Abstract:
The present invention discloses a voucher-based gaming transaction system, wherein vouchers are used for game credits rather than any form of coins or bills. Further disclosed are gaming machines that have the ability to fully transact using vouchers, including the ability to read, write, encrypt, and decrypt vouchers and create unique transaction IDs for each transaction (per voucher). The vouchers are independent of any type of player tracking or player accounts, and are operationally independent of each other. The system further includes a backend computer with a database which uses the unique transaction IDs for storing data associated with each transaction, primarily value and time of issuance information.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority of and incorporates by reference U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/111,062 filed on Dec. 4, 1998. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a system and method for playing games of chance. More particularly, the present inventions relates to a system and method for playing games of chance without having to insert or withdraw cash from machines on which games of chance are played. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Cashless transaction systems are required for some gaming applications. In addition, the applicant has discovered that gaming players often desire a simple, familiar method of transferring funds in and out of gaming devices or game-of-chance terminals without inserting or withdrawing cash at the gaming devices or terminals themselves. The applicant has also discovered that game players often desire anonymity and that players often desire a spontaneous ability to convert cash to game play credits. 
     Most cashless systems in the prior art require a player to establish a player account at a cashier&#39;s desk or terminal. However, the requirement to establish an account in this fashion often causes undesirable and disconcerting delays in, among other things, commencement of a game of chance. This account establishment requirement also reduces the ability of the player to remain anonymous. Since many players would prefer to remain anonymous, the account establishment requirement can significantly diminish the attractiveness of playing games of chance on gaming systems or devices that are subject to such a requirement. 
     Although other prior art systems have also provided the player with the ability to transfer funds from gaming device to gaming device via a printed voucher, they typically have required that the player insert cash funds into a gaming device—an apparatus on which the player actually plays or can play a game of chance—to initiate game credit deposits. This is unworkable in certain jurisdictions as well as less than optimal for players who prefer not to deal with insertion of funds at the gaming devices or transfer of funds (such as heavy or voluminous cups of coins) from one game of chance to another or from a game of chance to a cashier in order to cash in the awarded coins for cash or other credit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The applicant has invented a gaming system and method for a game player to play a game of chance without ever having to insert or withdraw cash at the gaming devices themselves. The player provides input remuneration, such as cash, to a cash exchange terminal. The player receives a cashless voucher from the cash exchange terminal, and the cashless voucher has indicia on it indicating the value of the cashless voucher. The player takes the voucher to a gaming device and inserts the cashless voucher into the gaming device in order to establish credit at the gaming device and initiate play on the gaming device. Upon termination of play at the gaming device, the player receives a new the cashless voucher if the player has a credit or award balance due to the player at the time of termination of play. The new cashless voucher has indicia reflecting any such credit or award balance awarded. 
     Preferably, the player may then exchange the new cashless voucher for remuneration or an award based on the credit or award balance indicated on the voucher. This exchange preferably takes place at the cash exchange terminal. 
     Preferably, the player may alternatively utilize the new cashless voucher to commence play at a second gaming device. In the event that play terminates at this second gaming device with yet another credit or award balance remaining for the player at the second gaming device, the second gaming device preferably issues yet another new cashless voucher to the player reflecting such credit or award balance for the player at the second gaming device. 
     Preferably, the gaming devices and cash exchange terminal are interconnected on a communications network, such as a LAN. Preferably, the various indicia printed on the various vouchers are encrypted according to a security algorithm. 
     There are other aspects of the present invention. They will become apparent as this specification proceeds. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The preferred and other embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the applicant&#39;s preferred cashless gaming system network for use in practicing the applicant&#39;s preferred method; 
     FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of a central cash exchange terminal for use in the applicant&#39;s cashless gaming system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is block diagram of the central cash exchange terminal of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a peripheral, automated cash exchange terminal for use in the applicant&#39;s cashless gaming system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a player gaming device or terminal for use in the applicant&#39;s cashless gaming system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a pictorial view of various alternative embodiments of peripheral cash exchange terminals for use in the applicant&#39;s cashless gaming system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a cash redemption terminal for use in the applicant&#39;s cashless gaming system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 8 is a pictorial view of the cash redemption terminal of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a flow chart of the applicant&#39;s method of use of the automated cash exchange terminal(s) to procure a voucher with the applicant&#39;s system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 10 is a flow chart of the applicant&#39;s method of use of the central cash exchange terminal to procure a voucher with the applicant&#39;s system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 11 is a flow chart of the applicant&#39;s method of use of the automated cash redemption terminal(s) to exchange a voucher for cash and/or another voucher with the applicant&#39;s preferred system of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 12 is a flow chart of the applicant&#39;s method of use of the central cash exchange terminal to exchange a voucher for cash and/or another voucher with the applicant&#39;s preferred system of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to FIG. 1, the applicant&#39;s preferred cashless gaming system, generally  10 , has a central cash exchange terminal (“CCET”  12 , an automated cash exchange terminal (“ACET”)  14 , an automated cash redemption terminal (“CRT”)  16 , a monitor terminal (“MT”)  18 , an account server manager PC workstation (“ASM”)  20 , and two lottery or logical game controllers (“LGC”)  22 ,  24  all interconnected and Ethernet LAN  26 , and player terminals (“PT”), e.g.,  28 ,  30 ,  32 , are connected to their respective LGC&#39;s, e.g.,  22 , on the LAN  26  in a fashion well known in the art. The LAN  26  may also be connected  34  to a variety of other LGC&#39;s (not shown) in a fashion well known in the art. The monitor terminal  18  and ASM  20  consist of personal computers that respectively run monitoring and database software on the LAN  26  in a fashion described herein and otherwise well known to those skilled in the art. 
     With reference now to FIG. 2, the CCET  12  has a terminal frame  36  with a personal computer motherboard (not shown in FIG. 2) mounted within the frame  36 . Also mounted on the periphery of the frame  36  are a cash and voucher drawer  38 , an input keyboard  40 , a voucher printer  42 , a voucher bar code reader  44 , network comm. ports  50  (not shown in FIG.  2 ), a cashier video display  46 , and a player or customer video display  48 . With reference now to FIG. 3, the personal computer motherboard  52  mounted within the CCET  12  of FIG. 2 has input/output ports driving and supporting the bar code reader  44 , the cashier or table display  46 , the voucher printer  42 , the cash drawer  38 , the keyboard  40 , the customer or tower display  48 , and the conventional comm ports  50  connected to the LAN  26  of FIG.  1 . The CCET  12  may also have a receipt printer arranged to operate in association with CCET  12  in a fashion well known to those skilled in the art. 
     Referring back to FIG. 2, a cashier (“not shown”) who operates the CCET  12  can receive cash (not shown) from a game player (not shown), enter information about the transaction into the CCET  12  through keyboard  40 , procure a printed voucher (not shown) from the voucher printer  42 , and hand the printed voucher to the game player. In one preferred embodiment the printed voucher has a bar code that includes information about the transaction encoded and embedded within the bar code including a unique transaction identifier or unique transaction identification (identifier and identification reference the same ID). A transaction identifier can be based on a unique random number generated by a random number generator running in the ASM  20  of FIG. 1. A transaction identifier may also be based on time combined with one or more of a date or a machine identifier or may be based on other information or source of unique numbers, then encrypted by the ASM  20  or by the CCET  12  and included by the CCET  12  in the bar code printed on the voucher by the voucher printer  42 . 
     The cashier may also receive a voucher from the player, scan and thereby retrieve information from the voucher with the bar code reader  44 , deposit the voucher in the drawer  38 , and procure from the drawer  38  the cash balance stated for the voucher on the video displays  46 ,  48 . The cashier may then dispense the cash thus procured from the drawer  38  to the player, and the player may confirm the amount due to the player by viewing transaction data shown on the customer video display  48 . 
     With reference now to FIG. 4, the ACET  14  has a PC processor board  54  with input/output ports driving and supporting a voucher printer  56  and bill validator  58  and with conventional comm ports  60  connected to the LAN  26  of FIG.  1 . As shown in FIG. 6, the preferred system and method may employ a bank of ACETs  14 , and the ACETs may have a variety of external shapes. The game player may thus insert cash, expeditiously and with no human interaction, into the bill validator  58 , and if the bill is validated the voucher printer  56  prints and dispenses to the player a voucher having a bar code or other machine readable indicia printed thereon, the bar code (or other machine readable indicia having the same contents) containing a transaction identifier usable for finding an associated value, and optionally having indicia representing the value embedded within it. 
     With reference now to FIG. 5, each PT, e.g.,  28 , has a personal computer processor board  62  and input/output ports driving and supporting a game video display and touch screen  64 , a voucher printer  66 , a voucher reader  68 , game controlling push buttons  70 , and conventional network comm ports  72 . The game player may thus insert a voucher into the voucher reader  68 , which, if needed or desired, decrypts the voucher and if the credit balance on the voucher is sufficient, authorize the player to initiate game play through the display and touch screen  64  and push buttons  70 . This authorization may take place in cooperation with verification and/or confirmation of the voucher data, or coupled with the retrieval of a value associated with the voucher, via the ASM  20  of FIG. 1, in the same fashion as is described below for such verification by the ACET  14 . 
     Referring back to FIG. 5, when the player terminates play by pushing appropriate conventional buttons  70  on the PT  28 , the processor board  62  is programmed to drive the voucher printer  66  to issue another voucher to the player. The new voucher has a bar code printed thereon by the printer  66 , and this bar code includes information about, or a pointer to, the credit or award balance due to the player on termination of play on the PT. The PT  28  also generates and sends the transaction identification and value information to the ASM  20  of FIG. 1, and the ASM  20  records and stores this information in a database maintained on the ASM  20  as noted above. 
     Alternatively, the PT  28  may include conventional cash bins and hoppers, and the processor board  62  may be programmed to provide the player with an option, via the touch screen  64 , to elect to receive an award in cash in the hopper at the PT  28 . In this event, the PT  28  may issue a cash award rather than the voucher noted above to the player, and this cash award event may be structured as is well known in the art to generate noise and excitement in the gaming establishment. 
     With reference now to FIG. 7, the CRT  16  has a personal computer processor board  74  with input/output ports supporting and driving a video display touch screen  76 , a receipt printer  78 , a voucher reader  80 , and a variety of cash dispensers of differing yet common cash denominations  82 ,  84 . CRT  16  is further shown in FIG. 8, with the described components embodied in an enclosure. The above-referenced components are programmed and driven so that, upon the insertion of a voucher into the voucher reader  80 , the voucher reader  80  decrypts information on the voucher, and then verifies through communication with the ASM 20 , the voucher information and confirms or establishes the worth or value associated with the voucher. The display touch screen  76  then displays the amount shown on the voucher and presents the voucher-bearer with the choice of types of cash denominations in which to receive the value in cash from the CRT  16 . When the voucher-bearer touches the selected denomination and the value of the inserted voucher includes enough of a balance to issue such a denomination, the selected denomination issues from the appropriate cash dispenser, e.g.  82 ,  84 , on the CRT  16 . The CRT  16  automatically issues any lesser balance owed to the player in automatically determined cash dispensers from the appropriate lesser denominations. The receipt printer  80  on the CRT  16  also issues a receipt to the voucher-bearer, and the CRT  16  retains the voucher. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 9, one alternative for procuring a voucher in order to commence cashless gaming is for the player to insert money in to a bill acceptor I the ACET  14 . The ACET  14  generates and encrypts a unique transaction identifier according to any of a number of encryption techniques well known to those skilled in the art. The ACET  14  then sends the transaction identifier and associated data, such as the amount of money inserted into the bill acceptor, to the ASM  20 . The ASM  20  records and stores the transaction identifier and associated data. The ACET  14  then prints a voucher with a bar code containing the transaction identifier and associated data. The ACET  14  then dispenses the voucher to the player. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 10, another method of procuring a voucher is through the CCET  12  of FIG.  1 . The player hands money to the cashier, and the cashier then enters the value of the transaction into the CCET  12 . As shown in FIG. 2, the value entered is shown on the video displays  46 ,  48 , so that the cashier and player may see the value of the transaction as it is entered by the cashier into the system. With reference back to FIGS. 1 and 10, the CCET  12  generates and encrypts a unique transaction identifier according to any of a number of encryption techniques well known to those skilled in the art. The CCET  12  then sends the transaction identifier and associated data, such as the amount of money inserted into the bill acceptor, to the ASM  20 . The ASM  20  records and stores the transaction identifier and associated data. The CCET  12  then prints a voucher with a bar code containing the transaction identifier and/or associated data. The CCET  12  then dispenses the voucher to the cashier, and the cashier then hands the voucher to the player. The issuance of the voucher is confirmed on the video displays  46 ,  48  as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 11, a player may cash in a voucher by inserting the voucher into a voucher reader ( 68  in FIG. 5) at the CRT  16 . The CRT  16  decrypts, if needed or desired, the information on the voucher, then sends the information to the ASM  20 . The ASM  20  then decrypts, if needed, the information from the voucher and then as needed may find and/or verify and/or confirm a value associated with this voucher. If the ASM  20  determines that the voucher is invalid (i.e., cannot confirm validity), the ASM  20  sends an instruction to the CRT  16  to reject the voucher. 
     If the ASM  20  confirms that the voucher is valid, it sends the verified value to the CRT. The CRT  16  then, through its touch screen and display ( 64  in FIG.  5 ), asks the player to make a selection of cash or a voucher for later use by the player at, for example, a later date or visit by the player to the gaming establishment. After the player makes his or her selection through the touch screen, the CRT  16  issues cash or a voucher, and a receipt, according to the selection made by the player. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 12, a player may alternatively cash in a voucher by handing the voucher to a cashier at the CCET  12 . The CCET  12  decrypts, if needed or desired, the information on the voucher, then send the information to the ASM  20 . The ASM  20  then decrypts, if needed, the information from the voucher and then as needed may find and/or verify and/or confirm a value associated with this voucher. If the ASM  20  determines that the voucher is invalid (i.e., cannot confirm validity), the ASM  20  sends an instruction to the cashier at the CCET  12  to reject the voucher. 
     If the ASM  20  confirms that the voucher is valid, it sends the verified value to the CCET  12  and displays the value on the two CCET display screens ( 46 ,  48 ). The cashier then asks the player to make a selection of cash or a voucher for later use by the player at, for example, a later date or visit by the player to the gaming establishment. After the player states his or her selection to the cashier, the cashier issues cash or procures the issuance of a voucher, and a receipt, according to instructions entered by the cashier through the CCET keyboard  40  as shown in FIG.  2 . The cashier also inserts the voucher received from the player into the cash and voucher drawer  38 . 
     It can thus be seen that the preferred embodiments described above provide a method and system for cashless playing of games of chance. The player need not carry cash from place to place in the gaming establishment and need not even deal with a cashier. The player also may leave the gaming establishment and return to play another day without having to carry cash to and from the establishment at least to the extent of a voucher issued to the player at the termination of game play. In this latter embodiment, the player thus has an incentive to return to utilize or cash in the voucher received upon prior departure from the establishment. There are other advantages that variously flow from the invention and various alternatives and embodiments noted above. 
     It is to be understood that the foregoing is a detailed description of the preferred embodiment. The scope of the invention, however, is to be determined by reference to the following claims.