System and method for processing a cash ticket in a gaming system

• US 20040116185A1
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• 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:
  US10/661,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20040116185A1
• 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 cash ticket in a gaming system. The gaming system has at least one gaming machine capable of issuing a cash ticket. 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 cash ticket information to process the cash ticket.

Claims

1. A remote system for use with a gaming system, the gaming system having at least one gaming machine capable of issuing a cash ticket, a host computer coupled to the at least one gaming machine by a network, the host computer including a database for maintaining cash ticket 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 the data between the host computer and the remote device, the data including the cash ticket information to process the cash ticket.

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 3, 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 cash ticket form, the remote network interface for sending the cash ticket form to the remote device.

9. A remote system, as set forth in claim 8, the cash ticket form being fillable with the cash ticket information by a user, the remote device for sending the cash ticket information to the remote network interface.

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 cash ticket form being accessible through the web client.

11. A remote system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the cash ticket form is a web page.

12. A remote system, as set forth in claim 10, the cash ticket information including a cash ticket id, the remote network interface for determining if the cash ticket id is valid.

13. A remote system, as set forth in claim 12, the cash ticket id inputted manually by the user.

14. A remote system, as set forth in claim 13, the cash ticket form including a cash ticket entry button for selecting by the user and submitting the cash ticket id entered manually, the remote device sending a notification that the cash ticket entry button is selected, the remote network interface for determining if the cash ticket id is valid upon receiving the notification.

15. A remote system as set forth in claim 12, the remote device having a bar code reader for reading a barcode on the cash ticket and determining the cash ticket information, the remote network interface for receiving the cash ticket information from the bar code reader.

16. A remote system, as set forth in claim 12, the remote network interface for instructing the remote display to display an error message if the cash ticket id is not valid.

17. A remote system, as set forth in claim 16, the remote network interface for retrieving ticket details from the host computer as a function of the cash ticket id.

18. A remote system, as set forth in claim 17, the cash ticket form including a cash ticket button for selecting by the user, the remote device sending a notification that the cash ticket 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.

19. A remote system, as set forth in claim 18, the cash ticket button being an acknowledge button for notifying the host computer that the cash ticket is being acknowledged by the user.

20. A remote system, as set forth in claim 18, the cash ticket button being a process button for notifying the host computer that the cash ticket is being processed by the user.

21. A remote system, as set forth in claim 18, the cash ticket button being a paid button for notifying the host computer that the cash ticket is being paid by the user.

22. A remote system, as set forth in claim 17, the remote network interface for instructing the remote display to display the ticket details.

23. A remote system, as set forth in claim 17, the ticket details including a gaming machine identifier for identifying the gaming machine issuing the cash ticket.

24. A remote system, as set forth in claim 23, the remote device identifier including a gaming machine id.

25. A remote system, as set forth in claim 23, the remote device identifier including a gaming machine location.

26. A remote system, as set forth in claim 17, the ticket details including a date identifier for identifying the issue date of the cash ticket.

27. A remote system, as set forth in claim 17, the ticket details including a shift identifier for identifying the shift that the cash ticket was issued.

28. A remote system, as set forth in claim 17, the ticket details including a value identifier for identifying the value of the cash ticket.

29. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, the remote network interface coupled to the database for retrieving and storing data therein.

30. A remote system, as set forth in claim 29, the database for storing data in database tables.

31. A remote system, as set forth in claim 30, further comprising a plurality of first data object coupled to the database tables for retrieving and storing data in the database tables.

32. A remote system, as set forth in claim 31, 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.

33. A remote system, as set forth in claim 32, the third object coupled to the remote network interface for receiving queries from the remote network interface, retrieves responsive data from the database, formatting the responsive data and returning the responsive data to the remote network interface.

34. A remote system, as set forth in claim 31, the remote network interface for receiving the responsive data and transmitting the responsive data to the remote device.

35. A remote system, as set forth in claim 32, 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.

36. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, the web client including a plurality of servlets for providing functionality to a user.

37. A remote system, as set forth in claim 36, the web client including a login layer for identifying the user.

38. A remote system, as set forth in claim 37, the web client including a menu layer for allowing the user to navigate to and access the servlets.

39. A remote system, as set forth in claim 38, 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.

40. A remote system, as set forth in claim 8, the cash ticket form including a paid cash ticket button for selecting by the user, the remote device sending a notification that the cash ticket acknowledgement 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.

41. A remote system, as set forth in claim 31, the remote network interface for instructing the remote display to display a cash ticket paid message when the ticket is paid.

42. A method for processing a cash ticket for use with a gaming system, the gaming system having at least one gaming machine capable of issuing a cash ticket, the method including the steps of:

sending a fillable form to a remote device;

filling out the form by a user with data on the remote device for processing a cash ticket in the cash ticket processing system.

43. A method, as set forth in claim 42, the gaming system including a host computer coupled to the at least one gaming machine 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.

44. A method, as set forth in claim 43, wherein the wireless connection uses and IEEE 802.11 standard.

45. A method, as set forth in claim 44, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11b.

46. A method, as set forth in claim 45, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11g.

47. A method, as set forth in claim 42, 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.

48. A method, as set forth in claim 42, the data including a cash ticket form, the method including the step of sending the cash ticket form to the remote device.

49. A method, as set forth in claim 48, the cash ticket form being tillable with cash ticket information by a user, the method including the step of sending the cash ticket information to the remote network interface located on a host computer.

50. A method, as set forth in claim 49, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the method including the step of accessing the cash ticket form through the web client.

51. A method, as set forth in claim 50, the cash ticket form being a web page.

52. A method, as set forth in claim 49, the method including the step of confirming that all required information on the cash ticket form was entered and instructing a display on the remote display to display an error message if all required information was not entered.

53. A method, as set forth in claim 52, the cash ticket information including a cash ticket id, the method including the step of determining if the cash ticket id is valid.

54. A method, as set forth in claim 53, including the step of manually inputting the cash ticket id.

55. A method, as set forth in claim 54, the cash ticket form including a cash ticket entry button, the method including the step of selecting the cash ticket entry button.

56. A method, as set forth in claim 55, including the step of submitting the cash ticket id entered manually to the remote network interface.

57. A method, as set forth in claim 56, including the step of sending a notification that the cash ticket entry button is selected.

58. A method, as set forth in claim 57, including the step of determining if the cash ticket id is valid upon receiving the notification.

59. A method, as set forth in claim 53, including the steps of determining the cash ticket id using a bar code reader and transmitting the cash ticket id to the remote network interface.

60. A method, as set forth in claim 53, including the step of for instructing the remote display to display an error message if the cash ticket id is not valid.

61. A method, as set forth in claim 60, including the step of retrieving ticket details from the host computer.

62. A method, as set forth in claim 61, including the step of instructing the remote display to display the ticket details.

63. A method, as set forth in claim 62, the ticket details including a remote device identifier, the method including the step of displaying the remote device identifier issuing the cash ticket.

64. A method, as set forth in claim 63, the remote device identifier including a remote device id, the method including the step of displaying the remote device id.

65. A method, as set forth in claim 63, the remote device identifier including a remote device location, the method including the step of displaying the remote device location.

66. A method, as set forth in claim 62, the ticket details including a date identifier. The method including the step of identifying the issue date of the cash ticket.

67. A method, as set forth in claim 62, the ticket details including a shift identifier for identifying the shift that the cash ticket was issued.

68. A method, as set forth in claim 62, the ticket details including a value identifier, the method including the step of identifying the value of the cash ticket.

69. A method, as set forth in claim 62, the host computer including a database for maintaining the cash ticket processing system, the remote network interface coupled to the database for retrieving and storing data therein.

70. A method, as set forth in claim 42, the cash ticket information including a cash ticket id, the method including the steps of retrieving ticket details from a database on the host computer as a function of the cash ticket id and creating a record in the database containing the cash ticket information and the ticket details.

71. A method, as set forth in claim 42, data related to the cash ticket 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.

72. A method, as set forth in claim 71, the method including the step of the storing data in the database in database tables.

73. A method, as set forth in claim 72, the method including the step of providing a plurality of first data object coupled to the database tables for retrieving and storing data in the database tables.

74. A method, as set forth in claim 73, 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.

75. A method, as set forth in claim 74, the third object being coupled to the remote network interface, the method including the steps of receiving, by the third object, queries from the remote network interface, retrieving responsive data from the database, formatting the responsive data and returning responsive data to the remote network interface.

76. A method, as set forth in claim 71, the method including the step of receiving, by the remote network interface, responsive data and transmitting the responsive data to the remote device.

77. A method, as set forth in claim 76, 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.

78. A method, as set forth in claim 47, the web client including a plurality of servlets for providing functionality to a user.

79. A method, as set forth in claim 78, the web client including a login layer for identifying the user.

80. A method, as set forth in claim 79, the web client including a menu layer for allowing the user to navigate to and access the servlets.

81. A method, as set forth in claim 80, 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.

82. A method, as set forth in claim 48, the cash ticket form including a cash ticket button, the method including the step of selecting the cash ticket button.

83. A method, as set forth in claim 82, the cash ticket button being an acknowledge button, the method including the step of selecting the acknowledge button for notifying the host computer that the cash ticket is being acknowledged by the user.

84. A method, as set forth in claim 83, including the step of instructing the remote display to display a cash ticket acknowledge message when the ticket is acknowledged by the user.

85. A method, as set forth in claim 82, the cash ticket button being a process button, the method including the step of selecting the process button for notifying the host computer that the cash ticket is being processed by the user.

86. A method, as set forth in claim 85, including the step of instructing the remote display to display a cash ticket process message when the ticket is processed by the user.

87. A method, as set forth in claim 82, the cash ticket button being a paid button, the method including the step of selecting the paid cash ticket button for notifying the host computer that the cash ticket is being paid by the user.

88. A method, as set forth in claim 87, including the step of instructing the remote display to display a cash ticket paid message when the ticket is paid by the user.