Game server, game machine, and game control method
First Claim
1. A game server for collectively controlling a plurality of game machines, each of which has a display and is brought into a status enabling starting of a game based on insertion of coins or a given credit number and executes a first payout based on a result of the game, and for directing execution of a second payout based on a cumulative value corresponding to the number of coins or the credit number bet by a player playing the game on each of said plurality of game machines having reached a predetermined upper limit, said game server comprising:
- a communication interface configured for receiving (i) information indicative of status of each of said plurality of game machines, and (ii) information indicative of the cumulative value corresponding to the number of coins or the credit number bet by only a single player continuously playing the game on each of said plurality of game machines; and
a CPU configured for directing, based on the received information indicative of the status of an applicable one of said plurality of game machines, sending of a signal to the applicable game machine for switching between (a) a display status in which information related to the predetermined upper limit is displayed on the display of said applicable game machine if the received information indicates the status of said applicable game machine as being in play and (b) a non-display status in which said information related to the predetermined upper limit not displayed on said display if the received information indicates the status of said applicable game machine as being not in play;
wherein said information related to the predetermined upper limit is information representing a gap between the cumulative value indicated in the received information associated with the applicable game machine and said predetermined upper limit associated with the applicable game machine;
wherein the received information indicative of the status of an applicable game machine is information indicative of the involvement of a player detected by a sensor provided at the applicable game machine and the CPU sends a signal to the applicable game machine to switch to the display status only if the received information indicates detection of a player'"'"'s involvement in the game at the applicable game machine.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a collective control of plural game machines placed in the same parlor, it is detected whether there is player change on each game machine and, based on the detection result, the credit cumulative consumption on each game machine is managed player by player. When the credit cumulative consumption of a certain player reaches a predetermined upper limit, payout return is executed to this player. The display status and non-display status of information about the upper limit can be switched depending on the play status. Therefore, the player can perform a game without anxiety while enjoying amusement of the game. As the result, the problem of missing customers is eliminated.
77 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A game server for collectively controlling a plurality of game machines, each of which has a display and is brought into a status enabling starting of a game based on insertion of coins or a given credit number and executes a first payout based on a result of the game, and for directing execution of a second payout based on a cumulative value corresponding to the number of coins or the credit number bet by a player playing the game on each of said plurality of game machines having reached a predetermined upper limit, said game server comprising:
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a communication interface configured for receiving (i) information indicative of status of each of said plurality of game machines, and (ii) information indicative of the cumulative value corresponding to the number of coins or the credit number bet by only a single player continuously playing the game on each of said plurality of game machines; and a CPU configured for directing, based on the received information indicative of the status of an applicable one of said plurality of game machines, sending of a signal to the applicable game machine for switching between (a) a display status in which information related to the predetermined upper limit is displayed on the display of said applicable game machine if the received information indicates the status of said applicable game machine as being in play and (b) a non-display status in which said information related to the predetermined upper limit not displayed on said display if the received information indicates the status of said applicable game machine as being not in play; wherein said information related to the predetermined upper limit is information representing a gap between the cumulative value indicated in the received information associated with the applicable game machine and said predetermined upper limit associated with the applicable game machine; wherein the received information indicative of the status of an applicable game machine is information indicative of the involvement of a player detected by a sensor provided at the applicable game machine and the CPU sends a signal to the applicable game machine to switch to the display status only if the received information indicates detection of a player'"'"'s involvement in the game at the applicable game machine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A game machine, which is brought into a status enabling starting of a game based on insertion of coins or a given credit number, which is under collective control of a game server together with other game machines, which executes a first payout return based on a result of play of the game, and which executes a second payout in accordance with a directive from the game server based on a cumulative value corresponding to the number of coins or the credit number consumed by a player playing the game on the game machine reaching a predetermined upper limit, the game machine comprising:
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a sensor configured for detecting a plaver'"'"'s involvement in the game at the game machine; a display configured for displaying information related to the predetermined upper limit; a communication interface configured for (i) sending information indicative of status of the game machine and information indicative of the cumulative value corresponding to the number of coins or the credit number bet by a single player continuously playing the game on the game machine to the game server, and (ii) receiving a signal from the game server for switching between (a) display status in which the information related to the predetermined upper limit is to be displayed if the sent information indicates the status of the game machine as being in play and (b) non-display status in which said information related to the predetermined upper limit is not to be displayed if the sent information indicates the status of the game machine as being not in play; wherein the display switches to displaying or not displaying the information related to the predetermined upper limit based on the received signal; wherein said information related to the predetermined upper limit is information about a gap between said predetermined upper limit and said cumulative value; wherein the sent information indicative of the status of the game machine is information indicative of the involvement of a player detected by the sensor and the received signal is for switching to the display status only if the sent information indicates detection of a player'"'"'s involvement in the game at the game machine. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A game control method for collectively controlling a plurality of game machines, each of which is brought into a status enabling starting of a game based on insertion of coins or a given credit number and executes a first payout based on the result of play of the game, and for directing execution of a second payout based on a cumulative value corresponding to the number of coins or the credit number consumed by a player playing the game on each of the plurality of game machines reaching a predetermined upper limit, said game control method comprising:
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(i) receiving information indicative of status of each of said plurality of game machines, and information indicative of the cumulative value corresponding to the number of coins or the credit number consumed by a single player continuously playing the game on each of said plurality of game machines; (ii) sending, based on the received information indicative of the status of an applicable one of said plurality of game machines, a signal to the applicable game machine directing switching between (a) a display status in which information related to a predetermined upper limit is displayed in association with the applicable game machine if the received information indicates the status of the applicable game machine as being in play and (b) a non-display status in which said information related to the predetermined upper limit is not displayed in association with the applicable game machine if the received information indicates the status of the applicable game machine as being not in play; wherein said information related to the predetermined upper limit is information representing a gap between said cumulative value on the applicable game machine and said predetermined upper limit; wherein the received information indicative of the status of an applicable game machine is information indicative of the involvement of a player detected by a sensor at the applicable game machine and the signal sent to the applicable game machine directs switching to the display status only if the received information indicates detection of a player'"'"'s involvement in the game at the applicable game machine. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A game machine, which is brought into a status enabling starting of a game based on insertion of coins or a given credit number, which is under collective control of a game server together with other game machines, which executes a first payout based on a result of play of the game, and which executes a second payout in accordance with a directive from the game server based on a cumulative value corresponding to the number of coins or the credit number bet by a player continuously playing the game on the game machine reaching a predetermined upper limit, the game machine comprising:
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a sensor configured for detecting a player'"'"'s involvement in the game at the game machine; a display configured for displaying information related to a predetermined upper limit; and a communication interface configured for (i) sending information indicative of status of play of the game on the game machine to the game server, and (ii) receiving a signal from the game server for switching to displaying the information related to the predetermined upper limit if the sent information indicates the status of the game machine as being in play; wherein said information related to the predetermined upper limit is information about a gap between said predetermined upper limit and said cumulative value; wherein the display only displays the information about the gap if the sensor detects a player'"'"'s involvement in the game at the game machine. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A game machine, which is brought into a status enabling starting of a game based on a number of inserted coins or a given credit number, and which executes a payout based on a result of play of the game, the game machine comprises:
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a CPU; a ROM storing a computer program for the CPU controlling the game machine; a RAM storing a cumulative value that increases by an addition of the number of coins or the credit number bet by a single player continuously playing the game in response to a start of the game based on the number of inserted coins or the given credit number; a display configured for displaying information related to a predetermined upper limit; and a sensor configured for detecting a involvement of a player; wherein the CPU is configured to execute the computer program in a process comprising; (a) setting a predetermined upper limit upon receiving a signal indicative of the involvement of a player from the sensor, and resetting the cumulative value stored in the RAM; (b) starting an addition for the cumulative value subsequent to the setting of the predetermined upper limit, and updating the cumulative value in accordance with the number of inserted coins or the given credit number; (c) determining by comparison whether or not the updated cumulative value has reached the upper limit; (d) executing a predetermined payout when the CPU determines that the updated cumulative value has reached the upper limit; and (e) instructing the display to display or not to display information related to the upper limit; wherein the information related to the predetermined upper limit is information representing a gap relative to the predetermined upper limit wherein the display only displays the information about the gap if the sensor detects a player'"'"'s involvement in the game at the game machine. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification