Currency value changing apparatus enabling player to play game using various currencies, gaming system where player can play game using various currencies, individual tracking apparatus, and individual tracking system

• US 9,547,951 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEICHLITER, CHASE E
• Application Number:
  US12/511,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,729 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/27, 463/42, 463/1, 463/26, 273/138.1, 273/139
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/381 Currency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

The currency-value converter according to the present invention transmits amount-of-converted-currency data indicating the amount of basic currency identified based on the type of this currency, the amount of the currency and the exchange rate, to a controller installed in a gaming machine, when the type of currency accepted through a currency validator is not the basic currency. The exchange rate is a rate in which a correspondence relationship between an amount of the basic currency and an amount of another type of currency other than the basic currency is set for each type of currency other than the basic currency. Then, a game is played at the gaming machine based on the transmitted amount-of-converted currency.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine including a control panel capable of receiving a basic currency bill and an other than basic currency bill, and at least one of a coin, a token, or a card, and a payout device capable of outputting at least one of a basic currency bill, a coin, a token, or a card;

a currency-value converter, which is connected to a controller installed in the gaming machine;

a progressive-jackpot server;

a first currency validator capable of accepting and identifying a type and an amount of the basic currency through respective communication lines, and a second currency validator capable of accepting and identifying a type and an amount of the other than basic currency through respective communication lines,

said currency-value converter comprising;

a memory capable of receiving and storing exchange rate information indicating an exchange rate in which a correspondence relationship between an amount of basic currency and an amount of another type of currency other than said basic currency is set for each type of currency other than said basic currency; and

,

a processor programmed to;

receive type-of-currency and amount-of-currency data indicating a type and amount of currency identified by said currency validator and accepted by one of said currency validator and said gaming machine;

determine whether a type of currency indicated by the type-of-currency data received from the currency validator is said basic currency;

wherein,

when the type of currency indicated by type-of-currency data is determined to be the basic currency, execute a game at the gaming machine without accumulatively storing any portion of the amount of basic currency received to a memory of the progressive jackpot server; and

wherein,

when it is determined that the type of currency is not said basic currency, exchange a first amount of currency which is not said basic currency indicated by the amount of currency data into a second amount of basic currency and generate amount of converted currency data indicating the second amount of basic currency calculate a predetermined percentage of the second amount of basic currency, accumulatively store as a resource for a progressive jackpot payout, in the memory of the progressive jackpot server, a portion of the second amount of basic currency corresponding to the predetermined percentage calculated when the first amount of currency indicated by the amount of currency data is exchanged into the second amount of basic currency, and execute a game.

2. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein

said currency-value converter repeatedly acquires the exchange rate information indicating a correspondence relationship between an amount of basic currency and an amount of another type of currency other than said basic currency at a predetermined timing, through a communication line, and

the processor is programmed to execute the processing of:

(B) receiving information based on the exchange rate information from an exchange server each time said exchange server acquires the exchange rate information; and

(C) updating the exchange rate information stored in said memory based on the information received.

3. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined percentage comprises a currency exchange fee.

4. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined percentage comprises a fractional amount obtained by dividing an amount of basic currency corresponding to a predetermined ratio by a predetermined unit amount of basic currency, provided that an amount of basic currency corresponding to the predetermined ratio, out of the amount of basic currency equivalent to the amount of currency indicated by the amount-of-currency data received does not become a natural-number multiple of said predetermined unit-amount of basic currency.

5. The gaming system according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of gaming machines, wherein

each of the plurality of gaming machines includes a currency validator and a controller;

and

the progressive-jackpot server includes a control portion,

said currency-value converter is connected to said control portion,

said controller executes the processing of;

(a) receiving the amount-of-converted-currency data; and

(b) executing the game based on a BET value, said BET value being an amount of basic currency obtained by subtracting an amount of basic currency corresponding to a predetermined fee from an amount of basic currency equivalent to the amount of currency indicated by the amount-of-currency data received by said processor in said processing (A), and

said control portion executes the processing of;

(I) cumulatively counting as a cumulative value the amount of basic currency corresponding to the predetermined fee, when the type of currency indicated by the type-of currency data received by said processor in said processing (A) is not said basic currency; and

(II) paying out game media to any of the gaming machines out of said plurality of gaming machines, based on said cumulative value, when a predetermined progressive-jackpot payout condition has been established.

6. The gaming system according to claim 5, wherein said processing (II) is the processing of paying out game media, based on said cumulative value, to a gaming machine having the currency validator through which the type of currency other than said basic currency has been accepted, out of said plurality of gaming machines, when the predetermined progressive-jackpot payout condition has been established.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a controller including an execution unit, which, when the first amount of currency indicated by the amount of currency data is exchanged into the second amount of basic currency, executes the game based on receipt of a BET amount obtained by subtracting a predetermined amount of basic currency from the second amount of basic currency indicated by the amount of currency data.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when the type of currency indicated by type-of-currency data is determined to be the basic currency and a BET is received so as to execute the game, no portion of the amount of the BET received is subtracted and stored in the progressive jackpot server.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the progressive jackpot payout amount is only awarded to a gaming machine having received a type of currency that is not said basic currency.

10. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine including a control panel capable of receiving a basic currency bill and an other than basic currency bill, and at least one of a coin, a token, or a card, and a payout device capable of outputting at least one of a basic currency bill, a coin, a token, or a card;

a currency-value converter, which is connected to a controller installed in the gaming machine;

a progressive-jackpot server;

a first currency validator capable of accepting and identifying a type and an amount of the basic currency through respective communication lines, and a second currency validator capable of accepting and identifying a type and an amount of the other than basic currency through respective communication lines,

said currency-value converter comprising;

a memory capable of receiving and storing exchange rate information indicating an exchange rate in which a correspondence relationship between an amount of basic currency and an amount of another type of currency other than said basic currency is set for each type of currency other than said basic currency; and

,

a processor programmed to;

receive type-of-currency and amount-of-currency data indicating a type and amount of currency identified by said currency validator and accepted by one of said currency validator and said gaming machine;

determine whether a type of currency indicated by the type-of-currency data received from the currency validator is said basic currency;

wherein,

when the type of currency indicated by type-of-currency data is determined to be the basic currency and upon receipt of a BET, execute a game at the gaming machine and accumulatively store a portion of the amount BET to a first memory storage area of the progressive jackpot server; and

wherein,

when it is determined that that the type of currency is not said basic currency, exchange a first amount of currency which is not said basic currency indicated by the amount of currency data into a second amount of basic currency and generate amount of converted currency data indicating the second amount of basic currency, calculate a predetermined percentage of the second amount of basic currency, accumulatively store as a resource for a progressive jackpot payout, in a second memory area of the progressive jackpot server, a portion of the second amount of basic currency corresponding to the predetermined percentage calculated when the first amount of currency indicated by the amount of currency data is exchanged into the second amount of basic currency, and execute a game.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, further comprising a controller including an execution unit, which, when the first amount of currency indicated by the amount of currency data is exchanged into the second amount of basic currency, executes the game based on receipt of a BET amount obtained by subtracting a predetermined amount of basic currency from the second amount of basic currency indicated by the amount of currency data.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein when the type of currency indicated by type-of-currency data is determined to be the basic currency and a BET is received so as to execute the game, the amount of the BET stored to the first memory storage area of the progressive jackpot server does not comprise an exchange fee.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the progressive jackpot payout amount stored in the second memory area is only awarded to a gaming machine having received a type of currency that is not said basic currency.

14. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine including a control panel capable of receiving a basic currency bill and other than a basic currency bill, as well as at least one of a coin, a token, or a card, and further including a payout device capable of outputting at least one of a basic currency bill, a coin, a token, or a card;

a currency-value converter, which is connected to a controller installed in the gaming machine;

a progressive-jackpot server; and

a first currency validator capable of accepting and identifying a type and an amount of the basic currency through respective communication lines, and a second currency validator capable of accepting and identifying a type and an amount of the other than basic currency through respective communication lines,

said currency-value converter comprising;

a memory capable of receiving and storing exchange rate information indicating an exchange rate in which a correspondence relationship between an amount of basic currency and an amount of another type of currency other than said basic currency is set for each type of currency other than said basic currency;

a processor programmed to;

receive type-of-currency and amount-of-currency data indicating a type and amount of currency identified by said currency validator and accepted by one of said currency validator and said gaming machine;

determine whether a type of currency indicated by the type-of-currency data received from the currency validator is said basic currency;

wherein,

when the type of currency indicated by type-of-currency data is determined to be the basic currency, execute a game at the gaming machine; and

wherein,

when it is determined that the type of currency is not said basic currency, exchange a first amount of currency which is not said basic currency indicated by the amount of currency data into a second amount of basic currency and generate amount of converted currency data indicating the second amount of basic currency, calculate a predetermined percentage of the second amount of basic currency, accumulatively store as a resource for a progressive jackpot payout, in the memory of the progressive jackpot server, a portion of the second amount of basic currency corresponding to the predetermined percentage calculated when the first amount of currency indicated by the amount of currency data is exchanged into the second amount of basic currency, and execute a game.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein when the type of currency indicated by type-of-currency data is determined to be the basic currency, execute the game at the gaming machine without accumulatively storing any portion of the amount of basic currency received to a memory of the progressive jackpot server.

16. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the control panel and the currency validator each include a first insertion slot that receives the basic currency and a second insertion slot that receives the other than basic currency.