Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Banking systems
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-11
2004-07-06
Fureman, Jared J. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Banking systems
C902S022000, C902S023000, C705S016000, C463S025000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06758393
ABSTRACT:
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
This application includes Appendix A (3 fiches; 161 frames) that is submitted in microfiche form.
NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT OWNERSHIP
portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to cashier terminals and a method of using the same. In particular, it relates to a mobile cashier terminal adapted for use with gaming machines employing vouchers, tickets, cash and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Various cashier terminals are known. They are adapted as bank terminals provide customer access to cash and credit transactions, as telephone pre-paid card dispensers, and other token merchandise dispensers. The present invention provides a unique, mobile cashier terminal particularly adapted for the needs of the gaming industry where large banks of gaming machines on a casino floor require localized dispensers of cash and vouchers for play, as well as redemption of winning tickets. The invention thus facilitates cash and credit exchange services directly from the casino floor as well as the generation and cashing of a variety of vouchers having bar code indicia, as well as visually readable indicia.
The mobile cashier terminal is particularly adapted for use with applicants' co-pending Voucher Gaming System, Ser. No. 09/420,221, filed on Oct. 16, 1999, to process information contained on these bar code vouchers and interact with a centralized data processing center. This voucher gaming system invention addresses Casinos' need for cashless transaction systems for their games of chance. The applicant has discovered that, however, gaming players often desire a simple, familiar method of transferring funds in and out of gaming devices without inserting or withdrawing cash at the gaming devices themselves.
Although other prior art systems also have provided the player with the ability to transfer funds from device to device via a printed voucher, they often have required cash funds to be inserted into the gaming devices to initiate game credit deposits. This is unworkable in certain jurisdictions as well as less than optimal for players who prefer not to deal with insertion of funds at the games themselves.
Another problem is that the prior art voucher systems are usually inflexible. For example, they typically do not provide for games of chance in the system to provide awards in one kind (such as by cash or by a particular product) as well as by credit to the player through the voucher system (Bittner). This deprives the casino using such systems of the ability to generate excitement in the gaming environment, and thus stimulate the desire to engage in further play of the games, by, for example, dispensing actual cash at the games or by providing awards of particular products to the game player.
The interactive mobile cashier terminal (MCT) described below is readily adapted for use with voucher gaming systems, which tracks and confirms the authenticity of the vouchers, collects valuable player information, and can be used to provide more efficient gaming services. The mobile cashier terminal is integral to applicant's method and apparatus that can be, but need not necessarily be, cashless and does not require the player to insert cash at the gaming device itself. The method and apparatus prints a unique voucher from one of several different types of terminals on a gaming device network. The cash voucher is accepted by the networked gaming devices (player terminals or PTs) in order to play the games on those networked devices (preferably games of chance). The method and apparatus allows for the issuance of a voucher from a cashier terminal operated by a cashier (CT), a mobile cashier terminal (MCT), an automated cash exchange terminal (CET), or from a player terminal (PT).
When a voucher is issued a record of the voucher and its corresponding value is recorded on a database in a separate computer called a player account server (PAS). The voucher may be redeemed for value at a CT or MCT. The voucher may also be used to enable the transfer of credits from the database to a PT, so that a player may elect to play at a different gaming device by generating a voucher on one PT and inserting it into another, without use of cash.
Since the voucher identifies an item in the database the method can also be used, if desired by the casino, for the disbursement of non-cash prizes, such as merchandise or other items of value at the CT or MCT or through a networked point of sale system.
As noted above, each voucher shall have a unique and secure identification indicia printed on it in a machine-readable code, preferably in a bar code. The identification can be issued by a random number generator or by a combination of the casino identification number, machine number, sequential number or other number wholly or partially encoded onto the voucher. In the preferred embodiment the value of the voucher is used in the encoding algorithm, but not included in the bar coded information. This allows reasonable verification of an amount, but not regeneration of the amount. This security method allows a ticket to be validated to a higher level of confidence using information not contained in the machine readable coding.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a mobile cashier terminal (MCT) for use with a voucher gaming system and method. It enhances the advantages of applicant's voucher gaming system and method by providing local cashier player access to expedite transactions and insure better monitoring of player identification, credit exchange, payouts, and gaming verification and recording of all transactions. It is also economical and relatively cost effective to implement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention comprises a mobile platform that allows a user to roam freely. The mobile platform may comprise a wheeled cart frame that has a top that is preferably waist high to provide a cashier with a ready counter top access to the cashier terminal components and cash drawer. The frame is large enough to be visible by players needing cashier services, but not too large to not be navigable between banks of gaming machines. In the preferred embodiment, the cart frame has a pair of centrally aligned large bearing wheels to support the cart, its components, and cash, and two pairs of castoring wheels aligned on the front and the back to aid in turning and positioning the cart. Removable signs may be attached to the sides of the cart for advertising and decorative purposes. The mobile cashier terminal may also include a handle attached to the frame for easier control and positioning by a cashier.
Attached to the frame is a central processing mobile terminal wherein gaming, cash, and credit transactions are entered and recorded manually or through an optical scanner. A preferred central processing mobile terminal is that produced by Javelin, model NexDisplay-4. It is mounted on top of the frame to provide easy access to the cashier. It has a fully integrated liquid crystal diode (LCD) touchscreen workstation to input data concerning cash, credit and gaming transactions into its pentium based central processing unit.
Alternatively, the input data can be entered into the central processing mobile terminal via a bar code scanner of the indicia on gaming vouchers. A preferred bar code scanner for this purpose is the combination hand-held and fixed projection scanner Model MS6720 produced by Metrologic Instruments, Inc. It has an infrared sensor and control stand for hands free projection scanning. Alternatively, it may be hand-held and transported to scan larger objects, such as the winning bar code display of a gaming device. The hardware used for the handheld devic
Bradford Russ T.
Luciano Robert A.
White Warren R.
Fureman Jared J.
Heck Ryan A.
Ian F. Burns & Associates
Sierra Design Group
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