Playing card handling devices, systems, and methods for verifying sets of cards

• US 9,474,957 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Haushalter, Todd M., Wadds, Nathan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/279,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20150328533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 273/149.R, 273/149.P, 463/22, 463/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/066 using ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/58 Antifraud or preventing misuse

Abstract

Systems include an automatic card shuffler and a shoe. The automatic card shuffler may include a printing device for applying a randomly selected set symbol on each cards of a set of cards. The shoe may include a set symbol reader for reading each card for a presence and identity of a set symbol. A shoe processor may be configured to receive a signal from a shuffler processor indicating the selected set symbol to enable the shoe processor to verify that each card belongs to the set of cards. An automatic card shuffler includes a processor programmed to randomly select a card set symbol and a card-marking system for forming the randomly selected set symbol on cards. Methods include forming a randomly determined set symbol on each card of a set of cards and detecting whether cards include a set symbol matching the determined set symbol.

Claims

1. A system for handling and verifying sets of playing cards, the system comprising:

an automatic card shuffler, comprising;

a card-shuffling mechanism configured to shuffle a set of playing cards;

a shuffler processor programmed to randomly select a set symbol; and

a printing device for applying the same randomly selected set symbol to each card in the set of playing cards to uniquely identify the set of playing cards prior to removal of the set of playing cards from the automatic card shuffler; and

a shoe comprising;

a receptacle for receiving the set of playing cards from the automatic card shuffler;

a set symbol reader for reading each card of the set of playing cards for a presence and identity of a set symbol; and

a shoe processor configured to receive a signal from the shuffler processor indicating the randomly selected set symbol and configured to verify that each card of the set of playing cards includes a set symbol matching the randomly selected set symbol.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data connection between the shuffler processor and the shoe processor for transmitting the signal indicating the selected set symbol.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data connection is selected from the group consisting of:

a wireless connection, a hard wired connection, a data bus, a table system network, a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, and a cell phone network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the shoe further comprises an indicator configured to indicate when a card of the set of playing cards does not include the selected set symbol.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the indicator is selected from the group consisting of a visual display, an audible alarm, and a locking device of the shoe configured to prevent cards from being removed from the shoe after a card without the selected set symbol is detected by the shoe.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the shoe further comprises a locking device configured to prevent a card marked with a set symbol that does not match the selected set symbol or a card lacking the selected set symbol from being removed from the shoe.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the shoe further comprises a locking device configured to prevent additional cards from being removed from the shoe after a card is drawn bearing a set symbol that does not match the selected set symbol or lacking the selected set symbol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the printing device is selected from the group consisting of a bar code printer, a dot matrix printer, an ink jet printer, a laser printer, a stamp, a nano-marking device, an embosser, a debosser, a scratching device, and a laser ablation device.

9. A method of verifying that playing cards to be removed from a card-handling device belong to a particular set of playing cards, the method comprising:

inserting the particular set of playing cards into a first card-handling device comprising a printing device, a card-moving mechanism, and a random number generator;

randomly determining a set symbol to be formed on each card in the particular set of playing cards with the random number generator of the first card-handling device;

forming the same randomly determined set symbol on each card in the particular set of playing cards with the printing device of the first card-handling device to uniquely identify the set of playing cards;

moving the particular set of playing cards from the first card-handling device to a second card-handling device;

transmitting with a data transmission device of the first card-handling device a signal representing the randomly determined set symbol to the second card-handling device; and

detecting with the second card-handling device whether each card therein includes a set symbol matching the randomly determined set symbol transmitted from the first card-handling device to the second card-handling device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, when a card does not include a set symbol matching the randomly determined set symbol, providing a signal indicating that a card does not belong to the particular set of playing cards.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving with a data reception device of the second card-handling device a signal indicating the randomly determined set symbol.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein providing a signal indicating a card does not belong to the particular set of playing cards comprises one or more of providing an audible alarm, providing a visual alert, and causing the second card-handling device to preclude removal of cards therefrom.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first card-handling device is selected from the group consisting of an automatic card shuffler, a card counter, a card storage device, a card verification device, a card-printing device, or a card reader.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the second card-handling device is selected from the group consisting of an automatic card shuffler, a card counter, a card-dealing shoe, a card storage device, a card verification device, or a card reader.

15. An automatic card shuffler, comprising:

a card infeed tray configured to receive a set of playing cards to be shuffled;

a card-shuffling mechanism configured to receive and randomize the order of cards from the set of playing cards in the card infeed tray;

a card output tray configured to receive shuffled playing cards from the card-shuffling mechanism;

a processor programmed to randomly select a set symbol to form on each card in the set of playing cards; and

a card-marking system for forming, prior to delivery of each card to the card output tray, the same randomly selected set symbol on each card received in the card infeed tray.

16. The automatic card shuffler of claim 15, further comprising a card-reading device for reading set symbols on cards delivered to the card output tray, wherein the card-reading device is in information communication with the processor.

17. The automatic card shuffler of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to generate a signal indicating a delivered card does not include a set symbol matching the randomly selected set symbol.

18. The automatic card shuffler of claim 15, wherein the card-marking system is positioned in the automatic card shuffler to form the randomly selected set symbol on each card prior to each card reaching the card-shuffling mechanism.

19. The automatic card shuffler of claim 15, wherein the card-marking system is configured to form the randomly selected set symbol on each card by one of applying a visible ink to the card, applying an invisible ink to the card, removing material of the card, burning the card, embossing the card, and debossing the card.

20. The automatic card shuffler of claim 15, wherein the processor programmed to randomly select a set symbol to form on each card in a set of playing cards comprises the processor programmed to randomly select a set symbol selected from the group consisting of a random sequence of numbers, a random sequence of letters, a random sequence of special characters, a random bar code, a random dot matrix code, a random pictograph, a random sequence of foreign language symbols, and combinations thereof.

21. The automatic card shuffler of claim 15, wherein the card output tray is detachable from the card-shuffling mechanism and the card infeed tray.