Player authentication device, player management server, gaming machine and sandwiched device

Abstract

A player authentication device includes specific information storage units configured to store gaming machine specifying information to specify the gaming machine itself, an imaging unit configured to image a player, a player face image data generation unit configured to extract a face area or a specific portion of the player based on an imaging result of the imaging unit to generate player face image data, and an output unit configured to output the generated player face image data and the gaming machine specifying information.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-158414, filed on May 31, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a player authentication device, a player management server, a gaming machine, and a sandwiched device for managing and authenticating players who play a plurality of gaming machines such as pachi-slot machines capable of stopping symbol varying and displaying by player's operation to award a specific winning combination, pachinko gaming machines, or other gaming machines. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] A gaming machine such as a so-called pachi-slot machine or a pachinko gaming machine has recently been equipped with various functions or devices for preventing or discovering player's fraud. Japanese Patent Lai...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the determination is made as to whether the player face image data received from the gaming machine has been stored in the storage unit. When the player face image data has been stored, and the gaming machine specifying information corresponding to the player face image data and the received gaming machine specifying information are not matched with each other, the gaming machine specifying information is rewritten. Thus, as the data of the storage unit is rewritten when the players of the gaming machine are changed, each player who plays games with the gaming machine can be specified. Hence, at a game arcade where player changing is frequent, the manager or the like of the game arcade can specify the players without investing any time and labor.

[0014] According to the third aspect of the present invention, by determining matching of the face image data obtained by imaging the player with the face image data read from the ID recording medium, it is possible to authenticate the player who plays games with the gaming machine. For example, the management side of the gaming machine can manage the players by managing the ID recording media, thereby facilitating the management of the players on the management side.

[0015] When the face image data of the player is registered in a server or the like which manages the gaming machine, and the player is authenticated by collation with the registered data, if the network which connects the server with the authentication device is in trouble, or the data is deleted to disable authentication, the player cannot be authenticated. However, by registering the face image data in the ID recording medium and executing authentication with the face image data therein, the player can be authenticated without any network passage. Moreover, when the number of players to be registered increases, data volume to be registered in the server also increases to necessitate much time and labor for data management. However, the data management is facilitated by recording data in an ID recording medium which each player can own.

[0017] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, for example, the imaging unit such as a CCD camera described below can be disposed on the front side of the gaming machine opposing the player in a state where the player plays with the gaming machine. Thus, as a possibility that face image data to be compared is taken from the front side of the player becomes increased when an authentication process is executed by the authentication unit, it is possible to improve authentication accuracy, and to prevent disadvantage of authentication errors and others.

Problems solved by technology

However, the gaming machine as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-154278 has a disadvantage in that even when a player's fraud is discovered, if the player feels danger during fraudulent activity to quickly move away from the gaming machine, the fraudulent player cannot be caught, and he may commit a fraud again at another gaming machine.

However, as players frequently come and go out of the game arcade, constant watch over the players is difficult and burdensome work for the manager.

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