Abstract: A system is provided for automatically processing and sorting documents related to gaming. The system includes a computer in duplex communication with a scanner having an entrance hopper into which a stack of currency notes and slot tickets are deposited and first and second exit locations into which currency notes and slot tickets are sorted. The system obtains the value of the document directly by optically identifying each value character from a scanned image of the document. The system then sorts the documents by whether the value characters are identified or not, and provides total value and quantity data for all documents identified.

Abstract: A system is provided for automatically processing gaming documents. The system obtains the dollar value of the document directly by optically identifying each dollar value characters from a scanned image of the document, instead of forwarding the bar-coded validation number to a remote database to ascertain the dollar value. This is achieved by storing a plurality of templates, each representative of a possible character of the dollar value. Optical character recognition is used to identify each dollar value character image by comparing each of the stored templates in turn with the image. The template with the highest degree of coincidence is selected. The value of the selected template is stored in ASCII format for display, validation and/or manipulation. Each document image is compressed. Periodically, the compressed document images of the documents processed during that period are transferred to a remote location for long term storage.

Abstract: A system is provided for automatically processing gaming documents. The system obtains the dollar value of the document directly by optically identifying each dollar value characters from a scanned image of the document, instead of forwarding the bar-coded validation number to a remote database to ascertain the dollar value. This is achieved by storing a plurality of templates, each representative of a possible character of the dollar value. Optical character recognition is used to identify each dollar value character image by comparing each of the stored templates in turn with the image. The template with the highest degree of coincidence is selected. The value of the selected template is stored in ASCII format for display, validation and/or manipulation. Each document image is compressed. Periodically, the compressed document images of the documents processed during that period are transferred to a remote location for long term storage.

Abstract: Bills are loaded into a hopper, separated and moved one at a time passed authentication sensors and an optical scanner. The sensors include a UV scanner, a magnetic sensor, an infrared scanner and a metallic thread detector. A main transport belt cooperates with first and second sensor transport belts to move the bills through the scanning section and into the bill collection section. The bill collection section includes multiple collection bins, each associated with a gate which, when actuated, guides a bill into the bin. A plurality of bill tracking sensors are located along the transport path. Data signals from the authentication sensors and the optical scanner for each bill are digitized and alternately routed to two parallel data processors. The processor outputs and tracking sensor outputs are fed to a control circuit which operates the collection bin gates and regulates the transport mechanism speed.

Abstract: Bills are loaded into a hopper, separated and moved one at a time passed authentication sensors and an optical scanner. The sensors include a UV scanner, a magnetic sensor, an infrared scanner and a metallic thread detector. A main transport belt cooperates with first and second sensor transport belts to move the bills through the scanning section and into the bill collection section. The bill collection section includes multiple collection bins, each associated with a gate which, when actuated, guides a bill into the bin. A plurality of bill tracking sensors are located along the transport path. Data signals from the authentication sensors and the optical scanner for each bill are digitized and alternately routed to two parallel data processors. The processor outputs and tracking sensor outputs are fed to a control circuit which operates the collection bin gates and regulates the transport mechanism speed.

Abstract: A soap dispenser for feeding, cutting and dispensing a piece of dry ribbon soap from a supply spool, the soap dispenser including a base portion provided with a holding member for holding the supply spool with the ribbon soap rolled up thereon, and a cutting member coacting with a spring for cutting the ribbon soap. A cover portion is removably mounted on the base portion to enclose the supply spool therein, the cover portion being provided with a feeding member for feeding a length of the ribbon soap past the cutting member prior to cutting the ribbon soap. The feeding member includes a movable part provided with a cam for retracting the cutting member against the spring to tension the spring, the cam also releasing the cutting member when the spring is under tension so that the spring forces the cutting member into engagement with the ribbon soap for cutting off the length of ribbon soap.

Abstract: A beeper simulator for a telephone answering apparatus which produces onto the telephone line a beeper signal to operate the apparatus in response to digits being dialed onto the telephone from a remote telephone. When preselected digits representing a code are entered onto a remote telephone, the digits are detected by the beeper simulator. It then causes a signal generating means to emit the particular beeper signal needed for operation of the telephone answering apparatus. The beeper simulator can be initialized so that it will produce the particular beeper signal needed to operate the particular telephone answering apparatus.

Abstract: A telephone answering system which can be interconnected to a telephone line and includes two tapes, one of which is utilized for recording incoming messages from the telephone line, and the other of which is used basically for playing outgoing messages onto the telephone line. The outgoing message tape includes a plurality of tracks each of which can be selectively placed in communication with the telephone line. A decoding apparatus is responsive to numerals dialed onto the telephone line by the caller with which the caller can select the particular track to be placed in communication with the telephone line and thereby receive the particular outgoing message contained on that track. By dialing an additional number, the caller can also change over the operation of the outgoing message tape to a record mode whereby he can utilize that tape for also receiving incoming messages from the telephone line and cause the message to be placed on a particular selected track.

Abstract: An electronic circuit contained within a housing and having two sets of optoelectronic display elements on the face of the housing arranged to represent the spots of a set of dice. The electronic circuit includes a timer which produces timing pulses of varying duration controlled by an externally available switch which determines the beginning of the timing pulse and their duration. During the duration of each timing pulses a switching circuit produces two varying sequences of clock pulses each of which is counted by a binary counter configurated to six counts in a repetitive counting cycle. At the termination of each timing pulse, the final count on each of the counters is displayed on the optoelectronic elements as the numbers on a set of dice. An audible oscillator simulates the sound of rolling dice during the course of each timing pulse.