METHOD FOR ADMINISTRATING A PACKAGE OF SHUFFLED PLAYING CARDS

• US 20180122192A1
• Filed: 10/19/2017
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Angel Playing Cards Co Ltd
• Inventors: Shigeta, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 10,546,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/062 Boxes or cases for cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2419 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• 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: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Administrating a package of shuffled playing cards to prevent fraudulent card exchanges. The administrating system is configured to calculate places and a number of packages of shuffled playing cards at places of the backyard, the places of playing tables, places of carriers and the disposition place using information obtained by the loading step and unloading step and the administrating system calculates by every ID codes bases 1) places of packages registered by the registering step for registering to a data base of administrating system and a number of packages place by place from information obtained from the loading step and the unloading step. The administrating system is configured to recognize whether there is a lost package by comparing the information of all ID codes registered in registering steps with the ID codes at places of packages obtained at the calculating step from the loading step and the unloading step.

Claims

1. A tracking system for monitoring and recording movement of packages of playing cards in an entertainment facility, the system comprising:

a plurality of the packages of the playing cards, each having remotely readable ID code associated therewith;

a plurality of ID code sensors for obtaining the ID code of each of the packages when any at least one of the packages comes into a detectable range of the ID code sensor and for individually generating an event signal including information on the obtained ID code and a location of the ID code obtained in the entertainment facility;

a processor for creating, based on the event signal, an event record including information on the obtained ID code, a time of the detection and a location of the detection; and

a database being communicably connected to the processor, wherein;

at least one of the ID code sensors is installed at a storage area where the packages are stored in the entertainment facility,

at least one of the ID code reader sensors is installed in an forwarding area where each of the packages are in transit in the entertainment facility,

each of the ID code sensors obtains the ID code when any one of the packages either enters or departs, or both enters and departs, the detectable range of the ID code sensor,

the processor writes the event record into the database, and

the processor creates the event record periodically based on the event signals generated by the ID code sensor.

2. The package tracking system according to claim 1, wherein when an event happens to any of the packages, the processor is configured to judges whether any at least one of the packages are missing by comparing the event record just created and at least one of the event records already stored in the database.

3. The package tracking system according to claim 1, wherein:

the ID code sensor is a camera for capturing an image in the entertainment facility,

the packages are carried by a vehicle in the entertainment facility, and

the vehicle'"'"'s location is monitored based on the image captured by the camera.

4. The package tracking system according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle is an Automatic Guided Vehicle.

5. The package tracking system according to claim 1, wherein each of the ID code sensors is wirelessly connected to the processor.

6. The package tracking system according to claim 4, wherein the AGV has a drive source for self-moving.

7. The package tracking system according to claim 4, wherein the AGV is controlled by the processor in the entertainment facility.

8. The package tracking system according to claim 4, wherein the AGV has a lid for selectively locking inside of the AGV.

9. The package tracking system according to claim 3, wherein:

the entertainment facility is a casino,

the vehicle is operable to hold the packages which are registered in the database,

the packages are carried into a backyard of the casino, then transported to pits on gaming floors in the casino, and then used at a game table, and then transported to a destruction place.

10. A method for tracking movement of a plurality of packages of playing cards in an entertainment facility, the method comprising:

obtaining ID code of each of the packages when any at least one of the package comes into a detectable range of an ID code sensor;

generating an event signal including information on the obtained ID code and a location of the ID code obtained;

generating the event signal when any at least one of the packages either enters or departs, or both enters and departs, the detectable range;

periodically creating, based on the generated event signal, an event record including information on the obtained the ID code, a time of obtaining the ID code and a location of obtaining the ID coded; and

writing the created event record into a database.

11. A system for administrating a plurality of valuable items, which has been provided with an ID code being unique to each of the valuable items, the system comprising:

a storage for containing the valuable items for monitoring each of ID codes provided with the valuable items; and

an administrating controller, which has been provided with a computer readable medium that stores a database in relation to the ID codes of the valuable items,

wherein further the system has;

a ID code reader for obtaining ID-code information on each of the ID codes of the valuable items in the storage, and

a communication means for sending the ID-code information obtained by the first ID code reader to the administrating controller, and

the administrating controller is configured to obtain repeatedly every ID-code information of each valuable items in the storage and inspect whether there is a mismatch between the valuable items existing in the storage and the valuable items which had been contained in the storage.

12. The administrating system according to claim 11, wherein, the administrating controller is configured to be programmed to judge at least one of the followings items:

whether any of the valuable items is not missing,

whether any of the valuable items has not been registered in the database.

13. The administrating system according to claim 11, wherein the ID code reader is any one of a barcode reader, a 2-dimensional code reader, a camera, and an RFID tag reader.

14. The administrating system according to claim 11, wherein the ID-information is image data of the ID code.

15. The administrating system according to claim 11, further comprising a lock means for preventing from taking the valuable items out from the storage.

16. A storage for containing valuable items, the storage comprising:

an ID code reader for obtaining ID-code information on ID code provided with the valuable items, and

a communication means for sending the ID-code information obtained by the ID code reader to an administrating controller,

wherein the administrating controller is configured to obtain repeatedly obtain code information of the valuable items in the storage and judge whether there is a mismatch between the valuable items existing in the storage and the valuable items which had been contained in the storage.

17. The storage according to claim 16, wherein the ID code reader is one of a barcode reader, a 2-dimensional code reader, a camera, and an RFID tag reader.

18. The storage according to claim 16, wherein the ID-information is image data of the ID code.

19. The storage according to claim 16, further comprising a lock means for preventing from taking the valuable items out from the storage.