Gaming device including a card processing assembly having vertically-stacked card holders operable with thermally-printable data cards and portable card changeover machines

• US 8,057,296 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hedrick, Joseph R., Crivelli, Franco, Wells, William R., Parrott, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liddle; Jay Trent
• Application Number:
  US11/158,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20050282627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463/43, 463/47
• 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 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

A gaming device having a card management system which is operable to manage a plurality of circulating data cards. The gaming device includes a card read-write device for reading data cards, a plurality of vertically-stacked card holders for holding a plurality of data cards and one or more card transporters for moving data cards to and from the card holders. The gaming device is operable with a portable card changeover machine. The present invention increases the convenience and efficiency for playing and managing gaming devices.

Claims

1. A portable card changeover machine comprising:

a housing;

at least one portable card changeover machine card holder supported by the housing and configured to hold a plurality of data cards at one time;

a mouth including a slot sized to receive and dispense each of said data cards;

at least one gaming device securing member supported by the housing adjacent to said mouth, said gaming device securing member configured to removably secure the housing to a gaming device, the gaming device having a gaming device processor and at least one gaming device card holder configured to hold a plurality of the data cards at one time;

a card transport device supported by the housing;

a portable card changeover machine processor;

at least one data interface device configured to operatively couple said portable card changeover machine processor to the gaming device processor;

a battery power source configured to provide power to the portable card changeover machine processor and the card transport device; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the portable card changeover machine processor, cause the portable card changeover machine processor to communicate with the gaming device processor while the housing is secured to the gaming device and to operate with the at least one portable card changeover machine card holder and the card transport device to;

(a) receive at least one of the data cards from the at least one gaming device card holder, and

(b) distribute at least one of the data cards from the at least one portable card changeover machine card holder to the at least one gaming device card holder.

2. The portable card changeover machine of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one portable card changeover machine card holder is configured to hold data cards to be received from the at least one gaming device card holder.

3. The portable card changeover machine of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one portable card changeover machine card holder is configured to hold data cards to be distributed to the at least one gaming device card holder.

4. The portable card changeover machine of claim 1, wherein the mouth includes at least one wall configured to engage a gaming device card mouth.

5. The portable card changeover machine of claim 1, wherein the data interface device includes at least one electronic connector configured to connect to an electronic connector of the gaming device.

6. The portable card changeover machine of claim 1, which includes an access wall supported by the housing, the access wall movable between a plurality of positions so as to facilitate replacement of the data cards received from the at least one gaming device card holder.

7. The portable card changeover machine of claim 1, which includes at least one input device operatively coupled to the portable card changeover machine processor, the input device configured to enable a user to provide inputs to control operation of the card transport device.

8. The portable card changeover machine of claim 1, which includes at least one output device operatively coupled to the portable card changeover machine processor, the output device configured to provide a user with audio or visual outputs associated with the operation of the card transport device.

9. The portable card changeover machine of claim 1, which includes at least one hand grip member supported by the housing.

10. The portable card changeover machine of claim 1, which includes at least one support member connected to the housing, the support member including a gaming device engagement member, the support member configured to transfer a portion of weight of the portable card changeover machine to the gaming device.

11. A gaming device comprising:

a processor;

a housing;

a card management assembly supported by the housing and including;

(a) at least one card processing assembly including;

(i) a data read device configured to read machine-readable data on a plurality of data cards, and

(ii) a data storing device configured to store machine-readable data on the data cards,

(b) a card transporter configured to transport the data cards,

(c) a first card holder configured to;

(i) receive a plurality of the data cards, and

(ii) store a plurality of the data cards at one time, and

(d) a second card holder positioned above or below the first card holder and configured to;

(i) receive a plurality of the data cards, and

(ii) store a plurality of the data cards at one time;

a card mouth supported by the housing and including;

(a) a plurality of walls supported by the housing and defining a slot sized to receive and dispense one of the data cards, and

(b) at least one connector supported by the housing and configured to electronically couple a portable card changeover machine to the card management assembly;

a plurality of walls supported by the housing and positioned adjacent to the card mouth, the walls being configured to engage at least one securing member of the portable card changeover machine to removably secure the portable card changeover machine to the card mouth;

an indicator supported by the housing and surrounding the perimeter of the card mouth;

at least one light source supported by the housing and configured to cause the indicator to display different visual effects, each of the different visual effects being associated with a different event that occurs during operation of the gaming device;

a display device supported by the housing; and

at least one memory device which stores;

(a) data corresponding to a game operable upon a wager; and

(b) a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the card management assembly to;

(1) read machine-readable data of one of the data cards;

(2) determine whether a designated condition is satisfied; and

(3) when the designated condition is satisfied, move said data card to the second card holder, where the data card is retained for a period of time after a plurality of plays of the game.

12. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the data read device is a magnetized device.

13. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the card processing assembly includes a graphics printer and a graphics eraser.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the card processing assembly includes at least one thermal energy source operatively coupled to the graphics printer such that the thermal energy source is configured to operate with the graphics printer to produce graphics on each one of the data cards.

15. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the card processing assembly includes at least one thermal energy source operatively coupled to the graphics eraser such that the thermal energy source is configured to operate with the graphics eraser to remove graphics from each one of the data cards.

16. The gaming device of claim 11, which includes an eject device supported by the housing and positioned adjacent to the card mouth.

17. The gaming device of claim 11, which includes a card mouth display device supported by the housing and positioned adjacent to the card mouth, said card mouth display device configured to display graphics indicating information related to the use of one of the data cards with the gaming device.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the at least one card processing assembly includes a graphics printer, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the card mouth display device and the graphics printer to:

(a) cause the card mouth display device to display a plurality of different graphics;

(b) enable a player to select one of the displayed graphics; and

(c) cause the graphics printer to print the selected graphics on the data card.

19. The gaming device of claim 11, which includes a card mouth display device supported by the housing and positioned adjacent to the card mouth and an eject device supported by the housing and positioned adjacent to the card mouth, wherein the at least one card processing assembly includes a thermal graphics printer and a thermal graphics eraser, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the card management assembly, the display device, the eject device, the card mouth display device, and the at least one light source to:

(a) direct light toward the indicator to display at least one of the different visual effects;

(b) receive one of the data cards through the slot;

(c) read any machine-readable data stored on the received data card;

(d) perform at least one of;

(i) cause the thermal graphics printer to thermally produce graphics on the received data card, and

(ii) cause the thermal graphics eraser to thermally remove graphics from the received data card;

(e) cause the card mouth display device to display graphics associated with an input opportunity on the card mouth display device, the input opportunity being associated with one of the data cards;

(f) cause the display device to display graphics associated with a play of the game; and

(g) in response to an activation of the eject device, dispense the received data card through the card mouth.

20. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the indicator has a rectangular shape.

21. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, following a card eject event, cause the at least one light source to cause the indicator to display a visual effect associated with the eject event.

22. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the gaming device includes a plurality of light sources.

23. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein each of the light sources produces light of a different color.

24. The gaming device of claim 11, which includes a card changeover door coupled to the housing by at least one coupling member.

25. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the card changeover door includes at least one grip member configured to facilitate opening and closing of the card changeover door.

26. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the card changeover door includes at least one lock configured to facilitate locking of the card changeover door.