Shuffler with Shuffling Completion Indicator

• US 20110285081A1
• Filed: 08/05/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Stasson, James B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,651,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/149.R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/067 Tables or similar supporting structures
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2457 Display screens, e.g. monitors, video displays
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/58 Antifraud or preventing misuse
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32

Abstract

A playing card shuffling device has a visual display in information communication with the playing card shuffling device. At least one processor is programmed to provide displayable information to the visual display indicative of an amount of time remaining or time expired in a procedure performed by the shuffling device.

Claims

1. A device for verifying groups of playing cards comprising:

a single card receiving area for receiving an initial set of playing cards;

a playing card collection area with a card collection surface for receiving playing cards one at a time;

a card mover for moving cards individually from the card receiving area into the playing card collection area;

an image capture device that reads a rank and suit of each playing card before being received on the card collection surface;

a visual display in information communication with the device; and

at least one processor programmed to provide displayable information to the visual display indicative of a status of a procedure, wherein displayable information is selected from the group consisting of;

an amount of time remaining, an amount of time expired, an amount of cards processed, an amount of cards remaining to be processed, a portion of a procedure complete, and a portion of a procedure remaining,

wherein the procedure is selected from the group consisting of;

a) a verification procedure,

b) a calibration procedure,

c) a security procedure, and

d) a card position identification procedure; and

wherein the visual display displays the provided displayable information.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to compare read-card information to stored information and provide an output of one or more of at least a) cards present, b) cards missing, c) extra cards, and d) an indication that the group of cards is complete.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the visual display is on a playing card set verification device.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the visual display is on a playing card set verification device.

5. A playing card shuffling device comprising:

a playing card input area;

at least one processor;

a playing card removal area;

a playing card shuffling zone through which playing cards move and are shuffled when passing from the playing card input area to the playing card removal area;

a visual display on the playing card shuffling device and in information communication with the at least one processor of the playing card shuffling device;

wherein the at least one processor is programmed to provide displayable information to the visual display that represents an indication of a status of a procedure, wherein displayed information is selected from the group consisting of;

an amount of time remaining, an amount of time expired, an amount of cards processed, an amount of cards remaining to be processed, a portion of a procedure complete, and a portion of a procedure remaining; and

wherein the procedure is selected from the group consisting of;

a) a shuffling procedure,

b) a verification procedure,

c) a calibration procedure,

d) a security procedure, and

e) card position identification procedure; and

wherein the visual display displays the provided displayable information.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the displayable information is in a form selected from the group consisting of actual time remaining in the procedure, actual time expired in the procedure, percentage of time remaining in the procedure, percentage of time expired in the procedure, symbolic representation of time remaining in the procedure, symbolic time expired during performance of the procedure, a number of cards processed in the procedure, a number of cards remaining to be processed in the procedure, a portion of a procedure completed and a portion of a procedure not completed.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein an alphanumeric display is used to display the selected information.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the selected procedure comprises the randomization of a complete set of playing cards and the visual display displays a percentage of a portion of the procedure remaining or a percentage of a procedure performed.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the procedure comprises the randomization of a complete set of playing cards, and wherein at least one other procedure simultaneously performed.

10. The device of claim 5 and further comprising an imaging device to read at least rank and suit of cards, and further comprising a procedure of training the card reader to read a set of playing cards.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the device moves one card at a time over the imaging device so that cards are read to determine at least suit and rank.

12. The device of claim 5 wherein one card at a time is removed from the playing card input area and a randomized set of playing cards is placed in the card removal area.

13. The device of claim 5 wherein groups of cards are moved at the same time into the card removal area.

14. The device of claim 5 wherein the playing card shuffling zone comprises a random ejection shuffling system.

15. The device of claim 5 wherein the playing card shuffling zone comprises an array of compartments into which playing cards are randomly inserted.

16. The device of claim 5 wherein the playing card shuffling zone comprises a carousel.

17. The device of claim 5 wherein a motor is present in the playing card shuffling zone that comprises a stepper motor or an analog motor.