Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-03
2001-07-17
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C271S110000, C271S121000, C271S122000, C221S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263258
ABSTRACT:
This application is also related to the following applications, each of which applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein:
Application Ser. No. 09/368,036, filed on same date herewith, by Stanley P. Dabrowski and entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MODIFYING GAMING MACHINES TO PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL OR MODIFIED FUNCTIONALITY”;
Application Ser. No. 09/368,896, filed on same date herewith, by Stanley P. Dabrowski and entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A COIN HOPPER TO OPERATE WITH A SECONDARY MONETARY EXCHANGE DISPENSER”; and
Application Ser. No. 09/368,224, filed on same date herewith, by Stanley P. Dabrowski and entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SCRIP DISTRIBUTION AND MANAGEMENT”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for managing currency transactions, and in particular, to an inexpensive system for securely distributing and accepting scrip at numerous widely distributed gaming devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent years have seen a rapid expansion of the gaming industry. Much of the income derived from such games is collected at gaining devices like slot machines and video poker games.
Revenue from such gaming devices can be increased by increasing the number of transactions, by changing the odds of winning each game, or by increasing the average wager per transaction. The number of transactions can be most easily increased simply by increasing the number of available machines. However, increasing the number of gaming devices can be a costly enterprise.
In the past, most gaming machines used coins as a medium of exchange. The machine accepted the wager in coin, and if the player was successful, paid winnings immediately from coin stored in the machine itself. While effective, such coin machines are expensive to maintain. Since the money taken in by the gaming device generally exceeds payouts, the accumulated money (in coin) must be removed from each machine on a periodic basis. This collection can be difficult, because coins can be heavy and unwieldy.
Recent years have seen a movement away from coin-only machines and a proliferation of gaming machines that also accept currency as a medium of exchange. In fact, currently, 60% or more of gaming machines can accept wagers in currency. Although they represent an improvement from the coin machines of the past, currency-accepting gaming machines have proved to be no panacea. Currency acceptors do not obviate the need to pay out winnings in coin. For example, if the player cashes out with $25.50 remaining in the payout account, the gaming device can only issue winnings in coin (in this case, 104 quarters). Since players will often terminate play at such times, the coinage paid out generally exceeds wager coinage entered into the machine, and a cache of coin in the gaming device must be maintained and frequently replenished.
What is needed is an inexpensive system and method for managing currency transactions that eases collection, reduces the risk of theft, does not negatively influence impulse gaming. What is also needed is a system that can manage transactions which must be made in a combination of different mediums of monetary exchange, including cash, coin, and scrip.
Regardless of the medium of exchange, it is important to maximize the replenishment interval of the gaming device. Scrip and currency dispensing devices minimize the issuance of heavy coins, but scrip and currency devices must also be periodically replenished. To minimize costs, it is desirable to increase the replenishment interval as much as possible. This can be accomplished by placing a large number of scrip cards in each gaming device, but this places special demands on the scrip dispensing mechanism, which must reliably dispense the scrip units one at a time.
While a scrip dispensing device may feed scrip from the top of a stack, such top-feeding designs are difficult to inexpensively and compactly integrate with devices for sensing the scrip code. Bottom feeding scrip dispensing devices offer easier scrip access for scanning purposes, but are typically incapable of handling a large number of scrip units. That is because the gravity relied upon by such designs varies depending upon how many scrip units are in the hopper. For example, the weight on the bottom scrip unit is fairly high when the hopper contains 1000 or more scrip cards, but will be less when only 50 scrip cards remain.
From the foregoing, it is clear that a need exists for a dispensing device that can hold 1000 or more scrip cards, yet can reliably dispenses scrip cards one at a time, regardless of how many scrip cards are in the dispensing device. The present invention satisfies that need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the requirements described above, the present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for dispensing paper media.
The method comprises the steps of providing an urging force to a first paper media unit in a dispensing direction, providing an urging force to the second media in a retract direction if a second media unit adjacent the first paper media unit is unintentionally urged in the dispensing direction as well, sensing whether the urging force provided to the second media in the retract direction is insufficient to move the second paper media in the retract direction, and if so, providing an urging force to the second paper media and the first paper media in the retract direction. The article of manufacture comprises a data storage device tangibly embodying instructions to perform the method steps described above.
The apparatus comprises an engagement device disposed proximate a first side of the paper media. The engagement device contacts the first side of the paper media to urge the paper media in a dispensing direction and a retract direction, according to a command from a processor. The apparatus also comprises a stripper device disposed proximate a second side of the paper media so as to avoid contact with only one paper media unit disposed between the stripper device and the engagement device, but so as to at least intermittently contact a second paper media unit when more than one paper media unit is disposed between the stripper device and the engagement device. The stripper device urges the second paper media unit in a direction opposing the dispense direction when the engagement device is urging the paper media unit in the dispense direction and in a retract direction when the engagement device is urging the paper media in the retract direction.
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Ellis Christopher P.
Gates & Cooper LLP
Tran Khoi H.
LandOfFree
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