Pachinko machine

Abstract

To provide a game machine in which a group to which a manufacturing company that has manufactured the game machine belongs and display that can identify the manufacturing company of the game machine can be easily recognized.SOLUTION: A game machine includes a base body and an opening / closing body that can be opened and closed with respect to the base body, causes a game to proceed with the opening / closing body being closed, and has a first display in which a manufacturing company of the game machine can be identified and a second display different from the first display in which a group to which the manufacturing company belongs can be identified. In a state where the opening / closing body is closed, at least a part of the first display is not visible and the entire second display is visible. In a state where the opening / closing body is open, the entire first display is visible and the entire second display is visible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines.

Background Art

[0002] Some gaming machines represented by pachinko machines and slot machines have an image display device such as a liquid crystal display type display device, and execute game effects by an image displayed on the image display.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, these days, in order to smooth the application to the Security and Telecommunications Association that tests the performance of gaming machines to see if they can be installed in halls, etc., one gaming machine manufacturer has multiple manufacturing companies that manufacture gaming machines, and these manufacturing companies are generally treated as one group. Then, for example, when a trial play video or a practice video is viewed through a telecommunication circuit, it becomes difficult to tell which gaming machine manufacturer (group) the gaming machine appearing in the viewed video belongs to, or when a problem occurs in a gaming machine installed in a hall, it becomes difficult to tell which manufacturing company the hall staff should inquire with, etc.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these problems, and provides a gaming machine in which a display capable of specifying the group to which the manufacturing company that manufactured the gaming machine belongs or the manufacturing company of the gaming machine is clearly visible and easy to recognize.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided a gaming machine including a base body and an opening / closing body that can be opened and closed with respect to the base body, and the gaming machine advances a game in a state where the opening / closing body is closed. There is a first region above the upper end of a predetermined operating means when viewed in the vertical direction and a second region below the predetermined operating means when viewed in the vertical direction, and the first region and the second region are configured to be controllable by predetermined control means. It has a first display that can identify the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, and a second display that is different from the first display and can identify the group to which the manufacturing company belongs. In a state where the opening / closing body is closed, in the second region at least a part of the first display is unviewable, in the first region the entire second display is viewable, and in a state where the opening / closing body is opened, in the second region the entire first display is viewable, in the first region the entire second display is viewable. A gaming machine characterized by the above is provided.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a gaming machine in which a display capable of identifying the group to which the manufacturing company of the gaming machine belongs and the manufacturing company of the gaming machine is clearly visible and easy to understand.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. In the following description, "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper", and "lower" refer to the state of viewing the gaming machine 10 from the front side (player side) as shown in FIG. 1 unless otherwise specified.

[0010] <Features of the Present Invention> Before explaining the details of the gaming machine 10 in the present embodiment, the features of the invention (the present invention) described in the present embodiment will be explained. In explaining the features, the configurations in parentheses are examples of the configurations of the present embodiment corresponding to the immediately preceding configurations, and the configurations may be described in parentheses for the same purpose in the description of the gaming machine 10 after the explanation.

[0011] The present invention is a gaming machine including a base body (outer frame 90) and an opening / closing body (front door 20) that can be opened and closed with respect to the base body, and the game is advanced with the opening / closing body closed, a first display (display of the manufacturing company name) that enables identification of the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and enables identification of the group to which the manufacturing company belongs, and having in a state where the opening / closing body is closed, at least a part of the first display is not visible, the entire second display is visible, in a state where the opening / closing body is opened, the entire first display is visible, the entire second display is visible, and is characterized by being a gaming machine.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent confusion between the first display and the second display during a game in which there is a high possibility that the opening / closing body is in a closed state.

[0013] Note that, as will be described later, the first display in the present embodiment is composed of characters. However, in the first display, symbols or logos may be used instead of or in addition to the characters. The same applies to the second display. In the present invention, it is allowed that one manufacturing company (for example, the one with the largest scale) among a plurality of manufacturing companies included in one group coincides with the group related to the one group. In that case, the font of the characters constituting these names or the color of the characters may be changed, one may be abbreviated and the other may be the official name, or one may have a logo and the other may not have a logo, etc., so that these displays can be made different from each other. Also, "the entire second display is visible" and "the entire first display is visible" mean that the entire display is visible when visually observing the gaming machine directly.

[0014] Also, the gaming machine according to the present embodiment described later is a slot machine (so-called smart slot) that pays out all medals as electronic data. However, the present invention can also be applied to a conventional slot machine that pays out a part of the medals as physical medals. Furthermore, the present invention may be adopted for a conventional pachinko machine that pays out physical game balls as prize balls or a pachinko machine (so-called smart pachinko) that gives prize balls as electronic data.

[0015] The gaming machine 10 having the above features will be specifically described based on the following embodiments.

[0016] <Structure of the gaming machine 10> First, the structure of the gaming machine 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a front view of the gaming machine 10, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hand area II shown surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view showing the back surface of the front door 20, FIG. 4 is a view showing the front of the gaming machine 10 excluding the front door 20, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lower space III shown by hatching in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a view showing a planar development of the arrangement of symbols applied to the reel 65, and FIG. 7 is a view showing the types of symbols applied to the reel 65.

[0017] The gaming machine 10 includes a rectangular parallelepiped outer frame 90 with an open front, a front door 20 pivotally supported on the left edge side (around the axis Za) of the outer frame 90 so as to be rotatable and openable, and a gaming machine main body 60. More specifically, three hinge portions 96 (96a, 96b, 96c) are provided on the left edge side of the outer frame 90. The front door 20 is pivotally supported by the upper hinge portion 96a and the lower hinge portion 96c, and the gaming machine main body 60 is pivotally supported by the upper hinge portion 96a and the middle hinge portion 96b. As shown in FIG. 4, the outer frame 90 has an opening formed by a left side wall 90a, a right side wall 90b, a top plate 90c, and a bottom plate 90d, and the inner side of the opening is shielded by a back side wall shown in another figure (FIG. 5, etc.). Also, unless otherwise specified, in the following description, the expression "provided on the corresponding plate member" will be simply used to mean that gaming components are provided on the inner surface of the plate members (left side wall 90a, right side wall 90b, top plate 90c, back side wall) constituting the outer frame 90.

[0018] On the front side of the front door 20, as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, an upper panel 21, a lower panel 22, a bet button 23, a menu selection button 24, a status display LED 25, a start lever 26, a stop button 27, a medal count display LED 28, a settlement button 32, a medal counting button 33, a door lock 34, a decorative LED 36, and a speaker opening 38 are provided. In particular, the gaming machine 10 according to the present embodiment is a so-called medal-less slot machine that can conduct games without using actual medals. Therefore, the gaming machine 10 does not have the structures necessary for using actual medals, such as a medal insertion slot and a medal discharge port, which are standard equipment of conventional slot machines that use actual medals. Also, in the following description, the term "medal" refers not to the actual medals used in the past but to those treated as electronic information.

[0019] Also, on the back side of the front door 20, as shown in FIG. 3, there are provided a decorative LED board 41, a status display LED board 42, a stop button board 43, a start lever sensor 44, a bet button board 45, a menu selection button board 46, a setting change device 48, a speaker 49, a medal number display LED board 50, and a medal counting button board 51.

[0020] Also, in order to open the front door 20, it is necessary to insert a door key (not shown) into the door lock 34 to release a lock mechanism (not shown) that locks the front door 20 and the outer frame 90. When the front door 20 is opened, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower space III below the gaming machine main body 60 can be confirmed. Note that in the present embodiment, an open door sensor (not shown) for determining whether the front door 20 is open or closed is provided on the right edge side of the outer frame 90. The open door sensor is in an OFF state when the front door 20 is closed and in an ON state when the front door 20 is open.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, in the lower space III (see FIG. 4) below the gaming machine main body 60, a power supply device 91 is provided on the bottom plate 90d along the left side wall 90a, and a medal number control board case 400 is provided on the back side wall 90e. In particular, the medal number control board case 400 is provided at a position lower than the upper surface of the power supply device 91 when viewed in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). This is to effectively utilize the space where structures (for example, a hopper that physically pays out the medals, an auxiliary storage for storing the medals that overflow from the hopper, etc., which are unnecessary in the above-mentioned medal-less slot machine) provided in the conventional slot machine using actual medals were provided. Also, a sheet metal 95 is provided in the area on the bottom plate 90d where the power supply device 91 is not installed.

[0022] The power supply device 91 is a device for supplying power to each component of the gaming machine 10, and its activation or stop is controlled by operating the power switch 92 provided in the device. Therefore, when enjoying the game, it is necessary to operate the power switch 92 to activate the power supply device 91 with the front door 20 open. In this embodiment, each of the main board 100 described later, the sub-board 200 described later, and the medal number control board 300 has a function of maintaining the information held before the power supply was turned off even when the power supply from the power supply device 91 is turned off. Also, on the side surface of the power supply device 91 on the right side (X-axis direction side), there is a heat dissipation port 93 for releasing the heat generated during the operation of the power supply device 91.

[0023] The medal number control board case 400 houses the medal number control board 300 described later inside. In particular, since the medal number control board case 400 has transparency, the housed medal number control board 300 can be visually observed when the medal number control board 300 is housed inside.

[0024] The setting change device 48 provided on the back side of the front door 20 is a device for performing a setting change process for changing a set value and a setting confirmation process for confirming a set value that has already been set, and includes a setting key switch 48a, a setting change switch 48b, a setting display LED 48c, and a setting key cover 48d. Details of the setting change process and the setting confirmation process will be described later. The setting display LED 48c is an LED that displays the set value being changed in the setting change process and the set value that has already been set in the setting confirmation process, and in this embodiment, is configured by a 7-segment display. The setting key cover 48d is a cover that covers the setting key switch 48a, and by sliding this, it becomes possible to insert and operate a setting key (not shown) into the setting key switch 48a. Note that FIG. 3 shows a state in which the setting key cover 48d covers the setting key switch 48a. Here, the set value indicates a payout rate expectation value of the number of medals paid out with respect to the number of medals used in the game, and different payout rates exist, and in this embodiment, there are 6 levels from 1 to 6. And as the set value being set increases, the above-mentioned payout rate tends to increase. Similarly in this embodiment, as the set value changes from 1 to 6, the payout rate increases. In the following description, the set value of 1 is referred to as set value 1, and similarly, the set value of 2 is referred to as set value 2, the set value of 3 is referred to as set value 3, the set value of 4 is referred to as set value 4, the set value of 5 is referred to as set value 5, and the set value of 6 is referred to as set value 6.

[0025] Further, the front door 20 has an upper panel 21 and a lower panel 22 on the front side. Since the upper panel 21 is formed of a transparent member, a player positioned in front of the gaming machine 10 can visually recognize the gaming machine main body 60 (particularly, the upper effect display area 62a, the reel frame 64, and the reel 65) arranged on the back side of the upper panel 21 through the upper panel 21. Since the lower panel 22 is also formed of a transparent member like the upper panel 21, a player positioned in front of the gaming machine 10 can visually recognize the lower effect display area 62b of the lower effect display device 63b disposed on the back side of the lower panel 22 through the lower panel 22.

[0026] In addition, the gaming machine main body 60 includes main components that control the game played by the gaming machine 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, an upper effect display area 62a is formed in the upper part of its front surface, and a reel frame 64 is formed in the lower part of its front surface.

[0027] The upper effect display area 62a is the display screen of the upper effect display device 63a built in the gaming machine main body 60, and in addition to effects and information related to the game of the gaming machine 10, it can display group company names and manufacturing company names to be described later. Also, the lower effect display area 62b is the display screen of the lower effect display device 63b provided on the front door 20, and can display the model name and manufacturing company name to be described later. Note that, as the upper effect display device 63a and the lower effect display device 63b, for example, a liquid crystal display type display device or the like can be adopted, and the effects displayed in the upper effect display area 62a are linked to the audio output from the speaker 49 and the light emission of the decorative LED 36, and can suitably arouse the interest of the player. Also, the upper effect display area 62a is located above the upper end of the stop button 27 (in the direction away from the bottom plate 90d shown in FIG. 5) when viewed in the vertical direction (the z direction shown in FIGS. 4 and 5), and the lower effect display area 62b is located below the upper end of the stop button 27 (in the direction approaching the bottom plate 90d shown in FIG. 5) when viewed in the vertical direction. Further, in the present embodiment, the upper effect display area 62a is located on the back side (in the direction approaching the back side wall 90e shown in FIG. 5) of the lower effect display area 62b when viewed in the depth direction (the y direction shown in FIG. 5).

[0028] The reel frame 64 is a window frame formed on the front side of the reels 65 (65L, 65C, 65R) built into the main body 60 of the gaming machine, and is partitioned into an internal area and an external area. The internal area of the reel frame 64 is formed by a cavity or a transparent member, and a part of each of the reels 65 is visible through the internal area. Further, the external area of the reel frame 64 is formed of an opaque member (including a semi-transparent member or a member obtained by coloring a transparent member), making it difficult to view the reels 65 through the external area.

[0029] Here, the reel 65 is composed of a reel 65L, a reel 65C, and a reel 65R, and these reels are configured to be rotatable by a stepping motor. When the reel 65 in the present embodiment rotates, in principle, the reel 65 rotates from top to bottom, and the direction in which the reel 65 rotates from top to bottom may be referred to as the "forward direction", and the direction in which it rotates from bottom to top may be referred to as the "reverse direction". In addition, each of the reels 65 is provided with a plurality of types of symbols, and the symbols provided on the reel 65 are variably displayed by rotation, and the symbols are stopped and displayed by stopping the rotating reel 65. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the outer periphery of each of the reels 65 is equally divided into 21 frames, and one symbol is provided on each frame. In the following description, each frame arranged on the reel 65L may be referred to as LZ00 to LZ20, each frame arranged on the reel 65C may be referred to as CZ00 to CZ20, and each frame arranged on the reel 65R may be referred to as RZ00 to RZ20.

[0030] Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the types of symbols drawn on the outer periphery of each of the reels 65 will be described. The symbol shown in FIG. 7(a) is a blue symbol imitating the number "7", and is referred to as the "blue 7 symbol" in the following description. The blue 7 symbol is arranged at LZ18, CZ18, and RZ18, and in each of the reels 65, it can be said that the symbol is arranged beyond the maximum number of retracted frames described later (there may be a case where it is impossible to stop on the effective line depending on the operation timing of the stop button 27). The symbol shown in Fig. 7(b) is a red symbol imitating the number '7', and is referred to as the 'Red 7 Symbol' in the following description. The Red 7 symbol is arranged in LZ10, CZ10, and RZ10. Similar to the above-mentioned 'Blue 7 Symbol', it can be said that in each of the reels 65, it is a symbol arranged exceeding the maximum number of drawn frames. The symbol shown in Fig. 7(c) is a symbol marked as 'BAR', and is referred to as the 'BAR Symbol' in the following description. The BAR symbol is arranged in LZ03, CZ03, RZ03, etc. Similar to the above-mentioned 'Blue 7 Symbol', it can be said that in each of the reels 65, it is a symbol arranged exceeding the maximum number of drawn frames. The symbol shown in Fig. 7(d) is a symbol marked as 'REPLAY' which means replay, and is referred to as the 'Replay Symbol' in the following description. The Replay symbol is arranged in LZ04, CZ01, RZ02, etc. In each of the reels 65, it can be said that it is a symbol that is not arranged exceeding the maximum number of drawn frames (it can be stopped on the active line regardless of the operation timing of the stop button 27). The symbol shown in Fig. 7(e) is a symbol imitating a bell, and is referred to as the 'Bell Symbol' in the following description. The Bell symbol is arranged in LZ00, CZ02, RZ01, etc. Similar to the above-mentioned 'Replay Symbol', it can be said that in each of the reels 65, it is a symbol that is not arranged exceeding the maximum number of drawn frames. The symbol shown in Fig. 7(f) is a symbol imitating a cherry, and is referred to as the 'Cherry Symbol' in the following description. The Cherry symbol is arranged in LZ02, CZ08, RZ00, etc. Similar to the above-mentioned 'Blue 7 Symbol', it can be said that in each of the reels 65, it is a symbol arranged exceeding the maximum number of drawn frames. The symbol shown in Fig. 7(g) is a symbol imitating a watermelon, and is referred to as the 'Watermelon Symbol' in the following description. The Watermelon symbol is arranged in LZ01, CZ00, RZ11, etc. Similar to the above-mentioned 'Blue 7 Symbol', it can be said that in each of the reels 65, it is a symbol arranged exceeding the maximum number of drawn frames. The symbol shown in FIG. 7(h) is a symbol marked as "BLANK", which is referred to as the "blank symbol" in the following description. The blank symbol is arranged on the blank symbol, LZ07, CZ05, RZ05, etc. Similar to the above-mentioned "blue 7 symbol", it can be said that in each of the reels 65, it is a symbol arranged beyond the maximum number of drawn frames.

[0031] In addition, on each of the reels 65, a detection piece (not shown) that moves as the reel rotates is provided at a position corresponding to the reference position (in this embodiment, LZ00, CZ00, RZ00) (a position on the upstream side in the forward direction by the amount of movement in the braking control state described later), and a reel sensor 66 that does not move as the reel rotates and detects the detection piece is provided. Specifically, a reel sensor 66L is provided for the reel 65L, a reel sensor 66C is provided for the reel 65C, and a reel sensor 66R is provided for the reel 65R. Each of these sensors is configured to be able to detect that the respective reel 65 has reached the reference position.

[0032] Also, inside the reel 65, a reel lighting substrate 67 (67L, 67C, 67R) is provided, and the lighting of the LEDs mounted on the reel lighting substrate 67 facilitates the visual recognition of each symbol represented on the reel 65. That is, the LEDs mounted on the reel lighting substrate 67 function as a backlight for the symbol display by the reel 65.

[0033] The start lever 26 can receive the operation of the player as an opportunity to start the game. Here, the operation of the player on the start lever 26 is to tilt the start lever 26, which is provided substantially perpendicular to the front door 20 in the initial state, in any direction. And the start lever sensor 44 can detect whether the start lever 26 is in the on state or the off state. More specifically, the start lever sensor 44 detects the start lever 26, which is substantially perpendicular to the front door 20, as being in the off state, and detects the start lever 26 that has been tilted in any direction as being in the on state.

[0034] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the number of medals used in the game (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "betting number", and the number is stored in the RAM 102 described later) is 1 or less, the game is not started even if the start lever 26 is operated. That is, in the present embodiment, the game is configured to be startable only when the betting number is the maximum number (in the present embodiment, 3) or 2. Therefore, in order to reach the maximum betting number, it is necessary to subtract the medals stored in the medal number control board 300 of the gaming machine 10 by pressing the bet button 23 to increase the betting number. Here, the storage of medals refers to the function of storing a numerical value (credit) corresponding to the medals owned by the player inside the gaming machine 10 (specifically, the RAM 302 described later). Further, examples of the case where medals are stored (credits are added) include, for example, the case where medals are lent from the dedicated unit 1000 described later, or the case where the player wins a winning combination with a payout. In the following description, lending medals from the dedicated unit 1000 means that, in addition to the medals after converting banknotes into medals by the dedicated unit 1000 being transferred (moved) to the medal number control board 300, the stored medals stored in a membership card or the like are also transferred to the medal number control board 300. In addition, when winning the replay combination in the previous game, the replay in the game is activated, and the betting number in the previous game is set as the betting number in the current game, and the game can be started without setting a new medal as the betting number by pressing the bet button 23.

[0035] In addition, the gaming machine 10 has a maximum bet button 23a and a single bet button 23b as the above bet button 23, and operations on each button are detected by sensors provided on the bet button board 45. More specifically, a maximum bet button sensor 45a is provided for the maximum bet button 23a, and a single bet button sensor 45b is provided for the single bet button 23b, and operations on each button are individually detected by these sensors. The maximum bet button 23a is a button that subtracts credits by the maximum number of bets (3 in this embodiment) at once and adds the subtracted amount to the number of bets, thereby maximizing the number of bets. The single bet button 23b is a button that subtracts 1 credit in one operation and adds 1 to the number of bets. If the number of bets has reached the maximum, no matter which of the bet buttons 23 is operated, credits cannot be subtracted and the number of bets cannot be added.

[0036] In addition to being used as a bet button that subtracts credits and increases the number of bets according to the operation as described above, the maximum bet button 23a may also be used as a trigger for an effect (effect button). When the maximum bet button 23a is used as a bet button, it is limited to the state where the number of bets can be added. However, when the maximum bet button 23a is used as an effect button, it is not limited to this state, and for example, it may be adopted in any state such as during the re-game operation before the start of the game or during the game. Note that on the bet button board 45, a push button sensor 45c for detecting the pressing of the maximum bet button 23a is provided when the maximum bet button 23a is used as an effect button, which is distinguished from the detection by the maximum bet button sensor 45a. Specifically, the maximum bet button sensor 45a is directly connected to the main board 100, while the push button sensor 45c is directly connected to the sub-board 200.

[0037] Also, the settlement button 32 is operated to transfer the number of bets before being used in the game to credits, and the operation on the settlement button 32 is detected by a settlement button sensor (not shown). When the settlement button 32 is operated, regardless of the current value of the number of bets, all of the number of bets is transferred to credits by one operation of the settlement button 32.

[0038] The medal counting button 33 is operated to transfer part or all of the credit stored in the medal count control board 300 to the dedicated unit 1000, and the operation on the medal counting button 33 is detected by a medal counting button sensor 51a provided on the medal counting button board 51. When the medal counting button 33 is pressed briefly, 1 credit is transferred to the dedicated unit 1000. When the medal counting button 33 is pressed and held, every time a certain period (500 ms in this embodiment) elapses, 50 (or the value if the credit value is less than 50) credits are transferred to the dedicated unit 1000.

[0039] The gaming machine 10 also includes a menu selection button 24 on the left side of the above-mentioned bet button 23. The menu selection button 24 is composed of a cross key button 24a mounted on the menu selection button board 46 and a determination button 24b located at the center of the cross key button 24a.

[0040] The menu selection button 24 is a component that accepts operations related to the menu screen. Here, the menu screen refers to a screen that shows the operation method of the gaming machine 10, the explanation information of the game, etc., which is displayed in the upper effect display area 62a. The player can view the menu screen by operating the menu selection button 24. For example, when the determination button 24b is pressed in the standby state, a list of menus and a cursor are displayed in the upper effect display area 62a. When the player operates the cross key button 24a to move the cursor to the position indicating an arbitrary menu, and when the cursor indicates any menu and the player presses the determination button 24b, the corresponding menu is displayed in the upper effect display area 62a.

[0041] The menu selection button substrate 46 is provided with a cross key button sensor 46a and a determination button sensor 46b. The cross key button sensor 46a can detect in which direction (any of the up, down, left, or right directions with respect to the center of the determination button 24b) the cross key button 24a is pressed. Also, the determination button sensor 46b can detect that the determination button 24b has been pressed. The cross key button sensor 46a and the determination button sensor 46b are directly connected to the sub-substrate 200 in the same manner as the above-described push button sensor 45c.

[0042] In addition, the gaming machine 10 includes a status display LED 25 for displaying information regarding the gaming machine 10, such as the bet number, on the right side of the above-described bet button 23. The status display LED 25 is composed of a plurality of LEDs or a 7-segment display mounted on the status display LED substrate 42, and is composed of the following eight types of LEDs. The first bet number display LED 25a is composed of three LEDs, and each time the bet number increases by one, the number of lit LEDs increases by one. The second acquired medal number display LED 25b is composed of two 7-segment displays, and represents the number of medals acquired by winning in numbers. The third instruction display LED 25c is composed of two 7-segment displays, and can light up in a manner that can specify the operation conditions (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "operation conditions") related to the stop button 27 described later. The fourth replay display LED 25d is composed of one LED, and lights up when a replay is stopped and displayed in the game. The fifth game start display LED 25e is composed of one LED, and indicates that the game start enable condition is satisfied when the LED lights up. The sixth insertable display LED 25f is composed of one LED, and indicates that the bet number can be set when the LED lights up. The seventh advantageous mode display LED 25g is composed of one LED, and lights up corresponding to the game mode.

[0043] Furthermore, the gaming machine 10 includes a medal number display LED 28 that displays the number of credits on the right side of the status display LED 25. The medal number display LED 28 is composed of five 7-segment displays mounted on the medal number display LED board 50, and thus is configured to be able to display medal numbers from 0 to 99999.

[0044] The stop button 27 accepts an operation (stop operation) of the player that serves as an opportunity for the rotating reel 65 to stop, from the player. The stop button 27 can accept (be activated for) the stop operation upon the establishment of stoppable conditions that are established after the reel 65 starts rotating. The operation of the player on the stop button 27 is to press the stop button 27. The stoppable conditions are preconditions for performing a stop display in the game. Specifically, they are conditions that are established when the rotation speeds of all of the reels 65 (65L, 65C, 65R) reach a predetermined speed and the reference positions of each of the reels 65 are detected. Also, in the following description, the operation on the first stop button in one game may be expressed as the "first stop operation", the operation on the next stop button as the "second stop operation", and the operation on the last stop button as the "third stop operation".

[0045] Each of the stop buttons 27 (27L, 27C, 27R) is mounted on the stop button board 43 and is provided one by one for each of the reels 65. Specifically, the stop button 27L accepts a stop operation for stopping the reel 65L, the stop button 27C accepts a stop operation for stopping the reel 65C, and the stop button 27R accepts a stop operation for stopping the reel 65R. Furthermore, on the stop button substrate 43, there is provided a stop button sensor 43a for individually detecting that the stop buttons 27L, 27C, and 27R have been pressed. Control is performed to stop the rotation of each of the reels 65 in response to the detection by the stop button sensor 43a. That is, the stop button 27 and the stop button sensor 43a detect a stop operation that triggers the stop of the rotation of the reel 65 by a reel control unit 112, which will be described later.

[0046] Also, the stop button 27 in the present embodiment includes a stoppable display LED 27a and is configured to cover its periphery with a light-transmissive member. And the stop button 27 is designed to notify the player of the availability of the stoppable condition by the lighting color of the stoppable display LED 27a. In this way, since the availability of the stoppable condition can be determined by the color of the stop button 27, the player can smoothly perform the stop operation sequentially.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the stop position of the reel 65 can move up to the maximum number of retracted frames (sometimes referred to as the maximum retracted range, which is 4 in the present embodiment) based on the position of the reel 65 when the stop button 27 is pressed. Here, the control from when the stop button 27 is pressed until the reel 65 stops is generally called retraction control.

[0048] The internal area corresponding to each of the reels 65 in the reel frame 64 has a dimension of three frames in the vertical direction. Also, each of the reels 65 is stop-controlled so that three symbols can fit in the vertical direction within the internal area of the reel frame 64, and the player can visually recognize the three symbols through the internal area of the reel frame 64. That is, in the case of the reel 65, since three reels are arranged in the left-right direction, when the reel 65 stops, the player can visually recognize 3 symbols × 3 reels = 9 symbols.

[0049] Here, the substantially straight lines (indicated by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 1) formed by the upper, middle, and lower internal regions in each of the reels 65 are referred to as line L1, line L2, and line L3, respectively. Further, the substantially straight line (indicated by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 1) formed by the upper internal region in reel 65L, the middle internal region in reel 65C, and the lower internal region in reel 65R is referred to as line L4, and the substantially straight line (indicated by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 1) formed by the lower internal region in reel 65L, the middle internal region in reel 65C, and the upper internal region in reel 65R is referred to as line L5. In addition, in the present embodiment, only a substantially straight line is adopted as the line in the internal region, but it is not limited to a straight line, and a bent line may be adopted. Also, a line formed including non-adjacent regions (for example, the upper stage in reel 65L and the lower stage in reel 65C) may be adopted. That is, any line may be adopted as long as it is a line formed by arbitrarily selecting the internal region for one symbol from each of the reels 65.

[0050] The effective line in the present embodiment is only line L2. Here, the effective line is a line on which a winning determination described later is made for the symbol combination stopped on the line. Specifically, when the symbol combination corresponding to a win is stopped and displayed on the effective line, the prescribed number of medals for the win is awarded. When the symbol combination corresponding to a replay is stopped and displayed on the effective line, the replay operates in the next game. When the symbol combination corresponding to an accessory or an accessory continuous operation device is stopped and displayed on the effective line, the accessory or the accessory continuous operation device operates in the next game. Details of the symbol combinations corresponding to each role will be described later. Note that the effective line may be a single line as in the present embodiment or a plurality of lines.

[0051] During the rotation of the reel 65 (during the execution of the game), in order to attract the player's attention and arouse the interest in the game, various effects are performed, which are composed of the images displayed in the upper effect display area 62a, the sound output from the speaker 49, or the lighting and extinguishing of the decorative LED 36, etc.

[0052] A speaker opening 38 is provided in front of each speaker 49. More specifically, a speaker opening 38a is provided in front of the speaker 49a located at the upper right (upper left in FIG. 3) when viewed from the front of the gaming machine, a speaker opening 38b is provided in front of the speaker 49b located at the upper left (upper right in FIG. 3) when viewed from the front of the gaming machine, a speaker opening 38c is provided in front of the speaker 49c located at the lower left (lower right in FIG. 3) when viewed from the front of the gaming machine, and a speaker opening 38d is provided in front of the speaker 49d located at the lower right (lower left in FIG. 3) when viewed from the front of the gaming machine. Note that a large number of cavities are provided in each speaker opening 38, and the sound output from the speaker 49 can be appropriately output.

[0053] The decorative LED 36 is arranged so as to surround the upper effect display area 62a or the reel frame 64. More specifically, on the upper right side of the upper effect display area 62a, the decorative LED 36a mounted on the decorative LED substrate 41a and the decorative LED 36b mounted on the decorative LED substrate 41b are arranged. On the lower right side of the upper effect display area 62a, the decorative LED 36c mounted on the decorative LED substrate 41c is arranged. On the lower right side of the reel frame 64, the decorative LED 36d mounted on the decorative LED substrate 41d is arranged. On the lower left side of the reel frame 64, the decorative LED 36e mounted on the decorative LED substrate 41e is arranged. On the lower left side of the upper effect display area 62a, the decorative LED 36f mounted on the decorative LED substrate 41f is arranged. On the upper left side of the upper effect display area 62a, the decorative LED 36g mounted on the decorative LED substrate 41g and the decorative LED 36h mounted on the decorative LED substrate 41h are arranged. Note that each decorative LED 36 may light up in a single color or may be capable of lighting up in multiple colors.

[0054] <Electrical Configuration and Functional Configuration of Pachinko Machine 10> Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the electrical configuration and functional configuration of the pachinko machine 10 in the present embodiment will be described. However, it should be appropriately referred to also for the components illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 described above. Note that FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10, and FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the pachinko machine 10.

[0055] The pachinko machine 10 incorporates, as main components, a main board 100, a sub-board 200, and a medal number control board 300. In FIG. 8, the main board 100, the sub-board 200, or the medal number control board 300 is illustrated as if it were a single electronic board, but it is not necessarily a single electronic board. That is, the main board 100, the sub-board 200, or the medal number control board 300 may all be realized by combining a plurality of electronic boards.

[0056] Electronic components such as a CPU 101, a RAM 102, a ROM 103, and a random number circuit 104 are mounted on the main board 100, and the connection status with other electronic components such as sensors and boards is as shown in FIG. 8. The main board 100 mainly realizes control related to the progress of the game by executing processing based on data and control signals exchanged between these electronic components and various sensors 40a and the like. Here, the various sensors 40a include the above-described start lever sensor 44, stop button sensor 43a, maximum bet button sensor 45a, single bet button sensor 45b, reel sensor 66, and the like. In addition to the main board 100, the medal number control board 300 described later has limitations on the capacity of the ROM and the capacity of the RAM in order to enhance security against illegal acts such as illegal modification. On the other hand, no such limitation is provided for the sub-board 200.

[0057] The sub-board 200 is also equipped with electronic components such as a CPU 201, a RAM 202, a ROM 203, and a random number circuit 204, and is connected to other electronic components such as sensors and boards as shown in Fig. 8. The sub-board 200 is connected to the main board 100 via one-way communication, and controls the decorative LED board 41, the speaker 49, the upper performance display device 63a, the lower performance display device 63b, etc. based on control commands sent from the main board 100, and mainly realizes control of the performances related to the game (including control related to the menu screen). Here, the various sensors 40b include a push button sensor 45c, a cross key button sensor 46a, a decision button sensor 46b, and the like.

[0058] Moreover, electronic components such as a CPU 301, a RAM 302, and a ROM 303 are mounted on the medal number control board 300, and the connection state with other electronic components such as sensors and boards is as shown in Fig. 8. The medal number control board 300 is connected to the main board 100 and a dedicated unit 1000 outside the gaming machine 10 by two-way communication, and is configured to be able to move medals by communication between them. Moreover, it is connected to the sub-board 200 by one-way communication (not shown) from the medal number control board 300 to the sub-board 200, and is configured to be able to obtain various information related to the medal number control board 300 (for example, the credit value and the contents of each process executed in the medal number control board 300). Here, the dedicated unit 1000 is different from the dedicated unit 1000 described below, and is configured to accept cards capable of storing information, such as membership cards, and store medals transferred from the medal number control board 300 (credits counted by the medal number control board 300) in the membership card, etc., as saved medals so that they can be discharged. In addition to the electronic components mentioned above, the medal count control board 300 is provided with a medal count clear button and an error reset button on the board, as well as connectors used for connecting to the other boards mentioned above (all not shown).

[0059] Next, the functional configurations of the main board 100 and the sub-board 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Note that the following functional configurations and the functions of each functional configuration are examples, and the main board 100 and the sub-board 200 may have functional configurations not described below, or each functional configuration may have functions not described below. In the same figure, for convenience of explanation, electronic components outside the main board 100 and the sub-board 200 such as the sensors and boards shown in FIG. 8 are also illustrated.

[0060] First, the functional configurations of the main board 100 are roughly classified into a game progress management unit 110 that manages the progress of the game, a state management unit 120 that manages the state related to the game, and a main communication unit 130. Furthermore, the game progress management unit 110 is composed of an internal lottery unit 111, a reel control unit 112, a winning determination unit 113, a medal management unit 114, and a status display LED control unit 115. The state management unit 120 is composed of a setting change management unit 121, a game state management unit 122, a game mode management unit 124, and a main error management unit 125. The main communication unit 130 is composed of a control command transmission / reception unit 131 and an external signal transmission unit 132.

[0061] When the game is started, the internal lottery unit 111 determines, by lottery, a winning combination (hereinafter, may be referred to as an "internally winning combination") from among a plurality of types of combinations. More specifically, when the game is started, the internal lottery unit 111 acquires a random number updated by the random number circuit 104 (in this embodiment, a 2-byte random number is used, and the range is 0 to 65535), and sequentially adds the lottery values of the internal lottery table (details will be described later) stored in the ROM 103 to the acquired random number. The combination corresponding to the lottery value at which a carry occurs is determined as the internally winning combination. In the internal lottery unit 111, "the internally winning combination is determined by lottery" may be simply expressed as "the internally winning combination is derived".

[0062] When the game starts, the reel control unit 112 waits for the elapse of a predetermined delay time, i.e., a so-called wait time (4.1 s in this embodiment), from the start of the rotation of the reel 65 in the previous game to the start of the rotation of the reel 65 in the current game, and then starts the rotation of each of the reels 65. After that, the reel control unit 112 individually controls the rotation of the reel 65, such as stopping the reel corresponding to the stop operation among the reels 65 each time a stop operation is performed.

[0063] More specifically, the reel control unit 112 sets a reel control state (acceleration control state, constant speed control state, pull-in control state, brake control state, stop control state) for each of the reels 65 according to the progress of the game, obtains an excitation pattern corresponding to the currently set reel control state from the excitation patterns stored in the ROM 103, and performs control to output a pulse signal according to the obtained excitation pattern for each of the reel motors 68 (stepping motors), thereby individually controlling the rotation of the reels 65.

[0064] Furthermore, to specifically describe the above reel control states, the acceleration control state is a control state in which a pulse signal is output according to an excitation pattern for accelerating from the start of rotation to a predetermined speed. The constant speed control state is a control state from the end of the acceleration control state until a stop operation is performed. In this control state, a pulse signal is output according to an excitation pattern for maintaining a predetermined speed. The pull-in control state is a control state in which the corresponding reel is rotated from the stop operation to the stop position. In this control state, similar to the constant speed control state, a pulse signal is output according to an excitation pattern for maintaining a predetermined speed. The brake control state is a control state in which a pulse signal is output according to an excitation pattern for stopping the corresponding reel after reaching the stop position. The stop control state is a control state in which the corresponding reel is maintained at the current position. Incidentally, the switching of the reel control state is performed in the main flow of the main board 100 described later, and the output of the pulse signal is performed in a timer interrupt process (not shown) that is performed at a predetermined interval (about 2 ms in this embodiment) in the main board 100.

[0065] Also, when the reel control unit 112 stops each of the reels 65 (switches from the retraction control state to the brake control state), it derives (or reads) candidates for the symbol numbers to be stopped from the stop data stored in the ROM 103, and determines one symbol number as the stop position from the candidates for the symbol numbers within the maximum retraction range (4 frames in this embodiment) from the position of the reel at the timing when the stop operation is performed (the symbol number on the reference line). Here, the symbol numbers on the reference line for each of the reels 65 are corrected to the symbol numbers at the reference positions (RZ00, CZ00, LZ00 in this embodiment) each time the detection piece is detected by the reel sensor 66 in the timer interrupt process, and are updated according to the number of times the pulse signal is switched thereafter. Furthermore, in the constant speed control state, if the symbol number on the reference line has not been corrected until a predetermined time has elapsed (until a predetermined number of pulse signal switches have been made) since the symbol number on the reference line was last corrected, the reel control unit 112 determines that the corresponding reel has gone out of tune (hereinafter referred to as out-of-tune check), sets the reel control state to the acceleration control state, and re-accelerates the reel.

[0066] The winning determination unit 113 performs a winning determination for determining a winning of a combination of symbols stopped and displayed on the effective line (line L2 in this embodiment) in the game. Incidentally, when performing the winning determination, in addition to the combination of symbols stopped and displayed on the effective line, it may be determined whether the combination of the symbols matches the combination derived in the game, and the winning of the combination may be determined.

[0067] The medal management unit 114 controls the increase and decrease of the above-described bet count and the exchange of medals with the medal count control board 300.

[0068] The status display LED control unit 115 controls the above-described status display LED 25.

[0069] The setting change management unit 121 performs setting change processing and setting confirmation processing. Specifically described, the setting change processing starts when the setting key switch 48a is operated when the power supply from the power supply device 91 changes from the OFF state to the ON state (hereinafter, may be expressed as "power-on". On the other hand, the change from the ON state of the power supply to the OFF state may be expressed as "power-off"). Each time the setting change switch 48b is operated, the set value is changed in a certain order (in this embodiment, set value 1, set value 2, set value 3, set value 4, set value 5, set value 6, set value 1, set value 2...), and the set value at the time when the start lever 26 is operated is determined as the current set value. In the setting change processing, processing for displaying the set value being changed on the setting display LED 48c is also performed. In addition, when the setting change processing is executed, all of the information held by the main board 100 before the power supply becomes the OFF state is initialized. In particular, the bet count is included in the information. Further, as the timing at which the bet count is cleared during the execution of the setting change processing, any timing may be used as long as it is before the start of the game start processing (step S103 described later) executed after the end of the setting change processing related to the power-on.

[0070] The setting confirmation processing starts when the setting key switch 48a is operated with the power supply in the ON state, and is processing for displaying the already set set value on the setting display LED 48c. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the "already set set value" will be simply described as the "set value". In the setting confirmation processing, the information held by the main board 100 is maintained. In addition, in the present embodiment, for each of the condition for starting the setting change process and the condition for starting the setting confirmation process, the opening of the front door 20 by the above-described door open sensor may be added. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the change of an improper set value and the confirmation of an improper set value.

[0071] The game state management unit 122 performs control to shift the game state according to the transition conditions among a plurality of types of game states. Details of the types of game states and the transition conditions will be described later.

[0072] The game mode management unit 124 performs control to shift the game mode according to the transition conditions among a plurality of types of game modes. Although details of the types of game modes and the transition conditions will be described later, in the present embodiment, the degree of advantage varies depending on the game mode in which the player stays, and in particular, a game mode with a high degree of advantage can be set in a specific game state (in the present embodiment, during the internal winning in the MB which will be described later).

[0073] In addition to determining whether to set the various error states described above, the main error management unit 125 determines whether to set an error state using the detection results of the various sensors 40a and the like. When it is determined that the state is to be an error state, the progress of the game is stopped as necessary, and the gaming machine 10 is set to the error state. Note that when setting the error state, preparation for transmitting a control command indicating the occurrence of the error state may be performed, the control command may be transmitted to the control command transmission / reception unit 131, and the occurrence of the error state may be notified using the effect devices (the upper effect display area 62a, the decorative LED 36, the speaker 49, etc.).

[0074] The control command transmission / reception unit 131 performs a process of transmitting a control command for which transmission preparation has been made to the sub-board 200 or the medal number control board 300, and a process of receiving a control command from the medal number control board 300. Here, among the control commands transmitted to the sub-board 200, in addition to the control commands transmitted when an error state occurs, there are control commands transmitted in accordance with the progress of the game. In addition, the control commands transmitted to the medal count control board 300 include a control command indicating that the bet button 23 has been operated, a control command transmitted when medals are awarded upon winning, a control command transmitted when the bet count is settled by operating the settlement button 32, and the like. Further, among the control commands received from the medal count control board 300, there is a control command indicating that the bet count is incremented, and the like. In addition, each control command transmitted and received by the control command transceiver 131 has information corresponding to the type of the control command in addition to information capable of specifying the type of the control command. Further, in the following description, performing the transmission preparation of the control command and causing the control command transceiver 131 to transmit the control command may be simply expressed as transmitting the control command. Note that the same applies to each control command transmitted or received by the control command receiver 211 and the control command transceiver 304 described later.

[0075] The external signal transmitter 132 is different from the dedicated unit 1000 described above and transmits a signal (outer end signal) indicating the internal state of the gaming machine 10 to an external device (for example, a hall computer or a data display) outside the gaming machine 10. Specifically describing the information transmitted by the outer end signal, the information includes information indicating that a game has started, information indicating that the AT mode described later has started or that the gaming machine is staying in the AT mode, and information indicating that an error has occurred.

[0076] Next, the functional configuration of the sub-board 200 roughly includes a sub-communication unit 210 and a production management unit 220 that manages the production related to the game. Further, the sub-communication unit 210 is composed of a control command receiver 211, and the production management unit 220 is composed of a production control unit 221, a production display control unit 222, an audio control unit 223, and a decorative LED control unit 224. The details of these functional configurations are as follows.

[0077] The control command receiving unit 211 receives the control commands transmitted from the main board 100 or the medal number control board 300, analyzes the received control commands, and updates the information stored in the RAM 202 using the information included in the control commands.

[0078] The effect control unit 221 performs a process of determining the content of the effects to be performed on the effect devices (upper effect display device 63a, lower effect display device 63b, decorative LED 36, speaker 49, etc.) based on the control commands and the like transmitted from the main board 100 or the medal number control board 300.

[0079] When there is an effect to be performed on the upper effect display device 63a or the lower effect display device 63b, the effect display control unit 222 reads the device data corresponding to the effect from the ROM 203, and uses the device data to cause the upper effect display device 63a or the lower effect display device 63b to perform the effect.

[0080] When there is an effect to be performed on the speaker 49, the audio control unit 223 reads the device data corresponding to the effect from the ROM 203, and uses the device data to cause the speaker 49 to perform the effect.

[0081] When there is an effect to be performed on the decorative LED board 41, the decorative LED control unit 224 reads the device data corresponding to the effect from the ROM 203, and uses the device data to cause the decorative LED board 41 to perform the effect.

[0082] Next, the functional components of the medal number control board 300 include a control command transceiver unit 304, a credit management unit 305, and a medal error management unit 306. The details of these functional components are as follows. Note that the details of some of the processes executed by these functional components will be described later.

[0083] The control command transmission / reception unit 304 transmits and receives control commands to and from the main board 100 and the dedicated unit 1000, analyzes the received control commands, and updates the information stored in the RAM 302 using the information contained in the control commands. In addition, the control command transmission / reception unit 304 transmits control commands to the sub-board 200.

[0084] The credit management unit 305 performs processing to control the value of credits such as addition and subtraction based on the control commands transmitted from the main board 100 and the dedicated unit 1000, and operations performed on the medal counting button 33 and the medal number clear button described later. In this embodiment, the value of the credit is managed as 2-byte data. Therefore, in terms of data, up to 65536 can be stored as the value of the credit, but in this embodiment, the upper limit is set to 16383 as the value of the credit, and it is configured not to store values exceeding the upper limit value.

[0085] The medal error management unit 306 checks the connection with the main board 100 and the dedicated unit 1000, and if there is an abnormality in the connection, sets it to the connection error state, and checks whether there is an abnormality in the information stored in the RAM 302 such as the value of the credit, and if there is an abnormality in the check, sets it to the RAM error state.

[0086] <Main flow related to game progress> Next, the main flow related to game progress in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. However, also refer to the components illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, 8, and 9 described above as appropriate. In particular, in the following description, when listing the functions shown in FIG. 9 as the main body performing the processing, the processing is not necessarily realized only by the main body.

[0087] FIGS. 10 to 12 are flowcharts showing the main flow of the main board 100 related to game progress in this embodiment, and the processing related to the flow is processing executed triggered by the power-on. The main board 100 can perform one game while performing a series of processes from step S103 to step S143 shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, and can repeat the game by repeating the series of processes. Note that each process shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 is a specific example, and processes other than those listed here may be performed by the main board 100.

[0088] First, steps S101 to S119 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. In the first step S101, initial setting processing related to the main board 100 is performed. The initial setting processing related to the main board 100 is a process that is performed when the power supply is started, and once performed, is not performed until the power supply is cut off and then the power supply is started again. More specifically, in this process, if the setting key switch 48a is operated, the backup information (including information specifying the bet number) held at the time of power-off is discarded (cleared), the above-described setting change processing is performed, and then the process proceeds to step S103. In the present embodiment, a setting change start command is transmitted to the sub-board 200 at the timing when the setting change processing is started, and a setting change end command is transmitted to the sub-board 200 at the timing when the setting change processing is completed. On the other hand, if the setting key switch 48a is not operated, in this process, based on the condition that there is no abnormality in the backup information held at the time of power-off (in the present embodiment, the checksum value is normal), a process of returning to the state at the time of power-off (if the state at the time of power-off is during a game involving reel rotation, during that game) is performed, and then the process proceeds to step S103. At this time, a power-off return command related to the main board 100 is transmitted to the sub-board 200. If there is an abnormality in the backup information, the game cannot be resumed (RAM error state), so the execution of the above-described setting change processing is awaited. At this time, a RAM error command that can specify that the abnormality has occurred is transmitted to the sub-board 200.

[0089] In step S103, game start processing necessary in advance is performed to start the next game. In the game start processing, processing for saving various information related to the previous game, processing for clearing information indicating the respective stop positions of the reels 65 stopped in the previous game and the combination of symbols stopped on the valid lines, processing for acquiring setting values, and the like are performed. In step S105, medal reception start processing, which is preparation processing for setting the bet amount for the next game, is performed. In the medal reception start processing, processing for making it possible to receive information related to the bet amount from the medal number control board 300, processing for setting the same bet amount as the bet amount set in the previous game when winning the replay combination in the previous game, and the like are performed. In step S107, it is determined whether replay is in operation. If the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S111. If the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S109.

[0090] In step S109, medal management processing, which is processing related to medals performed based on the detected operation or the state of the gaming machine 10, is performed. In the medal management processing, when detecting the pressing of the bet button 23, processing for transmitting medal request information including the number of medals corresponding to the pressed bet button 23 to request the medal number control board 300, processing for adding the medals transferred from the medal number control board 300 to the bet amount, processing for transferring all of the bet amounts that can be settled to the medal number control board 300 when detecting the pressing of the settlement button 32, and the like are performed.

[0091] In step S111, a reel rotation start check, which is a check as to whether the game start condition is satisfied, is performed. In the reel rotation start check, on the premise that the operation of the start lever 26 is detected, for example, it is checked whether the bet amount has reached the maximum number. In step S113, it is determined whether the game start condition is satisfied in the reel rotation start check. If the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S115. If the condition is not satisfied, the process returns to step S107. In step S115, an internal lottery is conducted using an internal lottery table to determine the internally winning roles. In step S117, a winning role flag setting is performed to store in the corresponding area of the RAM 102 the internally winning roles derived in step S115, or the losses in the case of non-winning.

[0092] In step S119, a game start-time game mode management process is performed. In this process, for example, a process of controlling the instruction display LED 25c in a lighting pattern capable of specifying operation conditions is performed. Furthermore, in the game start-time game mode management process, a process of transmitting an internal winning command to the sub-board 200 is also performed. The internal winning command includes at least information capable of specifying the derived internally winning roles, the current game state, and the current game mode. As a result, it becomes possible to execute a notification capable of specifying operation conditions by the device (in this embodiment, the upper effect display device 63a) managed by the sub-board 200. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the operation conditions specified by the instruction display LED 25c in one game and the operation conditions specified by the notification executed by the device managed by the sub-board 200 in the one game are the same.

[0093] Hereinafter, steps S121 to S135 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. In step S121, it is determined whether the wait time has elapsed. If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S123. If this condition is not satisfied, the process returns to the determination in step S121. In step S123, the reel control state of each of the reels 65 (when this process is performed due to the occurrence of out-of-tune, the rotating reel, that is, the reel set in the constant speed control state) is set to the acceleration control state, and the rotation of the reel set in the acceleration control state is started. Thus, when returning to the determination in step S121, since the rotation of the reel 65 is not started, the reel control unit 112 waits for the elapse of the wait time, and the rotation of the reel 65 will be started.

[0094] In step S125, it is determined whether the rotational speeds of all the reels set to the acceleration control state among the reels 65 have reached a predetermined speed (the output of the pulse signal has ended according to the excitation pattern corresponding to the acceleration control state). If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S127. If this condition is not satisfied, the process returns to the start of step S125. Note that in this determination, when the rotational speed of the reel set to the acceleration control state reaches the predetermined speed, it is sequentially switched from the acceleration control state to the constant speed control state. Further, in this determination, after all of the reels have been switched to the constant speed control state, the process does not proceed to step S127 but waits until the sensors corresponding to the reels among the reel sensors 66 have detected all of their respective detection pieces. After this waiting, all of the stop buttons corresponding to the reels are enabled, and the process proceeds to step S127.

[0095] In step S127, the above-described out-of-tune check is performed on the reels among the reels 65 that are set to the constant speed control state. In step S129, it is determined whether out-of-tune has occurred in the out-of-tune check. If this condition is satisfied, the process returns to step S123. If this condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S131. Thus, for the reels that are rotating among the reels 65, if it is determined that out-of-tune has occurred, the process of step S123 (reel restart) is performed again on the rotating reels. In step S131, it is determined whether there has been an operation (stop operation) on the enabled stop button. If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S133. If this condition is not satisfied, the process returns to step S127.

[0096] In step S133, a reel stop process is performed. The reel stop process invalidates stop buttons other than the stop button on which a stop operation has been performed, and as described above, switches the reel corresponding to the stop button on which the stop operation has been performed from the constant speed control state to the pull-in control state, derives the symbol number that becomes the stop position, and at the timing when the symbol position of the reel has advanced to the derived stop position, switches the reel from the pull-in control state to the brake control state to stop the reel. Note that after the output of the pulse signal ends according to the excitation pattern corresponding to the brake control state, it is switched to the stop control state, and the reel is held at the stop position. Also, in the reel stop process, a process in which a stop command is transmitted to the sub communication unit 210 via the control command transmission / reception unit 131 is also performed. The control command includes at least information capable of specifying the type of the stopped reel (any one of reel 65L, reel 65C, and reel 65R) and the stopped position (symbol number) of the reel.

[0097] In step S135, it is determined whether or not all of the reels 65 have stopped. If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S137. If this condition is not satisfied, the process returns to step S127. Thus, when not all of the reels 65 have stopped, the processes of steps S127 to S135 are repeated.

[0098] Hereinafter, steps S137 to S143 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. In step S137, the above-described winning determination is performed to determine the winning combination. In step S139, a state transition process for shifting the game state is performed.

[0099] In step S141, a game end-time game mode management process is performed. In this process, a process for shifting the game mode, a process for controlling the lighting state of the advantageous mode display LED 25g, and the like are performed. Also, in the game end game mode management process, a process of transmitting a game end command to the sub-board 200 is also performed. The control command includes information such as the winning combination determined as a winning, the updated game state, and information capable of specifying the updated game mode.

[0100] In step S143, the number of medals corresponding to the winning combination determined as a winning is awarded. The medals awarded in step S143 are transferred to the medal number control board 300 and stored in credit.

[0101] <Main flow of medal number control board> Next, the main flow of the medal number control board 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the main flow of the medal number control board 300, and the process related to the flow is a process executed when the power is turned on, that is, triggered by the power being turned on to the medal number control board 300.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 13, in the first step S201 in the main flow of the medal number control board 300, an initial setting process related to the medal number control board 300 is executed. In the initial setting process related to the medal number control board 300, for example, a process of clearing credit according to the operation state of the medal number clear button at the time of power-on is executed. The details of the process will be described later.

[0103] In step S203, it is determined whether there is lending information. If the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S205. If the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S207. Here, the lending information is information indicating medals transmitted from the dedicated unit 1000 outside the gaming machine 10. In step S205, credit addition processing related to lending information is executed. In this processing, the number of medals specified by the lending information is added to the credit. Note that in the dedicated unit 1000, when the credit addition processing ends, the number of medals stored in the dedicated unit 1000 is subtracted by the number of medals related to the credit addition processing. Also, in this embodiment, since 16383 is set as the upper limit value of the credit, when it is possible to exceed the upper limit value by receiving the lending information, a control command indicating that is transmitted to the dedicated unit 1000 so as not to execute the credit addition processing related to the lending information.

[0104] In step S207, it is determined whether there is medal request information. If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S209. If this condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S211. Here, as described above, the medal request information is transmitted from the main board 100 when the bet button 23 is operated. In step S209, credit subtraction processing is executed. In this processing, the number of medals specified by the medal request information is transmitted to the main board 100, and the number of medals is subtracted from the credit. Note that in this embodiment, when the credit is less than the number of medals specified by the medal request information, the credit subtraction processing is not executed. However, in this case, it may be configured to transmit all of the current credit to the main board 100 and subtract the transmitted number of medals from the credit.

[0105] In step S211, it is determined whether there is credit addition information. If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S213. If this condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S215. Here, the credit addition information is information transmitted from the main board 100 when the number of bets stored in the main board 100 is settled or when it is determined that a winning combination with a payout has been won by a winning determination. In step S213, credit addition processing related to credit addition information is executed. In this process, the number of medals specified by the credit addition information related to this process is added to the credit. In particular, in the main board 100, when the credit addition processing related to the bet number ends, the bet number is cleared to zero.

[0106] In step S215, it is determined whether the counting button has been operated. If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S217. If this condition is not satisfied, the process returns to step S203. In step S217, credit counting processing is executed. In this process, a part or all of the current credit is transmitted toward the dedicated unit 1000, and the credit is subtracted by the number of medals transmitted. More specifically, when the counting button is pressed once, if the credit at that time is 50 or less, all of the current credit is transferred toward the dedicated unit 1000. On the other hand, if the credit at that time is 50 or more, 50 credits are transferred toward the dedicated unit 1000. Further, when the counting button is held down, every time a certain period of time (in this embodiment, 1 s) elapses, the same processing as when the counting button is pressed once is executed until the long press of the counting button ends or the credit after subtraction becomes zero.

[0107] In this way, in this embodiment, the main board 100 and the medal number control board 300 are configured to be able to communicate with each other, and the medal number control board 300 and the dedicated unit 1000 are configured to be able to communicate with each other, thereby realizing the above-described medal-less slot machine. Also, although illustration is omitted, in the timer interrupt process in the medal count control board 300, it is determined whether the mutual communication between the main board 100 and the medal count control board 300 and the mutual communication between the medal count control board 300 and the dedicated unit 1000 are normal. If there is an abnormality in any of these mutual communications, the progress of the main flow of the medal count control board 300 is stopped until it is determined that the error release button has been operated and the abnormality has been resolved by the process executed by the operation. Note that the execution of the timer interrupt process is permitted upon the completion of the initial setting process related to the medal count control board 300. Furthermore, in the timer interrupt process, control is also executed to turn on the medal count display LED 28 so as to display the value of the current credit, whereby the player can identify the value of the current credit.

[0108] <Regarding the initial setting process related to the medal count control board> Next, with reference to FIG. 14, the details of the medal count control board initial setting process, which is the initial setting process related to the medal count control board 300, will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the medal count control board initial setting process.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 14, in the first step S301 in the medal count control board initial setting process, it is determined whether the medal count clear button was operated at the time of power-on. If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S305. If this condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S303.

[0110] In step S303, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the return information. If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S305. If this condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S309. Here, the return information refers to the information stored in the RAM 302 of the medal count control board 300. The determination of whether there is an abnormality in the return information is composed of the determination of whether the power-off flag set to ON in the power-off process executed when the medal count control board 300 is powered off is ON, and the determination of whether the checksum value of the data saved in the backup area of the RAM 302 during the power-off process matches the checksum value in the area after power-on (so-called checksum). If there is an abnormality in any of these determinations, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the return information in the determination of whether there is an abnormality in the return information.

[0111] In step S305, by setting zero for the credit, the value of the credit is cleared. In this embodiment, this determination is executed regardless of the value of the credit. In step S307, a credit clear command that can identify that the value of the credit has been cleared is transmitted. The control command is transmitted to the sub-board 200 and the dedicated unit 1000, and the initial setting process of the medal count control board is terminated.

[0112] In step S309, the credit is restored to the value before power-off. In step S311, a power-off return command related to the medal count control board 300 is transmitted, and the initial setting process of the medal count control board is terminated. The control command includes information that can identify the current value of the credit and is transmitted to the sub-board 200.

[0113] In this way, in this embodiment, in any case where the credit is cleared when the medal count clear button is operated at power-on, and when the credit is cleared due to an abnormality in the return information at power-on, the same control command (credit clear command) is transmitted to the sub-board 200 and the dedicated unit 1000. Also, as described above, in the present embodiment, the processes according to step S305 and step S307 are executed regardless of the value of the credit when the medal number control board initial setting process is executed.

[0114] <Regarding the presence or absence of clearing of medal numbers in a gaming machine> As described above, in the present embodiment, according to the operation state of the setting key switch 48a and the operation state of the medal number clear button at the time of power-on, the bet number and the credit are individually determined for clearing, and if clearing is necessary, the target medal number is cleared. Hereinafter, the details will be described with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a diagram summarizing the presence or absence of clearing of medal numbers according to the operation state at the time of power-on.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 15, when the setting key switch 48a is OFF and the medal number clear button is OFF at the time of power-on, both the bet number and the credit are not cleared and the state at the time of power-off is restored. Here, in any operation unit, the ON state means that the operation unit is operated, and the OFF state means that the operation unit is not operated. When the setting key switch 48a is OFF and the medal number clear button is ON at the time of power-on, the bet number is not cleared and the state at the time of power-off is restored, while the credit is cleared. When the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is OFF at the time of power-on, the bet number is cleared with the execution of the setting change process, while the credit is not cleared and the state at the time of power-off is restored. When the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is ON at the time of power-on, the bet number is cleared with the execution of the setting change process and the credit is also cleared. Note that, regarding the medal number control board 300, if there is an abnormality in the return information described above at the time of power-on, it is treated in the same manner as when the medal number clear button is ON.

[0116] As described above, in the gaming machine 10 according to the present embodiment, when the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is OFF at the time of power-on, the bet number is cleared as the setting change process is executed. Further, when the setting key switch 48a is OFF and the medal number clear button is ON at the time of power-on, the credit is cleared. In particular, in the gaming machine 10 according to the present embodiment, when the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is OFF at the time of power-on, the bet number is cleared as the setting change process is executed, while the credit is not cleared and returns to the state at the time of power-off. Also, when the setting key switch 48a is OFF and the medal number clear button is ON at the time of power-on, the credit is cleared, while the bet number is not cleared and returns to the state at the time of power-off. Furthermore, when the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is ON at the time of power-on, both the bet number and the credit are cleared. In the present embodiment, when determining whether or not the bet number is cleared and whether or not the credit is cleared, the open / closed state of the front door 20 at the time of power-on is not referred to, but the open / closed state may be referred to. More specifically, regarding the presence or absence of clearing of the bet number and the presence or absence of clearing of the credit shown in FIG. 15, when the setting key switch 48a is ON and the front door 20 is in the closed state at the time of power-on, the setting key switch 48a may be treated as OFF, and when the medal number clear button is ON and the front door 20 is in the closed state at the time of power-on, the medal number clear button may be treated as OFF.

[0117] As described above, the gaming machine 10 according to the present embodiment has an upper effect display area 62a (upper effect display device 63a) located above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction, and a lower effect display area 62b (lower effect display device 63b) located below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. By the way, these days, in order to smoothly apply to the Security Telecommunications Association for testing the performance of a gaming machine to see if it can be installed in a hall, for example, one gaming machine manufacturer may have multiple manufacturing companies that produce gaming machines, and these manufacturing companies are generally treated as one group. Then, for example, when a trial play video or a practice video is viewed through a telecommunications circuit, it becomes difficult to tell which gaming machine manufacturer (group) the gaming machine appearing in the viewed video belongs to, or when a problem occurs with a gaming machine installed in a hall, it becomes difficult to tell which manufacturing company the hall staff should contact, etc. Such problems occur. In contrast, the gaming machine 10 according to the present embodiment has a function (hereinafter, the first function) of making it easy to tell which gaming machine manufacturer the gaming machine appearing in the viewed video belongs to by using the upper effect display area 62a and the lower effect display area 62b, and a function (hereinafter, the second function) of making it easy to tell which manufacturing company the hall staff should contact. Hereinafter, the details of these functions will be described.

[0118] <Regarding the first function> First, the details of the first function will be described with reference to FIG. 16(a). FIG. 16(a) is a diagram showing a specific example of an image displayed in the upper effect display area 62a and the lower effect display area 62b in the non-gaming state and with the front door 20 closed. Note that the non-gaming state refers to a state where the game is not being executed and a state where the game can be executed. Also, the closed state of the front door 20 refers to a state where the door opening sensor provided on the right edge side of the outer frame 90 is OFF, and the open state of the front door 20, which will be described later, refers to a state where the door opening sensor provided on the right edge side of the outer frame 90 is ON. Also, the size of the characters shown in FIG. 16(a) corresponds to the size of each display itself.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 16(a), in the present embodiment, in the non-gaming state and with the front door 20 closed, the group name is displayed in the display area 621 of the upper effect display area 62a located above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction (area Z1), so that the entire display of the group name in area Z1 becomes visible. Furthermore, in the non-game state and with the front door 20 closed, the name of the manufacturing company is displayed in the display area 622 of the lower effect display area 62b located below the upper end of the stop button 27 in the vertical direction (area Z2), so that the entire display of the name of the manufacturing company in area Z2 can be visually recognized. Here, the group name is the name of a group to which a plurality of manufacturing companies including the company that manufactures the gaming machine (the gaming machine having the display of the group name) belong. In addition to the plurality of manufacturing companies, the group may include a parent company that has the plurality of manufacturing companies as its subsidiaries, or companies related to the plurality of manufacturing companies or the parent company. Also, the name of the manufacturing company is the name of the company that manufactures the gaming machine (the gaming machine having the display of the name of the manufacturing company), and the display of the name of the manufacturing company contributes to identifying the manufacturing company to which the hall personnel should make inquiries. In this embodiment, the display of the group name is started when a certain time (180,000 ms) has elapsed since the end of the most recent game in the non-game state, and the display ends when the game starts. The end of the most recent game means the end of step S143 (see FIG. 12) related to the game.

[0120] In this way, in the gaming machine according to this embodiment, in the non-game state and with the front door 20 closed, the entire group name can be visually recognized in the area above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. According to this, when watching a trial play video or a practice video, it is easy to recognize which gaming machine manufacturer (group) the gaming machine appearing in the video being watched belongs to. This is because, in order to make it easier to view the upper effect display area 62a and the reel 65 when watching these videos, the shooting angle related to the shooting of these videos is likely to be limited to the area above the upper end of the stop button 27. In achieving the above effect, the reference operation unit is not limited to the stop button 27, and any operation unit that can be operated with the front door 20 closed, such as a bet button (which functions as a production button) or a start lever, may be adopted. This also applies to each of the inventions hereinafter. Also, in the present embodiment, when the game machine is not in a gaming state and the front door 20 is closed, the entire group name is visible in a region above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. However, as long as the front door 20 is closed, regardless of whether the game machine is in a non-gaming state or not, and regardless of the length of the visible period, the entire group name is visible during that period.

[0121] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it can be said that there are a first display (display of the manufacturing company name) that can identify the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and can identify the group to which the manufacturing company belongs. When the opening and closing body (front door 20) is closed, the entire second display is visible in a first region (region Z1) above the upper end of a predetermined operation means (stop button 27) when viewed in the vertical direction. In the present invention, the above "the entire second display is visible" means that the entire second display is visible when viewed straight at the gaming machine. Also, although the manufacturing company name in the present embodiment is composed of characters, in the above first display, symbols or logos may be used instead of or in addition to the characters. This also applies to the above second display. Furthermore, in the present invention, it is allowed that one of the plurality of manufacturing companies included in a group (for example, the one with the largest scale) coincides with the group to which the one group belongs. In that case, the typeface of the characters constituting these names or the color of the characters may be changed, one may be abbreviated and the other may be the official name, one may have a logo and the other may not have a logo, etc., so that these displays can be made different from each other.

[0122] In addition, in the present embodiment, in the non-game state and with the front door 20 closed, the name of the manufacturing company is configured to be unviewable in the region above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. According to this, when viewing the test play video or the practice video, it is possible to prevent confusion between the group name and the name of the manufacturing company.

[0123] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it has a first display (display of the name of the manufacturing company) that enables identification of the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and enables identification of the group to which the manufacturing company belongs. In the state where the opening and closing body (front door 20) is closed, the first display is unviewable in the region above the upper end of a predetermined operation means (stop button 27) when viewed in the vertical direction, and the entire second display is viewable in that region. In other words.

[0124] As described above, in the present embodiment, in the upper effect display area 62a, the group name is displayed starting from a state where it was not displayed. According to this, it is possible to make it easier to recognize the display of the group name. This is due to the fact that the timing at which the display of the image starts is such that the display of the image is easily recognized. In addition, in order to achieve this effect, as the condition for starting the display of the group name, conditions other than the conditions according to the present embodiment, such as the start or end of the above-described AT mode, may be adopted.

[0125] Therefore, it can be said that the second display (display of the group name) starts to be displayed based on the fulfillment of a predetermined condition.

[0126] In particular, in the present embodiment, the display of the group name starts during the non-game state. According to this, it is possible to make it easier to recognize the display of the group name without disturbing the display during the game. In addition, in achieving the above effect, as long as the condition for starting the display of the group name is a condition satisfied during non-game play, such as the operation of the menu selection button 24 during non-game play, conditions other than the conditions according to this embodiment may be adopted.

[0127] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it can be paraphrased that the above predetermined condition is a condition that can be satisfied during non-game play.

[0128] Also, in the gaming machine according to this embodiment, when it is in the non-game state and the front door 20 is closed, the entire name of the manufacturing company can be visually recognized in the area below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. According to this, when viewing the trial play video or the practice video, while preventing confusion between the group name and the manufacturing company name, it is possible to easily identify the manufacturing company to which the hall staff should make inquiries in the event of trouble or the like with the gaming machine. Note that in achieving the effect, when it is in the non-game state and the front door 20 is closed, the entire name of the manufacturing company can be visually recognized in the area below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. However, the period during which the entire manufacturing company can be visually recognized is not limited to whether it is in the non-game state as long as the front door 20 is closed, and the length of the visible period is also not limited.

[0129] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it can be paraphrased that in the state where the opening / closing body (front door 20) is closed, the entire first display (display of the manufacturing company name) is visually recognizable in the second area (area Z2) below the predetermined operation means (stop button 27) when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0130] Also, as shown in FIG. 16(a), in this embodiment, when it is in the non-game state and the front door 20 is closed, the model name (title) is displayed in the display area 623 of the lower effect display area 62b located below the upper end of the stop button 27 (area Z2) when viewed in the vertical direction, so that the entire model name is visually recognizable in the area Z2. Here, the model name, unlike the group name and the manufacturing company name described above, refers to the name of the gaming machine itself (the gaming machine having the display of the model name).

[0131] <Regarding the Second Function> Next, the details of the second function will be described with reference to FIGS. 16(b), 17, and 18. FIG. 16(b) is a diagram showing a specific example of an image displayed in the upper effect display area 62a and the lower effect display area 62b in the non-game state and with the front door 20 open. FIG. 17(a) is a timing chart when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state during the non-game state, and FIG. 17(b) is a timing chart when the front door 20 is switched from the open state to the closed state during the non-game state. FIG. 18(a) is a modified example of the display in the display area 621 when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state during the non-game state, and FIG. 18(b) is a modified example of the display in the display areas 622 and 623 when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state during the non-game state. In particular, in these drawings, the solid line surrounding each display indicates the range where the display exists.

[0132] As shown in FIG. 16(b), in the present embodiment, in the non-game state and with the front door 20 open, in addition to the manufacturing company name, additional information is displayed in the display area 621 of the upper effect display area 62a located above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction (region Z1), so that the entire manufacturing company name is visible in region Z1. Here, the additional information in the present embodiment is the telephone number and address of the manufacturing company name displayed in the display area 621, but as long as it is information related to the manufacturing company, its content is not limited. Furthermore, when the game machine is in the non-game state and the front door 20 is open, the name of the manufacturing company is displayed in the display area 622 of the lower effect display area 62b, which is located below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction (area Z2), so that the entire name of the manufacturing company is visible in area Z2. However, unlike when the game machine is in the non-game state and the front door 20 is closed, the model name is not displayed in the display area 623 of the lower effect display area 62b when the game machine is in the non-game state and the front door 20 is open.

[0133] Therefore, as shown in Fig. 17(a), in the gaming machine according to the present embodiment, when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state during the non-game state, the display of the group name is switched to the display of the manufacturing company name in area Z1. On the other hand, in area Z2, the display of the manufacturing company name is maintained even when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state during the non-game state.

[0134] Thus, in the gaming machine according to the present embodiment, when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state during the non-game state, the entire name of the manufacturing company is visible above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. According to this, when an abnormality (such as an error) occurs in the gaming machine, it is possible to make it easier for the hall staff to identify the manufacturing company to which inquiries should be made. This is because when an abnormality occurs in the gaming machine, the hall staff opens the front door 20 for the purpose of checking the substrate itself inside the gaming machine (the back in the case of a pachinko machine) and the harness connecting the substrates. Note that in order to achieve the above effect, when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state during the non-game state, it does not matter whether the entire group name is visible above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. Also, although different from the present embodiment, when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state during the non-game state, it is acceptable for the name of the manufacturing company to be non-displayed (invisible) below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, when not playing and with the front door 20 open, the entire manufacturer's name is visible vertically above the top of the stop button 27, but the period during which the entire manufacturer's name is visible does not matter whether the game is not being played or not, and the length of the period during which the manufacturer's name is visible does not matter, as long as the front door 20 is open. This also applies to subsequent inventions.

[0135] Therefore, in other words, in a specified case in which the opening / closing body (front door 20) of the gaming machine 10 is opened from a closed state, the entire first display (display of the manufacturer's name) becomes visible in at least the first area (area Z1).

[0136] In particular, in this embodiment, when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state while not playing, the group name becomes hidden (unvisible) above the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically. This will prevent hall staff from mistaking the group name for the manufacturer that they should contact if an abnormality occurs with a gaming machine. In order to achieve this effect, it is acceptable for the visibility of the group name display to be reduced, for example, by making part of the group name display invisible when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state during non-play, as in the modified example shown in Figure 18(a).

[0137] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, in the above specified case, it can be said that the second display (display of the group name) related to the first area (area Z1) is not visible, or the visibility of the second display related to the first area is reduced compared to the state in which the opening / closing body is closed.

[0138] Furthermore, in the modified example shown in Figure 18(a), the visibility of the group name display is reduced by displaying the name of the manufacturer and additional information when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state (in this embodiment, the display of the name of the manufacturer and additional information). According to this, when an abnormality occurs in the gaming machine, the effect of making it easier for the hall staff to identify the manufacturing company to which inquiries should be made can be enhanced.

[0139] Also, although different from this embodiment, regarding the display content related to the display of the manufacturing company name in the display area 622 (which is maintained even when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state), and the display content related to the display of the manufacturing company name in the display area 621, these display contents may be made different by changing the font of the characters constituting them, the color of the characters, abbreviating one and using the official name for the other, using a logo for one and not using a logo for the other, etc. This can also enhance the effect of making it easier for the hall staff to identify the manufacturing company to which inquiries should be made when an abnormality occurs in the gaming machine.

[0140] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, in the above-described predetermined case, it can be said that the state where the entire first display (display of the manufacturing company name) is visible in the second area (area Z2) is maintained, and the display content of the first display related to the first area and the display content of the first display related to the second area are different.

[0141] Note that regarding the invention related to the second function described above, the display position of the manufacturing company name in the state where the front door 20 is open is not limited to the position according to this embodiment (above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction), and may be below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction (for example, the display area 623). Similarly, the display position of the group name is not limited to the position according to this embodiment (above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction), and may be below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction (for example, the display area 623).

[0142] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it has a first display (display of the manufacturing company name) that can identify the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and can identify the group to which the manufacturing company belongs. In the state where the opening / closing body (front door 20) is closed, the entire second display is visible. In the state where the opening / closing body is open, the second display is not visible, or the visibility of the second display is reduced compared to the state where the opening / closing body is closed, and the entire first display is visible. In other words.

[0143] Particularly, in this embodiment, as described above, in the state where the front door 20 is closed, the entire manufacturing company name is visible. According to this, when an abnormality (such as an error) occurs in the gaming machine, the manufacturing company can be recognized without opening the front door 20.

[0144] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it can be paraphrased that in the state where the opening / closing body (front door 20) is closed, the entire first display (display of the manufacturing company name) is visible.

[0145] Also, as in the modified example shown in FIG. 18(b), in the closed state of the front door 20, a part of the display of the manufacturing company name may be invisible, and in the open state of the front door 20, the entire display of the manufacturing company name may be visible. According to this, it is possible to prevent confusion between the display of the manufacturing company name and the display of the group name during the game when there is a high possibility that the front door 20 is in the closed state. In addition, in order to achieve this effect, in the closed state of the front door 20, all of the display of the manufacturing company name may be made invisible. Furthermore, when the front door 20 changes from the closed state to the open state, the display of the group name in the display area 621 may be maintained. In this case, it is preferable to make the display of the manufacturing company name more recognizable than the display of the group name, for example, by making the display of the group name in the open state of the front door 20 smaller than the display of the manufacturing company name in the open state of the front door 20.

[0146] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it has a first display (display of the manufacturing company name) that can identify the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and can identify the group to which the manufacturing company belongs. In the state where the opening / closing body (front door 20) is closed, at least a part of the first display is not visible, and the entire second display is visible. In the state where the opening / closing body is open, the entire first display is visible, and the entire second display is visible. In other words, this can be described as such.

[0147] Furthermore, in the state where the opening / closing body (front door 20) is open, it can be said that the first display (display of the manufacturing company name) is more easily recognized than the second display (display of the group name).

[0148] Also, in the modified example shown in FIG. 18(b), in the closed state of the front door 20, a part of the display of the manufacturing company name is not visible, and in the open state of the front door 20, the entire display of the manufacturing company name becomes visible. Therefore, after recognizing where the display of the manufacturing company name is in the closed state of the front door 20, the display of the manufacturing company name can be recognized in the open state of the front door 20, so it is possible to make it easier to recognize the manufacturing company name in the open state of the front door 20.

[0149] Also, as described above, in this embodiment, when the front door 20 is in the open / closed state, the display of the group name becomes invisible, and when the front door 20 is in the open state, the entire display of the group name is visible. On the other hand, regarding the display of the manufacturing company name, the entire display is visible regardless of the open / closed state of the front door 20. Regarding such a relationship, the open state of the front door 20 may be replaced with a state in which any state related to the gaming machine has occurred, and the closed state of the front door 20 may be replaced with a state in which no state related to the gaming machine has occurred. Here, as an arbitrary state related to the above gaming machine, there can be adopted a non-returnable error that requires setting changes or RAM clearing for resolution, a gaming stop state (a state where the so-called complete function is activated) set when the net increase in the number of medals from a predetermined start position (for example, the state where the most medals are sucked in) reaches a specified number (for example, 19,000 medals), etc., a state where the progress of the game is restricted, or a state where the progress of the game is allowed, such as a state where a specific winning combination is internally won. Note that, similar to this embodiment, the group name does not necessarily need to be constantly displayed during a period when no arbitrary state related to the gaming machine has occurred, and it may be displayed for a part of that period.

[0150] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it has a first display (display of the manufacturing company name) that can identify the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and can identify the group to which the manufacturing company belongs. For the second display, in the case of a specific state, at least a part of the second display is unrecognizable, and in at least a part of the case where it is not a specific state, the entire second display is recognizable. In either the case of a specific state or the case where it is not a specific state, the entire first display is recognizable. In other words. According to this, in the above specific state, by preventing confusion between the first display and the second display, it is possible to make the first display easier to recognize.

[0151] Furthermore, it can be said that the above specific state includes a state where the progress of the game is restricted. Also, it can be said that the above specific state includes a state where the progress of the game is allowed.

[0152] In particular, it is preferable that the arbitrary state related to the above gaming machine is a state where a predetermined error has occurred. Note that the content of the above predetermined error is not limited, but for example, the state where the progress of the game is restricted as described above, the state where the reel 65 is out of tune, or the state where an abnormal winning (winning of a winning combination that is not internally won) has occurred can be adopted as the predetermined error. Also, similar to the present embodiment, the group name does not need to be constantly displayed during the period when the above-mentioned predetermined error does not occur, and it may be displayed in a part of the period.

[0153] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it has a first display (display of the manufacturing company name) that can identify the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and can identify the group to which the manufacturing company belongs. Regarding the second display, when a predetermined error has occurred, at least a part of the second display is unrecognizable, and in at least a part of the case where the predetermined error has not occurred, the entire second display is recognizable. In both the case where the predetermined error has occurred and the case where the predetermined error has not occurred, it can be paraphrased that the entire first display is recognizable. According to this, in the state where the above-mentioned predetermined error has occurred, by preventing the first display and the second display from being confused, it is possible to make the first display easier to recognize.

[0154] Furthermore, for the above-mentioned predetermined error, it is preferable to adopt a door opening error that occurs when the front door 20 is opened as in the present embodiment.

[0155] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it has a base body (outer frame 90) and an opening / closing body (front door 20) that can be opened and closed with respect to the base body, and it can be paraphrased that the above-mentioned predetermined error occurs based on the opening of the opening / closing body.

[0156] Also, in the present embodiment, when switching from the open state to the closed state of the front door 20 (when closing the front door 20), the display of the group name starts (restarts). However, as shown in FIG. 17(b), the timing when the entire display of the group name becomes recognizable is the timing when a time T (3000 ms in the present embodiment) has elapsed since the closing of the front door 20. According to this, it is possible to make the display of the group name easier to recognize when closing the front door 20. Note that the present invention can also be applied to the modification example shown in FIG. 18(a).

[0157] Also, as described above, in this embodiment, unlike the closed state of the front door 20 during non-game play, when the front door 20 is in the open state during non-game play, the model name is not displayed in the display area 623 of the lower effect display area 62b. That is, when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state, the display of the model name becomes non-displayed in the area (area Z2) below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. According to this, in this case, the display of the manufacturer name in the display area 622 where the display is maintained becomes easier to recognize. Note that in achieving the above effect, it is not limited to the model name display in the display area 623 becoming non-displayed. For example, it is sufficient that the display of the model name in the open state of the front door 20 becomes difficult to visually recognize compared to the closed state of the front door 20, such as the brightness of the model name display in the open state of the front door 20 becoming lower compared to the closed state of the front door 20.

[0158] <Regarding the display during game play> Next, with reference to FIG. 19, the flow of each display when the front door 20 changes from the closed state to the open state during game play, and when the front door 20 changes from the open state to the closed state during game play will be described. FIG. 19(a) is a timing chart when the front door 20 changes from the closed state to the open state during game play, and FIG. 19(b) is a timing chart when the front door 20 changes from the open state to the closed state during game play.

[0159] As shown in FIG. 19(a), when the front door 20 changes from the closed state to the open state during game play, the display of the manufacturer name is started in the area (area Z1) above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. On the other hand, in the area (area Z2) below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction, the display of the manufacturer name is maintained and the display of the model name ends. As shown in FIG. 19(b), when the front door 20 changes from the open state to the closed state during the game, the display of the manufacturing company name ends above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction. On the other hand, below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed in the vertical direction, the display of the manufacturing company name is maintained and the display of the model name is started. Note that since these figures show the state during the game, the group name is not displayed regardless of the open / closed state of the front door 20.

[0160] <Regarding Other Modification Examples> Regarding modification examples not described in the above explanation, they are listed below.

[0161] First, regarding the high / low probabilities, ratios, frequencies, and the number of times in this embodiment, as long as each relationship is ensured, the smaller value may be 0 or the larger value may be the maximum value. In particular, regarding the high / low of each ratio described above, as long as the phenomenon aspect is ensured, the control for realizing the high / low of each ratio is not questioned. In addition, each lottery value in the lottery table illustrated in this embodiment is an example, and as long as the magnitude relationship between the lottery tables is maintained, each lottery value may adopt any value within the range.

[0162] The present invention described above is not limited to the above description, and also includes various modifications, improvements, etc. as long as the object of the present invention is achieved.

[0163] <Supplementary Note> This embodiment includes the following technical ideas. (1) A gaming machine comprising a base body and an opening / closing body that can be opened and closed with respect to the base body, and the game is advanced with the opening / closing body in the closed state, a first display capable of identifying the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, a second display different from the first display and capable of identifying the group to which the manufacturing company belongs, and having in a state where the opening / closing body is closed, At least a part of the first display is not visible, the entire second display is visible, in a state where the opening / closing body is opened, the entire first display is visible, and the entire second display is visible, A gaming machine characterized by the above. (2) The gaming machine according to (1) above, wherein in a state where the opening / closing body is opened, the first display is more easily recognized than the second display, A gaming machine characterized by the above.

Explanation of Signs

[0164] 10 Gaming machine 20 Front door 21 Upper panel 22 Lower panel 23 Bet button 23a Maximum bet button 23b Single bet button 24 Menu selection button 24a Cross key button 24b Decision button 25 Status display LED 25a Inserted number display LED 25b Acquired number display LED 25c Indication display LED 25d Re-game display LED 25e Game start display LED 25f Insertable display LED 25g Advantage mode display LED 26 Start lever 27(27L, 27C, 27R) Stop button 27a Stop available display LED 28 Medal number display LED 32 Payout button 33 Medal counting button 34 Door lock 36 (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f, 36g, 36h) Decorative LED 38 (38a, 38b, 38c, 38d) Speaker 40a, 40b Various sensors 41 (41a, 41b, 41c, 41d, 41e, 41f, 41g, 41h) Decorative LED board 42 Status display LED board 43 Stop button board 43a Stop button sensor 44 Start lever sensor 45 Bet button board 45a Maximum bet button sensor 45b Single bet button sensor 45c Push button sensor 46 Menu selection button board 46a Cross key button sensor 46b Enter button sensor 48 Setting change device 48a Setting key switch 48b Setting change switch 48c Setting display LED 48d Setting key cover 49 (49a, 49b, 49c, 49d) Speaker 50 Medal number display LED board 51 Medal counting button board 51a Medal counting button sensor 53 Operation board cover 60 Game machine main body 62a Upper stage display area 62b Lower stage display area 63a Upper stage display device 63b Lower stage display device 64 Reel frame 65 (65L, 65C, 65R) Reel 66 (66L, 66C, 66R) Reel sensor 67 (67L, 67C, 67R) Reel lighting board 68 Reel motor 90 Outer frame 90a Left side wall 90b Right side wall 90c Top plate 90d Bottom plate 90e Rear side wall 91 Power supply device 92 Power switch 95 Sheet metal 96 Hinge part 96a Upper hinge part 96b Middle hinge part 96c Lower hinge part 100 Main board 101, 201, 301 CPU 102, 202, 302 RAM 103, 203, 303 ROM 104 Random number circuit 100 Main board 110 Game progress management unit 111 Internal lottery unit 112 Reel control unit 113 Winning determination unit 114 Medal management unit 115 Status display LED control unit 120 Status management unit 121 Setting change management unit 122 Game status management unit 124 Game mode management unit 125 Main error management unit 130 Main communication unit 131 Control command transceiver unit 132 External signal transmission unit 200 Sub-board 204 Random number circuit 210 Sub-communication unit 211 Control command reception unit 220 Effect management unit 221 Effect control unit 222 Effect display control unit 223 Audio control unit 224 Decoration LED control unit 300 Medal number control board 304 Control command transceiver unit 305 Credit Management Department 306 Medal Error Management Department 300 Medal Quantity Control Board 400 Medal Quantity Control Board Case 621 Display Area 622 Display Area 623 Display Area 1000 Dedicated Unit Lines L1 - L5 Za Axis

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising a base body and an opening / closing body that can be opened and closed with respect to the base body, and the gaming machine progresses a game in a state where the opening / closing body is closed, There are a first region above the upper end of a predetermined operation means when viewed in the vertical direction and a second region below the predetermined operation means when viewed in the vertical direction, The first region and the second region are configured to be controllable by a predetermined control means, A first display that can identify the manufacturing company of the gaming machine, A second display that is different from the first display and can identify the group to which the manufacturing company belongs, having, In a state where the opening / closing body is closed, At least a part of the first display is not visible in the second region, The entire second display is visible in the first region, In a state where the opening / closing body is opened, The entire first display is visible in the second region, The entire second display is visible in the first region, A gaming machine characterized by this.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, In a state where the opening / closing body is opened, the first display is more easily recognized than the second display, A gaming machine characterized by this.

Images