JP7707520B2 - Gaming machine and method for controlling gaming machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an amusement machine that uses a three-phase DC motor.

In the past, in slot machines, it was necessary to stop the rotating reels at a highly accurate position, so stepping motors were generally used as motors to control the rotation of the reels. However, in recent years, the use of DC motors as motors to control the rotation of the reels has been considered, with the aim of increasing the reel drive speed to increase the interest of players.

One example of a technique that uses a DC motor as a motor to control the rotation of a reel is the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a rotary encoder is used to stop the reel at a highly accurate position using a DC motor.

JP 2018-157631 A

As shown in Patent Document 1, highly accurate positioning with a DC motor requires an expensive external rotary encoder, which increases costs. Therefore, it is possible to use a three-phase DC motor as a motor to control the rotation of the reel, and a Hall IC (Integrated Circuit) to detect the position of the three-phase DC motor and switch the excitation phase.

However, when using a typical three-phase DC motor and multiple Hall ICs, accurate position control, especially between the Hall ICs, is difficult, and the stopping position accuracy is inferior to that of conventional stepping motors.

Therefore, one aspect of the present invention aims to control the stopping position of a three-phase DC motor with high precision.

In order to solve the above problems, a gaming machine according to one aspect of the present invention is a gaming machine that includes a reel, a three-phase DC motor that rotates the reel, and a motor control device that controls the three-phase DC motor. The motor control device includes an adjustment start determination unit that determines whether to start adjusting the rotation stop position of the three-phase DC motor based on the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor and the number of pulses remaining until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops when the rotation of the three-phase DC motor is braked, and a stop control unit that performs rotation control by exciting each phase of the three-phase DC motor to stop the three-phase DC motor at a desired rotation stop position when the adjustment start determination unit determines that the adjustment should be started, and the stop control unit performs the rotation control based on a signal obtained by converting the output signal of a rotation state monitoring unit that monitors the rotation state of the three-phase DC motor by referring to at least one table prepared in advance.

According to the above configuration, the gaming machine is equipped with a motor control device that can start adjusting the stop position near the stop position and can change the control method of the three-phase DC motor to adjust the stop position. By changing the control method of the three-phase DC motor, it becomes possible to finely adjust the stop position while the detection result of the Hall IC does not change. Therefore, the stop position of the three-phase DC motor can be controlled with high precision.

The table that the stop control unit refers to when the three-phase DC motor rotates in the forward direction may be different from the table that the stop control unit refers to when the three-phase DC motor rotates in the reverse direction.

According to the above configuration, multiple tables may be used to adjust the stop position, and an appropriate table may be used depending on the direction of rotation.

The adjustment start determination unit may notify the stop control unit of the remaining number of pulses, and the stop control unit may advance the rotation of the three-phase DC motor by an amount of rotation corresponding to the remaining number of pulses.

With the above configuration, even if the motor stops when there are still pulses remaining, the three-phase DC motor can continue to rotate by an amount corresponding to the number of remaining pulses, and can be stopped at the original stop position.

A method for controlling a gaming machine according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling a gaming machine that includes a reel and a three-phase DC motor that rotates the reel, and includes a motor control step for controlling the three-phase DC motor. The motor control step includes an adjustment start determination step for determining whether or not to start adjusting the rotation stop position of the three-phase DC motor based on the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor and the number of pulses remaining until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops when braking the rotation of the three-phase DC motor, and a stop control step for performing rotation control by exciting each phase of the three-phase DC motor to stop the three-phase DC motor at a desired rotation stop position when it is determined in the adjustment start determination step that the adjustment should be started. In the stop control step, the rotation control is performed based on a signal obtained by converting an output signal of a rotation state monitoring unit that monitors the rotation state of the three-phase DC motor by referring to at least one table prepared in advance.

The motor control device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the motor control program of the motor control device that realizes the motor control device by making the computer operate as each part (software element) of the motor control device, and the computer-readable recording medium on which it is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a three-phase DC motor can be stopped at a highly accurate position using a Hall IC signal.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a three-phase DC motor control device according to a first embodiment; 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a three-phase DC motor according to a first embodiment. 5 is a timing chart showing outputs of Hall ICs when the three-phase DC motor according to the first embodiment rotates in a CW direction and a CCW direction. 4 shows the UVW phase voltages of the coil relative to the Hall IC signal input in the first embodiment. 4A to 4C are diagrams showing the magnetic field caused by excitation of the coil and the rotation angle of the rotor in CW rotation according to the first embodiment. 5 is a diagram showing a conversion table in the Hall IC signal switching unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the three-phase DC motor control device according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a stop determination process of the three-phase DC motor control device according to the first embodiment. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a current speed and a voltage applied to a coil during a stopping operation of the three-phase DC motor control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating differences in stop positions due to differences in the rotation direction of a three-phase DC motor according to a reference example. A block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of a reel gaming machine of embodiment 2. A conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of a reel gaming machine of embodiment 2. FIG. 11 is a reference diagram of the drum unit when stopped according to the second embodiment.

[Embodiment 1]
The motor control device of the first embodiment will be described below. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals will be given to the members having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment in the following embodiments, and the explanations thereof will not be repeated. For simplicity, the explanations of matters similar to those in the publicly known technology will also be omitted as appropriate.

§1 Application example In three-phase DC motors, a Hall IC is generally used to detect the rotation angle, but in the section where the detection result of this Hall IC does not change, it is difficult to accurately control the stopping position. Therefore, when a three-phase DC motor rotates and brakes at a stopping position, the stopping position can be controlled with high precision by exciting a coil that generates a holding torque so that the motor can stop at the planned stopping position, rather than the coil determined by the Hall IC. The coil that generates the holding torque is uniquely determined by the state of the Hall IC and the direction of rotation.

§2 Configuration Example Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a main part of a three-phase DC motor control device 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a main part of a three-phase DC motor 50 according to embodiment 1.

The three-phase DC motor control system 100 includes a microcontroller 20, a motor control device 1, a motor driver 30, and a three-phase DC motor 50.

(Configuration of Three-Phase DC Motor 50)
The three-phase DC motor 50 includes a coil 51, a Hall IC 52, a permanent magnet 53, and a flange 54. The coil 51 is a stator that does not rotate. The Hall IC 52 is fixed with respect to the rotation of the three-phase DC motor 50. Here, the coil 51 and the Hall IC 52 are collectively referred to as a fixed member 55 that is fixed with respect to the rotation of the three-phase DC motor 50. In contrast, the permanent magnet 53 and the flange 54 are a rotor 56 that rotates.

The coil 51 is composed of coil 51a corresponding to the U phase, coil 51b corresponding to the V phase, and coil 51c corresponding to the W phase. One point of the coils 51a, 51b, and 51c is a common terminal that is connected to each other, and the other points are each connected to the motor driver 30 of the motor control device 1.

The Hall IC 52 is composed of a Hall IC 52a between coils 51c and 51a, a Hall IC 52b between coils 51a and 51b, and a Hall IC 53c between coils 51b and 51c. Hall ICs 52a, 52b, and 52c are sensors that detect the magnetic poles of nearby permanent magnets 53.

As the rotor 56 rotates, the combination of permanent magnets 53 detected by the Hall IC 52 changes, thereby detecting the rotation angle of the three-phase DC motor 50. Therefore, in sections where the detection result of the Hall IC does not change, the exact rotation angle of the three-phase DC motor 50 cannot be determined. Specifically, when there are three coils 51 and four permanent magnets 53, the detection result of the Hall IC 52 divides one rotation into 12 parts, so there is a 30° section where the same detection result is obtained.

The unit that changes the detection result by one step is called one pulse, which is the unit used to express the number of rotations and the rotation angle of the three-phase DC motor 50.

The permanent magnets 53 are composed of 53a and 53c whose magnetic fields are N poles, and 53b and 53d whose magnetic fields are S poles. The permanent magnets 53 are rings arranged in the order of 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d in a circular shape. The permanent magnets 53 are arranged directly above the Hall IC 52, and the rotor 56 rotates around the outer periphery of the fixed member 55.

The flange 54 is a member that secures an object rotated by the three-phase DC motor 50. For example, it secures the reel of a reel machine that is rotated by the rotor 56.

For example, suppose that by passing a current from coil 51a to coil 51b, the magnetic field of coil 51a is magnetized to the south pole, and the magnetic field of coil 51b is magnetized to the north pole. Permanent magnet 53 moves in a manner that balances the magnetized magnetic field. Next, suppose that by passing a current from coil 51b to coil 51c, the magnetic field of coil 51b is magnetized to the south pole, and the magnetic field of coil 51c is magnetized to the north pole. Once again, permanent magnet 53 moves in a manner that balances the magnetized magnetic field. By repeating this process in sequence, permanent magnet 53 rotates around coil 51. In other words, rotor 56 rotates around fixed member 55. In this way, three-phase DC motor 50 can be rotated by passing a current through two poles of the UVW phases of coil 51.

The three-phase DC motor 50 drives a load 57. The load 57 may be a rotating reel of a slot machine, a reducer, or any other load.

The origin sensor 58 is a sensor that detects one rotation of the load 57 and determines the origin of the angle that the load 57 actually outputs. The principle of the origin sensor 58 is, for example, to detect the origin of the load 57 with a photosensor. In this case, a light-shielding flag is provided on the load 57 side, the sensor part of the origin sensor 58 is fixed, and the origin of the load 57 is detected by blocking and transmitting light with the light-shielding flag. The origin sensor 58 outputs an origin signal to the microcomputer 20 and the motor control device 1. The motor control device 1 can reset the current position to zero as the origin position by the input origin signal, and can process the stop position as a distance from the origin position and operate according to a command from the microcomputer 20, which is a higher-level device.

(Configuration of Three-Phase DC Motor Control Device 1)
The motor control device 1 includes a pulse signal generating unit 11, a sensor interface unit 12, a braking start determination unit 13, a Hall IC signal switching unit 15 (stop control unit), a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal output unit 16, and a storage unit 40. The braking start determination unit 13 also includes an adjustment start determination unit 14.

The microcomputer 20 is a higher-level device of the motor control device 1, and outputs the rotation speed and stop position of the three-phase DC motor 50 to the pulse signal generating unit 11 of the motor control device 1. For example, the number of rotations and the rotation angle of the three-phase DC motor 50 may be specified as the stop position.

The memory unit 40 stores data and programs used to control the motor control device 1. The memory unit 40 stores a speed table and a conversion table.

The pulse signal generating unit 11 generates a drive pulse for the three-phase DC motor from the input rotation speed and stop position of the three-phase DC motor 50. The drive pulse is output to the braking start determining unit 13 and the PWM signal output unit 16. It also determines the number of pulses to be generated until the three-phase DC motor 50 stops.

The sensor interface unit 12 acquires the detection results Hu/Hv/Hw of the Hall ICs 52 of the U, V and W phases, and outputs Hu/Hv/Hw to the braking start determination unit 13 and the Hall IC signal switching unit 15. The sensor interface unit 12 outputs H when the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 53 detected by the Hall IC 52 is a north pole, and L when it is a south pole. The rotation angle of the rotor 56 can be acquired from the detection results of the Hall ICs 52 of the U, V and W phases.

Figure 3 is a timing chart showing the output of the Hall IC 52 when the three-phase DC motor 50 rotates in the CW and CCW directions. As shown in Figure 3, the detection results Hu/Hv/Hw of the Hall ICs for the UVW phases are square waves that are 120° out of phase with each other.

The braking start determination unit 13 determines whether or not to brake the three-phase DC motor 50. The braking start determination unit 13 brakes the three-phase DC motor 50 when the number of pulses remaining until the rotation stops is less than the number of pulses required to brake the current rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor 50 described in the speed table stored in advance in the storage unit 40. Here, the number of pulses remaining until the rotation stops is the number of generated pulses minus the number of pulses already moved since the start of the stopping operation (the number of drive pulses already input). The braking start determination unit 13 outputs a braking in progress signal indicating whether braking is in progress to the PWM signal output unit 16.

The adjustment start determination unit 14 switches between the normal mode and the adjustment mode based on the current rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor 50 and the number of pulses remaining until rotation stops. The normal mode is an operation mode that is taken when the three-phase DC motor 50 is rotating normally and when braking is being performed. In contrast, the adjustment mode is an operation mode that switches the excitation method for the three-phase DC motor 50 when the three-phase DC motor 50 is braked and stopped, fine-tunes the stop position, and holds the current position. The adjustment start determination unit 14 outputs the operation mode and the number of remaining pulses to the Hall IC signal switching unit 15, and outputs the operation mode to the PWM signal output unit 16.

The Hall IC signal switching unit 15 selects the phase for driving the three-phase DC motor 50 using the Hu/Hv/Hw input from the sensor interface unit 12 according to the operation mode input from the adjustment start determination unit 14.

In normal mode, the Hall IC signal switching unit 15 outputs Hu/Hv/Hw directly to the motor driver 30. In contrast, in adjustment mode, the Hall IC signal switching unit 15 converts the input Hu/Hv/Hw according to a conversion table pre-stored in the storage unit 40, and outputs the converted Hu/Hv/Hw to the motor driver 30. Details of the conversion table will be described later.

The PWM signal output unit 16 outputs a PWM signal to the motor driver 30 based on the drive pulse, the braking signal, and the adjustment mode. The duty ratio of the output PWM signal depends on the input signal. In the case of the braking signal or the adjustment mode, the duty ratio is a fixed value stored in advance in the memory unit 40. The braking signal and the adjustment mode are incompatible.

In addition, when the braking signal is not being output in normal mode, the duty ratio is determined based on the drive pulse. That is, the pulse speed of the drive pulse is calculated, and a speed table stored in the memory unit 40 is referenced to select a predetermined PWM duty ratio.

The motor driver 30 is connected to coils 51a, 51b, and 51c to drive the three-phase DC motor 50. The motor driver 30 excites the UVW phases of the coil 51 in order with the input PWM signal according to Hu, Hv, and Hw.

Figure 4 shows the voltages of the UVW phases of the coil 51 in response to the input signal of the Hall IC 52. Here, there are three types of voltage: Hi-z, which represents high impedance; PWM, which inputs the PWM signal from the PWM signal output unit 16; and VDD (voltage drain). The voltages differ depending on the direction of rotation, whether CW or CCW.

When the potential in PWM is 0V, current flows from coil 52 to which VDD is applied to coil 52 to which PWM is applied, and a magnetic field is generated in the two-pole coil 52. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the magnetic field and rotor rotation angle caused by excitation of coil 51 in CW rotation. Here, the same numbers in Figures 4 and 5 correspond to each other. As shown in Figure 5, three-phase DC motor 50 rotates by exciting coil 51 according to Figure 4. Although the phase is different from that in Figure 5, an almost similar diagram can be derived for CCW rotation.

(Conversion table)
6 is a diagram showing a conversion table in the Hall IC signal switching unit 100. Different conversion tables are used depending on the direction of rotation, and there are tables for CW rotation and CCW rotation.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in normal mode, the three-phase DC motor 50 is rotated by changing the phase at which the coil 51 is excited, but in adjustment mode, a conversion table is used to excite the coil 51 so that the coil 51 and the permanent magnet 53 (rotor 56) are in a positional relationship in which they attract each other. In other words, in adjustment mode, a holding torque is created at a specific rotation position.

In addition, in the adjustment mode, if the number of remaining pulses until the rotation stops is not zero, the Hall IC signal switching unit 15 outputs to the motor driver 30 Hu/Hv/Hw, which is the excitation relationship that outputs a holding torque at a position advanced by the number of remaining pulses from the current position.

§3 Operation Example FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the three-phase DC motor control device 1 according to the first embodiment.

In S11, the operation mode is set to normal mode and the shutdown process is started.

In S12, the pulse signal generating unit 11 determines the number of pulses to be generated until the three-phase DC motor 50 stops based on the stop position obtained from the microcomputer 20.

In S13, the sensor interface unit 12 detects the current position of the three-phase DC motor 50 using the Hall IC 52 and calculates the current rotation speed.

In S14, the braking start determination unit 13 refers to the speed table and determines whether the remaining number of pulses is less than the number of pulses required to brake the current rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor 50. In other words, it determines whether braking can be started from the current position and decelerated exactly at the stop position. Here, the remaining number of pulses means the number of pulses until the rotation stops, and is the number of generated pulses minus the number of pulses that have been moved since the start of the stopping operation.

If the answer is No in S14 (braking is not to be started), the process transitions to S15, and the three-phase DC motor 50 continues to rotate. In S15, the PWM signal output unit 16 outputs a PWM signal corresponding to the speed specified by the microcomputer 20 based on the drive pulse to the motor driver 30.

In S16, the motor driver 30 excites the coil 51 based on the detection results (Hu, Hv, Hw) of the Hall IC 52 to continue rotating the three-phase DC motor 50. Then, the process transitions to S13 and loops until the condition in S14 is met.

If S14 is Yes (braking is to be started), the process transitions to S17, and braking stop is started. In S17, the braking start determination unit 13 outputs a signal indicating that braking is in progress to the PWM signal output unit 16. The PWM signal output unit 16 outputs a fixed PWM signal for braking to the motor driver 30.

In S18, the motor driver 30 excites the coil 51 based on the detection results (Hu, Hv, Hw) of the Hall IC 52, and brakes the three-phase DC motor 50.

In S19, the stop determination process is performed and the device is stopped.

(Summary of the suspension process)
Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the stop determination process of the three-phase DC motor control device 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the current speed and the voltage applied to the coil 51 in the stop operation of the three-phase DC motor control device 1 according to embodiment 1.

Different stopping processes are performed depending on the number of pulses remaining until rotation stops and the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor 50.

In S21, it is determined whether the current speed of the three-phase DC motor 50 is zero.

If the answer is No in S21 (if the three-phase DC motor 50 is rotating), the process transitions to S22. In S22, it is determined whether the number of pulses remaining until the rotation stops is zero.

If the answer is No in S22 (if the number of remaining pulses is not zero), return to S21 and loop until the condition of S21 or S22 is met.

(Stopping process 1)
First, a stop process 1 for braking and stopping at a stop position will be shown.

If the answer is Yes in S21 (if the three-phase DC motor 50 is stopped), the process transitions to S23. In S23, it is determined whether the number of pulses remaining until rotation stops is zero.

If S23 is Yes (if the number of remaining pulses is zero), the process transitions to S24. In S24, the adjustment start determination unit 14 outputs the adjustment mode.

In S25, the PWM signal output unit 16 outputs a fixed value of the stop hold voltage to the motor driver 30 in a PWM manner.

In S26, the motor driver 30 excites the coil 51 for a predetermined time in an adjustment mode based on the detection result (Hu/Hv/Hw) of the Hall IC 52, and fine-tunes the three-phase DC motor 50. The adjustment mode allows the motor to stop at a desired position. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the excitation is released.

Stop process 1 corresponds to rotation speed graph 71 and applied voltage graph 72 in Figure 9, and is a graph showing a case in which braking begins, followed by gradual deceleration and stopping at the stop position as planned. Up until time t1, the motor rotates at a constant speed, during which time a positive voltage is applied to coil 51. From time t1 to t2, braking is in progress, and a predetermined constant negative voltage is applied. At time t2, rotation stops. From time t2 to t3, a stop hold period occurs, during which a predetermined constant positive voltage is applied.

For example, when braking in normal mode to stop at No. 1 with CW rotation and stopping at No. 1, the number of remaining pulses is zero, stop processing 1 is performed, and adjustment mode is entered. In this case, since the current position is No. 1, the detection result of the Hall IC 52 is Hu/Hv/Hw = H/L/H, which is converted to Hu/Hv/Hw = L/H/H by the Hall IC signal switching unit 15. Therefore, the motor driver 30 excites the U phase with VDD, the V phase with Hi-z, and the W phase with PWM, and stops at the stop position of No. 1.

(Stopping process 2)
Next, a stop process 2 will be described for the case where braking is not possible until the vehicle reaches the stop position.

If S22 is Yes (if the number of remaining pulses is zero), the process transitions to S31. In S31, the adjustment start determination unit 14 outputs the adjustment mode.

Then, the process transitions to S25, where coil 51 is excited in adjustment mode for the stop hold period, and the stop process ends.

In stop process 2, which corresponds to rotation speed graph 73 and applied voltage graph 72 in FIG. 9, the graph shows a case in which the rotation speed gradually decreases after braking begins, but the rotation speed is not fully decreased at the stop position. Up until time t1, the rotation speed is constant, and a positive voltage is applied to coil 51 during this time. From time t1 to t2, braking is in progress, and a predetermined constant negative voltage is applied. At time t2, the rotation stops. From time t2 to t3, a stop holding period occurs, and a predetermined constant positive voltage is applied.

For example, if braking is performed in normal mode to stop the motor at No. 1 with CW rotation, but the motor does not stop at No. 1, the number of remaining pulses is zero, stop process 2 is performed, and the motor moves to adjustment mode. In this case, since the current position is No. 1, the detection result of the Hall IC 52 is Hu/Hv/Hw=H/L/H, which is converted to Hu/Hv/Hw=L/H/H by the Hall IC signal switching unit 15. Therefore, the motor driver 30 excites the U phase with VDD, the V phase with Hi-z, and the W phase with PWM, and stops the motor at the stop position of No. 1.

(Stopping process 3)
Further, a stop process 3 in which braking is applied and the vehicle is stopped before the stop position is shown.

If the answer is No in S23 (if the number of remaining pulses is not zero), the process transitions to S32. In S32, the adjustment start determination unit 14 outputs the adjustment mode.

In S33, the number of remaining pulses is calculated by subtracting the number of pulses that have been moved since the start of the stopping operation from the number of generated pulses.

In S34, the PWM signal output unit 16 outputs a fixed value of the stop hold voltage to the motor driver 30 in a PWM manner.

In S35, the Hall IC signal switching unit 15 calculates the Hu/Hv/Hw in the adjustment mode when the current rotation is advanced by the remaining number of pulses based on the detection result (Hu/Hv/Hw) of the Hall IC 52 at the current rotation angle, and outputs it to the motor driver 30. The motor driver 30 excites the coil 51 according to the input Hu/Hv/Hw, and moves it to the specified stop position.

Then, the process transitions to S25, where coil 51 is excited in adjustment mode for the stop hold period, and the stop process ends.

In stop process 3, which corresponds to rotation speed graph 74 and applied voltage graph 75 in FIG. 9, the graph shows a case in which braking is started, followed by gradual deceleration, and deceleration just before the stop position. Until time t1, the motor rotates at a constant speed, and a positive voltage is applied to coil 51 during this time. From time t1 to t4, braking is in progress, a predetermined constant negative voltage is applied, and rotation stops once at time t4. From time t4 to t2, rotation starts again so that the motor can be stopped again at the planned stop position, and at time t2, the motor reaches the planned stop position and stops. During this time, a predetermined constant positive voltage is applied. From time t2 to t3, a stop holding period occurs, during which a predetermined constant positive voltage is applied.

For example, if braking is performed in normal mode to stop at No. 1 with CW rotation, and the motor ends up stopping at No. 6, there will be one pulse remaining, and the motor will enter stop processing 3 and transition to adjustment mode. In this case, since the current position is No. 6, the detection result of the Hall IC 52 is Hu/Hv/Hw = L/L/H, but the Hall IC signal switching unit 15 converts Hu/Hv/Hw to Hu/Hv/Hw = L/H/H, which is a phase conversion in adjustment mode at a phase advanced by the number of remaining pulses (corresponding to No. 1). Therefore, the motor driver 30 excites the U phase with VDD, the V phase with Hi-z, and the W phase with PWM, and stops the motor at the stop position of No. 1.

§4 Function and Effects In the control system 100 of this embodiment, the adjustment start determination unit can switch the operation mode from the normal mode to the adjustment mode based on the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor 50 and the number of pulses remaining until the three-phase DC motor stops.

In the stop control unit, in adjustment mode, the excitation method for coil 51 can be changed from the normal mode so that the stop position can be fine-tuned.

Specifically, rather than exciting the coil 51 based on the current rotation angle derived by the Hall IC 52, it is possible to excite the coil 51 based on the conversion table. In other words, by using the conversion table, it is possible to excite the coil 51 with a phase different from that during rotation, and it is possible to generate a positioning torque and a holding torque just before stopping when the remaining number of pulses becomes zero.

The conversion table generates a torque that reverses the current direction of rotation of the three-phase DC motor 50 and generates a holding torque, but different conversion tables must be used for CW rotation (forward rotation) and CCW rotation (reverse rotation).

In addition, even if the brakes are applied earlier than the stopping position and the motor stops once, it can be rotated again in adjustment mode to stop the motor at the original stopping position, and then a holding torque can be applied to hold the motor in place.

(Additional Notes)
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the difference in the stop position depending on the difference in the rotation direction of the three-phase DC motor 50 according to the reference example.

This shows the case where No. 2 is the target stop position. When rotating from No. 1 to No. 2 in a CW rotation, there is pattern 1 where it is determined from the state of the Hall IC that the stop position has been reached, and when rotating from No. 3 to No. 2 in a CCW rotation, there is pattern 2 where it is determined from the state of the Hall IC that the stop position has been reached. As shown in Figure 10, in pattern 1, it stops at stop position 91, and in pattern 2, it stops at stop position 92; the state of the Hall IC does not change depending on the direction of rotation, but there are cases where the stop position does change.

In this case, the coil 51 is excited with the holding voltage according to the conversion table in FIG. 6, so in pattern 1, the U phase is Hi-z, the V phase is VDD, and the W phase is PWM, current flows from the V phase to the W phase, the V phase becomes the S pole, the W phase becomes the N pole, and the rotor 56 is stopped at a position where they are attracted to each other (No2-cw in FIG. 10). In contrast, in pattern 2, the U phase is PWM, the V phase is VDD, the W phase is Hi-z, current flows from the V phase to the U phase, the V phase becomes the S pole, the U phase becomes the N pole, and the rotor 56 is stopped at a position where they are attracted to each other (No2-ccw in FIG. 10). Even if the number of remaining pulses is the same, the excitation method of the coil 51 differs depending on the direction of rotation, and the magnetic field changes, so the situation in which the coil 51 and the rotor 56 are attracted to each other also differs, and the stop position also differs.

[Embodiment 2]
Other embodiments of the present invention are described below.

§1 Application Examples In a slot machine, if the stopping position of the reel is not precise, the reel patterns may stop out of alignment. This can lead to a significant loss of interest for the player.

Therefore, by using a three-phase DC motor to rotate the reels, the stopping positions of the reels on the slot machine can be controlled, without spoiling the interest of the player.

§2 Configuration Example Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the reel gaming machine 60 according to the embodiment 2. Fig. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the reel gaming machine 60 according to the embodiment 2.

The reel game machine 60 includes a medal insertion slot 61, a start lever 62, a stop button 63, a drum unit 64, a medal ejection slot 65, a game machine control unit 81, and a game machine acquisition unit 83.

The drum unit 84 is composed of three rotating reels 64a to 64c. Each reel is equipped with a three-phase DC motor 50 and a motor control device 1. The number of reels constituting the drum unit 64 is not limited to three, and at least one reel is sufficient. The medal insertion port 61, start lever 62, stop button 63, and medal ejection port 65 are collectively referred to as the gaming machine operation section 82.

By inserting medals into the medal insertion slot 61, the reel game machine 60 can be operated. The number of operations is determined by the number of medals inserted.

By operating the start lever 62, each reel 64a to 64c in the drum unit 64 begins to rotate.

The number of stop buttons 63 provided is the same as the number of reels on the drum unit 64. Here, there are three stop buttons, 63a to 63c. Pressing stop button 63a stops the rotation of reel 64a, pressing stop button 63b stops the rotation of reel 64b, and pressing stop button 63c stops the rotation of reel 64c.

The reels 64a to 64c are the reels that determine the game outcome of the slot machine 60. A number of symbols are printed on the outer circumference of the reels. The reels 64a to 64c can each be rotated individually by the three-phase DC motor 50. There may be a reducer between the three-phase DC motor 50 and the reels 64a to 64c.

The medal ejection port 65 is a dedicated port for ejecting unused medals.

The gaming machine control unit 81 controls each part of the slot machine 60. It controls the motor control device 1 based on the input player search results.

The gaming machine operation section 82 is the part where the player operates the slot machine 60. It allows the player to insert/remove medals and operate the reels.

The gaming machine acquisition unit 83 acquires the operation of the player on the reel gaming machine 60 by the gaming machine operation unit 82. The acquired operation details are output to the gaming machine control unit 81.

§3 Operation Example The gaming machine control unit 81 controls the reel gaming machine 60 as follows.

When a player inserts a medal into the medal insertion slot 61 and operates the start lever 62, the reels 64a to 64c begin to spin. When a player presses a stop button 63a to 63c, the corresponding reel stops spinning. When the player finishes playing, unused medals are ejected from the medal ejection slot 65 and collected.

When the motor control device 1 does not operate in adjustment mode but operates only in normal mode, the stop holding voltage is not output after braking to a stop, so the stopping positions of the reels may shift as shown in Figure 13 (situations 64b and 64c in Figure 13). Here, Figure 13 is a reference diagram of the drum unit 64 at a stop in embodiment 2. In such a case, the stopping positions of the reels 64a to 64c are shifted, which is likely to significantly reduce the player's interest.

In contrast, when the stop hold voltage is output in the adjustment mode, the reels do not stop in the state shown in FIG. 13, and each reel stops in a predetermined stopping position, i.e., the symbols stop in a predetermined position (the state of 64a in FIG. 13). This does not spoil the interest of the player.

§4 Function and Effect By controlling the three-phase DC motor 50 provided on the reels 64a to 64c with the motor control device 1, the stop positions can be limited even in sections where the detection results of the Hall IC 52 do not change depending on the adjustment mode. Therefore, the multiple reels 64a to 64c can be stopped without stopping at stop positions where the patterns are offset from each other, and the interest of the player is not lost.

(Additional Notes)
The gaming machine 60 may further include sub-reels in addition to the reels 64a to 64c as main reels. The sub-reels are provided in the gaming machine 60 separately from the main reels in order to provide effects that appeal to the player's sight, hearing, or senses in order to enhance the player's interest.

In addition, it is preferable that the gaming machine 60 equipped with a sub reel further includes a three-phase DC motor 50 used to rotate the sub reel, and a motor control device 1 for controlling the three-phase DC motor 50. The functions of the three-phase DC motor 50 and motor control device 1 corresponding to the sub reel are similar to the functions of the three-phase DC motor 50 and motor control device 1 corresponding to each of the reels 64a to 64c, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[Software implementation example]
The control blocks of the motor control device 1 (particularly the adjustment start determination unit 14 and the Hall IC signal switching unit 15) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software.

In the latter case, the motor control device 1 includes a computer that executes the instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function. The computer includes, for example, one or more processors, and a computer-readable recording medium that stores the program. The object of the present invention is achieved by the processor reading the program from the recording medium and executing it in the computer. The processor can be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The recording medium can be a "non-transient tangible medium," such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), tape, disk, card, semiconductor memory, programmable logic circuit, etc. The computer can also include a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program. The program can be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves) that can transmit the program. One aspect of the present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[Additional Notes]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1 Motor control device 12 Sensor interface unit (rotation state monitoring unit)
14 Adjustment start determination unit 15 Hall IC signal switching unit (stop control unit)
50 Three-phase DC motor 60 Slot machine (gaming machine)
64a to 64c Reels

Claims (6)

Reel and
A three-phase DC motor that rotates the reel;
A motor control device for controlling the three-phase DC motor,
The motor control device includes:
an adjustment start determination unit that determines whether or not to start adjustment of a rotation stop position of the three-phase DC motor based on a rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor and a remaining number of pulses until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops when braking the rotation of the three-phase DC motor;
a stop control unit that performs rotation control by exciting each phase of the three-phase DC motor to stop the three-phase DC motor at a desired rotation stop position when the adjustment start determination unit determines to start the adjustment based on the fact that the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor becomes zero and the number of pulses remaining until the rotation stop of the three-phase DC motor is zero,
The stop control unit of this gaming machine performs the rotation control based on a signal obtained by converting the output signal of a rotation state monitoring unit that monitors the rotation state of the three-phase DC motor by referring to at least one table prepared in advance. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the table referred to by the stop control unit when the three-phase DC motor rotates in the forward direction is different from the table referred to by the stop control unit when the three-phase DC motor rotates in the reverse direction. The adjustment start determination unit notifies the stop control unit of the remaining number of pulses,
3. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the stop control unit causes the three-phase DC motor to rotate by an amount corresponding to the number of remaining pulses. The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stop control unit determines that the three-phase DC motor has reached the desired rotation stop position when the motor rotates from a first range in which a first input signal is input to the rotation state monitoring unit to a second range in which a second input signal is input to the rotation state monitoring unit, the desired rotation stop position is a position in the second range that is closest to the first range, the second input signal is different from the first input signal, and the second range is adjacent to the first range. Reel and
A method for controlling a gaming machine including a three-phase DC motor for rotating the reel, comprising:
A motor control step of controlling the three-phase DC motor is included.
The motor control step includes:
an adjustment start determination step of determining whether or not to start adjustment of a rotation stop position of the three-phase DC motor based on a rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor and a remaining number of pulses until the rotation of the three-phase DC motor stops when braking the rotation of the three-phase DC motor;
a stop control step of performing rotation control by exciting each phase of the three-phase DC motor to stop the three-phase DC motor at a desired rotation stop position when the adjustment start determination step determines that the adjustment should be started based on the rotation speed of the three-phase DC motor becoming zero and the number of pulses remaining until the rotation stop of the three-phase DC motor being zero,
A control method for a gaming machine, in which in the stop control process, the rotation control is performed based on a signal obtained by converting an output signal from a rotation state monitoring unit that monitors the rotation state of the three-phase DC motor by referring to at least one table prepared in advance. The method for controlling a gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein the stop control process determines that the three-phase DC motor has reached the desired rotation stop position when rotating from a first range in which a first input signal is input to the rotation state monitoring unit to a second range in which a second input signal is input to the rotation state monitoring unit, the desired rotation stop position being the position in the second range that is closest to the first range, the second input signal being different from the first input signal, and the second range being adjacent to the first range.