Cashless peripheral device for a gaming system

• US 6,340,331 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1998
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coinless Sys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Coinless Sys Incorporated
• Inventors: Sorenson, Dennis Willard, Saunders, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/096,095
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-17, 463/25, 463/29, 463/36, 700/91, 700/93, 235/375, 235/380, 273/269, 273/236, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A cashless peripheral device connecting to a gaming system. The gaming system issues a “cash-out” signal when a player quits playing and receives a “cash-in” signal when a player desires to play a game in the gaming system. A stack of continuous unprinted tickets is stored in the interior of the device. A ticket printer prints a coded value, such as a bar code, on a ticket in response to a cash-out signal from the gaming system. A ticket reader reads the amount printed on the ticket. If the printed value corresponds to the value which should have been printed, a ticket-out transport delivers the printed ticket to the player cashing out from the gaming system. When a player inserts the printed ticket into the device a ticket-in transport senses the insertion and the ticket reader reads the coded value from the inserted printed ticket. The ticket reader issues a cash-in signal to the gaming system corresponding to the value read from the coded value on the inserted printed ticket. After reading, the ticket is delivered into a ticket bin, which is secured by means of a lock internally in the housing.

Claims

1. A cashless peripheral device for use in a gaming machine which is connected to a central computer, the gaming machine issuing a cash-out signal to the central computer when a player wishes to cash out any gaming credits the player has accrued, the cashless peripheral device comprising:

a) at least one unprinted ticket;

b) means for printing on an unprinted ticket a coded value based on the cash-out signal from the central computer;

c) means for transporting the printed ticket to a verification location;

d) at the verification location, means for verifying the coded value on the printed ticket; and

e) means for dispensing the printed ticket from the gaming machine if the coded value on the printed ticket is verified as correct.

2. The cashless peripheral device of claim 1 wherein the coded value is in bar code format.

3. The cashless peripheral device of claim 1 wherein the means for printing is a thermal bar code printer.

4. A cashless peripheral device for use in a gaming machine which is connected to a central computer, the gaming machine issuing a cash-in signal to the central computer when a player wishes to add gaming credits to the gaming machine using a printed gaming ticket having a coded value thereon, the cashless peripheral device comprising:

a) a ticket reader mounted inside the cashless peripheral device at a verification location;

b) the ticket reader including means for reading the coded value on the printed ticket;

c) means for verifying the gaming ticket as valid when the coded value read matches the coded value stored at a central computer; and

d) means for issuing a cash-in signal to the gaming machine corresponding to the read coded value when the gaming ticket is verified as valid.

5. The cashless peripheral device of claim 4 wherein the coded value is in bar code format.

6. The cashless peripheral device of claim 4 including means for holding the printed ticket when the coded value read is different from the coded value printed such that the printed ticket is invalid.

7. The cashless peripheral device of claim 4 further including means for sensing when a printed ticket is inserted into the ticket reader.

8. A cashless peripheral device for use in a gaming machine which is connected to a central computer, the gaming machine issuing a cash-out signal to the central computer when a player wishes to cash out any gaming credits the player has accrued, the cashless peripheral device comprising:

a) a housing including a front surface having first and second formed slots;

b) a plurality of unprinted tickets;

c) a ticket storage location mounted inside the housing for storing the unprinted tickets;

d) a ticket-out transport device mounted inside the housing behind the first formed slot;

e) a ticket printer mounted inside the housing between the ticket storage location and the ticket-out transport device;

f) a ticket reader mounted inside the housing at a verification location behind the first and second formed slots;

g) the ticket printer responsive to the cash-out signal from the central computer for printing a coded value based on the cash-out signal on one of the unprinted tickets;

h) the ticket reader including means for reading the coded value on the printed ticket, the ticket transport device advancing the printed ticket out of the first formed slot when the coded value read matches the coded value printed;

i) a ticket-in transport device mounted in the housing behind the second formed slot for receiving a printed ticket inserted by the player;

j) the ticket reader including means for reading the coded value from the inserted printed ticket, the ticket reader issuing the cash-in signal corresponding to the read coded value to the central computer; and

k) a ticket bin receiving the read ticket from the ticket-in transport for securely storing the read ticket.

9. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 wherein the coded value is in bar code format.

10. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 wherein the ticket printer is a thermal bar code printer.

11. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 wherein the ticket-in and ticket-out transports are roller fed.

12. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 further comprising a ticket cutter mounted inside the housing between the ticket printer and the ticket-out transport, the ticket cutter cutting the printed ticket from an adjacent unprinted ticket.

13. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 wherein the ticket-in transport delivers the inserted printed ticket out of the second formed slot when the read coded value form the inserted ticket is invalid.

14. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 further comprising a display on the front surface.

15. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 further comprising a keypad on the front surface.

16. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 further comprising:

a) a formed third slot on the front surface of the housing; and

b) a card reader in the housing behind the third formed slot for reading the identification information on a player card.

17. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 wherein the ticket bin is locked into the housing.

18. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 wherein the ticket-out transport holds the printed ticket when the coded value read is different from the coded value printed.

19. The cashless peripheral device of claim 8 further comprising a sensor near the second formed slot for sensing when a ticket is inserted into the second formed slot.