Registers – Records – Conductive
Patent
1996-03-13
2000-02-08
Frech, Karl D.
Registers
Records
Conductive
235487, G06K 1906
Patent
active
060219491
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to gamin tokens also called casino chips. By gaming token is meant any element which can be used in gaming rooms and representing a predetermined or non-predetermined nominal value, whether this is an actual token in the form of a disk or a gaming chip generally representing a high stake. These tokens are classified into two families depending on the type of game for which they are used, "French or European" tokens with a predetermined value and "American" tokens with or without a predetermined value.
In general, the tokens are manufactured from rigid and scratch resistant plastic. The tokens exhibit varied patterns in terms of design and in terms of colors in order to reduce the risks of falsification and/or fraudulent reproductions.
With the improvement in reproduction techniques and the steady increase in stakes associated with the tokens, just the complexity of the design and of the colors proves nowadays not to be sufficient to combat fraudulent reproductions effectively. Moreover, in addition to the fight against fraud and theft, casino operators are looking to improve and facilitate the management of their gaming tables, in particular to produce a continuous inventory of the amount in play on a table and/or to monitor the value the [sic] gross contribution on a table and/or keep a track of particularly high-value tokens. In particular, a gaming token has already been proposed in which an electronic identification device is arranged in the body of the token.
The object of the invention is to provide a gaming token with an electronic identification device (also called identifier) well suited to the strict constraints resulting from the very nature of a gaming token.
Indeed, since some gaming tokens can have a high nominal value, it is important to ensure permanent attachment between the token and its identifier. In other words, the token must have a structure such that access to the identifier cannot be achieved without completely destroying the body of the token, thus preventing any falsification or substitution of the identifier.
Moreover, gaming tokens have quite a long lifetime (estimated nowadays to be five years) during which they are subjected to difficult operating conditions (permanent handling, passing through a washing machine, etc.). It is also important that the identifier be well protected both during the manufacturing stage of the token and during the period in use.
The invention provides a gaming token, or similar device representing a predetermined or non-predetermined nominal value, composed of a flat body and an electronic identification device arranged in the body of the token, characterized in that the body permanently incorporates a rigid shell made of plastic holding captive the electronic identification device.
By virtue of the invention, each token or chip can be permanently identified right from its manufacture, according to a virtually unfalsifiable numeric or alphanumeric code given by the manufacturer. The token or chip can then be easily authenticated by the users (casino operators) using a station for reading the code. This permanent identification of the token improves the security and also comes into the framework of the fight against the theft of tokens. Of course, without departing from the scope of the invention, the identification may be supplemented by other information regarding the token, for example the nominal value of the token, the code of the casino and/or of the gaming table, etc. The casino operators therefore have the possibility of immediately monitoring the amounts in play table by table, and even the movements of the players from one table to another. In some cases, especially for low value tokens, the actual identification code, specific to a given token, is not necessary; the value of the token and/or the casino code constitute the identification information relating to the token and preserved in the memory of the electronic identification device.
It should also be noted that the rigid shell provides a double function o
REFERENCES:
patent: 4260881 (1981-04-01), Peterson
patent: 4818855 (1989-04-01), Mongeon et al.
patent: 4983820 (1991-01-01), Dias
patent: 5166502 (1992-11-01), Rendleman et al.
patent: 5498859 (1996-03-01), Farmont
patent: 5619066 (1997-04-01), Curry et al.
Etablissements Bourgogne et Grasset
Frech Karl D.
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