1. A method of providing a payout to a player, comprising the steps of:
accepting a cash-out command in a gaming station having a first fingerprint sensor, the cash-out command associated with a payout value;
sensing a fingerprint of the player with the first fingerprint sensor;
generating first fingerprint data from the fingerprint sensed by the first fingerprint sensor;
accepting a payout command in a payout station, the payout station comprising a payout device, the payout device communicatively coupled to the gaming station;
sensing the fingerprint of the player with a second fingerprint sensor at the payout station;
generating second fingerprint data from the fingerprint sensed by the second fingerprint sensor;
after accepting the payout command in the payout station, transmitting the first fingerprint data from the gaming station for comparison with the second fingerprint data; and
paying out at least a portion of the payout value with the payout device based at least in part upon a comparison between the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the payout device is a remote transaction device (RTD) or another gaming station.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the RTD is an ATM machine or check cashing machine communicatively coupled to a financial institution.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the ATM is a legacy ATM modified to operate with the second fingerprint sensor and the gaming station.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein after the payout command is accepted in the payout station, the first fingerprint data from the gaming machine is transmitted to only the payout station.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data are stored only until the payout value is paid out and deleted thereafter.
7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:
deleting all first fingerprint data stored in the gaming station and all second fingerprint data stored in the payout station after paying out the payout value.
8. The method of claim 3, wherein the gaming station and the payout station together define a gaming system, and the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data are not transmitted external to the gaming system.
9. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of paying out at least a portion of the payout value with the payout device based at least in part upon a comparison between the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data comprises the steps of:
crediting a user’s financial institution account with the at least a portion of the payout value.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of paying out at least a portion of the payout value with the payout device based at least in part upon a comparison between the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data comprises the steps of:
crediting the user’s financial institution account with a first part of the at least a portion of the payout value and paying out a second part of the at least a portion of the payout value in cash.
11. The method of claim 3, wherein the payout value includes one or more coin denominations and one or more paper denominations, and wherein the coin denomination is paid out by the gaming station and the paper denomination is paid out by the payout station.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more paper denominations include one or more paper denominations of a first value and one or more paper denominations of a second value higher than the first value, and wherein the denominations of a first value are paid by the gaming station and the denominations of the second value are paid by the payout station.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data are compared by the payout station.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data are compared by the gaming device.
15. An system for providing a payout to a player, comprising:
a gaming station, having:
a first fingerprint sensor, for sensing a fingerprint of the player;
a processor for accepting a cash-out command associated with a payout value and for generating first fingerprint sensor data from the fingerprint sensed by the first fingerprint sensor;
a payout station, communicatively coupled to the gaming station and to a financial institution used to complete financial transactions with customers of the financial institution, the payout station having:
a second fingerprint sensor for sensing the fingerprint of the player;
a second processor, communicatively coupled to the payout device and the second fingerprint sensor, for accepting a payout command and for generating second fingerprint data from the fingerprint sensed by the second fingerprint sensor;
a payout device, communicatively coupled to the second processor, the payout device for paying out at least a portion of the payout value based at least in part upon a comparison between the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data;
wherein the gaming station transmits the first fingerprint data from the gaming station for the comparison with the second fingerprint data after the payout command is accepted in the payout station.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the payout device is a remote transaction device (RTD) or another gaming station.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the RTD is an ATM machine or check cashing machine communicatively coupled to a financial institution.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the ATM is a legacy ATM modified to operate with the second fingerprint sensor and the gaming station.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein after the payout command is accepted in the payout station, the first fingerprint data from the gaming machine is transmitted to only the payout station.
20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data are stored only until the payout value is paid out and deleted thereafter.
21. The system of claim 17, wherein:
the gaming station deletes all first fingerprint data stored in the gaming station immediately after the payout station pays out the payout value; and
the payout station deletes all second fingerprint data stored in the payout station after paying out the payout value.
22. The system of claim 17, wherein the gaming station and the payout station together define a gaming system, and the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data are not transmitted external to the gaming system.
23. The system of claim 17, wherein the payout station pays out the at least a portion of the payout value by crediting a user’s financial institution account with the at least a portion of the payout value.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the payout station pays out the at least a portion of the payout value by crediting the user’s financial institution account with a first part of the at least a portion of the payout value and paying out a second part of the at least a portion of the payout value in cash.
25. The system of claim 17, wherein the payout value includes one or more coin denominations and one or more paper denominations, and wherein the coin denomination is paid out by the gaming station and the paper denomination is paid out by the payout station.
26. The system of claim 25, wherein the one or more paper denominations include one or more paper denominations of a first value and one or more paper denominations of a second value higher than the first value, and wherein the denominations of a first value are paid by the gaming station and the denominations of the second value are paid by the payout station.
27. The system of claim 15, wherein the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data are compared by the payout station.
28. The system of claim 15, wherein the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data are compared by the gaming device.
29. An apparatus for providing a payout to a player, comprising the steps of:
means for accepting a cash-out command in a gaming station having a first fingerprint sensor, the cash-out command associated with a payout value;
means for sensing a fingerprint of the player with the first fingerprint sensor;
means for generating first fingerprint data from the fingerprint sensed by the first fingerprint sensor;
means for accepting a payout command in a payout station, the payout station comprising a payout device, the payout device communicatively coupled to the gaming station;
means for sensing the fingerprint of the player with a second fingerprint sensor at the payout station;
means for generating second fingerprint data from the fingerprint sensed by the second fingerprint sensor;
means for transmitting the first fingerprint data from the gaming station for comparison with the second fingerprint data after accepting the payout command in the payout station; and
means for paying out at least a portion of the payout value with the payout device based at least in part upon a comparison between the first fingerprint data and the second fingerprint data.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An upshift shock reducing apparatus for a vehicle having a power train that includes a power source and an automatic transmission having a plurality of shift gears, said upshift shock reducing apparatus comprising:
a power source sensor that produces a signal indicative of a power source load of the power source; and
a controller operatively coupled to said power source sensor, the power source, and the automatic transmission,
said controller being configured to increase torque of the power source during a torque phase of an upshift operation for a first predetermined period at a predetermined rate, and
said controller being configured to decrease the torque of the power source by a first predetermined torque at an end of a second predetermined period, said second predetermined period being determined based on said signal from said power source sensor, such that said decrease of the torque starts before an inertia phase of the upshift operation.
2. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said controller is configured to increase the torque of the power source during the torque phase until the torque reaches a second predetermined torque.
3. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said second predetermined period starts after said first predetermined period ends.
4. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said controller is configured to detect a gear upshift selection of the upshift operation, and to further determine said second predetermined period based on the gear upshift selection of the upshift operation.
5. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said controller is configured to determine said first predetermined period based on said signal from said power source sensor.
6. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein
said controller is configured to detect a gear upshift selection of the upshift operation, and to determine said first predetermined period further based on the gear upshift selection of the upshift operation.
7. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said controller is configured to further determine that the vehicle has started the upshift operation, and
said controller is configured to further pre-decrease the torque prior to said increasing of the torque if the torque is greater than a third predetermined torque, and if a third predetermined period has not elapsed since said controller determined that the vehicle has started the upshift operation.
8. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 7, further comprising
a vehicle speed sensor that produces a signal indicative of a vehicle speed,
said controller being configured to detect a gear upshift selection of the upshift operation, said third predetermined torque being determined based on said signal from said vehicle speed sensor and the gear upshift selection of the upshift operation.
9. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said controller is configured to increase and decrease the torque of the power source by advancing and delaying an ignition timing of the power source.
10. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said controller is configured to increase the torque of the power source by operating a motorgenerator as a motor, and to decrease the torque of the power source by operating the motorgenerator as a regenerative brake.
11. An upshift shock reducing apparatus for a vehicle having a power train that includes a power source and an automatic transmission having a plurality of shift gears, said upshift shock reducing apparatus comprising:
power source sensing means for producing a signal indicative of a power source load;
first period determining means for determining a first predetermined period;
torque increasing means for increasing torque of the power source during a torque phase of an upshift operation for the first predetermined period until the torque reaches a second predetermined torque;
second period determining means for determining a second predetermined period based on said signal from said power source sensing means, said second predetermined period starting after said first predetermined period ends; and
torque decreasing means for decreasing the torque by a first predetermined torque at an end of the second predetermined period determined by said second period determining means, such that said torque decreasing means starts decreasing the torque before an inertia phase of the upshift operation.
12. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim it, further comprising
detecting means for detecting a gear upshift selection of the upshift operation, said second period determining means determining said second predetermined period further based on the gear upshift operation of the upshift operation.
13. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein
said first period determining means determines said first predetermined period based on said signal from said power source sensing means.
14. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, further comprising
upshift determining means for determining that the vehicle has started an upshift operation before said torque increasing means increases the torque; and
pre-decreasing means for pre-decreasing the torque before said torque decreasing means decreases the torque if the torque is greater than a third predetermined torque, and if a third predetermined period has not elapsed since said upshift determining means determined that the vehicle has started the upshift operation.
15. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 14, further comprising
detecting means for detecting a gear upshift selection of the upshift operation;
vehicle speed sensing means for producing a signal indicative of a vehicle speed; and
third predetermined torque determining means for determining said third predetermined torque based on said signal from said vehicle speed sensing means and the gear upshift selection of the upshift operation.
16. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein
said torque increasing means increases the torque by advancing an ignition timing of the power source, and
said torque decreasing means decreases the torque by delaying the ignition timing of the power source.
17. The upshift shock reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein
said torque increasing means increases the torque by operating a motorgenerator as a motor, and
said torque decreasing means decreases the torque by operating the motorgenerator as a regenerative brake.
18. A method of reducing upshift shock for a vehicle having a power train that includes a power source, and an automatic transmission having a plurality of shift gears, said method comprising:
obtaining a signal indicative of a power source load of the power source;
determining a first predetermined period;
increasing the torque of the power source during a torque phase of an upshift operation for the first predetermined period until the torque reaches a second predetermined torque;
determining a first predetermined period based on said signal indicative of the power source load; and
decreasing the torque by a first predetermined torque at an end of the second predetermined period, which starts after said first predetermined period ends, such that said decreasing of the torque starts before an inertia phase of the upshift operation.
19. The method of reducing upshift shock for a vehicle as set forth in claim 18, further comprising
detecting a gear upshift selection of the upshift operation,
said determining of said second predetermined period being further based on the gear upshift selection of the upshift operation.
20. The method of reducing upshift shock for a vehicle as set forth in claim 18 wherein
said determining of said first predetermined period is based on said signal indicative of the power source load.
21. The method of reducing upshift shock for a vehicle as set forth in claim 20, further comprising
detecting a gear upshift selection of the upshift operation,
said determining of said first predetermined period being further based on the gear upshift selection of the upshift operation.
22. The method of reducing upshift shock for a vehicle as set forth in claim 18, further comprising
determining that the vehicle has started an upshift operation prior to said increasing of the torque, and
pre-decreasing the torque prior to said increasing of the torque if the torque is greater than a third predetermined torque, and if a third predetermined period has not elapsed since said determining that the vehicle has started the upshift operation.