JPH01153182A - Pocker machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enable payment of a relatively large amount of money from a poker machine obtained as prize without requiring useless labor by a method wherein coins are discharged if the money to be paid is smaller than a specified value and a record on which the value of the money to be paid is printed is issued together with a notice for recovering the money if the money to be paid is larger than the specified value. CONSTITUTION: When there is a bet to recover, a button 11 is depressed. As a result, a 'recovery button' is pushed according to a program incorporated into a microprocessor and a total amount of money displayed on a bet meter is operated on the basis of a specified value. When the value of the displayed total amount of money is smaller than a specified value, coins are discharged onto a tip tray 13. When the value of the displayed total amount of money exceeds a specified value, a printer reads the bet meter and prints out date, time and a machine number on a paper tape. The paper tape has a printed notice to the effect that this paper serves as check entitled to payment only by an accountant of a club while being convertible to money within a specified period. This tape piece printed appears from a slot 12. When a guest presents the check to the accountant, the check is converted to money.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to poker machines, and more particularly to an apparatus for dispensing relatively large sums of money won as prizes by a player from a poker machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When a poker machine customer wants to leave or change the poker machine, he or she presses a "recovery" button to retrieve all of the customer's bets.

If the customer's bet has less money than a specified amount (eg, 300 coins), the machine pays the money into the tip plate and the machine's bet decrements the money meter by that amount.

Although the hopper or dispensing device of a poker machine holds twice the amount specified above when fully filled, it is often not in this state and the machine is refilled if the deficit is large. Due to this necessity, customers often have to go to the teller counter to complete payment procedures, which results in wasted effort.

For this reason, and more importantly for safety, large payments are made by calling an attendant to the machine. The clerk inspects the machine, takes the reading on the latch meter, records this in the ledger along with the machine number, and signs it both the customer and the clerk.

In some clubs where poker machines are installed, large sums won by customers are paid out by check.
If fraud is suspected, the club will have the option to cancel the payment before it is made.

Once the customer has paid, the staff will display a ``Cancel payment'' on the machine.
Turning the key switch zeros the money meter and increases the machine's "canceled money" meter by the previous amount of the money meter.

High-end poker machines are designed to store a series of accounting information, including the amount of money that has been canceled, and to print out this information (including date and time) on command. . The printing is done on paper tape within the machine, or if the machines are linked by a communications line, the printing is also displayed on the club's electronic computer. Most of the hardware in such facilities is equipped with the present invention.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] It is an object of the invention to provide a poker machine which includes a device for paying out large winning amounts, which greatly simplifies the procedure and has the following advantages:

[Means for Solving the Problem 1] The present invention provides an apparatus controlled by a microprocessor for ascertaining whether the payout amount required of a poker machine exceeds a specified value. a device for ejecting coins into the customer's reach if the amount is less than the specified value, and a device for issuing a printed record of the amount paid, together with a notice of collection of that amount, if the amount paid is more than the specified value mentioned above. includes a poker machine having a

In order that the nature of the invention may be better understood, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

EMBODIMENTS The present invention provides a money meter 10 for displaying the amount of money that a customer has won as a result of one or more winnings on a poker machine and a money meter 10 for displaying the amount of money that a customer has bet on as a result of winning one or more times on a poker machine. It also applies to other conventional poker machines, such as those having a withdrawal button 11 which is pressed by a customer who wishes to withdraw the entire sum.

Within this poker machine a printing device is arranged to print on the paper tape roll, together with a printing device operating control device, and in response to appropriate commands the printing device prints on the paper tape the details given below. The printed piece of paper tape is delivered through a slot 12 at the front of the machine. The printing device and the control device for the printing device are of a conventional nature and will not be described hereinafter in this specification.

The entire operation of the machine is now handled by a microprocessor, with a suitable program built into the microprocessor to monitor the operation of the printing device and the coin disbursement.

During use, a customer presses the button 11 when he or she wishes to collect the money accrued to him on the money meter 10. When the "collect" button is pressed, the program contained in the microprocessor that controls the machine causes the microprocessor to change the total value displayed on the money meter to the predetermined value that the machine is specified to handle. , for example, coin 30
It operates based on whether the number is greater or less than the value corresponding to 0 sheets. If the displayed total value is less than a predetermined value, a regular coin dispensing mechanism within the machine is activated and coins are ejected into the tip pan 13 for collection by the customer. however,
If the displayed total value exceeds a predetermined value, a printing device within the machine is activated to print the hook meter reading, date, time, and machine number on the paper tape. The paper tape is preferably preprinted with a notice to the effect that it constitutes a check payable only at the club's cashier and must be cashed within a specified period of time. The printed strip of tape emerges from the slot 12 where it is torn off in the same way as in a ticketing machine. The audio and video display is activated to alert the customer to the issued stamp strip or "cheque." At the same time, the machine transmits the necessary information to the club's electronic computer.

When the customer presents the check to the teller for payment, the teller keys the machine number into a computer to verify that the value and time shown on the check match those at the terminal. .

This check provides protection against fraud. The teller then cashes the check by giving the customer either money or a club bank account check.

Described in FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the flowchart of operations and logic followed by a microprocessor in either coin payment or "check" printing. Programming a microprocessor according to this logic is a routine operation.

The embodiments of the invention described above are given by way of example only to illustrate one application of the invention as defined in the following claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows a poker machine incorporating a payment device according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the machine; FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the operations within a poker machine incorporating the payment device of the present invention; [Explanation of symbols] 10: Hanging money meter 11: Collection button 12 Nislot 13: Chip plate

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) a device controlled by a microprocessor for ascertaining whether a payout amount required of a poker machine exceeds a specified value; and if the payout amount is less than the specified value, the machine a device for releasing coins within the reach of a customer; and a device for issuing a printed record of the payment amount to the customer along with a notice of collection of the payment amount if the payment amount is greater than the specified value. The poker machine characterized in that it comprises: 2. A poker machine according to claim 1, wherein said printed record is in the form of a paper tape dispensed from said poker machine.