JP7711728B2 - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines.

2. Description of the Related Art Gaming machines that are configured to change a display mode have been known.

JP 2013-31695 A

In this type of pachinko machine, there has been a problem in that when the period during which the display mode is changed ends, the player's motivation to play decreases and the player becomes bored with the game.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can prevent the problem of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

In order to achieve this object, the gaming machine described in claim 1 has display means capable of displaying a presentation mode, information acquisition means for acquiring information based on the establishment of an acquisition condition, storage means for storing the information acquired by the information acquisition means, determination means for making a determination based on the information stored in the storage means, identification information display means for displaying identification information indicating a determination result by the determination means, benefit granting means capable of granting a benefit advantageous to a player, and determination means for determining whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied, and when a specific determination result is determined by the determination means and a specific determination result is determined by the determination means, a specific identification information can be displayed by the identification information display means, and the benefit can be granted when the specific identification information is displayed, and when a specific trigger is established, a specific presentation mode is displayed by the display means a notification effect can be displayed on the display screen, when the bonus is awarded, a notification effect can be executed to notify the player that the bonus will be awarded, the notification effect can be executed at a timing after the specific presentation mode is displayed, numerical information can be displayed during the period in which the specific presentation mode is displayed, first numerical information can be displayed as the numerical information, the first numerical information can reach second numerical information as the game progresses, and a player can be made to understand that the specific presentation mode will end when the numerical information reaches the second numerical information , the notification effect is executed at a timing before the specific identification information is displayed, and third numerical information obtained by adding a predetermined value to the value of the second numerical information can be displayed in a situation in which the bonus is awarded .

According to the gaming machine of claim 1, the gaming machine has a display means capable of displaying a presentation mode, an information acquisition means for acquiring information based on the establishment of an acquisition condition, a storage means for storing the information acquired by the information acquisition means, a determination means for making a determination based on the information stored in the storage means, an identification information display means for displaying identification information indicating a determination result by the determination means, a benefit granting means capable of granting a benefit advantageous to a player, and a determination means for determining whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied, and when a specific determination result is determined by the determination means and a specific determination result is determined by the determination means, a specific identification information can be displayed by the identification information display means, and the benefit can be granted when the specific identification information is displayed, and when a specific opportunity is established, a specific presentation mode is displayed on the display means. the specific presentation mode is displayed; the notification display can be executed at a timing after the specific presentation mode is displayed; numerical information can be displayed during the period in which the specific presentation mode is displayed; first numerical information can be displayed as the numerical information; the first numerical information can reach second numerical information as the game progresses; the player can be made to understand that the specific presentation mode will end when the numerical information reaches the second numerical information; the notification display is executed at a timing before the specific identification information is displayed; and third numerical information obtained by adding a predetermined value to the value of the second numerical information can be displayed in a situation in which the awarding of the bonus is executed .

This has the effect of preventing players from quickly becoming bored with the game.

1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the game board of a pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine. FIG. FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of the protrusion operation unit in a state in which the base displacement member and the relative displacement member are disposed at a retracted position. FIG. 1A is an exploded front perspective view of a protruding motion unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear perspective view of a connecting rod. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a transmission means as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a transmission means as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of a base-side displacement member and a relative displacement member. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a base-side displacement member and a relative displacement member. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a protrusion operation unit. 17A is a side view of the protruding motion unit as viewed in the direction of arrow XVIIa in FIG. 16, and FIG. 17B is a partially enlarged side view of the protruding motion unit at portion XVIIb in FIG. 17A. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the combined action unit. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the combined action unit. FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the combined action unit; FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the combined action unit; 22(a) is a front view of the driven member and the driven member, and (b) is a side view of the driven member and the driven member as viewed in the direction of arrow XXIIb in FIG. 22(a). 1A is a front view of the driven member, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the driven member. 23( a )的动作为图23( a )的动作的侧视图。 FIG 23 ( a ) is a side view of the driven member as viewed in the direction of the arrow XXIV. 1A is a front view of the driven member, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the driven member. 25( a ) is a side view of the driven member as viewed in the direction of arrow XXVI in FIG. 25( a ). 4A is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a first guide groove, and FIG. 4B is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a second guide groove. 4A is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a first guide groove, and FIG. 4B is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a second guide groove. 4A is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a first guide groove, and FIG. 4B is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a second guide groove. 4A is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a first guide groove, and FIG. 4B is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a second guide groove. 4A is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a first guide groove, and FIG. 4B is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a second guide groove. 4A is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a first guide groove, and FIG. 4B is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with a second guide groove. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a rotational motion unit. FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the rotational motion unit. FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the rotational motion unit. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a rotational motion unit. 37(a) is a rear view of the main body, and (b) is a partially enlarged rear view of the main body showing an enlarged portion of XXXVII in FIG. 37(a). FIG. 38(a) is a cross-sectional view of the rotational motion unit taken along line XXXIXa-XXXIXa in FIG. 38(a), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the rotational motion unit 600 taken along line XXXIXb-XXXIXb in FIG. 38(b). 1A is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of area division settings and effective line settings on a display screen, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of an actual display screen. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of a normal hold effect. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the eight-piece effect. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing display modes in a variation pattern of a composite display mode. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing display modes in a variation pattern of a composite display mode. 1 is a timing chart showing the period settings from when the power of the pachinko machine is turned on. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing the display mode during a time performance period. 1A is a schematic diagram showing the display mode during a time performance period, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the display mode during a time performance extension period. 13A is a schematic diagram showing the display state at the end of the time performance period. FIG. A schematic diagram showing the electrical configuration of a pachinko machine in a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of various counters. 1A is a schematic diagram showing a part of the contents of the ROM in the main control device, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a part of the contents of the RAM in the main control device. (a) is a schematic diagram showing a special win random number table, (b) is a schematic diagram showing a special win type selection table, and (c) is a schematic diagram showing a normal win random number table. 1A is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the contents of the ROM of the voice lamp control device, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the contents of the RAM of the voice lamp control device. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the display control device; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a display data table. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transfer data table. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a drawing list. 5 is a flowchart showing a timer interrupt process executed by an MPU in the main control device. 13 is a flowchart showing a special pattern change process executed by the MPU in the main control device. 13 is a flowchart showing the special pattern variation start processing executed by the MPU in the main control device. A flowchart showing the start winning processing executed by the MPU in the main control unit. 11 is a flowchart showing a read-ahead process executed by an MPU in a main control device. 13 is a flowchart showing the normal pattern change processing executed by the MPU in the main control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a through-gate passing process executed by an MPU in the main control device. 5 is a flowchart showing an NMI interrupt process executed by an MPU in a main control device. 5 is a flowchart showing a start-up process executed by an MPU in the main control device. 4 is a flowchart showing main processing executed by an MPU in the main control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a startup process executed by an MPU in the voice lamp control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a time setting process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device. 4 is a flowchart showing a main process executed by an MPU in the voice lamp control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a command determination process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a notice selection process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device. A flowchart showing the winning command receiving process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. A flowchart showing the variable display setting process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device. 13 is a flowchart showing a variation pattern selection process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a button performance selection process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device. 13 is a flowchart showing the synchronous performance management processing executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device. A flowchart showing the extended performance setting process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. 11 is a flowchart showing the pending number display update process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. A flowchart showing the frame button input monitoring and presentation processing executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. 11 is a flowchart showing the button performance execution process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a background image setting process executed by an MPU in the voice lamp control device. 4 is a flowchart showing a main process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 4 is a flowchart showing a boot process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 1A is a flowchart showing a command interrupt process executed by an MPU in a display control device, and FIG. 1B is a flowchart showing a V interrupt process executed by an MPU in a display control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a command determination process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 13A is a flowchart showing the variation pattern command processing executed by the MPU in the display control device, and FIG. 13B is a flowchart showing the stop type command processing executed by the MPU in the display control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a notice command process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a pending command process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a rendering command process executed by an MPU in a display control device. 13A is a flowchart showing a rear image change command process executed by an MPU in a display control device, and FIG. 13B is a flowchart showing an error command process executed by an MPU in a display control device. 4 is a flowchart showing a display setting process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 10 is a flowchart showing a warning image setting process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a pointer update process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 13A is a flowchart showing a transfer setting process executed by an MPU in a display control device, and FIG. 13B is a flowchart showing a resident image transfer setting process executed by an MPU in a display control device. 11 is a flowchart showing a normal image transfer setting process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 4 is a flowchart showing a drawing process executed by an MPU in the display control device. 13A is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display mode of a pachinko machine in the third embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a diagram comparing the pixel sizes of the main liquid crystal and the sub liquid crystal. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a display mode of a pachinko machine in a third embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a display mode of a pachinko machine in a third embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a display mode of a pachinko machine in a third embodiment. 10(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display mode of a pachinko machine in the third embodiment, and (b) is a diagram showing a comparison of the display sizes of the main LCD and sub LCD of the pachinko machine 10 in the third embodiment. A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a display control device for a pachinko machine in a third embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing the variable pattern command processing executed by an MPU in a display control device of a pachinko machine in the third embodiment. A front view of the game board of a pachinko machine in the fourth embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the internal structure of a distribution unit according to a fourth embodiment. A time chart for explaining the presentation control regarding the reserved pattern presentation in the fourth embodiment. 13A is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of area division settings and effective line settings of a display screen in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a diagram showing an example of an actual display screen in the fourth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating the display mode of a normal hold effect in the fourth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the eight-piece effect in the fourth embodiment. 13A is a schematic diagram showing the display mode of the eight-ball presentation in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a schematic diagram showing the display mode of the additional winning presentation in the fourth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the special continuation effect in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a time chart for explaining the flow of a composite display performance in the fourth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating the display form of a composite display effect in the fourth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating the display form of a composite display effect in the fourth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating the display form of a composite display effect in the fourth embodiment. A schematic diagram showing the display mode of a composite display performance in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a time chart for explaining the flow of time presentation in the fourth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating the display form of the time presentation in the fourth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating the display form of the time presentation in the fourth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating the display form of the time presentation in the fourth embodiment. A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a pachinko machine in a fourth embodiment. 13A is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a ROM in a main control device in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a RAM in a main control device in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13A is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a ROM in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a RAM in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. (a) is a schematic diagram showing a schematic diagram of a performance time selection table in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing a time table of performance times selected by the performance time selection table in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing special pattern change processing 2 executed by the MPU in the main control device in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a variation execution determination process executed by an MPU in a main control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the special pattern 1 variation start processing executed by the MPU in the main control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the special pattern 2 variation start processing executed by the MPU in the main control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the start winning processing 2 executed by the MPU in the main control device in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing start-up process 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a time setting process 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing main processing 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing frame button input monitoring and performance processing 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing an identification number input process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the 8-item hold presentation processing executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the button presentation processing executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing the notice selection process 2 executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the winning command receiving process 2 executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing variable display setting process 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the variation pattern selection process 2 executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing button performance selection process 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the 8-item performance setting process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the synchronous performance management process 2 executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing the performance time setting process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. A flowchart showing extended performance setting process 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a pending command process 2 executed by an MPU in a display control device in the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a rendering command process 2 executed by an MPU in a display control device in the fourth embodiment. A front view of the game board of a pachinko machine in the fifth embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the internal structure of a distribution unit according to a fifth embodiment. 13 is a time chart explaining the flow of the special pattern change presentation performed using the main screen and the sub screen in the fifth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the special pattern change presentation in the fifth embodiment. 13A to 13B are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the special pattern change presentation in the fifth embodiment. A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a pachinko machine in a fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a display control device according to a fifth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing main processing 3 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fifth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a pre-simulated fluctuation setting process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fifth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a command determination process 2 executed by an MPU in a display control device according to a fifth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing drawing processing 2 executed by an MPU in a display control device according to a fifth embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, with reference to Figs. 1 to 39, a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko gaming machine (hereinafter simply referred to as a "pachinko machine") 10 will be described. Fig. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a front view of the game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10, and Fig. 3 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10.

As shown in Figure 1, the pachinko machine 10 has an outer frame 11, the outer shell of which is formed by wooden frames assembled into a roughly rectangular shape, and an inner frame 12, which is formed to roughly the same external shape as the outer frame 11 and is supported so as to be openable and closable relative to the outer frame 11. Metal hinges 18 are attached to the outer frame 11 at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), in order to support the inner frame 12, and the inner frame 12 is supported so as to be openable and closable towards the front, with the side where the hinges 18 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing.

A game board 13 (see FIG. 2) having numerous nails and winning holes 63, 64, etc. is attached to the inner frame 12 so that it can be detached from the back side. A pinball game is played by balls (game balls) flowing down the front of the game board 13. The inner frame 12 is also fitted with a ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 4) that launches balls into the front area of the game board 13, and a launch rail (not shown) that guides the balls launched from the ball launching unit 112a to the front area of the game board 13.

On the front side of the inner frame 12, there is a front frame 14 that covers the upper side of the front, and a lower plate unit 15 that covers the lower side. Metal hinges 19 are attached to two places, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), to support the front frame 14 and the lower plate unit 15, and the front frame 14 and the lower plate unit 15 are supported so that they can be opened and closed toward the front, with the side where the hinges 19 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing. The locks on the inner frame 12 and the front frame 14 can be released by inserting a special key into the keyhole 21 of the cylinder lock 20 and performing a specified operation.

The front frame 14 is fitted with decorative resin parts, electrical parts, etc., and has a window 14c formed in a roughly elliptical shape at its approximate center. A glass unit 16 having two glass plates is disposed on the rear side of the front frame 14, and the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass unit 16.

The front frame 14 has an upper tray 17 for storing balls that juts out forward and is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top, and prize balls and loan balls are discharged into this upper tray 17. The bottom of the upper tray 17 is formed with a downward slope to the right when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and this slope guides balls dropped into the upper tray 17 to the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 4). In addition, a frame button 22 is provided on the top surface of the upper tray 17. This frame button 22 is operated by the player, for example, when changing the stage of the performance displayed on the third pattern display device 81 (see Figure 2) or when changing the content of the Super Reach performance.

The front frame 14 is provided with various light-emitting means such as lamps around its periphery (for example, corners). These light-emitting means change and control the light-emitting state by lighting or blinking in response to changes in the game state such as when a jackpot is hit or when a certain reach is reached, and play a role in enhancing the presentation effect during the game. The periphery of the window portion 14c is provided with illumination units 29-33 incorporating illumination units such as LEDs. In the pachinko machine 10, these illumination units 29-33 function as presentation lamps such as jackpot lamps, and when a jackpot is hit or when a reach is reached, each illumination unit 29-33 lights up or blinks due to the built-in LEDs lighting up or blinking, thereby notifying that a jackpot is being hit or that a reach is being reached just before a jackpot. In addition, the upper left of the front frame 14 when viewed from the front (see Figure 1) is provided with an indicator lamp 34 incorporating an illumination unit such as an LED that can indicate when prize balls are being paid out and when an error has occurred.

A small window 35 is formed by attaching transparent resin to the underside of the right-side illumination section 32 from the back side so that the back side of the front frame 14 can be seen, and the certificate stamps and the like affixed to the attachment space K1 (see Figure 2) on the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front of the pachinko machine 10. In addition, in order to create a more dazzling appearance, a plated member 36 made of chrome-plated ABS resin is attached to the area around the illumination sections 29-33 in the pachinko machine 10.

Below the window 14c, a ball lending operation unit 40 is provided. The ball lending operation unit 40 is provided with a number display unit 41, a ball lending button 42, and a return button 43. When the ball lending operation unit 40 is operated with bills, cards, etc. inserted into the card unit (ball lending unit) (not shown) arranged on the side of the pachinko machine 10, balls are lent out according to the operation. Specifically, the number display unit 41 is an area where the remaining balance information of the card, etc. is displayed, and the built-in LED is lit to display the remaining balance in numbers as the remaining balance information. The ball lending button 42 is operated to obtain loan balls based on the information recorded on the card, etc. (recording medium), and loan balls are supplied to the upper tray 17 as long as there is a remaining balance on the card, etc. The return button 43 is operated when requesting the return of the card, etc. inserted into the card unit. In addition, in pachinko machines where balls are directly dispensed from a ball dispensing device to the upper tray 17 without going through a card unit, i.e., in so-called cash machines, the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is not necessary, but in this case, a decorative sticker or the like may be added to the installation part of the ball dispensing operation unit 40 to make the parts configuration common. It is possible to standardize pachinko machines that use a card unit and cash machines.

The lower tray unit 15, located below the upper tray 17, has a lower tray 50 in the center formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top for storing balls that cannot be stored in the upper tray 17. An operating handle 51 is provided on the right side of the lower tray 50, which is operated by the player to shoot the ball into the front of the game board 13.

Inside the operating handle 51 are a touch sensor 51a for permitting the operation of the ball launching unit 112a, a launch stop switch 51b that stops the launch of balls while it is being pressed, and a variable resistor (not shown) that detects the amount of rotation (rotation position) of the operating handle 51 by changes in electrical resistance. When the operating handle 51 is rotated clockwise by the player, the touch sensor 51a is turned on and the resistance value of the variable resistor changes in response to the amount of rotation, and the ball is launched with a strength (launch strength) corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor, thereby hitting the front of the game board 13 with a flight amount corresponding to the player's operation. When the operating handle 51 is not being operated by the player, the touch sensor 51a and the launch stop switch 51b are turned off.

A ball removal lever 52 is provided on the lower front part of the lower tray 50 to be operated when discharging the balls stored in the lower tray 50 downward. This ball removal lever 52 is always biased to the right, and by sliding it to the left against this bias, the bottom opening formed on the bottom surface of the lower tray 50 opens, and the balls fall naturally from the bottom opening and are discharged. This ball removal lever 52 is usually operated with a box (commonly called a "senryo box") placed below the lower tray 50 to receive the balls discharged from the lower tray 50. As mentioned above, the operating handle 51 is disposed on the right side of the lower tray 50, and an ashtray 53 is attached to the left side of the lower tray 50.

As shown in FIG. 2, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling a number of nails (not shown) for guiding balls, a windmill, rails 61 and 62, a general winning opening 63, a first winning opening 64, a second winning opening 640, a variable winning device 65, a through gate 67, a variable display unit 80, etc., on a base plate 60 machined into a roughly square shape when viewed from the front, and the peripheral portion is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12 (see FIG. 1). The base plate 60 is made of a light-transmitting resin material, and is formed so that the player can see various structures arranged on the back side of the base plate 60 from the front side. The general winning opening 63, the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 640, the variable winning device 65, and the variable display unit 80 are arranged in through holes formed in the base plate 60 by router processing, and are fixed from the front side of the game board 13 by tapping screws or the like.

The front center portion of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the inner frame 12 through the window portion 14c (see Figure 1) of the front frame 14. The configuration of the game board 13 will be described below, mainly with reference to Figure 2.

An outer rail 62 formed by bending a strip-shaped metal plate into an approximately arc shape is set up on the front of the game board 13, and an inner rail 61, also made of a strip-shaped metal plate like the outer rail 62, is set up inside the outer rail 62. The outer rail 61 and the outer rail 62 surround the front periphery of the game board 13, and the game board 13 and the glass unit 16 (see Figure 1) surround the front and back, forming a game area on the front of the game board 13 where games are played based on the behavior of the ball. The game area is an area (where prize openings and the like are arranged and where shot balls flow down) that is partitioned on the front of the game board 13 and is formed by the two rails 61, 62 and the resin outer edge member 73 that connects the rails.

The two rails 61, 62 are provided to guide the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 4) to the top of the game board 13. A return ball prevention member 68 is attached to the tip of the inner rail 61 (upper left in Figure 2), which prevents a ball that has been guided to the top of the game board 13 from returning back into the ball guide passage. A return rubber 69 is attached to the tip of the outer rail 62 (upper right in Figure 2) at a position corresponding to the maximum flight part of the ball, and a ball launched with a certain amount of force or more hits the return rubber 69 and is bounced back toward the center while its force is reduced.

At the lower left side of the game area when viewed from the front (lower left side of FIG. 2), the first pattern display devices 37A and 37B are provided, each equipped with a plurality of LEDs as light-emitting means and a seven-segment display. The first pattern display devices 37A and 37B display information according to the controls performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and mainly display the game status of the pachinko machine 10. In this embodiment, the first pattern display devices 37A and 37B are configured to be used differently depending on whether the ball has entered the first winning hole 64 or the second winning hole 640. Specifically, when the ball has entered the first winning hole 64, the first pattern display device 37A is activated, while when the ball has entered the second winning hole 640, the first pattern display device 37B is activated.

The first symbol display devices 37A and 37B also use LEDs to indicate whether the pachinko machine 10 is in a special mode, a time-saving mode, or a normal mode, whether it is fluctuating, whether the stopped symbol corresponds to a special mode jackpot, a normal jackpot, or a miss, and the number of reserved balls, while the seven-segment display device displays the number of rounds during a jackpot and any errors. The multiple LEDs are configured to emit different colors (e.g., red, green, blue), and the combination of these colors can indicate various game states of the pachinko machine 10 with a small number of LEDs.

In addition, in this pachinko machine 10, a lottery is held when a prize is won in the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 640. In the lottery, the pachinko machine 10 determines whether or not there is a jackpot (jackpot lottery), and if it determines that there is a jackpot, it also determines the type of jackpot. The types of jackpots that can be determined here include a 15R special jackpot, a 4R special jackpot, and a 15R regular jackpot. The first pattern display devices 37A, 37B not only show whether the result of the lottery is a jackpot or not as the stopping pattern after the fluctuation has ended, but also show a pattern according to the type of jackpot if there is a jackpot.

Here, a "15R special jackpot" refers to a special jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and a "4R special jackpot" refers to a special jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 4. A "15R normal jackpot" refers to a jackpot that transitions to a low probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and is in a time-saving state for a specified number of variations (e.g., 100 variations).

In addition, the "high probability state" refers to a state in which the probability of a subsequent jackpot is increased as an added value after the jackpot has ended, that is, during the so-called probability fluctuation (during the probability change), in other words, a state of play in which it is easy to transition to a special game state. In this embodiment, the high probability state (during the probability change) includes a game state in which the probability of a hit of the second symbol described below is increased and the ball is likely to enter the second winning hole 640. The "low probability state" refers to a time when the probability change is not in progress, and refers to a state in which the probability of a jackpot is in a normal state, that is, a state in which the probability of a jackpot is lower than during the probability change. In addition, the time-saving state (during the time-saving state) of the "low probability state" refers to a game state in which the probability of a jackpot is in a normal state, and the probability of a jackpot remains the same, but only the probability of a hit of the second symbol is increased, making it easy for the ball to enter the second winning hole 640. On the other hand, the pachinko machine 10 is in a normal state when it is not in a special mode or time-saving mode (neither the probability of a jackpot nor the probability of hitting the second symbol has increased).

During the special rate or time-saving period, not only does the probability of winning the second symbol increase, but the time that the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 is opened is also changed and set to a longer time than during normal play. When the electric device 640a is in an open state (open state), it is easier for the ball to win the second winning slot 640 than when the electric device 640a is in a closed state (closed state). Therefore, during the special rate or time-saving period, it is easier for the ball to win the second winning slot 640, and the number of times the jackpot lottery is held can be increased.

In addition, during the probability bonus or time-saving period, instead of changing the opening time of the electric role 640a associated with the second winning slot 640, or in addition to changing the opening time, the number of times the electric role 640a opens with one win may be increased compared to normal. Also, during the probability bonus or time-saving period, the winning probability of the second symbol may not be changed, and at least one of the time when the electric role 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 is opened and the number of times the electric role 640a opens with one win may be changed. Also, during the probability bonus or time-saving period, the time when the electric role 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 is opened and the number of times the electric role 640a opens with one win may not be changed, and only the winning probability of the second symbol may be changed to be increased compared to normal.

In the play area, there are a number of general winning holes 63 through which 5 to 15 balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters. In addition, a variable display unit 80 is disposed in the center of the play area. The variable display unit 80 is provided with a third pattern display device 81 consisting of a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply abbreviated as "display device") that displays a variable third pattern in synchronization with the variable display in the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, triggered by the winning of the first winning hole 64 and the second winning hole 640 (initial winning), and a second pattern display device (not shown) consisting of an LED that displays a variable second pattern in response to the passage of a ball through the through gate 67.

In addition, the variable display unit 80 is provided with a center frame 86 surrounding the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81. The third pattern display device 81 is visible through an opening in the center of the center frame 86. When the protruding operation unit 400 and the composite operation unit 500 described later are operated, at least a part of the relative displacement member 450 and the driven member 560 protrude into the opening of the center frame 86 and are visible through the opening. For example, when the protruding operation unit 400 is placed in the rotation position by the first operation (see FIG. 14(a)), the tip portion of the relative displacement member 450 is visible through the opening of the center frame 86, and when the protruding operation unit 400 is placed in the protruding position by the second operation (see FIG. 15(b)), almost the entire relative displacement member 450 is visible through the opening of the center frame 86.

The third symbol display device 81 is configured with a large 15-inch liquid crystal display, and the display contents are controlled by the display control device 114 (see FIG. 4), so that, for example, three symbol rows, top, middle, and bottom, are displayed. Each symbol row is configured with a plurality of symbols (third symbols), and these third symbols are scrolled horizontally for each symbol row, so that the third symbols are variably displayed on the display screen of the third symbol display device 81. The third symbol display device 81 of this embodiment performs decorative display according to the display of the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B, while the display of the game state associated with the control of the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4) is performed by the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B. Note that the third symbol display device 81 may be configured using, for example, reels instead of a display device.

The second symbol display device performs a variable display in which a "circle" and an "x" symbol as display symbols (second symbol (not shown)) are alternately lit for a predetermined period of time each time the ball passes through the through gate 67. In the pachinko machine 10, when it is detected that the ball has passed through the through gate 67, a winning lottery is held. If the winning lottery results in a winning lottery, the second symbol display device displays a static "circle" symbol after the second symbol is displayed in a variable manner. If the winning lottery results in a losing lottery, the second symbol display device displays a static "x" symbol after the third symbol is displayed in a variable manner.

The pachinko machine 10 is configured so that when the variable display on the second pattern display device stops at a predetermined pattern (in this embodiment, a "circle" pattern), the electric device 640a attached to the second winning port 640 is activated (opened) for a predetermined period of time.

The time it takes for the second symbol to change display is set to be shorter during a special probability or time-saving mode than during normal game mode. As a result, during special probability and time-saving mode, the second symbol changes display in a short time, so more winning draws can be held than during normal game mode. This increases the chances of winning in the winning draw, giving the player more opportunities for the electric device 640a of the second winning slot 640 to be in an open state. Therefore, during special probability and time-saving mode, it is possible to create a state in which it is easier for the ball to win the second winning slot 640.

Note that if the state is such that the ball is more likely to enter the second winning slot 640 during a special probability or time-saving period by increasing the probability of winning, increasing the opening time or number of times the electric device 640a opens for one win, or by other methods, the time it takes for the second symbol to change display may be kept constant regardless of the game state. On the other hand, if the time it takes for the second symbol to change display is set shorter during a special probability or time-saving period than during normal times, the probability of winning may be kept constant regardless of the game state, and the opening time or number of times the electric device 640a opens for one win may be kept constant regardless of the game state.

The through gate 67 is attached to the game board on the right side of the lower area of the variable display unit 80, and is configured to allow some of the balls that are launched onto the game board and flow down the right side of the game board to pass through. When a ball passes through the through gate 67, a winning lottery for the second pattern is held. After the winning lottery, a variable display is performed on the second pattern display device, and if the winning lottery results in a winning lottery, a "○" pattern is displayed as the stopping pattern of the variable display, and if the winning lottery results in a losing lottery, an "X" pattern is displayed as the stopping pattern of the variable display.

The number of times that a ball passes through the through gate 67 can be reserved up to a maximum of four times in total, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the above-mentioned first pattern display devices 37A, 37B, and is also displayed by lighting the second pattern reserved lamp (not shown). There are four second pattern reserved lamps, the maximum number of reserved balls, and they are arranged symmetrically below the third pattern display device 81.

The second pattern change display may be performed by switching on and off a plurality of lamps in the second pattern display device as in this embodiment, or may be performed using a part of the first pattern display device 37A, 37B and the third pattern display device 81. Similarly, the second pattern reserve lamp may be turned on by a part of the third pattern display device 81. The maximum number of reserved balls for the passage of the ball through the through gate 67 is not limited to four times, but may be set to three times or less, or five times or more (e.g., eight times). The number of through gates 67 installed is not limited to one, but may be multiple (e.g., two). The installation position of the through gate 67 is not limited to the right of the variable display device unit 80, but may be, for example, the left of the variable display device unit 80. Since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, the second pattern reserve lamp may not be turned on.

A first winning hole 64 into which a ball can enter is disposed below the variable display unit 80. When a ball enters this first winning hole 64, a first winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 turns on. When the first winning hole switch turns on, a lottery for a jackpot is held by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37A.

On the other hand, to the right of the first winning hole 64 when viewed from the front, there is a second winning hole 640 into which a ball can enter. When a ball enters this second winning hole 640, a second winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 turns on, and when the second winning hole switch turns on, a lottery for a jackpot is held by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37B.

The first winning port 64 and the second winning port 640 are also each one of the winning ports through which five balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters the winning port. In this embodiment, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 is the same as the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 640, but the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 640 may be different numbers, for example, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 may be three, and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 640 may be five.

An electric device 640a is attached to the second winning opening 640. This electric device 640a is configured to be able to open and close, and is usually in a closed state (reduced state), making it difficult for the ball to win the second winning opening 640. On the other hand, when the second pattern display device displays a "○" pattern as a result of the variable display of the second pattern, which is triggered by the passage of the ball through the through gate 67, the electric device 640a opens (expands), making it easier for the ball to win the second winning opening 640.

As mentioned above, during the special rate and time-saving period, the probability of the second symbol winning is higher than during normal play, and the time it takes for the second symbol to change is also shorter, so the "○" symbol is more likely to appear in the change display of the second symbol, and the number of times the electric device 640a is in the open state (expanded state) increases. Furthermore, during the special rate and time-saving period, the time that the electric device 640a is open is also longer than during normal play. Therefore, during the special rate and time-saving period, it is possible to create an environment in which the ball is more likely to win the second winning slot 640 than during normal play.

The probability of a jackpot occurring when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 and when a ball enters the second winning slot 640 is the same in both low and high probability states. However, the probability of a 15R special jackpot being selected as the type of jackpot to be selected when a jackpot occurs is set higher when a ball enters the second winning slot 640 than when a ball enters the first winning slot 64. On the other hand, the first winning slot 64 does not have an electric device like the second winning slot 640, and the ball is always capable of winning.

Therefore, during normal play, the electric device associated with the second winning slot 640 is often in a closed state, making it difficult to win at the second winning slot 640. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to aim for the first winning slot 64, which does not have an electric device, by shooting the ball so that it passes to the left of the variable display unit 80 (the so-called "left shot"), and by having the ball win at the first winning slot 64, gaining more opportunities to win the jackpot lottery.

On the other hand, during the special bonus period or the time-saving period, the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 is likely to be opened by passing the ball through the through gate 67, making it easier to win at the second winning slot 640. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to shoot the ball toward the second winning slot 640 so that it passes to the right of the variable display device 80 (the so-called "right hit"), passing through the through gate 67 to open the electric device, and aiming for a 15R special bonus jackpot by winning at the second winning slot 640.

In this way, the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment allows the player to change the way the ball is shot between "left hit" and "right hit" depending on the game state of the pachinko machine 10 (whether it is in a special mode, a time-saving mode, or a normal mode). This allows the player to have more fun playing the game because it allows them to change the way they hit the ball.

A variable winning device 65 is disposed above the first winning port 64 on the right side, and a horizontally long rectangular specific winning port (large open port) 65a is disposed in the approximate center of the variable winning device 65. In the pachinko machine 10, when a jackpot lottery performed due to winning in the first winning port 64 or the second winning port 640 results in a jackpot, after a predetermined time (variable time) has elapsed, the first pattern display device 37A or the first pattern display device 37B is turned on to show the jackpot stop pattern, and the stop pattern corresponding to the jackpot is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 to indicate the occurrence of a jackpot. After that, the game state transitions to a special game state (jackpot) in which balls are more likely to win. In this special game state, the specific winning port 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have elapsed, or until 10 balls have won).

This specific winning opening 65a is closed after a predetermined time has elapsed, and after this closure, the specific winning opening 65a is opened again for a predetermined time. The opening and closing operation of this specific winning opening 65a can be repeated up to, for example, 15 times (15 rounds). The state in which this opening and closing operation is taking place is one form of a special game state that is advantageous to the player, and the player is paid out a larger number of prize balls than usual as an addition of game value (game value).

Specifically, the variable winning device 65 comprises a horizontally long rectangular opening plate that covers the specific winning hole 65a, and a large opening solenoid (not shown) that drives the opening and closing of the opening plate forward around the lower edge of the opening plate. The specific winning hole 65a is normally in a closed state in which balls cannot or do not easily win. In the event of a big win, the large opening solenoid is driven to tilt the opening plate downward toward the front, temporarily creating an open state in which it is easier for balls to win the specific winning hole 65a, and the device operates to alternate between this open state and the normal closed state.

The special game state is not limited to the above-mentioned form. A large opening that opens and closes separately from the specific winning opening 65a may be provided in the game area, and when an LED corresponding to a big win is lit in the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, the specific winning opening 65a is opened for a predetermined time, and while the specific winning opening 65a is open, a ball enters the specific winning opening 65a, triggering the large opening provided separately from the specific winning opening 65a to be opened for a predetermined time and a predetermined number of times, forming a game state that is a special game state. Also, the number of specific winning openings 65a is not limited to one, and one or more than two (for example, three) may be provided, and the location of the opening is not limited to the upper right of the first winning opening 64, but may be, for example, to the left of the variable display unit 80.

In the lower right corner of the game board 13, there is a space K1 for attaching stamps, identification labels, etc., and the stamps, etc. attached to the space K1 can be seen through a small window 35 in the front frame 14 (see Figure 1).

The game board 13 is provided with a first outlet 71. Balls that flow down the game area and do not win in any of the winning holes 63, 64, 65a, 640 are guided through the first outlet 71 to a ball discharge path (not shown). The first outlet 71 is disposed below the first winning hole 64.

The game board 13 has many nails planted in it to appropriately distribute and adjust the direction in which the balls fall, and various parts (gimmicks) such as windmills are also arranged on it.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 is mainly equipped with control board units 90, 91 and a back pack unit 94. The control board unit 90 is unitized with a main board (main control device 110), a voice lamp control board (voice lamp control device 113) and a display control board (display control device 114). The control board unit 91 is unitized with a payout control board (payout control device 111), a launch control board (launch control device 112), a power supply board (power supply device 115) and a card unit connection board 116.

The back pack unit 94 is a unit consisting of the back pack 92, which forms the protective cover, and the payout unit 93. In addition, each control board is equipped with an MPU as a one-chip microcomputer that controls each part, ports for communicating with various devices, a random number generator used in various lotteries, a clock pulse generating circuit used for time counting and synchronization, etc., as necessary.

The main control device 110, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114, the payout control device 111 and the launch control device 112, the power supply device 115, and the card unit connection board 116 are each stored in the board boxes 100-104. The board boxes 100-104 each include a box base and a box cover that covers the opening of the box base, and the box base and the box cover are connected to each other to store the respective control devices and boards.

The board box 100 (main control device 110) and the board box 102 (dispensing control device 111 and launch control device 112) are connected to the box base and box cover by a sealing unit (not shown) so that they cannot be opened (connected by a crimping structure). A sealing seal (not shown) is attached to the connection between the box base and the box cover, spanning the box base and the box cover. This sealing seal is made of a brittle material, and if you try to peel off the sealing seal to open the board box 100, 102 or forcefully open the board box 100, 102, it will be cut into the box base side and the box cover side. Therefore, by checking the sealing unit or sealing seal, you can know whether the board box 100, 102 has been opened.

The payout unit 93 is equipped with a tank 130 located at the top of the back pack unit 94 and opening upward, a tank rail 131 connected to the bottom of the tank 130 and gently sloping toward the downstream side, a case rail 132 connected vertically to the downstream side of the tank rail 131, and a payout device 133 provided at the most downstream part of the case rail 132, which pays out balls using a specified electrical configuration of a payout motor 216 (see Figure 4). The tank 130 is successively replenished with balls supplied from the island equipment of the game hall, and the payout device 133 pays out the required number of balls as appropriate. A vibrator 134 is attached to the tank rail 131 to impart vibration to the tank rail 131.

The payout control device 111 is also provided with a state recovery switch 120, the firing control device 112 with a variable resistor control knob 121, and the power supply device 115 with a RAM erase switch 122. The state recovery switch 120 is operated to clear ball jams (return to normal state) when a payout error occurs, such as ball jamming in the payout motor 216 (see FIG. 4). The control knob 121 is operated to adjust the firing force of the firing solenoid. The RAM erase switch 122 is operated when the power is turned on to return the pachinko machine 10 to its initial state.

Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10.

The main control device 110 is equipped with an MPU 201, which is a one-chip microcomputer that is an arithmetic device. The MPU 201 contains a ROM 202 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 201, a RAM 203 that is a memory for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in the ROM 202, and various other circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data transmission/reception circuit. In the main control device 110, the MPU 201 executes the main processes of the pachinko machine 10, such as the jackpot lottery, the display settings on the first pattern display devices 37A, 37B and the third pattern display device 81, and the lottery for the display results on the second pattern display device.

In addition, in order to instruct the sub-control devices such as the dispensing control device 111 and the voice lamp control device 113 to operate, various commands are sent from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices via a data transmission/reception circuit, but such commands are sent only in one direction, from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices.

RAM 203 has various areas, counters, and flags, as well as a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of MPU 201 and the return addresses of control programs executed by MPU 201 are stored, and a work area (working region) in which various flags, counters, I/O values, etc. are stored. Note that RAM 203 is configured so that it can retain (back up) data by receiving a backup voltage from power supply device 115 even after power to pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in RAM 203 is backed up.

When the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, the stack pointer and the values of each register at the time of the power outage (including the occurrence of a power outage; the same applies below) are stored in RAM 203. On the other hand, when the power is turned on (including the power turned on when the power outage is resolved; the same applies below), the state of the pachinko machine 10 is restored to the state before the power outage based on the information stored in RAM 203. Writing to RAM 203 is performed by main processing (not shown) when the power supply is turned off, and the restoration of each value written to RAM 203 is performed during start-up processing (not shown) when the power supply is turned on. Note that the NMI terminal (non-maskable interrupt terminal) of MPU 201 is configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to MPU 201, NMI interrupt processing (not shown) is immediately executed as a power outage processing.

The MPU 201 of the main control device 110 is connected to an input/output port 205 via a bus line 204 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 205 is connected to the payout control device 111, the sound lamp control device 113, the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, the second pattern display device, the second pattern reservation lamp, and solenoids 209 consisting of a large opening solenoid for driving the specific winning port 65a to open and close forward around the lower edge of the opening/closing plate as an axis, and a solenoid for driving the electric role-playing device, and the MPU 201 transmits various commands and control signals to these via the input/output port 205.

The input/output port 205 is also connected to various switches 208, which are made up of a group of switches (not shown) and a group of sensors including a slide position detection sensor S and a rotation position detection sensor R, and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 (described below) provided in the power supply device 115. The MPU 201 executes various processes based on the signals output from the various switches 208 and the RAM erase signal SG2 output from the RAM erase switch circuit 253.

The payout control device 111 drives the payout motor 216 to control the payout of prize balls and loan balls. The MPU 211, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 212 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 211, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 213 that is used as a work memory, etc.

The RAM 213 of the payout control device 111, like the RAM 203 of the main control device 110, has a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 211 and the return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 211 are stored, and a work area (working area) in which the values of various flags, counters, I/O, etc. are stored. The RAM 213 is configured to be able to retain (back up) data by receiving backup voltage from the power supply device 115 even after the power supply of the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 213 is backed up. Note that, like the MPU 201 of the main control device 110, the NMI terminal of the MPU 211 is also configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to the MPU 211, an NMI interrupt process (not shown) is immediately executed as a power outage process.

An input/output port 215 is connected to the MPU 211 of the payout control device 111 via a bus line 214 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The main control device 110, payout motor 216, launch control device 112, etc. are each connected to the input/output port 215. In addition, although not shown, a prize ball detection switch for detecting paid-out prize balls is connected to the payout control device 111. Note that the prize ball detection switch is connected to the payout control device 111, but not connected to the main control device 110.

When the main control device 110 issues an instruction to launch a ball, the launch control device 112 controls the ball launch unit 112a so that the strength of the ball launch corresponds to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51. The ball launch unit 112a is equipped with a launch solenoid and electromagnet (not shown), and the launch solenoid and electromagnet are permitted to operate when certain conditions are met. Specifically, the touch sensor 51a detects that the player is touching the operating handle 51, and on condition that the launch stop switch 51b for stopping the launch of the ball is off (not operated), the launch solenoid is excited in response to the amount of rotation (rotation position) of the operating handle 51, and the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the amount of operation of the operating handle 51.

The audio lamp control device 113 controls the output of audio from the audio output device (such as a speaker not shown) 226, the output of turning on and off the lamp display device (such as the illumination units 29-33 and the display lamp 34) 227, and the setting of the display mode of the third pattern display device 81 performed by the display control device 114, such as variable performance (variable display) and advance notice performance. The MPU 221, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 222 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 221, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 223 used as a work memory, etc.

The MPU 221 of the audio and lamp control device 113 is connected to an input/output port 225 via a bus line 224 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 225 is connected to the main control device 110, the display control device 114, the audio output device 226, the lamp display device 227, other devices 228, the frame button 22, and the like. The other devices 228 include the drive motors 420, 530, and 630.

The voice lamp control device 113 determines the display mode of the third symbol display device 81 based on various commands (variation pattern command, stop type command, etc.) received from the main control device 110, and notifies the display control device 114 of the determined display mode by commands (display variation pattern command, display stop type command, etc.). In addition, the voice lamp control device 113 monitors input from the frame button 22, and when the frame button 22 is operated by the player, instructs the display control device 114 to change the stage displayed on the third symbol display device 81 or change the performance content during a super reach. When the stage is changed, a back image change command including information about the changed stage is sent to the display control device 114 so that the third symbol display device 81 displays a back image corresponding to the changed stage. Here, the back image refers to an image displayed on the back side of the third symbol, which is the main image to be displayed on the third symbol display device 81. The display control device 114 displays various images on the third symbol display device 81 according to the command sent from this voice lamp control device 113.

The voice lamp control device 113 also receives a command (display command) from the display control device 114 that indicates the display content of the third pattern display device 81. Based on the display command received from the display control device 114, the voice lamp control device 113 outputs a voice corresponding to the display content of the third pattern display device 81 from the voice output device 226 in accordance with the display content, and also controls the turning on and off of the lamp display device 227 in accordance with the display content.

The display control device 114 is connected to the sound lamp control device 113 and the third pattern display device 81, and controls the display of the third pattern display device 81, such as the variable performance of the third pattern, based on commands received from the sound lamp control device 113. The display control device 114 also transmits display commands to the sound lamp control device 113 as appropriate, notifying the display contents of the third pattern display device 81. The sound lamp control device 113 can match the display of the third pattern display device 81 with the sound output from the sound output device 226 by outputting sound from the sound output device 226 in accordance with the display contents indicated by the display commands.

The power supply unit 115 has a power supply unit 251 for supplying power to each unit of the pachinko machine 10, a power failure monitoring circuit 252 for monitoring power interruption due to a power failure or the like, and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 provided with a RAM erase switch 122 (see FIG. 3). The power supply unit 251 is a device that supplies the necessary operating voltage to each of the control devices 110-114, etc. through a power supply path not shown. In summary, the power supply unit 251 takes in an externally supplied 24-volt AC voltage, generates a 12-volt voltage for driving various switches such as the various switches 208, solenoids such as the solenoid 209, motors, etc., a 5-volt voltage for logic, a backup voltage for RAM backup, etc., and supplies the necessary voltages to each of the control devices 110-114, etc.

The power failure monitoring circuit 252 is a circuit for outputting a power failure signal SG1 to each NMI terminal of the MPU 201 of the main control unit 110 and the MPU 211 of the dispensing control unit 111 when the power is cut off due to a power failure or the like. The power failure monitoring circuit 252 monitors the voltage of 24 volts DC, which is the maximum voltage output from the power supply unit 251, and when this voltage falls below 22 volts, it determines that a power failure (power failure, power cut) has occurred and outputs a power failure signal SG1 to the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111. By outputting the power failure signal SG1, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 recognize the occurrence of a power failure and execute NMI interrupt processing. The power supply unit 251 is configured to maintain the output of the 5 volt voltage, which is the drive voltage of the control system, at a normal value for a sufficient time to execute the NMI interrupt processing, even after the voltage of 24 volts DC becomes less than 22 volts. Therefore, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 can normally execute and complete the NMI interrupt processing (not shown).

The RAM clear switch circuit 253 is a circuit for outputting a RAM clear signal SG2 to the main control device 110 to clear the backup data when the RAM clear switch 122 (see FIG. 3) is pressed. When the main control device 110 inputs the RAM clear signal SG2 when the pachinko machine 10 is powered on, it clears the backup data and sends a payout initialization command to the payout control device 111 to clear the backup data in the payout control device 111.

Next, the unit storage member 300 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 are front views of the unit storage member 300, with Figure 5 showing the operation units 400 to 800 in the retracted position, and Figure 6 showing the protruding operation unit 400 and the composite operation unit 500 in the extended position.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the unit storage member 300 is formed in a box shape with an open front side (the front side of the paper in Figure 5) from a bottom wall panel that is rectangular when viewed from the front and outer wall panels that stand upright from the outer edges of the four sides of the bottom wall. A rectangular opening 301 when viewed from the front is formed in the center of the bottom panel of the unit storage member 300, thereby forming the unit storage member 300 into a rectangular frame when viewed from the front. The opening 301 is formed to a size that corresponds to the external shape of the third pattern display device 81 (see Figure 2) (i.e., large enough to accommodate the third pattern display device 81).

The unit storage member 300 stores within its internal space a protruding operation unit 400, a composite operation unit 500, a rotating operation unit 600, a retracting operation unit 700, and an extending operation unit 800, which together form the operation unit 200 as a single unit.

The protruding operation unit 400 includes a base displacement member 440 and a relative displacement member 450, and operates (displaces) both displacement members 440, 450 between the retracted position shown in FIG. 5 and the extended position shown in FIG. 6. In the retracted position shown in FIG. 5, the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are stacked in the front-to-rear direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 5), thereby reducing the space required for the retracted position, while in the extended position shown in FIG. 6, the relative displacement member 450 is slidably displaced relative to the base displacement member 440, thereby increasing the overall size, thereby ensuring visibility and enhancing the presentation effect. The operation of this protruding operation unit 400 will be described later with reference to FIG. 7 to FIG. 17.

The composite motion unit 500 includes a driven member 550 (see FIGS. 20 and 21) and a driven member 560, and moves (displaces) both members 550, 560 between the retracted position shown in FIG. 5 and the extended position shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the composite motion unit 500 causes the driven member 550 to perform only rotational motion around a predetermined position, while causing the driven member 560 connected to the driven member 550 to perform a motion that combines linear motion and rotational motion, thereby changing the trajectory of the driven member 560 and enhancing the presentation effect. The operation of this composite motion unit 500 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 18 to 32.

The rotational motion unit 600 has a first rotating body 650 and a second rotating body 660 arranged concentrically, and by rotating both rotating bodies 650, 660, it is easy for the player to associate the rotation of both rotating bodies, and it exerts the effect of rotating each of the multiple rotating bodies (the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660). The operation of this rotational motion unit 600 will be described later with reference to Figures 33 to 39.

The retractable operation unit 700 has a retractable member 710 that is formed so as to be able to slide, and the extension operation unit 800 has an extension member 810 that is formed so as to be able to rotate. The retractable member 710 and the extension member 810 are operated (displaced) by sliding or rotating between the retracted position shown in FIG. 5 and an extension position (not shown) in which they are extended in front of the opening 301 (third pattern display device 81, see FIG. 2).

Next, the protruding operation unit 400 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 17. Figure 7 is a front perspective view of the protruding operation unit 400 with the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 disposed in the retracted position. Figure 8(a) is an exploded front perspective view of the protruding operation unit 400, and Figure 8(b) is a rear perspective view of the connecting rod 460.

7 and 8 show a state in which the retractable operation unit 700, which shares the case body 410 with the protruding operation unit 400, is installed next to the protruding operation unit 400. Also, a pair of protruding operation units 400 are arranged on the left and right sides of the retractable operation unit 700 below the opening 301 (see Figs. 5 and 6), and since the pair of protruding operation units 400 are formed symmetrically and have substantially the same structure, only one of them (the one arranged on the right side when viewed from the front) will be described, and the description of the other (the one arranged on the left side when viewed from the front) will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the protruding operation unit 400 is mainly composed of a case body 410 that forms the skeleton on the back side, a drive motor 420 arranged on the front side of the case body 410, a number of gears (pinion gear 431, intermediate gear 432, and crank gear 433) that transmit the rotational driving force of the drive motor 420, a base side displacement member 440 that is rotatably supported by the case body 410, a relative displacement member 450 that is arranged on the base side displacement member 440 so as to be able to slide and displace, and a connecting rod 460 that connects between the relative displacement member 450 and the crank gear 433 and is rotatably supported by the case body 410.

The case body 410 is made of a resin material, and a storage recess 411 having an outer shape corresponding to a number of gears (gears 431, 432, 433) is recessed into the front (front surface) of the case body 410. A rod support shaft 412 protrudes from the side of the storage recess 411 (right side in Figure 8(a)), and a base support shaft 413 protrudes below the storage recess 411 (lower side in Figure 8(a)). Each support shaft 412, 413 is made of brass material, and is disposed in a position parallel to the rotation axis of each gear 431-433.

In this embodiment, when the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are placed in the retracted position, as described below, the displacement members 440, 450, the connecting rod 460, and the gears 431, 432, 433 are stacked in the front-to-rear direction (see FIG. 13). By providing a storage recess 411 in the front of the case body 410 and storing the gears 431, 432, 433 in the storage recess 411, the protruding operation unit 400 can be made smaller in the front-to-rear direction.

A pinion gear 431 is attached to the drive shaft of the drive motor 420, and an intermediate gear 432 is engaged with the pinion gear 431, and a crank gear 433 is engaged with the intermediate gear 432. Therefore, when the drive shaft of the drive motor 420 is driven to rotate and the pinion gear 431 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the crank gear 433 via the intermediate gear 432, causing the crank gear 433 to rotate.

The intermediate gear 432 and crank gear 433 are journalled to the case body 410. Each gear 431-433 is formed as a spur gear with teeth engraved on the outer circumferential surface parallel to the axis of rotation. In this case, the crank gear 433 has radial decoration formed on its front surface (axial end surface), and the diameter of the front portion (axial end surface) is made larger than the tip circle of the teeth engraved on the outer circumferential surface, so that the teeth can be hidden from the player when viewed from the front.

A crank pin 433a protrudes from the front (axial end surface) of the crank gear 433 at a position eccentric to the rotation axis of the crank gear 433. The crank pin 433a is a part that is connected to the connecting rod 460, and is formed as a cylindrical body parallel to the rotation axis of the crank gear 433, and is slidably inserted into the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460 (see Figures 9 and 10). As a result, when the crank gear 433 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the connecting rod 460 via the crank pin 433a.

The base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are performance members that are displaced from a retracted position to an extended position to create a performance (see Figures 5 and 6). The base displacement member 440 (axial support hole 442) is rotatably supported on the base support shaft 413 of the case body 410, and the relative displacement member 450 is disposed on the front side of the base displacement member 440 so as to be able to slide and displace.

Here, a decorative portion 454 is formed on the front side of the relative displacement member 450. The decorative portion 454 is a portion for decorating the front side of the relative displacement member 450, and is formed as a whole in a tapered shape in a front view that narrows from the base end side (the side of the center of rotation when the base displacement member 440 is rotated, the lower side in Figs. 7 and 8) to the tip side (the side of the tip of rotation when the base displacement member 440 is rotated, the upper side in Figs. 7 and 8), and a first portion 454a, a second portion 454b, and a third portion 454c are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction on the front side of the decorative portion 454.

The first portion 454a, the second portion 454b, and the third portion 454c of the decorative portion 454 are formed to a size that corresponds to the tapered shape of the entire decorative portion 454. That is, the second portion 454b, which is located more centrally than the first portion 454a, which is located at the tip side, and the third portion 454c, which is located more proximal than the second portion 454b, which is located at the middle, are each formed to have a large outer shape.

In this case, the first part 454a, the second part 454b, and the third part 454c are arranged at different positions in the front-rear direction (positions perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 5). Specifically, the second part 454b, which is located more intermediate than the first part 454a, which is located at the tip side, and the third part 454c, which is located more base-side than the intermediate second part 454b, are each arranged on the front (forward) side (near the paper surface of FIG. 5).

As a result, the decorative portion 454 of the relative displacement member 450 (i.e., the front surface of the relative displacement member 450) is inclined downward in a stepped manner (three stepped manner in this embodiment) in the direction approaching the case body 410 from the base end side (the side toward the center of rotation of the base displacement member 440, the lower side in Figures 7 and 8) to the tip end side (the side toward the tip end of the rotation of the base displacement member 440, the upper side in Figures 7 and 8).

As a result, as described below, when the base displacement member 440 is rotated (see Figures 13 and 14), contact with the decorative member 480 (see Figures 16 and 17) is prevented, while allowing both displacement members 440, 450 to pass behind the decorative member 480, improving the presentation effect, and when the relative displacement member 450 is extended (see Figure 15), the decorative part 454 can be positioned in front (forward), improving impact.

The detailed configuration of the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 will be described later (see Figures 11 and 12).

The connecting rod 460 is a long plate-like member for transmitting the rotation of the crank gear 433 to the relative displacement member 450, and is formed with an axle support hole 461 drilled as a circular hole on one end in the longitudinal direction, a connection hole 462 drilled as an elongated hole extending along the longitudinal direction on the other end in the longitudinal direction opposite the axle support hole 461, and a rod groove 463 recessed on the back side as a recessed groove extending along the longitudinal direction between the axle support hole 461 and the connection hole 462.

The connecting rod 460 is attached to the case body 410 with the rod support shaft 412 of the case body 410 inserted into the shaft support hole 461 and the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 inserted into the rod groove 463. The connecting pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 is inserted into the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460 (see Figures 11 and 12). As a result, as described below, with the rotation of the crank gear 433, the connecting rod 460 rotates around the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation (see Figures 9 and 10), and with the rotation of the connecting rod 460, the base side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 rotate (first operation) and slide and displace (second operation) (see Figure 12), and are operated (displaced) between the retracted position and the extended position.

In this case, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the drive motor 420, the base displacement member 440, and the relative displacement member 450 are each disposed on the front (one side) side of the case body 410, so that the dimensions of the protruding operation unit 400 in the front-to-rear direction can be made smaller than when, for example, the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are disposed on the front (one side) side and the drive motor 420 is disposed on the back (other side) side of the case body 410.

Furthermore, the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are disposed in the retracted position with the drive motor 420 positioned on the longitudinal extension of the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 (see FIG. 13(a)), so that the drive motor 420, the base displacement member 440, and the relative displacement member 450 can be disposed in a straight line. This makes it possible to efficiently reduce the space required for the retracted position on the front side of the case body 410.

In addition, in this embodiment, the transmission means for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 420 to the base side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 is composed of a connecting rod 460 that forms a crank mechanism together with multiple gears (each of the gears 431 to 433) and the crank gear 433, and as described below, the arrangement of the transmission means (each of the gears 431 to 433 and the connecting rod 460) and each of the support shafts 411 and 412 is set so that the part where the connecting rod 460 (connection hole 462 and rod groove 463) is connected to the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 and the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 is located within the area between the rod support shaft 412 of the case body 410 and the base side support shaft 413.

As a result, when the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are disposed in the retracted position, the transmission means can be disposed in an area that overlaps the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 in a front view. In other words, the dead space formed on the back side of the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 disposed in the retracted position can be effectively utilized as a space for disposing the transmission means. As a result, in addition to the effect of the positional relationship between the drive motor 420 and the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 described above, it is possible to synergistically achieve a reduction in the external size of the protruding operation unit 400 in the front-rear direction and in a front view.

Next, the operation of the transmission means (pinion gear 431, intermediate gear 432, crank gear 433, and connecting rod 460) will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figures 9 and 10 are schematic front views of the transmission means as viewed from the front, with Figure 9(a) showing the crank gear 433 in the first rotation position, Figure 9(b) showing the crank gear 433 in the intermediate rotation position, and Figure 10 showing the crank gear 433 in the second rotation position.

In addition, in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, in order to simplify the drawings and make it easier to understand, the shapes of the gears 431-433 and the connecting rod 460 are illustrated typically. Also, in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the positions of the center line of the connecting rod 460 when the crank gear 433 is positioned at the first rotation position, the intermediate rotation position, and the second rotation position are illustrated typically as positions P1, Pm, and P2 using two-dot chain lines.

In addition, in the explanation of Figs. 9 and 10, Figs. 13 to 15 will be referred to as appropriate. Fig. 9(a) corresponds to the state shown in Figs. 13(a) and 13(b), Fig. 9(b) corresponds to the state shown in Figs. 14(a) and 14(b), and Fig. 10 corresponds to the state shown in Figs. 15(a) and 15(b).

As shown in Fig. 9(a), when the crank gear 433 is located in the first rotation position and the connecting rod 460 is located in position P1, the base displacement member 440 is located in the retracted position and the relative displacement member 450 is located in the reference position (see Figs. 12(a) and 13). In this state, the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 is located at the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side) of the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460.

Therefore, when the crank gear 433 is disposed in the first rotation position, the crank gear 433 can be restricted from rotating left (counterclockwise) in FIG. 9(a) (i.e., rotating in a direction to retract the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 from the extended position to the retracted position) by abutting the crank pin 433a against the upper end of the rod groove 463. Therefore, even if a control failure of the drive motor 420 occurs due to an electrical factor, for example, when the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are disposed from the extended position to the retracted position, the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 can be displaced beyond the retracted position by a mechanical mechanism (a stopper mechanism that restricts the crank pin 433a by the rod groove 463), and it is possible to prevent the displacement members 440, 450 and the connecting rod 460 from colliding with other members.

When the crank gear 433 is rotated from the state shown in FIG. 9(a) to the right (clockwise) in FIG. 9(a), the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 slides in the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460 toward the lower end (the end opposite the rod support shaft 412), and the connecting rod 460 rotates to the right (clockwise) in FIG. 9(a) with the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation. When the crank gear 433 is further rotated and reaches the intermediate rotation position as shown in FIG. 9(b), the connecting rod 460 is positioned at position Pm. In this state, the base side displacement member 440 is positioned at the rotation position, and the relative displacement member 450 is positioned at the reference position (see FIG. 12(b) and FIG. 14).

9(a) from the state shown in FIG. 9(b), the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 slides in the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460 toward the lower end (the end opposite the rod support shaft 412) and then toward the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side), and the connecting rod 460 rotates in the right direction (clockwise) in FIG. 9(a) around the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation. As a result, when the crank gear 433 reaches the second rotation position as shown in FIG. 10, the connecting rod 460 is positioned at position P2. In this state, the base side displacement member 440 is positioned at the rotation position, and the relative displacement member 450 is positioned at the protruding position (see FIG. 12(c) and FIG. 15).

Even when the crank gear 433 is placed in the second rotation position, the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 is located at the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side) of the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460, just as when the crank gear 433 is placed in the first rotation position shown in FIG. 9(a).

Therefore, when the crank gear 433 is disposed in the second rotation position, the crank gear 433 can be restricted from rotating right (clockwise) in FIG. 10 (i.e., rotating in a direction that causes the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 to extend from the retracted position to the extended position) by abutting the crank pin 433a against the upper end of the rod groove 463. Therefore, even if a control failure of the drive motor 420 occurs due to, for example, an electrical factor when disposing the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 from the retracted position to the extended position, the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 can be displaced beyond the extended position by a mechanical mechanism (a stopper mechanism that restricts the crank pin 433a by the rod groove 463), and it is possible to prevent these displacement members 440, 450 and the connecting rod 460 from colliding with other members.

Next, the configuration and operation of the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is an exploded rear perspective view of the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450.

As shown in FIG. 11, the base displacement member 440 is mainly formed with a main body 441 formed in the shape of a long plate, a shaft support hole 442 opened as a circular hole on the back surface of the main body 441, and a first slide hole 443 and a second slide hole 444 drilled as elongated holes extending along the longitudinal direction of the main body 441 (the vertical direction in FIG. 11).

The shaft support hole 442 is a hole through which the base support shaft 413 of the case body 410 is inserted, and by such insertion, the base displacement member 440 is rotatably supported by the case body 410 with the base support shaft 413 as the center of rotation. In other words, the base displacement member 440 is rotatably supported between a retracted position (see Figures 12(a) and 13) and a rotated position (see Figures 12(b), 12(c), 14, and 15), as described below.

In this case, the shaft support hole 442 is formed below the longitudinal center of the main body 441 and in a position biased toward one side (the protruding position side) from the widthwise center of the main body 441. This reduces the rotation angle required for the base displacement member 440 so that the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 protrude a predetermined amount (predetermined area) from the outer edge of the case body 410, thereby shortening the time required to rotate the base displacement member 440 between the retracted position and the rotated position, thereby enhancing the presentation effect due to the displacement of the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450.

The relative displacement member 450 is mainly composed of a main body 451 formed in the shape of a long plate, a connection pin 452 protruding from the back surface of the main body, a pair of slide pins 453 arranged at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the main body 451 (the vertical direction in Figure 11), and a decorative part 454 disposed on the front surface of the main body 451.

The connection pin 452 and the slide pin 453 are cylindrical parts that are slidably inserted into the first slide hole 443 and the second slide hole 444 of the base-side displacement member 440, respectively, and this insertion allows the relative displacement member 450 to be slidably displaced along the longitudinal direction of the base-side displacement member 440. That is, the relative displacement member 450 is disposed on the base-side displacement member 440 so as to be slidably displaceable between a reference position (see Figures 12(a), 12(b), 13, and 14) and a protruding position (see Figures 12(c) and 15), as described below.

In this case, the tip side of the connection pin 452 protruding from the first slide hole 443 of the base side displacement member 440 is slidably inserted into the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460, and this insertion connects the relative displacement member 450 to the crank gear 433 (see Figure 8) via the connecting rod 460.

As a result, as described below, by rotating the crank gear 433, the connecting rod 460 is rotated around the rod support shaft 412 (see FIG. 9), which allows the base side relative displacement member 450 to rotate around the base side support shaft 413 (first operation) and allows the relative displacement member 450 to slide relative to the base side displacement member 440 (second operation) (see FIG. 12).

The connection pin 452 and the slide pin 453 are disposed at different positions (spaced apart) along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 11) of the relative displacement member 450. This allows the points at which the relative displacement member 450 is connected to the base displacement member 440 to be distributed in the longitudinal direction, suppressing the relative displacement of the relative displacement member 450 with respect to the base displacement member 440 in the front-to-rear direction (the direction approaching and moving away from the case body 410), and stabilizing the slide displacement.

The connection pin 452 is disposed closer to the longitudinal tip of the relative displacement member 450 than the slide pin 453 (upper side in FIG. 11). This allows the location where the relative displacement member 450 is supported by the case body 410 via the connecting rod 460 to be closer to the longitudinal tip of the relative displacement member 450. In other words, the location where the relative displacement member 450 is supported by the case body 410 via the connecting rod 460 can be moved away from the shaft support hole 442 of the base displacement member 440 toward the longitudinal tip (upper side in FIG. 11). As a result, it is easier to prevent the tip of the relative displacement member 450 from swinging in the front-rear direction (the direction approaching and moving away from the case body 410).

In other words, only the longitudinal base side (axial support hole 442) of the base side displacement member 440 is supported by the base side support shaft 413 of the case body 410, and the relative displacement member 450 is disposed on the base side displacement member 440. Therefore, the longitudinal tip sides of both displacement members 440, 450 become free ends, and the tip sides are prone to swing back and forth during the first operation. This swinging creates the risk of the tip sides coming into contact with the decorative member 480. For this reason, a structure in which the position supported by the case body 410 via the connecting rod 460 is the longitudinal tip side is effective.

A collar C is fitted rotatably around the connection pin 452 and the slide pin 453. The collar C is interposed between the outer circumferential surfaces of the connection pin 452 and the slide pin 453 and the inner circumferential surfaces of the first slide hole 443 and the second slide hole 444, allowing the pins 452 and 453 to slide smoothly along the slide holes 443 and 444. In addition, the collar C (more specifically, the large-diameter flange portion of the collar C) is interposed between the main body 441 of the base-side displacement member 440 and the main body 451 of the relative displacement member 450 and the connecting rod 460, allowing the opposing distance between the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 and the connecting rod 460 to be kept constant.

The connecting pin 452 is secured to the end surface of its tip end by a disk-shaped disk S, which is fastened by a screw to prevent it from coming off the connecting rod 460, and the slide pin 453 is secured to the end surface of its tip end by a long, flat slide guide 470, which is fastened by a screw to prevent it from coming off the base displacement member 440.

Figure 12 is a rear perspective view of the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450. Note that Figure 12(a) corresponds to the state shown in Figures 9(a) and 13 (i.e., the crank gear 433 is in the first rotation position and the connecting rod 460 is in position P1), and Figure 12(b) corresponds to the state shown in Figures 9(b) and 14 (i.e., the crank gear 433 is in the intermediate rotation position and the connecting rod 460 is in position Pm). Also, Figure 12(c) corresponds to the state shown in Figures 10 and 15 (i.e., the crank gear 433 is in the second rotation position and the connecting rod 460 is in position P2).

As shown in FIG. 12(a), when the connecting rod 460 is in position P1 (see FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 13), the rotational position of the base displacement member 440 about the base support shaft 413 as the center of rotation is the retracted position, which is the position closest to the rod support shaft 412, and the sliding position of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base displacement member 440 is the reference position, which is the position where the amount of protrusion from the base displacement member 440 is the smallest. In this state, the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 is located at the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side) of the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460.

When the crank gear 433 (see FIG. 9(a)) rotates from the state shown in FIG. 12(a) to the left (counterclockwise) with the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation, the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 slides the connection hole 462 of the connection rod 460 toward the lower end (the end opposite the rod support shaft 412), and the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 rotate to the right (clockwise) with the base displacement member 440 together with the relative displacement member 450 with the base support shaft 413 as the center of rotation (first operation). When the connection rod 460 is further rotated and reaches the intermediate position Pm as shown in FIG. 12(b) (see FIG. 9(b) and FIG. 14), the rotation position of the base displacement member 440 is arranged at the rotation position that is the farthest from the rod support shaft 412.

In this case, the sliding position of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base displacement member 440 can be maintained at the reference position. That is, the left (counterclockwise) rotation of the connecting rod 460 around the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation in FIG. 12(a) causes the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 to slide along the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460 toward the lower end, but since the direction of this sliding is approximately along the direction of the sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base displacement member 440, no force component is generated in the direction of sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base displacement member 440. Therefore, while maintaining the sliding position of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base displacement member 440 (while restricting the occurrence of sliding displacement from the reference position), only the rotation of the base displacement member 440 around the base support shaft 413 as the center of rotation can be generated.

This allows both displacement members 440, 450 to rotate around the base support shaft 413 while keeping the amount of protrusion of the relative displacement member 450 from the base displacement member 440 to a minimum, thereby reducing the distance between the rotating tip of the relative displacement member 450 and the drive motor 420 (see Figure 7) or the decorative member 480 (see Figures 16 and 17). As a result, the protruding operation unit 400 can be made smaller, and the design freedom when defining the shape of the decorative member 480 can be increased.

When the connecting rod 460 is rotated left (counterclockwise) in FIG. 12(b) around the rod support shaft 412 as a center of rotation by rotation of the crank gear 433 (see FIG. 9(b)), the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 is slid through the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460 toward the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side) and then toward the lower end (the end opposite the rod support shaft 412), and the relative displacement member 450 is slid and displaced relative to the base displacement member 440 in a direction extending along the longitudinal direction (first and second slide holes 443, 444) (second operation). As a result, when the connecting rod 460 reaches the second position P2 as shown in FIG. 12(c) (see FIGS. 10 and 15), the sliding position of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base displacement member 440 is set to the protruding position where the amount of protrusion from the base displacement member 440 is maximum.

In this case, the rotational position of the base displacement member 440 can be maintained at the rotational position that is the farthest from the rod support shaft 412. That is, the leftward (counterclockwise) rotation of the connecting rod 460 around the rod support shaft 412 as shown in FIG. 12B causes the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 to slide along the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460. Since the direction of this sliding is approximately perpendicular to the direction of the sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base displacement member 440, only a force component in the direction of sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base displacement member 440 is generated, and no force component in the direction of rotating the base displacement member 440 around the base support shaft 413 is generated. Therefore, while restricting the rotation of the base displacement member 440 around the base support shaft 413 as the center of rotation, only a sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base displacement member 440 can be generated.

With this, in a state where the amount of protrusion of the relative displacement member 450 from the base displacement member 440 is kept to a minimum (a state where the relative displacement member 450 is kept at the reference position), the base displacement member 440 is rotated from the retracted position to the rotation position (first operation), and after the first operation is completed, a sliding movement (second operation) can be performed in which the relative displacement member 450 is extended along the longitudinal direction relative to the base displacement member 440 while the rotation of the base displacement member 440 is restricted (a state where the base displacement member 440 is kept at the rotation position). In other words, since the rotation movement and the sliding movement can be separated and each can be performed in two stages as separate movements, the player can clearly recognize the different modes of movement compared to when these rotation movements and sliding movements are performed simultaneously, and the performance effect by displacing each of the displacement members 440, 450 can be enhanced.

The operation of the protruding operation unit 400 configured as described above will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 15.

Figures 13 to 15 are front views of the protruding operation unit 400. As described above, Figures 13(a) and 13(b) correspond to the states shown in Figures 9(a) and 12(a), Figures 14(a) and 14(b) correspond to the states shown in Figures 9(b) and 12(b), and Figures 15(a) and 15(b) correspond to the states shown in Figures 10 and 12(c). Also, Figures 13(b), 14(b), and 15(b) show the state in which the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 have been removed.

As shown in Figures 13 to 15, according to the protruding operation unit 400, as described above, the base side displacement member 440 is formed to be rotatable between the retracted position shown in Figure 13 (a) and the rotated position shown in Figures 14 (a) and 15 (a), and the relative displacement member 450 disposed on the base side displacement member 440 is formed to be slidably displaceable between the reference position shown in Figures 13 (a) and 14 (a) and the extended position shown in Figure 15 (a), and a first operation of rotating the base side displacement member 440 between the retracted position and the rotated position, and a second operation of displacing the relative displacement member 450 between the reference position and the extended position relative to the base side displacement member 440 can each be executed.

As a result, as shown in Figures 13(a) and 14(a), the base displacement member 440 in the retracted position is moved to the rotated position by a first operation, and the relative displacement member 450 in the reference position is slid (extended) to the protruding position by a second operation, so that the relative displacement member 450 can be protruded outward from the base displacement member 440 as shown in Figure 15(a). Therefore, the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 can be made larger overall, so that both displacement members 440, 450 can be fully viewed by the player, and the presentation effect can be fully exerted.

In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14(a), by placing the base displacement member 440 in a rotational position by a first action, the tip portion of the relative displacement member 450 (in this embodiment, the entire first portion 454a of the decorative portion 454) can be visually recognized by the player through the opening of the center frame 86, and by placing the relative displacement member 450 in a protruding position by a second action, as shown in FIG. 15(a), the player can see almost the entire relative displacement member 450 (in this embodiment, the entire third portion 454a of the striking decorative portion 454) through the opening of the center frame 86.

That is, the relative displacement member 450, which has been retreated to a retreat position and cannot be seen from the opening of the center frame 86, is first made to appear from the side of the opening of the center frame 86 by a rotational movement (first movement), so that only a part of the relative displacement member 450 is made visible to the player, and then it is made to protrude toward the center of the opening of the center frame 86 by a linear movement (second movement), so that the player can see almost the entire relative displacement member 450. Therefore, the visible area of the relative displacement member 450 can be expanded by a movement form (linear movement) different from the movement form at the time of appearance (rotational movement), and the player can feel the unexpectedness due to the change in the movement form, the sense of speed due to the expansion of the visible area by the linear movement, and the sense of unity of the composite movement due to the combination and successive execution of these. As a result, a performance effect that cannot be achieved by a form in which the relative displacement member 450 appears and disappears from the opening of the center frame 86 by only linear movement (a form in which it goes back and forth between the retreat position and the protruding position) can be obtained.

On the other hand, when the base displacement member in the rotation position is placed in the retracted position shown in FIG. 13(a) by the first operation, the relative displacement member 450 in the extended position is slid (shortened) to the reference position by the second operation as shown in FIG. 14(a) and FIG. 15(b), thereby preventing the relative displacement member 450 from protruding outward from the base displacement member 440. Therefore, both displacement members 440, 450 can be made smaller overall, and the space required to accommodate both displacement members 440, 450 in the retracted position can be reduced. As a result, space can be secured for arranging other parts and devices.

In this case, as described above, the relative displacement member 450 is disposed on the base displacement member 440 in a state in which it can be slidably displaced, and the second operation is a mode in which the relative displacement member 440 is slidably displaced between the reference position and the extended position relative to the base displacement member 450 as shown in FIG. 14(a) and FIG. 15(a). Therefore, compared to the case in which the second operation is a mode in which the relative displacement member 440 is rotated relative to the base displacement member 450, for example, the space required to displace the relative displacement member 440 from the reference position to the extended position can be reduced, and space for arranging other parts and devices can be secured accordingly. In addition, the displacement mode (sliding displacement) of the relative displacement member 450 by the second operation can be made different from the displacement mode (rotation) of the base displacement member 450 by the first operation, so that the performance effect of performing the first operation and the second operation consecutively can be enhanced.

In particular, the second operation is performed in a sliding displacement direction along the longitudinal direction of both displacement members 440, 450. That is, the relative displacement member 450 is disposed in a position in which the longitudinal directions of the base displacement member 440 are aligned with each other, and the relative displacement member 450 is slidably displaced in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the base displacement member 440, so that both displacement members 440, 450 can be efficiently extended and shortened as a whole. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15(a), when the base displacement member 440 is disposed in the rotation position, the relative displacement member 450 is slidably displaced (extended) as a whole, so that both displacement members 440, 450 can be sufficiently visually recognized by the player, and the performance effect can be fully exerted. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13(a), when the base-side displacement member 440 is in the retracted position, the relative displacement member 450 slides (shortens) to reduce the overall size, thereby reducing the space required to accommodate both displacement members 440, 450 and making it possible to secure space for arranging other components and devices.

In addition, according to the protruding operation unit 400, as described above, the transmission means for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 420 to the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 is composed of a plurality of gears (pinion gear 431, intermediate gear 432, and crank gear 433) and a connecting rod 460, as shown in Figures 13 (a), 14 (b), and 15 (b). The connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460, which constitutes a crank mechanism together with the crank gear 433, is connected to the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 within the area between the rod support shaft 412, which is the center of rotation of the connecting rod 460, and the base support shaft 413, which is the center of rotation of the base displacement member 440. Therefore, by rotating the crank gear 433, the first operation and the second operation by the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 can be performed in sequence. In other words, two different operations, the first operation and the second operation, can be performed using only one drive motor 420, which reduces component costs and therefore product costs.

In this case, a structure in which a gear is provided on the rod support shaft 412 side of the connecting rod 460 as a transmission means and the teeth of the crank gear 433 are engaged with the gear to rotate the connecting rod 460 can be considered, but in such a structure, the crank gear 433 and the connecting rod 460 are arranged side by side in a plane, and no overlap is formed in a front view, so the space required for their arrangement increases. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 is inserted into the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460, so that the crank gear 433 and the connecting link 460 can be arranged in a state where they always have an overlap in a front view, as shown in Figures 13(a), 14(b), and 15(b), and the space required for the arrangement of the crank gear 433 and the connecting link 460 can be reduced by the amount of the overlap.

Next, with reference to Figures 16 and 17, the relationship between the relative displacement member 450 and the decorative member 470 when the base displacement member 440 is rotated (first operation) will be described.

Figure 16 is a front perspective view of the protruding operation unit 400. Figure 17(a) is a side view of the protruding operation unit 400 as viewed in the direction of arrow XVIIa in Figure 16, and Figure 17(b) is a partially enlarged side view of the protruding operation unit 400 at part XVIIb in Figure 17(a). Note that Figures 16 and 17 show a state in which a decorative member 480 is attached to the protruding operation unit 400. However, to simplify the drawings and make it easier to understand, only the decorative member 480 necessary for explaining the relationship with the relative displacement member 400 is shown.

As shown in Figures 16 and 17, a decorative member 480 is disposed above the protruding operation unit 400 (upper side of Figure 16) (see Figures 5 and 6). The decorative member 480 is a decorative resin member formed from a light-transmitting resin material. Therefore, the player can see other members located on the rear side of the decorative member 480 through (transmitting) the decorative member 480.

In this embodiment, the decorative member 480 is formed with a portion thereof projecting downward (lower side in FIG. 17(b)), so that, as shown in FIG. 17(b), it is formed with an overlap of dimension L between the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 in front view. As a result, when the base displacement member 440 is rotated (first operation) from the retracted position to the rotated position (see FIGS. 13 and 14), the rotation trajectories of the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 can be made to overlap a portion of the decorative member 480 in front view.

That is, since the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 can be displaced while passing the back side of the decorative member 480, the operation of crossing the decorative member 480 and both displacement members 440, 450 can be performed, and at the time of the crossing, the decorative member 480 can be made transparent to make both displacement members 440, 450 visible, and as a result, the performance effect by displacing both displacement members 440, 450 can be enhanced. In particular, in this embodiment, the tip side of the base displacement member 440 separated from the decorative member 480 protrudes more than the tip side of the relative displacement member 450 close to the decorative member 480, making it difficult for it to come into contact with the decorative member 480, and as a result, the dimension L, which is the overlapping area, can be made larger. Therefore, the performance effect by the crossing can be enhanced.

In this case, as described above, the relative displacement member 450 has a decorative portion 454 that forms its front side (right side of FIG. 17(b)) that is inclined in a step-like manner from the base end side (the rotation center side of the base displacement member 440, the lower side of FIG. 17(b)) to the tip side (the rotation tip side of the base displacement member 440, the upper side of FIG. 17(b)) toward the case body 410 (left side of FIG. 17(b)). In addition, the tip side of the base displacement member 440 that is arranged on the back side of the relative displacement member 450 (left side of FIG. 17(b)) is made to protrude more than the tip side of the relative displacement member 450. Therefore, the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 as a whole can be shaped so that the tip side is arranged in a position that is recessed toward the case body 410 side (back side, left side of FIG. 17(b)).

As a result, when the base displacement member 440 rotates (first operation) from the retracted position to the rotated position (see Figures 13 and 14), its rotation trajectory overlaps with the decorative member 480 when viewed from the front, improving the presentation effect while preventing the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 from coming into contact with the decorative member 480.

In this case, the base side displacement member 440 is supported by the base side support shaft 413 on only one longitudinal side, with the tip side being the free end (see Figures 12(a) and 12(b)), so the tip side is likely to swing back and forth (towards or away from the case body 410, perpendicular to the paper surface of Figure 5) during the first operation, which may result in contact with the decorative member 480. For this reason, the configuration in this embodiment (a shape that is inclined so that the tip side is closer to the case body 410) is particularly effective.

On the other hand, the relative displacement member 450 is not shaped so that the entire decorative portion 454 is close to the case body 410, but is shaped so that, as described above, it is positioned closer to the front (front) side (right side in FIG. 17(b)) as it approaches the base end side (the rotation center side of the base displacement member 440, lower side in FIG. 17(b)) than the tip end side (the rotation tip side of the base displacement member 440, upper side in FIG. 17(b)). That is, the decorative portion 454 is inclined upward in a stepped manner in the direction away from the case body 410 (right side in FIG. 17(b)) as it moves from the tip end side to the base end side.

As a result, when the relative displacement member 450 is slid from the reference position to the extended position (second operation) (see Figures 14 and 15), the relative displacement member 440 can be positioned closer to the front (front) side (i.e., closer to the player), enhancing the impact. In particular, in this embodiment, the outer shape is made larger for the parts positioned closer to the front (front) side (the second part 454b is larger than the first part 454a, and the third part 454c is larger than the second part 454b), thereby making it possible to more effectively enhance the impact.

Next, the composite action unit 500 will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 30. Figures 18 and 19 are front perspective views of the composite action unit 500. Note that Figure 18 illustrates a state in which the driven member 560 is positioned in the retracted position (see Figure 5), and Figure 19 illustrates a state in which the driven member 560 is positioned in the extended position (see Figure 5).

Here, a pair of composite action units 500 are arranged above the opening 301, one on each side of the rotation action unit 600 (see Figures 5 and 6). Since the pair of composite action units 500 are formed symmetrically and have substantially the same structure, only one of them (the one arranged on the right side when viewed from the front) will be described, and the description of the other (the one arranged on the left side when viewed from the front) will be omitted.

18 and 19, the composite operation unit 500 displaces the driven member 550 by the driving force of the drive motor 530, and displaces the driven member 560 in accordance with the displacement of the driven member 550, thereby displacing the driven member 560 between the retracted position shown in FIG. 18 and the extended position shown in FIG. 19. In this case, the driven member 560 is driven by the driven member 550 while changing its relative position with respect to the driven member 550 by rotation and sliding displacement, as described below (see FIGS. 27 to 29).

As a result, even if the driven member 550 rotates at a constant speed in a constant orbit around a predetermined position (shafts 553, 554) as the center of rotation, the driven member 560 can be displaced in an orbit different from that of the driven member 550, and the manner of displacement of the driven member 560 can be changed. In other words, the composite motion unit 500 makes it possible to change the manner of displacement of the driven member 560 while maintaining the output of the drive motor 530 constant. The detailed configuration of the composite motion unit 500 is described below.

20 and 21 are exploded front perspective views of the composite action unit 500. Also, FIG. 22(a) is a front view of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560, and FIG. 22(b) is a side view of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 as viewed in the direction of the arrow XXIIb in FIG. 22(a).

Note that Fig. 20 corresponds to the disassembled state of the composite operation unit 500 shown in Fig. 18, and Fig. 21 corresponds to the disassembled state of the composite operation unit 500 shown in Fig. 19. Also, Figs. 22(a) and 22(b) correspond to the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 in the state shown in Figs. 18 and 20.

As shown in Figures 20 to 22, the composite operation unit 500 is mainly composed of a front case body 510 and a rear case body 520 that form the skeleton of the unit, a drive motor 530 arranged on the rear side of the rear case body 520, a crank member 540 attached to a drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530, a driven member 550 that is driven by the driving force of the drive motor 530 transmitted via the crank member 540, and a driven member 560 that is connected to the driven member 550 so as to be displaceable relative to the driven member 550.

The front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 are formed from a resin material in the shape of flat plates, and are arranged facing each other with a predetermined distance between them. They are fastened to each other with screws (not shown), and are configured as housing members that form an internal space between their facing surfaces. The internal space (between the facing surfaces) of the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 houses the driven member 550 (intervening plate portion 552), the driven member 560 (intervening plate portion 561), and the crank member 540 in a displaceable state.

The front case body 510 has a shaft support hole 511, an insertion hole 512, and a first guide groove 513. The shaft support hole 511 is a circular hole in front view for rotatably supporting the shaft portion 553 of the driven member 540. The insertion hole 512 is an opening through which the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 is inserted, and is formed with a size that allows the reciprocating movement of the crank pin 541. The crank pin 541 can be connected to the driven member 560 (drive shaft 561a) via this insertion hole 512.

The first guide groove 513 is an opening through which the first pin 561a of the interposed plate portion 561 of the driven member 560 is inserted, and is formed in a shape that is a part of a circular ring shape (i.e., a groove shape that curves in an arc, see Figures 27(a) to 29(a)). The groove width of the first guide groove 513 is set to a dimension that is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the first pin 561a, and as described below, the attitude of the interposed plate portion 561 (driven member 560) (in particular, the relative rotational position with respect to the driven member 550) can be determined by sliding (guiding) the first pin 561a along the extension direction of the first guide groove 513 (see Figures 27(a) to 29(a)).

The rear case body 520 has a shaft support hole 521, an insertion hole 522, and a second guide groove 523. The shaft support hole 521 is a circular hole in a front view for rotatably supporting the shaft portion 554 of the driven member 540, and is arranged concentrically with the shaft support hole 511 of the front case body 510 described above. That is, the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 can rotatably support the driven member 550 by supporting the shaft portions 553 and 554 of the driven member 550 with their shaft support holes 511 and 521, respectively. The insertion hole 522 is an opening through which the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530 is inserted, and the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530 can be connected to the crank member 540 via this insertion hole 522.

The second guide groove 513 is an opening through which the connecting shaft 561b of the interposed plate portion 561 of the driven member 560 is inserted, and is formed in a shape that is a part of a circular ring shape (i.e., a groove shape that curves in an arc, see Figures 27(b) to 29(b)). The groove width of the second guide groove 523 is set to a dimension that is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the connecting shaft 561b, and as described below, the connecting shaft 561b is slid (guided) along the extension direction of the second guide groove 523, thereby determining the attitude of the interposed plate portion 561 (driven member 560) (particularly, the relative sliding position with respect to the driven member 550) (see Figures 27(b) to 29(b)).

As described above, the crank member 540 is attached to the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530, and the crank pin 541 is disposed on the crank member 540 at a position eccentric to the rotating shaft (drive shaft 531) when the crank member 540 is rotated by the drive motor 530. The crank pin 541 is inserted into the drive groove 551a of the driven member 550. Therefore, by rotating the crank member 540 by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 can be slid along the drive groove 551a of the driven member 550, thereby rotating the driven member 550 (see Figures 30 to 32).

As described above, the driven member 550 is a member that is rotated by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530 and displaces the driven member 560 in accordance with the rotation, and is rotatably held in the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 by supporting the shafts 553 and 554 in the shaft support holes 511 and 521. Here, the detailed configuration of the driven member 550 will be described with reference to Figures 23 and 24.

Figure 23(a) is a front view of the driven member 550, and Figure 23(b) is a rear view of the driven member 550. Figure 24 is a side view of the driven member 550 as viewed in the direction of the arrow XXIV in Figure 23(a).

As shown in Figures 23 and 24, the driven member 550 is mainly composed of a long plate-shaped front plate portion 551, a long plate-shaped intervening plate portion 552 that intersects the front plate portion 551 at approximately right angles when viewed from the front, a cylindrical shaft portion 553 that connects the front plate portion 551 and the intervening plate portion 552, and a cylindrical shaft portion 554 that protrudes from the back surface of the intervening plate portion 552 at a position concentric with the shaft portion 553.

The front plate 551 is a member disposed on the front of the front case body 510 (see Figs. 20 and 21), and has an elliptical drive groove 551a drilled in one end (opposite the end to which the shaft 553 is connected) in front view. The drive groove 551a is an opening through which the crank pin 541 (see Figs. 20 and 21) of the crank member 540 is inserted, and is provided along the longitudinal direction of the front plate 551. The groove width of the drive groove 551a is set to a dimension equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the crank pin 541. Therefore, by rotating the crank member 540 by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530, the crank pin 541 can be slid along the drive groove 551a, and the driven member 550 can be rotated around the shafts 553 and 554 as the center of rotation (see Figs. 30 to 32).

The interposed plate portion 552 is a member disposed in the internal space (between the opposing surfaces) of the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 (see Figures 20 and 21), and a connection groove 552a having an elliptical shape in front view is drilled at one end side (opposite the side to which the front stomach body portion 551 is connected). The connection groove 552a is an opening through which the connection shaft 561b (see Figures 20 and 21) of the driven member 560 is inserted, and is provided along the longitudinal direction of the interposed plate portion 552. The groove width of the connection groove 552a is set to a dimension equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the connection shaft 561b. Thus, the connection groove 552a can hold the connection shaft 561b rotatably and slidably. That is, the driven member 560 is connected to the driven member 550 in a rotatable and slidable state (see Figures 27 to 29).

The connection groove 552a has an area that overlaps with the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520 in a front view when the driven member 550 is rotated around the shafts 553 and 554, and is configured so that the connection shaft 561b can be positioned within that area (see Figures 27(a) to 27(c)). This allows the sliding displacement of the driven member 560 relative to the driven member 550 to be determined based on the shape (contour) of the second guide groove 523, as described below.

The driven member 550 is constructed such that the interposed plate 552 and the shafts 553 and 554 are integrally formed from a resin material, while the front plate 551 is formed from a resin material as a separate member from the other parts 552 to 554. The driven member 550 is assembled by abutting the axial end face of the shaft 553 (the end face opposite the interposed plate 552) against the back surface of the base end side of the front plate 551 (the side opposite to the side where the drive groove 551a is drilled) and fastening the two together with a screw.

In this case, four pins 553a protrude from the axial end face of the shaft portion 553, while holes 551b for receiving the four pins 553a are drilled at four locations on the base end side of the front plate portion 551, and the assembly is performed with each pin 553a received in each hole 551b. This reduces the number of screws, cutting parts costs, while reliably preventing the flat plate portion 551 and the intermediate plate portion 552 from rotating relative to each other.

Returning to FIG. 23 from FIG. 20, the explanation will be given. As described above, the connection shaft 561b of the intermediate plate portion 561 of the driven member 560 is inserted into the connection groove 552a of the intermediate plate portion 552 of the driven member 550, and the driven member 560 is connected to the driving member 550 so as to be capable of relative displacement (rotation and sliding displacement). As described above, the driven member 560 is a member that is driven in accordance with the displacement of the driving member 550, and the connection shaft 561b of the intermediate plate portion 561 is inserted into the connection groove 552a of the intermediate plate portion 552 of the driven member 550 and into the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520, so that the driven member 560 is held in a rotatable and slidable state in the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520. Here, the detailed configuration of the driven member 560 will be described with reference to FIG. 25 and FIG. 26.

Figure 25(a) is a front view of the driven member 560, and Figure 25(b) is a rear view of the driven member 560. Figure 26 is a side view of the driven member 560 as viewed in the direction of the arrow XXVI in Figure 25(a).

As shown in Figures 25 and 26, the driven member 560 is mainly composed of a plate-shaped interposed plate portion 561, a decorative portion 562 having a pair of elongated portions with a decorative shape formed on the front side, and a back plate portion 563 that is connected to the side of the decorative portion 562 and to the back side of the interposed plate portion 561.

The interposed plate portion 561 is a member disposed in the internal space (between the opposing surfaces) of the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 (see Figures 20 and 21). A first pin 561a protrudes from the front of the interposed plate portion 561 and is inserted into the first guide groove 513 (see Figures 20 and 21) of the front case body 510, and a connecting shaft 561b protrudes from the rear of the interposed plate portion 561 at a position eccentric to the first pin 561a. As described above, the connecting shaft 561b is inserted into the connecting groove 552a of the driven member 550 (interposed plate portion 552) and the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520 (see Figures 20 and 21).

Therefore, when the driven member 550 rotates around the shafts 553 and 5554, the first pin 561a slides (guides) along the first guide groove 513, causing the interposed plate 561 (i.e., the driven member 560) to rotate relative to the driven member 550 and the rear case body 520 around the connection shaft 561b (see Figures 27(a) to 29(a)), and the connection shaft 561b slides (guides) along the second guide groove 523, causing the interposed plate 561 (i.e., the driven member 560) to slide and displace relative to the driven member 550 in the direction along the connection groove 552a of the driven member 550 (see Figures 27(b) to 29(b)).

Here, the same effect as described above can be obtained by inserting the connecting shaft 561b of the driven member 560 only into the connecting groove 552a of the driven member 550 (intervening plate portion 552) and inserting a pin separately provided on the intervening plate portion 561 into the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the connecting shaft 561b of the driven member 560 is inserted into both the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520 and the connecting groove 552a of the driven member 550 (intervening plate portion 552), and the connecting shaft 561b is guided by the second guide groove 523 to regulate the displacement of the driven member 560 relative to the rear case body 520 (i.e., to slide the driven member 560 relative to the driven member 550), and is inserted into the connecting groove 561b to connect the driven member 560 to the driven member 550 so that it can be displaced relative to the driven member 550 (rotating and sliding). This reduces the number of parts and reduces product costs, and simplifies the structure to improve the reliability and durability of the movable member.

The rear plate portion 563 is a circular member when viewed from the front that is disposed on the rear surface of the rear case body 520 (see Figures 20 and 21), and has a contact portion 563a protruding from its front surface (the side surface facing the page in Figure 25(a)). The contact portion 563a is the portion that abuts against the rear surface of the rear case body 520, and is formed in a circular ring shape when viewed from the front that is concentric with the connection shaft 561b. In other words, only the peripheral portion of the rear plate portion 563 (the protruding tip surface of the contact portion 562a) abuts against the rear surface of the rear case body 520.

In this way, by providing the rear plate portion 563 with the abutment portion 563 concentric with the connection shaft 561b, when the connection shaft 561b slides (guides) along the second guide groove 523, even if the driven member 560 rotates relative to the rear case body 520 around the connection shaft 561b as a rotation center due to the rotational action of the first pin 561a and the first guide groove 523 (see Figures 27 to 29), the abutment state against the rear surface of the rear case body 520 can be kept constant and the support reaction force can be suppressed from changing. As a result, the driven member 560 can be displaced in a stable state.

The driven member 560 has a decorative portion 562 and a back plate portion 563 integrally formed from a resin material, while an intervening plate portion 561 is formed from a resin material as a separate member from the respective portions 562, 563. The driven member 560 is assembled by abutting the axial end face of the connecting shaft 561b of the intervening plate portion 561 against the front face of the back plate portion 563 and fastening the two together with a screw. Note that the structure in which the multiple pins 561c protruding from the axial end face of the connecting shaft 561b are received in the multiple holes 563b of the back plate portion 563, respectively, and thereby connects the two together so that they cannot rotate relative to each other, is the same as in the case of the driven member 550 described above, and therefore will not be described here.

Returning to FIG. 22 from FIG. 20, the composite action unit 500 can be assembled as follows. First, the shaft 553 of the driven member 550 is inserted into the shaft support hole 511 of the front case body 510, and the intermediate plate 561 of the driven member 550 and the front plate 551 are fastened together. This allows the driven member 550 to be assembled to the front case body 510 in a rotatable state. When assembling, the connecting shaft 561b of the intermediate plate 561 of the driven member 560 is inserted in advance into the connecting groove 552 of the driven member 550 (intermediate plate 552).

Next, the crank member 540 is attached to the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530 through the insertion hole 522 of the rear case body 520, and the crank pin 541 is inserted into the drive groove 551a of the driven member 550 (front plate portion 551) through the insertion hole 512 of the front case body 510. At the same time, the connecting shaft 561b of the driven member 560 (interposed plate portion 561) is inserted into the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520, and the interposed plate portion 561 and the rear plate portion 563 of the driven member 560 are fastened and fixed to each other. This allows the driven member 560 to be assembled in a rotatable state to the rear case body 520, and can be connected to the driven member 550 in a rotatable and slidable state, and also allows the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530 to be transmitted to the driven member 550 via the crank member 540.

Then, the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 are fastened together with screws (not shown). This allows the composite operation unit 500 to be unitized as a single device in a state in which the driven member 550 can be displaced by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530, and the driven member 560 can be displaced (driven) in accordance with the displacement of the driven member 550. In this way, the composite operation unit 500 can be assembled by assembling each component to the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 in order, so not only can the assembly cost be reduced, but the unitization makes it easier to install the unit into the unit storage member 300 (game machine main body, see Figures 5 and 6), reducing the manufacturing cost of the pachinko machine 10.

Next, the operation of the composite operation unit 500 will be described with reference to Figures 27 to 32. Figures 27(a), 28(a) and 29(a) are schematic front views of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 showing their relationship with the first guide groove 513, and Figures 27(b), 28(b) and 29(b) are schematic front views of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 showing their relationship with the second guide groove 523.

Similarly, Figures 30(a), 31(a) and 32(a) are schematic front views of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 showing their relationship with the first guide groove 513, and Figures 30(b), 30(b) and 30(b) are schematic front views of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 showing their relationship with the second guide groove 523.

27 and 30 correspond to the state in which the driven member 560 is disposed in the retracted position (the state shown in FIGS. 18 and 20), and FIGS. 29 and 32 correspond to the state in which the driven member 560 is disposed in the extended position (the state shown in FIGS. 19 and 20). Also, the state shown in FIGS. 28 and 31 corresponds to the state in which the driven member 560 is disposed between the retracted position and the extended position.

As shown in Figures 27 and 30, when the driven member 560 is in the retracted position, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 is located on the right side of the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530 as viewed from the front (right side of Figure 30(a)). As a result, the driven member 550 is in a position in which the tip side of the front plate portion 551 (the portion where the drive groove 551a is formed) is tilted to the right side as viewed from the front (right side of Figure 30(b)), and the tip side of the interposed plate portion 552 (the portion where the connection groove 552a is formed) is raised upward (upper side of Figure 30(b)). In other words, the driven member 550 is located at a rotation position that is the end of rotation in the clockwise (right-handed) direction as viewed from the front, with the shaft portions 553 and 554 (see Figures 20 and 21) as the center of rotation.

On the other hand, as described above, the driven member 560 is in a position where the connecting shaft 561b is pushed up to the upper end side of the second guide groove 523 (upper side in FIG. 27(b)) by the driven member 550 being in a position where the tip side of the interposed plate portion 552 is lifted upward. That is, the driven member 560 is disposed at a position where it is the uppermost in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 30(b)) and at a position where it is the leftmost in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 30(b)). In addition, the driven member 560 is in a horizontal position where the tip side of the interposed plate portion 561 (the portion where the first pin 561a is disposed) faces leftward (left side in FIG. 27(a)) when viewed from the front, by the first pin 561a of the interposed plate portion 561 being positioned at the upper end side of the first guide groove 513 (upper left side in FIG. 27(a)). That is, the driven member 560 is positioned at a rotational position that is the end of rotation in the counterclockwise (left-handed) direction as viewed from the front, with the connecting shaft 561b as the center of rotation.

When the crank member 540 is rotated counterclockwise (left) as viewed from the front by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530 while rotating the drive shaft 531 from the state in which the driven member 560 is disposed in the retracted position shown in Figures 27 and 30, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 slides along the drive groove 551a in the front plate portion 551 of the driven member 550, and the driven member 550 is rotated counterclockwise (left) as viewed from the front about the shaft portions 553, 554 (see Figures 20 and 21) as the rotation center, and the driven member 560 is disposed in a position approximately halfway between the retracted position and the extended position as shown in Figures 28 and 31.

As shown in Figures 28 and 31, when the driven member 560 is positioned approximately halfway between the retracted position and the extended position, the driven member 550 is positioned such that the front plate portion 551 is approximately upright and the intermediate plate portion 552 is approximately horizontal. In other words, the driven member 550 is positioned at a rotational position that is approximately halfway in the rotatable range around the shaft portions 553 and 554 (see Figures 20 and 21).

On the other hand, the driven member 560 is in a position where the connection shaft 561b pushed down by the connection groove 552a of the interposed plate portion 552 is disposed at the middle position of the second guide groove 523 by the driven member 550 being in a position where the interposed plate portion 552 is substantially horizontal. That is, the driven member 560 is disposed at a position that is substantially in the middle of the range of displacement in the up-down direction (up-down direction in FIG. 31(b)), and is disposed at a position that is the rightmost position in the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 30(b)). In addition, the driven member 560 is in a position where the first pin 561a of the interposed plate portion 561 is disposed at a position that is substantially in the middle of the first guide groove 513, so that the tip side of the interposed plate portion 561 (the portion where the first pin 561a is disposed) is inclined toward the upper left when viewed from the front (upper left side in FIG. 28(a)). That is, the driven member 560 is positioned at a rotational position that is approximately the middle of the rotational range around the connecting shaft 561b.

From the state shown in Figures 28 and 31, when the crank member 540 is further rotated counterclockwise (left) as viewed from the front by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530 while rotating the drive shaft 531, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 slides along the drive groove 551a in the front plate portion 551 of the driven member 550, causing the driven member 550 to rotate counterclockwise (left) as viewed from the front around the shaft portions 553, 554 (see Figures 20 and 21) as the rotation center, and the driven member 560 is positioned in the extended position as shown in Figures 29 and 32.

As shown in Figures 29 and 32, when the driven member 560 is in the extended position, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 is located on the left side of the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530 as viewed from the front (left side of Figure 32(a)). As a result, the driven member 550 is in a position in which the tip side of the front plate portion 551 (where the drive groove 551a is formed) is tilted to the left side as viewed from the front (left side of Figure 32(b)), and the tip side of the interposed plate portion 552 (where the connection groove 552a is formed) is dropped downward (lower side of Figure 32(b)). In other words, the driven member 550 is located at a rotation position that is the end of rotation in the counterclockwise (left-handed) direction as viewed from the front, with the shaft portions 553, 554 (see Figures 20 and 21) as the center of rotation.

On the other hand, as described above, the driven member 560 is in a position in which the connecting shaft 561b is pushed down to the lower end side of the second guide groove 523 (lower side in FIG. 29(b)) by the driven member 550 dropping the tip side of the interposed plate portion 552 downward. That is, the driven member 560 is disposed at the lowest position in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 32(b)) and at the leftmost position in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 32(b)). In addition, the driven member 560 is in an upright position with the tip side of the interposed plate portion 561 (the portion where the first pin 561a is disposed) facing upward (upper side in FIG. 29(a)) when viewed from the front, by the first pin 561a of the interposed plate portion 561 being positioned at the lower end side of the first guide groove 513 (lower right side in FIG. 29(a)). That is, the driven member 560 is positioned at a rotational position that is the end of rotation in the clockwise (right-handed) direction as viewed from the front, with the connecting shaft 561b as the center of rotation.

As described above, according to the composite operation unit 500, when the driven member 550 is displaced (rotated) by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530, the driven member 560 can be displaced relative to the driven member 550 and driven in accordance with the displacement of the driven member 550. That is, even if the displacement mode of the driven member 550 is a rotation about the shafts 533 and 554 as the center of rotation and is displaced in a constant orbit, the driven member 560 can be displaced in an orbit (displacement mode) different from the driven member 550. In addition, since such a change in the displacement mode is formed by the relative displacement of the driven member 560 with respect to the driven member 550, even if the driven member 550 is displaced (rotated) at a constant speed, the driven member 560 can be displaced in an orbit (displacement mode) different from the driven member 550. As a result, the displacement mode of the driven member 560 can be changed while keeping the output of the drive motor 530 constant.

In this case, in this embodiment, the means (displacement regulation means) for displacing the driven member 560 relative to the driven member 550 is formed by the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 of the front case body 510 and the back case body 520 and the first pin 561a and the connecting shaft 561b of the driven member 560. That is, the first pin 561a and the connecting shaft 561b are guided along the guide grooves 513 and 523, so that the displacement of the driven member 560 relative to each case body 510 and 520 can be regulated. This allows the relative displacement of the driven member 560 relative to the driven member 550 to be formed according to the contour (shape) of each guide groove 513 and 523. As a result, the displacement regulation means can be formed by mechanical elements, namely the guide groove and the shaft-shaped body guided by it, and the structure is simplified, so that the product cost can be reduced. In addition, since a simple mechanical element can be adopted, the reliability and durability of the movable part can be improved.

In addition, by setting the contours (shapes) of the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523, the manner of relative displacement of the driven member 560 with respect to the driven member 550 can be set arbitrarily, which increases the degree of design freedom when setting the manner of displacement of the driven member 560. As a result, it becomes easier to ensure a variety of possible displacement modes that can be imparted to the driven member 560.

In particular, in this embodiment, the driven member 560 is connected to the driven member 550 so as to be rotatable and slidable, and a first guide structure consisting of the first guide groove 513 and the first pin 561a and mainly regulating rotation, and a second guide structure consisting of the second guide groove 523 and the connecting shaft 561b and mainly regulating sliding displacement are provided. This not only increases the variety of changes that can be imparted to the form of displacement, but also allows the first and second guide structures to appropriately guide each of the displacements of the driven member 560 relative to the driven member 550, even if there are multiple types of displacement (rotation and sliding displacement). As a result, the displacement of the driven member 560 can be stabilized, and the reliability as a movable member can be improved.

The above-mentioned first guide structure can also be realized, for example, by forming the first guide groove 513 in the interposed plate portion 561 or the rear plate portion 563, and the first pin 561a in the front case body 510 or the rear case body 520. In contrast, in this embodiment, the first guide groove 513 is formed in the front case body 510, and the first pin 561a is formed in the interposed plate portion 561. This makes it easier to ensure space for forming the first guide groove 513.

That is, since the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 need to hold the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 while securing the displacement space of these members 550, 560, they are forced to be formed with a relatively large external shape, and dead space tends to be formed on the plate surface. Therefore, by forming the first guide groove portion 513 on the front case body 510, the dead space can be effectively used to secure sufficient space for forming the first guide groove 513. As a result, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of the outline (shape) and extension length of the first guide groove 513, and accordingly, the variation of changes that can be given to the displacement mode can be increased. Note that the second guide structure is similar to the first guide structure, so its description is omitted.

The first guide structure and the second guide structure can also be realized by forming both the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 in the rear case body 520. In contrast, in this embodiment, the first guide groove 513 is formed in the front case body 510, and the second guide groove 523 is formed in the rear case body 520, so that the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 can be formed without considering the forming position of each other.

In other words, when both the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 are formed in the rear case body 520, it is necessary to form the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 so that they do not intersect, which limits the freedom of design of their contours (shapes) and extension lengths. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the contours (shapes) and extension lengths of both the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 can be set arbitrarily without considering their positional relationship with each other, which increases the freedom of design and therefore increases the variety of changes that can be imparted to the displacement mode.

Next, the rotational motion unit 600 will be described with reference to Figures 33 to 39. Figure 33 is a front perspective view of the rotational motion unit 600.

As shown in FIG. 33, the rotation operation unit 600 has a first rotating body 650 that is circular when viewed from the front and is arranged around the spherical liquid crystal device 670 so as to surround it, and a second rotating body 660 that is circular when viewed from the front and is arranged concentrically on the back side of the first rotating body 650, and in this embodiment, the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 rotate at different rotational speeds and in opposite directions to each other.

However, in conventional products where multiple rotating bodies are positioned at separate locations, it is difficult for players to associate the rotation of these multiple rotating bodies and recognize them as related. In other words, in conventional products, each rotating body rotates independently without interacting with the other rotating bodies, and as a result, it is not possible to fully utilize the effects of the presentation that can be achieved by rotating multiple rotating bodies.

In contrast, according to the rotation operation unit 600 of this embodiment, the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 are arranged concentrically around the spherical liquid crystal device 670, and these two rotating bodies rotate in different rotational modes (modes in which the rotational speed and direction are different from each other), so that these rotations can be associated and easily recognized by the player, and the effect of the presentation can be achieved by rotating multiple rotating bodies. The detailed configuration of such a rotation operation unit 600 is described below.

Figure 34 is an exploded front perspective view of the rotational motion unit 600, and Figure 35 is an exploded rear perspective view of the rotational motion unit 600. Also, Figure 36 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rotational motion unit 600. Note that the spherical liquid crystal device 670 is omitted from Figures 35 and 36. Also, the cross section shown in Figure 36 corresponds to a cross section of the rotational motion unit 600 cut by a plane including the rotation centers of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660.

As shown in Figures 34 to 36, the rotational motion unit 600 is mainly composed of a front case body 610 and a rear case body 620 that form the skeleton of the unit, a drive motor 630 arranged on the rear side of the rear case body 620, a number of gears (first to fifth storage gears 641 to 645 and a front gear 646) as a transmission means for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630, a first rotating body 650 and a second rotating body 660 that are rotated by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 transmitted via the multiple gears, a spherical liquid crystal device 670 arranged on the inner periphery of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660, and a light emitting device 680 arranged in front of the front case body 610.

The front case body 610 and the rear case body 620 are formed from a resin material in the shape of flat plates, arranged facing each other with a predetermined distance between them, and are fastened together with screws (not shown) to form an internal space between their opposing surfaces, forming a housing member. The internal spaces (between the opposing surfaces) of the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620 respectively house the first to fifth storage gears 641 to 645 and the storage flange portion 653 of the first rotating body 650.

The front case body 610 and the rear case body 620 are formed with circular openings 611, 621, respectively, when viewed from the front, and these openings 611, 621 are arranged concentrically when assembled. A cylindrical tubular portion 612 is provided on the front side of the front case body 610 at a position concentric with the openings 611, 621, and protrudes toward the front (forward). The opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610 are set to have the same inner diameter dimensions, and the main body portion 651 of the first rotating body 610 is rotatably supported on the inner peripheral side of the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612. In addition, the second rotating body 620 is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical portion 612.

In this way, the first rotating body 650 (main body 651) and the second rotating body 660 are rotatably supported by the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the cylindrical portion 611 of the front case body 610, so that the arrangement positions of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 can be determined with the front case body 610 as a reference. Therefore, as described later, the positional relationship between the gears (first and second outer peripheral gears 653a, 661a) engraved on the outer circumferential surfaces of the first rotating body 650 (storage flange portion 653) and the second rotating body 660, and the second storage gear 642 and the front gear 646 arranged in the front case body 610 can be determined with the front case body 610 as a reference. As a result, the meshing state between the outer peripheral gears 653a, 661a of the two rotating bodies 650, 660 and the second housing gear 642 and front gear 646 can be stabilized, which makes it possible to suppress uneven wear of the gears and reduce driving resistance.

The driving motor 630 has a pinion gear 631 attached to its drive shaft, and is mounted on the back of the rear case body 620, so that the pinion gear 631 meshes with a first storage gear 641 of the multiple gears that constitute the transmission means. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the driving motor 420 can be transmitted to the transmission means (multiple gears) via the pinion gear 431, and as a result, the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 can each be rotated, as described below.

As described above, the first to fifth storage gears 641 to 645 and the front gear 646 are a group of gears for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 to the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660, and are each formed as a spur gear with teeth engraved on the outer circumferential surface parallel to the rotation axis. The first to fifth storage gears 641 to 645 are rotatably supported on the rear side of the front case body 610 and are connected (meshed) in series to form a gear train with the first storage gear 641 at the front and the fifth storage gear 645 at the rear.

The front gear 646 is rotatably supported on the front side of the front case body 610 in a state in which it can rotate synchronously with the fifth storage gear 645. That is, the front gear 646 and the fifth storage gear 645 are fixed to one end and the other end, respectively, of a rotating shaft that is disposed penetrating the front case body 610, and these two gears 645, 646 and the rotating shaft rotate together.

With the gear group configured in this way, when the drive motor 630 is driven to rotate, the rotational drive force is transmitted to the first housing gear 641 via the pinion gear 631, causing the first housing gear 641 to rotate. The rotation of the first housing gear 641 is transmitted to the fifth housing gear 645 by the action of the gear train, and the rotation of the fifth housing gear 645 causes the front gear 646 to rotate.

As described below, the second storage gear 642 is meshed with the first outer peripheral gear 653a of the first rotating body 650 (storage flange portion 653), and the front gear 646 is meshed with the second outer peripheral gear 661a of the second rotating body 660, so that the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 can each rotate in conjunction with the rotational drive of the drive motor 630. In other words, the rotational drive of one drive motor 630 can rotate two rotating bodies (the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660) simultaneously.

In this case, in this embodiment, an even number of gears (third and fourth housing gears 643, 644) are interposed between the second housing gear 642 and the fifth housing gear 645. Therefore, not only can the rotational speed between the front gear 646, which rotates synchronously with the fifth housing gear 645, and the second housing gear 642 be made different, but the rotational direction between the second housing gear 642 and the front gear 646 can also be made different. As a result, as described below, the rotational speed and rotational direction between the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 can be made different.

In addition, in this embodiment, a gear train including the second storage gear 642 is disposed on the rear side of the front case body 610, and a front gear is disposed on the front side of the front case body 610, and the second storage gear 642 and the front gear 646 are meshed with the first outer peripheral gear 653a of the first rotating body 650 and the second outer peripheral gear 651a of the second rotating body 660 on the front and rear sides of the front case body 610, respectively. Therefore, compared to a structure in which, for example, both the second storage gear 642 and the front gear 646 are disposed on the front side of the front case body 610 and these two gears 642, 646 are meshed with the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660, not only the transmission structure that transmits the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 to the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660, but also the structure of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 themselves can be simplified.

Furthermore, by disposing the gear train and the storage flange portion 653 of the first rotating body 650 with which the second storage gear 642 of the gear train meshes on the rear side of the front case body 610, the gear train and storage flange portion 653 can be shielded by the front case body 610 from a player looking at the rotation operation unit 600 from the front. In other words, a shielding structure for shielding the gear train and storage flange portion 653 from view can be formed simply by using the rear case body 610 without the need to provide a separate member.

The first rotating body 650 is a performance component that rotates around the spherical liquid crystal device 670 to produce a performance (see Figure 33), and mainly comprises a main body portion 651, a front performance portion 652 that is integrally formed on one axial side of the main body portion 651, and a storage flange portion 653 that is fastened and fixed to the other axial side (axial end face) of the main body portion 651 by a screw.

The main body 651 is a cylindrical portion formed from a resin material, and is inserted through the opening 611 and the inner periphery of the tubular portion 612 in the front case body 610. That is, the first rotating body 650 is rotatably held in the front case body 610 (the opening 611 and the tubular portion 612) with the main body 651 as the rotation axis. Here, the detailed configuration of the main body 651 will be described with reference to FIG. 37.

Figure 37(a) is a rear view of the main body 651, and Figure 37(b) is a partially enlarged rear view of the main body 651 showing an enlarged portion of XXXVII in Figure 37(a). In Figure 37(b), in order to facilitate understanding, the diameters of the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b are illustrated enlarged and schematic, and a virtual circle IS in which the apexes of the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b are inscribed is illustrated using a two-dot chain line.

As shown in Figures 37(a) and 37(b), the main body 651 is formed with a first protrusion 651a and a second protrusion 651b, and an offset portion 651c is formed at a position corresponding to the second protrusion 651b.

The first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b are formed protruding from the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the main body 651, respectively, and are extended along the axial direction of the main body 651 (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 37(a)) over the entire length of the main body 651 (see FIG. 35). The first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b are formed at multiple locations (a total of eight locations in this embodiment) that are equally spaced circumferentially, and are arranged alternately and interspersed in the circumferential direction.

That is, the first protrusion 651a is formed by embedding a cylindrical body with a circular cross section and a diameter dimension larger than the plate thickness dimension of the main body 561 in the main body 651 with the axial direction aligned with that of the main body 651, and by the portion of this embedded cylindrical body (a part of the cylindrical body) that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the main body 651. The second protrusion 651b is similar to the first protrusion 651a, except that the diameter of the cylindrical body embedded in the main body 651 is larger than that of the first protrusion 651a.

In this way, the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b that protrude from the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the main body 651 extend along the axial direction over the entire length of the main body 651, thereby increasing the rigidity of the main body 651.

The second protrusion 651b extends further in the axial direction from the axial end face of the main body 651 (the side facing the page in FIG. 37(b)). Therefore, as described below, when the storage flange 653 is fastened to the main body 651 by screws, the axial extension of the second protrusion 651b fits into a recess in the front face of the storage flange 653, firmly joining the main body 651 and the storage flange 653 so that they cannot rotate relative to each other (see FIG. 36).

The offset portion 651c is a portion of the main body 651 near the portion where the second protrusion 651b is formed, offset toward the inner circumference while maintaining the plate thickness dimension, and is formed over a range (circumferential direction) that is approximately three times the diameter of the second protrusion 651b. That is, the offset portion 651c is curved in an arc shape concentric with the main body 651 when viewed in the axial direction of the main body 651 shown in FIG. 37(b). By forming the offset portion 651c in the main body 651 in this way, it is possible to offset the axis of the second protrusion 651b toward the axis, as described below, and to increase the rigidity of the main body 651 as a whole.

The multiple (four in this embodiment) first protrusions 651a are set to have the same amount of protrusion from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 651, and the multiple (four in this embodiment) second protrusions 652b are set to have the same amount of protrusion from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 651, and are also set to the same amount of protrusion of the first protrusions 651a due to the offset by the offset portion 651c. The multiple (eight in this embodiment) first protrusions 651a and second protrusions 652b are set to have the same amount of protrusion from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 651. As a result, as shown in FIG. 37(b), a virtual circle IS inscribed by the tops of the first protrusions 651a and the second protrusions 652b can be set concentrically on the outer circumferential side of the main body 651. In this case, the diameter dimension of the virtual circle IS is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the inner diameter dimension of the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612 in the front case body 610.

Therefore, when the main body 651 of the first rotating body 650 is inserted into the opening 611 of the front case body 610 and the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 612, the contact area can be limited to the tops of the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b, suppressing contact resistance and allowing the main body 651 to rotate smoothly on the inner circumference of the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612.

In particular, the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b are curved in an arc shape when viewed in the axial direction (more specifically, the cross section of the main body 651 cut along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction is an arc shape that is convex outward), which not only reduces the contact area but also allows the tops of the first and second protrusions 651a, 651b to smoothly contact the opening 611 of the front case body 610 and the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 612, so that even if there is rattling due to dimensional tolerances, the main body 651 can be rotated more smoothly on the inner side of the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612.

As described above, the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b protrude not only from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 651, but also from the inner peripheral surface of the main body 651. This allows the shape of the main body 651 to be made uniform (symmetrical) on the outer peripheral surface side and the inner peripheral surface side when the main body 651 is molded using a resin mold, ensuring moldability.

In particular, in this embodiment, in the axial view of the main body 651 shown in FIG. 37(b), the first protrusion 651a has the same protruding dimension at the portion protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 651 as the portion protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the main body 651. Similarly, the second protrusion 651a has the same protruding dimension at the portion protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the offset portion 651c as the portion protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the offset portion 651c. This makes the shapes of the outer circumferential surface side and the inner circumferential surface side of the main body 651 more uniform (symmetrical), further ensuring its moldability.

The second protrusion 651b has a circular hole drilled along its entire length in the axial direction (see FIG. 36). This allows the thickness of the second protrusion 651b, which has a larger diameter than the first protrusion 651a, to be uniform with other parts (main body 651, offset portion 651c, first protrusion 651a, etc.), ensuring the moldability of the main body 651.

In this case, a female thread is engraved on the inner peripheral surface of the hole drilled in the second protrusion 651b, and a screw for fastening and fixing the storage flange portion 653 can be screwed in (see FIG. 36). In this way, the strength of the screw fastening portion can be ensured by the second protrusion 651b, which is formed with a relatively large diameter, serving as the screw fastening portion for fastening the screw. In particular, since the second protrusion 651b is a portion formed in the offset portion 651c and the rigidity of the main body portion 651 is enhanced, the second protrusion 651b serves as the connecting portion between the main body portion 651 and the storage flange portion 653, and therefore the two can be firmly connected and durability can be improved.

Returning to FIG. 36, the explanation will be given from FIG. 34. The front performance section 652 is the part that is visually recognized by the player as the performance part, and is formed by projecting radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body section 651 in a flange-like shape. The front surface (front face, exterior surface) of the front performance section 652 is plated, giving the front performance section 652 an appearance that mimics a shiny metal. The front performance section 652 is made of a light-transmitting resin material, but by plating it, it is possible to prevent the light-emitting device 680 (light-emitting element 681) from being visible to the player through the front performance section 652.

The front view shape of the front performance section 652 is formed in a sawtooth shape with irregular peaks (second part) and valleys (first part) repeated along the circumferential direction, and in this embodiment, 16 peaks (valleys) are arranged at uneven intervals (unequal pitch) along the circumferential direction. As described below, when the first rotating body 650 rotates, the peaks and valleys of the front performance section 652 pass in sequence over the front side (forward) of the light-emitting element 681 of the light-emitting device 680, allowing the player to intermittently and selectively view the light-emitting element 681 (see FIG. 39).

The storage flange portion 653 is a portion that is stored in the internal space (between the opposing surfaces) of the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620, is formed in a circular ring shape when viewed from the front, and is fastened and fixed to the axial end face of the main body portion 651 that is inserted into the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610 through the opening 611. In detail, the storage flange portion 653 is fastened and fixed to the main body portion 651 by screwing the screw inserted into the storage flange portion 653 into the second protrusion portion 651b of the main body portion 651 as described above.

The thickness dimension of the storage flange portion 653 is set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the distance between the opposing surfaces of the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620, and the outer diameter dimension is set to be larger than the inner diameter dimension of the openings 611, 621 in the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620. Therefore, the axial position of the first rotating body 650 can be determined by abutting the front or rear surface of the storage flange portion 653 against the rear surface of the front case body 610 or the front surface of the rear case body 620.

A first outer peripheral gear 653a is engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the storage flange portion 653, and this first outer peripheral gear 653a is meshed with the second storage gear 642 of the above-mentioned gear train arranged on the back surface of the front case body 610. Therefore, when the gear train is rotated by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630, the rotation is transmitted to the storage flange portion 653 via the second storage gear 642 and the first outer peripheral gear 653a, and the first rotating body 650 is rotated.

In this way, the first rotating body 650 has the first outer peripheral gear 653a engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the storage flange portion 653, and the second storage gear 642 of the gear train arranged along the periphery of the opening 511 of the front case body 610 is meshed with the first outer peripheral gear 653a, so that the transmission structure for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 to the first rotating body 650 can be simplified. In particular, since the first rotating body 650 is formed in a cylindrical shape and the projection surface portion 671 of the spherical liquid crystal device 670 described later is arranged on its inner peripheral side, it is difficult to secure space on the inner peripheral side. Therefore, it is effective to be able to arrange the above-mentioned transmission structure on the outer peripheral side of the first rotating body 650.

As described above, the first rotating body 650 (main body 651) is rotatably supported on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 611 of the front case body 610, so that the position of the first rotating body 650 can be determined based on the front case body 610. Therefore, the positional relationship between the gear (first outer peripheral gear 653a) engraved on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body 650 (storage flange portion 653) and the second housing gear 642 arranged on the front case body 610 can be determined based on the front case body 610. As a result, the meshing state between the first outer peripheral gear 653a of the first rotating body 650 and the second housing gear 642 can be stabilized, so that uneven wear of the gears can be suppressed and driving resistance can be suppressed.

The second rotating body 660 is a performance component that rotates on the back side of the first rotating body 650 to produce a performance (see Figure 33), and mainly comprises a main body portion 661 formed in a cylindrical shape from a light-transmitting resin material, and a front performance portion 662 that is integrally formed with the axial end face of the main body portion 661.

The main body 661 has an inner diameter that is equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 612 in the front case body 610, and is rotatably held in the front case body 610 (cylindrical portion 612) by fitting it to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 612 (i.e., by inserting the cylindrical portion 612 into the inner periphery of the main body 661).

A second outer peripheral gear 661a is engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 661, and the above-mentioned front gear 646 disposed on the front of the front case body 610 is meshed with this second outer peripheral gear 661a. Therefore, when the above-mentioned gear train and front gear 646 are rotated by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630, the rotation is transmitted to the main body 661 via the front gear 646 and the second outer peripheral gear 661a, and the second rotating body 660 is rotated.

In this way, the second rotating body 660 has the second outer peripheral gear 661a engraved on its outer peripheral surface, and the front gear 646 arranged on the front of the front case body 610 is meshed with the second outer peripheral gear 661a, so that the transmission structure for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 to the second rotating body 660 can be simplified. In particular, since the second rotating body 650 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is held rotatably by being fitted onto the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610, it is difficult to secure space on the inner peripheral side. Therefore, it is effective to be able to arrange the above-mentioned transmission structure on the outer peripheral side of the second rotating body 660.

As described above, the second rotating body 660 is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 611 of the front case body 610, so that the position of the second rotating body 660 can be determined based on the front case body 610. Therefore, the positional relationship between the gear (second outer peripheral gear 661a) engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body 660 and the front gear 646 arranged on the front case body 610 can be determined based on the front case body 610. As a result, the meshing state between the second outer peripheral gear 661a of the second rotating body 660 and the front gear 646 can be stabilized, so that uneven wear of the gears can be suppressed and driving resistance can be suppressed.

The axial dimension of the main body 661 is set to a dimension equal to or slightly smaller than the distance between the front of the front case body 610 and the back of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650. Therefore, the axial position of the second rotating body 650 can be determined by abutting the end face on one axial side or the end face on the other axial side of the main body 661 against the back of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 or the front of the front case body 610.

The main body 661 has a front convex rib 661b and a rear convex rib 661c respectively protruding from one axial end face and the other axial end face. The front convex rib 661b is formed in a circular ring shape when viewed from the front, and the rear convex rib 661c is formed in a shape in which the circular ring shape when viewed from the front is divided at multiple points. This reduces the frictional resistance between the main body 661 and the front case 610 and the second rotating body 650 (front performance part 652) when rotating the first rotating body 660, thereby suppressing the load on the drive motor 630.

The front performance section 662 is located on the rear side of the front performance section 652 on the first rotating body 650, and is a part that is visually recognized by the player as a performance section together with the performance section 652, and is formed by protruding radially outward in a flange-like shape from the outer peripheral surface of the main body section 661. The front performance section 662 comprises an outer peripheral side portion 662a formed in a sawtooth shape with irregular peaks and valleys repeated along the circumferential direction, and an inner peripheral side portion 662b which is a portion on the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral side portion 662a that is annular when viewed from the front.

The front (front surface, exterior forming surface) of the front performance section 662 is plated in the same manner as the front performance section 652 of the first rotating body 650. However, while in the first rotating body 650 described above, the entire surface (entire range) of the front performance section 652 is plated, in the second rotating body 650, only the outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance section 662 is plated, and the inner peripheral portion 662b is not plated.

As described below, when the front side (forward) of the light-emitting element 681 of the light-emitting device 680 passes sequentially through the peaks (second portion) and valleys (first portion) of the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650, the light-emitting element 681 can be intermittently and selectively viewed by the player, and the light-emitting element 681 can be viewed by the player through the inner peripheral portion 662b (i.e., the portion that is not plated) of the front performance portion 662 (see Figure 39).

The spherical liquid crystal device 670 mainly comprises a projection surface 671 formed as a spherical shell from a light-transmitting material, and a case body 672 housing a projection device that projects an image onto the inner surface of the spherical shell of the projection surface 671, allowing the player to view the image projected from the projection device and transmitted to the outer surface of the projection surface 671. In the assembled state, the case body 672 is fastened and fixed to the rear surface of the rear case body 620, and the projection surface 671 is disposed on the inner circumference side of the first rotating body 650 with approximately half of its spherical shell protruding forward from the front of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 (see FIG. 33).

The light-emitting device 680 mainly comprises a case body 681 having a circular shape when viewed from the front, which is fitted onto the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case 610, a circuit board housed in the case body 681, and a number of (12 in this embodiment) light-emitting elements 682 arranged (mounted) on the front (front) side of the circuit board, and in the assembled state, is arranged on the rear side of the front performance portions 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660.

Twelve openings having an outer shape larger than the light-emitting elements 682 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the front surface (front face) of the case body 681, and each light-emitting element 682 is mounted on the circuit board corresponding to the opening position of each of these openings. That is, when viewed from the front, the light-emitting device 680 has the light-emitting elements 682 exposed from the openings of the case body 681, and light emitted from the light-emitting elements 682 can be irradiated toward the front side (front performance parts 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660) through the openings of the case body 681.

As described above, the front performance parts 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 are arranged on the front (front) side of the light-emitting device 680, and by rotating the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650, it is possible to allow the player to intermittently and selectively view the light emitted by the light-emitting element 682. Here, the structure that allows the player to intermittently and selectively view the light emitted by the light-emitting element 682 will be described with reference to Figures 38 and 39.

Figure 38 is a front view of the rotational motion unit 600, and Figures 38(a) and 38(b) show the first rotor 650 arranged at different rotational positions. Figure 39(a) is a cross-sectional view of the rotational motion unit 600 taken along line XXXIXa-XXXIXa in Figure 38(a), and Figure 39(b) is a cross-sectional view of the rotational motion unit 600 taken along line XXXIXb-XXXIXb in Figure 38(b).

In addition, in FIG. 38, in order to clarify the phase relationship between the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 and the light emitting element 682 of the light emitting device 680, only the first rotating body 650 and the light emitting device 680 of the rotation operation unit 600 are illustrated, and in FIG. 39, in order to clarify the radial position relationship between the front performance parts 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 and the light emitting element 682 of the light emitting device 680, a disassembled state in which the second rotating body 660 is added to the first rotating body 650 and the light emitting device 680 shown in FIG. 38 is diagrammatically illustrated.

As shown in Figures 38 and 39, the front view shape of the front performance section 652 of the first rotating body 650 is formed into a sawtooth shape in which irregular peaks (second part) and valleys (first part) are repeated along the circumferential direction, and the arrangement position of the light emitting element 682 in the light emitting device 680 is set at a radial position (vertical position in Figure 39(a)) that is radially outer than the bottom of the valley in the front performance section 652 (upper side in Figure 39(a)) and radially inner than the peak of the front performance section 652 (lower side in Figure 39(a)).

In this case, as described above, the inner peripheral portion 662b of the front performance portion 662 of the second rotating body 660 is not plated on the front (front surface) and is formed to be light-transmitting, and the formation range of this inner peripheral portion 662b (the range shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 39) is set to a range that includes the bottom of the valley in the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650 and the light-emitting element 682 of the light-emitting device 680. In other words, when viewed from the front, the player can see the light-emitting element 682 of the light-emitting device 680 from the valley portion of the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650 through (i.e., through) the inner peripheral portion 662b of the front performance portion 662 of the second rotating body 660.

As described above, the outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance portion 662 of the second rotating body 660 is plated on the front (front surface) to give it an appearance that mimics a shiny metal, and this outer peripheral portion 662a is disposed opposite the back side of the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650. In other words, when viewed from the front, the player can see the outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance portion 662 of the second rotating body 660 from the valley portion of the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650.

In this way, according to the rotation operation unit 600, the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 has peaks and valleys formed alternately in the circumferential direction in the area that overlaps with the light-emitting element 682 of the light-emitting device 680 when viewed from the front. As the first rotating body 650 rotates, the peaks and valleys of the front performance part 652 pass alternately in front of the light-emitting element 682, allowing the player to intermittently see the light emitted by the light-emitting element 682 through the inner peripheral part 662b of the front performance part 682 of the second rotating body 660. This makes it possible to effectively perform a performance in which multiple rotating bodies (the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660) rotate around the spherical liquid crystal device 670 as the center.

The outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance portion 662 of the second rotating body 660 is plated to give it an appearance that mimics a shiny metal, and the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650 is disposed on the front (front) side of the outer peripheral portion 662a. Therefore, as described above, when the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 rotate in opposite directions, the player can visually see, through the valley portion in the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650, how the outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance portion 652 of the second rotating body 660 rotates in the opposite direction to the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650.

That is, according to the rotation operation unit 600, a player looking at the first rotating body 650 from the front can see the light emitting element 682 of the light emitting device 680 intermittently at the bottom of the mountain-valley shape of the front performance part 652, and can see the front performance part 662 (outer peripheral part 662a) of the second rotating body 660 rotating in the opposite direction to the front performance part 652 (mountain-valley shape) of the first rotating body 650 at the top of the mountain-valley shape of the front performance part 652. This makes it easier for the player to recognize the association between the rotation of the first rotating body 650 and the rotation of the second rotating body 660, and as a result, it is possible to effectively perform the performance of rotating each of the multiple rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660).

Furthermore, as described above, according to the rotating performance unit 600, the valleys in the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650 are formed at 16 locations in the circumferential direction, while the light-emitting elements 682 of the light-emitting device 680 are arranged at 12 locations in the circumferential direction, so that the player can selectively view only specific light-emitting elements 682 from among the light-emitting elements 682 arranged at those 12 locations.

In other words, by making the circumferential spacing of the valleys in the front performance section 652 and the circumferential spacing of the light-emitting elements 682 different, for example, in the state shown in FIG. 38(a), the light-emitting elements 682 arranged in four locations, top, bottom, left, and right, are visible, while when the first rotating body 650 (front performance section 652) is rotated a predetermined rotation angle from the state shown in FIG. 38(a), a different light-emitting element 682 is selected as shown in FIG. 38(b), and the light-emitting elements 682 arranged in four locations, the upper right, lower right, lower left, and upper left, are visible.

This not only allows the light-emitting element 682 of the light-emitting device 680 to be viewed intermittently, but also allows the position of the viewed light-emitting element 682 to be changed in the circumferential direction, making it possible to more effectively create an effect in which each of the multiple rotating bodies (the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660) rotates.

Returning to FIG. 34 to FIG. 36, the overall structure of the rotation operation unit 600 will be described. As described above, the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612 are formed in the front case body 610, and the first rotating body 650 has a storage flange portion 653 formed separately from the main body portion 651 and the front performance portion 652. Therefore, the second rotating body 660 is attached to the outer periphery side of the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610, the main body portion 651 of the first rotating body 650 is inserted into the inner periphery side of the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610, and the storage flange portion 653 is fastened and fixed to the inserted main body portion 651, and then the rear case body 620 is fastened and fixed to the front case body 610, so that the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 can be held in a rotatable state by the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620.

That is, the first rotating body 650 is rotatably supported by the front case body 610 by inserting its main body portion 651 through the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610. In this case, the storage flange portion 653 of the first rotating body 650 can abut against the rear surface of the front case body 610 and the front surface of the rear case body 620, respectively, thereby restricting the displacement of the first rotating body 650 to the front side (forward) and rear side (rearward) relative to both case bodies 610, 620.

At the same time, the second rotating body 660 is fitted onto the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610, and is rotatably supported by the front case body 610. In this case, the second rotating body 660 (front convex strip 661b and rear convex strip 662c) abuts against the rear surface of the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650 and the front surface of the case body 681 of the light-emitting device 680, respectively, thereby restricting the displacement of the second rotating body 660 to the front side (forward) and rear side (rearward) relative to both case bodies 610, 620.

In this way, the rotation operation unit 600 can hold multiple rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660) in a rotatable state, while the rotating body (first rotating body 650) itself also serves as a part that restricts the displacement of the second rotating body 660, thereby simplifying the structure. In addition, the holding structure that can hold multiple rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660) in a rotatable state can be formed simply by fastening the storage flange portion 653 to the main body portion 651 of the first rotating body 650, thereby simplifying the assembly process. As a result, it is possible to reduce product costs.

In addition, according to the rotation operation unit 600, the first rotating body 650 is formed in a cylindrical shape and an opening 621 is formed in the rear case body 620. Therefore, after the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620 hold the multiple rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660) in a rotatable state, the assembly of the rotation operation unit 600 can be completed by simply attaching the spherical liquid crystal device 670 from the rear side of the rear case body 620 and fastening and fixing it (see FIG. 33). In other words, the spherical liquid crystal device 670 can be attached to the assembly of each case body 5610, 620 and each rotating body 650, 660 in a separate process. Therefore, this also contributes to simplifying the assembly process and reducing product costs.

The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it can be easily imagined that various modifications and improvements are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the protruding operation unit 400 has been described as being arranged so that the relative displacement member 450 can slide relative to the base displacement member 440, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the relative displacement member 450 may be arranged so that it can rotate relative to the base displacement member 440. That is, the first operation may be the same as in the above embodiment, in which the base displacement member 440 is rotated between the retracted position (see FIG. 13) and the rotated position (see FIG. 14), and the second operation may be the same as in the above embodiment, in which the relative displacement member 450 is rotated between the reference position (see FIG. 14) and the protruding position (see FIG. 15) relative to the base displacement member 440.

Even with this configuration, the base displacement member 450 in the retracted position is moved to the rotated position by the first action, and the relative displacement member 450 in the reference position is moved to the extended position by the second action, allowing the player to fully view both displacement members 440, 450 as a whole and fully demonstrating the presentation effect, while the relative displacement member 450 in the extended position is rotated to the reference position by the second action, and the base displacement member 440 in the rotated position is moved to the retracted position by the first action, making both displacement members 440, 450 smaller as a whole and reducing the space required to accommodate the displacement members.

In the above embodiment, the protruding operation unit 400 has been described as having the tip of the base displacement member 450 protrude further toward the decorative member 480 (upper side in FIG. 17(b)) than the tip of the relative displacement member 450 when the base displacement member 440 is placed in the retracted position (see FIG. 17(b)). However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and conversely, a configuration may also be adopted in which the tip of the relative displacement member 450 protrudes further toward the decorative member 480 (upper side in FIG. 17(b)) than the tip of the base displacement member 450.

Even with this configuration, the rotation trajectories of the two displacement members 440, 450 can intersect with the decorative member 480, and at the time of this intersection, the two displacement members 440, 450 can be seen through the decorative member 480, enhancing the dramatic effect of displacing the two displacement members 440, 450. Furthermore, with this configuration, when the relative displacement member 450 is extended (see FIG. 15), the area of the decorative portion 454 located on the front (forward) can be further enlarged, further enhancing the impact.

In the above embodiment of the composite motion unit 500, the connection groove 552a of the driven member 550 is formed in an elongated hole shape, so that the driven member 560 (connection shaft 561b) is connected to the driven member 550 (connection groove 552a) in a state in which it can rotate and slide, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The connection groove 552a may be formed in a circular shape, so that the driven member 560 (connection shaft 561b) cannot slide relative to the driven member 550 (connection groove 552a) (i.e., only rotation is permitted). With this configuration, the relative angle of the driven member 560 to the driven member 550 can be changed when the driven member 560 is displaced relative to the displacement of the driven member 550, so that the trajectory of the driven member 560 can be changed, enhancing the performance effect.

In this case, the displacement regulation means formed by the first guide groove 513 and the first pin 561a may be formed by a gear arranged concentrically with the connecting shaft 561b of the driven member 560 and a curved rack gear that meshes with the gear and is formed along an arc centered on the drive shaft 551a of the driven member 550 and is arranged on the front case body 510 or the rear case body 520. In this way, when the driven member 560 is relatively displaced in accordance with the displacement of the driven member 550, the gear rolls on the rack gear, thereby changing the relative angle of the driven member 560 with respect to the driven member 550.

In the above embodiment, the composite motion unit 500 is described as having the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 formed in the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520, and the first pin 561a and the connecting shaft 561b inserted into the guide grooves 513 and 523 formed in the driven member 560. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. Conversely, the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 may be provided in the driven member 560, and the parts (members corresponding to the first pin 561a and the connecting shaft 561b) inserted into the guide grooves 513 and 523 may be provided in the front case body 510 and/or the rear case body 520. With this configuration, the driven member 560 can perform a combination of linear motion and rotational motion in response to the displacement of the driven member 550, and the trajectory of the driven member 560 can be changed to enhance the performance effect.

In the above embodiment of the composite action unit 500, the first guide groove 513 is drilled (opened) in the front case body 510, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the first guide groove 513 may be formed, for example, as a recessed groove with a U-shaped cross section. In other words, the first guide groove 513 is only required to have a shape that can guide the first pin 561a along its extension direction.

In the above embodiment, the composite motion unit 500 has been described as having the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 extending in a curved manner, while the connecting groove 551a extends in a straight line. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and conversely, the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 may extend in a straight line, while the connecting groove 551a may extend in a curved manner. In particular, the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 have been described as having a constant radius of curvature in an arc shape, but this is not limited to this, and it is of course possible to adopt a shape (for example, an S-shape) that combines arc shapes with multiple radii of curvature. This allows the trajectory of the driven member 560 to be changed in a more complex manner, thereby enhancing the performance effect.

Specifically, for example, when the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 is set to an arc shape, it is preferable to make the radius of the arc shape larger than a reference value (to make the curvature smaller) when the driven member 550 is disposed at or near the start or end of the rotation direction around the shafts 553, 554. That is, it is preferable to make the radius of the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 in the start and a first range nearby or the end and a second range nearby larger than a reference value, or larger than the radius in a third range located between the first and second ranges. This reduces the load at the initial stage when the drive motor 530 starts driving the driven member 550 in a stopped state, and allows the drive to start smoothly.

Alternatively, while the driven member 560 is not visible due to the front case body 510, the radius of the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 may be set to a value larger than a reference value, and during the period from when a portion of the driven member 560 begins to be exposed (made visible) outside the area of the front case body 510 until the entire driven member 560 is exposed (made visible) outside the area of the front case body 510, the radius of the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 may be set to a value smaller than the reference value. In this way, in the former case, the movement of the driven member 560 is not visible to the player, so the load on the drive motor 530 can be reduced without affecting the presentation effect; in the latter case, the movement of the driven member 560 can be made faster in the range where part of the driven member 560 is covered by the front case body 510, so it is possible to create a presentation in which the driven member 560 suddenly appears from the front case body 510, or the driven member 560 quickly hides behind the back of the front case body 510.

Alternatively, while the driven member 560 is in a horizontal position (a position in which, when viewed in the direction of the connecting axis 561b (see Figure 30), the center of gravity of the decorative part 562 is located within a range defined by a pair of imaginary lines inclined at 45 degrees above and below a horizontal line passing through the connecting axis 561b), the radius of the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 may be set to a value larger than a reference value, and while the driven member 560 exceeds the horizontal position, the radius of the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 may be set to a value smaller than the reference value. According to this, in areas where it is relatively necessary for the driving force of the drive motor 530 to support the weight of the driven member 560 (the action of gravity), the radius is increased to reduce the effects of frictional resistance in each guide groove 513, 514 and inertial forces due to changes in the posture of the driven member 560, thereby reducing the load on the drive motor 530, whereas in areas where it is relatively little necessary for the driving force of the drive motor 530 to support the weight of the driven member 560 (the action of gravity), the radius is reduced to increase the change in the operation of the driven member 560, thereby enhancing the presentation effect.

In the above embodiment of the rotational motion unit 600, the first rotating body 650 is described as having the main body 651 and the front performance part 652 integrated together and the storage flange part 653 separate, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and a configuration may be adopted in which the main body 651 and the storage flange part 653 are integrated together and the front performance part 652 is separate, thereby forming the first rotating body 650. With this configuration, as in the above embodiment, it is possible to simplify the structure and assembly process for rotatably holding multiple rotating bodies, thereby reducing product costs.

In the above embodiment of the rotational motion unit 600, the inner peripheral portion 662b of the front performance portion 662 of the second rotating body 660 is formed with a flat front surface, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and part or all of the front surface may be replaced with another shape instead of a flat surface. Examples of other shapes include a surface with multiple projections and recesses, a surface formed with a cross-sectional waveform, an inclined surface, a curved surface, or a surface that combines these. When these other shapes are adopted, not only can the light emitted from the light emitting element 682 and passing through the inner peripheral portion 662b be diffusely reflected or refracted, but the direction of the diffuse reflection or refraction can be made to move as the second rotating body 660 rotates, thereby enhancing the performance effect (see FIG. 39).

In the above embodiment of the rotation operation unit 600, the outer diameter dimension of the front performance part 662 of the second rotating body 660 is set to a size that overlaps only a part of the front gear 646 when viewed from the front (see FIG. 36), but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the outer diameter dimension of the front performance part 662 of the second rotating body 660 may be set to a size that overlaps the entire front gear 646 when viewed from the front. This allows the front gear 646 to be shielded by the front performance part 662, making it unnecessary to provide a separate member to make the front gear 646 invisible to the player. Note that if the front gear 646 can be made invisible to the player, the front gear 646 can be made a larger diameter gear, so the degree of freedom in setting the gear ratio can be increased. Therefore, the change in rotation of the second rotating body 660 relative to the first rotating body 650 can be increased.

In the rotation operation unit 600 in the above embodiment, the explanation of the stop positions of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 has been omitted, but it may be configured as follows. That is, the shape of the peaks on at least one or both of the front performance parts 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 or the second rotating body 660 may be formed to a size that can block the front gear 646 when viewed from the front, and the rotation of the first rotating body 650 or the second rotating body 660 may be stopped at a phase position where the peak-shaped part is positioned in front of the front gear 646. This makes it possible to make the front gear 646 invisible to the player when the rotation of the first rotating body 650 or the second rotating body 660 stops.

The present invention may be implemented in a type of pachinko machine or the like different from the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, it may be implemented as a pachinko machine (commonly called a two-time right machine or a three-time right machine) in which, once a jackpot is hit, the expected value of the jackpot is increased until the jackpot state occurs multiple times (for example, two or three times). It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that generates a special game in which the player is given a predetermined game value after the jackpot pattern is displayed, with the necessary condition being that the ball enters a predetermined area. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that has a winning device with a special area such as a V zone, and the special game state is entered with the necessary condition being that the ball enters the special area. Furthermore, in addition to pachinko machines, it may be implemented as various gaming machines such as arepachi, mahjong ball, slot machines, and gaming machines that are a combination of a pachinko machine and a slot machine.

Slot machines are well known in that, for example, after inserting a coin and determining the effective line of symbols, the operation lever is operated to change the symbols, and the stop button is operated to stop and finalize the symbols. Therefore, the basic concept of a slot machine is "a slot machine that has a display device that displays a variable display of a string of identification information consisting of multiple identification information and then displays the finalized identification information, in which the variable display of the identification information is started due to the operation of a start operation means (e.g., an operation lever), the variable display of the identification information is stopped and finalized due to the operation of a stop operation means (e.g., a stop button) or after a predetermined time has passed, and a special game that gives a predetermined game value to the player is generated, provided that the combination of identification information at the time of the stop is a specific one." In this case, typical examples of the game medium include coins, medals, etc.

An example of a gaming machine that combines a pachinko machine and a slot machine is one that has a display device that displays a pattern sequence consisting of multiple patterns in a variable manner and then displays the pattern in a fixed manner, but does not have a handle for shooting balls. In this case, after a specified amount of balls are inserted based on a specified operation (button operation), the pattern starts to change due to, for example, the operation of an operating lever, and the pattern change is stopped due to, for example, the operation of a stop button or after a specified time has passed. If the fixed pattern at the time of the stop is a so-called jackpot pattern, a special game is generated in which a specified gaming value is awarded to the player, and a large number of balls are paid out to the player in a receiving tray at the bottom. If such a gaming machine is used instead of a slot machine, the gaming hall can handle only the balls as the gaming value, which can eliminate problems seen in current gaming halls where pachinko machines and slot machines are mixed, such as the burden on facilities due to the separate handling of medals and balls as the gaming value, and the restrictions on the location of gaming machines.

Second Embodiment
Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 40 to 97. In this second embodiment, the control process (processing related to the control of the game such as display effects) executed in the pachinko machine 10 described in the first embodiment will be described.

<Mechanical Configuration in the Second Embodiment>
Next, the configuration of a pachinko machine 10 in a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a front view, Figure 2 is a front view of a game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10, and Figure 3 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10.

As shown in Figure 1, the pachinko machine 10 comprises an outer frame 11, the outer shell of which is formed by wooden frames assembled into a roughly rectangular shape, and an inner frame 12, which is formed to roughly the same external shape as the outer frame 11 and is supported so as to be openable and closable relative to the outer frame 11. Metal hinges 18 are attached to the outer frame 11 at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side as viewed from the front (see Figure 1), in order to support the inner frame 12, and the inner frame 12 is supported so as to be openable and closable towards the front, with the side where the hinges 18 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing.

A game board 13 (see FIG. 2) having numerous nails and winning holes 63, 64, etc. is removably attached to the back side of the inner frame 12. A pinball game is played by balls flowing down the front of the game board 13. The inner frame 12 is also fitted with a ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 49) that launches balls into the front area of the game board 13, and a launch rail (not shown) that guides the balls launched from the ball launching unit 112a to the front area of the game board 13.

On the front side of the inner frame 12, there is a front frame 14 that covers the upper side of the front, and a lower plate unit 15 that covers the lower side. Metal hinges 19 are attached to two places, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), to support the front frame 14 and the lower plate unit 15, and the front frame 14 and the lower plate unit 15 are supported so that they can be opened and closed toward the front, with the side where the hinges 19 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing. The locks on the inner frame 12 and the front frame 14 can be released by inserting a special key into the keyhole 21 of the cylinder lock 20 and performing a specified operation.

The front frame 14 is fitted with decorative resin parts, electrical parts, etc., and has a window 14c formed in a roughly elliptical shape at its approximate center. A glass unit 16 having two glass plates is disposed on the rear side of the front frame 14, and the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass unit 16.

The front frame 14 has an upper tray 17 for storing balls that juts out forward and is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top, and prize balls and loan balls are discharged into this upper tray 17. The bottom surface of the upper tray 17 is formed with a downward slope to the right when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and this slope guides balls dropped into the upper tray 17 to the ball launching unit 112a. In addition, a frame button 22 is provided on the top surface of the upper tray 17.

The frame button 22 is operated by the player, for example, when changing the background mode of the performance displayed on the third symbol display device 81 (see FIG. 2) described later, or when changing the contents of the preview performance. The frame button 22 may also be configured to be used, for example, as a switch for driving a driving device or the like provided in the gaming machine.

The front frame 14 is provided with various light-emitting means such as lamps around its periphery (for example, corners). These light-emitting means change and control the light-emitting state by lighting or blinking in response to changes in the game state such as when a jackpot is hit or when a certain reach is reached, and play a role in enhancing the presentation effect during the game. The periphery of the window portion 14c is provided with illumination units 29-33 incorporating illumination units such as LEDs. In the pachinko machine 10, these illumination units 29-33 function as presentation lamps such as jackpot lamps, and when a jackpot is hit or when a reach is reached, each illumination unit 29-33 lights up or blinks due to the built-in LEDs lighting up or blinking, thereby notifying that a jackpot is being hit or that a reach is being reached just before a jackpot. In addition, the upper left of the front frame 14 when viewed from the front (see Figure 1) is provided with an indicator lamp 34 incorporating an illumination unit such as an LED that can indicate when prize balls are being paid out and when an error has occurred.

A small window 35 is formed on the underside of the right-side illumination section 32 by attaching transparent resin from the back side so that the back side of the front frame 14 can be seen, and stamps and the like affixed to the attachment space K1 (see Figure 2) on the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front of the pachinko machine 10. In addition, in order to create a more dazzling appearance, a plated member 36 made of chrome-plated ABS resin is attached to the area around the illumination sections 29-33 on the pachinko machine 10.

Below the window 14c, a ball lending operation unit 40 is provided. The ball lending operation unit 40 is provided with a number display unit 41, a ball lending button 42, and a return button 43. When the ball lending operation unit 40 is operated with bills, cards, etc. inserted into the card unit (ball lending unit) (not shown) arranged on the side of the pachinko machine 10, balls are lent out according to the operation. Specifically, the number display unit 41 is an area where the remaining balance information of the card, etc. is displayed, and the built-in LED is lit to display the remaining balance in numbers as the remaining balance information. The ball lending button 42 is operated to obtain loan balls based on the information recorded on the card, etc. (recording medium), and loan balls are supplied to the upper tray 17 as long as there is a remaining balance on the card, etc. The return button 43 is operated when requesting the return of the card, etc. inserted into the card unit. In addition, in pachinko machines where balls are directly dispensed from a ball dispensing device to the upper tray 17 without going through a card unit, i.e., in so-called cash machines, the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is not necessary, but in this case, a decorative sticker or the like may be added to the installation part of the ball dispensing operation unit 40 to make the parts configuration common. It is possible to standardize pachinko machines that use a card unit and cash machines.

The lower tray unit 15, located below the upper tray 17, has a lower tray 50 in the center, which is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top, for storing balls that could not be stored in the upper tray 17. On the right side of the lower tray 50, an operating handle 51 is arranged, which is operated by the player to shoot balls into the front of the game board 13. Inside the operating handle 51, there are built-in touch sensors 51a for permitting the operation of the ball launching unit 112a, push-button-type shooting stop switch 51b that stops the shooting of balls while it is being pressed, and a variable resistor (not shown) that detects the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51 by changes in electrical resistance. When the control handle 51 is rotated clockwise by the player, the touch sensor 51a is turned on and the resistance value of the variable resistor changes in accordance with the amount of rotation, and the ball is shot with a strength corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor, which changes in accordance with the amount of rotation of the control handle 51, thereby shooting the ball into the front of the game board 13 with a flight distance corresponding to the player's operation. Also, when the control handle 51 is not being operated by the player, the touch sensor 51a and the shot stop switch 51b are off.

A ball removal lever 52 is provided on the lower front part of the lower tray 50 to be operated when discharging the balls stored in the lower tray 50 downward. This ball removal lever 52 is always biased to the right, and by sliding it to the left against this bias, the bottom opening formed on the bottom surface of the lower tray 50 opens, and the balls fall naturally from the bottom opening and are discharged. The ball removal lever 52 is usually operated with a box (commonly called a "senryo box") placed below the lower tray 50 to receive the balls discharged from the lower tray 50. As mentioned above, the operating handle 51 is disposed on the right side of the lower tray 50, and an ashtray 53 is attached to the left side of the lower tray 50.

2, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling a number of nails, windmills and rails 61, 62 for guiding balls, a general winning opening 63, a first winning opening 64, a second winning opening 640, an electric device 640a, a variable winning device 65, a variable display unit 80, etc., on a wooden base board 60 cut into a roughly square shape when viewed from the front, and the peripheral portion is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12. The general winning opening 63, the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 640, the variable winning device 65, and the variable display unit 80 are arranged in through holes formed in the base board 60 by router processing, and are fixed from the front side of the game board 13 with wood screws or the like. In addition, the front center portion of the game board 13 can be viewed from the front side of the inner frame 12 through the window portion 14c (see FIG. 1) of the front frame 14. Below, the configuration of the game board 13 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. 2.

An outer rail 62 formed by bending a strip-shaped metal plate into an approximately arc shape is set up on the front of the game board 13, and an arc-shaped inner rail 61 formed from a strip-shaped metal plate like the outer rail 62 is set up inside the outer rail 62. The inner rail 61 and outer rail 62 surround the front periphery of the game board 13, and the game board 13 and glass unit 16 (see Figure 1) surround the front and back, forming a game area on the front of the game board 13 where games are played based on the behavior of the ball. The game area is an approximately circular area (an area where winning holes and the like are arranged and where shot balls flow down) on the front of the game board 13, partitioned by the two rails 61, 62 and the arc member 70.

The two rails 61, 62 are provided to guide the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 49) to the top of the game board 13. A return ball prevention member 68 is attached to the tip of the inner rail 61 (upper left in FIG. 2), which prevents the ball once guided to the top of the game board 13 from returning to the ball guide passage again. A return rubber 69 is attached to the tip of the outer rail 62 (upper right in FIG. 2) at a position corresponding to the maximum flight part of the ball, and a ball launched with a certain amount of force or more hits the return rubber 69 and bounces back to the center while reducing its force. In addition, between the tip of the lower right side of the inner rail 61 and the tip of the upper right side of the outer rail 62, a resin arc member 70 formed with an arc on the inner side connecting the rails is driven into the base plate 60 and fixed.

In this pachinko machine 10, when the ball enters the first winning slot 64, a lottery is held for special symbol 1 (first symbol), when the ball enters the second winning slot 640, a lottery is held for special symbol 2 (first symbol), and when the ball passes through the through gate 67, a lottery is held for normal symbol (second symbol). In the lottery for special symbol 1 or special symbol 2 (hereinafter, special symbol 1 or special symbol 2 will be referred to as special symbol) held for a ball entering the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640, a judgment is made as to whether or not a jackpot for the special symbol has been won, and if a jackpot for the special symbol has been won, the type of jackpot is also judged. When a special symbol is hit, the pachinko machine 10 transitions to a special game state, and the specific winning port 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have passed or until 10 balls have been hit), and this opening is repeated 16 times (16 rounds). As a result, a large number of balls enter the specific winning port 65a, and a larger number of prize balls are paid out than in normal times. There are two types of special symbol jackpots: "jackpot A" and "jackpot B." After the special game state ends, the player is given a gaming value (game value) according to the type of jackpot as added value after the jackpot ends.

When a lottery is conducted for special pattern 1 (first pattern) or special pattern 2 (first pattern), the first pattern display device 37 starts displaying the variation of the special pattern, and after a predetermined time (e.g., 8 to 30 seconds) has elapsed, the special pattern showing the lottery result is displayed stationary. If a ball enters the first winning hole 64 while the variation of the special pattern is being displayed on the first pattern display device 37, the number of balls entering is reserved up to a maximum of four, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the first pattern display device 37 and also by the third pattern display device 81. Similarly, if a ball enters the second winning hole 640 while the special pattern is varying, the number of balls entering is reserved up to a maximum of four, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the first pattern display device 37 and also by the third pattern display device 81. The number of reserved balls for special pattern 1 and special pattern 2 are displayed by the first pattern display device 37 and the third pattern display device 81 in a distinguishable display mode, respectively. As will be described in more detail later, the third pattern display device 81 is designed to make it easier for players to distinguish the number of reserved balls, the variable display mode of the special pattern, the judgment results, etc., than the first pattern display device 37, and players are usually configured to play by looking at the display mode of the third pattern display device 81.

When the variable display is finished in the first symbol display device 37, if there are any reserved balls remaining for the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640, a lottery for the next special symbol is held and a variable display corresponding to the lottery is started. Details will be described later, but in this embodiment, the reserved balls for the second winning slot 640 are given priority over the reserved balls for the first winning slot 64, and a lottery for special symbol 2 is held and a variable display corresponding to the lottery is started. Therefore, the lottery for the reserved balls for the first winning slot 64 is configured to be executed when there are no reserved balls in the second winning slot 640. While the variable display for special symbol 2 is being executed, the variable display for special symbol 1 is not executed. In other words, the configuration is such that there is no period during which special symbol 1 and special symbol 2 are simultaneously variable.

In this embodiment, the special symbols 1 and 2 are configured not to change at the same time, but they may change at the same time. By configuring in this way, more game lotteries can be performed in a short period of time and the judgment results can be displayed, allowing for more time-efficient play.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the second winning hole 640 has an electric device 640a equipped with a blade member that can rotate between an open state in which the game ball can be guided to the ball entry hole and a closed state in which the ball is restricted from entering the ball entry hole. This electric device 640a is operated from the closed state to the open state for a predetermined time based on the winning (winning) of the normal pattern (second pattern) described later. In addition, under normal circumstances, it is held in an upright state so as to prevent the game ball from entering from both sides of the ball entry hole, and the first winning hole 64 is arranged so as to prevent the game ball from entering between the blade members. Therefore, the second winning hole 640 is normally configured to allow the ball to enter only when the electric device 640a is operated in the open state. Therefore, normally, the first winning hole 64 is configured to allow game balls to enter the hole easily, and the player plays the game by shooting the game ball in an attempt to get the game ball to enter the first winning hole 64.

The special winning hole 65a, which opens and closes when the pachinko machine 10 transitions to the special game state, is located directly below the second winning hole 640. Therefore, during the special game state, the player hits the ball in an attempt to make it enter the special winning hole 65a, so many balls also enter the first winning hole 64. Therefore, in most cases, the number of reserved balls for the first winning hole 64 reaches its maximum (4 times) while the pachinko machine 10 is transitioning to the special game state.

Meanwhile, in the normal pattern lottery that is conducted when a ball passes through the through gate 67, a win or loss determination is made as to whether or not the normal pattern is a winning combination. There are two types of normal pattern winning combinations: a normal win and a long-term win in which the opening time and number of times the combination is opened are longer than in a normal win. When a normal or long-term win occurs, the electric device associated with the second winning hole 640 is opened a predetermined number of times for a predetermined time (for example, 0.2 seconds or 2 seconds), making it easier for the ball to enter the second winning hole 640. In other words, when a normal pattern wins, it becomes easier for the ball to enter the second winning hole 640, and as a result, it becomes easier to draw a special pattern.

When a normal pattern (second pattern) is drawn, the second pattern display device 83 starts displaying the normal pattern in a variable manner, and after a predetermined time (e.g., 3 or 30 seconds) has elapsed, the normal pattern indicating the result of the lottery is displayed stationary. If a ball passes through the through gate 67 while the variable display is being displayed on the second pattern display device 83, the number of passes is reserved up to a maximum of four times, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the first pattern display device 37 and is also shown by the second pattern reserved lamp 84. When the variable display on the second pattern display device 83 ends, if there are reserved balls remaining for the through gate 67, the next normal pattern is drawn and the variable display corresponding to the lottery starts.

As mentioned above, there are two types of jackpots for special symbols: "jackpot A" and "jackpot B". In both cases, "jackpot A" and "jackpot B" result in a special game state with 16 rounds (16R jackpot). After that, in the case of "jackpot A", as an added value after the jackpot ends, the pachinko machine 10 transitions to a high probability state for special symbols (special symbol probability change) from the end of the jackpot until the start of the next jackpot game for special symbols. On the other hand, for "jackpot B", the probability of winning with normal symbols increases from the end of the jackpot until 100 special symbol lotteries have been completed. Note that even in the high probability state, the probability of winning with normal symbols is set to be increased in the same way.

Here, "high probability state for special symbols" refers to a state in which the probability of winning with special symbols has increased, that is, a so-called probability state for special symbols (during special symbol probability change), in other words, a game state in which it is easy to transition to a special game state (16R jackpot). In contrast, when there is no "high probability state for special symbols", it is called a "low probability state for special symbols", which indicates a state in which the probability of winning is lower than in the probability change state for special symbols, that is, the probability of winning with special symbols is normal (normal state for special symbols or low probability game state). In addition, "time-saving state for normal symbols" (time-saving state for normal symbols or time-saving game state) refers to a game state in which the probability of winning with normal symbols has increased, making it easy for the ball to enter the second winning slot 640. In contrast, when it is not in the "normal symbol time-saving state", it is called the "normal normal symbol state" (normal game state), which means that the probability of winning with a normal symbol is in the normal state, that is, the probability of winning is lower than during the time-saving state. Hereinafter, the period when the pachinko machine 10 is in a high probability state for a special symbol after the end of a jackpot with a special symbol is called the special symbol probability period.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the jackpot type is "jackpot A," the period from the end of "jackpot A" to the start of the next jackpot is set as the special jackpot period, but it is not limited to this, and the period during which a specified number of times (e.g., 20 times or 100 times) of special symbol lottery draws are performed may be set as the special jackpot period. Also, it may be configured so that both "jackpot A" and "jackpot B" are set to be special jackpot periods for a specified number of times. Also, the special jackpot period may naturally be set as a specified period of time (2 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.).

When the pachinko machine 10 is initially set by turning on the power, etc., it is always set to the "low probability state for special symbols." After that, if a special symbol is hit, it transitions to the "high probability state for special symbols" and also to the "time-saving state for normal symbols."

In addition, if a new special symbol jackpot occurs while the "high probability state for special symbols" is ongoing and the jackpot type is "jackpot A," the "high probability state for special symbols" will continue from the end of the new special symbol jackpot until the start of the next jackpot game.

At the upper right side of the game area when viewed from the front (upper right side of Fig. 2), a first symbol display device 37 is provided, which is provided with a number of light emitting diodes (hereinafter abbreviated as "LEDs") 37a as light emitting means and a seven-segment display 37b. The first symbol display device 37 displays according to the various controls performed by the main control device 110, which will be described later, and mainly displays the game status of the pachinko machine 10. The multiple LEDs 37a indicate whether the lottery for special pattern 1 or special pattern 2, which is held when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 (initial winning), is in progress by lighting up, and indicate whether special pattern 1 (first pattern) or special pattern 2 (first pattern) will be the stopping pattern after the change has ended, depending on the result of the lottery for that special pattern, by lighting up, and indicate the number of reserved balls, which is the number of balls that have entered the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 but have not yet been changed (reserved balls), by lighting up.

When a ball enters the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 while the first pattern display device 37 is displaying the changing special pattern 1 (first pattern) or special pattern 2 (first pattern), the number of balls entering the slot is reserved up to a maximum of four times, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the first pattern display device 37 and also by the third pattern display device 81. In this embodiment, the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 640 are each configured to be reserved up to four times, but the maximum number of reserved times is not limited to four, and may be set to three or less, or five or more (e.g., eight times).

The seven-segment display 37b displays the number of rounds during a jackpot and any errors. The LEDs 37a are configured so that each LED emits a different color (e.g., red, green, blue), and the combination of these colors makes it possible to display various game states of the pachinko machine 10 (such as a high probability state for special symbols or a time-saving state for normal symbols) with a small number of LEDs. LEDs 37a not only indicates whether the lottery result for special symbol 1 or special symbol 2 as the stopping symbol after the fluctuation has ended is a jackpot or not, but also displays a special symbol (first symbol) according to the type of jackpot (jackpot A, jackpot B) if it is a jackpot.

For special symbol 1 and special symbol 2, separate dedicated LEDs 37a are assigned for displaying the symbol and the number of reserved balls, respectively. By configuring it in this way, it is possible to configure the system so that the player can more easily distinguish between special symbol 1 and special symbol 2.

The play area is also provided with a number of general winning openings 63 through which 5 to 15 balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball wins. A variable display device unit 80 is also provided in the center of the play area. The variable display device unit 80 is provided with a third pattern display device 81 made up of a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply referred to as "display device") and a second pattern display device 83 made up of LEDs. A center frame 86 is provided on this variable display device unit 80 so as to surround the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81.

The third pattern display device 81 performs a decorative display corresponding to the display of the first pattern display device 37. For example, when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 (initial winning), this triggers the first pattern display device 37 to display a variable special pattern (first pattern) corresponding to the initial slot into which the ball entered. Furthermore, the third pattern display device 81 performs a variable third pattern display corresponding to the variable special pattern display in synchronization with the variable special pattern display.

The third pattern display device 81 is composed of a large 8-inch liquid crystal display, and the display contents are controlled by the display control device 114 described later, so that, for example, three pattern rows, left, center, and right, are displayed. Each pattern row is composed of multiple patterns, and these patterns are scrolled vertically for each pattern row, so that the third pattern is variably displayed on the display screen of the third pattern display device 81. In this embodiment, the game status is displayed in accordance with the control of the main control device 110 by the first pattern display device 37, while the third pattern display device 81 displays decoratively according to the display of the first pattern display device 37. Note that the third pattern display device 81 may be configured using, for example, a reel instead of a display device.

Here, the display contents of the third pattern display device 81 will be explained with reference to Fig. 40. Fig. 40 is a drawing for explaining the display screen of the third pattern display device 81, Fig. 40(a) is a diagram showing the area division settings and the effective line settings of the display screen, and Fig. 40(b) is a diagram showing an example of the actual display screen.

The third symbol is composed of the main symbols of the numbers "0" to "9". In addition, in the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment, if the result of the lottery for the special symbol performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 49), which will be described later, is a jackpot, a variable display in which the same main symbols line up is performed, and the jackpot occurs after the variable display has ended. On the other hand, if the result of the lottery for the special symbol is a miss, a variable display in which the same main symbols do not line up is performed.

For example, if the special symbol lottery result is "jackpot A," a variable display will be displayed in which the odd-numbered main symbols "1, 3, 5, 7, 9" are lined up and stopped. Also, if it is "jackpot B," a variable display will be displayed in which the even-numbered main symbols "0, 2, 4, 6, 8" are lined up.

As shown in FIG. 40(a), the display screen of the third pattern display device 81 is roughly divided into two parts, top and bottom, with the top 2/3 being the main display area Dm which displays the third pattern in a variable manner, and the remaining bottom 1/3 being the secondary display area Ds which displays preview effects, characters, number of reserved balls, etc.

The main display area Dm is divided into three display areas Dm1 to Dm3, left, center, and right, and three pattern columns Z1, Z2, and Z3 are displayed in each of the three display areas Dm1 to Dm3. The above-mentioned third pattern is displayed in a specified order in each pattern column Z1 to Z3. That is, the main patterns are arranged in ascending numerical order in each pattern column Z1 to Z3, and the display is changed by scrolling from top to bottom with periodicity for each pattern column Z1 to Z3. The approximate center of this main display area Dm is set as the pay line L1, and the third pattern is stopped and displayed on the pay line L1 in the order of left pattern column Z1 → right pattern column Z3 → center pattern column Z2 during each game. When the third pattern stops, if a combination of jackpot patterns (in this embodiment, a combination of the same main patterns) is lined up on the pay line L1, a jackpot video is displayed as a jackpot.

On the other hand, the secondary display area Ds is elongated horizontally below the primary display area Dm, and is further divided equally in the left-right direction into three small areas Ds1 to Ds3. Of these, small area Ds1 is an area that displays the number of reserved balls, which is the number of balls (reserved balls) that have entered the first winning slot 64 but have not yet been changed, small area Ds2 is an area that displays a preview performance image, and small area Ds3 is an area that displays the number of reserved balls, which is the number of balls (reserved balls) that have entered the second winning slot 640 but have not yet been changed.

On the actual display screen, as shown in FIG. 40(b), a total of three main symbols of the third design are displayed in the main display area Dm in a stopped state. Note that when the display changes, in addition to the main symbol displayed in the center, the main symbols arranged before and after it are also displayed visibly, so a total of up to nine main symbols may be displayed. In the sub-display area Ds, one "●" symbol is displayed for each reserved ball, and reserved symbols are displayed for special symbol 1 and special symbol 2 in correspondence with up to four reserved balls each. In other words, a maximum of eight reserved symbols are displayed in the sub-display area Ds.

In this embodiment, the same reserved pattern (design) is used for special pattern 1 and special pattern 2, but this is not limited to this, and it may be configured to display different patterns (for example, a "●" pattern for special pattern 1 and a "□" pattern for special pattern 2).

This allows the reserved balls in the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 640, i.e., the reserved balls with special pattern 1 and special pattern 2, to be displayed in an easily identifiable manner. In addition, because the display mode of the reserved ball that entered the second winning slot 640 is displayed differently depending on the type of normal pattern hit, the player can easily tell that the reserved ball is a ball that has been generated by a long-term hit.

In this embodiment, in addition to the main pattern and reserved pattern, the main display area Dm and the sub-display area Ds of the third pattern display device 81 appropriately display text displays, character preview displays, total number of changes, etc. In addition, when a reserved pattern is not displayed, it indicates that the number of reserved balls is 0, that is, there are no reserved balls.

In this embodiment, the balls entering the first winning hole 64 are configured to be reserved up to four times, but the maximum number of reserved balls is not limited to four times, and may be set to three or less, or five or more times (e.g., eight times). Also, instead of displaying the reserved ball number pattern in the small area Ds1 or small area Ds3, the reserved ball number may be displayed as numbers in a part of the third pattern display device 81, or the four divided areas may be displayed in different forms (e.g., colors or lighting patterns) according to the number of reserved balls. Also, since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first pattern display device 37, the third pattern display device 81 may not display the number of reserved balls. Furthermore, the variable display device unit 80 may be provided with four reserved lamps indicating the number of reserved balls, the number being the maximum number of reserved balls, and the number of reserved balls may be displayed according to the number of reserved lamps that are lit.

Next, referring to Figs. 41 to 44, the display mode of the reserved effect performed by the third symbol display device 81 will be described. In this second embodiment, the display mode of the reserved symbol of special symbol 1 or special symbol 2 is changed and displayed to notify the result of the game's win/loss judgment and the type of variation pattern to be selected. In this embodiment, a normal reserved effect as shown in Fig. 41 and an 8-item effect as shown in Fig. 42 are set. For the normal reserved effect, as shown in Figs. 41(a) to (b), when the number of reserved symbols is less than 8, one of the reserved symbols is changed to a symbol displayed as "push" and displayed (Fig. 41(a)). After the symbol displayed as "push" is changed and displayed, when the player presses the frame button 22, the symbol is changed to a "△" symbol and displayed (see Fig. 41(b)).

In this embodiment, when a reserved pattern for which a super reach is selected is stored among the stored reserved patterns, or when a reserved pattern for which the win/loss judgment result is a win is stored, and a lottery is drawn to select a normal reserved pattern, the reserved pattern is changed to a "push" pattern and displayed as shown in FIG. 41(a). Note that this "push" pattern is an informing reserved pattern that notifies the player to press (operate) the frame button 22. Unless the frame button 22 is pressed, the informing reserved pattern is displayed in the display mode that is maintained until the reserved pattern starts to change.

In this embodiment, the notification reserved pattern is displayed until the change starts, but it may be configured to be displayed only for a certain period of time. The normal reserved performance is configured to be executed by lottery when a reserved pattern that results in a super reach is stored and when a reserved pattern that results in a jackpot is stored, but it may be configured to be executed by lottery in other cases (for example, normal reach, big miss, etc.). A variety of patterns may be set to be displayed by changing from the notification reserved pattern, and the type of pattern, color, etc. may be used to notify the result of the hit/miss judgment, the type of reach, etc. Also, by configuring the normal reserved performance to be more likely to be drawn when the hit/miss judgment result is a jackpot, it is possible to make the expectation of a jackpot higher when the normal reserved performance is displayed.

Next, the 8-item effect will be described with reference to FIG. 42. In this embodiment, when the maximum number of reserved symbols is reached, a lottery is held to see whether or not to execute an 8-item effect (see FIG. 42(a)-(b)) using all eight reserved symbols. If it is determined that an 8-item effect will be executed, all of the reserved symbols are displayed changed to a notification reserved symbol of a "push" symbol, as shown in FIG. 42(a). Then, on the right side, a notification mode (not a notification mode with a reserved symbol) with the words "Please push it!!" is displayed, urging the player to press the frame button 22.

When the player presses the frame button 22 while these eight effects are being performed, the notification pending symbols are changed and displayed one by one as letters, as shown in FIG. 42(b). Here, each time the frame button 22 is pressed once, one notification pending symbol is changed and displayed. The order in which the symbols change is configured to change from the notification pending symbol displayed on the left.

Whether or not the 8-piece effect will be performed is determined by lottery if there is a reserved memory that is a super reach or a reserved memory that is a jackpot as a result of the hit/miss judgment stored among the 8 reserved symbols.

In the 8 reserved effect, the player is notified by text using 8 reserved symbols. Specifically, when the text "Jackpot!!!!" is displayed, it notifies the player that there is a reserved memory among the 8 reserved memories whose hit/miss judgment result is a jackpot (a jackpot is confirmed). On the other hand, when the text "Jackpot!!!?" is displayed, it notifies the player that there is a possibility that there is a reserved memory that will be a jackpot among the 8 reserved memories (it is not confirmed that there is a reserved memory that will be a jackpot among the 8 reserved memories).

By configuring it in this way, when the player presses the frame button 22 once after the notification reserved pattern of the eight-piece performance is displayed, the leftmost notification reserved pattern is changed to "Big" and displayed. When this character is displayed, the player first expects the character "Big Win" and then presses the frame button 22. Here, when "Win" is displayed, the player next presses the frame button 22 and expects the character "Ri" to be displayed. In this way, the seven notification reserved patterns are displayed in a variable manner, and when the character "Big Win!!!" is displayed, the player's expectations for a big win increase, as the last remaining notification reserved pattern (the rightmost reserved pattern) may be changed to "!". After that, the player can determine the notification result by operating the frame button 22. In this way, in the eight-piece reservation performance, the player can play while expecting the next character to be displayed each time the frame button 22 is pressed, which can be enjoyed by the player.

In addition, in this embodiment, even if the reserved balls are consumed and start to change, the remaining notification reserved patterns that have been changed in the eight-ball performance are maintained and displayed, so the player can predict what characters (notification mode) have been set from the characters of the remaining notification reserved patterns.

In this embodiment, by storing eight reserved balls, an effect that is advantageous to the player is executed, so that the player can play in a way that allows more reserved balls to be stored. Specifically, normally, when a fluctuation pattern with a long fluctuation time (high expectation of a jackpot) such as a super reach is selected, the player may stop firing game balls and play, but since this is a period when reserved balls tend to accumulate, the player can play without stopping firing game balls so that an eight-ball effect is executed even in the case of a miss.

Also, the game may be configured so that, for a certain period of time after the eight ball effect is executed, the eight ball effect is executed when eight reserved balls are stored. By configuring it in this way, the player can continue to shoot game balls in an attempt to generate more reserved balls.

The notification mode (the characters displayed) that is determined when the eight-ball effect is executed may be configured to change depending on the determination result when a new reserved ball is generated. By configuring it in this way, it is possible to provide the player with the fun of deciding the timing to change the notification reserved pattern.

Next, referring to Figs. 43 to 44, the composite display effect displayed on the third symbol display device 81 in the second embodiment will be described. In the composite display effect, when a reach display mode is reached, the main symbol that is a miss is temporarily stopped and displayed as the center symbol, and then the sub-symbol (blank symbol "△") is changed to a "push" symbol and displayed, and then the "push" symbol moves to the center of the third symbol display device 81 and is composited and changed to a larger "push" symbol and displayed. After that, when the player presses the frame button 22, the combination of main symbols indicating the win/loss judgment result is displayed again. Specifically, if the win/loss judgment result is a win, a combination indicating a jackpot such as "777" is displayed. On the other hand, if it is a miss, a symbol indicating a miss such as "717" is displayed.

Figure 43 (a) shows a state in which the composite display mode change pattern is displayed, resulting in a reach display mode of the "7" symbol, with the middle symbol being displayed changeably. In patterns other than the composite display mode change pattern, when a reach occurs, the middle symbol is displayed changeably (dynamically displayed) beyond the reach symbol. In other words, the reach symbol passes through the reach effective line once and is displayed as a scroll. However, in the composite display mode change pattern, the reach symbol is set to temporarily stop just before the reach effective line without passing through it. In other words, the reach period is set to be shorter than in the normal reach display mode.

As shown in FIG. 43(b), after the "5" symbol before the reach symbol stops on the reach effective line, three seconds later the secondary symbol (blank symbol "△") located between the main symbols in the left symbol row and the right symbol row changes to a small "push" notification symbol and is displayed. Among the change patterns of the composite display mode, the change pattern of the pseudo composite display mode is configured so that it does not change to the composite display mode after changing to this notification symbol. In this case, pressing the frame button 22 executes an effect that attempts to change the stopped center symbol "5" again.

On the other hand, in the variation pattern that is changed to the composite display mode, as shown in FIG. 44(a), the "push" symbol is displayed moving toward the "5" symbol in the middle symbol row displayed in the center part of the third symbol display device 81. Then, as shown in FIG. 44(b), the "5" symbol is covered and a large "push" symbol is displayed. The variation pattern of the composite display mode in which this large "push" symbol is displayed is configured to be extremely likely to be selected when the win/loss determination result is a jackpot, so the player can have high hopes for a jackpot when this composite display mode is displayed.

Next, referring to Figs. 45 to 48, the time presentation in this embodiment will be described. The time presentation is a presentation mode in which the background image is changed to a dedicated background image set in advance and executed for a predetermined time (five minutes in this embodiment) at regular intervals (fixed periods) after the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 10. In this embodiment, the clocking means 292 is comprised of an RTC (real-time clock), and an internal power source (battery in this embodiment) dedicated to the clocking means 292 is provided, so that the time can be continued even when the power is not being supplied to the pachinko machine 10. Here, when manufacturing the pachinko machine 10, the same time (for example, the current time) is set in the clocking means and the multiple pachinko machines 10 are configured to be supplied with power simultaneously, so that the same input time information can be obtained between the pachinko machines 10. By configuring in this way, the time presentation can be executed synchronously between the multiple pachinko machines 10.

Figure 45 is a timing chart showing the timing for executing the time presentation period. When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 10, the current time information is obtained from the clocking means 292 by the time setting process (Figure 69, S1214) within the start-up process (see Figure 68) executed by the MPU 221 of the sound lamp control device 113 described below. Based on the obtained time information, the time presentation period (presentation mode B) is set when 55 minutes have elapsed. Note that the normal game machine period (presentation mode A) is set for the period until this time presentation period is set. The time presentation period is normally set to 5 minutes, and the normal game period is set when these 5 minutes have elapsed.

When the 5 minutes of the time presentation period has elapsed, it is determined whether the pending memory or the special pattern currently being changed is set to be a jackpot, and if it is, the time presentation extension period (presentation mode C) is set to the time until the change ends.

Figure 46 (a) shows an example of the display mode of the time effect displayed on the third pattern display device 81 when the remaining time in the time effect period is 180 seconds. During the time effect period, the background image is displayed in a mode in which a special school of fish is displayed.

Figure 46 (b) is a diagram showing an example of a display mode displayed on the third pattern display device 81 when the remaining time in the time performance period is 3 seconds. In the example of Figure 46 (b), the actual third pattern is reduced and displayed variably at the bottom right of the display area of the third pattern display device 81. Then, a performance pattern similar to the third pattern is displayed stopped in a display mode indicating a miss. In this case, the performance pattern is displayed with a slight shaking to notify that it is not completely stopped. In this way, it is rare that the end timing of the time performance period and the timing of the stop of the fluctuation of the third pattern coincide, but by switching to the performance pattern and displaying it to make it look as if the third pattern has stopped, it is possible to make it seem as if the third pattern is stopped at the same timing as other pachinko machines 10. Note that the performance pattern is also displayed when the stop timing of the third pattern coincides with the time performance period. By configuring in this way, the display mode at the end of the time performance period is constant, and it is possible to suppress the player from feeling strange.

When the effect pattern is stopped and displayed 3 seconds before the remaining period, as shown in FIG. 47(a), a premonition display mode is displayed in which the effect pattern is displayed shaking slightly for the remaining 3 seconds. Then, after the characters "Super School of Fish Time" indicating that it is a time effect period, a notification mode of "End?" is displayed, which is the turning point for whether or not the time effect period will be extended. After that, when the time effect extension period is set, the characters "Super School of Fish Time Extension!!" are displayed to notify that the time effect period has been extended, as shown in FIG. 47(b), and the background image of the school of fish is displayed again. In this case, the effect pattern starts to change at the same time as the extension starts, and the player is notified as if a new special pattern has started to change. In addition, since the extension period is the period until the changing display that results in a big win ends, the remaining time (115 seconds in the example of FIG. 47(b)) is displayed for that period.

In this embodiment, the time presentation period is extended when a reserved memory that will result in a jackpot has been set or when the change has already started (changing), so the extension of the time presentation is a notification of a jackpot to the player 4a. Here, the same presentation is executed in sync with the same pachinko machines 10 for the time presentation period, and a presentation (see FIG. 47(a)) indicating whether or not an extension period will be set is displayed at the same timing. This allows other players to determine that a jackpot will occur for a pachinko machine 10 with an extension period set, which can also stimulate the gambling spirit of other players.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 48, if the extended effect is not set, the words "Super School of Fish Time Ends!!" are displayed to notify that the time effect period has ended. After that, if the third symbol is changing, the effect symbol is displayed changing for the same time as the remaining change time of the third symbol, and then is displayed still. From the next change, the reduced display of the third symbol is released, and the third symbol is displayed changing in normal size. By configuring in this way, it is possible to prevent the player from feeling uncomfortable even when the time effect period has ended. On the other hand, if the timing of the stopped display of the third symbol coincides with the end of the time effect period, the reduced display of the third symbol is released and displayed from the start of the next change.

Note that if the fluctuation has already ended by the end of the time performance period and no pending memory has been stored, the premonition performance will not be executed.

In this embodiment, the condition for setting the extension is a jackpot, but it is not limited to this. It may also be set when a reserved memory is set that selects a variation pattern that results in a super reach, or it may be configured to be set when a lottery is performed and a win occurs.

Returning to FIG. 2, the explanation will continue. The second symbol display device 83 changes its display by indicating whether or not the lottery for the normal symbol, which is performed as the ball passes through the through gate 67, is in progress, by changing its lighting state, and indicates, as the stopping pattern after the change is completed, the normal symbol (second symbol) according to the lottery result for the normal symbol, by changing its lighting state.

More specifically, the second symbol display device 83 performs a variable display in which the second symbol, a circle symbol and a cross symbol, are alternately lit each time the ball passes through the through gate 67. When the variable display in the second symbol display device 83 stops at a predetermined symbol (the circle symbol in this embodiment), the electric device 640a associated with the second winning hole 640 is activated (opened) for a predetermined time, so that the second winning hole 640 is easily entered. The number of times that the ball has passed through the through gate 67 is reserved up to four times, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the first symbol display device 37 described above and is also displayed by the second symbol reserved lamp 84. Four second symbol reserved lamps 84 are provided, the number of the maximum reserved numbers, and are arranged symmetrically below the third symbol display device 81.

The normal pattern (second pattern) change display may be performed by switching on and off a number of lamps in the second pattern display device 83 as in this embodiment, or may be performed using a part of the first pattern display device 37 and the third pattern display device 81. Similarly, the second pattern reserve lamp 84 may be lit by a part of the third pattern display device 81. In addition, the passage of the ball through the through gate 67 is not limited to a maximum number of reserved balls being four times, as in the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 640, but may be set to three times or less, or five times or more (e.g., eight times). In addition, since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first pattern display device 37, the second pattern reserve lamp 84 may not be lit.

Below the variable display unit 80, there are arranged a first winning hole 64 and a second winning hole 640 through which a ball can enter. When a ball enters the first winning hole 64 or the second winning hole 640, a first winning hole switch and a second winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 are turned on, and when the first winning hole switch and the second winning hole switch are turned on, the main control device 110 draws a lottery for special pattern 1 and special pattern 2, and the display according to the lottery result is shown on the LED 37a of the first pattern display device 37. In addition, the first winning hole 64 and the second winning hole 640 are also one of the winning holes through which five balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters each of them.

In this embodiment, the number of prize balls awarded when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 640 is the same, but this is not limited to the above and different numbers of prize balls may be awarded. For example, the number of prize balls awarded for the second winning slot 640 may be set to be greater than the number of prize balls awarded for the first winning slot 64, with three prize balls awarded when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 and four prize balls awarded when a ball enters the second winning slot 640.

On the other hand, if the number of winning balls in the second winning slot 640 is set to be less than that of the first winning slot 64, it is possible to design the machine so that more game balls enter the second winning slot 640 during the special bonus period or the time-saving period, and the number of reserved balls for special pattern 2 can be maintained at a greater number, allowing for more efficient gameplay. As a result, the game time during the time-saving period and the special bonus period can be shortened, and sales for the gaming establishment can be increased.

A variable winning device 65 is disposed below the second winning hole 640, and a horizontally long rectangular specific winning hole (large open hole) 65a is provided in the approximate center of the device. In the pachinko machine 10, when the special symbol lottery performed by the main control device 110 results in a jackpot, after a predetermined time (variable time) has elapsed, the LED 37a of the first symbol display device 37 is turned on to show the jackpot stop symbol, and the third symbol stop symbol corresponding to the jackpot is displayed on the third symbol display device 81 to indicate the occurrence of the jackpot. After that, the game state transitions to a special game state (16-round jackpot) in which a larger amount of prize balls are paid out than in normal times. In this special game state, the specific winning hole 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have elapsed, or until 10 balls have been won).

This specific winning opening 65a is closed after a predetermined time has elapsed, and after the closure, the specific winning opening 65a is opened again for a predetermined time. The opening and closing operation of this specific winning opening 65a can be repeated 16 times (16 rounds). The state in which this opening and closing operation is taking place is one form of a special game state that is advantageous to the player, and the player is paid out a larger number of prize balls than usual as an addition of game value (game value).

Specifically, the variable winning device 65 comprises a horizontally long rectangular opening plate that covers the specific winning hole 65a, and a large opening solenoid (not shown) that drives the opening and closing of the opening plate forward around the lower edge of the opening plate. The specific winning hole 65a is normally in a closed state in which balls cannot or do not easily win. In the event of a big win, the large opening solenoid is driven to tilt the opening plate downward toward the front, temporarily creating an open state in which it is easy for balls to win the specific winning hole 65a, and the device operates to alternate between this open state and the normal closed state.

The special game state is not limited to the above-mentioned form. A large opening that opens and closes separately from the specific winning opening 65a may be provided in the game area, and when the LED 37a corresponding to a big win is lit in the first pattern display device 37, the specific winning opening 65a is opened for a predetermined time, and while the specific winning opening 65a is open, a ball enters the specific winning opening 65a, triggering the large opening provided separately from the specific winning opening 65a to be opened for a predetermined time and a predetermined number of times, forming a game state that is a special game state.

The left and right corners of the lower side of the game board 13 are provided with attachment spaces K1 and K2 for attaching stamps, identification labels, etc., and the stamps, etc. attached to the attachment space K1 can be seen through a small window 35 in the front frame 14 (see Figure 1).

The game board 13 is further provided with an outlet 66. Any balls that do not enter any of the winning holes 63, 64, 65a are guided through the outlet 66 to a ball discharge path (not shown). The game board 13 is provided with numerous nails to appropriately disperse and adjust the direction in which the balls fall, and various components (gimmicks) such as windmills are also provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 is mainly equipped with control board units 90, 91 and a back pack unit 94. The control board unit 90 is unitized with a main board (main control device 110), a voice lamp control board (voice lamp control device 113) and a display control board (display control device 114). The control board unit 91 is unitized with a payout control board (payout control device 111), a launch control board (launch control device 112), a power supply board (power supply device 115) and a card unit connection board 116.

The back pack unit 94 is a unit consisting of the back pack 92, which forms the protective cover, and the payout unit 93. In addition, each control board is equipped with an MPU as a one-chip microcomputer that controls each function, ports for communicating with various devices, a random number generator used in various lotteries, a clock pulse generating circuit used for time counting and synchronization, etc., as necessary.

The main control device 110, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114, the payout control device 111 and the launch control device 112, the power supply device 115, and the card unit connection board 116 are each stored in the board boxes 100-104. The board boxes 100-104 each include a box base and a box cover that covers the opening of the box base, and the box base and the box cover are connected to each other to store the respective control devices and boards.

The board box 100 (main control device 110) and the board box 102 (dispensing control device 111 and launch control device 112) are connected to the box base and box cover by a sealing unit (not shown) so that they cannot be opened (connected by a crimping structure). A sealing seal (not shown) is attached to the connection between the box base and the box cover, spanning the box base and the box cover. This sealing seal is made of a brittle material, and if you try to peel off the sealing seal to open the board box 100, 102 or forcefully open the board box 100, 102, it will be cut into the box base side and the box cover side. Therefore, by checking the sealing unit or sealing seal, you can know whether the board box 100, 102 has been opened.

The payout unit 93 is equipped with a tank 130 located at the top of the back pack unit 94 and opening upward, a tank rail 131 connected to the bottom of the tank 130 and gently inclined toward the downstream side, a case rail 132 connected vertically to the downstream side of the tank rail 131, and a payout device 133 provided at the most downstream part of the case rail 132, which pays out balls using a specified electrical configuration of a payout motor 216 (see Figure 49). The tank 130 is successively replenished with balls supplied from the island equipment of the game hall, and the payout device 133 pays out the required number of balls as appropriate. A vibrator 134 is attached to the tank rail 131 to impart vibration to the tank rail 131.

The payout control device 111 is also provided with a state recovery switch 120, the firing control device 112 with a variable resistor control knob 121, and the power supply device 115 with a RAM erase switch 122. The state recovery switch 120 is operated to clear ball jams (return to normal state) when a payout error occurs, such as ball jamming in the payout motor 216 (see FIG. 49). The control knob 121 is operated to adjust the firing force of the firing solenoid. The RAM erase switch 122 is operated when the power is turned on to return the pachinko machine 10 to its initial state.

<Electrical Configuration of Pachinko Machine 10>
Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 49. Fig. 49 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10.

The main control device 110 is equipped with an MPU 201, which is a one-chip microcomputer that is an arithmetic device. The MPU 201 contains a ROM 202 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 201, a RAM 203 that is a memory for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in the ROM 202, and various other circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data transmission/reception circuit. Note that in order to instruct the sub-control devices such as the dispensing control device 111 and the voice lamp control device 113 to operate, various commands are sent from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices by the data transmission/reception circuit, but such commands are sent only in one direction from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices.

The main control device 110 executes the main processes of the pachinko machine 10, such as drawing special symbols, drawing normal symbols, setting the display on the first symbol display device 37, setting the display on the second symbol display device 83, and setting the display on the third symbol display device 81. The RAM 203 is provided with various counters for controlling these processes. Here, referring to FIG. 52, the counters and the like provided in the RAM 203 of the main control device 110 will be described. These counters and the like are used by the MPU 201 of the main control device 110 to draw special symbols, draw normal symbols, set the display on the first symbol display device 37, set the display on the second symbol display device 83, and set the display on the third symbol display device 81, and the like.

The first winning random number counter C1 used to draw special symbols and to set the display of the first symbol display device 37 and the third symbol display device 81 uses the first winning type counter C2 used to select the big winning type of special symbols, the initial value random number counter CINI1 used to set the initial value of the first winning random number counter C1, and the fluctuation type counter CS1 used to select the fluctuation pattern. In addition, the second winning random number counter C4 is used to draw normal symbols, and the second initial value random number counter CINI2 is used to set the initial value of the second winning random number counter C4. Each of these counters is a loop counter that adds 1 to the previous value each time it is updated and returns to 0 after reaching the maximum value.

Each counter is updated, for example, at 2 millisecond intervals, which is the execution interval of the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58), and some counters are updated irregularly during the main process (see FIG. 67), and the updated values are appropriately stored in a counter buffer set in a predetermined area of the RAM 203. The RAM 203 is provided with a special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a consisting of four reserved areas (reserved areas 1 to 4) for storing reserved balls of the special symbol 1, a special symbol 2 reserved ball storage area 203b consisting of four reserved areas (reserved areas 1 to 4) for storing reserved balls of the special symbol 2, and a special symbol reserved ball execution area common to the special symbol 1 and the special symbol 2. In each area of the special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a, the values of the first winning random number counter C1 and the first winning type counter C2 are stored in accordance with the timing of the ball entering the first winning hole 64. Similarly, similar values are stored in each area of the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b in accordance with the timing of the ball entering the second winning hole 640.

The RAM 203 also has a normal symbol reserved ball storage area 203c, which consists of one execution area and four reserved areas (reserved areas 1 to 4), and the value of the second winning random number counter C4 is stored in each of these areas in accordance with the timing at which the ball passes through the through gate 67.

Next, each counter will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 50. The first hit random number counter C1 is configured to be incremented by one in sequence within a predetermined range (e.g., 0 to 299) and to return to 0 after reaching a maximum value (e.g., 299 for a counter that can take values from 0 to 299). In particular, when the first hit random number counter C1 goes around once, the value of the initial value random number counter CINI1 at that time is read as the initial value of the first hit random number counter C1.

In addition, the initial value random number counter CINI1 is configured as a loop counter that is updated within the same range as the first hit random number counter C1. That is, for example, if the first hit random number counter C1 is a loop counter that can take values from 0 to 299, the initial value random number counter CINI1 is also a loop counter with a range of 0 to 299. This initial value random number counter CINI1 is updated once each time the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58) is executed, and is repeatedly updated within the remaining time of the main process (see FIG. 57).

The value of the first winning random number counter C1 is updated periodically (once for each timer interrupt process in this embodiment), for example, and is stored in the special symbol reserved ball storage area 203a of the RAM 203 at the timing when the ball enters the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640. The value of the random number that results in a special symbol jackpot is set by a special symbol jackpot random number table (not shown) stored in the ROM 202 of the main control device 110, and when the value of the first winning random number counter C1 matches the value of the random number that results in a jackpot set by the special symbol jackpot random number table, it is determined that the special symbol is a jackpot. In addition, this special symbol jackpot random number table is divided into two types: one for when the probability of a special symbol is low (a period in which the special symbol is in a low probability state) and one for when the probability of a special symbol jackpot is higher than the low probability (a period in which the special symbol is in a high probability state), and the number of random numbers that result in a jackpot included in each type is set to be different. In this way, by varying the number of random numbers that result in a jackpot, the probability of a jackpot changes when the probability of a special symbol is low and when the probability of a special symbol is high. Note that a special symbol jackpot random number table (not shown) for when the probability of a special symbol is high and a special symbol jackpot random number table (not shown) for when the probability of a special symbol is low are provided in the ROM 202 of the main control device 110.

The first winning type counter C2 determines the display mode of the first pattern display device 37 when a special pattern jackpot occurs, and is configured to be incremented by one within a predetermined range (e.g., 0 to 99) and return to 0 after reaching a maximum value (e.g., 99 in the case of a counter that can take values from 0 to 99). The value of the first winning type counter C2 is updated, for example, periodically (once for each timer interrupt process in this embodiment), and is stored in the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a of the RAM 203 when the ball enters the first winning slot 64.

Here, if the value of the first winning random number counter C1 stored in the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a is not a random number that results in a jackpot for the special pattern, in other words, if it is a random number that results in a miss for the special pattern, the display mode corresponding to the stopped pattern displayed on the first pattern display device 37 will be that of a miss for the special pattern.

On the other hand, if the value of the first winning random number counter C1 stored in the special pattern reserved ball storage area 203a is a random number that results in a special pattern jackpot, the display mode corresponding to the stopped pattern displayed on the first pattern display device 37 will be that of a special pattern jackpot. In this case, the specific display mode at the time of the jackpot will be the display mode indicated by the value of the first winning type counter C2 stored in the same special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a. In this embodiment, two types of jackpot types are set, "jackpot A" and "jackpot B", and either "jackpot A" or "jackpot B" is determined by the first winning type counter C2. The display mode indicating the jackpot type is then displayed on the first pattern display device 37 as a jackpot pattern.

The first winning random number counter C1 in the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment is configured as a 2-byte loop counter with a range of 0 to 299. In this first winning random number counter C1, when the probability of a special symbol is low, there are three random number values that result in a jackpot for the special symbol, and these random number values "7,107,282" are stored in the special symbol jackpot random number table for low probability. In this way, when the probability of a special symbol is low, the total number of random number values that result in a jackpot is 3 out of a total of 300, so the probability of a jackpot for a special symbol is "1/100".

On the other hand, when the probability of a special symbol is high, there are 30 random numbers that will result in a special symbol jackpot, and these values, "4, 11, 28, 38, 45, 52, 64, 78, 83, 99, 106, 112, 122, 134, 140, 151, 168, 176, 183, 197, 207, 218, 222, 231, 249, 256, 263, 270, 285, 299", are stored in the special symbol jackpot random number table for high probability. In this way, when the probability of a special symbol is high, there are a total of 300 random numbers, and the total number of random numbers that will result in a jackpot is 30, so the probability of a special symbol jackpot is "1/10".

In this embodiment, the random number value for the jackpot stored in the special symbol jackpot random number table for low probability and the random number value for the jackpot stored in the special symbol jackpot random number table for high probability are set so that they do not overlap. If there is a value that is always used as the random number value for the jackpot regardless of the state of the pachinko machine 10, there is a risk that this random number value will be input from outside, making it easier to win a jackpot illegally. In contrast, as in this embodiment, by changing the random number value for the jackpot depending on the state (i.e., depending on whether the pachinko machine 10 is in a high probability state for the special symbol or a low probability state for the special symbol), it is possible to make it difficult to predict the random number value for the jackpot for the special symbol, thereby preventing fraud.

The value of the first winning type counter C2 in the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment is configured as a loop counter with a range of 0 to 99. In the first winning type counter C2, which is set in a winning type selection table (not shown), if the random number value is "0 to 59", the winning type is "winning A". If the value is "60 to 99", the winning type is "winning B".

In this way, the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment is configured to determine two types of wins (jackpot A, jackpot B) depending on the value of the random number indicated by the first win type counter C2. The random number value for determining the special symbol jackpot type from the value (random number value) of the first win type counter C2 is set by the special symbol jackpot type table (see FIG. 52(b)), and this table is provided in the ROM 202 of the main control device 110.

The variation type counter CS1 is configured to be incremented by one within the range of, for example, 0 to 198, and to return to 0 after reaching the maximum value (i.e., 198). The variation type counter CS1 determines the rough display mode, such as short-time miss, long-time miss, normal reach, and super reach. Determining the display mode is, specifically, determining the variation time of the pattern variation. Based on the variation time determined by the variation type counter CS1, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114 determine the reach type and detailed pattern variation mode of the third pattern displayed on the third pattern display device 81. The value of the variation type counter CS1 is updated once each time the main processing (see FIG. 67) described later is executed once, and is repeatedly updated during the remaining time in the main processing. A variation pattern selection table 202d (not shown) that stores random numbers that determine one variation time of the pattern variation from the value (random number) of the variation type counter CS1 is provided in the ROM 202 of the main control device 110.

In the variation pattern selection table 202d, a variation pattern selection table for selecting a variation pattern dedicated to special symbol 1 is set for each game state (normal game state, time-saving game state, and guaranteed bonus game state). As will be explained in more detail later in the explanation of the selection of the variation pattern in the voice lamp control device 113, the main control device 110 determines the rough content of the variation pattern (reach, super reach, non-reach, etc.) and the variation time based on the win/loss judgment result, the number of reserved balls, and the value of the variation type counter CS1, and sets a variation pattern command indicating the determined content.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 52(c), when the probability of a normal pattern is low, if the acquired value of the second winning random number counter C4 is any value between 5 and 20, it is determined that the normal pattern is a normal winning. On the other hand, when the probability of a normal pattern is high, if the acquired value of the second winning random number counter C4 is any value between 5 and 204, it is determined that the normal pattern is a normal winning.

In this way, by making the number of winning random numbers different, the probability of winning is changed between when the normal pattern has a low probability and when the normal pattern has a high probability. Therefore, when the probability is low, the frequency of the electric device 640a being operated can be reduced, and the frequency of the ball entering the second winning hole 640 can be reduced. Therefore, the focus is on getting the ball to enter the first winning hole 64, and the player's consumption of game balls can be increased, thereby increasing the profits of the gaming establishment. On the other hand, during the time-saving period and the probability-change period, when the probability is high, the electric device 640a can be given an opportunity to operate with a probability of "1/1.2", and the opportunity of the ball entering the second winning hole 640 can be increased. Therefore, the consumption of game balls by the player can be suppressed, and a game state advantageous to the player can be set. Therefore, the player can play with the aim of playing with a high probability, and can play for a longer period of time.

When the pachinko machine 10 is in a low probability state of a normal pattern, if the ball passes through the through gate 67, the value of the second winning random number counter C4 is acquired, and the variable display of the normal pattern is executed for 30 seconds on the second pattern display device 83. If the acquired value of the second winning random number counter C4 is in the range of "5 to 28", it is determined to be a win, and after the variable display on the second pattern display device 83 ends, a "circle" pattern is displayed as the stop pattern (second pattern). If the value of the second winning random number counter C4 is "5 to 20", it is a normal win, and the second winning hole 640 is opened for "0.2 seconds x 1 time". In this embodiment, when the pachinko machine 10 is in a low probability state of a normal pattern, if a normal pattern win occurs, the second winning hole 640 is opened for "0.2 seconds x 1 time", but the opening time and number of times can be set arbitrarily. For example, it may be opened for "0.5 seconds x 2 times".

On the other hand, when the probability of a normal symbol is high, there are 200 random number values that will result in a normal symbol jackpot, and the range is "5 to 204." These random number values are stored in the high probability normal jackpot random number table 202c (see Figure 53 (a)). Thus, when the probability of a special symbol is low, the total number of random number values that will result in a jackpot is 200 out of a total of 240, so the probability of a special symbol jackpot is "1/1.2."

When the pachinko machine 10 is in a high probability state of a normal pattern, if the ball passes through the through gate 67, the value of the second winning random number counter C4 is acquired, and the variable display of the normal pattern is executed for three seconds on the second pattern display device 83. If the acquired value of the second winning random number counter C4 is in the range of "5 to 204", it is determined to be a win, and after the variable display on the second pattern display device 83 ends, a "circle" pattern is displayed as the stop pattern (second pattern), and the second winning hole 640 is opened "2 seconds x 2 times". In this way, when the probability of a normal pattern is high, the variable display time is very short (from 30 seconds to 3 seconds) compared to when the probability of a normal pattern is low, and further, the opening period of the second winning hole 640 is very long (from 0.2 seconds x 1 time to 2 seconds x 2 times), so that the ball is more likely to enter the second winning hole 640. In this embodiment, when the pachinko machine 10 is in a state where there is a high probability of a normal symbol, if a normal symbol wins, the second winning port 640 opens for "2 seconds x 2 times", but the opening time and number of times can be set as desired. For example, it may be opened for "3 seconds x 3 times".

The second initial value random number counter CINI2 is configured as a loop counter that is updated within the same range as the second hit random number counter C4 (value = 0 to 239), and is updated once for each timer interrupt process (see Figure 58), and is repeatedly updated within the remaining time of the main process (see Figure 67).

In this way, various counters and the like are provided in the RAM 203, and the main control device 110 can execute the main processes of the pachinko machine 10, such as drawing jackpots, setting the displays on the first pattern display device 37 and the third pattern display device 81, and drawing the display results on the second pattern display device 83, depending on the values of these counters and the like.

Returning to FIG. 49, the explanation will continue. In addition to the various counters shown in FIG. 50, the RAM 203 has a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 201 and the return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 201 are stored, and a working area (working region) in which various flags, counters, I/O values, etc. are stored.

The RAM 203 is configured so that it can retain (back up) data even after the power supply to the pachinko machine 10 is cut off by receiving a backup voltage from the power supply device 115, and all data stored in the RAM 203 is backed up.

When the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, the stack pointer and the values of each register at the time of the power outage (including the occurrence of a power outage; the same applies below) are stored in the RAM 203. On the other hand, when the power is turned on (including the power turned on after the power outage is resolved; the same applies below), the state of the pachinko machine 10 is restored to the state before the power outage based on the information stored in the RAM 203. Writing to the RAM 203 is performed by the main processing (see FIG. 67) when the power supply is turned off, and the restoration of each value written to the RAM 203 is performed during the start-up processing (see FIG. 41) when the power supply is turned on. Note that the NMI terminal (non-maskable interrupt terminal) of the MPU 201 is configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to the MPU 201, the NMI interrupt processing (see FIG. 65) is immediately executed as a processing during a power outage.

As shown in FIG. 51(b), the RAM 203 has a special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a, a special symbol 2 reserved ball storage area 203b, a normal symbol reserved ball storage area 203c, a special symbol 1 reserved ball number counter 203d, a normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f, a time-saving counter 203g, a special bonus flag 203h, and a miscellaneous memory area 203z.

The special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a has one execution area for special symbol 1 and four reserved areas (reserved area 1 to reserved area 4), and each of these areas stores the values of the first winning random number counter C1, the first winning type counter C2, and the stop type selection counter C3.

More specifically, when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 (initial winning), the values of the counters C1 to C3 are obtained, and the obtained data is stored in the available areas of the four holding areas (holding area 1 to holding area 4) in order of the area number (1 to 4) starting from the area with the smallest area number. In other words, the smaller the area number, the more data corresponding to older winnings are stored, and the first holding area stores data corresponding to the oldest winning. Note that if data is stored in all four holding areas, nothing new is stored.

After that, when the main control device 110 performs a lottery for a special symbol, the values of the counters C1 to C3 stored in the first reserved area of the special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a are shifted (moved) to the execution area, and a decision such as the lottery for the special symbol is made based on the values of the counters C1 to C3 stored in the execution area.

When data is shifted from the reserved area 1 to the execution area, the reserved area 1 becomes empty. Therefore, a shift process is performed to move the winning data stored in the other reserved areas (reserved area 2 to reserved area 4) to the reserved areas with area numbers one smaller (reserved area 1 to reserved area 3). In this embodiment, in the special pattern reserved ball storage area 203a, data shifting is performed only for the reserved areas in which winning data is stored (reserved area 2 to reserved area 4). Also, the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b differs from the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a only in that it is a storage area corresponding to special pattern 2.

The normal symbol reserved ball storage area 203c, like the special symbol reserved ball storage area 203a, has one execution area and four reserved areas (reserved area 1 to reserved area 4). Each of these areas stores a second winning random number counter C4.

More specifically, when the ball passes through the through gate 67, the value of counter C4 is obtained, and the obtained data is stored in the available areas of the four reserved areas (reserved area 1 to reserved area 4) in order of the area with the smallest area number (1 to 4). In other words, similar to the special pattern reserved ball storage area 203a, the order in which the winning balls were won is maintained and data corresponding to the winning balls is stored. Note that if data is stored in all four reserved areas, nothing new is stored.

After that, when the main control device 110 performs a lottery for a winning normal symbol, the value of counter C4 stored in the first reserved area of the normal symbol reserved ball storage area 203c is shifted (moved) to the execution area, and a determination such as the lottery for a winning normal symbol is made based on the value of counter C4 stored in the execution area.

When data is shifted from the reserved area 1 to the execution area, the reserved area 1 becomes empty, and so, as in the case of the special symbol reserved ball storage area 203a, a shift process is performed to move the winning data stored in the other reserved areas to a reserved area with an area number one smaller. Also, data shifting is only performed on the reserved area in which the winning data is stored.

The special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is a counter that counts the number of reserved balls (waiting times) of the variable display (variable display performed by the third pattern display device 81) of the special pattern (first pattern) performed by the first pattern display device 37 based on a ball entering the first winning port 64 (initial winning), up to a maximum of four times. The initial value of this special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is set to zero, and each time a ball enters the first winning port 64 and the number of reserved balls of the variable display increases, it is incremented by one up to a maximum value of four (see S404 in FIG. 61). On the other hand, the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is decremented by one each time a new variable display of the special pattern is executed (see S307 in FIG. 60).

The value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball count counter 203d (the number of reserved ball counts N1 for the variable display of the special pattern) is notified to the voice lamp control device 113 by a reserved ball count command. The reserved ball count command is a command sent from the main control device 110 to the voice lamp control device 113 every time the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball count counter 203d is changed.

The special pattern 2 reserved ball counter 203e is a counter that counts reserved balls based on winning in the second winning slot 640, and other configurations are the same as the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d, so detailed explanations are omitted.

The voice lamp control device 113 can obtain the actual number of reserved balls of the variable display reserved in the main control device 110 by the reserved ball number command sent from the main control device 110 each time the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d is changed. As a result, even if the reserved ball number of the variable display managed by the special pattern reserved ball number counter 223b of the voice lamp control device 113 deviates from the actual reserved ball number of the variable display reserved in the main control device 110 due to the influence of noise, etc., the deviation can be corrected by the reserved ball number command received next.

The voice lamp control device 113 manages the number of reserved balls based on the reserved ball number command, and sends a reserved ball number display command to notify the display control device 114 of the number of reserved balls each time the number of reserved balls changes. The display control device 114 displays a reserved ball number pattern in the small area Ds1 of the third pattern display device 81 based on the reserved ball number notified by this reserved ball number display command.

The normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f is a counter that counts the number of reserved balls (waiting times) of the normal symbol (second symbol) variable display performed by the second symbol display device 83 based on the passage of a ball through the through gate 67, up to a maximum of four. The normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f is initially set to zero, and each time a ball passes through the through gate 67 and the number of reserved balls of the variable display increases, one is added up to a maximum value of four (see S704 in FIG. 64). On the other hand, the normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f is decremented by one each time a new normal symbol (second symbol) variable display is executed (see S605 in FIG. 63).

When the ball passes through the through gate 67, if the value of the normal symbol reserved ball counter 203f (the number of reserved variable display times M for normal symbols) is less than 4, the value of the second winning random number counter C4 is obtained, and the obtained data is stored in the normal symbol reserved ball storage area 203c (S705 in FIG. 64). On the other hand, when the ball passes through either the left or right through gate 67, if the value of the normal symbol reserved ball counter 203f is 4, nothing is newly stored in the normal symbol reserved ball storage area 203c (S703 in FIG. 64: No).

The time-saving counter 203g is a counter that indicates whether the pachinko machine 10 is in a time-saving state for normal symbols. When the value of the time-saving counter 203g is 1 or more, it indicates that the pachinko machine 10 is in a time-saving state for normal symbols, and when the value of the time-saving counter 203g is 0, it indicates that the pachinko machine 10 is in a normal state for normal symbols. The time-saving counter 203g is initially set to zero, and whenever a lottery for a special symbol is performed in the main control device 110 and a jackpot for a special symbol is determined, a value corresponding to the type of jackpot is set. In other words, when a jackpot for a special symbol is reached, a new value corresponding to the type of jackpot is set regardless of the value of the time-saving counter 203g.

The probability change flag 203h is a flag that indicates that the game state is a probability change game state. When the probability change game state is set as the game state, the probability change flag 203h is set to ON. This probability change flag 203h is set to OFF when a jackpot B is won. In the initialized state, it is set to OFF.

The MPU 201 of the main control device 110 is connected to an input/output port 205 via a bus line 204 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 205 is connected to the payout control device 111, the sound lamp control device 113, the first pattern display device 37, the second pattern display device 83, the second pattern reservation lamp 84, and solenoids 209 consisting of a large opening solenoid for driving the specific winning port 65a to open and close forward around the lower edge of the opening/closing plate as an axis, and a solenoid for driving the electric role-playing device, and the MPU 201 transmits various commands and control signals to these via the input/output port 205.

In addition, the input/output port 205 is connected to various switches 208 consisting of a group of switches and sensors (not shown), and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 (described below) provided in the power supply device 115, and the MPU 201 executes various processes based on the signals output from the various switches 208 and the RAM erase signal SG2 output from the RAM erase switch circuit 253.

The payout control device 111 drives the payout motor 216 to control the payout of prize balls and loan balls. The MPU 211, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 212 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 211, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 213 that is used as a work memory, etc.

The RAM 213 of the payout control device 111, like the RAM 203 of the main control device 110, has a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 211 and the return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 211 are stored, and a work area (working area) in which the values of various flags, counters, I/O, etc. are stored. The RAM 213 is configured to be able to retain (back up) data by receiving backup voltage from the power supply device 115 even after the power supply of the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 213 is backed up. Note that, like the MPU 201 of the main control device 110, the NMI terminal of the MPU 211 is also configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to the MPU 211, an NMI interrupt process (see FIG. 65) is immediately executed as a process during a power outage.

An input/output port 215 is connected to the MPU 211 of the payout control device 111 via a bus line 214 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The main control device 110, payout motor 216, launch control device 112, etc. are each connected to the input/output port 215. In addition, although not shown, a prize ball detection switch for detecting paid-out prize balls is connected to the payout control device 111. Note that the prize ball detection switch is connected to the payout control device 111, but is not connected to the main control device 110.

When the main control device 110 issues an instruction to launch a ball, the launch control device 112 controls the ball launch unit 112a so that the strength of the ball launch corresponds to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51. The ball launch unit 112a is equipped with a launch solenoid and electromagnet (not shown), and the launch solenoid and electromagnet are permitted to operate when certain conditions are met. Specifically, the touch sensor 51a detects that the player is touching the operating handle 51, and on condition that the shot stop switch 51b for stopping the launch of the ball is off (not operated), the launch solenoid is excited in accordance with the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51, and the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the amount of operation of the operating handle 51.

The audio lamp control device 113 controls the output of audio from the audio output device (such as a speaker not shown) 226, the output of turning on and off the lamp display device (such as the illumination units 29-33 and the display lamp 34) 227, and the setting of the display mode of the third pattern display device 81 performed by the display control device 114, such as variable performance (variable display) and continuous preview performance. The MPU 221, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 222 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 221, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 223 used as a work memory, etc.

The MPU 221 of the audio and lamp control device 113 is connected to an input/output port 225 via a bus line 224 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 225 is connected to the main control device 110, the display control device 114, the audio output device 226, the lamp display device 227, the frame button 22, etc.

The audio and lamp control device 113 monitors input from the frame button 22, and when the player operates the frame button 22, it controls the audio output device 226 and the lamp display device 227, and also instructs the display control device 114, to change the background mode displayed on the third pattern display device 81 or to change the content of the performance during a super reach.

The voice lamp control device 113 determines an error based on commands from the main control device 110 and the status of various devices connected to the voice lamp control device 113, and sends an error command including the type of error to the display control device 114. The display control device 114 controls the third pattern display device 81 to display without delay an error message image according to the error type (e.g., a vibration error) indicated by the received error command.

The ROM 222 of the sound lamp control device 113 stores a variation pattern selection table 222a, as shown in FIG. 53(a). The RAM 223 of the sound lamp control device 113 includes at least a winning information storage area 223a, a special symbol 1 reserved ball counter 223b, a special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 223c, a normal symbol reserved ball counter 223d, a variation start flag 223e, a stop type selection flag 223f, a performance counter 223g, a reserved performance flag 223h, an 8-piece performance flag 223i, a set time memory area 223j, a performance mode memory area 223k, a normal period flag 223m, a start period flag 223o, an extended performance flag 223p, an extended performance time memory area 223q, a button performance flag 223r, a button performance counter 223s, and a miscellaneous memory area 223z, as shown in FIG. 53(b).

The winning information storage area 223a is an area where winning information is stored corresponding to the reserved balls based on the winning command output from the main control device 110. As the winning information, various information such as the winning/losing determination result, the fluctuation pattern, the stop type, etc. is set.

The special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 223b is a memory area in which the number of reserved balls of special pattern 1 is stored based on the reserved ball number command. The special pattern 2 reserved ball number counter 223c is a memory area in which the number of reserved balls of special pattern 2 is stored based on the reserved ball number command.

The normal pattern reserved ball count counter 223d is a memory area in which the number of reserved balls with normal patterns is stored based on the reserved ball command.

The change start flag 223e is a flag that indicates the timing to start changing the third pattern.

The stop type selection flag 223f is a flag that indicates the stop type to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 based on the stop type command output from the main control device 110.

The performance counter 223g is a counter used in the voice lamp control device 113 to determine the details of various performances and variation patterns, and for various lotteries. This performance counter 223h is repeatedly updated in the main processing within the range of 0 to 198.

The reserved effect flag 223h is a flag that indicates that a normal reserved effect is being executed. It is set to on when a normal reserved effect is being executed, and is set to off based on the timing at which the reserved symbol starts to change.

The 8-piece effect flag 223i is a flag that indicates that the 8-piece effect is being executed. It is set to ON when it is determined that the 8-piece effect is to be executed, and is set to OFF when the 8th reserved symbol displayed when the 8-piece effect is executed starts to change.

The set time memory area 223i is a memory area in which time information for executing the time performance period is stored. When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 10, information on the time performance period for 24 hours is set in this set time memory area 223i in S1222 of the time setting process (FIG. 69, S1214) in the start-up process (see FIG. 68) executed by the MPU 113 of the sound lamp control device 113.

The presentation mode memory area 223k is a memory area in which information relating to presentation mode A, presentation mode B, and presentation mode C is stored (set). If the current presentation mode is the normal play period (outside the time presentation period), presentation mode A is stored; if it is the time presentation period, presentation mode B is stored; and if it is the extended time presentation period, presentation mode C is stored.

The normal period flag 223m is a flag indicating that the normal play period is about to begin. By setting this normal period flag 223m to on, the background image is changed from the time effect period or extended time effect period to a background image corresponding to the normal play period. In this case, after the background image shown in FIG. 48 is displayed, a background image indicating the normal play period is displayed.

The start period flag 223o is a flag indicating that the time performance period is about to begin. When this time performance period is set to on, a background image of a super school of fish (see FIG. 46(a)) indicating that the time performance period is in progress is set on the third pattern display device 81.

The extended performance flag 223p is a flag indicating that the time performance extension period is about to begin. When this time performance extension period is set, a background image indicating the time performance extension period shown in FIG. 47(b) is set.

The extended performance time memory area 223q is a memory area in which the time until the end of the fluctuation that results in a jackpot is calculated when a time performance extension period is set, and information indicating that time is stored. The remaining time of the time performance extension period is displayed based on the value of this extended performance time memory area 223q.

The button effect flag 223r is a flag that indicates that a variation pattern that executes a button effect has been selected. This flag determines that a button effect will be executed.

The button effect counter 223s is a counter for selecting the display mode of the button effect.

The RAM 223 also has a command memory area (not shown) that temporarily stores commands received from the main control device 110 until processing corresponding to the command is performed. The command memory area is configured as a ring buffer, and data is read and written using a FIFO (First In First Out) method. When the command determination process (see FIG. 71) of the voice lamp processing device 113 is executed, the first command stored in the command memory area is read out from the unprocessed commands stored therein, and the command determination process analyzes the command and performs processing corresponding to the command.

The display control device 114 is connected to the voice lamp control device 113 and the third pattern display device 81, and controls the variable display (variable presentation) of the third pattern on the third pattern display device 81 based on commands received from the voice lamp control device 113. Details of this display control device 114 will be described later with reference to FIG. 54.

The power supply unit 115 has a power supply unit 251 for supplying power to each unit of the pachinko machine 10, a power failure monitoring circuit 252 for monitoring power interruption due to a power failure or the like, and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 provided with a RAM erase switch 122 (see FIG. 3). The power supply unit 251 is a device that supplies the necessary operating voltage to each of the control devices 110-114, etc. through a power supply path not shown. In summary, the power supply unit 251 takes in an externally supplied 24-volt AC voltage, generates a 12-volt voltage for driving various switches such as the various switches 208, solenoids such as the solenoid 209, motors, etc., a 5-volt voltage for logic, a backup voltage for RAM backup, etc., and supplies the necessary voltages to each of the control devices 110-114, etc.

The power failure monitoring circuit 252 is a circuit for outputting a power failure signal SG1 to each NMI terminal of the MPU 201 of the main control unit 110 and the MPU 211 of the dispensing control unit 111 when the power is cut off due to a power failure or the like. The power failure monitoring circuit 252 monitors the voltage of 24 volts DC, which is the maximum voltage output from the power supply unit 251, and when this voltage falls below 22 volts, it determines that a power failure (power failure, power cut) has occurred and outputs a power failure signal SG1 to the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111. By outputting the power failure signal SG1, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 recognize the occurrence of a power failure and execute NMI interrupt processing. The power supply unit 251 is configured to maintain the output of the 5 volt voltage, which is the drive voltage of the control system, at a normal value for a sufficient time to execute the NMI interrupt processing, even after the voltage of 24 volts DC becomes less than 22 volts. Therefore, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 can execute and complete the NMI interrupt processing (see FIG. 65) normally.

The RAM clear switch circuit 253 is a circuit for outputting a RAM clear signal SG2 to the main control device 110 to clear the backup data when the RAM clear switch 122 (see FIG. 3) is pressed. When the main control device 110 inputs the RAM clear signal SG2 when the pachinko machine 10 is powered on, it clears the backup data and sends a payout initialization command to the payout control device 111 to clear the backup data in the payout control device 111.

Next, the electrical configuration of the display control device 114 will be described with reference to FIG. 54. FIG. 54 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the display control device 114. The display control device 114 has an MPU 231, a work RAM 233, a character ROM 234, a resident video RAM 235, a normal video RAM 236, an image controller 237, an input port 238, an output port 239, and bus lines 240 and 241.

The input side of the input port 238 is connected to the output side of the voice lamp control device 113, and the output side of the input port 238 is connected to the MPU 231, work RAM 233, character ROM 234, and image controller 237 via bus line 240. The image controller 237 is connected to the resident video RAM 235 and normal video RAM 236, and is also connected to the output port 239 via bus line 241. The output side of the output port 239 is also connected to the third pattern display device 81.

Incidentally, even if the pachinko machine 10 is of a different model with a different probability of winning a jackpot with a special symbol or a different number of prize balls paid out for one jackpot with a special symbol, there are models with the exact same specifications for the symbol configuration displayed on the third symbol display device 81, so the display control device 114 is made into a common component to reduce costs.

In the following, we will first explain the MPU 231, character ROM 234, image controller 237, resident video RAM 235, and normal video RAM 236, and then explain the work RAM 233.

First, the MPU 231 controls the display contents of the third symbol display device 81 based on the display variation pattern command output from the voice lamp control device 113 based on the variation pattern command of the main control device 110. The MPU 231 has a built-in command pointer 231a, reads and fetches the command code stored at the address indicated by the command pointer 231a, and executes various processes according to the command code. The MPU 231 is configured to be reset by the power supply device 115 immediately after power is turned on (including power recovery from a power outage. The same applies below). When the system reset is released, the command pointer 231a is automatically set to "0000H" by the hardware of the MPU 231. Then, each time a command code is fetched, the value of the command pointer 231a is incremented by one. Also, when the MPU 231 executes a command to set the command pointer, the value of the pointer indicated by the command to set is set to the command pointer 231a.

In addition, although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the control program executed by the MPU 231 and the various fixed value data used in the control program are not stored in a dedicated program ROM as in conventional gaming machines, but are instead stored in a character ROM 234 provided for storing image data to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

Although details will be described later, the character ROM 234 is composed of a NAND type flash memory 234a, which allows for a large capacity in a small area. This allows sufficient storage of not only image data but also control programs, etc. Furthermore, if the control programs, etc. are stored in the character ROM 234, there is no need to provide a dedicated program ROM for storing the control programs, etc. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts in the display control device 114, which not only reduces manufacturing costs but also suppresses an increase in the rate of failures due to an increase in the number of parts.

On the other hand, NAND flash memory has a problem in that the read speed is slow, especially when performing random access. For example, when reading data arranged continuously on multiple pages, the data from the second page onwards can be read at high speed, but when reading the data of the first page, it takes a long time from when the address is specified until the data is output. Also, when reading non-contiguous data, it takes a long time each time the data is read. As such, since the read speed of NAND flash memory is slow, if the MPU 231 is configured to directly read the control program from the character ROM 234 and execute various processes, it may take a long time to read the commands that make up the control program, and even if a high-performance processor is used as the MPU 231, this may deteriorate the processing performance of the display control device 114.

In this embodiment, when the system reset of the MPU 231 is released, the control program stored in the NAND type flash memory 234a of the character ROM 234 is first transferred to and stored in the work RAM 233 provided for temporary storage of various data. The MPU 231 then executes various processes according to the control program stored in the work RAM 233. As described below, the work RAM 233 is composed of DRAM (Dynamic RAM), and data can be read and written at high speed, so that the MPU 231 can read the commands that make up the control program without delay. This allows the display control device 114 to maintain high processing performance, and the third pattern display device 81 can be used to easily execute diversified and complicated presentations.

The character ROM 234 is a memory that stores the control program executed by the MPU 231 and the image data displayed on the third symbol display device 81, and is connected to the MPU 231 via a bus line 240. The MPU 231 directly accesses the character ROM 234 via the bus line 240 after the system reset is released, and transfers the control program stored in the second program memory area 234a1 of the character ROM 234, which will be described later, to the program storage area 233a of the work RAM 233. The image controller 237 is also connected to the bus line 240, and the image controller 237 transfers the image data stored in the character memory area 234a2 of the character ROM 234, which will be described later, to the resident video RAM 235 and the normal video RAM 236, which are connected to the image controller 237.

This character ROM 234 is constructed by modularizing a NAND flash memory 234a, a ROM controller 234b, a buffer RAM 234c, and a NOR ROM 234d.

The NAND type flash memory 234a is a non-volatile memory provided as the main storage unit in the character ROM 234, and has at least a second program memory area 234a1 that stores most of the control programs executed by the MPU 231 and fixed value data for driving the third pattern display device 81, and a character memory area 234a2 that stores data for images (characters, etc.) to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

The NAND flash memory has the characteristic of being able to obtain a large storage capacity in a small area, and the character ROM 234 can be easily increased in capacity. As a result, in this pachinko machine, by using a NAND flash memory 234a with a capacity of, for example, 2 gigabytes, many images can be stored in the character memory area 234a2 as images to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81. Therefore, in order to further increase the interest of the player, the images displayed on the third pattern display device 81 can be made more diverse and complex.

In addition, the NAND flash memory 234a can store a large amount of image data in the character storage area 234a2, and can also store control programs and fixed value data in the second program storage area 234a1. In this way, the control programs and fixed value data can be stored in the character ROM 234 provided for storing image data to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81, without having to provide a dedicated program ROM as in conventional gaming machines. This reduces the number of parts in the display control device 114, reducing manufacturing costs and preventing an increase in the rate of failures due to an increase in the number of parts.

The ROM controller 234b is a controller for controlling the operation of the character ROM 234. For example, based on an address transmitted from the MPU 231 or the image controller 237 via the bus line 240, the ROM controller 234b reads out the corresponding data from the NAND flash memory 234a, etc., and outputs the data to the MPU 231 or the image controller 237 via the bus line 240.

Due to its nature, the NAND flash memory 234a generates a relatively large number of error bits (bits to which erroneous data is written) when writing data, and generates defective data blocks to which data cannot be written. Therefore, the ROM controller 234b performs known error correction on the data read from the NAND flash memory 234a, and also performs known data address conversion so that data is read and written to the NAND flash memory 234a while avoiding the defective data blocks.

This ROM controller 234b performs error correction on data read from the NAND flash memory 234a, including error bits, so that even if the NAND flash memory 234a is used as the character ROM 234, it is possible to prevent the MPU 231 from performing processing based on erroneous data and the image controller 237 from generating various images.

Furthermore, the ROM controller 234b analyzes the bad data blocks of the NAND flash memory 234a and avoids accessing the bad data blocks, so that the MPU 231 and the image controller 237 can easily access the character ROM 234 without having to consider the address positions of the bad data blocks, which differ in each NAND flash memory 234a. Therefore, even if the NAND flash memory 234a is used for the character ROM 234, it is possible to prevent access control to the character ROM 234 from becoming complicated.

The buffer RAM 234c is a memory used as a buffer for temporarily storing data read from the NAND flash memory 234a. When an address assigned to the character ROM 234 is specified from the MPU 231 or the image controller 237 via the bus line 240, the ROM controller 234b determines whether one page (e.g., 2 kilobytes) of data including the data corresponding to the specified address is set in the buffer RAM 234c. If the data is not set, the buffer RAM 234c reads one page (e.g., 2 kilobytes) of data including the data corresponding to the specified address from the NAND flash memory 234a (or the NOR ROM 234d) and temporarily sets it in the buffer RAM 234c. The ROM controller 234b then performs a known error correction process and outputs the data corresponding to the specified address to the MPU 231 or the image controller 237 via the bus line 240.

This buffer RAM 234c is made up of two banks, and one page's worth of data from the NAND flash memory 234a can be set per bank. This allows the ROM controller 234b to, for example, output data from the NAND flash memory 234a to the outside by using one bank while data is set in the other, or to perform parallel processing of transferring one page's worth of data, including data corresponding to an address specified by the MPU 231 or image controller 237, from the NAND flash memory 234a to one bank and setting it, and reading data corresponding to an address specified by the MPU 231 or image controller 237 from the other bank and outputting it to the MPU 231 or image controller 237. This improves the responsiveness of the character ROM 234 when reading it out.

The NOR ROM 234d is a non-volatile memory provided as a sub-storage unit in the character ROM 234, and is configured to have a much smaller capacity (e.g., 2 kilobytes) than the NAND flash memory 234a in order to complement the NAND flash memory 234a. This NOR ROM 234d is provided with at least a first program memory area 234d1 that stores, among the control programs stored in the character ROM 234, programs that are not stored in the second program memory area 234a1 of the NAND flash memory 234a, specifically, a part of the boot program that is executed first in the MPU 231 after the system reset is released.

The boot program is a control program for starting the display control device 114 so that various controls for the third pattern display device 81 can be executed, and the MPU 231 executes this boot program first after the system reset is released. This allows the display control device 114 to be in a state where various controls can be executed. The first program memory area 234d1 stores a predetermined number of instructions (for example, if the capacity of one page is 2 kilobytes, then 1024 words (1 word = 2 bytes) worth of instructions) from the instruction to be first processed by the MPU 231 after the system reset is released, within the capacity of one bank of the buffer RAM 234c (i.e., one page of the NAND type flash memory 234a) of this boot program. Note that the number of instructions of the boot program stored in the first program memory area 234d1 only needs to be within the capacity of one bank of the buffer RAM 234c, and may be appropriately set according to the specifications of the display control device 114.

When the system reset is released, the MPU 231 is configured to set the value of the instruction pointer 231a to "0000H" by hardware and to specify the address "0000H" indicated by the instruction pointer 231a on the bus line 240. On the other hand, when the ROM controller 234b of the character ROM 234 detects that the address "0000H" has been specified on the bus line 240, it sets the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 of the NOR type ROM 234d in one bank of the buffer RAM 234c and outputs the corresponding data (instruction code) to the MPU 231.

When the MPU 231 fetches an instruction code received from the character ROM 234, it executes various processes according to the fetched instruction code, increments the instruction pointer 231a by 1, and specifies the address indicated by the instruction pointer 231a to the bus line 240. Then, while the address specified by the bus line 240 is an address indicating a program stored in the NOR ROM 234d, the ROM controller 234b of the character ROM 234 reads out from the buffer RAM 234c the instruction code at the corresponding address from the program previously set in the buffer RAM 234c from the NOR ROM 234d, and outputs it to the MPU 231.

In this embodiment, the reason why not all control programs are stored in the NAND flash memory 234a, but rather a predetermined number of commands from the boot program, starting with the command that should be processed first by the MPU 231 after the system reset is released, are stored in the NOR ROM 234d, is as follows. That is, as described above, the NAND flash memory 234a has a problem specific to NAND flash memories in that when reading data from the first page, it takes a long time from when an address is specified until the data is output.

If all the control programs are stored in such a NAND type flash memory 234a, when the address "0000H" is specified from the MPU 231 via the bus line 240 to fetch the command code that the MPU 231 should execute first after the system reset is released, the character ROM 234 must read one page of data including the data (command code) corresponding to the address "0000H" from the NAND type flash memory 234a and set it in the buffer RAM 234c. And, because of the nature of the NAND type flash memory 234a, it takes a long time to read and set it in the buffer RAM 234c, so the MPU 231 consumes a lot of waiting time from specifying the address "0000H" to receiving the command code corresponding to the address "0000H". Therefore, it takes a long time to start up the MPU 231, and as a result, there is a problem that the control of the third pattern display device 81 in the display control device 114 may not start immediately.

On the other hand, since the NOR type ROM is a memory capable of reading data at high speed, by storing a predetermined number of commands from the command to be processed first by the MPU 231 after the system reset is released in the NOR type ROM 234d, when the address "0000H" is specified from the MPU 231 via the bus line 240 after the system reset is released, the character ROM 234 can immediately set the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 of the NOR type ROM 234d in the buffer RAM 234c and output the corresponding data (command code) to the MPU 231. Therefore, the MPU 231 can receive the command code corresponding to the address "0000H" in a short time after specifying the address "0000H", and can start the MPU 231 in a short time. Therefore, even if a control program is stored in the character ROM 234 composed of the NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the control of the third pattern display device 81 in the display control device 114 can be immediately started.

Now, the boot program is programmed to transfer the control programs stored in the second program storage area 234a1 of the NAND flash memory 234a, i.e., the control programs excluding the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 of the NOR ROM 234d, and the fixed value data used in the control programs (e.g., a display data table, a transfer data table, etc., described later) to the program storage area 233a and the data table storage area 233b of the work RAM 233 in a predetermined amount (e.g., the capacity of one page of the NAND flash memory 234a). Then, the MPU 231 first transfers and stores the control programs stored in the second program storage area 234a1 to the program storage area 233a by a predetermined amount, using a bank different from the bank of the buffer RAM 234c in which the boot program of the first program storage area 234d1 is set, according to the boot program read from the first program storage area 234d1 after the system reset is released.

Here, as described above, the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 is configured with a capacity equivalent to one bank of the buffer RAM 234c, so when the boot program in the first program storage area 234d1 is set in the buffer RAM 234c in response to the address of the internal bus being specified as "0000H", the boot program is set in only one bank of the buffer RAM 234c. Therefore, when the control program stored in the second program storage area 234a1 is transferred to the program storage area 233a according to the boot program in the first program storage area 234d1, the transfer process can be executed using the other bank while leaving the boot program in the first program storage area 234d1 set in one bank of the buffer RAM 234c. Therefore, since there is no need to set the boot program in the first program storage area 234d1 in the buffer RAM 234c again after the transfer process, the time required for the boot process can be shortened.

The boot program stored in the first program memory area 234d1 is programmed to set the instruction pointer 231a to a first predetermined location in the program storage area 233a when a predetermined amount of the control program stored in the second program memory area 234a1 is transferred to the program storage area 233a. As a result, after the system reset is released, when a predetermined amount of the control program stored in the second program memory area 234a1 is transferred to the program storage area 233a by the MPU 231, the instruction pointer 231a is set to a first predetermined location in the program storage area 233a.

Therefore, when a predetermined amount of the control programs stored in the second program storage area 234a1 are stored in the program storage area 233a, the MPU 231 can read out the control programs stored in the program storage area 233a and execute various processes. That is, the MPU 231 does not read out the control programs from the NAND flash memory 234a having the second program storage area 234a1 and fetch the instructions, but reads out the control programs transferred to the work RAM 233 having the program storage area 233a, fetches the instructions, and executes various processes. As described later, since the work RAM 233 is composed of DRAM, the read operation is performed at high speed. Therefore, even if most of the control programs are stored in the NAND flash memory 234a, which has a slow read speed, the MPU 231 can fetch the instructions at high speed and execute the process for the instructions.

The control program stored in the second program storage area 234a1 includes the remaining boot program that is not stored in the first program storage area 234d1. On the other hand, the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 is programmed so that the remaining boot program is included in the control program transferred from the second program storage area 234a1 to the program storage area 233a of the work RAM 233 by a predetermined amount, and the instruction pointer 231a is programmed to set the top address of the remaining boot program stored in the program storage area 233a as a first predetermined address.

As a result, the MPU 231 transfers a predetermined amount of the control program stored in the second program memory area 234a1 to the program storage area 233a using the boot program stored in the first program memory area 234d1, and then executes the remaining boot program included in the transferred control program.

This remaining boot program executes a process of transferring all remaining control programs not transferred to the program storage area 233a and fixed value data used in the control programs (e.g., a display data table, a transfer data table, etc., described later) from the second program memory area 234a1 to the program storage area 233a or the data table storage area 233b in predetermined amounts. Also, at the end of the boot program, the instruction pointer 231a is set to a second predetermined address in the program storage area 233a. Specifically, as this second predetermined address, the start address of the program stored in the program storage area 233a that corresponds to the initialization process (see S2002 in FIG. 83) that is executed after the boot process (see S2001 in FIG. 84) by the boot program is completed is set.

The MPU 231 executes the remaining boot program, and all of the control programs and fixed value data stored in the second program memory area 234a1 are transferred to the program storage area 233a or the data table storage area 233b. When the boot program is executed to the end by the MPU 231, the instruction pointer 231a is set to the second predetermined address, and thereafter, the MPU 231 executes various processes using the control programs transferred to the program storage area 233a without referring to the NAND flash memory 234a.

Therefore, even if most of the control program is stored in the character ROM 234, which is composed of a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, by transferring the control program to the program storage area 233a of the work RAM 233 after the system reset is released, the MPU 231 can read the control program from the work RAM, which is composed of a DRAM with a fast read speed, and perform various controls. Therefore, high processing performance can be maintained in the display control device 114, and diversified and complicated presentations can be easily executed using the third pattern display device 81.

As described above, instead of storing the entire boot program in NOR ROM 234d, a predetermined number of instructions are stored starting from the instructions to be processed first by MPU 231 after system reset is released, and the remaining boot program is stored in second program storage area 234a1 of NAND flash memory 234a, so that the control program stored in second program storage area 234a1 can be reliably transferred to program storage area 233a. Therefore, by simply adding an extremely small capacity NOR ROM 234d to character ROM 234, MPU 231 can be started up in a short time, and the increase in cost of character ROM 234 associated with the shortened time can be suppressed.

The image controller 237 is a digital signal processor (DSP) that draws an image and displays the drawn image on the third pattern display device 81 at a predetermined timing. The image controller 237 draws one frame of an image based on a drawing list (see FIG. 57) sent from the MPU 231, and displays the drawn image in one of the first and second frame buffers 236b and 236c, which will be described later, while outputting the image information for one frame previously displayed in the other frame buffer to the third pattern display device 81, thereby displaying the image on the third pattern display device 81. The image controller 237 performs the drawing process for this one frame of an image and the display process for this one frame of an image in parallel within the image display time for one frame on the third pattern display device 81 (20 milliseconds in this embodiment).

The image controller 237 transmits a vertical synchronization interrupt signal (hereinafter referred to as a "V interrupt signal") to the MPU 231 every 20 milliseconds when the drawing process of one frame of image is completed. Each time the MPU 231 detects this V interrupt signal, it executes V interrupt processing (see FIG. 85(b)) and instructs the image controller 237 to draw the next frame of image. In response to this instruction, the image controller 237 executes drawing processing of the next frame of image and also executes processing to display the image previously developed by drawing on the third pattern display device 81.

In this way, MPU 231 executes V interrupt processing in response to a V interrupt signal from image controller 237 and issues drawing instructions to image controller 237, so that image controller 237 can receive image drawing instructions from MPU 231 at image drawing and display processing intervals (20 milliseconds). Therefore, image controller 237 does not receive a drawing instruction for the next image before the drawing and display processing of an image is completed, so it is possible to prevent starting drawing of a new image in the middle of drawing an image, or developing an image in response to a new drawing instruction in the frame buffer in which the image information currently being displayed is stored.

The image controller 237 also performs processing to transfer image data from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 based on transfer instructions from the MPU 231 or transfer data information included in the drawing list.

The image is drawn using image data stored in the resident video RAM 235 and the normal video RAM 236. That is, the image data required for drawing is transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 based on instructions from the MPU 231 before the drawing is performed.

Here, while NAND type flash memory makes it easy to increase the capacity of ROM, its read speed is slower than other ROMs (such as mask ROM and EEPROM). In contrast, in the display control device 114, the MPU 231 is configured to instruct the image controller 237 to transfer a portion of the image data stored in the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 after power is turned on. Then, as described below, the image data stored in the resident video RAM 235 is controlled to remain resident without being overwritten.

As a result, after the transfer of image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 is completed after the power is turned on, the image controller 237 can perform image drawing processing while using the image data resident in the resident video RAM 235. Therefore, if the image data used for drawing processing is resident in the resident video RAM 235, there is no need to read the corresponding image data from the character ROM 234, which is composed of the NAND type flash memory 234a, which has a slow read speed, when drawing an image, so the time required for reading can be saved, and the image can be drawn immediately and displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

In particular, the resident video RAM 235 stores image data of frequently displayed images and image data of images that should be displayed immediately after the display is determined by the main control unit 110 or the display control unit 114. Therefore, even if the character ROM 234 is configured from a NAND type flash memory 234a, high responsiveness can be maintained until an image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

When the display control device 114 uses image data that is non-resident in the resident video RAM 235 to draw an image, the MPU 231 is configured to instruct the image controller 237 to transfer the image data required for drawing from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 before the drawing is performed. As described below, the image data transferred to the normal video RAM 236 may be deleted by overwriting after being used to draw the image. However, when drawing an image, there is no need to read the corresponding image data from the character ROM 234, which is made up of the NAND type flash memory 234a, which has a slow read speed, and the time required for reading can be saved, so that the image can be drawn immediately and the drawn image can be displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

In addition, by storing image data in the normal video RAM 236 as well, it is not necessary to keep all image data resident in the resident video RAM 235, and therefore it is not necessary to prepare a large-capacity resident video RAM 235. This makes it possible to suppress the increase in costs that would otherwise be caused by providing the resident video RAM 235.

The image controller 237 has a buffer RAM 237a consisting of 132 kilobytes of SRAM, which is the capacity of one block of the NAND flash memory 234a.

The image data transfer instruction issued by the MPU 231 to the image controller 237 by the transfer instruction or the transfer data information of the drawing list includes the start address (start address of the source storage) and the end address (end address of the source storage) of the character ROM 234 where the image data to be transferred is stored, the transfer destination information (information indicating whether to transfer to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236), and the start address of the transfer destination (resident video RAM 235 or normal video RAM 236). Note that the data size of the image data to be transferred may be included instead of the end address of the source storage.

In accordance with the various information in this transfer instruction, the image controller 237 reads one block of data from a specified address in the character ROM 234, temporarily stores it in the buffer RAM 237a, and transfers the image data stored in the buffer RAM 237a to the resident RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 when the resident RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 is not in use. This process is then repeated until all of the image data stored from the storage start address to the storage end address indicated by the transfer instruction has been transferred.

This allows image data that is read out from the character ROM 234 over a long period of time to be temporarily stored in the buffer RAM 237a, and then the image data can be transferred from the buffer RAM 237a to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 in a short time. This prevents the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 from being occupied for a long time by the transfer of image data while the image data is being transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236. This prevents the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 from being occupied by the transfer of image data, which makes it impossible to use the video RAMs 235 and 236 for the image drawing process, and as a result, prevents the image from being drawn or displayed on the third pattern display device 81 in time for the required time.

In addition, the transfer of image data from the buffer RAM 234c to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 is performed by the image controller 237, so that the period during which the resident video RAM 235 and the normal video RAM 236 are not being used for image drawing processing or display processing on the third pattern display device 81 can be easily determined, simplifying the processing.

The resident video RAM 235 is used to hold image data transferred from the character ROM 234 without being overwritten while the power is on, and is provided with a power-on main image area 235a, a back image area 235c, a character design area 235e, and an error message image area 235f, as well as a power-on variable image area 235b and a third design area 235d.

The power-on main image area 235a is an area for storing data corresponding to the power-on main image displayed on the third pattern display device 81 from when the power is turned on until all image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 is stored. The power-on variable image area 235b is an area for storing image data corresponding to the power-on variable image that displays the lottery results performed by the main control device 110 through a variable presentation when a player starts playing while the power-on main image is being displayed on the third pattern display device 81 and a ball is detected entering the first winning slot 64.

When power supply from the power supply unit 251 begins, the MPU 231 sends a transfer instruction to the image controller 237 to transfer image data corresponding to the power-on main image and the power-on variable image from the character ROM 234 to the power-on main image area 235a (see Figure 83).

The power-on variable image will now be described. Immediately after power is turned on, the display control device 114 transfers image data corresponding to the power-on main image and the power-on variable image from the character ROM 234 to the power-on main image area 235a and the power-on variable image area 235b, and then transfers the remaining image data to be stored in the resident video RAM 235 from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. While the remaining image data is being transferred, the display control device 114 causes the third pattern display device 81 to display the power-on main image (not shown) using the image data previously stored in the power-on main image area 235a.

At this time, when the display control device 114 receives a display variation pattern command transmitted from the voice lamp control device 113 based on a variation pattern command from the main control device 110, which is an instruction command to start the variation, the display control device 114 alternately displays, on the display screen of the main image when the power is turned on, a power-on variation image with a "○" pattern in the lower right position facing the screen and a power-on variation image with a "X" pattern in the same position as the "○" pattern, during the variation period. Then, the display control device 114 judges the result of the lottery performed by the main control device 110 from the display variation pattern command and the display stop type command transmitted from the voice lamp control device 113 based on the variation pattern command and the stop type command from the main control device 110, and if it is a "special pattern jackpot", an image indicating this is displayed for a certain period after the variation performance stops, and if it is a "special pattern miss", an image indicating this is displayed for a certain period after the variation performance stops.

The MPU 231 instructs the image controller 237 to draw the power-on main image using the image data stored in the power-on main image area 235a until all image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 has been transferred to the resident video RAM 235. This allows players and hall staff to check the power-on main image displayed on the third pattern display device 81 while the remaining image data that should be resident is being transferred to the resident video RAM 235. Therefore, the display control device 114 can take the time to transfer the remaining image data that should be resident from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 while the power-on main image is being displayed on the third pattern display device 81. Furthermore, since players can recognize that some processing is taking place while the main image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 when the power is turned on, they can wait until the transfer of image data to the resident video RAM 235 is complete without worrying that operation may have stopped while the remaining image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 is being transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235.

In addition, during operational checks at the factory during manufacturing, the main image is immediately displayed on the third pattern display device 81 when the power is turned on, so that it is possible to immediately confirm that the third pattern display device 81 has started operating without any problems upon power-on. Furthermore, by using a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed for the character ROM 234, it is possible to prevent the efficiency of operational checks from deteriorating.

Furthermore, if a player starts playing while the power-on main image is being displayed on the third pattern display device 81 and a ball is detected entering the first entrance ball 64, the MPU 231 instructs the image controller 237 to draw a power-on variable image using image data corresponding to the power-on variable image that is constantly resident in the power-on variable image area 235b, and to display images showing "○" and "×" alternately on the third pattern display device 81. This allows a simple variable presentation to be performed using the power-on variable image. Therefore, the player can be sure that a lottery has been drawn by the simple variable presentation, even while the power-on main image is being displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

In addition, at the stage when the power-on main image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81, image data corresponding to the power-on variable performance image is already resident in the power-on variable image area 235b, so if a ball entering the first entrance ball 64 is detected while the power-on main image is being displayed on the third pattern display device 81, the corresponding variable performance can be instantly displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

Returning to FIG. 54, the explanation will be continued. The rear image area 235c is an area for storing image data corresponding to the rear image displayed on the third pattern display device 81. The third pattern area 235d is an area for storing the third pattern used in the variable performance displayed on the third pattern display device 81. That is, the third pattern area 235d stores image data corresponding to the above-mentioned 10 types of main patterns (see FIG. 40) numbered "0" to "9" as the third pattern. As a result, when performing a variable performance on the third pattern display device 81, it is not necessary to read image data from the character ROM 234 one by one, so that even if the NAND type flash memory 234a is used for the character ROM 234, the variable performance can be started quickly on the third pattern display device 81. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a state in which the variable performance is not immediately started on the third pattern display device 81 despite the fact that the variable performance has been started on the first pattern display device 37 after the ball has entered the first winning hole 64 or the second winning hole 640.

The character design area 235e is an area for storing image data corresponding to the character designs used in various effects displayed on the third design display device 81. In this pachinko machine 10, various characters including a "boy" are displayed according to various effects, and the data corresponding to these are resident in the character design area 235e. When the display control device 114 changes the character design based on the contents of a command received from the sound lamp control device 113, the display control device 114 does not newly read the corresponding image data from the character ROM 234, but reads the image data that is resident in advance in the character design area 235e of the resident video RAM 235, so that the image controller 237 can draw a predetermined image. This eliminates the need to read the corresponding image data from the character ROM 234, so that the character design can be changed instantly even if a NAND-type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed is used for the character ROM 234.

The error message image area 235f is an area for storing image data corresponding to an error message that is displayed when an error occurs in the pachinko machine 10. In this pachinko machine 10, for example, when the sound lamp control device 113 detects vibration from the output of a vibration sensor (not shown) attached to the back of the game board 13, the sound lamp control device 113 notifies the display control device 114 of the occurrence of a vibration error by an error command. Also, when the sound lamp control device 113 detects the occurrence of another error, the sound lamp control device 113 notifies the display control device 114 of the occurrence of that error together with the type of error by an error command. When the display control device 114 receives the error command, it is configured to display an error message corresponding to the received error on the third pattern display device 81.

Here, from the viewpoint of preventing players from committing fraud and protecting players from errors, it is required that the error message be displayed almost simultaneously with the occurrence of the error. In this pachinko machine 10, image data corresponding to various error messages is pre-resident in the error message image area 235f, so that the display control device 114 can instantly draw each error message image in the image controller 237 by reading out the image data pre-resident in the error message image area 235f of the resident video RAM 235 based on the received error command. As a result, it is not necessary to sequentially read out image data corresponding to error messages from the character ROM 234, so that even if a NAND-type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed is used for the character ROM 234, the corresponding error message can be displayed immediately after the error command is received.

The normal video RAM 236 is used so that data is overwritten and updated as needed, and is provided with at least an image storage area 236a, a first frame buffer 236b, and a second frame buffer 236c.

The image storage area 236a is an area for storing image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235, among the image data required for drawing the image to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81. The image storage area 236a is divided into a number of sub-areas, and the type of image data to be stored in each sub-area is predetermined.

The MPU 231 instructs the image controller 237 to transfer image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 and that is required for subsequent image drawing from the character ROM 234 to a specific sub-area in the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236 in which the type of image data should be stored. As a result, the image controller 237 reads out the image data instructed by the MPU 231 from the character ROM 234, and transfers the read image data to the specified specific sub-area of the image storage area 236a via the buffer RAM 237a.

The instruction to transfer image data is given by including transfer data information in a drawing list (described later) in which the MPU 231 instructs the image controller 237 to draw an image. This allows the MPU 231 to issue an instruction to draw an image and an instruction to transfer image data simply by sending the drawing list to the image controller 237, thereby reducing the processing load.

The first frame buffer 236b and the second frame buffer 236c are buffers for displaying an image to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81. The image controller 237 writes one frame of an image drawn in accordance with instructions from the MPU 231 into either the first frame buffer 236b or the second frame buffer 236c, thereby displaying one frame of an image in that frame buffer, and while displaying an image in one of the frame buffers, reads out one frame of image information previously displayed from the other frame buffer and transmits the image information to the third pattern display device 81 together with a drive signal, thereby executing a process for displaying the one frame of an image on the third pattern display device 81.

In this way, by providing two frame buffers, the first frame buffer 236b and the second frame buffer 236c, the image controller 237 can display one frame of image drawn in one frame buffer while simultaneously reading out one frame of image previously displayed from the other frame buffer, and display the one frame of image that has been read out on the third pattern display device 81.

The frame buffer into which one frame's worth of image is displayed and the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read in order to display the image on the third pattern display device 81 are alternately designated by the MPU 231 as either the first frame buffer 236b or the second frame buffer 236c every 20 milliseconds when the drawing process for one frame's worth of image is completed.

That is, at a certain timing, the first frame buffer 236b is designated as the frame buffer that will display one frame's worth of image, and the second frame buffer 236c is designated as the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read, and image drawing and display processing is executed. 20 milliseconds after the drawing processing of one frame's worth of image is completed, the second frame buffer 236c is designated as the frame buffer that will display one frame's worth of image, and the first frame buffer 236b is designated as the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read. As a result, the image information of the image previously displayed in the first frame buffer 236b can be read out and displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and at the same time, a new image is displayed in the second frame buffer 236c.

Then, after another 20 milliseconds, the first frame buffer 236b is specified as the frame buffer in which one frame's worth of image is displayed, and the second frame buffer 236c is specified as the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read. This allows the image information of the image previously displayed in the second frame buffer 236c to be read and displayed on the third pattern display device 81, while at the same time a new image is displayed in the first frame buffer 236b. Thereafter, by alternately specifying the frame buffer in which one frame's worth of image is displayed and the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read, either the first frame buffer 236b or the second frame buffer 236c, every 20 milliseconds, it is possible to perform the display process of one frame's worth of image continuously in 20 millisecond units while performing the drawing process of one frame's worth of image.

The work RAM 233 is a memory for storing the control programs and fixed value data stored in the character ROM 234, and for temporarily storing work data and flags used when the MPU 231 executes various control programs, and is composed of DRAM. This work RAM 233 has at least a program storage area 233a, a data table storage area 233b, a simple image display flag 233c, a display data table buffer 233d, a transfer data table buffer 233e, a pointer 233f, a drawing list area 233g, a time counter 233h, a stored image data discrimination flag 233i, and a drawing target buffer flag 233j.

The program storage area 233a is an area for storing the control program executed by the MPU 231. When the system reset is released, the MPU 231 reads the control program from the character ROM 234, transfers it to the work RAM 233, and stores it in this program storage area 233a. Then, when all the control programs are stored in the program storage area 233a, the MPU 231 executes various controls using the control programs stored in the program storage area 233a. As described above, since the work RAM 233 is composed of DRAM, the read operation is performed at high speed. Therefore, even if the control program is stored in the character ROM 234 composed of the NAND type flash memory 234a, which has a slow read speed, the display control device 114 can maintain high processing performance, and the third pattern display device 81 can be used to easily execute diversified and complicated performances.

The data table storage area 233b is an area that stores a display data table that describes the display content to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 over time for a performance that is displayed based on a command from the main control device 110, and a transfer data table that specifies the transfer data information and transfer timing for image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 and is used in a performance that is displayed based on the display data table.

These data tables are usually stored as a type of fixed value data in the second program storage area 434 provided in the NAND type flash memory 234a of the character ROM 234, and according to the boot program executed by the MPU 231 after the system reset is released, these data tables are transferred from the character ROM 234 to the work RAM 233 and stored in this data table storage area 233b. Then, when all the data tables are stored in the data table storage area 233b, the MPU 231 controls the display of the third pattern display device 81 using the data tables stored in the data table storage area 233b. As described above, since the work RAM 233 is composed of DRAM, the read operation is performed at high speed. Therefore, even if various data tables are stored in the character ROM 234 composed of the NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the display control device 114 can maintain high processing performance, and the third pattern display device 81 can be used to easily execute diversified and complicated performances.

Here, we will explain the details of the various data tables. First, a display data table is prepared for each presentation mode displayed on the third pattern display device 81 based on commands from the main control device 110. For example, display data tables corresponding to variable presentations, round presentations, ending presentations, and demo presentations are prepared.

The variable performance is an effect that is started in the third pattern display device 81 when a display variable pattern command is received from the sound lamp control device 113. When the display variable pattern command is received, a display stop type command that indicates the stop type of the variable performance is also received. For example, when the variable performance is started, if the stop type of the variable performance is a miss, the stop pattern indicating a miss is finally stopped and displayed, whereas if the stop type of the variable performance is either jackpot A or jackpot B, the stop pattern indicating the respective jackpot is finally stopped and displayed. The player can recognize the jackpot type by visually checking the stop pattern in this variable performance, and can easily determine the game value awarded according to the jackpot type.

In addition, the first winning port 64 is a winning port from which five balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters it, so when a normal jackpot occurs and the electric device is opened, making it easier for balls to enter the second winning port 640, the number of prize balls increases. As a result, the pachinko machine 10 is in a state where the balls held are unlikely to be reduced or are not reduced even when playing, so the player can get a sense of the period when the balls held are unlikely to be reduced or are not reduced and a jackpot with a special pattern can be obtained. This increases the player's motivation to participate in the game, and allows the player to continue to be motivated to participate in the game.

As described above, the demo effect is an effect that is displayed on the third symbol display device 81 when a predetermined time has passed since the first variable effect stopped, but the next variable effect associated with a start winning does not start. The third symbol, consisting of the main symbols without the numbers "0" to "9", is displayed frozen, and only the back image changes. If the demo effect is displayed on the third symbol display device 81, players and hall personnel can recognize that no play is being performed on the pachinko machine 10.

The data table storage area 233b stores one display data table each corresponding to the round performance, the ending performance, and the demo performance. In addition, if there are 32 variable performance patterns to be set, the variable display data table, which is the display data table for the variable performance, will have one table per variable performance pattern, for a total of 32 tables.

Now, with reference to Figure 55, the display data table will be described in detail. Figure 55 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a variable display data table among the display data tables. The display data table specifies in detail the contents (drawing contents) of one frame of image to be displayed during that time, corresponding to an address expressed as a unit of time (20 milliseconds in this embodiment) during which one frame of image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

The drawing contents specify the type of sprite for each sprite, which is a display object that constitutes one frame's worth of image, and also specify drawing information for causing the third pattern display device 81 to draw the sprite, such as display position coordinates, magnification ratio, rotation angle, semi-transparency value, alpha blending information, color information, and filter specification information, according to the sprite type.

The sprite type is information for specifying the sprite to be displayed. The display position coordinates are information for specifying the coordinates on the third pattern display device 81 where the sprite should be displayed. The magnification ratio is information for specifying the magnification ratio relative to a standard display size previously set for the sprite, and the size of the sprite to be displayed according to that magnification ratio is specified. Note that if the magnification ratio is greater than 100%, the sprite is displayed enlarged compared to the standard size, and if the magnification ratio is less than 100%, the sprite is displayed reduced compared to the standard size.

The rotation angle is information used to specify the angle of rotation when a sprite is rotated for display. The translucency value is used to specify the transparency of the entire sprite; the higher the translucency value, the more the image displayed behind the sprite is visible through the image. The alpha blending information is information used to specify a known alpha blending coefficient used when overlaying other sprites. The color information is information used to specify the color tone of the sprite to be displayed. And the filter specification information is information used to specify the image filter to be applied to the specified sprite when drawing that sprite.

In the variable display data table, the drawing information for each sprite is specified for each address as the drawing content for one frame, which is specified for each address: one background image, nine third patterns (pattern 1, pattern 2, ...), effects that express the shining of light in the image, and characters used for various effects such as boy images and text. Information about effects and characters is specified as one or more pieces according to the content to be displayed in that frame.

Here, the display position of the rear image is fixed to the entire screen of the third pattern display device 81, and the magnification ratio, rotation angle, translucency value, alpha blending information, color information, and filter specification information are constant over time, so the variable display data table specifies only the rear type, which is information for identifying the type of rear image.

When the MPU 231 determines that one of the backgrounds corresponding to the background mode (underwater, beach, preparation period background, background dedicated to time presentation) should be displayed based on the background type, it determines the background image corresponding to the stage specified by the player from among the backgrounds as the drawing target, and also determines the range of the background image to be displayed for that frame in accordance with the passage of time.

In this embodiment, a case will be described in which only the rear view type is specified as the drawing content of the rear view image in the display data table. Alternatively, the rear view type and position information indicating which range of the rear view image corresponding to that rear view type should be displayed may be specified. This position information may be, for example, information indicating the elapsed time since the rear view image in the range corresponding to the initial position was displayed. In this case, the MPU 231 identifies the range of the rear view image to be displayed for that frame based on the elapsed time since the rear view image in the range corresponding to the initial position indicated by the position information was displayed.

The position information may also be information indicating the elapsed time since drawing of the image (or display of the third pattern display device 81) based on this display data table was started. In this case, the MPU 231 determines the range of the rear image to be displayed for that frame based on the position of the rear image that was displayed at the stage when drawing of the image (or display of the third pattern display device 81) was started based on the display database, and the elapsed time since drawing of the image (or display of the third pattern display device 81) was started, as indicated by the position information.

Furthermore, depending on the type of back surface, the position information may indicate either information indicating the elapsed time since the back surface image of the range corresponding to the initial position was displayed or information indicating the elapsed time since drawing of an image based on the display data table (or display of the third pattern display device 81) began, or, together with the back surface type and position information, type information of the position information (for example, information indicating whether it is information indicating the elapsed time since the back surface image of the range corresponding to the initial position was displayed or information indicating the elapsed time since drawing of an image based on the display database (or display of the third pattern display device 81) began) may be specified as the drawing content of the back surface image. In addition, the position information may be information indicating the address where the range of the back surface image to be displayed is stored, rather than information indicating the elapsed time.

For the third patterns (Pattern 1, Pattern 2, ...), pattern type offset information is recorded as pattern type information for specifying the third pattern to be displayed. This offset information is information that represents the difference between the numbers attached to each third pattern. The reason offset information is determined rather than the type of third pattern directly is that the display of the third pattern in the variable performance changes depending on the stopping pattern of the previous variable performance and the stopping pattern of the current variable performance, and the pattern offset information from the start of the fluctuation until a specified time has elapsed records the offset information from the stopping pattern of the previous variable performance. As a result, the variable performance starts from the stopping pattern of the previous variable performance.

On the other hand, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the fluctuation started, offset information from the stop pattern set according to the stop type command (display stop type command) received from the main control unit 110 via the voice lamp control unit 113 is recorded. This makes it possible to stop the fluctuation performance at the stop pattern according to the stop type specified by the main control unit 110.

Since each third symbol is assigned a unique number, the variable symbol in the previous variable performance and the stop symbol corresponding to the stop type specified by the main control unit 110 are managed by the number assigned to the third symbol, and the offset information is represented by the difference between the numbers assigned to each third symbol, so that the third symbol to be displayed can be easily identified from the offset information.

In addition, the specified time during which the pattern offset information is switched from the offset information of the stopped pattern of the previous variable performance to the offset information of the stopped pattern of the currently variable performance is set to be the time during which the third pattern is rapidly variable displayed. While the third pattern is rapidly variable displayed, the third pattern is not visible to the player. Therefore, by switching the pattern offset information from the offset information of the stopped pattern of the previous variable performance to the offset information of the stopped pattern of the currently variable performance during that time, even if the continuity of the numbers of the third pattern is interrupted, the player cannot recognize the interruption in the continuity of the numbers.

The first address of the display data table, "0000H," contains "Start" information indicating the beginning of the data table, and the last address of the display data table ("02F0H" in the example of Figure 55) contains "End" information indicating the end of the data table. Then, for each address between the address "0000H" containing the "Start" information and the address containing the "End" information, drawing content corresponding to the presentation mode to be specified by that display data table is written.

The MPU 231 selects a display data table to be used in response to a command (e.g., a display variation pattern command) sent from the voice lamp control device 113 based on a command from the main control device 110, reads the selected display data table from the data table storage area 233b, stores it in the display data table buffer 233d, and initializes the pointer 233f. Then, each time the drawing process for one frame is completed, the pointer 233f is incremented by one, and in the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d, the image content to be drawn next is specified based on the drawing content specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f, and a drawing list (see FIG. 57) is created, which will be described later. This drawing list is sent to the image controller 237 to instruct the image to be drawn. As a result, the drawing content is specified in the order specified in the display data table according to the update of the pointer 233f, and the image as specified in the display data table is displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

In this way, in this pachinko machine 10, the display control device 114 can change the performance image to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 by simply replacing the display data table with the display data table buffer 233d as appropriate, rather than changing the program to be executed by the MPU 231 in response to commands (e.g., display variation pattern commands) sent from the audio lamp control device 113 based on commands from the main control device 110, etc.

If, as in conventional pachinko machines, a program executed by the MPU 231 is started each time the performance image displayed on the third pattern display device 81 is changed, a large load is placed on the processing of starting and executing programs that become more complex and expansive as the variety of performance images increases, and this can limit the processing power of the display control device 114, resulting in a risk of limiting the diversification of controllable performance images. In contrast, in this pachinko machine 10, the performance image to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 can be changed simply by replacing the display data table with the display data table buffer 233d as appropriate, so that a variety of performance images can be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 regardless of the processing power of the display control device 114.

The reason why the display data table is prepared in accordance with each performance mode, the display data table buffer is set according to the performance mode to be displayed, and the drawing list can be created frame by frame according to the set data table is because the performance to be displayed on the third symbol display device 81 is determined in advance based on the result of the lottery performed based on the start winning in the pachinko machine 10. In contrast, in game machines other than gaming machines such as pachinko machines, the display content changes on the spot based on the user's operation, so the display content cannot be predicted, and therefore it is not possible to have a display data table corresponding to each performance mode as described above. In this way, the configuration of preparing a display data table in accordance with each performance mode, setting a display data table buffer according to the performance mode to be displayed, and creating a drawing list frame by frame according to the set data table can only be realized based on the fact that the pachinko machine 10 is configured to determine in advance the performance mode to be displayed on the third symbol display device 81 based on the result of the lottery performed based on the start winning.

Next, the transfer data table will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 56. FIG. 56 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transfer data table. The transfer data table is prepared in correspondence with the display data table prepared for each performance, and as described above, the transfer data table specifies the transfer data information and transfer timing for transferring image data of sprites used in the performance specified in the display data table that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 from the character ROM 234 to the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236.

If all image data for sprites used in the effects defined in the display data table is stored in the resident video RAM 235, then no transfer data table corresponding to that display data table is prepared. This makes it possible to prevent an increase in the capacity of the data table storage area 233b.

The transfer data table corresponds to an address specified in the display data table, and describes the transfer data information of the image data of the sprite (hereinafter referred to as the "image data to be transferred") that should start being transferred at the time indicated by that address (addresses "0001H" and "0097H" in Figure 56 correspond to this). Here, the transfer start timing of the image data to be transferred is set so that the image data corresponding to a specific sprite is stored in the image storage area 236a by the time drawing of the specific sprite starts according to the display data table, and the transfer data information of the image data to be transferred is specified in the transfer data table in correspondence with the address corresponding to that transfer start timing.

On the other hand, if there is no image data to be transferred at the time indicated by the address specified in the display data table, null data is specified, which means that there is no image data to be transferred at the time indicated by the address specified in the display data table (this corresponds to address "0002H" in Figure 56).

The transfer data information includes the start address (start address of the source) and the end address (end address of the source) of the character ROM 234 where the image data to be transferred is stored, and the start address of the transfer destination (normal video RAM 236).

The first address of the transfer data table, "0000H", contains "Start" information indicating the start of the data table, just like the display data table, and the last address of the transfer data table ("02F0H" in the example of FIG. 56) contains "End" information indicating the end of the data table. Then, for each address between the address "0000H" containing the "Start" information and the address containing the "End" information, the transfer data information of the image data to be transferred that should be specified in the transfer data table is contained.

The MPU 231 selects a display data table to be used in response to a command (e.g., a display variation pattern command) sent from the audio lamp control device 113 based on a command from the main control device 110, etc., and if a transfer data table corresponding to that display data table exists, it reads the transfer data table from the data table storage area 233b and stores it in the transfer data table buffer 233e of the work RAM 233 described later. Then, each time the pointer 233f is updated, the drawing content specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f is identified from the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d, and a drawing list (see FIG. 57) described later is created, and the transfer data information of the image data of a specified sprite that should start being transferred at that time is obtained from the transfer data table stored in the transfer data table buffer 233e, and the transfer data information is added to the created drawing list.

For example, in the example of FIG. 56, when pointer 233f is "0001H" or "0097H", MPU 231 adds the transfer data information specified at that address in the transfer data table to the drawing list created based on the display data table, and transmits the drawing list after the addition to image controller 237. On the other hand, when pointer 233f is "0002H", null data is specified at address "0002H" in the transfer data table, so it is determined that there is no transfer target image data that should start being transferred, and the transfer data information is not added to the generated drawing list, and the drawing list is transmitted to image controller 237.

Then, if transfer data information is included in the drawing list received from the MPU 231, the image controller 237 executes a process to transfer the image data to be transferred from the character ROM 234 to a specified sub-area of the image storage area 236a in accordance with the transfer data information.

As described above, the transfer data table specifies the transfer data information of the image data to be transferred for a specific address so that the image data corresponding to a specific sprite is stored in the image storage area 236a by the time drawing of the specific sprite begins in accordance with the display data table. By transferring image data from character ROM 234 to image storage area 236a in accordance with the transfer data information specified in this transfer data table, when drawing a specific sprite in accordance with the display data table, image data that is not resident in resident video RAM 235 and is necessary for drawing the sprite can be stored in image storage area 236a without fail. Then, the image data stored in that image storage area 236a can be used to draw the specific sprite based on the display data table.

As a result, even if the character ROM 234 is configured using a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the images required for display can be read out from the character ROM 234 in advance without delay and transferred to the normal video RAM 236, so that the corresponding effects can be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 while drawing the images of each sprite specified in the display data table. Also, by writing in the transfer data table, only the image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 can be easily and reliably transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236.

In addition, in this pachinko machine 10, the display control device 114 sets a display data table in the display data table buffer 233d in response to a command (e.g., a display variation pattern command) sent from the sound lamp control device 113 based on a command from the main control device 110, and at the same time, a transfer data table corresponding to that display data table is set in the transfer data table buffer 233e, so that the image data of the sprite used in that display data table can be reliably transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 at the desired timing.

The transfer data table also specifies the transfer data information so that image data is transferred from character ROM 234 to normal video RAM 236 for each image data corresponding to a sprite. This makes it possible to manage and control the transfer of image data for each sprite, making it easy to process the transfer. By controlling the transfer of image data from character ROM 234 to normal video RAM 236 on a sprite-by-sprite basis, the process can be made easier while controlling the transfer of image data in detail. This makes it possible to efficiently prevent an increase in the load on the transfer.

The transfer data table has a data structure similar to that of the display data table, and the transfer data information of the image data to be transferred, which should start being transferred at the time indicated by the address, is specified in correspondence with the address specified in the display data table. Therefore, the timing of the start of transfer can be specified so that the image data of a specified sprite is reliably stored in the normal video RAM 236 before that image data is used based on the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d. Therefore, even if the character ROM 234 is constructed using a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, a wide variety of performance images can be easily displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

The simple image display flag 233c is a flag indicating whether or not to display a power-on image (power-on main image and power-on variable image) not shown on the third pattern display device 81. This simple image display flag 233c is set to ON in the main processing (see FIG. 83) executed by the MPU 231 after image data corresponding to the power-on main image and power-on variable image are transferred to the power-on main image area 235a or power-on variable image area 235b of the resident video RAM (see S2005 in FIG. 83). Then, when all resident target image data is stored in the resident video RAM 235 by the resident image transfer process of the image transfer process, the flag is set to OFF in order to display images other than the power-on image on the third pattern display device 81 (see S3605 in FIG. 95(b)).

This simple image display flag 233c is referenced in the V interrupt processing executed by the MPU 231 each time a V interrupt signal transmitted from the image controller 237 is detected (see S2301 in FIG. 85(b)). When the simple image display flag 233c is on, a simple command determination process (see S2308 in FIG. 85(b)) and a simple display setting process (see S2309 in FIG. 85(b)) are executed so that the power-on image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81. On the other hand, when the simple image display flag 233c is off, a command determination process (see FIGS. 86 to 91) and a display setting process (see FIGS. 92 to 94) are executed so that various images are displayed in response to commands transmitted from the voice lamp control device 113 based on commands from the main control device 110, etc.

In addition, the simple image display flag 233c is referenced in the transfer setting process executed by the MPU 231 during V interrupt processing (see S3501 in FIG. 95(a)). If the simple image display flag 233c is on, resident target image data exists that is not stored in the resident video RAM 235, so a resident image transfer setting process (see FIG. 95(b)) is executed to transfer the resident target image data from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. If the simple image display flag 233c is off, a normal image transfer setting process (see FIG. 96) is executed to transfer the image data required for drawing processing from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236.

The display data table buffer 233d is a buffer for storing a display data table corresponding to the performance mode to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 in response to a command sent from the voice lamp control device 113 based on a command from the main control device 110. The MPU 231 determines the performance mode to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 based on the command sent from the voice lamp control device 113, selects a display data table corresponding to the performance mode from the data table storage area 233b, and stores the selected display data table in the display data table buffer 233d. Then, while incrementing the pointer 233f by 1, the MPU 231 generates a drawing list (see FIG. 57) that describes the image drawing instruction contents for the image controller 237 for each frame based on the drawing contents specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f in the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d. As a result, the third pattern display device 81 displays the performance corresponding to the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d.

The MPU 231 increments the pointer 233f by one, and generates a drawing list (see FIG. 57) for each frame that describes image drawing instructions for the image controller 237 based on the drawing contents specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f in the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d. As a result, the third pattern display device 81 displays the effect corresponding to the display data table.

The transfer data table buffer 233e is a buffer for storing a transfer data table corresponding to the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d in response to commands sent from the voice lamp control device 113 based on commands from the main control device 110. When storing a display data table in the display data table buffer 233d, the MPU 231 selects a transfer data table corresponding to the display data table from the data table storage area 233b and stores the selected transfer data table in the transfer data table buffer 233e. If all the image data of the sprites used in the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d is stored in the resident video RAM 235, no transfer data table corresponding to the display data table is prepared, and the MPU 231 clears the contents of the transfer data table buffer 233e by writing Null data, which means that no image data to be transferred exists in the transfer data table buffer 233e.

Then, while incrementing the pointer 233f by one, if the transfer data information of the image data to be transferred specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f in the transfer data table stored in the transfer data table buffer 233e is specified (i.e., if no null data is specified), the MPU 231 adds the transfer data information to a drawing list (see FIG. 57) that is described below and that contains the image drawing instructions to the image controller 237 that are generated for each frame.

As a result, if the transfer data information is included in the drawing list received from the MPU 231, the image controller 237 executes a process of transferring the image data to be transferred from the character ROM 234 to a specified sub-area of the image storage area 236a in accordance with the transfer data information. Here, as described above, the transfer data information of the image data to be transferred is specified for a specified address in the transfer data table so that the image data corresponding to a specified sprite is stored in the image storage area 236a by the time the drawing of the specified sprite begins in accordance with the display data table. Therefore, by transferring image data from the character ROM 234 to the image storage area 236a in accordance with the transfer data information specified in this transfer data table, when drawing a specified sprite in accordance with the display data table, image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 and is necessary for drawing the sprite can be stored in the image storage area 236a without fail.

As a result, even if the character ROM 234 is configured using a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the images required for display can be read out from the character ROM 234 in advance without delay and transferred to the normal video RAM 236, so that the corresponding effects can be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 while drawing the images of each sprite specified in the display data table. Also, by writing in the transfer data table, only the image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 can be easily and reliably transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236.

The pointer 233f is used to specify an address from which the corresponding drawing contents or transfer data information of the image data to be transferred should be obtained from the display data table and transfer data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d and transfer data table buffer 233e, respectively. The MPU 231 initializes the pointer 233f to 0 once when the display data table is stored in the display data table buffer 233d. Then, during the display setting process (see S2303 in FIG. 85(b)) of the V interrupt process executed by the MPU 231 based on the V interrupt signal transmitted from the image controller 237 every 20 milliseconds when the drawing process of one frame of image is completed, the pointer update process (see S3105 in FIG. 70(b)) is executed, and the value of the pointer 233f is incremented by one.

Each time the pointer 233f is updated in this manner, the MPU 231 identifies the drawing content specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f from the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d, creates a drawing list (see Figure 57) described below, and also obtains transfer data information for the image data of a specified sprite that should start being transferred at that time from the transfer data table stored in the transfer data table buffer 233e, and adds the transfer data information to the created drawing list.

As a result, the effect corresponding to the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d is displayed on the third pattern display device 81. Therefore, by simply changing the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d, the effect displayed on the third pattern display device 81 can be easily changed. Therefore, regardless of the processing power of the display control device 114, a wide variety of effects can be displayed.

In addition, when a transfer data table is stored in the transfer data table buffer 233e, image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 and is used to draw a sprite can be stored in the image storage area 236a based on the transfer data table until the drawing of the sprite is started by the corresponding display data table. This makes it possible to read images required for display from the character ROM 234 without delay and transfer them to the normal video RAM 236 in advance, even if the character ROM 234 is configured using a NAND-type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, so that the corresponding effects can be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 while drawing the images of each sprite specified in the display data table. Also, by writing the transfer data table, only image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 can be easily and reliably transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236.

The drawing list area 233g is an area for storing a drawing list that instructs the image controller 237 to draw one frame of an image, which is generated based on the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d and the transfer data table stored in the transfer data table buffer 233e.

Now, referring to FIG. 57, the details of the drawing list will be described. FIG. 57 is a schematic diagram showing the contents of the drawing list. The drawing list is an instruction table that instructs the image controller 237 to draw one frame's worth of images, and as shown in FIG. 57, it describes detailed drawing information (detailed information) for each sprite, such as the back image used in one frame's image, the third pattern (pattern 1, pattern 2, ...), the effect (effect 1, effect 2, ...), the character (character 1, character 2, ..., reserved ball number pattern 1, reserved ball number pattern 2, ..., error pattern). The drawing list also describes transfer data information for causing the image controller 237 to transfer specified image data from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236.

The detailed drawing information (detailed information) of each sprite includes information indicating the type of RAM (resident video RAM 235 or normal video RAM 236) in which the image data of the corresponding sprite (display object) is stored, and its address. The image controller 237 obtains the image data of the sprite from the memory area specified by the RAM type and address. The detailed drawing information (detailed information) also includes display position coordinates, magnification ratio, rotation angle, semi-transparency value, alpha blending information, color information, and filter specification information. The image controller 237 performs enlargement/reduction processing according to the magnification ratio, rotation processing according to the rotation angle, semi-transparency processing according to the semi-transparency value, composition processing with other sprites according to the alpha blending information, color correction processing according to the color information, filtering processing according to the filter specification information by a method specified by the information, and then performs various processing on the standard image generated by the image data of the sprite read from the various video RAMs, and draws the image obtained by performing various processing at the display position indicated by the display position coordinates. The drawn image is then expanded by the image controller 237 into either the first frame buffer 236b or the second frame buffer 236c, as specified by the drawing target buffer flag 233j.

The MPU 231 generates detailed drawing information (detailed information) for all sprites used to draw one frame of image based on the drawing content specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f in the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d and the content of other images to be drawn (for example, a reserved image displaying a reserved ball count pattern, a warning image notifying the occurrence of an error, etc.), and creates a drawing list by sorting the detailed information for each sprite.

Here, the storage RAM type and address of the sprite (display object) data, among the detailed information of each sprite, are generated according to the sprite type specified in the display data table or the sprite type identified from the contents of other images. That is, since the area of the resident video RAM 235 in which the image data of that sprite is stored, or the sub-area of the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236, is fixed for each sprite, the MPU 231 can instantly identify the storage RAM type and address in which the image data of that sprite is stored according to the sprite type, and easily include this information in the detailed information of the drawing list.

In addition, the MPU 231 copies other information (display position coordinates, magnification ratio, rotation angle, semi-transparency value, alpha blending information, color information, and filter specification information) from the detailed information of each sprite as is, as specified in the display data table.

When generating the drawing list, the MPU 231 rearranges the sprites in one frame's worth of images in order from the sprite that should be placed furthest back to the sprite that should be placed in the foreground, and describes detailed drawing information (detailed information) for each sprite. That is, in the drawing list, detailed information corresponding to the back image is described first, followed by detailed information corresponding to each sprite in the following order: third pattern (pattern 1, pattern 2, ...), effect (effect 1, effect 2, ...), character (character 1, character 2, ..., reserved ball count pattern 1, reserved ball count pattern 2, ..., error pattern).

The image controller 237 executes the drawing process for each sprite in the order described in the drawing list, and expands the drawn sprites in the frame buffer by overwriting them. Therefore, in one frame's worth of image generated by the drawing list, the first sprite drawn can be placed at the backmost side, and the last sprite drawn can be placed at the frontmost side.

In addition, when transfer data information is written at the address indicated by pointer 233f in the transfer data table stored in transfer data table buffer 233e, MPU 231 adds the transfer data information (the source start address and source end address in character ROM 234 where the image data to be transferred is stored, and the destination start address of the sub-area provided in image storage area 236a where the image data to be transferred is to be stored) to the end of the drawing list. If the drawing list includes this transfer data information, image controller 237 reads image data from a specified area of character ROM 234 (area indicated by the source start address and source end address) based on the transfer data information, and transfers the image data to be transferred to a specified sub-area (destination address) provided in image storage area 236a of normal video RAM 236.

The timing counter 233h is a counter that counts the presentation time of the presentation displayed on the third pattern display device 81 based on the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d. When the MPU 231 stores a display data table in the display data table buffer 233d, it sets time data indicating the presentation time of the presentation displayed based on that display data table. This time data is the presentation time divided by the image display time for one frame on the third pattern display device 81 (20 milliseconds in this embodiment).

Then, based on the V interrupt signal sent from the image controller 237 every 20 milliseconds when the drawing and display processing of one frame of image is completed, each time the display setting processing of the V interrupt processing (see FIG. 85(b)) executed by the MPU 231 is executed, the timing counter 233h is decremented by one (see S3107 in FIG. 69). As a result, when the value of the timing counter 233h becomes 0 or less, the MPU 231 determines that the presentation displayed by the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d has ended, and executes various processes that should be performed in conjunction with the end of the presentation.

The stored image data discrimination flag 233i is a flag indicating the storage state, for each sprite whose corresponding image data is not resident in the resident video RAM 235, indicating whether the image data corresponding to that sprite is stored in the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236.

This stored image data discrimination flag 233i is generated by the initial setting process (see S2002 in FIG. 83) executed by the MPU 231 during the main process when the power is turned on. The stored image data discrimination flag 233i generated here is set to "off" for all sprites, indicating that they are not stored in the image storage area 236a.

The stored image data discrimination flag 233i is updated when a transfer instruction is set for image data to be transferred that corresponds to a sprite during the normal image transfer setting process (see FIG. 96) executed by the MPU 231. In this update, the storage status corresponding to the sprite for which a transfer instruction has been set is set to "on", indicating that the corresponding image data is stored in the image storage area 236a. In addition, image data for other sprites that are to be stored in the same sub-area of the image storage area 236a as the one sprite will necessarily be in an unstored state due to the storage of the image data of the one sprite, so the storage status corresponding to the other sprites is set to "off".

In addition, when transferring image data of a sprite whose image data is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236, the MPU 231 refers to the stored image data discrimination flag 233i to determine whether the image data of the sprite to be transferred is already stored in the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 235 (see S3713 in FIG. 96). If the storage status corresponding to the sprite to be transferred is "off" and the corresponding image data is not stored in the image storage area 236a, it sets a transfer instruction for that image data (see S3514 in FIG. 96) and causes the image controller 237 to transfer that image data from the character ROM 234 to a specified sub-area of the image storage area 236a. On the other hand, if the storage status corresponding to the sprite to be transferred is "on", the corresponding image data is already stored in the image storage area 236a, and the transfer process of that image data is stopped. This prevents unnecessary data transfer from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236, reducing the processing load on each part of the display control device 114 and reducing traffic on the bus line 240.

The drawing target buffer flag 233i is a flag for specifying one of the two frame buffers (first frame buffer 236b and second frame buffer 236c) into which the image drawn by the image controller 237 is expanded (hereinafter referred to as the "drawing target buffer"); if the drawing target buffer flag 233j is 0, the first frame buffer 236b is specified as the drawing target buffer, and if it is 1, the second frame buffer 236c is specified. Then, information on this specified drawing target buffer is sent to the image controller 237 together with the drawing list (see S3802 in FIG. 97).

As a result, the image controller 237 executes a drawing process in which the image drawn based on the drawing list is expanded onto the designated drawing target buffer. In addition, the image controller 237 executes a display process in which the image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 by reading out previously expanded drawing image information from a frame buffer different from the drawing target buffer, simultaneously and in parallel with the drawing process, and transferring the image information to the third pattern display device 81 together with a drive signal.

The drawing target buffer flag 233j is updated in accordance with the drawing target buffer information being sent to the image controller 237 together with the drawing list. This update is performed by inverting the value of the drawing target buffer flag 233j, i.e., by setting the value to "1" if it was "0" and to "0" if it was "1". As a result, the drawing target buffer is alternately set between the first frame buffer 236b and the second frame buffer 236c each time a drawing list is sent. In addition, the drawing list is sent each time the drawing process of the V interrupt process (see FIG. 85(b)) executed by the MPU 231 is executed based on the V interrupt signal sent from the image controller 237 every 20 milliseconds when the drawing process and display process of one frame of image is completed (see S3802 in FIG. 97).

That is, at a certain timing, the first frame buffer 236b is designated as the frame buffer that will display one frame's worth of image, and the second frame buffer 236c is designated as the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read, and image drawing and display processing is executed. 20 milliseconds after the drawing processing of one frame's worth of image is completed, the second frame buffer 236c is designated as the frame buffer that will display one frame's worth of image, and the first frame buffer 236b is designated as the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read. As a result, the image information of the image previously displayed in the first frame buffer 236b can be read out and displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and at the same time, a new image is displayed in the second frame buffer 236c.

After another 20 milliseconds, the first frame buffer 236b is designated as the frame buffer in which one frame's worth of image is displayed, and the second frame buffer 236c is designated as the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read. This allows the image information of the image previously displayed in the second frame buffer 236c to be read and displayed on the third pattern display device 81, while at the same time a new image is displayed in the first frame buffer 236b. Thereafter, by alternately specifying the frame buffer in which one frame's worth of image is displayed and the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read, either the first frame buffer 236b or the second frame buffer 236c, every 20 milliseconds, it is possible to perform the display process of one frame's worth of image continuously in 20 millisecond units while performing the drawing process of one frame's worth of image.

<Regarding control processing of main control device 110>
Next, each control process executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 58 to 67. The processes of the MPU 201 are roughly divided into start-up process which is started when the power is turned on, main process which is executed after the start-up process, timer interrupt process which is started periodically (every 2 milliseconds in this embodiment), and NMI interrupt process which is started by input of a power failure signal SG1 to the NMI terminal. For convenience of explanation, the timer interrupt process and NMI interrupt process will be described first, and then the start-up process and main process will be described.

Figure 58 is a flowchart showing the timer interrupt process executed by the MPU 201 in the main control unit 110. The timer interrupt process is a periodic process executed, for example, every 2 milliseconds. In the timer interrupt process, first, a process for reading various winning switches is executed (S101). That is, the state of various switches connected to the main control unit 110 is read, and the state of the switches is determined and the detection information (winning detection information) is saved.

Next, the first initial value random number counter CINI1 and the second initial value random number counter CINI2 are updated (S102). Specifically, the first initial value random number counter CINI1 is incremented by 1, and when the counter value reaches the maximum value (299 in this embodiment), it is cleared to 0. The updated value of the first initial value random number counter CINI1 is then stored in the corresponding buffer area of RAM 203. Similarly, the second initial value random number counter CINI2 is incremented by 1, and when the counter value reaches the maximum value (239 in this embodiment), it is cleared to 0, and the updated value of the second initial value random number counter CINI2 is stored in the corresponding buffer area of RAM 203.

Furthermore, the first win random number counter C1, the first win type counter C2, the stop type selection counter C3, and the second win random number counter C4 are updated (S103). Specifically, the first win random number counter C1, the first win type counter C2, the stop type selection counter C3, and the second win random number counter C4 are each incremented by 1, and when their counter values reach their maximum values (299, 99, and 239, respectively, in this embodiment), they are each cleared to 0. Then, the updated values of each counter C1 to C4 are stored in the corresponding buffer area of RAM 203.

Next, a special pattern change process is executed (S104), which is a process for displaying on the first pattern display device 37 and also sets the change pattern of the third pattern by the third pattern display device 81, and then a start winning process is executed in response to a win (start winning) in the first winning slot 64 (S105). Details of the special pattern change process and the start winning process will be described later with reference to Figures 59 to 62.

After the start winning process is executed, the normal symbol change process, which is a process for displaying on the second symbol display device 83, is executed (S106), and the through gate passing process associated with the passage of the ball through the through gate 67 is executed (S107). Details of the normal symbol change process and the through gate passing process will be described later with reference to FIG. 63 and FIG. 64. After the through gate passing process is executed, the launch control process is executed (S108), and further, other processes that should be executed periodically are executed (S109), and the timer interrupt process is terminated. The launch control process is a process that determines whether the launch of the ball is on or off, on the condition that the touch sensor 51a detects that the player is touching the operation handle 51, and the shot stop switch 51b for stopping the launch is not operated. When the launch of the ball is on, the main control unit 110 instructs the launch control unit 112 to launch the ball.

Next, referring to FIG. 59, the special pattern change processing (S104) executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 will be described. FIG. 59 is a flowchart showing this special pattern change processing (S104). This special pattern change processing (S104) is executed during the timer interrupt processing (see FIG. 58), and is processing for controlling the change display of the special pattern (first pattern) performed by the first pattern display device 37, the change display of the third pattern performed by the third pattern display device 81, etc.

In this special symbol variation process, first, it is determined whether or not a special symbol jackpot is currently in progress (S201). The special symbol jackpot period includes the period during which the first symbol display device 37 and the third symbol display device 81 are displaying a special symbol jackpot (including during a special symbol jackpot game), and the period during which a predetermined time has passed since the end of the special symbol jackpot game. If the determination results in a special symbol jackpot (S201: Yes), this process ends.

If the special symbol is not in the jackpot (S201: No), it is determined whether the display state of the first symbol display device 37 is changing (S202), and if the display state of the first symbol display device 37 is not changing (S202: No), a special symbol change start process is executed to start a changing display on the first symbol display device 37 (S203). The special symbol change start process will be described later with reference to FIG. 60.

In the process of S202, if the display mode of the first pattern display device 37 is changing (S202: Yes), it is determined whether the change time of the change display being executed in the first pattern display device 37 has elapsed (S204). The change time of the change display being executed in the first pattern display device 37 is determined according to the change pattern selected by the stop type selection counter C3 (determined according to the change pattern command), and if this change time has not elapsed (S204: No), this process is terminated.

On the other hand, in the process of S204, if the change time of the executing change display has elapsed (S204: Yes), the display mode corresponding to the stopped pattern of the first pattern display device 37 is set (S205). The setting of the stopped pattern is performed in advance by the special pattern change start process (S203) described later with reference to FIG. 60. When this special pattern change start process is executed, a lottery for a special pattern is performed based on the values of various counters stored in an execution area provided in common to the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a and the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b. More specifically, whether or not a special pattern jackpot has been won is determined according to the value of the first winning random number counter C1, and if a special pattern jackpot has been won, whether it will be jackpot A or jackpot B is determined according to the value of the second winning type counter C2.

In this embodiment, if a jackpot A occurs, the blue LED in the first pattern display device 37 is turned on, and if a jackpot B occurs, the red LED is turned on. If a miss occurs, the red and green LEDs are turned on. The LEDs are turned off when the next variation display starts, but may be turned on for only a few seconds after the variation stops.

After the process of S205 is completed, when the variable display being executed is started on the first symbol display device 37, it is determined whether the result of the lottery for the special symbol performed by the special symbol variable start process (the current lottery result) is a special symbol jackpot (S206). If the current lottery result is a special symbol jackpot (S206: Yes), it is determined which of the two types of special symbol jackpots (jackpot A, jackpot B) is the jackpot type (S207), and if the jackpot type is jackpot B, the time-saving counter 203g of the RAM 203 is set to 100 (S209). After that, the process of S210 is executed. Also, if the jackpot type is jackpot A, the game state after the jackpot game is set to a high probability period, which is a probability period (S208). Then, the start of the special symbol jackpot is set (S210), and this process is terminated.

In the process of S206, if the current lottery result is a miss for the special pattern (S206: No), it is determined whether the value of the time-saving counter 203g is 1 or more (S211), and if the value of the time-saving counter 203g is 1 or more (S211: Yes), the value of the time-saving counter 203g is decremented by 1 (S212), and this process ends. On the other hand, if the value of the time-saving counter 203g is 0 (S211: No), the process of S212 is skipped and this process ends.

Next, referring to FIG. 60, the special symbol change start process (S203) executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 will be described. FIG. 60 is a flowchart showing the special symbol change start process (S203). This special symbol change start process (S203) is a process executed in the special symbol change process (see FIG. 59) of the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58), and is a process for drawing a lottery (determining whether or not a "special symbol jackpot" or a "special symbol miss" based on the values of various counters stored in the execution area provided in common to the special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a and the special symbol 2 reserved ball storage area 203b, and for determining the presentation pattern (variable presentation pattern) of the variable presentation performed by the first symbol display device 37 and the third symbol display device 81.

In the special symbol change start process (S203), first, the value (N1) of the special symbol 1 reserved ball counter 203d or the value (N2) of the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e (the reserved number of times the change display in the special symbol is held) is obtained (S301). Next, it is determined whether the value (N2) of the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e is greater than 0 (S302), and if the value (N2) of the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e is not 0 (S302: Yes), the value (N2) of the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e is decremented by 1 (S303), and a reserved ball number command indicating the value of the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e changed by the calculation is set (S304). The reserved ball count command set here is stored in a ring buffer for sending commands provided in the RAM 203, and is sent to the voice lamp control device 113 during the external output process (S1001) of the main process (see FIG. 67) executed by the MPU 201, which will be described later. When the voice lamp control device 113 receives the reserved ball count command, it extracts the value of the special pattern 2 reserved ball count counter 203e from the reserved ball count command, and stores the extracted value in the special pattern 2 reserved ball count counter 223c in the RAM 223.

After the reserved ball count command is set by the process of S304, the data stored in the special pattern 2 reserved ball count area 203b is shifted (S305). In the process of S305, the data stored in the reserved area 1 to reserved area 4 of the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b is shifted in order to the execution area. More specifically, the data in each area is shifted in the following order: reserved area 1 → execution area, reserved area 2 → reserved area 1, reserved area 3 → reserved area 2, reserved area 4 → reserved area 3. After the process of S305 is executed, a process is executed to obtain the data of the execution area in the special pattern reserved ball count storage area (S310).

On the other hand, in the process of S302, if it is determined that the value of the special pattern 2 reserved ball counter 203e is 0 (S302: No), it is determined whether the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d obtained in the process of S301 is 0 (S306). If it is determined that the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is 0 (S306: No), this process is terminated. On the other hand, in the process of S306, if it is determined that the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is not 0 (S306: Yes), the value (N1) of the special pattern reserved ball counter 203d is decremented by 1 (S307), and a reserved ball number command indicating the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d changed by the calculation is set (S308). The reserved ball count command set here is stored in a ring buffer for sending commands provided in the RAM 203, and is sent to the voice lamp control device 113 during the external output process (S1001) of the main process (see FIG. 67) executed by the MPU 201, which will be described later. When the voice lamp control device 113 receives the reserved ball count command, it extracts the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball count counter 203d from the reserved ball count command, and stores the extracted value in the special pattern 1 reserved ball count counter 223b in the RAM 223.

After the reserved ball count command is set by the process of S308, the data stored in the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a is shifted (S309). In the process of S309, the data stored in the reserved area 1 to reserved area 4 of the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a is shifted in order to the execution area side. More specifically, the data in each area is shifted in the following order: reserved area 1 → execution area, reserved area 2 → reserved area 1, reserved area 3 → reserved area 2, reserved area 4 → reserved area 3. After the data is shifted, the values of the first winning random number counter C1 and the first winning type counter C2 stored in the execution areas of the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a and the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b are obtained (S310).

Next, it is determined whether the game state is currently in a high probability period (high probability game state) (S311). The determination of whether or not it is in a high probability period is performed by determining whether a high probability flag (not shown) is on. This high probability flag is set on when a jackpot game based on jackpot A has ended. On the other hand, it is set off when a jackpot game has started.

If it is determined that the game is in a special chance mode (S311: Yes), the pachinko machine 10 is in a special chance mode, and the process proceeds to S312. In S312, the result of the lottery as to whether or not the game is a special chance mode is obtained based on the value of the first chance mode random number counter C1 obtained in S310 and the special chance mode random number table (S312). Specifically, the value of the first chance mode random number counter C1 is compared one by one with the 30 random number values stored in the special chance mode random number table (S312). As mentioned above, there are 30 random numbers for special symbol jackpots: 4, 11, 28, 38, 45, 52, 64, 78, 83, 99, 106, 112, 122, 134, 140, 151, 168, 176, 183, 197, 207, 218, 222, 231, 249, 256, 263, 270, 285, 299. If the value of the first winning random number counter C1 matches these winning random number values, it is determined that a special symbol jackpot has been obtained. Once the lottery results for the special symbol have been obtained, the process proceeds to S314.

On the other hand, if the process of S311 determines that the pachinko machine 10 is in the normal state of the special symbol (S311: No), the process of S313 is executed. In the process of S313, the result of the lottery as to whether or not the special symbol is a jackpot is obtained based on the value of the first winning random number counter C1 obtained in the process of S310 and the special symbol jackpot random number table for low probability (S313). Specifically, the value of the first winning random number counter C1 is compared one by one with the random number value of 3 stored in the special symbol jackpot random number table for low probability. The three random number values "7, 107, 282" are set as the random number values for the special symbol jackpot, and if the value of the first winning random number counter C1 matches these random number values for the jackpot, it is determined that the special symbol is a jackpot. After the lottery result of the special symbol is obtained, the process proceeds to S314.

In the process of S314, it is determined whether the result of the lottery for the special symbol obtained in the process of S312 or S313 is a special symbol jackpot (S314), and if it is determined that it is a special symbol jackpot (S314: Yes), the display mode at the time of the jackpot is set based on the value of the second jackpot type counter C2 obtained in the process of S310 (S315). More specifically, the value of the second jackpot type counter C2 obtained in the process of S310 is compared with the random number value stored in the special symbol jackpot type table, and it is determined which jackpot type is one of the two types of special symbol jackpots (jackpot A, jackpot B). As described above, if the value of the first jackpot type counter C2 is in the range of "0 to 59", it is determined to be jackpot A (16R jackpot, a period of probability until the next jackpot after the jackpot game), and if it is in the range of "60 to 99", it is determined to be jackpot B (16R jackpot, a period of probability 100 times when the normal symbol is used).

In the process of S315, the display mode (illumination state of LED 37a) of the first symbol display device 37 is set according to the determined jackpot type (jackpot A, jackpot B). In addition, the jackpot type (jackpot A, jackpot B) is set as the stop type so that the stop pattern corresponding to the jackpot type is stopped and displayed on the third symbol display device 81.

Next, the fluctuation pattern at the time of the big win is determined (S316). When the fluctuation pattern is set in the process of S316, the fluctuation time (display time) of the fluctuation performance in the first pattern display device 37 is set, and the fluctuation time of the third pattern until it stops at the big win pattern in the third pattern display device 81 is determined. At this time, the value of the fluctuation type counter CS1 stored in the counter buffer of RAM 203 is confirmed, and the fluctuation time of the pattern fluctuation such as normal reach, super reach, etc. is determined based on the value of the stop type selection counter C3. Note that the relationship between the value of the stop type selection counter C3 and the fluctuation time is specified in advance by a table or the like.

In terms of the variation pattern, the main control device 110 determines the variation time of the third pattern that notifies the win/lose judgment result, and notifies the voice lamp control device 113. The voice lamp control device 113 determines the content of the variation display mode (variation pattern) to actually be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 according to the variation time and the win/lose judgment result. Even if the main control device 110 is in a display mode of a miss reach, the voice lamp control device 113 is configured to be able to switch to a reach display mode or a non-miss display mode as long as the variation time is the same. This allows a variety of display modes to be displayed, diversifying the presentation.

For example, the fluctuation patterns for misses include "Miss (long time)", "Miss (short time)", various "Miss normal reaches", various "Miss super reaches", and various "Miss special reaches". The fluctuation patterns for both jackpot A and jackpot B include various "normal reaches" and various "super reaches".

If it is determined in the process of S314 that the special symbol is a miss (S314: No), the display mode at the time of miss is set (S317). In the process of S317, the display mode of the first symbol display device 37 is set to a display mode corresponding to the missing symbol, and the fluctuation time (fluctuation pattern) displayed on the third symbol display device 81 is set based on the value of the stop type selection counter C3 stored in the execution area of the special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a or the special symbol 2 reserved ball storage area 203b.

Next, the variation pattern at the time of a miss is determined (S318). Here, the display time of the first pattern display device 37 is set, and the variation time of the third pattern until it stops at the missing pattern on the third pattern display device 81 is determined. At this time, similar to the process of S317, the value of the stop type selection counter C3 stored in the counter buffer of the RAM 203 is confirmed, and the variation time of the pattern variation such as normal reach, super reach, etc. is determined based on the value of the stop type selection counter C3.

Next, a variation pattern command is set to notify the display control device 114 of the variation pattern determined in the processing of S316 or S318 (S319). Next, a stop type command is set to notify the display control device 114 of the value of the stop type selection counter C3 set in the processing of S316 or S318 (S320). These variation pattern commands and stop type commands are stored in a ring buffer for command transmission provided in the RAM 203, and these commands are transmitted to the voice lamp control device 113 in the processing of S1001 of the main processing (FIG. 67). The voice lamp control device 113 transmits the stop type command as is to the display control device 114. When the processing of S320 ends, the process returns to the special symbol variation processing.

Next, referring to FIG. 61, the start winning process (S105) executed by the MPU 201 of the main control device 110 will be described. FIG. 61 is a flow chart showing this start winning process (S105). This start winning process (S105) is executed within the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58) and determines whether or not there has been a win in the first winning slot 64 (start winning). If there has been a start winning, it is a process for reserving the values indicated by the various random number counters and for pre-reading the lottery results for the special symbols from the values indicated by the various random number counters that have been reserved.

When the start winning process is executed, first, it is determined whether or not the ball has won the first winning port 64 (start winning) (S401). Here, the ball entering the first winning port 64 is detected over three timer interrupt processes. Then, when it is determined that the ball has won the first winning port 64 (S401: Yes), the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d (the number of reserved times N1 of the variable display in the special pattern) is obtained (S402). Then, it is determined whether or not the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d is less than the upper limit value (4 in this embodiment) (S403).

Then, if there is no winning entry into the first winning slot 64 (S401: No), or if there is a winning entry into the first winning slot 64 but the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved balls counter 203d is not less than 4 (S403: No), the process proceeds to S407. On the other hand, if there is a winning entry into the first winning slot 64 (S401: Yes) and the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved balls counter 203d is less than 4 (S403: Yes), the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved balls counter 203d is incremented by 1 (S404). Then, a reserved balls command for special pattern 1 is set, indicating the value of the special pattern 1 reserved balls counter 203d changed by the calculation (S405).

The reserved ball count command set here is stored in a ring buffer for command transmission provided in the RAM 203, and is transmitted to the voice lamp control device 113 during the external output process (S1001) of the main process (see FIG. 67) executed by the MPU 201, which will be described later. When the voice lamp control device 113 receives the reserved ball count command, it extracts the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball count counter 203d from the reserved ball count command, and stores the extracted value in the special pattern 1 reserved ball count counter 223b in the RAM 223.

After the reserved ball count command is set by the process of S405, the values of the first winning random number counter C1, the second winning type counter C2, and the stop type selection counter C3 updated in S103 of the timer interrupt process described above are stored in the first of the free reserved areas (reserved area 1 to reserved area 4) in the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a of RAM 203 (S406). Note that in the process of S406, the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is referenced, and if the value is 0, the reserved area 1 is set as the first area. Similarly, if the value is 1, the reserved area 2 is set as the first area, if the value is 2, the reserved area 3 is set as the first area, and if the value is 3, the reserved area 4 is set as the first area.

Next, for S407 to S411, the same processing is executed as for each of the processes of S401 to S406 described above, except that the processing for winning the first winning slot 64 is changed to the processing for winning the second winning slot 640, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. When a gaming ball wins the second winning slot 640 and is stored as a reserved ball, the values of the first winning random number counter C1 and the second winning type counter C2 are obtained and stored in the corresponding empty reserved area of the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b.

In this way, by obtaining the values of the first winning random number counter C1 and the second winning type counter C2 for special pattern 2, which are similar to those for special pattern 1, based on the ball entering the second winning slot 640, the lottery can be performed using a common random number for special pattern 1 and special pattern 2, making it possible to keep the winning probability constant for both special pattern 1 and special pattern 2.

After executing the process of S411, a look-ahead process is executed (S412). Details of the look-ahead process (S412) will be explained with reference to FIG. 62, but a process is executed to determine in advance the results of each lottery to be executed at the start of fluctuations based on the values of various counters acquired for balls entering the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640.

In this embodiment, the counter values are selected based on the ball entering the jackpot, but they may be selected when the jackpot starts to fluctuate. This configuration eliminates the need for storage space to store the values of the counters until the jackpot starts to fluctuate, reducing the use of storage space in RAM 203. Also, some of the counters (for example, only stop type selection counter C3) may be acquired when the jackpot starts to fluctuate. This configuration allows the counters related to the hit/miss determination to be acquired when the ball enters the jackpot, and the counters not related to the hit/miss determination to be acquired later, reducing the amount of data to be stored while maintaining the fairness of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 62, we will explain the look-ahead process (S412), which is one process within the start winning process (S105) executed by the MPU 201 of the main control device 110. FIG. 62 is a flowchart showing this look-ahead process (S412).

In the pre-reading process (Fig. 62, S412), first, based on the value of the first winning random number counter C1 obtained, it is determined whether the winning/losing judgment at the start of the fluctuation is a jackpot (S501). The winning/losing judgment at the start of the fluctuation is whether the game state at the start of the fluctuation is a normal game state (low probability) or a probability game state (high probability game state) based on the winning/losing judgment of the counter value displayed before the counter value stored in the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a and the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b and the winning type. If it is determined that the judgment result is a jackpot (S501: Yes), a winning command indicating a jackpot is set (S502). On the other hand, in the process of S501, if the judgment result is not a jackpot (S501: No), it is determined whether it is a miss super reach (S503). If the process of S503 determines that the ball is a miss super reach (S503: Yes), a winning command indicating that the ball is a miss super reach is set (S504). On the other hand, if the process of S503 determines that the ball is not a miss super reach (S503: No), a winning command indicating that the ball is a miss is set (S505). In this way, the result of the win/loss judgment made in advance before the start of the fluctuation is output as a winning command to the voice lamp control device 113 every time a reserved ball is established, so that the voice lamp control device 113 can recognize the win/loss judgment result and the type of the win in advance. Therefore, the voice lamp control device 113 can execute a preview performance (for example, a performance in which the color of the reserved pattern is changed to a color that notifies the player of the win/loss judgment result for the reserved ball, or a performance in which a notification sound is output to notify the player of the win/loss judgment result for the reserved ball) based on the winning command. In addition, since a winning command is output for each reserved ball that is created, the audio lamp control device 113 can also recognize when a reserved ball is created.

Next, referring to FIG. 63, the normal symbol change process (S106) executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 will be described. This normal symbol change process (S106) is executed during the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58), and is a process for controlling the second symbol change display performed by the second symbol display device 83, the opening time of the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640, etc.

In this normal symbol variation process, first, it is determined whether or not the normal symbol (second symbol) is currently winning (S601). The second symbol is winning when the second symbol display device 83 is displaying a win and when the electric device 640a associated with the second winning port 640 is being controlled to open and close. If the determination shows that the second symbol is winning (S601: Yes), this process ends.

On the other hand, if the second symbol is not winning (S601: No), it is determined whether the display state of the second symbol display device 83 is changing (S602), and if the display state of the second symbol display device 83 is not changing (S602: No), the value of the normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f (the number of times the variable display of the normal symbol is reserved M) is obtained (S603). Next, it is determined whether the value (M) of the normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f is greater than 0 (S604), and if the value (M) of the normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f is 0 (S604: No), this process is terminated as it is. On the other hand, if the value (M) of the normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f is not 0 (S604: Yes), the value (M) of the normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f is decremented by 1 (S605).

Next, the data stored in the normal symbol reserved ball storage area 203c is shifted (S606). In the process of S606, the data stored in the reserved area 1 to reserved area 4 of the normal symbol reserved ball storage area 203c is shifted in order to the execution area side. More specifically, the data in each area is shifted in the following order: reserved area 1 → execution area, reserved area 2 → reserved area 1, reserved area 3 → reserved area 2, reserved area 4 → reserved area 3. After the data is shifted, the value of the second winning random number counter C4 stored in the execution area of the normal symbol reserved ball storage area 203c is obtained (S607).

Next, it is determined whether the game is in the time-saving state (S608), and if it is not in the time-saving state (S608: No), the process proceeds to S611. On the other hand, if the game is in the time-saving state (S608: Yes), it is determined whether the game is in the special jackpot (S609). The special jackpot includes the period when the first pattern display device 37 and the third pattern display device 81 are displaying a special jackpot (including during play of the special jackpot), and the period of time after play of the special jackpot ends.

In the process of S609, if the special symbol is not in the jackpot (S609: No), the process proceeds to S610. In the process of S609, if the special symbol is in the jackpot (S609: Yes), the process proceeds to S610.

If the game is in a special bonus or time-saving mode (i.e., time-saving mode) (S609: Yes), and if the pachinko machine 10 is not in a special jackpot (S609: No), the game obtains the result of the lottery as to whether or not the normal symbol is a winning symbol (S610) based on the value of the second winning random number counter C4 obtained in the process of S607 and the normal winning random number table 202c for high probability (see FIG. 52(c)). Specifically, the value of the second winning random number counter C4 is compared with the random number stored in the normal winning random number table 202c for high probability (see FIG. 52(c)).

In the process of S611, since the pachinko machine 10 is in a jackpot with a special symbol or is in a normal state with a normal symbol, the result of the lottery as to whether or not the normal symbol is a winning symbol is obtained based on the value of the second winning random number counter C4 obtained in the process of S607 and the normal winning random number table 202c for low probability (see FIG. 52(c)) (S611). Specifically, the value of the second winning random number counter C4 is compared with the random number value stored in the normal winning random number table 202c for low probability (see FIG. 52(c)).

In this embodiment, during a jackpot of a special symbol, the lottery for a normal symbol is less likely to be a winning one. This is because during a jackpot of a special symbol (i.e., during a special game state), the player hits the ball to make the ball enter the special winning hole 65a, and the electric device 640a attached to the second winning hole 640 is opened to prevent the ball that is intended to enter the special winning hole 65a from entering the second winning hole 640 as much as possible. Note that since the special winning hole 65a is provided immediately below the second winning hole 640, even if balls are prevented from entering the second winning hole 640 during a jackpot of a special symbol, many balls enter the second winning hole 640. As a result, in most cases, the number of reserved balls for the second winning hole 640 becomes maximum (4 times) while the pachinko machine 10 is in the special game state.

Next, it is determined whether the result of the lottery for the normal symbol obtained by the processing of S610 or S611 is a winning second symbol (S612), and if it is determined that the second symbol is a winning second symbol (S612: Yes), the display mode at the time of the winning second symbol is set (S613). Next, it is determined whether or not the time-saving state is in effect (S614).

If it is determined in the process of S614 that the time-saving state is active (S614: Yes), it is determined whether or not a special symbol jackpot is currently active (S615). If the result of the determination is that a special symbol jackpot is currently active (S615: Yes), the process proceeds to S617. In this embodiment, in order to prevent the ball from entering the second winning hole 640 as much as possible during a special symbol jackpot, the number of times and the opening time of the electric device 640a are set in the same way as when a normal symbol is not active, even if a normal symbol is hit.

In the process of S615, if the special symbol jackpot is not being won (S615: No), the opening period of the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 is set to 1 second, and the number of times it is opened is set to 2 (S616), and the process proceeds to S619.

If it is determined in the process of S614 that the time-saving state is not in effect (S614: No), the process proceeds to S617. In the process of S617, since the pachinko machine 10 is in a jackpot with a special symbol or is in a normal state with the second symbol, the opening period of the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 is set to 0.2 seconds and the number of times it is opened is set to 1 (S617), and the process proceeds to S619.

If it is determined in the process of S612 that the second pattern is a miss (S612: No), the display mode in the event of a miss is set (S618). In this process of S618, after the variable display in the second pattern display device 83 has ended, the "X" pattern is set to be lit and displayed as the stopped pattern (second pattern). Once the setting of the display mode in the event of a miss has been completed, the process proceeds to S619.

In the process of S619, it is determined whether or not the time is reduced (S619), and if the time is reduced (S619: Yes), the time for the variable display in the second symbol display device 83 is set to 3 seconds (S620), and this process is terminated. On the other hand, if the time is not reduced in the process of S619 (S619: No), the time for the variable display in the second symbol display device 83 is set to 30 seconds (S621), and this process is terminated. In this way, except during a jackpot of a special symbol, when the probability of the second symbol is high, the time for the variable display is very short (from 30 seconds to 3 seconds) compared to when the probability of the second symbol is low, and further, the opening period of the second winning hole 640 is very long (from 0.2 seconds x 1 time to 1 second x 2 times), making it easier for the ball to enter the second winning hole 640.

On the other hand, in the process of S602, if the display mode of the second pattern display device 83 is changing (S602: Yes), it is determined whether the change time of the changing display being executed in the second pattern display device 83 has elapsed (S622). Note that the change time here is the time that was previously set by the process of S620 or the process of S621 before the changing display was started in the second pattern display device 83.

In the process of S622, if the change time has not elapsed (S622: No), this process is terminated. On the other hand, in the process of S622, if the change time of the executed change display has elapsed (S622: Yes), the stop display of the second pattern display device 83 is set (S623). In the process of S623, if the lottery for the normal pattern is a win and the display mode is set by the process of S613, the "○" pattern as the second pattern is set to be stopped and displayed (lit) on the second pattern display device 83. On the other hand, if the lottery for the normal pattern is a loss and the display mode is set by the process of S618, the "X" pattern as the second pattern is set to be stopped and displayed (lit) on the second pattern display device 83. When the stop display is set by the processing of S623, the next time the second pattern display update processing (see S1007) of the main processing (see FIG. 67) is executed, the variable display on the second pattern display device 83 ends, and the stop pattern (second pattern) is displayed as a stop (illuminated) on the second pattern display device 83 in the display mode set by the processing of S613 or S618.

Next, when the variable display being executed in the second symbol display device 83 starts, it is determined whether the lottery result of the normal symbol performed by the normal symbol variable processing (the current lottery result) is a win of the normal symbol (S624). If the current lottery result is a win of the normal symbol (S624: Yes), the opening and closing control start of the electric role 640a associated with the second winning port 640 is set (S625), and this processing is terminated. When the opening and closing control start of the electric role 640a is set by the processing of S625, when the electric role opening and closing processing (see S1005) of the main processing (see FIG. 67) is next executed, the opening and closing control of the electric role 640a is started, and the opening and closing control of the electric role 640a is continued until the opening time and the number of openings set in the processing of S616 or the processing of S617 are completed. On the other hand, in the processing of S624, if the current lottery result is a loss of the normal symbol (S624: No), the processing of S625 is skipped and this processing is terminated.

Next, the through gate passing process (S107) executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 64. FIG. 64 is a flowchart showing this through gate passing process (S107). This through gate passing process (S107) is executed within the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58) and is a process for determining whether or not the ball has passed through the through gate 67, and, if the ball has passed through, obtaining and reserving the value indicated by the second winning random number counter C4.

In the through gate passing process, first, it is determined whether or not the ball has passed through the through gate 67 (S701). Here, the passage of the ball through the through gate 67 is detected over three timer interrupt processes. Then, when it is determined that the ball has passed through the through gate 67 (S701: Yes), the value of the normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f (the number of reserved normal symbol variable display times M) is obtained (S702). Then, it is determined whether or not the value (M) of the normal symbol reserved ball number counter 203f is less than the upper limit value (4 in this embodiment) (S703).

If the ball has not passed through the through gate 67 (S701: No), or if the ball has passed through the through gate 67 but the value (M) of the normal pattern reserved ball counter 203f is not less than 4 (S703: No), the process ends. On the other hand, if the ball has passed through the through gate 67 (S701: Yes) and the value (M) of the normal pattern reserved ball counter 203f is less than 4 (S703: Yes), the value (M) of the normal pattern reserved ball counter 203f is incremented by 1 (S704). Then, the value of the second winning random number counter C4 updated in S103 of the timer interrupt process described above is stored in the first of the empty reserved areas (reserved area 1 to reserved area 4) of the normal pattern reserved ball storage area 203c of the RAM 203 (S705). In addition, in the process of S705, the value of the normal pattern reserved ball counter 203f is referred to, and if the value is 0, the reserved area 1 is set as the first area. Similarly, if the value is 1, the second reserved area becomes the first area, if the value is 2, the third reserved area, and if the value is 3, the fourth reserved area becomes the first area, and this process ends.

Figure 65 is a flowchart showing the NMI interrupt process executed by the MPU 201 in the main control unit 110. The NMI interrupt process is executed by the MPU 201 in the main control unit 110 when the power to the pachinko machine 10 is cut off due to a power outage or the like. This NMI interrupt process stores information about the power outage in the RAM 203. That is, when the power to the pachinko machine 10 is cut off due to a power outage or the like, a power outage signal SG1 is output from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 to the NMI terminal of the MPU 201 in the main control unit 110. The MPU 201 then interrupts the control being executed and starts the NMI interrupt process, stores the power outage information in the RAM 203 as the setting of the power outage information (S801), and ends the NMI interrupt process.

The above-mentioned NMI interrupt processing is also executed in the payout/firing control device 111, and this NMI interrupt processing causes information about the occurrence of a power outage to be stored in the RAM 213. In other words, when the power supply to the pachinko machine 10 is cut off due to a power outage or the like, a power outage signal SG1 is output from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 to the NMI terminal of the MPU 211 in the payout control device 111, and the MPU 211 interrupts the control currently being executed and starts the NMI interrupt processing.

Next, referring to FIG. 66, the start-up process executed by the MPU 201 in the main control unit 110 when the power is turned on will be described. FIG. 66 is a flowchart showing this start-up process. This start-up process is initiated by a reset when the power is turned on. In the start-up process, first, an initial setting process associated with power-on is executed (S901). For example, a predetermined value is set in the stack pointer. Next, a wait process (1 second in this embodiment) is executed to wait for the sub-side control units (peripheral control units such as the voice lamp control unit 113 and the dispensing control unit 111) to become operable (S902). Then, access to the RAM 203 is permitted (S903).

Then, it is determined whether the RAM clear switch 122 (see FIG. 3) provided on the power supply device 115 is turned on (S904), and if it is turned on (S904: Yes), the process proceeds to S912. On the other hand, if the RAM clear switch 122 is not turned on (S904: No), it is further determined whether or not information on the occurrence of a power outage is stored in the RAM 203 (S905), and if it is not stored (S905: No), it is possible that the process at the time of the previous power outage did not end normally, so in this case too, the process proceeds to S912.

If information about the occurrence of a power outage is stored in RAM 203 (S905: Yes), a RAM judgment value is calculated (S906). If the calculated RAM judgment value is not normal (S907: No), that is, if the calculated RAM judgment value does not match the RAM judgment value saved at the time of power outage, the backed up data has been destroyed, and in such a case, the process also proceeds to S912. Note that, as will be described later in the process of S1014 in FIG. 67, the RAM judgment value is, for example, a checksum value at the working area address of RAM 203. Instead of this RAM judgment value, the validity of the backup may be determined based on whether or not a keyword written in a specified area of RAM 203 is saved correctly.

In the process of S912, a payout initialization command is sent to initialize the payout control device 111, which is the sub-side control device (peripheral control device) (S912). When the payout control device 111 receives this payout initialization command, it clears the areas (working areas) other than the stack area of the RAM 213, sets initial values, and becomes ready to start controlling the payout of game balls. After sending the payout initialization command, the main control device 110 executes the initialization process of the RAM 203 (S913, S914).

As described above, in this pachinko machine 10, when the RAM data is to be initialized when the power is turned on, for example, when the hall opens for business, the power is turned on while pressing the RAM erase switch 122. Therefore, if the RAM erase switch 122 is pressed when the start-up process is executed, the RAM initialization process (S913, S914) is executed. Similarly, if the power outage occurrence information is not set, or if a backup abnormality is confirmed by the RAM judgment value (checksum value, etc.), the RAM 203 initialization process (S913, S914) is executed. In the RAM initialization process (S913, S914), the used area of the RAM 203 is cleared to 0 (S913), and then the initial value of the RAM 203 is set (S914). After the RAM 203 initialization process is executed, the process proceeds to S910.

On the other hand, if the RAM clear switch 122 is not turned on (S904: No), power outage information is stored (S905: Yes), and the RAM judgment value (checksum value, etc.) is normal (S907: Yes), the power outage information is cleared (S908) while retaining the data backed up in the RAM 203. Next, a payout return command upon power recovery is sent to return the sub-side control device (peripheral control device) to the game state when the drive power was cut off (S909), and the process proceeds to S910. When the payout control device 111 receives this payout return command, it becomes capable of starting payout control of game balls while retaining the data stored in the RAM 213.

In the process of S910, a performance permission command is sent to the voice lamp control device 113, and the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114 are permitted to execute various performances. Next, an interrupt is permitted (S911), and the process proceeds to the main process described below.

Next, referring to FIG. 67, the main processing executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 after the above-mentioned start-up processing will be described. FIG. 67 is a flowchart showing this main processing. In this main processing, the main processing of the game is executed. In summary, each process of S1001 to S1007 is executed as a regular process with a cycle of 4 milliseconds, and the counter update process of S1010 and S1011 is executed in the remaining time.

In the main process, first, during execution of the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58), an external output process is executed to transmit output data such as commands stored in a ring buffer for command transmission provided in the RAM 203 to each control device (peripheral control device) on the sub side (S1001). Specifically, the presence or absence of winning detection information detected in the switch reading process of S101 in the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58) is determined, and if there is winning detection information, a prize ball command corresponding to the number of balls acquired is transmitted to the payout control device 111. In addition, the reserved ball number command set in the special pattern variation process (see FIG. 58) or the start winning process (see FIG. 61) is transmitted to the voice lamp control device 113. In addition, the winning command set in the start winning process or the look-ahead process (see FIG. 62) is transmitted to the voice lamp control device 113. Furthermore, this external output process transmits a variation pattern command, a stop type command, etc. required for the third pattern display device 81 to display the variation of the third pattern to the voice lamp control device 113.

Next, the value of the fluctuation type counter CS1 is updated (S1002). Specifically, the fluctuation type counter CS1 is incremented by 1, and when the counter value reaches the maximum value (198 in this embodiment), it is cleared to 0. The updated value of the fluctuation type counter CS1 is then stored in the corresponding buffer area of the RAM 203.

When the update of the variable type counter CS1 is completed, the prize ball count signal and the payout abnormality signal received from the payout control device 111 are read (S1003), and then, in the case of a special symbol jackpot state, a jackpot performance is executed and a jackpot control process is executed to open or close the specific winning port (large opening port) 65a of the variable winning device 65 (S1004). In the jackpot control process, the specific winning port 65a is opened for each round of the jackpot state, and it is determined whether the maximum opening time of the specific winning port 65a has elapsed or whether a specified number of balls have entered the specific winning port 65a. Then, when any of these conditions is met, the specific winning port 65a is closed. This opening and closing of the specific winning port 65a is repeated for a predetermined number of rounds. In this embodiment, the jackpot control process (S1004) is executed in the main process, but it may be executed in the timer interrupt process.

Next, an electric role opening/closing process is executed to control the opening and closing of the electric role 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 (S1005). In the electric role opening/closing process, when the start of the opening/closing control of the electric role 640a is set by the process of S625 of the normal pattern change process (see FIG. 63), the opening/closing control of the electric role 640a is started. Note that this opening/closing control of the electric role 640a continues until the opening time and the number of openings set by the process of S613 or S617 of FIG. 63 in the normal pattern change process are completed.

Next, a first pattern display update process is executed to update the display of the first pattern display device 37 (S1006). In the first pattern display update process, when a variation pattern is set by the process of S316 or S318 of the special pattern variation start process (see FIG. 60), the first pattern display device 37 starts displaying a variation according to the variation pattern. In this embodiment, for example, if the currently lit LED of the LED 37a of the first pattern display device 37 is red, the red LED is turned off and the green LED is turned on, if the green LED is turned on, the green LED is turned off and the blue LED is turned on, and if the blue LED is turned on, the blue LED is turned off and the red LED is turned on.

The main process is executed every 4 milliseconds, but if the LED color were to be changed each time the main process was executed, the player would not be able to see the change in the LED color. Therefore, to allow the player to see the change in the LED color, a counter (not shown) is counted by 1 each time the main process is executed, and when the counter reaches 100, the LED color is changed. In other words, the LED color is changed every 0.4 seconds. The counter value is reset to 0 when the LED color is changed.

In addition, in the first pattern display update process, when the change time corresponding to the change pattern set by processing S315 or S317 of the special pattern change start process (see FIG. 60) ends, the change display being performed in the first pattern display device 37 is terminated, and the stopped pattern (first pattern) is displayed as stopped (lit up) in the first pattern display device 37 in the display mode set by processing S315 or S317 of the special pattern change start process (see FIG. 60).

Next, a second pattern display update process is executed to update the display of the second pattern display device 83 (S1007). In the second pattern display update process, when the second pattern change time is set by the process of S620 or S621 of the normal pattern change start process (see FIG. 63), the second pattern display device 83 starts a change display. As a result, the second pattern display device 83 performs a change display in which the "○" pattern and the "×" pattern as the second pattern are alternately lit. Also, in the second pattern display update process, when the stop display of the second pattern display device 83 is set by the process of S623 of the normal pattern change process (see FIG. 63), the change display being executed in the second pattern display device 83 is terminated, and the stop pattern (second pattern) is displayed (lit) in a stopped state on the second pattern display device 83 in the display mode set by the process of S613 of the normal pattern change start process (see FIG. 63).

Then, it is determined whether or not information on the occurrence of a power outage is stored in RAM 203 (S1008). If information on the occurrence of a power outage is not stored in RAM 203 (S1008: No), the power outage signal SG1 is not output from the power outage monitoring circuit 252, and the power supply is not cut off. In such a case, it is determined whether or not the timing for executing the next main process has arrived, that is, whether or not a predetermined time (4 milliseconds in this embodiment) has elapsed since the start of the current main process (S1009). If the predetermined time has already elapsed (S1009: Yes), the process proceeds to S1001, and each of the processes from S1001 onwards described above is repeatedly executed.

On the other hand, if the specified time has not yet elapsed since the start of the current main process (S1009: No), the update of the initial value random number counter CINI1, the second initial value random number counter CINI2, and the fluctuation type counter CS1 is repeatedly executed (S1010, S1011) until the specified time is reached, i.e., within the remaining time until the execution timing of the next main process.

First, the initial value random number counter CINI1 and the second initial value random number counter CINI2 are updated (S1010). Specifically, the initial value random number counter CINI1 and the second initial value random number counter CINI2 are incremented by 1, and when the counter value reaches the maximum value (299, 239 in this embodiment), the counter is cleared to 0. The updated values of the initial value random number counter CINI1 and the second initial value random number counter CINI2 are then stored in the corresponding buffer areas of RAM 203. Next, the fluctuation type counter CS1 is updated in the same manner as the processing of S1002 (S1011).

Here, the execution time of each process from S1001 to S1007 changes depending on the game state, so the remaining time until the next main process is executed is not constant but fluctuates. Therefore, by repeatedly updating the initial value random number counter CINI1 and the second initial value random number counter CINI2 using this remaining time, the initial value random number counter CINI1 and the second initial value random number counter CINI2 (i.e., the initial value of the first win random number counter C1 and the initial value of the second win random number counter C4) can be randomly updated, and the stop type selection counter C3 can also be randomly updated in the same way.

In addition, if the power interruption information is stored in the RAM 203 in the process of S1008 (S1008: Yes), the power is interrupted due to a power outage or power off, and the power outage monitoring circuit 252 outputs the power outage signal SG1, which means that the NMI interruption process in FIG. 65 is executed, so the process at the time of power interruption from S1012 onwards is executed. First, the occurrence of each interruption process is prohibited (S1012), and a power off command indicating that the power has been interrupted is sent to other control devices (peripheral control devices such as the dispensing control device 111 and the voice lamp control device 113) (S1013). Then, a RAM judgment value is calculated and the value is saved (S1014), and access to the RAM 203 is prohibited (S1015), and an infinite loop is continued until the power is completely cut off and the process cannot be executed. Here, the RAM judgment value is, for example, a checksum value in the stack area and working area backed up in the RAM 203.

The processing of S1008 is executed at the end of a series of processing corresponding to the change in the game state performed in S1001 to S1007, or at the end of one cycle of the processing of S1010 and S1011 performed within the remaining time. Therefore, in the main processing of the main control device 110, the power interruption occurrence information is confirmed at the timing when each setting is completed, so when returning from the power interruption state, the processing can be started from the processing of S1001 after the start-up processing is completed. That is, the processing can be started from the processing of S1001, just as in the case of initialization in the start-up processing. Therefore, in the processing at the time of power interruption, even if the contents of each register used by the MPU 201 are not saved to the stack area or the value of the stack pointer is not saved, the stack pointer is set to a predetermined value (initial value) in the initial setting processing (S901), and the processing can be started from the processing of S1001. Therefore, the control burden on the main control device 110 can be reduced, and accurate control can be performed without the main control device 110 malfunctioning or running out of control.

<Control process executed by the voice lamp control device 113>
Next, referring to Fig. 68 to Fig. 82, each control process executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. The process of the MPU 221 is roughly divided into a start-up process that is started when the power is turned on, and a main process that is executed after the start-up process.

First, referring to FIG. 68, the startup process executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 68 is a flowchart showing this startup process. This startup process is started when the power is turned on.

When the startup process is executed, first, the initial setting process associated with power-on is executed (S1201). Specifically, a predetermined value is set in the stack pointer. Then, depending on whether the power-off processing in progress flag is on, it is determined whether the current startup process was started during the power-off processing of S1320 (see FIG. 70) due to a momentary voltage drop (momentary power outage, so-called "instantaneous power outage") (S1202). As will be described later with reference to FIG. 70, when the voice lamp control device 113 receives a power-off command from the main control device 110 (see S1317 in FIG. 70), it executes the power-off processing of S1320. Before the power-off processing is executed, the power-off processing in progress flag is turned on, and after the power-off processing is completed, the power-off processing in progress flag is turned off. Therefore, whether the power-off processing of S1320 is in progress can be determined by the state of the power-off processing in progress flag.

If the power-off processing in progress flag is off (S1202: No), the current startup process was started after the power was completely cut off, or after a momentary power outage occurred and the power-off processing of S1320 was completed, or the process was started after only the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 was reset due to noise or the like (without receiving a power-off command from the main control device 110). Therefore, in these cases, it is checked whether the data in the RAM 223 has been corrupted (S1203).

The confirmation of data corruption in RAM 223 is performed as follows. That is, data as the keyword "55AAh" is written in a specific area of RAM 223 by the processing of S1206. Therefore, by checking the data stored in that specific area, if the data is "55AAh", there is no data corruption in RAM 223, and conversely, if the data is not "55AAh", data corruption in RAM 223 can be confirmed. If data corruption in RAM 223 is confirmed (S1203: Yes), the process proceeds to S1204, where initialization of RAM 223 begins. On the other hand, if data corruption in RAM 223 is not confirmed (S1203: No), the process proceeds to S1208.

If the current startup process is started after the power supply is completely cut off, the keyword "55AAh" is not stored in the specific area of RAM 223 (because the memory of RAM 223 is lost when the power supply is cut off), so it is determined that the data in RAM 223 has been destroyed (S1203: Yes) and the process proceeds to S1204. On the other hand, if the current startup process is started after a momentary power outage occurs and the power cut process of S1320 is completed, or if the startup process is started after only the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 is reset due to noise or the like, the keyword "55AAh" is stored in the specific area of RAM 223, so the data in RAM 223 is determined to be normal (S1203: No) and the process proceeds to S1208.

If the power-off processing in progress flag is on (S1202: Yes), this startup process was started after a momentary power outage occurred, and the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 was reset while the power-off processing of S1320 was in progress. In this case, the storage state of the RAM 223 is not necessarily correct because the power-off processing is in progress. Therefore, in this case, control cannot continue, so the process proceeds to S1204 and initialization of the RAM 223 begins.

In the process of S1204, the entire storage area of RAM 223 is checked (S1204). The check method is to first write "0FFh" to each byte, then read each byte to check whether it is "0FFh", and if it is "0FFh", it is determined to be normal. This writing and checking for each byte is performed in the order of "0FFh", then "55h", "0AAh", and "00h". This read/write check of RAM 223 clears all storage areas of RAM 223 to 0.

If the read/write check is determined to be normal for all memory areas of the RAM 223 (S1205: Yes), the keyword "55AAh" is written in a specific area of the RAM 223 to set RAM destruction check data (S1206). By checking the keyword "55AAh" written in this specific area, it is checked whether data destruction has occurred in the RAM 223. On the other hand, if an abnormality in the read/write check is detected in any memory area of the RAM 223 (S1205: No), the abnormality in the RAM 223 is notified (S1207) and an infinite loop is performed until the power is cut off. The abnormality in the RAM 223 is notified by the display lamp 34. Note that the abnormality in the RAM 223 may be notified by outputting a sound from the audio output device 226, or an error command may be sent to the display control device 114 to display an error message on the third pattern display device 81.

In the process of S1208, it is determined whether the power-off flag is on (S1208). The power-off flag is turned on when the power-off process of S1320 is executed (see S1317 in FIG. 70). In other words, the power-off flag is turned on before the power-off process of S1320 is executed, so the process of S1208 will be reached with the power-off flag on if the current startup process is started after a momentary power outage occurs and the execution of the power-off process of S1320 is completed. Therefore, in such a case (S1208: Yes), the working area of the RAM is cleared (S1209) to initialize each process of the voice lamp control device 113, and after setting the initial value of the RAM 223 (S1210), interrupt permission is set (S1211), and the process proceeds to the main process. Note that the working area of the RAM 223 refers to an area other than the area for storing commands received from the main control device 110.

On the other hand, if the power-off flag is off and the process reaches S1208, it means that the current startup process was started after the power was completely cut off, and so the process went from S1204 to S1206 and then to S1208, or the process was started because only the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 was reset due to noise or the like (without receiving a power-off command from the main control device 110). Therefore, in such a case (S1208: No), S1209, which is the process of clearing the working area of RAM 223, is skipped and the process proceeds to S1210, where the initial value of RAM 223 is set (S1210), interrupt permission is set (S1211), and the process proceeds to the main process. After that, it is determined whether a status command has been received from the main control device 110 (S1212).

The reason for skipping the clearing process of S1209 is that when the process proceeds from S1204 to S1206 and then to S1208, all storage areas of RAM 223 have already been cleared by the process of S1204, and when only MPU 221 of voice lamp control device 113 is reset due to noise or the like and start-up processing is started, control of voice lamp control device 113 can be continued by storing the data in the working area of RAM 223 without clearing it.

In the process of S1214, a time setting process is executed (S1214). Details of this time setting process (S1214) will be described with reference to FIG. 69.

Next, referring to FIG. 69, the time setting process (S1214), which is one process in the start-up process (see FIG. 68) executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113, will be described. FIG. 69 is a flowchart showing this time setting process (S1214). In the time setting process (FIG. 69, S1214), the setting of the setting switch 291 is determined to determine whether or not to execute a time performance, and if the setting is to execute a time performance, time information is obtained from the RTC 292, and a process is executed to set the time performance period in each set time memory area 223j based on the time information.

In the time setting process (FIG. 69, S1214), first, time information is obtained from the RTC 292 (S1221). The time information obtained here includes the values of "hours and minutes". The RTC 292 is a timekeeping means with an internal battery, and is configured so that when the pachinko machine 10 is assembled, the same current time is initially set in the pachinko machine 10 using a specified jig. The capacity of the internal battery is approximately three and a half years of operating time. The RTC 292 also has a calendar function, and is configured to be able to distinguish the "year, month, and date". Therefore, for example, on Christmas Day, it is possible to control the background image to be changed to a Christmas-only image, or to display special characters such as Santa.

Next, based on the acquired time information, the preparation period and the time performance period are calculated and set in the set time memory area 223j (S1222).

In this embodiment, the preparation period and time performance period for 24 hours are calculated based on the acquired time information and set in the set time memory area 223j, but it is not limited to this. It is also possible to first set 54 minutes for normal gameplay, measure this period by counting down or counting up, etc., and set the preparation period based on the passage of 54 minutes. Alternatively, it is also possible to set a time 54 minutes from now, and set the time for the next period when that time is reached. By configuring in this way, it is possible to reduce the required capacity of the memory area. Therefore, the pachinko machine 10 can be constructed more inexpensively.

Next, referring to FIG. 70, the main processing executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 after the startup processing of the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 70 is a flowchart showing this main processing. When the main processing is executed, first, it is determined whether or not 1 millisecond or more has elapsed since the main processing was started or since the current processing of S1301 was executed (S1301). If 1 millisecond or more has not elapsed (S1301: No), the processing of S1302 to S1311 is not executed and the processing proceeds to S1312. The reason for determining whether or not 1 millisecond has elapsed in the processing of S1301 is that, whereas S1302 to S1311 are mainly processing related to display (performance) and do not need to be edited in a short cycle (within 1 millisecond), it is preferable to execute the command determination processing of S1312, the variable display setting processing of S1313, and the processing of updating various counter values not shown in the figure in a short cycle. By executing the process of S1312 at short intervals, it is possible to prevent commands sent from the main control device 110 from being missed, and by executing the process of S1313 at short intervals, it is possible to set up the variable performance without delay based on the commands received by the command determination process.

If 1 millisecond or more has elapsed in the processing of S1301 (S1301: Yes), first, various commands for the display control device 114 set by the processing of S1303 to S1314 are sent to the display control device 114 (S1302). Next, the lighting mode of the display lamp 34 is set and the output of each lamp is set to the lighting mode of the lamp edited in the processing of S1308 described later (S1303), and then the power-on notification processing is executed (S1304). The power-on notification processing is a processing for notifying that the power has been turned on for a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) when the power is turned on, and the notification is performed by the audio output device 226 or the lamp display device 227. In addition, a command may be sent to the display control device 114 to notify that power has been supplied on the screen of the third pattern display device 81. Note that if the power is not turned on, the notification by the power-on notification processing is not performed and the processing proceeds to S1305.

In the process of S1305, a customer waiting performance process is executed, and then a reserved ball number display update process is executed (S1306). In the customer waiting performance process, when a predetermined time has elapsed during which the pachinko machine 10 is not played by a player, settings are made to switch the display of the third symbol display device 81 to the title screen, and this setting is sent as a command to the display control device 114. In the reserved ball number display update process, a process is performed to light up the reserved lamp (not shown) according to the value of the special symbol 1 reserved ball number counter 223b.

After that, the frame button input monitoring and presentation process is executed (S1307). This frame button input monitoring and presentation process monitors whether the frame button 22 operated by the player has been pressed in order to enhance the presentation effect, and sets up a corresponding presentation when input of the frame button 22 is confirmed. Details of this frame button input monitoring and presentation process (S1307) will be described later with reference to FIG. 80.

When the frame button input monitoring and performance process is completed, the lamp editing process is executed (S1308), and then the sound editing and output process is executed (S1309). In the lamp editing process, the lighting patterns of the illumination units 29 to 33 are set to correspond to the display performed by the third pattern display device 81. In the sound editing and output process, the output pattern of the sound output device 226 is set to correspond to the display performed by the third pattern display device 81, and sound is output from the sound output device 226 according to the settings.

After processing S1309, the LCD performance execution management process is executed (S1310), and then the background image setting process is executed (S1311). Then, the process proceeds to S1312. In the LCD performance execution management process, a time is set that is synchronized with the time required for the variable display performed by the third pattern display device 81 based on the variable pattern command sent from the main control device 110. The lamp editing process of S1308 is executed based on the time set in this LCD performance execution monitoring process. In addition, the sound editing and output process of S1309 is also executed at a time synchronized with the time required for the variable display performed by the third pattern display device 81.

In the processing of S1312, a command determination process is performed in which processing is performed according to the command received from the main control device 110 (S1312). Details of this command determination process will be described later with reference to FIG. 71. After the processing of this command determination process (FIG. 71, S1312) is executed, a variable display setting process is executed (S1313). In the variable display setting process, a display variable pattern command is generated and set based on the variable pattern command received from the main control device 110 in order to execute a variable performance in the third pattern display device 81. As a result, the command is transmitted to the display control device 114. Details of this variable display setting process will be described later with reference to FIG. 74.

After S1313 is completed, the synchronous performance management process (S1314) is executed. Details of this synchronous performance management process (S1314) will be described later with reference to FIG. 77.

After the processing of S1314 is completed, it is determined whether or not information on the occurrence of a power outage is stored in the work RAM 233 (S1317). Information on the occurrence of a power outage is stored when a power outage command is received from the main control unit 110. If information on the occurrence of a power outage is stored in the processing of S1317 (S1317: Yes), both the power outage flag and the power outage processing in progress flag are turned on (S1319), and the power outage processing is executed (S1320). After the power outage processing is executed, the power outage processing in progress flag is turned off (S1321), and the processing is then looped infinitely. In the power outage processing, the occurrence of interrupt processing is prohibited, and each output port is turned off to turn off the output from the audio output device 226 and the lamp display device 227. The stored information on the occurrence of a power outage is also erased.

On the other hand, if the power failure information is not stored in the process of S1317 (S1317: No), it is determined whether or not the RAM 223 is destroyed based on the keyword stored in the RAM 223 (S1318). If the RAM 223 is not destroyed (S1318: No), the process returns to S1301 and the main process is repeatedly executed. On the other hand, if the RAM 223 is destroyed (S1318: Yes), the process is infinitely looped to stop the execution of subsequent processes. Here, if the RAM is determined to be destroyed and an infinite loop occurs, the main process is not executed, and the display by the third symbol display device 81 does not change thereafter. Therefore, the player can know that an abnormality has occurred, and can call a hall staff member or the like to repair the pachinko machine 10. In addition, if it is confirmed that the RAM 223 is destroyed, the sound output device 226 or the lamp display device 227 may be used to notify the player of the RAM destruction.

Next, the command determination process (S1312) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described with reference to FIG. 71. FIG. 71 is a flowchart showing this command determination process (S1312). This command determination process (S1312) is executed in the main process (see FIG. 70) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113, and as described above, determines the command received from the main control device 110.

In the command determination process, first, the first unprocessed command received from the main control unit 110 is read from the command storage area provided in the RAM 223, analyzed, and it is determined whether or not a variation pattern command has been received from the main control unit 110 (S1401). If a variation pattern command has been received (S1401: Yes), the variation start flag 223e is turned on (S1402), and the data in the corresponding winning information storage area is shifted (S1403). Thereafter, the advance notice selection process is executed (S1404), and the process proceeds to S1419.

Here, the details of this advance notice selection process (S1404) will be described with reference to FIG. 72. FIG. 72 is a flowchart showing this advance notice selection process (S1404).

In the preview selection process (S1404), first, the value of the performance counter 223g is obtained (S1501). It is determined whether the performance mode set in the performance mode memory area 223k is performance mode A (S1502). If it is determined that performance mode A is set (S1502: Yes), a normal preview performance is selected based on the result of the hit/miss determination and the value of the performance counter 223g (S1503). Then, a display preview command indicating the selected preview performance is set (S1504).

On the other hand, in the process of S1502, if presentation mode A is not set (S1502: No), it is determined whether presentation mode C is set (S1505). If presentation mode C is set (S1505: Yes), and if the result of the hit/miss determination is a hit, a display preview command is set on the third pattern display device 81 to show a preview of a super school of fish, where a school of fish flows from right to left (S1507).

On the other hand, if presentation mode C is not set in the processing of S1505 (S1505: No), or if the result of the hit/miss determination in the processing of S1506 is not a hit (S1506: No), this processing ends.

In this way, the display preview command to be set can be switched and configured based on the set presentation mode. Also, the preview presentation is determined based on the win/lose judgment result and the value of the presentation counter 223g at the start of the fluctuation, so there is no need to perform processing to determine and select the timing of the display start, etc., and the control load can be reduced. Also, in this embodiment, the timing to display the preview is predetermined depending on the fluctuation pattern, and a display preview display command indicating that timing is set, and the display control device 114 is set to display at that timing.

Now, let's go back to FIG. 71 to continue the explanation. After the preview selection process (FIG. 72, S1404) is executed, this process is terminated and the process returns to the main process. If it is determined that the variation pattern command has not been received (S1401: No), then it is determined whether or not a stop type command has been received from the main control device 110 (S1405). If a stop type command has been received (S1405: Yes), the stop type selection flag 223f in the RAM 223 is set to on (S1406), the stop type is extracted from the received stop type command (S1407), and the process returns to the main process. The stop type extracted here is stored in the RAM 223 and is referenced when the variation display setting process (see FIG. 74) described later is executed. It is then used to set a display stop type command that notifies the display control device 114 of the stop type of the variation performance.

On the other hand, if a stop type command has not been received (S1405: No), it is then determined whether or not a reserved ball number command has been received from the main control unit 110 (S1408). If a reserved ball number command has been received (S1408: Yes), the respective reserved ball numbers are extracted from the received command, and the reserved ball numbers are set in the corresponding special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 223b and special pattern 2 reserved ball number counter 223c (S1409).

Here, the reserved ball number command is transmitted from the main control unit 110 when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 (initial winning), or when a lottery for a special pattern is held, so that each time an initial winning is detected or a lottery for a special pattern is held, the values of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 223b and the special pattern 2 reserved ball counter 223c of the voice lamp control unit 113 can be adjusted to the values of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d and the special pattern 2 reserved ball number counter 203e of the main control unit 110, respectively, by the processing of S1407. Therefore, even if the values of the special symbol 1 reserved ball counter 223b and the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 223c of the voice lamp control device 113 deviate from the values of the special symbol 1 reserved ball counter 203d and the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e of the main control device 110 due to the influence of noise, etc., the values of the special symbol 1 reserved ball counter 223b and the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 223c of the voice lamp control device 113 can be corrected at the time of detecting the start winning or drawing the special symbol, and can be adjusted to the values of the special symbol 1 reserved ball counter 203d and the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e of the main control device 110. When the process of S1407 is executed, a display reserved ball number command is set to notify the display control device 114 of the updated values of the special symbol 1 reserved ball counter 223b and the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 223c. As a result, the display control device 114 displays a reserved ball number pattern corresponding to the reserved ball number on the third pattern display device 81.

On the other hand, if the reserved ball number command has not been received (S1408: No), it is then determined whether or not a special symbol winning command has been received from the main control device 110 (S1410). If a winning command has been received (S1410: Yes), a winning command reception process is executed (S1411). After that, processing according to other commands is executed (S1419), and the process returns to the main process. As described above, in this pachinko machine 10, when a ball wins the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 (initial winning), the main control device 110 acquires the values of the counters C1 to C3, and the acquired values of the counters C1 to C3 are stored in the special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a and the special symbol 2 reserved ball number storage area 203b, respectively. In addition, as soon as the main control device 110 acquires the values of the counters C1-C3 and CS1, various information that will be obtained if the original lottery is held is read in advance (predicted) from the acquired values of the counters C1-C3, in addition to the original lottery for the big win of the special symbol. Then, when the main control device 110 finishes reading in advance, a winning command including various information obtained by reading in advance (win/lose, stop type, fluctuation pattern) is sent from the main control device 110 to the voice lamp control device 113.

Now, referring to FIG. 73, the winning command receiving process (S1411), which is a process in the command determination process (FIG. 71, S1312), will be described. FIG. 73 is a flowchart showing the winning command receiving process (S1411). In the winning command receiving process, first, data is set in the winning information storage area corresponding to the received winning command (S1511), and the value of the effect counter 223g is obtained (S1512). Next, it is determined whether the 8-piece effect flag 223i is on (S1513). If the 8-piece effect flag 223i is on (S1514: Yes), this process is terminated. On the other hand, if the 8-piece effect flag 223i is not on, it is determined whether the total number of reserved balls of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 223b and the special pattern 2 reserved ball counter 223c is 8 (i.e., whether the number of reserved balls of the first special pattern and the second special pattern is the maximum value) (S1514).

If the number of reserved balls is eight (S1514: Yes), an eight-ball performance lottery is executed to determine whether or not a preview display mode will be executed for the eight reserved balls based on the performance counter 223g (S1519). Here, the eight-ball performance lottery is executed by determining whether the value of the performance counter 223g (a counter that is updated in the range of 0 to 198) obtained in the processing of S1512 is one of "0 to 49".

If the result of the 8-ball performance lottery is to execute the 8-ball performance (S1520: Yes), the 8-ball performance flag 223i is turned on and the 8-ball performance is set (S1522). On the other hand, if the result of the 8-ball performance lottery is not to execute the 8-ball performance (S1520: No), this process ends. On the other hand, if the number of reserved balls is not 8 in the process of S1514 (S1514: No), a normal reserved performance is selected based on the acquired value of the performance counter 223g (S1515), and it is determined whether there is a change in the reserved performance (S1516). Here, if the received winning command is a win, if the value of the performance counter 223g is "0 to 99", a normal reserved performance (the display mode of the reserved pattern corresponding to the received winning command is changed to a pattern displayed as PUSH as shown in FIG. 41 (a)) is selected, and otherwise the normal reserved performance is not selected (i.e., there is no change in the reserved performance (display mode of the reserved pattern)).

If there is a change in the reserved performance (S1516: Yes), the corresponding reserved performance flag 223h is set to ON (S1517), and the selected normal reserved performance is set (S1518). On the other hand, if there is no change in the reserved performance (S1516: No), this process ends.

Returning to FIG. 71 for further explanation. If it is determined in the processing of S1410 that a special symbol winning command has not been received (S1410: No), it is determined whether or not another command has been received, and processing corresponding to the received command is executed (S1419), and the process returns to the main processing. For example, if the other command is a command to be used by the voice lamp control device 113, processing corresponding to that command is executed, and the processing result is stored in RAM 223, and if it is a command to be used by the display control device 114, the command is set so that the command is sent to the display control device 114.

In this way, in this embodiment, the reserved presentation is set to differ depending on the number of reserved balls. When the number of reserved balls reaches the maximum value, as shown in FIG. 42(a), a presentation mode different from the normal reserved presentation (see FIG. 41(a)) is displayed, so the player can play with the motivation to increase the number of reserved balls as much as possible.

As will be described later, in the normal reserved performance, the reserved symbol that notifies the result of the hit/miss judgment corresponding to the changed reserved symbol is changed by operating the frame button 22. Specifically, when the hit/miss judgment result is a hit, a star symbol is displayed by pressing the frame button 22, and when the selected variation pattern is a super reach, a triangle symbol or the like is displayed. In the 8-symbol performance, the notification mode is determined based on the hit/miss judgment result and the type of variation pattern for any of the 8 reserved symbols displayed. For example, a reservation that will be a big hit is stored, and as a notification mode based on this, when the frame button 22 is pressed for each of the 8 PUSH symbols to change and display them, the word "Big Hit!!!!" is displayed as shown in FIG. 42(b). FIG. 42(b) shows the state in which the first two PUSH symbols are displayed.

In this embodiment, when it is determined that the eight-ball performance is to be performed, the performance mode to be displayed is determined according to the result of the hit/miss judgment in the reserved memory set and the type of variation pattern selected. However, it is not limited to this. Based on the number of reserved balls being eight, it is determined whether or not to perform the eight-ball performance. When it is determined that the eight-ball performance is to be performed, the reserved pattern display is changed to the display mode shown in FIG. 42 (a) and displayed. When a reserved memory in which the hit/miss judgment result is a jackpot is set in this reserved memory, a notification mode indicating a jackpot (for example, "jackpot!!!!") is set. On the other hand, when no reserved memory in which the hit/miss judgment result is a jackpot is stored, a notification mode that expects a jackpot (for example, "jackpot determined????") is set, and if the reserved balls are consumed and a new reserved ball is stored before the frame button 22 is pressed, the notification mode set according to the hit/miss judgment result of the reserved ball may be changed and set. In this case, if the result of the newly established reserved ball hit/miss determination is a jackpot, the notification mode may be set to a new notification mode that suggests a jackpot (for example, jackpot confirmed!!). This allows the player to enjoy the fun of deciding when to press the frame button 22.

Next, referring to FIG. 74, the variable display setting process (S1313) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 74 is a flowchart showing this variable display setting process (S1313). This variable display setting process (S1313) is executed within the main process (see FIG. 70) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113, and generates and sets a display variable pattern command based on the variable pattern command received from the main control device 110 in order to execute a variable performance in the third pattern display device 81.

In the variation display setting process (FIG. 74, S1313), first, it is determined whether the variation start flag 223e provided in the RAM 223 is on or not (S1601). Then, if it is determined that the variation start flag 223e is not on (i.e., it is off) (S1601: No), since the variation pattern command has not been received from the main control unit 110, the process proceeds to S1605. On the other hand, if it is determined that the variation start flag 223e is on (S1601: Yes), the variation start flag 223e is turned off (S1602), and then the variation pattern selection process is executed (S1603). Details of this variation pattern selection process (S1603) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 75, but a process is executed to determine the details of the variation pattern according to the variation pattern command received from the main control unit 110 based on the current performance mode. When selecting the variation pattern, the general details such as the variation time and type of variation (reach, non-reach, etc.) are determined by a variation pattern command from the main control device 110, and the content of the variation mode to be actually displayed (details of the variation pattern) is determined by the presentation mode and presentation counter value set in the audio lamp control device 113.

Then, based on the acquired variation pattern type, a display variation pattern command for notifying the display control device 114 is generated, and the command is set to be sent to the display control device 114 (S1604). By receiving this display variation pattern command, the display control device 114 starts display control of the variation performance so that the third pattern variation display device 81 displays the third pattern variation in the variation pattern indicated by this display variation pattern command.

Next, although not shown in the figure, the data stored in the winning information storage area 223f is shifted. In this process, the data stored in the first to fourth areas of the winning information storage area 223f is shifted in order to the execution area. More specifically, the data in each area is shifted in the following order: first area → execution area, second area → first area, third area → second area, fourth area → third area. After shifting the data, the process proceeds to S1605.

In the process of S1605, it is determined whether the stop type selection flag 223f provided in the RAM 233 is on or not (S1605). Then, if it is determined that the stop type selection flag 223f is not on (i.e., it is off) (S1605: No), this process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the stop type selection flag 223f is on (S1605: Yes), the stop type selection flag 223f is turned off (S1606), and the stop type in the variable performance extracted from the stop type command is obtained from the RAM 223 (S1607). Next, the stop type specified by the stop type command from the main control device 110 is set as it is as the stop type of the variable performance in the third pattern display device 81 (S1608), and the process proceeds to S1609.

In the process of S1609, a display stop type command for notifying the display control device 114 is generated based on the set stop type, and the command is set for transmission to the display control device 114 (S1609). By receiving this display stop type command, the display control device 114 controls the stop display of the variable performance so that the stop pattern corresponding to the stop type indicated by the display stop type command is stopped and displayed on the third pattern display device 81. After the process of S1609 is executed, this process is terminated.

Next, referring to FIG. 75, we will explain the variation pattern selection process (S1603), which is one process within the variation display setting process (FIG. 74, S1313) executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 in this second embodiment. FIG. 75 is a flowchart showing the contents of this variation pattern selection process (S1603).

In the variation pattern selection process (S1603), first, the value of the effect counter 223g is obtained (S1611). It is determined whether or not the effect mode A (normal play period) is set in the effect mode memory area 223k (S1612). If it is determined that the effect mode A is set (S1612: Yes), the button effect selection process is executed (S1613). This process is then terminated. Details of this button effect selection process (S1613) will be described with reference to FIG. 75, and a process is executed to select a variation pattern exclusively for the normal play period.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of S1612 that the presentation mode is not A (S1612: No), it is determined whether presentation mode B (time presentation period) is set (S1614). If it is determined that presentation mode B is set (S1614: Yes), a variation pattern is selected and set based on the value of the presentation counter 223g and the contents of the variation pattern command from the variation pattern selection table 222a for the corresponding time presentation period (S1615). Then, this processing is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of S1614 that the mode is not presentation mode B, i.e., presentation mode C (time presentation extension period) (S1614: No), a variation pattern is selected and set from the variation pattern selection table 222a for the corresponding time presentation extension period based on the presentation counter 223g and the contents of the received variation pattern command (S1616). Then, this processing is terminated.

In this way, a dedicated variation pattern is selected based on the set presentation mode, so the presentation content displayed can be changed depending on the period. This allows for more variety in the presentation of the game, and prevents players from quickly becoming bored with the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 76, we will explain the button effect selection process (S1613), which is one process within the variation pattern selection process (FIG. 75, S1603) executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 in this second embodiment. FIG. 76 is a flowchart showing the contents of this button effect selection process (S1613).

In the button effect selection process (FIG. 76, S1613), first, a variation pattern is selected and set from the corresponding normal play period-only variation pattern selection table 222a based on the value of the effect counter 223g and the contents of the received variation pattern command (S1621). It is determined whether the selected variation pattern is a button effect (a variation pattern of a composite display mode). If it is determined to be a variation pattern of a composite display mode (see FIG. 43) (S1622: Yes), a stop pattern for a button effect is set as a reach stop pattern (S1623). Here, it is set to a reach display mode in which the sub-patterns are in diagonal positions. The button effect flag 223r is set to ON (S1624). Then, this process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S1622 that the selected variation pattern is not a variation pattern of a composite display mode (S1622: No), this process is terminated.

Next, referring to FIG. 77, the synchronous performance management process (S1314), which is one process within the main process (FIG. 70) executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113, will be described. FIG. 77 is a flowchart showing this synchronous performance management process (S1314). In this synchronous performance management process (S1314), time information is acquired from the RTC 292, and based on that time information, it is determined whether it is a normal game period, a time performance period, or a time performance extension period, and a process is executed to set the performance mode indicating that.

In the synchronous presentation management process (FIG. 77, S1314), first, the time information of "hour, minute" is obtained from the RTC 292 (S1701). It is determined whether presentation mode A (normal game period) is set in the presentation mode memory area 223k (S1702). If it is determined that presentation mode A is set (S1702: Yes), it is determined whether the time data obtained in the process of S1701 is within the time presentation period (S1703). If it is determined that it is within the time presentation period, that is, if it is determined that it is the start timing of the time presentation (S1703: Yes), the start period flag 223o is set to ON (S1704). Presentation mode B (time presentation period) is set in the presentation mode memory area 223k (S1705), and then this process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is not the time presentation period in the process of S1703, this process is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of S1702 that presentation mode A has not been set (S1702: No), it is determined whether presentation mode B (time presentation period) has been set (S1706). If it is determined that presentation mode B has been set (S1706: Yes), it is determined whether the time data acquired in the processing of S1701 is 3 seconds before the end of the time presentation, i.e., 3 seconds before the end timing of the time presentation period (S1707). By configuring in this manner, it is possible to execute a precursory performance indicating whether or not a 3-second extended presentation will be executed.

If it is determined that the time performance period is about to end (S1707: Yes), the extended performance setting process is executed (S1708). Then, this process is terminated. Details of this extended performance setting process (S1708) will be described with reference to FIG. 78, and a process is executed to determine whether or not to set the time performance extension period. On the other hand, if it is determined that the mode is not performance mode B, that is, that the mode is performance mode C (time performance extension period) (S1706: No), it is determined that the mode is outside the time performance extension period, that is, that the time performance extension period is about to end (S1709). If it is determined that the time performance extension period is about to end (S1709: Yes), the performance mode is set to A (S1710). Then, this process is terminated.

Next, referring to FIG. 78, we will explain the extended performance setting process (S1708), which is one process within the synchronous performance management process (FIG. 77, S1314) executed by the MPU 221 of the audio lamp control device 113 in this second embodiment. FIG. 78 is a flowchart showing the contents of this extended performance setting process (S1708).

In the extended effect setting process (FIG. 78, S1708), it is first determined whether or not a jackpot game is being played (S1721). If it is determined that a jackpot game is being played (S1721: Yes), the normal period flag 223m is set to ON (S1722), and effect mode A (normal game period) is set (S1723). Then, this process ends.

In this way, since it is not possible to execute the extended effect during a jackpot game, by executing a process to set the normal game period, it is possible to control the background image to be set for the normal game period after the jackpot game.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S1721 that the jackpot game is not in progress (S1721: No), it is determined whether it is the end timing of the time presentation period (S1724). If it is determined that it is the end timing of the time presentation period (S1724: Yes), it is determined whether the re-variable presentation is set in the process of S1728 described below, that is, whether it has been decided that an extended presentation will be set (S1725). If an extended presentation has been decided (S1725: Yes), the extended presentation flag 223p is set to ON (S1725). The presentation mode is set to C (S1727). This process then ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S1725 that the extended performance has not been decided (S1725: No), the process proceeds to S1722. Also, if it is determined in the process of S1724 that the timing for the time performance to end has not yet come (S1724: No), it is determined whether winning information that will be a winning combination is stored in the winning information storage area 223a, or whether the hit/miss judgment during the change is a winning combination (S1728). If winning information that will be a winning combination is stored, or if the hit/miss judgment during the change is a winning combination (S1728: Yes), the time until the winning combination ends is calculated and set as the extended performance time (S1729). A re-changing performance is set (S1730). Here, the re-changing performance is set to a display mode in which the display mode of the school of fish appears from the right, as shown in FIG. 47(b). After the process of S1730 ends, this process ends.

Next, referring to FIG. 79, we will explain the pending number display update process (S1306), which is one process within the main process (see FIG. 70) executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 in this second embodiment. FIG. 79 is a flowchart showing the contents of this pending number display update process (S1306).

In the pending number display update process (Fig. 79, S1306), first, it is determined whether it is necessary to change the display of the pending patterns (S1801). This determination is made based on the pending command obtained from the main control unit 110. A display pending command indicating the pending pattern display after the change is set (S1802). Then, this process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S1801 that there is no change to the pending display (S1801: No), this process is terminated.

Next, referring to FIG. 80, we will explain the frame button input monitoring and performance processing (S1307), which is one process within the main processing (see FIG. 80) executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 in this second embodiment. FIG. 80 is a flowchart showing the contents of this frame button input monitoring and performance processing (S1307).

In the frame button input monitoring and performance process (FIG. 80, S1307), first, it is determined whether a valid period that is determined to be valid when the frame button 22 is pressed is set (S1811). If it is determined that it is a valid period (S1811: Yes), it is determined whether the frame button 22 is pressed (S1812). If it is determined that the frame button 22 is pressed (S1812: Yes), it is determined whether the 8-piece performance flag 223i is set to ON (S1813). If it is determined that the 8-piece performance flag 223i is ON (S1813: Yes), the corresponding reserved 8-piece performance flag 223i is set to OFF (S1814). Note that the 8-piece performance flag is configured so that a flag is set for each reserved ball, and the flag corresponding to the reserved pattern displayed after changing to the notification reserved pattern is set to ON. In addition, the notification pending pattern is set to OFF based on (when) being displayed in a variable notification mode (in this embodiment, text display) based on the operation of the frame button 22.

After the processing of S1814, the notification mode of the eight-piece effect is set for the notification pending pattern that has the earliest change start order among the pending patterns for which the eight-piece effect flag 223i is set to ON (S1815). Then, this processing ends. Note that this notification mode is preset when the eight-piece effect is set.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the frame button 22 is outside of its valid period (S1811: No), or if it is determined in the processing of S1812 that the frame button 22 has not been pressed (S1812: No), this processing ends.

Furthermore, in the process of S1813, if it is determined that the 8-effect flag 223i is off (S1813: No), it is determined whether the reserved effect flag 223h is on (S1816). If it is determined that the reserved effect flag 223h is on (S1816: Yes), the corresponding reserved effect flag 223h is set to off (S1817). The normal reserved effect for the corresponding hold is executed (S1816). On the other hand, if it is determined that the reserved effect flag 223h is off in the process of S1816 (S1816: No), the composite display mode change pattern is being executed, so the button effect execution process is executed (S1819). After that, this process ends.

Next, referring to FIG. 81, the button performance execution process (S1819), which is one process within the frame button input monitoring and performance process (FIG. 80, S1307) executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 in this second embodiment, will be described. FIG. 81 is a flowchart showing the contents of this button performance execution process (S1819). In this button performance execution process (S1819), control of the button performance in the variation pattern of the composite display mode shown in FIG. 43 to FIG. 44 is executed.

In the button effect execution process (FIG. 81, S1819), it is first determined whether the button effect flag 223r is on (S1831). The button effect flag 223r is a flag indicating that a variation pattern in which the composite display mode shown in FIG. 44(b) is displayed has been selected. The variation pattern of the composite display mode also includes a fake variation pattern in which the composite display mode shown in FIG. 44(b) is not displayed.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the button effect flag 223r is on (S1831: Yes), it is determined whether it is the timing after the composite display mode (see FIG. 44(b)) has been displayed (S1832). If it is determined that it is the timing after the composite display mode has been displayed (S1832: Yes), a display command indicating the composite display mode corresponding to the selected variation pattern is set (S1843). Then, this process ends.

On the other hand, in the process of S1831, if it is determined that the button effect flag 223r is off (S1831: No), it is determined whether this is the timing when the notification pattern is variably displayed before the composite display mode is displayed (see FIG. 43(b)) (S1835). If it is determined that this is the timing before the composite display (S1835: Yes), the button effect counter is incremented by 1 (S1836). A display command indicating the pre-composite effect mode (notification mode) is set based on the selected variable pattern and the value of the button effect counter (S1837). Then, this process ends. Here, characters such as "Chance" or the like are displayed to notify the player of the win/loss judgment result in advance.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of S1835 that the button was not pressed before the composite display mode was displayed, this processing is terminated.

In this way, in this embodiment, multiple button effects are set, and they are controlled by distinguishing between the different flags. By configuring it in this way, it is possible to configure it without increasing the number of frame buttons 22, and it is possible to configure it inexpensively and easily.

Next, referring to FIG. 82, the background image setting process (S1311), which is one process in the main process (see FIG. 70) executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 in this second embodiment, will be described. FIG. 82 is a flowchart showing the contents of this background image setting process (S1311).

In the background image setting process (FIG. 82, S1311), it is first determined whether the extended performance flag 223p is on (S1901). If the extended performance flag 223p is on, i.e., if it is the timing to start the extended performance (S1901: Yes), the extended performance flag 223p is set to off (S1902). A display background image command corresponding to the time performance extension period is set (S1903). In this embodiment, a background image is set in which the color of the background image for the time performance period has been changed to gold. This background image is used when the time performance period is extended, i.e., when it has been determined that a variation resulting in a win will begin, and therefore becomes a background image that notifies the player of a win. Then, this process ends.

On the other hand, in the process of S1901, if it is determined that the extended performance flag 223p is off (S1901: No), it is determined whether the start period flag 223o is on (S1904). If it is determined that the start period flag is on (S1904: Yes), the start period flag 223o is set to off (S1905), and a display background change command corresponding to the time performance period is set (S1906). In this way, when the start period flag 223o is on, it is the start timing of the time performance period, so a background image dedicated to the time performance period (see FIG. 46(a)) is set. This allows the background image to be changed in accordance with the start timing, so the background image can be changed in sync with other pachinko machines 10 of the same model.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of S1904 that the start period flag 223o is off (S1904: No), it is determined whether the normal period flag 223m is on (S1907). If it is determined that the normal period flag 223m is on (S1907: Yes), the normal period flag 223m is set to off (S1908), and a display background command corresponding to the normal period is set (S1909). Then, this processing is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the normal period flag 223m is off (S1907: No), this processing is terminated.

<Regarding control processing in the display control device 114>
Next, each control executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114 will be described with reference to Fig. 83 to Fig. 97. The processing of the MPU 231 is roughly divided into a main processing which is repeatedly executed after power-on, a command interrupt processing which is executed when a command is received from the voice lamp control device 113, and a V interrupt processing which is executed when the MPU 231 detects a V interrupt signal transmitted from the image controller 237 every 20 milliseconds when the drawing processing of one frame of image is completed. The MPU 231 usually executes the main processing, and executes the command interrupt processing and the V interrupt processing in accordance with the reception of the command and the detection of the V interrupt signal. Note that when the reception of the command and the detection of the V interrupt signal are performed simultaneously, the command reception processing is executed with priority. This allows the contents of the command received from the voice lamp control device 113 to be quickly reflected and the V interrupt processing to be executed.

First, referring to FIG. 83, the main processing executed by the MPU 231 in the display control device 114 will be described. FIG. 83 is a flowchart showing this main processing. The main processing is to execute the initialization processing when the power is turned on.

Specifically, the main process is started according to the following flow. When the power is applied from the power supply circuit 115 to the display control device 114 and the system reset is released, the MPU 231, using its hardware configuration, sets the instruction pointer 231a provided in the MPU 231 to "0000H" and specifies the address "0000H" indicated by the instruction pointer 231a to the bus line 240. When the ROM controller 234b of the character ROM 234 detects that the address specified on the bus line 240 is "0000H", it sets the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 of the NOR type ROM 234d in the buffer RAM 234c and outputs the corresponding data (instruction code) to the MPU 231. The MPU 231 then fetches the instruction code received from the character ROM 234 and starts the execution of the process according to the fetched instruction, thereby starting the main process.

If all the boot programs to be processed first by the MPU 231 after the system reset is released are stored in the NAND flash memory 234a, when the character ROM 234 detects that the address specified on the bus line 240 is "0000H", it must read one page of data including the data (instruction code) corresponding to the address "0000H" from the NAND flash memory 234a and set it in the buffer RAM 234c. Due to the nature of the NAND flash memory 234a, it takes a long time to read and set the data in the buffer RAM 234c, so the MPU 231 will consume a lot of waiting time from specifying the address "0000H" to receiving the instruction code corresponding to the address "0000H". This increases the time it takes to start up the MPU 231, resulting in a problem that the control of the third pattern display device 81 in the display control device 114 may not start immediately.

In contrast, in this embodiment, a predetermined number of instructions from the boot program, starting with the instruction to be processed first by the MPU 231 after the system reset is released, are stored in the NOR ROM 234d. Since the NOR ROM is a memory capable of reading data at high speed, when the address "0000H" is specified from the MPU 231 via the bus line 240 after the system reset is released, the character ROM 234 can immediately set the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 of the NOR ROM 234d in the buffer RAM 234c and output the corresponding data (instruction code) to the MPU 231. Therefore, the MPU 231 can receive the instruction code corresponding to the address "0000H" in a short time after specifying the address "0000H", so that the main processing can be started in the MPU 231 in a short time. Therefore, even if the control program is stored in the character ROM 234, which is composed of a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the control of the third pattern display device 81 in the display control device 114 can be started immediately.

When the main processing is executed as described above, first, the boot processing executed by the boot program is executed (S2001), and the display control device 114 is started so that various controls for the third pattern display device 81 can be executed.

Now, the boot process (S2001) will be described with reference to FIG. 84. FIG. 84 is a flowchart showing the boot process (S2001) executed during the main process in the MPU 231 of the display control device 114.

As described above, in this embodiment, the control program and fixed value data executed by the MPU 231 are not stored in a dedicated program ROM as in conventional gaming machines, but are stored in the character ROM 234 provided to store image data to be displayed on the third symbol display device 81. The character ROM 234 is composed of a NAND type flash memory 234a, which allows for large capacity in a small area, so that not only image data but also control programs and the like can be sufficiently stored, while there is no need to provide a dedicated program ROM for storing control programs and the like. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts in the display control device 114, which not only reduces manufacturing costs but also suppresses an increase in the rate of failures due to an increase in the number of parts.

However, since the read speed of NAND flash memory is slow, especially when performing random access, if the MPU 231 directly reads and processes the control program and fixed value data stored in the NAND flash memory 234a, there is a risk that the processing performance of the display control device 114 will deteriorate even if a high-performance processor is used as the MPU 231. Therefore, in this boot process, a process is executed in which the control program and fixed value data stored in the second program storage area 234a1 of the NAND flash memory 234a are transferred to and stored in the program storage area 233a and data table storage area 233b provided in the work RAM 233 composed of DRAM.

Specifically, first, based on the operation of the hardware of the MPU 231 and character ROM 234 described above, a predetermined amount of the control program stored in the second program memory area 234a1 is transferred to the program storage area 233a in accordance with the boot program read from the first program memory area 234d1 of the NOR ROM 234d after the system reset is released and set in the buffer RAM 234c (S2101). The predetermined amount of the control program transferred here includes the remaining boot program that is not stored in the first program memory area 234d1.

Then, the instruction pointer 231a is set to a first predetermined address in the program storage area 233a, i.e., the start address of the remaining boot program stored in the program storage area 233a (S2102). As a result, the MPU 231 starts executing the remaining boot program included in the control program transferred and stored in the program storage area 233a by the processing of S2101.

Also, by setting the instruction pointer 231a to a predetermined location in the program storage area 233a by the processing of S2102, the MPU 231 executes various processes while reading the control program stored in the program storage area 233a of the work RAM 233. That is, the MPU 231 does not read the control program from the NAND type flash memory 234a having the second program storage area 234a1 and fetches instructions, but reads the control program transferred to the work RAM 233 having the program storage area 233a, fetches instructions, and executes various processes. As described above, since the work RAM 233 is composed of DRAM, the read operation is performed at high speed. Therefore, even if the control program is stored in the character ROM 234 composed of the NAND type flash memory 234a, which has a slow read speed, the MPU 231 can fetch instructions at high speed and execute the process for the instructions.

When the instruction pointer 231a is set by the processing of S2102, the remaining control programs and fixed value data that have not yet been transferred to the program storage area 233a among the control programs stored in the second program storage area 234a1 of the NAND flash memory 234a are transferred in predetermined amounts to the program storage area 233a or the data table storage area 233b in accordance with the remaining boot programs whose execution is started by the set instruction pointer 231a (S2103). Specifically, the control programs and some of the fixed data are stored in the program storage area 233a of the work RAM 233, and the above-mentioned various data tables (display data table, transfer data table) among the fixed value data are transferred to the data table storage area 233b.

Then, after executing other processes necessary for the boot process (S2104), the instruction pointer 231a is set to a second predetermined address in the program storage area 233a, that is, the start address of the program corresponding to the initialization process (see S2002 in FIG. 83) to be executed after the boot process (see S2001 in FIG. 83) is completed (S2105), thereby completing the execution of the boot program and terminating this boot process.

In this way, by executing the boot process (S2001), the control program and fixed value data stored in the second program storage area 234a1 of the NAND flash memory 234a are transferred to and stored in the program storage area 233a and data table storage area 233b of the work RAM 233, which are all composed of DRAM. Then, when the boot process ends, the instruction pointer 231a is set to the second predetermined address described above, and thereafter, the MPU 231 executes various processes using the control program transferred to the program storage area 233a without referring to the NAND flash memory 234a.

Therefore, even if the control program is stored in the character ROM 234, which is composed of a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the control program and fixed value data can be transferred to the program storage area 233a and data table storage area 233b of the work RAM 233 after the system reset is released, and the MPU 231 can read the control program and fixed value data from the work RAM, which is composed of a DRAM with a fast read speed, and perform various controls. This allows the display control device 114 to maintain high processing performance, and makes it easy to execute diversified and complex presentations using the auxiliary presentation unit.

On the other hand, instead of storing the entire boot program in the NOR ROM 234d, a predetermined number of instructions are stored starting from the instruction to be processed first by the MPU 231 after the system reset is released, and the remaining boot program is stored in the second program storage area 234a1 of the NAND flash memory 234a, so that the control program stored in the second program storage area 234a1 can be reliably transferred to the program storage area 233a. Therefore, by simply adding the extremely small capacity NOR ROM 234d to the character ROM 234, the MPU 231 can be started up in a short time, and the increase in cost of the character ROM 234 associated with this shortening of the time can be suppressed.

In the boot process shown in FIG. 84, the predetermined amount of control programs transferred to the program storage area 233a by the process of S2101 are configured to include all remaining boot programs that are not stored in the first program storage area 234d1, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the predetermined amount of control programs transferred to the program storage area 233a by the process of S2101 may be part of the boot program that executes the boot process to be processed following the process of S2102. The boot program transferred here may transfer a predetermined amount of control programs including all remaining boot programs to the program storage area 233a, and further execute a process of setting the top address of the boot program stored in the program storage area 233a to the instruction pointer 231a. Then, the processes of S2103 to S2105 may be executed by all remaining boot programs stored in the program storage area 233a.

The boot program transferred by the process of S2101 may further transfer a predetermined amount of a portion of the remaining boot program to the program storage area 233a, and then execute a process of setting the start address of the boot program stored in the program storage area 233a to the instruction pointer 231a. The boot program stored in the program storage area 233a by this process may further transfer a predetermined amount of a portion of the remaining boot program to the program storage area 233a, and then execute a process of setting the start address of the boot program stored in the program storage area 233a to the instruction pointer 231a. Then, the process of transferring a predetermined amount of a portion of the remaining boot program to the program storage area 233a, and then setting the start address of the boot program stored in the program storage area 233a to the instruction pointer 231a may be repeated multiple times, including the processes of S2101 and S2102, and then the processes of S2103 to S2105 may be executed.

As a result, even if the program size of the boot program is large and the remaining boot program not stored in the first program memory area 234d1 cannot be transferred to the program storage area 233a all at once, the MPU 231 can use the boot program already stored in the program storage area 233a and transfer it to the program storage area 233a in a predetermined amount at a time.

In addition, in this embodiment, a case has been described in which a part of the boot program that is executed first by the MPU 231 when the system reset is released is stored in the first program storage area 234d1, but all of the boot program may be stored in the first program storage area 234d1. In this case, when the MPU 231 starts the boot process, it may execute the processes of S2103 to S2105 without executing the processes of S2101 and S2102. This eliminates the need to transfer the boot program to the program storage area 233a, and therefore reduces the number of times the program is transferred from the character ROM 234 to the program storage area 233a, thereby reducing the processing time of the boot process. This allows the MPU 231 to start controlling the auxiliary performance unit, which becomes possible after the boot process, more quickly.

Now, let us return to the explanation of FIG. 83. After the boot process is completed, the initial setting process is then executed in accordance with the control program transferred to and stored in the program storage area 233a of the work RAM 233 (S2002). Specifically, the value of the stack pointer is set in the MPU 231, and various settings are made for the registers in the MPU 231 and for the I/O devices, etc. Also, processes such as clearing the memory of the work RAM 233, the resident video RAM 235, and the normal video RAM 236 are performed. Furthermore, various flags are provided in the work RAM 233, and initial values are set for each flag. The initial value of each flag is set to "off" or "0" unless otherwise specified.

Furthermore, in the initial setting process, after initial setting of the image controller 237, the image controller 237 is instructed to execute image drawing and display processing so that an image of a specific color is displayed on the entire screen of the third pattern display device 81. As a result, immediately after power is turned on, an image of a specific color is first displayed on the entire screen of the third pattern display device 81. Here, the color of the image displayed on the entire screen of the third pattern display device 81 immediately after power is turned on is set to be a different color depending on the model of the pachinko machine. As a result, during an operation check at a factory or the like during manufacturing, by checking whether an image of a color corresponding to the model is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 immediately after power is turned on, it is possible to easily and immediately determine whether the pachinko machine 10 can start up normally.

Next, a transfer instruction is sent to image controller 237 to transfer image data corresponding to the power-on main image to power-on main image area 235a of resident video RAM 235 (S2003). This transfer instruction includes the start address and end address of character ROM 234 in which image data corresponding to the power-on main image is stored, information on the transfer destination (here, resident video RAM 235), and the start address of the power-on main image area 235a, which is the transfer destination. In accordance with this transfer instruction, image controller 237 transfers image data corresponding to the power-on main image from character ROM 234 to power-on main image area 235a of resident video RAM 235.

When the transfer of all image data specified by the transfer instruction is complete, image controller 237 transmits a transfer end signal to MPU 231 indicating the end of transfer. By receiving this transfer end signal, MPU 231 can know that the transfer of image data specified in the transfer instruction has ended. Note that when image controller 237 has completed the transfer of all image data specified by the transfer instruction, it may write transfer end information indicating the end of transfer to a register or a partial area of built-in memory provided inside image controller 237. MPU 231 may then read information from this register or partial area of built-in memory as needed, and detect the writing of transfer end information by image controller 237, thereby knowing that the transfer of image data specified in the transfer instruction has ended.

The image data transferred to the power-on main image area 235a is held so as not to be overwritten until the power is cut off. When the transfer of the image data corresponding to the power-on main image to the power-on main image area 235a is completed based on the transfer instruction sent to the image controller 237 by the processing of S2003, a transfer instruction is then sent to the image controller to transfer the image data corresponding to the power-on variable image to the power-on variable image area 235b of the resident video RAM 235 (S2004). This transfer instruction includes the top address of the character ROM 234 in which the image data corresponding to the power-on variable image is stored, the data size of the image data, information on the transfer destination (here, the resident video RAM 235), and the top address of the power-on variable image area 235b, which is the transfer destination, and the image controller transfers the image data corresponding to the power-on variable image from the character ROM 234 to the power-on variable image area 235b of the resident video RAM 235 in accordance with this transfer instruction. The image data transferred to the power-on variable image area 235b is then retained so that it is not overwritten until the power is turned off.

When the transfer of image data corresponding to the power-on variable image to the power-on variable image area 235b is completed based on the transfer instruction sent to the image controller 237 by the processing of S2004, the simple image display flag 233c is then turned on (S2005). As a result, while the simple image display flag 233c is on, a resident image transfer setting process is executed in which the image controller 237 is instructed to transfer all image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 in the transfer setting process described below (see FIG. 95(a)) (see S3402 in FIG. 95(a)).

Furthermore, the simple image display flag 233c is maintained on until the transfer of all image data to be resident in the resident video RAM 235 from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 is completed based on the transfer instruction to the image controller 237 by this resident image transfer setting process. As a result, during that time, the simple command determination process (see S2308 in FIG. 85(b)) and the simple display setting process (see S2309 in FIG. 85(b)) are executed so that the power-on image (power-on main image and power-on variable image) shown in FIG. 47 is drawn in the V interrupt process (see FIG. 85(b)).

As described above, in this pachinko machine 10, since the NAND type flash memory 234a is used for the character ROM 234, due to its slow read speed, it takes a long time for all image data to be stored in the resident video RAM 235 to be transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. Therefore, as in this main process, after the power is turned on, the power-on main image and the power-on variable image are first transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235, and the power-on main image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81, so that while the remaining image data to be resident is being transferred to the resident video RAM 235, players and hall personnel can check the power-on main image displayed on the third pattern display device 81. Therefore, while the display control device 114 is displaying the power-on main image on the third pattern display device 81, it can take time to transfer the remaining image data to be resident from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. On the other hand, players can recognize that some kind of initialization process is taking place while the main image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 when the power is turned on, and can therefore wait until the initialization is complete without worrying that operation may have stopped until the image data that should be resident in the remaining resident video RAM 235 is transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235.

In addition, during operation checks at the factory during manufacturing, the main image is immediately displayed on the third pattern display device 81 when the power is turned on, making it possible to immediately confirm that the third pattern display device 81 has started operating without any problems upon power-on, and the use of a NAND-type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed for the character ROM 234 prevents the efficiency of operation checks from deteriorating.

In addition, the display control device 114 of the pachinko machine 10 transfers the power-on variable image from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 together with the power-on main image after power is turned on. Therefore, if the player starts playing while the power-on main image is being displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and a ball enters the first winning slot 64 (initial winning), and an instruction to start the variable performance is given by the main control device 110 via the sound lamp control device 113, i.e., if a display variable pattern command is received, the power-on variable image (not shown) can be instantly displayed during the variable performance period, and a simple variable performance can be performed. Therefore, the player can be sure that the lottery has been drawn by the simple variable performance, even while the power-on main image is being displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

As described above, the power-on main image continues to be displayed on the third symbol display device 81 while the remaining image data to be resident is being transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. However, since the character ROM 234 is composed of a NAND-type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the transfer takes time, and the power-on main image continues to be displayed for a long time after power is turned on. However, in this pachinko machine 10, a simple variable performance can be performed using the power-on variable image transferred to the resident video RAM 235 after power is turned on, so that the player can play with peace of mind even while the power-on main image is being displayed immediately after power is turned on, for example, immediately after recovery from a power outage.

After the processing of S2005, interrupt permission is set (S2006), and thereafter, the main processing executes an infinite loop process until the power is turned off. As a result, after interrupt permission is set by the processing of S2006, command interrupt processing and V interrupt processing are executed according to the reception of a command and the detection of a V interrupt signal.

Next, referring to FIG. 85(a), the command interrupt processing executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114 will be described. FIG. 85(a) is a flowchart showing the command interrupt processing. As described above, when a command is received from the voice lamp control device 113, the command interrupt processing is executed by the MPU 231.

In this command interrupt process, the received command data is extracted, and the extracted command data is stored sequentially in a command buffer area provided in the work RAM 233 (S2201), and the process ends. The various commands stored in the command buffer area by this command interrupt process are read out by the command determination process or simple command determination process of the V interrupt process described below, and processing according to the command is performed.

Next, referring to FIG. 85(b), the V interrupt processing executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114 will be described. FIG. 85(b) is a flowchart showing the V interrupt processing. In this V interrupt processing, various processes corresponding to the commands stored in the command buffer area by the command interrupt processing are executed, and the image to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 is identified, and a drawing list (see FIG. 57) of the image is created, and the drawing list is sent to the image controller 237, thereby instructing the image controller 237 to execute drawing processing and display processing of the image.

As described above, this V interrupt process is started when a V interrupt signal from the image controller 237 is detected. This V interrupt signal is generated in the image controller 237 every 20 milliseconds when the drawing process of one frame of an image is completed, and is transmitted to the MPU 231. Therefore, by executing the V interrupt process in synchronization with this V interrupt signal, a drawing instruction is sent to the image controller 237 every 20 milliseconds when the drawing process of one frame of an image is completed. Therefore, the image controller 237 does not receive a drawing instruction for the next image before the drawing process or display process of the image is completed, so it is possible to prevent starting to draw a new image in the middle of drawing an image, or developing an image in response to a new drawing instruction in the frame buffer in which the image information currently being displayed is stored.

Here, we will first explain the outline of the flow of the V interrupt processing, and then explain the details of each process with reference to other drawings. In this V interrupt processing, as shown in FIG. 85(b), first, it is determined whether the simple image display flag 233c is on or not (S2301). If the simple image display flag 233c is not on, that is, it is off (S2301: No), it means that the transfer of all image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 has been completed, so in order to display a normal performance image on the third pattern display device 81 instead of the power-on image shown in FIG. 47, a command determination process (S2302) is executed, and then a display setting process (S2303) is executed.

In the command determination process (S2302), the contents of the command from the voice lamp control device 113 stored in the command buffer area by the command interrupt process are analyzed, and processing according to the command is executed. If a display demo command or a display variation pattern command is stored, a demo display data table or a variation display data table corresponding to the variation pattern type is set in the display data table buffer 233d, and a transfer data table corresponding to the set display data table is set in the transfer data table buffer 233e.

In this command determination process, all commands stored in the command buffer area at that time are analyzed and processed. This is because the command determination process is performed at 20 millisecond intervals when the V interrupt process is executed, and it is highly likely that multiple commands are stored in the command buffer area during those 20 milliseconds. In particular, when the main control device 110 decides to start a variable performance, it is highly likely that a display variable pattern command and a display stop type command are simultaneously stored in the command buffer area. Therefore, by analyzing and executing these commands at once, it is possible to quickly grasp the state and stop type of the variable performance selected by the main control device 110 and the voice lamp control device 113, and control the drawing of the image so that the performance image corresponding to that state is displayed on the third pattern display device 81. Details of this command determination process will be described later with reference to Figures 86 to 91.

In the display setting process (S2303), the contents of one frame of image to be displayed next on the third pattern display device 81 are specifically identified based on the contents of the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d by the command determination process (S2302) or the like. In addition, depending on the processing status, etc., the presentation mode to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 is determined, and the display data table corresponding to the determined presentation mode is set in the display data table buffer 233d. Details of this display setting process will be described later with reference to Figures 92 to 94.

After the display setting process is executed, task processing is then executed (S2304). In this task processing, based on the content of the next frame of image to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81, which was specified by the display setting process (S2303) or the simplified display setting process (S2309), the type of sprite (display object) that constitutes the image is identified, and various parameters required for drawing, such as the display coordinate position, magnification rate, and rotation angle, are determined for each sprite.

Next, a transfer setting process is executed (S2305). In this transfer setting process, while the simple image display flag 233c is on, a transfer instruction is set for the image controller 237 to transfer image data to be resident in the resident video RAM 235 from the character ROM 234 to a predetermined area of the resident video RAM 235. Also, while the simple image display flag 233c is off, a transfer instruction is set for the image controller 237 to transfer predetermined image data from the character ROM 234 to a predetermined sub-area of the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236 based on the transfer data information of the transfer data table set in the transfer data table buffer 233e, and even when a continuous preview command (not shown) is received from the voice lamp control device 113, a transfer instruction is set for the image controller 237 to transfer image data of the continuous preview image used in the continuous preview performance and image data of the changed back image from the character ROM 234 to a predetermined sub-area of the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236. Details of the forwarding setting process will be described later with reference to Figures 95 and 96.

Next, the drawing process is executed (S2306). In this drawing process, a drawing list as shown in FIG. 57 is generated from the types of sprites constituting one frame and the parameters required for drawing each sprite, which were determined in the task process (S2304), and the transfer instructions set in the transfer setting process (S2305), and this drawing list is sent to the image controller 237 together with the drawing target buffer information. As a result, the image controller 237 executes the image drawing process according to the drawing list. Details of the drawing process will be described later with reference to FIG. 97.

Next, the display control device 114 executes an update process for various counters (S2107). Then, the V interrupt process is terminated. An example of a counter updated by the process of S2107 is a stop pattern counter (not shown) for determining the stop pattern. The value of this stop pattern counter is stored in the work RAM 233, and an update process is performed each time the V interrupt process is executed. Then, in the command determination process, when the reception of a display stop type command is detected, the stop type table corresponding to the stop type (jackpot A, jackpot B) indicated by the display stop type command is compared with the stop type counter, and the stop pattern after the variable performance displayed on the third pattern display device 81 is finally set.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of S2301 that the simple image display flag 233c is on (S2301: Yes), this means that the transfer of all image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 has not been completed, so a simple command determination process (S2308) is executed to cause the power-on image (not shown) to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and then a simple display setting process (S2309) is executed, and the processing proceeds to S2304.

Next, the details of the above-mentioned command determination process (S2302), which is one process of the V interrupt process executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114, will be described with reference to Figures 64 to 68. First, Figure 64 is a flowchart showing this command determination process.

As shown in FIG. 86, in this command determination process (S2302), first it is determined whether there is an unprocessed new command in the command buffer area (S2401), and if there is no unprocessed new command (S2401: No), the command determination process ends and the process returns to the V interrupt process. On the other hand, if there is an unprocessed new command (S2401: Yes), a new command flag is set to ON (S2402) to notify the display setting process (S2303) that a new command has been processed in the ON state, and then the type of each command stored in the command buffer area is analyzed (S2403).

Then, first, it is determined whether or not there is a display variation pattern command among the unprocessed commands (S2404), and if there is a display variation pattern command (S2404: Yes), variation pattern command processing is executed (S2405), and processing returns to S2401.

Here, the variation pattern command processing (S2405) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 87(a). FIG. 87(a) is a flowchart showing the variation pattern command processing. This variation pattern command processing executes processing corresponding to the display variation pattern command received from the voice lamp control device 114.

In the variable pattern command processing, first, a display data table corresponding to the command is determined and set in the display data table buffer (S2501). Here, the display data table buffer 233d is configured so that multiple display data tables can be set, and the set display data tables can be processed by synchronously moving the pointer. Therefore, even when executing different displays corresponding to multiple background modes, multiple display contents can be switched by setting one of the multiple display data table buffers to active and switching it.

In this case, the main control unit 110 always judges the start of the fluctuation at least several seconds apart, so two or more display fluctuation pattern commands are not received within 20 milliseconds. Therefore, when executing the command judgment process, it is impossible for two or more display fluctuation pattern commands to be stored in the command buffer area. However, there is a possibility that part of the command may change due to the influence of noise, etc., and another command may be erroneously interpreted as a display fluctuation pattern command. To prepare for such a case, if it is judged that two or more display fluctuation pattern commands are stored in the command buffer area, the fluctuation display data table corresponding to the fluctuation pattern with the shortest fluctuation time is set in the display data table buffer 233d.

If a change display data table corresponding to a change pattern with a long change time is set in the display data table buffer 233d, and a change presentation having a shorter change time than the set display data table is actually instructed by the main control device 110, the next display change pattern command will be received from the main control device 110 while a change presentation according to the set change display data table is being displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and a different change display will suddenly begin, which may cause the player to feel uncomfortable.

In contrast to this, by setting the display data table buffer 233d with a change display data table corresponding to the change pattern with the shortest change time as in this embodiment, even if the main control unit 110 has instructed a change presentation with a longer change time than the set display data table, as described below, after the change presentation according to the display data table buffer 233d has ended, the display of the third pattern display device 81 is controlled by the display setting process so that a demo presentation is displayed until the next display pattern command is received from the main control unit 110, so that the player can continue to watch the change of the third pattern on the third pattern display device 81 without feeling any discomfort.

Next, a transfer data table corresponding to the set display data table is determined and set in the transfer data table buffer 233e (S2502). It is determined whether it is a composite display mode variation pattern (a button performance variation pattern) (S2503). If it is determined that it is a composite display mode variation pattern (S2503: Yes), a reach pattern corresponding to the composite display mode variation pattern is set (S2504). Then, the process of S2505 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S2503 that it is not a composite display mode variation pattern (S2503: No), the process of S2505 is executed.

Then, among the data table discrimination flags provided for each variation display data table corresponding to each variation pattern, the data table discrimination flag corresponding to the set variation display data table is turned on, and the data table discrimination flags corresponding to the other variation display data tables are set to off (S2505). In the display setting process, by referring to the data table discrimination flag set by the process of S2506, it is possible to easily determine which variation pattern the variation display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d corresponds to.

Next, based on the fluctuation time of the fluctuation pattern corresponding to the fluctuation display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d, time data representing that fluctuation time is set in the timing counter 233h (S2506), and the pointer 233f is initialized to 0 (S2507). Then, the demo display flag and the final display flag are both set to off (S2508), the fluctuation pattern command is terminated, and the process returns to the command determination process.

When this variable pattern command processing is executed, the display setting processing updates the pointer 233f initialized by the processing of S2508, extracts the drawing contents specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f from the variable display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d, and specifies the contents of one frame's worth of image to be displayed next on the third pattern display device 81. At the same time, it extracts the transfer data information specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f from the transfer data table set in the transfer data table buffer 233e by the processing of S2505, and controls the image controller 237 so that the image data of the sprite required in the set variable display data table is transferred in advance from the character ROM 234 to the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236.

In addition, in the display setting process, the timing counter 233h, in which the time data is set by the process of S2507, is used to time the time of the variable performance specified in the variable display data table, and when it is determined that the variable performance in the variable display data table has ended, the setting of the stop display is controlled so that the stop pattern corresponding to the display stop type command from the main control unit 110 is displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

Now, let us return to the explanation of FIG. 86. If it is determined in the processing of S2404 that there is no variation pattern command for display (S2404: No), then it is determined whether or not there is a stop type command for display among the unprocessed commands (S2406), and if there is a variation type command for display (S2406: Yes), stop type command processing is executed (S2407), and processing returns to S2401.

Here, the details of the stop type command processing (S2407) will be described with reference to FIG. 87(b). FIG. 87(b) is a flowchart showing the stop type command processing. This stop type command processing executes processing corresponding to the display variable type command received from the voice lamp control device 114.

In the stop type command processing, first, a stop type table corresponding to the stop type information (jackpot A, before jackpot B) indicated by the stop type command for display is determined (S2601), and the stop type table is compared with the value of the stop type counter that is updated each time the V interrupt processing (see FIG. 85(b)) is executed, and the stop pattern after the variable performance that is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 is finally set (S2602).

Then, among the stop pattern discrimination flags provided for each stop pattern, the stop pattern discrimination flag corresponding to the stop pattern set by the processing of S2602 is turned on, and the stop pattern discrimination flags corresponding to the other stop patterns are set to off (S2603). After that, the process returns to the processing of S2401 in FIG. 86.

Here, as described above, in the variable display data table, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the variation based on the data table, offset information from the stop pattern set by the processing of S2602 (pattern offset information) is described as type information for identifying the third pattern to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81. In the above-mentioned task processing (S2304), after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the variation, the stop pattern set by the processing of S2602 is identified from the stop pattern discrimination flag set by S2603, and the pattern offset information acquired by the display setting processing is added to the identified stop pattern to identify the third pattern to be actually displayed. Then, the address where the image data corresponding to this identified third pattern is stored is identified. Note that the image data corresponding to the third pattern is stored in the third pattern area 235d of the resident video RAM 235, as described above.

Returning to FIG. 86, the explanation will continue. In the process of S2406, if it is determined that there is no display stop type command (S2406: No), it is then determined whether there is a display preview display command among the unprocessed commands (S2408). If it is determined that a display preview command has been received (S2408: Yes), preview command processing is executed (S2409).

Here, the details of the advance command processing (S2409) will be described with reference to FIG. 88. FIG. 88 is a flowchart showing the contents of this advance command processing (FIG. S2409).

In the preview command processing, first, a display data table corresponding to the command is determined and set in the display data table buffer (S2701). Here, the display data table buffer 233d is configured so that multiple display data tables can be set, and the set display data tables can be processed by synchronously moving the pointer. Therefore, even when executing different displays corresponding to multiple background modes, multiple display contents can be switched by setting one of the multiple display data table buffers to active and switching it.

In this case, the main control unit 110 always judges the start of the fluctuation at least several seconds apart, so two or more display fluctuation pattern commands are not received within 20 milliseconds. Therefore, when executing the command judgment process, it is impossible for two or more display fluctuation pattern commands to be stored in the command buffer area. However, there is a possibility that part of the command may change due to the influence of noise, etc., and another command may be erroneously interpreted as a display fluctuation pattern command. To prepare for such a case, if it is judged that two or more display fluctuation pattern commands are stored in the command buffer area, the fluctuation display data table corresponding to the fluctuation pattern with the shortest fluctuation time is set in the display data table buffer 233d.

Next, a transfer data table corresponding to the set display data table is determined and set in the transfer data table buffer 233e (S2702). Then, among the data table discrimination flags of the variable display data table corresponding to each preview pattern, the set data table discrimination flag is turned on, and the other data table discrimination flags are set off (S2703). In the display setting process, by referencing the data table discrimination flag set by the process of S2703, it is possible to easily determine which variable pattern the variable display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d corresponds to.

Next, based on the fluctuation time of the fluctuation pattern corresponding to the fluctuation display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d, time data representing that fluctuation time is set in the timing counter 233h (S2704), and the pointer 233f is initialized to 0 (S2705). Then, the demo display flag and the final display flag are both set to off (S2706), the preview command processing ends, and the process returns to the command determination processing.

Returning to FIG. 86 for further explanation. If it is determined in the processing of S2408 that there is no display preview command (S2408: No), it is determined whether there is a display hold command among the unprocessed commands. If it is determined that a display hold command has been received (S2410: Yes), hold command processing is executed.

Here, the pending command processing (S2411) will be described with reference to FIG. 89. FIG. 89 is a flowchart showing the contents of this pending command processing (S2411).

In the pending command process (Fig. 89, S2411), it is first determined whether the received command is a command indicating the number of pending items (S2801). If it is determined that the command indicates the number of pending items (S2801: Yes), pending display data corresponding to the pending number and the design (pattern, color, etc.) indicated by the received display pending command is set in the display data table (S2802). Then, this process ends.

On the other hand, in the process of S2801, if it is determined that the received command is not a command indicating the number of reserved items (S2801: No), it is determined whether the received command is a command for a normal reserved effect (S2803). If it is determined that it is a command for a normal reserved effect (S2803: Yes), the corresponding reserved pattern is changed to a normal reserved effect pattern and set in the display data table (S2804). Then, this process ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S2803 that the received command is not a command indicating a normal reserved effect (S2803: No), it is determined whether the received command is a command for an 8-piece effect (S2805). If it is determined that it is a command for an 8-piece effect (S2805: Yes), display data that changes to the preview pattern for the 8-piece effect is set in the display data table (S2806), and then this process ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S2805 that the command is not for an eight-item effect, the settings for other pending displays are executed (S2807). Then, this process ends.

Returning to FIG. 86, the explanation will continue. In the process of S2410, if it is determined that a display hold command has not been received (S2410: No), it is determined whether a display performance command has been received (S2412). If it is determined that a display performance command has been received (S2412: Yes), performance command processing is executed (S2413).

Here, the details of this performance command processing (S2413) will be described with reference to FIG. 90. FIG. 90 is a flowchart showing the contents of this performance command processing (S2413).

In the performance command process (Fig. 90, S2413), it is first determined whether a re-changing performance (see Fig. 47(b)) is set during the time performance extension period (S2901). Here, when the re-changing performance is set in the processing of S1730 of the extended performance setting processing (Fig. 78, S1708) executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113, the display control device 114 is notified by a command. If it is determined that a re-changing performance is set (S2901: Yes), a display data table corresponding to the re-changing performance is set in the display data table buffer (S2902). Then, the process proceeds to S2909.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of S2901 that the re-changing effect is not set (S2901: No), it is determined whether it is a pseudo-extension effect (S2903). This pseudo-extension effect is a premonition effect that is displayed 3 seconds before the end of the time effect period, and the effect pattern is displayed shaking (see FIG. 47(a)). If it is determined that the pseudo-extension effect is set (S2903: Yes), a display data table corresponding to the pseudo-extension effect is set in the display data table buffer (S2904). Then, the processing proceeds to S2909.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of S2903 that the pseudo-extension effect is not set (S2903: No), it is determined whether the 8-item effect is set (S2905). If it is determined that the 8-item effect is set (S2905: Yes), a display data table corresponding to the 8-item effect is set in the display data table buffer (S2906). Then, the processing proceeds to S2909.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S2905 that the 8-item effect has not been set (S2905: No), it is determined whether or not the normal hold effect has been set (S2907). If it is determined that the normal hold effect has been set (S2907: Yes), a display data table corresponding to the normal hold effect is set in the display data table buffer (S2908). Then, the process proceeds to S2909. On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S2907 that the normal hold effect has not been set (S2907: No), this process ends.

In the process of S2909, a transfer data table corresponding to the set display data table is determined and set in the transfer data table buffer 233e (S2909). Then, among the data table discrimination flags of the display data table corresponding to each display pattern, the set data table discrimination flag is turned on, and the other data table discrimination flags are set to off (S2910).

Next, based on the display time corresponding to the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d, time data representing the change time is set in the time counter 233h (S2911), and the pointer 233f is initialized to 0 (S2912). Then, this process ends.

Returning to FIG. 86, the explanation will continue. If it is determined in the processing of S2412 that there is no display performance command (S2412: No), it is determined whether a rear image change command has been received (S2414). If it is determined that a rear image change command has been received (S2414: Yes), rear image change command processing is executed (S2415).

Here, the background image change command process (S2415) will be described with reference to FIG. 91. FIG. 91 is a flowchart showing the contents of this background image change command process (S2415).

In the rear image change command process (Fig. 91, S2415), the rear image change flag is set to ON (S3001). The rear image discrimination flag corresponding to the rear image type after the change indicated by the command is set to ON (S3002). Then, this process ends.

Now, returning to FIG. 86, the explanation will continue. If it is determined in the processing of S2414 that a rear image change command has not been received (S2414: No), it is determined whether an error command has been received (S2416). If it is determined that an error command has been received (S2416: Yes), error command processing is executed (S2417).

Now, with reference to FIG. 91(b), the error command processing (S2417) will be described in detail. FIG. 91(b) is a flowchart showing the error command processing. This error command processing executes processing corresponding to the error command received from the voice lamp control device 114.

In error command processing, first, an error occurrence flag that is in the ON state and indicates that an error has occurred is set to ON (S3101). Then, of the error discrimination flags provided for each error type, the error discrimination flag that corresponds to the error type indicated by the error command is set to ON, and the other error discrimination flags are set to OFF (S3102), the error command processing is terminated, and the process returns to command judgment processing.

In the display setting process, when an error is detected based on the error occurrence flag set by the processing of S3101, the type of error that has occurred is determined from the error discrimination flag set by the processing of S3102, and a processing is performed to display a warning image corresponding to that error type on the third pattern display device 81.

If it is determined that two or more error commands are stored in the command buffer area, the process in S3002 sets the error discrimination flags corresponding to all error types indicated by the respective error commands to ON. As a result, warning images corresponding to all error types are displayed on the third symbol display device 81, allowing players and hall staff to correctly understand the error occurrence status.

Now, let us return to the explanation of FIG. 86. If it is determined in the processing of S2416 that there is no error command (S2416: No), then processing corresponding to other unprocessed commands is executed (S2419), and the processing returns to S2401.

In the process of S2401, which is executed again after the processing of each command has been executed, it is determined again whether there is an unprocessed new command in the command buffer area, and if there is an unprocessed new command (S2401: Yes), the processes of S2402 to S2419 are executed again. Then, the processes of S2401 to S2419 are repeatedly executed until there are no unprocessed new commands in the command buffer area, and when it is determined in the process of S2401 that there is no unprocessed new command in the command buffer area, this command determination process ends.

The simple command determination process (S2308), which is executed when the simple image display flag 233c is on in the V interrupt process (see FIG. 85(b)), is similar to the command determination process. However, in the simple command determination process, only the commands necessary to display the power-on image (not shown), i.e., the display variation pattern command and the display stop type command, are extracted from the unprocessed commands stored in the command buffer area, and the variation pattern command process (see FIG. 87(a)) and the stop type command process (see FIG. 87(b)), which are the processes corresponding to each command, are executed, while the other commands are discarded without executing the processes corresponding to those commands.

In the variation pattern command processing (see FIG. 87(a)) executed in this case, the display data table buffer corresponding to the display of the power-on variation image is set in the display data table buffer 233d in the processing of S2301, and since the image data of the power-on main image and the power-on variation image required in this case are stored in the power-on main image area 235a and the power-on variation image area 235b of the resident video RAM 235, in the processing of S2302, Null data is written to the transfer data table buffer 233e and its contents are cleared.

Next, the details of the above-mentioned display setting process (S2303), which is one process of the V interrupt process executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114, will be described with reference to Figures 92 to 94. Figure 92 is a flowchart showing this display setting process.

In this display setting process, as shown in FIG. 92, it is determined whether or not the new command flag is on (S3201), and if the new command flag is not on, i.e., it is off (S3201: No), it is determined that a new command has not been processed in the command determination process executed first, and the processes of S3202 to S3204 are skipped and the process moves to S3205. On the other hand, if the new flag is on (S3201: Yes), it is determined that a new command has been processed in the command determination process executed first, and after setting the new command flag to off (S3202), the process corresponding to the new command is executed by the processes of S3203 to S3204.

In the process of S3203, it is determined whether the error occurrence flag is on (S3203). If the error occurrence flag is on (S3203: Yes), a warning image setting process is executed (S3204).

Now, with reference to FIG. 93, the warning image setting process will be described in detail. FIG. 93 is a flowchart showing the warning image setting process. This process is for expanding image data for displaying a warning image corresponding to an error that has occurred on the third pattern display device 81. First, the error discrimination flags are referenced, and warning image data for displaying warning images of errors corresponding to all error discrimination flags that are set to on on the third pattern display device 81 is expanded (S3301).

The task process uses this expanded warning image data to identify the type of sprite (display object) that makes up the warning image, and determines various parameters required for drawing each sprite, such as the display coordinate position, magnification rate, and rotation angle.

Then, in the warning image setting process, after processing of S3301, the error occurrence flag is set to off (S3302) and the process returns to the display setting process.

Now, let us return to the explanation of FIG. 92. After the warning image setting process (S3204), or in the process of S3203, if it is determined that the error occurrence flag is not on, i.e., is off (S3203: No), then the process proceeds to S3205.

In S3205, pointer update processing is executed (S3205). Details of the pointer update processing will now be described with reference to FIG. 94. FIG. 94 is a flowchart showing the pointer update processing. This pointer update processing is processing for updating the pointer 233f that specifies the address from which the corresponding drawing content or transfer data information of the image data to be transferred should be obtained from the display data table and transfer data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d and transfer data table buffer 233e, respectively.

In this pointer update process, first, 1 is added to the pointer 233f (S3401). That is, in principle, the update process is performed so that the pointer 233f is incremented by 1 each time the V interrupt process is executed. Also, as described above, in various data tables, Start information is written at address "0000H" and the actual data of each table is specified from address "0001H" onwards. If the value of the pointer 233f is initialized to 0 as the display data table is stored in the display data table buffer 233d, the value is updated to 1 by this pointer update process, so that the actual data can be read from each data table in order starting from address "0001H".

After the value of the pointer 233f is updated by the process of S3301, it is then determined whether the data at the address indicated by the updated pointer 233f in the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d is End information (S3402). If the data is End information (S3402: Yes), this means that the pointer 233f has been updated past the address where the entity data is written in the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d.

Then, it is determined whether the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d is a demo display data table (S3403), and if it is a demo display data table (S3403: Yes), time data corresponding to the performance time of the demo display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d is set in the timing counter 233h (S3404), the pointer 233f is set to 1 for initialization (S3405), this process is terminated, and the process returns to the display setting process. As a result, in the display setting process, the drawing contents can be expanded in order from the top of the demo display data table, so that the third pattern display device 81 can be made to repeatedly display demo performances.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S3303 that the display data table stored in the display data table buffer 233d is not a demo display data table (S3403: No), the value of the pointer 233f is decremented by 1 (S3406), the process is terminated, and the process returns to the display setting process. As a result, in the display setting process, if a display data table other than the demo display data table, for example, a variable display data table, is set in the display data table buffer 233d, the drawing contents of the previous address in which the End information is written are always expanded, so that the third pattern display device 81 can display the last image specified in the display data table in a stopped state. On the other hand, in the process of S3302, if the data of the address indicated by the updated pointer 233f is not End information (S3402: No), the process is terminated, and the process returns to the display setting process.

Now, returning to FIG. 92, the explanation will continue. After the pointer update process, the drawing contents of the address indicated by the pointer 233f updated by the pointer update process are expanded from the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d (S3206). In the task process, based on the drawing contents expanded in the process of S3206 together with the warning image etc. expanded earlier, the type of sprites (display objects) that make up the image is identified, and various parameters required for drawing such as the display coordinate position, magnification rate, and rotation angle are determined for each sprite.

Then, the value of the timing counter 233h is decremented by 1 (S3207), and it is determined whether the value of the timing counter 233h after decrement is 0 or less (S3208). If the value of the timing counter 233h is 1 or more (S3108: No), the display setting process is terminated and the process returns to the V interrupt process. On the other hand, if the value of the timing counter 233h is 0 or less (S3208: Yes), this means that the performance time for the performance corresponding to the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d has elapsed. At this time, if a variable display data table is set in the display data table buffer 233d, it is time to end the variable display and perform a stop display, so it is checked whether the fixed display flag is on (S3209).

If the result is that the final display flag is off (S3209: No), the final display has not yet been performed and it is time to perform the final display, so first, the final display data table is set in the display data table buffer 233d (S3210), and then null data is written to the transfer data table buffer 233e to clear its contents (S3211). Then, time data corresponding to the performance time of the final display data table is set in the timing counter 233h (S3212), and further, the value of the pointer 233f is initialized to 0 (S3213). Then, after the final display flag, which indicates that the final display is being performed in the on state, is set on (S3214), the contents of the stop symbol discrimination flag are copied directly to the previous stop symbol discrimination flag provided in the work RAM 233 (S3215), and the process returns to the V interrupt process.

In this way, when a variable display data table is set in the display data table buffer 233d, the drawing contents can be set so that the final display performance of the stopped pattern in the variable performance is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 in accordance with the end of the performance. Also, by simply changing the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d to the final display data table, the performance displayed on the third pattern display device 81 can be easily changed to the final display performance. And compared to the conventional case where the display content is changed by starting a separate program, the program does not become complicated and bloated, and therefore the MPU 231 is not subjected to a large load, so that various types of performance images can be displayed on the third pattern display 81 regardless of the processing capacity of the display control device 114.

The previous stop pattern discrimination flag set by the processing of S3215 is used to identify the third pattern to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 in the next variable performance. That is, as described above, the display of the third pattern in the variable performance changes depending on the stop pattern of the previous variable performance, and in the variable display data table, pattern offset information from the stop pattern of the previous variable performance is recorded until a predetermined time has passed since the start of the change based on the data table. In the task processing (S2304), the stop pattern of the previous variable performance is identified from the previous stop pattern discrimination flag set by S3215 until a predetermined time has passed since the start of the change, and the pattern offset information obtained by the display setting processing is added to the identified stop pattern to identify the third pattern to be actually displayed. As a result, the variable performance starts from the stop pattern in the previous variable performance.

On the other hand, in the process of S3209, if the fixed display flag is off and not on (S3209: No), it is determined whether the demo display flag is on or not (S3216). If the demo display flag is off (S3216: Yes), this means that the value of the timing counter 233h has become 0 or less with the end of the fixed display effect, so the demo display data table is set in the display data table buffer 233d (S3217), and then null data is written to the transfer data table buffer 233e to clear its contents (S3218). Then, time data corresponding to the effect time of the demo display data table is set in the timing counter 233h (S3219). Then, the pointer 233f is initialized to 0 (S3220), the demo display flag, which indicates that the demo effect is being performed in the on state, is set to on (S3221), this process is terminated, and the process returns to the V interrupt process.

In the processing of S3216, if the demo display flag is on (S3216: Yes), this means that the demo performance is performed after the final display performance has ended, and that the demo performance has ended, so the display setting processing is terminated and the process returns to the V interrupt processing. In this case, various settings are made so that the demo performance will start again, as described above, by the pointer update processing executed in the next V interrupt processing, so that the demo performance can be repeatedly displayed on the third pattern display device 81 until a new display variation pattern command is received from the voice lamp control device 113.

The same processing as the display setting processing is also performed in the simple display setting processing (S2309) that is executed when the simple image display flag 233c is on in the V interrupt processing (see FIG. 85(b)). However, in the simple display setting processing, a processing is performed to set in the display data table buffer 233d a display data table that specifies that one image (not shown) of the power-on variable image corresponding to the stop pattern set based on the display stop type command is stopped and displayed for a predetermined time after the performance time of the variable performance using the power-on variable image has ended.

Next, the details of the above-mentioned transfer setting process (S2305), which is one process of the V interrupt process executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114, will be described with reference to Figs. 95 and 96. First, Fig. 95(a) is a flowchart showing this transfer setting process.

In this transfer setting process, first, it is determined whether the simple image display flag 233c is on or not (S3501). If the simple image display flag 233c is on (S3501: Yes), all image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 has not been transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235, so the resident image transfer setting process is executed (S3502), the transfer setting process is terminated, and the process returns to the V interrupt process. This sets a transfer instruction to the image controller 237 to transfer the image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. Details of the resident image transfer setting process will be described later with reference to FIG. 95(b).

On the other hand, if the result of the processing of S3501 is that the simple image display flag 233c is not on, i.e., it is off (S3501: No), all image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 has been transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. In this case, the normal image transfer setting process is executed (S3503), the transfer setting process is terminated, and the process returns to the V interrupt process. As a result, a transfer instruction is set so that subsequent transfers of image data from the character ROM 234 are to the normal video RAM 236. Details of the normal image transfer setting process will be described later with reference to FIG. 96.

Next, referring to FIG. 95(b), we will explain the resident image transfer setting process (S3502), which is one process of the transfer setting process (S2305) executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114. FIG. 95(b) is a flowchart showing this resident image transfer setting process (S3502).

In this resident image transfer setting process, first, it is determined whether or not an instruction to transfer image data that has not yet been transferred has been sent to the image controller 237 (S3601). If a transfer instruction has been sent (S3501: Yes), it is further determined whether or not the image data transfer process performed by the image controller 237 based on the transfer instruction has been completed (S3602). In this process of S3602, after an instruction to transfer image data has been sent to the image controller 237, if a transfer end signal indicating the end of the transfer process is received from the image controller 237, it is determined that the transfer process has been completed. Then, if it is determined by the process of S3602 that the transfer process has not been completed (S3602: No), the image transfer process is still being performed in the image controller 237, and therefore the resident image transfer setting process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the transfer process has been completed (S3602: Yes), the process proceeds to S3603. Also, if the result of processing in S3501 indicates that a transfer instruction for untransferred image data has not been sent to the image controller 237 (S3601: No), the process proceeds to S3603.

In the processing of S3603, it is determined whether all resident target image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 has been transferred (S3603), and if there is untransferred resident target image data (S3603: No), a transfer instruction is set for the image controller 237 to transfer the untransferred resident target image data from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 (S3604), and the resident image transfer setting processing is terminated.

As a result, the drawing list sent to the image controller 237 in the drawing process includes transfer data information regarding the resident target image data that has not yet been transferred, and the image controller 237 can transfer the resident target image data from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 236 based on the transfer data information written in the drawing list. The transfer data information includes the start address and end address of the character ROM 234 where the resident target image data is stored, the transfer destination information (in this case, the resident video RAM 235), and the start address of the transfer destination (an area provided in the resident video RAM 235 where the resident target image data to be transferred here should be stored). The image controller 237 executes the image transfer process based on this transfer data information, reads out the image data specified in the transfer process from the character ROM 234 and temporarily stores it in the buffer RAM 237a, and then transfers it to the specified address of the resident video RAM 236 while the resident video RAM 236 is not in use. When the transfer is completed, a transfer end signal is sent to the MPU 231.

If all resident target image data has been transferred as a result of the processing of S3603 (S3603: Yes), the simple image display flag 233c is set to OFF (S3605) and the resident image transfer setting process is terminated. As a result, in the V interrupt process (see FIG. 85(b)), instead of the simple command determination process (see S2308 in FIG. 85(b)) and the simple display setting process (see S2309 in FIG. 85(b)), the command determination process (see FIG. 86 to FIG. 91) and the display setting process (see FIG. 92 to FIG. 94) are executed, so that the drawing of the normal image is set, and the normal image is displayed on the third symbol display device 81. In addition, the transfer of image data from the character ROM 234 thereafter is performed to the normal video RAM 236 by the normal image transfer setting process (see FIG. 96) (see S3401: No in FIG. 95(a)).

By executing this resident image transfer setting process, the MPU 231 can transfer all resident target image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235, except for the power-on main image and power-on variable image that have already been transferred during the main processing. The MPU 231 then controls the image data transferred to the resident video RAM 235 so that it continues to be retained without being overwritten while the power is on. As a result, the image data transferred to the resident video RAM 235 by the resident image transfer setting process remains resident in the resident video RAM 235 while the power is on.

Therefore, after all image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 has been transferred to the resident video RAM 235, the display control device 114 can perform image drawing processing in the image controller 237 while using the image data resident in the resident video RAM 235. As a result, if the image data used for drawing processing is resident in the resident video RAM 235, there is no need to read out the corresponding image data from the character ROM 234, which is made up of the NAND type flash memory 234a, which has a slow readout speed, when drawing an image, so the time required for reading can be saved, and the image can be drawn immediately and displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

In particular, the resident video RAM 235 stores image data of frequently displayed images such as the back image, the third pattern, the character pattern, and error messages, as well as image data of images that should be displayed immediately after the display is determined by the main control unit 110, the audio lamp control unit 113, the display control unit 114, etc. Therefore, even if the character ROM 234 is composed of a NAND type flash memory 234a, high responsiveness can be maintained from various operations performed by the player at any time to displaying some image on the third pattern display device 81.

Next, with reference to FIG. 96, we will explain the normal image transfer setting process (S3503), which is one process of the transfer setting process (S2305) executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114. FIG. 96 is a flowchart showing this normal image transfer setting process (S3503).

In this normal image transfer setting process, first, the information written at the address indicated by the pointer 233f updated by the pointer update process (S3205) of the previously executed display setting process (S2303) is obtained from the transfer data table set in the transfer data table buffer 233e (S3701). Then, it is determined whether the obtained information is transfer data information (S3702), and if it is transfer data information (S3702: Yes), the start address (source start address) and end address (source end address) of the character ROM 234 in which the transfer target image data is stored, and the start address of the transfer destination (normal video RAM 236) are extracted from the transfer data information and stored in the transfer data buffer provided in the work RAM 233 (S3703), and further, a transfer start flag provided in the work RAM 233, which indicates that image data to be transferred is present in the ON state, is set to ON (S3704), and the process proceeds to S3705.

In addition, in the process of S3702, if the acquired information is not transfer data information but is Null data (S3702: No), the processes of S3703 and S3704 are skipped and the process proceeds to S3705. In the process of S3705, it is determined whether a new image data transfer instruction has been set for the image controller 237 after the previous image data transfer has ended (S3705), and if a transfer instruction has been set (S3705: Yes), it is further determined whether the image data transfer performed by the image controller 237 based on the transfer instruction has ended (S3706).

In the process of S3606, after setting an instruction to transfer image data to the image controller 237, if a transfer end signal indicating the end of the transfer process is received from the image controller 237, it is determined that the transfer process has ended. Then, if it is determined by the process of S3606 that the transfer process has not ended (S3706: No), image transfer processing is still being performed in the image controller 237, so this normal image transfer setting process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the transfer process has ended (S3706: Yes), the process proceeds to S3707. Also, if the result of the process of S3705 shows that an instruction to transfer image data has not been set for the image controller 237 after the end of the previous transfer process (S3705: No), the process proceeds to S3707.

In the processing of S3707, it is determined whether or not the transfer start flag is on (S3707). If the transfer start flag is on (S3707: Yes), image data for which transfer should be started is present, so the transfer start flag is turned off (S3708), the image data of the sprite indicated by the various information stored in the transfer data buffer by the processing of S3703 is set as the image data to be transferred, and the processing proceeds to S3709. On the other hand, if the transfer start flag is off rather than on (S3707: No), this processing ends.

In the process of S3709, it is determined whether the image data to be transferred is already stored in the normal video RAM 236 (S3709). This determination in the process of S3709 is made by referencing the stored image data determination flag 233i. That is, the storage status corresponding to the sprite that is the image data to be transferred is read from the stored image data determination flag 233i, and if the storage status is "on", it is determined that the image data of the sprite to be transferred is stored in the normal video RAM 236, and if the storage status is "off", it is determined that the image data of the sprite to be transferred is not stored in the normal video RAM 236.

If the result of the processing of S3709 is that the image data to be transferred is stored in the normal video RAM 236 (S3709: Yes), there is no need to transfer the image data from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236, and the normal image transfer setting process is terminated. This makes it possible to prevent image data from being transferred unnecessarily from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236, thereby reducing the processing load on each part of the display control device 114 and reducing traffic on the bus line 240.

On the other hand, if the result of the processing of S3709 is that the image data to be transferred is not stored in the normal video RAM 236 (S3709: No), a transfer instruction for the image data to be transferred is set (S3710). As a result, the transfer data information of the image data to be transferred is included in the drawing list sent to the image controller 237 in the drawing process, and the image controller 237 can transfer the image data of the image to be transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 based on the transfer data information described in the drawing list. The transfer data information includes the start address and the end address of the character ROM 234 where the image data of the image to be transferred is stored, the information of the transfer destination (in this case, the normal video RAM 236), and the start address of the transfer destination (a sub-area provided in the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236 where the image data of the image to be transferred here should be stored). The image controller 237 executes the image transfer process based on this transfer data information, reads the image data specified in the transfer process from the character ROM 234, and transfers it to the specified address of the specified video RAM (here, the normal video RAM 236). Then, when the transfer is complete, it sends a transfer end signal to the MPU 231.

After processing of S3610, the stored image data discrimination flag 233i is updated (S3711), and this normal transfer setting process is terminated. As described above, the stored image data discrimination flag 233i is updated by setting the storage state corresponding to the sprite that is the image data to be transferred to "on," and by setting the storage state corresponding to other sprites that are to be stored in the same sub-area of the image storage area 236a as that one sprite to "off."

In this way, by executing this normal image transfer process, a process corresponding to the display stop type command is executed in the previously executed command determination process, and as a result, if it is determined that the stop type information indicated by the display stop type command is a jackpot stop type, image data used in the fanfare effect can be transferred without delay from character ROM 234 to normal video RAM 236. Also, if the rear image is changed based on receipt of a rear image change command in the previously executed command determination process, image data used for that rear image that is not stored in the rear image area 235c of the resident video RAM 235 can be transferred without delay from character ROM 234 to normal video RAM 236.

In addition, in this embodiment, in response to a command (e.g., a display variation pattern command) sent from the voice lamp control device 113 based on a command from the main control device 110, a display data table is set in the display data table buffer 233d, and at the same time, a transfer data table corresponding to the display data table is set in the transfer data table buffer 233e. Then, by executing the normal image transfer setting process, the MPU 231 sets a transfer instruction for the image controller 237 for the image data to be transferred in accordance with the transfer data information written in the area indicated by the pointer 233f of the transfer data table set in the transfer data table buffer 233e, so that the image data of the sprite used in the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d can be reliably transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 at the desired timing.

The transfer data table specifies the transfer data information of the image data to be transferred for a specific address so that the image data corresponding to a specific sprite is stored in the image storage area 236a by the time drawing of the specific sprite begins in accordance with the display data table. By transferring image data from the character ROM 234 to the image storage area 236a in accordance with the transfer data information specified in this transfer data table, when drawing a specific sprite in accordance with the display data table, image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 and is necessary for drawing the sprite can be ensured to be stored in the image storage area 236a.

As a result, even if the character ROM 234 is configured using a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the images required for display can be read out from the character ROM 234 in advance without delay and transferred to the normal video RAM 236, so that the corresponding effects can be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 while drawing the images of each sprite specified in the display data table. Also, by writing in the transfer data table, only the image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 can be easily and reliably transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236.

The transfer data table also specifies the transfer data information so that image data is transferred from character ROM 234 to normal video RAM 236 for each image data corresponding to a sprite. This makes it possible to manage and control the transfer of image data for each sprite, making it easy to process the transfer. By controlling the transfer of image data from character ROM 234 to normal video RAM 236 on a sprite-by-sprite basis, the process can be made easier while controlling the transfer of image data in detail. This makes it possible to efficiently prevent an increase in the load on the transfer.

Next, referring to FIG. 97, the details of the above-mentioned drawing process (S2306), which is one process of the V interrupt process executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114, will be described. FIG. 97 is a flowchart showing this drawing process.

In the drawing process, a drawing list as shown in FIG. 57 is generated (S3801) from the types of various sprites constituting one frame determined in the task process (S2304), the parameters required for drawing each sprite (display position coordinates, magnification ratio, rotation angle, semi-transparency value, alpha blending information, color information, filter specification information), and the transfer instructions set in the transfer setting process (S2305). That is, in the process of S3701, from the types of various sprites constituting one frame determined in the task process (S2304), the storage RAM type and address in which the image data of that sprite is stored are identified for each sprite, and the parameters required for that sprite determined in the task process are associated with the identified storage RAM type and address. Then, the sprites are rearranged in the order of the sprites that should be placed furthest behind the sprites that should be placed in the foreground in one frame of image, and a drawing list is generated by describing, in the rearranged sprite order, the type and address of the storage RAM in which the image data of the sprites are stored and the parameters required for drawing the sprites as detailed drawing information (detailed information) for each sprite. Also, if a transfer instruction is set by the transfer setting process (S2305), the start address (start address of the storage source) and the end address (end address of the storage source) of the character ROM 234 in which the image data to be transferred is stored, and the start address of the transfer destination (normal video RAM 236) are added as transfer data information to the end of the drawing list.

As mentioned above, the area of the resident video RAM 235 in which the image data of the sprite is stored, or the sub-area of the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236, is fixed for each sprite, so the MPU 231 can instantly identify the storage RAM type and address in which the image data of the sprite is stored according to the sprite type, and easily include this information in the detailed information of the drawing list.

When the drawing list is generated, the generated drawing list and the drawing target buffer information specified by the drawing target buffer flag 233j are sent to the image controller (S3802). Here, if the drawing target buffer flag 233j is 0, the drawing target buffer information includes information instructing the first frame buffer 236b to expand the image drawn, and if the drawing target buffer flag 233j is 1, the drawing target buffer information includes information instructing the second frame buffer 236c to expand the image drawn.

Based on the drawing list received from the MPU 231, the image controller 237 draws images starting from the sprite described at the top of the drawing list, and expands them by overwriting them in the frame buffer specified by the drawing target buffer information. This allows the first sprite drawn to be positioned at the backmost position, and the last sprite drawn to be positioned at the foremost position, in one frame's worth of image generated by the drawing list.

If the drawing list contains transfer data information, the start address (source start address) and end address (source end address) of character ROM 234 where the image data to be transferred is stored, and the start address of the transfer destination (normal video RAM 236) are extracted from the transfer data information, and the image data stored from the source start address to the source end address are read out of character ROM 234 in order and temporarily stored in buffer RAM 237a, and then, when the normal video RAM 236 is in an unused state, the image data stored in buffer RAM 237a is transferred sequentially to the area of normal video RAM 236 indicated by the destination start address. The image data stored in this normal video RAM 236 is then used based on the drawing list sent by MPU 231, and an image is drawn according to the drawing list.

The image controller 237 reads image information of the previously expanded image from a frame buffer different from the frame buffer specified by the drawing target buffer information, and transmits the image information together with a drive signal to the third pattern display device 81. This allows the third pattern display device 81 to display the image expanded in the frame buffer. Also, while an image drawn in one frame buffer is being expanded, an image expanded from the other frame buffer can be displayed on the third pattern display 81, allowing the drawing process and the display process to be processed simultaneously in parallel.

After the processing of S3702, the drawing process updates the drawing target buffer flag 233j (S3703). Then, the drawing process ends and returns to the V interrupt process. The drawing target buffer flag 233j is updated by inverting its value, i.e., by setting the value to "1" if it was "0" and to "0" if it was "1". As a result, the drawing target buffer is alternately set between the first frame buffer 236b and the second frame buffer 236c each time a drawing list is transmitted.

Here, the drawing list is transmitted each time the drawing process of the V interrupt process (see FIG. 85(b)) executed by the MPU 231 is executed based on the V interrupt signal transmitted from the image controller 237 every 20 milliseconds when the drawing process and display process of one frame of the image are completed. As a result, when the first frame buffer 236b is designated as the frame buffer that displays one frame of the image at a certain timing, and the second frame buffer 236c is designated as the frame buffer from which the image information of one frame is read, and the image drawing process and display process are executed, 20 milliseconds after the drawing process of one frame of the image is completed, the second frame buffer 236c is designated as the frame buffer that displays one frame of the image, and the first frame buffer 236b is designated as the frame buffer from which the image information of one frame is read. Therefore, the image information of the image previously displayed in the first frame buffer 236b can be read and displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and at the same time, a new image is displayed in the second frame buffer 236c.

Then, after another 20 milliseconds, the first frame buffer 236b is specified as the frame buffer in which one frame's worth of image is displayed, and the second frame buffer 236c is specified as the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read. Thus, the image information of the image previously displayed in the second frame buffer 236c is read out and displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and at the same time, a new image is displayed in the first frame buffer 236b. Thereafter, by alternately specifying the first frame buffer 236b and the second frame buffer 236c as the frame buffer in which one frame's worth of image is displayed and the frame buffer from which one frame's worth of image information is read, each time every 20 milliseconds, it is possible to perform the display process of one frame's worth of image continuously in 20 millisecond units while performing the drawing process of one frame's worth of image.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114 are provided separately, but instead, the devices 113 and 114 may be integrated and provided as a single device.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a command is first sent from the main control device 110 to the voice lamp control device 113, and when the command is received by the voice lamp control device 113, the voice lamp control device 113 determines the command to be sent to the display control device 114, and then the command is sent from the voice lamp control device 113 to the display control device 114. In contrast to this, a command may be first sent from the main control device 110 to the display control device 114, and when the command is received by the display control device 114, the display control device 114 determines the command to be sent to the voice lamp control device 113, and then the command is sent from the display control device 114 to the voice lamp control device 113.

In the above embodiment, the image controller 237 executes the process of transferring image data from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the MPU 231 may directly access the character ROM 234, read image data from the character ROM 234, and transfer the image data to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236. In this case, the MPU 231 may temporarily store the image data read from the character ROM 234 in the buffer RAM 237a, and then determine whether the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 of the transfer destination is unused, and if it is unused, transfer the image data from the buffer RAM 237a to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 of the transfer destination.

In this case, whether the resident video RAM 235 or normal video RAM 236 of the transfer destination is unused may be determined by providing the image controller 237 with a resident video RAM access flag (not shown) indicating that the image controller 237 is accessing the resident video RAM 235 (i.e., in use) and a normal video RAM access flag (not shown) indicating that the image controller 237 is accessing the normal video RAM 236 (i.e., in use), and the MPU 231 checking the access flag corresponding to the buffer RAM of the transfer destination.

Alternatively, the MPU 231 may monitor signals transmitted between the image controller 237 and the resident video RAM 235, or signals transmitted between the image controller 237 and the normal video RAM 236, and check whether the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 is unused based on the state of the signals. Alternatively, when the image controller 237 starts accessing or ends accessing the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236, the image controller 237 may notify the MPU 231 of this information as needed, and the MPU 231 may determine whether the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 is unused based on the notification.

Alternatively, when the image controller 237 scans the third pattern display device 81, the MPU 231 may check the drive status of the image controller 237 or obtain a notification from the image controller 237 to determine whether the scan is in a blank period, and if the scan state is in a blank period, determine that each video RAM 235, 236 is unused. In this way, the image controller 237 checks only the scanning state of the third pattern display device 81 to determine whether it is unused, making the determination easy.

In this case, when transfer data information other than null data exists at the address indicated by the pointer 233f in the transfer data table set in the transfer data table buffer 233e or the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d, the MPU 231 may start a process of reading image data from the character ROM 234 and transferring it to the normal video RAM 236 according to the transfer data information. Here, the transfer data information of the image data to be transferred is specified for a specific address so that the image data corresponding to a specific sprite is stored in the normal video RAM 236 by the time the drawing of the specific sprite is started according to the display data table or the like. By transferring image data according to the transfer data information specified in this transfer data table, when drawing a specific sprite according to the display data table or the like, image data that is not resident in the resident video RAM 235 and is necessary for drawing the sprite can be stored in the normal video RAM 236 without fail. Then, the image data stored in the normal video RAM 236 can be used to draw the specific sprite based on the display data table.

The process of reading image data from character ROM 234 and transferring it to normal video RAM 236 may be performed within the display main process or main process loop executed by MPU 231. This allows MPU 231 to execute image data transfer processing by utilizing time when important processes in display control device 114, such as command interrupt processing and V interrupt processing, are not being performed. Furthermore, since command interrupt processing and V interrupt processing are executed with priority over display main processing and the like, MPU 231 can execute image data transfer processing without affecting command interrupt processing and V interrupt processing.

In the above embodiment, the MPU 231 may not use the addresses of the resident video RAM 235 and the normal video RAM 236 to manage each video RAM, but may assign different address areas to each video RAM in an address system commonly used by the resident video RAM 235 and the normal video RAM 236 to manage each video RAM. In this way, the MPU 231 does not directly specify to the image controller 237 the video RAM to be accessed (resident video RAM 235 or normal video RAM 236), but simply specifies an address, and the image controller 237 can determine whether the area specified by the address is for the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236. In other words, when the MPU 231 specifies the video RAM to be accessed and the address of the area of that video RAM to the image controller 237, it is sufficient to simply specify an address set in the common address system, and the configuration of the command for specifying the video RAM can be simplified. For example, in the drawing list sent from the MPU 231 to the image controller 237, the information indicating the storage destination of sprite data does not include the storage RAM type, but simply specifies the storage destination address using an address set within a common address system, thereby simplifying the configuration of the drawing list.

In the above embodiment, the character ROM 234 is directly connected to the internal bus (bus line 240) that connects the MPU 231 and the image controller 237, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the character ROM 234 may be directly connected to the image controller 237. Also, a bridge circuit may be provided that converts the input/output specifications of the character ROM 234 into the input/output specifications of the mask ROM, and the character ROM 234 may be connected to the internal bus (bus line 240) or the image controller 237 via the bridge circuit.

By providing this bridge circuit, it is possible to connect the character ROM 234, which is configured with a NAND type flash memory 234a, by using the existing image controller 237 or internal bus (bus line 240), which are designed on the assumption that a general mask ROM will be used as the character ROM. Even if the character ROM 234 is connected via the image controller 237 or bridge circuit, it may be configured so that the character ROM 234 can be accessed directly from the MPU 231.

In the above embodiment, the character ROM 234 is configured as a NAND flash memory 234a, but this is not necessarily limited to this and may be configured as a large-capacity, inexpensive non-volatile storage means, such as a hard disk. Such large-capacity, inexpensive storage means generally have a slow read speed, but by configuring the display control device 114 as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to display an image at the desired time without any problems.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a NOR ROM 234d is provided in the character ROM 234, and a portion of the boot program that is executed first in the MPU 231 after the system reset is released is stored in the first program storage area 234d1 of the NOR ROM 234, but this is not necessarily limited to this. A first program storage area may be provided in a memory configured with a non-volatile storage medium that can perform a read operation faster than the NAND flash memory 234a, and a portion of the boot program that is executed first in the MPU 231 after the system reset is released may be stored in that area. For example, instead of the NOR ROM 234d, a Ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), a Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), or a Phase change RAM (PRAM) may be provided in the character ROM 234, and a first program storage area may be provided therein to store a portion of the boot program that is executed first in the MPU 231 after the system reset is released.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a first program storage area 234d1 is provided in the NOR ROM 234d connected to the internal bus (bus line 240), and a portion of the boot program that is executed first in the MPU 231 after a system reset is released is stored in that area. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and a memory composed of a non-volatile storage medium that can perform a read operation faster than the NAND flash memory 234a may be connected to the internal bus (bus line 240), a first program storage area is provided in that memory, and a portion of the boot program that is executed first in the MPU 231 after a system reset is released is stored in that area. For example, instead of the NOR ROM 234d, a Ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), a Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), or a Phase change RAM (PRAM) may be provided on the internal bus (bus line 240), and a first program storage area may be provided therein to store a portion of the boot program that is executed first after the system reset is released in the MPU 231.

In the above embodiment, when the ROM controller 234b detects that the address of the internal bus (bus line 240) is designated as "0000H", the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 is set in the buffer RAM 234c, and the data (instruction code) corresponding to the designated address is read from the buffer RAM 234c and output to the MPU 231 via the internal bus (bus line 240). In contrast, when the ROM controller 234b detects that the power is turned on from the power supply device 115, the ROM controller 234b may set the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 in the buffer RAM 234c, and then, when the ROM controller 234b detects that the address of the internal bus (bus line 240) is designated as "0000H", the data (instruction code) corresponding to the designated address may be read from the buffer RAM 234c and output to the MPU 231 via the internal bus (bus line 240). In this case, when the MPU 231 designates the address "0000H" on the internal bus (bus line 240) after the system reset is released, the boot program stored in the first program storage area 234d1 has already been set in the buffer RAM 234c or is in the process of being set, so that the character ROM 234 can output the corresponding data (instruction code) with less delay after the address "0000H" is designated by the MPU 231. Therefore, since the MPU 231 can receive the instruction code corresponding to the address "0000H" in a short time after designating the address "0000H", the MPU 231 can start the display main process in a short time. As a result, even if a control program is stored in the character ROM 234 composed of the NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the control of the auxiliary performance section or the third pattern display device 81 in the display control device 114 can be started immediately.

In addition, when the ROM controller 234b detects that the address specified on the internal bus (bus line 240) specifies the control program stored in the first program memory area 234d1, it may read data (instruction code) corresponding to the specified address directly from the first program memory area 234d1 and output it to the MPU 231 via the internal bus (bus line 240). As a result, the MPU 231 can receive the instruction code corresponding to the address "0000H" in a short time after specifying the address "0000H", so that the MPU 231 can start the display main process in a short time. As a result, even if the control program is stored in the character ROM 234 composed of the NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the control of the auxiliary performance section or the third pattern display device 81 in the display control device 114 can be immediately started. In this case, the process of setting the control program (boot program) stored in the first program memory area 234d1 to the buffer RAM 234c may not be performed. This reduces power consumption in the character ROM 234.

In the above embodiment, the resident video RAM 235 is connected to the image controller 237, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the resident video RAM 235 may be directly connected to the internal bus (bus line 240) to which the MPU 231, character ROM 234, and image controller 237 are connected. In addition, when the character ROM 234 is connected to the internal bus (bus line 240) or image controller 237 via the bridge circuit, the resident video RAM 235 may be connected to the bridge circuit. If the resident video RAM 235 is configured to be connected to the bridge circuit, the resident video RAM 235 can be easily provided in the display control device 114 even if the existing image controller 237 or internal bus (bus line 240) is not configured to be able to directly connect the resident video RAM 235.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which one resident video RAM 235 and one normal video RAM 236 are provided in the display control device 114, but the number of various video RAMs is not limited to this, and more video RAMs may be provided. Also, multiple resident video RAMs may be provided, each of which stores resident image data corresponding to images according to various modes, and the resident video RAM to be used may be selected according to the mode.

In the above embodiment, the resident video RAM 235 and the normal video RAM 236 are described as being configured from a single-port type (single input/output port) DRAM, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and a multi-port type RAM may be used. This allows writing to and reading from the resident video RAM 235 and the normal video RAM 236 to be performed simultaneously, so that, for example, image data can be read from the normal video RAM 236 to draw an image while image data read from the character ROM 234 is written to the normal video RAM 236 in parallel. This reduces the risk of delays in the drawing process due to the writing of image data.

In the above embodiment, the resident video RAM 235 and the normal video RAM 236 are configured as separate memories, but this is not necessarily limited to this. A single RAM may be divided into a resident area and a normal area, and the same contents as the resident video RAM 235 and the normal video RAM 236 may be stored in each area. When configuring a resident area and a normal area in a single RAM, it is preferable to use a multi-port RAM to prevent the input/output ports of the memory from being occupied by either the resident area or the normal area during read or write processing.

The type of image data stored in the resident video RAM 235 in the above embodiment is an example, and the type may be set appropriately depending on the content of the image to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81. In this case, it is preferable to make at least the image data corresponding to the image to be instantly displayed on the third pattern display device 81 resident in the resident video RAM 235 in response to a received command received from the main control device 110 or the voice lamp control device 113 or other external input.

In the above embodiment, a portion of the image data stored in character ROM 234 is transferred to resident video RAM 235 and made resident, but all of the image data stored in character ROM 234 may be transferred to resident video RAM 235. In this case, since the image data stored in non-resident character ROM 234 does not exist in resident video RAM 235, normal video RAM 236 may be used as a dedicated memory for storing drawn image data obtained by drawing by image controller 237.

In the above embodiment, the resident video RAM 235 is described as retaining its contents without being overwritten while the power is on, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The image data resident in the resident video RAM 235 may be overwritten and updated based on a predetermined trigger, such as when the image displayed on the third pattern display device 81 is to be significantly different based on a command received from the main control device 110 or the voice lamp control device 113. In this case, a predetermined transitional image may be displayed as a transitional period while the image displayed on the third pattern display device 81 is being changed. The image data corresponding to the transitional image may be stored in the resident video RAM 235 when the power is turned on, and may continue to be retained in the resident video RAM 235 without being updated even when other resident images are updated. Also, while the transition image is being displayed, the MPU 231 may directly access the character ROM 234 to read the image data that is to be newly resident, and transfer the read image data via the buffer RAM 237a while the resident video RAM 235 is not in use (i.e., while the image data corresponding to the transition image is not being read). Alternatively, while the transition image is being displayed, the MPU 231 may transmit a transfer instruction (transfer data information) for the image data that is to be newly resident to the image controller 237, and the image controller 237 may read the image data that is to be resident from the character ROM 234 in accordance with the transfer instruction (transfer data information), and transfer the image data via the buffer RAM 237a while the resident video RAM 235 is not in use (i.e., while the image data corresponding to the transition image is not being read).

When updating the resident video RAM 235, image data corresponding to the transition image may be transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 in advance, and the transition image may be displayed on the third symbol display device 81 using the image data stored in the normal video RAM 236. Then, while the transition image is being displayed, the MPU 231 may directly access the character ROM 234 to read the image data to be newly resident, and transfer the read image data via the buffer RAM 237a. Alternatively, the image controller 237, which has received an instruction from the MPU 231 to transfer the image data to be resident, may access the character ROM 234 to read the image data to be newly resident, and transfer the read image data via the buffer RAM 237a. By updating the contents of the resident video RAM 235 while the transition image is being displayed, the resident video RAM 235 can be updated without causing the player to feel uncomfortable.

In the above embodiment, after all image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 is made resident, a RAM judgment value for judging whether the data in the resident video RAM 235 is normal when the power outage is resolved is stored, and during the main display process or main process executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114 after power is turned on, the RAM judgment value is checked before starting to transfer the main image data at power on from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235, and if the RAM judgment value is a normal value, this means that the image data that should be resident in the resident video RAM 235 continues to be stored normally, so the transfer of image data to the resident video RAM 235 may be prevented. In this case, the transfer of image data to the resident video RAM 235 may be prevented by turning off the simple image display flag. As a result, even if a system reset is input to the display control device 114 due to the occurrence of a momentary power outage and the execution of the display main process or the main process is started by the MPU 231, if the data in the resident video RAM 235 is stored normally, it is possible to prevent the image data from being transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 in vain, and the time required for recovery from the power outage can be shortened. In particular, since the character ROM 234 is composed of the character ROM 234a with a slow read speed, it takes a long time to transfer image data from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. In contrast, by storing the RAM judgment value in the resident video RAM 235 as in this modified example, if the data in the resident video RAM 235 remains normal due to a momentary power outage or the like, the time required for the transfer of the image data can be shortened, so that the third symbol display device 81 can immediately display a normal performance image. Therefore, the player can immediately start playing. The RAM judgment value may be, for example, a checksum value of the image data stored in the resident video RAM 235. In addition, instead of using this RAM judgment value, the validity of the data may be determined based on whether or not a keyword written to a specific area of the resident video RAM 235 is correctly stored.

In the above embodiment, the buffer RAM 237a is provided in the image controller 237, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and it may be provided outside the image controller 237. For example, the buffer RAM may be configured independently and directly connected to the internal bus (bus line 240). In addition, when the character ROM 234 is connected to the internal bus (bus line 240) or the image controller 237 via the bridge circuit, the buffer RAM may be provided in the bridge circuit. Furthermore, the resident video RAM 235 may be directly connected to the bridge circuit having the buffer RAM. In this case, image data can be transferred from the character ROM 234 connected to the bridge circuit to the resident video RAM 235 via the buffer RAM provided in the bridge circuit, so that the transfer can be performed efficiently without being affected by the internal bus (bus line 240) which has a lot of data signal exchange.

In the above embodiment, the storage capacity of the buffer RAM 237a is described as one block of the NAND type flash memory 234a, but this is not necessarily limited to this and may be set appropriately. For example, the storage capacity of the buffer RAM 237a may be set to a data capacity sufficient to complete the transfer of image data from the buffer RAM 237a to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 during the period (blank period) during which the third pattern display device 81 scans a blank area, which is a scanning area other than the display area where the actual image is displayed. This allows the transfer of image data from the buffer RAM 237a to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 to be reliably performed by utilizing the unused period of each video RAM 235, 236 that occurs during this blank period.

In the above embodiment, the case where one buffer RAM 237a is provided has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and two or more buffer RAMs may be provided. In this case, while image data read from the character ROM 234 is stored in one buffer RAM, image data stored in another buffer RAM may be transferred to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236. Also, one buffer RAM may be divided into two or more areas, and while image data read from the character ROM 234 is stored in one area, the image data may be transferred from the other area in which the image data is stored to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236. In either case, the writing of image data read from the character ROM 234 to the buffer RAM and the transfer of image data written to the buffer RAM to the resident video RAM 235 or the normal video RAM 236 can be processed in parallel, so that the time required for the processing can be shortened.

In the above embodiment, the case where image data corresponding to the power-on main image is transferred from character ROM 234 to power-on main image area 235a of resident video RAM 235 after power is turned on has been described, but image data corresponding to this power-on main image may also be transferred from character ROM 234 to normal video RAM 236 after power is turned on. This makes it possible to transfer image data to be resident from character ROM 234 to resident video RAM 235 while displaying the power-on main image using image data corresponding to the power-on main image stored in normal video RAM 236. During this time, image data is not read from resident video RAM 235, so image data can be transferred from character ROM 234 to resident video RAM 235 without monitoring the usage status of resident video RAM 235. This makes it possible to complete the transfer of image data quickly and simplify the process.

Similarly, in the above embodiment, the image data corresponding to the power-on main image and the power-on variable image are transferred from the character ROM 234 to the power-on main image area 235a and the power-on variable image area 235b of the resident video RAM 235 after power is turned on. However, the image data corresponding to the power-on main image and the power-on variable image may be transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 after power is turned on. This allows the image data to be resident from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 to be transferred while the power-on image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 using the image data corresponding to the power-on main image and the power-on variable image stored in the normal video RAM 236. During this time, the image data is not read from the resident video RAM 235, so the image data can be transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 without monitoring the usage status of the resident video RAM 235. This allows the image data transfer to be completed quickly and simplifies the process.

In the above embodiment, a case was described in which image data corresponding to the power-on main image is transferred from character ROM 234 via buffer RAM 237a to power-on main image area 235a of resident video RAM 235. However, since image data is not read from resident video RAM 235 while image data corresponding to the power-on main image is being transferred, image data corresponding to the power-on main image may also be transferred directly from character ROM 234 to power-on main image area 235a of resident video RAM 235 without going through buffer RAM 237a. Also, in a configuration in which image data corresponding to the power-on main image is transferred from character ROM 234 to normal video RAM 236 after power is turned on, and the power-on main image is displayed using the image data corresponding to the power-on main image stored in normal video RAM 236, and image data that should be resident is not read from resident video RAM 235 while the image data is being transferred from character ROM 234 to resident video RAM 235, the image data that should be resident may be transferred directly from character ROM 234 to resident video RAM 235 without going through buffer RAM 237a. This allows the transfer of image data to be completed more quickly without going through buffer RAM 237a.

Similarly, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which image data corresponding to the power-on main image and the power-on variable image are transferred from character ROM 234 via buffer RAM 237a to power-on main image area 235a and power-on variable image area 235b of resident video RAM 235. However, since image data is not read from resident video RAM 235 while image data corresponding to the power-on main image and power-on variable image are being transferred, image data corresponding to the power-on main image and power-on variable image may also be transferred directly from character ROM 234 to the power-on main image area 235a and power-on variable image area 235b of resident video RAM 235 without going through buffer RAM 237a. In addition, when image data corresponding to the power-on main image and the power-on variable image are transferred from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 after power is turned on, and the power-on image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 using the image data corresponding to the power-on main image and the power-on variable image stored in the normal video RAM 236, and image data that should be resident is not read from the resident video RAM 235 while the image data is being transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235, the image data that should be resident may be transferred directly from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235 without going through the buffer RAM 237a. This allows the transfer of image data to be completed more quickly without going through the buffer RAM 237a.

In the above embodiment, when the frame button 22 is operated by the player, the sound lamp control device 113 generates a back image change command or a frame button operation command, and the display control device 114 changes the back image displayed on the third symbol display device 81 and the presentation mode of the super reach based on the back image change command or the frame button operation command, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the sound lamp control device 113 may grasp the game state of the gaming machine 10 based on the content of the command received from the main control device 110, and generate a back image change command or a game state command according to the game state, for example, in accordance with the change in the game state. As a result, the display control device 114 can change the presentation mode of the back image or the super reach according to the game state based on the back image change command or the game state command. The display control device 114 may also directly grasp the game state of the gaming machine 10 and change the presentation mode of the back image or the super reach according to the game state. Then, image data corresponding to at least a portion of the range of the rear image after the change, or the rear image corresponding to the super reach of the changed performance mode, is made resident in the rear image area 235c of the resident video RAM 235, so that the rear image can be instantly displayed from the resident range using the image data resident in the rear image area 235c.

The display control device 114 may also change the rear image in accordance with the specifications of the display data table, transfer data table, additional data table, or composite data table. In this case, the image data corresponding to the changed rear image may be configured to be transferred in advance from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 in accordance with the transfer data information described in the transfer data table, composite data table, or display data table. Here, when transferring image data of the rear image according to the transfer data information described in the transfer data table, composite data table, or display data table, the transfer data information of the transfer data table may be specified so that the new rear image is stored in a sub-area of the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236 in which the original rear image is stored, or the transfer data information of the transfer data table may be specified so that the new rear image is stored in an area other than the sub-area of the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236 in which the original rear image is stored. In the latter case, when returning the rear image to the original rear image selected and displayed by the player, it is not necessary to transfer image data corresponding to the original rear image again, so that an increase in the processing load of the display control device 114 can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the output signal of the vibration sensor is input to the voice lamp control device 113, and when a vibration error is detected by the voice lamp control device 113, an error command is sent to the display control device 114, causing the display control device 114 to immediately display a warning image on the third pattern display device 81. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and the output signal of the vibration sensor may be input to the main control device 110, the main control device 110 may detect a vibration error, and the main control device 110 may send an error command notifying the error to either the voice lamp control device 113 or the display control device 114. When an error command is sent to the voice lamp control device 113, the voice lamp control device 113 may receive the error command and further send an error command notifying the display control device 114 of the error.

On the other hand, the output signal of the vibration sensor may be input to the display control device 114, and the presence or absence of a vibration error may be detected by the display control device 114. If a vibration error is detected, an error occurrence flag may be turned on, and an error determination flag corresponding to the vibration error may be turned on. If the display setting process (see FIG. 69) determines that the error occurrence flag is on, a warning image setting process (see FIG. 70(a)) may be executed, thereby causing a warning image to be displayed immediately on the third pattern display device 81. In this case, this eliminates the need to send and receive error commands from the voice lamp control device 113 to the display control device 114, and therefore allows the warning image to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 more quickly.

In the above embodiment, the vibration sensor is attached to the back of the game board 13, but instead of or together with the vibration sensor, a magnet sensor may be attached to the back of the game board 13. This magnet sensor is a sensor for detecting a magnetic field applied to the game board in order to prevent the ball from being intentionally thrown into the ball entry hole by changing the flow of the ball with a magnetic field such as a magnet, and the output signal of the magnet sensor may be input to any of the main control device 110, the sound lamp control device 113, and the display control device 114. When the output signal of the magnet sensor is input to the main control device 110, if the main control device 110 determines that a magnetic field has been applied to the game board 13 based on the output signal of the magnet sensor, an error command conveying the magnetic field error may be sent from the main control device 110 to the display control device 114 via the sound lamp control device 113 or directly. In addition, when the output signal of the magnet sensor is input to the voice lamp control device 113, when the voice lamp control device 113 judges that a magnetic field has been applied to the game board 13 based on the output signal of the magnet sensor, an error command notifying the magnetic field error may be transmitted from the voice lamp control device 113 to the display control device 114. Then, the error message image area 235f of the resident video RAM 235 of the display control device 113 may be configured to be resident with image data corresponding to an error message image for notifying the magnetic field error by displaying the third pattern display device 81, and when an error command notifying the magnetic field error is received from the main control device 110 or the voice lamp control device 113, the display control device 113 may display the warning image on the third pattern display device 81. In addition, when the output signal of the magnet sensor is input to the display control device 110, when the display control device 114 judges that a magnetic field has been applied to the game board 13 based on the output signal of the magnet sensor, the display control device 113 may display the warning image on the third pattern display device 81 by setting the error occurrence flag on and the error type flag corresponding to the magnetic field error on. As a result, when the display control device 114 receives an error command from the main control device 110 or the voice lamp control device 113, or detects the occurrence of a magnetic field error based on an output signal from the magnet sensor, it can display an error message image notifying the player of the magnetic field error without delay on the third pattern display device 81 using an error message image that is resident in the error message image area 235f of the resident video RAM 235, even if the character ROM 234 is configured with a NAND type flash memory 234a. Therefore, when a magnetic field is applied to the game board by the player, the magnetic field error is immediately notified by the display of an error message image by the third pattern display device 81, so that the player can be deterred from engaging in fraudulent behavior.

When the drawing contents required to change the color tone of a part or all of a performance are specified by an additional data table or a display data table, the additional data table or the display data table may correspond to an address expressed as a unit of time (20 milliseconds in this embodiment) for which one frame of an image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and may specify the type of sprite whose color tone is to be changed and color information specifying the color tone of the sprite after the change in that time. Then, when the type of sprite whose color tone is to be changed and color information specifying the color tone of the sprite after the change are specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f in the additional drawing contents specified in the display data table set in the display data table buffer 452d, the MPU 231 may create a drawing list by replacing the color information of the corresponding sprite type specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f in the drawing contents specified in the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d with the color information specified by the additional drawing contents of the display data table. This allows the image controller 237 to draw the image while changing the color tone of the sprite based on the color information defined by the additional data table.

In addition, when the drawing contents required to change and display an image displayed in one performance are specified by a display data table, the display data table may correspond to an address that represents the time (20 milliseconds in this embodiment) during which one frame of an image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 as one unit, and may specify the sprite type to be replaced, the sprite type to be newly displayed, and the drawing information of the sprite to be newly displayed at that time. Then, when the sprite type to be replaced, the sprite type to be newly displayed, and the drawing information of the sprite to be newly displayed are specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f in the additional drawing contents specified in the display data table set in the display data table buffer 452d, the MPU 231 may include the sprite type to be newly displayed and the drawing information of the sprite in place of the sprite to be replaced among the various sprites specified at the address indicated by the pointer 233f in the drawing contents specified in the display data table set in the display data table buffer 233d. This allows the image controller 237 to draw an image that includes the new sprite to be displayed.

In the above embodiment, the display data table includes transfer data information of image data required when drawing an image according to the drawing content specified in the display data table. In addition, the display data table may include transfer data information of image data required when drawing an image according to the additional drawing content specified in the display data table (additional transfer data information). In this case, the additional transfer data information may be associated with identification information (such as "additional performance 1", "additional performance 2", etc.) for identifying the additionally displayable performance for each address, and may be specified together with or separately from the additional drawing content. Then, when the MPU 231 determines the performance to be additionally displayed, it may be configured to create a drawing list including the additional drawing content and the additional transfer data information associated with the identification information corresponding to the determined performance.

In this way, the image controller 237 can transfer the image data of the sprites used in drawing according to the additional drawing contents to the normal video RAM 236 in advance according to the drawing list before the image data is used. Therefore, even if the character ROM 234 is configured with a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, the additional effects to be displayed can be easily and reliably displayed on the third pattern display device 81. Also, by using the additional transfer data information specified in the display data table, the necessary image data can be transferred to the normal video RAM 236 while instructing the drawing of an image based on the additional drawing contents, so that the drawing of many sprites can be specified according to the additional drawing contents. Therefore, even if the character ROM 234 is configured with a NAND type flash memory 234a with a slow read speed, various types of effects can be displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

In the above embodiment, a case was described in which the drawing contents corresponding to all Super Reaches that can be selected by the player are specified in the display data table in a display table corresponding to a variation pattern that allows the player to select a Super Reach, and only the drawing contents corresponding to the Super Reach selected by the player are identified, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the drawing contents corresponding to the selected Super Reach may be added to the display data table. This makes it easy to identify the drawing contents of the Super Reach selected by the player. Also, because there is no need to specify the drawing contents corresponding to all Super Reaches in the display data table, it is possible to prevent the data search in the display data table from becoming too large.

In the above embodiment, the display data table includes the drawing contents and the transfer data information, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The display data table may specify the drawing contents and the transfer data information, and the additional drawing contents of the effect to be added and displayed may be specified in the additional data table. In this case, the work RAM 233 may be provided with an additional data table buffer, and when the effect to be added and displayed is determined, the additional data table corresponding to the effect may be set in the additional data table buffer. In addition, the additional data table may specify not only the additional drawing contents, but also the transfer data information (additional transfer data information) of the image data required for drawing the image according to the additional drawing contents. This allows the drawing contents of the effect to be added and displayed and the transfer data information of the image required for the drawing to be specified using the additional data table, so that the processing load required for the specification can be reduced compared to the case where the drawing contents and the transfer data information are specified from the additional data table and the additional transfer data table, respectively.

In the above embodiment, the display control device 114 prepares a display data table for each variation pattern indicated by the display variation pattern command, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a display data table may be prepared for each element of the variation performance, such as "variation start-up", "high-speed variation", "preview performance", "normal reach", and "super reach", and the elements required for the variation performance may be identified according to the variation pattern indicated in the display variation pattern command. Then, the display data tables corresponding to the identified papers required for the variation performance may be compiled into one, and a final regular display data table corresponding to the variation pattern may be generated. In many cases, "variation start-up", "high-speed variation", "normal reach", and the like are displayed in common to each variation pattern. Therefore, by breaking down the variation performance into elements in this way and preparing a display data table for each element, the data tables can be efficiently prepared.

In the above embodiment, a common pointer 233f is used in the display data table and the transfer data table to identify the drawing content and transfer data information from the address indicated by the pointer 233f. However, a pointer may be prepared for each data table.

In the above embodiment, the image controller 237 transmits a V interrupt signal to the MPU 231 at each display interval of one frame of an image at which the drawing process is completed (every 20 milliseconds in the above embodiment), but the image controller 237 may transmit this V interrupt signal to the MPU 231 each time the third pattern display device 81 is driven to display one frame of an image. The third pattern display device 81 is driven so that one frame of an image is always displayed at equal time intervals (20 millisecond intervals), so by transmitting a V interrupt signal each time one frame of an image is displayed, the time interval can be accurately maintained without having to be timed.

In the above embodiment, the image controller 237 identifies the frame buffer in which the drawn image should be displayed based on the drawing target buffer information sent from the MPU 231, and reads out the image information previously displayed from the other frame buffer and transmits it to the third pattern display device 81. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. The image controller 237 may alternately select the frame buffer in which the drawn image should be displayed each time it receives a drawing list, and read out the image information previously displayed from a frame buffer other than the selected frame buffer and transmit it to the third pattern display device 81. Also, the image controller 237 may switch the frame buffer in which the drawn image should be displayed and the frame buffer that outputs image information to the third pattern display device 81 each time it transmits one frame of image information to the third pattern display device 81.

In the above embodiment, after the confirmed display data table corresponding to the confirmed display performance is set in the display data table buffer 233d, if neither the variation pattern command (display variation pattern command) nor the demo command (display demo command) is received from the main control device 110 via the voice lamp control device 113 until the confirmed display performance ends, the demo display data table corresponding to the demo performance is set in the display data table buffer 233d. However, this may be set again to the display data table buffer 233d. In this case, the confirmed display data table corresponding to the confirmed display performance may be reset to the display data table buffer 233d each time the confirmed display performance ends until either the variation pattern command (display variation pattern command) or the demo command (display demo command) is received from the main control device 110 via the voice lamp control device 113. This allows the third pattern display device 81 to continue displaying the confirmed display performance until the variation pattern command or the demo command is received from the main control device 110.

In the above embodiment, a case was described in which the demo performance changes the back image and displays a frozen third pattern consisting of a main pattern without a number from "0" to "9." However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and the demo performance may display a frozen third pattern consisting of a main pattern with a number or a main pattern without a number in a semi-transparent state. Alternatively, the demo performance may change only the back image without displaying the third pattern. Alternatively, the demo performance may display a character or back image that is completely different from the third pattern or back image used in the variable display.

In the above embodiment, the display control means 114 first transfers image data corresponding to the power-on main image and the power-on variable image from the character ROM 234 to the power-on main image area 235a and the power-on variable image area 235b of the resident video RAM 235 after power is turned on, and after the transfer is completed, the power-on main image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and the remaining image data to be resident is transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, in the display control means 114, after power is turned on, first, only image data corresponding to the power-on main image is transferred from the character ROM 234 to the power-on main image area 235a of the resident video RAM 235, and after the transfer is completed, the power-on main image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81, and then the image data to be resident, including the image data corresponding to the power-on variable image, is transferred from the character ROM 234 to the resident video RAM 235. This allows the main image to be displayed on the third symbol display device 81 sooner after the power is turned on, so that players, hall staff, or operational checks at the factory during manufacturing can immediately confirm that the pachinko machine 10 has started operating without any problems after the power is turned on.

In this case, the MPU 231 may also monitor the completion of the transfer of image data corresponding to the power-on variable image to the power-on variable image area 235b. As a result, if a display variable pattern command is received from the voice lamp control device 113 after image data corresponding to the power-on variable image is stored in the power-on variable image area 235b, a simplified variable display can be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 using the image data corresponding to the power-on variable image stored in the power-on variable image area 235b based on the display variable pattern command. Note that it is preferable to transfer the image data corresponding to the power-on variable image to the power-on variable image area 235b immediately after the power-on main image is displayed on the third pattern display device 81. This allows the variable display using the power-on variable image to be performed more quickly.

In the above embodiment, the display data table and the transfer data table are described as specifying the contents of the image to be drawn at that time (drawing contents) and the information of the image data to be transferred at that time (transfer data information) in accordance with a time expressed in units of 20 milliseconds, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and any display contents may be specified at a predetermined time interval. This predetermined time interval may be set according to the frame rate of the third pattern display device 81. For example, if the frame rate of the third pattern display device 81 is 30 fps, that is, the third pattern display device 81 displays 30 frames of images per second, the third pattern display device 81 displays one frame of image every 1/30 seconds, so the display data table may specify the display contents at every 1/30 second interval.

In addition, in the display data table, the sprite type to be drawn at each predetermined time interval may be specified as the address of the character ROM 234 where image data corresponding to that sprite type is stored, rather than specifying the sprite type itself. In order to read image data corresponding to the sprite type to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 from the character ROM 234, the display control device 114 manages the address of the character ROM 234 where the image data of that sprite type is stored in association with each sprite type. Therefore, if the address of the character ROM 234 where the image data corresponding to that sprite type is stored is specified as the display content to be displayed at each predetermined time interval in the display data table, it becomes unnecessary to manage both the information specifying the sprite and the address of the character ROM 234 in association with each sprite type, thereby reducing the processing load.

In the above embodiment, a stored image data discrimination flag 233i is provided in the work RAM 233 of the display control device 114, and whether or not the corresponding image data is stored in the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236 is described as being stored for each sprite. Alternatively, information indicating the sprite type stored in the image storage area 236a may be stored in the work RAM 233. In this case, when instructing the transfer of image data of a specific sprite type, the MPU 231 may refer to the information indicating the sprite type stored in the image storage area 236a stored in the work RAM 233, determine whether or not the specific image data is already stored in the image storage area 236a, and if not, set a transfer instruction for the image data of the specific sprite type. In addition, when the MPU 231 sets a transfer instruction for image data of a specific sprite type, the MPU 231 may store information indicating the sprite type for which the transfer instruction is set in the work RAM 233, and erase information indicating the sprite type stored in the sub-area of the image storage area 236a in which the image data of the sprite type is stored.

In the above embodiment, when transferring image data of a specific sprite type from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236, the MPU 231 determines whether the image data of the sprite type is stored in the normal video RAM 236 based on the stored image data discrimination flag 233i, and if the image data of the specific sprite type is stored in the normal video RAM 236, the transfer process is not executed. However, this process may be performed by the image controller 237. In this case, a flag equivalent to the stored image data discrimination flag 233i may be prepared in the work RAM provided in the image controller 237, and whether the corresponding image data is stored in the normal video RAM 236 for each sprite may be stored. In addition, the sprite type stored in the image storage area 236a of the normal video RAM 236 may be stored in the work RAM provided in the image controller 237. In this case, if it is necessary to transfer image data of a specific sprite type from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236, the MPU 231 may send transfer data information for that image data to the image controller 237, regardless of the storage state of the image data in the normal video RAM 236.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which only image data corresponding to "rear A" among multiple rear images is made resident in the rear image area 235c of the resident video RAM 235, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and image data corresponding to two or more rear images may be made resident in the rear image area 235c of the resident video RAM 235. For example, image data of rear images used in some super reaches may be made resident in the rear image area 235c of the resident video RAM 235. In particular, by making the rear images of super reaches that appear frequently or are expected to appear frequently resident in the rear image area 235c of the resident video RAM 235, the number of times that the transfer process of image data from the character ROM 737 to the normal video RAM 536 is executed can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the transfer command for image data is defined by the transfer data table or the display data table in association with the address indicated by the pointer 233f, and the MPU 231 controls the image controller 237 to transfer the image data indicated by the transfer command from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 at a predetermined time defined by the display pointer. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. Information on the sprite type required in the display data table may be written at the beginning of the display data table, and the MPU 231 may control the image controller 237 to transfer the required image data from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236 based on the information written at the beginning of the display data table. Alternatively, based on a command received from the voice lamp control device 113, the MPU 231 may determine the sprite type to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 in response to the command, and control the image controller 237 to transfer the image data of that image type from the character ROM 234 to the normal video RAM 236.

In the above embodiment, a case was described in which the color tone of a portion of the image, rear C, which is the rear image of the "island stage," changes over time, but the color tone of the entire image may change over time. Furthermore, the rear image is not limited to one that scrolls or changes color over time, and instead of such a rear image, an object (e.g., a person) that appears may move or change over time.

In the above embodiment, the main control unit 110 includes in the reserved ball count command the information of the various counters (first win random number counter C1, first win type counter C2) acquired at the time of the initial winning that it notifies the voice lamp control unit 113, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the information of the various counters (first win random number counter C1, first win type counter C2) acquired at the time of the initial winning may be notified to the voice lamp control unit 113 by a separate command.

In the above embodiment, when performing the change effect, a high-speed change is displayed in which all the symbols Z1 to Z3 scroll so quickly that the player cannot see them. However, instead of displaying this high-speed change, all the symbols Z1 to Z3 may be displayed in a reduced size so that they are not visible to the player, or all the symbols Z1 to Z3 may be displayed as a snow noise-like image in which a large number of white dots are displayed randomly.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which one first winning port 64 is arranged on the game board 13, in which a lottery for a jackpot with a special pattern is started when a ball enters the winning port, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and multiple (e.g., two) first ball entry ports, in which balls are detected independently and a lottery for a jackpot is started, may be arranged on the game board 13. In this case, the reserved ball count command sent by the main control unit 110 to the voice lamp control unit 113 when there is a reservation at each first ball entry port may include information indicating which first ball entry port the reservation is from. In addition, the variation pattern command sent by the main control unit 110 to the voice lamp control unit 113 when starting a variation may also include information indicating which first ball entry port the variation performance is reserved from. As a result, in the audio lamp control device 113, a reserved ball counter is prepared for each first ball entrance, and when a reserved ball number command is received, the reserved ball number counter for the first ball entrance indicated in the reserved ball number command is set to the reserved ball number, and when a fluctuation pattern command is received, the reserved ball number counter for the first ball entrance indicated in the fluctuation pattern command is decremented by 1, allowing the number of reserved balls to be counted for each first ball entrance.

In the above embodiment, the case where the reserved ball number command is sent from the main control device 110 to the voice lamp control device 113 every time the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d is updated in the main control device 110 (i.e., when it increases or decreases, respectively) has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the reserved number command is sent from the main control device 110 to the voice lamp control device 113 only when the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d increases in the main control device 110. In addition, the voice lamp control device 113 is configured to decrease the value of the special pattern reserved ball number counter 223b by 1 when it receives a variable pattern command sent from the main control device 110. This can reduce the number of times the main control device 110 sends reserved number commands to the voice lamp control device 113 and the number of times the voice lamp control device 113 receives reserved number commands, respectively, thereby reducing the control burden on the main control device 110 and the voice lamp control device 113.

In the above embodiment, the winning entry into the first winning port 64 and the passing through the through gate 67 are each configured to be reserved up to four times, but the maximum number of reserved balls is not limited to four times and may be set to three times or less, or five times or more (e.g., eight times). In addition, the number of reserved balls displayed as a variable display based on the winning entry into the first winning port 64 may be displayed in a part of the third pattern display device 81 as numbers, or in four divided areas with different modes (e.g., colors or lighting patterns) depending on the number of reserved balls, and a light-emitting element such as a lamp may be provided separately from the first pattern display device 37 to notify the number of reserved balls.

As shown in the above embodiment, the variable display, which is a type of dynamic display, is not limited to vertical scrolling of the pattern as identification information on the display screen of the third pattern display device 81, but may be a display in which the pattern moves vertically or along a predetermined path such as an L-shape. The dynamic display of identification information is not limited to the variable display of the pattern, but also includes, for example, a performance display in which one or more characters are displayed in a variety of movements or changes together with the pattern or separately from the pattern. In this case, one or more characters are used as the third pattern.

Third Embodiment
Next, a pachinko machine 10 in a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 98 to 104. In this third embodiment, the display control of the rotation operation unit 600 and the third symbol display device 81 described in the first embodiment will be described.

Figure 98 (a) is a schematic diagram showing the display mode when the main pattern is displayed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670 of the rotation operation unit 600. The spherical liquid crystal device 670 has a display area formed by an array of multiple pixels each having a size of 1 mm. The display area Pb of the spherical liquid crystal device 670 shown in Figure 98 (a) and the display area Pa shown on the third pattern display device 81 are display areas of the same size.

Figure 98 (b) is an enlarged view of display area Pa and display area Pb. Display area Pa is made up of 2 rows x 2 rows of 1.5 mm square pixels, for a total of 4 pixels. Display area Pb is made up of 3 rows x 3 rows of 1 mm square pixels, for a total of 9 pixels. In this way, the third pattern display device 81 is made up of pixels that are 1.5 times the size of the spherical liquid crystal device 670.

The spherical liquid crystal device 670 has a display area arranged to overlap the front side of the display area of the third pattern display device 81, and is configured to be able to display display effects that are related to each other.

Next, referring to Figures 98 to 102, an example of a display mode in which the third pattern display device 81 and the spherical liquid crystal device 670 are displayed in association with each other will be described. Figure 98(a) is a diagram showing a state in which the third pattern is displayed only on the spherical liquid crystal and scrolled while being enlarged from the upper right to the lower right. When the main pattern is displayed to the edge of the display area of the spherical liquid crystal device 670, as shown in Figure 99(a), the third pattern is moved and displayed at the boundary between the third pattern display device 81 and the spherical liquid crystal device 670. In this case, the same display data as the display data of the main pattern previously displayed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670 is set and displayed on the third pattern display device 81.

By configuring it in this way, the third pattern display device 81 is configured with a pixel size 1.5 times larger than that of the spherical liquid crystal device 670, so the third pattern is displayed 1.5 times larger. This makes it appear to the player that the third pattern is being gradually enlarged and scrolled from the spherical liquid crystal device 670 to the third pattern display device 81. This reduces the processing required to enlarge and set the main pattern, and reduces the control load on the display control device 114.

After that, as shown in FIG. 99(b), the third symbol is scrolled while being enlarged by 1.5 times. Also, when scrolled within the display area of the spherical liquid crystal device 670, it is enlarged by 1.5 times and displayed variably. By configuring it in this way, even if the third symbol is displayed on the third symbol display device 81 from the spherical liquid crystal device 670 without changing the enlargement setting, there is no change in the enlargement rate due to pixels, which can prevent the player from feeling uncomfortable.

Figures 100(a) and 100(b) show the state where the image is enlarged and scrolled while rotating within the display area of the spherical liquid crystal device 670. In this case, the image is enlarged by 1.5 times each time it is moved. Figures 101(a)-(b) and 102(a) show the state where the image is scrolled from the right end of the display area of the third pattern display device 81 from right to left after being rotated and displayed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670. In this case, the image is enlarged by 1.5 times each time it is moved. As shown in Figure 102(b), this is a table showing the size of the image actually displayed at the magnification ratio set for the third pattern display device 81 (main liquid crystal) and the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub liquid crystal).

The actual size of the image set at the c1 magnification on the sub LCD differs by 1.5 times from the actual size of the image set at the c1 magnification on the main LCD.

In this embodiment, when scrolling on the same display device, the display is gradually enlarged at the same magnification, but the present invention is not limited to this. The magnification may be increased at a constant rate and set to be close to 1.5 times (the ratio of pixel size) at the boundary between the main liquid crystal and the sub liquid crystal. By configuring in this way, the display can be displayed while switching between the main liquid crystal and the sub liquid crystal without creating a sense of incongruity. The display may also be configured to scroll while shrinking from the main liquid crystal to the sub liquid crystal. In this case, the display may be configured to gradually change the shrinkage rate at the same rate or the same reduction rate, as in the case of enlarged display, to match the pixel shrinkage rate at the timing of switching. In addition, in this embodiment, the main pattern is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other patterns, characters, letters, etc. may also be used.

The electrical configuration of the display control device 114 in this third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 103. FIG. 103 is a block diagram of the display control device 114 in this third embodiment.

In this third embodiment, a sub display data table buffer 233m, a sub pointer 233n, and a sub timing counter 233i are added to the second embodiment. Here, the sub LCD is configured in the same way as the main LCD 81 so that different display modes can be displayed simultaneously with the main LCD. Therefore, a detailed explanation is omitted as it is the same as the explanation already given in the second embodiment.

Next, the control process executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114 in this third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 104. Note that in this third embodiment, only this command determination process is changed, and the other processes are the same as those in the second embodiment, so detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The command determination process (not shown) executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114 in this third embodiment differs in that the variation pattern command process (FIG. 87, S2302) in the command determination process (FIG. 86, S2302) in the second embodiment has been changed to variation pattern command process 2 (FIG. 104, S2450). The rest of the configuration is the same, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 104, the variation pattern command processing 2 (S2450) in this third embodiment includes the additional steps S2519 to S2523 compared to the variation pattern command processing (FIG. 87(a), S2405) in the second embodiment.

If it is determined in the process of S2513 that the effect is not a button effect (S2513: No), it is determined whether the change pattern is set to a display effect using the sub-LCD (spherical LCD device 670). If it is not a change pattern that does not use the sub-LCD, the process proceeds to S2515.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of S2519 that there is an effect that uses the sub LCD (S2519: Yes), a display data table for the sub LCD is set (S2520). A sub data table discrimination flag corresponding to the set display data table for the sub LCD is set to ON (S2521). Time data is set in the sub timing counter based on the data table (S2522). The sub pointer is initialized and set (S2523), and the processing proceeds to S2515.

By configuring it in this way, the sub LCD and main LCD can display different display modes independently, providing players with a wide variety of display effects.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, the pachinko machine 10 in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 105 to 148. In this fourth embodiment, the configuration of the distribution unit 1064, the processing order of the balls that have entered the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 640, and the display control of the third symbol display device 81 are different from those in the second embodiment described above, but the other configurations are the same as those in the second embodiment. The same parts are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Detailed differences between the display control of the fourth embodiment and the second embodiment are that the reserved 8 ball presentation adds an additional winning presentation and a special continuation presentation, which will be described later, to the composite display presentation, adds a presentation using the frame button 22, and allows the time presentation period, which will be described later, to be changed in the time presentation.

Figure 105 is a front view of the game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10 in this fourth embodiment. As shown in Figure 105, below the variable display unit 80 provided on the front of the game board 13, a distribution unit 1064 into which balls can enter is disposed. The distribution unit 1064 is configured so that balls that enter the distribution unit 1064 are alternately distributed to the first winning hole 964a or the left second winning hole 964b, which will be described later.

The game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10 in this fourth embodiment is provided with a right second winning port 640 (a second winning port located on the lower right side of the game board 13) and a left second winning port 964b (a second winning port located within the allocation unit 1064) as winning ports (so-called second winning ports) through which the lottery for special pattern 2 is executed when a winning is won.

Here, the configuration of the distribution unit 1064 will be described with reference to FIG. 106. FIGS. 106(a) and 106(b) are diagrams showing the internal structure of the distribution unit 1064. In reality, a cover body made of transparent resin is placed on the front side of the distribution unit 1064, and the cover body is colored with a spiral pattern on its surface so that the inside is difficult to see. In addition, a decorative LED (illustrated) is attached to the distribution unit 1064, which emits light when the pachinko machine 10 is playing a jackpot game or a normal game, and performs a performance to make the game board 13 glitter. The light emitted when performing such a performance is reflected on the surface of the cover body, making it difficult to see the inside of the distribution unit 1064 while playing the pachinko machine 10, and is configured to make the inside of the distribution unit 1064 easy to see when no game is being played. This configuration prevents fraudulent activities that exploit the principles of the ball distribution mechanism, and also makes it easy for store staff to visually inspect the inside of the distribution unit 1064 when no games are being played.

A pass-through opening through which game balls can enter is provided at the top of the distribution unit 1064, and a transparent ball entry sensor 1064a is disposed to detect when a game ball has passed through the pass-through opening. Balls that pass through the pass-through opening are alternately distributed by the distribution member 900 to the first winning opening 964a and the second winning opening 964b located below it.

The balls sorted by the sorting member 900 roll on the first guide member 900z1 and the second guide member 900z2 that are erected on the sorting unit 1064, and are respectively guided to each winning hole. In this way, by providing each guide member 900z1, 900z2 between the sorting member 900, which is configured to be rotatable left and right, and each winning hole 964a, 964b, it is possible to prevent the rotating sorting member 900 from coming into contact with each winning hole 964a, 964b. Furthermore, it is possible to make the sorting member 900 smaller.

The size of the distribution member 900 is preferably such that the storage section 900a of the distribution member 900 is large enough not to store two balls (the length of the wall surface constituting the storage section 900a is less than 5.5 mm). This configuration can prevent the multiple balls stored in the storage section 900a from balancing each other and impeding the rotation of the distribution member 900. In addition, in order to prevent one storage section 900a from receiving multiple game balls in succession, a gently sloping section may be provided that temporarily receives balls that have entered the distribution unit 1064 and allows them to flow down the gentle slope. By using this configuration, balls that have entered the distribution unit 1064 in succession (balls that are linked together) flow down the gently sloping section, creating gaps between the balls, making it possible to prevent one storage section 900a from receiving balls in succession.

The sorting member 900 is attached to a base body provided on the rear side of the sorting unit 1064 via a pivot support 900d so that it can rotate left and right, and is configured to receive the entered game ball in the storage section 900a or 900c of the sorting member 900. The sorting member 900 is configured symmetrically about the pivot support 900d, and is pivotally fixed so that the boundary wall between the storage section 900a and the storage section 900c is vertical (directly above) due to the weight of the sorting member 900. When a game ball is received in the storage section 900a, the sorting member 900 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front due to the weight of the game ball, and guides the game ball to the first winning opening 964a.

Restricting members 900y1 and 900y2 are erected within the sorting unit 1064, and are configured to allow the sorting member 900 to rotate approximately 45 degrees to the left and right within its rotation range. In addition, a magnet 900b is provided at the boundary between the storage sections 900a and 900b.

A magnet (base side magnet) 901 is arranged on the base body provided on the rear side of the sorting unit 1064 at a position on the center line of the passage opening. The magnet 900b of the sorting member 900 and the base side magnet 901 are configured to have mutually repelling polarities. In detail, the base side magnet 901 is composed of a rod-shaped magnet fixed to the base body, and is configured so that a magnetic pole (south pole or north pole) is generated at the tip. The base side magnet 901 is arranged and fixed so that the tip faces the sorting member 900 side.

Magnet 900b is also a rod-shaped magnet like base-side magnet 901, and is fixed to sorting member 900 so that its tip faces the base-side magnet 901. When sorting member 900 rotates and the boundary wall between storage section 900a and storage section 900c is directly above, base-side magnet 901 and magnet 900b of sorting member 900 are closest to each other (tips facing each other). Here, the magnets are arranged to have the same polarity, so they repel each other, and sorting member 900 does not stop in a position where the boundary wall faces directly above, but is maintained in a position rotated to the left or right.

As a result, when the magnet 900b attached to the boundary wall of the sorting member 900 reaches a position on the center line of the passage opening (directly above) due to its own weight, the magnet 900b and the base-side magnet 901 repel each other, causing the sorting member 900 to rotate to the left or right, so that either the storage section 900a or the storage section 900c faces the side that receives the balls entering the sorting unit 1064 (the upper side of the gaming machine). This prevents the entering ball from coming into contact with the boundary wall between the storage sections 900a and 900c, causing ball jams.

In addition, the repulsion between the magnet 900b and the base-side magnet 901 prevents the distribution member 900 from rotating to the right (the storage unit 900a facing upwards) after the storage unit 900a receives the game ball and rotates about 45 degrees to the left to guide the game ball to the first winning port 964a. As a result, after guiding the game ball to the first winning port 964a, the storage unit 900c faces upwards, and the next ball that enters the distribution unit 1064 is received by the storage unit 900c, and the distribution member 900 rotates about 90 degrees to the right due to the weight of the ball, and guides the game ball to the second winning port 964b. In this way, the distribution member 900 can alternately guide the ball that enters the distribution unit 1064 to the first winning port 964a and the left second winning port 964b. This allows game balls to be evenly distributed between the first winning opening 964a and the left second winning opening 964b, making it possible to efficiently execute a lottery game resulting from a ball entering the first winning opening 964a (first lottery game) and a lottery game resulting from a ball entering the left second winning opening 964b (second lottery game), which will be described later.

Next, the operation of the distribution member 900 when a ball enters the distribution unit 1064 will be described. FIG. 106(a) shows a state in which the storage section 900a of the distribution member 900 is positioned (above the gaming machine) so as to face the passage opening of the distribution unit 1064. In this state, the magnet 900b is positioned to the right of the base side magnet 901, and the leftward rotational force due to the weight of the distribution member 900 and the repulsive force between the magnet 900b and the base side magnet 901 are balanced to maintain a position. In this case, when a ball passes through the passage opening, the ball is stored in the storage section 900a, and the weight of the game ball rotates the distribution member 900 counterclockwise, rolling on the guide section 900z1 and is guided to the first winning opening 964a. When the ball enters the first winning opening 964a, prize balls (for example, three balls) are paid out and the first lottery game is executed.

After the balls are distributed by the distribution member 900 to the first winning opening 964a, the distribution member 900 is maintained in a position where the storage section 900c faces upward, as shown in FIG. 106(b). When the ball then passes through the passage opening, it is stored in the storage section 900c, and the game ball is distributed to the left second winning opening 964b. When a ball enters the left second winning opening 964b, prize balls (e.g., three balls) are paid out and the second lottery game is executed. Thus, balls can be alternately distributed between the first winning opening 964a and the left second winning opening 964b.

The configuration of the distribution member 900 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and may be, for example, a configuration in which it rotates at regular intervals using an electric drive source such as a motor or solenoid. When adopting such a configuration, it is preferable to configure the position where the game ball can be guided to one of the winning holes (for example, the first winning hole 964a) as the origin position, and to return to the origin position when the power of the pachinko machine 10 is turned on, or when it is detected that a lottery game has not been played for an extended period of time. In this way, it is possible to provide a fair game for the players.

In addition, in this embodiment, the distribution member 900 distributes to two directions, the first winning port 964a and the left second winning port 964b, but it may be configured to distribute to three or more directions. In such a case, it is recommended to set the through gate 67, which causes the drawing of the second pattern (normal pattern), and the general winning port 63, which causes the payout of prize balls, as distribution destinations. In this way, it is possible to concentrate the devices that cause the game (drawing and prize balls) of the pachinko machine 10 in one location, and it is possible to secure a large area on the game board 13 that can be used for decoration and presentation, making it possible to increase the interest of the game.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of winning balls when a ball enters the first winning opening 964a and the second winning opening on the left 964b is the same, but it may be different. Also, the distribution member 900 is configured to distribute the balls evenly to each distribution destination, but the distribution ratio may be changed.

The pachinko machine 10 in this embodiment is also capable of storing up to eight lottery games resulting from ball entry (four first lottery games and four second lottery games) in the order in which the balls enter (details will be described later). Therefore, by configuring the balls that enter the distribution unit 1064 to alternately enter the first winning slot 964a and the left second winning slot 964b as described above, it is possible to store two lottery games evenly, and it is possible to prevent a situation in which only one of the lottery games is stored and the maximum number of lottery games that can be stored (eight) is not reached.

The pachinko machine 10 in this embodiment is also configured to play the second lottery game even if the ball enters the right second winning port 640. In other words, during normal play, a left-handed play (a game in which the ball is shot toward the left side of the play area provided on the playboard 13) is played, and by aiming at the allocation unit 1064, the first lottery game and the second lottery game are alternately played, and during a probability-change or time-saving period in which the electric device 640a is more likely to open, a right-handed play (a game in which the ball is shot toward the right side of the play area provided on the playboard 13) is played, and by aiming at the right second winning port 640, the player can always play the second lottery game.

Next, the control of the presentation displayed on the third pattern display device 81 of the pachinko machine 10 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 107 is a time chart for explaining the control of the presentation related to the reserved pattern presentation described later. As shown in Figure 107, the pachinko machine 10 in this embodiment is controlled to present multiple reserved pattern presentations based on an increase or decrease in the number of reserved balls.

Specifically, it is configured to perform a reserved symbol presentation that is different from the usual presentation (a reserved symbol presentation that is performed when the number of reserved balls is equal to or less than a predetermined number) when the number of reserved balls reaches a predetermined number or more. Details of the reserved symbol presentation will be described later, but by performing a special presentation in this way when the number of reserved balls reaches or exceeds a predetermined number, players will continue playing until the number of reserved balls reaches or exceeds the predetermined number or the upper limit in order to see the special presentation.

First, the increase and decrease in the number of reserved balls shown in FIG. 107 will be explained. The number of reserved balls refers to the number of stored information related to the lottery game that is triggered by a ball entering the first winning port 964a or the left second winning port 964b, and in this embodiment, the maximum number of reserved balls is set to eight (four for the first lottery game, four for the second lottery game). As mentioned above, the pachinko machine 10 in this embodiment has two second winning ports, but in this explanation, the game state during left play, in which the number of reserved balls is likely to be eight, will be used for explanation. Therefore, of the two second winning ports, the left second winning port 964b will be used for explanation.

In the pachinko machine 10, a fluctuating state (fluctuating time) of a predetermined duration is provided to identifiably display the result of the lottery game (jackpot or loss). This fluctuating time is used to provide the player with an effect suggesting the result of the lottery game (for example, a dynamic display (fluctuating display) displayed on the third pattern display device 81), thereby increasing the interest of the game. In addition, the above-mentioned fluctuating time is set in multiple ways depending on the result of the lottery game, and is set to, for example, 5 seconds if the result of the lottery game is a loss, 30 seconds if the result is a miss, and 60 seconds if the result is a jackpot. This is to arouse the player as to whether the result of the lottery game currently being played is a jackpot or not, and the longer the fluctuating time, the longer the effect can be played.

The pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment is designed so that multiple lottery games described above cannot be played at the same time, and has a function (reservation function) that, if a ball enters the first winning slot 964a or the left second winning slot 964b while one lottery game is being played, stores the lottery game triggered by that ball entry so that it can be played after the currently played lottery game has ended. The number of stored lottery games is the number of reserved balls.

In other words, the increase and decrease in the number of reserved balls shown in FIG. 107 occurs when a ball enters the first winning slot 964a, the left second winning slot 965b, or the right second winning slot 640 during the lottery game, and decreases when the lottery game ends and a new lottery game begins, with the maximum number of reserved balls being 8. This number of reserved balls is displayed using reserved patterns in the secondary display area Ds of the third pattern display device 81 (see FIG. 108(b)), and a reserved pattern presentation (described in detail below) is performed that changes the display mode of the reserved patterns based on information regarding the lottery game results (win/lose judgment results) that are individually stored.

Period A shown in FIG. 107 represents the period until the number of reserved balls reaches eight, during which the normal reserved effect is performed as the effect of the reserved symbol. Note that the normal reserved effect is the same as that described in the second embodiment above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

Next, when the number of reserved balls reaches eight, the 8 reserved balls effect is performed (start of period B). This 8 reserved balls effect is a reserved pattern effect that is performed using the eight reserved patterns displayed in the sub-display area Ds (see FIG. 110). Period B is the period from when the 8 reserved balls effect starts to when the 8 reserved balls effect ends (the point at which the last lottery game starts for the reserved balls used in the 8 reserved balls effect). In other words, period B continues from when the number of reserved balls reaches eight until the eighth lottery game starts.

If the number of reserved balls increases during period B (a new lottery game is stored), an additional winning effect is performed. The additional winning effect is a reserved pattern effect that is performed when a new lottery game is stored (additional winning) while a reserved pattern effect using multiple reserved patterns such as an 8 reserved ball effect is being performed. Unlike a normal reserved pattern effect, this effect changes the reserved patterns so that the reserved pattern effect using multiple reserved patterns is being performed continuously (see FIG. 111 (b)). By performing this additional winning effect, the player will continue playing even while the 8 reserved ball effect is being performed in order to experience a reserved pattern effect that is different from the normal one. This has the effect of increasing the player's motivation to play and reducing the problem of players becoming bored with the game early on.

Next, when the number of reserved balls is five or more at the end of period B, a special continuation effect is performed using all the reserved symbols displayed at that time (start of period C). In other words, the special continuation effect is a reserved symbol effect that is performed only when at least five or more lottery games are newly stored during period B. Since the start conditions of this special continuation effect are more difficult than the reserved 8 ball effect described above, the reserved symbol effect provided is also valuable to the player. A valuable effect can be, for example, a premium effect that is always displayed only in a very small number of cases where the result of the lottery game is a jackpot, or information that can grant a large amount of points that the player has saved regardless of the result of the lottery game. Period C is the period from the start of the special continuation effect to the end of the special continuation effect (the point at which the last lottery game to be performed among the reserved balls used in the special continuation effect starts). Note that additional winning effects are also executed during period C.

When period C during which the special continuation effect is performed ends, it transitions again to period A. In this way, the pachinko machine 10 in this embodiment performs a multiple reserved pattern effect (8 reserved balls effect) using the multiple reserved patterns displayed in the sub-display area Ds of the third pattern display device 81, on the condition that the number of reserved balls reaches a predetermined number (8 balls). Then, when this multiple reserved pattern effect ends, if the number of reserved patterns displayed in the sub-display area Ds is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (5 balls), a second multiple reserved pattern effect (special continuation effect) is performed using the multiple reserved patterns displayed at that time. Also, for a newly generated reserved pattern while a multiple reserved pattern effect using multiple reserved patterns is being performed, an additional winning effect different from the normal reserved effect is performed.

By configuring it in this way, players can be encouraged to play by always having a predetermined number or more of reserved symbols displayed.

Next, the display contents of the third symbol display device 81 will be described with reference to Figs. 108 to 112. Fig. 108(a) is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the area division setting and the effective line setting of the display screen of the third symbol display device 81. In this embodiment, the reserved symbol (special symbol 1 reserved symbol) corresponding to the winning of the first winning port 964 and the reserved symbol (special symbol 2 reserved symbol) corresponding to the winning of the left second winning port 964b are arranged from the left of the screen in the order of winning and displayed (maximum 8 symbols) in the secondary display area Ds. Due to the structure of the above-mentioned distribution unit 1064, in the left-hitting state, the reserved symbol 1 and the reserved symbol 2 are displayed alternately.

In this embodiment, the special reserved pattern 1 and the special reserved pattern 2 are displayed in an indistinguishable manner, but they may be displayed in a distinguishable manner. Also, the reserved pattern that was displayed in response to the special pattern being changed and displayed in the main display area Dm may be displayed separately in a predetermined location in the sub-display area Ds. This configuration allows the player to know which reserved pattern, the special reserved pattern 1 or the special reserved pattern 2, is being used in the game (will be played), which can increase interest in the progress of the game. The other parts are configured the same as in the second embodiment described above, so a description will be omitted.

Figure 108(b) is a diagram illustrating an example of an actual display screen. In Figure 108(b), seven reserved patterns are displayed in the secondary display area Ds. In this embodiment, as described above, the reserved memory of special pattern 1 and the reserved memory of special pattern 2 are stored alternately, but they are indistinguishable from the display of the reserved patterns. By displaying the reserved patterns in this way, it becomes difficult for the player to know whether the lottery game displayed in a variable manner on the third pattern display device 81 is based on special pattern 1 or special pattern 2, and the player can play while anticipating what kind of bonus will be provided if a jackpot is hit.

The displayed reserved pattern may be displayed so that it is distinguishable between reserved memory of special pattern 1 and reserved memory of special pattern 2. Also, it may be displayed so that it is distinguishable whether the currently changing lottery game is based on special pattern 1 or special pattern 2. By configuring it in this way, the player can know in advance the bonus that will be available if a jackpot is hit, and can feel a sense of anticipation for the performance during the change.

Figure 109 is a diagram illustrating a display screen showing a normal reserved effect during period A in Figure 107. In Figure 109 (a), the fourth reserved symbol from the left is displayed as a "push" symbol (announcement reserved symbol), and when the player presses (operates) the frame button 22, it is displayed as a "△" symbol shown in Figure 109 (b). The details are the same as those in the second embodiment described above, so they will be omitted. In this embodiment, the variable display content of the reserved symbol ("△" symbol) is determined based on the result of a lottery game corresponding to the variably displayed reserved symbol, but it is not limited to this, and may be determined based on the result of a lottery game corresponding to the reserved symbol displayed before and after the variably displayed reserved symbol. In this case, it is preferable to display the display content after the variable display as an "arrow" symbol, which makes the player expect that there is a chance near the variably displayed reserved symbol.

Also, the reserved symbol that has been once variably displayed may be variably displayed again after a period of time. By doing this, even if the content of the variably displayed image is not promising, it may be variably displayed again and become promising, so that the player can have hope until the lottery game corresponding to the reserved symbol is executed.

Figure 110 is a diagram illustrating a display screen showing the eight reserved symbols during period B in Figure 107. Figure 110 (a) shows a state in which the eight reserved symbols displayed in the sub-display area Ds of the third symbol display device 81 are changed to the notification reserved symbols, and when the player presses (operates) the frame button 22, the notification reserved symbols are changed in order from the one displayed on the left (see Figure 110 (b)). Note that the details are the same as those in the second embodiment described above, so they will be omitted. In this embodiment, the notification reserved symbols are changed in order from the left each time the frame button 22 is pressed once, but multiple notification reserved symbols may be changed when the frame button is pressed once, or the order in which they are displayed may be set randomly. In this way, it is possible to give a game-like quality to the player's operation (pressing the frame button 22) to change the notification reserved symbols.

Figure 111 is a diagram illustrating a display screen showing the eight reserved effects and additional effects during period B in Figure 107. Figure 111 (a) shows the state after all of the notification reserved patterns displayed in the sub-display area Ds of the third pattern display device 81 have been changed by operating the frame button 22. In this embodiment, when making a notification to confirm that there is a reserved memory among the eight reserved memories whose hit/miss judgment result is a jackpot, it is set to display "Jackpot!!!!" using the eight reserved patterns, and the display of "Jackpot!!!?" shown in this figure is to notify that there may be a reserved memory among the eight reserved memories whose hit/miss judgment result is a jackpot.

Figure 111(b) is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen showing a state in which three reserved memories have been consumed and two new reserved memories have been added from the state of Figure 111(a). As shown, in Figure 111(a), "Jackpot!!!?" was displayed using eight reserved symbols, but since three reserved memories have been consumed, the reserved symbol ("Jackpot") that was displayed corresponding to the consumed reserved memories has disappeared from the display screen. In addition, the reserved symbols that are displayed corresponding to the two newly generated reserved memories during this time are displayed in the two sub-display areas Ds as notification reserved symbols.

In this way, for a new reserved memory that occurs while the reserved symbol performance of the reserved 8 pieces performance is being performed, an additional winning performance is performed that makes it look like the reserved 8 pieces performance is continuing, rather than the normal reserved symbol performance. Specifically, a notification reserved symbol ("push" symbol) is displayed as the reserved symbol corresponding to the new reserved memory (see FIG. 111(b)). As with the reserved 8 pieces performance described above, the display mode of this notification reserved symbol changes depending on the operation of the frame button 22. Specifically, for example, if one of the two newly reserved memories has a reserved memory whose hit/miss judgment result is a jackpot, when the notification reserved symbol corresponding to that reserved memory is changed by operating the frame button 22, the last "?" in the string of characters "jackpot!!!?" displayed in the reserved 8 pieces performance (see FIG. 111(a)) is changed to "!", and the notification reserved symbol itself is also changed to "!". Furthermore, if the two new reserved balls are both determined to be no wins, the notification reserved symbol is changed to "?" without changing the text string "Big win!!!?" displayed in the reserved 8 balls presentation. In this way, the reserved symbol corresponding to the new reserved memory that occurs during the reserved 8 balls presentation can also be associated with the reserved 8 balls presentation, allowing the player to continue firing game balls in an attempt to generate more reserved balls while the reserved 8 balls presentation is being performed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the result of the win/loss determination is indicated by the notification mode ("?" or "!") of the rightmost character (the character corresponding to the reserved pattern that will be consumed last) of the string of characters displayed in the 8 reserved items effect. Therefore, the additional winning effect also involves changing one character using a reserved pattern that corresponds to one reserved memory. However, if the 8 reserved items effect employs a notification mode that uses multiple characters to indicate the result of the win/loss determination, the additional winning effect may involve changing multiple characters using a reserved pattern that corresponds to one reserved memory, or may involve changing multiple characters using reserved patterns that correspond to multiple reserved memories.

In this embodiment, the reserved pattern display mode is a display mode that displays a string of eight characters by using the reserved 8-piece effect, that is, a variable display that changes to a number of characters corresponding to the number of reserved patterns, but it is not limited to this, and the reserved 8-piece effect may be variable so that multiple reserved patterns are combined to form one notification mode.

In addition, in the eight reserved symbols presentation of this embodiment, the notification mode suggesting the result of the win/loss judgment is displayed using characters corresponding to the reserved symbol that is consumed last out of the eight reserved symbols, but the notification mode may be displayed using all or any of the characters on the right side of the string of characters displayed by the eight reserved symbols presentation (characters corresponding to the reserved symbol that is consumed later out of the eight reserved symbols) instead of the reserved symbol that is consumed last.

Figure 112 is a diagram illustrating a display screen showing the special continuation effect during period C in Figure 107. Figure 112 (a) shows a state in which the reserved pattern corresponding to the last reserved memory among the eight reserved memories used in the reserved eight effect has been consumed, that is, the five "?"s displayed in the sub-display area Ds of the third pattern display device 81 are displayed by the additional winning effect described above. In this state, if there are five or more reserved memories, "Please press it!!" is displayed on the display screen of the third pattern display device. When the player presses (operates) the frame button 22, the state of the reserved pattern displayed as "???????" changes again. Specifically, for example, if there is a judgment result that the hit/miss judgment result is a jackpot in any of the reserved memories corresponding to the reserved patterns displayed as "???????" in Figure 112 (a), it is changed to the five letters "Congratulations" as shown in Figure 112 (b). In this way, if the number of reserved memories (the number of reserved patterns displayed) at the time when the display of the reserved patterns due to the reserved 8 effect has ended is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (five in this embodiment), a further special reserved pattern effect is performed, which makes it possible to encourage the player to continue firing game balls.

In this embodiment, the special continuation effect is performed using multiple reserved symbols displayed as "?" by the additional winning effect, so for example, it is advisable to set the percentage of characters displayed indicating that a jackpot has been confirmed by the additional winning effect to be low, and the percentage of characters displayed indicating that a jackpot has been confirmed by the special continuation effect to be high. By doing this, it is possible to increase the frequency with which the special continuation effect performed after the additional winning effect can display (see FIG. 112(b)) that the reserved win/loss judgment results include a judgment result that will be a jackpot, and this can increase the player's desire to see the special continuation effect.

In addition, in the special continuation performance, in addition to the character string (message) based on the judgment result of the pending stored win/loss judgment result, a performance may be performed that displays information for the player to acquire a large amount of points that he or she has saved, or displays the current game state (high probability or normal), providing a bonus. By doing so, it is possible to encourage the player to continue firing game balls in order to receive a bonus other than the win/loss judgment result.

If there are more reserved memories than the number required for a special continuation effect (five in this embodiment) at the timing when it is determined whether or not to perform a special continuation effect (the boundary between Periods B and C in FIG. 107), the reserved patterns corresponding to the surplus reserved memories can be changed to highlighted characters (such as "!" or "Congratulations") that emphasize the string of characters changed by the special continuation effect ("Congratulations"). By doing this, even if the number of surplus reserved memories is indefinite, it is possible to perform an effect that does not change the content displayed by the special continuation effect and does not cause discomfort.

In addition, when performing a special continuation effect, the reserved symbol displayed as "????" may be temporarily changed to a notification reserved symbol before the special continuation effect is performed. By doing this, it is possible to emphasize that the special continuation effect is a reserved symbol effect using multiple reserved symbols.

In this embodiment, the above-mentioned additional winning effect is performed even while the special continuation effect is being performed, but the content of the effect is the same as that described above, so it will be omitted.

As explained above, in this embodiment, the normal reserved pattern is changed to a notification reserved pattern that prompts the player to operate the frame button 22, and then the notification reserved pattern is changed based on the operation of the frame button 22, and a reserved pattern (result display reserved pattern) that has one meaning is displayed by multiple reserved patterns based on the hit/miss judgment results contained in the eight reserved memories. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the characters (such as "big", "hit", "wrong", etc.) displayed by changing the notification reserved pattern may be displayed in a separate location on the third pattern display device 81. By configuring in this way, even if the reserved patterns used in the eight reserved performance are consumed as the game progresses, the character string displayed as a result of the eight reserved performance can be maintained. In this case, it is preferable to erase the character string displayed in the separate location when all the reserved patterns used in the eight reserved performance are consumed.

In addition, when the dynamic display of the third symbol is stopped during the change time and then restarted (so-called pseudo consecutive display or development to a super reach), the reserved symbol that has already become the result display reserved symbol by operating the frame button 22 can be changed to a notification reserved symbol, and the eight reserved symbols display can be performed again. By configuring it in this way, it is possible to perform a reserved symbol display corresponding to the dynamic display display of the third symbol that makes one lottery game look like multiple lottery games.

In this way, when redoing the reserved pattern presentation in conjunction with the dynamic display of the third pattern, the display content of the first result display reserved pattern can be set to a presentation with a low expectancy of a jackpot compared to the hit/miss judgment results contained in the eight reserved memories, and the reserved pattern display corresponding to the hit/miss judgment results can be displayed in the replay of the eight reserved patterns, or the display content of the result display reserved pattern displayed in the replay of the eight reserved patterns can be set in advance to a content with a higher expectancy than the display content of the first result display reserved pattern. By doing this, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the display content changes to a content with a lower expectancy than the original reserved pattern presentation as a result of redoing the reserved pattern presentation.

The eight reserved symbols may also be used to display text such as "Back in action!!!" or "One more time!!" that suggests the third symbol will restart. By doing this, it becomes possible to use the reserved symbols to inform the player of game content other than the win/loss determination results contained in the eight reserved memories, making it possible to provide a gaming machine with rich playability.

Furthermore, based on one or a combination of two or more of the results of the win/lose judgment contained in the eight reserved memories, the lottery result of the third symbol dynamically displayed at that time, and the judgment result of whether or not there is an effect in which the third symbol dynamically displayed at that time will be restarted, the possibility of providing an advantageous state to the player may be displayed in abstract characters such as "Chance!!!!" or "Marine-chan!". In this way, it is possible to provide a gaming machine with even greater playability.

In this embodiment, the condition for the "8 reserved items" effect is when eight reserved items have been accumulated, but any specified number can be accumulated, and it can be seven as well.

In addition, in this embodiment, the reserved pattern is changed to the notification reserved pattern to indicate the reserved pattern that changes due to the reserved pattern presentation and to notify the player to operate the frame button 22, but this may be done with a different display without changing the display mode of the reserved pattern.

In addition, in this embodiment, the notification pending symbol is always displayed in the same manner ("push" symbol) regardless of the winning/losing judgment result that has been reserved and stored, and the display manner of the result display pending symbol that is displayed by operating the frame button 22 ("Big Win!!!!") is changed based on the winning/losing judgment result that has been reserved and stored. This allows the player to actively participate in the game and prevents players from getting bored early on, as the notification pending symbol is always displayed in the same manner ("push" symbol) regardless of the winning/losing judgment result that has been reserved and stored, and the display manner of the result display pending symbol is changed based on the winning/losing judgment result that has been reserved and stored. In this way, it is possible to easily provide multiple levels of expectation by combining the display manner of the notification pending symbol and the display manner of the result display pending symbol.

Next, the composite display performance described above in the second embodiment will be explained in detail using Fig. 113 to Fig. 117. Note that explanations of points that overlap with the second embodiment will be omitted. Fig. 113 is a time chart for explaining the flow of the composite display performance. A series of flows regarding the variable display in which the composite display performance is used will be explained with reference to Fig. 113.

First, when a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the third pattern began to change on the display screen of the third pattern display device 81, a frame button presentation preparation period (e.g., 10 seconds) begins, and the player is notified that a presentation for operating the frame button 22 will begin (see FIG. 114(a)). Then, after the third pattern becomes a reach display state, a frame button operation valid period (e.g., 10 seconds) begins, and a display is made to prompt the player to operate the frame button 22, and a situation in which the frame button 22 is pressed (operated) within the frame button operation valid period is detected (see FIG. 114(b)). After the frame button operation valid period has elapsed, if a frame button operation that satisfies the predetermined conditions is performed within the frame button operation valid period, a transition is made to a PUSH presentation, which is a composite display presentation (see FIG. 115(b)).

On the other hand, if the frame button operation that satisfies the specified conditions is not performed within the frame button operation valid period, the game will transition to the normal performance period in which the normal Super Reach performance is performed (see FIG. 115(c)). Also, if the current change is a Reach Miss, the game will not transition to the composite display performance and the third symbol will stop in a miss mode, regardless of the content of the frame button operation within the frame button operation valid period.

The PUSH performance is divided into a first half (period in FIG. 113(d)) and a second half (period in FIG. 113(e)). In the first half, a game is played to collect "push" symbols displayed on the display screen (FIG. 116(a)). In the second half, a composite "push" symbol corresponding to the collected "push" symbols is displayed (FIG. 116(b)). The "push" symbol is changed to a number symbol by pressing (operating) the frame button 22. After that, the combination of number symbols displayed on the display screen is temporarily stopped, and the symbol is confirmed after a predetermined time has elapsed.

As shown in FIG. 113, the composite display effect in this embodiment has the same change time as other specified super reach effects. Furthermore, the image data from the start of the change of the third pattern to the development of the super reach (image data used during the periods of FIG. 113(a) and (b)) and the image data from when the change of the third pattern is temporarily stopped to when it is confirmed (image data used during the period of FIG. 113(f)) are configured to be able to be reused as image data for other specified super reach effects. In this way, it is no longer necessary to prepare image data used from the start of the change to when the pattern is confirmed for each super reach effect, making it possible to reduce the amount of image data. Also, it is configured so that a reach miss effect can be performed using the image data used during the periods of (a), (b), and (f) shown in FIG. 113.

Figure 114 (a) is a diagram showing an example of the display screen during the period (a) shown in Figure 113. This display screen is displayed during the frame button effect preparation period to notify the player in advance that an effect in which the frame button 22 is operated will be performed, and is displayed to prevent the player from forgetting to operate the frame button 22.

Figure 114 (b) is a diagram showing an example of a display screen during the period (b) shown in Figure 113. This display screen is displayed during the frame button operation valid period during which operation of the frame button 22 is valid, and displays an indication encouraging the frame button 22 to be pressed repeatedly, as well as a status indication ("1/50") indicating the repeated press mission achievement condition of "50" and the current number of times the frame button 22 has been pressed "1". Note that in this embodiment, the frame button 22 has a function of increasing the number of presses by continuing to press it for a predetermined period of time. Note that the remaining time of the frame button operation valid period (repeated press mission period) may also be displayed.

Figure 115 (a) is a diagram showing an example of the display screen during the period (c) shown in Figure 113. This display screen is the screen displayed during the normal performance period to which the game transitions if the rapid-fire mission is not completed during the frame button operation valid period, and as its content is the same as that of Figure 43 (a) in the second embodiment described above, a description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 115 (b) is a diagram illustrating a display screen during the period (d) shown in Figure 113. The display content of this display screen is the same as that of Figure 43 (b) in the second embodiment described above, so a description will be omitted. Although not shown, values based on the "push" symbols acquired during this period (e.g., 15 seconds) (number of acquisitions, points acquired, and expected value of the jackpot) are displayed in color and text in a specified area of the display screen.

Figure 116 (a) is a diagram illustrating a display screen in the latter half of the period shown in Figure 113 (d). The display content of this display screen is the same as that of Figure 44 (a) in the second embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

In this figure, six "push" symbols are displayed, but the number of "push" symbols displayed varies depending on the stopping mode of the symbol row. In this way, the number of "push" symbols displayed indicates the expectation of a jackpot in this variable display, and it is preset so that the more "push" symbols displayed, the higher the expectation of a jackpot. In other words, there are multiple variable patterns that perform composite display performances with different numbers of "push" symbols displayed, and it is set so that the probability of the winning/losing judgment result being a jackpot is higher in a variable pattern with a larger number of "push" symbols displayed than in a variable pattern with a smaller number of "push" symbols displayed.

Figure 116 (b) is a diagram illustrating a display screen during the period (e) shown in Figure 113. The display content of this display screen is the same as that of Figure 44 (b) in the second embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the blank pattern changes to a "push" pattern and the "push" pattern is compositely displayed. However, the blank pattern may be changed to various characters and a sentence (message) corresponding to the characters may be compositely displayed. With such a configuration, the player can predict the compositely displayed sentence by combining the displayed characters at the timing when the blank pattern changes to various characters, and it is possible to create a sense of anticipation for the game to come. In addition, when using such a configuration, it is preferable to compositely display the sentence using a part of the displayed characters, rather than using all the various characters displayed to compositely display. In this way, it is possible to allow the player to predict various patterns of sentences. In addition, if the form (color, size, etc.) of the characters that are always used is made different from the other characters in order to make it possible to identify the characters that are always used, it is possible to give the player a hint of the sentence that will be created in the composite display, and it is possible to make predicting the sentence that will be created in the composite display more enjoyable.

Figure 117 is the display screen during the period (f) shown in Figure 113. On this display screen, when the player presses the frame button 22, the composite display patterns stop at the combination of the third pattern (main pattern) which indicates the result of the win/loss judgment. In this figure, the combination stops at "777", which indicates that the win/loss judgment result is a jackpot, and is displayed as confirmed after a predetermined time has passed. During the period (f) shown in Figure 113, the combination is displayed as temporarily stopped at "777" (slightly swaying), and comes to a complete stop at the end of the period (f) shown in Figure 113.

As explained above, in this embodiment, there are two variation patterns with the same variation time: one that produces a push effect and one that does not produce a push effect (normal super reach variation pattern), and based on the results of determining the conditions for completing the rapid-fire mission, either the variation pattern that produces a push effect or the variation pattern that does not produce a push effect is set. In other words, since there is a push effect as a variation pattern, it is easy to change the subsequent effect depending on the result of the rapid-fire mission. Also, since a player who wants to experience a push effect needs to complete the rapid-fire mission, the player will actively participate in the game, which can increase their motivation to play.

Next, the time presentation described above in the second embodiment will be explained in detail using Figures 118 to 121. Note that explanations of parts that overlap with the second embodiment described above will be omitted. Note that this embodiment has a function that allows the period during which the time presentation is performed to be set. By providing this function, it is possible to provide a presentation that is unexpected to the player by intentionally varying (extending) the period during which the time presentation (synchronous presentation) is performed while still performing the conventional time presentation (synchronous presentation) that provides a sense of unity by synchronizing the presentations executed on multiple pachinko machines 10.

Figure 118 is a time chart to explain the flow of time-based presentation. The series of steps related to time-based presentation will be explained with reference to this figure 118.

In this embodiment, the function allows the user to set the period during which the time performance is performed (details will be described later). In FIG. 118(a), the first time performance after power-on is performed for 5 minutes, whereas in FIG. 118(b), the first time performance after power-on is set to 8 minutes. Furthermore, the 8-minute time performance shown in FIG. 118(b) is divided into the first 5 minutes and the remaining 3 minutes, with the first 5 minutes set as performance mode B, which is the time performance period, and the remaining 3 minutes set as performance mode D, which is the special time performance period. By setting it in this way, during the first 5 minutes during which the time performance is performed, it is possible to perform the performance as the same time performance period (performance mode B) whether the time performance period is 5 minutes or 8 minutes. Then, when performance mode B ends (when 5 minutes of the time performance have passed), a teasing performance is inserted as to whether to transition to performance mode C or performance mode D, and if the transition condition is met, the system is controlled to transition to performance mode C or performance mode D.

In the time presentation of the second embodiment described above, the condition for not transitioning from presentation mode B to presentation mode A, which is the normal play period, i.e., the condition for transitioning to presentation mode C, is that the win/lose determination result contains a jackpot determination result in the reserved memory at the end of presentation mode B. This causes the number of gaming machines that transition to presentation mode D among those in which presentation mode B is being executed to become extremely small, and the transition to presentation mode C itself is an indication that there is a jackpot in the reserved memory, causing the player to lose interest in the variable display of the third symbol, which is a problem.

In contrast to this, in this embodiment, in addition to the technology described in the second embodiment above, a condition for transitioning to presentation mode D is added as a condition for not transitioning from presentation mode B to presentation mode A, which is the normal game period, i.e., the period during which the time presentation is performed is set to 8 minutes in advance, so that the number of gaming machines that transition from presentation mode B to a mode other than presentation mode A can be increased. Also, by unifying the content of the presentation between presentation mode C and presentation mode D, it is possible to increase the player's sense of anticipation that a jackpot is about to occur when transitioning from presentation mode B to a presentation mode other than presentation mode A (C or D).

Figure 119 (a) is a diagram illustrating the display screen during the time performance period shown in Figure 118, and shows the state in which two minutes have passed since the time performance began. The "180 seconds remaining" displayed in the upper right corner of this screen is the number of seconds remaining until five minutes have passed since the time performance began. In other words, the same display is shown whether five minutes or eight minutes is selected as the time performance period. The rest of the content is the same as that in Figure 46 of the second embodiment described above, so a description will be omitted.

Figure 119(b) is a diagram illustrating the display screen during the time performance period shown in Figure 118, and shows the state after 4 minutes and 57 seconds have passed since the start of the time performance (3 seconds remaining). Note that whether 5 minutes or 8 minutes is selected as the time performance period, the display will be the same as in Figure 46(b) in the second embodiment described above, so a description of the display content will be omitted.

Figure 120 (a) is a diagram illustrating the display screen at the end of the time performance period shown in Figure 118, and shows the state in which 5 minutes have passed since the time performance began. Note that whether 5 minutes or 8 minutes is selected as the time performance period, the display will be the same as in Figure 47 (a) of the second embodiment described above, so a description of the display content will be omitted.

Figure 120 (b) is a diagram showing an example of a display screen during the time-extended period or special-extended period shown in Figure 118. During the time-extended period, Super Fish Time continues until the variable display that results in a big win ends, and during the special-extended period, Super Fish Time continues for three minutes. Therefore, if the remaining number of seconds were displayed, the player would easily know whether this Super Fish Time is during the time-extended period or the special-extended period, so "Seconds remaining?" is displayed in the upper right corner of this screen. By displaying it in this way, it is possible to give the player a sense of expectation that a big win may occur every time a variable display is performed during Super Fish Time. Note that the other display contents are the same as those in Figure 47 (b) of the second embodiment described above, so the display contents will not be described here.

Figure 121 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen when the time performance period shown in Figure 118 ends or the special extended performance period ends, and the pending memory or changing special pattern stored at that time does not set the win/loss judgment result as a jackpot. In this way, the image when Super School of Fish Time ends is the same regardless of whether the time performance period ends or the special extended performance period ends, so the amount of image data can be reduced. Note that the display content is the same as Figure 48 of the second embodiment described above, so a description of the display content will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, the time presentation is designed to keep the player hopeful until the end during the time presentation period (presentation mode B), without any presentation suggesting that the game will transition to presentation mode C or presentation mode D at the end of the time presentation period. However, if a win/loss determination is made based on the reserved information just before the end of the time presentation period, and there is a reserved memory of a jackpot, that is, if it is determined that the game will transition to the time presentation extension period (presentation mode C) after the end of the time presentation period and result in a jackpot, a presentation suggesting this may be provided.

Also, when a time presentation of 5 minutes or more is set in advance, that is, when a transition to a special extended presentation period (presentation mode D) occurs after the end of the time presentation period, a presentation suggesting this may be provided. In this case, the content of the suggestive presentation should suggest that the presentation will continue for 5 minutes or more, and preferably the suggestive content should be such that it is not possible to tell whether the presentation will transition to presentation mode C or presentation mode D. To achieve this, the timing for executing the suggestive presentation should be just before the end of the time presentation period, that is, when the timing for the change of the third symbol, which corresponds to the pending memory of a jackpot as a result of the hit/miss judgment, stops after the time presentation period has elapsed (for example, when the time for the jackpot change is 1 minute and the remaining time in the time presentation period is within 59 seconds).

<Electrical Configuration in the Fourth Embodiment>
Next, the electrical configuration of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 122 to 125. The difference between the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 of the fourth embodiment and the pachinko machine 10 of the second embodiment is that the ROM 202 and RAM 203 in the main control device 110, a part of the ROM 222 and RAM 223 in the voice lamp control device 113, and a part of the ROM 234 (performance) in the display control device 114 have been changed (added), and that it is clearly indicated that the RTC 292 is connected to the voice lamp control device 113, but otherwise they are the same. The same parts are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

First, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 122. FIG. 122 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 in the fourth embodiment.

This block diagram differs from the block diagram (FIG. 49) showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 in the second embodiment described above in that it clearly indicates that an RTC 292 is connected to the sound lamp control device 113, but other points are the same, so their explanations are omitted. As described above, this RTC 292 is used as a timing means for performing time effects.

Other changes include changes (additions) to ROM 202 and RAM 203 in the main control device 110, parts of ROM 222 and RAM 223 in the voice lamp control device 113, and parts of ROM 234 in the display control device 114, which will be described later with reference to Figures 123 to 148. As the other parts are the same, the same reference numerals will be used and their explanations will be omitted.

The contents of ROM 202 and RAM 203 in the main control device 110 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 123. Figure 123(a) is a schematic diagram showing the contents of ROM 202 in the main control device 110, and Figure 123(b) is a schematic diagram showing the contents of RAM 203 in the main control device 110.

The ROM 202 in this embodiment is the same as the ROM 202 in the main control device 110 in the second embodiment, so its description will be omitted.

In addition to the RAM 203 in the second embodiment, the RAM 203 in this embodiment has at least a change execution flag 203i and a change order storage area 203j.

The change execution flag 203i is a flag used to determine whether a change is being executed in special pattern 1 or special pattern 2. This change execution flag 203i is set in the change execution determination process (S4004 in FIG. 127) executed in the special pattern change process 2 (S120 in FIG. 126) (see S4105, S4107 in FIG. 127). It is then referenced in the special pattern change process 2 (S120 in FIG. 126) to determine whether a change is being executed (see S4005, S4010 in FIG. 126), and is set to off when the change execution determination process (S4004 in FIG. 127) is executed (see S4101 in FIG. 127).

The variable order storage area 203j is an area that stores the winning order for each reserved data stored in the special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a and the special symbol 2 reserved ball storage area 203b. Eight storage areas are set in this variable order storage area 203j, and winning orders are stored in the previous storage area in the order in which they were won. The storage areas are also shifted based on the start of the special symbol fluctuation. This variable order storage area j stores the winning order in the start winning process 2 (S121 in FIG. 130) (see S4407, S4414 in FIG. 130). It is then referenced in the fluctuation execution determination process (4004 in FIG. 126) executed in the special symbol fluctuation process 2 (S120 in FIG. 126) (see S4102 to S4104, S4106 in FIG. 127).

Next, the contents of the ROM 222 and RAM 223 of the voice lamp control device 113 will be described with reference to FIG. 124. In addition to the ROM 222 in the second embodiment described above, the ROM 222 in this embodiment has at least a performance time selection table 222b (see FIG. 124(a)). In addition to the RAM 223 in the second embodiment, the RAM 223 in this embodiment has at least a special continuation performance flag 223t, an additional performance flag 223u, an 8-performance counter 223v, a special continuation performance counter 223w, an identification number memory area 223x, a performance time memory area 223y, and a start flag 223α (see FIG. 124(b)).

The performance time selection table 222b is a table that is referenced when selecting the period during which the synchronous performance (time performance) is performed, and is used in the performance time setting process (S4904 in FIG. 145). The performance time selection table 222b has multiple data with different periods (time performance periods) during which the synchronous performance (time performance) is performed, and is configured so that different time performance periods are selected by selecting the time performance period corresponding to the identification number stored in the identification number storage area 223x described below. Therefore, for example, by giving the same identification number to adjacent gaming machines, it is possible to start the synchronous performance at the same timing.

In this embodiment, by selecting a predetermined time performance period from among the multiple time performance periods contained in the performance time selection table 222b based on the assigned identification number, it is possible to execute synchronous performance at the same timing for multiple pachinko machines 10, thereby executing a performance with a sense of unity, or to intentionally vary the timing at which the synchronous performance is executed for only some of the multiple pachinko machines 10, thereby executing a performance with an element of surprise.

The special continuation effect flag 223t is turned on when the conditions for performing a special continuation effect are met during the eight-effect setting process (S4806 in FIG. 143). It is turned off when the value of the special continuation effect counter, which will be described later, becomes 0 (S4809 in FIG. 143). When this special continuation effect flag is turned on, a special continuation effect is performed for the reserved symbol (S4605 in FIG. 136).

The additional performance flag 223u is turned on (S4802 in FIG. 143) when the conditions for additional performance are met during the 8-performance setting process (S1353 in FIG. 143). It is turned off (S4810, S4812 in FIG. 143) when the number of reserved symbols stored is 4 or less when the value of the 8-performance counter described below becomes 0, or when the value of the special continuation performance counter becomes 0. When this additional performance flag 223u is turned on, an additional performance is performed for the reserved symbols (S4607 in FIG. 136).

When the 8-piece effect flag 223i is turned on, the 8-piece effect counter 223v is set to a counter value of 8 (S1553 in FIG. 139). When the fluctuation start flag 223e is turned on in the fluctuation display setting process 2 (S1352 in FIG. 140), the counter value is decremented by 1 (S1654 in FIG. 140). This 8-piece effect counter 223v determines the period during which the 8-piece effect is performed, and in this embodiment, the counter value is set to 8, and when a new fluctuation starts, the value is decremented by 1. By determining that the counter value has become 0, it is possible to determine whether or not all reserved symbols (8 symbols) corresponding to the 8-piece effect have been consumed.

In this embodiment, eight reserved symbols are used to produce the effect (8-piece effect), but if you want to produce the effect using reserved symbols other than eight (for example, seven), you can set the value of this counter to 7.

When the special continuation effect flag 223t is turned on during the eight-item effect setting process, the special continuation effect counter 223w is set to a counter value of 5 (S4807 in FIG. 143). When the fluctuation start flag 223e is turned on during the fluctuation display setting process 2, the counter value is decremented by 1 (S1655 in FIG. 140). This special continuation effect counter 223w determines the period during which the special continuation effect is performed, and in this embodiment, the counter value is set to 5, and when a new fluctuation starts, the counter value is decremented by 1. By determining that the counter value becomes 0, it is possible to determine whether all reserved symbols (5 symbols) corresponding to the special continuation effect have been consumed.

In this embodiment, five reserved symbols are used to perform the special continuation effect. However, if you want to perform the special continuation effect using reserved symbols other than five (for example, six), you can set the value of this counter to six.

The identification number storage area 223x stores (S4506 in FIG. 135) the identification number input in the identification number input process (S1851 in FIG. 135) executed in the frame button input monitoring/performance process 2 (S1351 in FIG. 134). The identification number stored in the start-up process 2 is then cleared (S1209 in FIG. 131). This identification number storage area 223x is used to store the identification number input by the operator in the identification number input process for setting the period (time) during which the time performance (synchronous performance) using the RTC 292 is performed. Note that if the operator does not input an identification number, the initial value stored in the identification number storage area 223x in the initial setting process of the RAM 223 (S1210 in FIG. 131) is used.

In this embodiment, an identification number can be assigned to each gaming machine by performing a specific operation on the frame button 22 for a specific period of time after power-on. Then, by reading the performance time (the time during which the synchronous performance is performed) corresponding to the assigned identification number from the performance time selection table 222b stored in the ROM 222, it is possible to set the period during which the time performance (synchronous performance) using the RTC 292 is performed.

When reading the performance time from the performance time selection table 222b, it is advisable to read it based on two parameters: the identification number stored in the identification number storage area 223x, and the time data (date, day of the week, etc.) obtained from the RTC 292. In this way, even if the identification number is the same, the period during which the synchronous performance is performed can be changed by changing the date, making it possible to reduce the work of assigning identification numbers.

The performance time memory area 223y stores the performance time selected in the performance time setting process (S4905 in FIG. 145). The performance time stored in start-up process 2 is then cleared (S4504 in FIG. 135). This performance time memory area 223y is used to store the performance time, which is the period during which a synchronous performance based on the RTC 292 is performed, and the synchronous performance (time performance) is performed based on the performance time stored in this memory area.

The startup flag 223α is set on by the time setting process 2 executed in the voice lamp control device startup process 2 (S1262 in FIG. 132). Then, the identification number input process sets it off when a predetermined time (20 minutes) has elapsed since the startup flag was turned on, or when an identification number input operation is performed (S4504 in FIG. 135). This startup flag 223α is used to perform a process (identification number input process) that allows operation only for a predetermined time after the gaming machine is powered on, and allows an identification number to be input only when the startup flag 223α is on.

Next, referring to FIG. 125, the performance time selection table 222b stored in the ROM 222 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 125(a) is a schematic diagram of the performance time selection table 222b, and FIG. 125(b) is a schematic diagram of a time table of the performance times selected by the performance time selection table 222b.

The performance time selection table 222b is used when setting specific performance time data from among multiple performance time data stored in the ROM 222 in the voice lamp control device 113. In this embodiment, the specific performance time data is set using as parameters an identification number that can be set and input by the operator and day of the week data, which is time information obtained from the RTC 292.

In addition, the day of the week data has items for Event 1 and Event 2 in addition to the days of the week from Sunday to Saturday. These are items for special days such as holidays and anniversaries. For the dates of the year, month, and date that fall under Event 1 or Event 2, the Event item is set to be used with priority over the day of the week (Sunday to Saturday) item.

Next, the timetable for each performance time will be explained with reference to Figure 125 (b). Figure 125 (b) shows the timetable for each performance time selected by the performance time selection table 222b. A different timetable is set for each performance time, from "I" to "XI". "A", "B", and "D" written above the timetable are the performance modes that are set during that period, and respectively indicate performance mode A, performance mode B, and performance mode D. The numbers written below them are the hours (minutes) indicating that period.

Of the various presentation modes, presentation mode A is a period during which normal presentation is performed, while presentation mode B and presentation mode D are periods during which time presentation (synchronous presentation) is performed. In particular, presentation mode D is set to transition less frequently than presentation mode B, and during presentation mode D, a presentation is executed that provides information that may be advantageous to the player. Thus, by starting the time presentation (synchronous presentation), the player can play the game with the expectation that there is a possibility of transitioning to presentation mode D.

Note that presentation mode C is a presentation mode that is entered only if there is a jackpot in the reserved memory at the time presentation mode B and presentation mode D end; in other words, whether or not the presentation mode is entered depends on the results of the game lottery. Therefore, although it is not shown in FIG. 125(b), in reality, after presentation mode B and presentation mode D, both presentation mode A and presentation mode C are set, and the appropriate presentation mode is selected depending on the results of the game lottery.

In this embodiment, "I" to "VIII" are assigned as the presentation times selected when using the normal items (Sunday to Saturday) of the day of the week data, and "X" and "XI" are assigned as the presentation times selected when using the special items (Event 1, Event 2) of the day of the week data.

Here, we will explain the performance time "I". Performance time "I" is a timetable in which performance mode A (normal period) is executed for 55 minutes, followed by performance mode B (time performance (synchronous performance)) for 5 minutes, and this is repeated.

Next, we will explain the performance time "II". In performance time "II", performance mode A (normal period) is executed for 55 minutes, followed by performance mode B (time performance (synchronized performance)) for 5 minutes and performance mode D (time performance (synchronized performance)) for 3 minutes, meaning that the time performance (synchronized performance) is executed for a total of 8 minutes. Then, after that, performance mode A is executed for 52 minutes, and then performance mode B is executed again for 5 minutes.

The performance time "I" and the performance time "II" are set so that the time for which the time performance (synchronous performance) is performed is different. Similarly, the performance times "I" to "VIII" are set so that the period for which the time performance (synchronous performance) is performed is different (there are some parts that are the same). However, regardless of which performance time is selected, the timing for starting the time performance (synchronous performance) is set to be the same. The above-mentioned performance time "I" and performance time "II" have different periods of performance mode A so that the time performance (synchronous performance) starts 55 minutes and 115 minutes after the start of both. By configuring in this way, even if various performance times are selected, it is possible to execute a performance with a sense of unity by matching the timing for starting the time performance (synchronous performance) (the timing for switching from performance mode A to performance mode B). In addition, since the player cannot know whether the current time performance is set to 5 minutes or 8 minutes at the timing when the time performance starts, the player can enjoy watching the time performance and whether the time performance will be extended, which makes it possible to improve the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, there are performance times "X" and "XI" which are selected only when special items such as "Event 1" and "Event 2" are referenced as day of the week data. As shown in FIG. 125(b), these two performance times "X" and "XI" are set to be clearly different from the other performance times, with time performance (synchronized performance) taking up half of the total time in performance time "X", and the entire time being time performance (synchronized performance) in performance time "XI".

In this way, when normal items (Sunday to Saturday) are used as day of the week data, the difference in the period during which the time performance takes place is made as unnoticeable as possible to the player (the player does not notice when the time performance starts), but when special items (Event 1, Event 2) are used as day of the week data, the performance time is set to make it possible to clearly indicate the period during which the time performance takes place.

In this embodiment, the performance time is set as described above, but other methods may be used to set the performance time. For example, the performance time corresponding to the identification number may be selected without using day of the week data in the performance time selection table. When using such a configuration, it is possible to achieve the same effect as this embodiment by referring to the time information obtained from the RTC292 and changing the content of the performance time assigned corresponding to the identification number when it is determined that the date has changed.

In addition, in this embodiment, if the operator does not set an identification number, the identification number "I" stored as the initial value in the identification number storage area 223x of the RAM 223 is used, but the identification number stored as the initial value in the identification number area 223x may be changed when it is determined that the date has changed by referring to the time information obtained from the RTC 292. In this way, it becomes possible to change the period during which the time performance is performed without having to input an identification number, thereby reducing the workload of the operator.

In this embodiment, the synchronous performance is performed by referring to time information obtained from RTC292, but any configuration that can set the period for performing the synchronous performance may be used instead of RTC292.

Other possible configurations include, for example, a configuration in which a timer is provided to measure the time that has elapsed since the power was turned on, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the device can be set to enter a predetermined period in which a synchronous performance can be executed, or a configuration in which predetermined information is input by operating the frame button 22, and the device enters a predetermined period in which a synchronous performance can be executed based on the input predetermined information.

Specifically, in order to synchronously display a presentation mode (a presentation mode stored in reserve) scheduled to be executed in a specific pachinko machine 10 on the other pachinko machines 10, presentation information including information indicating the presentation mode stored in reserve is output to the third pattern display device 81 of the specific pachinko machine 10 as a password that can be input to the pachinko machine 10. By inputting that password into the other pachinko machines 10, the player sets a specific presentation mode on the other pachinko machines 10 based on the presentation information included in the input password. Then, by the player executing the set presentation mode at a timing of his/her choice, it becomes possible to synchronize with the presentation mode executed on the specific pachinko machine 10.

When using such a configuration, it is advisable to use the RTC 292 to include information indicating the time when the reserved stored performance mode will actually be executed in the performance information described above. In this way, by simply inputting a password into the other pachinko machines 10, it becomes possible to enjoy a performance mode synchronized between a specific pachinko machine 10 and the other pachinko machines 10 at that time.

In addition, it is advisable to use a two-dimensional information code, which is information that can be acquired by an external device (mobile terminal), as the performance information displayed on the third symbol display device 81, rather than a password. With this configuration, it is possible to acquire the performance information on a mobile terminal and transmit the performance information to a distant player via communication, thereby enabling distant pachinko machines to execute synchronized performance modes.

Note that the items to be synchronized in this manner are not limited to the presentation modes that are reserved and stored, but may also be the presentation modes during a jackpot. Also, in the presentation modes of the pachinko machine 10 (master pachinko machine) that is the source of synchronization and the pachinko machine 10 (slave pachinko machine) that is to be synchronized, the slave pachinko machine may be allowed to perform synchronized presentations only when no play is being performed, or the display area of the third pattern display device 81 may be divided and displayed even during special pattern play.

By using this type of configuration, the player can set a specific period during which the synchronous performance can be executed, which allows the player to experience the synchronous performance at their own discretion, making it possible to reduce boredom with the game.

<Regarding control processing executed by the main control device in the fourth embodiment>
Next, referring to Fig. 126 to Fig. 130, the control process executed by the MPU 201 of the main control device 110 in this fourth embodiment will be described. In this fourth embodiment, the order in which the reserved balls of special pattern 1 and the reserved balls of special pattern 2 are consumed differs from the second embodiment described above. That is, the second embodiment described above controls the reserved balls of special pattern 2 to be consumed preferentially over the reserved balls of special pattern 1, but this embodiment controls the reserved balls of special pattern 1 and the reserved balls of special pattern 2 to be consumed in the order of winning. Since the other points are the same, the same symbols are attached to the same parts and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

Next, referring to FIG. 126, the special pattern change process 2 (S120) executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 will be described. FIG. 126 is a flowchart showing this special pattern change process 2 (S120). This special pattern change process 2 (S120) is executed during the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58), and is a process for controlling the change display of the special pattern (first pattern) performed by the first pattern display device 37, the change display of the third pattern performed by the third pattern display device 81, etc.

In this special symbol variation process 2, first, it is determined whether or not a special symbol jackpot is currently in progress (S4001). The special symbol jackpot period includes the period during which the first symbol display device 37 and the third symbol display device 81 are displaying a special symbol jackpot (including during a special symbol jackpot game), and the period during a predetermined time after the special symbol jackpot game ends. If the determination results in a special symbol jackpot (S4001: Yes), this process ends.

On the other hand, if the special symbol is not in the jackpot (S4001: No), it is determined whether the display state of the first symbol display device 37 is changing (S4002), and if the display state of the first symbol display device 37 is not changing (S4002: No), the value of the special symbol 1 reserved ball number counter 203d (the number of reserved balls for the special symbol change display N1) and the value of the special symbol 2 reserved ball number counter 203e (the number of reserved balls for the special symbol change display N2) are obtained (S4003). Next, it is determined whether the change is to be performed with the reserved balls for the first special symbol (hereinafter referred to as special symbol 1) or the reserved balls for the second special symbol (hereinafter referred to as special symbol 2), and a change execution determination process is executed to set the change execution flag 203i (S4004). The change execution determination process will be described later with reference to FIG. 127.

The change execution flag 203i set by the change execution determination process (S4004) is determined to be a change execution on special chart 1 (S4005), and if the change execution is not for special chart 1 (S4005: No), the change execution flag 203i is determined to be a change execution on special chart 2 (S4010), and if the change execution is not for special chart 2 (S4010: No), this process is terminated.

On the other hand, if the change execution flag 203i is set to change to special pattern 1 (S4005: Yes), the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is decremented by 1 (S4006), and a reserved ball number command indicating the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d changed by the calculation is set (S4007). The reserved ball number command set here is stored in a ring buffer for command transmission provided in the RAM 203, and is transmitted to the voice lamp control device 113 during the external output process (S1001) of the main process (see FIG. 67) executed by the MPU 201, which will be described later. When the voice lamp control device 113 receives the reserved ball number command, it extracts the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d from the reserved ball number command, and stores the extracted value in the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 223b of the RAM 223.

After the reserved ball count command is set by the process of S4007, the data stored in the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a is shifted (S4008). In the process of S4008, the data stored in the reserved area 1 to reserved area 4 of the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a is shifted in order to the execution area side. More specifically, the data in each area is shifted in the following order: reserved area 1 → execution area, reserved area 2 → reserved area 1, reserved area 3 → reserved area 2, reserved area 4 → reserved area 3. After the data is shifted, the special pattern 1 change start process is executed to start the change display in the first pattern display device 37 (S4009). The special pattern 1 change start process will be described later with reference to FIG. 128.

In the processing of S4005, if the change execution flag 203i is not a change execution for special chart 1 (S4005: No), it is determined whether the change execution flag 203i is a change execution for special chart 2 (S4010), and if the change execution flag 203i is a change execution for special chart 2 (S4010: Yes), the same processing as the processing for the reserved balls of special chart 1 described above is performed for the reserved balls of special chart 2.

Specifically, the value (N2) of the special pattern 2 reserved ball counter 203e is decremented by 1 (S4011), and a reserved ball count command is set indicating the value of the special pattern 2 reserved ball count counter 203e changed by the calculation (S4012). The reserved ball count command set here updates the special pattern 2 reserved ball count counter 223c in the RAM 223. After the reserved ball count command is set by the process of S4012, the data stored in the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b is shifted (S4013), and a special pattern 2 change start process is executed to start the change display in the first pattern display device 37 (S4014). The special pattern 2 change start process will be described later with reference to FIG. 129.

In the process of S4002, if the display mode of the first pattern display device 37 is changing (S4002: Yes), it is determined whether the change time of the change display being executed in the first pattern display device 37 has elapsed (S4015). The change time of the change display being executed in the first pattern display device 37 is determined according to the change pattern selected by the change type counter CS1 (determined according to the change pattern command), and if this change time has not elapsed (S4015: No), the display of the first pattern display device 37 is updated (S4016), and this process is terminated.

On the other hand, in the process of S4015, if the change time of the executed change display has elapsed (S4015: Yes), the display mode corresponding to the stopped pattern of the first pattern display device 37 is set (S4017). The setting of the stopped pattern is performed in advance by the special pattern 1 change start process (S4009) described later with reference to FIG. 128 or the special pattern 2 change start process (S4014) described later with reference to FIG. 129. When this special pattern 1 change start process or special pattern 2 change start process is executed, the stopped pattern of the first special pattern or the second special pattern is set based on the values of various counters stored in the execution area of the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a or the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b. More specifically, if the jackpot is the first special symbol, then the value of the first jackpot type counter C2 determines whether it will be jackpot A or jackpot B, and if the jackpot is the second special symbol, then the value of the first jackpot type counter C2 determines whether it will be jackpot A or jackpot B.

In this embodiment, if a jackpot A is obtained, the blue LED in the first pattern display device 37 is turned on, and if a jackpot B is obtained, the red LED is turned on. If a miss occurs, the red and green LEDs are turned on. The LEDs are turned off when the next variation display starts, but may be turned on for only a few seconds after the variation stops.

After the process of S4017 is completed, when the ongoing variable display is started on the first symbol display device 37, it is determined whether the display of the special symbol (the current lottery result) performed by the special symbol variable start process is a special symbol jackpot (S4018). Then, if the current lottery result is a special symbol jackpot (S4018: Yes), the start of the jackpot is set (S4019), and the process proceeds to S4022.

Meanwhile, in the process of S4018, if the current lottery result is a miss for the special pattern (S4018: No), it is determined whether the value of the time-saving counter 203g is greater than 0 (S4020), and if it is determined that the value of the time-saving counter 203g is greater than 0 (S4020: Yes), the value of the time-saving counter 203g is decremented by 1 (S4021) and the process proceeds to S4022. On the other hand, if it is determined that the value of the time-saving counter 203g is 0 (S4020: No), the process of S4021 is skipped and the process proceeds to S4022.

In the process of S4022, which is executed after the processes of S4019, S4020, or S4021, a stop command is set to synchronize the lighting of the LED, which is the display mode of the first pattern display device 37 corresponding to the stop pattern set in the process of S4017, with the stop of the fluctuation of the third pattern display device 81 (S4022).

Next, referring to FIG. 127, the change execution determination process (S4004) executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 will be described. FIG. 127 is a flowchart showing the change execution determination process (S4004). This change execution determination process (S4004) is a process executed in the special pattern change process 2 (see FIG. 126) of the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58), and is a process for determining whether the presentation pattern (change presentation pattern) of the change presentation performed by the first pattern display device 37 and the third pattern display device 81 is to be executed based on the values of various counters stored in either the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a or the special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area 203b.

In the change execution determination process, first, initialization is performed by setting the change execution flag 203i to 0 (S4101), and data in the change order storage area 203j is obtained (S4102). After that, the data in the change order storage area 203j is shifted (S4103). In the process of S4103, the data stored in the first to eighth areas of the change order storage area 203j is shifted to the execution area side in order. More specifically, the data in each area is shifted in the following order: first area → execution area, second area → first area, third area → second area, fourth area → reserved third area, fifth area → fourth area, sixth area → fifth area, seventh area → reserved sixth area, eighth area → reserved seventh area, and so on. After the data is shifted, it is determined whether the data in the execution area is special chart 1 (S4104).

If it is determined in the processing of S4104 that the data in the execution area is special pattern 1 (S4104: Yes), the change execution flag 203i is set to change execution in special pattern 1 (S4105), this processing is terminated, and the process returns to special pattern change processing 2.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the data in the execution area is not special pattern 1 (S4104: No), it is determined whether the data in the execution area is special pattern 2 (S4106). If it is determined in the processing of S4106 that the data in the execution area is special pattern 2 (S4106: Yes), the change execution flag 203i is set to change execution in special pattern 2 (S4107), this processing is terminated, and the process returns to special pattern change processing 2.

If it is determined in the processing of S4106 that the data in the execution area is not special symbol 2 (S4106: No), since there are no reserved balls to execute the fluctuation, the fluctuation execution flag 203i remains in the initial state, this processing is terminated, and the process returns to the special symbol fluctuation processing.

Next, referring to FIG. 128, the special symbol 1 change start process (S4009) executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 will be described. FIG. 128 is a flowchart showing the special symbol 1 change start process (S4009). This special symbol 1 change start process (S4009) is a process executed in the special symbol change process 2 (see FIG. 126) of the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58), and is a process for determining the presentation pattern (changing presentation pattern) of the changing presentation performed by the first pattern display device 37 and the third pattern display device 81 based on the values of various counters stored in the execution area of the special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a.

In the special symbol 1 variation start process, first, the values of the first winning random number counter C1, the first winning type counter C2, and the stop type selection counter C3 of the first special symbol stored in the execution area of the special symbol 1 reserved ball storage area 203a are obtained (S4201), and it is determined whether or not the special symbol is in a special winning state (S4202). Specifically, if the special winning counter 203g is greater than 0, it is determined that the special symbol is in a special winning state, and if the special winning counter 203g is 0, it is determined that the special symbol is not in a special winning state. If it is determined that the special symbol is in a special winning state (S4202: Yes) in the process of S4202, the lottery result is obtained based on the special symbol jackpot random number table 202a's high probability jackpot determination value (S4203), and the process proceeds to S4205. Here, the result of the lottery for the special symbol is determined by comparing the value of the first winning random number counter C1 updated in the process of S103 with the value (winning value) stored in the high probability jackpot determination value (FIG. 52(a)) of the first winning random number table 202a one by one (S4203). If the value of the first winning random number counter C1 is in the range of "0 to 9", it is determined to be a jackpot, and if it is in the range of "10 to 399", it is determined to be a miss (see FIG. 52(a)).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the game is not in a special probability mode (S4202: No), the lottery result is obtained based on the low probability jackpot determination value and the small probability jackpot determination value of the special symbol jackpot random number table 202a (S4204), and the process moves to S4205. Here, the lottery result for the special symbol is determined by comparing the value of the first jackpot random number counter C1 updated in the process of S103 with the value (win value) stored in the high probability jackpot determination value (Figure 52 (a)) of the special symbol jackpot random number table 202a one by one (S4204). If the value of the first jackpot random number counter C1 is "7", it is determined to be a jackpot, and if it is within the range of "0 to 6" or "8 to 399", it is determined to be a miss (see Figure 52 (a)).

Next, a winning information command including the lottery result is set (S4205), and the process proceeds to S4206. In S4206, it is determined whether the lottery result obtained in S4203 or S4204 is a jackpot. If it is determined that the lottery result obtained in S4203 or S4204 is a jackpot (S4206: Yes), the display mode is set from the special chart 1 selection table 202b1 based on the value of the first winning type counter C2 obtained in S4201 (S4207), and the process proceeds to S4208.

More specifically, the acquired value of the first winning type counter C2 is compared with the random number value stored in the jackpot type selection table 202b to determine which of the two types of special pattern jackpots (jackpot A, jackpot B) the jackpot type is. As described above, if the value of the first winning type counter C2 is in the range of "0 to 59", it is determined to be jackpot A (16R special jackpot), and if it is in the range of "60 to 99", it is determined to be jackpot B (16R normal jackpot) (see FIG. 52(b)).

In the process of S4207, the display mode (illumination state of LED 37a) of the first symbol display device 37 is set according to the determined jackpot type (jackpot A, jackpot B). In addition, the jackpot type (jackpot A, jackpot B) is set as the stop type so that the stop pattern corresponding to the jackpot type is stopped and displayed on the third symbol display device 81.

Next, the big win fluctuation pattern is determined based on the value of the fluctuation type counter CS1 (S4208). When the fluctuation pattern is set in the process of S4208, the fluctuation time (display time) of the fluctuation performance in the first pattern display device 37 is set, and the fluctuation time of the third pattern until it stops at the big win pattern in the third pattern display device 81 is determined. At this time, the value of the fluctuation type counter CS1 stored in the counter buffer 203i of the RAM 203 is confirmed, and the fluctuation time of the pattern fluctuation such as normal reach, super reach, etc. is determined based on the value of the fluctuation type counter CS1. The relationship between the numerical value of the fluctuation type counter CS1 and the type of pattern fluctuation is specified in the fluctuation pattern selection table 202d (see Figures 53 (a) to (d)). Specifically, when a jackpot occurs, if the value of the fluctuation type counter CS1 is in the range of "0 to 50", the fluctuation pattern is normal reach (30 seconds), if it is in the range of "51 to 179", the fluctuation pattern is super reach (60 seconds), and if it is in the range of "180 to 198", the fluctuation pattern is special reach (90 seconds) (see Figure 53 (b)).

If it is determined in the process of S4206 that the special pattern is a miss (S4206: No), the display mode of the miss is set (S4209). In the process of S4209, the display mode of the first pattern display device 37 is set to a display mode corresponding to the missing pattern, and the stop type to be displayed on the third pattern display device 81 is determined based on the value of the stop type selection counter C3 stored in the execution area of the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a. For example, the stop types specified include "reach for miss before or after", "reach for other than miss before or after", and "complete miss".

Next, the pattern of the loss is determined (S4210). In normal times (when the probability variation counter 203 is 0), it is determined based on the loss (normal) selection table 202d2, and in probability variation (when the probability variation counter 203g is greater than 0), it is determined based on the loss (probability variation) selection table 202d3. Here, the display time of the first symbol display device 37 is set, and the variation time of the third symbol until it stops at the loss symbol in the third symbol display device 81 is determined. At this time, as in the processes of S4208 and S4210, the value of the variation type counter CS1 stored in the counter buffer 203i of the RAM 203 is confirmed, and the variation time of the symbol variation such as normal reach and super reach is determined based on the value of the variation type counter CS1. The relationship between the value of the variation type counter CS1 and the type of symbol variation is specified in the variation pattern selection table 202d (see Figures 53 (a) to (d)). Specifically, if there is a complete miss when not in a special chance, if the value of the fluctuation type counter CS1 is in the range of "0 to 98", it is a short miss (7 seconds), if it is in the range of "99 to 198", it is a long miss (10 seconds); if it is a reach, if the value of the fluctuation type counter CS1 is in the range of "0 to 149", it is a normal reach (30 seconds), if it is in the range of "150 to 197", it is a super reach (60 seconds), and if it is "198", it is a special reach (90 seconds).

When the processing of S4208 and S4210 is completed, next, a variation pattern command is set to notify the display control device 114 of the variation pattern determined in the processing of S4208 and S4210 (S4211). Next, a stop type command is set to notify the display control device 114 of the stop type set in the processing of S4208 and S4210 (S4212). These variation pattern commands and stop type commands are stored in a ring buffer for command transmission provided in RAM 203, and these commands are transmitted to the voice lamp control device 113 in the external output processing of S1001 of the main processing (FIG. 67). The voice lamp control device 113 transmits the stop type command as is to the display control device 114. When the processing of S4212 is completed, the process returns to the special symbol variation processing.

Next, referring to FIG. 129, the special symbol 2 change start process (S4014) executed by the MPU 201 in the main control device 110 will be described. FIG. 129 is a flowchart showing the special symbol 2 change start process (S4014). This special symbol 2 change start process (S4014) is a process executed within the special symbol change process (see FIG. 59) of the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58), and is a process for determining the presentation pattern (changing presentation pattern) of the changing presentation performed by the first pattern display device 37 and the third pattern display device 81 based on the values of various counters stored in the execution area of the special symbol 2 reserved ball storage area 203b.

In this special symbol 2 variation start process, similar to the special symbol 1 variation start process (S4009), the first winning random number counter C1 for the second special symbol and the lottery result based on the judgment value of the special symbol jackpot random number table 202a are obtained by the process of S4301. Except for the processes of S4307 and S4309, the same process as the process of S4009 is performed on the data of the execution area in the reserved ball storage area of the second special symbol, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The process of S4307 is executed when the lottery result obtained in the process of S4303 or S4304 is a jackpot (S4306: Yes). In the process of S4307, the jackpot variation pattern is determined based on the special pattern 2 selection table 202e2 (Fig. 54 (c)) (S4307). When the variation pattern is set in the process of S4307, the variation time (display time) of the variation performance in the first pattern display device 37 is set, and the variation time of the third pattern until it stops at the jackpot pattern in the third pattern display device 81 is determined. The relationship between the value of the variation type counter CS1 and the type of pattern variation is specified in the time-saving variation pattern selection table 202e (see Figs. 54 (a) to (c)). Specifically, regardless of the value of the variation type counter CS1 (within the entire range of values), the variation pattern is the time-saving B (0.5 seconds) variation pattern (see Fig. 54 (c)).

In addition, the process of S4309 is executed when the lottery result obtained in the process of S4303 or S4304 is a miss (S4306: No). In the process of S4309, the miss variation pattern is determined based on the special pattern 2 time-saving variation pattern table 202e2 (Fig. 54 (c)) (S4309). When the variation pattern is set in the process of S4309, the variation time (display time) of the variation performance in the first pattern display device 37 is set, and the variation time of the third pattern until it stops at the big win pattern in the third pattern display device 81 is determined. The relationship between the value of the variation type counter CS1 and the type of pattern variation is specified in the time-saving variation pattern selection table 202e (see Figs. 54 (a) to (c)). Specifically, regardless of the value of the variation type counter CS1 (within the entire range of values), the variation pattern is the time-saving miss B (0.5 seconds) variation pattern (see Fig. 54 (c)).

Next, referring to FIG. 130, the start winning process 2 (S121) executed by the MPU 201 in the main control unit 110 will be described. FIG. 130 is a flowchart showing this start winning process 2 (S121). This start winning process 2 (S121) is executed within the timer interrupt process (see FIG. 58), and is a process for determining whether or not there has been a win (start winning) at the first start port 63a, and for holding the values indicated by the various random number counters if there has been a start winning.

When the start winning process 2 is executed, first, it is determined whether or not the ball has won the first start hole 63a (start winning) (S4401). Here, the ball entering the first start hole 63a is detected over three timer interrupt processes. Then, when it is determined that the ball has won the first start hole 63a (S4401: Yes), the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d (the number of reserved times N1 of the variable display in the special pattern) is obtained (S4402). Then, it is determined whether or not the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball number counter 203d is less than the upper limit value (4 in this embodiment) (S4403).

Then, if there is no winning entry into the first starting hole 63a (S4401: No), or if there is a winning entry into the first starting hole 63a but the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is not less than 4 (S4403: No), the process proceeds to S4408. On the other hand, if there is a winning entry into the first starting hole 63a (S4401: Yes) and the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is less than 4 (S4403: Yes), the value (N1) of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d is incremented by 1 (S4404). Then, a reserved ball number command is set that indicates the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d that has been changed by the calculation (S4405).

The reserved ball count command set here is stored in a ring buffer for command transmission provided in the RAM 203, and is transmitted to the voice lamp control device 113 during the external output process (S1001) of the main process (see FIG. 67) executed by the MPU 201, which will be described later. When the voice lamp control device 113 receives the reserved ball count command, it extracts the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball count counter 203d from the reserved ball count command, and stores the extracted value in the special pattern 1 reserved ball count counter 223b in the RAM 223.

After the reserved ball number command is set by the process of S4405, the values of the first winning random number counter C1, the first winning type counter C2, and the stop type selection counter C3 updated in S103 of the timer interrupt process described above are stored in the special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area 203a (S4406), special pattern 1 is stored in the first area of the variable order storage area 203j (S4407), and the process proceeds to S4408. In addition, in the process of S4407, the value of the special pattern 1 reserved ball counter 203d or the special pattern 2 reserved ball counter 203e is referenced, and if the total value is 1, the first area is set as the first area. Similarly, if the value is 2, the second area is set as the first area, if the value is 3, the third area is set as the first area, and if the value is 4, the fourth area is set as the first area. By determining the value set in this change order storage area 203j using the change execution determination process (S4004) described above, even in the case of this embodiment where the starting hole has two types of changes, one that changes the first special pattern and one that changes the second special pattern, the changes can be started in the order in which the winning symbols enter the starting hole.

In the process of S4408, it is determined whether the ball has entered the second starting hole 63b (starting winning) (S4408). If it is determined that the ball has entered the second starting hole 63b (S4408: Yes), the same process is performed on the special pattern 2 reserved ball counter 203e as when the ball has entered the first starting hole 63a.

More specifically, the value of the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e (the number of reserved balls N2 for the variable display in the special symbol) is obtained (S4409), and if the value is less than the upper limit (4 in this embodiment) (S4410: Yes), the value (N2) of the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e is incremented by 1 (S4411), and a reserved ball number command indicating the value of the special symbol 2 reserved ball counter 203e is set (S4412). Then, the values of the first winning random number counter C1, the first winning type counter C2, and the stop type selection counter C3 are stored in the special symbol 2 reserved ball storage area 203b (S4413), the special symbol 2 is set in the first area of the variable order storage area 203j (S4414), and the process proceeds to S4415. Note that the determination of the first area in S4414 is performed in the same manner as in S4407.

If there is no winning ball in the second starting hole 63b (S4408: No), or if there is a winning ball in the second starting hole 63b but the value (N2) of the special pattern 2 reserved ball counter 203e is not less than 4 (S4410: No), a look-ahead process is executed (S4415) and the process ends.

<Regarding control process executed by the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment>
Next, referring to Figures 131 to 146, the control process executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 in this fourth embodiment will be described. In this fourth embodiment, the contents of the 8-item reserved performance, the composite display performance, and the time performance (synchronization performance) are different from those of the second embodiment described above. The other parts are the same, and the same parts are given the same reference numerals and their detailed description will be omitted.

First, referring to FIG. 131, the start-up process 2 executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 131 is a flowchart showing this start-up process 2. As in the second embodiment described above, this start-up process 2 is a process that is performed when the voice lamp control device 113 is powered on. In start-up process 2, as in the second embodiment, the processes from S1201 to S1211 are executed. Thereafter, time setting process 2 (S1251 in FIG. 132) is executed, and the process moves to main process 2.

Now, referring to FIG. 132, the time setting process 2 (S1251) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 132 is a flowchart showing the time setting process 2 (S1251). This time setting process 2 (S1251) is a process executed in the start-up process 2, and is a process for setting the time (time) when the power is turned on (when the power is started) based on the time information acquired from the RTC 292, and for setting the start-up flag 223α to ON in order to execute a process that is executed only for a predetermined time from the time of power start-up.

In time setting process 2, similar to the second embodiment described above, time information is acquired from the RTC 292, which is a clock means (S1221). Then, based on the acquired time information, the startup time is set in the setting time memory area 223j (S1261), and the startup flag 223α is set to ON (S1262).

By executing this process and setting the startup flag 223α to ON, it is possible to perform a process that can only be operated for a specified period of time after the power is turned on (the identification number input process (see FIG. 135)).

Next, main processing 2 executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described with reference to FIG. 133. FIG. 133 is a flowchart showing main processing 2. This main processing 2 is executed after start-up processing 2 of the voice lamp control device 113 is completed. This main processing 2 executes the processes from S1301 to S1306, similar to the second embodiment described above. Thereafter, frame button input monitoring and performance processing 2 is executed (S1351). Details of this frame button input monitoring and performance processing (S1351) will be described later with reference to FIG. 134.

After the frame button input monitoring/performance process 2 (S1351) is executed, the processes of S1308 to S1312 are executed as in the second embodiment described above. Then, the variable display setting process 2 (S1352) is executed. Details of this variable display setting process 2 (S1352) will be described later with reference to FIG. 139. After the variable display setting process 2 (S1352) is executed, the processes of the 8-piece performance setting process (S1353) and the synchronous performance management process 2 (S1354) are executed in that order. Then, as in the second embodiment described above, the processes of S1317 to S1321 are executed. Details of the 8-piece performance setting process (S1353) will be described later with reference to FIG. 136, and details of the synchronous performance management process 2 (S1354) will be described later with reference to FIG. 144.

Now, referring to FIG. 134, we will explain the frame button input monitoring and performance process 2 (S1351) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113. FIG. 133 is a flowchart showing the frame button input monitoring and performance process 2. This frame button input monitoring and performance process 2 (S1351) is executed within the main process 2 executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113, and in addition to the same content as the frame button input monitoring and performance process (S1307 in FIG. 80) of the second embodiment described above, it is a process for inputting an identification number used to set the period (time performance period) for performing the synchronous performance described below.

In frame button input monitoring and performance process 2, the identification number input process (S1851) is executed first.

Here, this identification number input process will be described with reference to FIG. 135. FIG. 135 is a flowchart showing the identification number input process (S1851).

In the identification number input process (S1851), first, it is determined whether or not the pattern is changing (S4501). If it is determined that the pattern is changing (S4501: Yes), this process is completed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the pattern is not changing (S4501: No), it is determined whether or not the startup flag 223α is set to on (S4502). If the startup flag 223α is not set to on (S4501: Yes), this process is completed.

On the other hand, if the startup flag 223α is set to ON (S4501: No), it is determined whether or not 20 minutes have passed since startup (S4503). This determination is made by comparing the startup time set in the set time storage area (S1261 in FIG. 132) with the current time information obtained from the RTC 292. If 20 minutes have passed since startup, the startup flag is set to OFF (S4504) and this process is completed. On the other hand, if 20 minutes have not passed since startup, it is determined whether or not an identification number input operation has been performed (S4504).

Here, the identification number input operation will be described. In the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment, a predetermined input operation can be performed using the frame button 22. If the frame button 22 is pressed once within a predetermined time (within 20 minutes in this embodiment) after the power is turned on and the pattern is not changing on the display screen of the third pattern display device 81 (for example, while a demo screen is being displayed), an identification number input screen is displayed. After inputting a desired identification number on the identification number input screen, the user can select "input complete" displayed on the display screen of the third pattern display device 81 to input the identification number. The method of inputting the identification number may be a method in which multiple input numbers are displayed on the display screen and one of them is selected, or a method in which the identification number is input by selecting multiple numbers from 0 to 9 displayed on the display screen, or a method in which "random" is displayed on the display screen and a predetermined identification number is automatically selected from multiple identification numbers by selecting "random".

In addition, in this embodiment, the specified time after power-on is set to 20 minutes, but this is set as the time during which identification numbers can be input for all pachinko machines 10, even if multiple pachinko machines 10 are powered on at the same time, and this time can be set appropriately.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the period during which an identification number can be input is a predetermined time after power-on, but this is for the purpose of preventing a player from inputting an identification number while playing, and other methods may be adopted as long as they can achieve this purpose. For example, an identification number input operation screen may be displayed on the display screen of the third pattern display device 81 by pressing a switch located in a position that the player cannot operate (for example, on the back of the gaming machine), or the time information clocked by the RTC 292 may be determined to be outside business hours, and the identification number input operation screen may be displayed only outside business hours. Even if such a configuration is adopted, it is possible to prevent a player from inputting an identification number.

Returning to FIG. 135 for further explanation, if no identification number input operation has been performed in S4505, this process is terminated. In other words, if no identification number input operation has been performed before the predetermined time has elapsed since power-on, there is a possibility that an identification number input operation will be performed before the predetermined time has elapsed, so this determination is repeated until the predetermined time has elapsed.

On the other hand, if an identification number input operation has been performed (S4505: Yes), the input identification number is stored in the identification number storage area 223x (S4506), the startup flag 223α is set to off (S4504), and this process ends.

The identification number input process described above allows the identification number, which is a parameter required for setting the period during which the synchronous performance described below will be performed (time performance period), to be set only within a limited time, that is, within a specified time after power-on, and the period during which the synchronous performance will be performed is changed based on the identification number set by this process. Therefore, it is possible to allow the store to easily input the identification number and prevent players from easily inputting the identification number, so that even if the store intentionally assigns the same identification number to adjacent machines in an attempt to perform related synchronous performances on the adjacent machines, the identification number set by the store will not be changed by the player, and it is possible to reliably perform the desired synchronous performance.

Now, returning to FIG. 134 for further explanation. After the identification number input process (S1851) is executed, the processes from S1811 to S1813 are executed in the same manner as the processes executed in the second embodiment described above. Then, in S1813, if the reserved performance flag is not set to on, the 8 reserved performance process (see S1852 in FIG. 136) described below is executed, and then the button performance process (see S1853 in FIG. 137) described below is executed. On the other hand, if the reserved performance flag is set to on, the processes of S1814 and S1815 are executed in the same manner as the processes executed in the second embodiment described above.

Next, the 8 ball reserved effect process (S1852) will be described with reference to FIG. 136. FIG. 136 is a flowchart showing the 8 ball reserved effect process (S1852). This 8 ball reserved effect process (S1852) is a process for executing an effect when the frame button 22 is pressed (operated) during the 8 ball effect that is performed when 8 reserved balls are accumulated, the special continuation effect that is performed continuously thereafter, and the additional effect that is executed while the 8 ball effect and the special continuation effect are being performed, and is a process for executing an effect corresponding to the operation of the frame button 22 that is operated when the reserved pattern is a "push" pattern (alert reserved pattern).

In the 8-piece reserved performance process (S1852), first, it is determined whether or not the 8-piece performance flag 223i is set to on (S4601). If the 8-piece performance flag 223i is not set to on (S4601: No), it is then determined whether or not the special continuation performance flag 223t is set to on (S4602). If the special continuation performance flag 223t is not set to on (S4602: No), it is then determined whether or not the additional performance flag is set to on (S4603). If the additional performance flag is not set to on (S4603: No), this process ends.

On the other hand, if the 8-piece effect flag 223i is set to ON (S4601: Yes), the corresponding reserved 8-piece effect is executed (S4604), and the process proceeds to S4603. Note that if the frame button 22 is operated during the 8-piece effect and the notification reserved pattern is not displayed, that is, after the notification reserved pattern (the "push" pattern shown in FIG. 110(a)) has already changed to the result display reserved pattern (the "jackpot!!!?" pattern shown in FIG. 111(a)) by operating the frame button 22, a so-called teasing effect is performed in which the expectation level is expressed by voice and the color of the reserved pattern (for example, the "jackpot!!!?") that has already been changed by the 8-piece effect is changed, rather than executing an effect for the reserved pattern.

In addition, if the special continuation effect flag 223t is set to ON in S4602 (S4602: Yes), the corresponding reserved special continuation effect is executed (S4605), and the process proceeds to S4603. Note that if a special continuation effect is in progress (while the special continuation effect flag 223t is ON) and an operation input is made to the frame button 22 after the reserved symbol has already been changed by operating the frame button 22, a provocative effect is performed based on the operation of the frame button, similar to the above-mentioned 8-symbol effect.

If the additional performance flag 223u is set to on in S4603 (S4603: Yes), the corresponding reserved additional performance flag 223u is set to off (S4606), and the corresponding reserved additional performance is executed (S4607).

As explained above, in the 8-piece reserved presentation (S1852) executed during the frame button input monitoring/presentation process 2 (S1351 in FIG. 134), different presentations are executed based on the settings of the various flags (8-piece presentation flag 223i, special continuation presentation flag 223t, additional presentation flag 223u) at the time the frame button 22 is operated, allowing the player to experience a variety of presentations simply by performing the same operation.

Next, the button effect processing (S1853) will be described with reference to FIG. 137. FIG. 137 is a flowchart showing the button effect processing (S1853). This button effect processing (S1853) is processing for setting the display effect when the frame button 22 is pressed (operated) during a composite display effect, and corresponds to pressing (operating) the frame button 22 based on the button rapid-fire mission displayed in FIG. 114(b) and pressing (operating) the frame button 22 based on the "push" symbol displayed in FIG. 116(b).

In the button effect process (S1853), first, it is determined whether or not the button effect flag 223r is set to ON (S4701). If the button effect flag 223r is not set to ON (S4701: No), this process ends. On the other hand, if the button effect flag 223r is set to ON (S4701: Yes), it is next determined whether or not the button effect stopping symbol (the "push" symbol in FIG. 116(b)) has been stopped (S4702).

Here, we will explain the button effect flag 223r. The button effect flag 223r is a flag that is set to on by the button effect selection process 2 (see FIG. 142) described below, and is set to on when the selected variation pattern is a variation pattern that corresponds to the composite display effect.

In S4702, if the button effect stop symbol has stopped (S4702: Yes), a display command is set that indicates the composite effect mode that corresponds to the selected variation pattern (S4703). In other words, it is determined that the current press (operation) of the frame button 22 is for operating the "Push" symbol displayed in FIG. 116(b), and a display command is set to change the "Push" symbol to a number symbol.

On the other hand, if the button performance stop symbol has not stopped (S4702: No), it is determined whether the button operation valid period has elapsed (S4705). The button operation valid period is the period shown in FIG. 113 (b) and is measured by a counter (not shown). If the button operation valid period has elapsed (S4705: Yes), it is determined whether the button press condition has been met (S4706). In this embodiment, the button press condition is to press the button 50 times (see FIG. 114 (b)).

If the button press condition is not met (S4706: No), the button effect flag is set to OFF (S4704) and this process ends. On the other hand, if the button press condition is met (S4706: Yes), this process ends as is. In other words, if the button press condition has not been met when the button operation valid period has elapsed, the composite display effect is not continued, and after the period (b) in FIG. 113 ends, the normal effect period (c) is entered, so the button effect flag is set to OFF and the button effect process is not performed.

Now, we return to the process of S4705 and continue the explanation. If the button operation valid period has not elapsed at S4705 (S4705: No), the number of button presses is accumulated (S4707) and this process ends.

The button effect processing has been explained above. In this processing, when a composite display effect is selected by the button effect selection processing 2 (see FIG. 142), it is determined whether or not the button has been pressed a sufficient number of times to achieve the button press condition during the valid button operation period (during the button press mission) before the button effect stop pattern stops, and further, when the button is pressed after the button effect stop pattern (the "push" pattern) stops, a display command is set to change the button effect stop pattern to a number pattern. Also, if the button press condition is not achieved, the button effect flag is set to off, and the normal effect pattern (see FIG. 115(a)) is displayed without stopping the button effect stop pattern.

Next, referring to FIG. 138, the notice selection process 2 (S1454) executed in the command determination process (S1312) in the main process 2 (see FIG. 133) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 138 is a flowchart showing the notice selection process 2 (S1454). This notice selection process 2 (S1454) is a process for setting a notice command for display based on the time information obtained from the RTC 292 and the presentation mode set by the synchronous presentation management process 2 (see FIG. 144) described later.

In the preview selection process 2 (S1454), first, the processes of S1501 to S1507 are executed in the same manner as the preview selection process executed in the second embodiment described above. Here, if it is determined in the process of S1505 that presentation mode C is not set, it is determined whether presentation mode D is set (S1541). If presentation mode D is not set (S1541: No), this process is terminated.

On the other hand, if presentation mode D is set (S1541: Yes), a game status preview presentation is selected based on the win/lose determination result and the presentation counter (S1542), and a display preview command indicating the selected preview presentation is set (S1543). Then, this process ends.

Here, the display preview command that is set when presentation mode D is set will be explained. Presentation mode D is a presentation mode that is set only when the period during which the synchronous presentation (time presentation) is performed is set longer than normal (5 minutes) (8 minutes) by the presentation time setting process (see FIG. 145). During such presentation mode D, a preview presentation that may be advantageous to the player is performed so that the player feels satisfied that he or she has entered presentation mode D. For example, a preview presentation that notifies the player that the current game situation is in a high probability change state, a preview presentation that does not appear in other presentation modes, and a preview presentation that is not directly related to the game result but includes information that allows the player to earn a large amount of points that he or she has saved (points to increase the character's level) or information that allows the player to obtain bonus video (information display that can be read by a mobile phone) are conceivable.

Next, referring to FIG. 139, we will explain the winning command receiving process 2 (S1461) that is executed in the command determination process (S1312) in the main process 2 (see FIG. 133) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113. FIG. 139 is a flowchart showing the winning command receiving process 2 (S1461). This winning command receiving process 2 (S1461) is a process that is performed when a winning command transmitted from the main control device 110 is received.

In the winning command reception process 2 (S1461), first, like the winning command reception process (S1411 in FIG. 73) executed in the second embodiment described above, the processes of S1511 and S1512 are executed, and then it is determined whether the additional performance flag is set to ON (S1551). If the additional performance flag is not set to ON (S1551: No), like the second embodiment described above, the processes of S1514 to S1522 are executed.

On the other hand, if the additional effect flag is set to on (S1551: Yes), the additional effect is set (S1552) and this process ends.

Next, referring to FIG. 140, we will explain the variable display setting process 2 (S1352) executed in the main process 2 (see FIG. 133) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113. FIG. 140 is a flowchart showing the variable display setting process 2 (S1352).

In the change display setting process 2 (S1352), first, the processes of S1601 and S1602 are executed, similar to the change display setting process (S1313 in FIG. 74) executed in the second embodiment described above. Then, the change pattern selection process 2 is executed (S1651).

Now, referring to FIG. 141, the variation pattern selection process 2 (S1651) will be described. FIG. 141 is a flowchart showing the variation pattern selection process 2 (S1651). This variation pattern selection process 2 (S1651) is a process that selects and sets a variation pattern based on the current presentation mode and the acquired presentation counter value, similar to the variation pattern selection process (S1603 in FIG. 75) executed in the second embodiment described above.

In the variation pattern selection process 2 (S1651), first, the processes of S1611 and S1612 are executed in the same manner as the variation pattern selection process (S1603) executed in the second embodiment described above. If the performance mode A is set in S1612 (S1612: Yes), the button performance selection process 2 is executed (S1661). Details of the button performance selection process 2 will be described later with reference to FIG. 142.

On the other hand, if presentation mode A is not set in S1612, S1614 and S1615 are executed in the same manner as the variation pattern selection process (S1603) executed in the second embodiment described above. Then, if presentation mode B is not set in S1614 (S1614: No), it is next determined whether presentation mode C is set (S1662).

If it is determined that presentation mode C is set (S1662: Yes), a variation pattern is selected and set from the variation pattern selection table for the corresponding time presentation extension period. On the other hand, if presentation mode C is not set (S1662: No), the current presentation mode is D, so a variation pattern is selected and set from the variation pattern selection table for the special extended presentation period corresponding to presentation mode D.

Here, the button effect selection process 2 (S1661) will be described with reference to FIG. 142. FIG. 142 is a flowchart showing the button effect selection process 2 (S1661).

In the button effect selection process 2, first, the processes of S1621 and S1622 are executed as in the second embodiment described above. Then, in the process of S1622, if the variation pattern selected from the variation pattern selection table is a button effect, the number of times the button is pressed is set (S1671). This number of times the button is pressed is the number of times required to complete the button press mission (see FIG. 114(b)) performed during the composite display effect, and is set to 50 times in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the number of times the button is pressed is set to 50 times as the condition for completing the mission during the composite display effect, but the number of times the button is pressed may be increased or decreased as the mission imposed during the composite display effect (condition setting for reaching the Push effect), or the condition may be operating the frame button at a specified timing.

Then, similar to the second embodiment described above, steps S1623 and S1624 are executed, and then the process ends.

As explained above, in addition to the button effect selection process (S1613 in FIG. 76) executed in the second embodiment described above, the button effect selection process 2 sets the number of button presses as a condition setting for reaching the push effect performed during the composite display effect. By setting this condition, even if the button effect is selected as the variation pattern, the push effect will not be entered unless the player operates the frame button 22 and achieves the set condition (50 button presses). Therefore, the player can actively operate the frame button 22 to see the special effect and participate in the game, thereby enjoying the pachinko machine 10.

Also, if the player feels like watching the normal presentation, they do not need to press the button. This allows the player to select the later presentation depending on their mood.

In this embodiment, the number of times the button is pressed is set to 50, but it is preferable to configure the number of times the button is pressed to be changeable each time a button effect is selected as a variation pattern. Also, even if the number of times the button is pressed as a condition setting is reached, the game does not necessarily transition to a push effect. For example, if the game lottery result is a jackpot, the game will always transition to a push effect, but if the game lottery result is a loss, the game may transition to a push effect only with a predetermined probability (30%). In this way, it is possible to increase the expectation of a jackpot just by transitioning to a push effect, and the player can more actively participate in games that use the operation of the frame button 22.

Also, by making it possible to change the number of button presses set as a condition setting, it is possible to make it difficult for the player to understand whether the push effect did not occur because the lottery result was a loss, or because the conditions were not met. Also, by setting the number of button presses set as a condition setting to one, it is possible to provide an unexpected effect.

When setting the number of times to press the button, it is advisable to set a number that is set only when the result of the game lottery is a jackpot. By configuring it in this way, the player can recognize that the result of the game is a jackpot when the different effects are displayed at a timing different from usual, and will pay more attention to the game effects. This makes it possible to increase the interest of the game.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 116(a), the blank pattern is changed to a "push" pattern, and the "push" pattern is compositely displayed. However, the blank pattern may be changed to various characters, and a sentence (message) corresponding to the characters may be compositely displayed. With such a configuration, the player can predict the compositely displayed sentence by combining the displayed characters at the timing when the blank pattern is changed to various characters, and it is possible to create a sense of expectation for the subsequent game. In addition, when using such a configuration, it is preferable to compositely display the sentence using a part of the displayed characters, rather than using all the various characters displayed to compositely display. In this way, it is possible to allow the player to predict various patterns of sentences. In addition, if the form (color, size, etc.) of the characters that are always used is made different from the other characters in order to make it possible to identify the characters that are always used, it is possible to give the player a hint of the sentence created in the composite display, and it is possible to make it more fun to predict the sentence created in the composite display.

Next, referring to FIG. 143, the 8-piece performance setting process (S1353) executed in main process 2 (see FIG. 133) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 143 is a flowchart showing the 8-piece performance setting process (S1353). This 8-piece performance setting process (S1353) is a process for making various settings related to the reserved symbol performance (see FIG. 110 to FIG. 112) that is performed based on the number of reserved symbols (reserved memory number).

In the 8-piece effect setting process (S1353), first, it is determined whether the 8-piece effect flag 223i is set to ON (S4801). If the 8-piece effect flag 223i is set to ON (S4801: Yes), the additional effect flag 223u is set to ON (S4802). As described above, the additional effect flag 223u is a flag used when determining whether or not to execute an additional winning effect. Then, it is determined whether the value of the 8-piece effect counter 223v is greater than 0 (S4803). As described above, the 8-piece effect counter 223v is a counter that counts the number of pattern changes since the 8-piece effect using the reserved pattern is executed, and if the value is greater than 0, it indicates that the 8-piece effect is continuing.

If the value of the 8-piece effect counter 223v is greater than 0, i.e., the 8-piece effect is continuing (S4803: Yes), this process ends. On the other hand, if the value of the 8-piece effect counter 223v is not greater than 0, i.e., if the value of the 8-piece effect counter 223v is 0 (S4803: No), the 8-piece effect flag 223i is set to off (S4804), and then it is determined whether the number of reserved items is greater than 4 (S4805).

If the number of reserved items is greater than four (S4805: Yes), the special continuation effect flag 223t is set to ON (S4806), and then the value of the special continuation effect counter 223w is set to 5 (S4807), and this process ends. On the other hand, if the number of reserved items is not greater than four (if it is 4 or less) (S4805: No), the additional effect flag 223u is set to OFF (s4811), and this process ends.

Returning to S4801, the explanation will continue. If the 8-effect flag 223i is not on (S4801: No), it is determined whether the special continuation effect flag 223t is set on (S4808). If the special continuation effect flag 223t is not set on (S4808: No), this process ends. On the other hand, if the special continuation effect flag 223t is set on (S4808: Yes), it is determined whether the value of the special continuation effect counter 223w is greater than 0 (S4809).

If the value of the special continuation effect counter 223w is greater than 0 (S4809: Yes), this process is terminated. On the other hand, if the value of the special continuation effect counter 223w is not greater than 0 (if the value of the special continuation effect counter 223w is 0) (S4809: No), the special continuation effect flag 223t is set to off (S4810), and the additional effect flag 223u is set to off (S4811). Then, this process is terminated.

As explained above, this 8-piece effect setting process sets various flags that are referenced when determining whether to perform the 8-piece effect, special continuation effect, or additional winning effect, which are performed based on the number of reserved symbols (reserved memory number).

Next, referring to FIG. 144, the synchronous performance management process 2 (S1354) executed in the main process 2 (see FIG. 133) executed by the MPU 221 in the audio lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 144 is a flowchart showing the synchronous performance management process 2 (S1354). This synchronous performance management process 2 (S1354) is a process for setting a performance mode (A to D) based on time information acquired from the RTC 292, and one additional performance mode is set compared to the synchronous performance management process (S1314) executed in the second embodiment described above.

In the synchronous performance management process 2 (S1354), the performance time setting process (S1751) is executed first. This performance time setting process (S1751) is a process for setting the performance time by using the start-up flag 223α set to on by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113 in the time setting process 2 (S1251 in FIG. 132) executed in the start-up process 2 (FIG. 131) executed after the power is turned on, and the identification number stored in the identification number storage area by the identification number input process (S1851 in FIG. 135) executed by the MPU 221 in the voice lamp control device 113.

Here, the performance time setting process (S1751) will be described with reference to FIG. 145. FIG. 145 is a flowchart showing the performance time setting process (S1751).

In the performance time setting process, first, it is determined whether the performance time has already been set (S4901). If the performance time has already been set (S4901: Yes), this process ends. On the other hand, if the performance time has not been set (S4901: No), it is next determined whether the startup flag is set on (S4902). If the startup flag is set on (S4902: Yes), this process ends. On the other hand, if the startup flag is not set on (S4902: No), the process proceeds to S4903, which will be described later.

In other words, in S4902, the state of the start flag 223α is checked to determine whether the period during which an identification number can be assigned to the pachinko machine 10 has elapsed, and the performance time is set after the period during which an identification number can be assigned to the pachinko machine 10 has elapsed. Note that if the start flag is turned off without an identification number being entered during the identification number input process (S1851 in FIG. 135), the identification number stored as the initial setting in the identification number storage area 223x is used.

After it is determined in S4902 that the start flag is not set to on, the identification number stored in the identification number storage area 223x is obtained (S4903), and the performance time corresponding to the identification number is selected from the performance time selection table (222b). The selected performance time is then stored in the performance time storage area 223y (S4905), and this process is terminated.

The performance time selection table (222b) used in S4904 is configured to be able to select a performance time by referring to the identification number stored in the identification number storage area 223x and the day of the week data created based on the time information acquired from the RTC 292, as described above in FIG. 125. By using such a performance time selection table 222b, the time at which the performance time is provided changes simply when the day of the week changes, so that if you want to change the performance time every day, there is no need to change the identification number every day, which makes it possible to reduce the amount of work involved in making changes.

In addition, two event days are set in addition to the normal day of the week data based on the time information obtained from the RTC 292, but this is not limiting and other parameters may be referenced as long as they can be created based on the time information obtained from the RTC 292. Possible other parameters include a parameter that distinguishes between even and odd days, a parameter that identifies holidays, and a parameter that identifies dates where the month and day are the same (a repeating number).

In addition, in this embodiment, the performance time is set by referring to two parameters, the day of the week data and the identification number, but the performance time may be set by referring to three or more parameters. In this way, more complex combinations can be easily provided.

In this embodiment, the operator can input an identification number as a parameter that can be set by the operator, so that a synchronous performance (time performance) can be executed at the same timing for a specified number of machines (for example, adjacent pachinko machines 10), but other parameters that can be set by the operator may also be provided.

In addition, in this embodiment, the parameters set by the pachinko machine 10 are parameters (day of the week data) based on time information obtained from the RTC 292, but other parameters may be set. For example, it is preferable to set parameters based on the game information of the pachinko machine 10 on the previous day (number of jackpots and number of balls dispensed). This is preferable. By configuring in this way,
In addition, as a means for the operator to set and input parameters, other input means such as a touch panel type input means or a selection button (cross button) for selecting information to be displayed on the display screen may be provided in the pachinko machine 10 in addition to the frame button 22. By providing such input means, it is possible to easily operate even complicated setting inputs. In addition, such input means may be used for the display performance of the pachinko machine 10.

Returning to FIG. 144, the explanation will continue. After executing the presentation time setting process (S1751 in FIG. 145), the processes from S1701 to S1705 are carried out in the same manner as the synchronous presentation management process (S1314 in FIG. 77) executed in the second embodiment described above, and then this process is terminated. On the other hand, if the presentation mode is not set to presentation mode A in S1702, it is determined whether the presentation mode is set to presentation mode B or presentation mode D (S1752).

If it is determined that the mode is not presentation mode B or presentation mode D (S1752: No), the processes of S1709 and S1710 are carried out as in the second embodiment described above, and this process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the mode is presentation mode B or presentation mode D (S1752: Yes), it is determined whether the time information (data) obtained from the RTC 292 is time information 4 minutes 57 seconds after the start of the time presentation (S1753).

The determination in S1753 may be made by comparing the time when the time performance started with the current time to calculate the elapsed time, or a timing of 4 minutes and 57 seconds later may be preset in a time table for performance time (see FIG. 125(b)) and a determination may be made as to whether that timing (time) has elapsed. Furthermore, a configuration may be used in which a timer is provided that starts timing from the timing when the time performance started, without obtaining time information from the RTC292, and the timer is used to time 4 minutes and 57 seconds.

If the time information obtained from the RTC 292 indicates that 4 minutes 57 seconds have not passed since the start of the time performance (S1753: No), this process ends. On the other hand, if the time information obtained from the RTC 292 indicates that 4 minutes 57 seconds have passed since the start of the time performance (S1753: Yes), it is determined whether the current time performance period is 5 minutes (S1754).

If the time presentation period is 5 minutes (S1754: Yes), that is, if the presentation mode is presentation mode C, the process of S1708 is carried out as in the second embodiment described above, and this process ends. On the other hand, if the time presentation period is not 5 minutes (S1754: No), that is, if the presentation mode is presentation mode D, extended presentation setting process 2 is executed (S1755), and this process ends.

Next, the extended performance setting process 2 (S1755) will be described with reference to FIG. 145. FIG. 145 is a flowchart showing the extended performance setting process 2 (S1755). This extended performance setting process 2 is a process that is executed when the time performance period is not 5 minutes, that is, when the time performance period is 8 minutes, and is a process for making the settings necessary to perform a performance that extends the 5-minute time performance period.

In the extended performance setting process 2 (S1755), first, it is determined whether or not a jackpot is occurring (S5001). If it is determined that a jackpot is occurring (S5001: Yes), the normal period flag 223m is set to on (S5002), the performance mode is set to performance mode A (S5003), and then this process is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the jackpot is not being reached (S5001: No), it is determined whether the time presentation period (synchronous presentation period) has ended (S5004). If the time presentation period has not ended (S5004: No), it is then determined whether five minutes have passed since the time presentation began (S5005). If five minutes have not passed since the time presentation began (S5005: No), a re-changing presentation is set (S5008), and this process is terminated.

In other words, S5008 is a process that is performed when S1753 in FIG. 144 determines that 4 minutes and 57 seconds have passed since the start of the time presentation, and S5005 in FIG. 146 determines that 5 minutes have not passed since the start of the time presentation, and is a process that sets the re-changing presentation that will be performed between 4 minutes and 57 seconds and 5 minutes after the start of the time presentation.

Note that the re-changing effect is the same as in the second embodiment, so a description will be omitted.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S5005 that five minutes have passed since the start of the time presentation (S5005: Yes), the extended presentation flag is set to on (S5006), and then the presentation mode is set to presentation mode D (S5007), and this process is terminated.

Returning to S5004, the explanation will continue. If it is determined in S5004 that the time presentation period has ended (S5004: Yes), the normal period flag 223m is set to ON (S5009), and then the presentation mode is set to presentation mode A (S5010). Next, it is determined whether there is winning information in the winning information storage area 223a (S5011).

The winning information storage area 223a stores pending winning/losing judgment results and currently changing winning/losing judgment results, and a maximum of nine judgment results can be stored.

If there is no jackpot information in the winning information storage area 223a (S5011: No), this process ends. On the other hand, if there is jackpot information in the winning information storage area 223a (S5011: Yes), the time until the jackpot fluctuation ends is calculated, and this time is set as the extended performance time in the extended performance time memory area 223q (S5012).

Then, the re-changing performance is set (S5013), the extension performance flag 223p is set to ON (S5014), and the performance mode is set to performance mode C (S5015). Then, this process ends.

The synchronous performance management process 2 described above differs from the synchronous performance management process (S1314 in FIG. 77) executed in the second embodiment described above in that it performs extended performance setting process 2 as processing related to performance mode D newly added in this embodiment, but the other processing is the same.

In this embodiment, even if the presentation mode D, that is, the time presentation period is 8 minutes, as in the other presentation modes, when the time presentation approaches 5 minutes (after 4 minutes and 57 seconds have passed), a premonition display mode is displayed in which the presentation pattern is displayed shaking slightly for 3 seconds (until 5 minutes have passed), as shown in FIG. 120(a). Therefore, the presentation when the time presentation period has passed 5 minutes can be made the same as other pachinko machines 10 in which presentation mode B is set, and the sense of unity of the presentation can be enhanced. In addition, after multiple pachinko machines 10 perform re-variation presentations at the same timing, only the pachinko machines 10 in which presentation mode C or presentation mode D is selected will perform the extended presentation, so that players playing pachinko machines 10 in which presentation mode C or presentation mode D is selected can feel the sense that their pachinko machine 10 has been selected and can feel a sense of superiority.

In the control process of the sound lamp control device 113 in the fourth embodiment described above, the time information acquired from the RTC 292 is used in the control of the synchronous performance, so that a unified performance can be performed across multiple pachinko machines 10. However, if the synchronous performance is to be enjoyed on only two adjacent machines, for example, the RTC 292 may not be used, and a predetermined operation may be performed simultaneously on the frame buttons 22, so that the time performance begins after the predetermined operation is performed. By configuring in this way, the time performance can be enjoyed at any time the player likes, and the problem of players becoming bored with the game early on can be prevented.

In addition, while this embodiment uses performance data (display mode) dedicated to time performance, it is also possible to set and use performance data for time performance from performance data (normal state performance data) that is also used outside the time performance period. In this way, it is possible to reduce the amount of performance data. When using such a configuration, it is advisable to provide a means for restricting the performance data set as performance data for time performance so that it is not displayed outside the time performance period (normal state). In addition, the above-mentioned methods of synchronizing performance modes may be combined with each other.

<Regarding control processing of the display control device 114 in the fourth embodiment>
Next, referring to Fig. 147 and Fig. 148, among the various controls executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114, the points different from the various controls executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114 of the second embodiment described above will be described. In this embodiment, the difference is that a process when a command related to a special continuation effect or an additional effect is received in the pending command process 2 (S2461 in Fig. 147), and a process when a command related to an eight-item effect, a special continuation effect, or an additional effect is received in the effect command process 2 (S2463 in Fig. 148). Note that the same reference numerals are attached to the same parts as the various controls executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114 of the second embodiment described above, and the description will be omitted.

First, with reference to FIG. 147, we will explain pending command processing 2 (S2461) executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114. FIG. 147 is a flowchart showing pending command processing 2 (S2461).

When pending command process 2 (S2461) is executed, the processes from S2801 to S2807 are executed as in the second embodiment described above. Then, if it is determined in S2805 that the received command is not an 8-item effect (S2805: No), it is determined whether the received command is a special continuation effect (S2851). If it is determined that the received command is a special continuation effect (S2851: Yes), the corresponding pending symbol is changed to a special continuation effect symbol and set in the display data table (S2852).

On the other hand, if the received command is not a special continuation effect (S2851: No), it is determined whether the received command is an additional effect (S2853). If it is determined that the received command is not an additional effect (S2853: No), other pending display settings are executed (S2807), and this process ends.

On the other hand, if the received command is for an additional effect (S2853: Yes), the corresponding reserved symbol is changed to an additional effect symbol and set in the display data table (S2854). Then, the settings for other reserved displays are executed (S2807), and this process ends. Note that changing to an additional effect symbol means changing to the "?" symbol shown in FIG. 111(b).

In this embodiment, the reserved command processing 2 is configured to process and set the received command regarding the reserved number and the received command regarding the effect using the reserved pattern at different times. In other words, even if both the command regarding the reserved number and the command regarding the effect using the reserved pattern are stored in the command buffer area, the command regarding the reserved number is processed first, and then the command determination process (S2302 in FIG. 86) is looped and the command regarding the effect using the reserved pattern is processed. By configuring in this way, when the reserved pattern is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114, it is possible to reliably display the reserved pattern in such a way that the normal reserved pattern is displayed once, and then the displayed reserved pattern changes to the effect pattern. Therefore, the player can visually grasp that the reserved patterns have increased and that the increased reserved patterns have changed to the effect patterns.

The above configuration can be further effective by being executed in the eight-piece presentation performed in this embodiment. In other words, the eight-piece presentation performed in this embodiment is a presentation that can be executed when the number of reserved symbols becomes eight, and one presentation mode (character string) is displayed using eight reserved symbols (Figure 111 (a)). When performing such a reserved symbol presentation, if the process of displaying the eighth reserved symbol and the process of displaying the eight-piece presentation are performed simultaneously, there is a risk that the seven reserved symbols display on the third symbol display screen will suddenly be switched to the eight-piece presentation. If the reserved symbol display is changed in this way, it becomes difficult for the player to visually recognize that the eighth reserved symbol has occurred. In contrast, as in this embodiment, even if both commands related to the reserved number and commands related to effects using the reserved patterns are stored in the command buffer area, the command related to the reserved number is processed first, and then the command determination process (S2302 in FIG. 86) is looped before the command related to effects using the reserved patterns is processed. This makes it possible to provide a time lag between the processing of the command related to the reserved number and the processing of the command related to effects using the reserved patterns, thereby making it possible to prevent the above-mentioned problem.

The period for displaying the eighth reserved symbol should be long enough for the player to recognize the increase in reserved symbols (20 milliseconds or more), and if necessary, a process may be provided to provide a time lag between displaying the eighth reserved symbol and displaying the eight effect (delaying the timing of displaying the eight effect).

In addition, it is advisable to include display data for displaying eight regular reserved symbols at the beginning of the display data for the eight-symbol effect patterns set in the display data table in S2806 of FIG. 147. By doing this, it is possible to reliably display eight regular reserved symbols when processing and displaying a command for the eight-symbol effect.

Next, referring to FIG. 148, the effect command process 2 (S2463) executed by the MPU 231 of the display control device 114 will be described. FIG. 148 is a flowchart showing the effect command process 2 (S2463). This effect command process 2 differs from the effect command process (S2413 in FIG. 90) executed in the second embodiment described above in that it adds processes corresponding to the commands for the 8 effect, special continuation effect, and additional effect, but the rest of the process is the same, so a description thereof will be omitted.

First, when effect command process 2 (S2463) is executed, similar to the effect command process (S2413) executed in the second embodiment described above, the processes of S2901 to S2904 are executed. Then, if it is determined in S2903 that the effect is not a pseudo-extension effect (S2903: No), it is determined whether the received command is an 8-piece effect, a special continuation effect, or an additional effect (S2951). If it is not an 8-piece effect, a special continuation effect, or an additional effect (S2951: No), the processes of S2907 to S2912 are executed similar to the second embodiment described above, and this process ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S2951 that the received command is either an 8-item effect, a special continuation effect, or an additional effect (S2951: Yes), the display data table for the 8-item effect, special continuation effect, or additional effect corresponding to the command is set in the display data table buffer.

In this embodiment, a technique for setting various display effects related to the variation of the third symbol displayed on the third symbol display device 81 based on time information obtained from the RTC292 has been described, but only sound and lamp control may be performed based on time information obtained from the RTC292. In this way, the player will concentrate on playing in order to sense a slight sense of incongruity, which can increase the player's motivation to play.

In addition to the effect display related to the variation of the third symbol, various effect displays may be set based on time information obtained from the RTC 292. For example, in the effect related to the jackpot game, the start timing of the jackpot video and jackpot sound to be executed may be controlled by time information obtained from the RTC 292. Specifically, in the bonus game executed when the result of the judgment based on the ball entering the winning hole (ball entry hole) is the judgment result of providing a predetermined bonus (jackpot), the timing of the start of the bonus effect (jackpot video, jackpot sound (BGM), etc.) provided as the bonus game is controlled to be a predetermined timing (for example, the timing of 00 seconds per minute) based on the time information obtained from the timing means (RTC 292). By configuring in this way, even if adjacent pachinko machines 10 win with a slight time difference (for example, a time difference of about 30 seconds), the jackpot effect (video and sound) executed during the jackpot game is synchronized, so that it is possible to provide a performance with a sense of unity even during the jackpot game.

Furthermore, by synchronizing the timing of the presentation during a jackpot play that notifies the player of the game state after the jackpot play (presentation that notifies the player whether or not the game will enter a special state after the jackpot play ends), it is possible to provide a more unified presentation.

In addition, when the effects during a jackpot game are synchronized based on time information obtained from the RTC 292 in this manner, the content of the effects (video and audio) during a jackpot game may be different between adjacent pachinko machines 10. For example, by providing a female pattern and a male pattern for the audio during a jackpot game, effects of different content can be combined through synchronized effects during a jackpot game, making it possible to provide a more unified effect.

In this embodiment, in order to execute a performance with a sense of unity between adjacent pachinko machines 10, a technology based on time information acquired from the RTC 292 is used, but other technologies may be adopted. For example, the pachinko machine 10 is provided with a notification unit (a display unit that identifiably displays information based on the game, such as information that a jackpot game is in progress or information that the hit/miss determination result is a jackpot and is stored on hold) that identifiably notifies the information based on the game, and a detection unit (light detection sensor) that detects the notification state of the notification unit, and the information notified by the notification unit in the pachinko machine 10 is detected by the detection unit of the pachinko machine 10 adjacent to the pachinko machine 10, so that the information based on the game of the adjacent pachinko machine 10 can be determined, and the adjacent pachinko machines 10 can be configured to execute a performance that is synchronized with each other based on the determination result. By configuring in this way, for example, it is possible to execute a performance such as a jackpot in the adjacent pachinko machines 10 in a synchronized manner.

Fifth Embodiment
Next, the pachinko machine 10 in the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 149 to 159. In this fifth embodiment, the configuration of the distribution unit 1164 is different from that of the fourth embodiment described above, and the display control related to the third symbol display device 81 (main screen) and the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub-screen) is different from that of the third embodiment, but the other configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiments. The same parts are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The differences between the fourth embodiment and the configuration of the distribution unit 1164 in the fifth embodiment are that the balls entering the distribution unit 1164 are distributed in three directions, and that a through gate 67 (1067) is provided within the distribution unit 1164.

The differences between the display control of the fifth embodiment and the third embodiment are that the display control is performed so that a pseudo-variable display is displayed on the sub-LCD based on the result of the pending stored pass/fail judgment, and that the display content displayed on the main LCD and the sub-LCD can be switched.

Figure 149 is a front view of the game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10 in the fifth embodiment. As shown in Figure 149, below the variable display unit 80 provided on the front of the game board 13, a distribution unit 1164 into which balls can enter is disposed. Balls that enter this distribution unit 1164 are configured to be distributed to the first winning port 1964a, the left second winning port 1964b, or the through gate 1067, which will be described later.

Now, with reference to Figure 150, the configuration of the sorting unit 1164 will be described. Figures 150(a) and (b) are diagrams showing the internal structure of the sorting unit 1164. The structure of the two sorting members 1900, 1950 provided inside the sorting unit 1164 is the same as the sorting member 900 used in the fourth embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that different reference numerals have been used for the convenience of explaining this embodiment.

First, using FIG. 150(a), we will explain the flow when a ball enters the distribution unit 1164. The ball that enters the distribution unit 1164 passes through the ball entry sensor 1164 and is stored in the storage section 1900c of the first distribution member 1900 provided at the top of the distribution unit 1164. The ball flows down while rotating the distribution member 1900 clockwise due to its own weight, is guided to the guide member 1900z2, and is stored in the storage section 1950c of the second distribution member 1950.

The ball stored in the storage section 1950c of the second distribution member 1950 flows down while rotating the second distribution member 1950 clockwise due to its own weight, and enters the first winning hole 1964a. Next, the ball that enters the distribution unit 1164 is stored in the storage section 1900a of the first distribution member, flows down while rotating the first distribution member 1900 counterclockwise, is guided by the guide member 1900z1, and passes through the through gate 1067. The ball that passes through the through gate 1067 passes through a hole (not shown) provided on the surface of the game board 13, and flows down to the back side of the pachinko machine 10.

The next ball that enters the sorting unit 1164 is stored in the storage section 1900c of the first sorting member, flows down while rotating the first sorting member 1900 clockwise, is guided to the guide member 1900z2, and is stored in the storage section 1950a of the second sorting member 1950.

The ball stored in the storage section 1950a of the second distribution member 1950 rotates the second distribution member 1950 counterclockwise due to its own weight, flows down, and enters the left second winning hole 1964b. The next ball that enters the distribution unit 1164 passes through the through gate 1067 following the same path as the flow that passed through the through gate 1067 described above.

As explained above, the distribution unit 1164 used in this embodiment is configured to repeatedly distribute the entered ball in the following order: first winning hole 1964a → through gate 1067 → left second winning hole 1964b → through gate 1067.

In this way, by providing multiple winning holes and through gates within one distribution unit 1164, it is possible to make the installation space for various devices (winning holes, through gates, etc.) on the game board compact, and furthermore, by using the free space on the game board for decoration and presentation, it is possible to provide a pachinko machine 10 that further increases the excitement of the game.

Furthermore, in the distribution unit 1164 of this embodiment, two distribution members having the same configuration as the distribution member 900 used in the distribution unit 1064 of the fourth embodiment described above are provided, so that the balls are distributed in three directions. Therefore, depending on the playability of the pachinko machine 10, the same distribution member can be used when distributing balls in two directions or three directions within the distribution unit, making it possible to reduce costs.

In this embodiment, the sorting unit 1164 is configured to change the destination of the balls depending on the weight of the balls as they flow down, but it may also be configured to change the destination of the balls using an electrical drive source.

In addition, in the distribution unit 1164 in this embodiment, the ratio of distribution between the first winning port 1964a, the left second winning port 1964b, and the through gate 1067 is 1:1:2, but a configuration in which distribution is uniform among all may also be used.

In addition, in this embodiment, a ball entry detection sensor 1164 is provided to detect balls that have entered the distribution unit 1164. This is used for control to detect ball jams in the distribution unit 1164, and is a control that is performed by determining whether a ball that has entered the distribution unit 1164 has entered either the through gate 1067, the first winning port 1964a, or the left second winning port 1964b within a specified time. Note that a detection sensor (not shown) that detects a ball entering (passing through) each of the through gate 1067, the first winning port 1964a, and the left second winning port 1964b is provided.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to detect the fraudulent operation of the distribution members 1900, 1950 provided in the distribution unit 1164 to guide balls that have entered the distribution unit 1164 to a specific location, the order in which the balls enter (pass through) the through gate 1067, the first winning port 1964a, or the left second winning port 1964b is stored and compared with the ball entry order mechanically distributed by the distribution unit 1164 to determine whether any fraudulent activity is taking place.

When a detection sensor is provided to simultaneously detect balls entering the left second winning opening 1964b and the right second winning opening 640, control is exercised so that the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior is not detected in a game state in which a ball can enter the right second winning opening 640 (during time-saving mode, during special bonus mode, etc.). In this way, the rotation of the distribution members 1900, 1950 is restricted, and the behavior of consecutively placing game balls in a specific location (for example, the left second winning opening 1964b) can be easily detected.

In order to prevent the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior, it is preferable to configure the sorting members 1900, 1950 so that the balls can flow down only when they rotate. Specifically, in the sorting unit 1164 shown in FIG. 150(a), the sorting unit 1164 can be configured so that there is a location where the distance between the top of the wall surface constituting the storage section of the sorting member and the internal wall of the sorting unit 1164 is less than the width of one ball. By configuring it in this way, balls cannot flow down inside the sorting unit 1164 unless the sorting member rotates, so it is possible to prevent the act of making balls flow down to a specific location while restricting the rotation of the sorting member.

Next, the control of the presentation displayed on the third pattern display device 81 of the pachinko machine 10 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 151 is a time chart for explaining the flow of the special pattern variation presentation performed using the third pattern display device 81 (main screen) and the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub-screen) described below. As shown in Figure 151, the pachinko machine 10 in this embodiment is configured to be able to execute a main variation (a variation based on a variation pattern command) that varies and is displayed in conjunction with the variation of the special pattern, and a preliminary pseudo variation that varies and is displayed based on a winning command that indicates that a game ball has entered the ball entrance.

First, the special pattern change period shown in FIG. 151 is the period during which the special pattern is displayed changeably on the first pattern display device 37. The special pattern change periods corresponding to each of the wins 1 to 5 described below are shown as change 1 to change 5. The number of reserved balls for the special pattern is the number of reserved special pattern determination results, which increases when a ball enters the first or second ball entry port while the special pattern is changing or during a jackpot game, and decreases when a new special pattern change begins.

Winning refers to whether or not the ball has entered the first or second entry gate. For ease of explanation, in Figure 151, the first ball to enter is shown as Winning 1, followed by Winning 2, Winning 3, Winning 4, and Winning 5.

The first or second ball entrance is configured to determine whether a jackpot has been won when a ball enters the entrance and to pay out prize balls, but the determination of whether a jackpot has been won is not made if the number of balls entering the entrance exceeds the number of reserved memories. On the other hand, prize balls are paid out for all balls entering the entrance. Here, a ball that enters a ball entrance and can receive a prize ball is referred to as an entry ball, and a ball that enters a ball entrance and can receive a judgment of whether a jackpot has been won is referred to as a winning ball, and the explanation will continue below.

The lower part of the time chart in Figure 151 shows third pattern change 1 to third pattern change 5, which are the changing display of the third pattern dynamically displayed on the third pattern display device 81 (main screen) and the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub-screen).

The third pattern change is composed of a main change corresponding to the change of the special pattern and a preliminary pseudo change corresponding to the timing of receiving the winning command, and is configured so that the main change can be executed by the third pattern display device 81 and the preliminary pseudo change can be executed by the spherical liquid crystal device 670.

Pre-simulated fluctuation is when the fluctuation content of the third symbol is determined based on the information contained in the winning command, and the third symbol is simulated to fluctuate by utilizing the period before the actual fluctuation begins (the period consisting of the remaining fluctuation time of the fluctuation display that has already begun to fluctuate and the fluctuation time corresponding to the reserved symbol that has been reserved and stored in advance).

Next, referring to FIG. 151, the timing of winning balls and the change of the third pattern will be described. First, when the number of reserved balls of the special pattern is 0 and winning 1 occurs, the change of the special pattern (change 1) starts, and the main change of the third pattern starts on the third pattern display device 81 (main change of the third pattern change 1). Then, when winning 2 occurs while change 1 is being performed, the number of reserved balls of the special pattern increases to 1. Based on the occurrence of winning 2, the preliminary pseudo change of the third pattern change 2 starts on the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub-screen). After that, when winning 3 occurs, the number of reserved balls of the special pattern increases to 2, and a preliminary pseudo change of the third pattern change 3 is generated, but the preliminary pseudo change of the third pattern change 2 continues to be displayed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub-screen).

In this embodiment, when pre-pseudo fluctuations occur overlappingly, the pre-pseudo fluctuation corresponding to the reserved symbol selected by the player is displayed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670, and if the player does not select a reserved symbol, the pre-pseudo fluctuation corresponding to the reserved symbol for which the actual fluctuation will be started next is displayed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670. Note that this figure explains the case where the player does not select a reserved symbol. Therefore, even when a winning 3 occurs, the pre-pseudo fluctuation of the third symbol fluctuation 2 based on the winning 2 for which the actual fluctuation will be started next is displayed.

The method of displaying the pre-pseudo fluctuations on the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub-screen) is not limited to the display method of this embodiment, and may be, for example, all pre-pseudo fluctuations may be displayed simultaneously, or the pre-pseudo fluctuations selected by the player from the multiple pre-pseudo fluctuations displayed simultaneously may be displayed. Also, the pre-pseudo fluctuations may be displayed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub-screen) only when the player selects the pre-pseudo fluctuation display, or when the player does not select the pre-pseudo fluctuation display, the pre-pseudo fluctuation display corresponding to the reserved symbol for which a performance with a high expectation of a jackpot (pre-reading performance) is being executed may be displayed.

Then, when the special pattern change 1 ends and change 2 starts, the number of reserved balls for the special pattern is reduced by one, the main change of the third pattern change 2 starts on the third pattern display device 81 (main screen), and the preliminary pseudo change of the third pattern change 3 starts on the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub screen). At this timing, the third pattern change 2 switches from the preliminary pseudo change performed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (sub screen) to the main change performed on the third pattern display device, but in this embodiment, in order to eliminate the sense of incongruity in this display change, the display of the preliminary pseudo change fades out in accordance with the timing at which the preliminary pseudo change is completed (the timing at which the previous main change stops). In this way, it is possible to continue the performance of the preliminary pseudo change performed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670 and the performance of the main change performed on the third pattern display device without any sense of incongruity. In addition, the background in which the third pattern change occurs is made the same for the preliminary pseudo-change and the actual change, eliminating any sense of incongruity. The same process is then carried out.

Next, referring to Figures 152 and 153, the display screen on which the pre-simulated third pattern change and the actual change are performed will be described. Figure 152(a) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the actual change is performed on the third pattern display device 81, which is the main screen, and the pre-simulated change is performed on the spherical liquid crystal device 670, which is the sub-screen.

The third pattern display device 81 (hereinafter referred to as the main screen) displays the third pattern in the main display area Dm in the same way as in the second embodiment described above, and displays the reserved pattern in the sub-display area Ds, etc., and the same content will not be described.

In the main screen in this embodiment, a mark (black circle) is displayed above the reserved symbols displayed in the sub-display area Ds to identifiably indicate the reserved symbol corresponding to the currently occurring pre-pseudo variation. In FIG. 152(a), the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (hereinafter referred to as the sub-screen) displays that a pre-pseudo variation corresponding to reserved symbol "1" is being performed. By using this configuration, the player can easily understand which reserved symbol out of multiple reserved symbols is corresponding to the pre-pseudo variation being performed. In addition, the reserved symbol "3" is displayed in a different manner from the other reserved symbols, indicating that there is a high expectation of a jackpot.

The right side of the sub-display area Ds displays "Screen Switch Push." This is a display to inform the player that it is possible to switch the display contents between the main screen and the sub-screen. The configuration for switching the display between the main screen and the sub-screen will be described later.

Figure 152(b) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a preliminary pseudo-variation is taking place on the main screen and a real variation is taking place on the sub-screen. In Figure 152(b), when Figure 152(a) is displayed, the frame button 22 is operated to perform a screen switching operation, thereby switching between the image displayed in the main pattern and the image displayed in the sub-pattern. In more detail, the image data displayed in the main display area Dm of the main screen and the image data displayed on the sub-screen are switched, and as shown in the figure, the display in the sub-display area Ds is the same as in Figure 152(a). In this way, by switching the content displayed on the main screen and the sub-screen through the player's operation, the player can select a presentation that interests him or her and view that presentation on the main screen.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 105, the main screen is about six times larger than the sub screen, and the variable display displayed on the main screen can provide an overwhelmingly more powerful presentation. By using this configuration in a pachinko machine equipped with screens of different sizes, the player can select the variable display that interests him/her from multiple variable displays (actual variable and preliminary pseudo variable) that are executed simultaneously, and the selected variable display can be displayed on the main screen, making it possible to provide the player with the desired presentation on a more powerful screen.

Figure 153(a) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a pre-pseudo change is taking place on the main screen and a real change is taking place on the sub-screen. Figure 153(a) shows a state in which, with Figure 152(b) being displayed, the player has changed the target of the pre-pseudo change from reserved pattern "1" to reserved pattern "3." The reserved pattern that is the target of the pre-pseudo change is configured so that it can be selected by the player by operating frame button 22, and a mark (black circle) is placed above the reserved pattern "3" selected by the player.

The main screen also displays a preliminary pseudo-variation corresponding to the reserved symbol "3," and displays the "Chance!" indicator, which indicates a high probability of a jackpot.

Figure 153 (b) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the main variation using the reserved symbols that are the target of the pre-pseudo variation selected in Figure 153 (a) is being performed on the main screen. As shown in this figure, the main variation using the reserved symbols selected as the target of the pre-pseudo variation is started, and when the time comes for the pre-pseudo variation to end, the display contents of each display screen are automatically switched so that the main variation is displayed on the main screen. In addition, the "Chance!" mode, which is displayed during the pre-pseudo variation display and indicates a high expectation of a jackpot, continues to be displayed in the main variation display. By configuring in this way, it is possible to provide a presentation with continuity even when changing from the pre-pseudo variation to the main variation, and it is possible to prevent the player from becoming confused.

In this figure, since there are no reserved symbols, the sub-screen does not display the pseudo-changes in advance. In this case, when the pseudo-changes in advance are not displayed, it is a good idea to use the sub-screen to display the actual changes displayed on the main screen.

Above, we have explained the preliminary change display and actual change display performed by the main screen and sub screen using schematic diagrams of each screen, but the following effects can be considered for display on each screen.

First, even if the display time of the actual fluctuation display is set short, in other words, even if the fluctuation time of the special symbol is set short, in order to make it possible to sufficiently arouse the player as to whether or not the lottery result of the special symbol is a jackpot, an expectation suggestion effect is performed in the pre-simulated fluctuation effect, which is an effect that indicates the expectation level of the lottery result of the corresponding special symbol (for example, a comment display effect that suggests the stopping pattern of the third symbol, or an effect that selects and determines the equipment of the character), and a result display effect is performed in the actual fluctuation effect to display the lottery result (an effect where the third symbol simply stops, or an effect where the character attacks an enemy).

By using this type of effect, even if the actual fluctuation time is set short to increase the efficiency of the game, the player can enjoy waiting for the lottery results of the special pattern to be displayed by using the pre-simulated fluctuation effect to suggest the level of expectation.

Secondly, in order to allow the player to experience the effect that he/she desires for as long as possible, the display mode of the reserved pattern displayed on the third display device 81 is set to a display mode (e.g., displaying multiple characters) that suggests the content of the pre-pseudo variation that will be displayed when selected, and when the player selects the reserved pattern that he/she desires, a pre-pseudo variation is displayed in which the character displayed in the selected reserved pattern appears.

By using this type of presentation, players can enjoy the desired presentation as a pre-simulated variable presentation while still playing the traditional lottery game for special symbols. In addition, because the desired presentation is provided using a pre-simulated variable presentation rather than a real variable presentation, players can experience the desired presentation for a long period of time.

In addition, by setting the character that appeared in the pre-simulated change performance to also appear in the actual change performance using the reserved pattern that corresponds to that pre-simulated change performance, it is possible to achieve even greater effects.

The above describes the pre-simulated variation effect of this embodiment, but configurations other than those described above may be adopted as long as they produce a similar effect.

For example, in this embodiment, the display of the sub-display area Ds is displayed on the main screen without switching to avoid confusing the player, but the display of the sub-display area Ds may also be switched at the same time. In this way, it is possible to reduce the processing load related to the generation of image data in the display control device 114.

Note that the pseudo advance change used in this embodiment includes not only the change of the third pattern, but also the manner in which the third pattern changes and is displayed in the main display area Dm, including, for example, the development of a character's story and changes in the background image.

It is also advisable to configure the operation of switching between the main screen and the sub screen so that it is only valid for a set period of time. For example, it is advisable to allow screen switching only while the third symbol, which corresponds to the main change, is changing at high speed. In this way, screen switching will not be required during periods when game-related processing is concentrated (periods when processing related to the stopped display of the third symbol is being performed), and the processing burden on the control device can be reduced.

In addition, when a pre-simulated variation is being performed on the sub-screen, the reserved symbol that is the target of the pre-simulated variation may be selectable.

In addition, in this embodiment, a pre-simulated variation performance is performed on the sub screen in response to the reserved special symbols, but, for example, a pre-simulated variation performance may be performed in response to the reserved normal symbols. In particular, in a pachinko machine 10 having a configuration in which the start winning of special symbols and the start winning of normal symbols are regularly allocated, such as the allocation unit 1164 described in this embodiment, it is possible to maintain a predetermined number of reserved normal symbols, so that it is possible to enjoy a pre-simulated variation performance.

<Regarding the Electrical Configuration in the Fifth Embodiment>
Next, the electrical configuration of the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 154. This embodiment differs from the third embodiment in that it is clearly indicated that the spherical liquid crystal device 670 is connected to the display control device 114, and the contents of the RAM 233 of the display control device 114 are changed. Other points are the same as the third embodiment, so detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

First, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 in the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 154. FIG. 154 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 in the fifth embodiment.

This embodiment differs from the third embodiment described above in that it is explicitly stated that the spherical liquid crystal device 670 is connected to the display control device 114. In addition, in this embodiment, a ball entrance sensor 1164a shown in FIG. 150 is newly provided, but it is treated as part of the various switches 208.

Figure 155 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the display control device 114 of the pachinko machine 10 in the fifth embodiment. This embodiment differs from the third embodiment described above in that a switching flag 233o is provided in the RAM 233 of the display control device 114.

The switching flag 233o is a flag used when determining whether to switch the display between the main screen (third pattern display device 81) and the sub-screen (spherical liquid crystal device 670). If it is determined in the command determination process 2 performed by the display control device 114 that there is a switching command, the flag is set to on (S2556 in FIG. 158). Similarly, if it is determined in the command determination process 2 that there is a display variation pattern command that is assigned an identification number corresponding to the pre-pseudo variation performance, the flag is set to off (S2554 in FIG. 158).

<Regarding control processing executed by the voice lamp control device in the fifth embodiment>
Next, referring to Fig. 156 and Fig. 157, the control process executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 in the fifth embodiment will be described. The fifth embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in that a preliminary pseudo-variation setting process is executed in the main process. Since the other points are the same, the same parts are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

First, referring to FIG. 156, main processing 3 executed by the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 will be described. FIG. 156 is a flowchart showing main processing 3 in the fifth embodiment. Like main processing 2 in the fourth embodiment described above (see FIG. 133), this main processing 3 executes the processes from S1301 to S1354, and then executes the advance pseudo-variation setting process (S1355) added in this embodiment. Then, like main processing 2 described above, it executes the processes from S1317 to S1321, and repeats this process.

Next, the advance pseudo fluctuation setting process (S1355) will be described with reference to FIG. 157. FIG. 157 is a flowchart showing the advance pseudo fluctuation setting process (S1355). This advance pseudo fluctuation setting process (S1355) is a process for setting advance pseudo fluctuations to be displayed on the main screen and sub-screen based on winning commands and player operations.

When the advance pseudo-variation setting process (S1355) is set, first it is determined whether a special symbol winning command has been received (S5101). If a special symbol winning command has not been received (S5101: No), this process ends. On the other hand, if a special symbol winning command has been received (S5101: Yes), an advance pseudo-variation performance is selected based on the winning command (S5102).

In S5102, the information included in the winning command is analyzed to determine whether it is a jackpot, a super miss, or a miss, and a predetermined variation pattern is selected from the variation pattern selection table 222a based on the analysis result. Note that the variation pattern selection table 222 of this embodiment also stores multiple variation patterns for pre-simulated variation effects. The selected variation pattern is then temporarily stored in the RAM 223 of the voice lamp control device 113.

Next, it is determined whether a reserved symbol has been selected (S5103). This is to determine whether the player has selected a reserved symbol for which he or she wishes to execute a pre-simulated variable performance from among multiple reserved symbols, and the selection is made possible by operating the frame button 22.

If it is determined in S5103 that a reserved symbol has not been selected (S5103: No), the identification information corresponding to the oldest reserved symbol and the preliminary pseudo-changing performance are set (S5107). The oldest reserved symbol is the reserved symbol corresponding to the oldest reserved memory among the reserved stored information, that is, the reserved symbol corresponding to the special symbol that will start changing after the currently changing special symbol stops.

The identification information is added so that each winning piece of information can be identified, and is information that allows various commands created based on one ball entering the ball entrance to be linked together, and is added to the header of each command. This identification information allows the MPU 211 of the voice lamp control device 113 to link commands with different transmission timing, such as commands (reserved ball count command, winning command) created in the start winning process (see FIG. 61) executed by the MPU 201 of the main control device 110 and commands (changing pattern command, stop type command) created in the special pattern changing start process (see FIG. 60).

On the other hand, if it is determined in S5103 that a reserved symbol has been selected (S5103: Yes), the identification information and pre-simulated variable performance corresponding to the selected reserved symbol are set.

Next, it is determined whether a switching operation has been performed (S5105). This is to determine whether an operation to switch the display contents between the main screen and the sub screen has been performed. If it is determined that no switching operation has been performed (S5105: No), this process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that a switching operation has been performed (S5105: Yes), a switching command is set (S5106) and this process is terminated.

Next, referring to FIG. 158, command determination process 2 (S2352) executed by the MPU 221 of the display control device 114 will be described. FIG. 158 is a flowchart showing command determination process 2 (S2352). Command determination process 2 (S2352) is a process executed as part of the V interrupt process executed by the MPU 221 of the display control device 114, but since the V interrupt process is the same as that in the second embodiment described above, a description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the processing from S2404 to S2417 executed in the command determination process is executed as part of other command processing (S2553) in command determination process 2, and so a description of the contents thereof will be omitted.

When command determination process 2 (S2352) is executed, processes from S2401 to S2403 are performed in the same manner as the command determination process executed in the second embodiment described above. Then, it is determined whether there is a display variation pattern command to which identification information corresponding to the pre-pseudo variation performance is assigned (S2551). If it is determined that there is no variation pattern command to which identification information corresponding to the pre-pseudo variation performance is assigned (S2551: No), then it is determined whether there is a switch command (S2552). If there is no switch command (S2552: No), other command processing is executed (S2553), and this process is looped.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S2551 that there is a display variation pattern command to which identification information corresponding to the pre-simulated variation performance is assigned (S2552: Yes), the switching flag 233o is set to OFF (S2554), and the pre-simulated variation performance ends (S2555). Then, the process proceeds to S2552.

If it is determined in S2552 that a switching command has been received (S2552: Yes), the switching flag 233o is set to on and the process proceeds to S2553.

By setting the switching flag 233o using the command determination process 2 described above, it is possible to switch the display contents between the main screen and the sub screen in the drawing process described below. In addition, since the pre-pseudo-variation performance is terminated using the identification information attached to the variation pattern command sent from the main control device 110, it is possible to execute the pre-pseudo-variation until just before the start of the actual variation, even in a gaming machine in which the variation time of the special pattern changes depending on the number of reserved patterns at the start of the variation.

Next, drawing process 2 (S2356) executed by the MPU 221 of the display control device 114 will be described with reference to FIG. 159. FIG. 159 is a flowchart showing drawing process 2 (S2356). This drawing process 2 (S2356) is a process performed to switch the display contents between the main screen and the sub-screen.

In drawing process 2 (S2356), first, a first drawing list is generated (S3901). The first drawing list is a drawing list related to the variable display of the third pattern (main variable display) that is performed in response to the variation of the special pattern. Next, a second drawing list is generated (S3902). The second drawing list is a drawing list related to the variable display of the third pattern (preliminary pseudo variable display) that is set based on the winning command of the special pattern.

Then, it is determined whether the switching flag 233o is set to ON (S3903). If the switching flag 233o is set to ON (S3903: Yes), the first drawing list and the drawing target buffer information are sent to the image controller with the output destination set to the sub screen (S3904). Then, the second drawing list and the drawing target buffer information are sent to the image controller with the output destination set to the main screen (S3905). In other words, when the player operates the frame button 22 to switch the display contents between the main screen and the sub screen, the switching flag is set to ON, and an image based on the first drawing list generated in S3901 is displayed on the sub screen, and an image based on the second drawing list generated in S3902 is displayed on the main screen.

Then, the drawing target buffer flag is updated (S3906), and this process ends. On the other hand, if the switching flag 233o is not set to on (S3903: No), the first drawing list and drawing target buffer information are sent to the image controller with the output destination set to the main screen (S3907). Then, the second drawing list and drawing target buffer information are sent to the image controller with the output destination set to the sub screen (S3908), and the process proceeds to S3906.

By using the pre-simulated fluctuations described above, it is possible to solve the problems of the conventional technology described below.

Conventionally, there has been a performance in which the state of the reserved symbols is changed based on information included in the winning command. By using this conventional technology, it is possible to inform the player that among the reserved symbols stored in the reserved memory, there is a high probability that the result of the hit/miss judgment will be a jackpot, but until the special symbol based on the reserved memory with a high probability of being a jackpot starts to change, it is necessary to keep watching the change display of the third symbol corresponding to the change of the other special symbols. Also, in recent years, pachinko machines have appeared that allow many hit/miss judgments to be made by shortening the change time of the special symbols, but with such pachinko machines, the change display of the third symbol corresponding to the change of the special symbol is also short, which causes a problem of lack of excitement in the game.

In response to the above problem, in this embodiment, a pre-pseudo-change is performed based on the information included in the winning command before the actual change corresponding to the winning command is started, so that it is possible to display the pre-pseudo-change created based on the information included in the winning command from the time when the winning command corresponding to the reserved memory with a high expectation of a jackpot is received until the actual change corresponding to the winning command is started. This allows the player to see the change display of the third pattern based on the reserved memory with a high expectation of a jackpot while the actual change of the third pattern based on the other reserved memories is being performed, making the player interested in the change display of the third pattern. Furthermore, even if the actual change time of the third pattern is also shortened by setting the change time of the special pattern to be short, by providing a pre-pseudo-change, it is possible to lengthen the change time of the third pattern based on one win, thereby improving the interest of the game.

The present invention may also be implemented in a type of pachinko machine that is different from the above embodiment. For example, it may be implemented as a pachinko machine (commonly known as a two-time right machine or a three-time right machine) in which the expected value of a jackpot is increased until a jackpot state occurs multiple times (for example, two or three times) including the first jackpot. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that generates a special game in which the player is given a predetermined game value after the jackpot pattern is displayed, with the necessary condition being that the ball enters a predetermined area. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that has a winning device with a special area such as a V zone, and the special game state is entered with the necessary condition being that the ball enters the special area. Furthermore, in addition to slot machines and pachinko machines, it may also be implemented as various gaming machines such as arepachi, mahjong ball, and gaming machines that are a combination of a pachinko machine and a slot machine.

An example of a gaming machine that combines a pachinko machine and a slot machine is one that has a display device that displays a pattern sequence consisting of multiple patterns in a variable manner and then displays the pattern as a fixed one, and does not have a handle for shooting balls. In this case, after a specified amount of balls are inserted based on a specified operation (button operation), the pattern starts to change due to, for example, the operation of an operating lever, and the pattern change is stopped due to, for example, the operation of a stop switch or after a specified time has passed, and a special game is generated in which a specified gaming value is awarded to the player, provided that the fixed pattern at the time of the stop is a so-called jackpot pattern, and a large number of balls are paid out to the player in a receiving tray at the bottom. If such a gaming machine is used instead of a slot machine, the gaming hall can handle only balls as gaming value, and this can eliminate problems seen in current gaming halls where pachinko machines and slot machines are mixed, such as the burden on facilities due to the separate handling of medals and balls as gaming value, and restrictions on the location of gaming machines.

Furthermore, the configurations of each of the above embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part in combination.

The above-mentioned embodiments and their modified examples may be combined in part or in whole. In addition, although the embodiment is configured with multiple control devices, the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured with a single integrated control device.

Below, we will explain the gaming machine of the present invention as well as the various invention concepts included in the above-mentioned embodiments.

<Concept of the invention using the protrusion operation unit 400 as an example>
A gaming machine A1 comprising a driving means for generating a driving force and a displacement member displaced by the driving force generated by the driving means, the displacement member comprising a base displacement member formed so as to be rotatable between a retracted position and a rotated position, and a relative displacement member disposed on the base displacement member and formed so as to be displaceable between a reference position and an extended position that extends outward from the base displacement member beyond the reference position, the gaming machine being characterized in that it is capable of executing a first operation of rotating the base displacement member between the retracted position and the rotated position, and a second operation of displacing the relative displacement member relative to the base displacement member between the reference position and the extended position.

Here, in gaming machines such as pachinko machines, a gaming machine is known in which a performance is created by rotating a displacement member around a base end side that is rotatably supported (JP Patent Publication 2011-92634 (see, for example, paragraphs 0175-0189 and FIG. 83)). According to this gaming machine, by rotating the displacement member in one direction, the tip side of the displacement member is placed at a predetermined position that is the front of the liquid crystal display device, while by rotating the displacement member in the other direction that is the opposite direction to the one direction, the displacement member is retreated outside the display area of the liquid crystal display device (retracted position). However, in the above-mentioned conventional gaming machine, if the outer shape of the displacement member is small, it is difficult for the player to fully view the displacement member at the predetermined position that is the front of the liquid crystal display device, and the performance effect cannot be fully demonstrated, while if the outer shape of the displacement member is large, a large space is required outside the display area (retracted position). The gaming machine A1 was developed to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that allows the player to adequately view the displacement member in a specified position while minimizing the space required for the retracted position.

That is, according to the gaming machine A1, the displacement member includes a base displacement member formed to be rotatable between a retracted position and a rotational position, and a relative displacement member disposed on the base displacement member and formed to be displaceable between a reference position and a protruding position protruding outward from the base displacement member from the reference position. A first operation for rotating the base displacement member between the retracted position and the rotational position, and a second operation for displacing the relative displacement member between the reference position and the protruding position with respect to the base displacement member are each executable. Therefore, when the base displacement member in the retracted position is placed in the rotational position by the first operation, the relative displacement member in the reference position is placed in the protruding position by the second operation, so that the relative displacement member can be protruded outward from the base displacement member. Therefore, the displacement member can be made larger overall, so that the displacement member can be fully visually recognized by the player in the rotational position, and the performance effect can be fully exerted.

On the other hand, when the base displacement member in the rotation position is placed in the retracted position by the first operation, the relative displacement member in the extended position is placed in the reference position by the second operation, thereby preventing the relative displacement member from protruding outward from the base displacement member. This allows the displacement member to be made smaller overall, thereby reducing the space required to accommodate the displacement member in the retracted position. As a result, space can be secured for arranging other parts and devices.

The second operation only needs to be performed at least until the device is placed in the evacuation position (i.e., until the first operation is completed). Therefore, at least a part of the first operation and at least a part of the second operation may be performed in an overlapping manner.

A gaming machine A2 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine A1, a front member is provided which is positioned forward of the plane of movement of the displacement member and has an opening formed therein, and when the base displacement member 440 is placed in a rotational position by a first action, at least a portion of the relative displacement member is made visible to the player through the opening of the front member, and when the relative displacement member is placed in a protruding position by a second action, the area visible to the player through the opening of the front member of the relative displacement member is expanded.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A1, gaming machine A2 can produce an effect in which the relative displacement member that was retracted to the retracted position first appears in the opening of the front member through a rotational motion (first action), allowing the player to see only a part of the relative displacement member, and then the area in which the player can see the relative displacement member through the opening of the front member is expanded through a linear motion (second action).

A gaming machine A3, in which the relative displacement member is arranged to be slidably displaceable on the base displacement member in the gaming machine A2, and the second action causes the relative displacement member to be slidably displaced between the reference position and the extended position with respect to the base displacement member.

According to gaming machine A3, in addition to the effects of gaming machine A2, the relative displacement member is arranged to be slidably displaceable on the base displacement member, and the second action slides and displaces the relative displacement member between the reference position and the extended position with respect to the base displacement member. Therefore, compared to a case where the second action rotates the relative displacement member with respect to the base displacement member, for example, the space required to displace the relative displacement member from the reference position to the extended position can be reduced, and space can be secured for arranging other parts and devices accordingly. Also, since the displacement mode of the relative displacement member by the second action can be made different from the displacement mode of the base displacement member by the first action, the presentation effect by performing the first action and the second action can be enhanced.

A gaming machine A4 is characterized in that the relative displacement member in the gaming machine A3 is arranged in a position where the longitudinal directions of the relative displacement member are aligned with the base displacement member, and the direction of the sliding displacement is along the longitudinal directions of the relative displacement member.

According to gaming machine A4, in addition to the effects of gaming machine A3, the relative displacement member is arranged in a position where the longitudinal direction of each of them is aligned with the base displacement member, and the direction of their sliding displacement is along the longitudinal direction of each of them, so that the displacement member as a whole can be expanded and contracted by the sliding displacement along the longitudinal direction of the relative displacement member with respect to the base displacement member. Therefore, in the rotation position, the displacement member can be made large as a whole by extending it, so that it can be fully visually recognized by the player, and the presentation effect can be fully exerted. On the other hand, in the retracted position, the displacement member can be made small as a whole by shortening it, so that the space required to accommodate the displacement member can be reduced, and space can be secured for arranging other parts and devices.

In addition, according to the gaming machine A4, the relative displacement member that has been retracted to the retracted position is first made to appear from the side in the opening of the front member by a rotational motion (first action), so that only a part of the relative displacement member is visible to the player, and then it is made to protrude toward the opening of the front member by a linear motion (second action), so that the area in which the relative displacement member can be seen by the player is expanded. Thus, the visible area of the relative displacement member can be expanded by a motion form (linear motion) different from the motion form at the time of appearance (rotational motion), and the player can feel the unexpectedness of the change in motion form, the sense of speed due to the expansion of the visible area by the linear motion, and the sense of unity of the composite motion due to the combination and succession of these. As a result, it is possible to obtain a performance effect that cannot be achieved when the relative displacement member appears and disappears from the opening of the front member by simply linear motion (a form that moves back and forth between the retracted position and the protruding position).

A gaming machine A5 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine A4, a transmission means is provided for transmitting the driving force of the drive means to the displacement member, and the transmission means is disposed in a position overlapping the displacement member disposed in the retracted position in a front view.

Gaming machine A5 has the same effects as gaming machine A4, but is also equipped with a transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the drive means to the displacement member, and the transmission means is disposed in a position that overlaps with the displacement member disposed in the retracted position in a front view, so that the dead space formed on the back side of the displacement member disposed in the retracted position can be effectively utilized as space for disposing the transmission means.

A gaming machine A6 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine A5, a holding member is provided for holding the drive means, the transmission means and the displacement member, the drive means and the displacement member are disposed on one side of the holding member, and the displacement member is disposed in the retracted position with the drive means positioned on the extension line of the longitudinal direction of the displacement member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A5, gaming machine A6 has a drive means and a displacement member disposed on one side of the holding member, so that the dimensions in the direction connecting the one side and the other side of the holding member can be reduced compared to, for example, a case in which the drive means and the displacement member are disposed on one side and the other side of the holding member, respectively. Furthermore, the displacement member is disposed in the retracted position with the drive means positioned on an extension line of the longitudinal direction, so that the displacement member and the drive means can be disposed in a straight line. This makes it possible to efficiently reduce the space required for the retracted position.

A gaming machine A7, which is any one of the gaming machines A1 to A6, includes a transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the driving means to the displacement member, and a holding member for holding the transmission means, and the transmission member includes a rotating member that is rotated by receiving the driving force of the driving means, and a link member that is supported at a predetermined position between one side position and the other side position at a position eccentric to the rotation center of the rotating member, and the one side position is rotatably supported by the holding member and the other side position is connected to the relative displacement member of the displacement member, and when the rotating member is rotated between the first rotation position and the intermediate rotation position, the base side displacement member is rotated via the relative displacement member of the displacement member in accordance with the displacement of the link member, thereby executing the first operation, and when the rotating member is rotated between the intermediate rotation position and the second rotation position, the relative displacement member of the displacement member is displaced relative to the base side displacement member in accordance with the displacement of the link member, thereby executing the second operation.

According to the gaming machine A7, the link member is supported at a predetermined position between the one side position and the other side position at a position eccentric to the rotation center of the rotating member, and the one side position is rotatably supported by the holding member and the other side position is connected to the relative displacement member of the displacement member, so that the rotation of the rotating member can be transmitted to the relative displacement member of the displacement member via the link member by rotating the rotating member with the driving force of the driving means. In this case, when the rotating member is rotated between the first rotation position and the intermediate rotation position, the base side displacement member can be rotated via the relative displacement member of the displacement member in accordance with the displacement of the link member, and the first operation can be performed. On the other hand, when the rotating member is rotated between the intermediate rotation position and the second rotation position, the relative displacement member of the displacement member can be displaced relative to the base side displacement member in accordance with the displacement of the link member, and the second operation can be performed. That is, according to the gaming machine A6, in addition to the effects achieved by any one of the gaming machines A1 to A6, two different operations, the first operation and the second operation, can be performed by one driving means, so that the cost of parts can be reduced and the product cost can be reduced accordingly.

The transmission means may also be configured to displace the link member by providing a gear on one side of the link member and meshing this gear with a gear provided on the outer periphery of the rotating member, but such a structure requires a lot of space to accommodate the rotating member and link member. In contrast, in gaming machine A6, the link member is supported by the rotating member at a predetermined position between one side and the other side, so the rotating member and link member can be arranged so that they overlap when viewed from the front, and the space required to accommodate the rotating member and link member can be reduced by the amount of overlap.

Furthermore, since the relative displacement member and the holding member are connected via a transmission member, the rigidity of the holding member can be used to suppress the shaking of the relative displacement member.

A gaming machine A8 is any one of the gaming machines A1 to A7, and is characterized by having a decorative member disposed in a position that overlaps at least a portion of the displacement trajectory of the displacement member when the base displacement member of the displacement member is rotated by the first action, as viewed from the front.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines A1 to A7, gaming machine A8 can also enhance the presentation effect by causing at least a portion of the displacement member and the decorative member to intersect when viewed from the front when the base displacement member of the displacement member is rotated by the first action.

In the gaming machine A8, one longitudinal side of the base displacement member is the center of rotation in the first action, and the relative displacement member is arranged on the front side of the base displacement member so that they can slide and displace while aligning their longitudinal directions, and the second action slides and displaces the relative displacement member between the reference position and the extended position relative to the base displacement member, and the decorative member is arranged in a position where at least a part of the decorative member overlaps, in a front view, with the displacement trajectory at the tip of the rotation of the displacement member when the base displacement member is rotated by the first action, and when the base displacement member is placed at the rotation position by the first action, the overlap with the displacement member in a front view is not formed, and the relative displacement member is shaped so that the rotation center side is located closer to the front than the tip of the rotation. A gaming machine A9.

According to gaming machine A9, in addition to the effects of gaming machine A8, the relative displacement member arranged on the front side of the base displacement member is shaped so that the rotation center side is located closer to the front side than the rotation tip side, i.e., the rotation tip side is located recessed toward the back side, so that when the base displacement member is rotated by the first action, contact between the relative displacement member and the decorative member can be suppressed. In this case, since one longitudinal side of the base displacement member is the rotation center in the first action, the displacement member is likely to have the rotation tip side, which is the free end, swing back and forth during the first action, and there is a high risk of contact with the decorative member. Therefore, the configuration of gaming machine A9 is particularly effective.

On the other hand, when the relative displacement member is slid from the reference position to the extended position by the second action, the relative displacement member arranged on the front side of the base displacement member is shaped so that the rotation center side is located closer to the front side than the rotation tip side, so that the relative displacement member can be positioned further forward (closer to the player) to increase the impact.

In addition, in gaming machine A9, the shape in which the rotation center side of the relative displacement member is located closer to the front than the rotation tip side of the relative displacement member means that the shape between the rotation tip side and the rotation center side can be any shape, and can be, for example, a step-like change, or a gradual change in a continuous straight or curved shape.

A gaming machine A10 is any one of the gaming machines A6 to A9, and is provided with a pin member provided on one of the base displacement member or the relative displacement member, and a slide groove provided on the other of the base displacement member or the relative displacement member that receives the pin member in a slidable manner and enables the relative displacement member to slide relative to the base displacement member, and is characterized in that the position where the other side position of the link member is connected to the relative displacement member is closer to the tip side of the relative displacement member in the sliding direction than the pin member.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines A6 to A9, gaming machine A10 has the advantage that the position at which the other side of the link member is connected to the relative displacement member is closer to the tip of the relative displacement member in the sliding direction than the pin member, so that the point at which the relative displacement member is supported by the holding member via the link member can be brought closer to the tip of the relative displacement member in the sliding direction. In other words, the point at which the relative displacement member is supported by the holding member via the link member can be moved away from the point at which the base displacement member is pivotally supported by the holding member. As a result, it is easier to prevent the relative displacement member from swinging in the front-to-back direction.

<Concept of the invention using the composite operation unit 500 as an example>
A gaming machine B1 is provided with a driving means that generates a driving force, a driven member that is driven and displaced by the driving force generated by the driving means, and a holding member that holds the driven member in a displaceable manner, the gaming machine also being provided with a driven member that is displaceably connected to the driven member, and a displacement regulating means that regulates the displacement of the driven member relative to the holding member, wherein the displacement of the driven member relative to the holding member is regulated by the displacement regulating means, so that when the driven member is displaced by the driving force of the driving means, the driven member is displaced relative to the driven member.

Here, in gaming machines such as pachinko machines, a gaming machine is known that performs effects by displacing a displacement member between, for example, a protruding position that is the front of a liquid crystal display device and a retracted position that is retracted from the protruding position in a direction outside the display area of the liquid crystal display device by a driving force from a driving means (JP Patent Publication No. 2011-200790 (see, for example, paragraph 0095, Figures 11 to 15)). According to this gaming machine, the output direction of the driving means is switched or the output is made intermittent, thereby changing the displacement mode of the displacement member. However, in the above-mentioned conventional gaming machine, since the output of the driving means is changed, there is a problem that the control becomes complicated, while the displacement member only changes its displacement speed in response to the change in the output of the driving means, and the displacement direction remains constant, so there is a problem that sufficient change is not given to the displacement mode. Gaming machine B1 was developed to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can vary the displacement mode of the displacement member while keeping the output of the drive means constant.

In other words, according to the gaming machine B1, when the driven member is displaced by the driving force of the driving means, the displacement of the driven member relative to the holding member is regulated by the displacement regulating means, so that the driven member can be displaced relative to the driven member and driven in accordance with the displacement of the driven member. In other words, even if the driven member is displaced along a constant trajectory, for example, a straight line or an arc, the driven member can be displaced along a trajectory different from that of the driven member. Furthermore, since the change in the manner of such displacement is formed by the relative displacement of the driven member with respect to the driven member, even if the driven member is displaced at a constant speed, the driven member can be displaced along a trajectory different from that of the driven member. Thus, the manner of displacement of the driven member can be changed while keeping the output of the driving means constant.

Gaming machine B2 is characterized in that the displacement regulating means in gaming machine B1 includes a first groove portion formed in a groove shape on one of the driven member or the holding member, and a first guided portion guided along the first groove portion and formed on the other of the driven member or the holding member.

According to gaming machine B2, in addition to the effects of gaming machine B1, the displacement regulating means has a first groove portion and a first guided portion, and the first guided portion is guided along the first groove portion, thereby regulating the displacement of the driven member relative to the holding member. Therefore, the driven member is displaced by the driving force of the driving means, and the relative displacement of the driven member relative to the driven member can be formed according to the contour (shape) of the first groove portion. In other words, by setting the contour (shape) of the first groove portion, the mode of relative displacement of the driven member relative to the driven member can be set arbitrarily. In this way, the displacement regulating means is composed of a groove-shaped portion (first groove portion) and a portion guided by that portion (first guided portion), so that the structure is simplified, the product cost can be reduced, and the reliability and durability of the movable part can be improved.

Gaming machine B3 is characterized in that, in gaming machine B1 or B2, the driven member is connected to the driven member in a state in which it can at least rotate.

According to gaming machine B3, in gaming machines B1 and B2, the driven member is connected to the driven member in at least a rotatable state, so that when the driven member is displaced relative to the driven member in response to the displacement of the driven member, the relative angle of the driven member to the driven member can be changed, allowing the player to recognize a strong impression of a change in the manner of displacement.

Gaming machine B4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine B3, the driven member is connected to the driven member in a state in which it can rotate and slide.

According to gaming machine B4, in addition to the effects of gaming machine B3, the driven member is connected to the driven member in a state in which it can rotate and slide. Therefore, when the driven member is displaced relative to the driven member in response to the displacement of the driven member, not only can the relative angle of the driven member to the driven member be changed by rotation, but the relative positions of the two can also be changed simultaneously by sliding displacement, thereby increasing the variety of changes that can be made to the manner of displacement.

Gaming machine B5 is characterized in that the displacement regulating means in gaming machine B4 includes a second groove portion formed in a groove shape on one of the driven member or the holding member, and a second guided portion guided along the second groove portion and formed on the other of the driven member or the holding member.

According to the gaming machine B5, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine B4, the displacement regulation means includes a second groove and a second guided portion, and the second guided portion is guided along the second groove, thereby regulating the displacement of the driven member relative to the holding member. Therefore, the driven member is displaced by the driving force of the driving means, and the relative displacement of the driven member relative to the driven member can be formed according to the contour (shape) of the second groove. That is, by setting the contour (shape) of the second groove, the mode of relative displacement of the driven member relative to the driven member can be set arbitrarily. In particular, when the driven member is connected to the driven member so as to be rotatable and slidable, by providing both a guide structure formed by a combination of the first groove and the first guided portion and a guide structure formed by a combination of the second groove and the second guided portion, not only can the variation of changes that can be given to the mode of displacement be increased, but even if the displaceable direction of the driven member relative to the driven member is multidirectional, such displacement can be guided by two guide structures, so that the displacement can be suppressed from becoming unstable, and the reliability of the movable member can be improved.

In addition, in the gaming machine B5, as in the above-mentioned case, the displacement regulating means is composed of a groove-shaped portion (second groove portion) and a portion guided by that portion (second guided portion), so that the structure can be simplified, the product cost can be reduced, and the reliability and durability as a movable member can be improved.

Gaming machine B6 is characterized in that in gaming machine B5, the second groove portion is formed in the holding member and the second guided portion is formed in the driven member, the driven member has a groove-shaped connecting groove portion through which the second guided portion is inserted in a rotatable and slidable state, and the driven member is connected to the driven member in a rotatable and slidable state by inserting the second guided portion into the connecting groove portion.

According to gaming machine B6, in addition to the effects of gaming machine B5, a second groove is formed in the holding member, and a second guided portion is formed in the driven member. The second guided portion is inserted into the connecting groove of the driven member, so that the driven member is connected to the driven member in a rotatable and slidable state. Therefore, the second guided portion can serve both the role of regulating the displacement of the driven member relative to the holding member by being guided by the second groove, and the role of connecting the driven member to the driven member so that it can be displaced relative to the driven member by being inserted into the connecting groove. This reduces the number of parts, reducing product costs, and simplifying the structure, improving the reliability and durability of the movable member.

Gaming machine B7 is characterized in that, in gaming machine B6, at least the portion of the holding member where the second groove portion is formed is interposed between the driven member and the driven member, the driven member has an abutment portion that abuts against the periphery of the second groove portion of the holding member, and the abutment portion is formed in a circle concentric with the second guided portion.

According to gaming machine B7, in addition to the effects of gaming machine B6, the driven member has an abutment portion that abuts against the periphery of the second groove portion of the holding member, and the abutment portion is formed in a circular shape concentric with the second guided portion. Therefore, even when the driven member is rotated relative to the holding member (second groove portion), the abutment area between the abutment portion and the holding portion (periphery of the second groove portion) is kept constant, and changes in the support reaction force can be suppressed. As a result, the driven member can be displaced in a stable state.

Gaming machine B8 is any one of gaming machines B1 to B7, characterized in that the holding member is formed to be capable of holding the driving means, the driven member, and the driven member in a state in which the driven member can be displaced by the driving force of the driving means, and the driven member can be displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the driven member.

Gaming machine B8 has the same effects as any of gaming machines B1 to B7, but the holding member is formed to hold the driving means, the driven member, and the driven member in a state in which the driven member can be displaced by the driving force of the driving means and the driven member can be displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the driven member, so that the driving means, the driven member, and the driven member can be unitized into a single device held by the holding member. This can reduce the manufacturing costs of assembling the unit itself and the manufacturing costs of assembling the gaming machine by attaching the unit to the gaming machine main body.

Gaming machine B9 is characterized in that, in gaming machine B8, the first groove portion is formed in the holding member and the first guided portion is formed in the driven member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine B8, gaming machine B9 has the advantage that the first groove is formed in the holding member and the first guided portion is formed in the driven member, making it easier to secure space for forming the first groove. In other words, the dead space of the holding member, which must be formed with a relatively large external shape in order to hold and unitize the drive means, driven member, and driven member, can be utilized to secure space for forming the first groove. This increases the degree of freedom for the contour (shape) and extension length of the first groove, thereby increasing the variety of changes that can be imparted to the mode of displacement.

In gaming machine B9, the displacement regulating means comprises a second groove portion formed in a groove shape in the holding member, and a second guided portion that is guided along the second groove portion and is formed in the driven member, the holding member comprises a first opposing portion and a second opposing portion that face each other across the driven member, and the first groove portion is formed in one of the first opposing portion or the second opposing portion, and the second groove portion is formed in the other of the first opposing portion or the second opposing portion. Gaming machine B10.

According to the gaming machine B10, in addition to the effect of the gaming machine B9, the first groove portion is formed in one of the first and second opposing portions of the holding member that face each other across the driven member, and the second groove portion is formed in the other, so that the first and second groove portions can be formed without considering the formation position of the other. In other words, when both the first and second groove portions are formed in one of the first and second opposing portions, it is necessary to form the first and second groove portions so that they do not intersect, which limits the degree of freedom. In contrast, according to the gaming machine B10, the outline (shape) and extension length of both the first and second groove portions can be set without considering the positional relationship with the other, so the degree of freedom is increased, and the variation of changes that can be imparted to the form of displacement can be increased accordingly.

Gaming machine B11 is any one of gaming machines B5 to B7, characterized in that at least one of the first groove and the second groove has a radius at the beginning or end that is larger than a reference value.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines B5 to B7, gaming machine B11 can reduce the load and smoothly start driving the driven member by the driving means in the initial stage of starting to drive the driven member that is in a stopped state.

A gaming machine B12 is any one of gaming machines B5 to B7, and is provided with a shielding member that shields the driven member from view, and at least one of the first groove and the second groove has a radius smaller than a reference value in a region that corresponds to the period from when a portion of the driven member begins to be exposed outside the region of the shielding member until the entire driven member is exposed outside the region of the shielding member.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines B5 to B7, gaming machine B12 can speed up the movement of the driven member in the area where a part of the driven member is covered by the shielding member, so that it is possible to produce an effect in which the driven member suddenly appears from behind the shielding member or quickly hides behind the shielding member.

<Concept of the invention using the rotation operation unit 600 as an example>
Gaming machine C1 comprises a holding member, a first rotating body and a second rotating body rotatably arranged on the holding member, and a driving means for applying a rotational driving force to the first rotating body and the second rotating body, characterized in that the second rotating body is formed in a circular ring shape and is fitted concentrically around the first rotating body.

Here, there are gaming machines such as pachinko machines that perform effects by rotating multiple rotating bodies (JP Patent Publication No. 2011-30847 (see, for example, paragraph 0162, Figures 42 to 46)). With this gaming machine, multiple rotating bodies arranged separately on the left and right are rotated in the same direction in synchronization to give a sense of unity to the effects. However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, since multiple rotating bodies are arranged separately on the left and right, it is difficult for the player to recognize the association between their rotations, and there is a problem that the effect of the effects produced by rotating the multiple rotating bodies cannot be fully exhibited. The gaming machine C1 has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can fully exhibit the effect of the effects produced by rotating the multiple rotating bodies by making it easier for the player to recognize the association between the rotations of the multiple rotating bodies.

In other words, according to gaming machine C1, the second rotating body is formed in a circular ring shape and is fitted concentrically around the first rotating body, so that the first rotating body and the second rotating body can rotate concentrically. This makes it easier for the player to associate the rotation of the first rotating body with the rotation of the second rotating body, and as a result, the effect of the presentation produced by rotating each of the multiple rotating bodies can be fully utilized.

Gaming machine C2 is characterized in that the first rotating body is formed into a cylindrical shape in gaming machine C1.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine C1, gaming machine C2 has a cylindrical first rotating body, which allows for the placement of a performance member or the like on the inner periphery of the first rotating body. This allows for the first rotating body, which surrounds the performance member, and the second rotating body, which further surrounds the first rotating body, to each rotate around the performance member. As a result, the performance of rotating multiple rotating bodies can be more effectively performed.

In gaming machine C1 or C2, the first rotating body has a main body portion inserted into the holding member, a one-side flange portion that protrudes outward in a flange-like manner on one axial side of the main body portion, and a other-side flange portion that protrudes outward on the other axial side opposite the one-side flange portion and faces the one-side flange portion across the holding member, and the second rotating body is fitted onto the main body portion of the first rotating body and is disposed between the one-side flange portion of the first rotating body and the holding member. Gaming machine C3.

In gaming machine C3, in addition to the effects of gaming machines C1 and C2, the first rotating body has a main body portion that is inserted into the holding member, and a one-side flange portion and an other-side flange portion that are formed on one axial side and the other axial side of the main body portion, respectively, and that face each other across the holding member, and the second rotating body is fitted onto the main body portion of the first rotating body and disposed between the one-side flange portion of the first rotating body and the holding member, thereby simplifying the holding structure of the first rotating body and the second rotating body by the holding member.

In other words, according to the above configuration, the main body of the first rotating body is inserted into the holding member, so that the first rotating body can be rotatably held by the holding member. In addition, the other side flange portion of the first rotating body abuts against the holding member, so that the displacement of the first rotating body in one axial direction can be restricted, and the one side flange portion of the first rotating body abuts against the second rotating body, and the second rotating body abuts against the holding member, so that the displacement of the first rotating body in the other axial direction can be restricted.

Furthermore, since the second rotating body is fitted onto the main body of the first rotating body, the second rotating body can be rotatably held by the holding member via the main body of the first rotating body. Also, the second rotating body abuts against one side flange of the first rotating body, and the other side flange of the first rotating body abuts against the holding member, so that the displacement of the second rotating body in one axial direction can be restricted, and the second rotating body abuts against the holding member, so that the displacement of the second rotating body in the other axial direction can be restricted.

A gaming machine C4 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine C3, a first gear and a second gear are disposed on the holding member and transmit the rotational driving force of the driving means to the first rotating body and the second rotating body, respectively, and the first rotating body and the second rotating body have gears engraved on their outer circumferential surfaces with which the first gear and the second gear mesh.

Gaming machine C4 has the same effects as gaming machine C3, but also includes a first gear and a second gear that are arranged on the holding member and transmit the rotational driving force of the drive means to the first rotating body and the second rotating body, respectively. The first rotating body and the second rotating body have gears engraved on their outer circumferential surfaces that mesh with the first gear and the second gear, respectively, so that the structure for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive means to the first rotating body and the second rotating body via these first gear and second gear can be simplified. In particular, when the main body of the first rotating body is formed into a cylindrical shape and a performance member or the like is arranged on the inner circumferential side of the main body, a structure in which the first gear and the second gear mesh with the outer circumferential surfaces of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is effective.

A gaming machine C5, characterized in that in the gaming machine C4, the second gear is disposed on one side of the holding member and the first gear is disposed on the other side opposite to the one side of the holding member, the first gear meshes with a gear engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the other side flange portion of the first rotating body, and the second gear meshes with a gear engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body.

According to gaming machine C5, in addition to the effects of gaming machine C4, a second gear is disposed on one side of the holding member and a first gear is disposed on the other side opposite to the one side of the holding member, and the first gear is meshed with a gear engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the other side flange portion of the first rotating body, and the second gear is meshed with a gear engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case in which both the first gear and the second gear are meshed with the first rotating body and the second rotating body, respectively, on one side of the holding member, the structure for transmitting the rotational driving force of the driving means to the first rotating body and the second rotating body via the first gear and the second gear can be simplified.

In addition, by arranging the first gear and the other side flange portion of the first rotating body with which the first gear meshes on the other side opposite the one side of the holding member on which the one side flange portion of the first rotating body, the main body portion, and the second rotating body are arranged, the first gear and the other side flange portion of the first rotating body can be shielded by the holding member from a player looking straight at one side of the holding member. In other words, the structure for shielding the first gear and the other side flange portion of the first rotating body so that they cannot be seen can be simplified by using the holding member.

Gaming machine C6 is either of gaming machines C4 or C5, and is characterized by having a first transmission means for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive means to the first gear, and a second transmission means for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive means to the second gear.

Gaming machine C6 has the same effects as gaming machine C4 or C5, and is provided with a first transmission means and a second transmission means for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive means to the first gear and the second gear, respectively, so that the first rotating body and the second rotating body can be rotated by a single drive means. In this case, the rotational driving force of the drive means can be transmitted to the first gear by the first transmission means and to the second gear by the second transmission means, respectively, via separate transmission paths. Therefore, by setting, for example, the number of gears and the reduction ratio for each transmission path, the rotational patterns of the two rotating bodies (the first rotating body and the second rotating body) can be made different even when two rotating bodies are rotated by a single drive means. As a result, the effect of rotating each of the multiple rotating bodies can be more effectively performed.

Gaming machine C7 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines C4 to C6, the holding member is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a cylindrical portion that protrudes to the one side, and the main body of the first rotating body is rotatably arranged on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion of the holding member, and the second rotating body is rotatably arranged on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion of the holding member.

According to the gaming machine C7, in addition to the effects of any one of the gaming machines C4 to C6, the holding member is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a cylindrical portion protruding to one side, and the main body of the first rotating body is rotatably arranged on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion of the holding member, and the second rotating body is rotatably arranged on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion of the holding member, so that the second rotating body can be fitted onto the main body of the first rotating body via the cylindrical portion of the holding member. That is, not only the first rotating body but also the second rotating body can be held by the holding member. As a result, the arrangement positions of the first rotating body and the second rotating body can be determined based on the holding member, so that the positional relationship between the gears engraved on the outer periphery of each of the first rotating body and the second rotating body and the first gear and the second gear arranged on the holding member can be determined based on the holding member. Therefore, the meshing between the gears engraved on the outer periphery of each of the first rotating body and the second rotating body and the first gear and the second gear can be stabilized. As a result, uneven wear of the gears can be suppressed and driving resistance can be suppressed.

Gaming machine C8 is characterized in that the first rotating body in gaming machine C7 has a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the main body, extend in the axial direction of the main body, and are spaced at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction.

According to gaming machine C8, in addition to the effects of gaming machine C7, the main body of the first rotating body has a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the main body, extend in the axial direction of the main body, and are scattered at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. This limits the contact area between the main body of the first rotating body and the cylindrical portion of the holding member to the protrusions, allowing the main body of the first rotating body to rotate smoothly on the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical portion of the holding member.

It is preferable that the protrusion be curved in an arc shape that is outwardly convex in cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the main body. This is because it reduces the contact area with the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of the holding member, allowing the main body of the first rotor to rotate more smoothly on the inner circumferential side of the cylindrical portion of the holding member.

A gaming machine C9 is characterized in that the main body of the first rotating body in the gaming machine C8 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the first rotating body has a plurality of inner protrusions that protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the main body, extend in the axial direction of the main body, and are arranged in a position that is in phase with the protrusions.

According to gaming machine C9, in addition to the effects of gaming machine C8, the main body of the first rotating body is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the first rotating body has a plurality of inner protrusions that protrude from the inner surface of the main body, extend in the axial direction of the main body, and are arranged in a position in phase with the protrusions (i.e., the back side of the area where the protrusions are formed). Therefore, when the main body of the first rotating body is molded using a resin mold, the shape of the main body of the first rotating body can be made uniform (symmetrical) on the outer and inner surfaces, ensuring moldability.

In gaming machine C9, the first rotating body is characterized in that the main body is divided in the axial direction, and the divided parts are fastened together with screws, and the screws are fastened at positions corresponding to the protrusions. Gaming machine C10.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine C9, gaming machine C10 has a first rotating body in which the main body is divided in the axial direction, and the divided parts are fastened together by screws, and the screws are fastened at positions corresponding to the protruding parts. In other words, the protruding parts also function as the screw fastening parts for fastening the screws, so the strength of the screw fastening parts can be ensured.

A gaming machine C11 is any one of the gaming machines C1 to C10, and is characterized by having a light-emitting means arranged on one side of the holding member at a position overlapping the rotation trajectory of at least one of the first rotating body or the second rotating body when viewed from the front, and configured to be capable of emitting light.

According to gaming machine C11, any of gaming machines C1 to C10 is provided with a light emitting means disposed on one side of the holding member at a position overlapping the rotation trajectory of at least one of the first rotating body or the second rotating body when viewed from the front, so that when the first rotating body and the second rotating body are rotated concentrically, the player can visually recognize the light emitted by the light emitting means on the rotation trajectory of at least one of the first rotating body or the second rotating body. In other words, it is possible to perform an effect in which the first rotating body and the second rotating body are each rotated at a position overlapping the light emitted by the light emitting means, and as a result, it is possible to more effectively perform an effect in which multiple rotating bodies are each rotated.

A gaming machine C12 is characterized in that in at least one of the first rotating body or the second rotating body in the gaming machine C11, a first portion in which the light emitting means is formed so as to be visible and a second portion in which the light emitting means is formed so as not to be visible are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction in an area where the rotation trajectory overlaps with the light emitting means when viewed from the front.

According to gaming machine C12, in addition to the effects of gaming machine C11, at least one of the first rotating body or the second rotating body has a first portion where the light emitting means is visibly formed and a second portion where the light emitting means is not visibly formed, which are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction in an area where the rotation trajectory overlaps with the light emitting means when viewed from the front. Therefore, when the first rotating body and the second rotating body rotate, the first portion and the second portion alternately pass in front of the light emitting means, so that the light emitted by the light emitting means can be intermittently seen by the player. In other words, it is possible to perform an effect in which the first rotating body and the second rotating body are rotated and the intermittent light emission of the light emitting means is associated with the rotation, and as a result, an effect in which a plurality of rotating bodies are rotated can be more effectively performed.

<Feature D group> 8 reserved performance (exciting time)
a display means for displaying an identification pattern corresponding to one of the pieces of information stored in the storage means before the judgment condition is satisfied; a pattern changing means for changing the display mode of the identification pattern based on a predetermined trigger; a variable determination means for determining the identification pattern that can be changed by the pattern changing means; and a variable notification means for notifying the identification pattern that has been determined to be variable by the variable determination means, wherein the variable determination means determines the identification pattern that is different from normal as the identification pattern that can be changed by the pattern changing means based on the number of the pieces of information stored in the storage means being equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

Here, in conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines, a lottery is held when a gaming ball enters a starting hole, and a variable effect or a big win effect according to the lottery result is displayed on the liquid crystal screen. Then, when a winning ball enters a starting hole, a gaming machine has been proposed that stores the lottery right up to a certain number and notifies the number by a pattern (for example, JP 2013-13528 A). However, in this type of pachinko machine, if the reserved lottery contents are determined and notified in advance, there is a problem that the desire to win a prize in the starting hole is reduced thereafter, and the player stops playing and waits for the lottery result, which makes the player bored. Gaming machine D1 has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can reduce the problem of players becoming bored with the game early on.

According to the gaming machine D1, information is acquired by the acquisition means based on the establishment of the acquisition condition. The information acquired by the acquisition means is stored by the storage means. Based on the establishment of the judgment condition, a win/lose judgment is executed by the win/lose judgment means based on the information acquired by the acquisition means. The identification pattern corresponding to the one piece of information stored in the storage means before the judgment condition is established is displayed by the display means. Based on a predetermined trigger, the display mode of the identification pattern is changed by the pattern change means. The identification pattern that can be changed by the pattern change means is determined by the variable determination means. The identification pattern determined by the variable determination means to be variable is notified by the variable notification means. The variable determination means determines an identification pattern different from that in normal times as an identification pattern that can be changed by the pattern change means based on the number of pieces of information stored in the storage means being equal to or greater than a predetermined number. This makes it possible to encourage the player to play the game so that information is stored up to a predetermined number or more. This has the effect of increasing players' motivation to play and reducing the problem of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

A gaming machine D2 is characterized in that the gaming machine D1 has an operation means that can be operated by a player and an operation determination means that determines whether the operation means has been operated, and the predetermined trigger is when the operation determination means determines that the operation means has been operated.

Gaming machine D2 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine D1. That is, the operation determination means determines that an operation means operable by the player has been operated. A predetermined trigger occurs when the operation determination means determines that the operation means has been operated. This increases the enjoyment of operating the operation means. This has the effect of suppressing the problem of players becoming bored early on.

Gaming machine D3 is characterized in that in gaming machine D1 or D2, the variable determination means variably determines the identification patterns for the plurality of identification patterns based on the number of pieces of information being equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines D1 and D2, gaming machine D3 has the effect of encouraging the player to memorize more than a predetermined number of pieces of information because the number of pieces of information is determined by a variable determination means in a variable manner for multiple identification symbols based on whether the number of pieces of information is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

In the gaming machine D3, when the variable determination means has determined that the identification symbols are variable for a plurality of the identification symbols, the gaming machine D4 is characterized in that, based on the determination that the operation has been performed by the operation determination means, one of the identification symbols is variably displayed by the pattern variable means in a predetermined order.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D3, gaming machine D4 has the effect that, when the variable determination means has determined that multiple identification patterns can be changed, one identification pattern is changed and displayed by the pattern changing means in a predetermined order based on the determination that an operation has been performed by the operation determination means, so that the player can be informed in an easy-to-understand manner.

A gaming machine D5 is characterized in that, in any one of the gaming machines D1 to D4, it has a pre-win/lose determination means that executes a win/lose determination based on the information stored in the storage means before the determination condition is met, and the pattern changing means changes and displays the information corresponding to the identification pattern to be changed in a notification manner based on the win/lose determination result by the pre-win/lose determination means.

Gaming machine D5 has the following effect in addition to the effect of any of gaming machines D1 to D4. That is, a win/lose determination is executed by the advance win/lose determination means based on information stored in the storage means before the determination condition is met. Information corresponding to the identification pattern to be changed is displayed by the pattern changing means in a notification manner based on the win/lose determination result by the advance win/lose determination means. This makes it possible to notify the player of the win/lose determination result before it is notified. This has the effect of making the player interested in the display manner changed by the pattern changing means while playing the game.

In the gaming machine D5, when the multiple identification symbols are variably determined by the variable determination means, the gaming machine D6 is characterized in that the information corresponding to the variably determined identification symbols is variably displayed by the pattern variable means in a notification mode based on the result of the determination made by the advance win/loss determination means for any of the information.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D5, gaming machine D6 has the effect that, when multiple identification symbols are variably determined by the variable determination means, any of the information corresponding to the variably determined identification symbols is variably displayed by the pattern variable means in a notification mode based on the result of the judgment made by the advance win/loss judgment means, so that the result of the win/loss judgment can be known before it is displayed as an identification symbol, thereby increasing the interest in the game.

Gaming machine D7 is characterized in that, in gaming machine D6, when the multiple identification symbols are variably determined by the variable determination means, the multiple identification symbols are variably displayed to display one notification mode.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D6, gaming machine D7 has the effect of diversifying the notification modes and increasing the interest in the game, because when multiple identification symbols are variably determined by the variable determination means, one notification mode is displayed by variably displaying the multiple identification symbols.

<Feature D'group> 8 reserved performance 2 (exciting time)
a display means for displaying at least an identification pattern corresponding to the information stored in the storage means before the judgment is made by the judgment means, among the information stored in the storage means; and a pattern changing means for changing the display mode of at least the predetermined number of the identification patterns displayed on the display means to a predetermined display mode, when the number of pieces of information stored in the storage means before the judgment is made by the judgment means is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, based on a predetermined trigger.

Here, in conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines, a lottery is held when a game ball enters a starting hole, and a variable effect or a big win effect according to the lottery result is displayed on the liquid crystal screen. Then, when a game ball enters a starting hole, a gaming machine has been proposed that stores the lottery right up to a certain number and notifies the number by a pattern (for example, JP 2013-13528 A). However, in this type of pachinko machine, if the reserved lottery contents are determined and notified in advance, there is a problem that the desire to enter the starting hole decreases, and the player stops playing and waits for the lottery result, which makes the player bored. The gaming machine D'1 has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can reduce the problem of players getting bored of playing early.

According to the gaming machine D'1, information is acquired by the acquisition means based on the establishment of an acquisition condition, and the information acquired by the acquisition means is stored by the storage means. When the judgment condition is established, the judgment means executes a judgment based on the information acquired by the acquisition means. The display means displays at least an identification pattern corresponding to the information stored in the storage means before the judgment is executed by the judgment means. Based on a predetermined trigger, when the number of pieces of information stored in the storage means before the judgment is executed by the judgment means is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the pattern changing means changes the display mode of at least a predetermined number of identification patterns displayed on the display means to a predetermined display mode.

This encourages the player to play so that the information is stored up to a certain number or more. This has the effect of increasing the player's motivation to play and reducing the problem of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

Gaming machine D'2 is characterized in that it has an operation means operable by a player in gaming machine D'1 and an operation determination means for determining that the operation means has been operated, and the predetermined trigger is when the operation determination means determines that the operation means has been operated.

Gaming machine D'2 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine D'1. That is, the operation determination means determines that an operation means operable by a player has been operated. Then, the operation determination means determines that the operation means has been operated as a predetermined trigger. This can increase the enjoyment of operating the operation means. This has the effect of suppressing the problem of players becoming bored early on.

Gaming machine D'3 is characterized in that it is equipped with a variable notification means for notifying a specific identification pattern, the display mode of which changes when the operation determination means determines that the operation means has been operated, in a manner that is specific to the gaming machine D'2 before the operation means is operated.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D'2, gaming machine D'3 provides the effect of preventing players from quickly becoming bored by using a variable notification means that notifies the player of the identification pattern whose display mode changes when the variable notification means determines that the operation means has been operated, in a manner that allows the player to specify the identification pattern before the operation means is operated. This allows the player to operate the operation means while knowing which identification pattern's display mode will change, thereby increasing the enjoyment of operating the operation means. This has the effect of preventing players from quickly becoming bored.

Gaming machine D'4 is characterized in that in gaming machine D'3, the variable notification means changes the display mode of the identification pattern to a variable notification mode, and thereby notifies the identification pattern whose display mode changes when the operation determination means determines that the operation means has been operated in a identifiable manner before the operation means is operated.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D'3, gaming machine D'4 has the effect that the variable notification means notifies the player by changing the identification pattern itself to a variable notification mode, so that the player can easily grasp which identification pattern's display mode is variable.

In the gaming machine D'4, when the multiple identification symbols are changed to the variable notification mode by the variable notification means, one of the identification symbols is changed and displayed by the symbol changing means in a predetermined order based on the determination that an operation has been performed by the operation determination means. Gaming machine D'5.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D'4, gaming machine D'5 has the effect that when multiple identification symbols are changed to a variable notification mode by the variable notification means, one identification symbol is changed and displayed in a predetermined order based on the operation determination means determining that an operation has been performed, so that the player can be notified in an easy-to-understand manner.

A gaming machine D'6 is characterized in that it has a pre-determination means for making a determination based on the information stored in the storage means before the determination is made by the determination means, and the pattern changing means changes the display mode of the identification pattern to a predetermined display mode in a notification mode based on the determination result determined by the pre-determination means.

Gaming machine D'6 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by any of gaming machines D'1 to D'5. That is, before a determination based on a determination condition is made, a determination is made by a pre-determination means based on information stored in a storage means. Then, the display mode of the identification pattern is changed to a predetermined display mode and displayed in a notification mode based on the determination result by the pre-determination means. This makes it possible to notify the player of the determination result of the pre-determination means before the determination means is executed. This has the effect of enabling the player to play the game with interest in the display mode changed by the pattern changing means.

Gaming machine D'7, characterized in that in gaming machine D'6, the predetermined order is the order in which the information corresponding to the identification symbols is stored in the storage means, and the symbol changing means changes the display mode of the identification symbols corresponding to the latter half of the order among the display modes of the identification symbols to the notification mode.

Gaming machine D'7 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine D'6. That is, the order in which the display mode of the identification patterns is changed by the pattern changing means is the order stored in the storage means, and the display mode of the identification patterns corresponding to the latter half of that order is changed to a notification mode. This increases the enjoyment of operating the operating means. This has the effect of suppressing the problem of players becoming bored early on.

Among any of the gaming machines D'1 to D'7, gaming machine D'8 is characterized by being equipped with an additional pattern changing means for changing the display mode of an identification pattern corresponding to the information newly stored in the storage means to the predetermined display mode based on the predetermined trigger while the identification pattern changed to the predetermined display mode by the pattern changing means is displayed on the display means.

Gaming machine D'8 has the following effect in addition to the effect of any of gaming machines D'1 to D'7. That is, while an identification pattern changed to a predetermined display mode by the pattern changing means is displayed on the display means, the display mode of an identification pattern corresponding to information newly stored in the storage means is changed to a predetermined display mode by the additional pattern changing means based on a predetermined trigger. This makes it possible to encourage the player to continue playing even after a predetermined number of pieces of information have been stored. This has the effect of increasing the player's motivation to play and reducing the inconvenience of the player quickly becoming bored with the game.

A gaming machine D'9 is characterized in that it is equipped with a second pattern changing means for changing the display mode of at least the second predetermined number of the identification patterns displayed on the display means to a predetermined second mode based on a predetermined trigger when the number of pieces of information stored in the storage means before the judgment by the judgment means is equal to or exceeds a second predetermined number, when all of the pieces of information corresponding to the identification patterns changed to the predetermined display mode by the pattern changing means have been judged by the judgment means.

According to the gaming machine D'9, in addition to the effect of any one of the gaming machines D'1 to D'8, the following effect is achieved. That is, when the determination means executes a determination on all of the information corresponding to the identification patterns changed to a predetermined display mode by the pattern changing means, if the number of pieces of information stored in the storage means before the execution of the determination by the determination means is equal to or greater than a predetermined second predetermined number, the display mode of at least a second predetermined number of identification patterns displayed on the display means is changed to a predetermined second mode by the second pattern changing means based on a predetermined trigger. This makes it possible to encourage the player to play again so that the information is stored to the second predetermined number or more after the player plays so that the information is stored to the predetermined number or more. Therefore, it is possible to increase the player's motivation to play, and there is an effect of reducing the inconvenience of the player getting bored of playing early.

Among any of the gaming machines D'1 to D'9, the predetermined display mode is a gaming machine D'10 that combines the display modes of a plurality of the identification patterns into one display mode.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines D'1 to D'9, gaming machine D'10 combines the display modes of multiple identification symbols into one display mode, which has the effect of making the display mode of the identification symbols unexpected and increasing the player's motivation to play.

<Feature E Group> Blank symbols are displayed in a different manner from push button previews A gaming machine E1 having a lottery means for executing a lottery based on the establishment of a lottery condition, a display means for displaying the lottery results by the lottery means in a plurality of pattern rows consisting of a plurality of different main symbols and sub-patterns different from the main symbols between the main symbols, and a bonus granting means for granting a player an advantageous bonus based on the display of a combination of the main symbols showing a specific lottery result on the display means, the gaming machine having: a sub-pattern changing means for changing the display mode of the sub-patterns of the pattern row that are stopped and displayed based on the establishment of a predetermined condition; a composition determination means for determining whether or not to display the sub-patterns changed and displayed by the sub-pattern changing means in a composite display mode based on the lottery result by the lottery means; and a composite display mode display means for displaying the composite display mode on the display means based on the determination by the composition determination means to display in the composite display mode.

Here, among conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines, there are known pachinko machines that hold a lottery when a gaming ball enters a starting hole, and display variable effects and big win effects according to the lottery results on a liquid crystal screen. In such effects, various patterns of effects are executed, such as effects that give the player a sense of expectation and effects that increase the player's motivation to participate in the game, and the enjoyment of the game is improved. Among these types of pachinko machines, there are proposed gaming machines that are provided with an operating means (such as a switch) that can be operated by the player, and that change the game effects by the player operating the operating means (for example, JP 2010-075741 A). In such pachinko machines, for example, there are some that hold a lottery to determine whether the game effects will be changed when the operating means is operated by the player, in order to execute various effects when the operating means is operated by the player. However, in this type of pachinko machine, the game presentation changes at certain times depending on the player's operation, which can give the player a monotonous impression of the game, causing the player to quickly become bored with the game. Gaming machine E1 was made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can prevent players from quickly becoming bored with the game.

According to the gaming machine E1, a lottery is executed by the lottery means based on the establishment of the lottery conditions. The lottery results by the lottery means are displayed by the display means in a combination of the main patterns of each pattern row that is stopped and displayed by arranging multiple pattern rows consisting of multiple different main patterns and sub-patterns different from the main patterns between the patterns. Based on the display of a combination of main patterns indicating a specific lottery result on the display means, a bonus advantageous to the player is granted by the bonus granting means. Based on the establishment of a predetermined condition, the display mode of the sub-patterns of the pattern row that is stopped and displayed is changed by the sub-pattern changing means. Whether or not to display the sub-patterns that are changed and displayed by the sub-pattern changing means in a composite display mode that is a composite of the sub-patterns is determined by the composition determination means based on the lottery result by the lottery means. Based on the determination by the composition determination means to display in the composite display mode, the composite display mode is displayed on the display means by the composite display mode displaying means. As a result, the composite display mode is displayed, and a fresh presentation can be provided to the player. This has the effect of reducing the inconvenience of the player quickly becoming bored with the game.

A gaming machine E2, which is characterized by having an operation means operable by a player in the gaming machine E1, an operation determination means for determining that the operation means has been operated, and an operation variable display means for changing the display mode of the sub-symbol to a specific display mode and displaying the sub-symbol when the operation determination means determines that the operation has been performed and the sub-symbol display mode is changed and displayed by the sub-symbol changing means.

Gaming machine E2 provides the following effect in addition to the effect provided by gaming machine E1. That is, the operation determination means determines that an operation means operable by a player has been operated. When the operation determination means determines that the operation has been performed, and if the display mode of the sub-pattern has been changed and displayed by the sub-pattern changing means, the display mode is changed to a specific display mode and displayed by the operation variable display means. This increases the enjoyment of the player in operating the operation means. This has the effect of allowing the player to participate in the game.

A gaming machine E3, characterized in that in the gaming machine E2, the operation variable display means changes and displays the display mode of the sub-symbol to one of the multiple specific display modes based on the lottery result by the lottery means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine E2, gaming machine E3 has the effect of diversifying the display modes of the sub-symbols and providing the player with a fresh presentation, since the display mode of the sub-symbols is changed to one of a plurality of specific display modes based on the result of the lottery by the lottery means and displayed by the operation-variable display means.

A gaming machine E4, which is any one of the gaming machines E1 to E3, has a symbol string stopping means for dynamically displaying the symbol string for a predetermined period and then statically displaying the symbol string in a predetermined order, and a dynamic display period determination means for determining the dynamic display period of the symbol string when two or more symbol strings are statically displayed by the symbol string stopping means and one or more symbol strings are dynamically displayed, and when the predetermined condition is established, the dynamic display period determination means determines a specific dynamic display period that is different from the normal period.

Gaming machine E4 produces the following effect in addition to the effect produced by any one of gaming machines E1 to E3. That is, after a symbol string is dynamically displayed for a predetermined period of time, it is statically displayed by the symbol string stopping means in a predetermined order. When two or more symbol strings are statically displayed by the symbol string stopping means and one or more symbol strings are dynamically displayed, the dynamic display period of the symbol string is determined by the dynamic display period determination means. When a predetermined condition is met, the dynamic display period determination means determines a specific dynamic display period that is different from the normal time.

This makes it possible to determine that the sub-patterns are displayed variably during a specific dynamic display period. This allows the player to play with interest even during the dynamic display period. This has the effect of reducing the problem of players becoming bored with the game.

Gaming machine E5 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines E1 to E4, the synthesis determination means is configured to easily determine the synthesis display mode when the lottery result by the lottery means is the specific lottery result.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines E1 to E4, gaming machine E5 is configured so that when the lottery result by the lottery means is a specific lottery result, the composite display mode is easily determined by the composite determination means, so that a game can be played in the hope that the composite display mode will be displayed, which has the effect of increasing the interest of the game.

Gaming machine E6 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines E1 to E5, when the composite display mode is displayed, the composite display mode is changed to a specific display mode based on the lottery result by the lottery means based on the operation determination means determining that the operation means has been operated, and the composite display mode is displayed by changing the display mode.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines E1 to E5, gaming machine E6 has the effect that when a composite display mode is displayed, the composite display mode is changed by the composite change means to a specific display mode based on the lottery result by the lottery means based on the determination by the operation determination means that the operation means has been operated, thereby allowing the player to intervene in the game and reducing the inconvenience of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

Gaming machine E7 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine E6, when the synthesis decision means has decided to display in the synthesis display mode, the prohibition means prohibits the display mode, which has been changed and displayed by the sub-symbol changing means, from being changed and displayed even if the operation determination means has determined that the operation means has been operated.

In addition to the effect of gaming machine E6, gaming machine E7 has the effect that when the composite decision means has decided to display in the composite display mode, the prohibition means prohibits the display mode that has been changed and displayed by the sub-pattern changing means from being changed and displayed even if the operation determination means has decided that the operation means has been operated. Therefore, by operating the operation means before the composite display mode is displayed, it is possible to determine whether or not the composite display mode will be displayed.

<Feature E'group> Change blank patterns to push button notices and display 2
a display means for displaying a pattern string having a plurality of different main patterns and a sub-pattern different from the main pattern as identification information indicative of the result of the determination by the determination means; a dynamic display means for dynamically displaying the pattern string on the display means; a dynamic display period determination means for determining a period for which the pattern string is dynamically displayed by the dynamic display means; and a first benefit granting means for granting a first benefit that is advantageous to a player when the identification information indicative of a specific result of the determination is displayed on the display means, wherein the gaming machine E'1 further comprises: a sub-pattern changing means for changing a display mode of the sub-pattern during the dynamic display period when a predetermined condition is established; and a specific effect execution means for executing a specific effect for the remaining period of the dynamic display period when the sub-pattern is changed to a specific display mode by the sub-pattern changing means and displayed.

Here, among conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines, there is known a pachinko machine that performs a lottery when a gaming ball enters a starting hole, and displays a variable effect or a big win effect according to the lottery result on a liquid crystal screen. In such effects, various patterns of effects are executed, such as effects to make the player feel a sense of expectation and effects to increase the player's motivation to participate in the game, and the interest of the game is improved. Among these types of pachinko machines, there is a gaming machine that is provided with an operating means (such as a switch) that can be operated by the player, and changes the game effects by the player operating the operating means (for example, JP 2010-075741 A). In such pachinko machines, for example, there is a type that performs a lottery to determine whether the game effects will be changed when the operating means is operated by the player, in order to execute various effects when the operating means is operated by the player. However, with this type of pachinko machine, the game presentation changes at certain times depending on the player's operation, giving the player a monotonous impression of the game, and the player quickly becomes bored with the game. The gaming machine E'1 was made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can prevent players from quickly becoming bored with the game.

According to the gaming machine E'1, a judgment is made by the judgment means based on the establishment of the judgment condition. A pattern row having a plurality of different main patterns and a sub-pattern different from the main pattern is displayed on the display means as identification information indicating the judgment result by the judgment means. The pattern row is dynamically displayed on the display means by the dynamic display means. The period during which the pattern row is dynamically displayed by the dynamic display means is determined by the dynamic display period determination means. When identification information indicating a specific judgment result is displayed on the display means, a first benefit that is advantageous to the player is granted by the first benefit granting means. When a predetermined condition is established, the sub-pattern changing means changes the display mode of the sub-pattern during the dynamic display period. When the sub-pattern is displayed in a specific display mode, the specific performance execution means executes a specific performance for the remaining period of the dynamic display period. This makes it possible to provide a fresh performance using the sub-pattern. This has the effect of reducing the inconvenience of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

Gaming machine E'2 is characterized in that the specific effect in gaming machine E'1 is an effect that displays a composite display mode in which multiple sub-symbols that have become the specific display mode are composited together after being changed to the specific display mode by the sub-symbol changing means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine E'1, gaming machine E'2 displays a composite display mode in which multiple sub-patterns in a specific display mode are combined as a specific effect, providing players with a fresh presentation and reducing the problem of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

Gaming machine E'3 is characterized in that it is equipped with an operating means operable by a player and a predetermined condition determination means for determining whether the predetermined condition is met based on the operation of the operating means in the gaming machine E'1 or E'2.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines E'1 and E'2, gaming machine E'3 uses a predetermined condition determination means to determine whether a predetermined condition is met based on the operation of an operating means that can be operated by the player, thereby increasing the enjoyment of the player operating the operating means. This has the effect of allowing the player to participate in the game.

Gaming machine E'4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine E'3, the sub-symbol changing means changes the sub-symbol displayed in the specific display mode to the composite display mode and displays it based on the operation of the operation means when the sub-symbol is displayed in the specific display mode.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine E'3, gaming machine E'4 changes and displays the sub-symbols from a specific display mode to a composite display mode based on the operation of the operating means, so that the player must actively operate the operating means to execute a specific performance, and can encourage the player to operate the operating means. This has the effect of allowing the player to participate more in the game.

Among any of the gaming machines E'1 to E'4, the display means displays the symbol sequence multiple times as identification information indicating the result of the determination by the determination means, and has a symbol sequence stop means that dynamically displays the multiple symbol sequences for a predetermined period of time and then stops and displays them in a predetermined order based on the result of the determination by the determination means, and is characterized in that the gaming machine E'5 is characterized in that when the specific effect is being executed by the specific effect execution means, the number of sub-symbols that are stopped and displayed is changed based on the result of the determination by the determination means.

Gaming machine E'5 has the following effect in addition to the effect of any one of gaming machines E'1 to E'4. That is, the display means displays a plurality of symbol strings as identification information indicating the result of the determination by the determination means. After dynamically displaying a plurality of symbol strings for a predetermined period of time, the symbol string stop means causes them to be statically displayed in a predetermined order based on the result of the determination by the determination means. When a specific effect is being executed by the specific effect execution means, the number of sub-patterns that are statically displayed is varied based on the result of the determination by the determination means. This allows the specific effect using the sub-patterns to be an effect based on the result of the determination by the determination means, and provides a fresh effect using the sub-patterns. This has the effect of reducing the inconvenience of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

When the determination result of the determination means is a specific determination result, or when there is a high possibility that the determination result of the determination means is a specific determination result, it is advisable to increase the number of sub-symbols stopped and displayed by the symbol row stopping means. In this way, a large number of sub-symbols increases the likelihood of a big win, making it possible to get the player interested in a specific presentation. This has the effect of reducing the problem of the player quickly becoming bored with the game.

Gaming machine E'6 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines E'1 to E'5, the sub-symbol changing means is configured to easily change and display the sub-symbol in the specific display mode when the judgment result by the judgment means is the specific judgment result.

Gaming machine E'6 has the same effect as any of gaming machines E'1 to E'5, and the sub-symbol changing means is configured to change the sub-symbol to a specific display mode and make it easier to display it when the determination means determines a specific determination result. This allows a player to play the game in the hope that a specific display mode will be displayed, which increases the player's interest in the game.

Gaming machine E'7 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines E'2 to E'6, the specific display mode is a display mode of the sub-symbols that is changed to characters and displayed, the composite performance mode is a character string that combines a plurality of sub-symbols that have become the specific display mode, and the specific performance is a display of the composite performance mode by combining at least a portion of the characters displayed as the specific display mode.

Gaming machine E'7 provides the following effects in addition to the effects provided by gaming machines E'2 to E'6. That is, a character string is displayed as a composite presentation mode by combining multiple sub-patterns that have been changed into characters as a specific display mode. A composite presentation mode that combines at least a portion of the characters displayed as a specific display mode is displayed as a specific presentation. This allows the player to predict the character string that will be displayed as the composite display mode by looking at the multiple characters displayed as the specific display mode. This has the effect of providing the player with a fresh presentation and suppressing the inconvenience of the player quickly becoming bored with the game.

It is also possible to provide a partial notification before the composite presentation mode is displayed that a character displayed as a specific display mode will be used in the character string displayed as the composite presentation mode. This has the effect of providing a hint to predict the character string to be displayed as the composite presentation mode, entertaining the player.

A gaming machine E'8 is characterized by having an effect storage means for storing a plurality of effects to be executed when the dynamic display is performed in any one of gaming machines E'3 to E'7, and an effect selection means for selecting, from the effects stored in the effect storage means, a first effect including the specific effect when the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied by the predetermined condition satisfaction determination means, and selecting a second effect not including the specific effect when the predetermined condition is not determined to be satisfied by the predetermined condition satisfaction determination means.

Gaming machine E'8 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by any of gaming machines E'3 to E'7. That is, a plurality of effects to be executed when dynamic display is performed are stored by the effect storage means. A first effect or a second effect is selected by the effect selection means based on the determination result of the predetermined condition establishment determination means. In this way, a different effect is selected based on the determination result of the predetermined condition establishment determination means while dynamic display is being performed. Therefore, since only the effect while dynamic display is being performed can be changed based on the determination result of the predetermined condition establishment determination means, there is an effect that the amount of data related to the dynamic display can be reduced.

<Features F Group> A gaming machine F1 characterized by having: a display means capable of displaying a presentation mode that executes an extended presentation when a SPGT ends; a timing means capable of measuring time even in a power outage state where the power supplied to the gaming machine is below a predetermined voltage value; an acquisition means for acquiring time information from the timing means; an elapsed time determination means for determining an elapsed time based on the time information acquired from the acquisition means; a switch display means for switching the presentation mode displayed on the display means to a specific presentation mode until a specific period of time has elapsed when it is determined that a specific condition has been established when the specific period of time has elapsed, and an extension period setting means for setting an extension period for extending the period for displaying the specific presentation mode.

Here, there is known a gaming machine such as a conventional pachinko machine that is provided with an RTC (real-time clock) and is configured to execute the same effects or change the display mode at the same timing among multiple gaming machines based on the time data measured by the RTC (for example, JP 2013-31695 A). In such a pachinko machine, the display mode is changed when the RTC reaches a preset time. However, in this type of pachinko machine, there is a problem that when the period during which the display mode is changed ends, the player's motivation to play decreases and the player becomes bored with the game. The gaming machine F1 has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can suppress the malfunction of players becoming bored with the game early on.

According to the gaming machine F1, the presentation mode is displayed by the display means. Even in a power interruption state in which the power supplied to the gaming machine is equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage value, the timekeeping means keeps time. The acquisition means acquires time information from the timekeeping means. The elapsed time is determined by the elapsed time determination means based on the time information acquired from the acquisition means. When the elapsed time determination means determines that a predetermined elapsed time has elapsed, the presentation mode displayed on the display means until the predetermined period has elapsed is switched to a specific presentation mode and displayed by the switching display means. When the predetermined period has elapsed and it is determined that a predetermined condition has been established, an extension period during which the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed is extended and displayed is set by the extension period setting means. As a result, the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed is extended or not extended depending on whether or not the predetermined condition is established, so that a surprising presentation can be provided to the player. This has the effect of suppressing the problem of players becoming bored with the game early on.

A gaming machine F2, which has an acquisition means for acquiring information based on the establishment of an acquisition condition, a storage means for storing the information acquired by the acquisition means, a lottery means for conducting a lottery for the information based on the establishment of a lottery condition, a display means for displaying identification information indicating a lottery result by the lottery means, and a pre-lottery means for conducting a lottery based on the information acquired by the acquisition means before the lottery condition is established, and which is configured so that the predetermined condition is likely to be established when the information determined to be a specific lottery result by the pre-lottery means is stored.

Gaming machine F2 has the following effects in addition to those of gaming machine F1. That is, information is acquired by the acquisition means based on the establishment of an acquisition condition. The information acquired by the acquisition means is stored by the storage means. A lottery is executed by the lottery means based on the establishment of a lottery condition. Identification information indicating the lottery result by the lottery means is displayed by the display means. A lottery is executed by the pre-lottery means based on information acquired by the acquisition means before the lottery condition is established. The predetermined condition is configured to be easily established when information determined to be a specific lottery result by the pre-lottery means is stored. As a result, the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed is extended, and it is possible to expect a specific lottery result. Therefore, there is an effect that a game can be played in the hope that the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed will be extended.

A gaming machine F3 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine F2, it has a dynamic display period determination means for determining the period during which the identification information is dynamically displayed, and if the elapsed time elapses before the period determined by the dynamic display period determination means elapses, the identification information is displayed in a temporarily frozen state.

Gaming machine F3 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machine F2. That is, the period during which the identification information is dynamically displayed is determined by a dynamic display period determination means. If the elapsed time elapses before the period determined by the dynamic display period determination means elapses, the identification information is displayed in a provisionally stopped state. This makes it possible to provisionally stop the dynamic display in accordance with the end timing of the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed. This has the effect of allowing the player to easily determine the end timing.

A gaming machine F4 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine F3, the identification information is displayed in a specific dynamic display mode for a predetermined period until the elapsed time has elapsed.

In addition to the effect of gaming machine F3, gaming machine F4 has the effect of being able to tell from the specific dynamic display mode that the identification information is displayed in a specific dynamic display mode for a predetermined period of time until the elapsed time has elapsed.

<Feature F'group> Execute an extension performance at the end of SPGT 2
A gaming machine F'1 characterized in having a display means capable of displaying a presentation mode, a predetermined period setting means capable of setting a predetermined period, a predetermined period determination means for determining whether the predetermined period set by the predetermined period setting means has occurred, a switch display means for switching the presentation mode displayed on the display means to a specific presentation mode when the predetermined period determination means determines that the predetermined period has occurred, and an extension period setting means for setting an extension period for extending the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed when it is determined that the predetermined period has elapsed and a predetermined condition has been established.

Here, conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines are known that are configured to execute the same effects or change the display mode at the same timing among multiple gaming machines (for example, JP 2013-31695 A). In such pachinko machines, for example, an RTC (real-time clock) is installed, and the display mode is changed when the time information obtained from the RTC reaches a preset time. However, in this type of pachinko machine, there is a problem that the player's motivation to play decreases when the period during which the display mode is changed ends, and the player becomes bored with the game. Gaming machine F'1 has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can suppress the malfunction of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

According to the gaming machine F'1, a presentation mode is displayed on the display means. A predetermined period determination means determines whether the predetermined period set by the predetermined period setting means has elapsed. If it is determined that the predetermined period has elapsed, the display switch means switches the presentation mode displayed on the display means to a specific presentation mode and displays it. If it is determined that a predetermined condition has been met when the predetermined period has elapsed, the extension period setting means extends the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed and displays it. As a result, the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed changes depending on whether the predetermined condition is met, a presentation that is unexpected can be provided to the player. This has the effect of preventing the player from quickly becoming bored with the game.

A gaming machine F'2 has a timing means capable of timing, an acquisition means for acquiring time information from the timing means, and an elapsed time determination means for determining an elapsed time based on the time information acquired from the acquisition means, the predetermined period setting means for setting the predetermined period based on the time information acquired from the timing means, and the predetermined period determination means for determining whether the predetermined period is reached based on the time information acquired from the timing means.

Gaming machine F'2 achieves the following effects in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machine F'1. That is, the acquisition means acquires time information from the clocking means, and the elapsed time determination means determines the elapsed time based on the time information. The predetermined period setting means sets a predetermined period based on the time information acquired from the clocking means, and the predetermined period determination means determines whether the predetermined period is reached based on the time information acquired from the clocking means. This allows a specific presentation mode to be displayed based on the time information, making it possible to display a presentation mode with a sense of unity across multiple pachinko machines. This has the effect of suppressing the problem of players becoming bored with the game early on.

A gaming machine F'3 has an information acquisition means for acquiring information based on the establishment of an acquisition condition, a storage means for storing the information acquired by the information acquisition means, a judgment means for executing a judgment on the information based on the establishment of a judgment condition, and a pre-judgment means for executing a judgment based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means before the judgment condition is established, and the predetermined condition is configured to be easily established when the information judged as a specific judgment result by the pre-judgment means is stored.

Gaming machine F'3 provides the following effects in addition to the effects of gaming machine F'2. That is, information acquired by the information acquisition means based on the establishment of an acquisition condition is stored in a storage means, and a judgment is made on the information by the judgment means based on the establishment of a judgment condition. A judgment is made based on information acquired by the information acquisition means before the judgment condition is established by the advance judgment means. A configuration is made such that a predetermined condition is more likely to be established when information judged to be a specific judgment result by the advance judgment means is stored. As a result, the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed is extended, and it is possible to hope for a specific judgment result. Therefore, there is an effect that a game can be played in the hope that the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed will be extended.

Gaming machine F'4 is characterized in that it has information input means capable of inputting specific information in gaming machine F'2 or F'3, and the predetermined period setting means sets the period during which the specific presentation mode is performed to at least a first predetermined period, which is the predetermined period, and a second predetermined period different from the predetermined period, based on the specific information input by the information input means and time information obtained from the timing means.

Gaming machine F'4 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machine F'2 or F'3. That is, specific information is input by the information input means. The predetermined period setting means sets the period during which the specific presentation mode is performed based on the specific information input by the information input means and the time information obtained from the timing means. This makes it possible to set the period during which the specific presentation mode is performed based on two pieces of information: the inputtable information and the time information. Therefore, by combining the two pieces of information, it is possible to set multiple patterns of periods during which the specific presentation mode is performed, which has the effect of providing an unexpected presentation. Also, it has the effect of being possible to change the period during which the specific presentation mode is performed by changing the time information without changing the inputtable information.

Gaming machine F'5 is characterized in that in gaming machine F'4, the predetermined period setting means sets the second predetermined period to a period longer than the first predetermined period.

In addition to the effect of gaming machine F'4, gaming machine F'5 has the effect of preventing players from quickly becoming bored with the game by allowing the player to imagine, when a specific presentation mode continues longer than the first predetermined period, whether it is an extended period based on the establishment of a predetermined condition or the period set as the second predetermined period, thereby preventing the player from quickly becoming bored with the game.

A gaming machine F'6 is characterized in that it has a dynamic display period determination means for determining the period during which the identification information is dynamically displayed in any of the gaming machines F'3 to F'5, and has a temporary stop display means for displaying the identification information in a temporary stop display if the elapsed time has elapsed before the period determined by the dynamic display period determination means has elapsed.

Gaming machine F'6 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by any of gaming machines F'3 to F'5. That is, the period during which the identification information is dynamically displayed is determined by a dynamic display period determination means. If the elapsed time elapses before the period determined by the dynamic display period determination means elapses, the identification information is displayed in a provisionally stopped state. This makes it possible to provisionally stop the dynamic display in accordance with the end timing of the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed. This has the effect of allowing the player to easily determine the end timing.

A gaming machine F'7 is characterized in that it has a specific effect display means for displaying a specific effect display mode on the display means after the predetermined period has elapsed when the temporary stop is displayed by the temporary stop display means and the extension period is set by the extension period setting means in the gaming machine F'6.

Gaming machine F'7 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine F'6. That is, when a temporary stop is displayed by the temporary stop display means and an extension period is set by the extension period setting means, after the predetermined period has elapsed, the specific effect display mode is displayed on the display means by the specific effect display means. As a result, a player for whom an extension period is set can feel a sense of superiority because a specific effect display mode is displayed from a temporary stop display state, and a specific effect display mode different from that of the surrounding players is displayed from the same temporary stop display as the surrounding players. This has the effect of increasing the interest in the game.

A gaming machine F'8 is characterized in that it has a suggestion effect display means for displaying a suggestion effect on the display means during the specified period, the suggestion effect indicating that the extension period has been set, in the gaming machine F'7.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F'7, gaming machine F'8 displays a suggestive effect on the display means during a specified period of time, which indicates that an extension period has been set by the suggestive effect display means, thereby increasing the player's motivation to play and reducing the problem of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

Gaming machine F'9 is any of gaming machines F'2 to F'8, characterized in that the timing means is configured to be able to measure time even when power is not being supplied to the gaming machine.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines F'2 to F'8, gaming machine F'9 has the effect that the timing means can measure time even when power is not being supplied to the gaming machine, so that it can always measure time regardless of the power-on state of the gaming machine, and can accurately execute a specific presentation mode based on the time information.

Gaming machine F'10 is any of gaming machines F'2 to F'9, characterized in that the timekeeping means has a correction means capable of correcting the current time.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines F'2 to F'9, gaming machine F'10 has the effect that the timekeeping means can correct the current time using the correction means, so that a specific presentation mode can be accurately executed based on the time information.

Gaming machine F'11 is any one of gaming machines F'4 to F'10, characterized in that the information input means has a set input period during which information can be input.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines F'4 to F'10, gaming machine F'11 has the effect that the period during which information can be input is set by the information input means, so that, for example, by setting business hours as a non-input period, the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed during business hours will not be changed, and a specific presentation mode can be executed at a desired timing.

A gaming machine F'12, characterized in that the acquisition means acquires day-of-week information as the time information in the gaming machine F'11, and the predetermined period setting means sets the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed to differ depending on the day-of-week information.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F'11, gaming machine F'12 has the effect of acquiring day-of-the-week information by the acquisition means, and the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed is set differently by the predetermined period setting means depending on the acquired day-of-the-week information, so that the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed can be changed by changing the day-of-the-week information without changing the information that can be input.

Gaming machine F'13 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines F'4 to F'12, the predetermined period setting means can set multiple periods in chronological order during which the specific presentation mode is displayed.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines F'4 to F'12, gaming machine F'13 has the effect of simplifying the task of setting the period during which a particular presentation mode is displayed, since the predetermined period setting means can set multiple periods in chronological order during which a particular presentation mode is displayed.

In the gaming machine F'13, the acquisition means acquires time information as the time information, and the predetermined period setting means is capable of setting the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed from among a plurality of different periods, and even if the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed is varied by the predetermined period setting means, the timing for executing the display of the specific presentation mode is unified based on the time information. Gaming machine F'14.

Gaming machine F'14 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine F'13. That is, the acquisition means acquires time information. The predetermined period setting means allows the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed to be set from a plurality of different periods, and even if different periods are set, the timing for executing the display of the specific presentation mode is unified based on the time information. As a result, even if the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed is different, the timing for executing the display of the specific presentation mode can be unified, so that the player cannot know the length of the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed based on the timing for executing the display of the specific presentation mode. Therefore, it is possible to allow the player to play while being interested in whether the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed will pass the predetermined period, and there is an effect of suppressing the inconvenience of the player becoming bored with the game early on.

A gaming machine F'15 is characterized in that it has a display timing setting means for setting the timing for executing the display of the presentation mode displayed on the display means at a predetermined interval within the predetermined period set by the predetermined period setting means, a presentation mode execution means for executing the presentation mode based on the establishment of a predetermined condition, and a presentation mode standby means for causing the execution of the presentation mode by the presentation mode execution means to wait until the timing set by the display timing setting means.

Gaming machine F'15 has the following effects in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines F'1 to F'14. That is, within a predetermined period set by a predetermined period setting means, the timing for executing the display of the presentation mode displayed on the display means is set at a predetermined interval by a display timing setting means. The execution of a selection mode performed by the presentation mode execution means based on the establishment of a predetermined condition is put on hold until the timing set by the presentation mode waiting means. As a result, the presentation mode executed within the predetermined period is also executed at a predetermined timing. Therefore, a unified presentation can be produced across multiple gaming machines, and there is an effect of suppressing the problem of players quickly becoming bored with the game.

A gaming machine F'16 is characterized by comprising a display execution time setting means for setting the time for executing the display of the presentation mode displayed on the display means at a predetermined time interval based on the time information acquired by the acquisition means, a presentation mode execution means for executing the presentation mode based on the establishment of a predetermined condition, and a presentation mode standby means for causing the execution of the presentation mode by the presentation mode execution means to wait until the time set by the display execution time setting means, among the gaming machines F'2 to F'14.

Gaming machine F'16 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by any of gaming machines F'2 to F'14. That is, the display execution time setting means sets the time for executing the display of the presentation mode displayed on the display means at a predetermined time interval based on the time information acquired by the acquisition means. The execution of the selection mode performed by the presentation mode execution means based on the establishment of a predetermined condition is made to wait until the time set by the presentation mode waiting means. As a result, the presentation mode executed within the predetermined period is also executed for a predetermined time. Therefore, it is possible to perform a presentation with a sense of unity among multiple gaming machines, and there is an effect of suppressing the problem of players becoming bored with the game early on.

A gaming machine F'17 is any one of gaming machines F'1 to F'16, which has an operation means capable of performing a predetermined input operation, and the predetermined period setting means sets the predetermined period based on the predetermined input operation by the operation means.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines F'1 to F'16, gaming machine F'17 has the effect of easily setting the predetermined period to a desired period because the predetermined period set by the predetermined period setting means is set based on a predetermined operation by the operation means.

A gaming machine F'18 is characterized in that it has a performance information output means for outputting performance information including at least specific performance mode information based on the specific performance mode displayed on the display means, a performance information input means capable of inputting information corresponding to the performance information output by the performance information output means, and a specific performance mode setting means for setting the specific performance mode based on the information input by the performance information input means, among any of the gaming machines F'1 to F'17.

Gaming machine F'18 achieves the following effects in addition to the effects achieved by any of gaming machines F'1 to F'18. That is, the performance information output means outputs performance information including at least specific performance mode information based on a specific performance mode displayed on the display means. The performance information input means inputs information corresponding to the performance information. The specific performance mode setting means sets a specific performance mode based on the information input by the performance information input means. This makes it possible to set a specific performance mode displayed on other pachinko machines, making it possible to freely synchronize the performance modes. This has the effect of increasing the player's motivation to play and reducing the problem of players quickly becoming bored with the gaming machine.

It is preferable that the presentation information output by the gaming machine F'18 includes information on the time at which the specific presentation is displayed. This has the effect of synchronizing the time at which the specific presentation is displayed, regardless of the timing at which the specific presentation is set by the specific presentation setting means.

Gaming machine F'19 is characterized in that in gaming machine F'18, the performance information output means displays the performance information on the display means in a manner that allows the performance information to be acquired by an external device.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F'18, gaming machine F'19 has the effect of facilitating the setting of a specific presentation mode by the specific presentation mode setting means, since the presentation information output means displays the presentation information in a format (e.g., two-dimensional information code) that can be acquired by an external device (e.g., a mobile terminal).

<Feature Group G> A gaming machine G1 characterized by having a first display means having a display area configured by arranging a plurality of first pixels configured in a first display size, a second display means arranged adjacent to the display area of the first display means and having a display area configured by arranging a plurality of second pixels configured in a second display size smaller than the first display size, and a display control means capable of moving and displaying the same pattern data from the first display means to the second display means or from the second display means to the first display means.

Here, in conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines, gaming machines have been proposed that provide novel presentation modes by arranging multiple display devices to provide different display modes to the player (for example, JP 2005-270417 A). However, this type of pachinko machine has a drawback in that the load on the display control increases, resulting in an increased control burden. Gaming machine G1 has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can reduce the control load.

According to the gaming machine G1, the first display means is configured by a display area configured by arranging a plurality of first pixels configured in a first display size. The second display means is configured by a display area arranged close to the display area of the first display means and configured by arranging a plurality of second pixels configured in a second display size smaller than the first display size. The same pattern data is moved and displayed by the display control means from the first display means to the second display means or from the second display means to the first display means. In this way, by displaying the same display data on different display means, it is possible to display patterns in different display sizes. Therefore, even when it is desired to change the display size of the patterns, the load of the control process for changing the magnification ratio, etc. of the display data can be reduced. This has the effect of reducing the control load.

A gaming machine G2 is characterized in that, in a gaming machine G1, the first display size and the second display size are each configured with a predetermined magnification ratio.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G1, gaming machine G2 has the effect that the first display size and the second display size are each configured with a predetermined magnification ratio, so that the size of the displayed patterns can be displayed differently at a predetermined magnification ratio.

A gaming machine G3, which is characterized in that in the gaming machine G1 or G2, the pattern data displayed in common on the first display means and the second display means is image information that is displayed in a scrolling manner.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines G1 and G2, gaming machine G3 has the effect of providing the player with a fresh presentation, since the pattern data displayed in common on both the first and second display means is image information that is scrolled, and the patterns can be scrolled across both the first and second display means.

A gaming machine G4, which is any one of gaming machines G1 to G3, has a storage means in which the symbol data to be displayed by the display control means is stored, and a display data setting means for acquiring the symbol data from the storage means and setting a magnification ratio at which the acquired symbol data is displayed on the display control means, and when the display control means moves and displays symbol data of the same magnification ratio set by the display data setting means from the first display means to the second display means or from the second display means to the first display means, the display control means moves and displays the symbol data.

Gaming machine G4 has the following effect in addition to the effect of any one of gaming machines G1 to G3. That is, the storage means stores the pattern data to be displayed by the display control means. The display data setting means sets the magnification ratio at which the pattern data is acquired from the storage means and displayed on the display control means. When the display control means moves the pattern data from the first display means to the second display means or from the second display means to the first display means, the display control means moves and displays the pattern data with the same magnification ratio set by the display data setting means. This allows the pattern to be displayed at different sizes on the first display means and the second display means without changing and setting the magnification ratio. This has the effect of reducing the load caused by the process of changing the pattern display size for display.

Gaming machine G5 is any one of gaming machines G1 to G4, characterized in that the first display means has a display area larger than the second display means.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines G1 to G4, the gaming machine G5 has the effect that the first display means has a larger display area than the second display means, and therefore can provide a display presentation that gives a different impression to the player.

A gaming machine G6 is characterized in that it has a lottery means for executing a lottery based on the establishment of lottery conditions in any one of gaming machines G1 to G5, and the display control means dynamically displays identification information showing the lottery result by the lottery means using the pattern.

Gaming machine G6 has the following effect in addition to the effect of any of gaming machines G1 to G5. That is, a lottery is executed by the lottery means based on the establishment of the lottery conditions. The display control means dynamically displays identification information indicating the lottery result by the lottery means in the form of a pattern. This has the effect of making it possible to distinguish the lottery result from the pattern, and arousing the player's interest in the dynamic display of the pattern.

A gaming machine G7 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine G6, the pattern representing the identification information is scrolled and enlarged on the second display means at a predetermined magnification rate, and then moved to the first display means at the information set at that magnification rate, and then scrolled and displayed on the first display means at the data set at the predetermined magnification rate.

According to gaming machine G7, in addition to the effects of gaming machine G6, the pattern indicating the identification information is enlarged and displayed by scrolling data set at a predetermined magnification ratio on the second display means, and then moved to the first display means with the information set at that magnification ratio, and then the pattern indicating the identification information is scrolled and displayed by the display control means with the data set at the predetermined magnification ratio on the first display means. Therefore, when the pattern is moved from the second display means to the first display means and displayed with a different magnification ratio, the processing for changing the magnification ratio can be reduced.

<Feature G'Group> Pattern size 2 displayed on fisheye LCD
A gaming machine G'1 characterized by having a first display means having a display area configured by arranging a plurality of first pixels having a first display size, a second display means arranged adjacent to the display area of the first display means and having a display area configured by arranging a plurality of second pixels having a second display size smaller than the first display size, and a display control means capable of moving and displaying the same pattern data from the first display means to the second display means or from the second display means to the first display means.

Here, in conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines, gaming machines have been proposed that provide novel presentation modes by arranging multiple display devices to provide different display modes to the player (for example, JP 2005-270417 A). However, this type of pachinko machine has a problem in that the load on the display control increases, resulting in an increased control burden. Gaming machine G'1 has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can reduce the control burden.

According to the gaming machine G'1, the first display means is configured by a display area configured by arranging a plurality of first pixels configured by a first display size. The second display means is configured by a display area arranged close to the display area of the first display means and configured by arranging a plurality of second pixels configured by a second display size smaller than the first display size. The same pattern data is moved and displayed by the display control means from the first display means to the second display means or from the second display means to the first display means. In this way, by displaying the same display data on different display means, it is possible to display patterns at different display sizes. Therefore, even when it is desired to change the display size of the patterns, the load of the control process for changing the magnification ratio, etc. of the display data can be reduced. This has the effect of reducing the control load.

Gaming machine G'2 is characterized in that the first display size and the second display size are configured with a predetermined magnification ratio in gaming machine G'1.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G'1, gaming machine G'2 has the effect that the first display size and the second display size are each configured with a predetermined magnification ratio, so that the sizes of the displayed patterns can be displayed differently at a predetermined magnification ratio.

Gaming machine G'3 is characterized in that, in gaming machine G'1 or G'2, the pattern data displayed in common on the first display means and the second display means is image information that is scrolled.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines G'1 and G'2, gaming machine G'3 has the effect of providing the player with a fresh presentation, since the pattern data displayed in common on the first and second display means is image information that is scrolled, and the patterns can be scrolled across the first and second display means.

A gaming machine G'4, which is any one of the gaming machines G'1 to G'3, has a storage means in which the symbol data to be displayed by the display control means is stored, and a display data setting means for acquiring the symbol data from the storage means and setting a magnification ratio at which the acquired symbol data is displayed on the display control means, and is characterized in that when the display control means moves and displays symbol data of the same magnification ratio set by the display data setting means from the first display means to the second display means or from the second display means to the first display means, the display control means moves and displays the symbol data.

Gaming machine G'4 has the following effect in addition to the effect of any one of gaming machines G'1 to G'3. That is, the storage means stores the pattern data to be displayed by the display control means. The display data setting means sets the magnification ratio at which the pattern data is acquired from the storage means and displayed on the display control means. When the display control means moves the pattern data from the first display means to the second display means or from the second display means to the first display means, the display control means moves and displays the pattern data with the same magnification ratio set by the display data setting means. This allows the display size of the pattern to be different between the first display means and the second display means without changing and setting the magnification ratio. This has the effect of reducing the load caused by the process of changing the display size of the pattern to be displayed.

Gaming machine G'5 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines G'1 to G'4, the first display means has a display area larger than that of the second display means.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines G'1 to G'4, the gaming machine G'5 has the effect that the first display means has a larger display area than the second display means, and therefore can provide a display presentation that gives a different impression to the player.

A gaming machine G'6 is characterized in that it has a lottery means for executing a lottery based on the establishment of a lottery condition in any one of gaming machines G'1 to G'5, and the display control means dynamically displays identification information showing the lottery result by the lottery means using the pattern.

Gaming machine G'6 has the following effect in addition to the effect of any of gaming machines G'1 to G'5. That is, a lottery is executed by the lottery means based on the establishment of the lottery conditions. The display control means dynamically displays identification information indicating the lottery result by the lottery means in the form of a pattern. This has the effect of making it possible to distinguish the lottery result from the pattern, and arousing the player's interest in the dynamic display of the patterns.

In gaming machine G'6, the pattern representing the identification information is scrolled and enlarged on the second display means at a predetermined magnification rate, and then moved to the first display means at the information set at that magnification rate, and then scrolled and displayed on the first display means at the data set at the predetermined magnification rate. Gaming machine G'7.

According to gaming machine G'7, in addition to the effect of gaming machine G'6, the pattern indicating the identification information is enlarged and displayed by scrolling data set at a predetermined magnification ratio on the second display means, and then moved to the first display means with the information set at that magnification ratio, and then the pattern indicating the identification information is scrolled and displayed by the display control means with the data set at the predetermined magnification ratio on the first display means. Therefore, when the pattern is moved from the second display means to the first display means and displayed with a different magnification ratio, the processing for changing the magnification ratio can be reduced.

<Feature Group H> Pre-simulated fluctuations on sub screen A gaming machine H1 having a first display means having a specific first display area, a second display means having a second display area different from the first display area, an acquisition means capable of acquiring information based on the establishment of an acquisition condition, a display control means for displaying a presentation based on the information on the first display means or the second display means, and a condition determination means for determining whether a predetermined condition has been established, wherein the display control means, when it is determined by the condition determination means that a predetermined condition has been established, moves the presentation based on the information from one of the first display area or the second display area to the other display area and displays it.

Here, some conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines are provided with a single display device such as a liquid crystal display device, and display various effect images on the display device (for example, JP 2013-13528 A). However, while the gaming machines described above are capable of displaying various effect images, they have a problem in that the effect image is displayed in only one location, making it impossible to provide a surprising game using the effect image, and players become bored. Gaming machine H1 has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can alleviate player boredom by providing a surprising game using effect images.

According to the gaming machine H1, the display control means displays effects based on the information acquired by the acquisition means on the first display means having a first display area or on the second display means having a second display area. Then, when the condition determination means determines that a predetermined condition is met, the effects displayed in either the first display area or the second display area can be moved and displayed in the other display area, which has the effect of providing an element of surprise in the game and reducing boredom among players.

A gaming machine H2, characterized in that it has a storage means for storing the information acquired by the acquisition means in the gaming machine H1, a judgment means for executing a judgment based on the information stored in the storage means when a judgment condition is met, a dynamic display control means for making the first display means perform a dynamic display for a predetermined period of time as the presentation based on the judgment result by the judgment means, a pre-judgment means for executing a pre-judgment based on the information stored in the storage means before the judgment is made by the judgment means, and a pre-dynamic display control means for making the second display means perform a pre-dynamic display as the presentation based on the pre-judgment result by the pre-judgment means.

Here, in conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines, a lottery is held when a gaming ball enters a winning slot, and a variable display is performed according to the lottery result, and the right to the lottery is reserved and stored, and an effect (so-called look-ahead effect) is performed in which the display mode during the variable display is changed based on the contents of the lottery in the reserved memory (for example, JP 2012-16499 A). However, in the above-mentioned gaming machine, a single display means is used to execute the variable display according to the lottery result and the above-mentioned look-ahead effect display, and when a look-ahead effect corresponding to a specific reserved memory is performed, the effect mainly for that specific reserved memory is forcibly performed, which causes the player to lose interest in the variable display for other reserved memories. The gaming machine H1 has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can prevent the player's interest from decreasing while performing an effect based on the reserved memory.

Gaming machine H2 achieves the following effects in addition to those achieved by gaming machine H1. That is, when a determination condition is met, the determination means executes a determination based on information stored in the storage means, and causes the first display means to perform a dynamic display as an effect based on the determination result. The advance determination means executes an advance determination based on information stored in the storage means before the determination is made by the determination means, and causes the second display means to perform a dynamic display in advance as an effect based on the advance determination result. In this way, by displaying a dynamic display on the first display means and a advance dynamic display on the second display means, respectively, the player can focus on the results of each dynamic display while looking forward to the lottery contents reserved and stored by the advance dynamic display. This has the effect of preventing the player's interest in the dynamic display from waning.

A gaming machine H3, characterized in that the storage means in the gaming machine H2 is capable of storing a plurality of pieces of the information up to a predetermined number, has an information selection means for selecting any piece of information from the plurality of pieces of information stored in the storage means, and the pre-dynamic display control means performs a pre-dynamic display corresponding to the information selected by the information selection means.

Gaming machine H3 provides the following effects in addition to the effects provided by gaming machine H2. That is, the storage means stores a plurality of pieces of information up to a predetermined limit, and the information selection means selects any piece of information from the plurality of pieces of stored information. The pre-dynamic display control means causes a pre-dynamic display to be performed in accordance with the information selected by the information selection means. This results in a pre-dynamic display based on the information desired by the player. This has the effect of reducing boredom among the player.

Gaming machine H4 is characterized in that in gaming machine H3, the second display means is configured to be capable of displaying multiple pre-dynamic displays corresponding to multiple pieces of information stored in the storage means, and the information selection means selects any one of the multiple pre-dynamic displays displayed on the second display means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H3, gaming machine H4 has the effect of making it easier for the player to select the desired pre-dynamic display, since multiple pre-dynamic displays corresponding to multiple pieces of information stored in the storage means are displayed on the second display means, and an arbitrary pre-dynamic display is selected from the multiple pre-dynamic displays displayed by the information selection means.

A gaming machine H5, which is characterized in that it has a reserved pattern display control means for displaying a reserved pattern corresponding to at least the information stored in the storage means before the judgment is made by the judgment means, the information selection means selects an arbitrary reserved pattern from the multiple reserved patterns displayed by the reserved pattern display control means, and the advance dynamic display control means performs advance dynamic display corresponding to the reserved pattern selected by the information selection means.

Gaming machine H5 achieves the following effects in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines H3 and H4. That is, the reserved pattern display control means displays a reserved pattern corresponding to at least the information stored in the storage means before the determination is made by the determination means. The information selection means selects an arbitrary reserved pattern from the multiple reserved patterns displayed, and the pre-dynamic display control means causes a pre-dynamic display corresponding to the selected reserved pattern. This allows an arbitrary pre-dynamic display to be selected while viewing the displayed reserved patterns. This has the effect of making it easier for the player to select the desired pre-dynamic display.

Gaming machine H6 is characterized in that it has an identification means for identifiably displaying the reserved symbol selected by the reserved symbol selection means in gaming machine H5.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H5, gaming machine H6 has the effect of easily identifying which reserved pattern corresponds to the displayed pre-dynamic display, since the reserved pattern selected by the reserved pattern selection means is identifiable by the identification means.

Gaming machine H7 is characterized in that it has a reserved pattern display mode changing means for changing the display mode of the reserved pattern in gaming machine H5 or H6 to a predetermined display mode that suggests the display content of the advance dynamic display corresponding to the reserved pattern.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines H5 and H6, gaming machine H7 has the effect of making it easier for the player to select the desired pre-dynamic display, since the reserved pattern display mode changing means changes the display mode of the reserved pattern to a predetermined display mode that suggests the display content of the pre-dynamic display corresponding to the reserved pattern.

A gaming machine H8, which is any one of the gaming machines H1 to H7, has an information identification means for identifying the information used in the judgment by the judgment means and the information used in the judgment by the advance judgment means, and the advance dynamic display control means stops the advance dynamic display that is displayed based on a piece of information identified by the information identification means when a judgment condition for the judgment means to make a judgment based on the piece of information is established.

Gaming machine H8 achieves the following effects in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines H1 to H7. That is, the information used for the determination by the determination means and the information used for the determination by the advance determination means are identified by the information identification means. The advance dynamic display displayed based on one piece of information identified by the information identification means is stopped when the determination condition for the determination means to make a determination based on the one piece of information is satisfied by the advance dynamic display control means. This makes it possible to stop the advance dynamic display based on the one piece of information at the timing when the dynamic display based on the one piece of information is started. Therefore, it is possible to display the advance dynamic display selected by the player so that it switches to the dynamic display without any sense of incongruity. This has the effect of preventing the player's interest in the dynamic display or advance dynamic display from declining.

Gaming machine H9 is any one of gaming machines H1 to H8, characterized in that it is provided with a switching means for switching between the display content displayed on the first display means and the display content displayed on the second display means.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines H1 to H8, gaming machine H9 has the effect of switching between the display content displayed on the first display means and the display content displayed on the second display means by the switching means, allowing the player to display the desired display content on the desired display means, thereby reducing the inconvenience of players becoming bored with the game too early.

In the gaming machine H9, when the pre-display corresponding to the one piece of information selected by the information selection means is displayed on the first display means by the switching means, the switching means switches the dynamic display to be displayed on the first display means when the dynamic display corresponding to the one piece of information is started. A gaming machine H10.

Gaming machine H10 provides the following effects in addition to the effects of gaming machine H9. That is, when a pre-dynamic display corresponding to a piece of information is displayed on the first display means by the switching means, the switching means switches so that a dynamic display corresponding to that piece of information is displayed on the first display means. As a result, when a pre-dynamic display corresponding to information arbitrarily selected by a player is displayed on the first display means, the dynamic display corresponding to that information continues to be displayed on the first display means, so that the pre-dynamic display can be displayed so as to switch to the dynamic display without creating an awkward feeling. This has the effect of preventing the player's interest in the dynamic display or pre-dynamic display from waning.

Among any of gaming machines H8 to H10, gaming machine H11 is characterized in that the pre-dynamic display includes at least a display of a judgment result mode based on the judgment result of the pre-judgment means, and the display of the judgment result mode displayed in the pre-dynamic display corresponding to a piece of information identified by the information identification means is also displayed continuously in the dynamic display corresponding to the piece of information.

Gaming machine H11 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by any of gaming machines H8 to H10. That is, as the pre-dynamic display, at least a judgment result mode display based on the judgment result of the pre-judgment means is displayed, and the judgment result mode display displayed in the pre-dynamic display corresponding to one piece of information identified by the information identification means is also displayed continuously in the dynamic display corresponding to the one piece of information. As a result, the judgment result mode display is displayed across the pre-dynamic display and the dynamic display, so that it is possible to perform an effect in which the pre-dynamic display and the dynamic display continue seamlessly. This has the effect of preventing the player's interest in the dynamic display or the pre-dynamic display from decreasing.

<Features Group I> Synchronous Presentation Gaming machine I1 is characterized by having a display means capable of displaying a presentation mode, an information input means capable of inputting specified information, a presentation period setting means for setting a period during which a specific presentation mode can be displayed on the display means based on the specified information input by the information input means, and a specific presentation mode execution means for executing the specific presentation mode based on the establishment of specified conditions within the period set by the presentation period setting means.

Here, among conventional gaming machines such as pachinko machines, there are some that execute synchronous effects all at once at a predetermined time (for example, JP 2007-252534 A). However, the above-mentioned gaming machines control the execution of synchronous effects depending on time, which causes the timing of the synchronous effects to become monotonous, resulting in the problem that players become bored with them. Gaming machine I1 has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can alleviate player boredom.

According to gaming machine I1, a presentation mode is displayed on the display means. A period during which a specific presentation mode can be displayed on the display means is set by the presentation period setting means based on predetermined information input by the information input means. A specific presentation is executed by the specific presentation mode execution means based on the establishment of a predetermined condition within that period. This makes it possible to set a period during which a specific presentation mode can be displayed based on the inputted predetermined information. Therefore, it is possible to change the setting of the period during which a specific presentation mode can be displayed, making it possible to alleviate player boredom. Furthermore, by inputting the same information as the predetermined information into gaming machines installed side by side, a dynamic display can be experienced at a desired timing, which has the effect of alleviating player boredom.

A gaming machine I2, which is characterized in that it has a timing means capable of timing in the gaming machine I1, and a time information acquisition means for acquiring time information from the timing means, and the presentation period setting means sets a period during which a specific presentation mode can be displayed on the display means based on the time information acquired by the time information acquisition means and the information input to the information input means.

Gaming machine I2 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machine I1. That is, time information measured by a timing means is acquired by a time information acquisition means, and a period during which a specific effect can be displayed on the display means is set based on the time information and the information input to the information input means. This makes it possible to set a period during which a specific effect can be displayed based on two pieces of information: the time information and the information input by the information input means. Therefore, by combining information, various periods can be set, making it possible to reduce player boredom.

Gaming machine I3 is characterized in that it has a specific performance mode execution timing setting means for setting the timing for executing the specific performance mode within the period set by the performance period setting means, and a specific performance mode execution waiting means for putting the execution of the specific performance mode on hold for the period from when the predetermined condition is met until the timing for executing the specific performance mode set by the execution timing setting means, in the gaming machine I1 or I2.

Gaming machine I3 provides the following effect in addition to the effect provided by gaming machine I1 or I2. That is, within the period set by the effect period setting means, the timing for executing a specific effect mode is set by the specific effect mode execution timing setting means. During the period from when a predetermined condition is met to the timing for executing the specific effect mode set by the execution timing setting means, the specific effect mode execution standby means puts the specific effect mode on standby. This has the effect of unifying the execution timing of the specific effect mode.

Gaming machine I4 is any one of gaming machines I1 to I3, characterized in that it has a performance mode storage means for storing a plurality of performance modes, and a specific performance mode setting means for setting the specific performance mode from among the plurality of performance modes stored in the performance mode storage means.

Gaming machine I4 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by any of gaming machines I1 to I3. A plurality of presentation modes are stored in the presentation mode storage means, and a specific presentation mode is set from among the presentation modes by the specific presentation mode setting means. As a result, a specific presentation mode that can be displayed within the period set by the presentation period setting means is set from among the plurality of presentation modes, and therefore there is no need to prepare data for the specific presentation mode. This has the effect of reducing the amount of data.

Gaming machine I5 is characterized in that in gaming machine I4, the specific presentation mode setting means sets the specific presentation mode based on time information acquired from the timing means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine I4, gaming machine I5 has the effect of easily changing the specific presentation mode because the specific presentation mode setting means sets the specific presentation mode based on time information obtained from the timing means.

Gaming machine I6 is characterized in that it has an operation means operable by a player in gaming machine I4 and an operation determination means for determining whether the operation means has been operated in a predetermined manner, and the specific presentation mode setting means sets the specific presentation mode based on the predetermined operation determined by the operation determination means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine I4, gaming machine I6 has the effect that a specific presentation mode can be set to the presentation mode desired by the player, since a specific operation is performed by an operation means that the player can operate, and a specific presentation mode is set based on the specific operation determined by the operation determination means.

Gaming machine I7 is any one of gaming machines I4 to I6, characterized in that it has a specific performance mode execution restriction means for restricting a performance mode set as a specific performance mode by the specific performance mode setting means so that it is not executed outside the period set by the performance period setting means.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines I4 to I6, gaming machine I7 has the effect of providing a special feeling to the presentation, while eliminating the need to prepare data for the specific presentation mode, by restricting the specific presentation mode execution means so that the presentation mode set as the specific presentation mode by the specific presentation mode setting means is not executed outside the period set by the presentation period setting means.

Among any of gaming machines I1 to I7, gaming machine I8 is characterized by having a performance information output means for outputting performance information including at least specific performance mode information based on the specific performance mode displayed on the display means, a performance information input means capable of inputting information corresponding to the performance information output by the performance information output means, and a specific performance mode setting means for setting the specific performance mode based on the information input by the performance information input means.

Gaming machine I8 achieves the following effects in addition to the effects achieved by any of gaming machines I1 to I7. That is, the performance information output means outputs performance information including at least specific performance mode information based on a specific performance mode displayed on the display means. The performance information input means inputs information corresponding to the performance information. The specific performance mode setting means sets a specific performance mode based on the information input by the performance information input means. This makes it possible to set a specific performance mode displayed on other pachinko machines, making it possible to freely synchronize the performance modes. This has the effect of increasing the player's motivation to play and reducing the problem of players quickly becoming bored with the gaming machine.

It is preferable that the presentation information output by the gaming machine I8 includes information on the time at which the specific presentation is displayed. This has the effect of synchronizing the time at which the specific presentation is displayed, regardless of the timing at which the specific presentation is set by the specific presentation setting means.

Gaming machine I9 is characterized in that in gaming machine I8, the performance information output means displays the performance information on the display means in a manner that allows the performance information to be acquired by an external device.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine I8, gaming machine I9 has the effect of facilitating the setting of a specific presentation mode by the specific presentation mode setting means, since the presentation information output means displays the presentation information in a format (e.g., a two-dimensional information code) that can be acquired by an external device (e.g., a mobile terminal).

Gaming machine K1 is a slot machine in any one of gaming machines A1 to A8, B1 to B10, C1 to C12, D1 to D7, D'1 to D'10, E1 to E7, E'1 to E'8, F1 to F4, F'1 to F'19, G1 to G7, G'1 to G'7, H1 to H11, and I1 to I9. Among them, the basic configuration of a slot machine is "a gaming machine equipped with a variable display means for dynamically displaying a sequence of identification information consisting of a plurality of identification information and then displaying the identification information in a definite manner, in which the dynamic display of the identification information is started due to the operation of a start operation means (e.g., an operation lever), the dynamic display of the identification information is stopped due to the operation of a stop operation means (a stop button) or by the passage of a predetermined time, and a special game state generating means for generating a special game state advantageous to a player, provided that the determined identification information at the time of the stop is a specific identification information as a necessary condition." In this case, typical examples of the game medium include coins and medals.

Gaming machine K2 is a pachinko gaming machine in any one of gaming machines A1 to A8, B1 to B10, C1 to C12, D1 to D7, D'1 to D'10, E1 to E7, E'1 to E'8, F1 to F4, F'1 to F'19, G1 to G7, G'1 to G'7, H1 to H11, and I1 to I9. Among them, the basic configuration of a pachinko gaming machine includes an operation handle, a ball is launched into a predetermined play area in response to the operation of the operation handle, and the identification information dynamically displayed on the display means is fixed and stopped after a predetermined time, with the necessary condition being that the ball enters (or passes through) an operating port arranged at a predetermined position in the play area. In addition, when a special game state occurs, a variable winning device (specific winning port) located at a specific position within the game area opens in a specific manner, allowing balls to win, and a value (including not only prize balls but also data written to a magnetic card, etc.) is awarded according to the number of winning balls.

Gaming machine K3 is characterized in that in any of gaming machines A1 to A8, B1 to B10, C1 to C12, D1 to D7, D'1 to D'10, E1 to E7, E'1 to E'8, F1 to F4, F'1 to F'19, G1 to G7, G'1 to G'7, H1 to H11, and I1 to I9, the gaming machine is a fusion of a pachinko gaming machine and a slot machine. In particular, the basic configuration of the combined gaming machine is as follows: "A gaming machine equipped with variable display means which dynamically displays an identification information string consisting of a plurality of identification information and then definitively displays the identification information, variation of the identification information is started due to operation of a start operation means (e.g., an operation lever), the dynamic display of the identification information is stopped due to operation of a stop operation means (e.g., a stop button) or after a predetermined time has passed, and which generates a special gaming state advantageous to the player, with the necessary condition that the definitive identification information at the time of stopping is a specific identification information, which uses balls as gaming media, requires a predetermined number of balls to start the dynamic display of the identification information, and is configured so that a large number of balls are paid out when the special gaming state is generated."
＜Other＞
Conventionally, gaming machines have been known that are configured to execute the same effects or change the display mode at the same timing among a plurality of gaming machines (for example, Patent Document 1: JP 2013-31695 A).
In this type of pachinko machine, there has been a problem in that when the period during which the display mode is changed ends, the player's motivation to play decreases and the player becomes bored with the game.
This technical idea has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can prevent players from quickly becoming bored with the game.
<Means>
In order to achieve this object, the gaming machine of technical idea 1 has a display means capable of displaying a presentation mode, a predetermined period setting means capable of setting a predetermined period, a predetermined period determination means for determining whether or not it is the predetermined period set by the predetermined period setting means, a switch display means for switching the presentation mode displayed on the display means to a specific presentation mode when it is determined by the predetermined period determination means that it is a predetermined period, and an extension period setting means for setting an extension period for extending the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed when it is determined that the predetermined period has elapsed and a predetermined condition has been established.
The gaming machine of technical idea 2 is a gaming machine described in technical idea 1, which has a timing means capable of timing, an acquisition means for acquiring time information from the timing means, and an elapsed time determination means for determining the elapsed time based on the time information acquired from the acquisition means, wherein the predetermined period setting means sets the predetermined period based on the time information acquired from the timing means, and the predetermined period determination means determines whether the predetermined period is reached based on the time information acquired from the timing means.
The gaming machine of technical idea 3 is a gaming machine described in technical idea 2, which has an information acquisition means for acquiring information based on the satisfaction of an acquisition condition, a storage means for storing the information acquired by the information acquisition means, a judgment means for executing a judgment on the information based on the satisfaction of a judgment condition, and a pre-judgment means for executing a judgment based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means before the judgment condition is satisfied, and the specified condition is configured to be easily satisfied when the information judged to be a specific judgment result by the pre-judgment means is stored.
A gaming machine of technical idea 4 is a gaming machine described in technical idea 2 or 3, which has an information input means capable of inputting specific information, and the specified period setting means sets the period during which the specific presentation mode is performed to at least a first specified period, which is the specified period, and a second specified period different from the specified period, based on the specific information input by the information input means and time information obtained from the timing means.
A gaming machine according to a fifth technical concept is the gaming machine according to the fourth technical concept, wherein the predetermined period setting means sets the second predetermined period to a period longer than the first predetermined period.
＜Effects＞
According to the gaming machine described in Technical Concept 1, a presentation mode is displayed on the display means. A predetermined period determination means determines whether the predetermined period set by the predetermined period setting means has elapsed. If it is determined that the predetermined period has elapsed, the presentation mode displayed on the display means is switched to a specific presentation mode and displayed by the switching display means. If it is determined that a predetermined condition has been established when the predetermined period has elapsed, the extension period setting means extends the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed and displayed.
This allows the period during which a specific presentation mode is displayed to change depending on the establishment of a predetermined condition, providing the player with a presentation that is unexpected, thus preventing the player from quickly becoming bored with the game.
The gaming machine according to Technical Concept 2 achieves the following effects in addition to the effects achieved by the gaming machine according to Technical Concept 1. That is, the acquisition means acquires time information from the clock means, and the elapsed time determination means determines the elapsed time based on the time information. The predetermined period setting means sets a predetermined period based on the time information acquired from the clock means, and the predetermined period determination means determines whether or not it is a predetermined period based on the time information acquired from the clock means.
This allows a specific presentation mode to be displayed based on time information, making it possible to display a unified presentation mode across multiple pachinko machines, thus preventing players from quickly becoming bored with the game.
The gaming machine described in Technical Concept 3 achieves the following effects in addition to the effects achieved by the gaming machine described in Technical Concept 2. That is, information acquired by the information acquisition means based on the establishment of an acquisition condition is stored in the storage means, and a judgment is made on the information by the judgment means based on the establishment of a judgment condition. A judgment is made based on information acquired by the information acquisition means before the judgment condition is established by the pre-judgment means. A configuration is made such that a predetermined condition is more likely to be established when information judged as a specific judgment result by the pre-judgment means is stored.
This allows the player to expect a specific judgment result by extending the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed, thus providing the effect of allowing the player to play the game in the hope that the period during which the specific presentation mode is displayed will be extended.
The gaming machine according to Technical Concept 4 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the gaming machine according to Technical Concept 2 or 3. That is, specific information is input by the information input means. The predetermined period setting means sets a period during which a specific presentation mode is performed based on the specific information input by the information input means and time information acquired from the timing means.
This allows the period during which a specific performance mode is performed to be set based on two pieces of information, the inputtable information and the time information. Therefore, by combining the two pieces of information, it is possible to set multiple patterns of periods during which a specific performance mode is performed, which has the effect of providing an unexpected performance.
According to the gaming machine described in Technical Idea 5, in addition to the effects achieved by the gaming machine described in Technical Idea 4, the second predetermined period set by the predetermined period setting means is set to a period longer than the first predetermined period, so that when a specific presentation mode continues longer than the first predetermined period, the player can imagine whether this is an extended period based on the establishment of a predetermined condition, or the period set as the second predetermined period, thereby preventing the player from quickly becoming bored with the game.

10. Pachinko machines (amusement machines)
81 Third pattern display device (display means)
203a Special pattern 1 reserved ball storage area (part of storage means)
203b Special pattern 2 reserved ball storage area (part of storage means)
S305 discrimination means
S412 Preliminary discrimination means
S1214 acquisition means
S1314 Elapsed time determination means
S1708 extension period setting means
S1751 Predetermined period setting means

Claims (1)

A display means capable of displaying a performance mode;
an information acquisition means for acquiring information based on the establishment of an acquisition condition;
a storage means for storing the information acquired by the information acquisition means;
A determination means for performing a determination based on the information stored in the storage means;
an identification information display means for displaying, on the display means, identification information for indicating a result of the determination by the determination means;
A bonus awarding means capable of awarding a bonus advantageous to a player;
A gaming machine having a determination means for determining whether a predetermined condition is satisfied,
a specific determination result is determined by the determination means, and when the determination means determines that the determination result is a specific determination result, specific identification information can be displayed by the identification information display means,
The device is configured to grant the benefit when the specific identification information is displayed,
A specific performance mode is displayed on the display means when a predetermined trigger is established.
When the benefit is awarded, a notification effect is executed to notify the player that the benefit will be awarded .
The notification effect is executed at a timing after the specific effect mode is displayed,
The display device is configured to display numerical information during the period in which the specific performance mode is displayed,
The first numerical information is configured to be displayable as the numerical information,
The first numerical information is configured to reach the second numerical information as the game progresses,
The device is configured to allow a player to understand that the specific presentation mode will end when the numerical information reaches the second numerical information ,
A gaming machine characterized in that the notification effect is executed at a timing before the specific identification information is displayed, and a third numerical information having a value of the second numerical information added by a predetermined value can be displayed in a situation in which the awarding of the bonus is executed .