VIRTUAL TICKET-IN AND TICKET-OUT ON A GAMING MACHINE

• US 20140121005A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nelson, Dwayne R., LeMay, Steven G., Vasquez, Jim A., Gowin, Scott T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,530,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

An electronic gaming machine includes a cabinet, a display mounted to the cabinet, a wireless interface for communicating with a portable electronic device, a network interface for communicating with a validation server, a bill validator coupled to a game controller configured to accept bills and printed ticket vouchers, and a removable cash box. The game controller includes a processor and a memory configured to control a wager-based game played on the EGM, redeem virtual ticket vouchers and printed ticket vouchers, receive an indication to transfer value to the EGM via a virtual ticket voucher, receive the virtual ticket voucher including a virtual ticket voucher validation number from the portable electronic device via the wireless interface, validate the virtual ticket voucher with the validation server via the network interface, deposit a credit amount associated with the virtual ticket voucher, and notify the validation server that the virtual ticket voucher is redeemed.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming machine (EGM) comprising:

a cabinet;

a display mounted to the cabinet;

a wireless interface for communicating with a portable electronic device;

a network interface for communicating with a validation server secured within the cabinet;

a bill validator coupled to a game controller configured to accept bills and printed ticket vouchers; and

a removable cash box coupled to the bill validator for receiving accepted bills and printed ticket vouchers;

wherein the game controller includes a processor and a memory secured within the cabinet configured to;

     1) control a wager-based game played on the EGM;

     2) redeem virtual ticket vouchers and printed ticket vouchers;

     3) receive an indication to transfer value to the EGM via a virtual ticket voucher, receive the virtual ticket voucher including a virtual ticket voucher validation number from the portable electronic device via the wireless interface;

     4) validate the virtual ticket voucher with the validation server via the network interface;

     5) deposit a credit amount associated with the virtual ticket voucher; and

     6) notify the validation server that the virtual ticket voucher is redeemed.

2. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to receive information from the validation server that the virtual ticket voucher is invalid and, in response, output a message indicating the virtual ticket voucher is invalid.

3. The EGM of claim 2, wherein the message is sent to the portable electronic device or output to the display.

4. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the removable cash box includes a memory configured to store virtual ticket voucher information.

5. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to render at least a front side image of the virtual ticket voucher and output the image to the display.

6. The EGM of claim 5, wherein the front side image of the virtual ticket voucher is formatted like the printed ticket voucher generated on the EGM.

7. The EGM of claim 5, wherein the game controller is further configured to receive formatting data from the portable electronic device and render the front side image of the virtual ticket voucher using the received formatting data.

8. The EGM of claim 5, wherein the front side image is rendered to the display to appear similar to the printed ticket voucher generated on the EGM.

9. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to update one or more hard meters in response to redeeming the virtual ticket voucher.

10. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to, in response to redeeming the virtual ticket voucher, update a first soft meter that accumulates a number of virtual tickets redeemed and a second soft meter that accumulates a value of the virtual tickets redeemed.

11. The EGM of claim 10, wherein the game controller is further configured to enter into an operator mode and output values associated with the first soft meter and the second soft meter.

12. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to enter into a dispute resolution mode and output virtual ticket voucher information associated with the virtual ticket voucher.

13. The EGM of claim 12, wherein the game controller is further configured to render an image of the virtual ticket voucher to the display.

14. The EGM of claim 1, further comprising a button coupled to the game controller configured to generate a signal to indicate a desire to transfer credits to the EGM via the virtual ticket voucher.

15. An electronic gaming machine (EGM) comprising:

a cabinet;

a display mounted to the cabinet;

a wireless interface for communicating with a portable electronic device;

a network interface for communicating with a validation server secured within the cabinet;

a game controller, including a processor and a memory secured within the cabinet, configured to;

     1) control a wager-based game played on the electronic gaming machine;

     2) accept and issue virtual ticket vouchers;

     3) receive a request to issue a first virtual ticket voucher and, in response, request a validation number from the validation server via the network interface, generate the first virtual ticket voucher including the validation number, issue the first virtual ticket voucher by transmitting the first virtual ticket voucher to the portable electronic device via the wireless interface; and

     4) receive a request to accept a second virtual ticket voucher and, in response, receive information associated with the second virtual ticket voucher, validate the second virtual ticket voucher with the validation server and, when the second virtual ticket voucher is validated, deposit a value associated with the second virtual ticket voucher to the EGM.

16. The EGM of claim 15, wherein the request to issue the first virtual ticket voucher is received from a remote server separate from the validation server.

17. The EGM of claim 15, wherein the request to issue the first virtual ticket voucher is received from the portable electronic device.

18. The EGM of claim 15, wherein the request to accept the second virtual ticket voucher is received from a remote server separate from the validation server.

19. The EGM of claim 15, wherein the request to accept the second virtual ticket voucher is received from the portable electronic device.

20. The EGM of claim 15, wherein the game controller is further configured to receive information from the validation server that the second virtual ticket voucher is invalid and, in response, output a message indicating the second virtual ticket voucher is invalid.