Gaming management system, card unit, and gaming management server

• US 20060183541A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aruze Corp.
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp.
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo, Fujimoto, Jun
• Application Number:
  US11/343,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20060183541A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A gaming management system has a gaming management server for storing a credit balance; and a card unit which reads a card ID from a permanent membership card or a provisional membership card where a card ID used for specifying a credit balance is stored. The gaming management server updates the credit balance to a credit balance determined by means of addition or subtraction. The card unit discharges the permanent membership card or the provisional membership card after having updated the credit balance thereof, and newly issues a provisional membership card. Further, either the card unit or the gaming management server stores player information in association with the permanent membership card.

Claims

1. A gaming management system comprising:

a gaming management server; and

a card unit that is connected to the gaming management server,

wherein the gaming management server comprises;

a storage unit that stores a valuable balance for each of players, the valuable balance being required to start a game; and

an updating unit that updates the valuable balance for a player specified by an identification information output from the card unit, the identification information being configured to specify the valuable balance for each of the players,

wherein the card unit comprises;

a reading unit that reads the identification information from a membership card inserted to the card unit, the membership card being configured to be either one of a permanent membership card permanently used by the player and a provisional membership card provisionally used by the player;

a card discharge unit that discharges the membership card inserted to the card unit after the valuable balance is updated by the updating unit; and

a card issuing unit that newly issues the provisional membership card, and

wherein the gaming management system further comprises at least one of;

a first storage control unit that is provided in the card unit and stores player information in the permanent membership card, the player information including at least one of information unique to a player, and information relevant to the game; and

a second storage control unit that is provided in the gaming management server and stores the player information in the storage unit in association with the identification information.

2. The gaming management system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage control unit stores the player information in the permanent membership card, the player information including:

information that indicates a number of times the game has been played by the player;

information that indicates a time period during which the game has been played by the player; and

information that indicates a history of the game played by the player.

3. The gaming management system according to claim 1, wherein the second storage control unit stores the player information in the storage unit, the player information including information that indicates a history of the game played by the player.

4. A gaming management server connected to a card unit that includes a reading unit that reads identification information from a membership card inserted to the card unit, the identification information being configured to specify a valuable balance for each of the players, and the valuable balance being required to start a game, the gaming management server comprising:

a storage unit that stores a valuable balance for each of players; and

an updating unit that updates the valuable balance for a player specified by an identification information output from the card unit.

5. The gaming management server according to claim 4, further comprising a storage control unit that stores player information in the storage unit in association with the identification information, the player information including at least one of:

information that indicates a number of times the game has been played by the player;

information that indicates a time period during which the game has been played by the player; and

information that indicates a history of the game played by the player.

6. A card unit connected to a gaming management server that includes:

a storage unit that stores a valuable balance for each of players, the valuable balance being required to start a game; and

an updating unit that updates the valuable balance for a player specified by an identification information output from the card unit, the identification information being configured to specify the valuable balance for each of the players, the card unit comprising;

a reading unit that reads the identification information from a membership card inserted to the card unit, the membership card being configured to be either one of a permanent membership card permanently used by the player and a provisional membership card provisionally used by the player;

a card discharge unit that discharges the membership card inserted to the card unit after the valuable balance is updated by the updating unit; and

a card issuing unit that newly issues the provisional membership card.

7. The card unit according to claim 6, further comprising a storage control unit that stores player information in the permanent membership card, the player information including at least one of information unique to a player, and information relevant to the game.