JP2005099743A - Image display unit and game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An image display unit is provided that can easily and quickly attach a screen, an optical engine, and a reflection mirror to an attachment target in a posture capable of accurately displaying an image at a display position to be originally displayed.
A screen panel 32 that can receive projection light Lp to display an image, an optical engine 31 having a light modulation element that can modulate light from the light source into projection light Lp, and emitted from the optical engine 31. The reflection mirror 33 that reflects the projected light Lp toward the back surface of the screen panel 32 and a housing 34 that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body. The screen panel 32, the optical engine 31, and the reflection mirror 33 include The projection light Lp emitted from the optical engine 31 is fixed to and integrated with the casing 34 in a state where the projection light Lp can be reflected by the reflection mirror 33 toward the back surface of the screen panel 32.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a screen that can receive projection light and display an image, an optical engine that includes a light modulation element that can modulate light from a light source, and directs the projection light emitted from the optical engine toward the back of the screen. The present invention relates to an image display unit provided with a reflective mirror that reflects light and a gaming machine provided with the image display unit.

  There is known a rear projector that includes an image display unit including a transmission screen, a reflection mirror, an optical engine, and the like and displays an image by a rear projection method. Further, in order to facilitate repair and replacement of each component constituting the image display unit, a rear projector in which these are separately unitized and configured to be detachable (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-199927 by the applicant). A rear projection display device (disclosed in the publication) has been proposed. As shown in FIG. 1 of the publication, the rear projection display device includes a projector (optical engine: 5) that projects projection light (projection light: 2), and a transmission type that receives the projection light and displays an image. A screen (8) and a mirror a (15) and a mirror b (16) that reflect the projection light toward the transmissive screen (8) are provided, and these are configured to be individually detachable as a unit. . In the present specification, the reference numerals in the same gazette will be described below in parentheses.

Specifically, in the rear projection display device, the transmission screen (8) is fixed to the frame (22) to be unitized, and as shown in FIGS. ), The side panels (19, 19) and the floor panel (20) are attached via hinges a (23) to c (25). The mirror a (15) is attached to the frame (22) via a hinge e (27) and locked (fixed) to the floor panel (20) by a lock c (30). Further, the mirror b (16) is fixed to the inside of the mirror panel (18) to be unitized, and is attached to the frame (22) via a hinge a (23), and the side panel ( 19, 19). The projector (5) is detachably mounted on the floor panel (20). In this rear projection display device, the projector (5), the transmissive screen (8), the mirror a (15), and the mirror b (16) are each unitized. (8) Compare (frame (22) with transmissive screen (8) fixed), mirror a (15), and mirror b (16) (mirror panel (18) with mirror b (16) fixed) It can be easily removed.
JP 2000-199927 A (page 3-5, FIG. 1, FIG. 3-4)

  However, the conventional rear projection display disclosed by the applicant has the following problems to be improved. That is, in this rear projection display device, the transmissive screen (8), the projector (5), the mirror a (15), and the mirror b (16) constituting the image display unit can be removed relatively easily. However, there are some inconveniences in installation. Specifically, in this rear projection display device, since the projection light (2) is enlarged at a high magnification and projected onto the transmission screen (8), for example, the projector (5), the mirror a (15), and the mirror Even if the mounting posture of b (16) is slightly shifted, the image is displayed with a large positional shift from the display position to be originally displayed. For this reason, when attaching these, it is necessary to adjust the attitude | position correctly. Therefore, in this rear projection display device, the installation of the screen (8), the projector (5), the mirror a (15), and the mirror b (16) constituting the image display unit is somewhat complicated. There is a fact that a long time is required for the mounting operation, and it is preferable to improve this point.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is easy to mount the screen, the optical engine, and the reflection mirror on the apparatus main body in a posture in which an image can be accurately displayed at a display position to be originally displayed in a short time. An object of the present invention is to provide an image display unit and a gaming machine that can be used for the following.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image display unit according to the present invention can receive a projection light for image display and display an image, and can light-modulate the light from the light source to the projection light for image display. An image display unit comprising: an optical engine having a light modulation element; and a reflection mirror that reflects the projection light emitted from the optical engine toward the back surface of the screen. A unit housing formed detachably on the screen, and the screen, the optical engine, and the reflection mirror reflect the projection light emitted from the optical engine toward the back surface of the screen by the reflection mirror. In a possible state, the unit housing is fixed and integrated.

  According to this image display unit, the screen, the optical engine, and the reflection mirror are fixed to the unit casing and integrated while the projection light emitted from the optical engine can be reflected by the reflection mirror toward the back of the screen. As a result, the screen, the optical engine, and the reflection mirror can be attached to the apparatus body in such a posture that the image display unit can be accurately displayed at the display position that should be displayed by simply aligning and fixing the image display unit to the apparatus body. it can. Therefore, since it is not necessary to individually adjust the posture of the screen, the optical engine, and the reflection mirror at the time of attachment, they can be attached to the apparatus body in a short time and easily.

  In the image display unit according to the present invention, the light source includes one or more solid light sources.

  According to this image display unit, since the light source is configured by including the solid light source, the solid state light source is small, so that the optical engine and the image display unit can be downsized compared to the configuration using, for example, a high-pressure mercury lamp as the light source. Can be configured. Further, for example, compared to a high-pressure mercury lamp or the like, the lifetime (total lighting time) of the solid light source is long and the power consumption is small. Therefore, the running cost of the optical engine (image display unit) can be sufficiently reduced.

  Furthermore, in the image display unit according to the present invention, in the image display unit described above, a drive circuit board that drives the optical engine is fixed to the optical engine or the unit casing.

  According to this image display unit, the drive circuit board is fixed to the optical engine or the unit housing, so that, for example, the light source or the light modulation element of the optical engine and the drive circuit board are connected in advance with a connection cable or the like. be able to. Accordingly, since connection and disconnection of the connection cable every time the image display unit is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body can be made unnecessary, the image display unit can be attached and detached in a shorter time.

  In addition, the image display unit according to the present invention is the above-described image display unit, when attached to the apparatus main body, apparatus information relating to the apparatus main body and accessories of the apparatus main body, and environmental information relating to the environment around the apparatus main body An information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the information from the apparatus main body, and a control unit that executes display control based on the at least one information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

  According to this image display unit, the control unit executes display control based on at least one of the device information and the environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit, thereby fixing the image display unit to the device body and acquiring information. For example, an image can be displayed in a state that matches the environment of the apparatus main body and the surroundings of the apparatus main body, by simply connecting the unit to the apparatus main body, without performing a complicated manual operation. Therefore, for example, when the apparatus main body is damaged, the image display unit can be easily recycled by being attached to another type of apparatus main body as well as the same type, so that the recyclability of the image display unit can be sufficiently improved. As a result, effective use of resources can be achieved.

  In the image display unit according to the present invention, in the image display unit described above, the information acquisition unit may include a size, a shape, and a size of the accessory positioned on the front side of the screen in a state of being mounted on the apparatus main body. Information regarding any one or more of the arrangement positions is acquired as the device information, and the control unit executes the display control based on the information regarding any one or more of the arrangement positions.

  According to this image display unit, the control unit executes display control based on information on any one or more of the size, shape, and arrangement position of the accessory acquired by the information acquisition unit. For example, an image for a dark mask that reduces the visibility of an accessory located on the front side of the screen, for example, by simply connecting the information acquisition unit to the apparatus main body and connecting the information acquisition unit to the apparatus main body without performing a complicated manual operation. Etc. can be displayed.

  In the image display unit according to the present invention, in the image display unit, the information acquisition unit acquires information on illuminance around the apparatus body as the environment information, and the control unit converts the information on the illuminance. The display control based on is executed.

  According to this image display unit, the control unit executes display control based on information about the illuminance around the apparatus main body acquired by the information acquisition unit, so that the image acquisition unit is fixed to the apparatus main body and the information acquisition unit is For example, it is possible to display an image with an easy-to-view brightness that matches the illuminance around the apparatus main body without performing a complicated manual operation simply by connecting to the main body.

  Further, the image display unit according to the present invention is the above image display unit, wherein the information acquisition unit is at least one of the device information and the environment information by any one of an electric method, a mechanical method, and an optical method. Get one.

  According to this image display unit, by acquiring at least one of the apparatus information and the environment information by any one of the electrical method, the mechanical method, and the optical method, it is possible to reliably acquire the information. .

  In addition, a gaming machine according to the present invention provides a gaming machine casing as the device main body to which the image display unit is detachably attached, and a gaming image to the image display unit. A display control unit for displaying.

  According to this gaming machine, the above-described image display unit, a gaming machine housing to which the unit housing of the image display unit is detachably attached, and a display control unit that displays gaming images on the image display unit By attaching the screen, the optical engine and the reflection mirror to the gaming machine housing in a posture capable of accurately displaying the gaming image at the display position that should be originally displayed, the game machine can be easily and quickly attached. be able to.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an image display unit and a gaming machine according to the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, the configuration of the pachinko machine 1 (an example of a gaming machine according to the present invention) will be described with reference to the drawings. The pachinko machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 is, as an example, a “seven machine” type pachinko machine in which a “big hit” is generated by lottery, and includes a game image G (for example, the earth, Mt. Fuji, and the numbers “ 123 ”) is displayed on the back side of the game board 21 and is visible through the game board 21. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the pachinko machine 1 includes a game mechanism 2, a main control unit 3, a main storage unit 4, a display device 5, and a housing 6 (see FIG. 1). Yes. The game mechanism 2 includes a game board 21 and a drive mechanism 27, as shown in FIG. The game board 21 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular plate as a whole by a light-transmitting resin (polycarbonate as an example), and is formed in a circular game part 21a partitioned by a frame member F as shown in FIG. A game ball is configured to be movable. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the game unit 21a has a plurality of nails 22, 22,..., A start chucker 23, a big winning opening (attacker) 24, winning openings 25, 25, windmills 26, 26, and the like. The gaming parts are arranged. A door 28 fitted with a transparent glass plate 28 a is attached to the front of the game board 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the drive mechanism 27 is disposed on the bottom side in the housing 6, and collects and pays out game balls in accordance with instructions from the main control unit 3.

  The main control unit 3 controls the drive mechanism 27 and the display device 5 in an integrated manner, and executes a lottery when a game ball wins the start chucker 23. In addition, the main control unit 3 outputs a command C when the game state changes, for example, at the start of a lottery or when a big hit occurs, thereby causing the display device 5 to execute image display processing and various game images. G is displayed. In this case, the main control unit 3 outputs a command C including designation of display procedure data Ds (this will be described later) necessary for displaying the game image G. The main storage unit 4 stores an operation program of the main control unit 3 and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 5 includes an image display unit 11, a display control unit 12, a RAM 13, a display procedure data storage unit 14, a VRAM 15, and a symbol data storage unit 16. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the image display unit 11 includes an optical engine 31, a screen panel 32, a reflection mirror 33, and a housing 34. In this case, the image display unit 11 is attached to the rear side of the housing 6 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, as the optical engine 31, the screen panel 32 and the reflection mirror 33 are fixed to the housing 34 and integrated. It has been.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the optical engine 31 is tilted at a predetermined tilt angle, and the emitted projection light Lp can be reflected toward the back surface of the screen panel 32 by the reflection mirror 33 (hereinafter simply “preliminarily” Projected light that is fixed at a position near the bottom surface of the housing 34 in a specified state) and light-modulated based on display image data Dg (which will be described later) output by the display control unit 12 Lp is emitted toward the reflection mirror 33 disposed on the back side of the housing 34. Further, the optical engine 31 is configured by, for example, a three-plate transmissive liquid crystal system including three liquid crystal light valves as light modulation elements, and as illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8, the light source units 41r, 41g, and 41b (hereinafter referred to as “light source units”). When not distinguished, it is also called “light source unit 41”), and includes mirrors 42, 42, 42, liquid crystal light valves 43, 43, 43, prism 44, projection lens 45, blower 46, drive circuit board 47, and case 48. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the light source unit 41 includes an LED unit 51, a lens array 52, a heat radiation fin 53, and a blower fan 54. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the light source unit 41 includes a case in which the radiating fins 53 and the blower fan 54 are projected outside the case 48 and the LED unit 51 and the lens array 52 are accommodated inside the case 48. 48 is fixed. The LED unit 51 corresponds to the light source in the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 61, 61,... It is arranged and arranged. In this case, LEDs 61 (red light emitting diodes) that emit red light are arranged in the LED unit 51 of the light source unit 41r. The LED unit 51 of the light source unit 41g is arranged with LEDs 61 (green light emitting diodes) that emit green light. Furthermore, the LED unit 51 of the light source unit 41b includes an LED 61 (blue light emitting diode) that emits blue light (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “light L” when red light, green light, and blue light are not distinguished). Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the lens array 52 is formed by integrally forming a plurality of small lenses arranged in a matrix, for example, and converts the light L (diverged light) from the LED unit 51 into substantially parallel light. . As shown in the figure, the radiating fin 53 is configured to include a plurality of thin metal plates, and is disposed so as to be in close contact with the substrate of the LED unit 51, so that the heat generated in the LED unit 51 (LED 61) is generated. Dissipate heat. The blower fan 54 is disposed in the vicinity of the heat radiating fins 53, and cools the heat radiating fins 53 by flowing air around the heat radiating fins 53 (around the LED unit 51).

  As shown in FIG. 8, the mirrors 42, 42, 42 are arranged on the optical paths of the light L from the respective light source units 41, 41, 41 and reflect the light L toward the light modulation element. The liquid crystal light valve 43 corresponds to the light modulation element in the present invention, is driven by the drive circuit board 47, and performs light modulation by transmitting or blocking the light L based on the display image data Dg. In this case, on the incident side of the light L in the liquid crystal light valve 43, an incident-side polarizing plate (not shown) that linearly polarizes the light L is disposed. Further, on the light emission side of the liquid crystal light valve 43, an emission side polarizing plate (not shown) for aligning the amplitude direction of the light modulated light L is disposed. The prism 44 synthesizes the light L (red light, green light, and blue light) light-modulated by the liquid crystal light valves 43, 43, 43, and emits the projection light Lp for displaying the game image G in color. . The projection lens 45 expands the projection light Lp synthesized and emitted from the prism 44. As shown in FIG. 7, the blower 46 has a casing integrally formed with the case 48, and cools the liquid crystal light valve 43 by causing the air in the case 48 to flow. As shown in the figure, the drive circuit board 47 is attached to the case 48 and drives the light source unit 41 (the LED unit 51 and the blower fan 54) and the liquid crystal light valve 43 under the control of the display control unit 12.

  The screen panel 32 corresponds to the screen according to the present invention, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the screen panel 32 is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the housing 34 (predetermined state) on the front side of the housing 34. The projection light Lp fixed to the edge of the opening 34a and projected from the back side (reflected by the reflection mirror 33) is received to display various images. In this case, for example, the screen panel 32 transmits, as an example, a Fresnel lens that converts the projection light Lp into parallel light, a lenticular lens that converts parallel light into enlarged (diffused) light, and transmits the enlarged light and protects the lenticular lens. A resin plate (both not shown) that functions as a protective plate is integrally formed. Further, as shown in both figures, at the lower part of the screen panel 32, when attached to the housing 6 (see FIG. 3), there are game parts (for example, the start chucker 23) disposed on the game board 21. A notch 32a for avoiding the contact is formed. In this case, the number, size, shape, and position of the notches 32a can be changed as appropriate according to the number, size, shape, and position of the gaming components provided on the game board 21. As shown in FIG. 5, the reflection mirror 33 is fixed to the back side of the housing 34 in a state inclined at a predetermined angle (predetermined state), and the projection light Lp emitted by the optical engine 31. Is reflected toward the back surface of the screen panel 32. The casing 34 corresponds to the unit casing in the present invention, and is configured in a box shape with the rear side inclined, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and an opening 34a is formed on the front side. Has been. Further, the housing 34 is configured to be detachable from the housing 6, and as shown by a solid line in FIG. 3, the housing 34 includes front-side stoppers 71 and 71 and a rear-side fixing member 72. 6 is fixed.

  The display control unit 12 generates display image data Dg for displaying various game images G by executing an image display process according to the command C output by the main control unit 3 as shown in FIG. And output to the optical engine 31. In this case, the display image data Dg is composed of red image data, green image data, and blue image data corresponding to images obtained by color-separating the game image G into red, green, and blue, respectively. The RAM 13 temporarily stores various data generated by the display control unit 12. The display procedure data storage unit 14 stores display procedure data Ds in which designation of symbols used for the game image G, the display position and size of the game image G, and the like are described. The VRAM 15 stores display image data Dg generated when an image is virtually drawn by the display control unit 12. The symbol data storage unit 16 stores various symbol data Dp (symbol data such as the earth, Mt. Fuji, and numbers) for generating the display image data Dg.

  The housing 6 corresponds to the apparatus main body and the gaming machine housing in the present invention, and is formed in a box shape as a whole as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 3, an opening 7 for attaching the image display unit 11 is formed on the back side of the housing 6. In addition, partition plates 8 a and 8 b for partitioning the housing portion that houses the drive mechanism 27 are disposed in the lower portion of the housing 6. Further, stoppers 71 and 71 for positioning the front surface of the image display unit 11 in contact with the upper part of the back surface of the game board 21 and the lower part of the partition plate 8b in the housing 6 when the image display unit 11 is attached. Is arranged.

  Next, a method for attaching the image display unit 11 to the housing 6 will be described. First, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3, an image is displayed on the partition plate 8 a in the housing 6 with the front side (screen panel 32 side) facing the front side (game board 21 side) of the housing 6. The display unit 11 is placed. Next, the front side of the image display unit 11 is fitted into the opening 7 of the housing 6 and pushed forward (slid). Next, as indicated by a solid line in the figure, the image display unit 11 is positioned by pushing further forward until the upper end and lower end of the front surface of the housing 34 abut against the stoppers 71, 71, respectively. Subsequently, the back surface of the housing 34 and the partition plate 8 a are fixed by the fixing member 72. In this case, since the screen panel 32, the optical engine 31 and the reflecting mirror 33 are fixed to the casing 34 in a predetermined state, the image display unit 11 (casing 34) is aligned and fixed to the casing 6. Thus, the screen panel 32, the optical engine 31, and the reflecting mirror 33 are attached to the housing 6 in such a posture that an image can be accurately displayed at a display position that should be displayed. Accordingly, individual posture adjustment of the screen panel 32, the optical engine 31, and the reflection mirror 33 is not necessary, and these can be easily attached to the housing 6 in a short time.

  Next, the overall operation of the pachinko machine 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. In the pachinko machine 1, when the power is turned on, the main control unit 3 outputs a command C designating display procedure data Ds for displaying, for example, the game image G shown in FIG. In response to this, the display control unit 12 checks the content of the command C and executes image display processing. In this image display process, the display control unit 12 reads the display procedure data Ds specified by the command C from the display procedure data storage unit 14. Next, the display control unit 12 stores the symbol data Dp, Dp,... Necessary for generating the display image data Dg for displaying the game image G in accordance with the procedure of the read display procedure data Ds. 16 is read out. Next, the display control unit 12 virtually draws the symbols corresponding to the read symbol data Dp, Dp,... On the virtual plane of the VRAM 15 (stores them in the VRAM 15), thereby displaying the display image data Dg in the VRAM 15. Is generated. Subsequently, the display control unit 12 outputs the display image data Dg in the VRAM 15 to the optical engine 31.

  On the other hand, in the optical engine 31, when the power is turned on, each light source unit 41, 41, 41 emits light under the control of the drive circuit board 47 as shown in FIG. Further, when the power is turned on, the blower fans 54, 54, 54 are actuated to flow the air around the radiating fins 53, 53, 53. In addition, the blower 46 operates to cause the air in the case 48 to flow. Next, the liquid crystal light valves 43, 43, 43 modulate the light L from the light source units 41, 41, 41 based on the display image data Dg under the control of the drive circuit board 47. Next, the prism 44 combines the light L light-modulated by the liquid crystal light valves 43, 43, 43 and emits the projection light Lp. Subsequently, the projection lens 45 expands the projection light Lp emitted by being synthesized by the prism 44. At this time, the projection light Lp magnified by the projection lens 45 is reflected by the reflection mirror 33 and projected onto the screen panel 32 as shown in FIG. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 1, the game image G is displayed on the screen panel 32 and is visually recognized through the game board 21. In this case, since the optical engine 31, the screen panel 32, and the reflection mirror 33 are attached to the housing 6 in a posture capable of accurately displaying an image at the display position that should be displayed, the display position that should be displayed on the screen panel 32. The gaming image G is accurately displayed.

  For example, when a game is started and a game ball wins the winning opening 25 and a lottery is executed, or when a “big hit” is generated as a result of the lottery, the main control unit 3 causes the lottery game image G or big win. The command C specifying the display procedure data Ds for displaying the effect game image G is output, and the display control unit 12 executes the image display process to output the display image data Dg. On the other hand, the optical engine 31 emits the projection light Lp for displaying the lottery game image G and the big hit effect game image G based on the display image data Dg. As a result, the lottery game image G and the jackpot game image G are accurately displayed at the display position on the screen panel 32.

  As described above, according to the pachinko machine 1 and the image display unit 11, the projection light Lp emitted from the optical engine 31 can be reflected by the reflecting mirror 33 toward the back surface of the screen panel 32. Since the image display unit 11 is simply positioned and fixed to the housing 6, the screen panel 32, the optical engine can be displayed in a posture capable of accurately displaying an image at the display position to be originally displayed. 31 and the reflection mirror 33 can be attached to the housing 6. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the need for individual posture adjustments of the screen panel 32, the optical engine 31, and the reflection mirror 33 at the time of attachment, so that they can be attached to the housing 6 in a short time and easily.

  Further, since the LED 61 is used as the light source, the LED 61 is small, so that the optical engine 31 and the image display unit 11 can be configured in a small size as compared with a configuration using, for example, a high-pressure mercury lamp as the light source. Further, for example, the LED 61 has a longer life (total lighting time) and less power consumption than a high-pressure mercury lamp or the like, and thus the running cost of the optical engine 31 (the image display unit 11 and the pachinko machine 1) is sufficiently reduced. be able to.

  Furthermore, by fixing the drive circuit board 47 to the case 48 of the optical engine 31, each light source unit 41, each liquid crystal light valve 43, and the drive circuit board 47 can be connected in advance with a connection cable or the like. Accordingly, since connection and disconnection of the connection cable every time the image display unit 11 is attached to and detached from the housing 6 can be made unnecessary, the image display unit 11 can be attached and detached in a correspondingly short time. it can.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment of the present invention described above. For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the example in which the image display unit 11 is mounted on the pachinko machine 1 has been described. For example, the present invention is applied to the slot machine 101 shown in FIG. 10 (another example of the gaming machine according to the present invention). Can also be applied. As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 11, the slot machine 101 includes a gaming mechanism 102, a housing 103, and an image display unit 11. In this case, the gaming mechanism 102 is disposed on the bottom side in the housing 103 and executes the payout of coins (medals) under the control of the main control unit 3. The housing 103 is configured such that an opening 103a for detachably attaching the image display unit 11 is formed on the back side thereof. The image display unit 11 is detachably attached to the housing 103, and displays a game image G (for example, an image simulating a reel shown in FIG. 10) under the control of the display control unit 12. The slot machine 101 also includes the image display unit 11 and the housing 103 to which the image display unit 11 is detachably attached, so that a screen in a posture capable of accurately displaying an image at a display position to be originally displayed. The panel 32, the optical engine 31 and the reflection mirror 33 can be attached to the housing 6 in a short time and easily.

  Further, the present invention can be applied to a pinball machine 201 (a further example of the gaming machine according to the present invention) shown in FIG. The pinball machine 201 includes a game board 202, a housing 203, and an image display unit 11 as shown in FIG. In this case, the game board 202 is provided on the upper surface side of the housing 203 and is formed of a light-transmitting resin while various kinds of accessories are attached. The housing 203 is configured such that an opening 203a for detachably attaching the image display unit 11 is formed on a side surface thereof. The image display unit 11 is detachably attached to the housing 203 and displays a game image G (for example, an image representing a score shown in FIG. 12) under the control of the display control unit 12. This pinball machine 201 also includes an image display unit 11 and a housing 203 to which the image display unit 11 is detachably attached, so that the original display is performed in the same manner as the pachinko machine 1 and the slot machine 101 described above. The screen panel 32, the optical engine 31, and the reflection mirror 33 can be attached to the casing 6 in a posture capable of accurately displaying an image at a display position to be displayed in a short time and easily.

  Furthermore, the gaming machine according to the present invention is not limited to a pachinko machine, a slot machine, and a pinball machine, and includes various arcade game machines. Of course, the present invention can be applied to a rear projector and a rear projection television. In the embodiment of the present invention, the three-plate optical engine 31 including three liquid crystal light valves 43 has been described as an example. However, one (single) liquid crystal light valve is used for red light and green light. It is also possible to employ a single-plate optical engine that modulates blue light. Furthermore, instead of the LED units 51, 51, 51, an LED unit provided with a white LED (white light emitting diode) that emits white light can also be adopted. An optical engine and a single-plate optical engine can be configured. Moreover, it can replace with LED and can also employ | adopt a high pressure mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, etc. as a light source. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the example in which the drive circuit board 47 is fixed to the case 48 has been described. However, as shown by a broken line in FIG. You may fix to the housing | casing 6 (or housing | casing 103,203). In the embodiment of the present invention, an example in which the transmissive liquid crystal light valve 43 is employed as the light modulation element has been described. However, instead of the liquid crystal light valve 43, a reflective liquid crystal panel is employed as the light modulation element. You can also

  Moreover, the pachinko machine 1A shown in FIG. 14 can also be employed. As shown in the figure, the pachinko machine 1A includes a game mechanism 2, a main control unit 3A, a main storage unit 4A, a housing 6 (see FIG. 15), an interface board 9, an illuminance sensor 10, and an image display unit 11A. Configured. In addition, in the following description, the description which overlaps using the same code | symbol about the component which is common in the above-mentioned pachinko machine 1 is abbreviate | omitted. In addition to the operation program of the main control unit 3A, the main storage unit 4A includes the size, shape, and arrangement position of each game component (an example of an accessory in the present invention) arranged on the game board 21. Device data Db including information (an example of device information in the present invention) is stored. The main control unit 3A operates in the same manner as the main control unit 3 of the pachinko machine 1 described above, reads out device data Db from the main storage unit 4A when the power is turned on, and outputs it to the image display unit 11A via the interface board 9 To do. Further, the main control unit 3A inputs the illuminance signal Si output from the illuminance sensor 10, and outputs illuminance data Di (an example of environmental information in the present invention) indicating the illuminance around the pachinko machine 1A (housing 6). . As shown in FIG. 15, the interface board 9 is connected to an interface board 17 on the image display unit 11 </ b> A side, which will be described later, with a cable 18, and outputs a command C, device data Db, and illuminance data Di to the interface board 17. As shown in the figure, the illuminance sensor 10 is disposed on the front surface of the housing 6 and outputs an illuminance signal Si indicating the illuminance on the front surface side (surrounding) of the housing 6.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the image display unit 11 </ b> A is integrated with the optical engine 31 </ b> A, the screen panel 32, and the reflection mirror 33 fixed to the housing 34 in the same manner as the image display unit 11 of the pachinko machine 1 described above. The housing 6 is detachably attached to the rear side. In this case, as shown in the figure, a drive circuit board 47A is attached to the optical engine 31A. The drive circuit board 47A includes the display control unit 12A, the RAM 13, the display procedure data storage unit 14 shown in FIG. A VRAM 15 and a symbol data storage unit 16 are mounted. As shown in FIG. 15, the image display unit 11A is provided with an interface board 17 connected to the drive circuit board 47A via a cable 19. The interface board 17 constitutes an information acquisition unit according to the present invention in combination with the display control unit 12A, and is connected to the interface board 9 via the cable 18 to interface the command C, device data Db, and illuminance data Di. Input from the board 9. The display control unit 12A corresponds to the control unit and the display control unit in the present invention, and executes display control based on the device data Db and the illuminance data Di when executing the above-described image display processing.

  In the pachinko machine 1A, when the power is turned on, the main control unit 3A outputs the command C, and the device data Db read from the main storage unit 4A and the illuminance signal Si output from the illuminance sensor 10 The illuminance data Di based thereon is output. At this time, the interface board 17 of the image display unit 11A acquires the command C, the device data Db, and the illuminance data Di via the interface board 9 and the cable 18. Next, the display control unit 12A executes the image display process described above according to the command C. At this time, the display control unit 12A acquires information such as the size, shape, and arrangement position of each game component on the game board 21 included in the device data Db, and based on the information. By executing the display control, for example, a dark mask image that restricts the irradiation of the projection light Lp to the winning openings 25 and 25 (see FIG. 1) and reduces the visibility of the fixed portions of the winning openings 25 and 25 is displayed. Display image data Dg for displaying the included game image G is generated. Further, the display control unit 12A acquires information on the illuminance around the housing 6 (pachinko machine 1A) included in the illuminance data Di, and executes display control based on the information, for example, the housing When the illuminance around the body 6 is high, the amount of light L emitted from the light source unit 41 is increased, and when the illuminance around the housing 6 is low, the amount of light L emitted is decreased. Thereby, the game image G including the dark mask image that reduces the visibility of the fixed portions of the winning holes 25 and 25 matches the illuminance around the pachinko machine 1A without manually performing complicated adjustment work. It is displayed at a brightness that is easy to see.

  On the other hand, when the housing 6 of the pachinko machine 1A is damaged or the design of the game board 21 is changed, the image display unit 11A is detached from the housing 6 and attached to a new housing. 11A can be reused. In this case, the image display unit 11A is attached to a new housing, and the interface boards 9 and 17 are connected by the cable 18, so that the display control unit 12A can connect the device data Db and the new housing via the interface board 17 to the new housing. Then, the illuminance data Di around the new casing is acquired and display control is executed. Therefore, even when the image display unit 11A is attached to a new case, the game image including the mask image corresponding to the game parts of the new case without manually performing complicated adjustment work. G can be easily displayed with an easy-to-see brightness that matches the ambient illuminance.

  According to the pachinko machine 1A and the image display unit 11A, the device data Db including information related to the size, shape and arrangement position of the game parts input via the interface board 17 and the housing 6 (pachinko machine) 1A) When the display control unit 12A executes display control based on illuminance data Di including information on ambient illuminance, the image display unit 11A is fixed to the housing 6 and the interface boards 9 and 17 are connected by the cable 18. For example, it is easy to see the gaming image G including the dark mask image that reduces the visibility of the fixed part of the gaming parts in accordance with the illuminance around the pachinko machine 1A without performing a complicated manual operation. It can be displayed easily with brightness. Therefore, for example, when the housing 6 is damaged, the image display unit 11A can be easily recycled by being attached to other types of housings as well as the same type, so that the recyclability of the image display unit 11A is sufficiently improved. As a result, effective use of resources can be achieved. Further, the interface boards 9 and 17 are electrically connected by the cable 18, and the interface board 17 electrically inputs (acquires) the device data Db and the illuminance data Di, whereby both data Db are obtained. , Di can be acquired with certainty.

  The interface board 17 that electrically inputs (acquires) the device data Db and the illuminance data Di has been described as an example, but the acquisition method of the data Db and Di is not limited to this. For example, a connector having a concavo-convex pattern indicating device information such as the size, shape, and arrangement position of a game component is attached to the housing 6, and an information acquisition unit (an alternative to the interface board 17) of the image display unit 11 A is used. It is also possible to adopt a configuration (an example of a mechanical system in the present invention) in which device information is acquired by fitting to a connector and reading the uneven pattern. Further, an interface board for acquiring the command C and the data Db and Di by an infrared method (an example of an optical method in the present invention) and a barcode disposed in the housing 6 are optically read (optical in the present invention). Another example of a general method) An interface board that acquires the command C and the data Db and Di can also be adopted.

1 is a front view of a pachinko machine 1. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pachinko machine 1. 1 is a side sectional view of a pachinko machine 1. 3 is a front view of the image display unit 11. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the image display unit 11. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the optical engine 31. FIG. 2 is a side view of the optical engine 31. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration in a case 48 in the optical engine 31. 4 is a plan view of a light source unit 41. FIG. 2 is a front view of the slot machine 101. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the slot machine 101. FIG. 1 is a front view of a pinball machine 201. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the pinball machine 201. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of 1 A of pachinko machines. It is side surface sectional drawing of the pachinko machine 1A.

Explanation of symbols

  1, 1A pachinko machine, 6, 34, 103, 203 housing, 9, 17 interface board, 11, 11A image display unit, 12 display control unit, 31 optical engine, 32 screen panel, 33 reflection mirror, 43 liquid crystal light valve , 47 Drive circuit board, 51 LED unit, 61 LED, 101 slot machine, 201 pinball machine, Db device data, Di illuminance data, G game image, L light, Lp projection light

Claims (8)

A screen capable of receiving an image display projection light to display an image, an optical engine having a light modulation element capable of optically modulating light from the light source into the image display projection light, and emitted from the optical engine A reflection mirror that reflects the projection light toward the back of the screen,
A unit housing formed detachably with respect to the apparatus main body, and the screen, the optical engine, and the reflection mirror are arranged so that the projection light emitted from the optical engine is reflected on the back surface of the screen by the reflection mirror. An image display unit that is fixed to and integrated with the unit casing in a state in which it can be reflected.   The image display unit according to claim 1, wherein the light source includes one or a plurality of solid light sources.   The image display unit according to claim 1, wherein a drive circuit board for driving the optical engine is fixed to the optical engine or the unit casing.   An information acquisition unit for acquiring, from the apparatus main body, at least one of the apparatus information related to the apparatus main body and accessories of the apparatus main body and environmental information related to the environment around the apparatus main body when attached to the apparatus main body; The image display unit according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that executes display control based on the at least one information acquired by the unit. The information acquisition unit acquires, as the device information, information related to any one or more of the size, shape, and arrangement position of the accessory located on the front side of the screen in a state of being attached to the device main body. ,
The image display unit according to claim 4, wherein the control unit executes the display control based on information on one or more of the above. The information acquisition unit acquires information related to illuminance around the apparatus body as the environment information,
The image display unit according to claim 4, wherein the control unit executes the display control based on information on the illuminance.   The image display unit according to claim 4, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires at least one of the device information and the environmental information by any one of an electrical method, a mechanical method, and an optical method. .   An image display unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a gaming machine casing as the device main body to which the image display unit is detachably attached, and a game image displayed on the image display unit A gaming machine including a display control unit.

Images