Game Machine And Self-Running Body For Use Therein

Abstract

The invention provides a game machine enabling a self-running body to smoothly run even in a corner section by using a plurality measurement lines provided at a constant pitch with reference to the inner circumference of a round track. The game machine ( 2 ) includes a game machine main body ( 10 ) having a plurality of measurement lines ( 36 ) arranged at a constant pitch (PTm) in the longitudinal direction of a round track ( 35 ) with reference to the inner circumference of the round track ( 35 ), and a self-running body ( 30 ) capable of self-running on the round track ( 35 ), wherein the self-running body ( 30 ) is provided with a measurement line detecting device ( 52 ) which has a plurality of detecting elements ( 60 ) arranged in the longitudinal direction of the self-running body at a constant pitch (PTms) and respectively capable of detecting the measurement lines ( 36 ), and controls its running on the round track ( 35 ) based on the results of detection. The pitch PTm of the measurement lines ( 36 ) on the inner circumference of the round track ( 35 ) is set to be integral multiples of the pitch PTms of the detecting elements ( 60 ), and the product of the number of detecting elements ( 60 ) and the pitch PTms of the detecting elements ( 60 ) is set to be larger than the maximum pitch PTout of the measurement lines ( 36 ) on the outer circumference of the round track ( 35 ).

1 . A game machine comprising:
 a game machine main body having a running surface including a round track, and having a plurality of measurement lines arranged at a constant pitch in the longitudinal direction of the round track with reference to the inner circumference of the round track and extending in the transverse direction of the round track; and   a self-running body capable of self-running on the running surface,   wherein the self-running body comprises:   a measurement line detecting device which has a plurality of detecting elements arranged at a constant pitch in the longitudinal direction of the self-running body and respectively capable of detecting the measurement lines;   a transverse position detecting device for detecting information necessary to specify the position in the transverse direction of the self-running body; and   a running control device for controlling the running of the self-running body on the round track based on results of detection by the measurement line detection device and the transverse position detection device,   and wherein the constant pitch of the measurement line is set to an integral multiple of the pitch between the detecting elements of the measurement line detection device, and   the product of the number of detecting elements and the pitch between the detecting elements is set larger than the maximum pitch of the measurement line on the outer circumference of the round track.   
   
   
       2 . The game machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the constant pitch between the measurement lines is set equal to or more than the double of the pitch between the detecting elements.   
   
   
       3 . The game machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the running control device controls the speed of the self-running body using a time interval between the times at which each of the plurality of detecting elements detects the measurement line.   
   
   
       4 . The game machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the running control device comprises:
 a progress determining device for determining the number of detected measurement lines from a predetermined reference position of the round track as a degree of progress of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the measurement line detection device;   a transverse position determining device for determining the position in the transverse direction of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the transverse position detection device;   a detection-times estimating device for estimating the times of detection of the measurement lines to be detected by the measurement line detection device while the self-running body is moved to the next measurement line based on the determined degree of progress and the determined position in the transverse direction;   a time interval estimating device for estimating a time interval, during which the detecting device detects the measurement lines, based on a remaining time to the time when the self-running body reaches a target progress, the number of measurement lines to be detected to reach the target progress, and the estimated times of detection; and   a speed control device for controlling the speed of the self-running body based on the estimate time interval and a detected time interval.   
   
   
       5 . The game machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the running control device comprises:
 a speed computation device for computing the current speed of the self-running body based on the pitch between the detecting elements and the time interval during which plurality of detecting elements detects the measurement lines; and   a speed control device for controlling the speed of the self-running body such that the computed current speed is equalized to the target speed.   
   
   
       6 . The game machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the running control device comprises:
 a progress determining device for determining the number of detected measurement lines from a predetermined reference position of the round track as a degree of progress of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the measurement line detection device;   a transverse position determining device for determining the position in the transverse direction of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the transverse position detection device;   a detection-times estimating device for estimating the times of detection of the measurement lines to be detected by the measurement line detection device while the self-running body is moved between the adjacent measurement lines based on the determined degree of progress and the determined position in the transverse direction; and   a target speed computation device for computing the target speed based on the result estimated by the detection-times estimating device.   
   
   
       7 . The game machine according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the detection-times estimating device determines the pitch between the measurement lines in the transverse direction of the self-running body based on the degree of progress determined by the progress determining device and the position in the transverse direction determined by the transverse position determining device, and estimates the times of detection based on the determined pitch and the pitch between the detecting elements.   
   
   
       8 . The game machine according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the target speed computation device estimates the time interval during which the detecting device detects the measurement lines based on the remaining time to the time when the self-running body reaches the target progress, the number of measurement lines to be detected to reach the target progress, and the estimated times of detection, and computes the target speed of the self-running body based on the estimate time interval and the pitch between the detecting elements.   
   
   
       9 . A self-running body capable of self-running on a running surface and used in combination with a game machine main body which has the running surface including a round track and has a plurality of measurement lines arranged at a constant pitch in the longitudinal direction of the round track with reference to the inner circumference of the round track, each of the measurement lines extending in the transverse direction of the round track, the self-running body comprising:
 a measurement line detecting device which has a plurality of detecting elements arranged at a constant pitch in the longitudinal direction of the self-running body and respectively capable of detecting the measurement lines;   a transverse position detecting device for detecting information necessary to specify the position of the self-running body in the transverse direction of the round track; and   a running control device for controlling the running of the self-running body on the round track according to results of detection by the measurement line detecting device and the transverse position detecting device, wherein   the pitch between the detecting elements is set such that the constant pitch between the measurement lines is an integral multiple of the constant pitch between the detecting elements of the measurement line detecting device, and   the product of the number of detecting elements and the pitch between the detecting elements is set larger than the maximum pitch between the measurement lines on the outer circumference of the round track.   
   
   
       10 . The self-running body according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the constant pitch between the measurement lines is set equal to or more than the double of the pitch between the detecting elements.   
   
   
       11 . The self-running body according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the running control device controls the speed of the self-running body using a time interval between the times at which each of the plurality of detecting elements detects the measurement line.   
   
   
       12 . The self-running body according to  claim 9 , wherein the running control device comprises:
 a progress determining device for determining the number of detected measurement lines from a predetermined reference position of the round track as a degree of progress of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the measurement line detection device;   a transverse position determining device for determining the position in the transverse direction of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the transverse position detection device;   a detection-times estimating device for estimating the times of detection of the measurement lines to be detected by the measurement line detection device while the self-running body is moved to the next measurement line based on the determined degree of progress and the determined position in the transverse direction;   a time interval estimating device for estimating a time interval, during which the detecting device detects the measurement lines, based on a remaining time to the time when the self-running body reaches a target progress, the number of measurement lines to be detected to reach the target progress, and the estimated times of detection; and   a speed control device for controlling the speed of the self-running body based on the estimate time interval and a detected time interval.   
   
   
       13 . The self-running body according to  claim 9 , wherein the running control device comprises:
 a speed computation device for computing the current speed of the self-running body based on the pitch between the detecting elements and the time interval during which plurality of detecting elements detects the measurement lines; and   a speed control device for controlling the speed of the self-running body such that the computed current speed is equalized to the target speed.   
   
   
       14 . The self-running body according to  claim 13 , wherein the running control device comprises:
 a progress determining device for determining the number of detected measurement lines from a predetermined reference position of the round track as a degree of progress of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the measurement line detection device;   a transverse position determining device for determining the position in the transverse direction of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the transverse position detection device;   a detection-times estimating device for estimating the times of detection of the measurement lines to be detected by the measurement line detection device while the self-running body is moved between the adjacent measurement lines based on the determined degree of progress and the determined position in the transverse direction; and   a target speed computation device for computing the target speed based on the result estimated by the detection-times estimating device.   
   
   
       15 . The self-running body according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the detection-times estimating device determines the pitch between the measurement lines in the transverse direction of the self-running body based on the degree of progress determined by the progress determining device and the position in the transverse direction determined by the transverse position determining device, and estimates the times of detection based on the determined pitch and the pitch between the detecting elements.   
   
   
       16 . The self-running body according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the target speed computation device estimates the time interval during which the detecting device detects the measurement lines based on the remaining time to the time when the self-running body reaches the target progress, the number of measurement lines to be detected to reach the target progress, and the estimated times of detection, and computes the target speed of the self-running body based on the estimate time interval and the pitch between the detecting elements.   
   
   
       17 . The game machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the running control device comprises:
 a speed computation device for computing the current speed of the self-running body based on the pitch between the detecting elements and the time interval during which plurality of detecting elements detects the measurement lines; and   a speed control device for controlling the speed of the self-running body such that the computed current speed is equalized to the target speed.   
   
   
       18 . The game machine according to  claim 17 , wherein the running control device comprises:
 a progress determining device for determining the number of detected measurement lines from a predetermined reference position of the round track as a degree of progress of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the measurement line detection device;   a transverse position determining device for determining the position in the transverse direction of the self-running body based on the result of detection by the transverse position detection device;   a detection-times estimating device for estimating the times of detection of the measurement lines to be detected by the measurement line detection device while the self-running body is moved between the adjacent measurement lines based on the determined degree of progress and the determined position in the transverse direction; and   a target speed computation device for computing the target speed based on the result estimated by the detection-times estimating device.   
   
   
       19 . The game machine according to  claim 18 , wherein
 the detection-times estimating device determines the pitch between the measurement lines in the transverse direction of the self-running body based on the degree of progress determined by the progress determining device and the position in the transverse direction determined by the transverse position determining device, and estimates the times of detection based on the determined pitch and the pitch between the detecting elements.   
   
   
       20 . The game machine according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the target speed computation device estimates the time interval during which the detecting device detects the measurement lines based on the remaining time to the time when the self-running body reaches the target progress, the number of measurement lines to be detected to reach the target progress, and the estimated times of detection, and computes the target speed of the self-running body based on the estimate time interval and the pitch between the detecting elements.