Enhanced gaming chips and table game security

• US 20070060311A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Schneider, Richard, Rowe, Richard, Nguyen, Binh
• Granted Patent: US 7,938,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 21/00 Coins coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms G07F1/06; Emergency money; Beer or gambling coins or tokens, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/06 Coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking RFID gaming chips at a gaming table are disclosed. Gaming chips include an outer body with center and rim portions, and a plurality of RFID tags contained within the outer body. Signals from gaming chip RFID tags can be encrypted only for readers having an appropriate private key, and can be subject to a variable time delay unique to each RFID tag. Separate RFID tags within one gaming chip can be identical for security purposes, and to increase “visibility” to associated RFID readers at the gaming table. Security breach components within RFID tags can reduce or prevent unauthorized writing or tampering attempts to an RFID gaming chip. Further system components include a gaming table and a plurality of RFID reading devices distributed thereabout, including transponders and antennae. Such RFID reading devices are disposed beneath an upper surface of the gaming table in a grid-like fashion.

Claims

1. A gaming system adapted for tracking gaming chips involved in gaming events including the placement of a wager, the play of a game based on the wager and the grant of a payout based on the result of the game, the system comprising:

at least one gaming table adapted for hosting gaming events involving a wager, the play of a game based on the wager and the grant of a payout based on the result of the game, said gaming table having a chip tray and an upper surface including a designated number of defined gaming chip placement areas;

a plurality of gaming chips adapted for use in designating monetary amounts associated with wagers and other transactions between a host gaming establishment and a patron, wherein each of said plurality of gaming chips is adapted to be placed within said chip tray, wherein each of said plurality of gaming chips includes an outer body and a plurality of RFID tags contained therein, and wherein at least one of said plurality of RFID tags contained within the respective body of each of said plurality of gaming chips is adapted to transmit data therefrom using at least one encryption protocol; and

a plurality of RFID reading devices distributed about said gaming table and adapted to facilitate the reading of data transmitted by one of said plurality of gaming chips when such a gaming chip is located at said upper surface of said gaming table, wherein the number of said RFID reading devices is greater than said designated number of defined gaming chip placement areas at said gaming table.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said designated number of defined chip placement areas at said gaming table includes one or more defined bet placement areas, at least one cash for chips transaction area, or both.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of RFID reading devices distributed about said gaming table include one or more transponders, one or more antennae, or both.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein many or all of said plurality of RFID reading devices are distributed about said gaming table beneath said upper surface.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein said RFID reading devices disposed beneath said upper surface are arranged in a grid-like fashion.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein use of said at least one encryption protocol includes storing a public key on said associated RFID tag and storing a private key associated with said public key on one of said plurality of RFID reading devices.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of gaming chips includes at least one RFID tag having a time delay circuit component incorporated therein, wherein said time delay circuit component is adapted to cause a time delay in the response emitted from said RFID tag incident to a signal emitted from one or more of said plurality of reading devices.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the amount of time delay built into each of said time delay RFID tags is different than the amount of time delay built into every other of said time delay RFID tags in said gaming system.

9. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the amount of time delay built into each of said time delay RFID tags ranges from 0 to 10,000 milliseconds.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the amount of time delay built into each of said time delay RFID tags ranges from 0 to 3000 milliseconds.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of gaming chips includes at least one RFID tag having a security breach component, said security breach component being adapted to alter automatically the data stored on said RFID tag when an unauthorized external source attempts to affect said RFID tag.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein said unauthorized external source attempt to affect said RFID tag involves an unauthorized attempt to write data to said RFID tag.

13. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein said unauthorized external source attempt to affect said RFID tag involves an unauthorized attempt to physically remove said RFID tag from the body of its respective gaming chip.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor in direct or indirect communication with said plurality of RFID reading devices, said processor being adapted to process and manipulate data sent from each of said plurality of RFID reading devices; and

a memory associated with said processor and adapted to store data transmitted therefrom.

15. A method of tracking gaming chips at a gaming table adapted for hosting gaming events involving a wager, the play of a game based on the wager and the grant of a payout based on the result of the game, the method comprising:

providing a gaming table adapted for hosting gaming events involving a wager, the play of a game based on the wager and the grant of a payout based on the result of the game, said gaming table having a chip tray and an upper surface including a designated number of defined gaming chip placement areas;

providing at said gaming table a plurality of RFID gaming chips adapted for use in designating monetary amounts associated with one or more transactions between a host gaming establishment and a patron at said gaming table, wherein each of said plurality of gaming chips is adapted to be placed within said chip tray, and wherein each of said plurality of gaming chips includes an outer body and a plurality of RFID tags contained therein;

conducting a transaction between said host gaming establishment and said patron involving at least one of said plurality of gaming chips having a plurality of RFID tags contained therein;

emitting an interrogation signal from an RFID reading device located at said gaming table during or in close time proximity to said conducting step; and

receiving one or more answer signals from a first RFID gaming chip involved in said transaction in response to said interrogation signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of said plurality of RFID tags contained within the respective body of each of said plurality of gaming chips is adapted to transmit data therefrom using at least one encryption protocol, and further including the step of:

decrypting the answer signal from said at least one RFID gaming chip involved in said transaction in response to said interrogation signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of said plurality of RFID tags contained within the respective body of each of said plurality of gaming chips includes a time delay circuit component adapted to cause a time delay in the answer signal emitted from said RFID tag incident to the interrogation signal emitted from said RFID reading device, and further including the step of:

receiving at least one answer signal from a second RFID gaming chip involved in said transaction in response to said interrogation signal, said second RFID gaming chip being separate from said first RFID gaming chip, wherein said steps of receiving one or more answer signals from a first RFID gaming chip and receiving at least one answer signal from a second RFID gaming chip in response to the same interrogation signal occur at different times.

18. The method of claim 15, further including the steps of:

transmitting said one or more answer signals to a processor associated with said gaming table; and

storing data derived from said one or more answer signals to a memory associated with said processor.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said receiving step comprises receiving at least two separate signals from separate RFID tags contained within said said first RFID gaming chip, and further including the steps of:

comparing said separate signals with each other; and

generating an alert where said comparison results in an unexpected result.

20. A gaming chip adapted for use in a betting environment involving the placement of wagers, the play of games based on the wagers, and the grant of payouts based on the results of the games, the gaming chip comprising:

an outer body having a center portion, a rim portion, and a specific monetary denomination and amount designated on an outer surface thereof, and

a plurality of RFID tags contained within said outer body, wherein each of said plurality of RFID tags are adapted to provide an answer signal in response to an interrogation signal from an outside RFID source.

21. The gaming chip of claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of RFID tags is adapted to transmit data therefrom using at least one encryption protocol.

22. The gaming chip of claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of RFID tags is located within said center portion of said gaming chip, and wherein at least one other of said plurality of RFID tags is located within said rim portion of said gaming chip.

23. The gaming chip of claim 20, wherein at least two of said plurality of RFID tags are identical to each other.

24. The gaming chip of claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of RFID tags includes a time delay circuit adapted to cause a time delay in said answer signal emitted from said RFID tag incident to said interrogation signal emitted from said outside RFID source.

25. The gaming chip of claim 24, wherein the amount of time delay built into said time delay RFID tag is different than the amount of time delay built into any other time delay RFID tag in an associated gaming system.

26. The gaming chip of claim 24, wherein the amount of time delay built into said time delay RFID tag ranges from 0 to 10,000 milliseconds.

27. The gaming chip of claim 26, wherein the amount of time delay built into said time delay RFID tag ranges from 0 to 3000 milliseconds.

28. The gaming chip of claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of RFID tags includes a security breach component, said security breach component being adapted to alter automatically the data stored on said RFID tag when an unauthorized external source attempts to affect said RFID tag.

29. The gaming chip of claim 28, wherein said unauthorized external source attempt to affect said RFID tag involves an unauthorized attempt to write data to said RFID tag.

30. The gaming chip of claim 28, wherein said unauthorized external source attempt to affect said RFID tag involves an unauthorized attempt to physically remove said RFID tag from said outer body.

31. A gaming chip adapted for use in a betting environment involving the placement of wagers, the play of games based on the wagers, and the grant of payouts based on the results of the games, the gaming chip comprising:

an outer body having a center portion, a rim portion, and a specific monetary denomination and amount designated on an outer surface thereof, and

one or more RFID tags contained within said outer body, wherein at least one of said one or more RFID tags is adapted to provide an intentionally delayed answer signal in response to an interrogation signal from an outside RFID source.