Inspection system, inspecting device, and gaming chip

• US 10,192,085 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2017
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Angel Playing Cards Co Ltd
• Inventors: Shigeta, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Franklin, Jamara
• Application Number:
  US15/816,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20180144166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 235492, 235375, 463 29, 3405721, 3405727
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 21/00 Coins coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms G07F1/06; Emergency money; Beer or gambling coins or tokens, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/06 Card games appurtenances
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/067 Tables or similar supporting structures
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2435 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/58 Antifraud or preventing misuse
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00 Board games; Raffle games racing games, traffic games, or obstacle games characterised by figures moved by action of the players A63F9/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/182 one or more of the layers being plastic
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/62 Over or under weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/047 the record carrier being shaped as a coin or a gambling token
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10415 the interrogation device being fixed in its position, such as an access control device for reading wireless access cards, or a wireless ATM banking machines in general G07F19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 : Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 : Services
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20084 : Artificial neural networks [ANN]
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 5/00 : Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of coins, e.g. for segregating coins which are unacceptable or alien to a currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 5/04 : Testing the weight
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 5/08 : Testing the magnetic or electric properties
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 : for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 : Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 : Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 : Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 : wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 : about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 : about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 : Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 : involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 : involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 : Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 : Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0072 : with means for detecting the weight of the article of which the code is read, for the verification of the registration weighing combined with recording means, e.g. in weighing scale, G01G19/415
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1401 : comprising clamping or extracting means H05K7/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 : characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence

Abstract

An inspection system inspects gaming chips each having a color or a display indicating a value on an outer surface in a state where the gaming chips are stored in a case in which a maximum number of gaming chips to be stored is limited, and a radio tag storing gaming chip information is embedded in each gaming chip. The gaming chips are stored in the case capable of containing a row of gaming chips stacked in a thickness direction, and the inspection system includes a reading device that reads the radio tag of the gaming chip in the case and acquires gaming chip information of the gaming chip and a determining unit that compares the gaming chip information with a maximum number of gaming chips storable in the case and determines an abnormality of the gaming chip in the case when the number of gaming chips obtained from the gaming chip information is different from a maximum number of storable gaming chips.

Claims

1. An inspection system that inspects gaming chips each having a color or a display indicating a value on an outer surface in a state where the gaming chips are stored in a case in which a maximum of the number of gaming chips to be stored is limited, a radio tag storing gaming chip information being embedded in each of the gaming chips, the gaming chips being stored in the case capable of containing a row of gaming chips stacked in a thickness direction, the inspection system comprising:

a reading device that reads the radio tag of the gaming chip in the case and acquires gaming chip information of the gaming chip; and

a determining unit that compares the gaming chip information acquired by the reading device with the maximum of the number of gaming chips storable in the case and determines an abnormality of the gaming chip in the case when the number of gaming chips obtained from the gaming chip information acquired by the reading device is different from the maximum of the number of storable gaming chips.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit has a function of comparing a physical characteristic of the case or physical information of the gaming chip obtained from a physical measurement means other than the reading device with the physical information of the gaming chip obtained from the gaming chip information acquired by the reading device, determining that there is an abnormal gaming chip among the gaming chips contained in the case when both pieces of information do not coincide with each other, and outputting a determination result.

3. The inspection system according to claim 2, wherein the physical information is a number or height which is obtained optically or a weight which is obtained by measurement.

4. The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a radio tag information database which is able to refer to information of the radio tag embedded in the gaming chip, wherein the determining unit is configured to compare the gaming chip information of the gaming chip read by the reading device with the information of the radio tag information database and detect an abnormality of a gaming chip of an inspection target.

5. The inspection system according to claim 4, wherein the determining unit has a function of comparing, when it is determined that there is an abnormal gaming chip among the gaming chips in the case, the information of the radio tags of all the gaming chips in the case with the radio tag information database registered in advance and specifying the presence of an abnormal radio tag which is not stored in the radio tag information database.

6. The inspection system according to claim 5, wherein the radio tag information database is an information database of radio tags of gaming chips being stored or used in a game hall, and wherein the determining unit has a function of analyzing the information of the radio tag acquired by the reading device and issuing a signal when information obtained from the radio tag coincides with information of a radio tag of a gaming chip placed in a different place in the game hall.

7. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit has a function of specifying, when it is determined that there is an abnormal gaming chip among the gaming chips in the case, the presence of an abnormal gaming chip in which information from the radio tag is unable to be obtained among the gaming chips in the case.

8. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit has a function of analyzing the information of the radio tag acquired by the reading device and issuing a signal when two or more gaming chips having the same information obtained from the radio tag are contained in the case.

9. An inspecting device that inspects gaming chips each having a color or a display indicating a value on an outer surface, a radio tag storing gaming chip information being embedded in each of the gaming chips, the inspecting device comprising:

an inspection table capable of inspecting the gaming chips in a state where the gaming chips are stacked in a row in a thickness direction, and a maximum of the number of stackable gaming chips is limited;

a reading device that reads the radio tags of the row of gaming chips and acquires the gaming chip information of the row of gaming chips; and

a determining unit that compares the gaming chip information acquired by the reading device with the maximum of the number of stackable gaming chips of the inspection table and determines an abnormality of the gaming chip placed on the inspection table when the number of gaming chips obtained from the gaming chip information acquired by the reading device is different from the maximum of the number of stackable gaming chips.

10. The inspecting device according to claim 9, wherein the determining unit has a function of determining, when the gaming chip information of the gaming chip acquired by the reading device does not coincide with physical information of the gaming chip, the presence of an abnormal gaming chip among the gaming chips placed on the inspection table and outputting a determination result.

11. The inspecting device according to claim 10, wherein the physical information is a number or height which is obtained optically or a weight which is obtained by measurement.

12. The inspecting device according to claim 9, further comprising a radio tag information database which is able to refer to information of the radio tag embedded in the gaming chip, wherein the determining unit is configured to compare the gaming chip information of the gaming chip read by the reading device with the information of the radio tag information database and detect an abnormality of a gaming chip of an inspection target placed on the inspection table.

13. The inspecting device according to claim 12, wherein the determining unit has a function of comparing, when it is determined that there is an abnormal gaming chip among the gaming chips on the inspection table, the information of the radio tags of all the gaming chips on the inspection table with the radio tag information database registered in advance and specifying the presence of an abnormal radio tag which is not stored in the radio tag information database.

14. The inspecting device according to claim 12, wherein the radio tag information database is an information database of radio tags of gaming chips being stored or used in a game hall, and wherein the determining unit has a function of analyzing the information of the radio tag acquired by the reading device and issuing a signal when information obtained from the radio tag coincides with information of a radio tag of a gaming chip placed in a different place in the game hall.

15. The inspecting device according to claim 9, wherein the determining unit has a function of specifying, when it is determined that there is an abnormal gaming chip among the gaming chips on the inspection table, the presence of an abnormal gaming chip in which information from the radio tag is unable to be obtained among the gaming chips on the inspection table.

16. The inspecting device according to claim 9, wherein the determining unit has a function of analyzing the information of the radio tag acquired by the reading device and issuing a signal when two or more gaming chips having the same information obtained from the radio tag are contained on the inspection table.

17. A gaming chip that is inspectable by an inspection system in a state where the gaming chip is stored in a case in which a maximum of a number of gaming chips is limited, a radio tag storing gaming chip information embedded in the gaming chip, a color or a display indicating a value being arranged on an outer surface of the gaming chip, wherein the inspection system comprises:

a reading device that reads the radio tag of the gaming chip in the case and acquires gaming chip information of the gaming chip; and

a determining unit that compares the gaming chip information acquired by the reading device with the maximum of the number of gaming chips storable in the case and determines an abnormality of the gaming chip in the case when the number of gaming chips obtained from the gaming chip information acquired by the reading device is different from the maximum of the number of storable gaming chips.