System for amusement facilities

Abstract

To suppress acquisition of unnecessary game information by a malicious player.SOLUTION: In a system for a game parlor, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, a difference game value graph for fraud prevention is created and made available for viewing. Therefore, even if a difference game value graph is collected by scraping for the purpose of extracting game information, it is possible to prevent acquisition of game information by image analysis of the graph.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for a gaming hall.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a service has been provided that enables viewing of gaming information at a specific gaming hall on a website, and players use such a service as gaming information and the like for determining the gaming hall to visit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In order to increase the willingness of players to visit the gaming hall, the gaming hall transmits gaming information to an information providing company that provides such a service, and also provides images such as a difference graph (a difference ball graph showing the increase or decrease of balls put out) generated based on the gaming information on the website.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in recent years, for example, using a technique called scraping, a large number of images such as difference ball graphs provided by the above service are collected, and image analysis is performed on the collected images to obtain gaming information, so that players can use it for their own gaming machine selection or disclose the gaming information at a specific gaming hall on the Internet. In addition to the existence of gaming halls that want to restrict the disclosure of gaming information by such players, the act of collecting a large number of images of difference ball graphs by scraping or the like places a burden on the server managed by the information providing company because it accesses the server many times. Therefore, improvement is also necessary from the viewpoint of preventing a situation such as unnecessary access to the server by scraping.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a system for amusement arcades that suppresses the acquisition of unnecessary game information by malicious players. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a game arcade system comprising a management server (for example, a management server 30 operated by an information provider) that collects and stores game information relating to multiple types of game machines installed in the arcade, and a player terminal (for example, a mobile terminal 31) that can access the management server and view the game information, A difference game value calculation means (e.g., management server 30) calculates the difference between the amount of game value awarded by winning in the game machine (e.g., safe, which indicates the amount of game points awarded to the player) and the amount of game value used in the game (e.g., out, which indicates the amount of game points used by the player) each time a predetermined amount of game value (e.g., 3 points corresponding to 3 tokens) is used in the game machine, or each time a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 1 minute) has elapsed, as the difference game value. A difference game value graph creation means (e.g., management server 30) creates a difference game value graph (e.g., difference graph 50 in Figure 6(a)) by sequentially plotting the difference game values ​​calculated by the difference game value calculation means, The game information provided for viewing includes a display means (e.g., a management server 30) for displaying the difference game value graph created by the difference game value graph creation means, The difference game value graph creation means is a graph that has been processed to prevent the acquisition of predetermined game information (for example, data showing the change in the difference from the difference graph 50) from the difference game value graph that is the subject of the display, and when predetermined conditions are met (for example, the first condition is that the management device 6 has received prior notification that the processing will be performed), the means performs the processing to create a difference game value graph for fraud prevention (for example, the difference graph 51 in Figure 6(b)).

[0007] According to the present invention, when predetermined conditions are met, a difference game value graph for fraud prevention is created and made available for viewing. Therefore, even if the difference game value graph is collected by scraping for the purpose of extracting game information, for example, it is possible to prevent the acquisition of game information by image analysis of the graph. Furthermore, this can suppress the acquisition of unnecessary game information by malicious players, and consequently reduce the processing load on the management server. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Overall diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Hall selection screen displayed on mobile devices [Figure 3] Model selection screen displayed on mobile devices [Figure 4] Model-specific data screen displayed on mobile devices [Figure 5] Detailed data screen for the designated machine displayed on the mobile device [Figure 6] (a) is a regular difference graph, and (b) is an example of a difference graph with anti-fraud measures in place. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of a continuous graph. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the graph plotting process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In Figure 1, "Store A," "Store B," and "Store C," enclosed in frames, schematically represent three amusement facilities A, B, and C. Since a common amusement facility system is constructed, the following description will focus on the configuration of amusement facility A, which is Store A.

[0010] In the amusement arcade system shown in Figure 1, multiple amusement machines 1, such as pachinko machines and slot machines, are installed in amusement arcade A, and a card unit 2 is attached to each amusement machine 1. Two of these amusement machines 1 and card units 2 are connected to a relay device 4, and the relay device 4 is connected to a management device 6 via a LAN 5. Furthermore, an information display device 3 is attached above each gaming machine 1. The information display device 3 receives various game signals (game information) output from the gaming machine 1 via the card unit 2 and relay device 4, creates various display information, and displays it. The relay device 4 collects information from the gaming machine 1, the card unit 2, and the information display device 3.

[0011] The management device 6 is installed in a gaming hall A, for example, in an office. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the control unit of the management device 6 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU and memory units such as ROM and RAM, and a keyboard 6b, monitor 6a, printer (not shown), etc., which are operated by the gaming hall manager are connected to this control unit.

[0012] The management device 6 receives game signals output from the gaming machine 1 via the card unit 2 and relay device 4 in sequence, and manages game information for each gaming machine 1, personal data for each registered member, and information about the gaming machine 1, card unit 2, and information display device 3 (stored in the memory of the device 6). Although not shown in Figure 1, the management device 6 manages hundreds of gaming machines 1 of multiple models, and multiple gaming machine islands with different rental rates (rates by type) for gaming media are formed.

[0013] Furthermore, as will be explained in more detail later, the management device 6 manages various setting information and functions as a setting means for determining whether or not to execute various processes (including whether or not to perform graph-related processing, which will be explained later). The term "amusement arcade manager" refers to the manager of amusement arcade A, and will be simply referred to as "manager" below. Furthermore, the control unit (setting means) of the management device 6 will be simply referred to as "management device 6" for simplicity of explanation.

[0014] The gaming machine 1 of this embodiment is configured as, for example, a so-called enclosed pachinko gaming machine that manages gaming media only by information or a medal-less slot machine. Specifically, the pachinko machine shown on the left side of FIG. 1 is an enclosed pachinko gaming machine that uses circulating gaming media (e.g., circulating pachinko balls) enclosed in the machine in advance. The gaming value (gaming media) used in the gaming machine 1 is a virtual pachinko ball, but it is a gaming value stored in the in-machine storage unit. Different from the conventional payout-type gaming machines, the balls launched onto the game board 11 circulate, and even when winning, they are not paid out outside the gaming machine, and the gaming value (gaming points) in the storage unit increases or decreases according to the game.

[0015] When the pachinko machine receives gaming points from the card unit 2, it can launch pachinko balls corresponding to the number of gaming points, and when the gaming points reach "0", it becomes impossible to launch pachinko balls. The pachinko machine subtracts gaming points by transmitting the gaming points to the card unit 2 according to a counting operation (a touch operation on the following touch panel). The gaming machine 1 displays various gaming data (number of jackpot occurrences, special drawing lottery times, etc.) on the information display unit 13 according to an information display operation (an operation on the same touch panel).

[0016] That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the pachinko machine has a game board 11 on which pachinko balls are launched, a launch handle 12 that constitutes a launch device, and a touch panel-type information display unit 13 having a touch panel on its surface. On the game board 11, a liquid crystal display unit 14 and a symbol display unit (special symbol display unit · general symbol display unit) in the display unit 14, a special symbol 1 start port 15, a special symbol 2 start port 16, and a big winning port 17 are provided. In the pachinko machine, a jackpot lottery for special symbol 1 (or special symbol 2 when winning in the electric chu) is conducted by winning in the so-called heso (special symbol 1 start port 15). Starting a jackpot lottery once is also referred to as starting. When winning the jackpot in the jackpot lottery, the jackpot game starts (shifts to the jackpot state), and the big winning port 17 is opened for a number of rounds (R) corresponding to the type of special symbol. In this case, for example, the upper limit number of winning in 1R is 10, and when winning in the big winning port 17, 15 points of gaming points are added.

[0017] The slot machine shown on the right side of FIG. 1 is a medal-less slot machine that enables gaming without using actual medals. Also, the slot machine stores and manages game values (game points) stored in a storage unit inside the machine, and can start a game on condition that there is a prescribed number (for example, 3 points) required to execute at least one game as the game points. When a player obtains a score according to the type of winning combination, it is mainly managed for its increase and decrease, such as adding it as game points in data without paying out medals.

[0018] When the slot machine receives game points from the card unit 2, it becomes possible to bet the score corresponding to the game points. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine has a display window 18, a start lever 19, stop buttons 20 (left stop button, middle stop button, and right stop button), a touch panel type information display unit 21, a BET button 22, etc. A player can visually recognize the symbols drawn on the reels provided inside through the display window 18. By operating the BET button 22 by the player, a predetermined number of credit medals are bet (betting the score for the said 3 points). When the start lever 19 is operated in that state, an internal lottery is executed and the variation of the symbols is started (the game is started), and the variation of the reels is stopped by the so-called draw control by operating the stop button 20.

[0019] As is well known, slot machines have various types of winning combinations, including small wins, replays, and bonus wins (BB and RB). When the player operates stop button 20 while an internal win has been internally determined during the internal lottery, a win occurs if the symbol corresponding to that internal win stops on one of the pre-set active lines. When a win occurs, points are awarded according to the type of win. For example, there are 3-point wins, 5-point wins, 10-point wins, and 15-point wins. If the win is a 15-point win, 15 points are awarded. If the win is a bonus win (BB or RB), the game transitions to a bonus state (BB state or RB state). The BB and RB states are more advantageous game states (jackpot states) for the player than the normal state, as the points awarded for small wins or the probability of winning increases, allowing the player to quickly accumulate points. Furthermore, the information display unit 21 of the slot machine, like the information display unit 13 of the pachinko machine, can display not only the counting button for the aforementioned counting operation, but also game points and various operational data (number of games played, number of bonus occurrences, etc.).

[0020] From the amusement machine 1, such as the pachinko machine or slot machine, various game signals, including the following game signals, are transmitted (output) to the card unit 2. • Out signal: A signal indicating the number of points used in the game. • Safe signal: A signal indicating the score obtained as a result of the game. • Jackpot signal: A signal output when a jackpot state occurs. As described above, the game value acquired by the player through gameplay, the score primarily managed by the game machine 1, is also referred to as the "game score," and the score primarily managed by the card unit 2 is also referred to as the "points held."

[0021] The above game signals may be a single data item (for example, "Out" = a data item indicating the value (out) consumed (used, inserted) since the last data transmission, in units of one ball), or they may be data signals that combine multiple game information in a message. In this case, data can be aggregated in units of a predetermined period (for example, 200ms), and the aggregated data and the data signal in the form of a message that can identify the state at that time can be used as the transmission target (output target). Of course, game signals may include pulse signals, status signals, etc., in addition to the above data signals. Furthermore, the game machine 1 transmits various game information to the card unit 2 (relay device 4) side as signal output in accordance with the execution of a game using game points, and various signals are output depending on the model, not limited to the above game signals.

[0022] Card Unit 2 includes two types: one for pachinko machines, positioned on the left side of the pachinko machine as shown in Figure 1, and another for slot machines, positioned on the right side of the slot machine. For the sake of explanation, common components of both types will be given the same reference numerals and described collectively. The card unit 2 for pachinko machines or slot machines (hereinafter simply referred to as "card unit 2") includes a banknote slot 23 into which banknotes (1,000 yen) are inserted, a touch panel type liquid crystal display 24 that accepts operation input from the player and displays various game data, a loan button 25 for performing a loan operation, a return button 26 for performing a return operation, a re-play button 27 for performing a re-play operation, and a card slot 28 into which an IC card (not shown) is inserted, etc.

[0023] Card unit 2 operates as follows: (1) The system receives, aggregates, and stores the various game signals from the gaming machine 1, and transmits them to the management device 6 and the information display device 3 via the relay device 4. The player's deposit balance and game score are also transmitted to the management device 6. The system receives and stores various setting information (gaming machine number, model name, score unit price, etc.) from the management device 6. The model name is a name that can identify various models (or groups of models), for example, for pachinko machines it is represented as "Pachinko A, Pachinko B, ..." (see Figures 3, 4, etc.), and is managed in association with the game information identified by the management device 6.

[0024] (2) When a banknote is inserted into the banknote slot 23, it is added to the deposit balance and stored. When an IC card is inserted into the card slot 28, the deposit balance and points associated with the card ID are read and displayed. For example, in the pachinko machine card unit 2, when the dispensing button 25 is operated, the points corresponding to a certain amount (for example, 1000 yen) are converted into game points in increments of 250 and sent to the game machine 1. When the replay button 27 is operated, the points held are converted into game points in increments of 250 and sent to the game machine 1. The points held, game points, and total points (sum of points held and game points) are stored and displayed. Point addition information and point subtraction information are received from the game machine 1, the stored points are updated according to the received point addition information and point subtraction information, and the point information is transmitted to the relay device 4 according to the update of the points.

[0025] (3) When the return button 26 is operated while at least one of the deposit balance and the number of points held exists, the deposit balance and the number of points held are recorded on the IC card and issued. When recording the number of points held, the type information corresponding to the gaming machine 1 that acquired it (for example, the rate as described above) is also recorded in association. The game points are not recorded on the IC card and remain on the gaming machine 1. Note that the number of points held may also be referred to as "balls held". (4) Up to 10 IC cards are stored.

[0026] The card unit 2 described above communicates serially with the relay device 4, enabling the management device 6 to identify various information such as currency acceptance processing, payment processing, balance, number of balls held (number of points), number of balls lent (points at the time of lending), number of balls converted, deposit amount, number of balls counted, number of balls lent, sales amount which is the payment for the lent balls, and recording medium acceptance and issuance processing. These can also be identified by pulse signals (for example, one pulse for every 1000 yen deposited, one pulse for every 100 yen sold, etc.). Communication with the gaming machine 1 may be made directly between the gaming machine 1 and the card unit 2 without going through the relay device 4, or it may be communicated via the relay device 4.

[0027] The management device 6 manages the operating status of all the equipment in the gaming hall A as described above. In addition, the management device 6 collects the various gaming signals and gaming information of each gaming machine 1 as described above, and manages the gaming information of each player based on identification information such as player ID. The management device 6 is connectable to the Internet 100 (public communication line) shown in Figure 1, and can communicate with the management server 30 located at the center via the Internet 100, etc. The same configuration as in amusement hall B and C is also implemented in amusement hall B and C, and the management devices 6 (not shown) in amusement hall B and C can also communicate with the management server 30 via the Internet 100, etc., just like the management device 6 in amusement hall A.

[0028] The management server 30 is operated, for example, outside of amusement halls A to C by an information provider. The management server 30 uses the internet 100 to receive game information regarding the operating status of each amusement machine 1 from the management devices 6 of each amusement hall A to C, and stores it in association with the amusement hall ID and machine ID, thereby providing a service site for viewing game information for each amusement machine 1.

[0029] The machine ID is identification information for each machine model of gaming machine 1, and the arcade ID is identification information specific to each arcade A to C, set on a per-arcade basis. The management server 30 is a data management server that collects and stores gaming information related to multiple machines 1 installed in arcades A to C. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the control unit of the management server 30 (means for calculating the difference in game value, means for creating the difference in game value graph, and display means) is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU and memory units such as ROM and RAM, and is equipped with communication means for communicating with the management devices 6 of each game hall A to C, as well as a monitor, keyboard, etc. The control unit of the management server 30 (hereinafter abbreviated as "management server 30") stores in its memory the collected game information as well as programs for executing the graph creation process described later.

[0030] Furthermore, as will be explained in more detail below, when a player terminal such as the mobile terminal 31 or personal computer 31' shown in Figure 1 accesses the management server 30, the management server 30 stores an access log that includes at least the model ID of the gaming machine 1 that was viewed, associated with the player terminal ID. Here, the player terminal ID is unique identification information for the player terminal, and the access log is a record of communication to the management server 30 (access history).

[0031] The player terminal is a player terminal device that can connect to the internet 100 and can access the management server 30 to view the game information collected by the server 30. As illustrated in Figure 1, the mobile terminal 31 or personal computer 31' has common functions such as a display unit 31a or 31a' that displays game information, etc., and input means such as a touch panel or keyboard that accepts input operations. Therefore, the following description of the player terminal will focus on the mobile terminal 31.

[0032] The mobile terminal 31 is a smartphone or tablet owned by the player. The mobile terminal 31 has a display unit 31a with a touch panel on its front, and by performing various operations including touch operations on the display unit 31a and accessing the management server 30, the player can view the game information on the site (website).

[0033] Furthermore, in order to access the management server 30 site and view game information, it is necessary to register as a member, obtain an account, and pay a monthly usage fee (for example, 300 yen). This account is the account information for logging into the management server 30 and is recorded in a one-to-one association with the player terminal ID. Therefore, the account, together with the player terminal ID, is recognized as unique identification information that can identify each player's mobile terminal 31.

[0034] If a player wishes to check the game information for a game machine 1 installed in any of the game halls A to C, they access the management server 30 site from their registered mobile device 31 and log in. This allows the player to view the game information for the desired game machine 1 installed in the desired game hall A to C on the display unit 31a of their mobile device 31. Here, Figure 2 shows a screen 32 displayed on the display unit 31a of the mobile terminal 31, which is the "Hall Selection" screen 32 that appears when a "Region Selection" is performed on a "Menu" screen (not shown), and the desired region (prefecture, city, or ward) is selected on that "Region Selection" screen.

[0035] The "Hall Selection" screen 32 displays a list of amusement halls in the selected area, and shows a title 32a, selected area 32b, a "Hall" button 32c, a next page button 32d, and a return to previous screen button 32e. The "Hall" button 32c consists of a group of buttons representing the hall names "AAA, BBB, CCC,..." for each amusement hall A, B, C,... When the next page button 32d is touched, the screen transitions to a screen showing the names of other halls in the selected area as "next 5 items" (not shown), and when the return to previous screen button 32e is touched, the screen returns to the "Area Selection" screen. Furthermore, if any of the "Hall" buttons 32c, specifically the button for the name of a hall, is selected by touch, the screen transitions from the "Hall Selection" screen 32 to the "Machine Selection" screen 33 shown in Figure 3.

[0036] The "Machine Selection" screen 33 in Figure 3 displays a list of machines installed in the selected arcade, showing a title 33a, arcade name 33b, "Machine" button 33c, next page button 33d, and previous screen return button 33e. The "Machine" button 33c consists of a group of buttons representing the names of each machine. When the next page button 33d is touched, the screen transitions to a screen showing the names of other machines installed in the arcade as "Next 10 items" (not shown), and when the previous screen return button 33e is touched, the screen returns to the "Arcade Selection" screen 32.

[0037] Furthermore, when any of the "Model" buttons 33c are selected by touch, the screen transitions from the "Model Selection" screen 33 to the "Model Data" screen 34 shown in Figure 4. Note that the "Model" buttons 33c can also display slot machine models (not shown) in addition to the pachinko machine models "Pachinko A~" shown in Figure 3.

[0038] The "Data by Model" screen 34 in Figure 4 displays a list of gaming machines 1 that belong to the selected model, showing the title 34a, model 34b, predetermined game information 34d corresponding to the "Machine Number" button 34c, and a "Back to Previous Screen" button 34e. If not all gaming machines 1 belonging to model 34b are displayed in the gaming hall, a "Next Page" button (not shown) is also displayed. When the "Next Page" button is touched, the screen transitions to a screen (not shown) displaying other "Machine Numbers" belonging to model 34b along with the game information 34d for those gaming machines 1. When the "Back to Previous Screen" button 34e is touched, the screen returns to the "Model Selection" screen 33. The "Machine Number" button 34c is part of a group of buttons that represent the identification information for each gaming machine 1 belonging to the model 34b. When any of the "Machine Number" buttons 34c in this group are touched, the screen transitions to the "Specified Machine Details Data" screen 35 in Figure 5.

[0039] The "Specified Machine Details Data" screen 35 in Figure 5 displays detailed data for the selected machine number, including the title 35a, hall name and date 35b, machine name and machine number 35c, game information 35d corresponding to the gaming machine 1 of that machine number, and a difference graph 50. Additionally, the "Specified Machine Details" screen 35 displays a "Back to Previous Screen" button 35f. Therefore, by touching the "Back to Previous Screen" button 35f, you can return to the "Machine Selection" screen 33, re-select the "Machine Number" button 34c, and display the game information 35d and difference graph 50 for each machine number on the "Specified Machine Details" screen 35.

[0040] As described above, players can check detailed information about their desired gaming machine 1, which belongs to the desired model and is installed in their desired gaming hall, on their mobile terminal 31 (or personal computer 31'). Furthermore, as described above, the management server 30 accessed from the mobile terminal 31 records the access date and time, selected region, selected hall, and selected machine as an access log for each accessed account (player terminal ID). These access logs are recorded in association with the player terminal ID of the accessing mobile terminal 31.

[0041] As mentioned in "Problems the Invention Aims to Solve," in recent years, there are players who use a technique called web scraping to collect large quantities of images like the difference graph 50 (see Figure 5) using mobile terminals 31 or personal computers 31', and then perform image analysis on the collected images to obtain game information. Some amusement facilities want to restrict the disclosure of game information by such players, and the act of collecting large quantities of difference graph 50 images involves repeatedly accessing the management server 30, which places a processing load on the server 30.

[0042] Therefore, the management server 30 of this embodiment has a graph (for example, graph 51 in Figure 6(b)) that has been processed to prevent the acquisition of predetermined game information from the difference graph 50 that is the target of public disclosure (the target of display), or from the difference game value graph such as the continuous graph 60 in Figure 7. By applying this processing when predetermined conditions are met, the management server 30 creates a difference graph 51 for fraud prevention, thereby suppressing the acquisition of unnecessary game information by malicious players.

[0043] The following will first explain "1. Difference in Game Value and Difference Graph 50," followed by "2. Difference Graph 51 for Anti-Fraud Measures," "3. Other Difference in Game Value Graphs (Continuous Graph 60)," and "4. Graph Creation Process by Graph Drawing Means." A difference in game value graph is a graph that shows the trend of difference in game value, such as the difference graphs 50 and 51 in Figures 5 and 6, and the continuous graph 60 in Figure 7. Of these, graph 51, which has been processed for anti-fraud measures, is distinguished from the unprocessed graphs 50 and 60 by adding the corresponding symbol "51."

[0044] (1. Difference in game value and difference graph 50) The management server 30 receives game information from the management devices 6 of each amusement hall A to C, and identifies the difference in game value for each amusement machine from the received game information, which indicates the difference between the game points (amount of game value) obtained through winning and the game points (amount of game value) used in the jackpot lottery. In this case, the difference in game value is calculated as the difference between the game points awarded through winning in the amusement machine 1 and the game points used for the game each time a predetermined amount of game value (for example, 3 points corresponding to 3 tokens) is used in the amusement machine 1, or each time a predetermined amount of time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed.

[0045] In other words, the difference in game value (hereinafter referred to as "difference") is calculated based on game signals etc. output from the game machine 1. For example, every minute that has elapsed, it is obtained as numerical data by subtracting the amount of game points used in the game (the amount of game value used in the game) from the amount of game points awarded to the player as the game progresses on the game machine 1 (the amount of game value awarded through winning). Alternatively, it is obtained as numerical data by subtracting the amount of game value invested by the player from the amount of game value the player possesses. In other words, it may also be calculated by taking into account the total number of points, including the points held by the player, and the amount of game points equivalent to the investment amount. The difference is, so to speak, numerical data that shows the difference between the amount of game value awarded and the amount of game value used, on a per-game machine basis.

[0046] Furthermore, the management server 30 plots the calculated differences sequentially to create a difference graph 50. Here, the difference graph 50 in Figure 6(a) is shown as part of the "Specified Machine Details Data" screen 35, similar to the difference graph 50 in Figure 5 (a graph before anti-fraud measures were implemented), and for the sake of explanation, the same symbol "50" is used. Although the way the differences are displayed (specific numerical values ​​or trends) differs between Figure 5 and Figure 6(a), the logic for creating the graphs 50 is the same.

[0047] Specifically, the difference graphs 50 in Figures 5 and 6(a) both use the difference on the vertical axis and, for example, time (or out) on the horizontal axis, showing the change in the difference over one business day. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6(a), the scale of the difference (for example, lines every 1000 points in a graph corresponding to a slot machine) may be represented by a group of grid lines aligned along the vertical axis.

[0048] Then, for example, every minute that passes (or every time the number of game points used on the slot machine increases by, for example, 3 points), the management server 30 calculates the difference between the number of game points awarded by winning on the slot machine and the number of game points used for the game, and plots the calculated difference sequentially on a graph to create a difference graph 50. As a result, the difference graph 50 in Figure 6(a) is created as image data associated with the slot machine and can be viewed on the website. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, if a difference graph 50 is created for "Pachinko A" of "Machine No. 2", it can be associated with the "specified machine details data" (game information) of the pachinko machine that is made available for viewing and displayed as graph 50 in the same figure.

[0049] (2. Difference graph 51 for fraud prevention) For example, even if image data related to the difference graph is extracted (collected) through the above scraping method, if game information such as the difference cannot be obtained, it is thought that subsequent scraping can be suppressed. Therefore, when the management server 30 of this embodiment publishes the difference graph on the website, it creates a difference graph 51 for fraud prevention by performing a process that hides a portion of the difference plotted in the graph or a portion of the graph showing the trend of the difference indicated by the plot, as shown in Figure 6(b).

[0050] Specifically, the management server 30 has a predetermined threshold set to prevent the creation of a difference graph for intervals where the difference is a predetermined negative number of points, and a difference graph 51 is created excluding those intervals. Here, Figure 6(b) shows an example of a difference graph 51 corresponding to a slot machine, and it is assumed that the predetermined threshold is set in advance to, for example, -1500 points. In other words, in Figure (b), -1500 points is represented by the grid line 51a, and in the process of creating the difference graph 51 (see Figure 8 described later), by determining whether the plotted difference is -1500 points or less, the graph is not displayed for the interval where the difference is -1500 points or less. As a result, in Figure (b), the data for the difference is missing intermittently from the time the difference becomes -1500 points or less until the game points are added and it exceeds -1500 points.

[0051] Furthermore, as is clear from the comparison between Figure (b) and (a), in the case of difference graph 51, the lower half of the graph is not displayed when the difference drops in relation to the threshold (-1500 points). Moreover, even if the difference continues to drop until the end of business hours at the amusement arcade, in the case of difference graph 51, the difference can only be grasped up to the threshold (-1500 points). On the other hand, if the difference falls below -1500 points before the end of business hours at the amusement arcade, and then exceeds -1500 points after game points are awarded, the exact difference can be grasped. However, depending on the amusement machine 1, it may not be possible to accurately grasp the difference below the threshold, so game information such as the payout rate based on the output and the difference, when viewed as an entire amusement arcade or when focusing on a specific machine, tends to be higher than the actual payout rate. Therefore, even if the image data of the difference graph 51 is extracted and image analysis is performed as described above, it is not possible to grasp the exact difference (the difference shown by the trend of graph 50 in Figure (a)) and the payout rate based on that difference, thus hindering the acquisition of accurate game information. In the difference graph 51, the grid lines 51a may be displayed as shown in Figure (b), but they may not be displayed. Also, the threshold in the difference graph 51 can be changed as appropriate depending on the type (category) of game value, etc. For example, the threshold corresponding to pachinko machines may be set to -5000 points, and the section below that threshold may be hidden.

[0052] Each gaming hall A to C's management device 6 is configured to allow the administrator to arbitrarily set whether or not to apply the above processing as an anti-fraud measure (the setting for hiding / showing graph 51, corresponding to the display / hide setting of graph 50) by using a setting means such as a keyboard 6b. As a result, by setting the management device 6 to apply the said processing, the difference graph of store A can be provided as a difference graph 51 for anti-fraud purposes (published on the website).

[0053] Furthermore, the management server 30 sets the following conditions: firstly, it has received notification from the management devices 6 of gaming halls A to C to perform the processing that has been set in advance; secondly, it has reached a specific day for displaying / hiding graph 51 that has been received in advance by its own device 30; and secondly, when both the first and second conditions are met, it displays the anti-fraud graph (graph 51 in Figure 6(b)) for the difference graph of the corresponding gaming hall on that specific day, while displaying the normal graph (graph 50 in Figure 6(a)) if the conditions are not met.

[0054] (3. Other Difference in Gaming Value Graphs (60 consecutive graphs)) The management server 30 can also create difference game value graphs other than the difference graphs 50 and 51 described above, and Figure 7 shows a continuous graph 60 as an example of a difference game value graph. The continuous graph 60 differs from the difference graph 50 in the following respects.

[0055] In other words, the continuous graph 60 is a continuous graph of the difference in game value that shows the trend of the difference over a period of multiple business days (for example, the most recent 8 days). As shown in Figure 7, the continuous graph 60 is represented by lines that show the trend of the difference, with each line corresponding to one of the 8 days ("today, yesterday, 2 days ago, 3 days ago, ..."), making it possible to distinguish the trend day by day. In addition, the maximum and minimum values ​​of the difference scale on the vertical axis of the continuous graph 60 (for example, 15,000 points and -15,000 points shown in the figure) are set to a range that corresponds to the length of the target period and the type of game value. As a result, in the continuous graph 60, the difference at the end of the previous day and the difference at the beginning of the next day are connected and output without interruption (continuous), making it easier to grasp the overall trend when referring to (viewing) the difference over multiple days.

[0056] In each of the gaming halls A to C, the management device 6 allows the administrator to arbitrarily set whether or not to apply the above-mentioned processing as an anti-fraud measure by using the setting means such as the keyboard 6b. Accordingly, the management device 6 (setting means) is configured to not display the continuous graph 60 (continuous difference game value graph) when the setting means is configured to apply the above-mentioned processing related to the difference graph 51, and to display the continuous graph 60 when the setting means is not configured to apply the above-mentioned processing. By setting the display of the difference graph 50 or 51 in this way, it is possible to set whether or not to publish the continuous graph 60 on the website.

[0057] (4. Graph creation process using graph plotting means) Figure 8 shows the flow of the graph creation process executed by the management server 30 (graph drawing means), where "S1~S4" represents the steps when creating the difference graph 51. The difference graph 51 uses the same creation logic as before, plotting points indicating the difference at corresponding locations (coordinate points of the corresponding difference) and connecting these points to previously plotted points. However, the creation logic of graph 51 in this embodiment defines its own steps S2 and S4. The latter plot (plotting connecting points) is drawn in conjunction with the former plot (plotting points indicating the difference; also simply referred to as "points"), so the following explanation of the creation logic of graph 51 will focus on the former plot.

[0058] Specifically, the management server 30 receives game information regarding multiple types of gaming machines from the management devices 6 of each gaming hall A to C (S1), and calculates the difference for the target gaming machine 1 (e.g., a slot machine) when a standard number of outs (for example, 3 points for the slot machine) or a standard plot time (1 minute) has elapsed based on the game information. Next, the management server 30 determines whether the calculated difference (the difference plotted) is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold (S2). In this case, "less than the predetermined value" as shown in S2 corresponds to, for example, "less than -1499 points" when the threshold is -1500 points (that is, "less than or equal to" can be appropriately rephrased as "less than").

[0059] Then, if the management server 30 determines that the calculated difference exceeds a predetermined threshold (S2: NO), it plots a point at the location corresponding to the difference (S3) and returns. On the other hand, if it determines that the calculated difference is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold (S2: YES), it returns without plotting a point at the location corresponding to the difference, in order to "draw a difference graph excluding the interval below the predetermined value" (S4).

[0060] In other words, as shown in Graph 51 in Figure 6(b), as long as the calculated difference exceeds -1500 points indicated by the grid line 51a, the processes S1 to S3 are repeatedly executed, plotting the differences from right to left. However, when the difference falls below -1500 points, the processes S1, S2, and S4 are repeatedly executed until the value exceeds -1500 points again. As a result, the graph for that interval is not displayed, and a difference graph 51 for fraud prevention is created with missing points for the difference in that interval.

[0061] As described above, the management server 30 of this embodiment creates a difference graph 51 for fraud prevention by applying processing that can prevent the acquisition of predetermined game information from the difference graph 50 to be displayed, when predetermined conditions (for example, the first and second conditions) are met. According to this, when predetermined conditions are met, a difference graph 51 for fraud prevention is created and made available for viewing. For example, even if the difference graph 51 is collected by scraping for the purpose of extracting game information, it is possible to prevent the acquisition of game information through image analysis. Furthermore, this can suppress the acquisition of unnecessary game information by malicious players, and in turn, reduce the processing load on the management server 30.

[0062] When creating the difference graph 51 for fraud prevention, the management server 30 determines whether the plotted difference is below a predetermined threshold (see S2 in Figure 8), and then processes the graph so as not to display the portion of the graph that is below the threshold (see Figure 6(b)). According to this, the graph 51 is created in which the difference is not displayed (not plotted) in the section where the difference is a predetermined negative number. Therefore, if business ends with the difference being a predetermined negative number, the final difference cannot be determined. For this reason, even if the difference graph 51 is collected by scraping, for example, it is possible to make it impossible to obtain game information through image analysis, in particular game information such as the payout rate calculated based on the difference, and thus the present invention can be more effectively implemented.

[0063] Furthermore, when creating the difference graph 51 for fraud prevention on the management server 30, it is sufficient to perform a process that hides a portion of the plotted difference numbers or a portion of the graph 51 showing the trend of the difference numbers indicated by the plot, as illustrated in Figure 6(b). Therefore, the fraud prevention process is not limited to the processes S1 to S4 in Figure 8; for example, a graph 50 may be drawn and created as in Figure 6(a), and at least a portion of the drawn difference numbers may be masked to hide them, and the same effect as described above will be achieved in this case as well.

[0064] The management device 6 is configured as a setting means that can be set whether or not to apply the aforementioned processing as a countermeasure against fraud for each of the gaming halls A to C. With this, it is possible to set whether or not to implement countermeasures against fraud using the difference graph 51, and for example, on a specific day, all the difference data can be displayed using the difference graph 50, but on other days, not all the data can be displayed using the difference graph 51.

[0065] As illustrated in Figure 7, the management server 30 can create a continuous difference graph (for example, the continuous graph 60 in Figure 7) that shows the trend of the difference over a target period of multiple business days. The management device 6 is configured to not display the continuous difference graph when it is set to perform the aforementioned processing, and to display the continuous difference graph when it is not set to perform the aforementioned processing. According to this, it is possible to decide whether or not to display a continuous difference graph over multiple business days, depending on the settings for displaying difference graphs for fraud prevention. For example, the system can be configured so that the continuous graph 60 is not displayed during periods when the administrator requests the display of the difference graph 51 for fraud prevention, but is displayed during other periods.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be modified or expanded as follows, or each modification may be combined with the above embodiments, or each modification may be combined. As a measure to prevent fraud, the graph scale may be changed to differ between regions where the difference is positive and regions where it is negative. This configuration can also hinder the acquisition of data related to the difference through image analysis.

[0067] Some of the functions (various means) of the management server 30 may be assigned to the management device 6, and the various means are not limited to the devices 30, 6, etc. described above. For example, although the management server 30 is configured to calculate the difference in game value, the management device 6 may calculate the difference and send it to the management server 30 as data for each game machine. Relevant configuration information and thresholds can be set arbitrarily by the administrator if they are pre-configured, set by the manufacturer of the management device 6, or downloaded and configured from an external management server (for example, a chain store headquarters or amusement machine manufacturer).

[0068] The gaming arcade terminal is not limited to the management device 6, but may also be a portable device such as a smartphone or tablet. The player terminal is not limited to the mobile terminal 31 or personal computer 31', but may be any terminal device capable of connecting to the internet 100. The management server 30 located outside the gaming facility is intended to be operated by an information provider, but the gaming facility itself may also operate it.

[0069] The settings allow for the selective display of either graph 50 or 51 for viewing. Furthermore, settings may be configured for each player's terminal used to access the website, such as making it viewable on mobile terminal 31 but not on personal computer 31'. While the service of providing players with access to game information is currently a paid service, it could be made a free service that anyone can use freely. Access to the browsing service may be made available without requiring users to obtain a mobile device-specific account. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] In the drawing, 1 is a gaming machine, 6 is a management device (setting means, gaming hall terminal), 30 is a management server (difference game value calculation means, difference game value graph creation means, display means), 31 is a mobile terminal (player terminal), and 31' is a personal computer (player terminal).

Claims

1. In a game arcade system comprising a management server that collects and stores game information related to multiple types of game machines installed in the arcade, and a player terminal that can access the management server and view the game information, A means for calculating the difference in game value, which is used each time a predetermined amount of game value is used in a gaming machine, or after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, and which is used to calculate the difference in game value, A difference-play value graph creation means creates a difference-play value graph by sequentially plotting the difference-play value calculated by the difference-play value calculation means, The game information provided for viewing includes a display means for displaying a difference game value graph created by the difference game value graph creation means, The aforementioned difference game value graph creation means is a graph that has been processed to prevent the acquisition of predetermined game information from the difference game value graph to be displayed, and is characterized in that it creates a difference game value graph for fraud prevention by applying the processing when predetermined conditions are met.

2. The amusement arcade system according to claim 1, wherein the difference game value graph creation means, when creating the difference game value graph for fraud prevention, determines whether the plotted difference game value is below a predetermined threshold and performs the process of not displaying the graph for the interval portion that is below the threshold.

3. The amusement arcade system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising setting means for setting whether or not to perform the aforementioned processing as a measure against fraud.

4. The aforementioned difference-in-game-value graph creation means is capable of creating a continuous difference-in-game-value graph that shows the trend of difference-in-game-value over a target period of multiple business days. The amusement arcade system according to claim 3, wherein the display means is configured not to display the continuous difference game value graph when the setting means is configured to perform the processing, and displays the continuous difference game value graph when the setting means is not configured to perform the processing.

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