gaming machines

Abstract

To provide a game machine capable of increasing efficiency in inspection.SOLUTION: A game machine 1 includes: game control means 100 capable of executing control regarding a game; game value control means 200 capable of executing control regarding a game value usable for a game; first communication means used for communication between the game control means 100 and the game value control means 200; second communication means that is used for communication between the game control means 100 and the game value control means 200 and uses a communication system differing from that of the first communication means; and a main board 10a in which the game control means 100 and the game value control means 200 are disposed. In the main board 10a, a first component 300 related to the first communication means is disposed between the game control means 100 and the game value control means 200, and a second component 400 related to the second communication means is disposed in a position differing from that between the game control means 100 and the game value control means 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Gaming machines such as slot machines that allow players to play games without using physical gaming media such as medals have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-134010 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is room for improvement in such conventional gaming machines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the gaming machine of the present invention is a gaming machine capable of managing gaming value that can be used for gaming, and comprises: a gaming control means capable of executing control related to gaming; a gaming value control means capable of executing control related to the gaming value; a first communication means used for communication between the gaming control means and the gaming value control means; a second communication means used for communication between the gaming control means and the gaming value control means, which uses a communication method different from that of the first communication means; and a main board on which the gaming control means and the gaming value control means are arranged, wherein on the main board, a first component associated with the first communication means is arranged between the gaming control means and the gaming value control means, and a second component associated with the second communication means is arranged in a position different from that between the gaming control means and the gaming value control means. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view showing the appearance of a medalless gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal configuration of the medalless gaming machine. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the medalless gaming machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the main board of the medalless gaming machine. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic front view showing an opening provided in a board case portion of a medalless gaming machine. FIG. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are perspective views showing the base case portion of the medalless gaming machine in a rotated state and a slid state, respectively. [Figure 7] This is a view from the left side X1 showing the state in which the board case part of the medalless gaming machine has rotated. [Figure 8] 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a board case part of a medalless gaming machine rotates while being restricted by a restricting part. [Figure 9] This is a block diagram showing the power lines and signal lines between the main boards (including terminal boards) of a gaming machine that uses medals. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing the power lines and signal lines between the main boards (including terminal boards) of the medal-less gaming machine. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a mask circuit used when the medal-less gaming machine is turned on. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a gaming method in a medalless gaming machine. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a state transition diagram showing the transition of game states in a medalless gaming machine. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the light emission patterns of the counting button lamp, where (a) is off, (b) is on, (c) is slow flashing, and (d) is fast flashing. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of notification information that prompts counting, where (a) shows a small display and (b) shows a large display. [Figure 16]10 is a flowchart showing a method of notifying the player whether or not there are any inserted medals after counting is completed. [Figure 17] (a) is an example of notification information when there are no inserted medals remaining after counting is complete, and (b) is an example of notification information when there are inserted medals remaining after counting is complete. [Figure 18] 10 is a time chart showing the duration of the count button being pressed and held. [Figure 19] (a) is a diagram showing that a bonus announcement is on hold while the counting button is being operated, and (b) is a diagram showing that if certain conditions are met, a bonus announcement is made even while the counting button is being operated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] A preferred embodiment of the gaming machine according to the present invention will now be described. The gaming machine of this embodiment is a gaming machine (hereinafter referred to as a medalless gaming machine) that does not use actual medals (gaming media), but manages medals as data and plays games using pseudo-gaming media in that data format. Below, we will explain an example in which the medal-less gaming machine 1 is applied to a No. 6 slot machine having an AT (ART) state, but this is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to, for example, an A-type slot machine that allows real bonus play. The medals as data used in the medal-less gaming machine 1 are referred to as "gaming medals."

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the appearance of a medalless gaming machine 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal configuration of the medalless gaming machine 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the medal-less gaming machine 1 includes a cabinet 1b and a front door 1a that opens and closes the opening of the cabinet. A display window 6 is formed in the center of the front door 1a, through which the rear can be seen, and the symbols displayed on the reels 41 can be seen through this display window 6. Below the display window 6, a step is formed that protrudes forward, and around this step, operating means such as the bet button 2a, MAX bet button 2b, counting button 2c, settlement button 2d, start lever 3, stop button 5, and notification means such as a game medal number display device 7, counting button lamp 2e, and bet number lamp 2f are provided. A favorable zone lamp 13 is provided on the side of the display window 6, and a navigation lamp 12 is provided above the display window 6 to guide the player through the operation sequence of the stop button 5. The upper part of the front door 1a is provided with a display 8 that acts as a notification means. The display 8 can be, for example, a single-screen liquid crystal display, but is not limited to this and may be a multi-screen configuration (for example, a main screen and a sub-screen). Note that instead of or in addition to the display 8, a liquid crystal display may be provided at the bottom (lower panel) of the front door 1a, and the display 8 is not necessarily provided.

[0009] On the side of the display 8, there is a speaker 9 that acts as an alarm means and produces sound effects and notifications, and a lamp 11 that produces light effects and notifications in response to the winning combinations and effects displayed on the display 8.

[0010] Inside the cabinet 1b, there is a main control unit 10 equipped with a CPU that performs overall control of the game, and a sub-control unit 20 equipped with a CPU that controls aspects of the game such as presentation under the control of the main control unit 10. The housing 1b also includes a drum unit 4. The drum unit 4 includes three reels 41a to 41c arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction, and each of these reels 41a to 41c is configured to be rotatable by being driven by a stepping motor (not shown). A plurality of symbols (identification information) are displayed on the outer peripheral surface of each reel 41a to 41c in a predetermined arrangement, and when the reel 41 is stopped, a predetermined number of consecutive symbols (for example, three) can be seen through the display window 6 for each reel 41a to 41c. A power supply device 15 for supplying power to each device including the main control unit 10 and the sub-control unit 20 is provided inside the housing 1b. Inside the cabinet 1b, there are provided a game medal number clear button 14 and a probability setting device 16, and a dedicated unit 19, which is an inter-machine device, is adjacent to the outside of the gaming machine corresponding to each medalless gaming machine 1 (not shown).

[0011] As shown in Figure 3, the main control unit 10 is connected to various parts such as a bet button 2a, a MAX bet button 2b, a settlement button 2d, a start lever 3, a stop button 5, a dedicated unit 19, a drum unit 4, a favorable zone lamp 13, a counting button 2c, a game medal number display device 7, a game medal number clear button 14, a probability setting device 16, and a power supply unit 15. The dotted line portion (dedicated unit 19) in FIG. 3 indicates an external device. The main control unit 10 functions as a lottery means capable of executing lotteries related to games, and also detects and controls the operation of each of the above-mentioned units, transitions the game state, and outputs predetermined commands (control information) to the sub-control unit 20 at predetermined timings. The sub-controller 20 is connected to various components such as the navigation lamp 12, the counting button lamp 2e, the bet number lamp 2f, the display 8, the speaker 9, the lamp 11, and the like. The sub-control unit 20 is composed of a sub-control board 20a, which will be described later, and a board case that houses the sub-control board 20a, and operates as a performance control means, controlling the operation of each of the above-mentioned units in accordance with commands (control information) from the main control unit 10.

[0012] The operation of the main parts will be explained. The game medal number display device 7 is a game value display means, and displays the total number of game medals (game value) that can be used in a game. Therefore, the player can insert game medals within the range of the number of game medals displayed on the game medal number display device 7 to play the game. The game medal count display device 7 is equipped with a storage means (such as RAM) and a display means (such as a 7-segment LED), and when game medals are lent out or paid out, the main control unit 10 adds up the number of lent out or paid out medals, stores (records) the addition result (total) in the storage means as the "game medal count," and displays it on the display means. Furthermore, when a gaming medal is inserted, the main control unit 10 subtracts the number of inserted medals from the "number of gaming medals" that is "stored and displayed" on the gaming medal number display device 7. The game medals are lent out by operating the dedicated unit 19, which is an inter-machine device, and the game medals are inserted by operating the bet button 2a or the MAX bet button 2b. The number of game medals (amount of game value) that can be stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 is set to an upper limit (for example, 16,300), and if the total number of game medals paid out due to winnings exceeds the upper limit, a "play not allowed" control is executed so that game play is not possible. In the "unplayable" state, the start lever 3, bet button 2a, MAX bet button 2b, and settlement button 2d are not accepted.

[0013] The bet button 2a and the MAX bet button 2b are operating means used to insert (bet) game medals when starting a game. When pressed, the bet button 2a sets the number of bets to "1" (temporarily stored in RAM), and the MAX bet button 2b sets the maximum number of bets to "3" (temporarily stored in RAM). In response to the pressing of the bet button 2 a or the MAX bet button 2 b, the main control unit 10 subtracts the corresponding bet number from the number of game medals stored and displayed on the game medal number display device 7 .

[0014] The start lever 3 is an operating means that is operated by the player when starting a game after inserting a game medal, and a start signal is output when operated. The stop button 5 is an operating means that is pressed to stop the reel 41 that rotates in response to the operation of the start lever 3, and a stop signal is output when the stop button 5 is pressed.

[0015] The count button 2c is an operation means that is operated when the player counts the number of game medals he has acquired. Specifically, the counting button 2c is a counting operation means that is operated to output at least a portion of the game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) as counting data to a dedicated unit 19 (external). For this reason, the count button 2c is operated when the game is ended, but is not limited to this and can be operated at any time in principle (even during the game or when the game is unavailable). The counting amount of the counting button 2c varies depending on how it is pressed. For example, when the count button 2c is "short pressed" (for example, pressed for less than 500 milliseconds), the main control unit 10 outputs count data that indicates that "1" game medal has been counted, i.e., the counted number "1", to the dedicated unit 19. In this case, the main control unit 10 executes a process of subtracting the counted number "1" from the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7. When the count button 2c is "pressed and held" (for example, pressed for 500 milliseconds or longer), the main control unit 10 outputs count data that indicates that a maximum of "50" game medals have been counted, i.e., that the maximum counted number "50", to the dedicated unit 19. In this case, the main control unit 10 executes a process of subtracting the counted number (maximum "50") from the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7. For example, if the count button 2c is pressed and held down when the game medal count display device 7 displays a game medal count of "50 or less," the game medal count will be up to "50," and therefore all game medals will be counted. In this case, the main control unit 10 outputs count data that can identify the counted number to the dedicated unit 19, and subtracts the counted number from the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7. As a result, the number of game medals stored and displayed on the game medal number display device 7 is updated to "0." Furthermore, if the counting button 2c is pressed and held down continuously while the game medal count display device 7 displays a game medal count of "over 50," the game medal count will be "50" in response to the first detection of a long press, and a maximum of "50" game medals will be counted each time a long press is detected from the second time onwards (for example, every 300 milliseconds). In this case, the main control unit 10 outputs count data that can identify the total count amount to the dedicated unit 19, and subtracts the total count amount from the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7. In addition, the counting data output to the dedicated unit 19 based on the continued long press may be output all at once, with the counting data capable of identifying the total count amount at the end of the continued long press, or may be output individually, with the counting amount (maximum 50) capable of identifying each time a long press is detected. The dedicated unit 19 manages the total number of medals counted until the return button is operated, for example, as the number of medals held. In addition to the normal counting button 2c, other counting buttons may be provided, such as a button that can count 100 sheets with a short press, or a counting button that stops at 500 sheets even if pressed for a long time.

[0016] In this way, the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 can be subtracted by the counting process. Therefore, if the number of game medals exceeds the upper limit and the game becomes "unplayable," the countermeasure is to operate the counting button 2c to reduce the number of game medals below the upper limit, thereby canceling the "unplayable" state.

[0017] The game medal count clear button 14 is an operation means for a store clerk to reset (to 0) the game medal count stored and displayed in the game medal count display device 7. When the game medal count clear button 14 is operated, the main control unit 10 updates the game medal count stored and displayed on the game medal count display device 7 to "0." Therefore, the "unplayable" state can also be cancelled by the store clerk operating the game medal count clear button 14.

[0018] The settlement button 2d is an operation means that is operated when returning the set number of bets to the game medal number display device . For example, when the settlement button 2d is pressed while the bet number is set to "1", the main control unit 10 clears the bet number and adds "1" to the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7. When the settlement button 2d is pressed while the bet number is set to "2", the main control unit 10 clears the bet number and adds "2" to the number of game medals displayed on the game medal number display device 7. When the settlement button 2d is pressed with the bet number set to "3", the main control unit 10 clears the bet number and adds "3" to the number of game medals displayed on the game medal number display device 7. In other words, the settlement button 2d is a specific operating means that can be operated to add the game medals (game value) set as the bet number (multiplier) to the number of game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means). Therefore, when the player wishes to end the game, he or she can simply press the settlement button 2d after confirming that the number of bets has been set by checking that the number of bets lamp 2f is lit. As a result, the number of game medals corresponding to the set bet number is added to the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7, and then by pressing the counting button 2c, the bet number can be returned together with the number of game medals.

[0019] It is also possible to give the function of the settlement button 2d to other operating means such as the bet button 2a. For example, when the bet button 2a is "short pressed", the bet number "1" is set, and when the bet button 2a is "long pressed", the operation of the settlement button 2d (the above-mentioned return operation) is performed.

[0020] The bet number lamp 2f is a notification means that notifies the player that the bet number has been set and the bet number (1 to 3 bets) by lighting an LED before the start of a game. The sub-control unit 20 controls the lighting of one lamp (for example, the "1 BET" lamp shown in Figure 1) when the bet number is set to "1", two lamps (for example, the "1 BET" and "2 BET" lamps shown in Figure 1) when the bet number is set to "2", and three lamps (for example, the "1 BET", "2 BET", and "3 BET" lamps shown in Figure 1) when the bet number is set to "3". That is, the bet number lamp 2f is a bet number display means, and displays the bet number (game value) set as a bet number in a game at least before the start of a game. When the sub-controller 20 detects the start of a game (operation of the start lever 3), it controls to turn off the bet number lamp 2f. Furthermore, when the sub-controller 20 detects that game medals corresponding to the number of bets have been inserted in response to the operation of the settlement button 2d, it performs control to turn off the number of bets lamp 2f. That is, the bet number lamp 2f lights up when the bet number is set, and goes out when a gaming medal is inserted.

[0021] The advantageous zone lamp 13 is a notification means that notifies the player that the situation is advantageous to the player. The advantageous zone lamp 13 lights up during the advantageous zone, but may also be configured to light up during the advantageous zone and during a game state (such as AT) in which medals increase. However, it is also possible to provide the advantageous zone lamp 13 but not turn it on. It is also not necessary to provide the advantageous zone lamp 13. In this case, it is preferable to provide a lamp that lights up during AT instead of the advantageous zone lamp 13 so that it is not difficult to recognize during AT.

[0022] The probability setting device 16 can change the probability of winning the AT in multiple stages (for example, six stages). The main control unit 10 stores one of the set values ​​in the memory unit based on the probability setting operation by the gaming parlor staff on the probability setting device 16, and controls the winning probability of the AT based on the stored set value. For example, setting 1 has the lowest winning probability, and the higher the number, the higher the winning probability.

[0023] The dedicated unit 19 is a lending device that lends out game medals. The dedicated unit 19 is provided outside the medal-less gaming machine 1, and is connected to the medal-less gaming machine 1 via a gaming ball etc. lending device connection terminal board 90a so as to be able to communicate data with the medal-less gaming machine 1. When a lending operation such as inserting cash (banknotes) is performed in the dedicated unit 19, the dedicated unit 19 outputs to the medalless gaming machine 1 lending data that can identify the number of gaming medals to be lent. In the medalless gaming machine 1, the main control unit 10 determines the number of gaming medals to be lent based on the inputted lending data, and adds the number of lent medals to the number of gaming medals stored and displayed in the gaming medal number display device 7.

[0024] The dedicated unit 19 also serves as a return device for returning game medals. Specifically, the medal-less gaming machine 1 outputs count data that can identify the counted number of gaming medals to the dedicated unit 19 based on the operation of the count button 2c. When the dedicated unit 19 receives the count data output from the medal-less gaming machine 1, it manages the counted number of gaming medals identified based on the count data as the number of possessed medals. The dedicated unit 19 includes a card unit (not shown), and the card unit (not shown) can store (record) the number of medals held in an IC card. The IC card can be ejected from the card unit by performing a return operation (pressing the return button). The ejected IC card can be handed over to a prize exchange corner set up in the game center to exchange the number of medals held for a prize, or inserted into the card unit of another dedicated unit 19 to play again using the number of medals held. The dedicated unit 19 and the game medal number display device 7 are linked together, and if the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 is at least "1" or more, the IC card cannot be discharged by the return operation, and the IC card can be discharged by the return operation only when the number of game medals is "0". In other words, the player cannot obtain the IC card until all the game medals have been counted. This prevents the player from forgetting to return any remaining game medals.

[0025] The dedicated unit 19 can be connected to a computer called a hall computer or a management computer either directly or via a relay device, and is capable of outputting game information such as out or safe, as well as sales information, to the computer. This allows the computer to tally up the number of outs, safes, prize balls, etc. for each gaming machine, and calculate error balls using this gaming information.

[0026] The main control unit 10 described above is configured by a main board 10a, a board case (board case section 90) that houses the main board 10a, and the like. As shown in Figure 4, the main board 10a (main control board) is equipped with two CPUs, a main control CPU 100 and a medal count control CPU 200, as well as multiple electronic components such as ROM, RAM storage means, a serial communication IC 300, a parallel communication IC 400, and a connector connection part C.

[0027] The main control CPU 100 is a game control means that executes a program stored in a storage means in order to control the game of the medalless gaming machine 1. Various signals are input and output to the I / O terminal of the main control CPU 100, and the main control CPU 100 operates based on the program in response to these various signals, thereby progressing the game. The ROM stores fixed data such as programs executed by the main control CPU 100 and various tables, and the RAM is used as a work area when the main control CPU 100 executes programs.

[0028] Specifically, operation means such as a bet button 2a, a MAX bet button 2b, a settlement button 2d, a start lever 3, a stop button 5, etc. are connected to the I / O terminal of the main control CPU 100. When these operating means are operated, the operation signals are input to the main control CPU 100 via the I / O terminal, and the game proceeds.

[0029] The medal count control CPU 200 is a game value control means that controls the management of the number of game medals held by the player, such as storing and managing the number of game medals held by the player in a storage means, and displaying the number of game medals stored in the storage means on the game medal count display device 7. The medal count control CPU 200, like the main control CPU 100, reads out programs stored in the ROM, executes various processes, and communicates with the main control CPU 100 according to the results of these processes. The medal count control CPU 200 also communicates with the dedicated unit 19 via serial communication.

[0030] Two-way communication takes place between the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200, and this communication is carried out using serial communication (first communication means) and parallel communication (second communication means), so that a serial communication IC 300 and a parallel communication IC 400 are respectively implemented on the main board 10a.

[0031] The serial communication IC300 (first component) is mainly used during communication between the main control CPU100 and the medal count control CPU200. The serial communication IC 300 is used for serial communication between CPUs, and is disposed between the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200. By arranging the serial communication IC 300 between the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200 in this way, inspections of the main board 10a, such as whether or not any fraudulent activity has been committed, can be easily carried out. Furthermore, the wiring pattern connecting each CPU and the serial communication IC 300 can be shortened, and large bends in the wiring pattern can be avoided.

[0032] The parallel communication IC 400 (second component) is used to notify abnormalities in parallel communication when a communication error occurs during serial communication. The parallel communication IC400 is used during parallel communication between CPUs, and is not placed between the main control CPU100 and the medal count control CPU200, but is placed on the medal count control CPU200 side different from the serial communication IC300, for example, near the center. By arranging the parallel communication IC 400 at a position different from the serial communication IC 300, it can be easily distinguished from the serial communication IC 300, thereby improving the efficiency of inspection.

[0033] The connector connection portions C are mounted at positions concentrated on one side of the main board 10a in the left-right direction X in order to electrically connect the main board 10a to an external main board. The board case (board case portion 90) can be rotated in the front-to-back direction Y, but it can also be rotated when multiple bundled electrical cables (harnesses) are connected to this connector connection portion C from above. By concentrating the connector connection portions C on one side in the left-right direction X in this manner, bending of the electrical cable in the rotational direction of the board case portion 90, which is the front-to-back direction Y, can be minimized compared to a configuration in which the connector connection portions C are positioned near the lower end of the main board 10a. This can prevent breakage of the electric cable due to bending. The rotation mechanism of the board case part 90 will be described in detail later.

[0034] 5, the board case 90 is provided with an opening 91 at a position corresponding to the connector connection portion C for exposing the electric cable to the outside. As a result, even when the board case 90 is closed, the main board 10a can be electrically connected to each board via an electric cable. The board case 90 that houses the main board 10a will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment and in the drawings, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is used as appropriate for ease of explanation and understanding. This coordinate system corresponds to the left-right direction X (left side X1, right side X2), the front-to-back direction Y (front side Y1, rear side Y2), and the vertical direction Z (bottom side Z1, top side Z2) when viewing the gaming machine 1 from the front (see Figure 1).

[0035] The board case part 90 (board case) is fixed to the rear panel of the housing 1b in the range of the upper side Z2. The board case part 90 is rotatable in the front-rear direction Y around a rotation axis 63 parallel to the left-right direction X relative to the case-side assembly 18 (case fixed part). Such a rotated state is also called a rotated state. In addition, the board case part 90 is slidable in the vertical direction Z relative to the housing side assembly 18 in the rotated state. This slid state is also called a sliding state.

[0036] By turning the board case part 90, the upper part of the board case part 90 is protruded from the accommodation recess 21 of the housing-side case part 25. Therefore, the restriction on movement of the board case part 90 to the upper side Z2 is released. As a result, the board case part 90 is guided by the guide holes 42 and becomes slidable in the vertical direction Z (see FIG. 7). The range in which the board case part 90 can slide is the range in which the rotation shaft 63 can move, and therefore is a range corresponding to the length of the guide hole 42 in the vertical direction Z.

[0037] When the board case part 90 is slid to the upper limit of the upper side Z2, the space on the front side Y1 of the board case part 90 is largely empty, and no parts such as the drum unit 4 are present. Therefore, the board case part 90 can be rotated from the state where it is rotated 90 degrees (the state shown in FIG. 6(B)) to an even larger open angle (for example, about 120 degrees). This improves the visibility of the rear surface of the main board 10a. In addition, light from lighting or the like outside the gaming machine can more easily reach the rear surface of the main board 10a, further improving visibility.

[0038] Furthermore, the board case part 90 can be slid while rotating from a state in which it is placed in a fixed position. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross section illustrating a state in which the board case part 90 of the embodiment is regulated by the restricting part 61b. 8(A), the gaming machine 1 includes a drum unit 4 provided on the front side Y1 of the board case part 90. On the top of the drum unit 4, a contact part 16 is attached. The contact portion 16 is provided at a position corresponding to the restricting portion 61b of the board case portion 90 in the left-right direction X. The upper surface of the contact portion 16 is a contact surface 16a that contacts the restriction portion 61b and is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane).

[0039] As shown in Figure 8(A), when the substrate case part 90, which has been positioned in a fixed position, is rotated to the front side Y1, the regulating part 61b (the ridge part of the substrate case part 90) of the case member 61 comes into contact with the contact surface 16a of the contact part 16 of the drum unit 4. When the restricting portion 61b abuts against the abutting surface 16a, the board case portion 90 is restricted from rotating to the front side Y1. However, when the restricting portion 61b of the case member 61 and the abutment portion 16 are in contact with each other and a force is applied to rotate the case member 61 further to the front side Y1, the rotation axis 63 of the substrate case member 90 moves upward Z2 along the guide hole 42, and the rotation angle increases. That is, the board case part 90 slides while rotating relative to the housing side assembly 18 (in this case, the rotation shaft 63 moves slightly upward Z2 along the guide hole 42 from near the lower end of the guide hole 42). In the process of the substrate case part 90 moving in this way, the position at which the restricting part 61b abuts against the abutting surface 16a of the abutting part 16 changes.

[0040] As shown in Figure 8(B), when the substrate case part 90 is rotated approximately 90 degrees, the substrate case part 90 is placed on the abutment part 16, and the back surface of the substrate case part 90 faces upward Z2. In this state, an inspector can check the back surface of the main board 10a in detail through the transparent case member 61. Furthermore, even if the inspector releases his / her hands from the board case part 90, the board case part 90 remains placed on the contact part 16. This is convenient for the inspector as it allows him or her to perform other tasks and hold a flashlight with a free hand. The board case part 90 may be slid further upward Z2 from the state shown in FIG. 8(B). In this case, as described above, the board case part 90 can be rotated to an even greater open angle.

[0041] Furthermore, when an inspector wants to visually check the rear surface of the main board 10a, he or she need only rotate the board case part 90 so as to tilt it to the front side Y1, without having to perform an operation to slide it in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, during work, the range in which the board case part 90 slides is sufficiently small. Therefore, the board case part 90 can be slid in the vertical direction Z while the electric cable remains connected to the connector. In this way, the rear surface of the main board 10a can be seen without inserting or removing the electrical cable and the connector that connects the main board 10a, so damage to the electrical cable and the connector can be suppressed. Therefore, by making the board case part 90 of the medalless gaming machine 1 rotatable so as to fall in the front-rear direction Y, the workability of checking whether or not there has been any tampering with the main board 10a can be improved. Furthermore, damage to connectors, electric cables, etc., caused by rotation and sliding of the board case part 90 can be suppressed. Furthermore, unauthorized access to the rotation shaft 63 of the board case part 90 can be prevented.

[0042] Next, the connection state of the power supply lines on the main board and the terminal board will be described. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the power supply lines (DC 24V, DC 12V) and signal lines between the main boards (including terminal boards) of the medal-based gaming machine, and FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the power supply lines (DC 24V, DC 12V) and signal lines between the main boards (including terminal boards) of the medal-less gaming machine 1. In addition to these main boards, the gaming machine is equipped with various other boards, such as LED boards that light up in conjunction with the effects, but these have been omitted for ease of understanding. The DC5V power supply line is also omitted.

[0043] As shown in Figure 9, the main board 10a of the gaming machine that uses medals is connected to the hopper drive board 55a, drum board 60a, and front board 70a so that signals can be input and output, and is connected to the external centralized terminal board 80a and sub-control board 20a so that signals can be output. Power is supplied to the main board of a gaming machine that uses medals from a power supply device 15 having a power supply board 15a to a hopper drive board 55a, and then to the main board 10a via the hopper drive board 55a. The power is then supplied from the main board 10a to other main boards such as the sub-control board 20a, hopper drive board 55a, drum board 60a, front board 70a (for selector), and external centralized terminal board 80a (for photorelay). Therefore, the main board 10a is provided with a plurality of power wiring patterns (hereinafter referred to as power supply patterns) for supplying power to the main board.

[0044] As shown in Figure 10, the medalless gaming machine 1 has main boards such as a main board 10a, a sub-control board 20a, a power supply board 15a, a drum board 60a, and a front board 70a, as well as a gaming ball lending device connection terminal board 90a for communicating with the dedicated unit 19. The main board 10a is directly connected to the power supply relay board 50a, the front board 70a, and the game ball lending device connection terminal board 90a, and is indirectly connected to the sub-control board 20a and the drum board 60a via the power supply relay board 50a. Therefore, signal input and output between the main board 10a and the main boards is carried out directly with the front board 70a and the game ball lending device connection terminal board 90a, and with the drum board 60a and the sub-control board 20a (output only) is carried out via the power supply relay board 50a.

[0045] Next, the main board will be described. The power supply board 15a (15) generates power and then supplies the power to the power supply relay board 50a, and the power supplied to the power supply relay board 50a is then supplied to the main board.

[0046] The sub-control board 20a (sub-control unit 20) is equipped with electronic components such as a sub-control CPU, sub-ROM, and sub-RAM, and the sub-control CPU executes a program stored in the sub-ROM, causing the display 8 to perform display effects in a predetermined display mode, output predetermined sound data from the speaker 9, and further control the lighting of the lamp 11. The sub-control board 20a is supplied with DC 12V power via a power relay board 50a.

[0047] The power relay board 50a relays power from the power supply device 15 to the main board. Therefore, the power lines can be consolidated in the power relay board 50a, which simplifies the configuration of the power supply system.

[0048] Here, the power supply relay unit 50 including the power supply relay board 50a will be described. The power supply relay unit 50 is configured by a power supply relay board 50a and a board case that houses the power supply relay board 50a, and is installed on the left side surface in the housing as shown in the figure (see FIG. 2). The power supply relay unit 50 generates DC power from a commercial power supply (AC 100V) and is installed near the main control unit 10 to shorten the electrical cable electrically connecting the power supply relay board 50a and the main board 10a. This makes it possible to prevent breakage of the electric cables and to centralize the power supply to the main boards to the supply from the power relay unit 50. As a result, for example, the electric cable connecting the power relay board 50a and the main board 10a can be easily visually inspected, and tampering with the electric cable can be effectively prevented.

[0049] In addition, the power supply relay unit 50 is provided between the power supply device 15 and the main board, and receives multiple power sources generated by the power supply device 15 (power supply board 15a) located inside the housing 1b of the medal-less gaming machine 1, and relays the multiple power sources to supply them to the main board. The multiple power sources supplied include, for example, "DC24V" supplied to the drum board 60a, "DC12V" supplied to the sub-control board 20a, and "DC5V" (not shown) supplied to the main board 10a, front board 70a, and game ball lending device connection terminal board 90a. According to such a power supply relay section 50, the power supply device 15, which is highly affected by noise, can be located away from the main board 10a, and the power supply relay board 50a, which is less affected by electrical noise, can be located near the main board 10a.

[0050] The main board will be described again. The drum board 60a is supplied with DC 24V power via the power relay board 50a. The drum substrate 60a also outputs a drum position signal to the main substrate 10a, and receives a reel pulse signal from the main substrate 10a, and the stepping motors of the reels 41a to 41c are driven in accordance with the reel pulse signal.

[0051] The front board 70a receives a start signal from the start lever 3 and outputs it to the main board 10a. The front board 70a also receives a stop signal from the stop button 5 and outputs it to the main board 10a via an electric cable provided for each reel stop signal. Furthermore, display signals and the like are input from the main board 10a.

[0052] As described above, the game ball etc. lending device connection terminal board 90a is a terminal board for connecting the medalless gaming machine 1 and the dedicated unit 19, and is used by the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200 to communicate with the dedicated unit 19. The game ball etc. lending device connection terminal board 90a inputs and outputs, for example, game medal lending signals, counting signals, and the like.

[0053] The medal-less gaming machine 1, which is configured by such a main board and terminal board, is supplied with power from the power supply device 15 via a newly provided power relay board 50a. Therefore, the main board 10a only needs to be provided with a power supply pattern that supplies the power used by the main board 10a, and the power supply pattern that supplies power to the main board can be eliminated.

[0054] Specifically, in gaming machines that use medals, 24V power is supplied to the drum board 60a, front board 70a, and external centralized terminal board 80a via the main board 10a, but in the medal-less gaming machine 1, the external centralized terminal board 80a and selector are no longer necessary, so the 24V power is supplied only to the drum board 60a, but power is not supplied from the main board 10a to this drum board 60a. This is because the main board 10a does not use a 24V power supply, and power is supplied to the drum board 60a via the power relay board 50a. As a result, the main board 10a previously required mounting area for the main control CPU 100 as well as the medal count control CPU 200, but since the power supply pattern of the main board, which generally has a wider wiring width than the signal wiring pattern, is no longer necessary, the board area for the unnecessary power supply pattern can be reduced. Furthermore, since the connection between the main board 10a and the drum board 60a is made via the power relay board 50a, they can be connected using the connector connection part C that is shared with other main boards, and therefore the board area corresponding to the connector connection part C dedicated to the drum board 60a can be reduced. Furthermore, even if there are design changes to the power supply pattern of the main board, this can be flexibly accommodated by simply changing the power supply relay board 50a without having to redesign the main board 10a, thereby reducing the cost and time required for product development. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide an unnecessary wiring pattern for the 24V power supply on the main board 10a, the stability and reliability of the main board 10a can be expected to be improved.

[0055] Next, a mask circuit that is used when the medal-less gaming machine 1 is turned on will be described. The main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200 have multiple modes in common, such as a security mode that authenticates the program, a user mode that is executed when authentication is obtained, and a program mode that is executed after a system reset. When the system is reset, such as when the power is turned on, the main control unit 10 outputs a reset signal to specific terminals of the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200. Upon receiving this reset signal, these CPUs transition from security mode to user mode (specific state) and execute (activate) the program stored in the ROM. The specific terminals here are the RX0 terminal, which is an input terminal of the main control CPU100, and the RX1 terminal, which is an input terminal of the medal count control CPU200.

[0056] However, when noise or other factors occur during security mode, the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200 may malfunction and not transition to the user mode that they should normally transition to if a signal that meets certain conditions is input to a specific terminal.

[0057] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to prevent malfunctions due to noise generated by sudden voltage fluctuations or the like, a mask circuit is provided at the input terminal (specific terminal) of each CPU. Multiple mask circuits are required because the timing of transition to user mode differs for each CPU. The mask circuit can be configured, for example, with AND circuits 500, 600 that take the logical product of two input signals, with the XR terminal and the XP terminal as input terminals and the output terminal connected to a specific terminal of each CPU (see FIG. 11). The XR terminal receives an H-level signal when the transition to user mode is complete, and the XP terminal is connected to a power supply monitoring IC or the like, and receives an H-level signal when the power supply voltage exceeds a certain level. Therefore, both the XR terminal and the XP terminal are controlled so that a reset signal is input to the specific terminal on the condition that an H level signal is input. Furthermore, during security mode, input signals to each CPU are held at L level and reset signals are not input to specific terminals, preventing malfunctions. When each CPU receives a reset signal from a specific terminal, it executes a process to initialize the internal system circuitry, and outputs the reset signal to the outside from the XR terminal of each CPU. In this way, by using an AND circuit 500 (first circuit) connected to the RX0 terminal (first port) of the main control CPU 100 and an AND circuit 600 (second circuit) connected to the RX1 terminal (second port) of the medal count control CPU 200, malfunctions can be effectively prevented. This configuration is a simple circuit configuration, and therefore can be mounted on the same main board 10a.

[0058] Although AND circuits 500 and 600 are shown as examples of mask circuits, the present invention is not limited to this, and three-state buffers 500 and 600 may be used instead of the AND circuits 500 and 600, as shown in FIG. 11(b). Additionally, if there is a terminal that is used only in the user mode, a similar mask circuit can be used as a countermeasure against malfunctions in the security mode.

[0059] As explained above, the gaming machine of the present invention is a medal-less gaming machine 1 that has a main control CPU 100 that performs game control and a medal count control CPU 200 that performs medal count control on a single main board 10a, and these CPUs communicate with each other via serial communication and parallel communication, with the serial communication IC 300 used for serial communication being placed between the CPUs and the parallel communication IC 400 used for parallel communication being placed in a different position from the serial communication IC 300. This allows for easy inspection of the main board 10a during inspection, and also allows for the length of the wiring connecting each CPU and the serial communication IC 300 to be shortened. Furthermore, since power is supplied to the gaming machine of the present invention from the power supply unit 15 via a newly installed power relay board 50a, the main board 10a only needs to be provided with a power supply pattern that supplies the power used by the main board 10a, eliminating the need for a power supply pattern that supplies power to the main board. As a result, the main board 10a does not require a power supply pattern for the main board, and the board area for the unnecessary power supply pattern can be reduced.

[0060] On the other hand, as a conventional gaming machine, a patent document (JP 2015-134010 A) discloses a slot machine that can be played without medals. However, in such conventional gaming machines, there is a problem in that the processing of the gaming value stored as data in the gaming machine has not been sufficiently considered. According to the gaming machine of this embodiment, it is possible to solve all or part of the above-mentioned problems that conventional gaming machines need to improve.

[0061] The above describes a preferred embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention, but it goes without saying that the gaming machine of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. (1) In order to improve noise resistance and communication performance, a buffer circuit such as a Schmitt buffer with hysteresis may be provided between the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200, or between the medal count control CPU 200 and the dedicated unit 19. (2) When placing a serial communication IC 300 and a parallel communication IC 400 between the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200, if placing them between each CPU reduces testability, electrical characteristics, etc., it is also possible to configure neither to be placed between the CPUs. (3) In order to form a protective mechanism in the board case part 90 for enclosing and protecting the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200 separately and independently, it is preferable to leave a certain distance or more between these CPUs. In addition, when two CPUs are protected together without forming separate protection mechanisms, the interval between the main control CPU 100 and the medal count control CPU 200 can be set to less than a certain interval. (4) It is preferable that the setting keys provided on the main board 10a are arranged closer to the main control CPU 100 than to the medal count control CPU 200 in order to prevent cheating such as changing the settings.

[0062] Next, a game in the medal-less gaming machine 1 (also called medal-less game) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The game start process is executed (S1). In the game start process, first, the medalless gaming machine 1 inputs the lending data output from the dedicated unit 19. Specifically, when a player performs a game medal lending operation on the dedicated unit 19, lending data that can identify the number of medals to be lent is output from the dedicated unit 19, and the medalless gaming machine 1 inputs this lending data. When the lending data is input into the medalless gaming machine 1, the main control unit 10 determines the number of lending medals based on the lending data, and stores and displays the number of gaming medals corresponding to the number of lending medals in the gaming medal number display device 7. When the "number of loaned medals" is "100", the initial number of medals displayed on the medal number display device 7 is "0", so it is updated from "0" to "100" (=0+100). In the game start process, next, game medals are inserted in response to an operation by the player. Specifically, the bet number is set as the number of game medals to be used in one game in response to the operation of the bet button 2a or the MAX bet button 2b. When the number of game medals displayed on the game medal number display device 7 is "100" and the number of bets is set to "3", the main control unit 10 updates the number of game medals stored and displayed on the game medal number display device 7 from "100" to "97" (=100-3), and the sub-control unit 20 lights up all three lamps of the bet number lamp 2f. When the number of bets (for example, 3 bets) is set as the number of game medals to be used in one game, the game is ready to start, and operation of the start lever 3 is enabled.

[0063] A lottery process is executed (S2). When the start lever 3 is tilted in the game start state, the game starts, and the main control unit 10 executes an internal lottery process to determine a winning combination for the current game from among a plurality of winning combinations. In response to the tilting operation of the start lever 3, the sub-controller 20 controls to turn off the bet number lamp 2f. When the bet number lamp 2f goes out, it indicates that the number of game medals inserted (betted) has been used.

[0064] A reel spinning process is executed (S3). Specifically, the main control unit 10 starts the movement of the reels 41a to 41c, which display a plurality of symbols. The reels 41a to 41c gradually increase their rotation speed from a stopped state, and when they reach a steady rotation speed at which they rotate at a constant speed, the stop buttons 5a to 5c provided corresponding to the reels 41a to 41c become pressable.

[0065] The reel stop process is executed (S4). When each of the stop buttons 5a to 5c is pressed, the main control unit 10 controls the stop of each of the reels 41a to 41c so that a combination of symbols allowed by the operation timing and the lottery result of the internal lottery process is displayed.

[0066] The winning process is executed (S5). The main control unit 10 controls the stopping of the reel 41 so that it stops with a combination of symbols corresponding to the winning result of the internal lottery process based on the timing of operation of the stop button 5, and after the third stop operation, it determines that a winning combination has been achieved if the combination of symbols that has stopped on the valid line is a predetermined combination of symbols. Note that "after the third stop operation" refers to the point after the player releases his / her finger or the like from the stop button 5 that was used to stop the third reel, and the third reel refers to the reel that is stopped in the third and final operation (third stop operation) when the stop operations for the three reels 41a to 41c are performed once for each reel, a total of three times.

[0067] A payout process is executed (S6). When it is determined that a specific small winning combination has been won, a process of paying out a corresponding number of game medals is executed. For example, when the main control unit 10 determines that a 10-coin payout role has been won, it adds the payout number "10" to the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7.

[0068] The medalless gaming machine 1 can execute the processes of S1 to S6 while transitioning through a plurality of gaming states. FIG. 13 is a transition diagram of game states that can be played in the medalless gaming machine 1. As shown in FIG. 13, the medalless gaming machine 1 is configured to be able to transition between a normal gaming state, a CZ state, and an AT state. The main control unit 10 executes control to transition from one gaming state to another gaming state based on the establishment of a predetermined transition condition. For example, a CZ transition lottery to determine whether the player will transition to the CZ state or an AT transition lottery to determine whether the player will transition to the AT state is executed in each game, and if the CZ transition lottery is won, the player will transition to the CZ state from the next game onwards, and if the AT transition lottery is won, the player will transition to the AT state from the next game onwards. The sub-controller 20 performs effects via a notification means such as a display 8 according to the game state and predetermined conditions. For example, a winning / losing branching effect is displayed during a continuous effect (for example, in the CZ state, a display is displayed suggesting the possibility of winning the AT over multiple games, while the results of the AT transition lottery are displayed in response to operation of a specific operating means (for example, the MAX bet button 2b)). The normal game state is set to a normal probability state and a high probability state, and in each game, the probability of transitioning to the CZ state or AT state is controlled so that the high probability state is higher than the normal probability state. In addition, the probability of winning the AT is controlled so that a high setting value is higher than a low setting value. In addition, the probability of winning the AT can be varied depending on the winning combination. For example, the probability of winning the AT when a rare combination is won is set to be higher than that when a non-rare combination is won.

[0069] The main control unit 10 is provided with a zone control means that can control the gaming zone to either a normal zone or an advantageous zone, in addition to the above gaming state. The normal zone is a game zone in which push order navigation is not executed, and begins when the next game starts after the advantageous zone ends, and ends when the conditions for transitioning to the advantageous zone are met. In addition, in the initial state (when reset) of the main control unit 10, it is controlled to the normal section, and in the normal section, the advantageous section lamp 13 is controlled to be in the off state. In addition, in the normal zone, it is determined that the player will transition to the advantageous zone when the conditions for transitioning to the advantageous zone are met, for example, when a predetermined role is won in an internal lottery.

[0070] The advantageous zone is a game zone in which push order navigation may be performed, and is a game zone that is more advantageous to the player than the normal zone because push order navigation may be performed. In addition, the advantageous zone begins when the next game starts after the advantageous zone transition condition is met in the normal zone, and ends when a predetermined advantageous zone end condition is met. The conditions for ending the advantageous zone are that the advantageous zone ends when a predetermined game state ends or when the advantageous zone limiter is reached, and the zone transitions to the normal zone. The advantageous zone limiter is a limit that satisfies the condition that "the number of game medals acquired (the difference) during one advantageous zone reaches the upper limit (for example, 2400)." For this reason, the main control unit 10 counts the number of game medals acquired during the advantageous zone and stores the count in the memory unit. In addition, in the advantageous zone, the advantageous zone lamp 13 is controlled to be lit. However, without being limited to this, the advantageous zone lamp 13 may start to light up when the game state (such as during AT) is reached after the transition to the advantageous zone, in which the number of game medals held by the player increases. It is also possible to provide a favorable zone lamp 13 but not turn it on. It is also not necessary to provide the advantageous zone lamp 13. In this case, it is preferable to provide a lamp that lights up during AT instead of the advantageous zone lamp 13 so that it is not difficult to recognize during AT.

[0071] The game end process is executed (S7). In the game end process, a counting process of game medals is executed. Specifically, when the player operates the count button 2c, the main control unit 10 counts the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7. More specifically, when the count button 2c is pressed for a short time, the counted amount "1" is subtracted from the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7. When the count button 2c is pressed and held, the maximum count number "50" is subtracted from the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7. If the count button 2c is pressed and held down continuously, the maximum count number "50" is continuously subtracted from the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7. As a result, count data that can identify the counted number is output to the dedicated unit 19. The dedicated unit 19 stores the total number of counted medals based on the input count data as the number of medals held. In the dedicated unit 19, in response to a return operation, the number of medals held is stored in the IC card in the card unit, and then the IC card is ejected from the card unit. The IC card can be dispensed only when the number of game medals stored and displayed on the game medal number display device 7 is "0". Therefore, the player needs to operate the count button 2c to execute the counting process until the number of game medals displayed on the game medal number display device 7 becomes "0". The player can play again or exchange the prize based on the dispensed IC card. To play again, instead of inserting cash at S1, an IC card is inserted into the card unit. This allows the game start process (S1) to be executed in response to a lending operation or the like in the dedicated unit 19, and then the lottery process (S2) to payout process (S6) can be executed.

[0072] In addition to the above-mentioned configuration, the medal-less gaming machine 1 according to the present invention has the following characteristic configuration. Each of the configuration items may be installed independently or in combination.

[0073] (Counting guidance by notification means) In the medalless gaming machine 1 of the present invention, the sub-controller 20 can execute a notification to prompt the operation of the counting button 2c by using a notification means such as the counting button lamp 2e. The count button lamp 2e is an LED lamp provided around the count button 2c. The counting button lamp 2e can be built into the counting button 2c so that the counting button 2c itself emits light. For example, when the count button 2c is operable, the count button lamp 2e is turned on, and when the count button 2c is inoperable, the count button lamp 2e is turned off. In other words, when the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 is "0" as shown in Figure 14(a), the counting button lamp 2e is turned off, and when the number of game medals is "1" or more as shown in Figure 14(b), the counting button lamp 2e is turned on. This allows the player to know that the count button 2c can be operated when the count button lamp 2e is lit. Furthermore, when the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 is close to the upper limit (for example, 15,000 or more), the count button lamp 2e is controlled to flash. In this way, by flashing the counting button lamp 2e, the player can be further encouraged to operate the counting button 2c. In other words, by illuminating the counting button lamp 2e in a way that is easy for the player to recognize, it can be notified that if the number of game medals is close to the upper limit and the game medals are paid out as is, it will result in a "game not possible" state, and that by operating the counting button 2c before the "game not possible" state is reached, the "game not possible" state can be avoided. When the count button lamp 2e is flashing, it is possible to control the flashing speed to be faster as the number of game medals approaches the upper limit, which makes it easier for the player to recognize that the number of game medals is approaching the upper limit. For example, if the number of game medals stored in the game medal number display device 7 is "15,000 or more and less than 16,000" (for example, "15,000" as shown in Figure 14(c)), the counting button lamp 2e is made to flash slowly, and if the number of game medals is "16,000 or more and less than 16,000" (for example, 16,000 as shown in Figure 14(d)), the counting button lamp 2e is made to flash quickly. In this way, the notification means such as the counting button lamp 2e can be activated (first notification) to prompt the player to operate the counting button 2c (counting operation means) when the number of game medals (amount of game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) is, for example, "15,000 to 16,000" (first amount), and can be activated (second notification) to prompt the player to operate the counting button 2c (counting operation means) when the number of game medals (amount of game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) is, for example, "16,000 to 16,300" (more than the first amount and less than the upper limit value), and the second notification is made to flash more rapidly than the first notification so that it is easier for the player to recognize. The counting guidance can be performed by changing the color of the light emitted from the counting button lamp 2e. For example, the counting button lamp 2e can be lit or flashing in green as the first notification, and the counting button lamp 2e can be lit or flashing in red as the second notification. Moreover, such stepwise counting guidance can also be notified via the display 8. For example, as shown in Figure 15(a), the first notification may display the notification information "Please count" in small letters (small display), and as shown in Figure 15(b), the second notification may display the notification information "Please count" in large letters (large display). As shown in FIG. 15(b), notification information such as "XX more sheets to reach the upper limit" may be added. The notification information can also be notified by sound information such as voice from a speaker. It is also possible to make a notification every predetermined number of games, and the interval between games can be made shorter or the volume can be increased so that the notification timing becomes faster as the upper limit value is approached. By providing counting guidance using such an alarm means, the player can be guided to perform appropriate counting operations before the upper limit value on the game medal count display device 7 is exceeded, resulting in a ``game not possible'' state, so that the ``game not possible'' state does not occur.

[0074] (Used when showing the count button) The counting button 2c can be used as an operating means during the performance. For example, as a winning / losing branching effect in a continuous effect, the sub-control unit 20 normally announces a message such as "Press the MAX bet button" via the display 8, etc., but can also announce a message such as "Press the counting button", execute a premium effect in response to the operation of the counting button 2c, or display a message such as "Defeat XXX bodies", and execute a premium effect in response to the counted amount reaching XXX by the operation of the counting button 2c, thereby linking the effect with the counting. Furthermore, when counting is desired, the frequency of these effects may be increased. For example, the closer the number of game medals stored and displayed on the game medal number display device 7 approaches the upper limit, the more frequently the effects are executed. Also, the control may be such that an effect linked to the counting operation is executed only when the "number of game medals" exists (is 1 or more). In other words, in an alarm means such as a display 8, when the number of game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) is "1" or more, an alarm can be executed to prompt the player to operate the counting button 2c (counting operation means), and when the number of game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) is "0", an alarm can be prevented from being executed to prompt the player to operate the counting button 2c (counting operation means).

[0075] (BGM plays while counting) While the game medals are being counted (while the count button 2c is being operated), background music (for example, the payout sound in a conventional slot machine) can be played. For example, sound generating means such as a speaker is provided in a predetermined location (such as around the medal payout opening), and the sub-controller 20 causes the sound generating means to output a payout sound. This allows for the execution of effects that mimic those of conventional slot machines. However, since counting can be performed even during a game (counting button 2c can be operated), the playback mode of the BGM may be controlled depending on the game situation. For example, when "not playing" the sound is played at normal volume, when "playing" the sound is played at extremely low volume, when "continuous performance" is being performed the sound is silent, and when "a payout due to winning" the sound is played with priority given to the payout sound (for example, the volume of the payout sound is made louder than other background music). This allows appropriate BGM playback according to the situation. Also, the background music played during counting may be different depending on whether the button is pressed for a short time or for a long time. For example, when you press the button briefly, a "beep beep" background music for short presses is played, and when you press and hold (50), a "piroriroro" background music for long presses is played every "50" count (every 300 milliseconds). Also, in the case of a short press, the background music will be very short, but if short presses are made consecutively, each will be judged as a short press in terms of counting, but for BGM playback it may be judged as a "long press" and BGM for a long press may be played. Furthermore, when the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal count display device 7 is large (for example, 10,000), the background music may not be played during the long press, or when the count exceeds a specific number while maintaining the long press (for example, when it exceeds 10,000), special background music may be switched to and played. When switching to special background music, linked effects may be produced by further switching the effects on the display 8 or lamps.

[0076] (Counting guidance when inserted medals remain) After the counting is completed, if the number of game medals displayed on the game medal number display device 7 is "0", the sub-control unit 20 can display notification information 1 indicating the end of the game, such as "Please play again", on the display 8 or output it as audio from the speaker 9. By notifying the user of the notification information 1 in this manner, the user can be made aware of the completion of counting. It should be noted that if the number of game medals stored and displayed after the counting is "1" or more, the notification information 1 is not notified. In this case, the player must operate the count button 2c to set the number of game medals to "0." This is because the IC card cannot be returned in the dedicated unit 19 if the gaming medal is "1". However, with the specifications of this dedicated unit 19, if the number of game medals stored and displayed on the game medal number display device 7 is "0", the IC card can be returned even if the bet number is set (inserted medals remain). This can lead to problems such as players leaving without realizing that inserted medals remain, or other players stealing them. Therefore, in the medalless gaming machine 1 of this embodiment, if the number of game medals displayed on the game medal number display device 7 is "0" after counting is completed and there are remaining inserted medals (number of bets) (when the bet number lamp 2f is lit), it will notify the user with notification information (notification information 2) that prompts the user to perform a settlement operation, such as "There are inserted medals! Please settle your balance!" In other words, when the counting button 2c (counting operation means) is operated and the number of game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) becomes "0", and the number of bets (bet) displayed on the bet number lamp 2f (bet display means) is "1" or more, the notification means such as the display device 8 will issue a notification urging the operation of the settlement button 2d (specific operation means); on the other hand, when the counting button 2c (counting operation means) is operated and the number of game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) becomes "0", and the number of bets (bet) displayed on the bet number lamp 2f (bet display means) is "0", the notification means will not issue a notification urging the operation of the settlement button 2d (specific operation means).

[0077] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a method of notifying the player whether or not there is a number of inserted medals after counting is completed. As shown in the figure, the main control unit 10 determines whether or not the count button 2c has been operated (S11). That is, it determines whether or not a counting operation has been performed. If the count button 2c has been pressed (Yes), it is determined whether the number of game medals is "0" (S12). In other words, it is determined whether counting has been completed. Specifically, when it is determined that the count button 2c has been pressed, the main control unit 10 determines whether the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 is "0" or not. If the number of game medals is not "0" in S12 (S12-No), the process returns to S11. In other words, if the counting is not complete, the number of game medals must be set to "0" by performing a counting operation. If the number of game medals is "0" in S12 (S12-Yes), it is determined whether the number of inserted medals is "0" (S13). In other words, if counting has been completed, it is next determined whether or not any inserted medals remain. Specifically, if the number of bets stored (set) in the RAM is "1," "2," or "3," it is determined that the number of inserted medals is not "0" (no medals have been inserted), and if the number of bets is not stored (set), it is determined that the number of inserted medals is "0" (there are inserted medals). In S13, if the number of inserted medals is "0" (S13-Yes), notification information 1 is notified (S14). That is, after counting is completed, notification information 1 is notified when there are no inserted medals remaining. For example, notification information such as "Let's play again" as shown in FIG. 17(a) is displayed on the display 8. By seeing this notification information, the player can finish the game with peace of mind. In S13, if the number of inserted medals is not "0" (S13-No), notification information 2 is notified (S15). That is, after the counting is completed, notification information 2 is notified if inserted medals remain. For example, a message prompting the player to settle the account, such as "You have inserted medals. Please settle the account!" as shown in FIG. 17(b), is displayed on the display 8. This allows the player to be aware that there are remaining inserted medals and that they need to be settled. In this way, if the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal count display device 7 is even "1", the IC card cannot be returned in the dedicated unit 19, but if the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal count display device 7 is "0", the IC card can be returned even if inserted medals remain, which prevents problems such as a player leaving without realizing that inserted medals remain, or the card being stolen by another player.

[0078] (Press and hold the counting button) The main control unit 10 keeps the counting button 2c pressed and held even after the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 becomes "0", and when a payout occurs in the game, it determines that this payout amount is also included in the counting by the long press. This is because it is possible to play while operating the counting button 2c, and since the payout amount generated by playing only the remaining few games is also counted while counting, it is possible to end the game without pressing the counting button 2c again.

[0079] This will be described in detail with reference to the time chart of FIG. It is assumed that the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 is "120" and the number of inserted medals (number of bets) remaining is "3". In this case, if the counting button 2c is pressed and held continuously, as shown in the figure, the counted amount "50" is subtracted from the number of game medals upon the first, second, and third detection of the long press, and as a result, the number of game medals becomes "0" upon the third detection of the long press. However, since the inserted medals remain, the player can continue playing even after the number of game medals reaches "0." In this example, after the number of medals played reaches "0", the player plays using the remaining inserted medals, and wins a specific small prize (a prize that pays out 10 medals) in the internal lottery process. Here, the medal-less gaming machine 1 of this embodiment is controlled so that if the counting button 2c is kept pressed and held even after the number of game medals has reached "0", this operation is treated as valid. This allows the game medals paid out thereafter to be automatically counted within a maximum range of "50". In other words, at this time, the number of game medals displayed on the game medal count display device 7 is updated from "0" to "10" because "10" is added in response to the winning of a specific small prize, but since the counting button 2 is still pressed and held, "10" is automatically counted as the counted number without the need for further operation, and the counting data indicating the counted number is sent to the dedicated unit 19.

[0080] That is, the medal-less gaming machine 1 of this embodiment is provided with processing means capable of executing a predetermined process when the counting button 2c (counting operation means) is operated, and this processing means is capable of executing a first process for outputting the game value of "1" (smallest unit) of the game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) as counting data to the dedicated unit 19 (external) when the counting button 2c (counting operation means) is operated by short pressing (first mode), and when the counting button 2c (counting operation means) is operated by long pressing (second mode) which is a mode in which the operation acceptance time is longer than in the first mode, A second process can be executed to output a game value of "50" (specific unit) as counting data to a dedicated unit 19 (external) from the number of game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means), and if the counting button 2c (counting operation means) remains operated in the second mode even after the number of game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) becomes 0 and game medals (game value) are awarded based on the results of the game, a third process is executed to output the game medals (game value) as counting data to the dedicated unit 19 (external). In this way, by playing the game while pressing and holding the counting button 2c, the player can count all of the game medals, including the game medals acquired after the counting operation has started, even if the game medals have been acquired during play after the game medal count has run out. This increases the comfort when the counting button 2c is pressed and held.

[0081] (Omission of presentation related to counting) After the power is turned on, the game becomes playable and the counting button 2c becomes active. At this time, whether or not the execution of various counting-related effects will be delayed is determined based on the state (start-up state) of each device involved in the effects, and whether or not the effects will be executed can be controlled based on the result of this determination. For example, in the above-mentioned "Use during counting button performance," we explained a performance that links the counting button 2c and the display 8. In this case, if it is determined that the display 8 has not completed starting up after the power is turned on, the performance will be omitted even if certain conditions are met. In addition, whether each device involved in the performance has completed startup or not can be determined based on whether the time required for startup to be completed has passed or not, or, for example, in the case of display device 8, whether a specified screen is displayed or not can be determined using image recognition technology.

[0082] (Explanation of counting operations) The operation method for counting is displayed on the display 8. For example, when the counting button 2c is pressed briefly, the game medal will be counted by "1", when the counting button 2c is pressed for a long time, the game medal will be counted up to "50", and when the counting button 2c is kept pressed for a long time, the game medal will be counted up to "50" at a time, and an explanation is displayed on the display 8. In particular, when the above-mentioned "unplayable" state occurs, the display 8 shows how to deal with the situation (how to reduce the number of game medals to below the upper limit by operating the counting button 2c). Furthermore, the counting method may be explained using not only text but also diagrams and images on a menu screen or the like displayed on the display device 8 during non-playing. In particular, a warning is displayed that the player should not accumulate more than 15,000 medals (when the number of medals displayed on the medal count display device 7 approaches the upper limit, the player should operate the counting button 2c to decrease the number), and that the upper limit is 16,300. This makes it possible to effectively support medal-less games for players who are not familiar with medal-less gaming machines 1.

[0083] (Other features) Other functions that can be provided include the following:

[0084] (Production on the lower panel) If the lower panel is equipped with a liquid crystal display (display 8), an image of the medals corresponding to the balls dispensed can be displayed so that the dispensed ball status can be seen. For example, it plays footage that makes it look like real medals are being dispensed, such as a cash box or medals spilling out from below. If the lower panel does not have an LCD display, the number of boxes may be displayed using LEDs or the like to give the impression of balls being dispensed. This allows for a dramatic effect similar to that of a conventional slot machine.

[0085] (Installation of small door) A small door that is physically smaller than the front door 1a is provided, and when the small door is opened, only the connectors around the main board 10a and the area around the power button are exposed, allowing these to be checked locally. Conventional slot machines are equipped with devices necessary for processing medals, such as selectors and hoppers, and in order to check these devices, it is necessary to open a large door called the front door 1a. In contrast, the medal-less gaming machine 1 of the present invention does not use actual medals, and therefore has fewer hardware components such as selectors and hoppers, and therefore the checking range is limited, so it is sufficient to provide a small door in the checking range. This allows the configuration of the medal-less gaming machine 1 to be simplified and made smaller, and also makes it easier for store staff to check.

[0086] (Response to error balls) It is possible to equip the device with a reset function in case the number of bets (for example, 1 or 2) is left set (remaining) and left. Specifically, the number of game medals stored in the game medal number display device 7 can be reset (to "0") by a store clerk operating the game medal number clear button 14, but even if it is reset when the bet number has been set, the bet number will remain. For this reason, in the medal-less gaming machine 1 of the present invention, when the game medal number clear button 14 is operated while there are remaining bets, the number of bets is reset and reset information including the remaining number of bets is output to the dedicated unit 19. Then, if the dedicated unit 19 transfers the input reset information to a hall computer (not shown), the hall computer can detect the remaining number of bets included in the reset information as an error ball (error number of medals). If such a function to reset the remaining bet number is not installed, it is necessary to clear the RAM that stores the bet number and operate the game medal number clear button 14, and when the bet number has been set, it is necessary to go through the procedure of "operating the settlement button 2d" → "operating the counting button 2c." The medal-less gaming machine 1 of the present invention is provided with a function for resetting the number of remaining bets, so that such troublesome operations are not required, and the hall computer can efficiently and accurately grasp the number of error balls.

[0087] (Premiere production) When certain conditions are met, such as when the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 or the number of payouts within one advantageous zone reaches a specific number, a premium effect can be produced in the display 8, etc., in which a hopper error that would be reported in a conventional game machine (a slot machine that uses actual medals) has occurred. The medal-less gaming machine 1 does not use actual medals, and hopper errors are not possible. For this reason, there is a high possibility that the player will immediately recognize that the hopper error display is some kind of effect (premium effect), making it possible to create an unexpected effect. The premiere effect may be a freeze effect of about 5 seconds. That is, the notification means can execute notifications such as effects related to real medals (game media), such as hopper errors, which are executed in conventional slot machines (game machines) that allow games to be played using real medals (game media), when specific conditions are met.

[0088] (Notification using wait time) Notification can be made using the wait time. In slot machine games, even if the start lever 3 is operated, if the time elapsed since the start of rotation of the reel 41 in the previous game has not passed the specified time (4.1 seconds), the start of rotation of the reel 41 is temporarily put on hold (a wait time is generated) to delay the start of rotation of the reel. In the case of slot machine games using actual medals, medals must be inserted at some point, and since it takes time to insert the medals, there is no waiting time, making it difficult to play at full wait time. In contrast, in medal-less games, inserting a game medal requires only operating a bet button, so no time is required for insertion, and there is often a waiting time, making it easy to play with a full wait. However, even in medal-less games, the lending operation at the dedicated unit 19 is required, so in the medal-less gaming machine 1 of this embodiment, the sub-control unit 20 controls the display on the display 8 during the waiting time (player side). This makes it easier to play at full weight. In addition, the notification may be made when the number of game medals stored and displayed on the game medal number display device 7 becomes "0", or when the number of game medals becomes 1 or 2.

[0089] (Bonus announcement using counting buttons) A bonus win can be announced in response to operation of the counting button 2c. 2. Description of the Related Art Among type A slot machines that allow real bonus games, there are known models that are provided with a notification lamp for notifying players that they have won a bonus. It is known that this type of notification lamp is controlled so that it does not light up and goes into standby mode if the game operation buttons (bet button 2a, MAX bet button 2b, stop button 5, start lever 3) are operated at the end of a bonus winning game. In the medal-less gaming machine 1 of the present invention, such bonus notification control can be performed, and in this case, the game operation buttons may or may not include the count button 2c. When the game operation buttons include the counting button 2c, as shown in Figure 19(a), if the counting button 2c is pressed beyond the end of the bonus game (when the third stop button is released), the bonus announcement will be put on hold while the button is pressed, and will be executed when the button is released (when the player's finger is released from the counting button 2c). As shown in Figure 19(b), when certain conditions are met, such as when the number of game medals stored and displayed in the game medal number display device 7 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (for example, 5,000 or more) and a specific lottery is won, the notification lamp will light up when the bonus winning game ends, even if the counting button 2c is being operated, and this can be presented as a premium pattern. This allows for unprecedented performances.

[0090] (Notification to prompt lending operation) The notification means can make a predetermined notification when the number of game medals displayed on the game medal number display device 7 reaches a predetermined number. For example, when the number of game medals on the game medal number display device 7 reaches "1" or "2", a message such as "Please lend" is displayed on the display device 8. In other words, the notification means is capable of issuing a notification to prompt a lending operation (an operation for inputting the game value available for play from the outside as lending data) in the dedicated unit 19 when the number of game medals (game value) displayed on the game medal number display device 7 (game value display means) reaches a specific amount. This can prevent the problem of not being able to insert game medals due to an insufficient number of game medals, resulting in a delay in playing games.

[0091] As described above, the gaming machine of the present invention is a medal-less gaming machine 1 that allows gaming without using actual medals, and is configured to issue a notification to prompt a counting operation when the number of gaming medals displayed on the gaming medal count display device 7 is below an upper limit value and equal to or greater than a predetermined number. For example, an LED or other light emitting means is provided on or around the counting button 2c, and is controlled to light up when counting is possible, turn off when counting is not possible, and flash when counting is being prompted (when the number of game medals is 16,000 or more). This allows the player to be guided to the appropriate operation before the game becomes "unplayable." Furthermore, when the gaming machine of the present invention performs an operation to count the number of gaming medals displayed on the gaming medal number display device 7, if the number of gaming medals becomes "0" and there are remaining inserted medals (bet amount), it issues a notification urging the player to settle or use the inserted medals, but if the number of gaming medals is not "0", it does not issue the above notification. This prevents forgetting to take the bet amount even in the case where, if there are game medals remaining on the game medal number display device 7 even if it shows "1", the card return operation cannot be performed on the dedicated unit 19, but if the game medal number display device 7 shows 0, the card return operation can be performed even if game medals have been bet.

[0092] Furthermore, when the gaming machine of the present invention performs an operation to count the number of gaming medals displayed on the gaming medal number display device 7, a control is executed in which the count continues to count by "50" by pressing and holding the counting button 2c. However, by controlling the counting button 2c to continue to be pressed and held even after the number of gaming medals on the gaming medal number display device 7 becomes 0, if a game is played while the pressed and held state continues and a payout occurs in that game, this payout amount can also be processed as a target for counting by the long press. This increases the comfort when pressing and holding the counting button 2c.

[0093] Conventional gaming machines have had the problem that the processing of gaming values ​​stored as data in the gaming machines has not been sufficiently considered. According to the gaming machine of this embodiment, it is possible to solve all or part of the above-mentioned problems that conventional gaming machines need to improve.

[0094] The above describes a preferred embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention, but it goes without saying that the gaming machine of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the main control unit 10 may have two main boards 10a each having a CPU mounted thereon. In this case, the main control unit 10 can be configured by a main board 10a on which the main control CPU 100 is mounted and a medal count control board on which the medal count control CPU 200 is mounted. Specifically, the medal count control CPU 200 can be responsible for controlling the game medal count display device 7 and controlling the operation of the counting button 2c, game medal count clear button 14, and dedicated unit 19, while the main control CPU 100 can be responsible for the overall control of all other games.

[0095] Furthermore, the sub-controller 20 may be configured to perform some or all of the operations performed by the main controller 10, or the main controller 10 may be configured to perform some or all of the operations performed by the sub-controller 20. For example, the sub-control unit 20 may control the game medal count display device 7, and the sub-control unit 20 may be responsible for control according to the operation of the count button 2c, the game medal count clear button 14, and the dedicated unit 19. Furthermore, the main control unit 10 may control the operation of the counting button lamp 2e and the bet number lamp 2f.

[0096] In addition, in this embodiment, the gaming machine is an example of a slot machine, but it may also be a pachinko machine. That is, the gaming machine may be a so-called enclosed gaming machine in which gaming media such as gaming balls are not paid out to the outside but are circulated internally to play a game. In this case, the gaming machine can be provided with a gaming ball number display device corresponding to the gaming medal number display device 7. In addition, for example, the notification mode may be changed depending on the number of game balls stored and displayed in the game ball number display device, and if the counting button is pressed and held down, the amount of counting may be greater than if the button is pressed and held down briefly, and if a game ball is acquired after the number of game balls stored and displayed in the game ball number display device has reached 0, that game ball may be counted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1. Medalless gaming machines (gaming machines) 2a Bet Button 2b MAX BET button 2c Count button 2d Checkout button 2e Counting button lamp 2f Bet Number Lamp 7 Game medal number display device (game value display means) 8 Display 10 Main control unit 10a Main board 14. Game medal count clear button 15 Power supply 15a Power supply board 19 Dedicated Unit 20 Sub-controller 20a Sub-control board 50 Power supply relay unit 50a power relay board 100 Main control CPU (game control means) 200 medal count control CPU (game value control means) 300 Serial communication IC (first part) 400 Parallel communication IC (second component) 500 AND circuit, three-state buffer (for main control CPU 100 (1st circuit)) 600 AND circuit, three-state buffer (for medal count control CPU200 (second circuit))

Claims

[Claim 1] In a gaming machine capable of managing game value that can be used for games, a game control means capable of executing control relating to a game; a game value control means capable of executing control relating to the game value; a first communication means used for communication between the game control means and the game value control means; a second communication means used for communication between the game control means and the game value control means, the second communication means using a communication method different from that of the first communication means; a main board on which the game control means and the game value control means are arranged; Equipped with In the main substrate, a first component associated with the first communication means is disposed between the game control means and the game value control means; A second component associated with the second communication means is disposed at a position different from that between the game control means and the game value control means. A gaming machine characterized by:

Images