Card recognition system, card handling device, and method for tuning a card handling device

• US 10,403,324 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, James V., Miller, Brian E., Zvercov, Vladislav
• Primary Examiner(s): Simms, Jr., John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins, Dolores
• Application Number:
  US15/616,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20170270964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 273149 R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2425 Scanners, e.g. for scanning regular characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/247 by affine transforms, e.g. correction due to perspective effects; Quadrilaterals, e.g. trapezoids
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/17 Card-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/04 using flat record carriers, e.g. disc, card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A card recognition system comprises an imaging device configured to capture a raw image of at least a portion of a card, and a processor operably coupled with the imaging device. The processor is configured to perform an image processing analysis of the raw image to identify measurements of at least one of a rank area around a rank of the card, and a suit area around a suit of the card, and automatically generate a calibration file based, at least in part, on the image processing analysis. A card handling device comprises a card infeed, a card output, and a card recognition system. A method for tuning a card handling device comprises capturing a plurality of images from a deck of cards, storing the images in memory, analyzing the plurality of images for card identification information, and generating a calibration file including parameters associated with the card identification information.

Claims

1. A method for operating a card handling device, the method comprising:

capturing images from a set of cards with an imaging device of a card handling device as the cards pass through the card handling device during a calibration mode;

storing the images of the cards in a non-transitory memory of the card handling device;

automatically generating a calibration file during the calibration mode with a processor of the card handling device, and storing the calibration file in the non-transitory memory, wherein the calibration file includes parameters responsive to the processor analyzing each image of the images for card identification information related to at least one of a rank area or a suit area of the card in the respective image; and

retrieving the parameters from the calibration file during a card recognition mode of the card handling device to determine an identity of at least one card passing through the card handling device during operation thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically generating, with the processor, master images from the images based on the parameters in the calibration file during the calibration mode, and storing the master images in the non-transitory memory.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising automatically associating, with the processor, the master images with an appropriate rank and suit during the calibration mode.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the identity of at least one card passing through the card handling device includes:

capturing, with the imaging device, at least one unknown image as a card passes through the card handling device;

comparing, with the processor, at least a portion of the at least one unknown image to one of the master images; and

determining, with the processor, a match of a card identity based on a score from the comparing.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising comparing, with the processor, master images of the master images with each other to determine secondary relationships during the calibration mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein comparing master images of the master images with each other is performed as part of a secondary verification after associating the images with an appropriate rank and suit of cards from the set of cards is performed from a pre-sorted deck.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of at least one card passing through the card handling device occurs during game play to verify hands of cards dealt by the card handling device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of at least one card passing through the card handling device occurs outside of game play to verify contents of a deck of cards.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing each image of the images for card identification information related to at least one of a rank area or a suit area of the card in the respective image includes locating blobs in the images and identifying a centroid and a location of the blobs.

10. A card handling device, comprising:

an imaging device configured to capture images from a set of cards as the cards pass through the card handling device during a calibration mode;

a non-transitory memory operably coupled with the imaging device and configured to store the images of the cards captured by the imaging device;

a processor operably coupled with the imaging device and the non-transitory memory, the processor configured to control operation of the card handling device during both a card calibration mode and a card recognition mode, including to;

automatically generate a calibration file during a calibration mode of the processor by analyzing each image of the images for card identification information related to at least one of a rank area or a suit area of the card in the respective image;

cause the calibration file to be stored in the non-transitory memory; and

retrieve the parameters from the calibration file during a card recognition mode of the card handling device to determine an identity of at least one card passing through the card handling device during operation thereof.

11. The card handling device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

automatically generate master rank images and master suit images from the images based on the parameters in the calibration file during the calibration mode; and

cause the master images to be stored in the non-transitory memory.

12. The card handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to run an operating system having a file system organized in subdirectories for each deck type to which the card handling device has been tuned during calibration mode.

13. The card handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically associate the master rank images and the master suit images with their corresponding rank and suit according to a predetermined order in which the cards are read in by the imaging device using a sorted deck during the calibration mode.

14. The card handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically associate the master rank images and the master suit images with their corresponding rank and suit by assigning a rank to each master rank file or a suit to each master suit file according to an order that the corresponding master image was saved in the non-transitory memory.

15. The card handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically associate the master rank images and the master suit images with their corresponding rank and suit by assigning a rank to each master rank or a suit to each master suit image from a direct association based on an expected identity by the processor.

16. The card handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically associate the master rank images and the master suit images with their corresponding rank and suit according to an unknown order in which the cards are read in by the imaging device using an unsorted deck during the calibration mode.

17. The card handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically associate the master rank images and the master suit images with their corresponding rank and suit by assigning a rank to each master rank or a suit to each master suit image from an indirect association from other master images.

18. The card handling device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to convert the raw images from a grayscale image to a black and white image based on a threshold level that dynamically changes over time responsive to a change in lighting conditions.

19. The card handling device of claim 12, wherein each subdirectory includes the respective calibration file and the master images automatically generated by the processor during the calibration mode.

20. The card handling device of claim 10, further comprising a shuffle processor separate from the processor, the shuffle processor configured to control components that move the cards through the card handling device.