Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Condition responsive means controls separating means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-22
2002-06-11
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Condition responsive means controls separating means
C209S547000, C209S939000, C273S14900R, C271S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06403908
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to an automated method and apparatus for sequencing and/or inspecting playing cards. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automated method and apparatus which will sequence a standard deck of playing cards and alternatively check the playing cards for possible detects. In addition to performing a computerized check for playing cards with possible defects, the present invention includes an operator interface that will display a magnified version of a potentially defective area of a card on a monitor for view by an operator, and query the operator as to whether to accept or reject the card in order to allow for further inspection.
The method and apparatus of the present invention for sequencing a used deck of playing cards outputs complete decks of playing cards, with all cards facing the same way in proper sequence. An optional method and apparatus of the present invention supplies the operator of the method and apparatus with an overall wear rating for each deck of playing cards.
Casinos offer various card games including, but not limited to, poker, baccarat and blackjack. Poker is played using one deck of playing cards, while blackjack and baccarat are typically played using multiple decks of playing cards that are shuffled together. In fact, in casinos, blackjack is often played using four decks of playing cards and baccarat is often played using eight decks of playing cards.
All of the decks of playing cards used, however, comprise standard fifty-two card decks, with each deck having four suits, and each suit having thirteen cards. New decks of playing cards arrive in standard sequence by suit and by rank within each suit. Each properly ordered suit is arranged within a new deck of playing cards in the following sequence: diamonds, clubs, hearts and spades. In addition, each suit contains thirteen cards in proper order starting with the king and descending in order down to the ace. Accordingly, in a brand new deck of properly ordered playing cards, the king of diamonds is always the top card in the deck and the ace of spades is always the bottom card in the deck. New decks of playing cards are typically provided in sets. Each set contains two properly sequenced decks of playing cards existing side by side, with each of the two decks having a different color back.
When brand new decks of playing cards are first received by a casino, each deck of cards must be certified as being good and acceptable for play before the deck can be used. In order to certify that deck of playing cards is good and acceptable for play, the casino must ascertain that: (1) there is one and only one of each type (i.e. by suit and rank) of playing card in the deck of playing cards, (2) all of the backs of the playing cards contained in the deck are of the same color, (3) there are no defective playing cards (i.e. torn or cracked cards, cards with dimples or fingernail marks, cards with missing print or cards with spots), and (4) there are no boxed cards (cards facing backwards, etc.) contained in the deck of playing cards.
When a deck of playing cards is put into play at a casino, the dealer spreads the deck out on the table in front of the players to verify, for the house and the players, that the entire deck of playing cards is there and that the deck is a good deck of cards that is acceptable for play. The deck must be in proper sequence when it is spread out for inspection so that it can be easily checked for play. If the deck is not in proper sequence, the decks are not used and a new set up, i.e. a new set of two decks of playing cards is brought into play.
Casinos use expensive, long lasting decks of playing cards, and continually reuse their decks of playing cards rather than throwing the cards away after their first use. “New” (i.e., for the most part, recycled) decks of playing cards are brought into a game fairly often since, for example, in poker any player at a table may ask for a new set up, i.e. a new set of two decks, to be brought in to replace the two existing decks at the table almost as often as he/she wants. In addition, a new set up comprising two new decks of playing cards is brought into a card game any time a bad playing card is found during the course of the game.
Casinos accumulate multiple decks of unsorted playing cards which have to be checked for defects and marks and then put back into their proper sequence, i.e., proper suit and rank order, before they can be reused. Before a used deck of playing cards can be reused, it must be checked for all of the conditions described above with respect to new decks of playing cards, as well as being checked for any accidental or intentional marks which may have inadvertently or deliberately been placed on the backs of the playing cards.
When activity is slow in a casino, casino employees, namely the dealers or floor persons, put the playing cards back into their proper sequence while looking the cards over for defects or aberrations. Problems arise, however, when the casinos become busy in that casino employees have less spare time to sequence and inspect the decks of used playing cards.
During these busy times, casinos typically will require dealers coming off their table rotations, who should be going on their breaks, to instead spend time sequencing the used decks of playing cards. Obviously, the dealers are not functioning at peak performance during these times when they should be taking their breaks but are instead sequencing playing cards. As a result, the employees attempt to sequence the used playing cards as quickly as possible, thereby increasing chances for mis-ordering cards and failing to identify cards having defects or aberrations.
Further, when casinos are very busy and employees do not have time to sequence the used decks of playing cards, the casinos run out of playing card set ups, i.e. sets of decks of properly sequenced playing cards. Accordingly, when a player asks for a new deck of cards to be brought into the game, dealers are instead instructed to simply reshuffle the deck of cards that is already in play. The failure to introduce a new deck of playing cards is not well accepted by the players.
In addition, casinos typically have difficulty in determining when a used deck of playing cards is too old and worn for further use. In fact, casinos typically do not have any objective measure for determining when a used deck of playing cards should be retired and no longer used.
Various methods and apparatus for optically identifying playing cards exist in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,816 issued to Garczynski et al, discloses a blackjack scanner apparatus and method which includes a scanner for scanning at least a portion of a dealer's first standard playing card, memory for storing indicia representative of cards contained in a standard deck of playing cards, means for comparing and determining the identity of the first playing card based on comparison with indicia representing each of the playing cards contained in the standard deck of cards, means for the dealer to input the identity of the dealer's second playing card, means for reporting when the first and second playing cards comprise blackjack, and a dealer shoe which includes the reporting means. This method and apparatus utilizes optical lenses to project the character of a playing card onto an array chip and microprocessor and memory chips to compare the result of the projected playing card with a set of references which relate to each of the individual cards contained within a deck of playing cards. The object of the invention is to announce when a dealer has blackjack without even the dealer knowing the dealer's down card.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,893 to Hill et al. describes a shuffled card dispensing shoe with an optical sensor which scans indicia on the playing cards as the cards move along and out of the shoe and an automated card tracking system. The system includes (1) an elongated housing having a chute for manually removing cards one-by-one from the deck, (2
Maggio Richard L.
Stardust Bob
Ptak LaValle D.
Schlak Daniel
Walsh Donald P.
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