Portable electronic charge device for card devices

• US 8,545,328 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Miller, Mark A., Alderucci, Dean P., Bradshaw, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US12/479,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20100311490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 43, 273/138.1, 273/139, 710/303, 710/304
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2494 Battery, e.g. dry cell
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Various card devices and methods involving card devices are described. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a deck device comprising;

a holder section into which a plurality of card devices may be placed and from which the plurality of card devices may be removed;

a charging element configured to provide power to the plurality of card devices when they are placed in the holder section;

a battery element configured to provide the power to the charging element; and

a communication element configured to provide respective gaming information to each of the plurality of card devices;

in which the deck device comprises a processing element configured to receive respective indications identifying respective locations of each of the card devices and determine to which of a plurality of hands each of the card devices belong based on the respective locations;

in which the processing element is configured to determine that a first subset of the plurality of card devices located on a first side of the deck device belong to a first hand of the plurality of hands and that a second subset of the plurality of card devices located on a second side of the deck device belong to a second hand of the plurality of hands; and

the plurality of card devices, in which each card device of the plurality of card devices includes a respective display coupled to a respective substrate and a respective control element coupled to the respective substrate, in which each control element is configured to receive the respective gaming information and control the respective display to display the respective gaming information, and in which each card device of the plurality of card devices has a combined length, width, and height substantially similar to a playing card, in each of the plurality of card devices includes a location element configured to facilitate determining a respective location of the respective card device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the deck device includes a handheld portable deck device and the holder section is configured to allow the plurality of card devices to be placed simultaneously into the holder section.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which each card device includes a respective battery, in which each card device includes a respective pair of electrodes through which the respective battery may be charged, and in which the charging element includes electrodes arranged to contact respective pairs of electrodes of the plurality of card devices when the plurality of card devices are in the holder section.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which each card device includes a respective battery, in which each card device includes an induction element which is configured to charge the battery when a time-varying magnetic field is proximate to the respective card device, and in which the charging element includes an inducer element configured to produce the time-varying magnetic field when the plurality of card devices are in the holder section.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, in which the inducer element is configured to produce the time-varying magnetic field when the card devices are not in the holder section to cause power to be generated by the respective induction elements.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which each card device includes a respective battery, in which each card device includes an RF power element which is configured to charge the battery when an RF signal is proximate to the respective card device, and in which the charging element includes an RF signal generator configured to produce the RF signal when the plurality of card devices are in the holder section.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, in which the RF signal generator is configured to generate the RF signal when the card devices are not in the holder section to cause power to be generated by the respective RF power elements.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the battery element includes at least one of a lithium ion battery, and a nickel-based battery.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the communication element is configured to receive the respective gaming information from an external system and forward the gaming information to the respective card devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the processing element is configured to receive respective indications identifying respective locations of each of the card devices and determine to which of a plurality of hands of a same round of a game each of the card devices belong based on the respective locations and in which at least two card devices are determined to belong to a same hand of the plurality of hands, in which the plurality of hands includes the first hand and the second hand.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the communication element is configured to identify the respective locations to an external system.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the deck device comprises a processing element configured to calculate the gaming information.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the deck device comprises an interface through which a user may select gaming actions for a game played using the card devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, in which the communication element is configured to forward a selected gaming action to an external system and receive the respective gaming information from the external system, and in which the gaming information includes gaming information provided in response to taking the selected gaming action.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, in which each respective gaming information includes a respective card value for a respective card device of the plurality of card devices used in a round of a card game, such that at least two card devices are in the first hand.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, in which each of the respective displays includes a respective flexible organic light emitting diode display.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, in which each card device has a thickness of less than about 0.02 inches.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, in which each card device has a thickness of less than about 0.011 inches.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, in which each substrate is bendable without interfering with operation of a respective display.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, in which each card device has a combined structure that is flexible.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a deck device comprising;

a holder section into which a plurality of card devices may be placed and from which the plurality of card devices may be removed;

a charging element configured to provide power to the plurality of card devices when they are placed in the holder section; and

a battery element configured to provide the power to the charging element;

in which the deck device comprises a processing element configured to receive respective indications identifying respective locations of each of the card devices and determine to which of a plurality of hands each of the card devices belong based on the respective locations; and

in which the processing element is configured to determine that a first subset of the plurality of card devices located on a first side of the deck device belong to a first hand of the plurality of hands and that a second subset of the plurality of card devices located on a second side of the deck device belong to a second hand of the plurality of hands;

the plurality of card devices, in which each card device of the plurality of card devices includes a respective display coupled to a respective substrate and a respective control element coupled to the respective substrate and configured to control the respective display, and in which each card device of the plurality of card devices has combined length, width, and height substantially similar to a playing card, in each of the plurality of card devices includes a location element configured to facilitate determining a respective location of the respective card device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, in which the deck device includes a handheld portable deck device and the holder section is configured to allow the plurality of card devices to be placed simultaneously into the holder section.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, in which each card device includes a respective battery, in which each card device includes a respective pair of electrodes through which the respective battery may be charged, and in which the charging element includes electrodes arranged to contact respective pairs of electrodes of the plurality of card devices when the plurality of card devices are in the holder section.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, in which each card device includes a respective battery, in which each card device includes an induction element through which is configured to charge the battery when a time-varying magnetic field is proximate to the respective card element, and in which the charging element includes an inducer element configured to produce the time-varying magnetic field when the plurality of card devices are in the holder section.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, in which the inducer element is configured to produce the time-varying magnetic field when the card devices are not in the holder section to cause power to be generated by the respective induction elements.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, in which each card device includes a respective battery, in which each card device includes an RF power element which is configured to charge the battery when an RF signal is proximate to the respective card device, and in which the charging element includes an RF signal generator configured to produce the RF signal when the plurality of card devices are in the holder section.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, in which the RF signal generator is configured to generate the RF signal when the card devices are not in the holder section to cause power to be generated by the respective RF power elements.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, in which the battery element includes at least one of a lithium ion battery, and a nickel-based battery.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, in which the processing element is configured to receive respective indications identifying respective locations of each of the card devices and determine to which of a plurality of hands of a same round of a game each of the card devices belong based on the respective locations and in which at least two card devices are determined to belong to a same hand of the plurality of hands, in which the plurality of hands includes the first hand and the second hand.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, in which the deck device comprises an interface through which a user may select gaming actions for a game played using the card devices.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, in which the processing element is configured to determine respective gaming information for display on each of the plurality of card device in response to selection of a gaming action through the interface.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, in which each of the respective displays includes a respective flexible organic light emitting diode display.

33. The apparatus of claim 21, in which each card device has a thickness of less than about 0.02 inches.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, in which each card device has a thickness of less than about 0.011 inches.

35. The apparatus of claim 21, in which each respective control element is configured to receive respective gaming information for display on the respective display.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, in which the gaming information is received from an external system other than the plurality of card devices and the deck device.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, in which the processing element is configured to calculate the respective gaming information and in which the respective control elements receive the information from the processing element.

38. The apparatus of claim 21, in which each substrate is bendable without interfering with operation of a respective display.

39. The apparatus of claim 21, in which each card device has a combined structure that is flexible.