Game arcade system

Abstract

To exchange the number of game media for prizes even when there is a deposit balance whose adjustment time limit has expired in a configuration capable of continuously performing the adjustment of the deposit balance recorded in a recording medium and the exchange of the number of game media for prizes by the operation of a player himself / herself.SOLUTION: Even when a general card for which the settlement time limit of the deposit balance has expired is inserted (S1, S2: YES), the settlement device 8 enables the prize exchange process to be executed (S3, S4: NO, S6: YES, S7 to S9) without performing the settlement of the deposit balance (S3). Thus, the player can perform the prize exchange processing only by his / her own operation, and the convenience of the player can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, an increasing number of gaming parlors have adopted so-called self-POS systems that allow players to perform the exchange operation themselves in order to reduce the burden on employees, and allow players to carry out the prize exchange process for the gaming media recorded on the card themselves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-065788 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In addition to such self-service POS, a configuration that integrates a self-service POS with a settlement device is also attracting attention, so that the settlement process for the remaining balance recorded on the card can also be carried out at the same time.In such a configuration, after the settlement process for the card inserted into the settlement device is carried out, the prize exchange process is carried out consecutively without returning the card, improving convenience for players. However, some gaming centers have a settlement deadline that allows the settlement process for the remaining deposit balance recorded on the card.In such gaming centers, settlement processes cannot be performed with cards that have passed the settlement deadline, and the player's settlement process and prize exchange process cannot be carried out consecutively, so improvement is needed in this area.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an amusement arcade system that allows players to continuously settle the remaining deposit recorded on a recording medium and exchange the number of gaming media for prizes by operating the recording medium themselves, and that allows players to exchange the number of gaming media for prizes even if there is a remaining deposit whose settlement deadline has expired. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention of claim 1 comprises an issuing means (e.g., counting lending unit 2) that issues to a player a recording medium (e.g., general card 9) that can record, in association with each other, deposit information indicating the deposit balance for receiving a loan of gaming value (e.g., deposit balance information that can identify the deposit balance that indicates the deposit balance deposited in counting lending unit 2) and gaming value information indicating the gaming value acquired through playing (e.g., acquired value information that can identify the gaming value acquired by the player on the same day) (e.g., when the return button 31 of the gaming machine 1 is operated, the deposit balance, number of balls held, and deposit date at that time are recorded in association with the ID of the general card 9 and issued in response to the operation of the return button 31); settlement means (e.g., settlement device 8) that can execute a settlement process (e.g., control unit 48, banknote dispensing unit 50, coin dispensing unit 51) that dispenses currency based on the deposit information recorded in the recording medium; and prize exchange means (e.g., POS terminal 7) that can execute a prize exchange process (e.g., S22, S23) based on the gaming value information recorded in the recording medium; The recording medium records settlement period information (e.g., the date of deposit) indicating the period during which the remaining deposit can be settled, a recording medium reading means (e.g., card R / W 53) that receives the recording medium and reads the deposit information, gaming value information, and settlement period information recorded on the recording medium; a settlement period determination means (e.g., S103) that determines whether or not a settlement period in which the deposit balance can be settled (e.g., a period in which cash settlement and ball lending can be made from the deposit date) has expired based on the settlement period information read by the recording medium reading means; and a money dispensing means (e.g., a control unit 48, a banknote dispensing unit 50, a coin payout unit 51), a game value information transmitting means (e.g., a control unit 48) that executes a game value information transmission process (e.g., S5) for transmitting the game value information read by the recording medium reading means to the prize exchange means, a game value information transmission process limiting means (e.g., the control unit 48) that limits the game value information transmission process (e.g., limits the transmission of information regarding the held balls recorded on the general card 9 to the POS terminal 7) in a currency payout suppression state (e.g., S105) in which the currency payout means is suppressing the payout of currency, and a selection means (e.g., a settlement device 8) that allows the player to select whether or not to execute the settlement process, and when the selection means selects to execute the settlement process, the settlement period is determined, whereas when the selection means selects not to execute the settlement process, the game value information transmission process is executed without determining the settlement period.

[0007] With this configuration, even if a recording medium whose settlement deadline for the deposit balance has expired is inserted, the prize exchange process can be carried out without settling the deposit balance, so the player can carry out the prize exchange process with just their own operations, thereby increasing convenience for the player. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an amusement park system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Front view of a pachinko gaming machine and a counting rental unit [Figure 3] Functional block diagram of the counting loan unit [Figure 4] Perspective view of the prize exchange counter [Figure 5] Functional block diagram of the settlement device [Figure 6] Perspective view of a POS terminal [Figure 7] POS terminal functional block diagram [Figure 8] Front view of the leftover coin exchange ticket [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a standby screen of a payment device. [Figure 10] A diagram showing the card reading screen of the settlement device [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a payment payment screen of the payment device. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a prize exchange confirmation screen of the settlement device. [Figure 13] A diagram showing the ball holding information transmission screen of the POS terminal [Figure 14] A diagram showing the special prize quantity confirmation screen on the POS terminal [Figure 15] Figure showing the final confirmation screen of the POS terminal [Figure 16] A diagram showing the period during which cash settlement is possible and the period during which balls can be borrowed [Figure 17] A flowchart showing the operation of the game medium information transmission processing restriction means [Figure 18] Flowchart showing settlement period determination processing [Figure 19] Figure showing the confirmation screen [Figure 20] Flowchart showing the operation of the recording medium returning means [Figure 21] A diagram showing a return notification display DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the gaming center system, which is configured as part of the gaming center system. Multiple gaming machines 1 are installed in the gaming center, and a counting / lending unit 2 and a gaming information display device 3 are installed corresponding to each gaming machine 1. These gaming machines 1, counting / lending units 2, and gaming information display devices 3 are connected to relay devices 4 in groups of multiple. The relay devices 4 are connected to a management device 6 via a LAN 5.

[0010] The management device 6 receives game signals transmitted from gaming machine side equipment such as the gaming machine 1 and the counting and lending unit 2, and manages game data for each gaming machine 1 and personal data for each registered member player. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, for example, several hundred gaming machines are installed in an amusement parlor, and multiple gaming machine islands with different rental prices (rental prices) for gaming media are formed. Figure 1 shows an example of a 4-yen pachinko island where the rental price of balls as gaming media is 4 yen, and a 1-yen pachinko island where the rental price is 1 yen.

[0011] Cards for identifying the gaming value acquired by a player include a general card 9 (recording medium) as a general recording medium shown in Figure 3, and a membership card 10 as a membership recording medium. The general card 9 is issued to an unspecified number of players as a card valid only for that day. The IC chip 9a built into the general card 9 records a general ID that can identify the card 9, as well as deposit balance information that can identify the deposit information showing the deposit balance deposited in the counting and lending unit 2, and earned value information that can identify the number of balls held per lending unit price, i.e., the gaming value acquired by the player during that day.

[0012] The membership card 10 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 held and saved corresponding to the membership card 10 is stored for each loan price in the member's account of the management device 6. The IC chip 10a built into the membership card 10 stores the deposit balance information and a member ID that can identify the member of the card 10 as information that can identify the gaming value of the member's account.

[0013] The management device 6 is equipped with a control unit including a CPU and memory unit (not shown), a transmission / reception unit, output units such as a monitor 13 and a printer (not shown), and operation units such as a keyboard 14 and a mouse (not shown), and manages the operating status of various devices within the gaming facility, such as the gaming machine equipment, POS terminal 7 (prize exchange device, exchange prize identification means, prize information transmission means, return notification means), and settlement device 8 (recording medium reading means, settlement period determination means, currency payout means, gaming medium information transmission means, gaming medium information transmission processing restriction means, restriction release means, recording medium return means), and manages the amount of gaming value and deposit balance for each player based on various signals received from various devices.

[0014] The gaming machine 1 shown in FIG. 2 is a CR pachinko machine, and has an operating handle 16, an upper tray 17, and a lower tray 18 that constitute a launching device that launches balls onto a board 15. The board 15 also has a liquid crystal display 19, a starting hole 20, and a jackpot hole 21. When a player operates the operating handle 16, a ball is launched onto the board 15. If the ball lands in the starting hole 20, a number of balls corresponding to the winning prize are paid out and a jackpot lottery is held. In the jackpot lottery, a pattern change is performed on the liquid crystal display 19 based on a so-called special pattern, and if the stopped and displayed pattern is a jackpot pattern, a jackpot occurs. When a jackpot occurs, the jackpot hole 21 is opened for, for example, 15 rounds.

[0015] The equipment on the gaming machine outputs 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 into the start port 20 and the big winning port 21.

[0016] The counting and lending unit 2 has a status display 22 that shows the current operating status, a bill insertion slot 23 through which bills are inserted, a touch panel type LCD display 24 that accepts operation inputs from the player and displays various data such as the deposit balance, the number of balls held, and the number of balls stored, 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 remote control light receiving unit 27 that receives (receives light from) signals from a remote control carried by an employee, a card insertion slot 28 through which a general card 9 or a member card 10 is inserted, and a counting tray 29 detachably connected to the lower tray 18 of the gaming machine 1. The counting and lending unit 2 is capable of detecting the operation of a lending button 30 and a return button 31 provided on the gaming machine 1.

[0017] 3 shows a functional block diagram of the counting and lending unit 2. The counting and lending unit 2 is configured with a control unit 32 configured by a microcomputer having a CPU 32a, ROM 32b, RAM 32c, and I / O 32d, and peripheral units connected to the control unit 32. The peripheral parts include an I / F section 33 that sends and receives various signals and information between the management device 6 and the gaming machine 1, a banknote processing section 34 that determines the authenticity of banknotes inserted into the banknote insertion slot 23, an LCD display section 24, a touch panel 35 provided on the LCD display section 24, a card R / W 36 that reads and writes various information recorded on the general card 9 or member card 10 inserted into the card insertion slot 28, a card stock section 37 that can store up to 10 general cards 9, a remote control light receiving section 27, a payout button 25, a payout section 38 that pays out one unit of balls (for example, 500 yen) from the payout nozzle 26 when the payout button 25 is operated, and a counting section 39 that counts the balls flowing in from the counting tray 29.

[0018] 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 (deposit balance) is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 24. (2) When the loan button 30 of the gaming machine 1 is operated, a loan process is performed in which the payout unit 38 pays out a number of balls equivalent to one unit (500 yen) within the range of the deposited balance in accordance with the operation of the loan button 30. 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, so one unit (500 yen) is deducted from the deposited balance displayed on the LCD display 24, and a sales signal indicating the number of loaned balls is sent to the management device 6, which can identify the number of loaned balls. This sales signal sends one pulse each time balls equivalent to one unit are paid out, so the management device 6 identifies one pulse as the sales amount of 500 yen.

[0019] (3) When the balls that fall from the lower tray 18 of the gaming machine 1 are received by the counting tray 29, the balls received by the counting tray 29 flow into the counting unit 39, where a counting process is performed to count the balls, which are gaming media (game value), and the counted number of balls held is displayed on the LCD display unit 24. (4) When the payout button 25 is operated, the payout section 38 pays out a number of balls equivalent to one use (500 yen) within the range of the number of balls held or the number of balls saved (in the case of the membership card 10) according to the operation of the payout button 25.

[0020] (5) When the return button 31 on the gaming machine 1 is operated, the current deposit balance and number of balls held are recorded on the general card 9 in accordance with the operation of the return button 31, and the general card 9 is issued. If a member card 10 is inserted into the card insertion slot 28, the deposit balance is recorded on the member card 10, and the number of balls held is sent to the management device 6 on the condition that a PIN number is entered, and the member card 10 is issued. When a general card 9 or member card 10 is issued, an issuance signal that can identify the information recorded on these cards 9, 10 (deposit balance and number of balls) along with the general ID and member ID is sent to the management device 6, and the management device 6 also stores and manages the information recorded on the cards 9, 10. If neither card 9, 10 is inserted into the card insertion slot 28, one of the general cards 9 stored in the card stock section 37 is dispensed, and the deposit balance and number of balls are recorded by the card R / W 36 and issued.

[0021] (6) When the general card 9 is inserted into the card insertion slot 28, the remaining balance and the number of balls held recorded on the general card 9 are read by the card R / W 36 and displayed on the LCD display 24. When the general card 9 is accepted, the loan / return process is performed within the range of the remaining balance and the number of balls held recorded on the general card 9.

[0022] (7) When the member card 10 is inserted into the card insertion slot 28, the card R / W 36 reads out the remaining balance recorded on the member card 10 and displays it on the LCD display 24. Also, if the PIN number is entered, the number of balls held and the number of balls stored in the member's account in the management device 6 are also displayed. When the member card 10 is accepted, the loan / return process is performed within the range of the remaining balance recorded on the member card 10 and the number of balls held and the number of balls stored in the member's account.

[0023] Although the general card 9 needs to be collected when the player finishes playing, in the case of a self-service system, there is a risk that a player may maliciously or carelessly take the general card 9 home, resulting in a loss for the gaming parlor, so even in a self-service system, the general card 9 is reliably collected. As for the member card 10, it does not need to be collected even in a self-service system, and therefore the settlement process and prize exchange process are carried out by a conventional settlement device 8 and POS terminal 7 (not shown).

[0024] A configuration that allows the general card 9 to be reliably collected even in a self-service system will be described below. A prize exchange counter 40 shown in Fig. 4 is installed in one corner of the gaming facility. This prize exchange counter 40 is used to perform settlement processing and prize exchange processing for general cards 9, and is configured by combining a settlement device 8, a POS terminal 7, a prize payout device 41 (prize payout means), and a leftover prize corner 42 (see Fig. 1). In this embodiment, the POS terminal 7 and the prize payout device 41 are housed in a single housing 43 and configured as an integrated unit, and the leftover prize corner 42 is arranged on top of the housing 43.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the POS terminal 7, the settlement device 8, and the prize payout device 41 are connected to the management device 6 via a LAN 5. The POS terminal 7 and the prize payout device 41 are directly connected, and the settlement device 8 and the POS terminal 7 are directly connected. First, a description will be given of the settlement device 8. As shown in Fig. 4, the settlement device 8 is provided with a touch panel display unit 44, a card insertion slot 45, a bill return slot 46, and a coin return slot 47.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, the settlement device 8 is composed of a control unit 48 consisting of a microcomputer having a CPU 48a, ROM 48b, RAM 48c, and I / O 48d, a display unit 44 connected to this control unit 48, a touch panel 49 arranged on this display unit 44, a banknote dispensing unit 50 that dispenses banknotes to the banknote return port 46, a coin dispensing unit 51 that dispenses coins to the coin return port 47, an alarm lamp unit 52 that notifies of the status or abnormalities of the settlement device 8, a card R / W 53 that reads information from a general card 9 inserted into the card insertion port 45, a stock unit 54 that collects the general card 9 located on this card R / W 53, and an I / F unit 55 that sends and receives various signals and information between the management device 6 and the POS terminal 7.

[0027] When a general card 9 is inserted into the card insertion slot 45, the settlement device 8 reads the deposit balance recorded on the inserted general card 9 with the card R / W 53, displays the read deposit balance on the display unit 44, and executes a settlement process in which the read deposit balance is returned in cash such as bills or coins from each return slot 46, 47, before collecting the general card 9 in the stock unit 54. At this time, if the number of held balls is recorded on the inserted general card 9, the settlement device 8 executes a transmission process (game medium information transmission process) in which held ball information (game medium information) indicating the number of held balls (number of game media) is sent to the POS terminal 7 before collecting the card. When handling the deposit balance and held balls recorded on the general card 9, the settlement device 8 processes them after comparing them with the deposit balance and held balls pre-stored by the management device 6 corresponding to the general card 9.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the POS terminal 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Figure 6, the POS terminal 7 is composed of a main body 56 and a touch panel display 57 that can communicate with the main body 56. The display 57 displays the information necessary for prize exchange and performs a predetermined prize exchange process in response to touch operations by the player.

[0029] 7 shows a functional block diagram of the POS terminal 7. The POS terminal 7 includes a control unit 58 configured by a microcomputer having a CPU 58a, ROM 58b, RAM 58c, and I / O 58d, a display unit 57 connected to the control unit 58, a touch panel 59 arranged on the display unit 57, and an I / F unit 60 that transmits and receives various signals and information to and from the management device 6, the settlement device 8, and the prize payout device 41.

[0030] The POS terminal 7 identifies the type and number of special prizes based on the ball holding information sent from the settlement device 8, and instructs the prize payout device 41 to pay out the special prizes. The prize payout device 41 stores multiple types of special prizes in a prize stock section (not shown) inside the main body, and automatically pays out special prizes in response to payout instructions from the POS terminal 7. The special prizes are resin cards with built-in IC chips, and come in three denominations: 5,000 yen, 1,000 yen, and 200 yen. If any leftover balls are generated when the prize exchange is completed, a leftover ball exchange ticket 61 shown in Figure 8 is issued. The leftover ball exchange ticket 61 is printed with leftover ball exchange information indicating the unit amount and number (amount) of leftover balls, and a message indicating the types and numbers of leftover prizes that can be selected within the amount range.

[0031] Next, we will explain how to operate the system when a player wishes to perform the settlement process and prize exchange process for the general card 9. The player first goes to the settlement device 8 that constitutes the prize exchange counter 40. The settlement device 8 displays the standby screen shown in Figure 9 on the display unit 44. This standby screen displays a message prompting the player to insert the general card 9.

[0032] When a player inserts a general card 9 into the settlement device 8, the settlement device 8 reads the deposit balance recorded on the inserted general card 9 and displays the card reading screen of Fig. 10. This card reading screen displays the deposit balance and settlement amount (= deposit balance) read from the general card 9, and if there are balls recorded on the general card 9, a message indicating that there are balls in hand is displayed, and further displays a "Cancel" button 62 and a "Settlement" button 63. If the general card 9 that has been read does not have a recorded balance, the message "No balance" is displayed.

[0033] When the player touches the "Settlement" button 63, the settlement device 8 executes a settlement process to pay out the remaining deposit amount to the player, and displays the settlement payout screen of Figure 11. This settlement payout screen displays the remaining deposit amount, the settlement amount, and the payout amount (= settlement amount), as well as a message warning the player not to forget to take the settlement amount. If the read general card 9 does not record any held balls, the deposit balance recorded on the general card 9 is initialized to 0 and then collected into the stock unit 54.

[0034] Next, if the read general card 9 has balls recorded on it, the settlement device 8 displays a message prompting the player to exchange for a prize, as shown on the prize exchange confirmation screen in Figure 12, and also displays a "Cancel" button 62 and a "Prize Exchange" button 64. When the player touches the "prize exchange" button 64, a transmission process is executed to read the number of balls held from the general card 9 and send it to the POS terminal 7, and the deposit balance and number of balls held recorded on the general card 9 are initialized to 0 before being collected into the stock section 54. Then, a message prompting operation on the POS terminal 7 is displayed, as shown on the ball information transmission screen in Figure 13. The ball information transmission screen in Figure 13 is automatically erased in 10 seconds, and the standby screen in Figure 9 is displayed.

[0035] As described above, if a player who has completed the settlement process at the settlement device 8 wishes to continue with the prize exchange, he or she will be moved to the POS terminal 7. The POS terminal 7 displays the special prize number confirmation screen of Fig. 14 based on the held ball information sent from the settlement device 8. This special prize number confirmation screen displays a message prompting a confirmation operation, the unit price of balls, held ball / end ball information indicating held balls and end balls, special prize information indicating the number of each exchangeable special prize, a "call attendant" button 65, and a "confirm" button 66.

[0036] A large special prize is worth 5,000 yen, a medium special prize is worth 1,000 yen, and a small special prize is worth 200 yen. An example of how to calculate the number of special prizes is as follows: 4 yen pachinko = 1,915 balls (7,660 yen) = 1,250 balls x 1 + 250 balls x 2 + 50 balls x 3 + 15 balls = large special prize (5,000 yen) x 1 + medium special prize (1,000 yen) x 2 + small special prize (200 yen) x 3 + extra balls (60 yen).

[0037] When the player presses the "Confirm" button 66, the POS terminal 7 displays the final confirmation screen shown in Fig. 15. This final confirmation screen displays a message urging the player to confirm, prize information indicating the number of each exchangeable special prize and each extra prize, and a "Confirm" button 67 instead of the "Confirm" button 66.

[0038] When the player touches the "Confirm" button 67, the POS terminal 7 executes a prize information transmission process to transmit prize information to the prize payout device 41. The prize payout device 41 executes a prize payout process to pay out to the player the corresponding number of special prizes that have been exchanged in the exchange process based on the prize information transmitted from the POS terminal 7, and issues a leftover ball exchange ticket 61 as shown in Figure 7 if there are leftover balls.

[0039] When a player receives the leftover ball exchange ticket 61, he or she proceeds to the leftover ball prize corner 42 and selects the desired leftover ball prize corresponding to the details recorded on the leftover ball exchange ticket 61. The leftover ball prize corner 42 is unmanned, and players are free to choose a prize within the exchange range and take it home. The leftover ball prizes include miscellaneous goods and sweets, and are displayed on shelves categorized by price (A to E). The leftover ball prizes are categorized as follows: A is a 100 yen general prize, B is a 50 yen general prize, C is a 10 yen general prize, D is a 5 yen general prize, and E is a 1 yen general prize. In this way, players can settle their remaining deposits at the settlement device 8, exchange the balls they have acquired at the POS terminal 7 for special prizes, or exchange their leftover balls for leftover ball prizes at the leftover ball prize corner 42.

[0040] Incidentally, many gaming parlors define a period during which cash settlements and ball lending are possible (settlement period information) for the deposit balance recorded on the general card 9, and many of them allow cash settlements only on the day the cash is deposited. The period during which cash settlements are possible can be set in advance by the management device 6. For example, by recording the deposit date on the general card 9 and setting the number of days from the deposit date during which cash settlements and ball lending are possible, the period during which cash settlements and ball lending are possible can be set.

[0041] In the example shown in Figure 16, the period during which cash settlement is possible is set to one day from the date of deposit, and the period during which ball lending is possible is set to seven days. Even if the deposit balance is recorded on the general card 9 but cash settlement is not made on the day of deposit, ball lending will be possible from the next day onwards, but cash settlement will not be possible. For this reason, settlement processing can no longer be performed on a general card 9 whose settlement deadline has expired, and prize exchange processing cannot be performed consecutively.

[0042] In view of this, in this embodiment, the prize exchange process can be executed even with a general card 9 whose settlement period has expired. That is, when a general card 9 is inserted and the deposit balance recorded on the general card 9 exceeds the settlement period, the settlement device 8 restricts the payout of currency, and further restricts the transmission of information about the balls held recorded on the general card 9 to the POS terminal 7 by the game medium information transmission processing restriction means. On the other hand, if the player agrees not to settle the deposit balance by the restriction removal means, the balls held information is transmitted to the POS terminal 7 to execute the prize exchange. By providing the game medium information transmission processing restriction means and the restriction removal means in this way, it becomes possible to execute the prize exchange process even for a general card 9 whose settlement period has expired.

[0043] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17, the game medium information transmission process limiting means executes a settlement period determination process for determining whether or not the settlement period has expired (S1). As shown in Figure 18, in the settlement period determination process, a recording medium is read to obtain deposit information recorded on the inserted general card 9 (S101), and the deposit information is obtained (S102). Next, it is determined (settlement period determination means) whether the deposit balance corresponding to the obtained deposit information is within the settlement period (S103). If it is within the settlement period (S103: YES), the money corresponding to the deposit balance is paid out (S104). If the settlement period has passed (S103: NO), a money payout suppression state is set to suppress the payout of money (S105).

[0044] 17, when the settlement device 8 determines that the settlement period has expired through the settlement period determination process described above (S2: YES), it restricts the game medium information transmission process that transmits the held ball information (game medium information) recorded on the general card 9 to the POS terminal 7 (S3). As a result, prize exchange based on the held ball information is not performed. At this time, the display unit 44 of the settlement device 8 displays a confirmation screen as shown in Fig. 19. The confirmation screen displays a message indicating that the settlement period has passed and the remaining balance cannot be settled, and asking whether to continue with the prize exchange, as well as a "Yes" button 68, a "No" button 69, and a "Call an attendant" button 70 that can be operated via the touch panel.

[0045] When the player touches the "Yes" button 68, the restriction is released (when the restriction release means has accepted the restriction release) (S4: YES), and the ball holding information (gaming medium information) recorded on the general card 9 is sent to the POS terminal 7 (S5). This makes it possible to exchange for prizes based on the ball holding information at the POS terminal 7. When the "No" button 69 is touched (when the restriction release means has not accepted the restriction release), after confirming that the "Call Attendant" button 70 has not been touched (S6: NO), the restriction is released and the general card 9 (recording medium) is returned to end the processing by the settlement device 8 (S10).

[0046] On the other hand, if the player touches the "Call Attendant" button 70 (S6: YES), an attendant (game parlor employee) can be called. When the called attendant performs the specified restriction release operation on the settlement device 8, the restriction release operation is accepted (S7) and the currency corresponding to the deposited balance is paid out (S8). This makes it possible to settle the balance even if the deposited balance has exceeded the settlement period. After settling the deposited balance, the ball information recorded on the general card 9 is sent to the POS terminal 7 (S9). This allows the player to continue with the prize exchange process. In consideration of the security of the gaming facility, the management device 6 may be configured to display a screen informing that an employee has performed an operation to remove the restriction.

[0047] Now, if it is possible to exchange a general card 9 with a recorded balance for a prize after the settlement period has expired, when the prize payout process is executed through prize exchange, the general card 9 with the recorded balance must be returned to the player, so a recording medium return means is provided.

[0048] As shown in Figure 20, when held ball information is sent from the settlement device 8 to the POS terminal 7 (S21), the POS terminal 7 identifies a prize corresponding to the held ball information (S22). The POS terminal 7 sends prize information regarding the identified prize to the prize payout device (S23). When the prize payout device receives the prize information, it performs a payout process for the prize corresponding to the prize information (S24). When the prize is paid out, it updates the held ball information (game medium information) recorded on the general card 9 (S25), and returns the general card 9 with the deposited balance recorded from the settlement device 8 (recording medium return process).

[0049] Although the general card 9 can be returned to the player in this manner, it is expected that the player may go home without noticing that the general card 9 has been returned. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 21, a return notification means is provided for displaying a return notification on the display unit of the POS terminal 7. That is, the return notification means displays a message as a return notification to warn the player not to forget to take the general card 9. This can reliably prevent the player from forgetting to take the general card 9. The return notification means may be configured to notify by voice in addition to or instead of the display on the display unit, in which case the POS terminal 7 is configured to have an output unit that outputs voice.

[0050] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. The settlement device 8 is capable of executing the prize exchange process without settling the remaining balance even when a general card 9 whose settlement deadline for the remaining balance has expired is inserted, so that the player can perform the prize exchange process only by his / her own operation, thereby increasing the convenience for the player. After the prize exchange process is executed, the general card 9 with the remaining balance is returned to the player, so that the player can play again on the gaming machine using the general card 9 with the remaining balance, thereby improving the convenience for the player.

[0051] When the general card 9 with a balance is returned to the player after the execution of the prize exchange process, the player is notified that the general card 9 will be returned, so that the player can be prevented from forgetting to take the general card 9 and convenience for the player can be improved. Even when a general card 9 whose settlement period for the deposited balance has expired is inserted, the balance can be settled by an operation by an employee, so that the player's request can be met and the convenience for the player can be improved.

[0052] (Other embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be modified or expanded as follows, and each modified example can be combined with the above-described embodiment, or each modified example can be combined. The settlement period for the remaining deposit balance is not limited to this embodiment, and may be set arbitrarily by the arcade manager. For example, the settlement period may be set to 7 days, and the ball lending period may be set to 30 days. Furthermore, if the ball lending period is exceeded, ball lending may be restricted, and ball lending may be limited to business days through the operation of an arcade employee.

[0053] When a general card 9 that has exceeded the settlement period is inserted, the sending of game medium information from the settlement device 8 to the POS terminal 7 is restricted, and the restriction can be lifted by the player at the settlement device 8, but the game medium information may be sent to the POS terminal 7 without accepting the player's request to lift the restriction. Even in this case, the recording medium is returned when the prize exchange process is completed, and a return notification is issued. When the return notification means is executed in the POS terminal 7, the settlement device 8 may be configured to make a similar notification. In this case, the notification may be made on the display unit or the notification lamp unit of the settlement device 8.

[0054] Although the deposit balance information and ball holding information are recorded directly on the card, they may also be recorded in a management device linked to the card ID, and read out from the management device each time. The settlement period information is the date of deposit of the currency, but the number of days that have passed since the deposit may also be used as the settlement period information. (Regarding the operation to release the restriction) The gaming facility may be set up in advance to not allow the settlement of the remaining balance of a card that has exceeded the settlement period. In this case, the "Call Attendant" button 70 may not be displayed or may be inactive. Also, when an employee releases the restriction, the ball information may be sent to the POS terminal without paying out any money.

[0055] The settlement device 8 is designed to always perform settlement processing when there is a deposit balance, but it may also be configured so that, depending on the player's selection (selection means), settlement processing is not performed and only prize exchange is performed by sending the ball information held to the POS terminal 7. In this case, since the ball information recorded on the general card 9 needs to be updated in accordance with the prize exchange processing, the ball information held at the end of the prize exchange processing is received from the POS terminal 7, the ball information on the general card 9 is rewritten, and the general card 9 is returned.

[0056] The settlement device 8 may be configured to accept the membership card 10 and perform settlement processing and prize exchange processing. In this case, the membership card 10 is always returned to the player regardless of the deposit balance and the number of balls held. As in the past, a separate prize exchange counter that can be operated by an employee may be provided. The settlement device 8, POS terminal 7, and prize dispensing device 41 may be housed in a single housing and configured as an integrated unit.

[0057] The leftover prizes are given in a so-called buffet style, allowing players to freely take home any prizes they like, but employees may also hand them out to players according to their wishes. There are only two types of prizes: special prizes and leftover prizes, but prizes other than leftover prizes may also be prepared. The type of special prize is not limited to that of the present embodiment and may be of any shape and amount. Similarly, the type of extra prize may be of any shape and amount. A prize payout device may be installed to automatically pay out the odd prizes in the same way as the special prizes.

[0058] The rental unit price of the gaming media can be set arbitrarily by the gaming parlor within the range stipulated by the rules. The rental unit price is not limited to two types, and may be three or more types. Although the gaming machine of the type that pays out actual gaming media in response to winning has been exemplified, it may also be an enclosed gaming machine of the type that awards points instead of paying out gaming media. Although a pachinko machine is used as an example of the gaming machine, a slot machine may also be used. Also, although balls are used as an example of the gaming medium, medals may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] In the drawing, 7 is a POS terminal (prize exchange device, exchange prize identification means, prize information transmission means, return notification means), 8 is a settlement device (recording medium reading means, settlement period determination means, currency dispensing means, game medium information transmission means, game medium information transmission processing restriction means, restriction release means, recording medium return means), and 9 is a general card (recording medium).

Claims

[Claim 1] In a gaming facility system having a prize payout device capable of executing a payout process to pay out prizes that have been exchanged in an exchange process to a player, an issuing means for issuing to a player a recording medium capable of recording deposit information indicating a deposit balance for receiving a loan of a game value and game value information indicating a game value acquired through a game in association with each other; a settlement means capable of executing a settlement process of dispensing money based on the deposit information recorded on the recording medium; a prize exchange means capable of executing a prize exchange process based on the game value information recorded on the recording medium; The recording medium stores settlement period information indicating a period during which the remaining deposit amount can be settled, a recording medium reading means for receiving the recording medium and reading the deposit information, gaming value information, and settlement period information recorded on the recording medium; a settlement period determination means for determining whether the settlement period in which the deposit balance can be settled has expired based on the settlement period information read by the recording medium reading means; a money dispensing means for dispensing money based on the deposit information corresponding to the deposit balance when it is determined by the settlement period determination means that the settlement period for the deposit balance has not been exceeded, and for suppressing dispensing money based on the deposit information corresponding to the deposit balance when it is determined that the settlement period for the deposit balance has been exceeded; a game value information transmitting means for executing a game value information transmitting process for transmitting the game value information read by the recording medium reading means to the prize exchange means; a game value information transmission process limiting means for limiting the game value information transmission process in a money payout suppression state in which the money payout means suppresses the payout of money; a selection means for allowing a player to select whether or not to execute the settlement process; Equipped with When the selection means selects to execute the settlement process, the settlement period is determined, but when the selection means selects not to execute the settlement process, the gaming facility system executes the gaming value information transmission process without determining the settlement period.

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