Cashless method for a gaming system

• US 6,547,664 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Mikohn Gaming Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Saunders, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sager, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASHBURN, STEVEN L
• Application Number:
  US09/872,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 235/1.B, 235/51, 235/54.F, 235/48, 235/380-82, 463/25, 463/29, 463/16-17, 273/138.1, 273/148.R, 700/225, 700/233, 700/235, 700/237, 700/231, 705/65-67, 705/17-18, 705/12, 705/14, 902/23
• 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 method interfacing with 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 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 method for a plurality of gaming machines comprising:

receiving a player PIN number at a first gaming machine in said plurality of gaming machines, the player PIN number input by a player into the first gaming machine,

receiving a cash-out signal corresponding to a value in the first gaming machine,

printing, at the first gaming machine, coded information at least including the value from the cash-out signal and the received player PIN number on a ticket,

delivering the printed ticket from the first gaming machine to the player,

receiving the printed ticket when inserted by the player at a second gaming machine in said plurality of gaming machines,

receiving the player PIN number at the second gaming machine from the player, the player PIN number input by the player into the second gaming machine,

reading at the second gaming machine the coded information from the received ticket,

issuing a cash-in signal corresponding to the value from the read coded information to the second gaming machine when the player PIN number received by the second gaming machine matches the player PIN number in the read coded information so that the player can play the second gaming machine,

holding the received ticket at the second gaming machine when the player PIN number does not match the read coded information.

2. A cashless method for first and second gaming machines comprising:

receiving a player PIN number from a player at the first gaming machine, the player PIN number input by the player into the first gaming machine,

the first gaming machine issuing a cash-out signal having a cash-out value,

printing, at the first gaming machine, a code containing at least the cash-out value from the cash-out signal and the received player PIN number on a ticket,

delivering the printed ticket from the first gaming machine to the player,

receiving the player PIN number at the second gaming machine from the player, the player PIN number input by the player into the second gaming machine,

receiving the printed ticket when inserted at the second gaming machine from the player,

reading, at the second gaming machine, the cash-out value and the player PIN number in the printed code on the received ticket with a reader,

issuing a cash-in signal corresponding to the read cash-out value into the second gaming machine when the received player PIN number at the second gaming machine matches the read player PIN number in the printed code on the received ticket.

3. A cashless method for outputting monetary value from a gaming machine to a player comprising:

receiving a player PIN number for the player from a keypad on the gaming machine,

receiving a cash-out signal having the monetary value in the gaming machine,

obtaining one of a plurality of unprinted tickets stored at the gaming machine in response to the cash-out signal,

printing, at the gaming machine, a code containing at least the monetary value and the received player PIN number on the obtained one ticket,

delivering the printed ticket to the player from the gaming machine.