Game machine management device having penalty function, game device, operation program thereof and penalty setting server

Abstract

The present invention provides a game machine authentication management device and a game device for transmitting an authentication request and ID data to an authentication server through first communication means, waiting for a response including the authentication result data in a reception-enabled state, acquiring authentication level data capable of indicating any one of the events of authentication OK, authentication NG and timeout, transmitting electronic money terminal setting data and an electronic money operation instruction according to the authentication level data to an electronic money terminal through second communication means or third communication means, and suspending the electronic money terminal setting data and the electronic money operation instruction in at least one of the cases. The electronic money terminal setting data may be stored in a penalty setting server or the like.

1 . A remote authentication management system, comprising:
 an authentication server provided with a function of authenticating an apparatus to be authenticated;   a penalty setting server which stores integrated penalty setting data, the integrated penalty setting data storing at least any one of a first setting table and a second setting table including set values which define an authentication level of the apparatus, the payment function for at least any one of the payment apparatuses being changed in accordance with the authentication level, the first setting table being different from the second table in at least any one of the set values that define the authentication level;   an authentication management device which stores unit penalty setting data including a set value which is different from the integrated penalty setting data;   a first network which connects the penalty setting server and the apparatus; and   a second network which connects the first network and the authentication server,   wherein the authentication server permits operation of the apparatus when the apparatus can invoke the authentication server at predetermined timing, the apparatus accesses the penalty setting server when the apparatus cannot invoke the authentication server at predetermined timing or cannot invoke within a predetermined time, the apparatus refers to the first setting table or the second setting table of the integrated penalty setting table when the access succeeds, and the apparatus refers to the unit penalty setting table when the access fails.   
   
   
       2 . The authentication management system according to  claim 1 , wherein the integrated penalty setting table or the unit penalty setting table can be set or referred to by a maintenance computer connected through the network or a different communication path. 
   
   
       3 - 4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . The authentication management system according to  claim 1 , wherein an authentication scheduling server which stores authentication schedule data which determines the predetermined timing is further connected to the network. 
   
   
       6 . (canceled) 
   
   
       7 . The authentication management system according to  claim 1 , wherein an authentication pause scheduling server which stores authentication pause schedule data is further connected to the network. 
   
   
       8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . An apparatus to be authenticated, comprising:
 first communication means configured to be connectable to a computer network and communicable with an authentication server;   first storage means for storing ID data for authentication;   second storage means for storing authentication schedule data or a program to determine a schedule according to which authentication should be requested from the authentication server;   payment means configured to be communicable with at least one of payment apparatuses through the third communication means; and   function setting means configured to be able to generate an authentication request to the authentication server, transmit the authentication request and the ID data stored in the first storage means to the authentication server through the first communication means, receive authentication result data indicating a success or failure of authentication from the authentication server through the first communication means and change a payment function for at least one of the payment apparatuses based on payment setting data which defines a payment setting,   wherein the function setting means transmits the authentication request and the ID data to the authentication server through the first communication means according to a schedule based on at least one of the authentication schedule data and the program of the second storage means; waits for a response including the authentication result data from the authentication server in a reception-enabled state within a predetermined standby time; acquires authentication level data which can indicate any one of the events that the authentication result data indicating that authentication succeeded has been received from the authentication server during the predetermined standby time, that the authentication result data indicating that authentication failed has been received from the server during the predetermined standby time and that the authentication result data has not been received during the predetermined standby time; and changes the payment function for at least one of the payment apparatuses based on payment setting data according to the authentication level data with any one of the events.   
   
   
       10 . An authentication management device, comprising
 first communication means configured to be connectable to a computer network and communicable with an authentication server;   second communication means configured to be communicable with the apparatus to be authenticated;   first storage means for storing ID data for authentication;   second storage means for storing authentication schedule data or a program to determine a schedule according to which authentication should be requested from the authentication server;   payment means configured to be communicable with at least one of payment apparatuses through the second communication means or third communication means; and   function setting means configured to be able to generate an authentication request to the authentication server, transmit the authentication request and the ID data stored in the first storage means to the authentication server through the first communication means, receive the authentication result data indicating a success or failure of authentication from the authentication server through the first communication means and transmit payment means setting data which defines operable functions of the payment means or a payment means operation instruction according to the payment means setting data to the payment means through the second communication means or the third communication means,   wherein the function setting means transmits the authentication request and the ID data to the authentication server through the first communication means according to a schedule based on at least one of the authentication schedule data and the program of the second storage means; waits for a response including the authentication result data from the authentication server in a reception-enabled state within a predetermined standby time, acquires authentication level data which can indicate any one of the events that the authentication result data indicating that authentication succeeded has been received from the authentication server during the predetermined standby time, that the authentication result data indicating that authentication failed has been received from the server during the predetermined standby time and that the authentication result data has not been received during the predetermined standby time and transmits the payment means setting data according to the authentication level data or the payment means operation instruction to the payment means through the second communication means or the third communication means at any one of the cases or suspends the transmission of the payment means setting data or the payment means operation instruction through the second communication means or the third communication means according to the authentication level data with any one of the events.   
   
   
       11 . A penalty setting server to be used for an authentication management device or an apparatus to be authenticated, configured to be communicable with the function setting means through the first communication means of the apparatus to be authenticated according to  claim 9  through the computer network, comprising:
 storage means for storing the integrated penalty setting table; and   outside communication means communicable with an outside network connected to any one of the computer network and another computer network logically separated from the computer network,   wherein the integrated penalty setting table is configured to be rewritable from a maintenance computer in the outside network through the outside communication means.   
   
   
       12 . A method of operating a remote authentication management system, comprising an authentication server provided with a function of authenticating an apparatus to be authenticated, a penalty setting server which stores integrated penalty setting data, the integrated penalty setting data storing at least one of a first setting table and a second setting table including set values which define authentication levels of the apparatus and the first setting table being different from the second table in at least one of the set values which define the authentication levels, an authentication management device which stores unit penalty setting data including a set value which is different from the integrated penalty setting data, a first network which connects the penalty setting server and the apparatus and a second network which connects the first network and the authentication server, the method comprising the steps of:
 permitting the operation of the apparatus by the authentication server when the device can invoke the authentication server at predetermined timing;   at the device, accessing the penalty setting server when the apparatus cannot invoke the authentication server at predetermined timing or cannot invoke the authentication server within a predetermined time;   at the device, referring to the first setting table or the second setting table of the integrated penalty setting table when the access succeeds; and   at the device, referring to the unit penalty setting table when the access fails.   
   
   
       13 . A method of operating an authentication management device, comprising first communication means configured to be connectable to a computer network and communicable with an authentication server, second communication means configured to be communicable with an apparatus to be authenticated, first storage means for storing ID data for authentication, second storage means for storing authentication schedule data or a program to determine a schedule according to which authentication should be requested from the authentication server, payment means configured to be communicable with at least one of payment apparatuses through the second communication means or third communication means and function setting means configured to be able to generate an authentication request to the authentication server, transmit the authentication request and the ID data stored in the first storage means to the authentication server through the first communication means, receive the authentication result data indicating a success or failure of authentication from the authentication server through the first communication means and transmit payment means setting data which defines operable functions of the payment means or a payment means operation instruction according to the payment means setting data to the payment means through the second communication means or the third communication means, the method comprising the steps of:
 with the function setting means, transmitting the authentication request and the ID data to the authentication server through the first communication means according to a schedule based on at least one of the authentication schedule data and the program of the second storage means;   at the function setting means, waiting for a response including the authentication result data from the authentication server in a reception-enabled state within a predetermined standby time;   at the function setting means, acquiring authentication level data which can indicate any one of the events that the authentication result data indicating that authentication succeeded has been received from the authentication server during the predetermined standby time, that the authentication result data indicating that authentication failed has been received from the server during the predetermined standby time and that the authentication result data has not been received during the predetermined standby time; and   with the function setting means, transmitting the payment means setting data according to the authentication level data or the payment means operation instruction to the payment means through the second communication means or the third communication means at any one of the cases or suspending the transmission of the payment means setting data or the payment means operation instruction through the second communication means or the third communication means according to the authentication level data at any one of the cases.   
   
   
       14 . A method of operating a penalty setting server configured to be communicable with the function setting means through the first communication means of the apparatus to be authenticated according to  claim 9  through the computer network, comprising the steps of:
 storing the integrated penalty setting table in the storage means the penalty setting server;   with outside communication means of the penalty setting server making communicable with an outside network connected to any one of the computer network and another computer network logically separated from the computer network; and   configuring the integrated penalty setting table to be rewritable from a maintenance computer which is in the outside network through the outside communication means.   
   
   
       15 . A computer-readable recording medium for causing a computer to operate as an authentication management apparatus, the computer comprising first communication means configured to be connectable to a computer network and communicable with an authentication server, second communication means configured to be communicable with an apparatus to be authenticated, first storage means for storing ID data for authentication, second storage means for storing authentication schedule data or a program to determine a schedule according to which authentication should be requested from the authentication server, payment means configured to be communicable with at least one of payment apparatuses through the second communication means or third communication means and calculation means for operating as function setting means configured to be able to generate an authentication request to the authentication server, transmit the authentication request and the ID data stored in the first storage means to the authentication server through the first communication means, receive the authentication result data indicating a success or failure of authentication from the authentication server through the first communication means and configured to be able to transmit payment means setting data which defines operable functions of the payment means or a payment means operation instruction according to the payment means setting data to the payment means through the second communication means or third communication means, causing the computer to execute:
 a step by the calculation means of transmitting the authentication request and the ID data to the authentication server through the first communication means according to a schedule based on at least one of the authentication schedule data and the program of the second storage means;   a step by the calculation means of waiting for a response including the authentication result data from the authentication server in a reception-enabled state within a predetermined standby time;   a step by the calculation means of acquiring authentication level data which can indicate any one of the events that the authentication result data indicating that authentication succeeded has been received from the authentication server during the predetermined standby time, that the authentication result data indicating that authentication failed has been received from the server during the predetermined standby time and that the authentication result data has not been received during the predetermined standby time; and   a step by the calculation means of transmitting the payment means setting data according to the authentication level data or the payment means operation instruction to the payment means through the second communication means or the third communication means at any one of the cases or suspending the transmission of the payment means setting data or the payment means operation instruction through the second communication means or the third communication means according to the authentication level data at any one of the cases.   
   
   
       16 . A computer computer-readable recording medium which causes calculation means of a penalty setting server configured to be communicable with the function setting means through the first communication means of the apparatus to be authenticated according to  claim 9  through the computer network to execute:
 a step of storing the integrated penalty setting table in the storage means of the penalty setting server;   a step of making the outside communication means of the penalty setting server communicable with any one of the computer network and an outside network connected to another computer network logically separated from the computer network; and   a step of configuring the integrated penalty setting table to be rewritable from a maintenance computer which is in the outside network through the outside communication means.   
   
   
       17 - 43 . (canceled) 
   
   
       44 . The authentication management system according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus to be authenticated is a game machine, and the integrated penalty setting table stores set values of the game machine setting data. 
   
   
       45 . The authentication management system according to  claim 1  which, when the authentication result data indicating that authentication succeeded is not received from a authentication server during a predetermined standby time, causes a manual clock setting means to stop the reception of the manual time setting.