Control system for claw machine

Abstract

To provide a control system for a claw machine capable of adjusting the game difficulty to stimulate a player's sense of fortune and, at the same time, securing the revenue for a game provider.SOLUTION: A control system for a claw machine comprises: a restriction plate 2 which is fixed to the lower side of an upper support unit 122 and has an inclined abutment surface that is oblique and not perpendicular to the vertical direction; a position sensor 3 configured to detect a relative position between a catcher holding part 121 and the inclined abutment surface of the restriction plate 2, and to output corresponding position information; and a processor configured to, based on the position information, output a forced winding command to a wire control motor to wind a control wire 129 by a predetermined distance and, after a predetermined time therefrom, output a release command to an arm control module to loosen output of a catcher arm unit 124.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a crane game machine, and more particularly to a control system for a crane game machine.

Background Art

[0002] FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional crane game machine described in Patent Document 1. As shown in the figure, such a crane game machine (or a UFO catcher (registered trademark), a prize game machine) has a plurality of prizes installed in the housing, and a crane having a catcher arm and movable is provided above the housing. The player controls the horizontal movement of the crane using, for example, a joystick or buttons, and determines the timing to lower the catcher arm, and catches a prize with the descending catcher arm, moves to the prize outlet, releases the catcher arm, and provides a game in which the player obtains the prize from the prize outlet if the prize has been caught.

[0003] Regarding such a crane game machine, since it is a challenge for the player to insert a coin to obtain the right to play and obtain a prize, it is necessary to balance between the prize acquisition rate on the player side and the profit on the side providing the crane game machine. Therefore, it is necessary to set / adjust the difficulty level of the game that affects the prize acquisition rate of the crane game machine.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a control system for a crane game machine that can adjust the difficulty level of a game to provide a thrilling playing experience to players, stimulate the gambling spirit, and secure the profit of the game provider.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention is A control system for a crane game machine that controls a crane game machine having a housing surrounding a play space and catcher means disposed in the play space, The catcher means of the crane game machine is An upper support unit that is movably disposed in the play space and is configured such that the upper end portion of the control wire can be attached so as to wind up and accommodate the control wire, A wire control motor that is connected to the upper support unit and controls winding and unwinding of the control wire, A catcher holding portion attached to the lower end portion of the control wire so as to hang down from the upper support unit, A catcher arm unit attached to the catcher holding portion, An arm control module disposed in the catcher holding portion so as to be able to drive the catcher arm unit, and is configured to have The control system of the crane game machine is A limiting plate that is fixed to the lower side of the upper support unit so as to be interposed between the upper support unit and the catcher holding portion and has an inclined contact surface that is not orthogonal to the vertical direction and is inclined, A position sensor disposed in the upper support unit that detects the relative position between the catcher holding portion and the inclined contact surface of the limiting plate and outputs corresponding position information, A control interface that is data-connected to the catcher means and outputs a control command for controlling the wire control motor and the arm control module to the catcher means, A processor configured to be able to output a release command to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit to the arm control module after a predetermined time from outputting a forced winding command to the wire control motor to wind up the control wire by a predetermined distance by making a data connection to the catcher means and the control interface and based on the position information. A control system for a crane game machine characterized by comprising:

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] The control system of the crane game machine of the present invention controls the control wire with a forced winding command to bring the catcher holding part into contact with the inclined contact surface of the restriction plate fixed to the upper support unit, causing the catcher holding part and the catcher arm unit to swing horizontally in an instant, and at this moment, by outputting a release command to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit, the possibility that the prize caught by the catcher arm unit is shaken off is increased, so the difficulty level of the game is increased to stimulate the player's gambling mentality, allowing the player to enjoy the game, and at the same time, ensuring the profit of the side installing the crane game machine.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] One embodiment of the control system of the crane game machine of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. In the crane game machine 1 shown in the figure, the same embodiment of the control system of the crane game machine of the present invention is applied, and it has a housing 11 surrounding the play space 110 and a catcher means 12 arranged in the play space 110.

[0010] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the catcher means 12 of this crane game machine 1 is arranged to be horizontally movable in the play space 110, and an upper support unit 122 is configured such that the upper end portion of the control wire 129 can be wound up and accommodated by winding up the control wire 129. A wire control motor 123 that is connected to the upper support unit 122 and controls the winding and unwinding of the control wire 129, a catcher holding portion 121 attached to the lower end portion of the control wire 129 so as to be suspended from the upper support unit 122, a catcher arm unit 124 attached to the catcher holding portion 121, and an arm control module 125 arranged in the catcher holding portion 121 so as to be able to drive the catcher arm unit 124 are basically configured.

[0011] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 again, the catcher holding portion 121 of the catcher means 12 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A reel for winding and accommodating the control wire 129 is disposed in the upper support unit 122. By controlling this reel, the wire control motor 123 can control the up-and-down movement of the control wire 129 and the catcher holding portion 121 suspended at the lower end of the control wire 129.

[0012] The catcher arm unit 124 is held by the catcher holding portion 121 and can be driven by an arm control module 125 built in the catcher holding portion 121 to grasp or release a prize. In this embodiment, for example, an electromagnetic linear motor can be used as the arm control module 125.

[0013] Since the crane game machine having the above configuration is a prior art, detailed descriptions of the above members and configurations other than the above members are omitted.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the control system of the crane game machine of the present invention includes a restriction plate 2, a position sensor 3, a control interface 4, and a processor 5.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 4, the restriction plate 2 is made of, for example, a metal material and formed into a curved plate shape. It is fixed to the lower side of the upper support unit 122 so as to be interposed between the upper support unit 122 of the catcher means 12 and the catcher holding portion 121 using conventional fixing means such as screws. It has an inclined contact surface 21 that is not perpendicular to the vertical direction but is inclined and faces the catcher means 12 side.

[0016] With this configuration, when the catcher holding part 121 suspended from the control wire 129 rises and contacts the inclined contact surface 21 of the limiting plate 2, according to the inclination angle of the inclined contact surface 21, it will be in a posture that swings horizontally for a moment together with the catcher arm unit 124, and it is possible to prevent the catcher holding part 121 from directly hitting the upper support unit 122.

[0017] The position sensor 3 is arranged on the upper support unit 122 of the catcher means 12, detects the relative position between the catcher holding part 121 and the inclined contact surface 21 of the limiting plate 2, and outputs corresponding position information. As the position sensor 3, it is preferably arranged at a position adjacent to the inclined contact surface 21 of the limiting plate 2, and when the control wire 129 is wound up by the wire control motor 123 and the catcher holding part 121 rises, it can detect that the catcher holding part 121 approaches the inclined contact surface 21 and output corresponding position information.

[0018] Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the control interface 4 is operated by the player, includes, for example, a joystick and buttons, can horizontally move the upper support unit 122 according to the operation by the player, or receive an instruction from the player to lower the catcher holding part 121 to grab the prize. The control interface 4 is data-connected to the catcher means 12, and outputs an instruction from the player for the wire control motor 123 and the arm control module 125 as a control command to the catcher means 12 and the processor 5.

[0019] The processor 5 is data-connected to the catcher means 12 and the control interface 4, and after outputting a forced winding command to wind up the control wire 129 by a predetermined distance to the wire control motor 123 according to the position information from the position sensor 3, it is configured to be able to output a release command to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit 124 to the arm control module 125 after a predetermined time.

[0020] Specifically, the processor 5 can be composed of a CPU that executes a pre-created program. In this embodiment of the present invention, it is configured to include three functions: a timing control unit 51 that makes a data connection to the control interface 4 and the catcher means 12, an output control unit 52 that makes a data connection to the arm control module 125, and a time determination unit 53 that makes a data connection to the timing control unit 51 and the output control unit 52 to determine the time parameters of a specific command. Regarding the timing control unit 51, the output control unit 52, and the time determination unit 53 in the processor 5, each exhibits a specific function. Specifically, for example, they can be implemented as different algorithms / processing processes in the program executed by the processor 5, so there is no need for them to exist as physically different components.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, in the process of the catcher arm unit 124 catching a prize and rising as the wire control motor 123 winds up the control wire 129 together with the catcher holding part 121, when the position sensor 3 receives position information indicating that the catcher holding part 121 has approached the inclined contact surface 21 of the limit plate 2, the processor 5 outputs a forced winding command to the wire control motor 123 to wind up the control wire 129 by a further predetermined length / distance based on this position information. Due to the operation of the wire control motor 123 in response to this command, the catcher holding part 121 further rises and abuts against the inclined contact surface 21 of the limit plate 2, causing the catcher arm unit 124 to momentarily sway horizontally according to the inclination angle of the inclined contact surface 21. Then, considering the speed at which the wire control motor 123 winds up the control wire 129, a release command is output to the arm control module 125 to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit 124 after a predetermined time from when the forced winding command is output to the wire control motor 123. That is, by predicting the moment when the catcher holding part 121 abuts against the inclined contact surface 21 of the limit plate 2 and outputting a release command to the arm control module 125 to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit 124 at that moment, the effect of shaking off the prize held by the catcher arm unit 124 can be exerted.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, since the inclined contact surface 21 of the limit plate 2 is inclined and not perpendicular to the vertical direction, there is a lowest point 211 located at the lowest position in the vertical direction. After outputting the release command, the processor 5 outputs a reset command to the wire control motor 123 to prevent the upper end surface of the catcher holding part 121 attached to the lower end of the control wire 129 from being above the lowest point 211 of the inclined contact surface 21. This enables the catcher holding part 121 to release the state of abutting against the inclined contact surface 21 of the limit plate 2 and facing sideways, preventing it from interfering with the player's subsequent operations.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 3, after receiving a control command from the player via the control interface 4, the timing control unit 51 outputs a delay command to the catcher means 12 so that the catcher arm unit 124 performs a grasping operation expected by the player after a predetermined delay time has elapsed. The length of the delay time is determined by the time determination unit 53 and can be determined randomly within a range of, for example, 0.1 to 0.5 seconds, or can be determined according to preset parameters. When determined randomly, the interval from when the player operates the control interface 4 until the catcher arm unit 124 actually starts the operation of grasping the prize, in other words, the timing of grasping the product, is random, and thus the difficulty level of the game can also be adjusted accordingly.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 3, when the arm control module 125 controls the catcher arm unit 124, the output control unit 52 can freely control from the processor 5 side the strength of the grasping force output to the prize of the catcher arm unit 124, that is, the force adjustment when the catcher arm unit 124 performs a catch. By outputting an output adjustment command from the output control unit 52 to the arm control module 125, it can be set to a grasping force according to the form of the prize.

[0025] Specifically, the output adjustment command can have a first stage of adjusting the force adjustment of the catcher arm unit 124 to a first output and a second stage of adjusting the force adjustment of the catcher arm unit 124 to a second output greater than the first output. In response to the output adjustment command, the catcher arm unit 124 will operate for a predetermined time in the first stage and then be switched to the second stage. The time for which the first stage continues can be configured to be determined by the time determination unit 53 of the processor 5.

[0026] Also, as shown in FIGS. 10, 3, and 8, as an example of the change in the processor 5, for example, the output adjustment command adjusts the force control of the catcher arm unit 124 to an instantaneous output greater than the first output before the first stage, that is, the catcher arm unit 124 can have an initial stage of catching the prize with the instantaneous output. As a result, when the player operates the control interface 4, the prize can be caught at least temporarily with an instantaneous output greater than the first output, so that not only can the excitement of winning be further stimulated, but also the player's demand to make skillful operations can be satisfied.

[0027] As described above, the control system of the crane game machine of the present invention controls the control wire 129 with a forced winding command to bring the catcher holding part 121 into contact with the inclined contact surface 21 of the limiting plate 2 fixed to the upper support unit 122, causing the catcher holding part 121 and the catcher arm unit 124 to swing horizontally in an instant, and at the same time, outputting a release command to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit 124 at this moment, increasing the possibility that the prize caught by the catcher arm unit 124 will be shaken off. Furthermore, by shifting the timing when the player catches the prize or changing the output of the catcher arm that catches the prize, the difficulty of the game can be increased to stimulate the player's excitement of winning, allowing the player to enjoy the game, and ensuring the profit of the side installing the crane game machine. Therefore, the object of the present invention can be surely achieved.

[0028] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0029] 1 Crane game machine 11 Housing 110 Play space 12 Catcher means 121 Catcher holding part 122 Upper support unit 123 Wire control motor 124 Catcher arm unit 125 Arm control module 129 Control wire 2 Limit plate 21 Inclined contact surface 211 Lowest point 3 Position sensor 4 Control interface 5 Processor 51 Timing control unit 52 Output control unit 53 Time determination unit

Claims

1. A control system for a crane game machine that controls a crane game machine having a housing that surrounds a play space and a catcher means that is disposed within the play space, comprising: The catcher means of the crane game machine is An upper support unit that is movably disposed within the play space and is configured to have an upper end portion of the control wire attached thereto so that the control wire can be wound and stored; a wire control motor connected to the upper support unit and controlling the winding and releasing of the control wire; a catcher holder attached to a lower end of the control wire so as to be suspended from the upper support unit; A catcher arm unit attached to the catcher holding portion; an arm control module disposed in the catcher holding portion so as to drive the catcher arm unit, The control system of the crane game machine includes: a limiting plate that is fixed to the lower side of the upper support unit so as to be interposed between the upper support unit and the catcher holding portion, and has an inclined abutment surface that is not perpendicular to the up-down direction but is inclined; a position sensor disposed in the upper support unit, the position sensor detecting a relative position between the catcher holding portion and the inclined contact surface of the limiting plate and outputting corresponding position information; a control interface data-connected to said catcher means and configured to output control commands to said catcher means for controlling said wire control motor and said arm control module; a processor that is data-connected to the catcher means and the control interface, and is configured to output a release command to the arm control module to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit a predetermined time after outputting a forced winding command to the wire control motor to wind the control wire a predetermined distance based on the position information.

2. The inclined abutment surface of the limiting plate is inclined and not perpendicular to the vertical direction, and therefore has a lowest point located at the lowest position in the vertical direction, The crane game machine control system of claim 1, wherein after outputting the release command, the processor outputs a reset command to the wire control motor to prevent the upper end surface of the catcher holding portion attached to the lower end of the control wire from being positioned above the lowest point of the inclined abutment surface.

3. 3. The crane game machine control system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the processor has a timing control unit that is data-connected to the control interface and the catcher means and outputs a delay command to the catcher means so as to operate the catcher arm unit after a predetermined delay time has elapsed after the control interface outputs the control command.

4. The crane game control system according to claim 3 , wherein the processor further comprises a time determination unit that determines the delay time.

5. The crane game machine control system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the processor further has an output control unit that is data-connected to the arm control module and outputs an output adjustment command to the arm control module that controls the amount of force used by the catcher arm unit when catching a ball.

6. The crane game machine control system of claim 5, wherein the output adjustment command output by the output control unit has a first stage of adjusting the force of the catcher arm unit to a first output, and a second stage of adjusting the force of the catcher arm unit to a second output greater than the first output.

7. The crane game machine control system according to claim 6, wherein the output adjustment command further includes an initial stage for adjusting the force of the catcher arm unit to an instantaneous output greater than the first output prior to the first stage.

8. The crane game machine control system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor further comprises a time determination unit that determines a length of the first stage.

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