CARD RECOGNITION SYSTEM, CARD HANDLING DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR TUNING A CARD HANDLING DEVICE

• US 20140091521A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, James V., Zvercov, Vladislav, Miller, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,378,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/149.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 card recognition system, comprising:

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 configured to;

perform an image processing analysis of the raw image to identify measurements related to 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.

2. The card recognition system of claim 1, further comprising a memory operably coupled with the imaging device, the memory configured to store a plurality of raw images received from the imaging device.

3. The card recognition system of claim 2, further configured to organize the plurality of raw images within the memory in the order received by the imaging device.

4. The card recognition system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to store the calibration file in a subdirectory of a file system, the subdirectory corresponding to a particular deck type.

5. The card recognition system of claim 1, wherein the image processing analysis includes a blob analysis of the raw image.

6. The card recognition system of claim 5, wherein the blob analysis first identifies a rank to obtain the measurements of the rank area and then identifies a suit to obtain the measurements of the suit area.

7. The card recognition system of claim 6, wherein the blob analysis specifically searches for a ten rank to obtain the measurements of the rank area.

8. The card recognition system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate master images for each rank and suit of a deck of cards read by the imaging device.

9. The card recognition system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to associate the master images with their corresponding rank and suit.

10. The card recognition system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to associate the master images with their corresponding rank and suit according to an order in which the cards from the deck are read in by the imaging device.

11. The card recognition system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to associate the master images with their corresponding rank and suit for the deck of cards without requiring a predetermined order for the deck of cards.

12. The card recognition system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to associate the master images with their corresponding rank and suit for the deck of cards by comparing the master images with each other to obtain scores that are compared with scores for known secondary relationships between different master images.

13. A card handling device, comprising:

a card infeed;

a card output; and

a card recognition system, including;

an image sensor configured to capture an image of a card passing from the card infeed to the card output; and

a card recognition processor configured to automatically generate a calibration file using an image analysis process of the image, the calibration file including measurements for at least one of a size of a rank and a suit symbol of the card within the image.

14. The card handling device of claim 13, wherein the card recognition system further includes control logic operably coupled with the image sensor and configured to receive the image from the image sensor.

15. The card handling device of claim 14, wherein the card recognition system further includes a memory operably coupled with the control logic and the card recognition processor, the memory configured to receive the image from the control logic.

16. The card handling device of claim 14, wherein the control logic is configured to generate a master image for at least one of the rank and the suit of the card within the image.

17. The card handling device of claim 16, wherein the card recognition processor is configured to store the master image and the calibration file in a file system.

18. The card handling device of claim 14, wherein the control logic is configured to convert the image from a grayscale image to a black and white image.

19. The card handling device of claim 18, wherein conversion from the grayscale image to the black and white image is based on a threshold level that dynamically changes over time.

20. The card handling device of claim 19, wherein the threshold level dynamically changes over time based on a change in lighting conditions.

21. The card handling device of claim 18, wherein the threshold level is set at a first level during a tuning mode and set at a second level during a card recognition mode.

22. The card handling device of claim 14, wherein the imaging device includes a fish-eye lens.

23. The card handling device of claim 22, wherein the control logic is configured to compensate for the fish-eye distortion by translating pixels in the image using a look-up table.

24. The card handling device of claim 22, wherein the control logic is configured to compensate for the fish-eye distortion by mathematically translating pixels in the image.

25. A method for tuning a card handling device, the method comprising:

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 based on the analyzing.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein analyzing the plurality of images includes locating blobs having a centroid and a location and identifying the card identification information within the blobs located.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising ignoring blobs that have a size below a certain threshold and blobs that are located outside of a desired region of the plurality of images.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein identifying the card identification information includes searching specifically through the plurality of images for a ten rank and using the ten rank to determine the parameters in the calibration file.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising generating a plurality of master images from the plurality of images based on the parameters in the calibration file.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising associating the plurality of master images with an appropriate rank and suit.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising comparing master images of the plurality of master images with each other to determine secondary relationships.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein comparing master images of the plurality of master images with each other is performed as part of a secondary verification after associating the plurality of images with an appropriate rank and suit is performed from a pre-sorted deck.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein a parameter of the calibration file defines a region of interest of a smaller size than a field of view of an imaging device.

34. A method of automatically generating a calibration file for identifying a specific card type, the method comprising:

capturing a plurality of raw images from a deck of cards;

storing the plurality of raw images in memory;

identifying a size of each rank and suit symbol of each stored raw image of the plurality;

storing a region of interest and symbol size information in a calibration file for the plurality of raw images;

converting a plurality of raw images into a plurality of master rank files and a plurality of master suit files; and

storing the plurality of master rank files and the plurality of master suit files corresponding to a specific card type.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein identifying a size of each rank and suit symbol includes employing a blob analysis.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

identifying at least one card by;

capturing at least one unknown image as a card passes through a card handling device;

comparing at least a portion of the at least one unknown image to one of the plurality of master rank files and the plurality of master suit files; and

determine a match of a card identity based on a score from the comparing.

36. A method of identifying a card rank and suit, the method comprising:

automatically creating a calibration file by;

capturing a plurality of raw images from a deck of cards;

storing the plurality of raw images in memory;

identifying a size of each rank and suit symbol of each stored raw image of the plurality; and

storing a region of interest and rank and suit symbol size information in the calibration file for the plurality of raw images; and

generating a plurality of master rank files and a plurality of master suit files by;

converting a plurality of raw images into a plurality of master rank files and a plurality of master suit files; and

storing the plurality of master rank files and the plurality of master suit files corresponding to a specific card type.