Encryption of bill validation data
AssigneeInternational Game Technology
InventorsAli M. Saffari, James P. Hunt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for encrypting bill validation data generated by a bill validator is disclosed. Such data includes an inserted bill's denomination and country of origin as determined by sensors in the bill validator. Once such information is obtained, it is encrypted by combination with an encryption key selected from a table of such keys. The encrypted data is then communicated to a machine associated with the bill validator such as a gaming or vending machine. Upon receipt, the machine decrypts the data to obtain the original bill validation data. If the machine finds the denomination and issuing country of the inserted bill to be acceptable, the machine instructs the bill validator to accept the bill and store it in a bill repository.
Claims21
A method of validating cash currency in a machine that accepts currency and which provides credit for goods or services, the method comprising the following steps:
- (a) upon receipt of a bill in said machine, generating a bill validation signal containing raw bill validation data, which validation data includes data codifying the denomination of the currency and data codifying the country of origin of the currency;
- (b) encrypting the raw bill validation data in the bill validation signal to produce an encrypted bill validation signal;
- (c) communicating the encrypted validation signal to machine logic contained in said machine;
- and
- (d) decrypting the encrypted bill validation signal with said machine logic to retrieve the raw bill validation data.
A bill acceptor comprising:
- (a) a detector for detecting physical data pertaining to a cash bill;
- (b) a CPU including at least a memory and a processor, the CPU being coupled to said detector to receive said physical data such that the CPU determines said bill's denomination, country of origin, and whether said bill is valid;
- and
- (c) an interface for transmitting signals from the CPU to a location outside of the bill acceptor;
- wherein said memory and said processor of the CPU (i) generate a signal containing raw bill validation data, which validation data includes data codifying the bill's denomination and data codifying the bill's country of origin, and (ii) encrypt the raw bill validation data, including data codifying the bill's denomination and data codifying the bill's country of origin, to produce an encrypted bill validation signal.
A currency Accepting machine comprising:
- (a) a bill acceptor including
- (1) a detector for detecting physical data pertaining to cash bill,
- (2) an acceptor CPU including at least a first memory and a first processor, the acceptor CPU being coupled to said detector to receive said physical data such that the acceptor CPU determines said bill's denomination, country of origin, and whether said bill is valid, the first memory and first processor of the acceptor CPU (i) generating a signal containing raw bill validation data including data codifying the bill's denomination and data codifying the bill's country of origin, and (ii) encrypting the raw bill validation data to produce an encrypted bill validation signal;
- (b) an interface for transmitting encrypted bill validation data, which validation data includes data codifying the bill's denomination and data codifying the bill's country of origin, to a location outside of the bill acceptor;
- (c) a machine CPU coupled to said interface in a manner which allows it to send signals to and receive signals from said bill acceptor, the machine CPU including at least a second memory and a second processor, wherein the machine CPU (i) decrypts the encrypted bill validation signal to obtain said bill validation data, and (ii) determines whether to accept said bill.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.