System and methods for dealing a video card

• US 8,777,224 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gadda, Christian E., Griswold, Chauncey W., Mattice, Harold E., Stockdale, James W., Wilder, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, Steve
• Application Number:
  US11/983,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20090124321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,440 Days
• Field of Search: 273/149.R, 273/309, 463 16- 20, 463/30, 463/31
• US Class Current: 273/149.R
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A physical device that triggers a deal of a video card is described. The physical device triggers the deal when a subject moves an object of the subject on the physical device.

Claims

1. A physical device comprising:

a surface that includes a light reflective area that reflects light when an object passes over the light reflective area, the light reflective area defined by an outer border that circumscribes the light reflective area and that extends to an edge of the physical device;

wherein the physical device is configured to trigger a deal of a video card on a display screen of a gaming table by allowing light reflecting off of the object to be optically detected by a light sensor when the object has moved across a portion of the outer border of the light reflective area that extends to the edge of the physical device.

2. A physical device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the physical device does not include a display device configured to display an image of a stack of video cards.

3. A physical device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said physical device is attached to at least one identification indicia configured to uniquely identify the physical device.

4. A physical device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said physical device is configured to be placed on the gaming table that displays a stack of video cards.

5. A physical device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said physical device is configured to be placed on the gaming table that displays a stack of video cards, wherein the stack of video cards is configured to move in the same direction as that of the physical device.

6. A physical device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the physical device is made of at least one of a plastic and a combination of a metal and the plastic.

7. A physical device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the physical device is fabricated from a reflective material.

8. A physical device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the physical device comprises a finger slot configured to receive a movement of a finger.

25. The physical device of claim 1, wherein the physical device has the appearance of a card shoe, wherein the light reflective area is a finger slot configured to receive a finger, and wherein the object is the finger.

9. A system for dealing a video card, said system comprising:

a gaming table having a display screen configured to display a stack of video cards;

a physical device comprising a surface that includes a light reflective area that reflects light when an object passes over the light reflective area, wherein the light reflective area is defined by an outer border that circumscribes the light reflective area, a portion of the outer border extending to an edge of the physical device, said physical device configured to be placed on said gaming table; and

a processor configured to trigger a deal of one of the video cards from the stack upon receiving information the object has been optically detected as moving across the portion of the outer border of the light reflective area that extends to the edge of the physical device.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a sensor system configured to sense a placement of said physical device on said gaming table.

11. A system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a sensor system configured to sense a placement of said physical device on said gaming table from an identification indicia attached to said physical device.

12. A system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a sensor system configured to generate a signal upon sensing a placement of said physical device on said gaming table, wherein said processor is programmed to enable the stack of video cards to be displayed upon receiving the signal from said sensor system.

13. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said physical device is configured to move on said gaming table.

14. A system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a sensor system configured to generate a first signal upon sensing contact of the object with said physical device, wherein said sensor system is configured to generate a second signal upon sensing contact of the object with said gaming table, wherein said processor is configured to deal the one of the video cards upon receiving the first and second signals.

15. A system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a sensor system configured to generate a first signal upon sensing contact of the object with said physical device, wherein said sensor system is configured to generate a second signal upon sensing contact of the object with said gaming table, wherein said processor is configured to deal the one of the video cards upon receiving the first and second signals and upon determining that the object has a parameter within a range.

16. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said processor is configured to deal the one of the video cards independent of whether the object contacts said physical device and based on a state of a video card game played by using the stack of video cards.

17. A system for dealing a video card, said system comprising:

a gaming table having a display screen configured to display a first stack of video cards;

a first physical device comprising a surface that includes a light reflective area that reflects light when an object passes over the light reflective area, wherein the light reflective area is defined by an outer border that circumscribes the light reflective area, a portion of the outer border extending to an edge of the first physical device, said first physical device configured to be placed on said gaming table; and

a processor configured to deal one of the plurality of video cards from the first stack upon determining, through a light sensor, that light reflecting off of the object is indicative that the object has moved across the portion of the outer border of the light reflective area that extends to the edge of the physical device;

wherein the object is moved across the light reflective area by a person.

18. A system in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a second physical device configured to be placed on said gaming table, wherein said gaming table is configured to display a second stack of video cards upon placement of the second physical device on said gaming table.

19. A system in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a second physical device configured to be placed on said gaming table, wherein said gaming table is configured to display a second stack of video cards upon placement of the second physical device on said gaming table, wherein the first stack is used to play a card game that is different than a card game played by using the second stack.

20. A system in accordance with claim 17, wherein said first physical device comprises a nonabrasive surface that is in contact with said gaming table.

21. A method for dealing a video card, said method comprising:

placing a physical device on a gaming table, wherein the gaming table includes a display screen configured to display a stack of video cards, the physical device comprising a surface that includes a light reflective area that reflects light when an object passes over the light reflective area, wherein the light reflective area is defined by an outer border that circumscribes the light reflective area, a portion of the outer border extending to an edge of the first physical device; and

triggering, via a processor, a deal of one of a plurality of video cards from the stack of video cards upon determining that light reflecting off of the object is indicative that the object has moved across the portion of the outer border of the light reflective area that extends to the edge of the first physical device.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising:

determining whether the object contacts the gaming table; and

dealing the one of the video cards upon determining that the object contacts the gaming table.

23. A method for dealing a video card, said method comprising:

placing a physical device on a gaming table, wherein the gaming table includes a display screen configured to display a stack of video cards, the physical device comprising a surface that includes a light reflecting area that allows light reflecting off an object to pass through the physical device when the object passes over the light reflecting area, wherein the light reflective area is defined by an outer border that circumscribes the light reflective area, a portion of the outer border extending to an edge of the first physical device; and

dealing one of a plurality of video cards from the stack upon optically determining, via a processor, that light reflecting off of the object is indicative that the object has moved across the portion of the outer border of the light reflective area that extends to the edge of the physical device.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, further comprising:

determining whether a time period between said dealing and a trigger of a deal of another one of the video cards is within a time window; and

preventing dealing of the other one of the video cards upon determining that the time period is within the time window.

26. A system for playing a video card table game comprising:

a gaming table having a touch sensitive display screen;

a dealing shoe including a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are spaced apart by a distance, wherein the bottom surface is in contact with the touch sensitive display screen, the dealing shoe including a fingerslot, wherein the fingerslot includes a groove that extends down an angled surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the angled surface intersects the top surface and the bottom surface at non-perpendicular angles; and

a processor configured to;

determine when a finger or an object slides from approximately the top surface to the bottom surface along the fingerslot, and

in response, deal a video card from a displayed first stack of video cards displayed on the display screen.