Crane game machine control system

Abstract

To provide a control system for a crane game machine capable of adjusting the difficulty level of a game to stimulate a player's gambling spirit and also ensuring profits for a game provider. [Solution] A crane game control system comprising: a limiting plate 2 fixed to the underside of an upper support unit 122 and having an inclined abutment surface that is inclined and not perpendicular to the vertical direction; a position sensor 3 that detects the relative position between a catcher holding portion 121 and the inclined abutment surface of the limiting plate 2 and outputs corresponding position information; and a processor that outputs a release command to the arm control module to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit 124 a predetermined time after outputting a forced winding command to the wire control motor to wind up the control wire 129 a predetermined distance based on the position information.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a crane game machine, and more particularly to a control system for a crane game machine. [Background technology]

[0002] FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional crane game machine described in Patent Document 1. As shown in the figure, in this type of crane game machine (also called a UFO catcher (registered trademark) or prize game machine), multiple prizes are placed inside a cabinet, and a movable crane with a catcher arm is provided above the cabinet. A game is provided in which a player controls the horizontal movement of the crane using, for example, a joystick or a button, decides the timing to lower the catcher arm, grabs a prize with the descending catcher arm, moves to a prize outlet and releases the catcher arm, and, if the prize has been taken, retrieves the prize from the prize outlet.

[0003] With regard to such crane game machines, the player inserts a coin to acquire the right to play and thereby the challenge of winning a prize. Therefore, it is necessary to strike a balance between the player's chance of winning the prize and the profits of the crane game machine provider. Therefore, it is necessary to set / adjust the difficulty level of the game, which affects the prize winning rate of the crane game machine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Taiwan Utility Model Publication No. 243695 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a control system for a crane game machine that can adjust the difficulty level of the game to provide a thrilling playing experience to the player, stimulating the player's gambling spirit, and also ensure profits for the game provider. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides: A control system for a crane game machine that controls a crane game machine having a housing that surrounds a play space and a catcher means that is disposed within the play space, comprising: The catcher means of the crane game machine is An upper support unit that is movably disposed within the play space and is configured to have an upper end portion of the control wire attached thereto so that the control wire can be wound and stored; a wire control motor connected to the upper support unit and controlling the winding and releasing of the control wire; a catcher holder attached to a lower end of the control wire so as to be suspended from the upper support unit; A catcher arm unit attached to the catcher holding portion; an arm control module disposed in the catcher holding portion so as to drive the catcher arm unit, The control system of the crane game machine includes: a limiting plate that is fixed to the lower side of the upper support unit so as to be interposed between the upper support unit and the catcher holding portion, and has an inclined abutment surface that is not perpendicular to the up-down direction but is inclined; a position sensor disposed in the upper support unit, the position sensor detecting a relative position between the catcher holding portion and the inclined contact surface of the limiting plate and outputting corresponding position information; a control interface data-connected to said catcher means and configured to output control commands to said catcher means for controlling said wire control motor and said arm control module; A processor that is data-connected to the catcher means and the control interface, and is configured to output a release command to the arm control module to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit a predetermined time after outputting a forced winding command to the wire control motor to wind the control wire a predetermined distance based on the position information. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The control system of the crane game machine of the present invention controls the control wire with a forced winding command to abut the catcher holding part against the inclined abutment surface of the limiting plate fixed to the upper support unit, causing the catcher holding part and the catcher arm unit to swing sideways for an instant, and at this moment outputs a release command to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit, thereby increasing the likelihood that the prize held by the catcher arm unit will be shaken off, thereby increasing the difficulty of the game and stimulating the player's sense of gambling, allowing the player to enjoy the game while also ensuring profits for the party installing the crane game machine. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional crane game machine described in Patent Document 1. [Diagram 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a crane game machine to which an embodiment of a control system for a crane game machine of the present invention is applied; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the data connection relationship between the position sensor, the control interface, and the processor in the embodiment of the crane game machine control system of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a limiting plate used in the embodiment. [Diagram 5]FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which the processor outputs a release command after outputting a forced winding command. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which a processor outputs a release command and then outputs a reset command. [Figure 7] 2 is a block diagram showing the function of a timing control unit in a processor. [Figure 8] 4 is a block diagram showing the function of an output control unit in the processor. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a timeline showing a first stage and a second stage in a power adjustment command by a power control unit. [Figure 10] 11 is a timeline showing an example of a change in an output adjustment command by an output control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment of the control system for a crane game machine of the present invention is shown in Fig. 2. The embodiment of the control system for a crane game machine of the present invention is applied to the crane game machine 1 shown in the figure, and has a housing 11 that surrounds a play space 110, and a catcher means 12 that is arranged within the play space 110.

[0010] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the catcher means 12 of this crane game machine 1 is configured to have, as its basic components, an upper support unit 122 that is arranged so as to be horizontally movable within the play space 110 and to which the upper end of the control wire 129 is attached so that the control wire 129 can be wound up and stored, a wire control motor 123 that is connected to the upper support unit 122 and controls the winding and release of the control wire 129, a catcher holding part 121 that is attached to the lower end of the control wire 129 so as to be suspended from the upper support unit 122, a catcher arm unit 124 that is attached to the catcher holding part 121, and an arm control module 125 that is arranged in the catcher holding part 121 so as to be able to drive the catcher arm unit 124.

[0011] Referring again to Figures 2 and 3, the catcher holding portion 121 of the catcher means 12 is formed in an approximately cylindrical shape, and a reel that winds up and stores the control wire 129 is disposed in the upper support unit 122, and the wire control motor 123 controls this reel, thereby enabling control of the vertical movement of the control wire 129 and the catcher holding portion 121 suspended from the lower end of the control wire 129.

[0012] The catcher arm unit 124 is held by the catcher holding portion 121, and is driven by an arm control module 125 built into the catcher holding portion 121 to grab and release a prize. In this embodiment, the arm control module 125 can be, for example, an electromagnetic linear motor.

[0013] Since the crane game machine having the above configuration is a conventional technology, detailed explanation of each of the above-mentioned components and the configuration other than the above-mentioned components will be omitted.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the control system of the crane game machine of the present invention includes a limit plate 2, a position sensor 3, a control interface 4 and a processor 5.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 4, the limiting plate 2 is made, for example, of a metal material in the shape of a curved plate, and is fixed to the underside of the upper support unit 122 so as to be interposed between the upper support unit 122 and the catcher holding portion 121 of the catcher means 12 using conventional fixing means such as screws, and has an inclined abutment surface 21 that is not perpendicular to the vertical direction but faces the catcher means 12.

[0016] With this configuration, when the catcher holding part 121 suspended from the control wire 129 rises and abuts against the inclined abutment surface 21 of the limiting plate 2, it momentarily assumes a sideways swaying position together with the catcher arm unit 124 depending on the inclination angle of the inclined abutment surface 21, and the catcher holding part 121 is prevented from directly hitting the upper support unit 122.

[0017] The position sensor 3 is disposed in the upper support unit 122 of the catcher means 12, and detects the relative position between the catcher holding part 121 and the inclined abutment surface 21 of the limiting plate 2, and outputs corresponding position information. The position sensor 3 is preferably disposed in a position adjacent to the inclined abutment surface 21 of the limiting plate 2, and can detect the approach of the catcher holding part 121 to the inclined abutment surface 21 when the wire control motor 123 winds up the control wire 129 and the catcher holding part 121 rises, and output corresponding position information.

[0018] 3, the control interface 4 is operated by the player and includes, for example, a joystick or buttons, and can receive instructions from the player to move the upper support unit 122 horizontally or to lower the catcher holding part 121 to grab a prize in response to the player's operation. The control interface 4 is data-connected to the catcher means 12, and outputs instructions from the player to the wire control motor 123 and the arm control module 125 as control commands to the catcher means 12 and the processor 5.

[0019] The processor 5 is data-connected to the catcher means 12 and the control interface 4, and is configured to be able to output a release command to the arm control module 125 to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit 124 a predetermined time after outputting a forced winding command to the wire control motor 123 to wind the control wire 129 a predetermined distance in accordance with position information from the position sensor 3.

[0020] Specifically, the processor 5 can be configured as a CPU that executes a program created in advance, and in this embodiment of the present invention, the processor 5 is configured to have three functions: a timing control unit 51 that is data-connected to the control interface 4 and the catcher means 12, an output control unit 52 that is data-connected to the arm control module 125, and a time determination unit 53 that is data-connected to the timing control unit 51 and the output control unit 52 and determines a time parameter of a specific command. The timing control unit 51, the output control unit 52, and the time determination unit 53 in the processor 5 each perform a specific function, but specifically, they can be implemented as different algorithms / processes in a program executed by the processor 5, for example, and therefore do not need to exist as physically different components.

[0021] 2, 3 and 5, in the process in which the catcher arm unit 124 grabs a prize and rises together with the catcher holding part 121 by the wire control motor 123 winding up the control wire 129, when the position information indicating that the catcher holding part 121 approaches the inclined abutment surface 21 of the limiting plate 2 is received from the position sensor 3, the processor 5 outputs a forced winding command to the wire control motor 123 to further wind up the control wire 129 by a predetermined length / distance based on this position information, and the operation of the wire control motor 123 in response to this command causes the catcher holding part 121 to further rise and abut against the inclined abutment surface 21 of the limiting plate 2, so that the catcher holding part 121 momentarily assumes a posture that swings sideways together with the catcher arm unit 124 according to the inclination angle of the inclined abutment surface 21. Then, taking into consideration the speed at which the wire control motor 123 winds up the control wire 129, a release command is output to the arm control module 125 to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit 124 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the forced winding command was output to the wire control motor 123. In other words, by predicting the moment when the catcher holding portion 121 contacts the inclined contact surface 21 of the limiting plate 2 and outputting a release command to the arm control module 125 to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit 124 at that moment, it is possible to achieve the effect of shaking off the prize held by the catcher arm unit 124.

[0022] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inclined abutment surface 21 of the limiting plate 2 is inclined and not perpendicular to the vertical direction, so there is a lowest point 211 that is located at the lowest point in the vertical direction. After outputting a release command, the processor 5 outputs a reset command to the wire control motor 123 to prevent the upper end surface of the catcher holding part 121 attached to the lower end of the control wire 129 from being positioned above the lowest point 211 of the inclined abutment surface 21, thereby releasing the state in which the catcher holding part 121 is abutting against the inclined abutment surface 21 of the limiting plate 2 and facing sideways, and preventing it from interfering with the player's next operation.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 3, after receiving a control command from the player via the control interface 4, the timing control unit 51 outputs a delay command to the catcher means 12 so that the catcher arm unit 124 performs the catching action expected by the player after a predetermined delay time has elapsed. The length of the delay time is determined by the time determination unit 53, and can be determined randomly within a range of, for example, 0.1 to 0.5 seconds, or can be determined according to a parameter set in advance. When determined randomly, the interval between when the player operates the control interface 4 and when the catcher arm unit 124 actually starts the action of catching the prize, in other words, the timing of catching the prize, is random, and this also makes it possible to adjust the difficulty level of the game.

[0024] As shown in Figures 8, 9 and 3, when the arm control module 125 controls the catcher arm unit 124, the output control unit 52 freely controls from the processor 5 the strength of the gripping force that the catcher arm unit 124 outputs to the prize, i.e., the amount of force that the catcher arm unit 124 uses when catching the prize, and by outputting an output adjustment command from the output control unit 52 to the arm control module 125, the gripping force can be set to match the shape of the prize.

[0025] Specifically, the output adjustment command can have a first stage for adjusting the force of the catcher arm unit 124 to a first output, and a second stage for adjusting the force of the catcher arm unit 124 to a second output greater than the first output. In response to the output adjustment command, the catcher arm unit 124 operates in the first stage for a predetermined time and then switches to the second stage, and the duration of the first stage can be configured to be determined by the time determination unit 53 of the processor 5.

[0026] 10, 3 and 8, as an example of the change made by the processor 5, for example, the output adjustment command may have an initial stage before the first stage in which the force of the catcher arm unit 124 is adjusted to an instantaneous output greater than the first output, i.e., the catcher arm unit 124 is made to catch the prize with the instantaneous output. This allows the player to at least temporarily catch the prize with an instantaneous output greater than the first output when operating the control interface 4, which not only further stimulates the player's gambling spirit but also satisfies the player's demand for skillful operation.

[0027] As described above, the control system of the crane game machine of the present invention controls the control wire 129 with a forced winding command to bring the catcher holding part 121 into contact with the inclined contact surface 21 of the limiting plate 2 fixed to the upper support unit 122, causing the catcher holding part 121 and the catcher arm unit 124 to swing sideways for an instant, and at this moment outputs a release command to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit 124, thereby increasing the likelihood that the prize held by the catcher arm unit 124 will be shaken off. Furthermore, by shifting the timing at which the player grabs the prize or varying the output of the catcher arm that grabs the prize, the difficulty of the game can be increased, stimulating the player's gambling spirit, allowing the player to enjoy the game while also ensuring profits for the party that installs the crane game machine, thereby reliably achieving the objects of the present invention.

[0028] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 1. Crane game machine 11. Cabinet 110 Play Space 12 Catcher's Measures 121 Catcher holding part 122 Upper support unit 123 Wire Control Motor 124 Catcher Arm Unit 125 Arm Control Module 129 Control Wire 2 Restriction Plate 21 Inclined contact surface 211 Lowest score 3 Position Sensor 4. Control Interface 5 Processors 51 Timing control section 52 Output control section 53 Time Determination Unit

Claims

1. A control system for a crane game machine that controls a crane game machine having a housing that surrounds a play space and a catcher means that is disposed within the play space, comprising: The catcher means of the crane game machine is An upper support unit that is movably disposed within the play space and is configured to have an upper end portion of the control wire attached thereto so that the control wire can be wound and stored; a wire control motor connected to the upper support unit and controlling the winding and releasing of the control wire; a catcher holder attached to a lower end of the control wire so as to be suspended from the upper support unit; A catcher arm unit attached to the catcher holding portion; an arm control module disposed in the catcher holding portion so as to drive the catcher arm unit, The control system of the crane game machine includes: a limiting plate that is fixed to the lower side of the upper support unit so as to be interposed between the upper support unit and the catcher holding portion, and has an inclined abutment surface that is not perpendicular to the up-down direction but is inclined; a position sensor disposed in the upper support unit, the position sensor detecting a relative position between the catcher holding portion and the inclined contact surface of the limiting plate and outputting corresponding position information; a control interface data-connected to said catcher means and configured to output control commands to said catcher means for controlling said wire control motor and said arm control module; a processor that is data-connected to the catcher means and the control interface, and is configured to output a release command to the arm control module to loosen the output of the catcher arm unit a predetermined time after outputting a forced winding command to the wire control motor to wind the control wire a predetermined distance based on the position information.

2. The inclined contact surface of the limiting plate is inclined and not perpendicular to the vertical direction, and therefore has a lowest point located at the lowest position in the vertical direction, The crane game machine control system of claim 1, wherein after outputting the release command, the processor outputs a reset command to the wire control motor to prevent the upper end surface of the catcher holding portion attached to the lower end of the control wire from being positioned above the lowest point of the inclined abutment surface.

3. 3. The crane game machine control system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the processor has a timing control unit that is data-connected to the control interface and the catcher means and outputs a delay command to the catcher means so as to operate the catcher arm unit after a predetermined delay time has elapsed after the control interface outputs the control command.

4. The crane game control system according to claim 3 , wherein the processor further comprises a time determination unit that determines the delay time.

5. The crane game machine control system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the processor further has an output control unit that is data-connected to the arm control module and outputs an output adjustment command to the arm control module that controls the amount of force used by the catcher arm unit when catching a ball.

6. The crane game machine control system of claim 5, wherein the output adjustment command output by the output control unit has a first stage of adjusting the force of the catcher arm unit to a first output, and a second stage of adjusting the force of the catcher arm unit to a second output greater than the first output.

7. The crane game machine control system according to claim 6, wherein the output adjustment command further includes an initial stage for adjusting the force of the catcher arm unit to an instantaneous output greater than the first output prior to the first stage.

8. The crane game machine control system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor further comprises a time determination unit that determines a length of the first stage.

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