Prize exchange system for game parlor and prize exchange apparatus for game parlor

Abstract

To enable suppression of wrong operation on a prize exchange apparatus with which employees can try training operation.SOLUTION: When a card or a receipt is read as a normal recording medium during a training mode on POS, notification means notifies an employee of that the normal recording medium is read, thereby suppressing such the wrong operation as forgetting switching the training mode to a normal mode and running the parlor in the training mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a so-called POS (prize exchange device) has been installed at the prize exchange counter in an amusement facility, and employees use the POS to carry out prize exchange processing. This type of POS is considered to be equipped with a practice mode so that employees can become familiar with the prize exchange processing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-024716 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while the POS having the above configuration allows practical practice to be performed at the POS, there is a risk that actual prize exchange processing may be performed while the POS is in practice mode during business hours. In other words, what is counted at the POS is the recording medium, such as an IC card, that a player brings with them during business hours, and this recording medium records information including the count of balls and medals actually won. Therefore, if an employee carelessly operates the player's recording medium by mistake while the machine is in practice mode, the prize exchange history will not be accumulated (no history will be saved), making it difficult to verify the mistake or identify the count, etc.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a prize exchange system for an amusement park and a prize exchange device for an amusement park that can prevent erroneous operation in a prize exchange device that allows employees to practice operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention of claim 1 is a prize exchange system for an amusement facility that can be switched between a normal mode that enables normal operation for carrying out prize exchange processing during business hours and a practice mode that enables employees to practice prize exchange processing, an authentication means for authenticating an employee who performs the prize exchange process; an authority setting means for setting an authority for an employee authenticated by the authentication means to enable switching to the practice mode; a counting means (for example, a counting lending unit 2 having a counting section or an island-end counting device 8) capable of counting the number of game media (for example, the number of counted balls) acquired by a player as a result of playing a game; a normal issuing means (for example, a counting lending unit 2 having a card RW or an island-end counting device 8 having an issuing section 8c) for issuing a normal recording medium (for example, cards 10A, 10B or receipt 11) associated with the number of game media counted by the counting means; a practice issuing means (for example, a card RW 35 or a POS 6 having a printer 36) for issuing a practice recording medium (for example, cards 10A', 10B' or receipt 11') associated with the number of virtual game media in the practice mode; The system is equipped with a recording medium reading means (for example, a POS6 having a card RW35 or a scanner 34) that reads the practice recording medium, a prize exchange process execution means (for example, the control unit 37 of the POS6) that can execute the prize exchange process by reading the normal recording medium and the practice recording medium with the recording medium reading means, a memory means (for example, memory units 37m, 5c) that stores information regarding the prize exchange process executed by the prize exchange process execution means, a mode determination means (for example, the control unit 37) that determines whether the mode is the normal mode or the practice mode, a recording medium determination means (for example, the control unit 37) that determines whether the recording medium read by the recording medium reading means is a recording medium corresponding to the mode determined by the mode determination means, and a notification means that notifies an employee of this when the recording medium determination means determines that the recording medium is not corresponding to the mode.

[0007] According to the invention of claim 1, when a normal recording medium is read during practice mode, an alarm means notifies an employee, thereby preventing erroneous operations such as forgetting to switch from practice mode to normal mode and carrying out normal prize exchange processing while still in practice mode during business hours. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a prize exchange system for an amusement facility according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] Perspective view of the POS system from the employee's perspective [Figure 3] Perspective view of the POS from the player's perspective [Figure 4] Functional block diagram focusing on POS [Figure 5] A diagram showing the standby screen on the employee's POS monitor [Figure 6] Diagram showing the menu screen [Figure 7] A diagram showing the confirmation screen when switching to practice mode [Figure 8] A diagram showing the practice mode screen [Figure 9] A diagram showing the card reading screen when creating a practice recording medium. [Figure 10] A diagram showing a screen for selecting the type when creating a practice recording medium. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an input screen for the number of game media when creating a practice recording medium. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 shows a receipt as an example of a normal recording medium and a practice recording medium. [Figure 13] A diagram showing an example of a pop-up display on an employee's monitor. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a POS or management device in association with a prize exchange process. [Figure 15] Flowchart showing the flow of prize exchange processing DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the prize exchange system for an amusement park shown in Figure 1, multiple gaming machines 1 are installed within the amusement park, and a counting rental unit 2 and an information display device 3 are attached in one-to-one correspondence to each of the gaming machines 1. Two gaming machines 1, two counting lending units 2, and two information display devices 3 are connected to a relay device 4, and the relay device 4 is connected to a management device 5 via a LAN. The relay device 4 collects the operating status of the gaming machines 1 and information on the counting lending units 2 and the information display devices 3. The management device 5 receives information (signals) transmitted from the gaming machine-side equipment such as the gaming machines 1 and the counting lending units 2, and thereby manages the gaming information for each gaming machine 1 and the personal data of each registered member player.

[0010] 1 includes a data display unit 3a that displays game information and notices from the gaming parlor according to the operation of the gaming machine 1, and well-known call buttons (not shown). Also, the "pachinko island" in Fig. 1 indicates a gaming machine island where the gaming machine equipment is installed, and it is assumed that a gaming parlor will have multiple gaming machine islands, including a gaming machine island where the rental price of gaming media (rental price of balls) is 4 yen and a gaming machine island where the rental price is 1 yen, for example.

[0011] A POS 6, a settlement device 7, and an island-end counting device 8 are also installed in the gaming facility, and these devices 6 to 8 are also connected to the management device 5 via a LAN. A plurality of POSs 6 are installed in a prize exchange corner (prize exchange counter) where players can exchange game values ​​for prizes. The POS 6 is equipped with an accessory device 9 for processing IC cards 10 such as a general card 10A or a membership card 10B shown in Fig. 4 or receipts 11 (see Fig. 12).

[0012] As will be described in detail later, the POS 6 executes the prize exchange process based on the identified gaming value (number of counted balls and number of saved balls (in the case of a member)) by reading the information recorded on the IC card 10 or receipt 11 with the accessory device 9. That is, in the prize exchange process, the POS 6 reads the gaming value (number of gaming media) from the IC card 10 or receipt 11, or identifies the member who wishes to exchange for a prize and obtains online from the management device 5 the saved value (saved balls, etc.) that the player as that member has deposited in the gaming facility, thereby identifying the gaming value that can be exchanged for a prize. When outputting to the management device 5, the POS 6 adds a POS No. (device ID) that can identify which device among the multiple POS 6 in the prize exchange counter has output the signal.

[0013] The settlement device 7 has a card insertion slot 7a into which an IC card 10 is inserted, and a card RW (card reader / writer, not shown) that reads the deposit balance recorded on the inserted card 10, and executes a return process in which the read deposit balance (monetary value, hereinafter abbreviated as "balance") is refunded in cash such as banknotes or coins from the return slot 7b.

[0014] The island-end counting device 8 is a counting means capable of counting the pachinko balls (won balls) that a player has won as a result of playing on the gaming machine 1, and is installed in multiple locations within the gaming parlor (for example, at the island end of the gaming machine island). The balls won by the player must be stored in a ball box and then carried from the gaming machine 1 to the island end of the gaming machine island to be counted using the island-end counting device 8, and this counting work is performed by an employee. As shown in Figure 1, the island end counting device 8 includes an insertion section 8a for acquired balls, a touch panel type liquid crystal display section 8b having a display function for displaying various information such as counting information and a function for accepting operational input, a receipt issuing section 8c for issuing receipts 11, a card RW (only the insertion port 8d is shown in the same figure), etc.

[0015] When acquired balls are inserted into the insertion port 8a, the island end counting device 8 performs a counting process of the acquired balls in a counting section (not shown) of the device 8. Furthermore, when the island end counting device 8 completes the counting process, if, for example, a member card 10B is inserted into the card RW insertion port 8d, the island end counting device 8 sets the count value of the acquired balls (counted number of balls) as the number of deposited balls (number of balls stored on the day), sends information including the number of stored balls associated with the member ID to the management device 5, and issues the member card 10B by pulling it out of the insertion port 8d (issuance process). On the other hand, when the counting process is completed, if the member card 10B is not inserted into the card RW insertion slot 8d, the island end counting device 8 performs an issuing process to issue a receipt 11 from the issuing unit 8c that has recorded (associated) a two-dimensional code that identifies the number of balls counted.

[0016] Furthermore, when the island end counting device 8 completes the counting process, if, for example, a general card 10A is inserted into the insertion slot 8d of the card RW, or by feeding out the card 10A from the card stock section (not shown) mounted on the device 8 toward the card RW side, the general card 10A with the counted number of balls recorded can be fed out of the insertion slot 8d and issued. In this way, the island end counting device 8 (normal issuing means) issues, from the receipt issuing section 8c, an IC card 10 and a receipt 11 that correspond to the number of balls (number of game media) counted by the counting section.

[0017] Here, the IC card 10 and the receipt 11 will be explained. As shown in Figure 4, both the general card 10A and the membership card 10B of the IC card 10 are normal recording media (hereinafter also referred to as "cards 10A, 10B") that have an IC chip built in and are associated with at least the number of gaming media in an identifiable manner. The general card 10A is issued to an unspecified number of players as a card valid only for that day, and the IC chip 10a of the card 10A records a general ID (Identification), as well as information that can identify the balance and the number of counted balls (the count of balls acquired by the player on that day) for each loan price.

[0018] On the other hand, the member card 10B is a card that is valid until a preset expiration date (for example, three years), and is issued to a player who has registered as a member in advance. The number of balls stored (the number of balls stored on the current day and the number of balls stored on the previous day) associated with the member card 10B is stored for each loan price in the member's account of the management device 5, while the IC chip 10b of the card 10B records the balance as well as the member's member ID, which can identify the gaming value of the member's account.

[0019] The receipt 11 is made of a piece of paper shown at the top in Fig. 12, and is a normal recording medium on which a two-dimensional code 11d that provides (associates) information about the number of balls counted is printed. As shown in the figure, the receipt 11 is printed with the pachinko parlor name 11a, the counting time (issue time) 11b, the number of balls counted 11c, a two-dimensional code 11d (which may be a barcode) that allows the POS 6 to read the information including the number of balls counted, and a message 11e warning that the receipt 11 can only be exchanged for a prize on the day of purchase. The "information regarding the number of counted balls" associated with cards 10A, 10B and receipt 11 includes the number of gaming media and the type of gaming media (pachinko balls or medals, and the rental price), as shown in the "total number of balls" and "4P" in Figure 14 described below.

[0020] The management device 5 shown in Figure 1 is installed in an office or other location within an amusement facility, and is equipped with a control unit including a CPU and memory unit (not shown), a transmission / reception unit, input units such as a keyboard 5a and a mouse, and output units such as a monitor 5b and a printer. The management device 5 is configured to manage the operating status of the gaming machine equipment and various devices 6 to 8, and stores and accumulates information regarding the prize exchange process executed by the POS 6, for example, in the memory unit 5c of the device 5 (shown only in Figure 4).

[0021] Next, we will explain the gaming machine 1 and the counting rental unit 2 as gaming machine-side equipment. In the gaming machine island (pachinko corner), there are corners equipped with the counting rental unit 2 having the so-called individual machine counting function and corners equipped with the counting rental unit 2 without the individual machine counting function, depending on whether or not there is an island-end counting device 8, but we will mainly explain the counting rental unit 2 having the individual machine counting function.

[0022] The gaming machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a CR pachinko machine, and has an operating handle 12, an upper tray 13, and a lower tray 14 that constitute a launching device that launches balls onto the playing surface 1a, and the playing surface 1a also has a liquid crystal display 15, a starting hole 16, and a jackpot hole 17. When a player operates the operating handle 12, a ball is launched onto the playing surface 1a, and if the pachinko ball lands in the starting hole 16, a number of pachinko balls corresponding to the winning ball are paid out and a jackpot lottery is held. In the jackpot lottery, a pattern change is performed on the liquid crystal display 15 using so-called special symbols, and if the symbol displayed in a stopped state is a jackpot symbol, a jackpot occurs. When a jackpot occurs, the jackpot hole 17 is opened for, for example, 15 rounds.

[0023] The equipment on the gaming machine transmits various gaming signals, such as an out signal that can identify the number of out balls indicating the number of gaming media inserted into the gaming machine 1, a safe signal that can identify the number of safe balls indicating the number of gaming media paid out from the gaming machine 1 due to winning, and a status signal that can identify the jackpot state that has occurred in the gaming machine 1, depending on the progress of the game, such as the player shooting balls and the starting winning into the starting port 16.

[0024] The counting and lending unit 2 shown in Figure 1 also has a status display unit 22 that shows the current operating status, a bill insertion slot 23 through which bills are inserted, a touch panel type LCD display unit 24 that accepts operation input from the player and displays various data such as the balance, the number of counted balls and the number of stored balls, a payout button 25 for paying out one unit of balls (equivalent to 500 yen), a payout nozzle 26 through which the paid out balls pass, a card insertion slot 27 through which a general card 10A or a member card 10B is inserted, and a counting tray 28 that is detachably connected to the lower tray 14 of the gaming machine 1.

[0025] The counting and lending unit 2 is capable of detecting the operation of the lending button 1b and the return button 1c provided on the gaming machine 1. Although not shown, the counting and lending unit 2 is provided with a card stock section capable of stocking up to 10 general cards 10A, a card RW for reading and writing various information recorded on each card 10A, 10B, a counting section for counting the balls flowing in from the counting tray 28, and the like.

[0026] The counting and lending unit 2 has the following functions: (1) When a bill is inserted into the bill insertion slot 23, the amount of the inserted bill (in units of 1000 yen) is stored, and the inserted amount (balance) is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 24. (2) When the loan button 1b of the gaming machine 1 is operated, a loan process is performed in which balls equivalent to one unit (500 yen) within the balance are loaned from the payout mechanism inside the gaming machine 1 in accordance with the operation of the loan button 1b. If the counting loan unit 2 is installed on a 4-yen pachinko island, 125 balls will be paid out, and if the counting loan unit 2 is installed on a 1-yen pachinko island, 500 balls will be paid out. At this time, a signal indicating that balls equivalent to one unit have been paid out is sent from the gaming machine 1 to the counting loan unit 2, which then subtracts one unit (500 yen) from the balance displayed on the LCD display 24 and transmits a sales signal that can identify the number of loaned balls. This sales signal transmits one pulse each time balls equivalent to one unit are paid out, and one pulse is identified as the sales amount of 500 yen.

[0027] (3) When the balls that fall from the lower tray 14 of the gaming machine 1 are received by the counting tray 28, the balls received by the counting tray 28 flow into the counting section, where a counting process is performed to count the balls, which are gaming media, and the counted number of balls is displayed on the LCD display section 24. (4) When the payout button 25 is operated, the payout mechanism inside the gaming machine 1 pays out a number of balls equivalent to one amount (500 yen) within the range of the counted number of balls or the stored number of balls according to the operation of the payout button 25.

[0028] (5) When the return button 1c of the gaming machine 1 is operated, information regarding the balance and the number of counted balls is recorded on the general card 10A, or the balance is recorded on the membership card 10B and issued, depending on the operation of the return button 1c. If neither of the cards 10A nor 10B is inserted into the insertion slot 27, information regarding the balance and the number of counted balls is recorded by the card RW on the general card 10A stored in the card stock section and issued. If the membership card 10B is inserted into the insertion slot 27, the balance is recorded on the membership card 10B, and information regarding the number of counted balls is sent to the management device 5 upon the entry of a PIN, and the membership card 10B is issued. Then, when the general card 10A or the membership card 10B is issued, an issuance signal that can identify the information recorded on the card 10A or 10B (information regarding the balance and the number of counted balls) along with the general ID and the membership ID is sent to the management device 5, and the information recorded on the card 10A or 10B is also stored on the management device 5 side.

[0029] (6) When the general card 10A is inserted into the insertion slot 27, the balance and the number of counted balls recorded on the general card 10A are read by the card RW and displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 24. When the general card 10A is accepted, the lending / return (issuance) process is performed within the range of the balance and the number of counted balls recorded on the general card 10A. (7) When the member card 10B is inserted into the insertion slot 27, the balance recorded on the member card 10B is read by the card RW and displayed on the LCD display 24, and also displays the number of stored balls (counted number of balls) stored in the member's account in the management device 5, provided that the PIN number is entered. When the member card 10B is accepted, the loan / return (issue) process is performed within the range of the balance recorded on the member card 10B and the counted number and stored number of balls in the member's account.

[0030] Although not shown in the figure, the counting and lending unit 2 is equipped with a well-known camera that photographs the upper body of the player, including the face, and gaming media can be loaned out depending on the authentication results of the player's facial image. As described above, the counting and lending unit 2 functions as a counting means capable of counting the number of gaming media acquired by a player as a result of playing the game through the counting process, and also functions as a normal issuing means for issuing a general card 10A or a member card 10B associated with the counted number of gaming media as a normal recording medium.

[0031] Next, the configuration of the POS 6 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 and subsequent drawings. 2 and 3 show external perspective views of the POS 6 as seen from the employee side and the player side. As shown in the figures, the POS 6 comprises a main body 30 having monitors 31 and 32, as well as an accessory device 9 and a player operation unit 39 that are separate from the main body 30. The POS 6 is integrally constructed with the main body 30 and a pair of monitors 31 and 32 facing away from each other, and one of the monitors 31 and 32 is the employee-side monitor 31, which is positioned so as to face the direction D1 where the employee is located at the prize exchange counter.

[0032] The employee monitor 31 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays content intended for employees. The employee monitor 31 has a touch panel 33 on its front, and employees can operate the touch panel 33 with their fingers (hereinafter referred to as touch operation) while looking at the monitor 31.

[0033] The accessory device 9 is installed facing the employee on the left side of the POS 6 as viewed from the employee (see FIG. 2), and is capable of communicating with the main unit 30. The accessory device 9 is configured as a single device equipped with the functions of the scanner 34, card RW 35, and printer 36 shown in FIG. 4. The accessory device 9 is shaped like a rectangular block as shown in FIG. 2, and on its top side, the reading surface 34a of the scanner 34, the card insertion slot 35a, and the issuing slot 36a of the printer 36 are arranged in order from the front side to the employee. The card insertion slot 35a of the accessory device 9 allows insertion of cards 10A, 10B, etc. to be read by the card RW 35, and the reading surface 34a is for holding a receipt 11, etc. to be read by the scanner 34. The printer 36 issues receipts 11', etc., which will be described later, from its issuing slot 36a.

[0034] The player operation unit 39 is installed facing the player on the right side of the POS 6 as seen from the player's side (see FIG. 3), and is capable of communicating with the main body 30. The player operation unit 39 is provided with an enclosure 39a extending from the left, right, and rear edges thereof, and a numeric keypad 39b enclosed by the enclosure 39a. The player can input a PIN number into the POS 6 by operating the numeric keypad 39b. The other monitor 32 in the POS 6 is placed, for example, at a prize exchange counter, back-to-back with the employee monitor 31, facing the direction D2 where the player is located, and displays content intended for the player. The player monitor 32 is also composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display.

[0035] 4 shows a functional block diagram of the POS 6. The control unit 37 of the POS 6 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU 37a, a memory unit 37m such as a ROM 37b and a RAM 37c, and an I / O 37d. Peripheral units connected to the control unit 37 include the above-mentioned employee monitor 31, touch panel 33, and player monitor 32, as well as an I / F unit 38 that transmits and receives various signals and information to and from the management device 5, etc. Other peripheral units include the scanner 34, card RW 35, and printer 36 of the accessory device 9, and a numeric keypad 39b of the player operation unit 39.

[0036] The control unit 37 of the POS 6 executes the prize exchange process in the following procedure by reading the cards 10A, 10B received by the card RW 35 and the receipt 11 received by the scanner 34. Note that before executing the prize exchange process, the employee in charge is authenticated in advance. This is done by reading the operator information on the employee card (not shown) inserted into the card insertion slot 35a with the card RW 35, and comparing the operator information (such as the ID and name of the employee in charge) with the all employee ID table stored in advance in the memory unit 37m.

[0037] (a) When a general card 10A or a member card 10B is inserted into the card insertion slot 35a instead of an employee card, the information on the cards 10A, 10B (hereinafter referred to as "card information"), including ID information such as the general ID or member ID, is read by the card RW 35, and the card information is sent to the management device 5, requesting a comparison of the number of counted balls (number of balls stored on the day) corresponding to the ID information. Note that when a general card 10A is inserted into the insertion slot 35a, the card information read by the card RW 35 also includes information regarding the number of counted balls. In addition, when a receipt 11 is held over the reading surface 34a of the scanner 34, the information of the two-dimensional code 11d on the receipt 11 (hereinafter referred to as "receipt information") is read by the scanner 34, and the receipt information is sent to the management device 5, requesting a comparison of the corresponding number of counted balls.

[0038] (b) If the handling of information regarding the number of counted balls is validated based on the comparison result sent from the management device 5, the number of special prizes that can be exchanged with that number of counted balls is calculated for each rental price, and the number of counted balls and the number of special prizes are displayed on each monitor 31, 32, respectively. On the other hand, if the information regarding the number of counted balls is not validated based on the comparison result, this is displayed as an "error" on at least the employee's monitor 31, prompting the employee in charge to confirm the authenticity of the card 10A, 10B or receipt 11.

[0039] (c) When exchanging saved balls for prizes using the membership card 10B, if a PIN number is entered using the numeric keypad 39b of the player operation unit 39, the number of saved balls of the corresponding member is requested from the management device 5, and the number of saved balls transmitted from the management device 5 is displayed. This display of the number of saved balls is performed by displaying the total number of saved balls, which is the sum of the number of saved balls of the day and the number of saved balls of the previous day, on each of the monitors 31 and 32. (d) Regarding the selection of a prize, the type of prize is specified based on the operational input by touching the employee's monitor 31 (touch panel 33), or the type of prize that the player wishes to exchange is specified based on the operational input by reading the prize's identification code (e.g., barcode) with the scanner 34. Also, a calculation process is performed to determine the number of balls (prize value) corresponding to the specified prize.

[0040] (e) The prize to be exchanged is determined, and the number of balls corresponding to that prize is subtracted from the counted number of balls (or total number of balls) to calculate the remaining counted number of balls. After the prize is determined by POS6, the prize is handed over by the employee in charge. Also, if there is a remaining counted number of balls or a balance on card 10A, 10B, the remaining counted number of balls or balance is recorded on card 10A, 10B by card RW35 (in the case of a membership card, only the balance is recorded). After that, card 10A, 10B is returned to the player by the employee in charge.

[0041] The prizes offered in this embodiment include the special prizes and general prizes. Three types of special prizes are available: large special prizes (hereinafter also referred to as "large"), medium special prizes (hereinafter also referred to as "medium"), and small special prizes (hereinafter also referred to as "small") (see FIG. 14, described below). The corresponding monetary amounts (the amounts at which the special prizes can be purchased at exchange counters outside the amusement parlor) are set at, for example, 5,000 yen for large special prizes, 1,000 yen for medium special prizes, and 200 yen for small special prizes. General prizes are general prizes (hereinafter simply referred to as prizes), such as sweets, and various types of prizes are available at the prize exchange counter.

[0042] When exchanging such special prizes for general prizes, the operations performed by employees during business hours using the touch panel 33, scanner 34, card RW 35, etc. to perform the prize exchange process at the POS 6 are referred to as normal operations. Normal operations include the operations performed by employees in (a) to (e) above as well as operations performed in conjunction with the prize exchange process, and the series of such operations history is transmitted to the management device 5 as information related to the prize exchange process and stored therein. For example, when a member card 10B is inserted into the insertion slot 35a at the POS 6, if a deposit operation of saved balls is performed without exchanging them for a special prize based on the read receipt information (counted number of balls), the number of saved balls deposited associated with the member ID of the card 10B is sent to the management device 5. In this case, the information about the saved balls is stored in the memory unit 5c of the management device 5, with the number of special prizes exchanged being zero "0" (see the "Saved balls: O" and "0" columns for "Large" to "Small" in FIG. 14 described later).

[0043] Now, the POS6 (prize exchange device for an amusement park) of this embodiment is configured to be switchable between a normal mode that enables normal operations for carrying out prize exchange processing during business hours, and a practice mode that enables employees to practice operations for prize exchange processing, and in the practice mode it is possible to issue practice recording media associated with a number of virtual gaming media.

[0044] In addition, in order to prevent operational errors resulting from the setting of the normal mode and the practice mode, the POS 6 executes a prize exchange process using practice operations when the recording medium read by the card RW 35 or the scanner 34 is determined to be a practice recording medium in the practice mode, but restricts the prize exchange process when the recording medium is determined to be a normal recording medium. Hereinafter, the control unit 37, which is the controlling entity (prize exchange process execution means), will be simply referred to as "POS 6," and "1. Normal mode and practice mode," "2. Issuance of practice mode recording medium and management of history," and "3. Flow of prize exchange process" will be explained with reference to Figures 5 to 15. Note that Figures 5 to 11 represent the screens on the employee monitor 31 of the POS 6.

[0045] <1. Normal mode and practice mode> FIG. 5 shows the standby screen 50 of the POS 6 in normal mode. The employee in charge of the prize exchange has their employee card read in advance by the card RW35 of the POS 6. As a result, the ID of the "responsible" employee ("Employee 4" in the figure) is automatically displayed in the employee display section 51a in the top column 51 of the standby screen 50, along with the display of the "date (time)." Also, the top column 51 is provided with a display section 51b that indicates "Waiting" and indicates that this is the standby screen in normal mode.

[0046] The standby screen 50 has a column 52 that displays the "total number," which indicates the total value of the counted number of balls or the total number of balls read from the cards 10A, 10B or receipt 11 as normal recording media, the "exchangeable number," which indicates the amount of game value that can be exchanged for special prizes from the total number, and the "fraction (total number - exchangeable number)" obtained by subtracting the exchangeable number from the total number. Also provided is a column 53 that indicates the number of each of the "large," "medium," and "small" special prizes, as well as a column 54 that displays the "prize name," "unit price," and "quantity" of each of the above prizes.

[0047] In the right column 55 of the standby screen 50, a "menu" button 55a for displaying a menu screen, a numeric keypad 55b, and various buttons including buttons related to "saving balls" are displayed. When the "menu" button 55a is touched, the POS 6 transitions from the standby screen 50 to the menu screen 60 of FIG. 6, and when the "store open / close" button 61a on the screen 60 is touched, a store open / close menu list 62 is displayed.

[0048] That is, in the menu screen 60 of Figure 6, the right column 61 has buttons 61a to 61h for "Store Opening / Closing," "Stock," "IC Card," "Settings," "Data," "Member," "Special Operation," and "Maintenance Information," and by touching any of the buttons 61a to 61h, the corresponding content can be displayed in the menu list 62 on the left. The store opening / closing menu list 62 has buttons 62a to 62f for performing each process such as "opening," "closing / storing," "clearing for the day," "starting practice," "re-storing data," and "shift change" when opening or closing the store, and the corresponding process can be performed by touching any of the buttons 62a to 62f.

[0049] For example, if an employee is not familiar with operating the POS 6, the "Practice Start" button 62d is operated to practice the operation to become familiar with the prize exchange process. In other words, if the employee is unfamiliar with the prize exchange process at the POS 6, the prize exchange process will take time, causing customers to wait, so the employee needs to become familiar with operating the POS 6. When "Practice Start" is performed, the employee may do so together with the "responsible" manager, as shown in the employee display section 51a of FIG. 6.

[0050] When the "Start Practice" button 62d is touched, the POS 6 transitions from the menu screen 60 to the confirmation screen 70 in Fig. 7. Then, the confirmation screen 70 displays a message saying "Practice processing will start. Are you sure?" along with a confirmation field 71 showing an "Execute" button 71a and a "Cancel" button 71b, and when the "Execute" button 71a is touched, the screen transitions to the practice mode screen 80 in Fig. 8, and the normal mode is switched to the practice mode. The practice mode screen 80 has a display section 81b in the top column 81 indicating that the practice mode is in progress, as "Practice in progress," and an "End Practice" button 81c that is operated to return from practice mode to normal mode. When the "End Practice" button 81c is touched, the POS 6 transitions to the menu screen 60 or the standby screen 50, and switches from practice mode to normal mode.

[0051] The practice mode screen 80, like the standby screen 50, has a column 52 that displays the "total number," "exchangeable number," and "fraction," a column 53 that displays the number of each of the "large," "medium," and "small" special prizes, and a column 54 that displays the "prize name," "unit price," and "quantity." In practice mode, players can practice the prize exchange process using special receipts and cards. In addition, when the "Menu (Close)" button 55a is touched on the practice mode screen 80 in Figure 8, the menu section is closed and a number pad 55b similar to that on the standby screen 50 in Figure 5 and a group of various buttons including buttons related to "saving balls" are displayed.

[0052] On the practice mode screen 80, when transitioning from the confirmation screen 70, that is, when switching from normal mode to practice mode, a receipt specifically for practice mode is automatically issued from the issuing port 36a of the printer 36. The practice recording medium issued at this time is called a "receipt 11'" to distinguish it from the receipt 11 as a normal recording medium. Furthermore, a "Create Practice Card" button 61i is provided in the column 61 on the right side of the practice mode screen 80, and when the "Create Practice Card" button 61i is touched, the POS 6 transitions from the practice mode screen 80 to the practice card creation screen 90 of Fig. 9, making it possible to issue a general card or a membership card exclusively for the practice mode. The practice recording medium thus issued is referred to as a "general card 10A'" or a "membership card 10B'" (both not shown) to distinguish it from the general card 10A or the membership card 10B as a normal recording medium.

[0053] <2. Issuance of recording media for practice mode and management of history> The receipt 11' is formed from the piece of paper shown at the bottom in Figure 12, and the same information 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11e as the receipt 11, such as the pachinko hall name 11a, is printed on the piece of paper, as well as the notation α of "Practice Receipt" and a two-dimensional code 11d'. Comparing receipt 11' and receipt 11 in Figure 12, both receipts 11' and 11 are almost identical in appearance except for the notation α of "practice receipt," but the information provided by the respective two-dimensional codes 11d' and 11d is different.

[0054] That is, the receipt 11 is issued from the receipt issuing unit 8c of the island end counting device 8 during business hours, and the two-dimensional code 11d is printed so that information regarding the number of counted balls acquired by the player and the time the receipt 11 was issued can be read. In contrast, receipt 11' is automatically issued from printer 36 of POS 6 when switching to practice mode (i.e., whether or not the store is open), and so 2D code 11d' is printed in such a way that information identifying the virtual number of balls (virtual number of game media) can be read. Therefore, 2D code 11d' can identify information related to the virtual number of balls, the time when receipt 11' was issued, and identification information indicating that it was issued in practice mode (see "Practice" in Figure 14). In this way, POS 6 and printer 36 function as practice issuing means for issuing receipt 11' in practice mode.

[0055] The general card 10A' and the member card 10B' are issued as follows. That is, first, on the practice card creation screen 90 of Fig. 9, a message "Please read your IC card" is displayed in the "Create a practice card" column 91 on the left side. In this case, a general card 10A or a member card 10B on which no data (number of balls counted) is recorded is inserted into the card insertion slot 35a of the POS 6. When the POS 6 accepts the general card 10A or the member card 10B in the card RW 35, the screen transitions from the practice card creation screen 90 to the type selection screen 100 of Fig. 10.

[0056] On the type selection screen 100, a message "Please select the type to execute" is displayed in a "Create practice card" column 101, along with a "4 Pachi" button 102 and a "20 Slot" button 103 indicating the type. Although not shown, it goes without saying that other types (1 Pachi or 5 Slot) can be displayed in correspondence with pachinko machines with a unit rental price of 1 yen or slot machines with a unit rental price of 5 yen set in the gaming parlor. Furthermore, a "Return to Menu" button 55d is displayed on the type selection screen 100, positioned in the column of the "Menu (Close)" button 55a on the right side. When the "Return to Menu" button 55d is touched, the POS 6 returns from the type selection screen 100 to the original practice mode screen 80. On the other hand, when a type is selected by touching the "4 Pachi" button 102, for example, the type selection screen 100 transitions to the game medium number input screen 110 shown in FIG.

[0057] The game medium number input screen 110 displays the message "Please enter the number of balls" in the "Create a practice card" column 111, the selected type of "4 Pachi", the "number" and "date and time" of the general ID or member ID of the accepted card, and the "status" of the "practice mode", as well as the "current number of balls" currently associated with the general card 10A or member card 10B and the "rewritten number of balls" to be associated as the number of virtual game media.

[0058] In addition, on the game medium number input screen 110, located in the column of the "Menu (Close)" button 55a on the right side, a "Return to Menu" button 55d, a numeric keypad 55b, a "Return to Menu" button 55d, a "Cancel" button 55e, and a "Rewrite" button 55f are displayed. When the "number of balls to be rewritten" on the input screen 110 is input by touching the numeric keypad 55b and the "rewrite" button 55f, the POS 6 associates (records) the selected type "4-pachi," the virtual number of counted balls as the "number of balls to be rewritten," and identification information indicating that the card has been issued in practice mode with the general card 10A or the member card 10B by the card RW 35, thereby issuing the card 10A or 10B as a general card 10A' or a member card 10B'. In this way, the POS 6 and the card RW 35 function as a practice issuing means for issuing cards 10A' and 10B' in practice mode.

[0059] When the "Cancel" button 55e is touched, the POS6 cancels the rewriting of information including the "Number of rewritten balls" (resets to zero), and when the "Return to menu" button 55d is touched, the POS6 returns from the type selection screen 100 to the practice mode screen 80, so that practice operations for the prize exchange process in practice mode can be performed while the screen 80 is displayed. This practice operation is an operation for executing the prize exchange process by reading (reading) the general card 10A', the member card 10B' or the receipt 11', and allows practical practice using the operating means (touch panel 33, etc.) or the recording medium reading means (scanner 34, card RW 35) in the same way as the normal operation.

[0060] In this embodiment, information relating to the prize exchange process executed by the POS 6 is stored in the memory unit 37m (memory means) of the device 6, and the information is sent to the management device 5 and stored in its memory unit 5c (memory means). Here, Fig. 14 shows an example of information relating to the prize exchange process stored and managed by the management device 5, and the information includes the following:

[0061] Business day: The date to refer to the history of the prize exchange process, and can be selected for each business day. Time: The time when the prize exchange process was carried out - Unit number: The unit number of the POS6 identified by the device ID · Person in Charge: Employee ID who executed the gift exchange process Type: The type of game medium stored in the recording medium 10A, 10B, 10A', 10B', 11, 11' read during the prize exchange process Number of tickets: The total number of receipts 11 and 11' scanned during the prize exchange process Card ID / Member ID: General ID or member ID of card 10A, 10B, 10A', 10B' read during the prize exchange process Number of special prizes exchanged: The number of "large", "medium", and "small" special prizes paid out as a result of the prize exchange process Practice: This is the mode used during the prize exchange process. The practice mode identified based on the identification information is identified with a circle. -Saved balls: When a transfer to saved balls is made during the prize exchange process, the deposit of saved balls is identified with a "○".

[0062] The POS 6 displays information related to the above prize exchange processing as a history on the employee monitor 31. This indicates that all of the prize exchange processing in FIG. 14 was performed by a single employee "1," but that the prize exchange processing at times "9:59" and "10:01" was performed in practice mode, while the remaining prize exchange processing was performed in normal mode. Of these, the special prizes exchanged at the POS 6 during practice mode, including "large," "medium," and "small," are not subtracted from inventory (not counted). This is because the receipt 11' scanned at time "9:59" and the card 10A' (or 10B') scanned at "10:01" are merely practice operations using virtual gaming media, and are therefore excluded from counting based on the practice mode identification information.

[0063] It can be seen that, through normal operation in normal mode, at time "10:03" receipt 11 was read and one "large", one "medium", and four "small" special prizes were handed to the player, and at time "10:05" card 10A or 10B was read and three "large" and three "medium" special prizes were handed to the player. Also, at time "10:07" receipt 11 was read and it can be seen that the balls were deposited without being exchanged for special prizes. In addition, the number of prizes exchanged, such as sweets, may be displayed on the employee monitor 31 of the POS 6 together with the "number of special prizes exchanged" in Figure 14, and the same display as on the employee monitor 31 can also be displayed on the monitor 5b of the management device 5.

[0064] <3. Prize exchange process> The flowchart in Figure 15 shows the flow of processing executed when cards 10A, 10B, 10A', 10B' are read by card RW 35 at POS 6, or receipts 11, 11' are read by scanner 34, and S1, S2, ... in the figure indicate each step.

[0065] In this embodiment, in order to prevent erroneous operations resulting from mode switching at the POS 6, a pop-up is displayed on the screen of the employee monitor 31. For example, when the card 10A is read while the mode of the POS 6 is switched to practice mode (S10 and S12), the pop-up display 103, as shown in Fig. 13, displays a message saying "Caution! This is a normal IC card. Normal IC cards cannot be used in practice mode," along with a "Confirm" button 131, to notify the employee that a recording medium corresponding to the mode is not being used.

[0066] That is, first, the POS 6, as a mode determination means, determines whether the current mode is the normal mode or the practice mode (S1). If the POS 6 determines that the current mode has been switched to the normal mode in response to the touch operation of the "start practice" button 62d (S1: YES, S2), it determines whether the card RW 35 or the recording medium read by the scanner 34 is the normal recording medium or the practice recording medium (S3).

[0067] Here, if the POS6 (recording medium determination means) determines based on the reading results by the card RW35 or the scanner 34 that the recording medium is a normal recording medium (card 10A, 10B or receipt 11) on which no practice mode identification information is recorded (S3: YES, S4), it executes the prize exchange process (S5). In this case, for example, on screen 50 in Fig. 5, the "total number" which is the read number of counted balls is displayed, and the number of special prizes which can be exchanged is calculated and the number of special prizes for each of "large" to "small" is displayed. Alternatively, the type of prize which the player wishes to exchange is specified based on operational input by touch operation, and the result (remaining counted number of balls) obtained by subtracting the number of balls corresponding to that prize from the counted number of balls is displayed. Also, if there is a remaining counted number of balls or balance on cards 10A, 10B, the remaining counted number of balls or balance is recorded in association with cards 10A, 10B on card RW35 (updated as the remaining counted number of balls), and this prize exchange process ends (returns).

[0068] On the other hand, if the POS 6 determines in S3 that the recording medium is a practice recording medium (card 10A', 10B' or receipt 11') on which the identification information for the practice mode is recorded (S3: NO, S6), it restricts the prize exchange process in the normal mode (S7). In this case, the POS 6 will not exchange the special prize or other prizes (actually paying out prizes), nor will it subtract from the number of counted balls associated with such exchange.

[0069] Then, when card 10A' is the target to be read, for example, POS 6 executes a notification process to notify the employee by displaying a pop-up display (not shown, see Figure 13) on screen 50 of Figure 5 that includes the message "Caution!! This is a practice IC card. Practice IC cards cannot be used in normal mode" and a "Confirm" button (S8). In this case, when the "Confirm" button is touched, the POS 6 deletes the counted number of balls recorded on the card 10A' (resets the number of virtual game media to zero), and ends this process (returns).

[0070] On the other hand, if the POS 6 determines in S1 that the current mode has been switched to practice mode (S1: NO, S10), it determines whether the recording medium read by the card RW 35 or the scanner 34 is a normal recording medium or a practice recording medium (S11). At this time, if the POS 6 determines based on the reading results by the card RW 35 or the scanner 34 that the card is a normal recording medium on which no practice mode identification information is recorded (S11: YES, S12), it restricts the prize exchange process (S13) and executes notification processing (S14).

[0071] That is, for example, when card 10A is read in practice mode (S12), POS6 does not accept the practice operation so that the prize exchange process is not performed as a practice operation on screen 80 of Figure 8, and does not subtract the number of counted balls recorded on card 10A (S13), but instead notifies the employee by displaying pop-up display 103 of Figure 13 on the same screen 80 (S14). This prompts the employee to confirm whether card 10A is a normal recording medium or a practice recording medium, and the process ends (returns). In response, the employee can deal with the situation by touching the "Confirm" button 131 on pop-up display 103, or by touching the "End Practice" button 81c at the top of the screen 80 to switch from practice mode to normal mode.

[0072] On the other hand, when the POS 6 determines that the current mode is the practice mode and the read recording medium is a practice recording medium (S10 and S11: NO, S15), it executes a prize exchange process by the practice operation (S16). In this case, the POS 6 displays, for example, the number of special prizes that can be exchanged according to the number of game media recorded on the card 10A', or the number of other prizes according to the practice operation, but the special prizes are not actually paid out (the special prizes are not actually exchanged), and the stock of other prizes is not deducted. Furthermore, even if a practice operation is performed on the POS 6, the number of game media recorded on the card 10A' is not deducted, and the prize exchange process can be executed any number of times, and the exchange history information regarding the prize exchange process executed in the practice mode is stored so that it can be identified as the practice mode (see "Practice: O" in Figure 14).

[0073] As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. When the mode determination means determines that the mode is practice mode (S10), the POS6 executes a prize exchange process by practice operation if the read object determined by the recording medium determination means is a practice recording medium such as cards 10A', 10B' or receipt 11' (S15), but restricts the prize exchange process if the read object is a normal recording medium such as cards 10A, 10B or receipt 11 (S12). According to this, when, for example, card 10A, 10B or receipt 11 is read during practice mode at POS 6, the prize exchange process is restricted, thereby preventing erroneous operations such as forgetting to switch from practice mode to normal mode and carrying out normal prize exchange process while still in practice mode during business hours.

[0074] When the mode determination means determines that the mode is normal (S2), the POS6 executes a prize exchange process if the reading object determined by the recording medium determination means is a normal recording medium (S4), but restricts the prize exchange process if the reading object is a practice recording medium (S6). According to this, when, for example, a card 10A', 10B' or receipt 11' issued in practice mode is read during normal mode in the POS 6, the prize exchange process is restricted, thereby suppressing erroneous operations such as processing such practice recording media in normal mode, and eliminating the problem of errors occurring when prize exchange process is performed on gaming media that have not actually been counted.

[0075] POS6 is configured as a recording medium number deletion means that, when the mode determination means determines that the mode is normal (S2) and the reading target determined by the recording medium determination means is a practice recording medium (S6), deletes the number of virtual game media associated with the practice recording medium (S9). According to this, for example, when reading the card 10A', 10B' or receipt 11' in normal mode, the number of game media recorded on the practice recording medium is deleted, thereby preventing the prize exchange process from being carried out with virtual game media even in normal mode.

[0076] When the mode determination means determines that the mode is the practice mode (S10), the POS 6 stores information about the prize exchange process in a storage means (for example, the storage unit 37m or the storage unit 5c) so that the practice mode can be identified. This makes it possible to identify whether the information about the prize exchange process was executed in the practice mode, and even if a normal card is read and the prize exchange process is executed despite the practice mode due to a malfunction or the like, it becomes possible to recover the data later.

[0077] The POS6 is configured as a notification means for notifying an employee (S14) when the mode determination means determines that the mode is practice mode (S10) and the recording medium determination means determines that the reading target is a normal recording medium (S12). This makes it possible to prevent accidents such as accidentally performing a prize exchange process in practice mode for cards 10A, 10B or receipt 11, and to reliably eliminate such erroneous operations. The notification means is not limited to a means including a display means such as the pop-up display 103 in Fig. 13, but may also be configured to include audio means for issuing a warning by voice or the like.

[0078] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but may be modified or expanded as follows, or each modified embodiment may be combined with the above-described embodiments, or each modified embodiment may be combined with another modified embodiment. The practice mode can be switched on by any employee, but authentication using the employee card may be required, for example, or the authority required to switch on the practice mode may be set on a specified IC card. Furthermore, when switching from the practice mode to the normal mode, the number of game media recorded on the practice recording medium (cards 10A', 10B', etc.) may be deleted.

[0079] When a recording medium is read in practice mode, if it is a normal recording medium, the prize exchange process is restricted, but instead of or in addition to the restriction, the employee may be notified that a normal recording medium has been read in a different mode. The number and types of practice recording media to be issued may be set in any manner. For example, receipts 11 may be issued for the top two types of recording media that are most frequently replaced, or for all types.

[0080] Furthermore, the number of game media recorded on the practice recording medium may be set in any way, and may be changed as appropriate, for example, to a predetermined number of game media, or to a number obtained by multiplying the number of seconds based on the time when the practice mode is switched to by a constant. When issuing cards 10A' and 10B' as practice recording media, the employee selects the type and number of gaming media, but it is also possible to set in advance which type and how many gaming media will be recorded, and have the cards automatically recorded when inserted. In addition, the word "storage" in the above description can be understood to have the same meaning as "recording," for example, by calling "storage means" "recording means."

[0081] Although a pachinko machine has been exemplified as the target gaming machine 1, slot machines etc. may also be used, and the present invention can also be applied to so-called enclosed slot machines and pachinko machines that manage gaming media only by data. Although the transition to the practice mode is performed by a switching operation at the POS 6 (own device), a signal instructing the transition to the practice mode may be transmitted from the management device 5. Furthermore, when there are multiple POS 6 as in this embodiment, the multiple POS 6 may be configured to transition to the practice mode all at once. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] In the drawing, 2 is a counting and lending unit (counting means, normal issuing means), 5c is a memory unit (storage means), 6 is a POS (game parlor prize exchange device, practice issuing means, recording medium reading means, prize exchange processing execution means, mode determination means, recording medium determination means, recording medium number deletion means, notification means), 8 is an island end counting device (counting means, normal issuing means), 10A is a general card (normal recording medium), 10A' is a general card (practice recording medium), 10B is a membership card (normal recording medium body), 10B' is a membership card (practice recording medium), 31 is a monitor (alert means), 34 is a scanner (recording medium reading means), 35 is a card RW (practice issuing means, recording medium reading means, recording medium number deleting means), 36 is a printer (practice issuing means), 37 is a control unit (practice issuing means, recording medium reading means, prize exchange processing execution means, mode determination means, recording medium determination means, recording medium number deleting means, alert means), and 37m is a memory unit (storage means).

Claims

1. A prize exchange system for an amusement facility that can be switched between a normal mode that enables normal operation for carrying out a prize exchange process during business hours and a practice mode that enables employees to practice operations for prize exchange processes, authentication means for authenticating an employee who performs the prize exchange process; an authority setting means for setting an authority for enabling the employee authenticated by the authentication means to switch to the practice mode; a counting means for counting the number of game media acquired by a player as a result of a game; a normal issuing means for issuing a normal recording medium corresponding to the number of the game media counted by the counting means; a practice issuing means for issuing a practice recording medium associated with a number of virtual game media in the practice mode; a recording medium reading means for reading the normal recording medium and the practice recording medium; a prize exchange process execution means for executing the prize exchange process by reading the normal recording medium and the practice recording medium using the recording medium reading means; a storage means for storing information about the prize exchange process executed by the prize exchange process execution means; a mode determination means for determining whether the mode is the normal mode or the practice mode; a recording medium determination means for determining whether the recording medium read by the recording medium reading means is a recording medium corresponding to the mode determined by the mode determination means; a notification means for notifying an employee when the recording medium determination means determines that the recording medium is not compatible with the mode; A prize exchange system for an amusement park.

2. A prize exchange device for an amusement facility that can be switched between a normal mode that enables normal operation for carrying out a prize exchange process during business hours and a practice mode that enables employees to practice operations for carrying out a prize exchange process, authentication means for authenticating an employee who performs the prize exchange process; an authority setting means for setting an authority for enabling the employee authenticated by the authentication means to switch to the practice mode; a practice issuing means for issuing a practice recording medium associated with a number of virtual game media in the practice mode; a recording medium reading means for reading the normal recording medium and the practice recording medium, which are associated with the number of game media obtained by the player's game results; a prize exchange process execution means for executing the prize exchange process by reading the normal recording medium and the practice recording medium using the recording medium reading means; a storage means for storing information about the prize exchange process executed by the prize exchange process execution means; a mode determination means for determining whether the mode is the normal mode or the practice mode; a recording medium determination means for determining whether the recording medium read by the recording medium reading means is a recording medium corresponding to the mode determined by the mode determination means; a notification means for notifying an employee when the recording medium determination means determines that the recording medium is not compatible with the mode; A prize exchange device for an amusement park.

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