Electronic Voucher Ticket System

Abstract

A voucher ticket system employing a bill validator installed into any suitable automated machine, including an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), a gaming machine, etc. The bill validator is integrated with a bill reader, a voucher ticket reader, a reader to obtain an electronic voucher ticket from a portable computing device, a printer, and any other supporting peripheral devices. The bill validator communicates with an electronic money account manager through a voucher ticket system interface. The electronic money account manager maintains records associated with the electronic voucher ticket using a master voucher ticket ID, including a financial value, an electronic marker, an expiration, a status, etc. The electronic money account manager enables use of the electronic voucher ticket as common currency at an associated gaming facility, any associated ATM, etc. The electronic marker defines authenticity to maintain integrity of the electronic vouchers tickets.

What is claimed are: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit, the method comprising steps of:
 operating a gaming machine controller integrated into a gaming machine, the operation being accomplished in accordance with a series of instructions enabling a player to play a game on the gaming machine based upon an available financial based credit;   acquiring information from an electronic ticket voucher through an electronic ticket voucher handling circuit integrated into the gaming machine, wherein the information includes a voucher ticket master identification;   sending a request message to an electronic money management system to update a value of the voucher ticket master ID as being in a cashed-out state within an electronic money account database managed by the electronic money management system;   receiving a verification from the electronic money management system confirming the voucher ticket master ID is placed in a cashed-out state;   increasing the available financial based credit stored on the gaming machine controller; and   displaying a visual indicator representative of the result of the voucher ticket storing request to the player.   
     
     
         2 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 1 , the gaming machine further comprising an input control section including at least one input control button wherein one of the at least one input control button is adapted to direct the gaming machine to store the electronic voucher ticket information when the gaming machine does not recognize the authenticated electronic money account, further comprising steps of:
 actuating the input control button adapted to direct the gaming machine to store the electronic voucher ticket information when the gaming machine does not recognize the authenticated electronic money account;   upon actuation, storing the electronic voucher ticket information.   
     
     
         3 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 1 , the gaming machine further comprising a peripheral control section, the method further comprising steps of:
 initiated a receipt printing step by one of a user selection on the gaming machine or a received directive to print the receipt, wherein the directive is received from the electronic money management system; and   printing out a receipt which presents a complete history of at least one of the voucher ticket information and voucher ticket and electronic money account transactions.   
     
     
         4 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 1 , the gaming machine further comprising a main control section, the method further comprising steps of:
 conveying the voucher ticket master identification associated with the electronic voucher ticket from the electronic money management system to the main control section and   sending the voucher ticket master identification from the main control section to a host communication control section of the gaming machine controller to request a credit-up of a pending financial credit value to play the game on the gaming machine.   
     
     
         5 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 1 , the gaming machine further comprising a user interface management section, the method further comprising steps of:
 receiving a list of the voucher ticket information from the electronic money management system,   displaying the list of the voucher ticket information on a display monitor of the gaming machine,   enabling selection, by the player, of one or more voucher tickets from the list of the voucher ticket information; and   sending a request to use the selected voucher ticket information to the electronic money management system;   receiving the voucher ticket master ID that is associated with the selected voucher ticket information requested by the user interface management section from the electronic money management system; and   conveying the voucher ticket master ID to the host communication control section to request the credit-up to play the game on the gaming machine.   
     
     
         6 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising steps of:
 wherein the step of conveying the voucher ticket master ID to the host communication control section to request the credit-up to play the game on the gaming machine is accomplished independent of the acceptance of the voucher ticket master ID by a casino host server.   
     
     
         7 . A method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit, the method comprising steps of:
 operating a gaming machine controller integrated into a gaming machine, the operation being accomplished in accordance with a series of instructions enabling a player to play a game on the gaming machine based upon an available financial based credit;   acquiring information from an electronic ticket voucher through an electronic ticket voucher handling circuit integrated into the gaming machine, wherein the information includes a voucher ticket master identification;   sending a request message to an electronic money management system to update a value of the voucher ticket master ID as being in a cashed-out state within an electronic money account database managed by the electronic money management system;   receiving a verification from the electronic money management system confirming the voucher ticket master ID is placed in a cashed-out state;   increasing the available financial based credit stored on the gaming machine controller;   displaying a visual indicator representative of the result of the voucher ticket storing request to the player;   directing the player to establish a player selected cash-out mode, wherein the player selected cash-out mode is selected from a paper voucher ticket mode and an electronic transfer mode;
 wherein the paper voucher ticket mode directs a paper voucher ticket output representative of the pending financial credit value, 
 wherein the electronic transfer mode directs a transfer of the pending balance to the electronic money account database; 
   selecting a desired cash-out option of either the paper voucher ticket mode or the electronic transfer mode.   
     
     
         8 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising steps of:
 cycling at least one play of the game on the gaming machine;   adjusting the financial credit value based upon a cost and payout of each cycle of play on the gaming machine;   in a condition where the player elected the paper voucher ticket mode, a paper voucher ticket printer circuit in data communication with the gaming machine controller prints and dispenses the paper voucher ticket, wherein the paper voucher ticket includes indicia representative of the pending financial credit value;   in a condition where the player elected the electronic transfer mode, the electronic money handling section transfers the voucher ticket information and the pending financial credit value to the electronic money account;   
     
     
         9 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising a step of:
 establishing a default cash-out mode to become the paper voucher ticket mode prior to the step of establishing the player selected cash-out mode.   
     
     
         10 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising a step of:
 establishing a default cash-out mode to become the paper voucher ticket mode prior to the step of establishing the player selected cash-out mode, wherein the default cash-out mode is independent of the method of the method of submission of funds, wherein the method of submission of funds is one of the paper voucher ticket or the electronic ticket voucher.   
     
     
         11 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising a step of:
 establishing a default cash-out mode to become the electronic transfer mode when the method of submission of funds is accomplished using the electronic ticket voucher.   
     
     
         12 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising a step of:
 enabling completion of the step of directing the player to establish a player selected cash-out mode only when the pending financial credit value is equal to zero.   
     
     
         13 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising a step of:
 enabling completion of the step of directing the player to establish a player selected cash-out mode only when the pending financial credit value is greater than zero.   
     
     
         14 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising a step of:
 presenting a visual indicator indicative of the currently established cash-out mode.   
     
     
         15 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising a step of:
 setting the currently established cash-out mode to the paper voucher ticket mode when the pending financial credit value is equal to zero.   
     
     
         16 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising a step of:
 setting the currently established cash-out mode to become the paper voucher ticket mode when the gaming machine receives submission of a financial transfer thereto to increase the available financial based credit, wherein the financial transfer originates from a source that differs from an electronic money account associated with the electronic ticket voucher.   
     
     
         17 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising a step of:
 converting the currently established cash-out mode from the electronic transfer mode to become the paper voucher ticket mode when the gaming machine receives submission of a financial transfer thereto to increase the available financial based credit, wherein the financial transfer is accomplished using at least one of a paper bill and a paper voucher ticket.   
     
     
         18 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the step of directing the player to establish a player selected cash-out mode includes a step of directing the player to select one of two buttons, wherein a first of the two buttons is associated with the paper voucher ticket mode and a second of the two buttons is associated with the electronic transfer mode. 
     
     
         19 . The method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit as recited in  claim 7 , the method further comprising steps of:
 converting the currently established cash-out mode to become the paper voucher ticket mode upon an occurrence of at least one of the following events:   (a) the mode is not in the electronic money management mode when the electronic money handling section receives the request to store the voucher ticket master ID to the electronic money management system,   (b) the electronic money handling section does not have an effective and authenticated account associated with the electronic funds of the player,   (c) the electronic money handling section fails in one of sending a request to store the voucher ticket master ID at the electronic money management system or receiving a result of the storing of the voucher ticket master ID from the electronic money management system, and   (d) the electronic money handling section receives the result of the failure to store the voucher ticket master ID from the electronic money management system.   
     
     
         20 . A method of operating a gaming machine system and managing a player's available playing credit, the method comprising steps of:
 operating a gaming machine controller integrated into a gaming machine, the operation being accomplished in accordance with a series of instructions enabling a player to play a game on the gaming machine based upon an available financial based credit;   acquiring information from at least one of (a) a paper ticket voucher through a paper ticket ticket voucher handling circuit integrated into the gaming machine and (b) an electronic ticket voucher through an electronic ticket voucher handling circuit integrated into the gaming machine, wherein the information includes a voucher ticket master identification;   sending a request message to an electronic money management system to update a value of the voucher ticket master ID as being in a cashed-out state within an electronic money account database managed by the electronic money management system;   receiving a verification from the electronic money management system confirming the voucher ticket master ID is placed in a cashed-out state;   increasing the available financial based credit stored on the gaming machine controller; and   displaying a visual indicator representative of the result of the voucher ticket storing request to the player.