U.S. patent application number 11/558823 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for casino card shoes, systems, and methods for a no peek feature.
Invention is credited to Zbigniew Czyzewski, David Pokorny, Richard A. Radcliffe, Nancy R. Snow.
Application Number | 20080111300 11/558823 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39368474 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080111300 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Czyzewski; Zbigniew ; et
al. |
May 15, 2008 |
CASINO CARD SHOES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR A NO PEEK FEATURE
Abstract
Card shoes, systems and methods for determining a dealer's hand
status are disclosed. An image of a last dispensed card captured by
an image sensor in a card shoe is analyzed. A value of the card is
determined by evaluating the image. A dealer's hand status is
indicated on a notification element. In another method, the
beginning of a round and a number of cards dealt is determined. A
dealer's hand value is determined by determining a value of the
last card dealt in the round and a value of a first dealer card
dealt in the hand. Determining card values is performed by
analyzing an image of the cards captured by an image sensor in a
card shoe. Finally, the method includes notification of the
dealer's hand status.
Inventors: |
Czyzewski; Zbigniew;
(Henderson, NV) ; Snow; Nancy R.; (Las Vegas,
NV) ; Radcliffe; Richard A.; (Las Vegas, NV) ;
Pokorny; David; (Las Vegas, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TRASKBRITT, P.C. /SHUFFLE MASTER
P.O. BOX 2550
SALT LAKE CITY
UT
84110
US
|
Family ID: |
39368474 |
Appl. No.: |
11/558823 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/149R ;
273/148R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 1/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/149.R ;
273/148.R |
International
Class: |
A63B 71/00 20060101
A63B071/00; A63F 1/14 20060101 A63F001/14 |
Claims
1. A card dispensing apparatus, comprising: a card shoe configured
for dispensing cards one at a time from at least one deck of cards
disposed in the card shoe; an image sensor operably associated with
the card shoe and configured for recognizing a rank of each card
that is dispensed from the card shoe; and a notification element
operably associated with the card shoe and configured for revealing
to a dealer a dealer's hand status.
2. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
notification element is selected from the group consisting of a
display, a LED, a speaker, a signal to an external device, and
combinations thereof.
3. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
notification element is a display configured to be perceived by the
dealer and unreadable by gaming participants or unauthorized gaming
observers.
4. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dealer's
hand status is determinable by a requesting element being
configured to request at least a value of a last dispensed card and
the notification element being configured to indicate the value of
the last dispensed card.
5. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
requesting element operably associated with the card shoe and
configured for the dealer to activate, wherein the dealer's hand
status is determinable by the requesting element being configured
to request if a value of a last dispensed card is a ten and the
notification element being configured to indicate if the value of
the last dispensed card is a ten.
6. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the dealer's
hand status is determinable by the requesting element being
configured to request if the value of the last dispensed card is an
Ace and the notification element being configured to indicate if
the value of the last dispensed card is an Ace.
7. A card dispensing system, comprising; a card shoe configured for
dispensing cards one at a time from at least one deck of cards
disposed in the card shoe, the card shoe including; an image sensor
operably associated with the card shoe and configured for
recognizing a rank of each card that is dispensed from the card
shoe; a first communication module configured for transmitting
information about the rank of each card and for receiving a hand
notification; and a notification element operably associated with
the card shoe and configured for revealing an actionable event in
response to receiving the hand notification; and a table manager
configured for: receiving the information about the rank of each
card; determining, from the information about the rank of each
card, a first dealer-card rank and a second dealer-card rank; and
transmitting the hand notification to the card shoe if a
combination of the first dealer-card rank and the second
dealer-card rank comprise a blackjack.
8. The card dispensing system of claim 7, further comprising a
requesting element configured for enabling the notification element
to reveal the actionable event by an indication selected from the
group consisting of the dealer's hand value, the dealer's hole card
value, or combinations thereof.
9. The card dispensing system of claim 7, further comprising a
requesting element configured for enabling the notification element
to reveal the actionable event by indicating that a dealer's hole
card is a ten.
10. The card dispensing system of claim 7, further comprising a
requesting element configured for enabling the notification element
to reveal the actionable event by indicating that a dealer's hole
card is an Ace.
11. The card dispensing system of claim 7, wherein the notification
element is a display configured to be perceived by the dealer and
unreadable by gaming participants or unauthorized gaming
observers.
12. The card dispensing system of claim 7, wherein the notification
element is selected from the group consisting of a display, a LED,
a speaker, a signal to an external device, and combinations
thereof.
13. The card dispensing system of claim 7, wherein the table
manager further comprises a second communication module configured
for communication with a server across a communication network.
14. A method for determining a dealer's hand status, comprising:
analyzing an image of at least a portion of a last dispensed card
captured by an image sensor in a card shoe; determing a value of
the last dispensed card by evaluating the image; requesting a
dealer's hand status by activating a requesting element associated
with the card shoe; and notifying the dealer of the dealer's hand
status when the requesting element is activated by indicating a
value of the last dispensed card.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein indicating the value of the
last dispensed card comprises displaying the value to the dealer on
a display configured to be perceived by the dealer and unreadable
by gaming participants or unauthorized gaming observers.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein notifying the dealer comprises
an action selected from the group consisting of presenting a sound,
activating an LED, displaying the value of the last dispensed card,
displaying the dealer's hand status, and combinations thereof.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein requesting the dealer's hand
status comprises requesting if the last dispensed card is a ten and
notifying the dealer comprises notifying the dealer that the last
dispensed card is the ten.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein requesting the dealer's hand
status comprises requesting if the last dispensed card is an Ace
and notifying the dealer comprises notifying the dealer that the
last dispensed card is the Ace.
19. A method for determining a dealer's hand status, comprising:
determining a beginning of a round of blackjack; determining a
dealer's hand value by: determining a value of a last card dealt in
the round by analyzing an image of at least a portion of the last
card dealt, the image captured by an image sensor in a card shoe;
and determining a value of a first dealer card in the round by
applying an algorithm to identify the first dealer card and by
analyzing an image of at least a portion of the first dealer card,
the image captured by the image sensor in the card shoe; and
indicating the dealer's hand status resulting from the dealer's
hand value.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein indicating the dealer's hand
status comprises displaying the dealer's hand value, the value of
the last card dealt, the value of the first dealer card, or
combinations thereof on a display configured to be perceived by the
dealer and unreadable by gaming participants or unauthorized gaming
observers.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein indicating the dealer's hand
status comprises an action selected from the group consisting of
presenting a sound, activating an LED, displaying the dealer's hand
value, displaying the value of the last card dealt, displaying the
value of the first dealer card, sending a signal to an external
device, and combinations thereof.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein indicating the dealer's hand
status comprises indicating that the value of the last card dealt
is a ten.
23. The method of claim 19, wherein indicating the dealer's hand
status comprises indicating that the value of the last card dealt
is an Ace.
24. The method of claim 19, wherein analyzing an image of at least
a portion of the cards is performed by a device selected from the
group consisiting of a card shoe, a table manager, and combinations
thereof.
25. The method of claim 19, wherein determining a number of cards
dealt comprises: analyzing at least one image of a table from at
least one camera to determine a number of wagers placed or
analyzing the at least one image of the table to determine a number
of hands dealt in the round; and determining that the number of
cards dealt is twice the number of wagers placed plus two or twice
the number of hands dealt, including the dealer's hand.
26. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the beginning of
the round of blackjack comprises an action selected from the group
consisting of determining that a table does not include any cards
dealt thereon, determining that the table does not include any an
bets placed thereon, receiving a start of round notification from a
table manager, and receiving a start of round notification from the
card shoe.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is related to concurrently filed
applications: "CASINO TABLE GAME MONITORING SYSTEM" bearing the
attorney docket number PA1712.ap.US, "METHOD AND APPARATUS
PROVIDING GAMING TABLE WITH RFID ANTENNAS AND SHIELDING" bearing
the attorney docket number PA1700.ap.US, and "METHODS AND
APPARATUSES FOR AN AUTOMATIC CARD HANDLING DEVICE AND COMMUNICATION
NETWORKS INCLUDING SAME" bearing the attorney docket number
PA1701.ap.US, the contents of which are incorporated by reference
in their entirety herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the
field of gaming and the filed of casino table card gaming. More
particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to the use of
equipment for the delivery of playing cards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Cards are ordinarily provided to players in casino card
games either directly from a deck held in a dealer's hands or with
cards removed by the dealer from a dealing shoe or dealing rack.
The original dealing racks were little more than trays that
supported the deck(s) of cards and allowed the dealer to remove the
front card (with the card front facing the table to hide the rank
and suit of the card) and deliver it to a player. Over the years,
both stylistic and functional changes have been made to dealing
shoes, which have been used for blackjack, poker, baccarat and
other casino table card games.
[0004] In the card game of Blackjack, there is a special event when
players are offered the option to purchase "insurance." This
insurance is a separate wager that can protect the player from
losing when the dealer is dealt a "21." At the beginning of the
game, players and the dealer are dealt two cards. One of the
dealer's two cards is face up and is known as the "up card." The
second card is face down and is known as the "hidden" or "hole"
card. Players have the advantage of knowing their two cards and the
dealer's up card. A skilled player uses the odds to decide whether
to "hit" or "stand" based on the knowledge of card information. In
games that offer the insurance option, if the up card of the dealer
is an "Ace," the players are offered an opportunity to place an
"insurance" wager, which has a limit that is based on the amount of
the initial wager. The purpose of the insurance bet is to allow
players to "protect" their initial wager when the dealer's up card
is an `Ace`, (the dealer's chance of having a Blackjack when his up
card is an `Ace` is much higher than if the face card is a ten or
has a value of ten). After players respond to the offer of placing
the insurance bet, the dealer "peeks" at his hole card to find out
if he indeed has a Blackjack. In the case of the dealer's up card
being a value of 10 (such as a 10, `Jack`, `Queen` or `King`), the
dealer may also peek at his hole card; however, players are not
given the opportunity to place an insurance bet.
[0005] During the process of "peeking" at the hole card, a dealer
can inadvertently, but easily, reveal his hole card to players or
anyone else who may be near the table. Knowing the hole card value
(assuming that the dealer does not have an automatic winning
Blackjack hand) prior to the end of the game would give a player a
significant advantage, and is considered cheating. Therefore, it is
important to ensure that players are not able to determine the
value of the hole card prior to the final game outcome.
[0006] Currently, many casinos use a stand-alone electronic-optical
device to detect the hole card value without revealing the card to
the dealer or the player. This device is commonly referred to as a
"no-peek device." However, current no-peek devices are configured
as an additional electronic hardware element at the table.
[0007] There is a need for an apparatuses and methods for enabling
the dealer to determine a blackjack status of the dealer's hand
without requiring the use of a conventional no-peek device.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention, in various embodiments, comprises
methods, devices, and systems configured for enabling the dealer to
determine a blackjack status of the dealer's hand without requiring
conventional no-peek devices. The methods and systems include
stand-alone card shoes configured for enabling the dealer to
determine a blackjack status and card shoes as part of a monitoring
system enabling the dealer to determine a blackjack status.
[0009] An embodiment of the invention comprises a card dispensing
apparatus including a card shoe, an image sensor, and a
notification element. The card shoe is configured for dispensing
cards one at a time from at least one deck of cards disposed in the
card shoe. Typically, the shoe may hold up to eight decks of cards.
The image sensor is operably associated with the card shoe and is
configured for recognizing at least a rank of each card that is
dispensed from the card shoe. Optionally a requesting element is
also provided. In the absence of the requesting element,
notification of a dealer blackjack is automatic. The requesting
element, when present, is operably associated with the card shoe
and configured for a dealer to activate when an indication of a
dealer's hand status is desired. Finally, the notification element
is operably associated the card shoe and configured for revealing
the dealer's hand status when the requesting element is
activated.
[0010] Another embodiment of the invention comprises a card
dispensing system including a card shoe and a table manager. The
card shoe is configured for dispensing cards one at a time from at
least one deck of cards disposed in the card shoe. The card shoe
includes an image sensor, a first communication module, and a
notification element. The image sensor is operably associated with
the card shoe and is configured for recognizing a rank of each card
that is dispensed from the card shoe. The first communication
module is configured for transmitting information about the rank of
each card and for receiving a hand notification. The notification
element is operably associated with the card shoe and is configured
for revealing an actionable event in response to receiving the hand
notification. The table manager is configured to receive the
information about the rank of each card, determine, from the
information about the rank of each card, a first dealer-card rank
and a second dealer-card rank, and transmit the hand notification
to the card shoe if a combination of the first dealer-card rank and
the second dealer-card rank comprises a blackjack. A requesting
element is optionally provided to provide dealer hand information
on demand.
[0011] Yet another embodiment of the invention comprises a method
for determining a dealer's hand status. The method includes
analyzing an image of at least a portion of a last dispensed card
captured by an image sensor in a card shoe. The method also
includes determing a value of the last dispensed card by evaluating
the image. In addition, the method includes notifying the dealer of
the dealer's hand status when the requesting element is activated
by indicating a value of the last dispensed card. Optionally, the
method includes requesting a dealer's hand status by actuating a
requesting element associated with the system.
[0012] Yet another embodiment of the invention comprises another
method for determining a dealer's hand status. The method includes
determining a beginnning of a hand of blackjack and determining a
number of hands dealt in a round. The method also includes
determining a dealer's hand value by determining a value of the
last card dealt in the hand and determining a value of a first
dealer card in the hand. An algorithm is applied to determine the
identity of the first dealer card. Determining values of the cards
is performed by analyzing an image of at least a portion of the
card captured by an image sensor in a card shoe. The middle card is
determined to be the card that is one-half of the number of cards
dealt. In addition, the method includes notifying the dealer of the
dealer's hand status resulting from the dealer's hand value.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] In the drawings:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method of playing
blackjack;
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a layout of a blackjack table;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a card shoe in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing electronic elements of an
embodiment of a card shoe;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method of determining a
blackjack status of the dealer's hand in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an integrated monitoring system
used to monitor gaming at a blackjack table in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates a layout of a blackjack table and
possible placement of elements of an integrated monitoring system
used to monitor gaming at a blackjack table in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention; and
[0021] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of another method of determining a
blackjack status of the dealer's hand in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] The present invention comprises methods, devices, and
systems configured for enabling the dealer to determine a blackjack
status of the dealer's hand without requiring conventional no-peek
devices. The methods and systems include stand-alone card shoes
configured for enabling the dealer to determine a blackjack status
and card shoes as part of a monitoring system enabling the dealer
to determine a blackjack status
[0023] The following provides a more detailed description of the
present invention and various representative embodiments thereof.
In this description, circuits and functions may be shown in block
diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in
unnecessary detail. Conversely, specific implementations shown and
described are exemplary only and should not be construed as the
only way to implement the present invention unless specified
otherwise herein. Additionally, block definitions and partitioning
of functions between various blocks is exemplary of a specific
implementation. It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary
skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced by
numerous other partitioning solutions.
[0024] Further, the term "module" is used herein in a non-limiting
sense and solely to indicate functionality of particular circuits
and assemblies included within embodiments of the invention, and
may not be construed as requiring a particular physical structure,
or particular partitioning between elements of the invention
performing indicated functions.
[0025] In this description, some drawings may illustrate signals as
a single signal for clarity of presentation and description. It
will be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art that
the signal may represent a bus of signals, wherein the bus may have
a variety of bit widths and the present invention may be
implemented on any number of data signals including a single data
signal.
[0026] Software processes illustrated herein are intended to
illustrate representative processes that may be performed by the
systems illustrated herein. Unless specified otherwise, the order
in which the processes are described is not intended to be
construed as a limitation. Furthermore, the processes may be
implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or
combinations thereof.
[0027] When executed as firmware or software, the instructions for
performing the processes may be stored on a computer readable
medium. A computer readable medium includes, but is not limited to,
magnetic and optical storage devices such as disk drives, magnetic
tape, CDs (compact disks), DVDs (digital versatile discs or digital
video discs), and semiconductor devices such as RAM, DRAM, ROM,
EPROM, and Flash memory.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a typical method of playing
blackjack. Of course, rules may vary between casinos and FIG. 1 is
used to illustrate an example method of playing in which
embodiments of the invention may be used. The object of blackjack
is to obtain a card hand with a rank numerical value of twenty-one.
All face cards (i.e., kings, queens and jacks) have a rank value of
ten. Aces can have a value of one or eleven, depending on the value
needed by the player/dealer (as dictated by the other cards in the
hand). The remaining cards retain their rank values (i.e., a 2 has
a value of two, 3 has a value of three, etc.). The card suits do
not matter in blackjack.
[0029] To start, the players place an initial wager 110. After the
wagers are placed, the dealer deals two cards to each player and
the dealer 125. All cards are dealt face down except for one of the
dealer's card. The dealer's hand includes one card dealt face up
(the "up card") and the second card dealt face down (the "hole"
card). The object of the game is to beat the dealer's hand with a
hand having a value of twenty-one, or as close to twenty-one as
possible.
[0030] As stated earlier, in blackjack there is a special event
when players are offered an option to purchase "insurance."
Insurance is a separate wager designed to protect the player from
losing the initial wager when the dealer is dealt a twenty-one
(i.e., blackjack). If the dealer's up card is an Ace 130, the
dealer may have a blackjack. Decision block 130 is the test of the
dealer observing the up card to see if it is an Ace. If the
dealer's up card is an Ace, in operation block 135 the dealer
offers the players an opportunity to place insurance bets and, if
they want, the players place the insurance bets.
[0031] At operation block 140, the dealer determines the value of
the hole card. As stated earlier, in conventional games the dealer
may peek at the card or use a stand-alone electronic-optical device
to detect the rank of the hole card. As will be explained more
fully below, embodiments of the present invention use new
apparatuses and methods to determine, among other things, the value
of the hole card.
[0032] If the hole card value is a ten, as illustrated by decision
block 145, operation block 150 indicates that the dealer has
blackjack, so the round ends. The dealer pays on any insurance bets
155, collects the initial bets of all the players, and collects all
the cards for that hand. If the hole card value is not a ten,
operation block 160 indicates that the dealer does not have
blackjack, so the dealer collects all the insurance bets and normal
play proceeds as indicated by operation block 165.
[0033] Returning to decision block 130, if the dealer does not have
an Ace, the casino rules may be designed such that the dealer still
determines whether he has a blackjack before play proceeds. If, for
example, the dealer has a ten value card, he can still have a
blackjack if the hole card is an Ace. Thus, decision block 170
indicates that the dealer observes the up card to determine if it
has a value of ten. If the dealer's up card is not a ten, normal
play proceeds as indicated by process block 165. However, if the
dealer's up card is a ten, the dealer may have a blackjack so the
dealer determines the value of the hole card as illustrated by
operation block 180. Thus, as with operation block 140, embodiments
of the present invention may be used to determine, among other
things, the value of the hole card in operation block 180.
[0034] If the hole card value is an Ace, as illustrated by decision
block 185, operation block 190 indicates that the dealer has
blackjack, so the round ends. If the dealer does not have an Ace,
normal play proceeds as indicated by process block 165.
[0035] When normal play proceeds, each player, in turn, may decide
to draw additional cards (i.e., a "hit") to bring their total
closer to twenty-one. A skilled player uses the odds to decide
whether to "hit" or "stand" (i.e., not receive additional cards)
based on the present information about her cards and the dealer's
up card. There is no limit to the number of hits a player can take
as long as the player's hand total does not exceed twenty-one. A
hand total that exceeds twenty-one is known as a bust. Players that
bust are out of the game and must reveal all of their cards to
indicate to the dealer that they busted. For all practical
purposes, taking a fifth hit card is a very rare occurrence and
some casinos offer bonus payouts for obtaining a "seven card hand"
without busting. The dealer removes the player's cards and the
player's wagers are forfeited to the house. At any point during the
game, the players may decide not to be dealt any more additional
cards and hope that their hand total will exceed the dealer's hand
total, or hope that the dealer busts out of the game. After all the
players have finished making their game decisions, the dealer
reveals the hole card and plays out the dealer's hand. Although it
may vary from casino to casino, generally, house rules indicate
that the dealer must hit until the dealer's hand reaches at least
seventeen, regardless of what the players have.
[0036] The game of blackjack has other wagering and dealing
scenarios as is known in the art. These scenarios include options
such as a "double down" wager or "split" of the player's hand.
Double down allows the player to double its initial wager at the
cost of receiving only one more card from the dealer. Splitting of
a hand allows the player to double its wager, but to use each
initial card as a first card in what becomes two new hands.
Splitting is only available when the initial cards have the same
value. House rules may place restrictions on when a player may
double down or split.
[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of a casino table 200 suitable
for playing blackjack. The table 200 includes a card shoe 300 (also
referred to as a card dispensing apparatus), a chip rack 210, an
insurance wager placement area 220, and a plurality of player
wagering positions 230. Players place their initial wagers and any
subsequent wagers in the wagering positions 230. When insurance
wagers are applicable, players place their insurance wagers in the
insurance wager placement area 220 near their specific wagering
positions 230.
[0038] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a card shoe 300 in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The card shoe 300
has a generally rectangular shape and has an upper surface that is
sloped from the rear 301 to the front 302. The card retaining
cavity (not shown) also has a sloping lower surface. The card shoe
300 may be constructed of a rigid plastic or other durable
material. Generally, cards are shuffled prior to insertion into the
shoe. One or more decks (typically eight decks) of cards may be
inserted in bulk from above, and are manually removed one at a time
by pressing downwardly on an outer surface of a card through an
inverted U-shaped opening 304 in the front end 302.
[0039] On a near side of the shoe, which generally faces the
dealer, is an outwardly protruding control panel 308 that may
contain one or more buttons 310, a display 314, and a speaker 318.
This control panel 308 is useful for a dealer who would use the
equipment to deliver cards to a casino-style card game.
[0040] The display 314 (also referred to as a notification display)
may be any display known by those in the art, such as, for example,
a liquid crystal display (LCD) a light emitting diode display (LED)
and a plasma display. In addition, the display 314 may be as simple
as a single light or LED, or be augmented with one or more LEDs
316. The display 314, LED 316, and speaker 318, alone or in
combination, may be referred to as an actionable event indicator
and configured to indicate an actionable event, wherein the dealer
should perform some action if notified to do so by one of these
elements. For example, the actionable event may be that the dealer
has a blackjack, the dealer has an Ace as the hole card, the dealer
has an Ace up card, the dealer has a ten value up card, or the
dealer has a ten as the hole card.
[0041] Of course, within the scope of the present invention,
placement of the buttons 310 and the display 314 may be at many
locations on the card shoe 300, or even physically separated from
the card shoe 300, while still being able to communicate with the
card shoe 300. For some embodiments of the present invention, it
may be important to have the display 314 located such that it is
readable by the dealer, but not readable by the gaming participants
or other unauthorized gaming observers.
[0042] An upper surface 315 of the shoe may contain additional
controls 312. The controls 312 may additionally be backlit to
convey additional information to the dealer. The shoe also may
include a lid 316, which covers the cards once the cards are placed
in the shoe.
[0043] The card shoe 300 as illustrated in FIG. 3 is a manually
operated shoe. However, embodiments of the invention may include a
mechanized shoe wherein the cards are delivered to the dealer
mechanically. One exemplary mechanized shoe is disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 7,029,009, the content of which is incorporated by
reference herein. In either case, the card shoe 300 includes at
least one image sensor 320. The image sensor 320 may include, for
example, a two-dimensional image scanner such as a CCD image sensor
or a CMOS image sensor. In addition to, or rather than, a
two-dimensional image sensor, the image sensor 320 may include a
contact image sensor (CIS) module as a one-dimensional line
scanner. While FIG. 3 illustrates a single image sensor 320 in a
manually operated shoe, those of ordinary skill in the art will
recognize that multiple image sensors 320 may be implemented in
both mechanized shoes and manually operated shoes. The sensor
signals may be processed by a separate hardware element such as a
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application Specific
Integrated Circuit (ASIC) using the methodology described in
pending U.S. patent publication US 2005/0242500 A1, the content of
which is incorporated by reference herein.
[0044] Multiple image sensors 320 may be useful for redundancy,
better overall image fidelity, or simply for advantageous placement
of the type of sensor. Various positions within the shoe, may
include, but are not limited to, as the cards are withdrawn, before
the cards are actually nested in the card delivery area, or when
the cards are first nested in the card delivery area. For example,
a 2-dimensional sensor may be more practical in a position where it
may read the card in a stationary position. On the other hand, the
CIS module may be more practical in a position where it reads the
card while it is in motion to enable the line scans at various
positions along the rank and suit designators on the card.
[0045] The card shoe 300 may include a card feed limiter (not
shown) positioned beneath an upper plate, near the exit end 302 of
the shoe. The feed limiter assists in preventing more than one card
from exiting the shoe at a time and in bringing the card into close
proximity to the CIS module such that the accuracy of the data
acquired from the scan is maximized. Since the CIS module typically
should be in close proximity with the surface being scanned, the
card face must either contact or nearly contact the sensor during
scanning. In one example of the invention, the card feed limiter
narrows the gap in which cards pass to a thickness of slightly
greater than the thickness of one card, but is less than the
thickness of two cards. In another form of the invention, the card
feed limiter can be adjusted in order to account for different card
thicknesses.
[0046] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing electronic elements of an
embodiment of the card shoe 300 of FIG. 3. The card shoe 300
includes one or more image sensors 320, a controller 350, one or
more controls (310, 312), and one or more displays (314, 316). The
card shoe 300 may also include a communication element 370 and a
speaker 318.
[0047] The controller 350 is configured to send and receive
information to and from the controls (310, 312), displays (314,
316), and speaker 318. The controller 350 may be implemented as a
microcontroller including memory for storage of data and
firmware/software for execution thereon. The controller 350 may be
implemented as a microprocessor with separate memory for storage of
the data and firmware/software. In addition, the controller 350 may
incorporate an ASIC, FPGA, multiple Programmable Logic Devices
(PLD), and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the
communication element 370 may be a stand-alone hardware element. In
other embodiments, the communication element 370 may be integrated
with the controller 350 and implemented as a combination of
hardware and firmware/software.
[0048] Some embodiments of the card shoe 300 may be stand-alone.
What is meant by "stand-alone" for purposes of this disclosure is
that the entire system embodied in FIG. 4 is contained within the
physical structure of the shoe 300. The controller 350, in a
stand-alone version of the invention, may also be configured to
receive, store, and process the image data from the image sensors
320 to determine the rank and suit of each card removed from the
card shoe 300 as well as the number of cards removed from the card
shoe 300.
[0049] In the stand-alone embodiments, a communication element 370
may not be needed. However, in other embodiments, data from the
image sensor 320 may be sent directly from the image sensor 320,
through the communication element 370 and onto a communication
medium 380 for receipt and processing by an external element (not
shown). Furthermore, in different embodiments processing of the
image data to determine rank and suit may be partially performed by
the image sensor 320, the controller 350, the external element (not
shown), or combinations thereof. Operation of the card shoe 300 in
its various configurations is explained more fully below.
[0050] The communication element 370 may be configured for any
wired or wireless communication medium 380. By way of example, and
not limitation, communication media may include serial data links,
parallel data links, Ethernet, a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local
Area Network (LAN), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMax, and other suitable
communications links.
[0051] As stated earlier, image sensor data may be either
two-dimensional or one-dimensional from a CIS module. Embodiments
including a CIS line-scanning module may be implemented as
explained in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0242500 (the
disclosure of which has been incorporated by reference herein).
[0052] The display 314 may present messages as to the state of the
shoe, the state of the game, number of cards dealt, the number of
deals left before a cut card or virtual cut card is reached (e.g.,
the dealing shoe identifies that two decks are present, makes a
virtual cut at a predetermined number of cards, and based on data
input of the number of players at the table, identifies when the
next deal will be the last deal with the cards in the shoe),
identify any problems with the shoe (e.g., low power, the
occurrence of a card jam, the location of a card jam, misalignment
of cards by rollers, and failed element such as a sensor), player
hands, card rank/suit dispensed, and the like. The shoe of the
present invention to the knowledge of the inventors is the first of
its type to present a visual indication of a virtual cut card to
the dealer. According to the embodiments of the invention, the
casino may input a percentage completion of the shoe, or a
specified card number or initiate a random card selection to
identify the virtual "cut" card. The display 314 provides a warning
when the cut card is about to be dealt. In one embodiment, the
display 314 issues a warning to prevent dealing a round that could
potentially issue the cut card.
[0053] The above structures, materials and physical arrangements
are exemplary and are not intended to be limiting. Angles and
positions in the displayed designs and figures may be varied
according to the design and skill of the artisan. The cards may be
sensed and/or read within the shoe while they are moving or when
they are still at a particular location within the shoe.
[0054] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a process 500 for determining a
blackjack status of the dealer's hand. In operation block 505, each
player and the dealer are dealt two cards. The player's cards may
be face-up or face-down. For the dealer's cards, the first card is
dealt face-up (i.e., up card) and the second card (i.e., hole card)
is dealt face-down. Decision block 510 indicates that the dealer
observes the up card to determine whether it is an Ace. If not,
control passes to decision block 525. If the dealer's up card is an
Ace, operation block 515 indicates that the dealer offers the
players an opportunity to place insurance bets and the players
place insurance bets if they so desire. The shoe may be configured
to provide a notification to the dealer to offer insurance at
decision block 515.
[0055] Operation block 520 indicates that the dealer queries the
card shoe after the insurance bets have been placed. The dealer may
query the device by pressing one of the buttons (illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4). The result of the query may vary by embodiment. The
result may simply be a sound from the speaker, indicating that the
dealer has blackjack. The result may be illumination of the LED
indicating that the dealer has blackjack. The result may be a
message on the display indicating that the dealer has blackjack or
indicating the rank, and possibly the suit, of the dealer's hole
card.
[0056] Determination of the dealer's hole card is possible by the
card reader because it is the last card dealt from the card shoe
prior to the dealer querying the card shoe. Thus, the hole card
rank and suit is known and may be displayed. If the hole card value
is to be displayed to the dealer, the embodiment of the invention
should be configured such that the display is visible only to the
dealer and unreadable by the gaming participants or unauthorized
gaming observers. In another embodiment, the identification of the
hole card is recorded when the dealer inputs a command on the
control panel. If the shoe is part of a larger system, data
collecting devices, such as proximity sensors, on the table may
automatically indicate the presence or arrival of a hole card.
[0057] In some circumstances, displaying the hole card value to the
dealer may not be advisable. Knowledge of the hole card's value may
enable the dealer to signal the value to a player, either
intentionally or unintentionally. Thus, rather than displaying the
hole card's value, an indication that the hole card is a ten (i.e.
the dealer has blackjack) may be preferable. Thus, the dealer may
press a button that simply requests a yes or no indication of
whether the hole card value is a ten.
[0058] If the dealer's up card is not an Ace, decision block 525
indicates that the dealer observes his up card to determine whether
it is a ten. As indicated earlier, checking for a dealer blackjack
when the up card is a ten may vary based on casino rules. If
verification of a blackjack is not needed when the dealer's up card
is a ten, the hand is played out (not shown on FIG. 5) under normal
blackjack rules. If a ten on the up card is to be checked and the
up card is not a ten, the hand is played out under normal blackjack
rules, as indicated by operation block 530.
[0059] If a ten on the up card is to be checked and the up card is
a ten, operation block 535 indicates that the dealer queries the
card shoe 535. The dealer may query the device by pressing one of
the buttons illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The result of the query
may vary by embodiment. The result may simply be a sound from the
speaker, indicating that the dealer has blackjack. The result may
be illumination of the LED indicating that the dealer has
blackjack. The result may be a message on the display indicating
that the dealer has blackjack or indicating the rank, and possibly
the suit, of the dealer's hole card. As stated earlier, automatic
determination of the dealer's hole card is possible by the card
reader because it is the last card dealt from the card shoe prior
to the dealer querying the card shoe. Thus, the hole card rank
and/or suit are known and may be displayed. If the hole card value
is to be displayed to the dealer, the embodiment of the invention
should be configured such that the display is visible only to the
dealer and unreadable by the gaming participants or unauthorized
gaming observers.
[0060] Rather than displaying the hole card's value, an indication
that the hole card is an Ace (i.e. the dealer has blackjack) may be
preferable. Thus, the dealer may press a button that simply
requests a yes or no indication of whether the hole card value is
an Ace. Alternatively, the device may display a secret symbol
indicating to the dealer only the presence of a blackjack.
[0061] In summary, the card shoe may be queried to display the
value of the dealer's hole card, to determine if the dealer's hole
card is a ten, or to determine if the dealer's hole card is an Ace.
Thus, embodiments of the card shoe may be configured such that a
different button, or combination of button presses is used for each
of the three different queries. After the query, the dealer knows
whether he has a blackjack.
[0062] Decision block 540 is the test of a dealer's blackjack. If
the dealer does not have blackjack, the hand is played out or
finished under normal blackjack rules, as indicated by operation
block 545. If the dealer does have blackjack, the hand ends, as
indicated by operation block 550. The dealer collects all the
initial bets and pays out any insurance bets that may have been
placed.
[0063] Process 500 is suitable to a stand-alone embodiment of the
card shoe because no information other than the dealer's hole card
(i.e., the last dealt card before a dealer query) is required.
However, as is explained below, process 500 may also be suitable
for use when the card shoe is part of a table management
system.
[0064] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an integrated monitoring system
400 (also referred to as a table management system) used to monitor
gaming at a blackjack table 405 (shown in FIG. 7). The integrated
monitoring system 400 includes an intelligent shoe 300 coupled to a
table manager 450 through a local table network 440. The
intelligent shoe 300 is an embodiment of the card shoe suitable for
practicing the present invention as described above. Some
embodiments of the integrated monitoring system 400 may also
include one or more table image units 420 and chip readers 430
coupled to the table manager 450 through the local table network
440. The table manager 450 may be coupled to a server 470 through a
communication network 460. By way of example, and not limitation,
the communication network 460 may be configured to couple multiple
table managers 450 to a central database or server 470 by creating
a network for a specific pit area, a specific casino floor area, or
the entire casino.
[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates a layout of a blackjack table 405 and one
contemplated, suitable arrangement of elements of the integrated
monitoring system 400 illustrated in FIG. 6 and used to monitor
gaming at a blackjack table 405 in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention. Integrated monitoring system 400 may include many
components for determining various forms of information about the
game being played at the table 405, the players playing the game,
wager amounts and payouts, and the dealer responsible for the game.
As is described below in more detail, the information may be
captured, processed, and acted upon (e.g., generation of alerts) in
substantially real time.
[0066] In system 400, the blackjack table 405 is equipped with the
card shoe 300 described earlier. The card shoe 300 is configured
for communications via communication medium 380 and the local table
network 440 with the table manager 450. Also shown on the table 405
are chip readers 430 that may be configured as Radio Frequency
Identifier (RFID) antennas/transmitters for each wagering area. In
an embodiment with RFID transmitters 430 and RD tagged chips (not
shown) are used in conjunction with RFID transmitters 430 located
within or underneath the table 310. The RFID antennas/transmitters
respectively pick up the values of the game chips and then transmit
the chip information to the table manager 450 via the communication
medium 380 and local table network 440. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,651,548
and 5,735,742 describe RFID chips and chip reading systems that may
be used as the game chips and RFID transmitters 430. Although not
shown, the RFID transmitters 430 may be configured to extend into
the insurance area 435 of the table 405 to obtain the chip values
of insurance wagers. In another embodiment, additional individual
RFID transmitters connected to the communication medium 380 may be
placed in the insurance area 435, one RFID transmitter associated
with each player wagering area.
[0067] The system 400 may also include overhead cameras 420 (also
referred to as image units) connected to a ceiling of the casino,
mounted on a pole to the table, or in the vicinity of the table
405. These cameras 420 process the images received by the cameras
420 respectively and communicate with the table manager 450 over
the communication media and the local table network 440.
[0068] The table manager 450 processes, and may transmit, images of
items viewed by the cameras 420 in substantially near real time.
Dealt card values, wagers, and other table activity can be imaged
and determined using the cameras 420 in cooperation with the table
manager 450. The table manager 450 may be implemented as a
general-purpose computer system, a server or other processor system
as is generally known in the art. The table manager 450 will
contain computer implemented processing (i.e., process 500, and 600
illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8) that may be stored on a computer
readable medium of the general-purpose computer system. As such,
the processing and functions of the table manager 450 may be stored
as a computer program on a computer readable medium, or downloaded
from the server 470 (not shown in FIG. 7) over the communication
network 460.
[0069] As can been seen, the cameras 420 are positioned to achieve
a full view of the gaming table surface, and may be positioned to
give the best vantage point for the desired application. An optical
or magnetic synchronizing sensor can be used to detect the presence
of an object on the gaming surface of the table. The sensor, if
used, may activate the cameras 420 and trigger image acquisition.
The images are processed and transmitted to the table manager
450.
[0070] The integrated monitoring system 400 may be used for
numerous functions beyond determining the status of whether the
dealer has a blackjack. Embodiments of the integrated monitoring
system 400 and additional functions are disclosed in concurrently
filed application bearing the attorney docket number PA1712.ap.US
and entitled "CASINO TABLE GAME MONITORING SYSTEM."
[0071] Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the
process 500, illustrated in FIG. 5, may be performed by the
integrated monitoring system. For example, determining the hole
cards values may be performed in a variety of other ways. The
intelligent shoe may determine the card's value and send it to the
table manager. The raw image data may be sent from the intelligent
shoe to the table manager and the table manager processes the raw
image data to determine the card's value. Alternatively,
determining the card's value may be performed as a combined process
wherein the intelligent shoe performs some of the processing and
the table manager performs some of the processing.
[0072] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of another process 600 for
determining a blackjack status of the dealer's hand, which may be
used with embodiments of the integrated monitoring system of FIGS.
6 and 7, or a stand-alone version of the card shoe embodiments of
FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0073] In process 600, operation block 605 indicates that the
beginning of a hand is determined. In the stand-alone card shoe
embodiments, the beginning of a hand may be determined by the
dealer pressing a button on the card shoe or the dealer removing a
first card for the round. The first card for the round may be
determined based on a timer, or other element to analyze a delay
since a card has been removed from the card shoe.
[0074] In the integrated monitoring system embodiments, the
beginning of a round may be determined by the same process as for
the stand-alone embodiment, or in a number of other ways. For
example, the dealer could press a button on the card shoe, the
table manager could determine that there are no cards on the table
based on image data from the cameras, or the table manager could
determine that there are no bets on the table based on image data
from the cameras or data from the chip readers 430.
[0075] In operation block 610, each player and the dealer are dealt
two cards. The player's cards may be face-up or face-down. For the
dealer's cards, one card is dealt face-up (i.e., up card) and the
other card (i.e., hole card) is dealt face-down. In embodiments
using process 600, which of the dealers cards is face-up and which
is face-down is not important.
[0076] Operation block 615 indicates that the number of players is
determined. In the stand-alone card shoe embodiments, the number of
players may be determined based on the number of cards that have
been dealt since the indication of the beginning of the hand.
One-half of the number of cards dealt minus two is the number of
players other than the dealer
[0077] In the integrated monitoring system embodiments, the number
of players may be determined in a manner similar to the stand-alone
card shoe embodiments. Alternatively, the number of players may be
determined based on image data from the cameras and the table
manager evaluating the image data to identify the cards and the
number of hands dealt. In yet another alternative, the number of
players may be determined based on the number of wagering positions
that include bets. Thus, the chip readers can indicate to the table
manager if a bet is placed. From this indication, the table manager
can determine the number of players. In addition, the number of
wagering positions that include bets may be determined from image
data from the cameras, table top proximity sensors (not shown), or
by other known means and the table manager evaluating the data to
identify the wagering positions with bets.
[0078] Operation block 620 indicates that the dealer's hand is
determined. In the stand-alone card shoe embodiments, the card shoe
knows all the cards dealt for the current hand. The last card dealt
is typically the hole card and the other dealer's card is the total
number of cards dealt for the current round minus two then divided
by two. Thus, one can see that it may not be necessary to determine
the number of players directly (i.e., through a separate sensing
system) since the dealers hand can be determined simply by knowing
how many total cards have been dealt for the current round. In the
integrated monitoring system embodiments, the dealer's hand may be
determined in a manner similar to the stand-alone card shoe
embodiments. However, in the integrated monitoring system, the
cards values may be determined in a variety of other ways. The
intelligent shoe may determine the card values and send them to the
table manager. The raw image data may be sent from the intelligent
shoe to the table manager and the table manager processes the raw
image data to determine the card values for the current hand.
Alternatively, determining the card values may be determined as a
combined process wherein the intelligent shoe performs some of the
processing and the table manager performs some of the
processing.
[0079] Decision block 625 indicates that the dealer observes the up
card to determine whether it is an Ace. If not, control passes to
operation block 635. If the dealer's up card is an Ace, operation
block 630 indicates that the dealer offers the players an
opportunity to place insurance bets and the players place insurance
bets if they so desire.
[0080] Operation block 635 indicates that the dealer is notified if
he has blackjack. This notification may take multiple forms. In the
stand-alone embodiments, the notification may simply be a sound
from the speaker on the card shoe, indicating that the dealer has
blackjack. The notification may be illumination of the LED
indicating that the dealer has blackjack. The result may be a
message on the display indicating the total value of the dealer's
hand or the value of each card in the dealer's hand.
[0081] In the integrated monitoring system embodiments,
determination of the dealer's hand is performed by the table
manager. Thus, the table manager may perform the notification of a
blackjack by generating a sound, displaying an indication of a
blackjack, displaying the values of the dealer's cards, or
displaying the total value of the dealer's hand. In addition, the
dealer's hand, or notification of blackjack, may be transmitted
from the table manager to the intelligent shoe. With this
information, the intelligent shoe may perform the notification with
those methods described above for the stand-alone embodiments.
[0082] Initiating notification of a dealer's blackjack may also be
performed in a number of ways. The notification may occur as a
result of a query placed at the table manager, via a keyboard or
mouse, or may occur as a result of a button being pressed on the
card reader. In addition, the notification may occur after a
specific time delay from when the last card was dealt, from a hand
gesture performed by the dealer and recognized by the cameras in
combination with the table manager, or from a time delay after
insurance bets are placed.
[0083] In some circumstances, displaying information about values
of the dealer's cards may not be advisable. Knowledge of the
dealer's cards may enable the dealer to signal the value to a
player, either intentionally or unintentionally. Thus, rather than
displaying the values of the dealers card's, a simple indication of
a dealer blackjack may be advisable. If the values of the dealer's
cards, or the value of the dealer's hand is to be displayed to the
dealer, the embodiments of the invention should be configured such
that the display from the table manager or the display from the
intelligent shoe is visible only to the dealer, and unreadable by
the gaming participants or unauthorized gaming observers.
[0084] Decision block 640 is the test of a dealer's blackjack. If
the dealer does not have blackjack, the hand is played out under
normal blackjack rules and the hand is finished, as indicated by
operation block 645. If the dealer does have blackjack, the hand
ends, as indicated by operation block 650. The dealer collects all
the initial bets and pays out any insurance bets that may have been
placed.
[0085] Although the embodiments of the invention have been
described with reference to the game of blackjack, it should be
appreciated that they may be applicable to other casino communal or
non-communal games.
[0086] While the embodiments of the invention have been described
in detail in connection with preferred embodiments known at the
time, it should be readily understood that the invention is not
limited to the disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be
modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations,
substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described,
but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the
invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the
foregoing description or drawings, but is only limited by the scope
of the appended claims.
* * * * *