Method for administrating a package of shuffled playing cards

• US 10,546,465 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2017
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Angel Playing Cards Co Ltd
• Inventors: Shigeta, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US15/788,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20180122192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/062 Boxes or cases for cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2419 Optical
• 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 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• 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 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Administrating a package of shuffled playing cards to prevent fraudulent card exchanges. The administrating system is configured to calculate places and a number of packages of shuffled playing cards at places of the backyard, the places of playing tables, places of carriers and the disposition place using information obtained by the loading step and unloading step and the administrating system calculates by every ID codes bases 1) places of packages registered by the registering step for registering to a data base of administrating system and a number of packages place by place from information obtained from the loading step and the unloading step. The administrating system is configured to recognize whether there is a lost package by comparing the information of all ID codes registered in registering steps with the ID codes at places of packages obtained at the calculating step from the loading step and the unloading step.

Claims

1. A tracking system for monitoring and recording movement of a plurality of packages of playing cards in an entertainment facility, wherein each package of the plurality of packages includes a remotely readable ID code, the system comprising:

a plurality of ID code sensors configured to obtain the respective remotely readable ID code of at least one package of the plurality of packages when the at least one package of the plurality of packages comes into a detectable range of a particular one of the ID code sensors and configured to generate a respective event signal including information on the obtained ID code and a location of where the ID code was obtained in the entertainment facility;

a processor configured to periodically generate, based on one or more of the event signal generated by the plurality of ID code sensors, a respective event record including information on the obtained ID code, a time of the detection, and the location of the detection; and

a database that is communicably coupled to the processor, wherein;

at least one of the ID code sensors is installed at a storage area where the packages are stored in the entertainment facility,

at least one of the ID code sensors is installed in an forwarding area where each of the packages is in transit in the entertainment facility,

each of the ID code sensors obtains the ID code when any one of the packages either enters or departs, or both enters and departs, the detectable range of the ID code sensor, and

the processor is configured to write the event record into the database.

2. The tracking system according to claim 1, wherein when a particular one of the event records indicates an event has occurred to the at least one package of the plurality of packages, the processor is configured to determine whether the at least one package of the plurality of packages is missing by comparing the particular event record to at least one of the event records stored in the database.

3. The tracking system according to claim 1, wherein:

the particular ID code sensor comprises a camera configured to capture an image in the entertainment facility,

the packages are transported by a vehicle in the entertainment facility, and

a location of the vehicle is monitored based on the image captured by the camera.

4. The tracking system according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle is an Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV).

5. The tracking system according to claim 4, wherein the AGV has a drive source configured to move the AGV.

6. The tracking system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to control movement of the AGV in the entertainment facility.

7. The tracking system according to claim 4, wherein the AGV has a lid configured to seal a compartment of the AGV and a lock configured to restrict access to the compartment.

8. The tracking system according to claim 3, wherein:

the entertainment facility comprises a casino,

the vehicle is configured to store the packages, which are registered in the database, in a compartment of the vehicle, and

the packages are transported to a staging area of the casino by the vehicle, transported to pits on gaming floors in the casino by the vehicle, used at a game table, and transported to a card destruction place by the vehicle.

9. The tracking system according to claim 1, wherein one or more ID code sensors of the plurality of ID code sensors is wirelessly coupled to the processor.

10. The tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the periodic generation of the event record includes:

generating a first event record for the at least one package at a first time;

receiving an indication to generate or update the first event record; and

generating a second event record for the at least one package at a second time.

11. The tracking system according to claim 10, wherein the periodic generation of the event record further includes determining the second time based on a duration for updating event records.

12. The tracking system according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to write the second event record to the database or update the first event record with the second event record.

13. The tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a package of the plurality of packages is missing by comparing a particular one of the event records to at least one of the event records stored at the database.