System for amusement facilities

Abstract

To provide a system for game halls, the system capable of preferably managing absent states of players from their seats.SOLUTION: Regarding a lock medium which is under an absent-seat lock, it is possible to determine whether or not to cancel the absent-seat lock, based on a result of performed prize exchange processing. Therefore, an absent-seat lock state can be preferably managed without additionally receiving an operation from a player after the player's performance of an absent-seat operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a casino system.

Background Art

[0002] With the enactment of the "Act for Partial Revision of the Health Promotion Act" and various regulations, smoking during games will be prohibited in casinos in the future. When a player wants to smoke, they need to leave their gaming machine and smoke in a smoking booth provided inside the casino or outside the casino. In this case, for example, as in Patent Document 1, a rest operation is performed to issue a card (e.g., a recording medium such as an IC card), and while waiting for the card to be received, a suppression state is set to suppress granting processes such as lending and replay processes during gaming, so that the player can leave their seat with confidence. Also, in Patent Document 2, when managing departure information on both the management device side and the card side, the suppression state of the card can be解除 when a selection operation is executed when a card in the suppression state is received at the POS.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in recent years, an operation mode in which players themselves exchange prizes using a POS has attracted attention. In such an operation mode, it is also conceivable to adopt a configuration in which the player selects whether to maintain the suppression state by executing a selection operation. However, with value update methods such as POS systems (devices that update the game value associated with cards), it is conceivable that some players may be unfamiliar with operating the device. Such players may make mistakes, potentially causing the suppression state to be accidentally released even if they did not intend to release it. Furthermore, even without the above operational methods, it is conceivable that players who have left their seats may change their minds and end their game, thus presenting inherent challenges in managing the status of players away from their seats.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a gaming system that can suitably manage the status of players leaving their seats. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In the amusement facility system disclosed herein, The granting means (for example, the gaming device 2 entering an absence lock state) performs a granting process that assigns game value to the player (for example, a lending process or a replay process during gameplay), and when an absence operation (for example, including the operation of buttons 41 and 42 in Figure 4 on the gaming device 2) is received, the granting process is suppressed. A means for identifying the game value owned by the player (for example, a game device 2 that identifies the balance or number of tokens held), When a departure operation is received, an issuing means (e.g., gaming device 2) issues a lock medium (e.g., IC card 10) that associates the game value identified by the identifying means with first departure information (e.g., including the machine number) indicating the identification information of the gaming machine, When a seat departure operation is received, a seat departure lock process is performed to continue the suppression state until the lock medium is received, and When the aforementioned seat-away lock process is executed, a management means (e.g., management device 6) manages in association the identification information of the gaming machine corresponding to the seat-away lock process with second seat-away information (e.g., including a card ID) indicating the corresponding lock medium, When the lock medium is received, a release means (e.g., gaming device 2) releases the granting suppression state corresponding to the gaming machine, based on the first absence information of the lock medium, the identification information of the gaming machine managed by the management means and the second absence information, provided that the lock medium is the lock medium corresponding to the second absence information. When the aforementioned lock medium is received, a value update means (e.g., POS7) updates the game value of the lock medium by performing a prize exchange process to exchange it for a prize, Equipped with, The release means is characterized in that, as a result of updating the game value in the value update means, if the prize exchange process satisfies predetermined conditions, it maintains the grant suppression state corresponding to the game machine, while releasing the grant suppression state corresponding to the game machine if the predetermined conditions are not met.

[0007] According to the above configuration, it is possible to decide whether or not to release the seat-away lock based on the result of the prize exchange process for the locked media that has been left unattended, and the seat-away lock state can be suitably managed without separately accepting subsequent operations from the player who performed the seat-away operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the configuration of a game arcade system in one embodiment. [Figure 2] POS system perspective view [Figure 3] POS Functional Block Diagram [Figure 4] Diagram showing the display screen of a gaming device (Part 1) [Figure 5] Diagram showing the display screen of a gaming device (Part 2) [Figure 6] This diagram shows the processing flow between each device related to prize exchange and unlocking the seating lock. [Figure 7] Diagram showing the processing flow related to desk lock and call mode. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes one embodiment with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the amusement arcade system. Numerous gaming machines 1 are installed within the gaming hall, and a gaming device 2 and an information display device 3 are installed in conjunction with each gaming machine 1. The gaming machines 1, gaming devices 2, and information display device 3 are each connected to a management device 6 via a relay device 4 and a LAN 5. Prize exchange terminals 7 and settlement machines 8 are also installed in the gaming hall and are connected to the management device 6 via LAN 5. Furthermore, it is assumed that, for example, several hundred gaming machines 1 are installed in the amusement arcade, and multiple gaming machine islands are formed with different rental prices (rental rates) for the gaming media. Figure 1 shows examples of a 4-yen pachinko island where the rental rate for the balls used as the gaming media is 4 yen, and a 1-yen pachinko island where the rental rate is 1 yen.

[0010] The prize exchange terminal 7 is a device (hereinafter referred to as "POS7") installed in multiple locations, such as a prize exchange corner (prize exchange counter), and is equipped with an auxiliary device 9 for processing IC cards 10 (see Figure 3), such as membership cards and general cards. The POS7 is configured to perform prize exchange processing to exchange the game value of the number of balls held (counted balls, etc.) identified by the IC card 10 for prizes.

[0011] When an IC card 10 is inserted into the card slot 8a of the payment machine 8, the machine accepts the inserted IC card 10, reads the deposit balance (balance) recorded on the card 10 using a card reader (not shown), and returns banknotes or coins corresponding to the read balance from the return slot 8b. When handling the balance recorded on the IC card 10 at POS 7 and payment machine 8, the management device 6 compares the balance with the balance indicated by the issuance information that it has previously recorded in relation to the IC card 10, and handles the balance only if it determines that it is true.

[0012] The IC card 10 to which the game value is associated is also referred to as the "general card 10" and the "member card 10" for the convenience of explanation to distinguish between the two (see Fig. 3), and is also collectively referred to as the "card 10" without distinguishing between the two. The general card 10 is issued to an unspecified number of players as a general-purpose recording medium valid only for the day. In the IC chip 10a built into the general card 10, a card ID capable of identifying the card 10 is recorded, and as valuable information, the balance deposited in the gaming device 2 and the number of balls held (game value) acquired by the player during the day are recorded for each loan unit price.

[0013] The member card 10 is a member recording medium valid until a preset expiration date (for example, three years), and is issued to players who have registered as members in advance. The number of balls held and the number of stored balls corresponding to the member card 10 are stored for each loan unit price in the member account of the management device 6. In the IC chip 10a built into the member card 10, a member ID capable of identifying the member of the card 10 is recorded as the card ID as information capable of identifying the balance and the game value of the member account.

[0014] The management device 6 is installed, for example, in an office in the game arcade, and a keyboard 6a, a monitor 6b, a printer (not shown), etc. that are operated by the game arcade administrator are connected. The management device 6 manages the game data for each gaming machine by receiving the game signals transmitted from the gaming machine side (gaming machine 1, gaming device 2, etc.), and also manages the personal data for each registered member and the operating status of the POS 7, the change machine 8, etc.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the gaming machine 1 has an operation handle 12, an upper tray 13, and a lower tray 14 that constitute a launching device for launching balls onto the game board 11, and the game board 11 has a liquid crystal display unit 15, a start port 16, and a big winning port 17. The gaming machine 1 performs the following operations. (1) When the operating handle 12 is operated, a ball is launched onto the playfield 11 and enters the start opening 16 (start entry). In response to this, a jackpot lottery is held, and based on the lottery result, a symbol change using so-called special symbols (special symbols) is performed on the LCD display unit 15, and a jackpot is generated according to the result. The maximum number of reserved balls is 4 each, and if a start entry occurs while balls are reserved, the balls will be reserved up to the maximum limit, and after the symbol change is completed, the reserved symbol changes will be performed sequentially.

[0016] (2) The probability of winning a jackpot is 1 / 300, and the percentage of jackpots that result in a probability variation state after the jackpot is 66.6% (2 / 3). When a jackpot occurs, the large prize slot 17 is opened for a number of rounds (R) corresponding to the jackpot. The maximum number of prizes that can be won in 1 round is 8, and the maximum opening time is 30 seconds. 1 round ends when either the maximum number of prizes or the maximum opening time is reached.

[0017] (3) The number of rounds corresponding to a big win can be 5R or 16R, with the distribution ratio being 25% for 5R and 75% for 16R. (4) During the probability variation mode, the probability of hitting a jackpot increases to 1 / 30. The probability variation mode continues until the next jackpot occurs, and will continue until a jackpot occurs that returns the game to the normal state (normal jackpot). Once a normal jackpot occurs, the game returns to the normal state.

[0018] The gaming machine 1 and the peripheral equipment attached to the gaming machine 1 output the following game signals as the game progresses, such as when the player shoots balls into the starting slot 16 and when a ball enters the starting slot 16. • Out signal: This is a signal that identifies the game value used (number of media used, out) output from the out box (not shown) that collects the balls used. Since one pulse is output for every 10 balls collected (used balls, balls played), the number of out signals × 10 is identified as the out. Note that this signal may also be output directly from the gaming machine 1. The out identified by the out signal corresponds to the amount of game value used in the game.

[0019] • Safe signal: This signal can identify the game value (acquired value) dispensed from the gaming machine 1. One pulse is output for every 10 balls dispensed, so the number of safe signals × 10 is identified as safe. Alternatively, the supply signal output from the supply device (not shown) may be used as the safe signal. The safe identified by the safe signal corresponds to the amount of game value awarded upon winning. • Start-up winning signal: This is a signal that can identify a win (start-up win) in the start-up slot 16, which is output from the gaming machine 1. One pulse is output for each win in the start-up slot 16, so the start-up win is identified in response to the reception of the start-up winning signal.

[0020] • Symbol variation signal (start signal): This signal is output from the gaming machine 1 and identifies the symbol variation (mechanism activation) that starts when a starting prize is entered into the start port 16. Since it is output when the symbol variation is confirmed (end), the symbol variation (start) is identified in response to the reception of the symbol variation signal. It may also be a signal output at the start of the symbol variation. • Jackpot signal: This is a signal output from the gaming machine 1 that can identify the period during which the game is in a jackpot state. Since it is output at a level during the jackpot state, the period during which the jackpot signal is received is identified as the jackpot state.

[0021] • Special State Signal: This signal, output from the gaming machine 1, identifies the period during which the winning rate at entry points such as the starting gate 16 is high, indicating a time-saving state. Since the signal is output at a level during the time-saving state regardless of whether the machine is in a probability-increasing state with a high probability of winning a jackpot, the machine identifies the state as a special state when the special state signal is being received. Note that if no state signals such as a jackpot signal or a special state signal are received, the machine is identified as being in a normal state.

[0022] The gaming device 2 includes a banknote slot 21 into which banknotes are inserted, a touch-panel LCD display 22 that accepts input from the player and displays various data such as balance, number of balls held and number of stored balls, a payout button 23 operated to dispense balls, a payout nozzle 24 through which dispensed balls pass, a card slot 25 into which an IC card 10 is inserted, and a removable counting tray 26 located below the lower tray 14 of the gaming machine 1.

[0023] The control unit (not shown) of the gaming device 2 operates as follows: (1) When currency is received (currency acceptance processing), the amount received is added to the balance and displayed on both the gaming machine 1 and the gaming device 2. When the disbursement button on gaming machine 1 is pressed while there is a balance (disbursement operation, payment operation), one unit of disbursement (e.g., 500 yen) of disbursed balls (payment value) is dispensed from gaming machine 1 (disbursement processing, payment processing), and the payment amount according to the rate is deducted from the balance. Note that currency can be accepted for multiple payment processing transactions (e.g., up to 10,000 yen).

[0024] (2) When counted balls are received, the counted balls are identified as held balls, and a refund process (re-playing and granting of held balls) is enabled to refund those held balls in response to the press of the payout button 23. When a refund is made, the held balls are reduced by the amount of the refund (for example, the same number of balls as the number of balls refunded).

[0025] (3) When the return button (not shown) on the gaming machine 1 is pressed while there is a balance or remaining tokens, (when the issuance operation is accepted), a general card 10 that can identify the balance or tokens stored in the gaming device 2 is issued. It is also possible to issue only a portion of the tokens or the balance. When a general card 10 is accepted, the balance or tokens on it are transferred.

[0026] (4) Through serial communication with the relay device 4, the management device 6 can identify various information such as the processing of receiving money and providing payment, the balance, the number of balls held, the number of balls lent out, the number of balls refunded, the amount deposited, the sales amount which is the payment for the number of balls held, the number of balls lent out, and the number of balls lent out, and the processing of receiving and issuing general cards 10. These can also be identified using pulse signals (for example, one pulse for every 1000 yen deposited, one pulse for every 100 yen sold, etc.). Note that communication for lending processing may be performed directly between the gaming machine 1 and the gaming device 2 without going through the relay device 4.

[0027] The control unit (not shown) of the information display device 3 manages game information for each game state by receiving game signals output from the game machine 1 via the relay device 4. The information display device 3 includes a display unit 3a that displays various game information, various operation buttons (not shown) that accept various operations such as changing the display content of the display unit 3a, and a remote control receiver (not shown) that receives remote control signals transmitted from an operation remote control (not shown) carried by an employee of the game hall.

[0028] The control unit (not shown) of the management device 6 operates according to a computer program stored in its memory unit and is capable of performing a game information display service that displays game data indicating the operating status of the game machine 1. In order to perform such a service, it identifies the operating status of the game machine 1 based on game signals input to the input / output unit from the game machine 1, game device 2, etc., and manages game data for each game machine.

[0029] The game data managed for each gaming machine is as follows: Out ·safe • Difference in ball count = Safe - Out • Payout rate = Safe ÷ Outs • Jackpot probability = Number of jackpots ÷ Number of starts

[0030] Next, we will explain the configuration of POS7, referring to Figures 2 and 3. The POS7 shown in Figure 2 is configured such that its main unit 30 and auxiliary devices 9 are paired, one for employees and one for players, allowing it to be set to either player-operated or employee-operated mode. In this embodiment, we will mainly describe the player-operated mode, that is, the self-service POS mode in which players operate the machine themselves without the assistance of employees. For employee-operated mode in which employees perform prize exchange operations face-to-face, a well-known configuration can be used, and a detailed explanation of that will be omitted.

[0031] The main unit 30 of POS7 has an integrated touch panel-type employee display unit 33 and a player display unit 34, and displays the information necessary for prize exchange on these display units 33 and 34. The auxiliary device 9 of POS7 is equipped with an employee operation unit 31 and a player operation unit 32, and executes predetermined prize exchange processes in response to operations on these operation units 31 and 32, and touch operations on the touch panels 33a and 33b provided on the display units 33 and 34.

[0032] The employee control unit 31 is configured by integrating a scanner 35, a card reader / writer 36, and a printer 37. The top surface of the employee control unit 31 is provided with the reading surface 35a of the scanner 35, the card insertion slot 36a of the card reader / writer 36, and the printing slot 37a of the printer 37. In addition to the IC card 10, an employee card (not shown) can be inserted into the card insertion slot 36a.

[0033] Scanner 35 reads barcodes on general promotional items (daily necessities, cigarettes, etc.) and inputs the promotional information. Card R / W36 reads the information from the inserted IC card 10 and rewrites the number of tokens stored on the general card 10 in accordance with the prize exchange process. A card stock section (not shown) is provided inside card R / W36, allowing general cards 10 that have run out of tokens and balances to be collected into the card stock section.

[0034] Printer 37 issues the following token exchange tickets, etc., in response to the prize exchange process. The player control panel 32 is equipped with a numeric keypad 32a, allowing the player to enter a PIN code using the keys.

[0035] Figure 3 shows a functional block diagram of POS7. The control unit 38 of POS7 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU 38a, a ROM 38b and RAM 38c as memory units 38m, and an I / O 38d. As shown in the figure, the control unit 38 is connected to an employee display unit 33 as an employee-side monitor, a touch panel 33a on the display unit 33, a player-side monitor 34, a touch panel 34a on the display unit 34, and an I / F unit 38e that sends and receives various signals and information with the management device 6, etc., as well as a scanner 35, a card R / W 36, a printer 37, and a numeric keypad 32a.

[0036] Furthermore, the control unit 38 of POS7 is connected to a prize dispensing machine 39, as shown in Figure 1. The prize dispensing machine 39 stores multiple types of special prizes in a prize stock section (not shown) inside the main unit and automatically dispenses special prizes in response to dispensing instructions from the control unit 38. Hereafter, the control unit 38, which is the control entity (prize exchange means, value update means), will be simply referred to as "POS7". In this embodiment, the prizes include the special prizes and general prizes mentioned above. There are three types of special prizes: large special prize, medium special prize, and small special prize. The corresponding value of each special prize (the amount at which it can be exchanged at an exchange counter outside the game hall) is set as follows: large special prize is 5,000 yen, medium special prize is 1,000 yen, and small special prize is 200 yen.

[0037] General prizes include items such as cigarettes, drinks, sweets, and miscellaneous goods. Various prizes are available at the prize exchange counter or displayed in the general prize corner 40 (shown only in Figure 1). The general prize corner 40 is an unmanned prize corner located in a corner of the gaming area, where players can freely choose general prizes within the exchangeable range.

[0038] Next, the prize exchange process for player operation in POS7 will be explained for each type of card 10. Note that the employee operation unit 31 is positioned facing the player when player operation is in use and can be operated by the player (see the arrow pointing "player side" in Figure 2). In addition, the following screens displayed on the player display unit 34 can be modified as needed, and are therefore not illustrated.

[0039] [Prize redemption process using a regular card] In player operation, POS7 displays a standby screen on the player display unit 34 shown in Figure 2. The standby screen displays the message "Customers wishing to exchange prizes, please insert your card" and a "Call Staff" button. When a player inserts a regular card 10 into the card slot 36a of the card R / W 36, the POS 7 reads and displays the card ID and the number of balls held by the inserted regular card 10 in the card R / W 36, then sends the read information to the management device 6 to request verification, and if the verification result is received from the management device 6, the system transitions from the standby screen to the special prize confirmation screen.

[0040] The special prize confirmation screen displays buttons such as "Call Staff," "Cancel Exchange," and "Confirm," as well as a message warning against removing the card, the unit price of the balls, information showing the number of balls held and leftover balls read from the general card 10, special prize exchange information showing the number of each special prize that can be exchanged, and a message prompting the user to press the "Confirm" button. As an example of how to calculate the number of special prizes, for example, 4 yen pachinko = 1915 balls (7660 yen) = 1250 balls × 1 + 250 balls × 2 + 50 balls × 3 + 15 balls = Large special prize (5000 yen) × 1 + Medium special prize (1000 yen) × 2 + Small special prize (200 yen) × 3 + leftover balls (60 yen).

[0041] When a player touches the "Confirm" button on the special prize confirmation screen, the general prize confirmation screen is displayed from the special prize confirmation screen. The general prize confirmation screen displays general prize exchange information, showing the number of each general prize that can be exchanged, a button to select whether or not to exchange fractional amounts, and a message prompting the player to press the "Confirm" button. When the "Confirm" button on the general prize confirmation screen is touched, POS7 dispenses the displayed number of special prizes from the prize dispensing machine 39 and, depending on the selection operation regarding fractional exchange, issues a fractional ball exchange ticket (not shown) or issues an IC card 10 that records the fractional amount as held balls.

[0042] The leftover token exchange voucher will have a message printed on it indicating the unit price and number (amount) of leftover tokens, as well as the types and number of general prizes (leftover prizes) that can be selected within that price range. When a leftover token exchange voucher is issued through the prize exchange process described above, the player can exchange it for a general prize of their choice at the general prize corner 40, etc. The general prize categories include 100 yen general prizes, 50 yen general prizes, 10 yen general prizes, 5 yen general prizes, and 1 yen general prizes.

[0043] If there is no balance on the general card 10, when the "Confirm" button on the general prize confirmation screen is pressed, the prize dispensing machine 39 is instructed to dispense a special prize, and the general card 10 in card R / W 36 is updated to a state of no balance and collected into the card stock unit. As described above, POS7 functions as a value update mechanism that, upon receiving a general card 10, updates the number of tokens held as game value associated with the card 10 by executing a prize exchange process to exchange them for prizes. Through this prize exchange process, players can exchange some or all of the tokens they have acquired for special prizes or general prizes.

[0044] Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram, for example, the standby screen of the player display unit 34 may display a button to select either "Special Prize Exchange" or "General Prize Selection," and if the player wishes to select "General Prize Selection," they may also select general prizes such as cigarettes that do not belong to the general prize categories mentioned above. Specifically, for example, the player inserts a general card 10 into card R / W 36 and touches the "Select General Prize" button to transition from the standby screen to the general prize selection screen. On the general prize selection screen, the type of special prize is identified by touch operation to select a general prize such as cigarettes, or by inputting an operation by reading the identification code (e.g., barcode) of the general prize with scanner 35.

[0045] Thus, POS7 determines the general prize to be exchanged and calculates the remaining number of balls by subtracting the number of balls equivalent to that general prize from the number of balls held. If there are remaining balls or a balance on the general card 10, the remaining number of balls or the balance is recorded on the card 10 by card RW36 (updating the number of balls). Subsequently, the general card 10, which has been updated by the prize exchange process, is dispensed from card RW36 and returned to the player, who can receive the exchanged general prize along with the card 10.

[0046] Furthermore, the prize exchange process in POS7 only needs to perform a process that updates the game value associated with the IC card 10 when it is exchanged for at least one of the general prizes or special prizes, and it may also be configured to dispense general prizes from the prize dispensing machine 39. Furthermore, the "Prize Exchange Process Using Member Cards" described below can be largely the same as the prize exchange process using general cards 10 described above, so the explanation will focus on cases where special prizes are exchanged.

[0047] [Prize redemption process using membership card] When a player inserts a membership card 10 into the card R / W36 while the POS7 is displaying the standby screen, the POS7 reads the ID of the card 10 and transitions from the standby screen to the membership card insertion screen. The membership card insertion screen displays buttons for "Call Staff" and "Cancel Exchange," as well as a keyboard and a message prompting the user to enter their PIN.

[0048] When a player enters their PIN via the keyboard or keypad 32a on the screen during card insertion, POS7 requests the management device 6 for verification results and information on the number of balls held and stored by the member. Upon receiving the verification results and information on the number of balls held and stored from the management device 6, POS7 displays the member account selection screen. The member account selection screen displays an account selection button and a message requesting the user to select an account.

[0049] When a player touches the account selection button, POS7 transitions from the member account selection screen to the member prize quantity specification screen, displaying account transaction information showing the number of transactions and account balance, as well as "+" and "-" buttons corresponding to each special prize, a "Maximum Quantity Set" button, and a "Confirm" button. POS7 increases or decreases the number of tokens withdrawn from the corresponding account by the number of tokens corresponding to the special prize when the player touches the "+" or "-" button, and also decreases or increases the account balance. If the "Maximum Quantity Set" button is touched, the system automatically sets the maximum number of each special prize within the limits of the account balance.

[0050] When a player touches the "Confirm" button on the screen where they specify the number of member prizes, POS7 transitions to the final member confirmation screen, which displays transaction details showing the number of withdrawals and account balance, information on the number of special prizes, and a message prompting the player to press the "Confirm" button. When the player touches the "Confirm" button on the final membership confirmation screen, POS7 dispenses the displayed type and number of special prizes from the prize dispensing machine 39, and adds any remaining tokens to the account balance. As described above, by inserting the membership card 10 into POS7, the player performs a prize exchange process to exchange the desired account balance for a special prize, and the corresponding game value (number of balls held or stored as account balance) is updated. Since the membership card 10 is used continuously until its expiration date, it is always returned to the player regardless of whether there is a balance or number of balls held or stored.

[0051] Now, in amusement parlors, based on the enactment of the "Act to Amend Part of the Health Promotion Act" and various ordinances, smoking during gameplay will be completely prohibited in amusement parlors, and the entire parlor will become smoke-free. Therefore, players who wish to smoke will leave their seats for a short time to smoke in the smoking booths installed in the parlor or outside the parlor, and securing a gaming machine in such cases becomes an issue. Therefore, the gaming device 2 of this embodiment has a seat-away lock function that allows the gaming machine 1 to be locked while the player is away from their seat. The seat-away lock function will be described below.

[0052] [A function to lock the gaming machine when you leave your seat to secure it] The "away lock" function is a feature that performs an away lock process to maintain a locked state (hereinafter referred to as the "away lock state") using the IC card 10 issued when the player leaves their seat as the release key (lock medium). In the away lock state, the display unit 22 of the gaming device 2 and the display unit 3a of the information display device 3 display the time when the player can leave their seat and the elapsed time since leaving, and the gaming device 2, which is the granting means, enters a granting suppression state in which the granting process is disabled (suppressed). In addition to this, the gaming device 2 further suppresses deposits, disables counting by closing the counting tray 26 with a shutter, and disables the acceptance of other IC cards 10, thus entering a suppression state.

[0053] The away-from-desk function consists of the following: leaving the desk operation, displaying "away," managing the "away" status, and canceling the away-from-desk action. • Leave your seat operation To allow players to leave their seats safely from the gaming machine 1, the gaming device 2 is configured to accept a departure operation when a player leaves their seat. Alternatively, as described later, the information display device 3 may be configured to allow departure operations.

[0054] ·Away display At least one of the gaming device 2 or the information display device 3 will display an "away from seat" indicator to notify those around that the player is away from their seat. To avoid problems such as playing at the wrong machine, the system will lock the player's seat using the IC card 10, which has been locked by the settings, as the release key. In principle, deposits and acceptance of IC cards 10 will be disabled until the same IC card 10 is accepted.

[0055] • Managing the status of being away from desk The management device 6 allows monitoring 6b to track the machine numbers of players who are away from their seats and to check the elapsed time since their departure for each machine number. If a player does not return to play after the permitted absence time has expired, a customer call (or inspection) notification is issued. • Disabled from seat In the gaming device 2, the seat-away lock state is released (the seat-away lock state is released) when the gaming device 2 receives the IC card 10 issued when the player leaves their seat. In this embodiment, the seat-away lock state is also released when the POS 7 receives the card 10 and the prize exchange process related to the card 10 does not meet the predetermined conditions.

[0056] While it is desirable for the above-mentioned absence function to disable the issuance process, etc., once the IC card 10 has been issued, if the conditions for issuing the IC card 10 are not met, such as the balance or remaining tokens reaching a certain value (meaning there is remaining value), or the membership card 10 being accepted, the IC card 10 cannot be issued, making it difficult to disable the issuance process, etc. In this case, it is conceivable to relax the issuance conditions to allow absence, but this raises new concerns, such as the IC card 10 being taken without authorization. For these reasons, the gaming device 2 can set the following five operating methods for the absence function on a type-by-type basis (for example, groups with the same lending rate). (A) No away-from-desk function (default) (B) Absence function available (all users subject to absence lock) (C) Absence function available (Absence lock applies to both members and non-members) (D) Absence function available (Absence lock applies to members only) (E) Absence function available (no users subject to absence lock)

[0057] The following explains the above (B) to (E) which have an away-from-your-desk function. (B) Absence function available (all users subject to absence lock) Regardless of the acceptance status of IC card 10, the machine can accept the "leave seat" operation. If the issuance conditions for IC card 10 are met at the time of the "leave seat" operation, the card 10 will be issued, and the machine will enter the "leave seat lock" state using the card 10 as the release key. If the issuance conditions for IC card 10 are not met, the machine will not enter the "leave seat lock" state in response to the "leave seat" operation, but it will enter an "issuance suppression" state where the issuance process is suppressed until an unlock operation that can be performed by the player is received.

[0058] (C) Absence function available (Absence lock applies to both members and non-members) The system can accept the departure operation only if the conditions for issuing IC card 10 are met. When the departure operation is performed, a member card 10 or general card 10 is issued, and the system locks the user's seat using the member card 10 or general card 10 as the unlock key.

[0059] (D) Absence function available (Absence lock applies to members only) The system can only accept the "leave your seat" operation if the conditions for issuing Member Card 10 are met. When the user leaves their seat, Member Card 10 is issued, and this Member Card 10 is used as the unlock key to lock the user's seat. (E) Absence function available (no users subject to absence lock) Regardless of whether the conditions for issuing IC card 10 are met, the system can accept the departure operation. If the conditions for issuing IC card 10 are met at the time of the departure operation, IC card 10 will be issued, but the system will not enter a departure lock state.

[0060] The "leave seat" operation is permitted only if the gaming machine 1 is in operation or if the value of the balance or number of balls held has reached the standard amount by comparing it with standard information, that is, if the conditions for issuing IC card 10 (excluding cases where there is no balance or the number of balls held has not reached the predetermined number) are met. This is to prevent mischief and prohibit the acceptance of the "leave seat" operation for gaming machine 1 that is not in operation. Whether or not a machine is in operation is determined if a set time has elapsed since the last out (by detecting the most recent out signal). However, if the conditions for issuing membership card 10 are met in (B) to (D) above, the departure operation will be accepted even if there is no monetary value.

[0061] Next, the operation of the gaming device 2 with a seat-away function will be explained, referring to Figures 4 and 5 which show the screen of its display unit 22. (If all users are subject to the "away from desk" lock) When in standby mode, the gaming device 2 displays the standby screen shown in Figure 4(a) on the display unit 22. The standby screen displays the unit price of the balls to be lent, the number of balls per unit, the "cigarette break" button 41, the "meal break" button 42, the "menu display" button 43, the type and balance of the card for which the issuance conditions have been met, the number of balls held, and instructions prompting the user to operate the payout button 23.

[0062] In this case, the act of leaving the seat is performed, for example, by touching the "cigarette break" button 41 and the "start" button 45 shown in Figure 4(c). Specifically, first, when the "cigarette break" button 41 is touched, the gaming device 2 determines whether the conditions for issuing the IC card 10 have been met. If the conditions for issuing the IC card 10 have been met, the device transitions to the seat-away operation screen shown in Figure 4(c). The seat-away operation screen displays the title 44, the available time for leaving the seat (for example, 10 minutes), a message notifying that the IC card 10 will be returned, the "start" button 45, and the "cancel" button 46. The permitted time for leaving the desk can be set for each model, and the screen for leaving the desk shown in Figure 4(c) can be transitioned from the screen prompting insertion of the IC card 10 shown in Figure 4(b) (i.e., after the conditions for issuing the IC card 10 have been met).

[0063] When the "Start" button 45 is touched, the current value (balance, held tokens (in the case of a general card 10)) is recorded on the IC card 10 for which the issuance conditions are met, and then the card 10 is issued and the system enters an away-from-seat lock state. As a result, the card 10 is issued as a lock medium to which the current market value identified by the gaming device 2 (identification means) is associated, as well as the first absence information described later.

[0064] When the device is locked for absence, the screen shown in Figure 4(d) is displayed. The screen displays a message prompting the user to insert the IC card 10, along with the elapsed time. When a player returns from smoking and inserts the IC card 10, which has been locked for absence, into the gaming device 2, the gaming device 2 accepts the card 10, releases the absence lock (returns to the original standby screen (screen shown in Figure 4(a))), and resumes gameplay.

[0065] Thus, as a means of leaving a seat, the gaming device 2, upon receiving a seat-leaving operation, executes a seat-leaving lock process that maintains the seat-leaving lock state until it receives the issued lock medium, the card 10. Furthermore, the gaming device 2 of this embodiment communicates with the POS 7 and the management device 6, maintaining the seat-away lock state if the prize exchange process meets predetermined conditions, while releasing the seat-away lock state even if the card 10 has not been accepted if the predetermined conditions are not met (see S9 in Figure 6 and S18 in Figure 7, described later). Furthermore, to avoid problems caused by players mistakenly using the wrong machine, an abnormality alert will be issued if a set number of balls (e.g., 100 balls) are detected as out while the machine is in the "away from seat" lock state (based on the result of comparing the out-of-seat balls with the standard information). This abnormality alert will be released when certain conditions are met, such as releasing the "away from seat" lock state or employee verification.

[0066] On the other hand, if the conditions for issuing IC card 10 are not met when the player leaves their seat, the player enters an "away" state, suppressing the issuance process. In the "away" state, the "Away Start" screen shown in Figure 5(a) is displayed. The "Away Start" screen displays a message urging the player to return to their seat within, for example, 10 minutes (possible time). If the "Start" button 45 is touched, the "Away" screen shown in Figure 5(b) is displayed. The "Away" screen displays a message informing the player that they are on a break and urging them to press the "Resume Game" button, as well as the "Resume Game" button 47. The "Away" state continues until the "Resume Game" button 47, which can be operated by anyone other than the player who left their seat, is touched or a timeout occurs. Upon such touch or timeout, the player returns to the original standby screen (the screen shown in Figure 5(c)).

[0067] (When the person subject to the "away from desk" lock is a member or a non-member) If the user leaves their seat while the standby screen shown in Figure 4(a) is displayed, and the conditions for issuing the IC card 10 are met, the operation will be the same as in the "All users subject to seat absence lock" case described above. On the other hand, if the issuance conditions are not met when the user leaves their seat, a message will be displayed (not shown in the diagram) informing the user that the seat-away lock process will be possible once the issuance conditions are met, for example, by making a deposit. If the issuance conditions are met, the seat-away start screen shown in Figure 4(c) will be displayed, and if the "Start" button 45 is touched, a valuable asset will be associated with the IC card 10 and issued, and the seat-away screen shown in Figure 4(d) will be displayed.

[0068] (If the person subject to the "away from desk" lock is a member) The "leave your seat" operation will only be accepted if the conditions for issuing membership card 10 are met. When the user leaves their seat, the user will enter an "away-lock" state, using the locked card 10 as the release key. On the other hand, if the conditions for issuing membership card 10 are not met when the user leaves their seat, a message prompting the user to insert membership card 10 will be displayed, and the operation when membership card 10 is inserted will be the same as described above (when the user subject to the seat-away lock is a member or a general user). (If there are no users subject to the "away from desk" lock) If you leave your seat, even if the conditions for issuing IC card 10 are met, the system will not enter a seat-away lock state, but will instead enter a seat-away state.

[0069] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, if the allowed time for absence expires while the desk is locked, the desk lock state is maintained and an "excessive absence" screen is displayed. The "excessive absence" screen displays a message indicating that various operations are impossible, such as "Operation not possible," instead of the message shown in Figure 4(d), and also displays "excessive elapsed time" instead of "elapsed time" in Figure 4(d).

[0070] In this embodiment, during the time elapsed between the departure operation and the permitted departure period, the POS7 executes a prize exchange process for the IC card 10, which acts as the release key. Furthermore, if a customer call time (e.g., 5 minutes) has elapsed, a call mode is executed to call the player. In addition, if the player remains in the departure lock state even after a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes) has elapsed since the call mode was executed, the system is configured to release the departure lock state (see Figure 7 described later). In other words, if the time allotted for leaving the seat is exceeded and the prize exchange process for the corresponding IC card 10 is performed, the gaming device 2 will, for example, call the customer 5 minutes after the time allotted for leaving the seat has elapsed, and then release the seat-away lock state 5 minutes later.

[0071] Here, the management device 6 functions as a setting means for setting the available time for leaving a seat (for example, 10 minutes as shown in Figure 5(a), etc.), which indicates the time during which the seat-away lock state can be maintained by the seat-away lock process in the gaming device 2 described above, and the customer call time (for example, 5 minutes), which indicates the time required to call back the player who has left their seat. Furthermore, the information display device 3 may also be configured to have the same functions as the gaming device 2, such as displaying a screen related to seat absence lock on its display unit 3a as the display unit 22 of the gaming device 2, displaying a message prompting the user to return to their seat within 10 minutes (or indicating that the user is currently away from their seat), displaying the remaining time available for absence, the elapsed time, etc., and allowing the user to accept seat absence operations.

[0072] Next, we will explain the absence information that is associated with IC card 10. To enhance reliability, the absence information, which includes the machine number (identification information for gaming machine 1) and card ID (identification information for IC card 10) used to release the seating lock state, is managed in two ways: at least as first absence information indicating the machine number on IC card 10, and at least as second absence information indicating the card ID and associated with the machine number on management device 6.

[0073] In other words, when a seat-away lock process is executed on the gaming device 2, the management device 6 (management means) receives the machine number corresponding to the seat-away lock process (first seat-away information) and the card ID of the issued IC card 10 from the gaming device 2, and manages the machine number and the card ID (second seat-away information) indicating the corresponding IC card 10 (lock medium) in association. Furthermore, since the IC card 10 is associated with the machine number of the gaming machine 1 related to the seat-away lock process, the POS 7 can accept the player's choice of whether or not to release the seat-away lock state for the received card 10 via the player's display unit 34 or touch panel 34a (operating means).

[0074] Specifically, for example, when POS7 is set to the aforementioned employee operation, if IC card 10 is inserted into the card slot 36a of card R / W 36, and if it is determined to be a locked medium based on the information read from IC card 10, the player display unit 34 will display a message indicating that the machine is locked due to the player being away from the machine, and will also display a screen that accepts a choice between "Do not unlock" and "Unlock" via touch operation, after which settlement will be performed (prize exchange process will be executed).

[0075] In this case, when "Unlock" is selected via touch operation at POS7, the machine number associated with the IC card 10 is cleared and the lock is released (the association with the first absence information of the lock medium is resolved), regardless of whether the prize exchange process meets the predetermined conditions, and the absence lock state corresponding to the game machine 1 is released. At this time, the unlock on the management device 6 side is performed on the condition that the card 10 is determined to be the lock medium corresponding to the card ID, based on the machine number associated with the IC card 10 and the card ID managed in association with that machine number on the management device 6. On the other hand, when "Do not unlock" is selected via touch operation in POS7, the seat-away lock state corresponding to the relevant gaming machine 1 is maintained regardless of whether the prize exchange process meets the predetermined conditions.

[0076] Thus, if a player who has left their seat changes their mind and ends their game, it would be convenient if the POS 7 could immediately release the seat departure information and settle the tokens held on the IC card 10. Furthermore, when unlocking the seat departure lock state of the IC card 10 after associating seat departure information between the management device 6 and the IC card 10, the seat departure lock state of the corresponding machine number is released only if the second seat departure information in the management device 6 corresponds to the card ID of the machine number associated with the IC card 10 to be unlocked. This reduces the risk of problems. In other words, to deal with situations where a player who has left their seat does not return, it is conceivable that an employee could release the seat-away lock state of gaming device 2. However, if gaming device 2, which has had its seat-away lock released in this way, is then locked again by the next player, the POS system 7 or similar device would accept the previous player's IC card 10 and release the seat-away lock, which would cause problems. This eliminates such a potential issue.

[0077] Furthermore, as described above, by managing the absence information, including the machine number used to release the absence lock state, in both the management device 6 and the IC card 10, it becomes possible to operate even when offline. In addition, when the absence lock is forcibly released by the management device 6 if a player who has left their seat does not return, for example, by having an employee specify the machine number in the management device 6, it is possible to release the lock even without receiving the IC card 10 from the gaming device 2.

[0078] Furthermore, if the IC card 10, which is locked when the user leaves their seat, is inserted into another gaming device 2, the other gaming device 2 will display a message indicating that the IC card is locked and return the IC card 10, in order to prevent accidental gameplay. However, in this case, since the absence information on IC card 10 cannot be updated, there is a risk that the absence information on IC card 10 will remain indefinitely even though the absence lock has been released by the management device 6. Therefore, the absence information on IC card 10 is excluded from all processing targets when the release condition is met, such as the next day or later. Here, since special operations such as all-night operations are also conceivable, the closing process is added as a release condition, but either one or the other may be used. The expiration date may also be set to the time when the closing process is performed. On the other hand, the absence lock on the management device 6 is released when the closing process is performed, but similar to the IC card 10 side, the release condition may be changed to a date and time condition such as the next day or later, or an additional release condition may be added. In short, absence information is managed by both the management device 6 and IC card 10, and is excluded from processing targets depending on whether the closing process is performed or whether the expiration date information is within the validity period.

[0079] The operation of the above configuration will be explained with reference to Figures 6 and 7, which show the processing flow in POS7, management device 6, and gaming device 2 (release means). Note that POS7 here is an example of a setting for player operation, and the screen display (or selection operation) of "Do not unlock" or "Unlock" will not be performed. Also, S1, S2, ... in the same figures represent steps performed in the corresponding devices.

[0080] When the IC card 10, which serves as a locking medium, is inserted into the card slot 36a of the card R / W 36 by the player and accepted (S1), the POS 7 executes the prize exchange process based on the information read from the IC card 10 and the player's input (S2). Here, there are mainly three possible ways in which a player who has left their seat can have the prize exchange process executed at POS7: (α) to (γ).

[0081] (α) While away from your seat, exchange items such as cigarettes or drinks and return to your seat. (β) While away from your seat, exchange some of your remaining tokens (counted tokens, etc.) and return to your seat. (γ) While away from the table, the customer changes their mind, exchanges all their tokens, and leaves the store.

[0082] In case (α), it is conceivable that the player would normally exchange their tokens for common prizes such as cigarettes or drinks and return to their original seat. In this case, the player does not exchange all of their tokens, but rather the prize exchange process is carried out for a specific number of tokens. Therefore, if, as a result of updating the game value, an exchange equivalent to the predetermined number of tokens for cigarettes, etc., is performed, POS7 determines that the prize exchange process has met the predetermined conditions (S3: YES), and maintains the first departure information on the IC card 10 (S4). In other words, the departure lock state is maintained without clearing the machine number associated with the IC card 10 (the assignment suppression state corresponding to the machine number is maintained). Furthermore, the predetermined number of exchange balls (for example, 135 balls at a rate of 4 yen) can be set in multiple ways by the management device 6, corresponding to specific general prizes such as cigarettes and drinks.

[0083] In case (β), it is conceivable that a player who is away from their seat exchanges a portion of their remaining tokens for special prizes, etc., and keeps the remainder as tokens on IC card 10 before returning to their seat. Therefore, if the remainder is recorded on IC card 10 as tokens after the prize exchange process, the first absence information on IC card 10 is maintained (S4), as in (α), and the absence lock state is maintained. In other words, even if a fractional number of tokens is generated when the number of tokens is exchanged for special prizes, etc., and these are kept on IC card 10 instead of being exchanged for fractional prizes, the prize exchange process is defined as satisfying the predetermined conditions (S3: YES).

[0084] In case (γ), it is conceivable that a player who has left their seat changes their mind, exchanges all of their remaining tokens, and then leaves the store without returning to their seat. In this case, all of the tokens recorded on the IC card 10 are exchanged for special prizes or general prizes, so the number of tokens recorded on the IC card 10 becomes zero. In other words, if POS7 determines that either of the predetermined conditions (α) or (β) above is not met (S3:NO), the first absence information of the card 10 is cleared and updated (S5), and the absence lock state corresponding to the gaming machine 1 of that machine number is released (S9).

[0085] Thus, POS7 maintains or updates the first absence information for the IC card 10, depending on one of the cases (α) to (β), as a result of updating the game value of the IC card 10 in connection with the prize exchange process (S4 or S5), and terminates this process (S6). Furthermore, POS7 may be configured to maintain the "away from seat" lock state (execute S4) even if the predetermined conditions are not met (even when S3:NO) when the lock medium issued by the gaming device 2, which is the issuing means, is a member card 10. This is because even if a player who has left their seat changes their mind and exchanges all of their winnings, if that player is a member or considering the nature of the member card 10, it is conceivable that they may return to their seat. Therefore, even if either of the predetermined conditions (α) or (β) above is not met, maintaining the "away from seat" lock state for the member card 10 provides a more realistic configuration.

[0086] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, if the management device 6 determines that the predetermined conditions are not met as a result of the prize exchange process described above (S3: NO), it receives update signals for the first and second departure information of the IC card 10 from POS 7. At this time, the information received includes the card ID and machine number of the card 10. Based on the machine number of the gaming machine 1 managed in association with the second departure information and the information received from POS 7, the management device 6 determines that the card 10 is the lock medium corresponding to the second departure information and updates the second departure information (S7). In other words, the association between the second departure information, which indicates the lock medium managed by the management device 6, and the machine number of the gaming machine 1 is cleared, and a signal to release the departure lock state is sent to the gaming machine 2 of the corresponding machine number.

[0087] Furthermore, the management device 6 receives and stores the result of the prize exchange process from POS7, regardless of whether the first absence information has been updated (S8). Then, when the gaming device 2 receives a signal to release the seat-away lock state, it releases the seat-away lock state and enables the previously suppressed granting process, etc. (S9).

[0088] In contrast to the process shown in Figure 6, Figure 7 primarily illustrates the process in the gaming device 2, showing the flow of processing from receiving the seat departure operation to executing the call mode and then releasing the seat departure lock state. Specifically, first, the gaming device 2 receives a notification from the player to leave their seat (S11), issues an IC card 10 as a locking medium (S12), displays a "Seat Locked" screen (see Figure 4(d)) on the display unit 22 of the device 2, and measures the elapsed time since the player left their seat.

[0089] Here, if the gaming device 2 determines, based on its measurement, that a preset absence time (for example, 10 minutes) has elapsed (S13: YES), it transitions from the absence lock screen to the absence overdue screen (not shown) while maintaining the absence lock state. The gaming device 2 also sends an inquiry request (the "verification" request in Figure 7) to the management device 6 to inquire whether the prize exchange process has been executed for the IC card 10 issued in S12 during the period between the absence operation and the expiration of the absence time.

[0090] As a result, the gaming device 2 receives an inquiry response (the "verification result" in the figure) from the management device 6, which is a response to the inquiry request, and when it determines that a prize exchange process has been performed for the card 10 (S14), it measures the elapsed time since the time when the player is allowed to leave their seat expired. Then, if the gaming device 2 determines through its measurement that a preset customer calling time (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed (S15: YES), it executes the calling mode to call the player (S16). For example, by executing the calling mode, the gaming device 2 displays the message "Customer Call" on its own display unit 22 or the display unit 3a of the information display device 3, and also makes an announcement to the store using a broadcasting device (not shown) to call the player for the corresponding machine number. Note that the measurement of elapsed time and calling described above may be performed by or via the management device 6, and the management device 6 and the gaming device 2 correspond to the calling means.

[0091] Furthermore, the gaming device 2 measures the elapsed time since the call mode was executed, and if it determines that a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed (S17: YES), it releases the seat-away lock state. The processes S11-S18 in Figure 7 and the processes S1-S9 in Figure 6 can be performed concurrently. That is, as shown in Figure 6, if the prize exchange process is performed at POS7, the processes S3-S5 related to the seat absence lock are executed according to cases (α)-(β), and even if the seat absence lock state is not released after S4, the customer call (S15) and the release of the seat absence lock state (S18) can be automatically executed at the desired timing.

[0092] As described above, in the amusement arcade system of this embodiment, the release means maintains the grant suppression state, which is the absence lock state corresponding to the amusement machine 1, if the prize exchange process satisfies predetermined conditions as a result of updating the game value in POS7, while releasing the grant suppression state corresponding to the amusement machine 1 if the predetermined conditions are not met. This makes it possible to decide whether or not to release the absence lock based on the result of the prize exchange process performed with the IC card 10 as the lock medium, and to suitably manage the absence lock state without separately accepting subsequent operations from the player who performed the absence operation.

[0093] Furthermore, when the management device 6 and the IC card 10 associate the machine number with the machine number and unlock the IC card 10, the management device 6 will unlock the machine number based on the associated machine number and the machine number and card ID managed by the management device 6, provided that the card 10 is a lock medium corresponding to the card ID. This reduces the risk of problems arising from unlocking the machine number that is locked by another IC card 10.

[0094] The aforementioned release means maintains the grant suppression state even when the lock medium (IC card 10) issued by the gaming device 2 is a member card 10 and the predetermined conditions are not met (even when the answer is NO in S3 of Figure 6). This means that even if the prize exchange process using the IC card 10 that has been locked while away from the seat is in a condition that would release the seat-away lock state, some members may return to their seats, for example, to replay using their stored tokens. Therefore, maintaining the seat-away lock state allows for appropriate management of the seat-away lock state.

[0095] If the operating means selects to "unlock," the association with the first departure information of the IC card 10 is resolved and the departure lock state is released, regardless of whether the prize exchange process meets the predetermined conditions. On the other hand, if the operating means selects not to "unlock," the departure lock state is maintained regardless of whether the predetermined conditions are met. According to this, regardless of the outcome of the prize exchange process using the IC card 10 that has been locked for absence, it is possible to decide whether or not to release the absence lock state by making a selection operation possible, and the absence lock state can be suitably managed by making the selection operation possible according to the type of customers in the gaming hall.

[0096] The calling means executes a calling mode to call the player if, for example, 10 minutes have elapsed since the player left their seat, the prize exchange process is performed, and the customer calling time has also elapsed. The release means releases the seat-away lock state after a predetermined time has elapsed since the calling mode was executed. In this regard, even if the decision to release the seat-away lock is made based on the results of the prize exchange process as described above, there may still be players who leave the premises while their seat is still locked. Therefore, for players who have completed the prize exchange process during the time they are allowed to leave their seats, if the seat-away lock is not released even after the customer call time has elapsed, they can be prompted to return to their seats using the player call mode. Furthermore, if the seat-away lock is still not released even after calling the player using this call mode, the seat-away lock can be forcibly released, eliminating the need for employee intervention and improving operational efficiency.

[0097] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and may be modified or expanded as follows. The operation of leaving one's seat includes, but is not limited to, the operation of the "cigarette break" button 41 in Figure 4(a). For example, the configuration may also include the operation of the "meal break" button 42 in the same figure. In this configuration, a maximum period of time during which the player can leave their seat longer than the seat-leaving lock state is set, and even when a seat-leaving lock process is executed that continues the suppression state until the lock medium issued by the seat-leaving operation is accepted, it is possible to accommodate leaving the seat for the purpose of eating, and thus the means of leaving the seat can be adapted to the type of break. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain effects common to the above embodiment, such as reducing the need to return to the gaming machine 1 and cancel the meal break if, for example, a player who has left their seat to take a meal break or a player who has finished their meal break changes their mind and wants to settle their winnings at POS 7 and end the game.

[0098] Various displays such as seat lock processing and call modes are not limited to displays on the display unit 22 of the gaming device 2 or the display unit 3a of the information display device 3, but may also be used in a collective information display device (not shown) provided at the end of the island. While the example given is recording the data on a recording medium, it is not necessary to adopt a configuration that records the data on a recording medium, as long as the data is associated with it, for example, by associating it with a card ID and managing the information with the management device 6.

[0099] While the example given is the adoption of an IC card 10 to which a monetary value such as a balance is associated as a lock medium, it is also possible to provide a dedicated IC card (lock medium) for seat absence locks that cannot be associated with a monetary value, such as a membership card in cases where a point-storage system is not introduced, and in this case, the conditions for issuing such a card may be limited. For example, it is conceivable that seat absence locks may be handled solely by issuing a membership card during the membership card application period, or that even with general cards 10 other than membership cards 10, restrictions may be imposed depending on the time of day or machine model. If the relevant configuration information is pre-configured, it can be set arbitrarily by the amusement facility administrator, set by the manufacturer of the management device, or downloaded and configured from an external management server (for example, a chain store headquarters or amusement machine manufacturer).

[0100] All the game information exemplified may be identified directly by the input signal or indirectly using a calculation formula. Furthermore, the classification of game machines can be any way that indicates the type of game machine, such as by manufacturer or by specifications. The numerical values, number of digits, and items are examples only; any numerical values ​​may be used. Similarly, the arithmetic formulas are merely examples; any formula may be used as long as it produces a value similar to the example formula or performs an arithmetic operation with a similar meaning. For "less than or equal to" and "less than," either can be used, and expressions such as "not reaching" can be used to describe both cases. The same applies to "greater than or equal to" and "greater than or equal to"; expressions such as "reaching" can be used to describe both cases.

[0101] While LCD displays were used as an example, other display methods such as OLEDs may also be employed. Examples of target gaming machines include slot machines and pachinko machines. In the case of pachinko machines, the unit of play can be defined as the so-called symbol change, but other types of gaming machines, such as so-called sealed-type gaming machines that do not dispense gaming media but instead update data points according to the gameplay, can also be considered. Therefore, the expression "game value," which encompasses gaming media such as balls or tokens and the aforementioned points, is used as appropriate. Some of the processing performed by the gaming device 2 may be carried out by the management device 6, the information display device 3, or the relay device 4, etc. Furthermore, the example configuration may be changed as appropriate depending on the settings, the example configuration including modified versions may be combined in any way, and configurations may be excluded as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] In the drawing, 2 is a gaming device (issuance means, issuance means, departure means, release means, identification means, call means), 6 is a management device (management means, release means, setting means, call means), 7 is a POS (value update means, operation means), 10 is an IC card (lock medium), 34 is a player display unit (operation means), and 34a is a touch panel (operation means).

Claims

1. A granting means that performs a granting process to grant game value to a player, and enters a granting suppression state that suppresses the granting process when an operation to leave the seat is accepted, A means of identifying the value of the game owned by the player, When a seat departure operation is received, an issuing means issues a lock medium that associates the game value identified by the identification means with first seat departure information indicating the identification information of the game machine, A means for leaving a seat, which, when an operation to leave a seat is received, performs a seat-leaving lock process that continues the grant suppression state until the lock medium is received, When the aforementioned seat-away lock process is executed, a management means manages the identification information of the gaming machine corresponding to the seat-away lock process and the second seat-away information indicating the corresponding lock medium in association with each other. When the lock medium is received, a release means releases the grant suppression state corresponding to the game machine, based on the first absence information of the lock medium, the identification information of the game machine managed by the management means and the second absence information, provided that the lock medium is the lock medium corresponding to the second absence information. A value update means that, when the lock medium is accepted, updates the game value of the lock medium by performing a prize exchange process to exchange it for a prize, Equipped with, The release means is characterized in that, after the prize exchange process, if the condition that the remaining game value is associated with the lock medium is met, the grant suppression state corresponding to the game machine is maintained, while if the condition is not met, the grant suppression state corresponding to the game machine is released.

2. The amusement arcade system according to claim 1, wherein the release means maintains the grant suppression state even when the conditions are not met, when the lock medium issued by the issuing means is a recording medium for members.

3. The value update means includes an operation means for receiving an operation to select whether or not to release the grant suppression state for the received lock medium, The amusement arcade system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the operating means receives a selection operation to release the grant suppression state, the association of the lock medium with the first absence information is resolved and the grant suppression state is released, regardless of whether the prize exchange process satisfies the conditions, while when the operating means receives a selection operation not to release the grant suppression state, the grant suppression state is maintained regardless of whether the conditions are met.

4. A setting means for setting a possible time indicating the time during which the suppression state can be maintained by the aforementioned seat-away lock process, and a customer call time indicating the time to call the player who performed the seat-away operation. A calling means that executes a calling mode to call the player if the prize exchange process is performed during the time elapsed since the aforementioned departure operation, and the customer calling time has also elapsed, A game arcade system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:

5. The release means releases the grant suppression state when a predetermined time has elapsed since the execution of the call mode, according to claim 4.

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