Card handling devices and methods of using the same

• US 20080006998A1
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krenn, Peter, Grauzer, Attila, Scheper, Paul K., Blaha, Ernst
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/149.R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers

Abstract

A card handling device includes a sensing system for identifying cards handled thereby. A control system may be configured to selectively control an infeed system, a storage system, and/or an output system of the device in response to a signal received from the sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform one or more of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the device. A card handling device may be configured to dispense randomly arranged hands, prearranged hands, randomly arranged decks, or prearranged decks.

Claims

1. A card handling device comprising:

a card infeed tray;

a card output tray;

a card sensing system for identifying a feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and

a control system configured under control of a computer program to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, a card storage system, and a card output system of the card handling device in response to at least one signal received from the card sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform each of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the card handling device.

2. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises at least one electronic signal processor, at least one memory device, at least one input device, and at least one output device.

3. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured under control of the computer program to generate at least two playing hands or subsets of cards from a set of cards placed in the card infeed tray and to sequentially dispense the at least two playing hands or subsets of cards into the card output tray.

4. The card handling device of claim 3, wherein the control system is further configured under control of the computer program to randomly generate each of the at least two playing hands or subsets of cards from the set of cards placed in the card infeed tray.

5. The card handling device of claim 3, wherein the control system is further configured under control of the computer program to dispense a first playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray and to dispense a second playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray after the first hand or subset of cards is removed from the card output tray.

6. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the card infeed tray and the card output tray comprise separate trays.

7. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the card handling device further comprises:

a card storage system comprising a plurality of compartments for receiving cards therein;

a card infeed system for moving cards from the card infeed tray to a compartment of the card storage system; and

a card output system for moving cards from a compartment of the card storage system to the card output tray.

8. The card handling device of claim 7, wherein the card storage system comprises a carousel and a carousel drive motor configured to drive rotation of the carousel.

9. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the card infeed tray and the card output tray are located on a same side of the card handling device and in substantially a common plane.

10. A card handling device comprising:

a card output tray;

a card sensing system for identifying a feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and

a control system configured to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, a card storage system, and a card output system of the card handling device in response to at least one signal received from the card sensing system, and to cause the card handling device to automatically dispense a first playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray and to substantially automatically dispense at least a second playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray after the first hand or subset of cards is removed from the card output tray in response to a first input signal, and to cause the card handling device to selectively perform at least one of a shuffling operation and a sorting operation in response to a second input signal.

11. The card handling device of claim 10, further comprising a card infeed tray separate from the card output tray.

12. The card handling device of claim 11, wherein the card infeed tray and the card output tray are located on a same side of the card handling device and in substantially a common plane.

13. The card handling device of claim 10, wherein the card handling device further comprises:

a card storage system comprising a plurality of compartments for receiving cards therein;

a card infeed system for moving cards from the card infeed tray to a compartment of the card storage system; and

a card output system for moving cards from a compartment of the card storage system to the card output tray.

14. The card handling device of claim 13, wherein the card storage system comprises a carousel and a carousel drive motor configured to drive rotation of the carousel.

15. A method of dealing hands or subsets of cards from a set of cards to persons in a game, the method comprising:

placing a set of cards in a card infeed tray of a card handling device;

causing the card handling device to substantially automatically generate a first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards and to dispense the first hand or subset of cards to a card output tray of the card handling device, causing the card handling device to substantially automatically generate the first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards comprising;

identifying each card in the set of cards using a card sensing system;

using a control system of the card handling device to electronically generate the first hand or subset of cards; and

moving each card in the set of cards from the card infeed tray to a compartment in a card storage device;

removing the first hand or subset of cards from the card output tray of the card handling device and dealing the first hand or subset of cards to a first person;

causing the card handling device to substantially automatically generate at least a second hand or subset of cards from the set of cards and to dispense the at least a second hand or subset of cards to the card output tray of the card handling device after removing the first hand or subset of cards from the card output tray of the card handling device; and

removing the at least a second hand or subset of cards from the card output tray of the card handling device and dealing the at least a second hand or subset of cards to a second person.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein causing the card handling device to substantially automatically generate a first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards comprises causing the card handling device to substantially automatically randomly generate a first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein causing the card handling device to substantially automatically generate a first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards comprises causing the card handling device to substantially automatically generate a predetermined first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards.

18. A method of delivering arranged groups of cards to a card game from a larger group of cards, the method comprising:

providing a larger group of cards;

reading a characteristic of each card in the larger group of cards;

selectively performing a sort or a shuffle operation on the read cards; and

delivering at least one arranged group of cards.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein selectively performing a sort or a shuffle operation on the read cards comprises performing a sort operation on the read cards, and wherein delivering at least one arranged group of cards comprises delivering a deck of cards in pack order.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein selectively performing a sort or a shuffle operation on the read cards comprises performing a shuffle operation on the read cards, and wherein delivering at least one arranged group of cards comprises delivering a random playing hand.