Patent Application
20150014926
The present invention relates to devices for handling cards, including cards commonly known as “playing cards.” In particular, the invention relates to an electromechanical machine for organizing or arranging playing cards into a plurality of randomly arranged groups of cards.
Wagering games based on the outcome of randomly generated arrangements of cards are well known. Such games are widely played in gaming establishments and, often, a single deck of 52 playing cards is used to play the game. Some games use multiple decks of cards (typically six or eight decks), such as blackjack and baccarat. Other games use two decks of cards, such as double-deck blackjack. Many specialty games use single decks of cards, with or without jokers and with or without selected cards removed. Examples of such games include THREE CARD POKER®, LET IT RIDE®, CARIBBEAN STUD® poker, SPANISH 21®, FOUR CARD POKER®, CRAZY 4 POKER® and others. As new games are developed, card shufflers are modified to be used in connection with the new games.
From the perspective of players, the time the dealer must spend in shuffling diminishes the excitement of the game. From the perspective of casinos, shuffling time reduces the number of hands played and specifically reduces the number of wagers placed and resolved in a given amount of time, consequently reducing casino revenue. Casinos would like to increase the amount of revenue generated by a game without changing the game or adding more tables. One approach is to simply speed up play. One option is to decrease the time the dealer spends shuffling.
The desire to decrease shuffling time has led to the development of mechanical and electromechanical card-shuffling devices. Such devices increase the speed of shuffling and dealing, thereby increasing actual playing time. Such devices also add to the excitement of a game by reducing the amount of time the dealer or house has to spend in preparing to play the game.
Dealers appreciate using card shufflers that place minimum strain on the dealer's hands, back and arms. Some existing shuffler designs put unnecessary strain on the muscles of the users. Dealers prefer shufflers that are low profile, especially when the shuffler dispenses cards into a game rather than shufflers that shuffle batches of cards for shoe games.
Numerous approaches have been taken to the design of card shufflers. These approaches include random ejection designs (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,959,925; 6,698,756; 6,299,167; 6,019,368; 5,676,372; and 5,584,483), stack separation and insertion designs (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,683,085 and 5,944,310), interleaving designs (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,275,411 and 5,695,189), for example, random insertion using a blade (U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,024), and designs that utilize multiple shuffling compartments.
One such example of a compartment shuffler is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,712 to Lorber et al. The automatic shuffling apparatus disclosed is designed to intermix multiple decks of cards under the programmed control of a computer. The apparatus is a carousel-type shuffler having a container, a storage device for storing shuffled playing cards, a removing device and an inserting device for intermixing the playing cards in the container, a dealing shoe and supplying means for supplying the shuffled playing cards from the storage device to the dealing shoe. The container includes multiple card-receiving compartments, each one capable of receiving a single card.
Another shuffler having mixing compartments arranged in a carousel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,248 to Johnson et al. Cards are loaded into an infeed tray, fed sequentially past a card reading sensor and are inserted into compartments within a carousel to either randomize or sort cards into a preselected order. The carousel moves in two directions during shuffling. U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,127 to Johnson et al. describes another variation of the shuffler, in which cards are inserted into and removed from a same side of the carousel, with the card infeed tray being located above the discard tray (see FIG. 3 of Johnson).
U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,954 to Erickson et al. discloses a device for delivering cards, one at a time, into one of a number of vertically stacked card-shuffling compartments. A logic circuit is used to determine the sequence for determining the delivery location of a card. The card shuffler can be used to deal stacks of shuffled cards to a player.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,421 to Hoffman discloses a card-shuffling device including a card loading station with a conveyor belt. The belt moves the lowermost card in a stack onto a distribution elevator whereby a stack of cards is accumulated on the distribution elevator. Adjacent to the elevator is a vertical stack of mixing pockets. A microprocessor preprogrammed with a finite number of distribution schedules sends a sequence of signals to the elevator corresponding to heights called out in the schedule. Each distribution schedule comprises a preselected distribution sequence that is fixed as opposed to random. Single cards are moved into the respective pocket at that height. The distribution schedule is either randomly selected or schedules are executed in sequence. When the microprocessor completes the execution of a single distribution cycle, the cards are removed a stack at a time and loaded into a second elevator. The second elevator delivers cards to an output reservoir.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,411 to Breeding discloses a machine for automatically shuffling and dealing hands of cards. Although this device does not shuffle cards by distributing cards to multiple compartments, the machine is the first of its kind to deliver randomly arranged hands of cards to a casino card game. A single deck of cards is shuffled and then cards are automatically dispensed into a hand-forming tray. The shuffler includes a deck-receiving zone, a carriage section for separating a deck into two deck portions, a sloped mechanism positioned between adjacent corners of the deck portions, and an apparatus for snapping the cards over the sloped mechanism to interleave the cards. The Breeding shuffler was originally designed to be used in connection with single-deck poker-style games such as LET IT RIDE® stud poker and a variant of pai gow poker marketed as WHO'S FIRST™ pai gow poker.
In an attempt to speed the rate of play of specialty table games equipped with a shuffler, the ACE® card shuffler, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,149,154, 6,588,750, 6,655,684 and 7,059,602, was developed. This shuffler operates at faster speeds than previously known shuffler devices described above, has fewer moving parts and requires much shorter setup time than the prior designs. The shuffler includes a card infeed tray, a vertical stack of shuffling compartments and a card output tray. A first card moving mechanism advances cards individually from the infeed tray into a compartment. A processor randomly directs the placement of fed cards into the compartments, and an alignment of each compartment with the first card mover, forming random groups of cards within each compartment. Groups of cards are unloaded by a second card moving mechanism into the output tray.
Another compartment shuffler capable of delivering randomly arranged hands of cards for use in casino card games is the ONE2SIX® shuffler (developed by Casinos Austria Research & Development (CARD)). This shuffler is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,659,460 and 6,889,979. This shuffler is capable of delivering randomly arranged hands of cards when a first delivery end is attached, and is capable of delivering a continuous supply of cards from a shoe-type structure when a second delivery end is attached. Cards are fed from a feeder individually into compartments within a carousel to accomplish random ordering of cards.
Most of the known shuffler designs are high profile and require loading cards into the rear of the machine, and then removing cards from the front of the machine. The cards must be lifted over the top of the machine to return spent cards to the infeed tray, causing a dealer to lift his arm over the top of the machine at the conclusion of each round of play.
One particular type of card-shuffling device is referred to as a batch-type shuffler. One characteristic of a (single- or double-deck) batch shuffler is that, when all of the cards are dispensed in a round of play, the remaining cards in the pack (one or two decks) are removed and then reinserted. In use, while the game is being dealt using a first deck, a second deck of cards is being randomized and arranged into groups. A discard rack is typically provided on the table so that cards removed from the game are staged in the rack while the other deck of cards is being processed. Following this procedure avoids the possibility that cards will be returned to the input tray and that the two decks will be intermingled. The use of two separate decks (one at a time) speeds game play because shuffling occurs during play.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,959,925 to Baker et al. discloses a single-deck continuous card shuffler known in the trade as the POKERONE®. This shuffler avoids the alternating use of two different decks of cards during a specialty card game by providing a continuous supply of cards to a card game. Although this shuffler uses only one deck of cards, the shuffler does not verify that the correct number of cards (typically 52) are present prior to each shuffle, and, consequently, player cheating by inserting extra cards would go undetected.
Shufflers that communicate with network-based game systems have been described in the art. An example is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0064798 A1. A shuffler with an on-board microprocessor and communication port communicates with a local processor and/or a central processor. The local or central processor may manage a game system.
It would be advantageous to provide a shuffler that has all of the performance attributes of known shufflers, has state-of-the-art security features, that eliminates the need for a discard rack and provides an ergonometric design for end users.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a card handling device comprising a control system configured to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, a card storage system, and a card output system of the card handling device in response to at least one signal received from a card sensing system. The control system may be configured to enable a user to selectively perform each of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the card handling device.
In another embodiment, the present invention includes a card handling device having a card output tray, a card sensing system, and a control system. The card sensing system may be used to identify cards handled by the card handling device, and the control system may be configured to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, a card storage system, and a card output system of the card handling device in response to at least one signal received from the card sensing system. The control system may be further configured to cause the card handling device to dispense a first playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray and to dispense at least a second playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray after the first hand or subset of cards is removed from the card output tray in response to a first input signal, and to cause the card handling device to selectively perform at least one of a shuffling operation and a sorting operation in response to a second input signal.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention includes a method of dealing hands or subsets of cards from a set of cards to persons in a game. The method includes placing a set of cards in a card infeed tray of a card handling device and causing the card handling device to substantially automatically randomly generate a first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards and dispense the first hand or subset of cards to a card output tray. The first hand or subset of cards is removed from the card output tray, and the card handling device may be caused to substantially automatically randomly generate at least a second hand or subset of cards from the set of cards and dispense the second hand or subset of cards to the card output tray after removing the first hand or subset of cards from the card output tray.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming that which is regarded as the present invention, the advantages of this invention may be more readily ascertained from the following description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The illustrations presented herein should not be interpreted in a limiting sense as actual views of any particular apparatus or system, but are merely idealized representations which are employed to describe the present invention. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same numerical designation.
The disclosures of all patents, published patent applications and other documents cited in this entire application are incorporated by reference in their respective entireties herein, whether or not such incorporation is specifically asserted in association with such citation.
Card handling devices that embody teachings of the present invention may include major components that are physically arranged (for example, in a linear arrangement) in the following order: a) a playing card input compartment; b) a playing card retrieval compartment; and c) a playing card handling zone. Playing cards may be moved from the playing card input compartment into the playing card handling zone and from the playing card handling zone into the playing card retrieval compartment. Furthermore, card handling devices that embody teachings of the present invention may be configured to enable a user to either shuffle or selectively sort cards into a predefined order using the card handling devices.
A perspective view of a card handling device 10 that embodies teachings of the present invention is shown in
In some embodiments, the card infeed tray 12 and the card output tray 14 may be disposed adjacent one another. Furthermore, the card infeed tray 12 and the card output tray 14 each may be located near a first end 22 of the card handling device 10. In some embodiments, the card infeed tray 12 and the card output tray 14 may each include a recessed area in the card handling device 10, as shown in
A major portion of the card handling system may be located within a card handling zone 16 of the card handling device 10. The card handling system may be enclosed within a cover 18, which, in this embodiment, has a curved upper surface 19 that is arched to enclose an upper portion of a carousel member (which is part of the card handling system described in further detail below). The cover 18 may include a lock 20 to secure the cover 18 to a frame 21 of the card handling device 10 to prevent unauthorized access to cards in the card handling device 10. This locking feature advantageously allows a casino operator to shut down a table with cards loaded into the card handling device 10. When the table is reopened, the operator can be assured that the cards held in the machine are secure. The key to the lock 20 may be held by pit management and the fact that the cover 18 is and has been locked may eliminate any need to unload and verify the rank and suit of each card before play is resumed. Securing the cards within the card handling device 10 when the machine is not in use is a valuable time- and labor-saving feature. The lock 20 may be located proximate a second end 24 of the card handling device 10. Although an exemplary lock is a simple mechanical lock with rollers and a key, other locking systems may be used, such as, for example, electronic locks with keypad controls, locking systems that receive radio frequency identification (RFID) signatures, and computer-controlled locks.
Additional card handling devices that embody teachings of the present invention may not include an outer cover that is intended to be opened or removed by a user. For example,
Referring again to
In one mounting arrangement, a gaming table surface may be provided with a notch cut into an edge of the table facing the dealer. The first end 22 of the card handling device 10 may include a recess 32 that has a size and shape that is configured to receive the side of the table therein along the notch. The remainder of the card handling device 10 (e.g., the second end 24 of the card handling device 10) may be supported by a support bracket beneath the table surface. In this configuration, the portion of the card handling device 10 that is inserted into the gaming table may be flush-mounted with the upper surface of the table.
In the arrangement described above, the first end 22 of the card handling device 10 may be nearest the players and the second end 24 of the card handling device 10 may be nearest the pit when the card handling device 10 is mounted on or in a gaming table. Furthermore, the card handling zone 16 may be located behind or to the side of the dealer and out of the way when the card handling device 10 is mounted on or in the gaming table.
The relative arrangement of the card infeed tray 12, the card output tray 14, and the card handling zone 16 in the card handling device 10, as shown in
The placement of the upper edge 26 of the card infeed tray 12 and the upper edge 28 of the card output tray 14 substantially in the same plane lying on or proximate to the gaming surface also may provide distinct ergonometric advantages. If the dealer moves his or her hands smaller distances during card handling, he or she is likely to experience fewer repetitive stress or strain injuries. Therefore, delivering spent cards to the card handling device 10 at the gaming surface and retrieving freshly handled cards from substantially the same location or nearby offers distinct user advantages.
The placement of the card infeed tray 12 and the card output tray 14 on the same side of a carousel-type playing card handling zone 16 (discussed in further detail below) also allows the user to place spent cards face-down in the card infeed tray 12, and at the same time receive fresh cards from the card output tray 14 in a face-down configuration. This attribute has been previously described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,127 to Johnson et al. This feature improves the security of a carousel card handling device 10, since no cards are exposed during loading, shuffling, or unloading.
A horizontally disposed centerline intersecting the card infeed tray 12 and the card output tray 14 may also advantageously intersect a centerline of the card handling zone 16, as will be discussed in more detail below. This arrangement allows the machine to be fairly narrow in width and permits both card tray areas (but not the more bulky card handling zone 16) to be located on or near the playing table surface.
The card handling zone 16 of the card handling device 10 may include card moving elements located below the card infeed tray 12 and the card output tray 14. The card handling zone 16 may be capable of performing at least one of the following functions: a) shuffling, b) arranging cards into a desired order, c) verifying completeness of a group of cards, d) reading special markings on cards (such as, for example, a casino identification mark, a manufacturer identification mark, a special bonus card identification mark, a deck identification mark, etc.), e) scanning cards for unauthorized markings, f) identifying cards lacking required markings, g) measuring card wear, h) decommissioning cards, i) applying markings to cards, j) scanning cards for unauthorized electronic devices, k) delivering special cards such as, for example, bonus cards, promotional cards, or wild cards, and many other useful functions.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the card handling zone 16 may comprise a card handling system or mechanism comprising a temporary card storage device or system 244 (
Declining finger cut-outs 33A or recesses may be provided in the interior surfaces of the card infeed tray 12, and declining finger cut-outs 33B or recesses may be provided in the interior surfaces of the card output tray 14. The finger cut-outs 33A, 33B may have a size and shape configured to receive or accommodate at least one digit of the hand of a person therein to facilitate handling of cards in the card infeed tray 12 and the card output tray 14 by a user.
The first drive system may include a first card infeed motor 40 (
The second drive system may include a second card infeed motor 70 (
The first card infeed motor 40 and the second card infeed motor 70 each may be operatively controlled by a control system 220 (
In additional embodiments of the present invention, the card infeed system 240 (
Referring to
The gate member 98 may serve a number of functions. For example, as the number of cards 114 in the card infeed tray 12 is reduced, the weight of the stack of cards 114 in the card infeed tray 12 is reduced, which may reduce the frictional force between the lowermost card 114 in the card infeed tray 12 and the card feed roller 42. The reduced frictional force between the lowermost card 114 in the card infeed tray 12 and the card feed roller 42 may impair the ability of the card feed roller 42 to move the lowermost card 114 to the first advancing roller 48 and to other elements of the card infeed system 240 (
The gate member 98 also may be used to provide a physical separation barrier between cards 114 in the card infeed tray 12 belonging or corresponding to different decks, or between different types of cards (such as regular cards and bonus cards, for example). When the card infeed system 240 (
Once the last of the cards 114 below the gate member 98 in the card infeed tray 12 has been removed from the card infeed tray 12 by the card infeed system 240 (
The shaft 102 may be located a selected distance below the upper edge 26 of the card infeed tray 12 (
The infeed gate motor 108, which is used to selectively rotate the gate member 98, may be operatively controlled by a control system 220 (
Referring again to
In this configuration, as the packer arm motor 142 drives rotation of the shaft 144 and eccentric cam member 145 in the direction indicated by the directional arrow shown on the eccentric cam member 145 in
The packer arm device 140 may be located in the card handling device 10 such that the second end 150 of the elongated packer arm 146 will abut against a trailing edge of a card and force the card completely into an aligned compartment 122 of the carousel 120. As the eccentric cam member 145 continues to rotate, the second end 150 of the elongated packer arm 146 may retract to a position that will allow a subsequent card to move past the packer arm device 140 and into position for insertion into a compartment 122 of the carousel 120. In some embodiments of the present invention, the subsequently described control system 220 may cause the elongated packer arm 146 to retract while the carousel 120 is rotating and to extend when the carousel 120 is stationary.
The packer arm motor 142, which is used to selectively move the elongated packer arm 146, also may be operatively controlled by a control system 220, which is described in further detail below.
Referring again to
In some embodiments of the present invention, the previously described card infeed system 240 (
The path that is traveled by a card as it moves from the card infeed tray 12 to a compartment 122 of the carousel 120 is substantially straight and substantially horizontal. In this configuration, the distance traveled by the cards along the path is the shortest distance between the cards in the card infeed tray 12 and the compartment 122 of the carousel 120. The length of this path traveled by the cards may be minimized to minimize the length of the card handling device 10, and to maximize the speed by which cards may be delivered from the card infeed tray 12 to the carousel 120.
When the card handling device 10 is mounted on a gaming table such that the flat flange 30 (
With continued reference to
The carousel drive system may include, for example, a carousel drive motor 126 that is mounted to the frame 21, as shown in
In additional embodiments of the present invention, the carousel drive system may include any means for driving rotation of the carousel 120 including, for example, gears, sprockets, chains, belts, etc.
The carousel drive motor 126, which is used to selectively drive rotation of the carousel 120, also may be operatively controlled by a control system 220, which is described in further detail below.
Referring again to
Referring to
The swing arm drive motor 166, which is used to selectively move the swing arm 160, also may be operatively controlled by the control system 220 subsequently described herein.
Referring to
As shown in
In the embodiment described above, the path each card travels as the card moves from a selected compartment 122 of the carousel 120 into the card output tray 14 (i.e., the card output path) is substantially horizontal and above the path each card travels as the card moves from the card infeed tray 12 to a selected compartment 122 of the carousel 120 (i.e., the card infeed path). In additional embodiments of the present invention, the card infeed path may be positioned vertically above the card output path. This vertical stacking or layering of the card infeed path and the card output path allows both the card infeed tray 12 and the card output tray 14 to be positioned on the same side of the card handling device 10 (relative to the carousel 120 or other card storage device). In yet additional embodiments, the card infeed path and the card output path may be disposed in substantially the same plane and laterally side-by-side one another.
Referring to
By way of example and not limitation, the card sensing system may include a sensor 210 comprising, for example, a camera device that includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor. For example, the card sensing system may include a video camera imaging system as described (or substantially similar to that described) in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/623,223, filed Jul. 17, 2003 (which was published Apr. 8, 2004 as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0067789 A1), now U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,565, issued Mar. 16, 2010, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference. As described therein, one suitable card sensing system comprises the camera sold under the trademark “DRAGONFLY®” and available from Point Grey Research Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The DRAGONFLY® camera includes a six-pin IEEE-1394 interface, an asynchronous trigger, and can be used to acquire images using multiple frame rates, to acquire 640×480 or 1024×724 24-bit true color images, or to acquire eight-bit grayscale images. Furthermore, the DRAGONFLY® camera is typically provided with image acquisition software and exhibits plug-and-play capability. Such a commercially available camera may be combined with commercially available symbol recognition software, which may be executed using an external computer (not shown). Such commercially available image recognition software may be “trained” to identify conventional playing card symbols and to classify and report each acquired image pattern as a specific card suit and rank. The graphics used to identify rank and suit of each card are not identical or standard and may vary between decks of cards. Once an image recognition software program for identifying rank and suit has been developed, the software program may be configured to allow the software program to be trained for each particular deck of cards to be handled by the card handling device 10 to enable the software program to accurately identify rank and suit of the particular cards used. Such training of the software program may be done at the casino table or by a security team before the card handling device 10 is placed on a table.
As yet another example, the sensor 210 may include a line scanning system or device that includes a contact image sensor (CIS) and associated field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/152,475, filed Jun. 13, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,769,232, issued Aug. 3, 2010, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/417,894, filed May 3, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,593,544, issued Sep. 22, 2009, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference. Such line scanning systems may require use of additional card position sensors. Sensors that may be used to identify a card position at the time a line scan is performed by the line scanning system are commercially available. Such line scanning systems may be small enough to be entirely incorporated into the card handling device 10 without requiring use of an external computer for executing an image recognition software program.
In some applications, the cards to be handled by the card handling device 10 may be standard unmarked conventional cards, and the sensor 210 may be configured to sense and identify only a conventional rank and suit of each card. In additional applications, the cards to be handled by the card handling device 10 may be marked with ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), near-infrared (near-IR), or visible wavelength inks or may have embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, magnetic coding, bar codes, embedded electronic devices, or any other marking means, and the sensor 210 may be configured to detect at least one such marking in addition to, or instead of, identifying a rank and suit of each card. The card sensing system also may be configured to sense, detect, and identify cards that have been physically damaged (e.g., due to wear) and/or cards that have been marked in any way that facilitates cheating. The card sensing system may be configured to sense and identify cards that include one or more of cuts, abrasions, bends, dirt, and debris, and/or to verify that each card exhibits an expected, predefined color, thickness, reflectivity, mass, or other identifying characteristic or feature.
The card sensing system may be configured to communicate electrically with the subsequently described control system 220.
The card handling device 10 may further include a control system. The control system may configured to receive input signals from a user, to receive input signals from one or more of the various sensors described herein, and/or for selectively controlling one or more of the various previously described active components of the card handling device 10.
As shown in
For example, the control system 220 may include a display 34, as previously discussed herein, which may comprise a screen that can be used as both a touchpad that functions as an input device 226 and as a screen that functions as an output device 228 for displaying information about the card handling device 10 to a user, such as, for example, operating status of the card handling device 10. By way of example and not limitation, the display 34 may comprise a commercially available display sold by Reach Technology Inc., of Fremont, Calif., as part number 42-0092-03.
The touch screen display 34 may be located below the gaming table surface when the card handling device 10 is mounted to a gaming table in the manner previously described herein. The display 34 may be used to output information to a dealer or other user regarding information such as the identity of the cards that have been dealt into each hand, which may allow the dealer to assess whether the cards shown or played by that player are different (indicating that the cards have been changed or swapped) without alerting the player. For example, if a deviation between a dealt hand and a displayed or played hand were to occur, indicating a confirmed case of card switching, the dealer would be able to notify security without the player's knowledge, which may allow the cheating player to be apprehended. By providing or locating the display 34 below the surface of the table and/or facing away from the players at the table, the display 34 may be concealed from the players, and important information may be conveyed to and from casino personnel without the knowledge of the players. Touch screen controls on the display 34 also may provide a larger number of input options for the user, as compared to more standard push button controls. The display 34 may be capable of displaying alphanumeric information, graphical information, animation, video feed, and the like. In some embodiments of the present invention, a diagram of the card path and an indication of a location of a card jam may be displayed on the display 34 when a card jam occurs.
As shown in
As shown in
The control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured under control of a computer program to enable a dealer or other user of the card handling device 10 to perform any one of a number of functions or operations on a deck of cards using the card handling device 10. The display 34 (or other input device) of the card handling device 10 may include a menu that allows the dealer or other user to select what function or operations the card handling device 10 is to perform on a deck of cards placed in the card infeed tray 12. The functions or operations may include one or more of shuffling operations, sorting operations, and dealing operations, as described in further detail below.
By way of example and not limitation, one function or operation that may be performed by the card handling device 10 is a shuffling operation that includes a deck shuffle with an entire shuffled deck output to the card output tray 14. In other words, the control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured under control of a program to cause the card handling device 10 to randomly shuffle an entire deck of cards placed in the card infeed tray 12, and to dispense the entire deck of shuffled cards into the card output tray 14.
By way of example and not limitation, to shuffle a deck of cards placed in the card infeed tray 12, the control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured to read or sense one or more identifying characteristics or features of each card as the card is carried past the card sensing system 246, as previously described herein, and to rotate the carousel 120 in a stepwise manner to insert the cards sequentially into each next adjacent compartment 122 of the carousel 120. The control system 220 may be configured to record information regarding the identity of each card and the particular compartment 122 of the carousel 120 into which each respective card is inserted. After all the cards have been placed into compartments 122 of the carousel 120, the control system 220 may cause the carousel 120 to spin or rotate so as to align the compartments 122 of the carousel 120 with the card output system 242 and to eject cards out from the compartments 122 of the carousel 120 in a random sequence. In other words, the cards may be placed in a randomized or shuffled sequence as they are removed from the carousel 120. In this manner, the cards or groups of cards may be provided in the card output tray 14 in a random, shuffled sequence.
As another example of a manner in which the card handling device 10 may be used to shuffle cards placed in the card infeed tray 12, the control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured to read or sense one or more identifying characteristics or features of each card as the card is carried past the card sensing system 246, as previously described herein, and to randomly rotate the carousel 120 to insert the cards sequentially into next adjacent compartments 122 of the carousel 120. After all the cards have been randomly placed into compartments 122 of the carousel 120, the control system 220 may cause the carousel 120 to spin or rotate in a step-wise sequential motion as the card output system 242 ejects cards out from the compartments 122 of the carousel 120. In other words, the cards may be placed in a randomized or shuffled sequence as they are placed into the carousel 120. In this additional manner, the cards or groups of cards may be provided in the card output tray 14 in a random, shuffled sequence.
In yet additional embodiments, the cards may be randomized or shuffled both while they are placed in the carousel 120 and as they are removed from the carousel 120.
Another function or operation that may be performed by the card handling device 10 is a sorting operation that includes a deck sort with an entire sorted deck output to the card output tray 14. In other words, the control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured under control of a program to cause the card handling device 10 to sort an entire deck of cards placed in the card infeed tray 12 into a predefined order, and to dispense all or part of the entire deck of sorted cards into the card output tray 14. By way of example and not limitation, the predefined order may include a so-called “new deck order,” or “pack order,” which typically includes each of the four suits in the order of spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts, each suit arranged in the order of 2, 3, 4, . . . 10, jack, queen, king, ace, followed by jokers, if they are included.
By way of example and not limitation, to order or sort a deck of cards placed in the card infeed tray 12, the control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured to read or sense one or more identifying characteristics or features of each card as the card is carried past the card sensing system 246, as previously described herein. The control system 220 may be configured to assign a compartment 122 to each of the cards, and to rotate the carousel 120 to align each respective compartment 122 with the card infeed system 240 (
As another example of a manner in which the card handling device 10 may be used to order or sort a deck of cards placed in the card infeed tray 12, the control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured to read or sense one or more identifying characteristics or features of each card as the card is carried past the card sensing system 246, as previously described herein, and to randomly insert the cards into the carousel 120 while recording the identity and location of each card in the carousel 120. After all the cards have been placed into compartments 122 of the carousel 120, the control system 220 may cause the carousel 120 to spin or rotate as necessary as the card output system 242 ejects cards out from the compartments 122 of the carousel 120 such that the cards are ejected in an ordered or sorted sequence. In other words, the cards may be placed in an ordered or sorted sequence as they are ejected or otherwise removed from the carousel 120. In this additional manner, the cards may be provided in the card output tray 14 in a sorted or ordered sequence. In such methods of ordering or sorting a deck of cards, the carousel 120 may be configured to include enough compartments 122 to allow a single card to be inserted into each compartment 122.
Yet another function or operation that may be performed by the card handling device 10 is a dealing operation that includes a sequential output of randomly generated playing hands (or other subsets of cards) to the card output tray 14, each hand or subset of cards comprising a predetermined number of cards. In other words, the control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured under control of a program to cause the card handling device 10 to dispense a first randomly generated playing hand or subset into the card output tray 14. A second randomly generated playing hand may not be output to the card output tray 14 until the control system 220 receives a signal from the sensor 200 (
In some embodiments of the present invention, the control system 220 (
An additional function or operation that may be performed by the card handling device 10 is a dealing operation that includes sequential dispersing of sorted, predefined playing hands or subsets of cards to the card output tray 14. In other words, the control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured under control of a program to cause the card handling device 10 to generate and dispense a first predefined and/or sorted playing hand or set of cards to the card output tray 14. Once the control system 220 receives a signal from the sensor 200 (
The card handling device 10 also may be configured to be programmable by an end user. The computer software of the control system 220 may include a programming module that allows an end user to enter a name for a new game, and to select how the card handling device 10 will dispense cards into the card output tray 14 in a manner that facilitates the formation of hands or other sets of cards for playing that particular new game (i.e., the end user may be able to define an additional function or operation or sequence of functions or operations to be performed by the card handling device 10).
For example, the display 34 may include a touch screen or other user controls that may be used to program the control system 220 of the card handling device 10. For example, the card handling device 10 may be programmed to sequentially deliver a specified number of hands each comprising a specified number of players. Furthermore, the card handling device 10 may be programmed to deliver a specified number of cards to a dealer, a specified number of flop cards, a bonus hand, common cards, or any other card or cards used in the play of a casino card game. The touch screen or other user controls of the display 34 also may be used to input a name of a game for which the card handling device 10 has been programmed, so that the name of the programmed game appears on the display 34 in a menu of user selectable games. By employing a control system 220 that is programmable by an end user as described herein, the need for factory programming or re-programming of the card handling device 10 every time a new casino card game is developed may be eliminated, which may save time, eliminate the need for re-submission of software to various gaming agencies for approval before implementation in a casino, and eliminate the need for upgrading software in the field.
By way of example and not limitation, the card handling device 10 may be programmed by an end user to deliver cards in a pattern or sequence corresponding to the game of THREE CARD POKER®, which requires that the players and dealer each receive three cards. If a new game that utilizes three player cards (each) and three dealer cards were to be developed in the future, an end user would be able to input information including the new game name into the card handling device 10 and the card handling device 10 would be configured for playing such a game without requiring a software change.
Card handling devices that embody teachings of the present invention, such as the card handling device 10 shown in
In additional embodiments, the card handling device 10 may include a device configured to communicate wirelessly with the network 250 (e.g., using signals carried by electromagnetic radiation). The network 250 may comprise one or more remote computer devices (i.e., computer workstations and/or servers), and the network 250 may be a local table network or a casino network.
As described above, the card sensing system 246 (
The network 250 also may be used to collect and/or process data from other data collection devices on a gaming table such as, for example, radio frequency identification (RFID) wager amount sensors, object sensors, chip tray inventory sensors, and the like. Data may be collected on the table and sent to a remote database for later analysis and processing, or the data may be analyzed in real-time.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a card handling device capable of dispensing bonus or promotional cards used to provide a prize, incentive or compensation to a player.
In some embodiments of the present invention, a number of compartments 122 may be pre-assigned to receive bonus or promotional cards. Such cards may be manually inserted by first removing the cover 18 (
The control system 220 of the card handling device 10 may be configured under control of a computer program to insert bonus or promotional cards into one or more preselected compartments 122 of the carousel 120. Bonus or promotional cards may be dispensed to a recipient player in response to events such as a) a jackpot reaching a predetermined amount, b) according to a preselected date and time, c) randomly, d) in response to a game event such as receiving a royal flush in a poker game, e) when a player loyalty account reaches a certain balance, f) in response to a signal to the control system 220 by a remote computer system to dispense a card, or by any other means. Any card game player can receive a bonus card, regardless of the type of game. For example, a casino might link together 80 live tables, including blackjack, baccarat, THREE CARD POKER® and other games.
The dispensing of bonus or promotional cards to players can occur more or less frequently. As an example, a casino may wish to run a “free buffet” promotion for THREE CARD POKER® players during the dinner hour on Saturday nights. The device may be programmed to dispense a bonus card entitling the player recipient to two buffet passes when the player obtains a three of a kind hand. As another example, a casino may want to give away a vehicle based on a random bonus event. In such a scenario, a bonusing system may be maintained and controlled on a server or computer that is in communication with all card handling devices 10 through a common network (e.g., all card handling devices 10 in a casino or an area of a casino). When the random bonus event occurs, the bonusing system may send only one signal to a single selected card handling device 10 on the network to cause that selected card handling device 10 to dispense a bonus card. The selected card handling device 10 may be randomly selected or may be selected according to a schedule.
The presence of the previously described gate member 98 in the card infeed tray 12 may allow a casino operator or other person to load a designated number of bonus cards from the card infeed tray 12, either before or after loading regular playing cards, without interrupting game play. In some embodiments, the control system 220 may be configured under control of a computer program to cause the display 34 to indicate when the card handling device 10 is out of bonus or promotional cards. Bonus or promotional cards may be provided with an identifying characteristic or feature (such as a specific marking or color) that may be detected by the card sensing system 246 to allow the control system 220 to keep track of the number and location of bonus or promotional cards contained in the machine at any given time.
Card handling devices that embody teachings of the present invention may be capable of performing a variety of additional functions other than those previously described herein. For example, the card handling device 10 shown in
The card handling device 10 shown in
Card handling devices that embody teachings of the present invention, such as the card handling device 10 shown in
Referring to
The above examples of embodiments of the present invention are meant to be non-limiting. Many other embodiments of the invention are contemplated. For example, a card handling system of a card handling device that embodies teachings of the present invention may be configured to perform a verification of a deck of cards without rearranging an order in which the cards are inserted into the card handling machine. Such a verification may be used to verify that a certain number of cards are present in the set (i.e., that the deck is a complete deck), and that the cards in the deck are in acceptable playing condition. As another example, a card handling system of a card handling device that embodies teachings of the present invention may be configured to decommission cards when cards having an unacceptable amount of wear or damage are detected. Furthermore, additional card sensing systems and schemes may be used in place of the disclosed sensing systems. Card handling devices that embody teachings of the present invention may not include a separate card infeed tray and card output tray, and may include a single tray in which cards are placed to feed the cards into the machines and into which the cards are dispensed after being handled by the card handling devices. Furthermore, many different arrangements of data collection and analysis hardware and software may be used in connection with card handling devices that embody teachings of the present invention to obtain information relating to player performance and win/loss information on a casino game.
Generally, unless specifically otherwise disclosed or taught, the materials for making the various components of the present invention may be selected from appropriate materials, such as plastics, metal, metallic alloys, ceramics, fiberglass, elastomers, composites, and the like. Many components of the system are conventional, commercially available components unless otherwise indicated, including motors, belts, pulleys, rotational shafts, rollers, sprockets, gears, pinions, pulleys, cams, support structures, and the like. The electrical components may include conventional circuitry, wires, fuses, soldered connections, chips, switches, boards, microprocessors, stepper motors, computers, and control system components.
While the present invention has been described herein with respect to certain embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize and appreciate that it is not so limited. Rather, many additions, deletions and modifications to the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. In addition, features from one embodiment may be combined with features of another embodiment while still being encompassed within the scope of the invention as contemplated by the inventors.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/431,757, filed Mar. 27, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/848,631, filed Aug. 2, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,141,875, issued Mar. 27, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/598,259 filed Nov. 9, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,766,332, issued Aug. 3, 2010, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/481,407, filed Jul. 5, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,342,525 issued Jan. 1, 2013, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. The subject matter of this application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/810,864, filed Jun. 6, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,070,574, issued Dec. 6, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13431757 | Mar 2012 | US |
| Child | 14491640 | US | |
| Parent | 12848631 | Aug 2010 | US |
| Child | 13431757 | US | |
| Parent | 11598259 | Nov 2006 | US |
| Child | 12848631 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11481407 | Jul 2006 | US |
| Child | 11598259 | US |
