Cashless Gaming Ticket Feature Trigger Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional casino gaming systems require complex and costly coin handling mechanisms, and the integration of new features into ticket-based systems is time-consuming and requires extensive coordination, making it difficult to rapidly develop and deploy patron-desirable features without modifying existing casino systems.
Innovation Solution
A casino cash ticket system that uses cash tickets with special indicia printed on them to trigger game and credit-related features when inserted into gaming machines, allowing for the issuance of cash tickets by kiosks that provide both cash value and new game features, utilizing OCR or other reading technologies to validate and activate features such as additional credits or bonuses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional coin handling mechanisms are used in gaming machines, then reliable wager acceptance and payout dispensing is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cash handling function from the gaming machine itself and relocates it to a centralized cashless gaming system. The gaming machine no longer contains coin acceptors or cash handling mechanisms, but instead interfaces with an external system that manages all monetary transactions through ticket issuance and validation, thereby eliminating the complex coin handling apparatus from the gaming machine.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a ticket as an intermediary medium between the player and the gaming machine's credit system. Instead of directly handling cash or coins, the system uses tickets as a intermediary representation of value that can be issued, validated, and redeemed through the cashless gaming system, simplifying the machine's interface requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If new features are integrated into existing ticket-based gaming systems through core system modifications, then feature functionality is enhanced, but implementation time and coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gaming system into independent functional modules: a cashless gaming system that manages tickets and credits, and gaming machines that execute games and validate tickets. This segmentation allows new features to be developed and tested in isolation before being deployed to the gaming machines, reducing the coordination time required for integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a preliminary action by pre-validating and pre-activating features through the cashless gaming system before the actual gaming machine execution. The system can prepare and queue new features in advance, allowing them to be deployed to machines without requiring real-time core system modifications during gameplay.
3Productivity
If cash tickets with special indicia are used to trigger features, then rapid feature deployment is enabled, but ticket validation and reading complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical copies and digital representations of the ticket indicia rather than requiring complex physical verification. The special indicia on tickets are read as optical patterns or digital data, allowing rapid validation without complex physical measurement or analysis, thereby enabling fast feature deployment while keeping detection relatively simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution minimizes the complexity of installing new game features in gaming machines, enables rapid deployment of new features without core system modifications, and integrates online activities with physical casino promotions, enhancing player engagement and experience.
Implementation Method 1
The bill acceptor is adapted to detect indicia on the cash ticket and send feature triggers to the gaming machine
Data Source
AI summary
A casino gaming system includes gaming machines which are configured to accept and read tickets. The ticket may comprise cash-value tickets or non-cash value tickets. The tickets may also include secondary feature triggering indicia. A player may obtain a ticket from a system kiosk. The player may then present that ticket to a gaming machine, such as by inserting it into a media reader such as a bill acceptor. Associated monetary value or non-monetary credits may be credited to the machine. In addition, if the ticket includes a feature triggering indicia, when such an indicia is detected, the gaming machine preferably triggers or initiates the feature.