Management system for table games and substitute currency for gaming

• US 10,398,202 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Angel Playing Cards Co Ltd
• Inventors: Shigeta, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blaise, Malina D.
• Application Number:
  US15/785,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20180070687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• 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 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/0002 Dispensing or collecting devices for tokens or chips dispensers for game pieces in chain reaction games A63F9/28; coin freed apparatus for games G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00164 Casino tables
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00835 The characteristic being the colour
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00892 Manufacturing of playing pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2419 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0006 adapted for chips
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/58 Antifraud or preventing misuse
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00697 Playing pieces
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/382 absorbing or reflecting infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/047 the record carrier being shaped as a coin or a gambling token
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• 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 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A detection system according to the present invention includes a control device that detects fraud conducted on a game table by using the image analysis result obtained by an image analysis device. In addition, each game token used in this detection system has a multilayer structure having plastic layers with a plurality of different colors stacked on each other, with a colored layer being provided at least intermediately, and white layers or light-colored layers (not illustrated, but may be any layers lighter in color than the colored layer) being stacked on two sides of the intermediate colored layer. As described above, this game token has a multi-layer structure including the colored layer, with the white layers or light-colored layers (not illustrated, but may be any layers lighter in color than the colored layer) being stacked on the two sides of the intermediate colored layer.

Claims

1. A table game management system comprising:

a card distributor configured to determine and display a win-loss result of each of one or more games on a game table;

a measurement device configured to measure types and numbers of game tokens placed on the game table; and

a management control device configured to, respectively for each of the one or more games, identify and store positions, types, and numbers of game tokens placed on the game table respectively by each of one or more game participants by using a measurement result obtained by the measurement device in the respective game, wherein;

each of at least one of the game tokens has a multilayer structure having plastic layers that form (a) a colored layer and (b) white or light-colored layers, the colored layer being provided between the white or light-colored layers, thereby forming a striped pattern on a side surface of the respective game token in a stacking direction of the plastic layers of the respective game token;

the measurement device is configured to identify the colored layers of the game tokens placed on the game table as separate respective ones of the game tokens and is configured to, for each recognized one of the game tokens, recognize a respective type of the game token based on a respective color of the colored layer, without regard to the white or light-colored layers of the respective game token; and

the management control device is configured to determine, for each of the one or more game participants in each of the one or more games, whether the respective game participant is a winner or a loser by using the win-loss result obtained from the card distributor and by using the measurement result on the positions, types, and numbers of game tokens placed by each of the one or more game participants, and is configured to perform a casino-side balance calculation on the game table for each game.

2. The table game management system according to claim 1, wherein the management control device is configured to determine the numbers of the game tokens by measuring a number of the colored layers or white or light-colored layers of the game tokens placed by each of the one or more game participants, and wherein the casino-side balance calculation on the game table for each game is configured to verify game token payouts based on the numbers and the types of the game tokens associated with a particular one of the one or more game participants and based on a determination indicating whether the particular participant was the winner or the loser.

3. The table game management system according to claim 1, further comprising a chip tray configured to hold the game tokens for each type, wherein the management control device is configured to measure a total amount of the game tokens on the chip tray by measuring types and number of the game tokens on the chip tray, and wherein the management control device is configured to verify game token payouts from the chip tray based on the numbers and the types of game tokens in the chip tray determined by the management control device and the numbers and the types of the game tokens on the game table determined by the measurement device.

4. The table game management system according to claim 1, wherein a print indicating the type of game token is provided on a surface of the white or light-colored layer, and a transparent layer is provided as an outermost layer on each of the white or light-colored layers, with the layers being bonded to each other by thermal compression to form at least a five-layer structure.

5. The table game management system token according to claim 1, wherein a mark printed by UV ink or carbon black ink is provided on a surface of the white or light-colored layer.

6. The table game management system according to claim 4, wherein the transparent layer is embossed.

7. The table game management system according to claim 4, wherein R chamfering is provided to an edge of the transparent layer.

8. The table game management system according to claim 1, wherein the colored layer comprises a plurality of adjoining colored layers.

9. The table game management system according to claim 1, wherein the colored layer incorporates an RFID.

11. The table game management system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device is configured to identify the colored layer based on a contrast of the colored layer from its surrounding white or light-colored layers.

12. The table game management system according to claim 11, wherein the measurement device is configured to determine the numbers of the game tokens placed on the game table by counting a number of the colored layers of the game tokens.

13. The table game management system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device is configured to determine at least one of (a) a number of the colored layers and (b) a number of the white or light-colored layers to determine the numbers of the game tokens.

14. The table game management system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device is configured to:

identify individual game tokens placed on the game table based on a corresponding striped pattern of each game token;

locate the colored layer of the identified individual game tokens based on the white or light-colored layers of the striped pattern; and

identify the type of color of the colored layer of each game token.

15. The table game management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a chip tray configured to store a plurality of game tokens; and

an RFID reader proximate to the chip tray and configured to determine numbers and types of the plurality of game tokens in the chip tray based on RFID tags in the plurality of game tokens, wherein the management control device is configured to verify game token payouts from the chip tray based on the numbers and the types of the game tokens in the chip tray determined by the RFID reader, the numbers and the types of the game tokens on the game table determined by the measurement device, and a determination indicating whether each participant in each game is a winner or a loser.

16. The table game management system according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one game token comprises:

a first layer, which is a first transparent layer;

a second layer, which is a first of the white or light-colored layers and includes one or more marks, wherein the one or more marks comprises UV ink or carbon black ink;

a third layer, which is the colored layer, the colored layer defining a cavity and including an RFID positioned within the cavity;

a fourth layer, which is a second of the white or light-colored layers; and

a fifth layer, which is a second transparent layer, wherein the second layer is positioned between the first and third layers, wherein the third layer is positioned between the second and fourth layers, and wherein the fourth layer is positioned between the third and fifth layers.

10. An inspection apparatus that inspects a game token, the apparatus comprising:

a path including an inlet and an outlet through which a game token is allowed to pass;

a chip type determination device configured to determine a color of a striped pattern on a side surface of the game token in a stacking direction as the game token moves along the path;

a print inspection device configured to read a print on a surface of game token, from a direction perpendicular to the path as the game token moves along the path; and

a control device configured to identify a type of the game token based on the color determined by the chip type determination device, identify the type of the game token based on the print determined by the print inspection device, and determine whether the two identifications of the type of the game token match each other.

17. The inspection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the path is inclined, and wherein the print inspection device is further configured to inspect the print to ensure the print is proper.

18. The inspection apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a mark reader that is configured to read a mark on a surface of the game token as the game token moves along the path to authenticate the game token, wherein the mark comprises UV ink or carbon black ink.

19. The inspection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the striped pattern includes a colored layer between two white or light-colored layers, the layers alternating in the stacking direction, and the inspection apparatus is configured to identify every recognized one of colored layers of a plurality of game tokens placed as a separate respective one of the game tokens and is configured to, for each recognized one of the game tokens, recognize a respective type of the game token based on a respective color of the colored layer, without regard to the white or light-colored layers of the respective game token.