by remote control on another inter-machine card processing machine, an error message can be displayed on that inter-machine card processing machine.

[0198] In the above embodiment 4, a configuration has been described in which, when a certain inter-machine card processing machine is in a deactivated state, the other inter-machine card processing machines do not accept the deactivation operation, but the present invention is not limited to this. If a certain inter-machine card processing machine is in a deactivated state and another inter-machine card processing machine receives a deactivation operation signal, the deactivation operation cannot be accepted during business hours, but can be accepted after closing time.

[0199] In the above fourth embodiment, a configuration has been described in which, when a certain inter-machine card processing machine is in a deactivated state, the deactivation operation of other inter-machine card processing machines is not accepted, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to configure the configuration so that, when a certain inter-machine card processing machine is in a deactivated state, it is possible to set whether or not to accept the deactivation operation of other inter-machine card processing machines.

[0200] [Embodiment 5] Incidentally, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specified device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0201] In a management system that allows a player to reserve a gaming machine before coming to the store, the system can be configured to release the usage lock of the reserved gaming machine using the card received by the player when he arrives at the store or after a specified time has passed.

[0202] In this embodiment 5, a management system that allows a player to reserve a gaming machine before coming to a store and releases the usage lock of the reserved gaming machine after a predetermined time has passed or a card received by a visiting player is described. Note that in the management system according to this embodiment 5, the reservation status of the gaming machine is managed by reservation management data.

[0203] <Outline of the management system according to the fifth embodiment> An overview of the management system according to the fifth embodiment will be described below. Fig. 17 and Fig. 18 are explanatory diagrams for explaining the overview of the management system according to the fifth embodiment.

[0204] As shown in Fig. 17, in the management system according to the fifth embodiment, a player reserves a gaming machine 20 using a mobile terminal 510 (S41). Then, the inter-machine card processor 500 attached to the reserved gaming machine 20 is locked (S42). At this time, the inter-machine card processor 500 displays "reservation locked".

[0205] As shown in Fig. 18(a), when a customer comes to a store and the ticket vending machine 520 accepts the reservation information, it issues a card (S43). The inter-machine card processing machine 500 accepts the issued card and releases the lock (S44).

[0206] As shown in FIG. 18(b), if a predetermined time has elapsed before the card issued by the ticket vending machine 520 is accepted, the inter-machine card processor 500 releases the lock (S45).

[0207] Next, a description will be given of an example of reservation management data according to the present embodiment 5. Fig. 19 is a diagram showing an example of reservation management data according to the present embodiment 5.

[0208] In the reservation management data shown in FIG. 19, the application ID is "ASDFG", the application-linked hall member ID is "not linked", the ticket vending machine reception status is "completed", the issued card ID is "10001", the reservation machine unit status is "playing", and the remaining time is "-" for the reservation machine number "13", and the application ID is "HJKLF", the application-linked hall member ID is "90001", the ticket vending machine reception status is "completed", the issued card ID is "10001", the reservation machine unit status is "playing", and the remaining time is "-" for the reservation machine number "8". The application ID is "QWERT", the application-linked hall member ID is "not linked", the ticket machine reception status is "completed", the issued card ID is "10002", the reservation unit status is "limited", and the remaining time is "10 minutes".

[0209] In addition, the reservation management data associates the reservation machine number "3" with an app ID of "ZXCVB", an app-linked hall member ID of "90002", a ticket machine reception status of "not yet", an issued card ID of "not issued", a reservation machine unit status of "limited", and a remaining time of "15 minutes", and associates the reservation machine number "5" with an app ID of "YUIOP", an app-linked hall member ID of "not linked", a ticket machine reception status of "not yet", an issued card ID of "not issued", a reservation machine unit status of "time limit released", and a remaining time of "0 minutes".

[0210] As described above, in the management system of this embodiment 5, which allows players to reserve gaming machines before visiting the store, the usage lock of the reserved gaming machine can be released using the card received by the player when he or she visits the store, or after a specified time has passed.

[0211] In the above-mentioned embodiment 5, when a player reserves a gaming machine before coming to the store, the reserved gaming machine is unlocked by using a card issued by a ticket machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. When a gaming machine is reserved using a member ID, the gaming machine can be configured to be unlocked by inserting a member card into a machine-to-machine card processor.

[0212] In the above-mentioned embodiment 5, when a player reserves a gaming machine before coming to the store, the reserved gaming machine is unlocked using a card issued by a ticket vending machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. When issuing a general card from a ticket vending machine, it can be configured to require the deposit of cash. Also, when settling with the card, a certain balance may not be settled.

[0213] In the above-mentioned embodiment 5, when a player reserves a gaming machine before coming to the store, the reserved gaming machine is unlocked by using a card issued by a ticket vending machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. A card that has been processed for depositing money by an inter-machine card processing machine can also be configured to be unusable by other inter-machine card processing machines.

[0214] In the above-mentioned embodiment 5, when a player reserves a gaming machine before coming to the store, the reserved gaming machine is unlocked by using a card issued by a ticket vending machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. When moving a gaming machine, the moving process can be performed by the inter-machine card processing machine during play.

[0215] [Embodiment 6] Incidentally, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specified device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0216] It may also be possible to configure the system so that parking fees are discounted if certain conditions are met, such as multiple customers coming to the store in the same vehicle.

[0217] In the sixth embodiment, a management system will be described that provides a discount on parking fees when a predetermined condition is met, such as when multiple customers come to the facility in the same vehicle.

[0218] <Outline of the management system according to the sixth embodiment> An overview of the management system according to the sixth embodiment will be described below. Fig. 20 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the overview of the management system according to the sixth embodiment.

[0219] As shown in FIG. 20, when a plurality of players register the same parking lot number in the ticket vending machine 600 (S51), the ticket vending machine 600 issues a parking lot discount ticket (S54).

[0220] In addition, when a player plays a machine specified by the store (S52), or when the player plays at a store affiliated with the company that operates the gaming store (S53), a parking discount ticket is similarly issued by the ticket vending machine 600 (S54).

[0221] As described above, in the management system according to the sixth embodiment, a discount on parking fees can be provided when a predetermined condition is met, such as when multiple players come to the facility in the same vehicle.

[0222] In the above-mentioned sixth embodiment, a configuration was described in which the parking fee is discounted at the ticket vending machine when a certain condition is met, such as when multiple players come to the store in the same vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to configure the parking fee to be discounted at the parking lot app, the game store app, or the parking lot payment machine.

[0223] In the above-mentioned embodiment 6, a configuration was described in which a discount on parking fees is given when a game is played at a store affiliated with a company that operates a gaming facility, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to configure the discount on parking fees to vary depending on the visit and gaming record at the affiliated gaming facility. It is also possible to configure the discount on parking fees to vary depending on the visit and gaming record at a restaurant attached to the gaming facility.

[0224] In the above-mentioned embodiment 6, the configuration is described in which the fact that multiple customers have come to the store in the same vehicle is detected by the parking lot number input to the ticket machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. It can also be configured to detect the vehicle number, parking lot number, and number of passengers using images taken by a camera installed in the parking lot.

[0225] In the above-mentioned embodiment 6, the parking fee is discounted when a certain condition is met, such as when multiple customers come to the store in the same vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the discount amount of the parking fee is more than the actual parking fee, the difference can be used the next time the parking lot is used.

[0226] In the above-mentioned embodiment 6, a configuration was described in which the parking fee is discounted when a certain condition is met, such as when multiple gamers come to the store in the same vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to configure the parking fee discount to vary depending on whether the game store is a member or non-member. It is also possible to configure the content of each variation to be set.

[0227] [Embodiment 7] Incidentally, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which operation of a specified device is permitted when the set authority setting location information matches the location information of the employee terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0228] It is also possible to link the facial image of a player to the card and perform facial recognition on the player as he or she leaves the establishment, so that if there is a balance on the card, the player is notified of this.

[0229] In the seventh embodiment, a management system will be described which links a face image of a player with a card and performs face authentication on a player leaving an establishment, thereby notifying the player if there is a balance on the card.

[0230] <Outline of the management system according to the seventh embodiment> An overview of the management system according to the seventh embodiment will be described below. Fig. 21 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the overview of the management system according to the seventh embodiment.

[0231] As shown in FIG. 21, when a card is issued by the ticket vending machine 700, a face image of the player is taken, and this face image is linked to the card (S61).

[0232] A camera 710 installed at the exit of the gaming establishment captures a facial image of a customer leaving the establishment (S62), and if there is a balance on the card linked to the captured facial image, a voice announcement to that effect is made (S63). For example, an announcement is made from a speaker 720 saying, "There is a balance remaining on your card. Please settle the balance."

[0233] As described above, in the management system of this embodiment 7, the facial image of a player is linked to the card, and by performing facial recognition on a player leaving the establishment, it is possible to notify the player if there is a balance on the card.

[0234] In the seventh embodiment, a configuration was described in which, when a player with a credit balance on his / her card is detected leaving the store, a voice notification is given to the effect that the card still has a credit balance, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to delay the opening of the entrance door for a few seconds when a player with a credit balance on his / her card is detected leaving the store, and to notify an employee by intercom or the like that a player with a credit balance on his / her card is leaving the store.

[0235] In the seventh embodiment, a configuration was described in which, when a player with a balance on his / her card leaves the store, a voice notification is given to the effect that the card still has a balance, but the present invention is not limited to this. If a player leaves the store without removing a card with a balance from the card processor between machines, an intercom or other device can be configured to notify an employee that a card with a balance is still remaining. Also, if a player who left his / her card leaves the store and returns to the store, the face image recorded during the previous game is compared to authenticate the player, and the card is returned.

[0236] In the seventh embodiment, a configuration in which a player is authenticated by face authentication has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a player is authenticated by hand vein authentication can also be used. In this case, a gate that automatically opens and closes by vein authentication can be installed at the entrance and exit of the gaming establishment, and a vein authentication device can also be installed in the ticket vending machine.

[0237] In addition, the configurations illustrated in the above embodiments are merely functional schematics, and are not necessarily physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that illustrated, and all or part of the devices can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads, usage conditions, etc. [Industrial Applicability]

[0238] The management system, employee terminal, and authority setting method of the present invention are suitable for efficiently setting authority when a staff member of one amusement facility is dispatched to another amusement facility to deal with an error in an in-store device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0239] 10 Card Processing Machines 11 Status display section 12 Banknote transport section 12a Bill insertion slot 13 Display operation section 14 Reader / Writer 14a Card slot 15 Communications Department 16 Memory section 16a Device status data 16b Card Data 17 Control section 17a Data Management Department 18 Gaming Management Department 18a Authentication processing section 18b Authentication key management unit 18c Gaming Machine Status Management Department 20 Gaming Machines 21 Handle 22 Count button 23 Communication control section 24 Production Control Unit 24a Design drawing lottery section 24b Production Lottery Section 25 Game control unit 26 Game ball control unit 26a Game Ball Count Management Department 30 Island Controller 50 Management device 51 Display section 52 Input section 53 External network communication section 54 Store Network Communication Department 55 Storage section 55a Card management data 55b Equipment Management Data 55c Membership Management Data 55d Permissions data 56 Control Unit 56a Card Management Department 56b Equipment management department 56c Membership Management Department 56d Permission Setting Section 60 Prize Management Device 70 Payment machine 71 Card Reader 72 Display operation section 73 Communications Department 78 Control Unit 78a Payment control unit 78b Management and Administration Department 80 Employee terminals 81 Display operation section 82 GNSS receiver 83 Communications Department 87 Memory section 87a Permissions Data 87b Authority status data 88 Control Unit 88a Authority setting section 88b Location information acquisition section 88c Authorization decision unit 88d Authority Exercise Division 200 card processing machines 210 Management device 220 Income 230 Control Terminal 300, 300a, 300b Inter-machine card processing machine 400, 400a, 400b Inter-machine card processing machine 410 Remote Control 500 card processing machines 510 Mobile Terminals 520 Ticket Machine 600 Ticket Machine 700 Ticket Machine 710 Camera 720 Speaker

Claims

1. A management system for managing the operation authority of in-store devices installed in a gaming establishment by an employee terminal carried by an employee of the gaming establishment, The employee terminal includes: a storage means for storing authority setting information indicating whether the employee has the authority to operate the in-store device; a notification means for notifying the in-store device of the authority setting information stored in the storage means; Equipped with The in-store equipment includes: an operation permission means for permitting operation of the in-store device when authority setting information indicating that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store device is received from the employee terminal; A management system comprising:

2. The employee terminal includes: A location information acquisition means for acquiring location information of the own device; The management system described in claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a setting means for setting authority setting information indicating that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store equipment when the location information acquired by the location information acquisition means corresponds to the location information of the gaming establishment.

3. The employee terminal includes: The management system described in claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a setting means for setting authority setting information indicating that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store equipment when subscribing to the wireless LAN provided by the gaming establishment.

4. The employee terminal includes:

2. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit for setting authority setting information inputted from a predetermined operation unit.

5. The employee terminal includes: The management system described in claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a setting means for setting authority setting information indicating that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store device when a notification of information indicating that the employee is being granted the authority to operate the in-store device is received from a terminal device held by a person having the authority to operate the in-store device.

6. The setting means is 6. The management system according to claim 5, wherein, when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the authority setting information was set, the authority setting information is changed to indicate that the employee does not have the authority to operate the in-store devices.

7. The setting means is The management system described in any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that authority setting information is set to indicate that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store device, provided that the transaction amount during a specified period in the past using the in-store device is less than or equal to a specified amount.

8. An employee terminal carried by an employee of an amusement facility, a storage means for storing authority setting information indicating whether the employee has the authority to operate the in-store device; a notification means for notifying the in-store device of the authority setting information stored in the storage means in order to permit the operation of the in-store device; An employee terminal comprising:

9. A method for setting authority in a management system for managing operation authority of in-store devices installed in a gaming establishment by an employee terminal carried by an employee of the gaming establishment, comprising: a storage step of storing authority setting information in a storage unit, the authority setting information indicating whether the employee has the authority to operate the in-store device by the employee terminal; a notification step of the employee terminal notifying the in-store device of the authority setting information stored in the storage unit; an operation permission step of permitting the operation of the in-store device when the in-store device receives, from the employee terminal, authority setting information indicating that the employee has the authority to operate the in-store device; 23. An authority setting method comprising:

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