Gaming system

Abstract

To appropriately cope with multiple settlement methods in a game parlor.SOLUTION: An inter-machine card processor 10 can purchase a prepaid value by supply of cash and a repaid value by a cashless settlement using a terminal device 110 that a game player carries. A prepaid value that is not used for ball dispensation and remains can be adjusted. Concretely, a card to which a prepaid value is related is discharged from the inter-machine card processor 10, is read by an adjustment machine 80, and performs a cash adjustment by putout of cash and a cashless adjustment for adding a balance for a cashless settlement. A card managing device 40 sets an adjustment charge to a combination of a purchasing method and an adjustment method and manages it. As the result, multiple settlement methods can be coped with appropriately and an appropriate charge can be imposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a game system that can properly support multiple payment methods in a game arcade. Play

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, game arcades provide games that involve game media. For example, in pachinko games, game balls are used as game media, and the game is played by shooting the game balls onto the game board surface. The game board surface is provided with a plurality of winning areas (winning holes), and a predetermined number of game balls are awarded as prize balls based on the game balls passing through the winning areas. Thus, the number of game media increases or decreases depending on the result of the game, and the player can exchange the acquired game media for prizes.

[0003] In general, each device is installed in a gaming machine. Each device accepts deposits and performs a lending process for game media. In addition, each device manages the number of game media acquired by the game as the number of held game media, and performs a replay process of subtracting the number of held game media and paying out the game media (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Also, when the player finishes the game and operates the return button provided on the gaming machine, each device associates the number of held game media managed by itself with a card and then discharges it. The player can exchange the card at the prize counter for a prize corresponding to the associated number of held game media. In addition, a valuable value that can be used for lending game media is also associated with the card. The remaining balance of the valuable value remaining at the end of the game can be settled at a cashier.

[0005] In addition to cash, it is also considered to give a valuable value that can be used for lending game media by various cashless payment methods.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] ​ [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-131037 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, when value can be assigned through multiple methods, such as cash and cashless payments, the question arises as to how to settle any unused value. While it's common practice to return the remainder in cash for value purchased with cash payments, and to return the remainder to the original cashless payment balance for value purchased with cashless payments, there may be requests to settle value purchased through multiple methods in a single, unified manner. Furthermore, settlement methods different from those used for purchase may also be required.

[0008] Furthermore, while cashless payments and settlements may incur fees, the challenge lies in how to collect fees when value can be purchased using multiple methods, particularly when the purchase method and settlement method differ.

[0009] Therefore, a key challenge was how to create inter-machine devices and gaming systems that could appropriately handle multiple payment methods in amusement parlors.

[0010] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and enables amusement parlors to properly handle multiple payment methods. Play The objective is to provide a technical system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention provides a gaming system having an inter-machine device and a settlement device provided in correspondence with a gaming machine, wherein the inter-machine device has a receiving means for receiving a storage medium associated with a valuable value, and uses the valuable value in the order in which it was purchased, according to the purchase order of the valuable value provided by a plurality of purchase methods, and the settlement device, for unused valuable value, from among the plurality of purchase methods, specific Cashless payment Done Purchased value Regarding this matter, settlement is prohibited. It is characterized by the following: Furthermore, the present invention relates to a gaming system having an inter-machine device and a settlement device provided in correspondence with a gaming machine, wherein the inter-machine device has a receiving means for receiving a storage medium associated with a valuable value, and uses the valuable value in the order in which it was purchased, according to the purchase order of the valuable value assigned by a plurality of purchase methods, and the settlement device, for unused valuable value, from among the plurality of purchase methods, specific Cashless payment Done Purchased value Regarding this matter, settlement is prohibited. It is characterized by the following: Furthermore, the present invention relates to a gaming system having an inter-machine device and a settlement device provided in correspondence with a gaming machine, wherein the inter-machine device has a receiving means for receiving a storage medium associated with a valuable value, and uses the valuable value assigned by a plurality of purchase methods in order based on a priority set in advance for each purchase method, and the settlement device, for unused valuable value, among the plurality of purchase methods, specific Cashless payment Done Purchased value Regarding this matter, settlement is prohibited. Characterized by 。

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the total value and the balance for each purchase method are managed.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the plurality of purchase methods include purchase by cash and purchase by cashless payment.

[0014] Further, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the priority order is determined by the game parlor or by the player.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, a game parlor can appropriately handle a plurality of payment methods.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the concept of a game management system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of a game parlor. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the external appearance of an under-counter card processor. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the under-counter card processor shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of data stored in the storage unit of the under-counter card processor. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the card management device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of data stored in the storage unit of the card management device. (Part 1) [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of data stored in the storage unit of the card management device. (Part 2) [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the payment machine shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the payment machine. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the purchase of prepaid value by cashless payment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the settlement of prepaid value by cashless payment. [Figure 13]Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of purchasing prepaid value. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of prepaid value settlement. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] The present invention relates to the attached drawings, as described below. Play A preferred embodiment of the technical system will be described in detail.

[0019] In this specification, "held tokens" refers to game tokens or data indicating the number of such tokens acquired by a player during gameplay, which can only be used again for gameplay on the same day (before closing time). "Stored tokens" refers to game tokens or data indicating the number of such tokens acquired by a player during gameplay, which can be used again for gameplay on subsequent days (after closing time). Held tokens can be used by both general and member players, and are used when changing the game machine used for gameplay (so-called machine transfer). Stored tokens are usually only available to member players, and are used when acquiring game tokens to use for gameplay on subsequent days. A prescribed fee may be charged for the use of stored tokens. [Examples]

[0020] First, the concept of the game management system according to this embodiment will be explained. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the concept of the game management system according to this embodiment. Multiple game machines 20 are installed in the game parlor, and each game machine 20 is equipped with an inter-machine card processing machine 10, which is an individual machine device.

[0021] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 performs various processes related to game balls based on the player's actions, such as distributing game balls, processing replays of held or stored game balls, and counting acquired game balls and adding them to the player's holdings. Furthermore, when a player finishes playing and operates the return button provided on the game machine, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 associates the number of game balls it manages with the card and then ejects it.

[0022] The card management device 40 can communicate with multiple inter-machine card processing machines 10 within the gaming establishment and manages cards by associating them with the number of tokens held and prepaid value. Prepaid value is the monetary value that can be used to lend out gaming tokens, and is added when a deposit is made and subtracted when tokens are lent out.

[0023] Specifically, when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a banknote, it sends deposit notification data including the amount of the banknote to the card management device 40, which then adds a number corresponding to the amount to the prepaid value managed by the card management device 40. Then, when a predetermined ball dispensing operation is performed, it sends a ball dispensing request to the card management device 40, which then subtracts the prepaid value managed by the card management device 40, and dispenses a number of game balls corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value.

[0024] Furthermore, in the gaming management system according to this embodiment, prepaid value can be added through cashless payment. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives an operation requesting a deposit via cashless payment, it generates payment data, encodes it into a two-dimensional code, and displays it. The terminal device 110 carried by the player can read the payment data and make a payment by capturing the two-dimensional code displayed by the inter-machine card processing machine 10 with a camera, decoding and reading the two-dimensional code. As will be described in detail later, the completion of payment by the terminal device 110 is notified to the card management device 40, and the payment amount is added to the prepaid value.

[0025] Since prepaid value can be purchased using multiple methods, such as cash payment and cashless payment, the card management device 40 manages the prepaid value balance in association with the purchase method.

[0026] Any remaining prepaid value that was not used for ball dispensing can be settled. Specifically, the unused prepaid value can be settled by ejecting the card associated with the prepaid value from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and having it read by the settlement machine 80. For settling the unused prepaid value, cash settlement by dispensing cash and cashless settlement by adding the balance for cashless payment can be used. Cashless settlement can be performed by encoding the settlement information into a two-dimensional code and displaying it on the settlement machine 80, and having the terminal device 110 scan and read the two-dimensional code.

[0027] The card management device 40 sets and manages settlement fees for each combination of purchase method and settlement method. Figure 1 shows the case where three payment methods are supported: cash, cashless P1, and cashless P2.

[0028] Specifically, there is "no" settlement fee when settling prepaid value purchased with cash using cash; a "1%" settlement fee when settling prepaid value purchased with cash using cashless P1; and a "2%" settlement fee when settling prepaid value purchased with cash using cashless P2.

[0029] Furthermore, the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P1 in cash is "2%", the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P1 with Cashless P1 is "none", and the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P1 with Cashless Payment P2 is "3%".

[0030] Furthermore, the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P2 in cash is 2%, the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P2 with Cashless P1 is 4%, and the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P1 with Cashless Payment P2 is 1%.

[0031] In this way, by enabling the assignment of prepaid value through multiple purchase methods, and by having the card management device 40 manage the prepaid value balance in association with the purchase method, and by enabling the settlement of the prepaid value balance through multiple settlement methods, it is possible to appropriately handle multiple payment methods. Furthermore, by setting settlement fees for each combination of purchase method and settlement method, it is possible to charge appropriate fees.

[0032] Next, we will explain the system configuration of the amusement parlor. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the amusement parlor. As shown in Figure 2, the amusement parlor is equipped with multiple gaming machines 20 and inter-machine card processing machines 10, each of which is provided in conjunction with a gaming machine 20. The inter-machine card processing machines 10 are connected to the store's network, which is a communication line, via an island controller 30. The island controller 30, a card management device 40, a membership management device 50, a prize management device 60, and a settlement machine 80 are connected to the communication line.

[0033] The gaming machine 20 is a device that allows players to play by shooting game balls onto the game board. The game board of the gaming machine 20 is provided with multiple prize areas (prize slots), and a predetermined number of game balls are awarded as prizes based on when a game ball passes through these prize areas. The game board is also provided with a predetermined number of starting areas (start slots), and a predetermined lottery is conducted based on when a game ball passes through these starting areas. If the lottery is a jackpot, predetermined movable parts are activated to improve the probability of the game ball passing through the aforementioned prize areas or other starting areas, thereby providing an advantage in the game. The result of the lottery based on the ball passing through the start slots is displayed on a special symbol display device that displays the lottery results. The display of the lottery results on this special symbol display device is performed in a manner that shows fluctuations for a predetermined time before confirming the result. Furthermore, the game board is equipped with a decorative symbol display device that variably displays predetermined numbers and other decorative symbols based on the results of the lottery. When the lottery result is a jackpot, it notifies the player by displaying matching symbols such as (7,7,7). It is also possible to provide an area that serves as both the starting area and the winning area.

[0034] The prize-winning area is equipped with a prize-winning sensor to detect when a game ball passes into that area. This sensor detects when a game ball is played into the prize-winning area (winning). The control unit of the game machine 20 also has a prize-winning memory that stores the number of game balls to be awarded as prizes for each prize-winning area.

[0035] Therefore, when the entry sensor detects that a launched game ball has passed into a specific winning area, the game machine 20 can determine the number of prize balls to be awarded based on the contents of the prize ball memory and the number of game balls that have passed through the winning area, and can then perform the payout process for the determined number of prize balls. In addition, regardless of whether the launched game ball has passed through the winning area or not, it is ultimately discharged from the back of the game board to the outside of the game machine. The game balls discharged to the outside of the game machine are detected by an out-ball detection device attached to each game machine.

[0036] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts deposits, dispenses game balls, and communicates with the card management device 40. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives banknotes inserted by a player, it sends deposit notification data including the amount of the banknotes to the card management device 40, and the card management device 40 adds a number corresponding to the amount to the prepaid value it manages. Then, when a predetermined ball dispensing operation is performed, it sends a ball dispensing request to the card management device 40, which subtracts the prepaid value it manages, and dispenses a number of game balls corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value.

[0037] Furthermore, if the inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts the insertion of a card, it sends card insertion notification data to the card management device 40. Also, if the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives data from the card management device 40 including the prepaid value, the number of balls held, and the number of stored balls, it stores the received prepaid value, the number of balls held, and the number of stored balls. Once the number of balls held has been stored, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 sends a ball deduction request data to the card management device 40, thereby clearing the number of balls managed by the card management device 40 to zero.

[0038] Furthermore, when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a request to replay held balls, it subtracts a predetermined number from the number of balls stored in its own device and performs a payout process for the number of game balls corresponding to the subtracted number. Also, when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a request to replay stored balls, it sends a request data for replaying stored balls to the card management device 40, causing the member management device 50 to subtract a predetermined number from the number of stored balls managed by the member management device 50, and performs a payout process for the number of game balls corresponding to the subtracted number of stored balls.

[0039] Furthermore, when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a card return operation, it sends a request data for adding balls, including the number of balls it manages, to the card management device 40. After the card management device 40 adds the number of balls, it sends a card ejection notification data to the card management device 40 and controls the ejection of the card.

[0040] The island controller 30 is a relay device that bundles together a group of gaming machines 20 and inter-machine card processing machines 10 installed on a gaming island.

[0041] The card management device 40 is a device that manages the prepaid value and number of tokens held by a card as card data. When the card management device 40 receives card insertion notification data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it associates the card ID of the inserted card with the device ID of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and transmits the prepaid value and number of tokens associated with the card ID to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. Furthermore, if the card ID shown in the card insertion notification data is the card ID of a member card, the card management device 40 transmits the card insertion notification data to the member management device 50 and transmits the token replay data received from the member management device 50 to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0042] Furthermore, when the card management device 40 receives a request to deduct balls from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it resets the number of balls held to zero. Also, when the card management device 40 receives a request to add balls from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it adds the number of balls included in the request to add balls to the number of balls managed by the card management device 40.

[0043] Furthermore, when the card management device 40 receives ball dispensing request data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it subtracts a predetermined value from the prepaid value associated with the card ID and transmits ball dispensing permission data to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. When it receives stored ball replay request data, it transmits the stored ball replay request data to the member management device 50, and when the member management device 50 outputs stored ball replay data, it transmits the stored ball replay data to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0044] Furthermore, if the card management device 40 receives a card ID from the prize management device 60, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of balls associated with this card ID. In addition, if it receives a card ID from the payment machine 80, it notifies the payment machine 80 of the prepaid value associated with this card ID.

[0045] The member management device 50 is a management device that manages member management data of members registered with the amusement parlor. Specifically, it manages the number of balls stored, points, PIN, and name, etc., in association with the member card ID issued to the member.

[0046] When the member management device 50 receives card insertion notification data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it transmits stored ball replay data, including the number of stored balls and PIN associated with the card ID shown in the card insertion notification data, to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. Furthermore, when the member management device 50 receives stored ball replay request data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it subtracts a predetermined number from the number of stored balls associated with the card ID shown in the stored ball replay request data, and transmits stored ball replay data, including the number of stored balls after the subtraction, to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. Communication between the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and the member management device 50 is conducted via the card management device 40.

[0047] Furthermore, if the member management device 50 receives an inquiry from the prize management device 60 regarding the number of stored balls, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of stored balls corresponding to the specified card ID.

[0048] The prize management device 60 is a terminal device for prize exchange located next to the prize exchange counter in the amusement store, and it performs prize exchange processing to exchange acquired balls, stored balls, and held balls for prizes. The prize management device 60 is connected to a card reader that reads card IDs from cards and a prize dispensing device that dispenses prizes. When the prize management device 60 reads a card ID from a general card or a membership card (or reads identification data corresponding to a card ID from a mobile terminal, etc.), it transmits the card ID to the card management device 40 and requests the number of balls held for that card ID. Also, when exchanging stored balls for prizes, it requests the number of stored balls from the membership management device 50.

[0049] When a card associated with prepaid value is inserted into the payment machine 80, it transmits the card ID of the card to the card management device 40, receives the response data, obtains the prepaid value associated with the card, and dispenses money according to the obtained prepaid value.

[0050] Next, the ball dispensing process of the gaming system shown in Figure 2 will be explained. When a player performs a ball dispensing operation on the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 transmits ball dispensing request data to the card management device 40. This ball dispensing request data includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and an address or arbitrary identification data that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 as the sender.

[0051] When the card management device 40 receives a ball dispensing request data, it subtracts a predetermined value from the prepaid value associated with the card ID of the ball dispensing request data. The card management device 40 then transmits the ball dispensing permission data to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that sent the data. Upon receiving the ball dispensing permission data, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 performs a payout process for the number of game balls corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value.

[0052] Next, we will explain the process for replaying held tokens in the gaming system shown in Figure 2. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives an insertion of a general card or a membership card, it sends card insertion notification data to the card management device 40. This card insertion notification data includes the card ID of the card inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or arbitrary identification data that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 as the sender, and data to identify the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0053] When the card management device 40 receives card insertion notification data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it notifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 of the number of balls held for each rate associated with the card ID in the card insertion notification data.

[0054] The inter-machine card processing unit 10 stores the number of balls held by the player, as received from the card management device 40. It then transmits the card ID, data identifying the rate, and ball deduction request data indicating that the number of balls should be reset to zero to the card management device 40. When the card management device 40 receives the ball deduction request data, it resets the number of balls held for each rate identified by the card ID to zero. Furthermore, when the inter-machine card processing unit 10 accepts a ball replay operation and performs a ball replay, it subtracts a predetermined number from the stored number of balls and performs the payout process for the corresponding number of game balls. When performing the payout process, for multiples of the unit that the game machine can pay out (e.g., 25 balls), the payout process is performed by sending a payout instruction to the game machine, and for the remainder (e.g., less than 25 balls), the payout process is performed by dispensing from the nozzle unit 18a of the machine itself.

[0055] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a card return operation, it sends a request data to the card management device 40 to add balls to the player's hand. This request data includes the card ID of the card to be returned, an address or arbitrary identification data that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that is the source of the transmission, and the number of balls held for each rate.

[0056] When the card management device 40 receives a request data for adding balls, it adds the number of balls included in the request data to the number of balls held for each rate associated with the card ID. Subsequently, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 sends card ejection notification data to the card management device 40 and controls the ejection of the card.

[0057] Next, the process for replaying stored tokens in the gaming system shown in Figure 2 will be explained. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 reads a card ID from a member card or a mobile terminal that can be used as a member card, it sends card insertion notification data to the card management device 40. This card insertion notification data includes the card ID of the card inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or arbitrary identification data that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 as the sender, and data to identify the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0058] The card management device 40 transmits card insertion notification data received from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 to the member management device 50. Upon receiving the card insertion notification data, the member management device 50 transmits to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 the PIN associated with the card ID in the card insertion notification data, the number of stored balls at the rate specified by the card insertion notification data, and stored ball replay data including the number of available stored balls for replay. The number of available stored balls for replay indicates the number of balls that can be used for stored ball replay. This number of available stored balls for replay is a multiple of the number of game balls dispensed in stored ball replay. If an upper limit is set for stored ball replay, the maximum value within the range of the number of stored balls and the upper limit will be the number of available stored balls for replay. Alternatively, the number of times stored ball replay is possible may be used as the number of stored ball replay frequencies instead of the number of available stored balls for replay. The number of stored ball replay frequencies is the quotient obtained by dividing the number of stored balls by the number of game balls dispensed in stored ball replay. However, if there is a limit on the number of times you can replay using stored tokens, this limit will restrict the number of times you can replay using stored tokens.

[0059] The inter-machine card processing unit 10 stores the received stored ball replay data, and if the number of available stored ball replays indicated in the stored ball replay data is 1 or more, it accepts a stored ball replay operation.

[0060] After storing the stored ball replay data, the inter-machine card processing machine 10, upon receiving the first stored ball replay operation, prompts the player to enter a PIN and determines whether the entered PIN matches the PIN shown in the stored ball replay data.

[0061] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 transmits a request data for replaying stored tokens to the card management device 40 when the PIN matches. This request data for replaying stored tokens includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or arbitrary identification data that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 as the sender, and data to identify the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0062] The card management device 40 transmits a request data for replaying stored tokens to the member management device 50. Upon receiving the request data for replaying stored tokens, the member management device 50 subtracts a predetermined amount from the balance of stored tokens associated with the card ID in the request data, specifically those at the rate specified by the message, and recalculates the number of available tokens for replay. It then transmits the replay data, including the subtracted balance and the number of available tokens for replay, to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0063] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 updates the number of stored balls and processes the payout of the number of game balls corresponding to the payout unit for stored ball replay. It also determines whether the number of available stored ball replays after the update is 1 or more. If the number of available stored ball replays is 0, the stored ball replay operation is not accepted. If the number of available stored ball replays after the update is 1 or more, the stored ball replay operation is accepted again. For the second and subsequent stored ball replays, verification of the PIN is not required. However, verification of the PIN may be required each time. In addition, although this example shows the case where the member management device 50 subtracts the balance of stored balls before the inter-machine card processing machine 10 processes the payout of game balls, the balance of stored balls may also be subtracted after processing the payout of game balls based on the stored ball replay request. This is because the number of available stored ball replays is indicated in the stored ball replay data before the stored ball replay request, so a situation where insufficient balance is discovered after the stored ball replay request is accepted will not occur.

[0064] Next, we will explain the transition from held balls to stored balls during the closing process. The card management device 40 checks the number of held balls in the card management data during the closing process, and if there is a record associated with a number of held balls greater than zero, it notifies the member management device 50 of the number of held balls in that record along with the card ID and rate. The member management device 50 adds the number of held balls notified by the card management device 40 to the number of stored balls identified by the card ID and rate. After that, the card management device 40 resets the number of held balls to zero.

[0065] Next, the appearance of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 3 shows the appearance of the inter-machine card processing machine 10. Note that in Figure 3, the appearance of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 connected to the gaming machine 20 is shown as the inter-machine card processing machine 10. The gaming machine 20, which is installed next to it, is shown with a dashed line. In addition, although Figure 3 shows the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that accepts only banknotes, it is also possible to provide a unit that has the function of accepting electronic money and coins associated with mobile terminals or cards.

[0066] As shown in Figure 3, the inter-unit card processing machine 10 includes a status display unit 11, a banknote insertion slot 12a, a display operation unit 13, a card insertion slot 14a, a scanning unit 14b, a nozzle unit 18a, and a counting unit 18b.

[0067] The status display unit 11 is composed of, for example, a multi-color LED and displays the status of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 by lighting or flashing a predetermined color. The banknote slot 12a is an insertion slot for various banknotes necessary for dispensing game balls. The display operation unit 13 is composed of, for example, a full-color touch panel type liquid crystal display and is a device that displays operation buttons and accepts input operations from operation buttons. Although the display operation unit 13 is not shown in detail in Figure 3, it has a flat plate shape in which the long side on the corresponding game machine 20 side is pivotally supported and attached to the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and the angle between the front panel of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and the display surface of the display operation unit 13 can be changed.

[0068] The card slot 14a is for inserting cards held by players. The tapping area 14b is the area where a mobile terminal used for member registration is held. When a mobile terminal is held over the tapping area 14b, data such as the mobile terminal's unique ID (e.g., IDm) is read from the mobile terminal. The nozzle unit 18a is a mechanism for dispensing game balls into the game machine 20. The nozzle unit 18a consists of a cylindrical nozzle that is rotatably mounted horizontally on the front of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and the tip of the nozzle can be positioned in the storage area of ​​the game machine. The nozzle is supplied with game media from a ball supply device inside the inter-machine card processing machine, which receives game media from a supply mechanism within the island where the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is installed. The counting unit 18b is a mechanism for counting game balls dropped from the lower tray of the game machine 20. The counting unit 18b consists of a tray for receiving game balls, a counting unit located at the bottom of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that counts the game balls using a counting sensor, and a counting passage that passes the game balls from the tray to the counting unit. The tray and the counting passage can be removed as a single unit from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 based on a predetermined operation (for example, operation by an employee using a remote control). Furthermore, the counting unit has a unit structure, and by removing the counting unit, tray, and counting passage, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 can be operated without its counting function.

[0069] Next, the configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 4, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 includes a banknote transport unit 12, a display operation unit 13, a reader / writer 14, a scanning unit 14b, a communication unit 15, a storage unit 16, a control unit 17, a nozzle unit 18a, and a counting unit 18b.

[0070] The banknote transport unit 12 is a transport unit that transports banknotes inserted through the banknote insertion slot 12a to a banknote storage unit (not shown) while determining the denomination and authenticity of the banknotes. The display and operation unit 13 is an input / output device such as a touch panel liquid crystal display that has the function of identifying and displaying various information such as the prepaid value usable for ball dispensing, the number of balls held, and the number of stored balls from the received card, as well as the function of displaying other information unrelated to the card, and the function of receiving various operations such as ball dispensing operations. In addition to the above-mentioned displays, the display and operation unit 13 also has the function of displaying the surplus or deficit of the number of cards stored and the communication status with the host device (online, offline, etc.).

[0071] The reader / writer 14 is a device that reads the card ID from a card inserted into the card slot 14a. The card inserted into the card slot 14a is stored in a card storage compartment (not shown) via the reader / writer 14. The tapping unit 14b is an interface unit that reads various information, such as the unique ID (e.g., IDm) of a mobile terminal, via short-range wireless communication when a mobile terminal is held over it. The reader / writer 14 also has the function of issuing a new card by associating value data, such as the number of balls held and the prepaid value shown in the card data 16b, with the card stored in the card storage compartment in response to the player's return operation. However, if the prepaid value shown in the card data 16b is 0 and the number of balls held is less than a certain number (minimum number to hold), the system controls the system not to return the card even if a return operation is made. This is a control mechanism designed to prevent losses to the arcade due to the discarding of cards associated with a small amount of tokens held, and it applies not only to cards pre-stored internally but also to cards received from external sources (excluding membership cards). As a certain number, for example, the value of the card or the lowest-priced prize in the arcade can be set to the value obtained by multiplying the number of tokens held by the rental price per token, but it is not limited to this and can be freely set according to the arcade's policy. In addition, when controlling the system to prevent the card from being returned even if a return operation is performed, the stored tokens can be dispensed, or a message indicating that the card cannot be returned and / or a message prompting the player to replay with their tokens may be displayed.

[0072] The communication unit 15 is an interface unit for data communication between the gaming machine 20 and the island controller 30. The nozzle unit 18a is used for dispensing some or all of the game balls when dispensing balls through ball lending or replay. The counting unit 18b is a unit for counting the game balls.

[0073] The storage unit 16 is a storage device consisting of a hard disk drive, non-volatile memory, etc. The storage unit 16 stores its own device status data 16a and card data 16b.

[0074] The self-device status data 16a is data indicating the status of the inter-machine card processing machine 10. This self-device status data 16a includes the device ID of the inter-machine card processing machine and the game type setting. The device ID of the inter-machine card processing machine is identification data for uniquely identifying the inter-machine card processing machine 10 within the gaming establishment. The game type setting is data indicating the game type, etc., set in the inter-machine card processing machine 10. When handling game balls of multiple rates within the gaming establishment, a game type name is set and managed for each rate, such as "Ball 1" for 4-yen rate game balls, "Ball 2" for 2-yen rate game balls, and "Ball 3" for 1-yen rate game balls. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 selects the rate to be used for gameplay from these game types and stores it as the game type setting.

[0075] Card data 16b is data relating to the card being used by the player. Card data 16b includes card ID, prepaid value, number of tokens held, stored tokens, and the number of available tokens for replay. Data exists for each type of game (rate) for the number of tokens held and stored. The card ID is the card ID read by the reader / writer 14. When a card is transported from a card storage unit (not shown) to the card slot 14a and then ejected, card data 16b is updated with the card ID read by the reader / writer 14 during this transport. Similarly, when a card is transported from the card slot 14a to a card storage unit (not shown), card data 16b is updated with the card ID read by the reader / writer 14 during this transport.

[0076] The control unit 17 is a control unit that controls the entire inter-unit card processing machine 10, and includes a data management unit 17a, a counting processing unit 17b, a cashless payment processing unit 17c, and a cashless settlement processing unit 17d.

[0077] When a card is inserted, the data management unit 17a transmits card insertion notification data to the card management device 40, which includes the device ID from the device status data 16a and the card ID from the card data 16b. Furthermore, when the data management unit 17a receives data from the card management device 40 that includes value data (at least one of prepaid value, number of balls held, and number of stored balls), it updates the card data 16b with the received value data. The data management unit 17a then appropriately displays the prepaid value, number of balls held, and number of stored balls shown in the card data 16b on the display operation unit 13.

[0078] Furthermore, when a banknote is inserted into the banknote slot 12a, the data management unit 17a transmits deposit notification data, including the amount of the inserted banknote, the card ID, and the inter-machine card processing machine ID, to the card management device 40.

[0079] Furthermore, when a player performs a ball dispensing operation, the data management unit 17a transmits ball dispensing request data, including the card ID and device ID, to the card management device 40. Upon receiving ball dispensing permission data in response to this ball dispensing request data, the data management unit 17a performs the dispensing process for a predetermined number of game balls.

[0080] Furthermore, when a player performs a replay operation using their remaining balls, the data management unit 17a subtracts a predetermined number from the number of balls indicated in the card data 16b and performs a payout process for the corresponding number of game balls.

[0081] Furthermore, if the number of available stored balls for replay indicated in the card data 16b is 1 or more, the data management unit 17a displays a stored ball replay button on the display operation unit 13, making it possible to accept a stored ball replay operation. When a player performs a stored ball replay operation, the data management unit 17a transmits stored ball replay request data, including the card ID and the inter-machine card processing machine ID, to the member management device 50. Upon receiving stored ball replay data in response to this stored ball replay request data, the unit updates the number of stored balls in the card data 16b and performs the payout process for the number of game balls corresponding to the payout unit for stored ball replay. Note that for the first stored ball replay operation, the player is prompted to enter a PIN, and the stored ball replay request data is transmitted only if it matches the PIN indicated in the card data 16b.

[0082] Furthermore, when a player returns the card, the data management unit 17a sends the card ID, device ID, and ball count addition request data including the number of balls held to the card management device 40, clears the number of balls in the card data 16b to zero, then sends card ejection notification data to the card management device 40 and ejects the card.

[0083] Furthermore, if a player performs a ball transfer operation with a membership card inserted, the data management unit 17a subtracts the number of balls indicated in the card data 16b and transmits ball addition request data to the membership management device 50 via the card management device 40, thereby transferring the balls to the stored balls. It is also possible to transfer balls to the stored balls using a mobile terminal instead of a membership card. Specifically, if the number of balls is above a predetermined number and a predetermined operation is performed, and the mobile terminal is held over the tapping unit 14b, the data management unit 17a subtracts the number of balls indicated in the card data 16b and transmits ball addition request data including the IDm read by the tapping unit 14b, thereby transferring the balls to the stored balls.

[0084] Furthermore, the data management unit 17a can perform processing related to the wagon service. The wagon service is a service in which amusement store staff circulate around the amusement store with products such as drinks and cigarettes in a wagon and sell them to customers who are playing games. In addition to cash payments, payment for this wagon service can also be made using tokens or stored tokens. When paying for the wagon service with tokens or stored tokens, the amusement store staff instructs the inter-machine card processing machine 10 via a staff terminal (e.g., a remote control terminal) to put the inter-machine card processing machine 10 into a state where payment for the wagon service can be made. Then, information that can identify the number of tokens or stored tokens to be deducted as payment is entered into the inter-machine card processing machine 10. This input process is performed by entering a numerical value on the display operation unit 13 of the inter-machine card processing machine or on the operation unit of the staff terminal. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives the input, it waits for the acceptance of an employee recording medium (e.g., a wagon card) to be used for the wagon service. When a wagon card is received, the data management unit 17a subtracts the number of balls held or stored equal to the entered quantity from the number indicated by the card data 16b and discharges it associated with the employee recording medium. Furthermore, if the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives an employee recording medium without receiving input of information that can identify the number of balls held or stored to be deducted as consideration, it returns the employee recording medium without settling the wagon service. Also, if, during the settlement of the wagon service, information that can identify the number of balls held or stored to be deducted as consideration is received, and an operation to replay the balls or return the recording medium is received, the system prevents the two processes from conflicting by either rejecting or restricting the replay or return operation, or by canceling the settlement of the wagon service.

[0085] When a game ball is inserted into the counting unit 18b, the counting processing unit 17b causes the counting unit 18b to count the game ball and adds the counting result to the number of balls held in the card data 16b.

[0086] The cashless payment processing unit 17c performs the processing necessary for cashless payment. Specifically, when the cashless payment processing unit 17c receives an operation requesting a deposit via cashless payment, it generates payment data including a payment ID that uniquely identifies the payment and the payment amount, encodes the payment data, store data, and machine data into a two-dimensional code, and displays it on the display operation unit 13. Here, the store data is data that identifies the amusement store, and the machine data is data that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10. For the machine data, for example, the device ID from the self-device status data 16a may be used. The terminal device 110 carried by the amusement player will capture the two-dimensional code displayed on the display operation unit 13 with a camera, decode and read the two-dimensional code, and then read the payment data to make the payment.

[0087] The cashless settlement processing unit 17d performs the necessary processing for cashless settlement. Specifically, when the cashless settlement processing unit 17d receives an operation requesting cashless settlement, it accepts the selection of a settlement method from the cashless payment system and calculates the settlement fee based on the selected settlement method and the remaining balance of the prepaid value. It then generates settlement data showing various information related to the settlement, encodes the settlement data into a two-dimensional code, and displays it on the display operation unit 13. The terminal device 110 carried by the player takes a picture of the two-dimensional code displayed on the display operation unit 13 with its camera, decodes the two-dimensional code, and reads it to perform the cashless settlement. The result of the cashless settlement is notified to the card management device 40, and the prepaid value is deducted.

[0088] Next, an example of data stored in the storage unit 16 of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 will be described. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of data stored in the storage unit 16 of the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0089] The self-device status data 16a shown in Figure 5(a) indicates that the ID of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is "3001" and that "Ball 1" is set as the game type for the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0090] The card data 16b shown in Figure 5(b) indicates that the ID of the card inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is "1001". Here, the first digit of the card ID indicates the type of card; a card with the first digit "1" is a general card, and a card with the first digit "2" is a membership card. The card data 16b also indicates that the prepaid value is "2000 units". Here, one unit of prepaid value is equivalent to 1 yen. The card data 16b also indicates that ball 1 has "375 balls", ball 2 has "500 balls", and ball 3 has "2000 balls".

[0091] Furthermore, card data 16b can store data related to stored tokens, such as the PIN, the number of tokens that can be replayed, and the number of tokens stored for each type of game. However, since Figure 5(b) shows the state when a general card has been accepted, these data are displayed as "-" indicating that they are not applicable. Here, the configuration shows the number of tokens that can be replayed as the number of possible replays, but the number of times that can be replayed may also be stored as the replay frequency. In addition, although not shown in the diagram, the card management device 40 also stores the ON / OFF status of a "lock" flag indicating the validity / invalidity of the card, in addition to the number of tokens held, stored, and prepaid value, associated with the card ID. This "lock" flag is turned ON by an employee when card theft is detected. This data is also included and stored in card data 16b. Furthermore, this "lock" flag can be set separately for each function ("use stored tokens," "transfer," etc.), and for example, at the request of a player, only the "transfer" function can be "locked" to prevent accidental operation. In this specification, "cross-referencing" means converting the number of gaming media at one rate to the number of gaming media at another rate based on the ratio of the unit prices of the gaming media. For example, in an inter-machine card processing machine 10 associated with a 4 yen rate, it is possible to use the number of balls X at a 1 yen rate to dispense X × (1 yen / 4 yen) = X / 4 balls. This "cross-referencing" function can be enabled or disabled by the member management device 50 according to the store's operating policy.

[0092] Next, the configuration of the card management device 40 shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the card management device 40 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 6, the card management device 40 has a display unit 41, an input unit 42, an external network communication unit 43, a store network communication unit 44, a storage unit 45, and a control unit 46.

[0093] The display unit 41 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The input unit 42 is an input device such as a keyboard or mouse. The external network communication unit 43 is an interface unit for data communication via a network outside the amusement store. The store network communication unit 44 is an interface unit for data communication with the island controller 30, member management device 50, prize management device 60, and settlement machine 80 via a communication line within the amusement store.

[0094] The storage unit 45 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive or non-volatile memory, and stores game type setting data 45a, card management data 45b, device management data 45c, and settlement fee setting data 45d.

[0095] Game type setting data 45a is data that associates the lending rate and display name with the game type. Card management data 45b is data that associates the prepaid value, the number of balls held for each game type, and the destination device ID, which indicates the device ID of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 into which the card is inserted, with the card ID. Device management data 45c is data concerning devices installed in the amusement parlor. This device management data 45c includes the device ID of the inter-machine card processing machine, the address of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the installation location, and the game machine IDs and model data of the adjacent amusement machines.

[0096] The settlement fee setting data 45d is data that manages the settings related to the fees when settling prepaid value. Specifically, the settlement fee setting data 45d shows the fees set for combinations of prepaid value purchase methods and settlement methods.

[0097] The control unit 46 is a control unit that controls the entire card management device 40 and includes a game type setting management unit 46a, a card management unit 46b, a device management unit 46c, a value assignment unit 46d, and a setting unit 46e. In practice, programs corresponding to these functional units are stored in ROM or non-volatile memory (not shown), and these programs are loaded into the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executed to cause the processes corresponding to the game type setting management unit 46a, the card management unit 46b, the device management unit 46c, the value assignment unit 46d, and the setting unit 46e to be executed, respectively.

[0098] The game type setting management unit 46a is a processing unit that manages the game types used in a gaming parlor, the rates, and the display names in association with each other as game type setting data 45a.

[0099] The card management unit 46b is a processing unit that manages the card management data 45b. Specifically, when the card management unit 46b receives card insertion notification data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it sets the device ID of the card ID used by the card ID shown in the card insertion notification data to the device ID also shown in the card insertion notification data. It also notifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 of the prepaid value associated with the card ID shown in the card insertion notification data and the number of balls held for each rate as value data. Furthermore, if the inserted card is a membership card, it sends card insertion notification data to the membership management device. When the card management unit 46b receives a ball deduction request data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it clears the number of balls held for the rate shown in the ball deduction request data to zero.

[0100] Furthermore, when the card management unit 46b receives ball lending request data including a card ID from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it determines whether the prepaid value associated with the card ID is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the prepaid value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the card management unit 46b subtracts the predetermined value from the prepaid value stored in the card management data 45b and sends ball lending permission data including the updated prepaid value to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. On the other hand, if the prepaid value is less than the predetermined value, the card management unit 46b notifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that ball lending is not possible.

[0101] Furthermore, when the card management unit 46b receives deposit notification data including the amount of money inserted from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the card ID, and the device ID, it adds the amount of prepaid value indicated in the deposit notification to the prepaid value associated with the card ID.

[0102] Furthermore, when the card management unit 46b receives a request data for replaying stored tokens from the inter-machine card processing unit 10, it forwards the data to the member management device 50. It also forwards the response data from the member management device 50 to the request data for replaying stored tokens to the inter-machine card processing unit 10.

[0103] Furthermore, if the card management unit 46b receives a request data for adding balls, it adds the number of balls included in the request data to the number of balls held for the corresponding rate. Also, if the card management unit 46b receives a card ejection notification data, it erases the device ID used by the card ID.

[0104] Furthermore, if the card management unit 46b receives a card ID from the prize management device 60, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of balls held for each rate associated with this card ID. Also, if the card management unit 46b receives a card ID from the payment machine 80, it notifies the payment machine 80 of the prepaid value associated with this card ID.

[0105] The device management unit 46c is a processing unit that manages the device management data 45c. Based on the device ID, the address of the inter-machine card processing unit 10, the installation location, and the gaming machine ID obtained from the inter-machine card processing unit 10, the device management unit 46c generates and updates the device management data 45c.

[0106] The value-granting unit 46d is a processing unit that purchases and settles prepaid value based on cashless payments. When the value-granting unit 46d receives a payment completion notification from an external device that manages cashless payments, it identifies the recipient card from the various information shown in the payment completion notification and grants prepaid value. Furthermore, when the value-granting unit 46d receives a settlement completion notification from an external device that manages cashless payments, it identifies the card to be settled from the various information shown in the settlement completion notification and settles the prepaid value.

[0107] The setting unit 46e is a processing unit that sets the fees for settling prepaid value and registers them in the settlement fee setting data 45d. The setting unit 46e can set whether settlement is possible for combinations of purchase methods that can be used to purchase prepaid value and settlement methods that can be used to settle prepaid value, and can set the settlement fee for settlement combinations that can be settled and register it in the settlement fee setting data 45d. In addition, when the setting unit 46e receives an inquiry from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 or the settlement machine 80, it responds with the fee set for the specified combination of purchase method and settlement method.

[0108] Next, an example of data stored in the storage unit 45 of the card management device 40 shown in Figure 6 will be explained. Figures 7 and 8 are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of data stored in the storage unit 45 of the card management device 40.

[0109] The game type setting data 45a shown in Figure 7(a) associates the game type name "Tama 1" with a rate of "4 yen" and a display name "4 Pachi". Furthermore, the game type setting data 45a associates the game type name "Tama 2" with a rate of "2 yen" and a display name "2 Pachi". Additionally, the game type setting data 45a associates the game type name "Tama 3" with a rate of "1 yen" and a display name "1 Pachi".

[0110] In the card management data 45b shown in Figure 7(b), card ID "1001" is associated with a prepaid value of "2500", the number of balls held by ball 1 "1500", the number of balls held by ball 2 "2300", and the number of balls held by ball 3 "0". In other words, the card with card ID "1001" is not inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and the management of the balls held is performed by the card management device 40.

[0111] Furthermore, in the card management data 45b shown in Figure 7(b), card ID "1002" is associated with a prepaid value of "0", the number of balls held for each rate of "0", and the usage device ID "3004". In other words, the card with card ID "1002" is inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10 with device ID "3004", and the management of the number of balls held has been transferred to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. For this reason, the number of balls held for each rate is zero.

[0112] Furthermore, in the card management data 45b shown in Figure 7(b), card ID "2002" is associated with a prepaid value of "2000", the number of balls held for each rate is "0", and the usage device ID is "3001". In other words, the card with card ID "2002" is inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10 with device ID "3001", and the management of the number of balls held has been transferred to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. For this reason, the number of balls held for each rate is zero.

[0113] Furthermore, the card management data 45b shown in Figure 7(b) associates the prepaid value with the purchase method, showing the balance for each purchase method. Specifically, the prepaid value of card ID "1001" is "2500," which is the sum of the cash purchase of "1000" and the cashless P1 purchase of "1500." Similarly, the prepaid value of card ID "2002" is "2000," which is the sum of the cashless P1 purchase of "1000" and the cashless P2 purchase of "1000."

[0114] The device management data 45c shown in Figure 7(c) indicates that the inter-machine card processing machine 10 with ID "3001" has the network address "AB.CD.EF.GH", is located at "Island 1-1", has ID "P001", is a game type "Ball 3", and is a model of the connected gaming machine 20 "EV01". It also indicates that this gaming machine 20 is in use.

[0115] The settlement fee setting data 45d shown in Figure 8 indicates cash, cashless P1, and cashless P2 as purchase and settlement methods. Specifically, the settlement fee is "none" when settling prepaid value purchased with cash using cash, the settlement fee is "1%" when settling prepaid value purchased with cash using cashless P1, and the settlement fee is "2%" when settling prepaid value purchased with cash using cashless P2.

[0116] Furthermore, the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P1 in cash is "2%", the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P1 with Cashless P1 is "none", and the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P1 with Cashless Payment P2 is "3%".

[0117] Furthermore, the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P2 in cash is 2%, the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P2 with Cashless P1 is 4%, and the settlement fee for paying for prepaid value purchased with Cashless P1 with Cashless Payment P2 is 1%.

[0118] Next, the configuration of the payment machine 80 shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 9 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the payment machine 80 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 9, the payment machine 80 has a display unit 81, an operation unit 82, a card reader 83, a coin storage unit 84, a communication unit 85, and a control unit 86.

[0119] The display unit 81 is a display output device such as a liquid crystal display. The operation unit 82 is an input device such as an operation button. Alternatively, a touch panel display or the like that can serve as both the display unit 81 and the operation unit 82 may be used.

[0120] The card reader 83 accepts general cards and membership cards and reads the card ID. The currency storage unit 84 stores currency by denomination and dispenses currency upon instruction from the control unit 86. The communication unit 85 is an interface unit for data communication with the card management device 40.

[0121] The control unit 86 controls the entire payment machine 80 and includes a payment content determination unit 86a, a cash payment processing unit 86b, and a cashless payment processing unit 86c. The payment content determination unit 86a transmits the card ID read by the card reader 83 to the card management device 40 and obtains the prepaid balance and purchase method from the card management device 40. Furthermore, the payment content determination unit 86a accepts the selection of a payment method and transmits the combination of purchase method and payment method to the card management device 40 to obtain the payment fee setting. Then, it determines the payment amount, payment fee, etc., as the payment content based on the prepaid balance and the payment fee setting.

[0122] When the selected settlement method is cash settlement, the cash settlement processing unit 86b causes the money storage unit 84 to dispense money according to the settlement details determined by the settlement details determination unit 86a.

[0123] The cashless settlement processing unit 86c generates settlement data indicating the settlement details determined by the settlement details determination unit 86a when the selected settlement method is cashless settlement, encodes the settlement data into a two-dimensional code, and displays it on the display unit 81. The terminal device 110 carried by the player takes a picture of the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 81 with its camera, decodes the two-dimensional code, and reads it to perform cashless settlement. The result of the cashless settlement is notified to the card management device 40, and the prepaid value is deducted.

[0124] Next, the processing procedure of the payment machine 80 will be explained. Figure 10 is a flowchart of the processing procedure of the payment machine 80. First, the card reader 83 of the payment machine 80 receives the card and reads the card ID (step S101).

[0125] The settlement details determination unit 86a transmits the card ID read by the card reader 83 to the card management device 40 and obtains card data from the card management device 40, including the prepaid balance and purchase method (step S102). Furthermore, the settlement details determination unit 86a accepts the selection of the settlement method (step S103) and transmits the combination of purchase method and settlement method to the card management device 40 to obtain the settlement fee setting (step S104). Then, it calculates the settlement amount and settlement fee from the prepaid balance and the settlement fee setting (step S105).

[0126] If the settlement method is cash settlement (step S106; Yes), the cash settlement processing unit 86b executes the cash settlement by causing the money storage unit 84 to dispense money according to the settlement details (step S107), and then terminates the process.

[0127] If the payment method is not cash payment (step S106; No), the cashless payment processing unit 86c displays the payment details as a two-dimensional code, has the terminal device 110 read it, and adds the balance for cashless payment (step S108) to execute the cashless payment and terminate the process.

[0128] Next, we will explain the purchase of prepaid value using cashless payment. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the purchase of prepaid value using cashless payment. When purchasing prepaid value using cashless payment at the inter-machine card processing machine 10, there are three cases: one in which the inter-machine card processing machine 10 selects the amount and makes the payment; one in which the inter-machine card processing machine 10 selects the amount and makes the payment at the player's terminal device 110; and one in which the player's terminal device 110 selects the amount and makes the payment.

[0129] In cases where both the amount selection and payment are performed on the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the following actions will be taken. (1) Select the deposit amount on the inter-machine card processing machine 10. (2) Start the code reader of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 (3) The player displays a two-dimensional code on the terminal device 110 and holds it over the inter-machine card processing machine. (4) Payment is made at the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and the deposit is made.

[0130] Furthermore, in cases where the amount is selected at the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and payment is made at the customer's terminal device 110, the following actions will be performed. (1) Select the deposit amount on the inter-machine card processing machine 10. (2) Display of two-dimensional code by inter-machine card processing machine 10 (3) The customer's terminal device 110 reads the two-dimensional code. (4) Deposit operation accepted by the customer's terminal device 110 (5) Payment is made at the customer's terminal device 110 and deposited into the inter-machine card processing machine.

[0131] Furthermore, in cases where both the amount selection and payment are performed on the terminal device 110, the following actions will be taken. (1) The inter-machine card processing machine 10 displays a two-dimensional code, which is read by the customer's terminal device 110. (2) The customer selects the deposit amount using the terminal device 110. (3) The deposit operation is accepted at the customer's terminal device 110. (4) Payment is made at the customer's terminal device 110 and deposited into the inter-machine card processing machine.

[0132] The purchase of prepaid value using cashless payment can also be done at ticket vending machines installed inside the amusement arcade. When purchasing prepaid value using cashless payment at a ticket vending machine, there are three cases: one in which the customer selects the amount and makes the payment at the vending machine; one in which the customer selects the amount and makes the payment at the customer's terminal device 110; and one in which the customer selects the amount and makes the payment at the customer's terminal device 110.

[0133] In cases where you select the amount and make the payment at a ticket vending machine, the following actions will be taken. (1) Select the deposit amount at the ticket machine. (2) Activate the code reader on the ticket vending machine. (3) The customer displays a two-dimensional code on their terminal device 110 and holds it over the ticket vending machine. (4) Payment at the ticket machine (5) Issue a prepaid card at a ticket vending machine

[0134] Furthermore, in cases where the amount is selected at the ticket vending machine and payment is made at the customer's terminal device 110, the following actions will be performed. (1) Select the deposit amount at the ticket machine. (2) Display a QR code at the ticket vending machine (3) The customer's terminal device 110 reads the two-dimensional code. (4) Deposit operation accepted by the customer's terminal device 110 (5) Payment made by the customer's terminal device 110 (6) Issue a prepaid card at a ticket vending machine

[0135] Furthermore, in cases where both the amount selection and payment are performed on the terminal device 110, the following actions will be taken. (1) The ticket vending machine displays a two-dimensional code, which is read by the customer's terminal device 110. (2) The customer selects the deposit amount using the terminal device 110. (3) The deposit operation is accepted at the customer's terminal device 110. (4) Payment is made using the customer's terminal device 110. (5) Issue a prepaid card at a ticket vending machine

[0136] Next, we will explain the settlement of prepaid value using cashless payment. Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the settlement of prepaid value using cashless payment. When the settlement of prepaid value using cashless payment is performed at the inter-machine card processing machine 10, there are three cases: the settlement itself is performed at the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the settlement itself is performed at the player's terminal device 110, and the settlement is performed via the settlement machine 80.

[0137] In cases where the settlement itself is performed by the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the following actions will be taken. (1) The inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts the payment operation. (2) The inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts the selection of the payment method. (3) Start the code reader of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 (4) The player displays a two-dimensional code on the terminal device 110 and holds it over the inter-machine card processing machine 10. (5) The payment is settled at the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and added to the balance for cashless payment.

[0138] In cases where the settlement itself is performed at the customer's terminal device 110, the following actions will be taken. (1) The inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts the payment operation. (2) The inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts the selection of the payment method. (3) Display of two-dimensional code on inter-machine card processing machine 10 (4) The player's terminal device 110 reads the two-dimensional code. (5) Settlement operation accepted by the customer's terminal device 110 (6) The payment is settled at the customer's terminal device 110 and added to the balance for cashless payment.

[0139] In cases where the transaction goes through the payment machine 80, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 will first perform the following operation. (1) The inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts the card return operation. (2) The inter-machine card processing machine 10 ejects the card. Subsequently, when using the dispensed card to make a payment at the payment machine 80, there are two cases: one in which the payment is made at the payment machine 80, and another in which the payment is made at the customer's terminal device 110.

[0140] In cases where the settlement itself is performed using the settlement machine 80, the following actions will be taken. (1) The payment machine 80 accepts the card. (2) The payment machine 80 accepts the selection of the payment method. (3) Activate the code reader of the payment machine 80 (4) The customer displays a two-dimensional code on the terminal device 110 and holds it over the payment machine 80. (5) The payment is settled at the customer's terminal device 110 and added to the balance for cashless payment.

[0141] In cases where the settlement of a card received by the settlement machine 80 is performed at the customer's terminal device 110, the following actions will be taken. (1) The payment machine 80 accepts the card. (2) The payment machine 80 accepts the selection of the payment method. (3) Display a two-dimensional code on the payment machine 80 (4) The player's terminal device 110 reads the two-dimensional code. (5) Settlement operation accepted by the customer's terminal device 110 (6) The payment is settled at the customer's terminal device 110 and added to the balance for cashless payment.

[0142] Next, we will explain a specific example of purchasing prepaid value. Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of purchasing prepaid value. First, as shown in Figure 13(a), the player operates the display operation unit 13 of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and enters the deposit amount. In Figure 13(a), the player has entered "10,000 yen".

[0143] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 13(b), a two-dimensional code is displayed on the player's terminal device 110 and held over the inter-machine card processing machine 10. This two-dimensional code contains information that identifies the cashless payment account to be used.

[0144] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 executes a cashless payment using the cashless payment account identified by the two-dimensional code and the entered deposit amount, adding 10,000 yen to the prepaid value. Then, as shown in Figure 13(c), it displays a deposit completion message on the display operation unit 13. The deposit completion is also notified to the player's terminal device 110.

[0145] After completing the deposit, players can use the prepaid value to dispense tokens. Furthermore, even if there is still prepaid value remaining, as shown in Figure 13(d), additional deposits can be made using cash or cashless payment to increase the prepaid value.

[0146] Next, we will explain a specific example of prepaid value settlement. Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of prepaid value settlement. First, as shown in Figure 14(a), the player operates the display operation unit 13 of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 to select the settlement method. In Figure 14(a), the player has selected "P1" from "Cash", "P1", and "P2".

[0147] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 14(b), a two-dimensional code is displayed on the player's terminal device 110 and held over the inter-machine card processing machine 10. This two-dimensional code contains information that identifies the cashless payment account used for settlement.

[0148] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 obtains the settlement fee setting from the prepaid value purchase method and settlement method, and calculates the settlement fee amount and settlement amount using the remaining prepaid value and the settlement fee setting. Then, it displays the remaining prepaid value, the settlement fee amount, and the settlement amount as settlement details on the display operation unit 13. In Figure 14(c), the settlement details are displayed as a remaining prepaid value of "6000 yen", a settlement fee of "10 yen", and a settlement amount of "5990 yen". This settlement details are also notified to the player's terminal device 110.

[0149] Once the player confirms the settlement details and executes the settlement operation, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 uses the cashless payment account identified by the two-dimensional code and the settlement details to perform the cashless settlement, adding the settlement amount to the cashless payment balance and setting the prepaid value to zero. Then, as shown in Figure 14(d), the display operation unit 13 displays that the settlement is complete. The completion of the settlement is also notified to the player's terminal device 110.

[0150] Next, we will explain the use of prepaid value. In this embodiment, the total amount of prepaid value and the balance for each purchase method are managed. In this state, if a token is lent out, the question arises as to which purchase method's balance should be deducted.

[0151] The first method for determining which purchase method's balance to deduct from is based on the order of purchase. That is, when prepaid value granted through multiple purchase methods is used, the balance is managed as if the value purchased first was used first.

[0152] A second method for determining which purchase method's balance to deduct from is based on a predetermined priority. That is, when prepaid value granted through multiple purchase methods is used, the balance is managed so that the value purchased through the purchase method with the highest predetermined priority is used first. The priority can be determined by the arcade or by the player.

[0153] Alternatively, instead of managing balances for each purchase method, when settling the balance of value granted by multiple purchase methods, the prepaid value may be used in a way that minimizes the settlement fee. For example, if 1,000 yen worth of purchases are made with cash and another 1,000 yen worth of purchases are made using cashless payment P1, the total prepaid value will be equivalent to 2,000 yen. Subsequently, if 1,500 yen worth of balls are borrowed, the prepaid value balance will be equivalent to 500 yen. At this point, it is not specified whether the purchase was made with cash or cashless payment P1. If the settlement is made with cash, it is assumed that 500 yen remains from the cash purchase, and if the settlement is made using cashless payment P1, it is assumed that 500 yen remains from the purchase made using cashless payment P1. Here, the settlement amount is limited by the original purchase amount. That is, if 1,500 yen worth of prepaid value is settled with cash, 1,000 yen will be the cash purchase and 500 yen will be the purchase made using cashless payment P1.

[0154] As described above, in this embodiment, prepaid value, which is the value related to the gaming medium, can be assigned through multiple purchase methods, the balance of the prepaid value is managed in association with the purchase method, and the balance of the value can be settled through multiple settlement methods, so that it can appropriately handle multiple payment methods.

[0155] Here, multiple purchase methods can include purchases made with cash and purchases made using cashless payment methods.

[0156] Furthermore, multiple settlement methods may include cash settlement, which returns cash, and cashless settlement, which adds to the balance for cashless payments.

[0157] Furthermore, by setting settlement fees for each combination of prepaid value purchase and settlement methods, it is possible to charge appropriate fees.

[0158] Furthermore, when value granted through multiple purchase methods is used, the balance of value can be managed by treating the value purchased first as the value used first. Alternatively, when value granted through multiple purchase methods is used, the balance of value can be managed by treating the value purchased through a pre-specified purchase method with higher priority as the value used first.

[0159] Furthermore, when settling the balance of value granted through multiple purchase methods, the value can be used in a way that minimizes the settlement fee.

[0160] In the above embodiment, we explained a case where prepaid value purchased with cash or cashless payment could be settled by any method. However, the available settlement methods may be restricted. For example, settlement of prepaid value purchased with a specific cashless payment method may be prohibited. Prepaid value that is prohibited from being settled must be used for ball lending or prize exchange and used up.

[0161] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment explained a configuration in which information related to cashless payments is exchanged using a two-dimensional code, a configuration in which information related to cashless payments is exchanged using short-range wireless communication or the like may also be used.

[0162] Furthermore, although a detailed explanation of the form of the card, which is the medium that links the number of game media, was omitted in the above-described embodiment, such cards include magnetic cards, IC cards, etc. Also, although "cards" were used as an example in this explanation for convenience, the present invention can also be applied when using chips, sticks, portable terminals, etc., in addition to such cards.

[0163] Furthermore, although the above embodiment was described using the case where game balls are used as the game medium, it is also applicable when using tokens for slot machines.

[0164] Furthermore, the illustrated configurations are functional schematics and do not necessarily have to be physically represented as shown. In other words, the distributed and integrated forms of each device are not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions. [Industrial applicability]

[0165] As described above, the present invention relates to Play The GI system is well-suited for amusement parlors to properly handle multiple payment methods. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0166] 10-unit card processing machine 11 Status display section 12. Banknote transport section 12a Banknote slot 13 Display operation section 14 Reader / Writer 14a Card slot 14b The part that holds up 15, 85 Communications Department 16, 45 Storage section 16a Device status data 16b Card Data 17, 46, 86 Control Unit 17a Data Management Department 17b Counting Processing Unit 17c Cashless Payment Processing Unit 17d, 86c Cashless Payment Processing Unit 18a Nozzle Unit 18b Counting Unit 20 Gaming machines 30 Island Controllers 40 Card Management Devices 41, 81 Display section 42 Input section 43 External Network Communication Unit 44 Store Network Communications Department 45a Game type setting data 45b Card Management Data 45c Device Management Data 45d Settlement fee setting data 46a Game Type Setting Management Department 46b Card Management Department 46c Equipment management department 46d Value creation section 46e Settings Section 50 Member Management Device 60 Prize Management Device 80 Payment machine 82 Control section 83 Card Reader 84. Coin storage compartment 86a Settlement details determination section 86b Cash Settlement Processing Unit 110 Terminal device

Claims

1. A gaming system having inter-machine devices and settlement devices provided in accordance with the gaming machines, The aforementioned inter-unit device is It has a means for receiving storage media associated with monetary value, The value granted through multiple purchase methods is used in the order in which it was purchased, in the order in which it was acquired. The settlement device is, With respect to unused valuable assets, settlement is prohibited for those valuable assets purchased using a specific cashless payment method among the aforementioned multiple purchase methods. A gaming system characterized by the following features.

2. A gaming system having inter-machine devices and settlement devices provided in accordance with the gaming machines, The aforementioned inter-unit device is It has a means for receiving storage media associated with monetary value, The value granted through multiple purchase methods is used in the order in which it was purchased, in the order in which it was acquired. The settlement device is, With respect to unused valuable assets, settlement is prohibited for those valuable assets purchased using a specific cashless payment method among the aforementioned multiple purchase methods. A gaming system characterized by the following features.

3. A gaming system having inter-machine devices and settlement devices provided in accordance with the gaming machines, The aforementioned inter-unit device is It has a means for receiving storage media associated with monetary value, With respect to the value granted through multiple purchase methods, the value is used in order according to the priority order predetermined for each purchase method. The settlement device is, With respect to unused valuable assets, settlement is prohibited for those valuable assets purchased using a specific cashless payment method among the aforementioned multiple purchase methods. A gaming system characterized by the following features.

4. The gaming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it manages the total value and the balance for each purchase method.

5. The gaming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the aforementioned multiple purchase methods include purchase by cash and purchase by cashless payment.

6. The gaming system according to claim 3, characterized in that the aforementioned priority order is determined by the gaming establishment or by the players.

Images