Gaming terminal with rotatable lever handle

1. A gaming terminal comprising:

a notification unit arranged to give notification to a player;

a lever-type operation device arranged to receive an operation by the player;

a supporting mechanism arranged to rotatably support the lever-type operation device at one end portion of the lever-type operation device;

an inclination detection mechanism arranged to detect an angle of inclination of the lever-type operation device;

a storage unit arranged to store the angle of inclination; and

a controller programmed to execute the processes of:

(a 1 ) detecting an upper limit of the angle of inclination and a lower limit of the angle of inclination of a movable range by the inclination detection mechanism by rotating the lever-type operation device by the supporting mechanism at a predetermined reset timing and storing, in the storage unit, the upper limit of the angle of inclination and the lower limit of the angle of inclination as the upper limit and the lower limit of the movable range;

(a 2 ) while a game is being run, detecting the angle of inclination of the lever-type operation device when the lever-type operation device is rotated by an operation by the player; and

(a 3 ) determining whether the angle of inclination detected in (a 2 ) falls within the movable range stored in the storage unit, and (i) updating the upper limit of the angle of inclination with the angle of inclination when the angle of inclination is larger than the movable range, or (ii) updating the lower limit of the angle of inclination with the angle of inclination when the angle of inclination is smaller than the movable range.

2. The gaming terminal according to claim 1 , wherein,

the controller is programmed to execute the process of:

(a 4 ) issuing a warning to the player by giving the notification by the notification unit, when the angle of inclination detected in (a 2 ) falls within a first warning range, the upper limit of which is the upper limit of the angle of inclination of the movable range stored in the storage unit, or when the angle of inclination detected in (a 2 ) falls within a second warning range, the lower limit of which is the lower limit of the angle of inclination of the movable range stored in the storage unit.

3. The gaming terminal according to claim 2 , wherein,

in (a 4 ), the controller divides at least one of the first warning range and the second warning range into a plurality of areas and differentiates warning contents of the warning to the player between the areas.

4. The gaming terminal according to claim 3 , wherein,

in (a 4 ), the controller increases a warning level of the warning contents as the plurality of areas get close to the upper limit of the first warning range or the lower limit of the second warning range.

5. The gaming terminal according to claim 4 , wherein,

in (a 4 ), the controller stops the running of the game when the warning level is at the highest and a predetermined operation condition is satisfied.

6. The gaming terminal according to claim 1 , wherein,

the supporting mechanism includes a load placing mechanism which is arranged to generate a load against the rotation of the lever-type operation device, and

the controller is programmed to execute the process of:

(a 5 ) while the game is being run, causing the load placing mechanism to generate the load against the rotation of the lever-type operation device.

7. The gaming terminal according to claim 1 , wherein,

the controller is programmed to execute the process of:

(a 6 ) issuing the warning to the player by the notification by the notification unit, when (i) the angle of inclination detected in (a 2 ) is, for a predetermined time, continuously at either the first warning range, the upper limit of which is the upper limit of the angle of inclination of the movable range stored in the storage unit, or the second warning range, the lower limit of which is the lower limit of the angle of inclination of the movable range stored in the storage unit, or (ii) the angle of inclination repeatedly enters the first warning range or the second warning range for a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time.

8. The gaming terminal according to claim 7 , wherein,

in (a 6 ), the controller performs:

issuance of the warning to the player by causing the notification unit to display a warning image and produce a warning sound at low volume, when a predetermined time is a first predetermined time or a predetermined number of times is a first predetermined number of times;

issuance of the warning to the player by causing the notification unit to display the warning image and produce the warning sound at middle volume, when the predetermined time is a second predetermined time being greater than being greater the first predetermined time or the predetermined number of times is a second predetermined number of times being greater the first predetermined number of times; and

issuance of the warning to the player by causing the notification unit to display the warning image and produce the warning sound at high volume, when the predetermined time is a third predetermined time being greater the second predetermined time or the predetermined number of times is a third predetermined number of times being greater the second predetermined number of times.

9. The gaming terminal according to claim 2 , wherein,

the supporting mechanism includes a load placing mechanism which is arranged to generate a load against the rotation of the lever-type operation device, and

the controller is programmed to execute the process of:

(a 5 ) while the game is being run, causing the load placing mechanism to generate the load against the rotation of the lever-type operation device.

10. A method of operating a gaming terminal including a notification unit arranged to give notification to a player, a lever-type operation device arranged to receive an operation by the player, a supporting mechanism arranged to rotatably support the lever-type operation device at one end portion of the lever-type operation device, an inclination detection mechanism arranged to detect an angle of inclination of the lever-type operation device, a storage unit arranged to store the angle of inclination, and a controller, by the controller, the method comprising:

(a 1 ) detecting an upper limit of the angle of inclination and a lower limit of the angle of inclination of a movable range by the inclination detection mechanism by rotating the lever-type operation device by the supporting mechanism at a predetermined reset timing and storing, in the storage unit, the upper limit of the angle of inclination and the lower limit of the angle of inclination as the upper limit and the lower limit of the movable range;

(a 2 ) while a game is being run, detecting the angle of inclination of the lever-type operation device when the lever-type operation device is rotated by an operation by the player; and

(a 3 ) determining whether the angle of inclination detected in (a 2 ) falls within the movable range stored in the storage unit, and (i) updating the upper limit of the angle of inclination with the angle of inclination when the angle of inclination is larger than the movable range, or (ii) updating the lower limit of the angle of inclination with the angle of inclination when the angle of inclination is smaller than the movable range.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising (a 4 ) issuing a warning to the player by giving the notification by the notification unit, when the angle of inclination detected in (a 2 ) falls within a first warning range, the upper limit of which is the upper limit of the angle of inclination of the movable range stored in the storage unit, or when the angle of inclination detected in (a 2 ) falls within a second warning range, the lower limit of which is the lower limit of the angle of inclination of the movable range stored in the storage unit.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising, in (a 4 ), dividing at least one of the first warning range and the second warning range into a plurality of areas and differentiates warning contents of the warning to the player between the areas.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising, in (a 4 ), increasing a warning level of the warning contents as the plurality of areas get close to the upper limit of the first warning range or the lower limit of the second warning range.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising, in (a 4 ), stopping the running of the game when the warning level is at the highest and a predetermined operation condition is satisfied.

15. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising, while the game is being run, causing a load placing mechanism of the supporting mechanism to generate a load against the rotation of the lever-type operation device.

16. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising (a 6 ) issuing the warning to the player by the notification by the notification unit, when (i) the angle of inclination detected in (a 2 ) is, for a predetermined time, continuously at either the first warning range, the upper limit of which is the upper limit of the angle of inclination of the movable range stored in the storage unit, or the second warning range, the lower limit of which is the lower limit of the angle of inclination of the movable range stored in the storage unit, or (ii) the angle of inclination repeatedly enters the first warning range or the second warning range for a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising, in (a 6 ):

performing issuance of the warning to the player by causing the notification unit to display a warning image and produce a warning sound at low volume, when a predetermined time is a first predetermined time or a predetermined number of times is a first predetermined number of times;

performing issuance of the warning to the player by causing the notification unit to display the warning image and produce the warning sound at middle volume, when the predetermined time is a second predetermined time being greater than being greater the first predetermined time or the predetermined number of times is a second predetermined number of times being greater the first predetermined number of times; and

performing issuance of the warning to the player by causing the notification unit to display the warning image and produce the warning sound at high volume, when the predetermined time is a third predetermined time being greater the second predetermined time or the predetermined number of times is a third predetermined number of times being greater the second predetermined number of times.

18. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising (a 5 ) while the game is being run, causing a load placing mechanism of the supporting mechanism to generate a load against the rotation of the lever-type operation device.