Gaming machine comprising a relay unit

Abstract

A transmission line of a control signal to be transmitted from a main board to a peripheral board is trailed long inside a machine and thereby twisted to form a helically wound portion, so that L occurs in some cases. A microcomputer of a main board sends a control signal to a relay terminal board via a communication port. The relay terminal board provides a connection between a transmission line of the control signal from the main board and a transmission line from a peripheral board, thus transmitting to the peripheral board the control signal from the main board. Consequently, the transmission line of the control signal extended from the main board to the peripheral board is divided by the relay terminal board. Accordingly, the transmission line extended from the main board to the relay terminal board and the transmission line extended from the relay terminal board to the peripheral board are each made shorter than the related art transmission line connected from the main board to the peripheral board. Therefore, the transmission line of the control signal becomes difficult to twist when wired inside a machine, so that a helically wound portion becomes difficult to form, thus making is difficult for inductance to occur.

1 . A gaming machine comprising: 
 a main board that performs a game process that influences a game result;    a peripheral board that performs an auxiliary process of the game process upon receipt of a control signal from the main board; and    a relay unit that, disposed between the main board and the peripheral board, relays the control signal to be transmitted from the main board to the peripheral board.    
   
   
       2 . A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the relay unit is a relay terminal board that connects wirings in the gaming machine to each other.  
   
   
       3 . A gaming machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the relay unit has a predetermined additional function in addition to the function of relaying the control signal to be transmitted from the main board to the peripheral board.  
   
   
       4 . A gaming machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of determining the pattern of a game effect to be performed by the peripheral board.  
   
   
       5 . A gaming machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of checking an error of the control signal to be transmitted to the peripheral board.  
   
   
       6 . A gaming machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of converting a serial control signal received from the main board into a parallel control signal and transmitting the parallel control signal to the peripheral board.  
   
   
       7 . A gaming machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of supplying the peripheral board with its operation power.  
   
   
       8 . A gaming machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of concentrating transmission lines that provide connections between the main board and the peripheral board.  
   
   
       9 . A gaming machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of amplifying the control signal sent from the main board to the peripheral board.  
   
   
       10 . A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the relay unit is a specific peripheral board that performs, as an auxiliary process, the process of relaying the control signal to be transmitted from the main board to the peripheral board.  
   
   
       11 . A gaming machine according to  claim 10 , wherein the relay unit has a predetermined additional function in addition to the function of relaying the control signal to be transmitted from the main board to the peripheral board.  
   
   
       12 . A gaming machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of determining the pattern of a game effect to be performed by the peripheral board.  
   
   
       13 . A gaming machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of checking an error of the control signal to be transmitted to the peripheral board.  
   
   
       14 . A gaming machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of converting a serial control signal received from the main board into a parallel control signal and transmitting the parallel control signal to the peripheral board.  
   
   
       15 . A gaming machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of supplying the peripheral board with its operation power.  
   
   
       16 . A gaming machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of concentrating transmission lines that provide connections between the main board and the peripheral board.  
   
   
       17 . A gaming machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined additional function is the function of amplifying the control signal sent from the main board to the peripheral board.  
   
   
       18 . A gaming machine according to  claim 17 , wherein the peripheral board has the function of inputting a signal from the external in addition to the function of inputting the control signal from the relay unit.  
   
   
       19 . A gaming machine according to  claim 17 , wherein the peripheral board has the function of outputting a signal to the peripheral board that is other than itself.