Gaming device having a cash out menu screen and a system and method for enabling a player to retrieve money from a gaming device

• US 6,579,179 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hollibaugh, Larry R., Poole, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/819,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20020045476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/12, 463/13, 463/16-20, 463/25-30, 463/40-42, 273/292, 273/293, 273/143.R, 273/138.2, 273/139, 700/91, 700/92, 700/93, 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/379, 705/16, 705/17, 705/18, 705/35, 705/39, 705/41-45, 902/23
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

The present invention is an operator configurable cash out menu that is displayed when a player presses the cash out button of a gaming device. The present invention provides for more flexible cash outs than in known gaming systems, wherein the player can select one or more methods of payment. The player can select an amount of coins to issue from a coin payout tray. The player can also select an amount of money to issue on a ticket that the gaming device prints and provides to the player, whereby the player can redeem the ticket for cash. The present invention also enables the player to select different amounts of money to cash out. The player can choose: (i) to have some or all of the amount issue as coins from the coin payout tray; (ii) to have some or all of the amount issue as cash printed on a ticket; or (iii) to have some issue as coins and some issue as cash printed on a ticket.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a controller;

a wagering game controlled by the controller;

a display device connected to said controller;

an input device connected operably to said controller;

a cash out menu selectively displayed by said display device when a player selects said input device, said cash out menu including means for enabling the player to request an amount of the player'"'"'s money in two different forms and the amount of said money in each said form, wherein the amount of the player'"'"'s money is stored by the controller; and

means for providing the player the amount of money in each form and in each amount requested by said player using said cash out menu.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the wagering game is a primary game.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said means for providing the amount of said player'"'"'s money includes means for providing an amount of coins or tokens requested by said player.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the cash out menu includes means for enabling said player to request a maximum amount of coins or tokens.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said means for providing the amount of said player'"'"'s money includes means for providing an operator defined amount of coins or tokens.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein one of the different forms includes an amount recording device representing or storing the amount of said player'"'"'s money requested in said form.

7. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein said amount recording device includes a ticket, a credit card, a debit card, a smart card, or a hand pay indication.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the cash out menu includes means for enabling said player to request that an amount recording device receive all of said player'"'"'s money.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said means for providing an amount of said player'"'"'s money includes means for providing a player selectable amount of coins or token and an amount recording device having a player selectable amount of the player'"'"'s money.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said cash out menu includes means for displaying an addition of a player selectable amount of coins or tokens and a player selectable ticket amount.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said cash out menu includes means for canceling said player'"'"'s request.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said cash out menu includes means for returning to the wagering game.

48. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the forms can be subsequently used to play the wagering game.

13. A system for enabling a player to retrieve the player'"'"'s money from a gaming device, said system comprising:

a controller operable to control the gaming device;

means connected to said controller for inputting a decision to retrieve said player'"'"'s money;

a display device connected to said controller;

a menu displayed by said display device adapted to indicate a plurality of different forms of payment and enable a player to request an amount of the player'"'"'s money in one, a plurality of or all of the plurality of different forms of payment;

means for providing the player the requested amount of said player'"'"'s money in each form requested by the player; and

wherein said plurality of different forms include a coin or token payment and an amount recording device payment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said means for inputting a decision to retrieve said player'"'"'s money includes a selector chosen from the group consisting of an electro-mechanical selector and an area on a touch screen associated with said controller.

15. The system of claim 13, which includes means for issuing a player selectable amount of coins or tokens.

16. The system of claim 13, which includes means for issuing an operator selectable amount of coins or tokens.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the different forms is an amount recording device, said amount recording device selected from the group consisting of:

a ticket, a debit card, a credit card, and a smart card.

18. The system of claim 17, which includes means for said player to redeem said amount recording device for said amount of money stored on or represented on said amount recording device.

19. The system of claim 13, which includes a local area or wide area network connection to said controller and means for accessing at least one service provider.

20. The system of claim 19, which includes means for accessing a restaurant, laundry facility or cosmetic operations via said local area network connection.

21. The system of claim 19, which includes means for accessing a restaurant, laundry facility, cosmetic operation, hotel or airline via said wide area network connection.

22. A method for enabling a player to retrieve the player'"'"'s money from a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling said player to selectively request a menu to be displayed on a display device of the gaming device;

(b) displaying said menu to said player upon the player'"'"'s request, said menu including an indication of a plurality of different forms of payment;

(c) enabling said player to request an amount of the player'"'"'s money in one of, a plurality of or all of the plurality of the different forms of payment indicated by the menu and the amount in each form using said menu;

(d) providing said requested money to said player in each of the requested different forms of payments; and

wherein one of the different forms of payment is coins or tokens.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein one of the forms of payment selected from the group consisting of:

a ticket, a debit card, a credit card, and a smart card.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein another one of the different forms is selected from the group consisting of:

a ticket, a debit card, a credit card, and a smart card.

25. The method of claim 24, which includes the step of displaying on said menu an amount equal to the sum of said amount of coins or tokens and said amount said amount in said other form.

26. The method of claim 22, which includes the step of enabling said player to request an operator defined amount of coins or tokens using said menu.

27. The method of claim 22, which includes the step of enabling said player to request a maximum allowable amount of coins or tokens using said menu.

28. The method of claim 22, which includes the step of enabling said player to request all of said player'"'"'s money using said menu via a device selected from the group consisting of:

a ticket, a debit card, a credit card, and a smart card.

29. The method of claim 22, which includes the step of enabling said player to cancel said retrieval of said player'"'"'s money before providing said money to said player.

30. The method of claim 22, which includes the step of enabling said player to request a player selectable amount of coins or tokens using said menu.

31. A gaming device comprising:

a controller operable to control a wagering game device;

a display device connected to said controller;

a cash out menu selectively displayed on said display device upon a player input;

means on said cash out menu for indicating a plurality of different forms of payment and accepting a request to issue an amount of said player'"'"'s money in one of, a plurality of or all of the plurality of different forms and the amount in each different form; and

wherein said means for accepting a request to issue an amount of money includes means for accepting a request for an amount or coins or tokens.

32. The gaming device of claim 31, which includes means for accepting a request to display the cash out menu.

33. The gaming device of claim 32, wherein said cash out menu includes means for accepting a request for a maximum amount of coins or tokens.

34. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein said cash out menu includes means for accepting a request for an operator defined amount of coins or tokens.

35. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein said means for accepting a request to issue an amount of money includes means for accepting a the request for an amount stored on or represented by an amount recording device.

36. The gaming device of claim 35, wherein said amount recording device includes a ticket, a credit card, a debit card, or a smart card.

37. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the cash out menu includes means for accepting a request for all of said player'"'"'s money via an amount recording device.

38. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein said cash out menu includes means for accepting a request for an operator definable amount of money via an amount recording device.

39. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein said cash out menu includes means for displaying a requested amount of coins or tokens.

40. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein said cash out menu includes means for displaying a requested amount of money for an amount stored on or represented by an amount recording device.

41. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein said cash out menu includes means for displaying an addition of a requested amount of coins or tokens and a requested amount of money for an amount stored on or represented by an amount recording device.

42. A system for enabling a player to retrieve money of the player, said system comprising:

at least one gaming device including a wagering game;

each said gaming device having a controller associated with said gaming device;

means associated with each gaming device connected to said controller for inputting a decision to retrieve said player'"'"'s money;

a display device connected to each said controller;

a menu displayed by said display device that indicates a plurality of different forms of payment and enables a player to request an amount of the player'"'"'s money in one of, a plurality of or all forms of payment from the plurality of different forms of payment;

wherein one of the different forms of payment is coins or tokens; and

means associated with each gaming device for providing a requested amount of said player'"'"'s money in each of the forms requested by the player.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein said system includes means for redemption of said player'"'"'s money at a different location than each said gaming machine.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the form is selected from the group consisting of:

coins, tokens, a ticket, a debit card, a credit card, a smart card, a note and a hand pay.

45. A method for a player to retrieve a player'"'"'s money stored by a processor of a gaming device which controls a wagering game, said method comprising:

(a) enabling the player to request a cash out of an amount of the player'"'"'s money including a first portion of the player'"'"'s money in coins or tokens and a second portion of the player'"'"'s money in a ticket form;

(b) paying the first portion of the amount to the player in coins or tokens; and

(c) during the same cash out, paying the second portion of the amount to the player in the ticket form.

46. The method of claim 45, which includes the step of providing a menu that indicates the coins or tokens and ticket form and enables the player to request the cash out.

47. The method of claim 46, which includes providing the menu when the player selects a cash out input device.