Patent Grant
10984630
The embodiments of the present invention relate to a gaming voucher redemption kiosk, system and method utilizing a modified recycler cassette and bill validator.
Gaming continues to grow throughout the United States. One of the most important advances in the casino industry within the past 10-15 years is the incorporation ticket-in, ticket-out (TITO) technology. Such technology has eliminated the need to use coins and currency to play electronic gaming devices (e.g., slot machines). One outgrowth of the proliferation of gaming tickets/vouchers is the need for hardware/software-based redemption systems.
Thus, it would be beneficial to develop a hardware/software redemption kiosk, system and method. Advantageously, the redemption kiosk, system and method should facilitate the redemption of multiple gaming vouchers simultaneously and securely.
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a kiosk system comprising: multiple kiosks forming a network, each of said multiple kiosks comprising: a housing; a processor configured to control operation of said kiosk; a user interface; a gaming voucher and note input and output; a bill validator configured to identify and validate gaming vouchers and notes, said bill validator further configured to accept one or more gaming vouchers and notes simultaneously; a recycler cassette configured to store notes and gaming vouchers; and a note ejector configured to dispense at least notes commensurate with a value of one or more validated gaming vouchers; and a remote server communicatively linked to said multiple kiosks and a casino management system.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method comprising: utilizing a network of kiosks, each kiosk of said network comprising at least a processor, user interface and a gaming voucher and note input and output, and configuring said kiosks for: accepting one or more gaming vouchers and notes simultaneously; identifying and validating said one or more gaming vouchers and notes utilizing a bill validator; storing validated gaming vouchers in a recycler cassette; connecting with a casino management system to authenticate said validated gaming vouchers; requesting notes to dispense commensurate with said authenticated gaming vouchers; validating notes to be dispensed; and dispensing notes commensurate with a value of said legitimate gaming vouchers.
The embodiments of the present invention improve gaming voucher redemption processing at casino-located kiosks and provide a convenience to patrons by redeeming gaming vouchers in bulk as well as individually. The embodiments of the present invention rely on a combination of hardware and software integrated into a kiosk recycler and bill validator.
Other variations, embodiments and features of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description, drawings and claims.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive feature illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention claimed.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of the present invention involve both hardware and software elements which portions are described below in such detail required to construct and operate a game method and system according to the embodiments of the present invention.
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.
Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), and optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied thereon, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF and the like, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like or conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language, AJAX, PHP, HTML, XHTML, Ruby, CSS or similar programming languages. The programming code may be configured in an application, an operating system, as part of a system firmware, or any suitable combination thereof. The programming code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on a remote computer or server as in a client/server relationship sometimes known as cloud computing. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).
Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram.
These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram.
The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagrams.
The kiosk 100 detailed herein handles multiple gaming vouchers simultaneously utilizing a recycler configured to validate gaming vouchers and notes. A physical/virtual server located at a casino property authenticates the source of origin, namely the kiosk, as well as the gaming voucher before communicating with a casino or slot management system for final approval/authentication.
The kiosk 100 is further configured to determine if there is enough cash before processing the one or more gaming vouchers. In one embodiment, once the one or more gaming vouchers are authorized, the notes are dispensed through the same slot component in which the one or more gaming vouchers were inserted. An authentication mechanism (e.g., a bill reader) is configured to ensure that notes are dispensed and in correct denomination. The authentication mechanism eliminates the inherent problem of cross loading a cash cassette. Cross loading is loading the wrong denomination bill in a cash cassette and therefore dispensing an incorrect amount.
Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to several embodiments, additional variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the following claims
This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62/527,940 filed Jun. 30, 2017 which is incorporated for all purposes herein.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62527940 | Jun 2017 | US |
