Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Credit/debit monitoring or manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-10
2004-05-18
Sager, Mark (Department: 3714)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Credit/debit monitoring or manipulation
C463S029000, C463S042000, C235S381000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06736725
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
At the current time, gaming apparatus, including slot machines, pinball machines and other coin-operated games, typically use coins to operate the machines. The coins are inserted in a slot in the gaming apparatus and the player then operates the gaming apparatus based on the value of the coins deposited. Some gaming apparatus, rather than dispensing the player's winnings after each play, store the value of the winnings and indicate the remaining “credit” of the player. When the player wishes to stop playing, the coins are then dispensed into an external tray of the gaming apparatus. While the present invention is described in relationship to a slot machine, the term “slot machine” is used to denote any gaming apparatus that receives money in some form and pays out money or credits.
In some instances, such as when the amount of the winnings exceeds the stored coins within the slot machine, an attendant is notified that additional payment is necessary.
The use of coins in the casino operation for the playing of slot machines has presented a great number of well-known problems that over the years casinos have attempted to eliminate. These problems, among others, are: (1) coins take up a lot of space and have to be frequently emptied from the slot machine, requiring the play of the slot machine to be interrupted; (2) a security guard is required to be present, together with someone to physically move the coins to a central location; (3) the coins then have to be separated, counted, stored and rolled for reuse; (4) coins are heavy and bulky. The amount collected in a typical day at an average casino may weigh more than two tons; (5) coins are dirty; and (6) coins required to operate slot machines represent an inventory (working capital) need of several million dollars. Each of the above tasks takes a substantial amount of time, resources, and costs money. The collecting, counting and depositing of the coins may involve dozens of people.
In addition to the problems with the physical collection of the coins, there are additional problems associated with the operation of slot machines which use coins. The coins take up a lot of space within the slot machines and the slot machines must be designed so as to incorporate space for storing the coins. The use of coins to play slot machines involves a great number of transactions, including getting change for paper currency. This requires numerous change attendants to constantly walk around near the slot machines so that the players do not have to leave the machines. Also containers have to be given to the players for carrying the coins to and from the slot machines. Paper wrappers from the coins are thrown on the ground near the slot machines. Also coins have to be counted by the change attendants after the players stop playing.
There are slot machines that accept coupons or accept paper currency. However, such slot machines also accept coins.
To overcome some of the above disadvantages in using coins for slot machines, there have been a number of attempts to devise a system of money-free slot machines.
The principal approach has been to use some form of credit card or debit card having a user identification code that is inserted into the slot machine, and by use of a central processing unit the identification of the user and the amount of credit available to the user is controlled. A debit card is a card issued by a casino based on a prior cash deposit by the player, much in the same way used in some modem subway systems.
One system uses credit or debit cards having a magnetic strip representing a predetermined value, which can be read by a slot machine equipped with a credit card reader, in place of money. The credit card reader is connected to a central processing unit that determines the value of the card and the value of play.
While the above systems avoid the use of money, they are susceptible to certain abuses which have made them generally unacceptable to the casino industry. Predetermined credit or debit cards are inconvenient and require the casino to establish credit limits for the user, and are susceptible to counterfeiting or use by an unauthorized person. Some identification or other means of assuring the validity of the cards or user is necessary. As a result, these systems do not permit the user to treat the predetermined credit cards as though the cards were money. This changes the gambling habits of the player, which is undesirable.
In the patent to Kapur, U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,295 a lottery ticket dispensing apparatus is disclosed which operates by use of paper currency, credit cards or pay slips. The player obtains a pay slip upon payment of money. The pay slip is coded and can then be inserted into its lottery gaming apparatus. The apparatus prints out a lottery ticket, but has no means for printing any slip corresponding to a winning lottery ticket.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a method, comprising: storing in a host computer data relating to a ticket printed by a printing apparatus associated with a first casino slot machine, said ticket having a monetary value and having an image of a bar code printed thereon and an image of said monetary value printed thereon; receiving data at said host computer from an image reading device associated with a second casino slot machine different than said first casino slot machine, said received data having been generated in response to inspection of said ticket that was printed by said printing apparatus associated with said first casino slot machine by said image reading device associated with said second casino slot machine; determining whether credit should be authorized by making a comparison of data relating to said ticket with data stored in a memory of said host computer; and transmitting a signal from said host computer to said second casino slot machine, if credit should be authorized as determined by said host computer, to authorize credit to allow play of said second casino slot machine.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a host computer, comprising: a central processing unit; a memory; and a computer program, said host computer being programmed to store data relating to a ticket printed by a printing apparatus associated with a first casino slot machine, when said host computer is operatively coupled to said printing apparatus, said ticket having an image of a bar code printed thereon and an image of a monetary value printed thereon, said host computer being programmed to receive data from an image reading device associated with a second casino slot machine different than said first casino slot machine, when said host computer is operatively coupled to said image reading device, said received data having been generated in response to inspection by said image reading device of said ticket that was printed by said printing apparatus associated with said first casino slot machine, said host computer being programmed to determine whether credit should be authorized by making a comparison of data relating to said ticket with said stored data, and said host computer being programmed to transmit, when said host computer is operatively coupled to said second casino slot machine, a signal to said second casino slot machine, if credit should be authorized as determined by said host computer, to authorize credit to allow play of said second casino slot machine.
In the gaming apparatus of the present invention a slot machine which does not use coins is described. Slot machines are typically activated initially by the insertion of coins into the slot machine through a slot, thus the origin of the name “slot machine.”
In the present invention no coins are inserted into the slot machine. The slot machine of the present invention includes an optical paper currency reader that is capable of recognizing and validating paper currency and providing the player with the credit corresponding to the value of the currency.
The slot machine of the present invention also includes a bar code reader that can read and validate pre-prin
Burns James G.
Maxey Robert R.
Marshall, Gerstein & Borunn LLP
MGM Grand, Inc.
Sager Mark
LandOfFree
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