System for playing card games remotely
First Claim
1. A system for playing card games remotely includinga multimedia communication system including audio and video communications means and arranged so that players at a plurality of game sites can see and hear each other, anda card handling apparatus and an associated image recognition apparatus at each game site for receiving and managing a physical deck of cards at each of said game sites,wherein said card handling apparatus includes means arranged to read cards, means to find particular cards, and means to distribute cards.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for playing card games remotely includes both a multimedia communication system that allows players located remotely from each other to see and hear each other, and a "card toaster" and associated image recognition system at each game site which receives and manages a physical deck of cards at every site at which the game is being played. The toaster has the capability of (1) reading cards, for example, by scanning them, (2) finding particular cards, and, if necessary, sorting them, and (3) distributing cards, such as by dealing them. The system enables the players to deal and then play a game, such as the game of bridge, in a manner which closely approximates the manner in which a game is played when all players are co-located. Thus, once play is started, the image recognition system reads the cards played on a table at any site, and transmits information regarding those cards to the other sites. At the other sites, the card toaster is signaled and arranged to distribute the same cards, face up on the table.
401 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for playing card games remotely including
a multimedia communication system including audio and video communications means and arranged so that players at a plurality of game sites can see and hear each other, and a card handling apparatus and an associated image recognition apparatus at each game site for receiving and managing a physical deck of cards at each of said game sites, wherein said card handling apparatus includes means arranged to read cards, means to find particular cards, and means to distribute cards.
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2. A method for playing card games remotely, including the steps of
shuffling and manually dealing cards at a local site, such that each player at said local site receives physical cards, and such that cards for other players who are not present at said local site are dealt "face down"; -
upon completion of dealing at said local site, placing the cards dealt at said local site and intended for the players at said remote site in a first card handler, at said local site, said first card handler arranged to manage a physical deck of cards and including means for reading cards, finding particular cards, and distributing cards; at a remote site, placing an entire deck of cards face down in a second card handler whereby said cards are read by said second card handler; transmitting signals from said first card handler to said second card handler, and responsive to receipt of said signals in said second card handler, finding the corresponding cards, and distributing said cards, face down, to said other players. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
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5. Apparatus for playing cards games by players located at individual sites, said apparatus comprising
a multimedia communication system arranged so that players at each site can be seen and heard by players at other sites; -
means including an image recognition system arranged to read cards disposed on each playing surface being used by the players; and a card handling system arranged to distribute, receive and manage a physical deck of cards at every site that the game is being played. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of playing card games wherein players at a local site complete with players at least one remote site, said method comprising the steps of
establishing video and audio communications between said local site and said remote site, interconnecting card handling and management apparatus at said local site and said remote site, said apparatus including means for reading cards by scanning them, finding particular cards, and distributing cards face up or face down; - and
sending signals between said card handling and management apparatus so that actions at one site are duplicated at the other site. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification