| Gaming machine -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Gaming machineRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), Access Or Authorization (e.g., Game Selection, Security, Etc.)Gaming machine description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060211492, Gaming machine. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a gaming machine and, more particularly, to an art effectively applied to gaming machines such as a pachinko gaming machine and a slot machine in which a circuit board case having a control circuit board built therein is arranged. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] Conventionally, there is a risk of illegally exchanging a ROM built in a circuit board case in a gaming machine (back side of a base door) by the third party. [0005] In order to cancel the risk of falsifying a gaming electronic circuit board by the illegal exchange, it is more practical that the falsification is early detected to make an after-the-fact countermeasure. On the basis of the knowledge, a gaming machine having a seal member which seals the circuit board case is devised (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-62114). [0006] A seal head of the seal member has an arrowhead shape. At the distal end of the seal head, a pair of engaging pieces which can be elastically transformed internally each other are formed. The distal end of the seal head is inserted into a communication hole of the circuit board case with a retaining member. [0007] For this reason, when the seal member is tried to be unsealed to open the circuit board case, the seal member is torn, an evidence of the opening of the circuit board case is left. [0008] For this reason, the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 2001-62114 can detects illegal opening of a circuit board case. Therefore, it can be appropriately known that a gaming electronic circuit board is falsified. [0009] In the conventional art, illegal opening of the circuit board case can be detected. However, when the circuit board case itself is illegally exchanged, illegality to the circuit board case cannot be detected. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine which can detect illegality to a circuit board case even though the circuit board case itself is illegally exchanged. [0011] In order to solve the above problem, a gaming machine of a first invention includes: a base frame (base frame 3b) constituting a part of a gaming machine main body; a base door (base door 3a) which is openably and closably supported on and attached to the base frame; a circuit board case (for example, a sub-control circuit board case 50, a main control circuit board case 100, a frame relay circuit board case 130, a power supply circuit board case 150, a payout control circuit board case 170, and the like) which is arranged on a back side of the base door and holds predetermined circuit boards (for example, a sub-control circuit board, a main control circuit board, a frame relay circuit board, a power supply circuit board, a payout control circuit board, and the like); a circuit board case cover (circuit board case cover 500) which is arranged to cover the circuit board case; first detecting means (first detecting switch 600) which detects opening of the base door; second detecting means (second detecting switch 700) which detects opening of the circuit board case cover; and illegal opening determining means (sub-CPU 301) which determines, when opening of the circuit board case cover is detected by the second detecting means, whether the opening is illegal on the basis of detection results of the first detecting means and the second detecting means. [0012] In this manner, when the circuit board case cover which covers the circuit board case is opened, it is determined on the basis of the detection results of the first detecting means and the second detecting means whether the opening of the circuit board case cover is illegal. For this reason, illegality to the circuit board case can be properly detected. Furthermore, in this manner, even though the circuit board case itself is illegally exchanged, illegality to the circuit board case can be detected. [0013] In a second invention, in addition to the configuration of the first invention, when the second detecting means detects opening of the circuit board case cover in a state in which the first detecting means does not detect opening of the base door, the illegal opening determining means determines that the opening of the circuit board case cover is illegal. [0014] In this manner, when opening of the circuit board case cover is not performed on the basis of a predetermined procedure, the opening is determined as illegal opening. For this reason, illegal opening can be more properly detected. For this reason, even though the circuit board case itself is illegally exchanged, illegality to the circuit board case can be reliably detected. [0015] A third invention includes, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, storing means (work RAM 303) which stores a determination result obtained by the illegal opening determining means. [0016] In this manner, the number of times of illegal opening, time of the illegal opening, and the like can be stored, and a larger number of pieces of information related to illegal opening can be collected. For this reason, a countermeasure against illegal opening can be more appropriately performed. [0017] In a fourth invention, in addition to the configuration of the first invention, the predetermined circuit board is a main control circuit board on which a main control circuit (main control circuit 200) which is held in the circuit board case and controls progress of a game is mounted, and includes a sub-control circuit board which is arranged independently of the main control circuit board and on which a sub-control circuit (sub-control circuit 300) which executes predetermined control on the basis of a control signal received from the main control circuit on the main control circuit board is mounted, and the sub-control circuit board is connected to the first detecting means and the second detecting means and has an illegal opening determining means and a storing means. [0018] Since falsification by the third party is frequently executed to the main control circuit board on which the main control circuit which controls progress of a game, functions of the illegal opening determining means, the storing means, and the like are held by the sub-control circuit board being at relatively low risk of being falsified, illegal opening of the circuit board case cover or the like can be more properly detected, and a more appropriate countermeasure against illegal opening can be taken. [0019] A fifth invention includes, in addition to the configuration of the first invention, notifying means (liquid crystal display device 21) which notifies a determination result obtained by the illegal opening determining means. [0020] In this manner, when the circuit board case cover is illegally opened, employees are notified that the circuit board cover is illegally opened. A countermeasure against the illegal opening can be properly performed, damage by falsification caused by illegal exchange or the like of a circuit board case can be minimized. [0021] Since a deterrent against illegal opening is opened by the notification, the illegal opening can be prevented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading about Gaming machine... Full patent description for Gaming machine Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Gaming machine patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Gaming machine or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Wagering game with side-wagering feature on certain outcomes Next Patent Application: Security for gaming devices Industry Class: Amusement devices: games ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Gaming machine patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.48338 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Canon USA , Celera Genomics , Cephalon, Inc. , Cingular Wireless , Clorox , Colgate-Palmolive , Corning , Cymer , 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
