Casino table sensor alarms and method of using

• US 6,154,131 A
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Griffith Jones II, Griffith Jones III
• Original Assignee: Griffith Jones II, Griffith Jones III
• Inventors: Jones, Griffith III, Jones, Griffith II
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US09/185,060
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/541, 340/562, 340/556, 340/573.1, 340/573.7, 364/412, 273/138.1, 273/148 R
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

A system of sensors to prevent cheating at a casino gaming table, where the sensors are strategically positioned about a casino gaming table to monitor the movement about certain established areas on the gaming table during certain established times during the play of the game. The tripping of a sensor in response to the detection of unauthorized movement about a certain area of the table sends a signal to a monitoring system which in turn alerts the casino so that the casino may respond to the unauthorized movement accordingly. The system of sensors can be used with a wide variety of card-based or chip-based casino gaming tables.

Claims

1. An unauthorized movement detection system for casino tables comprising:

a. a movement detection device adjacent a dealer'"'"'s position at a casino table to detect an activating movement of the dealer,

b. movement detection devices adjacent at least one player position on the opposite side of the casino table from the dealer'"'"'s position,

c. said movement detection devices adjacent at least one player position and the dealer'"'"'s position having the capability of detecting movement of both the player in a wagering location and the dealer adjacent each player,

d. coordinating means linking the various detection devices such that movement at the dealer'"'"'s position will activate or deactivate the various detection devices at least one player position to detect movement there adjacently, and

e. means to provide a signal to an appropriate monitoring system when movement is detected at a player position while player detection devices are activated,

f. the movement detection devices adjacent at least one player position being of two kinds, one detecting movement of the of the players and one detecting movement of the dealer, and wherein the detectors detecting movement of the dealer are arranged to activate or deactivate the detectors for detecting movement of the players,

g. wherein the wagering location wherein the wagering location can further comprise a non-conventional wager location to accommodate a wager separate from a wager made during a normal round of play, and such non-conventional wager location is accessed prior to the beginning of play and the detection system is hidden from view.

2. An unauthorized movement detection system for casino tables in accordance with claim 1 further comprising personal identification detection devices for monitoring and tracking the wagering history of casino table participants.

3. A cheating detection system for a casino table comprising:

a. a plurality of movement detectors associated with the casino table,

b. the detectors being positioned to detect movement at the surface of said casino table in a patterned sequence such that unauthorized movement is detected, and

c. means to signal unauthorized movement detected by the detectors to a casino monitoring system,

d. the detectors being are associated with both player positions and dealers positions at said table,

e. there being a first set of detectors adjacent the players for detecting movement of the players and a second set of detectors adjacent the players on the dealer'"'"'s side for detecting movement of the dealer,

f. the second set of detectors being arranged to activate or deactivate the corresponding first set of detectors upon an address movement of the dealer, and

g. a plurality of visual detectors positioned to detect player wagers in coordination with said movement detectors.

4. A method of detecting cheating at casino tables comprising:

a. detecting movement adjoining the table top adjacent player positions during play at certain positions,

b. determining whether such detected movement is dealer movement or player movement,

c. using dealer detected movement to activate or deactivate player movement detectors, and

d. signalling player movement detected by activated player detectors to a monitoring system,

e. dealer movement being detected between the players and the dealer by capacitance-type detector apparatus,

f. player movement being detected between the player and player bet positions on the casino table, and

g. further monitoring the wager locations in accordance with movement detected adjacent player positions to ensure the accuracy of the dealer payout at the end of the round of play.

5. An unauthorized movement detection system for maintaining gaming table security comprising:

a. a movement detection device adjacent at least one player position at a casino table having a detection field encompassing at least a portion of a betting zone on the table for such at least one player,

b. an activation device at another location adjacent the table surface to activate the movement detection device, and

c. a monitoring system to indicate to security personnel when the activated detection device has detected unauthorized movement.

6. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 5 wherein the activation device is a movement detection device adapted to operate a circuit to activate the movement detector device in response to standardized movement adjacent the gaming table.

7. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 6 wherein the activation device is positioned to detect movement in connection with the termination of a previous game at the table.

8. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 7 wherein the activation device is positioned to detect movement of the player.

9. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 6 wherein the activation device is positioned to detect movement of a dealer at the beginning of play.

10. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 9 wherein the activation device is a field-type movement detection device.

11. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 9 wherein the activation device is in the form of a body-activated switch arranged to be activated by the dealer.

12. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 5 wherein there is within the betting zone on the table both a normal bet placement position and a bonus bet position.

13. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 12 wherein there are two separate motion detection devices for monitoring the bet placement position and the bonus bet position.

14. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 13 wherein a single motion detection device is provided to monitor both the normal bet position and the bonus bet position.

15. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 13 wherein only the bonus bet position is monitored with a movement detection device.

16. An unauthorized movement detection system in accordance with claim 15 wherein the activation device is in the form of a body activated switch arranged to be activated by the dealer.

17. An unauthorized movement detection system for casino tables comprising:

a. a movement detection device adjacent a dealer'"'"'s position at a casino table to detect an activating movement of the dealer,

b. movement detection devices adjacent at least one player position on the opposite side of the casino table from the dealer'"'"'s position,

c. said movement detection devices adjacent at least one player position and the dealer'"'"'s position having the capability of detecting movement of both the player in a wagering location and the dealer adjacent each player,

d. coordinating means linking the various detection devices such that movement at the dealer'"'"'s position will activate or deactivate the various detection devices at least one player position to detect movement there adjacently, and

e. means to provide a signal to an appropriate monitoring system when movement is detected at a player position while player detection devices are activated, and

f. personal identification devices for monitoring and tracking the wagering history of casino table participants.

18. An authorized movement detection system for casino tables in accordance with claim 17 further comprising visual detection devices for monitoring and tracking the wager amounts of casino table participants.