Coin handling – Deliverer – Delivery of a distinct number of plural coins from a single...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-25
2001-01-23
Olszewski, Robert P. (Department: 3652)
Coin handling
Deliverer
Delivery of a distinct number of plural coins from a single...
C177S245000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176774
ABSTRACT:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the xerographic reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates primarily to hoppers which are used to collect and distribute coins in gaming, amusement and vending machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for determining the number of coins in a hopper by weighing the hopper and using the collected hopper weight information to deter fraud and theft.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For many years, slot machines have been a popular attraction at gambling casinos and other gaming establishments. Such slot machines typically have a color display of gaming indicia, such as cherries, plums, oranges, sevens, etc. arrayed in rows and columns across the front of the slot machine. These gaming indicia can be spun into motion for game play by the insertion of a coin into the slot machine and pulling the slot machine handle. During game play, the inserted coin is collected in a coin reservoir within the slot machine called a “shopper.” At the end of game play, the inserted coin will be retained in the hopper if there is a losing combination of gaming indicia shown or, alternatively, may be returned from the hopper to the slot machine player, perhaps with additional coins, if there is a winning combination of gaming indicia shown.
Periodically, slot machine hoppers must be serviced by casino technicians. For example, the hopper may have too few or too many coins and must have its contents adjusted appropriately. Also, coins might be jammed in parts of the hopper in such a way that the hopper cannot function properly If so inclined, a dishonest technician can pilfer a few coins each time he services a slot machine. While each individual instance of such pilfering may not represent a significant threat to a casino's bottom line, the cumulative loss over time from such pilfering can be quite large. Casinos have tried to combat this problem by, among other things, assigning two or more technicians to each task requiring a slot machine to be opened. However, this approach leads to additional labor costs and may not even help if each of the assigned technicians is dishonest.
An alternate existing solution is to seal the hopper so that only trusted money-handling employees working in a cashier's cage can get to the coins. Nonetheless, slot machine hoppers are difficult to seal because such hoppers must typically give out coins after a winning play as well as receive them. Having coins jam in the hopper is also an ongoing concern. In those cases where the hopper is prone to jamming, sealing the hopper would inevitably result in greater down-time for the slot machines and create a loss of slot machine use which could be more detrimental to the casino than the theft loss.
Coins can be pilfered from slot machines hoppers not only by casino technicians but also by the slot machine players. For example, a player might attach a string to the coin he is inserting into the slot machine so that he can retrieve the coin from the slot machine by simply pulling the string after the coin has been erroneously counted as “received” by the slot machine and game play has begun. Also, the player might try to jam the payout counter after receiving a winning combination so that the slot machine continues to eject coins well in excess of the amount to which the player is entitled.
Unfortunately, merely counting passing coins as they go into the hopper and counting passing coins as they leave the hopper would not solve these types of theft problems. In the case of player fraud, the player can effectively fool or otherwise disable the existing types of coin counters. Similarly, in the case of technician fraud, such a physical inventory would only indicate that coins are missing, not who took them.
Prior art systems exist to count coins by weighing them. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,629 issued to Lare and U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,428 issues to Bullivant describe apparatuses for weighing coins. Nonetheless, while such weighing devices might be suitable for weighing coins in a money room, they are unsuitable for weighing coins in a vibration-prone gaming machine environment where the hoppers being weighed must be enclosed to prevent theft by players.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides apparatuses for weighing coins in a coin hopper. In one preferred embodiment, the weighing apparatus is constructed integrally with the coin hopper assembly and fits between the coin hopper and its base plate. In other preferred embodiments, the weighing apparatus is constructed separately from the coin hopper assembly. In these other preferred embodiments, the weighing apparatus includes upper and lower plates which are separated by one more weighing instruments, such as load cells with strain gauges. In operation, the lower plate of this weighing apparatus is typically placed against the floor of the slot machine and the hopper is then simply placed on top of the weighing apparatus' upper plate.
The present invention also provides a method of detecting fraud or theft using a suitable coin weighing apparatus. As part of this method, the weighing apparatus takes periodic readings of the number of coins residing in the hopper and can communicate those readings. Using a preferred method of the present invention, the unauthorized removal of coins during an actual or purported technician maintenance procedure can be detected by determining a count of coins by weight when the slot machine door is opened, determining a count of coins by weight once the slot machine door is closed, and using those two counts to determine the change in the number of coins in the hopper at the time of servicing. The identity of the person opening the hopper door and the time at which the hopper door is opened and closed can be recorded, along with any detected discrepancy. The calculation of any detected discrepancy may take into account an expected change in coin count. An expected change in coin count would exist when a technician is asked to open the machine and either remove or insert coins.
A similar method can also be used to detect a player's theft of coins from the slot machine. In this method, the actual number of coins in the hopper can be determined by weight and compared with the expected number of coins in the hopper in order to determine if the player has inappropriately been withholding or taking coins from the slot machine. If any unexpected coin discrepancy is detected by the weighing apparatus of the present invention, it can be communicated to appropriate security personnel in real time through a computer hook-up or alarm or, alternatively, communicated periodically through downloading of stored hopper weight information.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present inventions may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings.
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pate
Coulter Gary L.
Filiberti Peter
Karabin Judith
Chambers Guy W.
Jaketic Bryan
LeMond Kevin
Olszewski Robert P.
Spinteknology, Inc.
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