Game machine, method for controlling game machine

Abstract

To stop reels with high accuracy in a game machine using a three-phase DC motor.SOLUTION: A game machine (60) comprises: reels (64); a three-phase DC motor (50) that rotates the reels (64); and a motor control unit (1). The motor control unit (1) includes: an adjustment start determination unit (14) that, at braking of rotation of the three-phase DC motor (50), starts adjustment of a rotation stop position of the three-phase DC motor (50) on the basis of, a rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor (50) and the number of pulses remaining until stop of rotation; and a Hall IC signal switching unit (15) that, when the adjustment is started, stops the three-phase DC motor (50) at a desired rotation stop position. The Hall IC signal switching unit performs rotation control on the basis of, a signal obtained by converting a signal for monitoring a rotation state of the three-phase DC motor (50).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming machine using a three-phase DC motor.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a rotating drum gaming machine, since highly accurate position stopping of a rotating reel is required, a stepping motor has generally been used as a motor for controlling the rotation of the reel. On the other hand, in recent years, in order to increase the driving speed of the reel for enhancing the interest of players, using a DC motor as a motor for controlling the rotation of the reel has been considered.

[0003] As an example of a technique using a DC motor as a motor for controlling the rotation of a reel, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be cited. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a rotary encoder is used for highly accurate position stopping of a reel using a DC motor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As shown in Patent Document 1, highly accurate positioning with a DC motor requires an expensive external rotary encoder, which leads to cost increase. Therefore, it is conceivable to use a three-phase DC motor as a motor for controlling the rotation of a reel and a Hall IC (Integrated Circuit) for detecting the position of the three-phase DC motor and switching the exciting phase.

[0006] However, in the combination of a general three-phase DC motor and a plurality of Hall ICs, it is particularly difficult to accurately control the position between the Hall ICs, so there is a part where the stop position accuracy is inferior compared to the conventional stepping motor.

[0007] Therefore, one aspect of the present invention aims to control a highly accurate stop position in a three-phase DC motor.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a gaming machine according to one aspect of the present invention is a gaming machine including a reel, a three-phase DC motor that rotates the reel, and a motor control device that controls the three-phase DC motor. The motor control device includes an adjustment start determination unit that determines whether to start adjusting the rotation stop position of the three-phase DC motor based on the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor and the remaining number of pulses until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops when braking the rotation of the three-phase DC motor, and a stop control unit that performs rotation control by exciting each phase of the three-phase DC motor to stop the three-phase DC motor at a desired rotation stop position when the adjustment start determination unit determines to start the adjustment. The stop control unit performs the rotation control based on a signal obtained by converting an output signal of a rotation state monitoring unit that monitors the rotation state of the three-phase DC motor with reference to at least one previously prepared table.

[0009] According to the above configuration, the gaming machine can start adjusting the stop position near the stop position and includes a motor control device that can change the control method of the three-phase DC motor for adjusting the stop position. By changing the control method of the three-phase DC motor, fine adjustment of the stop position becomes possible while the detection result by the Hall IC does not change. Therefore, highly accurate control of the stop position can be achieved in the three-phase DC motor.

[0010] The table referred to by the stop control unit when the rotation of the three-phase DC motor is forward rotation and the table referred to by the stop control unit when the rotation of the three-phase DC motor is reverse rotation may be different.

[0011] According to the above configuration, there may be a plurality of tables used for adjusting the stop position, and an appropriate table may be used according to the rotation direction.

[0012] The adjustment start determination unit notifies the remaining pulse count to the stop control unit, and the stop control unit may advance the rotation of the three-phase DC motor by an amount of rotation corresponding to the remaining pulse count.

[0013] According to the above configuration, even when stopping in a situation where there are remaining pulse counts, the rotation of the three-phase DC motor can be advanced by an amount of rotation corresponding to the remaining pulse counts, and it is possible to stop at the initial stop position.

[0014] A control method for a gaming machine according to an aspect of the present invention is a control method for a gaming machine including a reel and a three-phase DC motor that rotates the reel, and includes a motor control step of controlling the three-phase DC motor. The motor control step includes an adjustment start determination step of determining whether to start adjusting the rotation stop position of the three-phase DC motor based on the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor and the remaining pulse count until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops during braking of the rotation of the three-phase DC motor, and a stop control step of performing rotation control by exciting each phase of the three-phase DC motor to stop the three-phase DC motor at a desired rotation stop position when it is determined in the adjustment start determination step that the adjustment is to be started. In the stop control step, the rotation control is performed based on a signal obtained by converting an output signal of a rotation state monitoring unit that monitors the rotation state of the three-phase DC motor with reference to at least one previously prepared table.

[0015] The motor control device according to each aspect of the present invention may be implemented by a computer. In this case, a motor control program for implementing the motor control device by operating the computer as each part (software element) included in the motor control device, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, in a three-phase DC motor, highly accurate position stopping is possible using the signals of a Hall IC.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] 〔Embodiment 1〕 Hereinafter, the motor control device of Embodiment 1 will be described. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as the members described in Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the following embodiments, and the description thereof will not be repeated. Also, for the sake of simplicity, descriptions of matters similar to known techniques will be omitted as appropriate.

[0019] §1 Application Example In a three-phase DC motor, it is common to use a Hall IC for detecting the rotation angle. However, in a section where the detection result of this Hall IC does not change, it is difficult to accurately control the stop position. Therefore, when the three-phase DC motor is rotating and braking at the stop position, instead of the coil determined by the Hall IC, the coil that generates the holding torque so that it can stop at the planned stop position is excited, and the stop position can be controlled with high precision. The coil that generates the holding torque is uniquely determined by the state of the Hall IC and the rotation direction.

[0020] §2 Configuration Example FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the three-phase DC motor control device 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the three-phase DC motor 50 according to Embodiment 1.

[0021] The three-phase DC motor control system 100 includes a microcomputer 20, a motor control device 1, a motor driver 30, and a three-phase DC motor 50.

[0022] (Configuration of the Three-Phase DC Motor 50) The three-phase DC motor 50 includes a coil 51, a Hall IC 52, a permanent magnet 53, and a flange 54. The coil 51 is a non-rotating stator. The Hall IC 52 is fixed relative to the rotation of the three-phase DC motor 50. Here, the coil 51 and the Hall IC 52 are collectively referred to as a fixed member 55 fixed relative to the rotation of the three-phase DC motor 50. In contrast, the permanent magnet 53 and the flange 54 are a rotating rotor 56.

[0023] The coil 51 is composed of a coil 51a corresponding to the U phase, a coil 51b corresponding to the V phase, and a 51c corresponding to the W phase. One point of the coils 51a, 51b, and 51c is a common terminal connected to each other, and the other points are respectively connected to the motor driver 30 of the motor control device 1.

[0024] The Hall IC 52 is composed of a Hall IC 52a between the coil 51c and the coil 51a, a Hall IC 52b between the coil 51a and the coil 51b, and a Hall IC 53c between the coil 51b and the coil 51c. The Hall ICs 52a, 52b, and 52c are sensors that detect the magnetic poles of the permanent magnet 53 in the vicinity.

[0025] As the rotor 56 rotates, the combination of the permanent magnets 53 detected by the Hall IC 52 changes, thereby detecting the rotation angle of the three-phase DC motor 50. Therefore, the exact rotation angle of the three-phase DC motor 50 cannot be known in a section where the detection result of the Hall IC does not change. Specifically, when there are 3 coils 51 and 4 permanent magnets 53, the detection result of the Hall IC 52 divides one rotation into 12 parts, so there is a 30° section with the same detection result.

[0026] The unit for changing this detection result in one step is called one pulse, and it is used as the unit for representing the number of rotations and the rotation angle of the three-phase DC motor 50.

[0027] The permanent magnet 53 is composed of 53a and 53c with magnetic fields being the N pole and 53b and 53d with magnetic fields being the S pole. The permanent magnet 53 is a ring arranged annularly in the order of 53a·53b·53c·53d. The permanent magnet 53 is arranged directly above the Hall IC 52, and the rotor 56 rotates around the outer periphery of the fixed member 55.

[0028] The flange 54 is a member for fixing an object around which the three-phase DC motor 50 rotates. For example, it fixes the rotating roll of a rotary gaming machine rotated by the rotor 56.

[0029] For example, assume that by passing a current from the coil 51a to the coil 51b, the magnetic field of the coil 51a is magnetized to the S pole and the magnetic field of the coil 51b is magnetized to the N pole. The permanent magnet 53 moves in a form that balances the magnetized magnetic fields. Next, assume that by passing a current from the coil 51b to the coil 51c, the magnetic field of the coil 51b is magnetized to the S pole and the magnetic field of the coil 51c is magnetized to the N pole. Again, the permanent magnet 53 moves in a form that balances the magnetized magnetic fields. By repeating this sequentially, the permanent magnet 53 rotates around the coil 51. That is, the rotor 56 rotates around the fixed member 55. In this way, by passing a current through two poles of the UVW phases of the coil 51, the three-phase DC motor 50 can be rotated.

[0030] The three-phase DC motor 50 drives the load 57. The load 57 may be a rotating roll of a rotary gaming machine, a speed reducer, or any other arbitrary load.

[0031] The origin sensor 58 is a sensor that detects one rotation of the load 57 and determines the origin of the angle actually output by the load 57. As the principle of the origin sensor 58, for example, it is conceivable to detect the origin of the load 57 with a photosensor. In this case, a light-shielding flag is provided on the load 57 side, the sensor part of the origin sensor 58 is fixed, and it is conceivable to detect the origin of the load 57 by shielding and transmitting light with the light-shielding flag. The origin sensor 58 outputs an origin signal to the microcomputer 20 and the motor control device 1. The motor control device 1 can zero-reset the current position as the origin position based on the input origin signal, and process the stop position as the distance from the origin position according to the command from the microcomputer 20, which is the upper device, and operate.

[0032] (Configuration of the three-phase DC motor control device 1) The motor control device 1 includes a pulse signal generation unit 11, a sensor interface unit 12, a braking start determination unit 13, a hall IC signal switching unit 15 (stop control unit), a PWM (Pulse width modulation) signal output unit 16, and a storage unit 40. The braking start determination unit 13 also includes an adjustment start determination unit 14.

[0033] The microcomputer 20 is a higher-level device of the motor control device 1 and outputs the rotation speed and stop position of the three-phase DC motor 50 to the pulse signal generation unit 11 of the motor control device 1. For example, as the stop position, the number of rotations and rotation angle of the three-phase DC motor 50 may be specified.

[0034] The storage unit 40 stores data and programs used for the control of the motor control device 1. The storage unit 40 stores a speed table and a conversion table.

[0035] The pulse signal generation unit 11 generates drive pulses for the three-phase DC motor from the input rotation speed and stop position of the three-phase DC motor 50. The drive pulses are output to the braking start determination unit 13 and the PWM signal output unit 16. Also, the number of generated pulses until the three-phase DC motor 50 stops is determined.

[0036] The sensor interface unit 12 acquires Hu / Hv / Hw, which are the detection results of the respective Hall ICs 52 in the UVW phases, and outputs Hu / Hv / Hw to the braking start determination unit 13 and the Hall IC signal switching unit 15. When the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 53 detected by the Hall IC 52 is the N pole, the sensor interface unit 12 designates it as H, and when it is the S pole, it designates it as L. The rotation angle of the rotor 56 can be acquired from the detection results of the respective Hall ICs 52 in the UVW phases.

[0037] Figure 3 is a timing chart showing the outputs of the Hall IC 52 when the three-phase DC motor 50 rotates CW and CCW. As shown in Figure 3, Hu / Hv / Hw, which are the detection results of the respective Hall ICs in the UVW phases, are rectangular waves with a phase shift of 120° from each other.

[0038] The braking start determination unit 13 determines whether to apply braking to the three-phase DC motor 50. When the remaining number of pulses until rotation stops is less than the number of pulses required for braking at the current rotational speed of the three-phase DC motor 50 described in the speed table stored in the storage unit 40 in advance, the braking start determination unit 13 applies braking to the three-phase DC motor 50. Here, the remaining number of pulses until rotation stops is obtained by subtracting the number of pulses moved (the number of input drive pulses) since the start of the stop operation from the number of generated pulses. The braking start determination unit 13 outputs a braking signal indicating whether it is in the braking state to the PWM signal output unit 16.

[0039] The adjustment start determination unit 14 switches the operation modes between the normal mode and the adjustment mode based on the current rotational speed of the three-phase DC motor 50 and the remaining number of pulses until rotation stops. The normal mode is the operation mode adopted when the three-phase DC motor 50 is rotating normally and when braking is being performed. In contrast, the adjustment mode is the operation mode in which when the three-phase DC motor 50 brakes and stops, the excitation method to the three-phase DC motor 50 is switched, the stop position is finely adjusted, and the current position is held. The adjustment start determination unit 14 outputs the operation mode and the remaining number of pulses to the Hall IC signal switching unit 15, and outputs the operation mode to the PWM signal output unit 16.

[0040] The Hall IC signal switching unit 15 selects the phase for driving the three-phase DC motor 50 using Hu / Hv / Hw input from the sensor interface unit 12 according to the operation mode input from the adjustment start determination unit 14.

[0041] In the normal mode, the Hall IC signal switching unit 15 outputs Hu / Hv / Hw to the motor driver 30 as it is. On the other hand, in the adjustment mode, the Hall IC signal switching unit 15 converts the input Hu / Hv / Hw according to the conversion table stored in advance in the storage unit 40 and outputs the converted Hu / Hv / Hw to the motor driver 30. Details of the conversion table will be described later.

[0042] The PWM signal output unit 16 outputs a PWM signal to the motor driver 30 based on the drive pulse, the braking signal, and the adjustment mode. The duty ratio of the output PWM signal depends on the input signal. In the case of the braking signal or the adjustment mode, a fixed value stored in advance in the storage unit 40 is used as the duty ratio. The braking signal and the adjustment mode are not compatible.

[0043] Also, when the braking signal is not present in the normal mode, the duty ratio is determined based on the drive pulse. That is, the pulse speed of the drive pulse is calculated, the speed table stored in the storage unit 40 is referred to, and a predetermined PWM duty ratio is selected.

[0044] The motor driver 30 has coils 51a / 51b / 51c respectively connected to drive the three-phase DC motor 50. According to Hu / Hv / Hw, the UVW phases of the coil 51 are sequentially excited with the input PWM signal.

[0045] Figure 4 shows the voltages of the UVW phases of the coil 51 with respect to the input signal of the Hall IC 52. Here, the voltages are of three types: Hi-z representing high impedance, PWM for inputting the PWM by the PWM signal output unit 16, and VDD (Voltage drain). The voltage also differs depending on the difference in the rotation direction of CW rotation and CCW rotation.

[0046] When a PWM is applied to the coil 52 to which the VDD is applied from the coil 52 to which the PWM is applied, a current flows when the potential in the PWM is 0V, and a magnetic field is generated in the two-pole coil 52. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the magnetic field due to the excitation of the coil 51 in the CW rotation and the rotation angle of the rotor. Here, the same No. in FIGS. 4 and 5 corresponds to each other. As shown in FIG. 5, by exciting the coil 51 according to FIG. 4, the three-phase DC motor 50 rotates. Even in the CCW rotation, a diagram that is almost the same but has a different phase from FIG. 5 can be derived.

[0047] (Conversion Table) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a conversion table in the Hall IC signal switching section. The conversion table uses different tables depending on the rotation direction, and there are those for CW rotation and those for CCW rotation.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the normal mode, the three-phase DC motor 50 is rotated by changing the phase for exciting the coil 51, but in the adjustment mode, by using the conversion table, the coil 51 is excited so that the positional relationship in which the coil 51 and the permanent magnet 53 (rotor 56) attract each other is obtained. That is, in the adjustment mode, a holding torque at a specific rotation position is created.

[0049] Also, in the adjustment mode, when the remaining number of pulses until rotation stop is not zero in the Hall IC signal switching section 15, Hu / Hv / Hw which is an excitation relationship for outputting the holding torque at the position where the current rotation is advanced by the remaining number of pulses from the current position is output to the motor driver 30.

[0050] §3 Operation Example FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the three-phase DC motor control device 1 according to Embodiment 1.

[0051] In S11, the operation mode is set to the normal mode and the stop process is started.

[0052] In S12, the pulse signal generation unit 11 determines the number of generated pulses until the three-phase DC motor 50 stops based on the stop position acquired from the microcomputer 20.

[0053] In S13, the sensor interface unit 12 detects the current position of the three-phase DC motor 50 by the Hall IC 52 and calculates the current rotational speed.

[0054] In S14, the braking start determination unit 13 refers to the speed table to determine whether the remaining number of pulses is less than the number of pulses required for braking the current rotational speed of the three-phase DC motor 50. That is, it determines whether it is possible to decelerate exactly to the stop position by starting braking from the current position. Here, the remaining number of pulses means the number of pulses until rotation stops, and is obtained by subtracting the number of pulses moved after starting the stop operation from the number of generated pulses.

[0055] In the case of No in S14 (when braking is not started), it transitions to S15 and continues the rotation of the three-phase DC motor 50. In S15, the PWM signal output unit 16 outputs a PWM signal corresponding to the speed specified from the microcomputer 20 based on the drive pulses to the motor driver 30.

[0056] In S16, the motor driver 30 excites the coil 51 based on the detection results (Hu·Hv·Hw) of the Hall IC 52 and continues the rotation of the three-phase DC motor 50. Then, it transitions to S13 and loops until the condition of S14 is satisfied.

[0057] In the case of Yes in S14 (when braking is started), it transitions to S17 and starts braking to stop. In S17, the braking start determination unit 13 outputs a signal during braking to the PWM signal output unit 16. The PWM signal output unit 16 outputs a fixed PWM signal for braking to the motor driver 30.

[0058] In S18, the motor driver 30 excites the coil 51 based on the detection results (Hu·Hv·Hw) of the Hall IC 52 and brakes the three-phase DC motor 50.

[0059] In S19, a stop determination process is performed and the operation stops.

[0060] (Outline of the stop process) FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the stop determination process of the three-phase DC motor control device 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the current speed and the voltage applied to the coil 51 in the stop operation of the three-phase DC motor control device 1 according to Embodiment 1.

[0061] Different stop processes are performed according to the remaining number of pulses until rotation stops and the rotational speed of the three-phase DC motor 50.

[0062] In S21, it is determined whether the current speed of the three-phase DC motor 50 is zero.

[0063] If the answer in S21 is No (when the three-phase DC motor 50 is rotating), the process proceeds to S22. In S22, it is determined whether the remaining number of pulses until rotation stops is zero.

[0064] If the answer in S22 is No (when the remaining number of pulses is not zero), the process returns to S21 and loops until the conditions of S21 or S22 are satisfied.

[0065] (Stop process 1) First, the stop process 1 when braking and stopping at the stop position is shown.

[0066] If the answer in S21 is Yes (when the three-phase DC motor 50 has stopped), the process proceeds to S23. In S23, it is determined whether the remaining number of pulses until rotation stops is zero.

[0067] If the answer in S23 is Yes (when the remaining number of pulses is zero), the process proceeds to S24. In S24, the adjustment start determination unit 14 outputs an adjustment mode.

[0068] In S25, the PWM signal output unit 16 PWM outputs the fixed value of the stop holding voltage to the motor driver 30.

[0069] In S26, in the adjustment mode based on the detection results (Hu / Hv / Hw) of the Hall IC 52, the motor driver 30 energizes the coil 51 for a predetermined time to finely adjust the three-phase DC motor 50. In the adjustment mode, the stop position can be stopped at a desired position. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the energization is released.

[0070] The stop process 1 is for the case of the rotation speed graph 71 and the applied voltage graph 72 in FIG. 9, and is a graph showing the case where deceleration starts gradually after braking starts and stops as planned at the stop position. Until time t1, it rotates at a constant speed, and during this time, a positive voltage is applied to the coil 51. From time t1 to t2, it is in the braking state, and a predetermined constant negative voltage is applied. Rotation stops at time t2. From time t2 to t3, it is the stop holding period, and a predetermined constant positive voltage is applied.

[0071] For example, when braking in the normal mode to stop at No1 in the CW rotation and stopping at No1, the remaining pulse count is zero, and it becomes the stop process 1 and shifts to the adjustment mode. In this case, since the current position is No1, the detection result of the Hall IC 52 is Hu / Hv / Hw = H / L / H, so it is converted to Hu / Hv / Hw = L / H / H by the Hall IC signal switching unit 15. Therefore, the motor driver 30 energizes the U phase with VDD, the V phase with Hi - z, and the W phase with PWM, and stops at the stop position of No1.

[0072] (Stop process 2) Next, the stop process 2 when it stops without being able to brake to the stop position is shown.

[0073] If it is Yes in S22 (when the remaining pulse count is zero), it transitions to S31. In S31, the adjustment start determination unit 14 outputs the adjustment mode.

[0074] Thereafter, it transitions to S25, energizes the coil 51 in the adjustment mode for the stop holding period, and ends the stop process.

[0075] In the stop process 2, it is the case of the rotation speed graph 73 and the applied voltage graph 72 in FIG. 9, which shows a graph where deceleration starts gradually after braking is initiated, but there is still a rotation speed at the stop position without complete deceleration. Up to time t1, it rotates at a constant speed, and during this period, a positive voltage is applied to the coil 51. From time t1 to t2, it is in the braking state, and a predetermined constant negative voltage is applied. Rotation stops at time t2. From time t2 to t3, it is the stop holding period, and a predetermined constant positive voltage is applied.

[0076] For example, even if braking is performed in the normal mode to stop at No1 in the CW rotation and it does not stop at No1, the remaining pulse count is zero, and it enters the stop process 2 and shifts to the adjustment mode. In this case, since the current position is No1, the detection result of the hall IC 52 is Hu / Hv / Hw = H / L / H, so it is converted to Hu / Hv / Hw = L / H / H by the hall IC signal switching unit 15. Therefore, the motor driver 30 excites the U phase with VDD, the V phase with Hi - z, and the W phase with PWM, and stops at the stop position of No1.

[0077] (Stop process 3) Furthermore, the stop process 3 in the case of braking and stopping before the stop position is shown.

[0078] In S23, in the case of No (when the remaining pulse count is not zero), it transitions to S32. In S32, the adjustment start determination unit 14 outputs the adjustment mode.

[0079] In S33, the remaining pulse count is set to the result of subtracting the number of pulses moved after starting the stop operation from the number of generated pulses.

[0080] In S34, the PWM signal output unit 16 outputs the fixed value of the stop holding voltage to the motor driver 30 as PWM.

[0081] In S35, the Hall IC signal switching unit 15 obtains the Hu / Hv / Hw in the adjustment mode when the current rotation is advanced by the remaining number of pulses with respect to the detection result (Hu / Hv / Hw) of the Hall IC 52 at the current rotation angle, and outputs it to the motor driver 30. The motor driver 30 excites the coil 51 according to the input Hu / Hv / Hw and moves it to a predetermined stop position.

[0082] Thereafter, it transitions to S25, excites the coil 51 in the adjustment mode for the stop holding period, and ends the stop process.

[0083] In the stop process 3, it is the case of the rotation speed graph 74 and the applied voltage graph 75 in FIG. 9, and it is a graph showing the case where deceleration starts gradually after starting braking and deceleration occurs before the stop position. Up to time t1, it rotates at a constant speed, and during this time, a positive voltage is applied to the coil 51. From time t1 to t4, it is in braking, and a predetermined constant negative voltage is applied, and the rotation stops once at time t4. From time t4 to t2, rotation is started again so that it can stop again at the planned stop position, and it reaches and stops at the planned stop position at time t2. During this time, a predetermined constant positive voltage is applied. From time t2 to t3, it is the stop holding period, and a predetermined constant positive voltage is applied.

[0084] For example, when braking in the normal mode to stop at No1 in the CW rotation and stopping at the previous No6, the remaining number of pulses is 1, and it becomes the stop process 3 and shifts to the adjustment mode. In this case, since the current position is No6, the detection result of the Hall IC 52 is Hu / Hv / Hw = L / L / H, but by the Hall IC signal switching unit 15, Hu / Hv / Hw is converted to Hu / Hv / Hw = L / H / H after performing phase conversion in the adjustment mode at the phase advanced by the remaining number of pulses (corresponding to No1). Therefore, the motor driver 30 excites the U phase with VDD, the V phase with Hi - z, and the W phase with PWM, and stops at the stop position of No1.

[0085] §4 Operation and Effect In the control system 100 of this embodiment, the adjustment start determination unit can switch the operation mode from the normal mode to the adjustment mode based on the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor 50 and the remaining number of pulses to the stop position of the three-phase DC motor.

[0086] In the stop control unit, in the adjustment mode, the excitation method to the coil 51 can be changed from the normal mode so that the stop position can be finely adjusted.

[0087] Specifically, instead of exciting the coil 51 based on the current rotation angle derived by the Hall IC 52, the coil 51 derived by the conversion table can be excited. That is, by passing through the conversion table, excitation in a phase different from that during rotation can be performed on the coil 51, and positioning torque and holding torque at the moment immediately before stopping when the remaining number of pulses becomes zero can be generated.

[0088] The conversion table generates a torque that rotates the current rotation direction of the three-phase DC motor 50 in the reverse direction and generates a holding torque, but it is necessary to use different conversion tables for CW rotation (forward rotation) and CCW rotation (reverse rotation).

[0089] Also, even if braking is performed earlier than the stop position and it stops once, in order to stop at the original stop position, it can be rotated again in the adjustment mode, stopped at the original stop position, and the holding torque can be applied and held.

[0090] (Supplementary matter) FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the difference in the stop position due to the difference in the rotation direction of the three-phase DC motor 50 according to the reference example.

[0091] This is shown for the case where No2 is the target stop position. When rotating from No1 to No2 in the CW rotation, there is Pattern 1 which determines that the stop position has been reached from the state of the hall IC, and when rotating from No3 to No2 in the CCW rotation, there is Pattern 2 which determines that the stop position has been reached from the state of the hall IC. As shown in Fig. 10, in Pattern 1, it stops at the stop position 91, and in Pattern 2, it stops at the stop position 92. There are cases where the state of the hall IC does not change depending on the rotation direction, but the stop position changes.

[0092] This is to excite the holding voltage to the coil 51 according to the conversion table of Fig. 6. In Pattern 1, the U phase is Hi-z, the V phase is VDD, the W phase is PWM, current flows from the V phase to the W phase, the V phase becomes the S pole, the W phase becomes the N pole, and it stops at the position attracted to the rotor 56 (No2-cw in Fig. 10). On the other hand, in Pattern 2, the U phase is PWM, the V phase is VDD, the W phase is Hi-z, current flows from the V phase to the U phase, the V phase becomes the S pole, the U phase becomes the N pole, and it stops at the position attracted to the rotor 56 (No2-ccw in Fig. 10). Even if the remaining number of pulses is the same, the excitation method of the coil 51 is different depending on the rotation direction, the magnetic field changes, so the situation where the coil 51 and the rotor 56 attract each other is also different, and the stop position is also different.

[0093] 〔Embodiment 2〕 Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0094] §1 Application Example In a rotating drum gaming machine (gaming machine), when the accuracy of the stop position of the rotating reel (reel) is poor, the symbols on the reel may stop shifted. In this case, it will significantly reduce the player's interest.

[0095] Therefore, by using a three-phase DC motor for the rotation of the reel, the stop position of the reel of the rotating drum gaming machine can be controlled, without reducing the player's interest.

[0096] §2 Configuration Example FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a main part of the rotating drum gaming machine 60 according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a main part of the rotating drum gaming machine 60 according to Embodiment 2.

[0097] The rotating drum gaming machine 60 includes a medal insertion slot 61, a start lever 62, a stop button 63, a drum unit 64, a medal discharge port 65, a gaming machine control unit 81, and a gaming machine acquisition unit 83.

[0098] The drum unit 84 is composed of three rotating reels 64a to 64c. Each reel is provided with a three-phase DC motor 50 and a motor control device 1 respectively. The number of reels constituting the drum unit 64 is not limited to three, and at least one is sufficient. The medal insertion slot 61, the start lever 62, the stop button 63, and the medal discharge port 65 are collectively referred to as the gaming machine operation unit 82.

[0099] By inserting medals into the medal insertion slot 61, the rotating drum gaming machine 60 can be operated. The number of operations is determined by the number of inserted medals.

[0100] By operating the start lever 62, each of the reels 64a to 64c in the drum unit 64 starts to rotate.

[0101] The stop buttons 63 are provided in the number corresponding to the number of reels of the drum unit 64. Here, there are three stop buttons, denoted as 63a to 63c. By pressing the stop button 63a, the rotation of the reel 64a stops; by pressing the stop button 63b, the rotation of the reel 64b stops; and by pressing the stop button 63c, the rotation of the reel 64c stops.

[0102] The reels 64a to 64c are the reels that determine the gaming result of the rotating drum gaming machine 60. A plurality of symbols are printed on the outer periphery of the reels. The reels 64a to 64c can be individually rotated by the three-phase DC motors 50. A speed reducer may be provided between the three-phase DC motors 50 and the reels 64a to 64c.

[0103] The medal discharge port 65 is a dedicated port for discharging unused medals.

[0104] The gaming machine control unit 81 comprehensively controls each part of the rotary gaming machine 60. Receiving the input search result of the player, it controls the motor control device 1.

[0105] The gaming machine operation unit 82 is the part where the player operates the rotary gaming machine 60. It can perform medal insertion / discharge and reel operation.

[0106] The gaming machine acquisition unit 83 acquires the operation of the player on the rotary gaming machine 60 by the gaming machine operation unit 82. The acquired operation content is output to the gaming machine control unit 81.

[0107] §3 Operation Example The rotary gaming machine 60 performs the following control by the gaming machine control unit 81.

[0108] When the player inserts medals into the medal insertion port 61 and operates the start lever 62, the reels 64a to 64c start to rotate. By pressing the stop buttons 63a to 63c, the corresponding reel stops rotating. When the player finishes the game, the unused medals are discharged from the medal discharge port 65 and collected.

[0109] When the motor control device 1 operates only in the normal mode and not in the adjustment mode, after braking and stopping, since the stop holding voltage is not output, the stop position of the reel may shift as shown in FIG. 13 (the situations of 64b and 64c in FIG. 13). Here, FIG. 13 is a reference diagram of the drum unit 64 at the time of stopping according to Embodiment 2. In such a case, since the stop positions of the reels 64a to 64c are shifted, it is considered that the player's interest will be significantly impaired.

[0110] On the other hand, when the stop holding voltage is output in the adjustment mode, the state shown in Fig. 13 is not reached at the time of stop, and each reel stops at a predetermined stop position, that is, the symbol stops at a predetermined position (the situation of 64a in Fig. 13). Therefore, the player's interest is not impaired.

[0111] §4 Operation and Effect By controlling the three-phase DC motors 50 provided on the reels 64a to 64c with the motor control device 1, the stop position can be limited even in a section where the detection result of the Hall IC 52 does not change depending on the adjustment mode. Therefore, the plurality of reels 64a to 64c can be stopped without stopping at stop positions where their symbols are misaligned, and the player's interest is not impaired.

[0112] (Supplementary Matters) Note that the rotary gaming machine 60 may further include sub-reels in addition to the reels 64a to 64c as main reels. The sub-reel is provided in the rotary gaming machine 60 separately from the main reel in order to perform an effect that appeals to the player's vision, hearing, or sense in order to enhance the player's interest.

[0113] And in the rotary gaming machine 60 provided with sub-reels, it is preferable to further include a three-phase DC motor 50 used for rotating the sub-reel and a motor control device 1 for controlling the three-phase DC motor 50. Since the functions of the three-phase DC motor 50 and the motor control device 1 corresponding to the sub-reel are the same as the functions of the three-phase DC motor 50 and the motor control device 1 corresponding to each of the reels 64a to 64c, detailed description is omitted.

[0114] [Example of Realization by Software] The control blocks of the motor control device 1 (particularly the adjustment start determination unit 14 and the Hall IC signal switching unit 15) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software.

[0115] In the latter case, the motor control device 1 includes a computer that executes instructions of a program, which is software for realizing each function. This computer includes, for example, one or more processors and a computer-readable recording medium storing the above program. Then, in the above computer, when the above processor reads and executes the above program from the above recording medium, the object of the present invention is achieved. As the above processor, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used. As the above recording medium, in addition to "non-transitory tangible media" such as ROM (Read Only Memory), a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, etc. can be used. Further, it may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the above program. Further, the above program may be supplied to the above computer via any transmission medium (communication network, broadcast wave, etc.) capable of transmitting the program. Note that one aspect of the present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the above program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[0116] [Supplementary Notes] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0117] 1 Motor control device 12 Sensor interface unit (rotation state monitoring unit) 14 Adjustment start determination unit 15 Hall IC signal switching unit (stop control unit) 50 Three-phase DC motor 60 Rotating body gaming machine (gaming machine) 64a~64c Reels

Claims

1. A reel, A three-phase DC motor for rotating the reel, A game machine comprising a motor control device for controlling the three-phase DC motor, The motor control device, When braking the rotation of the three-phase DC motor, an adjustment start determination unit that determines whether to start adjusting the rotation stop position of the three-phase DC motor based on the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor and the remaining number of pulses until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops; A stop control unit that performs rotation control by exciting each phase of the three-phase DC motor to stop the three-phase DC motor at a desired rotation stop position when the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor becomes zero and the adjustment start determination unit determines to start the adjustment based on the remaining number of pulses until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops being zero, The stop control unit performs the rotation control based on a signal obtained by converting an output signal of a rotation state monitoring unit that monitors the rotation state of the three-phase DC motor with reference to at least one previously prepared table. A game machine.

2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the table referred to by the stop control unit when the rotation of the three-phase DC motor is forward rotation is different from the table referred to by the stop control unit when the rotation of the three-phase DC motor is reverse rotation.

3. The adjustment start determination unit notifies the stop control unit of the remaining number of pulses, The game machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stop control unit advances the rotation of the three-phase DC motor by an amount of rotation corresponding to the remaining number of pulses.

4. The stop control unit determines that the three-phase DC motor has reached the desired rotation stop position when rotating from a first range in which a first input signal is input to the rotation state monitoring unit to a second range in which a second input signal is input to the rotation state monitoring unit. The desired rotation stop position is the position closest to the first range within the second range. The second input signal is different from the first input signal, and the second range is adjacent to the first range. The game machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A reel, A control method for a game machine comprising a three-phase DC motor for rotating the reel, Including a motor control step of controlling the three-phase DC motor, The motor control step, When braking the rotation of a three-phase DC motor, an adjustment start determination step of determining whether to start adjusting the rotation stop position of the three-phase DC motor based on the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor and the remaining number of pulses until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops. When it is determined in the adjustment start determination step to start the adjustment based on the fact that the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor becomes zero and the remaining number of pulses until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops becomes zero, a stop control step of performing rotation control by exciting each phase of the three-phase DC motor to stop the three-phase DC motor at a desired rotation stop position. A control method for a gaming machine that performs the rotation control based on a signal obtained by converting an output signal of a rotation state monitoring unit that monitors the rotation state of the three-phase DC motor in the stop control step with reference to at least one previously prepared table.

6. The stop control step determines that the three-phase DC motor has reached the desired rotation stop position when rotating from a first range in which a first input signal is input to the rotation state monitoring unit to a second range in which a second input signal is input to the rotation state monitoring unit. The desired rotation stop position is the position closest to the first range within the second range. The second input signal is different from the first input signal, and the second range is adjacent to the first range. The control method for a gaming machine according to claim 5.

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