ITMI940300A1 - TERMINAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE DAY OF COMPETITION SHEETS - Google Patents

Description

'"TERMINAL EQUIPMENT FOR PLAYING PRONOSTIC COMPETITIONS CARDS"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus or terminal for the acceptance and validation of cards for prediction competitions in general, and more particularly betting systems associated with the results of sporting events such as horse races (Totip) and / or other events. , sporty or not.

Currently, for the Totip game, all the operations carried out on the card in the betting shops are done manually, and the validation of the latter takes place by applying a stamp.

The manual validation system has a number of drawbacks, including slowness, risk of error, and cost of operations which is indirectly reflected in profits.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the limitations and drawbacks illustrated above of the manual validation system of the cards for prediction competitions in general and in particular, but not in a limiting sense, for the Totip game.

This purpose is achieved by means of a terminal equipment for playing cards in prediction competitions, characterized by the fact that it comprises in combination:

- a reading group of completed cards entered into the equipment, said cards containing pre-printed information and information introduced by the player;

- a printing unit for applying further information to said cards;

- a central unit for controlling said reading and printing units;

- a keyboard connected to said central unit for entering data and commands into said central unit;

- display means for the clear representation of game data;

- a telematic group connected to said central unit and to the public switched telephone network; and power supply means (AL) of the apparatus.

Advantageously, the printing unit comprises a thermal printer, and the cards are made on a thermally sensitive support.

The invention will now be illustrated with reference to a preferred but non-limiting embodiment illustrated in the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the external appearance of the terminal apparatus according to the invention; And

Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the device according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows the external appearance of the terminal equipment object of the invention, comprising a casing 1 equipped with an inclined front panel, indicated with 1A, on which a keyboard T is mounted, and with an adjacent inclined front panel 1B equipped a slot for the introduction and a slot for the issuance of the card.

On the casing there are also two visualisers or displays for the clear representation of the game data, typically the number of columns and the cost of the bet. They are, respectively, a display DI, reserved for the operator or receiver of the coupon and positioned on the panel 1A, and a display D2 for the player, positioned on the upper part of the panel 1B, so as to be visible to the player.

The displays D1 and D2 are preferably of the liquid crystal type (LCD) with the contrast and the viewing angle controllable by means of the keyboard T to adapt the apparatus to the different environmental and use conditions.

Preferably, the display DI of the receiver, ie the one in front of which the receptionist works, has 2 lines with 24 characters per line, while the one for the player has a single line of 20 characters.

With reference to the block diagram of Fig. 2, inside the casing 1, the apparatus comprises a reading unit GL which receives the cards S from a card introducer IS. According to the intention, the cards S for use in the terminal equipment are made on a thermally sensitive support, preferably a sheet of thermal paper, pre-printed and subsequently filled in by the player.

The reading unit GL comprises an optical reader, preferably constituted by 14 LEDs insensitive to red light, capable of reading the information contained on the card, a driver mechanism TRI and a motor MI for driving the card driver.

The optical reader GL is able to recognize 14 data channels and two synchronism channels. The information that is read is both that pre-printed on the card and that entered manually by the player. The information read by the optical reader is sent to the central unit UC which will be illustrated in more detail below.

The equipment also provides a high-speed GS printing unit <'> comprising a thermal head TT for printing information on the card S, with definition of 100 dots per inch, as well as a driving member TR2 and a motor M2 substantially similar to those of the GL reading group. At the exit of the writing unit there is a CS drawer for collecting the S cards.

Preferably, the reading and printing units are physically realized as a single unit, with a sliding channel of about 83 mm (3 "1/4). The reading speed is about 60 cm / sec. (25 <n> / sec), and the print rate of about 7.5 cm / sec. (3 "/ sec.).

The two displays DI and D2 are also connected to the central unit UC which manages the operation of the equipment, designed to represent the information necessary to complete the bet (columns, cost, etc.).

The keyboard T, connected to the central unit UC is a multifunction keyboard with 36 keys, preferably of the membrane type, with the outer layer of the membrane (overlay) replaceable in case of modification of the functions of the keys.

The central unit UC comprises a central processing unit or CPU, preferably made using a microprocessor, for example a Motorola microprocessor of the 68000 'family.

The central unit also includes a central memory MC of the RAM type, of 256 Kbytes of the CMOS type and an expansion of EM memory consisting of a 126 k Novram, both connected to emergency batteries BT1 and B T 2 for the maintenance of data in in the event of a power failure. The central unit UC further comprises a permanent memory MP, possibly modifiable (ROM or EPROM) containing the microprocessor program and the like, and a clock source or internal clock CLK.

Outside the central unit there is an auxiliary memory unit GMA comprising an auxiliary extractable memory MMA, also equipped with an emergency battery BT3, to guarantee the possibility of transferring data from one terminal to another even in the absence of supply of the electric energy.

An MDM modem is also connected to the central unit UC, which in turn is connected to the public switched telephone network RTP for the transmission of data relating to the bets to a central computer (not shown).

An AL power supply connected to the 220 V AC mains is provided. which provides the different operating voltages of the equipment. The power supply is of the switching type, comprising a mains transformer TR, an RD rectifier, a switching unit SW and an auxiliary AC capacitor for managing power outages.

In the event of a power failure while validating a card, the AC capacitor allows sufficient autonomy to cancel the validation operation in progress by printing "NOT VALID" on the card.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to be limited to qu e s t 'u 1 t i but, but extends to include the obvious variants and modifications which will be evident to those skilled in the art.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS 1. Terminal equipment for playing betting slips in prediction competitions, characterized by the fact of including in combination: - a reading group (GL} of completed cards (S) entered into the equipment, said cards containing pre-printed information and information introduced by the player; - a printing unit (GS) for the application of further information to said cards (S); - a central unit (UC) for controlling said reading (GL) and printing (GS) groups; - a keyboard (T) connected to said central unit (UC) for entering data and commands in said central unit (UC); - display means (DI, D2) for the clear representation of the game data; - a telematic group (MDM) connected between said central unit (UC) and the public switched telephone network (RTP); And power supply means (AL) of the equipment. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said printing unit (GS) comprises a thermal printer and said cards (S) are made on a thermally sensitive support 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said telematic unit comprises a modem (MDM) for the transmission of data relating to the bets. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that it is housed inside an enclosure (1 equipped with an inclined front panel (1A) on which a keyboard {T} is mounted, and an adjacent panel inclined front (1B) equipped with a slot for inserting and a slot for issuing cards (S). 5. Apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the said display means comprise two displays (D1, D2) of the liquid crystal type (LCD), with the contrast and the viewing angle controllable by means of the said keyboard (T ). 6. Apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said central unit (UC) is made by means of a microprocessor and comprises: a central processing unit (CPU), connected to a central memory (MC) and to a memory expansion ( EM) equipped with emergency batteries (BT1, BT2) for data retention in the event of a power failure; a permanent memory (MP) containing the program for said microprocessor; and an internal clock source (CLK). 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that it further provides an auxiliary memory unit (GMA) comprising an extractable auxiliary memory (MMA) and an emergency battery (BT3), said unit being extractable to transfer data from a terminal to the other even in the absence of electricity supply. 8. Apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said reading unit (GL) comprises an optical reader capable of reading the information contained on each card (S), a driving mechanism (TRI) and a motor (MI) which operates the card feeder. 9. Apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said printing unit (GS) comprises a thermal head (TT) for printing information on the card (S), a driver for the cards (TR2), and a motor (M2 ) which operates the card feeder. 10. Apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides, at the output of the writing unit, a drawer (CS) for collecting the cards (S). 11. Apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said reading (GL) and printing (GS) groups are physically realized as a single unit. 12. Apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a switching type power supply (AL) connected to the 220 V c network. to. which provides the different operating voltages. 13. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said power supply (AL) comprises a mains transformer (TR), a rectifier (RD), a switching unit (SW) and an auxiliary capacitor (CA) for managing the power outages.