Abstract: In certain embodiments, a casino system has a server and a kiosk that receives, from a user, a voucher/player card having an associated monetary value and dispenses, to the user, a portion of the monetary value in paper currency, while the network converts the remainder of the monetary value to player points associated with the user. The kiosk may enable the user to select the portion of the monetary value to convert to player points and/or the portion of the monetary value to receive in paper currency, where the rate of converting monetary value to player points may increase as the selected portion of monetary value increases. Alternatively, the network may automatically select the portion to dispense in paper currency and the portion to convert to player points based on the smallest denomination of paper currency available to be dispensed by the kiosk.

Abstract: A bill-loading machine for receptacles (e.g., cash cassettes or cash cartridges for cash cassettes) for cash-dispensing machines. The bill-loading machine has receptacle ports, currency bins, and bill dispensers. Each receptacle port receives a receptacle that (i) stores bills and (ii) is configurable to the cash-dispensing machines for dispensing the bills. Each currency bin stores a bills, and each bill dispenser loads a receptacle located at a corresponding receptacle port with bills from a corresponding currency bin. In some embodiments, the bill-loading machine includes a bill sorter that receives an input supply of bills of varied denominations, automatically sorts the bills into multiple flows of paper currency of specific denominations for storage in multiple currency bins, and automatically loads each currency bin with the bills of a corresponding denomination.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a two-portion cash-dispensing machine has a first secure portion that receives paper currency during bill-breaking operations and vouchers during voucher-redemption operations and a second secure portion that dispenses paper currency. Physical access to the first secure portion is restricted to authorized first agents, and physical access to the second secure portion is restricted to authorized second agents. Physical access to the first secure portion by an authorized first agent does not inherently provide physical access to the second secure portion by the authorized first agent, and vice versa. In one application, two different business entities are respectively responsible for maintaining the two different secure portions, and the machine communicates information associated with requests for transfers of funds from a bank account of the first entity to a bank account of the second entity to reimburse the second entity for bill-breaking and voucher-redemption operations.

Abstract: A transaction is facilitated at a business's touchpoint by transmitting from a wireless device (e.g., a patron's cell phone) to a transaction server operated by a transaction-funding business: patron-identifying information for the patron and a touchpoint ID associated with the touchpoint read using the wireless device. The transaction server authorizes the transaction, transmits that authorization to the cell phone and/or the touchpoint business, and the touchpoint business provides goods/services to the patron. In some implementations, the transaction-funding business transfers outgoing funds for the transaction to the touchpoint business and receives incoming funds for the transaction from the patron. In a casino, a patron can use his/her cell phone to purchase gaming credit at a gaming machine without using a paper voucher or currency. The transaction-funding business funds the purchase for the patron without any funds ever residing on or passing through the patron's cell phone.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a cash machine, such as a casino kiosk or a bank ATM, charges a varying surcharge to patrons requesting cash withdrawals, where the size of the surcharge depends on previous requests for cash-withdrawal transactions. In general, whether or not a previous patron agreed to complete a previously requested cash withdrawal having a specified surcharge may affect the size of the surcharge offered to the next patron requesting a cash withdrawal. For example, if the previous patron completed the previous transaction, then the cash machine might increase the surcharge offered to the next patron and, if the previous patron failed to complete the previous transaction, then the cash machine might decrease the surcharge offered to the next patron. The invention can be applied to types of transactions other than cash withdrawals from cash machines, where customer touchpoints adjust current prices based on the history of previous transactions.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, an ATM system validates a user having a multi-digit PIN code. During different access events, either at the same ATM machine or at different ATM machines, the ATM machine presents to the user different sequences of one or more representations of the user's PIN code that identify different subsets of digits and/or different orders of digits to be provided by the user for validation. This makes it more difficult for third parties to steal a user's PIN code because no single access event involves all of the digits in the user's PIN code and/or the proper order of the digits in the user's PIN code, and different access events involve different sequences of the PIN code. In a distributed ATM system having a centralized banking subsystem, the correct PIN code is never provided to an ATM machine for any one access event, thereby further improving system security.

Abstract: A solution-cathode glow discharge (SCGD) spectrometry apparatus may comprise an SCGD source and a mass or ion mobility spectrometer. A method for ionizing a molecular analyte may comprise contacting the molecular analyte with a plasma discharge to form ions and separating the ions in a mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer. The contacting step may occur under atmospheric pressure and/or ambient conditions. The molecular analyte may be fragmented by the plasma discharge.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for managing a cash machine having at least one deployed cash cassette having a picking assembly includes (a) determining that the deployed cash cassette should be replaced and (b) generating a cassette-replacement message in order to have a new cash cassette shipped to the cash machine to enable the deployed cash cassette to be replaced with the new cash cassette. In one implementation, the deployed cash cassette includes a cash store that stores currency bills, a picking assembly that retrieves currency bills from the cash store for dispensing from the cash machine and a cassette controller that controls operations of the cash cassette, wherein the cassette controller determines that the cash cassette should be replaced.

Abstract: A seed planter and seed meter for planting different seed varieties based on the location of the machine in a field. A movable gate switches between seed varieties. The gate in one embodiment has three positions; one position opening a first seed passage to the meter and closing a second seed passage, a second position opening the second seed passage and closing the first seed passage and a third position closing both the first and second seed passages. Two other gate embodiments have only two positions, each position opening one seed passage and closing the other.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for managing a cash machine having at least one deployed cash cassette having a picking assembly includes (a) determining that the deployed cash cassette should be replaced and (b) generating a cassette-replacement message in order to have a new cash cassette shipped to the cash machine to enable the deployed cash cassette to be replaced with the new cash cassette. In one implementation, the deployed cash cassette includes a cash store that stores currency bills, a picking assembly that retrieves currency bills from the cash store for dispensing from the cash machine and a cassette controller that controls operations of the cash cassette, wherein the cassette controller determines that the cash cassette should be replaced.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a two-portion cash-dispensing machine has a first secure portion that receives paper currency during bill-breaking operations and vouchers during voucher-redemption operations and a second secure portion that dispenses paper currency. Physical access to the first secure portion is restricted to authorized first agents, and physical access to the second secure portion is restricted to authorized second agents. Physical access to the first secure portion by an authorized first agent does not inherently provide physical access to the second secure portion by the authorized first agent, and vice versa. In one application, two different business entities are respectively responsible for maintaining the two different secure portions, and the machine communicates information associated with requests for transfers of funds from a bank account of the first entity to a bank account of the second entity to reimburse the second entity for bill-breaking and voucher-redemption operations.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a casino system has a server and a kiosk that receives, from a user, a voucher/player card having an associated monetary value and dispenses, to the user, a portion of the monetary value in paper currency, while the network converts the remainder of the monetary value to player points associated with the user. The kiosk may enable the user to select the portion of the monetary value to convert to player points and/or the portion of the monetary value to receive in paper currency, where the rate of converting monetary value to player points may increase as the selected portion of monetary value increases. Alternatively, the network may automatically select the portion to dispense in paper currency and the portion to convert to player points based on the smallest denomination of paper currency available to be dispensed by the kiosk.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, an ATM system validates a user having a multi-digit PIN code. During different access events, either at the same ATM machine or at different ATM machines, the ATM machine presents to the user different sequences of one or more representations of the user's PIN code that identify different subsets of digits and/or different orders of digits to be provided by the user for validation. This makes it more difficult for third parties to steal a user's PIN code because no single access event involves all of the digits in the user's PIN code and/or the proper order of the digits in the user's PIN code, and different access events involve different sequences of the PIN code. In a distributed ATM system having a centralized banking subsystem, the correct PIN code is never provided to an ATM machine for any one access event, thereby further improving system security.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a cash-dispensing machine, having one or more, single-denomination cash cassettes, such as a kiosk for a casino or other gaming enterprise or a bill-breaking machine, performs a cassette-verification operation in which the machine dispenses bills to a user, and the user inserts those bills back into the machine. The machine verifies that the total number and total monetary value of the inserted bills match the total number and expected total monetary value of the dispensed bills. The total number and expected total monetary value are selected such that (i) there is a different number of bills for each different denomination and (ii) given the available denominations, there is only one combination of the total number of bills having the expected total monetary value. The cassette-verification operation can be used to detect when one or more cash cassettes contain bills of the wrong denomination.

Abstract: A computer-implemented interactive system and methods allowing for the tracking, management, and reporting of casino smart chips are provided. In an illustrative implementation a casino smart chip environment comprises a casino smart chip management engine, and instruction set comprising at least one instruction to instruct the casino smart chip engine to process data representative of the activation, tracking, monitoring, and/or reporting of one or more casino smart chips. In the illustrative implementation, the one or more casino smart chips can comprise one or more operative components comprising any of a communications component (e.g., radio frequency identification (RFID) component), a display component, a monetary value store, and a unique identifier store. Operatively, the exemplary casino smart chip engine can track, store, and report data representative of the authentication, commissioning, draw down, decommissioning, and use of the smart casino chip in casino and non-casino activities.

Abstract: A seed planter and seed meter for planting different seed varieties based on the location of the machine in a field. A movable gate switches between seed varieties. The gate in one embodiment has three positions; one position opening a first seed passage to the meter and closing a second seed passage, a second position opening the second seed passage and closing the first seed passage and a third position closing both the first and second seed passages. Two other gate embodiments have only two positions, each position opening one seed passage and closing the other.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes exemplary systems and methods for using gaming scrips in a gaming environment. The gaming scrips have pre-printed face values and machine-readable unique identifiers located thereon, and are loaded into any of various currency-handling devices. The gaming scrips may be activated either before being loaded into a currency-handling device or at the time of dispensing therefrom. Once validated in the gaming environment, the gaming scrips may be collected, sorted, reactivated, and reused in the gaming environment.

Abstract: A seed planter and seed meter for planting different seed varieties based on the location of the machine in a field. A movable gate switches between seed varieties. The gate in one embodiment has three positions; one position opening a first seed passage to the meter and closing a second seed passage, a second position opening the second seed passage and closing the first seed passage and a third position closing both the first and second seed passages. Two other gate embodiments have only two positions, each position opening one seed passage and closing the other.

Abstract: A method and system for administering and managing promotional gaming vouchers and segregating promotional credits from normal play credit includes a plurality of gaming machines coupled to a back-end controller for monitoring play on the gaming machines and segregating cash and promotional credits of a plurality of promotional gaming vouchers. The vouchers may have only one embedded value (total value) and may be treated as any other cashless gaming voucher, thereby allowing use in older gaming machines that may be unable to read vouchers having more than one embedded value (i.e., cash and promotional values). Accordingly, the back-end controller may keep track of promotional plays and update a voucher database that logs total values and promotional values of the vouchers. Upon cashing out, the database may be interrogated and only a cash value of the voucher disbursed, where any remaining promotional value may be printed on a new voucher.

Abstract: A seed planter and seed meter for planting different seed varieties based on the location of the machine in a field. A movable gate switches between seed varieties. The gate in one embodiment has three positions; one position opening a first seed passage to the meter and closing a second seed passage, a second position opening the second seed passage and closing the first seed passage and a third position closing both the first and second seed passages. Two other gate embodiments have only two positions, each position opening one seed passage and closing the other.