Cash accounting and surveillance system for games

Patent 4283709 Issued on August 11, 1981. Estimated Expiration Date:

January 29, 2000. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Universal mark sense betting terminal system and method Patent #: 4108361
Issued on: 08/22/1978
Inventor: Krause

Inventors

Assignee

Summit Systems, Inc.

Application

No. 06/116669 filed on 01/29/1980

US Classes:

463/25, Credit/debit monitoring or manipulation (e.g., game entry, betting, prize level, etc.)235/375, SYSTEMS CONTROLLED BY DATA BEARING RECORDS273/143R, Edge indication340/3.51, Polling or roll call340/5.31, Lockout or disable340/5.9, Commodity (e.g., vending)463/20, Lot-to-lot combination (e.g., slot machine, etc.)463/42, Network type (e.g., computer network, etc.)705/30Accounting

Examiners

Primary: Pitts, Harold I.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman

International Classes

G07F 17/32 (20060101)
G07F 17/34 (20060101)
G07F 9/08 (20060101)

Abstract

A cash accounting and surveillance system for games, whereby operation of a number of player operated gaming devices may be monitored for purposes of detecting abnormal operation and/or cheating and for providing automatic accounting information for record keeping and pilferage detection purposes. The system utilizes a node concept with each node having a non-volatile data storage capability and a communications capability for communicating with each of a plurality of gaming devices coupled to the node. The exemplary embodiment disclosed operates in conjunction with slot machines having mechanically rotatable reels and a microprocessor control system for randomizing the reel stopping payouts and other machine functions. Alternate embodiments are disclosed.