166results about "Apparatus with change-giving" patented technology

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for enhancing a gaming device is disclosed. The gaming device has a plurality of legacy I / O devices for communicating I / O device signals to a legacy gaming device processor via a plurality of legacy communication paths. The apparatus comprises an interface module, communicatively coupled to at least one of the legacy I / O communication paths between the legacy I / O device and the legacy gaming device processor to monitor the I / O device signal; and a local processor, communicatively coupled to the interface module and to a remote processor, the local processor performing instructions comprising instructions for controlling the interface module, for receiving the monitored I / O signals, and for transmitting the monitored signal to the remote processor. The method comprises the steps of modifying at least one of the legacy communication paths to monitor at least one of the I / O device signals; and providing the I / O device signal on the monitored I / O device signals to a remote processor external to the gaming device. In one embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of interrupting at least one of the I / O device signals communicated on a legacy communication path; generating a substitute I / O device signal; and providing the substitute I / O device signal on the legacy communication path.

A money managing system for use in a business setting is provided that allows for automated ordering, payment and receipt of change. In a fast food setting, a customer uses a user interface unit to enter an order, indicate the completion of an order and indicate a desired method of payment. The user can then insert coins, paper bills, credit cards, coded tickets, or some combination thereof, in payment. If no change is due, a dispenser is used to generate a receipt. In cases where change is due, the dispenser may further issue a code, for example, in the form of a barcode. The customer's food order can be picked up, for example, at an order window where money handling is not required. The customer may then use the ticket at a money dispensing machine to receive change in the form of coins and / or bills.

A method and system for processing currency bills and coins in a cash receptacle for automatically determining a batch of currency. An operator provides an amount of cash, including currency bills and coins, and indicates a target amount of cash desired to be made available in a currency batch. The system includes a resident memory for storing a mode of operation, determines a total amount of the cash, and determines a cash removal amount by comparing the total amount of the cash to the target amount. The cash removal amount is displayed to the operator for adding or removing cash to obtain the appropriate currency batch, which corresponds to the target amount.

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for dispensing an cashout value to a user in amount of a first monetary exchange and an amount of a second monetary exchange is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of interrupting a first signal to the first device, wherein the first signal is a signal enabling the first device to dispense the first monetary exchange media; interrupting a second signal to the first device, wherein the second signal is a signal describing a number of first monetary exchange media units to be dispensed; computing a number of second monetary exchange units to be dispensed by the second device and a number of first monetary units to be dispensed by the first device, providing the interrupted first signal and the substituted second signal to the first monetary device, and providing the third signal to the second device. The apparatus comprises means for performing the above steps, and the article of manufacture comprises a storage device tangibly embodying instructions for performing the foregoing method steps.

A pricing terminal is installed at a retail store. The pricing terminal includes an enclosure that allows a customer to be seated therein, a display screen mounted in the enclosure, a keyboard and a processor operatively connected to the display screen and the keyboard. The processor is programmed to control the display screen, receive input via the keyboard and guide the customer to perform a pricing activity. The pricing activity may include viewing an advertisement, answering survey questions, or agreeing to enter into a transaction with a third party. The customer is rewarded for performing the pricing activity by receiving a discount on a purchase transaction or another benefit.

A coin sorting and counting machine and a method for operating it to automatically dispense cash vouchers based on the value of the counted coins, manufacturers' coupons and store coupons. Coins are placed in a hopper tray angled downward from the horizontal. When the hinged tray is lifted, the coins travel over a peak structure, through a waste management system and into the coin sorting and counting apparatus. The value of the coins and the number of coins within each denomination are displayed as the coins are counted. The coins fall into a storage area and the user is issued a cash voucher and a series of manufacturer coupons.

A cash recycling machine (11) is connected in a network with a computer (10) and other recycling equipment (12), the cash recycling machine (11) having an input device (18) for receiving cash, a sorter (31) for sorting the cash into a plurality of hopper assemblies (26–29), a controller (21) responsive to inputs from a user in a first operating cycle of the machine to cause the hopper assemblies (26–29) to dispense an amount of sorted cash to a cash drawer and to store the amount of dispensed cash in memory in association with a user account number, the controller (21) being responsive to input of a batch of cash and the user account number in a second cycle to count the cash received, and to compare the amount of cash received with the amount of cash dispensed to determine a net amount of cash associated with the user. The controller (21) has the ability to track transactions of employees through the work shift for reconciliation at the end of the work shift and to report results to a central accounting computer.

A coin sorting and counting machine and a method for operating it to automatically dispense cash vouchers based on the value of the counted coins, manufacturers' coupons and store coupons. Coins are placed in a hopper tray angled downward from the horizontal. When the hinged tray is lifted, the coins travel over a peak structure, through a waste management system and into the coin sorting and counting apparatus. The value of the coins and the number of coins within each denomination are displayed as the coins are counted. The coins fall into a storage area and the user is issued a cash voucher and a series of manufacturer coupons.

A coin discrimination apparatus and method is provided. Coins, preferably after cleaning, e.g. using a trommel, are singulated by a coin pickup assembly configured to reduce jamming. A coin rail assists in providing separation between coins as they travel past a sensor. The sensor provides an oscillating electromagnetic field generated on a single sensing core. The oscillating electromagnetic field is composed of one or more frequency components. The electromagnetic field interacts with a coin, and these interactions are monitored and used to classify the coin according to its physical properties. All frequency components of the magnetic field are phase-locked to a common reference frequency. The phase relationships between the various frequencies are fixed, and the interaction of each frequency component with the coin can be accurately determined without the need for complicated electrical filters. In one embodiment, a sensor having a core, preferably ferrite, which is curved, such as in a U-shape or in the shape of a section of a torus, and defining a gap, is provided with a wire winding for excitation and / or detection. The sensor can be used for simultaneously obtaining data relating to two or more parameters of a coin or other object, such as size and conductivity of the object. Two or more frequencies can be used to sense core and / or cladding properties. Objects recognized as acceptable coins, using the sensor data, are diverted by a controllable deflecting door, to tubes for delivery to acceptable coin bins.

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for transferring credits from one gaming device to another via the use of coded scrip is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of accepting a cash-out command in the gaming device, scanning a magnetically manifested code uniquely identifying a scrip stored in the gaming device, transmitting a cash-out message comprising the code to a remote processor having access to a database configured to store and retrieve codes from a plurality of gaming devices, receiving a scrip dispense message from the remote processor, and dispensing the scrip. The apparatus comprises a scrip storage unit, a scrip dispensing unit having a scrip transducer for reading and recording a magnetically manifested code on a scrip retrieved from the scrip storage unit, and a processor, communicatively coupled to the scrip transducer and a remote computer having access to a database for storing and retrieving code information from the plurality of gaming devices.

A system for providing supplementary product sales is provided in which a central controller receives a purchase from a card authorization terminal. The purchase includes at least one purchase parameter, such as a customer account identifier, product identifiers for specifying items purchased or product price. The central controller determines a supplementary product to offer that is based on the at least one purchase parameter. A product identifier for specifying the supplementary product is transmitted to the card authorization terminal, where the customer chooses whether to accept the offered supplementary product. The card authorization terminal generates and transmits to the central controller a selection signal indicative of whether the supplementary product is accepted. If the selection signal indicates that the supplementary product is accepted, the central controller adjusts a balance of a financial account in dependence on an adjustment value associated with the supplementary product.

A money processing system according to the present invention includes a coin change dispenser, a note change dispenser, and a control terminal, each having a control unit. The control units are generally adapted to carrying out a “change dispensing mode” control for receiving money given by a customer and dispensing change as occasion demands, and is adapted to carrying out a “money exchange mode” control, when a money exchange instruction is given from instruction means. In the money exchange mode, (a) when a single piece of money is received, a normal money exchange process for dispensing a combination of exchanged money each having a denomination smaller than that of the received money is executed such that a sum total of the combination of the exchanged money is equivalent to the received money, and (b) when a plurality of pieces of money are received, a reverse money exchange process for dispensing a combination of (the minimum number of pieces of) exchanged money each having a denomination larger than that of the received money is executed such that a sum total of the combination of the exchanged money is equivalent to the received money.

A bill and coin processing system including a bill and coin processing apparatus having: an interface unit capable of exchanging information via a communication unit with the point-of-sales terminal machine; a money receiving unit receiving money by way of a price of a commercial product; a discriminating unit discriminating between at least denominations of the bills and coins received from the money receiving unit; a storing / discharging unit stored with the received bills and coins on the basis of a result of the discrimination made by the discriminating unit and capable of discharging the bills and coins by giving a discharge instruction to the bill and coin processing apparatus from the point-of-sales terminal machine; a money discharging unit discharging the bills and coins outside a machine, which have been discharged from the storing / discharging unit; and a control unit controlling the money discharging unit to discharge the bills and coins from the storing / discharging unit on the basis of a discharge instruction accepted by the interface unit and given to the bill and coin processing apparatus from the point-of-sales terminal machine.

A system (10) and method for facilitating or allowing for controlling the dispensation of one or more denominations of coins via an automated coin dispensing machine (24) component of a check-out lane (12) in a retail or wholesale store setting, and for attributing the dispensed coins for accounting or reconciliation purposes. Such attribution broadly involves designating coins within the dispensing machine (24) as part of the store's safe or operating fund prior to dispensation, and as part of a cashier's till responsibility following dispensation. The coin dispensing machine (24) makes use of bulk coin hoppers (30) rather than prior art coin canisters.

An automated kitchen apparatus determines a time until expiration of a food product. In one embodiment, the kitchen apparatus determines the time until expiration by receiving a start signal indicating that a food product is available to sell. Such a start signal may be generated by a timer on a warming bin that is initiated when a food product is placed in the warming bin. By measuring the elapsed time since the start signal was received, the time until expiration is determined. Based on the time until expiration, the automated kitchen apparatus sets the minimum price of that food product. Customers at a POS terminal may then purchase the aged food product for the minimum price. In one embodiment, an offer describing the food product and its minimum price is displayed on the POS terminal. In another embodiment, the customer is offered the food product for his change due, if that change due is not less than the minimum price.

A method and apparatus for delivering a plurality of products from a vending machine is disclosed. The method generally allows an offer for a package to be output, in which the package defines a plurality of products, including a selected product. An apparatus is also disclosed to carry out the method steps of the present invention.

A system and method and programmed product interactively monitors the amount of cash present in a teller cash drawer while reducing the data input requirements of the teller. It allows a teller to comply with a consumers request for specific denominations while at the same time minimizing premature depletion of specific denominations of money. It corrects situations where a denomination is not an integral multiple of the next lower denomination thereby allowing a mix to be determined even when a lower denomination is depleted. The system and method including a programmed computer process presents a miscellaneous dialog field to a teller for handling commemorative and unusual denominations and the method allows dispensing from this amount as well as from the usual denominations.

A coin discrimination apparatus and method is provided. Coins, preferably after cleaning, e.g. using a trommel, are singulated by a coin pickup assembly configured to reduce jamming. A coin rail assists in providing separation between coins as they travel past a sensor. The sensor provides an oscillating electromagnetic field generated on a single sensing core. The oscillating electromagnetic field is composed of one or more frequency components. The electromagnetic field interacts with a coin, and these interactions are monitored and used to classify the coin according to its physical properties. All frequency components of the magnetic field are phase-locked to a common reference frequency. The phase relationships between the various frequencies are fixed, and the interaction of each frequency component with the coin can be accurately determined without the need for complicated electrical filters. In one embodiment, a sensor having a core, preferably ferrite, which is curved, such as in a U-shape or in the shape of a section of a torus, and defining a gap, is provided with a wire winding for excitation and / or detection. The sensor can be used for simultaneously obtaining data relating to two or more parameters of a coin or other object, such as size and conductivity of the object. Two or more frequencies can be used to sense core and / or cladding properties. Objects recognized as acceptable coins, using the sensor data, are diverted by a controllable deflecting door, to tubes for delivery to acceptable coin bins.

Cash received from a customer is placed by cashier into a change device, which is connected to a point of sales terminal. The change device counts an amount of cash by its type, and stores a counted amount into a memory unit. Further the change device stores an amount of change that discharged from the change device. The amount of cash stored in the memory unit is sent to the point of sales terminal and to a server. The server contains cash-on-hand table, and by receiving the amount of cash from the point of sales terminal, the server updates the cash-on-hand table. The cash-on-hand table is used to determine whether any of the point of sales terminal needs cash to be supplemented or not.

A voucher ticket system employing a bill validator installed into any suitable automated machine, including an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), a gaming machine, etc. The bill validator is integrated with a bill reader, a voucher ticket reader, a reader to obtain an electronic voucher ticket from a portable computing device, a printer, and any other supporting peripheral devices. The bill validator communicates with an electronic money account manager through a voucher ticket system interface. The electronic money account manager maintains records associated with the electronic voucher ticket using a master voucher ticket ID, including a financial value, an electronic marker, an expiration, a status, etc. The electronic money account manager enables use of the electronic voucher ticket as common currency at an associated gaming facility, any associated ATM, etc. The electronic marker defines authenticity to maintain integrity of the electronic vouchers tickets.

A coins receiving and dispensing apparatus suitable for food shops or restaurants allows precise transfer and reception of various coins without error and confirmation of the balance of the coin. When coins received from customers are inserted into this apparatus, the coins are immediately sorted by a sorting mechanism with respect to the denominations of the currency and stored at the respective storage portions. When the coins are paid out as change, the coin feeder operates based on a dispensing command signal produced corresponding to the differences between the sold amount inputted in the register and the received amount from the customers to feed the coins of the wanted denomination in the necessary number.