System and method for processing a hopper fill in a gaming system

• US 20040082386A1
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: George, Jeffrey, Huber, Doug, Huang, Zhiguo, Pochin, John-Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/660,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20040082386A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

A system and method for processing a hopper fill in a gaming system. The gaming system has at least one gaming machine having a hopper for issuing credits to a player. A host computer is coupled to the at least one gaming machine by a network. The remote system includes a remote device and a remote network interface coupled to the remote device for exchanging data between the host computer and the remote device The data includes hopper fill information to process a credit fill of the hopper.

Claims

1. A remote system for use with a gaming system, the gaming system having at least one gaming machine, the gaming machine having a hopper for issuing credits to a player, a host computer coupled to the at least one gaming machine by a network, the host computer including a database for maintaining hopper fill information relating to the at least one gaming device the remote system comprising:

a remote device for receiving data; and

a remote network interface coupled to the remote device for exchanging

data between the host computer and the remote device, the data including

hopper fill information to process a credit fill of the hopper.

2. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the remote device is coupled to the remote network interface by a wireless connection.

3. A remote system, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the wireless connection uses and IEEE 802.11 standard.

4. A remote system, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11b.

5. A remote system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11g.

6. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user.

7. A remote system, as set forth in claim 6, the web client for acquiring input from the user and formatting and presenting data to the user.

8. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, the data including a hopper fill form, the remote network interface for sending the hopper fill form to the remote device.

9. A remote system, as set forth in claim 8, the data including hopper fill information, the hopper fill form having a hopper fill field selectable by a user, the remote device for sending the hopper fill information to the remote network interface located on a host computer.

10. A remote system, as set forth in claim 9, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the hopper fill form being accessible through the web client.

11. A remote system, as set forth in claim 10, the hopper fill form being a web page.

12. A remote system, as set forth in claim 8, the hopper fill form being fillable with the jackpot information by a user, the remote device for sending the jackpot information to the remote network interface.

13. A remote system, as set forth in claim 12, the hopper fill information including a hopper id, the remote network interface for determining if the hopper id is valid.

14. A remote system, as set forth in claim 13, the hopper id inputted manually by the user.

15. A remote system, as set forth in claim 14, the hopper fill form including a hopper entry button for selecting by the user and submitting the hopper id entered manually, the remote device sending a notification that the hopper entry button is selected, the remote network interface for determining if the hopper id is valid upon receiving the notification.

16. A remote system as set forth in claim 13, the remote device having a bar code reader for reading a barcode on the hopper and determining the hopper fill information, the remote network interface for receiving the hopper fill information from the bar code reader.

17. A remote system, as set forth in claim 13, the remote network interface for instructing the remote display to display an error message if the hopper id is not valid.

18. A remote system, as set forth in claim 17, the remote network interface for retrieving hopper details from the host computer as a function of the hopper id.

19. A remote system, as set forth in claim 18, the hopper fill form including a hopper fill button for selecting by the user, the remote device sending a notification that the hopper fill button is selected, the remote network interface for storing the notification to the host computer, the host computer for updating the data in the database.

20. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, the host computer including a database for maintaining the hopper fill information, the remote network interface coupled to the database for retrieving and storing data therein.

21. A remote system, as set forth in claim 20, the database for storing data in database tables.

22. A remote system, as set forth in claim 21, further comprising a plurality of first data objects coupled to the database tables for retrieving and storing data in the database tables.

23. A remote system, as set forth in claim 22, further comprising at least one second data object coupled to the first data objects for assembling multiple first data objects into a third data object.

24. A remote system, as set forth in claim 23, the third object coupled to the remote network interface for receiving queries for the remote network interface retrieving responsive data from the database formatting the responsive data and returning the responsive data to the remote network interface.

25. A remote system, as set forth in claim 24, the remote network interface for receiving the responsive data and transmitting the responsive data to the remote device.

26. A remote system, as set forth in claim 25, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the remote network interface for formatting the responsive data into a hyper text mark-up language response for display by the web client.

27. A remote system, as set forth in claim 26, the web client including a plurality of servlets for providing functionality to the user.

28. A remote system, as set forth in claim 27, the web client including a login layer for identifying the user.

29. A remote system, as set forth in claim 28, the web client including a menu layer for allowing the user to navigate to and access the servlets.

30. A remote system, as set forth in claim 29, the user having an assigned type, the menu layer for allowing accessing to servlets and restricting access to servlets as a function of the assigned type.

31. A remote system, as set forth in claim 9, the hopper fill information including a hopper fill identifier, the remote interface for retrieving fill detail from the host computer as a function of the hopper fill identifier.

32. A remote system, as set forth in claim 31, the fill detail including a gaming machine id.

33. A remote system, as set forth in claim 31, the fill detail including a gaming machine location.

34. A remote system, as set forth in claim 31, the fill detail including a gaming date.

35. A remote system, as set forth in claim 31, the fill detail including a gaming shift.

36. A remote system, as set forth in claim 31, the fill detail including a credit value.

37. A remote system, as set forth in claim 31, the fill detail including a credit status.

38. A remote system, as set forth in claim 37, the credit status including a request status.

39. A remote system, as set forth in claim 37, the credit status including an acknowledge status.

40. A remote system, as set forth in claim 37, the credit status including a process status.

41. A remote system, as set forth in claim 37, the credit status including a paid status.

42. A remote system, as set forth in claim 9, the hopper fill field including a hopper fill identifier.

43. A remote system, as set forth in claim 9, the hopper fill field including a credit status.

44. A remote system, as set forth in claim 42, the remote device sending a notification that the hopper fill identifier is selected, the remote network interface for retrieving hopper fill detail from the host computer as a function of the hopper fill identifier.

45. A remote system, as set forth in claim 44, the hopper fill detail including the gaming machine id.

46. A remote system, as set forth in claim 44, the hopper fill detail including the gaming machine location.

47. A remote system, as set forth in claim 44, the hopper fill detail including the gaming machine game.

48. A remote system, as set forth in claim 44, the hopper fill detail including the gaming machine denomination.

49. A remote system, as set forth in claim 44, the hopper fill detail including the gaming date.

50. A remote system, as set forth in claim 44, the hopper fill detail including the gaming shift.

51. A remote system, as set forth in claim 43, the remote device sending a notification that the credit status is selected, the remote network interface for advancing the credit status via the host computer as a function of the prior credit status, the remote network interface sending the advanced credit status to the remote device.

52. A remote system, as set forth in claim 51, the remote device displaying the advanced credit status.

53. A method for processing a hopper fill for use with a gaming system, the gaming system having at least one gaming machine having a hopper for issuing credits to a player, the method including the steps of:

sending a selectable form to a remote device;

selecting data from the form, by a user, on the remote device, the data

including hopper fill information to process a credit fill of the hopper.

54. A method, as set forth in claim 53, the gaming system including a host computer and a remote network interface for coupling the remote device to the host computer, including the step of providing a wireless connection between the remote device and the remote network interface.

55. A method, as set forth in claim 54, wherein the wireless connection uses and IEEE 802.11 standard.

56. A method, as set forth in claim 54, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11b.

57. A method, as set forth in claim 55, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11g.

58. A method, as set forth in claim 54, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the method including the steps of:

acquiring input via the web client from the user; and

formatting and presenting data to the user.

59. A method, as set forth in claim 53, the data including a hopper fill form, the method including the step of sending the hopper fill form to the remote device.

60. A method, as set forth in claim 59, the data including hopper fill information, the hopper fill form having a hopper fill field selectable by a user, the method including the step of sending the hopper fill information to the remote network interface located on a host computer.

61. A method, as set forth in claim 60, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the method including the step of accessing the hopper fill form through the web client.

62. A method, as set forth in claim 61, the hopper fill form being a web page.

63. A method, as set forth in claim 59, the jackpot form being fillable with hopper fill information by a user, the method including the step of sending the hopper fill information to the remote network interface located on a host computer.

64. A method, as set forth in claim 63, the method including the step of confirming that all required information on the hopper fill form was entered and instructing a display on the remote display an error message if all required information was not entered.

65. A method, as set forth in claim 64, the hopper fill information including a hopper id, the method including the step of determining if the hopper id is valid.

66. A method, as set forth in claim 65, including the step of manually inputting the hopper id.

67. A method, as set forth in claim 66, the hopper fill form including a hopper fill entry button, the method including the step of selecting the hopper fill entry button.

68. A method, as set forth in claim 67, including the step of submitting the hopper id entered manually to the remote network interface.

69. A method as set forth in claim 68 including the step of sending a notification that the hopper fill entry button is selected.

70. A method, as set forth in claim 69, including the step of determining if the hopper id is valid upon receiving the notification.

71. A method, as set forth in claim 66, including the steps of determining the hopper id using a bar code reader and transmitting the hopper id to the remote network interface.

72. A method, as set forth in claim 66, including the step of instructing the remote display to display an error message if the hopper id is not valid.

73. A method, as set forth in claim 53, data related to the hopper fill processing system being stored in a database stored on a host computer, the method including the step of providing a remote network interface coupled to the database for retrieving and storing data therein.

74. A method, as set forth in claim 73, the method including the step of storing data in database tables.

75. A method, as set forth in claim 74, the method including the step of providing a plurality of first data object coupled to the database tables for retrieving for retrieving and storing data in the database tables.

76. A method, as set forth in claim 75, the method including the step of providing at least one second data object coupled to the first data objects for assembling multiple first data objects into a third data object.

77. A method, as set forth in claim 76, the third object coupled to the remote network interface, the method including the steps of receiving, by the third object, queries for the remote network interface, retrieving responsive data from the database, formatting the responsive data and returning the responsive data to the remote network interface.

78. A method, as set forth in claim 73, the method including the step of receiving, by the remote network interface, responsive data and transmitting the responsive data to the remote device.

79. A method, as set forth in claim 78, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the method including the steps of formatting, by the remote network interface, the responsive data into a hyper text mark-up language response for display by the web client.

80. A method, as set forth in claim 58, the web client including a plurality of servlets for providing functionality to the user.

81. A method, as set forth in claim 80, the web client including a login layer for identifying the user.

82. A method, as set forth in claim 81, the web client including a menu layer for allowing the user to navigate to and access the servlets.

83. A method, as set forth in claim 82, the user having an assigned type, the menu layer for allowing accessing to servlets and restricting access to servlets as a function of the assigned type.

84. A method, as set forth in claim 60, the jackpot information including a hopper fill identifier, the method including the step of retrieving, by the remote network interface, fill detail from the host computer as a function of the jackpot fill identifier.

85. A method, as set forth in claim 84, the fill detail including a gaming machine id.

86. A method, as set forth in claim 84, the fill detail including a gaming machine location.

87. A method, as set forth in claim 84, the fill detail including a gaming date.

88. A method, as set forth in claim 84, the fill detail including a gaming shift.

89. A method, as set forth in claim 84, the fill detail including a credit amount.

90. A method, as set forth in claim 84, the fill detail including a credit status.

91. A method, as set forth in claim 90, the credit status including a request status.

92. A method, as set forth in claim 90, the credit status including an acknowledge status.

93. A method, as set forth in claim 90, the credit status including a process status.

94. A method, as set forth in claim 90, the credit status including a paid status.

95. A method, as set forth in claim 60, the hopper fill field including a hopper fill identifier.

96. A method, as set forth in claim 60, the hopper fill field including a credit status.

97. A method, as set forth in claim 95, the method including the steps of sending, by the remote device, a notification that the hopper fill identifier is selected, retrieving, by the remote network interface, hopper fill detail from the host computer as a function of the hopper fill identifier.

98. A method, as set forth in claim 97, the hopper fill detail including the gaming machine id.

99. A method, as set forth in claim 97, the hopper fill detail including the gaming machine location.

100. A method, as set forth in claim 97, the hopper fill detail including the gaming machine game.

101. A method, as set forth in claim 97, the hopper fill detail including the gaming machine denomination.

102. A method, as set forth in claim 97, the hopper fill detail including the gaming date.

103. A method, as set forth in claim 97, the hopper fill detail including the gaming shift.

104. A method, as set forth in claim 96, the method including the step of sending, by the remote device, a notification that the credit status is selected, advancing, by the remote network interface, the credit status via the host computer as a function of the prior credit status, sending, by the remote network interface, the advanced credit status to the remote device.

105. A method, as set forth in claim 104, the method including the step of displaying, by the remote device, the advanced credit status.