JPH08155099A - Image display device for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve playfulness by displaying a pseudo stereoscopic picture with a little data amount. CONSTITUTION: Corresponding to scroll information from a game machine, a control part 5b extracts a scroll picture 4a, middle ground picture 4b and sprite picture 4c from a memory 4, overlaps those pictures and variably displays them on a display screen 3a of a liquid crystal color panel 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is a game machine such as a pachinko machine, a slot machine or the like, and an image according to a game situation is simulated on a liquid crystal color panel provided on the front surface of a game board.
The present invention relates to an image display device that variably displays in three dimensions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the above-mentioned gaming machines, the game performance is enhanced by displaying by sound or light. For example, in an image display device of a pachinko machine, the playability is enhanced by variously changing the pattern and color of the image displayed on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel according to the game situation. Specifically, after the power is turned on, scroll characters are displayed on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel in an arrangement of 9 sections of 3 rows and 3 columns or 6 sections of 3 rows and 2 columns, and scrolled by winning at the winning start opening of the game ball. The characters are variably displayed as if they are rotating vertically, and the scroll characters are sequentially stopped after a predetermined time elapses with a time difference of several seconds between the lines. Then, before the rest of the lines are stopped, the pattern of the scroll character (stop character) that has already stopped is 2 in a specific direction such as a column direction or a diagonal direction.
Reaching is complete when all the items are gathered. In this reach state, depending on the types of the stop characters in the remaining lines, three stop character patterns may be aligned in a specific direction.
For example, a frame figure surrounding the two stopped characters that have triggered the reach state is displayed on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel to inform the player of the reach state. Subsequently, when the scroll character stops on the remaining lines, three stop character patterns are arranged in the specific direction, which is a big hit. In the big hit state, the playability is enhanced by variably displaying the animation on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel. That is, the display function appealing to the player visually is an important point in enhancing the playability of the gaming machine.

From such a demand, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-1
No. 61759, No. 5-228245, No. 5-293245, and No. 5-3051.
An image display device for a gaming machine disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 73 is known. In this image display device, the display control device is configured separately from the game control device, and when this display control device receives one piece of information representing the game situation from the game control device, the display control device displays a graphic specification according to the game information. A plurality of image data are extracted from the above memory by interpreting based on the conversion rule indicating the display time and pattern combination stored in the internal memory, and these image data are displayed in the liquid crystal color installed in the center of the front of the game board. By variably displaying on the display surface of the panel, the memory in the game control device is released from the storage of data necessary for image display, the storage capacity for the fraud prevention data in the memory in the game control device is secured, and the animation character It is designed to increase the degree of freedom of movement and the types of background images.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-39111 discloses that
A control device for controlling both the gaming machine and the image display has a plurality of frame memories, and these frame memories have ROs.
A game machine is disclosed in which a background image and image data for each of a plurality of characters are individually stored from M, and these image data are superimposed and variably displayed on a liquid crystal display of a game board.

[0005]

The image display device of the gaming machine disclosed in each of the above-mentioned publications is provided with an individual scroll character, background image, animation character, frame figure, etc. extracted from the memory or the frame memory according to the game information. Since the image data of is combined in a plane so as to be scattered on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel, data for drawing images in a large number of frame units and data for replacing it in a short time, etc. It will be a huge amount. In addition, in the reach state, the scroll speed of the final stop symbol is slowed or increased to give the player a realistic sensation in the reach state, but there is an inherent problem of lack of playability at that time.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to make the pseudo stereoscopic screen variably displayable and enhance the game playability while minimizing the data for variably displaying. .

[0007]

An image display device for a gaming machine according to the present invention includes a memory and a composite display means, and the memory has a screen for forming a virtual screen including a scroll screen, a middle ground screen and a sprite screen. The data is stored in advance, and the composite display means extracts the scroll screen, the middle ground screen and the sprite screen from the memory according to the game information, and the scroll character, the background image and the animation character are superimposed on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel and variable. It is configured to display. In the above configuration, depending on the game information, it is also possible to select either the scroll grand mode that superimposes the sprite screen, the middle grand screen, and the scroll screen in this order, or the sprite grand mode that superimposes the middle grand screen, the scroll screen, and the sprite screen in that order. It is possible. In the above configuration, it is possible to select either the sprite animation mode for displaying the animation character on the sprite screen or the middle ground animation mode for displaying the animation character on the middle ground screen according to the game information. In the above configuration, it is possible to use data compression for color designation of the sprite screen, middle ground screen, and scroll screen. In the above structure, means for reading the sprite name group data from the memory in the display control device by the designated data from the game control device and reading the sprite name data and the sprite color palette designation data from the memory based on the sprite name group data are provided. May be.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the sprite screen, the middle ground screen, and the scroll screen are superposed on each other according to game information and variably displayed on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel, thereby expressing a pseudo three-dimensional screen that has never existed before. Further, according to the present invention, an unprecedented pseudo three-dimensional screen in which an animation character operates behind a design such as a background image drawn on a middle ground screen is represented. Further, according to the present invention, the animation character is drawn on either the sprite screen or the middle ground screen according to the game information, and a pseudo three-dimensional screen that has never existed is represented. Further, according to the present invention, for example, data compression is used for a portion of the middle ground screen which is located between the sprite screen and the scroll screen and has a fairly wide range of the screen which is often uniformly colored. Further, in the present invention, the sprite name data and the sprite color palette designation data are read based on the sprite name group data read by the designation data.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a game control device and an image display device in a pachinko machine as a game machine of the embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows a process from a virtual screen to a display screen in a scroll ground mode in the image display device of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a process from a virtual screen to a display screen in the sprite ground mode in the image display device of the embodiment, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the inside of the GROM, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the game situation of the embodiment and the display screen configuration mode, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the game situation of the embodiment and the animation mode, and FIG. The figure which shows the area constitution of the scroll screen of example, Figure 8 is the front view which shows the pachinko machine of execution example.

In FIG. 8, the pachinko machine is provided with an outer frame 11 for installation on an island of a pachinko parlor, and a front frame 12 is attached to the front surface of the outer frame 11 by a hinge (not shown) so that the front frame 12 can be opened and closed. A metal frame 13 is fixed to the inner peripheral edge, a glass frame 14 is attached to the metal frame 13 so as to be openable and closable by a hinge (not shown), and a transparent glass 15 is provided in the glass frame 14.
Is fitted to the bottom of the glass frame 14, an upper plate set 16 is attached to the lower edge of the glass frame 14, and a locking device 17 is attached to one side edge of the front frame 12.
By the unlocking operation, the front frame 12 can be opened and closed with respect to the outer frame 11, and the glass frame 14 can be opened and closed with respect to the front frame 12. Further, a handle grip 18 and a lower plate set 19 of the ball-striking launcher are attached to the lower edge of the front frame 12,
A game board 20 is mounted inside the front frame 12 so as to face the glass 15. An image display device 2 having a liquid crystal color panel 3 is attached to the center of the game board 20, and a band 21, a game nail 22, a lamp windmill 23, and a windmill 24 are provided in a portion of the game board 20 located around the image display device 2. A start-up winning opening 25, 26, a winning opening 27, a variable winning ball device (attacker) 29 having an opening / closing body 28, an out opening 30 and the like are provided.

Therefore, the above pachinko machine uses the upper plate set 1
When a game ball (not shown) is put in 6 and the handle grip 18 is rotated in one direction, a launcher (not shown) shoots each game ball from the upper plate set 16 into the band 21. The launched game ball is guided along the band 21 to the upper part of the game area in the band 21, and the upward thrust of the game ball becomes smaller than the gravity of the game ball, so that the game ball moves downward in the game area. To the start winning a prize hole 25, 26 while hitting the game nail 22, the lamp windmill 23 or the windmill 24, etc. on the way to the starting ball for moving the image display device 2, or entering the winning a prize hole 27 to a constant number. The game sphere of becomes a constant supply sphere for hitting the upper plate set 16 as a sphere, or the game sphere that has not entered the starting winning opening 25, 26 or the winning opening 27 enters the out opening 30 and becomes an out sphere. Further, when the image display device 2 becomes a big hit display due to the combination of the stop symbols after the variable display operation,
The opening / closing plate 28 of the variable winning ball device 29 opens and closes, and the probability that the game ball hit in the game area becomes a hit ball becomes high. The opening / closing operation of this variable winning ball device 29, the constant supply operation by winning the winning opening 27, the blinking of the lamp windmill 23, etc. are mounted on the back surface of the game board.
It is controlled by the game control device 1 shown in.

In FIG. 1, the game control device 1 and the image display device 2 will be described in detail. This game control device 1 is configured by a microcomputer that operates according to a preset program, and various designated data corresponding to various game information such as game start information, scroll information, reach information, jackpot information and probability variation information. Is output to the image display device 2.

The game start information is a signal output when the game control device 1 receives a game start detection signal from a sensor (not shown) that detects a rotation operation of the handle grip 18, for example. The scroll information is a signal output when the game control device 1 receives a winning detection signal from a sensor (not shown) that detects that a game ball has been won in the starting winning openings 25, 26. The reach information is a stop symbol combination determining means that uses a random number (not shown) built in the game control device 1 stops before one of the three scroll characters before the stop of the scroll character described later due to the winning detection signal. The reach information includes normal reach information and super reach information with a higher probability of being a big hit than this, which is a signal to be output based on the determination of combination stop in which the symbols of the two scroll characters are the same. The jackpot information is a signal output by the stop symbol combination determining means based on the determination of the combination stop which is the same symbol when all three scroll characters are stopped before the scroll character is stopped due to the winning detection signal. . The probability variation information is a signal output by a probability variation determining means (not shown) built in the game control device 1 in the case of a probability variation symbol such as "7" in which the same symbol based on the above jackpot determination is preset. Is. The game control device 1 outputs the probability variation information, and the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3 of the image display device 2
When the probability variation symbols are stopped and displayed in a specific direction such as a single row direction or a diagonal direction, for example, the probability that a big hit display will occur becomes high, and a high probability state that the game state is advantageous for the player becomes It is set until the next big hit.

The image display device 2 shown in FIG. 1 roughly includes a liquid crystal color panel 3, a character generator ROM (hereinafter referred to as CGROM) 4, and a display control device 5. The liquid crystal color panel 3 is a display surface 3a arranged on the front surface of the game board 20 (see FIG. 8), an X drive circuit 3b, and Y.
A drive circuit 3c and an XY control circuit 3d,
-Y control circuit 3d receives various designated data from display control device 5 and controls X drive circuit 3b and Y drive circuit 3c.
The drive circuit 3c displays an image on the display surface 3a by the scanning operation. The CGROM 4 has a scroll screen 4a,
Middle ground screen 4b and multiple sprite screens 4
In addition to the screen data for forming the virtual screen composed of c, an address for reading the screen data, an address for designating the color palette RAM 5c, display setting data, and the like are stored in advance.

The display control device 5 includes a line RAM 5a, a control unit 5b formed in a one-chip microprocessor which operates in a register addressing system according to a preset program, and a color palette RAM 5.
c, the control section 5b incorporates the composite display means 5d, the display priority selection means 5e, the animation mode selection means 5f and the data compression means 5g, and the composite display means 5d of the control section 5b is provided from the game control device 1. CGROM 4 according to game information such as game start information, winning information, reach information, jackpot information and established variation information
2 to extract the scroll screen 4a, the middle ground screen 4b, and the sprite screen 4c shown in FIG. 2A, and the extracted scroll screen 4a, middle ground screen 4b, and sprite screen 4c respectively have color signals extracted from the color palette RAM 5c. While adding
The display screen 6 shown in FIG. 2B in which the scroll screen 4a, the middle ground screen 4b, and the sprite screen 4c to which these color signals are added are superimposed is variably displayed on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3. Display control of the liquid crystal color panel 3 is performed.

The display priority selection means 5e selects either the sprite grand mode or the scroll grand mode according to the designated data sent from the game control device 1 to the control section 5b. In the scroll ground mode, the sprite screen 4c extracted from the CGROM 4 is used.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the sprite screen 4c, the middle grand screen 4b, and the scroll screen 4a are overlaid in this order from the front to display the middle ground screen 4b and the scroll screen 4a, as shown in FIG. 2B. Screen 6
Is a display screen configuration mode in which the display screen 6 is variably displayed on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3. In the sprite ground mode, the sprite screen 4c, the middle ground screen 4b, and the scroll screen 4a extracted from the CGROM 4 are converted into the middle ground screen 4b, the scroll screen 4a, and the sprite screen 4 as shown in FIG.
By stacking in the order of c from the front,
This is a display screen configuration mode in which the display screen 6 shown in the figure is configured and the display screen 6 is variably displayed on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3. The relationship between the game information (game situation) and the display screen configuration mode in the display priority order selection means 5e is set as shown in FIG. 5, for example, and is stored in the CGROM 4 in advance as a data map. In FIG. 5, when the power of the pachinko machine is turned on, the scroll ground mode is set, the sprite screen 4c is arranged at the forefront, and the middle ground screen 4b is arranged below the sprite screen 4c. The scroll screen 4a is placed under the. Then, after the handle grip 18 shown in FIG. 8 is rotated in one direction by the player, the starting winning opening 2 of the game ball shown in FIG.
During winning and defeating 5,26, normal reach and super reach, it will be in sprite ground mode,
The middle grand screen 4b is arranged at the forefront, the scroll screen 4a is arranged under the middle grand screen 4b, and the sprite screen 4 is arranged under the scroll screen 4a.
With c being arranged, the display screen 6 variably displayed on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3 is in a state where the scroll character is emphasized. Further, during the big hit or the probability variation pattern big hit, the scroll ground mode is again set, and a story-like moving image with emphasis on the animation character is variably displayed on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3.

The animation mode selection means 5f selects either the sprite animation mode or the middle ground animation mode in accordance with the designated data sent from the game control device 1 to the control section 5b. The sprite animation mode is an animation mode in which an animation character extracted from the CGROM 4 is displayed on the sprite screen and variably displayed on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3. In the middle ground animation mode, the animation character extracted from the CG ROM 4 is displayed in the middle ground. This is an animation mode in which the image is displayed on the screen and variably displayed on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3. The relationship between the game information (game situation) and the animation mode in the animation mode selection means 5f is set as shown in FIG. 6, for example, and is stored in the CGROM 4 in advance as a data map. In FIG. 6, when the power of the pachinko machine is turned on, the sprite animation mode is set, and the animation character is drawn on the sprite screen 4c. The middle ground animation mode is set from the winning to the non-winning and the normal reach and the super reach, and the animation character is drawn on the middle ground screen 4b. Further, during the big hit or the probability fluctuation pattern big hit, the sprite animation mode is again set, and a story-like moving image with emphasis on the animation character is variably displayed on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3.

The data compression means 5g is a run length method or the like for color designation of one or more screens of the sprite screen, middle ground screen and scroll screen in accordance with the designated data sent from the game control device 1 to the control section 5b. Data compression such as

The scroll screen 4a is a virtual screen for displaying scroll characters in a scroll area divided into a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns based on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3. Rows in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns are arranged in the vertical direction, and columns are arranged in the horizontal direction. In the pachinko machine, the scroll area is generally set to 3 × 2 6 sections or 3 × 3 9 sections. In this embodiment, 9 sections are taken as an example. For example, the first area shown in FIG. -Having a ninth area, only the scroll character is variably displayed, or both the scroll character and the pseudo-scroll character corresponding thereto are variably displayed. That is, when only the scroll character is variably displayed, the scroll character is variably displayed in each of the first area to the ninth area. When both the scroll character and the pseudo scroll character are variably displayed, for example, the scroll character is variably displayed in each of the first area to the third area as the three scroll areas in the upper first column, and the pseudo scroll character is in the middle portion. It is variably displayed in each of the fourth to ninth areas as the six scroll areas in the second row of the second row and the second row of the lower third row. Each of the scroll characters is, for example, a number “0”, “1”, “2”, “3”,
"4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9" and alphabets "A", "B", "C", "D",
It is a total of 15 types of symbols "E". Since the pseudo-scroll character is a pattern that is vertically associated with the scroll character, a set of the fourth area and the seventh area of the six scroll areas, a fifth
The area and the eighth area are variably displayed, and the sixth area and the ninth area are variably displayed. Among the pseudo scroll characters, the pseudo scroll characters corresponding to "0" to "9" in the design of the scroll character are the same number as the scroll character, and the feet, ears, and hands stylized into numbers having a large outer shape. Has an added design, "A" in the design of the scroll character
The pseudo scroll character corresponding to each of "E" has a pattern in which monsters having different motion expressions are designed.

The middle ground screen 4b is a virtual screen for displaying a pattern such as the sky or background on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3 for covering the entire display surface 3a.

The sprite screen 4c is a virtual screen for displaying an animation character on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3, and in this embodiment, the first sprite screen 4c-1, the second sprite screen 4c-2, and the second sprite screen 4c-2. 3rd sprite screen 4c-3 and 4th sprite screen 4c-
4 is provided.

The image display processing of the image display device 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. This image display process uses a register addressing method, and the CGROM 4 has display setting data, each scroll name data, sprite name group data, sprite position group data, grand name data, animation sprite name group data, and animation grand name. Data, sprite color palette data, grand color palette data, scroll color palette data, each scroll screen data, middle grand screen data and sprite screen data are stored in advance, and the game control device 1 designates sprite name group designation data as designation data. , The sprite position group designation data, the grand name designation data, and each scroll name designation data corresponding to the first to ninth areas are stored in a register in the control unit 5b of the display control device 5. By sending the control portion 5b variable to display the read screen data and color data required sprite character and the middle ground and scrolling characters at a predetermined position on the display surface 3a of the liquid crystal color panel 3 from CGROM4. The register includes a sprite name group designation data register, a sprite position group designation data register, a grand name designation data register, and first to ninth scroll name designation data registers corresponding to the first area to ninth area. .

The display setting data is composed of scroll area division setting data and scroll direction setting data, and the control unit 5b causes the CGROM to be periodically arranged after every power-on, such as every scanning of the program.
The display setting data is read from 4 and the control unit 5b
Sets the scroll area division to either 6 or 9 according to the scroll area division setting data in the display setting data, and the control unit 5b sets the scroll direction of the scroll character according to the scroll direction setting data in the display setting. Set either horizontally or vertically. For example, by previously storing scroll area division setting data indicating 9 divisions and scroll direction setting data indicating vertical direction in the CGROM 4, the control unit 5b periodically divides the scroll area into 9 divisions after the power is turned on. And the scroll direction of the scroll character is set to the horizontal direction.

The sprite name group designation data is the name (CGRO) of a plurality of sprite characters to be displayed.
Registered sprite name group data (corresponding to the address of M4), sprite color palette designation data that determines the color palette RAM 5c that stores the colors of the sprite screen 4c, and data that designates the start and end of the sprite animation mode. is there. The sprite name group designation data is composed of, for example, 10 bits of actual sprite name group designation data and 11 bits of sprite animation start data of 1 bit. If the sprite animation start data is "1", the sprite animation mode is started, and if it is "0", the sprite animation mode is ended. That is, when the sprite name group designation data is output from the game control device 1 to the control unit 5b, the control unit 5b determines whether the sprite animation start data is "1" or "0". When the sprite animation start data is "0", the control unit 5b determines that the normal mode is not the sprite animation mode, multiplies the actual sprite name group designation data by 9, and the sprite name group data is multiplied by 9 times. A 19-bit sprite name group data address with the group start address added is formed, and this sprite name group data address is CGR.
Output to OM4. Thereby, the control unit 5b
Reads the sprite name group data from the CGROM 4 and reads the first to fourth sprite name data and the sprite color palette designation data based on the sprite name group data. When the sprite animation start data is “1”, the control unit 5b determines that the sprite animation mode is set, multiplies the actual sprite name group designation data by 10, and adds the animation sprite name group data group start address to this 10 times the data. A 19-bit animation sprite name group data address added with is formed, and this animation sprite name group data address is output to the CGROM 4. As a result, the control unit 5b reads the animation sprite name group data from the CGROM 4, and reads the first to fourth sprite name data, the sprite color palette designation data, and the sprite animation movement data based on the animation sprite name group data.

The sprite position group designation data is data for designating the sprite position group data in which the positions of a plurality of sprite characters to be displayed are registered, and the sprite name group designation data is composed of 10 bits. This sprite position group designation data is the game control device 1
Is output to the control unit 5b, the control unit 5b multiplies the sprite position group designation data by 8 times.
A 19-bit sprite position group data address is formed by adding the sprite position group data group start address to the doubled data, and this sprite position group data address is output to the CGROM 4. As a result, the control unit 5b reads the sprite position group data from the CGROM 4, and based on the sprite position group data, the first
~ Read the fourth sprite position data.

The grand name designation data designates the grand name data in which the name of the displayed middle grand screen 4b (corresponding to the address of the CGROM 4) is designated, and the color palette RAM 5c storing the color of the middle grand screen 4b is stored. This is data for designating the specified ground color palette designation data, for designating the scroll color palette designation data for determining the color palette RAM 5c storing the colors of the scroll screen 4a, and for designating the start and end of the middle grand animation mode. This grand name designation data is composed of 11 bits, which is obtained by adding 1 bit of grand animation start data to 10 bits of actual grand name designation data. If the grand animation start data is "1", the middle grand animation mode starts, and if it is "0", the middle grand animation mode ends.
That is, when the grand name designation data is output from the game control device 1 to the control section 5b, the control section 5b sets the grand animation start data to "1" or "0".
To determine. Grand animation start data is "0"
At this time, the control unit 5b determines that it is a normal mode other than the middle ground animation mode, multiplies the real grand name designation data by four, and adds the grand name data group start address to this four times data A grand name data address is formed, and this grand name data address is stored in CGROM4.
Output to. As a result, the control unit 5b becomes CG.
The grand name data is read from the ROM 4, and the actual grand name data, the grand color palette designation data, and the scroll color palette designation data are read based on this grand name data. When the grand animation start data is "1", the control section 5b
Determines that it is in the middle grand animation mode, multiplies the actual grand name designation data five times, and adds the animation grand name data group start address to this five times data to form a 19-bit animation grand name data address, This animation grand name data address is output to CGROM4. As a result, the control unit 5b reads the grand name data from the CGROM 4, and based on this grand name data, the actual grand name data, the grand color palette designation data, the scroll color palette designation data, and the grand animation movement data.

The scroll name designation data is data designating each scroll name data in which the name of the scroll character (corresponding to the address of the CGROM 4) displayed in each divided scroll area is registered. The designated data are provided in the same number as the maximum number of scroll areas. In this embodiment, nine scroll name designation data corresponding to the first to ninth areas are set. In the case of nine divisions, nine scroll name designation data are set. All are valid, and in the case of 6 categories, 6 scroll name designation data are valid. Each scroll name designation data is composed of 11 bits, and this scroll name designation data is the game control device 1
Is output from the control unit 5b to the control unit 5b, the control unit 5b doubles the scroll name designation data.
Each 19-bit scroll name data address is formed by adding each scroll name data group start address to the doubled data, and outputs each scroll name data address to the CGROM 4. As a result, the control unit 5b reads each scroll name data (first to ninth scroll name data) from the CGROM 4, and based on each scroll name data, displays the first to ninth scroll character screen data displayed in each scroll area. read out.

In short, according to this embodiment, the sprite screen is received by receiving each designation data such as sprite name group designation data, sprite position group designation data, grand name designation data and scroll name designation data from the game control device 1. The scroll character, the background image, and the animation character can be expressed on a pseudo three-dimensional screen that is a combination of the 4c, the middle ground screen 4b, and the scroll screen 4a. That is,
In the conventional method of constructing a large number of frames that combine screen data extracted from the memory in a plane, and also replacing a large number of frames one by one like a picture-story show or a day-to-day flip, scroll screens are used to represent animated characters and characters. It is necessary to replace the scroll character of. On the other hand, in this embodiment, only the sprite screen 4c, which requires a small amount of screen data and color data, is replaced without replacing the scroll screen 4a having a large amount of screen data and color data. Can be expressed freely. Therefore, while reducing the amount of data for variable display as much as possible, it is possible to variably display the pseudo three-dimensional screen and clearly express the unexpectedness and will of the game at that time to improve the game playability. The sprite screen 4c has a smaller screen data amount and color data amount for variable display than the scroll screen 4a.
Since it is arranged on the front side of a, there are many transparent areas, and the screen data and color data are reduced accordingly.

In this embodiment, a pachinko machine is illustrated and described, but the present invention can be applied to a gaming machine such as a slot machine other than a pachinko machine. When applied to the slot machine, the game start information and the scroll information in the above embodiment are replaced with the information that detects the insertion of medals into the slot machine, and the stop of scroll characters in each of a plurality of lines is stopped on the front of the slot machine. It will be easily understood that the present invention can be applied to a gaming machine such as a slot machine by replacing the operation with a button operation.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, the sprite screen, the middle ground screen and the scroll screen are variably displayed on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel in a superimposed state according to the game information. Therefore, there is a new effect that a pseudo three-dimensional screen which has never existed can be expressed while the data for variable display is reduced as much as possible, and the game performance at that time can be enhanced. Further, according to the configuration in which the sprite ground mode and the scroll ground mode are selected according to the game information, for example, an animation character operates behind a design such as a background image drawn on the middle ground screen, which is a pseudo game unlike ever. There is a new effect that a stereoscopic screen can be variably displayed with a small amount of data. Further, according to the configuration in which the sprite animation mode and the middle ground animated are selected according to the game information, for example, there are few pseudo three-dimensional screens in which an animation character is drawn on either the middle ground screen or the sprite screen. There is a new effect that can be variably displayed according to the amount of data. Further, according to the configuration in which data compression is used to specify the color of one or more of the sprite screen, middle ground screen, and scroll screen, the middle ground screen is located between the sprite screen and the scroll screen, and the Since a wide range is often colored uniformly, by using data compression, for example, for the part of the middle ground screen where this uniform coloring is applied, the amount of data required for color specification is extremely reduced. There is a new effect that variable pseudo 3D screens can be displayed with an extremely small amount of data. Furthermore, according to the configuration in which the sprite name group data is read from the memory in the display control device with the designated data from the game control device, and the sprite name data and the sprite color palette designation data are read from the memory based on the sprite name group data, There is a novel effect that the ratio of using the memory of the game control device for image display can be extremely reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a game control device and an image display device in a pachinko machine of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a process from a virtual screen to a display screen in a sprite ground mode in the image display device of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a process from a virtual screen to a display screen in a scroll ground mode in the image display device of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an inside of a control part and a CGR of an embodiment.
It is a block diagram which shows the inside of OM.

FIG. 5 is a chart showing a relationship between a game situation and a display screen configuration mode in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a chart showing a relationship between a game situation and an animation mode according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an area configuration of a scroll screen according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing the pachinko machine of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 screen display device 3 liquid crystal color panel 3a display surface of liquid crystal color panel 4 CGROM (character generator ROM) 4a scroll screen 4b middle ground screen 4c sprite screen 5 display control device 5b control section 5d composite display means 5e display priority selection means 5f Animation mode selection means 5g Data compression means

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An image display device for a gaming machine, which variably displays image data extracted from a memory according to game information on the gaming machine on a liquid crystal color panel provided on a gaming board, wherein a plurality of image data are displayed on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel. A scroll screen for displaying scroll characters in each scroll area divided into multiple rows and a display screen of the liquid crystal color panel, a middle ground screen for displaying a pattern covering the entire display screen, and a display screen of the liquid crystal color panel A screen memory for pre-configuring a virtual screen consisting of a sprite screen for displaying an animated character is stored in advance, and a scroll screen, middle ground screen and sprite screen are extracted from the memory according to game information and superimposed. Synthetic display means for variably displaying on the display surface of the liquid crystal color panel, The image display device of the game machine characterized by comprising. 2. A display priority for selecting one of a scroll grand mode and a sprite grand mode in which a sprite screen, a middle grand screen and a scroll screen are superposed in order according to game information and a middle grand screen, a scroll screen and a sprite screen are superposed in order. The image display device for a gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising a rank selection means. 3. An animation mode selection means for selecting one of a sprite animation mode for displaying an animation character on a sprite screen and a middle ground animation mode for displaying an animation character on a middle ground screen according to game information. An image display device for a game machine according to claim 1. 4. A sprite screen / middle ground screen /
The image display device of a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein data compression is used for color designation of one or more screens of the scroll screen. 5. The composite display means reads sprite name group data from a memory in the display control device with designation data from the game control device, and based on the sprite name group data, sprite name data and sprite color palette designation from the memory. The image display device of the gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for reading data.