Playing card dealing shoe with automated internal card feeding and card reading

• US 7,374,170 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Scheper, Paul K., Schubert, Oliver M., Grauzer, Atilla, Kelly, James V., Stasson, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US11/200,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20060033270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 273/149.R, 273/149.P, 463/22
• US Class Current: 273/149.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/003 Blackjack; Twenty one
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen

Abstract

A distinct dealing shoe having no shuffling functionality receives shuffled, randomized or ordered group of cards. The cards may be mechanically moved one at a time from a receiving area for the deck to a buffer area where more than one card is temporarily stored. The cards in the buffer area are then mechanically moved to a card delivery area where the cards may be manually removed, one-at-a-time, by a dealer. The cards are read one-at-a-time inside of the dealing shoe, either before the buffer area or after leaving the buffer area, but preferably before the cards are being manually removed from the card delivery area. The information from the card reading may be used for game tracking, hand tracking, player information, and other security issues at casino table card games.

Claims

1. A mechanical card dealing shoe comprising a card in-feed area where an approximately vertical stack of cards can be seated, face down,

a card moving element that moves a lowermost card in the stack, one card at-a-time from the approximately vertical stack of cards,

an automatic mechanical transporting system for horizontally transporting individual cards moved from the vertical set of cards to a card delivery area without randomizing an order of the cards,

a card reading system that reads at least one of suit, rank and value of cards before cards become stationary in the card delivery area;

and

a card dispensing end in the card delivery area that permits the removal of only one card at a time from the card dispensing end.

2. The shoe of claim 1 wherein a buffer area is present between the card in-feed area and the card delivery area and at least one card remains stationary for a time in the buffer area before being delivered to the card delivery area.

3. The shoe of claim 2 wherein only one card may be present in the card buffer area at any time.

4. The shoe of claim 3 wherein cards are read in the shoe as they enter the card buffer area or when the cards are within the card buffer area.

5. The shoe of claim 1 wherein cards are read in the shoe after they leave the card buffer area but before they are stationary in the card delivery area.

6. The shoe of claim 5 wherein a sensor-reader reads cards discontinuously when the sensor-reader is triggered by a card detection sensor in the shoe.

7. The shoe of claim 1 wherein more than one sensor is present along a path between the card in-feed area and the card delivery area to detect the presence of cards at specific locations.