AUTOMATED PLAYING CARD RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

• US 20160310831A1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresh Idea Global Limited
• Original Assignee: Fresh Idea Global Limited
• Inventors: Chun, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 9,931,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/067 Tables or similar supporting structures
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/10 Card holders
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00164 Casino tables
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2458 LCD's
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/246 Computer generated or synthesized image
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

An automated playing card retrieval system is used with a physical gaming table that hosts live wager-based games. The system includes a movable receiving component that receives dealt physical playing cards and an automated card removal component that removes the cards to a discard region after the game. The movable receiving component can be a mechanized tray, can display card(s) to player(s) seated away from the table during game play, and can receive cards at a first position, move to a second position where cards are removed, and move to a third position where cards are displayed at a position elevated from and at a substantially non-parallel angle to the table surface. Additional system components can include an automated card return component that returns cards to another location for a future game, a robotic dealer, an automated card shuffler, a card shoe, and/or the table itself.

Claims

1. An automated playing card retrieval system adapted for use with a physical gaming table adapted to host live wager-based table games, the automated playing card retrieval system comprising:

a movable receiving component adapted to receive one or more physical playing cards while or after the one or more physical playing cards are dealt for the play of a live wager-based table game at a physical gaming table, wherein said movable receiving component is further adapted to display at least one of the one or more physical playing cards to one or more players seated away from the physical gaming table during the play of the live wager-based table game; and

an automated card removal component adapted to facilitate the removal of the one or more physical playing cards from the movable receiving component to a discard region after the play of the live wager-based table game involving the one or more physical playing cards.

2. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 1, wherein said movable receiving component comprises a mechanized tray.

3. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 1, wherein said movable receiving component is adapted to receive the one or more physical playing cards at a first position, and wherein said receiving component is further adapted to be moved to a second position where the one or more physical playing cards are removed to the discard region.

4. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 3, wherein said movable receiving component is further adapted to display the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards at a third position that is separate from the first and second positions.

5. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 4, wherein the display of the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards is facilitated by the third position of said movable receiving component resulting in the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards being elevated from and held at a substantially non-parallel angle to the surface of the physical gaming table.

6. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the display of the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards is facilitated by the use of a camera adapted to send images or video of the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards to one or more remotely located gaming terminals.

7. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 1, wherein said automated card removal component is adapted to manipulate said movable receiving component such that the one or more physical playing cards are removed therefrom.

8. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical playing cards are all of the playing cards used for the play of the live wager-based table game.

9. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 1, further including:

an automated card return component adapted to facilitate the return of the one or more physical playing cards from the discard region to another location where the one or more physical playing cards can be processed for the play of a future live wager-based table game at the physical gaming table.

10. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 9, wherein the one or more physical playing cards are dealt from a card shoe at the physical gaming table, and wherein said automated card return component is further adapted to facilitate the return of the one or more physical playing cards to the card shoe.

11. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical playing cards are processed by an automatic card shuffler before being returned to the card shoe.

12. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 9, wherein said automated card return component includes a conveyor.

13. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 9, wherein automated card return component comprises an air blower or vacuum component.

14. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of said automated card return component vibrates to facilitate movement of the one or more physical playing cards.

15. The automated playing card retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical playing cards are dealt by a robotic manipulator mechanism.

16. An automated playing card dealing and retrieval system, comprising:

a robotic manipulator mechanism adapted to deal a plurality of physical gaming cards at a physical gaming table adapted to host live wager-based table games involving wagers, live game play based on the wagers, and monetary awards based on the results of the live game play;

a movable receiving component adapted to receive one or more of the plurality of physical playing cards while or after the one or more physical playing cards are dealt by said robotic manipulator mechanism for the play of a live wager-based table game at the physical gaming table, wherein said movable receiving component is further adapted to display at least one of the one or more physical playing cards to one or more players seated away from the physical gaming table during the play of the live wager-based table game;

an automated card removal component adapted to facilitate the removal of the one or more physical playing cards from the movable receiving component to a discard region after the play of the live wager-based table game involving the one or more physical playing cards; and

an automated card return component adapted to facilitate the return of the one or more physical playing cards from the discard region to another location where the one or more physical playing cards can be processed for the play of a future live wager-based table game at the physical gaming table.

17. The automated playing card dealing and retrieval system of claim 16, further including:

a card shoe from which the plurality of physical playing cards are dealt; and

an automatic card shuffler adapted to process the one or more physical playing cards after they are returned from the automated card return component and before they are provided to the card shoe.

18. The automated playing card dealing and retrieval system of claim 16, wherein said movable receiving component comprises a mechanized tray that is adapted to receive the one or more physical playing cards at a first position, wherein said mechanized tray is further adapted to be moved to a second position where the one or more physical playing cards are removed to the discard region, wherein said mechanized tray is further adapted to display the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards at a third position that is separate from the first and second positions, and wherein the display of the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards is facilitated by the third position of said mechanized tray resulting in the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards being elevated from and held at a substantially non-parallel angle to the surface of the physical gaming table.

19. The automated playing card dealing and retrieval system of claim 16, wherein the display of the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards is facilitated by the use of a camera adapted to stream images or video of the at least one of the one or more physical playing cards to one or more remotely located gaming terminals.

20. The automated playing card dealing and retrieval system of claim 16, further including:

the physical gaming table.