Method of Reading Gaming Documents in a Gaming Terminal, and a Set of Gaming Elements for Implementing the Method

Abstract

The invention relates to reading gaming documents in a gaming terminal suitable for reading two types of document: rectangular gaming grids on which information is printed in lines parallel to the edge for presentation to an insertion window, and elongate rectangular gaming receipts of varying lengths on which information is printed in lines parallel to the short side; the gaming receipts are presented to the window with their long sides in the prone position; they possess a characteristic different from that of the gaming grids and suitable for being detected in the terminal so as to enable presented documents to be identified as gaming receipts rather than gaming grids; the detected data read parallel to the long side of a receipt is converted into real data corresponding to information printed on the receipt in lines parallel to the short side.

1 . A method of reading gaming documents in a gaming terminal, the terminal comprising: 
 an elongate window for inserting a document to be read;    drive means for driving the document transversely to the long direction of the window; and    a strip of CIS sensors disposed parallel to the window over the entire length thereof and downstream from the window (in the document travel direction);    the terminal being suitable for reading the following two types of document:    gaming grids of rectangular format on which information is printed in lines parallel to the edge whereby the grids are presented to the window; and    gaming receipts of elongate rectangular format of varying lengths on which information is printed in lines parallel to the short side;    wherein the gaming receipts are presented to the window via their long side in the prone position,    wherein the gaming receipts possess a characteristic different from that of gaming grids and suitable for being detected in the terminal so as to identify the documents presented as gaming receipts rather than gaming grids, and    wherein the detected data read parallel to the long side of the receipts is converted into real data corresponding to the information printed on the receipts in lines parallel to the short side thereof.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein one edge of a gaming receipt, constituting the edge for presentation to the window, includes at least one mark suitable for identifying the presented document as a gaming receipt rather than a gaming grid.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the mark is a sign printed on the receipt.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the marks are alphanumeric signs printed on the receipt.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein the marks are alphanumeric signs constituting a code for verifying the authenticity of gaming receipts.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the mark is printed on gaming receipts in at least one color that is different from the color of the information carried on the receipts.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 ,  
       wherein gaming grids and gaming receipts are made of different materials, and  
       wherein the material of a document inserted into the terminal is detected in order to identify the document as a gaming receipt rather than a gaming grid.  
     
     
         8 . A set of elements for use in gaming to implement the method according to  claim 1 , the set comprising: 
 a gaming terminal including: 
 an elongate window for inserting a document to be read;  
 drive means for driving the document transversely to the long direction of the window; and  
 a strip of CIS sensors disposed parallel to the window over its entire length and downstream from the window in the document travel direction;  
   rectangular format gaming grids on which information is printed in lines parallel to the edge whereby said grids are suitable for being presented to the window of the terminal in order for them to be read in the terminal; and    elongate rectangular format gaming receipts on which information is printed in lines parallel to the short side, the gaming receipts being suitable for being presented to the window of the terminal in order to be read in the terminal;    wherein the gaming receipts possess a characteristic that distinguishes them from gaming grids,    wherein the terminal includes means for detecting said characteristic identifying the document presented as a gaming receipt rather than a gaming grid, and    wherein the terminal includes shifter means suitable for converting the detected data read parallel to the long side of the document, identified as a receipt presented prone via its long side to the insertion window, into real data corresponding to the information printed on the receipt in lines parallel to the short side thereof,    whereby the terminal is suitable for processing gaming receipts presented with their long sides prone to the insertion window.    
     
     
         9 . A set according to  claim 8 , wherein one edge of a gaming receipt, the edge for presentation to the window of the terminal, includes at least one mark suitable for identifying the presented document as a gaming receipt rather than a gaming grid.  
     
     
         10 . A set according to  claim 9 , wherein the mark is a sign printed on the receipt.  
     
     
         11 . A set according to  claim 9 , wherein the mark is a sign printed on the receipt, and wherein the marks are alphanumeric signs printed on the receipt.  
     
     
         12 . A set according to  claim 9 , wherein the mark is a sign printed on the receipt, wherein the marks are alphanumeric signs printed on the receipt, and wherein the marks formed by alphanumeric signs constitute a code for verifying the authenticity of gaming receipts.  
     
     
         13 . A set according to  claim 8 , wherein the mark printed on the gaming receipt is printed in at least one color different from that of the information carried on the receipt.  
     
     
         14 . A set according to  claim 8 ,  
       wherein the gaming grids and the gaming receipts are made of different materials, and  
       wherein the terminal includes means for detecting the material constituting a document, which means are suitable for identifying said document as a gaming receipt rather than a gaming grid.