Identifying defects in a roulette wheel

• US 9,280,865 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Berry, William R. III, Nelson, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Atala, Jamie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lima, Fabio
• Application Number:
  US13/647,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20140098219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 348/125
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying defects in a roulette wheel are described. A first trajectory of a roulette ball may be determined after launch of the roulette ball by capturing movement of the roulette ball on the roulette wheel. The roulette wheel has a region where the roulette ball orbits and spins around before the roulette ball falls into a roulette number pocket. The determining step may be repeated to determine additional trajectories, and a plurality of areas that the roulette ball avoided during travel along the trajectories may be identified. A graphical representation of the plurality of avoided areas may be generated to identify regions of the roulette wheel that include defects.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying defects in a roulette wheel comprising:

determining a first trajectory of a roulette ball after a launch of the roulette ball by capturing movement of the roulette ball on the roulette wheel having a region where the roulette ball orbits and spins around on before falling into a roulette number pocket;

repeating the determining step to determine additional trajectories;

determining at least one area on the roulette wheel that the roulette ball avoided during travel along the trajectories; and

generating a graphical representation of any defects on the roulette wheel, the graphical representation including the determined at least one avoided area of the roulette wheel to identify any regions of the roulette wheel that include any defects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first trajectory further comprises:

capturing a plurality of frames of a video feed;

determining a delta between the plurality of frames; and

based on the delta, adding the plurality of frames together to provide the graphical representation of the trajectory.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the first trajectory further comprises:

clamping the plurality of frames to eliminate artifacts and a plurality of areas of the roulette wheel that do not contribute to the trajectory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of areas of the roulette wheel that do not contribute to the trajectories comprise a spinning region of the roulette wheel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation comprises indications of regions on the roulette wheel avoided by the roulette ball during the trajectories.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation comprises a heat map representing a frequency with which the roulette ball traveled over regions on the roulette wheel during the trajectories.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing, by an imaging device, the trajectories, wherein the imaging device is operable to provide images of each frame of the trajectory of the roulette ball.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing, by a memory, the images of each frame of the trajectory of the roulette ball.

9. A controller for a gaming machine comprising:

a processor configured to

determine a first trajectory of a roulette ball after a launch of the roulette ball by capturing movement of the roulette ball on the roulette wheel having a region where the roulette ball orbits and spins around on before falling into a roulette number pocket;

repeat the determining step to determine additional trajectories;

determine at least one area on the roulette wheel that the roulette ball avoided during travel along the trajectories; and

generate a graphical representation of any defects on the roulette wheel, the graphical representation including the determined at least one avoided area of the roulette wheel to identify any regions of the roulette wheel that include any defects.

10. The controller of claim 9 wherein, to determine the first trajectory, the processor is further configured to

capture a plurality of frames of a video feed;

determine a delta between the plurality of frames; and

based on the delta, add the plurality of frames together to provide the graphical representation of the trajectory.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein, to determine the first trajectory, the processor is further configured to

clamp the plurality of frames to eliminate artifacts and a plurality of areas of the roulette wheel that do not contribute to the trajectory.

12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the plurality of areas of the roulette wheel that do not contribute to the trajectories comprise a spinning region of the roulette wheel.

13. The controller of claim 9, wherein the graphical representation comprises indications of regions on the roulette wheel avoided by the roulette ball during the trajectories.

14. The controller of claim 9, wherein the graphical representation comprises a heat map representing a frequency with which the roulette ball traveled over regions on the roulette wheel during the trajectories.

15. The controller of claim 9, further comprising an imaging device configured to capture the trajectories, wherein the imaging device is operable to provide images of each frame of the trajectory of the roulette ball.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having machine instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a first trajectory of a roulette ball after a launch of the roulette ball by capturing movement of the roulette ball on the roulette wheel having a region where the roulette ball orbits and spins around on before falling into a roulette number pocket;

repeating the determining step to determine additional trajectories;

determining at least one area on the roulette wheel that the roulette ball avoided during travel along the trajectories; and

generating a graphical representation of any defects on the roulette wheel, the graphical representation including the determined at least one avoided area to identify any regions of the roulette wheel that include any defects.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

capturing a plurality of frames of a video feed;

determining a delta between the plurality of frames; and

based on the delta, adding the plurality of frames together to provide the graphical representation of the trajectories.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

clamping the plurality of frames to eliminate artifacts and a plurality of areas of the roulette wheel that do not contribute to the trajectories.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the graphical representation comprises indications of regions on the roulette wheel avoided by the roulette ball during the trajectories.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the graphical representation comprises a heat map representing a frequency with which the roulette ball traveled over regions on the roulette wheel during the trajectories.