Printer interpreter for a gaming machine

• US 8,052,522 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIERCE, DAMON JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US12/353,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20090163270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463 19- 20, 463/42, 463/46, 463/43, 463/47
• 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, said gaming machine 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 a game by performing game execution operations;

a printer unit comprising;

a printer configured to print to cashless instruments monetary amounts issued by said gaming machine, each cashless instrument comprising at least one regulated field and one non-regulated field; and

a printer interpreter, in direct communication with and interposed between the master gaming controller and the printer, said printer interpreter being isolated from the game execution operations of the master game controller such that the printer interpreter cannot affect execution or an outcome of the game;

a first set of firmware configured to reference a jurisdictional requirement of the at least one regulated field, and to control printing of the cashless instrument within the regulated field;

a second set of firmware, separate and distinct from said first set of firmware, configured to control printing of the at least one unregulated field;

wherein said printer interpreter is configured to;

receive a credit amount in a first currency unit from said master gaming controller,

convert the credit amount to a player-selectable first currency amount in a first currency unit different from both the units of the credit amount and a second currency amount in a second currency unit, and

under control of said first set of firmware and said second set of firmware, instruct said printer to print, to the cashless instrument, textual information and the first currency amount, said textual information being in a language corresponding to the first currency units and comprising the at least one regulated field as indicated by said first set of firmware.

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.

16. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the printer interpreter is configured to act in conjunction with the master game controller to determine the jurisdictional requirement for a jurisdiction in which the gaming machine is located.

17. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the printer interpreter is further configured to determine from the jurisdictional requirement if the jurisdiction in which the gaming machine is located requires a required field be printed in a required area of the cashless instrument, and wherein the printer interpreter is configured to print each required field within its required area of the instrument.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a request or instruction to cash out a specific credit amount, in a first currency unit, at a gaming machine, said specific credit amount comprising all or part of a total credit amount balance stored at said gaming machine, said gaming machine 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 and adapted to execute or control one or more aspects of said game by performing game execution operations;

a printer unit comprising;

a printer configured to print to cashless instruments monetary amounts issued by said gaming machine, each said cashless instrument comprising at least one regulated field and one non-regulated field, and

a printer interpreter, in direct communication with and interposed between the master gaming controller and the printer, said printer interpreter being isolated from the game execution operations of the master game controller such that the printer interpreter cannot affect execution or an outcome of the game;

a first set of firmware configured to reference a jurisdictional requirement of the at least one regulated field, and to control printing of the cashless instrument within the regulated field;

a second set of firmware, separate and distinct from said first set of firmware, configured to control printing of the at least one unregulated field;

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

converting the credit amount to a player-selectable first currency amount in a first currency unit different from both the units of the credit amount and a second currency amount in a second currency unit; and

printing, at said printer, under control of said first set of firmware and said second set of firmware, to the cashless instrument;

said first currency amount and textual information, said textual information being in a language corresponding to the first currency units and comprising the at least one regulated field as indicated by said first set of firmware.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said cashless instruments include printed tickets.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

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

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

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

14. The method of claim 10, 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.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, at a receiver configured to communicate with said reconfigurable printer controller, 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.