Abstract:
A lottery terminal or kiosk such as a video lottery terminal, a lottery ticket printing terminal and/or other remotely controlled retail or gaming kiosk, which allows for transactions of the type in which a user can deposit currency that is validated by a bill validator, and valid currency is stored in an intelligent cash box within the kiosk. The kiosk system then credits the user with credits equal to the amount received to allow the purchase of selected items such as lottery tickets. The system includes the components necessary to allow the selection and printing of lottery tickets, or other vended items, as appropriate. The system also includes the components necessary to allow independent monitoring of the intelligent cash box memory from a remote site. The memory of the intelligent cash box can be accessed and monitored through the bill validator by means of IrDA, RFID, or other wireless means.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to the field of lottery terminals or kiosks and remotely controlled retail and/or gaming kiosks. More particularly, this invention relates to a cash management system and inventory control system for such devices and an intelligent cash control system to independently or redundantly monitor the handling of money within such systems.  
         [0002]     There are presently over forty states which allow some type of lottery to be run by a state agency. Generally, state run lotteries have a numbers based lottery system with periodic random selections of three to six numbers from a set or field of numbers. Participants select their numbers and purchase tickets from authorized vendors, generally retail stores, prior to the selection date. Jackpots for these types of games are generally at least several million dollars and at times up to and exceeding one hundred million dollars. However, the lotteries also provide winning tickets and payouts for correct selection of less than all of the jackpot numbers. These tickets may be redeemed for cash values in the range of $1 to $100 dollars by the authorized vendors.  
         [0003]     These types of interactive lottery games rely on systems to dispense purchased tickets and validate the winning tickets. The systems generally include a point of sale transaction terminal which allows the player to enter or select a set of numbers, pay for and receive a printed ticket. For example, in a Pick Five or Pick Six system, the player identifies the numbers selected on a card which is scanned in to produce a coded game or lottery ticket. The coded lottery ticket is provided by the cashier in exchange for a payment. Generally, the payments are deposited into the cashier station for the retail outlet mixed in with the receipts for all other sales, as opposed to being deposited into the terminal which prints the lottery ticket. The retail outlet must therefore account for the proceeds of the lottery ticket sales and provide payment to the state.  
         [0004]     The terminals that print the game or lottery ticket, in addition to printing out the numbers selected by the player, generally also include some method of encoding information about the ticket or selected numbers. For example, the encoded information may be a bar code. The bar code can provide either an encoded version of the numbers selected or provide a serial number which represents the transaction for the set(s) of selected numbers. Generally, the ticket printing terminal communicates with a controlled host system which manages the state-wide lottery operation. The controlled host system records all tickets, including the number selections and encoded information about the ticket, generated by all of the ticket printing terminals. The amount of revenue that is received at each retail outlet for the sales of lottery tickets is also recorded and reported by the controlled host system. The controlled host system can generate a listing of all sales made at a terminal on a periodic basis so that the retail operator will know the amount to submit to the state.  
         [0005]     However, due to the fact that the cashiers are handling the money and the retail outlets must provide to the state an accounting of the monies that they received, portions of which are retained for the store, there are inherent opportunities for store employees or third parties to interfere with the proper accounting transaction by which the State will receive its appropriate compensation for the sales of lottery tickets and by which the retailer will receive its compensation for its sales. Further, for many retail outlets, the holder of a game or lottery ticket must give the game or lottery ticket to the cashier to check for a winning ticket and there is the potential that a cashier could palm a winning ticket and provide a losing ticket to the player. Cashiers may also be responsible for paying out certain amounts on winning lottery tickets, for example up to $100, thereby introducing the potential for cashier errors in payouts.  
         [0006]     Accordingly, it is contemplated that it would be beneficial to have an integrated terminal system whereby the payments for game or lottery tickets that are dispensed are received and stored within the ticket printing terminal in a secure cash box. Moreover, it would be beneficial to allow the cash box to have its own communication device so as to allow communication with the centralized host system both when the cash box is installed in the terminal system with the ticket printing system and when the cash box has been moved and is connected to a download terminal. It would also be beneficial to have such a terminal that could allow the automated purchase of game tickets and payouts of winning tickets.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention is directed to a lottery terminal or kiosk such as a video lottery terminal, a lottery ticket printing terminal and/or remotely controlled retail or gaming kiosk, which allows for transactions of the type in which a user can deposit currency that is validated by a bill validator, and valid currency is stored in a cash box within the kiosk. The kiosk system then credits the user with credits equal to the amount received to allow the purchase of selected items such as game or lottery tickets. The system includes the components necessary to allow the selection and printing of lottery tickets, or other vended items, as appropriate. The validator keeps track of all of the currency received as well as the value of the dispensed items such as the lottery tickets. In addition, the validator downloads to a memory device within an intelligent cash box (“ICB”) information concerning the value and denominations of all currency received and stored in the intelligent cash box (ICB) associated with the bill validator.  
         [0008]     The intelligent cash box is capable of communicating both with the bill validator of the kiosk as well as communicating with the remote centralized host system capable of monitoring the position and status of the intelligent cash box (ICB). The communication to the bill validator can be provided, for example, by means of either an Infrared Data (“IrDA”) device or a Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) device incorporated into the intelligent cash box (ICB). In the case of a RFID device included in the ICB, the cash box memory for storing any relevant information can be included in the RFID device. The relevant information that could be retained in the ICB could be comprised of permanent and/or temporary rewritable identification numbers, transactions and/or event histories, content descriptions and totals, or any other type of information that could be deemed useful in tracking and/or monitoring proper collection, retention, and dispersion of notes by the ICB.  
         [0009]     When the intelligent cash box is removed from the host kiosk, it provides a report to the host kiosk of its removal as well as its present status, for example, the total value and denominations of all notes that are stored in the intelligent cash box (ICB). The cash box memory of the intelligent cash box (ICB) is also preferably fixed or locked, so as to prevent re-writing but allow reporting once the intelligent cash box (ICB) is taken to a secured location for downloading of the information and removal of the retained currency. If required, certain segments of the information stored in the cash box memory could be protected by an encryption scheme such that only an authorized interface device or download terminal would be allowed to erase or alter the values stored therein.  
         [0010]     Optionally, the intelligent cash box (ICB) can be provided with a remote location device such as a global positioning system (“GPS”) device or a Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”) device so as to allow tracking of the intelligent cash box (ICB) when it is removed from the host system. These and other aspects of the system will be described in more detail in connection with the attached drawings and the detailed description provided below. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary kiosk, such as a video lottery ticket kiosk.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a second perspective view of the video lottery ticket kiosk of  FIG. 1  with a cover door opened.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of the electronic interface components of the kiosk of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic representation of a system incorporating the capability of communicating with distributed kiosks such as the kiosk of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a video ticket (“VT”) kiosk  20 . The VT kiosk  20  includes a housing  22  and a face plate  24  mounted to the housing  22 . A portion of the face plate  24  is a door  26  attached to the housing  22  by a hinge  28 . The door  26  is secured by a lock  30  to limit access to the interior of the VT kiosk  20 . A kiosk controller/processor (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) is mounted within the housing  22  to control the operation of the VT kiosk  20 . The face plate  24  provides a mounting for a video screen  34 , which may preferably be an interactive touch screen, and may also include a reader card slide  36  that may read magnetic data strips, bar codes and RFID devices from appropriate credit cards, cash cards and operator cards.  
         [0016]     The door  26  includes a ticket dispense slot  40 , a ticket receive slot  42  and a currency acceptor slot  44 . The currency acceptor slot  44  is preferably positioned above a bezel  46  which provides a runway to assist proper placement of currency to be inserted into the currency acceptor slot  44  of the VT kiosk  20 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  depicts the VT kiosk  20  with the door  26  open to expose a ticket printer  50 , a ticket acceptor  52  and a bill validator  60 . The ticket printer  50  is configured to store a supply of printable tickets or a roll of paper and to include a printer element that can print required indicia onto a ticket and dispense the ticket, cutting off the ticket after it has been dispensed. Ticket printers of the type suitable for the application are common in use in lottery ticket terminals. The Ticket acceptor  52  has a validator  54 , such as a bar code reader and optionally a stacker  56  secured behind a lockable door  58  that will stack the tickets which a player wants to cash out. Alternatively, the validator may simply read the tickets and provide an indication to the kiosk controller/processor to cause a display on the video screen  34  as to whether the ticket is a winning ticket and, if so, the amount of the pay out. Although illustrated separately, the bill validator  60  and the ticket acceptor  52  may be incorporated into one validator assembly, wherein the ticket receive slot  42  and the currency acceptor slot  44  could be one and the same. An example of such a bill validator, acceptor device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,644, issued Jun. 1, 2004 to Ray Heidel, the specification from which is herein incorporated by reference.  
         [0018]     The VT kiosk  20  can be configured to allow the ticket acceptor  52  to receive the ticket and prompt the player via the video screen to determine if a pay out from the VT kiosk  20  is requested. If the player requests that the pay out be made, then a pay out from the bill validator  60  may be authorized by the kiosk controller/processor to dispense the appropriate amount of cash for the ticket and the ticket is canceled and stacked within the stacker  56 . For this system, the bill validator  60  has the capability of receiving and storing notes and it may also be configured to pay out notes and/or to have a bill recycler so that currency that is received may be used to make corresponding pay outs on a winning ticket. A bill validator capable of accepting and dispensing multiple note denominations is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,850, the detailed description of which is herein incorporated by reference.  
         [0019]     The bill validator  60  preferably includes a validation assembly  62  and a transport assembly  64  mounted above a removable bill stacker cash box (ICB)  66 . The validation assembly  62  can be comprised of a validator head  82  and a validator controller  84  having a cash box interface processor. Additionally an external communication link can be included in the validation assembly  62  for providing independent or redundant means for either wired or wireless communication to a monitoring or auditing system. Alternatively, the bill validator controller  84  could make external communications through the same communications link as used by the VT kiosk  20 .  
         [0020]     The bill validator&#39;s intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  is secured behind a door  68  that may include one or more locks  70  to secure the door  68  in a closed position. When the door  68  is opened, the intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  can be removed from the bill validator  60  for transport or for removal of currency stored therein. An exemplary intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  is depicted removed from the VT kiosk  20  in  FIG. 2A . The intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  includes an access door  72  mounted to a box shaped housing  74 . The intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  preferably includes an electronics assembly  76  having a cash box memory, and a cash box communications link as well as a GSM or GPS device, and battery power device, as necessary.  
         [0021]     The cash box interface processor in the validator controller  84  of the validation assembly  62  provides the wireless coupling to the electronics assembly  76  within the intelligent cash box (ICB)  66 . Since the intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  can be removed from the VT kiosk  20  housing to be replaced with a different cash box or emptied and subsequently returned, in order to avoid having repeated mechanical or electrical contacts being connected and disconnected, it is preferable to use a wireless data communication protocol between the cash box interface processor and the cash box electronics assembly  76 . By this configuration, the bill acceptor may obtain data from, and write data to, the cash box memory of the electronics assembly  76 .  
         [0022]     For example, when an intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  which includes a note recycling system is inserted into the VT kiosk  20 , it may include a stack of pre-selected bills. The information concerning the number and denomination of these bills may need to be downloaded from the memory of the electronics assembly  76  to the cash box interface processor of the validator controller  84  so that the validator controller  84  can track the amount of cash within the cash box  66 . In addition, the cash box&#39;s memory, being in wireless communication with the validator controller  84 , may log and record information regarding the accepted notes, coupons, and bill validation acceptor errors. In the instance where the memory of the electronics assembly  76  is part of an RFID tag device included in the electronics assembly  76 , the RFID interface device for communicating with and downloading to the RFID tag device on the intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  is incorporated into the bill validator&#39;s cash box interface processor.  
         [0023]     When the intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  is removed from the bill validator  60 , the remote centralized host system preferably communicates with the RFID tag device in the intelligent cash box (ICB) by means of its own RFID interface device (not shown) to record the removal. If required, the RFID tag device can be programmed with an encryption scheme such that only authorized RFID interface devices can read and/or modify the data stored in the cash box&#39;s memory once the cash box is removed from the bill validator  60 . Various schemes for encrypting such data contained in a RFID tag device are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,623 for ENCRYPTION FOR MODULATED BACKSCATTER SYSTEMS, issued Oct. 10, 2000 to John Austin MacLellan, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,842,106 for CHALLENGED-BASED TAG AUTHENTICATION MODEL, issued Jan. 11, 2005 to Michael A. Hughes, et al.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  schematically depicts the primary electronic components, communication and control within the VT kiosk  20 . The VT kiosk  20  includes a kiosk controller/processor  32  which acts as the primary electronic control unit for the VT kiosk  20 , and includes a processor and defined protocol program to control operation of the VT kiosk  20 . The kiosk controller/processor  32  is electronically connected to control the video screen  34 , card reader  36 , ticket printer  50 , ticket acceptor  52 , bill validator  60  and intelligent cash box (ICB)  66 . The kiosk controller/processor  32  is also communicatively coupled to an external computer system as depicted by line  126 , although the communication may be via a wireless network. The bill validator  60  and the intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  are independently or redundantly communicatively coupled to either the same external computer system or another monitoring system or operating backend retail system as depicted by line  128 , although again the communication may be via the same or totally different wired or wireless network.  
         [0025]     The VT kiosks  20  are intended to be dispersed at retail outlets throughout a given state. In order to provide centralized control of the lottery system, however, all of the kiosks are electronically connected, for example by a telephone line, Ti line, fiber optic communication line or cell based communication technologies, to a monitoring hub and a state-monitored centralized computer system. The bill validator  60  of the present invention is configured so as to be both communicatively coupled to the VT kiosk  20  and there-through, independently by means of its own cell based or other type of wireless communication technology device, to the state-monitored computer system. Bill validator  60  is also configured so as to allow communication from the intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  whenever it is within the bill validator  60  and the VT kiosk  20  as well as to the centralized monitoring computer system.  
         [0026]     The ticket acceptor  52  may be configured to read a play slip as well as a game or lottery ticket. A play slip is a form on which a participant&#39;s selected set of numbers for a particular lottery game can be identified. Preferably, the play slip is configured such that the selected numbers are machine readable. When a play slip is read by the ticket acceptor  52 , the ticket stacker will cause a prompt on the video screen  34  to confirm the selections. If a selection has an error, for example, five or seven numbers on a pick six game are identified, the defect can be displayed on the video screen  34  so that it may be addressed either on the video screen  34  or by canceling the play slip scan, fixing the play slip and reinserting the play slip. Once a game selection has been properly entered, the video screen  34  prompts the participant to insert currency into the bill validator or swipe a transaction card in order to pay for and receive a game ticket. Play slips will not be stacked or retained by the ticket acceptor  52  as often a play slip is used more than once. Alternately, the bill validator  60  could have the ability as mentioned above to scan and validate play slips and/or tickets as well as being able to transfer said play slips or tickets to the ticket stacker. Further, the video screen  34  may be configured as an interactive touch screen controlled by the kiosk controller/processor  32 , to allow users to selected numbers for a lottery ticket directly on the touch screen, as opposed to via a play slip.  
         [0027]     The ticket acceptor  52  is also configured to receive and read game or lottery tickets and determine if a payout on the ticket is appropriate. To do so, the ticket acceptor  52  reads the bar code or encoded information on the game or lottery ticket and verifies whether the ticket is a winning ticket via the network connection to the centralized computer system  122  ( FIG. 4 ). If the game ticket is a winning ticket, the centralized computer system  122  will instruct the VT kiosk  20  the amount that has been won. For amounts over a selected threshold, for example $100, the participant will be advised of who to contact either via the video screen  34  or on the printed slip and the winning game ticket is returned.  
         [0028]     For a winning game ticket having a value below the threshold, the kiosk controller/processor  32  will determine if the bill validator  60  includes sufficient cash to pay out the winnings. The video screen  34  will prompt the participant to select a cash payout or credit toward the purchase of additional game tickets and provide the response to the kiosk controller/processor  32 . The kiosk controller/processor  32  will instruct the bill validator  60  to dispense currency or ticket printer  50  to print a new ticket depending on the selection of the player.  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  schematically depicts a dispersed lottery system  120  utilizing the present invention. The lottery system  120  includes a number of kiosks  20 , each represented as having two lines of communication to a state-monitored centralized computer system  122  via hubs  124 . The two communication lines  126  and  128  for each VT kiosk  20  are representative of the communication to both the VT kiosk  20  and independently to the intelligent cash box (ICB)  66  contained within the bill validator  60  by way of either the RFID technology communication between the RFID tag device and RFID interface device or by other wireless means such as IrDA communication between the bill validator  60  and the cash box (ICB)  66 . As illustrated, a number of VT kiosks  20  can be communicatively interconnected to a terminal  130  which itself is communicatively interconnected to a monitoring system hub  124 , and each of the monitoring system hubs  124  is connected to the state-monitored centralized computer system  122  as well as potentially to back end retail systems. It should be understood that through the use of other known forms of wireless communications, such as cell based technology for example, the communication lines  126  and  128  could alternatively make direct contact to the monitoring system  122  or other authorized auditing system.  
         [0030]     For a retail organization that has multiple kiosk locations, the organization could receive the kiosk information on an internal terminal  130  and therefrom report to the central computer system  122 . By the system of the present invention, information concerning all of the cash receipts in each kiosk, and specifically within each cash box of each bill validator in each kiosk, can be reported both to the state and to operators on a real time basis.  
         [0031]     The lottery system  120  as discussed above provides the ability to independently monitor and watch the daily revenue from each individual VT kiosk  20  throughout the system. The VT kiosks  20  can be integrated into the current distribution system without substantial changes other than additional communication lines and respective software. The VT kiosks  20  store all the monies received in a cash box and the human operator aspect of the lottery is removed.  
         [0032]     The use of the lottery system  120  as described above, a state will know instantly the amount of the money that it has received from the lottery and can run reports on a daily, weekly, monthly, or other periodic real time basis so as to maintain accurate reporting and distribution according to the guidelines which establish the state-run lottery. Indeed, the lottery system  120  discussed above allows the state to monitor networks of VT kiosks  20  or single machines in the network, with direct monitoring of the cash in each VT kiosk  20 .  
         [0033]     The lottery system  120  also has advantages for the retailer or the retail headquarters within the state that operates the respective kiosks. The retailer can receive reports similar to the reports received by the state of all the revenues generated by the kiosks in several different locations. Since retailers are guaranteed a percentage of the receipts for each of the machines, the retailer will need a report in order to identify the amount of money that should be paid from the state to the retailer.  
         [0034]     With this system, the retail outlets will have supervisory personnel who are responsible for collecting money from the kiosks and generating a report of the activity of the kiosk to submit to the state. Alternatively, the state can appoint representatives who will be responsible for collecting revenues received at the kiosks. The monitoring system can provide a report for each of the cash boxes which have reached capacity and thus need to be serviced because the intelligent cash box (ICB) will know exactly the number of bills which it has received and stored. For terminals that have the capacity to pay out at least selected denominations of winning tickets, the terminals will themselves reduce the money in circulation and the necessity for frequent servicing, as a kiosk which pays out a $ 100  ticket inherently reduces it own inventory of currency. All such transactions are similarly monitored though the state and the paid out tickets are escrowed within the ticket acceptor  52  of the kiosk  20 .  
         [0035]     From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention includes any combination of the elements from the different species or embodiments disclosed herein, as well as subassemblies, assemblies, and methods thereof. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof.