Management system and management method for packages of shuffled playing cards

• US 10,675,530 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Angel Playing Cards Co Ltd
• Inventors: Shigeta, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US16/217,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20190111332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 273292, 273274, 273309, 273148 A, 463 29, 463 47
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/06 Card games appurtenances
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/062 Boxes or cases for cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/00 Game accessories of general use , e.g. score counters, boxes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00164 Casino tables
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/242 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2425 Scanners, e.g. for scanning regular characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2439 the input being a code, e.g. ID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/24 with a lock, e.g. for a puzzle
• 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

Abstract

To prevent a loss or replacement of card packages while operating casinos using packages of multiple cards in the casinos or other card game facilities using card game tables, a management system for managing packages of shuffled playing cards is provided. The management system including a management control device stores ID codes attached to a plurality of packages brought into a management/storage box, constructs a database, reads the ID codes of the plurality of packages brought into the management/storage box at predetermined time intervals, confirms existence of each ID code registered in the database in the management/storage box, and manages the ID codes of the packages before use and the ID codes of the drawn packages.

Claims

1. A management system for managing packages of shuffled playing cards in which playing cards configuring a predetermined number of decks are shuffled in random order and are packed individually as one package and to which unique ID codes are given, the management system comprising:

a game table via which a game is played using shuffled playing cards from one or more packages of shuffled playing cards;

a storage box configured to store the one or more packages of shuffled playing cards;

one or more ID code readers configured to read ID codes of each package of the one or more packages of shuffled playing cards stored at the storage box as ID codes of packages before use;

a registration device configured to register an ID code of a package of shuffled playing cards removed from the storage box as a taken out package; and

a management control device comprising a memory configured to ID codes of the one or more packages of shuffled playing cards provided into the storage box, the management control device configured to;

construct a database and initiate a read operation of one or more ID codes of the one or more packages of shuffled playing cards within the storage box at predetermined timing;

confirm existence of each ID code registered in the database as being represented in the storage box; and

manage the ID codes of the packages before use and ID codes of the taken out package.

2. The management system according to claim 1, wherein:

the management control device further comprises a time stamping device configured to store a confirmation time of the existence of each ID code in the storage box, and

the management control device is further configured to examine the packages with respect to;

the time stamping device further stores time when the ID codes are registered as the ID codes of the taken out packages in the registration device and whether or not the time from when the package does not exist in the storage box to when the ID codes are registered as the ID codes of the taken out packages in the registration device exceeds a predetermined time;

whether or not the ID codes registered as the ID codes of the taken out packages in the registration device exist in the database of the ID codes brought into the storage box;

whether or not the packages exist in the storage box during a predetermined period or more; and

whether or not the ID codes has been registered as the ID codes of the taken out packages in the past.

3. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a device configured to read the ID codes of the packages of the shuffled playing cards scheduled to be set in a card shooter device or being set in the card shooter device arranged on the game table; and

a device connected to a card discard device configured to receive the shuffled playing cards used for a game and acquire ID codes of used packages to be discarded as the registration device of the ID codes of the taken out packages.

4. The management system according to claim 3, wherein:

the management control device has a database in which ID codes of contained packages can be searched from a container ID, a pallet ID, or a carton ID holding the packages, and

the ID codes of the taken out packages can be acquired from the container ID, the pallet ID, or the carton ID.

5. The management system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is recorded and managed in the database in association with the ID codes of the packages of the shuffled playing cards:

a game table to be used;

a dealer who is in charge of the game table to be used;

an expected time of each package of the shuffled playing cards to be used on the game table; and

information on the storage box to which each package of the shuffled playing cards is delivered.

6. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a game table management device arranged on the game table, the game table management device comprising the management control device; and

a card shooter device on the game table, the card shooter device coupled to the game table management device.

7. The management system according to claim 6, wherein the card shooter device is configured to read at least the ranks of the shuffled playing cards manually fed one by one onto the game table.

8. The management system according to claim 6, wherein the card shooter device is configured to count a sheet number of the shuffled playing cards manually fed one by one onto the game table.

9. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a card discard device configured to;

receive the shuffled playing cards used for a game;

read at least the ranks of the shuffled playing cards used for the game;

receive information from a card shooter device; and

determine whether or not information of the shuffled playing cards manually fed one by one onto the game table and information read by the card discard device are matched.

10. A management method for managing packages of shuffled playing cards, in which playing cards configuring a predetermined number of decks are shuffled in random order and are packed individually as a set of shuffled playing cards and ID codes are given to packages of the set, the management method comprising:

storing the packages in a storage box which stores the packages;

reading ID codes of the plurality of packages brought into the storage box by an ID code reader and constructing a database;

registering ID codes of the packages of the playing cards used for a game on a game table as taken out packages;

reading the ID codes of the plurality of packages brought into the storage box at predetermined timing;

confirming existence of each ID code registered in the database in the storage box; and

comparing and managing the ID codes of the taken out packages and the ID codes registered in the database.

11. The management method according to claim 10, wherein comparing and managing comprises:

specifying ID codes of packages of which existence is not confirmed in the storage box;

storing time when the existence is not confirmed in the storage box, together with the ID codes of the packages of which the existence is not confirmed; and

managing whether or not the time from when the existence is not confirmed to when the ID codes are registered as the ID codes of the taken out packages exceeds a predetermined time.

12. The management method according to claim 10, wherein registering comprises:

using a database in which ID codes of all packages contained in a carton containing the packages can be searched from a carton ID given to the carton;

reading the carton ID of a used carton to specify the ID codes of the packages contained in the carton; and

registering the ID codes of all of the packages contained in the carton as the ID codes of the taken out packages.

13. The management method according to claim 10, further comprising:

reading, by a card shooter device, at least ranks of the shuffled playing cards in association with the shuffled playing cards being manually fed one by one onto the game table;

reading, by a card discard device, at least the ranks of the shuffled playing cards used for a game; and

determining whether or not information read by the card shooter device and information read by the card discard device match.

14. The management method according to claim 10, wherein the ID codes of the packages are given to the packages by an RFID.

15. A package of shuffled playing cards in which playing cards configuring a predetermined number of decks are shuffled in random order and are packed individually as one package and to which unique ID codes are given and are usable in a management system for managing packages of shuffled playing cards, the management system comprising:

a storage box configured to store the one or more packages of shuffled playing cards;

one or more ID code readers configured to read ID codes of each package of the one or more packages of shuffled playing cards stored at the storage box as ID codes of packages before use;

a registration device configured to register an ID code of a package of shuffled playing cards removed from the storage box as a taken out package; and

a management control device comprising a memory configured to ID codes of the one or more packages of shuffled playing cards provided into the storage box, the management control device configured to;

construct a database and initiate a read operation of one or more ID codes of the one or more packages of shuffled playing cards within the storage box at predetermined timing;

confirm existence of each ID code registered in the database as being represented in the storage box; and

manage the ID codes of the packages before use and ID codes of the taken out package.

16. The packages of shuffled playing cards according to claim 15, wherein:

the management control device comprises a time stamping device configured to store confirmation time of the existence of each ID code in the storage box; and

the management control device is further configured to examine the packages with respect to at least one of;

the time stamping device further stores time when the ID codes are registered as the ID codes of the taken out packages in the registration device and whether or not the time from when the package does not exist in the storage box to when the ID codes are registered as the ID codes of the taken out packages in the registration device exceeds a predetermined time;

whether or not the ID codes registered as the ID codes of the taken out packages in the registration device exist in the database of the ID codes brought into the storage box;

whether or not the packages exist in the storage box during a predetermined period or more;

or

whether or not the ID codes has been registered as the ID codes of the taken out packages in the past.

17. The packages of shuffled playing cards according to claim 15, further comprising:

a device configured to read the ID codes of the packages of the shuffled playing cards scheduled to be set in a card shooter device or being set in the card shooter device arranged on a game table;

or

a device connected to a card discard device configured to receive the shuffled playing cards used for a game and acquire ID codes of used packages to be discarded as the registration device of the ID codes of the taken out packages.

18. The packages of shuffled playing cards according to claim 15, wherein:

the management control device comprises a database in which ID codes of contained packages can be searched from a container ID, a pallet ID, or a carton ID holding the packages; and

the ID codes of the taken out packages can be acquired from the container ID, the pallet ID, or the carton ID.

19. The packages of shuffled playing cards according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the following is recorded and managed in the database in association with the ID codes of the packages of the shuffled playing cards:

a game table to be used;

a dealer who is in charge of the game table to be used;

expected time of each package of the shuffled playing cards to be used on the game table;

or

information on the storage box to which each package of the shuffled playing cards is delivered.

20. The packages of shuffled playing cards according to claim 15, wherein the ID codes of the packages are given to the packages by an RFID.