Resonant gaming chip identification system and method

• US 9,514,610 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Shayesteh, Hamid
• Primary Examiner(s): LIM, SENG HENG
• Application Number:
  US14/175,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/01 Testing electronic circuits therein
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/06 Coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

A system and method for a gaming chip identification system are disclosed. Briefly described, one embodiment comprises a plurality of gaming chips, each gaming chip operable to emit a respective unique electromagnetic signature in response to incident non-optical electromagnetic radiation, a computer-readable medium that stores information indicative of the electromagnetic signatures of at least a number of the plurality of gaming chips, and a processor-based system configured to verify that the electromagnetic signature from an interrogated gaming chip in an interrogation zone is a member of the plurality of gaming chips.

Claims

1. A method of forming valid sets of gaming chips, the method comprising:

emitting non-optical electromagnetic energy via at least one antenna;

receiving a first returning non-optical electromagnetic resonant response from a first resonant marker in response to the emitted non-optical electromagnetic energy;

deciding whether the first received resonant response is discernibly distinct from all respective resonant responses from respective ones of a number of resonant markers for which information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in a computer-readable medium;

responsive to deciding that the first received resonant response is not discernibly distinct from at least one of the respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium; and

deciding whether a second received resonant response from a second resonant marker is discernibly distinct from all respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium; and

responsive to deciding that the second received resonant response is discernibly distinct from all of the respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, storing information indicative of the second received resonant response in the computer-readable medium.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein emitting non-optical electromagnetic energy via at least one antenna includes emitting the non-optical electromagnetic energy over a period of time, wherein the non-optical electromagnetic energy is characterized by a frequency, and wherein the frequency of the non-optical electromagnetic energy is swept over a frequency range during the period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein emitting non-optical electromagnetic energy via at least one antenna includes emitting the non-optical electromagnetic energy characterized by a frequency range such that the returned non-optical electromagnetic resonant response is characterized by a corresponding return frequency range.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, not storing information indicative of the first received resonant response in the computer-readable medium.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, applying an indicia on at least one of the first resonant marker or a respective gaming chip.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a gaming chip has the second resonant marker, the method further comprising:

responsive to deciding that the second received resonant response of the second resonant marker of the gaming chip is discernibly distinct from all of the respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, assigning a unique identifier to the gaming chip; and

associating the unique identifier with information indicative of the second resonant response of the second resonant marker in the computer-readable medium.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, discarding a gaming chip that has the first resonant marker.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the first received resonant response is discernibly distinct from all of the respective resonant responses includes:

determining an electromagnetic signature corresponding to the first returning non-optical electromagnetic resonant response;

identifying at least one frequency characteristic of the electromagnetic signature; and

comparing the frequency characteristic with frequency characteristics of a plurality of previously-acquired electromagnetic signatures, each one of the previously-acquired electromagnetic signatures uniquely associated with one of a plurality of previously-analyzed resonant markers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

embedding the first resonant marker into a gaming chip.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

physically coupling the first resonant marker to a gaming chip.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a cavity in a gaming chip.

12. A method of forming valid sets of gaming chips, the method comprising:

emitting non-optical electromagnetic energy via at least one antenna;

receiving a first returning non-optical electromagnetic resonant response from a first resonant marker in response to the emitted non-optical electromagnetic energy;

deciding whether the first received resonant response is discernibly distinct from all respective resonant responses from respective ones of a number of resonant markers for which information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in a computer-readable medium;

responsive to deciding that the first received resonant response is not discernibly distinct from at least one of the respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium; and

responsive to identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, discarding the first resonant marker.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein emitting non-optical electromagnetic energy via at least one antenna includes emitting the non-optical electromagnetic energy over a period of time, wherein the non-optical electromagnetic energy is characterized by a frequency, and wherein the frequency of the non-optical electromagnetic energy is swept over a frequency range during the period of time.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

deciding whether a second received resonant response from a second resonant marker is discernibly distinct from all respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium; and

responsive to deciding that the second received resonant response is discernibly distinct from all of the respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, storing information indicative of the second received resonant response in the computer-readable medium.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

responsive to identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, applying an indicia on at least one of the first resonant marker or a respective gaming chip.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

deciding whether a second received resonant response from a second resonant marker of a gaming chip is discernibly distinct from all respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium;

responsive to deciding that the second received resonant response is discernibly distinct from all of the respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, assigning a unique identifier to the gaming chip; and

associating the unique identifier with information indicative of the second resonant response of the second resonant marker in the computer-readable medium.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

responsive to identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, discarding a gaming chip that has the first resonant marker.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

embedding the first resonant marker into a gaming chip.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

physically coupling the first resonant marker to a gaming chip.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

creating a cavity in a gaming chip.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

responsive to identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, replacing the first resonant marker with a second resonant marker.

22. A method of forming valid sets of gaming chips, the method comprising:

emitting non-optical electromagnetic energy via at least one antenna;

receiving a first returning non-optical electromagnetic resonant response from a first resonant marker in response to the emitted non-optical electromagnetic energy;

deciding whether the first received resonant response is discernibly distinct from all respective resonant responses from respective ones of a number of resonant markers for which information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in a computer-readable medium;

responsive to deciding that the first received resonant response is not discernibly distinct from at least one of the respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium; and

responsive to identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, replacing the first resonant marker with a second resonant marker.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein emitting non-optical electromagnetic energy via at least one antenna includes emitting the non-optical electromagnetic energy over a period of time, wherein the non-optical electromagnetic energy is characterized by a frequency, and wherein the frequency of the non-optical electromagnetic energy is swept over a frequency range during the period of time.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

deciding whether a second received resonant response from a third resonant marker is discernibly distinct from all respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium; and

responsive to deciding that the second received resonant response is discernibly distinct from all of the respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, storing information indicative of the second received resonant response in the computer-readable medium.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

responsive to identifying the first resonant marker as a duplicate of at least one of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, applying an indicia on at least one of the first resonant marker or a respective gaming chip.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

deciding whether a second received resonant response from a third resonant marker of a gaming chip is discernibly distinct from all respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium;

responsive to deciding that the second received resonant response is discernibly distinct from all of the respective resonant responses from the respective ones of the number of resonant markers for which the information indicative of the respective resonant responses has previously been stored in the computer-readable medium, assigning a unique identifier to the gaming chip; and

associating the unique identifier with information indicative of the second resonant response of the third resonant marker in the computer-readable medium.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

embedding the first resonant marker into a gaming chip.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

physically coupling the first resonant marker to a gaming chip.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

creating a cavity in a gaming chip.