Card-reading shoe with inventory correction feature and methods of correcting inventory

• US 9,162,138 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Grauzer, Attila, Snow, Roger M., Roberts, James R., Jackson, James P., Wadds, Nathan J., Schubert, Oliver M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US13/962,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20140103606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 273/139
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2419 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2457 Display screens, e.g. monitors, video displays
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for identifying unexpected cards in a card-handling device are disclosed. The method comprises providing a card-handling device, wherein the card-handling device comprises a card storage area, an output end for the manual removal of cards, a processor with associated memory, and a card recognition system capable of reading at least a rank of a card, wherein the associated memory has a data file of a set of expected card values, reading a value of a card, comparing the read card value to the set of expected card values, and when the card value is not an expected card value, generating an error signal indicative of a card not belonging to the set.

Claims

1. A method of identifying unexpected cards in a card-handling device, comprising:

determining identifying information of a card utilizing a card recognition system of the card-handling device;

adding the determined identifying information to a running inventory of identifying information for detected cards in a memory of the card-handling device;

comparing at a processor of the card-handling device the running inventory to a database of identifying information correlating to a set of expected cards;

generating at the processor an alert signal indicating that the identifying information for the card is not in accordance with the set of expected cards;

receiving a signal at the processor from a user input of the card-handling device indicating that the detected card was removed from play after it was withdrawn from the card-handling device; and

responsive to the signal, removing the identifying information for the card from the running inventory in the memory utilizing the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the identifying information of the card comprises determining the identifying information while the card is withdrawn from a shoe of the card-handling device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the database of identifying information correlating to a set of expected cards to comprise identifying information correlating to between four and eight standard decks of playing cards.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the alert signal comprises generating the alert signal indicating that the identifying information for the card correlates to at least one of a blank card, a joker, an extra card, an oversupplied card, a specially marked card, a promotional card, a cut card, and a bonus card.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an error signal when the card recognition system fails to read identifying information for a card.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the identifying information for the card from the processor, through an I/O port, to at least one of an external processor, an external data storage device, and a network device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing at the processor the running inventory to the database of identifying information correlating to the set of expected cards comprises determining that a quantity of cards in the running inventory of the same identifying information as the identifying information of the card is greater than a maximum expected quantity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining identifying information of another card utilizing the card recognition system;

adding the determined identifying information to the running inventory in the memory;

comparing at the processor the running inventory to the database of identifying information correlating to the set of expected cards;

generating at the processor another alert signal indicating that the identifying information for the other card is not in accordance with the set of expected cards;

receiving another signal at the processor from the user input indicating that the detected card was used or burned after it was withdrawn from the card-handling device; and

responsive to the other signal, leaving the identifying information for the card in the running inventory in the memory and adding an indication that the card was used or burned to the running inventory in the memory.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a game outcome utilizing the processor and the running inventory, wherein identifying information correlating to cards that are burned or removed is not used in determining the game outcome.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the running inventory to the set of expected card values when all unused cards are removed from the card-handling device; and

generating a signal indicative of an inconsistency between the running inventory and the database of identifying information correlating to the set of expected cards.

11. A card-handling device configured to identify unexpected cards in the card-handling device, comprising:

a card input area;

a card storage area configured to temporarily store cards received from the card input area;

a card output area configured to receive cards from the card storage area and to enable manual removal of cards from the card output area;

a processor operatively connected to a memory, a database of identifying information correlating to a set of expected cards being stored in the memory;

a card recognition system configured to detect identifying information of a card, the card recognition system operatively connected to the processor; and

a user input configured to receive a user election indicative of an action taken by the user after withdrawing a card from the card output area, the user input operatively connected to the processor,

wherein the processor is programmed to;

add identifying information of a card from the card recognition system to a running inventory of identifying information for detected cards in the memory;

compare the running inventory to a database of identifying information correlating to a set of expected cards;

generate an alert signal indicating that the identifying information for the card is not in accordance with the set of expected cards; and

remove the identifying information for the card from the running inventory in the memory when a signal indicating that the detected card was removed from play after it was withdrawn from the card-handling device is received at the processor from the user input.

12. The card-handling device of claim 11, further comprising an alert indication device configured to provide at least one of a visual alert and an audible alert when the alert signal indicating that the identifying information for the card is not in accordance with the set of expected cards is generated, the alert indication device being operatively connected to the processor.

13. The card-handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to leave the identifying information for the card in the running inventory in the memory and add an indication that the card was used or burned to the running inventory in the memory when another signal is received at the processor from the user input indicating that the detected card was used or burned after it was withdrawn from the card-handling device.

14. The card-handling device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a game outcome utilizing the running inventory, wherein identifying information correlating to cards that are burned or removed is not used in determining the game outcome.

15. The card-handling device of claim 11, further comprising an I/O port configured to communicate the identifying information for the card from the processor to at least one of an external processor, an external data storage device, and a network device.

16. The card-handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to determine whether a quantity of cards in the running inventory of the same identifying information as the identifying information of the card is greater than a maximum expected quantity.

17. The card-handling device of claim 11, wherein the output area comprises a shoe and wherein the card recognition system is located within the shoe, the card recognition system being positioned to determining the identifying information while the card is withdrawn from the shoe.

18. The card-handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to generate the alert signal to indicate that the identifying information for the card correlates to at least one of a blank card, a joker, an extra card, an oversupplied card, a specially marked card, a promotional card, a cut card, and a bonus card.

19. The card-handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to:

compare the running inventory to the set of expected card values when all unused cards are removed from the card-handling device; and

generate a signal indicative of an inconsistency between the running inventory and the database of identifying information correlating to the set of expected cards.

20. The card-handling device of claim 11, wherein the database of identifying information correlating to the set of expected cards comprises identifying information correlating to between four and eight standard decks of playing cards.