WO2008110873A1

WO2008110873A1 - Method and apparatus for a cashless gaming terminal

Info

Publication number: WO2008110873A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/050807
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rando Valt
Original assignee: Videob Holdings Limited
Priority date: 2007-03-12
Filing date: 2007-03-12
Publication date: 2008-09-18

Abstract

A method and terminal for enabling a player to play without requiring coins or bills. The disclosed invention provides for usage of one or more objects that either carry an indication to a balance available to a player, or carry details of an account containing balance available to the user. The balance is updated, whether with an entity handling the balance, on the object itself, or a new object is created and provided to the user.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A CASHLESS GAMING TERMINAL

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to gaming terminals in general, and to a method and apparatus for cashless playing in a gaming terminal particular.

DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART Gaming terminals are used in multiple locations, including dedicated locations such as gaming rooms, but also in locations to which people arrive incidentally, such as gas stations, stores, airports or the like. The terminals are generally operated by an operator, wherein each such operator owns, operates and maintains multiple terminals in one or more geographic locations. When using such terminals, players may generally wish to waste as little time and effort as possible on finance-related issues, including payment and collection. For example, a player may regard inserting and receiving coins or bills from a gaming terminal as a burden, which consumes time on each playing round. The burden becomes even heavier when the player wishes to move between terminals, in which case he or she has to cash their balance from the terminal they were playing at, and re- insert it into another terminal. The operator, on the other hand, has the risk of losing the customer after he cashed his balance.

Yet another problem for the operator is keeping enough cash in a terminal. The operator has to make sure that there is enough cash in the terminal at any given moment to cover expected wins, but on the other hand too much cash may draw vandalism attempts. Another problem may result from counterfeit bills and coins introduced to the terminal. Yet another drawback in having a terminal receiving and providing cash is the mechanical sensitivity and possible malfunctions, which may cause financial loss, angry customers, and high maintenance expenses. There is thus a need for a method and mechanism that will eliminate the need to using bills and coins in gaming machines. The mechanism and method should be advantageous to users and to operators operating a multiplicity of terminals, but should also provide added value in a single-terminal environment. The mechanical equipment used should be kept to a minimum, in order to reduce maintenance expenses and account for higher reliability.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for enabling a player to play a game on a gaming terminal without depositing cash while keeping simplicity both for the player and for the operator of the gamin terminal.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, there is thus disclosed a method for a player to play an online cashless game using a terminal, the method comprising the steps of: introducing an object to a terminal, the object associated with a balance available to the player; receiving a sum the player wishes to play on; determining whether a balance available to the player enables the player to play on the sum; playing the game and determining sum won or lost by the player; and updating the balance available to the player. The method can further comprise a step of obtaining one or more details associated with the object, or a step of obtaining the balance available to the player from the object. The method optionally comprises a step of updating the balance available to the player with the sum won or lost by the player. Optionally, the method comprises a step of updating the object with a new balance available to the player. The method optionally comprises a step of creating a new object associated with a new balance available to the player. The object is optionally a balance-indicating object, a reference object, or a slip having a barcode printed thereon. The barcode can represent a balance or an account number. The object is optionally a slip having digits printed thereon. The digits can represent an account number or a balance. The object is optionally a smart card, a magnetic card or is from the group consisting o£ a credit card, a debit card, or a card associated with an operator of the terminal.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a terminal for enabling a player to play an online cashless game, the terminal comprising: a receiving device for receiving an object, the object associated with a balance available to the player; a display for displaying one or more games played on the terminal; and a computing platform, executing instructions comprised within components, the components used for: obtaining a balance available to the player; playing the game played on the terminal; and updating the a balance available to the player. The terminal of claim 18 further comprising a component for generating a new object associated with an updated balance available to the player. The terminal can further comprise a communication component for communicating with an external entity. The external entity is optionally selected from the group consisting of: a credit card company and an operator associated with operating the terminal. The object is optionally a slip having a barcode printed thereon or a slip having digits printed thereon. Within the terminal, the component for updating the balance available to the player optionally comprises a component for updating the object. Te object can be a smart card or a magnetic card. The component for obtaining the balance available to the player further comprises a barcode reader. The component for obtaining the balance available to the player optionally comprises a scanner and an object character recognition component. The component for obtaining the balance available to the player can comprise a smart card reader. The terminal optionally comprises a second computing platform associated with an operator of the terminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following description of exemplary embodiments, in conjunction with the figures. The figures are generally not shown to scale and any sizes are only meant to be exemplary and not necessarily limiting. In the figures, identical structures, elements or parts that appear in more than one figure are preferably labeled with a same or similar number in all the figures in which they appear, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of typical environments in which the disclosed invention is used; Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the main components in a preferred embodiment of the terminal of the disclosed invention; and

Fig. 3 shows a flowchart of the main steps in a preferred embodiment of the method of the disclosed invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a novel solution which enhances and adds to the capabilities of currently available gaming machines. The disclosed method and apparatus provide for a gaming terminal that is not operated by cash money but rather by alternative payment and cashing methods. Within the disclosed invention, the user pre-pays or otherwise obtains a balance that enables him or her to play. The player then presents to a gaming terminal an object that enables the terminal to obtain knowledge about the player's available balance. The object can be a balance- indicating object which carries an indication of the current terminal balance, i.e. the balance available for the player to play with, or a reference object which enables the terminal to obtain information from an external entity about whether the account balance of the person holding the object enables playing. The term account balance refers to the total sum available in the account, which is usually intended not only for playing. The user then plays one or more games, wherein after each game the user's balance is preferably updated. The user can keep playing as long as the terminal balance enables further playing. When the user can not or does not wish to continue playing, he or she selects an option of "cash out", and one of a number of options occurs, for example any of the following; 1. The user's balance-indicating object is updated to indicate the current balance and returned to him if the object is kept within the terminal during the game. For example, the sum indicated on a smart card is updated and the smart card is returned to a user. However, if the smart card is updated externally to the terminal, for example by attaching the smart card to a window of the terminal, then no returning is required); 2, The user is provided with a new balance indicating object indicating the new balance; 3. The reference object is returned to the user as is (if the object is kept within the terminal during the game) and the new balance is updated with the external entity. A balance-indicating object may be a slip on which the current balance is printed, coded or both. In this case, when the user finishes playing a new slip is printed, indicating the updated balance. Alternatively, the balance-indicating object is a pre-loaded card such as a smart- card, comprising an embedded integrated circuit which stores the balance. The balance is updated on the circuit, so when the user finishes playing, the updated balance is stored on the smart card. A reference object is preferably a magnetic card, a credit card, a debit card, a printed slip, or any other object which carries identification information of a balance associated with the card. The balance is updated as the user plays, but no indication to the balance is stored on the object itself. Rather, the balance is maintained by an external entity, such as a bank account, a credit card account, a debit account, an account with a gaming operator, or the like. Prior to playing, the player obtains a reference object or a balance-indicating object. A credit card or a debit card are typically owned by a player before the game as well as after the game, and the wins or loses are indicated in the player's general balance. Other objects, such as a slip, a smart card, a magnetic card, a membership card, or the like, are typically provided to a player at a kiosk or counter upon payment. During playing, if the object is a balance-indicating object, the object is optionally updated after each game, or when the user finished playing. If the object is a reference object, the balance associated with the object, such as a bank account, a credit card account, a debit account, an account with the game operator or the like, is updated by the terminal communicating with an external entity such as a bank, a credit card company, a server of the, or the like, after each game.

When finished playing, the player optionally redeems a slip newly printed with the updated balance, or a smart card, for the balance updated on the object, and redeems a non-updated slip or a magnetic card associated with an account or with the gaming operator or the like for the account balance as updated after the last game.

The gaming terminal is equipped to provide service to each type of supported objects. For receiving a balance-indicating slip, a terminal is preferably equipped with an opening for receiving the slip. The opening is optionally a bill acceptor, or an opening that employs a similar mechanism. In addition, the terminal optionally comprises a barcode reading mechanism, or a scanner and an OCR mechanism for obtaining a balance printed on the slip, and a printer for printing a slip with the new balance. For a smart card, the terminal is preferably equipped with smart card reader and writer. For a magnetic card or a credit card the terminal is also equipped with a relevant acceptor and reader. For reference object, the terminal is preferably connected to a communication channel, such as a network, so that the account associated with the device is updated without an indication being made on the reference object.

Referring now to Fig. 1 showing two preferred environments in which the current invention is used. In a first preferred embodiment, shown to the left of separating line 101, a gaming terminal, generally referenced 100 is generally a commercially available terminal, such as Butterfly manufactured by Favola of Italy (www.favolasrl.it), or Nevada manufactured by Tab-Austria (www.tab.at). The terminal comprises a memory and CPU (no shown) for running one or more applications, such as the game shown on terminal 100 of Fig. 1. The terminal can run any operating system, such as any type of Windows operating system by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Linux, or others. The functionalities of the terminal, such as displaying the game, displaying balances, or the like are preferably implemented as applications, each of which is preferably a collection of machine instructions and data structures cooperating to provide the desired effect, and implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof. The instructions can be provided in any programming language, such s C, C++, C#, Java, VB. VB .Net or the like, can be developed under any development environment, such as J2EE, .Net or others, and can be provided in any format, such as an executable, a collection of methods, functions, libraries, DLLs or others. The terminal is preferably provisioned with a storage device (not shown) for storing the application and data of the game. The terminal comprises a display, such as LCD, CRT, or others, showing the options available to a user, the ongoing game and additional data, such as balance. The display is preferably a touch screen, wherein screen areas produce an event which initiates an action when pressed. Using touch screen enables the addition or deletion of buttons or parts of the display so as to enable a more complex or simple presentation of the progress of the game. The addition or deletion can be performed either constantly or dynamically as the game evolves, Thus, for example, if at a certain point in the game no more bets can be placed, the betting button is removed or disabled, i.e. does not respond to press. Alternatively, the terminal can comprise physical buttons, mechanical levers or other elements which produce actions relevant to the game, and the display only presents the game and information to the players. Terminal 100 comprises an opening 104 or another mechanism for inserting or presenting the object that enables the terminal to obtain knowledge about the player's available balance, be it a paper slip, a credit card, a smart card, a magnetic card, a card associated with the operator or the like. Opening 104 can be replaced by an area in the terminal to which the player has to present or attach the card, and a reading mechanism that scans the card. Terminal 100 further comprises equipment necessary for accessing the data associated with the object, such as a card reader, a barcode reader or the like. Terminal 100 further comprises a display of the actual game, such as display 108 showing a slot machine game, buttons such as spin button 116, bet max button 120 and bet one button 124, and information displays such as displays 112. In a second preferred environment, comprising the left and the right- hand-side of separating line 101, terminal 100 is connected through a communication channel 126 to a server 128, associated with the game operator. Communication channel 126 can be a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the internet, intranet or nay other communication channel. Server 128 is preferably a computing platform, such as a personal computer, a mainframe computer, or any other type of computing platform that is provisioned with a memory device (not shown), a CPU or microprocessor device, and several I/O ports (not shown). Alternatively server 128 can be implemented as firmware ported for a specific processor such as digital signal processor (DSP) or microcontrollers, or can be implemented as hardware or configurable hardware such as field programmable gate array (FPGA) or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Server 128 performs operations such as managing a user account, connecting to a credit card company for receiving and updating a balance associated with the player, random number generation for the game shown on display 108 or the like. Server 128 is preferably connected to additional terminals, such as terminal 140, which is also a gaming terminal, whether co-located with terminal 100 or placed in a different location. Terminal 140 can run the same game or games as terminal 100, or different games, and can receive payment through slot 144 in the same method or methods as terminal 100 or different ones. Terminal 140 comprises the same or similar elements to terminal 100, such as display 148, buttons 156, 160 and 164, and information display 152. In yet another embodiment, communication channel 126 can connect terminal 100 to a bank, a credit card company or another financial institute rather than a server associated with a game operator. In the embodiment wherein terminal 100 is standalone and does not communicate with an external server or another platform, a mechanism for updating the object related to the user's balance exists within terminal 100. For example, if the object is a paper slip, then terminal 100 comprises a printer for printing a new paper slip showing or indicating the new balance. If the object is a smart card carrying the balance, then equipment for updating the smart card exists within terminal 100. When terminal 100 communicates with an external server, preferably the object carrying the balance is not changing, but rather the user's account is updated and the user can then receive the balance, either as accredit on the credit card account, a credit in a dedicated account or in cash from a dedicated location such as a booth. Referring now to Fig.2, showing a block diagram of the elements comprised in a terminal according to the disclosed invention. Each terminal according to the disclosed invention comprises a receiving device 200, for receiving a balance-associated object from a user. Receiving device 200 preferably comprises a mechanism for receiving a card such as a credit card, a magnetic card, or a smart card, which comprises an opening into which the user can insert the card and a mechanism for pulling the card into the terminal. If the card is protected by a PIN code or another password, the terminal is optionally equipped with a keypad on which the user types the PIN code which is verified against the card by the receiving mechanism, similarly to the verification performed by an ATM machine. Alternatively component 200 comprises a paper- slip receiving mechanism, or any other device for receiving an object associated with a terminal balance. The terminal further comprises a display 201 for displaying the played game and data related to one or more players, such as available balance, wins, loses or the like, and a computing platform 202 such as detailed in association with Fig. 1 above, for executing further elements detailed below. Some of the elements detailed above may comprise a physical component or one or more software components comprising instructions which are executed on computing platform 202, while others can be implemented as software or as hardware or configurable hardware such as field programmable gate array (FPGA) or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

The elements comprise balance obtaining component 204. The specific implementation of balance obtaining component 204 depends on the type of object introduced using receiving device 200. If the introduced object is a paper slip having a barcode pattern printed thereon indicating the balance, then balance obtaining component 204 is a barcode reader 205; if a balance is printed on the slip than component 204 is scanner and OCR component 205, for obtaining a balance associated with the paper slip. If the balance was obtained, it is preferably stored on a memory device comprised within terminal 100. Alternatively, if the object is a smart card, then balance obtaining component 204 is a smart card reader 207 mechanism for reading a balance previously stored on the smart card. In yet another alternative, if the object is a magnetic card, a credit card or an account card, or a paper slip containing an indication to a remote balance, such as a bank account number, then balance obtaining component 204 uses communication component 220 for communicating with a credit card company, with a terminal operator or with an account holder, for obtaining a balance associated with the player. When the terminal communicates with a remote account, terminal 100 may send a requirement for an amount to be transferred from the account to be used as terminal balance, and receive from the remote account a confirmation for charging the account with the relevant sum, rather than the account balance itself.

Terminal 100 further comprises one or more components 208 for playing the specific game or games enabled by the terminal and displaying the game on display 201. Yet another component is balance updating component 210, for updating a balance associated with the object or with the player. Balance updating component 210 also depends on the type of object received by terminal 100. Balance updating component 210 can be a component for updating a numeric balance 212, which is used when a balance associated with the player is stored on terminal 100, for example when terminal 100 receives a paper slip having a balance printed thereon. Alternatively, component 210 can be a mechanism for updating the object, such as storing a new balance on a smart card. In yet another alternative, if the balance is kept on an external location, such as when using a credit card, communication component 220 is functional in updating the remote balance. The balance updating component can update the balance after each game, or only when the user wished to stop playing. Communication component can use any commonly available or proprietary protocol, such as CCTaIk or RS232, supported by the used communication channel 126 of Fig. 1. Terminal 100 optionally comprises a device for generating a new object indicting a new balance, for example a printer for printing a new paper slip, if the paper slip inserted by the user comprises a sum or a barcode indicating the sum. In this case, when the user wishes to stop playing, he receives a paper slip containing the new balance, which he can redeem at a dedicated location or insert into another terminal and continue playing. It will be appreciated that a terminal according to the disclosed invention is not limited to receiving one payment method, and can receive multiple objects as described above. A terminal can further receive one or more objects, in addition to receiving cash money. It will further be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the disclosed objects, but similar objects, or objects having similar functionalities can be used without departing from the spirit of the disclosed invention. Such object can be any object currently known or that will be developed in the future. Referring now to Fig. 3, showing a flowchart of the main steps of the method of the disclosed invention. The method starts at step 300 in which an object associated with a balance is introduced to a gaming terminal such as terminal 100 of Fig. 1. The object can be a slip made of paper or a similar material, the slip having an indication of a balance or of an entity such as an account containing a balance, a smart card, a credit card, a card associated with a gaming operator or the like. The introduction of the object can be by inserting the object into an appropriate opening, such as or similar to a bill acceptor, or by bringing the object to proximity to a dedicated area in the terminal, such as a barcode reader. At optional step 304 details associated with the object, such as the account number or credit card number are retrieved from the object. If the object carries the balance rather than, for example, an account number, step 304 is omitted. At step 306, the balance, i.e. the sum on which the user wishes to play (preferably a total sum, which is possibly used for more than one game) is received. If the balance is stored on the object than it is simply obtained, either by reading binary contents from a smart card, by parsing a printed barcode, or by scanning and recognizing digits printed on the object. If the object is merely used to provide association with an account, the balance is optionally received by the user typing a number into a keypad the balance he wishes to play on. On step 312 the wager on which the user wishes to play a certain game, is obtained from the user and possibly sent to the entity handling the account, such as the credit card company. The wager should be lower or equal to the total sum obtained on step 306, since a player can not place a wager higher than the sum he deposited or is willing to play for. On step 316 approval for playing the game is obtained, i.e., it is determined whether the player can play on the wager indicated on step 312. If a balance or a total playing sum as obtained on step 306 is available to the terminal, then approval is preferably determined if the balance is higher or equal to the wager. At step 320 the game is played and the sum won or lost by the user is determined. At step 324 the balance is updated. If the balance is available to the terminal, then the won or lost sum is added or subtracted from the balance by the terminal. If the balance is stored on the object itself in a rewriteable manner, such as on a smartcard, the object is optionally updated every time the balance changes. If the balance is stored by an external entity, such as a credit card company, the won or lost sum is sent to the external entity which updates the balance. On step 324 a new object carrying the new balance is optionally generated and provided to the player when the player wishes to stop playing, or when the balance does not enable any more games. The newly created object is optionally a new slip containing the new balance. The player can take the object to a cashing point, or introduce it to another terminal which accepts such slips, for example other terminals associated with the same operator. Alternatively, at step 332, the object entered by the user is updated as explained in association with step 324 above. Ln yet another alternative, for example when the object is a paper slip indicating an account number kept by an external entity rather than a balance, then no object is updated or created. If the object was merely introduced by the player to the machine, for example through a barcode window, the player simply hands the object to a cashier and redeems it for the updated balance. If the object was inserted into the machine, it is then returned to the player who redeems it.

Optionally, a message is presented to the user, instructing him or her to collect the updated balance at a cashier, or indicting that the account is updated. When the user wishes to cash out or otherwise use the new balance, for example at the cashier's booth, or to approve usage of the balance in a different terminal as explained in association with steps 308, 312 or 316 above, the external entity is contacted to provide the new balance.

The disclosed invention provides a player with an option to play in a gaming terminal without having to insert or to receive cash money. The disclosed invention provides the usage of objects which indicate a balance available for the user to play, or objects that provide association to a balance stored by an external entity. The balance is optionally updated after each game. When the user finished playing , or when the balance does not enable any more games, either the external account is updated with the sum won or lost by the user, or the object is updated with the new balance, or a new object is created reflecting the new balance.

It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the disclosed invention can be used in a terminal which offers a player a choice of one or more games, and is not limited to certain games or certain game types. It will further be appreciated that the disclosed method and terminal can also be used wherein terminals enable simultaneous game of multiple players.

The present invention has been described using non-limϊting detailed descriptions of embodiments thereof that are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It should be understood that features described with respect to one embodiment may be used with other embodiments and that not all embodiments of the invention have all of the features shown in a particular figure or described with respect to one of the embodiments. It is noted that some of the above described embodiments may describe the best mode contemplated by the inventors and therefore include structure, acts or details of structures and acts that may not be essential to the invention and which are described as examples.

The present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Structure and acts described herein are replaceable by equivalents, which perform the same function, even if the structure or acts are different, as known in the art. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims which follow. When used in the following claims, the terms "comprise", "include", "have" and their conjugates mean "including but not limited to".

Claims

1. A method for a player to play an online cashless game using a terminal, the method comprising the steps of: introducing an object to a terminal, the object associated with a balance available to the player; receiving a sum the player wishes to play on; determining whether a balance available to the player enables the player to play on the sum; playing the game and determining sum won or lost by the player; and updating the balance available to the player.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of obtaining an at least one detail associated with the object.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of obtaining the balance available to the player from the object.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of updating the balance available to the player with the sum won or lost by the player.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of updating the object with a new balance available to the player.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of creating a new object associated with a new balance available to the player.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a balance-indicating object.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a reference object.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a slip having a barcode printed thereon.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the barcode represents a balance.

11. The method of claim 9wherein the barcode represents an account number.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a slip having digits printed thereon.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the digits represent an account number,

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the digits represent a balance.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a smart card,

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a magnetic card.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is selected from the group consisting of: a credit card, a debit card, or a card associated with an operator of the terminal.

18. A terminal for enabling a player to play an online cashless game, the terminal comprising: a receiving device for receiving an object, the object associated with a balance available to the player; a display for displaying an at least one game played on the terminal; and a computing platform, executing instructions comprised within components, the components used for: obtaining a balance available to the player; playing the at least one game played on the terminal; and updating the a balance available to the player.

19. The terminal of claim 18 further comprising a component for generating a new object associated with an updated balance available to the player.

20. The terminal of claim 18 further comprising a communication component for communicating with an external entity.

21. The terminal of claim 20 wherein the external entity is selected from the group consisting of: a credit card company, and an operator associated with operating the terminal.

22. The terminal of claim 18 wherein the object is a slip having a barcode printed thereon.

23. The terminal of claim 18 wherein the object is a slip having digits printed thereon.

24. The terminal of claim 18 wherein the component for updating the balance available to the player comprises a component for updating the object.

25. The terminal of claim 18 wherein the object is a smart card.

26. The terminal of claim 18 wherein the object is a magnetic card.

27. The terminal of claim 18 wherein the component for obtaining the balance available to the player further comprises a barcode reader.

28. The terminal of claim 18 wherein the component for obtaining the balance available to the player comprises a scanner and an object character recognition component.

29. The terminal of claim 18 wherein the component for obtaining the balance available to the user comprises a smart card reader.

30. The terminal of claim 18 further comprising a second computing platform associated with an operator of the terminal.