Printer interpreter for a gaming machine

• US 20060205482A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Crivelli, Franco E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,062,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value

Abstract

Methods and systems for issuing cashless instruments and providing a printer interpreter for a gaming machine are disclosed. A printer and specialized printer interpreter (controller) are provided to facilitate the conversion of a specific credit amount to a currency amount in differing units (first form of currency), and the subsequent issuance of a cashless instrument reflecting that currency amount. Where the printer interpreter is reconfigurable, a second currency amount in different units (second form of currency) could also be selected. Multiple different currencies and their corresponding languages can be available to the printer interpreter, such that a given credit amount can be issued to a cashless instrument in one of many different currencies. Game execution operations of the MGC are isolated from the printer interpreter, such that recertification of the gaming machine or system is not necessary when reconfiguring the printer interpreter from one form of currency to another.

Claims

1. A gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a monetary payout based on the result of the game, comprising:

an exterior housing arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein;

a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal gaming machine components, said master gaming controller being adapted to execute or control one or more aspects of said game;

a printer located within or about said exterior housing and configured to print to cashless instruments monetary amounts issued by said gaming machine; and

a printer interpreter in communication with said master gaming controller and said printer, said printer interpreter being configured to receive a credit amount from said master gaming controller, to convert the credit amount to a first currency amount in units different from the units of the credit amount, and to instruct said printer to print the first currency amount to a cashless instrument, wherein said printer interpreter is isolated from the execution of said game.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said printer interpreter comprises a reconfigurable printer controller adapted to be reconfigured to convert said credit amount to a second currency amount selected from a plurality of different currency amounts, with each of said plurality of different currency amounts being in currency units different from said credit amount, said first currency amount and from each other.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2, further comprising:

a receiver in communication with said reconfigurable printer controller and configured to receive an instruction signal from a remote source, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is further configured to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

4. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is configured to receive an instruction signal initiated by a user of said gaming machine and to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

5. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is configured to receive an instruction signal initiated by said master gaming controller and to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein said instruction signal initiated by said master gaming controller is generated based on one or more items received or determined by said master gaming controller.

7. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein said one or more items received or determined by said master gaming controller include at least one item selected from the group consisting of a current time, a current date, a current location of said gaming machine and a language selected by a user of said gaming machine.

8. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is further configured to instruct said printer to print textual information to said cashless instruments, and wherein said textual information is printed in a language corresponding to the currency units of said second currency amount.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said cashless instruments include printed tickets.

10. A gaming system adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a monetary payout based on the result of the game, comprising:

a plurality of input and output devices adapted to facilitate the acceptance of said wager, display of said game and granting of said monetary payout;

a master gaming controller in communication with one or more of said plurality of input and output devices, said master gaming controller being adapted to execute or control one or more aspects of said game;

a printer configured to print to cashless instruments monetary amounts issued by said gaming system;

a printer interpreter in communication with said master gaming controller and said printer, said separate printer controller being configured to receive a credit amount from said master gaming controller, to convert the credit amount to a first currency amount in units different from the units of the credit amount, and to instruct the printer to print the first currency amount to a cashless instrument, wherein said printer controller is isolated from the execution of said game; and

a server in communication with said master gaming controller and configured to record information regarding cashless instruments issued by said gaming system.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, further comprising:

a database in communication with said server and adapted to store data for previously issued cashless instruments.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, further comprising:

a cashier station in communication with said server and adapted to authorize the cashing out of a valid received cashless instrument.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said printer interpreter comprises a reconfigurable printer controller adapted to be reconfigured to convert said credit amount to a second currency amount selected from a plurality of different currency amounts, with each of said plurality of different currency amounts being in currency units different from said credit amount, said first currency amount and from each other.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is configured to receive an instruction signal initiated by a user of said gaming machine and to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

15. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is configured to receive an instruction signal initiated by said master gaming controller and to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

16. The gaming system of claim 13, further comprising:

a receiver in communication with said reconfigurable printer controller and configured to receive an instruction signal from a remote source, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is further configured to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said remote source is said server.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein said instruction signal is generated based on one or more items received or determined by said server.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein said one or more other items received or determined by said server include at least one item selected from the group consisting of a current time, a current date, a current location of a user of said gaming system and a language selected by a user of said gaming system.

20. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is further configured to instruct said printer to print textual information to said cashless instruments, and wherein said textual information is printed in a language corresponding to the currency units of said second currency amount.

21. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said cashless instruments include printed tickets.

22. A method of issuing a monetary amount at a gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a monetary payout based on the result of the game, the method comprising:

providing a gaming machine having an exterior housing arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein, a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal gaming machine components and adapted to execute or control one or more aspects of said game, and a printer located within or about said exterior housing and configured to print to cashless instruments monetary amounts issued by said gaming machine, wherein said printer includes a separate printer controller isolated from the execution of said game;

receiving a request or instruction to cash out a specific credit amount at said gaming machine, said specific credit amount comprising all or part of a total credit amount balance stored at said gaming machine;

communicating said specific credit amount to be cashed out from said master gaming controller to said separate printer controller;

converting said specific credit amount to a first currency amount in units different from the units of said specific credit amount; and

printing said first currency amount to a cashless instrument at said printer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said cashless instruments include printed tickets.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

sending confirmation from said separate printer controller to said master gaming controller that said specific credit amount has been discharged to a cashless instrument.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

forwarding to a system server information regarding said specific credit amount, said first currency amount, or both.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said printer controller comprises a reconfigurable controller adapted to be reconfigured to convert said credit amount to a second currency amount selected from a plurality of different currency amounts, with each of said plurality of different currency amounts being in currency units different from said credit amount, said first currency amount and from each other.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing a receiver in communication with said reconfigurable printer controller and configured to receive an instruction signal from a remote source, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is further adapted to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

28. A cashless instrument issuing apparatus for a gaming machine, comprising:

a printer configured to print monetary amounts to cashless instruments issued by a gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a monetary payout based on the result of the game; and

a printer controller in communication with said printer and adapted for use in conjunction with a master gaming controller of said gaming machine, said printer controller being configured to receive a credit amount from said master gaming controller, to convert the credit amount to a first currency amount in units different from the units of the credit amount, and to instruct the printer to print the first currency amount to a cashless instrument, wherein said printer controller is isolated from the execution of said game.

29. The cashless instrument issuing apparatus of claim 28, wherein said printer controller comprises a reconfigurable controller adapted to be reconfigured to convert said credit amount to a second currency amount selected from a plurality of different currency amounts, with each of said plurality of different currency amounts being in currency units different from said credit amount, said first currency amount and from each other.

30. The cashless instrument issuing apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

a receiver in communication with said reconfigurable printer controller and configured to receive an instruction signal from a remote source, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is further configured to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

31. The cashless instrument issuing apparatus of claim 29, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is configured to receive an instruction signal initiated by a user of said gaming machine and to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

32. The cashless instrument issuing apparatus of claim 29, wherein said reconfigurable printer controller is configured to receive an instruction signal initiated by said master gaming controller and to convert said credit amount to a particular one of said plurality of different currency amounts according to the instruction signal.

33. The cashless instrument issuing apparatus of claim 32, wherein said instruction signal initiated by said master gaming controller is generated based on one or more items received or determined by said master gaming controller.

34. The cashless instrument issuing apparatus of claim 33, wherein said one or more items received or determined by said master gaming controller include at least one item selected from the group consisting of a current time, a current date, a current location of said gaming machine and a language selected by a user of said gaming machine.

35. A method of printing cashless instruments for a gaming machine or gaming system, comprising:

receiving at a printer interpreter a communication of a specific credit amount from a master gaming controller of a gaming machine or gaming system adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a monetary payout based on the result of the game;

converting at said printer interpreter said specific credit amount to a currency amount in units different from the units of said specific credit amount; and

printing at a printer controlled by said printer interpreter said currency amount to a cashless instrument.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

sending a communication from said printer interpreter to said master gaming controller of the gaming machine or gaming system that the cashless instrument has been printed.

37. A computer readable memory adapted to direct a gaming machine or gaming system to function in a specified manner, comprising:

a first module adapted to receive a communication of a specific credit amount from a master gaming controller of a gaming machine or gaming system adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a monetary payout based on the result of the game;

a second module adapted to convert said specific credit amount to a currency amount in units different from the units of said specific credit amount; and

a third module adapted to initiate the printing of said currency amount to a cashless instrument; and

a fourth module adapted to communicate to the master gaming controller of the gaming machine an indication that the cashless instrument has been printed.

38. The computer readable memory of claim 37, further comprising:

a fifth module adapted to receive an instruction signal including an identifier of a selected one of a plurality of currencies, wherein said second module is further adapted to convert said specific credit amount to a currency amount expressed in said selected one of the plurality of currencies in response to the instruction signal.