Abstract:
A bill acceptor  24.2  for a gaming machine includes a receiving zone for receiving a tendered bill. A sensing device  48  is arranged at an input region of the receiving zone for sensing at least one characteristic of the bill A controller  52  is in communication with the sensing device  48  for receiving an output signal from the sensing device  48.  An annunciator  58  is controlled by the controller  52  to be activated when a bill acceptance rate of the controller  52  drops below a predetermined threshold.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/020,484 which was filed on Dec. 21, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE  
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    This invention relates to a gaming machine. More particularly, the invention relates to a bill acceptor for a gaming machine and to a method of operating a bill acceptor of a gaming machine. 
         [0005]    It is becoming more and more prevalent for gaming machines to accept “paper” money or bank notes from players wishing to play gaming machines. As a result, more and more gaming machines include bill acceptors for such bank notes. 
         [0006]    It is important that a bill acceptor be extremely accurately set to ensure that the insertion of false or counterfeit bank notes is kept to a minimum thereby minimising losses which the gaming machine operator may suffer. 
         [0007]    Because the bill acceptor is a sensitive item, it may have a tendency to have a high rejection rate. As a result, a gaming machine equipped with such a bill acceptor may not be frequented by players wishing to use bank notes due to the rejection of the bank notes by the bill acceptor. 
         [0008]    It is also desirable that, should one wish to alert a technician to the fact that a bill acceptor may be malfunctioning, it be done in a discrete manner so as not to disturb a player playing that gaming machine who may have been using another form of credit such as coins, tokens, cards, or the like. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a bill acceptor for a gaming machine, the bill acceptor comprising: 
         [0010]    a receiving zone for receiving a bill; 
         [0011]    a sensing device at an input region of the receiving zone for sensing at least one characteristic of the bill; 
         [0012]    a controller in communication with the sensing device for receiving an output signal from the sensing device; and 
         [0013]    an annunciator controlled by the controller to be activated when a bill acceptance rate of the controller drops below a predetermined threshold. 
         [0014]    The term “bill” is to be understood in this specification, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, as a form of paper currency such as a bank note. Further, the term “bill acceptance rate” as it is used in this, specification is to be understood, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, as the number of bills which are accepted in a batch of bills tendered to the gaming machine. It does not refer to the speed with which the controller accepts or rejects a tendered bill. 
         [0015]    The receiving zone may incorporate a platen on which the bill is received and a slot at an end of the platen into which the bill is to be inserted. The platen may be arranged in a midtrim of the machine. 
         [0016]    The sensing device may be arranged within the machine, inwardly of the slot. The sensing device may sense at least one of optical, magnetic and dimensional characteristics of the bill. In use, more than one of these characteristics may be sensed by the sensing device to reduce the prevalence of fraudulent or counterfeit bills. 
         [0017]    The receiving zone may include an attracting means for indicating to a patron where the bill is to be inserted into the slot. The attracting means may comprise an array of illuminating elements arranged in the platen of the receiving zone. 
         [0018]    In addition, the annunciator may also be arranged in the receiving zone. 
         [0019]    The controller may cause the array of illuminating elements to be illuminated in a predetermined, first pattern and the annunciator may be implemented in the form of an illumination of the illuminating elements in a second, different pattern. The illuminating elements may be, for example, light emitting diodes (LED&#39;s). The LED&#39;s may be arranged in two rows. The rows may converge towards the slot. The first pattern may comprise sequential energising of corresponding LED&#39;s in each row followed by sequential de-energising of the corresponding LED&#39;s in each row. This may then constitute the first pattern. Upon completion of the first pattern, all the LED&#39;s may be energised so that they are all simultaneously illuminated and this may constitute the second pattern being the implementation of the annunciator. 
         [0020]    Accordingly, the second pattern may be activated after completion of the first pattern when the bill acceptance rate has dropped below said predetermined threshold. This predetermined threshold may be set as desired by an operator of the gaming machine. For example, the threshold may be a bill acceptance rate of about 70% to 90% of tendered bills, preferably about 75% to 85% of tendered bills and, optimally, about 80% of tendered bills. 
         [0021]    The gaming machine may be connected to a network. When the controller of such a gaming machine is connected to the network, a network monitoring system may monitor the acceptance rate of bills by the controller and may activate an alarm means when the acceptance rate drops below the predetermined threshold. This gives venue operating and service personnel an on-line and immediate indicator of the performance of the bill acceptor of the gaming machine. The monitoring system may activate a visual or audible alarm indicating the need for attention to the bill acceptor. 
         [0022]    According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating a bill acceptor of a gaming machine, the method including the steps of: 
         [0023]    sensing at least one characteristic of a bill inserted into the bill acceptor; 
         [0024]    monitoring a bill acceptance rate by a controller; and 
         [0025]    activating an annunciator when the bill acceptance rate drops below a predetermined threshold. 
         [0026]    The method may include energising illuminating elements of the bill acceptor in a predetermined pattern and, when the bill acceptance rate drops below said threshold, energising the illuminating elements in a second, different pattern, said second pattern of illumination of the illuminating elements serving as the annunciator. The second pattern of illumination of the illuminating elements may follow completion of the first pattern. 
         [0027]    As indicated above, when the gaming machine is connected to a network, the method may include transmitting a signal on the network to which the gaming machine is connected to a network monitoring system to activate an alarm means when the bill acceptance rate drops below said predetermined threshold. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]    The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0029]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a gaming machine; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of a control circuit of the gaming machine; 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  shows a block diagram of a controller of a bill acceptor of the gaming machine; 
           [0032]      FIG. 4  shows a sequence of illumination of illuminating elements of the bill acceptor of the gaming machine; and 
           [0033]      FIG. 5  shows operation of an annunciator of the bill acceptor of the gaming machine. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0034]    In  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  10  generally designates a gaming machine, including a game, in accordance with the invention. The machine  10  includes a console  12  having a video display unit  14  on which a game  16  is played, in use. The game  16  is a spinning reel game which simulates the rotation of a number of spinning reels  18 . A midtrim  20  of the machine  10  houses a bank  22  of buttons for enabling a player to play the game  16 . The midtrim  20  also houses a credit input mechanism  24  including a coin input chute  24 . 1  and a bill collector  24 . 2 . The mechanism  24  may, in addition to the coin input chute  24 . 1  and the bill collector  24 . 2 , include a credit card reader (not shown) or any other type of validation device. 
         [0035]    The machine  10  includes a top box  26  on which artwork  28  is carried. The artwork  28  includes paytables, details of bonus awards, etc. 
         [0036]    A coin tray  30  is mounted beneath the console  12  for cash payouts from the machine  10 . 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIG. 2  of the drawings, a control means or control circuit  32  is illustrated. A program which implements the game and user interface is run on a processor  34  of the control circuit  32 . The processor  34  forms part of a controller  36  which drives the screen of the video display unit  14  and which receives input signals from sensors  38 . The sensors  38  include sensors associated with the bank  22  of buttons and touch sensors mounted in the screen. The controller  36  also receives input pulses from the mechanism  24  indicating that a player has provided sufficient credit to commence playing. 
         [0038]    Finally, the controller  36  drives a payout mechanism  40  which, for example, may be a coin hopper for feeding coins to the coin tray  30  to make a pay out to a player when the player wishes to redeem his or her credit. 
         [0039]    The bill acceptor  24 . 2  includes a platen  42  leading to an input slot  44 . An illuminating means in the form of an array of light emitting diodes (LED&#39;s)  46  is arranged in the platen  42  of the bill acceptor  24 . 2 . 
         [0040]    The bill acceptor  24 . 2  further includes a sensing device in the form of a sensor array  48  ( FIG. 3 ). The sensor array  48  senses optical, magnetic and dimensional characteristics or properties of a bill tendered to the bill acceptor  24 . 2  of the gaming machine  10 . The sensor array  48  outputs signals on line  50  to a controller  52 . The controller  52  is a bill acceptor controller and communicates with the controller  34  of the gaming machine  10 . 
         [0041]    The controller  52  includes a group of counters  54 . A first counter of the group of counters  54  is incremented each time a bill is accepted by the bill acceptor  24 . 2 . 
         [0042]    Accordingly, when a bill is tendered to the bill acceptor  24 . 2  by being placed on the platen  42  it is received in the slot  44  and is drawn into the sensor array  48  by a transport motor  56  under the action of the controller  52 . The bill is then sensed by the sensor array  48  which determines whether or not its optical, magnetic and dimensional properties meet the required criteria. If the bill is accepted, the transport motor  56  is again energised which feeds the bill to a receptacle (not shown) contained within the console  12  of the gaming machine  10 . The first counter of the group of counters  54  is incremented by one. 
         [0043]    Conversely, if the sensor array  48  determines that the bill is unacceptable, the transport motor  56  is operated in the reverse direction and the note is ejected from the slot  44  of the bill acceptor  24 . 2 . A second counter of the group of counters  54  is incremented by one. 
         [0044]    After each tender of a bill, the controller  52  updates its calculation of the bill acceptance rate (BAR) according to the formula: 
         [0000]      BAR(%)[A/(A+R)].times.100%, 
         [0000]    where A=value of first counter of the group of counters  54 ; and R=value of second counter of the group of counters  54 . 
         [0045]    When the acceptance rate as determined by the controller  52  is at or above the predetermined threshold, for example, a BAR of 80%, the array of LED&#39;s  46  of the bill acceptor  24 . 2  is energised in a predetermined, first pattern under the action of the controller controlling a lighting system  58 . 
         [0046]    A typical pattern is as shown in  FIG. 4  of the drawings and is designated generally by the reference numeral  60 . The array  46  comprises eight LED&#39;s  62  arranged in two converging rows  64 . The rows  64  converge towards the slot  44  of the bill acceptor  24 . 2 . 
         [0047]    Under the control of the lighting system  58 , in State  0 , all of the LED&#39;s  62  remain de-energised. Thereafter, in a first state, the first LED  62  in each row is energised. By “first” is meant those LED&#39;s furthest from the slot  44 . In the second state, the first LED&#39;s  62  remain energised and the second LED&#39;s  62  are also energised. Similarly, in the third and fourth states the third LED  62  in each row  64  and fourth LED  62  in each row  64  are energised, respectively. In State  5 , the first LED&#39;s  62  are de-energised while the remaining LED&#39;s  62  in each row remain energised. In the sixth state, the second LED  62  in each row  64  is de-energised and in the seventh state the third LED  62  in each row is de-energised. 
         [0048]    It will be appreciated that this happens reasonably quickly to create the impression of the LED&#39;s  62  being illuminated towards the slot  44  to create the impression of something being fed towards the slot  44  to act as an attracting means to a patron wishing to insert a bill into the bill acceptor  24 . 2 . 
         [0049]    When the BAR is above the predetermined threshold, the pattern  64  continues indefinitely. 
         [0050]    However, when the BAR drops below the predetermined threshold, upon completion of the pattern  60 , a new pattern (as shown by reference numeral  66  in  FIG. 5  of the drawings) is interposed between States  7  and  0 . In other words, once the last LED  62  in each row  64  of the array  46  has been energised as in the case of State  7 , all the LED&#39;s  62  in each row  64  are energised before they are all de-energised as is shown for State  0 . This new pattern  66  continues to be inter posed between State  7  and State  0  for as long as the BAR remains below the predetermined threshold. 
         [0051]    With this arrangement, a technician can, by monitoring the pattern  60 , determine whether or not the BAR of the controller  52  is above the required threshold and, if not, is alerted by the annunciator as implemented by the pattern  66  to take the appropriate remedial action. 
         [0052]    It is an advantage of the invention that the pattern  66 , which functions as the annunciator for the technician, is discrete and that a player playing the gaming machine  10  using other means of credit input, such as coins or a card, is not disturbed by the change in pattern on the bill acceptor  24 . 2 . 
         [0053]    The gaming machine  10  may be connected to a network in the venue. In that case, the controller  52  feeds information regarding the BAR to a venue network system  68  ( FIG. 3 ) via a network communications line  70 . The system  68  then gives venue operating and service personnel an on-line and immediate indicator of the performance of the bill acceptor  24 . 2  of each gaming machine  10  enabling remedial action to be taken in an expedited manner when the BAR of any gaming machine in the network drops below the predetermined threshold. The system  68  could, for example, activate a visual or audible alarm (not shown) indicating the need for attention to a bill acceptor  24 . 2  of any gaming machine on the network. 
         [0054]    It is an advantage of the invention that a discrete arrangement is provided for determining the bill acceptance rate of a bill acceptor  24 . 2  of a gaming machine  10 , whether networked or not. It will be appreciated that if the controller  52  has a too high rejection rate of bills, the revenue received by the venue in which the gaming machine  10  is installed could be adversely affected as players may not have coins to play the machine instead. Accordingly, it is important that, when a bill acceptor  24 . 2  of a gaming machine  10  has an unacceptable high rejection rate, remedial action can be taken urgently. 
         [0055]    In addition, the manner in which a technician is alerted to a malfunctioning bill acceptor  24 . 2  takes place in a discrete manner using the invention so that patrons are not disturbed in their playing of the gaming machine.