Gift acquisition game machine

The present invention relates to a gift acquisition game machine capable of being operated by a player to display an image indicating a gift acquisition condition.

Known gift acquisition game machines have a gift gripping means for gripping a gift, which gripping means is provided with a camera, and an electronic display means for displaying an image provided by the camera (see patent documents 1 and 2).

Also known is a gift acquisition game machine disclosed in patent document 3, which machine is built by closely arranging plural overhead traveling crane type gift acquiring machines on the floor. Each of the overhead traveling crane type gift acquiring machines has a player-operated gift gripping means capable of being operated to grip a gift placed in a gift exhibiting space and of carrying the gripped gift to a gift outlet.

Patent document 1: JP 3404774 B

Patent document 2: JP 3477273 B

Patent document 3: JP H11-192375 A

In the gift acquisition game machines disclosed in patent documents 1 and 2, the display means displays an image of a gift gripped by the gripping means provided by the camera combined with the gift gripping means. However, the player cannot see a countenance put on by the player when the gripping means succeeds or fails in gripping a gift. Therefore, the player cannot have a feeling of full content.

Since images taken and recorded by selectively using the plurality of cameras are not displayed on the display means, the image lacks punch, a game does not come alive and the player cannot feel satisfaction.

Any monitor is not installed in a central part of the gift acquisition game machine disclosed in patent document 3, built by closely arranging plural overhead traveling crane type gift acquiring machines on the floor. Therefore, the gift acquisition game machine lacks demonstrative effect.

The gift acquisition game machine disclosed in patent document 3 is not installed with any camera for photographing a player who succeeded in the game and with any monitor provided with a display means for displaying an image provided by the camera, in the center of the group of the satellite units, so that the countenance of a player who succeeded in the game is not displayed. Therefore, the player cannot have a feeling of full satisfaction when succeeded in the game.

The gift acquisition game machine disclosed in patent document 3 has four satellite units. If five or more satellite units are installed in this gift acquisition game machine, respective longitudinal guide rails of the adjacent overhead traveling crane type gift acquiring machines interfere with each other and a sufficiently large gift exhibiting space is not available.

The present invention relates to an improvement of a gift acquisition game machine, which is free from the foregoing problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a gift acquisition game machine including a central unit, and plural gift acquiring units arranged around the central unit, and capable of fully satisfying the player.

A gift acquisition game machine in a first aspect of the present invention has a gift acquiring machine disposed in a gift exhibiting space to be operated by a player and driven for acquiring a gift to carry the gift to a gift outlet, the gift acquisition game machine comprising: a gift acquiring condition monitoring camera for providing an image representing a gift acquiring condition; a player monitoring camera for providing an image of the player; image recording means for recording images provided by at least one of said cameras; and an image display device for displaying images provided by said cameras or images recorded by the image recording means.

The gift acquisition game machine in the first aspect of the present invention may further comprises a gift acquisition detecting means for detecting acquisition of a gift, and a controller; wherein the controller is operative to cause the player monitoring camera to provide an image of the player upon detection of a gift by the gift acquisition detecting means, to cause the image recording means to record the image of the player, and to cause the display means to display the image of the player recorded by the image recording means.

A gift acquisition game machine in a second aspect of the present invention has a gift acquiring machine disposed in a gift exhibiting space to be operated by a player and driven for acquiring a gift to carry the gift to a gift outlet, the gift acquisition game machine comprising: a first camera combined with the gift acquiring machine; a second camera for providing an image showing the condition of the gift exhibiting space; a third camera for providing an image of the player; image recording means for recording images provided by at least one of the cameras; and an image display device for displaying images provided by the cameras or the images recorded by the image recording means.

The gift acquisition game machine in the second aspect of the present invention may further comprise a gift acquisition detecting means for detecting acquisition of a gift; and a controller; wherein the controller is operative to cause the third camera to provide an image of the player upon the detection of a gift by the gift acquisition detecting means, to cause the image recording means to record the image of the player, and to cause the display device to display the image of the player recorded by the image recording means.

A gift acquisition game machine in a third aspect of the present invention has gift acquiring machines disposed respectively in gift exhibiting spaces to be operated respectively by players and driven for acquiring gifts to carry the gifts to gift outlets, the gift acquisition game machine comprising: a central unit disposed substantially in a central part of the gift acquisition game machine and including a rotary unit capable of turning in a horizontal plane; plural satellite units arranged in a ring around the central unit and each having a gift exhibiting space in which gifts are placed; each of said satellite units having an operating unit disposed such that a player can operate the operating unit to operate the associated gift acquiring machine looking at the gifts placed in the associated gift exhibiting space, a gift receiver for receiving a gift acquired by the gift acquiring machine, a gift acquisition detecting means for detecting a gift acquired by the gift acquiring machine to drop the gift through the gift receiver; and a controller for turning the rotary unit of the central unit upon detection of successful gift acquisition through detection of a gift dropping through the gift receiver.

A gift acquisition game machine in a fourth aspect of the present invention has gift gripping machines disposed respectively in gift exhibiting spaces to be operated respectively by players and driven for gripping gifts to carry the gifts to gift outlets, the gift acquisition game machine comprising: a central unit disposed substantially in a central part of the gift acquisition game machine and including a rotary unit capable of turning in a horizontal plane, an image display device placed in the rotary unit, and a player monitoring camera for providing an image of a player; plural satellite units arranged in a ring around the central unit; and a controller; wherein the player monitoring camera is disposed to photograph a player confronting one of the satellite units, each of the satellite units has a gift exhibiting space for exhibiting gifts and includes an operating unit disposed such that the player can operate the operating unit looking at gifts placed in the gift exhibiting space, a gift acquiring machine driven by the operating unit, a gift receiver for receiving a gift acquired by the gift acquiring machine, and a gift acquisition detecting means for detecting a gift acquired by the gift acquiring machine and passing through the gift receiver, and wherein the controller is operative to turn the rotary unit of the central unit upon detection of successful gift acquisition through detection of a gift dropping through the gift receiver, and the controller is operative to locate the image display device of the central unit so as to face the satellite unit where a player succeeded in acquiring a gift, to cause the player monitoring camera to photograph the player who succeeded in acquiring a gift at the same satellite unit, and to cause the image display device to display an image of the player who succeeded in acquiring the gift.