Card shuffler with sequential card feeding module and method of delivering groups of cards
First Claim
1. A method of forming hands of cards from a larger group of cards, comprising:
- feeding the larger group of cards into a card shuffling apparatus;
shuffling the group of cards until the cards form a randomized group of cards with individual cards forming two opposite ends of the randomized group of cards;
sequentially removing a preselected number of at least two single cards from an end of the randomized group of cards; and
forming a single hand of cards with the preselected number of sequentially removed cards.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic card shuffling machine including a dealing module is disclosed The apparatus is capable of forming at least one hand of randomized cards. The device includes: a card infeed tray; a card shuffling mechanism that randomizes a group of cards fed from the infeed tray; a card feed mechanism for moving cards from the infeed tray into the card shuffling mechanism; a programmable microprocessor that controls operation of the apparatus, including a number of cards per hand and a number of hands to be formed; a hand receiving tray; a card removing mechanism for removing cards individually from the card shuffling mechanism and delivering a preselected number of cards to the hand receiving tray; and a sensor for sensing the presence or absence of cards in the hand receiving tray. When a formed hand of cards is removed, and when fewer than all of the predetermined number of hands have been formed, the card removing mechanism is activated to form an additional randomized hand of cards. A method of dealing hands of cards utilizing a card dealing module is also described.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of forming hands of cards from a larger group of cards, comprising:
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feeding the larger group of cards into a card shuffling apparatus;
shuffling the group of cards until the cards form a randomized group of cards with individual cards forming two opposite ends of the randomized group of cards;
sequentially removing a preselected number of at least two single cards from an end of the randomized group of cards; and
forming a single hand of cards with the preselected number of sequentially removed cards. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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12. An apparatus for forming at least one hand of randomized cards, comprising:
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a card infeed tray;
a card shuffling mechanism that randomizes a group of cards fed from the infeed tray;
a card feed mechanism for moving cards from the infeed tray into the card shuffling mechanism;
a programmable microprocessor that controls operation of the apparatus, including a number of cards per hand and a number of hands to be formed;
a hand receiving tray;
a card removing mechanism for removing cards individually from the card shuffling mechanism and delivering a preselected number of cards to the hand receiving tray; and
a sensor for sensing the presence or absence of cards in the hand receiving tray, and when a formed hand of cards is removed, and when fewer than all of the predetermined number of hands have been formed, the card removing mechanism is activated to form an additional randomized hand of cards.
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13. A card dealing module, comprising:
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a card staging area for retaining a group of randomized cards;
a card moving mechanism for removing a preselected number of cards individually from the card staging area to a card removal tray;
a card removal tray comprising a card receiving surface and a sensor mounted beneath the card receiving surface for sensing the presence or absence of cards in the card removal tray.
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21. An apparatus for forming at least one hand of randomized cards, comprising:
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a card infeed tray;
a card shuffling mechanism that randomizes a group of cards fed from the infeed tray;
a card feed mechanism for moving cards from the infeed tray into the card shuffling mechanism;
a programmable microprocessor that controls the operation of the apparatus;
a user interface for selecting at least a number of cards per hand or an identity of a game;
a hand receiving tray;
a card removing mechanism for removing a selected number of cards individually from the card shuffling mechanism and delivering the selected number of cards to the hand receiving tray to form a single randomized hand of cards; and
a sensor for sensing the presence or absence of cards in the hand receiving tray, and when the formed hand of cards is removed, and when fewer than all of the desired number of hands have been formed, the card removing mechanism is activated to form an additional randomized hand of cards. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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25. A method of forming a preselected number of randomized hands of at least two cards from a larger group of unrandomized cards, wherein at least two cards in each hand is preselected, comprising:
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placing a group of cards to be randomized into a card randomizing apparatus, wherein the card randomizing apparatus is controlled by a microprocessor and includes a randomized card receiving location;
collecting randomized cards delivered to the randomized card receiving location until the preselected number has been reached, thereby forming a randomized hand of the preselected number of cards, wherein fewer than all of the cards in the larger group are used to form all of said at least one randomized hand.
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32. A method of forming hands of cards from a larger group of cards, comprising:
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feeding the larger group of cards into a card handling apparatus;
feeding random cards, one-at-a-time into a hand receiving area to form a first single hand of at least two cards in the hand receiving area with a preselected number of cards;
removing the single hand of at least two cards; and
then forming a second single hand of at least two cards in the hand receiving area with the preselected number of cards. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification