GAMING DEVICE HAVING TWO CARD READERS

• US 20090005176A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: LeStrange, Michael M., Perry, Lars A., Morrow, James W., McAllister, Lawrence, DiMichele, Carmen, Luciano, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,641,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

A gaming device includes a housing and a game display carried by the housing for displaying one or more games. The gaming device further includes two card readers carried by the housing: a first card reader to read information indicative of a player identity from a player club card issued by a casino, and a second card reader to read information indicative of a financial account from a financial card issued by a financial institution.

Claims

1. A gaming device, comprising:

a housing;

a game display carried by the housing for displaying one or more games;

a first card reader carried by the housing and configured to read information indicative of a player identity from a player club card issued by a casino; and

a second card reader carried by the housing and configured to read information indicative of a financial account from a financial card issued by a financial institution.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the first card reader and the second card reader and configured to receive the player identity information from the first card reader and the financial account information from the second card reader.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the first card reader includes a first sensor and a first interface printed circuit board (PCB) configured to process a signal from the first sensor, and the second card reader includes a second sensor and a second interface printed circuit board (PCB) configured to process a signal from the second sensor.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the controller is coupled to the first interface PCB and the second interface PCB.

5. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the first sensor comprises a first magnetic pickup, and the second sensor comprises a second magnetic pickup.

6. The gaming device of claim 2, further comprising a graphics display coupled to the controller for displaying information associated with the player club card and the financial card.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first card reader includes a first sensor, and the second card reader includes a second sensor, further comprising:

a shared interface printed circuit board coupled to the first card reader and the second card reader and configured to process signals from the first sensor and from the second sensor.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first card reader comprises an insertion-type card reader, and the second card reader comprises a swipe-type card reader.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the swipe-type card reader is oriented such that the financial card may be swiped horizontally.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first card reader comprises a first insertion-type card reader, and the second card reader comprises a second insertion-type card reader.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first card reader comprises a first swipe-type card reader, and the second card reader comprises a second swipe-type card reader.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first card reader includes at least one indicator light.

13. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first card reader is positioned adjacent the second card reader.

14. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the second card reader is further configured to read information from a technician card issued by the casino.

15. A method of operating a gaming device, comprising:

receiving a first card within a first card reader carried by a gaming device;

reading information indicative of a player identity from the first card;

while the first card is positioned within the first card reader, receiving a second card within a second card reader carried by the gaming device; and

reading information indicative of a financial account from the second card.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that the first card is a player club card issued by the casino;

processing the player identity information based at least in part on the determination that the first card is the player club card;

determining that the second card is a financial card issued by a financial institution; and

processing the financial account information based at least in part on the determination that the second card is the financial card.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the second card includes receiving the second card within a swipe-type card reader.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the player identity information and the financial account information at a controller.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether the player identity information read from the first card matches an identity associated with the financial account information read from the second card.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transferring money from the financial account to a player account at a casino associated with the first card.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

while the first card is positioned within the first card reader, receiving a technician card issued by the casino within the second card reader;

reading information from the technician card; and

providing diagnostic access to the gaming device based at least in part on the information read from the technician card.

22. A gaming device, comprising:

a housing;

a game display carried by the housing for displaying one or more games;

a first reading means carried by the housing for reading information indicative of a player identity from a player club card issued by a casino; and

a second reading means carried by the housing for reading information indicative of a financial account from a financial card issued by a financial institution.