Table game tracking

• US 20060252521A1
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tangam Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tangam Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Jackson, Jason, Levinshtein, Alex, Gandhi, Maulin, Gururajan, Prem
• Granted Patent: US 8,016,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00164 Casino tables
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2447 Motion detector
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for identifying and tracking gaming objects and game states on a gaming table. Through the use of imaging devices and identity and positioning modules gaming objects are detected. An identity and positioning module identifies the value and position of cards on the gaming table. An intelligent position analysis and tracking (IPAT) module performs analysis of the identity and position data of cards and interprets them intelligently for the purpose of tracking game events, game states and general game progression. As a game progresses it changes states. A game tracking module processes data from the IPAT module and keeps track of game events and game states. Ambiguity resolution mechanisms such as backward tracking, forward tracking and multiple state tracking may be used in the process of game tracking. All events on the gaming table are recorded and stored on video and as data for reporting and analysis.

Claims

1. A method of tracking the progress of a game on a gaming table comprising:

recording data frames and game states as data while said game is in progress;

establishing a first state of said game from said data;

identifying an occurrence of a game event that follows said first state;

evaluating whether said game event and a set of rules of said game provide sufficient information to accurately create a second state;

determining that further information is required to accurately create said second state according to the results of said evaluating;

obtaining said further information from said data; and

creating a second state according to said game event, said set of rules and said further information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said evaluating comprises evaluating whether said game event is coherent with respect to said first state and said set of rules and said determining comprises determining that said game event is not coherent with respect to said first state and said set of rules.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said recording data comprises recording overhead images of said gaming table while said game is in progress.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said recording data comprises recording data collected from RFID sensors within said gaming table.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said recording data comprises recording data collected from proximity detection sensors within said gaming table.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first state is defined by a plurality of parameters related to a plurality of playing cards positioned on said gaming table.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing a back buffer of previous data frames;

storing a front buffer of future data frames;

utilizing either or both of said back buffer and said front buffer to create said second state from said first state based upon a current frame.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising examining said game states previous to said first state and utilizing one or more of said game states previous to said first state to create said second state based upon said game event.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said method is embodied in computer instructions in a computer readable medium.

8. A method of tracking the progress of a game on a gaming table comprising:

recording data relating to said game while said game is in progress;

establishing a plurality of potential game states of said game;

identifying an occurrence of a game event that follows said plurality of potential game states;

applying said game event to at least two of said plurality of potential game states to establish at least one new potential game state;

adding said at least one new potential game state to said plurality of potential game states to establish an updated plurality of potential states;

evaluating a likelihood of each potential game state, and;

identifying at least one likely potential game state of said updated plurality based on said evaluating.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising identifying at least one unlikely potential game state and removing said at least one unlikely potential game state from said updated plurality.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said identifying at least one likely potential game state comprises identifying a most likely potential game state.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said evaluating comprises calculating a likelihood score for each potential game state.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said evaluating a likelihood score comprises counting the total number of cards in a potential game state.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said evaluating a likelihood score comprises counting unmatched cards or card hands between a current data frame and a potential game state.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said evaluating comprises analyzing a historical record of likelihood scores for a potential game state.

28. The method of claim 8 wherein said method is embodied in computer instructions in a computer readable medium.

16. A system of tracking the progress of a game on a gaming table comprising:

means for recording data frames and game states as data while said game is in progress;

means for establishing a first state of said game from said data;

means for identifying an occurrence of a game event that follows said first state;

means for evaluating whether said game event and a set of rules of said game provide sufficient information to accurately create a second state;

means for determining that further information is required to accurately create said second state according to the results of said evaluating;

means for obtaining said further information from said data; and

means for creating a second state according to said game event, said set of rules and said further information.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said means for evaluating determines whether said game event is coherent with respect to said first state and said set of rules and said means for determining comprises means for determining that said game event is not coherent with respect to said first state and said set of rules.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

means for storing a back buffer of previous data frames;

means for storing a front buffer of future data frames;

means for utilizing either or both of said back buffer and said front buffer to create said second state from said first state based upon a current data frame.

26. The system of claim 16 further comprising means for examining said game states previous to said first state and means for utilizing one or more of said game states previous to said first state to create said second state based upon said game event.

19. A system for tracking the progress of a game on a gaming table comprising:

means for recording data relating to said game while said game is in progress;

means for establishing a plurality of potential game states of said game;

means for identifying an occurrence of a game event that follows said plurality of potential game states;

means for applying said game event to at least two of said plurality of potential game states to establish at least one new potential game state;

means for adding said at least one new potential game state to said plurality of potential game states to establish an updated plurality of potential states;

means for evaluating a likelihood of each potential game state, and;

means for identifying at least one likely potential game state of said updated plurality based on said evaluating.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for identifying at least one unlikely potential game state and removing said at least one unlikely potential game state from said updated plurality.

21. The system claim 19 wherein said identifying at least one likely potential game state comprises means for identifying a most likely potential game state.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said evaluating comprises means for calculating a likelihood score for each potential game state.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein said evaluating a likelihood score comprises means for counting the total number of cards in a potential game state.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein said evaluating a likelihood score comprises means for counting unmatched cards or card hands between a current data frame and a potential game state.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein said evaluating comprises means for analyzing a historical record of likelihood scores for a potential game state.