Card shuffler with card rank and value reading capability using CMOS sensor

• US 7,764,836 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Downs, Justin G. III, Kulakkunnath, Kapilkumar N., Zvercov, Vladislav, Roberts, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan; Sheela C
• Application Number:
  US11/488,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20070069462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/181, 273/149.R, 273/149.P, 273/309, 273/292, 463/22, 463/13, 463/12, 463/42
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2419 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2425 Scanners, e.g. for scanning regular characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

A device for forming a random set of playing cards comprises a card infeed area, a shuffling system, a card removal area; and a card reading system located within the device, the card reading system employing a CMOS sensor and a hardware component, the hardware component capable of converting signals from the CMOS sensor into vector sets and comparing the vector sets to known vectors to determine rank and suit.

Claims

1. A device for forming a random set of playing cards comprising:

A card infeed area;

A shuffling system;

A card removal area; and

A card reading system located within the device, the card reading system employing a CMOS sensor and a hardware component, the hardware component capable of converting signals from the CMOS sensor into vector sets and comparing the vector sets to known vectors to determine rank and suit further comprising;

a top surface; and

the shuffling system comprises

a single card receiving area for receiving an initial set of playing cards;

a randomizing system for randomizing the order of an initial set of playing cards;

the card removal area comprises a collection surface within a card collection area for receiving randomized playing cards one at a time into the card collection area, the collection surface receiving cards so that all cards are received below the top surface of the device;

the card reading system comprises an image capture device that reads the rank and suit of each card, the image capture device illuminating a face of the card displaying the rank and suit with electromagnetic radiation selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet radiation, near infrared radiation, infrared radiation, far infrared radiation, and wavelengths comprising a fluence consisting of at least 40% wavelengths between 490 and 520 nm; and

an elevator is present in the card removal area for raising the collection surface so that at least some randomized cards are elevated at least to the top surface of the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardware component is a FPGA.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardware component performs vector shifting.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardware component performs an error correction function.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the card reading system comprises at least one light to illuminate an area of a card sensed by the CMOS sensor.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the light is green light.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the green light is of a wavelength between 490 and 520 nanometers.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the green light is a diode.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the vector sets comprise at least one of:

gray scale values, binary values, 8 bit data, 16 bit data, and a series of voltages.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the card reading system further comprises a card present sensor, the sensor triggering the capturing of data by the CMOS sensor.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the elevator raises all randomized cards above the top surface of the device.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one pick-off roller removes cards one at a time from the card receiving area and moves cards one at a time towards the randomizing system and the image capture device can read a card only after it has been moved by the at least one pick-off roller.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein at least one pair of rollers receives each card from the at least one pick-off roller before the image capture device can read each card, the image capture device illuminating a face of the card displaying the rank and suit with electromagnetic radiation selected from the group consisting of wavelengths comprising a fluence consisting of at least 40% wavelengths between 490 and 520 nm.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the randomization system moves one card at a time into an area overlying the collection surface after the one card has been read for suit and rank.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the randomization system comprises two opposed card gripping elements.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein an insertion point to the card collection area is located below a bottom edge of the two card gripping elements.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein one card at a time is positioned on the collection surface, forming a randomized set.

18. The device of claim 1, and further comprising a housing capable of being mounted into a gaming table surface.

19. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a housing capable of being mounted into a gaming table surface;

the card infeed area comprising a card receiver for accepting a group of cards to be shuffled;

the shuffling system comprises a randomizing system for randomizing the order of an initial set of playing cards; and

wherein the card reading system comprises an image capture device identifies at least the rank of each card in the initial set of playing cards before each card is positioned on a collection surface for receiving randomized cards, the image capture device illuminating a face of the card displaying the rank and suit with electromagnetic radiation selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet radiation, near infrared radiation, infrared radiation, far infrared radiation, and wavelengths comprising a fluence consisting of at least 40% wavelengths between 490 and 520 nm;

the card removal area comprising a collection surface for receiving randomized cards;

an elevator for raising the collection surface to an elevation proximate the gaming table surface; and

a microprocessor for controlling the operation of the card shuffler.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the image capture device illuminating a face of the card displaying the rank and suit with electromagnetic radiation consisting of radiation between 490 and 520 nm.

21. An automatic deck verification system comprising:

a microprocessor with memory for controlling the operation of the device;

an in-feed compartment for receiving cards to be randomized;

a card moving mechanism for moving cards individually from the in-feed compartment into a card reading compartment;

an image capture system that can identify at least the rank of each card as it is moved into or through the card reading compartment, but before removal from the device, the image capture device illuminating a face of the card displaying the rank and suit with electromagnetic radiation selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet radiation, near infrared radiation, infrared radiation, far infrared radiation, and wavelengths comprising a fluence consisting of at least 40% wavelengths selected from the group consisting of

1) UV, Violet, Indigo, blue-green, green, and infrared;

2) UV, blue-green, green and IR (as described above);

3) UV, blue green and green;

4) UV and green; and

5) green;

the microprocessor identifying a position for each card in each set of cards formed in the card mixing compartment, and

a memory that records at least the rank of each card in each set of cards read in the card reading compartment.