GB2310945A - Date recording and display system - Google Patents

Description

A data recording and display system This invention concerns a data recording and display system and it is particularly concerned with such a system for amusement, gaming or vending machines.

It is necessary for the proprietor of such a machine td be able to check from time to time on what has gone in (by way of cash or tokens) and what has gone out. For many years the industry has used electro-mechanical indexing counters, usually six digit ones, to indicate what, in this specification, will be referred to as machine events. AWP machines require five (cash in and out, tokens in and out, and coins refilled) while Question and Answer machines and Club machines need just three since there are no tokens.

However, although they perform adequately, they do have drawbacks.

First, they are slow, and generally increment at no more than from two counts per second. If there is a i10 win and the machine is operating on lOp coins, the cash out meter is pulsed for more than four minutes, which will go on long after the payout mechanism has finished dispensing.

With a Club machine, a ;250 win with pound coins paid out will mean that the meter will click on for more than ten minutes. This is annoying to players, who tend not to use machines which have obviously paid out a large amount quite recently.

Security is also a problem, and although the meters can be given a good deal of physical protection, it adds to the cost and is not impenetrable. If they are accessed, they can be advanced, reset or prevented from incrementing. It is also possible for an unscrupulous person to tamper with the wiring.

Generally meters are "dumb", being limited to incrementation. Currently they operate from a common 12v supply, each meter having a driving transistor. With five meters, five plus one wires have to lead from them to the game board and each additional event requires an extra meter, transistor and connecting wire. When operated, the transistor draws current through a coil to operate a solenoid, which moves a wheel to increment the count. There have to be interlocking cogs to enable the carryover from 9 to 10 etc.

So the assembly and wiring of such counters is quite lengthy, complex and expensive.

Space for these meters is often to be found only low down within the machine cabinet, in the cash box area. They are therefore awkward to read, and this is compounded by the usually small size of the visible digits.

There have been electronic data computer systems fitted to machines for some years, but the data they hold can only be accessed via expensive collection units. Also, they can only be interrogated when mains power is available to the machine.

It is the aim of this invention to provide an alternative system which should be cheaper to manufacture and instal, quicker in operation, more secure, easy to read and not reliant on mains power.

According to the present invention there is provided a data recording and display system for amusement, gaming or vending machines, the system comprising an electronic memory for totalising machine events, and a low power display, such as LCDs, proprietor actuable, to show the number of events stored in the memory.

'Proprietor' includes any licensed agent who will have key and/or code access to the display, which will generally be located behind the printed machine glass and viewed through an aperture.

The system may also incorporate a means for transmitting the stored event data electronically to a collection or retrieval unit using light, magnetic or radio waves.

The display can be a single one capable of showing a series of letters and/or numbers and operating from a 6 to 30v supply via four wires (supply, return data and clock in an 12C format, or supply, return, data in and data out in an RS 232 format) irrespective of the number of machine events that are to be counted. It can show the information in fragments when interrogated. For example, a single "button push" or its equivalent could initiate a sequence, the display first showing the words CASH IN, then changing to numerical digits to indicate the value of cash in, followed by CASH OUT and so on. Alternatively, each change may need to be triggered by the proprietor.

It will be appreciated that, with an electronic memory, its locations are updated practically instantaneously as each event happens: there is no time lapse as counters are incremented.

Amusement, gaming and vending machines are usually mains powered, but battery back-up will preferably be provided when this system is installed so that the display can be interrogated with the mains power off.

Any tampering with the wiring can be detected by the host machine and suitable action taken. Also the game board can be arranged to pass a digital check message to the system, and normally an "ok" message will be returned. But if that is not received, the machine can indicate a malfunction, or be automatically closed down.

Claims (8)

1. A data vending and display system for amusement, gaming or vending machines, the system comprising an electronic memory for totalising machine events, and a low power display, such as LCDs, proprietor actuable, to show the number of events stored in the memory.

2. A system as claimed in Claim 1, and further comprising means for transmitting the stored event data electronically to a collection or retrieval unit using light, magnetic or radio waves.

3. A system as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the display is capable of showing a single series of letters and/or numbers and is adapted to show information on different events in sequence.

4. A system as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the display, when actuated, cycles through a sequence.

5. A system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the display requires proprietor actuation to change from each bit of information shown to the next.

6. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the system is battery operable.

7. An amusement, gaming or vending machine incorporating a data recording and display system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein there are means for passing a digital check message to said system, and means for indicating a satisfactory or unsatisfactory condition thereof.

8. A machine as claimed in Claim 7, wherein there are means for closing down the machine upon indication of an unsatisfactory condition.