Method for shuffling and dealing cards
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of dealing playing cards comprising:
- placing playing cards into respective single-card receptacles in a dealing rack including a plurality of single-card receptacles located adjacent one another in a fixed array and arranged so that the playing cards in the plurality of single-card receptacles are parallel with each other;
recording in a memory portion of a controller an identity of each one of the playing cards and an associated identity of a respective one of the plurality of single-card receptacles into which each respective one of the plurality of playing cards is placed;
placing the dealing rack into a first position alongside a blocking wall adjacent a card removal side of the dealing rack;
responsive to a predetermined condition automatically moving one of the dealing rack and the blocking wall relative to the other through a distance determined by the controller to expose a first selected number of single-card receptacles beyond a margin of the blocking wall to create an open path along the margin of the blocking wall for removal of a number of the playing cards, equal to the first selected number of single-card receptacles, from the dealing rack;
repetitively, until a selected number of groups of the playing cards have been removed from the dealing rack;
removing the number of the playing cards from the exposed single-card receptacles as a group of the playing cards and retaining in the memory portion of the controller the identities of the ones of the number of the playing cards in the group of the playing cards;
sensing and automatically communicating electrically to the controller that it is appropriate to move the dealing rack to expose additional ones of the plurality of single-card receptacles beyond the margin of the blocking wall;
responsive to the communication, moving the one of the dealing rack and the blocking wall a further distance relative to the other to expose a selected number of additional ones of the plurality of single-card receptacles beyond the margin of the blocking wall; and
thereafter, upon demand, retrieving and providing from the memory portion of the controller information concerning the identity of each of the playing cards in a selected one of the groups of playing cards.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A card shuffler that moves cards one at a time to randomly designated single-card receptacle in a receiving or dealing rack, and a method for shuffling and for dealing cards.
927 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method of dealing playing cards comprising:
-
placing playing cards into respective single-card receptacles in a dealing rack including a plurality of single-card receptacles located adjacent one another in a fixed array and arranged so that the playing cards in the plurality of single-card receptacles are parallel with each other; recording in a memory portion of a controller an identity of each one of the playing cards and an associated identity of a respective one of the plurality of single-card receptacles into which each respective one of the plurality of playing cards is placed; placing the dealing rack into a first position alongside a blocking wall adjacent a card removal side of the dealing rack; responsive to a predetermined condition automatically moving one of the dealing rack and the blocking wall relative to the other through a distance determined by the controller to expose a first selected number of single-card receptacles beyond a margin of the blocking wall to create an open path along the margin of the blocking wall for removal of a number of the playing cards, equal to the first selected number of single-card receptacles, from the dealing rack; repetitively, until a selected number of groups of the playing cards have been removed from the dealing rack; removing the number of the playing cards from the exposed single-card receptacles as a group of the playing cards and retaining in the memory portion of the controller the identities of the ones of the number of the playing cards in the group of the playing cards; sensing and automatically communicating electrically to the controller that it is appropriate to move the dealing rack to expose additional ones of the plurality of single-card receptacles beyond the margin of the blocking wall; responsive to the communication, moving the one of the dealing rack and the blocking wall a further distance relative to the other to expose a selected number of additional ones of the plurality of single-card receptacles beyond the margin of the blocking wall; and thereafter, upon demand, retrieving and providing from the memory portion of the controller information concerning the identity of each of the playing cards in a selected one of the groups of playing cards. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of manipulating playing cards, comprising:
-
placing playing cards into respective, mutually parallel, single-card receptacles in a dealing rack; recording in memory associated with a controller an identity of each playing card and an identity of an associated single-card receptacle receiving each playing card; placing the dealing rack into a position alongside a blocking wall adjacent a card removal side of the dealing rack; responsive to occurrence of a predetermined condition, the controller initiating movement of one of the dealing rack and the blocking wall relative to the other through a distance to expose a selected number of single-card receptacles beyond a margin of the blocking wall for removal of a group of the playing cards, equal in number to the selected number of single-card receptacles, from the dealing rack; repetitively, until a selected number of groups of the playing cards have been removed from the dealing rack; removing the number of the playing cards from the exposed single-card receptacles as a group of the playing cards and retaining in the memory the identities of the ones of the number of the playing cards in the group of the playing cards; sensing and automatically communicating to the controller to initiate movement of the dealing rack to expose additional ones of the single-card receptacles; responsive to the communication, the controller initiating movement of the one of the dealing rack and the blocking wall a further distance relative to the other to expose a selected number of additional ones of the single-card receptacles; and thereafter, upon demand, retrieving and providing from the memory information identifying each of the playing cards in a selected one of the groups of playing cards. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification