Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100103448 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VOUCHER AND PROMOTIONAL COUPONING SYSTEM - A method and apparatus are provided for the creation and management of promotional coupons or vouchers. When used in a mixed gaming and promotional couponing system, a printer appends printed indicia to printed output when receiving data on an auxiliary port configured for printing promotional coupons. In addition, the printer, upon receiving data on the auxiliary port, may analyze the received data in order to suppress data for generating certain patterns which are not desirable to appear on the printed output. Suppressed data may include text, barcode, graphic, line, and box data used for printing vouchers but not promotional coupons. | 04-29-2010 |
20110101084 | MODULAR GAMING TRANSACTION PRINTER - A modular gaming transaction printer for grayscale printing which may interface with multiple host systems and multiple gaming machine protocols, download application code or code patches, receive printer maintenance instructions, arbitrate print jobs received from various communication interfaces, support worldwide languages, and utilize firmware version consolidation. The printer further includes security features and memory protection. The printer further includes segmented memory for content related to each communication interface, gaming machine, or host system, among others. Additionally, the printer supports Unicode, configuration to worldwide languages, configuration to multiple protocols, and configuration to prior firmware versions for backward compatibility, among others. The printer may include a plurality of paper trays to hold media of the same size, but different characteristics. | 05-05-2011 |
20120302325 | MACHINE HAVING A CARD PROCESSING ASSEMBLY - A machine having a card processing assembly. The card processing assembly has a card drive and a heating device. The heating device is operable to cause a human-readable symbol to be viewable on a data card. | 11-29-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090117998 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A PROMOTIONAL COUPON SYSTEM - A system for communicating with many host systems in use at a gaming establishment and/or associated gaming establishments for the creation, issuance, distribution and redemption of coupons based on data gathered from one or more host systems, games, player activity or anonymous activity, and coupon data, among others where data is gathered in data packets and stored in a database. The system can provide promotions to all patrons of a gaming establishment, either through player tracking or anonymously. | 05-07-2009 |
20090239656 | SECURED GAMING TABLE DEVICE - A secured gaming table device that uses TITO and RFID to use and exchange vouchers, winnings from slot machines, promotions, and coupons; provide cashless payout from a gaming table; provide transaction receipts; link gaming tables; and connect and use systems in use, such as the TITO System and Player Tracking System, for credit transfer to and from game vouchers, player tracking cards, promotional coupons, cash, RFID chips, and non-RFID chips, among others, thereby expanding the use of credit transfer to include gaming tables. The secured gaming table device includes a gaming printer, barcode reader or scanner, bill validator, interface, and keypad, among others; and connects to host systems for the issuance and redemption of vouchers and/or promotional coupons at a gaming table. | 09-24-2009 |
20090240588 | Method And Apparatus For A Promotional Couponing System - Methods and apparatus for promotional couponing system where coupons, campaigns, and promotions are designed on central server and issued to network of printing devices and redeemed from redemption devices. The logic that processes input contained within each printer and print and redeem device connected to network so each device independently analyzes its own input and requests permission to print coupon from central server. The system uses coupons to maneuver players to play games least in use or to a specific location. Coupons include map and directions to direct the player. | 09-24-2009 |
20100030630 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A COUPONING SYSTEM - Couponing system including one or more games and/or point of redemption in one or more gaming establishments and/or business entities worldwide. Each game and/or point of redemption includes a printer and bill validator, where each connect to the couponing system using a port or interface for issuance, tracking, and redemption of coupons and/or prizes and using another port or interface to connect to other systems for player tracking or issuance, tracking and redemption of game vouchers. The system offers varying prize levels with coupons issued based on player's participation and/or activity, independent of participation and/or activity of other players. Player receives coupon with value of anything including nonplaying credits. At redemption, coupon is replaced with another or new coupon with additional rewards. | 02-04-2010 |
20100296119 | MODULAR TRANSACTION PRINTER - A modular transaction printer for generating financial transaction records such as gaming vouchers and coupons. The printer uses expansion modules which are self-contained devices to allow for modular expansion and open system architecture of the printer where an expansion module can be plugged into a port of the printer for easy in-field upgradeability, to expand the printer's main controller functionality, and to share the printer resources. Each module snaps in, is hot swappable, and prepackaged to perform certain functions such as promotional printing. | 11-25-2010 |
20100328713 | MODULAR TRANSACTION PRINTER - A modular transaction printer for generating financial transaction records such as gaming vouchers and coupons. The printer uses self-contained expansion modules that plug into a printer port for easy in-field upgradeability. The printer includes a mechanical package to allow modules to be inserted from the printer exterior, an electrical interface to allow modules to communicate with the printer electronics, and a latching mechanism to secure the modules to the printer for easy connect and disconnect from the printer body. Each module includes dynamic memory, non-volatile memory, processor circuitry necessary to accomplish a port or an interface with an outside host device, and a standard bus style interface method for interchangeable expansion modules. By using interchangeable expansion modules, a printer can be configured as a base or basic model. Then depending on configuration requirements, the interchangeable modules can be securely attached to the printer. | 12-30-2010 |
20110244948 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MATCH PLAY CREDITS - Methods and apparatus for offering incentives, awards, and rewards to players and patrons in the form of match play credits and other rewards related to patron play, such as among others, bonus play and free play. The system uses thresholds to identify and notify eligible players and patrons and issue the credits. The system monitors the match play activity as well as identifies the games where the match play credits can be used. | 10-06-2011 |
20120322545 | ENRICHED GAME PLAY ENVIRONMENT - A gaming system is provided. The gaming system provides players a rich (i.e. akin to leading home- and arcade-based video games) single-player, multi-player cooperative and/or head to head environment in which the participant(s) win cash and credits as a result of their play activity within the environment, based on the wagers which they make entering and playing a game of the gaming system. | 12-20-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100030635 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GAMING PROMOTIONAL PRINTER - A method and apparatus for a gaming promotional printer for use within a cashless enabled gaming machine are disclosed. A gaming promotional printer includes a coupon database describing a stack of coupons that are specified using a template based couponing printer language. A coupon is selected for creation and issued to the player based on a matrix of event-based triggers involving factors or parameters known to the gaming promotional printer directly or supplied by master promotional controller. Triggers may include the time of day, the date or amount of a cash-out voucher to be issued to a player, the duration of play on a gaming machine, a player classification, the amount of money or credits added to a game, or a random frequency of coupon issuance having satisfied any or all of the aforementioned factors. The gaming promotional printer may further include the ability to store all of the coupons, trigger conditions, and related information resident in the gaming promotional printer in a non-volatile fashion thus enabling a host system to download a promotional environment into the gaming promotional printer which will run promotional campaigns on behalf of the hosting system. | 02-04-2010 |
20100093446 | VOUCHER MANAGEMENT PATH SYSTEM FOR A GAMING MACHINE PRINTER - A gaming machine printer. The gaming machine printer creates printed vouchers, tickets, receipts, etc. for use in gaming applications employing cashless enabled gaming systems. The gaming machine printer includes a voucher management system having a burster bar for separating vouchers and a serpentine voucher guide that may be opened for inspection. The gaming machine printer further includes various electrical features that protect the gaming machine printer from electrostatic discharges. | 04-15-2010 |
20100100431 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A GUEST SERVICES SYSTEM FOR COUPONING AND GAMING - Guest services system for couponing and gaming where guests using an access point such as their room or kiosk select which promotions to view, which incentives and/or coupons to print and request and/or receive play credits. Additionally, secured means include using a PIN, password, and/or a secured card such as a room card or player tracking card to access and view incentives, request play credit, receive incentives and/or play credit, and/or purchase play credit. The system includes a connection to host systems, a controller, a user interface, input device, output device, card reading device as well as personal communication devices such as a computer. | 04-22-2010 |
20100253973 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A VENDING PROMOTIONAL PRINTER - A method and apparatus for a vending promotional printer for use within a vending machine are disclosed. A vending promotional printer includes a coupon database describing a stack of coupons that are specified using a template based couponing printer language. A coupon is selected for creation and issued to the customer based on a matrix of event-based triggers involving factors or parameters known to the vending promotional printer directly or supplied by master promotional controller. Triggers may include the time of day, the date or amount of a cash-out voucher to be issued to a customer, the duration of play on a vending machine, a customer classification, the amount of money or credits added to a game, or a random frequency of coupon issuance having satisfied any or all of the aforementioned factors. The vending promotional printer may further include the ability to store all of the coupons, trigger conditions, and related information resident in the vending promotional printer in a non-volatile fashion thus enabling a host system to download a promotional environment into the vending promotional printer which will run promotional campaigns on behalf of the hosting system. | 10-07-2010 |
20110099056 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GAMING PROMOTIONAL PRINTER - A method and apparatus for a promotional printer for use within a cashless enabled gaming machine or vending machine are disclosed. A promotional printer includes a coupon database describing a stack of coupons that are specified using a template based couponing printer language. A coupon is selected for creation and issued to a user or player based on a matrix of event-based triggers involving factors or parameters known to the promotional printer directly or supplied by a master promotional controller. Triggers may include the time of day, the date or amount of a cash-out voucher to be issued to the user or player, the duration of play on a gaming machine, a player classification, the amount of money or credits added to a game, or a random frequency of coupon issuance having satisfied any or all of the aforementioned factors. The promotional printer may further include the ability to store all of the coupons, trigger conditions, and related information resident in the promotional printer in a non-volatile fashion thus enabling a host system to download a promotional environment into the promotional printer which will run promotional campaigns on behalf of the hosting system. | 04-28-2011 |
20120262735 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GAMING PROMOTIONAL PRINTER - A method and apparatus for a promotional module for use within a cashless enabled gaming machine or vending machine are disclosed. A promotional module includes a coupon database describing a stack of coupons that are specified using a template based couponing printer language. A coupon is selected for creation and issued to a user or player or user based on a matrix of event-based triggers involving factors or parameters known to the promotional module directly or supplied by a master promotional controller. Triggers may include the time of day, the date or amount of a cash out voucher to be issued to the user or player, the duration of play on a gaming machine, a player classification, the amount of money or credits added to a game, or a random frequency of coupon issuance having satisfied any or all of the aforementioned factors. | 10-18-2012 |