Wager recognition system

• US 9,142,084 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, James V., Nelson, Troy D., Zvercov, Vladislav, Grauzer, Attila
• Primary Examiner(s): GARNER, WERNER G
• Application Number:
  US12/946,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20120122559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00662 with an electric sensor for playing pieces A63F2009/2444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2419 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2425 Scanners, e.g. for scanning regular characters
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49828 Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work

Abstract

A gaming table apparatus has a gaming table with a gaming table support surface. At least two token sensors are provided, which are electrically connected in series to a token sensor controller. The at least two token sensor units are physically restrained by the table support surface. The game controller is in communication with the token sensor controller, wherein the game controller is configured to associate player position data with transmitted wager data received from the token sensor controller.

Claims

1. A gaming table wager sensing apparatus, comprising:

a token sensor controller;

a plurality of token sensor assemblies electrically connected in series to the token sensor controller, wherein the plurality of token sensor assemblies are positionable on a gaming table support surface for physical restraint in a flexible layer above the gaming table support surface, and wherein each token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies comprises;

a sensor memory component configured to store a state of the token sensor assembly; and

a sensor mode controller configured to transfer the state of the token sensor assembly to the sensor memory component of a next token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies; and

a game controller in communication with the token sensor controller, wherein the game controller is configured to associate player position data with transmitted wager data received from the token sensor controller.

2. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies comprises a circuit board that does not execute software with any component thereon.

3. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the gaming table support surface and the flexible layer physically restraining the plurality of token sensor assemblies, wherein the flexible layer includes electrical wires providing a serial data communication link between the plurality of token sensor assemblies and the token sensor controller.

4. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the flexible material is selected from the group consisting of felt, elastomeric polymer, polymeric foam, and combinations thereof.

5. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 3, wherein each token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies comprises:

a module configured to communicate with the serial data communication link;

a first contact that engages the serial data communication link; and

a second contact that engages a power source.

6. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies comprises:

a container having a height and side walls which define an inside and outside perimeter of the container, and a top surface and bottom surface of the container;

a translucent cover disposed on the top surface of the side walls;

a circuit board having a top side, a bottom side and an aperture disposed through both the top side and bottom side, wherein the circuit board is secured to the inside perimeter of the container;

a plurality of light sources disposed on the top side of the circuit board above the aperture; and

at least one light sensor disposed on the bottom side of the circuit board beneath the aperture, wherein the plurality of light sources are positioned and configured to generate light that is reflected off of a token if the token is positioned on the translucent cover such that the reflected light is sensed by the at least one light sensor.

7. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the translucent cover is removable from the top surface of the side walls.

8. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of light sources are located at a selected distance from the aperture such that the light is transmitted through the translucent cover, reflected off of the token placed on the translucent cover, and the reflected light transmitted back through the translucent cover passes through the aperture and is sensed by the at least one light sensor.

9. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a power source; and

a grounding strap coupled with an earth ground connection on the power source, wherein the side walls include at least two notches that are configured to engage the grounding strap.

10. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a power source external to the at least one token sensor assembly, wherein power and data are transmitted through wires extending through the at least one aperture extending through at least one side wall, wherein the wires are in communication with the circuit board.

11. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor mode controller for each token sensor assembly is configured to operate the associated token sensor assembly according to a plurality of different modes.

12. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 11, wherein each token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies further includes at least one light source.

13. The gaming table wager sensing apparatus of claim 12, wherein a mode of the sensor mode controller includes a read/write mode in which the sensor mode controller is configured to direct operation of the at least one light source based on data read in the sensor memory component of the individual token sensor assembly.

14. An apparatus for sensing tokens, comprising:

a token sensor controller; and

a plurality of token sensor assemblies connected with the token sensor controller as a serial string of token sensor assemblies, wherein the plurality of token sensor assemblies and the token sensor controller are configured to communicate data therebetween through the serial string of token sensor assemblies, the data indicating a presence of a token placed as a wager for a wagering game, wherein each token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies includes;

a sensor memory component configured to store the data; and

a sensor mode controller configured to transfer the data to the sensor memory component of a next token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies comprises a circuit board having at least one connection that is configured to receive at least one of data and power therethrough.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one connection includes at least one connection for the data and at least one separate connection for the power.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one connection includes a quick-connect connection.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a game controller configured to associate the player position data with the transmitted wager data based, at least in part, on a location of each token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising another plurality of token sensor assemblies connected with the token sensor controller as another serial string of token sensor assemblies, wherein the serial string of token sensor assemblies is coupled to a first port of the token sensor controller, and the another serial string of token sensor assemblies is coupled to a second port of the token sensor controller, wherein the token sensor controller is configured to manage the serial string of token sensor assemblies and the another serial string of token sensor assemblies.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sensor memory component is a one-bit memory component.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the token sensor controller is configured to read the data from each of the token sensor assemblies and responsively turn on at least one light providing a visual indication of a placement of the wager at a corresponding token sensor assembly.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the token sensor controller is configured to read or change a state of the sensor memory component of each token sensor assembly of the plurality of token sensor assemblies.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the token sensor controller is configured to read the sensor memory component of each token sensor assembly by shifting the state on the sensor memory component of each token sensor assembly into the token sensor controller one at a time.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the token sensor controller is configured to set a desired state for each token sensor assembly of the token sensor assemblies by shifting the desired state to the sensor memory component of each token sensor assembly one at a time.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the one-bit memory component is a flip flop.