Patents by Inventor Rodney Hill

Rodney Hill has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6128550
    Abstract: In a system and method for a payout in the form of paper tokens from a gaming machine, the system includes a hopper for dispensing the paper tokens, a cassette for containing the paper tokens, and software for controlling the operations of the payout of the paper tokens from the gaming machine. The cassette and hopper are located in the gaming machine in plain view of a player, and are locked for security purposes. Each paper token is transported through a payout path by mechanisms in the cassette and the hopper which interact to dispense a paper token. A plurality of sensors sense the transport of the paper token through the payout path, the operation of the transport mechanism, and the status of the paper token supply. An escrow area is provided in the cassette for rejected paper tokens, as sensed by sensors and diverted by a diverting mechanism into the escrow area. A memory element in the cassette stores operational information regarding dispensing of the paper tokens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond J Heidel, Rodney Hill, Thomas N. Taxon, Lawrence McAllister
  • Patent number: 6125307
    Abstract: In a system and method for a payout in the form of paper tokens from a gaming machine, the system includes a hopper for dispensing the paper tokens, a cassette for containing the paper tokens, and software for controlling the operations of the payout of the paper tokens from the gaming machine. The cassette and hopper are located in the gaming machine in plain view of a player, and are locked for security purposes. Each paper token is transported through a payout path by mechanisms in the cassette and the hopper which interact to dispense a paper token. A plurality of sensors sense the transport of the paper token through the payout path, the operation of the transport mechanism, and the status of the paper token supply. An escrow area is provided in the cassette for rejected paper tokens, as sensed by sensors and diverted by a diverting mechanism into the escrow area. A memory element in the cassette stores operational information regarding dispensing of the paper tokens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond J. Heidel, Rodney Hill, Thomas N. Taxon, Lawrence McAllister
  • Patent number: 6014594
    Abstract: In a system and method for a payout in the form of paper tokens from a gaming machine, the system includes a hopper for dispensing the paper tokens, a cassette for containing the paper tokens, and software for controlling the operations of the payout of the paper tokens from the gaming machine. The cassette and hopper are located in the gaming machine in plain view of a player, and are locked for security purposes. Each paper token is transported through a payout path by mechanisms in the cassette and the hopper which interact to dispense a paper token. A plurality of sensors sense the transport of the paper token through the payout path, the operation of the transport mechanism, and the status of the paper token supply. An escrow area is provided in the cassette for rejected paper tokens, as sensed by sensors and diverted by a diverting mechanism into the escrow area. A memory element in the cassette stores operational information regarding dispensing of the paper tokens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond J. Heidel, Rodney Hill, Thomas N. Taxon, Lawrence McAllister