Abstract: Systems and methods for metering accounting activities on gaming machines are disclosed. Remote metering can be had for a gaming machine having a master gaming controller, an external cabinet housing a display device and one or more acceptors, dedicated meters, and communication paths between the master gaming controller and display device, and between meters and acceptors. Dedicated meters are located outside and remote from the external cabinet, and are adapted to track continuously at least one item of accounting information associated with the gaming machine. Such meters can be recognized by a gaming regulator as the official meters for the gaming machine, and can be located at a central location in close proximity to other dedicated meters associated with other gaming machines. Such meters can be individual discrete physical devices secured along dedicated communication lines, or can be electronic meters residing on a single server.

Abstract: A gaming device having a card management system which is operable to manage a plurality of circulating data cards. The gaming device includes a card read-write device for reading data cards, a plurality of vertically-stacked card holders for holding a plurality of data cards and one or more card transporters for moving data cards to and from the card holders. The gaming device is operable with a portable card changeover machine. The present invention increases the convenience and efficiency for playing and managing gaming devices.

Abstract: A method of creating a binary animation file commences with the step of selecting an initial image and subsequent images having pixels. The color pallet of the initial image (having n indexes) in converted to a colour pallet having n?1 indexes so that one of the n indexes is used as a mask index. Second and subsequent images are determined and are used to define a frameset which begins with the initial image and defines a sequence of images. The initial image is compressed using Run Length Encoding and stored to a movie file. Using the mask index, a new data array is created for the second and subsequent images. The second image is compared to the initial image on a pixel by pixel basis. The method requires the storing of differences between the first and second images in the form of difference data to the movie file, the difference data comprising an array of bytes that represents a Run Length Encoded compressed description.

Abstract: A gaming device having a card management system which is operable to manage a plurality of circulating data cards. The gaming device, in one embodiment, preferably includes a card read-write device for reading data cards, one or more card holders for holding a plurality of data cards and one or more card transporters for moving data cards to and from the card holders. The gaming device processor preferably uses the read-write device to reset or change data on data cards. The present invention increases the convenience and efficiency for playing and managing gaming devices.

Abstract: A decoder structure is described that can be implemented on an integrated circuit and used to decode turbo codes. A soft input soft output decoder includes a metric aggregator, and a codeword resolver, each of these elements co-operating to resolve manipulated branch and state metric pairs to a codeword in a known set of codewords in accordance with an un-normalized likelihood relationship between the received branch and state metric data pairs and the known set of codewords. The present invention is believed to operate at a relatively lower clock speed and occupy a relatively smaller area than previous structures, thereby consuming less power and incurring lower cost to produce, yet still achieve a substantially similar BER performance. The present invention is suitable for extremely high data rate communications; for example, rates in excess of 100 Mbit/s, such as at 200 MHz and 220 MHz, can be achieved.

Abstract: A frequency offset controller using feedback, and an offset estimator are disclosed herein, as are methods for both. The estimator offset method can be used in satellite and terrestrial communications receivers. The methods can be used in receivers where the frequency offset is between 0% and 50% of the symbol rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that perform blind acquisition of a frame burst pattern, i.e. which frames in a particular recurring sequence contain data, without prior knowledge of such information. This is performed based on detecting the presence and location of a unique word in a received frame structure. Preferably, the method and apparatus also perform blind acquisition of frame synchronization, i.e. the ability to know where the frame starts without prior knowledge of such information. Such features can be provided in a frame synchronization device, such as a downlink demodulator, which can be used in a wireless communication system, such as a satellite-based communication system. Activation logic is also provided that activates wireless communication system devices, such as components of the downlink demodulator, based on the determined burst pattern in order to save power.

Abstract: A system and method for generating dynamically updated graphical user interfaces over a distributed computer network is disclosed. The system and method use existing hypertext transfer protocols and existing Java Script and Active Server Pages to generate a dynamic graphical user interface based on a database of records identifying goods or services. The consumer is provided a range of predetermined choices and in accordance with replies to the predetermined choices, the graphical user interface is dynamically updated with icons and other graphic symbols representing the consumer choices. Importantly, the graphical user interface does not need to refresh the browser application and therefore, minimizes data transmission delays over the distributed computer network.

Abstract: A method of administration of a live electronic card game in which two or more players wager in a networked environment. The invention relates to the players being assigned virtual cards from a game server, which cards are displayed and used to construct a hand by the players. More specifically the method of the invention comprises the step of assigning to each player, a virtual deck from which their cards are dealt.

Abstract: A system for processing both a composite video television (TV) signal and a video cassette recorder (VCR) playback signal containing a combined line noise canceller and comb filter sharing a single delay line and a 3.58 MHz oscillator that drives a quadrature demodulator for demodulating both playback chrominance signals extracted from the playback signal and television chrominance signals extracted from the television signal. The system also provides automatic gain control to both the composite video TV signal and the VCR playback signal.

Abstract: Adjustable flow control valves are disclosed for controlling the flow of syrups and diluents at a corresponding predetermined constant flow rate regardless of the pressure of the fluid being controlled. The valves include a cylinder and piston assembly in which the piston has an inlet orifice and controls outlet ports from the cylinder to maintain a constant flow rate. Dual spring arrangements provide for adjusting the range of flow rates which the valve can accommodate in connection with varying pressure and varying viscosity of the liquid being controlled, and variable piston orifice arrangements are disclosed for the same purpose. An improved cylinder construction comprising sleeve and bonnet components is disclosed and provides for the outlet ports from the cylinder to be provided in the bonnet component.

Abstract: A beverage dispenser of the type having a diluent mixed with a syrup to produce the beverage to be dispensed is provided with a solenoid actuated valve arrangement between the diluent and/or syrup supply line and the dispensing nozzle and which solenoid valve has a sealing arrangement which, upon actuation of the solenoid, provides sequential first and second stages of pressure drop across the valve seat, thus to reduce the power required to operate the solenoid and open the valve or enable the valve to operate under higher fluid pressures without increasing the power of the solenoid.