JP4355299B2 - Game machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a slot machine.

  A gaming machine such as a slot machine allows a player to enjoy a game by inserting a predetermined number of medals (game media) into the gaming machine. The medals necessary for the game can be borrowed by a medal lending machine provided in the game hall, and the game can be started by inserting medals into the medal slot of a desired gaming machine.

A sensor including a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit has been provided in order to detect an operation state of an operation unit such as a switch or lever of a gaming machine. An action part that moves when a switch, a lever, or the like is operated is provided, and the action part is configured to shield interruption light between the light emitting part and the light receiving part during operation. In addition, a similar sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the door of the gaming machine has been provided. An action portion that moves when the door is opened is configured such that when the door is opened, the action portion shields interrupt light between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-317491 “Switching Device for Operating Handle for Game Machine”

  Commercially available optical sensors used for start levers and door sensors in gaming machines have low security. As the optical sensor, a modulated light type that blinks the light emitting portion is often used, but malfunction due to strong disturbance light or the like cannot be prevented. In other words, the commercially available modulated light type photoelectric sensor cuts the direct current component by the internal circuit and extracts and outputs only the alternating current component. However, due to the circuit configuration, if strong disturbance light is incident, it cannot be completely output. It has a structure that does. In addition, since the frequency on the light emission side is fixed to several tens of kHz, if the frequency is known, there is a possibility of malfunction caused by an illegal jig using an LED that blinks at a frequency close to that frequency.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and provides a gaming machine including a sensor that can ensure security against an illegal act of disabling the sensor.

The present invention provides a gaming machine including a medal selector that detects passage of medals inserted from a medal insertion slot and selects and eliminates medals having different outer diameters from a predetermined dimension.
The medal selector includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that receives light from the light emitting unit, and includes a medal sensor that detects a medal passing between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit,
And a control unit that controls blinking of the light emitting unit and determines fraud against the medal sensor based on the output of the light receiving unit,
The controller is
A step of determining whether or not a predetermined lighting timing is reached; a step of turning on the light emitting unit when the lighting timing is reached; and a step of determining whether or not a predetermined lighting timing is turned off; and At least one of the step of turning off the light-emitting unit when it is timing, the step of determining whether or not it is a predetermined trigger, and the lighting timing or the extinguishing timing when it is the predetermined trigger A flash process including a step of changing,
Monitoring the output of the light receiving unit to determine whether the light receiving unit is receiving light; and
A step of determining whether the light emitting unit emits light when receiving light at the light receiving unit, and a medal is not detected when the light receiving unit receives light and the light emitting unit emits light. And determining that there is no error, and determining that there is an error when receiving light at the light receiving unit and not emitting light at the light emitting unit,
A step of determining whether the light emitting unit emits light when no light is received by the light receiving unit; a step of detecting a medal when the light emitting unit emits light; When no light is emitted, a light receiving process including a step of determining that no medal is detected and that there is no error is performed.

  The control unit, for example, at least one of a power-on timing of the gaming machine, a timing of resetting the gaming machine, or a random timing based on a random number generated in advance by a random number generator provided in advance. As a predetermined opportunity, at least one of the lighting timing and the extinguishing timing is changed.

For example, when the control unit determines that it is the predetermined opportunity,
By adding or subtracting a predetermined time for at least one of the lighting period and the extinguishing period of the light emitting element, or
By changing at least one of the lighting period or the extinguishing period of the light emitting element to a random value based on a random number generated by a random number generator provided in advance, at least one of the lighting timing or the extinguishing timing is changed. To do.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent an illegal act on a medal sensor of a gaming machine.

Embodiment 1 of the Invention
A gaming machine (slot machine) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of the slot machine with the front door closed, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the slot machine with the front door opened 180 degrees.

  1 and 2, reference numeral 100 denotes a slot machine. As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 100 can be opened and closed by a hinge or the like on the slot machine main body 120 and one side of the front surface of the slot machine main body 120. And a front door 130 attached thereto. As shown in FIG. 1, a game display unit 131 is provided substantially in the center of the front door 130, and a medal insertion slot 132 for a player to insert medals is provided at the lower right corner of the game display unit 131. Provided on the further right side of the medal insertion slot 132 is a reject button 133 for forcibly discharging a clogged medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 132 to the outside of the slot machine 100.

  Further, a start button 134 for starting a game is provided at the lower left of the game display unit 131, and three stop buttons 140 are provided corresponding to the three reels. A medal payout port 135 is provided at the center of the lower end of the front door.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the slot machine main body 120 is fixed to the inner bottom surface, stores a plurality of medals therein, and stores the stored medals at a payout port 135 provided on the front surface of the front door 130. A hopper device 121 for paying out the sheets one by one is installed. An upper portion of the hopper device 121 is provided with a hopper tank 122 that opens upward and stores a plurality of medals therein. Inside the slot machine main body 120, a reel unit 203 including three rotating reels is installed at a position where the game display unit 131 comes when the front door 130 is closed. A power supply unit 205 is provided between the upper hopper unit 121 and the reel unit 203.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the medal (coin) selector 1 is attached to the back side of the front door 130 on the back side of the medal slot 132 provided on the front surface of the front door 130. This medal selector 1 rolls the medal toward the hopper device 121 while detecting the passage of the medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 132, and has a different diameter medal or iron or iron whose outer diameter is different from the predetermined dimension. This is an apparatus for selecting and removing illegal medals made of an alloy and selecting and eliminating a predetermined number or more of medals that can be inserted per game.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a lead-out path 136 that covers the lower side and communicates with the payout port 135 of the front door 130 is provided below the medal selector 1. The medals distributed by the medal selector 1 are returned to the player from the payout port 135 via the derivation path 136.

  A player who wants to enjoy a game with a slot machine can first borrow a medal as a game medium from a medal lending machine (not shown) or the like, and insert a medal directly into the medal slot 132 of the medal slot device. A square window-like display window 131 facing the player side is formed at the center and upper part of the slot machine casing. In the center of the central display window, a symbol display window through which the symbols of the three rotating reels can be seen is formed. The start switch 134 is a lever positioned obliquely below the rotary reel, and starts driving the reel unit 203 on condition that a game medal is inserted. The reel unit 203 is stopped from driving by a stop switch 140. The reel unit is composed of three rotating reels. Each rotating reel includes a rotating drum made of a synthetic resin and a tape-like reel tape attached around the rotating drum. A plurality of (for example, 21) symbols are displayed on the outer peripheral surface of the reel tape.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the invention.
In FIG. 3, reference numerals 200 and 201 denote a main board and a sub board, each incorporating a CPU, ROM and RAM, respectively. The main board 200 performs medal insertion, payout, reel control, winning process, and the like. The sub-board 201 performs processing such as effect display. An operation unit 202 includes switches such as a start switch 134, a stop switch 140, and a bet switch (not shown). A reel unit 203 includes three rotating reels. An effect display unit 204 includes a game display unit 131, internal illumination of a reel, a liquid crystal display device, a speaker, and the like. The effect display unit 204 notifies the winning combination and the pressing order. A power supply unit 205 supplies power to each unit. 121 is a hopper device for paying out stored medals one by one to a payout opening 135 provided on the front surface of the front door 130.

  The medal selector 1 is provided with a medal sensor 1a for detecting whether a medal has been inserted and the number of inserted medals. A sensor 1a (for example, a photo interrupter) for counting medals is provided in the vicinity of the exit of a downwardly inclined medal passage where medals inserted from the medal insertion slot roll. The output of the medal sensor 1a is sent to the main board 200. The main board 200 determines whether or not medals are inserted (the number of medals when they are inserted), and detects when the output of the medal sensor 1a is short-circuited due to fraud.

  The hopper device 121 is provided with a medal payout sensor 121a (for example, a photo interrupter) for counting the number of payout medals. The medal fitted in the hole provided in the rotating disk (not shown) of the hopper device 121 moves along with the rotation, and is guided toward the medal path at the medal payout port. Rotate the roller. The protrusion provided on the counter roller enters the medal payout sensor 121a, blocks the light from the light source, and the light receiving element detects this. The output of the medal payout sensor 121a is sent to the main board 200. The main board 200 determines whether or not medals have been paid out (the number of medals when it is paid out), and detects when the signal of the medal payout sensor 121a is short-circuited due to fraud.

  Furthermore, a door opening detection sensor DS is provided. The output of the door opening detection sensor DS is sent to the main board 200. The main board 200 detects the opening of the front door 130.

  The principle of the optical sensor according to the first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This optical sensor is applied to the switches of the operation unit 202, the door opening detection sensor DS, the medal sensor 1a, the medal payout sensor 121a, and the like.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the optical sensor. Light L from the light emitting unit LED is input to the light receiving unit PD. The controller CONT sets the blinking timing of the light emitting unit LED as appropriate, and compares the output signal of the light receiving unit PD with the blinking timing (that is, the relationship between the blinking state of the light emitting unit LED and the presence or absence of the light receiving signal of the light receiving unit PD). By checking, the presence / absence of detection (switch ON / OFF, door open / close state, etc.) is determined. Details thereof will be described later. The control unit CONT is realized by a microcomputer. The control unit CONT can also be realized by the main board 200 or the sub board 201.

  The sensor of the gaming machine includes an action part A that moves when a switch, a lever, or the like is operated, and the action part A is configured to shield interrupt light between the light emitting part LED and the light receiving part PD during operation. . In addition, a similar sensor DS for detecting the opening / closing of the door of the gaming machine may be provided in order to prevent fraud and the like, and an action part A that moves when the door is opened is provided. Is configured to shield interruption light between the light emitting unit LED and the light receiving unit PD (in the medal sensor 1a, the medal itself functions as the action unit A). When the action part A does not interrupt, the light L of the light emitting part LED reaches the light receiving part PD, but when the action part A interrupts, the light L is blocked and the light L does not reach the light receiving part PD. This is detected by the control unit CONT, and it is detected that a switch, a lever, or the like has been operated, or that a door has been opened.

  A commercially available modulated light type photoelectric sensor has a method in which a direct current component is cut by an internal circuit, and only an alternating current component is extracted and output. However, due to the circuit configuration, when strong disturbance light is incident, it is not completely cut and is output. In addition, since the frequency on the light emission side is fixed to several tens of kHz, if the frequency is known, there is a possibility of malfunction caused by an illegal jig using an LED that blinks at a frequency close to that frequency. Considering the situation where a fraudulent jig is inserted or fixed in the case at a hall store where a gaming machine is installed, fast flashing is not necessary, and low speed (several tens to several hundreds of Hz) controlled by the microcomputer of the gaming machine The function can be realized by monitoring the blinking on the light receiving side, and the circuit can be simplified. Furthermore, if the microcomputer is controlled, the blinking timing can be freely changed during operation, and fraud becomes difficult.

  The control process of the light emitting unit LED of the apparatus of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit CONT determines whether or not it is a lighting timing (STEP 1), and turns on the light emitting unit when it is the lighting timing (STEP 2). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not it is a turn-off timing (STEP 3). If it is a turn-off timing, the light emitting unit is turned off (STEP 4). The timing of turning on and off is determined in advance. For example, the lighting timing is when the time T1 has passed since the turn-off, and the turning-off timing is when the time T2 has passed since the turn-on. Next, it is determined whether or not it is a predetermined opportunity (STEP 5), and when YES, the blinking timing is changed (STEP 6). For example, one or both of the time T1 and the time T2 is changed randomly or according to a predetermined rule.

The following can be applied as a predetermined opportunity.
(1) The blinking timing is changed at regular intervals by a timer or the like.
(2) Change the blinking timing each time the power is turned on or reset.
(3) The blinking timing is changed at random timing based on random numbers. The random number can also be obtained from a random number generator for lottery provided in the gaming machine.

The following can be applied as a mode of changing the blinking timing.
(4) The timing is changed at regular intervals or at predetermined intervals. For example, a certain time is added (or subtracted) for one or both of the lighting period and the extinguishing period. When the predetermined upper limit (or lower limit) is reached, the period is returned to the lower limit period. Repeat this. Instead of addition (or subtraction), the period may be doubled (or halved).
(5) The timing is changed to a random value based on a random number. At this time, the changed timing is set to a cycle that can be handled by the microcomputer of the control unit CONT.

  The processing (detection processing) on the light receiving unit PD side of the apparatus of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit CONT monitors the output of the light receiving unit PD and determines whether light is received by the light receiving unit PD (STEP 10). When receiving light (YES in STEP 10), whether the light emitting unit LED is emitting light. Determine (STEP 11). When the light emitting unit LED emits light (YES in STEP 11), it is considered that the light is not blocked by the action unit A, and therefore no detection and no error are set (STEP 12). When the light emitting unit LED is not emitting light (NO in STEP 11), it is determined that an error is detected because the light receiving unit PD is affected by disturbance light or light from an improper jig (STEP 13). . If NO in STEP 11, there is a mismatch between the on / off state of the light emitting unit LED and the light reception signal of the light receiving unit PD. When the light receiving unit PD is not receiving light (NO in STEP 10), it is determined whether the light emitting unit LED is emitting light (STEP 14). When light is emitted from the light emitting unit LED (YES in STEP 14), it is considered that the light is blocked by the action unit A, so that it is detected (STEP 15). When the light emitting unit LED is not emitting light (NO in STEP 14), this is a normal state, so that no detection / error occurs (STEP 16).

  Add some specific cases.

  FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing a normal state. Symbol LED is a timing chart of blinking of the light emitting unit, symbol PD is a timing chart of a light receiving signal of the light receiving unit when there is no light shielding by the working unit, and symbol PD1 is a light receiving unit when light is shielded by the working unit It is a timing chart of the received light signal. The blinking timing of the light emitting unit LED is changed in the middle (see STEP 5 and STEP 6 in FIG. 5). The case of the reference sign PD and reference sign PD1 is YES in STEP 10 in FIG. 6, YES in STEP 11, NO in STEP 12 or STEP 10, NO in STEP 14, NO in STEP 16 or STEP 10 in the figure, YES in STEP 14, Since it corresponds to one of STEP15, it is normal. It is determined that the sensor is detected at the timing indicated by the symbol A of the symbol PD1.

  Reference numeral PD2 in FIG. 8 is a timing chart at the time of receiving disturbance light or continuous light emission by an illegal jig. The case of code PD2 is an error because the process of step 10 in FIG. 6 is YES, step 11 is NO, and step 13 is processed at the timing of code B.

  Reference numeral PD3 in FIG. 9 is a timing chart when the flashing light emission by the unauthorized jig is received. The case of code PD3 is an error because the process of step 10 in FIG. 6 is YES, step 11 is NO, and step 13 is processed at the timing of code C. Since the blinking timing of the fraudulent jig in FIG. 9 is not synchronized with the blinking timing of the light emitting unit LED, errors are frequently detected.

  Reference numeral PD4 in FIG. 10 is a timing chart when the flashing light emission by the unauthorized jig is received. The case of reference numeral PD4 is an error because the processing of step 10 in FIG. 6 is YES, step 11 is NO, and step 13 is processed at step D13. Since the blinking timing of the incorrect jig is synchronized with the blinking timing of the light emitting unit LED at the timing of E in FIG. 10, error detection is not performed in E, but STEP 6 in FIG. 5: an error immediately after the timing is changed. Detection is made. Recent fraudulent technology has progressed, and it is conceivable that the flashing is performed in synchronization as indicated by symbol E in FIG. 10, so it is effective to change the flashing timing at an appropriate timing.

  According to the first embodiment of the invention, it is possible to ensure security against fraudulent acts that disable the sensor.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.

It is a front view of the slot machine which shows the state which closed the front door. It is a front view of the slot machine which shows the state which opened the front door 180 degree | times. FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the invention. It is explanatory drawing of the operation principle of Embodiment 1 of invention. It is a timing change flowchart of Embodiment 1 of invention. It is a detection process flowchart of Embodiment 1 of invention. It is a timing chart explaining the detection process of Embodiment 1 of invention. It is a timing chart explaining the detection process of Embodiment 1 of invention. It is a timing chart explaining the detection process of Embodiment 1 of invention. It is a timing chart explaining the detection process of Embodiment 1 of invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 medal selector 1a medal sensor 100 slot machine 120 slot machine body 121 hopper device 121a medal payout sensor 122 hopper tank 130 front door 131 game display portion 132 medal insertion port 133 start button 135 payout port 136 lead-out path 140 stop button 200 main Substrate 201 Sub-substrate 202 Operation unit 203 Reel unit 204 Effect display unit 205 Power supply unit CONT Control unit (microcomputer or main substrate, sub-substrate)
LED Light emitting part PD Light receiving part A Action part L Light

Claims (3)

In a gaming machine equipped with a medal selector that detects passage of medals inserted from a medal slot and selects and removes medals of different diameters different from a predetermined dimension.
  The medal selector includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that receives light from the light emitting unit, and includes a medal sensor that detects a medal passing between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit,
  And a controller that controls blinking of the light emitting unit and determines fraud against the medal sensor based on the output of the light receiving unit,
  The controller is
  A step of determining whether or not a predetermined lighting timing is reached; a step of turning on the light emitting unit when the lighting timing is reached; and a step of determining whether or not a predetermined lighting timing is turned off; and At least one of the step of turning off the light-emitting unit when it is timing, the step of determining whether or not it is a predetermined trigger, and the lighting timing or the extinguishing timing when it is the predetermined trigger A flash process including the step of changing,
  Monitoring the output of the light receiving unit to determine whether the light receiving unit is receiving light; and
  A step of determining whether the light emitting unit emits light when receiving light at the light receiving unit, and a medal is not detected when the light receiving unit receives light and the light emitting unit emits light. And determining that there is no error, and determining that there is an error when receiving light at the light receiving unit and not emitting light at the light emitting unit,
  A step of determining whether the light emitting unit emits light when no light is received by the light receiving unit; a step of detecting a medal when the light emitting unit emits light; A gaming machine characterized by performing a light receiving process including a step of not detecting a medal and determining that there is no error when no light is emitted. The control unit is configured to determine at least one of a power-on timing of the gaming machine, a timing of resetting the gaming machine, or a random timing based on a random number generated by a random number generator provided in advance. 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the lighting timing and the lighting timing is changed as an opportunity. When it is determined that the control unit is the predetermined opportunity,
  By adding or subtracting a predetermined time for at least one of the lighting period and the extinguishing period of the light emitting element, or
  By changing at least one of the lighting period or the extinguishing period of the light emitting element to a random value based on a random number generated by a random number generator provided in advance, at least one of the lighting timing or the extinguishing timing is changed. The gaming machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that:

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