Casino table gaming system with round counting system

• US 20060183540A1
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Soni, Rajesh Kumar, Downs, Justin G. III, Schubert, Oliver M., Grauzer, Atilla, Kelly, James V., Bacigalupi, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/059,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20060183540A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics

Abstract

A casino table card gaming system in which messages are communicated from at least two or three distinct sensors without date stamping to a first intelligent microprocessor component that at least date stamps the signal and forwards the date stamped signal to a distal memory component that stores the date stamped signal. The system may comprise the at least two signals originating from at least one dealer card sensor and at least one discard rack sensor. The system with at least three signal sources may comprise a casino table, at least three distinct sensors that send an undated signal, and a first intelligent microprocessor component, wherein the at least three distinct sensors comprise at least one bet sensor, at least one dealer card sensor, and at least one card sensor in a discard rack.

Claims

1. A casino table card gaming system in which messages are communicated from at least two distinct sensors located on the table without date stamping to a first local microprocessor that date stamps the signal and forwards the date stamped signal to a distal memory component that stores the date stamped signal, the system comprising a casino table, at least two distinct sensors that sends an undated signal, and the first local microprocessor.

2. The casino table system of claim 1 wherein the signals from at least two distinct sensors may comprise sequential or simultaneous signals from at least one combination of sensors selected from the group consisting of:

a) a playing card shuffler sensor and a dealer card swipe sensor;

b) a playing card shuffler sensor, bet present sensor, a dealer card swipe sensor; and

c) at least one bet sensor, at least one dealer card sensor, and at least one card sensor in a discard rack.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the dealer card sensor is a light sensor that senses cards controlled by a dealer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first local microprocessor comprises a chipboard.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first local microprocessor does not store signals or data contained in the signals after date stamping and forwarding the signals.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein a table game is played at a gaming table with the system present wherein bets are initially placed and portions of bets may be withdrawn with players remaining in the game, and wherein the at least two sensors comprise a playing card shuffler sensor and a dealer identification sensor.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein a table game is played in which hands are dealt to all positions on the table, even when players are not at all positions at the table, and wherein at least three sensors are present that comprise a playing card shuffler sensor, bet present sensor and a dealer identification sensor.

8. A casino table card gaming system in which messages are communicated from at least two distinct sensors without date stamping to a first intelligent microprocessor that at least date stamps the signal and forwards the date stamped signal to a distal memory component that stores the date stamped signal, the system comprising a casino table, at least two distinct sensors that send undated signals, and the first intelligent microprocessor, wherein the at least two distinct sensors comprise at least one dealer card sensor, and at least one shuffler card sensor.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the dealer card sensor is a light sensor that senses cards controlled by a dealer.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the first intelligent microprocessor comprises a local chipboard.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the first intelligent microprocessor does not store signals or data contained in the signals after date stamping and forwarding the signals.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the cards controlled by a dealer comprise a dealer'"'"'s hand.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein there are at least two sensors used for sensing the cards of the dealers hand.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one bet sensor is a plurality of optical sensors.

15. The system of claim 8 and further comprising a dealer i.d. swipe in communication with the first intelligent microprocessor.

16. A method of providing data within a casino wagering table comprising automatically providing an original sequence of signals from at least three distinct signal originating sources, sending that sequence of signals without date stamping thereon to a first intelligent microprocessor component, the first intelligent microprocessor component date stamping the signal and then forwarding a date stamped signal to a distal memory component, wherein the at least three signal sources comprise at least one bet sensor, at least one dealer card sensor, and a card sensing discard rack.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the sequence of signals from one of the three signal sources originates from a single dealer hand card sensor.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the sequence of signals from one of the three signal sources originates from at least two dealer hand card sensors.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein only a single sequence of signals may be used to indicate conclusion of a round of the card game.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein there are at least two distinct sequences of signals that may be used to indicate conclusion of a round of the card game.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the distal memory component provides stored signal information to a processor that interprets received date stamped signals to compute a number of rounds played over a period of time, the time being based upon use of the date stamping received.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the original sequence of signals contains no indication of date or time thereon.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the processor determines end of round events based at least in part upon evaluation of a time component in date stamped data it receives.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the original sequence of signals provided by a discard rack and at least one card sensor is used to determine an end of round event.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one card sensor comprises at least one dealer hand card sensor.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the at least one card sensor comprises two dealer hand card sensors.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the sequence comprises signals in sequence indicating that a) a card has been placed in the discard rack, b) at least a card has been dealt to the dealer'"'"'s hand, and c) that all cards have been removed from all sensors for the dealer hand.

29. The method of claim 16 and further comprising a dealer i.d. swipe in communication with the first intelligent component.

28. A casino table card gaming system in which a message is communicated from at least two sensors without date stamping to a first intelligent microprocessor component that date stamps the signal and forwards the date stamped signal to a distal memory component that stores the date stamped signal, the system comprising a casino table, at least two sensors that send undated signals, and the first intelligent microprocessor component, wherein the stored signals are used to count rounds of card games played, and the at least two signals originate from at least one dealer card sensor and at least one discard rack sensor.