Systems, methods and articles to facilitate playing card games

• US 8,038,153 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Fleckenstein, Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US11/428,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20070287534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 273/292, 273/149.R, 273/274
• US Class Current: 273/149.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Playing cards from the input playing card receiver are allocated or directed between at least the first intermediary and the second intermediary playing card receivers based on an order in which the playing cards will be arranged at the playing card output receiver. The second intermediary playing card receiver may comprise an endless array of playing card receiving compartments mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis. The first intermediary playing card receiver may comprise an annular array of playing card receiving compartments mounted pivotal movement about a second horizontal axis. The first intermediary playing card receiver may comprise a diagonal array of playing card receiving compartments mounted translation along a vertical axis.

Claims

1. A playing card handling system, comprising:

a playing card input receiver;

a playing card output receiver;

at least one playing card transport path extending between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver;

a first intermediary playing card receiver disposed between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver in the at least one playing card transport path, the first intermediary playing card receiver comprising a plurality of playing card receiving compartments, the plurality of playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver physically coupled for movement together;

a second intermediary playing card receiver disposed between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver in the at least one playing card transport path, the second intermediary playing card receiver comprising a plurality of playing card receiving compartments, the plurality of playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver physically coupled for movement together; and

a control subsystem configured to allocate a plurality of playing cards from the input playing card receiver between at least the first intermediary and the second intermediary playing card receivers based on an order in which the playing cards will be arranged at the playing card output receiver.

2. The playing card handling system of claim 1, further comprising:

an input sensor positioned to sense an identity of each of the plurality of playing cards as the playing cards move along the at least one playing card transport path toward at least one of the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers.

3. The playing card handling system of claim 1 wherein the order on which the control subsystem allocates the playing cards between at least the first intermediary and the second intermediary playing card receivers is a pseudo-randomly generated order.

4. The playing card handling system of claim 1 wherein the control subsystem is configured to segment a pseudo-randomly generated sequence of virtual playing card values between at least the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers, and allocate playing cards identified by an initial subset of the virtual playing card values to the second intermediary playing card receiver and to allocate the remainder of the virtual playing card values to the first intermediary playing card receiver.

5. The playing card handling system of claim 1 wherein the second intermediary playing card receiver comprises at least fifty-two playing card receiving compartments, each of the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver sized to receive one playing card.

6. The playing card handling system of claim 5 wherein the first intermediary playing card receiver comprises three playing card receiving compartments, each of the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver sized to receive a plurality of playing cards.

7. The playing card handling system of claim 6 wherein the control subsystem is configured to segment a pseudo-randomly generated sequence of virtual playing card values between four subsets, and to allocate playing cards identified by an initial subset of the virtual playing card values to respective playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver and to allocate the remaining three subsets to respective ones of the three playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver.

8. The playing card handling system of claim 7 wherein the control subsystem is configured to control placement of playing cards into the playing card receiving compartments of the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers.

9. The playing card handling system of claim 1 wherein the control subsystem is configured to load playing cards into the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver at a first period, and to load playing cards into the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver during a second period, different than the first period.

10. The playing card handling system of claim 1 wherein the control subsystem is configured to load playing cards into the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver at a first period, and to unload playing cards from the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver during the first period.

11. The playing card handling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a playing card picker operable to selectively remove playing cards from the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver based at least in part on pseudo-randomly generated virtual playing card values.

12. The playing card handling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a playing card picker operable to selectively remove playing cards from the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver in a sequential order, where the playing cards were randomly loaded to the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver.

13. The playing card handling system of claim 1 wherein the second intermediary playing card receiver is a carousel comprising an endless array of the playing card receiving compartments, each of the playing card receiving compartments sized to receive a respective playing card.

14. The playing card handling system of claim 1 wherein the second intermediary playing card receiver is pivotally mounted for movement about a first horizontal axis.

15. The playing card handling system of claim 14 wherein the first intermediary playing card receiver is pivotally mounted for movement about a second horizontal axis, parallel to the first horizontal axis.

16. The playing card handling system of claim 14 wherein the card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver form an annular profile.

17. The playing card handling system of claim 14 wherein the first intermediary playing card receiver is mounted for translation along a vertical axis, perpendicular to the first horizontal axis.

18. The playing card handling system of claim 14 wherein the card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver form a diagonal array.

19. The playing card handling system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers is selectively removable.

20. The playing card handling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a frame;

a motor coupled to the frame; and

a linkage physically coupling the motor to the playing card output receiver, wherein the motor is operable to vertically translate the playing card output receiver with respect to a frame via the linkage.

21. A playing card handling system, comprising:

a playing card input receiver;

a playing card output receiver;

at least one playing card transport path extending between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver;

a first intermediary playing card receiver disposed between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver in the at least one playing card transport path, the first intermediary playing card receiver comprising a plurality of playing card receiving compartments, the plurality of playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver physically coupled for movement as a first unit;

a second intermediary playing card receiver disposed between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver in the at least one playing card transport path, the second intermediary playing card receiver comprising a plurality of playing card receiving compartments, the plurality of playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver physically coupled for movement together as a second unit; and

a control subsystem configured to direct playing cards to the card receiving compartments of a selected one of at least the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers based at least in part on at least a portion of a determined sequence of playing cards that are to be delivered from the playing card handling system.

22. The playing card handling system of claim 21, further comprising:

an input sensor positioned to sense an identity of each of a plurality of playing cards at least at one point along the at least one playing card transport path between the playing card input receiver and to at least one of the first and the second intermediary card receivers.

23. The playing card handling system of claim 21 wherein the determined sequence is a pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values.

24. The playing card handling system of claim 21 wherein the control subsystem is configured to direct playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a first portion of a pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver, and to direct playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a second portion of the pseudo-random sequence of playing card values to the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver.

25. The playing card handling system of claim 21 wherein the first intermediary playing card receiver comprises three playing card receiving compartments, each of the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver sized to receive a plurality of playing cards and wherein the second intermediary playing card receiver comprises at least fifty-two playing card receiving compartments, each of the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver sized to receive one playing card.

26. The playing card handling system of claim 25 wherein the control subsystem is configured to direct playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a first portion of a pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver, to direct playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a second portion of a pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to a first one of the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver, to direct playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a third portion of a pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to a second one of the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver, and to direct playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a fourth portion of a pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to a third one of the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver.

27. The playing card handling system of claim 21 wherein the control subsystem is configured to load playing cards into the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver at a first period, and to unload playing cards from the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver during the first period.

28. A method of operating a playing card handling system, the method comprising:

automatically determining an identity of each of a plurality of playing cards; and

allocating a plurality of playing cards from an input playing card receiver between at least a first intermediary and a second intermediary playing card receivers based on an order in which the playing cards will be arranged at a playing card output receiver, the first intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together and the second intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together;

pseudo-randomly generating a sequence of virtual playing card values; and

segmenting the pseudo-randomly generated sequence of virtual playing card values into at least two subsets, and wherein allocating a plurality of playing cards between at least a first intermediary and a second intermediary playing card receivers comprises allocating each of a number of playing cards identified by an initial one of the subsets of virtual playing card values to respective playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver and allocating each of a number of the virtual playing card values identified by remaining ones of the subsets of virtual playing card values to the first intermediary playing card receiver.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein determining an identity of each of a plurality of playing cards comprises determining the identity at a position between the playing card input receiver and at least one of the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the pseudo-randomly generated sequence of virtual playing card values define the order.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

moving a playing card to the second intermediary playing card receiver from the first intermediary playing card receiver, as the first intermediary playing card receiver becomes depleted.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

loading playing cards from the playing card input receiver into the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver concurrently with loading playing cards from the playing card input receiver into the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

loading playing cards from the playing card input receiver into the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver concurrently with unloading playing cards from the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver.

35. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

bi-directionally pivoting the first intermediary playing card receiver about a first vertically extending axis.

31. A method of operating a playing card handling system, the method comprising:

automatically determining an identity of each of a plurality of playing cards;

allocating a plurality of playing cards from an input playing card receiver between at least a first intermediary and a second intermediary playing card receivers based on an order in which the playing cards will be arranged at a playing card output receiver, the first intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together and the second intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together;

pseudo-randomly generating a sequence of virtual playing card values that define the order; and

segmenting the pseudo-randomly generated sequence of virtual playing card values into at least two subsets, and wherein allocating a plurality of playing cards between at least a first intermediary and a second intermediary playing card receivers comprises allocating each of a number of playing cards identified by an initial one of the subsets of virtual playing card values to respective card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver and allocating each of a number of playing cards identified by a plurality of remaining ones of the subsets of virtual playing card values to respective ones of the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

bi-directionally pivoting the second intermediary playing card receiver about a second vertically extending axis.

37. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for causing a processor to operate a playing card handling system, by:

directing playing cards to a selected one of at least a first and a second intermediary playing card receivers based at least in part on at least a portion of a determined sequence of playing cards that are to be delivered from the playing card handling system the first intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together and the second intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together;

delivering the playing card from the playing card handling system; and

moving some of the playing cards to the second intermediary playing card receiver from the first intermediary playing card receiver, as the first intermediary playing card receiver becomes depleted based on at least in part on at least a portion of the determined sequence of playing cards that are to be delivered from the playing card handling system.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 wherein the instructions cause the processor to operate the playing card handling system, further by:

directing playing cards from the second intermediary playing card receiver to an output playing card receiver.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 wherein the instructions cause the processor to operate the playing card handling system, further by:

generating a pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for causing a processor to operate a playing card handling system, by:

directing playing cards to a selected one of at least a first and a second intermediary playing card receivers based at least in part on at least a portion of a determined sequence of playing cards that are to be delivered from the playing card handling system the first intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together and the second intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together, wherein the directing playing cards to a selected one of at least the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers based at least in part on at least a portion of a determined sequence of playing cards that are to be delivered from the playing card handling system comprises directing playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a first portion of a pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver, and directing playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a second portion of the pseudo-random sequence of playing card values to the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver.

41. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for causing a processor to operate a playing card handling system, by:

directing playing cards to a selected one of at least a first and a second intermediary playing card receivers based at least in part on at least a portion of a determined sequence of playing cards that are to be delivered from the playing card handling system the first intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together and the second intermediary playing card receiver having a plurality of playing card receiving compartments physically coupled for movement together, wherein the directing playing cards to a selected one of at least the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers based at least in part on at least a portion of a determined sequence of playing cards that are to be delivered from the playing card handling system comprises directing playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a first portion of a pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to the playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver, directing playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a second portion of the pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to a first one of the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver, directing playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a third portion of the pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to a second one of the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver, and directing playing cards identified by virtual playing card values in a fourth portion of the pseudo-random sequence of virtual playing card values to a third one of the playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver.

42. A playing card handling system, comprising:

a playing card input receiver;

a playing card output receiver;

at least one playing card transport path extending between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver;

a first intermediary playing card receiver disposed between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver in the at least one playing card transport path, the first intermediary playing card receiver comprising a plurality of playing card receiving compartments, the plurality of playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver physically coupled for movement together;

a second intermediary playing card receiver disposed between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver in the at least one playing card transport path, the second intermediary playing card receiver comprising an endless array of plurality of playing card receiving compartments, the plurality of playing card receiving compartments of the second intermediary playing card receiver physically coupled for pivotal movement together about a first horizontal axis; and

a control subsystem configured to allocate a plurality of playing cards to the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers and to the playing card output receiver.

43. The playing card handling system of claim 42 wherein the plurality of playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver are mounted for pivotal movement about a second horizontal axis, parallel to the first horizontal axis.

44. The playing card handling system of claim 42 wherein the plurality of playing card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver are mounted for translation along movement along a vertical axis.

45. The playing card handling system of claim 42 wherein the card receiving compartments of the first intermediary playing card receiver form a diagonal array.

46. The playing card handling system of claim 42 wherein at least one of the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers is selectively removable.

47. The playing card handling system of claim 42, further comprising:

a frame;

a motor coupled to the frame; and

a linkage physically coupling the motor to the playing card output receiver, wherein the motor is operable to vertically translate the playing card output receiver with respect to the frame via the linkage.

48. The playing card handling system of claim 42, further comprising:

an input sensor positioned to sense an identity of each of the plurality of playing cards at least at one point along the at least one playing card transport path between the playing card input receiver and the least one of the first and the second intermediary playing card receivers.