Game machine data transfer system utilizing portable data units

Claims

We claim:

1. A data transfer system for use with a plurality of coin operated game machines having game machine processors comprising:

a portable data unit including a data memory for storing machine and player data;

a plurality of interface units, wherein each of the game machines includes one of said interface units adapted to physically receive said data unit, for transmitting selected data from the game machine processor to said data memory and for modifying said player data in response to at least a portion of said selected data; means for transmitting selected machine data and player data from said data memory to the game machine and

a central data processor located remotely from the gaming machines and adapted to physically receive said data unit and including means to directly access said selected data and said player data from said data unit.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said interface units are adapted to transmit said player data from said portable data unit to said interface units.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of said data in said data memory including said player data is in encrypted form and said interface units include means for decrypting said player data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said interface units include means for encrypting said modified player data and transmitting said encrypted modified player data to said portable data unit data memory.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said data unit includes processor means for encrypting data received from said interface unit.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said portable data unit includes player identification data in said data memory.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said interface units includes means for transmitting said modified player data to said data memory.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said player data includes player bonus information.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said interface units compute said bonus information based on the volume of play.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said selected data includes identification of the game machine currently being played.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said data memory can store a plurality of said game machine identifications.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said selected data additionally includes machine play information for each game machine played.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said machine play information includes the number of coins paid into the machine and the number of coins paid out by each game machine played.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said machine play information includes the time the game machine is played.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said interface unit includes data means for adding data and time information to said machine play information.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said data stored in said portable unit data memory includes player account data and wherein said interface unit includes means for accessing said account data from said data memory and transmitting it to said game machine to authorize play of the game machine along with means to update said account data in said data memory resulting from play of the game machine.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said interface unit additionally includes display means for displaying said player data to the player.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said player data being displayed includes players bonus information.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said information being displayed includes player account information.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said portable data unit includes a processor for controlling read and write access to said data memory.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein at least a portion of said data stored in said data memory is in encrypted form and wherein said processor includes means for encrypting data received from said interface unit and said central data processor.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein said processor includes means for decrypting data transmitted from said data memory to said interface unit and said central data processor.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said data memory includes card use data and wherein said interface unit includes means for updating said card use data in said data memory.

24. A data transfer system for use with a plurality of coin operated game machines having game machine processors comprising:

a portable data unit including a data unit processor and a data memory operatively connected to said data unit processor for storing machine information;

a plurality of interface units wherein each of the game machines includes one of said interface units adapted to physically receive said data unit and wherein said interface units include an interface processor adapted to communicate data to and from the game machine processor and to and from said data unit processor; and

a central data processor located remotely from the game machines and adapted to physically receive said data unit and including means to directly communicate with said data unit processor.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said machine information includes data relating to the game machine operation and security.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said data unit data memory includes a plurality of machine data fields wherein each of said machine data fields includes machine subfields for storing a machine identification, machine operation data and machine security data.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said machine security data includes a predetermined number of the last security events that occurred in the game machine.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said machine operation data includes the number of coins paid into the game machine, the number of coins paid out by the game machine, and the number of coins paid by an attendant.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the machine operating data includes the number of game machine door openings, the number of coin jams and the number of machine blackouts.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein said interface unit includes date means operatively connected to said interface processor for associating date and time information with selected portions of said game machine information received from the game machine and wherein said interface unit is effective to transmit said game machine information with said associated date and time information to said data unit data memory.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein said data unit data memory additionally includes player information and said data unit processor cooperates with said interface processor to transmit said player information to and from said data unit data memory to said interface unit.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said data unit data memory additionally includes player identification.

33. The system of claim 24 wherein said data unit data memory additionally includes card type identification and wherein said interface unit processor selects data transmitted to an from said data unit in response to said card type identification.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein at least a portion of said data stored in said data unit data memory is in encrypted form and wherein said interface unit processor includes means for decrypting said encrypted data received from said data unit and for encrypting data transmitted to said data unit.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein at least a portion of said data stored in said data unit data memory is in encrypted form and wherein said data unit processor includes means for encrypting data received from said interface unit.

36. The system of claim 24 wherein said data unit data memory includes game machine processor control variables and said interface unit processor includes download means for transferring said game machine control variable to the game machine.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said game machine control data in said data unit data memory is in encrypted for and said interface unit processor additionally includes means for decrypting said game machine control data.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein said game machine data includes decryption keys for use by said interface unit processor.

39. The system of claim 36 wherein said game machine data includes decryption algorithms for use by said interface unit processor.

40. The system of claim 24 wherein said data memory includes card use data and said interface processor is effective to update said card use data.

41. A data transfer system for use with a plurality of coin operated game machines having game machine processors comprising:

a portable data unit including a data unit processor and a data memory operatively connected to said data unit processor for storing machine information including game machine computer programs;

a plurality of interface units wherein each of the game machines includes one of said interface units adapted to physically receive said data unit and wherein said interface units include an interface processor adapted to directly download said game machine computer programs to the game machine from said data unit data memory; and

a central data processor located remotely from the game machines and adapted to physically receive said data unit and including means to directly transmit said game machine computer programs to said data unit data memory.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein at least a portion of said machine information in said data unit data memory is in encrypted form.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein said interface unit processor includes decryption means for decrypting said machine information.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein said data unit data memory additionally includes encryption data for use by said decryption means.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein said encryption data includes decryption keys.

46. The system of claim 41 wherein said data unit data memory includes card information including card identification.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein said card information includes employee identification.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein said card information includes card use data and wherein said interface unit processor updates and transmits said card use data to said data memory.

49. The system of claim 41 wherein said data unit data memory includes casino data.

50. The system of claim 41 wherein said interface unit additionally includes display means for displaying messages to players and wherein said data unit data memory includes said messages and wherein said interface unit processor is adapted to access said messages from said data unit memory.

51. The system of claim 41 wherein said data unit data memory includes interface unit processor control instructions and wherein said interface unit processor is adapted to access said instructions.

52. The system of claim 41 wherein said interface control instructions are in encrypted form and said interface unit processor includes decryption means for decrypting said interface control instructions.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein said data unit data memory additionally includes keys for use by said decryption means.

54. The system of claim 52 wherein said data unit data memory additionally includes decryption algorithms for use by said decryption means.

55. A data transfer system for use with a plurality of coin operated game machines having game machine processors comprising:

a portable data unit including a data memory;

a plurality of interface units wherein each of the game machines includes one of said interface units adapted to physically receive said data unit and wherein said interface units include an interface processor adapted to communicate data to and from the game machine processor and to and from said data unit; and

a central data processor located remotely from the game machines adapted to physically receive said data unit and including means to directly communicate with said data unit.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein said data memory contains a card type designation.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein said card type designation indicates that said data unit is a player issued unit.

58. The system of claim 56 wherein said card type designation indicates that said data unit is an employee issued unit.

59. The system of claim 55 wherein said data memory contains personal information relating to the individual issued said data unit.

60. The system of claim 55 wherein said data memory contains casino identification data.

61. The system of claim 55 wherein said data memory contains encryption data.

62. The system of claim 61 wherein at least a portion of the data contained in said data memory is encrypted and wherein said data unit includes means for encrypting data applied to said data unit into said encrypted data.

63. The system of claim 62 wherein said interface unit includes decryption means that utilizes encryption keys stored in said data memory for decrypting said encrypted data.

64. The system of claim 55 wherein said interface unit transmits card use data to said data memory.

65. The system of claim 56 wherein said data memory contains information relating to the identification of the individual issued the card.

66. The system of claim 57 wherein said data memory contains card type information.

67. The system of claim 66 wherein said data memory contains casino information.

68. The system of claim 55 wherein said data memory contains access control codes and wherein said interface unit includes means responsive to said access control codes to access data from said interface unit.

69. The system of claim 68 wherein said access control codes define the function of said data unit with respect to said interface unit.

70. The system of claim 55 wherein said data memory contains player bonus data and wherein said interface unit includes means to update said bonus data in said data memory.

71. The system of claim 70 wherein said interface means additionally includes display means for displaying said bonus data.

72. The system of claim 55 wherein said data memory contains player account data and wherein the game machine includes player operated control means for selectively allowing a player to obtain credit for winning machine plays instead of receiving coins and wherein said interface unit utilizes said winning credit information to update said account data in said data memory.

73. The system of claim 72 wherein said interface unit additionally includes display means for displaying said account data.

74. The system of claim 59 wherein said data memory additionally includes play information received from said interface unit.

75. The system of claim 74 wherein said play information includes the number of coins played and the number of coins received by the player.

76. The system of claim 75 wherein said play information includes separate data for each coil denomination.

77. The system of claim 75 wherein said play information additionally includes the number of games played by the player.

78. The system of claim 75 wherein said play information additionally includes the time of play of the player.

79. The system of claim 74 wherein said play information includes the number of jackpots won by the player.

80. The system of claim 74 wherein said play information includes the identification of game machines played by the player.

81. The system of claim 74 wherein said data memory additionally includes machine data transmitted from the game machine by said interface unit to said data memory.

82. The system of claim 81 wherein said machine data includes game machine identification and coin data for the game machine.

83. The system of claim 74 wherein said machine data includes game machine identification and security information for the game machine.

84. The system of claim 81 wherein said interface unit additionally includes time means for adding time related information to said machine data transmitted to said data memory.

85. The system of claim 84 wherein said time means includes a clock calendar circuit operatively connected to said interface unit processor.

86. The system of claim 84 wherein said machine data having time related information includes game machine security information.

87. The system of claim 71 wherein said data memory includes bonus data and wherein said interface unit processor includes means for accessing said bonus information, updating said bonus in response to game play information from the game machine and storing said updated bonus information in said data memory and wherein said display means additionally includes means for displaying said updated bonus data.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of coin-operated amusement and gaming machine systems and in particular to systems for transferring data to and from such game machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For several years, the automation of accounting and security functions having to do with coin-operated gaming machines has been shown to be a desirable and cost-effective method of obtaining accurate and timely data concerning the operation of these machines. In recent years, the automated accumulation of data concerning individual players, either in conjunction with the accounting and security information or without it, has also shown itself to be desirable as an effective marketing technique. Treating players in much the same manner as the airlines treat members of their "fragment flyer" clubs, game machine proprietors can, by keeping an accounting of the amount a player spends in their establishment, reward the patron accordingly. Also, by enrolling the player as a "preferred customer," the establishment can obtain a name and address, as well as certain other biographical and demographic data which is useful in the maintaining of a mailing list and other marketing efforts. There are also instances wherein the use of a player-carried device such as a magnetic-stripe card such as the card shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,622 can be used to enable players to use coin-operated game devices by paying a lump sum in lieu of using individual coins. In these cases, the card is the means of identifying the player, while the actual accounting of play takes place in a central computer electronically connected to the gaming machines.

Another important function of gaming machine data transfer systems is to provide accounting and security information to casino operators. Most of these applications have in the past required the gaming machines to be directly connected to the central computer. Examples of such gaming machine data transfer systems are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,072,930, 4,283,709 and 4,636,951. This usually entails a large computer equipment installation, and the installation of an extensive network of data communication cables and associated equipment. And, since the central computer is usually connected to a large number of gaming machines, in some cases up to 2000 or more machines in a real time data communication configuration, a powerful and hence expensive central computer is required. Another disadvantage of these systems arises from the fact that the distance that the data can be transmitted is usually, as a practical matter, limited, thus the central computer is usually restricted to the same premises as the gaming machines. As a result, these electronic gaming machine information systems tend to be limited to gaming operations where a relatively large number of machines are located in close proximity to each other.

One approach to solving these problems was attempted in the SDS V system developed by Bally Systems Division of Bally Manufacturing Corporation in which a portable data recording unit having a microprocessor and limited semiconductor memory was used to collect data from slot machines. The data thus collected by an employee of the machine owner was transferred to a central data system when the recording unit was connected to a data input device in the central system. However, this approach suffered from a number of deficiencies including limitations in the type and amounts of data that could be collected, no capability to collect player information and no ability to transfer information to the slot machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a player or employee carried data unit along with a gaming machine interface that will permit the transmittal of player information and gaming machine information between gaming machines and a central data system.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a player carried data unit containing player account and win information along with player identification information that can be used to transmit player account information to a gaming machine and to receive from the gaming machine and transmit to a central data system player game play and gaming machine information.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide the data unit with data memory to store machine information and to receive from the gaming machine identification data identifying the machine along with machine data that can also be used as input to the central data system.

It is another object of the invention to provide an employee carried data unit that is capable of receiving from a game machine machine identification, along with dated machine identification, play and status data that can be used as input to a central data system.

It is still another object of the invention to provide the employee data unit with the capability to store machine control information and to input this information to selected gaming machines.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a portable data unit having a data memory and a microprocessor for physically transporting data representing player play data including credit and win data along with gaming machine operation data between a number of gaming machines and a central data system where the data memory contains data indicating whether a player is entitled to play incentives. The microprocessor can be used to increase the security of the overall system by encrypting and decrypting data entered into or read from the data memory.

The method by which the communication of data from the gaming machines to the central computer and vice versa is accomplished is by use of a portable data carrier, typically referred to as a "smart card." These devices are generally in the shape and size of a standard credit card, and contain solid-state memory, as well as circuitry to enable the memory to be written to, read from, and otherwise manipulated. In addition, some of these devices contain microprocessor circuitry, and are capable of data access control, data encryption, data decryption, and various other related tasks. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,675,516, 4,725,924, 4,727,246, 4,733,061 and 4,764,666.

Another very significant advantage of the invention relates to the fact that the function of the large central computer system can be replaced by a smaller minicomputer, or in some cases by one or more desktop personal computers. Since the need for real-time on-line communication with all the game machines does not exist in this application, the data processing functions of the system can be handled easily by the smaller computer system. Also, since the communication of data from the game machines to the computer system is not limited by a network of data communication cables, game machines need not be on the same premises as, or even in the near vicinity of, the computer system.

A further advantage of the invention flows from the elimination of the data communication hardware and the large central computer as discussed above so that the automation of the accounting, security, and player tracking functions can now be made available even to very small establishments and to operators that have small numbers or widely dispersed gaming machines which could not otherwise justify the cost of such a system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gaming machine;

FIG. 2 is a partially cut away perspective view of a portable data transfer unit;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a gaming machine interface circuit for use with the data transfer unit of FIG. 2 along with a portion of the gaming machine circuitry;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a central data processing system for use with the data transfer unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of memory organization for a player data transfer unit;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of memory organization for a machine data transfer unit; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a down load data transfer unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 is provided a view of a typical gaming machine 10. The machine 10 as represented in FIG. 1 is a slot machine which in normal operation accepts a coin or token in a slot 12 and responds to a pull on a handle 14 by a player by depositing one or more coins in a coin tray 16 if a winning play is registered. A win or lose indication is provided to the player by a display 18 that in a slot machine normally takes the form of a group of mechanical reels or a video display. Although the gaming machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a slot machine, it should be understood that the invention can be equally applied to a wide variety of casino-type gaming machines including video poker and 21 machines as well as other coin operated amusement games.

FIG. 2 provides a partially cut away view of the preferred embodiment of a portable data transfer unit 20. The data unit 20 includes a microprocessor 22 connected by data lines 24 to a number of non-volatile random access semiconductor memories 26. Microprocessor 22 is connected to an interface circuit 28 by a group of data and control lines indicated generally at 30. Communication to external devices is facilitated by a group of contacts 32 connected to the interface circuit 28. Preferably, these contacts conform to an industry standard such as ISO/DIS 78161/1 and 78161/2 and include contacts for: chip select signals; clock input signals; a data input signal; a data output signal; a power supply input; a status input signal, a ground line and a memory type signal.

The circuit elements 22, 26 and 28 can in effect function as a small computer system by, for example: accepting data and control signals from external devices connected to contacts 32; using the microprocessor 22 to process the data; reading and writing data into memory 26 and transmitting data and control signals via the interface circuit 28 to the external devices.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the circuit elements 22, 26 and 28 are mounted on a bottom sheet 34 and covered or sealed within the unit 20 by a cover sheet 36 with a portion 38 left open to provide access to the contacts 32. Preferably the data unit 20 has outer dimensions that correspond to a standard credit card. Examples of various types of structures that can be used for the portable data unit 20 are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,725,924, 4,727,246, 4,733,061 and 4,764,666.

Although the preferred embodiment of the portable data unit 20 has been described above in terms of an IC card or smart card, other configurations or structures that provide a data memory along with a data processing capability arranged in a conveniently portable package could serve as well.

Use of the data unit 20 with the gaming machine 10 is facilitated by an interface unit 40 secured within the housing of the gaming machine 10 as shown in FIG. 3. Although the preferred embodiment of the