Shuffled playing cards and manufacturing method thereof

• US 8,371,583 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2008
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Angel Playing Cards Co Ltd
• Inventors: Shigeta, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, DOLORES R
• Application Number:
  US12/744,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20100327525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 273/149.R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/02 Cards; Special shapes of cards card-printing methods B41K, B41M
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/062 Boxes or cases for cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/022 Manufacturing of cards

Abstract

The present invention provides shuffled playing cards which eliminate the need for a game host to shuffle cards before games by taking a lot of time as well as eliminate the possibility of cheating. A shuffled playing cards (1) obtained by shuffling a predetermined number of decks of playing cards (12) using a shuffling machine is packaged as an individual pack. The shuffled playing cards (1) is individually packaged and sealed with an adhesive label (13). A bar code (13a) which represents a unique shuffled card ID has been printed on the adhesive label (13). The shuffled card ID is registered in a database by being associated with information which allows identification of a shuffling machine used to shuffle the playing card set.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a package of shuffled playing cards comprising the steps of:

shuffling a predetermined number of decks of playing cards to thereby produce a set of shuffled playing cards;

packaging the set of shuffled playing cards;

generating a shuffled card ID, the shuffled card ID being different for each set of shuffled playing cards;

attaching the shuffled card ID to the package of the shuffled playing cards;

capturing an image of side edges of the shuffled playing cards in the package; and

registering the image in a database, the image being associated with the shuffled card ID.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of performing an inspection, by an inspection machine, to determine whether a number of playing cards which make up the shuffled playing cards are all present, during or after the shuffling step, wherein

the shuffled card ID is associated with information which identifies the inspection machine.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of printing a face side and a back side of the playing cards by a printing machine, wherein

the shuffled card ID is associated with information which identifies the printing machine.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

packing a plurality of the individually packaged shuffled playing cards into a transport box;

generating a transport box ID, the transport box ID being different for each transport box; and

affixing the transport box ID to the transport box;

wherein

the transport box ID of the transport box into which the shuffled playing cards are packed is associated with the shuffled card IDs of the shuffled playing cards.

5. The manufacturing method of shuffled playing cards according to claim 1, wherein the shuffled card ID is associated with at least one of a lot number of base paper of the playing cards, manufacturing date of the shuffled playing cards, manufacturing date/time, product type, or delivery address information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shuffled card ID is associated with information related to identification of at least one of a shuffling machine or a shuffling machine group used in the shuffling step.

7. A package of shuffled playing cards in which a predetermined number of decks of playing cards are shuffled and individually packaged, the package comprising:

a shuffled card ID attached to the package of the shuffled playing cards, wherein the shuffled card ID provides information related to identification of at least one of a shuffling machine or a shuffling machine group used to shuffle the predetermined number of decks of playing cards.

8. The package according to claim 7, wherein the information further relates to identification of an inspection machine used to determine whether a number of playing cards which make up the shuffled playing cards are all present.

9. The shuffled playing cards according to claim 7, wherein the information further relates to identification of a printing machine used to print a face side and a back side of the playing cards which make up the shuffled playing cards.

10. The shuffled playing cards according to claim 7, wherein the ID code is affixed to a sealing material on the package of the shuffled playing cards.

11. The shuffled playing cards according to claim 7, wherein the ID code is a bar code or two-dimensional matrix code.