Shuffled playing cards and manufacturing method thereof

• US 10,022,618 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Angel Playing Cards Co Ltd (Angel Group Company Limited)
• Inventors: Shigeta, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Simms, Jr., John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, DOLORES R
• Application Number:
  US14/864,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20160008703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 273249 R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/02 Cards; Special shapes of cards card-printing methods B41K, B41M
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/062 Boxes or cases for cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/10 Card holders
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/00 Game accessories of general use , e.g. score counters, boxes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/022 Manufacturing of cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/58 Antifraud or preventing misuse

Abstract

A method including, manufacturing individual playing cards; shuffling, using a shuffling machine with multiple pockets, a multiple number of decks of the playing cards at random in a factory utilizing at least a first card feeding step and a second card feeding step; detecting, using an imaging device and an image processing unit, a rank and a suit of each of the cards; counting, using the image processing unit, the number of each rank and each suit; inspecting, using the image processing unit, during or after the shuffling of the decks of playing cards, but before packaging, whether or not there is an excess or deficiency in the number of the rank or the suit contained in the multiple number of decks of the playing cards; and, after the inspecting step, packaging a set of the shuffled decks of the playing cards in an individual package.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing shuffled decks of playing cards, the method comprising:

manufacturing individual playing cards wherein a rank and a suit is printed on one side of a base paper, a back design is printed on another side of the base paper, and the base paper is cut into the individual playing cards using a cutting machine;

shuffling, using a shuffling machine with a first set of multiple pockets in a linear arrangement and a second set of multiple pockets in a linear arrangement, a multiple number of decks of the playing cards at random in a factory utilizing at least a first card feeding step and a second card feeding step;

wherein the first card feeding step comprises transferring the individual playing cards to the first set of multiple pockets using a first card feeder;

wherein the second card feeding step comprises randomly transferring the individual playing cards from the first set of multiple pockets to the second set of multiple pockets using a second card feeder;

detecting, using an imaging device and an image processing unit, a rank and a suit of each of the cards;

counting, using the image processing unit, the number of each rank and each suit;

inspecting, using the image processing unit, during or after the shuffling of the decks of playing cards, but before packaging, whether or not there is an excess or deficiency in the number of the rank or the suit contained in the multiple number of decks of the playing cards; and

after the inspecting step, packaging a set of the shuffled decks of the playing cards in an individual package.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the first card feeding step is functionally independent of the second card feeding step.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the first card feeding step comprises feeding the cards into multiple receptacles.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 3, wherein the second card feeding step comprises feeding the cards into multiple receptacles.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the multiple receptacles for the first card feed step are different than the multiple receptacles for the second card feeding step.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple number of decks of the playing cards are shuffled at random using a random generator so as to make each of the set of the shuffled decks of the playing cards have a different sequence of the cards.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising inspecting, during or after the shuffling of the cards, but before packaging, each of the playing cards for a smudge or a back design pattern to identify a defective card.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 7, further comprising discarding the defective card after inspecting.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising inspecting, during or after the shuffling of the cards, but before packaging, whether or not each of the playing cards has been cut properly or complies with predetermined standards to identify a defective card.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, further comprising discarding the defective card after inspecting.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising discarding the set of the shuffled decks of the playing cards which has an excess or deficiency in the number of the rank or the suit.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein information or an adhesive label is further attached to the individual package after the packaging.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, wherein the information or the adhesive label attached to the individual package is associated with production information of the shuffled decks of the playing cards, product type information of the shuffled deck of playing cards, shipment information, or customer information.

14. A method of manufacturing shuffled decks of playing cards, the method comprising:

manufacturing individual playing cards wherein a rank and a suit is printed on one side of a base paper, a back design is printed on another side of the base paper, and the base paper is cut into the individual playing cards using a cutting machine;

shuffling, using a shuffling machine with a first set of multiple pockets in a linear arrangement and a second receiver, a multiple number of decks of the playing cards at random in a factory utilizing at least a first card feeding step and a second card feeding step;

wherein the first card feeding step comprises transferring the individual playing cards to the first set of multiple pockets using a first card feeder;

wherein the second card feeding step comprises randomly transferring the individual playing cards from the first set of multiple pockets to the second receiver using a second card feeder;

detecting, using an imaging device and an image processing unit, a rank and a suit of each of the cards;

counting, using the image processing unit, the number of each rank and each suit;

inspecting, using the image processing unit, during or after the shuffling of the decks of playing cards, but before packaging, whether or not there is an excess or deficiency in the number of the rank or the suit contained in the multiple number of decks of the playing cards; and

after the inspecting step, packaging a set of the shuffled decks of the playing cards in an individual package.

15. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein the first card feeding step is functionally independent of the second card feeding step.

16. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein the multiple number of decks of the playing cards are shuffled at random using a random generator so as to make each of the set of the shuffled decks of the playing cards have a different sequence of the cards.

17. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, further comprising inspecting, during or after the shuffling of the cards, but before packaging, each of the playing cards for a smudge or a back design pattern to identify a defective card.

18. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, further comprising inspecting, during or after the shuffling of the cards, but before packaging, whether or not each of the playing cards has been cut properly or complies with predetermined standards to identify a defective card.

19. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, further comprising discarding the set of the shuffled decks of the playing cards which has an excess or deficiency in the number of the rank or the suit.

20. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein information or an adhesive label is further attached to the individual package after the packaging.

21. The manufacturing method according to claim 20, wherein the information or the adhesive label attached to the individual package is associated with production information of the shuffled decks of the playing cards, product type information of the shuffled deck of playing cards, shipment information, or customer information.