Card shuffling apparatuses and related methods

• US 9,539,494 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sines, Randy D., Griffin, Gary W., Lahti, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/630,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20150165306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 273/149.R, 273/149.P, 463/22
• 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 11/0002 Dispensing or collecting devices for tokens or chips dispensers for game pieces in chain reaction games A63F9/28; coin freed apparatus for games G07F17/32

Abstract

Card shuffler apparatuses include a card repositioner used to randomly reposition a plurality of cards on-edge over an aperture extending through a card support surface to allow cards to sequentially pass through the aperture in a random order. The apparatuses may be capable of continuously and sequentially forming playing card hands for use in a game. Shuffler apparatuses may be used to obtain a measurement relating to a thickness of the deck of cards. Methods involve the use of card shuffler apparatuses to form one or more playing card hands in a playing card game. Additional methods involve counting playing cards present within a stack of playing cards using a shuffler apparatus. In further methods, a number of shuffler apparatuses and a lesser number of shuffler activation devices are provided in a gaming establishment so as to preclude simultaneous use of all the shuffler apparatuses in the establishment.

Claims

1. A method of using a card shuffler apparatus, the method comprising:

measuring at least one of a weight and a thickness of a stack of playing cards positioned over a card support surface within the card shuffler apparatus to obtain at least one first measurement;

repositioning cards of the stack of playing cards dispensed from the card shuffler apparatus over the card support surface within the card shuffler apparatus;

measuring the at least one of a weight and a thickness of the stack of playing cards repositioned over the card support surface within the card shuffler apparatus to obtain at least one second measurement; and

comparing the at least one second measurement with the at least one first measurement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least one of a weight and a thickness of the stack of playing cards to obtain at least one first measurement comprises:

squeezing the stack of playing cards between at least two face guides; and

obtaining a measurement relating to a distance between the at least two face guides.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving and randomly repositioning the stack of playing cards over an aperture extending through the card support surface and allowing cards to pass randomly from the stack through the aperture and into a card collector to form a playing card hand in the card collector.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising pausing passage of cards through the aperture after formation of the playing card hand in the card collector for removal of the playing card hand from the card collector and continuing passage of cards through the aperture after the playing card hand is removed from the card collector to form another playing card hand in the card collector.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein allowing cards to pass randomly from the stack through the aperture and into a card collector comprises vibrating the stack of cards over the card support surface while moving and randomly repositioning the stack over the aperture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least one of a weight and a thickness of the stack of playing cards comprises measuring a force on a load cell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least one of a weight and a thickness of the stack of playing cards comprises measuring a position of at least one member adjacent the stack of playing cards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the at least one second measurement with the at least one first measurement comprises verifying integrity of the stack of playing cards.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming at least one hand of cards within the card shuffler apparatus from the stack of playing cards.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein forming at least one hand of cards within the card shuffler apparatus from the stack of playing cards comprises forming a hand of randomly selected cards from the stack of playing cards.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein forming at least one hand of cards within the card shuffler apparatus from the stack of playing cards comprises:

dispensing a first plurality of cards from the card shuffler apparatus to form a first hand of cards in a card collector;

removing the first hand of cards from the card collector; and

dispensing a second plurality of cards from the card shuffler apparatus to form a second hand of cards in the card collector.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising initiating operation of the card shuffler apparatus to define a number of cards to be included in the at least one hand of cards.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising initiating operation of the card shuffler apparatus to define a number of hands of cards to be formed in a round of play.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising terminating formation of hands of cards before the defined number of hands has been formed.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting the stack of playing cards in the card shuffler apparatus over the card support surface before measuring at least one of a weight and a thickness of the stack of playing cards.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the at least one second measurement with the at least one first measurement comprises verifying a number of playing cards in the stack of playing cards.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least one of a weight and a thickness of a stack of playing cards positioned over a card support surface within the card shuffler apparatus comprises disposing the stack of playing cards over a load cell.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating operation of the card shuffler apparatus with an activation device, wherein operation of the card shuffler apparatus is precluded absent the activation device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein initiating operation of the card shuffler apparatus with an activation device comprises initiating operation of the card shuffler apparatus with a radio frequency activation device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein initiating operation of the card shuffler apparatus with an activation device comprises initiating operation of the card shuffler apparatus with an electronic device.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising dispensing all cards in the stack of playing cards from the card shuffler apparatus and counting a number of the cards dispensed from the card shuffler apparatus upon dispensing all cards in the stack of playing cards from the card shuffler apparatus.