JPH0318474B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a system for operating a winning processing device such as a coin payout device, regardless of the combination of symbols stopped on a winning line. This invention relates to a winning check device for a slot machine.

[Conventional technology]

In a slot machine that uses a stepping motor to drive the reel, the number of drive pulses supplied to the stepping motor is counted from the time the reel passes the reference position until the reel stops. By placing the reel in place, the rotational position of the reel can be electrically detected. Therefore, if you assign a symbol code, such as a number, to each type of symbol arranged in order from the reference position on the reels, when the reels stop, the symbols located on the winning line will be displayed. The type can be known as a symbol code. The symbol code obtained for each reel in this way is input to the winning determination circuit, and the winning determining circuit determines whether there is a winning or not based on the combination of symbol codes from each reel.

As a result of this determination, if a prize has been won, the prize determination circuit supplies an activation signal to a prize processing device such as a coin payout device, a payout coin number display device, and a winning line display device to activate them. The game machine pays out a specified number of coins, displays the number of coins, and lights up only the winning line from among the plurality of winning lines.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As mentioned above, when a prize is obtained as a result of the winning determination, various winning processing devices are activated, but when assembling the slot machine, it is important to ensure that these winning processing devices are properly operated. I need to check if it works. In particular, in slot machines where the reels are driven by stepping motors and the flow of the game is controlled by electrical processing, as mentioned above, after the slot machine is completed, it is actually operated and the game is played. It is necessary to confirm that the system operates without problems from the start of the process to the award processing device.

However, when actually operating a slot machine and confirming the operation of the winning processing device, it is found that, regardless of winnings with low coin payouts, winnings with high payouts have a low probability of occurring.
Therefore, it is actually very difficult to actually make or reproduce such winnings and check the operation of the winning processing device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional technology, and it is possible to arbitrarily reproduce winnings with a low probability of occurrence, and to check the operation of the winning processing device while actually operating the slot machine. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a winning check device for a slot machine.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a winning determination circuit that determines a combination of symbols on a winning line based on a symbol code, when the movement of a symbol string stops, to control the movement and stop of the symbol string. In addition to providing a symbol code input means for inputting an arbitrary symbol code on a completely separate line from the system, when the game processing progresses and the winning determination circuit operates, the input from the symbol code input means is A determination mode switching means is provided for giving priority. When the determination mode switching means gives priority to the input from the symbol code input means, the winning determination circuit inputs the input from the symbol code input means regardless of the combination of symbols stopped on the winning line. The winning determination is made based on the symbol code that is entered.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

〔Example〕

In FIG. 3 showing the appearance of a slot machine using the present invention, a front door 2 is attached to the front of a main body 1 of the slot machine so as to be openable and closable. The first to third reels 3 installed on the main body 1
Three of the symbols arranged around the outer circumference of the screen 5 can be observed through the display window 6. Three horizontal and two diagonal winning lines 7 are displayed on the display window 6 by printing or the like, and winning line display sections 8 made of lamps, light emitting diodes, etc. are provided at both ends of each winning line.

Prior to the start of the game, 1 to 3 coins are inserted from the coin slot 9, but when inserting 1 coin, only the horizontal winning line 7 in the center is activated for winning determination, and 2 coins are inserted into the coin slot 9. 3 horizontal lines when inserting coins, all winning lines 7 when inserting 3 coins
is enabled. For example, when playing a game with all the winning lines 7 activated and winning a prize on any of the winning lines 7, the lamps 8 provided at both ends of the winning line 7 light up, indicating that the winning line 7 has been won. A line display is performed. At the same time, the payout coin number display section 10 digitally displays the number of payout coins corresponding to the winnings obtained.
Each time the hopper device operates and coins are paid out, a subtraction is displayed.

This slot machine is controlled by the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 1, and the game progresses according to the flow shown in FIG. Each process in the flow shown in FIG. 2 is executed under control to prevent malfunctions, with a microcomputer monitoring whether the preceding process has been reliably executed.

After inserting, for example, three coins into the coin slot 9, the game is started by operating the start lever 15. By operating the start lever 15, a start pulse is output from the start signal generation circuit 16, and motor drive circuits 17, 18, 19 provided for each of the reels 3 to 5 are activated. The motor drive circuits 17 to 19 rotate the stepping motors 21, 22, and 23 using a pulse train supplied from the pulse generation circuit 20. The stepping motors 21-23 are rotated by a constant angle in accordance with the number of pulses supplied from the pulse generating circuit 20, and the reels 3-5 are also driven accordingly.

The pulses supplied to the motor drive circuits 17 to 19 are frequency-divided by frequency dividers 25, 26, and 27, and the number of pulses required to rotate the reels 3 to 5 by one symbol is divided into one pulse. After that, the counters 28, 29, and 30 count. Light shielding pieces 3a to 5a are integrally formed at fixed positions on each of the reels 3 to 5, and a reset signal is obtained from photosensors 31, 32, and 33 each time the reels 3 to 5 rotate once. This reset signal is applied to the counters 28 to 3.
0 reset terminal, counters 28 to 3
The previous count value at 0 is reset to "0".

Since the types of symbols arranged on the outer periphery of the reels 3 to 5 and the types of symbols at the reference positions where the light shielding pieces 3a to 5a are formed are known in advance, each reel is It becomes possible to uniquely identify the rotational position within the range of one rotation from 3 to 5. Therefore, the type of symbol displayed through each display window 6 can also be grasped.

The sampling circuit 35 is activated by the start signal from the start signal generation circuit 16, and samples the random value from the random number generation circuit 36 at random timing. The determination circuit 38 compares the random number value sampled in this way with the probability table 39, and determines what type of prize the random number value corresponds to. Note that the random number generation circuit 36
is designed to repeatedly generate a random number sequence within a certain numerical range.

The probability table 39 configured by ROM is
A random number sequence within a certain numerical range is divided into, for example, four regions, and large hits, medium hits, small hits, and outliers are assigned to each region. The occurrence probability of a big hit is suppressed to the lowest as a hit that can play a game with benefits, such as a bonus game. Below, a medium hit will receive a payout of 15 coins, a small hit will receive a payout of 10 coins or less, and a miss will receive no coin payout.The settings are set so that the probability of occurrence increases in this order. As a result of sampling the random value, if this corresponds to a medium hit, the determination circuit 38 sets up a medium hit flag. When the medium hit flag is set up by the determination circuit 38 in this way, the first, second and third symbol determination circuits 40 to 38
42 is for each reel 3~ that satisfies medium hitters.
5 is determined as a symbol code number associated with each type of symbol.

After the reels 3 to 5 are started, their rotation is delayed for a certain period of time until they reach a steady state, and then the stop buttons 43, 44, 45 are activated. Stop buttons 43 to 45 are provided for each reel 3 to 5, as shown in FIG.
Operated by the player to generate a stop signal for reels 3-5. Stop button 43-4
5 are sequentially operated, the search circuits 50, 51, 5 are transmitted from the stop signal generating circuits 47, 48, 49 to the search circuits 50, 51, 5.
A stop signal is output to 2. As a result, the search circuits 50 to 52 refer to the first to third symbol tables 53, 54, and 55 in which the symbol arrays of the first reel 3, second reel 4, and third reel 5 are stored as symbol numbers. At the same time, the stop position determination circuits 57, 58, and 59 are operated to search for the optimum reel stop position that matches the symbol number set up in the first to third symbol determination circuits 40 to 42.

That is, when all of the winning lines 7 are activated as in this case, each reel 3 to 5 is set so that no winnings other than those determined by the probability table 39 occur on any winning line. The stopping position of is searched. Therefore, the stop position determining circuits 57 to 59 detect the number of coins inserted and input a signal regarding the number of activated winning lines.

In order to avoid standardization of the combinations of symbols constituting a hit, for example, even if the same medium hit flag is set in the determination circuit 38, the first ~Third symbol determination circuit 40
~42 operating programs have been determined. It is also possible to predetermine a combination of symbols for each random value. In this case, the memory capacity of the probability table 39 becomes large, but
The symbol determination circuits 40 to 42 can be omitted.

After the stop positions of the reels 3 to 5 are determined in this way, the stop control circuits 60, 61, and 62 operate while referring to the count value input from the counters 28 to 30, and control the operation of the motor drive circuits 17 to 19. do. As a result, the motor drive circuits 17-19 gradually decelerate and stop the respective stepping motors 21-23, and the reels 3-5 stop at the stop positions determined by the stop position determining circuits 57-59. When the reels 3 to 5 are stopped at the optimum stop positions in this way, the stop symbol detection circuits 64, 65, 6
6, symbol code numbers corresponding to the symbols appearing on the display window 6 are set up.

When a normal game is played, a mode switching operation unit 69, which is provided with the winning determination circuit 68 and is made up of, for example, a slide switch, is in an OFF state. When the mode switching operation section 69 is OFF, the stop symbol detection circuit 64 is activated as described above.
The symbol code numbers set up to 66 are loaded into the winning determination circuit 68 as they are. The winning determination circuit 68 refers to the winning table 70 and determines how many coin payouts the combination of symbol codes from the stopped symbol detection circuits 64 to 66 corresponds to, and also determines which winning line the winning is on. Determine whether it has occurred. For example, if there is a combination of symbols constituting a middle hit on the lower horizontal line among all the activated winning lines 7, the winning determining circuit 68 drives the hopper device 71 and the display driving circuit 72, respectively. Output a signal.

When the display drive circuit 72 is driven in this manner, the payout coin number display section 10 digitally displays the number of payout coins "15" corresponding to the medium hit, and the lower winning line 7 where the medium hit was obtained. The winning line display sections 8 provided at both ends of the line are turned on. Furthermore, by operating the hopper device 71, 15 coins are sequentially transferred to the tray 7.
3 (Figure 3), and one game ends.

On the other hand, when the mode switching operation section 69 is in the ON state, the determination circuit 68 performs winning determination based on the check mode. In this check mode, the game processing described above is progressing, and when the winning determination circuit 68 makes a winning determination,
Symbol code input section 75 is enabled. The symbol code input section 75 is connected to the first to third reels 3 to 3.
5, three rotary switches 77,
78, 79, and decoders 80, 81, 82 that detect the connection state of the rotary switches 77-79 and convert it into a symbol code number. For example, rotary switch 77-7
Each of the reels 9 has a switching position equal to the number of arranged reels 3 to 5, and when it is rotated to an appropriate position, the decoders 80 to 82 detect the symbol code number at that position of each reel 3 to 5. is loaded into the winning determination circuit 68. That is, rotary switch 77~
By adjusting the rotation of 79 from the reference position,
The winning determination circuit 6 also uses symbol codes corresponding to symbols at arbitrary positions from the reference position of reels 3 to 5.
You can now enter 8.

Therefore, when the mode switching operation section 69 is turned on to enter the check mode, the symbol code input section 75 is enabled, and any symbol code input section 75 is enabled, regardless of the actual stop position of the reels 3 to 5. This means that winning determination processing can be performed based on combinations. Furthermore, since this winning determination process can be executed without interrupting the normal game process shown in Figure 2, it is useful for checking the operation during the final assembly process of the slot machine, or for maintenance and inspection of the slot machine that is already in operation. Very useful.

In addition, when the symbol code input section 75 is used only during the final assembly process, the symbol code input section 75 is configured to be detachable, and the winning determination mode can be changed by connecting it to the winning determination circuit 68. If this is done, it becomes unnecessary to incorporate the symbol code input section 75 into each slot machine. of course,
The winning check device described above is not limited to reel-type slot machines, but also video-type slot machines, and does not pay out coins after each game, but instead allows coins to be paid out using a settlement button that is operated when stopping the game. It can equally be used in a credit system slot machine in which the tickets are paid out in bulk.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the winning check device of the present invention, since the winning determination circuit is provided with a symbol code input section that can input an arbitrary symbol code, even if the winning probability is low, This can now be achieved virtually. Therefore, during the assembly process of the slot machine, its maintenance, and inspection, it becomes possible to check the operation of the winning processing device as needed without interfering with the normal flow of game processing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a chart showing the flow of game processing in a slot machine using the present invention. FIG. 3 is an external view of a slot machine using the present invention. 3 to 5... Reel, 6... Display window, 7... Winning line, 8... Winning line display section, 10... Payout coin number display section, 68... Winning determination circuit, 75
...Symbol code input section, 77-79...Rotary switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. When the movement of a plurality of symbol strings stops,
The combination of symbols stopped on the winning line is determined based on the symbol code associated with each symbol type, and if this corresponds to a winning, a winning signal is output to activate the winning processing device. a symbol code input means for inputting an arbitrary combination of symbol codes to the entered prize determining circuit irrespective of the combination of symbols stopped on the entered prize line; A winning check device for a slot machine, comprising: determination mode switching means for selecting whether or not to give priority to symbol code input from the symbol code input means when determining winning. 2. The winning check device for a slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the winning processing device is a coin dispensing device that pays out a number of coins corresponding to the type of winning.