AUTOMATIC DEALING MACHINE AND AUTOMATIC DEALING SYSTEM

• US 20120241282A1
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hajime Morino, Tomoyuki Obi
• Original Assignee: Hajime Morino, Tomoyuki Obi
• Inventors: Morino, Hajime, OBI, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,814,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 194/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 1/04 dispensing change equal to a sum deposited
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/0087 Banknote changing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

An automatic dealing machine comprises a casing configured for storing a chip handling unit for handling chips, and a banknote handling unit for handling banknotes. The chip handling unit includes a chip insertion port through which chips are received from the exterior of the casing, a chip determination portion for determining the kind of each chip, and a chip calculation portion for calculating the number of the chips, of each kind, as determined by the chip determination portion and the total amount of money. A control unit controls the operation of the dealing machine, such that banknotes of an amount of money corresponding to the total amount of the chips calculated by the chip calculation portion are disbursed into the banknote disbursement port when the chips are inserted through the chip insertion port.

Claims

1. An automatic dealing machine installed in a gaming facility and configured to be operated by a customer, the automatic dealing machine comprising:

a casing configured for storing therein a plurality of handling units;

a chip handling unit located in the casing and adapted for handling chips, the chip handling unit including a chip insertion port through which the chips can be inserted into the chip handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a chip feed-out mechanism provided for feeding out the chips inserted through the chip insertion port, a chip transportation portion configured to transport the chips fed out by the chip feed-out mechanism, a chip determination portion adapted for determining the kind of each chip inserted through the chip insertion port and transported by the chip transportation portion, a chip calculation portion adapted for calculating a number of the chips, for each kind, determined by the chip determination portion and total amount of money of the chips, and a chip storage portion configured for storing therein the chips determined by the chip determination portion;

a banknote handling unit located in the casing and adapted for handling banknotes, the banknote handling unit including a banknote disbursement port configured for releasing the banknotes such that they can be taken out to the exterior of the casing, a banknote storage portion configured for storing the banknotes therein, and a banknote disbursement portion adapted for disbursing necessary sheets of banknotes into the banknote disbursement port from the banknote storage portion; and

a control unit adapted for controlling the chip handling unit and banknote handling unit, wherein the control unit performs control such that the banknotes of an amount of money corresponding to the total amount of money of the chips calculated by the chip calculation portion of the chip handling unit can be disbursed into the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit, when the chips are inserted through the chip insertion port of the chip handling unit.

2. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 1, wherein the chip determination portion is configured to take an image of a surface of each chip and determine the chip, based on the taken image.

3. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 2, wherein the chip determination portion is configured to determine the chip, based on a color or design of the taken image.

4. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 1, wherein the chip has an interior portion, such that the chip determination portion is configured to determine the chip, based on the contents of the interior portion of the chip.

5. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a coin handling unit provided in the casing and adapted for handling coins, the coin handling unit including a coin insertion port through which the coins can be inserted into the coin handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a coin discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the coins inserted through the coin insertion port, and a coin storage portion configured for storing therein the coins discriminated by the coin discrimination portion.

6. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to control the coin handling unit, such that the banknotes of an amount of money corresponding to the total amount of money of the coins are disbursed into the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit when coins are inserted through the coin insertion port.

7. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a paper-sheet handling unit provided in the casing and adapted for handling paper-sheets, the paper-sheet handling unit including a paper-sheet insertion port through which the paper-sheets can be inserted into the paper-sheet handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a paper-sheet discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the paper-sheets inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port, and a paper-sheet storage portion configured for storing therein the paper-sheets discriminated by the paper-sheet discrimination portion.

8. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 7,

wherein the paper-sheets include banknotes, bar-code tickets or checks,

wherein the paper-sheet storage portion has at least one of a banknote storage part for storing the banknotes therein, a bar-code ticket storage part for storing the bar-code tickets therein and a check storage part for storing the checks therein, and

wherein, in the case in which the paper-sheets are discriminated as banknotes by the paper-sheet discrimination portion, such banknotes are stored in the banknote storage part, or in the case in which the paper-sheets are discriminated as bar-code tickets by the paper-sheet discrimination portion, such bar-code tickets are stored in the bar-code ticket storage part, or in the case in which the paper-sheets are discriminated as checks by the paper-sheet discrimination portion, such checks are stored in the check storage part.

9. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 7, wherein the paper-sheet discrimination portion is configured to obtain an image of each bar-code ticket when the paper-sheet discrimination portion discriminates the paper-sheets as bar-code tickets.

10. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 7, wherein the paper-sheet discrimination portion is configured to obtain an image of each check when the paper-sheet discrimination portion discriminates the paper-sheets as checks.

11. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to control the paper-sheet handling unit, such that banknotes of the amount of money corresponding to the total amount of money of the inserted banknotes can be disbursed to the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit when the banknotes are inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port.

12. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a coin handling unit provided in the casing and adapted for handling coins, the coin handling unit including a coin insertion port through which the coins can be inserted into the coin handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a coin discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the coins inserted through the coin insertion port, and a coin storage portion configured for storing therein the coins discriminated by the coin discrimination portion; and

a paper-sheet handling unit provided in the casing and adapted for handling paper-sheets, the paper-sheet handling unit including a paper-sheet insertion port through which the paper-sheets can be inserted into the paper-sheet handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a paper-sheet discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the paper-sheets inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port, and a paper-sheet storage portion configured for storing therein the paper-sheets discriminated by the paper-sheet discrimination portion,

wherein the control unit is also configured to control the coin handling unit and paper-sheet handling unit, wherein the control unit performs control such that the banknotes of an amount of money corresponding to the total amount of money of the inserted coins can be disbursed into the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit when the coins are inserted through the coin insertion port of the coin handling unit, and wherein banknotes of the amount of money corresponding to the total amount of money of the inserted banknotes are disbursed to the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit when the banknotes are inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port of the paper-sheet handling unit.

13. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit under control of a customer disburses coins either as an amount of remaining money left undisbursed, or as an amount of money that cannot be disbursed with banknotes.

14. The automatic dealing machine according to claim 1, wherein under control of a customer, the control unit controls a memory device to store the remaining amount of money after a disbursement or to store an amount of money that cannot be disbursed with banknotes.

15. An automatic dealing system including an automatic dealing machine installed in a gaming facility and configured to be operated by a customer and a host machine communicatively connected with the automatic dealing machine,

wherein the automatic dealing machine comprises:

a casing configured for storing therein a plurality of handling units;

a chip handling unit located in the casing and adapted for handling chips, the chip handling unit including a chip insertion port through which the chips can be inserted into the chip handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a chip feed-out mechanism provided for feeding out the chips inserted through the chip insertion port, a chip transportation portion configured to transport the chips fed out by the chip feed-out mechanism, a chip determination portion adapted for determining the kind of each chip inserted through the chip insertion port and transported by the chip transportation portion, a chip calculation portion adapted for calculating a number of the chips, for each kind, determined by the chip determination portion and total amount of money of the chips, and a chip storage portion configured for storing therein the chips determined by the chip determination portion;

a banknote handling unit located in the casing and adapted for handling banknotes, the banknote handling unit including a banknote disbursement port configured for releasing the banknotes such that they can be taken out to the exterior of the casing, a banknote storage portion configured for storing the banknotes therein, and a banknote disbursement portion adapted for disbursing necessary sheets of banknotes into the banknote disbursement port from the banknote storage portion; and

a control unit adapted for controlling the chip handling unit and banknote handling unit, wherein the control unit performs control such that the banknotes of an amount of money corresponding to the total amount of money of the chips calculated by the chip calculation portion of the chip handling unit can be disbursed into the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit, when the chips are inserted through the chip insertion port of the chip handling unit.

16. The automatic dealing system according to claim 15, wherein the host machine includes a host controller, and wherein the host controller is communicatively connected with the automatic dealing machine.

17. The automatic dealing system according to claim 15,

further comprising a paper-sheet handling unit provided in the casing and adapted for handling paper-sheets including banknotes, bar-code tickets or checks, the paper-sheet handling unit including a paper-sheet insertion port through which the paper-sheets can be inserted into the paper-sheet handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a paper-sheet discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the paper-sheets inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port, and a paper-sheet storage portion configured for storing therein the paper-sheets discriminated by the paper-sheet discrimination portion, and

wherein the control unit is configured to control the paper-sheet handling unit, such that the paper-sheet discrimination portion of the paper-sheet handling unit reads bar-code information of each bar-code ticket when the bar-code tickets are inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port of the paper-sheet handling unit, and performs a check of the read bar-code information by communicating with the host machine, the paper-sheet storage portion to store the bar-code tickets therein, and disburses the banknotes of an amount of money based on the read bar-code information into the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit.

18. The automatic dealing system according to claim 15,

further comprising a paper-sheet handling unit provided in the casing adapted for handling paper-sheets including banknotes, bar-code tickets or checks, the paper-sheet handling unit including a paper-sheet insertion port through which the paper-sheets can be inserted into the paper-sheet handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a paper-sheet discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the paper-sheets inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port, and a paper-sheet storage portion configured for storing therein the paper-sheets discriminated by the paper-sheet discrimination portion, and

wherein the control unit of the automatic dealing machine is also configured to control the paper-sheet handling unit, such that the paper-sheet discrimination portion of the paper-sheet handling unit reads check data from the checks when the checks are inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port of the paper-sheet handling unit, and performs a check of the read check information by communicating with the host machine, wherein after the check is completed, the control unit controls the paper-sheet storage portion to store the checks therein, and disburses the banknotes of an amount of money based on the read check data into the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit.

19. The automatic dealing system according to claim 15,

wherein the automatic dealing machine further comprises an operation portion which can be controlled by a customer, and

wherein when a command for disbursing money on deposit is given by the customer via the operation portion and then the control unit receives the command for disbursing the money on deposit from the host machine by communicating with the host machine, the control unit of the automatic dealing machine disburses the banknotes of an amount of money corresponding to the command, into the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit.

20. The automatic dealing system according to claim 15,

wherein the automatic dealing machine further comprises a paper-sheet handling unit provided in the casing and adapted for handling paper-sheets including banknotes, bar-code tickets or checks, the paper-sheet handling unit including a paper-sheet insertion port through which the paper-sheets can be inserted into the paper-sheet handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a paper-sheet discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the paper-sheets inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port, and a paper-sheet storage portion configured for storing therein the paper-sheets discriminated by the paper-sheet discrimination portion, and

wherein the control unit of the automatic dealing machine is also configured to control the paper-sheet handling unit, such that the control unit drives the paper-sheet discrimination portion of the paper-sheet handling unit to discriminate the banknotes inserted into the casing, when the banknotes are inserted through the banknote insertion port of the banknote handling unit, and then transmits information about an amount of deposited money of such discriminated banknotes to the host machine.

21. The automatic dealing system according to claim 15,

wherein the automatic dealing machine further comprises a coin handling unit provided in the casing and adapted for handling coins, the coin handling unit including a coin insertion port through which the coins can be inserted into the coin handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a coin discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the coins inserted through the coin insertion port, and a coin storage portion configured for storing therein the coins discriminated by the coin discrimination portion, and

wherein the control unit of the automatic dealing machine is also configured to control the coin handling unit, such that the control unit drives the coin discrimination portion of the coin handling unit to discriminate the coins inserted into the casing, when the coins are inserted through the coin insertion port of the coin handling unit, and then transmits information about an amount of deposited money of such discriminated coins to the host machine.

22. The automatic dealing system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a coin handling unit provided in the casing and adapted for handling coins, the coin handling unit including a coin insertion port through which the coins can be inserted into the coin handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a coin discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the coins inserted through the coin insertion port, and a coin storage portion configured for storing therein the coins discriminated by the coin discrimination portion; and

a paper-sheet handling unit provided in the casing and adapted for handling paper-sheets, the paper-sheet handling unit including a paper-sheet insertion port through which the paper-sheets can be inserted into the paper-sheet handling unit from the exterior of the casing, a paper-sheet discrimination portion adapted for discriminating the paper-sheets inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port, and a paper-sheet storage portion configured for storing therein the paper-sheets discriminated by the paper-sheet discrimination portion,

wherein the control unit of the automatic dealing machine is also configured to control the coin handling unit and paper-sheet handling unit, such that the banknotes of an amount of money corresponding to the total amount of money of the coins is disbursed into the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit when the coins are inserted through the coin insertion port of the coin handling unit, and wherein the banknotes of the amount of money corresponding to the total amount of money of the inserted banknotes is disbursed to the banknote disbursement port of the banknote handling unit when the banknotes are inserted through the paper-sheet insertion port of the paper-sheet handling unit.