Article acquisition game system
The item acquisition game system addresses inefficiencies by using a door state detection mechanism and networked management to streamline item replenishment processes, ensuring efficient administrator actions and reducing unnecessary tasks.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GENDA GIGO ENTERTAINMENT CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing item acquisition game devices face inefficiencies in management due to administrators failing to respond to item acquisition notifications within a certain period, leading to insufficient items and unnecessary replenishment actions, which reduces operational efficiency.
An item acquisition game system with a detection mechanism to monitor the state of the item storage compartment door, allowing administrators to cancel notifications by opening and closing the door, and a networked management system to transmit and manage acquisition and release information across multiple devices.
Improves management efficiency by ensuring administrators only perform necessary actions when replenishing items, preventing unnecessary visits and enhancing overall system operation.
Smart Images
Figure JP2025036086_21052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Item acquisition game system
[0001] The present invention relates to an item acquisition game system including an item acquisition game device capable of acquiring an item stored inside an item storage unit, and notifying that the item has been acquired.
[0002] Conventionally, there is known an item acquisition game device that moves an item acquisition device in the vertical direction based on a player's operation to acquire an item stored inside an item storage unit.
[0003] An administrator who manages such an item acquisition game device (for example, a store clerk in a store where the item acquisition game device is installed, etc.) needs to replenish the item storage unit with items when an item is acquired by a player.
[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a prize acquisition device that automatically determines information on which type of prize has been acquired from a game field when a plurality of types of prizes are acquired, and notifies this externally. When such a notification is received by an administrator who manages the prize acquisition device, the administrator will replenish the game field with prizes (items).
[0005] Japanese Patent No. 7503008
[0006] By the way, in an item acquisition game device, a notification that an item has been acquired can also be cleared in a certain period of time. However, if an administrator (for example, a store clerk in a store where the item acquisition game device is installed, etc.) cannot respond within a certain period of time and forgets about the notification, the item acquisition game device will be in a state where the items to be acquired are insufficient, and players may avoid it, resulting in a possible opportunity loss.
[0007] Furthermore, notifications of acquired items can be cleared, for example, after an administrator has replenished the items and activated a replenishment complete switch. However, in this case, the notification will continue unless the administrator takes action. While continued notifications may indicate that an item truly needs to be replenished, it could also mean that an administrator has replenished the items but forgotten to activate the replenishment complete switch. In such cases, other administrators may go to replenish items unnecessarily, which reduces the management efficiency of the item acquisition game device.
[0008] This invention was made to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art, and aims to improve the management efficiency of an item acquisition game device.
[0009] (1) An item acquisition game system comprising an item acquisition game device capable of acquiring an item stored inside an item storage compartment, and which notifies that an item has been acquired, the system comprising: a transmitting means for transmitting item acquisition information when an item is acquired from inside the item storage compartment; a notification means for notifying the administrator of the item acquisition game device that an item has been acquired based on the item acquisition information; a detection means for detecting the state of a door that opens and closes the item storage compartment; and a release means for canceling the notification when the notification means has made the notification, according to the state of the door detected by the detection means.
[0010] In configuration (1), the item acquisition game system includes a transmitting means, a notification means, a detection means, and a release means, and includes an item acquisition game device capable of acquiring items stored inside the item storage section, and notifies when an item has been acquired. The transmitting means transmits item acquisition information when an item is acquired from inside the item storage section. The notification means notifies the administrator of the item acquisition game device that an item has been acquired based on the item acquisition information. The detection means detects the state of the door that opens and closes the item storage section. The release means, when a notification has been made by the notification means, releases the notification according to the state of the door detected by the detection means.
[0011] According to the configuration of (1), when an item is retrieved from inside the item storage compartment of the item retrieval game device, the administrator (for example, an employee of the store where the item retrieval game device is installed) is notified that an item has been retrieved. Here, when the administrator replenishes the item storage compartment with items, it is necessary to open and close the door of the item storage compartment. According to the configuration of (1), the state of such a door is detected, and the notification is canceled according to the detected state of the door.
[0012] This system notifies the administrator when an item has been acquired by a player, and the administrator can cancel this notification by opening and closing the door to the item storage compartment, which is a necessary action when replenishing items. Therefore, when canceling the notification, there is no need to perform any actions other than those necessary for replenishing items (for example, operating a replenishment complete switch), thus preventing situations where one administrator approaches an item acquisition game machine where another administrator has already completed replenishing items. Consequently, it is possible to improve the management efficiency of the item acquisition game machine.
[0013] (2) The item acquisition game system according to (1), comprising: a management unit to which a plurality of item acquisition game devices are connected via a network; and an administrator terminal connected to the management unit via a network and operated by an administrator of the item acquisition game devices, wherein the management unit comprises: an item acquisition information receiving means for receiving item acquisition information from the item acquisition game devices; an open information receiving means for receiving open information from the item acquisition game devices indicating that the door has been opened; a release means; and a transmitting means for transmitting notification information to the administrator terminal indicating that an item has been acquired when the item acquisition information is received, and for transmitting release information to the administrator terminal indicating that the notification by the notification information has been released when the open information is received.
[0014] In configuration (2), the item acquisition game system includes a management unit to which multiple item acquisition game devices are connected via a network, and an administrator terminal connected to the management unit via the network and operated by the administrator of the item acquisition game device. The management unit includes an item acquisition information receiving means, an open information receiving means, a release means, and a transmission means. The item acquisition information receiving means receives item acquisition information from the item acquisition game device. The open information receiving means receives open information from the item acquisition game device indicating that it has detected that a door has been opened. When the transmission means receives item acquisition information, it transmits notification information to the administrator terminal indicating that an item has been acquired, and when it receives open information, it transmits release information to the administrator terminal indicating that the notification based on the notification information has been released.
[0015] (2) According to the item acquisition game system, multiple item acquisition game devices can be managed via a management unit using an administrator terminal operated by the administrator. With such an item acquisition game system, when the management unit receives item acquisition information from an item acquisition game device indicating that an item has been acquired by a player, it sends notification information to the administrator's administrator terminal indicating that an item has been acquired. Furthermore, when the management unit receives open information from an item acquisition game device indicating that the door of the item storage compartment has been opened, it sends release information to the administrator's administrator terminal indicating that the notification has been released.
[0016] This allows administrators to receive notification information via their administrator terminal, but if, for example, they are unable to immediately go to the item acquisition game machine due to other tasks, and later, when they do go to the item acquisition game machine, if the administrator terminal has received the release information, they will know that another administrator has replenished the items, thus eliminating the need to go to the item acquisition game machine. Therefore, unnecessary movement by administrators can be prevented. Consequently, the management efficiency of item acquisition game machines can be improved.
[0017] (3) The administrator terminal comprises an administrator terminal receiving means for receiving the notification information and the cancellation information from the management unit, and an administrator terminal control means for displaying a notification status screen based on the notification information on a display means, wherein when the administrator terminal control means receives the cancellation information relating to a certain item acquisition game device, it updates the notification status screen to reflect the state in which the notification for the item acquisition game device has been cancelled, as described in (2).
[0018] In configuration (3), the administrator terminal comprises an administrator terminal receiving means and an administrator terminal control means. The administrator terminal receiving means receives notification information and cancellation information from the management unit. The administrator terminal control means displays a notification status screen based on the notification information on the display means. When the administrator terminal control means receives cancellation information relating to a certain item acquisition game device, it updates the notification status screen to reflect the state in which the notification for that item acquisition game device has been canceled.
[0019] According to the configuration of (3), the administrator terminal displays a notification status screen based on notification information on the display means, and when it receives release information regarding a certain item acquisition game device, it updates the notification status screen to reflect the state in which the notification for the item acquisition game device has been released.
[0020] This allows administrators to understand the status of multiple item acquisition game devices (whether an item has been acquired and whether the notification has been canceled) simply by checking the notification status screen displayed on the administrator terminal.
[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the management efficiency of an item acquisition game device.
[0022] This is a diagram illustrating the overview of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating the external appearance of an item acquisition game device in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the key part of an item acquisition game device in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the key part of an item acquisition game device in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic example of the administrator DB of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic example of the status information DB of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the notification status screen displayed on the administrator terminal of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart illustrating the item acquisition notification process by the server of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] The present invention will be described in more detail below using preferred embodiments. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. An overview of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] The configuration of the item acquisition game system S will now be described. The item acquisition game system S includes an item acquisition game device 1 capable of acquiring items stored inside an item storage unit, and notifies the player when an item has been acquired. Specifically, the item acquisition game system S includes a plurality of item acquisition game devices 1, a server 100 which is an example of a management unit and is connected to the plurality of item acquisition game devices 1 via a network, and an administrator terminal 200 which is connected to the server 100 via a network and is operated by an administrator.
[0025] Here, the configuration of the item acquisition game device 1 will be described. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the external appearance of the item acquisition game device in one embodiment of the present invention. The item acquisition game device 1 comprises a base 10 installed on the floor, an item storage section 20 placed on the base 10 and containing items (prizes, etc.) inside, with walls and other surfaces made of a translucent material (for example, glass, etc.), a moving device 30 provided in the upper interior of the item storage section 20, a vertical moving device 40 attached to the moving device 30 and moving the item acquisition device 50 (described later) in the vertical direction, and an item acquisition device 50 capable of acquiring items.
[0026] The item acquisition game device 1, for example, based on the player's operation of an operating unit 11 such as a switch provided on the base 10, moves the vertical movement device 40 in the left-right and front-back directions using a moving device 30 provided in the upper part of the inside of the item storage unit 20, then moves the item acquisition device 50 downward using the vertical movement device 40, grasps an item (not shown) placed inside the item storage unit 20 with a pair of arms 51 of the item acquisition device 50, moves the item onto a drop-off opening 12 provided on the base 10, then opens the pair of arms 51 and drops the item into the drop-off opening 12, thereby discharging the item to the outside. In this way, the player can acquire an item placed in the item storage unit 20.
[0027] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 2, the item acquisition game device includes a plurality of booths 5 (two in the example shown in Figure 2) arranged in a predetermined direction (left and right in the example shown in Figure 2). The item acquisition game device has an item storage section 20 that is partitioned into booths 5, and each booth 5 is equipped with an operation unit 11, a moving device 30, an up and down moving device 40, an item acquisition device 50, and a drop-off opening 12. With this configuration, one item acquisition game device can accommodate as many players as there are booths 5 (two in the example shown in Figure 2), each playing the item acquisition game.
[0028] The base 10 is provided with a lock mechanism 13 near the item storage section 20, which allows the door 21 that opens and closes the item storage section 20 to be locked and unlocked. The base 10 is also provided with a detection means 70, which will be described in more detail later, for detecting the open / closed state of the door 21 and the locked / unlocked state of the lock mechanism 13.
[0029] Door 21 can be locked and unlocked by an administrator (for example, an employee of a store where the item acquisition game system is installed), and can be unlocked and opened, for example, when replenishing items in the item storage section 20 or rearranging items.
[0030] The item acquisition game device 1 transmits item acquisition information when an item is acquired by a player from inside the item storage section 20 (for example, when it detects that an item has fallen into the drop-off opening 12). The item acquisition game device 1 also transmits open information when the door 21 is opened by the administrator.
[0031] Returning to Figure 1, let's explain the overview of the functions of the item acquisition game system S. When an item is acquired by a player (for example, when it is detected that an item has fallen into the drop-off point 12), the item acquisition game system S notifies the administrator that an item has been acquired. Specifically, when an item is acquired from inside the item storage unit 20 (see Figure 2), the item acquisition game device 1 transmits item acquisition information to the server 100.
[0032] When the server 100 receives information about the acquisition of an item, it transmits notification information indicating that an item has been acquired to an administrator terminal 200 operated by the administrator who manages the item acquisition game device 1.
[0033] Subsequently, if the item acquisition game device 1 opens the door 21 (see Figure 2) of the item storage section 20 by the administrator, for example, it transmits opening information to the server 100.
[0034] When the server 100 receives the open information, it transmits release information to the administrator terminal 200, which is operated by the administrator managing the item acquisition game device 1, indicating that the notification indicated by the above notification information has been canceled.
[0035] With this item acquisition game system S, the administrator is notified when an item has been acquired by a player, and this notification can be canceled by opening and closing the door 21 of the item storage unit 20, which is an essential action for the administrator when replenishing items. Therefore, when canceling the notification, there is no need to perform any actions other than those essential for replenishing items (for example, operating a replenishment complete switch), thus preventing situations where one administrator approaches an item acquisition game device 1 where another administrator has already completed replenishing items. Consequently, the management efficiency of the item acquisition game device can be improved.
[0036] In the following description, we will explain an example in which the item acquisition game system S includes an item acquisition game device 1, a server 100 which is an example of a management unit, and an administrator terminal 200. However, the item acquisition game system S may also be composed of only the item acquisition game device 1, only the item acquisition game device 1 and the server 100, or only the item acquisition game device 1 and the administrator terminal 200.
[0037] For example, if the item acquisition game system S is composed solely of the item acquisition game device 1, the notification may be displayed or audible by a device provided by the item acquisition game device 1. Furthermore, if the door 21 (see Figure 2) is opened by the administrator, the item acquisition game device 1 may cancel the notification (stop displaying or audible).
[0038] Furthermore, if the item acquisition game system S consists only of the item acquisition game device 1 and the server 100, the administrator may confirm that an item has been acquired by the item acquisition game device 1 using a device provided by the server 100 (for example, a display means or a voice output means).
[0039] Furthermore, if the item acquisition game system S is composed only of the item acquisition game device 1 and the administrator terminal 200, the item acquisition game device 1 may directly transmit notification information and opening information to the administrator terminal 200.
[0040] Next, the functional configuration of the item acquisition game system S will be described. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention.
[0041] The item acquisition game system S includes a plurality of item acquisition game devices 1, a server 100 which is an example of a management unit to which the plurality of item acquisition game devices 1 are connected, and an administrator terminal 200 which is connected to the server 100 via a network and is operated by an administrator.
[0042] The functional configuration of the item acquisition game device 1 will be described. The item acquisition game device 1 includes an operation unit 11, a moving device 30, a vertical moving device 40, an item acquisition device 50, a control means 60, a detection means 70, and a communication means 80.
[0043] The operation unit 11 is provided on the front side of the base 10 and includes switches and the like for receiving the operations of the player in the item acquisition game. The operation unit 11 transmits various information (for example, information regarding the operation of the item acquisition device 50) corresponding to the player's operation to the control means 60.
[0044] The moving device 30 moves the vertical moving device 40 and the item acquisition device 50 in a predetermined direction (for example, the left - right direction, the front - back direction) under the control of the control means 60. The vertical moving device 40 moves the item acquisition device 50 in a predetermined direction (for example, the vertical direction) under the control of the control means 60. The item acquisition device 50 opens and closes a pair of arm portions 51 under the control of the control means 60.
[0045] The control means 60 controls the operation of the item acquisition game device 1. Specifically, the control means 60 receives various information from the server 100 and the administrator terminal 200 via the communication means 80, and controls the item acquisition game by the player according to the settings based on the received information.
[0046] Further, the control means 60 switches between a game mode in which the item acquisition game device 1 can execute and a maintenance mode, and controls the operation of the item acquisition game device 1 in each mode.
[0047] In the present embodiment, the "game mode" is a mode in which the player can play the item acquisition game, and is an example of the first mode. That is, the first mode is not limited to the so - called "game mode", but is a mode in which the item acquisition game device 1 is operated based on the operation by the player.
[0048] Also, the "maintenance mode" is a mode in which an administrator of the item acquisition game device (for example, a store clerk of a store where the item acquisition game system S is installed) makes various settings of the item acquisition game device 1 (for example, settings for adjusting the operation amounts of the moving device 30, the vertical moving device 40, the item acquisition device 50, etc.), and is an example of the second mode. That is, the second mode is not limited to the so-called "maintenance mode", but is a mode in which various settings in the item acquisition game device 1 can be made.
[0049] Also, the control means 60 refers to various information received from the server 100 and the administrator terminal 20, and controls the operations of the moving device 30, the vertical moving device 40, and the item acquisition device 50 based on various information transmitted from the operation unit 11 according to the player's operation, for example.
[0050] Also, when the detection means detects that an item has been acquired by the player from inside the item storage unit 20 (for example, when sensors provided at each drop port 12 (see FIG. 2) of the plurality of booths 5 detect that the item has passed through), the control means 60 transmits item acquisition information. Such control means 60 functions as transmission means for transmitting item acquisition information when an item is acquired from inside the item storage unit 20.
[0051] Specifically, when the control means 60 detects that an item has passed through at the drop port 12, the control means 60 transmits the item acquisition information to the server 100 via the communication means 80, together with the housing ID for identifying the item acquisition game device 1 and the booth ID for identifying the booth 5 provided with the drop port 12 where the item passing through has been detected. The housing ID and the booth ID are preset by an administrator or the like.
[0052] Note that the control means 60 may notify that an item has been acquired by using various notification devices (light emitting means, display means, sound generating means, etc.) provided in the item acquisition game device 1.
[0053] Furthermore, the control means 60 transmits information indicating the state of the door 21 of the article storage section 20 (see Figure 2), which is transmitted from the detection means 70 (described later), to the server 100 via the communication means 80.
[0054] Specifically, the control means 60 receives information from the detection means 70 indicating the status of the door 21 of the item storage section 20 for each booth 5, and transmits this status information, along with the housing ID and the booth ID that identifies the booth 5 to which the status information pertains, to the server 100.
[0055] Furthermore, in maintenance mode, the control means 60 performs various settings on the item acquisition game device (for example, settings to adjust the amount of movement of the moving device 30, the vertical moving device 40, and the item acquisition device 50, etc.) based on direct operation from an administrator (operation on the item acquisition game device) or indirect operation (operation via a server to which the item acquisition game device is connected via a network), and stores these settings in the storage means.
[0056] The detection means 70 detects the state of the door 21. More specifically, the detection means 70 detects the state of the door 21 for each of the multiple booths 5. In this embodiment, the state of the door 21 detected by the detection means 70 includes the open / closed state of the door 21 itself, the locked state of the door 21 (closed state), and the unlocked state (state in which the door 21 can be opened).
[0057] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the operation of the key mechanism of the item acquisition game device 1 in one embodiment of the present invention. The key mechanism 13 comprises a cylinder part 131 and a movable part 132. The cylinder part 131 rotates when a key managed by an administrator (for example, an employee of a store where the item acquisition game system is installed) is inserted, causing the shaft extending in the front and back directions to rotate. The movable part 132 moves vertically in accordance with the rotation of the shaft of the cylinder part 131, and has an engaging piece 132a that engages with the door 21 when it moves upward.
[0058] The door 21 has an engagement hole 21a formed on its side edge, through which the engagement piece 132a can be inserted. The engagement hole 21a is positioned directly above the engagement piece 132a when the door 21 is in the closed position.
[0059] When the engaging piece 132a is inserted into the engaging hole 21a, the door 21 becomes unable to open and enters a closed state (see Figure 4). On the other hand, when the engaging piece 132a is removed from the engaging hole 21a, the door 21 becomes able to open (see Figure 5).
[0060] Returning to Figure 2, the detection means 70 transmits closed information to the control means 60 when it detects that the door 21 is in a closed state. Also, the detection means 70 transmits open information to the control means 60 when it detects that the door 21 is in an open state or in a state where the door can be opened.
[0061] Specifically, the detection means 70 is composed of a microswitch capable of contact detection or a reflective sensor capable of non-contact detection. For example, when the door 21 is closed, it detects a predetermined portion of the door 21 at predetermined intervals and transmits closed information to the control means 60 at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, when the door 21 actually opens (the predetermined portion moves) and the predetermined portion can no longer be detected, the detection means 70 transmits open information to the control means 60.
[0062] Furthermore, the detection means 70 is composed of a sensor that detects the position of the engaging piece 132a (see Figures 4 and 5), and for example, it can detect the engaging piece 132a at its uppermost position (the position where the engaging piece 132a is inserted into the engaging hole 21a of the door 21 (see Figures 4 and 5)), and when this state (the locking state of the locking part 13) is detected, it may transmit closed information to the control means 60. Also, when the detection means 70 detects that the locking part 13 is unlocked, it may transmit open information to the control means 60.
[0063] Furthermore, if the detection means 70 transmits only closed information to the control means 60, the control means 60 may determine that the door 21 is in an open state when the closed information is interrupted.
[0064] Furthermore, if the control means 60 detects that an item has been acquired by the player from inside the item storage section 20 using a detection means (for example, sensors provided at each of the drop-off points 12 (see Figure 2) of the multiple booths 5 detect that the item has passed through), and has been issuing a notification using a notification device (light-emitting means, display means, sound-generating means, etc.), the control means 60 may cancel the notification depending on the state of the door 21 detected by the detection means 70. Such a control means 60 functions as an example of a cancellation means that cancels the notification depending on the state of the door 21 detected by the detection means 70.
[0065] Returning to Figure 3, the communication means 80, under the control of the control means 60, transmits item acquisition information, opening information, etc., along with the housing ID and booth ID, to the server 100, and receives various setting information from the server 100 for controlling the operation of the moving device 30, the vertical moving device 40, and the item acquisition device 50.
[0066] Next, the functional configuration of the server 100 will be described. Based on the administrator's operations, the server 100 generates and stores information for managing multiple item acquisition game devices 1 connected via a network. The server 100 may consist of a single computer (e.g., a personal computer), or it may consist of an externally provided storage means (e.g., cloud storage) and an administrator terminal (e.g., a personal computer) that can access this storage means.
[0067] Specifically, the server 100 includes an item acquisition information receiving means 110, an open information receiving means 120, an administrator setting means 130, a status information generation means 140, an update means 150, a transmission means 160, and a storage means 170.
[0068] The item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information from the item acquisition game device 1. More specifically, the item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information from the item acquisition game device 1, along with the cabinet ID that identifies the item acquisition game device 1 and the booth ID of the booth 5 where the item was acquired by the player. The cabinet ID and booth ID, which are cabinet information, are associated with the item acquisition information, and the storage means 170 stores this information.
[0069] The open information receiving means 120 receives open information from the item acquisition game device 1 indicating that it has detected that the door 21 has been opened. More specifically, the open information receiving means 120 receives open information from the item acquisition game device 1 along with the enclosure ID that identifies the item acquisition game device 1 and the booth ID of the booth 5 in which the door 21 was opened. The open information is then associated with the enclosure information, namely the enclosure ID and booth ID, and stored in the storage means 170.
[0070] The administrator setting means 130 sets an administrator to be in charge of each of the multiple item acquisition game machines 1 and the multiple booths 5. Specifically, based on the administrator's operation, the administrator setting means 130 generates and updates an administrator DB 171, which associates the assigned administrator ID (administrator information) of the assigned administrator in charge of each machine or booth with the machine ID and booth ID (machine information) of each of the multiple item acquisition game machines 1, and stores this DB in the storage means 170.
[0071] Figure 6 is a schematic example of the administrator DB of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention. The administrator DB 171 associates the assigned administrator ID, which is administrator information identifying the administrator in charge of each enclosure, with enclosure information including enclosure ID and booth ID. In the example shown in Figure 6, the administrator DB 171 associates multiple assigned administrators (assigned administrator IDs, which are administrator information) with one booth (booth ID, which is enclosure information). Furthermore, the administrator setting means 130 can associate the same assigned administrator (assigned administrator ID) with all booths (booth IDs) in the administrator DB 171, even though there are multiple (for example, two) booths (booth IDs) for one enclosure (enclosure ID), or it can associate different assigned administrators (assigned administrator IDs) with each booth.
[0072] In this way, the administrator setting means 130 can associate multiple administrators (assigned administrator IDs) with each of the multiple booths 5 (booth IDs) of the item acquisition game device 1 (cabinet ID). Alternatively, the administrator setting means 130 may associate an administrator (assigned administrator ID) with each item acquisition game device 1 (cabinet ID), or it may associate one administrator (assigned administrator ID) with each item acquisition game device 1 (cabinet ID) and booth 5 (booth ID).
[0073] Returning to Figure 3, the state information generation means 140 stores in the storage means 170, along with item acquisition time information indicating the time the item acquisition information was received, when the item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information from the item acquisition game device 1, to which the cabinet ID and booth ID are associated. More specifically, when the item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information, the state information generation means 140 generates a state information DB 172 by associating the cabinet ID and booth ID associated with the item acquisition information with notification information (for example, item acquisition time information and information indicating whether or not open information has been received) which is information to be notified to the manager in charge of the item acquisition game device 1 (cabinet ID) or booth 5 (booth ID), and stores it in the storage means 170.
[0074] When the update means 150 receives open information from an item acquisition game device 1, it updates the status information for the item acquisition game device to reflect the state in which the notification has been canceled. Specifically, when the open information receiving means 120 receives open information from an item acquisition game device 1, the update means 150 updates the status information DB 172 generated by the status information generation means 140, which is notification information associated with the item acquisition game device 1 (casing ID) and booth 5 (booth ID), to information indicating that open information has been received.
[0075] Figure 7 is a schematic example of the state information DB of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention. The state information DB 172 associates notification information with enclosure information, including enclosure ID and booth ID. In the example shown in Figure 7, the state information DB 172 associates notification information with the booth (booth ID, which is enclosure information) that was associated with the item acquisition information, including item acquisition time information and information indicating whether or not open information was received.
[0076] The information indicating whether or not open information has been received is, in the status information DB 172, information indicating whether or not the open information receiving means 120 has received open information from the item acquisition game device 1 to which the information is associated. In the example shown in Figure 7, 0 is used when no open information has been received, and 1 is used when open information has been received.
[0077] The state information generation means 140, in the state information DB 172, when it receives item acquisition information from an item acquisition game device 1, associates item acquisition time information with the item acquisition game device 1 (casing ID) or booth 5 (booth ID), and sets the information indicating whether or not open information has been received to information indicating that open information has not been received (0 in the example shown in Figure 7).
[0078] Subsequently, the update means 150, at the time it receives open information from the item acquisition game device 1, sets the information indicating whether or not open information has been received in the status information DB 172 to information indicating that open information has been received (1 in the example shown in Figure 7).
[0079] Furthermore, the status information generation means 140, in a certain item acquisition game device 1 or booth 5, unless the open information receiving means 120 receives open information, stores notification information (item acquisition time information) cumulatively in the status information DB 172 each time the item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information (in the example shown in Figure 7, booth ID "A...2").
[0080] Returning to Figure 3, the transmitting means 160 transmits notification information to the administrator terminal 200 indicating that an item has been acquired when the item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information, and transmits cancellation information to the administrator terminal 200 indicating that the notification based on the notification information has been canceled when the open information receiving means 120 receives open information. Such a transmitting means 160 functions as an example of a cancellation means that cancels the notification according to the state of the door 21 detected by the detection means 70.
[0081] In detail, when the item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information from an item acquisition game device 1, and the status information generation means 140 generates and updates the status information DB 172, the transmission means 160 transmits the cabinet ID or booth ID of the item acquisition game device 1 and the item acquisition time information as notification information to the administrator terminal 200 of the administrator (responsible administrator ID) associated with the cabinet ID or booth ID in the administrator DB 171.
[0082] Then, when the update means 150 updates the status information DB 172 after the update means 150 has received open information from the item acquisition game device 1, the transmission means 160 transmits the cabinet ID or booth ID of the item acquisition game device 1 and the open information as release information to the administrator terminal 200 of the administrator (responsible administrator ID) associated with the cabinet ID or booth ID in the administrator DB 171.
[0083] Furthermore, the transmission means 160 may transmit notification information to the administrator terminal 200 when the item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information and predetermined conditions are met.
[0084] In this case, specifically, for example, the transmission means 160 may, under predetermined conditions, transmit notification information (such as item acquisition time information) associated with a certain item acquisition game device 1 (casing ID) or booth 5 (booth ID) in the status information DB 172 to the administrator terminal 200 when the number of notification information (such as item acquisition time information) associated with a certain item acquisition game device 1 (casing ID) or booth 5 (booth ID) reaches a predetermined number (for example, five).
[0085] Furthermore, for example, the transmission means 160 may, under predetermined conditions, transmit notification information regarding a certain item acquisition game device 1 or booth 5 (in the example shown in Figure 7, booth ID "A...2") to the administrator terminal 200 if the status information DB 172 (see Figure 7) is updated a predetermined number of times (for example, 5 times) within a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) by the status information generation means 140 with respect to that item acquisition game device 1 or booth 5.
[0086] Next, the functional configuration of the administrator terminal 200 will be described. The administrator terminal 200 is composed of equipment suitable for each administrator (for example, a mobile terminal, smartphone, tablet terminal, personal computer, etc.) and includes an administrator terminal transmission / reception means 210, an administrator terminal control means 220, and an administrator terminal input / output means 230.
[0087] The administrator terminal transmission / reception means 210 is an example of an administrator terminal reception means, and receives notification information (such as the cabinet ID and booth ID of the item acquisition game device 1, and item acquisition time information) and release information (such as the cabinet ID and booth ID of the item acquisition game device 1, and open information) from the item acquisition game device 1 and the server 100.
[0088] The administrator terminal control means 220 controls the administrator terminal 200 based on the administrator's operations on the administrator terminal input / output means 230 and various information received from the item acquisition game device 1 and the server 100. Specifically, the administrator terminal control means 220 generates a notification status screen based on the notification information received by the administrator terminal transmission / reception means 210 and controls the administrator terminal input / output means 230 to display it.
[0089] Furthermore, when the administrator terminal transmission / reception means 210 receives release information regarding a certain item acquisition game device 1, the administrator terminal control means 220 updates the notification status screen to reflect the state in which the notification for the item acquisition game device 1 has been released.
[0090] The administrator terminal input / output means 230 is an example of a display means, and is, for example, composed of a touch panel, which, under the control of the administrator terminal control means 220, displays a notification status screen and accepts administrator operations.
[0091] Figure 8 shows an example of a notification status screen displayed on the administrator terminal of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in Figure 8, the notification status screen associates the elapsed time, which is the time difference from the time the notification information was received to the current time, with each housing ID of the item acquisition game device 1 included in the notification information.
[0092] When generating such a notification status screen, the administrator terminal control means 220 stores alert information in the administrator terminal 200's storage means when the administrator terminal transmission / reception means 210 receives notification information, associating the time the notification information was received with the housing ID included in the notification information. The administrator terminal control means 220 then calculates the elapsed time based on the alert information and generates a notification status screen associating the elapsed time with the housing ID. The administrator terminal control means 220 may also update the elapsed time on the notification status screen at predetermined intervals (for example, 1 second or 1 minute).
[0093] Furthermore, when the administrator terminal transmission / reception means 210 receives release information regarding a certain item acquisition game device 1, the administrator terminal control means 220 controls the notification status screen to erase the housing ID and elapsed time of the item acquisition game device 1, or to change the display manner of the housing ID and elapsed time of the item acquisition game device 1 (for example, graying them out), indicating that the notification for the item acquisition game device 1 has been canceled.
[0094] The functional configuration of this system described above is merely an example, and a single functional block (database and functional processing unit) may be divided, or multiple functional blocks may be combined into a single functional block. Each functional processing unit is realized by a computer program (e.g., core software or the character generation application mentioned above) that is read by the CPU (Central Processing Unit) built into the device and executed by the CPU. In other words, each functional processing unit is realized by this computer program reading and writing necessary data such as tables from the database (DB) stored in the storage device or from memory storage areas, and, if necessary, controlling related hardware (e.g., input / output devices, display devices, communication interface devices). Furthermore, the database (DB) in the embodiments of the present invention may be a commercial database, but it also means a mere collection of tables and files, and the internal structure of the database itself is not specified.
[0095] Next, the item acquisition notification process by the server 100 will be described. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the item acquisition notification process by the server of an item acquisition game system in one embodiment of the present invention.
[0096] In step S1, the item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information from the item acquisition game device 1, along with the enclosure ID that identifies the item acquisition game device 1 and the booth ID of the booth 5 where the item was acquired by the player. The storage means 170 stores the item acquisition information in association with the enclosure information, namely the enclosure ID and booth ID.
[0097] In step S2, when the item acquisition information receiving means 110 receives item acquisition information in step S1, the state information generation means 140 generates a state information DB 172 that associates notification information (for example, item acquisition time information or information indicating whether or not open information has been received) which is information to be notified to the manager in charge of the item acquisition game device 1 (cabinet ID) or booth 5 (booth ID), with the cabinet ID or booth ID that was associated with the item acquisition information, and stores the DB 172 in the storage means 170.
[0098] In step S3, once the status information DB 172 has been generated and updated by the status information generation means 140 in step S2, the transmission means 160 transmits the housing ID and booth ID of the item acquisition game device 1 and the item acquisition time information to the administrator terminal 200 as notification information.
[0099] Then, when the administrator terminal control means 220 of the administrator terminal 200 receives notification information, it generates a notification status screen (see Figure 8) based on the notification information and controls it to display it on the administrator terminal input / output means 230.
[0100] In step S4, the open information receiving means 120 receives open information from the item acquisition game device 1, along with the housing ID that identifies the item acquisition game device 1 and the booth ID of the booth 5 whose door 21 is open. The open information is then associated with the housing information, namely the housing ID and booth ID, and stored in the storage means 170.
[0101] In step S5, if the open information receiving means 120 receives open information from an item acquisition game device 1 in step S4, the update means 150 updates the status information DB 172 generated by the status information generation means 140 in step S2, which is notification information indicating whether or not open information has been received, to information indicating that open information has been received.
[0102] In step S6, if the status information DB 172 is updated by the update means 150 in step S5, the transmission means 160 transmits the housing ID and booth ID of the item acquisition game device 1 and the open information as release information to the administrator terminal 200.
[0103] Then, when the administrator terminal control means 220 of the administrator terminal 200 receives the release information, it performs control to update the notification status screen to reflect the state in which the notification to the item acquisition game device 1 has been released.
[0104] As described above, the item acquisition game system S of this embodiment notifies the administrator when an item has been acquired by a player, and this notification can be canceled by opening and closing the door 21 of the item storage unit 20, which is an essential operation when the administrator replenishes the items. Therefore, when canceling the notification, there is no need to perform any operations other than those essential for replenishing items (for example, operating a replenishment complete switch), which prevents situations where one administrator approaches an item acquisition game device where another administrator has already completed replenishing the items. Thus, it is possible to improve the management efficiency of the item acquisition game device.
[0105] Furthermore, with the item acquisition game system S, multiple item acquisition game devices 1 can be managed via the server 100 by an administrator terminal 200 operated by the administrator. With such an item acquisition game system S, when the server 100 receives item acquisition information from an item acquisition game device 1 indicating that an item has been acquired by a player, it transmits notification information to the administrator's administrator terminal 200 indicating that an item has been acquired. Also, when the server 100 receives open information from an item acquisition game device 1 indicating that the door 21 of the item storage unit 20 has been opened, it transmits release information to the administrator's administrator terminal 200 indicating that the notification has been released.
[0106] As a result, even if the administrator terminal 200 receives notification information, if, for example, the administrator is unable to immediately go to the item acquisition game device 1 due to other tasks, and later goes to the item acquisition game device 1, the administrator terminal 200 has received the release information, indicating that the items have been replenished by another administrator, thus eliminating the need to go to the item acquisition game device 1. Therefore, unnecessary movement by the administrator can be prevented. Consequently, the management efficiency of the item acquisition game device 1 can be improved.
[0107] Furthermore, with the item acquisition game system S, the administrator can understand the status of multiple item acquisition game devices 1 (whether an item has been acquired and whether the notification has been canceled) simply by checking the notification status screen displayed on the administrator terminal 200.
[0108] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
[0109] S Item Acquisition Game System 1 Item Acquisition Game Device 10 Base 11 Operation Unit 12 Drop-off Slot 13 Key Unit 20 Item Storage Unit 21 Door 21a Engagement Hole 30 Moving Device 40 Vertical Moving Device 50 Item Acquisition Device 51 Arm Unit 60 Control Means 70 Detection Means 80 Communication Means 100 Server 110 Item Acquisition Information Receiving Means 120 Open Information Receiving Means 130 Administrator Setting Means 131 Cylinder Unit 132 Moving Unit 132a Engagement Piece 140 State Information Generation Means 150 Update Means 160 Transmission Means 170 Storage Means 200 Administrator Terminal 210 Administrator Terminal Sending / Receiving Means 220 Administrator Terminal Control Means 230 Administrator Terminal Input / Output Means
Claims
1. An item acquisition game system comprising an item acquisition game device capable of acquiring an item stored inside an item storage compartment, and which notifies that an item has been acquired, the system comprising: a transmitting means for transmitting item acquisition information when an item is acquired from inside the item storage compartment; a notification means for notifying the administrator of the item acquisition game device that an item has been acquired based on the item acquisition information; a detection means for detecting the state of a door that opens and closes the item storage compartment; and a release means for canceling the notification when the notification means has made the notification, according to the state of the door detected by the detection means.
2. The item acquisition game system according to claim 1, comprising: a management unit to which a plurality of item acquisition game devices are connected via a network; and an administrator terminal connected to the management unit via a network and operated by an administrator of the item acquisition game devices, wherein the management unit comprises: an item acquisition information receiving means for receiving item acquisition information from the item acquisition game devices; an open information receiving means for receiving open information from the item acquisition game devices indicating that the door has been opened; a release means; and a transmitting means for transmitting notification information to the administrator terminal indicating that an item has been acquired when the item acquisition information is received, and for transmitting release information to the administrator terminal indicating that the notification based on the notification information has been released when the open information is received.
3. The administrator terminal comprises an administrator terminal receiving means for receiving the notification information and the cancellation information from the management unit, and an administrator terminal control means for displaying a notification status screen based on the notification information on a display means, wherein when the administrator terminal control means receives the cancellation information relating to a certain item acquisition game device, it updates the notification status screen to a state in which the notification for the item acquisition game device has been canceled, as described in paragraph 2.