Inter-machine devices, machine lamps, management devices, and gaming systems

Abstract

The challenge is to enable employees and players to quickly and efficiently determine whether a gaming machine is in a predetermined state. [Solution] When the managed slot machine 20 wins a bonus (S1), after this bonus win state ends, it transitions to a bonus trigger state where two tokens are wagered, or to a normal state where three tokens are wagered, with a predetermined probability. After the bonus ends, if a bonus trigger occurs (S2), the managed token unit 10 and the machine lamp 40 display that it is in the bonus trigger state (S3). Specifically, it displays "Bonus trigger in progress".

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a podium device, a podium lamp, a management device, and a gaming system that can quickly and efficiently allow employees and game players to grasp whether a gaming machine is in a predetermined state or not.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a game arcade, a rotary gaming machine (hereinafter referred to as a "slot machine") such as a slot machine or a pachislot machine is often installed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In such a slot machine, for example, a player inserts three medals and operates a start lever, causing three drums to rotate. If the player presses three stop buttons to stop each drum, medals will be paid out according to the symbol combination on a predetermined line of the drum. Thus, in a slot machine, a game is played with one game being from when a player inserts a medal until the medal is paid out.

[0003] Here, the introduction of a special state called a "bonus trigger" is being considered for such a slot machine. This bonus trigger is a special state in which, upon meeting a predetermined condition after a bonus winning, the state changes from a three-bet state to a two-bet state, and the bonus probability is more favorable than the normal winning probability.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [[ID=X]]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when the above bonus trigger occurs, there is a problem in that it is difficult for employees and players to know whether the gaming machine is in the "bonus trigger" state. During the bonus trigger, even if the so-called max bet button is pressed, it will be in the state of a 2-coin bet, so it is not efficient to constantly pay attention to the display of the number of coins bet (BET amount). Therefore, how to efficiently determine whether or not the slot machine is in the bonus trigger state has become a crucial issue.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide an inter-machine device, machine lamp, management device, and gaming system that allow employees and players to quickly and efficiently determine whether or not a gaming machine is in a predetermined state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an inter-machine device provided in correspondence with a gaming machine that uses betting numbers, characterized in that it includes a detection unit that detects that the gaming machine is in a special state that increases the probability of a jackpot occurring when, after the gaming machine is determined to be in a jackpot state based on information received from the gaming machine, information is received from the gaming machine within a predetermined period indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the detection unit comprises a determination unit that determines that the gaming machine is in a jackpot state based on information received from the gaming machine, a receiving unit that receives information from the gaming machine indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number, and a state determination unit that determines that the gaming machine is in a bonus trigger state when, after the determination unit has determined that the gaming machine is in a jackpot state, the receiving unit receives information indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number within a predetermined period.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, when the state determination unit determines that the game machine is in the bonus trigger state, the display control unit further controls the display of that fact on a predetermined display unit.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention is a lamp for a gaming machine that uses betting numbers, and is characterized by comprising: a detection unit that detects that the gaming machine is in a special state that increases the probability of a jackpot when, after the gaming machine is determined to be in a jackpot state based on information received from an inter-machine device, information is received from the gaming machine within a predetermined period indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number; and a display control unit that displays and controls the occurrence of the special state when the detection unit detects that the gaming machine is in the special state.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a management device that is capable of communicating with an inter-machine device provided in correspondence with a gaming machine that uses betting numbers for gameplay, and is characterized in that it includes a detection unit that detects that the gaming machine is in a special state that increases the probability of a jackpot occurring when, after the gaming machine is determined to be in a jackpot state based on information received from the inter-machine device, information is received from the gaming machine within a predetermined period indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a gaming system comprising a gaming machine that plays games using the number of bets, and an inter-machine device provided in correspondence with the gaming machine, wherein the inter-machine device is equipped with a detection unit that detects that the gaming machine is in a special state that increases the probability of a jackpot occurring when, after the gaming machine is determined to be in a jackpot state based on information received from the gaming machine, information is received from the gaming machine within a predetermined period indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, employees and players can quickly and efficiently determine whether or not a gaming machine is in a predetermined state. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the outline of the gaming system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the gaming system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the external configuration of the management slot machine and the management medal unit shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management medal unit shown in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the self-device state data, card ID data, valuable data, and gaming machine state data shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management device shown in Figure 2. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the card management data, device management data, and member management data shown in Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the management medal unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the display in the management medal unit according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the display in the management medal unit according to Embodiment 3.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, the pedestal device, pedestal lamp, management device, and gaming system according to the present Embodiment 1 will be described in detail based on the drawings.

[0016] <Outline of the Gaming System According to Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the outline of the gaming system according to the first embodiment. The management slot machine 20 shown in FIG. 1 is an enclosed reel-type gaming machine that does not pay out medals outside the device.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, in the gaming system according to the first embodiment, the management slot machine 20 wins a bonus (S1). After the end of this bonus winning state, with a predetermined probability, it transitions to a bonus trigger state where a two-coin bet game is played, or to a normal state of a three-coin bet game. Note that the form where the bonus trigger state is a two-coin bet and the normal state is a three-coin bet is merely an example, and a form where the bonus trigger state is a one-coin bet and the normal state is a three-coin bet may also be possible.

[0018] After the bonus ends, if a bonus trigger occurs (S2), it is displayed (S3) on the management medal unit 10 and the pedestal lamp 40 that it is in the bonus trigger state. Specifically, it is displayed as "Bonus Trigger in Progress". In FIG. 1, it is displayed in characters for employees and players that "Bonus Trigger in Progress", but any form may be used as long as it can be recognized by employees and players, such as icons, symbols, videos, sounds, etc. other than characters for display and notification.

[0019] As described above, in the gaming system according to the first embodiment, after the management slot machine ends the bonus winning state and transitions to the bonus trigger state, it is configured to display on the management medal unit and the pedestal lamp that it is in the bonus trigger state. Therefore, employees and players can quickly and efficiently grasp whether the gaming machine is in the bonus trigger state.

[0020] <System Configuration According to the First Embodiment> Next, the system configuration of the gaming system according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the gaming system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, in the gaming parlor, a plurality of management slot machines 20 and management medal units 10 provided corresponding to each management slot machine 20 are installed.

[0021] The management medal unit 10 is connected to the store's network, which is a communication line, via the island controller 30. The island controller 30, machine lamps 40, management device 50, prize management device 60, and settlement machine 70 are connected to the communication line. The machine lamps 40 are installed above the management slot machine 20, in correspondence with the management slot machine 20.

[0022] The managed slot machine 20 is a sealed-type gaming machine that provides slot games based on the number of managed gaming tokens stored in its memory unit. It does not accept physical tokens from outside the device, nor does it dispense physical tokens to the outside of the device. The managed slot machine 20 is equipped with a max bet button. When this max bet button is pressed, 3 tokens are deducted from the number of managed gaming tokens, and the bet amount is set. If a player operates the start lever in this state, three drums rotate, and if the stop button is pressed, the drums stop sequentially. If a predetermined combination of symbols stops on the reels, the number of prize tokens corresponding to this combination is added to the number of managed gaming tokens.

[0023] Furthermore, the management slot machine 20 notifies the management medal unit 10 of the number of game machine management medals and the number of BETs. The management slot machine 20 also notifies the management medal unit 10 of safe data, out data, special prize data, etc. Safe data is data output when a predetermined number of prize medals are generated. Out data is data output each time the number of BETs used in the game reaches a predetermined number. Special prize data is data output when a jackpot occurs. This safe data, out data, special prize data, etc. are transmitted from the management medal unit 10 to the management device 50.

[0024] Furthermore, in the managed slot machine 20, when a jackpot occurs, the jackpot state ends after a predetermined time has elapsed, but at this point, there is a predetermined probability of transitioning to the bonus trigger state, which is a 2-coin bet game. In this bonus trigger state, the probability of a jackpot occurring is higher than in the normal state, which is a 3-coin bet game.

[0025] The management medal unit 10 receives deposits, lends out the number of game machine management medals, and communicates with the management device 50. When the management medal unit 10 receives banknotes inserted by a player, it sends deposit notification data including the amount of the banknotes to the management device 50, causing the management device 50 to add a number corresponding to the amount to the prepaid value it manages. Then, when a predetermined medal lending operation is performed, it sends a medal lending request to the management device 50, instructing the management slot machine 20 to subtract the prepaid value it manages and add a number of game machine management medals corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value.

[0026] Furthermore, if the management medal unit 10 accepts the insertion of a card, it sends card insertion notification data to the management device 50. Also, if the management medal unit 10 receives data from the management device 50 including the prepaid value and the number of medals held, it stores the received prepaid value and the number of medals held. Once the number of medals held is stored, the management medal unit 10 sends a medal deduction request data to the management device 50, thereby clearing the number of medals managed by the management device 50 to zero.

[0027] Furthermore, when the management medal unit 10 receives a request to replay with held medals, it instructs the management slot machine 20 to subtract a predetermined number from the number of held medals stored in its own device, and to add a number of game machine management medals corresponding to the number of held medals that was subtracted.

[0028] Furthermore, when the management medal unit 10 receives a card return operation, it sends medal addition request data, including the number of medals held by the device, to the management device 50. After the management device 50 adds the number of medals held, it sends card ejection notification data to the management device 50 and controls the ejection of the card.

[0029] Furthermore, after the management medal unit 10 receives jackpot data from the management slot machine 20 for a certain period of time, if it receives normal game data, it determines that the management slot machine 20 is in a bonus state. Then, after determining that the management slot machine 20 is in a bonus state, if it receives data of a BET number of "2" from the management slot machine 20 within a predetermined time, it determines that the management slot machine 20 is in a bonus trigger state and updates the game machine state data to "bonus trigger state".

[0030] Furthermore, if the management medal unit 10 determines that the management slot machine 20 is in a bonus state and receives data of a BET number of "3" from the management slot machine 20 within a predetermined time, it determines that the management slot machine 20 is in a normal state. If the game machine state data is in a "bonus trigger state", it updates it to "normal state".

[0031] Furthermore, if the game machine status data is updated to "bonus trigger state," the management medal unit 10 will display a message indicating that a bonus trigger has occurred and will also notify the machine lamp 40 of a bonus trigger display instruction.

[0032] Furthermore, if the game machine status data is updated to "normal state," the management medal unit 10 hides the bonus trigger occurrence indication currently displayed on its own device and notifies the machine lamp 40 of the instruction to hide the bonus trigger.

[0033] The machine lamp 40 is a display device that shows the status of the managed slot machine 20. If the machine lamp 40 receives a bonus trigger display instruction from the managed medal unit 10, it will display that a bonus trigger has occurred. If the machine lamp 40 receives a bonus trigger hiding instruction from the managed medal unit 10, it will hide the displayed bonus trigger indication.

[0034] The island controller 30 is a relay device that bundles together a group of managed slot machines 20 and managed medal units 10 installed on a gaming island.

[0035] The management device 50 is a device that manages card data such as the prepaid value of the card and the number of medals held, and member information of members registered with the amusement parlor as member management data. When the management device 50 receives card insertion notification data from the management medal unit 10, it manages the card ID of the inserted card in association with the device ID of the management medal unit 10, and transmits the prepaid value and number of medals held associated with the card ID to the management medal unit 10.

[0036] Furthermore, when the management device 50 receives a request to deduct medals from the management medal unit 10, it clears the number of medals held to zero. Also, when the management device 50 receives a request to add medals from the management medal unit 10, it adds the number of medals included in the request to add medals to the number of medals managed by the device.

[0037] Furthermore, if the management device 50 receives medal lending request data from the management medal unit 10, it subtracts a predetermined amount from the prepaid value associated with the card ID and transmits medal lending permission data to the management medal unit 10. If the management device 50 receives stored medal replay request data from the management medal unit 10, it subtracts a predetermined amount from the number of stored medals associated with the card ID indicated in the stored medal replay request data and transmits stored medal replay data including the number of stored medals after the subtraction to the management medal unit 10.

[0038] Furthermore, if the management device 50 receives a card ID from the prize management device 60, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of medals held and the number of medals stored associated with this card ID. In addition, if it receives a card ID from the payment machine 70, it notifies the payment machine 70 of the prepaid value associated with this card ID.

[0039] Furthermore, the management device 50 stores a history of operations such as deposits, card insertions, and card ejections notified by the management medal unit 10, and performs aggregation and other processing at predetermined times, such as after closing time. In addition, the management device 50 stores a history of operations related to prize exchange by the prize management device 60 and settlement by the settlement machine 70, and performs aggregation and other processing at predetermined times, such as after closing time.

[0040] The prize management device 60 is a terminal device for prize exchange located next to the prize exchange counter inside the gaming store, and it performs prize exchange processing to exchange the number of tokens held and stored tokens for prizes. The prize management device 60 is connected to a card reader that reads the card ID from the card and a prize dispensing device that dispenses the prize.

[0041] Furthermore, when the prize management device 60 reads a card ID from a card (or reads identification data corresponding to the card ID from a mobile terminal, etc.), it transmits the card ID to the management device 50 and requests the number of medals held by that card ID. Also, when exchanging stored medals for prizes, it requests the number of stored medals from the management device 50.

[0042] When a card with associated prepaid value is inserted into the payment machine 70, it transmits the card ID of the card to the management device 50, retrieves the prepaid value associated with the card, and dispenses cash equivalent to the retrieved prepaid value.

[0043] <External configuration of the management slot machine 20 and the management medal unit 10> Next, the external configuration of the management slot machine 20 and the management medal unit 10 will be described. Figure 3 shows the external configuration of the management slot machine 20 and the management medal unit 10 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, unlike conventional slot machines, the management slot machine 20 does not have an upper tray or a lower tray. This is because it is a sealed-type gaming machine, and medals are not dispensed outside the device. Also, unlike conventional slot machines, there is no concept of credits that store 50 medals, and there is no credit display unit. This is because, instead of credits, there is a display unit that stores the number of gaming machine management medals, which is not limited to 50 medals, and displays the number of gaming machine management medals.

[0044] The surface of the management slot machine 20 is equipped with drums 21a, 21b, and 21c (hereinafter collectively referred to as "drums 21"), a game machine management medal count display unit 22, a max bet button 23, a start lever 24, stop buttons 25a, 25b, and 25c (hereinafter collectively referred to as "stop buttons 25"), a bet amount display unit 26, and a counting button 27. For the sake of clarity, these are not shown in the diagram here, but an LCD display unit for displaying effects and a prize medal count display unit may also be provided.

[0045] Drum 21 is a reel with a printed design, and its rotation is controlled when the start lever 24 is operated with a BET of 3 coins. It is also controlled to stop when the stop button 25 is pressed.

[0046] The game machine management medal count display unit 22 is a display unit that displays the number of game machine management medals stored inside the management slot machine 20. The max bet button 23 is a button for betting 3 game machine management medals. When the max bet button 23 is pressed, the bet amount is displayed on the bet amount display unit 26. If the max bet button 23 is pressed when there are 3 or more game machine management medals, "3" is displayed on the bet amount display unit 26. If the max bet button 23 is pressed when there are 2 game machine management medals, "2" is displayed on the bet amount display unit 26. The bet payout button for canceling a bet is not shown in the diagram.

[0047] The start lever 24 is a lever for controlling the rotation of the drum 21, provided that 3 of the total number of tokens managed by the gaming machine have been bet. Here, the managed slot machine 20 is assumed to be a machine exclusively for betting 3 tokens, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the rotation of the drum 21 can also be controlled when the start lever 24 is operated while betting 1 token or 2 tokens.

[0048] The stop buttons 25 are used to stop the drum 21. When stop button 25a is pressed, drum 21a is stopped; when stop button 25b is pressed, drum 21b is stopped; and when stop button 25c is pressed, drum 21c is stopped.

[0049] The counting button 27 is a button used to transfer the number of game machine management tokens stored in the management slot machine 20 to the number of tokens held, which is stored in the management token unit 10. When this counting button 27 is pressed and held, the number of game machine management tokens to be transferred to the number of tokens held is incremented while it is held down, and when the counting button 27 is released, the identified number of game machine management tokens is sent to the management token unit 10 as token transfer request data, and the tokens are transferred to the number of tokens held.

[0050] Next, the management medal unit 10 will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the surface of the management medal unit 10 is provided with a banknote insertion slot 12, a display operation unit 13, and a card insertion slot 14.

[0051] The banknote slot 12 is an opening for inserting banknotes. Banknotes inserted into this banknote slot 12 are transported to a banknote processing device called a bill validator and stored there.

[0052] The display operation unit 13 is an input device and display device consisting of an LCD panel or the like for display and operation input. By operating this display operation unit 13, operations such as replaying the number of tokens held, which transfers the number of tokens from the number of tokens held to the number of tokens managed by the gaming machine, can be performed.

[0053] The card slot 14 is a slot for inserting general cards or membership cards. When a player acquires game tokens by inserting banknotes and receiving tokens, the number of tokens is associated with a card stored inside a device (not shown) and returned from the card slot 14.

[0054] <Configuration of Management Medal Unit 10> Next, the configuration of the management medal unit 10 will be described. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management medal unit 10 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 4, the management medal unit 10 has a display operation unit 13, a reader / writer 14a, a communication unit 15, a communication unit 16, a storage unit 17, and a control unit 18. Note that the display operation unit 13 has already been explained, so its explanation will be omitted here.

[0055] The reader / writer 14a is a processing unit that reads the card ID stored in the card inserted through the card slot 14. While it is possible to write the prepaid value and the number of medals held to the card in preparation for offline operation, the data stored in the management device 50 is considered correct.

[0056] The communication unit 15 is a communication interface unit for communicating with the management device 50, etc., via a communication line. The communication unit 16 is an interface unit for communicating with the management slot machine 20 via a board called an SC board.

[0057] The storage unit 17 is a storage device consisting of non-volatile memory or a hard disk drive, and stores self-device status data 17a, card ID data 17b, valuable value data 17c, and gaming machine status data 17d.

[0058] The self-device status data 17a is data indicating the status of the management medal unit 10. This self-device status data 17a includes the unit ID, game machine ID, game type, etc. The unit ID is identification information for uniquely identifying the management medal unit 10 within the gaming establishment. The game type is data indicating the rate set in the management medal unit 10. When a gaming establishment handles game medals of multiple rates, a game type name is set and managed for each rate, such as "Medal 1" for 20-yen rate game medals, "Medal 2" for 10-yen rate game medals, and "Medal 3" for 5-yen rate game medals. The management medal unit 10 selects the rate to be used for gameplay from these game types and stores it as the game type. The game type may be fixed for each section where the management medal unit 10 is installed, or it may be changeable by the player.

[0059] Card ID data 17b is data indicating the card ID read by the reader / writer 14a. Valuable value data 17c is data relating to the valuable value of the read card ID, including prepaid value, number of tokens held, and number of bets. Gaming machine status data 17d is data indicating the status of the managed slot machine 20.

[0060] The control unit 18 is a control unit that performs overall control of the management medal unit 10, and includes a data management unit 18a, a medal lending processing unit 18b, a medal holding processing unit 18c, a bonus detection unit 18d, a bonus trigger detection unit 18e, and a display control unit 18f. In practice, by loading these programs into the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executing them, the data management unit 18a, the medal lending processing unit 18b, the medal holding processing unit 18c, the bonus detection unit 18d, the bonus trigger detection unit 18e, and the display control unit 18f are made to execute the processes corresponding to each of them.

[0061] The data management unit 18a is a processing unit that manages prepaid value, the number of tokens held, the number of bets, etc., using the valuable value data 17c stored in the memory unit 17. For the sake of simplicity, the explanation is omitted here, but in reality, it also manages the number of tokens held for other lending rates that are not handled by the managed token unit 10. The data management unit 18a can also manage data on stored tokens and balls.

[0062] The data management unit 18a is a processing unit that manages the value data 17c. When a card is inserted, the data management unit 18a transmits card insertion notification data, including the card ID and the management medal unit ID, to the management device 50. Furthermore, when the data management unit 18a receives data containing value (at least one of prepaid value and held medals) from the management device 50, it updates the value data 17c with the received value.

[0063] Furthermore, when a banknote is inserted into the banknote slot 12, the data management unit 18a transmits deposit notification data, including the amount of the inserted banknote, the card ID, and the management medal unit ID, to the management device 50.

[0064] Furthermore, when the data management unit 18a receives medal transfer request data from the managed slot machine 20, it adds the number of medals specified in this medal transfer request data to the number of medals held in the value data 17c and updates it.

[0065] Furthermore, when the data management unit 18a receives a card return operation, it transmits the card ID, management medal unit ID, and medal balance addition request data, including the remaining medal balance, to the management device 50. Then, after clearing the valuable data 17c to zero, it ejects the card and transmits card ejection notification data to the management device 50.

[0066] The medal dispensing processing unit 18b is a processing unit that performs medal dispensing when new banknotes are inserted or when a medal dispensing operation is received from the display operation unit 13 while there is remaining prepaid value. Rather than dispensing physical medals like conventional medal dispensing machines, the medal dispensing processing unit 18b instructs the management slot machine 20 to add a number of medals equivalent to, for example, 1000 yen to the number of medals managed by the gaming machine.

[0067] The medal holding processing unit 18c is a processing unit that performs processing related to the number of medals held. When the medal holding processing unit 18c receives a medal payout operation from the display operation unit 13, it subtracts a predetermined number of medals (for example, 50) from the number of medals held from the value data 17c, and then instructs the management slot machine 20 to add 50 medals to the number of game machine management medals.

[0068] Furthermore, if the medal holding processing unit 18c receives medal transfer request data from the managed slot machine 20, it adds the number of game machine managed medals included in this medal transfer request data to the number of medals held in the value data 17c.

[0069] The bonus detection unit 18d is a processing unit that detects whether the managed slot machine 20 is in a bonus state. After receiving jackpot data from the managed slot machine 20 for a certain period of time, if the bonus detection unit 18d receives normal state data, it determines that the managed slot machine 20 is in a bonus state.

[0070] The bonus trigger detection unit 18e is a processing unit that detects whether the managed slot machine 20 is in a bonus trigger state. After the bonus detection unit 18d determines that the managed slot machine 20 is in a bonus state, if the bonus trigger detection unit 18e receives data of a BET number of "2" from the managed slot machine 20 within a predetermined time, it determines that the managed slot machine 20 is in a bonus trigger state and updates the game machine state data 17d to "bonus trigger state".

[0071] Furthermore, if the bonus detection unit 18d determines that the managed slot machine 20 is in a bonus state, and the bonus trigger detection unit 18e receives data indicating a BET number of "3" from the managed slot machine 20 within a predetermined time, it determines that the managed slot machine 20 is in a normal state. If the game machine state data 17d is in a "bonus trigger state", it is updated to "normal state".

[0072] The display control unit 18f is a processing unit that controls the display of bonus triggers on the display operation unit 13 and the machine lamp 40. When the bonus trigger detection unit 18e updates the game machine state data 17d to "bonus trigger state", the display control unit 18f displays a message indicating that a bonus trigger has occurred on the display operation unit 13 and also notifies the machine lamp 40 of a bonus trigger display instruction.

[0073] Furthermore, if the bonus trigger detection unit 18e updates the game machine state data 17d to "normal state", the display control unit 18f hides the display operation unit 13 indicating that a bonus trigger has occurred, and also notifies the machine lamp 40 of the instruction to hide the bonus trigger.

[0074] Next, we will explain a specific example of the data stored in the storage unit 17 of the management medal unit 10 shown in Figure 4. Figure 5 shows an example of the self-device status data 17a, card ID data 17b, valuable value data 17c, and game machine status data 17d shown in Figure 4.

[0075] The self-device status data 17a shown in Figure 5(a) associates the unit ID "A101" of the management medal unit 10 with the state where the game machine ID of the management slot machine 20 is "B201" and the game type is "Medal 1".

[0076] The card ID data 17b shown in Figure 5(b) indicates that the card ID of the card inserted into the management medal unit 10 is "2005".

[0077] The value data 17c shown in Figure 5(c) indicates a state where the prepaid value is "0" yen, the number of tokens held is "0", and the number of tokens bet is "2".

[0078] The gaming machine state data 17d shown in Figure 5(d) indicates that the gaming machine is in the "bonus trigger state".

[0079] <Configuration of the control device 50> Next, the configuration of the management device 50 shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management device 50 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 6, the management device 50 is connected to a display unit 51 and an input unit 52, and has an external network communication unit 53, a store network communication unit 54, a storage unit 55, and a control unit 56.

[0080] The display unit 51 is an LCD panel or display device, etc. The input unit 52 is a keyboard or mouse, etc. The external network communication unit 53 is an interface unit for data communication with the authentication key management center via an external network. The store network communication unit 54 is an interface unit for data communication with the island controller 30, prize management device 60 and settlement machine 70 via a communication line within the gaming store.

[0081] The storage unit 55 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive or non-volatile memory, and stores card management data 55a, device management data 55b, and member management data 55c.

[0082] Card management data 55a is data that associates the card ID with the balance of prepaid value, the balance of balls and tokens held, etc. Device management data 55b is data related to devices installed in the amusement parlor. This device management data 55b includes the unit ID, installation location, amusement machine ID, and model data of the managed slot machines 20, etc. Member management data 55c is data that associates the card ID of the membership card issued to the member with the member's name, stored balls and tokens information, etc.

[0083] The control unit 56 is a control unit that performs overall control of the management device 50 and includes a card management unit 56a, an equipment management unit 56b, and a member management unit 56c. In practice, by loading these programs into the CPU and executing them, the card management unit 56a, the equipment management unit 56b, and the member management unit 56c are made to execute the processes corresponding to them, respectively.

[0084] The card management unit 56a is a processing unit that manages the card management data 55a. The card management unit 56a communicates with the management medal unit 10, the prize management device 60, and the settlement machine 70 to update the prepaid value and the balance of medals associated with the card ID.

[0085] Furthermore, when the card management unit 56a receives card insertion notification data from the management medal unit 10, it notifies the prepaid value associated with the card and the remaining balance of the medals held.

[0086] Furthermore, when the card management unit 56a receives a request data for adding medals from the management medal unit 10, it updates the card management data 55a using the card ID and the balance of medals included in this request data.

[0087] The device management unit 56b is a processing unit that manages the device management data 55b. The device management unit 56b generates and updates the device management data 55b based on the unit ID, installation location, and gaming machine ID obtained from the management medal unit 10.

[0088] The Member Management Unit 56c is a processing unit that manages the Member Management Data 55c. The Member Management Unit 56c communicates with the Management Medal Unit 10 and the Prize Management Device 60 to update the balance of stored medals associated with the card ID. In addition, when the Member Management Unit 56c receives a member registration request, it updates the Member Management Data 55c to add the member.

[0089] Next, we will explain a specific example of the data stored in the storage unit 55 of the management device 50 shown in Figure 6. Figure 7 shows an example of the card management data 55a, device management data 55b, and member management data 55c shown in Figure 6.

[0090] The card management data 55a shown in Figure 7(a) associates card ID "1001" with a prepaid value of "0" yen, a balance of "0" balls for each rate, a balance of "0" medals for each rate, and a usage unit ID of "A101". In other words, the card with card ID "1001" is inserted into the management medal unit 10 with unit ID "A101", and the management of the held medals has been transferred to the management medal unit 10. Therefore, the balance of medals for each rate is zero.

[0091] Furthermore, the card management data 55a associates card ID "2001" with a prepaid value of "3000" yen, and the balance of balls held is as follows: Ball 1 has a balance of "1500" balls, Ball 2 has a balance of "2500" balls, Ball 3 has a balance of "0" balls, and Medal 1 has a balance of "2000" medals, Medal 2 has a balance of "500" medals, and Medal 3 has a balance of "0" medals. However, it does not associate the unit ID to which the card is used. In other words, the card with card ID "2001" is not inserted into the management medal unit 10, and the management of the held medals is performed by the management device 50.

[0092] The device management data 55b shown in Figure 7(b) associates the unit ID "A101" with the following conditions: the location of the management medal unit 10 is "Island 1-1", the ID of the connected management slot machine 20 is "B201", the game machine number is "11", the game type is "Medal 1", the model of the connected management slot machine 20 is "EV01", and the serial number is "a". It also indicates that this management slot machine 20 is in use.

[0093] Furthermore, the device management data 55b associates the unit ID "A201" with the following conditions: the location of the management medal unit 10 is "Island 2-1", the ID of the connected management slot machine 20 is "B506", the game machine number is "21", the game type is "Medal 3", the model of the connected management slot machine 20 is "DX03", and the serial number is "g". It also indicates that this management slot machine 20 is in use.

[0094] The member management data 55c shown in Figure 7(c) shows the name, stored balls, stored medals, etc., associated with the card ID. Specifically, the member management data 55c associates the card ID "2005" with the following conditions: the name is "Taro Toka", the stored ball balance for Ball 1 is "1500", the stored ball balance for Ball 2 is "200", the stored ball balance for Ball 3 is "0", the stored medal balance for Medal 1 is "1000", the stored medal balance for Medal 2 is "500", and the stored medal balance for Medal 3 is "0".

[0095] <Processing procedure of the management medal unit 10 according to Embodiment 1> Next, the processing procedure of the management medal unit 10 according to this embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the management medal unit 10 according to this embodiment 1.

[0096] The management medal unit 10 receives jackpot data (or a signal) from the management slot machine 20 (Step S101; Yes), and then, while receiving normal game data (or a signal) from the management slot machine 20 (Step S102; Yes), if it receives data (or a signal) for a BET of "2" from the management slot machine 20 (Step S103; Yes), it updates the game machine status data 17d to "bonus trigger state" (Step S104).

[0097] Then, the device's display operation unit 13 displays a message indicating that a bonus trigger has occurred (step S105), notifies the machine lamp 40 of the bonus trigger display instruction, and then terminates the process.

[0098] In step S103, if data for the number of bets "3" is received from the management slot machine 20 (step S103; No), and the game machine status data 17d is "normal state" (step S106; No), the process ends there.

[0099] In step S103, if data for the number of bets "3" is received from the management slot machine 20 (step S103; No), and the game machine status data 17d was in the "bonus trigger state" (step S106; Yes), the game machine status data 17d is updated to the "normal state" (step S107).

[0100] Then, the display operation unit 13 of the device hides the message indicating that a bonus trigger has occurred (step S108), notifies the machine lamp 40 of the instruction to hide the bonus trigger, and terminates the process.

[0101] As described above, in the gaming system according to this embodiment 1, if the managed slot machine transitions to the bonus trigger state after ending the bonus winning state, the system is configured to display that it is in the bonus trigger state on the management medal unit and the machine lamp. This allows employees and players to quickly and efficiently understand whether or not the gaming machine is in a predetermined state.

[0102] In the above-described embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which, after the management slot machine has finished the bonus winning state and transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the management medal unit and the machine lamps are displayed to indicate that it is in the bonus trigger state. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The display unit for indicating that it is in the bonus trigger state may be configured to consist only of the management medal unit or only of the machine lamps. Furthermore, the device on which the bonus trigger state is displayed may be configured to be set in advance by an employee or a player using the management medal unit, machine lamps, or management device.

[0103] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1 described above, a configuration was described in which, if a non-RT (Replay Time) slot machine transitions to a bonus trigger state after ending a bonus winning state, the management medal unit and the machine lamps are displayed to indicate that it is in a bonus trigger state. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A management slot machine that is an RT (Replay Time) machine can also be configured to display that it is in an RT state when it transitions to an RT state.

[0104] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration in which, after a managed slot machine has finished the bonus winning state and transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the machine's lamps display that it is in the bonus trigger state based on instructions from the management medal unit, the present invention is not limited to this. The management device can determine, judge, estimate, or detect when a managed slot machine has finished the bonus winning state and transitioned to the bonus trigger state, and based on instructions from this management device, it can be configured to display that it is in the bonus trigger state on the management medal unit or the machine's lamps. Alternatively, the fact that it is in the bonus trigger state may be displayed on display devices such as digital signage, data display machines, or individual machine display lamps installed in smoking rooms or aisles within the store.

[0105] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration in which, after a managed slot machine has finished the bonus winning state and transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the management medal unit and the machine lamps are displayed to indicate that it is in the bonus trigger state, the present invention is not limited thereto. A slot machine, which is a revolving-type gaming machine that dispenses medals to the outside of the device, can also be configured so that a management device can grasp when it has finished the bonus winning state and transitioned to the bonus trigger state, and based on instructions from this management device, the inter-machine card processing machine and the machine lamps are displayed to indicate that it is in the bonus trigger state.

[0106] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration in which the management medal unit and machine lamps display a message indicating that the machine is in the bonus trigger state after the bonus winning state has ended and the machine has transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the present invention is not limited to this. The management medal unit and machine lamps can also be configured to display a message indicating that the bonus trigger state has occurred multiple times in a row on the management slot machine. For example, "2 consecutive bonus triggers" or "Congratulations on achieving 3 consecutive bonus triggers" may be displayed. If the bonus triggers that have occurred multiple times in a row have ended and the machine has transitioned to the normal state, the above display will be hidden. The management medal unit and machine lamps can also be configured to display a message indicating that the bonus trigger state has not occurred multiple times in a row on the management slot machine. For example, "2 consecutive normal triggers" or "2 consecutive non-bonus triggers" may be displayed. In addition, in the case of a management slot machine of the type in which the bonus trigger state ends after a predetermined number of games, the management medal unit and machine lamps can be configured to display information regarding the end of the bonus trigger state. For example, a message such as "100 games remaining until the bonus trigger ends" may be displayed.

[0107] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration in which the system determines whether or not a bonus trigger state is in place using data from a message notified by the management slot machine, the present invention is not limited thereto. The system can also be configured to determine whether or not a bonus trigger state is in place using the machine type information (AT machine, ART machine, A-type machine, etc.) and the data from the message. The determination may be performed by the management medal unit, the machine lamp, or the management device.

[0108] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration in which, after the management slot machine has finished the bonus winning state and transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the management medal unit and the machine lamps display that it is in the bonus trigger state, the present invention is not limited thereto. The content displayed can also be changed depending on the type of card inserted into the management medal unit. For example, if the inserted card is a membership card, information such as "This is the third time a bonus trigger has occurred today" may be displayed, indicating how many times the member player has won a bonus trigger on that day. In addition, the number of times each member has won a bonus trigger on that day may be tallied and displayed in a ranking format on the management medal unit, machine lamps, digital signage installed in the smoking room or aisles of the store, data display machines, and display lamps for each machine.

[0109] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration in which, after the management slot machine has finished the bonus winning state and transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the management medal unit and the machine lamps are displayed to indicate that it is in the bonus trigger state, the present invention is not limited thereto. The history information of bonus triggers that have occurred in the management slot machine can also be encoded into a QR code (registered trademark) and displayed on the management medal unit. For example, if a player installs a dedicated app for the arcade on their mobile device and reads a QR code (registered trademark) containing the history information of bonus triggers while the app is running, the app may be configured to display the history information of bonus triggers that have occurred in the management slot machine for confirmation.

[0110] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration in which the management medal unit and machine lamps display that the machine is in the bonus trigger state after the bonus winning state has ended and the machine has transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the present invention is not limited thereto. The management medal unit and machine lamps can also be configured to prominently display that the machine is in the bonus trigger state if the machine receives an operation to stop or end the game, such as a counting operation or a card return operation, while the machine is in the bonus trigger state. For example, if a player returns a card while the machine is in the bonus trigger state, the display on the management medal unit may change the font size and color of the text to show the normal "Bonus Trigger in Progress" message. Alternatively, if a player returns a card while the machine is in the bonus trigger state, the machine may be configured to display a message to confirm with the player whether they really want to return the card. For example, if a player returns a card while the machine is in the bonus trigger state, the display on the management medal unit may display a message such as "Bonus trigger in progress, do you want to return the card? YES / NO," and the machine may perform the card return operation only if the player selects YES.

[0111] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration in which the management medal unit and machine lamps display a message indicating that the machine is in the bonus trigger state after the bonus winning state has ended and the machine has transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the present invention is not limited to this. The management medal unit can also be configured not to display a message indicating that the machine is in the bonus trigger state when it receives a predetermined absence operation (such as short absences for smoking or using the restroom, or long absences for lunch). In addition, the display / hide setting may be switched depending on the type of absence operation, such as displaying the message for short absences for smoking or using the restroom, but not displaying it for long absences for lunch.

[0112] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1 described above, a configuration was described in which, after the management slot machine has finished the bonus winning state and has transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the management medal unit and the machine lamps are displayed to indicate that it is in the bonus trigger state. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The management medal unit can also be configured not to display the indication that it is in the bonus trigger state on the management medal unit and the machine lamps when it receives a predetermined card return restriction operation (for example, an operation to lock the card return operation).

[0113] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment 1 described a configuration in which the management medal unit performs display control indicating that the management slot machine is in a bonus trigger state when it detects that the machine is in a bonus trigger state, the present invention is not limited thereto. The machine lamp can also be configured to perform display control indicating that the machine is in a bonus trigger state when it determines, judges, estimates, or detects that the management slot machine is in a bonus trigger state.

[0114] [Embodiment 2] By the way, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which, after the management slot machine has finished the bonus winning state and has transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the management medal unit and the machine lamps are displayed to indicate that it is in the bonus trigger state. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0115] The system can also be configured to aggregate and display the occurrence rate of bonus triggers, the number of starts, and the number of medals acquired. This second embodiment describes a gaming system that can aggregate and display the occurrence rate of bonus triggers, the number of starts, and the number of medals acquired.

[0116] <An example of display in the management medal unit according to Embodiment 2> An example of the display in the management medal unit according to this second embodiment will be described. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the display in the management medal unit according to this second embodiment.

[0117] As shown in Figure 9(a), the management medal unit according to this embodiment 2 aggregates and displays the number of starts since the end of the bonus trigger. For example, it displays "Number of starts since the last bonus trigger ended: 25". Alternatively, it may be configured to display the number of starts during the bonus triggers on that day as a cumulative value. For example, it displays "Total number of starts during bonus triggers today: 125".

[0118] As shown in Figure 9(b), the probability of a bonus trigger occurring after the bonus state ends is displayed in a pie chart. For example, "Bonus Trigger Occurrence Probability" is displayed as "Occurrence 25%" and "Not Occurring 75%". Note that the display of occurrence probability is not limited to a pie chart; it may also be displayed as a bar graph or as a percentage only.

[0119] As shown in Figure 9(c), the number of medals acquired during a bonus trigger is tallied and displayed. For example, it may display "Number of medals acquired during bonus trigger: 2500" or "Bonus trigger in one hit: 2500".

[0120] As described above, the gaming system according to this second embodiment can aggregate and display the occurrence rate of bonus triggers, the number of starts, and the number of medals acquired. Of course, it is also possible to configure the system to aggregate and display the occurrence rate of bonus triggers, the number of starts, and the number of medals acquired using the machine's lamps instead of the management medal unit.

[0121] [Embodiment 3] By the way, in the above embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which, after the management slot machine has finished the bonus winning state and has transitioned to the bonus trigger state, the management medal unit and the machine lamps are displayed to indicate that it is in the bonus trigger state. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0122] If the number of tokens for betting is insufficient, the system can be configured to display a message indicating that there are insufficient tokens, depending on the state of the management slot machine (normal state or bonus trigger state). This third embodiment describes a gaming system that can display a message indicating that there are insufficient tokens for betting, depending on the state of the management slot machine (normal state or bonus trigger state).

[0123] <An example of display in the management medal unit according to Embodiment 3> An example of the display in the management medal unit according to this third embodiment will be described. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the display in the management medal unit according to this third embodiment.

[0124] In the management medal unit according to this third embodiment, the three drums rotate when the number of medals for betting is subtracted and the start lever is operated. If the number of medals for betting is insufficient, a message indicating that there are insufficient medals is displayed. For example, as shown in Figure 10(a), the message "There are insufficient medals to play the game" is displayed.

[0125] In addition, in managed slot machines, the number of tokens required for betting differs between the normal state and the bonus trigger state, so a message indicating insufficient tokens will be displayed according to the state.

[0126] Specifically, as shown in Figure 10(b), in the normal state, since it is a 3-coin bet game, a message indicating insufficient medals is displayed when the number of medals deducted for betting is 1 or 2. Also, in the bonus trigger state, since it is a 2-coin bet game, a message indicating insufficient medals is displayed when the number of medals deducted for betting is 1. It is also possible to configure the system to display the specific number of medals that are missing. For example, in the normal state, when the number of medals is 1, the message "You need to borrow 2 or more medals or perform a replay operation to play" may be displayed, and in the bonus trigger state, when the number of medals is 1, the message "You need to borrow 1 or more medals or perform a replay operation to play" may be displayed.

[0127] As described above, in the gaming system according to this third embodiment, if the number of tokens for betting is insufficient, a message indicating that there are insufficient tokens can be displayed depending on the state of the management slot machine (normal state or bonus trigger state). Of course, it is also possible to configure the system to display the message that there are insufficient tokens using the machine's lamps instead of the management token unit.

[0128] It should be noted that the configurations illustrated in each of the above embodiments are functionally schematic and do not necessarily have to be physically represented as shown. In other words, the form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions. [Industrial applicability]

[0129] The inter-machine device, machine lamp, management device, and gaming system according to the present invention are suitable for enabling employees and players to quickly and efficiently determine whether or not a gaming machine is in a predetermined state. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0130] 10 Management Medal Units 12. Banknote slot 13 Display operation section 14 card slots 14a Reader / Writer 15,16 Communications Department 17 Memory section 17a Device status data 17b Card ID Data 17c Value Data 17d Gaming machine status data 18 Control Unit 18a Data Management Department 18b Medal Lending Processing Unit 18c Medal Processing Unit 18d Bonus detection unit 18e Bonus Trigger Detection Unit 18f Display Control Unit 20 Management Slot Machines 21, 21a, 21b, 21c Drum 22 Gaming machine management medal count display unit 23 Max Bet button 24. Start lever 25, 25a, 25b, 25c Stop button 26. BET amount display section 27 Counting buttons 30 Island Controllers 40 lamps 50 Management device 51 Display section 52 Input section 53 External Network Communication Unit 54 Store Network Communications Department 55 Storage section 55a Card Management Data 55b Device Management Data 55c Member Management Data 56 Control Unit 56a Card Management Department 56b Equipment management department 56c Membership Management Department 60 Prize Management Device 70 Payment machine

Claims

1. An inter-machine device provided for gaming machines that use betting numbers, After determining that the gaming machine is in a jackpot state based on information received from the gaming machine, if information is received from the gaming machine within a predetermined period indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number, the detection unit detects that the gaming machine is in a special state that increases the probability of a jackpot occurring. An inter-table device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The detection unit is A determination unit that determines that the gaming machine is in a jackpot state based on information received from the gaming machine, A receiving unit that receives information from the aforementioned gaming machine indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number, After the determination unit determines that the gaming machine is in a jackpot state, if the receiving unit receives information within a predetermined period that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number, the state determination unit determines that the gaming machine is in a bonus trigger state. The inter-table device according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the above.

3. The inter-machine device according to claim 2, further comprising a display control unit that controls the display on a predetermined display unit that the gaming machine is in the bonus trigger state when the state determination unit determines that the machine is in the bonus trigger state.

4. A lamp installed on a gaming machine that uses betting numbers for gameplay, A detection unit detects that the gaming machine is in a special state that increases the probability of a jackpot when, after determining that the gaming machine is in a jackpot state based on information received from the inter-machine device, information is received from the gaming machine within a predetermined period indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number. When the detection unit detects that the gaming machine is in the special state, the display control unit controls the display to indicate that the special state has occurred. A stand lamp characterized by having the following features.

5. A management device that is capable of communicating with an inter-machine device provided in accordance with a gaming machine that uses betting numbers for gameplay, A detection unit detects that the gaming machine is in a special state that increases the probability of a jackpot when, after determining that the gaming machine is in a jackpot state based on information received from the inter-machine device, information is received from the gaming machine within a predetermined period indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number. A control device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

6. A gaming system comprising a gaming machine that uses betting numbers to play games, and an inter-machine device provided in correspondence with the gaming machine, The aforementioned inter-unit device is After determining that the gaming machine is in a jackpot state based on information received from the gaming machine, if information is received from the gaming machine within a predetermined period indicating that the number of bets has been limited to a predetermined number, the detection unit detects that the gaming machine is in a special state that increases the probability of a jackpot occurring. A gaming system characterized by having the following features.

Images