JP7674672B2 - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an amusement machine.

Conventionally, gaming machines have been known that are equipped with a control board that includes at least a main control board and a sub-control board (see Patent Document 1).

The main control board is provided to execute processes directly related to game progress (e.g., control of the spinning reels, ball output control, transfer requests).

The sub-control board is also provided to execute processes that are indirectly related to the progress of the game (for example, control of the LCD screen presentation, control of the LED lighting of the illumination section, and control of the audio output of the speaker).

Here, these control boards execute processing in response to a power outage when the application (supply) of voltage to the gaming machine is stopped (when a power outage occurs in the gaming machine), and execute processing in response to the restoration of power when the power is restored.

JP 2020-081243 A

However, in conventional control boards, when executing processing in response to a power outage/recovery of power to the gaming machine, there is a risk that some kind of malfunction will occur in the hardware and/or software, causing problems with the processing.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that can prevent malfunctions in the processing executed by the control board even in the event of a power outage/recovery.

The present invention relates to
A microcomputer to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the gaming machine;
One or more devices whose operations can be controlled by the microcomputer;
Equipped with
The microcomputer is capable of executing a predetermined calculation during the period from when a power interruption occurs in the gaming machine until the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value,
After a power outage occurs in the gaming machine and before the microcomputer completes the predetermined calculation, a suppression process for suppressing the operation of one or more of the devices can be executed on one or more of the devices in accordance with a priority order set for each of the devices.
It is an amusement machine.

The present invention provides a gaming machine that can prevent malfunctions in the processing executed by the control board even in the event of a power outage/recovery.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the slot machine. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a slot machine and a card unit. A diagram explaining the connection/communication relationship between the main control board, the game value control board and the sub-control board. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a sub-control board. A figure showing the relationship between the time elapsed from when a power outage occurs in a slot machine to when power is restored and the voltage applied to a sub-control board. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the flow of power interruption/power restoration processing.

[First embodiment]
A slot machine 1 according to an embodiment of a gaming machine of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Note that the embodiment described below is merely one example of the present invention, and the embodiment of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. In the following description, "connection" includes cases where connection targets are directly connected to each other, and cases where connection targets are indirectly connected to each other via another board or device, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment is a reel-type gaming machine in which the amount of gaming value is managed by electronic data (hereinafter referred to as "gaming value data"), without using physically existing medals.

<Configuration of Card Unit 7>
As shown in FIG. 2, the card unit 7 is connected to the slot machine 1 outside the slot machine 1 so as to be able to communicate with the slot machine 1 .

The card unit 7 can also store therein a card 70 that stores gaming value data as electronic data in place of medals as real objects.

The details of the card unit 7 are the same as those of conventional medal-less machines, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

<Configuration of Slot Machine 1>
As described above, the slot machine 1 of this embodiment is a medal-less machine in which a game can be played without using medals, which are real objects. In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, a game is played using game value data, which is electronic data, instead of medals, which are real objects.

As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 1 has a cabinet 10. A front door 100 is provided on the front of the cabinet 10. This front door 100 is locked while a game is in progress.

A transparent reel window 200 is provided in the center of the front door 100. Through this reel window 200, the player can see the multiple symbols displayed on the surface of each of the multiple rotating reels 20, which will be described later.

Above the reel window 200, there is an LCD screen 3, a speaker 101, and an illumination unit 102 for various effects during play.

The LCD screen 3 is equipped with a monitor LED and a backlight, and displays various animations (animation screens) while the player is playing.

The speaker 101 outputs a specified BGM (background music), SE (sound effects) and audio.

The illumination unit 102 is made up of LEDs and the like, and lights up or goes out in a predetermined pattern, for example, when a highly anticipated performance screen is displayed or when a winning combination is achieved.

Below the reel window 200 are provided the operation unit 4, a lower panel 103, a front bottom 104, etc. The lower panel 103 displays the title of the slot machine 1, etc. Also, LED lighting is provided on the back side of the lower panel 103. The front bottom 104 is designed to allow the player to place personal belongings, etc.

The operation unit 4 includes a plurality of stop switches 40 (40a, 40b, 40c), a bet switch 41, a lever 42, a digital counter 43, a counting button 44, a cancel button 45, and a performance button 46.

A sensor is provided near each switch in the operation unit 4 to detect the player's operation and output an operation signal to the control unit 6.

Each stop switch 40a, 40b, 40c is provided corresponding to each reel 20 (20a, 20b, 20c). The stop switches 40a, 40b, 40c accept an operation to stop the rotation of the corresponding reel 20a, 20b, 20c while the reel 20a, 20b, 20c is rotating.

A lamp is provided inside the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c. The lamp can indicate that the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c are in an inoperative state by emitting a color (e.g., red) from the time the lever 42 is operated until each of the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c reaches a steady rotation state. The lamp can also indicate that the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c are in an operable state by emitting a color different from the above color (e.g., blue) from the time the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c reach a steady rotation state until the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c are operated.

The bet switch 41 is used when the player bets game value. The credited game value and the amount of bet game value are managed by the slot machine 1 (media management unit 620). The bet switch 41 is also provided with a lamp inside or around it that lights up when the operation is valid and goes out when the operation is invalid.

The lever 42 functions as a start switch that accepts operations to spin the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c.

The digital counter 43 digitally displays the number of gaming credits, the amount of gaming value paid out (amount won), etc. By checking the digital counter 43, the player can also check the amount of gaming value he or she owns while playing.

The counting button 44 can accept operation by the player to transfer game value data from the media management unit 620 to the card unit 7. When the counting button 44 accepts operation by the player, a transfer signal is generated in the counting button 44. The counting button 44 also has a lamp inside or around it that changes light color or turns on/off depending on whether it is not being operated or is being operated.

The cancel button 45 can accept an operation by the player to change the gaming value from a bet state (betting state) to a non-betting state (non-betting state). When the cancel button 45 accepts the player's operation, a cancel signal is generated by the cancel button 45. After that, the media management unit 620, which receives the cancel signal, manages the gaming value data in the betting state as a non-betting state. In addition, the cancel button 45 is equipped with a lamp inside or around it that changes its light color or turns on/off depending on whether it is not being operated or is being operated.

The effect button 46 is a button that is used by the player to set the light intensity of the LEDs of the illumination unit 101, set the volume of the speaker 102, check game data, and perform various other menu settings related to the game on the menu screen when playing a game. The effect button 46 may also be operated by the player during play depending on the effect. When the effect button 46 is operated during play, a change occurs in the effect.

In addition, the effect button 46 has a lamp inside or around it that can emit light in various colors and patterns. The lamp is lit when the effect button 46 is in an operable state, and is turned off when the effect button 46 is in an inoperable state.

In the following, the stop switches 40a, 40b, 40c, the bet switch 41, the count button 44, and the cancel button 45 may be collectively referred to as "operation buttons, etc. 47".

Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a reset button 51 and a setting change button 52 are provided inside the housing 10.

The reset button 51 is operated to clear various errors and initialize the RAM that constitutes the control unit 6. For example, when the power of the slot machine 1 is switched from off to on while the reset button 51 is operated, the amount of game value managed by the media management unit 620 is cleared to "0", and the second game state of the slot machine 1 is set to the "general game state" and the game zone is set to the "normal zone."

The setting change button 52 is a button that is operated by a store staff member when one of the multiple setting values is set in the slot machine 1. For example, when the power of the slot machine 1 is switched from off to on while the slot machine 1 is set in the setting change mode, the setting change button 52 becomes operable, and when the setting change button 52 is operated in this state, the setting value can be set.

As shown in FIG. 2, the slot machine 1 also includes a reel unit 2 and a control unit 6 (consisting of a main control unit 61 mounted on the main control board P1, a game value control unit 62 mounted on the game value control board P2, and a sub-control unit 63 mounted on the sub-control board P3). The reel unit 2 and the control unit 6 are disposed inside the cabinet 10 together with a power supply PS (see FIG. 4) for supplying voltage to the slot machine 1, and the like.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rotating reel unit 2 has three rotating reels 20a, 20b, and 20c, and three stepping motors 21a, 21b, and 21c.

For example, patterns (symbols) are arranged on the surfaces of the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c. When the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c stop spinning, a game result determination unit 612 (described below) determines whether the combination of patterns displayed on the pay line L (described below) is a predetermined combination of patterns, and the game progresses.

Stepping motors 21a, 21b, and 21c are provided corresponding to reels 20a, 20b, and 20c, and drive the corresponding reels 20a, 20b, and 20c.

The stepping motors 21a, 21b, 21c stop the rotation of the reel 20 (e.g., 20a) corresponding to the operated stop switch 40 (e.g., 40a) within 190 ms after the stop switch 40a, 40b, 40c is operated while the reels 20a, 20b, 20c are rotating.

The rotation and stopping of these reels 20a, 20b, and 20c and stepping motors 21a, 21b, and 21c are controlled by the reel control unit 611, which will be described later.

<The flow of play by the player>
A player operates the bet switch 41 to use the credited gaming value to bet on the slot machine 1. When a predetermined number of gaming values (e.g., 3) is bet on the slot machine 1, the pay line L is activated. After that, it becomes possible to operate the lever 42, i.e., to start playing.

Figure 1 shows an example in which the active line L is configured in the upper row of the reel window 200 for the left reel 20a, in the middle row of the reel window 200 for the middle reel 20b, and in the lower row of the reel window 200 for the right reel 20c.

In this embodiment, one game (one play) refers to a series of actions in which the player operates the bet switch 41, lever 42, stop switches 40a, 40b, 40c, etc. to obtain a predetermined game result, including the internal lottery, the winning determination process, and the increase/decrease process of the game value data.

Specifically, when the lever 42 is operated (lever on) in a state in which play can begin, an internal lottery is held to determine the winning flag, and the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c begin to spin. In this state, when any of the stop switches 40a, 40b, and 40c is operated, the reel 20 (20b) corresponding to the operated stop switch 40 (for example, 40b) stops. When all the reels 20a, 20b, and 20c stop, a payout process of a predetermined amount of game value is executed according to the combination of symbols (winning combination) that has aligned (winning) on the pay line L. This ends one game.

In addition, at least a portion of the information regarding the progress of the game until the predetermined game result is obtained (for example, the operation of the bet switch 41, the operation of the lever 42, the operation of the stop switch 40, the execution of an internal lottery, the winning of a predetermined role, the spinning of the reel, etc.) is managed by the main control unit 61 mounted on the main control board P1.

<Configuration of control unit 6>
As mentioned above, the control unit 6 is composed of a main control unit 61 mounted on the main control board P1, a game value control unit 62 mounted on the game value control board P2, and a sub-control unit 63 mounted on the sub-control board P3.

The main control board P1, the game value control board P2, and the sub-control board P3 each include a microcomputer, a voltage supply unit, a power interruption/recovery detection unit, a WDT (watchdog timer), and a memory unit (ROM, RAM).

Below, the connection relationships and communication processing between the main control board P1, the game value control board P2, and the sub-control board P3 are explained using Figure 3.

The main control board P1 and the game value control board P2 are electrically connected by a harness, allowing two-way serial communication.

The information and commands sent from the main control board P1 to the game value control board P2 include outer edge information, whether settings are being changed, commands related to various errors, a signal requesting a bet of game value when the bet button 41 is operated, a signal requesting the payout of game value corresponding to a winning combination, a signal requesting a bet cancellation process when the cancel button 45 is operated, and a request to transfer game value when the counting button 44 is operated.

The information and commands sent from the game value control board P2 to the main control board P1 include information that the complete function (described below) has been activated, information that the number of credits has reached an upper limit (a value set to encourage the player to transfer credits when there are too many), information regarding the presence or absence of a communication error between the card unit 7 and the slot machine 1, various responses to requests from the main control unit 61, and so on.

The main control board P1 and the sub-control board P3 are electrically connected by a harness, but only one-way serial communication is performed from the main control board P1 to the sub-control board P3.

The information and commands transmitted from the main control board P1 to the sub-control board P3 include information regarding game value (e.g., game value bet/payout information, total game value acquired during the AT), information regarding the game status and game section, information regarding the start/end of gameplay, information regarding the start/end of device operation, information regarding various errors, and information regarding whether the player is able to operate the operation buttons etc. 47.

The game value control board P2 and the sub-control board P3 are electrically connected by a harness, but serial communication is carried out in one direction from the game value control board P2 to the sub-control board P3.

The information and commands transmitted from the game value control board P2 to the sub-control board P3 include the range (MY) described below, information indicating the operation of the complete function, commands related to advance notification before the complete function is activated, information related to the transfer of game value (for example, transfer start, transfer in progress, transfer complete, etc.), information indicating the number of credits or the number of credits acquired, information indicating that the number of credits has reached the upper limit, error information if a credit backup error has occurred, information on the error if a credit backup error has occurred, and information on whether the player is able to operate the counting button 44, etc.

As the game progresses, when functions of the operation unit 4, such as the lever 42, stop switches 40a, 40b, 40c, and counting button 44, are activated, one-way serial communication is performed from the main control board P1 and the game value control board P2 to the lever 42, etc.

<Explanation of power interruption/power restoration process>
The power interruption/restoration process of the present invention will be described below. Note that in this embodiment, the voltage application stop process, the interruption process disallowance process, the reset process, and the transition process to the software standby mode are collectively defined as the power interruption/restoration process, but each process may function separately as the power interruption/restoration process.

<Description of Voltage Application Stop Processing>
The voltage application stop process (one example of the suppression process) will be described. In this embodiment, the voltage application stop process in the sub-control board P3 will be described, but the slot machine 1 can also execute the voltage application stop process of the present invention in the main control board P1 and the game value control board P2 in the same manner as the sub-control board P3.

The sub-control board P3 is a board on which the performance control unit 630 described below is mounted, and as shown in Figure 4, is equipped with a ROM 631, a voltage supply unit 632, a power interruption/restoration detection unit 633, a WDT (watchdog timer) 634, a RAM 635, a microcomputer MCU (including a bus state controller BSC), and interfaces (I/F) i1 to i4.

The sub-control board P3 also controls the operation of devices such as the LCD screen 3 (including backlight and monitor LED; the same applies below), speaker 101, LEDs in the illumination section 102, LEDs in the lower panel 103, lamps in the performance buttons 46, and lamps in the operation buttons etc. 47.

Below, we will use Figure 4 to explain how power supply voltage is supplied to slot machine 1 and how voltage is applied to sub-control board P3.

First, as shown in FIG. 4, a voltage is applied from an external AC power source AS to the power supply PS of the slot machine 1.

The AC voltage of the AC power supply AS is converted to DC voltage via the power supply PS.

The power supply PS applies a predetermined voltage (12V in the example of FIG. 5) to the main control board P1, the game value control board P2, and the sub-control board P3. Note that in this embodiment, there is one type of predetermined voltage, but there could be two or more types. When two or more types of voltages are output from the power supply PS, several of the types of voltages may be applied to each control board, rather than all types of voltages being applied to each control board. Also, the voltages applied to each control board may differ.

The main control board P1 transmits signals to the microcomputer MCU located on the sub-control board P3 via interface i1, and the game value control board P2 transmits signals to the microcomputer MCU located on the sub-control board P3 via interface i2.

The power supply unit PS applies voltage to the sub-control board P3 (voltage supply unit 632, power interruption/restoration detection unit 633) via interface i3.

The voltage supply unit 632 generates a VCC voltage to be applied to the microcomputer MCU, the backlight of the LCD screen 3, the monitor LED of the LCD screen 3, the LED of the illumination unit 102, the LED of the lower panel 103, the speaker 101, the lamps of the operation buttons 47, the lamps of the performance buttons 46, and the drivers d1 to d7 for driving these. Note that in Figure 4, destinations of the VCC voltage other than the microcomputer MCU are omitted.

The power interruption/restoration detection unit 633 is composed of a comparator and/or an operational amplifier, etc., and monitors the DC voltage applied by the power supply PS. As shown in FIG. 5, when the DC voltage applied by the power supply PS falls below a first reference voltage (e.g., 9V) that is lower than a predetermined voltage, the power interruption/restoration detection unit 633 detects that a power interruption has occurred in the slot machine 1. Also, when the DC voltage applied by the power supply PS rises to or above a second reference voltage (e.g., 10V) that is lower than the predetermined voltage and higher than the first reference voltage, the power interruption/restoration detection unit 633 detects that power has been restored to the slot machine 1.

The microcomputer MCU is composed of a clock pulse generator (not shown), a CPU (Central Processing Unit/not shown), built-in memory (built-in RAM/not shown), built-in peripheral modules (not shown), a bus state controller BSC, etc. In this embodiment, in addition to the clock pulse generator (which can alternatively be external), etc., the bus state controller BSC is also built into the microcomputer MCU.

The microcomputer MCU plays a major role in operating as the sub-controller 63. Specifically, the microcomputer MCU can transmit control signals for controlling the driving and stopping of these devices via the interface i4 to a driver d1 (part of the device) that drives the backlight (part of the device) of the liquid crystal screen 3, a driver d2 (part of the device) that drives the monitor LED (part of the device) of the liquid crystal screen 3, a driver d3 (part of the device) that drives the LED (part of the device) of the illumination unit 102, a driver d4 (part of the device) that drives the LED (part of the device) of the lower panel 103, a driver (amplifier) d4 (part of the device) that drives the speaker 101 (part of the device), a driver d6 (part of the device) that drives the lamps (part of the device) of the operation button 47, etc., and a driver d7 (part of the device) that drives the lamp (part of the device) of the performance button 46.

At this point, for some reason, AC voltage may no longer be applied to the power supply PS, causing a power outage in the slot machine 1. If a power outage occurs in the slot machine 1, the power supply PS will not convert the AC voltage to DC voltage, and the power supply PS will no longer be able to apply DC voltage to the sub-control board P3, etc.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the time that elapses from when a power outage occurs to when power is restored in the slot machine 1 and the DC voltage applied by the power supply PS. As described above, the power outage/power restoration detection unit 633 detects that a power outage has occurred in the slot machine 1 and that power has been restored to the slot machine 1 based on the value of the DC voltage applied from the power supply PS.

When the power interruption/power restoration detection unit 633 detects that a power interruption has occurred in the slot machine 1, it transmits a power interruption detection signal to the microcomputer MCU. In addition, when power is restored to the slot machine 1, the power interruption/power restoration detection unit 633 transmits a power restoration detection signal to the microcomputer MCU.

When the microcomputer MCU receives a power interruption detection signal from the power interruption/recovery detection unit 633, it calculates a first SUM value for the RAM 635 mounted on the sub-control board P3 and causes the bus state controller BSC to store the calculation result at the end of the RAM 635 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "backup processing"). This SUM value is used as a checksum to confirm the identity of a file; a data string is treated as a string of integer values, and the sum is calculated, and the remainder (surplus) obtained by dividing this by a certain constant is used as the test data.

The microcomputer MCU must calculate the first SUM value and store the first SUM value, which is the calculation result, in RAM 635 (backup processing must be completed) during the period from when a power outage in slot machine 1 is detected until the VCC voltage applied to the microcomputer MCU becomes 0 V (the "time during which the first SUM value can be calculated and recorded" in FIG. 5).

On the other hand, when power is restored to slot machine 1, the microcomputer MCU calculates the second SUM value of RAM 635 of sub-control board P3.

If the first SUM value and the second SUM value match, it is treated as a normal termination process, and normal startup processing of the slot machine 1 is executed.

On the other hand, if the first SUM value and the second SUM value do not match, it is treated as an abnormal termination process. This allows store staff to quickly respond to the abnormal termination process. In this case, if it is not just a simple abnormal termination of the program, but an illegal process such as rewriting the RAM (for example, so-called cheating) has occurred, the store staff can also respond appropriately to the cheating.

In this way, the backup process (calculation and recording of the first SUM value) that is executed when power is interrupted in the slot machine 1 is one of the important functions of the microcomputer MCU.

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the microcontroller MCU controls the operation of devices that receive the VCC voltage from the voltage supply unit 632 (such as the speaker 101 managed by the sub-control board P3, the LEDs of the illumination unit 102, the LEDs of the lower panel 103, the lamps of the operation buttons etc. 47, the lamps of the performance buttons 46, etc.).

Here, if a power outage occurs in slot machine 1, the more destinations to which the VCC voltage is supplied from voltage supply unit 632 (i.e., the greater the power consumption), the greater the load on the VCC voltage, and therefore the faster the supplied VCC voltage will fall.

Therefore, if a power outage occurs in the slot machine 1, the microcomputer MCU executes a process to stop applying voltage (kill; an example of a suppression process) to devices (such as the backlight of the LCD screen 3, the LED of the illumination unit 102, and the speaker 101) that are not necessary for the backup process (calculation and recording of the first SUM value of the microcomputer MCU).

Specifically, the microcomputer MCU can stop the application of voltage to, for example, driver d3 of the LED of the illumination unit 102, among the destinations of the VCC voltage supply, thereby stopping the driver d3, and consequently turning off the LED of the illumination unit 102. In addition, the microcomputer MCU can stop the application of voltage to driver d5 of the speaker 102, thereby stopping the driver d5, and consequently stopping the sound output from the speaker 102.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the priority order for the microcomputer MCU to execute the voltage application stop process is determined. In FIG. 4, the more stars there are, the higher the priority order. Specifically, for example, the backlight of the LCD screen 3 has seven stars and the monitor LED of the LCD screen 3 has six stars, so the backlight of the LCD screen 3 has a higher priority order for the voltage application stop process than the monitor LED of the LCD screen 3. Similarly, for example, the LED of the lower panel 103 has four stars and the lamp of the performance button 46 has one star, so the LED of the lower panel 103 has a higher priority order for the voltage application stop process than the lamp of the performance button 46.

This priority is determined in advance based on the power consumption (load) of the device. That is, the load of the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3 is the largest among the loads on the VCC voltage to which VCC is supplied among the devices controlled by the microcomputer MCU, so the priority of the device with the largest power consumption is set to be the highest. That is, the higher the power consumption of the device, the higher the priority is assigned. According to this priority, the voltage application stop process is executed first for the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3, and then, because the load of the monitor LED of the liquid crystal screen 3 is large, the voltage application stop process is executed second for the monitor LED. The power consumption considered when determining this priority can be the average or maximum power consumption when each device is assumed to be operating. The average or maximum power consumption may be an actual measurement value when the device is operated on a trial basis, or a theoretical value obtained by desk calculation may be used.

Alternatively, the priority order for executing the voltage application stop process may be changed depending on the state of the slot machine 1 (e.g., the game state) when the power outage occurs.

In this case, the microcomputer MCU may be able to change the priority order for executing the voltage application stop process, for example, when the LED of the illumination unit 102 is on during a special game (AT), the voltage application stop process for the LED of the illumination unit 102 is executed first, and when the player has set the sound volume to be increased by customization, the voltage application stop process for the speaker 102 is executed first. When the microcomputer MCU changes the priority order, a predetermined default priority order is prepared, and the priority order can be changed according to the actual state of the slot machine 1 when the power failure occurs. Note that, as described above, the default priority order can be determined based on the power consumption calculated on paper. In addition, the power consumption of each device while it is operating may not always be constant. For example, if the player increases the sound volume, the power consumption may increase accordingly, so in this case, the voltage application stop process can be executed for the speaker 102 first. In this way, the priority order can be raised or lowered according to the actual operating status of the device.

When the voltage application stop process is executed, the supply of VCC voltage to the device that is the target of the process is stopped. As a result, the number of devices that operate using the VCC voltage as a power source is reduced by the amount of the stopped devices compared to before the voltage application stop process. This reduces the load on the VCC voltage, and it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the VCC voltage compared to before the voltage application stop process was performed. By reducing power consumption in this way, it is possible to slow down the rate at which the VCC voltage falls, and the microcomputer MCU can secure time to complete the backup process. This makes it easier for the microcomputer MCU to complete the backup process during that time.

Note that if interrupt processing for the microcontroller MCU or transmission and reception of signals with the WDT634 occurs, even if power consumption is reduced as described above, backup processing in the microcontroller MCU may be hindered.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the microcontroller MCU performs a process to disable interrupt processing and a process to reset the WDT 634 before executing the process to stop the voltage application. This is explained in detail below.

<Description of Disabling Interrupt Processing and Reset Processing>
When the power interruption/power restoration detection unit 633 detects that a power interruption has occurred in the slot machine 1, an interrupt process is generated to the microcontroller MCU, which can prevent disruption to the backup process in the microcontroller MCU.

Specifically, before executing the process to stop the application of voltage to the device, the microcomputer MCU executes a process to prohibit all interrupt processes to the microcomputer MCU. This prevents interrupt processes from occurring to the microcomputer MCU, and allows the microcomputer MCU to concentrate on backup processing.

Also, on the sub-control board P3, as shown in FIG. 4, a WDT 634 is externally connected to the microcomputer MCU. This WDT 634 is provided to monitor whether the microcomputer MCU is operating normally. The WDT 634 communicates with the microcomputer MCU, and has the function of determining that the microcomputer MCU is in an abnormal state and resetting the microcomputer MCU if there is no signal from the microcomputer MCU within a certain period of time or if there are too many signal inputs from the microcomputer MCU.

Thus, the existence of the WDT 634 can prevent the microcomputer MCU from going out of control, but it also requires the microcomputer MCU to periodically send and receive signals to and from the WDT 634. In this case, the microcomputer MCU may spend time sending and receiving signals to and from the WDT 634 and may not be able to secure enough time for backup processing. This may cause problems with the backup processing of the microcomputer MCU.

Therefore, in this embodiment, after the microcomputer MCU executes the process of disallowing all interrupt processes, it resets (performs a reset process) the timer (monitoring timer) counted by the WDT 634. This prevents the WDT 634 timer from overflowing even if the microcomputer MCU does not respond for a while, and prevents the WDT 634 from resetting the microcomputer MCU.

Note that even if the interrupt disallowance process, reset process, and voltage application stop process are executed and the microcomputer MCU completes the backup process, problems such as those described below may still occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, after the backup process is completed, the microcomputer MCU executes a transition process to software standby mode. The transition process to software standby mode is described below.

<Description of transition process to software standby mode>
As described above, the microcomputer MCU includes a clock pulse generator, a CPU, a bus state controller BSC, etc. Among these, the bus state controller BSC executes writing and reading of control signals to various memories (including the RAM 635) and various devices. As described above, the bus state controller BSC has an important function of executing a process of writing the first SUM value calculated by the microcomputer MCU to the end of the RAM 635.

If power is interrupted in the slot machine 1, the voltage applied from the power supply PS drops, causing the VCC voltage generated by the voltage supply unit 632 to also drop. In this case, the microcomputer MCU uses the dropping VCC voltage as its power source, making operation unstable and prone to malfunction. As a result, even after the backup process has ended, the bus state controller BSC may unintentionally write the first SUM value to the RAM 635. If the first SUM value is rewritten to an inaccurate value by the unintentional write process, the first SUM value and the second SUM value will be different values after power is restored to the slot machine 1, and this will be treated as an abnormal termination process.

In this embodiment, when the backup process is completed, the microcomputer MCU transitions the mode for controlling the clock pulse generator, built-in peripheral modules, bus state controller BSC, etc. to software standby mode (executes transition process). This software standby mode is a mode in which the clock pulse generator, CPU, bus state controller BSC, etc. that constitute the microcomputer MCU are stopped all at once.

In this way, when the microcomputer MCU executes the transition process, the bus state controller BSC can be prevented from operating. This makes it possible to prevent the bus state controller BSC from unintentionally writing the first SUM value to the RAM 635.

Normally, software standby mode is off (flag not set). When backup processing is completed, the microcomputer MCU turns software standby mode on (sets 1 bit). This sets the software standby mode flag, and the microcomputer MCU can stop all functions, such as the clock pulse generator, CPU, and bus state controller BSC, all at once.

Then, the microcomputer MCU will keep the software standby mode on and wait until the power to the slot machine 1 is completely turned off (until the voltage applied to the microcomputer MCU becomes 0V).

<Effects of power outage/restoration processing>
As described above, when it is detected that a power outage has occurred in the slot machine 1, the microcomputer MCU first executes a process for disallowing all interrupt processes for the microcomputer MCU (one of the power outage/power restoration processes). This makes it possible to prevent interrupt processes from occurring for the microcomputer MCU. As a result, the microcomputer MCU can secure time to execute backup processes.

Then, the microcomputer MCU executes a reset process (one of the power interruption/power restoration processes) and resets the timer of the WDT 634. This eliminates the need for the microcomputer MCU to frequently send and receive signals to and from the WDT 634, ensuring more time to execute the backup process.

Then, the microcomputer MCU executes a process to stop the voltage application to the device until the voltage applied to the microcomputer MCU becomes 0 V. This allows more time to be secured for executing the backup process.

After completing the backup process, the microcomputer MCU executes a transition process (one of the power cut/restore processes) until the power cut to the slot machine 1 is completed. This makes it possible to prevent the bus state controller BSC from unintentionally writing the first SUM value to the RAM 635.

Note that this software standby mode is different from the sleep mode (a mode in which the CPU and built-in peripheral modules are stopped). In the sleep mode, the microcomputer MCU cannot stop the bus state controller BSC. Therefore, if the sleep mode is applied instead of the software standby mode, there is a risk that an unintended write process will occur by the bus state controller BSC before the power to the slot machine 1 is completely cut off.

<Description of main control unit 61>
The main control unit 61 is mounted on the main control board P1 and functions as an internal lottery unit 610, a rotating reel control unit 611, a game result determination unit 612, a setting value control unit 613, a section control unit 614, a game status control unit 615 (an example of a control unit), an RT status control unit 616, and an error determination unit 617.

<Internal lottery unit 610>
The internal drawing section 610 performs an internal drawing based on the operation of the lever 42, and is capable of selecting one flag from among a plurality of winning combination flags as a winning flag.

<Rotary Reel Control Unit 611>
The rotating reel control unit 611 controls the driving of the stepping motors 21a, 21b, 21c based on the operation of the lever 42 or each stop switch 40a, 40b, 40c, and is capable of performing rotation start control to start the rotation of each rotating reel 20a, 20b, 20c or rotation stop control to stop the rotation.

<Explanation of the Game Result Determination Unit 612>
The game result determination unit 612 is capable of determining the result of the game based on the internal lottery result signal output from the internal lottery unit 610 and the patterns visible through the reel window 200 when each rotating reel 20 stops rotating.

<Description of the setting value control unit 613>
Based on the store staff's operation of the setting change button 52, the setting value control unit 613 can proceed with the game using one of several setting values (e.g., 1 to 6) which have different degrees of advantage in controlling the progress of the game.

<Section Control Unit 614>
The interval control unit 614 is capable of progressing the game by setting one of a number of game intervals (normal interval and advantageous interval).

<Game Status Control Unit 615>
The game state control unit 615 is capable of progressing the game by setting a first game state (e.g., when a special role is being played, during a special role) and a second game state (e.g., general game state, special game state such as AT or CZ).

<RT state control unit 616>
The RT state control unit 616 is capable of progressing the game using one of a number of RT states (RT states in which a table used for internal lottery and a replay probability are determined in advance).

<Error Determination Unit 617>
The error determination unit 617 can determine the presence or absence of various errors, such as a backup abnormality, a communication abnormality between the main control board P1 and the game value control board P2, a connection abnormality between the slot machine 1 and the card unit 7, reaching the upper limit of the number of credits, and the like.

<Explanation of the gaming value control unit 62>
The game value control unit 62 is mounted on the game value control board P2, and functions as a media management unit 620 and a function operation unit 621.

<Description of the Medium Management Unit 620>
The medium management unit 620 can manage the number of credits and the number of bets of the game value. The medium management unit 620 also calculates a range (MY) that is the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the difference number by using the difference number of the game value, which is the cumulative value obtained by subtracting the number of bets of the game value from the number of payouts of the game value since the slot machine 1 was last powered on.

<Function Activation Unit 621>
The function activation unit 621 can receive information about the range (MY) transmitted from the medium management unit 620. Then, when the range (MY) becomes equal to or greater than the first range, for example, 18500, the function activation unit 621 generates information about a pre-notification indicating that activation of the complete function is imminent.

This complete function is a so-called stop function, and when the complete function is activated, the slot machine 1 will no longer accept any operations related to play, and the player will not be able to continue playing (the machine will enter a state where play is not possible) unless the power is turned off and on by store staff.

<Description of the sub-control unit 63>
The sub-control unit 63 is mounted on the sub-control board P3, and functions as a performance control unit 630 through operation by the microcomputer MCU using a ROM 631, a RAM 635, etc.

<Performance control unit 630>
By executing a performance lottery, the performance control unit 630 can determine at least one of the following as the performance pattern: a video/still image to be output on the LCD screen 3, a sound pattern to be output from the speaker 101, an illumination pattern of the illumination unit 102 such as an LED, and an illumination pattern of the performance button 46.

<Power outage/power restoration process flow>
The flow of the power interruption/restoration process of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

When the power interruption/restoration detection unit 633 detects a power interruption to the slot machine 1 (the voltage applied from the power supply PS becomes equal to or lower than the first reference voltage) (step S101), the microcomputer MCU first executes a process to disable all interrupt processing for the microcomputer MCU (step S102).

Next, the microcomputer MCU executes a reset process on the WDT 634 (step S103). Specifically, the microcomputer MCU resets the timer that the WDT 634 is counting.

Next, the microcomputer MCU executes a voltage application stop process and generates one stop flag as a process for stopping the voltage application to all drivers d1 to d7. By generating this stop flag, the voltage application stop process is executed for the devices (e.g., the backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3, the LED of the illumination unit 102, etc.) in a predetermined priority order for each device.

The voltage application stop process first stops the application of voltage to the driver d1 of the backlight of the LCD screen 3, and turns off the backlight of the LCD screen 3 (step S105).

Next, in accordance with the priority order in FIG. 4, the application of voltage to the driver d2 of the monitor LED of the LCD screen 3 is stopped, and the monitor LED of the LCD screen 3 is turned off (step S106).

Next, in accordance with the priority order in FIG. 4, the voltage application to the driver d3 of the LED of the illumination unit 102 is stopped, and the LED of the illumination unit 102 is turned off (step S107).

Next, in accordance with the priority order in FIG. 4, the voltage application to the driver d4 of the lower panel 103 is stopped, and the LED of the lower panel 103 is turned off (step S108).

Next, in accordance with the priority order in FIG. 4, the voltage application to the driver d5 of the speaker 101 is stopped, and the speaker 101 is stopped (step S109). This mutes the master volume of the speaker 101, and the sound stops.

Next, in accordance with the priority order in FIG. 4, the application of voltage to the driver d6 of the operation button, etc. 47 is stopped, and the lamp of the operation button, etc. 47 is turned off (step S110).

Then, according to the priority order in FIG. 4, the voltage application to the driver d7 of the performance button 46 is stopped and the lamp of the performance button 46 is turned off (step S111).

Then, the microcomputer MCU records the menu history in the RAM 635 (step S112). The microcomputer MCU records, as the menu history, in the RAM 635, for example, the number of games played so far, the number of first AT wins so far, the type/number of ATs played so far, the number of bonuses played so far, and the setting of a character for the navigation voice if one has been selected.

Next, the microcomputer MCU executes the backup process (the microcomputer MCU calculates the first SUM value and causes the bus state controller BSC to record the first SUM value in the RAM 635) (step S113).

Next, after the backup process is completed, the microcomputer MCU executes a transition process and transitions the mode for controlling the bus state controller BSC etc. to the software standby mode (step S114).

This allows the microcomputer MCU to stop the clock pulse generator, CPU, built-in memory, built-in peripheral modules, and bus state controller BSC of the microcomputer MCU. Specifically, the microcomputer MCU can stop devices such as the clock pulse generator and bus state controller BSC all at once by setting a software standby mode flag. After the transition process is executed, the microcomputer MCU maintains the software standby mode until power to the slot machine 1 is completely cut off.

After the power cut of the slot machine 1 is completed (step S115), the voltage applied by the power supply PS becomes equal to or higher than the second reference voltage, and the power cut/recovery detection unit 633 detects the power recovery of the slot machine 1 (step S116). At any timing thereafter, the microcomputer MCU can execute control such as applying voltage from a device with a low priority in the voltage application stop process, applying voltage from a device with a high priority, or applying voltage to all devices simultaneously. When the VCC voltage is applied from a device with a high priority, the device with the higher power consumption plays a larger role and is a device that should be started as soon as possible, so that the above problem can be solved while contributing to the return of the slot machine 1 to its normal state. On the other hand, when the VCC voltage is applied from a device with a low priority, the VCC voltage gradually increases when the power is restored. Therefore, by starting from the device with the lowest power consumption, the effect of the load on the VCC voltage can be reduced, and the slot machine 1 can be returned to its normal state.

Next, the microcontroller MCU calculates the second SUM value of RAM 635 (step S117).

Next, the flow branches depending on whether the first SUM value recorded in RAM 635 by the backup process in step S113 matches the second SUM value calculated in step S117 (step S118).

If the first SUM value and the second SUM value match, the process is treated as a normal termination (step S119), and the process then terminates.

On the other hand, if the first SUM value and the second SUM value do not match, this is treated as an abnormal end process (step S120), and the process then ends.
The power interruption/restoration processing of the present invention is carried out by the above-mentioned procedure.

To sum up, the slot machine 1 of the present invention has the following features:
A microcomputer MCU to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the slot machine 1;
One or more devices whose operations can be controlled by the microcomputer MCU (e.g., a backlight of the liquid crystal screen 3, a monitor LED, a speaker 101, and an LED of the illumination unit 102),
Equipped with
The microcomputer MCU is
It is possible to execute a predetermined calculation (backup process for calculating and recording the first SUM value) during the period from when a power interruption is detected in the slot machine 1 until the voltage applied to the microcomputer MCU becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value (for example, 0 V), and
After a power outage is detected in the slot machine 1 and before the microcontroller MCU completes the backup process, it is possible to execute a suppression process (voltage application stop process) for suppressing the operation of multiple devices (e.g., the backlight of the LCD screen 3, the monitor LED, the speaker 101, etc.) in accordance with the priority set for each device.

<Effects of the Invention>
In the case of a power outage in a conventional gaming machine, the voltage applied to the microcomputer may become 0 V before the microcomputer completes the backup process (before the microcomputer finishes calculating the first SUM value, or before the bus state controller finishes writing the first SUM value to the RAM). In this case, the microcomputer cannot complete the backup process, and the first SUM value and the second SUM value do not match when the power is restored to the gaming machine, so that the process is treated as an abnormal termination process.

In contrast, in the present invention, the process of stopping the application of voltage to devices that are not necessary for the microcontroller's backup process (such as the backlight of an LCD screen) is performed according to a predetermined priority order.

This allows the microcomputer time to complete the backup process before the power cut to the slot machine is complete, preventing the first SUM value and the second SUM value from matching when power is restored to the slot machine.

As a result, the present invention can provide a gaming machine that can prevent malfunctions in the processing executed by the control board even when power is interrupted and restored.

[Other embodiments]
The various control means and processing procedures described in the above embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses. The various control means and processing procedures can be appropriately modified in design without changing the gist of the present invention. In addition, the various control means, processing procedures, and processing contents described in each embodiment can be configured individually or in appropriate combinations.

In addition, the various definitions used in this specification are commonly used throughout the specification unless otherwise specified in each example.

In the above embodiment, an example is described in which the microcontroller stops applying voltage to devices in the order of the greatest power consumption (load), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the microcontroller may stop applying voltage to devices in the order of the least power consumption. In the example of priority in the above embodiment, the lamp of the performance button, which consumes the least power, had the lowest priority, but in this case, the lamp of the performance button, which consumes the least power, has the highest priority, and the backlight of the LCD screen, which consumes the most power, has the lowest priority.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is described in which the application of voltage to the driver of a device is stopped, thereby stopping the device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the microcontroller may be able to stop a device by executing a voltage application stop process not on the driver of the device, but directly on the device to which the driver is connected.

Note that while FIG. 6 shows an example in which the processes from step S105 to step S111 are executed separately, the processes from step S105 to step S111 may all be executed simultaneously (at the same timing).

However, if the processes from step S105 to step S111 are all performed simultaneously, there is a risk that the GND (ground) of the power supply voltage will fluctuate, causing noise in the microcomputer. For this reason, it is preferable that the timing at which the voltage application to the devices is stopped differs for each device (or device group), for example, by first performing the processes of step S105 and step S106 simultaneously, then performing the processes of step S107 to step S109 simultaneously, and finally performing the processes of step S110 and step S111 simultaneously.

Also, unlike the above embodiment, if the microcomputer does not have a software standby mode for stopping the clock pulse generator, CPU, bus state controller, etc. all at once by setting a flag, the microcomputer only needs to be able to execute a process for stopping the bus state controller alone. This process also makes it possible to prevent the bus state controller from unintentionally writing the first SUM value to the RAM.

Note that if the microcontroller is capable of stopping the bus state controller alone, the microcontroller does not need to stop the clock pulse generator, CPU, etc., but may be able to stop these in order to prevent malfunctions from occurring.

Not limited to the above embodiment, if a power outage occurs in the slot machine and there is a device that is already in the off state, the microcontroller does not need to execute a process to stop the application of voltage to that device.

In addition, when power is restored to the slot machine, the microcontroller may turn on the backlight of the LCD screen, the LEDs of the illumination section, etc., in order, rather than turning them on all at once. In this case, the device that had the voltage application stop process executed first (in the above embodiment, the lamp of the performance button, which consumes the least amount of power) is turned on last.

This is because if the load on the VCC voltage suddenly increases when power is restored to the slot machine, it could cause problems such as deterioration of the voltage supply unit, or a sudden current flowing through the circuit could cause the GND to fluctuate, generating noise that could have a detrimental effect on the microcontroller.

In addition, when the slot machine experiences a momentary power outage (e.g., a power outage lasting less than one minute), the microcomputer can be configured not to execute processes such as disallowing interrupt processing, resetting, halting voltage application, and transition processing. In this case, for example, if the power outage/restoration detection unit detects a power outage for a predetermined period of time (e.g., one minute) or more, the microcomputer can be configured to execute processes such as disallowing interrupt processing.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is described in which the microcontroller executes processing to prohibit all interrupt processing before executing processing to stop application of voltage to the device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the microcontroller may execute processing to prohibit at least some interrupt processing before executing processing to stop application of voltage to the device.

In addition, while the above embodiment describes processing on the microcomputer of the sub-control board, the present invention may be applied to processing on the microcomputer of the main control board and/or the microcomputer of the game value control board instead of or in addition to the sub-control board.

In addition, without being limited to the above embodiment, the main control board and the game value control board may not be separate, and the main control unit and the game value control unit may be mounted on the main control board.

In addition, without being limited to the above embodiment, the voltage supply unit does not have to be mounted on the sub-control board. Specifically, a voltage supply unit may be mounted on another control board, and the voltage supply unit may generate a VCC voltage and apply the voltage to the microcomputer of the sub-control board.

In addition, without being limited to the above embodiment, the RAM that calculates the first SUM value may be built into the microcomputer MCU, and the bus state controller may be externally connected to the microcomputer.

In addition, without being limited to the above embodiment, the order of steps S112 and S113 in FIG. 5 may be reversed.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is described in which the power interruption/restoration process is executed by a microcomputer, but the present invention is not limited to this. The power interruption/restoration process may be executed by a device other than a microcomputer, or a device mounted on a control board other than the control board on which the power interruption/restoration process is executed.

In addition, the slot machine in the above embodiment was a medal-less machine with a play area, but the slot machine to which the present invention is applied does not have to have a play area, and does not have to be a medal-less machine. If the slot machine is not a medal-less machine, it will need the configuration of a conventional slot machine, such as a medal insertion port, a hopper, a medal payout port, and a bottom tray.

1. Slot machine (amusement machine)
P1 Main control board P2 Game value control board P3 Sub control board MCU Microcomputer BSC Bus state controller

Claims (3)

A microcomputer to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the gaming machine;
One or more devices whose operations can be controlled by the microcomputer;
Equipped with
The microcomputer is capable of executing a predetermined calculation during the period from when a power interruption occurs in the gaming machine until the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value,
After a power outage occurs in the gaming machine and before the microcomputer completes the predetermined calculation, a suppression process for suppressing operation of one or more of the devices can be executed on one or more of the devices in accordance with a priority order set for each of the devices ,
The priority order may be determined according to the load of the device.
Amusement machine. A first control board that controls game progress;
A second control board that controls the performance;
Equipped with
The second control board is provided with a microcomputer to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the gaming machine,
The microcomputer is
Capable of controlling the operation of one or more devices; and
A predetermined calculation can be executed during the time from when a power interruption occurs in the gaming machine until the voltage applied to the microcomputer falls to a predetermined value or less,
After a power outage occurs in the gaming machine and before the microcomputer completes the predetermined calculation, a suppression process for suppressing operation of one or more of the devices can be executed on one or more of the devices in accordance with a priority order set for each of the devices,
The priority order may be determined according to the load of the device.
Amusement machine. A microcomputer to which a voltage is applied when power is supplied to the gaming machine;
One or more devices whose operations can be controlled by the microcomputer;
Equipped with
The microcomputer is capable of executing a predetermined calculation during the period from when a power interruption occurs in the gaming machine until the voltage applied to the microcomputer becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value,
After a power outage occurs in the gaming machine and before the microcomputer completes the predetermined calculation, a suppression process for suppressing operation of one or more of the devices can be executed on one or more of the devices in accordance with a priority order set for each of the devices,
When a power outage occurs in the gaming machine, information related to the operating state of the microcomputer can be initialized before the suppression process is executed.
Amusement machine.