Method of processing a user data card, an interface module and a gaming system

• US 8,240,558 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: O'Donnell, Peter William
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/354,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20090230186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/492, 235/493
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/125 Offline card verification

Abstract

A method of processing a user data card comprising: determining that a user data card comprising a non-compatible smart card has been entered into a card reader; obtaining a user identifier from a magnetic stripe of the user data card; and processing the user identifier to obtain data from a user record to enable further processing in respect of the user data card.

Claims

1. A method of processing a user data card in a new loyalty system comprising:

determining that a user data card comprising a smart card has been entered into a card reader of the new loyalty system, the smart card being incompatible with the new loyalty system and compatible with a superseded loyalty system;

obtaining a user identifier from a magnetic stripe of the user data card; and

processing the user identifier to obtain data from a corresponding user record to enable further processing of the user data card in the new loyalty system.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further processing includes transferring credit from the corresponding user record to a gaming machine.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising transferring credit to the corresponding user record from a gaming machine.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising issuing an error message if the user data card does not have a magnetic stripe or the magnetic stripe does not have a user identifier.

5. An interface module for a gaming system, the interface module arranged to be placed in data communication with a card reader and a user database storing user records, the interface module arranged to:

determine that a user data card comprising a smart card has been entered into a card reader of a new loyalty system, the smart card being incompatible with the new loyalty system and compatible with a superseded loyalty system;

obtain a user identifier from a magnetic stripe of the user data card; and

process the user identifier to obtain data from a corresponding user record associated with the identifier to enable further processing of the user data card in the new loyalty system.

6. An interface module as claimed in claim 5, arranged to process the user identifier to send a request to a user server storing said user record.

7. An interface module as claimed in claim 5, wherein the further processing includes participating in a transfer of credit from the corresponding user record to a gaming machine.

8. An interface module as claimed in claim 5, wherein the further processing includes participating in a transfer of credit to the corresponding user record from a gaming machine.

9. An interface module as claimed in claim 5, arranged to issue an error message if the user data card does not have a magnetic stripe or the magnetic stripe does not have a user identifier.

10. A gaming system comprising:

a card reader arranged for use in a new loyalty system;

a user database storing user records; and

an interface module arranged to;

determine that a user data card comprising a smart card has been entered into the card reader, the smart card being incompatible with the new loyalty system and compatible with a superseded loyalty system;

obtain a user identifier from a magnetic stripe of the user data card; and

process the user identifier to obtain data from a user record associated with the user identifier to enable further processing of the user data card in the new loyalty system.

11. A gaming system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a gaming machine, and wherein the further processing comprises transferring credit from the user record to the gaming machine.

12. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11, comprising a player marketing module in data communication with the gaming machine, the card reader and the interface module provided by the player marketing module.

13. A gaming system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a gaming machine, and wherein the further processing comprises transferring credit to the user record from the gaming machine.

14. A gaming system as claimed in claim 10, comprising a user server hosting said user database.

15. A gaming system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the interface module is arranged to issue an error message if the user data card does not have a magnetic stripe or the magnetic stripe does not have a user identifier.

16. A gaming system comprising:

a card reader arranged for use in a new loyalty system;

a user database storing user records; and

an interface module arranged to;

conduct transactions for a user in the new loyalty system by retrieving data from a user record using a user identifier obtained from a magnetic stripe of a hybrid data card while the user has a hybrid data card comprising a smart card compatible with a superseded loyalty system; and

process transactions from a smart card compatible with the new loyalty system to the exclusion of the smart card associated with the superseded loyalty system once it is detected that a user has a user data card comprising a valid smart card associated with the new loyalty system.

17. A gaming system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the interface module is arranged to write data to the valid smart card in response to determining that the user has a new user data card comprising the valid smart card.

18. A gaming system as claimed in claim 16, comprising a gaming machine and a player marketing module in data communication with the gaming machine, the card reader and the interface module provided by the player marketing module.

19. A gaming system as claimed in claim 16, comprising a user server hosting said user database.