Abstract:
By using an automated money dispenser, a patron can “shoot” currency in the direction of a performer from any reasonable distance and can control the rate of dispensing as well as the total amount dispensed. In some embodiments, the dispenser can emit sounds, light or other special effects to further enhance the experience for the dispensing patron, for other patrons, as well as for the performer. The present invention allows for a unique experience both for the user and for the entertainer, allowing for role-play and other types of entertainment not available in the prior art.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to “raining” money or other valuables onto a performer during a performance and more particularly to systems and methods for controllably dispensing paper currency in the direction of a live performer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In entertainment venues it is common for patrons of a venue to give gratuities to entertainers by way of throwing a large quantity of small denomination currency, one bill at a time, in the direction of the performer. A frequently used method of giving these tips to entertainers is “making rain,” i.e., dispatching currency from between one&#39;s hands rapidly to give the appearance of falling rain. Rain making is often done for the purpose of impressing fellow patrons, by dispensing a large quantity of paper currency. The currency dispensed could be ones, fives, tens, or any denomination. While this practice seems to be popular among certain apparently affluent patrons, it suffers from several problems, such as, 1) the currency must be dispatched from a position relatively close to the performer; 2) there is no accurate count of how much is being dispatched; and 3) only patrons close to the dispatcher really know how much is being rained down. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     By using an automated money dispenser, a patron can “shoot” currency in the direction of a performer from any reasonable distance and can control the rate of dispensing as well as the total amount dispensed. In some embodiments, the dispenser can emit sounds, light or other special effects to further enhance the experience for the dispensing patron, for other patrons, as well as for the performer. The present invention allows for a unique experience both for the user and for the entertainer, allowing for role-play and other types of entertainment not available in the prior art. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is one embodiment of the invention showing a battery-operated gun-style money dispenser; 
         FIG. 2  is an expanded view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing operation of one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is one embodiment  10  of the invention showing a battery-operated gun-style money dispenser. Housing  117  holds currency (or currency equivalents)  118 . Housing  117  may be fixed in place or removable, or it may be interchangeable with different shapes and sizes of housings. Motorized rollers  101 - 1  to  101 -N propel the currency from the dispenser a distance of at least two feet. Note that any mechanism can be used to effect dispensing the currency, including, air, helium or any other compressed gas. Also note that in some embodiments, “house currency” can be obtained by the patron for use in the dispenser. This house money can be the same size as U.S. paper money, or could be a different size. In some situations, both government issued currency and house currency can be interchanged while in other situations one or the other must be used. Also note that inserts or other mechanisms can be used inside housing  117  to allow for different sized currencies. 
     Counter  115  tracks how many bills remain in (or have been dispensed from) housing  117 . For ease of use, handle  111  is shaped like a pistol grip and can contain power, such as battery  113 , for operating the dispatching mechanism. Handle  111  can also have power switch  114  and trigger  112  to control activation of the dispatching mechanism, such as rollers  101 - 1  to  101 -N. When the patron enables power switch  114  and depresses trigger  112 , the dispenser shoots currency continuously until trigger  112  is released or until no more currency remains in housing  117  or until, optionally, a pre-set limit is reached. 
     The pre-set limit can be a dollar amount or a count of currency items dispatched, or any other measure. For example, the dispenser may be equipped with number control  102  which, once set, will allow the gun to shoot the set number of times then prevent further shooting until the number control is reset. 
     The dispenser may have burst control  107  to set how many times the dispenser fires before the trigger  112  must be released and depressed again to continue firing. When number control  102  and burst control  107  are used in conjunction, number control  102  would set a total limit on shots to be fired, such as thirty, while the burst control  107  would control how many times the dispenser fires each time the trigger is squeezed, for example three. Thus each squeeze of the trigger would shoot three units of currency for ten trigger pulls. On the eleventh pull no more currency is dispatched because the limit of thirty has been reached. 
     The dispenser may additionally have rate control  103  and distance control  104  to control, respectively, the rate and distance at which the money is dispensed. Another feature would include sound control  105  (giving sound effects, playing music, etc., through speaker  120 ) and light control  106  (giving light effects through lights  119 ) for additional entertainment options. In some embodiments, different light colors or different sounds can be associated with different currency amounts. For example, when twenties are being dispatched the sound, and/or light, could be one color (or sound) and when ones are being used a different color or sound would be used. 
       FIG. 2  is an expanded view of embodiment  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . Recessed rollers  101 - 1  to  101 -N are driven by electric motors  202 - 1  to  202 -N. Motors  202 - 1  to  202 -N are controlled by main control board  205  via control wires  203 - 1  to  203 -N. Main control board  205  is powered by battery  113  and receives inputs from trigger  112  as well as the setting of buttons  102 - 107 . The main control board controls motors  202 - 1  to  202 -N according to the flow chart shown in  FIG. 3 . When motors  202 - 1  to  202 -N are activated, currency  118  is propelled down channel  209  and through output slot  210 . 
     While it is anticipated that the currency will be dispatched flat, it might happened that in some embodiments the currency might be folded, crumpled, rolled, or otherwise reshaped. Such embodiments would have additional benefits from being propelled further or in shapes designed to add entertainment value. 
     It should be understood that it is not necessary that there be only a single set of rollers  101 - 1  to  101 -N and a single money channel  209 . Embodiments of the invention may use multiple money channels and/or multiple sets of rollers (or other dispensing mechanisms). For example, two or more channels could be employed on the same gun, either stacked vertically or laid horizontally to improve the rain-making effect. Multiple channels could also be set at thirty degrees or some other angle apart for the same purpose. 
     Sensor  211  allows for automatic reading of the value of currency as it is propelled. This can show individual values, such as the value of the currency currently being dispensed or such as the total amount dispensed since the last reset. In some embodiments, the using patron would set the amount and in other situations an automatic sensor would read the amount and set the display accordingly. This would additionally allow for more exact tracking of the values of currency being dispensed. One or more sensors  211  could be mounted in money clip  118  to sense the amount of money as it is loaded. Money could then be counted in some embodiments incrementally in terms of how much money has been dispensed. In other embodiments it could be sensed decrementally in terms of how much money remains to be dispensed. Still other embodiments may give the option of both incremental and decremental counting. 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing operation of one embodiment  30  of the invention.  FIG. 3  depicts decision tree and flow chart logic performed, in some embodiments by a processor (not shown) in main control board  205 . Process  301  detects when the trigger is being depressed. Process  302  then checks to see if the device has already shot a previously set limit and process  303  determines if money is present in the housing. If the limit has not been reached and money is present, then process  304  (optionally) retrieves the desired distance from a distance setting and process  305  determines the dispensing rate and sets the motor speed accordingly. Process  306  then begins dispensing money. Release of the trigger, reaching the limit, or lack of money in the housing will stop operation of the motors. 
     Optionally, at the same time money is being dispensed, embodiments of the device may be set to produce a noise show. Once the rate of dispensing is retrieved, process  320  checks to see if noise has been activated. If noise has been activated, process  321  retrieves the proper noise. This noise could be one set by the user, or it could depend from the denomination of the currency, or it could be based on the length of time the trigger is depressed, or it could depend on other user settings (such as the distance set). Once the proper noise has been retrieved, process  322  generates the proper sound. 
     Optionally, at the same time money is being dispensed, embodiments of the device may be set to produce a light effect show. Once the rate of dispensing is retrieved process  330  checks to see if light effects have been activated. If light effects have been activated, process  331  retrieves the proper light effect. This light effect could be one set by the user, or it could depend from the denomination of the currency, or it could be based on the length of time the trigger is depressed, or it could depend on other user settings (such as the distance set). Once the proper light effect has been retrieved, process  332  generates the proper light. This light could be color, flashing, pulsing or a combination thereof. 
     Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.