CARD SHUFFLING APPARATUSES AND RELATED METHODS
First Claim
1. A shuffler apparatus for randomly shuffling a plurality of cards, comprising:
- a card support surface for supporting a plurality of cards thereon, the card support surface having an aperture extending through the card support surface for allowing cards of the plurality of cards to pass through the card support surface;
a repositioner for receiving and supporting the plurality of cards over the card support surface, the repositioner configured to randomly reposition the plurality of cards over the aperture extending through the card support surface to allow one or more cards of the plurality of cards to sequentially pass through the aperture in a random order; and
a card collector for sequentially receiving the one or more cards of the plurality of cards therein as they pass sequentially through the card aperture and form a plurality of shuffled cards in the card collector;
wherein the shuffler apparatus is capable of sequentially forming a first playing card hand in the card collector and, in response to a signal received from a sensor that no cards are present in the card collector, forming an additional hand in the card collector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Card shuffler apparatuses include a card repositioner used to randomly reposition a plurality of cards on-edge over an aperture extending through a card support surface to allow cards to sequentially pass through the aperture in a random order. The apparatuses may be capable of continuously and sequentially forming playing card hands for use in a game. Shuffler apparatuses may be used to obtain a measurement relating to a thickness of the deck of cards. Methods involve the use of card shuffler apparatuses to form one or more playing card hands in a playing card game. Additional methods involve counting playing cards present within a stack of playing cards using a shuffler apparatus. In further methods, a number of shuffler apparatuses and a lesser number of shuffler activation devices are provided in a gaming establishment so as to preclude simultaneous use of all the shuffler apparatuses in the establishment.
98 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A shuffler apparatus for randomly shuffling a plurality of cards, comprising:
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a card support surface for supporting a plurality of cards thereon, the card support surface having an aperture extending through the card support surface for allowing cards of the plurality of cards to pass through the card support surface; a repositioner for receiving and supporting the plurality of cards over the card support surface, the repositioner configured to randomly reposition the plurality of cards over the aperture extending through the card support surface to allow one or more cards of the plurality of cards to sequentially pass through the aperture in a random order; and a card collector for sequentially receiving the one or more cards of the plurality of cards therein as they pass sequentially through the card aperture and form a plurality of shuffled cards in the card collector; wherein the shuffler apparatus is capable of sequentially forming a first playing card hand in the card collector and, in response to a signal received from a sensor that no cards are present in the card collector, forming an additional hand in the card collector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A shuffler apparatus, comprising:
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a repositioner for receiving and supporting a plurality of cards over a card support surface, the repositioner comprising opposing face guides configured to support opposing faces of a stack comprising the plurality of cards over the card support surface, at least one face guide of the opposing face guides configured to move relative to another face guide of the opposing face guides; and an electronic controller configured to control operation of the repositioner, the electronic controller configured to cause the at least one face guide of the opposing face guides to move toward the another face guide of the opposing face guides and squeeze the stack comprising the plurality of cards over the card support surface, the electronic controller further configured to record at least one measurement relating to a distance between the opposing face guides as the opposing face guides squeeze the stack comprising the plurality of cards therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of using a card shuffler apparatus to form one or more playing card hands in a playing card game, the method comprising:
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supporting a stack of playing cards on edge over a card support surface; moving and randomly repositioning the stack over an aperture extending through the card support surface and allowing cards to pass sequentially from the stack through the aperture and into a card collector to form a first playing card hand in the card collector; pausing passage of cards through the aperture after formation of the first playing card hand in the card collector for removal of the first playing card hand from the card collector; and continuing passage of cards through the aperture after the first playing card hand is removed from the card collector to form a second playing card hand in the card collector. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of counting a number of playing cards present within a plurality of playing cards using a shuffler apparatus for shuffling cards of the stack of playing cards, the method comprising:
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measuring at least one of a weight and a thickness of a stack of playing cards positioned over a card support surface within the card shuffler apparatus to obtain at least one first measurement; dispensing all cards in the stack of playing cards from the card shuffler apparatus and counting a number of the cards dispensed from the card shuffler apparatus upon dispensing all cards in the stack of playing cards from the card shuffler apparatus; repositioning cards of the stack of playing cards dispensed from the card shuffler apparatus over the card support surface within the card shuffler apparatus; measuring at least one of a weight and a thickness of the stack of playing cards repositioned over the card support surface within the card shuffler apparatus to obtain at least one second measurement; and comparing the at least one second measurement with the at least one first measurement. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. A method of using a plurality of shuffler apparatuses within a gaming establishment, comprising:
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providing a first number of shuffler apparatuses in the gaming establishment, each shuffler apparatus of the first number of shuffler apparatuses comprising a receptacle for receiving an activation device therein, operation of each shuffler apparatus of the first number of shuffler apparatuses being precluded when an activation device is not received within the receptacle; and providing a second number of activation devices in the gaming establishment, the second number being less than the first number to preclude simultaneous use of all shuffler apparatuses of the first number of shuffler apparatuses in the gaming establishment. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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49. A method of operating a card shuffler, comprising:
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providing a shuffler including a processor for controlling operation of the shuffler, the shuffler including a receptacle for receiving an actuation device; providing an actuation device; inserting the actuation device in the receptacle; and operating the shuffler, wherein the processor disables operation of the shuffler unless the actuation device is inserted in the receptacle and permits operation when the activation device is inserted in the receptacle.
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Specification