Gaming machine and gaming system using chips

• US 9,378,605 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Koyama, Toshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US12/206,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20090075725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,849 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/25, 463/11, 463/29, 463/27, 463/30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/06 Coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0072 with means for detecting the weight of the article of which the code is read, for the verification of the registration weighing combined with recording means, e.g. in weighing scale, G01G19/415

Abstract

Gaming chips 30 have an IC tag 34 which is embedded therein, and a special bar code 101 invisible to the naked eye, which is printed thereon. A server calculates the number of gaming chips 30 based on individual information of the IC tag 34 that was read out by a reader 38, based on individual information of the special bar codes 101 read out by a bar code scanner 102, based on weight data acquired at a weighing device 40 and based on image data processed in a camera 103. Further, the server checks a partial number or the total number of gaming chips 30 thus calculated, and outputs the check results from a display or speaker.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a gaming board onto which gaming chips to be bet are placed, each of the gaming chips having therein a built-in IC tag;

a first acquiring device that acquires first information for obtaining first number information of the gaming chips, the first number information being information on a number of the gaming chips currently put on the gaming board;

a second acquiring device that acquires second information for obtaining second number information of the gaming chips, the second number information being information on the number of the gaming chips currently put on the gaming board;

a third acquiring device that acquires third information for obtaining third number information of the gaming chips, the first number information being information on the number of the gaming chips currently put on the gaming board;

a processor that calculates the first number information, the second number information, and the third number information based on said first information from the first acquiring device, said second information from the second acquiring device, and third information from the third acquiring device, respectively; and

an input device that selects at least two check items among the first number information, the second number information, and the third number information,

wherein the processor executes processes as follows;

(a) checking whether or not the at least two check items match each other;

(b) outputting check results in the process (a) to an output device;

(c) executing a game; and

(d) performing a payout process based on a result of the game and a bet amount of the gaming chips.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a camera that functions as the first acquiring device and is adapted to acquire image data including imaging of the gaming chips on the gaming board, as said first information;

a reader that functions as the second acquiring device and is adapted to read individual information stored in the IC tags of the gaming chips on the gaming board, as said second information;

identification codes provided in the gaming chips placed on the gaming board; and

a reader that functions as the third acquiring device and is adapted to read individual information shown in the identification codes of the gaming chips on the gaming board, as said third information.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein the identification codes of the gaming chips have optically transparent properties in a visible range, and are read out through invisible light rays by the reader.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a meter that functions as a fourth acquiring device and is adapted to acquire weight data for the gaming chips on the gaming board, as fourth information.

5. A gaming system, comprising:

a gaming machine including;

a gaming board onto which gaming chips are placed, each of the gaming chips having therein a built-in IC tag;

a first acquiring device that acquires first information for obtaining first number information of the gaming chips, the first number information being information on a number of the gaming chips currently put on the gaming board;

a second acquiring device that acquires second information for obtaining second number information of the gaming chips, the second number information being information on the number of the gaming chips currently put on the gaming board;

a third acquiring device that acquires third information for obtaining third number information of the gaming chips, the second number information being information on the number of the gaming chips currently put on the gaming board; and

a communication device;

a server that manages the gaming machine, calculates the first number information, the second number information, and the third number information based on said first information from the first acquiring device, said second information from the second acquiring device, said third information from the third acquiring device, respectively, and selects at least two check items among the first number information, the second number information and the third number information, corresponding to an instruction input through an input device,

wherein the server executes processes as follows;

(a) checking whether or not numbers the at least two check items match each other,

(b) outputting check results in the process (a) to an output device,

(c) executing a game, and

(d) performing a payout process based on a result of the game and a bet amount of the gaming chips.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 5, further comprising:

a camera that functions as the first acquiring device and is adapted to acquire image data including imaging of the gaming chips on the gaming board, as said first information;

a reader that functions as the second acquiring device and is adapted to read individual information stored in the IC tags of the gaming chips on the gaming board, as said second information;

identification codes provided in the gaming chips placed on the gaming board; and

a reader that functions as the third acquiring device and is adapted to read individual information shown in the identification codes of the gaming chips on the gaming board, as said third information.

7. The gaming machine according to claim 6, wherein the identification codes of the gaming chips have optically transparent properties in a visible range, and are read out through invisible light rays by the reader.

8. The gaming machine according to claim 5, further comprising:

a meter that functions as a fourth acquiring device and is adapted to acquire weight data for the gaming chips on the gaming board, as fourth information.