GAMING TABLE

• US 20160012662A1
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TCS John Huxley Australia Pty., Ltd. (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TCS John Huxley Europe Ltd.
• Inventors: Jackson, Harley David, Witty, Simon McLaren, Maniatis, Emanuel
• Granted Patent: US 10,672,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means

Abstract

There is described a gaming table (3) having a playing surface (9) in which a display panel (6) is positioned below the playing surface of the gaming table, and is operable to display moving and/or still images which can be viewed through the playing surface by players at the table. A diffuser screen 8 may be placed between the playing surface (9) and the display panel (6). If the upper surface of the display panel (6) is uneven, a cover sheet 16 may be placed over the display panel (6) to provide a smooth substrate for the diffuser screen (8) and/or the playing surface (9). Embodiments are described in which a projector projects an image onto the undersurface of a screen mounted below the playing surface so that the image is visible through the playing surface.

Claims

1. A gaming table comprising a table surface and a display to display images visible through the table surface.

2. The gaming table of claim 1, wherein the table surface comprises a cloth surface with a betting area delineated with betting regions for players to place wagers.

3. The gaming table of claim 2, further comprising a display panel mounted beneath the cloth playing surface.

4. The gaming table of claim 3, further comprising a diffuser screen between the display panel and the cloth.

5. The gaming table of claim 3, wherein the display panel comprises a light emitting diode (LED) illuminated display panel.

6. The gaming table of claim 5, further comprising a cover sheet positioned between the LED illuminated display panel and the diffuser screen to provide a smooth surface underlying the diffuser screen.

7. The gaming table of claim 4, wherein the diffuser screen is formed from a synthetic foam material.

8. The gaming table of claim 1, further comprising a projector arranged to project an image from below the table surface so as to be visible from above through the table surface.

9. The gaming table of claim 8, wherein the table surface comprises a cloth supported on a horizontal transparent screen or a horizontal translucent screen, and wherein the projector is arranged to project an image onto an undersurface of the horizontal transparent screen or the horizontal translucent screen so as to be visible on an upper surface of the horizontal transparent screen or the horizontal translucent screen through the cloth.

10. An illuminated gaming table system comprising:

a gaming table comprising a table surface and a display to display images visible through the table surface;

an input device for inputting signals indicating events in a game on the gaming table; and

a control unit responsive to inputs from the input device to control the display of images.

11. The gaming table system of claim 10, wherein the control unit comprises:

a memory for storing images and image sequences; and

a processor operable in response to an input from the input device to;

select an image or image sequence for display, and

cause the selected image or image sequence to be displayed.

12. The gaming table system of claim 11, further comprising an image capture device operable to provide video images to the control unit;

and

wherein the processor is operable to cause the video images to be displayed.

15. The gaming table system of claim 10, wherein images are displayed on a display panel mounted beneath the playing surface.

16. The gaming table system of claim 10 or 11, wherein images are projected onto a screen mounted beneath the playing surface.

13. The gaming table system of claim, wherein the control unit is responsive to input signals from at least one remote device to control the display of images.

14. The gaming table system of claim 13, wherein the remote device is an automatic dice shaker, a roulette wheel, or a card dealing shoe.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)