ELECTRONIC GAMING DEVICE SIMULATING THE GAME OF BLACKJACK

• US 3,796,433 A
• Filed: 06/14/1971
• Issued: 03/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles A. Bell, James T. Hendrix, Walter C. Fraley
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Bell, James T. Hendrix, Walter C. Fraley
• Inventors: Fraley, Walter C., Hendrix, James T., Bell, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oechsle, Anton O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kramer, Arnold W.
• Application Number:
  US05/152,533
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138A
• US Class Current: 463/12
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A disk-operated electronic gaming device for playing a simulated game of blackjack is disclosed. The device includes operating controls for a player to control his play of the game; a display panel to show the progress of the game and its result; diskhandling equipment for receiving metallic disks and returning an appropriate number of disks to the player based on the results of the play; a solid state, fixed logic, digital computer to automatically determine the play of the game and to compute the results of this play; and a power supply to provide power necessary for operation of the computer, the display panel and the disk-handling equipment. The apparatus is housed in a compact, attractive, utilitarian cabinet.

Claims

1. A gaming device for playing a simulated game of blackjack by a player against a simulated dealer, which comprises:

a solid state, fixed logic, digital computer to automatically determine the play of the game including (1) means to randomly generate card and suit values representing simulated cards, said means including means to simultaneously generate first and second low purity, high frequency signals, means to generate a low purity, low frequency clock signal, first counter means to repetitively count said first signals to a count of 13 during half of each cycle of said low frequency clock signal to determine a random value from 1 to 13 representative of a card value, second counter means to repetitively count said second signals to a count of 4 during each of said half cycles to determine a random value from 1 to 4 representative of a suit value, and means to read said first and second counters during each alternate half cycle of said clock signal, each combination of card and suit values representing a different simulated card, (2) means to simulate the dealing of two of said simulated cards to the player and two of said simulated cards to the dealer, (3) means responsive to a player'"'"''"'"'s control means to permit the player to initiate the play of the game and to selectively control the dealing of additional cards to the player, (4) means to simulate the dealing of additional cards to the dealer until a prescribed total card valve count is equalled or exceeded, and means to determine the winner as between the player and the dealer;

player control means electrically connected to said computer for a player to initiate the play of the game, to direct the dealing of an additional card to the player, and to terminate the dealing of additional cards to the player;

a display panel electrically connected to said computer to show the progress of the game and the result;

disk-handling equipment electrically connected to said computer for receiving metallic disks deposited by the player and returning an appropriate number of disks to the player in the case of a player win; and

a power supply to provide the power necessary for operation of the device.

2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said computer includes a dealer card memory and a player card memory and also includes means to store a first series of said randomly generated card values representing dealer'"'"''"'"'s cards in said dealer card memory and to store a second series of randomly generated card values representing player'"'"''"'"'s cards in said player card memory, said dealer'"'"''"'"'s cards being dealt from said dealer card memory and said player'"'"''"'"'s cards being dealt from said player card memory.

3. The device defined in claim 2 wherein said computer also includes means to display both of the player'"'"''"'"'s cards dealt to the player and only one of the dealer'"'"''"'"'s cards dealt to the dealer, means to ascertain if the player or dealer has a point count totaling 21, means to determine if after the dealing of an additional card to the player and player point count exceeds 21, means to determine the dealer point count and wherein said means to simulate the dealing of additional cards to the dealer automatically simulates the dealing of additional cards to the dealer so long as the dealer'"'"''"'"'s point count is less than 17, means to determine if the dealer point count exceeds 21, means to end the game in the case of a dealer win or a push, and means to end the game and to return an appropriate number of disks in the case of a player win.

4. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said display panel includes a dealer card display section for displaying the simulated cards dealt to the dealer and a player card display section for displaying the simulated cards dealt to the player.

5. The device defined in claim 4 wherein said display panel also includes a disks-played indicator, a dealer numerical total display, a dealer blackjack indicator, a dealer bust indicator, a player numerical total display, a player blackjack indicator, a player bust indicator, a push indicator and a game over-winner paid indicator electrically connected to said computer to indicate respectively the occurrence of the various play modes.

6. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said control means includes a deal pushbutton to initiate play of the game, a hit pushbutton to initiate the dealing of an additional card to the player on each operation of the pushbutton, and a stand pushbutton to terminate the dealing of additional cards to the player and to initiate the dealing of said additional cards to the dealer.

7. The device defined in claim 6 wherein said control means includes a double pushbutton operative only after the initial deal and wherein said computer includes means to permit a player to double the number of disks initially received by said disk handling equipment and to then receive only one additional card.

8. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said power supply includes means to convert 115 volt a.c. power to substantially constant 5 volt d.c., approximately 6 volt a.c. and approximately 6 volt d.c. power to operate the components of the device.

9. An electronic gaming device for playing a simulated game of blackjack by a player against a simulated dealer, which comprises:

an enclosed cabinet for housing the operating components of the device;

a solid state, fixed logic digital computer including (1) means to randomly select simulated cards for the player and for a simulated dealer including first and second low purity, high frequency oscillators, means for generating a low purity, low frequency clock signal, a repeating count to 13 counter, a repeating count to 4 counter, means to conduct the output of said first oscillator to said count to 13 counter and the output of said second oscillator to said count to 4 counter during half of each cycle of said clock signal with each count of said count to 13 counter determining a different respective card value and each count of said count to 4 counter determining a different respective card suit, means to read said count to 13 and said count to 4 counters during each alternate half cycle of said clock signal, and means to enable said counters upon the receipt of a deal signal and to disable said counters upon the production of sixteen card and suit values representing eight dealer'"'"''"'"'s cards and eight player'"'"''"'"'s cards, (2) means to simulate the deal of two of said randomly selected player'"'"''"'"'s cards to the player and two of said randomly selected dealer'"'"''"'"'s cards to the dealer and to display both of the player'"'"''"'"'s cards and only one of the dealer'"'"''"'"'s cards, (3) means to ascertain if the player or dealer has a point count totaling 21, (4) means responsive to a player'"'"''"'"'s control means to permit the player to initiate play of the game and to selectively control the dealing of additional cards to the player, (5) means to determine if the player total point count exceeds 21, (6) means to automatically simulate the deal of cards to the dealer so long as the dealer point count is less than 17, (7) means to determine if the dealer total point count exceeds 21, (8) means to determine the winner as between the player and the dealer, and (9) means to end the game in the case of a dealer win or push, or to end the game and return two times the number of disks received by disk handling equipment in the case of a player win;

a display panel electrically connected to sAid computer to show the progress of the game and its result;

player control means electrically connected to said computer for the player to initiate the start of play, to initiate the dealing of one or more additional cards to the player and to terminate the dealing of additional cards to the player;

disk-handling equipment electrically connected to said computer for receiving metallic disks deposited by the player and returning an appropriate number of disks to the player in the case of a player win, said equipment including a disk acceptor having a solenoid actuated disk lockout to permit acceptance of disks only during prescribed modes and disk payout means to return a prescribed number of disks to the player on command; and

a power supply to provide a source of constant voltage 5 volt d.c., 6 volt a.c., and 6 volt d.c. power to operate the components of said device.

10. The device defined in claim 9 wherein said display panel includes dealer and player card display sections for displaying the simulated cards respectively dealt to the dealer and the player, a disks-played indicator, a dealer numerical total display, a dealer blackjack indicator, a dealer bust indicator, a player numerical total display, a player blackjack indicator, a player bust indicator, a push indicator and a game over-winner paid indicator electrically connected to said computer to indicate respectively the occurrence of the various play modes.

11. The device defined in claim 9 wherein said player control means includes a control panel having a deal pushbutton to initiate play of the game, a hit pushbutton to initiate the dealing of an additional card to the player on each operation of the pushbutton, and a stand pushbutton to terminate the dealing of additional cards to the player.

12. The device defined in claim 11 wherein said control panel also includes a double pushbutton operative only after the initial deal and wherein said computer includes means to permit a player to double the number of disks initially received by said disk handling equipment and to then receive only one additional card.

13. An electronic gaming device for playing a simulated game of blackjack by a player against a simulated dealer, which comprises;

an enclosed cabinet for housing the operating components of the device;

a solid state, fixed logic, digital computer including (1) means to randomly select simulated cards for the player and for the simulated dealer including first and second low purity, high frequency oscillators, means for generating a low purity, low frequency clock signal, a repeating count to 13 counter, a repeating count to 4 counter, means to conduct the output of said first oscillator to said count to 13 counter and the output of said second oscillator to said count to 4 counter during half of each cycle of said clock signal with each count of said count to 13 counter determining a different respective card value and each count of said count to 4 counter determining a different respective card suit, means to read said count to 13 and said count to 4 counters during each alternate half cycle of said clock signal, each combination of card and suit values representing a different simulated card, and means to enable said counters upon the receipt of a deal signal and to disable said counters upon the production of 16 card and suit values representing eight dealer'"'"''"'"'s cards and eight players cards, (2) means to simulate the deal of two of said randomly selected player'"'"''"'"'s cards to the player and two of said randomly selected dealer'"'"''"'"'s cards to the dealer and to display both of the player'"'"''"'"'s cards and only one of the dealer'"'"''"'"'s cards, (3) means to ascertain if the player or dealer has a point count totaling 21, (4) means responsive to a player'"'"''"'"'s control means to permit the player to initiate play of the game and to selectively control the dealing of additional cards to the player, (5) means to determine if the player total point count exceeds 21, (6) means to automatically simulate the deal of cards to the dealer so long as the dealer point count is less than 17, (7) means to determine if the dealer total point count exceeds 21, (8) means to determine the winner as between the player and the dealer, and (9) means to end the game in case of a dealer win or push, or to end the game and return two times the number of disks deposited in the case of a player win;

disk-handling equipment electrically connected to said computer for receiving metallic disks and returning an appropriate number of disks to the player in the case of a player win, and equipment including a disk acceptor having a solenoid actuated disk lockout to permit acceptance of disks only during prescribed modes, a disk storage tube, a disk return tube, a solenoid operated disk payout unit, and a disk return tray;

a display panel located at the front of said cabinet and electricaly connected to said computer, said display panel including dealer and player card display sections for displaying simulated cards respectively dealt to the dealer and the player, disks played indicator, dealer numerical total display, dealer blackjack indicator, dealer bust indicator player numerical total display, player blackjack indicator, player bust indicator, a push indicator and a game over-winner paid indicator to indicate respectively the occurrence of the various play modes;

a control panel located at the front of said cabinet and electrically connected to said computer, said control panel including a deal pushbutton to initiate play of the game, a double pushbutton to permit the player to double the number of disks deposited and to receive one more card, a hit pushbutton to initiate the dealing of an additional card to the player on each operation of the pushbutton, and a stand pushbutton to terminate the dealing of additional cards to the player; and

a power supply to provide a source of constant 5 volt d.c., 6 volt a.c. and 6 volt d.c. power to provide the power necessary for operation of the device.

14. The device defined in claim 13 wherein said first oscillator develops an output signal having a frequency of about 1 megahertz + or - 20 percent, said second oscillator develops an output signal having a frequency of about 500 kilohertz + or - 20 percent;

and said means for generating a low frequency clock signal includes an oscillator having an output frequency of about 170 hertz + or - 20 percent and a three-stage counter to reduce said output to a frequency of about 21 hertz.