Intelligent table game system

US9254435B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States Playing Card Company · US

Inventors

• Ken Miller · Houston, US
• Carol A. Rouillard · Loveland, US
• Lance Merrell · Morganfield, US
• Venkata Krishnamurty · Sheboygan, US
• Dylan Horvath · Toronto, CA
• Logan Taylor · Toronto, CA
• Scott Bodaly · Toronto, CA
• Andriy Nazar · Toronto, CA
• Mike Liwak · Pickering, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 30, 2013
• Grant date: Feb 9, 2016
• Expiry date: Feb 2, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07F17/3241
• WIPO field: Furniture, games
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

A card dealing system incorporating playing cards with rank and suit information encoded thereon via micro-dots, and a shoe capable of reading such micro dots as a playing card is drawn from the shoe. A game controller unit determines the positioning of the micro-dots on the playing card, and determines the rank and suit information therefrom. The game controller thereby monitors the progress and status of a card game. The shoe includes a mechanism for increasing the force needed to pull a card from the shoe in certain circumstances. The engagement of this mechanism may be tied to the rules of the game, or may relate to circumstances apart from the rules of the game, such as the detection of a cut card or a virtual cut card.