Game machine

Abstract

To provide a game machine with improved management and maintenance functions.SOLUTION: A game machine has a game state in which a game can be executed and an inspection state in which inspection can be executed, and includes memory means and control means. In the game state, the control means executes a game using information stored in an area (in-use area) within a usage area of the memory means. In the inspection state, the control means executes inspections using information stored in an area outside the usage area of the memory means which is not the in-use area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to gaming machines such as slot machines (slot machines) and pachinko machines (pinball gaming machines). [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, slot machines are known as one type of gaming machine. In such slot machines, notifications of operation modes and presentations are given according to the progress of the game, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of the game (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] There are also gaming machines that allow players to set and display items related to the gaming machine, and that allow gaming store staff (managers) to maintain, manage, and set the gaming machine (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Such gaming machines not only allow for expanded presentations, but also have expanded management and maintenance functions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-73461 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-195681 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, there is still room for improvement in the management and maintenance functions of gaming machines.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a gaming machine with improved management and maintenance functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the gaming machine according to the present invention has, as one aspect thereof, A gaming state in which a game can be played; an inspection state in which an inspection can be performed; a storage means; A gaming machine equipped with a control means, The storage means is a means including an area (hereinafter referred to as an in-use area) in which information for executing a game control process that controls the progress of a game is arranged, The storage means is a means including an area (hereinafter referred to as an out-of-use area) that is separate from the in-use area and in which information for executing processing other than the game control processing is arranged, the control means is means for executing a game in the gaming state according to information arranged in the in-use area; the control means is means that is arranged in the unused area and executes an inspection based on information in the inspection state; It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gaming machine with improved management and maintenance functions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of a control unit of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing in detail the structure of the ROM and RAM of the main control unit of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is a data list relating to an inspection mode of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a temporary data list relating to the inspection mode of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]10 is a list of commands related to the inspection mode of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] (a) is a diagram showing the arrangement of symbols on each reel of a slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, expanded in a plane, and (b) is a diagram showing the types of winning roles, symbol combinations, and payouts / operations of a slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a state transition diagram of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of main processing by a main control unit of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a main control unit timer interrupt process of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the flow of the first sub-control unit main processing, first sub-control unit command reception interrupt processing, and first sub-control unit timer interrupt processing of a slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart showing the flow of the second sub-control unit main processing, second sub-control unit command reception interrupt processing, second sub-control unit timer interrupt processing, and second sub-control unit image control processing of a slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the main control initial setting process in step S101 of FIG. 9. [Figure 14] 14 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the setting value change process in step S1011 of FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 14 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the out-of-area processing at power-on in step S1003 of FIG. 13. [Figure 16] 14 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the inspection mode start determination process in step S1005 of FIG. 13. [Figure 17] 17 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the inspection mode start process in step S1303 of FIG. 16. [Figure 18]18 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the inspection mode execution process in step S1305 in FIG. 16 and step S1404 in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] 19 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the initial setting process at the start of the inspection mode in step S1501 of FIG. 18. [Figure 20] 19 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of port-related processing in step S1502 of FIG. 18. [Figure 21] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating menu transitions on an inspection screen of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an inspection screen of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating input inspection for a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the flow of a main control output inspection of a slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] 19 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the inspection mode ending process in step S1511 of FIG. 18. [Figure 26] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the role ratio monitor of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a modified example of the main control unit initial setting process of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a modified example of the inspection mode start determination process of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the flow of inspection in the inspection mode of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 30] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a slot machine 100 as seen from the front side (player side). [Figure 31] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a pay line of the slot machine 100. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a front view of the status display LED 280. [Figure 33]10 is an exploded perspective view showing the components constituting the status display LED 280. FIG. [Figure 34] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the status indicator LED 280, including the thermal caulking portion 284d of the reflector 284. FIG. [Figure 35] 10(a) is a cross-sectional view of a status indicator LED 750 according to Modification 1. FIG. 10(b) is a bottom view of the status indicator LED as seen from the direction indicated by the symbol A in FIG. 10(a). FIG. 10(c) is a cross-sectional view of a status indicator LED 760 according to Modification 2. [Figure 36] 1A is a front view showing the slot machine 100 with the front door 102 open, and FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view of the slot machine 100. [Figure 37] (a) is a front view of the reel backlight 264. (b) is a side view of the reel backlight 264. (c) is an external perspective view of the reel backlight 264, with the components constituting the reel backlight 264 disassembled and viewed from the front. [Figure 38] 10(a) is a front view of the LED board 288 of the status display LED 280. FIG. 10(b) is a front view of the illumination board 268 of the reel backlight 264. FIG. [Figure 39] 1 is a circuit block diagram of a control unit. [Figure 40] 10(a) is a plan view of the main control board 600 before the identification board 610 is separated, and FIG. 10(b) is a plan view of the main control board 600 after the identification board 610 is separated. [Figure 41] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the sub-control board 650. [Figure 42] 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the main board storage case 640 and the main control board 600. FIG. [Figure 43] (a) A plan view of the main board housing case 640 housing the main control board 600, as seen from the board housing body 642 side. (b) A cross-sectional view taken along line AA in (a). (c) A cross-sectional view showing the structure of a conventional board corresponding to (b). [Figure 44] 10(a) and 10(b) are plan views of a main control board 670 according to a first modification. [Figure 45]10(a) is a plan view of a main control board 690 according to Modification 2. FIG. 10(b) is a plan view of a main control board 696 according to Modification 3. FIG. [Figure 46] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a main control board 700 according to a fourth modification. [Figure 47] 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a main board storage case 740 and a main control board 700. FIG. [Figure 48] 1A is a plan view of the main board housing case 740 housing the main control board 700, seen from the lid 744 side. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of a main board housing case 840 according to a modified example. [Figure 49] (a-1) A plan view of the main board storage case 740 housing the main control board 700, as seen from the lid 744 side, showing the line of sight of an operator in a first direction. (a-2) A cross-sectional view along line BB in (a-1), showing the components 706 mounted on the component surface 702a of the main control board 700 as viewed from a first direction on the board housing body 742 side. (b-1) A plan view of the main board storage case 740 housing the main control board 700, as seen from the lid 744 side, showing the line of sight of an operator in a second direction. (b-2) A cross-sectional view along line CC in (b-1), showing the components 706 mounted on the component surface 702a of the main control board 700 as viewed from a second direction on the board housing body 742 side. [Figure 50] 49(a-2) and shows the range in which components 706 of main control board 700 are visible from a first direction on the side of board housing 742. (b) FIG. 49(b-2) and shows the range in which components 706 of main control board 700 are visible from a second direction on the side of board housing 742. [Figure 51] 10(a) is a rear view showing the rear surface of the front door 102. FIG. 10(b) is a partially enlarged view showing the main board storage case 740 extracted from FIG. [Figure 52] 7A is a plan view of the substrate 700 according to this example, seen from the side of the power supply layer 710. FIG. 7B is a partial cross-sectional view of the substrate 700 taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 53] (a) is a terminal layout diagram of the LED driver IC 714. (b) is a terminal layout diagram of the motor driver IC 716. [Figure 54] 7A is a pattern diagram showing an example of a power supply wiring pattern in a power supply layer 710 of a substrate 700. FIG. 7B is a pattern diagram showing a GND wiring pattern 706a in a GND layer 706 of the substrate 700. FIG. [Figure 55] 54(a) is a partially enlarged view of the power supply layer 710, showing an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the symbol A in Fig. 54(a). (b) is a partially enlarged view of the GND layer 706, showing an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the symbol B in Fig. 54(b). (c) is a pattern diagram showing the power supply layer 710 shown in (a) and the GND layer 706 shown in (b) superimposed on each other. [Figure 56] (a) A plan view showing the positional relationship between the pattern cutout 706b of the GND layer 706 and the LED driver IC 714 and motor driver 716 mounted on the power supply layer 710. (b) A cross-sectional view taken along line YY of the LED driver 714 shown enlarged in (a). (c) A cross-sectional view taken along line ZZ of the motor driver 716 shown enlarged in (a). [Figure 57] 1A is a conceptual diagram showing the problems with the circuit board of a conventional gaming machine, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the concept of the circuit board of the present invention. [Figure 58] (a) A plan view showing the non-overlapping area NOE and the assumed maximum area CE of the carbonized conductive path according to Example 1. (b) A cross-sectional view taken along line AA in (a). (c) A plan view showing an example in which the non-overlapping area NOE of the substrate 700 does not include the assumed maximum area CE of the carbonized conductive path. (d) and (d') Cross-sectional views taken along line BB in (c). [Figure 59] (a) is a plan view showing a non-overlapping region NOE2 according to Example 2. (b) is a plan view showing a non-overlapping region NOE3 according to Example 3. (c) is a plan view showing a non-overlapping region NOE4 according to Example 4. [Figure 60] 10(a) is a plan view showing a non-overlapping area NOE5 according to Example 5. FIG. 10(b) is a plan view showing an example in which the pattern of the power supply wiring line in FIG. [Figure 61] This is a diagram showing the arrangement of symbols on each reel (left reel 110, center reel 111, right reel 112) in a flat layout. [Figure 62] This is a diagram showing the types of winning roles, the names of the condition devices, the symbol combinations corresponding to each winning role, the number of payouts, and notes. [Figure 63] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of main processing by a main control unit. [Figure 64] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a main control unit timer interrupt process. [Figure 65] (a) A flowchart of the main processing executed by the CPU 404 of the first sub-control unit 400. (b) A flowchart of the command reception interrupt processing of the first sub-control unit 400. (c) A flowchart of the timer interrupt processing of the first sub-control unit 400. [Figure 66] (a) A flowchart of the main processing executed by the CPU 504 of the second sub-control unit 500. (b) A flowchart of the command reception interrupt processing of the second sub-control unit 500. (c) A flowchart of the timer interrupt processing of the second sub-control unit 500. (d) A flowchart of the image control processing of the second sub-control unit 500. [Figure 67] (a) A diagram showing an example of the lottery value of the internal winning combination of the slot machine 100. (b) A table showing the display mode and payout number for each operation content of the common bell and push order combination among the internal winning combinations. [Figure 68] 10 is a diagram showing winning combination data stored in the ROM 306 of the main control unit 300. FIG. [Figure 69] (a) A flowchart of the advantageous zone transition processing executed by the CPU 304 of the main control unit 300. (b) A flowchart corresponding to the advantageous zone transition processing program shown in (c). (c) An example of an advantageous zone transition processing program. (d) Another example of an advantageous zone transition processing program. [Figure 70](a) is a flowchart of the instruction monitor setting process executed by the CPU 304 of the main control unit 300. (b) is a flowchart corresponding to the program of the instruction monitor setting process shown in (c). (c) is an example of the program of the instruction monitor setting process. [Figure 71] 10A is a flowchart of an instruction monitor setting process according to Modification 1. FIG. 10B is an example of a program for the instruction monitor setting process according to Modification 1. FIG. [Figure 72] 69(a) and 69(b) are diagrams showing another example of the winning combination data shown in FIG. 68. [Figure 73] 45(a) is a diagram showing another example of the winning combination data shown in Fig. 68. FIG. 45(b) is a diagram showing changes in register values in the instruction monitor setting process shown in Fig. 45(a). [Figure 74] 10(a) is a flowchart of an instruction monitor setting process according to Modification 2. FIG. 10(b) is an example of a program for the instruction monitor setting process according to Modification 2. FIG. [Figure 75] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a slot machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 76] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a slot machine according to a second embodiment. [Figure 77] FIG. 11 is an external view of a part of a front door 1102 of the medalless slot machine, seen from the front side (player side). [Figure 78] (a) An exploded oblique view showing the components that make up the lower tray 1200. (b) A partially enlarged view from above of the locking claw 1208b2 of the lower tray base 1202. (c) A cross-sectional view showing the cross-section of the bottom surface 1208a and rear wall 1208b of the lower tray cover 1208. [Figure 79] 10(a) is a perspective view of the certificate stamp attachment unit 1250 as seen from the front, and FIG. 10(b) is a perspective view of the certificate stamp attachment unit 1250 as seen from the rear. [Figure 80] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the lower part of the front door 1102 as seen from behind. [Figure 81]1A is an external perspective view and a schematic diagram showing the state before the certificate stamp attachment unit 1250 is attached to the front door 1102. FIG. 1B is an external perspective view and a schematic diagram showing the state after the certificate stamp attachment unit 1250 has been attached to the front door 1101. [Figure 82] 13A is a front view showing a part of a door relay board 1300 of a medalless slot machine, and FIG. 13B is a partially enlarged view showing the periphery of a clear switch 1304 and a reset switch 1306 in the door relay board 1300. [Figure 83] 82(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in Fig. 82(a), (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in Fig. 82(a), and (c) is a diagram showing a modified example of the "protrusion" according to the present invention. [Figure 84] FIG. 13 is a plan view schematically showing the door relay board 1300. [Figure 85] 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of an enclosed gaming machine 100 as seen from the front side (player side). [Figure 86] 1 is a circuit block diagram of a control unit. [Figure 87] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the connection relationship between each (control) board constituting the main control unit 300, sub-control unit 400, frame control unit 600, and launch control unit 630, and the display device, movable body, etc. [Figure 88] This is a circuit diagram showing an extract of the main control board connector of the main control board 301. [Figure 89] 10 is a circuit diagram showing an excerpt of a panel frame main relay board first connector RCN1 and a panel frame main relay board second connector RCN2 of a panel frame main relay board 203. FIG. [Figure 90] 1A is a diagram showing an excerpt of a portion of the wiring pattern on the surface of the first layer of main control board 301. FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an excerpt of a portion of the wiring pattern on the back surface of the second layer of main control board 301. [Figure 91] 9 is a circuit diagram showing the boards and electronic components connected to the handle relay board 901. FIG. [Figure 92] This is a circuit diagram showing the boards and electronic components connected to a handle relay board 901p for a pachinko machine. [Figure 93] 10 is a circuit diagram showing the connection relationship of the handle relay board connector of the handle relay board 901. FIG. [Figure 94] This is a circuit diagram showing the connection relationship of the handle relay board connectors of the handle relay board 901p for a pachinko machine. [Figure 95] (a) is a plan view showing an example of a handle relay board 901 with handle relay board connectors and components mounted thereon, (b) is a diagram showing an example of a terminal arrangement of a handle relay board first connector HCN1, (c) is a diagram showing an example of a terminal arrangement of a handle relay board second connector HCN2, and (d) is a diagram showing an example of a terminal arrangement of a handle relay board fourth connector HCN4. [Figure 96] (a) is a plan view showing an example of a handle relay board 901p for a pachinko machine with handle relay board connectors and components mounted thereon; (b) is a diagram showing an example of a terminal arrangement of a handle relay board first connector HCN1 of the handle relay board 901p; (c) is a diagram showing an example of a terminal arrangement of a handle relay board second connector HCN2 of the handle relay board 901p; and (d) is a diagram showing an example of a terminal arrangement of a handle relay board fourth connector HCN4 of the handle relay board 901p. [Figure 97] 9 is a plan view showing the wiring pattern on the component surface 910a of the handle relay board 901. FIG. [Figure 98] 9 is a plan view showing only the wiring pattern on the solder surface 910b of the handle relay board 901 from the component surface 910a side. [Figure 99] 9 is a plan view showing both the wiring patterns on the component surface 910a and the solder surface 910b of the handle relay board 901. FIG. [Figure 100] 9 is a plan view showing the wiring pattern on the solder surface 910b of the handle relay board 901. FIG. [Figure 101] 9 is a plan view showing connectors and position indications of the handle relay board 901. FIG. [Figure 102] 9 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the connectors and position indicators of the handle relay board 901. FIG. [Figure 103]FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of a frame control board 601 on which components are mounted. [Figure 104] This is a circuit diagram showing the switches and frame control board connectors mounted on the frame control board 601. [Figure 105] 9 is a plan view showing the wiring pattern on the component surface 920a of the frame control board 601. FIG. [Figure 106] 9 is a plan view showing the wiring pattern on the solder surface 920b of the frame control board 601. FIG. [Figure 107] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a slot machine 100 as seen from the front side (player side). [Figure 108] 10 is a diagram showing the types of winning combinations (including activated combinations), the symbol combinations corresponding to each winning combination, and the payouts for each winning combination. [Figure 109] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the LED unit 120 as seen from the front side. [Figure 110] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the LED unit 120. [Figure 111] 10 is a photograph taken from the front of the right end portion of the LED unit 120 with the display sticker 121 removed. [Figure 112] 1A is a perspective view of the rear side of the LED unit 120, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the positional relationship of each component when the LED unit 120 is viewed from above. [Figure 113] 112 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a character string irradiation space 122LA shown in FIGS. 110 and 111. FIG. [Figure 114] 112 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the segment irradiation space 122LB shown in FIGS. 110 and 111. FIG. [Figure 115] 10(a) is a photograph of the reflector 122 taken from the rear side when the LED board 123 is not housed, and FIG. 10(b) is a photograph of the LED board 123 taken from the rear side. [Figure 116] 10(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an LED substrate 123 is fixed to a reflector 122, and FIG. 10(b) is a view showing a modified example of the shape of the head of the caulking pin 122SP shown in FIG. [Figure 117](a) is a diagram showing the front surface of the LED substrate 123 (the surface that faces the front of the LED unit 120), and (b) is a diagram showing the back surface of the LED substrate 123 (the surface that faces the rear of the LED unit 120). [Figure 118] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the circuit of an LED element 1231. [Figure 119] 10 is a diagram showing the positions of caulking holes and connectors on the back surface of the LED substrate 123 (the surface facing the back surface of the LED unit 120). FIG. [Figure 120] 10(a) is a diagram showing a modified example of the LED substrate, and FIG. 10(b) is an enlarged view showing the installation state of the connector 224 in FIG. [Figure 121] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which an LED substrate 123 is fixed to a reflector 122. FIG. [Figure 122] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which an LED substrate 123 equipped with a cover 123CV for protecting the back side of the substrate is fixed to a reflector 122. FIG. [Figure 123] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the slot machine 100 as seen from the side. [Figure 124] This is a view of the pachinko machine 1000 from the front side (player side). [Figure 125] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 126] 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the display area of the symbol display window and the pay line of the slot machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 127] FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of a control unit of the slot machine according to the present embodiment. [Figure 128] (a) is a diagram showing the arrangement of the symbols on each reel of the slot machine according to this embodiment, with a surface expansion, and a diagram showing the relationship between the symbol number counter and the symbol interval counter, and (b) is a diagram showing the types of winning roles (including activated roles), the symbol combinations corresponding to each winning role, and the activation or payout of each winning role. [Figure 129] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the appearance of a reel rotation device of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 130]1 is an exploded perspective view of a reel drive unit that constitutes a reel rotation device of the slot machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 131] 2A and 2B are a schematic side view and a schematic front view showing the assembled state of the reel drive unit of the slot machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 132] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a stepping motor used in the reels of the slot machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 133] FIG. 133 is a diagram showing the arrangement of magnetic poles of the stator of the stepping motor shown in FIG. [Figure 134] 4 is a table showing the contents of an excitation table for exciting the stepping motor according to the present embodiment. [Figure 135] 4 is a table showing the contents of a rotation control table according to the present embodiment. [Figure 136] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of main processing of the main control unit of the slot machine according to the present embodiment. [Figure 137] 137 is a flowchart showing the flow of pseudo-game related processing in step S128 shown in FIG. [Figure 138] 137. A flowchart showing the process of starting reel rotation in a pseudo game in step S1282 shown in FIG. [Figure 139] 137. FIG. 138 is a flowchart showing the process of controlling the stop of reels in the pseudo game in step S1283 shown in FIG. [Figure 140] A flowchart showing the flow of the pseudo-next game start processing in step S1284 shown in Figure 137. [Figure 141] 137 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the reel rotation start process in step S105 shown in FIG. [Figure 142] 142 is a flowchart showing the process flow of starting random delay rotation in step S1336 shown in FIG. 141. [Figure 143] 137 is a flowchart showing the process of the bonus awarding lottery in step S143 shown in FIG. [Figure 144]137 is a flowchart showing the process of pseudo-game reservation in step S145 shown in FIG. [Figure 145] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a main control unit timer interrupt process. [Figure 146] 146 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the stop button display control process in step S207 shown in FIG. 145. [Figure 147] 146 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the reel rotation control process in step S208 shown in FIG. 145. [Figure 148] 148 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the reel control determination process in step S208g shown in FIG. 147. [Figure 149] 149 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the acceleration control process in step S306 shown in FIG. 148. [Figure 150] 149 is a flowchart showing in detail the second constant speed control process of step S308 shown in FIG. 148. [Figure 151] 149 is a flowchart showing in detail the second constant speed control process of step S310 shown in FIG. 148. [Figure 152] 148 is a flowchart showing in detail the stop button acceptance process in step S208d shown in FIG. 147. [Figure 153] 147 is a flowchart showing in detail the pull-in counter setting process of step S208d5 shown in FIG. 146. [Fig. 154] 149 is a flowchart showing in detail the pull-in control process of step S313 shown in FIG. 148. [Figure 155] 143 is a flowchart showing in detail the brake control process in step S312 shown in FIG. 142. [Figure 156] (a) is a flowchart of the main processing executed by the CPU 404 of the first sub-control unit 400, (b) is a flowchart of the command input processing of the first sub-control unit 400, (c) is a flowchart of the command reception interrupt processing of the first sub-control unit 400, and (d) is a flowchart of the timer interrupt processing of the first sub-control unit 400. [Figure 157]This is a timing chart showing a specific example in which the Nth game is started by operating the start lever 135 for the first time after power is turned on, and the N+1th game is started by operating the start lever 135 for the second time. [Figure 158] 10 is a timing chart showing an example in which power is interrupted and restored while the reel is rotating in a state in which the reel can be stopped without waiting for the detection of the light-blocking piece. [Figure 159] This is a timing chart showing a specific example in which a pseudo game is performed in the Nth game, and in the subsequent N+1th game, the reels can be stopped without waiting for the detection of the light-shielding piece. [Figure 160] 10 is a timing chart showing an example in which the opening of the front door 102 is detected during the Nth game, and the front door 102 is closed after the reels of the next game (N+1) have stopped. [Figure 161] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a specific example of a case where the front door 102 is opened and a frame misalignment occurs in the reel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [Embodiment A] The slot machine described below employs a so-called medal-less configuration, which uses information equivalent to the number of actual medals (virtual medal count), and in the following description, this information will be referred to as "medal count."

[0012] The slot machine of this embodiment is a gaming machine in which a predetermined number of gaming medals are inserted, and multiple reels each bearing multiple types of patterns begin to rotate upon receiving a predetermined rotation start instruction operation, and based on the reception of the rotation start instruction operation, a lottery is held to determine whether multiple types of internal winning combinations have been won, and each of the multiple reels stops spinning individually upon receiving a predetermined rotation stop instruction operation.If the conditions determined by the combination of patterns when the multiple reels stop based on the result of the lottery meet the predetermined payout conditions, a process to pay out the number of gaming medals is executed and the game ends, but if they do not meet the predetermined payout conditions, the process to pay out the number of gaming medals is not executed and the game ends;

[0013] In addition, the slot machine of this embodiment is also a gaming machine that incorporates an inspection mode that can perform inspections of the slot machine, in addition to the state in which the above-mentioned games can be played (hereinafter referred to as the playable state or game mode).

[0014] In conventional slot machines, operation checks were performed before shipping from the factory. At that time, operation checks were performed using a test board for operation checks, which required a process of replacing the test board with the production board. As a result, the number of steps required for board replacement increased, and connectors were damaged or worn out during the work, which increased the burden on workers and caused problems with deterioration of parts. Furthermore, when game store staff or sales manufacturer personnel check the operation at game stores, the same problem of increased burden on workers was raised. For example, In order to check whether reel effects using reel operation modes such as reverse rotation or high-speed rotation are operating properly, it is necessary to test play the gaming machine (hereinafter also referred to as test play) until the timing when the reel effect occurs.Since such reel effects often occur when transitioning to advantageous games such as bonuses or ATs, the workload of continuing test play until the AT is hit is burdensome.

[0015] Furthermore, since medal-less slot machines can only be played when connected to a dedicated device, the operation check described above also requires connection to a dedicated device. However, when connected to a dedicated device, the game history, such as the number of coins inserted, the number of coins paid out, and the number of BBs, is also tallied, which can lead to the problem of excessive counting of the game history during the operation check.

[0016] In this embodiment, a slot machine that can solve the above problem is provided by introducing a new inspection mode.

[0017] <Overall structure> First, the basic configuration of the slot machine 100 and the basic configuration of the lending machine 700 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the slot machine 100 and the lending machine 700 as viewed from the front side (player side).

[0018] The slot machine 100 shown in Fig. 1 corresponds to an example of a gaming machine of the present invention, and includes a main body 101 and a front door 102 attached to the front side of the main body 101 and capable of opening and closing relative to the main body 101. Three reels (left reel 110, center reel 111, and right reel 112) with a variety of symbols arranged on their outer peripheries are housed inside the center of the main body 101 (not shown), and are configured to be rotatable inside the slot machine 100. These reels 110 to 112 are driven to rotate by a drive device such as a stepping motor.

[0019] In this embodiment, an appropriate number of each symbol is printed at equal intervals on a strip-shaped member, and this strip-shaped member is attached to a predetermined circular cylindrical frame to form each of the reels 110 to 112. When viewed by a player, the symbols on the reels 110 to 112 are displayed in approximately three rows vertically through a display window 113, making a total of nine symbols visible. The symbol displayed on the top row of the left reel 110 is called the left reel top symbol, the symbol displayed on the middle row of the left reel 110 is called the left reel middle symbol, the symbol displayed on the bottom row of the left reel 110 is called the left reel bottom symbol, the symbol displayed on the top row of the middle reel 111 is called the middle reel top symbol, the symbol displayed on the middle row of the left reel 111 is called the middle reel middle symbol, the symbol displayed on the bottom row of the middle reel 111 is called the middle reel bottom symbol, the symbol displayed on the top row of the right reel 112 is called the right reel top symbol, the symbol displayed on the middle row of the right reel 112 is called the right reel middle symbol, and the symbol displayed on the bottom row of the right reel 112 is called the right reel bottom symbol. Each symbol on each reel 110 to 112 is displayed three vertically on each of the reels 110 to 112 through the display window 113, for a total of nine symbols. By spinning each of the reels 110-112, the combination of symbols seen by the player changes. In other words, each of the reels 110-112 functions as a display device that variably displays a variety of combinations of symbols. Note that, in addition to reels, electronic image display devices such as liquid crystal display devices can also be used as such display devices. Also, although the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 68 has three reels located inside the center of the slot machine 100, the number of reels and the installation position of the reels are not limited to this.

[0020] A backlight (not shown) is disposed on the back of each of the reels 110-112 to illuminate the individual symbols displayed in the display window 113. It is desirable that the backlight be shielded for each symbol so that each symbol can be evenly illuminated. An optical sensor (not shown) consisting of a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section is disposed near each of the reels 110-112 within the slot machine 100, and a light-shielding piece of a certain length attached to the reel passes between the light-emitting section and the light-receiving section of the optical sensor. The rotational position of the symbols on the reels is determined based on the detection results of the optical sensor, and the reels 110-112 are stopped so that the desired symbols are displayed on the pay line.

[0021] The payline indicator lamp 120 indicates the active paylines. A payline is a line that determines whether a symbol combination corresponding to a winning combination is displayed. The active paylines are predetermined based on the number of medals bet as gaming media. There are five paylines. For example, if one medal is bet, the middle horizontal payline is active. If two medals are bet, the upper horizontal payline and the lower horizontal payline are active, resulting in three active paylines. If three medals are bet, the lower right-hand side payline and the upper right-hand side payline are active, resulting in five active paylines. The number of paylines is not limited to five. For example, if one medal is bet, the five active paylines may be the middle horizontal payline, the upper horizontal payline, the lower horizontal payline, the lower right-hand side payline, and the upper right-hand side payline. Hereinafter, the active paylines may be referred to as active lines.

[0022] The notification lamp 123 is a lamp that notifies the player that, for example, a specific winning combination (for example, a bonus combination or a special combination) has been internally won in an internal lottery described below, or that this internal winning state has been carried over. The medal insertion possible lamp 124 is a lamp that notifies the player that a game medal can be inserted. The replay lamp 122 is a lamp that notifies the player that the current game can be replayed (no medal insertion is necessary) if a replay combination, which is one of the winning combinations, was won in the previous game. The reel panel lamp 128 is a lamp for presentation purposes.

[0023] The bet button 130 or 132 is a button for inserting a predetermined number of medals (called credits) that are electronically stored in the slot machine 100. In the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 1, one medal is inserted each time the bet button 130 is pressed. One medal is inserted when the button is pressed once, and one additional medal is inserted when the button is pressed once again (a total of two medals). When the button is pressed once more, one additional coin is inserted (for a total of three coins). When the bet button 132 is pressed, three coins are inserted. Hereinafter, the bet button 130 may be referred to as the "1 coin bet button," and the bet button 132 may be referred to as the "MAX bet button." The game medal insertion lamps 129 light up a number of lamps corresponding to the number of medals inserted, and when the specified number of medals have been inserted, the game start lamp 121 lights up, indicating that the game can be started.

[0024] The game information display 126 is a display for displaying various internal information (for example, the number of medals paid out during a bonus game) as numerical values. The payout number display 127 is a display for displaying the number of medals paid out to a player as a result of winning some kind of winning combination. Note that hereinafter, the expression "given to the player" may also be used to mean the same thing as "paid out to the player." The game information display 126 and the payout number display 127 are configured as 7-segment (SEG) displays.

[0025] The start lever 135 is a lever-type switch for starting the rotation of the reels 110 to 112. In other words, when the bet button 130 or 132 is operated and the start lever 135 is operated, the reels 110 to 112 start to rotate. The operation of the start lever 135 is called the operation to start a game.

[0026] The stop button unit 136 is provided with stop buttons 137-139, each consisting of a left stop button 137, a center stop button 138, and a right stop button 139. The stop buttons 137-139 are button-type switches for individually stopping the reels 110-112 that have started spinning by operating the start lever 135, and are associated with each of the reels 110-112. More specifically, the left reel 110 can be stopped by operating the left stop button 137, the center reel 111 can be stopped by operating the center stop button 138, and the right reel 112 can be stopped by operating the right stop button 139. Hereinafter, operations of the stop buttons 137-139 are referred to as stop operations, with the first stop operation being referred to as the first stop operation, the next stop operation being referred to as the second stop operation, and the final stop operation being referred to as the third stop operation. The reels stopped in response to these stop operations are referred to as the first stop reel, the second stop reel, and the third stop reel, respectively. Furthermore, the order in which the stop buttons 137-139 are operated to stop all of the spinning reels 110-112 is referred to as the operation sequence or push sequence. Furthermore, the operation sequence in which the first stop operation is the stop operation for the left reel 110, the second stop operation is the stop operation for the center reel 111, and the third stop operation is the stop operation for the right reel 112 is referred to as the "forward push operation sequence" or simply "forward push," and the stop operation in which the first stop operation is the stop operation for the right reel 112, the second stop operation is the stop operation for the center reel 111, and the third stop operation is the stop operation for the left reel 110 is referred to as the "reverse push operation sequence" or simply "reverse push." Note that light-emitting elements may be provided inside each of the stop buttons 137-139, and when the stop buttons 137-139 can be operated, the light-emitting elements can be lit to notify the player.

[0027] The instruction monitor 125 is a display for displaying information about the operation sequence (press order) of the stop buttons 137 to 139. This instruction monitor 125 is also configured with a 7-segment (SEG) display. For example, when instructing to operate the left stop button 137, the middle stop button 138, and the right stop button 139 in that order, the instruction monitor 125 displays "1," and when instructing to operate the left stop button 137, the right stop button 139, and the middle stop button 138 in that order, the instruction monitor 125 displays "2."

[0028] The settlement button 134 is a button for returning inserted game medals (number of bets) to the medal number control unit 350. The door key hole 140 is a hole into which a key for unlocking the front door 102 of the slot machine 100 is inserted.

[0029] The game medal count display device 170 is a five-digit seven-segment (SEG) display device, and is a device that displays the game medal count recorded in the medal count control unit 350 shown in FIG.

[0030] The count button 171 is an operation means for transmitting information on the number of game medals recorded in the medal count control unit 350 shown in FIG.

[0031] Below the stop button unit 136, there is provided a title panel 162 on which the model name is displayed and various certificate stamps are attached.

[0032] The sound hole 145 is a hole for outputting sound from a speaker 277 (see FIG. 2) provided inside the slot machine 100 to the outside. The side lamps 144 provided on the left and right sides of the front door 102 are decorative lamps for livening up the game. A performance device 160 is provided above the front door 102, and a sound hole 143 for outputting sound from a speaker 272 (see FIG. 2) to the outside is provided above the performance device 160. This effect device 160 includes a shutter (shielding device) 163 consisting of two shutters, a right shutter 163a and a left shutter 163b, which can be opened and closed horizontally, and an effect image display device 157 (liquid crystal display device) disposed behind the shutter 163. When the right shutter 163a and the left shutter 163b are opened horizontally outward in front of the effect image display device 157, the display screen of the effect image display device 157 appears in front of the slot machine 100 (on the player's side, front side). Note that the display device does not have to be a liquid crystal display device; any display device capable of displaying various effect images and various game information may be used. For example, a multi-segment display (7-segment display), a dot matrix display, an organic EL display, a plasma display, a reel (drum), or a display device consisting of a projector and a screen may be used. The display screen is rectangular and configured so that the entire screen can be viewed by the player. In this embodiment, the display screen is rectangular, but it may also be square. In addition, decorations (not shown) may be provided around the periphery of the display screen, so that part of the periphery of the display screen is hidden by the decorations, making the display screen appear irregularly shaped. In this embodiment, the display screen is a flat surface, but it may also be a curved surface. This effect image display device 157 corresponds to an example of an effect means.

[0033] The PUSH button 190 is an operation button that can be operated when a predetermined effect (for example, an effect that prompts the operation of the button) is executed. For example, when the PUSH button 190 is operated, the response effect may be an effect that suggests the expectation of an AT or a bonus being awarded, or an effect that suggests the award of a special benefit such as an additional number of coins in the AT. In addition, by operating the PUSH button 190, the player may be able to set the effect (such as light intensity setting, volume setting, effect frequency adjustment (frequent effects, normal effects, less effects), and character voice selection for the operation navigation during the AT).

[0034] 1 is sometimes called a card unit and corresponds to an example of a gaming media management device of the present invention. This lending machine 700 is installed in a one-to-one relationship with the slot machine 100.

[0035] The lending machine 700 accepts cards. There are two types of "cards" referred to here. One is a visitor card (also called a general card) with a prepaid function, which is a gaming storage medium issued to general players who are not registered as members. The other is a membership card, which is a gaming storage medium issued to member players who have registered as members at the gaming facility. An IC card is used as the card.

[0036] The card stores a value, which includes the "number of medals held" and the "money balance," which is the balance of prepaid money.

[0037] The lending machine 700 that accepts a card has the function of converting the "number of possessed medals" stored on the card into the "number of gaming medals (number of credits)." The "number of gaming medals (number of credits)" is data that can be used to set the bet amount and can also be converted into the "number of possessed medals." The "number of gaming medals" can be obtained by debiting the "money balance" or "number of possessed medals" on the card. The "number of gaming medals" also includes the number of medals won by winning. This "number of gaming medals" is managed by the medal count control unit 350 shown in Figure 2, and is the number of electronic medals electromagnetically stored (amount of electronic gaming value). By inserting medals using the bet buttons 130, 132, the "number of gaming medals" is subtracted.

[0038] The "number of possessed medals" is a value obtained by converting the "number of game medals (number of credits)" into a count. This "number of possessed medals" is stored in a manner that allows it to be specified by the player's card. In other words, by operating the count button 171, the "number of game medals" is converted into the "number of possessed medals" and can be stored on the card. The "number of possessed medals" may also be managed by a management device for managing the number of possessed medals that is installed in the gaming facility.

[0039] The front side of the lending machine 700 is provided with a bill insertion slot 701 at the top for inserting bills and a card insertion slot 702 at the bottom for inserting cards. A membership card or visitor card inserted into this card insertion slot 702 is accepted by a card reader / writer, and the information stored on the card is read. The authenticity and type of bill inserted into the bill insertion slot 701 are identified, and the face value of the bill is stored as the "money balance" on the card inserted into the card insertion slot 702.

[0040] An information display 703 is provided below the bill insertion slot 701. This information display 703 is a display that provides operation guidance for the lending machine 700 and the status of the slot machine 100 by means of text and images. The surface may be configured as a touch panel, and various operations may be input by touching various displayed display items with a finger.

[0041] Below the information display 703, a money balance display 705 and a medal count balance display 706 are arranged in two rows, one above the other. The money balance display 705 displays the "money balance" stored in the card inserted in the card insertion slot 702 as a monetary amount. On the other hand, the medal count balance display 706 displays the "number of medals held" stored in the card inserted in the card insertion slot 702 as the number of medals.

[0042] A lending button 707 and a card return button 708 are provided in the vertical center of the lending machine 700. The lending button 707 is an operating means for withdrawing the "money balance" stored in the card inserted into the card insertion slot 702 to obtain the "number of game medals." Specifically, if the card inserted into the card insertion slot 702 has a "money balance," an LED lamp built into the lending button 707 lights up in a manner indicating that withdrawal is possible. By operating the lending button 707 in this state, the "number of game medals" is increased according to the amount of money withdrawn. For example, a "number of game medals" equivalent to a predetermined amount of 1,000 yen is added. Furthermore, if the "money balance" of the card is less than a predetermined amount (e.g., less than 1,000 yen), only the "number of game medals" converted from the current balance at a predetermined rate is added. Even if the "cash balance" of the card is less than a predetermined amount, the "number of possessed medals" stored in the card may be replenished, and the "number of game medals" for the predetermined amount may be added. The card return button 708 is operated when the player finishes playing, and is an operating means for storing the "number of possessed medals" determined at the end of the game in the card inserted in the card insertion slot 702 and discharging it. The "number of possessed medals" determined at the end of the game is the number of medals obtained by subtracting the number of medals converted to the "number of game medals" from the "number of possessed medals" stored in the card inserted in the card insertion slot 702, and then adding the number of game medals counted by the counting operation. The data of "money balance," "number of possessed medals," and "number of game medals" explained above are converted in the following order: "money balance" and "number of possessed medals" → "number of game medals" → "number of possessed medals." In this way, the "number of possessed medals" specified by the card is converted into the "number of game medals," and the slot machine 100 of this embodiment can set the number of bets using this "number of game medals." Therefore, it is possible to provide a game using a new slot machine (controlled game machine) that does not use real medals, without causing confusion to players who are accustomed to conventional slot machines in which real medals are loaned, credits are secured by inserting the real medals, and the number of bets is set using the credits.

[0043] Although this specification does not refer to the "number of medals saved," this "number of medals saved" refers to the number of medals deposited in the gaming facility, rather than being stored on the card. In the gaming facility, the number of medals a player has acquired through play may be managed as "points" by the hall management terminal or other management computer for the day, and as the "number of medals saved" from the day after the acquisition. When both the "number of medals saved" and the "number of medals saved" are stored, priority is given to deducting the "number of medals saved." Furthermore, both the "number of medals saved" and the "number of medals saved" may be stored in a host server (not shown) in association with the card number. In the case of a visitor card, the "number of medals saved" is stored directly on the visitor card, but the "number of medals saved" may also be stored in the host server in association with the card number. When storing the number of medals saved in the host server in association with the card number, data identifying the time the data was stored in the host server may be written to the card (membership card, visitor card) and then discharged. Furthermore, the "cash balance" is written directly onto the card (membership card, visitor card) and then discharged. The "number of possessed medals" is stored on the card (membership card, visitor card) or in the host server, for example, when the counting button 171 is operated and the counting process is performed. However, instead of this, it may be stored all at once when the card is returned. Furthermore, when a player finishes playing and returns the card from the lending machine 700, the "number of possessed medals" stored in the lending machine 700 may be temporarily stored as saved medals in the hall management terminal 800. When the player inserts the card into the same or a different lending machine 700 on the same day as the card is returned, only the "number of possessed medals" for that day that was temporarily stored as saved medals may be stored again in the lending machine 700, and the "number of game medals" may be added within the range of the "number of possessed medals" so that the player can play.

[0044] The rental machine 700 may also be provided with an IR photosensitive unit that receives infrared signals from a remote control carried by an attendant at the game center, converts them into electronic signals, and outputs them.

[0045] Furthermore, in the lending machine 700 shown in FIG. 1, the lending of "game medal count" was possible by operating the lending button 707 and debiting the "money balance" stored on the card. However, it may also be possible to debit the "owned medal count" recorded on the card and convert it into "game medal count." Specifically, a medal button is provided on the lending machine 700, and if the card inserted in the card insertion slot 702 contains "owned medal count," an LED lamp built into the owned medal button lights up in a manner indicating that withdrawal is possible. By operating the owned medal button in this state, if the owned medal count is equal to or exceeds a predetermined number (e.g., 50), the "game medal count" is increased by a predetermined number (e.g., 50). Furthermore, the number of owned medals acquired by the player during play as described above is stored on the card as "owned points" for the day, or is managed by the hall management terminal 800 or other management computer, and a replay button is provided on the lending machine 700. If there are "points," the LED lamp built into the replay button will light up in a manner indicating that withdrawal is possible. By operating the replay button in this state, a predetermined number (for example, 50) of "game medals" may be added.

[0046] <Circuit configuration of control unit> Next, the circuit configuration of the control unit of the slot machine 100 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 2. Note that Figure 2 shows a circuit block diagram of the control unit.

[0047] The control unit of the slot machine 100 is broadly composed of a main control unit 300 that controls the progress of the game, a first sub-control unit 400 that controls the main presentation in response to command signals (hereinafter simply referred to as "commands") sent by the main control unit 300, and a second sub-control unit 500 that controls various devices based on the commands sent from the first sub-control unit 400. With regard to the main control unit 300, if the data capacity becomes too large it becomes difficult to verify the program and it can also become a breeding ground for illegal modifications, which can lead to security issues, so there are limits on the data capacity of the ROM 306 and RAM 308 of the main control unit 300.

[0048] <Main control unit> First, we will explain the main control unit 300 of the slot machine 100. The main control unit 300 has a game control unit 302 that controls the progress of the game and a medal count control unit 350 that controls the number of game medals owned by the player. The game control unit 302 corresponds to an example of game control means, and the medal count control unit 350 corresponds to an example of game value number control means. The game control unit 302 is equipped with a CPU 304, a ROM 306 that stores control program data, lottery data used in the internal lottery for winning combinations, reel symbol arrangements and stop positions, etc., a RAM 308 for temporarily storing data, an I / O 310 for controlling input and output of various devices, a counter timer 312 for measuring time, number of times, etc., and a WDT (watchdog timer) (not shown). Note that other storage devices may be used for the ROM 306 and RAM 308, and the same applies to the medal count control unit 350, first sub-control unit 400, and second sub-control unit 500, which will be described later. The CPU 304 of the game control unit 302 operates by receiving a clock signal with a predetermined period output by a crystal oscillator (not shown) as a system clock. Furthermore, when the CPU 304 is powered on, it transmits frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of the ROM 306 to the counter timer 312. The counter timer 312 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 304 at each interrupt time. The CPU 304 monitors each sensor and transmits drive pulses in response to the interrupt request. For example, if the clock signal output by the crystal oscillator 315b is set to 8 MHz, the frequency division value of the counter timer 312 is set to 1 / 256, and the frequency division data in the ROM 306 is set to 47, the reference time for the interrupt is 256 × 47 ÷ 8 MHz = 1.504 ms.

[0049] The main control unit 300 is equipped with a random number generating circuit (not shown) which is used as a hardware random number counter that fluctuates values within the range of 0 to 65535 based on a clock signal input from a crystal oscillator (not shown), and a start-up signal output circuit (not shown) which outputs a start-up signal (reset signal) when power is turned on.When a start-up signal is input from this start-up signal output circuit, the CPU 304 of the game control unit 302 starts game control (starts the main processing of the main control unit, which will be described later).

[0050] The CPU 304 of the game control unit 302 also monitors the states of the bet buttons 130, 132, the start lever 135, the stop buttons 137-139, the settlement button 134, and the PUSH button 190 at each interrupt time. For example, when it detects that the bet buttons 130, 132 have been turned on, it executes a process of electronically inserting medals stored electronically in the medal count control unit 350 as medals to be inserted into a game. When it detects that the start lever 135 has been turned on, it outputs a signal indicating this detection to the random number generation circuit. Upon receiving this signal, the random number generation circuit latches the value at that timing and stores it in a register that stores random numbers to be used in the lottery. When it detects that the left stop button 137, the center stop button 138, or the right stop button 139 has been turned on, it executes control to stop the reels 110-112 corresponding to each stop button if they are in a stoppable state. When it is detected that the settlement button 134 has been turned on, a process of electronically returning the inserted gaming medals to the medal count control unit 350 is executed.

[0051] The CPU 304 of the game control unit 302 also monitors the status of various sensors 318 (the optical sensor of the left reel 110, the optical sensor of the center reel 111, the optical sensor of the right reel 112, etc.) at each interrupt time. The optical sensor of the left reel 110, the optical sensor of the center reel 111, and the optical sensor of the right reel 112 The signal is installed at a predetermined position on the mounting base, and goes low every time a light-shielding piece attached to the reel frame passes by. Rotational position information, which indicates how far the reel has rotated from the reference position between the time it goes low and the time it goes low again, is calculated based on the count value of the clock signal output by the crystal oscillator 315b. When the CPU 304 detects the low-level signal, it determines that the reel has made one rotation and resets the rotational position information of the reel to zero. This rotational position information is stored in the RAM 308 of the main control unit 300.

[0052] The main control unit 300 includes a drive circuit 322 that drives the motors provided on the reels 110 to 112, a drive circuit 324 that drives display devices such as the instruction monitor 125, game information display 126, and payout number display 127, and a drive circuit 326 that drives various lamps 336 (winning line display lamp 120, notification lamp 123, game medal insertion possible lamp 124, replay lamp 122, game medal insertion lamp 129, game start lamp 121, etc.).

[0053] Furthermore, the slot machine 100 has setting values that vary in the degree of advantage to the player. Setting 1 to setting 6 are available as setting values. The higher the setting value, the higher the advantage to the player tends to be. Specifically, an internal winning probability is determined for each setting value. A setting change button 175 that is operated when changing the setting value is connected to the game control unit 302.

[0054] In addition, an information output circuit 328 is connected to the game control unit 302, and the main control unit 300 outputs game information (e.g., information indicating the game status) of the slot machine 100 to an information input circuit 650 provided in an external hall computer (not shown) or the like via this information output circuit 328.

[0055] In addition, the main control unit 300 is equipped with a voltage monitoring circuit (not shown) that monitors the voltage value of the power supply supplied to the main control unit 300 from the power management unit (not shown), and this voltage monitoring circuit outputs a low voltage signal indicating a drop in voltage to each of the game control unit 302 and the medal count control unit 350 when the voltage value of the power supply is below a predetermined value (e.g., 9V).

[0056] In addition, the main control unit 300 is equipped with an output interface for sending commands to the first sub-control unit 400, enabling communication with the first sub-control unit 400. Note that information communication between the main control unit 300 and the first sub-control unit 400 is one-way communication, and the main control unit 300 is configured to be able to send signals such as commands to the first sub-control unit 400, but is configured so that signals such as commands cannot be sent from the first sub-control unit 400 to the main control unit 300.

[0057] Like the game control unit 302, the medal count control unit 350 is equipped with a CPU 354, a ROM 356, a RAM 358, an I / O 360 for controlling input and output of various devices, and a counter timer 362 for measuring time, number of times, etc. The CPUs 304 and 354 are mounted on the same circuit board and connected via a buffer IC. This allows the CPU 304 to use the ROM 306 and RAM 308 without using the ROM 356 and RAM 358, and the CPU 354 to use the ROM 356 and RAM 358 without using the ROM 306 and RAM 308. A WDT (watchdog timer), not shown, is also mounted. The CPU 354 of the medal count control unit 350 also operates by inputting a clock signal with a predetermined cycle output by a crystal oscillator, not shown, as a system clock. Furthermore, when the power is turned on, the CPU 354 transmits the frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of the ROM 356 to the counter timer 362, and the counter timer 362 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 354 for each interrupt time. The CPU 354 operates in response to this interrupt request. The medal count control unit 350 executes interrupt processing (medal count control unit timer interrupt processing, described later) every 0.745 ms. The CPU 354 also repeats communication with the lending machine 700 at 300 ms intervals.

[0058] The CPU 354 of the medal count control unit 350 also has a start-up signal output circuit (not shown) that outputs a start-up signal (reset signal) when power is turned on, and when a start-up signal is input from this start-up signal output circuit, the CPU 354 of the medal count control unit 350 also starts medal count control (starts the medal count control unit main processing described below).

[0059] A game medal count display device 170 configured with a 5-digit 7-segment (SEG) display, a count button 171, and a game medal count clear button 172 are connected to the basic circuit of the medal count control unit 350.

[0060] The basic circuit of the medal count control unit 350 is also connected to the lending machine 700 via a lending machine connection terminal board 790. The medal count control unit 350 communicates with the lending machine 700 in both directions.

[0061] The medal count control unit 350 transmits various commands to the game control unit 302. The game control unit 302 also transmits various commands to the medal count control unit 350. In other words, communication between the medal count control unit 350 and the game control unit 302 is also two-way communication.

[0062] Furthermore, the medal count control unit 350 stores the "number of game medals" in a predetermined area of the RAM 358. Specifically, the "number of game medals" is stored in a credit counter. The medal count control unit 350 updates the "number of game medals" stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 358 by addition processing or subtraction processing. Examples of addition processing include processing based on a payout command sent from the game control unit 302, processing based on a settlement command sent from the game control unit 302, and processing based on a lending notification sent from the lending machine 700. On the other hand, examples of subtraction processing include counting processing based on operation of the count button 171 and processing based on an insertion command sent from the game control unit 302.

[0063] The medal count clear button 172 shown in FIG. 2 is located in a position where it cannot be operated by a player (for example, in a position where it cannot be operated without opening the front door 102), and is an operating means for clearing the "medal count" stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 358. For example, if a player leaves the game with "2" remaining in the medal count, it becomes difficult to determine whether the player who left "2" intends to continue playing, and another player is unable to start playing. However, if the medal count can be cleared by a store clerk's operation, another player can be welcomed sooner. Note that the "medal count" does not necessarily have to be cleared when the medal count clear button 172 is operated. For example, it may be cleared when the medal count is two or less, and counted in the same way as when the count button 171 is operated when three or more medals are remaining. If the counting button 171 malfunctions and cannot recognize that it has been operated, the "number of game medals" cannot be converted to the "number of held medals," potentially causing a disadvantage to the player. However, if counting can be performed by a store clerk, this does not cause any disadvantage to the player. Furthermore, there is no need to provide a new counting button for store clerks, which does not increase costs. Instead of distinguishing between clearing and counting based on the number of game medals, clearing and counting may be determined by the method of operation of the game medal count clear button 172. For example, clearing occurs when the game medal count clear button 172 is pressed briefly, and counting occurs when the game medal count clear button 172 is pressed for a long time. Either clearing or counting can be easily selected regardless of the number of game medals. Furthermore, clearing occurs when only the game medal count clear button 172 is pressed, and counting occurs when the game medal count clear button 172 and another button are pressed simultaneously. The possibility of operating the game medal count clear button 172 incorrectly is reduced, making it easy to select either clearing or counting.

[0064] <Sub-controller> Next, the first sub-control unit 400 of the slot machine 100 will be described. The first sub-control unit 400 receives control commands sent by the main control unit 300 (game control unit 302) via an input interface. The first sub-control unit 400 includes a basic circuit 402 that controls the entire first sub-control unit 400 based on these control commands. The basic circuit 402 includes a CPU 404, a RAM 408 for temporarily storing data, an I / O 410 for controlling the input and output of various devices, and a counter timer 412 for measuring time, number of times, etc. The CPU 404 of the basic circuit 402 operates by receiving a clock signal with a predetermined period output by a crystal oscillator 414 as a system clock. The ROM 406 stores control programs and data for controlling the entire first sub-control unit 400, as well as data for controlling the backlight lighting pattern and various displays.

[0065] The CPU 404 transmits the frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of the ROM 406 to the counter timer 412 via the data bus at a predetermined timing. The counter timer 412 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data, and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 404 for each interrupt time. The CPU 404 controls each IC and each circuit based on the timing of this interrupt request.

[0066] The first sub-control unit 400 is also provided with a sound source IC 418, which is connected to speakers 272, 277 via an output interface. The sound source IC 418 controls the sound output from the amplifier and speakers 272, 277 in response to commands from the CPU 404. An S-ROM (sound ROM) in which sound data is stored is connected to the sound source IC 418, and the sound data acquired from this ROM is amplified by the amplifier and output from the speakers 272, 277. These speakers 272, 277 correspond to an example of a performance means. It has been described that the PUSH button 190 is connected to the game control unit 302 and its status is monitored, but separately from this, the PUSH button 190 may be connected to the first sub-control unit 400 to monitor its status, detect whether the PUSH button 190 is operated or not, and execute a corresponding display or effect when it is operated.

[0067] The first sub-controller 400 is also provided with a drive circuit 422, and various lamps 420 (upper lamps, lower lamps, side lamps 144, title panel lamps, bet button lamps, reel backlights, etc.) are connected to the drive circuit 422 via an input / output interface. The various lamps 420 correspond to an example of a performance means.

[0068] The first sub-control unit 400 also has a drive circuit 424 that drives the motor of the shutter 163, and the drive circuit 424 is connected to the shutter 163 via an output interface. This drive circuit 424 outputs a drive signal to a stepping motor (not shown) provided in the shutter 163 in response to a command from the CPU 404.

[0069] The first sub-control unit 400 is also provided with a sensor circuit 426, and a shutter sensor 428 is connected to the sensor circuit 426 via an input interface. The CPU 404 monitors the state of the shutter sensor 428 at each interrupt time.

[0070] The CPU 404 also transmits and receives signals to the second sub-control unit 500 via the output interface. The second sub-control unit 500 performs various controls of the performance device 160, including display control of the performance image display device 157. The second sub-control unit 500 may be configured with multiple control units, such as a control unit that controls the display of the performance image display device 157 and a control unit that controls various performance drive devices (for example, a control unit that controls the motor drive of the shutter 163).

[0071] The second sub-control unit 500 receives the control command transmitted by the first sub-control unit 400 via an input interface, and includes a basic circuit 502 that controls the entire second sub-control unit 500 based on this control command. This basic circuit 502 is equipped with a CPU 504, a RAM 508 for temporarily storing data, an I / O 510 for controlling the input and output of various devices, and a counter timer 512 for measuring time, number of times, etc. The CPU 504 of the basic circuit 502 operates by inputting a clock signal with a predetermined period output by a crystal oscillator 514 as a system clock. In the ROM 506, a control program and data for controlling the entire second sub-control unit 500, data for image display, etc. are stored.

[0072] The CPU 504 transmits the frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of the ROM 506 to the counter timer 512 via a data bus at a predetermined timing. The counter timer 512 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data, and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 404 for each interrupt time. The CPU 504 controls each IC and each circuit based on the timing of this interrupt request.

[0073] Also, a VDP 516 (video display processor) is provided in the second sub-control unit 500, and the ROM 506 and VRAM 518 are connected to the VDP 516 via a bus. The VDP 516 reads out image data and the like stored in the ROM 506 based on a signal from the CPU 504, generates a display image using the work area of the VRAM 518, and displays the image on the effect image display device 157.

[0074] <Structure of ROM and RAM> Figure 3 is a diagram showing in detail the structures of the ROM 306 and RAM 308 of the main control unit 300. Note that the ROM 306 and RAM 308 may be simply referred to as ROM and RWM, respectively, hereinafter.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 3, the built-in ROM has an area within the used area (hereinafter referred to as the "used area of the ROM"), an area outside the used area (hereinafter referred to as the "unused area of the ROM"), and an unused area. The used area (data area) of the ROM stores data related to the game (e.g., data related to reel control, data related to the internal lottery for winning combinations, data related to the AT lottery, and other data related to game control processing related to the progress of the game). On the other hand, the unusable area (data area) of the ROM stores data related to the inspection mode. Note that the unusable area of the ROM may store data other than data related to the game control processing, such as data related to the inspection mode, data related to the detection of fraudulent activity, data related to error detection and error processing, and data related to the compilation of game history (such as the difference in number of coins or the number of coins paid out in a day, the total number of games played on the gaming machine, the difference in number of coins or the total number of coins paid out on the gaming machine, and the ratio of game devices on the gaming machine). An overview of the data related to the inspection mode in this embodiment is shown in FIG. 4.

[0076] 4 shows data related to the inspection mode, such as menu operation data related to menu selection and confirmation in the inspection mode, SEG sequential lighting data related to lighting control of 7-segment displays, and excitation data and inspection reel data related to rotation control of reels 110-112. Note that the excitation data and inspection reel data are the same data as those used in the game mode, but when the inspection mode is executed, the excitation data and inspection reel data stored in the unused area (data area) of the ROM are used. Also, when inspecting the reels in the inspection mode, there is no need to output external signals such as BB signals and payout signals, so data related to external signals is not stored in the unused area (data area) of the ROM.

[0077] As shown in Figure 3, the built-in RWM has an area within the used area (hereinafter referred to as the used area of the RWM), an area outside the used area (hereinafter referred to as the non-used area of the RWM), and an unused area. The used area (working area) of the RWM stores processing related to games and temporary data (for example, data related to the state of reel control). On the other hand, the non-used area (working area) of the RWM stores temporary data related to the inspection mode. In the unused area of the RWM, like the unused area of the ROM, data other than data related to game control processing may be stored, including not only data related to the inspection mode but also temporary data related to the detection of fraudulent behavior, temporary data related to error detection and error processing, and temporary data related to the compilation of game history (difference in number of coins or number of coins paid out in a day, total number of games played so far on the gaming machine, difference in number of coins or total number of coins paid out so far on the gaming machine, ratio of game devices on the gaming machine, etc.). An overview of the temporary data related to the inspection mode of this embodiment is shown in Figure 5.

[0078] 5 lists temporary data that is set during inspection mode, such as an inspection mode flag indicating whether or not the machine is in inspection mode, inspection drum information for reel inspection, inspection SEG / LED data which is output data to the 7-segment display and LED, inspection medal count control command reception data which is command data received from medal count control unit 350, inspection medal count control command transmission data which is sent to medal count control unit 350, inspection sub-control command transmission data which is command data sent to first sub-control unit 400, inspection menu status information which indicates the status of the inspection menu, port input status information which relates to the status of the input port, and inspection timing information which indicates the timing of inspection. An overview of the commands related to inspection mode is shown in FIG. 6.

[0079] 6, commands related to the inspection mode include commands sent from the medal count control unit 350 to the main control unit 300, commands sent from the main control unit 300 to the medal count control unit 350, and commands sent from the main control unit 300 to the first sub-control unit 400. The main control unit 300 is configured to send commands to the medal count control unit 350 and the first sub-control unit 400 every 50 msec, and the main control unit 300 is configured to receive commands from the medal count control unit 350 every 5.68 msec.

[0080] In this way, in the inspection mode of this embodiment, commands related to the inspection information shown in Figure 6 are exchanged between the main control unit 300 and the medal count control unit 350, and the main control unit 300 sends commands related to the inspection information shown in Figure 6 to the first sub-control unit 400.

[0081] The slot machine 100 of this embodiment is provided with an inspection mode in addition to the playable state (game mode). In the inspection mode, as shown in Figures 3 to 6, the slot machine 100 is configured to use processes (programs) and data stored in the non-use areas of the ROM and RWM. That is, in the game mode, the slot machine 100 executes game processing using the programs and data stored in the use areas of the ROM and RWM, and in the inspection mode, the slot machine 100 executes inspection processing using the programs and data stored in the non-use areas of the ROM and RWM.

[0082] <Pattern Arrangement> 7(a) will be used to explain the arrangement of symbols on each of the reels 110 to 112. Note that this figure is a diagram showing the arrangement of symbols on each of the reels (left reel 110, center reel 111, right reel 112) developed in a plane.

[0083] On each of the reels 110-112, a predetermined number of symbols (21 symbols numbered 0-20 in this embodiment) of various types (eight symbols in this embodiment) shown on the right side of the figure are arranged. The numbers 0-20 shown on the left side of the figure are numbers indicating the arrangement positions of the symbols on each of the reels 110-112. For example, in this embodiment, a "replay" symbol is arranged on the symbol numbered 1 on the left reel 110, a "bell" symbol is arranged on the symbol numbered 0 on the center reel 111, and a "watermelon" symbol is arranged on the symbol numbered 2 on the right reel 112.

[0084] <Types of winning roles> Next, the types of winning roles of the slot machine 100 will be described using FIG. 7(b). This figure shows the types of winning roles (including activated roles), the symbol combinations corresponding to each winning role, and the activation or payout of each winning role. Among the winning roles in this embodiment, the big bonus (BB1, BB2) and regular bonus (RB) are bonus roles that transition to a bonus game, and the replay (replay) is a role that allows a replay without inserting new medals. These roles are sometimes called "activated roles" to distinguish them from winning roles. However, the "winning roles" in this embodiment include the activated roles of the big bonus, regular bonus, and replay. Furthermore, the "winning role" in this embodiment also includes a symbol combination of an activated role that does not result in a medal payout (does not result in a medal payout) being displayed on an active line, such as winning the big bonus, regular bonus, or replay.

[0085] The winning combinations of the slot machine 100 include big bonuses (BB1, BB2), regular bonuses (RB), small combinations (cherry, watermelon, bell), and replays. It goes without saying that the types of winning combinations are not limited to these and can be any combination. For example, bells can have The stop buttons 130 to 132 may include a push order bell (8 bells for a correct operation mode, 1 or 0 bells for an incorrect operation mode) whose winning mode changes depending on the operation mode of the stop buttons 130 to 132.

[0086] The "Big Bonus (BB1, BB2)" (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "BB") is a special role (operating role) that, when won, initiates a Big Bonus game (BB game). The corresponding symbol combinations are "BB1 symbol (also called white 7)-BB1 symbol-BB1 symbol" for BB1 and "BB2 symbol (also called blue 7)-BB2 symbol-BB2 symbol" for BB2. Furthermore, flags are carried over for BB1 and BB2. That is, if an internal win occurs for BB1 or BB2, a flag indicating this is set (stored in a predetermined area of RAM 308 of main control unit 300). Even if BB1 or BB2 does not win in that game, the flag indicating the internal win remains set until a win occurs. Therefore, BB1 and BB2 remain internal wins in the next game and thereafter. Therefore, the symbol combination corresponding to BB1, "white 7-white 7-white 7," and the symbol combination corresponding to BB2, "blue 7-blue 7-blue 7," are in a position to win.

[0087] A "regular bonus (RB)" (hereinafter simply referred to as "RB") is a special role (operating role) that, when won, initiates a regular bonus game (RB game). The corresponding symbol combination is "RB symbol (also called bonus) - RB symbol - RB symbol." Note that a flag is carried over for RB as well, just like the BB described above. However, in a big bonus game (BB game), the start condition is not necessarily an internal win for a regular bonus game (RB game) or the symbol combination being displayed on the winning line. Instead, the regular bonus game may start after the big bonus game has started, and when one regular bonus game has ended, the next regular bonus game may be started immediately, so that the regular bonus game starts automatically.

[0088] "Small winning combinations (cherry, watermelon, bell)" (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "cherry," "watermelon," and "bell") are winning combinations that result in a predetermined number of medals being paid out. The corresponding symbol combinations are "cherry symbol-ANY symbol-ANY symbol" for cherry, "watermelon symbol-watermelon symbol-watermelon symbol" for watermelon, and "bell symbol-bell symbol-bell symbol" for bell. The corresponding payout numbers are as shown in the figure: 4 cherries, 12 watermelons, and 8 bells. In the case of "cherry symbol-ANY symbol-ANY symbol," the symbol on the left reel 110 must be a "cherry" symbol, and the symbols on the center reel 111 and right reel 112 can be any symbol.

[0089] "Replay" is a winning combination (operation combination) that allows you to play the next game without inserting medals (game media), and medals are not paid out. The corresponding symbol combination for replay is "replay symbol-replay symbol-replay symbol."

[0090] Here, the internal winning probabilities of winning a winning combination will be outlined.

[0091] The internal winning probability of each winning combination is calculated by dividing the numerical data corresponding to the range of lottery data associated with each winning combination by the numerical data (65536 in this embodiment) corresponding to the range of random numbers obtained during the internal lottery described below. The lottery data is divided into several numerical ranges in advance, and each numerical range is associated with a winning combination or a losing combination. In the winning combination internal lottery process described below, it is determined whether the random number value obtained as a result of executing the internal lottery corresponds to the lottery data corresponding to any of the winning combinations, and the internal winning combination is determined. In practice, this lottery data is provided with settings 1 to 6, each with a different winning probability for at least one combination, and the staff of the gaming establishment can arbitrarily select and set any of the settings.

[0092] Note that the winning probability of the internal winning role is made different between settings 1 to 6 to make the degree of advantage of the gaming machine different, but it is not limited to this. While there is no difference in the winning probability of the internal winning role between settings 1 to 6, the degree of advantage of the gaming machine may be made different between settings 1 to 6 by making differences in the probability of transitioning to the AT gaming state, in which an operation mode advantageous to the player is notified, or the chance zone, which can be expected to transition to the AT gaming state.

[0093] <Slot machine state transition diagram> FIG. 8 is a state transition diagram of the slot machine 100.

[0094] First, the state transitions when the power is turned on will be explained. The slot machine 100 (1) enters a playable state (game mode) when a power outage occurs and power is restored while the slot machine is in a playable state (game mode) and the complete function was not activated before the power outage (including when the power is turned on with the reset switch ON). On the other hand, (2) enters a complete activated state when a power outage occurs and power is restored while the slot machine is in a playable state (game mode) and the complete function was activated before the power outage. Here, the complete function is a function that disables play on that day when the number of coins won (MY) for that day reaches a specified number (for example, 19,000 coins). Furthermore, the slot machine 100 (3) starts a setting change state when power is restored after a power outage in a playable state (game mode) and the power is turned on with the setting key left ON, and (4) starts an inspection mode when power is restored after a power outage in a playable state (game mode) and the power is turned on with the front door 102 open and the left stop button 137 and the right stop button 139 pressed simultaneously. That is, in this embodiment, the operation of opening the front door 102 and pressing the left stop button 137 and the right stop button 139 simultaneously is an operation that starts the inspection mode.

[0095] Next, when the complete function is activated in the playable state (play mode), the slot machine 100 transitions to the complete activation state. Also, when the setting key is turned ON in the playable state (play mode), the slot machine transitions to the setting confirmation state. When the setting key is turned OFF in the setting confirmation state, the slot machine transitions to the playable state (play mode).

[0096] Next, a description will be given of state transitions from the complete operation state. When the power is restored after a power outage in the complete operation state, the slot machine 100 starts the complete operation state. In this embodiment, when the complete function is activated, it is not possible to transition to another state without passing through the setting change state. In more detail, if the power is turned on with the setting key turned on after a power outage, it is possible to transition from the complete operation state to the setting change state.

[0097] Next, a description will be given of the state transition from the setting change state. When the power is restored after a power outage in the setting change state, the slot machine 100 starts the setting change state. Also, when the setting key is turned OFF in the setting change state, the state transitions to a playable state (game mode).

[0098] Finally, a description will be given of a state transition from the inspection mode. When the slot machine 100 is in the inspection mode and the power is restored after a power outage, the slot machine 100 starts the inspection mode. When power is restored during inspection mode, even if power is restored during the inspection of a certain inspection item, the state during inspection immediately before the power was cut off is not restored (see step S1009 in FIG. 13 and FIG. 25 for details). This is because when the inspection mode is entered upon power restoration, the inspection mode is entered without the "return to processing before power cut" process of step S1009 in FIG. 13 being executed, and when returning from inspection mode to game mode, a setting change is required, and the judgment of the setting key switch takes priority over the "return to processing before power cut" process. This improves security. A backup function may be configured to return to the state during testing immediately before power interruption even if power is interrupted and restored during testing mode. In this case, for example, the same process as step S211 in FIG. 10 may be performed in the testing mode termination process of FIG. 25, and a "return to processing before power interruption" process may be added after step S1304 in the testing mode start determination process of FIG. 16. Alternatively, a "return to processing before power interruption" process may be added to the testing mode execution process of FIG. 18 (or the initial setting process at the start of testing mode). When returning to the state during testing immediately before power interruption, it is desirable to retain the reel excitation phase data when power is interrupted or restored. This is because if the excitation phase data were initialized, it would be impossible to return to the state during the reel operation test. Furthermore, even if the reel operation test is not in progress, there is a risk of the reel rattling when starting the reel during testing mode (because the excitation phase data is initialized and does not match the excitation during the actual stopping state, causing temporary rattling), resulting in irregular behavior during the reel operation check. Thus, in the inspection mode of this embodiment, it is not possible to transition to another state without passing through the setting change state. Specifically, after a power outage, if the power is turned on with the setting key left ON, it is possible to transition from the inspection mode to the setting change state. Note that even when transitioning from the inspection mode to the setting change state, information regarding the internal lottery process for winning combinations may be retained. In this case, it is possible to prevent the initialized RT state from becoming uniformly advantageous for machines that are advantageous.In addition, even in the case of a machine that allows normal play to be performed while maintaining an internal bonus winning state, the internal winning state may be maintained. In this case, even after the setting change (test mode) has been performed, the game can be played in the same state as if the setting change (test mode) had not been performed.

[0099] Although not shown in Figure 8, it is possible to execute the inspection mode even if RAM 308 is faulty, but if power is cut off and restored after the inspection mode has ended, it is difficult to determine whether the system can return to normal, so the system will enter a RAM error notification state (note that even if an error is detected during the inspection mode, no error notification will be issued. Also, the error will be cleared by changing the settings).

[0100] 8 shows the state transition of the main control unit 300 when the slot machine 100 is powered down and then restored, but in the slot machine 100, the sub-control units (first sub-control unit 400, second sub-control unit 500), medal count control unit 350, and main control unit 300 are started up in this order. The sub-control units and medal count control unit 350 need to start up before the main control unit 300 because they decide whether to transition to inspection mode or game mode based on the command first received from the main control unit 300. In inspection mode, the medal count control unit 350 does not communicate with the lending machine 700 and only performs inspection processing.

[0101] Furthermore, if some abnormality occurs and the game status of the main control unit 300 and the medal count control unit 350 do not match, (A) for example, when the main control unit 300 is in game mode and the medal count control unit 350 is in inspection mode, the main control unit 300 discards all commands received from the medal count control unit 350 and issues an error message indicating that the commands could not be correctly acquired from the medal count control unit 350, while the medal count control unit 350 executes inspection mode. This configuration prevents gameplay from progressing in a state where the game status does not match and encourages the player to resolve the error. Furthermore, (B) for example, when the main control unit 300 is in inspection mode and the medal count control unit 350 is in game mode, the medal count control unit 350 transitions to inspection mode, and the main control unit 300 discards commands received from the medal count control unit 350 before transitioning to inspection mode. This configuration prevents the machine from issuing an error notification (error processing) even if the game status does not match. Instead, the machine prompts the user to enter inspection mode and change the settings to return to game mode, reducing the hassle of dealing with error processing. Furthermore, a common configuration between (A) and (B) is that by entering inspection mode when the game status does not match, game progress is prevented while the internal mismatch remains. Since returning to inspection mode requires the "inspection mode → setting change" procedure, the machine can be used to check for malfunctions or to semi-forcefully initialize the machine by changing the settings, improving the machine's maintainability. In game mode, if the game status of the main control unit 300 and the medal count control unit 350 do not match or if there is no response signal from either unit, an error notification or error processing is performed for a communication abnormality. However, as described above, no error notification or error processing is performed in inspection mode. In this way, even if conditions that would result in an error in game mode are met, the inspection mode prevents the machine from being interrupted by switching to inspection mode.

[0102] <Slot machine processing> Next, the processing of the main control unit 300, the first sub-control unit 400, and the second sub-control unit 500 will be explained using the drawings.

[0103] <Main processing in the main control section> First, the main control unit main processing executed by the CPU 304 of the main control unit 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Note that Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the main control unit main processing.

[0104] When the slot machine 100 is powered on, first, in step S101, a main control unit initial setting process (described in detail later) is performed.

[0105] In step S102, a medal insertion / start operation acceptance process is executed. Here, a determination is made by sensor detection as to whether or not an electronic medal insertion operation has been performed using the bet buttons 130 and 132, and if an insertion operation has been performed, the winning line indicator lamp 120 is turned on according to the number of medals inserted. The control unit also prepares to send a medal insertion command to the first sub-control unit 400 indicating that medals have been inserted. If a replay combination has been won in the previous game, a process is performed to insert the same number of medals as the number inserted in the previous game, eliminating the need for the player to insert medals.

[0106] In addition, a check is made based on sensor detection to see if the start lever 135 has been operated, and if it is determined that the start lever has been operated, the number of medals inserted is confirmed and preparations are made to send a start lever acceptance command to the first sub-control unit 400 indicating that the start lever 135 has been operated.

[0107] In step S103, the active winning lines are determined.

[0108] In step S104, the random number generated by the random number generating circuit is acquired.

[0109] In step S105, an internal lottery process for a winning role is performed. In the internal lottery process for a winning role, a winning role lottery table stored in ROM 306 is read out according to the current game state (RT game state), and an internal lottery is performed using this table and the random number value obtained in step S104. If the result of the internal lottery is an internal win for any winning role (including an activated role), the condition device (flag) for the internally won role (internal winning role) is activated (the flag for that winning role is turned ON). Also, in step S105, preparations are made to send an internal win command indicating the result of the winning role internal lottery to the first sub-control unit 400. For example, if a watermelon is internally won, preparations are made to send an internal win command indicating that a watermelon has been internally won to the first sub-control unit 400. If the result of the winning role internal lottery is a loss (no winning role), preparations are made to send an internal win command indicating a loss to the first sub-control unit 400.

[0110] In step S106, reel stop data is selected based on the result of the internal lottery for winning combinations in step S105, etc. For the reel stop data for winning combinations that require a stop operation order, the operation conditions are also set, and when the corresponding reel stop data is selected, the operation conditions are also set.

[0111] In step S107, a reel rotation start process is executed to start the rotation of all the reels 110 to 112 based on the start operation.

[0112] In step S108, a reel stop control process is performed. In the reel stop control process, the stop buttons 137 to 139 become available, and when one of the stop buttons is pressed, the stop data of the reel stop data is referenced to stop the reel corresponding to the pressed stop button, and one of the reels 110 to 112 is stopped according to the number of reel pull-in frames set in the stop data. If all the reels 110 to 112 have stopped, the process proceeds to step S109. In this step S108, for each stop operation, preparations are made to send to the first sub-control unit 400 a stop button acceptance command (more specifically, a stop button acceptance 1 command for the first stop operation, a stop button acceptance 2 command for the second stop operation, and a stop button acceptance 3 command for the third stop operation) relating to the stop button 137 to 139 that was operated to stop, and for each reel stop, preparations are made to send to the first sub-control unit 400 a reel stop command (more specifically, a reel stop 1 command for the first stopped reel, a reel stop 2 command for the second stop operation, and a reel stop 3 command for the third stop operation) relating to the reel stop position.

[0113] In step S109, a winning determination process is performed. In the winning determination process, a winning determination is performed for the symbols stopped by pressing the stop buttons 137 to 139, and if a symbol combination corresponding to a winning role is displayed on an activated winning line, it is determined that the winning role has been won. For example, if a "watermelon symbol-watermelon symbol-watermelon symbol" is aligned on an activated winning line, it is determined that a watermelon win has occurred. In addition, in this step S109, preparations are made to send a display determination command indicating the result of the winning determination to the first sub-control unit 400.

[0114] In step S110, a medal payout process is performed. In the medal payout process, if a winning combination that results in a payout is achieved, the number of medals corresponding to that winning combination is paid out. Also, in step S110, preparations are made to send a medal payout command indicating the number of medals to be paid out to the first sub-control unit 400.

[0115] In step S111, a game state control process is performed. In this game state control process, control is performed to transition the game state (RT game state, AT game state). In addition, in this step S111, preparations are made to send a game state command indicating the game state to the first sub-control unit 400.

[0116] This completes one game. The game then progresses by returning to step S102 and repeating the above-described process. The various commands prepared in the above steps are transmitted in the command setting and transmission process (step S206 in FIG. 10) of the main control unit timer interrupt process, which will be described later.

[0117] <Main control unit timer interrupt processing> Next, the main control unit timer interrupt process executed by the CPU 304 of the main control unit 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The figure is a flowchart showing the flow of the main control unit timer interrupt process.

[0118] The main control unit 300 is equipped with a counter timer 312 that generates a timer interrupt signal at a predetermined period (approximately once every 2 ms in this embodiment), and this timer interrupt signal is used as a trigger to start main control unit timer interrupt processing at the predetermined period.

[0119] In step S201, a timer interrupt start process is performed, which includes processes such as temporarily saving the values of each register of the CPU 304 in a stack area.

[0120] In step S202, WDT314 is restarted periodically (in this embodiment, once every 2 ms, which is the period of the main control unit timer interrupt) to prevent the count value of WDT314 from exceeding the initial setting value (32.8 ms in this embodiment) and causing a WDT interrupt (to prevent processing abnormalities from being detected).

[0121] In step S203, an input port state update process is performed. In this input port state update process, detection signals from the sensor circuits 320 of the various sensors 318 are input via the input ports of the I / O 310, and the presence or absence of the detection signals is monitored and stored in signal state storage areas partitioned for each of the various sensors 318 in the RAM 308.

[0122] In step S204, various game processes are executed, and processes according to the interrupt status are executed.

[0123] In step S205, a timer update process is performed. More specifically, various timers are updated in their respective time units.

[0124] In step S206, a command setting transmission process is performed, and various commands that have been prepared for transmission are transmitted to the first sub-control unit 400. The first sub-control unit 400 is able to determine the presentation control in response to changes in game control in the main control unit 300 based on the command type contained in the received output schedule information, and is also able to determine the content of the presentation control based on the command data information contained in the output schedule information.

[0125] In step S207, an external output signal setting process is performed. In this external output signal setting process, the game information stored in the RAM 308 is output to the information input circuit 650, which is separate from the slot machine 100, via the information output circuit 328.

[0126] In step S208, device monitoring processing is performed. In this device monitoring processing, first, the signal states of the various sensors 318 stored in the signal state storage area in step S203 are read out to monitor for errors related to medal insertion abnormalities, medal payout abnormalities, etc., and if an error is detected (not shown), error processing is executed. Furthermore, depending on the current game status, settings are made for display devices such as the medal selector (corresponding to a medal blocker operated by a solenoid provided in the medal selector, but only for gaming machines that use physical gaming media), various lamps 336, instruction monitor 125, game information display 126, and payout number display 127.

[0127] In step S209, it is monitored whether the low voltage signal is on or not, and if the low voltage signal is on (if a power cutoff is detected), the process proceeds to step S211, and if the low voltage signal is off (if a power cutoff is not detected), the process proceeds to step S210.

[0128] In step S210, various processes are performed to end the timer interrupt end process. In this timer interrupt end process, the values of each register temporarily saved in step S201 are set back to the original registers. After that, the process returns to the main process of the main control unit shown in FIG.

[0129] On the other hand, in step S211, specific variables and stack pointers for restoring the state to the state at the time of power outage when power is restored are saved as recovery data in a predetermined area of RAM 358, power outage processing such as initialization of input / output ports is performed, and then the process returns to the main processing of the main control unit shown in Figure 9.

[0130] <Processing of the first sub-control unit> Next, the processing of the first sub-control unit 400 will be explained using Figure 11. Note that Figure (a) is a flowchart of the main processing executed by the CPU 404 of the first sub-control unit 400. Figure (b) is a flowchart of the command reception interrupt processing of the first sub-control unit 400. Figure (c) is a flowchart of the timer interrupt processing of the first sub-control unit 400.

[0131] First, the main processing of the first sub-control unit 400 will be described with reference to FIG. 11(a).

[0132] When the power is turned on, an initialization process is first executed in step S301. In this initialization process, the input / output ports are initially set up, and a storage area in RAM 408 is initialized. In this process, an area for storing internal win information, which is information showing the result of an internal win, and an area for storing RT update information, which is information showing the game status, are provided in RAM 408.

[0133] In step S302, it is determined whether the timer variable is 10 or greater, and this process is repeated until the timer variable becomes 10. When the timer variable becomes 10 or greater, the process proceeds to step S303.

[0134] In step S303, 0 is substituted into the timer variable.

[0135] In step S304, command processing, which is processing corresponding to each command received from the main control unit 300, is executed.

[0136] In step S305, a performance control process is performed. Here, performance preparation is performed in accordance with the performance reservation information stored in the performance reservation area in RAM 408. This preparation includes, for example, reading performance data from ROM 406 and updating the performance data if it needs to be updated.

[0137] In step S306, sound control processing is performed based on the processing result of step S305. For example, if the performance data read in step S305 includes a command to the sound source IC 418, this command is output to the sound source IC 418.

[0138] In step S307, lamp control processing is performed based on the processing result of step S305. For example, if the performance data read in step S305 includes commands for the various lamps 420, these commands are output to the drive circuit 422.

[0139] In step S308, shutter control processing is performed based on the processing result of step S305. For example, if the performance data read out in step S305 includes a command to the shutter 163, this command is output to the drive circuit 424.

[0140] In step S309, an information output process is performed based on the processing result of step S305 to set up sending a command to the second sub-control unit 500. For example, if the performance data read in step S305 contains a command to be sent to the second sub-control unit 500, settings are made to output this control command, and the process returns to step S302.

[0141] Next, using Figure 11 (b), we will explain the command reception interrupt processing of the first sub-control unit 400. This command reception interrupt processing is processing that the first sub-control unit 400 executes when it detects a strobe signal output by the main control unit 300. In step S401 of the command reception interrupt processing, the command output by the main control unit 300 is stored as an unprocessed command in a command memory area provided in RAM 408.

[0142] Next, using Figure 11(c), we will explain the first sub-control unit timer interrupt processing executed by the CPU 404 of the first sub-control unit 400. The first sub-control unit 400 is equipped with a hardware timer that generates a timer interrupt at a predetermined period (once every 2 ms in this embodiment), and this timer interrupt triggers the execution of the timer interrupt processing at a predetermined period.

[0143] In step S501, 1 is added to the value of the timer variable storage area of RAM 408 described in step S302 in the first sub-control unit main processing shown in Figure 11(a) and stored in the original timer variable storage area. Therefore, in step S302, the value of the timer variable is determined to be 10 or greater every 20 ms (2 ms x 10).

[0144] In step S502, commands are sent to the second sub-control unit 500 set in step S309, and the random number values for performance are updated.

[0145] <Processing of the second sub-control unit> Next, the processing of the second sub-control unit 500 will be explained using Figure 12. Figure 12(a) is a flowchart of the main processing executed by the CPU 504 of the second sub-control unit 500. Figure 12(b) is a flowchart of the command reception interrupt processing of the second sub-control unit 500. Figure 12(c) is a flowchart of the timer interrupt processing of the second sub-control unit 500. Figure 12(d) is a flowchart of the image control processing of the second sub-control unit 500.

[0146] First, in step S601 of Fig. 12(a), various initial settings are performed. When the power is turned on, initialization processing is first executed in step S601. This initialization processing includes initial setting of input / output ports, initialization processing of storage areas in RAM 508, initialization processing of storage areas in VRAM 518, etc.

[0147] In step S602, it is determined whether the timer variable is 10 or more, and this process is repeated until the timer variable becomes 10. When the timer variable becomes 10 or more, the process proceeds to step S603.

[0148] In step S603, 0 is substituted into the timer variable.

[0149] In step S604, command processing is performed. In command processing, the CPU 504 of the second sub-control unit 500 identifies each command received from the CPU 404 of the first sub-control unit 400.

[0150] In step S605, effect control processing is performed. Specifically, if a new command is received in step S604, processing corresponding to this command is performed. For example, processing is executed to read effect data for image control related to the background image from ROM 506. In addition, processing is executed to read other effect data from ROM 506, and if the effect data needs to be updated, processing to update the effect data is also executed.

[0151] In step S606, image control processing (described in detail below) is performed based on the processing result of step S605. For example, if the performance data read in step S605 contains an image control command, image control corresponding to this command is performed. For example, image control related to the display image (announcement image, background image) is executed. When this image control processing is completed, the process returns to step S602.

[0152] Next, using Figure 12 (b), we will explain the command reception interrupt processing of the second sub-control unit 500. This command reception interrupt processing is processing that the second sub-control unit 500 executes when it detects a strobe signal output by the first sub-control unit 400.

[0153] In step S701 of the command reception interrupt processing, the command output by the first sub-control unit 400 is stored in a command storage area provided in the RAM 508 as an unprocessed command.

[0154] Next, using Figure 12(c), we will explain the second sub-control unit timer interrupt processing executed by the CPU 504 of the second sub-control unit 500. The second sub-control unit 500 is equipped with a hardware timer that generates a timer interrupt at a predetermined period (once every 2 ms in this embodiment), and this timer interrupt triggers the execution of the timer interrupt processing at a predetermined period.

[0155] In step S801, 1 is added to the value of the timer variable storage area of RAM 508 described in step S602 in the second sub-control unit main processing shown in Figure 12(a) and stored in the original timer variable storage area. Therefore, in step S602, the value of the timer variable is determined to be 10 or greater every 20 ms (2 ms x 10).

[0156] In step S802, the random number values for effect are updated.

[0157] Next, the image control processing of step S6006 in the main processing of the second sub-control unit 500 will be described with reference to Figure 12(d). This figure is a flowchart showing the flow of the image control processing.

[0158] In step S901, an instruction to transfer image data is issued. Here, the CPU 504 first swaps the designation of the drawing areas of display area A and display area B of the VRAM 518. As a result, one frame of image stored in a display area not designated as a drawing area is displayed on the liquid crystal display device 157. Next, the CPU 504 sets ROM coordinates (source address in ROM 506), VRAM coordinates (destination address in VRAM 518), etc. in the attribute register of the VDP 516 based on the position information table, and then sets a command to start transferring image data from ROM 506 to VRAM 518. The VDP 516 transfers the image data from ROM 506 to VRAM 518 based on the command set in the attribute register. Thereafter, the VDP 516 outputs a transfer end interrupt signal to the CPU 504.

[0159] In step S902, it is determined whether or not a transfer end interrupt signal has been input from the VDP 516. If a transfer end interrupt signal has been input, the process proceeds to step S903; if not, the process waits for the transfer end interrupt signal to be input.

[0160] In step S903, parameters are set based on the rendering scenario configuration table, attribute data, etc. Here, the CPU 504 instructs the VDP 516 on information about the image data that constitutes the display image (coordinate axes of VRAM 518, image size, VRAM coordinates (placement coordinates), transparency, etc.) in order to form a display image in display area A or B of VRAM 518 based on the image data transferred to VRAM 518 in step S901. The VDP 516 sets parameters in accordance with the attributes based on the command stored in the attribute register.

[0161] In step S904, a drawing instruction is issued. In this drawing instruction, the CPU 504 instructs the VDP 516 to start drawing an image. The VDP 516 starts drawing an image in the frame buffer in accordance with the instruction from the CPU 504.

[0162] In step S905, it is determined whether a generation end interrupt signal has been input from VDP 516 based on the completion of image drawing. If a generation end interrupt signal has been input, the process proceeds to step S906; if not, the process waits for the generation end interrupt signal to be input.

[0163] In step S906, a scene display counter, which is set in a predetermined area of the RAM 508 and counts how many scene images have been generated, is incremented (+1), and the process ends.

[0164] <Main control unit initial setting process> Next, the main control unit initial setting process will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the main control unit initial setting process in step S101 of Fig. 9. Unless otherwise specified, the main control unit initial setting process is executed using data in the used areas of ROM and RWM.

[0165] In step S1001, the main control unit 300 waits until the voltage value of the power source supplied to the main control unit 300 reaches a predetermined value (9V in this embodiment).

[0166] In step S1002, startup initialization is performed. This initialization involves setting a stack initial value to the stack pointer (SP) of the CPU 304, setting interrupt prohibition, initializing the I / O 310, initializing various variables stored in the RAM 308, and setting operation permission and initial values for the WDT. In other words, the main control unit timer interrupt process (see FIG. 10) is started in a prohibited state.

[0167] In step S1003, power-on out-of-area processing (described in detail later) is executed.

[0168] In step S1004, it is determined whether the setting key switch is on. Here, the setting key switch is a switch for setting the player's advantage level in the slot machine 100 (for example, six types of advantage levels from 1 to 6), and becomes operable when the front door 102 is opened. If the setting key switch is on (step S1004: YES, specifically, a state in which the setting key is inserted into the setting key switch and turned 90 degrees clockwise), the process proceeds to step S1011, where a setting value change process (described in detail later) is executed, and then the main control unit initial setting process is terminated. If the setting key switch is not on (step S1004: NO), the process proceeds to step S1005.

[0169] In step S1005, an inspection mode start determination process (described in detail below) is executed, and then in step S1006, it is determined whether or not a backup abnormality has occurred. If there is no backup abnormality (step S1006: NO), the process proceeds to step S1007. If there is a backup abnormality (step S1006: YES), the process proceeds to step S1012, where error processing is executed and the main control unit initial setting process is terminated. Note that if there is a backup abnormality (RAM failure error), and notification and processing of the RAM failure error are to be given priority over the inspection mode, the order of steps S1005 and S1006 can be reversed.

[0170] In step S1007, it is determined whether the complete function is in operation. If the complete function is not in operation (step S1007: NO), the process proceeds to step S1008, and if the complete function is in operation, the process proceeds to step S1009.

[0171] In step S1008, it is determined whether the front door 102 is open and the reset switch is on. If the door is open and the reset switch is on (step S1008: YES), the process proceeds to step S1010; if not (step S1008: NO), the process proceeds to step S1009.

[0172] In step S1009, the process returns to the process before the power was cut off. Specifically, in this process, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality in the data stored in RAM 308. If it is determined that there is no abnormality in the restored data in RAM 308, a process is executed to restore the state of the register to the state immediately before the power cut process was executed. Also, in step S1009, an interrupt is permitted. This causes the main control unit timer interrupt process (see Figure 10) to be executed. Note that if power is simply restored while the complete function is operating (complete operating state) (step S1007: YES), the process will return to the complete operating state (see Figure 8).

[0173] In step S1010, since the power is turned on while the reset switch is being pressed, initialization processing is executed and RAM 308 is cleared. Also in step S1010, interrupts are permitted, which causes the main control unit timer interrupt processing (see FIG. 10) to be executed.

[0174] <Setting value change process> Next, the main control unit initial setting process will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the setting value change process in step S1011 of Fig. 13.

[0175] In step S1101, the currently set setting value (game mode) is displayed on a setting value display (not shown).

[0176] In step S1102, the RAM 308 is initialized (RAM cleared).

[0177] In step S1103, it is determined whether the inspection mode flag is ON. The inspection mode flag is a flag indicating whether the inspection mode is in progress (see FIG. 5), and is set to ON if the inspection mode is in progress, and is set to OFF if the inspection mode is not in progress. If the inspection mode flag is ON (step S1103: YES), the process proceeds to step S1104; if not, the process proceeds to step S1105.

[0178] In step S1104, the inspection mode flag is set to OFF. That is, if the power is turned off in the inspection mode and the setting key switch is ON when the power is turned on, the inspection mode flag is set to OFF to start the setting change state (see FIG. 8). Note that the step in which the inspection mode flag is set to OFF is not limited to this. For example, the inspection mode flag may be set to OFF in the first step of the setting value change processing without determining whether the inspection mode flag is ON or not. For example, The inspection mode flag may be set to OFF during the initialization process of RAM 308 in step S1102. By setting the inspection mode flag to OFF in this way at the beginning of the setting value change process, even if a power outage occurs during the setting value change process, the inspection mode will not be resumed after power is restored, thereby reducing the inconvenience to the operator who wants to change the setting value. The inspection mode flag may also be set to OFF when the start lever 135 is operated in step S1108 (described later) or when the setting key switch is switched from ON to OFF in step S1111. In this case, by setting the inspection mode flag to OFF when a setting value is changed or an operation that triggers the completion of the setting value change process is performed, the inspection mode can be returned to after the power outage is restored until the operation that triggers the completion is performed. This makes it easy to understand the procedure for returning to inspection mode even if the user unintentionally transitions to the setting value change process when the user wants to continue the inspection mode. Furthermore, because the setting value is intentionally changed after the operation that triggers the completion, the ability to return to inspection mode is determined depending on whether it is possible before or after the operation that triggers the completion.

[0179] In step S1105, preparations are made to send a setting value change start command to the first sub-control unit 400, which indicates that the setting value change mode has started.

[0180] In step S1106, it is determined whether or not the setting change button has been pressed. If the setting change button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S1107, and if not, the process proceeds to step S1108.

[0181] In step S1107, the setting value displayed on the setting value display is updated based on the setting value change operation. This setting value update is performed by adding 1 to the currently set setting values 1 to 6 each time the setting change button is pressed, and when the setting value exceeds 6, it returns to 1, and this process is repeated.

[0182] In step S1108, it is determined whether or not there has been an operation of start lever 135. If there has been an operation of start lever 135, the process proceeds to step S1109, and if not, the process returns to step S1108.

[0183] In step S1109, the setting value currently displayed on the setting value display (the setting value changed with a change operation and the setting value originally set without a change operation) is stored in the setting value storage area of RAM 308, and the setting value is confirmed.

[0184] In step S1110, it is determined based on the door open sensor whether the front door 102 is open. If the front door 102 is open, the process proceeds to step S1111, and if the front door 102 is not open, step S1110 is repeated.

[0185] In step S1111, it is determined whether the setting key switch has been switched from ON to OFF. If the setting key switch has been switched OFF, the process proceeds to step S1112; if not, the process of step S1110 is repeated.

[0186] In step S1112, the setting value displayed on the setting value display is made invisible.

[0187] In step S1113, preparations are made to send a setting value change end command to the first sub-control unit 400, which indicates that the setting value change mode has ended.

[0188] <Out-of-area processing when power is turned on> Next, the power-on out-of-area processing will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the power-on out-of-area processing in step S1003 of Fig. 13. The power-on out-of-area processing is executed using data in the unused areas of ROM and RWM.

[0189] In step S1201, a checksum of the unused area of the RWM is calculated.

[0190] In step S1202, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality in the checksum calculation in step S1201. If there is no abnormality in the checksum calculation (step S1202: NO), the process proceeds to step S1203, and if there is an abnormality in the checksum calculation (step S1204: YES), the process proceeds to step S1204.

[0191] In step S1203, the MY counter in the unused area of the RWM is initialized. Note that this MY counter is used to determine whether the complete function is activated.

[0192] On the other hand, in step S1204, it is determined that there is a backup abnormality, and then in step S1205, error processing is executed.

[0193] <Test mode start determination process> Next, the inspection mode start determination process will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the inspection mode start determination process in step S1005 of Fig. 13. The inspection mode start determination process is executed using data in the unused areas of the ROM and RWM.

[0194] In step S1301, it is determined whether the front door 102 is open and whether the left stop button 137 and the right stop button 139 are being operated simultaneously. If the front door 102 is open and the left stop button 137 and the right stop button 139 are being operated simultaneously (step S1301: YES), the process proceeds to step S1303; otherwise (step S1301: NO), the process proceeds to step S1302.

[0195] In step S1302, it is determined whether the front door 102 is open and the settlement button 134 and the bet button 130 (one coin bet button) are being operated simultaneously. If the front door 102 is open and the settlement button 134 and the bet button 130 are being operated simultaneously (step S1302: YES), the process proceeds to step S1303; if not (step S1301: NO), the process proceeds to step S1304.

[0196] In step S1303, an inspection mode start process (described in detail later) is executed to start the inspection mode. That is, in this embodiment, when the power is turned on, the inspection mode is started in the following cases: (1) the front door 102 is opened and the left stop button 137 and the right stop button 139 are operated simultaneously (see FIG. 8), or (2) the front door 102 is opened and the settlement button 134 and the bet button 130 are operated simultaneously. In the case of (2) above, this is in consideration of the case where the stop button has malfunctioned, and the inspection mode is started By providing multiple procedures for starting the inspection mode, even if a malfunction occurs in one of the operation means, the inspection mode can be started using the other operation means. In the case of (1) above, the condition is set to be the simultaneous operation of the left stop button 137 and the right stop button 139, but the condition may be set to be the operation of either the left stop button 137 or the right stop button 139.

[0197] In step S1304, it is determined whether the inspection mode flag is ON. If the inspection mode flag is ON (step S1304: YES), the process proceeds to step S1305, and if the inspection mode flag is OFF (step S1304: NO), the inspection mode start determination process ends.

[0198] In step S1305, an inspection mode execution process (described in detail later) is executed. The inspection mode execution process in step S1305 is a process performed when power is restored after a power outage in the inspection mode (see FIG. 8).

[0199] Although not shown, if the RAM is faulty and the above (1) or (2) inspection mode start operation is not performed, the inspection mode execution process will not be executed even if the inspection mode flag is ON. The RAM value may be corrupted, Because there is a possibility that the test mode may not be executed properly or that the transition from test mode to gaming mode may not be properly performed, prioritizing RAM failure notification and error processing over transition to test mode can facilitate the resolution of RAM failure errors. If the test mode were to be transitioned to test mode while the RAM was defective, the RAM failure notification and error processing would be executed after the test mode, which could lead to the misconception that the test was not performed properly, making the test mode meaningless. Due to this concern, the system is configured not to transition to test mode if a RAM failure has occurred. While the system may transition to test mode even when the RAM is defective, in this case, the system may be configured to notify the RAM failure and execute RAM failure error processing after the test mode ends, or the RAM failure error may not be resolved upon termination of the test mode. This configuration makes it easy to determine whether the system has returned to normal. If the RAM failure error were resolved upon transition to or termination of test mode, it would be difficult to determine whether the system had returned to normal, which would reduce the maintainability of the gaming machine. However, this system can prevent such problems from occurring.

[0200] <Inspection mode start process> Next, the inspection mode start processing will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the inspection mode start processing in step S1303 in Fig. 16. The inspection mode start processing is executed using data in the unused areas of the ROM and RWM.

[0201] In step S1401, an inspection mode transition command is sent to the medal count control unit 350. The inspection mode transition command is a command indicating that the slot machine 100 has transitioned to the inspection mode. By receiving the inspection mode transition command, the medal count control unit 350 understands that the slot machine 100 is in the inspection mode.

[0202] In step S1402, an inspection mode transition command is sent to the first sub-control unit 400. By receiving the inspection mode transition command, the first sub-control unit 400 determines that the slot machine 100 is in inspection mode.

[0203] In step S1403, the inspection mode flag is set to ON.

[0204] In step S1404, an inspection mode execution process (described in detail later) is executed.

[0205] In this embodiment, the medal count control unit 350 and the first sub-control unit 400 know that the mode is the inspection mode by sending the inspection mode transition command, but the medal count control unit 350 and the first sub-control unit 400 may be configured to know that the mode is the inspection mode by a different method. For example, the medal count control unit 350 and the first sub-control unit 400 may be configured to know that the mode is the inspection mode based on receiving a command sent during the inspection mode execution process described below (steps S1506 and S1507 in Figure 18). In this case, the main control unit 300 does not need to send the inspection mode transition command. In this way, During processing executed in the inspection mode, the processing load on the game control unit 302 can be reduced by notifying the medal count control unit 350 and the first sub-control unit 400 that the inspection mode is in effect.

[0206] In addition, in this embodiment, the inspection mode flag is set to ON during the inspection mode start process, but the timing for turning ON the inspection mode flag is not limited to this. The inspection mode flag may be turned ON between the time when the power is turned on and the time when the power is turned off. This is because if the inspection mode flag is ON when power is interrupted, the inspection mode can be restored when power is restored.

[0207] <Test mode execution process> Next, the inspection mode execution process will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the inspection mode execution process in step S1305 in Fig. 16 and step S1404 in Fig. 17. The inspection mode execution process is executed using data in the unused areas of the ROM and RWM.

[0208] In step S1501, an initial setting process at the start of the inspection mode is executed. The initial setting process at the start of the inspection mode will now be described in detail with reference to Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the initial setting process at the start of the inspection mode in step S1501 of Fig. 18.

[0209] First, in step S1601, the unused area of the RWM (see FIG. 5) is initialized, and then in step S1602, an initial value (specifically, 1.49 msec) is set in timer count 2. Here, timer count 2 is a timer for periodically executing the loop process from step 1502 to step S1510 in FIG. 18 at a fixed time (1.49 msec). The time interval for the loop process is set to 1.49 msec to match the reset period of the WDT, the time for one step of the reel rotation process, and the period of dynamic lighting control in the 7-segment display. By doing this, in game mode, The periodic processing can be guaranteed even in the inspection mode, and the reliability and stability of the inspection mode can be ensured from the viewpoint of whether it operates in the same way as in the game mode. Timer count 1 is the timer count used for the main control unit timer interrupt processing (Figure 10).

[0210] Returning to Fig. 18, in step S1502, port-related processing is executed. The port-related processing is processing for outputting test data generated in the test processing in step S1504 (described later) to a port, and for acquiring test data transmitted from another control unit from an input port. The port-related processing will now be described in detail with reference to Fig. 20. Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the port-related processing in step S1502 of Fig. 18.

[0211] First, in step S1701, the reel control data (test drum control information in FIG. 5) stored in the unused area of the RWM is output to a port, and then in step S1702, the state of the input port (state of the input switch) is stored in the port input state information (see FIG. 5) in the unused area of the RWM. In this embodiment, the reel control data is output in the first step of the loop processing (step S1502), so it is possible to output the reel control data stably at regular intervals regardless of the amount of data processed.

[0212] Note that when reel control data is output to a port in step S1701, the reel control data must first be set in the unused area of the RWM (the reel control data is set during reel inspection, which will be described later), and then the data must be re-read from the unused area of the RWM. Furthermore, because the data setting and data output processes are separated, additional time is required for the cycle time of the loop processing. However, because the reel control data is stored in the unused area of the RWM, these disadvantages are not essentially a problem. Note that the method for outputting reel control data to a port is not limited to this; the reel control data may be set and then immediately output to a port. In this case, the above-mentioned disadvantages do not occur, but the timing of data output may be unstable depending on the amount of data processed.

[0213] Returning to Fig. 18, in step S1503, menu selection processing is executed. Here, the menu selection processing will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 21 and Fig. 22(a). Fig. 21 is a menu transition diagram of the examination screen, and Fig. 22(a) shows the menu screen of the examination mode.

[0214] As shown in FIG. 22(a), the menu screen in the inspection mode of this embodiment displays three inspection items: "Input Inspection," "Main Control Output Inspection," and "Sub-Control Output Inspection." Here, the input inspection is an inspection of the input units (e.g., various buttons, various sensors, etc.) of the slot machine 100. The input inspection covers not only the input units managed by the main control unit 300 but also the input units managed by the first sub-control unit 400. The main control output inspection is an inspection of the display units, lamps, and reels managed by the main control unit 300. The sub-control output inspection is an inspection of the performance devices (e.g., speakers, movable gimmicks, etc.) managed by the first sub-control unit 400 and the second sub-control unit 500. As shown in FIG. 21, the inspector can select an inspection item by operating the left and right stop buttons (specifically, operating the left stop button 137 moves the cursor up, and operating the right stop button 139 moves the cursor down), and can confirm the selected item by operating the bet button 132 (see the menu operation data in FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 21, in the "input inspection screen" and "sub-control output inspection", the operation of the bet button 130 will return you to the inspection screen (even while the inspection is in progress, the operation of the bet button 130 will return you to the inspection screen).

[0215] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in consideration of malfunctions of the stop button and bet button, another method is also provided for selecting and determining the test item. The other method is a method in which the test item is selected by detection of the index sensor of the left reel 110, and the selected test item is determined by detection of the index sensor of the right reel 112. That is, the tester manually spins the left reel 110 once (forward or reverse) to select the test item, and manually spins the right reel 112 once to determine the selected test item.

[0216] Returning to Figure 18, in step S1504, an inspection process is executed. Here, the inspection process will be explained in detail using Figures 22 to 24. Note that the inspection process in step S1504 is a process that simply generates data and sets data for the inspection, and is not a process of executing the inspection (for example, sending a command to the medal count control unit 350 if the inspection is performed by the medal count control unit 350, sending a command to the first sub-control unit 400 if the inspection is performed by the first sub-control unit 400, outputting reel control data to a port, or outputting lighting data for a 7-segment display or LED to a port, etc.).

[0217] First, the input check process when "input check" is selected in the menu selection process of step S1503 will be explained using Figure 22(b) and Figure 23. Figure 22(b) shows one screen of the input check, and Figure 23 is a diagram explaining the operation of the input check.

[0218] During input testing, as shown in FIG. 22(b), a list of target test items is displayed, and the list of test items displays the current test status of each test item. "Not detected" indicates that the sensor of the corresponding input unit is not detecting, i.e., testing is not in progress, while "Detected" indicates that the sensor of the corresponding input unit is detecting, i.e., testing is in progress. For example, when performing input testing for the stop button 137, the "Stop button left" displayed on the screen changes from "Not detected" to "Detecting" (the text color is also inverted), and a "completion sound" is output when the test is complete. Note that in this embodiment, the completion sound is output when the sensor changes from not detected to detected; however, the completion sound may also be output when the sensor subsequently changes from detected to not detected.

[0219] During the input inspection, in addition to the display (non-detection, detecting) on the liquid crystal display device 157, other devices are also used to notify that an inspection is in progress. One is a monitor LED disposed on the main control board, and the other is a push button 190. That is, when the sensor being inspected is in the detecting state, the monitor LED is lit and the push button 190 emits light. In this embodiment, in order to check the lighting state of the monitor LED, the main control board must be checked with the front door 102 open. Therefore, the push button 190, which is easier to check, is also set as an inspection notification device, thereby reducing the hassle of having to open the front door 102 enough to check the monitor LED on the main control board.

[0220] Fig. 23 shows the notification modes of each device when an input check is performed on the stop button 137. Fig. 23(a) shows the display modes of the liquid crystal display device 157 before and after the operation of the stop button 137, and Fig. 23(b) shows the display mode of the liquid crystal display device 157 during the operation of the stop button 137. Fig. 23(a) shows a timing chart when the operation of the stop button 137 is a short press (a single press in a short time), and Fig. 23(b) shows a timing chart when the operation of the stop button 137 is a long press (continuous press). The screens shown in Figs. 23(a) and (b) are displayed during the periods indicated by (a) and (b) in the timing charts of Figs. 23(a) and (b), respectively.

[0221] When the stop button 137 is pressed for a short time, as shown in FIG. 23(a), the monitor LED lights up for a pressing time T1 from the start of pressing, and the liquid crystal display device 157 displays "detection in progress" for the pressing time T1 from the start of pressing. Meanwhile, the test completion sound is output for a predetermined time TA (one-shot period) from the start of pressing, and the push button 190 is lit for the predetermined time TA from the start of pressing. In contrast, when the stop button 137 is pressed for a long time, as shown in FIG. 23(b), the monitor LED lights up for a pressing time T2 from the start of pressing, and the liquid crystal display device 157 displays "detection in progress" for the pressing time T2 from the start of pressing. Meanwhile, the test completion sound is output for the predetermined time TA from the start of pressing, and the push button 190 is lit for the predetermined time TA from the start of pressing.

[0222] In this way, the notification time of the stop button 137, monitor LED, and liquid crystal display device 157 is a time corresponding to the pressing time of the stop button 137 (detection time of the sensor to be tested), but the notification time of the test completion sound and the PUSH button 190 is a predetermined time (one-shot period) regardless of the pressing time of the stop button 137 (detection time of the sensor to be tested). Note that the notification time of the test completion sound and the PUSH button 190 may also be a time corresponding to the detection time of the sensor to be tested.

[0223] Next, the main control output test when "main control output test" is selected in the menu selection process of step S1503 will be explained using Figure 22(c) and Figure 24. Figure 22(c) shows one screen of the main control output test, and Figure 24 shows the screen transition of the liquid crystal display device 157 during the main control output test.

[0224] In the main control output test of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, first, the medal count indicator (7-segment display, LED) managed by the medal count control unit 350 is tested, then the status indicator (7-segment display, LED) managed by the main control unit 300 is tested, and finally, the reels 110-112 managed by the main control unit 300 are tested. Once the main control output test is started, each step is automatically executed sequentially (see FIG. 24), and the test cannot be canceled midway (though the input test and sub-control output test can be canceled by operating the bet button 130 even while they are in progress). Once all steps of the input test are completed, the screen returns to the test mode menu screen (see FIG. 24). During the main control output test, the LCD display 157 notifies the user of the current test status (e.g., testing the medal count indicator, testing the status indicator, etc.), and also displays a schematic diagram of the gaming machine, highlighting the currently tested area on the schematic diagram. When each test step is completed, a completion sound is output.

[0225] Note that inspection programs and data are also stored in the medal count control unit 350, and these programs and data may be used to perform inspection operations on displays controlled by the medal count control unit 350. Furthermore, when performing inspection operations on displays controlled by the medal count control unit 350, the medal count control unit may perform timer interrupt processing to light up various segments and LEDs and output ports. This configuration allows the program and data configuration in the medal count control unit to be simpler than the program and data in the main control unit, thereby reducing the amount of work required to develop a gaming machine.

[0226] Here, the medal count display is the gaming medal count display device 170 shown in FIG. 1, and the inspection of the medal count display device is performed by sequentially turning on and off each segment of the gaming medal count display device 170. However, alternatively, the inspection may be performed by sequentially turning on each segment of the gaming medal count display device 170 (eventually lighting all segments). The status indicators include indicators such as the payout number indicator 127, the replay lamp 122, the gaming medal insertion lamp 129, the game start lamp 121, the bet button 130 lamp, and the bet button 132 lamp, and the inspection of the status indicator is performed by sequentially turning on and off each segment of the above indicators. Furthermore, the inspection of the reels 110-112 involves sequentially rotating the reels 110-112 forward, rotating backward, and vibrating slightly. In detail, in the inspection of reels 110 to 112, in step S1504, the inspection reel data (see Figure 4) in the unused area of the ROM is set as reel control information (see inspection reel control information in Figure 5) in the unused area of the RWM, and in the port-related processing of step S1502 described above, the set reel control information is output to the port.

[0227] In addition, the inspection of the reels 110 to 112 may be a reel inspection that accepts the rotation and stop operations of the inspector. Specifically, the reel inspection may be performed by repeatedly operating the start lever 135, rotating all the reels 110 to 112, and operating the stop buttons 137 to 139 to sequentially stop the symbols of predetermined numbers. For example, the first time, the symbol of number 0 on all the reels 110 to 112 may be stopped, and the second time, the symbol of number 1 on all the reels 110 to 112 may be stopped, and so on until the symbols up to number 20 are stopped. It may also be determined that the reel is defective if the reel index is not detected within a specified time after the reel is started. After the reel inspection is complete, the reels may be returned to their initial position. This configuration prevents gameplay from starting based on the behavior caused by the reel inspection, ensuring the fairness of gaming machines. Specifically, depending on the reel arrangement, if the reel inspection ends with a specific symbol, such as a highly visible 7 symbol, players may be able to time their play when starting a game. This could result in a difference in the difficulty of timing the button presses between the inspected and uninspected gaming machines, potentially making the gaming machines less fair and impartial. Even in a reel arrangement that does not result in a specific symbol being lined up, the reels may rattle when starting the first game because the machine transitions from inspection mode to play mode after changing the settings (the excitation phase data is initialized, and the rattle occurs when the reels start because it is not consistent with the actual stopped state). This could clearly indicate that the settings have been changed or that the gaming machine has been through inspection mode, potentially affecting the operation of the gaming parlor when it first opens. The reels may be returned to their original positions automatically, or may be started with a random delay (starting the reels sequentially at random times) and then stopped at any position.

[0228] In addition, in the reel inspection in the inspection mode, even if a specific symbol is aligned when the reels stop, a specific external signal is not output. For example, when the reel inspection that accepts the rotation operation and stop operation of the inspector is performed as described above, even if the BB2 symbol of the number 12 shown in Figure 7(a) is aligned and stopped on all the reels 110 to 112, a BB signal is not output.

[0229] Finally, the sub-control output test when "Sub-control output test" is selected in the menu selection process of step S1503 will be explained using FIG. 22(d). FIG. 22(d) shows one screen of the sub-control output test. In the sub-control output test, a list of target test items is displayed, similar to the input test screen, and the list of test items displays the current test status of each test item. "Not detected" indicates that the corresponding output unit (performance device) is not detecting anything, i.e., not in test, and "detected" indicates that the corresponding output unit (performance device) is detecting anything, i.e., in test. In the sub-control output test, the tester operates the selection buttons (left stop button 137, right stop button 139) and the decision button (bet button 132) to select the desired test item, and the test of the selected item is performed. When the test is completed, a completion sound is output to indicate the completion of the test. For example, when a lighting test is performed, the lighting is illuminated in a test light emission mode, and when a speaker test is performed, a test sound is output from the target speaker. Also, When a full inspection is performed, the inspection operations (inspection light, inspection operation, inspection test sound) of all inspection objects such as lighting, upper right speaker, upper left speaker, lower speaker, effect button vibration, movable parts, etc. are performed in order. The sub-control output inspection screen displays a schematic diagram of the gaming machine's exterior, and the corresponding part of the item being inspected is displayed in color, so you can intuitively understand which part of the gaming machine is being inspected.

[0230] Returning to Fig. 18, in step S1505, a command is received from the medal count control unit 350. In detail, the command received from the medal count control unit 350 is stored in the unused area of the RWM as inspection medal count control command reception data (see Fig. 5). Specifically, a command indicating input information of the count button 171 and game medal clear button 172 connected to the medal count control unit 350 is received.

[0231] In step S1506, a command is sent to the medal count control unit 350. More specifically, the medal count control unit 350 sends the medal count control command transmission data for inspection (see FIG. 5) set in the non-use area of the RWM to the medal count control unit 350. Specifically, the medal count control unit 350 sends a command indicating the start of inspection of the game medal number display device 170 to the medal count control unit 350. Upon receiving the command indicating the start of inspection of the game medal number display device 170, the medal count control unit 350 performs an inspection to light up the game medal number display device 170.

[0232] In step S1507, a command is sent to the first sub-control unit 400. More specifically, the sub-control command transmission data for inspection (see Figure 5) set in the unused area of the RWM is sent to the first sub-control unit 400. Specifically, a command including the state of the inspection menu, the state of the input unit, etc. is sent to the first sub-control unit 400. For example, the first sub-control unit 400 updates and displays the inspection screen (input inspection screen, main control unit output inspection, sub-control output inspection) displayed on the liquid crystal display device 157 based on the received command.

[0233] In step S1508, lighting processing of the 7-segment display and LED is performed in accordance with lighting data of the 7-segment display and LED controlled by the main control unit 300, which was generated when the main control unit output inspection was performed in the inspection processing of step S1504.

[0234] In step S1509, it is determined whether a power outage has been detected. If a power outage has not been detected (step S1508: NO), the process proceeds to step S1510, and if a power outage has been detected (step S1508: YES), the process proceeds to step S1511.

[0235] In step S1510, the process waits until timer count 2 times out (1.49 msec has elapsed). After waiting, the process returns to step S1502. In this way, the inspection mode execution process of this embodiment repeatedly executes the loop process (steps S1502 to S1510) in the inspection mode execution process unless a power outage is detected.

[0236] On the other hand, in step S1511, inspection mode termination processing (described in detail later) is executed to terminate the inspection mode execution processing. The inspection mode termination processing will now be described in detail with reference to Fig. 25. Fig. 25 is a flowchart showing in detail the flow of the inspection mode termination processing in step 1511 of Fig. 18.

[0237] First, in step S1901, the checksum of the RWM is calculated and stored, and then in step S1902, access to the RWM is prohibited. Note that in the inspection mode termination process, no process is performed to retain the state at the time of power outage. Also, in the inspection mode termination process, an inspection mode termination command indicating the end of inspection mode is not sent to the medal count control unit 350 and the first sub-control unit 400. The medal count control unit 350 and the first sub-control unit 400 determine whether or not they are in inspection mode based on the first command they receive the next time the power is turned on (inspection mode transition command, inspection mode execution process command).

[0238] The main control unit 300 may send an inspection mode end command to the medal count control unit 350 and the first sub-control unit 400, and the medal count control unit 350 and the first sub-control unit 400 may be able to know that the inspection mode has ended based on receiving other commands. For example, if the inspection mode is executed in a setting change state, the end of the inspection mode may be known by receiving a setting change end command.

[0239] As described above, in the inspection mode execution process of this embodiment, pseudo timer interrupt processing is executed in the main control unit main processing, as shown in steps S1502 to S1510 in Fig. 18. Note that while this pseudo timer interrupt processing is being executed, the main control unit timer interrupt processing is not being executed (the main control unit timer interrupt processing (see Fig. 10) remains in a prohibited state in the startup initial setting in step S1002 in Fig. 13). This is for the following reason.

[0240] One reason is that in inspection mode, the system is configured to output data from unused areas (for example, reel control data, LED lighting data, etc.) to a port to perform an inspection. However, if the main control unit timer interrupt process is being executed at the same time, the port output of data from the unused area may overlap with the port output because they share the same output terminal, and the port data may be overwritten. In other words, there is a possibility that the inspection may not be executed normally. For this reason, the main control unit timer interrupt process is not executed while the pseudo timer interrupt process is being executed.

[0241] Another reason is that due to the specifications of the chip in the gaming control unit 302, the timer interrupt processing (interrupt vector table) must be located at adjacent addresses. However, from the perspective of preventing fraud, it is required that data in the in-use area and data in the out-of-use area not be located adjacent to each other (an unused area must be located between the in-use area and the out-of-use area), so either the main control timer interrupt processing or the pseudo timer interrupt processing must be stopped. For this reason, in this embodiment, the main control timer interrupt processing is not executed.

[0242] As described above, the main control timer interrupt process is started in step S1009 or step S1010 of the main control unit initial setting process in Figure 13. For example, if power is cut off while the inspection mode is being executed and an inspection is not executed the next time power is turned on, the main control unit timer interrupt process is started in step S1009 or step S1010 of the main control unit initial setting process when power is next turned on. However, separately from this, the main control timer interrupt process may be started when the inspection mode ends, and such a configuration allows the timer interrupt process to be started without waiting for the main control unit initial setting process when power is turned on.

[0243] 13, the present embodiment is configured such that the inspection mode is called in the main processing using the programs and data in the in-use area of the main control unit, and then the inspection mode is executed in the main processing using the programs and data in the out-of-use area, and once the inspection mode is entered, the main processing in the in-use area does not proceed, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the main processing in the in-use area may continue to be executed and wait until the inspection mode is completed. By using such a configuration, the program configuration can be simplified.

[0244] <Operation of the Yaku Ratio Monitor> Next, the lighting state of the role ratio monitor will be described with reference to Fig. 26. First, with reference to Fig. 26(a) and (b) and Fig. 26(a), (b) and (c), the lighting state of the role ratio monitor when the slot machine 100 is in the game mode and setting change state after power-on will be described.

[0245] Here, the role ratio monitor is a four-digit seven-segment display mounted on the main control board, and displays various ratios for evaluating the degree of gambling activity of the gaming machine. For example, it displays ratios such as the role ratio, consecutive role ratio, advantageous zone ratio, role ratio with instructions, and role status ratio. Figure 26(A) shows the role ratio monitor in its all-off state, Figure 26(B) shows the role ratio monitor's test pattern state, and Figure 26(C) shows the role ratio monitor's ratio display state. Note that the test pattern state in this embodiment shows a full lighting pattern in which each segment is lit from the beginning, but is not limited to this, and may also be a sequential lighting pattern in which each segment is lit sequentially until all segments are lit.

[0246] FIG. 26(a) is a timing chart showing the lighting state of the role ratio monitor when transitioning to gaming mode after power-on, and FIG. 26(b) is a timing chart showing the lighting state of the role ratio monitor when transitioning to a setting change state after power-on and then transitioning to gaming mode. As shown in FIGS. 26(a) and 26(b), after power-on, the role ratio monitor lights up in a test pattern mode for a predetermined time TC (e.g., 5 seconds), and then lights up in a ratio display mode. In this embodiment, the light starts to light up in the test pattern mode after the power recovery process is completed, but it may also start to light up in the test pattern mode during the power recovery process. In this case, the light to light up in the test pattern mode may end during the power recovery process or after the power recovery process.

[0247] Figures 26(c) and (d) are timing charts showing the lighting state of the role ratio monitor when the machine transitions to the inspection mode after power-on. When the machine transitions to the inspection mode after power-on, the role ratio monitor is configured to turn off. The inspector can understand that the machine has transitioned to the inspection mode by looking at the role ratio monitor without looking at the liquid crystal display device 157. However, various patterns are conceivable for the way the role ratio monitor turns off. For example, (1) The role ratio monitor lights up for a predetermined time TC (for example, 5 seconds) and then turns off. (2) The role ratio monitor is fully lit for a time shorter than a predetermined time TC (for example, 5 seconds), and then fully extinguished. (3) The role ratio monitor is fully lit for a specified time, but is fully turned off when the inspection mode starts. (4) The role ratio monitor will turn off when it detects the operation to switch to inspection mode (power on + door open + left and right stop button operation). The patterns are as follows:

[0248] Figure 26(c) shows the pattern (4) above, in which the role ratio monitor is completely off from time t1 and time t2 of the operation to switch to the inspection mode until the time of the operation to switch to the inspection mode. In particular, Figure 26(c) is a timing chart showing the lighting state of the role ratio monitor when switching to the inspection mode after the first and second power restorations, and is a timing chart when switching to the setting change state after the third power restoration and then switching to the game mode. In this case, the role ratio monitor lights up in the test pattern mode when switching to the setting change state after the third power restoration, and then lights up in the ratio display mode. By configuring it in this way, Since the role ratio monitor is not lit when the power is turned on, it can be recognized that the operation to switch to the inspection mode was valid, and the continued off state makes it possible to understand that the mode has been switched to the inspection mode. However, as a modified example, even when switching to the inspection mode after the power is restored, the role ratio monitor may be lit in a test pattern mode and then in a ratio display mode.

[0249] Figure 26(d) shows the pattern (3) above, in which the role ratio monitor lights up in a test pattern during the first and second power recovery processes (a predetermined time), but is completely turned off when the inspection mode begins. More specifically, Figure 26(d) is a timing chart showing the lighting state of the role ratio monitor when transitioning to inspection mode after the first and second power recovery, and a timing chart showing the transition to a setting change state after the third power recovery and then transitioning to game mode. By configuring in this way, the role ratio monitor lights up when the power is turned on, allowing the player to recognize that the power has been turned on, and the role ratio monitor then goes out, allowing the player to grasp the timing of transition to inspection mode.

[0250] In this embodiment, the role ratio monitor is turned off during the inspection mode, but the role ratio monitor may be turned on during the inspection mode. By configuring in this way, it is possible to confirm that the role ratio monitor is also operating normally during the inspection mode.

[0251] <Modification> Main control unit initial setting process In the main control unit initial setting process (see FIG. 13) of this embodiment, the setting change process is prioritized over the inspection mode process, i.e., a determination as to whether to transition to the setting change state is made first (step S1004 in FIG. 13), and then a determination as to whether to transition to the inspection mode is made (step S1005 in FIG. 13). However, the inspection mode process may be prioritized over the setting change process. For example, as shown in FIG. 27, a determination as to whether to transition to the inspection mode may be made first (step S1005A), and then a determination as to whether to transition to the setting change state is made (step S1004A). Note that FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing the flow of a modified example of the main control unit initial setting process.

[0252] Inspection mode start determination process In the inspection mode start determination process of this embodiment (see FIG. 16 ), the inspection mode is started by opening the front door 102 and simultaneously operating the left stop button 137 and the right stop button 139 when the power is turned on (step S1301 in FIG. 16 ). However, the operation that triggers the start of the inspection mode is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 28 , the inspection mode start process (step S2102) may be triggered by turning on the setting key switch and operating the reset button (step S2101: YES). FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing the flow of a modified example of the inspection mode start determination process. In this way, by requiring some operation simultaneously with turning on the setting key switch as the operation to start the inspection mode, it is possible to prevent unintentional transition to the inspection mode. Furthermore, the need for a setting key also improves security. In step S2101 of Figure 28, the trigger is "turning the setting key switch ON and operating the reset button," but the trigger may also be "turning the setting key switch ON and operating the left stop button 137 and the right stop button 139 simultaneously," or "turning the setting key switch ON and operating the settlement button and the 1 bet button simultaneously," as in the example shown in Figure 16.

[0253] Inspection mode process flow FIG. 29 is a modified example showing the flow of inspection in the inspection mode. For example, as shown in FIG. 29, the input inspection and the reel inspection may be performed simultaneously. That is, first, an operation confirmation inspection of the bet button 132, then an operation confirmation inspection of the bet button 130, then an input inspection of the counting buttons, then an operation confirmation of the start lever 135 and an operation confirmation of the stop buttons 137 to 139, and a reel inspection may be performed. In this modified example, when an operation button is operated, a confirmation sound is output from the speaker and a message indicating that the operation has been performed is displayed on the liquid crystal display device 157.

[0254] In the reel inspection, the rotation and stopping of symbols numbered 0 to 20 are repeatedly performed on all reels 110 to 112. More specifically, in the first reel inspection, after all reels 110 to 112 are rotated, the start lever is operated and the stop buttons 137 to 139 are operated in sequence to stop the symbol numbered 0 on each of the reels 110 to 112. Next, in the second reel inspection, after all reels 110 to 112 are rotated, the start lever is operated and the stop buttons 137 to 139 are operated in sequence to stop the symbol numbered 1 on each of the reels 110 to 112. This operation and reel control are repeated 21 times, with the start lever and stop buttons 137 to 139 operated 21 times, until the symbol numbered 20 on each of the reels 110 to 112 is stopped.

[0255] The conditions under which the first stop operation can be accepted in reel inspection (specifically, the reel reaches a constant speed and index detection) are the same as the conditions under which the first stop operation can be accepted in normal play. However, the conditions under which the second and third stop operations can be accepted are different. In detail, in reel inspection, the second and third stop operations can be accepted after the reel that was last stopped has stopped, but in normal play, they are possible even if the reel that was last stopped has not stopped. In normal play, Because the reel stopping positions are determined by the winning combination of the game and the timing of the stop operation, the next reel stopping position can be determined even if the reels have not completely stopped. Therefore, in order to improve operability in game progression, it is possible to perform the next reel stop operation even if the reel that was last stopped is not stopped. On the other hand, in the inspection mode, since the player is required to confirm the operation of the stop button and the symbol to be stopped, if the reel stops as in normal game, it becomes difficult to understand the relationship between the stop button operation and the symbol to be stopped (it becomes difficult to understand the correspondence between the operation, such as pressing the left stop button stopping the symbol number ○ on the left reel). Therefore, in the inspection mode, the reel that was last stopped is stopped before the next reel stop operation is accepted. Note that this configuration is not limited to this, and the inspection mode may also be possible even if the reel that was last stopped is not stopped, as in normal game. By configuring it in this way, the inspection time can be shortened.

[0256] In addition, in the reel inspection in the inspection mode, even if a specific symbol is aligned when the reels stop, a specific external signal is not output. For example, even if the BB2 symbol (number 12 in FIG. 7(a)) is aligned on all the reels 110 to 112 and the reels stop, the BB signal is not output. If an external signal is output even when symbols are aligned in the inspection mode, Because the hall computer may tally more numbers than in actual play, in the inspection mode, a specific external signal is not output even when a specific symbol is lined up, thereby preventing over-tallying. Incidentally, not only when a BB symbol is lined up, but also when a winning combination that awards game value or a replay combination that awards a replay is lined up is not output, thereby preventing over-tallying of payout numbers. Furthermore, in addition to external signals, devices that would operate in normal play on a gaming machine may not operate in the inspection mode. For example, in normal play, when a replay combination that awards a replay is lined up, the replay lamp on the gaming machine lights up. However, by not lighting up the replay lamp even when a replay combination is lined up in the inspection mode, it is possible to prevent the user from mistaking the inspection mode for normal play.

[0257] The reel stop data (see Figure 4) used in the reel inspection is different from the stop data used in normal play. While the stop position is determined by the winning combination of the game and the timing of the stop operation, in the test mode the stop data is different because the game stops in a predetermined manner. Also, since the stop data in the test mode is located in the out-of-use area, the risk of the test mode stop data being referenced in normal play due to a malfunction of the gaming machine can be reduced compared to when the stop data in the test mode is located in the in-use area.

[0258] As another example of the inspection mode, the operation of a medal selector or a hopper serving as a medal dispensing device may be checked.

[0259] For example, when checking the operation of the medal selector, the solenoid is checked to see if it is operating properly. Furthermore, if the medal selector detects backflow during inspection mode, an error may be issued even during inspection mode, or an error may not be issued. When issuing an error notification, it is preferable to issue the notification according to the progress of the inspection. For example, if a reel inspection is in progress, an error notification may not be issued, but may wait until the selector inspection is complete before issuing an error notification. Furthermore, the error notification may be issued only by a display controlled by the main control unit, or may also be issued by a display controlled by the sub-control unit. This configuration allows defects and abnormalities to be identified without interfering with the ongoing inspection operation or the inspection results.

[0260] Furthermore, when checking the operation of the hopper, the hopper may be rotated to check its operation, but even if the conditions for an empty error (out of medals error) are met during this process, the error may not be notified or processed. Since the inspection mode is expected to be used most frequently during manufacturing at the factory, shipping, or delivery to an amusement parlor, at such times the hopper may not have enough medals and the conditions for an empty error are frequently met, which requires the effort of clearing the error, the inspection mode can reduce the hassle by not notifying or processing the error even if the conditions for an empty error are met.

[0261] <Summary of the embodiment> (1) As described above, according to the gaming machine (for example, slot machine 100) according to the above embodiment, A game state (e.g., a game mode) in which a game can be played; the test state (e.g., test mode) in which the test can be performed; Storage means (e.g., ROM 306, RAM 308); A gaming machine equipped with a control means (e.g., CPU 304), The storage means is a means including an area (hereinafter referred to as an in-use area) in which information for executing a game control process that controls the progress of a game is arranged, The storage means is a means including an area (hereinafter referred to as an out-of-use area) that is separate from the in-use area and in which information for executing processing other than the game control processing is arranged, the control means is means for executing a game in the gaming state according to information arranged in the in-use area; the control means is means for executing an inspection based on information stored in the unused area in the inspection state. This is the first basic configuration.

[0262] According to this first basic configuration, the information used in the inspection state is stored in the unused area, which simplifies the processing of the inspection state and prevents the capacity of the used area from being overwhelmed. In other words, it is possible to provide a gaming machine with improved management and maintenance functions.

[0263] "Information" includes data and programs, as well as input and output information (rising and falling edges) from ports in various sensors and switches. "Information for executing game control processing" includes data and programs related to reel control during game play, data and programs related to the internal lottery for winning symbols, data and programs related to the AT lottery, and data and programs related to the payout of game value. "Information for executing processing other than game control processing" includes not only data and programs related to the inspection mode, but also data and programs related to the detection of fraudulent activity, data and programs related to error detection and error processing, and data and programs related to the compilation of game history. However, it does not include information related to gameplay, such as data and programs related to reel control during game play, data and programs related to the internal lottery for winning symbols, and data and programs related to the AT lottery. In addition, the "game control processing" in the in-use area and the "processing other than game control processing" in the out-of-use area may contain common processing and information; for example, reel excitation data, phase, current value, and port monitoring processing related to operation detection of stop switches, start levers, etc. may be common data or a common program.

[0264] In the first basic configuration, A main process (for example, a main process in the main control unit) that is executed after power is turned on; timer interrupt processing (for example, main control unit timer interrupt processing) that is executed at predetermined time intervals after the start of execution of the main processing; The control means is a means for executing a specific process (for example, a reel drive control process) in the gaming state by the timer interrupt process using the information arranged in the use area, the control means is means for executing the specific process by the main process using information allocated in the unused area in the inspection state, The main process executed in the inspection state is executed at a predetermined time interval (for example, 1.49 msec) (for example, the inspection mode execution process in FIG. 18 ). This is the first preferred configuration.

[0265] According to the first preferred configuration, in the inspection state, specific processing is executed by main processing at predetermined time intervals using information placed in the unused area, so that specific processing in the inspection state can be executed without relying on data and programs in the used area and timer interrupt processing.

[0266] In the first preferred configuration, The control means is means for executing the timer interrupt process using information arranged in the use area in the gaming state, the control means is means for not executing the timer interrupt process using the information allocated in the in-use area in the inspection state. This is the second preferred configuration.

[0267] According to the second preferred configuration, timer interrupt processing using information from the in-use area is not executed in the inspection state, so that command communication using data from the in-use area and command communication using data from the out-of-use area do not conflict with each other at the same output terminal, thereby simplifying the program in the inspection state.

[0268] In the above basic configuration, first preferred configuration, or second preferred configuration, The inspection is an inspection regarding the operation of the reels (e.g., reels 110 to 112). This is the third preferred configuration.

[0269] According to the third preferred configuration, the operation of the reels can be inspected even when there is no gaming state.

[0270] In a third preferred configuration, The control means is a means for executing control (hereinafter referred to as "first control") to effectively accept a stop operation of the reels (for example, a first stop operation) based on the establishment of a specific condition (for example, the reels 110 to 112 becoming constant speed) in the gaming state, the control means is means for executing the first control based on the establishment of the specific condition in the inspection state. This is the fourth preferable configuration.

[0271] According to the fourth preferred configuration, the control that effectively accepts the stop operation required in the gaming state can be confirmed in the inspection state.

[0272] In a fourth preferred configuration, The control means is means for executing the first control using information arranged in the use area in the gaming state, the control means is means for executing the first control using information arranged in the unused area in the inspection state. This is the fifth preferable configuration.

[0273] According to the fifth preferred configuration, in the inspection state, control is executed to effectively accept the stop operation using information on the unused area, so that the program can be simplified.

[0274] (2) As described above, according to the gaming machine (for example, the slot machine 100) according to the above embodiment, As described above, according to the gaming machine (for example, slot machine 100) according to this embodiment, A game state (e.g., a game mode) in which a game can be played; the test state (e.g., test mode) in which the test can be performed; Storage means (e.g., ROM 306, RAM 308) A gaming machine equipped with a control means (e.g., CPU 304), The storage means is a means including an area (hereinafter referred to as an in-use area) in which information for executing a game control process that controls the progress of a game is arranged, The storage means is a means including an area (hereinafter referred to as an out-of-use area) that is separate from the in-use area and in which information for executing processing other than the game control processing is arranged, the control means is means for executing a game in the gaming state according to information arranged in the in-use area; the control means is means for executing an inspection based on information stored in the unused area in the inspection state; the control means is means for executing a specific process (for example, an external signal output process) when a specific symbol (for example, a BB symbol) is displayed as a result of executing a certain game in the gaming state; the control means is means for not executing the specific process when the specific pattern is displayed as a result of executing a certain test in the test state. This is the second basic configuration.

[0275] According to this second basic configuration, the information used in the inspection state is placed in the unused area, simplifying the inspection state processing and preventing the capacity of the used area from being overwhelmed. Furthermore, because specific processing that is performed in the game state is not performed in the inspection state, it is easy to recognize the inspection state. For example, if the specific processing is an external signal output, even if a specific symbol is aligned in the inspection state, the event can be prevented from being tallied by the hall computer or the winning ratio monitor. In other words, it is possible to provide a gaming machine with improved management and maintenance functions.

[0276] "Information" includes data and programs, as well as input and output information (rising and falling edges) from ports in various sensors and switches. "Information for executing game control processing" includes data and programs related to reel control during game play, data and programs related to the internal lottery for winning symbols, data and programs related to the AT lottery, and data and programs related to the payout of game value. "Information for executing processing other than game control processing" includes not only data and programs related to the inspection mode, but also data and programs related to the detection of fraudulent activity, data and programs related to error detection and error processing, and data and programs related to the compilation of game history. However, it does not include information related to gameplay, such as data and programs related to reel control during game play, data and programs related to the internal lottery for winning symbols, and data and programs related to the AT lottery. In addition, the "game control processing" in the in-use area and the "processing other than game control processing" in the out-of-use area may contain common processing and information; for example, reel excitation data, phase, current value, and port monitoring processing related to operation detection of stop switches, start levers, etc. may be common data or a common program.

[0277] In the second basic configuration, The certain inspection is an inspection regarding the operation of the reels (e.g., reels 110 to 112). This is the sixth preferable configuration.

[0278] According to a sixth preferred configuration, the operation of the reels can be inspected even when there is no gaming status.

[0279] In the sixth preferred configuration, The control means is a means for executing control (hereinafter referred to as "first control") to effectively accept a stop operation of the reels (for example, a first stop operation) based on the establishment of a specific condition (for example, the reels 110 to 112 becoming constant speed) in the gaming state, the control means is means for executing the first control based on the establishment of the specific condition in the inspection state. This is the seventh preferred configuration.

[0280] According to the seventh preferred configuration, inspections to check the operation of the reels can be performed even when the game is not in progress, and the control that effectively accepts the stopping operations required in the game can be confirmed to be operational in the inspection state.

[0281] In a seventh preferred configuration, the control means is means for executing the first control using information arranged in the use area in the gaming state; the control means is means for executing the first control using information arranged in the unused area in the inspection state. This is the eighth preferable configuration.

[0282] According to the eighth preferable configuration, in the inspection state, control is executed to effectively accept the stop operation using information on the unused area, so that the program can be simplified.

[0283] In the second basic configuration, the sixth preferred configuration, the seventh preferred configuration, or the eighth preferred configuration, A main process (for example, a main process in the main control unit) that is executed after power is turned on; After the main process starts, a timer interrupt process (for example, a main control unit timer interrupt process) is executed at predetermined time intervals. The control means is means for executing the timer interrupt process using information arranged in the use area in the gaming state, the control means is means for not executing the timer interrupt process using the information allocated in the in-use area in the inspection state. This is the ninth preferred configuration.

[0284] According to the ninth preferred configuration, timer interrupt processing using information from the in-use area is not executed in the inspection state, so that command communication using data from the in-use area and command communication using data from the out-of-use area do not conflict with each other at the same output terminal, thereby simplifying the program in the inspection state.

[0285] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention, and such modifications and changes are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the actions and effects described in the embodiments of the invention are merely a list of the most preferable actions and effects resulting from the present invention, and the actions and effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0286] [Embodiment B] <<Embodiment 1>> Hereinafter, a gaming machine (slot machine) according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0287] <Overall structure> First, the overall configuration of the slot machine 100 will be described with reference to Figure 30. Figure 30 is an external perspective view of the slot machine 100 as seen from the front side (player side).

[0288] The slot machine 100 shown in Figure 30 corresponds to an example of the gaming machine of the present invention, and includes a main body 101 and a front door 102 attached to the front of the main body 101 and capable of opening and closing relative to the main body 101. Three reels (left reel 110, center reel 111, right reel 112) with a variety of symbols arranged on their outer peripheries are housed inside the center of the main body 101 (not shown), and are configured to be rotatable inside the slot machine 100. These reels 110 to 112 are driven to rotate by a drive device such as a stepping motor.

[0289] In this embodiment, an appropriate number of symbols are printed at equal intervals on a strip-shaped member, and this strip-shaped member is attached to a predetermined circular cylindrical frame to form each of the reels 110-112 (see Figure 61). When viewed from the player, the symbols on the reels 110-112 are displayed vertically in approximately three rows through a symbol display window 113 provided in front of each of the reels 110-112, so that a total of nine symbols can be seen.

[0290] By spinning each of the reels 110-112, the combination of symbols visible to the player changes. In other words, each of the reels 110-112 functions as a display device that variably displays a combination of multiple types of symbols. Note that, in addition to reels, electronic image display devices such as liquid crystal display devices can also be used as such display devices. In addition, in this embodiment, three reels are provided inside the center of the slot machine 100, but the number of reels and the installation positions of the reels are not limited to this.

[0291] An optical sensor (also called an index sensor, not shown) consisting of a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section is provided near each of the reels 110 to 112 inside the slot machine 100, and a light-shielding piece of a certain length provided on the reel passes between the light-emitting section and the light-receiving section of this optical sensor. Based on the detection results of this sensor, the rotational position of the symbols on the reel is determined, and the reels 110 to 112 are stopped so that the target symbols are displayed on the pay line.

[0292] On the back of the reels 110 to 112, there are disposed reel backlights 264 (see Figures 36(a) and 37; details will be described later) for illuminating the individual symbols displayed in the symbol display windows 113. In addition, below the reels 110 to 112, there are disposed status display LEDs 280 (see Figure 32; details will be described later) for notifying various statuses of the slot machine 100. The reel panel lamps 128 are lamps for effect purposes.

[0293] The bet buttons 130 to 132 are buttons for inserting a predetermined number of medals (called credits) electronically stored in the slot machine 100. In this embodiment, each time the bet button 130 is pressed, one medal is inserted up to a maximum of three medals, when the bet button 131 is pressed, two medals are inserted, and when the bet button 132 is pressed, three medals are inserted. Hereinafter, the bet button 132 is also referred to as the MAX bet button.

[0294] The effect button 156 is an operating means that can be operated by the player. In this embodiment, it is configured as a button that can be pressed by the player and is used for various effects. The operating means used for such effects is not limited to a button, and may be configured as, for example, a lever or a touch panel, or multiple operating means may be provided.

[0295] The medal insertion slot 141 is an insertion slot through which a player inserts medals when starting a game. That is, medals can be inserted electronically using the bet buttons 130 to 132, or actual medals can be inserted (insertion operation) into the medal insertion slot 141, and the term "insertion" includes both.

[0296] The start lever 135 is a lever-type switch for starting the rotation of the reels 110 to 112. That is, when the desired number of medals are inserted into the medal insertion slot 141 or the bet buttons 130 to 132 are operated and the start lever 135 is operated, the reels 110 to 112 start to rotate. Operation of the start lever 135 is called a game start operation.

[0297] The stop button unit 136 is provided with stop buttons (stop buttons) 137 to 139. The stop buttons 137 to 139 are button-type switches for individually stopping the reels 110 to 112 that have started to rotate by operating the start lever 135, and are associated with each of the reels 110 to 112. Note that a light emitting element may be provided inside each of the stop buttons 137 to 139, and when the stop buttons 137 to 139 can be operated, the light emitting element can be lit to notify the player.

[0298] Hereinafter, operations on stop buttons 137 to 139 will be referred to as stop operations, with the first stop operation being referred to as the first stop operation (hereinafter also referred to as "first stop" or "first stop"), the next stop operation being referred to as the second stop operation (hereinafter also referred to as "second stop" or "second stop"), and the final stop operation being referred to as the third stop operation (hereinafter also referred to as "third stop" or "third stop").

[0299] The reels that are stopped in response to these stop operations are referred to as the first stop reel, the second stop reel, and the third stop reel, respectively. Furthermore, the order in which the stop buttons 137 to 139 are operated to stop all of the reels 110 to 112 that are spinning is referred to as the operation order (or push order).

[0300] The operation sequence (pressing order) of the stop buttons 137 to 139, when the left stop button 137 is represented as "left or R", the middle stop button 138 as "middle or C", and the right stop button 139 as "right or R", are six types: (1) left-to-middle-to-right operation sequence (left-right-right or LCR), (2) left-to-right-to-middle operation sequence (left-right-center or LRC), (3) middle-to-left-to-right operation sequence (center-left-right or CLR), (4) middle-to-right-to-left operation sequence (center-right-left or CRL), (5) right-to-left-to-middle operation sequence (right-left-center or RLC), and (6) right-to-middle-to-left operation sequence (right-center-left or RCL).

[0301] The medal return button 133 is a button that can be pressed to remove medals that have been inserted and become stuck. The settlement button 134 is a button that can be used to settle medals electronically stored in the slot machine 100 and medals that have been bet, and to dispense them from the medal payout outlet 155. The door key hole 140 is a hole into which a key can be inserted to unlock the front door 102 of the slot machine 100.

[0302] Below the stop button unit 136, there is provided a title panel 162 on which the model name is displayed and various certificate stamps are attached. Below the title panel 162, there are provided a medal payout outlet 155 and a medal tray 161. The sound hole 181 is a hole for outputting sound from a speaker provided inside the slot machine 100 to the outside. The side lamps 144 provided on the left and right sides of the front door 102 are decorative lamps for livening up the game. A performance device 160 is provided above the front door 102, and a sound hole 143 is provided above the performance device 160.

[0303] This presentation device 160 is equipped with a shutter (shielding device) 163 consisting of two shutters, a right shutter 163a and a left shutter 163b, which can be opened and closed horizontally, and a liquid crystal display device 157 (presentation image display device) arranged at the back of this shutter 163, and is configured so that when the right shutter 163a and the left shutter 163b are opened horizontally outward in front of the liquid crystal display device 157, the display screen of the liquid crystal display device 157 appears in front of the slot machine 100 (on the player's side).

[0304] Note that any display device capable of displaying various effect images and various game information may be used, not limited to a liquid crystal display device. For example, a multi-segment display (7-segment display), a dot matrix display, an organic EL display, a plasma display, a reel (drum), or a display device consisting of a projector and a screen may be used. The display screen is rectangular and configured so that the entire screen is visible to the player. In this embodiment, the display screen is rectangular, but it may also be square. Furthermore, decorations (not shown) may be provided around the periphery of the display screen, so that a portion of the periphery of the display screen is hidden by the decoration, making the display screen appear irregularly shaped. In this embodiment, the display screen is flat, but it may also be curved.

[0305] Also provided inside the main body 101 are a setting key that can be turned on and off by a rotation operation, and a setting switch that can be pressed down to change settings (change setting values) or check settings. The setting key is an operating means for starting to change or check setting values (settings 1 to 6 in this example), and the setting switch is one of the setting means that can set one setting value out of multiple setting values.

[0306] <Winning line> Next, the pay lines will be described with reference to Figure 31. Figure 31 is a diagram showing an example of the pay lines of the slot machine 100.

[0307] As explained using Figure 30, when viewed from the player, the symbols on the reels 110 to 112 are displayed in approximately three rows vertically through the symbol display windows 113 provided in front of each reel 110 to 112, so that a total of nine symbols can be seen.

[0308] Specifically, the symbol displayed on the top row of the left reel 110 (position 1 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 1) is called the left reel top row symbol, the symbol displayed on the middle row of the left reel 110 (position 2 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 2) is called the left reel middle row symbol, and the symbol displayed on the bottom row of the left reel 110 (position 3 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 3) is called the left reel bottom row symbol.

[0309] In addition, the pattern displayed on the top row of the middle reel 111 (position 4 shown in the figure; also called pattern position 4) is called the top row of the middle reel pattern, the pattern displayed on the middle row of the middle reel 111 (position 5 shown in the figure; also called pattern position 5) is called the middle row of the middle reel pattern, and the pattern displayed on the bottom row of the middle reel 111 (position 6 shown in the figure; also called pattern position 6) is called the bottom row of the middle reel pattern.

[0310] In addition, the symbol displayed on the top row of the right reel 112 (position 7 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 7) is called the right reel top row symbol, the symbol displayed on the middle row of the right reel 112 (position 8 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 8) is called the right reel middle row symbol, and the symbol displayed on the bottom row of the right reel 112 (position 9 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 9) is called the right reel bottom row symbol.

[0311] In this embodiment, the only winning line provided is the middle winning line L1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "winning line L1"), which is composed of the middle pattern of the left reel (pattern position 2), the middle pattern of the middle reel (pattern position 5), and the middle pattern of the right reel (pattern position 8).

[0312] Here, the winning line is a line set at the stop position of the symbols visible through the symbol display window 113, and is a line that determines whether or not a symbol combination corresponding to a winning role is displayed (whether or not it is aligned). The winning line that becomes effective (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "effective line") is predetermined by the number of medals bet as gaming media.

[0313] The slot machine 100 of this embodiment is a three-coin bet-only machine, and when the number of inserted medals is less than three, no winning line is active, and when three medals are bet, the winning line L1 is active. When the winning line is active, the start lever 135 can be operated to start the game.

[0314] Hereinafter, in the symbol display window 113, symbol positions 2, 5, and 8 on the winning line L1 may be referred to as "winning positions," and other symbol positions, i.e., symbol positions 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9, may be referred to as "non-winning positions." In other words, a winning position is a position on the winning line where a symbol that constitutes a symbol combination corresponding to a winning combination stops.

[0315] The number of winning lines is not limited to one. For example, in addition to the winning line L1, three lines in total may be set as valid winning lines: an upper winning line consisting of the upper symbols on the left reel, the upper symbols on the middle reel, and the upper symbols on the right reel, and a lower winning line consisting of the lower symbols on the left reel, the lower symbols on the middle reel, and the lower symbols on the right reel. Alternatively, a number of winning lines corresponding to the number of medals bet may be set as valid winning lines.

[0316] <Status display LED> Next, a description will be given of the status display LED 280. Fig. 32 is a front view of the status display LED 280, and Fig. 33 is an exploded perspective view showing the members that make up the status display LED 280.

[0317] <Status display LED / Upper display> As shown in FIG. 32, on the upper row of the status display LED 280, a medal insertion possible display section 124, a game start display section 121, a replay display section 122, and a medal insertion display section 129 are arranged.

[0318] The medal insertion enable display unit 124 is a display unit for informing the player that it is now possible to insert a medal, and lights up the word "INSERT" when the player is ready to insert a medal.

[0319] The game start display unit 121 is a display unit for notifying that the game can be started when the specified number of medals have been inserted, and lights up the word "START" when the game can be started.

[0320] The replay display unit 122 is a display unit for informing the player that the current game can be replayed (no medal insertion is required) if a replay role, which is one of the winning roles, was won in the previous game, and lights up the word "REPLAY" if a replay role, which is one of the winning roles, was won in the previous game.

[0321] The medal insertion display unit 129 is a display unit for lighting up a number of lamps corresponding to the number of medals inserted, and when one medal is inserted, the string "1BET" lights up, when two medals are inserted, the string "2BET" lights up, and when three medals are inserted, the string "3BET" lights up.

[0322] As shown in Figure 33, the medal insertion possible display unit 124, the game start display unit 121, the replay display unit 122, and the medal insertion display unit 129 in this example are all composed of an LED board 288 (first board), a plurality of LEDs 286 (second light-emitting means) arranged in a light-colored area 288a (second area, the area where a light-colored coating is formed) on the mounting surface of this LED board 288 (first board) where a white coating silk is applied, a reflector 284 (first partitioning member) which partitions a rectangular opening 284a (space) through which light from the plurality of LEDs 286 (second light-emitting means) passes, and a character sheet 282 (first irradiated member) onto which light from the plurality of LEDs 286 (light-emitting means) is irradiated.

[0323] Here, the term "bright color" according to the present invention refers to a color with high brightness, such as white, yellow, or light blue.

[0324] A semi-transparent member having the character string "INSERT" is disposed on the letter sheet 282 that constitutes the medal insertion possible display unit 124. When the plurality of LEDs 286 that constitute the medal insertion possible display unit 124 are turned on, the character string "INSERT" is illuminated to notify that the operation to start a game is possible.

[0325] A semi-transparent member having the character string "START" is disposed on the character sheet 282 constituting the game start display unit 121. When the plurality of LEDs 286 constituting the game start display unit 121 are turned on, the character string "START" is illuminated to notify that the game start operation is possible.

[0326] A semi-transparent member consisting of the character string "REPLAY" is disposed on the character sheet 282 that constitutes the replay display unit 122. When the plurality of LEDs 286 that constitute the replay display unit 122 are turned on, the character string "REPLAY" is illuminated to indicate that the current game can be played again (no medal insertion is required).

[0327] A translucent member having character strings of "3BET," "2BET," and "1BET" is disposed on the character sheet 282 constituting the medal insertion display unit 129. Among the plurality of LEDs 286 constituting the gaming medal insertion display unit 129, when the LED 286 corresponding to the character sheet 282 for "3BET" is turned on, the character string "3BET" is emitted to indicate that three medals have been inserted, when the LED 286 corresponding to the character sheet 282 for "2BET" is turned on, the character string "2BET" is emitted to indicate that two medals have been inserted, and when the LED 286 corresponding to the character sheet 282 for "1BET" is turned on, the character string "1BET" is emitted to indicate that one medal has been inserted.

[0328] <Status display LED / lower display> As shown in FIG. 32, below the status display LED 280, a stored coin number display section 125, a game information display section 126, and a payout coin number display section 127 are arranged.

[0329] The stored medal number display unit 125 is a display unit for displaying the number of medals electronically stored in the slot machine 100 as a two-digit number.

[0330] The payout number display unit 127 is a display unit for displaying, in a two-digit number, the number of medals to be paid out to a player as a result of winning some kind of winning combination.

[0331] As shown in Figure 33, both the stored number display unit 125 and the dispensed number display unit 127 in this example are composed of an LED board 288 (first board), a plurality of LEDs 286 (second light-emitting means) arranged in a light-colored area 288a (second area, the area where a light-colored coating is formed) on the mounting surface of this LED board 288 (first board) where white coating silk is applied, a reflector 284 (first partitioning member) which partitions a rectangular opening 284a (space) and an opening 284b (space) in the shape of a two-digit seven-segment display through which light from the plurality of LEDs 286 (second light-emitting means) passes, and a character sheet 282 (first irradiated member) onto which light from the plurality of LEDs 286 (light-emitting means) is irradiated.

[0332] A semi-transparent member consisting of the character string "CREDIT" and a semi-transparent member consisting of the shape of a two-digit seven-segment display corresponding to the opening 284b are arranged on the character sheet 282 (first irradiated member) constituting the stored number display unit 125. Then, when the LED 286 (second light-emitting means) corresponding to the character sheet 282 of "CREDIT" among the plurality of LEDs 286 (second light-emitting means) constituting the stored number display unit 125 is turned on, the character string "CREDIT" is illuminated, and by turning on the LED 286 (second light-emitting means) corresponding to the two-digit seven-segment display, the number of medals electronically stored can be displayed as a two-digit numerical value.

[0333] A translucent member having the character string "PAYOUT" and a translucent member having the shape of a two-digit seven-segment display are arranged on the character sheet 282 (first irradiated member) constituting the payout number display unit 127. Then, among the plurality of LEDs 286 (second light-emitting means) constituting the payout number display unit 127, when the LED 286 (second light-emitting means) corresponding to the character sheet 282 of "PAYOUT" is turned on, the character string "PAYOUT" is illuminated, and by turning on the LED 286 (second light-emitting means) corresponding to the two-digit seven-segment display, the number of medals to be paid out to the player can be displayed as a two-digit number.

[0334] The game information display unit 126 is a display for displaying internal information of the slot machine 100 (for example, setting values, error codes, etc.) in four-digit numbers, and is also used as an instruction monitor for performing push order navigation effects.

[0335] The game information display unit 126 in this example is composed of an LED board 288 (first board), a plurality of LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) arranged in a dark area 288b (first area; an area where a dark coating is formed, shown by a dotted line in Figure 33) on the mounting surface of this LED board 288 (first board) where a black coating resist is applied, a reflector 284 (first partitioning member) which partitions an opening 284c (space) in the shape of a four-digit seven-segment display through which light from the plurality of LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) passes, and a character sheet 282 (first irradiated member) onto which light from the plurality of LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) is irradiated.

[0336] In addition, the gaming information display unit 126 in this example is configured so that the opening 284c is in the shape of a seven-segment display that is smaller than the opening 284b. Also, the plurality of LEDs 286 that make up the gaming information display unit 126 are configured so that they are more densely packed (the spacing between adjacent LEDs is narrower) than the plurality of LEDs 286 that make up the stored coin number display unit 125 or the payout coin number display unit 127, so that they form the shape of a seven-segment display. In this way, the gaming information display unit 126 is configured as a light-emitting area that is smaller than the stored coin number display unit 125 or the payout coin number display unit 127.

[0337] Here, the term "dark color" according to the present invention refers to a color with low brightness, such as black, navy blue, brown, gray, and dark blue.

[0338] When the coating film of the LED substrate 288 and the coating film of the dark color region 288b are the same color, the region on the LED substrate 288 that corresponds to the opening 284c is defined as the "first region" according to the present invention. On the other hand, when the coating film of the LED substrate 288 and the coating film of the dark color region 288b are different colors, the dark color region 288b having the different colors may be defined as the "first region" according to the present invention, or the region on the LED substrate 288 that corresponds to the opening 284c may be defined as the "first region" according to the present invention.

[0339] A semi-transparent member in the shape of a four-digit seven-segment display corresponding to the opening 284c is disposed on the character sheet 282 (first illuminated member) constituting the game information display unit 126. Then, by lighting up a plurality of LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) constituting the game information display unit 126, internal information of the slot machine 100 (for example, setting values, error codes, etc.) and instruction monitor information can be displayed in numerical values.

[0340] According to this example, the multiple LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) that make up the game information display unit 126 are arranged in a dark area 288b (first area, an area where a dark coating is formed) on the mounting surface of the LED board 288 (first board), where a black coating resist is applied. This prevents the LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) from reflecting part of the LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) due to external light (external light), which can make the LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) appear to be lit even when they are off. This allows accurate game information to be provided to the player, and avoids causing any disadvantage to the player. In addition, the weak lighting (ghost lighting) of the LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) due to a weak current when the LEDs are off can be made less noticeable, preventing situations where the player is misled by an incorrect display.

[0341] Furthermore, the multiple LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) that make up the game information display unit 126 are light-emitting means that make up a notification means that notifies information (e.g., the order in which to press) that corresponds to advantageous operation modes for stop operation means that can stop the reels (e.g., stop buttons 137 to 139). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the misunderstanding that an operation mode is being notified when it is not, and it is possible to provide accurate information to the player and avoid causing any disadvantage to the player.

[0342] Furthermore, the multiple LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) that make up the game information display unit 126 are light-emitting means that make up a notification means that notifies information corresponding to an error (for example, an error code), so it is possible to prevent the player from misunderstanding that an error is being notified when no error is being notified, and it is possible to provide the player with accurate information and avoid causing any disadvantage to the player.

[0343] The multiple LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) of the game information display unit 126 are light-emitting means that can emit light in a first state (e.g., AT state or error state), and the multiple LEDs 286 (second light-emitting means) of the stored medal count display unit 125 and the payout medal count display unit 127 are light-emitting means that can emit light in a second state (e.g., medal storage or payout), and the multiple LEDs 286 (second light-emitting means) that constitute the stored medal count display unit 125 (second light-emitting means) and the payout medal count display unit 127 are arranged in a light-colored area 288a (second area; area where a light-colored coating film is formed) to which white coating film silk is applied.

[0344] Furthermore, during play, the number of times the machine transitions to the AT state or error state is relatively less than the number of times medals are stored or paid out, and the frequency of entering the second state (storage or payment of medals) is higher than the frequency of entering the first state (AT state or error state).

[0345] Not only when the number of medals stored or paid out is one or more, but even when the number of medals stored or paid out is zero, the stored medal number display unit 125 and the paid out medal number display unit 127 display "0" (or "00").In other words, it can be said that the stored medal number display unit 125 and the paid out medal number display unit 127 continuously display some kind of light while the game is in progress or is ready to be played.

[0346] In contrast, the AT state and error state are states that occur as a result of specific conditions that arise during play or when play is possible, and therefore, it can be said that the AT state and error state occur less frequently than during play or when play is possible. Also, even in the AT state or error state, the stored coin number display unit 125 and the payout coin number display unit 127 are configured to continue to be lit, so it can be said that the stored coin number display unit 125 and the payout coin number display unit 127 light up more frequently than the game information display unit 126.

[0347] This improves the visibility of the LED 286 (second light-emitting means) of the number of coins stored display unit 125 (second light-emitting means) and the number of coins paid out display unit 127, which emit light more frequently (have a higher display update frequency) than the game information display unit 126, thereby improving convenience for players.

[0348] In addition, the game information display unit 126 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the stored coin number display unit 125 and the payout coin number display unit 127, and the dark area 288b (first area, area where a dark coating is formed) where the game information display unit 126 is positioned and is coated with a black coating resist is sandwiched on both sides by the light area 288a (second area, area where a light coating is formed) where the stored coin number display unit 125 is positioned and is coated with a white coating silk, and the light area 288a (second area, area where a light coating is formed) where the payout coin number display unit 127 is positioned and is coated with a white coating silk.

[0349] According to this example, it is possible to prevent the LED286 (second light-emitting means) arranged in the light color region 288a (second region; region where a light color coating is formed) on one side of the dark color region 288b (first region; region where a dark color coating is formed) from affecting the LED286 (second light-emitting means) arranged in the light color region 288a (second region; region where a light color coating is formed) on the other side of the dark color region 288b (first region; region where a dark color coating is formed), and it is possible to make the notification by the LED286 (second light-emitting means) easier to see.

[0350] Furthermore, by arranging the dark color region 288b and the light color region 288a adjacent to each other, the LED 286 (second light-emitting means) arranged in the light color region 288a can make ghost lighting in the LED 286 (first light-emitting means) arranged in the dark color region 288b less noticeable compared to when the dark color regions 288b are adjacent to each other.

[0351] Furthermore, the status display LED 280 has a dark area 288b (first area; area where a dark coating is formed) coated with a black coating resist, and a light area 288a (second area; area where a light coating is formed) coated with a white coating silk, so the light emission mode (brightness, etc.) of the LED 286 can be changed simply by changing the color of the coating applied to the board on which the LED 286 is placed (hardware change) without changing the contents (program change) of the control driver (software) that controls the status display LED 280, making it easy to change the specifications of the gaming machine, etc.

[0352] In this example, the multiple LEDs 286 (first light-emitting means) constituting the game information display unit 126 and the multiple LEDs 286 (second light-emitting means) constituting the other display units (medal insertion possible display unit 124, game start display unit 121, replay display unit 122, medal insertion display unit 129, number of stored coins display unit 125, number of payout coins display unit 127) are mounted on the same LED board 288 (first board), but the present invention is not limited to this, and the multiple LEDs 286 may be mounted on multiple different boards.

[0353] Therefore, for example, a dark area 288b (first area, an area where a dark coating film is formed) coated with a black coating film resist may be formed on a certain substrate, and a light area 288a (second area, an area where a light coating film is formed) coated with a white coating film silk may be formed on a different substrate.

[0354] In addition, in this example, a specific area of the LED substrate 288 coated with black coating resist is coated with white coating silk, but it is also possible to coat a specific area of the LED substrate coated with white coating resist with black coating.

[0355] <Status display LED / unitized> FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional view of the status indicator LED 280, including the heat-staking portion 284d of the reflector 284. As shown in FIG.

[0356] The LED substrate 288 is configured to have a through-hole 288d with an inner diameter w4, and an insertion hole 288c with an inner diameter w5 (w5>w4) into which the thermal caulking portion 284d of the reflector 284 can be inserted. A plurality of LEDs 286 with a width w7 and a height h4 are mounted on the mounting surface of this LED substrate 288.

[0357] Reflector 284 is configured to have multiple types of openings 284a to 284c described with reference to Fig. 33, and thermally crimped portion 284d. Thermally crimped portion 284d is made of a rod-shaped body having an outer diameter w5 that is formed and extends in the thickness direction of reflector 284 (Fig. 34 shows thermally crimped portion 284d after it has been deformed by heating).

[0358] After inserting the thermal crimping portion 284c of the reflector 284 into the insertion hole 288d of the LED substrate 288, heat is applied to the tip of the thermal crimping portion 284d to soften it, and then pressure is applied to crush it, thereby forming a deformed portion 284d2 at the tip of the thermal crimping portion 284d having an outer diameter w6 (w6>w5) larger than the inner diameter w5 of the thermal crimping portion 284d of the LED substrate 288.

[0359] As a result, the reflector 284 is fixed by caulking to the mounting surface of the LED substrate 288, and the reflector 284 and the LED substrate 288 are integrated together. The character sheet 282 is also arranged so as to cover the openings 284a to 284d of the reflector 284, and is attached to the surface of the reflector 284.

[0360] That is, the reflector 284 (first partitioning member) is fixed by crimping to the mounting surface of the LED substrate 288 (first substrate), and the character sheet 282 (first irradiated member) is attached to the reflector 284 (first partitioning member), thereby forming the LED substrate 288 (first substrate), the reflector 284 (first partitioning member), and the character sheet 282 (first irradiated member) into a unit.

[0361] According to this example, the LED board 288 (first board), the reflector 284 (first partitioning member), and the character sheet 282 (first irradiated member) are unitized, which facilitates the replacement of the status display LED 280 and the incorporation into the gaming machine, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0362] In this example, the deformation portion 284d2 is formed at a position that protrudes by a height h5 from the rear surface of the substrate 288, leaving a gap (gap) between the reflector 284 and the LED substrate 288, but the deformation portion 284d2 may be in close contact with the rear surface of the LED substrate 288.

[0363] <Status display LED / Variation 1> Next, the status display LED 750 according to the first modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 35(a) and 35(b).

[0364] Fig. 35(a) is a cross-sectional view of the status display LED 750 according to the first modification, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the status display LED 280 shown in Fig. 34. Fig. 35(b) is a bottom view of the status display LED as seen from the direction indicated by the symbol A in Fig. 35(a).

[0365] In the following, in order to avoid redundant explanation, only the configuration that differs from the status display LED 280 explained using FIG. 34 will be explained.

[0366] The status display LED 750 is composed of an LED substrate (first substrate) 751, a plurality of LEDs (second light-emitting means) 752 arranged on the mounting surface of the LED substrate 751, a reflector (first partitioning member) 753 which defines an opening (space) 753a through which light from the plurality of LEDs 752 passes, a character sheet (first irradiated member) 754 onto which light from the plurality of LEDs 752 is irradiated, a cover member 755 arranged on the surface opposite the mounting surface of the LED substrate 751, and a connector 756 (shown only in Figure 35(b)) which is electrically connected to the LEDs 752 and other electronic components mounted on the LED substrate 751.

[0367] The LED substrate 751 and the cover member 755 each have a cylindrical insertion hole 751a, 755a having an inner diameter w9 (w9>w8) slightly larger than the outer diameter w8 of the thermal crimping portion 753a before deformation, into which the thermal crimping portion 753a before deformation can be inserted.

[0368] According to this example, the LED substrate 751 and the cover member 755 are formed with insertion holes 751a, 755a having an inner diameter w9 that is slightly larger than the outer diameter w8 of the thermal crimping portion 753a before deformation, making it easier to insert the thermal crimping portion 753a of the reflector 753 into the LED substrate 751 or the cover member 755, improving work efficiency when assembling the status display LED 750. Furthermore, even if the thermal crimping portion 753a expands after assembly due to heat generated from the LED 752 or the LED substrate 751, the volume of the expanded thermal crimping portion 753a can be absorbed by the gap, preventing damage to the LED substrate 751 or the cover member 755. Furthermore, by making the inner diameter w9 slightly larger than the outer diameter w8, a small amount of "play" space is formed, which reduces the risk of damage to the LED board 751, cover member 755, reflector 753, thermal crimping portion 753a (including the cylindrical rod-shaped body leading up to the thermal crimping portion 753a), etc. when the gaming machine is transported or subjected to vibration.

[0369] The thermal crimping portion 753a of the reflector 753 consists of a cylindrical rod-shaped body extending in the thickness direction of the reflector 753 (Figure 35(a) shows the thermal crimping portion 753a after its tip has been deformed by heating).

[0370] The thermal crimping portion 753a before deformation is inserted into the insertion hole 751a of the LED substrate 751 and the insertion hole 755a of the cover member 755, and then heat is applied to the tip of the thermal crimping portion 753a to soften it, and pressure is applied to crush it, thereby forming a deformed portion 753a1 at the tip of the thermal crimping portion 753a having an outer diameter w10 (w10>w9) larger than the inner diameter w9 of the insertion hole 751a of the LED substrate 751 and the insertion hole 755a of the cover member 755.

[0371] As a result, the reflector 753 is fixed by caulking to the LED substrate 751 and the cover member 755, and the reflector 753, the LED substrate 751, and the cover member 755 are integrated together. The character sheet 754 is disposed so as to cover the opening 753a of the reflector 753, and is attached to the surface of the reflector 753.

[0372] That is, one side of the reflector 753 is crimped to the LED board 751 and the cover member 755, and the character sheet 754 is attached to the other side, thereby forming the LED board 751, the cover member 755, the reflector 753, the LED 752, and the character sheet 754 into a unit.

[0373] In this example, the LED board 751, cover member 755, reflector 753, LED 752, and character sheet 754 are unitized, which makes it easier to replace the status display LED 750 and to incorporate it into the gaming machine, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0374] Also, as shown in Figure 35(b), the unit of the status display LED 750 (LED substrate 751, cover member 755, reflector 753, LED 752, and character sheet 754) has a polygonal shape with four chamfered corners when viewed from the bottom, and the deformation portions 753a1 of the thermal crimping portion 753a are arranged one on each of the four corners of the LED substrate 751 and the cover member 755, and one in the center of the LED substrate 751 and the cover member 755.

[0375] That is, the LED substrate 751 and the cover member 755 are fixed by crimps provided along the outer shapes of the LED substrate 751 and the cover member 755 and crimps provided further inward than the crimps. Furthermore, the crimps provided further inward are located closer to the connector 756 than the crimps provided further outward. Furthermore, the connector 756 is not located in the center of the status display LED 750, but is located to the right in the left-right direction and lower in the up-down direction, and is disposed eccentrically to at least one of the up-down, left-right, and right-hand sides from the center.

[0376] According to this example, the unit of the status display LED 750 has a polygonal shape with four chamfered corners, which makes it easy to incorporate into the mounting part of the gaming machine and improves work efficiency.

[0377] Furthermore, by providing deformation portions 753a1 of thermal crimping portion 753a on the corner side (outer crimp) of LED substrate 751 or cover member 755 and on the center side (inner crimp) of LED substrate 751 or cover member 755, it is possible to suppress rattle of LED substrate 751 or cover member 755. In this example, a gap is provided between the tip end of thermal crimping portion 753a and cover member 755, and stability can be improved by providing an inner crimp in addition to the outer crimp.

[0378] Furthermore, the crimps provided on the inside are located closer to the connector 756 than the crimps provided on the outside, which also contributes to suppressing rattle when inserting or removing the harness.

[0379] Furthermore, by arranging the connector 756 off-center to at least one of the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the center of the status display LED 750, the connector 756 can also be used as a handle when removing the LED substrate 751 from the reflector 753. Furthermore, when disassembling the status display LED 750, it is also possible to remove the LED substrate 751 from the reflector 753 by simply destroying the thermally crimped portion on only one side, without destroying the deformation portions 753a1 of all of the thermally crimped portions 753a.

[0380] Furthermore, when a wiring pattern for transmitting a signal or a wiring pattern for supplying a predetermined voltage is formed near the insertion hole 751a of the LED substrate 751, the wiring pattern is formed so as to avoid or detour around the insertion hole 751a, but the wiring pattern may be formed so as to detour inward rather than outwardly around the LED substrate 751. Specifically, for example, in Figure 35(b), where there are crimps located on the outside of the LED substrate 751 and crimps located on the inside, the wiring pattern is formed so as to detour inward of the substrate near the crimps located on the outside (no wiring pattern is formed between the insertion hole 751a and the end of the substrate closest to the insertion hole 751a).

[0381] This prevents damage to the wiring pattern when a crack occurs from the edge of the substrate toward the insertion hole 751a. Damage to the wiring pattern not only prevents signals and voltages from being transmitted properly, but also creates resistance, which can cause the damaged area to heat up and potentially catch fire. However, by routing the wiring pattern inward, this risk can be reduced. Furthermore, when disassembling the LED unit, routing the wiring pattern inward allows tools to be inserted from the edge of the substrate, preventing damage to the wiring pattern.

[0382] Furthermore, the LED substrate 751 is colored black, the reflector 753 is colored white, and the connector 756 is colored blue, so that the LED substrate 751, the reflector 753, and the connector 756 are colored differently.

[0383] According to this example, when replacing the reflector 753, there is no risk of accidentally cutting the connector 756 when cutting the deformed portion 753a1 of the thermal crimping portion 753a, and work errors can be prevented in advance.

[0384] In this example, the cover member 755 is provided on the surface opposite to the mounting surface of the LED substrate 751, but a cover member need not be provided as in the case of the status display LED 280 described with reference to Fig. 34. Also, although the example has been shown in which the LED substrate 751 is colored black, the reflector 753 is colored white, and the connector 756 is colored blue, the types of colors are not particularly limited, and it is preferable that they are different colors.

[0385] <Status display LED / Variation 2> Next, the status display LED 760 according to the second modification will be described with reference to FIG.

[0386] FIG. 35(c) is a cross-sectional view of a status display LED 760 according to the second modification, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the status display LED 750 shown in FIG. 35(a).

[0387] In this example, the thermal crimping portion 763a of the reflector 763 before deformation is inserted into the insertion hole 761a of the LED substrate 761, and then heat is applied to the tip of the thermal crimping portion 763a to soften it, and the thermal crimping portion 763a is formed into a trapezoidal shape in side view that gradually widens toward the tip, with the LED substrate 761 as the base end, so that a deformed portion 763a1 is formed at the tip of the thermal crimping portion 763a having an outer diameter w12 (w12>w11) that is larger than the inner diameter w11 of the insertion hole 761a of the LED substrate 761.

[0388] In this deformed portion 763a1, the height h5 of the gap from the tip to the LED substrate 761 is greater than the height h6 of the gap from the center to the LED substrate 761 (h5>h6).

[0389] According to this example, the deformed portion 763a1 of the thermal crimping portion 763a has a trapezoidal shape (expanding shape) in a side view that gradually widens from the LED substrate 761 as its base end toward the tip. Therefore, when replacing the reflector 763, it is easy to insert a blade or the like, which increases the efficiency of the cutting work of the deformed portion 763a1 of the thermal crimping portion 763a. At the same time, the reflector 763 is firmly fixed to the LED substrate 761 at the base of the deformed portion 763a1 (the contact point between the deformed portion 763a1 and the LED substrate 761), so the reflector 763 can be stably supported by the LED substrate 761.

[0390] <Internal structure> Next, the internal structure of the slot machine 100 will be described with reference to Figure 36. Figure 36(a) is a front view showing the slot machine 100 with the front door 102 open, and Figure 36(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the slot machine 100.

[0391] Main body 101 is a box-shaped body that opens at the front. Inside main body 101, there is arranged a main board storage case 640 (see FIG. 42, which will be described in detail later) that stores a main control board 600 (first board; details will be described later), and three reels 110 to 112 are arranged below main board storage case 640. To the side of main board storage case 640 and reels 110 to 112, i.e., on the left side as you face them, there is arranged a sub-control board storage case 220 that stores a sub-control board 650 (second board; details will be described later).

[0392] A medal payout device 180 (a device that pays out medals accumulated in a bucket) is disposed below, and a power supply device (not shown) having a power supply board and the like are disposed above the medal payout device 180, i.e., below the reels 110 to 112. The power supply device converts AC power supplied from an external source to the slot machine 100 into DC, converts it to a predetermined voltage, and supplies it to each control unit and device, such as the main control unit 300 and sub-control units 400 and 500, which will be described later. Furthermore, the power supply device is provided with a power storage circuit (e.g., a capacitor) for supplying power to predetermined components (e.g., the RAM 308 of the main control unit 300) for a predetermined period (e.g., 10 days) even after the external power supply is cut off.

[0393] An auxiliary medal storage 240 is disposed on the right side of the medal payout device 180, behind which an overflow terminal (not shown) is disposed.

[0394] The front door 102 is hinged to the left side of the main body 101 via a hinge device 276, and above the symbol display window 113, there are provided a reel front light 250 (details of which will be described later), a liquid crystal display device 157, an upper speaker 272, a performance control unit 160 that controls the liquid crystal display device 157, the speaker 272, etc. Also, below the symbol display window 113, there are provided a medal selector 170 for selecting inserted medals, a passage 265 through which medals pass when the medal selector 170 drops illegal medals, etc. into the medal tray 161, etc.

[0395] <Front reel lighting> Next, the pre-reel lighting 250 will be described with reference to FIGS. 36(a) and 36(b).

[0396] The reel front lighting 250 is a light-emitting means that illuminates (illuminates) the reel bands of each reel 110 to 112 (only the reel band 111a of the middle reel 111 is shown in Figure 36 (b)) from the front side (front), and in this example, it is arranged above the pattern display window 113 on the back of the front door 102 so as to face the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112.

[0397] In this example, the reel front lighting 250 is configured with a plurality of LEDs capable of emitting light toward the front of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112, and a colored transparent (in this example, milky white) lens cover placed in front of these LEDs.

[0398] If there is no lens cover for the reel front lighting, or if the lens cover is made of a colorless, transparent material, the light emitted from the LEDs may be reflected in granular form on the reel bands of the reels 110-112 (so-called "point light"), which may make the reels 110-112 look bad, or the light emitted from the LEDs may not spread well and may not be able to illuminate the entire reel band evenly, which may make the reels 110-112 less visible. Therefore, it is preferable to cover the front of the LEDs with a lens cover made of a colored, transparent material.

[0399] The relationship between the shortest distance L0 from the reel front lighting 250 to the reel band and the shortest distance L1 from the reel backlight 264 (described later) to the reel band is "shortest distance L0 < shortest distance L1", and the reel front lighting 250 is positioned closer to the reel band than the reel backlight 264.

[0400] As described above, the reel front lighting 250 is provided with a lens cover because it is prone to point light due to its close distance to the reel band. On the other hand, the reel backlight 264 is provided with a lens cover because it is closer to the reel band than the reel front lighting 250, has a distance that allows the light emitted from the LED to diffuse, and the light can be sufficiently diffused by the reflector 266 described below.

[0401] <Reel backlight> Next, the reel backlight 264 will be described with reference to FIG. 36(b) and FIG.

[0402] The slot machine 100 of this example is configured to have a left reel device (not shown) equipped with a left reel 110, a center reel device 260 (see Figure 36(b)) equipped with a center reel 111, a right reel device (not shown) equipped with a right reel 112, and a reel frame 262 (see Figure 36(b)) capable of accommodating these three reel devices inside.

[0403] In addition, since the structures of the left reel device and the right reel device of the slot machine 100 in this example are the same as the structure of the center reel device 260, here we will explain the center reel device 260 and omit explanations of the left reel device and the right reel device.

[0404] The middle reel device 260 is composed of a middle reel 111, a reel drive unit (not shown) that drives the middle reel 111 to rotate, a reel backlight 264 that illuminates (lights) the reel band 111a (second illuminated member) of the middle reel 111 from the rear side (back), and a reel detection unit (not shown) that detects the rotational position of the middle reel 111.

[0405] The middle reel 111 is configured with a reel band 111a on which multiple types of designs are printed at equal intervals, and a reel frame 111b that supports both sides of the reel band 111a. The reel band 111a is a flat ring-shaped member configured by bonding the longitudinal ends of a rectangular band-shaped member together.

[0406] Figure 37(a) is a front view of the reel backlight 264, (b) is a side view of the reel backlight 264, and (c) is an external perspective view of the reel backlight 264 when the components constituting the reel backlight 264 are disassembled and viewed from the front side.

[0407] The reel backlight 264 is a light-emitting means that illuminates (illuminates) the reel bands of each reel 110 to 112 from the rear side (back surface), and in this example, is composed of a reflector 266 (second partition member), an illumination board 268 (second board) that is detachably attached to the back surface of the reflector 266, and a decorative panel 270 that is arranged on the side surface of the reflector 266.

[0408] In this example, the reflector 266 of the reel backlight 264 is formed from white plastic, but the material of the reflector 266 of the reel backlight 264 is not particularly limited, and may be metal or a material of another color.

[0409] The reflector 266 is a component that defines a space through which light from a plurality of LEDs 268a (light-emitting means) mounted on an illumination board 268 (second board) passes, and the reflector 266 has three openings 266a to 266c arranged vertically from the front side to the back side to serve as spaces through which light passes.

[0410] Six LEDs 268a (light emitting means) are arranged at positions corresponding to the openings 266a to 266c on the illumination board 268. The LEDs 268a are arranged in a light-colored region 268d (a region where a light-colored coating film is formed) on the mounting surface of the illumination board 268, where a white coating film silk is applied.

[0411] The openings 266a-266c and LEDs 268a of the reflector 266 included in the middle reel unit 260 are arranged at positions corresponding to the symbol positions (symbol positions 4-6 described with reference to FIG. 31) to be stopped and displayed in the symbol display window 113 when the reflector 266 is attached to the middle reel unit 260. With this structure, light from the plurality of LEDs 268a (light emitting means) is irradiated onto the back surface of the reel band 111a (second irradiated member) of the middle reel 111.

[0412] The openings 266a-266c and the LED 266a of the reflector 266 provided in the left reel unit (not shown) are arranged at positions corresponding to the symbol positions (the symbol positions 1-3 described with reference to FIG. 31) to be stopped and displayed in the symbol display window 113 when the reflector 266 is attached to the left reel unit. With this structure, light from the plurality of LEDs 268a (light emitting means) is irradiated onto the back of the reel band (second irradiated member) of the left reel 110.

[0413] The openings 266a-266c and the LEDs 268a of the reflector 266 provided in the right reel unit (not shown) are arranged at positions corresponding to the symbol positions (symbol positions 7-9 described with reference to FIG. 31) to be stopped and displayed in the symbol display window 113 when the reflector 266 is attached to the right reel unit. With this structure, light from the plurality of LEDs 268a (light emitting means) is irradiated onto the back of the reel band (second irradiated member) of the right reel 112.

[0414] In this example, six LEDs 268a are arranged at positions corresponding to the openings 266a to 266c, so that the light emitted from one opening does not interfere with the light emitted from another opening, thereby enabling the light to be uniformly irradiated onto each of the multiple symbol positions on the symbol display window 113.

[0415] For example, by turning on all the LEDs 268a, all of the symbols visible to the player can be illuminated from behind. Also, by turning on some of the LEDs 268a, some of the symbols visible to the player can be illuminated from behind. Note that the number and positions of the openings and LEDs are not limited to this example.

[0416] In this example, reflector 266 has a plurality of slits (grooves) 266d to 266g provided at predetermined intervals on the bottom surface of upper opening 266a, the top and bottom surfaces of central opening 266b, and the top surface of lower opening 266c. This allows the light emitted from LED 268a to be uniformly irradiated onto the pattern located in front, improving the visibility of the pattern.

[0417] Furthermore, slit 266d provided on the underside of upper opening 266a, slit 266e provided on the top surface of central opening 266b, slit 266f provided on the bottom surface of central opening 266b, and slit 266g provided on the top surface of lower opening 266c are arranged so that the areas where the slits are formed and the areas where the slits are not formed alternate in the vertical direction (so that the positions of the slits do not coincide above and below the partitions of the openings). This structure prevents interference between light beams emitted through the slits from adjacent openings.

[0418] The reel backlight 264 is able to sufficiently and uniformly illuminate the reel band by the reflector 266 and the slits (grooves) 266d to 266g, and therefore does not have a lens cover like the reel front lighting 250, but may have a configuration with a lens cover, which allows the reel band to be illuminated uniformly, and furthermore, since the reel backlight 264 does not need to be looked directly at during reel assembly or maintenance of the gaming machine, glare on the worker can be reduced.

[0419] <Differences between the status display LED and the reel backlight> Next, differences between the state display LED 280 described using FIGS. 32 to 34 and the reel backlight 264 described using FIGS. 36 and 37 will be described.

[0420] First, focusing on the light-emitting means and illuminated members of the status display LED 280 and the reel backlight 264, the shortest distance L1 from the LED 268a (second light-emitting means) in the reel backlight 264 to the reel band (second illuminated member) shown in Figure 36(b) is longer than the shortest distance L2 from the LED 286 (first light-emitting means) in the status display LED 280 to the character sheet 282 (first illuminated member) shown in Figure 34 (L1>L2).

[0421] Next, focusing on the partitioning members of the status display LED 280 and the reel backlight 264, the size (opening area) of the openings 266a to 266c (partitioned space) of the reflector 266 (second partitioning member) in the reel backlight 264 shown in Figure 36(a) is larger than the size (opening area) of the openings 284a to 284c (partitioned space) of the reflector 280 (first partitioning member) in the status display LED 280 shown in Figure 33.

[0422] According to this example, the shortest distance L1 from the LED 268a (second light-emitting means) in the reel backlight 264 to the reel band (second illuminated member) is longer than the shortest distance L2 from the LED 286 (first light-emitting means) in the status display LED 280 to the character sheet 282 (first illuminated member) (L1>L2), the openings 266a to 266c (compartmented space) of the reflector 266 (second partitioning member) in the reel backlight 264 are larger than the openings 284a to 284c (compartmented space) of the reflector 280 (first partitioning member) in the status display LED 280, and the LED 268a is disposed in the light-colored region 268d (region where a light-colored coating film is formed) on the mounting surface of the illumination board 268 where a white coating film silk is applied, and therefore it is possible to make the light emission of the reel band (second illuminated member) stand out while suppressing point light on the reel band (second illuminated member).

[0423] 38(a) is a front view of the LED board 288 of the status display LED 280, and FIG. 38(b) is a front view of the illumination board 268 of the reel backlight 264. As shown in FIG.

[0424] As shown in FIG. 38(a), on the LED substrate 288 (first substrate) of the status display LED 280, a plurality of LEDs 286 are arranged close together, and the irradiation range and irradiation distance to the first irradiated member (character sheet 282) are small, and the free space on the mounting surface of the LED substrate 288 is limited, so that no identification information (for example, letters indicating the component name such as "LED1" or numbers indicating the control number) for identifying the LEDs 286 mounted on the LED substrate 288 or a figure (for example, a rectangular frame) indicating the location of the LEDs 286 is printed.

[0425] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 38(b), on the illumination board 268 (second board) of the reel backlight 264, a plurality of LEDs 268a, each of which has a large illumination range and illumination distance to the second illuminated member (reel band), are arranged at predetermined intervals, and there is a relatively large amount of free space on the mounting surface of the illumination board 268, so that identification information 268b (in this example, letters indicating the component names such as "LED1" to "LED6" and numbers indicating the control numbers) for identifying the LEDs 268a mounted on the illumination board 268 and component marks 268c (in this example, rectangular frames) indicating the locations of the LEDs 268a are printed.

[0426] The mounting surface of the lighting board 268 is composed of a light-colored area 268d coated with white silk film, whereas the identification information 268b and the component mark 268c printed on the same mounting surface are both printed in a color different from white (cream in this example). This makes it possible to make the identification information 268b and the component mark 268c more visible, and also allows the LED 268a to be mounted in the correct location.

[0427] Furthermore, since the identification information 268b is printed in a position visible from the front side through the openings 266a to 266c (partitioned space) of the reflector 266 (second partitioning member), if a malfunction occurs in the LED 268a (light-emitting means), the identification information 268b corresponding to the LED 268a (light-emitting means) with the malfunction can be easily identified, thereby improving the convenience for game parlor staff and the ease of maintenance of the light-emitting means.

[0428] <Status indicator LED and reel backlight / Summary> As explained above, the gaming machine according to this embodiment (for example, the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 30) is a gaming machine equipped with a plurality of light-emitting means and a first board (for example, the LED board 288 shown in FIG. 33), and the plurality of light-emitting means include a first light-emitting means (for example, the LED 286 of the game information display unit 126 shown in FIG. 33) that can emit light in a first state (for example, an AT state (a state in which an operation navigation is notified), an error state (a state in which an error code is notified)), the first light-emitting means is a light-emitting means that is arranged in a first region on the mounting surface of the first board, and the first region is a region in which a dark coating film is formed (for example, the dark region 288b shown in FIG. 33 in which a black coating film resist is applied), and the dark coating film is a dark coating film that is different from green.

[0429] According to the gaming machine of this embodiment, the first light-emitting means is disposed in an area on the mounting surface of the first board where a dark coating is formed, so that it is possible to prevent a part of the first light-emitting means from being reflected by light (external light) entering from outside, making it appear as if the first light-emitting means is lit even when it is off, and it is possible to provide accurate game information to the player and avoid causing any disadvantage to the player. In addition, it is possible to make the weak lighting (ghost lighting) of the first light-emitting means due to a weak current when it is off less noticeable, and it is possible to avoid a situation where a false display misleads the player.

[0430] Gaming parlor environments vary, but if the lighting inside the parlor is bright, the lighting can make it difficult to see the displays on various displays, or they can appear to be lit even when they are not, which could lead to misinterpretation by players and gaming parlor staff.However, the gaming machine of this embodiment can prevent misinterpretation of displays due to reflections from the lighting inside the parlor.

[0431] The reels (for example, reels 110 to 112 shown in FIG. 30) may also be provided with stop operation means (for example, stop buttons 137 to 139 shown in FIG. 30) that can stop the reels, the first state being a state that notifies an advantageous operation mode (for example, a push order) for the stop operation means, and the first light-emitting means may be a light-emitting means that constitutes a notification means that notifies information corresponding to the advantageous operation mode.

[0432] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the player from misunderstanding that the operation mode is being notified when it is not, and it is possible to provide the player with accurate information and avoid causing any disadvantage to the player.

[0433] The first state may be a state in which an error is notified, and the first light-emitting means may be a light-emitting means constituting a notifying means for notifying information corresponding to the error (for example, an error code).

[0434] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the player from misunderstanding that an error has been notified when no error has been notified, and it is possible to provide the player with accurate information and avoid causing any disadvantage to the player.

[0435] Furthermore, the plurality of light-emitting means may include a second light-emitting means (for example, LED 286 of the stored number display unit 125 or the dispensed number display unit 127 shown in Figure 33) that can emit light in a second state (for example, a state in which medals are being stored, a state in which medals are being dispensed), and the second light-emitting means may be a light-emitting means that is arranged in a second region on the mounting surface of the first board, and the second region may be a region in which a light-colored coating film is formed (for example, light-colored region 288a in which a white coating film silk is applied, as shown in Figure 33), and the second region may be a region that is larger than the first region, and the second region may be a region that is formed adjacent to the first region.

[0436] Furthermore, the plurality of light-emitting means include a second light-emitting means (for example, LED 286 of the stored number display unit 125 or the dispensed number display unit 127 shown in Figure 33) that can emit light in a second state (for example, a state in which medals are being stored, a state in which medals are being dispensed), and the second light-emitting means is a light-emitting means that is arranged in a second region on the mounting surface of the first board, and the second region is a region in which a light-colored coating film is formed (for example, light-colored region 288a in which a white coating film silk is applied, as shown in Figure 33), and the frequency with which the second state is reached may be higher than the frequency with which the first state is reached.

[0437] With this configuration, it is possible to improve the visibility of the second light emitting means, which emits light frequently (high display update frequency), and to improve convenience for the player.

[0438] The first region may be a region sandwiched between the second region on both sides.

[0439] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the light-emitting means arranged in the second region (region where a light-colored coating film is formed) on one side of the first region (region where a dark-colored coating film is formed) from affecting the light-emitting means arranged in the second region (region where a light-colored coating film is formed) on the other side of the first region (region where a dark-colored coating film is formed), making it easier to see the alert provided by the light-emitting means.

[0440] The light source may also include a first partitioning member (e.g., reflector 284 shown in Figures 33 and 34) and a first irradiated member (e.g., character sheet 282 shown in Figures 33 and 34), wherein the first partitioning member is a member that partitions a space through which light from the plurality of light-emitting means mounted on the first substrate passes (e.g., openings 284a to 284c shown in Figure 37(b)), the first partitioning member is fixed to the first substrate by crimping (e.g., fixed by thermal crimping portion 284d shown in Figure 34), the first irradiated member is a member that is irradiated with light from the plurality of light-emitting means mounted on the first substrate, the first irradiated member is attached to the first partitioning member, and the first substrate, the first partitioning member, and the first irradiated member may be unitized.

[0441] With this configuration, it is possible to easily replace the unitized first substrate, first partition member, and first irradiated member, as well as to assemble them into the gaming machine, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0442] The present invention also includes a second substrate (for example, an illumination substrate 268 shown in FIGS. 36(b) and 37(c)), a second partitioning member (for example, a reflector 266 shown in FIGS. 36(b) and 37(c)), and a second irradiated member (for example, a reel strip 111a, a lens cover, or a panel shown in FIG. 36(a)), wherein the second substrate is a substrate on which the plurality of light-emitting means (for example, an LED 268a shown in FIG. 37(c)) are mounted, the second partitioning member is a member that partitions a space (for example, openings 266a to 266c shown in FIG. 37(b)) through which light from the plurality of light-emitting means mounted on the second substrate passes, the second irradiated member is a member that is irradiated with light from the plurality of light-emitting means mounted on the second substrate, and the shortest distance from the plurality of light-emitting means mounted on the second substrate to the second irradiated member is The distance (e.g., the shortest distance L1 shown in Figure 36(b)) is longer than the shortest distance (e.g., the shortest distance L2 shown in Figure 34) from the plurality of light-emitting means (e.g., the LED 286 shown in Figure 34) mounted on the first substrate to the first irradiated member (e.g., the character sheet 282 shown in Figure 34) (L1>L2), the partitioned space in the second partitioning member (e.g., the area of the openings 266a to 266c shown in Figure 37(b)) is larger than the partitioned space in the first partitioning member (e.g., the area of the openings 284a to 284c shown in Figure 37(b)), and the region on the mounting surface of the second substrate where the plurality of light-emitting means are arranged may be a region where a light-colored coating film (e.g., the light-colored region 268d shown in Figure 38(b) to which white coating film silk is applied) is formed.

[0443] With this configuration, it is possible to make the light emitted from the second irradiated member stand out while suppressing point light from the second irradiated member.

[0444] Furthermore, the second substrate is a substrate that can be attached and detached to the second partition member, and identification information corresponding to each of the multiple light-emitting means on the mounting surface of the second substrate (for example, identification information 268b shown in Figure 38(b)) is displayed, and the identification information may be visible through the partitioned space in the second partition member.

[0445] With this configuration, if a malfunction occurs in the light-emitting means, the identification information corresponding to the malfunctioning light-emitting means can be easily identified, thereby improving convenience and maintainability.

[0446] The gaming machine according to this example (for example, the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 30) is a gaming machine equipped with a plurality of light-emitting means and a first board (for example, an LED board 288 shown in FIG. 33), and the plurality of light-emitting means include a first light-emitting means capable of emitting light in a first state (for example, the LED 286 of the game information display unit 126 shown in FIG. 33), and the plurality of light-emitting means include a second light-emitting means capable of emitting light in a second state (for example, a state in which medals are being stored, a state in which medals are being paid out) (for example, the LED 286 of the stored number display unit 125 and the paid-out number display unit 127 shown in FIG. 33), and the first state is a state in which information relating to the operation mode of the stop operation means is notified (for example, an AT state). (state in which operation navigation is notified)), the frequency of entering the second state is higher than the frequency of entering the first state, the periphery of the first light-emitting means is formed by a first region made of a dark-colored coating different from green (for example, dark region 288b shown in Figure 33 applied with black coating resist), the periphery of the second light-emitting means is formed by a second region made of a light-colored coating (for example, light region 288a shown in Figure 33 applied with white coating silk), the second region is larger than the first region, the second region is formed adjacent to the first region, and the first region is sandwiched on both sides by the second region.

[0447] Furthermore, the gaming machine according to this example (for example, the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 30) is a gaming machine equipped with a plurality of light-emitting means and a first board (for example, the LED board 288 shown in FIG. 33), and the plurality of light-emitting means includes a first light-emitting means capable of emitting light in a first state (for example, the LED 286 of the game information display unit 126 shown in FIG. 33), and the plurality of light-emitting means includes a second light-emitting means capable of emitting light in a second state (for example, a state in which medals are being stored, a state in which medals are being paid out) (for example, the LED 286 of the stored number display unit 125 and the paid-out number display unit 127 shown in FIG. 33), and the first state is a state in which information corresponding to an error is notified (for example, an error state (error a state in which a code is notified), the frequency of entering the second state is higher than the frequency of entering the first state, the periphery of the first light-emitting means is formed by a first region made of a dark-colored coating different from green (for example, the dark-colored region 288b shown in FIG. 33 to which a black coating resist is applied), the periphery of the second light-emitting means is formed by a second region made of a light-colored coating (for example, the light-colored region 288a shown in FIG. 33 to which a white coating silk is applied), the second region is larger than the first region, the second region is formed adjacent to the first region, and the first region is sandwiched on both sides by the second region.

[0448] <Control unit> Next, the circuit configuration of the control unit of the slot machine 100 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 39. Note that this figure shows a circuit block diagram of the control unit.

[0449] The control unit of the slot machine 100 is broadly composed of a main control unit 300 that mainly controls gameplay, a first sub-control unit 400 that mainly controls presentation in response to command signals (hereinafter simply referred to as "commands") sent by the main control unit 300, and a second sub-control unit 500 that controls various devices based on the commands sent from the first sub-control unit 400.

[0450] <Main control unit> First, we will explain the main control unit 300 of the slot machine 100. The main control unit 300 is equipped with a basic circuit 302 that controls the entire main control unit 300, and this basic circuit 302 is equipped with a CPU 304, a ROM 306 for storing control program data, lottery data used in the internal lottery for winning combinations, reel stop positions, etc., a RAM 308 for temporarily storing data, an I / O 310 for controlling the input and output of various devices, a counter timer 312 for measuring time, number of times, etc., and a WDT (watchdog timer) 314. Note that other storage devices may be used for the ROM 306 and RAM 308, and this also applies to the first sub-control unit 400 and second sub-control unit 500 described below.

[0451] The CPU 304 of this basic circuit 302 operates by receiving a clock signal with a predetermined cycle output by the crystal oscillator 315b as a system clock. Furthermore, when the power is turned on, the CPU 304 transmits frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of the ROM 306 to the counter timer 312. The counter timer 312 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 304 at each interrupt time. The CPU 304 monitors the sensors and transmits drive pulses in response to this interrupt request. For example, if the clock signal output by the crystal oscillator 315b is set to 8 MHz, the frequency division value of the counter timer 312 is set to 1 / 256, and the frequency division data in the ROM 306 is set to 47, the reference time for the interrupt is 256 × 47 ÷ 8 MHz = 1.504 ms.

[0452] The main control unit 300 is equipped with a random number generation circuit 316 (which is assumed to have two random number generation circuits built in) that derives a number in the range of 0 to 65535 each time it receives a clock signal output by the crystal oscillator 315a, and a start-up signal output circuit 338 that outputs a start-up signal (reset signal) when power is turned on.When a start-up signal is input from this start-up signal output circuit 338, the CPU 304 starts game control (starts the main processing of the main control unit, which will be described later).

[0453] The random number generation circuit 316 generates random numbers to be used in the basic circuit 302. The random number generation circuit 316 generates random numbers in two ways: counter mode and random number mode. In counter mode, a value that counts up (down) at a predetermined time interval is acquired and the acquired value is used as a random number. The random number mode has two further methods. In the first method, a seed value of the random number is used to perform a calculation using a predetermined function (e.g., a modulus function) and derive the result of this calculation as a random number. In the second method, a value is read from a random number table in which values ranging from 0 to 65535 are randomly arranged, and the read value is used as a random number. The random number generation circuit 316 acquires irregular values by utilizing white noise superimposed on signals input from various sensors 318 to the sensor circuit 320. The random number generation circuit 316 uses the value thus obtained as the initial value for a counter that counts up (down) in counter mode, as a seed for a random number, or when determining the start position for reading from the random number table.

[0454] The main control unit 300 also has a sensor circuit 320, and the CPU 304 monitors the status of various sensors 318 (bet button 130 sensor, bet button 131 sensor, bet button 132 sensor, medal acceptance sensor for medals inserted from medal insertion slot 141, start lever 135 sensor, stop button 137 sensor, stop button 138 sensor, stop button 139 sensor, settlement button 134 sensor, medal payout sensor for medals paid out from medal payout device 180, optical sensor of reel 110, optical sensor of reel 111, optical sensor of reel 112, etc.) at each interrupt time.

[0455] When the sensor circuit 320 detects the H level of the start lever sensor, it outputs a signal indicating this detection to the random number generation circuit 316. Upon receiving this signal, the random number generation circuit 316 latches the value at that timing and stores it in a register that stores random numbers to be used in the lottery.

[0456] Two medal acceptance sensors are installed in the internal passage of the medal insertion slot 141 and detect whether a medal has passed through. Two start lever 135 sensors are installed inside the start lever 135 and detect the start operation by the player. Stop button 137 sensors, stop button 138 sensors, and stop button 139 sensors are installed on each of the stop buttons 137 to 139 and detect the operation of the stop button by the player.

[0457] The bet button 130 sensor, bet button 131 sensor, and bet button 132 sensor are provided on each of the medal insertion buttons 130 to 132, and detect the insertion operation when medals electronically stored in RAM 308 are inserted as medals to be inserted into a game. The settlement button 134 sensor is provided on the settlement button 134. When the settlement button 134 is pressed once, the medals electronically stored are settled. The medal payout sensor is a sensor for detecting medals to be paid out by the medal payout device 180. Note that each of the above sensors may be a non-contact sensor or a contact sensor.

[0458] The optical sensors of reel 110, reel 111, and reel 112 are installed at predetermined positions on the mounting bases of each of reels 110 to 112, and go to L level every time a light-shielding piece provided on the reel frame passes by. When CPU 304 detects this signal, it determines that the reel has made one rotation and resets the rotational position information of the reel to zero.

[0459] The main control unit 300 is equipped with a drive circuit 322 that drives the stepping motors provided in the reel devices 110 to 112, a drive circuit 324 that drives the solenoid provided in the medal selector 170 that selects the inserted medals, a drive circuit 326 that drives the motor provided in the medal payout device 180, and a drive circuit 328 that drives various lamps 336 (winning line indicator lamp 120, notification lamp 123), the medal insertion possible indicator 124 of the status indicator LED 286, the game start indicator 121, the replay indicator 122, the medal insertion indicator 129, the number of stored medals indicator 125, the game information indicator 126, and the number of paid out medals indicator 127.

[0460] In addition, an information output circuit 334 (external centralized terminal board 248) is connected to the basic circuit 302, and the main control unit 300 outputs game information (e.g., game status) of the slot machine 100 to an information input circuit 651 provided in an external hall computer (not shown) or the like via this information output circuit 334.

[0461] The main control unit 300 also includes a voltage monitoring circuit 330 that monitors the voltage value of the power supply supplied to the main control unit 300 from a power management unit (not shown), and the voltage monitoring circuit 330 outputs a low voltage signal to the basic circuit 302 indicating that the voltage has dropped when the voltage value of the power supply is below a predetermined value (9V in this embodiment).

[0462] In addition, the main control unit 300 is equipped with an output interface for sending commands to the first sub-control unit 400, enabling communication with the first sub-control unit 400. Note that information communication between the main control unit 300 and the first sub-control unit 400 is one-way communication, and the main control unit 300 is configured to be able to send signals such as commands to the first sub-control unit 400, but is configured so that signals such as commands cannot be sent from the first sub-control unit 400 to the main control unit 300.

[0463] <Sub-controller> Next, the first sub-control unit 400 of the slot machine 100 will be described. The first sub-control unit 400 includes a basic circuit 402 that receives control commands sent by the main control unit 300 via an input interface and controls the entire first sub-control unit 400 based on these control commands. This basic circuit 402 is equipped with a CPU 404, a RAM 408 for temporarily storing data, an I / O 410 for controlling the input and output of various devices, and a counter timer 412 for measuring time, number of times, etc. The CPU 404 of the basic circuit 402 operates by receiving a clock signal with a predetermined period output by a crystal oscillator 414 as a system clock. The ROM 406 stores control programs and data for controlling the entire first sub-control unit 400, data for controlling the backlight lighting pattern and various displays, etc.

[0464] The CPU 404 transmits the frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of the ROM 406 to the counter timer 412 via the data bus at a predetermined timing. The counter timer 412 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data, and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 404 for each interrupt time. The CPU 404 controls each IC and each circuit based on the timing of this interrupt request.

[0465] The first sub-control unit 400 is also provided with a sound source IC 418, which is connected to speakers 272, 277 via an output interface. The sound source IC 418 controls the sound output from the amplifier and speakers 272, 277 in response to commands from the CPU 404. An S-ROM (sound ROM) in which sound data is stored is connected to the sound source IC 418, and the sound data acquired from this ROM is amplified by the amplifier and output from the speakers 272, 277.

[0466] In addition, the first sub-controller 400 is provided with a drive circuit 422, to which various lamps 420 (upper lamps, lower lamps, side lamps 144, title panel 162 lamps, etc.) are connected via an input / output interface.

[0467] The first sub-control unit 400 also has a drive circuit 424 that drives the motor of the shutter 163, and the drive circuit 424 is connected to the shutter 163 via an output interface. This drive circuit 424 outputs a drive signal to a stepping motor (not shown) provided in the shutter 163 in response to a command from the CPU 404.

[0468] The first sub-control unit 400 is also provided with a sensor circuit 426, which is connected via an input interface to a shutter sensor 428 capable of detecting the position of the shutter 163 and an effect button sensor 430 capable of detecting the pressing operation of the effect button 156. The CPU 404 monitors the status of the shutter sensor 428 and the effect button sensor 430 at each interrupt time.

[0469] The CPU 404 also transmits and receives signals to the second sub-control unit 500 via the output interface. The second sub-control unit 500 performs various controls of the performance device 160, including display control of the performance image display device 157 (hereinafter also referred to as the "liquid crystal display device 157"). The second sub-control unit 500 may be configured with multiple control units, such as a control unit that controls the display of the liquid crystal display device 157 and a control unit that controls various performance drive devices (for example, a control unit that controls the motor drive of the shutter 163).

[0470] The second sub-control unit 500 is equipped with a basic circuit 502 that receives control commands sent by the first sub-control unit 400 via an input interface and controls the entire second sub-control unit 500 based on these control commands.This basic circuit 502 is equipped with a CPU 504, a RAM 508 for temporarily storing data, an I / O 510 for controlling the input and output of various devices, and a counter timer 512 for measuring time, number of times, etc.The CPU 504 of the basic circuit 502 operates by inputting a clock signal of a predetermined period output by a crystal oscillator 514 as a system clock.The ROM 506 stores control programs and data for controlling the entire second sub-control unit 500, data for image display, etc.

[0471] The CPU 504 transmits the frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of the ROM 506 to the counter timer 512 via the data bus at a predetermined timing. The counter timer 512 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data, and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 504 for each interrupt time. The CPU 504 controls each IC and each circuit based on the timing of this interrupt request.

[0472] The second sub-control unit 500 is also provided with a VDP 516 (video display processor), which is connected to the ROM 506 and VRAM 518 via a bus. The VDP 516 reads out image data and the like stored in the ROM 506 based on signals from the CPU 504, generates a display image using the work area of the VRAM 518, and displays the image on the performance image display device 157.

[0473] <Main control board> Next, the main control board 600 (first board) will be described with reference to Figure 40. Figure 40(a) is a plan view of the main control board 600 before the identification board 610 is separated, and Figure 40(b) is a plan view of the main control board 600 after the identification board 610 has been separated.

[0474] The main control board 600 is an example of a "first board" according to the present invention. Therefore, the "first board" according to the present invention is not limited to the board constituting the main control unit 300, but may be a board constituting the first sub-control unit 400 or the second sub-control unit 500 described using Figure 39, or may be any other board mounted on the gaming machine. In addition, the gaming machine may be equipped with multiple boards corresponding to the "first board."

[0475] The main control board 600 is configured to include a substrate 602 made of a rectangular plate, pattern wiring (not shown) and a solder resist layer 604 (hereinafter also referred to as "resist layer 604" and corresponding to a first resist layer) formed on one surface of the substrate 602, multiple types of components 606 mounted on one surface of the substrate 602, identification information 608 printed in a predetermined region (a region where the pattern wiring and resist layer 604 are not formed) on one surface of the substrate 602, and an identification board 610 having identification information 622 different from the identification information 608. A gap is provided from the end of the substrate 602 to the end of the resist layer 604.

[0476] According to this example, the identification information 608 is printed in an area where the pattern wiring or the resist layer 604 is not formed, so even if other information (such as the name of the component) is printed on the resist layer 604, the visibility of the identification information 608 can be improved, thereby improving convenience.

[0477] The identification information 608 of the main control board 600 is identification information that includes information that can identify the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and in this example, the name of the manufacturer of the slot machine 100 (in this example, BBB Company) and the identification number of the main control board 600 (in this example, XXX-YYY) are printed on one side of the base material 602 as the identification information 608.

[0478] The "identification information" according to the present invention may be any identification information that includes information that can identify the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and may be, for example, only the name of the manufacturer of the slot machine 100, or may be identification information that includes information such as the manufacturing date of the main control board 600 in addition to the name of the manufacturer of the slot machine 100 and the identification number of the main control board 600, or may be identification information that includes information other than characters, such as a two-dimensional code or symbol.

[0479] <Main control board / board housing recess> Next, the board accommodating recess 612 (first shape recess) of the main control board 600 will be described.

[0480] A recess 612 (first-shaped recess) having an approximately inverted U-shape when viewed from the front is formed on the right side (the short side on the right side when viewed from the front) of the main control board 600, which is large enough to accommodate the identification board 610 inside.The recess 612 is cut inward from the short side on the right side of the main control board 600.

[0481] The board accommodating recess 612 (first shape recess) is composed of two side walls 612a extending inward from the right short side of the main control board 600, and a bottom surface 612b connecting these two side walls 612a.

[0482] The width w1 of the bottom surface 612b is longer than the height h1 of the side wall 612a (w1>h1), and the direction parallel to the bottom surface 612b (the short side direction of the main control board 600) is the longitudinal direction of the board accommodating recess 612, and the direction parallel to the side wall 612a (the long side direction of the main control board 600) is the short side direction of the board accommodating recess 612.

[0483] The height h1 of the side wall 612a is slightly higher than the height h2 of the identification board 610, and the width w1 of the bottom surface 612b is slightly wider than the width w2 of the identification board 610. The entire identification board 610 is accommodated in the inner space of the board accommodating recess 612, and the bottom surface 612b of the board accommodating recess 612 and one opposing side of the identification board 610 are connected to each other via a breaking portion 616 so as to be detachable.

[0484] When the identification board 610 is accommodated in the board accommodating recess 612, its top surface (the surface opposite the board accommodating recess 612) is configured to be approximately flush with the surface on which the board accommodating recess 612 is formed (the right side surface of the main control board 600).

[0485] According to this example, the identification board 610 is accommodated in the board accommodating recess 612 of the main control board 600, and is configured so that when accommodated in this board accommodating recess 612, its upper surface is approximately flush with the right side surface of the main control board 600. This prevents the identification board 610 from coming into contact with other components, etc., when the main control board 600 is being transported, etc., thereby improving convenience.

[0486] The "first-shaped recess" according to the present invention is not limited to the substrate accommodating recess 612 according to this example. For example, the width w1 of the bottom surface 612b is shorter than the height h1 of the side wall 612a (w1

[0487] <Main control board / Identification board> Next, the identification board 610 of the main control board 600 will be described.

[0488] The identification board 610 is a board on which no pattern wiring or resist layer is formed, and is composed of a base material 620 consisting of a rectangular plate-like body, and identification information 622 printed in a predetermined area on one side of the base material 620 (an area on which no pattern wiring or resist layer is formed).

[0489] The identification information 622 of the identification board 610 is identification information that includes information that can identify the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and in this example, the name of the manufacturer of the slot machine 100 (in this example, AAA Company) and the identification number of the main control board 600 (in this example, XXX-YYY) are printed on one side of the base material 620 as the identification information 622.

[0490] The "identification information" according to the present invention may be any identification information that includes information that can identify the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and may be, for example, only the name of the manufacturer of the slot machine 100, or may be identification information that includes information such as the date of manufacture of the main control board 600 in addition to the name of the manufacturer of the slot machine 100 and the identification number of the main control board 600, or may be information other than characters such as a two-dimensional code or symbol.

[0491] <Main control board / fracture area> Next, the breakage portion 616 of the main control board 600 will be described.

[0492] ​As shown in Figure 40(a), the breaking portion 616 is a portion where multiple slits (perforations) are formed at predetermined intervals at the connecting portion between the base material 602 of the main control board 600 and the base material 620 of the identification board 610, and is a portion that makes it easy to separate the identification board 610 from the base material 602 of the main control board 600.

[0493] By cutting the breaking portion 616 by hand (or using a tool such as pliers), the identification board 610 can be separated from the base material 602 of the main control board 600, as shown in Figure 40(b).

[0494] As explained using Figure 40(a), before the identification board 610 is separated, the main control board 600 has two types of identification information: identification information 618 of the main control board 600 (name of the manufacturer of the slot machine 100: BBB Company) and identification information 622 of the identification board 610 (name of the manufacturer of the slot machine 100: AAA Company), and therefore the manufacturer of the gaming machine cannot be identified.

[0495] However, as shown in Figure 40(b), by separating the identification board 610 from the base material 602 of the main control board 600, only the identification information 618 (name of the manufacturer of the slot machine 100: BBB Company) remains on the main control board 600, and the main control board 600 (fir...

Claims

1. A gaming state in which a game can be played; an inspection state in which an inspection can be performed; a storage means; A gaming machine equipped with a control means, The storage means is a means including an area (hereinafter referred to as an in-use area) in which information for executing a game control process for controlling the progress of a game is arranged, The storage means is a means including an area (hereinafter referred to as an out-of-use area) separate from the in-use area in which information for executing processing other than the game control processing is arranged, the control means is means for executing a game in the gaming state according to information arranged in the in-use area; the control means is means for executing an inspection based on information stored in the unused area in the inspection state. A gaming machine characterized by the above.

2. 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, The main process that is executed after power-on, a timer interrupt process that is executed at predetermined time intervals after the start of execution of the main process; The control means is a means for executing a specific process in the gaming state by the timer interrupt process using information arranged in the use area, the control means is means for executing the specific process by the main process using information allocated in the unused area in the inspection state, The main processing executed in the inspection state is executed at predetermined time intervals. A gaming machine characterized by the above.

3. 3. The gaming machine according to claim 2, The control means is means for executing the timer interrupt process using information arranged in the use area in the gaming state, the control means is means for not executing the timer interrupt process using the information allocated in the in-use area in the inspection state. A gaming machine characterized by the above.

4. 4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, The inspection is an inspection regarding the operation of the reel. A gaming machine characterized by the above.

5. 5. The gaming machine according to claim 4, The control means is a means for executing a control (hereinafter referred to as a first control) for effectively accepting a stop operation of the reels based on the establishment of a specific condition in the gaming state, the control means is means for executing the first control based on the establishment of the specific condition in the inspection state. A gaming machine characterized by the above.

6. 6. The gaming machine according to claim 5, the control means is means for executing the first control using information arranged in the use area in the gaming state; the control means is means for executing the first control using information arranged in the unused area in the inspection state. A gaming machine characterized by the above.

Images