JP7563966B2 - Amusement Park Systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system for amusement parks.

In amusement parlors, for example, as in Patent Document 1, a system is known in which the deposit balance for receiving gaming media and the balls acquired through playing are recorded on a card, and when the player leaves the parlor, the deposit balance recorded on the card is paid out and the balls are exchanged for prizes. Specifically, a settlement machine and a POS terminal are installed at a prize counter set up in the amusement parlor, and the information on the card received from the player is read by the settlement machine and the POS terminal, and the employee performs the required settlement operation and prize exchange operation. Recently, in order to reduce the burden on employees, attention has been focused on a self-exchange system in which players themselves settle their deposit balance and exchange for prizes without the intervention of an employee.

JP 2017-144111 A

However, if a card such as a membership card needs to be returned to the player after the player has settled the remaining balance or exchanged for a prize, and the card is returned after the settled cash or exchanged prize has been paid out, there is a risk that the player will be distracted by these and forget to take the membership card home.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an amusement arcade system that can reduce the risk of players forgetting to take with them the recording media that must be returned after settling the remaining balance or exchanging for prizes in a self-exchange system.

According to the gaming center system described in claim 1, the settlement machine executes the settlement process on the condition that the recording medium presented by the player is accepted, and the recording medium that is the subject of the settlement process is accepted by being loaded and then ejected before the exchange operation is performed in the prize exchange device, and then the prize payout device executes the prize payout process on the condition that the recording medium is re-presented by the player in response to the exchange operation. This reduces the risk that the player will forget to bring the recording medium that needs to be returned after settling the remaining deposit balance or exchanging the prize in the self-exchange method.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of an amusement park system according to one embodiment; Perspective view of the prize exchange counter Functional block diagram of the payment machine Perspective view of a POS terminal Functional block diagram of POS terminal A diagram showing a leftover coin buffet receipt A diagram showing the screen of a payment machine for membership card operation processing (part 1) A diagram showing the screen of a payment machine for membership card operation processing (part 2) A diagram showing the screen of a payment machine for membership card operation processing (part 3) A diagram showing the screen of a payment machine for membership card operation processing (part 4) FIG. 1 shows the screen of a POS terminal in membership card operation processing. FIG. 2 shows the screen of a POS terminal in membership card operation processing. FIG. 3 shows the screen of a POS terminal in membership card operation processing. A diagram showing screen transitions during membership card operation processing A diagram showing the screen of a settlement machine for general card operation processing (part 1) A diagram showing the screen of a settlement machine for general card operation processing (part 2) A diagram showing the screen of a settlement machine for general card operation processing (part 3) A diagram showing the screen of a POS terminal in the operation processing of a general card (part 1) A diagram showing the screen of a POS terminal in the operation processing of a general card (part 1) A diagram showing the screen of a POS terminal in the operation processing of a general card (part 2) A diagram showing the screen of a POS terminal in the operation processing of a general card (part 3) FIG. 4 shows the screen of a POS terminal in a general card operation process. A diagram showing the screen of a POS terminal in the operation processing of a general card (part 5) FIG. 6 shows the screen of a POS terminal in a general card operation process. FIG. 7 shows the screen of a POS terminal in a general card operation process. FIG. 8 shows the screen of a POS terminal in a general card operation process. FIG. 9 shows the screen of a POS terminal in the operation processing of a general card. FIG. 10 shows the screen of a POS terminal in a general card operation process. Diagram showing screen transitions during general card operation processing (part 1) Screen transition diagram for general card operation processing (part 2) FIG. 1 shows a screen of a gaming machine device during a self-rest period (part 1) FIG. 2 shows the screen of a gaming machine device during a self-rest period (part 2) FIG. 13 shows a screen of a gaming machine device during a semi-self-service break.

An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of the overall configuration of the system for an amusement facility. A large number of gaming machines 1 are installed in the amusement facility, and a gaming machine device 2 (corresponding to suppression start means, suppression end means, and setting means) and an information display device 3 are installed corresponding to each gaming machine 1. Two gaming machines 1, gaming machine devices 2, and information display devices 3 are connected to relay devices 4. The relay devices 4 are connected to a management device 6 (corresponding to management means and collation means) via a LAN 5. The management device 6 receives game signals transmitted from the gaming machines (gaming machines 1, gaming machine devices 2, etc.) and manages the game data for each gaming machine, as well as managing the personal data of each registered member.

In the amusement center, a POS terminal, an end counter, a tally adjustment machine, etc. (none of which are shown) are also installed, and these POS terminals, end counters, tally adjustment machines, etc. are also connected to the management device 6 via the LAN 5. Although not shown in FIG. 1, in reality, for example, several hundred gaming machines 1 are managed by the management device 6. The management device 6 is installed in, for example, an office in the amusement center, and is connected to a keyboard 7, a monitor 8, a printer (not shown), etc., which are operated by the manager of the amusement center. The management device 6 manages the operating status of the gaming machines 1, gaming machine devices 2, etc. installed in the amusement center.

The cards (corresponding to recording media) used by players at the game center include a member card 51 (corresponding to a member recording medium) and a general card 52 (corresponding to a general recording medium) (see FIG. 3). The member card 51 is a card that is valid until a preset expiration date (e.g., three years) and is issued to a player who has registered as a member in advance. The balls (corresponding to a game value) corresponding to the member card 51 are stored in the member account of the management device 6 for each loan price. The IC chip 51a built into the member card 51 records a member ID that can identify the card, and records (associates) deposit balance information that can identify the deposit balance deposited in the gaming machine device 2. The balls corresponding to the member card 51 are associated (associated) with the member card 51 by reading out the ball information (corresponding to game value information) that can identify the balls stored for each loan price in the member account of the management device 6 from the member account.

The general card 52 is a card that is valid only for the day, and is issued to an unspecified number of players. A general ID that can identify the card is recorded (associated) on the IC chip 52a built into the general card 52, and deposit balance information that can identify the deposit balance deposited in the gaming machine device 2 and ball holding information (corresponding to gaming value information) that can identify the balls held by the player through play on the day (corresponding to gaming value information) are recorded (associated) for each loan unit price.

The gaming machine 1 has an operating handle 10, an upper tray 11, and a lower tray 12 that constitute a launching device that launches balls onto the board 9, and also has an LCD display 13, a regular prize opening 14, a first start opening 15, a second start opening 16, a big prize opening 17, etc. on the board 9.

The gaming machine 1 performs the following operations.
(1) The first starting hole 15 is a winning hole whose winning rate does not fluctuate (a so-called center winning hole), and the second starting hole 16 is a winning hole whose winning rate fluctuates (a so-called electric chute).
(2) A jackpot lottery is held in response to a winning entry (start winning) into the first start hole 15 or the second start hole 16, and the lottery result is announced by a pattern change on the liquid crystal display unit 13, and a jackpot is awarded depending on the result of the change.

(3) If a start win occurs during a pattern change, the pattern changes are cumulatively reserved up to a predetermined reserved upper limit (for example, four of each), and the reserved pattern changes will begin after the pattern changes have ended. Note that if a start win occurs when the number of reserved pattern changes (reserved number) is at the upper limit, the pattern changes will not be reserved.

(4) The probability of winning the jackpot lottery (jackpot probability) is 1/200, and the probability rate, which is the percentage of jackpots that subsequently enter a probability state (probability rate), is 50% for center hole wins and 70% for the electric chute. When a jackpot occurs, the large prize opening 17 is opened for the allocated number of rounds (R). Here, with center hole wins, all Rs are allocated to 4R, while with the electric chute, 50% are allocated to 10R and 50% are allocated to 4R. The upper limit for the number of wins in 1R is 10, and the upper limit opening time is 30 seconds, and 1R ends when either the upper limit for the number of wins or the upper limit opening time is met.

(5) During the special probability period, the probability of a jackpot increases to 1/50, and the time-saving state (time-saving) in which the winning rate for the first starting hole 15 and the second starting hole 16 is increased is activated, and this combined time-saving state continues until a jackpot occurs. On the other hand, if a normal jackpot occurs that does not result in a special probability period, the time-saving state (single time-saving state) continues until 100 pattern changes have occurred, and if no jackpot occurs, the state returns to normal.

(6) The second starting port 16 opens with a high winning rate when the normal pattern (normal pattern) that changes in response to the winning of the normal pattern winning port 14 becomes a winning pattern. In this case, the time for one normal pattern to change is 30 seconds in the normal state and 3 seconds in the time-saving state. Also, the opening time is 0.3 seconds in the normal state and 5 seconds in the time-saving state. In other words, in the time-saving state, the normal pattern change time is shorter compared to the normal state, while the opening time is longer, resulting in a higher winning rate for the second starting port 16.

In addition to these gaming machines, gaming machines other than the exemplified gaming machines, such as so-called ST machines that use a so-called number-cutting probability change, gaming machines that can generate so-called ceiling time reduction, or gaming machines that have multiple jackpot probabilities and can be changed by settings, may also be managed.

The gaming machine 1 and the peripheral devices attached to the gaming machine 1 output the game signals shown below as the game progresses, such as when the player shoots the ball or when a ball enters the first starting hole 15 or the second starting hole 16.
Out signal = a signal (operation signal) capable of identifying the consumption value (out) output from the out box that collects consumed balls. Since one pulse is output for every 10 balls consumed (used, inserted, collected), "the number of out signals x 10" is identified as out. Note that it may also be a signal output from the gaming machine 1.

Safe signal = a signal that can identify the winning award value (safe) output from the gaming machine 1. Since one pulse is output for every 10 balls paid out in response to a win, "number of safe signals x 10" is identified as safe. The resupply signal output from the resupply device can also be used as the safe signal. There are actual safe signals that are output when balls are actually paid out, and winning safe signals that are output when a payout is reserved in response to a win, but it is preferable to use the latter in order to minimize the time lag between winning and output.

Start signal = a signal that can specify the start process (symbol change, device operation, unit game) and start (number of start processes) in the liquid crystal display unit 13 (device) that changes (operates) due to the start winning (S winning) output from the gaming machine 1. Since it is output when the symbol change is confirmed, the start process is specified according to the signal input. Note that it may be substituted with the S winning signal output at the time of the start winning.

The jackpot signal is a signal capable of identifying the jackpot period output from the gaming machine 1. Since it is a status signal whose level is output during a jackpot, the input of the jackpot signal is identified as the jackpot period.
Special state signal = a signal capable of identifying a special state (sweet state) output from the gaming machine 1. Since it is a state signal whose level is output during a special state (during time reduction (including combined time reduction)) in which the winning rate of the second starting port 16 increases, the special state is identified as being in progress when the special state signal is being input. It may also be a state signal (probability bonus signal) whose level is output during a probability bonus in which the probability of a jackpot increases. Also, the period in which neither a jackpot signal nor a special state signal is input is identified as being in the normal state.

The gaming machine device 2 has a status indicator lamp 18 that indicates the game status of the gaming machine 1 and the status of the gaming device 2, a bill insertion slot 19 into which bills are inserted, a camera unit 20 (only the protective cover is shown in FIG. 1) that has a built-in camera that photographs the upper body including the face of the player, a touch panel type liquid crystal display unit 21 that accepts operation inputs from the player and displays game data such as the number of pattern changes (start) and the probability of a jackpot as the game progresses, a payout button 22 that is operated to pay out balls, a payout nozzle 23 through which the paid out balls pass, a card insertion slot 24 into which a membership card 51 or a general card 52 is inserted, and a removable counting tray 25 located below the lower tray 12 of the gaming machine 1.

The gaming machine device 2 performs the following operations.
(1) When currency is accepted (currency acceptance process), the amount of the deposit is displayed on both the gaming machine 1 and the gaming machine device 2, and one unit of loaned balls (value of the loan) (e.g., 500 yen) is paid out from the gaming machine 1 (value grant process, grant process), and the display of the amount of the deposit becomes the deposit balance excluding the value of the loaned balls according to the value grant process. Currency can be accepted in an amount corresponding to multiple value grant processes (e.g., up to 10,000 yen).

(2) When the loan button on gaming machine 1 is pressed (loan operation, grant operation) while there is a balance, loan balls for one unit are paid out from gaming machine 1, and the payment is deducted from the deposit balance. In addition, each machine is also equipped with a so-called counting function, which counts the balls acquired by the player and can also pay back balls using the counted acquired balls as payment, and the number of balls excluding the payment as payment can be determined as the held balls.

(3) When the return button on the gaming machine 1 is pressed (the issuance operation is accepted) while there is a remaining deposit balance or balls in hand, a general card 52 is issued that can identify the deposit balance and balls in hand. Note that, for the sake of simplicity, partial issuance of a card based on a portion of the deposit balance or balls in hand is not permitted, but may be possible.

(4) By serial communication with the relay device 4 (receiving sales signals), it is possible to identify the currency acceptance process, the value granting process, the remaining deposit balance, the number of loaned balls, the deposit amount, the number of loaned balls, the sales amount in exchange for the loaned balls, the counted balls, the held balls, the refunded balls, and the acceptance and issuance process of the general card 52. These can also be identified by pulse signals (for example, one pulse for every 1,000 yen deposited, one pulse for every 100 yen sold, etc.).

Next, we will explain the self-exchange system. The self-exchange system was introduced to reduce the burden on employees, and allows players to settle their deposit balances and exchange prizes themselves, without the need for an employee.

In one corner of the game center, a prize exchange counter 26 as shown in FIG. 2 is installed. The prize exchange counter 26 accepts a member card 51 or a general card 52, and executes a settlement process of paying out currency based on deposit balance information, an exchange process of exchanging prizes based on saved ball information and held ball information, and a prize payout process of paying out prizes that are the subject of exchange in the exchange process to the player. The counter is configured by arranging a settlement machine 27 (corresponding to a recording medium receiving means, a secret information receiving means, an issuance suppression means, a first permission means, a second permission means, a third permission means, a fourth permission means, and a notification means), a POS terminal 28 (corresponding to a prize exchange device), a prize payout device 29, and a leftover ball prize corner 30. In this embodiment, the POS terminal 28 and the prize payout device 29 are stored in a single housing 31 and are configured as one unit, and the leftover ball prize corner 30 is arranged on the housing 31. The POS terminal 28, the settlement machine 27, and the prize dispensing device 29 are connected to the management device 6 via the LAN 5. The settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are also directly connected, and the POS terminal 28 and the prize dispensing device 29 are also directly connected.

The settlement machine 27 has a touch panel type liquid crystal display unit 32, a card insertion slot 33, a bill return slot 34, a coin return slot 35, etc. 3, the settlement machine 27 is electrically configured to include a control unit 36 constituted by a microcomputer having a CPU 36a, a ROM 36b, a RAM 36c, and an I/O 36d, a liquid crystal display unit 32 connected to the control unit 36, a touch panel 37 arranged on the liquid crystal display unit 32, a bill dispensing unit 38 for dispensing bills to the bill return slot 34, a coin dispensing unit 39 for dispensing coins to the coin return slot 35, an alarm lamp unit 40 for notifying the state or abnormality of the settlement machine 27, a card R/W 41 for reading various information from a member card 51 or a general card 52 inserted in the card insertion slot 33, a stock unit 42 for collecting the general card 52 located in the card R/W 41, an I/F unit 43 for transmitting and receiving various signals and various information between the management device 6 and the POS terminal 28, etc. A sensor for detecting removal of bills is provided in the bill return slot 34, and a sensor for detecting removal of various cards is provided in the card insertion slot 33. In this case, the member card 51 or general card 52 is inserted into the card insertion slot 33 and taken into the settlement machine 27, where various information is read. The state of being taken into the settlement machine 27 means that the member card 51 or general card 52 is removed from the player's hand.

When the settlement machine 27 accepts the member card 51 by inserting it into the card insertion slot 33, it requests the player to enter a PIN number, and, provided that the entered PIN number matches correctly, it reads the deposit balance information recorded on the inserted member card 51, displays the deposit balance specified by the read deposit balance information on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and retrieves and stores the ball information corresponding to the inserted member card 51 from the member's account in the management device 6.

The settlement machine 27 then ejects the accepted member card 51 from the card insertion port 33, and executes a settlement process to dispense currency corresponding to the deposit balance from the bill return port 34 and/or the coin return port 35, on condition that the member card 51 has been removed from the card insertion port 33. If the number of stored balls specified by the stored ball information stored in association with the inserted member card 51 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the settlement machine 27 executes a transmission process to transmit the stored ball information to the POS terminal 28, on condition that the dispensed bills have been removed from the bill return port 34. When the settlement machine 27 handles the deposit balance recorded in association with the member card 51, it processes it after checking it against the deposit balance previously stored in association with the member card 51 by the management device 6.

When the settlement machine 27 accepts the general card 52 by inserting the general card 52 into the card insertion port 33, it reads the deposit balance information and held ball information recorded in association with the inserted general card 52, and displays the deposit balance specified by the read deposit balance information on the liquid crystal display unit 32. The settlement machine 27 executes a settlement process in which currency corresponding to the deposit balance is paid out from the banknote return port 34 and the coin return port 35.

Then, if the number of held balls specified by the read held ball information is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the settlement machine 27 executes a transmission process to transmit the stored ball information to the POS terminal 28, on the condition that the dispensed bills have been removed from the bill return port 34. When the settlement machine 27 handles the deposit balance and held balls recorded in association with the general card 52, it processes them after comparing them with the deposit balance and held balls previously stored in association with the general card 52 by the management device 6.

In this embodiment, a sensor that detects the removal of banknotes is provided in the banknote return opening 34, and the operation proceeds to the next operation on the condition that the removal of banknotes is detected. However, a sensor that detects the removal of coins may be provided in the coin return opening 35, and the operation proceeds to the next operation on the condition that the removal of banknotes and coins is detected. Furthermore, if it is relatively difficult to detect the removal of coins compared to the removal of banknotes, the operation proceeds to the next operation on the condition that a predetermined period of time has passed since the dispensing of coins.

As shown in FIG. 4, the POS terminal 28 is composed of a main body 44 and a touch panel type liquid crystal display 47 that can communicate with the main body 44. The liquid crystal display 47 displays the information necessary for prize exchange and executes a predetermined exchange process in response to touch operations by the player.

As shown in FIG. 5, the POS terminal 28 is electrically configured to include a control unit 46, which is configured by a microcomputer having a CPU 46a, a ROM 46b, a RAM 46c, and an I/O 46d, a liquid crystal display unit 45 connected to the control unit 46, a touch panel 47 arranged on the liquid crystal display unit 45, an IC reader 48 for reading information from the member card 51, and an I/F unit 49 for transmitting and receiving various signals and various information between the management device 6, the settlement machine 27, and the prize dispensing device 29. In this case, the member card 51 is touched by the IC reader 48 to read various information without being taken into the POS terminal 28. The state where the member card 51 is not taken into the POS terminal 28 means that the member card 51 or the general card 52 is not removed from the player's hand. Data communication between the member card 51 and the IC reader 48 is performed by short-distance wireless communication, for example, FeliCa (registered trademark).

When the POS terminal 28 receives the stored ball information and held ball information from the settlement machine 27, it identifies the type and number of special prizes based on the number of stored balls and held balls specified by the stored ball information and held ball information, and sends a payout instruction that can identify the type and number of special prizes to the prize payout device 29, instructing the payout of the special prizes. The prize payout device 29 stores multiple types of special prizes in a prize stock section (not shown) of the housing 31, and when it receives a payout instruction from the POS terminal 28, it automatically pays out the type and number of special prizes according to the received payout instruction, and executes a prize payout process to pay out the prizes that are the subject of exchange in the exchange process to the player. The special prizes are resin cards with built-in IC chips, and come in three denominations: 5,000 yen, 1,000 yen, and 200 yen. Here, the prize payout device 29 is provided with a sensor that detects whether the paid prize has been taken out, and when it detects that the prize has been taken out, it can output a signal indicating that to the POS terminal 28 or the settlement machine 27. Also, in this embodiment, the settlement machine 27 sends the saved ball information and held ball information to the POS terminal 28, but a configuration may be adopted in which the settlement machine 27 sends a POS terminal operation transition signal (described later) indicating that the POS terminal 28 is to transition to an exchange operation, and the POS terminal 28 acquires the saved ball information and held ball information from the management device 6 by receiving the signal, and the settlement machine 27 does not necessarily have to acquire the saved ball information and held ball information.

The prize payout device 29, which will be described in detail later, issues a leftover ball buffet receipt (hereinafter referred to as a receipt) 50 shown in FIG. 6 when a player selects the leftover ball buffet as a method for handling leftover balls in the self-exchange general card operation process. The receipt 50 has the number of available points (the number of points corresponding to the leftover balls, 38 points is shown as an example in FIG. 6) printed on it. When the receipt 50 is issued, the player can win leftover ball prizes in a buffet style from the leftover ball prize corner 30 according to the number of points printed on the receipt 50.

Next, the operation process will be described when a player settles the deposit balance and exchanges for prizes using the self-exchange method. As shown in Figures 7(a) and 15(a), when the waiting screen 101, 301 is displayed on the liquid crystal display 32, the settlement machine 27 can accept both the member card 51 and the general card 52, and displays a message 101a, 301a saying "Please insert your card" to prompt the player to insert the member card 51 or general card 52, and waits for the insertion of the member card 51 or general card 52.

As shown in Figs. 11(a) and 18(a), when the waiting screen 201, 401 is displayed on the liquid crystal display 47, the POS terminal 28 displays the message 201a, 401a "Please insert the card into the settlement machine" to prompt the insertion of the member card 51 or the general card 52 into the settlement machine 27, and waits for the insertion of the member card 51 or the general card 52 into the settlement machine 27. That is, in this state, the settlement machine 27 can accept both the member card 51 and the general card 52, and the subsequent processing differs depending on the type of card accepted. When the player moves to the settlement machine 27 from this state to perform the settlement operation, and inserts the member card 51 into the settlement machine 27, the member card operation processing is performed, and when the general card 52 is inserted into the settlement machine 27, the general card operation processing is performed. Below, the member card operation processing and the general card operation processing are explained in order.

(1) Membership Card Operation Processing The membership card operation processing will be described with reference to FIG. 7 to FIG.
When the settlement machine 27 detects the reception of the membership card 51 by inserting the membership card 51 into the card insertion slot 33, it displays a PIN input screen 102 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in Fig. 7(b), displays a message 102a saying "Please enter the PIN number used at the time of membership registration" to prompt the player to enter the PIN, and displays a numeric keypad 102b with numbers "0" to "9" and a "clear" button 102c and a "cancel" button 102d. When the settlement machine 27 detects the input of the PIN by the player pressing the numeric keypad 102b, it transmits the input PIN to the management device 6, where the input PIN is collated with the PIN number used at the time of membership registration, and receives the collation result from the management device 6.

When the settlement machine 27 detects that the PIN matches the PIN used at the time of member registration, it reads the remaining balance recorded on the accepted member card 51, and as shown in FIG. 8(a), displays the card removal screen 103 on the liquid crystal display 32, showing the remaining balance (1100 yen in the example of FIG. 8(a)) 103a, the settlement amount (1100 yen in the example of FIG. 8(a)) 103b, and a message 103c saying "Remove the card to receive the settlement amount," encouraging the player to remove the member card 51, and ejects the accepted member card 51 from the card insertion slot 33. In other words, in this state, the player is able to remove the member card 51 from the card insertion slot 33.

When the player removes the member's card 51 from the card insertion slot 33 and the settlement machine 27 detects that the member's card 51 has been removed, it starts settling the read deposit balance and displays a settlement in progress screen 104 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in FIG. 8(b), and displays a message 104a saying "Please be careful not to forget to take your settlement money" to warn the player not to forget to take their settlement money, and a message 104b saying "Checking" to inform the player that the settlement money is being checked.

When settling the remaining deposit amount, the settlement machine 27 displays a settlement completion screen 105 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in FIG. 9(a), and displays the remaining deposit amount, settlement amount, and payout amount (1,100 yen in the example shown in FIG. 9(a)) 105a, a message 105a saying "Please be careful not to forget to take your settlement amount" to warn the user not to forget to take the settlement amount, a message 105c saying "Thank you", and dispenses bills equivalent to the remaining deposit amount from the bill dispensing unit 38 to the bill return port 34 and dispenses coins from the coin dispensing unit 39 to the coin return port 35.

When the settlement machine 27 detects that the banknotes dispensed from the banknote return port 34 have been removed, if the stored balls are recorded in the management device 6 in association with the member card 51 being accepted, it transmits stored ball information indicating the stored balls to the POS terminal 28, and as shown in FIG. 9(b), displays the POS operation screen 106 on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and displays a message 106a saying "Please continue to perform the exchange operation at the POS terminal" to prompt the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28. The settlement machine 27 also transmits a POS terminal operation transition signal to the settlement machine 27, indicating a transition to the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28. At this time, the player moves from in front of the settlement machine 27 to in front of the POS terminal 28 and performs the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28.

When the POS terminal 28 detects the reception of a POS terminal operation transition signal from the settlement machine 27 while displaying the standby screen 201, it displays the type selection screen 202 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 11(b), on the condition that it has received saved ball information from the settlement machine 27, displays a message 202a saying "Please select an account" to prompt the selection of an exchange type, and displays the "Type selection" buttons 202b to 202e, the "Previous" button 202f, the "Next" button 202g, the "Call staff" button 202h, and the "Cancel exchange" button 202i. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "Please operate at this self-service POS terminal." The "Previous" button 202f and the "Next" button 202g are buttons that are operated to switch to another exchange type when there are five or more exchange types that cannot all be displayed on the screen.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed one of the "Type Selection" buttons 202b to 202e, it displays the prize selection screen 203 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in FIG. 12(a), displays a message 203a saying "Please specify the number and press the "OK" button" to prompt the player to select the number of prizes, and displays the details of the selected type (total number, number of exchanges, account balance) 203b, "-" buttons 203c to 203e and "+" buttons 203f to 203h for specifying the number of prizes, the "Maximum number set" button 203i, the "OK" button 203j, the "Call staff" button 203k, and the "Cancel exchange" button 203l. At this time, when the "Maximum number set" button 203i is pressed, a special prize that is the maximum amount that can be exchanged with all the target saved balls is selected. FIG. 12(a) shows an example of what happens when the "Select type" button 202b is pressed on the type selection screen 202 in FIG. 11(b).

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Maximum number of sets" button 203i and then the "Confirm" button 203j, it displays the exchange confirmation screen 204 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in FIG. 12(b), displays the message 204a "Please touch your membership card" to encourage the player to touch the membership card 51, and displays the usage details 204b, the "Call attendant" button 204c, and the "Cancel exchange" button 204d. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "Please touch your membership card to the IC reader."

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has touched the IC reader 48 with the member card 51, it sends a payout instruction to the prize payout device 29 that can specify the type and number of special prizes based on the saved ball information, causes the prize payout device 29 to pay out the specified type and number of special prizes, and displays an exchange processing in progress screen 205 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 13(a), and displays a message 205a saying "exchange processing in progress" to notify that the exchange processing is in progress. The POS terminal 28 also sends an exchange processing start signal to the settlement machine 27, indicating the start of the exchange processing. Note that the remaining balls that were not exchanged for special prizes in the exchange processing are stored in the management device 6 as saved balls.

When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of an exchange process start signal from the POS terminal 28, it displays an exchange process in progress screen 107 as shown in FIG. 10(a), and displays a message 107a saying "Exchange process in progress" to inform the POS terminal 28 that the exchange process is in progress. After this, when the settlement machine 27 detects that the prize paid out from the prize payout device 29 has been removed, it returns to the standby screen 101 described above.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the prize dispensed from the prize dispensing device 29 has been removed, as shown in FIG. 13(b), it displays an exchange completion screen 206 on the liquid crystal display unit 47, displays a message 206a saying "Thank you for using our service" and a breakdown of the exchange process (pre-transaction, deposit, withdrawal, balance) 206b, and returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 201 after a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the start of displaying the exchange completion screen 206. The POS terminal 28 may also display the results of the exchange process itself, such as the settlement amount and the exchanged prize.

Figure 14 shows the screen transitions of the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 during the operation processing of the membership card 51 described above. In this way, the player can settle the deposit balance associated with the membership card 51 at the settlement machine 27 and exchange saved balls for special prizes at the POS terminal 28. Note that if the player presses the "Stop exchange" button on any screen, such as the "Stop exchange" button 202i on the type selection screen 202, no further processing will be performed.

(2) General Card Operation Processing General card operation processing will be described with reference to FIG. 15 to FIG.
When the settlement machine 27 detects the reception of the general card 52 by inserting the general card 52 into the card insertion slot 33, it reads the deposit balance recorded on the accepted general card 52, and displays a settlement in progress screen 302 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in Fig. 15(b), displaying the read deposit balance (1100 yen in the example of Fig. 15(b)) 302a and the settlement amount (1100 yen in the example of Fig. 15(b)) 302b, displaying a message 302c saying "Be careful not to forget to take the settlement amount" to warn the user not to forget to take the settlement amount, and displaying a message 302d saying "Confirming" to inform the user that the settlement amount is being confirmed. In the above-mentioned member card operation process, the accepted member card 51 is immediately discharged from the card insertion slot 33 immediately after the deposit balance and the settlement amount are displayed, but in the general card operation process, the accepted general card 52 is not discharged from the card insertion slot 33 at this stage, but is left inserted. In other words, at this stage, the player cannot remove the general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33 .

When settling the remaining deposit amount, the settlement machine 27 displays a settlement completion screen 303 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in FIG. 16(a), and displays the remaining deposit amount, the settlement amount, and the payout amount (1,100 yen in the example shown in FIG. 16(a)), a message 303b saying "Please be careful not to forget to take your settlement amount" to warn the user not to forget to take the settlement amount, a message 303c saying "Thank you", and dispenses bills equivalent to the remaining deposit amount from the bill dispensing unit 38 to the bill return port 34 and dispenses coins from the coin dispensing unit 39 to the coin return port 35.

When the settlement machine 27 detects that the bills dispensed from the bill return port 34 have been removed, if the general card 52 being accepted has recorded held balls, it transmits held ball information indicating the held balls to the POS terminal 28, and as shown in FIG. 16(b), displays a POS operation screen 304 on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and displays a message 304a saying "Please continue to perform the exchange operation at the POS terminal" to prompt the player to perform the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28. The settlement machine 27 also transmits a POS terminal operation transition signal to the settlement machine 27, indicating a transition to the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28. At this time, the player moves from in front of the settlement machine 27 to in front of the POS terminal 28 and performs the exchange operation at the POS terminal 28.

When the POS terminal 28 detects the reception of a POS terminal operation transition signal from the settlement machine 27 while displaying the standby screen 401, on the condition that the ball information is received from the settlement machine 27, the type selection screen 402 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 18 (b), and a message 402a saying "Please select a type" is displayed to prompt the selection of an exchange type, and the "Type selection" buttons 402b to 402e, the "Previous" button 402f, the "Next" button 402g, the "Call staff" button 402h, and the "Cancel exchange" button 402i are displayed. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "Please operate at this self-service POS terminal." Note that, unlike the member card operation process, if only one type is associated with the general card 52, the type selection screen 402 is not displayed and is omitted, and the wait screen 401 proceeds to the prize exchange screen 403 described later.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed one of the "Select exchange type" buttons 402b to 402e, it displays the prize exchange screen 403 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in FIG. 19(a), displays a message 403a saying "Please confirm the contents and press the "Confirm" button at the bottom right" to prompt the player to confirm the number of prizes, and displays a breakdown of the selected type (total number, number of exchanges, remaining) 403b, the number of prizes for each type 403c, a "Confirm" button 403d, a "Call staff" button 403e, and a "Cancel exchange" button 403f. In this case, all prizes that can be exchanged by the type selected by the "Select exchange type" buttons 402b to 402e are selected. FIG. 19(a) shows an example of the case where the "Select type" button 402b is pressed on the type selection screen 402 in FIG. 18(b).

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 403d, it displays the remaining ball selection processing screen 404 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 19(b), displays a message 404a saying "Please select how to handle the remaining balls" to prompt the player to select how to handle the remaining balls (same meaning as the remaining balls, equivalent to the remaining play value), and displays the "Remaining Ball Buffet" button 404b, the "Save Balls in Member's Card" button 404c, the "Return to General Card" button 404d, the "Call Staff" button 404e, the "Cancel Exchange" button 404f, and the "Back" button 404g. In other words, the player can select the method of handling the remaining balls from the remaining ball buffet, to save balls in the member's card, or to return to the general card. In this embodiment, the method for handling the remaining balls can be selected, but the method for handling the remaining balls can also be determined in advance without being selectable. In that case, the remaining ball selection processing screen 404 is omitted and the player advances from the prize exchange screen 403 to the screen corresponding to the one previously determined method.

First, we will explain what happens when a player presses the "Extra Ball Buffet" button 404b. When the POS terminal 28 detects that a player has pressed the "Extra Ball Buffet" button 404b, it displays the Extra Ball Buffet confirmation screen 405 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in FIG. 20(a), and displays a message 405a stating "Please confirm the details and then press the 'Confirm' button at the bottom right" to prompt the player to confirm the details, and displays a breakdown of the Buffet prizes 405b, a "Call Attendant" button 405c, a "Cancel Exchange" button 405d, and a "Confirm" button 405e.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 405e, if the general card 52 being accepted has other types of held balls recorded on it, it pops up a POP confirmation screen 406 on the end ball buffet confirmation screen 405 as shown in FIG. 20(b), displays a message 406a stating "Multiple held balls remain" to prompt the player to confirm the other types of held balls, and displays a "Confirm" button 406b. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also transmits a receipt issuing instruction to the prize dispensing device 29. When the prize dispensing device 29 receives a receipt issuing instruction from the POS terminal 28, it issues the receipt 50 described above. If the general card 52 being accepted does not have other types of held balls recorded on it, the POP confirmation screen 406 is not displayed and is omitted. In this embodiment, the receipt 50 is issued from the prize dispensing device 29, but it is of course also possible to issue the receipt 50 from the POS terminal 28 or the settlement machine 27.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 406b, it displays the exchange confirmation screen 407 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in FIG. 21(a), displays a message 407a saying "If this is OK, please press the 'Confirm' button at the bottom right" to prompt the player to confirm the details, and displays the usage details 407b, the "Call staff" button 407c, the "Cancel exchange" button 407d, and the "Confirm" button 407e. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "If this is OK, please press the Confirm button."

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 407e, it displays the card return screen 408 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in FIG. 21(b), and displays a message 408a saying "Please collect your card from the settlement machine" to encourage the player to collect the card. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "The card will be returned from the settlement machine. Please take your card from the settlement machine." The POS terminal 28 also transmits a settlement machine operation transition signal to the settlement machine 27, which indicates a transition to the card removal operation at the settlement machine 27.

If the general card 52 being accepted does not have any other type of held balls recorded on it, the POS terminal 28 will have settled both the deposit balance and the held balls, and there will be no need to return the general card 52 being accepted, so the card return screen 408 will not be displayed, and the settlement machine 27 will initialize both the deposit balance and the held balls recorded on the general card 52 being accepted to "0" before collecting them in the stock section 42.

When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a settlement machine operation transition signal from the POS terminal 28, it displays the card return screen 305 on the liquid crystal display 32 as shown in FIG. 17(a), notifies the start of the exchange process by displaying a message 305a saying "Remove the card to begin the exchange process," notifies the return of the card by displaying a message 305b saying "The card will be returned," and ejects the accepted general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33. That is, in this state, the player can remove the general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33.

When the player removes the general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33 and the settlement machine 27 detects that the general card 52 has been removed, the settlement machine 27 transmits a removal completion signal indicating that the general card 52 has been removed to the POS terminal 28.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that it has received a removal completion signal from the settlement machine 27, it sends a payout instruction to the prize payout device 29 that can identify the type and number of special prizes based on the held ball information, causes the prize payout device 29 to pay out the identified type and number of special prizes, and displays an exchange processing in progress screen 409 on the LCD display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 22(a), and displays a message 409a saying "exchange processing in progress" to notify that the exchange processing is in progress in conjunction with the prize payout processing. The POS terminal 28 also sends a prize payout processing start signal to the settlement machine 27, indicating the start of the prize payout processing.

When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a prize payout process start signal from the POS terminal 28, as shown in FIG. 17(b), it displays an exchange process in progress screen 306 on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and displays a message 306a saying "exchange process in progress" to inform the POS terminal 28 that the exchange process is in progress. After this, when the settlement machine 27 detects that the prize paid out from the prize payout device 29 has been removed, it returns to the standby screen 301 described above.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the prize dispensed from the prize dispenser 29 has been removed, it displays the exchange completion screen 410 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in FIG. 22(b), displays the message 410a "Thank you for using our service", and returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 401 a predetermined time after the display of the exchange completion screen 410 starts (e.g., 10 seconds). In this case, the POS terminal 28 may also display the results of the exchange process itself, such as the settlement amount and the exchanged prize. Note that, like in the case where the general card 52 is collected, the prize will be dispensed in response to the detection of pressing the "Confirm" button 405e. Alternatively, the removal of the receipt 50 may be detected, and the prize may be dispensed in response to that detection.

Next, we will explain what happens when a player presses the "Save balls in member card" button 404c. When the POS terminal 28 detects that a player has pressed the "Save balls in member card" button 404c, if the general card 52 being accepted has other types of held balls recorded on it, it pops up a POP confirmation screen 411 on the remaining ball selection processing screen 404 as shown in FIG. 23(a), displays a message 411a saying "Multiple held balls remain" to prompt the player to confirm the other types of held balls, and displays a "Confirm" button 411b. Note that if the general card 52 being accepted does not have other types of held balls recorded on it, the POP confirmation screen 411 is omitted and not displayed.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 411b, it displays the exchange confirmation screen 412 on the LCD display 47 as shown in FIG. 23(b), displays the message 412a "Please touch your membership card" to encourage the player to touch the membership card 51, and displays the usage details 412b, the "Call attendant" button 412c, and the "Cancel exchange" button 412d. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "Please touch your membership card to the IC reader." FIG. 23(b) illustrates an example in which the "Select type" button 402c is pressed on the type selection screen 402 in FIG. 18(b).

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has touched the member card 51 to the IC reader 48, it transmits information that can identify the touched member card 51 and the remaining balls to the management device 6, and the management device 6 stores the remaining balls as saved balls in the member account of the member card 51 (associating the game value information of the remaining game value with the member recording medium). When the POS terminal 28 confirms that the remaining balls have been stored as saved balls in the management device 6, it displays a card return screen 413 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 24(a), and displays a message 413a saying "Please collect your card at the settlement machine" to encourage the player to collect the card. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "The card will be returned from the settlement machine. Please take your card from the settlement machine." In addition, the POS terminal 28 transmits a settlement machine operation transition signal to the settlement machine 27, which indicates a transition to a card removal operation at the settlement machine 27.

When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a settlement machine operation transition signal from the POS terminal 28, as described above, as shown in FIG. 17(a), it displays the card return screen 305 on the liquid crystal display 32 and ejects the accepted general card 52 from the card insertion port 33. When the settlement machine 27 detects that the player has removed the general card 52 from the card insertion port 33 and the general card 52 has been removed, it transmits a removal completion signal indicating the removal of the general card 52 to the POS terminal 28. Note that in this embodiment, the case has been exemplified in which the remaining balls of the selected type are stored and the held balls of other types are returned to the general card 52, but the held balls of other types may also be stored in the member card 51 and the general card 52 may be collected in the same manner as described above. Also, if there are no held balls of other types, the general card 52 is collected as described above.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that it has received a removal completion signal from the settlement machine 27, it sends a payout instruction to the prize payout device 29 that can identify the type and number of special prizes based on the held ball information, causes the prize payout device 29 to pay out the identified type and number of special prizes, and displays an exchange processing in progress screen 414 on the LCD display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 24(b), and displays a message 414a saying "exchange processing in progress" to notify that the exchange processing is in progress in conjunction with the prize payout processing. The POS terminal 28 also sends a prize payout processing start signal to the settlement machine 27.

When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a prize payout process start signal from the POS terminal 28, as shown in FIG. 17(b), it displays an exchange process in progress screen 306 on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and displays a message 306a saying "exchange process in progress" to inform the POS terminal 28 that the exchange process is in progress. After this, when the settlement machine 27 detects that the prize paid out from the prize payout device 29 has been removed, it returns to the standby screen 301 described above.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the prize dispensed from the prize dispensing device 29 has been removed, it displays the exchange completion screen 415 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in FIG. 25(a), displays a message 415a saying "Thank you for using our service," displays a breakdown of the exchange process (pre-transaction, deposit, withdrawal, balance) 415b, and returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 401 a predetermined time after the start of displaying the exchange completion screen 415 (e.g., 10 seconds). In this case, the POS terminal 28 may also display the results of the exchange process itself, such as the settlement amount and the exchanged prize. Note that, like when the general card 52 is collected, the prize will be dispensed in response to detection of the membership card 51.

Next, we will explain what happens when the player presses the "Return to normal card" button 404d. When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Return to normal card" button 404d, if the general card 52 being accepted has other types of held balls recorded on it, it pops up a POP confirmation screen 416 on the remaining ball selection processing screen 404 as shown in FIG. 26(a), displays a message 416a saying "Multiple held balls remain" to prompt the player to confirm the other types of held balls, and displays a "Confirm" button 416b. Note that if the general card 52 being accepted does not have other types of held balls recorded on it, the POP confirmation screen 416 is not displayed and is omitted.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 416b, it displays the exchange confirmation screen 417 on the liquid crystal display 47 as shown in FIG. 26(b), displays a message 417a saying "If this is OK, please press the 'Confirm' button at the bottom right" to prompt the player to confirm the contents, and displays the usage details 417b, the "Call staff" button 417c, the "Cancel exchange" button 417d, and the "Confirm" button 417e. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "If this is OK, please press the Confirm button." FIG. 26(b) illustrates an example in which the "Type selection" button 402d is pressed on the type selection screen 402 in FIG. 18(b).

When the POS terminal 28 detects that the player has pressed the "Confirm" button 417e, it transmits information capable of identifying the remaining balls to the settlement machine 27 and causes the settlement machine 27 to record the remaining balls as held balls on the general card 52 currently being accepted, while displaying a card return screen 418 on the liquid crystal display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 27(a), and displaying a message 418a saying "Please collect your card from the settlement machine" to encourage the player to collect the card. At this time, the POS terminal 28 also outputs a voice message saying "The card will be returned from the settlement machine. Please take your card from the settlement machine." The POS terminal 28 also transmits a settlement machine operation transition signal to the settlement machine 27, which indicates a transition to a card removal operation at the settlement machine 27.

When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a settlement machine operation transition signal from the POS terminal 28, as described above, it displays the card return screen 305 on the liquid crystal display unit 32 as shown in FIG. 17(a) and ejects the accepted general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33. When the settlement machine 27 detects that the player has removed the general card 52 from the card insertion slot 33 and the general card 52 has been removed, it transmits a removal completion signal to the POS terminal 28 indicating that the removal of the general card 52 has been completed.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that it has received a removal completion signal from the settlement machine 27, it sends a payout instruction to the prize payout device 29 that can identify the type and number of special prizes based on the held ball information, causes the prize payout device 29 to pay out the identified type and number of special prizes, and displays an exchange processing in progress screen 419 on the LCD display unit 47 as shown in FIG. 27(b), and displays a message 419a saying "exchange processing in progress" to notify that the exchange processing is in progress in conjunction with the prize payout processing. The POS terminal 28 also sends a prize payout processing start signal to the settlement machine 27.

When the settlement machine 27 detects receipt of a prize payout process start signal from the POS terminal 28, as shown in FIG. 17(b), it displays an exchange process in progress screen 306 on the liquid crystal display unit 32, and displays a message 306a saying "exchange process in progress" to inform the POS terminal 28 that the exchange process is in progress. After this, when the settlement machine 27 detects that the prize paid out from the prize payout device 29 has been removed, it returns to the standby screen 301 described above.

When the POS terminal 28 detects that a prize paid out from the prize payout device 29 has been removed, as shown in FIG. 28(a), it displays an exchange completion screen 420 on the liquid crystal display unit 47, displays a message 420a saying "Thank you for your patronage," displays the details of the exchange process (number of balls still held, prepaid amount, balls held in other accounts) 420b, and returns to the above-mentioned standby screen 401 after a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the start of displaying the exchange completion screen 420. In this case, the POS terminal 28 may also display the results of the exchange process itself, such as the settlement amount and the exchanged prize.

Figures 29 and 30 show the screen transitions of the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 in the operation processing of the general card 52 described above. In this way, the player can settle the deposit balance associated with the general card 52 at the settlement machine 27 and exchange the balls he has for special prizes at the POS terminal 28. In this case, too, if the player presses the "Stop exchange" button on any screen, such as the "Stop exchange" button 402i on the type selection screen 402, no further processing will be performed.

In the settlement machine 27, if the deposit balance is not recorded on the accepted member card 51 or general card 52, a message such as "There is no deposit balance" may be displayed. In addition, if a certain time has passed since the accepted member card 51 or general card 52 was ejected from the card insertion port 33 and the card was not removed, an error notification may be issued to make the player aware that the card has been left behind. If a certain time has passed since the banknotes equivalent to the deposit balance have been dispensed from the banknote dispensing unit 38 to the banknote return port 34, or since coins have been dispensed from the coin dispensing unit 39 to the coin return port 35, and the money has not been removed, an error notification may be issued to make the player aware that the money has been left behind.

In this embodiment, the member card 51 is discharged from the settlement machine 27 before the deposit balance is paid out, while the general card 52 is discharged from the settlement machine 27 before the prize is paid out. This is because the member card 51 records the deposit balance but not the saved balls, while the general card 52 records both the deposit balance and the balls in hand, and so the general card 52 needs to be imported in order to update the information. In this case, the deposit balance, saved balls, and balls in hand are all also managed by the management device 6, and the saved balls are processed based on the information in the management device 6, while the deposit balance and balls in hand are processed after collating the information recorded on the card with the information in the management device 6. The saved balls may be recorded directly on the member card 51, or the deposit balance and balls in hand may be managed and associated by the management device 6 without being recorded on the member card 51 or the general card 52. That is, the operation process of the member card 51 described in Figures 7 to 14 may be applied to the general card 52, and the operation process of the general card 52 described in Figures 15 to 30 may be applied to the member card 51.

Next, the PIN and the safety lock function will be explained. The gaming machine device 2 is provided with a safety lock (issuance lock) function in case the player leaves his/her seat for business. When the safety lock state is entered, the issuance process for issuing the accepted member card 51 or general card 52 is suppressed (corresponding to an issuance suppression process) by adding a condition that the player inputs a valid PIN, but replay processes are still permitted. The safety lock state can be released by the player re-entering the PIN.

There are two types of PIN information, either of which can be selected. One is the terminal ID (e.g., IDM) of a mobile terminal such as a smartphone of a player using short-distance communication such as FeliCa, and the player enters the safety lock state by presenting the mobile terminal each time the safety lock is started. The IDM is a unique ID number that cannot be rewritten and is recorded on the IC chip when the FeliCa card is manufactured. The remaining one is a PIN number, and the safety lock PIN number can be registered as a PIN number different from the PIN number used at the time of member registration, but it is also possible to register it as the same PIN number. In this case, the PIN number may be entered every time the safety lock is activated, but if it is registered at least once, the safety lock start operation can be performed without entering the PIN number, and it is not necessarily required to enter it every time. If the safety lock PIN number is the same as the PIN number used at the time of member registration, this is notified when the safety lock is started or during the issuance process in the safety lock state.

In the above-mentioned member card operation process, when the member card 51 is accepted by the settlement machine 27, it is necessary to input the PIN as described in FIG. 7(b). Also, when the member card 51 is accepted by a conventional POS terminal, it is necessary to input the PIN in the same way. In this case, for the member card 51 that has been subjected to the safety lock, the player first inputs the PIN (corresponding to the first PIN) corresponding to the safety lock. When the player inputs the PIN, the input PIN is checked against the PIN (corresponding to the second PIN) at the time of member registration, and if the two match, the member card 51 can be used to settle the deposit balance and exchange for prizes. In other words, if the first PIN and the second PIN match, the settlement process and the prize exchange process are permitted on the condition that one PIN is accepted without accepting the PIN for the first PIN and the second PIN. On the other hand, if the two do not match, the player can enter the PIN at the time of member registration to settle the deposit balance and exchange for prizes using the member card 51. In other words, if the first PIN and the second PIN do not match, the settlement process and the prize exchange process are permitted on the condition that both the first PIN and the second PIN are accepted. Since only the PIN is registered when registering as a member, if the safety lock is performed on a mobile terminal, the card can be used by presenting the mobile terminal and then entering the PIN used during member registration.

Although it is not directly related to the safety lock, when the settlement machine 27 is operated alone, processing is performed without the need to input a PIN, whereas in this embodiment, since the settlement machine 27 is connected to the POS terminal 28, input of a PIN is required at the settlement machine 27. This is because the PIN must be verified when using stored balls; that is, the PIN entered at the settlement machine 27 is sent to the POS terminal 28, and the PIN is processed in the same way as when the POS terminal 28 is operated alone. Note that if the connection with the management device 6 goes offline, authentication of the PIN is not possible, and processing itself is therefore disabled and suppressed.

When accepting a PIN, the PIN corresponding to the safety lock is accepted before the PIN used at member registration (the first and second PINs are accepted in a pre-specified acceptance order), so that even if the PIN used at member registration is accepted first, if it differs from the PIN corresponding to the safety lock, it cannot be authenticated, thus increasing security, but the same security can be maintained even if the input order is reversed. On the other hand, for convenience, a PIN may be accepted without specifying which PIN it is, and if it corresponds to one of the PINs, the other PIN is accepted (the acceptance order of the first and second PINs is accepted without pre-specifying, and if the accepted PIN corresponds to one of the PINs, the other PIN is allowed to be accepted). It is not necessary to notify that the acceptance order has been specified.

In the case of self-operation at the POS terminal 28, when the member card 51 is accepted, the deposit balance is settled on the condition that the PIN is entered regardless of whether the exchange process is executed or not (the settlement process is permitted on the condition that the PIN is entered), as an example. However, if the deposit balance is settled without the exchange process, for example, by entering on the PIN entry screen 102 that the exchange process is not desired, or if there are no balls saved and only a balance, the deposit balance may be settled without entering the PIN as in the past (the settlement process is permitted without the condition that the PIN is entered).

Next, the break function will be explained. In addition to the safety lock function, the gaming machine device 2 is also provided with a break function (same meaning as the leave function) in case the player leaves the seat for business. The break function is a function that, when a break operation (same meaning as the leave operation) is performed to eject a card (corresponding to the ejection process), does not allow the acceptance of a new card, deposit, or granting process until the card is accepted (executes a break suppression process that suppresses processing related to the game during the player's break), and displays that fact. The process of ejecting a card is executed by either a player operation by a player or an employee operation by an employee (corresponding to the employee ejection process), and a break executed by a player operation is a self-break (corresponding to the second start setting), and a break executed by an employee operation is a semi-self-break (corresponding to the first start setting).

If the card accepted by the gaming machine device 2 is a member card 51, the self-rest start operation shown in Fig. 31 and Fig. 32 allows the user to use the rest function without the assistance of an employee, even if there is no deposit balance or balls remaining, but a maximum number of times (for example, one for a meal break) is set in advance, and rests that exceed the maximum number of times in a specified period (for example, one day) are prohibited. On the other hand, if the gaming machine device 2 does not accept a member card 51, the gaming facility can select in advance between a self-rest and a semi-self-rest, and either of these is permitted if it is possible to issue a general card 52 that satisfies the issuance conditions, such as the deposit balance or balls reaching a reference value. The selection between a self-rest and a semi-self-rest may be made by group, such as type, model, or game island, or by gaming machine. The same applies to other settings. The issuance conditions that allow a self-rest or a semi-self-rest may be different from the issuance conditions for a normal general card 52, such as a different reference value.

As shown in Figures 31 and 32, in the self-break mode, when the gaming machine device 2 detects that the player has touched the standby screen 501 displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 21, it displays a menu screen 502 on the liquid crystal display unit 21 and displays a "Meal Break" button 502a, a "Cigarette Break" button 502b, a "Share Balls" button 502c, a "Use Other Account" button 502d, a "Safety Lock Release" button 502e, a "Withdraw Deposit Balance" button 502f, a "Quick Lend" button 502g, a "Detailed Information" button 502h, a "Next" button 502i, and a "Finish" button 502j.

When the gaming machine device 2 detects that the player has pressed the "meal break" button 502a (break operation), it displays the break start screen 503 on the liquid crystal display unit 21, displays a message 503a saying "Break will start. Your card will be returned. Are you sure?", prompts the player to confirm that he or she wants to start the break, and displays the "OK" button 503b and the "Cancel" button 503c.

When the gaming machine device 2 detects that the player has pressed the "OK" button 503b, it ejects the accepted membership card 51 or general card 52 from the card insertion slot 24, displays the card removal screen 504 on the liquid crystal display unit 21, and displays the message 504a "Please remove your card" to prompt the player to remove the card. In other words, in this state, the player can remove the membership card 51 or general card 52 from the card insertion slot 24.

The gaming machine device 2 can detect that the member card 51 or general card 52 has been removed, and when it detects this, it displays the break screen 505 on the liquid crystal display unit 21 and displays a message 505a saying "Please insert the card used during the break" to encourage the user to insert the card removed this time at the end of the break. At this time, the gaming machine device 2 starts to suppress the acceptance of new cards and deposits, etc. (starts the break suppression process). Note that a maximum break time (e.g. 30 minutes) is set in advance, and the gaming machine device 2 displays the remaining time until the maximum limit is reached, and after the maximum limit is exceeded, displays the excess time that has exceeded the maximum limit. When the gaming machine device 2 detects the acceptance of the same member card 51 or general card 52 by inserting the same member card 51 or general card 52 (the removed card) into the card insertion slot 24, it returns to the standby screen and ends the suppression of deposits, etc. (ends the break suppression process). In this way, in the self-rest mode, the player can start the rest state by his/her own operation, and can end (cancel) the rest state by his/her own operation by inserting the member card 51 or general card 52 issued at the start of the rest. Note that, although an example has been given in which the menu screen 502 is displayed when the player touches the standby screen 501 while it is being displayed, a button equivalent to the above-mentioned "meal break" button 502a may also be provided on the standby screen 501.

On the other hand, in the semi-self-service break, as shown in FIG. 33, when the gaming machine device 2 detects that the player has touched the standby screen 501 displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 21, it displays the menu screen 506 on the liquid crystal display unit 21, but does not display the "meal break" button 502a described above. In this case, the player calls an employee and performs break operations by the employee operating the remote control, etc.

When an employee operates the remote control, the remote control signal transmitted from the employee remote control 53 is received by the remote control receiver 54 of the gaming machine device 2 or the remote control receiver 55 of the information display device 3, and the gaming machine device 2 displays the break start screen 503 described in FIG. 31 on the liquid crystal display unit 21 and starts the suppression of the acceptance of new cards and deposits, etc. (starts the break suppression process). Note that the employee operation is not limited to the employee operating the employee remote control 53, but may be, for example, inputting a secret code known only to the employee into the gaming machine device 2, or any operation may be adopted as long as it involves an employee operation, such as allowing the player to perform a break operation as in the case of a self-break, but starting a break on the condition of the employee's approval. When the gaming machine device 2 detects the acceptance of the same general card 52 by inserting the general card 52 (the removed card) into the card insertion slot 24, it returns to the standby screen and ends the suppression of deposits, etc. (ends the break suppression process). In this way, in a semi-self-service break, the player can start the break state by calling an employee and having the employee perform an operation; in other words, the break state cannot be started without an employee operation, but by inserting the general card 52 issued at the start of the break, the break state can be ended (cancelled) without an employee operation.

In the above example, the break is a relatively long break for a meal, but it may also correspond to a relatively short break for smoking or using the toilet. In this case, both may be started on the condition that an employee operation is involved, but the relatively long break is started on the condition that an employee operation is involved (the first break suppression process is started on the condition that an employee ejection process is involved at the start of the player's break), while the relatively short break may be started by the player's operation without an employee operation (the second break suppression process is not started on the condition that an employee ejection process is involved at the start of the player's break).

The settlement machine 27 can be set in advance as to whether or not it will operate as a self-service machine (connect to the POS terminal 28). If set to operate as a self-service machine, it will stop operating and inhibit the settlement function if it cannot confirm a connection to the POS terminal 28. In addition, while the settlement function is inhibited, it will display a message indicating that it is waiting for a connection.

When the settlement machine 27 is operated independently and not connected to the POS terminal 28, it allows deposit processing such as issuing a general card 52 by depositing money, and accepting deposits to the member card 51 or general card 52 and adding to the deposit balance, but when it is operated connected to the POS terminal 28, the above deposit processing is not allowed but is inhibited.

When operating in a connected manner, in both the member card operation process and the general card operation process, settlement is performed without specifying the deposit balance to be settled, taking into consideration the operational burden on the player. This is the same when operating independently, but in addition, when operating in a connected manner, the deposit process is suppressed. When operating independently, there is little need to specify which one to use, as it is possible to perform settlement processing if the accepted member card 51 or general card 52 has a deposit balance, and to perform deposit processing if there is no deposit balance. However, when operating in a connected manner, there are players who wish to exchange for prizes even if the accepted member card 51 or general card 52 has no deposit balance, and so it becomes necessary to specify either deposit processing or prize exchange, and if this operation is not performed, it is not possible to proceed to prize exchange, and deposit processing is suppressed from the perspective of preventing operations from becoming complicated.

It is possible to set the conditions for accepting cards when operating by yourself; for example, only either the member card 51 or the general card 52 may be accepted, or the acceptance condition may be that multiple types of saved balls or held balls are not associated with the card. If the latter is set, when a member card 51 associated with multiple types of saved balls or a general card 52 associated with multiple types of held balls is accepted, the accepted member card 51 or general card 52 is discharged without settlement processing. In other words, if a condition related to either settlement of the deposit balance or prize exchange is set as an acceptance condition but is not met, processing is suppressed including the processing of the other card. Such a condition may be applied only to the general card 52.

Even in self-operated systems, separate terminals such as employee-operated POS terminals and payment machines are provided, and cards that do not meet the acceptance conditions are ejected from the self-operated terminals, so they are processed by the employee-operated POS terminal or payment machine and the terminal.

When operating by yourself, it is possible to set an acceptance condition that the deposit balance and either the saved balls or the held balls are zero (either "0" or below a specified number); however, if such an acceptance condition is not set, when a member card 51 or a general card 52 with no deposit balance is accepted, the settlement of the deposit balance can be cancelled and an exchange process can be carried out; when a member card 51 with no saved balls or a general card 52 with no held balls is accepted, the deposit balance can be settled and the process can be terminated without carrying out an exchange process.

When operated by the self-service, the member card 51 or general card 52 in the rest state is not accepted by the self-service POS terminal 28 but is ejected, and the fact that it is in the rest state is notified. On the other hand, when the member card 51 or general card 52 in the rest state is accepted by a POS terminal operated by an employee, the rest state is released and the card is accepted as a prize exchange target. In this case, the member card 51 or general card 52 in the rest state may also be accepted by an employee-operated settlement machine after the rest state is released and the card is used as a settlement target for the deposit balance.

When operating by yourself, it is possible to accept a member card 51 on which multiple types of stored balls are recorded, and a general card 52 on which multiple types of held balls are recorded, but the exchange process itself is carried out one type at a time, and after the exchange process for the first type is completed, the member card 51 or general card 52 is reinserted into the card insertion port 33 of the settlement machine 27 to carry out the exchange process for the next type.

The exchange operation is permitted on the condition that the removal of dispensed banknotes is detected by the settlement machine 27, but since it is difficult to detect the removal of coins when coins are dispensed, the next process such as an exchange operation may be permitted on the condition that a predetermined period of time has passed since the dispense. Also, the above may be used differently depending on whether the dispensed currency is banknotes or coins, or a sensor that detects the removal of coins may be provided in the coin return port 35.

In the general card operation process, an example has been given in which the recovery conditions are met and the general card 52 is recovered when both the deposit balance and the balls in hand have been fully settled, but it is also possible to recover the general card 52 on the assumption that the recovery conditions are met when, for example, the deposit balance or the balls in hand have not reached a reference value (e.g., 30 balls in hand).

In the general card operation process, since there are players who do not want to receive end-ball prizes, a "discard remaining balls" button may be provided on the remaining ball selection processing screen 404, and the general card 52 may be collected by operating this button, assuming that the collection conditions are met. In this case, the remaining balls are counted as items to be collected.

In the POS terminal 28, information is read from the member card 51 when the member card 51 is touched to the IC reader 48 and not taken in, but an IC reader may be provided in the card insertion slot of the POS terminal 28, and information may be read from the member card 51 when the member card 51 is inserted into the card insertion slot and taken in, as in the settlement machine 27. Also, an IC reader may be provided in the settlement machine 27, and information may be read from the member card 51 or general card 52 when the member card 51 or general card 52 is touched to the IC reader and not taken in, as in the POS terminal 28.

According to the present embodiment described above, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
In the amusement arcade system, the settlement machine 27 executes the settlement process on the condition that the membership card 51 presented by the player is accepted, and the membership card 51 that is the subject of the settlement process is accepted by being input and then ejected before the exchange operation is performed at the POS terminal 28, and then the prize payout device 29 executes the prize payout process on the condition that the membership card 51 is re-presented by the player in response to the exchange operation, thereby reducing the risk that the player will forget to take the membership card 51 that needs to be returned after settling the remaining deposit or exchanging the prize in the self-exchange method.

After the member's card 51 is ejected from the settlement machine 27, the settlement process is executed on the condition that it is detected that the ejected member's card 51 has been removed from the settlement machine 27. This makes it possible to emphasize the removal of the member's card 51 as a dividing line between the settlement of the deposited balance and the exchange for a prize, and more appropriately reduces the risk that the player will forget to take the member's card 51 with them.

The exchange operation is permitted under at least one of the conditions that it has been detected that the dispensed bills have been removed from the settlement machine 27, and that it has been detected that a predetermined period of time has passed since the coins were dispensed. This allows the player to operate with plenty of time to spare, for example by putting the dispensed bills in a wallet and then performing the exchange operation, thereby reducing the risk of placing an unnecessary burden on the player.

The settlement machine 27 accepts the membership card 51 to settle the remaining deposit balance, and the POS terminal 28 allows the exchange operation without accepting the membership card 51. However, the POS terminal 28 re-presents the membership card 51 in response to the exchange operation. Therefore, if it is necessary to move between the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 when operating, it is possible to refrain from presenting the membership card 51 during the exchange operation. This also reduces the need to move while reducing the risk of prize exchanges being made by fraudulent individuals who do not possess the membership card 51.

The saved balls are not recorded on the member's card 51 but are associated and managed by the management device 6, and the member's card 51 is accepted to settle the deposit balance by fetching the member's card 51, while the member's card 51 is re-presented in response to an exchange operation without fetching the member's card 51, which reduces the risk of the player forgetting to bring the member's card 51. Furthermore, even if the player is asked to re-present the member's card 51 in consideration of fraudsters, the member's card 51 is not fetched, which reduces the risk of the player forgetting to bring the member's card 51.

The exchange operation is permitted under at least one of the conditions that it has been detected that the dispensed bills have been removed from the settlement machine 27 and that it has been detected that a predetermined period of time has passed since the dispense of the currency. When the collection conditions that are set in advance in response to the execution of the exchange process are met, the accepted general card 52 is collected by the settlement machine 27, so that the exchange operation is permitted after waiting until the bills are removed. Therefore, for example, the player can place the dispensed bills in his/her wallet and then perform the exchange operation, allowing the player to operate at leisure, and eliminating the need for the player to take out the general card 52 that no longer needs to be returned due to the collection conditions being met, thereby reducing the risk of placing an unnecessary burden on the player.

When the collection conditions are met in response to the exchange process, the general card 52 is collected and a prize corresponding to the exchange process is paid out from the prize payout device 29. Therefore, in order to pay out a prize, it is necessary to meet the collection conditions, and the player can perform exchange operations that will meet the collection conditions even in self-operation.

If the recovery conditions are not met in response to the exchange process, the general card 52 is ejected from the settlement machine 27, and a prize corresponding to the exchange process is paid out from the prize payout device 29 on the condition that it is detected that the general card 52 has been removed from the settlement machine 27. Therefore, if the recovery conditions are not met and it is necessary to return the general card 52, it becomes necessary to remove the general card 52, and even if a player is distracted by the prize exchange, the risk of forgetting to take the returned general card 52 can be reduced.

The settlement machine 27 accepts the general card 52, settles the deposit balance and exchanges for prizes, and if any remaining balls are to be stored on the member's card 51, the general card 52 is collected by presenting the member's card 51 to the POS terminal 28. This reduces the need for the player performing the exchange operation to return to the settlement machine 27 to present the member's card 51, and by identifying the member's card 51 to which the balls will be stored before collecting the general card 52, it is possible to perform a highly reliable ball storage process.

It is possible to set whether or not to connect the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28. When the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are not connected, a deposit process that accepts currency is possible, but when they are connected, the deposit process is suppressed. Therefore, when the machine is operated independently without being connected to the POS terminal 28, it is possible to perform a settlement if there is a deposit balance, and to deposit if there is not. On the other hand, when the machine is operated connected to the POS terminal 28, some players wish to exchange for prizes even if they have no deposit balance, and it becomes necessary to specify whether to deposit or exchange for prizes. If this operation is not performed, the player will not be able to proceed to the prize exchange, which may make the operation complicated. However, by suppressing the deposit process, if there is no deposit balance, the player can exchange for prizes as is, which reduces such concerns.

When the member card 51 is accepted, if the PIN number for the safety lock corresponding to the member card 51 and the PIN number used at the time of member registration do not match, both are accepted, but if they match, settlement processing or exchange processing is permitted on the condition that any one PIN information is accepted, so that appropriate handling can be provided even if the PIN number used at the time of member registration and the PIN number for the safety lock are different.

When a member card 51 is received in which the PIN for the safety lock does not match the PIN used at the time of member registration, the PIN for the safety lock and the PIN used at the time of member registration are accepted in a pre-specified acceptance order, which creates the need to take the acceptance order into consideration, thereby enabling security to be improved.

When a member card 51 is received in which the PIN for the safety lock does not match the PIN used at the time of member registration, the order in which the PIN for the safety lock and the PIN used at the time of member registration are accepted is not specified in advance, and if the accepted PIN corresponds to one of the PINs, the other PIN is allowed to be accepted. This allows the player to enter their PIN without worrying about the order in which they are accepted, thereby increasing convenience while maintaining the security provided by multiple PINs.

When issuance of the member card 51 is restricted, a notification is given that identifies the result of matching the PIN for safety lock with the PIN used at the time of member registration, making it possible to have the player reconfirm that a different PIN was registered when safety locking.

When the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are connected, the member card 51 accepted by the settlement machine 27 is used to allow exchange operations at the POS terminal 28, and settlement processing is permitted on the condition that a PIN number is entered regardless of whether or not an exchange process is involved. On the other hand, when the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are not connected, settlement processing is permitted without the need to enter a PIN number, making it possible to maintain high security while simplifying the system configuration.

When the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28 are connected, the member card 51 accepted by the settlement machine 27 is used to allow an exchange operation at the POS terminal 28, and when the deposit balance is settled without an exchange process, the settlement process is allowed without requiring the entry of a PIN, whereas when an exchange process is involved, the settlement process is allowed on the condition that the PIN is entered, thereby reducing the need to enter a PIN and improving convenience for the player.

The break suppression process, which suppresses the acceptance of new cards and deposits during a player's break, is started in response to the employee discharge process, which requires an employee operation, and ends when the member card 51 or general card 52 discharged in response to the employee discharge process is accepted without any employee operation. Therefore, when the break starts, the member card 51 or general card 52 is discharged by an employee operation, and when the break ends, the player can play by having the member card 51 or general card 52 accepted by the player. By making it possible to omit confirmation at the end of the break, the burden on the employee can be reduced. It is also possible to prevent fraudulent use, such as a single player taking multiple breaks or using the break process to secure the gaming machine 1 even when not taking a break.

When starting a break, it is possible to set a semi-self-service break that requires employee operation, or a self-service break that does not require employee operation, making it possible to provide appropriate break processing according to the needs of the amusement center.

When an employee initiates a break, the condition is that at least one of the credit balance, saved balls, and held balls on the card must reach a standard value. This makes it possible to use a card such as a general card 52, which is associated with the credit balance and held balls, as a key, and even if the general card 52 is taken away, it can be compensated for by the associated credit balance or held balls.

By preventing a member card 51 or a general card 52 during a break from being subject to settlement processing or exchange processing, the risk of accidentally collecting a member card 51 or a general card 52 during a break is reduced, and it is possible to prevent the gaming machine 1 from being left in a rest state.

Multiple rest processes with different break times are provided, and one of the rest processes is a semi-self-service break that requires employee operation, while the other is a self-service break that does not require employee operation. This means that relatively long rest processes, such as meal breaks, which could cause great damage if used multiple times by a single player, can be used via an employee, while relatively short rest processes, such as restroom or smoking breaks, which do not cause much damage, can be used without the assistance of an employee, making it possible to reduce damage caused by unauthorized use while maintaining convenience for players.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be modified or expanded as follows. In addition, the configurations illustrated may be combined in any way, including modified examples, or may not be adopted as appropriate.

The settlement machine 27 is designed to always execute the settlement process when there is a deposit balance, but it may also be configured to send the ball information to the POS terminal 28 without executing the settlement process depending on the player's choice, and only exchange for prizes. In this case, since it is necessary to update the ball information recorded on the general card 52 in response to the exchange process, the ball information at the end of the exchange process is received from the POS terminal 28, and the ball information on the general card 52 is rewritten and returned.

The configuration is not limited to one in which the member card 51 and the general card 52 are taken in and accepted by the settlement machine 27, but may be one in which the member card 51 and the general card 52 are taken in and accepted by the POS terminal 28. Also, the member card 51 and the general card 52 may be accepted by both the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28, and the player may select the target for the member card 51 or the general card 52. Also, a dedicated device for accepting the member card 51 or the general card 52 may be provided separately from the settlement machine 27 and the POS terminal 28.
As in the past, a separate prize exchange counter operated by an employee may be provided.

Although a configuration has been exemplified in which the POS terminal 28 and the prize dispensing device 29 are stored or placed in a single housing 31 and configured as an integrated unit, it is also possible to add a settlement machine 27, and have the settlement machine 27, the POS terminal 28 and the prize dispensing device 29 stored or placed in a single housing and configured as an integrated unit.
The extra prizes are given out in a buffet style so that players are free to take home whatever prizes they like, but the prizes may also be handed out by staff to players according to their wishes, and may be provided in any manner.
Although there are only two types of prizes, special prizes and end-of-lot prizes, prizes other than the end-of-lot prizes may be prepared.

The type of the special prize is not limited to that in the present embodiment, and may be of any shape or amount. Similarly, the type of the end prize may be of any shape or amount.
The end prizes may also be configured to be paid out automatically in the same manner as the special prizes.
The rental price of game media can be set at the game arcade's discretion within the range stipulated by the rules.
Although the configuration in which cash such as paper money and coins are accepted as monetary value has been exemplified, monetary value other than cash, such as electronic money, may also be accepted.

Each setting value may be set by the administrator through operation input, may be set in advance by the manufacturer of the management device 6, or may be set by downloading setting information from an external server. In this case, the setting value is also input by operation input on the server. Also, game information showing past exchange status may be set as a reference value.
Although the example given above shows suppression through prohibition, it is not necessary to necessarily prohibit it; for example, it may be suppressed by obtaining approval from an employee in self-operation or by performing a special operation.

All of the game information shown as examples may be determined directly by the input signal or indirectly by using an arithmetic expression. Also, while a pulse signal is shown as an example of the game signal, the signal may also be input via serial communication, etc.

The numbers, digits, items, etc. are examples, and any numbers may be used. In addition, the identification output may be in any output form, such as adding symbols other than those shown in the examples, and output may be at least printed or displayed.

Either "above" or "exceeding" can be used, with expressions such as "reached" corresponding to either "reached or exceeded." The same goes for "below" and "less than," with expressions such as "did not reach" corresponding to both.

Target gaming machines include pachinko gaming machines other than the pachinko gaming machines exemplified above, such as the so-called sealed type, which manages gaming media only by data, and slot machines. Note that, taking into consideration gaming machines that do not pay out gaming media, such as the so-called sealed type, gaming media will be expressed as gaming value as necessary.

Part of the processing performed by the management device 6 may be performed by the settlement machine 27, the POS terminal 28, etc., and may be configured in any manner. Furthermore, the exemplary configurations may be combined in any manner, including modified examples, and configurations may not be adopted as appropriate.

In the drawing, 2 is an amusement machine device (suppression start means, suppression end means, setting means), 6 is a management device (management means, comparison means), 27 is a settlement machine (recording medium reception means, PIN information reception means, issuance suppression means, first permission means, second permission means, third permission means, fourth permission means, notification means), 28 is a POS terminal (prize exchange device), 29 is a prize payout device, 51 is a membership card (membership recording medium), and 52 is a general card (general recording medium).

Claims (5)

A game center system is provided in which a recording medium capable of relating deposit balance information, which indicates the deposit balance required to receive game value, and game value information, which indicates the amount of game value acquired through play, to a player is issued, a settlement machine capable of executing a settlement process to pay out currency based on the deposit balance information, a prize exchange device capable of executing an exchange process to exchange prizes based on the game value information in response to an exchange operation by a player, and a prize payout device capable of executing a prize payout process to pay out prizes that have been exchanged in the exchange process to the player,
the settlement machine executes the settlement process corresponding to the credit balance information associated with the recording medium on the condition that the recording medium presented by the player is accepted;
The recording medium to be the subject of the settlement process is accepted by being taken in, and then ejected before an exchange operation is performed in the prize exchange device.
the prize exchange device allows the exchange operation for executing the exchange process for the recording medium even if the recording medium that is the subject of the settlement process and has been discharged is not newly accepted;
The prize payout device is a system for an amusement arcade that executes the prize payout process on the condition that the recording medium is re-presented by the player in response to the exchange operation. A game center system is provided in which a recording medium capable of relating deposit balance information, which indicates the deposit balance required to receive game value, and game value information, which indicates the amount of game value acquired through play, to a player is issued, a settlement machine capable of executing a settlement process to pay out currency based on the deposit balance information, a prize exchange device capable of executing an exchange process to exchange prizes based on the game value information in response to an exchange operation by a player, and a prize payout device capable of executing a prize payout process to pay out prizes that have been exchanged in the exchange process to the player,
the settlement machine executes the settlement process corresponding to the credit balance information associated with the recording medium on the condition that the recording medium presented by the player is accepted;
The recording medium to be the subject of the settlement process is accepted by being taken in, and then ejected before an exchange operation is performed in the prize exchange device.
the prize payout device executes the prize payout process on the condition that the recording medium is re-presented by the player in response to the exchange operation;
The prize exchange device is a system for an amusement park that allows the exchange operation under at least one of the following conditions: it is detected that the dispensed coin has been removed from the settlement machine, and it is detected that a predetermined period of time has passed since the coin was dispensed . In an amusement facility system, a recording medium capable of relating deposit balance information, which indicates the deposit balance required to receive gaming value, and gaming value information, which indicates the amount of gaming value acquired through playing, is issued to a player, and the system is provided with a settlement machine capable of executing a settlement process to pay out currency based on the deposit balance information, a prize exchange device capable of executing an exchange process to exchange for prizes based on the gaming value information in response to an exchange operation by a player, and a prize payout device capable of executing a prize payout process to pay out prizes that have been exchanged in the exchange process to the player,
the settlement machine is capable of accepting the recording medium presented by the player, and executes the settlement process corresponding to the credit balance information associated with the recording medium on the condition that the recording medium has been accepted;
The recording medium to be the subject of the settlement process is accepted by being taken in, and then ejected before an exchange operation is performed in the prize exchange device.
the prize payout device executes the prize payout process on the condition that the recording medium is re-presented by the player in response to the exchange operation;
The prize exchange device is a system for an amusement park that allows the exchange operation without accepting a new recording medium, provided that the recording medium is accepted by the settlement machine, while accepting the recording medium re-presented by the player in response to the exchange operation . 4. The game arcade system according to claim 1, wherein the settlement machine executes the settlement process on condition that it detects that the ejected recording medium has been removed . the recording medium is a membership recording medium corresponding to a player who is registered as a member at the gaming facility,
The gaming value information associated with the member recording medium is associated in a state where it is not recorded in the member recording medium ,
An amusement park system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the prize exchange device accepts the membership recording medium re-presented by the player in response to the exchange operation without importing the membership recording medium.

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