Game monitoring system, game playing table and monitoring method

• US 7,422,522 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2002
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp., SETA Corporation (Universal Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Nonaka, Nobuyuki, Fujimoto, Jun, Itakura, Tomitsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US10/235,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20030064774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/58 Antifraud or preventing misuse
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

To prevent calculation errors and fraudulent acts and reduce cost by automatic monitoring, a wirelessly communicating game monitoring system includes an identifying information recording device, attached to playing cards or the like, for recording identifying information of the card; an identifying information reading device for reading wirelessly the information recorded in the identifying information recording device; a control device for performing various kinds of calculations or determinations required in the process of games using the identifying information read with the identifying information reading devices; and a display divce for displaying the results of the calculation or determination made with the control divce. The system also includes stake money handling devices for players to operate and enter stake money amounts, an output divce for outputting summed results after the end of games, and a recording divce for recording identifying information and calculation results. The game monitoring system is built into a game playing table on which playing cards are dealt to play games.

Claims

1. A game monitoring system for monitoring a game played using a plurality of cards, the system comprising:

a plurality of wirelessly communicating identifying information recording devices, a respective wirelessly communicating identifying information recording device being attached to each of the plurality of cards, and recording information identifying respective cards and a date and a place related to location of the game monitoring system;

an identifying information reading device for reading, wirelessly, the information recorded in the identifying information recording devices, the identifying information reading device being embedded in a card game playing table;

a stake money handling device operable by players of the game for entering and/or changing stake money amount;

a control device

calculating a money balance in the game using the cards, based on the identifying information read by the identifying information reading device and the stake money amount entered and/or changed through the stake money handling device,

recording the information recorded in the identifying information recording devices of the cards and read by the identifying information reading device, and the money balance calculated, and

accumulating the identifying information read by the identifying information reading device and the money balance calculated in a database, wherein the control device determines when a game has ended from at least one of

when number of times the identifying information reading device has read the identifying information of cards has reached a predetermined number for a card game in which cards may be changed no more than the predetermined number of times, and

when the identifying information has been read by the identification information reading device from all cards distributed to card distribution areas on the card game playing table for a card game in which all of the cards distributed are placed in card distribution areas of the card game playing table at game end; and

a display displaying the money balance calculated by the control device, the display device being located at the card game playing table for playing of the game with the card distributed to and placed on the card game playing table.

2. A card game playing table for playing a game with cards, comprising the game monitoring system according to claim 1 installed therein.

3. The game monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising an output device outputting a sum of money balances, summed by the control device, after ending of the game.

4. A card game playing table for playing a game with cards, comprising the game monitoring system according to claim 3 installed therein.

5. The game monitoring system according to claim 3, comprising a monitoring station, wherein the output device is located in the monitoring station or at the card game playing table for monitoring at least one of the game and the card game playing table.

6. A card game playing table for playing a game with cards, comprising the game monitoring system according to claim 5 installed therein.

7. The game monitoring system according to claim 3, including output devices in both of the monitoring station and the card game playing table for monitoring the game and the card game playing table, respectively.

8. A card game playing table for playing a game with cards, comprising the game monitoring system according to claim 7 installed therein.

9. The game monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a card distributor for distributing the card, wherein

the card game playing table includes card distribution areas where the card is distributed, and

the identifying information reading device is located at each of the card distributor and the card distribution areas.

10. The game monitoring system according to claim 9, further comprising a warning device for issuing a notice when an inconsistency is present between the identifying information read by the identifying information reading device in the card distributor and the identifying information read by the identifying information reading device in the card distribution areas.

11. A card game playing table for playing a game with cards, comprising the game monitoring system according to claim 10 installed therein.

12. A card game playing table for playing a game with cards, comprising the game monitoring system according to claim 9 installed therein.

13. A game monitoring method for monitoring a game played using a plurality of cards, the method comprising:

recording identifying information, identifying each of the cards, and a date and a place related to playing of the game, in a respective identifying information recording device attached to each of the cards;

reading, wirelessly, the identifying information recorded in the identification information recording devices with an identifying information reading device embedded in a card game playing table;

entering and/or changing stake money amount in the game by players of the game;

calculating a money balance in the game, based on the identifying information read and the stake money amount entered and/or changed by a control device;

recording the identifying information read from the cards and the money balance calculated by the control device;

accumulating the identifying information read from the cards and the money balance calculated by the control device in a data base;

determining when a game has ended from at least one of

when number of times the identifying information reading device has read the identifying information of cards has reached a predetermined number for a card game in which cards may be changed no more than the predetermined number of times, and

when the identifying information has been read by the identification information reading device from all cards distributed to card distribution areas on the card game playing table for a card game in which all of the cards distributed are placed in the card distribution areas of the card game playing table at game end; and

displaying the money balance calculated at the card game table for playing the game with the card distributed on and placed on the card game playing table.

14. The game monitoring method according to claim 13 including, after the ending of a game, outputting a sum of money balances.

15. The game monitoring method according to claim 13 including monitoring at least one of the game and the card game playing table.

16. The game monitoring method according to claim 13, further comprising distributing the card from a card distributor to the card distribution areas of the card game playing table and reading the identification information recorded in the identifying information recording devices at the card distributor and at the card distribution areas.

17. The game monitoring method according to claim 16, further comprising issuing a notice when an inconsistency is present between the identifying information read at the card distributor and the identification information read at the card distribution areas.