Abstract:
Methods for avoiding or reducing reliance on the need to use a physical payment instrument in substitution for cash for wagering on gaming terminals. With the method, the player uses a secure cashless payment instrument that does not require presentation of the payment instrument through an automatic reader fitted to a gaming terminal. The cashless payment instrument features a third-party security code and a two-level limited lifetime in which one level may be reset. The method may advantageously be used in small remote gaming facilities such as in island holiday resorts, in cruise ships and on-board international flights, for example.
Abstract:
A trusted disaster tolerant system architecture supporting concurrently a number of distributed online gaming operations such as slip-scan lottery, video lottery, fixed odd betting terminals, Internet gaming, and interactive TV. A personality front end resolves the peculiarities of the various client systems before submitting the relevant transactional payload to a trusted transactional cache. A universal game random generator may be used either at the central game server or at each individual gaming machine, thus conferring a significant trust to the entire estate of gaming machines fitted with the game random generator. An auditable trusted log allows to rapidly resolve any dispute. The instant-draw model and the differed-draw model are supported. The system may advantageously be used in casino environments.
Abstract:
A method for gaming terminals, gaming kiosks and lottery terminals to ensure that the code-signing verification process of downloaded game software can be trusted. Drivers independently developed from the operating system supplier are embedded within the operating system kernel to verify that the micro-coded hardware components, the BIOS (808), the operating system components and the downloaded game software can be trusted.
Abstract:
A public access kiosk for conducting trusted lightweight e-commerce transactions. A trusted transactional cache and the associated transactional protocol allow e-commerce transactions to be committed to a remote server (334) extremely quickly and with little network overhead. The end-to-end transactions are completed in just a few seconds allowing users to carry out e-commerce transactions without having to stand in front of the display (104) for minutes as is usually the case when making purchases on the Internet. The invention operates equally well on robust private networks (304) as on unpredictable Internet or wireless networks, avoiding upsetting shoppers who would otherwise have to wait for the transaction to complete in the case of a temporary communication failure with the remote server (334) or other failure. The methods and devices described herein may advantageously be used to offer large scale and cost-effective micro-payments solutions.
Abstract:
A method to manage the secure download of data (102) to a very large number of network connected client devices (104, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 1120, 122) distributed within large geographic areas. The method provides adaptive data throttling and makes optimal use of network data bandwidth. The method can be advantageously applied for managing simultaneous data downloading to millions of network connected remote devices (104, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 1120, 122) via private networks, public networks and the Internet (124). A close-loop download regulation algorithm achieves the highest download capacity for the files without exceeding the maximum network capacity and without degrading the transactional and operational traffic performance between the server and the connected client devices.
Abstract:
The present cashless gaming methods, systems and devices make use of printed tickets that include machine and human readable symbols. An ATM (500) in exchange for cash or other money may deliver a coded ticket. A gaming machine may also print a ticket when the player wishes to offload his or her credit balance. The player may redeem his or her credit balance via an ATM (500), or alternatively may upload the credit on another gaming machine by presenting the coded ticket to the game machine's code scanner and manually providing the human readable verification code printed on the coded ticket. The present gaming machines are preferably configured within a secure managed network controlled by a server located at the gaming premise's black office or at a location remote therefrom. The server securely records all credit balances, game transactions and authorizes redemptions. The remote server may control several geographically separated gaming premises.
Abstract:
A document image scanner capable of branding thermally printed tickets using a single feed roller. The contact image sensor and the thermal print head are both configured to apply pressure directly against the single feed roller. When not in use, the thermal print head may be retracted. The document scanner may include a print head that is wider than the document to be scanned, thereby enabling the scanner to relatively insensitive to off centered and/or skewed documents inserted therein for scanning and/or branding.
Abstract:
A method and system for dynamically configuring all or part of a casino floor to a theme targeted at a predetermined population of patrons. The configuration of the gaming machines may be controlled from a central system in accordance with a predetermined theme or alternatively the patrons may activate their favorite theme interactively at the gaming machine. The predetermined theme may be selected according to patron characteristics including, for example, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, racial identity, geographic origin, favorite hobby, political association, sexual orientation, preferred sport, musical idol or genre, age and/or faith of the patrons of the plurality of gaming machines. A hierarchical menu of authorized games may be dynamically generated fiom the patron characteristics and presented to the patron according to the patron's characteristics and associated theme is determined such that the patron is likely to quickly find his favorite game.
Abstract:
A secure and modular architecture for monitoring and controlling clusters of pay entertainment and gaming devices (200, 300, 400). The architecture allows flexible and secure use of state of the art multimedia and Internet technologies to attract the younger player generation used to flashy and networked games (102). Cash or cash-less entertainment and gaming devices are supported.