Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Reissue Patent
2000-02-18
2001-10-16
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
C235S380000, C463S025000, C700S092000, C273S138100, C273SDIG002
Reissue Patent
active
RE037414
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to poker machines (otherwise known as slot machines or fruit machines) in general, and in particular to a communication system for a poker machine installation which allows remote crediting and debiting of a player's balance in an individual poker machine from a central control unit.
It is commonly known to produce poker machines in which the player may establish a credit by inserting one or more coins or tokens, thereby enabling the machine to be operated until the credit has been exhausted. In such machines, payment of prizes is normally achieved by increasing the credit in the machine by an appropriate amount, and the player is able to redeem his credit at any time, either directly from the machine or by receiving prizes to the value of his credit.
It is also known to connect poker machines in an installation to a central computer system which can interrogate each machine in the system to gather audit data collected by the machines during their normal course of operation. This audit data includes data relating to the number of coins or tokens inserted into the machine, the number of times the machine has been played, the amount paid in prizes, the number and the type of jackpots paid by the machine, and the number of door openings, etc. since the last interrogation of the machine.
It is also common in some countries to operate poker machine systems wherein the player does not insert coins or tokens into the machine being played, but instead pays at a central location. The cashier on receiving the appropriate payment then credits the machine remotely by transmitting electrical pulses to the machine. Payment of prizes are made by an operator who reads a credit meter on the machine when the player wishes to stop playing. The credit is then paid either as a cash amount, or as a prize of equivalent value to the credit meter reading.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention consists in a system of gaming machines, comprising a communication system linking a plurality of gaming machines to a central control unit, each of said machines including credit recording means and means to enable operation of that machine, said means to enable operation being activated in response to a credit in the credit recording means, and the central control unit and each of the plurality of machines including transmitter and receiver means which are interconnected to form said communications system, wherein each credit recording means is interrogable and adjustable in response to commands from the central control unit, the commands being transmitted via the communication system, thereby enabling the credit in the credit recording means of any of said machines in the system to be established, cancelled, adjusted or moved to another machine in the system.
The communication means would preferably be in the form of a digital communication link wherein data is transmitted via interconnecting wires, however, transmission can also be via optical fibres, electro-magnetic transmissions, or any other suitable transmission medium.
The present invention in addition to being applicable to poker machines, is also applicable to video game machines and installations thereof.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
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Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY LTD
Kasick Julie K
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Rosenman & Colin LLP
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