GAME SYSTEM

• US 20110124405A1
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo, Nireki, Takao, Manabe, Kunihiro, Kukita, Noritoshi, Fujimoto, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 9,105,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/206 Matching template patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes

Abstract

A game system is provided which is capable of continuing a game without a player feeling inconvenience even in a case where a basic currency at hand is lost.

This game system includes: a bill identifying apparatus for identifying bills of different currencies and an amount of the bills and then outputting data representing the identified result; a player tracking device which is integrated with each of gaming machines, for converting data outputted from the bill identifying apparatus to credit data for executing a game, based on an exchange rate; and an information card device which is integrated with the player tracking device, the information card device causing an information card to store data equivalent to an amount awarded to a player in accordance with a game result of the gaming machines and sending out the credit data for executing the game to the gaming machines, based on the data equivalent to the amount read from the information card.

Claims

1. A game system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines;

a bill identifying apparatus which is associated with each of the gaming machines, for identifying bills of different currencies and an amount of the bills and then outputting data representative of the identified result;

a player tracking device which is integrated with each of the gaming machines, for converting data outputted from the bill identifying apparatus to credit data for executing a game, based on an internally stored exchange rate and transmitting to the gaming machines;

a control device for externally inputting an exchange rate and providing the inputted exchange rate to the player tracking device to update the exchange rate stored in the player tracking device; and

an information card device which is integrated with the player tracking device, the information card device causing an information card to store data equivalent to an amount awarded to a player in accordance with a game result of the gaming machines and sending out credit data for executing a game to the gaming machines, based on data equivalent to the amount read from the information card.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the information card has:

a storage unit for storing various items of data in a rewritable manner;

a send-receive unit for performing data communication with an external device;

an authentication unit for performing authentication by the data communication to the external device;

an access permission unit for, in a case where the authenticity is appropriate, enabling the external device to access the data stored in the storage unit; and

a display unit for displaying at least a part of the data stored in the storage unit.

3. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the player tracking device comprises:

a controller included in a gaming machine;

a memory which is connected via a communication line to a respective one of the bill identifying apparatuses which can accept plural types of currencies and is capable of identifying a type and an amount of the accepted currencies, the memory being capable of storing exchange rate data indicating an exchange rate at which a correspondence relationship between an amount of a basic currency and an amount of a currency of a type other than the basic currency is defined by the type other than the basic currency;

a processor programmed to execute processing of;

(A) receiving bill type data indicating a type of a bill identified by the bill identifying apparatus and bill amount-of-money data indicating an amount of money of the bill from the bill identifying apparatus via the communication line; and

(B) in a case where the type of the bill indicated by the bill type data received in accordance with the processing (A) is not the basic currency, transmitting, to the controller via the communication line, converted currency amount data indicating amount of a basic currency specified based on the types of currencies, the amount of the bill indicated by the bill amount-of-money data received in accordance with the processing (A) and the exchange rate data stored in the memory.

4. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein

the bill identifying apparatus comprises:

an insertion slot into which a bill is to be inserted;

a transport mechanism which is capable of transporting a sheet inserted through the insertion slot;

reading means for reading the sheet fed by the transport mechanism; and

authenticity determination means for determining authenticity of the sheet read by the reading means,

the bill identifying apparatus comprising;

damage discrimination means for discriminating damage of a sheet, based on a shape of the sheet at a read portion and a shape of a reference card, until before reading of the sheet completes; and

control means for controlling transport of the sheet by means of the transport mechanism, based on a discrimination result by the damage discrimination means.

5. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the bill identifying apparatus has:

an insertion slot into which a bill is to be inserted;

a transport mechanism which is capable of transporting a sheet inserted through the insertion slot;

reading means for reading the sheet fed by the transport mechanism;

a converting unit for converting the image read by the reading means on a pixel-by-pixel basis including color information having brightness with a predetermined size being defined as one unit; and

authenticity determination means for determining authenticity from a density value on a pixel-by-pixel basis converted by means of the converting unit and a density value on a pixel-by-pixel basis of a reference sheet,

the bill identifying apparatus comprising;

damage discrimination means for discriminating damage of a sheet, based on a density value on a pixel-by-pixel basis at a read portion and a reference density value on a pixel-by-pixel basis of the sheet corresponding to the read portion, until before reading of the sheet by the reading means completes; and

control means for controlling transport of the sheet by the transporting mechanism, based on a discrimination result by the damage discrimination means.

6. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the bill identifying apparatus comprises:

a light emitting unit for emitting light to a sheet;

a light receiving unit for receiving the transmitted light transmitted the sheet, and reflected light reflected from the sheet, obtained by the light emitting unit is emitted;

a converting unit for converting the transmitted light and the reflected light that are received by the light receiving unit, respectively, on a pixel-by-pixel basis including color information having brightness with a predetermined size being defined as one unit;

a storage unit for storing a transmitted image comprised of a plurality of pixels converted by the converting unit from the transmitted light received by the light receiving unit, and an reflected image comprised of a plurality of pixels converted by the converting unit from the reflected light received by the light receiving unit;

an authenticity determination processing section for determining authenticity of the sheet, based on each image stored by the storage unit; and

a discrimination unit for, eliminating a predetermined area from a target for authenticity determination based on a result of comparison between brightness of a pixel in the predetermined area of the transmitted image and brightness of a pixel of a reflected image corresponding to the predetermined area of the transmitted image.

7. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the player tracking device comprises:

a server;

a card reader for entrance which is installed at an entrance gate for a facility; and

a camera which is installed so that an inside of the facility can be picked up as an image,

the server comprises;

a memory storing employee identification data for identifying an employee and facial image data indicating an image of an employee'"'"'s face are associated with each other;

an output device; and

a processor,

the processor being programmed to execute processing of;

(A) storing the employee identification data read by the card reader for entrance;

(B) consecutively storing image data indicating the image picked up by the camera;

(C) comparing a respective one of the image data stored in accordance with the processing (B) with a respective one of the facial image data corresponding to the employee identification data stored in accordance with the processing (A) and then determining whether or not a specific condition is met; and

(D) outputting from the output device the facial image data obtained when it is determined that the specific condition is not met and/or the employee identification data corresponding to the facial image data obtained when it is determined that the specific condition is not met.

8. A currency value conversion device, comprising:

a controller included in a gaming machine, and a currency identifying devices which is capable of accepting plural types of currencies and capable of identifying a type and an amount of the accepted currencies, are respectively connected via a communication line;

a memory being capable of storing exchange rate data indicating an exchange rate at which a correspondence relationship between an amount of a currency of a type other than the basic currency is defined by the type other than the basic currency; and

a processor which is programmed to execute processing of;

(A) receiving currency type data indicating a type of a currency identified by the currency identifying device and currency amount data indicating an amount of money of the currency from the currency identifying device via the communication line; and

(B) in a case where the type of the currency indicated by the currency type data received in accordance with the processing (A) is not the basic currency, transmitting, to the controller via the communication line, converted currency amount data indicating amount of a basic currency specified based on the types of currencies, the amount of the bill indicated by the bill amount-of-money data received in accordance with the processing (A) and the exchange rate data stored in the memory.

9. A currency value conversion device, comprising:

a controller included in a gaming machine, a currency identifying device which is capable of accepting plural types of currencies and which is capable of identifying a type and an amount of the accepted currencies, and an exchange servers for repeatedly acquiring, with a predetermined timing, exchange information indicating a correspondence relationship between an amount of a basic currency and an amount of a currency of a type other than the basic currency, are respectively connected via a communication line;

a memory being capable of storing exchange rate data indicating an exchange rate at which the correspondence relationship between the amount of the basic currency and the currency of the type other than the basic currency is defined by the type other than the basic currency; and

a processor which is programmed to execute processing of;

(A) receiving information which is specified based on exchange information from the exchange server via the communication line very time the exchange server acquires exchange information;

(B) updating the exchange rate data stored in the memory, based on the information received in accordance with the processing (A);

(C) receiving currency type data indicating a type of the currency identified by the currency identifying device and currency amount data indicating an amount of money of the currency from the currency identifying device via the communication line; and

(D) in a case where a type of a currency indicated by the currency type data received in accordance with the processing (C) is not the basic currency, transmitting, to the controller via the communication line, converted currency amount data indicating amount of a basic currency specified based on the types of currencies, the amount of the bill indicated by the bill amount-of-money data received in accordance with the processing (C) and the exchange rate data stored in the memory.

10. A method of controlling a currency value conversion device, wherein

the currency value conversion device comprises:

a controller included in a gaming machine, and a currency identifying devices which is capable of accepting plural types of currencies and capable of identifying a type and an amount of the accepted currencies, are respectively connected via a communication line;

a memory being capable of storing exchange rate data indicating an exchange rate at which a correspondence relationship between an amount of a basic currency and an amount of a currency of a type other than the basic currency is defined by the type other than the basic currency,

the controlling method including the steps of;

(A) receiving from currency type data indicating the type of the currency identified by the currency identifying device and currency amount data indicating the amount of the currency from the currency identifying device via the communication line; and

(B) in a case where the type of the currency indicated by the currency type data received in accordance with the step (A) is not the current basic currency, transmitting, to the controller via the communication line, converted currency amount data indicating amount of a basic currency specified based on the types of currencies, the amount of the bill indicated by the bill amount-of-money data received in accordance with the processing (A) and the exchange rate data stored in the memory.

11. A method of controlling a currency value conversion device, wherein

the currency value conversion device comprises:

a controller included in a gaming machine, a currency identifying device which is capable of accepting plural types of currencies and which is capable of identifying a type and an amount of the accepted currencies, and a exchange servers for repeatedly acquiring, with a predetermined timing, exchange information indicating a correspondence relationship between an amount of a basic currency and an amount of a currency of a type other than the basic currency, are respectively connected via a communication line;

a memory being capable of storing exchange rate data indicating an exchange rate at which a correspondence relationship between the amount of the basic currency and the amount of the current of the type other than the basic currency is defined by the type other than the basic currency,

the controlling method including the steps of;

(A) receiving information which is specified based on exchange information from the exchange server via the communication line every time the exchange server acquires exchange information;

(B) updating exchange rate data stored in the memory, based on the information received in accordance with the step (A);

(C) receiving currency type data indicating the type of the currency identified by the currency identifying device and currency amount data indicating the amount of the currency from the currency identifying device via the communication line; and

(D) in a case where the type of the currency indicated by the currency type data received in accordance with the step (C), is not the basic currency, transmitting, to the controller via the communication line, converted currency amount data indicating amount of a basic currency specified based on the types of currencies, the amount of the bill indicated by the bill amount-of-money data received in accordance with the processing (C) and the exchange rate data stored in the memory.