Game machine, control method thereof, and computer program

Abstract

To suppress swing of an arm when a non-gripping state of a game medium occurs.SOLUTION: A game machine includes: an arm unit operable to move an arm to a target position in a state where game media are gripped by multiple arms; an arm control unit configured to control an operation of the arm unit based on an instruction of a user; a detection unit that detects information that can be used to determine whether the multiple arms are in a gripping state in which they are gripping a play medium or in a non-gripping state in which they are not gripping a play medium. The game machine performs: a process (S122) of determining whether a non-grasping state has occurred at a specific stage after the multiple arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the play medium in accordance with an instruction from the user and before the multiple arms have reached the target position, based on information detected by the detection unit; and a swing suppression process (S123) of controlling the operation of the arm units so as to suppress swinging of the arms when a non-grasping state occurs at a specific stage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a type of gaming machine in which a plurality of arms of an arm unit are operated in accordance with instructions from the user, allowing the user to obtain game media such as prizes. [Background technology]

[0002] In a gaming machine in which multiple arms are operated according to user instructions to allow the user to obtain game media such as prizes, if the arms sway unintentionally, inconveniences may arise, such as the need to wait for the next operation until the arms stop swaying. To prevent this, a gaming machine is known in which an appropriate gripping force is applied to the arms at the stage of moving the arms according to user instructions and at the stage after the arms open to release the game media, in order to suppress the arm swaying (see Patent Document 1). Another gaming machine is known in which the arms are operated to close gently when a prize falls from the arms, creating the sensation that the arms are closing naturally due to gravity (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6006983 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-289627 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the game machine of Patent Document 1, after the arm moves in the closing direction to grasp the game medium, the arm maintains the gripping force of the arm at a predetermined set value required to grasp the game medium when the arm moves to a target position for dropping the game medium into a predetermined drop opening. Even if the arm fails to grasp the game medium or the game medium falls during the arm's movement, resulting in an ungrasped state, the arm's gripping force remains maintained at the set value. However, when an ungrasped state occurs, the arm may move relatively more easily than when it is grasping the game medium. The gripping force control of Patent Document 1 does not take such changes into account. The game machine of Patent Document 2 is not intended to suppress arm sway when the arm fails to grasp the game medium or the game medium falls.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game machine or the like that can appropriately suppress the swinging of the arm when a state in which the game medium is not being held occurs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A game machine according to one aspect of the present invention comprises an arm unit operable to close a plurality of arms to grasp a play medium and move the plurality of arms to a target position, thereby transporting the grasped play medium to a position corresponding to the target position; an arm control means for controlling the operation of the arm unit based on instructions from a user; and a detection means for detecting information that can be used to determine whether the plurality of arms are in a grasping state in which they are grasping the play medium or a non-grasping state in which they are not grasping the play medium, wherein the arm control means determines whether the non-grasping state has occurred at a specific stage after the plurality of arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the play medium in accordance with instructions from the user and before the plurality of arms reach the target position, based on information detected by the detection means, and if the non-grasping state has occurred at the specific stage, executes a sway suppression process that controls the operation of the arm unit so as to suppress swaying of the plurality of arms.

[0007] A control method for a game machine according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method applied to a game machine having an arm unit operable to close a plurality of arms to grasp a play medium and move the plurality of arms to a target position, thereby transporting the grasped play medium to a position corresponding to the target position, and a detection means for detecting information that can be used to determine whether the plurality of arms are in a grasping state in which they are grasping the play medium or a non-grasping state in which they are not grasping the play medium, the control method including an arm control procedure for controlling the operation of the arm unit based on a user's instruction, in which the arm control procedure determines based on information detected by the detection means whether the non-grasping state has occurred at a specific stage after the plurality of arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the play medium in accordance with the user's instruction and before the plurality of arms reach the target position, and if the non-grasping state has occurred at the specific stage, a sway suppression process is executed to control the operation of the arm unit so as to suppress swaying of the plurality of arms.

[0008] A computer program according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer program that is applied to a gaming machine that includes an arm unit that is operable to close a plurality of arms to grasp a play medium and move the plurality of arms to a target position, thereby transporting the grasped play medium to a position corresponding to the target position, and a detection means that detects information that can be used to determine whether the plurality of arms are in a grasping state in which they are grasping the play medium or a non-grasping state in which they are not grasping the play medium.The computer program is configured to cause the computer of the gaming machine to function as an arm control means that controls the operation of the arm unit based on instructions from a user, determine based on information detected by the detection means whether the non-grasping state has occurred at a specific stage after the plurality of arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the play medium in accordance with instructions from the user and before the plurality of arms reach the target position, and if the non-grasping state has occurred at the specific stage, cause the arm control means to execute a sway suppression process that controls the operation of the arm unit so as to suppress swaying of the plurality of arms. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the arm portion. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an arm module. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the drive gear and the wheel in the arm module. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the drive gear as viewed from the side opposite the wheel. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the arm module from another viewpoint. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system of a game machine. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a game process executed by an arm control unit of the control unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a first method for determining whether or not a non-grasping state has occurred. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a second method for determining whether or not a non-grasping state has occurred. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a gripping force increasing process when a non-gripping state occurs. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a speed reduction process when a non-grasping state occurs. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a gripping state monitoring process executed by an arm control unit of the control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This gaming machine is a so-called arcade gaming machine that provides a game in which players can win prizes in exchange for payment of a predetermined price. First, a schematic configuration of the gaming machine 1 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the gaming machine 1 includes a housing 2. A storage space 3 is provided inside the housing 2. The storage space 3 is, for example, surrounded by transparent panels on the front, left, and right sides, allowing it to be observed from outside the gaming machine 1. Prizes 5, which serve as an example of game media, are stored in the storage space 3. The number of prizes 5 may be one or more. Multiple prizes 5 of different types may be stored in the storage space 3. The prizes 5 may be any tangible object, such as stuffed toys, figurines, candy packaging, toys, miscellaneous goods, stationery, food, cards, or medals. Alternatively, substitute prizes, such as balls or empty boxes that can be exchanged for the prizes 5, may be stored in the storage space 3 as an example of game media. In the example of FIG. 1, stuffed toys are shown stored as the prizes 5.

[0011] The storage space 3 is provided with an arm unit 10 for capturing a prize 5. The arm unit 10 is operable to close multiple (two in the illustrated example) arms 11 to grip a prize 5 and move the multiple arms 11 gripping the prize 5 to a predetermined target position, thereby transporting the prize 5 to a position corresponding to the target position. The movement directions of the arms 11 are, for example, set in three axial directions: front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down, as seen from the user operating the operation unit 8. In FIG. 1 , the front-to-back direction is indicated by arrow X, the left-to-right direction by arrow Y, and the up-to-down direction by arrow Z. Details of the arm unit 10 will be described later. The target position here refers to a target position to which each arm 11 should be moved in the three axial directions of X, Y, and Z within the storage space 3. The concept of the position of each arm 11 includes the position in the three axial directions of the storage space 3 and the position in the opening and closing directions of each arm 11. Hereinafter, the former may be distinguished from the position in the storage space 3, and the latter may be distinguished from the position in the opening and closing directions. The position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction can also be understood as the degree to which the arm 11 is opened, or the opening angle of the arm 11. Furthermore, the movement of each arm 11 means a change in position within the accommodation space 3. The change in position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction is referred to as the opening / closing or rotation operation of the arm 11, and is distinguished from the change in position of the arm 11 within the accommodation space 3.

[0012] A drop opening 6 is opened in the storage space 3 for discharging the prize 5 held by the arm 11 outside the game machine 1. The position directly above the drop opening 6 corresponds to an example of the target position of the arm 11, and the position of the prize 5 held by the arm 11 at that target position corresponds to an example of a position corresponding to the target position. The drop opening 6 leads to an outlet 7 that opens on the front side of the housing 2. The prize 5 that has dropped into the drop opening 6 can be removed from the outlet 7. An operation unit 8 is provided on the front side of the game machine 1, allowing the user to instruct the operation of the arm unit 10. The operation unit 8 includes, for example, a lever 8a and a push button 8b as objects to be operated by the user. The lever 8a is operated to instruct the movement direction of the arm unit 10, and the push button 8b is operated to instruct the arm unit 10 to grasp the prize 5.

[0013] The game machine 1 may further include a payment unit for settling a play fee as consideration, an authentication unit for authenticating a user, and the like, but these are not shown in the figure. The play fee may be paid using various payment methods, such as cash or electronic payment using electronic money. The play fee does not necessarily have to be paid for each game played. The play fee may be paid as an admission fee to a facility such as a store where the game machine 1 is installed, or may be paid in the form of a subscription, such as a membership fee. The game machine 1 is not limited to a type in which a user operates the operation unit 8 at the installation location. For example, the game machine 1 may be used as a so-called online game machine in which a user operates the game machine 1 using a user terminal device, such as a smartphone or personal computer, connected to a network as a remote input / output device.

[0014] Next, the configuration of the arm unit 10 will be described. The arm unit 10 includes an arm section 13 including the above-described multiple arms 11, and a unit driver 14 that moves the arm section 13 in the above-described three-axis directions. The position of each arm 11 in the housing space 3 is determined by the position of the arm section 13 in the three-axis directions. Therefore, hereinafter, the position of each arm 11 in the housing space 3 may be referred to as the position of the arm section 13. For example, the target position of each arm 11 may be referred to as the target position of the arm section 13. Furthermore, the movement of each arm 11 within the housing space 3 may be referred to as the movement of the arm section 13. The unit driver 14 is configured, for example, by combining an elevation driver 15 that moves the arm section 13 up and down, and a horizontal driver 16 that moves the arm section 13 and elevation driver 15 together in a horizontal plane (within the X-Y plane). The lifting drive unit 15 includes, for example, a wire 17 that suspends and supports the arm unit 13, and a reel 18 that winds up the wire 17 is driven to rotate by a drive source such as an electric motor to change the amount of wire 17 wound up, thereby moving the arm unit 13 up and down. The portion of the wire 17 that is pulled out from the reel 18 is exposed within the accommodation space 3. When the wire 17 is exposed, the arm unit 13 is likely to sway as it moves. As a result, the arm 11 is also likely to sway. To suppress such swaying, a cylindrical telescopic cover or the like that can expand and contract in the up and down direction may be provided around the wire 17.

[0015] The horizontal drive unit 16 may be configured, for example, by combining a support mechanism that supports the entire lift drive unit 15 so that it can move freely in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and a drive mechanism that moves the entire lift drive unit 15 individually in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. However, such support mechanisms and drive mechanisms are well known. For example, an XY stage or the like may be used as the support mechanism, and a fluid pressure-operated actuator or a linear motion mechanism that converts the rotation of an electric motor into linear motion may be used as the drive mechanism. Detailed explanations of each mechanism will be omitted. The unit drive unit 14 may be configured appropriately as long as it is capable of moving the arm unit 13 in the above-mentioned three axial directions.

[0016] An example of the internal structure of the arm section 13 is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the arm section 13 includes a base 20 and a plurality of arm modules 21 attached to the base 20. The base 20 is connected to the wires 17 of the unit driver 14, thereby supporting the unit driver 14 by hanging from it. The arms 11 are provided as components of the arm modules 21. Therefore, an arm module 21 is provided for each arm 11. In the example shown in FIG. 2, two sets of arm modules 21 are attached to the base 20, thereby providing the arm section 13 with two arms 11. The arm modules 21 have the same configuration. However, the number of arms 11 is not limited to two. By replacing the brackets 22 of the base 20, it is possible to attach three or more sets of arm modules 21 to the base 20, thereby providing three or more arms 11 in the arm unit 10. To ensure balance during operation of the arm unit 10, the arms 11 are arranged at equal intervals around the center line of suspension by the wires 17. That is, the arms 11 are spaced equally apart around the wire 17 .

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3, the arm module 21 includes a bracket 30, a motor 31 for driving the arm attached to the bracket 30, and a transmission mechanism 32 that transmits the driving force of the motor 31 to the arm 11. The bracket 30 is a sheet metal part made by appropriately bending a plate material, and functions as a base for attaching the entire arm module 21 to the base 20. The transmission mechanism 32 includes a pinion 33 attached to the output shaft of the motor 31 so as to be rotatable together with it, a drive gear 34 that meshes with the pinion 33, and a wheel 35 combined with the drive gear 34 so as to be rotatable relatively around the rotation axis of the drive gear 34. The arm 11 is attached to a connecting portion 36 on the outer periphery of the wheel 35, and is thereby rotatable together with the wheel 35 in both the opening direction Ro and the closing direction Rc around the rotation axis 35a of the wheel 35.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, a guide groove 37 is provided on the inside of the wheel 35. The guide groove 37 includes an annular portion 37a that extends in an arc around the rotation axis 35a of the wheel 35 and a pair of linear portions 37b that extend straight from both ends of the annular portion 37a. The linear portions 37b are parallel to each other and symmetrical on the left and right sides of the rotation axis 35a. Coil springs 39A and 39B are disposed on each linear portion 37b. Caps 40A and 40B are fitted to the ends of the coil springs 39A on the annular portion 37a side. Each cap 40A and 40B can slide up and down within the linear portions 37b in FIG. 4. As the cap 40A moves downward in FIG. 4, the coil spring 39A is gradually compressed, and the repulsive force against this compression acts as a force that rotates the wheel 35 in the closing direction Rc. Meanwhile, as cap 40B is displaced downward in Figure 4, coil spring 39B is gradually compressed, and the repulsive force against this compression acts as a force to rotate wheel 35 in the opening direction Ro. When caps 40A and 40B reach the lower end of straight portion 37b, in other words, the end of guide groove 37, where they reach their limit of movement, further compression of coil springs 39A and 39B is prevented. The total length of coil springs 39A and 39B at this time is set to be greater than their solid height. This prevents damage to coil springs 39A and 39B due to excessive compression.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5 , a pair of drive pins 41A and 41B protruding like shafts are provided on a side surface 34a of the drive gear 34 facing the wheel 35. The drive pins 41A and 41B are integral with the drive gear 34. Therefore, as the drive gear 34 rotates, the drive pins 41A and 41B also rotate around the rotation axis of the drive gear 34. When the drive gear 34 and the wheel 35 are assembled together, the drive pins 41A and 41B are inserted into the guide groove 37 of the wheel 35. When the drive gear 34 is rotated in the closing direction Rc relative to the wheel 35, the drive pin 41A located in that rotational direction comes into contact with one of the caps 40A, and the rotational drive force of the drive gear 34 is transmitted to the wheel 35 side as a rotational drive force in the closing direction Rc via the cap 40A and the coil spring 39A. This drives the arm 11 in the closing direction Rc. When the drive gear 34 is driven to rotate in the opening direction Ro relative to the wheel 35, the drive pin 41B located in the rotational direction comes into contact with the other cap 40B, and the rotational drive force of the drive gear 34 is transmitted to the wheel 35 side via the cap 40B and the coil spring 39B as a rotational drive force in the opening direction Ro. As a result, the arm 11 is driven in the opening direction Ro.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a protrusion 42 is provided at one location on the outer periphery of the wheel 35. Meanwhile, a pair of stoppers 43A and 43B are provided around the periphery of the wheel 35. The protrusion 42 rotates integrally with the wheel 35 around the rotation axis 35a. The stoppers 43A and 43B are fixed in fixed positions on the bracket 30. When the wheel 35 rotates so that the arm 11 moves in the closing direction Rc, the protrusion 42 strikes the upper stopper 43A, preventing further rotation of the wheel 35. If the position of the arm 11 at this time is the fully closed position, even when the arm 11 is in the fully closed position, the cap 40A is in a position before reaching its limit of movement. For example, the position of the drive pin 41A is set relative to the positions of the protrusion 42 and the stopper 43A so that the compression of the coil spring 39 is nearly zero or slightly compressed when the protrusion 42 contacts the stopper 43A and the arm 11 moves to the fully closed position.

[0021] After the arm 11 reaches the fully closed position, further rotation of the drive gear 34 in the direction corresponding to the closing direction Rc of the arm 11 increases the compression of the coil spring 39A while maintaining the arm 11 in the fully closed position. The repulsive force against this compression acts as a resistance to the rotation of the arm 11 in the opening direction Ro. This resistance acts as the gripping force of the arm 11 on the prize 5. When a gripping force is generated in the fully closed position, if the arm 11 rotates in the opening direction Ro, the compression of the coil spring 39A increases, and the gripping force also increases. However, if the drive gear 34 is driven in the opening direction Ro by an amount equal to the rotation of the arm 11 in the opening direction Ro, the compression of the coil spring 39A can be maintained at the compression amount at the fully closed position. In this embodiment, by controlling the compression of the coil spring 39A in this manner, the gripping force of the arm 11 is maintained constant regardless of the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction. Therefore, even if the arm 11 rotates in the opening direction Ro from the fully closed position due to grasping a prize 5, the gripping force does not change. In other words, whether the rotation of the arm 11 in the closing direction Rc is blocked by the stopper 43A or due to grasping a prize 5, the drive gear 34 is driven to maintain a constant compression amount of the coil spring 39A, thereby maintaining the desired gripping force regardless of the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction. Hereinafter, the gripping force to be generated by the arm 11 may be referred to as the gripping force setting value. The setting value correlates with the ease with which the arm 11 grasps the prize 5 and the gripping stability. The smaller the setting value, the more difficult it is to grasp the prize 5 and the less stable the grasped prize 5 becomes. The larger the setting value, the easier it is to grasp the prize 5 and the more stable the grasped prize 5 becomes. The ease and stability of grasping the prize 5 are closely related to the playability of the game and the profitability of the gaming machine 1. If the prize 5 is too difficult to grasp or too easy to grasp, the playability is impaired, and the easier the prize 5 is to grasp, the less profitable it becomes. Therefore, the operator of the gaming machine 1 is required to adjust the setting value of the gripping force so as to ensure a good balance between playability and profitability.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, a detection plate 50 and a partial gear 51 are provided on the wheel 35 to detect the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction. The detection plate 50 is rotatable integrally with the wheel 35 around the rotation axis 35a. The partial gear 51 is provided in a limited area on the outer periphery of the wheel 35. As shown in FIG. 6, a photosensor 52 and a potentiometer 53 are provided on the bracket 30. The photosensor 52 outputs a predetermined detection signal when the arm 11 rotates in the opening direction Ro and detects the detection plate 50 at a position where the protrusion 42 of the wheel 35 contacts the stopper 43B. In other words, the photosensor 52 outputs a detection signal when the arm 11 is in the fully open position. The rotation of the partial gear 51 is transmitted to the potentiometer 53 via a pinion 54. As a result, the potentiometer 53 outputs a detection signal that correlates with the amount of rotation of the wheel 35. In other words, the potentiometer 53 outputs a rotation signal each time the arm 11 rotates a predetermined unit amount. By counting the detection signal from potentiometer 53 based on the position of arm 11 when photosensor 52 outputs a detection signal, it is possible to determine the position of arm 11 in the opening / closing direction. Therefore, photosensor 52 and potentiometer 53 function as an example of a sensor that outputs a signal that can be used to determine the position of arm 11 in the opening / closing direction, and further function as an example of a detection means that detects information that can be used to determine whether arm 11 is in a gripping state or a non-gripping state. Note that the stopper 43A in the closing direction Rc is not shown in Figure 6.

[0023] Next, the configuration of the control system of the gaming machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The gaming machine 1 is provided with a control unit 101 and a storage unit 102. The control unit 101 is configured as a computer unit including a microprocessor and internal memory required for its operation. The storage unit 102 is a storage device equipped with a non-volatile storage medium capable of retaining memory, such as a magnetic storage medium or flash ROM, and functions as an external storage device for the control unit 101. The storage unit 102 stores a computer program Pg and management data Dg. The management data Dg is data that stores various information related to the operating status of the gaming machine 1, such as the prize payout history and payout rate. The control unit 101 is connected to the operation unit 8, the unit driver 14, and the arm module 21 described above. While FIG. 7 shows one arm module 21 as a representative, the control unit 101 is connected to the same number of arm modules 21 as the number of arms 11. A prize sensor 60 is also connected to the control unit 101. The prize sensor 60 detects, for example, the passing of the prize 5 through the drop opening 6 and outputs a predetermined detection signal. In addition, a settlement unit and the like are also connected to the control unit 101, but these are not shown in the figure.

[0024] The control unit 101 is provided with a game management unit 103 and an arm control unit 104 as logical devices realized by a combination of computer hardware and a computer program Pg as software. The game management unit 103 executes various processes required for managing game play based on information obtained from the operation unit 8 and the payment unit, such as determining whether or not a game can be played on the condition that a payment is made, determining whether or not a prize has been obtained using the output signal of the prize sensor 60, and writing a prize acquisition log to the management data Dg. When game play is permitted by the game management unit 103, the arm control unit 104 controls the operation of the unit drive unit 14 and the arm module 21 based on the output signal of the operation unit 8. As a result, the arm unit 10 operates in response to the player's operation of the operation unit 8.

[0025] FIG. 8 shows an example of the procedure of game processing executed by the arm control unit 104 of the control unit 101. The processing in FIG. 8 is processing executed in response to one play opportunity aimed at winning a prize 5. When play of the game is permitted by the game management unit 103, the arm control unit 104 starts the game processing in FIG. 8. At the start of the game processing, the arm unit 10 is in a predetermined initial state. As an example of the initial state, the arm unit 13 is in its initial position within the accommodation space 3, and each arm 11 is held in a fully closed position in the opening / closing direction. When the game processing starts, the arm control unit 104 first detects a user operation on the operation unit 8 (step S101). Next, the arm control unit 104 determines whether the user operation is an instruction to move the arm unit 13 (step S102). If the command is to move the arm section 13 by the unit driver 14, the arm controller 104 operates the unit driver 14 in response to the user's operation, thereby moving the arm section 13 in response to the user's operation (step S103), and then proceeds to step S104. For example, if the user can only instruct the arm section 13 to move forward, backward, left, and right, i.e., in the X-axis and Y-axis directions in FIG. 1, by operating the lever 8a of the operation unit 8, the operation of the horizontal driver 16 of the unit driver 14 is controlled so that the arm section 13 moves forward, backward, left, and right in response to the operation of the lever 8a. If the user can also instruct the arm section 13 to move up and down, i.e., in the Z-axis direction in FIG. 1, in addition to the forward, backward, left, and right directions, the operation of the lift driver 15 and the horizontal driver 16 of the unit driver 14 may be controlled so that the arm section 13 moves up and down in response to the user's operation. If the command to move the arm section 13 is not issued in step S102, the arm controller 104 skips step S103 and proceeds to step S104.

[0026] In step S104, the arm control unit 104 determines whether the operation detected in step S101 is a catch operation. A catch operation is an operation in which, after the user determines the position of the arm unit 13 within the storage space 3, the user instructs the opening and closing of the arm 11 to grasp the prize 5. For example, operation of the push button 8b of the operation unit 8 is treated as a catch operation. If a catch operation is not performed, the arm control unit 104 returns to step S101. If a catch operation is performed, the arm control unit 104 controls the operation of the motor 31 of the arm module 21 so that each arm 11 is rotated toward the fully open position (step S105), and then controls the operation of the lift drive unit 15 of the unit drive unit 14 so that the arm unit 13 descends to a predetermined position (step S106). In this case, the predetermined position is set as a position where each arm 11 should be operated in the closing direction to attempt to grasp the prize 5. Note that the opening and closing direction movement of the arms 11 is controlled equally in all arm modules 21. In the following description, the opening and closing operations of the arms 11 are equally controlled among the arm modules 21.

[0027] When the arm unit 13 descends to a predetermined position, the arm control unit 104 controls the operation of the motor 31 of the arm module 21 so that each arm 11 is driven in the closing direction (step S107). In this case, the motor 31 is driven to a position where the gripping force to be generated by the arm 11 reaches the above-mentioned set value. However, as the arms 11 move in the closing direction, a prize 5 may be caught between the arms 11, and the processing of step S107 does not necessarily cause the arms 11 to reach the fully closed position. In this case, the operation of the motor 31 is controlled so that the compression amount of the coil spring 39A corresponds to the set value of the gripping force, based on the position where the rotation of the arms 11 in the closing direction Rc stops, and the gripping force of the arms 11 is set to the desired set value.

[0028] When the motor 31 is rotated a predetermined amount in step S107, the arm control unit 104 starts a gripping state monitoring process (step S108). The gripping state monitoring process is a process executed in parallel as part of the game process of FIG. 8. The processing procedure will be described later. Thereafter, the arm control unit 104 controls the operation of the lifting / lowering drive unit 15 of the unit drive unit 14 so that the arm unit 13 rises to a predetermined position (step S109). In this case, the predetermined position is set as the vertical position of the arm unit 13 when the prize 5 held by the arm 11 is transported to a position corresponding to the target position of the arm 11, i.e., a position directly above the drop opening 6. However, the lifting of the arm unit 13 to the predetermined position in step S109 is executed regardless of whether the prize 5 is held.

[0029] When the arm unit 13 rises to the predetermined position, the arm control unit 104 controls the operation of the horizontal drive unit 16 of the unit drive unit 14 so that the arm unit 13 moves to the target position (step S110). Thereafter, the arm control unit 104 controls the operation of the motor 31 so that each arm 11 is rotated to the fully open position (step S111). After the arm 11 reaches the fully open position, the arm control unit 104 controls the operation of the motor 31 so that each arm 11 is rotated to the fully closed position (step S112), and further controls the operation of the unit drive unit 14 so that the arm unit 13 returns to the predetermined initial position (step S113). Upon completion of the processing of step S113, the arm control unit 104 ends the game processing for the current game opportunity. The initial position of step S113 is the position of the arm unit 13 when play begins in the next game opportunity. The target position of the arm unit 13 may be the initial position, in which case the processing of step S113 may be omitted.

[0030] In the processing of Figure 8, the arm 11 is in the fully closed position at the start of the game processing, but the arm 11 may be held in the fully open position until the processing of step S107 is started, and step S112 may be omitted so that the arm 11 is held in the fully open position until step S107 is executed at the next game opportunity.

[0031] Next, the gripping state monitoring process will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 13. The gripping state monitoring process includes a determination process that determines whether a non-gripping state has occurred in which the arm 11 is not gripping the prize 5, and a vibration suppression process that controls the operation of the unit drive unit 14 to suppress vibration of the arm 11 when a non-gripping state has occurred. First, the determination process will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Here, two types of methods will be described: a first method that focuses on changes in the position of the arm 11, and a second method that focuses on the difference in the position of the arm 11 between the gripping state and the non-gripping state.

[0032] First, a first technique focusing on the change in the position of the arms in the opening and closing direction will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 shows an example of the correspondence between the change in the gripping state of the prize 5 over time and the position of the arms 11 in the opening and closing direction. The prize 5 is illustrated as a stuffed toy-like prize 5 in FIG. 1 as an example, but is not limited to this. When the arms 11 move in the closing direction in step S107 of FIG. 8, the driving force acting on the arms 11 causes the arms 11 to move to a point where the width of the prize 5 is relatively narrow, and at time T1, the prize 5 is sandwiched between the arms 11. Assume that the gap between the arms 11 at that time is the gripping width Wa. If the prize 5 slides downward relative to the arms 11 from this state at time T2, the gap between the arms 11 can widen to the gripping width Wb when the width of the prize 5 becomes relatively wider. Furthermore, if the prize 5 slides downward relative to the arms 11 and falls from between the arms 11 at time T3, the arms 11 will close to approximately the fully closed position. In other words, whether the arms 11 fail to grasp the prize 5 as they move in the closing direction in response to the catch operation, or the prize 5 is grasped but then falls as the arms 11 rise or move horizontally, the position of the arms 11 in the opening / closing direction will exhibit a specific change in that it will first change in the opening direction and then change toward the closing direction. In the first method, when such a specific change occurs in the position of the arms 11 in the opening / closing direction, it is determined that the prize is not being grasped.

[0033] When determining the non-holding state using the first method, the holding widths Wa and Wb vary depending on the shape and size of the prize 5, the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction when it contacts the prize 5, and other factors. Therefore, in the first method, it is not necessarily necessary to set any determination criteria for the absolute position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction. It is also not necessarily necessary to determine whether the arm 11 has moved to the fully closed position after moving in the opening direction. That is, a non-holding state may be determined to have occurred if there is a relative change in the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction, where the arm 11 first changes in the opening direction and then changes in the closing direction. On the other hand, to avoid erroneously determining that a slight opening or closing of the arm 11 while holding a prize 5 is a non-holding state, a threshold may be set for the amount of change in position in the opening direction, and a non-holding state may be determined to have occurred if the arm 11 moves in the opening direction beyond that threshold and then moves in the closing direction. Alternatively, a threshold may be set for the amount of change in position in the closing direction after the arm 11 moves in the opening direction, and a non-holding state may be determined to have occurred if the arm moves in the closing direction beyond that threshold.

[0034] Fig. 10 shows an example of determining the non-gripped state using the second method. In the example of Fig. 10, the arms 11 move in the closing direction to grasp the prize 5, and the prize 5 is sandwiched between the arms 11 at a grasping width Wa at time Ta. The prize 5 then slides downward relatively, expanding the grasping width to Wb at time Tb. The prize 5 then slides downward relatively, decreasing the grasping width to Wc at time Tc. In this state, the prize 5 is being grasped by the arms 11 without falling from the arms 11. In the example of Fig. 10, if the first method is used to determine whether the prize 5 is in a grasped state or a non-gripped state, it may be determined that the non-gripped state has occurred, even though the prize 5 is grasped at the grasping width We, because the position of the arms 11 changes temporarily in the opening direction and then in the closing direction before the state occurs.

[0035] Therefore, in the example of FIG. 10 , a range of positions in the opening / closing direction that the arm 11 can take while gripping a prize 5 is assumed, and whether the arm 11 is positioned in the closing direction beyond that range is used to determine whether the arm 11 is in a gripping or non-gripping state. For example, assuming that the grip width Wc in FIG. 10 is the minimum grip width Wc that can occur when gripping a prize 5, a position Pth is set as a reference position, allowing for a predetermined margin Δ in the closing direction relative to the position Pc of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction corresponding to that grip width Wc. The range of positions in the opening direction beyond the reference position Pth is an example of a range of positions that the arm 11 can take in the opening / closing direction while gripping a prize 5. If the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction is biased toward the closing direction beyond the reference position, it is determined that a non-gripping state has occurred. The vibration suppression process is specifically applied when a non-gripping state has occurred. Therefore, the margin value Δ may be set with a sufficient margin so that the gripping state is not judged to be a non-gripping state despite being in the gripping state. The margin value Δ may be set so that the reference position Pth is the position where the arm 11 is at or near the fully closed position.

[0036] The first and second methods described above may be applied alone or in combination to determine whether an unheld state has occurred. For example, if the gripping width of the prize 5 in the gripping state is close to the gripping width in the fully closed position, the first method may be applied alone to determine whether an unheld state has occurred. On the other hand, if a clear difference occurs in the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction between the gripping state and the unheld state, the second method may be applied alone to determine whether an unheld state has occurred. Alternatively, if a specific change is detected using the first method, the second method may be further applied to determine whether the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction when the arm 11 moves in the closing direction after opening exceeds the reference position Pth. If the position exceeds the reference position Pth, it may be determined that an unheld state has occurred. The application of the first and second methods may be appropriately determined depending on the shape and size of the prize 5 so as to accurately detect the unheld state.

[0037] Next, the shaking suppression process will be described with reference to Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 11 shows an example of a case where, as the shaking suppression process, a gripping force increase process is executed in which the gripping force to be generated by the arm 11 is increased from a predetermined set value. The horizontal axis of Fig. 11 represents the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction, and the vertical axis represents the gripping force of the arm 11. The solid line in Fig. 11 represents the gripping force of the arm 11 in the gripping state. The set value Fi of the gripping force of the arm 11 is determined according to the compression amount of the coil spring 39A. As described above, the compression amount of the coil spring 39A is controlled so as to be constant regardless of the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction. Therefore, the gripping force Fi of the arm 11 is also constant regardless of the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction. In the grip force increasing process, when a non-gripping state occurs, the grip force of the arm 11 is increased from the set value Fi to the set value Fx, as shown by the imaginary lines in FIG. 11, thereby increasing the set value Fx of the grip force of the arm 11 relative to the set value Fi of the grip force in the gripping state. Such a change can be achieved by driving the drive gear 34 shown in FIG. 4 in the closing direction Rc to increase the compression amount of the coil spring 39A relative to the compression amount in the gripping state. By executing the grip force increasing process, the repulsive force against the compression of the coil spring 39A acts as a resistance force against the movement of the arm 11 in the opening direction. This makes it possible to suppress swinging of the arm 11.

[0038] In the grip force increasing process, the increase of the grip force to the set value Fx does not necessarily have to be executed immediately when a non-gripping state occurs. Considering that a relatively large acceleration occurs that swings the arm 11 when the arm unit 13 stops at the target position, the increase of the grip force only needs to be completed by the time each arm 11 stops at the target position at the latest. The grip force may be gradually increased in accordance with the movement of the arm unit 13 until each arm 11 stops at the target position. When the grip force is gradually increased, even if the behavior of the arm 11 changes in accordance with a change in the grip force, the change can be made gentle, making it possible to apply the swing suppression process more naturally. The set value Fx may be set appropriately within a range that suppresses the swing of the arm 11 to a necessary level.

[0039] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a case where, as the shaking suppression process, a speed reduction process is executed to reduce the movement speed of the arm unit 13 when it moves toward a target position. The horizontal axis of FIG. 12 represents the elapsed time during the movement of the arm unit 13, and the vertical axis represents the movement speed of the arm unit 13, i.e., the speed at which each arm 11 moves within the accommodation space 3. The solid line in FIG. 12 represents the movement speed of the arm unit 13 in the gripping state, and the imaginary line represents the movement speed of the arm unit 13 in the non-gripping state. In FIG. 12, it is assumed that a non-gripping state occurs at time Ts, for example. In this case, for example, a speed reduction process is executed to reduce the movement speed of the arm unit 13 from the movement speed Vi up to time Ts to a movement speed Vx. In the speed reduction process, the movement speed may be gradually reduced from time Ts as illustrated in FIG. 12. The reduction rate may be set so that the acceleration that causes the arm 11 to shake falls within an allowable range. If a non-gripping state occurs during the process of the arm unit 13 ascending, speed reduction processing is applied to both the ascending speed and the horizontal movement speed. If a non-gripping state occurs during the process of the arm unit 13 ascending and then moving horizontally, speed reduction processing is applied to the horizontal movement speed. By reducing the movement speed of the arm unit 13 in this way, the acceleration that can act on the arm 11 is relatively reduced, and it is thereby possible to suppress the shaking of the arm 11.

[0040] The grip force increase process of FIG. 11 and the speed reduction process of FIG. 12 may be executed alone or in combination as a swing suppression process. For example, when a non-gripping state occurs, a combination is possible in which the grip force increase process suppresses swing of the arm 11, and the speed reduction process is further executed when the arm unit 13 approaches the target position to suppress swing when the arm unit 13 stops. The swing suppression process is not limited to the grip force increase process and the speed reduction process, and any process that suppresses swing of the arm 11 can be selected as appropriate. For example, if the arm unit 10 is provided with a locking mechanism that restrains the arm 11 in a fixed position in the opening / closing direction, the locking mechanism may be activated in response to the occurrence of a non-gripping state to prevent swing of the arm 11. Therefore, the term "suppression" in the swing suppression process is a concept that includes not only limiting the swing of the arm 11 to an allowable range but also restraining the arm 11 in a fixed position so as not to swing.

[0041] In the example of FIG. 11 , the set value of the gripping force of the arm 11 is increased by relatively increasing the compression amount of the coil spring 39A. However, it is also possible to control the operation of the motor 31 of the arm module 21 to suppress swinging when the arm 11 is in the fully open position. That is, when the arm 11 is driven to the fully closed position, the operation of the motor 31 can be controlled so that the coil spring 39B in FIG. 5 is slightly compressed when the protrusion 42 contacts the stopper 43B in FIG. 3 and movement of the arm 11 in the opening direction Ro is blocked. This can generate a restraining force that holds the arm 11 in the fully open position. Therefore, by relatively increasing the compression amount of the coil spring 39B by the motor 31, the restraining force that holds the arm 11 in the fully closed position can be relatively increased, thereby suppressing swinging of the arm 11 in the closing direction Rc. When a situation arises in which the arm 11 is moved within the accommodation space 3 while held in the fully open position, a restraining force increasing process that increases such a restraining force may be executed as a type of swing suppression process.

[0042] Next, with reference to Fig. 13, an example of the procedure of the gripping state monitoring process that the arm control unit 104 starts in response to step S108 in Fig. 8 will be described. When the arm control unit 104 starts the gripping state monitoring process, it first detects the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction (step S121). The position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction can be calculated by counting the detection signal of the potentiometer 53 with reference to the fully open position detected by the photosensor 52, as described above. Note that while the arm unit 10 is moving in the opening / closing direction, a process for constantly detecting the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction may be executed as a process separate from the gripping state monitoring process. In this case, in step S121, the position of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction detected by the separate process may be acquired.

[0043] Next, the arm control unit 104 determines whether or not a non-grasping state has occurred (step S122). In this process, whether or not a non-grasping state has occurred may be determined by appropriately applying the first method and the second method described above. If a non-grasping state has occurred, the arm control unit 104 executes a shaking suppression process (step S123). The shaking suppression process may be, for example, the above-described grip force increase process and speed reduction process, executed alone or in an appropriate combination. When executing the grip force increase process, the timing for increasing the grip force setting value does not necessarily have to be immediately after the non-grasping state is determined in step S122. The grip force setting value may be increased at an appropriate timing until the arm unit 13 stops at the target position. The grip force setting value may also be gradually increased as the arm unit 13 moves. When executing the speed reduction process, the speed reduction process may be executed so that the movement speed of the arm unit 13 gradually decreases from the point when a non-grasping state occurs.

[0044] After the process of step S123, the arm control unit 104 determines whether the arm unit 13 has moved to the initial position (step S124). The initial position in this case is the same as the initial position in step S113 of FIG. 8 and may coincide with the target position of the arm unit 13. If the arm unit 13 has not moved to the initial position, the arm control unit 104 returns to the process of step S123 and continues the vibration suppression process. On the other hand, if the arm unit 13 has moved to the initial position, the arm control unit 104 cancels the vibration suppression process (step S125). For example, if the gripping force increasing process has been executed, the initial setting value of the gripping force at the fully closed position is returned from the setting value Fx in FIG. 11 to the setting value Fi, thereby canceling the gripping force increasing process. If the speed reducing process has been executed, the setting value of the movement speed of the arm unit 13 is returned from the setting value Vx in FIG. 12 to the setting value Vi, thereby canceling the speed reducing process.

[0045] If it is determined in step S122 that a non-gripping state has not occurred, the arm control unit 104 determines whether the arm unit 13 has moved to the initial position (step S126). This process is the same as the process in step S124. If the arm unit 13 has not moved to the initial position, the arm control unit 104 returns to the process in step S121. If the process in step S125 is completed or if the arm unit 13 has moved to the initial position in step S126, the arm control unit 104 ends this gripping state monitoring process.

[0046] In the above process, if the initial position of the arm unit 13 matches the target position, after the arm 11 starts moving in the closing direction in step S107 of Fig. 8, it is repeatedly determined in step S110 whether or not a non-grasping state has occurred at the stage before the arm unit 13 reaches the target position, and if a non-grasping state has occurred, a sway suppression process is executed in step S123 of Fig. 13. Therefore, if the prize 5 fails to be grasped, or if the prize 5 is grasped once but falls before the arm unit 13 reaches the target position, a sway suppression process is then executed to suppress the swaying of the arm 11.

[0047] On the other hand, if the initial position of the arm unit 13 is different from the target position, after the arm 11 starts moving in the closing direction in step S107 of Fig. 8, it is repeatedly determined whether or not a non-gripping state has occurred during the stages from the opening and closing operation of the arm 11 in steps S111 and S112 of Fig. 8 until the arm unit 13 returns to the initial position, and if a non-gripping state has occurred, a shaking suppression process is executed in step S123 of Fig. 13. Furthermore, shaking of the arm 11 is suppressed even after reaching the target position until returning to the initial position. In this case, it may be determined that a non-gripping state has occurred in response to the opening and closing operation of the arm 11 in steps S111 and S112 of Fig. 8, and the shaking suppression process may be executed. In other words, even if an ungrasped state does not occur during the stage in which the arm 11 starts moving in the closing direction in step S107 of Fig. 8 and the arm unit 13 reaches the target position in step S110, it may be determined that an ungrasped state has occurred in association with the opening and closing operation to drop the prize 5 into the drop opening 6, and shaking of the arm 11 during the subsequent movement to the initial position may be suppressed. In this case, step S122 is always positive until the arm unit 13 reaches the initial position, and there is no case in which step S126 is positive. Therefore, step S126 may be omitted, and the processing procedure may be changed so that the process returns to step S121 when step S122 is negative.

[0048] The timing for canceling the sway suppression process in step S125 does not necessarily have to be limited to within one play opportunity. The sway suppression process only needs to be canceled at the latest by the time the arm 11 is driven in the closing direction in step S107 of the game processing of Fig. 8 corresponding to the next play opportunity. In other words, if the sway suppression process is executed in one play opportunity, the sway suppression process only needs to be canceled at the latest by the time the arm 11 starts moving in the closing direction in response to the user's catch operation in the next play opportunity.

[0049] As is clear from the above, in the game machine 1 according to this embodiment, if the stage from when the arm 11 starts moving in the closing direction in step S107 in Fig. 8 until when the arm unit 13 reaches the target position in step S110 is defined as a specific stage, it is determined whether or not a non-grasping state has occurred at least for that specific stage, and if a non-grasping state has occurred, a shaking suppression process is executed. On the other hand, it is not excluded that the process of determining whether or not a non-grasping state has occurred and the shaking suppression process corresponding to the non-grasping state may be executed or continued beyond the specific stage.

[0050] In addition, in the above process, the arm 11 is held in the fully closed position except when the arm 11 is driven to open or close in order to grasp the prize 5 in steps S106 and S107 in Fig. 8, and when the arm 11 is driven to open or close in order to release the prize 5 in steps S111 and S112, but the arm 11 may be held in the fully open position for at least a portion of the remaining time. In that case, the above-mentioned binding force increase process may be executed as one of the swing suppression processes to suppress swinging of the arm 11 near the fully open position.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the arm control unit 104 functions as an example of an arm control means by executing the game processing in Fig. 8. Furthermore, the processing of step S122 in Fig. 13 executed by the arm control unit 104 corresponds to an example of processing for determining whether or not a non-grasping state has occurred, and the processing of step S123 in Fig. 13 corresponds to an example of shaking suppression processing.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and may be embodied in embodiments with appropriate modifications or alterations. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the photosensor 52 and the potentiometer 53 are used as examples of the detection means and the sensor. However, the detection means can be modified as appropriate as long as it detects information usable for determining whether the arm 11 is in a gripping state or a non-grip state. The detection means does not necessarily need to detect information for determining each of the gripping state and the non-grip state. It is sufficient to detect information usable for determining at least one of the gripping state and the non-grip state. To determine whether the arm 11 is in a gripping state or a non-grip state, if it is determined that the arm 11 is in one of the states, it can be determined that the arm 11 is not in the other state. If it is determined that the arm 11 is not in one of the states, it can be determined that the arm 11 is in the other state. Therefore, even if a sensor is provided as the detection means, it is sufficient for the sensor to detect at least one of the gripping state and the non-grip state and output a predetermined detection signal.

[0053] As a variation of the detection means, instead of or in addition to the potentiometer 53, a sensor detecting the acceleration of the arm 11 in the opening / closing direction may be provided, and the position of the arm 11 may be determined by integrating the output signal of the sensor. A camera capturing an image of the area including the arm 11 in the storage space 3 may be provided as the detection means, and the image signal output by the camera may be used as information for determining whether the prize is being held or not, thereby determining whether the non-holding state has occurred. A sensor detecting the presence of a prize 5 may be provided, for example, on the bottom side of the storage space 3, and the non-holding state may be determined to have occurred if the prize 5 is detected even when the arm 13 is raised at a specific stage, or if the prize 5 is detected again after a state in which the prize 5 is not detected. A sensor that outputs a predetermined detection signal when a prize 5 is being held between the arms 11 may be provided on the arm 13, and the non-holding state may be determined based on whether the detection signal from the sensor is output. For example, a distance sensor may be provided directly below the arm 13, and the distance signal output by the distance sensor may be used to determine whether the prize 5 is being held between the arms 11. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to a sensor, a camera that captures an image of the area including the space between the arms 11 may be provided on the arm portion 13, and the image output by the camera may be analyzed to determine whether a non-grasping state has occurred.

[0054] In the above embodiment, each of the multiple arms 11 is a component of an independent arm module 21, and each arm 11 is driven in the opening and closing directions independently by a motor 31. However, the game machine of the present invention is not limited to such an example. The present invention can also be applied to a game machine configured to have a linkage mechanism that causes multiple arms to open and close together, and to drive each arm to open and close together via a common drive source via the linkage mechanism. However, when each arm is driven to open and close independently, uneven movement may occur in each arm when the arm moves within the storage space, making the arms more likely to shake. Therefore, the effect of the shake suppression process can be more effectively exerted.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the arm portion 13 is moved within the storage space 3 in response to the operation of the lever 8a of the operation unit 8 (step S103 in FIG. 8), and the arm portion 13 is lowered and the arm 11 is opened and closed in response to the operation of the push button 8b (steps S105 to S107 in FIG. 8), but these operations may be changed as appropriate. For example, an operation button that instructs the movement of the arm portion 13 in the storage space 3 from an initial position and an operation button that instructs the movement of the arm portion 13 in either the left or right direction may be provided as an operation unit that instructs the operation of the arm portion 13 within the storage space 3, and an operation method may be adopted in which the user operates these operation buttons in sequence to position the arm portion 13 within the storage space 3, and when the operation of the operation buttons is completed, the operation proceeds to the lowering of the arm portion 13 and the opening and closing of the arm 11 in order to grasp the prize 5 without requiring any further operation from the user. Alternatively, with regard to the lowering operation of the arm unit 13, if an operation button for the user to instruct this is provided, an operation method may be adopted in which, once the positioning operation of the operating arm unit 13 in the front / back, left / right, and up / down directions is completed, the operation proceeds to the lowering of the arm unit 13 and the opening / closing operation of the arm 11 for the purpose of grasping the prize 5 without requiring any further operation from the user. In such a case, the operation of releasing the operation button immediately before the completion of the operation of the operating unit for positioning the arm unit 13, that is, the operation of releasing the operation button immediately before the completion of positioning, is an operation that triggers the start of the opening / closing operation of the arm 11 for the purpose of obtaining the prize 5, similar to the catch operation of pressing the push button 8b, and is one form of user instruction to move the arm 11 in the closing direction Rc to grasp the prize 5. In other words, the user instruction is not limited to an instruction given by an operation such as pressing the operation button, but also includes an instruction given by releasing some kind of operation.

[0056] Various aspects of the present invention derived from the above-described embodiments and modifications will be described below. In the following description, corresponding components shown in the accompanying drawings will be written in parentheses to facilitate understanding of each aspect of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated forms.

[0057] A game machine (1) according to one aspect of the present invention comprises an arm unit (10) operable to close a plurality of arms (11) to grip a play medium (5) and move the plurality of arms to a target position, thereby transporting the gripped play medium to a position corresponding to the target position; arm control means (104, S101 to S113) for controlling the operation of the arm unit based on a user's instruction; and a control unit (104) for determining whether the plurality of arms are in a gripping state in which the play medium is being gripped or in a non-gripping state in which the play medium is not being gripped. and a detection means (52, 53) for detecting possible information, and the arm control means determines whether or not the non-grasping state has occurred at a specific stage after the multiple arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the play medium in accordance with instructions from the user and before the multiple arms have reached the target position (S122) based on the information detected by the detection means, and if the non-grasping state has occurred at the specific stage, executes a vibration suppression process (S123) for controlling the operation of the arm unit so as to suppress vibration of the multiple arms.

[0058] A control method for a game machine according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method applied to a game machine (1) that includes an arm unit (10) that is operable to close a plurality of arms (11) to grip a play medium (5) and move the plurality of arms to a target position, thereby transporting the gripped play medium to a position corresponding to the target position, and detection means (52, 53) that detects information that can be used to determine whether the plurality of arms are in a gripping state in which the play medium is being gripped or in a non-gripping state in which the play medium is not being gripped, and that performs a control operation based on a user's instruction. The arm control procedure includes an arm control procedure (S101 to S113) for controlling the operation of the arm unit, and in the arm control procedure, after the multiple arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the play medium in accordance with instructions from the user and at a specific stage until the multiple arms reach the target position, it is determined based on information detected by the detection means (S122) whether the non-grasping state has occurred, and if the non-grasping state has occurred at the specific stage, a sway suppression process (S123) is executed to control the operation of the arm unit so that swaying of the multiple arms is suppressed.

[0059] A computer program (Pg) according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer program applied to a game machine (1) that includes an arm unit (10) that is operable to close a plurality of arms (11) to grip a play medium (5) and move the plurality of arms to a target position, thereby transporting the gripped play medium to a position corresponding to the target position, and detection means (52, 53) that detects information that can be used to determine whether the plurality of arms are in a gripping state in which the play medium is being gripped or in a non-gripping state in which the play medium is not being gripped, and that controls a computer (101) of the game machine by a user. and determines whether the non-grasping state has occurred at a specific stage after the plurality of arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the play medium in accordance with the instruction from the user and before the plurality of arms have reached the target position (S122) based on information detected by the detection means, and if the non-grasping state has occurred at the specific stage, causes the arm control means to execute a sway suppression process (S123) that controls the operation of the arm unit so that swaying of the plurality of arms is suppressed.

[0060] According to each of the above aspects, after the multiple arms have operated to grasp the play medium and at a specific stage before the arms reach the target position, it is determined whether or not a non-grasping state has occurred, and if a non-grasping state has occurred, a sway suppression process is executed. As a result, compared to conventional examples in which the arms are moved to the target position while the gripping force of the arms on the play medium is set to the gripping force that should be generated when the arms close, regardless of whether the play medium is being grasped, it is possible to more reliably suppress the sway of the arms when the arms fail to grasp the play medium or the play medium falls from the arms, resulting in a non-grasping state.

[0061] The computer program according to one aspect of the present invention may be provided in a state stored in a storage medium. By using this storage medium, for example, the computer program according to the present invention can be installed on a computer and executed, thereby realizing the system of the present invention using the computer. The storage medium storing the computer program may be a non-transitory storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the following items can be further added. The following various items may be applied in appropriate combinations as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

[0063] In the above aspect, the arm control means may execute, as the shaking suppression process, a gripping force increase process that increases the gripping forces to be generated by the arms from a predetermined set value. By executing the gripping force increase process in response to a non-gripping state, it is possible to effectively suppress shaking of the arms when a non-gripping state occurs at a specific stage.

[0064] When the non-grasping state occurs in the specific stage, the arm control means may execute the sway suppression process at the latest by the time the movement of the plurality of arms stops. By executing the sway suppression process by the time the arms stop at the target position, it is possible to reliably suppress sway of the arms due to acceleration occurring when the arms stop.

[0065] The arm control means may execute the gripping force increasing process so that the gripping force gradually increases in accordance with the movement of the plurality of arms after the non-gripping state occurs in the specific stage until the movement of the plurality of arms stops. When the gripping force is gradually increased, even if the behavior of the arms changes in accordance with a change in the gripping force, the change can be made gentle, and the sway suppression process can be applied more naturally.

[0066] In the above aspect, the arm control means may execute a speed reduction process to reduce the movement speed of the arms as the sway suppression process. By reducing the movement speed of the arms in response to the non-grasping state, arm behavior that may occur as the arms move can be made gentler, thereby suppressing arm sway.

[0067] The arm unit may be provided with sensors (52, 53) as the detection means that output signals that can be used to determine the position of each arm in the opening / closing direction, and the arm control means may determine whether the multiple arms are in the gripping state or the non-gripping state based on the signals output by the sensors. In this way, the positions of the arms in the opening / closing direction can be determined based on the output signals of the sensors, and the manner or amount of change in position when a non-gripping state occurs, or the difference in arm position between the gripping state and the non-gripping state, can be calculated to determine whether a gripping state has occurred.

[0068] The detection means may detect information that can be used to determine the position of each arm in the opening / closing direction, and the arm control means may determine that the non-grasping state has occurred when the position of each arm in the opening / closing direction at the specific stage indicates a specific change that should occur when the non-grasping state has occurred. If the arms fail to grip the play medium or the play medium falls, causing the non-grasping state, a specific change may occur in the arm position. Therefore, whether or not the specific change is indicated can be used to determine whether or not the non-grasping state has occurred.

[0069] The detection means may detect information that can be used to determine the position of each arm in the opening / closing direction, and the arm control means may determine that the non-grasping state has occurred when each arm moves in the closing direction beyond a range set as the position that each arm can take in the gripping state. If an arm fails to grip the play medium or the play medium falls, causing the non-grasping state, the position of the arm may be biased toward the closing direction compared to the gripping state. Therefore, it is possible to assume a range of positions that the arm can take in the gripping state, and use whether the arm has moved in the closing direction beyond that range to determine whether the non-grasping state has occurred.

[0070] The arm control means may cancel the vibration suppression process after the vibration suppression process has been performed during one play opportunity, at the latest, by the time the arms move in the closing direction to grasp the game medium in accordance with an instruction from the user during the next play opportunity. By canceling the vibration suppression process by the time the arms move in the closing direction to grasp the game medium during the next play opportunity, it is possible to reliably eliminate the risk that the vibration suppression process performed during one play opportunity will affect the success or failure of grasping the game medium during the next play opportunity.

[0071] The arms may be suspended by wires (17), at least a portion of which may be exposed to the storage space (3) in which the play medium is stored. When the arms are suspended by wires exposed to the storage space, the arms tend to sway as they move. Applying a sway suppression process to such a configuration can more effectively suppress arm sway when a non-grasping state occurs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Game console 3. Containment space 5 Prizes 10 Arm Unit 11 Arm 17 wires 21 Arm Module 52 Photo sensor 53 Potentiometer 101 Control Unit 103 Game Management Department 104 Arm control unit

Claims

1. an arm unit operable to close a plurality of arms to grip a play medium and move the plurality of arms to a target position, thereby transporting the gripped play medium to a position corresponding to the target position; an arm control means for controlling the operation of the arm unit based on a user's instruction; a detection means for detecting information that can be used to determine whether the plurality of arms are in a gripping state in which they grip the play medium or in a non-gripping state in which they do not grip the play medium; The arm control means determines whether the non-grasping state has occurred at a specific stage after the multiple arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the game medium in accordance with instructions from the user and before the multiple arms have reached the target position, based on information detected by the detection means, and if the non-grasping state has occurred at the specific stage, executes a vibration suppression process that controls the operation of the arm unit so as to suppress the vibration of the multiple arms.

2. 2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the arm control means executes a gripping force increasing process as the shaking suppression process, which increases the gripping forces to be generated by the plurality of arms from a predetermined set value.

3. 2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the arm control means, when the non-grasping state occurs in the specific stage, executes the shaking suppression process at the latest by the time the movement of the plurality of arms stops.

4. 3. The game machine according to claim 2, wherein the arm control means executes the grip force increasing process so that the grip force gradually increases in accordance with the movement of the plurality of arms after the non-grasping state occurs at the specific stage until the movement of the plurality of arms stops.

5. 2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the arm control means executes a speed reduction process for reducing the moving speed of the plurality of arms as the shaking suppression process.

6. The arm unit is provided with a sensor that outputs a signal that can be used to determine the position of each arm in the opening / closing direction, as the detection means; 2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the arm control means determines whether the plurality of arms are in the gripping state or the non-gripping state based on the signal output by the sensor.

7. the detection means detects information that can be used to determine the position of each arm in the opening / closing direction; 2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the arm control means determines that the non-grasping state has occurred when the position of each arm in the opening / closing direction at the specific stage shows a specific change that should occur when the non-grasping state has occurred.

8. the detection means detects information that can be used to determine the position of each arm in the opening / closing direction; 2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the arm control means determines that the non-grasping state has occurred when each arm moves in the closing direction beyond a range set as a position that each arm can take in the grasping state.

9. A gaming machine described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the arm control means cancels the shaking suppression process after the shaking suppression process is executed during one playing opportunity, at the latest by the time the multiple arms move in the closing direction to grasp the playing medium in accordance with instructions from the user during the next playing opportunity.

10. 9. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of arms are suspended and supported by wires, and at least a portion of the wires is exposed to a storage space in which the game medium is stored.

11. an arm unit operable to close a plurality of arms to grip a play medium and move the plurality of arms to a target position, thereby transporting the gripped play medium to a position corresponding to the target position; A control method applied to a game machine including a detection means for detecting information that can be used to determine whether the plurality of arms are in a holding state in which they are holding the game medium or in a non-holding state in which they are not holding the game medium, an arm control procedure for controlling the operation of the arm unit based on a user's instruction; The arm control procedure determines whether the non-grasping state has occurred at a specific stage after the multiple arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the game medium in accordance with instructions from the user and before the multiple arms have reached the target position, based on information detected by the detection means, and if the non-grasping state has occurred at the specific stage, executes a vibration suppression process that controls the operation of the arm unit so as to suppress the vibration of the multiple arms.

12. an arm unit operable to close a plurality of arms to grip a play medium and move the plurality of arms to a target position, thereby transporting the gripped play medium to a position corresponding to the target position; a detection means for detecting information that can be used to determine whether the plurality of arms are in a gripping state in which they are gripping the game medium or in a non-gripping state in which they are not gripping the game medium, the computer of the game machine being configured to: functioning as an arm control means for controlling the operation of the arm unit based on a user's instruction; A computer program for a gaming machine configured to determine whether the non-grasping state has occurred at a specific stage after the multiple arms have moved in the closing direction to grasp the game medium in accordance with instructions from the user and before the multiple arms have reached the target position, based on information detected by the detection means, and if the non-grasping state has occurred at the specific stage, to cause the arm control means to execute a vibration suppression process that controls the operation of the arm unit so as to suppress vibration of the multiple arms.

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