JP4636529B2 - Gaming machine inspection device and gaming machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for detecting a failure of a gaming machine.

In a gaming machine such as a ball ball game machine or a revolving game machine, a plurality of substrates are electrically connected by signal lines. This signal line transmits a control command for each board as an electrical signal (hereinafter, a signal related to the control of game content is referred to as a “game control signal”). For example, in a ball game machine, a control device called a main board is in charge of game ball winning determination, lottery, payout and the like. On the other hand, a control device called a sub-board is mainly responsible for audiovisual user interface processing such as image display and audio output. Depending on the game situation, the main board transmits a game control signal to the sub-board. The sub board performs display processing and the like based on the game control signal from the main board. Usually, the communication between the main board and the sub board is a one-way communication, and no signal is transmitted from the sub board to the main board. With such a configuration, measures are taken to ensure the independence of the ball exit control by the main board.
JP 2003-325920 A

  The signal line connecting the main board and the sub board is extremely important in the control of the gaming machine. Therefore, when these signal lines are broken, the function as a gaming machine is not suitably exhibited. Further, due to external factors such as vibration and dirt, a failure may occur in the contact between the main board or sub board and the signal line. When a situation in which the game control signal is not normally transmitted occurs intermittently, it is difficult to find such a defect of the signal line. In order to guarantee stable operation of the gaming machine and prevent the player from feeling distrust with the gaming machine, it is necessary to detect such a malfunction of the signal line at an early stage. It is.

  The present invention has been made in view of the problems recognized as described above, and a main object thereof is to provide a technique for efficiently detecting a defect in a signal line of a gaming machine.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a gaming machine inspection device according to an aspect of the present invention controls game content to be executed by a second control device from a first control device to a second control device of a gaming machine. And a control signal transmitting means for transmitting a game control signal at least twice in a first data and second data via a plurality of signal lines, and transmitted via a signal line among the plurality of signal lines. When the bit data of the first data and the second data are the same value, a test signal generating means for generating a test signal including an inverted value of the bit data as test data to be transmitted through the same signal line, and the generated test signal Is transmitted to the second control device via a plurality of signal lines, control signal receiving means for receiving the game control signal in the second control device, and test signal for receiving the test signal in the second control device. Of the first data and the second data of the received game control signal, each bit data received via a certain signal line and at least 3 of the inspection data received via the signal line If the two bit data have the same value, an error determining means for determining that a transmission error has occurred in the signal line is provided.

For example, the first control device may be a so-called main board of the gaming machine, and the second control device may be a so-called sub board, but the first control device and the second control device each transmit a game control signal. It is not limited to these as long as there is a relationship to be a source and a destination.
The signal line connecting the first control device and the second control device may be a communication line that transmits a digital signal according to a voltage or a current level. The gaming machine inspection device in this aspect generates an inspection signal so that all of the digital signals transmitted from the first control device to the second control device at least three times are not the same value. Therefore, in the second control device, if all of the game control signal and the inspection signal received for a certain signal line have the same value, it is determined that a transmission error has occurred. These signal lines may be unidirectional communication lines that transmit signals only in one direction from the first control device to the second control device.

  According to this aspect, a transmission error can be detected not only at the time of factory shipment but also when the gaming machine is actually operating. Moreover, since it is the structure which only adds a test | inspection signal to the game control signal transmitted to a 2nd control apparatus from a 1st control apparatus, a transmission error detection process can be performed, without applying a detection process load so much. According to this aspect, it becomes easy to detect a malfunction of the signal line of the gaming machine at an early stage, and as a result, it is effective in ensuring stable operation of the gaming machine.

  The inspection signal generation means of this apparatus can set the inspection data to be transmitted through the signal line as a predetermined fixed value if the bit data of the first data and the second data transmitted through a certain signal line are not the same value. Good.

  According to this aspect, only when the bit data of the first data and the second data are the same value, the inverted value can be used as the inspection data, and otherwise, the inspection data can be set as the fixed value. Can be generated.

  The inspection signal generation means of this device is a logic for the inverted value of the bit data of the first data transmitted via a certain signal line and the inverted value of the bit data of the second data transmitted via the same signal line. A test signal may be generated using the value calculated as the product as test data to be transmitted through the signal line.

  According to such an aspect, the inspection signal can be generated only by the simple logic circuit as described above. Therefore, a transmission error can be detected during the operation of the gaming machine without significantly increasing the processing load associated with the transmission error detection process.

  The inspection data generation means of this apparatus is a value calculated as the logical product of the bit data of the first data transmitted via a certain signal line and the bit data of the second data transmitted via the same signal line. The inspection signal may be generated as the inspection data to be transmitted through the signal line.

  Also according to such an aspect, the inspection signal can be generated only by the simple logic circuit as described above. Therefore, a transmission error can be detected during the operation of the gaming machine without significantly increasing the processing load associated with the transmission error detection process.

  Another aspect of the present invention is also a gaming machine inspection device. This device has at least first data and second data via a plurality of signal lines to control game contents to be executed by the second control device from the first control device to the second control device of the gaming machine. The control signal transmitting means for transmitting the game control signal in two times, and the same value as the inverted value of the bit data of the first data or the second data transmitted through a certain signal line among the plurality of signal lines Inspection signal generation means for generating an inspection signal included as inspection data to be transmitted by a line, inspection signal transmission means for transmitting the generated inspection signal to the second control apparatus via a plurality of signal lines, and a second control apparatus A control signal receiving means for receiving a game control signal in the second control device, a test signal receiving means for receiving a test signal in the second control device, and a signal among the first data and the second data of the received game control signal If at least three bit data of each bit data received via the signal line and the inspection data received via the signal line have the same value, it is determined that a transmission error has occurred in the signal line. Determining means.

  According to this aspect, the inspection signal can be generated only by inverting either the first data or the second data. Therefore, a transmission error can be detected during the operation of the gaming machine without significantly increasing the processing load associated with the transmission error detection process.

  Further, by incorporating such a gaming machine inspection device into the gaming machine, the gaming machine itself can be provided with a transmission error detection function. In addition, when a transmission error is detected by the gaming machine inspection device, the gaming machine may include notification means for notifying the detection by screen display, sound, or error signal transmission to an external device.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect in efficiently detecting a defect in a signal line of a gaming machine.

  As a gaming machine of the present embodiment, a pachinko gaming machine will be described as an example. However, the gaming machine to be inspected may be various types of gaming machines such as a revolving gaming machine such as a so-called slot machine. In the present embodiment, transmission error detection processing in eight data signal lines connecting the main board and the sub board of the pachinko gaming machine will be described.

The gaming machine inspection apparatus described in the present embodiment transmits an inspection signal after transmitting a game control signal from the main board to the sub board. The inspection signal is uniquely determined by the content of the game control signal. When the game control signal and the inspection signal are received by the sub-board, it is determined whether the data has changed during transmission based on the relationship between the data indicated by these received signals. According to this aspect, it is possible to appropriately detect a transmission error even during operation of the gaming machine. Details of a specific method of generating the inspection signal will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In addition, when referring to the content of data transmitted as an inspection signal, it is also referred to as “inspection data”. Each of the eight data signal lines transmits 1-bit data at a time. The first data, the second data, and the inspection data transmitted as the game control signal and the inspection signal are each 8-bit binary data, and each bit data is assigned to one of the eight data signal lines and transmitted. The

FIG. 1 shows a basic structure on the front side of a pachinko gaming machine.
The pachinko gaming machine 10 is mainly composed of a gaming machine frame and a gaming board. The gaming machine frame of the pachinko gaming machine 10 includes an outer frame 11, a front frame 12, a transparent plate 13, a door 14, an upper ball dish 15, a lower ball dish 16, and a launch handle 17. The outer frame 11 has an opening and is a frame for fixing the pachinko gaming machine 10 to a position where it should be installed. The front frame 12 is a frame body that aligns with the opening portion of the outer frame 11, and is attached to the outer frame 11 so as to be opened and closed by a hinge mechanism (not shown). The front frame 12 includes a mechanism for launching a game ball, a mechanism for detachably storing a game board, a mechanism for guiding or collecting the game ball, and the like.

  The transparent plate 13 is made of glass or the like and is supported by the door 14. The door 14 is attached to the front frame 12 so that it can be opened and closed by a hinge mechanism (not shown). The upper ball tray 15 has a mechanism for storing game balls, sending the game balls to the launch rail, and extracting the game balls to the lower ball tray 16. The lower ball tray 16 has a mechanism for storing and extracting game balls. A speaker 18 is provided between the upper ball tray 15 and the lower ball tray 16, and a sound effect corresponding to the gaming state is output.

  The game board 50 has an out port 58, a special symbol display device 61, a decorative symbol display device 60, and a start winning port (hereinafter referred to as “start port”) on a game area 52 defined by the outer rail 54 and the inner rail 56. 62, a center ornament 64, a grand prize opening 66 and a general prize opening 72. Furthermore, in the game area 52, a plurality of mechanisms such as a game nail and a windmill (not shown) are installed. The start port 62 includes a winning detection device 74 for detecting the entrance of a game ball and a normal electric accessory solenoid 76 for expanding the start port. The special winning opening 66 includes a winning detection device 78 for detecting the entry of a game ball and a special winning opening solenoid 80 for expanding the special winning opening 66.

  The big winning opening 66 is a horizontal rectangular winning opening that is opened as a “big hit” when the special symbol 202 stops in a predetermined manner. The big winning opening 66 is provided above the out opening 58 and the like. The inside of the special winning opening 66 is divided into a specific area (so-called V zone) and a general area. The winning detection device 78 of the big winning opening 66 includes a sensor that detects passage of a game ball through a specific area and a sensor that detects passage of a general area.

  The special symbol display device 61 and the decorative symbol display device 60 provided substantially in the center of the game board 50 display the special symbol 202 and the decorative symbol 200 linked to the special symbol 202 on the respective screens while fluctuating (hereinafter, referred to as the special symbol 202). Such a display is called “symbol change” or “change display”). Here, the special symbol 202 is a symbol corresponding to the result of a lottery (hereinafter referred to as “special symbol lottery”) that is triggered by the entry of a game ball into the start port 62, and whether or not a big hit is generated. Have a role to show. The decorative symbol 200 is a symbol for visually rendering a lottery result display. The special symbol display device 61 is display means composed of, for example, LEDs. The decorative symbol display device 60 displays the decorative symbol 200 while fluctuating in a manner linked with the variable symbol display of the special symbol 202. The decorative symbol 200 is a symbol for visually producing the result display of the special symbol lottery indicated by the special symbol 202. The decorative symbol display device 60 displays, as the decorative symbol 200, for example, a plurality of rows of moving images of symbol variation that simulate a slot machine game in the central area of the screen. The decorative symbol display device 60 is constituted by a liquid crystal display in this embodiment, but may be constituted by other display means such as a mechanical drum or LED. Since the special symbol 202 does not need to have an effect role, in this embodiment, the special symbol 202 is displayed in an inconspicuous size on the special symbol display device 61 at the lower left of the decorative symbol display device 60. However, the special symbol itself is displayed. In the case of adopting a technique in which a decorative role is not displayed and a decorative symbol is not displayed, the special symbol may be displayed on a liquid crystal display such as the decorative symbol display device 60.

  When the player rotates the launch handle 17 by hand, the game balls stored in the upper ball tray 15 are guided one by one to the inner rail 56 and the outer rail 54 with a strength corresponding to the rotation angle, thereby playing the game area. To 52. When the player fixes the rotation position of the firing handle 17 by hand, the game ball is repeatedly fired at regular time intervals. The game ball launched to the upper part of the game area 52 falls in a direction according to the way of hitting while hitting a plurality of game nails and windmills. When a game ball is dropped into each of the general winning opening 72, the start opening 62, and the big winning opening 66, a winning ball corresponding to the type of the winning opening is paid out to the upper ball tray 15 or the lower ball tray 16. A game ball dropped into each winning hole such as the general winning hole 72 is processed as a safe ball, and a game ball dropped into the out hole 58 is processed as an out ball. Each winning opening includes a gate type through which a game ball passes. In the present application, “incoming”, “entering”, and “winning” include “passing”.

  When the game ball falls into the start port 62, the special symbol 202 and the decorative symbol 200 are variably displayed on the special symbol display device 61 and the decorative symbol display device 60. In principle, the variable display of the special symbol 202 and the decorative symbol 200 is stopped after the display time determined prior to the display has elapsed. When the special symbol 202 and the decorative symbol 200 at the time of the stop are symbols indicating a big hit, the opening / closing operation of the big winning opening 66 is started, and the game shifts to a special game that is more advantageous to the player than the normal game. At this time, the decorative symbol 200 simulating a game of a slot machine takes a display mode in which three symbols are matched.

  The big winning opening 66 is temporarily closed after being opened for about 30 seconds or after nine or more game balls are dropped. If at least one game ball falls into a specific area while the big prize opening 66 is open, the big prize opening 66 is opened again. In this way, the opening / closing of the big prize opening 66 is repeated a predetermined number of times, for example, 15 times, on condition that at least one game ball falls into the specific area while the big prize opening 66 is opened once.

  A center ornament 64 is provided around the decorative symbol display device 60. The center ornament 64 has functions such as protection of the game ball flow path, the special symbol display device 61 and the decorative symbol display device 60, and decoration. A holding lamp 20 is provided at a predetermined position of the center decoration 64. The holding lamp 20 is composed of four lamps, and displays the number of holding balls according to the number of lights. The number of reserved balls is the number of lottery results won to the start port 62 during symbol variation, and indicates the number of winning balls for which symbol variation has not yet been executed. In addition, a game effect lamp 90 is provided in the game area 52 and plays a role of production by blinking or the like.

  When the game ball passes through the operating port 68, a symbol called a normal symbol 204 is displayed in a variable manner for a predetermined time. The normal symbol 204 is variably displayed at the lower right corner of the decorative symbol display device 60. When the fluctuation display of the normal symbol 204 is stopped after the lapse of a predetermined time, the start port 62 is normally expanded for a predetermined time with a probability of about 50% to 80%.

FIG. 2 shows a basic structure on the back side of the pachinko gaming machine.
The power switch 40 is a switch for turning on / off the power of the pachinko gaming machine 10. The main board 41 controls the overall operation of the pachinko gaming machine 10 and processes all game operations such as a lottery when a winning is made to the start port 62. The sub board 49 includes a liquid crystal unit 42, controls display contents on the decorative symbol display device 60, and changes display contents according to a lottery result by the main board 41 in particular. The set base 39 includes a prize ball tank 44, a flow path for prize balls, a payout unit 43 for delivering prize balls. The payout unit 43 pays out the game balls supplied from the winning ball tank 44 to the upper ball tray 15 in accordance with winning in each winning opening. The payout control board 45 controls the payout operation by the payout unit 43. The launching device 46 launches the stored balls in the upper ball tray 15 to the game area 52 one by one. The launch control board 47 controls the launch operation of the launch device 46. The power supply unit 48 supplies power to each part of the pachinko gaming machine 10.

FIG. 3 is a basic functional block diagram focusing on a configuration for controlling a game in a pachinko gaming machine.
The main process control means 108 mainly controls the overall operation of the pachinko gaming machine 10 and the basic operation of the game. The sub-process control means 110 mainly controls the production operations such as the variable display of the decorative symbol 200 and the lighting around the pachinko gaming machine 10. A game control signal is sent from the main process control means 108 to the sub process control means 110, but no feedback information or signal is sent from the sub process control means 110 to the main process control means 108. This is a one-way communication from the control means 108 to the sub-process control means 110. The main process control means 108 and the sub-process control means 110 include elements such as a ROM for storing data and programs and a CPU used for arithmetic processing in terms of hardware.

  The winning ball detection device 104 is a sensor that detects a winning of a game ball at various winning ports such as a winning detection device 74 at the start port 62 and a winning detection device 78 at the big winning port 66. The display device 106 is a device for various displays such as a special symbol display device 61, a decorative symbol display device 60, a holding lamp 20, a game effect lamp 90, and the like.

  The main board 41 and the sub board 49 are electrically connected by eight data signal lines 100 and one strobe signal line 102. The data signal line 100 is a communication line for transmitting a game control signal and an inspection signal. Each data signal line 100 transmits bit data of 1 bit at a time. Accordingly, a digital signal of a maximum of 8 bits, that is, 1 byte is transmitted from the main board 41 to the sub board 49 at a time. The game control signal is a signal composed of 8-bit first data and 8-bit second data. The first data represents the type of control command, and the second data represents the content of control. Each bit data of the first data is assigned to one of the eight data signal lines 100 and transmitted. Next, each bit data of the second data is assigned to one of the eight data signal lines 100 and further transmitted. In this way, the game control signal is transmitted in two steps. Thereafter, 8-bit inspection data is assigned to each data signal line 100 and transmitted as an inspection signal. The inspection signal is a signal transmitted to determine whether the game control signal is transmitted from the main board 41 to the sub board 49 without causing a transmission error.

  The sub board 49 temporarily stores the received first data, second data, and inspection data. When two digital signals of a game control signal and an inspection signal are transmitted from the main board 41 to the sub board 49 via the data signal line 100, a pulse signal called a strobe signal is sent via the strobe signal line 102 to the main board 41. The signal is transmitted from the substrate 41 to the sub substrate 49. When the reception of the strobe signal is detected, the sub-process control unit 110 reads the first data, the second data, and the inspection data that are temporarily stored. The sub-process control unit 110 executes display processing and the like according to the read first data and second data. Also, based on the inspection data, it is verified whether the received data is normally transmitted data. If a transmission error occurs, the fact is notified.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the gaming machine inspection device.
The gaming machine inspection device 120 is a device having a function for detecting a transmission error in the data signal line 100 in the main board 41 and the sub board 49. The gaming machine inspection device 120 may be configured as part of the functions of the main board 41 and the sub board 49, or may be configured as a hardware independent device from the main board 41 and the sub board 49. In the present embodiment, a description will be given as an aspect in which each function of the gaming machine inspection device 120 shown in FIG.
Each block shown here can be realized in hardware by an element such as a CPU of a computer or a mechanical device, and in software it is realized by a computer program or the like, but here it is realized by their cooperation. Draw functional blocks. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by a combination of hardware and software.

The gaming machine inspection device 120 includes a transmission unit 122, an inspection data generation unit 124, a reception unit 132, a verification data generation unit 140, and a transmission error determination unit 142. The transmission means 122 and the inspection data generation means 124 are functional blocks realized on the main board 41, and the reception means 132, the verification data generation means 140, and the transmission error determination means 142 are functional blocks realized on the sub board 49. is there.
The transmission means 122 transmits a game control signal and an inspection signal. The inspection data generation unit 124 generates inspection data transmitted as an inspection signal at this time. The receiving unit 132 receives the game control signal and the inspection signal from the transmitting unit 122. The verification data generation means 140 generates 8-bit data called verification data for determining whether or not the received game control signal is normally received. The transmission error determination unit 142 determines whether data is normally received on the data signal line 100 by comparing the received inspection data and verification data.

The transmission unit 122 includes a control signal transmission unit 126, an inspection signal transmission unit 128, and a strobe signal transmission unit 130.
The control signal transmission unit 126 acquires a game control signal from the main process control unit 108 and transmits the first data and the second data to the reception unit 132 via the data signal line 100. After transmitting the game control signal, the inspection signal transmission unit 128 transmits the inspection data generated by the inspection data generation unit 124 as an inspection signal. As described above, when one game control signal is transmitted, a total of three transmission processes for the first data, the second data, and the inspection data are executed. After the game control signal and the test signal are transmitted, the strobe signal transmission unit 130 transmits a strobe signal for notifying the transmission via the strobe signal line 102. The strobe signal may be a pulse signal.

The receiving unit 132 includes a control signal receiving unit 134, a test signal receiving unit 136, and a strobe signal receiving unit 138.
The control signal receiving means 134 receives the game control signal in two steps as the first data and the second data, and temporarily stores them. The inspection signal receiving unit 136 receives the inspection signal from the inspection signal transmitting unit 128. The inspection signal receiving unit 136 temporarily stores the inspection data received as the inspection signal. The strobe signal receiving unit 138 receives the strobe signal transmitted from the strobe signal transmitting unit 130. When the strobe signal receiving unit 138 receives the strobe signal, the verification data generating unit 140 reads the first data and the second data stored in the control signal receiving unit 134 and generates verification data. At this time, the verification data generation unit 140 uses the first data stored in the control signal reception unit 134 and the first data in the same manner as the inspection data generation unit 124 generates the inspection data based on the first data and the second data. The verification data is generated based on the two data. If the data transmission through the data signal line 100 is normally executed, the inspection data and the verification data should match. The transmission error determination unit 142 compares the inspection data stored in the inspection signal reception unit 136 with the verification data generated by the verification data generation unit 140, and determines that a transmission error has occurred if they do not match. If no transmission error has occurred, the received game control signal is sent to the sub-process control means 110.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an aspect in which inspection data is generated by logical sum of first data and second data.
As an example of the inspection data generation method, inspection data may be generated by an OR operation of the first data and the second data. However, in this case, even if a transmission error occurs, a case where this cannot be detected may occur. The reason will be described with reference to FIG.
The data shown on the left side of FIG. The data shown on the right side of the figure is the data received by the receiving means 132. Data 150 is first data transmitted by the control signal transmission means 126. Data 152 is second data transmitted by the control signal transmission unit 126. The data 154 is inspection data generated by the inspection data generation unit 124 and transmitted by the inspection signal transmission unit 128. Data 156 is first data received by the control signal receiving unit 134, and data 158 is second data received by the control signal receiving unit 134. Data 160 is inspection data received by the inspection signal receiving means 136. The data 162 is verification data generated by the verification data generation unit 140. If no transmission error occurs, the data 150 and data 156 as the first data, the data 152 and data 158 as the second data, and the data 154 and data 160 as the inspection data match. Further, the data 160 that is the inspection data and the data 162 that is the verification data also match.

The control signal transmission unit 126 assigns each bit data of the data 150 as the first data to each data signal line 100 and transmits it. Hereinafter, the data signal line 100 to which the bit data of the first bit of the data 150 is assigned is referred to as “first signal line”, and the data signal line 100 to which the bit data of the second bit is assigned is referred to as “second signal”. Also called “line”. That is, the data signal line 100 to which bit data of the nth bit (n is an integer from 1 to 8) of the data 150 is assigned is an “nth signal line”. After transmitting the data 150, the control signal transmission means 126 assigns the bit data of the data 152 as the second data to each data signal line 100 and transmits it. At this time, the nth bit data of the data 152 is transmitted through the nth signal line.
The inspection data generation means 124 performs an OR operation for each bit data of the data 150 as the first data and the data 152 as the second data, and generates data 154 as 8-bit inspection data as the operation value. After the data 152 is transmitted, the inspection signal transmission unit 128 allocates bit data of the data 154 to each data signal line 100 and transmits it as an inspection signal. At this time, the bit data of the nth bit of the data 154 as the inspection data is transmitted through the nth signal line.

Here, it is assumed that a transmission error has occurred in the fifth signal line to the eighth signal line due to disconnection or the like.
Regarding the first data, among the data 156, the first bit to the fourth bit are the same as the data 150, but the data transmission from the fifth bit to the eighth bit has failed, and the received bit data is It is “0”. Regarding the second data, the data 158 is similarly the same as the data 152 from the first bit to the fourth bit, but “0” from the fifth bit to the eighth bit. Regarding the inspection data, the bit data from the first bit to the fourth bit of the data 160 is the same as the data 154, but the fifth bit to the eighth bit are “0”.

Here, the verification data generation means 140 performs a logical OR operation on the data 156 received as the first data and the data 158 received as the second data for each bit data to generate data 162 as verification data. If the data 156 and the data 158 are correctly received, the data 160 as inspection data and the data 162 as verification data coincide. The transmission error determination unit 142 compares the data 160 and the data 162, and determines that no transmission error has occurred because all the bit data match. In this case, a transmission error actually occurs in the fifth to eighth signal lines, but no error is detected as a result.
As described above, when the inspection data is generated as the logical sum of the first data and the second data, the detection of the transmission error may fail. Therefore, the gaming machine inspection device 120 according to the present embodiment generates inspection data by the three types of inspection data generation methods shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 in order to reliably detect a transmission error.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the first inspection data generation method in the present embodiment.
In this generation method, when generating the data 154, the inspection data generation unit 124 first generates data obtained by inverting the data 150 as the first data and the data 152 as the second data. In the figure, since the data 150 is “11001000”, the inverted data is “00110111”. Similarly, the inverted data of the data 152 is “11110111”. Next, the inspection data generation unit 124 performs an AND operation on these two inverted data for each bit data, and generates data 154 that becomes “00110111” as inspection data. Note that similar data 154 can be generated as data obtained by inverting the logical sum of data 150 and data 152 according to De Morgan's theorem. Hereinafter, such a method for generating inspection data is referred to as a “first inspection data generation method”.

Also here, it is assumed that a transmission error has occurred in the fifth to eighth signal lines due to a disconnection or the like.
Among the data 156, the first bit to the fourth bit are the same as the data 150, but the data transmission from the fifth bit to the eighth bit has failed, and the received bit data is “0”. ing. Similarly, the data 158 is the same as the data 152 from the first bit to the fourth bit, but is “0” from the fifth bit to the eighth bit. Also for the data 160, the bit data from the first bit to the fourth bit is the same as the data 154, but from the fifth bit to the eighth bit is “0”.

  The verification data generation unit 140 generates data 162 based on the data 156 and the data 158. The generation method of the data 162 is the same as the first inspection data generation method when the data 154 is generated based on the data 150 and the data 152. The transmission error determination unit 142 compares the data 162 generated in this way with the received data 160. At this time, the bit data of the first to fourth bits are the same, but the bit data of the fifth to eighth bits are not the same value. Thereby, the transmission error determination unit 142 can correctly detect that a transmission error has occurred in the data signal line 100 that has transmitted bit data of the fifth bit to the eighth bit.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining a second inspection signal generation method in the present embodiment.
In this generation method, when the test data generation unit 124 generates the data 154, first, the data 150, which is the first data, and the data 152, which is the second data, are logically calculated for each bit data. That is, “00001000” is calculated as the logical product value of “11001000” and “00001000”. Then, the inspection data generation unit 124 generates data 154 as “11110111” which is the inverted data of the logical product operation value. It should be noted that similar data 154 can be generated by de Morgan's theorem as data obtained by logically ORing the inverted data of data 150 and the inverted data of data 152. Hereinafter, such a method for generating inspection data is referred to as a “second inspection data generation method”.

Also here, it is assumed that a transmission error has occurred in the fifth to eighth signal lines due to a disconnection or the like.
The verification data generation unit 140 generates data 162 based on the data 156 and the data 158. The generation method of the data 162 is the same as the second inspection data generation method when the data 154 is generated based on the data 150 and the data 152. The transmission error determination unit 142 compares the data 162, which is the verification data generated in this way, with the data 160, which is the received inspection data, so that the data signal line that transmits the bit data from the fifth bit to the eighth bit is transmitted. 100 can correctly detect that a transmission error has occurred.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining a third inspection signal generation method in the present embodiment.
In this generation method, when the inspection data generation unit 124 generates the data 154, first, the data 154 is generated as inverted data of either the data 150 that is the first data or the data 152 that is the second data. In the figure, data 154 is generated as inverted data “001110111” of data 150. Hereinafter, such a method for generating inspection data is referred to as a “third inspection data generation method”.

Also here, it is assumed that a transmission error has occurred in the fifth to eighth signal lines due to a disconnection or the like.
The verification data generation unit 140 generates data 162 based on the data 156. The generation method of the data 162 is the same as the third inspection data generation method when the data 154 is generated based on the data 150. The transmission error determination unit 142 compares the data 162 generated in this way with the received data 160, so that a transmission error has occurred in the data signal line 100 that has transmitted bit data from the fifth bit to the eighth bit. Can be detected correctly.

  In any of the first to third inspection data generation methods described above, if the bit data of the nth bit of the data 150 as the first data and the data 152 as the second data are the same value, The data 154 is generated so that the nth bit data of the data 154 which is the inspection data has an inverted value. When the nth signal line is in the disconnected state, the bit data of the nth bit of the data 156, data 158, and data 160 all have the same value. Therefore, the transmission error in the data signal line 100 can be suitably detected by generating the data 154 in advance so that the nth bit data of the data 150, the data 152, and the data 154 do not have the same value. If the nth bit data of the data 150 and the data 152 is not the same value, the nth bit data of the data 154 is set to a fixed value of “0” or “1”, and the test data is generated. Processing may be simplified.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a transmission process performed by the transmission means.
The control signal transmission unit 126 acquires the first data from the main process control unit 108 (S10). Next, the control signal transmission unit 126 acquires the second data from the main process control unit 108 (S12). The inspection data generation unit 124 generates inspection data based on both or one of the acquired first and second data (S14). The inspection data generation method at this time is as described above. The control signal transmission unit 126 first transmits the first data as the game control signal to the reception unit 132 (S16), and then transmits the second data to the reception unit 132 (S18). When the inspection signal transmission unit 128 transmits the inspection signal as the inspection signal (S20), the strobe signal transmission unit 130 transmits the strobe signal to the reception unit 132 via the strobe signal line 102 (S22). Through the above processing, the game control signal and the inspection signal are transmitted from the main board 41 to the sub board 49. Further, the sub-board detects the timing at which processing is to be executed based on the game control signal by transmitting the strobe signal.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a receiving process performed by the receiving means.
The control signal receiving unit 134 receives the first data and the second data from the control signal transmitting unit 126 as game control signals (S30, S32). The control signal receiving unit 134 receives the inspection data as the inspection signal from the inspection signal transmitting unit 128 (S34). The first data, the second data, and the inspection data acquired in this way are temporarily stored in the receiving unit 132. The strobe signal receiving unit 138 receives the strobe signal from the strobe signal transmitting unit 130 (S35). When receiving the strobe signal, the receiving means 132 first initializes the variable i by substituting 0 (S36). Here, the variable i is a variable that is incremented each time the transmission error detection process for each data signal line 100 is executed.

  If the variable i is 8 or less (Y in S38), the verification data generating means 140 generates data 162 as verification data based on the data 156 and the data 158 of the (i + 1) th bit (S40). If the bit data of the (i + 1) th bit of the data 160 as the inspection data and the data 162 as the verification data match (Y in S42), it is assumed that no transmission error has occurred in the (i + 1) th signal line. The receiving means 132 increments i (S44). At this time, the process returns to S38. On the other hand, if they do not match in S42 (N in S42), the transmission error determination means 142 determines that a transmission error has occurred in the (i + 1) th signal line that transmitted the bit data, and notifies this (S46). The notification is made by means such as display on a screen or a lamp, sound, or output of an error signal to an external device. Returning to S38, if the variable i is not 8 or less (N in S38), that is, if the transmission error detection processing shown in S42 by the transmission error determination unit 142 has been completed for all eight data signal lines 100. Assuming that normal signal transmission / reception has been performed, the processing ends.

  According to the gaming machine inspection device 120 shown in the present embodiment and the pachinko gaming machine 10 equipped with such a gaming machine inspection device 120, it is possible to detect a transmission error in the data signal line 100 when a gaming control signal is transmitted. Further, it can be realized simply by adding an inspection signal to an existing game control signal, and there is an advantage that the method of generating the inspection signal is simple.

  In the above, this invention was demonstrated based on the Example. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. is there.

  In the present embodiment, the description has been given of the wired signal line that electrically connects the main board and the sub board, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, such a transmission error detection process can be applied to various signal transmission paths such as the entrance detection device 104 and the main board 41 shown in FIG. Further, it is not an essential condition that the signal line is a wired signal line, and a transmission error can be effectively detected by such a detection method even in wireless communication.

It is a figure which shows the basic structure in the front side of a pachinko game machine. It is a figure which shows the basic structure in the back side of a pachinko game machine. It is a basic functional block diagram centering on the structure which controls the game in a pachinko gaming machine. It is a functional block diagram of a gaming machine inspection device. It is a schematic diagram which shows the aspect which produces | generates test | inspection data by the logical sum of 1st data and 2nd data. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the 1st test | inspection data generation method in a present Example. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the 2nd test signal generation method in a present Example. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the 3rd test | inspection signal production | generation method in a present Example. It is a flowchart which shows a transmission process process. It is a flowchart which shows a reception process process.

Explanation of symbols

  10 Pachinko machines, 41 main board, 43 payout unit, 45 payout control board, 47 launch control board, 48 power supply unit, 49 sub-board, 52 game area, 60 decorative symbol display device, 61 special symbol display device, 62 start port , 66 Grand prize opening, 100 data signal line, 102 strobe signal line, 108 main process control means, 110 sub-process control means, 120 gaming machine inspection device, 122 transmission means, 124 inspection data generation means, 126 control signal transmission means, 128 inspection signal transmission means, 130 strobe signal transmission means, 132 reception means, 134 control signal reception means, 136 inspection signal reception means, 138 strobe signal reception means, 140 verification data generation means, 142 transmission error determination means.

Claims (5)

A first control device that mainly controls the basic operation of the game including the lottery process; and a second control device that mainly controls the operational operation of the game including the effect display process for indicating the result of the lottery process. The communication between the first control device and the second control device is a one-way communication in which a game control signal is transmitted from the first control device to the second control device via a plurality of signal lines. A gaming machine configured in
The first control device includes:
Game control data for controlling game content to be executed by the second control device from the first control device to the second control device is converted into data for each bit number equal to the number of the plurality of signal lines. A control signal transmitting means for dividing the data and dividing the data into at least the first data and the second data at least twice through the plurality of signal lines and simultaneously transmitting the number of bits as the game control signal;
When there is the same bit data transmitted on the same signal line in the first data and the second data, a logical operation process is performed in which an inverted value of the bit data is used as bit data to be transmitted on the same signal line. Test signal generation means for executing and generating an inspection signal including the calculated data as inspection data;
Inspection signal transmitting means for transmitting the generated inspection signal to the second control device via the plurality of signal lines;
Including
The second control device includes:
Control signal receiving means for receiving a game control signal transmitted from the first control device;
Inspection signal receiving means for receiving an inspection signal transmitted from the first control device;
Using the first data and the second data of the received game control signal, the test signal generation means executes the same logical operation processing as when the test signal is generated, and generates the calculated data as verification data Verification data generation means;
If the inspection data of the received inspection signal and the generated verification data do not match, an error determination means for determining that a transmission error has occurred in the signal line to which the mismatched bit data is transmitted When,
A gaming machine comprising:   If the bit data of the first data and the second data transmitted through a certain signal line is not the same value, the inspection signal generating means sets the inspection data to be transmitted through the signal line to a predetermined fixed value. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is characterized.   The inspection signal generation means is a logical product of an inverted value of the bit data of the first data transmitted via a certain signal line and an inverted value of the bit data of the second data transmitted via the same signal line. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the inspection signal is generated as inspection data to be transmitted through the signal line.   The inspection signal generation means inverts a value calculated as a logical product of the bit data of the first data transmitted via a certain signal line and the bit data of the second data transmitted via the same signal line. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein an inspection signal is generated as inspection data to be transmitted through the signal line. A first control device that mainly controls the basic operation of the game including the lottery process; and a second control device that mainly controls the operational operation of the game including the effect display process for indicating the result of the lottery process. The communication between the first control device and the second control device is a one-way communication in which a game control signal is transmitted from the first control device to the second control device via a plurality of signal lines. A gaming machine configured in
The first control device includes:
Game control data for controlling game content to be executed by the second control device from the first control device to the second control device is converted into data for each bit number equal to the number of the plurality of signal lines. A control signal transmitting means for dividing the data and dividing the data into at least the first data and the second data at least twice through the plurality of signal lines and simultaneously transmitting the number of bits as the game control signal;
A test signal for executing a logical operation process for calculating an inverted value of the bit data of the number of bits of the first data or the second data and generating a test signal including the bit data of the number of bits after the calculation as test data Generating means;
Inspection signal transmitting means for transmitting the generated inspection signal to the second control device via the plurality of signal lines;
Including
The second control device includes:
Control signal receiving means for receiving a game control signal transmitted from the first control device;
Inspection signal receiving means for receiving an inspection signal transmitted from the first control device;
Using the first data and the second data of the received game control signal, the test signal generation means executes the same logical operation processing as when the test signal is generated, and generates the calculated data as verification data Verification data generation means;
If the inspection data of the received inspection signal and the generated verification data do not match, an error determination means for determining that a transmission error has occurred in the signal line to which the mismatched bit data is transmitted When,
A gaming machine comprising:

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