JPH054858Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention, for example, rotates a plurality of drums (usually three) at the same time, and then stops each rotating drum individually by pressing a stop button switch. It relates to a slot machine that detects the symbols on each drum arranged on a set hit line and determines the outcome of the game based on whether the symbols match or do not match.

Conventionally, in this type of slot machine, multiple types of patterns are irregularly arranged around the circumference of each drum, and when a stop button switch is pressed, the rotating drum stops either instantaneously or after a certain short period of time. hand,
It is designed so that any picture is located on the hit line. In such a method, if the user watches the flow of symbols passing the target line and presses the stop button switch at the right time, there is a high probability that the target symbol will fall on the target line, depending on the user's skill. It is possible to stop the As a result, there was a problem that there was a significant difference in the winning rate of the game between experienced customers and amateur customers, and that the interest in the game was biased. Therefore, in recent years, after pressing the stop button switch,
A system has been proposed in which the time it takes for the rotating drum to stop (hereinafter referred to as "stop time") is randomly set. For example, if 20 pieces of symbols are set on the drum, and the stop button switch is pressed at the moment a particular symbol passes over the hit line, one of the other 19 symbols will be placed on the hit line. Randomly set the stop time to stop at . This method has the advantage of equalizing the outcome of the game without being affected by the skill of the players, but after pressing the stop button switch, the drum may rotate a maximum of one revolution and then stop, resulting in an unnatural situation. becomes. As a way to eliminate this kind of unnaturalness, when the stop button switch is pressed, the
It is also possible to randomly set the stop time. However, according to this method, if an expert who can press the stop button switch at the right time hits a specific symbol, the symbols near the location of that specific symbol will stop on the hit line. As a result, the stop control by the machine becomes noticeable, and the machine operation becomes unnatural. Therefore, these methods have disadvantages such as reducing the interest of customers and making them feel suspicious about the operation of the machine.

By devising a method of arranging the patterns on the drum, the present invention allows the drum to stop without any unnaturalness, thereby increasing the customer's interest in the game and reducing the sense of suspicion towards the machine. The purpose is to provide a new slot machine that eliminates the problem.

The present invention will be specifically described below based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a slot machine with three drums 1a, 1b, 1c, a guide display section 3 on the top of the entire surface of the machine body 2, a picture display section 4 in the center, three stop button switches 5, and a medal slot. 6. Medal discharge ports 7 are provided at the bottom, and an operating handle 8 is attached to the side of the vessel body 2 so that it can be tilted forward.

The guide display section 3 has a number display section 9 and a blinking display section 10.
including. The numerical display section 9 digitally displays the number of medals to be paid out, and the blinking display section 10 displays various information related to the game content, such as the number of medals inserted and the payout rate, by blinking lamps.

As shown in FIG _.
l This is the part that is displayed in alignment along line ₅ , and when the three drums 1a, 1b, and 1c arranged in parallel inside the container body 2 are stopped, the three frames of images on the circumference of each drum can be seen through from outside the container. .

As shown in Figure 6, each drum 1a, 1b, 1c has a total of 20 pieces of five types of patterns drawn: ``BAR'', ``Orange'', ``Pear'', ``Cherry'', and ``Bell''.
For example, the first drum 1a is "BAR" and "Orange".
The arrangement order of "Pear", "Cherry", and "Bell", and the second drum 1b is "BAR", "Bell", and "Orange".
Furthermore, the third drum 1c is arranged regularly in four cycles, with the arrangement order of "Cherry" and "Pear" as one cycle, respectively, and the arrangement order of "BAR", "Pear", "Bell", "Cherry", and "Orange". There is.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first to third drums 1a, 1b, and 1c are rotatably disposed on independent rotating shafts 11, and metal detection plates are fixed to the sides of each drum. 12 with a starting lever (not shown) to start the drum, and at the same time, the rotary shaft 11 is rotated by a motor drive, and the rotation of the drum is maintained by dynamic friction between the rotary shaft 11 and the drum. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of grooves 13 are provided on the periphery of the detection plate 12, the number of which corresponds to the number of symbols (total of 20 in this example). an engaging piece 14 that engages and stops the rotation of the drum, and a solenoid 15 that engages and disengages the engaging piece 14 with respect to the detection plate 12.
This constitutes the stop mechanism 16. The stop mechanism 16 of each drum stops the drum in response to the press operation of the stop button switch 5, but the stop time until the drum stops after the press operation of the stop button switch 5 is determined by the control section 29 described later. Therefore, the numbers are randomly set within the number of frames for one cycle of the picture arrangement. That is,
In the illustrated example, the specific symbol is on the center hit line l ₁
When the stop button switch 5 is pressed at the point when the drum passes the top, the stop time is set so that the drum will stop when one of the next five symbols is located on the hit line _l1 . Ru. The above method is 3
The application may be applied to all of the drums 1a, 1b, and 1c, but for example, for the first drum to be stopped, the drum may be stopped at the same time as the stop button switch 5 is pressed or after a certain short period of time has elapsed. In this case, the skill of the customer can be involved in the outcome of the game.

The detection plate 12 is provided with a reference hole 17 and a pattern detection hole 18, and an optical reading device 2 consisting of a light emitter and a light receiver is provided at a position corresponding to each hole row.
0,21 are deployed. The reference hole 17 is 1
The number of pattern detection holes 18 is equal to the number of pattern frames, and each time each hole passes across the optical path of the reading devices 20 and 21, the reading device 20 receives a reference pulse, and the reading device 21 receives a reference pulse. Each outputs a count pulse. This count pulse is controlled by the control unit 2, which will be described later.
9 (not shown), and the contents of the counter are cleared by the reference pulse. In this way, the control unit 29 specifies the drum stop position, in other words, the symbols located on the hit lines _l1 to _l5 , based on the count value of the counter when the drum is stopped.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the circuit configuration of a slot machine.
In the figure, a sensor 24 detects whether medals are inserted or not. The pattern detection section 25 includes the detection plate 12
and reading devices 20 and 21, and a pattern display section 4.
The symbols on each drum located on the hit lines _l1 to _l5 are detected. The stop button switch 5 causes the user to stop the rotation of the first to third drums 1a, 1b, and 1c. Each output of these input sections is once buffered
6, 27, and 28, and then sent to the control unit 29. Further, the illustrated numerical display section 9 digitally displays the number of medals to be paid out, and the mechanism control section 30 controls the operation of the drum rotation motor, the solenoid 15 of the stop mechanism 16, and the like. Furthermore, the blinking display section 10 displays various information by blinking lamps, the medal counting section 31 counts the number of inserted medals and paid out medals, and the sound generating section 32 generates game sound effects, alarm sounds, etc. Each of these output sections is operated by drive circuits 33, 34, 35, 36, and 37, respectively, and each drive circuit is drive-controlled by a control section 29.

The control unit 29 includes a microcomputer, and includes an arithmetic processing unit 38 (hereinafter simply referred to as CPU) and a static memory interface 39.
ROM40 connected to CPU38 via
(Read Only Memory) and RAM41
Memory 4 consisting of (Random Access Memory)
2, and I/O ports 43 and 44 interposed between the CPU 38 and each output section, and further includes the CPU 3
8 is connected to an oscillator 45 for clock generation. The ROM 40 contains various programs and fixed data necessary for the progress of the game, and the RAM 41
Various types of data are stored in the CPU.
38 decodes and executes the program in the ROM 40, reads necessary data from the RAM 41, performs various calculations and processes, and controls the operation of the input/output section. The fixed data stored in the ROM 40 includes stop time data for randomly setting the stop time to a time corresponding to any one of 0 to 5 frames of the picture array, and the CPU 3
When a stop signal is input from the stop button switch 5, the stop button switch 8 takes in stop time data, determines the operation timing of the stop mechanism 16 based on this read data, and stops the rotation of the drum.

However, when the customer inserts a medal into the medal slot 6, the operating handle 8 is unlocked. In this case, by inserting one medal, the hit line l ₁
However, by inserting two medals, the hit line l ₁ ~ _{l 3}
However, by inserting 3 medals, the hit line l ₁ ~ _{l 5}
will each be involved in the outcome of the game. Next, when the operating handle 8 is operated, all the drums 1a, 1b, and 1c rotate at the same time, and when the stop button switch 5 is subsequently pressed, the stop time corresponding to any one of 0 to 5 frames is randomly set. After that, the stop mechanism 16 is activated, and the engagement piece 14
2, the drum is forced to stop. When all the drums are stopped by pressing the three stop button switches 5, the pattern of each drum stopped on the hit line _l1 to _l5 corresponding to the number of inserted medals is detected. Ru. In this way, when the symbols lined up on the hit lines l ₁ to _{l 5} form a certain arrangement, the game is won, and after the number of medals to be released is calculated, a predetermined number of medals are delivered to the medal release port 7. released.

As described above, in this invention, multiple types of patterns are placed on the drum in a regular and repeated manner according to a certain arrangement order, and the stopping time of the drum is randomly set within the number of frames for one period of the pattern arrangement. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the unnatural operation in which the drum rotates approximately one revolution and then stops after the stop button switch is pressed, as in the conventional example. Also, when an expert hits a specific symbol, even if the symbols near the location of that specific symbol stop on the hit line, the array of symbols repeats in a fixed order. , the stop control by the machine is inconspicuous, and the player does not feel that the machine operates unnaturally. Therefore, the user can immerse himself in the game without feeling suspicious of the machine's operation, and can increase his interest in the game, achieving the remarkable effects of achieving the purpose of the invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an oblique view of the slot machine, Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the rotating drum, Fig. 3 is a side view of the detection plate, Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the slot machine, and Fig. 5 The figure is an explanatory diagram illustrating a stopped state of each drum, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an expanded pattern arrangement of the drums. 1a, 1b, 1c...drum, 5...stop button switch, 29...control unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] A plurality of drums each having a plurality of frames on their circumferential surface, a stop button switch for stopping each drum individually, a stop mechanism for stopping the rotation of each drum, and the above-mentioned a control unit for controlling the operation of the stop mechanism, a plurality of types of patterns are regularly and repeatedly arranged on each of the drums according to a fixed arrangement order, and the control unit is configured to respond to a pressing operation of a stop button switch. The slot machine operates the stopping mechanism by randomly setting the time for stopping the drum in response within the number of frames for one cycle of the pattern arrangement.