Display device and gaming machine

Abstract

To provide a display device capable of changing patterns displayed according to a relative positional relation between observers with respect to the display device.SOLUTION: A display device has a light guide plate 2 displaying a plurality of patterns (21-1 to 21-3) by light emitted from a light source 3. The light guide plate 2 has a plurality of prisms 11 which are aligned along the respective patterns on one side surface 2b and reflect light emitted from the light source 3 and incident into the light guide plate 2 from an incident surface 2a so as to emit it from the other side surface 2c of the light guide plate 2 to display the patterns. The plurality of patterns are aligned in a predetermined direction, and emission points (22-1 to 22-3) respectively corresponding to the plurality of patterns are set so as to be aligned in a row along an aligning order of the plurality of patterns in a longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2a. The respective prisms aligned along the respective patterns are formed so as to face the corresponding emission points.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device capable of displaying a pattern using a light guide plate, and to a gaming machine having such a display device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a display device has been proposed in which a plurality of prisms are arranged in a light guide plate along a predetermined pattern, and light emitted from a light source and propagating through the light guide plate is reflected by the plurality of prisms toward a viewer to display the predetermined pattern. For such a display device, a technique has been proposed for reducing the difference in brightness of the displayed pattern depending on the viewing direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] For example, the display device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a light source that emits visible light, a light guide plate formed in the shape of a plate that is transparent to visible light, and a controller that controls the on / off of the light source. The light guide plate has an incident surface formed on one side of its side wall that faces the light source, and a plurality of prisms arranged in a predetermined pattern on one surface of the light guide plate, each having a reflective surface that reflects visible light that is emitted from the light source and enters the light guide plate from the incident surface toward the other surface of the light guide plate. The plurality of prisms are arranged so that the reflective surfaces of two prisms that are separated by a predetermined pitch face the same direction, and the reflective surfaces of two prisms that are closer than the predetermined pitch face in different directions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-122171 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above technology, even if the observer's position relative to the light guide plate changes, the pattern that the observer can see remains unchanged. Therefore, the content displayed by the display device may become monotonous. However, in some cases, a more diverse display may be required from the display device.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a display device that is capable of changing the pattern that can be viewed by an observer depending on the relative position of the observer with respect to the display device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides a display device. The display device includes a light source and a light guide plate formed of a transparent member, having an incident surface facing the light source, and displaying multiple patterns using light emitted from the light source. The light guide plate has, on one surface thereof, multiple prisms arranged along each of the multiple patterns, and the multiple prisms reflect light emitted from the light source and entering the light guide plate through the incident surface so that the light is emitted from the light source and exits the light guide plate from the other surface of the light guide plate, thereby displaying the pattern. The multiple patterns are arranged in a predetermined direction, and radiation points corresponding to each of the multiple patterns are set to be aligned in a line in the longitudinal direction of the incident surface in the order of the multiple patterns. For each of the multiple patterns, the multiple prisms arranged along that pattern are formed to directly face the radiation point corresponding to that pattern. With this configuration, the display device can change the pattern that the viewer can see depending on the relative position of the viewer with respect to the display device.

[0008] In this display device, it is preferable that each of the multiple patterns has a similar shape, that the centers of gravity of each of the multiple patterns coincide, and that each of the multiple patterns is arranged so that the specified direction is a radial direction from the position of the coincident center of gravity of each pattern. This allows the display device to change the size of the pattern visible to the observer in accordance with a change in the relative positional relationship of the observer with respect to the display device.

[0009] Alternatively, in this display device, it is preferable that the plurality of patterns have the same shape as each other and are arranged so as to be shifted by a predetermined interval along a predetermined direction. This allows the display device to change the position of the pattern visible to the observer in accordance with a change in the relative positional relationship of the observer with respect to the display device.

[0010] Furthermore, in this display device, it is preferable that the light guide plate further displays a second pattern using light emitted from the light source, and that it has a plurality of second prisms arranged on one surface of the light guide plate along the second pattern, and that reflect light that is emitted from the light source and enters the light guide plate from the incident surface so that the light exits from the other surface of the light guide plate, thereby displaying the second pattern. In this case, it is preferable that each of the plurality of second prisms is formed so that two or more of the plurality of second prisms face in different directions within a predetermined angular range centered on a direction directly facing the light source. This allows the display device to simultaneously display a pattern that changes in accordance with changes in the relative position of the observer with respect to the display device, and a pattern that appears the same regardless of changes in the relative position, thereby enabling the display device to realize a greater variety of ways of displaying patterns.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gaming machine comprising a gaming machine main body, a display device provided on a surface of the gaming machine main body facing a player, and an effect control device that outputs a control signal to the display device according to the state of the game. In this gaming machine, the display device comprises a light source, a light guide plate formed of a transparent material and having an entrance surface facing the light source, which displays multiple patterns using light emitted from the light source, and a control unit that controls the light source to be turned on or off in accordance with a control signal received from the effect control device. The light guide plate has multiple prisms arranged on its surface facing the gaming machine main body, for each of multiple patterns, that reflect light emitted from the light source and entering the light guide plate from the entrance surface so that the light is emitted from the light source and exits from the surface facing the player. The multiple patterns are arranged in a predetermined direction, and radiation points corresponding to each of the multiple patterns are set to be aligned in a line in the longitudinal direction of the entrance surface in the order of the multiple patterns, and for each of the multiple patterns, the multiple prisms arranged along that pattern are formed to face directly against the radiation point corresponding to that pattern. With this configuration, the gaming machine can change the pattern that can be seen by the observer depending on the relative position of the observer with respect to the display device of the gaming machine. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a light guide plate included in the display device. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the light guide plate taken along the line indicated by the arrow AA′ in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are schematic front views of a light guide plate showing modified examples of pattern arrangement. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of a light guide plate showing yet another modified example of the pattern arrangement. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the light guide plate taken along the line indicated by the arrow BB' in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pinball game machine having a display device according to an embodiment or a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. This display device includes a light guide plate formed into a plate shape from a material transparent to visible light emitted by a light source. The light guide plate is positioned so that one of its two surfaces (hereinafter referred to as the front surface) faces the viewer. At least one of the side surfaces surrounding the front surface of the light guide plate is formed as an incident surface facing the light source. Meanwhile, the other of the two surfaces of the light guide plate (hereinafter referred to as the back surface) is formed with a plurality of prisms arranged according to a pattern to be displayed by the display device. The plurality of prisms reflect light emitted from the light source and entering the light guide plate so that it exits the light guide plate from the front surface of the light guide plate, causing the pattern to appear to glow to the viewer. In this display device, the light guide plate is provided with a plurality of patterns such as those described above, and the plurality of patterns have the same or similar shapes and are arranged in a line along a predetermined direction. For each pattern, the prisms arranged along that pattern are arranged in a plane parallel to the rear surface of the light guide plate so that the reflecting surfaces of the prisms directly face a point (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as the radiation point) near the incident surface of the light guide plate. The radiation points corresponding to each pattern are also arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the incident surface in accordance with the arrangement order of the patterns. Therefore, the direction in which light from the light source is reflected differs for each pattern, and this display device can select a pattern visible to an observer according to the observer's position relative to the light guide plate of the display device. In other words, this display device can change the pattern visible to the observer as the observer's viewpoint moves relative to the light guide plate.

[0014] 1 is a schematic diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display device 1 includes a light guide plate 2, a light source 3, and a control circuit 4.

[0015] The light guide plate 2 is a plate-shaped member that is transparent to visible light emitted from the light source 3. The light guide plate 2 is formed by molding a resin that is transparent to visible light, such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate, or cycloolefin polymer. The light guide plate 2 is provided with a plurality of patterns 21-1 to 21-n that correspond to the light sources 3 and can be displayed when the corresponding light sources are turned on. In this embodiment, three star-shaped patterns 21-1 to 21-3 that are similar to each other are provided (i.e., n=3). The patterns 21-1 to 21-3 are arranged so that their centers of gravity coincide. In other words, the patterns 21-1 to 21-3 are arranged in radial directions from the position of the coincident center of gravity. In this example, of the three patterns 21-1 to 21-3, pattern 21-1 is the smallest and pattern 21-3 is the largest. However, the number of patterns that can be displayed on the light guide plate 2 is not limited to three, and the arrangement of the patterns and the shape of each pattern are not limited to the example shown in FIG.

[0016] While the light source 3 is turned on, the light guide plate 2 propagates light from the light source 3 inside and reflects the light toward a viewer positioned on the front side by a plurality of prisms (described in detail later) formed on the back side and arranged to form patterns 21-1 to 21-3. This makes the patterns 21-1 to 21-3 appear to be luminous on the front side of the light guide plate 2. In this embodiment, the light guide plate 2 is configured so that the positions at which the patterns 21-1 to 21-3 can be viewed are different for each of the patterns. The light guide plate 2 will be described in detail later.

[0017] The light source 3 has at least one light emitting element that emits visible light. In this embodiment, the light source 3 is disposed so as to face an incident surface 2a formed on one side surface of the light guide plate 2.

[0018] While the control circuit 4 turns on the light source 3, light emitted from the turned-on light source 3 enters the light guide plate 2 through the incident surface 2a. After propagating through the light guide plate 2, the incident light is reflected by a plurality of prisms arranged along each of the patterns 21-1 to 21-3 provided on the back surface of the light guide plate 2, and then exits from the front surface of the light guide plate 2. Therefore, to an observer positioned in front of the light guide plate 2, each of the patterns 21-1 to 21-3 appears to glow.

[0019] The light emitting element of the light source 3 is, for example, a light emitting diode. When the light source 3 has a plurality of light emitting elements, the light emitting elements may emit the same light or different light colors.

[0020] The control circuit 4 is an example of a control unit and includes, for example, a processor, a memory, a drive circuit for driving the light source 3, and a communication interface for communicating with other devices. The control circuit 4 controls the on / off of the light source 3 according to light source control information received from other devices or pre-stored in the memory. For example, the control circuit 4 turns on the light source 3 when the patterns 21-1 to 21-3 are to be visible to a viewer positioned in front of the light guide plate 2. On the other hand, the control circuit 4 turns off the light source 3 when the patterns 21-1 to 21-3 are to be hidden from the viewer. The control circuit 4 can change the brightness of the displayed patterns 21-1 to 21-3 by changing the emission luminance of the light source 3. Furthermore, when the light source 3 has multiple light-emitting elements with different emission colors, the control circuit 4 can change the color of the displayed patterns 21-1 to 21-3 by switching which light-emitting elements are turned on. Furthermore, the control circuit 4 may set, according to the lighting control information, the timing for turning on and off the light source 3, the timing for changing the light emission brightness of the light source 3 or the timing for switching the light emitting element that emits light among the multiple light emitting elements that the light source 3 has.

[0021] The light guide plate 2 will be described in detail below.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the light guide plate 2. FIG. 3 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the light guide plate 2 taken along the line indicated by the arrow AA' in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, one of the side surfaces of the light guide plate 2 is formed as the incident surface 2a facing the light source 3. As described above, light emitted from the light source 3 enters the light guide plate 2 from the incident surface 2a. The light from the light source 3 that has propagated through the light guide plate 2 is then totally reflected by a plurality of prisms 11 that are arranged along each of the patterns 21-1 to 21-3 formed on the back surface 2b of the light guide plate 2, and then exits from the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2.

[0023] Each of the prisms 11 is formed, for example, as a substantially triangular groove having a predetermined length and a predetermined depth on the rear surface 2b. Each of the prisms 11 has a reflective surface that forms a predetermined angle with respect to the rear surface 2b. The predetermined angle is set to an angle at which light from the light source 3 that enters the light guide plate 2 is totally reflected and directed toward the front surface 2c, for example, to form an angle of 40° to 50° with respect to the rear surface 2b. The predetermined length is set to a length that allows multiple prisms to be arranged within the patterns 21-1 to 21-3, for example, about 100 μm to several mm. Furthermore, the predetermined depth is set to a length that prevents an observer from distinguishing individual prisms 11, for example, about several tens of μm to several hundreds of μm.

[0024] The multiple prisms 11 are arranged along patterns 21-1 to 21-3 to form the patterns 21-1 to 21-3. Furthermore, each of the multiple prisms 11 is formed so that its reflecting surface faces a radiation point set for the pattern in which the prisms are arranged. That is, for each of patterns 21-1 to 21-3, the prisms 11 arranged along that pattern are arranged concentrically around the radiation point corresponding to that pattern. In this embodiment, three radiation points 22-1 to 22-3 are set to be aligned in a row at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2a. Of these radiation points, radiation point 22-1 corresponds to pattern 21-1, radiation point 22-2 corresponds to pattern 21-2, and radiation point 22-3 corresponds to pattern 21-3. To prevent a situation in which the observer cannot see any of the patterns even when the light source 3 is turned on, it is preferable that each radiation point be set so that the light source 3 is located between the two radiation points located at both ends. In this example, radiation point 22-2 is set at the position of light source 3. Furthermore, radiation point 22-1 is set to the left of light source 3 when viewed from the front side of light guide plate 2. Conversely, radiation point 22-3 is set to the right of light source 3 when viewed from the front side of light guide plate 2. Furthermore, it is preferable that each radiation point be set so that no light source other than light source 3 is included in the section connecting the two radiation points at both ends. For example, even if patterns other than patterns 21-1 to 21-3 are provided on light guide plate 2, it is preferable that each radiation point be set so that the light source illuminating the other patterns does not overlap with the section connecting the two radiation points at both ends. This prevents light from a light source other than light source 3 from making patterns 21-1 to 21-3 visible from unexpected positions.

[0025] Therefore, the reflective surface of each prism 11 arranged along pattern 21-2 faces directly toward light source 3. Therefore, as indicated by arrow 201, these prisms 11 reflect light emitted from light source 3 and propagating through light guide plate 2 in a direction substantially parallel to the normal direction to front surface 2c. Therefore, while light source 3 is on, an observer can see pattern 21-2 when viewing light guide plate 2 from a position close to the front of light guide plate 2. In contrast, each prism 11 arranged along pattern 21-1 faces radiation point 22-1 set to the left of light source 3. Therefore, as indicated by arrow 202, these prisms 11 reflect light emitted from light source 3 and propagating through light guide plate 2 in a direction left of the normal direction to front surface 2c. Therefore, while light source 3 is on, an observer can see pattern 21-1 when viewing light guide plate 2 from a position left of the front of light guide plate 2. Furthermore, each of the prisms 11 arranged along the pattern 21-3 faces directly toward the emission point 22-3 set to the right of the light source 3. Therefore, as shown by the arrow 203, these prisms 11 reflect the light emitted from the light source 3 and propagating through the light guide plate 2 to the right of the normal direction to the front surface 2c. Therefore, while the light source 3 is on, an observer can see the pattern 21-3 when viewing the light guide plate 2 from the right side of the front surface of the light guide plate 2.

[0026] As described above, when the observer moves his / her head from left to right with respect to the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2, the observer can view these patterns in the order of pattern 21-1 → pattern 21-2 → pattern 21-3. Therefore, in this case, when the observer moves his / her head from left to right with respect to the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2, the patterns seen by the observer gradually become larger. Conversely, when the observer moves his / her head from right to left with respect to the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2, the observer can view these patterns in the order of pattern 21-3 → pattern 21-2 → pattern 21-1. Therefore, in this case, when the observer moves his / her head from right to left with respect to the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2, the patterns seen by the observer gradually become smaller.

[0027] The positional relationship between each radiation point and the light source 3 is not limited to the above example. For example, the position of each radiation point may be set so that the radiation point 22-1 or the radiation point 22-3 coincides with the position of the light source 3. Alternatively, the position of each radiation point may be set so that the light source 3 is located between any two radiation points that are adjacent to each other.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the light guide plate 2 showing a modified pattern arrangement. In this modified example, three patterns 21-1 to 21-3 having the same shape are arranged so as to partially overlap one another when viewed from the front side of the light guide plate 2, and are arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2a, sequentially from the left, with a predetermined interval between them. In this modified example, three radiation points 22-1 to 22-3 are also set to be aligned in a row at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2a. Of these radiation points, radiation point 22-1 corresponds to pattern 21-1, radiation point 22-2 corresponds to pattern 21-2, and radiation point 22-3 corresponds to pattern 21-3. In this modified example, radiation point 22-2 is set at the position of the light source 3. Radiation point 22-1 is set to the right of light source 3 when viewed from the front side of the light guide plate 2. Conversely, the radiation point 22-3 is set to the left of the light source 3 when viewed from the front side of the light guide plate 2.

[0029] Furthermore, for each of patterns 21-1 to 21-3, each prism 11 arranged along that pattern is formed so that its reflective surface faces the radiation point set for that pattern. Therefore, while the light source 3 is on, the observer can see pattern 21-2 when viewing the light guide plate 2 from near the front of the light guide plate 2. On the other hand, while the light source 3 is on, the observer can see pattern 21-1 when viewing the light guide plate 2 from the right side of the front of the light guide plate 2. Furthermore, while the light source 3 is on, the observer can see pattern 21-3 when viewing the light guide plate 2 from the left side of the front of the light guide plate 2.

[0030] As described above, when the observer moves his / her head from right to left with respect to the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2, the observer can view these patterns in the order of pattern 21-1 → pattern 21-2 → pattern 21-3. Therefore, when the observer moves his / her head from right to left with respect to the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2, the patterns seen by the observer also gradually move to the right. Conversely, when the observer moves his / her head from left to right with respect to the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2, the observer can view these patterns in the order of pattern 21-3 → pattern 21-2 → pattern 21-1. Therefore, when the observer moves his / her head from left to right with respect to the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2, the patterns seen by the observer gradually move to the left.

[0031] In the modified example shown in FIG. 4, the sizes of the patterns do not have to be the same. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the patterns may have similar shapes but different sizes. Furthermore, the shapes of the patterns may be different from each other. In this case, the shape of the pattern visible to the observer changes as the observer's head position moves. Furthermore, the arrangement direction of the patterns is not limited to a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2a. For example, the patterns may be arranged at a predetermined interval along a direction forming an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2a or a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2a. Furthermore, the patterns are not limited to being arranged linearly, but may be arranged along a predetermined curve such as an arc, a radial line, or an objective lens. In either case, by moving the observer's head parallel to the longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2a, the display device 1 can change the pattern visible to the observer along the arrangement direction of the patterns.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the light guide plate 2 showing yet another modified example of the pattern arrangement. FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the light guide plate 2 taken along the line indicated by the arrow BB′ in FIG. 5. This modified example, unlike the modified example shown in FIG. 4, includes a pattern 23 in addition to the three patterns 21-1 to 21-3, each having the same shape. The pattern 23 is an example of a second pattern. A plurality of prisms 12 are arranged along the pattern 23 on the back surface 2b of the light guide plate 2. Each prism 12 is an example of a second prism, and is formed as a substantially triangular groove, similar to the prisms 11 arranged along the patterns 21-1 to 21-3. However, in the pattern 23, each prism 12 is formed such that its reflective surface is randomly tilted within a predetermined angular range centered on the direction directly facing the light source 3 on a plane parallel to the back surface 2b of the light guide plate 2. That is, two or more of the individual prisms 12 are formed so that they face in different directions within the predetermined angular range. Alternatively, as in the prior art described above, each prism 12 may be formed such that the reflective surfaces of two prisms 12 spaced apart by a predetermined pitch face the same direction, and the reflective surfaces of two prisms 12 closer than the predetermined pitch face different directions within a predetermined angular range. The predetermined angular range may be set according to the range of expected positions of the observer's head relative to the light guide plate 2, and may be set, for example, as an angular range of ±10° to ±30° on both sides of the direction directly facing the light source 3. Therefore, light emitted from the light source 3, entering the light guide plate 2, and propagating through the light guide plate 2 is reflected by each prism 12 and emitted in a divergent manner from the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2. Therefore, even if the observer moves the position of their head relative to the light guide plate 2, the pattern 23 appears to be in the same position. In contrast to this, as described above, when the observer moves his / her head from left to right or right to left relative to the front surface 2c of the light guide plate 2, the visible patterns among patterns 21-1 to 21-3 change, and therefore the patterns appear to the observer to move as the observer moves their head.Therefore, in this modified example, both patterns whose visible position changes with a change in the position of the viewer's head relative to the light guide plate 2 and patterns whose visible position does not change are displayed. This allows the display device 1 to display a wider variety of patterns. Note that the light emitting elements for displaying patterns 21-1 to 21-3 and the light emitting element for displaying pattern 23, which are included in the light source 3, may be provided separately.

[0033] 5 may be provided on the light guide plate 2 together with patterns 21-1 to 21-3 shown in FIG. 3, in which the size of a pattern visible to the observer changes as the observer changes his or her position relative to the light guide plate 2. In this case, both patterns whose visible size changes as the position of the observer's head relative to the light guide plate 2 changes and patterns whose visible size does not change are displayed. Therefore, similar to the above-described modified example, the display device 1 can display a wider variety of patterns.

[0034] It should be noted that in FIGS. 2 to 6, the size of each prism and the thickness of the light guide plate 2 are exaggerated to improve visibility of the drawings.

[0035] As described above, in this display device, for each of a plurality of patterns displayed on the light guide plate, a plurality of prisms are arranged along the pattern. Each prism is arranged so that its reflective surface faces a corresponding radiation point among radiation points set at different positions for each pattern. Therefore, light emitted from a light source and entering the light guide plate is reflected by the prisms arranged along each pattern in different directions for each pattern and exits from the front surface of the light guide plate. Therefore, the pattern visible to the observer varies depending on the relative position of the observer and the light guide plate. Therefore, this display device can change the pattern visible to the observer depending on the relative position of the observer with respect to the display device. That is, this display device can change the pattern visible to the observer as the observer's viewpoint moves with respect to the light guide plate.

[0036] The display device according to the above embodiment or modified example may be mounted on a gaming machine such as a pinball gaming machine or a slot machine. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a pinball game machine having a display device according to the above embodiment or modified example, as seen from the player's side. As shown in FIG. 7, the pinball game machine 100 has a game board 101, which is the game machine body and is provided in most of the area from the top to the center, a ball receiving section 102 provided below the game board 101, an operation section 103 provided with a handle, a liquid crystal display 104 provided approximately in the center of the game board 101, and a display device 105 arranged in front of the liquid crystal display 104.

[0037] The pinball game machine 100 also has accessories 106 that are arranged in front of the game board 101, below the game board 101, or around the display device 105, in order to create a game effect. Rails 107 are also arranged on the sides of the game board 101. A number of obstacle nails (not shown) and at least one winning device 108 are also provided on the game board 101.

[0038] The operation unit 103 launches game balls with a predetermined force from a launching device (not shown) in accordance with the amount of rotation of the handle operated by the player. The launched game ball moves upward along a rail 107 and falls between numerous obstacle pegs. When a sensor (not shown) detects that the game ball has entered one of the winning devices 108, a main control circuit (not shown) provided on the back of the game board 101 pays out a predetermined number of game balls corresponding to the winning device 108 into the ball receiving unit 102 via a ball payout device (not shown). The main control circuit also drives the liquid crystal display 104 and the display device 105 via a performance CPU (not shown), which is an example of a performance control device provided on the back of the game board 101. The performance CPU then outputs a control signal including lighting control information according to the game status to the display device 105.

[0039] The display device 105 is an example of a display device according to the above embodiment or modified example, and is attached to the gaming board 101 so that the front of the light guide plate faces the player and the light source is located above or below the light guide plate. The control circuit of the display device 105 turns on the light source in accordance with lighting control information included in the control signal from the performance CPU, thereby allowing the player to view the pattern along with the image displayed on the liquid crystal display 104. In this case, the player can change the pattern visible to the player by moving his or her head position left or right relative to the gaming board 101. The control circuit may also turn off the light source in accordance with the lighting control information, allowing the player to view only the image displayed on the liquid crystal display 104 through the light guide plate.

[0040] As described above, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the embodiments within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Display device 2 Light guide plate 2a Incidence plane 2b Back 2c front 3 light source 11 Prism 21-1~21-3 patterns 22-1~22-3 Radiation point 4 Control Circuit 100 Pinball Game Machine 101 Game Board 102 Ball receiving part 103 Operation section 104 LCD display 105 Display device 106 Special 107 Rail 108 Prize Winning Device

Claims

1. A light source and a light guide plate formed of a transparent member, having an incident surface facing the light source, and displaying a plurality of patterns using light emitted from the light source; a control unit that controls turning on or off the light source, The light guide plate is a plurality of prisms arranged on one surface of the light guide plate for each of the plurality of patterns, the prisms reflecting light emitted from the light source and incident on the light guide plate from the incident surface so as to be emitted from the other surface of the light guide plate, thereby displaying the pattern; the plurality of patterns are arranged in a line along a predetermined direction, and radiation points corresponding to the plurality of patterns are set to be aligned in a line along the longitudinal direction of the incident surface in the order of the arrangement of the plurality of patterns, and for each of the plurality of patterns, the plurality of prisms arranged along the pattern are formed to be directly opposite the radiation points corresponding to the pattern, At least one of the radiation points corresponding to each of the plurality of patterns is set at a position on the incident surface of the light guide plate that does not face the light source. Display device.

2. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of patterns has a shape similar to one another, and each of the plurality of patterns is arranged so that the centers of gravity of the respective patterns coincide with each other, and the predetermined direction is a radial direction from the position of the coincident centers of gravity.

3. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of patterns have the same shape as each other and are arranged at predetermined intervals along the predetermined direction.

4. the light guide plate further displays a second pattern by the light emitted from the light source, and includes a plurality of second prisms that are arranged on the one surface of the light guide plate along the second pattern and reflect the light that is emitted from the light source and enters the light guide plate from the incident surface so as to exit from the other surface of the light guide plate, thereby displaying the second pattern; The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the plurality of second prisms is formed so that two or more of the plurality of second prisms face in different directions from each other within a predetermined angular range centered on a direction directly facing the light source.

5. A gaming machine body, A display device provided on a surface of the gaming machine main body facing the player; a performance control device that outputs a control signal according to the game state to the display device; The display device includes: A light source and a light guide plate formed of a transparent member, having an incident surface facing the light source, and displaying a plurality of patterns using light emitted from the light source; a control unit that controls the light source to be turned on or off in accordance with the control signal received from the performance control device, The light guide plate is a plurality of prisms arranged along each of the plurality of patterns on the surface of the light guide plate facing the gaming machine body, the prisms reflecting light emitted from the light source and incident on the light guide plate from the incident surface so as to be emitted from the surface facing the player, thereby displaying the pattern; the plurality of patterns are arranged in a line along a predetermined direction, and radiation points corresponding to the plurality of patterns are set to be aligned in a line along the longitudinal direction of the incident surface in the order of the arrangement of the plurality of patterns, and for each of the plurality of patterns, the plurality of prisms arranged along the pattern are formed to be directly opposite the radiation points corresponding to the pattern, At least one of the radiation points corresponding to each of the plurality of patterns is set at a position on the incident surface of the light guide plate that does not face the light source. Gaming machine.

Images