System and Method for Validating Credit-Giving Unit Used on Gaming Machine

Abstract

In a system and method for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine, a gaming machine is provided for a consumer to play a game thereon by using a credit-giving unit, and the credit-giving unit is received by an input/output unit. A scanning unit scans the credit-giving unit to obtain a code and a consumption data recorded thereon. When a determination unit determines the code presents in a consumption database, a processing unit, based on the code, retrieves from the consumption database a consumption data corresponding to the code and providing the consumption data to the gaming machine as a total available credit, which is displayed on a display unit provided on the gaming machine.

1 . A system for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine, comprising:
 an input/put unit for receiving, holding or returning a credit-giving unit, and, on the credit-giving unit, a code and a consumption data corresponding to the code is able to be recorded;   a scanning unit being connected to the input/output unit for scanning the credit-giving unit to obtain the code and the consumption data recorded thereon;   a consumption database including a plurality of codes and consumption data, and each of the codes corresponding to a unique credit-giving unit;   a determination unit being connected to the scanning unit and the consumption database for determining whether the consumption database includes any consumption data matching the code obtained by the scanning unit from the credit-giving unit; and   a processing unit being connected to the input/output unit, the scanning unit, the determination unit, and the consumption database;   wherein when the determination unit determines that there is a consumption data in the consumption database that matches the code of the credit-giving unit, the processing unit provides the consumption data to a gaming machine as a total available credit and displays the total available credit on a display unit provided on the gaming machine; and   wherein when the determination unit determines that there is not any consumption data in the consumption database that matches the code of the credit-giving unit, the processing unit sends a command to the input/output unit for the latter to hold the credit-giving unit therein without outputting any total available credit to the display unit.   
     
     
         2 . The system for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a recognition unit connected to the processing unit; wherein when the scanning unit scans and obtains the code of the credit-giving unit being currently received by the input/output unit, the recognition unit determines whether there is a code in the consumption database that corresponds to the code obtained by the scanning unit; wherein when the recognition unit determines there is a code in the consumption database that corresponds to the code obtained by the scanning unit, the recognition unit sends the code to the determination unit; and wherein when the recognition unit determines there is not any code in the consumption database that corresponds to the code obtained by the scanning unit, the processing unit sends a command to the input/output unit for the latter to return the currently received credit-giving unit. 
     
     
         3 . The system for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising a write-in unit being connected to the input/output unit and the processing unit for writing the code and/or the consumption data in the credit-giving unit; wherein when a game on the gaming machine is ended, the processing unit sends a command to the input/output unit for the latter to provide one credit-giving unit in the gaming machine with the consumption data on the credit-giving unit having been erased therefrom, the processing unit also converts the total available credit recorded on the gaming machine into a consumption data and sends a command to the write-in unit for the latter to write the consumption data in the credit-giving unit; meanwhile, the processing unit records the consumption data in the consumption database and then sends a command to the input/output unit for the latter to return the credit-giving unit, in which the consumption data has been written. 
     
     
         4 . The system for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising an encryption unit being connected to the write-in unit through the processing unit; wherein before sending the command to the write-in unit, the processing unit sends a command to the encryption unit for the latter to encrypt the code and/or the consumption data and then sends an encrypted code and/or encrypted consumption data to the write-in unit for writing in the credit-giving unit. 
     
     
         5 . The system for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising a decryption unit being connected to the scanning unit, the recognition unit and the determination unit through the processing unit; wherein when the scanning unit scans the credit-giving unit being currently received by the input/output unit to obtain an encrypted code of the credit-giving unit, the decryption unit decrypts the encrypted code using a string or an algorithm and then provides the decrypted code and/or consumption data to the recognition unit. 
     
     
         6 . The system for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising an erasing unit being connected to the input/output unit and the processing unit for erasing a recorded code from the credit-giving unit; wherein when the processing unit retrieves the consumption data from the consumption database and provides the consumption data to the gaming machine as the total available credit, the processing unit also sends a command to the erasing unit for the latter to erase the recorded code from the credit-giving unit. 
     
     
         7 . A method for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine, comprising the steps of:
 providing a gaming machine for a consumer to play a game thereon by using a credit-giving unit, and the credit-giving unit being received by an input/output unit;   scanning the credit-giving unit by a scanning unit to thereby obtain a code and a consumption data recorded on the credit-giving unit;   determining by a determination unit whether there is any consumption data included in a consumption database that corresponds to the code; and   in the case the determination unit determining there is a consumption data in the consumption database corresponding to the code, a processing unit providing the consumption data to the gaming machine as a total available credit, displaying the total available credit on a display unit provided on the gaming machine, and holding the credit-giving unit in the input/output unit; or   in the case the determination unit determining there is not any consumption data in the consumption database corresponding to the code, a command being sent by the processing unit to the input/output unit for holding the credit-giving unit in the gaming machine without outputting any total available credit on the display unit.   
     
     
         8 . The method for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein, before the determination unit determining whether there is any consumption data in the consumption database corresponding to the code, the following steps are further included:
 recognizing whether the credit-giving unit is true or false by a recognition unit based on the code obtained by the scanning unit; and   in the case the recognition unit determining the code presents in the consumption database, the recognition unit sending the consumption data to the determination unit for subsequent processes; or   in the case the recognition unit determining the code does not present in the consumption database, the processing unit sending a command to the input/output unit for the same to return the currently received credit-giving unit.   
     
     
         9 . The method for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the following steps are further included when any credit-giving unit is to be returned upon the ending of a game on the gaming machine:
 the processing unit sending a command to the input/output unit for the same to provide the credit-giving unit with any consumption data already erased therefrom;   the processing unit converting the total available credit recorded by the gaming machine into the consumption data and sending a command to an encryption unit; and   the encryption unit encrypting the code and/or the consumption data by a string or an algorithm.   
     
     
         10 . The method for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising the following steps for writing the code and/or the consumption data in the credit-giving unit:
 the encryption unit sending the encrypted code and/or consumption data to a write-in unit;   the write-in unit writing the code and/or the consumption data in the credit-giving unit;   the processing unit recording the consumption data in the consumption database; and   the processing unit sending a command to the input/output unit for the same to return the credit-giving unit having the code and/or the consumption data written therein.   
     
     
         11 . The method for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising the following steps after the scanning unit obtains the credit-giving unit having the code and/or the consumption data written therein:
 decrypting the encrypted code by a decryption unit using the string or the algorithm; and   providing the decrypted code to the recognition unit for subsequent processes.   
     
     
         12 . The method for validating credit-giving unit used on gaming machine as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising the following steps for erasing the consumption data from the credit-giving unit when the input/output unit is to hold the credit-giving unit in the gaming machine:
 the processing unit sending a command to an erasing unit for the same to erase the recorded consumption data from the credit-giving unit; and   the input/output unit holding the credit-giving unit therein.