System and method for card shoe security at a table game

• US 8,408,550 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARNER, WERNER G
• Application Number:
  US12/936,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 273/149.R, 463/29
• US Class Current: 273/149.R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof

Abstract

Embodiments include electronic and mechanical improvements to a card shoe adapted to prevent a cheating player from gaining knowledge of the cards within the shoe. In some embodiments, a variety of electronic security solutions are contemplated. In one example, cards may be shuffled at a remote location where the sequence of the cards may be hashed or encrypted and deleted from an external electronic memory. These cards may be sealed with various physical and electronic seals, associated with the hashed value of the card sequence and are shipped to a casino table where they may be inserted into an intelligent card shoe.

Claims

1. A gaming table comprising:

a support structure;

a table top supported by the support structure, said table top configured such that each of a plurality of plays of a wagering game can be played on the table top;

a card dispensing device supported by the support structure;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the card dispensing device to;

(a) cause the card dispensing device to receive at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards;

(b) cause the card dispensing device to receive data representing an identified sequence of the playing cards of the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards, said data being stored in association with at least one storage device;

(c) determine if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is validated by comparing a determined sequence of a plurality of the playing cards of the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards to the identified sequence of the playing cards;

(d) if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is determined to be validated, enable the card dispensing device to dispense at least one of said playing cards for at least one of the plays of the wagering game; and

(e) if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is determined to be invalidated, provide an indication that the received least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is invalid.

2. The gaming table of claim 1, wherein the data representing the identified sequence is encrypted.

3. The gaming table of claim 1, wherein the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is associated with a tamper evident seal configured to limit access to the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards.

4. The gaming table of claim 3, wherein the card dispensing device is configured to open the tamper evident seal.

5. The gaming table of claim 1, wherein the gaming table includes at least one display device supported by the support structure.

6. The gaming table of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is determined to be invalidated, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display the indication of said invalidation.

7. The gaming table of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is determined to be invalidated, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to thereafter prevent the card dispensing device from dispensing any of said playing cards for any of the plays of the wagering game.

8. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing a card dispensing device to receive at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards;

(b) causing the card dispensing device to receive data representing an identified sequence of the playing cards of the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards, said data being stored in association with at least one storage device;

(c) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to determine if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is validated by comparing a determined sequence of a plurality of the playing cards of the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards to the identified sequence of playing cards;

(d) if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is determined to be validated, enabling the card dispensing device to dispense at least one of said playing cards for at least one play of a wagering game; and

(e) if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is determined to be invalidated, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to provide an indication that the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is invalid.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data representing the identified sequence is encrypted.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is associated with a tamper evident seal configured to limit access to the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards.

11. The method of claim 8, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display the indication of said invalidation if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is determined to be invalidated.

12. The method of claim 8, which includes preventing the card dispensing device from dispensing any of said playing cards for any of the plays of the wagering game if the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards is determined to be invalidated.

13. A gaming system comprising:

a container configured to transport at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards, said at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards associated with data representing a predetermined identified sequence of playing cards;

a card dispensing device configured to receive the at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards from the container and to receive the data representing the predetermined identified sequence of playing cards; and

at least one processor programmed to operate with the card dispensing device to determine if any of said playing cards to be dispensed from the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards violates the predetermined identified sequence of playing cards by comparing a determined sequence of a plurality of the playing cards of the received at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards to the predetermined identified sequence of playing cards.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, which includes a tamper evident seal connected to the container and configured to limit access to the at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards within the container.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the tamper evident seal is configured to be opened by the card dispensing device.

16. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the container is configured to enable the card dispensing device access to the at least one randomly shuffled deck of playing cards.

17. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined identified sequence includes a coded sequence.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the coded sequence is encrypted.