Intelligent automatic shoe and cartridge

• US 20100038849A1
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grauzer, Attila, Scheper, Paul K., Kelly, James V., Stasson, James B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,539,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/149.R
• 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 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2419 Optical

Abstract

A playing card delivery shoe has a cartridge for receiving a first set of shuffled playing cards useful in the play of the casino table card game, the cartridge having a back end and front card-delivery end. An automated motor-driven playing card delivery shoe has a cartridge receiving area. The card delivery shoe has a pick-off roller that moves playing cards from the front card-delivery end of the cartridge. An image capture system captures image data of at least one of card value and card rank. A motor drives at least one set of rollers. A card delivery chute receives playing cards one-at-a-time from the set of rollers.

Claims

1. A playing card delivery shoe system for use in the play of casino table card games comprising:

a) a removable cartridge for receiving a first set of shuffled playing cards useful in the play of the casino table card game, the cartridge having a back end and front card-delivery end;

b) an automated motor-driven playing card delivery shoe base having a cartridge receiving area;

c) the card delivery shoe base having a pick-off roller that moves playing cards out of the front card-delivery end of the cartridge;

d) a set of playing card speed-up rollers;

e) an image capture system that captures image data of at least one of card value and card rank;

f) a motor driving at least one set of rollers;

g) a card delivery chute into which playing cards are moved, one-at-a-time; and

h) a microprocessor that controls at least card movement and imaging functions.

2. The playing card delivery system of claim 1 wherein the chute contains a playing card reinsertion barrier.

3. The playing card delivery system of claim 2 wherein the reinsertion barrier has an elongated body with a front end and a pivotal axis, the front end being nearest a card removal position at an end of the chute.

4. The playing card delivery system of claim 3 wherein the front end of the elongated body is flat.

5. The playing card delivery system of claim 1 wherein the image-capture system is between the pick-off roller and the card delivery chute.

6. The playing card delivery system of claim 1, and further comprising a set of pinch rollers, wherein the image-capture system is between the speed-up rollers and the pinch rollers.

7. The playing card delivery system of claim 5 wherein a display panel is on the delivery shoe and extends rearward of the cartridge.

8. The playing card delivery system of claim 6 wherein a display panel is on the delivery shoe and extends rearward of the cartridge.

9. The playing card delivery system of claim 6 wherein the image capture device has a focal axis that intersects playing cards between the speed-up rollers and the pinch rollers at an angle that increases an angle of vision as compared an angle of vision with a playing card at 90°

.

10. The playing card delivery system of claim 9 wherein the focal axis that intersects playing cards intersects at an angle of between 80°

and 88°

.

11. The playing card delivery system of claim 9 wherein the chute contains a playing card reinsertion barrier.

12. The playing card delivery system of claim 11 wherein the reinsertion barrier has a front end and a pivot axis, the front end being nearest a card removal position at an end of the chute.

13. The playing card delivery system of claim 12 wherein the front end is flat.

14. The playing card delivery system of claim 9 wherein the image-capture system is between the pick-off rollers and the pinch rollers.

15. The playing card delivery system of claim 14 wherein a display panel is on the delivery shoe and extends rearward of the cartridge.

16. The playing card delivery system of claim 2 wherein there is a communication link between the playing card imaging system and a processor, which processor compares data from the imaging system to rules of play of the casino table card game and determines results of play for a round of play of the casino table card game based upon the data.

17. The playing card delivery system of claim 9 wherein there is a communication link between the playing card imaging system and a processor, which processor compares data from the imaging system to rules of play of the casino table card game and determines results of play for a round of play of the casino table card game based upon the data.

18. The playing card delivery system of claim 2 wherein the cartridge has a sliding, gravity-driven weight that presses playing cards against the front end of the cartridge against a flat surface.

19. The playing card delivery system of claim 9 wherein the chute contains a playing card reinsertion barrier.

20. The playing card delivery system of claim 19 wherein the reinsertion barrier has a front end and a pivot axis, the front end being nearest a card removal position at an end of the chute.

21. The playing card delivery system of claim 1 wherein a manually operable roller that is accessible outside of the playing card delivery system can move cards out of the chute without assistance of the motor.

22. An automated shoe for administering a game of baccarat, comprising:

a. a frame;

b. a storage area for receiving cards;

c. a front delivery end, the delivery end including a finger slot for manual removal of cards;

d. a card imager;

e. a processor capable of deriving at least rank information from each card, wherein the processor is programmed with the rules of baccarat; and

f. a light panel incorporated into the front delivery end indicating a dealer instruction to deal an additional hit card to at least one of a player hand and a banker hand according to the rules of the game.

23. The device of claim 22, and further comprising a light panel to indicate at least one of a player win, a dealer win and a tie.

24. The shoe of claim 22, wherein the light panel includes an alphanumeric element.

25. The shoe of claim 22, wherein the light panel includes a color element.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein different color lights are provided to indicate a player hand win, a banker hand win and a tie.

27. A card-reading shoe, comprising:

a processor in the card reading shoe;

a card reading system internal to the shoe; and

a gate on an output end of the shoe that prevents removed cards from being reinserted into the output end.

28. The card reading shoe of claim 27, wherein the gate comprises an elongated member with a first end mounted pivotally to a frame of the shoe, and a second opposite end that blocks reentry of cards.

29. The shoe of claim 28, where the second opposite end is substantially flat.

30. A method of loading software into a card reading shoe, comprising:

providing a card reading shoe with an internal processor for controlling at least card reading functions, a display and an external data port;

providing computer code on a storage media;

energizing the card reading shoe, wherein instructions to load software appear on the display; and

loading the computer code through the external data port.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the computer code is provided on a memory stick.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein a SHA-1 hash value is displayed, and the hash value is compared to a provided hash value to verify the authenticity of the computer code.

33. The method of claim 32, and further comprising the use of an assigned a unique source code that is displayed and compared to verify the authenticity of the computer code.