Prize dispensing device, and error detection method in the prize dispensing device

Abstract

To provide a prize putout device and an error determination method of the prize putout device capable of precisely determining occurrence of a delivery error without adding another configuration.SOLUTION: A prize putout device includes: a storage unit storing a prize; a delivery unit delivering a prize from the storage unit; a delivery detection unit detecting a prize delivered by the delivery unit; and a counting unit counting the number of prizes stored in the storage unit by using a count detection unit different from the delivery detection unit. Counting processing (S7) counting the number of prizes stored in the storage unit by the counting unit when an excess delivery error for delivery of a prize from the storage unit is detected on the basis of detection by the delivery detection unit, and excess delivery error determination processing (S8) determining presence or absence of occurrence of the excess delivery error on the basis of the number of prizes counted by the counting processing are executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a prize payout device and an error determination method in the prize payout device.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a prize payout device, Patent Document 1 below discloses a prize payout machine installed in a gaming store such as a pachinko parlor. The prize payout machine includes a plurality of storage units arranged in the left - right direction and a box - shaped main body that houses these storage units. Each storage unit stores prizes that are exchanged with gaming media such as pachinko balls. Each storage unit includes a payout section that pays out prizes and a dispensing section on which the prizes paid out by the payout section are placed. The payout section is equipped with various sensors for detecting abnormalities in the payout of prizes. When a payout abnormality is detected by the sensor, an abnormality notification is issued. After the abnormality notification, the payout process is interrupted and the prize payout device goes into an error state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, regarding the detection of payout abnormalities, there may be cases of false detection based on false detection by the sensor. Since it takes a long time to resume the payout process after an error occurs, it is necessary to improve the accuracy of detecting payout abnormalities.

[0005] By increasing the number of sensors, false detection can be avoided, and thus the accuracy of detecting payout abnormalities can be improved. However, in this case, the cost will increase. Therefore, it is required to accurately detect the occurrence of payout errors (payout abnormalities) without adding another configuration.

[0006] Therefore, this invention One embodiment The objective is to provide a prize dispensing device and a method for determining errors in a prize dispensing device that can accurately detect the occurrence of dispensing errors without adding any other configurations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One embodiment of this invention provides a prize dispensing device that includes: a storage unit for storing prizes; a dispensing unit for dispensing prizes from the storage unit; a dispensing unit for dispensing prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit to the outside of the machine; a detection unit for detecting at least one of the prizes stored in the storage unit and the prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit; a counting unit for counting the number of prizes stored in the storage unit using a counting detection unit separate from the detection unit; a dispensing process for dispensing prizes from the storage unit using the dispensing unit; a counting process for counting the number of prizes stored in the storage unit using the counting unit if a dispensing error regarding the dispensing of prizes from the storage unit is detected in the dispensing process based on the detection unit; and a dispensing error determination process for determining whether or not the dispensing error has occurred based on the number of prizes counted in the counting process.

[0008] In one embodiment of this invention, the detection unit includes a dispensing detection unit that detects the number of prizes dispensed to the dispensing unit by the dispensing unit. The control unit detects an over-dispensing error as the dispensing error when the number of prizes detected by the dispensing detection unit in the dispensing process exceeds the number of prizes that are scheduled to be dispensed in the dispensing process.

[0009] In one embodiment of this invention, the control unit, in the dispensing error determination process, calculates the actual number of prizes dispensed from the storage unit based on the number of prizes counted by the counting unit in the counting process and the number of prizes stored in the storage unit before the start of the dispensing process, and determines that the over-dispensing error has not occurred if the number of prizes detected by the dispensing detection unit in the dispensing process matches the actual number of prizes dispensed.

[0010] In one embodiment of this invention, the detection unit includes an empty detection unit that detects when the prizes run out in the storage unit. The control unit detects an empty error as a dispensing error when the empty detection unit detects that the prizes run out in the storage unit during the dispensing process.

[0011] In one embodiment of this invention, the control unit determines in the dispensing error determination process that an empty error has not occurred if the number of prizes counted by the counting unit matches the number obtained by subtracting the number of prizes dispensed from the storage unit during the dispensing process from the number of prizes stored in the storage unit before the start of the dispensing process.

[0012] In one embodiment of this invention, the counting unit uses the counting detection unit to count the number of prizes in the storage unit, which is in a counting position different from the dispensing position in the dispensing process.

[0013] In one embodiment of this invention, the prize dispensing device further includes a display unit. The control unit displays a dispensing indicator on the display unit during the execution of the dispensing process, indicating that a prize is being dispensed from the dispensing unit, and when the counting process is executed, the display on the display unit is switched from the dispensing indicator to a counting indicator indicating that counting is in progress.

[0014] In one embodiment of this invention, the control unit, when it determines in the dispensing error determination process that a dispensing error has occurred, shuts down the prize dispensing device.

[0015] One embodiment of this invention provides an error determination method for determining a dispensing error in dispensing prizes from the storage unit in a prize dispensing device that includes a storage unit for storing prizes, a dispensing unit for dispensing prizes from the storage unit, a detection unit for detecting at least one of the prizes stored in the storage unit and the prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit, and a counting unit for counting the number of prizes stored in the storage unit using a counting detection unit separate from the detection unit. The error determination method includes, in a dispensing process in which the dispensing unit dispenses prizes from the storage unit, a counting step in which the counting unit counts the number of prizes stored in the storage unit when a dispensing error is detected based on the detection of the detection unit, and a dispensing error determination step in which the dispensing error is determined based on the number of prizes counted in the counting step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] This invention One embodiment According to this system, even if a dispensing error is detected based on the detection unit's detection, it is not immediately determined that a dispensing error has occurred. In the subsequent counting process, the presence or absence of a dispensing error is determined based on the number of prizes counted by the counting unit. This avoids the misjudgment of a dispensing error occurring based on a false detection by the detection unit. As a result, the presence or absence of a dispensing error can be determined with high accuracy without adding any other configurations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of a prize dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view of the prize dispensing device with the door open and the storage compartment pulled out. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a returnable container used in the prize dispensing device. [Figure 4] It is a schematic right side view of the interior of the device main body of the prize payout device. [Figure 5] It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the prize payout device. [Figure 6] It is a schematic right side view of the interior of the device main body during the counting process. [Figure 7] It is a sectional view taken along the line A - A of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a schematic right side view of the interior of the device main body during the feeding process included in the feeding and payout process. [Figure 9A-9B] It is a right side view for explaining the detection of the number of prizes fed out from the feeding part by the feeding detection part. [Figure 10] It is a right side view for explaining the detection of prize exhaustion in the feeding process by the empty detection part. [Figure 11] It is a schematic right side view of the interior of the device main body during the payout process included in the feeding and payout process. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart for explaining the detection of feeding error in the feeding process. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart showing the flow of the empty error determination process in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart showing the flow of the over - payout error determination process in FIG. 12. [Figure 15] It is a schematic plan view of the upper surface of the door. [Figure 16A-16C] It is a diagram showing the change in the light emission mode of the shutter opening degree display part during the opening operation of the shutter. [Figures 16D-16E] It is a diagram showing the change in the light emission mode after FIG. 16C. [Figures 17A-17C] It is a diagram showing the change in the light emission mode of the shutter opening degree display part during the closing operation of the shutter. [Figures 17D-17E] It is a diagram showing the change in the light emission mode after FIG. 17C.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Embodiments of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a prize dispensing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the prize dispensing device 1 with the door 13 open and the storage compartment 12 pulled out. The prize dispensing device 1 is a device that dispenses prizes P, which are called special prizes, from among the prizes handled in amusement parlors. In addition to special prizes, general prizes such as confectionery are also handled as prizes in amusement parlors. The prize dispensing device 1 comprises a POS unit 2 which forms the upper part and a device body 3 which is located below the POS unit 2.

[0020] The POS unit 2 is a so-called POS terminal, and a display and operation unit 4, which is composed of, for example, an LCD touch panel, is located on its front surface. The display and operation unit 4 may be divided into a display unit and an operation unit. The front surface of the POS unit 2 has a card slot 2A through which cards issued by the amusement parlor to the customer are inserted and removed, and a receipt issuing slot 2B through which receipts are issued.

[0021] An example of a prize P is a card with a thickness of several millimeters (for example, 1.5 mm or 3 mm, and in this embodiment, 1.5 mm). In this embodiment, there are three types of prizes P corresponding to their monetary value: a grand prize, a medium prize, and a small prize. However, there may also be an extra-large prize with a higher monetary value than the grand prize. The surface color of each type of prize P is different. For example, the surface of the grand prize is red, the surface of the medium prize is blue, and the surface of the small prize is green. The prizes P are distributed to the market in a reusable container 5.

[0022] In this embodiment, the prize dispensing device 1 is a self-service type located in an unmanned prize exchange corner of a gaming parlor, where the procedure for exchanging prizes P is performed by the players themselves. In this case, the player inputs a request for prize dispensing P to the prize dispensing device 1 by inserting a card into the card slot 2A of the POS unit 2 and then operating the display operation unit 4. As a result, the device body 3 dispenses the type and number of prizes P corresponding to the dispensing request, and the POS unit 2 updates the inventory data of prizes P. The player receives the card returned from the card slot 2A and the prizes P dispensed from the device body 3. In the following description, it is assumed that the prize dispensing device 1 is a self-service type, but it is also possible that there are employees of the gaming parlor around the prize dispensing device 1, and these employees receive the prizes P from the prize dispensing device 1 and then hand them to the players.

[0023] The device body 3 is both a prize dispensing machine that dispenses prizes P and a prize storage machine that has the function of storing prizes P. The device body 3 comprises a box-shaped housing 11 that forms its outer shell, one or more storage compartments 12 housed within the housing 11, and a door 13 supported by the housing 11. The left-right direction of the paper in Figure 1 coincides with the left-right direction X of the device body 3. The direction substantially perpendicular to the paper in Figure 1 coincides with the front-rear direction Y of the device body 3. The up-down direction of the paper in Figure 1 coincides with the up-down direction Z of the device body 3. The left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y are included in the lateral direction. The left-right direction X includes the left side X1 and the right side X2. The front-rear direction Y includes the front side Y1 which coincides with the front side of the paper in Figure 1 and the rear side Y2 which coincides with the back side of the paper in Figure 1. The up-down direction Z includes the upper side Z1 and the lower side Z2.

[0024] In this embodiment, the POS unit 2 and the device body 3 are integrated, but the device body 3 may exist as a standalone prize dispensing device 1, and the POS unit 2 may be configured separately from the device body 3 as a standalone POS terminal.

[0025] The housing 11 is a vertically elongated box shape. The housing 11 has a top wall 14, a bottom wall 15, a pair of left and right side walls 16, and a rear wall 17. The top wall 14 and the bottom wall 15 are rectangular plates. An opening 11A is formed on the front of the housing 11, bordered by the front ends of the top wall 14, the bottom wall 15, and the pair of side walls 16. The opening 11A communicates with the internal space 11B of the housing 11.

[0026] The storage section 12 stores the prize P along with the returnable box 5. In this embodiment, three storage sections 12 are arranged vertically Z in the internal space 11B of the housing 11. Each storage section 12 is supported by each side wall 16 of the housing 11 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction Y. When housed within the housing 11 (as shown in Figure 1), each storage section 12 is in its storage position in the front-rear direction Y. Each storage section 12 can be pulled out through the opening 11A of the housing 11 to a pull-out position (as shown in Figure 2) that is forward Y1 from its storage position. Before describing the storage sections 12 in detail, the returnable box 5 will be described.

[0027] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the returnable container 5. The returnable container 5 is formed in a box shape with a longitudinal direction and is made of, for example, resin. The returnable container 5 integrally includes a pair of opposing side walls 21, a plurality of partition walls 22 spanning between the pair of side walls 21, and a bottom wall 23. The pair of side walls 21 are formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with a longitudinal direction L of the returnable container 5 and are arranged parallel to each other so as to face each other along the thickness direction of their plates. The direction in which the pair of side walls 21 face each other is the short direction S which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L in the returnable container 5. Also, the depth direction D of the returnable container 5 is perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction L and the short direction S.

[0028] In this embodiment, the returnable container 5 is equipped with six partition walls 22. Each partition wall 22 is formed in the shape of a substantially rectangular plate with a thickness direction that coincides with the longitudinal direction L. Two partition walls 22 are spanned across a pair of side walls 21, one between one end edge and the other edge in the longitudinal direction L, and the remaining four partition walls 22 are spanned between the middle sections of the pair of side walls 21, arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction L. As a result, the returnable container 5 has five substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped storage spaces 24 of equal size, arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction L.

[0029] The bottom wall 23 has a thickness direction that coincides with the depth direction D, and is formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape along its longitudinal direction L. The bottom wall 23 is connected to each side wall 21 and each compartment wall 22 from one side in the depth direction D (the bottom side in Figure 3), and closes each storage space 24 from that side. In each storage space 24, the other end in the depth direction D (the top side in Figure 3) is open to the other side as a roughly rectangular entrance / exit 25.

[0030] The returnable container 5 includes openings 26, which are separate openings from the entrance / exit 25. In this embodiment, five pairs of openings 26 are formed, one pair at each of the same positions in the longitudinal direction L as the storage spaces 24. In other words, five openings 26 are formed on each side of the returnable container 5 in the short direction S, spaced equally apart in the longitudinal direction L. The two openings 26 in each pair are in the same position in the longitudinal direction L and are configured to be symmetrical with respect to the center of the returnable container 5 in the short direction S. Each opening 26 is slit-shaped, exposing the storage space 24 to the outside. Each opening 26 cuts out the end of the bottom wall 23 in the short direction S, and cuts out the side wall 21 on the same side as that end in the short direction S along the depth direction D, extending in a straight line to just before the entrance / exit 25.

[0031] When the returnable container 5 is in circulation with the prizes P inside, its basic orientation is with each entrance / exit 25 facing upwards, as shown in Figure 2. The prizes P are placed in each storage space 24 via the entrance / exit 25. Since each storage space 24 is of equal size, a predetermined number of prizes P are placed in each storage space 24. If the number of prizes P placed in each storage space 24 is 20, the returnable container 5 as a whole can hold a maximum of 100 prizes P. Multiple prizes P are placed in each storage space 24 in a stacked state, with their plate thickness direction coinciding with the short side direction S and standing upright from the bottom wall 23. In this state, the portion of each prize P on the entrance / exit 25 side protrudes from the entrance / exit 25. In addition, in the storage space 24 where the predetermined number of prizes P mentioned above are placed (see the storage space 24 on the far right in Figure 3), a portion of the prizes P located at both ends of the short side direction S is exposed from the opening 26 on the same side in the short side direction S. In this embodiment, the type of prize P stored in one returnable container 5 is one of the following: a grand prize, a medium prize, or a small prize. However, the type of prize P may differ for each storage space 24. Next, the storage section 12 will be described in detail.

[0032] Figure 4 is a schematic right side view of the inside of the main body 3 of the device. Hereafter, of the three storage compartments 12 arranged in the vertical direction Z, the lowest storage compartment 12 will be called the "lower storage compartment 12A", the middle storage compartment 12 will be called the "middle storage compartment 12B", and the highest storage compartment 12 will be called the "upper storage compartment 12C". Below, the configuration of each storage compartment 12 will be explained mainly with reference to the lower storage compartment 12A in Figures 2 and 4.

[0033] Each storage compartment 12 includes a box-shaped housing 31 that forms its outer shell. As shown in Figure 2, the top surface of the housing 31 is provided with a roughly rectangular loading opening 31A and a roughly rectangular plate-shaped door 31B that opens and closes the loading opening 31A. The door 31B is connected to the housing 31 via a hinge 31C located at its front end and is opened and closed by rotating around the hinge 31C. An opening 31D is formed over almost the entire front surface of the housing 31. Each storage compartment 12 is provided with a handle 31E in the area Z1 above the opening 31D on the front surface of the housing 31.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the internal space 31F of the housing 31 of each storage unit 12 houses a pair of left and right transport bodies 32 and a number of storage units 33 (four in the example of Figure 4). Each transport body 32 is made up of an endless chain or belt. Each transport body 32 forms, for example, a roughly rectangular ring when viewed from the left-right direction X. The transport bodies 32 move in a circular motion in clockwise and counterclockwise directions when viewed from the left-right direction X, receiving driving force from a circular drive unit 60 (see Figure 5) which is made up of a motor or the like. The circular drive unit 60 and the transport bodies 32 are included in the moving mechanism 34.

[0035] Each storage unit 33 is tray-shaped and elongated in the left-right direction X. The internal space of each storage unit 33 is sized to accommodate a returnable container 5 that is elongated in the left-right direction X. An upward-facing storage unit 33 (see, for example, the upper storage unit 33 in the lower storage section 12A of Figure 4) has an entrance / exit 33A that is open across its entire top surface, and slit-shaped openings (not shown) formed by cutting out the front and rear side walls. The same number of these openings are formed on the front and rear walls of the storage unit 33 at positions that match the opening 26 of the returnable container 5 (see Figure 3), and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction X.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, each storage unit 33 is loaded with one returnable box 5. As a result, the prizes P inside the returnable boxes 5 are stored both inside the storage unit 33 and inside the storage section 12. In the storage unit 33 loaded with the returnable boxes 5, the aforementioned openings and the openings 26 of the returnable boxes 5 are aligned one by one. In this embodiment, since the same type of prize P is stored in one returnable box 5, the same type of prize P is loaded into one storage unit 33 and the same type of prize P is stored in one storage section 12. For example, only the grand prize is stored in the lower storage section 12A, only the medium prize is stored in the middle storage section 12B, and only the small prize is stored in the upper storage section 12C. Of course, the type of prize P may differ for each storage unit 33 in each storage section 12.

[0037] These storage units 33 are arranged in a ring along the circumferential direction R of the pair of left and right transport units 32, and are spanned between these transport units 32. Therefore, when the left and right transport units 32 move in a circular motion due to the operation of the moving mechanism 34, these storage units 33 also move in a circular motion along with the transport units 32. The circular motion of the transport units 32 and storage units 33 is sometimes called "rotary motion". In addition, each storage unit 33 is rotatable around a pivot axis (not shown) extending in the left-right direction X at the connection point with the transport unit 32.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, each storage unit 12 is equipped with a first posture changing mechanism 35 and a second posture changing mechanism 36. The first posture changing mechanism 35 temporarily tilts the storage unit 33 located near the front lower corner in the circumferential region of the transporter 32 to a forward-facing position. The second posture changing mechanism 36 temporarily tilts the storage unit 33 located near the rear lower corner in the circumferential region of the transporter 32 to a rearward-facing position. Both the first posture changing mechanism 35 and the second posture changing mechanism 36 are composed of guide rails or the like. Each storage unit 33 rotates like a gondola, maintaining an upward-facing position in principle, although it may switch between a rearward-facing and forward-facing position along the way.

[0039] A counting unit 37 is positioned at the rear end of the internal space 31F of the housing 31 of each storage unit 12. The counting unit 37 includes a measuring detection unit (counting detection unit) 38 and a holder 39 that supports the measuring detection unit 38. The measuring detection unit 38 is a so-called color sensor and is positioned in front of the holder 39. The counting unit 37 is supported by the rear wall 31G of the housing 31 and moves up and down by receiving a driving force from a drive unit (not shown), such as a stepping motor. At that time, the measuring detection unit 38 detects the type and number of prizes P in the returnable box 5 stored in the nearest storage unit 33. More details will be described later.

[0040] In the internal space 31F of the housing 31 of each storage unit 12, a dispensing mechanism 41 is arranged in the area Z2 below the transporter 32 and the storage unit 33. The dispensing mechanism 41 includes a dispensing unit 42 that dispenses prizes P from the storage unit 33. In this embodiment, in each dispensing mechanism 41 (in each storage unit 12), there are the same number of dispensing units 42 as there are storage spaces 24 in the returnable box 5 (five in this embodiment). Multiple dispensing units 42 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction X. Multiple dispensing units 42 are provided in one-to-one correspondence with multiple storage spaces 24 in the returnable box 5. Multiple dispensing units 42 are provided in one-to-one correspondence with multiple individual moving units 55 of the moving unit 54. Since there are multiple storage units 12 (three in this embodiment) arranged in the vertical direction Z, there are multiple groups of multiple dispensing units 42 arranged in the vertical direction Z.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, each dispensing unit 42 comprises a dispensing belt 43, three rollers 44, a dispensing roller 45, and an opposing roller 46. The dispensing belt 43 is an endless, approximately triangular ring when viewed from the left-right direction X. The rollers 44, dispensing roller 45, and opposing roller 46 are rollers having a central axis extending in the left-right direction X. The three rollers 44 are arranged one at each vertex of the approximately triangular shape inside the dispensing belt 43. The dispensing roller 45 has an outer circumferential surface made of, for example, urethane. The opposing roller 46 is opposite to the dispensing roller 45. Claw-shaped extrusion pieces 43A protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the dispensing belt 43. In this embodiment, only one extrusion piece 43A is provided, but multiple extrusion pieces 43A may be arranged at equal intervals. The feed belt 43 moves in a circular motion when at least one of the rollers 44 is driven and rotated by a feed drive unit 59 (see Figure 5), which is configured by a motor or the like. The feed roller 45 is driven and rotated by the feed drive unit 59. In this embodiment, the feed drive unit 59 drives the drive targets (feed belt 43 and feed roller 45) for each feed unit 42.

[0042] Each dispensing unit 42 is equipped with a dispensing detection unit 71 (see Figure 5, etc.) for detecting the number of prizes P dispensed from the dispensing unit 42, and an empty detection unit 72 (see Figure 5, etc.) for detecting the presence or absence of prizes P in the storage space 24 to be dispensed within the returnable box 5 during the dispensing process.

[0043] The entire feeding mechanism 41 is rotatable around a pivot axis (not shown) located directly above the feeding roller 45, between the feeding position and the retracted position, by receiving driving force from a drive unit (not shown), such as a motor. When the feeding mechanism 41 is in the feeding position, the multiple feeding units 42 are also in the feeding position, and when the feeding mechanism 41 is in the retracted position, the multiple feeding units 42 are also in the retracted position. In other words, the multiple feeding units 42 are movable between the feeding position and the retracted position in accordance with the rotation of the feeding mechanism 41.

[0044] In the standby state of the device body 3, the feeding mechanism 41 is in the feeding position. As shown in Figure 4, in each feeding section 42 in the feeding position, the feeding belt 43 is located Y2 behind the feeding roller 45 and the opposing roller 46, two rollers 44 are aligned in the front-rear direction Y, and the remaining roller 44 is located Z2 below the two rollers 44, so that the flat section 43B between the two rollers 44 on the feeding belt 43 is horizontal along the front-rear direction Y. Also, the opposing roller 46 faces the feeding roller 45 from above Z1, and the flat section 43B is at the same height as the space between the feeding roller 45 and the opposing roller 46. Furthermore, the upper Z1 region of the feeding belt 43 of each feeding section 42 faces the corresponding storage space 24 of the returnable container 5 in the front-rear direction Y.

[0045] The feeding mechanism 41 is displaceable between a feeding position and a retracted position (see, for example, the feeding mechanism 41 of the lower storage section 12A in Figure 6). The retracted position is a position that has been moved forward Y1 or downward Z2 from the feeding position, in other words, a position that avoids the circumferential trajectory of each storage unit 33 into which the returnable containers 5 are loaded. When the feeding mechanism 41 is in the retracted position, the multiple feeding units 42 are also in the retracted position. The orientation of the multiple feeding units 42 in the retracted position is rotated by approximately 30 degrees or more clockwise compared to the multiple feeding units 42 in the feeding position. In the multiple feeding units 42 in the retracted position, the feeding belt 43 is located below Z2 below the feeding roller 45 and the opposing roller 46, the flat portion 43B of the feeding belt 43 is aligned in the vertical direction Z (specifically diagonally downward), and the opposing roller 46 faces the feeding roller 45 from the rear Y2.

[0046] Door 13 is a vertically elongated box shape large enough to cover the opening 11A of the housing 11. Door 13 is flattened in the front-to-back direction Y when it is in the closed position with the opening 11A closed (see also Figure 1). As shown in Figure 2, the left end of door 13 is connected to the housing 11 via a hinge 50 and is rotatable around the hinge 50. When door 13, which is in the closed position, is rotated clockwise in a plan view, it is positioned in the open position, exposing the entire area of ​​the opening 11A to the front side Y1. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that door 13 is in the closed position.

[0047] The top surface 13A of the door 13 is at approximately the same height as the top surface of the housing 11, that is, the top surface of the top wall 14. As shown in Figure 4, the top surface 13A has only one outlet 13B that is longitudinal in the left-right direction X (see also Figures 1, 2 and 15). The outlet 13B communicates with the internal space 13C of the door 13. The door 13 further includes a shutter 52 that opens and closes the outlet 13B.

[0048] The shutter 52 is formed as a long plate in the left-right direction X. The shutter 52 is slidable in the front-back direction Y between a closed position with the outlet 13B closed (the position shown in Figure 4; also refer to Figure 1) and an open position with the outlet 13B open by retracting to the space directly below the top wall 14 (the position shown in Figure 11). The space directly below the top wall 14 is the upper end of the internal space 11B of the housing 11. The shutter 52 is opened and closed by the driving force of a shutter drive unit 58 (see Figure 5), such as a motor, which is coupled to the housing 11 or the door 13.

[0049] Almost the entire rear surface of door 13 is open. Therefore, the internal space 13C of door 13 is in communication with the internal space 31F of the housing 31 of each storage unit 12 located in its storage position, via the opening 31D on the front of the housing 31. A dispensing unit 53 is located in the internal space 13C, which dispenses the prizes P from each storage unit 12 to the dispensing outlet 13B. In other words, door 13, which opens and closes the opening 11A of the housing 11, is integrated with the dispensing unit 53.

[0050] The dispensing section 53 includes a moving section 54. The moving section 54 is a rectangular, plate-shaped elevator with a plate thickness direction coinciding with the vertical direction Z and elongated in the left-right direction X. The moving section 54 includes a plurality of individual moving sections 55 (see Figure 2) arranged in the left-right direction X (five in the example in Figure 2). The moving section 54 is connected to a moving drive unit 57 (see Figure 5) which includes a motor, ball screw, etc. The moving section 54 moves up and down between a standby position set near the lower end of the internal space 13C of the door 13 (the position shown in Figure 6) and a dispensing position set at the upper end of the internal space 13C (the position shown in Figure 11) by receiving the driving force of the moving drive unit 57. The moving section 54 is a common moving section for a plurality of storage sections 12, and it receives prizes P from each storage section 12 and moves to the dispensing opening 13B. Multiple individual movable parts 55 divide the dispensing outlet 13B into multiple (five in this embodiment) dispensing compartments 13D (see Figure 1) arranged in the left-right direction X. Each of the five dispensing compartments 13D corresponds to one of five individual movable parts 55. Each corresponding pair of dispensing compartments 13D and individual movable parts 55 corresponds to one of the five storage spaces 24 (see Figure 3) in the returnable container 5 set in the storage body 33 of each storage compartment 12 that are located in the same position in the left-right direction X.

[0051] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the prize dispensing device 1. The prize dispensing device 1 includes a control unit 61. The control unit 61 is composed of a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and has a built-in timer, etc. The same applies to the other control units described later. The control unit 61 is divided into a POS control unit 61A built into the POS unit 2 and a dispensing control unit (control unit) 61B built into the device body 3. The POS control unit 61A and the dispensing control unit 61B are connected to each other so that they can communicate with one another.

[0052] The POS unit 2 includes a POS control unit 61A, a card processing unit 62 that processes cards, and a receipt issuing unit 63. The display operation unit 4, the card processing unit 62, and the receipt issuing unit 63 are electrically connected to the POS control unit 61A. The card stores information such as the number of game tokens acquired through gameplay on a game machine such as a pachinko machine. The card processing unit 62 takes in a card inserted into the card slot 2A (see Figure 1), reads the necessary information from the card, and ejects the read card from the card slot 2A. The receipt issuing unit 63 is composed of a printer and prints a receipt and issues it from the receipt issuing slot 2B (see Figure 1).

[0053] The POS unit 2 further includes a storage unit 64. The storage unit 64 is composed of storage devices such as non-volatile memory and a hard disk drive. The storage unit 64 is electrically connected to the POS control unit 61A. The storage unit 64 stores various information such as past anomaly history and prize P exchange history.

[0054] The dispensing control unit 61B of the main unit 3 is electrically connected to the electrical components (such as the aforementioned drive units and sensors) associated with the movement mechanism 34, counting unit 37, and feeding mechanism 41 in each storage unit 12. Specifically, the dispensing control unit 61B is electrically connected to the movement drive unit 57, shutter drive unit 58, feeding drive unit 59, rotation drive unit 60, measurement detection unit 38, feeding detection unit 71, empty detection unit 72, etc.

[0055] The main body of the device 3 is equipped with a storage unit 51. The storage unit 51 is composed of storage devices such as non-volatile memory and hard disk drives. The storage unit 51 is electrically connected to the dispensing control unit 61B. The storage unit 51 stores inventory data of prizes P (type and quantity of prizes P) in each storage container 33 within each storage unit 12 as a table associated with identification information assigned to each storage container 33. In particular, the inventory data of prizes P in each storage space 24 arranged in the left-right direction X in the returnable box 5 set in the storage container 33 is stored in the storage unit 51 as a breakdown of the inventory data of prizes P in each storage container 33. In addition, during the dispensing process, the number and type of prizes P to be dispensed from each dispensing unit 42 are stored in the storage unit 51. The inventory data of prizes P in the returnable box 5 is updated after the counting process described below is performed.

[0056] The following will explain the replenishment process, counting process, and dispensing / dispensing process in this order.

[0057] During the replenishment process, the store clerk selects one storage unit 12 to be replenished by operating the display operation unit 4. The dispensing control unit 61B of the control unit 61 then permits the storage unit 12 to be pulled out to its pull-out position. When the store clerk opens the door 13 to the open position and grasps the handle 31E of the unlocked storage unit 12 and pulls it forward Y1, the storage unit 12 is pulled out to the pull-out position shown in Figure 2 (see lower storage unit 12A in Figure 2). Only one storage unit 12 is allowed to be pulled out at a time. When the storage unit 12 is pulled out to its pull-out position, the door 31B on the top surface of the housing 31 is exposed.

[0058] Prior to the door 31B opening, the dispensing control unit 61B moves the transport body 32 in a circular motion, thereby positioning one of the multiple (three in this embodiment) empty storage units 33 at a loading position set directly below the loading opening 31A. In this state, the store clerk opens the door 31B of the storage unit 12, opening the loading opening 31A upward Z1. The store clerk then inserts the returnable box 5, which is in its basic orientation and contains the prize P, into the entrance 33A of the storage unit 33 at the loading position from upward Z1. As a result, the returnable box 5 is loaded into the storage unit 33 at the loading position, and the prize P inside the returnable box 5 is loaded into the storage unit 12. After the returnable box 5 is loaded into the storage unit 33, the store clerk closes the door 31B, grasps the handle 31E of the storage unit 12 at the drawer position, and returns it to the storage position, thereby completing the replenishment process for this storage unit 12. After the replenishment process is complete, closing door 13 initiates the counting process.

[0059] Figure 6 is a schematic right side view of the inside of the device body 3 during the counting process. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Figure 6. The counting process will be explained below with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

[0060] During the counting process, as shown in the lower storage section 12A of Figure 6, the dispensing control unit 61B moves the transport body 32 in a circular motion. In the storage section 12, when the storage body 33 to be counted approaches the counting unit 37, the first posture changing mechanism 35 tilts the opening 33A to a rearward position with the rear side Y2 facing outwards (see lower storage section 12A of Figure 6). The returnable container 5 loaded into this storage body 33 is also in a rearward position with the opening 25 facing outwards Y2. In this state, the prizes P inside the returnable container 5 are stacked vertically Z-direction, protruding from the opening 25 to the rear side Y2, with the rear end faces of the prizes P facing towards the counting unit 37 (more precisely, diagonally upward).

[0061] When the storage unit 33 changes from an upward-facing to a sideways-facing position and approaches the counting unit 37, the dispensing control unit 61B stops the circular movement of the transporter 32. At this time, in the storage unit 12, the measuring detection units 38 of the counting unit 37 are located at the same position in the left-right direction X for each storage space 24 of the returnable container 5 loaded into the rearward-facing storage unit 33 (see Figure 6). In this state, the dispensing control unit 61B raises the counting unit 37, for example, from its lower standby position. At this time, each measuring detection unit 38 rises facing the storage space 24 located at the same position in the left-right direction X in the returnable container 5 from the rear side Y2. The measuring detection units 38 count and identify the prizes P, which are stored in the storage spaces 24 located at the same position in the left-right direction X and stacked in the vertical direction Z, one by one from the bottom Z2 without contact.

[0062] The measurement detection unit 38 irradiates light onto the prize P, receives the reflected light, converts it into RGB values ​​for analysis, and based on the analysis results, counts the prize P or identifies its authenticity and type. Alternatively, an IC chip containing identification information may be embedded in the prize P, and the measurement detection unit 38 may identify the authenticity and type of the prize P by reading the identification information from the IC chip non-contactually. The counting process ends when the counting and identification of all prize P in each storage space 24 of the returnable box 5 loaded in the rear-facing storage body 33 is completed and the measurement detection unit 38 descends to its standby position. The counting process is performed at predetermined times, such as after the completion of the replenishment process, at closing time (closing down), and when recovering from an error. Furthermore, in this prize dispensing device 1, the counting process is also performed when an over-dispensing error or empty error occurs, as described later.

[0063] Next, the dispensing and dispensing process will be explained. The dispensing and dispensing process includes a dispensing process in which prizes P are dispensed one by one from the returnable box 5 onto the individual moving parts 55 of the moving part 54, and a dispensing process in which the prizes P dispensed from the moving part 54 by the dispensing process are dispensed out of the machine from the dispensing port 13B.

[0064] The player inserts their card into the card slot 2A. The POS control unit 61A then uses the card processing unit 62 to read the number of game media associated with the card. Subsequently, the player can operate the display operation unit 4 to select the type of prize P that can be exchanged and the quantity of each type within the range of the number of game media associated with the card. Based on the player's selection regarding the type of prize P to be exchanged and the quantity of each type, the POS control unit 61A generates payout information for the prize P to be dispensed. The payout information includes identification information that identifies the type of prize P to be dispensed and quantity information regarding the number of prize P to be dispensed.

[0065] When the POS control unit 61A transmits a dispensing request including dispensing information to the dispensing control unit 61B, the dispensing control unit 61B determines the returnable box 5 and storage space 24 from which the prize P should be dispensed, as well as the number of prize P to be dispensed from each storage space 24 (i.e., the number of prize P to be dispensed from each dispensing unit 42). Then, the dispensing control unit 61B performs the dispensing process.

[0066] Figure 8 is a schematic right side view of the inside of the device body 3 during the dispensing process included in the dispensing and dispensing process. Figures 9A and 9B are right side views illustrating the detection of the number of prizes P dispensed from the dispensing unit 42 by the dispensing detection unit 71. Figure 10 is a right side view illustrating the detection of prize depletion during the dispensing process by the empty detection unit 72.

[0067] Referring to the lower storage section 12A, the dispensing control unit 61B moves the transporter 32 in a circular motion during the dispensing process. As a result, when the storage unit 33 to be dispensed approaches the moving part 54 of the dispensing section 53, the second posture changing mechanism 36 tilts the opening 33A to a forward-facing position with the front side Y1 facing forward. Note that in the forward-facing storage unit 33, the opening 33A is not directly to the side, but slightly diagonally upward, in order to prevent the prize P from falling out of the opening 25 of the set returnable box 5.

[0068] In the lower storage section 12A of Figure 8, the storage body 33 at the front lower end is in a forward-facing position, and the opening 33A of this storage body 33 faces the front Y1. The returnable box 5 loaded into this storage body 33 is also in a forward-facing position with its opening 25 facing the front Y1, and the prizes P inside the returnable box 5 are stacked in the vertical Z direction, protruding from the opening 25 to the front Y1, with the front end surface of the prizes P facing the door 13 side (more precisely, diagonally upward).

[0069] As shown in Figure 8, when the lowest prize P in the returnable box 5 loaded into the forward-facing storage body 33 reaches approximately the same height as the flat portion 43B of the dispensing belt 43 of the multiple dispensing units 42 in the dispensing mechanism 41 at the dispensing position, the dispensing control unit 61B stops the circumferential movement of the transport body 32. At this time, the multiple dispensing units 42 at the dispensing position are positioned directly below the returnable box 5.

[0070] Next, the dispensing control unit 61B raises the moving unit 54 from its standby position and positions the upper surface of the moving unit 54 at approximately the same height as the flat portion 43B of the dispensing belt 43. Then, it moves the dispensing belt 43 in the dispensing unit 42 corresponding to the storage space 24 from which the prize P should be dispensed, among the multiple dispensing units 42, in a circular motion, thereby rotating the dispensing roller 45. At this time, in this dispensing unit 42, the dispensing belt 43 moves in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the right side, causing the dispensing roller 45 to rotate counterclockwise. The extruded pieces 43A of the circularly moving dispensing belt 43 move horizontally towards the front Y1 on the flat portion 43B of the dispensing belt 43. At that time, the extrusion piece 43A enters the opening 26 (see Figure 3) of the returnable container 5 loaded into the forward-facing storage body 33, and hooks the lowest prize P in the storage space 24 of the returnable container 5 (storage space 24 from which the prize P should be dispensed), pushing it forward to Y1. As a result, prize P is dispensed from one storage body 33 to the front Y1. The prize P dispensed to the front Y1 comes into contact with the driven and rotating dispense roller 45, and is pushed towards the moving part 54 by passing between the dispense roller 45 and the opposing roller 46 (dispensing process).

[0071] During the dispensing process, the presence or absence of dispensing errors is monitored based on the detections of the dispensing detection unit 71 and the empty detection unit 72. Specifically, during the dispensing process, the dispensing detection unit 71 monitors for the presence or absence of over-dispensing errors, detecting when more prizes P than the planned number of items to be dispensed are dispensed. (Error detection step) Furthermore, the empty detection unit 72 monitors whether an empty error (a shortage of prize P to be dispensed in the storage space 24) has occurred.

[0072] The detection mechanism by the dispensing detection unit 71 will be described with reference to Figures 9A and 9B. Each dispensing unit 42 includes an upper plate 75 and a lower plate 76 that are positioned on the internal space 13C side of the dispensing roller 45 and aligned in the vertical direction Z. Between the lower end of the upper plate 75 and the upper end of the lower plate 76, there is a narrow, elongated slit-shaped exit 77 running horizontally. The exit 77 is large enough to allow only one prize P to pass through and faces the portion between the dispensing roller 45 and the opposing roller 46 from the internal space 13C side. Each dispensing unit 42 is equipped with a detection lever 78, a contact part 79, a biasing member 80, and a dispensing detection unit 71 around the dispensing roller 45. The detection lever 78, biasing member 80, and dispensing detection unit 71 are located on the opposite side of the internal space 13C from the exit 77 and are supported by the same frame (not shown) as the upper plate 75 and the lower plate 76.

[0073] The detection lever 78 includes a pivot shaft 78A extending in the left-right direction X, a first portion 78B extending diagonally upward from the pivot shaft 78A toward the exit 77, and a second portion 78C extending downward Z2 from the pivot shaft 78A, and is rotatable around the pivot shaft 78A. The contact portion 79 rotates together with the detection lever 78. The biasing member 80 is spanned between the lower plate 76 and the second portion 78C, and pulls the second portion 78C toward the internal space 13C so that the contact portion 79 is positioned between the feed roller 45 and the opposing roller 46. The feed detection unit 71 is, for example, a photointerrupter.

[0074] The prize P, which has been hooked by the dispensing unit 42 and pushed forward to the front Y1, passes between the dispensing roller 45 and the opposing roller 46, as shown in Figure 9B. At this time, the tip of the prize P comes into contact with the contact unit 79, pushing down the first part 78B of the detection lever 78. As a result, the detection lever 78 rotates and the second part 78C is detected by the dispensing detection unit 71.

[0075] The prize P, having been pushed down by the first part 78B, enters the internal space 13C through the open exit 77. When the rear end of the prize P in the direction of travel passes between the feed roller 45 and the opposing roller 46, the detection lever 78 rotates in the opposite direction and returns to its original position. As a result, the second part 78C is no longer detected by the feed detection unit 71. This completes the feed detection unit 71's detection of the feed of one prize P.

[0076] As shown in Figure 10, the empty detection unit 72 is, for example, a photoelectric sensor. The photoelectric sensor is a transmissive sensor and includes a first element 86 and a second element 87. The first element 86 is one of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and the second element 87 is the other of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. As shown in Figure 10, the first element 86 and the second element 87 are positioned to sandwich the portion of the prize P in the storage space 24 of the returnable container 5 that protrudes from the entrance 25 to the front side Y1 from the vertical direction Z.

[0077] When the prize P is stored in the storage space 24 of the returnable container 5, the optical axis 88 connecting the first element 86 and the second element 87 is obstructed by the prize P (the portion of the prize P that protrudes from the entrance 25 to the front Y1). On the other hand, when the storage space 24 of the returnable container 5 is out of prize P, the optical axis 88 is not obstructed by the prize P. Therefore, the empty space 24 can be detected to be out of prize P based on the detection output of the empty detection unit 72.

[0078] Figure 10 shows an empty detection unit 72 corresponding to one of the storage spaces 24 of the returnable container 5. However, multiple empty detection units 72 are provided, each corresponding to one of the multiple (five in this embodiment) storage spaces 24 of the returnable container 5. In other words, an empty detection unit 72 is associated with each individual storage space 24 of the returnable container 5.

[0079] Referring again to Figure 8, the prize P pushed toward the moving section 54 lands on an individual moving section 55 located at the same position in the left-right direction X on the moving section 54. Then, as the rotation of the dispensing belt 43 and the rotation of the dispensing roller 45 are repeated, the prizes P in the storage space 24 located directly above each dispensing section 42 in the returnable box 5 loaded into the storage body 33 in a forward-facing (dispensing) position are dispensed one by one from the prize P on the lower side Z2 and accumulated on the individual moving section 55 corresponding to that dispensing section 42.

[0080] Each time a prize P is dispensed, the dispensing control unit 61B gradually lowers the moving unit 54 from its standby position so that the dispensed prize P is accumulated on the upper side Z1 in the individual moving unit 55. When the dispensing of prize P from the storage space 24 from which the prize P should be dispensed is completed, prize P is dispensed from a different storage space 24 than the original storage space 24 from which the prize P was dispensed earlier. The dispensing of prize P from the different storage space 24 is performed by a dispensing unit 42 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "another dispensing unit 42") associated with that different storage space 24. In the other dispensing unit 42, the dispensing belt 43 moves in a circular motion and the dispensing roller 45 rotates. Then, the extrusion piece 43A of the circularly moving dispensing belt 43 moves horizontally to the front Y1, hooks the lowest prize P in a storage space 24 different from the original storage space 24, and pushes it to the front Y1, thereby dispensing prize P from one storage body 33 to the front Y1. The prize P dispensed to the front Y1 comes into contact with the dispensing roller 45 of another dispensing unit 42 that is driven to rotate, and is pushed towards the moving unit 54 by passing between the dispensing roller 45 and the opposing roller 46 of the other dispensing unit 42. In this way, prize P from a storage space 24 different from the original storage space 24 from which the prize P was dispensed earlier can be dispensed by the dispensing unit 42. In this case, the prize P dispensed from the other storage space 24 is accumulated in an individual moving unit 55 in the moving unit 54, which is different from the individual moving unit 55 mentioned earlier. When the required number of prizes P have been dispensed onto the moving unit 54, the dispensing process by the dispensing mechanism 41 is completed. In other words, in a single returnable container 5, the prizes P from multiple storage spaces 24 are dispensed sequentially, one storage space at a time.

[0081] The dispensing of prizes P from multiple different storage spaces 24 in a single returnable container 5 may be done simultaneously, rather than one at a time. In this case, the dispensing operations of multiple dispensing units 42 are performed simultaneously. In this case, the overall dispensing operation time can be shortened compared to when the dispensing operations of the dispensing units 42 are performed one at a time.

[0082] The mobile unit 54 can receive prizes P from multiple storage units 12 in a single dispensing process. After receiving prizes P from one storage unit 12, the mobile unit 54 moves up and down, allowing it to receive prizes P from other storage units 12. In the dispensing process, once the dispensing process is completed in all storage units 12, the dispensing control unit 61B starts the dispensing process.

[0083] Figure 11 is a schematic right side view of the inside of the device body 3 during the dispensing process included in the dispensing process. During the dispensing process, the dispensing control unit 61B slides the shutter 52 to the open position shown in Figure 11. This opens the dispensing outlet 13B on the upper surface 13A of the door 13 to the upper side Z1. The dispensing control unit 61B then raises the movable unit 54 to the dispensing position shown in Figure 11, thereby dispensing the prizes P dispensed on each movable unit 54 to the dispensing outlet 13B and exposing them to the outside of the machine. When a player directly receives the prizes P on the movable unit 54 at the dispensing outlet 13B, the dispensing control unit 61B lowers the movable unit 54 and slides the shutter 52 to the closed position. This completes the dispensing process and the series of dispensing processes is finished.

[0084] Incidentally, in the dispensing process, false detections can occur in the detection of over-dispensing errors. This is mainly thought to be caused by mistakenly detecting chattering (vibration) in the detection lever 78 as the passage of prize P. False detections can also occur in the detection of empty errors. This false detection is thought to be caused by factors such as the prize P at the bottom of the storage space 24 being in an inclined position.

[0085] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the detection of a feeding error in the feeding process. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the empty error detection process in Figure 12. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the over-feeding error detection process in Figure 12. In this embodiment, empty errors and over-feeding errors are sometimes collectively referred to as "feeding errors."

[0086] In this embodiment, the dispensing control unit 61B monitors whether a dispensing error has occurred based on the detection output of the dispensing detection unit 71 and the detection output of the empty detection unit 72 (steps S1 and S3 in Figure 12).

[0087] Specifically, in each dispensing process by the dispensing unit 42, the dispensing control unit 61B checks for the presence or absence of prizes P in the storage space 24 to be dispensed using the empty detection unit 72. If the storage space 24 to be dispensed is out of prizes, an empty error is detected (step S1 in Figure 12). In addition, in each dispensing process, the dispensing control unit 61B checks whether the number of prizes P detected by the dispensing detection unit 71 (i.e., the number of prizes P that passed between the dispensing roller 45 and the opposing roller 46) exceeds a predetermined number of prizes to be dispensed (the number of prizes P that are scheduled to be dispensed by the dispensing unit 42) (step S3 in Figure 12). If the number of prizes P that have passed exceeds the number of prizes to be dispensed, the dispensing control unit 61B , past Detects a throwing error.

[0088] If an empty error is detected during the dispensing process (YES in step S1 of Figure 12), the dispensing control unit 61B interrupts the dispensing process and performs counting using the counting unit 37 (step S5 of Figure 12, counting step). When transitioning from the dispensing process to the counting process, all storage units 33 contained in the storage unit 12 to be dispensed move in a circular motion, and the returnable box 5 that was the target of dispensing is positioned to approach the counting unit 37. At this time, the storage unit 33 containing the returnable box 5 that was the target of dispensing is positioned facing backward (counting position; see Figure 6). It is also possible that the prize P, which was in an inclined position during the dispensing process, returns to its original position due to this circular motion and change of position.

[0089] In this counting process, the prizes contained in the returnable box 5 (the returnable box 5 having the storage space 24 that was the target of the dispensing) P The type and quantity are counted by the counting unit 37. The specific measurement method by the counting unit 37 is shown in Figures 6 and 7. ofThis is the same as the counting process described above, with reference to the previous explanation. No counting is performed on returnable containers 5 other than the one that was the target of dispensing. After the counting process, the dispensing control unit 61B performs an empty error determination to determine whether or not an empty error occurred during the dispensing process (Step S6 in Figure 12: Empty Error Determination Process (Dispensing Error Determination Process, Dispensing Error Determination Step)). After the counting process, the returnable containers 5 that were the target of dispensing are returned to their original positions. That is, all storage units 33 move in a circular motion, and the returnable containers 5 that were the target of dispensing are positioned close to the moving part 54 of the dispensing unit 53.

[0090] Referring to Figure 13, in the empty error determination process, the dispensing control unit 61B checks whether the number of prizes P counted by the counting unit 37 matches the number obtained by subtracting the number of prizes P dispensed from the storage unit 12A during the dispensing process from the number of prizes P in the returnable box 5 stored in the storage unit 51 before the start of the dispensing process (step S11 in Figure 13). If these numbers are different (NO in step S11 in Figure 13), the dispensing control unit 61B determines that an empty error occurred during the dispensing process (step S12 in Figure 13) and decides to perform an error down (step S13 in Figure 13). After that, with the dispensing process interrupted, the prize dispensing device 1 enters an error down state (waiting for error clearing). The error down state of the prize dispensing device 1 must be cleared by an employee of the amusement parlor.

[0091] On the other hand, in the empty error determination process, if the number of prizes P counted by the counting unit 37 matches the number obtained by subtracting the number of prizes P dispensed in the dispensing process from the inventory of prizes P in the returnable box 5 (YES in step S11 of Figure 13), the dispensing control unit 61B determines that no empty error occurred in the dispensing process (step S14 of Figure 13) and resumes the interrupted dispensing process. Then, the process shown in Figure 13 is returned.

[0092] For example, if the inventory before the dispensing process is 100 units and the planned number of units to be dispensed during the dispensing process is 10 units, and an empty error is detected in one storage space 24 during the dispensing process, then if the counting unit 37 counts, for example, 80 units, an error down operation will be performed. On the other hand, if the counting unit 37 counts, 90 units, it will be considered a false detection of an empty error, and the error down operation will not be performed.

[0093] Furthermore, if an over-dispensing error is detected during the dispensing process (YES in step S3 of Figure 12), the dispensing control unit 61B interrupts the dispensing process and performs counting using the counting unit 37 (step S7 of Figure 12, counting step). This counting process is equivalent to the counting process in step S5 of Figure 12. The transition from the dispensing process to the counting process, and the return from the counting process to the original position, are also as described in the counting process in step S5 of Figure 12. After the counting process, the dispensing control unit 61B performs an over-dispensing error determination to determine whether or not an over-dispensing error occurred during the dispensing process (step S8 of Figure 12: over-dispensing error determination process (dispensing error determination process, dispensing error determination step)).

[0094] Referring to Figure 14, in the over-dispensing error determination process, the dispensing control unit 61B compares the number of prizes P contained in the returnable box 5, as counted by the counting unit 37, with the number of prizes P in the returnable box 5 stored in the storage unit 51 before the dispensing process begins, to calculate the actual number of prizes dispensed (step S21 in Figure 14). Then, the dispensing control unit 61B checks whether the number of prizes P detected by the dispensing detection unit 71 during the dispensing process matches the number of prizes to be dispensed (step S22 in Figure 14). If these numbers are different (NO in step S22 in Figure 14), the dispensing control unit 61B determines that an over-dispensing error occurred during the dispensing process (step S23 in Figure 14) and decides to execute an error down (step S24 in Figure 14). After that, with the dispensing process suspended, the prize dispensing device 1 enters an error down state (waiting for error resolution).

[0095] On the other hand, in the over-dispensing error determination process, if the number of prizes P detected by the dispensing detection unit 71 during the dispensing process matches the number of prizes to be dispensed (YES in step S22 of Figure 14), the dispensing control unit 61B determines that no over-dispensing error occurred during the dispensing process (step S25 of Figure 14) and resumes the interrupted dispensing process. Then, the process shown in Figure 14 is returned.

[0096] For example, if the inventory before dispensing is 100 items and the planned number of items to be dispensed is 10, and the dispensing detection unit 71 detects the passage of 11 prize items P during the dispensing process, and the counting unit 37 counts 89 items, then an error down operation will be performed. On the other hand, if the counting unit 37 counts 90 items, it will be considered a false detection of an over-dispensing error, and the error down operation will not be performed.

[0097] Furthermore, monitoring for empty errors and over-dispensing errors during the dispensing process continues until the dispensing operation for the planned number of items is completed (steps S2 and S4 in Figure 12). In the dispensing process, once the planned number of prizes P have been dispensed (YES in step S4 in Figure 12), the dispensing process ends.

[0098] As described above, according to this embodiment, even if an empty error is detected based on the detection by the empty detection unit 72, it is not immediately determined that an empty error has occurred. In the counting process (S5) that is performed thereafter, if the number of prizes P counted by the counting unit 37 matches the number obtained by subtracting the number of prizes P dispensed during the dispensing process from the number of prizes P stored in the return box 5 before the start of the dispensing process, it is determined that no empty error has occurred. Therefore, if the detection of an empty error based on the detection by the empty detection unit 72 is a false detection, it is possible to avoid determining an empty error based on a false detection. This makes it possible to determine with high accuracy whether or not an empty error has occurred without adding any other configurations.

[0099] Furthermore, even if an over-dispensing error is detected by the dispensing detection unit 71, it is not immediately determined that an over-dispensing error has occurred. In the subsequent counting process (S7), if the number of prizes P counted by the counting unit 37 matches the actual number of prizes dispensed, it is determined that no over-dispensing error has occurred. Therefore, if the detection of an over-dispensing error based on the detection by the dispensing detection unit 71 is a false detection, it is possible to avoid determining an over-dispensing error based on that false detection. This makes it possible to determine with high accuracy whether or not an over-dispensing error has occurred without adding any other configurations.

[0100] Furthermore, it is possible to prevent error-induced shutdowns in the prize dispensing device 1 due to false detection of empty errors and false detection of over-dispensing errors. This reduces the frequency of error-induced shutdowns.

[0101] Resolving error downtime takes time. In particular, if the prize dispensing device 1 is self-operated, it is necessary to call an employee from the arcade to resolve the error downtime, further increasing the time it takes to resolve the error downtime. Reducing the frequency of error downtime can improve convenience for players.

[0102] Figure 15 is a schematic plan view of the top surface 13A of door 13. Figures 16A-16 E This figure shows the changes in the light emission pattern of the shutter opening degree indicator unit 201 when the shutter 52 is opened. Figures 17A-17 E This figure shows the changes in the illumination pattern of the shutter opening indicator unit 201 when the shutter 52 is closing.

[0103] A shutter opening indicator unit 201 is positioned on the upper surface 13A of the door 13 to display the degree of opening of the shutter 52, in other words, the degree of opening of the dispensing opening 13B. The shutter opening indicator unit 201 includes a left indicator unit 201A and a right indicator unit 201B. The shutter opening indicator unit 201 is electrically connected to the dispensing control unit 61B.

[0104] The left display unit 201A is positioned on the upper surface 13A to the left of the left X1 end of the dispensing opening 13B. The left display unit 201A is equipped with a plurality (for example, five) of indicator lamps 202 arranged in the front-to-back direction Y. The indicator lamps 202 are, in order from the front Y1, indicator lamp 202A, indicator lamp 202B, indicator lamp 202C, indicator lamp 202D, and indicator lamp 202E.

[0105] The right display unit 201B is positioned on the upper surface 13A to the right of the right X2 end of the dispensing opening 13B. The right display unit 201B is equipped with a plurality (for example, five) of indicator lamps 203 arranged in the front-to-back direction Y. The indicator lamps 203 are, in order from the front Y1, indicator lamp 203A, indicator lamp 203B, indicator lamp 203C, indicator lamp 203D, and indicator lamp 203E. Indicator lamps 203A, 203B, 203C, 203D, and 203E are aligned with indicator lamps 202A, 202B, 202C, 202D, and 202E in the front-to-back direction Y, respectively.

[0106] When the shutter 52 is in the closed position, the front end 52A of the shutter 52 is approximately aligned with the front edge 13BA of the outlet 13B. As a result, the outlet 13B on the upper surface 13A of the door 13 is approximately covered by the shutter 52. When the shutter 52 moves from the closed position toward the rear Y2, the outlet 13B gradually opens from the front Y1 toward the rear Y2.

[0107] As shown in Figures 16A to 16E, when the shutter 52 moves from the closed position to the open position, the five indicator lamps 202 and the five indicator lamps 203 light up sequentially from the front Y1 to the rear Y2, depending on the degree of opening of the outlet 13B. There are five modes of illumination for the indicator lamps 203, from the first to the fifth mode. The first mode is as shown in Figure 16A, where indicator lamps 202A and 203A are lit (illumination time: 0.1 seconds). The second mode is as shown in Figure 16B, where indicator lamps 202A, 202B, 203A, and 203B are lit (illumination time: 0.1 seconds). The third mode is as shown in Figure 16C, where indicator lamps 202A to 202C and 203A to 203C are lit (illumination time: 0.1 seconds). The fourth mode is as shown in Figure 16D, in which indicator lamps 202A-202D and 203A-203D are lit (lighting time: 0.1 seconds). The fifth mode is as shown in Figure 16E, in which indicator lamps 202A-202E and 203A-203E are lit (lighting time: 0.6 seconds). As shown in Figures 16A-16E, the newly lit indicator lamps 202 and 203 become synchronized with the front end 52A of the moving shutter 52.

[0108] When the shutter 52 moves to the open position and the outlet 13B is fully open, the lights turn off (for 0.2 seconds), and then the lighting cycle repeats in the order of first mode → second mode → third mode → fourth mode → fifth mode. Next, the closing operation of the shutter 52 will be explained. When the shutter 52 moves from the open position toward the front Y1, the outlet 13B is closed sequentially from the rear Y2.

[0109] As shown in Figures 17A to 17E, when the shutter 52 moves from the open position to the closed position, the five indicator lamps 202 and the five indicator lamps 203 light up sequentially from the rear side Y2 to the front side Y1, depending on the degree of opening of the outlet 13B. There are five lighting modes for the indicator lamps 203, from the 6th to the 10th mode. The 6th mode is as shown in Figure 17A, where indicator lamps 202E and 203E are lit (lighting time: 0.1 seconds). The 7th mode is as shown in Figure 17B, where indicator lamps 202D, 202E, 203D, and 203E are lit (lighting time: 0.1 seconds). The 8th mode is as shown in Figure 17C, where indicator lamps 202C to 202E and 203C to 203E are lit (lighting time: 0.1 seconds). The ninth mode is one in which indicator lamps 202B-202E and 203B-203E are lit (for a duration of 0.1 seconds), as shown in Figure 17D. The tenth mode is one in which indicator lamps 202A-202E and 203A-203E are lit (for a duration of 0.6 seconds), as shown in Figure 17E. As shown in Figures 17A-17E, the newly illuminated lamps among the indicator lamps 202 and 203 become synchronized with the front end 52A of the moving shutter 52.

[0110] As described above, the machine is equipped with a shutter opening indicator unit 201 for displaying the opening degree of the shutter 52 (the degree to which the payout opening 13B is open), so the timing and speed of the shutter 52's opening operation can be communicated to the player. In addition, since the direction of movement of the newly illuminated indicator lamps 202 and 203 coincides with the direction of movement of the shutter 52, the player can be made aware of the direction of movement of the shutter 52, thereby serving as a warning against placing foreign objects (such as smartphones) on top of the shutter 52.

[0111] Furthermore, the prize dispensing device 1 may be configured to allow switching between self-service operation and manned operation of the shutter opening indicator unit 201. In the case of manned operation, all indicator lamps 202 and 203 may flash when the shutter 52 is opened and when the shutter 52 is closed. In this case, the flashing speed of the indicator lamps 202 and 203 may differ between the opening operation of the shutter 52 and the closing operation of the shutter 52. The flashing time and the flashing off time may both be longer when the shutter 52 is closed.

[0112] Furthermore, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 15, multiple (for example, five) error indicator lamps 204 may be formed on the upper surface 13A of the door 13. The five error indicator lamps 204 are associated one-to-one with the five dispensing compartments 13D. If there is a dispensing compartment 13D that is operating in degraded mode, the error indicator lamp 204 corresponding to that dispensing compartment 13D may be illuminated.

[0113] Furthermore, if indicator lamps 202 and 203 are multi-color LEDs, the indicator lamps 202 and 203 may be configured to display the color of the prize dispensed from the payout port 13B (for example, red, blue, and green). Also, if multiple types of prizes P are dispensed from the payout port 13B, the colors of indicator lamps 202 and 203 may be switched between the colors of the prizes.

[0114] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention may be implemented in other embodiments as well.

[0115] For example, during the counting process performed in steps S5 and S7 of Figure 12, the display on the display operation unit 4 is changed to the display from the previous dispensing process (for example, the display "Dispensing."). Display Steps ) can be switched to a display indicating that counting is in progress (for example, a display saying "Counting in progress."; counting display). (Switching step) This allows us to inform players that it will take longer to complete the payout of their prize P.

[0116] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0117] For example, each dispensing mechanism 41 may be equipped with only one dispensing unit 42. This single dispensing unit 42 may then dispense prizes P from multiple storage spaces 24 of the returnable box 5.

[0118] In this case, the dispensing unit 42 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction X. When the dispensing of prizes P from one storage space 24 by the dispensing unit 42 is completed, the dispensing control unit 61B moves the transporter 32 in a slight circle to temporarily raise the forward-facing storage unit 33, and during this time moves the dispensing unit 42 in the left-right direction X. After that, the dispensing control unit 61B moves the transporter 32 in the reverse direction to lower the storage unit 33 back to its original position, so that prizes P from a different storage space 24 than the original storage space 24 from which the prizes P had been dispensed can be dispensed by the dispensing unit 42. In this case, the prizes P dispensed from the other storage space 24 are accumulated in a different individual movement unit 55 in the movement unit 54, separate from the individual movement unit 55 used up to that point.

[0119] Furthermore, the various features described above can be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 1: Prize dispensing device 4:Display operation section (display section) 12: Storage compartment 37: Counting Unit 38: Measurement detection unit (counting detection unit) 42: Dispensing section 53: Dispensing section 61B: Dispensing Control Unit 71: Dispensing detection unit 72: Empty detection unit P: Prize

Claims

1. A storage compartment for the prizes, A dispensing unit for dispensing prizes from the aforementioned storage unit, A dispensing unit that dispenses the prizes dispensed by the aforementioned dispensing unit to the outside of the machine, A detection unit that detects at least one of the prizes stored in the storage unit and the prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit, A counting unit that counts the number of prizes stored in the storage unit using a counting detection unit separate from the aforementioned detection unit, The control unit includes: a dispensing process in which the dispensing unit dispenses prizes from the storage unit; a counting process in which, if a dispensing error in dispensing prizes from the storage unit is detected in the dispensing process based on the detection unit, the number of prizes stored in the storage unit is counted by the counting unit; and a dispensing error determination process that determines whether or not the dispensing error occurred based on the number of prizes counted in the counting process. The detection unit includes a dispensing detection unit that detects the number of prizes dispensed to the dispensing unit by the dispensing unit, The prize dispensing device includes a control unit that detects an over-dispensing error as the dispensing error when the number of prizes detected by the dispensing detection unit in the dispensing process exceeds the number of prizes scheduled to be dispensed in the dispensing process.

2. A storage compartment for storing prizes, A dispensing unit for dispensing prizes from the aforementioned storage unit, A dispensing unit that dispenses the prizes dispensed by the aforementioned dispensing unit to the outside of the machine, A detection unit that detects at least one of the prizes stored in the storage unit and the prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit, A counting unit that counts the number of prizes stored in the storage unit using a counting detection unit separate from the aforementioned detection unit, The control unit includes: a dispensing process in which the dispensing unit dispenses prizes from the storage unit; a counting process in which, if a dispensing error in dispensing prizes from the storage unit is detected in the dispensing process based on the detection unit, the number of prizes stored in the storage unit is counted by the counting unit; and a dispensing error determination process that determines whether or not the dispensing error occurred based on the number of prizes counted in the counting process. The counting unit is a prize dispensing device that counts the number of prizes using the counting detection unit for the storage unit, which is in a counting position different from the dispensing position in the dispensing process.

3. A storage compartment for storing prizes, A dispensing unit for dispensing prizes from the aforementioned storage unit, A dispensing unit that dispenses the prizes dispensed by the aforementioned dispensing unit to the outside of the machine, A detection unit that detects at least one of the prizes stored in the storage unit and the prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit, A counting unit that counts the number of prizes stored in the storage unit using a counting detection unit separate from the aforementioned detection unit, Display unit and The control unit includes: a dispensing process in which the dispensing unit dispenses prizes from the storage unit; a counting process in which, if a dispensing error in dispensing prizes from the storage unit is detected in the dispensing process based on the detection unit, the number of prizes stored in the storage unit is counted by the counting unit; and a dispensing error determination process that determines whether or not the dispensing error occurred based on the number of prizes counted in the counting process. Prize dispensing device, wherein the control unit displays a dispensing indicator on the display unit indicating that a prize is being dispensed from the dispensing unit while the dispensing process is being executed, and when the counting process is executed, the display on the display unit switches from the dispensing indicator to a counting indicator indicating that counting is in progress.

4. The prize dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, in the dispensing error determination process, calculates the actual number of prizes dispensed from the storage unit based on the number of prizes counted by the counting unit in the counting process and the number of prizes stored in the storage unit before the start of the dispensing process, and determines that the over-dispensing error has not occurred if the number of prizes detected by the dispensing detection unit in the dispensing process matches the actual number of prizes dispensed.

5. The detection unit includes an empty detection unit that detects when the prizes run out in the storage unit. The prize dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit detects an empty error as the dispensing error when the empty detection unit detects that the prize is out of stock in the storage unit during the dispensing process.

6. The prize dispensing device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit determines in the dispensing error determination process that an empty error has not occurred if the number of prizes counted by the counting unit matches the number obtained by subtracting the number of prizes dispensed from the storage unit during the dispensing process from the number of prizes stored in the storage unit before the start of the dispensing process.

7. The prize dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit causes the prize dispensing device to shut down in error when it determines in the dispensing error determination process that a dispensing error has occurred.

8. A prize dispensing device comprising: a storage unit for storing prizes; a dispensing unit for dispensing prizes from the storage unit; a dispensing unit for dispensing prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit to the outside of the machine; a detection unit including a dispensing detection unit for detecting the number of prizes dispensed to the dispensing unit by the dispensing unit; and a counting unit that counts the number of prizes stored in the storage unit using a counting detection unit separate from the detection unit, wherein an error determination method for determining a dispensing error regarding the dispensing of prizes from the storage unit, In the dispensing process in which the dispensing unit dispenses prizes from the storage unit, an error detection step is performed in which, if the number of prizes detected by the dispensing detection unit exceeds the number of prizes that are scheduled to be dispensed, an over-dispensing error is detected as the dispensing error. In the dispensing process, if a dispensing error is detected based on the detection unit, the number of prizes stored in the storage unit is counted by the counting unit in a counting step, An error determination method comprising: a dispensing error determination step that determines whether or not the dispensing error has occurred based on the number of prizes counted in the counting step.

9. A prize dispensing device comprising: a storage unit for storing prizes; a dispensing unit for dispensing prizes from the storage unit; a dispensing unit for dispensing prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit to the outside of the machine; a detection unit for detecting at least one of the prizes stored in the storage unit and the prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit; and a counting unit for counting the number of prizes stored in the storage unit using a counting detection unit separate from the detection unit, wherein an error determination method for determining a dispensing error regarding the dispensing of prizes from the storage unit, In the dispensing process in which the dispensing unit dispenses prizes from the storage unit, if a dispensing error is detected based on the detection unit, a counting step is performed in which the number of prizes stored in the storage unit is counted by the counting unit. The process includes a dispensing error determination step that determines whether or not a dispensing error has occurred based on the number of prizes counted in the counting step, An error detection method comprising, in the counting step, counting the number of prizes using the counting detection unit for the storage unit which is in a counting position different from the dispensing position in the dispensing process.

10. A prize dispensing device comprising: a storage unit for storing prizes; a dispensing unit for dispensing prizes from the storage unit; a dispensing unit for dispensing prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit to the outside of the machine; a detection unit for detecting at least one of the prizes stored in the storage unit and the prizes dispensed by the dispensing unit; a counting unit for counting the number of prizes stored in the storage unit using a counting detection unit separate from the detection unit; and a display unit, wherein an error determination method for determining a dispensing error regarding the dispensing of prizes from the storage unit, During the dispensing process in which the dispensing unit dispenses prizes from the storage unit, a display step is performed in which a dispensing indicator is displayed on the display unit to indicate that a prize is being dispensed from the dispensing unit. In the dispensing process, if a dispensing error is detected based on the detection unit, the number of prizes stored in the storage unit is counted by the counting unit in a counting step, A dispensing error determination step, which determines whether or not the dispensing error occurred based on the number of prizes counted in the counting step, An error determination method comprising: a switching step of switching the display on the display unit from the dispensing display to a counting display indicating that counting is in progress when the counting step is performed.

Images