Patent Application
20060177109
Casinos have been processing images of faces (facial recognition) captured from surveillance camera imaging devices, sometimes referred to as eyes-in-the-sky, in order to identify cheats and other undesirables so that such patrons can be automatically recognized and thereafter ejected or otherwise prevented from cheating and other wrong doing by casino personnel.
Two providers of facial recognition technology may be found at “www.visionics.com” and “www.viisage.com”. Recent U.S. patents include:
Steffens et al., Oct. 9, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,370, Face recognition from video images;
Bortolussi et al., Sep. 18, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,575, Real-time facial recognition and verification system;
Abdel-Mottaleb et al., Jul. 17, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,113, Method for detecting a face in a digital image;
Cumbers, May 22, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,900, Player tracking and identification system;
Cumbers, Nov. 7, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,876, Player tracking and identification system;
Chang et al., Oct. 24, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,896, Method of recognizing faces using range images;
Kuperstein et al., Oct. 3, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,398, System, method and application for the recognition, verification and similarity ranking of facial or other object patterns;
Baluja et al., Oct. 3, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,397, Method for finding all frontal faces in arbitrarily complex visual scenes; and
Lin, Aug. 22, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,437, Face recognition apparatus, method, system and computer readable medium thereof.
The disclosures of all of the above U.S. patents are incorporated herein by reference.
The Cumbers '876 and '900 patents disclose the use of facial recognition to identify slot machine players and table game players so that a player's betting habits may be monitored for the purpose of awarding comps and other benefits (complimentary perks) to the player commensurate with his level of play. For a slot machine player, Cumbers also teaches how wager monitoring can be done automatically (12th paragraph from the end of the Description in Cumbers' '876 and '900 patents): “In a known manner, each time the player makes a wager at the device 34, a data signal is generated indicative of the amount of the wager. Thus, as a player inputs coins or tokens into the device 34 to play, signals 40 are issued to the host processor 29.”
However, it is a different matter to determine the amount of wagers at a table game because one or more gaming chips of one or more denomination values may be used together to make up a given wager, whereas, in slot machine play, a player inserts particular denominations or values of coins or tokens one-at-a-time into a slot machine chute which has been adapted to accept such coins or tokens one-at-a-time so they can be counted individually and their physical attributes measured individually to detect and authenticate their value so a player's comp credits can be tallied and counterfeits can be avoided.
Some casino table game operators have tried to utilize various devices and technology to machine read the denominations of wagered chips in order to automatically determine the monetary amounts of a player's betting activity so that comps distributed by the casino will accurately reflect a player's betting activity. However, applicant's know of no such systems to read table game chips to be operating in any casino anywhere in the world.
The disclosures of applicants' pending patent application, titled, SYSTEM FOR MACHINE READING AND PROCESSING INFORMATION FROM GAMING CHIPS, application Ser. No. 09/335,100, and their patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,589, issued Mar. 21, 1989, titled, INFORMATION TRANSFER AND USE, PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO OBJECTS SUCH AS GAMBLING CHIPS, are incorporated herein by reference.
Other patents include:
Uhland, Jul. 23, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,187, Game monitoring apparatus;
French et al., Jul. 29, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,548, Gaming chips with electronic circuits scanned by antennas in gaming chip placement areas for tracking the movement of gaming chips within a casino apparatus and method;
Fishbine et al., Jul. 14, 1998 U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,647, Gambling chip recognition system;
Strisower, Mar. 7, 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,482, System for the tracking and management of transactions in a pit area of a gaming establishment; and, most recently,
Hogan, Jul. 31, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,671, Game table player comp rating system and method therefor.
The disclosures of all of the above U.S. patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Imaging devices and components therefor and/or used therewith are well known in the art. Recent U.S. patents include:
Yoshimura et al., Nov. 13, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,266, Coordinate input apparatus;
Yokonuma, Sep. 18, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,630, Camera;
Hori, Jul. 10, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,478, Full frame electronic shutter camera;
Chen, et al., Apr. 10, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,113, CMOS active pixel sensor;
The disclosures of all of the above U.S. patents are incorporated herein by reference.
The invention provides a combination imaging system that captures both facial images and images of wagered chips at casino table games such as blackjack. The present invention is particularly suitable for any game that uses particular betting positions assigned to each player. In addition to automatically identifying players, casinos could also identify cheats and other undesirables. Such a combination imaging system may also benefit our nation's interests by identifying terrorists, drug dealers, counterfeiters and other criminals and threats to society.
The invention provides for automatically obtaining, i.e., machine read, information from faces and gambling chips reliably during play on casino table games.
The invention provides for obtaining such information unobtrusively, with little or no interference in game play, and/or with little or no slowing of game play, particularly for identifying a player and starting, capturing information during, and ending, a playing session therefor.
The invention provides for fully automate information collection from gambling tables, particularly for card games and particularly for the purpose of identifying and comping players.
The invention provides for automatically obtaining information from gambling tables, and it provides a combination system to do so, as described in the foregoing, for player identification and comping and for other purposes.
The invention provides for enhanced casino-style game play while providing for automatic reading of information from a player's face in order to automatically identify a player and from gaming chips during game play for the purpose of determining the player's comps.
The invention provides for a system which accomplishes one or more of the foregoing which is simple to manufacture and operate and which is inexpensive to manufacture.
The invention provides for a programmed computer system for processing optical information from players' faces and optical information from their gaming chip(s) wagered at a plurality of respective playing positions on a gaming table, the system having a gaming table with playing positions each having a specified betting position for each player, and at least one imaging device associated with each of the plurality of playing positions, the imaging devices being situated to receive light from players' faces and from gaming chips players' wager at their respective betting positions, and the imaging devices providing electrical signals related to the players' faces and to the gaming chips, and at least one programmed computer processor coupled to receive said electrical signals from said imaging devices, the computer being caused by programming to process said electrical signals and thereby process optical information representing players' faces and optical information representing their wagered gaming chip(s).
The system's imaging devices may include at least a video camera and lens. The system's imaging devices may be located in the vicinity under the dealer's chip tray. The system's imaging devices may be mounted on one assembly, and/or on one printed circuit board.
The invention may also provide for a casino database to store facial images of players so that the face of a player who sits down to play may be compared to images stored in the casino database. When a match is made, the facial data from the database may be downloaded to the table computer for storage (at least for temporary storage) so that facial images captured from the imaging devices at the table and processed in the table's computer may be continually compared to the downloaded image. When a match may no longer be made from subsequent comparisons, it would indicate that the player has left and the table computer can then end that player's play session. Another play session may be started when the image of another face is captured.
The invention also provides for a programmed computer system for processing optical information from players' faces and optical information from their gaming chip(s) wagered at a plurality of respective playing positions on a gaming table, the system having at least the following: a gaming table with a specified betting position for each player, and at least one optical device (for example, a lens) associated with each of the plurality of playing positions, these optical devices being located in the vicinity under the dealer's chip tray and situated to receive light from players' faces and from gaming chips players wager at their respective betting positions, and at least one opto-electrical device (for example, a video camera) associated with each of the at least one optical device, the opto-electrical devices receiving light images from the optical devices and providing related electrical signals, and at least one programmed computer processor coupled to receive the electrical signals from the opto-electrical devices, the computer being caused by programming to process the electrical signals and thereby process optical information representing players' faces and optical information representing their wagered gaming chip(s).
The system may also include at least one indicator device associated with each playing position, each indicator device being coupled to the processor, and the processor being caused by programming to control each indicator device in response to the signal input to the processor of electrical signals associated with respective optical devices that provided light to which the respective electrical signals are related.
The system's processor may also be caused by programming to associate information carried by the electrical signals with respective optical devices that provided light to which the respective electrical signals are related. The information represented optically on the chips represents the denomination of the respective chip, and the processor is caused by programming to also associate the sum of all of the denominations of chips at a respective location with the respective optical device.
The invention further provides for a combination casino imaging system that identifies faces and wagered chips at a casino table game, the system having more than one imaging device and associated electronic apparatus including at least one computer and at least one frame grabber. The imaging devices may be positioned in one location of the gaming table, such as under the dealer's chip tray, and, preferably, are mounted on one imaging device assembly. The combination system may also benefit from casino personnel or security personnel confirming the identity of a person whose face has been identified. The system may also includes means to indicate during each casino game that one or more players have been identified, and means to also indicate that one or more wagered chips have been identified.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a system for associating information related to one or more gaming chips wagered at each of a plurality of playing positions on a gaming table and information related to a face of each of a plurality of players at a respective playing position. That system comprises at least one imaging device associated with each of the plurality of playing positions which receives light from the respective player's face and light from the respective playing position including light from any gaming chip or chips wagered thereat and provides information related to such received light, and at least one computer which receives information provided by the at least one imaging device. The at least one computer is programmed to process information provided by the at least one imaging device related to light from a respective player's face and light from a respective playing position and associate respective face and waging chip information. The at least one computer can be a computer at the particular computer, or a casino computer, or both.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a system for identifying players at a gaming table having a plurality of playing positions from face information and associating wagering information with an identity of an identified player. That system comprises at least one video camera that captures face information from each player at a playing position and wagering information from gaming chips wagered at each of the plurality of playing positions with which a player is associated, at least one frame grabber which provides face and chip information for processing on a frame-by-frame basis from information provided by the at least one video camera, and at least one computer which identifies the player from frames provided by the frame grabber and determines wagered sums from frames provided by the frame grabber, and associates the wagering information with the identity of the associated player.
The invention also provides a method for associating information related to one or more gaming chips wagered at each of a plurality of playing positions on a gaming table with an identity of each of a plurality of players at a respective playing position. The method comprises providing, in association with each of the plurality of playing positions, information related to a respective player's face using light from the respective player's face and information related to a respective playing position including any gaming chip or chips wagered thereat using light from a respective playing position, attempting to determine an identity of each player associated with a playing position based on the information related a respective player's face and stored data; and associating information related a respective player's face with information related to a respective playing position.
In the preferred embodiment, the identity of each player is attempted by comparing information related to a respective player's face and stored data. However, if that fails, the player is permitted to continue and his or her identity is attempted through inquiry or other means.
The FIGS. are not drawn to scale.
The term “imaging device” is used in a broad sense and encompasses optical and electronic gray-scale and color digital and analog devices such as video cameras, and includes any opto-electrical device such as CCD and CMOS devices with one or more associated optical devices coupled thereto such as a pinhole lens, lens, mirror, semi transparent reflector, single reflex lens, shutter, shutter/reflector or the like, which may be used for capturing frames of optical information electronically for subsequent real-time or delayed processing in a computer system operating under the control of programmed instructions. Imaging devices may be situated in one location and may be assembled into an imaging device assembly that may be mounted to or associated with a casino table game such as blackjack and baccarat. Captured image data may be provided to one or more frame grabber board(s).
Typically, table game players may be identified by their personal comp card, i.e., a player identification card that is issued by the casino to each player. Such cards store ID information in different ways including in a magnetic strip which may be read by swiping in a magnetic reading device when a player starts a playing session. Other types of customer ID cards may be used and read with appropriate reading devices, e.g., cards with punch holes may be used, or smart cards (with electronic memory, etc.) with conductive contacts may be used, or radio frequency cards with battery or passive r-f electronic apparatus (antennae, memory, etc.) may be used. (One example of a passive r-f card is offered by Cubic Incorporated in California; Cubic provides r-f cards for access to public transportation systems).
Referring to
When such cards are issued to a player, or at other times, the casino's computer imaging system (not shown) may capture a facial image with an imaging device (not shown) and store data representing that player's face in a casino database (72 in
This would allow a casino to subsequently identify players automatically, using imaging devices, without the use of a comp card or in conjunction with a comp card. Facial image recognition may be augmented by one or more other biometrics recognition techniques, such as iris, fingerprint, voice, heart beat, electrical, magnetic, krillian, and the like, and suitable optical apparatus, or other specialized apparatus, may be employed as required.
For example, when a new player 14 sits down to play at a particular playing position 20 with a specified location 21 on the felt to place bets (as shown in
Each blackjack table 12, for example, would have an associated table computer 36, such as a PC computer, to perform various functions at the table, such as processing optical data in one or more frame grabber board(s) (not shown but within block 36) from each table's various imaging devices, 2-way communication to the casino(s) server(s) and/or database(s), compile and process betting and other data from each hand played and from each player's play session from beginning to end, process data from the playing cards to determine the ranking or value of dealt cards, tally financial and other information from each dealer's dealing session from beginning to end. In various ways, using the auxiliary data input device 28 shown in
Devices that may be controlled in whole or in part by the table computer 36 include the imaging devices 16, LEDs 84(
Facial data captured from a table's imaging devices 16 and processed in a table's computer 36 and uploaded so that it may be compared to data from stored data of players' faces from the casino database 72. This comparison operation may initially be performed in a computer storage device located elsewhere from the table computer 36 if the casino's stored facial images are not redundantly stored in individual tables' computers.
When a match is made at a blackjack table for example, the player's account number, name, etc. will thus become known to the casino system as well as just where that player has sat down to begin playing. Upon matching a new player's facial image with a known player's stored facial image from the casino database 72, a play session file for that player can be opened in a blackjack table's computer or elsewhere in the casino.
After a match to a known player is made, that facial data from the database 72 may be downloaded to the table computer 36 for storage (at least for temporary storage) so that facial images captured from the imaging devices 16 at the table and processed in the table's computer 16 may be continually compared to the downloaded image (please refer to
Ending a play session and other functions may be augmented by the dealer keying in or otherwise (such as a touch-screen device) entering information into an auxiliary input device 28 associated with each table as shown in
Referring to
Devices could be employed to track the cards dealt to each player and the dealer. For example, cards could be scanned by OCR means as they are dealt out of the card shoe 22. Or cards could be bar-coded (or otherwise coded) and their bar-codes captured and decoded as they are dealt. Or cards can be read after shuffling and their order recorded in a list electronically prior to being dealt so that by counting the cards' position as they are dealt from the deck of cards the ranking or value of each card could be determined by referring to the list. By tracking the cards, a player's winning and losing hands can be automatically determined by the table's computer 36. When a player wins a hand, the table computer may also read the winning payment amount paid by the dealer using the table's imaging devices so that that amount could be compared to the amount the player wagered that hand. In this manner or otherwise the table computer can keep track of the accuracy of the dealer's payments of winning bets (also see, for example, applicant's pending application Ser. No. 09/335,100).
As mentioned above, when a player leaves a table 12, a match will no longer be made from subsequent attempted comparisons for that playing position 20. But if a different facial image is captured at that position 20, i.e., an image that no longer matches, it would indicate that another player has sat down to play, and the process may then start over for the new player to try to start a new play session if the new player's face is matched up with a face stored in the casino's database system.
If the new player is unknown to the casino's facial storage database system 72, a play session may be started none the less and the player comped appropriately and/or signed up as a known player for future purposes after the play session has been completed.
Some casinos have banned cheats and other undesirables from playing at their casino. If the casino also stored facial data representing these banned players in the same or associated databases, or databases serving the needs of more than one casino accessed by communication means including, for example, the Internet, they could be automatically identified and subsequently ejected from the casino by security personnel.
Some gambling operators operate many casinos located in one or more gaming jurisdiction (such as Harrah's and Park Place Entertainment). Such multi-property operators may exchange player and other data from their respective databases and/or maintain a shared database containing facial images accessible by some or all of their casino properties by communication means including, for example, the Internet. (Security would be a concern; a given casino operator may want to take adequate precautions to prevent competitors from being able to access their databases.)
Data representing the faces of known terrorists and other criminals at large could be received from the FBI, CIA, Interpol and other sources and also stored in the casino's database(s) 72, so that a wanted person could also be automatically identified and apprehended by security people, or local police or the FBI alerted per previous received instruction from police or the FBI so that the wanted person could be followed or apprehended. Casinos may also access enforcement authorities' databases to identify wanted persons remotely (without storing such data in their own casino databases) using communication means such as the Internet, wireless, etc.
A dealer's chip tray area 18 is depicted in
The two functions of capturing facial images and images of wagered chips may be combined into one imaging device. More than one imaging devices or types of imaging devices may be mounted in a common location, preferably on a common imaging device assembly.
The imaging device assembly 17, 17a, 17b (
A covering 42, i.e., a transparent or partially transparent material such as clear, coated or smoked glass or plastic or the like, may be located in front of or surrounding the common location of the imaging devices 16, or the imaging devices assembly 17, 17a, 17b (please see
Either gray scale or color imaging devices may be suitable for facial recognition. A color imaging device may be preferable to a gray scale device to read chips with less sophisticated, old-fashioned color coded spot patterns which are repeated around the chips peripheries.
If gaming chips' peripheries were coded with more sophisticated repeated denomination patterns, patterns that may include error control features (please see applicant's pending application Ser. No. 09/335,100), gray scale imaging devices may be preferable to read the denomination values of the chips.
The imaging device assembly (e.g., 60 in
Or the imaging devices on the imaging device assembly may be connected via cables and connectors to the circuit board of a multiplex assembly (e.g., 68 in
The circuit board (e.g., 64) in the imaging device assembly (e.g., 60) or the circuit board in the multiplex assembly 68, may be connected to, and controlled by, the table's computer 36 that would contain one or more frame grabber boards to process image data.
The multiplex assembly circuit board 68 may contain switching circuitry and components that operate under the control of the table computer 36 so that, for example, input from the imaging devices 16 are sequenced and cycled in accord with software programs operating in the table computer.
In addition to, or instead of, operating under program control from the table computer 36, control programming for the imaging devices, LEDs (Comp Lights, described below), dealer's card sensor, auxiliary data input device, comp card, playing card and/or currency reading device, etc., may be contained in an appropriate memory chip, e.g., a programmable logic array, mounted on the imaging device assembly (e.g., 60), and/or on the multiplex assembly (e.g., 68) and/or otherwise.
Referring to
A bifocal lens 44 could also be used in this embodiment to improve the quality of the captured image data. An electronic shutter, electronic shuttered lens(es), split lens, a mirrored lens system, or a lens system with a mirror(s) or prism could also be used or used in combination.
It other embodiments it is possible to capture successive frames of image data and decode some frames for facial data for comparison purposes to identify players or undesirables, and decode other frames to determine for comping purposes how many chips of what denomination(s) a player has wagered.
Different frames of image data may be captured using a two-state or a variable lens device, or a compound lens device, in order to provide improved image data captured for faces and for bets. For example, as described below, the focus may be set differently when capturing a frame of data for gaming chips which are closer to the imaging device located under the dealer's chip tray, typically about 20 inches, then when capturing a frame of data for a player's face, which would typically be about 40 inches from the same imaging device.
Improved image quality might result from using auto-focus or two fixed focuses. For example, the imaging device 16 shown in
It would also be possible to use a (semi) auto-focus device, for example, operated by sound or RF waves. If auto-focus were used, it may be helpful to signal the auto-focus circuitry to focus “far & up” for the capture of a facial image, or to focus “near & low” for chip(s).
A chip and facial combination imaging device is depicted in
The chip image data enters the imaging device 16 through the lower half of the lens 44 and is received by half of the imaging device's pixel array, while the facial image data reflects off a first mirrored lens 45a onto a second mirrored lens 45b and is reflected from this second mirrored lens 45b into the top half of the lens of the imaging device and is received by the other half of the pixel array, thus providing a single frame with both chip(s) image data and facial image data.
Another embodiment is depicted in
In
This second multifunctional lens 45c may be controlled by electronic signals and may be comprised of one or more optical elements which may change state (from one optical characteristic to one or more other optical characteristics) depending on the signal applied thereto via a conductor such as a wire or the like (not shown in
For example, while in its first electronically controlled state, this second multifunction lens 45c is set up and angled to be opaque and reflective—it reflects the facial image into the imaging device's lens as described above and at the same time it is opaque in the chip(s) optical path, i.e., it prevents the image of the chip(s) from reaching the imaging device's lens 44.
While in its second electronically controlled state, this second multifunction lens 45c becomes transparent and allows the facial image to pass right through it and thus not enter the imaging device's lens, and (having gone from opaque to transparent in this second state) it also allows the image of the chip(s) to pass through it and enter the imaging device's lens 44 so that the chip(s) image is received by substantially the full array of the imaging device's pixels.
The two states of the second multifunctional lens 45c would be under the control of programming resident in the table computer 36, multiplex assembly 68 or an imaging device assembly 60, 60a, 60b (
The second (lower) mirror 45c in
If no shutters were used in
The two electronic shutters 47a, b are under the control of programming resident in the table computer, multiplex assembly or the imaging device assembly or a combination thereof. When a signal to one shutter is applied to cause it to be opaque, the opposite is true of the other shutter—a signal is applied to (or removed from) said other shutter to make it transparent (clear). In this manner, the combination imaging system is set up to capture either a facial image or the image of a (stack of) chip(s) as described below.
In
In
The use of the half-silvered mirror 45c in
The sequence of capturing facial images and chip(s) images in
In
The image capturing procedure used for
And this ten-step sequence would be repeated continuously as long as the table game is open for business and being operated. This sequence may be “weighted” differently in the hand active part of the game cycle than in the in-between part of the game cycle. For example, the chip images from the seven chip positions may be captured, say, three times in immediate succession (thus, the number of chip images captured are “weighted”) before the facial images are captured once each during the hand active part of the cycle. During the in-between part of the game cycle, the facial images may be weighted.
Whatever imaging sequence is used may be interrupted temporarily for various purposes, such as security purposes (e.g., to only capture images of one particular suspect person), signing in another dealer, ordering chips to replenish the dealer's tray chip inventory, enter data about a particular player playing more than one positions, replacing a failing or failed component, etc.
Referring still to
In another embodiment, seven chip 16a and seven facial imaging 16b devices (14 devices) may be used with a fourteen-step sequence. For example, each of the seven rectangles depicted in
These two-imaging-devices-per-rectangle 16 (as a second possible depiction shown in
In
The procedure used for
Dealers and other casino employees could also be identified automatically using facial recognition or other bio-recognition techniques. For example, the eye-in-the-sky may be used to recognize dealers, another imaging device could be mounted off the table or on the table, such as near the auxiliary input device, one of the imaging devices for players could be used, for example, when starting a dealing session, the dealer could place a device with a mirror in front on one of the player's face's imaging device to capture his own facial image, etc.
It may be useful to integrate imaging devices in other areas of the casino property and businesses operated by the casino. For example, it might be helpful for marketing, management and other purposes to recognize patrons (as well as cheats, criminals, terrorists, etc.) in the reception area of restaurants, hotel registration desks, gift shops, theaters, auditoriums, arenas, spas, gas stations, travel agencies, car and truck rental locations, ATMs, phone booths, etc.
On Nov. 1, 2001, reporter Leslie Gevirtz reported for Reuters that the American Civil Liberties Union and an independent security analyst voiced concerns about facial recognition. For example, that such facial technology was prone to making false matches and that wearing a pair of glasses could fool a facial recognition system.
Some of these concerns may be addressed. For example, casino employees, such as floor persons or pit bosses, associated with one or more table games could confirm that the identity of players recognized by the casino's facial recognition system is accurate and that a correct facial match has been made.
This could be accomplished by recording a physical description and/or a (regular) digitized picture of a player's face when a player signs up for a comp card or a comp account, or at other times. Then, after the casino system recognizes a player by facial recognition at a table game, this physical description or picture could be displayed on a monitor in the pit area for a casino employee (e.g., a pit boss or floor person) to review and confirm that a correct identification has been made (along with the player's personal preferences such as his favorite drink, restaurant, etc.).
The casino facial recognition system may also incorporate a “confidence level” rating associated with each match and display the confidence level on the pit monitor to assist the employee in confirming the match. If eyeglasses were a problem, the employee might suggest the player remove them to assure that he gets his full comp credit entitlement.
Depending on the confidence level or otherwise, it may be desirable, or perhaps it may be desirable in all cases, for the employee to then greet the player to build rapport and establish “brand loyalty” with the casino. For example, the employee might say: Hello Mr. Jones; can I order your favorite drink?, or make you a reservation for dinner?, etc. If he were a player other than Mr. Jones, the player would probably bring this to the employee's attention so that he gets the right drink and no hassles when he goes for dinner.
A casino employee located away from the table area may also confirm a player's identity. For example, a security person monitoring the eyes-in-the-sky surveillance cameras could be alerted when the computer imaging system at a table game initially identifies a player. The security person could then visually compare the system's stored image or picture, or the description of the player, to a fresh image taken with a security camera at a different angle.
Facial recognition accuracy could be enhanced if the casino's facial database were updated regularly. For example, when the player is recognized for a play session, possible changes due to aging, illness, sun, hair style etc. could be made to the data stored in the casino database by way of updating and maintaining more current data so that subsequent matches would have a higher confidence level.
Applicant's pending application Ser. No. 09/335,100 describes the use of a two color LED, called a Comp Light. Such uses include, letting the player see that his bet gets credited for comping purposes at the beginning of each hand, and to indicate if there is a problem reading chips that have been wagered, i.e., that the chip(s) correct value(s) have been identified. As also described, the colors and/or combination of colors and/or blinking from the two color LEDs may be used to interact with and keep each player individually informed if there is a problem reading a given bet, or (in the present application) recognizing a player's face, indicating whether the player is in fact signed in for comp credits for that play session, etc. A specific LED signal (color-wise, and/or blinking-wise, etc.) could be used to signal to the player that his face has not (yet) been recognized to start a play session so that he can adjust his pose, push his hair back, etc., and another signal may be used to signal that eyeglasses being worn should be removed for a (more) positive identification, or a combination of the above, etc.
Comp lights (e.g., 84) for the embodiments described herein may be mounted in the covering as shown in
Alternatively, comp lights or other displays may be mounted into the table playing surface, in front of or behind the betting position for example, and wired below the playing surface to the table system. Instead of LEDs or small displays, other devices may be used. For example, a monitor, such as a CRT or flat screen device, may be associated with each gaming table so that all players can view it. A table monitor could be used to keep each player individually informed and/or all players at a table collectively informed. Marketing information could be offered to individual players or to more than one players, jackpots, progressive jackpots and other participation rewards could be promoted, etc.
This application claims the priority of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/342,256 filed Dec. 21, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60342256 | Dec 2001 | US |
