Game machine, control method of controlling computer and computer program used therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9381437-B2
Application number	US-201214385746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2012
Priority date	Mar 20, 2012
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A game machine gives a predetermined favor when at least one ball moves on a table and the ball arrives at a ditch. And, the game machine includes a camera that acquires object information for distinguishing a state of the ball on the table, distinguishes the state of the ball on the table, based on the object information acquired by the camera, evaluates the state of the ball on the table based on a result of the distinguishing, and gives a change to the state of the ball on the table based on an evaluation result so that the evaluation result changes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A game machine comprising:
at least one station unit including a display, wherein the at least one station unit offers a slot game to a user on the display; and
a center unit coupled to the at least one station unit, the center unit offering a pusher game when a triggering condition of the at least one station unit is met, wherein the center unit offers the pusher game when a triggering condition of the slot game is met, the center unit comprising:
an object information acquiring device that acquires object information for distinguishing a state of at least one object in the predetermined area;
a state distinguishing device that distinguishes the state of the at least one object in the predetermined area, based on the object information acquired by the object information acquiring device;
a state evaluating device that evaluates the state of the at least one object in the predetermined area based on a result of the distinguishing of the state distinguishing device; and
a change giving device configured to change the state of the at least one object in the predetermined area based on an evaluation result of the state evaluating device so that the evaluation result changes, the change giving device being further configured to add at least one additional object to the predetermined area upon a determination that the state of the at least one object satisfies a predefined condition.

2. The game machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the object information includes information concerning a position of the at least one object in the predetermined area,
wherein the state distinguishing device distinguishes at least the position of the at least one object in the predetermined area as the state of the at least one object, based on the object information, and
wherein the state evaluating device evaluates at least the position of the at least one object in the predetermined area as the state of the at least one object.

3. The game machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one object includes a plurality of objects,
wherein the object information includes information concerning the number of the objects existing in the predetermined area,
wherein the state distinguishing device distinguishes at least the number of the objects existing in the predetermined area as the state of the objects based on the object information, and
wherein the state evaluating device evaluates at least the number of the objects existing in the predetermined area as the state of the objects.

4. The game machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one object corresponds to one of a plurality of kinds of object, each kind of the plurality of kinds being associated with a different favor value,
wherein the object information includes information concerning the kind of the at least one object existing in the predetermined area,
wherein the state distinguishing device distinguishes at least the kind of the at least one object existing in the predetermined area as the state of the at least one object based on the object information, and
wherein the state evaluating device evaluates at least the kind of the at least one object existing in the predetermined area as the state of the at least one object.

5. The game machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an evaluation data storage device that stores evaluation data used to express the state of the at least one object as a numerical value;
a reference information storage device that stores reference information for obtaining a reference numerical value used as a comparison reference,
wherein the state evaluating device evaluates the state of the at least one object in the predetermined area by expressing the state of the at least one object as a numerical value based on the evaluation data, and by comparing the numerical value with the reference numerical value obtained based on the reference information.

6. The game machine according to claim 5 ,
wherein, based on the evaluation result, the change giving device changes the state of the at least one object in the predetermined area when the numerical value corresponding to the state of the at least one object is lower than the reference numerical value so that the numerical value corresponding to the state of the at least one object increases.

7. The game machine according to claim 5 ,
wherein the at least one object corresponds to one of a plurality of kinds of object, each kind of the plurality of kinds being associated with a different favor value,
wherein the object information includes information concerning at least two of a number, the kind, and a position of the at least one object existing in the predetermined area,
wherein the state distinguishing device distinguishes at least two of the number, the kind, and the position of the at least one object included in the object information as the state of the at least one object based on the object information, and
wherein the state evaluating device evaluates the state of the at least one object in the predetermined area by expressing at least two of the number, the kind, and the position included in the object information as numerical values based on the evaluation data, and by comparing a total numerical value of the numerical values with a reference total numerical value corresponding to a total numerical value of reference numerical values obtained based on the reference information.

8. The game machine according to claim 1 , wherein the game machine awards a user with a predetermined favor when the user wins the pusher game.

9. The game machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one object is a physical object.

10. A control method of controlling a computer which is incorporated in a game machine, the game machine comprising at least one station unit including a display, wherein the at least one station unit offers a slot game to a user on the display, a center unit coupled to the at least one station unit, the center unit offering a pusher game when a triggering condition of the slot game is met, the center unit including an object information acquiring device that acquires object information for distinguishing a state of at least one object in a predetermined area, wherein the control method of controlling the computer comprises:
a state distinguishing step that distinguishes the state of the at least one object in the predetermined area, based on the object information acquired by the object information acquiring device;
a state evaluating step that evaluates the state of the at least one object in the predetermined area based on a distinguishing result of the state distinguishing step; and
a change giving step that changes the state of the at least one object in the predetermined area based on an evaluation result of the state evaluating step so that the evaluation result is changed, the change giving step including the step of adding at least one additional object to the predetermined area upon a determination that the state of the at least one object satisfies a predefined condition.

11. A computer program for a game machine and embodied on a non-transitory storage medium, the game machine comprising at least one station unit including a display, a center unit coupled to the at least one station unit, wherein the at least one station unit offers a slot game to a user on the display, the center unit offering a pusher game when a triggering condition of the slot game is met, the center unit including an object information acquiring device that acquires object information for distinguishing a state of at least one object in a predetermined area, wherein the computer program is configured to pr

Assignees

• Okuaki Masato
• Hirai Tomoaki
• Shimizu Toshiaki
• Konami Gaming Inc

Inventors

• Okuaki Masato
• Hirai Tomoaki
• Shimizu Toshiaki

Classifications

• A63F13/45 Primary

  Controlling the progress of the video game · CPC title

• G07F17/3297

  Fairground games, e.g. Tivoli, coin pusher machines, cranes · CPC title

• G07F17/322 Primary

  Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means · CPC title

• A63F13/213

  comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells (A63F13/219 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63F13/60

  Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor · CPC title