Hand-forming card shuffling apparatuses including multi-card storage compartments, and related methods

• US 10,238,954 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Stasson, James B., Rynda, Robert J., Helgesen, James P., Nelson, Troy D., Scheper, Paul K., Swanson, Ronald R., Helsen, Colin A., Wadds, Nathan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Dolores
• Application Number:
  US15/377,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 273149 R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/00 Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game

Abstract

Card shufflers usable in forming and dispensing randomized playing card hands for use in playing card games include a card input mechanism for inputting cards into the card shuffler, a card storage device for receiving cards from the card input mechanism and temporarily storing cards within the card shuffler, and a card output mechanism for outputting shuffled cards from the card shuffler. The card storage device may include a wheel configured to rotate within the card shuffler. The rotatable wheel may have a plurality of card storage compartments therein, each of which may be sized and configured to hold two or more cards therein. Related methods involve the use of such card shufflers in playing card games.

Claims

1. A card shuffler, comprising:

a card input configured to input cards into the card shuffler;

a card storage device positioned and configured to receive cards from the card input and temporarily store cards within the card shuffler, the card storage device comprising a movable wheel configured to rotate within the card shuffler, the movable wheel comprising a plurality of storage compartments, at least a majority of the storage compartments sized and configured to hold two or more cards therein; and

a card output configured to output cards from the card shuffler;

wherein the card output is configured to eject cards out from the storage compartments and into an output compartment such that the cards are oriented at a downward angle of between about 2° and

about 15°

relative to a horizontal plane at all times as the cards move from each storage compartment into the output compartment.

2. The card shuffler of claim 1, wherein the output compartment is shaped, oriented, and configured such that cards held therein are oriented at an angle of between about 2°

and about 15°

relative to the horizontal plane.

3. The card shuffler of claim 1, wherein the card output is configured to eject cards out from the storage compartments and into the output compartment such that the cards are oriented at a downward angle of between about 2°

and about 5°

relative to a horizontal plane at all times as the cards move from each storage compartment and into the output compartment.

4. The card shuffler of claim 1, further comprising a card reading system configured to acquire at least one of rank and suit of cards as they move through the card input toward the card storage device.

5. The card shuffler of claim 1, wherein the card input comprises:

a plurality of rollers located and configured to drive movement of cards along a card input path extending from the card input area to toward to the card storage device;

a motor configured to drive rotation of at least some rollers of the plurality of rollers; and

at least one slide bar extending continuously between the rollers of the plurality of rollers along the input path, the at least one slide bar having an upper surface recessed from apexes of the rollers of the plurality of rollers by an average distance of about 0.07 inch or less.

6. The card shuffler of claim 1, wherein the at least one slide bar comprises two slide bars oriented at least substantially parallel to one another.

7. A card shuffler, comprising:

a card input configured to move cards from a card-receiving area at an exterior of the card shuffler into an interior of the card shuffler;

a card storage device positioned and configured to receive cards from the card input and temporarily store cards within the interior of the card shuffler;

a card output positioned and configured to remove shuffled cards from the card storage device and output the shuffled cards to the exterior of the card storage device; and

a control system configured to control operation of the card shuffler, the control system including;

a touch screen control panel configured to receive input information from an operator of the card shuffler and to output information to an operator of the card shuffler; and

a player display mounted to the card shuffler, the control system configured to display information to players of a playing card game in which the card shuffler is used on the player display.

8. The card shuffler of claim 7, wherein the control system is configured to display information relating to at least one of minimum or maximum bet quantities, an indication of a winning hand, a recommended player card hand, game advice, game rules, a casino identity, and identification of a game being played in conjunction with the card shuffler to the players of the playing card game in which the card shuffler is used on the player display.

9. The card shuffler of claim 7, wherein the touch screen control panel is oriented for viewing from a first side of the card shuffler, and the player display is oriented for viewing from a second, opposite side of the card shuffler.

10. A card shuffler, comprising:

a card input receptacle;

a card output receptacle;

a card input positioned and configured to input cards from the card input receptacle into the card shuffler;

a card storage positioned and configured to receive cards from the card input and temporarily store cards within the card shuffler;

a card output positioned and configured to move shuffled cards from the card storage to the card output receptacle; and

a drip pan located and configured to divert fluid introduced into at least one of the card input receptacle and the card output receptacle to an exterior of the card shuffler.

11. The card shuffler of claim 10, further comprising at least one outer cover including at least one aperture extending therethrough, the at least one aperture located and configured to allow spilled fluid diverted by the drip pan to pass out from the card shuffler through the at least one aperture in the at least one outer cover.

12. The card shuffler of claim 11, wherein the drip pan extends at least partially through the at least one aperture extending through the at least one outer cover.

13. The card shuffler of claim 10, wherein the drip pan is located vertically below at least one of the card input receptacle and the card output receptacle.

14. The card shuffler of claim 10, wherein the drip pan comprises a generally planar base member oriented generally horizontally within the card shuffler, the drip pan including one or more lateral sidewalls extending vertically from the base member so as to laterally confine fluid spilled on the generally planar base member.

15. A card shuffler configured to generate a number of randomized playing card hands for use in a playing card game, comprising:

a card input positioned and configured to input cards into the card shuffler;

a card storage device positioned and configured to receive cards from the card input and temporarily store cards within the card shuffler, the card storage device comprising a plurality of card storage compartments, at least a majority of the card storage compartments sized and configured to hold two or more cards therein;

a card output positioned and configured to move shuffled cards from the card storage device and output the shuffled cards into a delivery tray;

a control system configured to control operation of the card shuffler; and

a printer operationally coupled with the control system, the control system configured under control of a program to cause the printer to print information onto a printable medium using the printer, the information usable in verifying a winning playing card hand generated by the card shuffler in a round of game play.

16. The card shuffler of claim 15, wherein the printable medium comprises paper.

17. The card shuffler of claim 15, wherein the control system is configured under control of the program to print information onto the printable medium using the printer including rank and suit of all cards in a winning playing card hand generated by the card shuffler in a round of game play.

18. A card shuffler configured to generate a number of randomized playing card hands for use in a playing card game, comprising:

a card input positioned and configured to input cards into the card shuffler;

a card storage positioned and configured to receive cards from the card input;

a card output positioned and configured to remove shuffled cards from the card storage and output the shuffled cards into a card delivery tray; and

at least one light-generating device located within the card shuffler, the at least one light-generating device configured to generate light within the card shuffler, the light not used by any sensor of the card shuffler.

19. The card shuffler of claim 18, wherein the at least one light-generating device is located and configured to interfere with any imaging device located within the card shuffler and not utilized by the card shuffler for operation thereof.

20. The card shuffler of claim 18, wherein the at least one light-generating device comprises a strobe light configured to intermittently generate flashes of light.