U.S. patent application number 11/276147 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-25 for method and apparatus for storing information on a wager gaming voucher.
Invention is credited to Victor Mercado, Michael L. White.
Application Number | 20070021191 11/276147 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37679756 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070021191 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
White; Michael L. ; et
al. |
January 25, 2007 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STORING INFORMATION ON A WAGER GAMING
VOUCHER
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for processing and storing information
on a wager gaming voucher are described herein. In one embodiment,
a wager gaming voucher includes a single machine-readable indicium.
The single machine-readable indicium includes a remote database
index associated with a set of one or more fields in a remote
database and a portable voucher database to store information.
Inventors: |
White; Michael L.;
(Glenview, IL) ; Mercado; Victor; (Berwyn,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHWEGMAN, LUNDBERG, WOESSNER & KLUTH, P.A.
P.O. BOX 2938
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Family ID: |
37679756 |
Appl. No.: |
11/276147 |
Filed: |
February 15, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60652999 |
Feb 15, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/32 20130101;
G07F 17/3248 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/025 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A wager gaming voucher comprising: a single machine-readable
indicium including, a remote database index associated with a set
of one or more tables in a remote database; and a portable voucher
database to store voucher information.
2. The wager gaming voucher of claim 1, wherein the portable
voucher database includes a monetary value of the wager gaming
voucher.
3. The wager gaming voucher of claim 1, wherein the monetary value
can be accessed without accessing the remote database.
4. The wager gaming voucher of claim 1, wherein the voucher
information can be accessed without accessing the remote
database.
5. The wager gaming voucher of claim 1, wherein the portable
voucher database includes information selected from the group
consisting of a player identifier, a set of player preferences, a
validation number, non-monetary awards, game entry data, lottery
entry, and a game state.
6. The wager gaming voucher of claim 1, wherein the single indicium
is a two-dimensional barcode.
7. The wager gaming voucher of claim 1, wherein the portable
voucher database includes validation information that can be used
to validate the wager gaming voucher without accessing a
network.
8. The wager gaming voucher of claim 1, wherein the voucher
information is encrypted.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wager gaming voucher further
includes unencrypted voucher information in the indicium needed for
decryption.
10. A method comprising: reading a single wager gaming voucher
indicium, wherein the single wager gaming voucher indicium
includes, a portable voucher database including a monetary value;
and an index into a remote database; and accessing the monetary
value without accessing the remote database.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the accessing the monetary
value is performed without accessing a network.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the portable voucher database
also includes voucher information, wherein the accessing step
includes accessing the voucher information without accessing a
network.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the portable voucher database
is encrypted, and wherein the accessing includes decrypting the
portable voucher database.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein a public key is used to encrypt
and a private key is used to decrypt the portable voucher
database.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein symmetric keys are used to
encrypt and decrypt the portable voucher database.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the wager gaming voucher
further includes unencrypted voucher information in the
indicium.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the unencrypted voucher
information enables the decrypting of the encrypted portable
voucher database.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein the single wager gaming voucher
indicium resides on a wager gaming voucher, and wherein the
portable voucher database includes a first random validation
identifier, the method further including, receiving a second random
validation identifier; validating the wager gaming voucher without
communicating with any remote computer, wherein the wager gaming
voucher is valid if the first random validation identifier matches
the second random validation identifier; and if the wager gaming
voucher is valid, dispensing cash in an amount of the monetary
value.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first and second random
validation identifiers are created by a first and a second random
number generator, each random number generator having the same
output for a given seed value.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the seed used to generate the
first random validation identifier is used in the validating step
to determine the second validation number.
21. The method of claim 10, further comprising: using indicium
validation rules to determine whether the single wager gaming
voucher indicium is valid.
22. The wager gaming voucher of claim 10, wherein the single
indicium is a two-dimensional barcode.
23. The method of claim 10, further including redeeming the wager
gaming voucher for the monetary value wherein the accessing the
monetary value is performed without accessing a network.
24. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions which when
executed by a machine cause the machine to perform operations
comprising: receiving an indication to generate a wager gaming
voucher; generating a portable voucher database; determining an
index for accessing data in a remote database, wherein the data is
associated with the wager gaming voucher; creating an indicium that
includes the portable voucher database and the index; and
generating a voucher that includes the indicium.
25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, the operations further
comprising: encrypting the portable voucher database.
26. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the indicium
is a single two-dimensional barcode.
27. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the portable
database includes information selected from the group consisting of
a player identifier, a set of player preferences, a validation
number, a non-monetary award, a monetary award, game entry data, a
lottery entry, and a game state.
28. A double-sided wager gaming voucher comprising: a first
machine-readable indicium including game-specific information, the
game-specific information usable by one of a set of wagering game
types; a second machine-readable indicium including a voucher
identifier, the voucher identifier associated with data in a remote
database, the voucher identifier usable by all of the set of
wagering game types.
29. The wager gaming voucher of claim 28, wherein the game-specific
information is selected from the set consisting of a player
identifier, a set of player preferences, a set of bonus awards, and
a game state.
30. The wager gaming voucher of claim 28, wherein the first and
second machine-readable indicium are selected from the group of
linear barcodes or two-dimensional barcodes.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) from
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/652,999 filed Feb. 15,
2005, which application is incorporated herein by reference.
LIMITED COPYRIGHT WAIVER
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material to which the claim of copyright protection is made. The
copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by
any person of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it
appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office file or records,
but reserves all other rights whatsoever. Copyright 2006, WMS
Gaming, Inc.
FIELD
[0003] This invention relates generally to the field of wagering
games and more particularly to the field of wager gaming
vouchers.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0004] Wager gaming machines often accept, process, and dispense
wager gaming vouchers. Wager gaming vouchers are often associated
with a monetary value and/or game state information. Some wager
gaming vouchers include one-dimensional barcodes that represent
indexes into remote databases, which store monetary values and/or
game state information associated with the vouchers.
[0005] Players can typically redeem wager gaming vouchers for game
credits. Wager gaming vouchers may also be used to store
non-monetary award information that allows players to redeem the
voucher for products or services. Wager gaming vouchers may also be
used to store game play status. This allows a player to terminate a
game prior to its completion and return to that game at a later
time to resume game play at the same point (and with the same
status) that the game was previously terminated. Wager gaming
vouchers may be redeemed for credit or for the resumption of the
game play by inserting the wager gaming voucher back into the
wagering game, typically through a bill acceptor. The wager gaming
machine traps the wager gaming voucher inside the wager gaming
machine and is manually retrieved by the gaming establishment at
periodic service intervals.
[0006] After a wager gaming machine receives a voucher, the machine
typically uses the voucher index to look-up in a remote database
the voucher's monetary value and/or other voucher information.
After performing the look-up, the wager gaming machine can provide
gaming credits on the wagering game equivalent to the monetary
value and restore game status in accordance the with information
associated with the voucher index in the remote database.
[0007] Players can also redeem wager gaming vouchers for cash by
presenting the vouchers to cashiers. Cashiers can typically verify
each voucher's monetary value before dispensing cash. For example,
a cashier can use a computer for reading a voucher's
one-dimensional bar code and determining an associated index into a
remote database. Based on the index, the computer can look-up in
the remote database the voucher's monetary value and provide the
cashier with verification of the voucher's monetary value. After a
cashier verifies the voucher's monetary value, the cashier can
dispense cash to a player.
[0008] After the wager gaming vouchers have been redeemed for cash
or gaming credits, they are typically sent to a counting room,
where workers verify their authenticity and value. Typically,
because of tight security, counting room workers do not have access
to remote databases.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0009] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and
not limitation in the Figures of the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wagering game network,
according to exemplary embodiments of the invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an orthogonal view of a wager gaming machine,
according to exemplary embodiments of the invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a wager gaming voucher,
according to exemplary embodiments of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the reverse side of the
wager gaming voucher of FIG. 3 to create a double-sided wager
gaming voucher, according to exemplary embodiments of the
invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for
generating a wager gaming voucher including a portable database and
an index into a remote database, according to exemplary embodiments
of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for
processing a wager gaming voucher that has a portable database and
index into a remote database, according to exemplary embodiments of
the invention;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for
processing a double sided wager gaming voucher that includes
game-specific information, according to exemplary embodiments of
the invention; and
[0017] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for
processing a double-sided wager gaming voucher that includes
game-specific information, according to exemplary embodiments of
the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Method and apparatus for storing information on a wager
gaming voucher are described herein. This description of the
embodiments is divided into four sections. The first section
describes an exemplary operating environment and system
architecture. The second section describes system operations and
the third section provides some general comments.
Operating Environment and System Architecture
[0019] This section describes a wagering game network, wager gaming
machine, and wager gaming vouchers, according to exemplary
embodiments of the invention. Operations of the wagering game
network's components will be described in the next section.
Wagering Game Network
[0020] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wagering game network,
according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. Operations of
the wagering game network's components are described in greater
detail in the next section.
[0021] FIG. 1 shows devices distributed throughout several rooms
including a counting room 110, casino room 102, and cashier room
106. In one embodiment, the rooms are in the same building, while
in another embodiment, the rooms are in separate buildings. The
counting room 110 includes a counting room computer 112 which can
be used for tracking and processing wager gaming vouchers using the
machine-readable indicia imprinted on the voucher. Machine-readable
indicia may be any marking discernible and readable by a machine,
but which is unintelligible and cannot be directly read by a
human.
[0022] Although the counting room computer 112 may not be connected
to the wagering game network 100, the counting room computer 112
can verify and process wager gaming vouchers using the information
in the portable voucher database as encoded in the machine-readable
indicium.
[0023] The wagering game network 100 includes a plurality of wager
gaming machines 104 located in the casino room 102. Additionally,
the network 100 includes a cashier computer 108 located in the
cashier room 106. The wager gaming machines 104 and the cashier
computer 108 are connected to a remote database 114. The remote
database 114 can store monetary value information and other game
specific information for a plurality of wager gaming vouchers.
Generally, the remote database 114 is located within the gaming
establishment itself, but could be located off site. Gaming
regulations would generally prohibit the remote database from being
located (or at least accessed) inside the counting room 110.
[0024] The wager gaming machines 104, counting room computer 112,
and cashier computer 108 are capable of receiving and processing
wager gaming vouchers. In one embodiment, the wager gaming machines
104, counting room computer 112, and cashier computer 108 include
two-dimensional barcode scanners and/or other optical readers for
reading indicia imprinted on wager gaming vouchers. In one
embodiment, based on information read from vouchers, the wager
gaming machines 104 and cashier computer 108 can request data from
the remote database 114. In one embodiment, the wager gaming
machine 104, the cashier computer 108, and the counting room
computer 112, can read all information associated with the voucher
directly from the voucher.
[0025] According to embodiments, the components of the wagering
game network 100 can communicate over wired and/or wireless
connections. The network components can be connected to the
wagering game network 100 using any suitable connection technology,
such as Bluetooth, 802.11x, Ethernet, DSL, etc. According to some
embodiments, each room has a different number of network components
than that shown in FIG. 1.
[0026] The wager gaming machines 104, cashier computer 108, and
counting room computer 112 can include machine readable-media for
performing operations described herein. Machine-readable media
includes any mechanism that provides (i.e., stores and/or
transmits) information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a
computer). For example, a machine-readable medium includes read
only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk
storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices,
electrical, optical, acoustical or other forms of propagated
signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals,
etc.).
[0027] While FIG. 1 describes a wagering game network, FIG. 2
describes wager gaming machines in greater detail.
[0028] The wager gaming machines described below can employ any of
the techniques for processing wager gaming vouchers described
herein. Before discussing details related to wager gaming vouchers,
FIG. 2 will describe some general features of wager gaming machines
that generate and redeem wager gaming vouchers.
[0029] FIG. 2 is an orthogonal view of a wager gaming machine,
according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. As shown in
FIG. 2, the wager gaming machine 200 can be a video slot machine,
or an electromechanical slot machine
[0030] The wager gaming machine 200 can be operated while players
are standing or seated. The wager gaming machine 200 is preferably
mounted on a stand. However, the wager gaming machine 200 can be
constructed as a pub-style tabletop game (not shown), which a
player can operate while sitting. Furthermore, the wager gaming
machine 200 can be constructed with varying cabinet and display
designs. The wager gaming machine 200 can incorporate any primary
game such as slots, poker, or keno, and additional bonus games. The
symbols and indicia used on and in the wager gaming machine 200 can
take mechanical, electrical, or video form.
[0031] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the wager gaming machine 200
includes a coin slot 202 and bill acceptor 224. Players can place
coins in the coin slot 202 and paper money or wager gaming vouchers
in the bill acceptor 224. Other devices can be used for accepting
payment. For example, credit/debit card readers/validators can be
used for accepting payment. Additionally, the wager gaming machine
200 can perform electronic funds transfers and financial transfers
to procure monies from various financial accounts. When a player
inserts vouchers or money into the wager gaming machine 200, a
number of credits corresponding to the value deposited are shown in
a credit display 206. After depositing money or a voucher, a player
can begin playing the game by pushing the play button 208. The play
button 208 can be any play activator used for starting a wagering
game or sequence of events in the wager gaming machine 200.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the wager gaming machine 200 also
includes a bet display 212 and a "bet one" button 216. The player
places a bet by pushing the bet one button 216. The player can
increase the bet by one credit each time the player pushes the bet
one button 216. When the player pushes the bet one button 216, the
number of credits shown in the credit display 206 decreases by one
credit, while the number of credits shown in the bet display 212
increases by one credit.
[0033] A player may "cash out" by pressing a cash out button 218.
When a player cashes out, the wager gaming machine 200 dispenses a
wager gaming voucher or currency corresponding to the number of
remaining credits. The wager gaming machine 200 may employ other
payout mechanisms such as electronically recordable cards (which
track player credits).
[0034] The wager gaming machine also includes a primary display
unit 204 and a secondary display unit 210 (also known as a "top
box" when positioned over the base game). In one embodiment, the
primary display unit 204 displays a plurality of video reels 220.
According to embodiments, the display units 204 and 210 can include
any visual representation or exhibition, including moving physical
objects (e.g., mechanical reels and wheels), dynamic lighting, and
video images. In one embodiment, each reel 220 includes a plurality
of symbols such as bells, hearts, fruits, numbers, letters, bars,
or other images, which correspond to a theme associated with the
wager gaming machine 200. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the
wager gaming machine 200 includes an audio presentation unit 228.
The audio presentation unit 228 can include audio speakers or other
suitable sound projection devices.
[0035] In one embodiment, a plurality of wager gaming machines can
be connected together with other computers to form a gaming
network, as described above. In one embodiment, the wager gaming
machine can receive and process wager gaming vouchers, as described
below. The discussion of FIGS. 3 and 4 will describe wager gaming
vouchers, according to embodiments of the invention.
[0036] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a wager gaming voucher,
according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. In FIG. 3, the
wager gaming voucher 300 includes a value indicator 302, which
indicates a monetary value associated with the wager gaming voucher
300. Typically, players can redeem wager gaming vouchers for the
value indicated by the value indicator 302. For example, a player
could redeem the wager gaming voucher 300 for $45.00.
Alternatively, players can receive gaming credit for the value
indicated by the value indicator 302 by reinserting the wager
gaming voucher back into the bill validator of a wager gaming
machine.
[0037] The wager gaming voucher 300 also includes alphanumeric
information 304 to assist players with the identification of the
wager gaming voucher without requiring electronic scanners or other
devices necessary, as is the case with machine-readable indicia.
The alphanumeric information 304 includes information identifying
the wager gaming machine that dispensed the wager gaming voucher,
information about when the wager gaming voucher was dispensed, and
the wager gaming voucher's value. The alphanumeric information 304
can also include other information, such as machine configuration
information.
[0038] Additionally, the wager gaming voucher 300 includes a
machine-readable indicium 306. In one embodiment, the
machine-readable indicium 306 can include a portable database. The
portable database can include monetary-specific or game-specific
information associated with the voucher 300. The portable database
may also contain comp-specific information such as the player's
accumulated award level, complementary awards, or bonus awards
level. The portable database may also include player-specific
information. Player-specific information includes player tracking
number, biometric information, or any other information that can be
used to identify a player. Additionally, the portable database can
include configuration information describing the wager gaming that
issued the voucher.
[0039] In one embodiment, the machine-readable indicium 306 can
include all the information represented by the alphanumeric
information 304 and any other information about a player, game,
wager gaming machine configuration, or monetary value.
Monetary-specific, game-specific, comp-specific, player-specific,
and any other information imprinted on the wager gaming voucher may
generally be referred to (either collectively or individually) as
voucher information.
[0040] The game-specific information can include a player
identifier, a game-type identifier, a set of player preferences
(e.g., a player's preferred music, color scheme, volume settings,
etc.), a set of bonus awards (e.g., awards that entitle a player to
extra bonus events), or a game state (e.g., information that can
enable a wager gaming machine to restart a game from the point
where a previous game was terminated by the player). The
game-specific information may also include an index into a database
to allow the storage and retrieval of game specific information.
The game-specific information may also include security codes, or
other information necessary to secure the game-specific information
from fraudulent use such as a validation number.
[0041] Monetary-specific information may include any information
relating to the monetary value encoded on the wager gaming voucher
including machine ID number, validation number, index number, or
any other information generated by the wager gaming machine or the
network and communicated to the wager gaming machine related to the
monetary value represented by the wager gaming voucher, or security
to ensure the voucher in not fraudulently used. (e.g., player
tacking number).
[0042] Wager gaming machine configuration information can include
machine settings, game settings, software settings, and any other
information about how the wager gaming machine is configured. For
example, the configuration information can indicate the wager
gaming machine's processor type, peripheral device types, amount of
memory, operating system type, pay tables, wagering game type, etc.
In one embodiment, the wager gaming voucher 300 can be used to
transfer wager gaming machine configuration information from one
wager gaming machine to other wager gaming machines, as disclosed
in US Publication No. 2005/0197191, which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0043] In one embodiment, the machine-readable indicium 306 also
includes an index into a remote database. The index (also referred
to as a voucher identifier) can be used as a key into one or more
tables of a relational database, such as the remote database 114
(see FIG. 1).
[0044] In one embodiment, the machine-readable indicium 306 is a
two-dimensional bar code. In other embodiments, the
machine-readable indicium 306 can be any suitable machine-readable
indicium capable of representing a monetary value, or any other
general voucher information used in association with a wager gaming
voucher.
[0045] FIG. 3 shows the "top side" of the wager gaming voucher 300.
In one embodiment, the voucher's "bottom side" is blank. However,
in another embodiment, the bottom side of the wager gaming voucher
300 includes additional indicia, which are described in FIG. 4.
Alternatively, data may be categorized, and dependent on that
characterization, placed on one of the two sides of the wager
gaming voucher. In this description, the terms "top side" and
"bottom side" are merely used to distinguish between different
sides of a wager gaming voucher.
[0046] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a bottom side of a
double-sided wager gaming voucher, according to exemplary
embodiments of the invention. On the bottom side, the voucher 300
includes a machine-readable indicium 402 that can include
game-specific or machine-specific information. The top side of the
wager gaming voucher may contain only information related to the
credit value of the voucher (i.e., the monetary value stored in
indicium 306).
[0047] Many wager gaming machines may not be able to read indicia
from two sides of a wager gaming voucher, so the voucher 300 may
work only with certain machines. Moreover, the machine-readable
indicium 402 may store machine or game-specific information that is
relevant to only one particular game type. For example, the
machine-readable indicium 402 can include bonus awards, game state
information, and other information specific to a Monopoly.TM. slot
game available from WMS Gaming of Chicago, Ill. As a result, the
voucher 300 can be used with only wager gaming machines featuring
the appropriate Monopoly.TM. slot game.
[0048] In those cases where the wager gaming machine is only able
to read a single side of a double-sided wager gaming voucher, the
voucher acceptor may be programmed to read the game specific
information on the wager gaming voucher first. The voucher acceptor
may then be programmed to dispense the same ticket back to the
player to allow the player to reinsert the ticket to read the
credit value of the voucher imprinted on the opposite side of the
wager gaming voucher. The wager gaming machine then credits the
player for the face value of the voucher, cues the wager gaming
machine to the game status imprinted on the voucher, and captures
the voucher inside the wager gaming machine for accounting
purposes.
[0049] The indicium on the credit side of the wager gaming voucher
may include a signal to the wager gaming machine that the wager
gaming voucher has an imprinted reverse side. If the player does
not wish to resume play at the same wager gaming machine, but
desires to use the credits on the wager gaming voucher, the player
may override the wager gaming machine and force the credit portion
of the wager gaming voucher to be accepted--potentially losing the
game status contained in the game specific information imprinted on
the back of the wager gaming voucher. The game status might be
preserved in the database and recoverable if a player tracking
number is associated with each stored game status.
[0050] Operations for processing information from the bottom side
of wager gaming vouchers are described in the next section.
System Operations
[0051] This section describes operations performed by embodiments
of the invention. In certain embodiments, the operations are
performed by instructions (e.g., software) residing on
machine-readable media, while in other embodiments, the methods are
performed by hardware or other logic (e.g., digital logic).
[0052] In this section, FIGS. 5-8 will be discussed. In particular,
FIGS. 5 and 6 describe operations for processing wager gaming
vouchers that include a portable voucher database. FIGS. 7 and 8
describe operations for processing double-sided wager gaming
vouchers that include game-specific information.
[0053] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for
generating a wager gaming voucher including a portable database and
an index into a remote database, according to exemplary embodiments
of the invention. The flow diagram 500 will be described with
reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. The flow diagram 500 commences at block
502.
[0054] At block 502, an indication to generate a wager gaming
voucher is received. For example, a wager gaming machine 104
receives a "cash out" request from a player. The flow continues at
block 504.
[0055] At block 504, a portable database is generated. For example,
a wager gaming machine 104 generates a portable database. In one
embodiment, the portable database includes a monetary value
associated with the voucher. The monetary value can be based on the
number of game credits remaining on the wager gaming machine 104.
In one embodiment, the portable database also includes
game-specific or monetary-specific information associated with the
voucher. Game-specific information can include information about
the game's state at the time a player cashes out; including, for
example, the bonus state of the game at the time of termination,
the features or tools acquired during the game, etc.
Monetary-specific information may include the wager gaming machine
ID number, and any other information generated by the wager gaming
machine for security purposes such as encryption codes, time and
date the voucher is printed, random number generator version,
validation number, seed generation, etc. Player-specific
information includes player tracking number, biometric information,
etc. The flow continues at block 506.
[0056] At block 506, an index into a remote database is determined.
For example, a wager gaming machine 104 requests and receives from
the remote database 114 an index that can serve as a pointer into a
table of the remote database 114. In one embodiment, the wager
gaming machine 104 can use the index for storing the portable
database information and game-specific information into the remote
database 114 location determined by the index. In one embodiment,
the wager gaming machine 104 can encrypt the index and portable
database using a key such as a public or private encryption key. If
desired, the index, or any other information, may be left
unencrypted to facilitate the manual retrieval of information.
Unencrypted data may also be available in the portable database to
provide information necessary to other machines, either on or off
the network, to allow the decryption of secure wager gaming voucher
information. This information includes sufficient information to
allow the determination of a key or the identification of a random
number generator necessary to decrypt the wager gaming voucher
information.
[0057] In addition to the encryption of the data, the wager gaming
machine may include a unique validation number for each wager
gaming voucher. This unique validation number may be generated
based on a mathematical function. This mathematical function may
resemble, for example, a random number generator. Rather than
continuously rolling the random number generator, the random number
generator would be initiated with a specific number and only roll
to the next generated number with a request to generate a new wager
gaming voucher. The range and identity of each possible validation
number from a given wager gaming machine is available to the
cashier computer and the counting room computer, allowing these
computers to provide a validation and authentication function. To
minimize the range of numbers that a cashier or counting room
computer would need to identify, the cashier/counting room
computers may search only those numbers that can be reasonably
obtained based on normal wager gaming machine usage. These
validation numbers can be further secured by using a validation
number that is a function of the time and/or date that it was
issued.
[0058] The time the ticket is printed can become part of the
vouchers database and that time can be used to generate the
expected validation number of a particular wager gaming machine at
that point in time. Furthermore if desired, rather than limiting a
single wager gaming machine to a single random number generator
algorithm, multiple random number generators may be available for
use by the wager gaming machine.
[0059] Alternately, different initialization seeds may be used in
the same random number generator. Introducing a new seed in the
same random number generator creates a new set of validation
numbers and makes the entire system more secure. The new seeds may
be introduced based on time and date or they may be randomly
changed by the wager gaming machine. An indicator can be placed in
the voucher database to indicate the seed generation used to
generate the validation number.
[0060] For a more detailed analysis and discussion of encryption
techniques, validation, and authentication, refer to "Applied
Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C,"
authored by Bruce Schneier, published by John Wiley & Sons
(second edition, 1996), which is hereby incorporated by reference
in its entirety. The flow continues at block 508.
[0061] At block 508, an indicium that includes the portable
database and the index is generated. For example, a wager gaming
machine 104 generates in memory an indicium that includes the
portable database and index. In one embodiment, the portable
database and index are encrypted, as noted above. The flow
continues at block 510.
[0062] At block 510, a voucher that includes the indicium is
generated. For example, a wager gaming machine 104 generates a
wager gaming voucher that includes the indicium. In one embodiment,
the wager gaming machine 110 prints the indicium on a wager gaming
voucher. In one embodiment, the wager gaming machine 110 employs a
thermal imaging printer to imprint the indicium on the wager gaming
voucher. Alternatively, the wager gaming machine 110 can imprint
the indicium onto the voucher using any suitable imprinting
technique. In one embodiment, the indicium can be a two-dimensional
bar code, similar that shown in FIG. 3. As noted above, the
indicium includes the portable database and the index into the
remote database 114. In one embodiment, the voucher generated at
block 510 is identical to that shown in FIG. 3. From block 510, the
flow ends.
[0063] While FIG. 5 describes operations for generating a wager
gaming voucher that has a portable database and index into a remote
database, FIG. 6 describes operations for receiving and processing
such a wager gaming voucher.
[0064] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for
processing a wager gaming voucher that has a portable database and
index into a remote database, according to exemplary embodiments of
the invention. The flow diagram 600 will be described with
reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. The flow diagram 600 commences at block
602.
[0065] At block 602, a single indicium, which includes a portable
database and an index into a remote database, is read from a wager
gaming voucher. For example, the counting room computer 112 reads
(e.g., using a barcode scanner, document scanner, or other visual
imaging device) a wager gaming voucher's machine-readable indicium.
In one embodiment, the machine-readable indicium is a
two-dimensional bar code (see FIG. 3). In one embodiment, the
machine-readable indicium includes a portable database and index
into a remote database. The portable database may include a
monetary value associated with the wager gaming voucher. As
described with reference to FIG. 3, the portable database can also
include additional information, such as game state information,
player information, player tracking number, validation number,
wager gaming machine ID number, time and date, etc. The flow
diagram continues at block 604.
[0066] At block 604, the index and the portable voucher database's
information are determined. For example, the counting room computer
112 performs operations for determining the index and the portable
database information from the indicium. In one embodiment, after
reading the voucher's indicium (see block 602), the counting room
computer 112 decodes and parses the indicium data to determine the
index value, the portable database information, and any validation
number present. In one embodiment, the counting room computer 112
accesses information in the portable database without accessing the
remote database 114. In one embodiment, the counting room computer
112 determines the voucher's monetary value by accessing the
portable database. After determining the voucher's monetary value,
the counting room computer 112 can display the monetary value on a
display device.
[0067] In one embodiment, the counting room computer 112 can employ
an error checking algorithm or a redundancy algorithm for
determining whether the wager gaming voucher includes any errors.
The counting room computer 112 can use the error checking and/or
redundancy algorithms to correct the errors.
[0068] A validation number may be evaluated to determine the wager
gaming voucher's validity with respect to the wager gaming machine
that generated the wager gaming voucher as well as the time of day
and date it was generated. This validation in the counting room
provides an additional degree of security that might not otherwise
be obtainable because of the inability to access the remote
database. In one embodiment, when determining the index value,
validation number, and portable database information, the counting
room computer 112 decrypts indicium data using a decryption key
such as a private key. The flow continues at block 606.
[0069] At block 606, a determination is made about whether the
wager gaming voucher is valid. For example, the counting room
computer 112 determines whether the voucher is valid. In one
embodiment, the validation number imprinted on the voucher can be
extracted from the encrypted barcode and evaluated against the
machine ID from which it was purportedly generated to verify that
the validation number could have been generated by that wager
gaming machine. This validation number may be further bounded by
the time and date on which the voucher was imprinted. Furthermore,
the cashier computer 108 and/or the counting room computer 112 may
be periodically updated with the current random validation number
generated by each wager gaming machine 104 via the network or other
wireless communications. This is particularly important in cases
where the network or the remote database becomes unavailable.
[0070] In situations where the network, and in particular, the
database is unavailable, gaming patrons who would otherwise not be
able to redeem their wager gaming vouchers for credit, could use
the validation system embedded in the portable voucher database to
cash their wager gaming vouchers at the cashier computer 108. As
discussed above, the system could be bounded to redeem only those
wager gaming vouchers expected to be generated within a period of
time around the network outage. Alternatively, the wager gaming
machine itself might be used as a cash out device--allowing the
player to reinsert a wager gaming voucher back into the same wager
gaming machine that originally issued the voucher. With this
mechanism, the game machine could identify the wager gaming voucher
as one that it has generated and provide the player cash for its
face value. Such a redemption requires the wager gaming machine to
match the voucher's index and/or validation number and credit
amount against an identical entry in its own internal database.
Barring the storage of the transaction, the validation number on
the wager gaming voucher could be examined by the wager gaming
machine to verify that such a validation number is a possible
result of the wager gaming machine's random number generator. Once
a redemption is made using the unique validation number generated
by the wager gaming machine, this validation number is no longer
available for any further redemption activity or for further use in
the issuance of wager gaming vouchers at that wager gaming
machine.
[0071] If the wager gaming voucher is not valid, the flow continues
at block 608. Otherwise, the flow continues at block 610.
[0072] At block 608, an error indication is presented. For example,
the counting room computer 112 presents an indication that the
wager gaming voucher is not valid. In one embodiment, the counting
room computer 112 presents the indication on a display device. From
block 608, the flow ends.
[0073] At block 610, the operations are performed based on the
portable database information. For example, the counting room
computer performs operations based on the portable database
information, such as updating records to reflect that the wager
gaming voucher was redeemed and/or money was paid. From block 610,
the flow ends.
[0074] While FIGS. 5 and 6 describe operations for generating and
processing wager gaming voucher that include a portable database
and index into a remote database, FIGS. 7 and 8 describe operations
for generating and processing double-sided wager gaming vouchers
that include game-specific information.
[0075] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for
processing a double-sided wager gaming voucher that includes
game-specific information, according to exemplary embodiments of
the invention. The flow diagram 700 will be described with
reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. The flow diagram 700 commences at
block 702.
[0076] At block 702, an indication to print a wager gaming voucher
is received. For example, a wager gaming machine 104 receives an
indication that a player wants to cash out. The flow continues at
block 704.
[0077] At block 704, general voucher information is imprinted on
one surface of the wager gaming voucher. For example, the wager
gaming machine 104 prints general voucher information on the top
side of a wager gaming voucher. This general voucher information
may be limited to credit related data. For example, the general
voucher information can include the index into a remote database
and a portable database (see discussion of FIG. 3). The flow
continues at block 706.
[0078] At block 706, game-specific information is imprinted on
another surface of the wager gaming voucher. This game-specific
information may relate to the status of the game including the
state of the game at the point at which it was previously
terminated, allowing the player to resume play at that point. The
game-specific information may not be directly related to the credit
value of the voucher imprinted on the opposite side of the voucher.
For example, the wager gaming machine 104 prints game-specific
information on the bottom side of the wager gaming voucher. In one
embodiment, the game-specific information is included in a
machine-readable indicium. In one embodiment, the machine-readable
indicium stores the game-specific information in a two-dimensional
barcode (see FIG. 4). The flow continues at block 708.
[0079] At block 708, the double-sided wager gaming voucher is
presented. For example, the wager gaming machine 104 presents the
double-sided wager gaming voucher to a player. In one embodiment,
the top side of the wager gaming voucher is identical to that shown
in FIG. 3, while the voucher's bottom side is identical to that
shown in FIG. 4. From block 708, the flow ends.
[0080] While FIG. 7 describes operations for presenting a wager
gaming voucher that includes game-specific information, FIG. 8
describes operations performed in response to receiving such a
voucher.
[0081] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for
processing a double-sided wager gaming voucher that includes
game-specific information, according to exemplary embodiments of
the invention. The flow diagram 800 will be described with
reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. The flow diagram 800 commences at block
802.
[0082] At block 802, a double-sided wager gaming voucher that
includes general voucher information and game-specific information
is received. For example, a wager gaming machine 104 receives a
double-sided voucher that includes general voucher information on
one side and game-specific information on the other side. The flow
continues at block 804.
[0083] At block 804, the general voucher information and
game-specific information are determined. The wager gaming machine
104 performs operations for determining the general voucher
information and game-specific information. Such operations can
include reading and decoding indicia (e.g., a two-dimensional
barcode) on the voucher's top and bottom sides. Such operations can
also include reading the alphanumeric information 304 (e.g., using
an OCR device) from the wager gaming voucher. The reading and/or
decoding operations can reveal the game-specific information, wager
gaming configuration, and general voucher information. In one
embodiment, the wager gaming machine 104 determines the general
voucher information and the game-specific information without
accessing the remote database 114. In another embodiment, the wager
gaming machine 104 determines the game-specific information without
accessing the remote database and the general voucher information
from the remote database 114.
[0084] The wager gaming machine 104 may use a validation number
imprinted in the game-specific information to verify that the
voucher is valid, allowing the player, for example, to retrieve a
game status. This validation number can be created as discussed
above using a random number generator specific to that wager gaming
machine or to the type of game offered on that wager gaming
machine. This random number generator starts with a specific known
seed and can create a predetermined set of validation numbers that
could potentially be used to gain access to specific game features
available in a single wager gaming machine, or wager gaming
machines located in a bank controlled by a central server. These
validation numbers can be used once and thereafter invalidated for
any further use. The flow continues at block 806.
[0085] At block 806, operations are performed based on the general
voucher information. For example, based on the general voucher
information, the wager gaming machine 104 performs operations, such
as providing game credits in an amount corresponding to a monetary
value represented in the general voucher information. The flow
continues at block 808.
[0086] At block 808, operations are performed based on the
game-specific information. For example, based on the game-specific
information, the wager gaming machine 104 configures the state of a
new game according to game state information included in the
game-specific information. From block 808, the flow ends.
[0087] Although not shown in the flow 800, the wager gaming machine
104 can also perform operations based on the wager gaming machine
configuration information stored on the wager gaming voucher. For
example, the wager gaming machine could reconfigure its machine
settings, pay tables, etc. based on the voucher's configuration
information.
General Comments
[0088] In this description, numerous specific details are set
forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention
may be practiced without these specific details. In other
instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not
been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of
this description. Note that in this description, references to "one
embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that the feature being referred
to is included in at least one embodiment of the invention.
Further, separate references to "one embodiment" in this
description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment;
however, neither are such embodiments mutually exclusive, unless so
stated and except as will be readily apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the art. Thus, the present invention can include any
variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments
described herein. Each claim, as may be amended, constitutes an
embodiment of the invention, incorporated by reference into the
detailed description. Moreover, in this description, the phrase
"exemplary embodiment" means that the embodiment being referred to
serves as an example or illustration.
[0089] Herein, block diagrams illustrate exemplary embodiments of
the invention. Also herein, flow diagrams illustrate operations of
the exemplary embodiments of the invention. The operations of the
flow diagrams are described with reference to the exemplary
embodiments shown in the block diagrams. However, it should be
understood that the operations of the flow diagrams could be
performed by embodiments of the invention other than those
discussed with reference to the block diagrams, and embodiments
discussed with references to the block diagrams could perform
operations different from those discussed with reference to the
flow diagrams. Additionally, some embodiments may not perform all
the operations shown in a flow diagram. Moreover, it should be
understood that although the flow diagrams depict serial
operations, certain embodiments could perform certain of those
operations in parallel.
* * * * *