Enhanced gaming chips and table game security

• US 7,938,722 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Rowe, Richard E., Schneider, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner; Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hylinski; Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US11/224,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20070060311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/43, 463 46- 47, 463/29, 340/593.1
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 21/00 Coins coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms G07F1/06; Emergency money; Beer or gambling coins or tokens, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/06 Coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking RFID gaming chips at a gaming table are disclosed. Gaming chips include an outer body with center and rim portions, and a plurality of RFID tags contained within the outer body. Signals from gaming chip RFID tags can be encrypted only for readers having an appropriate private key, and can be subject to a variable time delay unique to each RFID tag. Separate RFID tags within one gaming chip can be identical for security purposes, and to increase “visibility” to associated RFID readers at the gaming table. Security breach components within RFID tags can reduce or prevent unauthorized writing or tampering attempts to an RFID gaming chip. Further system components include a gaming table and a plurality of RFID reading devices distributed thereabout, including transponders and antennae. Such RFID reading devices are disposed beneath an upper surface of the gaming table in a grid-like fashion.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming table having a chip tray and an upper surface including a number of gaming chip placement areas;

a plurality of gaming chips placeable within the chip tray, at least one of said plurality of gaming chips containing a plurality of RFID tags wherein at least one of the RFID tags is adapted to transmit data using at least one encryption protocol; and

a plurality of RFID reading devices distributed about the gaming table, each adapted to read data transmitted from one or more of the gaming chips located at the upper surface of the gaming table;

wherein at least one of the plurality of RFID tags includes at least one tamper proof RFID tag having a security breach component that automatically makes an alteration of data stored on the tamper proof RFID tag when an external source makes an unauthorized attempt to write data to the tamper proof RFID tag, said alteration comprising at least one of recording an alert on the RFID tag and erasing at least some of the data from the RFID tag.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming chip placement areas include one or more bet placement areas and at least one cash for chips transaction area.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of RFID reading devices distributed about the gaming table include one or more transponders, one or more antennae, or both.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein some or all of the RFID reading devices are distributed about the gaming table beneath the upper surface.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the use of the at least one encryption protocol includes storing a public key on the at least one RFID tag and storing a private key associated with the public key on at least one of the RFID reading devices.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the gaming chips includes at least one RFID tag having a time delay circuit component that causes a time delay in a response emitted from an RFID tag to a signal emitted from one or more of the RFID reading devices.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein each gaming chip has a different time delay.

8. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the time delay ranges from 0 to 10,000 milliseconds.

9. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the time delay ranges from 0 to 3000 milliseconds.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor in communication with the plurality of RFID reading devices, the processor adapted to process data sent from each of the RFID reading devices; and

a memory in communication with the processor and adapted to store data transmitted therefrom.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first RFID gaming chip, an interrogation signal from an RFID reading device located at a gaming table during or immediately following a transaction between a host gaming establishment and a patron, said transaction occurring at the gaming table and involving the first RFID gaming chip, said first RFID gaming chip being one of a plurality of RFID gaming chips;

transmitting, in response to said interrogation signal, at least two separate answer signals, respectively from two separate RFID tags contained within the first RFID gaming chip;

wherein

the first RFID gaming chip includes at least one tamper proof RFID tag having a security breach component that automatically makes an alteration of data stored on at least one of the two separate RFID tags when an external source makes an unauthorized attempt to write data to the tamper proof RFID tag, said alteration comprising at least one of recording an alert on the RFID tag, and erasing at least some of the data from the RFID tag.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the RFID tags contained within the first RFID gaming chip transmits at least one of the at least two separate answer signals using at least one encryption protocol.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the RFID tags contained within each of the gaming chips includes a time delay circuit component that causes a time delay in transmission of the one or more answer signals, and further including a step for:

transmitting, in response to said interrogation signal, at least one answer signal from a second RFID gaming chip of the plurality of RFID gaming chips that is involved in the transaction;

wherein the steps for transmitting one or more answer signals from the first RFID gaming chip and for transmitting at least one answer signal from the second RFID gaming chip occur at different times.

14. A gaming chip comprising:

a center portion, a rim portion, and a specific monetary denomination and amount designated on an outer surface thereof; and

a plurality of RFID tags contained within the gaming chip, each of the RFID tags adapted to provide an answer signal in response to an interrogation signal from an RFID source;

wherein at least one of the RFID tags comprises a tamper proof RFID tag having a security breach component that automatically makes an alteration of data stored on at least one of the RFID tags when an external source makes an unauthorized attempt to write data to the tamper proof RFID tag, said alteration comprising at least one of recording an alert on the at least one RFID tag and erasing at least some of the data from the at least one RFID tag.

15. The gaming chip of claim 14, wherein at least one of the RFID tags is adapted to transmit data using at least one encryption protocol.

16. The gaming chip of claim 14, wherein at least one of the RFID tags is located within the center portion of the gaming chip, and wherein at least one other of the RFID tags is located within the rim portion of the gaming chip.

17. The gaming chip of claim 14, wherein at least two of the RFID tags are identical.

18. The gaming chip of claim 14, wherein at least one of the RFID tags includes a time delay circuit component that causes a time delay in transmission of the answer signal.

19. The gaming chip of claim 18 in a gaming system having a plurality of similarly constructed gaming chips, wherein the time delay of the at least one RFID tag is different than every other time delay of all other RFID tags in all gaming chips in the gaming system.

20. The gaming chip of claim 18, wherein the time delay ranges from 0 to 10,000 milliseconds.

21. The gaming chip of claim 18, wherein the time ranges from 0 to 3000 milliseconds.

22. A gaming chip comprising:

a center portion, a rim portion, and a specific monetary denomination and amount designated on an outer surface thereof; and

one or more RFID tags contained within the gaming chip, at least one of the RFID tags adapted to provide an intentionally delayed answer signal in response to an interrogation signal from an RFID source, and at least one of the RFID tags being a tamper proof RFID tag that automatically makes an alteration of data stored on the tamper proof RFID tag when an external source makes an unauthorized attempt to write data to one or more of the RFID tags, said alteration comprising at least one of recording an alert on the RFID tag and erasing at least some of the data from the RFID tag.