Cashless reservation system

• US 8,512,118 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Muir, Robert Linley, Curry, David, Boesen, John, Lui, Louis, Jack, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US12/103,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20090104980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• 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

A gaming machine and a gaming system is described. Gaming machines may be reserved by operating a button panel. In certain embodiments the reserved gaming machine or a head system causes the printing of a ticket and when that ticket is read by a bill acceptor, the gaming machine unlocks. In other embodiments, reservation is made by other means, including player cards.

Claims

1. A gaming system including:

a system controller in communication with a plurality of gaming machines, the system controller providing credit to a gaming machine and causing the issuance of a ticket at a site remote from the gaming machine, wherein when the gaming machine receives the credit the gaming machine is locked for a predefined period of time so as to prevent play of the gaming machine, but keeps a ticket reader active, wherein the gaming machine unlocks and allows play of the gaming machine using the credit when the ticket is read by the ticket reader; and

a reservation counter that commences to countdown the predefined period of time when the gaming machine is locked, the gaming machine being unlocked when the predefined period of time expires;

wherein the system controller is configured to control the display of a reservation status indicative of the predefined period of time that the gaming machine is to remain locked, the reservation status being displayed on a display that is viewable by the player at a location remote from the locked gaming machine.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming machine includes a ticket printer and a reservation actuator operable by a player of the gaming machine to indicate that the gaming machine is to be reserved and wherein when the reservation actuator is actuated, the ticket printer prints a ticket and the gaming machine locks, maintaining the ticket reader active, and the gaming machine unlocks when the ticket reader reads the printed ticket.