JP4069927B2 - Control device for gaming machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine control device that controls gaming machines while monitoring fraudulent acts on gaming machines by cooperating with a gaming machine monitoring network laid in a gaming store.

  In recent years, pachinko machines and other gaming machines have been widely digitized, and multi-digit numbers rotate for a certain period of time as a result of winning a specific prize opening, and combinations of multi-digit numbers are specific. Control is performed such that the movable piece of the winning opening moves to a position where it is easy to win. Such game conditions are programmed as a game program and stored and supplied to a ROM as an external storage element for storing the program in a nonvolatile manner or a ROM with built-in CPU as a game machine control element. Then, the gaming machine control element centering on the CPU controls the gaming machine by appropriately reading and executing the gaming program stored in these storage means. That is, this type of gaming machine control device, which is a combination of a gaming machine control element and storage means, is based on the gaming conditions of the gaming program stored in the storage means, for example, the probability of a variable winning in the case of a pachinko machine. Therefore, the game program can be tampered with to make an illegal game.

  In order to cope with such alteration of a game program, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-56878, a control board equipped with a game machine control element constituting a control device for a game machine or a control for network communication An identification code is assigned to each control board such as a board, and a gaming machine control device is connected to a gaming machine monitoring network laid in a gaming store, and authenticity verification such as identification code confirmation through this network is performed. ing. The gaming machine control device starts controlling the gaming machine only when the authenticity verification is normally performed. According to this technology, it is possible to reliably avoid illegal acts such as falsification of game programs and replacement of control circuits, and contribute to sound management of game stores.

  However, conventional gaming machine control devices focus on dealing with sophisticated and complicated fraud, but are too inconvenient to handle the gaming machine control device itself.

  An essential function of the gaming machine control device is to control the gaming machine in accordance with a predetermined gaming program. However, a conventional gaming machine control device requires connection to a gaming machine monitoring network and authenticity verification through this network as a condition for operating its original function. Therefore, at the time of manufacturing a plurality of control boards constituting the control device for gaming machines, at the time of operation confirmation when a plurality of control boards are assembled as a control device for gaming machines, at the time of shipment of the control equipment for gaming machines, and for gaming machines It has become difficult to confirm operations that should generally be performed at the time of product manufacture and delivery, such as when a control device is installed in an amusement store.

  A stable supply of a gaming machine control device that satisfies the product specifications is an essential obligation of the equipment manufacturer. To that end, it is essential to check the operation of the gaming machine control device at the time of game store installation or product shipment. Further, as described above, since the control device for gaming machines is a high-precision information device, a detailed function check such as for each control board or when assembling the control board is indispensable in order to improve the manufacturing yield rate.

  Conventional game machine control devices cannot perform the above-mentioned basic product function management with the strengthening of the fraud monitoring function, and cannot achieve both of them. In addition, it is easy to adopt a method of providing a test button etc. on the board and releasing the monitoring function by pressing this test button at the time of shipment. In this case, after installing in the hall, the test A fraudulent act of playing a game with the button held down and the monitoring function canceled.

  The present invention is a control device for a gaming machine, which is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and controls a gaming machine while monitoring an illegal act on the gaming machine in cooperation with a gaming machine monitoring network laid in a gaming store. However, an object of the present invention is to provide an excellent gaming machine control device that can easily check its operation during product manufacture and delivery.

The control device for gaming machines of the present invention,
For a gaming machine connected to a gaming machine monitoring network laid in a gaming store and controlling the gaming machine in accordance with a predetermined gaming program while monitoring illegal actions on the gaming machine in cooperation with the gaming machine monitoring network In the control device,
The monitoring of the fraudulent activity is performed immediately after the gaming machine is turned on , and at least a part of the monitoring function for monitoring the illegal activity is interrupted after a certain period of time has elapsed after the power is turned on. determines that the condition is satisfied, inter Tokoro periodically, and monitoring interruption means for interrupting at least some of the monitoring functions of the fraud,
After interruption of the monitoring of fraud by the monitoring interruption means is executed a predetermined number of times is the gist and the the Bei Etako interruption ending means that not satisfied the condition interrupting.

The gaming machine control device according to the present invention, when it is determined that an interruption condition for interrupting at least a part of the monitoring function for monitoring fraudulent activity is established, the power is turned on as a starting point for a predetermined period. , at least a portion of the monitoring functions of the fraud Ru is interrupted, yet at least a portion of the interruption of the monitoring function is started after lapse of the power source a predetermined time after the introduction of. Therefore, when at least a part of the monitoring of more temporarily cheating monitoring interruption hand stage is interrupted, it is possible to perform the operation check for a game machine controller. In addition, if the operation of the control device for the gaming machine is required to be interrupted only if the monitoring function is limited to the monitoring function that causes a malfunction in the operation confirmation, it is inconvenient for monitoring the illegal acts on the gaming machine. I don't give it. As a result, the control device for gaming machines of the present invention can be easily operated at the time of product manufacture or delivery, while monitoring illegal acts on the gaming machines by cooperating with the gaming machine monitoring network laid in the gaming store. Confirmation can be made.

  If these interruption conditions are satisfied only once immediately after the power is turned on and only for a predetermined time, it is difficult to repeat fraud by turning the power on and off. Furthermore, if the number of established conditions within a predetermined period is limited to a predetermined number of times as an interruption condition, it becomes impossible to continue fraud by repeatedly turning the power on and off. This is because the interruption condition is no longer satisfied when the power is turned on and off a plurality of times within a certain period. In addition, this period shall be counted from the first power-on after the assembly of the gaming device or its control board, and the operation of the gaming machine control device, such as when the board is assembled, at the time of product shipment, or when connected to the network at the amusement store. It is also useful to limit the number of times that confirmation is essential. In this way, after the gaming device is normally assembled, properly equipped, and the inspection is completed, the monitoring function interruption means no longer operate, and it is impossible to cancel the monitoring function and perform fraud. Note that it is realistic to limit the number of times of operation confirmation to an extra number more than the number of times of operation confirmation assumed in the case of normal installation and to have a reserve for establishment of the interruption condition. It is also useful to have a limit of once a day. In a hall or the like where a gaming device is installed, it may be possible to perform adjustment / inspection of the gaming device once a day, including adjustment of the ball. In such a case, the setting of canceling the monitoring function only once a day is effective. In this case, the limit number of times the release condition is satisfied may be set to an optimum value in accordance with the usage situation in the hall.

[Other aspects of the invention]
The present invention also includes the following aspects. The predetermined end condition for operating the interrupt end means may be not only the elapsed time from when the interrupt condition is satisfied, but also a command input from the network or a combination thereof. Also according to such an aspect, the operation of the monitoring function interrupting means can be performed in a limited manner, and the fraud monitoring function can be interrupted with the minimum necessary amount. In addition, it is possible to artificially restore the fraud monitoring function before a predetermined time elapses by inputting a command. Therefore, for example, in response to an illegal modification such as a timer that counts a period of time during which a suspension condition is allowed to be established in a gaming device and this period is forcibly extended, the network side This is preferable because the establishment of can be forcibly terminated.

  Further, as a predetermined interruption condition for operating the monitoring function interruption means, it is conceivable that not only the power is turned on, but also a connector connection point for connection to the network is established. With such an embodiment, no special operation is required, and the operation of the gaming machine control device can be checked simultaneously with power-on and network connection during product manufacture and delivery. In this case, it is desirable to combine it with the above configuration in which the end of the interruption condition is set from the network side.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples. FIG. 1 is an electric circuit block diagram of the gaming machine control device 20 according to the embodiment. The gaming machine control device 20 of this embodiment is attached to the back surface of a pachinko gaming machine (not shown). This gaming machine control device 20 controls the pachinko ball launching device provided in the pachinko gaming machine to fire pachinko balls at predetermined intervals while the player holds and operates a gaming handle (not shown). At the same time, the winning status of the pachinko ball is input from the sensor output of the winning sensor and the like, and based on the input result and the programmed game rules, the electric accessory, the winning ball discharging mechanism and the liquid crystal display are driven and controlled. . In order to realize these functions, the gaming machine control device 20 of this embodiment includes an accessory control circuit 22 for driving and controlling an electric accessory, a firing control circuit 24 for firing pachinko balls at predetermined intervals, and discharging a prize ball. The discharge control circuit 26 and the image display circuit 28 for driving and controlling the liquid crystal display device are configured as an assembly of four independent circuit blocks. Each of the circuit blocks 22 to 28 is connected to an AC 24V power line from the power circuit 34 via the power switch 32. In this embodiment, each circuit block 22 to 28 is provided with first to fourth network boards (hereinafter referred to as NW boards) 30 as shown in FIG. Is used to exchange signals with each other. In order to exchange signals using the power supply line, the NW board 30 is provided with a circuit for superimposing / separating signals to be transmitted / received from the AC 24V as the power supply line. These circuits will be described later. The circuit blocks may be connected to each other by a dedicated signal line so that data can be exchanged.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed circuit configuration of the NW board 30. The NW board 30 of this embodiment includes a neuron chip 30A described later, a clock circuit 30B that generates a clock signal necessary for processing of the neuron chip 30A, a transceiver 30C that modulates / demodulates communication data between the neuron chip 30A and an external node, Coupling circuit 30D for connecting to an external node via a power line (AC24V), ROM 30E storing a program to be executed by neuron chip 30A, RAM 30F used as a work area for neuron chip 30A, NW board The DPRAM 30G is a dual port RAM that enables bidirectional data reading / writing with the constituent circuits of the circuit blocks 22 to 28 on which the circuit 30 is mounted, and an internal bus 30H that connects these elements.

  Here, the neuron chip 30A includes a MACCPU 30Aa for media access control that performs first and second layer processing of a seven-layer communication protocol, a network CPU 30Ab that performs processing from third to sixth layers of a communication protocol, and a user code. Application CPU to be executed (abbreviated as APPLCPU in the drawing) 30Ac, RAM 30Ad used as a work area, network configuration information, addressing information, neuron chip identification code, user-created application code, and flag F specific to this embodiment described later EEPROM 30Af for writing / storing information of counter C, network communication port 30Ag for interface processing of network communication, I / O port 3 for connection with external hardware Ah, it is an integrated circuit for distributed intelligent control network LAN system composed of an internal bus 30Ai for connecting these components.

  The neuron chip identification code recorded in the EEPROM 30Af of the neuron chip 30A is set differently for each chip (for example, 0000 to 0011), and this identification code is communicated with each other by each circuit block. It can be determined whether or not the circuit block constituting the gaming machine control device 20 is authentic. In addition, when connecting the gaming machine control device 20 to the gaming machine monitoring network managed by the hall computer of the gaming shop, the gaming machine monitoring network configuration information unique to the gaming shop is recorded as the network configuration information of the EEPROM 30Af. Can do. As a result, the neuron chip 30A can perform a security check for determining the authenticity of each circuit block constituting the gaming machine control device 20 and the gaming machine monitoring network to which the gaming machine control device 20 is connected. When the operation is unsuccessful, the network function can be stopped, that is, the function of the gaming machine control device 20 can be completely stopped.

  The security routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is stored in the ROM 30E of the NW board 30 of this embodiment configured as described above. This security routine is repeatedly executed by the neuron chip 30A from when the NW board 30 is powered on. Hereinafter, the security function of the NW board 30 will be described in detail with reference to this flowchart.

  When the NW board 30 is powered on, the value of the flag F assigned to the predetermined address of the EEPROM 30Af is read (step S100), and it is determined whether or not the value is “1” (step S102). Note that the initial value of the flag F at the time of manufacturing the neuron chip 30A is “0”. Therefore, when the power to the NW board 30 is turned on for the first time, the determination in step 102 is always “false”. In this case, a process for starting the timer T is performed (step S104). The timer T measures the elapsed time by counting the clock frequency of the clock circuit 30B. After the timer T is started, normal control processing is started (step S105). Therefore, after this processing, each of the circuit blocks 22 to 28 including the NW board 30 enters a normal operation mode and can perform operations such as inspection and adjustment.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the time measured by the timer T has passed 10 minutes (step S106), and the process waits until 10 minutes have passed. When 10 minutes have elapsed, a process of incrementing the counter C indicating the number of executions of this process by 1 is performed (step S108). The counter C handled in step S108 is stored at a predetermined address of the EEPROM 30Af, and its initial value is “0” when the neuron chip 30A is manufactured. Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the value of the counter C is 3 or more (step S110). Then, when the counter C becomes 3 or more, the above-described flag F is set to “1” (step S112). That is, the value of the counter C indicates the number of times the power to the NW board 30 is turned on. When the power is turned on three times and the value of the counter C becomes 3 or more, the flag F is set to the value 1. It is. In other words, until the NW board 30 is energized three times, normal control is executed unconditionally for only 10 minutes after power-on, and each circuit block can be inspected and adjusted. It becomes.

  After the above process, a security check process is performed (step S200). The security check process is to confirm the identification code and the configuration information of the gaming machine monitoring network as described above, and stop the function as the network board when the confirmation fails. As a result of the security check processing, the security check for each circuit block alone is completed. If there is no problem, it is next determined whether or not each circuit block is connected to the network (step S250). If each circuit block is connected to the network, a process for starting the network function is subsequently performed (step S300). At the time of connection to the network, a network security check is performed.

  As described above, each circuit block executes normal control without being subjected to a security check for 10 minutes starting from power-on until it is energized three times after manufacture. Here, the number of times the security check did not work for 10 minutes was set to 3 times: (1) Inspection by a single board, (2) Inspection / adjustment as a control device 20 for gaming machines, (3) Incorporation into the network This is because it was assumed that the inspection and adjustment immediately after the inspection was made. What is necessary is just to set this frequency | count according to the manufacturing and assembly | attachment processes of a product. When the estimated number of times has elapsed, the flag F is set to a value of 1. When the power is turned on next time, the determination in step S102 is “YES”, so the security check is immediately started. It will be.

  According to the gaming machine control device 20 of the present embodiment configured as described above, any one of the circuit blocks 22 to 28 constituting the gaming machine control device 20 is replaced or modified by the action of the neuron chip 30A. If the connection with the gaming machine monitoring network managed by the hall computer of the gaming store is cut off or changed, the function of the gaming machine control device 20 is stopped. For this reason, fraud such as a change in the circuit blocks 22 to 28 and a disconnection from the gaming machine monitoring network can be reliably detected. Further, such a security check function is initially stopped only for 10 minutes while the power to the NW board 30 is up to three times by the action of the flag F and the counter C. Therefore, the circuit function check when each of the circuit blocks 22 to 28 is manufactured, the product check when the circuit blocks 22 to 28 are assembled and completed as the gaming machine control device 20, and the gaming machine control device 20 are used as an amusement store. It is possible to smoothly check the functions at the time of delivery connected to the gaming machine monitoring network. In addition, since the security check is forcibly stopped at the same time as the power is turned on, the function check can be performed without requiring any special processing. In addition, since this security check function automatically returns after being forcibly stopped for 10 minutes, it is possible to eliminate an artificial mistake that forgets to restart the security check function.

  As described above, the gaming machine control device 20 according to the present embodiment controls a gaming machine while monitoring an illegal act on the gaming machine in cooperation with a gaming machine monitoring network laid in a gaming store. An object of the present invention is to provide an excellent gaming machine control device that can easily check its operation at the time of product manufacture and delivery even though it is a machine control device. In addition, this invention is not limited to such an Example at all, Of course, it can implement with a various aspect in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention. For example, the present invention can also be applied to prevent fraud in other gaming machines such as slot machines. The security check function may be arbitrarily set without fixing the number of times the power is turned on or the elapsed time, and the security check function may be restored by inputting a command from the gaming machine monitoring network.

In this embodiment, the security check is canceled only three times after manufacturing. However, the security may be canceled for a predetermined time after the power is turned on. After the setting, the flag may be reset to a value of 0 every several months so that only regular maintenance is possible. Furthermore, once connected to the network, the flag F that is set to a value of 1 each time the power is turned on may be reset to a value of 0 by a management device or the like provided on the network side. In this case, as long as it is connected to the network, release of the security check starting from power-on can be realized any number of times. If it is connected to the network and managed by a higher-level device, the security check can be performed on the network side. Therefore, even if the security check is canceled for a predetermined period after the power is turned on, overall high security is maintained. This is because it can be maintained.

Here, it has been described that the security check is canceled for a predetermined period immediately after the power is turned on. However, in this embodiment, the security check is once performed immediately after the power is turned on, and then the security check is performed for a predetermined period after a predetermined time elapses. The mode of canceling is adopted . If it is known that the security check has been canceled for a specified period immediately after power-on, there is a possibility that the program may be falsified using this period. It is doing so. In this case, the person who conducts the inspection first turns on the power in a state in which a regular ROM or the like is assembled, times the preset time, and then confirms that the security check has failed, And replace with a ROM for inspection.

It is a block diagram of the control device for gaming machines which is an example. 3 is a detailed electric circuit block diagram of the NW board 30. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a security routine processed by the NW board 30.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 ... Control apparatus for game machines 22-28 ... Circuit block 22 ... Role control circuit 24 ... Launch control circuit 26 ... Ejection control circuit 28 ... Image display circuit 30 ... NW board 30A ... Neuron chip 30Aa ... MACCPU
30 Ab ... Network CPU
30Ac ... Application CPU
30Ad ... RAM
30Af… EEPROM
30Ag ... Network communication port 30Ah ... I / O port 30Ai ... Internal bus 30B ... Clock circuit 30C ... Transceiver 30D ... Coupling circuit 30E ... ROM
30F ... RAM
30G ... DPRAM
30H ... Internal bus 32 ... Power switch 34 ... Power supply circuit

Claims (1)

For a gaming machine connected to a gaming machine monitoring network laid in a gaming store and controlling the gaming machine in accordance with a predetermined gaming program while monitoring illegal actions on the gaming machine in cooperation with the gaming machine monitoring network In the control device,
The monitoring of the fraudulent activity is performed immediately after the gaming machine is turned on , and at least a part of the monitoring function for monitoring the illegal activity is interrupted after a certain period of time has elapsed after the power is turned on. determines that the condition is satisfied, inter Tokoro periodically, and monitoring interruption means for interrupting at least some of the monitoring functions of the fraud,
The monitoring function after interruption of the monitoring of misconduct interruption means is executed a predetermined number of times, interrupted ends means and a game machine control apparatus example Bei the that not satisfied the condition interrupting.

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