Printer interpreter for a gaming machine

• US 8,062,121 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• 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:
  US11/077,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20060205482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,449 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463 19- 20, 463/42, 463/46, 463/25, 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 system comprising:

a gaming machine or terminal having a plurality of input and output devices adapted to facilitate the acceptance of a wager, display of a game and granting of a 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 by performing game execution operations;

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

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

wherein said printer interpreter is configured to;

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

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

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

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

3. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising:

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

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

4. The gaming system 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.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, 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.

6. The gaming system of claim 4, 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.

7. The gaming system of claim 4, 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.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein said remote source is a server in communication with said master gaming controller and configured to record information regarding cashless instruments issued by said gaming system.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein said instruction signal is generated based on one or more items received or determined by said server.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, 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.

11. The gaming system of claim 4, 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.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said cashless instruments include printed tickets.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said textual information further comprises one or more unregulated fields as indicated by said second set of firmware.