JP4232074B2 - Game media management system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system for managing, for each user, game media lent out at a game hall such as a pachinko parlor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a game hall such as a pachinko parlor, a user pays cash, borrows a game medium such as a pachinko ball corresponding to the amount of money, and uses it to play a game. As a result of the game, prizes can be received according to the number of balls finally remaining at hand.
In addition, the acquired balls can be registered as stored balls. In the storage ball, when leaving the store, all or part of the balls acquired on that day are deposited and returned, so that the player can draw out and play the game at the next visit. However, there are cases where the amusement hall side takes a fee when playing the game by pulling out the stored balls. For example, in the case where the number of balls acquired is 1,000, when the player collects the balls and draws the balls to play the game, the replay fee of 5% may be subtracted to 950.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the user leaves the store, the number of balls remaining at hand includes the balls borrowed by paying the ball lending amount and the game media newly acquired by the game. However, since there is no distinction between these game media, the user exchanges all the acquired balls together for a prize suitable for the number or stores them.
[0004]
For the user, the ball newly acquired through the game and the ball borrowed by paying the ball lending amount were of different types, and there was a question that they could be treated exactly the same. For example, in a system that takes a 5% replay fee on the game hall side, even if 250 balls borrowed for 1000 yen with a ball lending unit price of 4 yen are stored on the spot, the stored balls are pulled out to play the game When doing so, the replay fee will be deducted, resulting in 238 savings balls. This may be difficult for the user to understand, but in reality, the balls borrowed by paying the ball lending amount cannot be distinguished from the newly acquired balls, so they are all managed in the same way. Was.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is, for example, to provide a game medium management system that can manage game media acquired by a user in a different manner, rather than managing them all under the same conditions.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The first invention includes a storage unit that stores a rental amount of game media for each user, a counting unit that counts the acquisition amount of game media for each user, and a calculation that calculates a basic quantity and a prize exchange quantity of game media The calculation unit determines a reference value below the rental amount of the game media of the specific user stored in the storage unit according to a predetermined determination method, and the specific user input from the counting unit A determination is made as to whether the acquired amount of gaming media and the determined reference value are greater or less. When the acquired amount of the specific user exceeds the reference value, the reference value is used as the basic amount of gaming media, and the acquired amount after calculating the difference obtained by subtracting the base quantity as the prize exchange quantity, and outputs the calculated prize exchange quantity and the base quantity, acquisition quantity the base of a particular user of game media When the value below, with the base quantity of game media that win number, a prize exchange quantity zero, characterized in that it outputs the prize exchange quantity and the base quantity.
The rented quantity, acquired quantity, basic quantity, and reference value of the game medium may be the number of game media or a corresponding amount. Further, the basic quantity and the prize exchange quantity can be managed by changing the unit price, for example.
[0008]
In the second invention, the arithmetic unit stores the basic quantity of the game medium as a rentable quantity in a portable storage medium such as a card with an IC chip, and within a range of the rentable quantity stored in the storage medium. The present invention is characterized in that a payout means for paying out game media is provided.
[0009]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rentable quantity storage unit for storing the basic quantity of the game medium calculated by the calculation unit in association with the user specific information as a rentable quantity, and detecting the user specific information and the range of the lentable quantity It is characterized in that a payout means for paying out game media is provided.
The fourth invention is characterized in that a printer is provided, and the basic quantity and the prize exchange quantity are distinguished from each other and output from the printer.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a ball lending unit 2 corresponding to the gaming table 1 is installed next to the gaming table 1, and a card insertion slot 3 into which a user card 5 is inserted in the ball lending unit 2. And a cash slot 4 for depositing cash. The user inserts cash into the cash insertion slot 4 with the user card 5 inserted into the card insertion slot 3 at the time of ball lending, and presses a ball lending request button (not shown) provided in the ball lending unit 2. When there is a ball lending request from the user, the ball lending unit 2 transmits a payout request signal corresponding to the ball lending request to the gaming machine 1, and the gaming machine 1 that receives the signal issues a ball. For example, when the ball lending request button is pressed once, a ball of 100 yen is paid out from the game machine 1.
[0011]
In the first embodiment, since the gaming table 1 is an example of a pachinko machine, the gaming medium of the present invention is a pachinko ball. However, the gaming medium is other than a pachinko ball such as a coin for a throttle machine. Is also included.
Further, the ball lending unit 2 detects the user ID which is the user identification information from the inserted user card 5 and sends it to the management device 6.
Connected to the management device 6 is a user database 7 for storing the amount of ball lending on the day of the visit or the number of ball lending for each user. The ball lending amount is the amount that the user has put into the ball lending unit 2 in order to borrow a ball, and the ball lending number is the number of balls paid out by this ball lending amount.
[0012]
The amount of ball lending or the number of balls lending corresponds to the lending amount of the present invention. That is, in the user database 7, the rental amount may be managed by either the amount or the number, or may be managed by both. For example, when the lending quantity is managed as a monetary amount, as shown in FIG. 2, the amount that the user has entered the ball lending unit 2 is stored in association with the user ID, as shown in FIG. .
[0013]
A counter 8 is also connected to the management device 6. The counting machine 8 includes a game medium insertion slot 9 for inserting the acquired balls and a card insertion slot 10 for inserting a user card. When a ball is inserted into the game medium insertion slot 9 with a user card inserted into the card insertion slot 10, the counter 8 counts the number of balls inserted and transmits it to the management device 6 together with the user ID. . The number of balls input from the counter 8 is the acquired quantity of the present invention.
[0014]
Further, the management device 6 has a function of calculating a basic quantity based on a reference value set based on the rented quantity and a user's acquired quantity input from the counter 8. The reference value is a value determined based on the amount of money input by the user, that is, the rented quantity, and is, for example, the rented quantity itself or a value obtained by multiplying the rented quantity by a coefficient. In the first embodiment, the rental quantity is set as a reference value.
[0015]
The basic quantity is a quantity determined according to the reference value and the acquired quantity. Specifically, the basic quantity is calculated as follows.
Acquiring the quantity of game media, when: the reference value, all of the acquired quantity as a basic quantity, when the acquired quantity exceeds a reference value, the reference value and base quantity. That is, when the acquired quantity of game media is larger than the reference value, the acquired quantity is managed separately for the basic quantity and the others. Then, it is possible to respond by changing the type of service according to the basic quantity and the other quantity.
[0016]
For example, game media other than the basic quantity can be exchanged for prizes in the same way as before, but for the basic quantity of game media, cash can be returned by returning it. The amount corresponding to the basic quantity can be recharged on the card for ball lending.
In the first embodiment, the basic amount of game media acquired is settled in cash, and the rest is exchanged for prizes.
[0017]
Hereinafter, the flow of this system from when the user visits the store to when the store exits will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 is a processing step of the ball lending unit 2 and the management device 6 at the time of lending the ball, and the flowchart of FIG. 4 shows the counter 8 when the game medium acquired by the user is settled. The processing steps of the management device 6 are shown.
The user always inserts his user card 5 into the card insertion slot 3 of the ball lending unit 2 during the game. Then, when necessary, the ball lending unit 2 is loaded with cash and borrowed.
[0018]
The ball lending unit 2 detects the user ID from the user card in step S1. In step S2, it is determined whether or not there is cash input. If there is cash input, the process proceeds to step S3. If there is no cash input, the process returns to step S2 to wait for cash input. . In step S <b> 3, the ball lending unit 2 outputs a payout request signal corresponding to the amount inserted to the gaming machine 1. When the game machine 1 pays out the game medium in response to the payout request signal, the game machine 1 outputs a payout completion signal.
In step S4, when the payout completion signal is input, the ball lending unit 2 proceeds to step S5 and outputs the user ID and the loaned quantity to the management apparatus. The lending quantity is a ball lending amount here.
[0019]
In step S <b> 6, the management device 6 stores the rental amount in the user database 7 in association with the user ID. Steps S1 to S6 are the processing procedures for one ball lending.
However, when the user card is inserted, the ball lending unit 2 always detects the user ID and monitors whether or not there is cash. When cash is inserted, the process proceeds to step S3.
In addition, even if the user moves within the amusement hall and changes the game machine to be used, the user ID and the loaned quantity data are transmitted to the management device 6 from the ball lending unit 2 used for borrowing balls. . Therefore, the lending quantity for each member stored in the user database 7 is accumulated and updated every time the ball lending is performed.
[0020]
Next, the procedure for adjusting the acquired game media will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the user has left the game at the time of ending the game of the day, the number of game media is the acquired game media, and the number is the acquired quantity.
The user inserts the acquired game medium into the insertion slot 9 with the user card inserted into the card insertion slot 10 of the counter 8.
The counter 8 detects the user ID in step S101, and counts the number of game media inserted, that is, the acquired quantity in step S102.
In step S <b> 103, the counter 8 outputs the user ID and the acquired quantity to the management device 6.
[0021]
In step S <b> 104, the management device 6 specifies the rental amount of the user from the input user ID. In step S105, the units of the acquired quantity and the rented quantity are matched. For example, the unit price is multiplied by the number of game media input from the counter 8, and the acquired quantity is converted into an amount. Of course, the loaned amount may be converted into the number.
In step S106, the management device 6 determines a reference value. The method for determining the reference value is set in the management apparatus in advance, but in this first embodiment, the reference value is equal to the rental amount. For example, in the case of the user of ID = 1 shown in FIG. 1, since the lending amount is 2000 yen, the reference value is 2000 yen.
[0022]
In step S107, the acquired quantity is compared with the reference value. If the acquired quantity is equal to or less than the reference value, the process proceeds to step S108, and the acquired quantity becomes the basic quantity. For example, when the acquisition quantity of the user with ID = 1 is 1500 yen, the basic quantity is 1500 yen. Then, the process proceeds to step S111, and the basic quantity value is output.
On the other hand, if the tally amount exceeds the reference value, the process proceeds to step S109, the reference value as a base quantity, in step S110, the amount obtained by subtracting the base quantity of the acquired quantity and prize exchange quantity. That is, when the acquired quantity of the user with ID = 1 is 8000 yen, 2000 yen is the basic quantity and 6000 yen is the free gift exchange quantity. In step S111, the basic quantity and the prize exchange quantity are output.
[0023]
In step S111, a sheet on which the basic quantity and the prize exchange quantity are printed is output from the counter 8. The premium exchange quantity is a quantity that can be exchanged for a prize out of the game media acquisition quantity.
If the sheets on which the basic quantity and the prize exchange quantity are printed are brought to the prize exchange place, the prize corresponding to the prize exchange quantity can be received. Also, at the checkout counter, the amount corresponding to the basic quantity can be refunded.
[0024]
In the first embodiment, the reference value is the same as the rented quantity, and only the basic quantity less than the reference value can be settled with cash. In this way, if the user has the amount of game media that he has borrowed by borrowing cash (the loaned amount) at hand at the end of the game, he will return it and return the inserted cash. It feels like receiving. Of course, if the borrowed game medium is used for a game and there are no remaining game media for the lent amount, the amount corresponding to the remaining amount is received. Then, the amount increased by the game, that is, the premium exchange quantity which is the difference between the acquired quantity and the basic quantity, can be exchanged for the prize at a determined ratio, as in the past.
[0025]
However, the reference value does not have to be the same as the loan amount. What is necessary is just to be able to settle and distinguish the basic quantity determined by limiting the reference value and the other game medium quantity. Also, various methods can be considered to distinguish the basic quantity from not only the basic quantity but also other than the basic quantity. For example, in a system where the exchange rate for premiums relative to the basic quantity can be advantageously set in comparison with other than the basic quantity, or the acquired game media can be stored, only the basic quantity can be stored again. It is also possible not to set a play fee. Since the base value for the basic quantity is determined according to the loaned quantity, if the service for the basic quantity is set to be advantageous for the user, it is advantageous for the customer who has a large amount of input. It becomes easier to provide services under various conditions.
[0026]
In the first embodiment, the ball lending unit 2 is loaded with cash and borrowed. However, instead of cash, a ball lending card purchased in advance can be used.
A second embodiment for lending a ball using a ball lending card will be described below. The ball lending card used in the second embodiment is an IC card that is also used as a user card. Specifically, member identification information and an available amount are stored in the IC card.
Since the overall configuration of the system is almost the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is also used to describe the second embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, the cash slot 4 of the ball lending unit 2 is not necessary.
[0027]
The ball lending procedure and the payment procedure in this system will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. FIG. 5 shows a ball lending procedure, and FIG. 6 shows a settlement procedure.
When the user wants to borrow a ball, an IC card is inserted into the card insertion slot 3 of the ball lending unit 2, and a ball lending request button (not shown) is pushed to borrow the ball.
In step S11 of FIG. 5, the ball lending unit 2 detects the user ID from the IC card, and determines whether there is a ball lending request in step S12. If there is a ball lending request, the process proceeds to step S13, and if there is no ball lending request, the process returns to step S12.
[0028]
In step S13, the balance stored in the IC card is confirmed. If there is not enough balance, a message is displayed indicating that it is not possible to lend the ball and the process returns to step S12. If the balance is insufficient, the procedure returns to step S14. move on.
In step S14, the ball lending unit 2 outputs a payout request signal to the gaming machine 1. In step S15, the ball lending unit 2 receives a payout completion signal from the gaming machine 1.
When the payout completion signal is input, the ball lending unit 2 proceeds to step S <b> 16 and outputs the user ID and the lending quantity to the management device 6. In step S <b> 17, the management device 6 stores the rental amount in association with the user ID.
Furthermore, the ball lending unit 2 subtracts the amount of the lending quantity from the balance of the IC card in step S18.
[0029]
The above is the flow of lending a ball. Whenever there is a ball lending request from the user, the management device 6 adds the lending quantity input from the ball lending unit 2 to the lending quantity in the user database 7 and stores it. On the other hand, the ball lending unit 2 updates the balance of the IC card.
[0030]
When the user finishes the game and the game medium remains at hand, the game medium is inserted in the state where the IC card is inserted into the counter 8, and settlement is performed according to the procedure shown in FIG.
In step S201 in FIG. 6, the counter 8 detects the user ID, and in step S202, counts the number of inserted game media.
In the second embodiment, the reference value is set equal to the rented quantity, and the basic quantity calculation procedure is the same as in the first embodiment. Steps S203 to S210 in FIG. 6 are the same as steps S103 to S110 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and therefore description of these steps is omitted here.
[0031]
In step S211, the counter 8 outputs a sheet on which the gift exchange quantity is printed, and in step S212, the basic quantity is added to the balance of the membership card.
The user can exchange the sheet output from the counter 8 for a prize. Moreover, since the balance of the IC card has increased by the basic quantity, it can be used for ball lending after the next time. Also in the second embodiment, the remaining amount is returned according to the acquired quantity up to the amount withdrawn from the IC card first. The remaining amount of the card stored in the IC card corresponds to the lent amount of the present invention.
[0032]
In this second embodiment, the user identification information and the rentable quantity are stored in the IC card, but only the user identification information is stored in the IC card and the rentable quantity is stored in another prepaid card. It can also be made to do. In that case, the user needs to carry two types of cards, and the ball lending unit 2 needs to have an insertion slot for inserting the user card and the prepaid card. However, user-specific information can also be stored in the prepaid card at the same time. In that case, one card insertion slot of the ball lending unit 2 is sufficient.
And if you use a prepaid card instead of cash and store the basic quantity in the user database as a rentable quantity, there is no need to update the rentable quantity on the prepaid card. It may be something that cannot be rewritten.
When a prepaid card that cannot be rewritten is used, the procedure for lending the ball is the same as that of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, and the procedure for settlement is the first embodiment shown in FIG. This is the same as the checkout procedure.
[0033]
In the case where the rentable quantity is stored in association with the user ID of the user database 7, the user database 7 corresponds to the rentable quantity storage unit of the present invention.
The rentable quantity may be managed either by the number of game media or by the corresponding amount.
Furthermore, the user identification information is not limited to the user ID stored in the card, but may be biometric information such as a user's fingerprint, voiceprint, iris, and the like. In that case, the ball lending unit 2 and the counter 8 need to be provided with biological information detection means.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first to fourth aspects of the invention, the number of game media acquired by the user can be managed by dividing it into a basic quantity and other quantities. This makes it possible to diversify and provide more attractive services to users who have acquired game media.
According to the second invention, the basic quantity of game media is set with the lending quantity as the limit. Therefore, it becomes easier to provide a service for the basic quantity to a customer who has a large amount of ball lending.
[0035]
According to the second and third inventions, the basic quantity can be stored as a rentable quantity after the next time.
In the second aspect of the invention, the rentable quantity is stored in the storage medium carried by the user, so that it is not necessary to store it in the storage unit of the game hall. In addition, the rentable quantity can be used in common between different game halls that do not share a storage unit.
In the fourth invention, it can be output as a sheet.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an example of data stored in a user database according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a lending procedure for game media according to the first embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure for adjusting the acquired game media in the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for renting game media according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure for adjusting the acquired game media in the second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Ball lending unit 6 Management device 7 User database 8 Counter

Claims (4)

A storage unit that stores a rental amount of game media for each user, a counting unit that counts an acquisition amount of game media for each user, and a calculation unit that calculates a basic quantity and a prize exchange quantity of the game media, The calculation unit determines a reference value below the rental amount of the specific user's game medium stored in the storage unit in accordance with a predetermined determination method, and obtains the acquisition amount of the specific user's game medium input from the counting unit. , Determining the magnitude of the determined reference value, and when the acquired quantity of the specific user exceeds the reference value, the reference value is set as the basic quantity of the game medium, and the basic quantity is subtracted from the acquired quantity the difference is calculated as the prize exchange quantity, and outputs the calculated prize exchange quantity and the base quantity, when acquiring the quantity of a particular user of the game medium is less than the reference value It is that the game medium management system with a base quantity of game media that acquisition quantity, the prize exchange quantity as zero, and outputs the prize exchange quantity and the base quantity. The arithmetic unit stores the basic quantity of the game medium as a rentable quantity in a portable storage medium such as a card with an IC chip, and pays out the game medium within the range of the rentable quantity stored in the storage medium. The game medium management system according to claim 1, further comprising a payout means . A rentable quantity storage unit that stores the basic quantity of game media calculated by the calculation unit in association with user-specific information as a rentable quantity, and detects the user-specific information and pays out game media within the range of the rentable quantity. The game medium management system according to claim 1, further comprising a payout means . The game medium management system according to claim 1, further comprising a printer, wherein the basic quantity and the prize exchange quantity are distinguished from each other and output from the printer .

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