U.S. patent application number 11/288054 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-17 for independent data input system for casino play.
This patent application is currently assigned to Shuffle Master, Inc.. Invention is credited to Mark L. Yoseloff.
Application Number | 20070111775 11/288054 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38041619 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070111775 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yoseloff; Mark L. |
May 17, 2007 |
Independent data input system for casino play
Abstract
A casino table card system and method is played on a casino card
table having a playing surface. Multiple player positions on the
casino card table have at least a first player position and second
player position. A processor receives electronic game information
comprising wager information relating to casino card games played
on the casino card table. At least one player input capability from
a passive player has wager input capability for placing wagers on
the active player position. The wager information on the active
player is electronically transmitted to the processor, which
accepts input from the passive player position on an outcome at the
active player position. The system resolves wagers from the passive
player on events at an active player position.
Inventors: |
Yoseloff; Mark L.;
(Henderson, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mark A. Litman & Associates, P.A.;Suite 205
York Business Center
3209 West 76th Street
Edina
MN
55435
US
|
Assignee: |
Shuffle Master, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
38041619 |
Appl. No.: |
11/288054 |
Filed: |
November 15, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/16 ;
273/274 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/322 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/016 ;
273/274 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A casino table card system comprising: a casino card table
having a playing surface; multiple player positions on the casino
card table comprising at least a first active player position and a
second active player position; a processor that receives electronic
game information comprising wager information relating to casino
card games played on the casino card table; at least one player
input capability from a passive user comprising wager input
capability for placing wagers on at least one active player
position; the wager information on the passive player being
electronically transmitted to the processor; the processor
accepting input from the active player position on a game outcome;
and the system resolving wagers from the passive player on events
at an active player position.
2. The casino table card system of claim 1 wherein the player input
capability comprises an electronic device that operates in a slave
capacity to the processor, which processor acts in a master
capacity.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the player input capability
comprises a wireless device.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the player input capability
comprises a wireless hand-held device that provides the user with
selections among at least table and player position information and
which selections may be made by the passive player to enter wagers
on at least game outcomes at specific tables and specific active
player positions.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the selections are available in at
least graphic format.
6. The system of claim 4 wherein input into the hand-held device
comprise alphanumeric data entry.
7. The system of claim 4 wherein table selection information is
supported by GPS technology.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein wagers by the user are entered and
resolved within an account that is specific to the user and
supported by a central processor.
9. The system of claim 4 wherein wagers by the user are entered and
resolved within an account that is specific to the user and
supported by a central processor.
10. The system of claim 4 wherein the player input capability
comprises a prepaid account with information or access to the
account is enabled through the player input capability.
11. A method of placing a wager on a casino table card game at an
active player position at a first casino table card game
comprising: a) a first passive player having a data input device
that electronically transmits information that is received by a
processor acting to receive and resolve wagers on an account-based
wagering system; b) the passive player, at a location other than
the active player position, sending wagering information on a game
event at the active player position; c) concluding the game event
at the active player position; and d) the processor resolving a
wagering account of the passive player on the concluded event at
the active player position.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the passive player is not seated
at a player position on the casino table card game.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein physical cards are used at the
casino table card game.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein suit and rank of the physical
cards are read by at least one of a shuffler or card delivery
system prior to or during dealing of the physical cards to form
hands at player positions.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein suit and rank of physical cards
are read by at least one of a shuffler or card delivery system
prior to or during dealing of the physical cards to form hands at
player positions.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein the data input device comprises
a hand-held wireless data transmitter.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein the data input device comprises
a hand-held wireless data transmitter.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein wireless data transmission is
supported by a mesh network with receivers for the data
transmission available at least one additional table adjacent to
the first casino table.
19. The method of claim 11 wherein the data input device comprises
a wagering terminal adjacent the casino card table.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein the data transmission from the
passive player is for a wager on game events at the active player
position that implements a different play strategy than a play
strategy performed by the active player.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the processor uses read card
information to resolve the wager by the first player.
22. A hand-held wireless transmission device for entering wagers on
a casino table card game, that device providing visual information
to a first player, the device comprising: data input capability;
formatted data input displayed on a screen of the device used by a
passive player to enter a wager on an active player position; and
the displayed data input displaying prompts of specific data needed
to enter data on both location and amount of a wager at the active
player position.
23. The device of claim 22 wherein a central processor authorizes
wagers on the active player position against an account specific to
the device or to the passive player.
24. The device of claim 23 wherein the device is obtained from a
casino with a prepaid balance amount associated with the device
itself in an electronic account.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to the filed of gaming
systems, intelligent gaming systems, and intelligent gaming systems
provided on casino tables and especially casino table card games
with physical cards to implement play and wagering at the table or
within a casino.
[0003] 2. Background of the Art
[0004] Casino wagering has always provided a basis for attempts at
fraud. Interpreting the location and amounts of wagers can cause
confusion, and cheaters take full advantage of the confusion. The
majority of table games still use a wagering format that is
hundreds of years old, with players placing wagers on their
respective hands directly in front of themselves. The wagers have
traditionally been placed by hand, sometimes on a marked area to
better define a specific location for placing the wagers.
[0005] When wagers other than the basic game wager on a player's
hand are made, additional marked areas may be provided on the
table. The different markings may be a region for the special wager
(such as the arcuate space on a blackjack table for the Insurance
wager) or specific marked areas for placement or acceptance of
wagers as in Let It Ride.RTM. poker, Three-Card Poker.RTM. games,
Four Card.TM. poker, and Crazy Four.TM. poker. In some games,
special receivers or acceptors are provided on the table to
specifically identify bonus or jackpot wagers, as in Let It
Ride.RTM. poker and Caribbean Stud.RTM. poker. In these formats,
the location of the positions for placement of the wagers is still
relatively directly in front of the player making the wagers on
that player's respective card hand.
[0006] Numerous formats for implementing electronic wagering at
gaming tables have been implemented. U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,787
(Itkis) describes a distributed game network comprising a master
game device and a number of slave game devices. The slave game
device is capable of playing concurrently and in real-time, a
number of menu selectable electronic card and chance games, such as
poker, bingo, blackjack, and keno. The slave game device receives
commands and random data, such as bingo patterns and called bingo
and keno numbers, from the master game device and sends the local
game status and accounting information to the master game
device.
[0007] The slave game device is equipped with a touch screen
display and a smart game card interface. The smart game card
associated with the slave game device is read/write and has an
imbedded microprocessor keeping track of wagers and outcomes of the
game. The touch screen display exhibits the status of the games
being played in display windows and accepts player's commands
including menu selections and bingo and keno card marks.
[0008] The status of all the games being played with the help of a
slave game device is presented on a touch screen display in
individual windows dedicated to specific games. The display also
shows the accounting data pertinent to all the games, such as
wagers, prizes, and balances. Being a touch screen device, the
display facilitates the selection of the games, the modes of
playing the selected games, and the values of bets. In addition,
the touch screen provides an opportunity to manually mark bingo and
keno matches on the screen. The smart game card associated with the
slave game device is equipped with an imbedded microprocessor
keeping track of bets and outcomes of the games. In addition, the
smart game card stores in encoded form the information identifying
the content of the game card images presented on the display, e.g.
bingo card contents.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,424 (Hedges et al.) describes a remote
gaming system for use with a wagering or gambling establishment
such as a casino to enable a player's participation in a selected
one of a plurality of wagering games from a remote location. The
system includes a croupier station, a credit station and a player
station remotely located from the croupier station and the credit
station. The player station includes a live game display for
displaying a selected one of a plurality of games being played at
the croupier station, such as craps, roulette or keno. The player
station includes a changeable playboard for displaying a selected
one of a plurality of wagering possibilities corresponding to a
selected one of the plurality of games being played and for
displaying the results of the game played at the croupier station.
The player station also includes a microprocessor for controlling
the operation of the live game display and the changeable
playboard. A remote gaming terminal is provided which includes a
live game display for displaying a selected one of a plurality of
games being played such as craps, roulette or keno. The terminal
also includes a playboard for displaying a selected one of a
plurality of wagering possibilities corresponding to a selected one
of a plurality of games being played. The playboard also displays
the results of the game played upon completion. The playboard
includes means for changing the display to enable participation in
any of the games being played. Processor means are included for
controlling the operation of the terminal.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,035 describes a gaming system is
provided including a central game processor, a plurality of master
processing units and a plurality of slave terminals operable by
players to play the game. The central game processor communicates
with the master processing units and supplies the various games
available in the system. The master processing units store and
administer the games as they are played on the slave terminals
connected to each respective master processing unit. A preferred
game includes a fixed pool of game plays and a predetermined number
of winning plays within each pool. Each player, through his or her
slave terminal, can purchase plays in each fixed pool stored in the
master processing unit to which that terminal is coupled. When a
particular pool is exhausted, for example, through the purchase of
all plays, the central game processor provides another fixed pool
of plays to that master processing unit to enable continuous play.
The gaming system 10 includes a central game processor 12, which
controls and administers operation of the gaming system 10.
Preferably, remotely located from the central game processor 12 are
multiple master processing units 14. In one embodiment of the
invention, the master processing units 14 are connected to the
central game processor 12 employing a telephone link. In this
embodiment, up to sixteen telephone lines 18 are used to connect
between modems 22 provided with each master processing unit 14 and
the multiple-line modems 24 provided in the central game processor
12. A plurality of slave terminals 16 are in turn connected to each
master processing unit 14. According to the preferred embodiment,
up to twenty slave terminals 16 can be configured to each master
processing unit 14. In this embodiment, the slave terminals 16 are
interconnected through a local area network (LAN) 20. The local
area network 20 also couples the slave terminals 16 to their
respective master processing unit 14.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,951 (Harlick) describes a system for
controlling the operation of electronically linked gaming machines
which enables information to be transferred between machines and
from each machine to a control unit. In particular, credits on a
machine can be transferred to another machine and the credit state
of each machine can be interrogated and adjusted from the central
control unit.
[0012] Published U.S. patent application 2004/0248651 (Gagner)
describes a method and a system of using a gaming network having a
server in communication with a plurality of gaming terminals to
share gaming applications directly between selected gaming
terminals using a peer-to-peer type communications architecture.
The method and system are a combination of hardware and software,
that controls the initiation of a shared game, determines the
gaming terminals eligible to participate in the game, accepts or
rejects their participation, and subsequently establishes virtual
communication network directly between participating gaming
terminals. The virtual communication network is established allow a
gaming terminal to act as a server of the shared application to all
other participating gaming terminals. Once the application has been
run to completion, the server terminates the session and returns
each gaming terminal back to its normal operating mode. The Gagner
invention provides a gaming system and method for allowing multiple
gaming terminals to participate in shared game play occurring at
another terminal. The shared game experience may be competitive or
collaborative. Participation in the game may be passive, such as
placing a side bet. Participation may also be active, such as
direct competition with other players, or collaborative team
play.
[0013] Published U.S. patent application No. 2004/0162144 (Loose et
al.) describes a system and method for allowing players at gaming
terminals to communicate with each other. The gaming terminals are
used to conduct wagering games. One of the gaming terminals
generates a personal message in response to input of a player at
the one of the gaming terminals. A least one other of the gaming
terminals presents the personal message. The personal message may
include text, audio, or video content and may be generated via such
messaging technologies as electronic mail, instant messaging, a
chat room, network telephony, conferencing, and an electronic
message center.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 6,929,264 (Huard et al.) describes a method
and system for playing an auxiliary casino game managed by a casino
house comprising: selecting at least one player of an underlying
casino game on which to place a bet; identifying at least one event
related to at least one play of the underlying game for which to
place the bet; making a bet that at least one event will occur in
association with a player during at least one play of the
underlying game; determining an occurrence of the event in the
underlying game in association with the player; if the event
occurred in association with the at least one player, determining a
payout to be paid. The system offers players the possibility to bet
on an event received by another player in conjunction with or
independently of participating in the underlying game. Indeed,
certain players, feeling unlucky or inexperienced at the game may
prefer to bet only on a particular event to be received by at least
one player during the course of the play of the underlying game.
This way, they can participate and have the chance to win, and at
the same time, become more knowledgeable of the game rules and
strategies. Players who feel lucky can participate in the
underlying game, and furthermore can take advantage of lucky or
unlucky periods of other players, including the dealer, by making
bets that these players will obtain certain event. For example, a
player who feels lucky may want to maximize his earnings during
this lucky period, he will then bet on his own hand but might also
enjoy betting on the other players' hands. The patent is prophetic
in stating that apparatus or equipment must be developed to enable
wagering on other players' hands.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,392 (Kraft) describes a method and
apparatus for playing a poker game with a unique betting format.
According to the invention, a method and apparatus for playing a
poker game with a unique betting format is disclosed. A card game
played according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
is somewhat similar in spirit to traditional poker. However,
individual players can place a multitude of different types of bets
that aren't normally associated with traditional poker. For
instance, individual players can choose to bet on which hand will
win, players can bet on which group of adjacent players' stations
will contain the winning hand, players can bet on which combination
of cards will win, and, finally, players can bet on certain
specialty bets, such as betting that the winning hand will be at
least three-of-a-kind comprising jacks or better.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,249 (Johnson) describes a method for
playing a card game comprising the steps of providing at least one
player with an opportunity to place a wager, displaying a first
plurality of playing card indicia to form a plurality of partial
card hands, allowing the player to assign the wager to one of the
plurality of partial card hands, and subsequently completing the
card hands by displaying an additional plurality of card indicia.
When the hands have been completed, a winning payout is provided to
any and all players who successfully assigned their wagers to the
partial card hand which resulted in the complete hand having a
particular value, e.g. the highest poker ranking.
[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,005 (Neal) describes a method and
apparatus for playing a poker-like game with a deck of fifty-two
playing cards wherein each player plays against the dealer. After
each player makes a wager, the dealer deals four initial cards of
the deck face up to seven separate hands, places odds on each hand
according to predetermined guidelines, and selects two of the seven
hands as a combination field position. Each player then selects
either one of the hands, the field position, or a no-hand winning
position which requires that none of the seven hands, after all
cards are dealt, have two pairs or better. After each player
selects a hand or a position, the dealer deals three more cards of
the deck face up to each of the seven separate hands. The dealer
then determines the winning hand or position and pays each player
who selected the winning hand or position according to the odds and
their wager or collects each player's wager who did not select the
winning hand or position. Additionally, a jackpot wheel may be
included to permit an added possibility of winning a larger
payout.
[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,238 (Wells) describes a disclosed gaming
machine provides methods and apparatus for operating a wireless
game player that presents a game of chance executed on a gaming
machine in communication with the wireless game player. In one
embodiment, the wireless game player is a hand-held mobile device,
electronically linked to a licensed gaming machine via a wireless
connection. All random number generation (RNG) events, game
outcomes, meter information, game related information, and all cash
transactions are maintained in the licensed (controlled) gaming
machine and not the wireless game player. The wireless game player
may be used anywhere within the legal areas of the casino and it
has the capability of identifying who is using it. For example, a
biometric input device, such as a finger print reader may be used
on the wireless game player to identify the player. Thus, the issue
of under-age or excluded players is addressed.
[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,149 (Xidos et al.) describes a
Distributed Gaming System that provides a user with remote location
gaming, for example from within a hotel room. Using the room's
television and a remote control, the user, such as a hotel guest,
is able to play games similar to those available on a Video Lottery
Terminal. The games are displayed on a TV through the use of a TV
set-top box. The set top box connects the TV to a network of
computer systems through which the Gaming System is distributed and
managed. Game access is obtained using a payment swipe device. A
special feature of system is the progressive jackpots that are
available to game players; these jackpots are at the hotel,
jurisdiction, and global levels.
[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,937 (Menashe) describes a gaming system
that includes a host computer, a plurality of general purpose
terminal computers forming player stations remote from the host,
means for providing communication between each of the terminals and
the host. Each terminal has a program for generating screen
graphics and sound locally in response to control data packets
generated by and received from the host. The host generates random
numbers for a game being played on a connected terminal within
preset criteria for that game in response to data packets received
from the terminal. The data packets are of variable length between
1 and 80 bytes. The host sequentially stores the minimum
significant information for replaying a game, auditing and
security, such as accounting data of each player at the start of
each game, random numbers generated by the host, responses received
from a player, and whether a game was completed. Play is
substantially real-time, because only minimal data is transmitted
with functions requiring large amounts of data, such as screen
graphics being generated locally. The statuses of host and terminal
are restored automatically on re-establishing communication
following an interruption to ensure fairness to players and prevent
them defeating the outcome of a game.
[0021] U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,741 (Rafaeli) describes a gambling game
system comprising a central station including a plurality of
betting-type game devices, and an electronic camera for providing
images of each game device. A plurality of player stations are
remotely located with respect to the central stations, each one
including a monitor for displaying a selected game device at the
central station, and input means for selecting a game device and
for placing a bet by a player at the player's station relating to
an action involving an element of change to occur at the selected
game device. Data processing means are provided for: (a)
establishing communication between the central station and each of
the player stations; (b) enabling a player at each player station
via the input means at the player station to select a game device
at the central station, to see via the monitor at the player
station what occurs at the selected game device, and to place a bet
via the input means at the player station relating to the action
involving an element of chance to occur at the selected game
device; (c) displaying in the monitor at the player's station the
action involving an element of chance as the action occurs at the
selected game device; (d) determining whether the action, after it
occurs, resulted in a "win" or "loss" of the placed bet; and (e)
maintaining a current account for the player in which each win is
registered as a credit, and each loss is registered as a debit,
according to the rates of the selected game device. Such a system
preferably utilizes an actual casino as the central station and
displays the actual game device to the remotely-located player
during the actual playing of the game. Thus, the system in effect
moves the player to the casino, or the casino to the player. This
increases the feeling and excitement in the remotely-located
players of being present in a real gambling casino. It also
increases the confidence of the players in the integrity of the
system against the possibility of electronic manipulation.
According to further preferred features, the casino also includes a
microphone at each game device; and each of the players stations
also include a speaker; enabling a player at each player station to
hear, as well as to see, what occurs at the selected game device as
it occurs at the casino. These features add to the transfer of the
gambling casino atmosphere to the remotely-located player's
station, and to the confidence of the players in the integrity of
the system against the possibility of manipulation.
[0022] U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,522 (Rowe et al.) describes a gaming
system including hand-held, portable gaming devices. In one
embodiment, the gaming system is arranged to present at least one
game to a player and includes a portable gaming device or interface
having a display for displaying game and other information to a
player. The portable gaming device is capable of receiving and
sending information to a remote device/location. A game server
generates game data, and transmits the game data to the portable
gaming device and receives information, such as player input, from
the portable gaming device. A payment transaction server validates
payment and establishes entitlement of a player to play a game via
the portable gaming device as provided by the game server. In one
or more embodiments, the gaming system includes one or more
stationary gaming machines capable of printing tickets having a
value associated therewith. The portable gaming device includes a
ticket reader for reading ticket information for use by the payment
transaction server in verifying the associated value for
establishing entitlement of a player to play the game. Preferably,
communication to and from the portable gaming device is via a
wireless communication channel.
[0023] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,673,917 and 6,607,195 (Vancura) describe a
method for playing a base and bonus live card games with side
betting. A video board is used for bonus game play if a
predetermined arrangement of cards is dealt in the base game. When
a player gets the predetermined arrangement the player can play the
bonus game. The other players who made side bets, in one
embodiment, are also awarded when the bonus game player wins the
bonus game and, under another embodiment, when the bonus game
player loses the bonus game. In other embodiments, side bets are
not needed for the other players to be awarded based upon the bonus
game being won or lost.
[0024] U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,041(Boylan et al.) describe a side wager
to Pai Gow poker in which an "envy bet" is taught. The "envy bet"
is a side wager of a minimum amount and allows the player to also
be paid, should another player receive a hand of predetermined
rank.
[0025] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,615,888 and 5,806,846 (Lofink) The game of
Spanish 21 modifies Blackjack and includes a bonus on the main
wager. There is an opportunity of several players winning if
someone gets special predetermined cards. In Spanish 21, the player
receiving the predetermined cards wins in addition to all other
players.
[0026] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,390,934 and 5,494,296 (Grassa) This
reference teaches the game of Rainbow Blackjack wherein the rules
of play are the same but each player is assigned a color and
players are allowed to wager on each other's colors, where others
can wager with a particular player.
[0027] U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,218 (Angell, Jr.) describes a method and
system for gaming in which a plurality of players each connect to a
host which enables players to participate jointly in the same games
of chance. According to one embodiment, a computerized method of
gaming is provided that includes connecting a plurality of players
to a host remotely located from the plurality of players. Each
player jointly participates in a turn-based game of chance. FIG. 1
shows a computerized gaming system according to one embodiment of
the present invention. The system includes a plurality of clients
1, for example, personal computers, coupled to a host server 3.
Connection 5 can be a via a local or wide area network, a point to
point network provided by telephone services, or other
communication network. According to one embodiment, the clients
(hereinafter "players") are users of home personal computers
coupled to host server 3 via an internet connection 5. Thus, the
foregoing system enables a player to connect to server 3 remotely
(for example, from the player's home) to play games of chance
supported on the server.
[0028] All of the patents and patent applications referenced herein
are incorporated by reference for their disclosure of technology,
apparatus, hardware, processes and systems, many of which can be
incorporated into the practice of the technology described and
claimed herein.
[0029] The traditional physical wagering format would be unduly
cumbersome if casinos allowed players to make live wagers on other
players' live hands. It would be difficult and worrisome to provide
multiple wagering areas in front of each player so that a passive
player could select a position to wager on and place a wager on a
specific position. The casino would have significant concerns about
such wagers being physically moved or intermixed with active player
wagers during the progression of the game. The capability of
players might wish to bet on other or multiple positions at a
gaming table is frustrated by these physical limitations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0030] Individual player input systems (IPIS) are provided enabling
players to place passive wagers on various different player
positions at a live gaming table, particularly casino table cards
games with physical cards and gaming systems that collect card,
wager and other gaming data. The IPIS may be used to communicate
with a gaming processor or central processor that registers
combinations of some of wagers, the position of the wager, the
position/account of the wager, the amount of the wagers, and the
resolution of the wagers. These passive wagers may be part of an
account based system that is independent of the physical wagering
system ongoing on a table, or may be supplemental to a credit-based
wagering system at the table for the traditional wagers by players
on their own hands. The IPIS may be mounted on the table or may be
provided in the form of hand-held portable units that have wireless
communication through a wireless connection to tables or to local
wireless networking systems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic of the location of elements within
a casino table wagering system using Individual Player Input
Systems.
[0032] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a process of receiving and
accounting for wagers and resolution of wagers made by players on
other players' positions.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a second alternative format
for resolution and debiting of wagers in an accounting system.
[0034] FIG. 4 shows an IPIS screen with potential input controls in
alphanumeric format.
[0035] FIG. 5 shows an IPIS screen with table location
identification shown thereon.
[0036] FIG. 6 shows an IPIS screen with specific wagering input
available.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0037] A casino table is provided for use by players in a casino.
Standard wagering procedures are followed for any available game
played between players or preferably with players against the house
(such as, without limit, Blackjack, Blackjack variants, Three-Card
Poker.RTM. games, Four-Card Poker.TM. games, Crazy Four Poker.TM.
games, Let It Ride.RTM. poker, Caribbean Stud.RTM. poker, Pai Gow
poker, 3-5-7 poker, and the like). The standard format of wagering
and play of these casino table card games is minimally impacted by
the practice of the technology. The underlying wagering by the
active players at the table are done in a standard manner according
to the format at the table. This includes physical placement of
chips, player wager systems (touch pads, touch screens, buttons,
key pad, token or coin inserts, proximity detectors, personal data
entry systems, hardwired systems, wireless systems, and the like).
Active players are those players playing the live game at the
gaming table, while passive players place wagers on the IPIS and
have no impact on the game play. An active player can play
passively at the same time by placing wagers on other player hands
via the IPIS.
[0038] The present technology allows for individual players or even
passersby with appropriate technology to place wagers on one or
more players other than themselves by communication with a
processor based wagering system. The processor based wagering
system may be the sole wagering basis on the table or may be a
supplement to a physical wagering system. An advantage of the
supplemental format to a physical wagering system is that the
wagers by passive players tend to be less observable by others. The
wager entry system for the passive players may be wireless,
hardwired or attached (for security, without a line connection) at
player positions, or may be personal devices leased, loaned,
purchased or otherwise lawfully in the possession of the user.
[0039] As the passive wagering on the individual player input
systems (IPIS) must be account-based in at least some format, it is
desirable that the IPIS have some level of security and allow
wagering only by authorized persons up to the authorized limit on
the account of that individual and the IPIS. As will be shown, this
technology may be played on a wide array of electrical and
electromechanical formats, including live player tables with fixed
electronic player (and/or non-player) wager entry capability, live
player tables with wireless electronic player (and/or non-player)
wager entry capability and live players playing on tables equipped
with highly automated casino table game data acquisition devices.
An important element of the play of any of the systems of the
presently described technology is the ability to make the wager on
another player's hand without additional chips being placed on the
table for the wager, without the wagering altering the odds,
jackpots, bonuses or payouts of the player (whose hand is being
wagered upon), preferably the system operating without the active
player realizing that others passive wagers are being placed on
that player's hand, and with all passive wagers being handled by an
account-based credit and debit system, without payment in currency
or chips at the gaming table.
[0040] One exemplary data acquisition system is referred as the
Intelligent Table System.TM.. Components of this system are
distributed by Shuffle Master, Inc., IGT and Mikohn Gaming, Inc.
Intelligent Table System.TM. gaming system products comprise
automated or partially automated systems that include some or most
of such devices as automatic card shuffling machines, automatic
card shuffling with card reading and information (e.g., card suit,
rank and order) transmission capability, card discard trays with
card reading and information (e.g., card suit, rank and order)
transmission capability, wager sensing systems (for at least the
presence of wagers or the actual amount of wagers and the specific
events upon which wagers have been placed, such as an Ante wager,
play bet wager, bonus wager, jackpot wager, progressive jackpot
wager, envy bet wager, side bet wager and the like), imaging
systems and RFID (radio frequency identification) sensing reading
systems (for cards and/or for chips), round counting elements and
systems, and the like. The components are available from Shuffle
Master, Inc., and are disclosed in such patents and patent
Applications such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,655,684; 6,651,982;
6,651,981; 6,588,751; 6,588,750; 6,568,678; 6,325,373; 6,254,096;
6,149,154; 6,139,014; 6,068,258; Published U.S. patent application
2005/0206077; 2005/0146093; 2005/0113166; 2005/0140090;
2005/0104290; 2005/0104289; 2005/0093231; 2005/0093230;
2005/0082750; 2005/0062229; 2005/0062228; 2005/0062227;
2005/0062226; 2005/0051956; 2005/0026682; 2005/0026681;
2005/0023752; 2005/0012269; 2004/0245720; 2004/0224777;
2004/0169332; 2004/0108654; 2004/0067789; 2003/0094756;
2003/0090059; 2003/0075865; 2003/0073498; 2003/0067112;
2003/0064798; 2003/0052450; 2000052449; 2003/0042673; 2002/0163125;
2002/0070499; and 2002/0063389. Each of these patents and patent
applications and all other patents and patent applications
referenced in this disclosure are incorporated herein by reference
for their entire disclosure.
[0041] The technology and systems described herein may include a
minimum of a casino table game (preferably a casino table card
game, but they are also applicable to roulette, Casino War.TM.
game, wheel games, and craps), player positions and wagering
positions for players, an electronic communication systems, a game
processing system in data communication with the electronic
communication system, an individual player accounting system in
data communication with the game processing system, game outcome
input in communication with the game processing system, and at
least one individual input device that can input wagers on more
than one player game outcome as determined by the game processing
system. The terminology of "on more than one player game outcome"
means that any individual or input system user with authorized
access to the communication system associated with a gaming table
may place a wager on any player position chosen by that individual
or user. The input, unlike traditional devices, is not limited to
making a wager entry from a single player position onto that single
player position's game outcome. For example, in standard electronic
input devices, a first player at a table has a first player input
device that allows that first player to make a wager on the first
player's game outcome. The term "on more than one player position"
requires that the first player input device allows wagering on not
only the first player position, but at least one player position
other than the first player position (e.g., second player position,
third player position, fourth player position, etc.). In fact,
although the first player wager input system must allow input on
the other player positions, and although it is desirable to allow
the first player to make electronic (and hence hidden from others)
additional wagers on the first player's outcome, it is not
essential that the first player wagering input system allow
additional wagers on the first player position outcome. Thus, the
term "one more than one player position" actually means and
includes wagering at a player position other than that controlled
actively by the first player, or in the case of a passive player
such as a non-player (at the table) can wager on any position at
the table.
[0042] The communication system, as previously indicated may be
supported on any available array of technology. The computer system
may include a memory medium(s) on which one or more computer
programs or software components enabling system intelligence and
software may be stored. For example, there may be graphical
programs stored on the memory medium of the personal IPIS
intelligence enabling communication with a computer system. Also, a
memory medium may store a graphical programming development
environment application used to create the graphical program, as
well as software operable to convert and/or deploy the graphical
program on the portable computing device (IPIS). The various memory
media on the IPIS, game processor, accounting processor, table
processor, central processor, communication support processor and
the like may also each store operating system software, as well as
other software for operation of the communication, gaming and
computer system.
[0043] The term "memory medium" is intended to include an
installation medium, e.g., a CD-ROM, floppy disks, chip, ASIC,
field programmable gated array (FPGA) or tape device; a computer
system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, SRAM, EDO RAM,
Rambus RAM, etc.; or a non-volatile memory such as a magnetic
media, e.g., a hard drive, or optical storage. The memory medium
may comprise other types of memory as well, or combinations
thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in a first
computer in which the programs are executed, or may be located in a
second different computer which connects to the first computer over
a network, such as the Internet. In the latter instance, a second
computer may provide program instructions to the first computer for
execution.
[0044] In the present technology, the term "graphical program" or
"block diagram" is intended to include a program comprising
graphical code, e.g., two or more nodes or icons interconnected in
one or more of a data flow, control flow, or execution flow format,
wherein the interconnected nodes or icons may visually indicate the
functionality of the program. The nodes may be connected in one or
more of a data flow, control flow, and/or execution flow format.
The nodes may also be connected in a "signal flow" format, which is
a subset of data flow. Thus the terms "graphical program" or "block
diagram" are each intended to include a program comprising a
plurality of interconnected nodes or icons which visually indicate
the functionality of the program. For example, to enable and to
simplify wager placement at a specific table, different formats of
wagering entry (including graphical programs) may be available.
[0045] Wager entry through the system must be able to provide entry
that specifies a table, a wager position, a player identity, a
format of wager and the amount of wager. The amount of the wager
applied is done after the IPIS user's individual account has been
authorized for placement of the wager or if the IPIS (hereinafter
referred to as a debit-IPIS) is provided with a purchased, prepaid
balance (much like a debit card) that can be authorized for use
within a casino or within any casino that has authorized use of
that debit-IPIS. This element also constitutes a novel approach to
account control and account security at casinos. The data entry may
therefore be in the format of fill-in-the-blanks, as with an
alphanumeric entry such as that shown below, with fewer or mare
information entries needed as is designed into the program:
TABLE-US-00001 State: Nevada City: Las Vegas Casino: Bellagio User
ID: Jean Q. Public Password: I'm4Peace Table Number: 324 Table
Position: 3 Wager Type I: Ante Wager Type II: Bonus Wager Wager
Type III: Play Wager WT I Amount: $25.00 WT II Amount: $5.00 WT III
Amount: $50.00
[0046] The first five entries may be made once and retained for
later wagers, so that there is not a great deal of time wasted on
data entry. Alternately, a player tracking card that accesses a
system that stores a portion of this information can be used. Then
only wager types, amounts, table position and table number must be
entered. The other wagers may be made as the game progresses. This
actually allows for a passive player (e.g., a first player making a
wager on another player's hand) to exercise slightly different
strategies without interfering with the play of the another
player's hand. This is a unique capacity and is described as
follows in the Three Card Poker.RTM. game:
[0047] In Three-Card Poker.RTM. games, the first player at a table
makes an Ante wager or a Pair-Plus wager, or both, but at least one
wager must be made. When the first player sees the dealt three-card
hand, that player may fold or make a Play wager equal to the Ante
wager. Theoretically, even with a fold, the first player's cards
remain on the table. There is little dramatic strategy in the game,
when the first player's hand is "good," such as an Ace high or a
King high, a player may elect to remain in the game with the
placement of the Play wager, and with a pair in the first player's
three-card hand, all players will make the Play wager. However,
with a marginal qualifying hand (Queen high or King High), some
players will fold and others will make the play wager. With a weak
hand, players may consider whether the player is on a lucky streak,
or the dealer is on a streak of qualifying hands or non-qualifying
hands, and gamble with a play wager to protect the Ante wager. When
a passive player makes such a wager, the play of the hand by the
first player is not altered. The passive player makes the wager and
the game continues as usual, whether the player folds or makes the
Play wager. This type of wagering might require some dealer
activity modification, making certain that cards are not collected
from the table until after the dealer's hand has been revealed and
after the relative win/loss occurrence between dealer's hand and
the first player's hand has been resolved, but this is trivial,
even in a physical sense. With regard to the Shuffle Master
Intelligent Table System.TM., this is a less than trivial
event.
[0048] Using the Intelligent Table System.TM., cards are read in
the shuffler and/or a dealing shoe, and the value or rank of hands
is known in advance. That is, as the cards and the order of cards
is known in the shuffler or the shoe before the cards and the
respective hands are known, as the number of players is known, as
the rank of each player's hand and the rank of the dealer's hand
are known, and as the rules of the game and relative rank of hands
is known to the game processor, the entire gaming system knows in
advance of each deal what the win/loss outcome will be before
dealing. The system does not control win/loss events, but it
recognizes them. Because of this Intelligent Table System.TM.
capability, the system knows the outcome of the gaming events for
each hand and the receipt of a distal wager through an IPIS
platform does not change the play of the physical (or
quasi-physical) game and wagers at the table. The system can record
the wager and payout on the wager from the IPIS and reflect the
resolution of the wager in an account balance.
[0049] Where the account balance is actually carried in the PDA (as
in a prepaid balance), win resolutions may be effected, resolved
and recorded in a number of different ways. The win may be added to
the balance carried in the PDA or the win resolution may be
transferred to a balance carried by the player in a dedicated
player account. This latter format offers the player options of
assuring that it is impossible for the player to exceed losses
beyond the amount of the purchase cost of the prepaid wagering
amount on the IPIS. The house may charge a marginal fee for the
purchase of a prepaid IPIS account or may provide the service for
free. This is a unique capability of a system to enable passive
position wagering (as opposed to distal site wagering, where events
are wagered on over the internet from distal locations, with or
without live viewing of the event, as with track racing events, as
in Simulcasting.TM. technology) on games without having direct
physical interaction with the player and/or the player's money, but
rather through an accounting system. The system also allows for
passive players to exercise wagering decisions different from the
actions of the player actually seated at the event (e.g., at the
card table and receiving the physical cards or the
simulated/virtual cards.
[0050] The ability of the passive player to vary strategy
(essentially only wagering strategy as the distal player cannot
alter the selection or discarding of cards) is even greater in
other games that may be played at casinos such as Four-Card
Poker.TM. games, Crazy Four.TM. poker, and the like, where the
actual amount of the Play wagers may be varied with respect to the
amount of the Ante wager (i.e., within a range of) times or
1.times., or 2.times., or 3.times., or 4.times., or 5.times. the
amount of the Ante wager.
[0051] This variation in wagering strategy can even be effected in
Blackjack where the number of cards in a play strategy can also be
varied by the passive player. This can be exemplified in two ways.
For example, if the live player wants a hit and the distal player
wants to double down, the live player controls the actual activity
on the table, yet the distal player may still place the double down
wager. If the live player subsequently stands after the one hit,
there is no need for special considerations in resolving the wager,
as the live player will win or lose with the single hit and so will
the distal player. However, as an example, if the live player takes
a normal hit with a count of 11 and the distal player wants to
double down, the IPIS system will enter a double down wager on
behalf of the distal player and record such a wager. When the live
player gets a 3 for the first hit, that live player may wish to
continue hitting, which is inconsistent with the double down IPIS
wager. The rules of the system may do the following and may allow
modification of the wager by the distal player. The rules of the
system, either imposed or elected by the distal player, may allow
for: [0052] 1. the double down bet to be withdrawn; [0053] 2. may
allow it to be converted to a regular wager; or [0054] 3. allow the
automated reading system of the Intelligent Table.TM. system to
read the prospectively determined results (as if the player had not
taken a subsequent hit but remained with the first hit) and
determine the outcome of the double down. The Intelligent Table
System.TM. is sufficiently sophisticated that it can read through
the cards in the remaining hands and make a true determination of
the results, as if the intervening events were not there. This is
done by reading the cards and determining the predicted results.
This is easiest when the live player selected is at Third Base
(immediately in front of the dealer), but by applying rules, the
effect can be implemented at any position. Hits may be assumed
according to best methods selection or the like.
[0055] Non-limiting examples of graphical program development
environments that may be used to create graphical programs on the
IPIS system include LabVIEW.TM., DasyLab.TM., and DiaDem.TM. from
National Instruments, VEE.TM. from Agilent, WiT.TM. from Coreco,
Vision Program Manager.TM. from PPT Vision, SoftWIRE.TM. from
Measurement Computing, Simulink.TM. from the MathWorks,
Sanscript.TM. from Northwoods Software, Khoros.TM. from Khoral
Research, SnapMaster.TM. from HEM Data, and VisSim.TM. from Visual
Solutions, ObjectBench.TM. by SES (Scientific and Engineering
Software), and VisiDAQ.TM. from Advantech, among others. In the
preferred embodiment, the system uses the LabVIEW.TM. graphical
programming system available from National Instruments. In the use
of more graphical representations on the IPIS to supplement distal
wagering with less, little or no alphanumeric component entering,
the displayed options of the passive wagerer may be displayed in
icons or written text on the display face, and the user merely
presses a touch-sensitive panel (as on a Blackberry.TM. device) to
enter the information. For example, there may even be a GPS (global
positioning system) that supplements the database to assist the
player and the system in indicating which table and position is
being wagered upon and displaying such information on the screen.
For example, the GPS information can be transmitted in the form of
a simple map of local tables within a casino environment. A player
may view alternative tables in a small area or even a single most
proximal table, and enter play on the table by touch screen contact
with the specific table desired.
[0056] FIG. 1 shows a schematic of the location of elements within
a casino table wagering system 100 using Individual Player Input
Systems 102. The system 100 is shown with four casino gaming card
tables 104a 104b 104c and 104d within immediate communication range
of an Individual Player Input System 102. The IPIS has virtual text
104 that can be accessed by the user to provide a signal of input
by a passive player, as by a touch screen. The IPIS 102 has a
wireless output component 106 that is shown in wireless
communication 108 with a receiving device 110 that may be only a
receiver/transmitter or may also contain processing capability. The
information, which is described in greater detail herein relates to
the placing of a wager at a player position at one of the tables
104a 104b 104c and 104d within immediate communication range, here
particularly table 104d and selecting one of the player positions a
b c d or e for placing a particular wager. The receiving device 110
is unlikely to have the account function capability stored on the
table 104d and so the necessary information on account activity may
be sent along communication path 112 which may be hardwired or
wireless to either a local processing system 114 or then again to a
central processing system 116 where the account balancing and
transaction events are authorized and performed. It is possible
that a node network or mesh network may be established among all
transmission links, as described in U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 11/223,341 filed Sep. 9, 2005, which application is
incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. This type of
system enables transmission of data across a network that is not
limited to the table itself. For example, if the receiver 110 were
blocked or out of order on table 104d, the node network or mesh
network would allow a receiver at a different table (e.g., 110a at
table 104a) to receive the transmission, which has identified the
table and position of the wager, through its own communication link
or communication connection to the processing units 114 and 116.
These IPIS systems may be installed at a table to allow players at
one position (such as position a) to place a passive wager at
another position (such as d) even while playing positions a cards.
Alternatively, the IPIS 102 is carried by a casino patron who is
not seated at a table, but has a desire to engage in the activity
at the table by placing an independent wager. One element that
should be considered is the possibility that a wager may be made
through an IPIS on a progressive jackpot wager. The win by a player
at the table must be for the entire amount of the jackpot and would
not be shared with another passive player betting on the tabled
player's hand. Splitting the jackpot would be an unsatisfactory
result for the tabled player and would discourage play of that
particular game. There is no such potential for frustration in
winning a multiplier event or even fixed amount bonus, as that
would not be split and the casino would not have to double what
would tend to be the very large amount of a progressive
jackpot.
[0057] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a process of receiving and
accounting for wagers and resolution of wagers made by players on
other players' positions.
[0058] FIG. 3 similarly shows a flow diagram for an alternate
process of accounting and wagering with a prepaid IPIS.
[0059] FIG. 4 shows an IPIS 400 with alphanumeric input potential.
The IPIS 400 has a touch screen pointer 402 that is used to address
a series of alphanumeric input buttons or pressure points 404 on
the screen. The data from the input buttons 404 is directed to a
series of required data entries 406. A cursor 408 or other visible
means (e.g., highlighting, animation, animated object, bouncing
ball effect, flashing lights, etc.) indicates the entry that is
being made. As noted elsewhere, some of the data is used to fix a
position of an IPIS player at a table and authorize that player,
and the information may be retained on the system and need not be
entered every time a related wager is made. The Clear entry will
clear all previous entries or any highlighted entry upon user
command and input.
[0060] FIG. 5 shows a PDA format IPIS device 500 having a manually
held pointer 502 and eight tables 504 in the vicinity and
identified with alphanumerics 506 on the patterns 508 identifying
the tables 504. The alphanumerics assist the user in selecting the
correct table as by indicating the game (BJ=blackjack, LIR=Let It
Ride.RTM. poker, 3CP=Three Card Poker.RTM. game, 4CP=Four Card
Poker.TM. game and PGP=Pai Gow Poker). The table identifications
such as Table 1 and Table 6 may be specific to the games (e.g., BJ
Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4, or LIT Table 1) or to the location on the
floor or the screen (PGP Table 8). When the screen of the IPIS
device shows multiple tables initially, as in FIG. 5, contacting of
a specific table 3CP Table 6 by the pointer 502 can shift the
resolution of the screen to a larger display, as in FIG. 6.
[0061] FIG. 6 shows an enlarged, higher resolution wagering screen
602 on an IPIS device 600. A pointer 604 points to a specific wager
position 606 on which wagers are to be placed. Five pressure points
for steps or wagers are shown, which for a game of blackjack might
include at least wager amount control point 610. FIG. 6 shows an
IPIS device 600 having a screen area 602, with a pointer 604 that
has selected player position P3 identified as 606. Having made this
selection, the pointer 602 may select the wagering event desired.
For example, touch-sensitive position 610 may determine the wager
amount, 612 may indicate any side bet wager allowed,
touch-sensitive frame 614 may be the wager amount for the side bet
wager, touch-sensitive box 618 may indicate acceptance of a split
wager or a double down wager, and touch-sensitive frame 618 may
indicate a play election, such as indicated above, indicating a
choice between two different formats for resolving a double down by
the live player.
[0062] A graphical program may also comprise a graphical user
interface or front panel. The graphical user interface may comprise
any type of graphical user interface, e.g., depending on the
computing platform. In one embodiment the graphical user interface
may comprise one or more windows, such as those used in
window-based user interface systems such as provided by the
Macintosh Operating System, Microsoft Windows, the X Window System,
etc. The graphical user interface may include a plurality of user
interface elements or front panel objects, including indicators for
displaying output of the graphical program and/or controls for
specifying program input to the graphical program. Examples of user
interface controls and indicators include charts, graphs, push
buttons, knobs, numeric controls, text boxes, check boxes, list
boxes, etc. The graphical user interface may also include any of
various other types of user interface elements, such as menu bars,
popup context menus, window close buttons, etc. The user interface
elements may also include other icons which represent devices being
controlled.
[0063] The user interface portion may be contained in the block
diagram or may be contained in one or more separate panels,
touchpads, keyboards or windows. The user interface or front panel
may be comprised in a single window of user interface elements, or
may comprise a plurality of individual windows each having one or
more user interface elements, wherein the individual windows may
optionally be tiled together. As another example, the user
interface or front panel may comprise user interface or front panel
objects, e.g., the GUI, embedded in the block diagram. The user
interface of a graphical program may display only output, only
input, or both input and output. Further, in some embodiments the
user interface or front panel of a graphical program may enable the
user to interactively control or manipulate the input being
provided to the graphical program.
[0064] The display may also show the cards dealt and a display of
winning hands and corresponding payout amounts.
[0065] A number of different aspects of the invention can be
individually described. A first aspect may comprise a method of
measuring wagering activity for active players on a gaming table,
the method comprising: providing at least one perimeter antenna
positioned to measure a first quantity or value of RF responsive
gaming chips on a gaming table surface; providing at least one
additional antenna sensitive to an RF responsive component within
an area defined by the perimeter antenna; reading chips wagered
within the perimeter antenna and reading fewer than all chips
within the perimeter with the at least one additional antenna
associated with a specific wagering position for a specific wager
type; and determining an amount of at least one specific type of
wager made as a specific wager type; reading chips within the
perimeter antenna after payouts are made; and automatically
determining total amounts paid out to the player based upon chips
amounts read on the gaming table. A perimeter antenna is an antenna
or series of antennae that surrounds a major area on the table, and
even the entire area of the table, at least RF receptively covering
all areas where chips are placed on the table, or at least all
areas where wagers are placed on the table.
[0066] A casino table is provided with a matrix of sensors, in
which some of the sensors form a field array covering the entire
wagering surface. The total number of chips (not shown) placed on
the wagering surface, whether being wagered or not, will be
interrogated by the antennae/transponder/sensor system of
components in the matrix and the presence of the chip. It must be
remembered that RFID chips have essentially unique identification
numbers. When more than one sensor reads a number, whether 1, 2, 4,
6 10 or more sensors, this merely confirms the presence of the
specific chip with that number in the range or field of the
sensors. By integrating the intensity of the strength of the signal
received by each sensor or a number of sensors, the position of a
specific wager can be determined. This is a simple mathematic
process that can easily be programmed into a processor that
receives the signals from the sensors that are emitted by the RFID
chips. The chips can be read with respect to their precise position
on the table.
[0067] A top surface of the table may have a total enclosed field
of the sensors (such as only the `perimeter` sensors) of a matrix
system as described in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/223,341 filed Sep. 9, 2005 entitled Table Activity Matrix, the
content hereby incorporated by reference, which is covers an area
that is less than the entire top surface of the table. As the
system here is not intending to read chips controlled by the
dealer, only those portions of the table top where a player can
control chips is monitored. However, in the particular structure of
wagering positions, as with each active player position (only three
positions described for convenience) has a set of three wagering
positions. The set of wagering positions may comprise (by way of
non-limiting examples) and Ante wager position, a Bonus wager
position and a Play wager position. The matrix of sensors (not
shown) underneath the table would be able to detect the specific
position where chips are present on the table, and whether there is
a single sensor under each wagering position (which would then
register the strongest signal for a specific chip and therefore
recognize the specification location and type of that specific chip
wager) or whether the signals from surrounding wagers are
mathematically treated (e.g., integrated, geometrically analyzed,
averaged, vectored, etc.) to determine the location of the chip,
the placing of a specific chip for a specific wagering purpose can
be identified and stored/recognized by the processor ultimately
receiving the information on the location of the chip.
[0068] A general scheme of one embodiment of a Data Acquisition
Model that can be used with a Table Activity Matrix is described
herein, wherein four data acquisition models (Table Activity
Matrix, and three "future modules" such as biometric sensors,
motion sensors, and optical chip sensors/readers) are present on
the table, feeding signals and/or data to Middle Ware comprising a
receiver and an ITS Data Pump. The Middle Ware sends the totality
of the data as input to the Intelligent Table System (ITS) database
where all game related and player related information is stored.
The ITS database may then be mined (searched) with specific search
parameters, as with a player game strategy analysis software (e.g.,
Bloodhound.RTM. gaming software) by a local client to evaluate a
player's skill and determine (in blackjack) the likelihood of
card-counting being in that player's strategy or capability.
[0069] The Data Pump
[0070] An example of new import and export features were introduced
in Oracle Database 10g, called Oracle Data Pump, which represents a
radical departure from the client/server approach to which database
users have grown accustomed over the past several generations of
Oracle Database. The server now runs export and import jobs. You
can load or unload massive amounts of data quickly using
parallelization, and you can adjust the degree of parallelism on
the fly. Export and import jobs are now restartable, so a failure
doesn't necessarily mean starting over. The API is exposed and easy
to use; it's simple to create an import or export job from PL/SQL.
And once started, such jobs run in the background, but you can
check status and make modifications, from anywhere, using the
client utilities.
[0071] The architecture before Oracle Database 10g, (Oracle7
through Oracle9i) the import and export utilities ran as clients
and did the bulk of the work. Data being exported was read by the
database instance, passed over the connection to the export client,
and then written to disk. All the data was single-threaded through
the one export process. Data volumes today are often magnitudes
larger than when this architecture was first put in place, making
that single export process a bottleneck because performance of an
export job is limited by the throughput that the export utility can
sustain.
[0072] With Oracle Database 10g and the new Data Pump architecture,
all the work is now done by the database instance, which can
parallelize the work in two ways: by creating multiple Data Pump
worker-processes to read/write data being exported/imported, and by
creating parallel I/O server processes to more quickly SELECT or
INSERT that data. Gone is the single-process bottleneck.
[0073] Data Pump jobs are created, monitored, and adjusted using
the new DBMS_DATAPUMP PL/SQL API. The new import and export
utilities--impdp and expdp, respectively--are nothing more than
command-line interfaces to the API. One can initiate a job--say, an
export job--using the Data Pump export utility. One can then shut
down the client, engage in distinct tasks, and all while the job is
still running. Later the system can be reconnected to that same
job, the status checked, and even the degree of parallelism can be
increased to get more work done while other tasks are not on the
system. AT another time, one can decrease the degree of
parallelism, or even suspend the job, to free up resources for
alternative users during the day.
[0074] The ability to restart jobs is an important feature of the
Data Pump architecture. One can stop and restart a Data Pump job at
any time, perhaps to free up resources for online users. One can
also recover easily from file system space problems. If a 12-hour
export fails for lack of disk space 11 hours into the job, one no
longer needs to restart the job from scratch, repeating the first
11 hours of work. Instead, one can attach to the failed job, add
one or more new dump files, restart from the point of failure, and
the task will be done in an hour. This is a huge benefit when
working with large amounts of data.
[0075] Having the server handle all file I/O is a great boon for
DBAs performing exports and imports remotely. It's easy enough now
on UNIX-like systems (such as Linux) to telnet or ssh into a
server, get a command prompt, and initiate an export or import job
that actually runs on the server. However, that's not so easily
done on other operating systems, Windows.RTM. OS being a notable
example. Before Data Pump, to export a large amount of data from an
Oracle database on Windows, one pretty much had to be sitting at
the server console to issue the commands. The alternative of
exporting over a TCP/IP connection is viable only for very small
amounts of data. Data Pump changes all this, because even when
initiating an export or import by running the new export and import
utilities on a client, the job runs on the server; all the I/O
happens on the server.
[0076] For security purposes, Data Pump requires specifying target
directories, those containing dump files that you wish to create or
to read, using Oracle directory objects. For example:
TABLE-US-00002 CREATE DIRECTORY export dumps AS `c:\a`; GRANT read,
write ON DIRECTORY export dumps TO [operator name]; One starts an
export using the new expdp utility. The parameters are not the same
as for the old exp utility, so familiarize the operator with the
new parameters. One can specify parameters on the command line, but
for this discussion, parameter files are used. To export an entire
schema, use the following parameters: UMPFILE=gnis%U.dmp
DIRECTORY=export_dumps LOGFILE=gnis_export.log JOB_NAME=gnis_export
DUMPFILE specifies the file to which to write exported data. The %U
syntax gives an incrementing counter, resulting in the filenames
gnis01.dmp, gnis02.dmp, and so forth. DIRECTORY specifies my target
directory. LOGFILE parameter gives a name to the log file that is
created by default for any export job. JOB_NAME gives a name to the
job. Take care to specify job names that don't conflict with schema
object names in the login schema. Data Pump creates a table known
as the job's master table in the login schema with a name matching
the job name. This table tracks the status of the job and is
ultimately written to the dump file as a record of what that file
contains. Listing 1 shows an export job being started. One of the
first things the job does is to estimate the amount of disk space
required. After that estimate displays, press ctrl-C to get to an
interactive export prompt, and then use the EXIT_CLIENT command to
return to the operating system command prompt. The export job is
still running on the server. Note that if a parallel export is
desired and the operator wanted to spread I/O across two disks, one
could make the following changes to the DUMPFILE parameter values
and add the PARALLEL parameter and value as follows:
DUMPFILE=export_dumps01:gnis%U.dmp, export_dumps02:gnis%U.dmp
PARALLEL=2 Note that in this parallel export, the directory is
specified as part of the filename.
[0077] A specific example within the generic concept of the
teachings herein of a specific Matrix is a configuration for
collecting data on active play on a blackjack table. Three separate
banks of serial sensor boards are in individual (board-by-board)
direct connection to a system logic control. The system logic
control need not be a processor or microprocessor or other
processing capable element, but may be a field programmable gated
array that acts as an interface between the sensor boards and a
processor (CPU). An intelligent card handling device (e.g., an
intelligent blackjack shoe, an intelligent shuffler, and/or
intelligent discard rack) is in communication connectivity (e.g.,
TCP/IP) with the processor or control computer (CPU). The
processor/CPU then is in communication with the ITS database, for
example communicating by way of a TCP/IP connection. It is to be
noted that Assignee's copending U.S. patent applications Nos.
20050062227; 20050062226; 20050051955; and 20050012270; and
previously commonly assigned video games in 20050059459 contain
FPGA intermediate circuitry. These applications are also
incorporated herein by reference.
[0078] The configuration includes a family of sensor boards, system
control logic (e.g., the FPGA or ASIC), a CPU and intelligent card
handling system. The intelligent card handling system communicates
(preferably via TCP/IP connections) to the CPU and the sensors
communicate by the system control logic and serial interfaces. The
sensor boards and the intelligent card handling systems perform a
data acquisition function (as in FIG. 3). The collected data (which
in this instance may be light data, RFID data, etc.) in the system
control logic (e.g., FPGA, ASIC or other intermediary logic
function) may be sent by serial interface to the CPU control
processor. All data and/or signals eventually pass through or are
collected in the CPU.
[0079] The sensor board matrix may be constructed of a plurality of
sensor boards for use in at least providing RFID based information
on gaming elements (such as cards, chips, tokens, etc.). A typical
sensor board in this construction might comprise a plurality of
phototransistors and multiplexers, a light correcting subsystem, an
input control logic and one analog to digital signal converter. A
typical, but only exemplary, basic connection diagram between the
transistors, multiplexers, converter and control logic is one
exemplary sensor board.
[0080] Each sensor board in this construction, where there is
optical sensing (as opposed to audio sensing, RFID sensing, motion
sensing, thermal sensing, etc,), contains an optical sensing
element such as an array of phototransistors. These light sensitive
phototransistors are able to detect changes in light intensity, and
provide an indication of the presence or absence of objects
covering the sensor. The transistors are preferably evenly
distributed on the table's playing area to form a grid-like sensor
matrix. The displacement of the optical sensors need not be uniform
in pattern, and it is preferable that the grid forms a distribution
such that when any expected size object (e.g., a wagering chip of
playing card) is placed on the table, it must contact at least one,
and preferably at least two sensors, not matter how the expected
size object is oriented on the table. There need not be a grid on
an area of the table where no game play objects are to be placed,
such as the shuffling machine area, card discard rack area,
dealer's tray area, etc.
[0081] The sensor board(s) is/are in two-way communication with the
control computer in one embodiment, through the system control
logic. Each sensor board has at least one input signal and one
output signal. For example, the sensor input board may receive a
signal indicating that a card has been withdrawn from the card
handling apparatus (e.g., the dealing shoe), and in response to
that signal, it is activated to sense to determine if a wager is
present at its location. The input signal may also be generated by
the CPU, sent to the sensor board input control logic through the
system control logic. The output signal may be generated by the
phototransistors. The signal may preferably contain information
relating t light intensity that each phototransistor has collected
at its collection or sensing area.
[0082] All of the phototransistors are preferably connected to
multiplexers (MXU). There may be several levels of multiplexer
hierarchy, in which only the first level is connected directly to
the phototransistors. The first level MUX are then connected to a
second level of MUX, and this progression may continue up through
higher levels of the multiplexers. Finally, all of the
phototransistors' data are converted (from one sensor board) into
one signal. This signal is then fed into an A-D (analog to digital)
converter, which preferably has a light correcting subsystem. The
A-D converter with light correcting subsystem collects signals from
each sensor board, converts signals to digital format, and sends
the signal out through the sensor board output logic. All sensor
board output signals are ultimately sent to the CPU through the
system control logic.
[0083] The system control logic performs, for example, at least
three major tasks. It calibrates sensors, reads data from sensors
and creates the data (from signals or absence of signals) sent to
the CPU. The system control logic associates the sensor signals
with a location within the grid. The control computer is programmed
to associate certain grid locations with an intended use, such as
area for receiving player cards, dealer cards, primary wagers, side
bet wagers, split cards wager, double down wagers or an insurance
wager. To assist in eliminating the potential for reading errors
due to uneven light distribution, the system control logic is
programmed to calibrate each sensor at a predetermined rate using
the light correcting system.
[0084] The system control logic reads the output signal sent from
each sensor board. By reading all output signals, the system
control logic can identify the coordinates of each sensor and its
respective on/off (covered/not covered) condition. The collected
sensor information generated by each sensor board is transmitted to
the control logic, which is in turn transmitted to the control
computer (CPU) in preferably a continuous manner, although it can
be fed in batches periodically. When the data is sent continuously,
to the CPU, it tends to not be date stamped. This may be provided
at other locations (e.g., the CPU, or if not continuously, at the
control logic). Based on the combination of the signals from the
shoe, the sensor boards and the state of the game, the CPU
determines when to use this data and when to send control commands
or state signal information to the sensor(s).
[0085] The intelligent card handling system has been referenced
elsewhere in this text, as in U.S. Published patent application
Nos. 20050062227; 20050062226; 20050051955; and 20050012270. The
card rank (and optionally suit for blackjack, where that tends to
be superfluous, except for optional jackpot or bonus events) may be
read by any reading system, generally referred to as a camera,
although it need not be the traditional camera, but can be an area
detector or the like that responds to radiation, visible or not, a
bar code reader, an RFID reader, magnetic code reader, and the
like. The card rank/suit information would probably be best sent
directly to the CPU, although an intermediate system or element may
be used. The presently preferred optical camera reads the cards as
the leave the delivery area of the dealing shoe or the shuffler. In
addition, the card handling device, as indicated above, may trigger
the sensor boards to become active. When a card is read at the
beginning of a hand, the first card or first series of cards may be
used to activate or signal the sensor boards that would then
respond by actively sensing for the presence of the object for
which they are intended to sense. The shoe or shuffler may also be
used to monitor the progression of the game and to reconstruct
compositions of player hands and dealer hands, alone or in
combination with an intelligent discard tray.
[0086] The control computer (CPU) combines the information
collected from the table by all sources (e.g., at least the
shoe/shuffler sensor and the table sensors) and is capable of
identifying all cards dealt to each player position and the dealer
position, and senses the wagers made at each player position and
can discriminate among the various types of wagers ate various
times in the play of the game. It can detect activities such as
surrender, insurance, double downs, splitting hands, busts,
blackjacks, and the like. An example of a commercial CPU that can
be programmed according to the needs of such a Table Matrix system
for blackjack is a GENE-6310, which features a 3.5 inch SubCompact
Form factor, Onboard VIA Eden Series 400/667 MHz, C3 1 GHz EBGA
mobile CPU; integrated AGP 2D/3D graphics accelerator; dual channel
LVDS interface onboard; integrated AC97 2.0 SoundBlaster.TM.
board-compatible legacy audio; 10/100 Base-T fast Ethernet; 2 or 4
COMs/1 parallel/4USBa/1 trDA; and capable of supporting CRT and 36
Bit TFT panels, NTSC/PAL TV output, and Type II compact flash
memory.
[0087] In embodiments of the described technology, the
communication services may be provided through the use of a
wireless network interface system that is capable of interfacing
between a signal providing component and a communication system
with an ultimate signal destination. In some instances, such an
interfacing capability is performed by elements of a "demarcation
device," and specific examples of how the demarcation capabilities
arise in different embodiments of the network interface systems are
discussed below. Merely by way of illustration, such demarcation
capabilities may derive from elements comprised by the following
examples of demarcation devices: a set-top box (e.g., table node),
which may be used as an interface between a customer's (player's)
signaling appliance and a casino's communication network; broadband
modems, including any format of wireless modems, each of which may
be used to provide any signal, including but not limited to digital
signals, analog signals, state signals, sensed event signals,
and/or data signals within a gaming environment premises;
integrated access devices; and the like. One particular demarcation
device whose elements may be used to provide demarcation
capabilities includes a network interface device ("NID"), described
in detail below. In some instances, a demarcation device may
additionally include other capabilities, including, for example,
the capability to separate received communication information into
discrete sets; the capability to process certain of the separated
sets independently from other sets; and/or the capability to
transmit different of the separated sets to different locations,
perhaps through the use of different interfaces. Integration of one
or more microservers with the NID has significant advantages when
compared with solutions in which microservers are separate from the
NID. For instance, separate microservers may require access to a
customer premises for services and may be moved around and removed
from the customer locations. By integrating the microservers with
the NID, they are easily accessible by a technician and may be
integrated in a secure fashion as described below that makes them
nonremovable by others.
[0088] In describing embodiments of the technology, references to
"player locations" are intended to refer to physical locations or
structures at which a player engages in gaming. Wireless sensor
networks as described herein will drive the next phase of explosive
growth in the use of more automated systems in the gaming industry.
Technological improvements and cost reduction of low-data rate
transceivers, low power microprocessors, MEMS
(microelectromechanical system) sensors, and embedded programming
languages will unleash the development of a new class of fully
autonomous computing and communications devices in form factors
smaller than a box of matches.
[0089] Wireless Mesh Sensor Networks
[0090] As the name implies, wireless mesh sensor networks may, by
way of non-limiting examples, comprise wireless nodes. A node in
this type of network may, by way of non-limiting example, comprise
a sensor or an actuator that is connected to a bi-directional radio
transceiver. Data and control signals are communicated wirelessly
in this network and nodes can easily be battery operated. The nodes
are arranged in a networking topology called "mesh." Mesh
networking is a type of network where each node in the network can
communicate with more than one other node thus enabling better
overall connectivity than in traditional hub-and-spoke or star
topologies. State of the art mesh networks often have some of the
following characteristics. Mesh networks tend to be self-forming.
As nodes are powered on, they automatically enter the network. They
are self-healing. As a node leaves the network, the remaining nodes
automatically re-route their signals around the out-of-network node
to ensure a more reliable communication path. The mesh networks
support multi-hop routing. This means that data from a node can
jump through multiple nodes before delivering its information to a
host gateway or controller that may be monitoring the network.
[0091] The self-forming, self healing, and (optionally) battery
operable attributes of a mesh sensor network make it ideal for
gaming environment monitoring applications in a wide range of
facilities. The power may also be low voltage or standard voltage
provided by simple wiring under the table, in the table, or in the
table top covering.
[0092] As the nodes are turned on, any available information and
any subsequently generated information (any signal or data of any
source that is to be communicated) immediately flows to the final
element of the mesh network, the bridge or gateway node. The
gateway device may be connected to a processor, microprocessor,
main frame or PC either directly or through a network connection,
enabling remote monitoring. Links beyond the immediate player
location, table location and/or pit location may be hardwired,
especially where there is more density to the communication flow.
For example, with eight tables having as many as or more than eight
components sending signals through the mesh network to the central
node (e.g., which may be at the pit structure or pit podium), the
further transmission to a central casino data collection system or
joint casino mainframe data collection system may need a more
robust and physical link. Such a physical link (e.g., by cable or
the like) may also ensure greater security for the totality of
information. Administration and commissioning of the system is
managed through a processor, microprocessor, mainframe or PC. For
example, the system can easily be configured to generate an audible
alert in casino security sections if any star node in the network
exceeds certain predetermined threshold conditions. At least some
of the benefits of using wireless mesh sensor networking in this
type of application include, at least, easy installation. The
system described above can be installed, configured and operational
in less than a day in a new construction, and replacement
components and additional components can be provided in a matter of
minutes. Furthermore, a PC-literate pit employee or regular casino
staff can easily perform the installation and configuration.
[0093] There is a scalable and cost-effective nature to the mesh
network system. The system can easily scale based on the needs of
the gaming environment. A minimum configuration with built-in
redundancy might be one bridge node for each pit and one star node
for each table plus software. A practical, basic configuration for
a 20 table casino environment would include 10-20 star nodes, 2-5
mesh nodes, one bridge node, and software. Such a system could be
purchased for less than the ordinary cost of a single, non-wired
gaming table.
[0094] Although specific forms of implementation have been provided
and described, the disclosure is intended to be generic in scope
and the specific description, recitations, materials, components
and the like are merely species exemplifying the generic concepts
of this technology.
* * * * *