Patent Application
20080076509
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Referring to
In the preferred embodiment, it is assumed that the wheel 21 is mechanically controlled to rotate at fixed rates and durations of rotation. That is, in the preferred embodiment, it is assumed that the wheel 21 is mechanically controlled to rotate at fixed rates and durations of acceleration, terminal velocity, and deceleration. However, the present invention is not limited in this respect, and the apparatus 1 may be adapted for use with the roulette gaming device 2 in which the wheel 21 there of is manually rotated by a dealer in a known manner. Also, the ball 22 may be thrown onto the track 23 for spinning thereon either manually or through use of an automatic ball-throwing device (not shown).
The known constants in the game of roulette are referred to as control parameters and include various wheel characteristics, such as dimensions of the wheel 21, fixed rates and durations of rotation of the wheel 21 (in the preferred embodiment), and the number, dimensions, and positioning of obstacles on the wheel 21 (e.g., the partitions that form the slots 210). The control parameters are preset by being input into the apparatus 1 for predicting winning numbers prior to the start of gaming. This will be described in greater detail below.
The apparatus 1 for predicting winning numbers according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disposed at least partially in proximity to the wheel 21, and includes a detecting module 3, a database 4, a machine-learning module 5, a computing module 6, and an output module 7.
In the preferred embodiment, the detecting module 3 includes a high-speed charge coupled device (CCD) camera, but is not limited in this respect and may include any device capable of aiding in the detection of the speed of a fast-moving object. The detecting module 3 is used to detect motional characteristics of the ball 22 and/or relative motional characteristics between the ball 22 and the wheel 21 to thereby obtain a plurality of motional parameters. In the preferred embodiment, the wheel 21 rotates at fixed rates and durations as described above such that these motional parameters are known (i.e., these parameters are control parameters as described above). In the preferred embodiment, the motional parameters include a speed at which the ball 22 is thrown onto the track 23, a direction of travel of the ball 22 on the track 23, a speed at which the ball 22 travels on the track 23, and a deceleration rate of the ball 22. If the wheel 21 is manually rotated by the dealer, the rotational speed of the wheel 21 is also detected by the detecting module 3 for use as a motional parameter.
The database 4 stores the control parameters, the motional parameters obtained for each game by the detecting module 3, a predicted winning number calculated for each game by the computing module 6 (to be described below), and the actual winning number obtained for each game. The actual winning number may be manually inputted after each game or may be detected by the detecting module 3. In the preferred embodiment, the database 4 stores data of a plurality of games in a statistical table of the motional parameters and the actual winning number for each game.
The computing module 6 is coupled to the detecting module 3 and the machine-learning module 5, and receives the motional parameters detected by the detecting module 3. A relational equation is stored in the computing module 6. The relational equation expresses a relation between the motional parameters and a winning number to be predicted. The computing module 6 inputs into the relational equation the motional parameters and the preset control parameters to calculate a predicted winning number.
The machine-learning module 5 is coupled to the computing module 6 and the database 4. The machine-learning module 5 adjusts and corrects the relational equation, that is, the relation between the motional parameters and the winning number to be predicted of the relational equation, so as to correlate with the relation between the motional parameters and the actual winning number for each game as stored in the statistical table.
The output module 7 is coupled to the computing module 6 and displays the predicted winning number calculated by the computing module 6.
Referring to
Instep 11, a roulette game is started. In particular, following completion of a previous game and after clearing away losing bets and paying off winners of the previous game, the dealer starts a new game.
In step 12, the wheel 21 is spun, and the ball 22 is spun on the track 23.
In step 13, relative motional characteristics between the ball 22 and the wheel 21 are detected by the detecting module 3 to obtain the plurality of motional parameters. The motional parameters are transmitted to the computing module 6.
In step 14, assuming that the relational equation and the plurality of control parameters of wheel characteristics have been preset as described above, the computing module 6 inputs the motional parameters and the control parameters into the relational equation to calculate a predicted winning number.
In step 15, the output module 7 displays the predicted winning number.
In step 16, gamers are allowed to place bets and continue to do so until the dealer indicates that no more bets will be allowed.
In step 17, the wheel 21 slows, and the ball 22 falls from the track 23 and settles in one of the slots 210 to thereby designate the actual winning number.
In step 18, the related data of the just completed game (i.e., the control parameters, motional parameters, predicted winning number, and actual winning number) are stored in the database 4. Also, in step 18, the related data of the just completed game are provided to the machine-learning module 5 to allow the same to improve the relational equation by a process of machine learning, such that the relation between the motional parameters and the winning number to be predicted of the relational equation is adjusted and corrected so as to correlate with historical statistical results.
In the above-described apparatus and machine-implemented method of the present invention, winning numbers are predicted for the game of roulette. Accordingly, gamers are provided with the additional betting option of betting on the predicted winning number. This greatly enhances the excitement of each game and, ultimately, overall interest in the game of roulette.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 095136373 | Sep 2006 | TW | national |
