JP7691864B2 - Game Device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a game device.

Conventionally, among game devices equipped with a card holding section (card holder) that holds cards on the display surface of a display unit, there is known a device that has a U-shaped card holding section on the display surface (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This card holding section is made up of a first holding member, a second holding member, and a third holding member that protrude from the display surface and engage three sides of the card.

JP 2018-171327 A

According to this card holding section, the card is held at three sides by the first holding member, the second holding member and the third holding member, but the back surface of the card directly abuts against the display surface.
However, when the back of the card directly contacts the display surface, there is no space between the back of the card and the display surface for fingers to fit in, making it difficult to pick up the card with fingers when removing it, and also making it easier for fingers to touch the display surface when removing the card, which can easily soil the display surface. This tendency is particularly noticeable when the card is made of a film-like plastic material, as static electricity causes the card to stick to the display surface.
The present invention provides a game device equipped with a card holder that can prevent the back surface of a card from sticking to the display surface.

The first means is
A game device having a card holder for holding game cards on a display screen that displays a game progress as an image,
The card holder includes:
a contact portion that can contact the bottom end of the card and that positions the card in front of the display area of the display surface such that at least a portion of the card above a central pattern portion is visible from the player side when the bottom end of the card is in contact with the contact portion;
a transparent back plate having a back surface provided in contact with a portion of the display surface, a front surface against which the spine of the card contacted with the contact portion is placed, and an upper end of the card protrudes in a state in which the spine of the card is placed against the front surface, so as to directly face the display area with a predetermined distance therebetween;
The card holder is characterized by comprising a transparent partition portion provided on the front side of the back plate for restricting the card holding location in the width direction of the card being held.

The second method is the first method, characterized in that the card is a film-like transparent plastic card with a printed image.

The third means is the first or second means, characterized in that the front surface of the back plate has a plurality of card holding locations arranged in parallel in the width direction of the display surface.

The fourth means is any one of the first to third means, characterized in that the two partitions that regulate the card holding area are provided with a width that allows the card to be inserted from the front side.

The fifth means is any one of the first to fourth means, characterized in that the display surface is provided in an upright position, and the back panel is provided with its back surface in contact with the lower end of the display area of the display surface.

The sixth means is characterized in that in any one of the first to fifth means, an optical touch sensor is provided that detects a touch to the card held in the card holder.

The seventh aspect of the present invention is the sixth aspect, characterized in that the detection surface of the optical touch sensor is set on the front side of the partition.

The eighth means is any one of the first to seventh means, characterized in that the bottom end of the card carries information used for the progress of the game, and when the card is held in the card holder, the information is located in a location outside the display area of the display surface in one direction, a mirror is provided in front of the information, and an imaging unit is provided in a location outside the information in the one direction from the display area, and the information is captured and acquired by the imaging unit via the mirror.

The ninth means is characterized in that, in any of the first to eighth means, a front plate is provided which stands up from the front end of the mounting section on which the card can be placed and forms a card slot between the back plate and the front plate into which the lower end of the card can be inserted.

According to the first means, the back plate forms a predetermined gap between the top end of the card and the display area, preventing the top end of the card from sticking to the display surface due to static electricity, making it easier to pick up the top end of the card with the fingers and remove the card. Furthermore, because the top end of the card is raised above the display surface, there is no need to touch the display surface with the fingers when removing the card, reducing the chance of soiling the display surface. In addition, because the back plate is transparent, when the card is not present, the image displayed in the display area can be seen through the back plate.

According to the second means, the transparent back plate against which the backs of the cards rest is abutted against the display area of the display surface, so that the image projected on the display area can be superimposed on the image of the held card, enhancing the presentation effect.
The reason why the card is placed in front of the display area of the display surface so that the portion above the central image is visible to the player is because the central image is the portion where the image unique to the card is displayed.

The third method allows multiple cards to be arranged side by side in the width direction of the game device, so that multiple cards can be used to enhance the presentation effect over a wider range.

According to the fourth method, a groove is formed in the partition, and compared to a structure in which the card is inserted into the groove, the card can be easily inserted and held in the card holder from the front side.

According to the fifth method, the display surface is upright and easy to see, and the card holder is located at the bottom end of the display area, so the card holder does not get in the way of the game, and it is easy to insert the card.

The sixth and seventh means allow touching of the card to be detected without actually touching the card, reducing the opportunities for touching the card and the risk of soiling or deforming the card.

According to the eighth method, the card information is captured by the imaging unit via a mirror at a location outside the display area, making it possible to obtain the information without narrowing the display area.

The ninth method ensures that the card is held securely.

1 is a perspective view of a game device according to an embodiment. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a card used in the game device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a card holder of the game device of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the mounting structure of the card holder of FIG. 3 . FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the QR reading unit and its surroundings. 1 is a perspective view showing a mounting location of a sensor module in an optical touch sensor; 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a detection state of an optical touch sensor.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

(Overall composition)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game device according to an embodiment.
This game device 1 is a game device in which a game is developed on a display surface 31a of a display unit 3 by utilizing attribute information carried by cards 2 (see FIG. 2) in response to arbitrary operational inputs by a player.
In this game device 1, a card holder 4 is provided in front of a display surface 31a of a display unit 3, and the card holder 4 can hold five cards 2, and the attribute information carried by the cards 2 can be used in the game.
In addition, in this game device 1, the player can input any operation by operating the left and right buttons 5a and 5b, or by touching the card 2 held by the card holder 4 or the display surface 31a.
In addition, in this game device 1, a predetermined fee is required to play a game, and new cards 2 can be paid out at predetermined times.

(Detailed composition)
1. Card 2
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the card 2. As shown in FIG.
The card 2 is a film-like transparent card made of a plastic material. A gold or silver decorative frame 21 is printed on the surface of the card 2, and a card-specific pattern 22, such as a character or an item, is printed in the center of the card 2. A white underprint is printed underneath this pattern 22. A QR code (registered trademark) 23 containing attribute information is printed in the lower corner of the card 2. A white underprint is also printed underneath this QR code 23. An appropriate pattern is also printed in ink around the pattern 22. In this case, although not particularly limited, the pattern 22 and the pattern are printed with light-transmitting ink.

2. Card holder 4
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the card holder 4, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the mounting structure of the card holder 4. As shown in FIG.
The card holder 4 is integrally formed with a holder body 40 which holds the card 2 and a cover 46 which covers the QR reading unit 7 described below, and is made of plastic and is entirely transparent.
The holder body 40 includes a mounting section 41 which is an abutment portion against which the lower end of the card 2 in an upright state abuts and on which multiple cards 2 can be placed in a line along the width direction of the game device 1, and a back plate 42 which stands upward from the rear end of the mounting section 41.

The height of the back plate 42 is set lower than the height of the card 2, and when the card 2 is placed on the placement section 41, the upper end of the card 2 protrudes above the back plate 42. The back plate 42 is provided so that its back surface abuts against the surface (display surface 31a) of the reinforced glass 31 arranged in front of the LCD 32. Specifically, the back plate 42 abuts against the area (display area) of the display surface 31a where an image is displayed by the LCD 32 or the like. At this time, the upper end of the card 2 protruding from the back plate 42 directly faces the display surface 31a, but a predetermined gap is formed between the display surface 31a. Partitions 43 are provided at predetermined intervals on the front surface of the back plate 42 in the width direction of the game device 1. The partitions 43 partition the holding areas of each card and also function as guides for guiding the insertion of the card 2.

A front plate 44 is provided at the front end of the mounting portion 41, standing upward so as to be parallel to the back plate 42. The height of the front plate 44 is set lower than the height of the back plate 42, so that when the card 2 is placed on the mounting portion 41, the lower end of the card 2 is covered. A card slot 45 is formed between the front plate 44 and the back plate 42, into which the lower end of the card 2 can be inserted. When the lower end of the card 2 is inserted into the card slot 45, the QR code 23 also fits within the card slot 45.

The card holder 4 is arranged so that the card slot 45 is outside the display area of the display surface 31a, that is, in front of the bezel 33 of the monitor 32.

The cover 46 covers the upper and front of the QR reading unit 7, which will be described later.
The cover 46 comprises a strip-shaped first flat portion 47a connected to the front side of the upper end of the front plate 44 of the holder main body 40 and extending in the width direction of the game device 1, a strip-shaped second flat portion 47b connected to the front end of the first flat portion 47a, one step higher than the first flat portion 47a, and extending in the width direction of the game device 1, an inclined portion 48 connected to the front end of the second flat portion 47b and having a downward slope toward the front, and a hanging portion 49 connected to the front end of the inclined portion 48. Here, reflective tape is affixed to the upper surface of the first flat portion 47a across the entire width direction of the game device 1.
An outer plate 1a of the game device 1 is provided above the cover 46 so as to cover the entire surface of the cover except for the first flat surface portion.

3. QR reading unit 7
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the QR reading unit 7 and its surroundings.
A QR reading unit 7 is installed under the card holder 4. A transparent window 71 is formed in a portion of the unit housing 70 facing the front panel 44 of the card holder 4. The unit housing 70 is also provided with an inclined portion 72 facing the inclined portion 48 of the card holder 4, and a mirror 73 is provided on the inside of the inclined portion 72. The mirror 73 is installed in front of the transparent window 71 and at an angle. Furthermore, a camera 74 is installed under the mirror 73 in the unit housing 70. The QR code 23 carried on the lower end of the card is imaged by the camera 74 through the transparent window 71 and the mirror 73, and attribute information indicated by the QR code 23 is read from the image.

4. Optical touch sensor 8
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a mounting location of the sensor module 80 in the optical touch sensor 8, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the manner in which the optical touch sensor 8 detects a touch.
In the game device 1 of the embodiment, the optical touch sensor 8 detects the touch by the player on the card 2 held by the card holder 4 or on the display surface 31 a.
The optical touch sensor 8 includes four sensor modules 80. The four sensor modules 80 are installed in four parts of a frame 34 that covers the periphery of the reinforced glass 31 installed in front of the LCD 32. Each sensor module 80 is composed of an infrared light projector and an infrared image sensor.
In addition, reflective tape is attached to the inside of the upper frame 34a and the left and right side frames 34b, 34c that constitute the frame body 34.
In this optical touch sensor 8, the infrared rays emitted from the infrared ray projector are reflected by the reflective tape (the reflective tape attached to the upper frame 34a, the side frames 34b, 34c, and the first flat portion 47a), and the reflected infrared rays are detected by the image sensor. At this time, if the player's finger enters the detection area 35 set in front of the card 2, the infrared rays will not return to the image sensor, and the finger will be detected as a shadow on the image sensor. Based on the position of this shadow, the touch location is detected by the principle of triangulation. In this way, the position where the player touched the screen or the card is detected.

(Effects of the embodiment)
The game device 1 of this embodiment provides the following effects.

In other words, the back plate 42 creates a predetermined gap between the top end of the card 2 and the display surface 31a, preventing the top end of the card 2 from sticking to the display surface 31a due to static electricity, making it easier to pick up the top end of the card 2 with the fingers and easier to remove the card 2.

In addition, because the upper end of the card 2 is raised above the display surface 31a, there is no need to touch the display surface 31a with your fingers when removing the card 2, reducing the chance of soiling the display surface 31a.

Furthermore, the transparent back plate 42 against which the back of the card 2 rests is in contact with the display area of the display surface 31a, so the image projected in the display area can be superimposed on the image of the held card 2, enhancing the presentation effect.

In addition, since multiple cards 2 can be arranged side by side in the width direction of the game device 1, multiple cards 2 can be used to enhance the presentation effect over a wider range.

Furthermore, because an optical touch sensor 8 is used, a touch on the card 2 can be detected without actually touching the card 2, which reduces the opportunities for touching the card 2 and reduces the risk of soiling or deforming the card 2.

In addition, the QR code 23 located outside the display area carried on the lower end of the card 2 is captured by a camera 74 below the mirror 73 via the mirror 73 in front of it to obtain information about the QR code 23, making it possible to obtain attribute information about the card 2 without narrowing the display area.

(Modification)
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, in the above embodiment, the card holder 4 is composed of the holder body 40 and the cover 46, but it may be composed of only the holder body 40. Also, if the card 2 can be held in an upright position, the front plate 44 does not have to be present. In this case, an external part may be used to hold the front surface of the card 2. Also, the placement portion 41 and the back plate 42 may be separate bodies.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the partition 43 is provided so as to fit within the back plate 42, but a portion of the partition 43 may protrude from the back plate 42.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the front surface of the back plate 42 is flat, but the surface of the back plate 42 may be uneven to prevent adhesion between the back plate 42 and the card 2 due to static electricity.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the game device 1 with the display surface 31a in an upright position has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to game devices with a horizontal display surface. In short, the present invention can be applied to all game devices of a size where it is meaningful to play a game using images projected on the display surface while the cards are placed on the display surface.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an optical touch sensor 8 is provided, but instead of or in combination with the optical touch sensor 8, a transparent flat panel type electrostatic touch sensor may be provided in the card holder 4 to detect card touches, or a transparent flat panel type electrostatic touch sensor may be provided to detect screen touches.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Game device 2 Card 4 Card holder 7 QR reading unit 8 Optical touch sensor 22 Picture 23 QR code 31a Display surface 41 Placement section 42 Back panel 43 Partition section 44 Front panel 45 Card slot

Claims (9)

A game device having a card holder for holding game cards on a display screen that displays a game progress as an image,
The card holder includes:
a contact portion that can contact the bottom end of the card and that positions the card in front of the display area of the display surface such that at least a portion of the card above a central pattern portion is visible from the player side when the bottom end of the card is in contact with the contact portion;
a transparent back plate having a back surface provided in contact with a portion of the display surface, a front surface against which the spine of the card contacted with the contact portion is placed, and an upper end of the card protrudes in a state in which the spine of the card is placed against the front surface, so as to directly face the display area with a predetermined distance therebetween;
a transparent partition for restricting a card holding space in a width direction of the card being held. The game device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cards are film-like transparent plastic cards with pictures printed on them. The gaming device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a plurality of the card holding locations are arranged in a line on the front surface of the back plate in the width direction of the display surface. The game device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two partitions that regulate the card holding area are provided with a width that allows the card to be inserted from the front side. The game device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the display surface is provided in an upright position, and the back panel is provided with its back surface in contact with the lower end of the display area of the display surface. The gaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is provided with an optical touch sensor that detects touching of the card held in the card holder. The game device according to claim 6, characterized in that the detection surface of the optical touch sensor is set on the front side of the partition. The game device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the bottom end of the card carries information used for the progress of the game, and when the card is held in the card holder, the information is located outside the display area of the display surface, a mirror is provided in front of the information, and an imaging unit is provided outside the display area of the display surface, and the information is captured and acquired by the imaging unit via the mirror. The gaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a front plate is provided which stands up from the front end of the placement section on which the card can be placed and which forms a card slot between the back plate and the front plate into which the lower end of the card can be inserted.

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