Voucher gaming system

• US 6,500,067 B1
• Filed: 10/16/1999
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sierra Design Group (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Warren R., Luciano, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): White, Carmen D.
• Application Number:
  US09/420,221
• Time in Patent Office: 1,172 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-21, 463/25, 463/40-42
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

The present specification discloses a flexible, adapable voucher gaming system having a LAN interconnecting a cashier terminal, a central voucher-record database server, one or more logical gaming controllers, and a plurality of player terminals in order to play games of chance at each player terminal. The system provides voucher printers at the cashier terminal and preferably at the player terminals as well. The vouchers include unique bar codes printed on the vouchers, and the bar codes are readable by scanners at the cashier terminal and at the player terminals. The player terminals are preferably adapted to provide the player with the option of receiving at least certain amounts of cash rather than a voucher, but to also ensure that at least a voucher is provided to the player in the event that the player terminal fails to dispense cash when earned by the player and payable to the player under the game rules at the player terminal.

Claims

1. A method for using a voucher in a gaming system having a terminal device configured to allow a player to play a game whose outcome is at least partially dependent on a random event, networked with a computer having a database configured to retrievably store individual voucher data using a unique transaction number, the method comprising:

(a) having credit on a terminal device;

(b) receiving an indication from a player to issue a voucher at said terminal device;

(c) generating a unique transaction number by said terminal device;

(d) issuing a voucher having thereon said unique transaction number in machine readable form and further having thereon an indicator of a value for said voucher, said indicator of value corresponding to said credit on said terminal device;

(e) attempting to send to said database said unique transaction number and said indicator of value for said voucher;

(f) receiving a confirmation from said database that said unique transaction number and indicator of value have been retrievably stored, if said database is currently reachable; and

,

(g) re-sending at least said unique transaction number and said indicator of value for said issued voucher at a later time and then continuing to (f), if said database is currently not reachable.

2. The method of claim 1 where said terminal device having credit is a player terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 where said at least one terminal device further comprises a plurality of terminal devices and further comprises at least one cashier terminal, said cashier terminal being the terminal device having credit.

4. The method of claim 1 where said at least one terminal device further comprises a plurality of terminal devices and further comprises at least one mobile cashier terminal, said mobile cashier terminal being the terminal device having credit.

5. The method of claim 1 where said at least one terminal device further comprises a plurality of terminal devices and further comprises at least one cash exchange terminal, said cash exchange terminal being the terminal device having credit.

6. The method of claim 1 where (d) further comprises issuing a voucher where at least a portion of the machine readable form is encrypted.

7. The method of claim 1 where (a) comprises:

receiving cash at a terminal device.

8. The method of claim 7 where said terminal device receiving cash is a player terminal and (a) further comprises playing said game on said player terminal using game credits from said cash, if a player starts game play.

9. The method of claim 7 where said terminal device receiving cash is one of:

a cashier terminal;

a mobile cashier terminal;

or, a cash exchange terminal and (b) comprises;

starting the issuance of a voucher receivable by a player automatically.

10. The method of claim 1 where (c) further comprises:

generating a unique transaction number using at least random numbers from a random number generator and a terminal device identifier associated with said terminal device.

11. The method of claim 1 where (c) further comprises:

generating a unique transaction number using at least date, time, and a terminal device identifier associated with said terminal device.

12. A method for using a voucher in a gaming system having a terminal device configured to allow a player to play a game whose outcome is at least partially dependent on a random event, networked with a computer having a database configured to retrievably store individual voucher data using a unique transaction number, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a voucher on a terminal device;

(b) getting from said voucher a transaction number and a value indicator;

(c) attempting to send to said database said transaction number and said value indicator;

(d) receiving a confirmation from said database that said unique transaction number and indicator of value are validated, if said database is currently reachable;

(e) making available to a player one of game credits or cash, in an amount corresponding to said indicator of value;

(f) re-sending at least said unique transaction number and said indicator of value from said received voucher at a later time, if said database is currently not reachable; and

,

(g) repeating (f) until receiving a confirmation from said database that said unique transaction number and indicator of value have been received by said database.

13. The method of claim 12 where said terminal device receiving a voucher is a player terminal and (e) comprises making game credit available on said player terminal in an amount corresponding to said indicator of value.

14. The method of claim 12 where said terminal device receiving a voucher is one of:

a cashier terminal;

a mobile cashier terminal;

or, a cash exchange terminal and (e) comprises making cash available to a player in an amount corresponding to said indicator of value.

15. The method of claim 12 where (b) further comprises:

where said transaction number is based on a random number and a terminal device identifier associated with a terminal device that issued said received voucher.

16. The method of claim 12 where (b) further comprises:

where said transaction number is based on at least date, time, and a terminal device identifier associated with a terminal device that issued said received voucher.

17. A gaming system comprising:

a computer having a database operably disposed therein, said database configured to retrievably store individual voucher data using a unique transaction number;

a plurality of terminal devices where at least one terminal device is configured to allow a player to play a game whose outcome is at least partially dependent on a random event;

a network connecting said computer having said database and said plurality of terminal devices;

a terminal device identifier in each of said terminal devices, configured to be usable to generate unique transaction numbers;

a voucher device operably disposed in each of said terminal devices, configured to read and write vouchers;

a program operably disposed within each of said terminal devices, said program configured to generate unique transaction numbers using said terminal device identifier, associate one unique transaction number with data usable to issue a voucher, issue a voucher using said voucher device having thereon said associated unique transaction number and data where the unique transaction number and data are in at least machine readable form, and further configured to attempt to send said associated unique transaction number and data to said database and to receive a confirmation from said database that said associated unique transaction number and data has been retrievably stored if said database is currently reachable, and to re-send said associated unique transaction number and data at a later time if said database is not currently reachable, and to continue to re-send said associated unique transaction number and data at additional later times until a confrontation is received from said database that said associated unique transaction number and data has been retrievably stored.

18. The gaming system of claim 17 where said code in each of said terminal devices is further configured to generate unique transaction numbers using said terminal device identifier and a random number from a random number generator.

19. The gaming system of claim 17 where said code in each of said terminal devices is further configured to generate unique transaction numbers using said terminal device identifier and at least a date and time.