Gaming Machines

Abstract

To provide a game machine capable of suppressing an occurrence of a problem in the processing executed by a control board even when power interruption / power return occurs.SOLUTION: A game machine includes a microcomputer to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the game machine, a storage unit, and a bus state controller. The microcomputer is capable of executing non-permission processing to execute control not to perform interruption processing when power interruption occurs in the game machine, and is also capable of executing prescribed calculation during a period from the non-permission processing is executed to the time when the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes a prescribed value or less. The bus state controller can be brought into a stop state in which write processing to the storage unit is not performed after write processing to the storage unit for a calculation result of the prescribed calculation by the microcomputer is completed, and the stop state is maintained until the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes a prescribed value or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming machine. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, gaming machines have been known that include a control board that includes at least a main control board and a sub-control board (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The main control board is provided to execute processes directly related to the progress of the game (for example, control of the spinning reels, ball output control, transfer requests).

[0004] In addition, the sub-control board is provided to execute processes that are indirectly related to the progress of the game (for example, control of the presentation on the LCD screen, control of the LED lighting of the illumination section, and control of the audio output from the speaker).

[0005] Here, these control boards execute processing corresponding to the power outage when the application (supply) of voltage to the gaming machine is stopped (when a power outage occurs in the gaming machine), and execute processing corresponding to the power restoration when power is restored. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-081243 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in conventional control boards, when executing processing in response to a power outage / restoration in a gaming machine, there is a risk that some kind of malfunction will occur in the hardware and / or software, causing a disruption to the processing.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that can prevent malfunctions in the processing executed on the control board even when power is interrupted and then restored. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to A microcomputer to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the gaming machine; A storage unit provided inside or outside the microcomputer; A bus state controller provided inside or outside the microcomputer; Equipped with The microcomputer is When a power outage occurs in the gaming machine, It is possible to execute a disallowance process that controls so as not to execute an interrupt process, and A predetermined calculation can be executed after the non-permission process is executed and before the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value, The bus state controller After the microcomputer has completed the process of writing the result of the predetermined calculation to the storage unit, the microcomputer can be brought into a stopped state in which the process of writing to the storage unit is not performed, and The stopped state is maintained until the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined value. It is an amusement machine. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gaming machine that can suppress malfunctions in the processing executed on the control board even when power is interrupted and then restored. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the slot machine. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a slot machine and a card unit. [Diagram 3] A diagram explaining the connection / communication relationship between the main control board, the game value control board, and the sub-control board. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a sub-control board. [Diagram 5] A figure showing the relationship between the time elapsed from when a power outage occurs in a slot machine to when power is restored and the voltage applied to a sub-control board. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the flow of power cut / restoration processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [First embodiment] A slot machine 1 according to an embodiment of a gaming machine of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Note that the embodiment described below is merely one example of the present invention, and the embodiment of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following description, "connection" includes cases where connection targets are directly connected to each other, and cases where connection targets are indirectly connected to each other via another board or device, etc.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment is a reel-type gaming machine in which the amount of gaming value is managed by electronic data (hereinafter referred to as "gaming value data"), without using physically existing medals.

[0014] <Card unit 7 configuration> As shown in FIG. 2, the card unit 7 is connected to the slot machine 1 outside the slot machine 1 so as to be able to communicate with the slot machine 1.

[0015] Moreover, the card unit 7 can store therein a card 70 that stores gaming value data as electronic data in place of medals as real objects.

[0016] The details of the card unit 7 are similar to those of a conventional medal-less machine, and therefore a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0017] <Configuration of Slot Machine 1> As described above, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment is a medal-less machine in which a game can be played without using medals, which are real objects. In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, a game is played using game value data as electronic data, instead of medals, which are real objects.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, the slot machine 1 includes a cabinet 10. A front door 100 is provided on the front side of the cabinet 10. This front door 100 is locked while a game is in progress.

[0019] A transparent reel window 200 is provided in the center of the front door 100. From this reel window 200, a player can see a plurality of symbols displayed on the surface of each of a plurality of rotating reels 20, which will be described later.

[0020] Above the reel window 200, there are provided a liquid crystal screen 3, a speaker 101, and an illumination unit 102 for producing various effects during a game.

[0021] The liquid crystal screen 3 is equipped with a monitor LED and a backlight, and displays various types of effect videos (effect screens) while the player is playing.

[0022] The speaker 101 outputs predetermined BGM (background music), SE (sound effects), and voice.

[0023] The illumination unit 102 is composed of LEDs and the like, and lights up or goes out in a predetermined pattern, for example, when a highly anticipated performance screen is displayed or when a winning combination is achieved.

[0024] Below the reel window 200, there are provided an operation unit 4, a lower panel 103, a front bottom 104, etc. The title of the slot machine 1 and the like are displayed on the lower panel 103. Also, LED lighting is provided on the back side of the lower panel 103. The front bottom 104 is designed to allow the player to place personal belongings and the like.

[0025] The operation unit 4 includes a plurality of stop switches 40 (40a, 40b, 40c), a bet switch 41, a lever 42, a digital counter 43, a count button 44, a cancel button 45, and a performance button 46.

[0026] Near each switch of the operation unit 4, a sensor is provided which detects the operation by the player and outputs an operation signal to the control unit 6.

[0027] Each of the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c is provided corresponding to each of the reels 20 (20a, 20b, and 20c). The stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c receive an operation for stopping the rotation of the corresponding reel 20a, 20b, or 20c while the corresponding reel 20a, 20b, or 20c is rotating.

[0028] Lamps are provided inside the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c. The lamps can indicate that the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c are in an inoperative state by emitting a color (e.g., red) from the time the lever 42 is operated until the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c reach a steady rotation state. The lamps can also indicate that the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c are in an operable state by emitting a color different from the above color (e.g., blue) from the time the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c reach a steady rotation state until the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c are operated.

[0029] The bet switch 41 is used when a player bets a game value. The credited game value and the amount of the bet game value are managed by the slot machine 1 (the medium management unit 620). The bet switch 41 is provided with a lamp inside or around it that lights up when the operation is valid and goes out when the operation is invalid.

[0030] The lever 42 functions as a start switch that receives an operation for spinning the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c.

[0031] The number of gaming credits, the number of gaming value paid out (acquired), etc. are digitally displayed on the digital counter 43. By checking the digital counter 43, the player can also check the amount of gaming value he or she possesses while playing the game.

[0032] The counting button 44 can receive an operation by the player to transfer the game value data from the media management unit 620 to the card unit 7. When the counting button 44 receives an operation by the player, a transfer signal is generated in the counting button 44. The counting button 44 also includes a lamp inside or around it that changes its light color or turns on / off depending on whether the button is not being operated or is being operated.

[0033] The cancel button 45 can accept an operation by the player to change a gaming value that has been bet (betting state) to a non-betting state (non-betting state). When the cancel button 45 accepts an operation by the player, a cancel signal is generated by the cancel button 45. After that, the media management unit 620, which receives the cancel signal, manages the gaming value data in the betting state as a non-betting state. In addition, the cancel button 45 is provided with a lamp inside or around it that changes the light color or turns on / off depending on whether it is not being operated or is being operated.

[0034] The effect button 46 is a button used by the player to set the light intensity of the LEDs of the illumination unit 101, set the volume of the speaker 102, check game data, and set various other menu settings related to the game on the menu screen when playing a game. The effect button 46 may also be operated by the player during a game depending on the effect. When the effect button 46 is operated during a game, a change occurs in the effect.

[0035] In addition, the effect button 46 is provided with a lamp capable of emitting light in various colors and patterns inside or around it. The lamp is turned on when the effect button 46 is in an operationally valid state, and is turned off when the effect button 46 is in an operationally invalid state.

[0036] In the following description, the stop switches 40a, 40b, 40c, the bet switch 41, the count button 44, and the cancel button 45 may be collectively referred to as "operation buttons, etc. 47".

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, a reset button 51 and a setting change button 52 are provided inside the housing 10.

[0038] The reset button 51 is operated to release various errors and initialize the RAM constituting the control unit 6. For example, when the power of the slot machine 1 is switched from off to on while the reset button 51 is being operated, the quantity of game value managed by the media management unit 620 is cleared to "0", and the second game state of the slot machine 1 is set to the "general game state" and the game zone is set to the "normal zone."

[0039] The setting change button 52 is a button that is operated by a store staff member when any one of a plurality of setting values ​​is set in the slot machine 1. For example, when the power supply of the slot machine 1 is switched from OFF to ON while the slot machine 1 is set in the setting change mode, the setting change button 52 becomes operable, and when the setting change button 52 is operated in this state, the setting value can be set.

[0040] 2, the slot machine 1 includes a reel unit 2 and a control unit 6 (comprised of a main control unit 61 mounted on the main control board P1, a game value control unit 62 mounted on the game value control board P2, and a sub-control unit 63 mounted on the sub-control board P3). The reel unit 2 and the control unit 6 are disposed inside the cabinet 10 together with a power supply device PS (see FIG. 4) for supplying voltage to the slot machine 1, and the like.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spinning reel unit 2 includes three spinning reels 20a, 20b, and 20c, and three stepping motors 21a, 21b, and 21c.

[0042] For example, symbols are arranged on the surfaces of the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c. When the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c stop spinning, a game result determination unit 612 (described later) determines whether or not a combination of symbols displayed on a pay line L (described later) is a predetermined combination of symbols, and thus the game progresses.

[0043] The stepping motors 21a, 21b, and 21c are provided corresponding to the rotating reels 20a, 20b, and 20c, and drive the corresponding rotating reels 20a, 20b, and 20c.

[0044] The stepping motors 21a, 21b, 21c stop the rotation of the rotating reel 20 (e.g., 20a) corresponding to the operated stop switch 40 (e.g., 40a) within 190 ms after the stop switch 40a, 40b, 40c is operated while the rotating reels 20a, 20b, 20c are rotating.

[0045] The rotation and stopping of these reels 20a, 20b, and 20c and stepping motors 21a, 21b, and 21c are controlled by a reel control unit 611, which will be described later.

[0046] <The flow of play by the player> A player operates the bet switch 41 to use the credited gaming value to bet on the slot machine 1. When a predetermined number of gaming values ​​(e.g., 3) is bet on the slot machine 1, the pay line L is activated. After that, it becomes possible to operate the lever 42, i.e., to start playing.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows an example in which the pay line L is configured in the upper row of the reel window 200 for the left rotating reel 20a, in the middle row of the reel window 200 for the center rotating reel 20b, and in the lower row of the reel window 200 for the right rotating reel 20c.

[0048] In this embodiment, one game (one play) refers to a series of actions in which a player operates the bet switch 41, lever 42, stop switches 40a, 40b, 40c, etc. to obtain a predetermined play result, including internal lottery, winning determination processing, and increase / decrease processing of game value data.

[0049] Specifically, when the lever 42 is operated (lever on) in a state in which a game can be started, an internal drawing to determine a winning flag is performed, and the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c start to rotate. In this state, when any of the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c is operated, the reel 20 (20b) corresponding to the operated stop switch 40 (for example, 40b) stops. When all the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c stop, a payout process of a predetermined amount of game value is executed according to the combination (winning combination) of symbols that are aligned (winning) on ​​the pay line L. This ends one game.

[0050] At least a portion of the information regarding the progress of the game until these specified game results are obtained (for example, the operation of the bet switch 41, the operation of the lever 42, the operation of the stop switch 40, the execution of an internal lottery, the winning of a specified role, the rotation of the reel, etc.) is managed by the main control unit 61 mounted on the main control board P1.

[0051] <Configuration of control unit 6> As mentioned above, the control unit 6 is composed of a main control unit 61 mounted on the main control board P1, a game value control unit 62 mounted on the game value control board P2, and a sub-control unit 63 mounted on the sub-control board P3.

[0052] The main control board P1, the game value control board P2, and the sub-control board P3 each include a microcomputer, a voltage supply unit, a power interruption / restoration detection unit, a WDT (watchdog timer), and a memory unit (ROM, RAM).

[0053] The connection relationships and communication processes of the main control board P1, the game value control board P2, and the sub-control board P3 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0054] The main control board P1 and the game value control board P2 are electrically connected by a harness, enabling two-way serial communication.

[0055] The information and commands transmitted from the main control board P1 to the game value control board P2 include outer end information, whether or not settings are being changed, commands related to various errors, a signal requesting a bet of game value when the bet button 41 is operated, a signal requesting the payout of game value corresponding to a winning role, a signal requesting a bet cancellation process when the cancel button 45 is operated, a request for the transfer of game value when the counting button 44 is operated, and the like.

[0056] The information and commands transmitted from the game value control board P2 to the main control board P1 include information that the complete function (described later) has been activated, information that the number of credits has reached an upper limit (a value that prompts the player to transfer credits because the number of credits is too high), information regarding the presence or absence of a communication abnormality between the card unit 7 and the slot machine 1, various responses to requests from the main control unit 61, and the like.

[0057] The main control board P1 and the sub-control board P3 are electrically connected by a harness, but only one-way serial communication is performed from the main control board P1 to the sub-control board P3.

[0058] The information and commands transmitted from the main control board P1 to the sub-control board P3 include information regarding game value (for example, game value bet / payout information, total game value won during AT), information regarding the game status and game period, information regarding the start / end of game play, information regarding the start / end of device operation, information regarding various errors, and information regarding whether the player is able to operate the operation buttons etc. 47.

[0059] The game value control board P2 and the sub-control board P3 are electrically connected by a harness, but serial communication is carried out in one direction from the game value control board P2 to the sub-control board P3.

[0060] The information and commands transmitted from the game value control board P2 to the sub-control board P3 include the range (MY) described below, information indicating the operation of the complete function, commands regarding advance notification before the complete function is operated, information regarding the transfer of game value (for example, that transfer has started, that transfer is in progress, transfer completed, etc.), information indicating the number of credits or the number of credits acquired, information that the number of credits has reached the upper limit, error information if a backup error in the number of credits has occurred, and information regarding whether the player is able to operate the counting button 44, etc.

[0061] As the game progresses, when the functions of the operating unit 4, such as the lever 42, stop switches 40a, 40b, 40c, and counting button 44, are activated, one-way serial communication is performed from the main control board P1 and the game value control board P2 to the lever 42, etc.

[0062] <Explanation of power outage / power restoration process> The power interruption / restoration process of the present invention will be described below. Note that in this embodiment, the voltage application stop process, the interruption process disallowance process, the reset process, and the transition process to the software standby mode are collectively referred to as the power interruption / restoration process, but each process may function separately as the power interruption / restoration process.

[0063] <Description of voltage application stop process> The voltage application stop process (one example of the suppression process) will be described. In this embodiment, the voltage application stop process in the sub-control board P3 will be described, but the slot machine 1 can also execute the voltage application stop process of the present invention in the main control board P1 and the game value control board P2 in the same way as the sub-control board P3.

[0064] The sub-control board P3 is a board on which the performance control unit 630 described below is mounted, and as shown in Figure 4, is equipped with a ROM 631, a voltage supply unit 632, a power interruption / restoration detection unit 633, a WDT (watchdog timer) 634, a RAM 635, a microcomputer MCU (including a bus state controller BSC), and interfaces (I / F) i1 to i4.

[0065] In addition, the sub-control board P3 controls the operation of devices such as the LCD screen 3 (including backlight and monitor LED; the same applies below), speaker 101, LED of the illumination section 102, LED of the lower panel 103, lamp of the performance button 46, and lamp of the operation button etc. 47.

[0066] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, it will be described how the power supply voltage is supplied to the slot machine 1 and how the voltage is applied to the sub-control board P3.

[0067] First, as shown in FIG. 4, a voltage is applied to the power supply device PS of the slot machine 1 from an external AC power supply AS.

[0068] The AC voltage of the AC power supply AS is converted into a DC voltage via the power supply device PS.

[0069] The power supply device PS applies a predetermined voltage (12V in the example of FIG. 5) to the main control board P1, the game value control board P2, and the sub-control board P3. In this embodiment, there is one type of predetermined voltage, but there may be two or more types. When two or more types of voltages are output from the power supply device PS, not all types of voltages are applied to each control board, but some of the types of voltages may be applied. Also, the voltages applied to the different control boards may differ.

[0070] The main control board P1 transmits a signal to a microcomputer MCU arranged on the sub-control board P3 via an interface i1, and the game value control board P2 transmits a signal to a microcomputer MCU arranged on the sub-control board P3 via an interface i2.

[0071] The power supply device PS applies voltage to the sub-control board P3 (voltage supply unit 632, power interruption / restoration detection unit 633) via an interface i3.

[0072] The voltage supply unit 632 generates a VCC voltage to be applied to the microcomputer MCU, the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3, the monitor LED of the liquid crystal screen 3, the LED of the illumination unit 102, the LED of the lower panel 103, the speaker 101, the lamps of the operation buttons 47, the lamps of the performance buttons 46, and the drivers d1 to d7 for driving these. Note that in FIG. 4, destinations of the VCC voltage are omitted other than the microcomputer MCU.

[0073] The power interruption / restoration detection unit 633 is composed of a comparator and / or an operational amplifier, etc., and monitors the DC voltage applied by the power supply device PS. As shown in Fig. 5, when the DC voltage applied by the power supply device PS becomes equal to or lower than a first reference voltage (e.g., 9V) that is lower than a predetermined voltage, the power interruption / restoration detection unit 633 detects that a power interruption has occurred in the slot machine 1. Also, when the DC voltage applied by the power supply device PS becomes equal to or higher than a second reference voltage (e.g., 10V) that is lower than the predetermined voltage and higher than the first reference voltage, the power interruption / restoration detection unit 633 detects that power has been restored to the slot machine 1.

[0074] The microcomputer MCU is composed of a clock pulse generator (not shown), a CPU (Central Processing Unit / not shown), built-in memory (built-in RAM / not shown), built-in peripheral modules (not shown), a bus state controller BSC, etc. In this embodiment, in addition to the clock pulse generator (which may alternatively be external), etc., the bus state controller BSC is also built into the microcomputer MCU.

[0075] The microcomputer MCU plays a main role in operating as the sub-control unit 63. Specifically, the microcomputer MCU can transmit control signals for controlling the driving and stopping of these devices to a driver d1 (part of the device) for driving the backlight (part of the device) of the liquid crystal screen 3, a driver d2 (part of the device) for driving the monitor LED (part of the device) of the liquid crystal screen 3, a driver d3 (part of the device) for driving the LED (part of the device) of the illumination unit 102, a driver d4 (part of the device) for driving the LED (part of the device) of the lower panel 103, a driver (amplifier) ​​d4 (part of the device) for driving the speaker 101 (part of the device), a driver d6 (part of the device) for driving the lamps (part of the device) of the operation button 47, etc., and a driver d7 (part of the device) for driving the lamps (part of the device) of the performance button 46, via the interface i4.

[0076] Here, for some reason, AC voltage may no longer be applied to the power supply device PS, causing a power outage in the slot machine 1. When a power outage occurs in the slot machine 1, the power supply device PS does not convert AC voltage to DC voltage, and therefore the power supply device PS is unable to apply DC voltage to the sub-control board P3 and the like.

[0077] 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the time lapse from when a power interruption occurs to when power is restored in the slot machine 1 and the DC voltage applied by the power supply PS. As described above, the power interruption / restoration detection unit 633 detects that a power interruption has occurred in the slot machine 1 and that power has been restored in the slot machine 1 based on the value of the DC voltage applied from the power supply PS.

[0078] The power interruption / power restoration detection unit 633 transmits a power interruption detection signal to the microcomputer MCU when it detects that a power interruption has occurred in the slot machine 1. In addition, the power interruption / power restoration detection unit 633 transmits a power restoration detection signal to the microcomputer MCU when power is restored to the slot machine 1.

[0079] When the microcomputer MCU receives a power interruption detection signal from the power interruption / recovery detection unit 633, it calculates a first SUM value for the RAM 635 mounted on the sub-control board P3 and causes the bus state controller BSC to store the calculation result at the end of the RAM 635 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "backup processing"). This SUM value is used as a checksum to confirm the identity of a file, and is calculated by treating a data string as a string of integer values, finding the sum, and dividing this by a certain constant to obtain the remainder (surplus) as the test data.

[0080] The microcontroller MCU must calculate the first SUM value and store the calculated first SUM value in RAM 635 (backup processing must be completed) during the period from when a power outage in slot machine 1 is detected until the VCC voltage applied to the microcontroller MCU becomes 0 V (the "first SUM value calculation / recording time" in Figure 5).

[0081] On the other hand, when power is restored to the slot machine 1, the microcomputer MCU calculates the second SUM value of the RAM 635 of the sub-control board P3.

[0082] If the first SUM value and the second SUM value match, the process is treated as a normal end process, and the slot machine 1 executes a normal start-up process.

[0083] On the other hand, if the first SUM value and the second SUM value do not match, it is treated as an abnormal termination process. This allows the store staff to quickly respond to the abnormal termination process. In this case, if it is not just a simple abnormal termination of the program, but an illegal process such as rewriting the RAM (for example, so-called cheating) has occurred, the store staff can also respond appropriately to the cheating.

[0084] In this way, the backup process (calculation and recording of the first SUM value) that is executed when power is interrupted in the slot machine 1 is one of the important functions of the microcomputer MCU.

[0085] On the other hand, as mentioned above, the microcontroller MCU controls the operation of devices to which the VCC voltage is supplied from the voltage supply unit 632 (such as the speaker 101 managed by the sub-control board P3, the LED of the illumination unit 102, the LED of the lower panel 103, the lamps of the operation buttons etc. 47, the lamp of the performance button 46, etc.).

[0086] Here, when a power outage occurs in the slot machine 1, the more destinations to which the VCC voltage is supplied from the voltage supply unit 632 (i.e., the greater the power consumption), the greater the load on the VCC voltage, and therefore the faster the supplied VCC voltage will fall.

[0087] Therefore, if a power outage occurs in the slot machine 1, the microcomputer MCU executes a process of stopping the application of voltage (kill; an example of a suppression process) to devices (such as the backlight of the LCD screen 3, the LED of the illumination unit 102, the speaker 101, etc.) that are not necessary for the backup process (calculation and recording of the first SUM value of the microcomputer MCU).

[0088] Specifically, the microcomputer MCU can stop the driver d3 by stopping the application of voltage to, for example, the driver d3 of the LED of the illumination unit 102, among the destinations of the VCC voltage supply, and can consequently turn off the LED of the illumination unit 102. In addition, the microcomputer MCU can stop the driver d5 by stopping the application of voltage to the driver d5 of the speaker 102, and can consequently stop the sound output from the speaker 102.

[0089] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the priority order for the microcomputer MCU to execute the voltage application stop process is determined. In Fig. 4, the more stars there are, the higher the priority order is. Specifically, for example, the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3 has seven stars, and the monitor LED of the liquid crystal screen 3 has six stars, so the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3 has a higher priority order for the voltage application stop process than the monitor LED of the liquid crystal screen 3. Similarly, for example, the LED of the lower panel 103 has four stars, and the lamp of the effect button 46 has one star, so the LED of the lower panel 103 has a higher priority order for the voltage application stop process than the lamp of the effect button 46.

[0090] This priority order is determined in advance based on the magnitude of power consumption (the magnitude of load) of the device. That is, since the load of the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3 is the largest among the loads on the VCC voltage to which the VCC is supplied among the devices controlled by the microcomputer MCU, the priority order is set to be the highest for the device with the largest power consumption. That is, the higher the power consumption of the device, the higher the priority order is assigned. According to this priority order, the voltage application stop process of the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3 is executed first, and then, since the load of the monitor LED of the liquid crystal screen 3 is large, the voltage application stop process of the monitor LED is executed second. The power consumption considered when determining this priority order can be the average or maximum power consumption when each device is assumed to be operating. The average or maximum power consumption may be an actual measured value when the device is operated experimentally, or a theoretical value obtained by desk calculation may be used.

[0091] Alternatively, the priority order for executing the voltage application stop process may be changed depending on the state of the slot machine 1 (for example, the game state) when the power interruption occurs.

[0092] In this case, the microcomputer MCU may be able to change the priority order for executing the voltage application stop process, for example, when the LED of the illumination unit 102 is on during a special game (AT), the voltage application stop process for the LED of the illumination unit 102 is executed first, and when the player has set the sound volume to be increased by customization, the voltage application stop process for the speaker 102 is executed first. When the microcomputer MCU changes the priority order, a predetermined default priority order is prepared, and the priority order can be changed according to the actual state of the slot machine 1 when the power interruption occurs. Note that, as described above, the default priority order can be determined based on the power consumption calculated on paper. Also, the power consumption of each device while it is being driven may not always be constant. For example, if the player has increased the sound volume, the power consumption may increase accordingly, so in this case, the voltage application stop process can be executed for the speaker 102 first. In this way, the priority order can be raised or lowered according to the actual operating conditions of the device.

[0093] When the voltage application stop process is executed, the supply of VCC voltage to the device that is the target of the process is stopped. As a result, the number of devices that operate using the VCC voltage as a power source is reduced by the amount of the stopped devices compared to before the voltage application stop process. This reduces the load on the VCC voltage, and the power consumption of the VCC voltage can be reduced compared to before the voltage application stop process was executed. By reducing the power consumption in this way, the rate at which the VCC voltage falls can be slowed down, and the microcontroller MCU can secure time to complete the backup process. This makes it easier for the microcontroller MCU to complete the backup process during that time.

[0094] In addition, when interrupt processing for the microcontroller MCU and transmission and reception of signals with the WDT 634 occur, even if power consumption is reduced as described above, there is a risk that this may interfere with the backup processing in the microcontroller MCU.

[0095] Therefore, in this embodiment, before executing the voltage application stop process, the microcomputer MCU executes a process of disabling interrupt processing and a process of resetting the WDT 634. The following will explain in detail.

[0096] <Explanation of interrupt disabling and reset processing> When the power interruption / restoration detection unit 633 detects that a power interruption has occurred in the slot machine 1, the slot machine 1 can prevent interruption to the backup processing in the microcontroller MCU due to an interruption to the microcontroller MCU.

[0097] Specifically, before executing processing to stop the application of voltage to the device, the microcontroller MCU executes processing to prohibit all interrupt processing to the microcontroller MCU. This prevents interrupt processing from occurring to the microcontroller MCU, allowing the microcontroller MCU to focus on backup processing.

[0098] Also, on the sub-control board P3, a WDT 634 is externally connected to the microcomputer MCU as shown in Fig. 4. This WDT 634 is provided to monitor whether the microcomputer MCU is operating normally or not. The WDT 634 communicates with the microcomputer MCU, and has a function of determining that the microcomputer MCU is in an abnormal state and resetting the microcomputer MCU when there is no signal from the microcomputer MCU within a certain period of time or when there are too many signal inputs from the microcomputer MCU.

[0099] Thus, the existence of the WDT 634 can prevent the microcontroller MCU from going out of control, but it also requires the microcontroller MCU to periodically send and receive signals to and from the WDT 634. In this case, the microcontroller MCU may spend time sending and receiving signals to and from the WDT 634 and may not be able to secure enough time for backup processing. This may cause problems with the backup processing of the microcontroller MCU.

[0100] Therefore, in this embodiment, after executing the process of disallowing all interrupt processes, the microcomputer MCU resets (performs a reset process) the timer (monitoring timer) counted by the WDT 634. This makes it possible to prevent the timer of the WDT 634 from overflowing even if the microcomputer MCU does not respond for a while, and to prevent the WDT 634 from resetting the microcomputer MCU.

[0101] Even if the interrupt disabling process, the reset process, and the voltage application stopping process are executed and the microcomputer MCU completes the backup process, a problem as described below may still occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, after the backup process is completed, the microcomputer MCU executes a transition process to the software standby mode. The transition process to the software standby mode will be described below.

[0102] <Description of transition to software standby mode> As described above, the microcomputer MCU includes a clock pulse generator, a CPU, a bus state controller BSC, etc. Among these, the bus state controller BSC executes writing and reading of control signals to various memories (including the RAM 635) and various devices. As described above, the bus state controller BSC has the important function of executing the process of writing the first SUM value calculated by the microcomputer MCU to the end of the RAM 635.

[0103] Here, if a power interruption occurs in the slot machine 1, the voltage applied from the power supply device PS drops, causing the VCC voltage generated by the voltage supply unit 632 to also drop. In this case, the microcomputer MCU uses the dropping VCC voltage as its power source, making its operation unstable and prone to malfunction. As a result, even after the backup process has ended, the bus state controller BSC may unintentionally write the first SUM value to the RAM 635. If the first SUM value is rewritten to an inaccurate value by the unintentional write process, the first SUM value and the second SUM value will be different values ​​after the power is restored to the slot machine 1, and this is treated as an abnormal end process.

[0104] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the backup process is completed, the microcomputer MCU transitions the mode for controlling the clock pulse generator, the built-in peripheral modules, the bus state controller BSC, etc. to the software standby mode (executes transition process). This software standby mode is a mode in which the clock pulse generator, the CPU, the bus state controller BSC, etc. constituting the microcomputer MCU are stopped at once.

[0105] In this way, when the microcomputer MCU executes the transition process, the bus state controller BSC can be prevented from operating, which makes it possible to prevent the bus state controller BSC from unintentionally writing the first SUM value to the RAM 635.

[0106] Normally, software standby mode is off (the flag is not set). When backup processing is complete, the microcontroller MCU turns software standby mode on (sets 1 bit). This sets the software standby mode flag, and the microcontroller MCU can stop all functions at once, including the clock pulse generator, CPU, and bus state controller BSC.

[0107] Then, thereafter, the microcomputer MCU maintains the software standby mode turned on and waits until the power to the slot machine 1 is completely cut off (until the voltage applied to the microcomputer MCU becomes 0V).

[0108] <Effects of power outage / power restoration processing> As described above, when it is detected that a power outage occurs in the slot machine 1, the microcomputer MCU first executes a process of disallowing all interrupt processes for the microcomputer MCU (one of the power outage / power restoration processes). This makes it possible to prevent interrupt processes from occurring for the microcomputer MCU. As a result, the microcomputer MCU can secure time to execute a backup process.

[0109] Next, the microcontroller MCU executes a reset process (one of the power interruption / power restoration processes) and resets the timer of the WDT 634. This eliminates the need for the microcontroller MCU to frequently send and receive signals to and from the WDT 634, ensuring more time to execute the backup process.

[0110] Next, the microcomputer MCU executes a process to stop the voltage application to the device until the voltage applied to the microcomputer MCU becomes 0 V. This makes it possible to secure more time for executing the backup process.

[0111] Furthermore, after completing the backup process, the microcomputer MCU executes a transition process (one of the power cut / power restoration processes) until the power cut of the slot machine 1 is completed. This makes it possible to prevent the bus state controller BSC from unintentionally writing the first SUM value to the RAM 635.

[0112] Note that this software standby mode is different from the sleep mode (a mode in which the CPU and built-in peripheral modules are stopped). In the sleep mode, the microcomputer MCU cannot stop the bus state controller BSC. Therefore, when the sleep mode is applied instead of the software standby mode, there is a risk that an unintended write process will occur by the bus state controller BSC before the power cut of the slot machine 1 is completed.

[0113] <Description of main control unit 61> The main control unit 61 is mounted on the main control board P1 and functions as an internal lottery unit 610, a rotating reel control unit 611, a game result determination unit 612, a setting value control unit 613, a section control unit 614, a game status control unit 615 (an example of a control unit), an RT status control unit 616, and an error determination unit 617.

[0114] <Internal lottery section 610> The internal drawing unit 610 performs an internal drawing based on the operation of the lever 42, and is capable of selecting one flag from among a plurality of combination flags as a winning flag.

[0115] <Rotary reel control unit 611> The rotating reel control unit 611 controls the driving of the stepping motors 21a, 21b, 21c based on the operation of the lever 42 or each stop switch 40a, 40b, 40c, and is capable of performing rotation start control to start the rotation of each rotating reel 20a, 20b, 20c or rotation stop control to stop the rotation.

[0116] <Explanation of the gaming result determination unit 612> The game result determination unit 612 is capable of determining the result of the game based on the internal lottery result signal output from the internal lottery unit 610 and the patterns visible through the reel window 200 when each rotating reel 20 stops rotating.

[0117] <Explanation of the setting value control unit 613> The setting value control unit 613 can control the progress of the game using any one of a plurality of types of setting values (for example, 1 to 6) with different degrees of advantage in the progress control of the game based on the operation of the setting change button 52 by the store staff.

[0118] <Interval control unit 614> The interval control unit 614 can control the progress of the game by setting any one of a plurality of game intervals (a normal interval and an advantageous interval).

[0119] <Game state control unit 615> The game state control unit 615 can control the progress of the game by setting each of a first game state (for example, during the execution of a special combination, inside the special combination) and a second game state (for example, a general game state, special game states such as AT and CZ).

[0120] <RT state control unit 616> The RT state control unit 616 can control the progress of the game using one of a plurality of RT states (a table used for internal lottery and an RT state in which a replay probability is determined in advance).

[0121] <Error determination unit 617> The error determination unit 617 can determine the presence or absence of various errors. Examples of various errors include backup abnormalities, communication abnormalities between the main control board P1 and the game value control board P2, connection abnormalities between the slot machine 1 and the card unit 7, reaching the upper limit value of the credit number, and the like.

[0122] <Explanation of the game value control unit 62> The game value control unit 62 is mounted on the game value control board P2 and functions as a medium management unit 620 and a function operation unit 621.

[0123] <Explanation of the medium management unit 620> The media management unit 620 can manage the number of credits and the number of bets of the gaming value. The media management unit 620 also calculates a range (MY) that is the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the difference number by using the difference number of the gaming value, which is the cumulative value obtained by subtracting the number of bets of the gaming value from the number of payouts of the gaming value since the slot machine 1 was last turned on.

[0124] <Function Activation Unit 621> The function activation unit 621 can receive information about the range (MY) transmitted from the medium management unit 620. Then, when the range (MY) becomes equal to or greater than the first range, for example, 18500, the function activation unit 621 generates information about a pre-notification indicating that activation of the complete function is imminent.

[0125] This complete function is a so-called stop function, and when the complete function is activated, the slot machine 1 will no longer accept any operations related to play, and the player will not be able to continue playing (the game will be disabled) unless the power is turned off and on by store staff.

[0126] <Explanation of the sub-control unit 63> The sub-control unit 63 is mounted on the sub-control board P3, and functions as a performance control unit 630 through operation by the microcomputer MCU using a ROM 631, a RAM 635, etc.

[0127] <Direction control unit 630> By executing a performance lottery, the performance control unit 630 can determine at least one of the following as the performance pattern: a video / still image to be output on the LCD screen 3, a sound pattern to be output from the speaker 101, a lighting pattern of the illumination unit 102 such as an LED, and a lighting pattern of the performance button 46.

[0128] <Power outage / power restoration process flow> The flow of the power interruption / restoration process of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0129] When the power interruption / restoration detection unit 633 detects a power interruption to the slot machine 1 (the voltage applied from the power supply PS becomes equal to or lower than the first reference voltage) (step S101), the microcontroller MCU first executes a process to disable all interrupt processing for the microcontroller MCU (step S102).

[0130] Next, the microcomputer MCU executes a reset process for the WDT 634 (step S103). Specifically, the microcomputer MCU resets the timer that the WDT 634 is counting.

[0131] Next, the microcomputer MCU executes a voltage application stop process and generates one stop flag as a process for stopping the voltage application to all the drivers d1 to d7. By generating this stop flag, the voltage application stop process is executed for the devices (for example, the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3, the LED of the illumination unit 102, etc.) in a predetermined order of priority for each device.

[0132] In the voltage application stop process, first, the voltage application to the driver d1 of the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3 is stopped, and the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3 is turned off (step S105).

[0133] Next, in accordance with the priority order in FIG. 4, the application of voltage to the driver d2 of the monitor LED of the liquid crystal screen 3 is stopped, and the monitor LED of the liquid crystal screen 3 is turned off (step S106).

[0134] Next, in accordance with the priority order of FIG. 4, the application of voltage to the driver d3 of the LED of the illumination unit 102 is stopped, and the LED of the illumination unit 102 is turned off (step S107).

[0135] Next, in accordance with the priority order in FIG. 4, the voltage application to the driver d4 of the lower panel 103 is stopped, and the LED of the lower panel 103 is turned off (step S108).

[0136] 4, the voltage application to the driver d5 of the speaker 101 is stopped, and the speaker 101 is stopped (step S109). This mutes the master volume of the speaker 101, and the sound stops.

[0137] Next, in accordance with the priority order in FIG. 4, the voltage application to the driver d6 of the operation button etc. 47 is stopped, and the lamp of the operation button etc. 47 is turned off (step S110).

[0138] Then, in accordance with the priority order in FIG. 4, the voltage application to the driver d7 of the performance button 46 is stopped last, and the lamp of the performance button 46 is turned off (step S111).

[0139] Next, the microcomputer MCU records the menu history in the RAM 635 (step S112). The microcomputer MCU records, as the menu history, for example, the number of games played so far, the number of AT first wins so far, the type / number of ATs played so far, the number of bonuses played so far, and the setting of the character for the navigation voice if selected, in the RAM 635.

[0140] Next, the microcomputer MCU executes a backup process (the microcomputer MCU calculates a first SUM value and causes the bus state controller BSC to record the first SUM value in the RAM 635) (step S113).

[0141] Next, after the backup process is completed, the microcomputer MCU executes a transition process to transition the mode for controlling the bus state controller BSC and the like to the software standby mode (step S114).

[0142] This allows the microcomputer MCU to stop the clock pulse generator, CPU, built-in memory, built-in peripheral modules, and bus state controller BSC of the microcomputer MCU. Specifically, the microcomputer MCU can stop devices such as the clock pulse generator and bus state controller BSC all at once by setting a software standby mode flag. After the transition process is executed, the microcomputer MCU maintains the software standby mode until the power cutoff of the slot machine 1 is completed.

[0143] Next, after the power cutoff of the slot machine 1 is completed (step S115), the voltage applied by the power supply PS becomes equal to or higher than the second reference voltage, and the power cutoff / power restoration detection unit 633 detects the power restoration of the slot machine 1 (step S116). At any timing thereafter, the microcomputer MCU can execute control such as applying voltage to a device with a low priority in the voltage application stop process, applying voltage to a device with a high priority, or applying voltage to all devices at the same time. When the VCC voltage is applied from a device with a high priority, the device with the higher power consumption plays a larger role and is a device that should be operated as soon as possible, so that the above problem can be solved while contributing to the return of the slot machine 1 to the normal state. On the other hand, when the VCC voltage is applied from a device with a low priority, the VCC voltage gradually increases when the power is restored. Therefore, by starting up devices with the lowest power consumption, the effect of the load on the VCC voltage can be reduced, and the slot machine 1 can be restored to the normal state.

[0144] Next, the microcomputer MCU calculates the second SUM value of the RAM 635 (step S117).

[0145] Next, the flow branches depending on whether the first SUM value recorded in RAM 635 by the backup process in step S113 matches the second SUM value calculated in step S117 (step S118).

[0146] If the first SUM value and the second SUM value match, the process is treated as a normal end (step S119), and then the process ends.

[0147] On the other hand, if the first SUM value and the second SUM value do not match, this is treated as an abnormal end process (step S120), and then the process ends. The power cut / restoration processing of the present invention is carried out by the above-mentioned procedure.

[0148] In summary, the slot machine 1 of the present invention has the following features: A microcomputer MCU to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the slot machine 1; RAM635 located outside the microcontroller MCU, A bus state controller (BSC) is provided inside the microcontroller (MCU). Equipped with Microcomputer MCU When a power outage is detected in the slot machine 1, It is possible to execute a disallowance process (disallowance process for interrupt processing) that controls so as not to execute an interrupt processing, and After the interrupt processing disabling process is executed, until the voltage applied to the microcontroller MCU falls to a predetermined value (0V) or less, it is possible to execute a predetermined calculation (backup process related to the calculation and recording of the first SUM value), The bus state controller BSC After the backup process by the microcontroller MCU is completed, it is possible to transition (execute transition process) to a stopped state (software standby mode) in which writing to the RAM 635 is not possible, and The software standby mode is maintained until the voltage applied to the microcomputer MCU falls to a predetermined value (0 V) or lower.

[0149] <Effects of the Invention> In conventional gaming machines, even if the microcontroller recorded the first SUM value in RAM before the power outage was completed, some kind of failure could occur when the power was restored to the gaming machine (for example, a drop in the power supply voltage could cause the microcontroller to become unstable and malfunction), and the first SUM value recorded in RAM could be overwritten with an unintended value.

[0150] In contrast, in the present invention, when a power outage occurs in the slot machine, the microcomputer first prohibits (executes a disallowance process) all interrupt processes to the microcomputer. After that, the microcomputer calculates a first SUM value and causes the bus state controller to record the first SUM value in the RAM. Next, the microcomputer executes a transition process to transition the control mode to the software standby mode, and maintains the software standby mode until the power outage in the slot machine is complete (until the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes 0V).

[0151] This makes it possible to secure time for the microcomputer to execute the backup process, and also to prevent the bus state controller from rewriting the first SUM value after the backup process is completed. This makes it possible to prevent a problem in which the first SUM value and the second SUM value do not match when the slot machine is powered back on, causing the process to be treated as an abnormal termination process.

[0152] As described above, according to the present invention, a gaming machine can be provided that can prevent malfunctions in the processing executed on the control board even when power is interrupted and then restored.

[0153] [Other embodiments] The various control means and processing procedures described in the above embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses. The various control means and processing procedures can be appropriately modified in design without changing the gist of the present invention. In addition, the various control means, processing procedures, and processing contents described in each embodiment can be configured individually or in appropriate combinations.

[0154] In addition, the various definitions used in this specification are commonly used throughout the specification unless otherwise specified in each example.

[0155] In the above embodiment, an example is described in which the microcomputer stops the voltage application in the order of devices with the largest power consumption (load), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the microcomputer may stop the voltage application in the order of devices with the smallest power consumption. In the example of priority in the above embodiment, the lamp of the performance button, which consumes the least power, had the lowest priority, but in this case, the lamp of the performance button, which consumes the least power, has the highest priority, and the backlight of the liquid crystal screen, which consumes the most power, has the lowest priority.

[0156] In the above embodiment, the voltage application to the driver of the device is stopped, and thus the device is stopped. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the microcomputer may stop the device by executing the voltage application stop process not to the driver of the device but directly to the device to which the driver is connected.

[0157] Although FIG. 6 shows an example in which the processes from step S105 to step S111 are executed separately, the processes from step S105 to step S111 may all be executed simultaneously (at the same timing).

[0158] However, if the processes from step S105 to step S111 are all performed simultaneously, there is a risk that the GND (ground) of the power supply voltage will fluctuate, causing noise in the microcomputer. Therefore, it is preferable that the timing at which the voltage application to the devices is stopped differs for each device (or device group), for example, the processes from step S105 and step S106 are first performed simultaneously, then the processes from step S107 to step S109 are performed simultaneously, and finally the processes from step S110 and step S111 are performed simultaneously.

[0159] Also, unlike the above embodiment, if the microcomputer does not have a software standby mode for stopping the clock pulse generator, CPU, bus state controller, etc. all at once by setting a flag, the microcomputer only needs to be able to execute processing for stopping the bus state controller alone. This processing also makes it possible to prevent the bus state controller from unintentionally writing the first SUM value to the RAM.

[0160] In addition, when the microcontroller is capable of stopping the bus state controller alone, the microcontroller does not need to stop the clock pulse generator, CPU, etc., but may be able to stop these in order to prevent malfunctions from occurring.

[0161] Furthermore, without being limited to the above embodiment, after the bus state controller has completed the process of writing the first SUM value to the RAM (backup process), the microcomputer may execute a process of stopping the application of voltage to the backlight of the liquid crystal screen, etc.

[0162] Without being limited to the above embodiment, if a power outage occurs in the slot machine and there is a device that is already in the off state, the microcomputer does not need to execute the voltage application stop process for that device.

[0163] Also, when power is restored to the slot machine, the microcomputer may turn on the backlight of the liquid crystal screen, the LEDs of the illumination unit, etc., in order, starting with the device that last executed the voltage application stop process (in the above embodiment, the lamp of the performance button which consumes the least amount of power), rather than turning them on all at once. In this case, the device that first executed the voltage application stop process (in the above embodiment, the backlight of the liquid crystal screen which consumes the most power) is turned on last.

[0164] This is because if the load on the VCC voltage increases all at once when power is restored to the slot machine, it may cause problems such as deterioration of the voltage supply unit, or a sudden flow of current through the circuit may cause the GND to fluctuate, generating noise that can have an adverse effect on the microcontroller.

[0165] Furthermore, when the slot machine experiences a momentary power outage (e.g., a power outage lasting less than one minute), the microcomputer can be configured not to execute processes such as disallowing interrupt processing, resetting, halting voltage application, transition processing, etc. In this case, for example, when the power outage / power restoration detection unit detects a power outage for a predetermined period of time (e.g., one minute) or longer, the microcomputer can be configured to execute processes such as disallowing interrupt processing.

[0166] In the above embodiment, the microcomputer executes a process to prohibit all interrupt processes before executing a process to stop applying voltage to the device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the microcomputer may execute a process to prohibit at least some interrupt processes before executing a process to stop applying voltage to the device.

[0167] In addition, while the above embodiment describes processing of the microcontroller of the sub-control board, the present invention may be applied to processing of the microcontroller of the main control board and / or the microcontroller of the game value control board instead of or in addition to the sub-control board.

[0168] Furthermore, without being limited to the above embodiment, the main control board and the game value control board may not be separate, and the main control unit and the game value control unit may be mounted on the main control board.

[0169] Furthermore, without being limited to the above embodiment, the voltage supply unit does not have to be mounted on the sub-control board. Specifically, a voltage supply unit may be mounted on another control board, and the voltage supply unit may generate a VCC voltage and apply the voltage to the microcomputer of the sub-control board.

[0170] Furthermore, without being limited to the above embodiment, the RAM that calculates the first SUM value may be built into the microcomputer MCU, and the bus state controller may be externally connected to the microcomputer.

[0171] Furthermore, without being limited to the above embodiment, the order of steps S112 and S113 in FIG. 5 may be reversed.

[0172] In the above embodiment, the power interruption / restoration process is executed by a microcomputer, but the present invention is not limited to this. The power interruption / restoration process may be executed by a device other than a microcomputer or a device mounted on a control board other than the control board on which the power interruption / restoration process is executed.

[0173] In addition, the slot machine in the above embodiment is a medal-less machine with a play area, but the slot machine to which the present invention is applied does not have to have a play area, and does not have to be a medal-less machine. If the slot machine is not a medal-less machine, it needs to have the configuration of a conventional slot machine, such as a medal insertion port, a hopper, a medal payout port, and a lower tray. [Explanation of symbols]

[0174] 1. Slot machines (amusement machines) P1 Main control board P2 Game value control board P3 Sub-control board MCU Microcontroller BSC Bus State Controller

Claims

1. A first control board that controls game progress; A second control board that controls the performance; Equipped with The second control board is A microcomputer to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the gaming machine; A storage unit provided inside or outside the microcomputer; A bus state controller provided inside or outside the microcomputer; Equipped with The microcomputer is When a power outage occurs in the gaming machine, It is possible to execute a disallowance process that controls so that an interrupt process is not executed, and A predetermined calculation can be executed after the non-permission process is executed and before the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value, The bus state controller After the microcomputer has completed a process of writing the result of the predetermined calculation to the storage unit, the microcomputer can turn on a flag related to a software standby mode, thereby transitioning to a stopped state in which no writing process to the storage unit is performed, When a sleep mode different from the software standby mode is set, the write process to the storage unit is executable, and When the flag is turned on, the stopped state is maintained until the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined value. Amusement machine.

2. A first control board that controls game progress; A second control board that controls the performance; Equipped with The second control board is A microcomputer to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the gaming machine; A storage unit provided inside or outside the microcomputer; A bus state controller provided inside or outside the microcomputer; Equipped with The microcomputer is When a power outage occurs in the gaming machine, It is possible to execute a disallowance process that controls so as not to execute an interrupt process, and A predetermined calculation can be executed after the non-permission process is executed and before the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value, The bus state controller After the microcomputer has completed the process of writing the result of the predetermined calculation to the storage unit, the microcomputer can be brought into a stopped state in which the process of writing to the storage unit is not performed, and The stopped state is maintained until the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined value, When a power outage occurs in the gaming machine, information related to the operating state of the microcomputer can be initialized after the non-permission process is executed. Amusement machine.

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