Amusement park systems

Abstract

To reduce time and effort and load on a game parlor manager when taking over management information such as setting information and game information when game machines are relocated.SOLUTION: A management device imports relocation information stipulated by stipulation means and compares the imported relocation information to reference relocation information to identify relocated game machines, takes over management information of the game machines as targets and uses the relocation information stipulated by the stipulation means, thereby reducing time and effort and load on a game parlor manager when taking over management information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for an amusement park. [Background technology]

[0002] Gaming machines are installed in amusement parlors, but it is not uncommon for the placement of gaming machines to be rearranged, for example, when introducing new machines, by changing the placement of existing gaming machines and then installing the new machines in their previous locations. When rearranging gaming machines, it is desirable to transfer management information such as setting information and game information before and after the rearrangement. For example, Patent Document 1 shows an example of transferring information by manually inputting IDs such as machine numbers before and after the rearrangement of gaming machines. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-087466 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As mentioned above, rearrangements are not uncommon in amusement facilities, and sometimes large-scale rearrangements involving a large number of gaming machines are carried out. With the known configuration of manually inputting the machine numbers before and after the rearrangement, many amusement facility managers find it time-consuming, tedious, and burdensome.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an amusement facility system that can reduce the effort and burden on amusement facility managers involved in the process of transferring management information such as setting information and game information when gaming machines are rearranged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a gaming facility system in a gaming facility where a plurality of gaming machines are arranged, A placement management means (for example, a management device 6) that manages placement IDs (for example, machine numbers) for specifying placement locations of gaming machines in gaming facilities and gaming machine IDs (for example, board numbers) for identifying individual gaming machines in association with each other; an information management means (for example, a management device 6) that manages management information, which is at least one of setting information and game information required for managing the gaming machines placed at the placement locations, in association with the placement ID; A definition means (for example, a CSV file that defines the rearrangement information or an external device that defines the same, such as a USB memory or an SD card) that defines rearrangement information indicating the relationship between the rearrangement ID and the gaming machine ID after the rearrangement when rearranging the gaming machines in the gaming facility; an acquisition means (for example, a management device 6) for acquiring the rearrangement information defined by the definition means; The device is provided with a transfer means (e.g., management device 6) that identifies a gaming machine that has been rearranged by comparing the reference rearrangement information that indicates the relationship between the arrangement ID before rearrangement and the gaming machine ID managed by the arrangement management means with the rearrangement information imported by the import means, and transfers the management information associated with the rearrangement to the gaming machine.

[0007] According to the present invention, rearrangement information specified by the specification means is imported, and the imported rearrangement information is compared with the reference rearrangement information to identify the rearranged gaming machine, and management information is handed over to that gaming machine.Therefore, by utilizing the rearrangement information specified by the specification means, it is possible to reduce the effort and burden on the gaming facility manager involved in the process of handing over management information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an amusement park system according to one embodiment; [Figure 2] Front view of the gaming machine [Figure 3] A chart showing spec values ​​by mode [Figure 4]Front view of information display device [Figure 5] A diagram showing a list of raw data for model A [Figure 6] A diagram showing the compilation of game information for machine A [Figure 7] Diagram showing application form including reassignment information [Figure 8] Figure showing the settings screen when reassignment information is imported (at the time of system installation) [Figure 9] Figure showing the setting screen when relocation information is imported (second time onwards) [Figure 10] Figure showing the replacement model confirmation screen (all gaming machines) [Figure 11] Figure showing the replacement model confirmation screen (type: 4 yen gaming machine) [Figure 12] Lamp data maintenance screen [Figure 13] Figure showing the copy content confirmation screen DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a system for an amusement park. A large number of gaming machines 1 are arranged in the gaming facility A, and a gaming device 2 and an information display device 3 are arranged corresponding to each gaming machine 1. Two gaming machines 1, two gaming devices 2, and two information display devices 3 are each connected to a relay device 4, and the relay device 4 is connected to a management device 6 via a LAN 5.

[0010] In addition, a POS and a balance adjustment machine (both not shown) are also installed in the gaming facility A, and these POS and balance adjustment machines are also connected to the management device 6 via the LAN 5. Although not shown in Fig. 1, in reality, for example, several hundred gaming machines 1 are installed, and multiple gaming machine islands with different rental prices (rental rates) for gaming media are formed.

[0011] The management device 6 is installed in, for example, an office or the like within the gaming facility A. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the control unit of the management device 6 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having memory units such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and the control unit is connected to a keyboard 7, a monitor 8, a printer (not shown), etc., which are operated by the gaming facility manager. The management device 6 receives game signals output from the gaming machines (gaming machine 1, gaming device 2, etc.) and manages the game information for each gaming machine 1, personal data for each registered member, the operating status of gaming machine 1, gaming device 2, etc. The amusement facility manager refers to the manager of amusement facility A, and will be simply referred to as the "manager" below. Also, for simplicity, the control unit (placement management means, information management means, import means, handover means, and condition setting means) of the management device 6, which is the controlling entity, will be simply referred to as the "management device 6."

[0012] In the gaming center system, a configuration similar to the gaming machine 1, gaming device 2, relay device 4, LAN 5, and management device 6 installed in gaming center A is also installed in another gaming center (gaming center B in the example of Figure 1). 1 is installed separately from each of the game centers A and B, for example, outside the game center, and the management device 6 of each of the game centers A and B is connected to the server 10 via a public line 9 such as the Internet or a VPN connection. This allows the management device 6 of each of the game centers A and B to communicate various signals and information with the server 10.

[0013] The gaming machine 1 shown in Figure 2 is a so-called enclosed type CR (card reader) pachinko machine, which stores the number of game balls converted from the player's remaining balance, owned balls, and saved balls, and is configured to use the number of game balls to launch pachinko balls. In other words, the internal pachinko balls can be launched onto the board 11 by the launching device on the condition that the number of game balls stored in the gaming machine 1 remains.

[0014] As shown in the figure, the bottom of gaming machine 1 is provided with an operating handle 12 that constitutes a launching device that launches balls onto board 11, and below board 11 are arranged a loan button 13 for converting the balance into game balls, a return button 14 for issuing a recording medium, a balance display 15 that shows the balance, a game ball display 16 that shows the number of game balls, and a counting button 17 for converting game balls into held balls, and further below these is a decorative panel 18. Board 11 has a normal map display 19, a normal map reserve display 20, a special map display 21, a normal map winning slot 22, a first normal winning slot 23, a second normal winning slot 24, a first reserve number display 25, a second reserve number display 26, a first start slot 27, a second start slot 28, and a special winning slot 29.

[0015] The gaming machine 1 operates as follows. (1) The first starting port 27 is a winning port (a so-called center winning port) whose winning rate does not fluctuate, and the second starting port 28 is a winning port (a so-called electric chute) whose winning rate fluctuates. A jackpot lottery is held depending on the winning (starting winning) at each starting port 27, 28, and the result of the lottery is announced by a pattern change (unit game) performed on the special chart display unit 21. Depending on the result of the change, a jackpot or a small jackpot (specific state) is awarded.

[0016] (2) If a start win occurs during a pattern change, the pattern changes are cumulatively reserved up to a predetermined reserved upper limit (for example, 4 each), and the reserved pattern changes will start after the pattern change ends. Note that if a start win occurs when the number of reserved pattern changes (reserved number) is at the upper limit, the pattern change will not be reserved.

[0017] (3) There are six gaming machine setting values ​​(hereinafter, "modes"), and the winning probability of the jackpot lottery (jackpot probability) can be adjusted depending on the mode, as shown in Figure 3, for the normal game state (normal state, normal) and the probability variable state (probability variable state, probability variable). The probability variable rate, which is the percentage of jackpots that become probability variable after a jackpot (probability variable jackpot), is also determined (for example, 66%, common to all modes). While the jackpot probability is constant depending on the mode, at least one of the jackpot probability and probability variable rate, and the round allocation rate (described later) can be adjusted depending on the mode, so that the probability variable rate can be adjusted.

[0018] (4) When a jackpot occurs, the large prize slot 29 is opened for the corresponding round (R). The maximum number of prizes per round is 10, and the maximum opening period is 30 seconds. When either the maximum number of prizes or the maximum opening period is reached, one round ends. The corresponding round is also drawn in the same way as the jackpot lottery, and the distribution rate is 10% for 4R, 50% for 8R, and 40% for 15R when a prize is won in the first starting slot 27, but 10% for 4R and 90% for 15R when it is won in the second starting slot 28. The priority of reserved consumption of the symbol changes corresponding to the prize is set higher for the second starting slot 28 than for the first starting slot 27.

[0019] (5) During the probability variation, the probability of winning increases and the time-saving state (time-saving) is entered, which increases the winning rate of the second starting port 28. In addition, if a jackpot that is not a probability variation jackpot (normal jackpot) occurs, the time-saving state becomes non-probability variation (single time-saving) after the jackpot, and the time-saving state continues until the pattern changes for a predetermined number of time-saving times (for example, 100 times) or a jackpot occurs, and if the pattern changes for the number of time-saving times without a jackpot occurring, the state returns to the normal state.

[0020] (6) The second starting slot 28 enters an open state with a high winning rate when the normal symbol (normal symbol) that changes in response to winning into the normal symbol winning slot 22 becomes a winning symbol. In this case, the period for one normal symbol to change is 30 seconds in the normal state and 3 seconds in the time-saving state. Also, the opening period is 0.3 seconds in the normal state and 5 seconds in the time-saving state. In other words, in the time-saving state, the normal symbol change period is shorter than in the normal state, while the opening period is longer, resulting in a higher winning rate for the second starting slot 28.

[0021] (7) Since the big prize hole 29 and the second starting hole 28 are located on the right side of the board, during the time-saving period or during a jackpot, the ball is shot toward the right side of the board 11, which is called a right shot. The above explanation has been given using model A as an example, but the values ​​exemplified will vary depending on the model, for example, the allocation of rounds will be different for model B, and the gameplay will also differ.

[0022] The gaming machine 1 and the peripheral devices attached to the gaming machine 1 output the following gaming signals as the game progresses, such as when the player shoots a ball into each starting hole 27, 28 and the starting balls are entered. Out signal = A signal (operation signal) that can identify the consumption value (out) output from the gaming machine 1. Since one pulse is output for every 10 balls consumed (used, inserted, collected), the "number of out signals x 10" is identified as out. Note that if the balls are not enclosed, it may be a signal output from the out box that collects the consumed balls.

[0023] Safe signal = a signal that can identify the winning value (safe) output from the gaming machine 1. Since one pulse is output for every 10 balls paid out in response to a win, "number of safe signals x 10" is identified as safe. Note that the resupply signal output from the resupply device may also be used as the safe signal. Also, there are two types of safe signals: an actual safe signal that is output when balls are actually paid out, and a winning safe signal that is output when a payout is reserved in response to a win.

[0024] Start signal = A signal that can identify the start processing (pattern change, device operation, unit play) and start (number of start processing) in the special symbol display unit 21 (gimmick) that changes (operates) in response to the start winning (S winning) output from the gaming machine 1. Since it is output when the pattern change is confirmed, the start processing is identified according to the signal input. Note that it may also be substituted by an S winning signal that indicates that a win has been made in each start port 27, 28. Jackpot signal = a signal capable of identifying the jackpot period output from the gaming machine 1. Since it is a status signal that is output at a level during a jackpot, the jackpot period is identified as the period during which the jackpot signal is being input.

[0025] Special state signal = a signal that can identify a special state (sweet state) output from the gaming machine 1. Since it is a state signal that is output at a high level during a special state (during time-saving mode (including during special mode)) in which the winning rate of the second starting port 28 increases, the period during which the special state signal is input is identified as the special state. It may also be a signal that is output during a jackpot, in which case the period during which the special state signal is input but the jackpot signal is not input can be determined as the sweet state. Note that it may also be a state signal (special mode signal) that is output at a high level during special mode in which the jackpot probability increases. Furthermore, the period during which neither the jackpot signal nor the special state signal is input is identified as the normal state. ID signal = a signal capable of identifying the gaming machine ID unique to the gaming machine, output from the gaming machine 1. It may be a pulse signal or a data signal, and may be output, for example, when the power is turned on.

[0026] Although the above signals are exemplified by pulse signals and status signals, they may also be data signals that collectively or multiple pieces of gaming information are summarized in a telegram, and in this case, data may be aggregated in units of a predetermined period (e.g., 200 ms), and the data signal may be a telegram that can identify the aggregated data or the status at that time. In this case, it is desirable to configure the gaming information identified by data communication between the gaming machine 1 and the gaming device 2 to be transmitted to the management device 6 via the relay device 4.

[0027] The gaming device 2 shown in Figure 1 has a status indicator light 30 that indicates the gaming status of the gaming machine 1, a coin slot 31 into which coins (monetary value, valuables) are inserted, a camera 32 for player identification etc. (only the protective cover is shown in the same figure), a touch panel type LCD display 33 that accepts operation input from the player and displays various data such as the balance, number of balls held, number of balls saved, etc., and a card insertion slot 34 into which recording media such as a general card or membership card can be inserted.

[0028] The gaming device 2 operates as follows. (1) When currency is accepted (currency acceptance process), the amount of the deposit is added to the balance and displayed on both the gaming machine 1 and the gaming device 2, and when the loan button 13 on the gaming machine 1 is pressed (loan operation, grant operation) while there is a balance, one loan unit (for example, 125 balls) is converted into game balls (value granted, details will be described later) as loan balls (loan process, value grant process), and the amount of value according to the gaming rate (hereinafter, rate) is deducted from the balance. Note that currency can be accepted in an amount corresponding to multiple value grant processes (for example, up to 10,000 yen).

[0029] (2) The corresponding gaming machine 1 is a so-called sealed type, and balls shot onto the board 11 circulate and are not paid out outside the gaming machine even if a prize is won. The gaming machine manages the above-mentioned gaming balls, subtracting gaming balls according to the shot (use) of balls onto the board 11 and adding gaming balls according to the prize (prize awarding process). On the other hand, the gaming device 2 manages the owned balls, and although the owned balls cannot be used directly for games, it performs a conversion process (value awarding process) in which one loan unit of owned balls is converted into gaming balls as conversion balls according to the pressing of the game button. In this case, a conversion rate may be set separately, but in this embodiment it is 1:1. The same applies to the counting process below.

[0030] (3) When the number of game balls in the gaming machine 1 increases in response to play, the game balls are converted into counted balls by pressing the counting button 17 of the gaming machine 1 (counting process). In this case, one ball is converted per press, but if the button is continued to be pressed, the conversion can be continuous and accelerated. In this way, the game balls and the balls in hand are updated, and when an issuing operation such as pressing the return button 14 of the gaming machine 1 is performed while there are remaining balances or balls in hand in the gaming device 2, the balances and balls in hand are associated with the general card stored in the gaming device 2 and the card is issued (issuing process). It is also possible to issue a card in parts, with only a portion of the balls in hand or the remaining balance being issued.

[0031] (4) For the issuing process, an issuing condition is set according to the gaming balls in the gaming machine 1, and in this embodiment, the issuing condition is met and the issuing process becomes possible when the gaming balls fall below a predetermined number (0). Therefore, communication (including information such as out or safe) is performed with the gaming machine 1 at regular intervals (for example, every 200 ms), and when the gaming balls reach 0 due to use in a game or counting process, this is notified to the gaming device 2, and the issuing process is permitted when the issuing condition is met. It is sufficient to update the gaming balls by receiving a gaming ball signal that can identify the gaming balls from the gaming machine 1 and identify that the issuing condition has been met, but other identification methods may be used, such as separately receiving a signal indicating that the gaming balls have reached 0.

[0032] (5) The balls that can be identified by the issued general card can be exchanged for prizes at the POS, and the balance can be settled into currency at the balance settlement machine. Incidentally, while cash can be exemplified as monetary value, including currency accepted by the gaming device 2, monetary value other than cash, such as electronic money or credit card payments, can also be accepted or settled. Furthermore, while the example has been given of the issuance process being performed by associating the balls and balance with a general card, it is of course also possible to perform the issuance process by associating them with other recording media, such as a membership card or the player's mobile phone.

[0033] (6) Through serial communication with the relay device 4, the management device 6 can identify various information such as currency acceptance processing, compensation processing, balance, balls held, number of loaned balls, number of converted balls, deposit amount, number of counted balls, number of loaned balls, sales amount that is compensation for loaned balls, and recording medium acceptance and issuance processing, but this can also be identified by a pulse signal (for example, one pulse for every 1,000 yen deposited, one pulse for every 100 yen in sales, etc.). Note that communication with the gaming machine 1 may be direct communication between the gaming machine 1 and gaming device 2 without going through the relay device 4, or communication may be via the relay device 4.

[0034] 4 is an enlarged front view of the information display device 3. The information display device 3 manages and displays game information based on game signals input from the gaming machine 1 via the relay device 4, or operates in accordance with instructions from the management device 6. As shown in the figure, the information display device 3 has an illumination section 3a that produces illumination effects when a call display is made or during a special state, a display area 35 that displays various game information, etc., various operation buttons 36 that accept various operations such as changing the display content of the display area 35, and a remote control light receiving section 37 that receives remote control signals transmitted from an operation remote control (not shown) carried by an employee of the amusement facility.

[0035] The display area 35 can be divided into a main display section 38 and first to sixth sub-display sections 39 to 44 using an LCD display. Under normal conditions, information is displayed by dividing the display sections 38 to 44 as shown in FIG. 4, but it is also possible to display information without dividing them as appropriate, for example, when a special condition is generated or when enlarging the display to display information. The main display unit 38 displays the number of jackpots for the relevant period (the current business day (hereinafter referred to as today), one day ago, two days ago), but when an operation to switch game information is performed using the various operation buttons 36, the display switches to a display state that displays other game information not shown.

[0036] The first sub-display unit 39 displays the number of initial jackpots that occurred under normal conditions in units of the relevant period (today, one day ago, two days ago). The second sub-display unit 40 displays the breakdown of the number of jackpots that occurred in units of the relevant period (business days), dividing them into "super" jackpots where the number of balls dispensed during the jackpot is equal to or greater than a specified value (for example, 1,000 balls) and "small" jackpots where the number of balls dispensed during the jackpot is less than that. The third sub-display unit 41 displays the start (number of symbol changes) from when the initialization condition is met (due to the start of business, the end of a special state, etc.).

[0037] The fourth sub-display unit 42 displays a so-called start history graph, which is a graph of the starts of each jackpot. The fifth sub-display unit 43 displays the number of balls won (sales balls - difference balls (out - safe) or held balls counted by the gaming device 2) and the value obtained by converting the number of balls won into ball boxes. The sixth sub-display unit 44 displays the model name. In addition, the fourth sub-display unit 42 and the fifth sub-display unit 43 may display information about the various operation buttons 36. Also, the display can be switched from the display screen of Figure 4 to another display screen by the player operating the various operation buttons 36 or by the staff operating the operation remote controller.

[0038] The management device 6 is configured as a placement management means for managing a placement ID (e.g., machine number) for identifying the placement location of the gaming machine 1 described above in association with a gaming machine ID (e.g., main board number, etc.), and is also configured as an information management means for managing management information, which is at least one of setting information and game information required to manage the gaming machine 1 placed at the placement location, in association with the placement ID. Here, Figures 5 and 6 show examples of management information for administrators, which is information for administrators among the management information, and show a list of raw data and a gaming information summary that respectively correspond to the gaming information for model A and the machine number and gaming machine ID.

[0039] That is, first, as shown in FIG. 5, the management device 6 identifies the raw data for each model (model A in the figure) by a gaming signal and manages it in association with a gaming machine ID. For the sake of convenience, the gaming machine IDs are represented in the figure as numbers such as "00001543, 00001544, ...", but these numbers are to be substituted for the "main board number, etc." in FIG. 7 (the board number of the gaming machine 1 is used) as will be described later. Alternatively, the gaming machine ID may be assigned a management number such as the machine number + the number of times set as a new machine (for example, 00100001). In other words, the gaming machine ID only needs to be identification information for identifying each gaming machine 1, and the board number or management number can be used in place of (or linked to) a number such as "00001543" in FIG. 5.

[0040] Moreover, in the raw data list of FIG. 5, "average" represents the gaming machine average for model A, and the management device 6 defines the following items. Mode = gaming machine setting value set in the gaming machine (specified by separate operation input, etc.) Out = gaming value consumed on the gaming machine identified by the out signal Safe = Gaming value awarded in response to winnings on the gaming machine identified by the safe signal

[0041] Start = The number of times the device in the gaming machine specified by the start signal operates. Note that "Sweet" refers to game information corresponding to a special state period such as time reduction. S Win = Number of start wins specified by the S win signal Sales balls = gaming value (number of loaned balls, value of loaned balls) given in exchange for monetary value at the corresponding loaning machine identified by the sales signal

[0042] Number of jackpots = The number of jackpots determined by the jackpot signal. "Normal" is the number of jackpots that occur during normal times, the so-called "first hits." "Specific" is the number of specific jackpots that meet specific conditions (for example, T1Y within a standard range set for T1Y (for example, 1000 to 2000)). T-Out<Tセーフ> = Out during T (during big wins and sweet wins) <Safe> T1 out<T1セーフ> = Out <Safe> during T1 (during jackpot) Special T1 Out <Special T1 Safe> = Out <Safe> during T1 for specific jackpots only

[0043] 5 is stored for multiple business days, it is possible to process and output the gaming information for that period by specifying a period, for example, from March 1 to March 31. When tabulating a period of multiple days in the type tabulation (tabulation by model), the tabulation can be divided based on, for example, the days when the gaming machine 1 was rearranged or increased or decreased, as will be described later in detail.

[0044] The management device 6 manages the gaming information for each machine type based on the above-mentioned raw data, and the following items are defined in the gaming information collection for machine type A shown in Fig. 6. Note that "average" is the average for all gaming machines for machine type A (the value corresponding to "total" in Fig. 5).

[0045] Base = payout rate for each state (normal, sweet), where "normal" is B safe ÷ BO, and "sweet" is game information showing the calculated value of B safe A ÷ BOA. Including the following, BO, which is an out during normal times, is specified as out - T out, B safe, which is a safe during normal times, is specified as safe - T safe, BOA, which is an out during sweet times, is specified as T out - T1 out, and B safe A, which is a safe during sweet times, is specified as T safe - T1 safe, but BO, B safe, BOA, and B safe A can also be obtained as raw data. Note that below, the base during normal times will simply be referred to as base, and the base during sweet times will also be referred to as BA.

[0046] Average S = ratio of the number of pattern changes to outs by state, game information showing the calculated value of normal (sweet) start ÷ BO (BOA). Average S win = the ratio of start wins to outs by state, and game information showing the calculated value of normal (sweet) S wins / BO (BOA). Note that below, the average S during normal times will be referred to as S, the average S win as S1, the average S during sweet times as SA, and the average S win during sweet times as S1A.

[0047] Effective rate = the ratio of the number of symbol changes to the start winning, and game information showing the calculated value of normal start / normal S winning. Note that the effective rate may be managed not only for normal but also for sweet wins. BY = Game information showing the calculated value of normal (sweet) base - normal (sweet) average S x starting prize ball, excluding the symbol fluctuation. The starting prize ball is a safe per starting prize, calculated as 3.

[0048] BYmin = BYmin is the base excluding the initial winnings, and is game information that shows the calculated value of normal (sweet medium) base - normal (sweet medium) average S winnings x initial winning balls. T1Y = average number of balls paid out during a jackpot, and game information showing the calculated value of (T1 safe - T1 out) / total number of jackpots. Note that total number of jackpots = number of regular jackpots + number of sweet jackpots. T1O = average jackpot out, game information showing the calculated value of T1 out / total number of jackpots.

[0049] Special T1Y = T1Y for specific jackpots, game information showing the calculated value of (Special T1 Safe - Special T1 Out) ÷ number of specific jackpots. Special T1O = T1O for specific jackpots, game information showing the calculated value of Special T1 Out ÷ number of specific jackpots.

[0050] Payout rate = the ratio of safe to out (payout rate, award rate), and game information showing the calculated value of safe divided by out. B Sa = difference in number of balls under normal circumstances, game information showing the calculated value of BO-B Safe. Customer retention rate = ratio of B-Sa to sales balls, game information showing the calculated value of B-Sa ÷ sales balls.

[0051] Gross profit = operating profit of the gaming parlor according to the game, and gaming information showing the calculated value of sales amount - acquired balls x rental cost x cost rate. Note that acquired balls (acquired value) = sold balls + safe - out, sales amount = sold balls x rental cost, rental cost = 4 yen, cost rate = 75%.

[0052] The cost per ball is the sales amount per one out, and this is gaming information that shows the calculated value of sales amount divided by out. Gross profit per ball = gross profit per out, game information showing the calculated value of gross profit / out. Sales rate = the ratio of the arcade's profit and loss (lost balls) to the actual sales amount (sold balls), and is gaming information that shows the calculated value of earned balls divided by sold balls.

[0053] As mentioned in "Problem to be Solved by the Invention," rearrangement of gaming machines 1 is not uncommon in gaming parlors, and many managers feel burdened by the operation input or work involved in transferring management information that accompanies such rearrangement. The management information includes game information and setting information other than the game information explained in Figures 5 and 6, and particularly when rearranging a large number of gaming machines 1 on a large scale, it takes a lot of man-hours and is a heavy burden.

[0054] Therefore, the management device 6 of this embodiment is configured to, when rearranging gaming machines in the gaming facility A, import rearrangement information specified by the specification means, and identify the rearranged gaming machine 1 by comparing the imported rearrangement information with reference rearrangement information that indicates the relationship between the machine numbers and gaming machine IDs before the rearrangement, which is managed by the arrangement management means, and to transfer management information associated with the rearrangement to the gaming machine 1. This configuration will be described in detail with reference to the drawings from FIG. 7 onwards.

[0055] Figure 7 shows an example of the content of the regulations (rearrangement information) by the regulation means in the form of an application form 50, and the rearrangement information embodied in the application form 50 indicates the relationship between the machine number after the rearrangement (the arrangement ID represented as "new machine number" in the figure) and the gaming machine ID. That is, the application form 50 is a document to be submitted to a competent authority such as the police or the Public Safety Commission when rearranging gaming machines, and the rearrangement information included in the document can be stored in advance in a removable memory such as a USB memory stick or an SD card as a CSV file or text file created by a company commissioned by the gaming center to create the application form 50 shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, the rearrangement information in the application form 50 is specified by a specifying means such as an external device such as a USB memory stick or an SD card or a CSV file, and can be imported into the management device 6 (importing means) so that it can be input. Note that the rearrangement information may be created by the management device 6 (importing means) and imported directly into the management device 6.

[0056] When an application form 50 is submitted to a competent authority, it contains the application date (corresponding to the replacement date, etc., described later), the location ID of the "old machine number" before the relocation and the "new machine number" after the relocation, as well as the "game board number, etc." and "main board number, etc." (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "main board number, etc.") associated with the location ID, as shown in the example of Figure 7. This main board number, etc. is the board number (game machine ID) that is assigned to each and every gaming machine 1 and is always unique. The rearrangement information may be any information that indicates the relationship between the rearrangement ID after the rearrangement and the gaming machine ID of the gaming machine to be rearranged, and may also be applied when placing a new machine, as described below.

[0057] 8 and 9 show setting screens 51 and 52 displayed on the monitor 8 of the management device 6 when importing rearrangement information at the time of system installation and at the time of second or subsequent rearrangement. 8, a lower section 51a labeled "Initial File Selection" is provided in which the "Replacement Date" and "Update Date and Time" for each of multiple "File Names" can be specified, and each of these CSV files can be selected and designated for "Select" or "Delete." Also provided are a "Import CSV File Externally" button 51b for importing a CSV file from a USB memory or the like, and a "Delete File" button 51c for deleting a specified CSV file.

[0058] Here, the "file name" in the column 51a is expressed as "store name_replacement date (YYYYMMDD)_X (see FIG. 8)" and includes the replacement date of the gaming machine 1 involved in the rearrangement. The rearrangement information in the CSV file includes at least a placement ID, a gaming machine ID, and a model code (model ID) associated with the replacement date. Among these, the placement ID includes, for example, the machine numbers installed in gaming parlor A that have been rearranged, as well as all machine numbers in gaming parlor A, and the gaming machine ID is, for example, the board number assigned to each gaming machine 1.

[0059] When a "file name" in the column 51a is selected, the rearrangement information of the CSV file is imported into the management device 6. As a result, the rearrangement information imported into the management device 6 when the system is installed will be managed as reference rearrangement information that indicates the relationship between the machine numbers and gaming machine IDs before the rearrangement (using the replacement date as the reference date) when rearrangements are made thereafter (from the second time onwards).

[0060] When rearranging the game machine 1 for the second time or later, the management device 6 displays the setting screen 52 of FIG. 9, and performs a rearrangement determination by comparing the reference rearrangement information of the file name in the "File used at previous rearrangement" column 52a on the screen 52 with the rearrangement information selected (imported) in the "Select target file" column 52b, thereby identifying the rearranged game machine 1. In other words, when the management device 6 imports the rearrangement information from the CSV file on the initial setting screen 51, it simply matches the reference machine number and gaming machine ID, but when the management device 6 imports the rearrangement information on the second or subsequent setting screen 52, it compares it with the initial reference rearrangement information to determine whether the matching of the machine number and gaming machine ID is different.

[0061] In this way, after the above-mentioned rearrangement determination, the management device 6 updates the reference rearrangement information to correspond to the rearrangement after the rearrangement. In other words, since the rearrangement information and the reference rearrangement information are information after the rearrangement and information before the rearrangement, the rearrangement information will be used as the reference rearrangement information at the time of the next rearrangement. Furthermore, in this embodiment, "rearrangement" strictly speaking includes the cases of "new machine" where a new machine is introduced, "rearrangement" in the narrow sense where the arrangement of the installed gaming machines is changed without replacing (increasing or decreasing) the machines themselves, and "removal" where a gaming machine is removed (see Figure 10). In the above-mentioned replacement determination, if a gaming machine ID that was not present before the rearrangement is associated with a machine number, it can be determined to be a "new machine," if a gaming machine ID that was present before the rearrangement but the corresponding machine number is different, it can be determined to be a "rearrangement (machine)" in the narrow sense, and if a gaming machine ID that was present before the rearrangement but is not present after the rearrangement, it can be determined to be a "removal (machine)."

[0062] In this way, the rearrangement information in the CSV file indicates the relationship between the machine numbers and gaming machine IDs after rearrangement for all gaming machines 1 managed by the management device 6 (all machines in gaming facility A), but the machine numbers before rearrangement (see "old machine numbers" in Figure 7) may also be included in the rearrangement information in addition to or instead of the board numbers. In order to make the above-mentioned replacement determination, it is only necessary to be able to identify the machine number that has changed, so from the second time onwards, the information may not necessarily cover all machines, such as by adopting the information for application form 50 as shown in Figure 7, which only covers the machine number that has changed. Also, when making the determination using the machine number before rearrangement (old machine number) instead of the board number, if it is a new machine, the machine number before rearrangement can be identified by adding predetermined information such as "0" to the rearrangement information and storing it.

[0063] The management device 6 is also configured to be able to set conditions related to the gaming machine 1 to be rearranged, and determines whether or not to suppress handover of management information based on the set conditions. The conditions include rate conditions related to the lending rate of the gaming value used in the gaming machine 1, so the replacement model confirmation screens 53 and 54 in Figures 10 and 11, which show "type" (for example, a gaming machine group with the same lending rate), will be explained below.

[0064] The management device 6 takes in the rearrangement information of the CSV file as described above, identifies the model by the model ID contained therein, and displays the replacement model confirmation screen 53 of FIG. As shown in the figure, the replacement model confirmation screen 53 has a column 53a that displays the imported CSV file as the "file used this time," a column 53b that displays the specified "type," a column 53c that displays the "model name," "number of units," "unit number," etc., divided into "new machine," "rearranged (unit)," and "removed (unit)," and a column 53d that displays the number of units of each type divided into new machines, rearranged machines, and removed machines.In addition, a column 530 that displays the "file used last time it was inserted," which serves as the basis for replacement judgment, is provided in the lower right corner of the screen 53.

[0065] By pulling down (input operation) the column 53b representing "Type", different types can be selected and switched between displays. For example, if "4 yen pachinko" is selected by pulling down, the screen will transition from the replacement model confirmation screen 53 in Figure 10 to the replacement model confirmation screen 54 in Figure 11. As is clear from comparing Figures 10 and 11, when a "classification" of multiple gaming machine groups such as "Pachinko (all)" is selected, settings such as "Type" and "Machine Category" are disabled (see column 53c in Figure 10), whereas when only a "classification" of a single gaming machine group such as "4-yen Pachinko" is included, various settings such as "Type" are enabled (see column 53c' in Figure 11). This is because even if the "Machine" is the same, the "Type" and other settings may differ. Note that "Pachinko (all)" is selectable in order to grasp the overall picture.

[0066] Then, when identifying the gaming machine 1 that has been rearranged by the rearrangement determination, the management device 6 takes over the setting information corresponding to the model based on the model ID included in the rearrangement information. For example, in the case of a "new machine," the setting information (e.g., the standard value for fraud detection) managed by the server 10 is downloaded in association with a default value or a model ID, and is set to be transferred to the model after rearrangement (gaming machine 1); in the case of a "rearrangement," the setting information before rearrangement is set to be transferred to the model after rearrangement, thereby allowing an automatic handover process to be performed. In addition, as setting information, in addition to the standard values ​​for fraud detection, it is of course possible to transfer well-known setting information required for managing the gaming machine 1, such as wiring setting information related to the wiring of the gaming machine 1, and image setting information of the information display device 3 related to the model.

[0067] In addition, when the type of game status that changes, such as the lending rate, differs before and after the relocation, it may be desirable to set different settings for the same machine type, for example, to change the standard value for fraud detection. In such a case, for example, if the pachinko ball lending rate changes from a 4 yen rate to a 1 yen rate due to the relocation, the rate condition is that the lending rate is different before and after the relocation, and the setting information is not carried over (the carrying over of the setting information among the management information is suppressed) according to the condition setting such as "Reflecting data when relocating between types" (see "Clear" in button group 514) in FIG. 8 described below. Alternatively, setting information managed by the server 10 by type may be downloaded from the server 10 even in the case of "relocation." If the same machine type is already set to the same type, that setting information may be used, or setting information for another machine type with similar specifications may be used.

[0068] Here, the setting screen 51 shown in Figure 8 has a group of buttons 511, 512, 513, 514, 515, and 516 for setting the conditions for each of "application form linkage," "lamp data migration," "lamp data clear," "reflection of data when rearranging between types," and "report splitting."

[0069] "Application linkage" has a button group 511 for setting whether or not to link with the application form 50 to set the model replacement settings related to the relocation information. By operating the "Yes" button in the button group 511, the CSV file for the application form 50 is imported and automatically reflected. "Lamp data transfer" has a button group 512 for setting whether or not to transfer lamp data. Lamp data is data displayed on the information display device 3 shown in Fig. 4, that is, player management information managed as information for players (data referenced by players).

[0070] Furthermore, "Lamp data migration" through "Reflection of data when rearranged between types" are classification conditions that can be set for the classification of information before and after rearrangement, targeting player management information, and "Report division" is for administrator management information, and based on the classification conditions (conditions set using button groups 512 through 516, etc., or conditions set in advance), it is possible to suppress the transfer of player management information and to transfer administrator management information.

[0071] Of these, "Report Split" has a "Machine Rearrangement" button group 515 and a "Machine Increase / Decrease" button group 516 for setting whether or not to split the tally based on the day on which the gaming machines 1 were rearranged or increased or decreased when tallying for a period of several days (for example, one month) by type (for example, tallying by model as in Figures 5 and 6). The tally related to the transfer of the administrator management information is automatically split based on the day on which the gaming machines 1 were rearranged by operating the "Yes" button in button group 515, and based on the day on which the number of machines was increased or decreased by operating the "Yes" button in button group 516.

[0072] In contrast, in the case of lamp data, which is player management information, if the setting is such that lamp data is transferred by operating the "Yes" button in the "Lamp Data Transfer" button group 512, the conditions for clearing the lamp data (also simply referred to as "data") without transferring it are set by operating the "Lamp Data Clear" button group 513. That is, when the "New Machine" button in button group 513 is operated, only the data of the machine numbers determined to be "New Machines" is cleared, and the data of the "Relocation" machine numbers is set to be inherited. When the "New Machine / Relocation Machine" button is operated, the data of not only the "New Machine" but also the "Relocation" machine numbers is set to be cleared, while when "None" is selected, the data is not cleared.

[0073] Furthermore, "reflecting data when rearranging between types" has a button group 514 for setting whether to carry over ("copy") or "clear" data when there is an rearrangement between types in which the type (rental rate) of the machine number (gaming machine 1) to be rearranged differs before and after the rearrangement. When the "clear" button in the button group 514 is operated, the data of the machine number with the different lending rate is set to be cleared, thereby preventing the handover of lamp data, which is part of the management information. In this case, it may also be set to clear data including other management information other than lamp data. In this way, the management device 6 determines whether to carry over or clear the data based on the relevant settings, and then determines the new machine or rearrangement based on the rearrangement information and the reference rearrangement information.When a predetermined operation (operation of the "Reflect after replacement" button 550 in the upper column of the same screen 55) is performed on the lamp data maintenance screen 55 of Figure 12 that is displayed at this time, the screen transitions to the copy content confirmation screen 56 of Figure 13.

[0074] The copy content confirmation screen 56 displays the "type," "model," and "product number" corresponding to the "copy source" or "copy destination" in a pop-up list that corresponds to the order of "registration" and the content of "processing." In this case, data processing will be performed in the order shown in "Registration" on the same screen 56, and if the processing content is "Exchange", data will be exchanged between the machine numbers of the source and destination (see the arrow between the two), if it is "Copy", the data of the source will be copied to the destination and handed over, and if it is "Clear", the data of the source machine number will be cleared.

[0075] That is, when the management device 6 identifies a gaming machine 1 that has been "rearranged" by comparing the original reference rearrangement information with the rearrangement information in the CSV file that has been imported this time, it specifies "exchange" as the processing content if the rearrangement involves swapping the machine numbers before and after the rearrangement, and "copy" if the rearrangement does not involve swapping the machine numbers before and after the rearrangement, and if "new machine" is set in the "lamp data clear" button group 513 in Fig. 8, only the new machine is cleared, and if "new machine / rearranged machine" is set, not only the new machine but also the rearranged machine is cleared, and no "copy" or "exchange" of data is performed (data transfer is suppressed). Also, if "none" is set in the "lamp data clear" button group 513, data is not cleared even if there is a new machine or a rearrangement (data is transferred).

[0076] If "Copy" is set in the button group 514 for "Reflecting data when moving between types" in Figure 8, the data will be "copied" even if the type is different before and after the rearrangement, and if "Clear" is set, the data will only be "cleared" without being "copied." 8 shows an example of the setting screen 51 when the following settings are made by operating the lamp data related buttons 512 to 514: "Lamp data transfer", "Yes", "Clear lamp data", "New machine", "Reflect data when rearranged between types", and "Copy". By pressing the "Reflect" button 510 in the upper column of the setting screen 51, the lamp data in the information display device 3 of the corresponding machine number is updated (data transfer is performed or suppressed).

[0077] In addition, the lamp data maintenance screen 55 in Figure 12 can be used as a screen for directly maintaining (correcting) numerical values ​​after the above-mentioned data handover process (migration process) has been performed, or when the handover process is not performed. That is, on the lamp data maintenance screen 55, when a target machine number is selected in the "machine number" column 55a, the lamp data of the corresponding information display device 3 is displayed in the column 55b below. The "basic data" in the same column 55b shows each item of lamp data, and the lamp data of the information display device 3 can be corrected by inputting a value corresponding to each item in business day units such as "today, 1 day ago, 2 days ago, ...".

[0078] Lamp data corrections are made in the areas where the value "today to 3 days ago" (represented as "0" for convenience) is shown, as shown in the same figure. In areas where a value prior to "4 days ago" is not shown, the lamp data for the relevant business day for the relevant item is not displayed, and cannot be entered, for example, as it is grayed out. For ease of explanation, the lamp data item "basic data" is assumed to include items other than the display items shown in Figure 4, but items displayed when the display on the information display device 3 is switched or other items depending on the model, etc. are displayed.

[0079] According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. The management device 6 imports rearrangement information specified by an external device such as a USB memory or SD card, or by a specification means such as a CSV file or text file, and identifies the rearranged gaming machine 1 by comparing the imported rearrangement information with the machine number before rearrangement and reference rearrangement information that indicates the relationship between the gaming machine ID and that is managed by the management device 6 as a placement management means.Since the management device 6 is configured as a transfer means that transfers management information associated with the rearrangement to the gaming machine 1, it is possible to reduce the effort and burden on the manager involved in the process of transferring management information by using the rearrangement information specified by the specification means.

[0080] The rearrangement information indicates the relationship between the arrangement ID and the gaming machine ID for all gaming machines 1 that the management device 6 manages as arrangement management means or information management means, and therefore, for example, it becomes possible to preliminarily manage the arrangement of gaming machines 1 that will not be rearranged, or to prevent forgetting to import multiple pieces of rearrangement information when it is necessary to import the information. Note that the arrangement management means and information management means are not limited to one management device 6, and may be configured by multiple management means (separate devices).

[0081] The management device 6 determines whether or not to suppress the transfer of management information based on the conditions set by the condition setting means, and therefore, for example, by setting conditions to select the machines that are to be transferred and the machines that are not to be transferred, it becomes possible to select whether or not to transfer according to the needs of the gaming facility.

[0082] The management device 6 suppresses the transfer of some or all of the management information when the rental rate of the gaming machine 1 to be rearranged differs before and after the rearrangement, so that it can appropriately respond to gaming facilities that, for example, want to change the standard value for fraud detection due to a change in the rental rate, or gaming information that is not transferred from the management information and that want to manage the information from scratch.

[0083] Based on the classification conditions, the management device 6 transfers the management information for the administrator among the management information, but suppresses the transfer of the management information for players, which is lamp data. Therefore, it can appropriately respond to operations in amusement centers that want to transfer the management information for the administrator before and after rearrangement, but not transfer the lamp data because it would cause confusion to players.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be modified or expanded as follows. The gaming machine ID may be identified by a gaming signal transmitted from the gaming machine 1. For example, when the rearrangement information in the CSV file imported into the management device 6 includes a "new machine number" and an "old machine number" as in the application form 50 of Fig. 7, it is also possible to identify the gaming machine ID and the rearranged gaming machine 1 by a gaming signal transmitted from the gaming machine 1 corresponding to either of the machine numbers.

[0085] 7 itself (application form information), or may be information on documents submitted when a new machine is introduced or when a gaming machine 1 is to be removed. The defining means may define the relocation information to be captured by a capturing means such as the management device 6, and may be configured to define the information in an external device such as the server 10 other than a USB memory connectable to the management device 6. Each setting value may be set by an administrator through an operation input, may be set in advance by the manufacturer of the management device 6, or may be set by downloading setting information from an external server 10 (for example, a chain store headquarters).

[0086] All of the game information exemplified above may be determined directly by the input signal or indirectly by using an arithmetic expression. Furthermore, although pulse signals are exemplified as game signals, signals may also be input via serial communication or the like. The numerical values, number of digits, items, etc. are merely examples, and any numerical values ​​may be used. As for output, at least printing and display output are assumed.

[0087] The types of cars may be grouped by any classification, such as by rate or floor. Although an enclosed gaming machine is exemplified as the target gaming machine 1, the present invention can also be applied to other gaming machines such as pachinko gaming machines and slot machines that pay out conventional gaming media. In consideration of the enclosed type exemplified, gaming media will be expressed as gaming value as necessary.

[0088] The conditions that can be set by the condition setting means are not limited to the rate conditions and classification conditions described above, but may also be conditions related to the gaming machines to be rearranged, such as specifying other conditions according to the gaming value used in various gaming machines or conditions such as specifying the model. Any configuration is possible, such as part of the processing performed by the management device 6 being performed by the relay device 4, the information display device 3, or the gaming device 2. Furthermore, the configurations exemplified above may be combined in any way, including modified examples, and configurations that are not adopted may be provided as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] In the drawing, 1 is a gaming machine, and 6 is a management device (arrangement management means, information management means, import means, handover means, condition setting means).

Claims

1. A gaming facility system in a gaming facility where a plurality of gaming machines are arranged, an arrangement management means for managing an arrangement ID for specifying an arrangement location of a gaming machine in an amusement facility and an arrangement ID for identifying each gaming machine in association with each other; an information management means for managing management information, which is at least one of setting information and game information required for managing the gaming machines placed at the placement locations, in association with the placement ID; a defining means for defining, when rearranging gaming machines in an amusement facility, a placement ID after the rearrangement and rearrangement information indicating a relationship between the gaming machine IDs before the rearrangement of the gaming machines; a capturing means for capturing the rearrangement information defined by the defining means within the game facility; A system for an amusement facility comprising: a transfer means for identifying a rearranged gaming machine by comparing, within the amusement facility, reference rearrangement information indicating the relationship between the arrangement ID before rearrangement and the gaming machine ID managed by the arrangement management means with the rearrangement information imported by the import means, and for transferring the management information associated with the rearrangement to the gaming machine.

2. 2. The gaming facility system according to claim 1, wherein the rearrangement information indicates the relationship between the arrangement ID and the gaming machine ID for all gaming machines managed by the arrangement management means or the information management means.

3. a condition setting means for setting conditions relating to the gaming machines to be rearranged; 3. The game arcade system according to claim 1, wherein whether or not to transfer part or all of the management information is determined based on the condition set by the condition setting means.

4. The conditions include a rate condition regarding a lending rate of gaming value used in the gaming machine, 4. The gaming facility system according to claim 3, wherein when the rental rate of a gaming machine to be rearranged differs between before and after the rearrangement, a part or all of the management information is not transferred.

5. the conditions include classification conditions for classifying the management information into manager management information managed as information for a gaming facility manager and player management information managed as information for a player, 5. The gaming facility system according to claim 3, wherein, based on the classification conditions, the manager's management information among the management information is handed over, but the player's management information is not handed over.

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