Currency container tracking system and a currency container for use therewith
First Claim
1. A system for tracking currency containers in a gaming casino, comprising:
- a) a currency container adapted for removable insertion in a gaming machine and adapted to receive currency therefrom, said currency container comprising a memory device having means for electrically communicating with said gaming machine, whereby data may be stored in said memory device by said gaming machine;
b) receiving means adapted to engagebly receive and secure said currency container once removed from said gaming machine, said receiving means being adapted for electrical communication with said memory device and also adapted to read and verify at least a portion of said data stored in said memory device; and
c) monitoring means operatively connected to said receiving means for substantially continuously monitoring the presence of said currency container within said receiving means and substantially continuously monitoring the validity of at least a portion of said data.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention features a tracking system for currency containers in a gaming casino. Currency is received in removable containers having a memory chip for storing information such as the container ID, the ID of the gaming machine, the date and time the container was placed in a gaming machine. A mobile cart or a hand-carried unit is provided to store and transport the containers to a counting room. Data in each container'"'"'s memory is verified and continuously monitored by the cart. A docking station verifies, reads, and transmits data to a remote computer and also provides a printout. All temporary data is erased from memory, and the containers are ready for reuse. Each time a container is inserted into a machine or other apparatus, a date and time is written to memory so that a complete adit trail is available.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system for tracking currency containers in a gaming casino, comprising:
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a) a currency container adapted for removable insertion in a gaming machine and adapted to receive currency therefrom, said currency container comprising a memory device having means for electrically communicating with said gaming machine, whereby data may be stored in said memory device by said gaming machine;
b) receiving means adapted to engagebly receive and secure said currency container once removed from said gaming machine, said receiving means being adapted for electrical communication with said memory device and also adapted to read and verify at least a portion of said data stored in said memory device; and
c) monitoring means operatively connected to said receiving means for substantially continuously monitoring the presence of said currency container within said receiving means and substantially continuously monitoring the validity of at least a portion of said data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for securely receiving, tracking and transporting currency from a currency-operated machine, comprising:
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a) a currency container adapted to receive and store currency from a currency operated machine, said currency container comprising a non-volatile memory device;
b) at least one currency operated machine adapted to removably receive said currency container, said machine comprising first interface means adapted to communicate with said non-volatile memory device and selectively read data from and write data to said non-volatile memory device;
c) a transport apparatus adapted to removably and engagebly receive and secure a currency container and comprising second interface means adapted to communicate with said non-volatile memory device of said currency container and selectively read data from and write data to said non-volatile memory device; and
d) a docking station for removably receiving said currency container, said docking station means comprising third interface means adapted to communicate with said non-volatile memory device and selectively read data from and write data to said non-volatile memory device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for utilizing a currency container in a currency container tracking system, the steps comprising:
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a) providing an initialized currency container adapted for receiving currency from a currency receiving machine, said currency container comprising a nonvolatile memory device adapted to electronically store data therein;
b) providing at least one currency receiving machine adapted for engagebly receiving and securing currency from a user thereof and depositing said currency into said currency container, said currency receiving machine being adapted to communicate with said non-volatile memory device of said currency container thereby facilitating reading data from and writing data to said non-volatile memory device;
c) initiating a valid life cycle by inserting said initialized currency container into said currency receiving machine and writing data representative of at least one of;
a unique ID of said currency receiving machine, a date, and a time into said nonvolatile memory device;
d) receiving currency from said currency receiving machine and depositing said currency in said currency container;
e) periodically writing data representative of at least one of;
a unique ID of said currency receiving machine, a date, and a time into said non-volatile memory device;
f) removing said currency container from said currency receiving machine and inserting said currency container into a receiving apparatus;
g) substantially continuously monitoring the presence of said currency container within said receiving apparatus and substantially continuously monitoring the validity of at least a portion of said data via monitoring means operatively connected to said receiving apparatus;
(h) transporting said currency container in said receiving apparatus to a secure space;
i) removing said currency container from said receiving apparatus and inserting said currency container into a docking station;
j) verifying at least a portion of said data in said memory device;
k) printing at least a portion of said data along with a bar code representative of at least a portion of said data thereby creating a printed document; and
l) removing said currency from said currency container and uniting said printed document with said removed currency. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification