U.S. patent application number 11/881432 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-22 for discard rack with card reader for playing cards.
This patent application is currently assigned to Shuffle Master, Inc.. Invention is credited to Michael Bacigalupi, Attila Grauzer, James V. Kelly, Troy D. Nelson, Oliver M. Schubert, James B. Stasson, Ronald R. Swanson.
Application Number | 20070267812 11/881432 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36119553 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070267812 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Grauzer; Attila ; et
al. |
November 22, 2007 |
Discard rack with card reader for playing cards
Abstract
A card verification station moves and reads suit and rank of
individual cards. The cards are provided to a card in-feed area and
moved individually to a card collection area. A device may comprise
a) a card in-feed area with card moving elements that move only a
bottom card from a set of cards in the card in-feed area, b) a card
collection area that receives cards from the card moving area in
the same order as cards are received in the card in-feed area, c)
an image capture device that captures data from a card while the
card is between the card in-feed area and the card collection area,
d) a processor capable of controlling the operation of the card
verification station, and e) an elevator that lowers to maintain a
level at which cards are received in the card collection area. A
method of verifying a group of playing cards is also disclosed.
Inventors: |
Grauzer; Attila; (Las Vegas,
NV) ; Schubert; Oliver M.; (Las Vegas, NV) ;
Kelly; James V.; (Las Vegas, NV) ; Stasson; James
B.; (Eden Prairie, MN) ; Swanson; Ronald R.;
(Otsego, MN) ; Nelson; Troy D.; (Big Lake, MN)
; Bacigalupi; Michael; (Henderson, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mark A. Litman & Associates, P. A.;York Business Center
Suite 205
3209 West 76th St.
Edina
MN
55435
US
|
Assignee: |
Shuffle Master, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
36119553 |
Appl. No.: |
11/881432 |
Filed: |
July 27, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10954152 |
Sep 28, 2004 |
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11881432 |
Jul 27, 2007 |
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10622388 |
Jul 17, 2003 |
7278923 |
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10954152 |
Sep 28, 2004 |
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10880410 |
Jun 28, 2004 |
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10954152 |
Sep 28, 2004 |
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10880408 |
Jun 28, 2004 |
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10954152 |
Sep 28, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
273/149R |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3239 20130101;
A63F 1/18 20130101; A63F 2009/2425 20130101; A63F 1/14 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101; G07F 17/3241 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/149.00R |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/00 20060101
A63F001/00 |
Claims
1-33. (canceled)
34. A method of verifying cards dispensed in a card game
comprising: reading with a first card reader at least one of rank
and suit of individual cards before the cards are distributed to
players in a card game; dispensing read cards to the players in the
card game; collecting dispensed cards at conclusion of a round of
play in the card game for at least one of the players; providing
the collected dispensed cards into a discard rack with a second
card reader; the second card reader reading at least one of suit
and rank of each collected dispensed card provided to the discard
rack; and comparing the at least one of rank and suit of the
dispensed cards as read with the first reader with the at least one
of rank and suit of the collected dispensed cards read with the
second card reader.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein collected cards fed into the
discard rack are fed in as a group and read one-at-a-time.
36. The method of claim 35 wherein the group is a complete hand of
cards from a single player.
37. The method of claim 35 wherein the group consists of completed
hands of cards from multiple players and/or a dealer.
38. The method of claim 35 wherein an identity of a group of cards
is selected from the group consisting of a partial hand, a dealer
hand, a partial dealer hand, a group of common cards, a player
hand, and a partial player hand.
39. The method of claim 35 wherein the group comprises all hands
from all players in a round of play.
40. The method of claim 35 wherein the group consists of all hands
from all players in a round of play.
41. The method of claim 35 wherein the group consists of all hands
from all players and a dealer in a round of play.
42. The method of claim 35 wherein the group consists of all hands
from all players and all community cards in a round of play.
43. The method of claim 35 wherein the group consists of all hands
from all players, all community cards and a dealer hand in a round
of play.
44. The method of claim 34 wherein cards are read by and dispensed
from a dealer delivery shoe.
45. The method of claim 34 wherein data from comparing the at least
one of rank and suit of the dispensed and collected cards is
collected and stored in a database.
46. The method of claim 45 wherein the data is used to determine at
least one statistic in the game.
47. The method of claim 46 wherein the statistic is selected from
the group consisting of: hand composition, last cut card, and
verification that the dispensed cards are the same cards as the fed
cards.
48. The method of claim 34 wherein a visual display provides a
visual indication of deviations between the rank and/or suit of
read playing cards and stored values.
49. The method of claim 48 wherein the visual display is present on
the card discard rack.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending
application Ser. No. 10/622,388 filed Jul. 17, 2003, and is also a
continuation-in part of both co-pending application Ser. Nos.
10/880,410 and 10/880,408, both filed Jul. 28, 2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to components, systems,
methods and apparatus for the identification, reading, verification
and/or tracking of playing cards, card hands and sets of playing
cards in a gaming environment, such as in casino table card
games.
[0004] 2. Background of the Art
[0005] Casinos and other forms of gaming constitute a very large
industry. Large amounts of money are exchanged and placed at risk
and it has always been a significant concern of the industry to
protect the casinos and players against fraudulent events. In
casino table card games, there are generally three areas of risk in
fraud, 1) falsifying/replacing playing cards, 2)
falsifying/replacing chips, and 3) passing of information
improperly. Casinos would also classify certain forms of play at
card games as at least undesirable, if not excludable (such as
card-counting).
[0006] Numerous different methods have been proposed and instituted
to defend against these types of fraud. There is extensive physical
surveillance of casinos, both directly by personnel and less
intrusively by overhead cameras that view and record wagering and
play activities. Trained personnel watch the play of games and
individual players, identifying situations and events that indicate
problems. Although most of these trained individuals can detect
chip substitution, card exchanges and some forms of unauthorized
player/dealer communications, it is difficult for the observers'
attention to be maintained at the highest levels consistently.
[0007] There are other reasons for observing the play of casino
table card games, such as to rate the efficiency of dealers over
time, rate the efficiency of players over time, and provide a
statistical basis for analysis of new games. This type of collected
data can assist the casino in rating players for comps and special
invitations and identify preferred dealers for higher stake
tables.
[0008] While some aspects of a casino's security system should be
plainly visible as a deterrent, other aspects of the security
should be unobtrusive to avoid detracting from the players'
enjoyment of the game and to prevent cheaters and thieves from
avoiding detection. Some of the current methods of tracking have
drawbacks. The methods typically depend on manual observation of a
gaming table. Thus coverage is not comprehensive, and is limited to
tracking a relatively small number of games, customers and
employees. This problem is exacerbated by a customer's ability to
rapidly move between gaming tables. A commonly known method for
cheating customers to avoid detection is to switch tables
frequently. The tracking methods are also prone to error since the
manual methods rely on human observers who can become inattentive
or distracted. In one commonly known method of cheating the casino,
one member of a team will create a distraction while another member
steals chips or swaps cards. These manual tracking methods are also
labor intensive, and thus costly.
[0009] The advance of technology in the fields of imaging, symbol
recognition, computers and software has enabled the potential for
greater utilization of technology to automatically provide a basis
for security as opposed to merely providing a source of information
for humans to evaluate. Security enhancing systems are needed in
various different aspects of the play of casino table card games,
and many different systems have been proposed.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,166 (Lorson) describes an integrated
blackjack game control system having multiple sensors and output
devices, electronic signal processing equipment, passive and active
operator control devices, and a computer system. The system
components are capable of being installed on or near existing
blackjack tables and support equipment, and to operate with
standard playing cards. The system performs several simultaneous
functions to accelerate the play of a game of blackjack, enhance
the shuffling process, and perform continuous monitoring of key
dealer and table performance attributes. The system gathers
information on the distribution of cards in the discard shoe from
knowledge of the sequence of cards dealt during game play. When
signaled, the system determines appropriate sequence, number, and
positions of the pre-shuffle plug locations of the cards in the
discard shoe. The system transmits the pre-shuffle card plug
information to an output device driver assembly that actuates the
desired output devices. In one implementation, the system output
devices are light-emitting diodes, but any number of electric,
acoustic, or mechanical devices could be utilized.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,536 (Hill) describes a playing card
dispensing shoe apparatus, system and method, wherein the shoe has
a card scanner which scans the indicia on a playing card as the
card moves along and out of a chute of the shoe by operation of the
dealer. The scanner is located on the outlet end of the dispenser,
not within any card-moving element internal to the device. The
scanner comprises an optical-sensor used in combination with a
neural network which is trained using error back-propagation to
recognize the card suits and card values of the playing cards as
they are moved past the scanner, so specially coded information is
not needed. The scanning process in combination with a central
processing unit (CPU) determines the progress of the play of the
game and, by identifying card counting systems or basic playing
strategies in use by the players of the game, provides means to
limit or prevent casino losses and calculate the Theoretical Win of
the casino, thus also providing an accurate quality method of
determining the amount of comps to be given a particular player.
The shoe is also provided with additional devices that make it
simple and easy to access, record and display other data relevant
to the play of the game. These include means for accommodating a
"customer-tracking card" which reads each player's account
information from a magnetic stripe on the card, thus providing
access to the player's customer data file stored on the casino's
computer system, and one or more alpha-numeric keyboards and LCD
displays used to enter and retrieve player and game information.
Also included are keyboards on the game table so that each player
can individually select various playing or wagering options using
their own keyboard. The system is more focused on analysis of
overall play at a table and by individuals rather then identifying
specific hands and play at each round of a card game. The system
evaluates individual player strategy and proficiency after the read
card information is sent to a computer.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,959 (Pfeiffer) describes a card
shuffling apparatus having a card hopper adapted to hold from one
to at least 104 cards, a card carousel having slots for holding
cards, an injector for sequentially loading cards from the hopper
into the carousel, output ports, ejectors for delivering cards from
the carousel to any one of the output ports, and a control board
and sensors, all housed in a housing. The apparatus is capable of
communicating with selectors that are adjustable for making card
selections. The injector has three rollers driven by a motor via a
worm gear. A spring-loaded lever keeps cards in the hopper pressed
against the first roller. The ejectors are pivotally mounted to the
base of the housing beneath the carousel and comprise a roller
driven by a motor via gears and a centripetal clutch. A control
board keeps track of the identity of cards in each slot, card
selections, and the carousel position. Cards may be ordinary
playing cards or other cards with bar codes added for card
identification by the apparatus.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,743 (Nicoletti) describes a
card-dispensing device that requires the use of a mechanical means
to advance cards out of the shoe. Specifically described is a
dispenser for playing cards comprising: a shoe adapted to contain a
plurality of stacked playing cards, the playing cards including a
leading card and a trailing card; the shoe including a back wall,
first and second side walls, a front wall, a base, and an inclined
floor extending from the back wall to proximate the front wall and
adapted to support the playing cards; the floor being inclined
downwardly from the back wall to the front wall; the front wall
having an opening and otherwise being adapted to conceal the
leading card; and the front wall, side walls, base and floor
enclosing a slot positioned adjacent the floor, the slot being
sized to permit a playing card to pass through the slot; card
advance means contacting the trailing card and adapted to urge the
stacked cards down the inclined floor; card dispensing means
positioned proximate the front wall and adapted to dispense a
single card at a time, the card dispensing means including leading
card contact means adapted for rotation about an axis parallel to
the leading card, whereby rotation of the leading card contact
means displaces the leading card relative to the card stack and
into a predetermined position extending out of the shoe from the
slot; and an endless belt located in the opening in the front wall
for rotating the leading card contact means, the endless belt
having an exterior surface securely engaging the leading card
contact means and being adapted to be displaced by an operator.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,039 (Miller) describes a "no peek" card
reading device for speeding the pace of a game of blackjack. The
device is comprised of a housing having a top surface. A card
reader for reading at least a portion of a playing card is located
within the housing. An indicator cooperating with the card reader
is provided to inform the dealer if his down card is of a desired
value. There is also disclosed herein a method for increasing the
speed of play in an organized game of blackjack. The system
includes a device for reading alpha-numeric indicia on cards of a
deck of playing cards in a game of blackjack to indicate to a
dealer whether or not the dealer has been dealt "21," comprising:
(a) a housing having a means for receiving at least a portion of a
playing card when such card is disposed face down on a blackjack
table; (b) means for directly reading at least a portion of the
alpha-numeric indicia on said card while the card is disposed
adjacent said means for receiving; and (c) means for indicating,
based on the portion of the alpha-numeric indicia read, when the
dealer has been dealt "21," said indicating means being connected
to said means for reading.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,122 (Roblejo) describes a card shuffling
apparatus for randomizing and verifying sets of playing cards.
Also, the invention relates to a process for providing such an
apparatus; feeding to the apparatus one or more cards either after
they have been played in a game or from an unrandomized or
unverified set of cards; and manually retrieving a verified true
set of cards from the apparatus. Also, the invention relates to a
process of playing in a casino setting or simulated casino setting,
a card game comprising the steps of: providing such an apparatus,
feeding unverified sets of playing cards to the apparatus, and
recovering verified true sets of cards from the apparatus.
[0016] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,605,334; 6,093,103 and 6,117,012 (McCrea)
describe a secure game table system, adapted for multiple sites
under a central control, for monitoring each hand in a live card
game. A common deck identity code is located on each card. A
shuffler has a circuit for counting the cards from a previous hand
which are inserted into the shuffler and which reads the common
identity code. The game control verifies that no cards have been
withdrawn from the hand by a player or that new cards have been
substituted. A unique code also placed on each card is read as the
card is dealt to indicate the value and the suit. The game control
stores this information in a memory so that a history of each card
dealt is recorded. Sensors are located near each of the player
positions for sensing the presence of a game bet and a progressive
bet. A card sensor located near each player position and the dealer
position issues a signal for each card received. The game control
receives these signals and correlates those player positions having
placed a game and/or progressive bet with the received cards. The
game control at each table has stored in memory the winning
combinations necessary to win the progressive jackpots. Since the
game control accurately stores the suit and value of each card
received at a particular player position, the game control can
automatically detect a winning progressive combination and issue an
award signal for that player position. The shoe element has the
card reading components in the card withdrawal area. When
integrated into a shuffling device, a camera may capture images at
various positions before and at the delivery area.
[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,632 (Albrecht) describes an apparatus
and method for sorting cards into a predetermined sequence. One
embodiment provides a deck holding area in which cards are held for
presenting a card to a read head for reading the characters on the
face of the card. The apparatus also has a tray having a sequence
of slots and a card moving mechanism for moving the presented card
from the deck holding area into one of the slots. The tray is
connected to a tray positioning mechanism for selectively
positioning the tray to receive a card in one of the slots from the
card moving mechanism. A controller is connected to the read head,
the card moving mechanism, and the tray positioning mechanism. The
controller controls the reading of each of the cards by the read
head and identifies the value of each card read, and also controls
the card moving mechanism to move each of the cards to a slot of
the tray positioned by the tray positioning mechanism according to
the predetermined sequence of values. The method for sorting
includes the step of providing a tray having a sequence of slots,
determining a predetermined sequence of values for the cards, and
reading the face of a card to determine the value the card. The
method further includes moving the read card into one of the slots
of the tray. The position of the slot into which the read card is
moved corresponds to the position of the value in the predetermined
sequence.
[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,248 (Johnson) describes a collation
and/or sorting apparatus for groups of articles. The apparatus is a
sorting and/or shuffling device for playing cards. The apparatus
comprises a sensor (15) to identify articles for collation and/or
sorting, feeding means to feed cards from a stack (11) past the
sensor (15) to a delivery means (14) adapted to deliver cards
individually to a preselected one of a storing means (24) in an
indexable magazine (20). A microprocessor (16) coupled to the feed
means (14), delivery means (18), sensor (15) and magazine (20)
determines according to a preprogrammed routine whether cards
identified by sensor (15) are collated in the magazine (20) as an
ordered deck of cards or a randomly ordered or "shuffled" deck or
decks.
[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,044 (Block) describes a system with a
top of a card table having a card-dispensing hole there through and
an arcuate edge covered by a transparent dome shaped cover. A
dealer position is centrally located on the tabletop. A plurality
of player stations is evenly spaced along the arcuate edge. A
rotatable card placement assembly includes an extendable arm that
is connected to a card carrier that is operable to carry a card. In
response to signals from the computer, the rotation of the assembly
and the extension of the arm cause the card carrier to carry the
card from the card-dispensing hole to either the dealer position or
any of the player positions. The card carries bar code
identification thereon. A bar code reader of the card carrier
provides a signal representation of the identification of the card
to the computer.
[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,908 (Stardust) describes an automated
method and apparatus for sequencing and/or inspecting decks of
playing cards. The method and apparatus utilizes pattern
recognition technology or other image comparison technology to
compare one or more images of a card with memory containing known
good images of a complete deck of playing cards to identify each
card as it passes through the apparatus. Once the card is
identified, it is temporarily stored in a location corresponding to
or identified according to its position in a properly sequenced
deck of playing cards. Once a full set of cards has been stored,
the cards are released in proper sequence to a completed deck
hopper. The method and apparatus also includes an operator
interface capable of displaying a magnified version of potential
defects or problem areas contained on a card which may then be
viewed by the operator on a monitor or screen and either accepted
or rejected via operator input.
[0021] This patent requires identification of cards and storage of
cards with the identity of the card recognized in a storage
position. The cards are read and then stored in identified and
recoverable positions. The identified cards are then directed, in
ranked and suited order into a final collection area where the
ordered deck is formed.
[0022] U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,546 (Meissner) describes a method and
apparatus enabling a game to be played based upon a plurality of
cards. An automated dealing shoe dispenses each of the cards and
recognizes each of the cards as each of the cards is dispensed.
Player stations are also included. Each player station enables a
player to enter a bet, request that a card be dispensed or not
dispensed, and to convert each bet into a win or a loss based upon
the cards that are dispensed by the automated dealing shoe. This
patent requires a system organization (betting and card calling
functions at each player position and win-tracking as a result of
play). The dealer shoe reads the cards one-at-a-time when driven by
a single drive wheel into the card read station. The cards are fed
from a sloped tray and are moved at constant speed to enable
accurate reading of the cards.
[0023] U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,447 (Lofink) describes a method and
system for generating displays related to the play of Baccarat.
Cards dealt to each of the Banker's and Player's hands are
identified as by scanning and data signals are generated. The card
identification data signals are processed to determine the outcome
of the hand. Displays in various formats to be used by bettors are
created from the processed identification signals including the
cards of the hand played, historical records of outcomes and the
like. The display can also show bettors expected outcomes and
historical bests. Bettors can refer to the display in making
betting decisions.
[0024] The cards are read between the shoe and the player
positions. "Disposed between the shoe 22 and areas 24, 26 are means
for identifying the cards dealt to the Player and Banker hands.
These means are embodied as any suitable card scanner 32. Scanner
32 optically scans each card 10 as it is dealt from the shoe 22 and
swiped across the scanner 32, face down. When the cards 10 include
a bar code (not shown) on their face, which designates suit and
denomination, the scanner 32 may be a laser scanner adapted to
generate signals corresponding to the bar code. Preferably, to
avoid the necessity of bar coding cards, the scanner 32 is of the
type, which optically scans the card face and generates data
signals corresponding to the optical characteristics of the face of
the card. As but an example, digital camera means can be used to
generate data signals, broken in picture elements, i.e. pixels, the
signal strength at the locations of the individual pixels
collectively corresponding to the actual appearance of the
face."
[0025] U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,334 (McCrea Jr.) is believed to disclose
a distinct card-reading element/section/attachment to a card
shuffler. The disclosure, though technically enabling in some
respects, appears to be mainly prophetic, and when read in
combination with U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,145 (Verschoor, which
discloses the `shuffler`), technical deficiencies are clearly
apparent. The patent specification describes a complete table
system and does not include a card reading discard rack. FIG. 16 of
the McCrea Jr. patent is an illustration setting forth the addition
of a single reader to the automatic shuffler of U.S. Pat. No.
5,356,154 (Verschoor, Nationale Stichting tot Exploitatie van
Casinospelen in Nederland (Hoofddorp, NL). The shuffler is a simple
card interleaving system with cards fed nearly consecutively from
two separate stacks.
[0026] In FIGS. 16 and 17 is set forth another embodiment of a
secure shuffler. Again, this shuffler is based upon the structure
that set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,145. The shuffler 240 is
mounted on a base 1600 in which is contained a camera 1610 with a
lens 1620. Hence, this embodiment is self-contained and is not
mounted to the table. In this embodiment, a single camera is used
to record optical images of the cards dealt (as indicated by arrow
1602) and cards inserted (as indicated by arrow 1604). The inserted
cards are placed in stack 93a and the cards dealt are dealt from
stack 1230. Hence, in FIG. 16, a card 1230B is placed in the
modified shoe 250 and an image is delivered as shown by arrow 1630
into a mirror 1632 and is reflected 1634 into a central mirror
1636. Likewise, card 1410B is in stack 93a or is delivered into
stack 16a, by drive disk 37a, an image 1640 is delivered into
mirror 1642 and is reflected 1644 into the central mirror 1636. The
lens 1620 receives the reflected signals 1646 from mirror 1636 and
delivers these optical images over lines 252 to the game control.
It is to be expressly understood that images 1630 and 1640 can be
obtained from a number of regions internal to shuffler 240 and that
mirrors other than mirrors 1632, 1646 and 1642, can be used to
reflect images into lens 1620.
[0027] U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,819 (Garczynski) describes a "no peek"
module for announcing when a Dealer has blackjack without exposing
the face of the Dealer's down card. The module scans a character
from the Dealer's face-down standard playing card, compares the
result of the scan with a set of references, and identifies the
down card. The module also receives input from the Dealer as to the
identity of the Dealer's up card, and announces whether the Dealer
has blackjack or the hand continues. The module is designed to be
mounted to a blackjack table such that the surface of the module on
which the standard playing card rests while being scanned is in the
plane of the surface of the blackjack table, allowing the Dealer to
slide the down-card across the table and onto the scanner without
lifting, and potentially exposing, the card's face. The module also
removes the noise generated by a casino's heat, dust, cigarette and
cigar ashes, and lint from the felt of the blackjack table, during
the scanning process. The module further optimizes the scan of the
character on the standard playing card by controlling the light
intensity emitted by the components of the module used to
illuminate the character.
[0028] U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,505 (Garczynski) describes a "no peek"
dual card-scanning module that announces when the symbols of a
face-up standard playing card and a facedown-standard playing card
achieve a desired combination. The module has a scanner system that
illuminates and scans at least a portion of a symbol of the face-up
standard playing card and at least a portion of a symbol of the
face-down standard playing card and stores the results thereof in a
first and second array device, respectively. The module also has a
guide to assist in receiving and positioning the cards such that
the face-up standard playing card is above and aligned with the
face-down standard playing card. When in this position, the symbol
portions of the face-up and the face-down standard playing cards
can be scanned by the array devices to generate respective scanning
results. The module compares the scanning results with a memory
storing a plurality of references representing respective symbols
of the standard playing cards to determine if the cards have
achieved the desired combination. This system requires the reading
of both the face-up and face-down cards. It is believed that after
review of the specification, this requirement is to be read as
reading those cards in the specific positions as face-up and
face-down cards and does not include reading the cards as they are
withdrawn from a shoe. There is also the requirement of a display.
This displays/indicates blackjacks by identification of the
dealer's hole card and an up card while it is at the dealer's
position. The card is not read in the discard rack after the play
of the game, but at the dealer's hand position before or as the
game is being played.
[0029] U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,039,650; and 5,722,893 (Hill) describes a
card-dealing shoe that has a card reader/scanner, which scans
indicia on a standard playing card as the card moves along and out
of a chute by manual direction by the dealer in the normal fashion.
The scanner can be one of several different types of devices, which
will sense each card as it is moved downwardly and out of the shoe.
A feed forward neural-network is trained, using error
back-propagation to recognize all possible card suits and card
values sensed by the scanner. Such a neural-network becomes a part
of a scanning system which provides a proper reading of the cards
to determine the progress of the play of the game including how the
game might suffer if the game players are allowed to count cards
using a card count system and perform other acts which would limit
the profit margin of the casino. An LCD display can also be part of
the shoe and this display can be used to enter and retrieve vital
player information as deemed necessary or desirable to the customer
file opened when the magnetic stripe reader reads the preferred
customer card with the customer name and account number embedded
within the cards magnetic stripe. Scanned information is fed to a
computer for extensive analysis.
[0030] U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,166 (Lorson) describes a system for
monitoring play of a card game between a dealer and one or more
players at a playing table, including a card-dispensing shoe
comprising one or more active card-recognition sensors, and a
signal processing subsystem. The system gathers information on the
distribution of cards in a dealing shoe from knowledge of the
sequence of cards dealt during game play. When signaled, the system
determines appropriate sequence, number, and positions of the
pre-shuffle plug locations of the cards in the discard shoe. The
system transmits the pre-shuffle card plug information to an output
device driver assembly, which actuates the desired output devices.
In one implementation, the system output devices are light-emitting
diodes, but any number of electric, acoustic, or mechanical devices
could be utilized. The dealer plugs the card segments as directed
by the system output devices and signals completion by operating
the control switch discussed above. The process is repeated until
the card segments are properly positioned and then the system
transmits an output signal to direct the dealer to shuffle the
cards.
[0031] U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,769 (Order) describes apparatus for use
in table card games. The device is for professional use in table
games of chance with playing cards and gaming chips (jettons), in
particular the game of "Black Jack", the object of the invention is
to provide an automatically working apparatus, which will register
and evaluate all phases of the run of the game automatically. This
is achieved by a card shoe with an integrated device for
recognition of the value of the drawn cards (3') (optical
recognition device and mirroring into a CCD-image converter);
photodiodes (52) arranged under the table cloth (51) in order to
register separately the casino light passing through each area (53,
54) for placing the gaming chips (41) and areas (55, 56) for
placing the playing cards (3) in dependence of the arrangement or
movement of the jettons and playing cards on the mentioned areas; a
device for automatic recognition of each bet (scanner to register
the color of the jettons, or a RFID-system comprising a S/R station
and jettons with integrated transponder); an EDP program created in
accordance with the gaming rules to evaluate and store all data
transmitted from the functional devices to the computer; and a
monitor to display the run of the game and players' wins.
[0032] At the Global Gaming Expo 2002, held at the Las Vegas
Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., MindPlay, LLC. displayed a
complete blackjack table game monitoring system in the Bally Gaming
booth. That system read cards from a tray prior to and after
dealing, and read chips on the table with a camera. It was
absolutely clear that the cards read in the tray had to be edge
marked, as the cards were read without being fanned out
sufficiently to display the faces of the individual cards. As all
the cards were read at one time, there must have been edge-reading
capability. This is confirmed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,848, which
claims and enables this edge reading capability. Cards were
deposited in the tray for verification after play of the hand,
again by edge-reading (that is the cards were sloped in a set so
that special coded markings on the faces or backs of the cards
could be read to identify the suit and rank of the cards. Standard
decks could not be used in the displayed systems.). Only single
deck capability was possible at the time. It is not known how the
software specifically related to the verification of the original
deck, especially with regard to discards, double downs, etc., but
some accommodation to that play was apparent in the play of the
game on the displayed table.
[0033] Among the more assertive systems for blackjack (and other
table game) security that have been disclosed and marketed is the
MindPlay LLP casino table security system represented by U.S. Pat.
Nos. 6,533,662; 6,533,276; 6,530,837; 6,530,836; 6,527,271;
6,520,857; 6,517,436; 6,517,435; and 6,460,848.
[0034] U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,848 (Soltys) particularly deals with
playing card reading systems and describes a system that
automatically monitors playing and wagering of a game, including
the gaming habits of players and the performance of employees. A
card deck reader automatically reads a symbol from each card in a
deck of cards before a first one of the cards is removed from the
card reader. The symbol identifies a respective rank and suit of
the card. In actual use, the complete set (e.g., deck or decks) of
cards is removed from the card-reading tray and dealt by hand. A
chip tray reader automatically images the contents of a chip tray,
to periodically determine the number and value of chips in the chip
tray, and to compare the change in contents of the chip tray to the
outcome of game play for verifying that the proper amounts have
been paid out and collected. A table monitor automatically images
the activity occurring at a gaming table. Periodic comparisons of
the images identify wagering, as well as the appearance, removal
and position of cards and other game objects on the gaming table. A
drop box automatically verifies an amount and authenticity of a
deposit and reconciles the deposit with a change in the contents of
the chip tray. The drop box employs a variety of lighting and
resolutions to image selected portions of the deposited item. The
system detects prohibited playing and wagering patterns, and
determines the win/loss percentage of the players and the dealer,
as well as a number of other statistically relevant measures. The
measurements provide automated security and real-time accounting.
The measurements also provide a basis for automatically allocating
complimentary player benefits.
[0035] The operation of the Soltys card-reading system is described
as feeding of the cards into the storage area of the rack and
exposing them to reading sensors that read an edge of the cards.
That system reads cards after they are put into a cradle (which is
a housing sized for receiving playing cards), and therefore reads
all of the cards (a plurality of cards) before a first card is
removed from the cradle.
[0036] WO 00/51076 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,894 (Purton and Dolphin
Advanced Technologies Pty. Ltd.) describes a card inspection device
having a loading area on an elevator to receive one or more decks
of playing cards. A drive (e.g., feed roller) presents cards into a
loading area into a card accumulation area. The card passes over a
camera in the transition between areas to sense the suit and rank
of the cards. The system reverses the order of the cards from the
loading area to the collection area. A printer produces a record of
the device's operation.
[0037] None of the references discussed above describe a discard
rack that reads cards individually as the cards are collected from
the table at the conclusion of play, or reads decks or groups of
decks of cards to verify that the deck or decks are complete prior
to the next use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0038] A smart discard rack (also referred to for purposes of this
disclosure as a "card verification station") is used to read
information from a card set to identify the rank and suit of cards.
In one form of the invention, all cards in the set of playing cards
(comprising one or more regular or special decks of playing cards)
are fed through the smart discard rack between rounds of play to
verify that the decks are complete. In another form of the
invention, groups of playing cards are fed through the card
verification station prior to commissioning or after play and prior
decommissioning the playing card set for play on the casino floor.
In a third form of the invention, the card verification station is
used as a part of a system for identifying the composition of a
hand or hands of playing cards at the conclusion of a round of
play, the playing cards are first read as they are distributed to
players (by a first separate reading device or system), and when
they are returned to the smart discard rack in a particular pattern
of collection from the table. The smart discard rack information
can be used in conjunction with original card set suit and rank
information to define elements of play (for example--to reconstruct
blackjack hands) in the casino table card game.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0039] FIG. 1 shows a cutaway side view of a smart discard rack
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0040] FIG. 2 shows a side cutaway top view of a smart discard rack
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0041] FIG. 3 shows an end cutaway top view of a smart discard rack
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0042] FIG. 4 shows a side cutaway view of another perspective of a
smart discard rack according to the presently described
technology.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a casino card gaming table equipped with a data
collection module capable of tracking the number of rounds of play
on the table per a given unit of time.
[0044] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an optical round counting
system.
[0045] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the card verification
station and associated equipment used to check decks of cards.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0046] Groups of cards, including hands, partial hands, community
cards, dealer hands, decks of cards, and multiple decks of cards
may be verified using the card verification station of the present
invention. The card verification station may be utilized as a
separate stand-alone device for confirming the composition of
groups of cards prior to commissioning them for play on the casino
floor, as part of a decommissioning process after play, or as part
of a table game-monitoring device. For example, card hands and card
play may be read by a system that comprises a card-reading delivery
shoe and a card-reading discard rack (also referred to in this
disclosure as a card verification station) of the present
invention. The term "smart" is used with respect to components in
the system because of their use or connection to memory and
processing and/or storage intelligence (e.g., microprocessors,
processors, and computers) and the use of that processing and/or
storage intelligence in the practice of processes according to the
teachings of the invention.
[0047] A smart card delivery shoe (which may be a stand alone unit
or a component of a randomization device) is used that reads the
suit and rank of each card before it is delivered to the various
positions where cards are to be dealt in the play of the casino
table card game. The cards are then dealt according to the rules of
the particular game to the required card positions. Different games
have diverse card distribution positions, different card numbers,
and different delivery sequences that the hand identifying system
of the invention must encompass. For example, in the most complex
of card distribution games of blackjack, cards are usually dealt in
sequence around a table, one card at-a-time to each player position
and then to the dealer position. The one card at a time delivery
sequence is again repeated so that each player position and the
dealer position have an initial hand of exactly two cards each.
Complexity in hand development is introduced because players have
essentially unlimited control over additional cards received, at
least until the point value in a hand exceeds a count of
twenty-one. Players may stand with a count of 2 (two aces) or take
a hit with a count of 21 if they are so inclined, so the knowledge
of the count of a hand is no assurance of what a player will do.
The dealer, on the other hand, is required to follow strict house
rules on the play of the game according to the value of the
dealer's hand. Small variances such as allowing or disallowing a
hit on a "soft" seventeen count (e.g., an Ace and a 6) may exist,
but the rules are otherwise very precise so that the house or
dealer cannot exercise any strategy.
[0048] The presently described technology may be used as a
component of a more complex system that identifies the composition
of each individual hand at a table when a player can use discretion
in taking cards, without having to provide card-reading sensors at
every player position or an overhead camera to read every card at
the table. Even those expensive systems are susceptible to
manipulation or fraud and do not provide maximum security.
[0049] Some cards games may provide equal numbers of cards in
batches. The player has no control over the number of cards in the
hand. Variants of stud poker played against a dealer, for example,
would usually provide hands of three, four or five cards, three,
four or five-at-a-time, respectively, to each player position and
if competing against a dealer, to the dealer position. This card
hand distribution is quite simple to track as each sequence of
cards removed from the dealer shoe is a hand, or as each hand of
cards is fed into a card verification station at the conclusion of
play.
[0050] Other games may require cards to be dealt to players and
other cards dealt to a flop or common card area. The system of
which the card verification station is a part of, should also be
programmable to cover this alternative if it is so desired. Other
games may not provide the dealer with the dealer cards, or
community cards. In this instance, other methods to designate the
last hand dealt are needed.
[0051] Baccarat is closer to blackjack in card sequence of dealing,
but has more rigid rules as to when hits may be taken by the player
and the dealer, and each position may take a maximum of one card as
a hit. The hand identification system used in connection with the
card verification station must be able to address the needs of
identifying hands in each of these types of games and especially
must be able to identify hands in the most complex situation, the
play of blackjack.
[0052] The general operation of an exemplary system incorporating
the card verification station of the present invention will be
described and the examples of specific implementations (e.g., smart
delivery shoes, smart discard tray, software, computers, components
and subcomponents) are intended to be merely exemplary and are not
to be read as limiting in the scope of practice of the invention.
For example, where cameras are used to read cards, the light
sensitive system may be any image capture system, digital or analog
that is capable of identifying the suit and rank of a card.
Card Verification as Part of a System for Reconstructing Hands
[0053] A first step in the operation is to provide a set of cards
to a smart delivery shoe (a shoe capable of reading rank and suit
of cards that are removed from the shoe, either before, during or
after physical removal of the cards), the cards being those cards
that are going to be used in the play of a casino table card game.
The set of cards (usually one or more decks) is provided in an
already randomized set, being taken out of a multiple deck batch
shuffler or having been shuffled by hand. A preferred smart
delivery shoe is described in co-pending U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 10/622,321, filed Jul. 17, 2003, titled SMART DELIVERY
SHOE, which application is incorporated herein in its entirety by
reference for its entire disclosure of the card reading a delivery
capability and structure of that device and all enabling disclosure
therein. Alternatively, but less preferred card delivery systems or
shoes with reading capability include, but are not limited to those
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,750,743; 5,779,546; 5,605,334;
6,361,044; 6,217,447; 5,941,769; 6,229,536; 6,460,848; 5,722,893;
6,039,650; and 6,126,166. Some of these systems require specially
coded cards, which are particularly undesirable, but may be used as
an alternative. The cards are read in the smart card delivery shoe,
preferably one card at a time in sequence. Reading cards by edge
markings and special codes (as described in U.S. Pat. No.
6,460,848) requires special encoding and marking of the cards. The
entire sequence of cards removed from the shoe is thus determined
and stored in memory. Memory may reside at least in part in the
smart delivery shoe, but communication with a central processor is
highly desirable and preferred. The read sequence would then also
or solely be stored in the central computer. If it is desired to
obtain the entire sequence of cards prior to dispensing cards, the
group of cards can be randomized and/or scanned in a shuffler such
as the device disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 10/623,223,
filed on Jul. 17, 2003, titled Card Shuffler with Card Rank and
Value Reading.
[0054] The cards are then dealt out of the smart delivery shoe, the
delivery shoe registering the card rank and suit as well as how
many cards are removed one-at-a-time. This is easily accomplished
by the above-identified U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/622,321
(and less preferably by the above-identified U.S. patents) where
cards are fed to the dealer removal area one at a time, so only one
card can be removed at a time by the dealer. As each card is
removed from the shoe, a signal is created indicating that a
specific card (of rank and suit) has been dealt. The computer and
system knows only that a first card has been dealt, and it is
presumed to go to the first player. The remaining cards are dealt
out to players and dealer. In the play of certain games (e.g., stud
poker variants) where specific numbers of cards are known to be
dealt to each position, the shoe may be programmed with the number
of players at any time, so hands can be correlated even before they
have been dealt. If a stud poker variant is being played, where
each player and the dealer gets three cards (Three Card Poker.TM.
game), the system will know in advance of the players what each
player and the dealer will have as a hand. It is also possible that
there be a signal available (particularly desirable in blackjack)
when the dealer has received either his first card (e.g., when
cards are dealt in sequence, one-at-a-time) or has received his
entire hand. The signal is desirable as that signal can be readily
used to automatically determine the number of player positions
active on the table at any given time. For example, if in a hand of
blackjack the dealer receives the sixth card, the system will
immediately know that there are five players at the table. The
signal can be given manually (pressing a button at the dealer
position or on the smart card delivery shoe) or can be provided
automatically (a card presence sensor at the dealer's position,
where a card can be placed over the sensor to provide a signal).
Where an automatic signal is provided by a sensor, some physical
protection of the sensor is preferably provided, such as a shield
that would prevent accidental contact with the sensor or blockage
of the sensor. An L-shaped cover would be very desirable so a card
could be slid under the arm of the L parallel to the table surface
and cover the sensor under that branch of the L. The signal can
also be given after all cards for the hand have been delivered,
again indicating the number of players, for example, when the
dealer's two cards are slid under the L-shaped cover to block or
contact the sensor, the system will know the total number of cards
dealt on the hand (e.g., 10 cards), know that the dealer has 2
cards, determine that players therefore have 8 cards, and know that
each player has 2 cards each, thereby absolutely determining that
there are four active player positions at the table (10-2=8 and
then 8/2=4 players). This automatic determination is highly
desirable as opposed to having dealers input the number of players
each hand at a table or having to manually change the indicated
number of players at a table each time the number changes. The use
of a dealer activation device or completely automatic signal
generating device likely would be needed in cases where the dealer
does not receive cards, although information based input (such as a
timed period of cessation of delivery of cards or the input of
cards to a discard rack) could be used to indicate the end of the
delivery of cards in a round of play.
[0055] Once all cards have been dealt, the system knows what cards
are initially present in each player's hand, the dealer's hand, and
any flop or common hand. The system operation is now simple when no
more cards are provided to play the casino table game. All hands
are then known and all outcomes can be predicted. The complication
of additional cards will be addressed with respect to the game of
blackjack.
[0056] After dealing the initial set of two cards per hand, the
system cannot immediately know where each remaining card will be
dealt. The system does know what cards are dealt, however. It is
with this knowledge and a subsequent identification of discarded
hands that the hands and cards from the smart delivery shoe can be
reconciled or verified. Each hand is already identified by the
presence of two specifically known cards. Hands are then played
according to the rules of the game, and hands are discarded when
play of a hand is exhausted. A hand is exhausted when 1) there is a
blackjack, the hand is paid, and the cards are cleared; 2) a hand
breaks with a count over twenty-one and the cards are cleared;
and/or a round the game is played to a conclusion, the dealer's
hand completed, all wagers are settled, and the cards are cleared.
As is typically done in a casino to enable reconciling of hands
manually, cards are picked up in a precise order from the table.
The cards are usually cleared from the dealer's right to the
dealer's left, and the cards at each position comprise the cards
maintained in the order that they were delivered, first card on the
bottom, second card over the first card, third card over the second
card, etc. maintaining the order or a close approximation of the
order in which they were delivered (e.g., the first two cards may
be reversed). Maintaining the order is important as the first two
cards form an anchor, focus, basis, fence, and end point or
otherwise define a set edge for each hand. For example, if the
third player position was known to have received the 10 of hearts
(10H) and the 9 of spades (9S) for the first two card, and the
fourth player was known to receive the 8 of diamonds (8D) and the 3
of clubs (3C) for the first two cards, the edges or anchors of the
two hands are 9S/10H and 8D/3C. When the hands are swept at the
conclusion of the game, the cards are sent to the smart discard
rack of this invention and the swept cards consist of 9S, 10H, 8S,
8D and 3C (as read by the smart discard rack), the software of the
processor will automatically know that the final hands in the third
and fourth positions were a 9S and 10H for the third hand 8D and 3C
originally plus the 8S hit for the fourth hand. The analysis by the
software specifically associates the extra card with the fourth
hand with the specific cards read by the smart discard rack. The
information from reading the exhausted hands is compared with the
original information collected from the smart delivery shoe. The
smart delivery shoe information when combined with the smart
discard rack information confirms the identity and composition of
each hand, even though cards were not uniformly distributed (e.g.,
player one takes two hits for a total of four cards, player two
takes three hits for a total of five cards, player three takes no
hit for a total of two cards, player four takes one hit for a total
of three cards, the player splits hands, and the dealer takes two
hits for a total of four cards). If fewer than all player positions
were occupied, a position sensor or bet sensor could be used to
associate the hand with a particular hand position. An example of
one chip sensing system is disclosed in Schubert U.S. Pat. No.
6,313,871, the content of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
[0057] The dealer's cards may be equally susceptible to analysis in
a number of different formats. After the last card has been dealt
to the last player, a signal may be easily and imperceptibly
generated that the dealer's hand will now become active with
possible hits. For example, with the sensor described above for
sensing the presence of the first dealer card or the completion of
the dealer's hand, the cards would be removed from beneath the
L-shaped protective bridge. This type of movement is ordinarily
done in blackjack where the dealer has at most a single card
exposed and one card buried face down. In this case, the removal of
the cards from over the sensor underneath the L-cover to display
the hole card is a natural movement and then exposes the sensor.
This can provide a signal to the central processor that the
dealer's hand will be receiving all additional cards in that round
of the game. The system at this point knows the two initial cards
in the dealer's hand, knows the values of the next sequence of
cards, and knows the rules by which a dealer must play. The system
knows what cards the dealer will receive and what the final total
of the dealer's hand will be because the dealer has no freedom of
decision or movement in the play of the dealer's hand. When the
dealer's hand is placed into the smart discard rack, the discard
rack already knows the specifics of the dealer's hand even without
having to use the first two cards as an anchor or basis for the
dealer's hand. The cards may be treated in this manner optionally,
but it is not essential.
[0058] When the hands are swept from the table, dealer's hand then
players' hands from right to left (from the dealer's position or
vice-versa if that is the manner of house play), the smart discard
rack reads the playing cards, identifies the anchors for each hand,
and the computer identifies the individual hands and reconciles
them with the original data from the smart delivery shoe. The
system thereby can identify the composition of each hand played
(i.e., number of cards, rank and suit of each card) and provide
system assurance that the hand was played fairly and
accurately.
[0059] If a lack of reconciling by the system occurs, a number of
fault events can occur. A signal can be given directly to the
dealer position, to the pit area, or to a security zone and the
cards examined to determine the nature of the fault and cause of
the error and inspect individual cards if necessary. When the hand
and card data is being used for various statistical purposes, such
as evaluating dealer efficiency, dealer win/loss events, player
efficiency, player win/loss events, statistical habits of players,
unusual play tactics or meaningful play tactics (e.g., indicative
of card counting), and the like, the system may file the particular
hand in a `dump` file so that hand is not used in the statistical
analysis. This is to assure that maximum benefits of the analysis
are not tilted by erroneous or anomalous data.
[0060] A review of the figures will assist in a better
understanding of the discard rack and card verification station
apparatus and method of the present invention.
[0061] FIG. 1 shows a side cutaway view of a card verification
station 2 of one embodiment of the present invention. The following
discussion can be best understood by referring to both FIGS. 1 and
3. The card verification station 2 has a hand insert area 4
comprising a card receiving well where cards are inserted (e.g.,
one hand at a time, or one card at a time, or groups of exhausted,
or unused cards in a batch or entire batches of cards), usually
after the completion of play in a casino table card game. Pick-off
rollers 6 and 8 move cards individually and horizontally from the
bottom of the stack of cards (not shown) in the hand insert area 4
one at a time through opening 10 from the hand insert area 4. A
sloped or beveled face 12 is provided to assure proper horizontal
orientation of moving cards and to prevent jamming at this
position.
[0062] After an individual card is moved through the opening 10, a
first additional set of nip rollers 14a and 14b (which may be
referred to as brake rollers, of first nip rollers 14) engages and
directs the card. When the card (not shown) is between the first
set of nip rollers 14a and 14b, and the second set of nip rollers
16a and 16b (which may be referred to as speed-up rollers 16), the
cards are positioned with their card faces (with suit and rank
symbols) facing downwardly to the bottom 50 of the smart discard
rack 2. An image capture device 18 which is capable of reading the
symbols on the cards, and especially standard suit and rank symbols
on the corners of the cards, is positioned to read the intended
symbols on the cards are positioned above and between the first set
of nip rollers 14a and 14b, and the second set of nip rollers 16a
and 16b to sense the position of cards. The sensor may be in other
locations (such as on the side of the card or below the card or at
an angle) if desired. The sensors 32 and 34 signal the position of
edges of the cards as they are moved. Additional sensors (not
shown) may be present in other locations such as in the hand insert
area 4 and in the card collection area 20. The sensors 32 and 34
indicate when the individual cards to be read will be in a desired
or optimum position for symbols on the card to be read by image
capture device 18. For example, to conserve memory in the computer
and reduce information flow, it would be desirable to limit image
information to the symbols of each card, rather then having the
camera image and report a constant stream of data on the entire
face of each card and the empty space between cards. For example,
when sensor 34 indicates the presence of a new edge of a card, the
camera 18 will be triggered and a snapshot taken. The focal point
or focal plane 36 of the camera 18 will encompass the symbols to be
read on the card, usually only the upper left hand corner of a
playing card. The symbol will be imaged and the data from the image
read by available image reading software.
[0063] A desirable set of image capture devices (e.g., a CCD
camera) and sensors (e.g., light-emitting devices and light capture
devices) will be described, although a wide variety of commercial
technologies and commercial components are available. A preferred
camera is the "Dragonfly.TM." camera provided by PointGrey Research
Corporation of Canada, 305-1847 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC,
Canada V6J 1Y6 and includes a 6 pin IEEE-1394 interface,
asynchronous trigger, multiple frame rates, 640.times.480 or
1024.times.724 24-bit true color or 8-bit gray scale images, image
acquisition software and plug-and-play capability. This can be
combined with commercially available machine vision software. The
commercially available machine vision software is trained on card
symbols and taught to report image patterns as specific card suits
and ranks. An example of one type of software that can be used for
this purpose is called Evision by Euresys. Once a standard card
suit/rank recognition program has been developed, the training from
one format of cards to another becomes more simply affected and can
be done at the casino table or by a security team before the smart
discard rack 2 is placed on the table. Position sensors (e.g., 32
and 34) can be provided and enhanced by one of ordinary skill in
the art from commercially available components that can be fitted
by one ordinarily skilled in the art. For example, various optics
such as SICK WT2S-N111 or WL2S-E11; OMRON EE SPY302; or OPTEK
OP506A may be used. A useful encoder can be purchased as US Digital
encoder 24-300-B. An optical response switch can be provided as
MicroSwitch SS541A.
[0064] Once the symbol has been imaged, a signal is sent to a
central processor where the information of the suit and rank of the
individual cards is processed according to the objectives of the
system. In one form of the invention, the processor is part of the
discard rack. In another form, the processor is a separate game
computer or casino host computer, and the information is first
collected in a database (not shown) prior to being analyzed. After
each card has been read, the individual cards values are stored,
and the discard rack processor or a separate game computer or
casino host computer moves the read card by rollers 16a/16b to be
deposited in the card collection area 20. Cards are delivered into
the card collection area 20 by being placed on a support tray 22.
The height of the tray 22 is adjusted by belt drive 24 so that the
top card (not shown) on the tray 22 or the surface of the tray 22
if no cards are present, is slightly below the level at which cards
are fed from rollers 16a/16b into the card collection area 20. This
prevents cards from having to fall onto a collection of cards and
possible upturning or standing on edge. The support tray 22 is
preferably moved in only a single direction (downwardly) as
individual cards are fed into the collection area 20. By
maintaining the identical order of cards fed from the hand insert
area 4 to the card collection area 22, manual reconciling of hands
or game play can be enabled.
[0065] After all cards have been delivered to the card collection
area 20, the support plate 22 is elevated to expose the set of
cards through an opening 26 at the top 48 of the smart discard rack
2. There may be a manually operable or an automatically openable
cover 28 over the card collection area so that the set of cards can
be raised over the top surface 48 by the elevated support plate 22
and the card set removed, essentially at the elevation of the
playing table surface. Preferably the entire device is
flush-mounted into an upper surface of the gaming table.
[0066] FIG. 2 shows a top cutaway view of an embodiment of the
smart discard rack 2 of the present invention. All numbered
elements having the same numbers as in FIG. 1 and are the same
elements from a different perspective. The support plate 22 is
shown with an ergonomic opening 102 to assist in manual removal of
cards. Sensors 106 and 108 are used to detect card jams or the like
or track the number of cards moved through rollers 16 onto the card
collection or support tray 22. Button 104 may be an on-off switch
or jam recovery switch or the like.
[0067] It is always possible for cards to jam, misalign or stick
during internal movement of cards through the discard rack. There
are a number of mechanisms that can be used to effect jam recovery.
The jam recovery may be based upon an identified (sensed) position
of jam or may be an automated sequence of events. Where a card jam
is specifically identified by the sensed position of a jammed card
in the device (and even the number of cards jammed may be estimated
by the dimensions of the sensed image), a jam recovery procedure
may be initiated at that specific location. A specific location in
FIG. 1 within the dealing shoe (e.g., between and inclusive of
rollers 14 (i.e., 14a and 14b) and 16 (i.e., 16a and 16b) will be
discussed from an exemplary perspective, but the discussion relates
to all other positions within the device.
[0068] If a card is sensed (e.g., by sensors 18 and/or 20) as
jammed between rollers 16a/16b and 114a/14b (e.g., a jam occurs
when cards will not move out of the position between the rollers
and cards refuse to be fed into that area), one of a various number
of procedures may be initiated to recover or remove the jam. Among
the various procedures, which are discussed by way of non-limiting
examples, include at least the following. The rear-most set of
rollers (14a and 14b) may reverse direction (e.g., 14a begins to
turn clockwise and 14b begins to turn counterclockwise) to reverse
a direction of movement of the jammed card and to remove the jammed
card from between the rollers (14a and 14b) and have the card
extend backwards into the space 14, without attempting to reinsert
a card into the stacking area 4. The reversed rotation may be
limited to assure that the card remains in contact with the rollers
14a and 14b, so that the card can be moved back into progression
through the dealing shoe. An optional part of this reversal can
include allowing rollers 16a and 16b to become free rolling to
release contact and tension on the card during the reversal. The
reversed rotation may be smoothly run or episodic, attempting to
jerk a jammed card from its jam position. If that procedure does
not work, or as an alternative procedure, both sets of rollers
16a/16b and 14a/14b may reverse at the same time or in either
sequence (e.g., 14a/14b first or 16a/16b first) to attempt to free
the jam of a card. When one set of rollers only is turning, it is
likely to be desirable to have the other set of rollers in the area
of the jam to become free rolling. It is also possible to have the
rollers automatically spaced further apart (e.g., by separating
roller pairs to increase the gap in the potential nip between
rollers) to relieve tension on a card and to facilitate its
recovery from a jam. The adjacent pairs of rollers (e.g., 16a, 16b
and 14a, 14b) can act in coordination, in sequence, in tandem, in
order, independently or in any predefined manner. For example,
referring to the roller sets as 14a/14b and 16a/16b, the recovery
process may have the rollers act as a) (14-16) at the same time in
the same direction), b) (14-16) at the same time in the opposite
directions to assist in straightening out cards, c) (14a/14b then
16a/16b) to have the rollers work sequentially, d) (16a/16b then
14a/14b) to have the rollers work in a different sequence, e) 14
only for an extended time, and then 16 operating alone or together
with 14, f) 16 only for an extended time or extended number of
individual attempts and then 14 for a prescribed time, etc. As
noted earlier, a non-active roller (one that is not attempting to
drive or align cards) may become free rolling during operation of
another roller.
[0069] These various programs may be performed at a single jam
location in series or as only a single program for jam recovery. In
addition, as the card may have been read at the point of the jam or
before the jam, the rank and value of the card jammed may be
identified and this can be displayed on the display panel on the
dealing shoe, on the central computer or on a shuffler connected to
the dealing shoe, and the dealer or pit boss may examine that
specific card to make certain that no markings or damage has
occurred on that card which could either cause further problems
with the dealing shoe or shuffler or could enable the card to be
identified when it is in the dealing position in the shoe at a
later time. The pit crew can then correct any problem by
replacement of that specific card or the entire deck, which would
minimize down time at the card table. Also, if a jam cannot be
recovered, the delivery shoe would indicate a jam recovery failure
(e.g., by a special light, or sound alphanumeric display, for
example) and the pit person or dealer would open the device and
remove the jam manually.
[0070] Individual playing cards (not shown) may be read at one or
more various locations within the card discard rack 2. Information
may be read by the card reading image capture device by either
continuous reading of all image data in the card pre-delivery area
or by triggered on-off imaging of data in a specific region of
cards as the presence of a card is sensed within a pre-delivery
(prior to the card collection area) area. For example, optical card
presence sensors may activate the camera. This sensor is preferably
not a camera. A light source (not shown) may be provided to enhance
the signal to the camera sensor. That specific region of cards is
preferably a corner of the card wherein complete value information
(and possibly suit information) is readable on the card, such as a
corner with value and suit ranging symbols on the card. By using
on-off or single shot imaging of each card, the data flow from the
sensor/card reading element is minimized and the need for larger
memory and data transmission capability is reduced in the
system.
[0071] Information may be transferred from the card reading
elements from a communication port or wire for the sensor/reading
element. Cards may be buffered or staged at various points within
the discard rack, such as where restrained by rollers 16 so that
cards partially extend towards the card collection area 20 past the
rollers 16 and the like. Cards may partially overlap in buffering
as long as two or more cards are not present between a single set
of nip rollers where nip forces may drive both cards forward at the
same time.
[0072] Among the other notable features of the smart discard rack
are at least the following elements: After cards have been read
before or during a deal, the cards are returned after play of a
hand to the smart discard rack for reading, storage and ultimately
return to a shuffler. Hands can be returned one by one or as a
group. The feeding of the cards into the storage area of the rack
exposes them to reading sensors that read the face of the card
without special markings and retains the relative positioning of
the cards (the same order and the same sense (bottom card in the
insert area is the bottom card in the card collection area)).
[0073] The information read in the smart discard rack is correlated
(compared by software in a separate processor) to the original
information read from the cards (after, before or during the deal
and play of the hand) to assist in reconstructing each hand of
cards.
[0074] One advantage in using the smart discard rack of the present
invention is that the number of cards left in the shoe cannot be
estimated by viewing a thickness of the stack of the cards in the
discard rack. When both the card-reading shoe and card-reading
discard rack are used, most of the cards are concealed, providing
less total information to a player. Sensors indicate face values
(suit and rank) when the card is passed over sensors as individual
cards are moved through the rack.
Card Verification Station on a Gaming Table--Centralized
Control
[0075] In a second embodiment of the invention, the structure of
the card verification station is identical to that shown in FIG.
1-3, except that the programming is modified such that the dealer
can feed an entire group of cards (such as one or more deals) used
in the play of a game into the card verification station at the
beginning of or conclusion of a round, a shift, or any other
defined time and obtain an indication that the group of cards is
verified.
[0076] For example, house rules might require a dealer in a single
deck blackjack game to gather all cards from the previous round of
play, combine the cards with unused cards from the deck, and insert
the cards into station 4 for reading. Once the rank and suit of
each card in the deck has been verified, the processor (internal or
external) will initiate a comparison between the cards present and
stored data of the correct composition of a deck. The card
verification station may include an alphanumeric display that shows
a) that the deck has been verified, b) the identity of cards
missing, c) the identity of extra cards present, or d) the fact
that the deck is no longer complete. In the event that the display
shows occurrence b, c, or d, the processor may send a signal to a
dealer display, a host computer, a pit computer or the like in
order to alert the dealer that the deck is no longer ready for
play.
[0077] A side cutaway view of a second embodiment of the present
invention in shown in FIG. 4. Using the device on the gaming table
can be best accomplished by flush-mounting the device into the
table surface 100, so that cards are delivered from the elevator
102 in the direction shown by arrow 104 to the table surface at the
conclusion of the verification process. The well 106 may be located
slightly below the playing surface of the table. If the number of
cards that are inserted into the well 106 as a group exceeds a
height of the well 106, it would be desirable to provide a support
frame 108 extending upwardly from the gaming table surface 100 to
provide additional support to the cards so that the cards remain in
alignment. The upright support frame 108 may be removable, and
preferably has an opening on one side to facilitate the position of
cards in the well 106.
[0078] In one embodiment of the present invention, the card
verification station is a self-contained device with the
intelligence necessary to operate the card moving mechanisms, the
imaging device 118, and the elevator 116. In another example of the
invention, the imaging device 118 is in communication with an
external computer rather than with the internal processor 110.
Card Verification Station on a Gaming Table with Decentralized
Control
[0079] In another embodiment of the invention, the card
verification station 120 is a data collection device which is in
communication with a microprocessor with associated memory
microprocessor 120 whose primary function is to date stamp and
organize the data and forward the data in real time (or delayed
time) to a database residing on an external computer. The database
can reside on a computer associated with the gaming table, the
gaming pit, or the house computer. The data can be transmitted
directly to the database from the microprocessor, or can be sent
over a computer network (wired or wireless) from the
microprocessor. Once the data is in the database, it can be
analyzed with or without other data collected from the gaming
table, such as the number of hands dealt or rounds played in a unit
of time, the identity of the particular players at the table, the
wagers placed, the payouts made, the composition of the hands, the
numbers of decks shuffled, the identity of the dealer, the identity
of other pit personnel and any other data the casino operator
wishes to collect and analyze.
[0080] Another example of data that a casino might want to collect
is data on the number of rounds of play on a given table over a
period of time. A "round" for purposes of this disclosure is a
completed game sequence in which one or more players participate,
wagers are resolved and the playing cards are surrendered at the
conclusion of play and returned to the deck, the group of decks, a
discard rack or the infeed tray of an automatic card shuffler. A
round of play is not an accurate indication of the number of hands
played in a given amount of time, as the gaming tables are not
always full. The data being collected from the card verification
station 120 can be collected in the same way as the data is
collected from a round counting data collection module, except that
a signal or event unique to a completed round must be used to
increment the round counter (i.e., such as the "end-card feed"
signal.
[0081] FIG. 5 shows a casino card gaming table 200 equipped with a
data collection module capable of tracking the number of rounds of
play on the table per a given unit of time. The Table 200 has a
surface 204 with seven player positions 206 (three positions
labeled 206), 208 210, 212 and 214 thereon. A dealer card sensor
216 is provided for the dealer cards 218. The sensor 216 is
connected by a communication system (preferably a wire system, but
RF or other wireless systems could be used) to a microprocessor 222
for the table 200. The microprocessor 222 is on a communication
line 224 (either direct or via a network) to a data collector (not
shown). The microprocessor 222 date stamps the data and optionally
organizes the data prior to transmission to the database or data
collector (not shown). Typically, the microprocessor 222 comprises
a field programmable controller with memory. FIG. 6 shows a
schematic diagram of data transmission in the system of FIG. 5.
[0082] A concept of operative control among processing units should
be appreciated to appreciate the decentralized control system used
in connection with the card verification station or other data
acquisition device. It is believed that existing central control
systems perform by a single main processor sending commands to
peripherals to perform specific functions, and that date stamping
is usually done at point of receipt of the data by a gaming
processor, especially the main processor. For purposes of
discussion, the initial main emphasis of the description will be
directed towards the performance of casino table card games with a
live dealer, but the system is equally applicable to the use of a
fully automated (live dealer-less) gaming apparatus. This emphasis
is not intended to narrow the scope of the invention, but is rather
intended to simplify the description.
[0083] In a standard casino table card game, different events are
sensed (usually visually by a live dealer and/or combinations of
video cameras and personnel who review images from the video
cameras) and the system provides information from these
observations. Where there is automated review of information
(provided by manual or automatic input), a central processor
evaluates this information and commands another element to perform
a procedure or initiates a sequential event, including an analytic
review of data or providing an alarm or message/report relating to
analysis of the data or in response to identification of meaningful
data. For example, in known blackjack monitoring systems, when a
wager is made and is viewed by cameras or detectors, the bet is
recorded and a signal is sent to the main processor that the bet
has been made. There are a couple of concepts that are of interest
to consider in this performance. First, a fairly sophisticated and
powerful processor is needed to control all of the modules, such as
a PC grade processor. Second, the processor must order events to
send out separate signals to each of the peripherals, slowing down
game performance. Any slow down in receipt of data may affect the
value and treatment of data, including round counting and deck
verification functions.
[0084] There are many different elements of the gaming system that
can be considered as peripherals. Another listing of these
components would include currency handling, coin acceptors, bill
acceptors, paperless transactions, ticket-in and ticket-out
crediting, security systems, player accounting functions, door
locks, player input (e.g., button controls, joy sticks, touch
screens, service calls, etc.), dealer identity, pit supervisor
identity, wager measurement modules, card composition modules and
any other functions that may be provided on the gaming table.
[0085] The units or subcomponents on the gaming table or within the
table gaming system can be operated substantially independently of
each other, although some interdependencies may exist. In most
known systems substantially all performance of the peripheries is
done only at the command of the gaming control processor or central
computer.
[0086] Some game devices or modules such as motors, player
identification acceptors, etc., require a real time (RT) operating
system (OS) to handle events in a timely fashion. An RTOS operation
often adversely affects more traditional OS needs such as
multimedia requirements. Ideally, separating the RTOS from the
multimedia frees the multimedia system resources. Additionally,
separating the multimedia control from the RTOS will eliminate the
version dependencies created by coupling unique RTOS to the
multimedia OS.
[0087] As noted earlier, round counting is one service or data
acquisition component that can be important to a table. For
example, round completion can be important for evaluating rates of
play at tables, player rate performance, dealer rate performance,
to signal the smart discard rack to start feeding cards, and even
disputes over time of completion of hands at different tables or
different casinos where priority might be an issue (as in
competitive events or qualifying events). Round counting requires
some form of signal generation at a table that is indicative of
approximate completion of a round and preferably absolute
completion of a round. This can be done in a number of ways for
signal generation. For example, video cameras can be placed above
the table to observe the dealer's hand. When the motions of a
dealer or the dealer's cards indicate that the dealer's cards have
been removed from the playing area, a signal is sent "round
completed" or "dealer's hand removed" or some functional
equivalent.
[0088] A sensor can alternatively be placed on the table over which
the dealer's cards are placed. Upright extensions on the card table
can interfere with card movement, can interfere with chip movement,
can cause accidental disclosure of cards, and are generally
undesirable. A sensing system with a relatively flat or slightly
indented or slightly raised surface is more desirable. The system
could comprise a transparent or translucent panel approximately
flush with the table surface that allows light (e.g., ambient light
or specially directed wavelengths of light for which a sensor is
particularly sensitive) to pass to a sensor. The absence of light
in the sensor for a predetermined period of time and/or intervals
of time can be the original signals themselves, which are
interpreted by an intermediary intelligence on the table that has
the time sensing capability for evaluating the signal. The original
signals are then time stamped by the microprocessor before being
forwarded to the database, where the data can be accessed by
analysis programs residing on a computer (e.g., game table
computer, pit computer, main or central computer). The signals
themselves are time stamped and the receiving intelligence
interprets the signals (light sensed/light not sensed and the
accompanying time stamping) to determine if a round should be
counted.
[0089] For example, before the dealer's hand is dealt, the signal
being sent by the sensor is that light is being received. When the
dealer's hand has been dealt or during the process of dealing the
dealer's hand one-card-at-a-time, the dealer places the dealer's
cards over the sensor. A signal or state is then sent that light is
not being received. If the lack of light signal is of too short a
duration (e.g., 1-2 seconds), the receiving intelligence, based on
the time stamp for a light admission signal changing to a light
blocking signal and back again, will be programmed to interpret
this as a non-round event, such as a dealer leaning on the table or
a player throwing away cards, or some article being misplaced over
the light-sensing system. Similarly, if the light-blocking event is
too long (10-15 minutes), the intelligence will be programmed to
interpret this as a non-round event, such as an inactive table with
cards spread over the table and the sensor. The processor receiving
the time stamped signal will be programmed to interpret the data on
this basis. The processor can poll the signal-stamping component on
a regular basis or wait for a signal or state change information to
be received before it acts. By having the date stamping on the
original signals at the table before being sent to any computer
that analyzes or tabulates or permanently stores the information, a
good level of quality information is maintained.
[0090] Particularly in games where batch shuffling is used, such as
poker or even single deck blackjack, the signal could also be
originated by cards being placed in a shuffler and a shuffling
process initiated, the shuffler sending a start-shuffling signal to
the date stamping component on the table. The dealer could even
activate or press a button provided on the table, but this would
tend to leave the results under the control of the dealer, which
could be manipulated by the dealer to improve results on dealer
play, or could suffer from forgetfulness.
[0091] The application of this technology to gaming tables follows
similar architecture and application of design and performance.
Gaming tables would include typical casino tables such as those
used for blackjack (Twenty-One), baccarat, roulette, poker, poker
variants (Let It Ride.RTM. poker, Three-Card Poker.RTM. game,
Caribbean Stud.RTM. poker, etc.), craps, and the like. These latter
systems, unless they are completely electronic without any physical
implementation (such as physical playing cards, dice, spinning
wheel, drop ball, etc.) will need sensing and/or reading equipment
(e.g., card reading for suits and/or rank, bet reading sensors,
ball position sensors, dice reading sensors, player card readers,
dealer input sensors, player input systems, and the like. These
would be the peripherals or data collection modules in the live
table systems. Also, newer capabilities are enabled such as
moisture detection (e.g., for spilled drinks), smoke detection,
infrared ink detection (to avoid card marking), shuffler operation,
dealer shoe operation, discard rack operation, deck verification
operation, jackpot meters, side bet detectors, and the like.
[0092] The signals and information, when date stamped, do not have
to be sent directly, indirectly or even eventually to a main game
computer. The term "time stamping" is meant any relatable time
entry, such as just time, all the way to time and date. For
purposes of this disclosure, the terms "date stamping" and "time
stamping" are equivalent. The "time" does not even have to be
actual local or standard time of day, but can be time from when
machines are turned on or when shifts begin, or when dealing starts
at a table, etc. As the date stamping of some information, such as
the counting of rounds, number of shuffles per hour, number of
rounds per shuffle, and the like do not have any direct and
underlying effect on the play of individual rounds of the game, the
information may be sent to a data bank or information repository
directly from each table (e.g., on a network directly from tables,
through a table computer, or central networked computer, etc.). The
information need not even be directly sent to a specific
repository, but can be placed on a network as information status
(as well as a specific signal or data package) such that when it is
received by the data bank or storage repository, the recipient
memory device will appropriately log-in and/or store the data or
signal that is received from each table. This information can be
analyzed and stored in real time or stored for later analysis upon
command or upon regular intervals.
The Use of a Card Verification Station on a Table Managed by
Distributed Architecture
[0093] Alternatives to centralized control of table game operations
are now available. A "G-Mod" is a controller associated with game
data acquisition module that date stamps data being acquired from
the data acquisition module, and also supports specific functions
on the gaming table or associated peripherals (e.g., shuffler). To
understand a G-mod and its function, it is desirable to understand
the concept of operative control among processing units. A G-Mod is
an electronic hardware element that performs its task independent
of direct control from a main processor. The device may have
sufficient intelligence to read data and make a decision on data,
but its primary task is not to receive and obey commands, but
rather interprets data to determine if a state change has occurred,
and then broadcast that change of state to the other system
G-Mod's. For example, the card verification station G-Mod may
receive status signals or status data from the round counter G-Mod
and determine whether it is to respond to the signal or data, but
is not commanded by the data. Equally importantly, it is capable of
sending out status data and/or signal data.
[0094] For example, a blackjack gaming table could be equipped with
a round counting sensor and associated G-Mod, a special dealing
shoe with a card count sensor and associated G-Mod, and a card
verification station and associated G-Mod. The information
collected from these modules can be used to determine the number of
rounds played, the number of players per round, the number of hands
played and whether any cards were inserted/removed from the deck
during a particular play session. While this information is being
date stamped and fed into the central database, the G-Mod's are
controlling the collection of the data, by broadcasting signals to
the other G-Mod's via a communication network, eliminating the need
for central control. The advantages of decentralized control are
numerous. Generally, multiple microprocessors are less expensive
than a central control unit. Adding modules does not normally
require a rewriting of all or part of the central software. No
software needed to operate each G-Mod must be rewritten when
modules are added or removed.
[0095] A card swipe module could be added to the table system, with
an associated G-Mod. This G-Mod could not only transmit
time-stamped data to the data repository, but could also transmit
player I.D. information to the player tracking system residing in
the casino computer system or dealer I.D. to link a specific dealer
to a specific table and to evaluate the specific dealer.
[0096] One or more sensors could sense information transmitted
through an output data port of a shuffler, for example, or a keypad
control used to issue commands to a shuffler. The shuffler would
have its own G-Mod and would be capable of transmitting date
stamped information such as number of cards per hand, number of
hands per hour, number of cards dispensed per unit time, number of
player positions occupied, number of cards re-fed into a continuous
shuffler per unit of time, number of promotional cards dispensed
per unit of time, bonus awards granted at a certain time, and the
like. This information could be collected in a central database,
data bank or information repository (e.g., any electronic memory or
storage system).
[0097] A bet interface module could also be provided. Known
techniques for measuring wagers include optical and metal detection
type bet present sensors for fixed bets, and camera imaging, radio
frequency/identification technology and the like for measuring the
amount of the bet, as well as the presence of the bet. Outputs from
these measurement devices are fed through a dedicated G-Mod and the
data is date stamped and delivered to the central data
depository.
[0098] Another possible G-Mod could control a card-reading camera
located in either the card shuffler, the dealing shoe, the discard
tray or combinations of the above. Information about the specific
cards dealt to each player could be obtained by feeding
date-stamped information about cards dealt and returned. In one
form of the invention, the G-Mod sends date-stamped information to
the database and an algorithm residing in the same computer or
house computer uses this information as well as round counting and
betting information to determine the composition of a hand of
blackjack, for example.
[0099] Another G-Mod might be in communication with an
identification system for tracking the movement of employees in and
out of the pit, or more preferably when the dealers arrive at and
leave the table. This information could be collected and reported
along with rounds of play per hour to determine which dealers deal
the most hands in a given period of time.
[0100] In a roulette application, a sensor and associated G-Mod can
record the number of spins of the wheel in a unit of time, for
example. This information could be associated with the player swipe
card information from another G-Mod by merely comparing the time
stamping of the data to determine how long a particular player
stayed at a table. A sensor or G-Mod may "listen in" to
communication to the reader board on a roulette table, and send
that information to a data bank, so that a distinct sensor is not
needed to read the position of the ball separate from existing
components.
[0101] It is important to note that none of the G-Mod's are in
communication (e.g., direct communication or command, although data
or signal transmission from one G-Mod may pass through the
communication network of one or more other G-Mod's, without the
signal being a command to any other G-Mod) with other G-Mod's on
the same gaming table. Also, the data repository does not issue
commands to the G-Mod's, except to initialize the G-Mod's on power
up. The central database merely organizes the data in a manner that
allows for easy access by external or other associated computers or
another application program residing on the same computer as the
database. In this respect, the G-Mod's are self-executing and do
not require central intelligence to perform their individual
functions. The data may be analyzed and used to make decisions
about comping players, promoting pit personnel, closing and opening
tables, determining optimal betting limits for given periods of
time and other important managerial functions.
[0102] Each G-Mod may be in data communication with an interface
device such as one or more specialized circuit boards to allow the
data from multiple G-Mod's to be fed into a standard port of the
computer that serves as the data repository.
[0103] A software interface can be provided to directly access data
in the data repository and to manipulate and organize the data so
that it can be outputted onto a display, written report or data
stream so that the data can be interpreted. In one preferred
software interface program, the operator can obtain reports of
rounds of play per hour per actual table, per pit, or per property,
as determined by the user. The information in the form of a data
stream may be further analyzed. In one example, the data is fed
into a host computer or can be analyzed in the same computer system
where the database and interface resides. For example, the data
from one or more of the round counting module, the shoe sensor, the
card swipe, card reading module, smart discard rack, the shuffler
data port sensor, and the bet interfaces can be used to create a
report of rounds played per unit of time, the number of players at
the table per unit of time, the number of hands played at each
round, the maximum bet per player in a given unit of time, the
average bet per player in a unit of time, the number of shuffles
per unit of time, the number of cards removed from and placed into
the shuffler in a unit of time, hand composition and other
information considered important to the casino.
[0104] Because all of the G-Mod's work independently, the casino
operator can choose the modules and resulting data that is most
important to them, while saving valuable resources by only
purchasing the sensing/data analysis packages they need. For
example, one casino might want to reconstruct individual hands,
track betting and associate the information with a particular
player in a high stakes game, while tracking only rounds and the
identification of the employees on low-stakes games.
[0105] By using a modular approach to data collection, only the
equipment and reports that are wanted can be provided at the lowest
possible cost. Since none of the G-Mod's are in command
communication with one-another, it is not necessary to rewrite any
code when additional modules are added.
The Use of a Card Verification Station as a Back Room Deck/Multiple
Deck Checking Device
[0106] The card verification station of the present invention may
be used by a casino to check the integrity of decks or groups of
decks of cards prior to commissioning the cards for use on the
casino floor or as part of the decommissioning process. The system
includes a card verification station as shown in FIGS. 1-3. An
external computer (not shown) is in communication with the
microprocessor of the card verification station, and the
card-imaging device. The external computer has memory. Stored in
memory is the rank/suit information of the set of cards being
verified. A group of cards is inserted into the station, and the
rank/suit of the cards are read. Cards exiting the device remain in
the same order as the cards as they are fed. The external computer
compares the read data to the stored data and generates a report of
at least one of: a) the total number of cards read, b) extra cards
present, c) cards missing, d) number of extra cards, e) number of
cards missing, d) a verification that the group of cards is
complete. A printer may be provided to generate a report that the
group of cards is ready for use on the casino floor, or that there
are deviations from the cards that should be present in the group.
The external computer may also be equipped with a monitor or other
device capable of displaying information relating to the
composition of the scanned cards, and deviations from the stored
values.
[0107] The present invention may include a method of verifying
cards either prior to, during or after use on a gaming table. The
method includes the steps of: providing a deck verification device
capable of reading cards individually to determine rank and suit;
feeding in a group of cards selected from the group consisting of:
a deck of cards, plural decks of cards, special decks of cards and
plural special decks of cards; reading rank and suit of each card;
forming a stack of read cards, wherein the cards are in the same
order as they were in prior to reading; comparing the rank and suit
of the read cards to stored values for a complete deck or decks of
cards; and providing a visual indication of deviations between the
rank and/or suit of read cards and stored values. The deck or decks
are preferably unmarked standard cards, and the device or devices
used to read the rank and suit can be cameras or other optical
imaging devices. Machine vision software can be used to interpret
the images. In one application of the method, the deck verification
device is placed near or on the gaming table so that the method can
be practiced either before, during or after play, or at the request
of management. In one preferred form of the method, the deck
verification device is flush mounted into the gaming table surface.
Preferably, the entire group of cards used in the play of the game
is verified to determine if the set is complete. In another example
of the invention, sets of cards are verified prior to commissioning
the cards to be used on the casino floor. When the deck
verification device is flush mounted into the table surface, it is
desirable to elevate the verified group of cards to the playing
surface after reading. In a third form of the invention, decks or
groups of decks are verified after use and prior to the card being
decommissioned. Decommissioned cards are either destroyed or
modified and sold as souvenirs.
[0108] When verifying complete sets of cards, the method can
include comparing the read values to stored values. The stored
values are typically located on an external computer.
[0109] A casino may use the device of the present invention in a
number of distinct manners. In addition to using a card
verification station to read the rank and/or suit of the cards as
the cards leave the table; the card verification station could be
used to check the completeness of the deck at the table, either
before or after a round, a shift or a period of play. Another
aspect of the present invention is to use the deck verification
station as a component of a back-end casino system for checking
decks prior to play and/or prior to retiring or decommissioning
cards. For example, a casino might receive cards in either pack
order or in a random order from the manufacturer. It is fairly easy
to spread out a deck of ordered cards and confirm visually that all
the cards are present, but when the cards are randomized prior to
packaging, a (manual) visual indication is no longer possible. It
would be desirable to read the cards to check that the decks or
packs of decks are complete, prior to using the cards in a live
casino game.
[0110] For instance, in the game of standard blackjack, the casino
typically combines eight decks of 52 cards each, with jokers
removed. The casino could use the card verification station of the
present invention to confirm that each of the 416 cards is present
and that no additional cards are present. The casino might also
want to use a card verification station to verify that packs of
cards removed from play are complete, as a security measure, prior
to decommissioning the cards. The casino could run the packs
through the card verification station to check the packs for this
purpose also.
[0111] Referring now to FIG. 7, when the card reading device 300 is
used as a back-end deck or pack checker, it is preferable that the
imaging equipment located in the device 302 be in information
communication with an external computer 304. Residing within the
external computer 304 is memory 306 holding card information
regarding the standard composition of the deck or packs of decks of
cards. A comparison program (not shown) also resides in memory 306
and is provided so that after the card reader 302 scans each card
to be verified, the program compares the scanned values to actual
values and creates a report. The data may be shown on an external
display such as a monitor 308 with or without touch screen
controls, may be printed in a printer 310, may be transmitted as an
audible signal from a speaker 312, or combinations thereof.
[0112] Information that is typically inputted into the external
P.C. via a keyboard 314, touch pad controls, joystick, voice
command or other known data input means prior to checking the decks
might include a) the identity of the card verification station
equipment, b) the identity of the dealer who is either about to
receive or just removed cards from the table, c) the pit number, d)
a table i.d., e) the number of packs to be sorted, f) the identity
of the game, g) the number of decks in the pack, h) the date, I)
the shift and j) and any other information useful in creating an
identity for the pack of cards being sorted.
[0113] The computer outputs information such as the number of cards
missing, the number of extra cards, the identity of cards missing,
the identity of extra cards, the fact that the pack of cards is
complete, the table i.d., the dealer i.d., the pit i.d., the game,
the employee i.d., the date, time, shift and any other data that
has been inputted and is requested by the casino.
[0114] The card verification device 300 has its own internal
processor 316 that controls the operation of the device. The
processor 316 will issue commands to motors, elevators and the like
to accomplish card movement at the request of a dealer input device
318 or an instruction from the external computer 304. In one
embodiment (not shown) only the camera system 302 is in
communication with the external computer 304. In another example of
the invention, both the internal processor 316 and the imaging
system 302 are in communication with the external processor. The
internal processor 316 might notify the external computer 304 when
a batch has started to process or when a batch is complete, for
example. If the card verification device 300 has an integral
external display 320 (such as an LED, LCD, multi-segment or graphic
display for example, the display could receive information from the
external computer 304 on what information to display. Any
information that is included on display 308 could also be shown on
the display 320 affixed to the device itself 300.
[0115] The card verification device of the present invention may be
used to read and verify cards at various stages of card use, as the
verification of cards is often desirable, before, during and after
play of casino card games.
[0116] The method of the present invention can also include sending
the read signals to at least one of a microprocessor and a G-Mod to
date stamp the data prior to storing the data in an external
database. The data in the database can be accessed in real-time or
at a later date to verify the group of cards used in the game was
intact and validated as complete.
[0117] The above examples are clearly exemplary and are not
intended to be limiting in the practice, disclosure or enablement
of the invention. As noted, any image capture device may be used
that can read information relating to symbols and can access symbol
reading software, any sensor can be sued as a position sensor if it
can sense the presence and/or absence of a playing card, drives in
the device can be belt drives, gear rives, hydraulic drives, step
motor drives or the like, and other variations in software
selection, hardware selection, communication modalities and the
like are within the skill and selection options of the designer or
practitioner.
[0118] All of the apparatus, devices and methods disclosed and
claimed herein can be made and executed without undue
experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the
apparatus, devices and methods of this invention have been
described in terms of both generic descriptions and preferred
embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
variations may be applied to the apparatus, devices and methods
described herein without departing from the concept and scope of
the invention. More specifically, it will be apparent that certain
elements, components, steps, and sequences that are functionally
related to the preferred embodiments may be substituted for the
elements, components, steps, and sequences described and/or claimed
herein while the same of similar results would be achieved. All
such similar substitutions and modifications apparent to those
skilled in the art are deemed to be within the scope and concept of
the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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