CARD HANDLING DEVICES AND RELATED METHODS
First Claim
1. A card handling device, comprising:
- a card handling zone;
a card infeed tray configured to receive cards to be moved into the card handling zone and a separate a card output tray configured to receive cards moved from the card handling zone, an opening to the card output tray being located in an at least substantially common plane with an opening to the card infeed tray, the card infeed tray and the card output tray located on a common side of the card handling zone;
a user input for receiving an input instruction from a user;
a card sensing system configured to identify at least one feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and
a control system comprising;
at least one electronic signal processor;
at least one memory device in electrical communication with the at least one electronic signal processor; and
a computer program stored in memory of the at least one memory device, the computer program programmed to cause the control system to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, the card handling zone, and a card output system of the card handling device and to receive an input from the user input to selectively perform at least one of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the card handling device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Card handling devices comprise a card handling zone. A card infeed tray is configured to pass cards to the card handling zone and a separate a card output tray is configured to receive cards from the card handling zone. A control system of the card handling device comprises at least one electronic signal processor, at least one memory device in electrical communication with the electronic signal processor, and a computer program stored in memory of the memory device. The computer program is programmed to cause the control system to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, the card handling zone, and a card output system of the card handling device and to receive an input from a user input to selectively perform at least one of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the card handling device.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A card handling device, comprising:
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a card handling zone; a card infeed tray configured to receive cards to be moved into the card handling zone and a separate a card output tray configured to receive cards moved from the card handling zone, an opening to the card output tray being located in an at least substantially common plane with an opening to the card infeed tray, the card infeed tray and the card output tray located on a common side of the card handling zone; a user input for receiving an input instruction from a user; a card sensing system configured to identify at least one feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and a control system comprising; at least one electronic signal processor; at least one memory device in electrical communication with the at least one electronic signal processor; and a computer program stored in memory of the at least one memory device, the computer program programmed to cause the control system to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, the card handling zone, and a card output system of the card handling device and to receive an input from the user input to selectively perform at least one of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the card handling device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A card handling device, comprising:
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a card handling zone; a card infeed tray configured to receive cards to be moved into the card handling zone and a card output tray configured to receive cards moved from the card handling zone, an opening to the card infeed tray and an opening to the card output tray being located in a common plane, the card infeed tray and the card output tray being located on a common side of the card handling zone; a card sensing system configured to identify at least one 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, the card handling zone, and a card output system of the card handling device, to receive at least one signal from the card sensing system, to cause the card handling device to automatically dispense a first playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray and to at least substantially automatically dispense at least a second playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray after the first playing 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. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method of forming hands or subsets of cards from a set of cards for use in a card game, the method comprising:
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receiving a set of cards in a card infeed tray on a first side of a card handling device; automatically moving cards of the set of cards from the card infeed tray to a card handling zone of the card handling device located on a second, opposing side of the card handling device; at least substantially automatically generating a randomly ordered first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards and dispsensing the first hand or subset of cards to a card output tray located on the first side of the card handling device, the card output tray having an opening in a common plane with an opening to the card infeed tray, wherein at least substantially automatically generating the first hand or subset of cards comprises; identifying cards moving from the card infeed tray into the card handling zone using a card sensing system; using a control system of the card handling device to form the first hand or subset of cards; and moving the first hand or subset of cards from the card handling zone to the card output tray; and at least substantially automatically forming at least a second randomly ordered hand or subset of cards from the set of cards in response to a signal indicating the card output tray is empty and moving the at least a second hand or subset of cards to the card output tray of the card handling device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A card handling device, comprising:
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a card handling zone; a card infeed tray configured to receive cards to be moved into the card handling zone and a card output tray configured to receive cards moved from the card handling zone, wherein the card infeed tray and the card output tray are located on a common side of the card handling zone and wherein an upper edge of the card infeed tray and an upper edge of the card output tray are in a common plane; a card infeed system configured to move cards from the card infeed tray to the card handling zone; a card output system configured to move cards from the card handling zone to the card output tray; a card sensing system configured to identify at least one feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and a control system comprising at least one electronic signal processor; at least one user input device; at least one output device; at least one memory device in electrical communication with the at least one electronic signal processor; and a computer program stored in the at least one memory device, the computer program being programmed to cause the control system to selectively control at least one of the card infeed system, the card handling zone, and the card output system, to receive at least one signal from the card sensing system, and to receive at least one signal from the at least one user input device to selectively perform at least one of a shuffling operation and a sorting operation. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A card handling device, comprising:
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a card infeed tray located on a first side of the card handling device; a card handling zone located on a second, opposing side of the card handling device; a card infeed system configured to remove cards from the card infeed tray and into the card handling zone; a card output tray located on the first side of the card handling device and in an at least substantially common horizontal plane with the card infeed tray; a card output system configured to deliver cards from the card handling zone to the card output tray; a user input device; a card sensing system configured to identify at least one feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and a control system comprising; at least one electronic signal processor; at least one memory device in electrical communication with the at least one electronic signal processor; and a computer program stored in memory of the at least one memory device, the computer program being programmed to case the control system to selectively control at least one of the card infeed system, the card handling zone, and the card output system, to receive at least one signal from the card sensing system, and to receive a signal from the user input device to selectively perform at least one of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification