Promotional Printer for Gaming Machines Using Template-Based Coupon Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cashless enabled gaming machines lack efficient mechanisms for dynamically generating and issuing promotional coupons based on various triggers such as time, player activity, and voucher values, limiting their promotional capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A promotional printer system that uses a coupon database and template-based language to generate coupons in response to event-based triggers, allowing for variable data integration and storage of trigger conditions, enabling a host system to run promotional campaigns by receiving and processing coupon data through a communications network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cashless enabled gaming machines use traditional voucher printing systems, then the machines can conduct financial exchanges, but the machines lack promotional coupon generation capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The promotional printer is integrated into the cashless enabled gaming machine to provide multiple functions: it can print both traditional cashless vouchers and promotional coupons using the same printing mechanism. The system uses a unified printing interface that accepts different data formats, allowing one device to serve multiple promotional and financial functions without requiring separate printing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the promotional coupon printing functionality with the existing cashless voucher printing system. The promotional printer merges trigger data processing, coupon template storage, and variable data integration into a single integrated unit that operates alongside the bill acceptor and voucher printing components already present in the gaming machine.
2Loss of energy
If the promotional printer stores all coupon data and trigger conditions locally, then the host system bandwidth requirements are reduced, but the printer memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The promotional printer pre-loads and stores complete coupon templates, trigger condition definitions, and variable data sets in its local memory before promotional campaigns begin. This preliminary action allows the printer to autonomously evaluate triggers and generate coupons without requiring real-time network communication with the host system during campaign execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments promotional data into templates (stored locally in the printer) and trigger conditions (evaluated by the printer based on machine state). This segmentation allows the printer to store only essential template structures locally while receiving specific variable data and trigger evaluations in real-time, optimizing both memory usage and network bandwidth.
3Ease of operation
If the system generates coupons in real-time based on trigger events, then player engagement is enhanced, but the processing load on the host system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The promotional printer is designed to autonomously evaluate trigger conditions using data from the gaming machine (such as voucher amounts, player credits, and game events) and automatically generate appropriate coupons without requiring host system intervention. The printer independently processes trigger logic, selects appropriate templates, and formats output, making the system self-sufficient for promotional operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The promotional printer acts as an intermediary between the gaming machine and the host system. It receives minimal trigger data from the gaming machine, processes this locally using stored templates and logic, and only communicates essential coupon output data back to the host system. This intermediary role distributes processing load from the host system to the printer level.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the promotional printer uses template-based couponing language, then coupon generation flexibility is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The template-based couponing system uses parameterized data structures where coupon templates define fixed layouts and variable fields contain dynamic data. By changing parameters such as template selection, variable data content, and trigger conditions, the system can generate diverse coupon types without modifying the underlying printing mechanism or adding complex hardware components.
Data Source
AI summary
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.